Two magic items needed

[Gilladian]

I'm looking for two magic items I want to add to my campaign in the upcoming weeks.

The first would be a flying item. I would like it to be able to carry about six people, a long distance, at a rate similar to that of an ocean-going vessel. Is there such an item already? A magic carpet seems too open and vulnerable to weather for long-term travel (say 4,500 - 5,000 miles in a ten days to two weeks). Magic boat? Magic flying bird? Or maybe a creature that could have been held prisoner and be rescued that could fly a group of six good characters that distance.

The second item I want to add is a thing that would give a ruler or commander or leader a charismatic boost to his/her ability to lead and/or rule. Not specifically a charisma boost, though it could do that as part of the process. It could also have other powers. A rod of rulership seems a bit too powerful in the amount of command power it gives, but too short-lived for the historic impact of the item I'm thinking of. I suppose it could be a spell-caster only item, but it would be better if it were command activated, maybe with charges. Anything like it that anyone knows of?

This is an E6 campaign, so lower-powered things are better than anything super-powerful.
Edit: I'm the DM, so I'm really free to do whatever I want; I'm looking for ideas...

 

[Grogg of the North]

What's your budget for this?

If money is no object, you could get a shadow carriage from the A&EG. A cloud keel, also in A&EG, would give your boat a fly speed. Or you could go all out and buy a zeppelin or a dirigible. Nothing says awesome like an airship.

For the second item, I'd recommend an Admiral's Bicorn from Stormwrack. Another option would be for the item to somehow give a modified version of Might Makes Right so that you get both Charisma and Strength to your leadership score.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

How About A Pocket Airship?

 

[Gilladian]

I really like the pocket airship; however, I'm thinking that I'd make it a "charged" item; I'm not sure if it would be better to make it 1 charge per flight - so they could fly to their destination in one marathon flight and then use a second charge to return home again, or if it should cost one charge per 24 hours (or portion thereof) flight, and give it enough charges to go to their destination and back... with, in either case, just a few extra for emergencies.

In the case of 1 charge per flight, they'd not really be able to do much landing and taking off, or they'd use up their charges, and they'd have the "misery" of living in each other's pockets on the boat. How long WOULD a journey of 4,500 miles take at a flying speed of 40?

In the case of 1 charge per day of flight, they could land and camp each night, if they decided to, and could stop a few times in strange places to investigate cities or ruins or interesting features along the way... but that would slow their journey considerably... and time is at least a BIT important in the adventure they're engaged on. Still, it would be necessary to know how long the trip would take and how often they'd be likely to stop.

Ouch, I was just calculating their travel time at 40' movement rate (the cloud keel movement rate), the trip would take something like 42 days, presuming no encounters, no getting blown off course, taking refuge from storms, no mountain ranges, etc...

The Admiral's Bicorn, in slightly modified format (I'm thinking it looks more like a bishop's miter for my game, and might grant the wearer a skill in land tactics rather than profession sailor) is perfect for my game. Thanks and keep up the suggestions and input, please!

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

To travel 4500 miles in 14 days would require a speed of about 118 feet per round. I'm not sure how you would accomplish that in an E6 campaign with spells up to level 3.

Soarwhale (Arms and Equipment Guide p.89) + Cloud Wings (Spell Compendium p.49) + Heart of Air (Complete Mage p.106) should give you a transport with a flight speed of 60' per round. These are level 2 Druid spells, so should be available in an E6 campaign.

60' per round will cover your 4,500 miles in about 27 and a half days if traveling non-stop.

 

[Wyvernhand]

Don't forget to double the fly speed, since the thing is probably making double moves.

I like the idea of the item having a few charges, like....3-4, and they recharge, but only after say, 3 days of continuous non-use, then at a rate of 1/day. That way, you have built-in stopover encounter points. Sorta like having to stop to get gas and getting attacked by hillbillies, only...slower.

Eberron has rules for elemental airships.

 

[green slime]

I would have thought a carpet of flying was just the thing for an E6 campaign, the built in limitations mean it is harder to abuse, travellers will want to land every evening, you still have to worry about certain weather effects, although you can try to fly around or over them. Not sure it has the speed you require.

There is nothing to say that an E6 campaign can't have "artifacts" left over from an age of higher level spells, including fixed teleporting portals, in semi hazardous locations. That would require some ground travel from the portal to the ultimate goal.

 

[Gilladian]

The trouble with the teleportals is that I overused them in other campaigns. Every long-distance travel was solved with a teleportal. I want to cut back on them in this campaign.

The PCs have "half" of a flying carpet artifact, now, and will get the next piece of it later in the dungeon. Diluting that with them finding a working carpet at this point isn't something I want to do, thematically.

I really like the idea of a living creature that will carry them, and I just had a "brilliant" idea. They can find a soarwhale summoning whistle. It will have a number of charges (marked by little gems in the body of the whistle). They can summon the thing say, maybe 5 - 7 times. Each summoning will last until they land. It will have a gondola attached that will provide basic "camp-quality" living quarters for six or eight people, so they can travel in relative comfort without landing.

I'll fudge the travel speed of the soarwhale so that their trip takes just about 2 weeks, which I think is plenty of time, and means traveling about 30 miles per hour, if they travel all day, nonstop. High up, that won't seem VERY fast, but fast enough to be impressive.

The whistle can be an ancient artifact from 1st empire days, which answers all questions about "how it was made", etc... 5-7 uses means they can stop at least once on their way south, and have a short adventure, if they so choose. Or after they complete their original travel mission, they can go exploring a bit. Fun for all!

Sounds like a pretty good solution, I think. But if you have any more suggestions, please post away... if they don't help me, they'll help someone else later.

Thanks!

 

[Empirate]

There's a 5HD aberration in... some Forgotten Realms book? It is size Huge and has a Fly speed, as well as OK strength. Any necromancing Cleric, even in E6, can raise it as a zombie. Tie a platform to it, and you have mass transport that doesn't need upkeep, never gets tired - the works!

 

[Gilladian]

Hah! I can just see my party's reaction to being told they're going to fly on a platform powered by an undead zombie. They'd be whipping out the magic dagger and the alchemist's fire in the first round...