Skyships over Drymoon

I may have mentioned that I run a 5e D&D campaign for younger players now and then.

Now, the current campaign involves Tabaxi (or 'catpeople'), which of course means that I developed a half-assed, mostly made up on the spot, series of adventures, with concepts ripped from Ancient Egypt (tick), Frank Herbert's 'Dune' (tick), John Carter of Mars (tick) and Lawrence of Arabia (tick). With much adventuring in the bag so far, circumstances aligned for a tabletop battle - with D&D rules and a few ideas ripped from 'X-Wing'. What could go wrong?

The Dwarf Engineers - Tyr, Griselda, Sprocket and Dave the Horn

Themes include:

• 'Drymoon' has been invaded by the Githyanki (planar travellers) , who are searching for 'the devil' (a giant monster from the Monster Manual ;) ), have enslaved the local populace of catpeople, with a view to finding said 'artifact' - only the goddess (or a bunch of mad adventurers) can save the realm...
• The characters after exile, arrived back from another realm, with amnesia, little realising that they are part of a prophecy to save the world
• They have liberated the oasis at Blighthaven, some Dwarf engineers, and recently freed a brood of young 'Rocs' - GIANT birds - from an Earth Elemental guarded prison (these were originally called 'Tarns' in the 1970s Blackmoor 'zero' edition D&D, until someone realised that it might be a dodgy copyright...nuff said). The Rocs have joined them.
• They had arranged for refugees to meet them, only to realise that the ship is being chased by the Githyanki (on a red dragon) and their Gnoll (hyena-men), in Airship style skyships.
• Skyships, dragons, giant attack birds with more SQUAWK, cat people, hyena-men, planar travellers, magic swords, Dwarf engineers...and more ;)
• ...brace for the 'Battle of Blighthaven', with thousand foot falls to the death for the unwary...or those who lose balance...

Cardboard representations for the skyships - from the Githyanki side, with decks chock full of evil Gnolls - ready to jump from ship to ship with mooring cables

The red dice - represent the damage roll for red dragon flame breath...yeah...

A Githyanki riding a red dragon leads the charge, just shy of breath weapon range of the refugee ship. piloted by Sprocket the Dwarf

Durathrax the dragon lands on the refugee ship, Rocs counter attack

Yes, so I had to choose names for the Rocs...'Maverick' and 'Goose' seemed apt for one pair (never leave your wing...man...)

On the Gith Right flank, Damien and Seamus hit the Gnoll ship...

...even as skyships clash and troops swamp across the smash between ships to take on the Gnolls...Lidl the Tabaxi, leaps across the gap, before the ship that he is on, damaged in the clash, starts to fall from the sky

The business end of a red dragon

Aldi, dropped off by her pet Roc, lands on the dragon with a view to talking it out of its vile intent (they have history)

Survivors of the clash - the last remnants of the Roc race...

Rules written a few days before - worked well.

Although 5e and WotC are now trying to move in on the 'monthly billing' style business model (D&D 5.5?) - just like the rest of the world's companies, it really won't work...gamers are mostly concerned with the social aspects of this game, and most people are wise to corporate shenanigans...and there are so many alternatives out there to the D&D brand, if we were pushed to go that way. 5e works...and really, it's all we need for this type of game - especially so where the story trumps book flipping, and the players love that engagement.