Spelljammer What Would Your Ideal Spelljammer Book Be Like?


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I love mixing chocolate and peanut butter, but I still store my peanut butter and Nutella using different jars in my pantry.
Honestly, that might be the best way. Give the classic Spelljammer system as the default, and just have a sidebar saying "Hey, if you optionally want to allow the ships to go to the Astral, or even further afield in the planes, go ahead!" That way, everyone gets what they want at their own table.
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend
Honestly, that might be the best way. Give the classic Spelljammer system as the default, and just have a sidebar saying "Hey, if you optionally want to allow the ships to go to the Astral, or even further afield in the planes, go ahead!" That way, everyone gets what they want at their own table.
To be clear, I want Sigil, portals and all that jazz to exist in the same universe as Spelljammer: same way that Strahd is in his Domain of Dread in the same universe as Spelljammer. I just think Spelljammer is a Setting worthy of it's own time in the spotlight.
 

To be clear, I want Sigil, portals and all that jazz to exist in the same universe as Spelljammer: same way that Strahd is in his Domain of Dread in the same universe as Spelljammer. I just think Spelljammer is a Setting worthy of it's own time in the spotlight.
Oh, same here! I want both Spelljammer and Planescape getting their own attention. I wouldn't be surprised that, if the March book is a Spelljammer adventure/setting hybrid, we'll see a full Planescape book/"non-traditional release format" soon afterwards, maybe even as the May release.
 


teitan

Legend
An adventure with an attached rules supplement describing how spelljamming works and a selection of spelljamming ships. The adventure could include the Rock and the Spelljammer to complete the only essential elements of the setting. Because it is all inclusive it doesn't really need a full campaign setting. Only extra thing needed might be a system for creating worlds to visit.
 

For me the big draw of Spelljammer is the ships - ideally I'd want rules that could be adapted to other kinds of magic ships like airships or sailing the Astral Sea, but if the rules for Spelljamming are complete that's pretty much inevitable.
 

Steampunkette

Rules Tinkerer and Freelance Writer
Supporter
Imagine David Bowie writing the soundtrack to Treasure Planet and also Titan A.E.

And also having a role as a significant secondary character that is in both films.

That is what the Spelljammer book should be like.
 

Bolares

Hero
Giff have no mention of firearms or gunpowder in their whole description, and Scro are nowhere to be seen
I'd say Giff don't have firearms because that's a cultural thing, and WotC is moving away from giving races cultural features. I don't think the UA is a sign Giff will not be gun nuts goin foward. And Scro aren't just orcs in space? What in the Eberron Orc wouldn't fit a Scro?
 

Argyle King

Legend
I'm of the impression that a lot of people (including myself) aren't very familiar with Spelljammer at this point in time.

As such, I think it would be a good opportunity to make some sort of boxed set or "beginner set" as an entry point into the setting and as a way for interested group to dip their toe in the water.

The Beginner Set for Pathfinder 1 is a good example of what it might look like: quick rules primer, brief overview of what to expect from the game/world, and an introductory adventure with just enough info to get a game moving.

If they go more of the plane-hopping Sigil route, maybe the boxed set could give general info about Sigil and then also briefly advertise other settings. It could literally serve as the gateway product for other settings/places (for both Magic and D&D).
 

see

Pedantic Grognard
But they could be combined into one product, without combine the mode of travel correct?

Couldn’t use planescape portals (Sigil) to get to different planes of reality, and spelljammers to navigate the Prime?
You could present Dark Sun and Dragonlance as separate settings in one single book, too. It just wouldn't make any sense at all to actually do that.
 

Levistus's_Leviathan

5e Freelancer
I'd say Giff don't have firearms because that's a cultural thing, and WotC is moving away from giving races cultural features. I don't think the UA is a sign Giff will not be gun nuts goin foward.
I know, and I overall like this change. However, I wish that the UA at least mentioned that Giff typically love firearms.
And Scro aren't just orcs in space? What in the Eberron Orc wouldn't fit a Scro?
They're more intelligent, and I think they're skinnier. However, those probably wouldn't be racial features.

As for "what in the Eberron Orc wouldn't fit Scro", probably the Aggressive feature and Primal Intuition. Scro aren't "Primal", they're militaristic, like Hobgoblins.
 


Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow
That's why I've asked about the Eberron orc. And rithout ASIs would it fit? I'm asking because I have little to no familiarity with the Scro
Scro are just a more advanced civilized Orc, who dont suffer sunlight blindness - they’re described as ‘taller, stronger, smarter and more upright than normal orcs” but in a game with no fixed ASI theres really nothing to distinguish Scro, Ebberon Orcs or normal Orcs other than culture
 




see

Pedantic Grognard
Which, of course, raises a question . . . why not just replace scro with hobgoblins? The scro role is being the organized, militaristic backbone of the goblinoid war fleets. In 5th edition, "goblinoid" is already more restricted in meaning than 2nd edition, and hobgoblins are already the organized, militaristic leaders of goblinoids at war.

By making the substitution, one avoids the whole "respectable, civilized threat versus contemptible, unenlightened barbarians" trope that was the whole essence of the scro vs. orcs dichotomy.
 

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