Skyfell, Airships and Air Travel
* Hey, so, I know there are display issues on this post. I spent an hour trying to fix them but they keep coming back no matter what I do. Sorry.
Skyfell Airships and Air Travel
While there are several very large lakes in Skyfell, my Dungeons & Dragons homebrew setting, there are no oceans. Instead, land masses (even continents) are adrift in a sphere of open air bounded by an impenetrable layer of turbulent clouds called The Tempest. So, travel between land masses can't be by watercraft. It must be by airship.Airships are not a new concept in Dungeons & Dragons. To be sure, the 5e Dungeon Master’s Guide includes a limited stat block for an airship (p. 119) along with a picture of what is essentially a watercraft dangling from a balloon. The Explorer’s Handbook (Frank Brunner, Rich Burlew, and David Noonan, 2005) includes a bit about airships in Eberron for 3.5e; Wizards of the Coast has an excerpt of this information posted online. And let’s not forget Spelljammer.
I’m not a big fan of what might be called the “typical” representation of an airship in D&D and many other fantasy settings. There is some logic for an airship to look like any run-of-the-mill watercraft with modifications for flight. Any civilization would likely develop boats before developing flying machines, even societies fueled with magic. It’s just easier to make something that can float on water than it is to make something that flies. So, I can understand the design rationale. I just don’t like it very much.
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| An Airship from D&D Source: Dungeon Master Guide, 5e |
I don’t play Magic: The Gathering, I do very much love the art though. It is the main reason why I was so excited for the Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica. The airship designs in Magic are gorgeous. And just as the galleon-with-airbag design has a justifiable rationale, the ships in Magic have their own rationale too. They are similar to a water-going vessel in their general shape. Their sails look more like wings. They don’t dangle from big sacks of air.
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| Airship from Magic: The Gathering Source: The Art of Magic: The Gathering |
The Spelljammer setting takes a wholly different approach. Some of the ships in that setting resemble flying animals, mostly insects and water creatures. This back-to-nature approach really appeals to me as it feels the most fantastical; nobody expects a spaceship to look exactly like a dragonfly.
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| The Dragonfly Ship Source: Spelljammer 1e |
Stepping outside of the WotC sphere, the movie John Carter aligns with the design concepts in Magic and my own preferences. These machines are gorgeous. Watching them for the first time took my breath away and inspired parts of the Skyfell setting. Yes, I love them that much.
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| An Airship from the Movie John Carter Source: John Carter, Disney |
Basic Design
When considering what air travel might be like in Skyfell, I very much needed to stay away from the flying boat concept. Since there are no large oceans in this setting, there are no large ocean-going vessels to traverse them. Even for large lakes, it’s safer and faster to go by air. As a result, the only watercraft that do exist are small and are used either for short trips or for leisure. In that context, the evolution of the airship design would rapidly outpace that of the watership design.Look and Feel
I do like the concept of having airships that look like insects, but for me Spelljammer takes this too literally. I wanted the look and feel of the airships to fall somewhere in between the insect ships of Spelljammer and the more mechanical designs in Magic and John Carter. (In general, I like the idea of mechanics being inspired by insect forms, which are hard and somewhat mechanical in my mind.) I wanted a little steam punk added in for flavor too. I imagine the result to be something like the following. I don’t know that I’m entirely satisfied with this particular drawing (I'm not an artist) but it does convey the concept I’m driving at. |
| An Example Airship |
In this concept, the sails more closely resemble wings. The body is not entirely that of an insect but instead hints at it while retaining some design elements that should be familiar, such as decks and even a flag pole. Unlike water vessels, where the “wheel” is in the stern of the craft, the “wheel” is on a bridge at the bow.
Here's a later sketch of a hull. I left the wings off for this drawing because I was focusing on what the hull might look like. This ship would indeed have the same wing configuration as the previous drawing.
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| Another Example Airship |
Stat Block
Like creatures and characters, airships have a stat block that defines its general characteristics and capabilities. There are hit points, speed, armor class, and the six attributes just as with creatures. For this, I was inspired by the Of Ships and the Sea Unearthed Arcana article. There is also a class that describes the kind of ship. Think of it like the creature type.In addition to these, I've divided the ship decks into three general categories: "top decks," "mid decks," and "lower decks." I didn't want to get bogged down in the details of every single deck of the ship, which is why I went for these categories instead. All intercontinental airships have at least one deck in each category. Larger ships have more than one deck. Something like a battleship, for example, might have three "lower decks," five "mid decks," and one "top deck."
I wanted my players to have the ability to modify their ship as they saw fit, not only improving features but also swapping in and out features. I therefore introduced the idea of "load points." (This inspiration came from the hardpoint concept in Shadowrun, 1e.) Load points represent a ship's general capacity for installing equipment and taking on modifications. Each of the "decks" has its own load-point rating. This number never changes. When a piece of equipment is installed on or a modification is made to a "deck," it costs a certain number of load points. Once all the load points for a deck are assigned, no more installations or modifications can be done until one of the existing installations/modifications is removed.
Every airship includes a set of standard features, such as a drive, stabilizer, helm, navigation station, workshop, crew quarters, and so forth. All of these base features consume some of the ship's load points. Players can, of course, remove one or more features to free up space for a different feature. See the caravel example at the end of this post for an idea of what a stock airship might look like.
Crew
An airship requires at least a pilot and an engineer. Of course, the larger an airship is the more crew is required just to keep it in good order.
Many of the components that make an airship function are magical objects infused with energies from the Weave. This is especially true of its drive (used for propulsion), its stabilizer (used to keep the airship afloat), and its airmap (used for navigation). Like other magical objects, these components have charges, can be created, and can be destroyed. Their effects can also be manipulated by someone who can perform ritual casting. This can be either a spellcaster or a non-spellcaster with the Ritual Caster feat. (In fact, Eldith Holdershrek, the halfling quartermaster whom the player characters hired for their ship has the Ritual Caster feat.) They must also have the appropriate tool proficiency. In most cases this means the Vehicles (Airship) proficiency. In some cases this might be Navigation tools proficiency. It just depends. I discuss these rituals and their pre-requisites the in the following sections. There's also table at the end of this post.
The pilot is responsible for navigation and flight. On smaller vessels, the pilot is also the captain. In most cases, the pilot is not a ritual caster because their job does not require it. The airmap can be used by anyone just like any other magic item.
The engineer is responsible for keeping the airship afloat and making it move. While the engineer does not technically have to be a ritual caster, they almost universally are because of the nature of their duties. Moreover, almost all engineers are artificers (but, again, they don't have to be). The engineer is also in charge of ship maintenance. This includes, but is not limited to, ship modifications and repairs.
Pilot Duties
The continents of Skyfell do not rest on a flat plane in relation to each other. They are scattered across three-dimensional space. As such, the airships must move not only through the X and Y, but also the Z. This means the typical “wheel” that allows for directional changes on only a “flat” plane simply won’t do. Instead, steering requires the manipulation of control sticks. For large vessels (or common ships), these control sticks are the size and shape of a thick, heavy shovel handle with triggers to lock the sticks into position. For smaller vessels (or luxury ships), these might be much smaller and easier to manage. There is one stick for the pitch and another for the yaw. There are also pedals for the roll.Navigation
As I mentioned earlier, Skyfell is bounded by the Tempest. The shapes of those clouds are in a perpetual state of change. There are therefore no stable markers to navigate by, not even stars. This presents a special problem that is solved with the presence of magically-charged navigation beacons and airmaps.Navigation beacons are rare wondrous items that are placed in every major port on each continent and in a variety of other places across Skyfell. They are maintained by Tescalain’s regime. Engineers “activate” the beacons on a regular schedule and ensure they work properly. Their locations are heavily defended, often hidden within impenetrable fortresses filled with loyal troops who understand the importance of what they protect.
An airmap is a common wondrous item that tuned into one or more beacons. It uses the minor illusion cantrip to project a three-dimensional rendering of the Open Skies, indicating the location of each beacon relative to the map’s (and therefore the ship’s) current position in that three-dimensional space. It tracks the distance to each beacon. It even indicates the direction and speed of the ship. Any pilot with the Navigation tools proficiency knows how to use an airmap.
This system works well when sailing to a known beacon, which constitutes the vast majority of air travel. Travel becomes more problematic when attempting to fly to a location that does not have any beacon. In these situations, the navigator must first target a beacon that is near to their desired destination. From there, the pilot must use the position of their ship as shown on the airmap, their understanding of the location of their destination, and a healthy helping of experience and intuition to take an educated guess regarding where they should go until they arrive at where they are going. Navigation tool checks must be made for this sort of travel.
While the creation of a beacon requires a magic user of some power, how it is created is no secret. Because of that, anyone with enough gold and enough experience can create a beacon and plant it anywhere they want. The beacon mapping ritual can then be performed on a specific map to show that beacon. There are thousands of such “rogue” beacons operating across Skyfell serving both legitimate and illegal purposes. Finding an airmap tuned to one of these beacons can be a boon, especially if it discloses the location of an enemy force or a buried treasure.
An airmap is tuned into a beacon using the beacon mapping ritual. Any ritual caster who both is at least third level and has the Navigation tools proficiency can learn and perform this 10-minute ritual. They must either be in close proximity to the beacon or have another map that is already tuned into the beacon. They must also have the correct components. They can also perform the ritual to remove a beacon.
An airmap can be bound to an airship using the airmap bind ritual. This makes it easier to lock in an airship's course and essentially let it fly itself. Of course, the airship simply follows the route plotted on the map. If there happens to be an obstacle in the way, the ship will simply fly through it...or at least try to. In this way, even when an airship is on "autopilot" it's still a good idea to have someone watching where the ship is actually going. Any ritual caster who both is at least third level and has the Navigation tools proficiency can learn and perform the ritual. They must also have the correct components.
Landing and Docking
Under “normal” environmental conditions, such as calm skies with enough room to maneuver, docking and landing require no check if the pilot has the Vehicle (Airship) proficiency. Checks might be called for under more difficult circumstances.Airships that travel the Open Skies must contend with two phenomena unique to intercontinental travel. These are alignment and re-entry.
The land masses in Skyfell are located in three-dimensional space rather than on a flat plane. The surface of each mass has its own angle. For example, the surfaces of two islands next to each might actually be perpendicular to each other while being completely opposite to a third mass. Because of this, as an airship approaches a land mass, the ship must rotate to come into alignment with that mass’s angle. If a pilot has the Vehicle (Airship) proficiency no check is needed for this maneuver under “normal” conditions.
When a ship moves into or out of an area of gravity, it experiences a brief moment of slight turbulence as it adjusts to the environment. This happens even if the airship’s stabilizer is activated. No check is needed for piloting an airship through this transition.
For experienced sailors traveling the continents, the turbulence is unremarkable. Piloting through the Piruna Fields, on the other hand, presents a more unique challenge. In the fields, it’s possible to pass through the gravitational pull of several masses in a very short period of time. Because the masses are not aligned-their angles and therefore their gravity pull are not necessarily the same-the gravity pull can come from many different directions in a very short period of time. This can make for a very bumpy ride. Sailing through Piruna Fields almost always requires a Vehicle (Airship) check.
Airship ports are by and large the same as watercraft ports. Once docked, an airship can hover indefinitely; there are complex wards placed all around a port to accomplish this. Some airships also have a set of retractable skids for landing on the ground. These are critical when exploring uncharted lands.
Engineer Duties
The Drive
Even though its wings can act as sails in a pinch, an airship relies on a drive for its primary propulsion. A standard drive is an uncommon wondrous item. It's composed of a set of eight amethyst crystals each wrapped in a copper coil. These are mounted in a circle on a teak panel. A sigil is etched into the center of the panel and filled with silver.A drive must be attached directly to the airship; its location is typically referred to as the engineering room. Tradition dictates this should be at the airship’s center of mass but there is no functional need to do so. After the drive is attached, a one-hour ritual called drive bind must be performed. This directs the drive to target the airship and its control systems. Any ritual caster who both is at least third level and has the Vehicles (Airship) proficiency can learn and perform the ritual. They must also have the correct components.
A drive crystal has 3 charges and regains all its spent charges at dawn each day. The ship’s engineer can use an action to expend a charge for one of the crystals. This enables the ship to fly for up to 1 hour at its base movement. No attunement is needed. (And to be honest, anyone can activate a crystal just like any other magic item.) Assuming normal operation, an engineer can keep the ship moving for a full day (24 hours) simply by activating one crystal each hour over the course of the day.
Some drives, such as those in warships, have additional charges. This gives these ships additional maneuverability and/or speed without sacrificing its standard operations. Of course, these more powerful drives are rarer than a standard drive. The following indicates a drive's charges based on its rarity.
- Uncommon: This is the standard drive. No additional charges
- Rare: 8 additional charges (regain 1d8 of these spent charges at dawn)
- Very Rare: 16 additional charges (regains 2d8 of these spent charges at dawn)
- Legendary: 24 additional charges (regains 3d8 of these spent charges at dawn)
At any time, the engineer can activate more than one crystal. Each additional crystal activation doubles the ship's base movement. (This is somewhat similar to the Dash action.) These boosts, however, only last for ten minutes (not the full hour). For example, an airship is cruising at 60 feet per turn. The vessel comes under attack and the engineer activates two more crystal for extra speed. The airship’s new speed is now 180 feet per turn for the next ten minutes. After the ten minutes ends, the ship’s speed drops back down to its base movement of 60 feet per turn.
Any ritual caster who both is at least third level and has the Vehicles (Airship) proficiency can learn and perform the charge drive ritual. (They must also have the correct components.) After performing this ritual for 1 hour, the artificer can restore a single charge to a single crystal. Many warships will have several engineers whose only purpose is to recharge the drive in this way.
Alternatively, a ship might have extra crystals already charged that can be swapped out as needed. This is an expensive practice, but can be critical to the survival of a ship in an emergency. This can be done by anyone with both the Vehicles (Airship) proficiency and one of the following proficiencies: Jeweler tools, Smith tools, or Tinker tools.
An artificer can also use their Infuse Magic ability to infuse any object with a single drive charge. They can then substitute this object for one of the drive crystals. The object should be of the same size and shape as the crystal (so that it fits into the existing drive). The artificer must both be at least third level and know the Vehicles (Airship) proficiency. They must also have the appropriate components. They can then hot-swap the object for the crystal per the previous paragraph. An object used in this way is destroyed.
If either an engineer fails to activate the drive or the drive’s last charge reaches the end of its duration, an airship stalls and will not move without wind to push it along. Under these conditions, its speed is 1/4 its base movement (round up). For example, a ship with a base movement of 60 feet per turn moves at 15 feet per turn under wind. This is a general guideline. In higher winds, an airship can move faster.
The Stabilizer
In the open sky, there is no gravitational pull. An object will hang in the air indefinitely until some force moves it along. Objects aboard an airship in the open sky would float away from the ship if it were not for ship stabilizers. Stabilizers generate a gravity field that extends out from every outer surface of the ship about 20 feet. The field mimics the same effects as of being on land. It also keeps an airship afloat when it is over land, battling a continent's gravitational pull with its own. A standard stabilizer is an uncommon magic item. It's composed of a set of eight hematite stones each set into an oak lattice. These are mounted in a circle on a teak panel. A sigil is etched into the center of the panel and filled with iron.A stabilizer must be attached directly to the airship, usually near the drive. From a practical standpoint, having the two nearby makes life a little easier for the engineer. After the stabilizer is attached, a one-hour ritual called stabilizer bind must be performed. This binds the stabilizer's magic to the airship's hull. Any ritual caster who both is at least third level and has the Vehicles (Airship) proficiency can learn and perform the ritual. They must also have the correct components.
A stabilizer stone has 3 charges and regains all three spent charges at dawn each day. The ship’s engineer can use an action to expend a charge for one of the stones. This maintains the gravity bubble for up to 1 hour. No attunement is needed. (And again, because the stone is a magic item, anyone can activate it.) Assuming normal operation, an engineer can keep the ship stabilized for a full day (24 hours) simply by activating one stone each hour over the course of the day.
Any ritual caster who both is at least second level and has the Vehicles (Airship) proficiency can learn and perform the long gravity ritual. (They must also have the correct components.) After spending 10 minutes performing the ritual, the stabilizer will operate on its own until dawn the next day. Again, this frees the engineer to perform other duties.
Any ritual caster who both is at least third level and has the Vehicles (Airship) proficiency can learn and perform the charge stabilizer ritual. (They must also have the correct components.) After performing this ritual for 1 hour, the artificer can restore a single charge to a single stone. Alternatively, a ship might have extra stones already charged that can be swapped out as needed. This can be done by anyone with both the Vehicles (Airship) proficiency and one of the following proficiencies: Jeweler tools, Smith tools, or Tinker tools.
An artificer can use their Infuse Magic ability to infuse any object with a single stabilizer charge. They can then substitute this object for one of the stabilizer stones. The object should be of the same size and shape as the stone (so that it fits into the existing stabilizer). The artificer must both be at least third level and know the Vehicles (Airship) proficiency. They must also have the appropriate components. They can then hot-swap the object for the stone. An object used in this way is destroyed.
If either an engineer fails to activate the stabilizer or the stabilizer's last charge reaches the end of its duration, an airship's gravity field fails. Objects will be far more likely to fall away from the ship. Worse, over any sizable land mass with its own gravity pull, the airship will fall out of the sky. For smaller islands, this might simply might the ship cannot pull away from the land mass. For something like a continent, the ship will crash. This is generally a bad thing to have happen.
A stabilizer only creates a gravity field on and around the ship. It does not “stick” objects and creatures to its decks. As such, passengers and cargo must contend with sudden movements just as they would on any watercraft. For example, if an airship suddenly dives, crew might momentarily lose their footing; a successful Athletics or Acrobatics check with a DC of between 10 and 13 ensures the creature remains stable. In a worse case scenario, it is possible for a creature or object to fall outside the stabilizer’s influence. Once overboard (ie outside of the field), the creature/object falls under the gravitational influence of the surrounding environment where they might fall to their death or remain suspended in air until someone rescues them. It is not unheard of for a ship to encounter the floating corpses of sailors and ships alike as they travel the open skies. (This recently happened in Session 14.)
The Datasheet
The following is the datashet I put together for airships. Note that it has an area for each of the "decks" where one would record the equipment and modifications for that "deck." There's also a notes section for each "deck."
Example Airships
The following provide a few examples of airships. When this post was originally written, I only had stats for a caravel. I have since modified those stats and add stats for other ships mostly because I need them for my own campaign. The ships are presented in order of size.
Shuttle
The shuttle is used for short, land-locked flights. They are most often used by merchants to transport goods and passengers between cities on the same land mass. Many wealthy denizens will own at least one shuttle. Their size, lack of navigation, and lack of stabilizer makes them the absolute worst choice of all vessels for intercontinental travel.
Runabout
This is a small vessel used primarily to ferry people and supplies short distances. It's standard (uncommon) drive and lack of navigation leaves it a less than ideal choice for intercontinental travel. It's stabilizer, on the other hand, gives it a degree of flexibility and range over the shuttle. That's why the military uses runabouts as a patrol vessel allowing them some degree of pursuit into the Open Skies when needed.
Caravel
The smallest of the intercontinental vessels, the caravel can be used to transport people and cargo long distances. Its primary purpose, however, is geared more toward exploration. It's single, standard (uncommon) drive means that despite its speed, it's not ideal for combat.
Carrack
The carrack is slightly larger than the caravel. While it too can be used to transport people and cargo, it's primary purpose is as a light warship. It is most often deployed as a patrol vessel in the open skies around a land mass. It can also serve as part of an escort for trade fleets, acting as a long-range interceptor (in contrast to the warships which typically remain nearby the merchant vessels).
Long Ship
The long ship is the gold-standard of intercontinental airship vessels. Its size, speed, and armament make it a versatile craft that is easily refitted for a number of purposes. Every merchant fleet is primarily composed of ships of this class.
Warship
The warship is the standard naval combat vessel. It is deployed throughout Skyfell both by Tescalain's navy, regional governments, and merchant fleets. Its size, toughness, and armaments come at the price of speed. Even its slower speed can be overcome, in a manner, with its rare drives which are a standard installation for these fighting vessels. As a fighting vessel, it is often deployed with merchant fleets, acting as the last line of defense (in contrast to the carrack which leaves the immediate sphere of the fleet to intercept threats before they even get near it).
Galley
These are the largest of the intercontinental vessels. (Only the citadel outsizes galleys but those enormous craft are not considered "sailing vessels.") The galley's size makes it ideal for transporting massive amounts of supplies and/or passengers long distances. That capacity, though, makes it a sweet target for pirates and reavers. Because of this, a galley rarely sets sail without an escort of carracks and warships. Many galleys include a hangar bay for a runabout, such as the following example.
Sample Checks
The following provides a few samples of common tasks described in this post. I've divided them between pilots and engineers for a little organization. If a check has no DC, assume someone with the required proficiency can automatically succeed at that task. Otherwise, the DC is 10. Adverse conditions increase the DC.
Note that with all checks, you include the airship's appropriate attribute bonus. Depending on the ship, its bonus can either help or hinder your roll. For example, a check for piloting a ship might use the following:
character Dexterity bonus + airship Dexterity bonus + Vehicles (Airship) proficiency
Pilot Duties
The following provides a few samples of common checks described in this post for pilots.
Engineer Duties
The following provides a few samples of common checks described in this post for engineers.
The following provides a few samples of common checks described in this post for engineers.
Supplemental Materials
I put together the following playlists for my players' first foray into the Open Skies on their own ship. In Session 12, they acquired the Howling Wind (that they had towed back from Piruna Fields at the end of Session 7) and renamed in Howling Wind II.
RPG Adventure - Open Skies
RPG Combat - Open Skies
And if you're curious, I did finally manage an airship battle in my homebrew campaign. You can read about in my session 35 summary.
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Follow me on one of these fine social media platforms:
Instagram: @hokumsean
Spotify: @hokumsean
Twitch: @hokumsean
Twitter: @hokumsean
Tumblr @hokumsean
Stop by my YouTube channel "Ovens and Dragons" and partake in the exciting world of cooking for gamers.
Also, check out my DMsGuild offerings:
- Epic Gnomish Inventing
Rules supplement for creating gadgets. - Gnome Concept Packages 1
Collection of gnome-related backgrounds, feats, magic items, and more. - Great House Servants
Collection of backgrounds centered on the servants of a great house. - Mildew's Revenge
A first-level adventure. - Random Plot Generator
A tool for creating adventure prompts for one-shots and story arcs. - The WhatNot Shop’s Absurd Accoutrements
A collection of unusual magical items. - The WhatNot Shop's Bracing Beverages
A collection of strange potions. - The WhatNot Shop's Common Curiosities and Trivial Trinkets
A collection of common magic items and trinkets. - The WhatNot Shop's Dastardly Doodads and Orc Oddities
A collection of orc-themed common magic items and trinkets.
I put together the following playlists for my players' first foray into the Open Skies on their own ship. In Session 12, they acquired the Howling Wind (that they had towed back from Piruna Fields at the end of Session 7) and renamed in Howling Wind II.
RPG Adventure - Open Skies
RPG Combat - Open Skies
RPG Adventure - Open Skies
RPG Combat - Open Skies
And if you're curious, I did finally manage an airship battle in my homebrew campaign. You can read about in my session 35 summary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow me on one of these fine social media platforms:
Instagram: @hokumsean
Spotify: @hokumsean
Twitch: @hokumsean
Twitter: @hokumsean
Tumblr @hokumsean
Stop by my YouTube channel "Ovens and Dragons" and partake in the exciting world of cooking for gamers.
Also, check out my DMsGuild offerings:
- Epic Gnomish Inventing
Rules supplement for creating gadgets. - Gnome Concept Packages 1
Collection of gnome-related backgrounds, feats, magic items, and more. - Great House Servants
Collection of backgrounds centered on the servants of a great house. - Mildew's Revenge
A first-level adventure. - Random Plot Generator
A tool for creating adventure prompts for one-shots and story arcs. - The WhatNot Shop’s Absurd Accoutrements
A collection of unusual magical items. - The WhatNot Shop's Bracing Beverages
A collection of strange potions. - The WhatNot Shop's Common Curiosities and Trivial Trinkets
A collection of common magic items and trinkets. - The WhatNot Shop's Dastardly Doodads and Orc Oddities
A collection of orc-themed common magic items and trinkets.
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