Spelljammer Spelljammer, 5e, and the general angst against all things space

[Bleys Icefalcon]

I am having a personal dilemma in my long term ongoing gaming world and group of players. I freaking love Spelljammer. The moment it was introduced by TSR it became integral to almost every aspect of any campaign I DM'd, any adventure I wrote.

The issue is that no matter how hard I try and integrate it into any of the games since moving here to Jacksonville, it keeps getting met with resistance, if not outright hostility. So far I have painstakingly converted everything to 3.0/3.5. then to Pathfinder, and now to 5e. The issue is they are still Luke Warm as far as being receptive is concerned, at best.

Now, I admit, openly and freely - Spelljammer is my baby. It's my personal sweet spot. I absolutely love it, and can't see the game without it. As a player, or a DM I don't want the game without it. It is obviously, painfully so, just how geeked I am when it comes to Spelljamming as far as my players are concerned.

We have a great group, and play a great, fun, game and have a great time doing so. But for me, this one part is lacking. I need to figure out how to persuade them, to move them from ambivalence and opposition to acceptance and possibly even enjoyment. Does anyone have any suggestions? How can I light that Spelljammer FIRE!!!!!

 

[iserith]

Have you mentioned to them there are Giant Space Hamsters?

Because that's all it took for me to sign up.

 

[Istbor]

Illithids in space! *said in the same way as pigs in space*

That and the party possibly owning their own ship is basically what sold me.

Also not to be a Debbie downer, you may have to prepare for the fact that it is not for everyone. Someone out there, there is someone who won't like it. Regardless of how very cool it is.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[hawkeyefan]

I'm not sure what can be done. Some folks just see Spelljammer as it's presented as kind of cheesy or too out there for a traditional fantasy setting.

I personally use aspects of it...a Spelljamming ship is currently a major focus of my long-standing campaign. However, the ship travels the planes, not space.

I have a similar feeling toward the planes and Planescape as you do for Spelljamming, so I took what I thought to be the cool aspects of Spelljammer and incorporated it that way. I think that players of a fantasy setting are a lot more open to traveling from world to world via the planes than by space. I don't know how general that trend might be, but it certainly is the case with my players.

So how faithful are you to the Spelljammer stuff? Do you use the whole Crystal Sphere concept, and the whacky gravity rules or what?

And what are the features your players seem to not like? Can you give specifics?

 

[Azurewraith]

First thing i would try and find why they are against spelljammer to begin with i mean if there mother was ran over by a rogue ilithid hotrod im sure you can understand why they will never want to play once you know their problems you can try and fix them.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

One thing I've been finding, especially with gamers that weren't there when all the great 2e settings came out, is that they tend not to have as great an attachment or interest in those settings.

As far as sparking interest, you could always ask them what kind of things they want to see in the game, and talk about how those would fit into Spelljammer. Alternately, just ask them what they don't like about Spelljammer and work from there.

It can be really frustrating to be a DM and have a real passion for a setting or game, and your gaming group just returns a big ole "meh."

 

[TerraDave]

I would more sneak it in.

Its one thing to oppose "spelljammer" a particular setting from the 2E era.

Its another thing entirely to resist a cool situation/plot that leads them to a spaceship that they can actually sail into space. And then do other cool things.

 

[MG.0]

I always liked Spelljammer too. Some of it was cheesy but that stuff can be dropped if it doesn't fit your players' style.

I see Spelljammer as a necessary component of any multiplanar campaign. I mean, otherwise you can travel to other dimensions...but not up? I would love to see crystal spheres and the phlogiston worked into the great wheel in a comprehensive manner. Also, I'd like to see the removal of the Feywild, Shadowfell, and Elemental Chaos and the return of the Shadow plane and Ravenloft.

 

[Saplatt]

I guess I'm guilty of irrational resistance. I can deal with all kinds of ridiculous and fantastic things, but somewhere you have to draw a line, and elves in space is just two or three steps too far. I'm trying to think of what would make it easier for me to accept, but I just can't come up with anything.