Not really. In Spelljammer, Phlogiston is a place as well as a multi-colored flammable substance. It can be considered a dimension unto itself, separating solar systems and disconnected from other planes of existence. As a substance it can't exist outside of this 'dimension' at all. On the other hand, Phlogiston as imagined by 17th century scientists was simply an invisible, intangible substance required for combustion and nothing more. If Spelljammer hadn't used the name Phlogiston, there would be virtually nothing to connect the two very different concepts.
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Spelljammer Spelljammer, 5e, and the general angst against all things space
- Thread starter Bleys Icefalcon
- Start date
Sword of Spirit
Legend
And the solar system enclosing crystal spheres of Spelljammer are much closer to Dyson spheres than to the Russian doll like concentric celestial spheres of ancient astronomical theories.
Dire Bare
Legend
Yeah, really.
Of course they are not identical to their real world inspirations . . . you know what, nevermind. Let's just agree to disagree.
I agree with the guy who said "just try it." You're the DM, and assuming nobody else is willing to step up and DM, you're in the driver's seat.
Thread title made me wish for a 5e Gamma World, a 5e Star Frontiers, a 5e take on D20 with books for Modern and Post-Apocalyptic and Sci-Fi, etc.
Thread title made me wish for a 5e Gamma World, a 5e Star Frontiers, a 5e take on D20 with books for Modern and Post-Apocalyptic and Sci-Fi, etc.
Cristian Andreu
Explorer
Make a regular D&D campaign and keep dropping anchors from the sky on them until someone takes a bite. Once they do, you can say "Hey, it's your fault".
More seriously, I think you can go two ways: In one you ask players to give it a try to see if they like it, fully assuming that Spelljammer is an odd setting (one of my personal favourites, I might add) and that it can be fun precisely because of that (I usually describe SJ as "It's the D&D they would play in Flash Gordon"). This route requires expecting players to take the setting in a comical fashion, which I think is fine considering Spelljammer does have a very light-hearted flavour to it, but one you can handle as the story unfolds.
A second way would be to sneak Spelljammer into a game, slowly adding elements until you can safely put your boxed set on top of the table. I think this is the easiest if you first make a pass through Planescape, since the two settings click together very nicely in their weirdness and sense of ultramundane adventures. For some people, going right into "D&D with spaceships" might be a bit jarring (particularly these days, when there isn't really a big equivalent in pop nerd culture to tempt them into trying the sub-genre. Back in the 80's and early 90's we had everything from Thundarr the Barbarian to He-Man to Flash Gordon), adding elements at a slow pace might make the transition easier.
For instance, they might stumble upon a portal sending them to another world, where they encounter a nation suffering under the plotting of beholders; as far as they know, they are just in another part of their own world or in another plane, which is still safe ground as far as current D&D goes. Later they find it's actually several factions of beholders plotting againts each other what's breaking the nation apart, slowly finding out these things are everywhere out there and warring for racial purity and/or control of several worlds. Eventually, they have to use a strange flying ship to deal with the Eye Tyrants directly and bam, they are swimming in phlogiston and visiting stone ships shaped like dwarven heads two sessions down the road.
More seriously, I think you can go two ways: In one you ask players to give it a try to see if they like it, fully assuming that Spelljammer is an odd setting (one of my personal favourites, I might add) and that it can be fun precisely because of that (I usually describe SJ as "It's the D&D they would play in Flash Gordon"). This route requires expecting players to take the setting in a comical fashion, which I think is fine considering Spelljammer does have a very light-hearted flavour to it, but one you can handle as the story unfolds.
A second way would be to sneak Spelljammer into a game, slowly adding elements until you can safely put your boxed set on top of the table. I think this is the easiest if you first make a pass through Planescape, since the two settings click together very nicely in their weirdness and sense of ultramundane adventures. For some people, going right into "D&D with spaceships" might be a bit jarring (particularly these days, when there isn't really a big equivalent in pop nerd culture to tempt them into trying the sub-genre. Back in the 80's and early 90's we had everything from Thundarr the Barbarian to He-Man to Flash Gordon), adding elements at a slow pace might make the transition easier.
For instance, they might stumble upon a portal sending them to another world, where they encounter a nation suffering under the plotting of beholders; as far as they know, they are just in another part of their own world or in another plane, which is still safe ground as far as current D&D goes. Later they find it's actually several factions of beholders plotting againts each other what's breaking the nation apart, slowly finding out these things are everywhere out there and warring for racial purity and/or control of several worlds. Eventually, they have to use a strange flying ship to deal with the Eye Tyrants directly and bam, they are swimming in phlogiston and visiting stone ships shaped like dwarven heads two sessions down the road.
I would love a remake of the d20 modern line. The setting would work so well with the new mechanics of 5ed.
Can't help thinking it would be cool to see it done classless/level-less, too (point-buy?). Maybe even with a Fantasy hardback with rules for playing 5e Fantasy that way.
Why would I want to play space games using D&D? There are a million other games out on the market that can do it just as well, if not better. I don't mind the Age of Sails feel to a game. But why not just do an actual pirate game? Or make airships? Don't need to bounce between locations. Or we could play 7th Sea too... mmmm... 7th Sea....
Part of the dislike of spelljammer might also be because it tends to randomly crossover other planes. I'm not interested in jumping from Krynn to Toril to Eberron. And, yes, there is a very strong sense of that being a part of the game. A number of D&D tropes fall apart once you start leaving planes. Lets say that I make a cleric of some god. Putting him on a ship into crossing the planes feels... awkwards, to say the least. Wizards are understandable in a space setting. I can even get behind monks, fighters, rogues, and so on. Druids and rangers and barbarians? Feels a bit more strained.
Spelljammer also heavily suggests firearms and swashbuckling to many people as part of its themes, and guns are a firm line in the sand for many.
Part of the dislike of spelljammer might also be because it tends to randomly crossover other planes. I'm not interested in jumping from Krynn to Toril to Eberron. And, yes, there is a very strong sense of that being a part of the game. A number of D&D tropes fall apart once you start leaving planes. Lets say that I make a cleric of some god. Putting him on a ship into crossing the planes feels... awkwards, to say the least. Wizards are understandable in a space setting. I can even get behind monks, fighters, rogues, and so on. Druids and rangers and barbarians? Feels a bit more strained.
Spelljammer also heavily suggests firearms and swashbuckling to many people as part of its themes, and guns are a firm line in the sand for many.
vpuigdoller
Adventurer
I think spelljammer is a fabulous setting. I agree with other posters just introduce it slowly. Have a blast.
And I agree with the one poster way back that said doing this would be a violation of trust after everyone saying they didn't want it.
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