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Our party found a large sailing ship (about 60 feet long) that we want to claim as our own. However, it is landlocked.

What spells or other methods are there to facilitate moving a very large object like this? Enlarge/Reduce is useful but only lasts 1 minute and probably even with the 1/8th weight reduction wouldn't make the ship small enough for us to drag/carry. Levitate has a maximum weight of 500 lbs, so doesn't help us here.

Even high-level spells seem to mostly affect creatures, not objects.

Akixkisu
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convoke
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1 Answers1

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A ship is a vehicle, which would be considered an obect, as referenced in this question: What is an Object?

Whether or not the ship is considered a single object, or a massive collection of multiple objects would be at the discretion of your DM. However, I would rule it as a single object, because I like to keep things simple. (I rule this way in my own games as well, as there is already a lot to track, and I see no need to track each individual portion of a gargantuan sized vehicle.)

So with the way I rule in my games, if someone in your party can cast 9th level spells, which would require a level 17 spellcaster, or if you have a friendly NPC that can do it for you, the spell True Polymorph would work by using its Object into Creature option, as listed below:

Object into Creature. You can turn an object into any kind of creature, as long as the creature's size is no larger than the object's size and the creature's challenge rating is 9 or lower. The creature is friendly to you and your companions. It acts on each of your turns. You decide what action it takes and how it moves. The DM has the creature's statistics and resolves all of its actions and movement. If the spell becomes permanent, you no longer control the creature. It might remain friendly to you, depending on how you have treated it.

From there, it's just a matter of traveling as far as you can within the 1 hour time frame and breaking concentration before the spell becomes permanent, OR you can allow it to become permanent and try to ensure this new creature is friendly to you so it can travel as a companion of sorts and just dispel it using Dispel Magic once you reach your target location.

If you need to get farther than simply walking will allow within that time frame, the 7th level spell Teleportation will work, as it only requires willing creatures, which the ship would be if it was polymorphed. The relevant portion of the spell is (emphasis mine):

This spell instantly transports you and up to eight willing creatures of your choice that you can see within range, or a single object that you can see within range, to a destination you select.

As DM for my groups campaign, this is how I would rule it, as it makes the most sense to me, and is logistically sound. The only issue with this would be having access to the spells mentioned, or your DM having other ideas for it.

And as always, the best option would be to talk to your DM to see what is actually feasible for your party in order to move the ship to the wanted destination.

EChambers89
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    I don't think this will fit the requirements for teleport, you may want to check that. You may also want (need) to support that an entire ship is an object and that the mechanics work for it. – NotArch Mar 17 '20 at 18:27
  • -1 due to the assertions made without backing them up. You can improve this by backing up your reasons, preferably with citations from rules. – Akixkisu Mar 17 '20 at 18:28
  • @Akixkisu Not sure what assertions were made here, care to elaborate a little more so I can review the information I have provided and make updates and edits as needed? – EChambers89 Mar 17 '20 at 18:57
  • @EChambers89 mostly assertions made about what is an object - does "single object" apply? If you relate it to experience as a DM, then it would be nice to know more of that particular experience. I hope this helps, if anything is fuzzy after reading those two links, then I can try to clear up more. – Akixkisu Mar 17 '20 at 19:04
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    @Akixkisu Thank you for the reply. I will update my answer to cover this. – EChambers89 Mar 17 '20 at 19:05
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    Given how saltmarsh treats ships and that in general a ship of that size is not a single object, I'm having a really hard time agreeing it's a single object – NotArch Mar 17 '20 at 19:09
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    this answer quotes the DMG and shows that a vehicle is absolutely not an object. – NotArch Mar 17 '20 at 19:29
  • @NautArch That section specifically states that "For the purpose of these rules" then gives those parameters, and provides statistics for AC, HP, etc. I would consider that a specific rule if those statistics were needed. I wouldn't consider that the general rule to apply at all times. – EChambers89 Mar 17 '20 at 19:36
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    If you can add support as to why the general rule and explicit statement about vehicles not being objects doesn't apply here, that would be helpful. But right now, both of your answers require an object, and that really doesn't seem to be applicable. – NotArch Mar 17 '20 at 19:51
  • @NautArch The support is on the page itself, where is explicitly states "For the purpose of these rules," then provides some additional rules for applying an AC value, HP value, and some other things to objects that do not already have such information listed. So I would consider that to be a specific rule that only applies under those given circumstances. – EChambers89 Mar 17 '20 at 20:37
  • The sections on statistics for objects is separated entirely with a new header for Statistics for Objects. The section title for the paragraph defining what an object is in the section titled Objects. That is the general rule for defining an answer object. – NotArch Mar 18 '20 at 00:07
  • @Nautarch in the section on Objects, there is a subsection: Damage Thresholds. This subsection states that big objects often have a damage threshold. Page 119 of the DMG has a table of ships, which as per the PHB page 157 are waterborne vehicles. Meaning that vehicles are objects as per RAW (PHB was first published before DMG). Basically, either the definition is in error, or the rule is. – Journer Mar 18 '20 at 15:07