Pathfinder 1E How would you defend an airship?

[Lord Pendragon]

Our party has recently refurbished an airship, and I'm concerned that--given that we have rich and powerful organizations among our enemies--it's only a matter of time before we encounter enemy airships and have to deal with them.

I know there won't be much in the way of actual airship defenses in the core rules, what I'm looking for are spells or ideas that could be adapted, perhaps with spell research, rituals or the like, to work in an airship's defense.

Currently these are the ideas that I've come up with or gotten from others so far:

Hallow on the airship, with Protection from Energy as the rider. Would need to clarify how a permanent Protection from Energy might function.

Getting Ironwood cast on the outer hull of the ship, making it fire-resistant, and also much tougher versus cannonfire.

Contingent spells such as strategically placed Symbols of Sealing. These would be cost prohibitive unless they could be made permanent, perhaps with uses per day.

All ideas welcome.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Fighter planes deployed from the airship's belly.

 

[Umbran]

Depends on the design of the airship. If you're talking the "dirigible with a ship-like gondola hanging from it", the best defense is to not get in the darned thing!

Look, you're being held aloft by a big balloon. That balloon gets punctured, you're goin' down. If the game has magics such that you can make silk cloth put up with, oh, the equivalent of chain shot from a cannon (or ballista bolt, or whatever)... well, then in your game world nobody should ever be harmed by any weapon, and you have some 'splainin to do to justify it all.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Actually our airship is held aloft by magic and steered by propellers. Apparently most airships in Eberron (our game is an Eberron/homebrew hybrid) are powered by bound elementals, though ours won't be since my magus objected to using an enslaved sentient being as a living engine.

Still, basically a wooden boat that flies by magic, with propellers.

 

[ob250]

I feel like having a lot of repair spells on it could help, maybe somehow put entropic shield on it? have it have an advanced form of obscuring mist to hid it. a speed boost to run away, a teleport? an aura of dispel magic or spell resistance, control weather or repulsion. quench, wind wall, repel wood, repel stone and metal. I mean so many ways u can do it if u think about it

 

[Cadence]

Our party has recently refurbished an airship, and I'm concerned that--given that we have rich and powerful organizations among our enemies--it's only a matter of time before we encounter enemy airships and have to deal with them.

Part of the Dan Simmons short story The Guiding Nose of Ulfant Banderoz in the Songs of the Dying Earth anthology takes place on an airship. The methods of defense aren't too surprising [sblock]a giant balista and a high level mage iirc[/sblock] but it was a great read that might be inspirational in a world with lots of airships.

 

[Herobizkit]

I would stock at least one willing Warforged Artificer since they never need to sleep or eat... plus they could be fun to talk to while you're bored, or can fix the ship while everyone sleeps.

Lightning or Acid Cannon. I don't know the game stats of such, but elemental (damage) cannons seem awesome.

You may want to crib vehicle enhancements from d20 modern's Urban Arcana ruleset for some ideas.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I would stock at least one willing Warforged Artificer since they never need to sleep or eat... plus they could be fun to talk to while you're bored, or can fix the ship while everyone sleeps.

Our group has two engineers, me (magus) and the artificer, who has a sentient toolbox. It may be that the artificer's toolbox could fill the role of sleepless tinkerer, I don't know if it gets access to the artificer's skills.

Even so...I love your idea. Our group is likely going to have a lot of followers/minions as time goes on, so this is something I now definitely plan to look into. Said warforged could also be very effective as damage control in the midst of ship-to-ship combat.

Lightning or Acid Cannon. I don't know the game stats of such, but elemental (damage) cannons seem awesome.

Yeah, it'll be a way for our airship to stand out from every other airship. The lightning net/cannon idea is particularly fitting since we recently rechristened the ship, naming her The Storm Petrel.

You may want to crib vehicle enhancements from d20 modern's Urban Arcana ruleset for some ideas.

I don't have those rules, but one of my friends may. I'll see if I can check it out!

 

[Dioltach]

I once created an Ogre Mage society (on Atlantis) that made extensive use of airships. They were fitted with cannon that could be set to fire Fireball, Web or Silence. Some form of Dispel Magic would also be useful, I reckon.

 

[N'raac]

Triggered Elemental summons could help. Air elementals would be great aerial defenders and water elementals make fine firefighters.