Flying Ships
Found by Chasmyr
here are 2 basic types of flying ships:
1. Magically propelled: these ships are controlled through the use of magic; they rise off of the ground and fly through the air all with the use of magic - spelljamming ships are the best example, although not all magically propelled ships are capable of attaining spelljamming speeds
2. Magically levitated: these ships are magically levitated into the air; however, their means of propulsion is similar to a sailing ship; the ships utilize sails to capture the winds
There are also two basic styles of flying "ships":
a. Vessels: these flying ships look basically like regular sailing ships of the ocean; they typically have a decent amount of maneuverability and speed; examples include most spelljamming ships, as well as the Princess Ark from Mystara®, and the flying ships of Halruaa from the Forgotten Realms®
b. Platforms: these flying "ships" are basically large flying barges; they typically move slowly with little maneuverabilty; however, they can carry a lot and they can be heavily armed; examples include the flying citadels of Dragonlance® and Zoo ships from Spelljammer®
Creating Flying Ships
ere are some suggestions for making a flying ship.
1. Decide what the vessel will be used for, and design it accordingly. Will it be used for military operations, exploration, cargo hauling, or traveling to the stars.
2. Commission the best craftsmen available. Since the flying ship is basically a very large magic item, the best resources should/must be used.
3. Enchant the ship with the necessary magic.
Some things to consider when designing the ship:
a. will the ship land
b. where/how will it land?
c. how will people and cargo get aboard?
d. what type of crew will fly the vessel?
e. how is it steered and powered ?
f. who will control the ship? - will it require a mage or can anyone control it?
Enchanting the flying ship will most likely involve high level magic. Some suggested spells are:
Players Handbook - levitate, permanency, enchant an item, unseen servant (to man certain parts or all of the ship), gust of wind, fly, feather fall
Tome of Magic - ride the wind, air boat
Mystara, Spelljammer, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, and Spelljammer are registered trademarks of TSR Inc.
his was found on an unknown web site on the net by myself. I do not recall where I found it, but it is perfectly suited to the subject at hand. So I've prettied it up with some of my gifs and presented it here.