Spelljammer Announced

[Sparky McDibben]

I am unburdened of my salt, and I rise like a bland-ass potato chip from the ashes of my discontent.

[Foolwise]

Noticed the Giff have had their empire taken from them. So not british.

Except the Britons kinda had their empire taken from them as well. So totally British.

[Sigreid]

Except the Britons kinda had their empire taken from them as well. So totally British.

Not really. There was no mention of their empire. Just a line about them being a race of vagabonds that don't know where they came from. Very not British. :P

[NCat]

I'm surprised they put out Thri-Kreen here instead of Dark Sun. I think maybe they aren't going to do Dark Sun, but now they just need to figure out a Psionics base class and individual DMs can handle it.

On the topic of dark sun and new-spelljammer having some sort of link, the new Monster document pdf thing they put out did have a Nightmare Beast on there, being its highest CR creature. The nightmare beast if I recall is a traditionally Dark Sun creature if I recall?


My guess is that, they're probably going to start building up a bunch of hints towards Dark Sun (Like we had the spelljammer in frostmaiden), and then maybe a few years we see it? And since the spelljammer book is about travelling between different settings, I'd assume they definitely would bring it up and give a brief description of the world as one of the many settings you could travel to?

So yeah, my guess is it gets brought up there, even if just for a paragraph or few, and then a couple years time we get a new attempt at a psionics class (hopefully), some more UA, and then a dark sun campaign setting book / adventure / both. Hell, maybe theyll release another 3 book thing like they did here. 1 small book with general psionics rules with no focused setting, 1 dark sun world book, and then 1 adventure.

[Sigreid]

On the topic of dark sun and new-spelljammer having some sort of link, the new Monster document pdf thing they put out did have a Nightmare Beast on there, being its highest CR creature. The nightmare beast if I recall is a traditionally Dark Sun creature if I recall?


My guess is that, they're probably going to start building up a bunch of hints towards Dark Sun (Like we had the spelljammer in frostmaiden), and then maybe a few years we see it? And since the spelljammer book is about travelling between different settings, I'd assume they definitely would bring it up and give a brief description of the world as one of the many settings you could travel to?

So yeah, my guess is it gets brought up there, even if just for a paragraph or few, and then a couple years time we get a new attempt at a psionics class (hopefully), some more UA, and then a dark sun campaign setting book / adventure / both. Hell, maybe theyll release another 3 book thing like they did here. 1 small book with general psionics rules with no focused setting, 1 dark sun world book, and then 1 adventure.

I'm thinking the thrikreen are the substitute for the Vrusk. The only Star Frontiers player race not covered.

[SharkForce]

I'm thinking the thrikreen are the substitute for the Vrusk. The only Star Frontiers player race not covered.

thri-kreen played a fairly significant role in the Lost Ships book. as a result, the War Captain's Companion boxed set included a pair of thri-kreen ships (one large, one more of a shuttlecraft) and a special type of helm to power them usable only by thri-kreen.

that said, if they're to sub in for anything it is more probably the xixchil, which are an insectoid mantis race from the Complete Spacefarer's Handbook.

assuming, of course, that they're actively trying to bring over the old setting rather than making a new setting loosely based on it, which I've said on multiple occasions before is more what I expect to happen (there are in my experience a lot more people who like the broad idea of spelljammer than there are people who genuinely like all the fine details of it).

[Sigreid]

thri-kreen played a fairly significant role in the Lost Ships book. as a result, the War Captain's Companion boxed set included a pair of thri-kreen ships (one large, one more of a shuttlecraft) and a special type of helm to power them usable only by thri-kreen.

that said, if they're to sub in for anything it is more probably the xixchil, which are an insectoid mantis race from the Complete Spacefarer's Handbook.

assuming, of course, that they're actively trying to bring over the old setting rather than making a new setting loosely based on it, which I've said on multiple occasions before is more what I expect to happen (there are in my experience a lot more people who like the broad idea of spelljammer than there are people who genuinely like all the fine details of it).

I was just thinking in terms of at least one of the devs obviously having fond memories of Star Frontiers and thinking "this is close enough, I don't have to specifically develop a vrusk race."

[Brookshw]

Bring on my space penguin overlords.

This guy gets it.

[Jervis]

I am unburdened of my salt, and I rise like a bland-ass potato chip from the ashes of my discontent.

Can I use this quote for my signature?

[afroakuma]

This guy gets it.

Fact. Dohwar for the win.

[Azuresun]

Well, I know exactly what I'm doing with this.

[Unoriginal]

Yup, sure

Creature CR
Asteroid spider 15
Clockwork horror 2
Eldritch lich 15
Fractine 9
Gadabout 1/8
Goon balloon 1/8
Nightmare beast 16
Puppeteer parasite 3
Star lancer 2
Yggdrasti 7

Thanks a lot!

[sambojin]

Meh. I'll get some people to throw in a few million more, so we all get the big buff we deserve. It's spelljammer, and the entire multiverse, so there'll be a fair bit of it.

Almost the carry from 5e to 5.5e, in a way. You can't say you didn't see this coming, we actually cried out for it!

(and Darksun stuff. Because...)

[Rukelnikov]

Huh. I'm hard G for gith, githzerai, githyanki, and pirate gith.

Was "githyanki" ever pronounced in BG II?

Dak'kon pronounces Githzerai at least once, I imagine he probable names Gith at least once when exploring the Unbroken Circle.

https://youtu.be/j8s7iveWvBs?t=568

[stoutstien]

I will say the new false appearance with advantage our initiative is easy to work with vs the old one which was basically a messy surprise mechanic. They have some good ideas moving forward.

[Sparky McDibben]

Can I use this quote for my signature?

By all means!

Well, I know exactly what I'm doing with this.

Nice! I'm running that game now with Esper Genesis, but it'll be nice to have another option for statblocks!

[Lord Torath]

thri-kreen played a fairly significant role in the Lost Ships book. as a result, the War Captain's Companion boxed set included a pair of thri-kreen ships (one large, one more of a shuttlecraft) and a special type of helm to power them usable only by thri-kreen.

that said, if they're to sub in for anything it is more probably the xixchil, which are an insectoid mantis race from the Complete Spacefarer's Handbook.

assuming, of course, that they're actively trying to bring over the old setting rather than making a new setting loosely based on it, which I've said on multiple occasions before is more what I expect to happen (there are in my experience a lot more people who like the broad idea of spelljammer than there are people who genuinely like all the fine details of it).

It was actually Skull and Crossbows that had the thri-kreen 'holy war' thing. Lost Ships didn't mention thri-kreen at all.

[Azuresun]

Nice! I'm running that game now with Esper Genesis, but it'll be nice to have another option for statblocks!

I could have named a lot of different pulpy sci-fi series, but Outlaw Star is the one that feels most like a fantasy story that happens to be set in space. I mean, the bad guys are a literal group of space pirate wizards. Kind of unfair it got overshadowed by Cowboy Bebop when it first came out.

[Sparky McDibben]

I could have named a lot of different pulpy sci-fi series, but Outlaw Star is the one that feels most like a fantasy story that happens to be set in space. I mean, the bad guys are a literal group of space pirate wizards. Kind of unfair it got overshadowed by Cowboy Bebop when it first came out.

Oh, definitely agree!

[Luccan]

People keep mentioning Star Frontiers, which I haven't played, and I was wondering why the races sounded and looked so familiar. It's because they'd already reused them in d20 Future back in the 3.X days.

[Imbalance]

If only I could afford the minis for this...

[Brookshw]

Kind of unfair it got overshadowed by Cowboy Bebop when it first came out.

Can't say I was remotely impressed with OS, it got overshadowed by a lot.

[Psyren]

Outlaw Star can't hold a candle to Cowboy Bebop, but the latter is a masterpiece, few anime can. Taken on its own merits as a late 90's space fantasy romp it's still excellent.

[loki_ragnarock]

I prefer OS to CB.

Unless we're talking about the intro music, in which case CB beats basically everything.

[Garfunion]

Well, I know exactly what I'm doing with this.

While I love that show I think I might try this first.
https://youtu.be/g6H3vs_Qb6s

[Millstone85]

Rereading the product page, I get the feeling that the changes to the cosmology might be even bigger than I initially thought.

The page uses the terms "Wildspace", "Astral Sea" and "Astral Plane" in a way that would suggest that Wildspace and the Astral Sea are both found in the Astral Plane.

It used to be that the Material Plane was divided between worlds, wildspace and the phlogiston, while the Astral Sea was how 4e renamed the Astral Plane.

I just tweeted Chris Perkins about it, here, but I am not optimistic on getting a reply. I am a nobody on Twitter, and my recent activity has been about how mean spirited it was to tease Spelljammer on April Fools' Day.

[Unoriginal]

Rereading the product page, I get the feeling that the changes to the cosmology might be even bigger than I initially thought.

The page uses the terms "Wildspace", "Astral Sea" and "Astral Plane" in a way that would suggest that Wildspace and the Astral Sea are both found in the Astral Plane.

It used to be that the Material Plane was divided between worlds, wildspace and the phlogiston, while the Astral Sea was how 4e renamed the Astral Plane.

Boo’s Astral Menagerie, a 64-page hardcover book for Dungeon Masters that presents game statistics and descriptions for over 60 creatures found in Wildspace and the Astral Sea, including astral elves, cosmic horrors, lunar and solar dragons, murder comets, and space clowns

Spelljammer: Adventures in Space presents the Astral Plane as a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting unlike any other. Home of the stars and gateway to the heavens, the Astral Plane teems with excitement and possibility. With the help of magic, spelljammers can cross the oceans of Wildspace, ply the silvery void known as the Astral Sea, and hop between worlds of the D&D multiverse.

It seems you are correct.

Well at least the Astral Sea and Wildspace are definitely different things.

[Tawmis]

People keep mentioning Star Frontiers, which I haven't played, and I was wondering why the races sounded and looked so familiar. It's because they'd already reused them in d20 Future back in the 3.X days.

Yes, they did. :)

But it's nice to see them now ported over into 5e.

[Millstone85]

It seems you are correct.

Well at least the Astral Sea and Wildspace are definitely different things.

It is still mind-boggling.

For example, Toril orbits a sun, and is itself orbited by a moon with a trail of asteroids, the Tears of Selûne. 5e acknowledges all this in Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, even letting you visit one of the tears: Stardock.

Normally, going up there would be travelling in wildspace. But now what? Is it just space, distinct from the astral wildspace. Or do you effectively plane shift by flying up?

The product page even promises a "Double-sided poster map of the Rock of Bral, an asteroid-city that can serve as both an adventure location and a campaign hub in the Astral Plane". But isn't Bral supposed to be another of Selûne's tears?

[Unoriginal]

It is still mind-boggling.

For example, Toril orbits a sun, and is itself orbited by a moon with a trail of asteroids, the Tears of Selûne. 5e acknowledges all this in Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, even letting you visit one of the tears: Stardock.

Normally, going up there would be travelling in wildspace. But now what? Is it just space, distinct from the astral wildspace. Or do you effectively plane shift by flying up?

I would say that it's possible Toril, the moon and the Tears are within Toril's Crystal Sphere, and it's different from the Wildspace/Phlogiston/etc.