Monster Geographica - Marsh & Aquatic.pdf - The Secrets of the ...

10
Dragonship
Gargantuan Construct
Hit Dice: 20d10+60 (170 hp)
Initiative: -3
Speed: Swim 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 23 (-4 size, -3 Dex, +20
natural), touch 3, flat-footed 23
Base Attack: +15/+36
Attack: Bite +20 melee (3d6+9)
Full Attack: Bite +20 melee (3d6+9) and 4
slams + 15 melee (2d6+4)
Space/Reach: 20 ft/15 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage
reduction 15/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft.,
This automaton appears as a massive wooden
longship.
A dragonship is an animated sailing
vessel—identical to a longship in every way (see
the PHB) except that it is only 40 feet long. It has a
standard square-rigged sail, and 10 oars (5 on each
side). The front of the ship sports a great wooden
dragon-like figurehead. Using its oars or its ability
to generate winds on its own, a dragonship is rarely
at the mercy of the weather. It has a near perfect
knowledge of local sea charts and navigation
routes. Its primary function is as a transport that
needs no crew; it can be told one’s destination and
it will sail there by the quickest route possible.
As a sailing vessel, a dragonship has a crew
of 30 and can carry up to 35 tons of cargo. Its speed
is that of a normal longship.
Combat
Although generally used as a warship, a
dragonship’s primary function is that of a sailing
vessel. A dragonship is not particularly adept at
combat and it cannot maneuver to defend itself if
it is beached; in such cases it relies on its crew for
defense. A dragonship bites and breathes fire with
its dragon-like head, and can use up to four oars to
slap at foes that approach from the flanks.
Breath Weapon (Su): Three times per day,
a dragonship can belch forth a gout of fire in a 30foot
line that deals 10d6 points of fire damage. A
successful DC 20 Reflex save halves the damage.
The save DC is Constitution-based.
Navigate (Ex): A captain merely has to
whisper into the ear of the dragon-head and make
a Profession (sailor) check (DC 15) to get the
dragonship to understand its course. A dragonship
never gets lost on an ocean voyage, and has a 50%
170
low-light vision, navigate, vulnerability to
fire, winds
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +6
Abilities: Str 28, Dex 4, Con —, Int —, Wis
10, Cha 10
Skills: Swim +17
Feats: —
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —
chance of automatically being aware of any safe
coastline, seaside towns and villages, and hidden
ocean dangers such as reefs and sandbars (it only
knows of such dangers if they are in the volume of
sea charts used in its creation).
Winds (Su): At will, a dragonship can cause
winds to fill its sails. This operates as the control
winds spell (caster level 10th) with the restriction
that it can only increase the wind’s force for the
purposes of propulsion. The winds are generated
from a point beyond and slightly above the
dragonship’s stern. A dragonship cannot use these
winds to attack; their sole purpose is propulsion.
Skills: A dragonship has a +8 racial bonus on
any Swim check to perform some special action or
avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on
a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It
can use the run action while swimming, provided
it swims in a straight line.
Construction
A dragonship’s body is a constructed similar
to a normal longship fitted with a dragon-head
mounted on the bow. The ship costs 10,000 gp
and the figurehead costs 1,000 gp. Also required
is a volume of sea charts and maps (total value
at least 1,000 gp), to be burned in the mouth
of the dragonship’s head upon completion
of its construction. Consumed in the fire, the
distilled knowledge of the sea charts provides
the dragonship with its ability to navigate.
Assembling the body requires a successful Craft
(ship¬building) check (DC 20).
Caster level 16th; Craft Construct (see the
MM), fireball, geas/quest, limited wish, liveoak,
polyrnorph any object, caster must be at least 16th
level; Price 99,200 gp; Cost 60,800 gp + 3,520 XP.