Air Balloons
Balloonists make their living by transporting people, messages and small cargos over short distances. The major advantage over other forms of travel is speed. Air balloons can travel in a straight line, over almost any terrain at speeds of 6 mph or more. Balloonists charge a premium for this convenience. However, air balloons require a lot of maintenance and fuel is expensive, so profit margins are still razor thin.
Air Balloons in Ataland
| Name | Cost | Base Speed | Minimum Crew | Capacity | AC | HP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Balloon | 2,000 gp | 6 mph | 1 | 4 passengers / 800 lbs | 11 | 8 |
| Balloon | 3,000 gp | 6 mph | 2 | 10 passengers / 1 ton | 11 | 14 |
History
Lighter-than-air travel was discovered by a halfling tinkerer and adventurer called Yolan Skysailor. (A name she was awarded in honour of this achievement.) Yolan first devised the idea when she saw hot-air from her heath lifting a canvas bag. After several scale prototypes, she was able to get enough funding to build a balloon big enough to carry a halfling. On the 22nd of Solilon 741 A.C., on a clear summer's day in Jollyton, Yalon became the first person to achieve non-magical flight.
A mere ten years later, shipyards were offering the construction of air balloons as a regular service. The idea of flight being available to masses excited the population, leading to a short fad for air-travel. As it became fashionable among the wealthy to travel by balloon, prospective balloonists flocked to fill this need. Many sold their house of took loans to cover the cost of the balloon.
Several tragic accidents in the next decade put an end to the vogue of travelling by air. As customers dried up, many balloons were repossessed for shipping material. Those that held on did so by virtue of being the best and fastest. Only full-time balloonists remain in all of Ataland.
A failure to launch
The revolution promised by the invention of balloon was never fully realised. Ballooning is expensive, dangerous and only good for short trips. It's also weather dependant. Being fast is good, but bad weather can ground a balloon for weeks. Finally it's not a particularly pleasant journey. Balloonists are used to dealing with the turbulence, but passengers are unlikely to be.
These days ballooning has mostly been relegated to delivering messages and small time-sensitive cargos. In almost all cases, land or sea travel is preferred.
Ballooning
Ballooning is difficult skill to learn. The balloons have no means of propulsion other than the wind. Balloonists must raise or lower the balloon to catch the wind going the direction they need. This makes weather forecasting a required skill. If the wind isn't blowing the right way today, you are just out of luck.
Balloons typically fly between 500 - 1500 ft. Altitude can be controlled by adjusting the temperature of the burner. If faster adjustments are required the balloonist can either vent gas or drop ballast.
In Combat
Fragile air balloons make poor weapons of warfare. They are manoeuvrable enough to travel between towns, but the tight steering required to accurately target enemies is next to impossible. While balloons can float harmlessly out of the range of the finest archers, a mage with the right spells can destroy one in mere moments. Cannons can also make short work of a balloon.