# Spelljammers in 5e

W***hat is a spelljammer?*** A Spelljammer is basically a ship which travels through space. That being said, a spelljammer is not really a *space ship*. A spelljammer can be almost any kindof vessel imaginable, from an ocean galleon to a dwarven mountain to a giant space hamster. The key to a spelljamming ship is that it must contain a spelljamming helm.

Spelljamming helms are the central concept which allow interplanetary and interstellar space travel for vessels which would otherwise not be spaceworthy, in the form of a helm (as in rudder, often in fact a seat or chair, *not* an armored helmet). Any spellcaster may use a spelljammeing helm to move the ship. The mysterious race known as the Arcane are the sole manufacturer and distributor of spelljamming helms. 

## Converting 2e Jammers
Below is a typical 2nd edition spelljamming ship statistic block. Most of the information is straight forward, but will require a few tweeks to convert.

<img 
  src='http://artisancrab.com/pics/sj-card-hammership.jpg' 
  style='width:325px' />
Credit: Pintrest

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***Built by.*** The builders of the ships have not changed, and as such, this field doesnt need to either.

***Used Primarily by.*** Another descriptive stat, this has not changed at all. 

***Tonnage.*** Spelljamming ships are rated by tonnage, based on the volume they displace, *not* thier actual weight. This statistic is used mainly to compare relative sizes of ships, and as such there is no need to change it.

***Hull points.*** A spelljammers hull points are a measure of how much damage a ship can take before it begins to lose cohesion. For our purposes, 1 Hull point equals 100 hit points.

***Crew.*** Spelljamming ships crew requirements have not changed. The first number before the "/" is the number required to operate the ship at normal efficency. The second number after the "/" is the maximum number of medium creatures the ship could support, including crew. It is also worth noting that a large creature takes up 2 places of capacity (although this large creature may still only be doing the job of 1 crew member). 

***Manuverability Class.*** Manuverability class determines how quickly the ship can twist, turn, accelerate, or decelerate. Some highly manuverable ships grant advantage to thier pilot, while other ships are very sluggish and can even grant disadvantage. Further, the amount which a ship can turn as part of a single action is based on its manuverability class as well. There is a down side to manuverability however, as the potential for great sucess also increases the change for dramatic failure. Please consult the chart below for more information.

#### Manuverability Class
| Class | Pilot Checks | Crit Failure/Success   | Max Turn       |
|:-----:|:-------------|:----------------------:|:--------------:|
| A     | Advantage    | 4 or less / 17 or more | 180 degree arc |
| B     | Advantage    | 3 or less / 18 or more |  90 degree arc |
| C     | normal       | 2 or less / 19 or more |  90 degree arc |
| D     | Disadvantage | 1 / 20                 |  45 degree arc |
| E     | Disadvantage | none / none            |  30 degree arc |
| F     | Disadvantage | none / none            |  15 degree arc |


***Landing-Land*** and ***Landing-Water***. These descriptive elements explain where a ship is able to land. No rule changes here.

***Armor Rating***. A ships armor rating determines the amount of damage it is able to "shrug off". This number is deducted from any attack which targets the ship. Any attack which deals less damage than a ships armor rating does no damage at all.

***Saves as***. This statistic determines what the spelljammer is treated as in regards to affects and conditions. This could determine if a ship is flamable (ie wood) or if it can be affected by spells such as stone shaping (ie stone).

***Power type***. A spelljammers power type details the most common types of spelljaming helms found on this type of ship. 

***Ships Rating***. A spelljammers ship rating determines the standard tactical combat speed of the ship. This is often determined by the helm the ship is equiped with, though some ships have modifiers which affect this.

***Standard armorment***. This section details what weapons a spelljamming ship possesses, as well as the numbers of crew needed to use those weapons.

***Cargo***. This statistic details how many cubic tons of cargo a spelljamming ship can carry.

***Keel length*** and ***Beam length***. These statistics detail the length from front to back (keel) and from side to side at its widest point (beam). 

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## Spelljamming Helms
Helms are the primary method of powering spelljamming vessels. Simply put, a helm is a magical device which channels magical energy from a some source into motive force for the ship it's attached to. Some helms operate on slightly different principles but these are few and rarely seen in the Known Spheres.


<div class='descriptive'>
##### Ship's Rating
Spelljamming helms provide Ships Rating. This rating is the maximum safe speed at which a spelljamming ship can opperate. The SR1 table below lists the movement speeds for a ship moving at SR1. A ship moving at SR2 would travel 2 times as fast. A ship travelling at SR3 would travel 3 times as fast.

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#### SR1 Table
| Environment | Distance Per Round | Distance Per Day |
|:-----------:|:------------------:|:----------------:|
| In Space       | 1500 feet       | 4000 miles       |
| In Atmosphere  | 1000 feet       | 2500 miles       |
| In Water       | 500 feet        | 1000 miles       |

</div>

There are several different types of helms of varying types and abilities. The listed types are the most common within the Known spheres below, and the "standard cost" for such a helm is the market value in an active spelljammer port like the Rock of Bral or Refuge. Note that in other places the price quickly becomes what the market will bear and thus can drop or rise considerably.

#### Furnace Helm
Cost: 100,000 gp

These Helms provide SR 2 and can travel at spelljamming speed for ships up to 100 SJ tons in size. The magical item is placed within the furnace where it is consumed by fire (furnace helms do not function in the phliogiston).

Anyone can then pilot the furnace helm. An item with an xp value of 150 provides 1 days worth of power (items of greater xp bring greater duration: duration in days = Item XP/150). If two items are sacrificed at the same time SR is boosted to 3 but the helm might explode (25%). Some goblinoids are rumoured to power their furnaces with an incendiary, magical fuel. Some think this fuel might be related to smokepowder in some way but reliable reports are rare.

#### Minor Helm
Cost: 100,000 gp

These are the most common helms in space, drawing their power from the spell energy of their helmsman. These helms provide an SR of 1 for every 3 levels of the helmsman, rounding down [But always with a min SR of 1] so that at levels 1-5 SR is 1, and then so on. Minor helms can move vessels at spelljamming speeds. They will power vessels up to 50 tons in size.

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#### Major Helm
Cost: 250,000 gp

These function just like minor helms but provide an SR equal to the users level divided by 2 and rounded down [But always with a min SR of 1]. A 3rd level helmsman would have SR 1, for instance, and one of 5th level SR 2. They will power vessels up to 100 tons in size.

#### Lifejammer Helm
Cost: 80,000 gp

Lifejammer helms are evil abominations which power ships by drawing on the lifeforce of their victim (or victims). Any living creature can be used, each day the victim is drained of 1d8 hit points and must make a save versus death or die.

Lifejammers function otherwise just like minor helms, providing an SR equal to the victims level divided by 3 and rounded down [But always with a min SR of 1]. A 3rd level victim would provide SR 1, for instance, and one of 5th level SR 2. 

Further, multiple Lifejammers can be linked together, and in such a case the levels of all victims are added together and the total divided by 3 then rounded down. They will power vessels up to 100 tons in size. 

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*Aside from the victim, the lifejammer requires a navigator, who may be of any class and who does the actual piloting of the ship. Lifejammers are often used by neogi, mindflayers, and the humanoid races.*

*Many other types of helms exist, some are very bizarre. This list is just a starting point for "standard" spelljamming cultures.*

#### Ultimate Helm
Cost: Unavailable



## Long Range Movement
Spelljammers have two main speeds; *"Spelljamming Speed"* is very fast, approximately 100 million miles per day. 

Think of it like lightspeed or warpdrive, you can only attain this speed when you are at least 12,500 yards from any object of 10 SJ tons or more in size. Conversely, coming within 12,500 yards of any object 10 SJ tons or more in size will immediately and uncontrolably slow you to tactical speed. With very rare exceptions all SJ helms move at this speed when "spelljamming".

"Tactical speed" is much, much slower and determined by the ship (or helms) Ship rating and the level of the helmsman. Higher level, higher SR. Some spells, proficiencies and magic items can increase it as well.

Ships travaling at spelljamming speed are immune to collisions with small objects. This protection doesn't work at tactical speed, and as such objects enter the air envelope with their velocity intact. This permits ship to ship combat at this speed (otherwise bolts and catapult shot would be useless) and also makes travel through certain astroid fields and crowded shipping lanes hazardous.

Within most crystal spheres navigation is not difficult, just a more complicated version of terrestial navigation by the stars utilizing three diminsional instruments.

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Philogiston Navigation is much more difficult, there are precious few landmarks or navigation aids in the flow. So how does one get from place to place? The easiest method is to follow a flow river. There are many major flow rivers through the philogiston, since most crystal spheres remain in relatively stable positions within the flow one can navigate by counting the spheres passed as one follows the river. Travel to sphere's outside a major flow is much more time consuming and difficult: the navigator must first determine his/her exact position within the sphere to be departed, then he/she must determine at what angle from the sphere the destination sphere lies and plot a direct course to it. Obviously this method is very risky, though some navigators are so good they hit everytime. It can take from 10-100 days to travel from sphere to sphere within the Flow.