Shipping baron Arano Yuki was dead, at the ripe old age of one hundred and fifteen, leaving behind no children to succeed him, only the multi-planar merchant shipping empire he had built up single-handedly starting from one broke-down second-hand airship bequeathed to him one hundred years ago by an adventurer friend.
The sharks circle the waters, each looking to either commandeer his headless business empire, or to tear off as large a chunk of wealth as possible for themselves. But that is another story for another time.
Towards the end of his long life, Arano visited all the friends and acquaintances he had met during his century of travel one last time, getting to know their children and descendants. At the time most thought it the whim of a childless old man who knew his time was near - which was true, but he was also looking for those worthy to carry on, if not his blood, then his spirit. Four young minds struck him in particular, whose hearts yearned to sail free in the skies above, though their bodies were tied to land or sea by the cruel realities of gold and station.
Now grown up by the time of his death, each of the four were summoned, to number among the many beneficiaries of Arano's last will and testament. They were offered the chance of a lifetime - Arano's very first airship, refitted and refurbished,
Yuuki, all theirs if they would perform just one simple task - to take Arano's ashes aboard the ship with them, and deliver his remains to the princess of the White Jade Tower in the Plane of Air, with a magical compass to guide their way. And after that... the skies would be all theirs.
Their maiden voyage would not be easy, though - storms, sky pirates, and worse await them, but in every cloud is a silver lining, and they just might find companionship, friendship, and love.
Airships and Dragons
A Pathfinder adventure in the Plane of Air for 3-4 players with mixed Western and East Asian themes and light-hearted sexual content.
Sail through the Plane of Air! Enjoy the scenic clouds! Explore virgin floating islands no foot has ever touched before! Battle sky pirates - or be the outlaws yourself! Fight or fuck the natives, the choice is yours! Party like it's new year's eve in every port of call! Survive deadly storms! Enjoy more scenic clouds!
Aboard the
Yuuki, the adventurers have an initial quest, to deliver Arano's ashes on the Plane of Air, and then they are free to roam as they please in a sandbox adventure - whether continuing to explore the Plane of Air, returning to the Material Plane, or going somewhere else entirely.
Character creation and applicationPhysical DescriptionPersonalityBackground: Characters may come from all walks of life, although all of them should share an intense yearning to take to the skies, and not be tied down to any particular place. Characters may be from almost anywhere on the Material Plane (Arano was a very well traveled man).
Airship role: See the section on the
Yuuki below.
Ons and OffsCharacter Creation (character sheets are not necessary at the application stage.)
-Starting level: 4 (level ups will occur at DM-determined intervals)
-Allowed races / classes / rulebooks: any official Paizo (no third party)
-Attributes: 20 point buy
-HP: Maximum at first level. Afterwards, Half HD at even levels, and Half HD +1 at odd levels.
-Traits: 2 traits, each of which must be from a different category (combat, magic, faith, etc.)
-Starting wealth: 6000 gp, no single item of which may be worth more than 3000 gp
The YuukiThe
Yuuki serves as the adventurers' vessel throughout the adventurer. Relatively small and the aerial equivalent to a sea-faring yacht, she is air-worthy and capable of dancing rings around larger, slower ships. Her size allows her to be piloted by a single crew member in a pinch, although her optimal crew size is four:
The
Captain: A high social skill (Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate) skill is crucial for commanding the crew and urging them to greater levels of competence, with the Captain's style of leadership determined by the skill used.
The
Helms(wo)man: Profession (sailor) is crucial for handling
Yuuki properly.
The
Engineer: At least one of Craft (Alchemy), Spellcraft or Use Magic Device is necessary for maintaining and repairing
Yuuki's engines, which power the propellers that propel her through the air.
The
Gunner: Either a sharpshooter, siege weapon operator, or a living magi-cannon, the Gunner is primarily responsible for air-to-air combat and supporting the rest of the crew.