Magic Item Monday (Banlan Backlash!): Airships – Black Arrow and Skyfang!

Stolen Airships are the Best Kind

If the adventurers aided the Banlan Brotherhood with their sabotage, the party finds that just outside the Production Yards, their allies are waiting in a swift ship just recently stolen—a gift to the PCs for their help disrupting the doings of the mages of Timeaus!

Final-Najim-BWBlack Arrow
Large air vehicle
Squares 12 (30 ft by 10 ft across); Cost 25,000 gp

DEFENSE
AC 9; Hardness 5
hp  180 (90)
Base Save +3

OFFENSE
Maximum Speed 160 ft.; Acceleration 40 ft.
CMB +1; CMD 11
Ramming Damage 1d8

DESCRIPTION
Long, narrow, and entirely black, the Black Arrow is an exceptionally uncommon ship in the Timean air force. Built with speed and stealth in mind, the airship is constructed from lighter materials and gains a +16 bonus to Stealth checks made to travel at night. In addition, it contains within its engine a lever that can be pulled to make the ship entirely invisible for up to 10 minutes in a day, or until the lever is depressed (used in 1 minute increments that need not be consecutive). Rather than a ceiling, the black-hulled ship instead has an open roof, providing those on deck an opportunity to lean over the railings and fire upon targets below (which is sometimes essential, as the ship doesn’t contain any onboard weapons of its own).
The Black Arrow can comfortably carry eight, plus a driver, and can lift up to 2 tons of weight. In a pocket on the side of the drivers seat is a map depicting the Klavek Kingdom, and a sheaf of instructions to collect and return with any ‘mind-magic’ the operator can get a hold of. [More on that in November, I swear -MM (the editor MM; I swear I’m done with this gag! -MM)]

Propulsion 2 squares of magic engine at rear of ship
Driving Check Profession (sailor) or Profession (soldier)
Forward Facing the ship’s forward
Driving Device magical
Driving Space one square adjacent to engine, providing limited visiblity below, but excellent visibility ahead.
Crew 0
Decks 1
Weapons The Black Arrow can be equipped with any one Large siege engine at the front of the ship. A weapon so mounted can fire in a 180 degree arc ahead of the ship, and reduces the number of people the ship can carry by 4.

 

Cutting the Skies for the Mages of Timeaus

If the PCs aided the Order of the Staff and stopped the sabotage of the Production Yards, the mages of Timeaus reward them with one of their newest model of aircraft: a skyfang.

Skyfang, Class 3 skyship
Huge air vehicle
Squares 14 (30 ft by 25 ft cross); Cost 25,000 gp

DEFENSE
AC 8; Hardness 20
hp  560 (280)
Base Save +1

OFFENSE
Maximum Speed 80 ft.; Acceleration 20 ft.
CMB +2; CMD 12
Ramming Damage 2d8

DESCRIPTION
A fifteen foot hemispherical base makes up the body of this skyship, with a wooden deck covering the engine within. Unlike most ships, its base isn’t made from the shell of a giant tortoise, but carefully fitted iron plates that mimic one. Above, a similar but much smaller roof gives protection from the weather and aerial attack. The railings that run around the edges are broken only by a ten foot long neck that connects to the pilot’s seat (where all the controls are mounted) and a pair of light, side-mounted ballistae that can swivel around to fire anywhere in a 180 degree radius.
The ship has limited capacity to carry soldiers or supplies—what can fit on deck (20 passengers in a pinch, or 10 fully equipped soldiers)—but is still capable of lifting up to 10 tons of weight. Tucked into the drivers seat is a package wrapped in thick fabric that contains an odd compass carved from crystal that doesn’t point to the true north, but slightly north-northeast instead [more on that in November, folks! -MM (not this post’s MM, the other one. The regular MM. -MM)].

Propulsion 3 squares of magic engine
Driving Check Profession (sailor) or Profession (soldier)
Forward Facing the ship’s forward
Driving Device steering wheel
Driving Space one square at the end of a 10 ft. ‘neck’ ahead of the ship, containing steering wheel and seat for driver provides improved cover from below and partial cover from sides.
Crew 1
Decks 1
Weapons The Skyfang comes equipped with two light ballistae, one mounted on either side. However, they could be replaced with any Huge or smaller siege engine. They can be swivelled to any direction before, beside, or behind their side of the ship, as well as 45 degrees above and below.

 

Submitted by Michael McCarthy!

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