Dragonship (3pp)

This automaton appears as a massive wooden longship sculpted to grant it a dragonlike appearance, with a scaled hull, a bow curving up to form a dragon’s head, and a stern tapering to a tail.

Dragonship CR 10

XP 9,600
N Gargantuan construct
Init –3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0

DEFENSE

AC 23, touch 3, flat-footed 23 (–3 Dex, +20 natural, –4 size)
hp 170 (20d10+60)
Fort +6; Ref +3; Will +6
DR 15/adamantine; Immune construct traits
Weaknesses vulnerability to fire

OFFENSE

Speed swim 40 ft.
Melee bite +25 (1d8+9), 4 slams +25 (2d6+9)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (20 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks breath weapon (30–ft. cone, 10d6 fire damage, Reflex DC 20 for half, usable 3/day)

STATISTICS

Str 28, Dex 4, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +20; CMB +33; CMD 42 (can’t be tripped)
Skills Swim +17
SQ navigate, winds

SPECIAL ABILITIES

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% 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.

ECOLOGY

Environment any aquatic
Organization solitary
Treasure none

A dragonship is an animated sailing vessel—essentially a massive wood golem in the form of a longship. It is identical to a longship in every way except that it is only 20 feet long. It has a standard square-rigged sail, and 10 oars (5 on each side). Using its oars or its ability to generate winds on its own, a dragonship is rarely at the mercy of the weather. It has an instinctive understanding 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.

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.

As a sailing vessel a dragonship can carry up to 30 passengers and up to 35 tons of cargo. Its speed is that of a normal longship.

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 200 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.

CL 16th; Price 99,200 gp

CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS

Feats Craft Construct; Spells fireball, geas/quest, limited wish, liveoak, polymorph any object; Special creator must be caster level 16th; Craft (shipbuilding) DC 20; Cost 55,200 gp

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Dragonship from the Tome of Horrors Complete, Copyright 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author Erica Balsley.

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