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Voltage89
2018-07-25, 09:31 AM
Hey Everyone. So I am looking to homebrew a setting for 5e d&d and I had a pretty cool idea in my opinion. I was going to have about 5 planets in a solar system. My idea was that they would all be rather small, maybe like pluto sized instead of earth so they would basically each just have one or two continents. I was wondering if anyone has ever tried anything like this before? The focus of the games wouldnt be on spacetravel and such, but it would definilty be an option. I would most likely just take some stuff from Spelljammer and add things in from there.

brian 333
2018-07-25, 11:28 AM
Mars has about the land area of Africa. The Moon has less area than Greenland.

I like the idea; however, it brings up some interesting issues you will need to resolve.

1) What is the nature of interplanetary space? Can one breathe there normally? Can one use spells like Water Breathing to sustain life?

2) How does one travel between worlds?

3) Does gravity have anything to do with planetary mass?
3a) If so, how do different gravities affect strength, Dexterity, and Reflex?
3b) Are orbital mechanics a result of Newton's Laws or are they controlled by magic or divine mechanisms?

4) Are deities specific to a planet? Are some deities pan-solar while others are bound to a planet? Are all deities pan-solar?

5) Are planetary atmospheres similar to ours or vastly different from one another's?

I can imagine Void Dragons living on diamond and prescious metal asteroids, flying to the distant reaches of the solar system while Pegasus riders travel between a world and its moon. A griffon may lack the stamina to get to the Moon while a pegasus might lack the endurance to make it to Venus.

I can also imagine space being hostile to life requiring travel between worlds to be limited to teleportation and magical rocket ships or spelljammer type craft.

Without the answers to the many possible mechanics of such a setting it would be difficult to build for such a setting. You need to design the underlying physics of your multi-world campaign. Otherwise, I am fascinated by the possibilities available in such a setting.

***

In the depths of the asteroid, which was actually twelve asteroids cemented together by dust and their feeble gravity, the wizard used a huge obsidian orb to scry the volume of space around the asteroid.

Three vessels which were too large to dock at The Dirty Dozen were in parking orbits, matching the asteroid's vector. One looked as if it would be more at home floating on the oceans of Ert than in space. The second appeared to be a chubby cylinder, tapered on both ends with a nozzle pointing out of one end. The other was a pregnant disc with an almost spherical bulge in its center but no other features on its bright silver exterior. They were being serviced by small craft that appeared as soap bubbles attached to flat round platters.

The asteroid itself was a lumpy sphere with many external structures showing polarized windows. On one end a hexagonal portal was covered by a Force Field through which the soap-bubbles entered and exited, their diminutive size emphasized by the giant hexagonal mouth.

On the globe movement showed at the outer surface, and its vector line pointed inward: a space-craft, not a naturally occurring wandering object. At the extreme resolution of the scrying device the craft showed only as a cylinder. The wizard cast a Sending to the ship.

"Unidentified craft approaching The Dirty Dozen, be advised that you have entered our traffic control zone. Please state your intentions."

"This is the bioship Unien," came the reply. "We have cargo for Gorian Merchantile. We intend to trade for methane ice and any good deals you may offer."

"Free trader Unien, please assume a parking orbit at L4. Gorian Merchantile is being informed of your imminent arrival. Welcome to The Dirty Dozen."

The wizard touched a blue square on the tabletop beside him, shifted in his plush chair, and refocused his attention on the sphere. He was the first line of defense against high speed impacts by rogue asteroids an against attacks by hostile space ships. The Dirty Dozen Trading Conglomerate would not be taken by surprise while he was on watch.

Voltage89
2018-07-25, 11:37 AM
Mars has about the land area of Africa. The Moon has less area than Greenland.

I like the idea; however, it brings up some interesting issues you will need to resolve.

1) What is the nature of interplanetary space? Can one breathe there normally? Can one use spells like Water Breathing to sustain life?

2) How does one travel between worlds?

3) Does gravity have anything to do with planetary mass?
3a) If so, how do different gravities affect strength, Dexterity, and Reflex?
3b) Are orbital mechanics a result of Newton's Laws or are they controlled by magic or divine mechanisms?

4) Are deities specific to a planet? Are some deities pan-solar while others are bound to a planet? Are all deities pan-solar?

5) Are planetary atmospheres similar to ours or vastly different from one another's?

I can imagine Void Dragons living on diamond and prescious metal asteroids, flying to the distant reaches of the solar system while Pegasus riders travel between a world and its moon. A griffon may lack the stamina to get to the Moon while a pegasus might lack the endurance to make it to Venus.

I can also imagine space being hostile to life requiring travel between worlds to be limited to teleportation and magical rocket ships or spelljammer type craft.

Without the answers to the many possible mechanics of such a setting it would be difficult to build for such a setting. You need to design the underlying physics of your multi-world campaign. Otherwise, I am fascinated by the possibilities available in such a setting.

***

In the depths of the asteroid, which was actually twelve asteroids cemented together by dust and their feeble gravity, the wizard used a huge obsidian orb to scry the volume of space around the asteroid.

Three vessels which were too large to dock at The Dirty Dozen were in parking orbits, matching the asteroid's vector. One looked as if it would be more at home floating on the oceans of Ert than in space. The second appeared to be a chubby cylinder, tapered on both ends with a nozzle pointing out of one end. The other was a pregnant disc with an almost spherical bulge in its center but no other features on its bright silver exterior. They were being serviced by small craft that appeared as soap bubbles attached to flat round platters.

The asteroid itself was a lumpy sphere with many external structures showing polarized windows. On one end a hexagonal portal was covered by a Force Field through which the soap-bubbles entered and exited, their diminutive size emphasized by the giant hexagonal mouth.

On the globe movement showed at the outer surface, and its vector line pointed inward: a space-craft, not a naturally occurring wandering object. At the extreme resolution of the scrying device the craft showed only as a cylinder. The wizard cast a Sending to the ship.

"Unidentified craft approaching The Dirty Dozen, be advised that you have entered our traffic control zone. Please state your intentions."

"This is the bioship Unien," came the reply. "We have cargo for Gorian Merchantile. We intend to trade for methane ice and any good deals you may offer."

"Free trader Unien, please assume a parking orbit at L4. Gorian Merchantile is being informed of your imminent arrival. Welcome to The Dirty Dozen."

The wizard touched a blue square on the tabletop beside him, shifted in his plush chair, and refocused his attention on the sphere. He was the first line of defense against high speed impacts by rogue asteroids an against attacks by hostile space ships. The Dirty Dozen Trading Conglomerate would not be taken by surprise while he was on watch.
I definitly agree that it will require a lot of homebrew work, but I think it will be a lot of fun coming up with all these things. My idea for the planets was 3 to be civilized, 1 to be a Dark Sun like planet where Lion humanoids control the land, and the last to be a dinosaur land where Tarassque are actually not all to rare. I was also got the idea from a d&d show where instead of having a hell or devil plane, having a planet on the outskirts of the solar system.