Spelljammer Converting "Expedition To The Barrier Peaks" to fit Spelljammer.

[miggyG777]

I had the idea of transitioning one of my campaigns into the Spelljammer universe. Why? Because it's awesome. That whole idea was sparked by me reading a 5e conversion for the "Expedition To The Barrier Peaks" module. I really like the idea of the party exploring a spaceship in order to introduce them to Spelljammer but there is a problem.

ETTBP was published before Spelljammer, and uses a technologically advanced spaceship. Energy Weapons, Robots, Microfilms, Fire Extinguishers etc. Spelljammer obviously does not inherently have these things.

I know that I probably have to convert a lot of things to make it fit. But for inspiration I wanted to ask you guys for ideas of how you would handle said problem or make the party transition into space by the means of exploring a crashed spaceship.

 

[Tony Vargas]

So is the idea to convert EttBP to feature a crashed spelljammer of some sort, filled with more traditional monsters & magic items from that setting?

For instance, the hook could be investigating the mysterious appearance of a fairly sea-going-looking ship high up a mountain. Maybe it fulfills a religious prophesy or something that gives a local powerbase a vested interest in investigating it, maybe adventurers just figure that a ship that can make it up the side of a mountain must be loaded with magic & treasure?

Or, the ship could be one of the more alien-appearing ones, like a Neogi spider-ship or an Ilithid Nautiloid.

For added interest/time pressure/humor, there could be a Scro raider that followed the wreck down and also wants to loot it - but without giving themselves away on this 'primitive' world, so they're imitating local Orcs - badly.

 

[Shades of Eternity]

Replace the robots with golems

The lifts work by levitation.

I really like the idea that there's a scro retrieval team onboard.

I still like my futuristic weapons, but maybe we can make them magical in nature?

(ex. blasters use crystals not unlike crystal balls)

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Have you thought about to see the SRD of d20 Future?

d20 Resources - HTML reference documentation for d20 Open Content

www.d20resources.com

The true troubles aren't in the stats of the weapons and item really, but the balance of power. How is the challenging rating of a remote-control sentinel canon? Or a drone. It is more a menace as a trap than a true monster. And if you can kill a monster as a dinosaur with only one shot using a high-tech then most of monsters are only walking free XPs. Even a civilian vehicle could be used to run over an enemy.

* My crazy suggestion is to add races and creatures from d20 Future and Gamma World. Then players don't know what they are going to find.

 

[miggyG777]

Replace the robots with golems

The lifts work by levitation.

I really like the idea that there's a scro retrieval team onboard.

I still like my futuristic weapons, but maybe we can make them magical in nature?

(ex. blasters use crystals not unlike crystal balls)

This sounds like a good idea. Especially since I can keep the EttBP layout that way.

 

[miggyG777]

For added interest/time pressure/humor, there could be a Scro raider that followed the wreck down and also wants to loot it - but without giving themselves away on this 'primitive' world, so they're imitating local Orcs - badly.

Cool idea, I think I am going to use this.

 

[Zardnaar]

Crashed Spelljammer is a hook in the original Spelljammer stuff.

Refluff the UFO with a helm in it.

 

[Fenris-77]

Which 5e conversion are you looking at? The one by WotC, The Lost Laboratory of Kwalish, doesn't have the sci-fi elements you're struggling with. I've only breezed through it, but it looks well done.

 

[miggyG777]

Im looking at "Original Adventures Reincarnated" Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, a fifth edition conversion & classic homage, by Michael Curtis and Tim Wadzinski (Goodman Games)

 

[Fenris-77]

Maybe take a look at the WotC one too. It's got some good hooks built in to link up with FR stuff if that's your thing, and there's lots of room left to spelljammer the crap out of it if you want. There's still a crashed planar craft, it's just not something straight out of a Sci-fi game, although some of that flavor is retained.