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The version published on the blog Note that I currently haven't got rules for gnome tinkers but I may either get hold of PC2 Top Ballista or homebrew something.

Ragnadir Hawkhelm’s Air Transport Company

by JohnL73

Ragnadir Hawkhelm is a dwarf entrepreneur who has put together some talented gnomes and brave dwarves for an almost unprecedented idea - airborne dwarves! This has been made possible by Ragnadir finding enough money to buy some skyships from an Alphatian wizard who didn’t want these ones any more - the wizard's master was very keen on building and flying skyships and passed them down to his apprentice, who was not so keen and preferred teleporting anyway. The dwarves provide the money and the security, while the gnomes provide the magi-tech know-how to run and maintain the skyships.

These ships are usually hired on a day-by-day basis, typically at the rate of 500gp per day, rounded up. All of them can take either cargo or passengers with varying levels of comfort. Once they build up speed these skyships can travel 60-64 miles per day (so about 8 x 8 mile hexes per day or 2.5 x 24 mile hexes)

Many dwarves and some humans do not like or trust these skyships at all. What is to stop them crashing to earth at any moment? Some dwarves say it is not right at all - proper dwarves have no business flying like stupid birds! Ragnadir has found out the hard way that suggesting these skeptics might have a fear of flying is not a good idea. Some dwarves asked Ragnadir why he didn’t use rockships using oil of darkness from a dwarven Forge of Power. Ragnadir pointed out that, while undeniably more traditional and dwarven in aesthetic, such stone ships were not so good when crossing water or travelling long distances, where the ability to see where you are going is advantageous. Besides travelling underground in a rockship for days on end can make non-dwarves feel a little claustrophobic. Nonetheless there are other dwarves who see the practical uses of such vessels. Trade, military expeditions and meeting with distant relatives are all within Ragnadir’s business plan. He has even allowed adventurers to jump onboard to get to some dangerous lair or ancient ruin that might be inaccessible by traditional means, though in such cases payment upfront is non-negotiable.

Ragnadir currently has a fleet of 4 skyships and about 100 crew, including captains, navigators, chief engineers (nearly always a gnome) and other important roles. The ships are:

The Incredulous: Powered by usual skyship propulsion, this is the oldest in Hawkhelm’s fleet, having been bought 22 years ago (although it was probably constructed and launched about 100 years ago). It gained its name after most dwarves’ reactions to Ragnadir Hawkhelm putting forward his proposal for this enterprise. Its name also sums up the reactions of many dwarves when they saw this ship afloat. The Incredulous also has a large cargo hold and a large deck hatch and onboard winch, so it is the favoured ship of the fleet for trade expeditions.

Hawkhelm’s Honour: This is Ragnadir’s personal flagship, and he will take this one when he wishes to travel far. The captain’s cabin and guest quarters are quite luxurious. It has also been used on diplomatic missions and the transport of dwarven royalty and nobility. Hawkhelm’s Honour is kept afloat by typical Alphatian skyship enchantments but is also believed to have Avenite crystals below deck as a backup.

The Stormbraver: So-called because of its apparent resilience to bad weather. However, some gnomes onboard reckon the Stormbraver is not inherently protected, it has simply been lucky so far. Like the Incredulous the Stormbraver uses enchanted Avenite to stay in the air. The Stormbraver has one remarkable fixture: a Spelljamming helm. Although it has only been above Mystara’s atmosphere twice, it has come back with all the crew intact and breathing, proving it is not just airworthy but void-worthy as well. There are suggestions by dwarf academics of hiring the Stormbraver for an expedition to Mystara’s moon, Myoshima. Author’s note: although diverging Mystara/BECMI canon, in this campaign skyships cannot venture beyond the Skyshield without a spelljammer helm. The helm both generates the air bubble that stops the crew from suffocating and also propulsion in the void without any atmosphere to push against or catch the sails.

The Griffonwatcher: This vessel is more than just a transport vessel - it is equipped with two deck-mounted ballistae and a deck-mounted catapult. It has been used by both the Rockhome royal army and the chiefs of the major dwarf clans for moving dwarf warriors to where they are urgently needed. Generally speaking the Griffonwatcher can carry up to 50 armoured dwarves as well as its usual crew of 20. At one point Ragnadir suggested the dwarves might try parachuting off the skyship into action. The response from the captain of the transported troops is not fit for printing. The Griffonwatcher was vital to the relief of the Steelpick Stronghold that had come under sudden attack by a force of orcs backed up by troll mercenaries wielding tree trunks as battering rams. While the Steelpicks held the front gate against furious assault, the Griffonwatcher delivered a company of 40 elite dwarf warriors (from Mithril-Helm Defences) to the orcs’ rear. A surprise attack by this relief force combined with a sally from Steelpick stronghold drove off the orcs and trolls. The catapult and ballistae throwing flaming tar-balls was effective against the trolls - quite literal fire support.

Hawkhelm’s Roost is the company’s base of operations, and is a large stone tower in the Denwarf Spur in Rockhome, north of Dengar and near the source of the Everast River. The tower is unusually tall (10 storeys) and at the top there are four skydocks, protruding wooden platforms at the same level as the flat roof of the tower where skyships can moor for loading, embarking and the like. The lower levels of the tower include administrative offices, crew quarters, store rooms for provisions and ship materials and the like. There is a large stone spiral staircase running up the centre of the tower right up to the flat roof.

Notable NPCs of the Company
Ragnadir Hawkhelm: Company owner.
10th level Dwarf Warrior, male, align N,
Str 11, Int 15, Wis 13, Dex 10, Con 14, Cha 14
Equipment: Chain Mail +2, Hand Axe +2, Boots of Featherfalling
Ragnadir is surprisingly imaginative for a dwarf and is always willing to experiment and try out new ideas. Thus he is the perfect manager for such an unusual enterprise. Ragnadir is a businessman, and although he enjoys adventure and excitement, he still expects to make a reasonable profit (or at least not lose money) on any project he embarks on. Ragnadir initially made his money from reclaiming a silver mine in Rockhome from troglodytes and kobolds (with the help of some adventuring buddies) and getting it working again. He wanted to export the mined silver to the Isle of Dawn and Ochalea but simply getting the silver from Rockhome to a seaport was quite risky. This is when he had his idea of getting ships to fly the silver out of Rockhome. He already had business contacts in the Isle of Dawn who came from Alphatia, so asking about skyships for sale was relatively straightforward. Using the money from the silver mine he bought these secondhand skyships.

Dilberon Crankwrench: Chief Engineer
10th level gnome tinker, male, align L,
Str 9, Int 16, Wis 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Cha 10
Equipment: Leather Armour/Apron +2, Ring of Protection +4 (“forcefield generator”), Dagger +2 (actually Swiss-army-style multitool)
Dilberon is Ragnadir's right-hand gnome, and is responsible for keeping the skyships afloat and airworthy. He has a team of gnomish magi-tech engineers who have come from all over the Known World, including Highforge in Karameikos, Rockhome and even the flying city of Serraine.

Orrinor Whitebeard: Captain of the Griffonwatcher
9th level dwarf warrior, female, align L,
Str 16, Int 13, Wis 15, Dex 10, Con 16, Cha 14
Equipment: Mithril Chain Mail +2, Warhammer +2 +4 vs giants, trolls & ogres, Shield +1,
Orrinor is an experienced commander of dwarf troops, and as such was hired to be the captain of the Griffonwatcher, the skyship most likely to find itself in combat. However, this is her first job commanding a vessel, either sea or air, and she is still getting used to it. Orrinor has spent time with the Mithril-Helm Defences company and still maintains good relations with its commanders and company directors.

Murrandir Brightforge: Captain of the Stormbraver
8th level dwarf cleric, male, align L,
Str 12, Int 15, Wis 15, Dex 10, Con 13, Cha 13
Equipment: Banded Armour +2, Warhammer +2, Shield +2, Holy Symbol
Murrandir is a dwarf cleric who is interested in many aspects of academic study and is something of an explorer, having been part of an adventuring party in his youth and travelling to various places including Norwold, the Great Waste west of Sind and the Serpent Peninsula, mostly to study things. He has been given command of the Stormbraver and although he takes the usual commisions of shipping passengers and cargo, he is particularly interested in expeditions into the unknown. He has great respect for the Alphatian captain Haldemmar who wrote about the Voyages of the Princess Ark and he would like to do something similar. He was delighted when the gnomes fitted a spelljamming helm to the Stormbraver, and he led the first Rockhome Dwarf mission to space.