D&D 5E Compare Spell Jammer to Starfinder

[Mr. Patient]

I wouldn't take that bet, as there is definitely a market for silly, to which 5E has always been open for business. Adventure Zone, Acquisitions Incorporated, etc.

For what it's worth, the Acq Inc C Team, which is considerably less silly than the main-stage A team, had its own Spelljammer arc this season. There were many over-the-top, bizarre moments, but it was mostly not played for laughs.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Spelljammer is heavily inspired by an amalgamation of Ptolemaic/Wellesian/Burroughs view of what outer space.

So space travel is possible, but it's much more fantastical and less inspired by actual science or technology. You can breath in space, and travel by ship, but the ships themselves have more in common with a Spanish galleon than a modern rocket. Very "John Carter of Mars" instead of Buck Rogers.

Of course, creatures in space are pretty alien and eldritch, but space itself is much more like the piracy of the Caribbean than something out of Star Trek.

It's actually got a lot in common with how Marvel's Thor views space, as they use mostly magic to traverse there (and their world Asgard is an actual place, not some meta-physical plane), and the concepts of the "vacuum of space" and "can't breath" doesn't have any impact on Asgardians. Heavily recommend reading the "Mighty Thor" arc for inspiration for how space fantasy can operate.

 

[Parmandur]

For what it's worth, the Acq Inc C Team, which is considerably less silly than the main-stage A team, had its own Spelljammer arc this season. There were many over-the-top, bizarre moments, but it was mostly not played for laughs.

Sounds about right: they do seem to be pushing a lot of Spelljammer in official and unofficial channels these days.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Both are space fantasy but Starfinder is more sci-fi with some pieces of magic and Spelljammer is swashbuckling fantasy in space.

* The crystal spheres are almost sandbox, this mean you could add lots of new things, for example new monsters, races and classes from latest editions.

* Almost off-topic: have you readen Bill Mantlo's "Swords of the Swashbucklers" comics? It may be a great source of inspiration.

Swords of the Swashbucklers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[hawkeyefan]

The main difference to me seems to be that Spelljammer is intentionally goofy.

 

[tetrasodium]

Those claiming that Spelljammer is just sailing ships in space are missing the fundamental aspect of the setting: the universe works on fantasy rules instead of physics. What makes the setting unique is all of the phlogiston and crystal spheres stuff. It challenges the idea that you even need technology to explore outer space as an assumption of the genre and that's about as pure "fantasy" as you can get.

Historical Athas (pre-Cleansing darksun) & eberron both treat magic as a science as opposed to starfinder's oil & water type science & magic split. You don't need to maintain a cargo cult type spin on magic to have ships in space & it's easy to cargo cult down magic as a science for players/gms/tables who want to do that but you can't really do it the other way around from cargo cult to magic as a science

 

[Nebulous]

Awfully fun! I love this, so much.

If that was an entire cheesy movie I would so watch it. Yes, it's godawful.

 

[Nebulous]

I would love a 5e update to Spelljammer I never got to play it back in the day.

 

[GlassJaw]

The main difference to me seems to be that Spelljammer is intentionally goofy.

Aside from some monster entries, it's really not. The core boxed sets are not goofy at all and the setting can be quite grimdark. Races like the neogi, mindflayers, scro, beholders, etc are quite nasty and slavery is featured prominently.

Yes, there are gnomes and giant space hamsters. But those are either easily annoyed or simply looked at as one (small) aspect of the setting.

Heck, Star Wars can have Vader and the rancor alongside Ewoks and C-3PO.

 

[Green Onceler]

I believe the "problem" refered too is Star Finder is Star Wars with the numbers filed off.

Starfinder could be used to run derivative Star Wars adventures but, as you say, why would you when there are so many actual Star Wars games available.

The Starfinder setting is much more flexible and diverse than you give it credit for. Personally, I don't like Star Wars, but I'm very much enjoying running my intermittent Starfinder campaign set in the Spike of Absalom Station. I've made it kind of a 50s beat vibe, layered over the downtrodden districts of the Space Station. Nothing like Star Wars at all.