Airship Captain Build

[BenTheJester]

I just read about the Eberron's airships and decided to make a build revolving around it.

This build won't be 100% optimizable because I want to take all 5 levels of the Windwright Captain

While this is pretty much my only requirement, I'd like to have a very charismatic character, whose good at being a bluffer/diplomat and be able to old my own in combat. Of course, style is very important.

I thought about Bard x/something useful up to level 7-8/Windwright Cap'n 2/Sublime Chord 1/Windwright cap'n 3/Something useful that progresses the SC spellcasting


While Sublime Chord is nice, I guess I could build magical canons on the ship and use this Dashing Swordsman for melee situations, but even then I won't be able to make it to level 10 in this PrC pre-epic, and except for the capstone, this class isn't so good)

[bearsarebrown]

Assuming Legendary Captain from Stormwrack could apply to Airships(I'd slap the DM if he said it didn't), it's an extremely solid class giving REALLY good buffs to the whole ship.

[VennDygrem]

A friend in a campaign I'm in had a fairly effective character who was an Artificer and captain of an airship. Artificers make anything better.
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And, looking at the Prereq's, artificer fits those nicely.
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One more edit: If you want to get the most out of Half-elf, I'd personally go with Deepwyrm Half-Drow out of RoF (for Half-Drow) and Dragon Magic (Deepwyrm racial variant). You get all the benefits (read: Very few) of being a Half-Elf, plus 60 ft darkvision (with no light sensitivity), you're considered a Drow for special abilities and effects (meh), some bonus SLA's (better than nothing), and the actual nice part: Dragonblood subtype, which can be handy to have. You trade your +2 bonus to Diplomacy for a +2 bonus to bluff, but that shouldn't be too bad.

What you gain outweighs what you lose. The only hindrance is getting approval for setting-specific content. Technically, Eberron was designed to fit all content into it, so if this is a problem maybe you can use that as an argument.

[BenTheJester]

Assuming Legendary Captain from Stormwrack could apply to Airships(I'd slap the DM if he said it didn't), it's an extremely solid class giving REALLY good buffs to the whole ship.

Except for the 20% speed buff and the ability to use your saves on a spell targetted at the ship, I don't really see what's so appealing. Profession(Sailor) checks don't seem that hard to make, and it doesn't look like your crew has to do anything. At least from a mechanical point of view.

[bearsarebrown]

Don't doubt +10 to leadership.

[BenTheJester]

Don't doubt +10 to leadership.

Is it really that good? I mean, I can't get a cohort higher than 2 levels below me, and even with my regular check(I'll have good charisma, reputation and a base of operations) I can get that. I guess I could get more minions, but I don't really care about them, as long as I have the minimum crew requirements

[bearsarebrown]

The idea of the class is that you're no longer an Airship Captain. You're an Airship FLEET Captain. But that's not the direction you're taking it soooo... 


honestly, I thought there were more buffs then that for some reason.   

[VennDygrem]

The idea of the class is that you're no longer an Airship Captain. You're an Airship FLEET Captain. But that's not the direction you're taking it soooo... 


honestly, I thought there were more buffs then that for some reason.   

To be honest though, being an Airship Admiral is kind of badass.

[dark_samuari]

I think it matters on how much you want your identity/image to be within your game. Do you want to be an adventurer with an airship or an airship captain? Because if you want the second, a combination of legendary captain and windwright captain will be get you there.

Half-Elf Bard 6/Legendary Captain 4/Windwright Captain 5/Legendary Captain 5 is a completely viable build in this case. Another approach might be one of a Half-Elf Bard 6/Dread Pirate 4/Windwright Captain 5/Dread Pirate 5.

[ksbsnowowl]

Don't doubt +10 to leadership.

Is it really that good? I mean, I can't get a cohort higher than 2 levels below me...

There is a feat (in Heroes of Battle, IIRC) that can raise that to your level -1.  Just FYI.

[Rooster]

I must insist that you name your character Captain Shakespeare.

( http://stardust.wikia.com/wiki/Captain_Shakespeare )


...but seriously, Stormwrack is definitely worth reading through for tidbits.  I suspect Artificer would be a good suggestion as well, or just go googling for diplomancer builds and piece in what you can fit without destroying your captaincy in the build (or making your GM murder you). Things like marshal or spirit shaman (or WoW Paladin) would give you commanding auras quite appropriate to buffing with small dips.

(Too bad there's no 3.5 Spelljammer. It'd be perfect for this.)

[dark_samuari]

I'd also look into picking up the landlord feat (from Strong Builder's Guide), as to pimp yo airship!

[Havok4]

I'd also look into picking up the landlord feat (from Strong Builder's Guide), as to pimp yo airship!

I agree with everything the above person said except for mode of speech. The Stronghold Builder's Guide would be extremely useful for getting various useful additions, weapons and defenses for your airship and landlord would let you pay for it. 

[Praef]

You're going about this all wrong!

First, you gotta be a dread necromancer.  Or a cleric/wizard/mystic theurge based on necromancy.  Or anything that can make undead 
Then, find a dead soarwhale.  Or kill it.  That works too.
Next, animate and awaken that sucker!
Then spellstitch it!
Then build a ship inside its ribcage!
Crew it with your undead minions!
Voila! Instant magic undead flying whale ship! 

But wait, there's more!
Pop some cannons with the necromantic property (stronghold builders)  and rain undeath down over all the land!
Throw your minions down to the ground for added undeath!
Become a Lord of the Uttercold, and fly around in a frozen magic undead flying whale ship!
More fun than a barrel of (undead) monkeys!

Heck, see if your dm would allow the soarwhale to take levels of soul eater.  That's terrifying.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

You're going about this all wrong!

First, you gotta be a dread necromancer.  Or a cleric/wizard/mystic theurge based on necromancy.  Or anything that can make undead 
Then, find a dead soarwhale.  Or kill it.  That works too.
Next, animate and awaken that sucker!
Then spellstitch it!
Then build a ship inside its ribcage!
Crew it with your undead minions!
Voila! Instant magic undead flying whale ship! 

But wait, there's more!
Pop some cannons with the necromantic property (stronghold builders)  and rain undeath down over all the land!
Throw your minions down to the ground for added undeath!
Become a Lord of the Uttercold, and fly around in a frozen magic undead flying whale ship!
More fun than a barrel of (undead) monkeys!

Heck, see if your dm would allow the soarwhale to take levels of soul eater.  That's terrifying.

dude, don't kill it.  Just hand it a quiver of unholy arrows.


Everyone loves a wight whale.

[Havok4]

The problem is that it would be nearly impossible to control while the awakened zombie/skeleton would be controlled already.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

True.  I got all chewed up the last time I tried that on a giant shark.


Call me fishmeal.

[Anklebite]

go take a look at the haunt-shifted player in the "Death of an Artist" PbP campain.  haunt shifting a PC or leadership cohort into  an airship is certainly one way of doing it. 

[PhaedrusXY]

go take a look at the haunt-shifted player in the "Death of an Artist" PbP campain.  haunt shifting a PC or leadership cohort into  an airship is certainly one way of doing it. 

You rang, Sir?

[Phaenix]

Everyone loves a wight whale.

 

Call me fishmeal.

 

Ah, puns get me every time.