D&D 5E Starships in 5e

[doctorbadwolf]

So I recently checked out SW5e, and while a lot of it is deeply not for me, the basics of ship combat, ship creation, etc, are really solid.

But also hardwired to leveling up, with your ship gaining levels, and PCs leveling up their ship roles (called Deployments), rather than messing around with item-based ship upgrades like Star Wars Saga Edition, and I frankly just don’t like the idea of having multiple level tracks to keep tabs on.

So now I’m curious, do any of you have a favorite already-built system for handling space vehicles in a fun and simple way in 5e, that is a little more engaging than just using the standard ship rules from SaltMarsh?

 

[Leatherhead]

I can't say that I do.

But I was pondering on how to give everyone a battle-skiff for when I inevitably start up my next Spelljammer Campaign. So I will end up monitoring this thread to mine for such ideas.

 

[Weiley31]

I have yet to play/try it, but Esper Genesis, which uses 5E as the framework, has Starships and what not. That would probably be my second go to option. The ships don't level up, but I do know your PC's ability scores affect stuff on what your ship can do and when in positions like commander, gunner, and what not.

 

[TerraDave]

I'd be interested in an actual Dwarves in Space/Starfinder/Dragon Star for 5e. So spaceships and lasers in space, vs ships and muskets.

 

[cbwjm]

I'm hoping the spelljammer stuff comes up with some updated/expanded ship stuff that allows you to run starship battles. Otherwise, I might look to star wars saga and see how easy it would be to replace some of the stats to be more in line with 5e. I think they had feats that acted like force powers but were manoeuvres for pilots that could be good to adapt.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'm hoping the spelljammer stuff comes up with some updated/expanded ship stuff that allows you to run starship battles.

Me too.

Otherwise, I might look to star wars saga and see how easy it would be to replace some of the stats to be more in line with 5e. I think they had feats that acted like force powers but were manoeuvres for pilots that could be good to adapt.

Yeah I think a lot of what SWSE did in starship combat works really well. If nothing else, I might use a hybrid of it and SW5e mechanics to make a set of mechanics that feels like 5e and also satisfies the itch to be a fighter pilot with a customized S-100 Stinger Class starfighter or a tricked out Yt-1930 that’s been made nimble enough to dogfight with enough guns to be a threat to larger ships.

 

[Stormonu]

So I recently checked out SW5e, and while a lot of it is deeply not for me, the basics of ship combat, ship creation, etc, are really solid.

But also hardwired to leveling up, with your ship gaining levels, and PCs leveling up their ship roles (called Deployments), rather than messing around with item-based ship upgrades like Star Wars Saga Edition, and I frankly just don’t like the idea of having multiple level tracks to keep tabs on.

So now I’m curious, do any of you have a favorite already-built system for handling space vehicles in a fun and simple way in 5e, that is a little more engaging than just using the standard ship rules from SaltMarsh?

Not 5E rules, but (FFE's) X-Wing is the best starfighter combat I've seen. Armada is good for capital ships, though it has a very droll, slow feel to it compared to the fast-paced feel of X-Wing - but it is essentially Age of Sail combat after all.

Before you poo-poo on using X-Wing, know that during the 3E days of Star Wars, the WotC designers preferred to use the ICE Silent Death rules (a highly abstracted space combat game) to handle starship combat instead of the standard RPG rules. They even had an article on how to convert the Silent Death rules for Star Wars in the Star Wars gamer magazine. If I recall correctly, Silent Death was originally supposed to be Star Wars licensed, but that fell through before it was published (the box set retaining a very Star Wars Trench Run appearance).

Using straight 5E rules for starships leads to madness like WEG's Star Warriors.

 

[Micah Sweet]

So I recently checked out SW5e, and while a lot of it is deeply not for me, the basics of ship combat, ship creation, etc, are really solid.

But also hardwired to leveling up, with your ship gaining levels, and PCs leveling up their ship roles (called Deployments), rather than messing around with item-based ship upgrades like Star Wars Saga Edition, and I frankly just don’t like the idea of having multiple level tracks to keep tabs on.

So now I’m curious, do any of you have a favorite already-built system for handling space vehicles in a fun and simple way in 5e, that is a little more engaging than just using the standard ship rules from SaltMarsh?

Mage Hand Press's Dark Matter has a solid, functional starship system for 5e. It has a couple odd points from a sim perspective, but it works fine for the most part.

 

[Rogerd1]

Mage Hand Press's Dark Matter has a solid, functional starship system for 5e. It has a couple odd points from a sim perspective, but it works fine for the most part.

Yeah there is a 5e Supplement called Wildjammer which incorporates the rules from Dark Matter

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Not 5E rules, but (FFE's) X-Wing is the best starfighter combat I've seen. Armada is good for capital ships, though it has a very droll, slow feel to it compared to the fast-paced feel of X-Wing - but it is essentially Age of Sail combat after all.

Before you poo-poo on using X-Wing, know that during the 3E days of Star Wars, the WotC designers preferred to use the ICE Silent Death rules (a highly abstracted space combat game) to handle starship combat instead of the standard RPG rules. They even had an article on how to convert the Silent Death rules for Star Wars in the Star Wars gamer magazine. If I recall correctly, Silent Death was originally supposed to be Star Wars licensed, but that fell through before it was published (the box set retaining a very Star Wars Trench Run appearance).

Using straight 5E rules for starships leads to madness like WEG's Star Warriors.

I mean I’ve used pretty straight ship rules for 5e in the past, when running space stories without much new mechanical content, and it works fine. It was just more shallow than I want.

Mage Hand Press's Dark Matter has a solid, functional starship system for 5e. It has a couple odd points from a sim perspective, but it works fine for the most part.

Yeah simulation isn’t important to me, just having a good feel, feeling like the same basic system, and creating a satisfying experience of what it’s representing.

In this case, customization is absolutely required on some level, as is every character having something fun to do.