D&D 5E PlaneJammer: Sailing the Astral Sea

[Tonguez]

The Island of Truth in Desire

Travelling through the Astral Sea is a brothel known as The Truth in Desire. Operated by a free-willed succubus named Dranika, the brothel is a converted pleasure cruiser originally taken by pirates and sold to Dranika. Dranika employs a harem of psychic dopplegangers, who are renowned for their ability to see into the hearts desires and psychological needs of their clients, and then become those needs. Dranika’s ship is renowned by all factions in the Sea based on the skill and care of her employees and is considered neutral ground. In those rare instances when pirates or ideologists attack The Truth In Desire, any other ship within communication distance will rush to her aid. Just in case, Dranika has contracted with a fomorian mercenary company, who act as guards and troops on the vessel. Dranika is pursued by a demi-god of lust known as Himeron who would enslave her pleasures to his will.

my three questions upon reading this - what does the Truth in Desire look like?, what sort of Jammer is it? and how does another ship dock with it?

How do ‘Jammers Work?

Many different factions sail the Astral Sea, and they use different ‘jammers to do so. All ‘jammers are similar in that each one includes a ship that has been built to accept “commands” from a Helm, and the Helm has been built to accept commands from a Helmsman (aka pilot). That is where the similarities end. Each different faction -- infernal creatures, celestials, abominations, fey, and so on -- has a developed ‘jammer “technology” to best utilize their natural talents and inherent abilities. The Helm is infused with magical energy of a sort easily manipulated by the members of the faction -- tortured souls for infernals, faith for celestials, madness for abominations, and so on -- and the Helmsman uses their skill with that energy to guide the ship throw the Astral Sea. Technically there is no “top speed” in the Astral Sea, but any ship’s maximum speed is dependent upon the power and skill of the Helmsman. BUT, speed isn’t everything. In addition to a Helmsman, every ship needs a Navigator that is knowledgeable about the Astral Sea and its dangers, currents and trade routes. Navigators are not faction specific, because their area of expertise is on the constantly shifting, infinitely expansive geography of the Astral Sea. The Navigator plots the course and tries to avoid everything from planar anomalies to pirates which determines the actual distance, while the Helmsman sets the speed. Together they determine the most important thing: how long travel actually takes.

are Helm and Navigator intended to be fixed roles? what do the other PCs do? can any PCs pick up a Helm and interact with a Jammer?

In the Maritime Rules I use a Ship has 4 sections - Propulsion (Sails/Engines), Steering (Rudder), Hull (Shield/Repairs) and Deck (Crew) each are assigned AC and HP and various actions. The PCs each assign themselves to one of the sections and issues orders accordingly. The Captain is assumed to control the Deck Crew and can send crew to aid different tasks

 

[Reynard]

my three questions upon reading this - what does the Truth in Desire look like?, what sort of Jammer is it? and how does another ship dock with it?

It is definitely a psijammer given the crew. I think it kind if looks like a big ass pleasure cruiseliner, up to and including shuffleboard. It must either be bug enough to accept smaller vessel docking or at least welcome transfers by "rowboat."

are Helm and Navigator intended to be fixed roles? what do the other PCs do? can any PCs pick up a Helm and interact with a Jammer?

In the Maritime Rules I use a Ship has 4 sections - Propulsion (Sails/Engines), Steering (Rudder), Hull (Shield/Repairs) and Deck (Crew) each are assigned AC and HP and various actions. The PCs each assign themselves to one of the sections and issues orders accordingly. The Captain is assumed to control the Deck Crew and can send crew to aid different tasks

My intent is that the process of planar travel requires as many PCs as possible. One will be the Helmsman, which requires they be "aligned" with the faction and power of the help -- souls, psi, spells, whatever. A different PC must be the navigator that has the "tool proficiency" for navigation. The others will probably stuff like the Lookout and Scout from any number of travel systems for 5e.

 

[Davinshe]

Nice to see all the love here for the old 4e Astral Sea book. I genuinely thought I was the only one who recognized the pure brilliance of that book. It's really unfortunate that it never got the credit it deserved. I personally thought the Quom were a great addition to the astral sea with a cool backstory and iconic look.

 

[Reynard]

While spitballing ideas with a couple of my players, we created a specific little setting element that blossomed into a cool enemy type:

In the Astral Sea one doesn't age or need sustenance. However, when enough living creatures congregate (such as on a ship or port) they create a little "bubble" of need (mainly food and water; we are ignoring atmosphere entirely). This ultimately came out of having a reason for their to be regular trade.*

One player asked what happens when someone falls off a ship or whatever, and we decided that if they can't be saved they float off into the void. But since they are alone, they stop aging and needing food. So they don't die, they just float there going more and more mad.

Every once in a while such an "astral zombie" will land back on a ship and go on an insane, ravenous cannibalistic rampage.

Sometimes, the currents of the Astral Sea create "garbage patches" and in addition to broken 'jammers and planar detritus, these poor souls collect. Of course, if enough of them end up there, their hunger wakes and they attack and eat one another until an equilibrium is established and they go back into torpor. But if a ship tries to come and salvage the garbage patch, they might find themselves "waking" a horde of astral zombies.

*incidentally, we decided the main trade route of the campaign will be between The City of Brass and Sigil through the Astral.

 

[Reynard]

In my conception, the Astral is an infinite torus with the Inner and Outer Planes accessible through regions found in their respective directions. You could fly forever toward Mechanus, for example, and never quite get there but see more and more detritus and influence from Mechanus, but you need a gate or other actual point of entry to make the transition. The City of Brass is the Inner Hub, existing simultaneously on the Elemental Plane of Fire and in the Astral. Sigil is the Outer Hub that only exists on the Astral but is accessible from any outer planar direction (ie it doesn't matter whether you are flying toward Elysium of Limbo, you'll find Sigil).

 

[werecorpse]

I think this is interesting and am looking at it from the pov of characters.

Can a character not on a boat self transport? Swim? Think themselves along? Why do they float off into the void? Are their currents?
A major reason the sea is dangerous is that we can’t breathe water. If that isnt the case it’s not so bad (see fish). So why do characters need a vessel?
What happens to a group of 8 creatures on the prime who are the subject to a Plane shift spell or The Astral Spell?
They just appear in the Astral without a vessel, what then?

 

[Reynard]

I think this is interesting and am looking at it from the pov of characters.

Can a character not on a boat self transport? Swim? Think themselves along? Why do they float off into the void? Are their currents?
A major reason the sea is dangerous is that we can’t breathe water. If that isnt the case it’s not so bad (see fish). So why do characters need a vessel?
What happens to a group of 8 creatures on the prime who are the subject to a Plane shift spell or The Astral Spell?
They just appear in the Astral without a vessel, what then?

The way I am explaining it is that a creature can, in theory, think themselves around the Astral, but it is not as simple as that. First and foremost, it is a vast expanse of shifting color and emptiness. People in real life lose their grasp on the ocean or in snowy plains. The Astral is that times 1000. It takes phenomenal stability and focus and skill to move freely in the Astral. So, ships.

 

[werecorpse]

So a pc says “I think myself from this ship to that ship 20 feet away” what happens? What if it’s 200 feet? What if it’s 2 miles?

I’m not sure what you mean by “people lose their grasp on the ocean or in snowy plains”. If there’s no point of reference people get lost, or if they over exert themselves they suffer exhaustion, that’s fine. I get navigation issues etc but people in the ocean don’t forget how to swim.

or by saying it takes phenomenal focus etc do you mean that in practice a pc can’t think themselves through the astral sea?

so the party that plane shifts to the astral without a boat is toast?

 

[SkidAce]

I've always used the theory that boats or vehicles(for unknown reasons) are faster and can carry more cargo.

Same reason the material plane uses mounts and vehicles

 

[Reynard]

So a pc says “I think myself from this ship to that ship 20 feet away” what happens? What if it’s 200 feet? What if it’s 2 miles?

I’m not sure what you mean by “people lose their grasp on the ocean or in snowy plains”. If there’s no point of reference people get lost, or if they over exert themselves they suffer exhaustion, that’s fine. I get navigation issues etc but people in the ocean don’t forget how to swim.

or by saying it takes phenomenal focus etc do you mean that in practice a pc can’t think themselves through the astral sea?

so the party that plane shifts to the astral without a boat is toast?

Remember that this is all for a specific use, not any sort of general application for your use of the Astral.

That said, some people absolutely get unhinged when presented with vast open expanses, especially in foreign environments. High altitude pilots, those lost at sea and people caught in whiteout conditions all report dangerous euphoria.

So if a regular sailor falls off the boat into the Astral Sea, they can try and struggle back (Wisdom saving throw; no different than having to make a swim check). If that individual fails, they have panicked or gotten turned around or otherwise lost it. Now they are far away from the ship getting ever deeper into the Astral and away from their ship.

As to what happens when people plane shift to the Astral, I assume they would be going somewhere specific and not just pop in in the middle of the endless void.