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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Maldin" data-source="post: 3530929" data-attributes="member: 27170">There was a lively discussion on the probability of spelljamming vessels "bumping" into eachother over on the WotC Spelljammer boards <a href="http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=794997" target="_blank">in this thread</a> . My theory for reconciling the rules went like so... The physics of the D&D multiverse is rather different then the RealWorld. For a detailed explanation of the how and why of this, see my "Life, the Multiverse, and Everything" page at <a href="http://melkot.com/mysteries/multiverse.html" target="_blank">http://melkot.com/mysteries/multiverse.html</a> (sorry for the shameless plug, but you may find that it explains the D&D multiverse nicely for you - its what ties my multiverse together)One of the themes my page discusses is the "Laws of the Multiverse", and the different "forces" (for lack of a better term, I use the capitalized term "Variables"). Two of the Variables are a complimentary pair "Magical Energy" and "Life Energy" (or Vitae).As a ship travels through the truly astronomical dimensions of wildspace, even the tiniest variations in its course result in huge differences in its final destination. How does a spelljammer plot a course accurate to thousandths or even millionths of a degree? Obviously... he can't! Yet still, the ship always (most times) ends up exactly where it wants to be. Impossible, you say? No, this is inherent in the magical functioning of the helm. Even the slightest inaccuracy in direction would render the helm worthless... jammers would get hopelessly lost every time they plotted a course to some destination that they couldn't physically see (and make visual course corrections on approach).How does this work? Well, a spelljamming helm actually has a built-in self-correcting functionality that utilizes a sort of "heat-seeking" magical technology... it is literally drawn towards "Magical Energy" and "Life Energy", and its detection capability operates at astronomical distances! Truly a wonder of magical accomplishment (and why the Arcane have the monopoly). Unbeknownst to most jammers, their course is actually deflected by the presence of such concentrations ever so slightly. At these distances, it doesn't take much deflection to result in a "bull's eye", and just enough happens to get travellers where they want to be (most times). Since most destinations have either life, or magic, or both (and most empty space has nothing), the system works. Jammers travelling near eachother would also have their two flight paths deflected towards eachother, almost guaranteeing that they'll approach close enough to drop out of spelljamming speed. This not only would explain why wildspace encounters happen at all, but why wildspace encounters are virtually guaranteed.Of course, this theory could have game consequences, if the DM so desires. A destination that is totally lacking in Magical or Life Energy (a difficult thing in a magic multiverse) would theoretically be more difficult to find. A malfunctioning helm could be repulsed by the same forces (or neutral), rendering it useless, possibly causing the travellers to become lost for years. Enter "The Lost Patrol" adventure where the PCs (whose helm is functioning) happens upon a group of lost travellers who think that some old war is still raging. I'm sure DMs can come up with other scenarios as well.Denis, aka "Maldin"Maldin's Greyhawk <a href="http://melkot.com" target="_blank">http://melkot.com</a>Loads of edition-independent Greyhawk goodness... maps, magic, mysteries, mechanics, and more! Including all-new spelljammer ship fold-up models!</blockquote>

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