Post in the Unique NPC Ship thread.
A recent addition to the Five Stars Trading Company, the Shield is a heavily armed damselfly. When the Stars bought the Shield, it was a wreck. With a few weeks of work and the addition of a few magic items, the Stars have turned the Shield into a powerful screen ship. The Shield is now an escort ship, brought along when the Stars expect trouble or need added firepower. On at least two occasions, the Shield has proven pivotal in saving Stars' ships that were being attacked by pirates.
The Stars' Shield is a standard issue damselfly with a handful of magical items. Normally, the Ship is towed or carried on a larger ship, to be released when battle is immanent. This saves on the number of mages needed for spelljamming purposes as well as increasing the amount of space that the Shield's crew has available.
"The Stars' Shield"
Rebuild Damselfly
Captain Puma (CG hf F8 hp 50 S 16 D15 Ch 17)
AC: 4 (studded leather, dex, and ring of protection)
Magic Items: bastard sword +2, ring of protection +2,
2-4 potions of extra healing
First Mate Cougar (CG hf T9 hp 36 S 15 D 17 Ch 17)
AC: 4 (leather armor and dex)
Magic Items: Crossbow of speed +2, longsword +1, leather
armor +1
Twin sister of Cougar, these two lovely females are regarded as human, even though they have some cat-like features (cat ears and tails). They were once captured and used in foul experiments by a deranged wizard. They later escaped and became criminals in the streets of Greywolf. After a year of petty robberies and pick pocketing, the two were captured by the local militia. They spent over a year in prison before the Lord of Greywolf, Aba Hawksguard, made them an offer that they could not refuse. If they would swear loyalty to him (and agree to a Geas spell), they would be given a ship of their own. Their duties would be to protect Five Stars' ships from pirates and other rouges. They leaped at the chance, and have never regretted it.
Puma is the more violent of the two, loving a good fight with her trusty bastard sword. Cougar is more calculating, preferring to use her crossbow to pick off opponents one at a time. If pressed, she'll use her sword. When the Shield is in combat, these two will man the ballista, and are considered experts in its use.
The two are quite lovely, and will flaunt their bodies. They have taken many opponents off guard by their high flying antics. They have a large mane of golden hair, useful in hiding daggers and other small weapons.
Helmsman Desoul (CN hem W9 hp 20 I 17 D16)
AC 6 (cloak of protection and dex)
Magic Items: 4 daggers of throwing +2 (returns to
thrower), Staff of Fire (same as wand but can
also use fire shield and continual light), cloak
of protection +2
As ship's helmsman, Desoul's duty is to keep the ship running. However, he is a near insane pyromaniac. He inherited his staff from his mentor, who was also a pyromaniac. Desoul will use his staff only in the most dire emergencies, such as when the ship is being boarded.
Desoul is a dark-skinned half elf, thanks to his drow father. He has none of the drow's special powers, and has nothing in common with them. His upbringing was in the towns north of Greywolf, and thus he identifies more with his human foster parents than his drow relatives. In battle, he will use his throwing daggers to slay opponents. Due to his great skill in them, he can throw them at the rate of three a round.
Tom and George (CG hm f3)
AC 5 (chain armor)
These two fill out the rest of the crew, manning the sails and repairing the ship after the battle is over. They are armed with halbreds and light crossbows. In battle, they do what they can to prevent boarding attempts as well as manning the lower ballista.
The deck plan for this ship is the same as the one in Dungeon, Issue 45 with a few minor changes. The catapult is replaced with a medium ballista+2, and the lower ballista has been upgraded to a +1 weapon. The entire ship is painted black, to match the darkness of space.
A. Medium Ballista Turret. The main weapon of the ship is located
here. The wizards of the Five Stars have magically animated this turret
such that it moves at the commands of the crew. No one is needed to
physically move the turret. The medium ballista+2 is located here, as
is several racks of javelin-sized bolts. Fifteen are nonmagical, while
ten more are enchanted. Five have been enchanted to a +1 status. The
other five will explode into 6d6 fireballs when they hit, and are saved
for when the ship is in real danger. Hidden at the base of the ballista
is a small chest. If opened and a command word is spoken, it creates a
Wall of Force, encircling the entire ship (barely). It will only work
once and lasts for 1 turn. This will be used if the ship is about to be
bombarded with spells or weapon's fire.
B. Gangway. This narrow walkway covers the top of the ship and connects
the two trap doors and the turret.
C. Bridge. Located at the "head" of the damselfly, the bridge is the
location of both the helm and the quarters of the crew. Two hammocks
have been strung from the ceiling, and two private footlockers are
located at the back wall. There is no turnstile on this ship; the
turret above is magically enchanted so one is not needed. In the center
of the room are a Bell of Alarm, a furnace helm, and a box of magical
crystals (to power the furnace helm).
D. Twin's Quarters. This room is where the twins sleep. They each have
hung a hammock from the roof and set a footlocker along the wall. A few
clothes also hang along the walls as well as a few trophy weapons.
E. Desoul's Quarters. This cramp room is filled with a hammock, desk,
footlocker, and a bookshelf. Desoul's spellbook is locked in the desk
along with some important papers. Desoul does no spell research here;
he will use the Greywolf library for that.
F. Hold. The cargo hold of the Shield is half full with repair
equipment, food, and fifty spare bolts (non-magical). There is enough
food and water to last the ship for a month, if need be.
G. Lower Weapon's Deck. This is the location of the ship's other medium
ballista, behind three darkened panels. During battle, this weapon is
manned by Tom and George, who will only open the panels when the ship is
within easy weapon's range. While the deck offers excellent protection
to the crew, it also limits them to a 120 degree firing arc.
The Shield is an escort ship, and will attack any ship that threatens the ship it is protecting. Puma likes to make several passes at enemy ships, aiming to knock out weapon's platforms and destroy sails. Magical shots will be used only as a last resort. If the Shield starts taking damage or Desoul suffers spelljammer shock, they will not hesitate to use the wall of force to protect her ship. If the ship that they are charged with protecting is destroyed, the Shield will move in to save as many people as possible and then flee.
This ship will never be encountered alone. It is always escorting one ship of the Five Stars or another. The Stars sunk a lot of money into the Shield, and expect a great deal out of it. It can turn the tide of battle, or offer an escape possibility. Given that the ship is darkly painted and small, it could "appear out of nowhere," surprising an attacking ship. It is a trump card that the Stars will not hesitate to use.
