On a Wing and a Prayer
Gliders and gliding
in the AD&D® game

by L. Gregory Smith
 

Stats for gliders	In-flight combat	Summary of terms	-	-
Dragon 124	-	Equipment	-	Dragon

Gliders in the AD&D® game are best
created as crude replicas of our presentday
hang gliders; their fundamental
design is based upon the Rogallo-class
glider, which is composed of a frame and
a sail. The sail is generally made of cotton
or wool felt. The frame looks like an
isosceles triangle with an apex angle of
80-90°, and is usually made of wood
from a young oak tree. The sail fits over
the frame but is not triangular; rather, it
is diamond-shaped, giving the glider
better lift characteristics.

Today, the glider is primarily used for
pleasure trips, but in the AD&D game it is
used for much more. Herein, the glider
can be used for military and commercial
purposes. Military uses are quite obvious:
quiet, cheap air travel that can be sued for
strategic offensives, surveillance, and
limited troop or equipment transport. The
commercial uses vary as well, as gliders
can be rented to travelers or to pleasureseekers
alike. Another commercial uses is
the courier service of documents over
short distances. A character with a great
deal of gold could finance a more elaborate
courier scheme, such as the shipment
of mail over long distances in a manner
similar to that of the pony express of
Western folklore.

Obviously, a glider in an AD&D game
world will only work in certain environments
(although magical aid may make the
device useful in any environment). Generally
speaking, a glider requires some type
of promontory from which to launch, thus
giving the glider room to fall in the process
of catching a wind. Hilly or mountainous
terrain is best for this sort of activity,
although certain instances will allow for
the launch of a glider in flat, prairie-like
regions. For instance, high winds close to
the surface of the plains may make it
possible to launch a glider from a standing
start. Likewise, the employment of a magical
flight spell (such as levitate) will garner
enough lift for the glider to remain aloft,
thereby allowing the sail to catch a breeze.
These instances, however, are rare at best.
As a result, gliders will be most frequently
available in hilly or mountainous regions.
Additionally, it is likely that only a kingdom
would have the resources, knowledge
pool, and need for the establishment of
glider production and a regular gliderusing
force. In such an event, the use of
gliders would be regarded as being as
normal as any other form of transport,
thought perhaps more hazardous despite
all of its advantages. A regular organization
of pilots (made up largely of fightertypes),
research and development workers
(sages and magic-users), and so on could
easily be envisioned.

Before actually flying a glider, a prospective
pilot must take lessons for a specified
number of weeks from a character trained
glider flight. The number of weeks of
lessons is equal to 20 minus the student?s
intelligence score. During this time, the
character cannot go adventuring or else all
knowledge learned in flying a glider is lost.

The skill of glider pilot can be treated as a
two-slot nonweapon proficiency based on
the dexterity score, with a - 2 die roll
modifier.

A glider can be assembled or disassembled
in one turn. It costs 200 gp for the
tools to assemble or disassemble the glider.
In disassembled form, the glider can be
hauled around in a normal cart pulled by
draft horses. The glider tool kit weighs
200 gp, and it includes things like a knife,
h a m m e r , p u n c h , e t c .

Statistics for gliders
There are two types of gliders: large and
small. The large gliders are designed for
characters and their belongings weighing
between 1,750 and 3,000 gp. The small
gliders are for characters and their
belongings weighing less than 1,750 gp.
Gliders cannot be designed for characters
and their belongings weighing over 3,000
gp weight.

All rules that apply to flying creatures
also apply to the glider; this includes rules
pertaining to diving, climbing, reaction to
loss of hit points (as explained later in the
article), etc. Table 1 shows statistics for the
two types of gliders, including values for
magically heightened conditions. When a
glider is magically heightened, it gains
special bonuses induced by the casting of
magical flight-assisting spells such as feather
fall, levitation, fly, etc. Following the
tables is a summary of terms used in the
table.

Note that the maneuverability class of a
glider is dependent upon the dexterity of
the pilot. Table 2 illustrates this relationship.
It is possible for the pilot to increase
his maneuverability class with a glider
without increasing his dexterity, through
continued, uninterrupted training and
practice. Once a pilot has learned to fly a
glider, he can increase his maneuverability
class one step by taking more lessons and
conducting more practice sessions. The
length of this period is determined as
follows: The character attempting to
increase his maneuverability class must
spend time learning and practicing equal
to three times the difference between the
character's intelligence and the number
20. Once this time is spent, the character
must roll 01-75 on percentile dice for this
education to be a success. Failure means
more practice is needed. This additional
amount of time is again equal to the figure
listed above. Once a character has
increased his maneuverability class once,
he can do so no longer. Characters with
maneuverability classes of A cannot
increase their abilities beyond this level.

Table 2
Glider Maneuverability Class

Pilot's DEX	Maneuverability  class
17+	A
14-16	B
10-13	C
5-9	D
4 or less	E

Using Table 2 to determine maneuverability,
let's look at the following example.
Suppose Randolf the Ranger?s dexterity is
13. The maneuverability class of his glider
would be C. Before he takes off, Machor
the Mage casts a levitation spell on Randolf.
Randolf?s maneuverability class then
becomes B. No more than one magical
flying spell has any effect on a character?s
maneuverability rating at a time. It should
also be noted that if a pilot is flying the
wrong type of glider, such as a character
weighing 2,000 gp using a small glider,
then the maneuverability class is worsened
by two levels (from A to C, C to E,
etc.). The maneuverability class can never
be lower than E.
Now, suppose that Randolf decides to
increase his maneuverability class by
taking more instruction. With an intelligence
of 13, Randolf must spend 21 weeks
practicing and learning ((20 - 13) x 3 =
21). Randolf then rolls a 70%, thus successfully
moving his maneuverability class
from C to B. (If Randolf had rolled a 76%,
he would be required to spend another 21
weeks practicing and learning.) Randolf?s
maneuverability class with a glider can
now only be enhanced by magical spells. It
is impossible for a character to gain a
maneuverability class of better than A.

Table 3
Glider AC

MC	AC
E	8
D	7
C	6
B	5
A	3

 

Table 1
Statistics for Large and Small Gliders*

Item	Large gliders	Small gliders
Wingspan	36'	24'
Length	24'	18'
Height	6'	4'
Weight	70#	600#
Encumbrance Value	1,700 gp	1,200 gp
Cost to construct	5,000 gp	3,500 gp
Time to construct	30 days	25 days
Training time	See below	See below
Cost of training	100 gp/week	100 gp/week
Maneuverability class	See below	See below
Flight speed	60" (66")	60" (66")
Stall speed	36" (30")	36" (30")
Min. wind speed for take-off	6 MPH (4 MPH)	6 MPH (4 MPH)
Min. slope for take-off	4:1 or 76° (3:1 or 70°)	4:1 or 76° (3:1 or 70°)
Range	10 (12) miles	8 (10) miles
Assembly/Disassembly time	1 turn	1 turn
Upkeep	50 gp/month	50 gp/month
Landing area	40' x 50'	25' x 30'
Minimum height for take-off	150' (130')	125' (100')

* Magically heightened values are given in parentheses.

See page 24 for summary of terms used.

In-flight combat
Due to the fact that a pilot?s hands are
constantly involved in controlling the
glider, hand-to-hand combat is impossible
once the pilot is in flight. Similarly, since a
pilot must concentrate on the navigation
of his glider, it is impossible to cast spells
once the glider is aloft. (This is not to say,
however, that a passenger may not cast
spells or perform combat.) As a result, the
only type of combat reasonably possible in
flight is missile combat. Two types of missile
weapons that can be used in flight
aboard a glider are crossbows and bombs.

Crossbows have the disadvantage of only
being able to fire a single shot between
flights; they are, however, the only type of
weapon that can be easily used to hit
other aerial targets. Bombs, on the other
hand, can be carried in abundance on a
glider, but they can only be dropped on
targets below the pilot.

Up to 20 lbs. of bombs can be stowed
away on a glider. This cargo, including
pilot weight and other belongings, cannot
exceed the 1,750 gp maximum for small
gliders and the 3,000 gp maximum for
large gliders. If the bombs are ignited oil
flasks, then space must be allocated on
board the craft for the lantern which will
be used to light them. It takes one round
to light a flask and drop it. In order for the
bomb to have any hope of hitting its
intended target, the following stipulations
must be met:

1. The glider (if bombing a moving target)
must MOVE faster than its TARGET.

2. For the sake of simplicity, the glider
must be right above the target and tracking
its movement. Normally, the payload
would follow a parabolic curve down once
dropped; the information on the landing
point of a dropped missile may also be
used from the article "Flying the Friendly(?) Skies", by Thomas Kane, in this issue.

3. A flying target cannot be further than
200? below the bomber or the bomb has
no chance of hitting the target because of
control and coordination problems. Damage
for dead-weight missiles is calculated
by the rules in "Flying the Friendly(?) Skies".

If all these guidelines are met, then the
pilot can try to hit the target. All ?to hit?
modifiers for bombing are the same as
given in "Flying the Friendly(?) Skies", with
the additional note that attacks against a
target moving faster than 6" are made at
an additional -2 "to hit."
Crossbows, as stated earlier, are the only
other weapons which can be used aboard
gliders. Up to three crossbows can be
attached to a glider, and all are single-shot
weapons. These mounted crossbows face
forward unless designed to face other
directions. When fired, these weapons
receive an additional penalty of -2 ?to
hit? which is instituted above and beyond
the modifiers for range, etc.

When characters fire at a glider, they
must state whether they are trying to hit
the pilot or the glider. If the pilot is hit and
dies, the glider crashes immediately. A
glider damaged in such a fall can only be
repaired by an experienced glider repairman
at a cost of 500 gp. The armor class
of the pilot cannot make use of any dexterity
or shield bonuses, so normal armor
and magical protections are all that can
help him.

Large gliders have an assumed hit-point
value of 25, whereas small gliders have an
assumed hit-point value of 15. Only an
experienced glider repairman can repair a
damaged glider at a cost of 5 gp per hp
of damage. Hit points for a glider are used
the same way as hit points are used for a
creature. The glider also has an armor
class which correlates to the maneuverability
of the glider. Table 3 illustrates
what the armor class would be depending
upon the glider's maneuverability class.
Note that if the pilot is surprised by an
attacking character, the armor class of the
glider becomes 9.
 

Summary of terms * Wingspan: See Figure 1 for details.  * Length: See Figure 1 for details. * Height: The height in feet which the average glider stands over the ground when a character lifts the glider?s control bar waist high. * Weight: The glider?s total (dead) weight in gp. * Encumbrance value: The amount of space the glider occupies when fully disassembled. * Cost to construct: The cost of the materials for the glider plus the cost of the glider?s design work. * Time to construct: The time it takes for a typical glider of this type to be designed and built. * Training time: The number of weeks the pilot spends in training is equal to 20 minus his intelligence score. * Cost of training: The amount that the character must pay the instructor for flying lessons. * Maneuverability class: The degree of dexterity of the glider depends upon the character's dexterity. Table 2 illustrates the maneuverability of the glider in relation to the character?s dexterity. The maneuverability class of the glider can be further increased by casting a fly spell on the pilot. Otherwise, a pilot may increase his maneuverability class once by taking more training as listed above. It is impossible for a pilot to increase this advancement beyond the A maneuverability class. * Flight speed: The distance in tens of yards the glider can travel in 10 minutes. * Stall speed: The speed in tens of yards at which the glider goes into a stall. Immediately after the stall, the glider will crash. If the fall is greater than 10?, the pilot and glider will incur damages. * Minimum wind speed for take-off: To determine which direction the wind is blowing and at what force, refer to the Wind Force and Direction Table under "Waterborne Adventures,? on page 54 of the DMG. To take off, the character must fly the glider against the wind to obtain adequate lift. Take-off and flight are impossible during a strong gale, storm, or hurricane. If the wind is less than the speed listed in Table 1, the glider cannot take off. * Minimum slope for take-off: The angle between the take-off area and the ground. See Figure 2 for details. The take-off area need only be large enough to contain the glider and the pilot. * Range: The distance in miles the glider can travel before the pilot becomes tired. After landing, the pilot must spend an amount of time at rest equal to the time in the air. * Assembly/Disassembly time: See the text. * Upkeep: The cost in gold pieces to keep the glider in flying condition each month — specifically, for checkout and repair, if necessary, of the wooden frame, cloth or felt wing skin, control bar action, and weapon stores. * Landing area: The area required in order to land a glider without damaging it. If the character attempts to land in a smaller area, damages from wing tears, etc., result in repair costs equal to the difference in square feet from actual landing area to permitted landing area multiplied by 1 gp. For example, the character lands a large glider in a field 30? x 40?, so the difference is 800 square feet. Thus, repair costs would be 800 gp; until fixed, the glider is rendered unusable. * Minimum height for take-off: The minimum height needed to travel the given range. Lower heights produce shorter ranges. Determination of shorter ranges will be up to the discretion of the DM.