Spelljammer What Would Your Ideal Spelljammer Book Be Like?

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I’m imagining that the product the UA preview is foreshadowing will be a supplement bringing mashup of the World Axis’ “Astral Sea” and Spelljammer that leaves the Astral Plane wholly in place unchanged.

There will be minimal descriptions of any other setting, maybe a paragraph on fitting the material into existing worlds. There will be explicit language to the DM that it is up to the DM whether this allows travel to any other setting at all. This will be nearly all about travel between worlds and the civilizations and adventures that are found there.

I believe the flavor will lean into a default expectation of the Mos Eisley cantina vibe being the norm.

Mind Flayers and Far Realmsian aberrations will have a strong presence.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

There are reasons for possible changes. Some paths in the Wildspace are too dangerous by fault of the Vodoni empire and some giths corsairs.

In the Gatetowns next to Sigil there are planar gates, or something like "bridge/river demiplanes" created for interplanar trade.

New intrusions from the Far Realm. If you are lucky only new Lovecraftian cults trying to summon some forgotten deity, or the elemental eye.

The elemental Chaos of Limbo has became the new Miami, with everybody creating their own demiplane, most of them lord dragons and giant clans, and visited by planewalker explores.

Vecna, like the little children, when they don't make noise then you have to worry. If somebody in the D&D multiverse can cause true cosmic troubles, he is the man. Not even the demiplane of the dread could keep him.

Lots of planes are too dangerous for low-level PCs. Faction war isn't allowed in Sigil, but nobody said about the Gatetowns.

Maybe "cheap" spelljammers are possible for 1st level PCs. For example these only can be used by character with a special feat, maybe being descendant or from the same bloodline of a former captain. Or the spelljammer is almost sentient, enough to rebel against slavery and become rogue. Then the crew aren't the true owners but the allies, because the spelljammer need "XPs" to become stronger.

Some enemies of Vodoni empire tried to cause a zombie apocalypse, and this failed because the undead hordes were....eaten by the werebeasts. Now the theriantropes are furious and uncontrollable because now somebody is using moon rocks for effects as a full moon night.

 

[Parmandur]

Why is that?

It's bending too many genre elements and tropes and trying to squeeze them into one package: "Here's a book on how to run a Flash Girdan or Heman campaign, along with rules for a Sandman-style campaign."

It just doesn't lend itself to a coherent product. Space travel and dimension hopping aren't the same thing, and zany swashbuckling gonzo is not the same thing as Planescape. There is no compelling reason to mix them, or would it turn out well.

Now, mind you, there is room for them in the same universe, and mixing in game is different, but what I'm talking about is product development: connect them cosmologically, but not in the same book. Agaib, traveling in space is different than traveling to different dimensions, so they don't conflict or directly intersect at all to begin with.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

It's bending too many genre elements and tropes and trying to squeeze them into one package: "Here's a book on how to run a Flash Girdan or Heman campaign, along with rules for a Sandman-style campaign."

It just doesn't lend itself to a coherent product. Space travel and dimension hopping aren't the same thing, and zany swashbuckling gonzo is not the same thing as Planescape. There is no compelling reason to mix them, or would it turn out well.

Now, mind you, there is room for them in the same universe, and mixing in game is different, but what I'm talking about is product development: connect them cosmologically, but not in the same book. Agaib, traveling in space is different than traveling to different dimensions, so they don't conflict or directly intersect at all to begin with.

That makes sense, I could see the general concepts being in the same book, but it would likely remove the existing flavor of each, which I agree is not a wise approach

 

[Parmandur]

That makes sense, I could see the general concepts being in the same book, but it would likely remove the existing flavor of each, which I agree is not a wise approach

I mean, they sort of are already both in the DMG, right? Just both are wide open to being their own thing with zero overlap.

 

[overgeeked]

I mean, they sort of are already both in the DMG, right? Just both are wide open to being their own thing with zero overlap.

I don’t see the need to merge them, though it could be fun. I also don’t see the need for there to be zero overlap. You can still have the zany gonzo fun of Spelljammer if the ships can travel the planes as well as the phlogiston and that shouldn’t take anything away from Planescape.

 

[Parmandur]

I don’t see the need to merge them, though it could be fun. I also don’t see the need for there to be zero overlap. You can still have the zany gonzo fun of Spelljammer if the ships can travel the planes as well as the phlogiston and that shouldn’t take anything away from Planescape.

Oh, for sure, that is an absolute must. But give them space in the product line.

 

[overgeeked]

Oh, for sure, that is an absolute must. But give them space in the product line.

Due to the myriad definitions of the word “space” in this context, I’m not sure what you mean.

 

[Parmandur]

Due to the myriad definitions of the word “space” in this context, I’m not sure what you mean.

A full book explaining each Settimg in their integrity, at least, even if of course they are in the same fictional cosmology.

 

[Tonguez]

I don’t see the need to merge them, though it could be fun. I also don’t see the need for there to be zero overlap. You can still have the zany gonzo fun of Spelljammer if the ships can travel the planes as well as the phlogiston and that shouldn’t take anything away from Planescape.

That is the existing state of Spelljammer anyway - it is possible to shift from the Philostogon to the Ethereal Plane if a particular table really wants too (and Im reminded that Githyanki Pirates have an Astral origin)

I also agree that Spelljammer and Planescape are distinct in flavour and should not be mixed (personally I dont like Planescape so I have no issue if others want to replace it with Spelljamming)