Astral Sea as Spelljammer/Planescape hybrid; and a board game idea for WotC!

Mercurius · Sep 26, 2010

There was a period earlier this year and late last year when I was receiving 4E hardcovers that I had pre-ordered with Amazon Prime, but not getting a chance to really check them out. So I have had books such as The Plane Below, The Plane Above, Demonomicon, and even Player's Handbook 3 gathering dust on my shelves. Earlier today I finally pulled down The Plane Above and browsed through it, with an eye for ideas for my 4E group, which is just a couple levels away from entering Paragon Tier.

Looking through the book, something struck me: Not only did Wizards of the Coast integrate Planescape into 4E via Sigil in Manual of the Planes, but they found a way to revive elements of Spelljammer with the Astral Sea itself--the various "dominion ships," pirating, floating isles, etc.

And then an idea struck me for a product I would love to see: a board game in the same vein as Castle Ravenloft and Wrath of Ashardalon based on the Astral Sea; it would be called: Pirates of the Astral Sea and would involve--you guessed it--pirating in the Astral Sea, with githyanki as a central enemy, astral dreadnoughts, ship battles, etc.

So a couple areas of possible feedback:

What do you think about this hybridization of Planescape and Spelljammer? Do you like it? Dislike it? Ways you've used it in a game? Etc.
The board game idea -- What do you think? Can you see WotC doing something like this? Would you buy it?

TarionzCousin · Sep 26, 2010

Mercurius said:
What do you think about this hybridization of Planescape and Spelljammer? Do you like it? Dislike it? Ways you've used it in a game? Etc.

The board game idea -- What do you think? Can you see WotC doing something like this? Would you buy it?

I have run an Epic Arc in 4E using the Astral Plane and some Planescape elements. But it wasn't Planescape and it wasn't Spelljammer.

To me, the critical essence of Planescape was the factions and the idea that belief can create reality. Just putting Sigil in the 4E cosmology doesn't make it "4E Planescape."

In a similar vein, I think Spelljammer was about more than just sailing the Astral Sea. The idea that different "worlds" were connected and visitable was very cool.

That said, I love having those elements in my 4E "core" books and use them whenever possible.

... and I would buy that boardgame in a heartbeat.

AdmundfortGeographer · Sep 26, 2010

Over at The Piazza there had been a rumor posted that some game store owner hinted at some of the things coming from WotC in 2011, one of the things the game store owner said was simply, "Spelljammer". Many have been trying to intuit what the rumored game store owner hinted at by saying this. Speculation is fun!

I posted nearly the exact same suggestion a few weeks ago on the rumored "prediction" of Spelljammer arriving in 2011, that it would arrive in a form right out the newly-made D&D products group--not the D&D RPG-guys-- a boardgame like Castle Ravenloft but maybe with collectible elements like Gamma World.

Mercurius · Sep 26, 2010

TarionzCousin said:
I have run an Epic Arc in 4E using the Astral Plane and some Planescape elements. But it wasn't Planescape and it wasn't Spelljammer.

To me, the critical essence of Planescape was the factions and the idea that belief can create reality. Just putting Sigil in the 4E cosmology doesn't make it "4E Planescape."

In a similar vein, I think Spelljammer was about more than just sailing the Astral Sea. The idea that different "worlds" were connected and visitable was very cool.

That said, I love having those elements in my 4E "core" books and use them whenever possible.

Yes, agreed, which is why I emphasized "elements" - 4E includes elements of both Planescape and Spelljammer, but only that. But I am thinking that because they included these elements already they are less likely to go full blown with a remake of either Spelljammer or Planescape, thus the rumor that Eric heard about could be within the context of the Astral Sea.

Silverblade The Ench · Sep 27, 2010

well a board game would be great, for the minis and good simple rules for ship to ship combat

in 2nd ed, the Pirates of Gith were a githyanki faction who used elven ships to raid Spelljammer trade lanes, as elven ships are organic and could thus be Plane Shifted to/fro the Astral Plane

the Astral Sea book noted one "wanderign" branch of the Githyanki...Pirates of Gith?

Stormonu · Sep 27, 2010

I'd love to see a Spelljammer/Planescape board game with ship miniatures and space tiles to fight on (though preferably hexagon to squares).

Some of the racial ships I'd like to see:

Elf/Eladrin botanical ships
Chaos "living" ships
Beholder ships
Mind Flayer nautiloids
Gnomish Sidewheelers
Giff Dreadnoughts
Gith Corsair "windrunners"
Neogi mindspinders
Angelic skyships
Kindori whale-ships
Human hammerships, tradesman & galleons

A Stellar Dragon
The Rock of Braal (probably a tile)
Scro Gammaroid (probably a tile)
The Spelljammer (preferably a model, but perhaps a tile)

I'd also like to see the set contain several scenarios other than "you're gather together to blow each other out of the skies" such as:

1) A scenario where you're running a tradesman (but can "buy up" to a better ship) trying to make the most money going from realm to realm

2) A exploration scenario where you're trying to discover new realms, explore them, battle the strange denizens and and return with riches from these realms

3) A pirating scenario where you're plying the lanes trying to nab other ship's cargo

4) Several battle scenarios, such as Elves vs. Scro, Humans vs. Neogi, Gith vs. Mind Flayers and perhaps a coalition vs. the Beholders

5) A scenario pitting multiple players using ships against one defender running the Rock of Braal

6) "Find and capture" the (moving) Spelljammer

7) "Stop the World Ravager"*

8) Empire building, with each player taking a "race" and attempting to conquer known space

*Spoiler
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The World Ravager (or just "the Ravager") was a titanic, artificial doomsday weapon built by the mysterious Arcane for beholders in the module Wildspace. Think of a beholder the size (and attitude) of Star War's the Death Star. Hopefully, with much superior (and frightening) artwork than the original module
[/sblock]