I've been working on a campaign for a few months called Uprooted. If you are in my group, don't read this. Be patient.
To sum it up, these ancient temples, set up by a race long forgotten, have been triggered by a recent earthquake. These shrines and a couple larger temples, have been adventuring hot spots for centuries, but as they start to activate, no one goes near them. Tremors go through the ground, and all of a sudden, the landscape for miles is suspended a few thousand feet in the air. The PC's will have to journey to each of the shrines, which will have traps, and deactivate them one at a time, until they can unlock the large final temple with an ancient guardian boss fight. They will then have to figure out how to deactivate the temple, and then escape before it goes plummeting down. There will be lots of traps, lots of puzzles, a final boss fight, and a bunch of mysteries and uncovering hidden secrets.
My main problem is transportation. Normal people don't have enough time to set up rope bridges between each island, and I am 100% sure that my group will not be happy wasting fly spells on moving from one island to the next. These islands are pretty far apart. The size varies from 10 feet in diameter to 500 feet in diameter, with each island varying in height and distance apart. I need a reliable mode of transportation from one island to the next. A bunch of options seem stupid, and I want to make this a memorable campaign for my group.
Just for clarification, these are islands floating in the air, not on a body of water. They are between 1000 and 1500 feet above the ground below them. For example, if an island was above a mountain, it would hover 1000-1500 feet above the tip of the mountain.
I could see a king, lord, or mayor hiring the party to investigate and providing a hired airship and crew to transport them. Alternatively, the party could have to hire an airship captain themselves.
Next to that, a carpet of flying or several broom of flying would work. Or some inherent mechanism of your adventure could allow players to move from island to island. It all depends on how much you wamt to restrict the actions of your players (giving them all an unlimited flight speed may come back to bite you).
I definitely don't want infinite flight, but in the end, I plan on getting rid of the source of flight after, for example, the mayor who gave the group the airship would like it back. I like the carpet of flying idea, though. That one has more merit than a bunch of the other options.
Perhaps there are regular times when wafts of air can be used as transportation from one island to the next? Then you wouldn't have to give them any unlimited flight.
I definitely don't want infinite flight, but in the end, I plan on getting rid of the source of flight after, for example, the mayor who gave the group the airship would like it back. I like the carpet of flying idea, though. That one has more merit than a bunch of the other options.
The airship was always ment to only be provided for the duration of the mission. The carpet of flying is one of the unlimited flight sources I was warning against.
In my world I have a similar area, the people there use small magically powered boats, like sailboats, canoes, and catamarans. They take a notable amount of upkeep, so they aren't feasible for the party to own unless they get loaded with cash, but they can rent them or pay for rides.
I would vote for a sort of airship, but one powered by the same levitation magic holding the temples up. It is itself a shrine on a floating chunk of land perhaps, or some holy chariot or vessel related to the temples which is caught up in the Uprooting. It is driven by some mysterious NPC or unseen force that wants to help; a spirit or something. It's only controls are a knob which can be turned to point to a rune that relates to each temple or significant site (maybe you need to activate each rune with some key before you can go to that temple, to keep each zone locked until requirements are met) and when the rune is selected then the vessel drifts serenely through the clouds to dock near the entrance to the chosen temple. The spirit can warn them that the vessel will fall also in the end, so a safe descent method will need to be found - a spare fly spell or potions of feather fall perhaps. This way you avoid a permanent airship, avoid handing a free fly ability to the party, and keep the story moving without draining party resources. Any populated floating Islands might then have thrown up their own rickety bridge and ladder networks, and smaller Islands for sub-quests can only be reached by expending resources to fly/jump/teleport there and back.
RegentCorreon, so like a mini floating island used to travel or an actual machine powered by the islands? Both could work, I just would like to know which you mean.
I plan to have the islands fall though, at the end, so I like the idea of putting potions of feather fall in a dungeon loot room.
What about drawing inspiration from our world. Use animals. Now extrapolate and think about the banshees of Avatar. No magic required. Several existing monsters fit this role nicely.
An idea is that you could have magic air tunnels that connect the islands. The tunnels would be very smooth and peaceful, but have a chance of shooting them out ( if you want, make them roll a d20, on a 1 they are shot out.). It could lead to cool fights, as both opposing groups want to knock the other out of the air tunnel, while staying inside themselves.
RegentCorreon, so like a mini floating island used to travel or an actual machine powered by the islands? Both could work, I just would like to know which you mean.
Thanks for the suggestions
Yep, either one. Something powered by the same source as the islands, but as a sort of unintended side effect of that power. Creation triggered by the same event, but not linked intrinsically to whatever grand evil lurks inside the temples. It's just defeating the temples breaks the floating magic on everything, so the mini-island/vessel will also fall.
It seems to me that where there is a need, people will provide a service. Think about places like Venice with their gondolas, or other island communities where they have boat taxis. I would think people would start their own airship shuttle/taxi services. 10sp from one island to another. Then you could have more exotic means like gryphon or pegasus rides. Maybe they even pull a flying/floating carriage. My kids watch Sofia The First, and the king has something similar when he has to get someplace quickly.
Well I personally suggest an airship. 1. there awesome. 2. there awesome . 3. there useful later in the game as well. Also this idea of yours is pretty sweet. Airships provide much more than transportation, they also provide a mobile base.
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May your blades stay ever sharp, and your minds as well.
DM: you party is approached by a bug bear.
Newbie: that sounds terrifying its like a bear with wings and pincers!
Veteran No, Its a...
DM: *scribbling furiously* The bugbears mandibles click furiously, everybody roll initiative!
Yes, some power family, or team, would set up a transportation service, like a taxi service. Short distances they might use flying carpets and charge a fee. Longer distances either air ships that are used to trade goods between islands, charge a fee for passengers. Maybe flying horse carriages, like in the old west but flying, charge a fee. There would be companies that would supply these needs and charge appropriately for their services. I am sure there has to be some sort of trading that is needed between the islands. Some islands might have various spices, others have metal ores, others various types of food, veggies, meats, dairy.
Also with trade routes could come flying pirate ships. Just take everything on land and elevate it. You can even set up various classes of people, the lower flying islands could be the poor and the highest islands would be the rich and snooty. So the travel modes for the various classes would be different as well.
I've been working on a campaign for a few months called Uprooted. If you are in my group, don't read this. Be patient.
To sum it up, these ancient temples, set up by a race long forgotten, have been triggered by a recent earthquake. These shrines and a couple larger temples, have been adventuring hot spots for centuries, but as they start to activate, no one goes near them. Tremors go through the ground, and all of a sudden, the landscape for miles is suspended a few thousand feet in the air. The PC's will have to journey to each of the shrines, which will have traps, and deactivate them one at a time, until they can unlock the large final temple with an ancient guardian boss fight. They will then have to figure out how to deactivate the temple, and then escape before it goes plummeting down. There will be lots of traps, lots of puzzles, a final boss fight, and a bunch of mysteries and uncovering hidden secrets.
My main problem is transportation. Normal people don't have enough time to set up rope bridges between each island, and I am 100% sure that my group will not be happy wasting fly spells on moving from one island to the next. These islands are pretty far apart. The size varies from 10 feet in diameter to 500 feet in diameter, with each island varying in height and distance apart. I need a reliable mode of transportation from one island to the next. A bunch of options seem stupid, and I want to make this a memorable campaign for my group.
Just for clarification, these are islands floating in the air, not on a body of water. They are between 1000 and 1500 feet above the ground below them. For example, if an island was above a mountain, it would hover 1000-1500 feet above the tip of the mountain.
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it's been a long time...
I could see a king, lord, or mayor hiring the party to investigate and providing a hired airship and crew to transport them. Alternatively, the party could have to hire an airship captain themselves.
Next to that, a carpet of flying or several broom of flying would work. Or some inherent mechanism of your adventure could allow players to move from island to island. It all depends on how much you wamt to restrict the actions of your players (giving them all an unlimited flight speed may come back to bite you).
I definitely don't want infinite flight, but in the end, I plan on getting rid of the source of flight after, for example, the mayor who gave the group the airship would like it back. I like the carpet of flying idea, though. That one has more merit than a bunch of the other options.
it's been a long time...
Perhaps there are regular times when wafts of air can be used as transportation from one island to the next? Then you wouldn't have to give them any unlimited flight.
The airship was always ment to only be provided for the duration of the mission. The carpet of flying is one of the unlimited flight sources I was warning against.
If I were to do the Carpet of Flying idea, I would modify it and put a limit on it, just like the winged boots item.
it's been a long time...
In my world I have a similar area, the people there use small magically powered boats, like sailboats, canoes, and catamarans. They take a notable amount of upkeep, so they aren't feasible for the party to own unless they get loaded with cash, but they can rent them or pay for rides.
I would vote for a sort of airship, but one powered by the same levitation magic holding the temples up. It is itself a shrine on a floating chunk of land perhaps, or some holy chariot or vessel related to the temples which is caught up in the Uprooting. It is driven by some mysterious NPC or unseen force that wants to help; a spirit or something. It's only controls are a knob which can be turned to point to a rune that relates to each temple or significant site (maybe you need to activate each rune with some key before you can go to that temple, to keep each zone locked until requirements are met) and when the rune is selected then the vessel drifts serenely through the clouds to dock near the entrance to the chosen temple. The spirit can warn them that the vessel will fall also in the end, so a safe descent method will need to be found - a spare fly spell or potions of feather fall perhaps. This way you avoid a permanent airship, avoid handing a free fly ability to the party, and keep the story moving without draining party resources. Any populated floating Islands might then have thrown up their own rickety bridge and ladder networks, and smaller Islands for sub-quests can only be reached by expending resources to fly/jump/teleport there and back.
RegentCorreon, so like a mini floating island used to travel or an actual machine powered by the islands? Both could work, I just would like to know which you mean.
I plan to have the islands fall though, at the end, so I like the idea of putting potions of feather fall in a dungeon loot room.
Thanks for the suggestions
it's been a long time...
What about drawing inspiration from our world. Use animals. Now extrapolate and think about the banshees of Avatar. No magic required. Several existing monsters fit this role nicely.
An idea is that you could have magic air tunnels that connect the islands. The tunnels would be very smooth and peaceful, but have a chance of shooting them out ( if you want, make them roll a d20, on a 1 they are shot out.). It could lead to cool fights, as both opposing groups want to knock the other out of the air tunnel, while staying inside themselves.
Yep, either one. Something powered by the same source as the islands, but as a sort of unintended side effect of that power. Creation triggered by the same event, but not linked intrinsically to whatever grand evil lurks inside the temples. It's just defeating the temples breaks the floating magic on everything, so the mini-island/vessel will also fall.
It seems to me that where there is a need, people will provide a service. Think about places like Venice with their gondolas, or other island communities where they have boat taxis. I would think people would start their own airship shuttle/taxi services. 10sp from one island to another. Then you could have more exotic means like gryphon or pegasus rides. Maybe they even pull a flying/floating carriage. My kids watch Sofia The First, and the king has something similar when he has to get someplace quickly.
Well I personally suggest an airship. 1. there awesome. 2. there awesome . 3. there useful later in the game as well. Also this idea of yours is pretty sweet. Airships provide much more than transportation, they also provide a mobile base.
May your blades stay ever sharp, and your minds as well.
DM: you party is approached by a bug bear.
Newbie: that sounds terrifying its like a bear with wings and pincers!
Veteran No, Its a...
DM: *scribbling furiously* The bugbears mandibles click furiously, everybody roll initiative!
I voted "Airship" but gnome cannons would be fun
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Yes, some power family, or team, would set up a transportation service, like a taxi service. Short distances they might use flying carpets and charge a fee. Longer distances either air ships that are used to trade goods between islands, charge a fee for passengers. Maybe flying horse carriages, like in the old west but flying, charge a fee. There would be companies that would supply these needs and charge appropriately for their services. I am sure there has to be some sort of trading that is needed between the islands. Some islands might have various spices, others have metal ores, others various types of food, veggies, meats, dairy.
Also with trade routes could come flying pirate ships. Just take everything on land and elevate it. You can even set up various classes of people, the lower flying islands could be the poor and the highest islands would be the rich and snooty. So the travel modes for the various classes would be different as well.
Awesome idea, keep growing it. Good luck
Hot-air balloons are relatively simple and provide a low-level alternative to something like an airship.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Just going to say I hope the OP got their world's air based transportation infrastructure up and running in the past two years.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.