Battle Balloon
Acquisitions Incorporated p. 218
- Size
- Gargantuan
- Type
- vehicle (80 ft. × 20 ft.)
- AC
- 15
- Hit Points
- 500
- Speed
- 9 miles per hour (216 miles per day)
- Immunities
- poison, psychic
- Condition Immunities
- blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious
Traits
Creature Capacity
20 crew, 10 passengers
Cargo Capacity
1 ton
Travel Pace
9 miles per hour (216 miles per day)
Actions
On its turn the battle balloon can take 3 actions if it has twenty or more crew, 2 actions if it has ten or more crew, or 1 action if it has fewer than ten crew, choosing from the options below. It cannot take any actions if it has no remaining crew.
recharge
3/TURN
Fire Ballista
The battle balloon can fire its harpoon guns.
Fire Green Flame Arbalester
The battle balloon can fire its green flame arbalester.
Move
The battle balloon can use its helm to move using its propeller. If the battle balloon enters a Large or smaller creature's space, that creature is automatically pushed to the edge of the battle balloon's space. The creature must also succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (1d10) bludgeoning damage.
Harpoon Haul
The battle balloon can pull each target grappled by it up to 30 feet toward the battle balloon.
Legendary Actions
Hull
Armor Class: 15 Hit Points: 200 (damage threshold 15)
Control: Helm
Armor Class: 18 Hit Points: 50
Move up to the speed of the ship's propeller, with one 90-degree turn. If the helm is destroyed, the ship can't turn.
Control: Balloon
Armor Class: 12 Hit Points: 75
If its balloon is destroyed, a battle balloon cannot maintain altitude.
Movement: Propeller
Armor Class: 12 Hit Points: 100; -5 ft. speed per 25 damage taken Speed (air): 80 ft.; 50 ft. while flying into the wind; 100 ft. while flying with the wind
Weapons: Green Flame Arbalester
Armor Class: 15 Hit Points: 75 Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 200/800 ft. (can't hit targets within 60 ft. of it) one target. Hit: 16 (3d10) piercing damage and 22 (4d10) fire damage. If the attack misses, the DM determines where the arbalester bolt hits. Each creature within 10 feet of that spot must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to avoid the bolt as it shatters, taking 5 (1d10) piercing damage and 5 (1d10) fire damage on a failed save.
Weapons: Harpoon Gun (3)
Armor Class: 15 Hit Points: 50 each Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 120/480 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d10) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until the grapple ends, the target's speed is halved, and it can't move farther away from the battle balloon. Each of the battle balloon's harpoon guns can grapple one target. While it has one or more targets grappled with its harpoon gun attack, the battle balloon's speed is not halved.
Other data
description
Through the winter clouds that surround the castle on this desolate hill, you see a shape emerge. Something so gigantic, you can't believe it can actually fly.
Airships are relatively rare in Acquisitions Incorporated, which is thought to hold no more than five in its fleet. But the unparalleled usefulness of these craft in commerce—and in combat—makes the company-standard battle balloon a much-coveted upgrade for any franchise.
Origins and Operations: Professional secrecy and aggressive marketing make it unclear where the airship originated. Some say battle balloons were an original design created by the Heuristic Arcane Research and Development department of Acquisitions Incorporated. But the wizards of Halruaa developed similar skyships in ages past, and the Cult of the Dragon has been seen with flying ships of its own. Still, among the small number of factions and organizations known to possess or build airships, Acquisitions Incorporated might be the best known for its high-profile aerial escapades. It's certain that neither the mages of Halruaa nor the members of the Cult of the Dragon ever crewed a battle balloon with keg robots, or used one to squash a tyrannosaurus flat.
The Hard Cloud: The Hard Cloud is Acquisitions Incorporated's company flagship, and as such, bears special note. The great battle balloon bristles with armaments, including a vicious dragon-slaying spear at the fore that has seen use more than once. The Hard Cloud is a veteran of numerous combat operations, and it has so far come out in one piece. Beyond the tales told of the vessel's exploits, rumors abound regarding the wondrous vehicle. Is it powered by a bound efreeti, as some have said? Does the hold contain clones of every high-ranking member of Acquisitions Incorporated, including Omin Dran himself? Does the mess, in fact, employ a terrifying ghostly chef? The answers lie below decks, where few have had the opportunity to learn the truth.
Flying Battle Vehicle: The standard design of an Acquisitions Incorporated-grade airship features an enormous balloon covered in a rope net. Trailing lines connect the balloon to the vessel of metal and wood suspended below. In the center of the deck, directly below the balloon, sits a large magic furnace, whose formidable lifting power is rumored to involve trapped elementals. The airship's captain controls the arcane furnace and directs forward thrust by way of a propeller located at the back of the ship, helming the craft with a wheel positioned in the bow. Metal runners below the ship allow a battle balloon to land on the ground.
Options and Armaments: Each franchise or organization customizes the offensive capability of its airships, but most battle balloons feature multiple harpoon guns, perfect for fighting and snaring aerial threats. Battle balloons that see a lot of combat are typically well stocked with other ranged weapons and polearms for ship-to-ship and crew-to-crew fighting. Whether privately financed or loaned out by Head Office under extraordinarily cautious terms, battle balloons can be customized with unique equipment—different siege weapons, lifting and cargo gear, and so forth—to make each airship unique. However, the most potent weapon featured on most Acquisitions Incorporated battle balloons is the green flame arbalester, a massive ballista whose bolts pulse with arcane power and detonate with formidable explosive force wherever they hit.
Mobile Franchise Headquarters: A battle balloon is perhaps the most sought-after of the mobile headquarters options available to Acquisitions Incorporated franchises. The versatility of an airship allows for the rapid shipping of goods, mercenaries, and loot. Such a vessel also allows a quick escape from sticky developments and deals gone bad.
Vehicle Rules: Battle balloons and mechanical beholders are vehicles, and as such, they have special rules associated with them. Most pertinently, a vehicle has the six ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) and the corresponding modifiers. The Strength of a vehicle expresses its size and weight. Dexterity represents its ease of handling. A vehicle's Constitution covers its durability and the quality of its construction. Vehicles usually have a score of 0 in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. If a vehicle has a 0 in a score, it automatically fails any ability check or saving throw that uses that score. How a vehicle is crewed and what actions it can take on its turn are described in the stat block for the vehicle.