Usually less dangerous than hang gliding, ballooning is a method of flight that is often useful for military surveillance and as an alternative to small-cargo sea travel. Balloons come in several sizes, from the single man balloon, to one so gigantic that a small army could inhabit it. To fly a balloon, one must have the Ballooning proficiency.
A balloon can be powered in one of three ways. The first two methods are natural, while the third is supernatural. A safe method is using heated air. These balloons are called "hot air" balloons because the buoyancy of warm air is greater than that of cooler air, and thus the balloon rises.
Hydrogen, on the other hand, makes a balloon rise do to its lesser specific gravity when compared to normal air. Hydrogen applications can be larger than hot air types, but hydrogen is also very explosive.
The third type, bound elemental powered, rely on a summoned creature (or a coherent force of similar power) to physically lift and inflate the balloon. Elementals can support small to medium sized applications. However, summoned creatures tend to be quite retributive when they are accidentally freed and have a chance to strike back at their summoner.
Balloons are characteristically spherical or shaped like an inverted egg. From the bottom of the balloon dangles a pilot and crew compartment called a gondola. At the very base of the balloon is the hot air furnace or a hydrogen generator. Altitude is gained by triggering the furnace or generator, while opening small vents in the balloon’s sail can decrease altitude.
A Balloon is very fragile. While individual puncture holes do not necessarily incapacitate the sail, tears will. Weapons that inflict cutting damage inflict triple damage on a balloon sail. Moreover, fire will also bring down a balloon. Fire weapons cause quintuple damage. A balloon sail has an armour class of 10. To determine hull points, divide the volume of the balloon by 100 and round down.
In the event of a hydrogen powered balloon being hit by fire, the craft must make an item save versus fire or else violently explode, usually killing the crew. Crew, on the other hand must save versus area effect or take 1d10 damage per structural point of the balloon. Success means the damage is halved. Should the crew survive, they still must find a way to not fall to their deaths.
The chart below displays the pros and cons of the three known empowerment methods.
| Table: Balloon Propulsion Methods | ||
| Method | Pros | Cons |
| Hot Air | Non-explosive Cheap, readily available fuel Longest airtime when compared to H2 or elemental. Small sail breaches do not cause a dangerous loss of buoyancy. Very high altitude potential | Difficult Inflation Unsuitable for large applications Slow response time for altitude changes Passive, goes where prevailing wind directs. |
| Hydrogen (H2) | Fast inflation. Suitable for medium to large applications. Can adjust altitude quickly. Moderately long airtime potential. | H2 gas is very explosive. Solution and catalyst to generate hydrogen gas are difficult to mix. Buoyancy loss with small sail breaches. |
| Bound Elemental | Fastest Inflation. Zero fuel requirements. Suitable for small applications Balloonist has full directional control Small sail breaches do not cause loss of buoyancy. | Very short airtime Retaliation is possible from the bound creature. Lifting power is destroyed by Dispel Magic. Limited altitude potential. |
| Table: Balloon Types and Capabilities | |||
| Size | Volume | Application | Max Crew |
| A/small | 135//3 | Bound Elemental | 1 / 1 + equipment |
| B/small | 400//3 | Bound Elemental | 2 / 1 + equipment |
| C/med | 1300//3 | Bound Elemental/Hot Air/ Hydrogen | 4 / 2 + equipment |
| D/med | 3150//3 | Hot Air / Hydrogen | 5 / 3 + equipment |
| E/med | 6900//3 | Hot Air / Hydrogen | 9/ 4 + equipment |
| F/large | 25,000//3 | Hydrogen | 25/ 12 + equipment |
| G/large | 49,000//3 | Hydrogen | 35/ 18 + equipment |
| H/large | 135,000//3 | Hydrogen | 50/ 25 + equipment |
| I/large | 395,000//3 | Hydrogen | 90/ 50 + equipment |
"Equipment" is most often mounted weapons, such as gunnery mounts or crossbow racks as well as explosives for dropping. Also food and supplies for soldiers can also be considered "equipment".