T'Skrang ships

[umbraldragon]

I'm running a campaign and need more info on T'Skrang ships and plans. I will appreciate any advice you might have...
Thanks!

[Slimcreeper]

1st edition Serpent River book (http://fasagames.com/catalog/index.php? ... cts_id=602) has the most information, as far as I know. It's also, in my opinion, one of the best sourcebooks in the line and the PDF is only $10.

[umbraldragon]

Thanks, got it.

[umbraldragon]

For Clarity and to be thorough, you can find information on airships and riverboats in 3rd Edition Game Master's Companion, as well as 4th Edition Earthdawn Companion. 1st Edition Serpent River is an excellent guide by the way.

[Mataxes]

There actually isn't any real info about riverboats in the ED4 Companion. It was planned, but cut for space.

We hope to have the material see the light of day soon.

[Tattered Rags]

I have a question about the ships, too, now.

The fire engine, is there any place it's described in fair detail? I skimmed the story of the gifts of Upandal at the beginning of the Serpent River book. The ship section didn't really describe anything. And I couldn't find information in the denizens book.

Specifically does it bellow smoke? Is it noisy? What are the signs of an operating one? A malfunctioning one? General size?

[Bonhumm]

The 3rd Edtion Gamemaster Companion section about sailing gives a description of the fire engine itself but basically it describes this: http://www.islandnet.com/~westisle/Hist ... izeng.html

I would therefore expect it to be about as noisy and steamy as a Mississippi paddle-wheeler. As for 'real' smoke, I'm not sure. Since, from my understanding, it is not burning 'real' fuel but instead using True Fire it might or might not be 'polluting'. I don't know if there is a clear description of the effect of True Fire combustion effect on the air surrounding it anywhere in the books.

As for the other questions concerning size and and signs of a defective engine; I'd expect it to be, again, about the same at those old paddle-wheeler; probably a bit bigger and bulkier. The components of the engines would all be made by hand and probably heavily decorated with metal carvings. I would expect the engine general appearance to be varying from Aropagoi to Aropagoi and, on a lesser degree, from Niall to Niall.


Personally, I find it odd that the other races are unable to re-creates fire engines no matter 'divine intervention'. For a society with the level of technology like Barsaive, the only 2 problems with steam engines would be:

A- Actually having the idea of using steam as a source propulsion.

and, most importantly,

B- The existence of steel, since even the strongest iron would not be able to withstand the pressure of a engine powerful enough to power a riverboat.


Since the knowledge of the engine itself and its general concept is widely known, 'A' is not an issue anymore. As for 'B', Earthdawn is, historically, a few thousand years before the invention of steel but they are, in fact, producing weapon grade steel on an everyday basis (lost knowledge at the end of the 4th Age like so many other things?) so that's not an issue either.

I could imagine Upendal somehow preventing True Fire working with other race's copies of the fire engine but they could easily just use 'regular' fire with wood as fuel (I kinda remember reading in a book somewhere that they even had coal I think?) and make it work; less efficient than True Fire true but still working.

[Slimcreeper]

I could imagine an inter-arapagoi strike team of adepts moving up and down the Serpent, sabotaging and scuttling any other race's efforts on the sly. Maybe the group is Named Upandal's Will.

[Bonhumm]

I could imagine an inter-arapagoi strike team of adepts moving up and down the Serpent, sabotaging and scuttling any other race's efforts on the sly. Maybe the group is Named Upandal's Will.

This is an awesome idea!

An alternative name could be Niall Team Six.

[Lursi]

There actually isn't any real info about riverboats in the ED4 Companion. It was planned, but cut for space.

We hope to have the material see the light of day soon.

That would be a fantastic opportunity to think about the following question:

Why would anyone want a riverboat? I look at the buying price and see the Purchasing/Cargo ratio being about the same. In terms of mobility and risk of robbery, the airship is clearly in advantage.

In short, they must be a factor 10 cheaper, otherwise there is no logical reason to go for them.

I also wondered what a T'skrang ship could do if some nasty Troll clan decides to drop rocks on them from 200yards altitude.

Alternative 1: It is very difficult to fly low because the Air magic is much stronger in greater heights. That is why landing and taking off takes so much energy and is such a critical task.

Alternative 2: Because waterborne ships have much less constraints regarding their payload, they can carry guns that have the ability to shoot upwards

I cant say I am fully convinced by these alternatives, but maybe someone has a better one, or a refined version.