Sunday 11 September 2022

Spelljamming in GURPS

Spelljamming in GURPS

Spelljammer is topical. I've never had any deep knowledge of the AD&D Spelljammer setting, but I was always curious about it, because it's cool. Not that long ago, a Spelljammer supplement for 5e got released, and it was dross of unimaginable proportions. So, instead I got the AD&D Spelljammer book and gave it a read. This post covers spelljamming movement rules and helms, but not the actual vehicles.

Skills required:
Navigation (Space) is used to navigate in wildspace. Navigation (Phlogiston) is used to find crystal spheres in the Flow. This skill should have no default at all.

To be a helmsman, learns Piloting (Spelljammer). This deserves its own specialty, because it is significantly different from Piloting (Contragrav) - you basically become one with the ship. This is also why Piloting (Spelljammer) should be an IQ/Average skill instead of DX/Average. Crewmates, however, use Crewmate (Flying Sailor).

Spelljammer Movement
Spelljammers move differently depending on the circumstances. When being operated by a helmsman, they can fly in the atmosphere, through the wildspace, or through the Flow, also known as Phlogiston. Spelljammers based on naval vessels may land on water. If they are to sail on water, they use the normal statistics for the ship of their class.
In atmosphere: When flying through the atmosphere, a spelljammer has Move 1/7 per ShR. Thus, a ship with ShR 4 will have Move 4/28. Only ships capable of landing on water or land can do so and take off safely. Any ship can crash onto a planet or its ocean, but then taking off again iss guaranteed to be a problem.
In wildspace: Traveling in a straight line, spelljamming ships can attain high velocity relatively quickly, spanning the great emptiness between the planets in a short time. Upon making a turn, or coming into the gravity field of another large body, the spelljammer helm automatically decelerates to a more manageable atmospheric speed. This sudden slowdown does not cause whiplash. Returning to the proper wildspace speed required leaving the gravity well and warming up the spelljammer helm for 2d minutes. For such objects as other ships, the gravity well usually extends to 1,200 yards. This is a function of all spelljamming, regardless of the type of helm or owning race of the ship. A “large body” is any body of 10 tons or greater space displacement (100 cubic yards, or a cube slightly less than 14 feet on a side with an effective SM+4), which includes most spelljamming ships, planets, stars, and other worthwhile celestial bodies. A ship can travel 100 million miles per day regardless of its ShR, size, or the Piloting (Spelljammer) skill of the character manning the helm. This means that any spelljammer can travel 1 A.U. per day.
In the Flow: The rainbow ocean allows spelljamming ships to attain greater velocities. These speeds have defied measurement since the phlogiston is without permanent landmarks or markers. Time is the only constant.
In general, it takes 2dx10 days to travel from one crystal sphere to another. The sphere reached is random unless a successful Navigation (Phlogiston) roll was made to find a particular sphere. Unless the helmsman has a locator device ($2,000; 5 lbs.), this roll is made at -5 for no equipment. Some spheres are unreachable from others due to the Flow itself, and travelers must go through a third or fourth sphere in order to reach their goal. A ship’s last port of call determines which spheres it can move to. Port of call is the sighting or landing within a crystal sphere.
Ships in the Flow slow down to atmospheric speed when they encounter other bodies, such as ships and rogue planets, but this does not affect total travel time.
               
Spelljammer Helms
Ships travel through wildspace by means of the helm – a magical device which converts mystical energy into motive force, the push that moves the spelljammer. This allows rapid movement from planet to planet. Some of the specifics vary from race to race. In general, however, most ships are equipped with a magical device known as a spelljammer helm.
A helm can be operated only by a character with magical or divine abilities. The character sitting at the helm acts as a living engine, providing the mystical power to move the ship through wildspace and to perform some basic maneuvering as well. The better the Piloting (Spelljammer) skill of the pilot, the faster and further the ship can move.
Each minor and major spelljammer helm allows the individual seated upon it to move a large mass through space by means of channeling mystical energy directly into a motive force. The power of the force is known as the ship’s rating (ShR). A minor helm provides ShR = Piloting (Spelljammer)/4, rounded up, a major helm provides ShR = Piloting (Spelljammer)/3, rounded up.
As soon as the character sits on the helm and becomes aware of the ship, he becomes unable to use any of his magical or divine abilities for 24 hours. In effect, the helm “drains” the helmsman of all his supernatural powers the moment it is activated. Using a helm costs 1 FP per hour, but the helmsman can use his ER (Magical or Divine) to power it as well. The helmsman is aware of damage to the hull as bright flashes of pain. Thus, damage to the hull imposes shock penalties to the helmsman’s actions, and major wounds may stun or knock him out.
An individual seated upon a helm can talk and act normally. The sensation of using the helm is akin to being immersed in warm water. As a result of the magical nature of the helm, the spelljamming character using the helm can see things around the ship as if he were standing on the deck. The ship becomes an extension of his body, and responds to his demands in movement. The maneuverability of a craft is a reflection of both the spelljamming character’s ability and the Handling class of the ship.
A minor helm can move a ship up to 50 tons. A major helm can move one up to 200 tons.
Only one helm may be in service at a time, though backups are possible.
A minor helm costs $250,000 and weighs 80 pounds. A major helm costs $750,000 and weighs 160 pounds. It can be installed on any vehicle or structure, typically a naval vessel, but there are spelljammer hulls specially made for traveling in wildspace. The minimum weight of the hull is 1 ton.
 
Series Helms
Series helms were invented by the mind flayers, but the idea has been adapted for a number of other psionic races. Series helms look like the gamut of major and minor helms, running from simple-looking to ornate, but unlike the spelljamming helms, the series helms can be linked together, one to another, to increase their power.
For each helm in a series manned by a mind flayer (or whatever creature the helm is designed for), the ship has an ShR of 1. In general, mind flayer ships will have between two and five series helms, though they may not all be occupied. For the purpose of maneuvering the ship, use the highest Piloting (Spelljammer) skill from among the helmsmen.
If a mind flayer in a series helm is slain, then the series is broken for one minute, and the ship loses all power and movement. Further, all mind flayers in the series must roll against Will-5 or drop to -1xHP. In other aspects, such as FP drain, awareness, and shock penalties, series helms work like spelljamming helms. However, instead of blocking out magical and divine abilities, series helms block psionic abilities. Instead of being able to drain ER (Magical or Divine), series helms can drain ER (Psionic).
Series helms can move up to 50 tons. Their lower limit is a 5-ton ship.
Each helm in the series costs $100,000 and weighs 60 pounds.
 
Pool Helms
Developed by the mind flayers, the pool helm uses the natural life-pool of the mind flayers to power the ships, as opposed to illithids themselves. Such ships have an automatic ShR of 5 and are used primarily as transports. The pool counts as two crew members and has an effective Piloting (Spelljammer) skill level of 15. Current rumored maximum size of a ship powered by a pool helm is 200 tons.
A pool helm costs $1,200,000 and weighs 100 lbs.
 
Orbus
The orbus is a living being that functions much like a series helm on the beholder tyrant ships. For each living orbus (maximum of five for the typical tyrant ship), the ship has an ShR of 1. The effective Piloting (Spelljammer) level equals to 6 + 2 per living orbus.
The orbi are usually found near the center of a beholder ship, surrounding the Great Mother or Hiveleader. If an orbus is slain, the ShR and Piloting (Spelljammer) are diminished accordingly.
Orbi appear as blind beholders, with milky skin over all their eyes. They are pale and practically helpless on their own. They have been bred to serve and have almost no will of their own. A single orbus can create spelljamming energy for 20 tons of ship.
An orbus costs $200,000.
 
Forges
Dwarves have large asteroid ships powered by magical engines they call forges. These forges are huge foundry rooms at the base of the ship where dwarves work around the clock, building, carving, creating, and forging. The basic idea of the forge is the conversion of creative energy into movement.
A forge requires at least 200 cubic yards (2 tons) for every 50 dwarves involved. For every 100 dwarves at work, the ship has an ShR of 1. The minimum size of a dwarven ship is 100 tons, with a maximum size of 700 tons. Non-dwarves do not produce energy when operating the forges.
Installing a forge costs $1,000,000 initially, and $200,000 per year to maintain it. The positive side effect is that the dwarves always have fully stocked armories and a lot of goods to sell. The negative side effect is that the asteroid is likely to run out of ore to mine and hence be abandoned.
 
Gnomish Helms
Gnomish helms should not function, and many of them do not function. They include a large number of bells and whistles and very little substance, but some of them contain a very well-hidden minor spelljamming helm. A gnomish helm costs $150,000 and weighs 1 ton. Only about 60% of Gnomish helms work (due to having an actual minor spelljammer helm built into them), and the remaining 40% are so much bunk and hokum.
Those foolish enough to purchase a Gnomish helm that works should also hire two to eight gnomes to serve as repairmen. Any time the helm is used, it is treated as having Malf 12. Fixing it requires 1d hours.
 
Crown of the Stars
This magical item distills the abilities of a minor helm into a portable item that can be worn, allowing the helmsman to move normally in addition to commanding his ship. Despite its name, a crown of the stars is not necessarily a crown; it may be a torc, a necklace, a girdle, or any other worn item, but not a ring.
If the crown is used to power a ship for one week or more, it becomes bonded to that ship. It cannot be used to power a different ship unless it has been away from its bonded ship for at least one week, thereby severing the bond.
The crown of the stars is effective up to one mile away from the ship it is bonded to, so a helmsman can operate the vessel even if he is not on board. A crown of the stars will not affect a ship with an active helm on board.
A crown of the stars costs $1,500,000.
 
Furnaces
Furnaces take their power not from living supernatural energy, but from magical items. The items are fed into the furnace (and destroyed) to power the ship. As a rule of thumb, every EP an item is worth, the furnace will function for one week at ShR 2. The effective Piloting (Spelljammer) skill is 10.
A furnace costs $100,000 and weighs 300 lbs.
 
Artifurnace
An artifurnace is the ultimate stage of the development of the furnace – a magically-powered spelljamming device which draws its power from a magical artifact. Each is a custom-made, priceless device tailored to contain and siphon energy from a specific artifact. Because an artifact is practically eternal, the power derived from it is equally so. Once installed, an artifurnace provides ShR 5 and an effective Piloting (Spelljammer) skill of 15. The artifurnace is destroyed if the artifact is ever removed.
 
Lifejammer
The lifejammer acts as a minor spelljamming helm, but drains the life force from any individual placed inside (usually against his will). Once it has depleted all FP, it begins to drain HP, potentially killing the operator. It requires a helmsman that will actually control the ship, determining its ShR, but that helmsman does not lose any FP or experience any shock or stun from hull damage.
A lifejammer costs $300,000 and weighs 100 pounds.

As for the spelljammers themselves - just use existing ships from GURPS Basic Set, GURPS Low-Tech, GURPS Vehicles: Transports of Fantasy, the upcoming GURPS Vehicles: Biremes and Triremes, or whatever other source. That works for groundling ships, but the proper specialized spelljammer hulls should not be too difficult to convert. I might write some up some in the future.


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