The Integrity Airship

I have been giving serious consideration to running a 1920s campaign as a sequel to the Western I am currently running.  The 1920s would be followed up with adventures set during World War II to round out the trilogy of Earth-218's backstory, establishing the history of the world for the players before my other campaign crosses over with it.


Using the Integrity in your campaign
For those of you who have no interest in running campaigns with more modern or futuristic elements, the Integrity could be the result of Tinker Gnome experimentation.  Just replace the references to diesel engines and electrical generations with air elementals of lightning quasi-elementals.  Or, perhaps this is a Lantanese version of a Halruaan airships, a flying temple of Akadi (in which case the hangar deck could be changed into a chapel or aviary for flying mounts), or the spiritual successor to the Princess Ark of Mystara.  Or maybe, it is a wrecked hulk, crashed into the side of a mountain much like the spaceship in the Barrier Peaks.

The Integrity

Craft: Airship

Class: Civilian Air     Size: Colossal (750' length x 120’ diameter x 377' circumference)

Initiative: -8 (-8 size)

Crew: 30     Passengers: 8     Cargo Capacity: 10 tons

Maneuver: -6 (-8 size, +2 equipment)     Top Speed: 140 (14) - approximately 65 mph*

Defense: 2 (-8 size)     Hardness: 10     Hit Points: 58

Purchase DC: 50 (about $1.3M)    Restriction: Res (+2 – included in price)

Armaments: None

Control Deck 

1. Pilothouse: This compartment is where the ship's flight is controlled.  The ship's wheel, throttle controls, and elevator controls are all centrally located.  While the throttle only communicates commands to the engine nacelles, the wheel and elevator directly control the course and pitch of the ship.  Additionally, a gas board that controls the release valves for each of the sixteen Helium/Hydrogen Bladders is located on the starboard side of the pilothouse (as diesel fuel is burned by the engines and generators, hydrogen gas is vented to compensate for the loss of ballast).  Flight instrumentation is mounted on the forward bulkhead just above the windows and includes a gyrocompass, an airspeed indicator, and altimeter.

2. Forward Passageway: This area connects the pilothouse to the chart and radio room, the passenger's galley and has a ladder leading up to the keel deck and down to the hangar.

3. Chart and Radio Room: This room is where the navigator plots the airship's course.  The most current copies of all the maps and charts the ship is likely to need are stored here, as well as the ship's log.  The ship's radio and telegraph are also here. Lastly, a motion picture camera and rolls of film are stored in a cabinet beneath the chart table.

4. Passenger Galley and Refrigerated Storage: This is where meals for the airship's passengers are prepared.  There is an electric stove, electric oven, and a two-compartment sink.  There are also cabinets for the storage for silverware and flatware. A door on the aft bulkhead leads into a small refrigerated storage unit that holds items the cook expects to use in the next few days.

5. Passenger Mess: Two large windows on the exterior bulkheads provide scenic views for passengers while the airship is underway.  There is a small dining table with seating for four.  A pair of recliners and a small sofa for relaxation is also provided.

6. Small Arms Locker: The door to this room is always locked.  There are only two keys, one carried by the Captain or Watch Officer on Duty and the other by Carter Blackburn, owner of the Integrity.  Pistols, shotguns, and rifles and the ammunition for each, are all stored within this locker.  Additionally, this area is also used to store cash for payroll and other expenditures.

7. Aft Passageway: This passageway provides access to the Small Arms Locker, Passenger Staterooms, and Mechanical Room that services the Hangar Deck below.  Also, there is a ladder that leads up to the Keel Deck.

8. Passenger Staterooms: These three compartments have identical layouts.  Each contains a bunk bed, small closet for personal belongings, and a small writing table with chair.

9. Water Closet: Restroom for passenger and crew use.  Also, has a small electric clothes washer.

10. Mechanical Room: This compartment houses an electrical generator and air compressor that provide service specifically for the hangar deck below.  There is also an electric water heater that services the galley and water closet.

Hangar Deck

11. Forward Bay Doors:  The two halves of the these doors separate and slide down to open the hangar for the launching and recovering of its biplane and the loading and unloading of passengers while the ship is on the ground.

12. Aircraft Runway: This track has been prepared for the launching and recovery of the airship's biplane.  The deck is coated in a rough surface to prevent slips and falls.

13. Catapult Track: A compressed air cylinder mounted beneath the deck surface is used to accelerate the ship's biplane to take off speed in only 70'.  A valve releases pressurized air, driving a piston forward.  That piston pulls the plane along the track and then releases it at the end of its path.  The plane then continues forward and out the front of the landing bay.

14. Tool Storage (recessed compartment in deck): All of the airplane service compartments are recessed into the deck, keeping the flight deck clear for the launch and recovery of the Sparrowhawk.  Tools and small spare parts (belts, filters, hoses, etc) are located inside of this in-deck locker.

15. Ammunition Storage (recessed compartment in deck): This compartment is kept locked at all times when not being accessed to load the weapons on the Sparrowhawk Fighter.  There is enough ammunition kept on board to reload both the Vickers and Lewis Guns a total of three times each.  There is also one full payload of bombs (but these are not normally mounted on the fighter due to cost and the difficulty involved in replacing them).

16. Sparrowhawk Fighter

Craft: Biplane

Class: Military Air     Size: H (22' length x 29' wingspan)     Initiative: -2 (-2 size)

Crew: 2     Passengers: 0     Cargo Capacity: 200 lbs.

Maneuver: -1 (-2 size, +1 equipment)     Top Speed: 200 (20) - approximately 125 mph

Defense: 8 (-2 size)     Hardness: 8     Hit Points: 40

Purchase DC: 39 (about $104K)    Restriction: Mil (+3 – included in price)

Armaments:

Forward-firing Vickers Machine Gun: 2d8 (20/x2, 100', linked, 25 bursts)

Pair of fire-linked Lewis Guns: 3d8 (20x2, 100' linked, ¾ turret – all arcs except forward, 25 bursts)

30-lb Bombs: 8d8 (impact site to 30', damaged halved every 30' until reaching 0, Ref ½ DC15)

With a design based largely on the Bristol F-2 Fighter Biplane from the Great War, the Sparrowhawk is shorter with a smaller wingspan.  Like its design predecessor, it carries a forward-firing Vickers machine gun in the upper fuselage and a pair of Lewis Guns in the observer's cockpit.  Eight 30-lb bombs can also be attached to the underside of the bottom wing.

17. Fuel Tank and Pump (recessed compartment in deck): Three tanks containing enough fuel to fully refill the airplane's tank twice are mounted in this recessed compartment along with a hand-operated pump and hoses.

18. Arresting Gear: A cable that is normally recessed into the deck can be raised to stop landing plane quickly.

19. Aft Bay Door: The aft bay door slides up to open the hangar for the launching and recovering of its biplane.  Due to the narrow clearance on either side, special light brackets have been installed so the airplane's pilot can tell if he is properly lined up for a landing.

Keel Deck

20. Catwalk: This walkway runs nearly the entire length of the airship and provides access to everything along the keel of the ship as well as ladders to the Helium/Hydrogen Bladders located above.  These bladders are doubled.  Inner cells filled with hydrogen are protected inside larger helium cells to prevent sparks or fire from igniting the flammable gas.

21. Forward Mooring Station: A large winch is located in this station.  Thick hawsers can be fed out through an opening in the ship's skin so it can be moored safely on the ground or in a hangar.

22. Forward Nacelle Fuel Tank: These tanks each contain fuel for both forward engines.  Pumps feed the diesel fuel into the two forward engine nacelles or, via a series of valves, diverted to refuel the aft tanks or ship's service diesel generator in case of emergency.

23. Crew Quarters: This large compartment is where the crew lives and sleeps when the Integrity is underway.  Bunks are shared by crewmembers but given that one-third of their number are on watch at any given time, this rarely causes any problems.  Personal belongings are stored in lockers between bunks and against the inner bulkhead.

24. Crew Mess/Galley: This is a larger version of the passenger galley below.  Its refrigerated compartment also has a frozen section for longer storage.  There is a single small table here to provide seating during meals but most crewmen eat on station or in their quarters.

25. Officers' Quarters (Port and Starboard): These are living quarters for the ship's officers.  All officers have their own bunks but even the captain shares his berthing with the two watch officers.  In addition to the beds, there is a round table with chairs in the center of the compartment for recreational activities.

26. Ship's Service Water Tank: This tank holds water for the kitchens, washrooms, and fire fighting purposes.

27. Ship's Service Diesel Generator: This generator provides electrical power to the ship. It has a dedicated fuel tank but in the event of emergency, it can also receive fuel from either of the tanks for the engine nacelles.

28. Aft Nacelle Fuel Tanks: These tanks each contain fuel for both aft engines.  Pumps feed the diesel fuel into the two aft engine nacelles or, via a series of valves, diverted to refuel the forward tanks or ship's service diesel generator in case of emergency.

29. Steerage Access: The pistons that control the movement of the airship's rudders are located here.

Cargo Deck

30. Cargo Elevator: This elevator is used for loading cargo onto the airship.  The platform can be lowered up to 60' and lifts up to 1-½ tons worth of freight at a time.  Once the cargo is brought aboard, it can be moved around with pallet jacks and secured via a series of tie-downs built into the deck.

31. Aft Mooring Stations: A large winch is located in each of the stations.  Mooring hawsers can be fed out through an opening in the ship's skin so it can be moored safely on the ground or in a hangar.

Exterior

32. Engine Nacelles: Each of the engine pods contains a Daimler-Benz LOF-6 (DB-602) 16-cylinder Diesel Airship Engine.  There is always a mechanic on duty to monitor the performance of the engine and make any adjustments that are deemed necessary.  They are capable of communicating with the pilothouse and the Engineering Officer on duty via an internal ship's radio.

Crew:

Captain

2 Watch Officers

Navigator

3 Helmsmen

3 Elevatormen

Chief Rigger

2 Rigger's Assistants

Chief Radio Operator

Assistant Radio Operator

Chief Engineer

2 Assistant Engineers

8 Machinists/Mechanics*

Chief Electrician

2 Assistant Electricians

2 Cooks/Stewards

*when not on duty in the Airship Engine Nacelles, the Mechanics also service the Sparrowhawk.