D&D 4E From the 4e MM preview: Astraljamming?!

[dystmesis]

Forget this points of light nonsense. If I ever DM a 4e game, it's going to be set in the astral sea.

 

[WyzardWhately]

I heartily approve of this. In fact, I'd almost be willing to ban most other methods of astral/interplanar travel. Even the Gods themselves have to get a great big fancy boat and sail to the Prime Material if they want to go there.

Also, this gives the PCs something else to blow money on.

It's win on every level.

 

[Wolfwood2]

I heartily approve of this. In fact, I'd almost be willing to ban most other methods of astral/interplanar travel. Even the Gods themselves have to get a great big fancy boat and sail to the Prime Material if they want to go there.

Yes, but the gods are allowed to get fancy and use things like an eight-legged horse that leaves hoofprints of fire, a chariot drawn by goats, a giant seashell, a boat pulled by swans, and other such "interesting" means of transport. Be wary if one pulls up beside your ship and challenges you to a race through the astral sea. Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than losing a wager to a god is winning....

 

[TwinBahamut]

Yes, but the gods are allowed to get fancy and use things like an eight-legged horse that leaves hoofprints of fire, a chariot drawn by goats, a giant seashell, a boat pulled by swans, and other such "interesting" means of transport.

A chariaot drawn by goats? Nah, gods will drive by on the Sun Chariot. As in, your astral vessel will be sailing along in some carefree manner, when suddenly a bright light envelopes you as Pelor dashes by riding the Sun itself, and everyone nearly gets blinded and scorched by its extreme radiance.

Of course, if you happen to be doing a favor for the Moon Goddess (can't remember her name) and taking care of the Moon chariot at the time... Then the racing gets interesting.

Remember, this is 4E. Think Epic.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Actually talk of chariots and such, makes me wonder. Is there oxygen/atmosphere in the Astral Sea, one can assume that a atmosphere is formed within a Dominion but what about in the empty seas?

 

[Hussar]

And this time they should be a reasonable size as well. The few examples from 3e were done poorly and tended to be on the small side. Maybe when they're doing ships they could you know actually go look up some RL resources to at least get them close to the right size, instead of capping them at a smallish sloop-of-war.

Well, considering that anything beyond a small carrack would be extremely anachronistic, a sloop-of-war would be way out of line.

I find it strange that people complain about guns/magictech or whatever other anachronisms get into the game, yet have no problems adding naval vessels that would not look out of line sailing into Charleston Harbour during the American Revolution.

The problem with doing larger ships is the rules, at least up to now, do not handle large scale fights at all well. Trying to run a combat with 40-100 combatants in 3e was an exercise in futility. Keeping the ships much smaller, say caravel sized (about 80 feet in length max) means that you can have the party (plus maybe one or two npc's) crew the ship and keep ship to ship combat at reasonable sizes.

Plus, you don't have all the really weird wonkiness of why you have ships the size of an English Ship of the Line and no technology to build it.

The other way to go, of course, is purely fantasy ships - such as Elven living ships. Or the corpse of some Astral whale. Something like that. So long as they keep the size down, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[doctorhook]

Actually talk of chariots and such, makes me wonder. Is there oxygen/atmosphere in the Astral Sea, one can assume that a atmosphere is formed within a Dominion but what about in the empty seas?

I think so; it's just simpler that way.

Besides, I want my players to stress about what is in the Astral Sea, not what's not. (i.e.: air.)

 

[doctorhook]

Well, considering that anything beyond a small carrack would be extremely anachronistic, a sloop-of-war would be way out of line.

I find it strange that people complain about guns/magictech or whatever other anachronisms get into the game, yet have no problems adding naval vessels that would not look out of line sailing into Charleston Harbour during the American Revolution.

...

This is D&D! The ampersand practically stands for "anachronism"!

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I think so; it's just simpler that way.

Besides, I want my players to stress about what is in the Astral Sea, not what's not. (i.e.: air.)

Yeah probably, but damn... I want to figure out some way to bring Astral Bells or Astral Helmets/Suits.

Perhaps to explore underneath the Astral Sea, those can be used. I just think it be fun to bring in the old, Diving Helmets

 

[Irda Ranger]

I am really, really hoping Manual of The Planes will have a section just about Astral Vessels.

I would love to see various types of them. With all different manners of statistics; amount of people they can hold, amount of supplies, cost, manner of movement, weaponry onboard, etc.

Also be great to see rules for Astral Vessel combat, like boarding runs, ramming, sinking, etc.

Nice, but probably too much to ask for.

But if they can provide a basis framework for what a ship's "stat block" looks like and let 3rd party developers come out with an Astral-Jammer's Guide (Ch.1: Ships; Ch.2: Ship Fight!), that would be good enough for me.