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Fantasy Space Adventure in a More Enlightened Time |
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Updated 10 August 2003 |
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| Introduction | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Editor's Notes | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Both the original Spelljammer game and the GURPS conversion use the old "standard" system for measurements. In keeping with the standards of GDW's House Rules, these values have been converted to the metric system. Besides, who's to say a fantasy milieu would use either system? The "magic" system used in this conversion is pulled directly from Dark Conspiracy's Empathy rules and Traveller: The New Era's psionic rules. No direct conversions are possible between the TSR and GDW systems, so the closest approximations have been made. The space topography is based upon that given in the Polyhedron update. The crystal shells are gone and the whole universe (which, for our purposes, is actually a proto-dimension) operates under the same "laws of physics." This necessitates a third spelljamming speed, which will be referred to in this conversion as "interstellar speed." A note on tech levels. The original Spelljammer rules postulated a Medieval fantasy setting (TL 1). This conversion has "updated" that setting to an Enlightenment-era type setting, more in keeping with a "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Treasure Planet" feel. The resulting tech level is 2 to 2M; problems with gunpowder have been pretty much alleviated through tweaking of the formula, so cannons and primitive firearms are fairly common. However, because of the slow nature of reloading, melee weapons are still fairly common. |
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| Character Generation | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Equipment | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Converting ship sizes is relatively straightforward. Each Spelljammer ton is equal to 100 cubic yards. This translates into 5.5 displacement tons. Thin Wood (2" [5 cm]) = AV1 Building a spelljamming ship is very simple: Design the shell, add in primitive mechanical controls and add the helm. No special consideration need be given to lifesupport, workstations, or accommodations. Crew equals one (the helmsman) plus whatever personnel are required to man the ship's weapons. The maximum number of people that can be carried by the vessel is equal to its displacement divided by 5.5 (or equal to the original game tonnage). Up to half the available tonnage can be devoted to cargo carriage. The rest goes to weaponry and crew amenities. Gravity: All objects in space possess a 1G gravity field. In large objects, such as planets and stars, this field is toward the center of the object. Smaller objects retain the gravity field from which they originated. Asteroids, being remnants of exploded planets, have a definite up and down based upon their original orientation in the now defunct planet. Ships built in planetary or asteroidal shipyards have their alignment based upon the gravity field of the planet or asteroid. Air: All objects in space can maintain an air envelope, though not all do. Spelljamming vessels with a functional helm are constantly replenishing this air envelope, so need not worry about an air supply. If the helm ceases to function or more than the maximum number of people are being carried, however, the air will gradually become increasingly foul, and run out completely in 1D6 days. Small craft often go overloaded as they are used only for short duration flights. In this case, the ship can carry two people per displacement ton for up to 12 hours. Non-spelljamming settlements rely upon plants to replenish the air supply. Each inhabitant (human, monster or animal) requires 20m² of plants to maintain this air supply. If only moss or lichens are available, multiply the requirements by 10. If crops are planted, they fulfill not only the air supply requirement, but also provide enough food to satisfy the supply requirement of the population. Such gardens may also be installed in spelljamming vessels at the rate of 5 displacement tons per person supported. Supplies, including food, water, and sundries mass 50 kg per person per week, have a volume of 0.05 cubic meters and costs Cr50. Crew requirements: All spelljamming vessels require a helmsman. Vessels of greater than 50 displacement tons also require one deckhand per 50 tons, rounded down. The maximum number of people that can be carried by a spelljamming vessel without taxing its air supply is equal to its size in displacement tons divided by 5. Each person carried requires at least 7m³ of living space, which includes bunk space, access ways, and communal facilities. Additional space can be allotted. Passengers can be charged Cr200 per 7m³ allotted to them. Long range expeditions would do well to allot more than 7m³ for each crewmember, too. For each 7m³ allotted per crew member, the crew will be able to function at an optimum level for one month without a port call. After that time period, all crew tasks become one level more difficult for each additional month, and crew morale suffers (-1 to morale rolls per additional month). |
Minor Helm: 90,000; Maximum
Ship Size = 300 displacement tons Both helms mass 0.25 tonnes and have a volume of 2m³ Corvette: A small warship of third or fourth rate (depending upon the fleet) used for scouting, patrol and courier duties. It has a central turntable mount capable of mounting one gun. The cargo hold is often given over to ammunition for the gun and additional supplies for long-range expeditions. Displacement: 50 tons (700m³); Available Volume: 627m³; Hull Material: Thick Wood (AV3); Mass: 59 tonnes Length: 34 meters; Beam: 6 meters; Crew: 2/10; Price: Cr169,100/Cr304,100; Move: 4/6. Free Trader: A small trading vessel is used by independent merchants plying the space lanes. Often, these independent operations are family businesses, and the merchant's family is carried aboard and serves as the ship's crew. This vessel has two turntable mounts, one fore and one aft, for guns. Displacement: 100 tons (1400m³); Available Volume: 1358m³; Hull Material: Thin Wood (AV1); Mass: 31 tonnes Length: 42 meters; Beam: 8 meters; Crew: 3/20; Price: Cr139,000/Cr274,000; Move: 4/6. Small Merchantman: A medium-sized merchant vessel built and operated by the larger trading houses and the occasional government. The small merchantman has two turntable mounts, one fore and one aft, for guns. Twenty tons are set aside to hangar a launch. Displacement: 200 tons (2800m³); Available Volume: 2737m³; Hull Material: Thin Wood (AV1); Mass: 55 tonnes; Length: 51 meters; Beam: 10 meters; Crew: 5/40; Price: Cr168,500/Cr306,000; Move: 2/5. Large Merchantman: A large trading vessel built and operated by the larger trading houses, and often commissioned as an auxiliary or transport by governments. The large merchantman has three turntable mounts, one each fore and aft and one amidships, for guns. Twenty tons are set aside to hangar a launch Displacement: 300 tons (4200m³); Available Volume: 4116m³ available; Hull Material: Thin Wood (AV1); Mass: 63 tonnes Length: 60 meters; Beam: 12 meters; Crew: 7/60; Price: Cr198,000/Cr333,000; Move: 1/4. Frigate: A medium-sized warship of second or third rate (depending upon the fleet) used for screening the line of battle or for independent missions. It has four turntable mounts for guns, one forward, one aft and two amidships. Thirty tons are set aside to hangar a ship's boat. This vessel is popular among pirates and mercenaries, though mounting it with a major helm can be prohibitively expensive for all but the wealthiest "entrepreneurs." Displacement: 200 tons (2800m³); Available Volume: 2620m³ available; Hull Material: Thick Wood (AV3); Mass: 141 tonnes; Length: 51 meters; Beam: 10 meters; Crew: 5/40; Price: Cr285,500/Cr420,000; Move: 2/5. Man-O-War: A large warship of first or second rate (depending upon the fleet) intended for major fleet actions. It mounts eight turntable mounts for guns, spaced along the centerline of the vessel. 100 tons have been set aside as hangar space for two 25-ton cutters. This vessel is the mainstay of many space fleets, and has proven popular with the wealthiest mercenary companies. Displacement: 400 tons (5400m³); Available Volume: 5300m³; Hull Material: Thick Wood (AV3); Mass: 235 tonnes; Length: 66 meters; Beam: 14 meters; Crew: 9/80; Price: Cr557,500; Move: 3. Launch: Displacement: 10 tons (140m³); Available Volume: 126m³; Hull Material: Thin Wood (AV1); Mass: 10 tonnes; Length: 21 meters; Beam: 4 meters; Crew: 1/2 (20); Price: Cr103,350/Cr238,350; Move: 4/6. Ship's Boat: Displacement: 15 tons (210m³); Available Volume: 194m³; Hull Material: Thin Wood (AV1); Mass: 11 tonnes; Length: 23 meters; Beam: 5 meters; Crew: 1/3 (30); Price: Cr105,150/Cr240,150; Move: 4/6. Pinnace: Displacement: 20 tons (280m³); Available Volume: 263m³; Hull Material: Thin Wood (AV1); Mass: 12 tonnes; Length: 24 meters; Beam: 5 meters; Crew: 1/4 (40); Price: Cr106,950/Cr241,950; Move: 4/6. Cutter: Displacement: 25 tons (350m³); Available Volume: 331m³; Hull Material: Thin Wood (AV1); Mass: 13 tonnes; Length: 26 meters; Beam: 5 meters; Crew: 1/5 (50); Price: Cr108,750/Cr243,750; Move: 4/6. Shuttle: Displacement: 45 tons (630m³); Available Volume: 605m³; Hull Material: Thin Wood (AV1); Mass: 18 tonnes; Length: 32 meters; Beam: 6 meters; Crew: 1/9 (90); Price: Cr116,600/Cr251,600; Move: 4/6. TL 2 Gun TL: 2 |
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| Spelljammer Movement | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Any Empathically-endowed character may operate a spelljamming helm. The tactical speed of the vessel is based upon its size and the type of helm mounted:
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Spelljamming vessels have three movement rates: Interstellar, Space and Tactical. Interstellar movement rates are equal to one light year per day. Vessels automatically go to interstellar speed when twice as far from a system's primary as the orbit of the most distant planet. As an example, the cutoff point for the Sol system is 78 AU. The space movement rate is 1 AU (150 million kilometers, or 500 light seconds) per day, regardless of the Ship Rating (SR) of the vessel. This translates into a speed of about 1736 kilometers per second. Ships automatically drop to tactical speed when within 100 diameters of another spelljamming ship. The diameter is based on the largest dimension of the largest ship. Non-spelljamming objects, such as asteroids and planets, will force a spelljamming vessel to drop to tactical speeds within one-tenth of the diameter of non-spelljamming object if the object is larger (in its greatest dimension) than the vessel, or within 100 diameters of the spelljammer if the vessel is equal to or larger than the object. Tactical movement should be carried out using a hex grid, with each hex representing 10 meters (identical to the 10-meter grid squares used in GDW's House Rules system). Each point of SR translates into a tactical speed of approximately 27 kilometers per hour. This is its maximum speed. Spelljamming vessels do not worry about cruising speeds; however their NOE speed may not exceed 40 kph. Spelljamming vessels are treated as lift vehicles for determining movement, so an SR of 1 translates into a combat move of 4 10-meter hexes. |
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Encounters |
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| Links | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notes | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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[1] 1 Spelljammer ton = 100 cubic yards = 2700 cubic feet = 77 cubic meters = 5.5 displacement tons. [2] Atmospheric Speed 1 SR = 17 mph = 27 kph. This is the top speed. [3] Space Speed = 100 million miles per day = ~150 million kilometers per day = 1 AU per day = 500 light seconds per day. [4] Tactical Space Speed = 450 meters (500 yards) per SR = 17 mph. See atmospheric speed. [5] In GURPS, a DR of 14 = AV 1 |
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