The Golden Talon Airship – Guide to Aerial Combat

Welcome aboard the Golden Talon! Neverwinter’s finest dragon-hunting airship. This will review some of
the key rules for aerial combat, especially for heroes who lack innate flight.

Basic Airship Safety: What if I fall off?

Falling off the airship will mean certain death. The airship flies at over 1,000 feet, which means max fall
damage.

Every passenger and crewmember is issued a single-use Featherfall charm. These are standard issue
aboard airships and can be activated only once. The charm then crumbles to nothing. You will float
gently until you stop falling.

If you use up your charm, stay in range of a spellcaster with Featherfall. Other precautions include not
falling, learning to fly, or tying a rope to yourself.

Swinging and Jumping From Rigging

The Golden Talon has two masts with upper platforms. You can reach either one via a ladder, and the
movement cost to ascend is 40 feet (20 feet up at double movement cost). The Golden Talon has rigging
(not shown on model) that allows you to swing and/or jump:

From the deck: You can swing 15 feet (3 squares) out from the
ship, without letting go of the rope. If you let go, then you
can JUMP a total of feet = 15 + your STR score, but you will
begin falling at the end of that distance.

From the upper rigging (the two upper platforms): You can
swing 30 feet (6 squares) out from the ship, without letting
go of the rope. If you let go, then you can JUMP a total of
feet = 30 + your STR score, but you will begin falling at the end
of that distance.

Why would you do this? Because the Grapple rules in the Dungeon Master’s
Guide allow you to ride a giant creature by grappling it.

If you leap onto a creature bigger than you (maybe a red dragon?) you can use an Attack to Grapple and
hang onto the dragon. Roll your choice of Strength or Dexterity check against the dragon’s Dexterity
check. If the dragon is chained by a harpoon, it will have disadvantage on the Dexterity check. The
dragon then becomes difficult terrain for purposes of your movement. For melee fighters, this could
allow you to close and fight with a flying dragon. Of course, it could also mean falling to your death.
Proceed accordingly.
Golden Talon Stats

The airship can be damaged or destroyed in combat. Destruction of the airship will mean certain death
for all aboard. The Golden Talon has an AC of 15 and three main stats.

Hull – Hit Points: 500. The Hull is the structural integrity of the airship. Reducing the Hull to 0 HP means
the airship crumbles apart in the sky and becomes plummeting debris. The Hull is tough and will ignore
hits that do less than 20 damage.

Helm – Hit Points 75. The Helm is the ability to control the airship. Reducing the Helm to 0 HP means the
airship is now drifting out of control and will eventually crash or leave orbit.

Elemental Engine – Hit Points 100. The airship relies upon an Elemental Engine using a trapped air
elemental for locomotion and flight. Reducing the Elemental Engine to 0 HP will release an angry air
elemental and the airship will cease flying.

The ship does not respond to healing spells or potions, but a Mending cantrip will restore 10 HP to the
airship stat of the caster’s choice. Otherwise, you can attempt to repair the airship as an Action by
making a DC 10 Intelligence check. On a success, the Airship regains 1d8 HP to the stat of the repairer’s
choice.

The Two Ballistae

The Golden Talon has two ballistae designed for

hunting and killing dragons.

AC: 15, HP: 50. Reducing the ballista to 0 HP destroys

any harpoon chains and renders it unable to fire.

Loading A Ballista: A Golden Talon crewmember will

be stationed to load each ballista as an Action. If you
want to fire the ballista but go before the crewmember in
initiative order, simply hold your Action to fire as soon as the
crewmember loads. If a dragon eats the crewmember, you may have to load the ballista yourself. You can
use an Action to load the ballista. Loading the ballista requires a DC 12 Strength check to knock the
ballista and load the harpoon.

Firing A Ballista: Firing the ballista is a Ranged Martial Weapon attack with +2 to hit against dragons.
Hit: 8d6 damage. Target makes a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, or the harpoon lodges in the target.

Lodged Harpoons: Ballista harpoons are magical ammunition with ethereal chains that drag targets onto
the ship. A lodged harpoon drags the target 20 feet closer each round by an ethereal chain. The target
can remove a lodged harpoon (and thus remove the chain) on its turn by using an Action. Destroying a
ballista also eliminates the chain. A chained target has Disadvantage on Dexterity checks and saving
throws, and attacks rolls against a chained target have Advantage.