The New Spell Jammer

[BlackJaw]

The new Dungeon Mag has a converted Spell Jammer setting.

The ship rules in that book are very similar to the stuff I've been writing. Ships are not treated as creatures or character in their own, but as tools or an item be used by the pilot (a spellcaster sitting on a helm-throne)

Ships have manuverbility and a short list of important stats.

Weapons are generaly mounted to the hull, like balistas or cannons, and are operated by passengers. only ramming attacks are possible by a pilot.

The ships use the Page 69 DMG manuveriblity rules, with some modifications (you can act like a vessel of better manuveriblity by making a skill check. Doing so is a move-action, so you could make two movements better then your current manuveriblity by taking a double move action.)

Ships come in sizes ranging from Huge (as in huge creatures) through to Awsome (one step above Collossal, with a modifier of -18)

Some of the game's mechanics are cool also. I like the simple ramming mechanic, and the way they treat Dexterity for ship armor class.

Still the game does use the DMG meahtod, which includes burning speed for turning and the like, and a big table of allowed movements and the like which is a bit to complex in my opinion, but otherwise good.

It also doesn't have any system for making or altering your ship... a prime feature of the cosmonomicon.

[Wyvern]

I love the new Spelljammer game! It captures most of what I liked best about the original Spelljammer with more elegant and streamlined rules. I just wish they were OGC; I would have loved to add some of the prestige classes to my latest chapter. The setting is cool too; it's not the most original setting, but it has a great "classic space opera" feel. The one thing I don't like is the bald dwarves. I didn't mind them at all in Dark Sun, but they just don't seem right for Spelljammer.

On the topic of ramming rules, Dragonstar uses a comparable system but allows the target of the ramming attempt to make a Pilot check for half damage. In my character design chapter, I included a feat from Dragonstar that denies your target this ability when you ram them.

Wyvern