Look! Up in the sky! It's...hey, what the heck *is* that?

[Rolzup]

Based entirely upon an off-hand comment made in a thread on a different board entirely, I've had this image floating (literally, even!) in my head for a week now. Time to do something with it.

Imagine, if you would, a hot-air balloon. Nice and simple, yes?

Now, scale it up a bit. Instead of a basket dangling below the balloon, you've got a sailing vessel of respectable size. One large enough to carry a crew of forty or fifty men, say. Pretty popular concept, and one that I've seen in any number of illustrations.

Now, replace the balloon with a much larger version of this....

...fully inflated, swimming lazily through the sky, with the aforementioned ship hanging below it.

How would you stat up such a creature? It would have to be of at least Gargantuan size, I suppose...maybe colossal. And goodness, what would you call the thing? The real-life version is called a Balloon fish, and I suppose that's not out of line for this variation, but it lacks a certain poetry, doesn't it?

 

[Nightfall]

It's a fish that can float. I don't see it as a huge threat.

 

[VirgilCaine]

There's one thing I know...


The captain of the vessel seeks heroes to combat DE BEEST!

 

[Rolzup]

It's a fish that can float. I don't see it as a huge threat.

Yeah, but PCs being what PCs be, it's likely to come under attack in any case. Especially if the folks in the ship that it's supporting are being all hostile.

God, I'd hate to see what happens if the damned thing gets popped.

 

[DMH]

Skywhales from Windriders of the Jagged Cliffs is similar, but I like the idea of a puffer.

Nightfall's comment reminds me of a very early creature in Dragon. It was a living blimp that had no combat ability. A few issues later, there is a comment of "if it doesn't fight, why have it" in Out on a Limb. The author's comment was along the line of every isn't a source of xp. Anyone remember that (from the magazine or CDs)?

 

[Ilium]

Yeah, but PCs being what PCs be, it's likely to come under attack in any case. Especially if the folks in the ship that it's supporting are being all hostile.

God, I'd hate to see what happens if the damned thing gets popped.

Depends on what it's filled with. If it's hydrogen (which seems likely) things could definitely get ugly.

Let's see. You could call it a Spikecloud. Or how about "needleball fish."

Of course, the real question is: Why does this thing have spikes in the first place? What is it protecting itself from?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Rocs, dragons and other skyborne critters the groundhogs have no idea are up there.

I like the idea of calling it a spikecloud.

John Varley has living blimps in his Titan/Wizard/Demon series. They're pretty damn neat.

 

[Ilium]

Rocs, dragons and other skyborne critters the groundhogs have no idea are up there.

I like the idea of calling it a spikecloud.

John Varley has living blimps in his Titan/Wizard/Demon series. They're pretty damn neat.

Those books rock. I don't remember the living blimps though. It's been a long time since I read those.

 

[Rolzup]

Depends on what it's filled with. If it's hydrogen (which seems likely) things could definitely get ugly.

Let's see. You could call it a Spikecloud. Or how about "needleball fish."

Of course, the real question is: Why does this thing have spikes in the first place? What is it protecting itself from?

As to that, well, there's this Arthur Conan Doyle story that I've always loved....

The Horror of the Heights

...although, to be honest, I'd figured these things were bred magically. The spikes are there because the original beast had 'em, and because Spikes Look Cool.

 

[Scribble]

Depends on what it's filled with. If it's hydrogen (which seems likely) things could definitely get ugly.

Hrmm... maybe it's full up of MAGIC!

Of course, the real question is: Why does this thing have spikes in the first place? What is it protecting itself from?

I'd think it was a captured creature used for the purpose of flying the ship... Kind of like a horse drawing a carriage... Only this is a gargantuan spikey flying fish thingy and not a horse...