Shattered Skies
Rules for using airships in your D&D 5th edition campaigns
Chapter 1: Airship Breakdown
This chapter will delve into the basic of what an airship is and isn't. It will cover the statistics that will be used when dealing with airships, as well and breaking down the different magical and technilogical components used in creating airships.
There are many types of airship presented in the fantasy and steampunk genres, with many different variations of propulsion, lift, weaponry, speed, and other elements. The airship that will be covered in this module will be of a specific type that would fit well into a steampunk or maigc-punk setting. If you don't find the type of airship shown in this module fitting for your world, feel free to add or remove different components too and from the ships I provide. The system is very modular and easy to edit
What is an airship?
An airship, as it's name implies, is a ship that flies in the air. Simple enough. But the most important aspect of a flying ship is how that ship achieves its flight. It doesn't matter what the ship actually looks like. If it can't fly its not an airship. The fantasy, sci-fi, and steampunk genres are filled to the brim with ideas how to get a ship, house, or rock, off the ground.
The most basic means of flight, and closest to reality, is the idea of a gas filled balloon similar to blimps and hot air balloons. In a more technologically advanced setting, powerful propeller engines or jet thrusters might be used; and in more fantastical settings, magic is often what turns a mundane sea-faring vessel into an airship. Each method of lift has its advantages and disadvantages, and restricts or frees a vessel ability to move.
Given the large variety of possible airship styles, this book, for simplicity shake will cover only one design of airship for now. Its means of flight, propulsion, and internal components will be described in detail in order for a player or dungeon master to better be able to run these vessels. In the future, other style of mechanisms of flight will be added to this module.
Airship Stat Blocks
Airships are complicated beasts. To aid in adventures where airships will be used, the following section presents new rules and stat blocks for a variety of vessels.
Basic Statistics
An airship's stat block has three main parts: basic statistics,
Size
Most vessels are Large, Huge, or Gargantuan. A ship’s size category is determined by its length or width, whichever is longer. For instance, a ship that is 10 feet long and 20 feet wide would use the size category that has a 20-foot width, which means the ship is Gargantuan.
Space
A ship doesn’t have a square space unless its stat block specifies otherwise. For example, a ship that is 20 feet long and 10 feet wide occupies a 20-by-10-foot space.
A ship can’t move into a space that is too small to accommodate it. If it tries to do so, it crashes, as described later in the “Crashing” section.
Capacity
A vessel’s stat block indicates how many creatures and how much cargo it can carry. Creatures include both the crew required to operate the vessel and any passengers who might ride along. Passengers could include marines who repel boarders and lead the attack on monsters and enemy ships.
Cargo is not measured in a standard manner. To make it easier when ladening a ship using this system, cargo is measured in CP or 'Cargo Points'. This stat represents the general size and weight of a piece of a cargo. Most optional upgrades to a ship have a CP value. Different cargo and upgrades will be covered later.
Travel Pace
A vessel’s travel pace determines how far the vessel can move per hour and per day.
Ability Scores
A vessel has the six ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) and corresponding modifiers.
A vessel’s Strength represents its size and weight. Dexterity represents a ship’s ease of handling. A vessel’s Constitution covers its durability and the quality of its construction. Vessels usually have a score of 0 in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
If a vessel has a 0 in a score, it automatically fails any ability check or saving throw that uses that score.
Vulnerabilities, Resistances, and Immunities
A Vessel’s vulnerabilities, resistances, and immunities apply to all its components, unless otherwise noted in the stat block.
Vessels are usually immune to poison and psychic damage. Ones crafted from metal or mostly crafted from metal are also typically immune to necrotic damage. They are also usually immune to the following conditions: blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, and unconscious.
Components
A vessel is composed of different components.
Hull. A vessel’s hull is its basic frame, on which the other components are mounted.
Control A control component is used to steer and fly a vessel.
Movement. An engine component is what propels the vessel forward and backwards.
Internal components Internal components are special components that are located inside the ship. They have their own hitpoint pools but can only be damaged by critical hits. (see critical impact section.)
Weapon Hardpoints. Vessels that are capable of combat will have a pre-determined number of hard points where aero-nautical grade weapons can be mounted.
Hard points come in three classes. Class I, II, III. Higher class hard points allow larger and more powerful weapons to be mounted on them.
On top of having three size categories , hard points also have two variants: Fixed and Swivel. Fixed hard points cause any weapons mounted on them to be static and unmoving, thus allowing them to aim only one direction.
Swivel hard points allow any weapon on them to be able to swivel around. How far it can swivel left and right depends on the ships construction and can range from 45° all the way to a full 360°. The maximum depression and elevation angles (up and down) that mounted weapons will have is also including in a hard point stats.
A vessel's component might have a special rules, as described in the stat block.
Armor Class
A component has an Armor Class. Its AC is meant to reflect its size, the materials used to construct it, and any defensive plating or armor used to augment its toughness.
Hitpoints
A ship component is destroyed and becomes unusable when it drops to 0 hit points. A ship is wrecked if its hull is destroyed. A ship component does not have Hit Dice.
Damage Threshold
If a ship component has a damage threshold, that threshold appears after its hit points. A component has immunity to all damage unless it takes an amount of damage equal to or greater than its damage threshold, in which case it takes damage as normal. Any damage that fails to meet or exceed the damage threshold is considered superficial and doesn’t reduce the component’s hit points.
Additional components
Below are descriptions of components that can be described in the vessel's stat block, but not explained completely.
Lift Crystal
At the direct center mass of the ship lies the lift crystal. It is a heavily enchanted piece of quartz that, when activated by the ships flight controls, lifts up or floats down, completely ignoring gravity.
A carriage is bolted to the lift crystal, and the carriage is then connected directly to the hull of the vessel by a series of thick steel wires or rope. When the lift crystal moves up, the carriage pulls on the wires then the wires pull on the hull of the vessel, dragging it along with the lift crystal.
If the lift crystal is destroyed, the ship immediately begins to fall out of the sky.
Arcane power core
The power core powers most of the functions on the ship. This include most things that would naturally require power to run such as stoves, engines, lights, lift crystals, and even magic cannons.
If the power core is destroyed, all powered components will no longer work. Lift crystals have a energy battery that will keep the ship aloft for 3 days. The vessel will then require a powerless means of movement such as sails or being towed by another vessel.
Moving, Ascending, Turning, and Braking.
Moving and maneuvering an airship requires alot of force, and stopping one requires even more. A vessel's movement related components provide four stats that show how fast, and agile it is.
Speed
A vessel has a max speed per round indicated by the speed stat.
Accelerating/ Braking
Acc./Braking speed shows how fast your vessel accelerates and reduces speed. When you choose to move your vessel, it gains an amount of speed per turn equal to its acceleration speed until you either choose to stop accelerating or you reach the vessel's max speed. Deceleration works in the opposite direction, lowering your speed until you hit zero.
Ascencsion/Descension
Airships gain altitude by using a component in the center of the ship that lifts it straight up and down. A vessel's climb speed shows how fast the vessel goes up or down.
Turning Radius
A vessel's turning angle shows how far to the left or right it can turn in a round. A vessel can perform a turn at any point during it's turn.
Example ships
This section provides stat blocks, deck plans, and other details for a number of airships (currently only one)
Destroyer
The destroyer is the smallest class of combat air vessel. They are light, fast, and very maneuverable while packing enough fire power to defend itself against ships of a similar size. The basic designs are generally used as scout and occupation vessels, but more specialzed variants have have been manufactured that perform different roles.
Main Deck
The main deck of the destroyer has the following features.
Class 1 Harpoints. Four class I swivel hardpoints are attached to the top deck. Two facing off starboard side and 2 facing off the port side. These hardpoints can swivel 180 degrees left and right, and 90 degrees up and down. There is storage near by these hardpoints for 15 Class I units of ammunition.
Harness hook loops There are hook loops every 5 feet along the sides of the top deck where a creature can hook themselves to in order to avoid falling off.
Hatch. A covered, 10-foot-squared opening leads to the middle deck.
Railing The main deck has a 3-foot-high rail around its perimeter that provides half cover for medium creatures and three-quarters cover for small creatures behind it.
Command deck
The vessels command deck has the flight control pit, one outward communications desk, one internal communications desk, and the captains throne. The hull around the command deck is reinforced and any targeted component or creatures inside the command deck have a damage threshold of 30 against attacks made against them from outside the command deck.
Captains Quarters
The captains quarters sits underneath the rear of the command deck and has one bed and a desk.
Gunnery Deck
Located between the crew quarters and the officer's cabins is the gunnery deck.
It has the following features.
Class II hardpoints. There are four Class II hardpoints on both the port and starboard side of the gunnery deck. There is storage nearby each hardpoint for 10 units of Class II ammunition.
Officer cabins
Located near the rear of the middle deck, four individual cabins are set up with a bed, desk, and storage for belongings.
Crew Quarters
At the front of the ship lies the crew quarters with enough beds to house 30 medium creatures.
Infirmary and Kitchen
Located behind the officer cabins lies the kitchen and infirmary.
Engine Room
The engine room runs the height of both decks and lies at the very back end of the ship. It contains the engines that propel the ship as well as the powercore.
Destroyer
Gargantuan Vehicle, 100ft by 20ft
- Creature capacity 30 crew, 10 passengers
- Cargo Capacity 10 CP
- Travel Pace 15 miles per hour(360 miles per day)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 19 (+4) 13 (+2) 0 0 0
- Damage Immunities poison, psychic
- Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious
Actions
On its turn, the Destroyer can take 2 actions, choosing from the options below. It can only take 1 actions if it has fewer than 15 crew. It can't take any action if it has no crew.
Fire Class I weapons.: The Destroyer fires any loaded and aimed weapons mounted on Class I hardpoints. Fire Class II weapons.: The can Destroyer fire any loaded and aimed weapons mounted on Class II hardpoints. Move.: The Destroyer can use its flight controls to move with its dual arcane turbine engines.
Hull
Armor Class 16
Hitpoints* 250 (damage threshold 20)
Control: Flight controls
Armor Class 19
Hitpoints 75
Ascension/Descension speed 50 feet
Turning Radius 45°
Movement: Dual arcane turbine engines
Armor class 20
Hitpoints 100 (each); -20ft. speed per 25 damage taken.
Acc./Braking 40/40ft
Speed(ft) 200ft (40ft in reverse)
Internal Components
Arcanite power core: 50 hitpoints
Lift Crystal: 75 hitpoints
Critical Impact table
When a battle involves a gunnery duel between two airships, the amount of firepower being fielded at any given moment is staggering. While it most damage taken by two airships will be surface level, or hull damage, there will be shots that manage to do more than others of its type. These shots can be incredibly devastating because they not only damage the hull, they deal damage to important internal components of the vessel.
When a class I, II, or III weapon, or a spell of 4th level or higher, deals a critical hit to an vessel, it deal double damage to the target as normal. However, if the total damage is less than double the damage threshold of the target, the attack does no roll on the critical impact table. If it does, roll on the table to see what kind of internal damage it does.
Critical Impact table
| d10 | Internal damage |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nothing! |
| 2 | 1d4 crew killed |
| 3 | Attack's damage to random mounted weapon |
| 4 | Fire outbreak on random deck |
| 5 | Internal and external ship communications are knocked out until repaired. It takes 1d12 hours to do so. |
| 6 | Internal power is knocked out for one round. |
| 7 | Cargo area is hit! Lose 1d4 CP of cargo. Dungeon master's chooses what is destroyed. |
| 8 | 1d8 crew killed |
| 9 | 2 Fire outbreaks on random decks |
| 10 | Half of Weapon's damage to random internal component |
Weapons
This section will provide the stats for a variety of weapons that are available to airships. For easier use in adding airships to your campaign, this section also divides the weapons into low, medium, and high tech categories.
Arcano Cannon
Large Object, 10ft by 10ft
- Weapon Class: Class II
- Armor class: 15
- Hitpoints: 50
- Ammunition: Charged weapon
- Damage immunities: poison, psychic
These weapons are one of the many fusions of magic and technology. This weapon uses a vessels Arcane power core to charge a bolt of energy in the firing, then releases it at its target at high velocity.
Before an Arcano cannon can be fired, it must be charged for one round, aimed, and fired. While it is charging, an action can be used to aim the weapon. Once the weapon is charged it takes an action to fire it.
Charged Weapon: If the power core of a vessel using one or more of these weapons is below half its hitpoints, the weapon take one additional turn to charge.
- Force Shot: Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range, 600/2,400 ft., one target. Hit: 33 (6d10) force damage.
- Overcharged Shot: Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range, 600/2,400 ft., one target. Hit: 44 (8d10) force damage. If you roll a natural 1 when making an attack using an overcharged shot, the arcano cannon takes 6d10 force damage as the shot backfires and damages the firing chamber.
Bolt Cannon
Medium Object, 5ft by 5ft
- Weapon Class: Class I
- Armor class: 15
- Hitpoints: 35
- Ammunition: Ballistic shot
- Damage immunities: poison, psychic
The bolt cannon is a hybrid magic-mechanical weapon that still uses solid shot. However, arcane energy is drawn from a power core and is used to create the explosion that propels the loaded projectile. As there is no gunpowder involved, these cannons are much safer to use; and they use far less energy compared to an arcano cannon.
Before the bolt cannon can be fired, it must be charged for one round, aimed, and fired. While it is charging, an action can be used to load, and another used to aim the weapon. Once the weapon is charged it takes an action to fire it.
Hybrid Charged Weapon: As this weapon does not need solid propellant, use gain an additional 10 units of bolistics shot per CP used for storage of ammunition for this weapon.
Additionally, this weapon can still fully charge in one round, even if the power core this weapon is drawing from is below half its maximum hitpoints.
- Ballistic Shot: Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range, 600/2,400 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (5d10) bludgeoning damage.
Cannon
Large Object, 10ft by 5ft
- Weapon Class: Class II
- Armor class: 19
- Hitpoints: 75
- Ammunition: Ballistic shot
- Damage immunities: poison, psychic
Before the advent of the Arcane cannon types, the basic cannon was the to go to weapon for most sky vessels.
Before a cannon can be fired, it must loaded, and aimed. It takes one action to load the cannon, one to position it, one to aim it, and one action to fire.
- Ballistic shot: Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range, 600/2,400 ft., one target. Hit: 44 (8d10) bludgeoning damage.
Culverin
Medium Object, 5ft by 5ft
- Weapon Class: Class I
- Armor class: 15
- Hitpoints: 30
- Ammunition: Ballistic shot
- Damage immunities: poison, psychic
The smallest class of gunpowder cannons, the culverin is used on smaller craft to engage other craft of a similar size. It not very powerful, but it is cheap and easy to use.
Before a culverin can be fired, it must loaded and aimed. It takes one action to load the culverin, one action to aim it, and one action to fire.
- Ballistic shot: Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range, 300/1,200 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (5d10) bludgeoning damage.
Disintegration cannon
Large object 10ft by 5ft
- Weapon Class: Class II
- Armor class: 14
- Hitpoints: 25
- Ammunition: Arcane charge canisters
- Damage immunities: poison, psychic
A disintegration cannon does as its name sake suggests. When fired, it casts disintegrate at 7th level with a Spell DC of 19. It is however, a very fragile weapon with a very limited range.
Before an disintegration cannon can be fired, its must be loaded and fired. It takes one action to load the weapon, and one action to fire.
Dragon's Maw
Medium object 5ft by 5ft
- Weapon Class: Class 1
- Armor class: 14
- Hitpoints: 25
- Ammunition: Dragon's Bile canisters
- Damage immunities: poison, psychic
A dragon's maw is a small flame weapon used to clear the top decks of enemy ships or any other place where the crew of a vessel might choose to land. It fires a concentrated gout of flame that dramatically expands on impact, allowing for accurate application of massive fiery carnage.
Before a Dragon's maw can be fired, it must be loaded. Once loaded it takes and then one action to fire.
Dragon's bile weapon: This weapon fires a highly flammable substance. If a loaded Dragon's maw is reduced to zero hitpoints, roll a d20. On a 5 or less, it explodes; if that damage type was fire damage, this happen automatically. Every creature within 10 feet of the weapon must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 6d6 fire damage. Any flammable object caught in the blast are lit on fire.
Fire stream: Choose a point within 60ft. Each creature within 15ft of that point must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 6d6 fire damage. Any flammable objects caught in the blaze are lit on fire.
Grapple Launcher
Large object 10ft by 5ft
- Weapon Class: Class 2
- Armor class: 12
- Hitpoints: 45
- Ammunition: Harpoons
- Damage immunities: poison, psychic
A grapple launcher does as it's name suggests. It launch harpoons into a surface and anchors whatever it is attached to to the target. This allows another vessel to pull in smaller ones in order to perform boarding actions.
Before the grapple launcher can be fired it must be loaded. It takes one action to load, and one action to fire. Once a grapple launcher has landed a shot and anchors itself into the target,
Harpoon: Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range, 75ft., one target. Hit: 14(4d6) piercing damage, and the target is grappled by whatever the grapple launcher is attached to. The chain holding the harpoon to the launcher has an AC of 23 and 15HP.
Heavy Bolt Cannon
Large object, 10ft by 5ft
- Weapon Class: Class II
- Armor class: 15
- Hitpoints: 35
- Ammunition: Ballistic shot
- Damage immunities: poison, psychic
The heavy bolt cannon is a larger, more powerful version of the bolt cannon.
Before the bolt cannon can be fired, it must be charged for one round, aimed, and fired. While it is charging, an action can be used to load, and another used to aim the weapon. Once the weapon is charged it takes an action to fire it.
Hybrid Charged Weapon: As this weapon does not need solid propellant, you gain an additional 10 units of ballistic shot per CP used for storage of ammunition for this weapon.
Additionally, this weapon can still fully charge in one round, even if the power core this weapon is drawing from is below half its maximum hitpoints.
- Ballistic Shot: Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range, 600/2,400 ft., one target. Hit: 44 (8d10) bludgeoning damage.
Magic Missile Rack
Medium Object, 5ft by 5ft
- Weapon Class: Class I
- Armor class: 12
- Hitpoints: 20
- Ammunition: Arcane charge cannisters
- Damage immunities: poison, psychic
This peculiar weapon unleashes a more powerful copy of the spell magic missle. The enhanced spell has a range of 200ft, and fires two additional darts that 1d10 damage instead of 1d4. When fired at an object or vessel with a damage threshold, the damage of the individual dart determines whether or not it damages the target.
Before a magic missile rack can be fired, it must be loaded. It takes an action to load the rack, and an action to fire it.
Obliterator Cannon
Huge object, 15ft by 5ft
- Weapon Class: Class III
- Armor class: 18
- Hitpoints: 75
- Damage immunities: poison, psychic
The Obliterator cannon is a larger, more powerful variant of the arcano cannon.
Before the Obliterator cannon can be fired, it must be charged for three rounds by drawing power from the vessel's power core. Once charged, it takes one action to aim the cannon and one action to fire it.
Charged Weapon: This weapon uses no ammo, and instead charges off of the vessel' power core. If the power core of a vessel using this weapon is below half its maximum hitpoints, the weapon take two additional turns to charge.
Super heavy weapon: This weapon is large enough, and heavy enough that is has a cargo point cost of 1.
- Force Shot: Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range, 800/2,600 ft., one target. Hit: 66 (12d10) force damage.
- Overcharged Shot: Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range, 1000/2,800 ft., one target. Hit: 82 (15d10) force damage. If you roll a natural 1 when making an attack using an overcharged shot, the obliterator cannon takes 8d10 force damage as the shot backfires and damages the firing chamber.
Torpedo launcher
Huge object, 15ft by 5ft
- Weapon Class: Class III
- Armor class: 20
- Hitpoints: 100
- Damage immunities: poison, psychic
Torpedoes are some of the most devastating weapons devised in the age of airships. Though expensive and hard to make, once these over sized arcane missiles are launched they magically lock onto a target and scream towards them at frightening speeds. Upon impact they deal horrific damage or other nasty suprises to their target.
Torpedo
Medium, Construct
- Armor Class 25
- Hit Points 50
- Speed 600ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 0 26 (+7) 0 15(+2) 0 0
- Damage Immunities necrotic, poison, psychic,
- Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious
It can fly up to 6000 feet before it runs out of propellant. Once this happens, the torpedo moves its full speed in a straight line for another round before it begins to fall out of the sky.
Before a torpedo launcher can be fired, it must be loaded, primed, and aimed at a target within 3000ft. It takes three actions to load a torpedo launcher, one to prime it, one to aim it, and one to fire it.
Torpedo Payloads
Anti-magic: Upon impact, all magical devices and items, with the exception of the lift crystal and power core, and all spell casters within 100ft of the impact zone no longer function and cannot cast spells for 1d4 hours.
Displacement: Upon impact, the target and all objects and creatures on or attached to it are teleported to a point within 1000ft of the launcher. The one who launched it chooses where the target is teleported.
High-explosive: Upon impact, the target takes 110(20d10) fire damage. Each creature within 60 feet of the impact point must succeed on a DC 20 dexterity saving throw or take half the damage the torpedo did to the initial target. On a succesful save, you take half damage.
If this weapon is launched against a airship, roll 1d4 times on the critical impact table for that vessel.
Weapon and Ammo costs
Average weapon costs
| Weapon | Cost |
|---|---|
| Arcano Cannon | 4,500gp |
| Bolt Cannon | 3,500gp |
| Cannon | 2,000gp |
| Culverin | 1,000gp |
| Disintegration Cannon | 6,000gp |
| Dragon's maw | 1,300gp |
| Grapple Launcher | 900gp |
| Heavy Bolt Cannon | 6,000 |
| Obliterator cannon | 12,000gp |
| Torpedo Launcher | 10,000gp |
Average ammunition costs
| Ammunition | Cost per CP | # per cp |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane charge canister(Class I) | 350gp | 35 |
| Arcane charge canister(Class II) | 600gp | 20 |
| Ballistic shot(Class I) | 50gp | 35 |
| Ballistic shot(Class II) | 150gp | 25 |
| Dragon's bile canister(class I) | 300gp | 15 |
| Torpedo | 2,500gp | 2 |
Things to work on
Additional weapons
Ship Upgrades
- Power field generator
- Boost rockets
- Armor
- Ram
- Ship sentience
- Auras
- Ship to Ship communication
Airship operation
- Crew management
- Deck by deck
- Command deck
- top deck
- gunnery deck
- engine room
- mess hall
- crew quarters
- misc. rooms
- Officers
- Captain
- Pilot
- 1st mate
- gunnery sargent
- engineer
- doctor
- coook
- communications
Ship types
- Civilian vessels
- Cargo runner
- Trade ship
- Pleasure barge
- Light craft
- Aero-docks
- Military vessels
- Sloop
- Destroyer
- Frigate
- Cruiser
- Battle Cruiser
- Battleship
- Dreadnaught