KirayaTiDrekan
Adventurer
The Dragon Empire would have us believe that they control space with an iron grip. But, naughty people like us slip through their claws all the time. With the right ship, the right crew, and the right captain, anything is possible in the vastness of space.
First things first - I'm back in the DM chair after a lengthy hiatus. Things are finally stabilizing for me in the really real world so I wanted to get back in to the DM pool.
Second things second - I am, however, going to take baby steps. This will be my only game and its planned to be a relatively short adventure. If it goes well, we may continue the campaign, but the adventure is designed to have a definitive ending just in case.
Third things third - The Universe...
This setting is based on Spelljammer, Dragonstar, and Council of Wyrms, with inspiration taken from Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Firefly. The galaxy is divided in to four rough "quadrants." If we were to compare them to Star Trek's quadrants, the Alpha Quadrant is home to Earth and a couple of other inhabited planets. The Gamma Quadrant contains all of the D&D worlds. The Delta Quadrant is where our campaign is set, home to the Dragon Empire - dozens of worlds ruled by dragon clans where humanoid races are second class citizens. The Beta Quadrant is largely unexplored but rumored to be the home of eldritch horrors and elder gods.
Space travel works like Spelljammer, with a spacefaring ship powered by a magical helm. A spellcaster operates the helm (usually by sitting in a throne/chair located belowdecks) and sacrifices a spell slot - 1 level's worth of spell slots equals 1 hour of ship operation, though the spell slot is still lost if the spellcaster leaves the helm before the hour is up. The fastest ships can approach light speed but not quite achieve it. Interstellar travel is achieved through the astral plane (what Earth natives call hyperspace). Most solar systems have an astral portal at the edge of the system. Some of the biggest and most powerful ships are able to generate their own portals. Travel through the astral plane equates to roughly 1 light year per day. However, time in the astral is tricky and spelljammers can get lost if they are not focused on their destination (navigation through the astral plane requires the spellcaster at the helm to maintain Concentration).
Each solar system is surrounded by a metaphysical sphere, invisible in real space, but seen as an impossibly massive black globe in astral space. Astral Portals are created on the surface of a sphere and can't be made elsewhere. Each sphere serves as a sort of protective bubble, containing the cosmology, outer planes, and deities of the sentient races within it. Once a ship travels beyond a sphere, either in real space or the astral plane, the influence of the dieities and cosmology of that plane is lost. Clerics and other characters who draw power from a deity or cosmology can still access spells and class abilities, but the link between them is weak (no game effect, but players of such characters should consider this when roleplaying). The Dragon Empire has circumvented this limitation/barrier by creating the Unification Church, a pantheon of twelve deific archetypes which adherents claim are the true deities of all the cosmos, with individual names and personas simply being different faces of one of the twelve. A cleric of the Unification Church doesn't suffer the usual effects as long as they are within a sphere where the Unification Church as influence.
The Player Characters are members of the crew of a small pirate ship operating on the fringes of the Dragon Empire. In addition to the normal character creation process, you will need to consider the following...
Ship Type - There are a variety of possible ships. Take a gander here to get some ideas. The group will need to agree on the ship type and a name, keeping in mind that the only crew available will be the PCs themselves (since they recently acquired it through less than legal means). So, a smaller ship that can be crewed by 5-8 people is best. I may throw in a NPC or two to round out the crew if everyone agrees. The ship itself is old, battered, and in need of repairs.
Ship Position - What are your duties and responsibilities on the ship? Captain, Navigator, Gunner, Helmsman, or something else? One player will need to take on the role of Captain, though this can be decided by popular vote among the players, if the group prefers.
Starting Level: 3
Ability Scores: Point Buy as outlined on page 13 of the PHB.
Gear: Player Characters may start with up to 1,000 gp in non-magical personal gear and possessions. Anything not carried on their persons is assumed to be stored on the ship. In addition, each PC may start with up to three common magic items OR one uncommon magic item.
Check with me before utilizing a source beyond the PHB. Some of the Unearthed Arcana material is not suitable for this campaign.
Race Note: Dragonborn have special status within the Empire. They are the result of a dragon producing offspring with a bonded kindred (a humanoid that, in many ways, functions similarly to a familiar or animal companion to the dragon). Chromatic dragons tend to view them as abominations and either kill them or cast them out. Metallic dragons may cast them out or coddle and pamper them. Regardless, dragonborn, while not able to vote or partake in governmental duties, have a higher status in the Empire than other humanoids.
The adventure...
Shortly after acquiring their ship, the captain receives a mysterious invitation - an imperial ship, listing and dead in space, has been spotted nearby and someone has invited the captain and their crew to loot it...as long as one item in particular is given over to whoever issued the invitation.
First things first - I'm back in the DM chair after a lengthy hiatus. Things are finally stabilizing for me in the really real world so I wanted to get back in to the DM pool.
Second things second - I am, however, going to take baby steps. This will be my only game and its planned to be a relatively short adventure. If it goes well, we may continue the campaign, but the adventure is designed to have a definitive ending just in case.
Third things third - The Universe...
This setting is based on Spelljammer, Dragonstar, and Council of Wyrms, with inspiration taken from Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Firefly. The galaxy is divided in to four rough "quadrants." If we were to compare them to Star Trek's quadrants, the Alpha Quadrant is home to Earth and a couple of other inhabited planets. The Gamma Quadrant contains all of the D&D worlds. The Delta Quadrant is where our campaign is set, home to the Dragon Empire - dozens of worlds ruled by dragon clans where humanoid races are second class citizens. The Beta Quadrant is largely unexplored but rumored to be the home of eldritch horrors and elder gods.
Space travel works like Spelljammer, with a spacefaring ship powered by a magical helm. A spellcaster operates the helm (usually by sitting in a throne/chair located belowdecks) and sacrifices a spell slot - 1 level's worth of spell slots equals 1 hour of ship operation, though the spell slot is still lost if the spellcaster leaves the helm before the hour is up. The fastest ships can approach light speed but not quite achieve it. Interstellar travel is achieved through the astral plane (what Earth natives call hyperspace). Most solar systems have an astral portal at the edge of the system. Some of the biggest and most powerful ships are able to generate their own portals. Travel through the astral plane equates to roughly 1 light year per day. However, time in the astral is tricky and spelljammers can get lost if they are not focused on their destination (navigation through the astral plane requires the spellcaster at the helm to maintain Concentration).
Each solar system is surrounded by a metaphysical sphere, invisible in real space, but seen as an impossibly massive black globe in astral space. Astral Portals are created on the surface of a sphere and can't be made elsewhere. Each sphere serves as a sort of protective bubble, containing the cosmology, outer planes, and deities of the sentient races within it. Once a ship travels beyond a sphere, either in real space or the astral plane, the influence of the dieities and cosmology of that plane is lost. Clerics and other characters who draw power from a deity or cosmology can still access spells and class abilities, but the link between them is weak (no game effect, but players of such characters should consider this when roleplaying). The Dragon Empire has circumvented this limitation/barrier by creating the Unification Church, a pantheon of twelve deific archetypes which adherents claim are the true deities of all the cosmos, with individual names and personas simply being different faces of one of the twelve. A cleric of the Unification Church doesn't suffer the usual effects as long as they are within a sphere where the Unification Church as influence.
The Player Characters are members of the crew of a small pirate ship operating on the fringes of the Dragon Empire. In addition to the normal character creation process, you will need to consider the following...
Ship Type - There are a variety of possible ships. Take a gander here to get some ideas. The group will need to agree on the ship type and a name, keeping in mind that the only crew available will be the PCs themselves (since they recently acquired it through less than legal means). So, a smaller ship that can be crewed by 5-8 people is best. I may throw in a NPC or two to round out the crew if everyone agrees. The ship itself is old, battered, and in need of repairs.
Ship Position - What are your duties and responsibilities on the ship? Captain, Navigator, Gunner, Helmsman, or something else? One player will need to take on the role of Captain, though this can be decided by popular vote among the players, if the group prefers.
Starting Level: 3
Ability Scores: Point Buy as outlined on page 13 of the PHB.
Gear: Player Characters may start with up to 1,000 gp in non-magical personal gear and possessions. Anything not carried on their persons is assumed to be stored on the ship. In addition, each PC may start with up to three common magic items OR one uncommon magic item.
Check with me before utilizing a source beyond the PHB. Some of the Unearthed Arcana material is not suitable for this campaign.
Race Note: Dragonborn have special status within the Empire. They are the result of a dragon producing offspring with a bonded kindred (a humanoid that, in many ways, functions similarly to a familiar or animal companion to the dragon). Chromatic dragons tend to view them as abominations and either kill them or cast them out. Metallic dragons may cast them out or coddle and pamper them. Regardless, dragonborn, while not able to vote or partake in governmental duties, have a higher status in the Empire than other humanoids.
The adventure...
Shortly after acquiring their ship, the captain receives a mysterious invitation - an imperial ship, listing and dead in space, has been spotted nearby and someone has invited the captain and their crew to loot it...as long as one item in particular is given over to whoever issued the invitation.
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