How would you make a fantasy Ironclad "go?"

[tarchon]

I think animating a screw or paddlewheel is probably cheaper (not entirely sure, though) but it's also probably slower - water elementals have a swim speed of 120 ft. - even the huge ones. An animated object might get a move rate of 20 ft...maybe 30? Any guesses here?

It'd have to be done in parts - A 16th level caster can only animate a gargantuan object, about a 20ft. long boat. And then 3000 XPs to make each part permanent. Speed is 10 ft unless it has something like wheels or legs.

 

[darkelfo]

For information relating binding elementals to ships, check out the Eberron Campaign setting. They have a Bind Elemental feat that useable for this purpose.

 

[mmadsen]

If the goal is to maintain a fantastic theme, I'd go with one of three options: (1) have the ships pulled by giant sea creatures, (2) have the "ships" on the backs of giant sea creatures, (3) have the ships be "golems" in the shape of giant sea creatures.

Or, I guess you could go with magical oarsmen of some kind. But I like the giant sea creatures.

 

[Nuclear Platypus]

Why not make it a giant sea turtle / sea dragon construct? Wasn't there something like that in Spelljammer that the orcs used?

Imagine several of these giant sea turtles beaching themselves, opening their mouths to unload swarms of troops or have them emerge from hatches in the shell.

Doh. Looks like mmadsen was thinking the same thing.