Sky ships!

[tecnowraith]

are there and other way to flying ships or vehicles besides magic? Any rules that does it by standard tech, biotech or super tech?

I know there is Spelljammer and Ariel adventures but that is done through magic. My ships will be staing in the air no travelling through space.

 

[Ranger REG]

You mean airships like the Zeppelins? I believe there are some books (Sorcery & Steam?) that touch upon that in steampunk genre.

 

[tecnowraith]

Not exactly. I mean like instead of magic, steam or or a jet ingine, what other ways to have a sky ship or sky city float or hover? I thought about Zepplins, but wanted something, I might do that for something. You gave me an intersting idea though.

I want all the technology to have an organic feel to their design. I thought about having photosythesis skin to be used as "solar sails" but can not think of how they will stay in the air, so they will not use magic. I also wanting to have organic one manned fighters as well, still having the organic look.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

Not exactly. I mean like instead of magic, steam or or a jet ingine, what other ways to have a sky ship or sky city float or hover? I thought about Zepplins, but wanted something, I might do that for something. You gave me an intersting idea though.

I want all the technology to have an organic feel to their design. I thought about having photosythesis skin to be used as "solar sails" but can not think of how they will stay in the air, so they will not use magic. I also wanting to have organic one manned fighters as well, still having the organic look.

Anti-gravity? Massive air bladders? One hundred giant eagles chained to the edge that fly perpetually? "Magic" is certainly a more convenient excuse than anything else. With going for the organic feel, perhaps the city is a gigantic plant? I'm thinking of dandelion seeds that catch the wind, or perhaps a monstrous organic helium factory underneath the city that allows it to hang out up there?

 

[tecnowraith]

Anti-gravity: the things is how or with what? any anti-gravity needs an item to do it.
Massive air bladders? I might use that for something else.

With going for the organic feel, perhaps the city is a gigantic plant? Hmm not sure how that will look.

The "monstrous organic helium factory underneath the city that allows it to hang out up there" I thought of but wandering how that would look?

Along with the orgainc look, it will also be similar to steampunkish to victorian style. I know it sounds odd and close to Disworld, but its something different I want to create.

 

[tecnowraith]

The "monstrous organic helium factory underneath the city that allows it to hang out up there" I think I know what you mean. Hmm this the others are giving me some ideas now thanks.

 

[tecnowraith]

Would the use of power crystals or stones be good to use for this? like these stones or crystal are anti-ravity or magnetic or something like that?

 

[JoeGKushner]

Bastion Press has a whole book devoted to the subject with lots of different options.

Goodman Games has an Aerial Adventurer's Guide that originally ran in three parts and is being updated for 3.5. Might be some more options for you there.

It pretty much though, does boil down to magic. Even the Spelljammer and Aether & Flux books boil down to magic. The helm in spelljammer is after all, a magic item right?

 

[tecnowraith]

Forgot about Bastion Press had one.

My world is low magic, very high science close super science where biotechnology (growing items and such) is very big in society.

Im just looking for none magic stuff at the moment.

 

[Ranger REG]

You want an organic (i.e., biotechnology) airships? Oh, man, without magic, that is beyond my technical imagination.

That's why I mentioned the zeppelin or similar-type airship: A large helium-filled balloon lifting a vessel beneath it.

Another alternative is a vessel platform being lifted by a series of helicopter propellers (plant organism with such large leaves) or series or smaller balloon (a bulbous plant that generates its own lighter-than-air gas).

Okay, here's one that is out of my wildest imagination: flying whales. They are three times larger than the largest humpback, with flying fins about ten times its wingspan. There you should be able to build a platform vessel upon it. If you want to make it more fantastical, make its appearance a combination of humpback and the narwhal (the only whale with a long horn on its nose tip).