Spelljammer Mearls and Spelljammer challenge

[lkj]

So this says nothing about time frames or what a 'supplement' entails, but I thought Spelljammer enthusiasts on these boards might find the following twitter exchange interesting:

https://twitter.com/mikemearls/status/998605924423024643


(summary: Someone said they'd eat their PHB if WotC ever physically published a Spelljammer supplement for 5e. Mearls replied 'Challenge accepted').

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[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

That is... interesting. I am working on a home-brew version at the moment.

Edit: I found the old setting - with crystal spheres, phlogiston, etc. - to be too complicated. I'm aiming at something simpler.

 

[jgsugden]

That is... interesting. I am working on a home-brew version at the moment.

Edit: I found the old setting - with crystal spheres, phlogiston, etc. - to be too complicated. I'm aiming at something simpler.

My simpler version:

Spelljammers sail the Astral Sea (Astral Plane). 'Ports' are built near gates (on both sides of the gate) that lead to the Astral Plane, and then Spelljammers are used to travel to other ports. The gates near other ports might go to other planes (Dwarves mine my Elemental Planes and then sell the proceeds back on the PMP), or might be a shortcut across the PMP (mine is infinite in size, so a three day voyage in the Astral Sea may be better than a 40 year voyage across the PMP).

Dwarves, Giff, Gith, Nezumi (Rat people that pilot triangular ships - Pi Rats) and Neogi are the most common sailors in the Astral plane.

 

[Mercurius]

Spelljammer might be better received now than it was in the early 90s. Why? Well, look at how science fiction RPGs are thriving, with some even having a mystical or fantastical element (i.e. "science fantasy"). Now Spelljammer isn't SF, but as being "fantasy in space" (so to speak) it could draw upon the current popularity of Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, both of which have strong fantastical elements.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Dwarves, Giff, Gith, Nezumi (Rat people that pilot triangular ships - Pi Rats) and Neogi are the most common sailors in the Astral plane.

Points for “Pi Rats”.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Is there a link between Spelljammer and The Great Modron March? Some posters on Reddit went over the the possibility that next AP might be a modron-related (IE a march of modrons could be described as a ''stream of many eyes'', it also seems the next iddle game is named The Great Modron March) and that the whole Waterdeep/Undermountain was only misdirection.

https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/8l0d25/stream_of_many_eyes_off_the_wall_prediction/

 

[jgsugden]

Points for “Pi Rats”.

It was a pun I discovered early much to the chagrin of many a gamer. I've used Nezumi, Wererats and Skaven pirates over and over and over in the last 30 years...

 

[fjw70]

That is... interesting. I am working on a home-brew version at the moment.

Edit: I found the old setting - with crystal spheres, phlogiston, etc. - to be too complicated. I'm aiming at something simpler.

I am running Spelljammer for 5e currently and I have simplified it as well. No crystal spheres or phlogiston. Just solar systems and space in between.

 

[fjw70]

We need Spelljammer ship miniatures (and some Giff).

 

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

I am running Spelljammer for 5e currently and I have simplified it as well. No crystal spheres or phlogiston. Just solar systems and space in between.

Same here - the astral plane is basically hyperspace, allowing fast travel between distant points. There are gith, but other beasts as well.