Creating Spelljammer Ships (Spelljammer Supplement)
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Creating a Spelljammer Ship[edit]
Technically speaking, any object bearing a spelljammer helm can function as a spelljammer ship. However, without a form of propulsion a spelljammer would be left stranded in the void, and without streamlined components a spelljammer would be unable to leave Wildspace without the threat of being crushed by the Flow at any given moment.
A typical spelljammer ship consists of three core components: a spelljammer helm, a hull, and at least one form of propulsion. Depending on the helm used, a spelljammer ship can also support a number of other components. With the exception of spelljammer helms, components can typically be bought from shipwrights or crafted.
Unless otherwise stated, all components are immune to poison and psychic damage and the blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, and unconscious conditions.
Spelljammer Helms[edit]
Unlike most other components, a spelljammer helm is a powerful magic item, and as such must be crafted as such (DMG pg. 129). A spelljammer helm provides air for the ship's crew and passengers and maintains the temperature set by its previous helmsman. While powered, a spelljammer helm can be used to set the temperature within the ship between 1°F and 99°F as a bonus action, grants the ship's propulsion a flying speed equal to its other movement speeds that functions in Wildspace and the Phlogiston, and potentially grants other benefits.
While powering a helm, a creature gains a sense of the ship as an extension of the body in addition to their normal senses. Any damage to the ship is experienced with a flash of pain, and the helmsman is aware of the actions of any crewmen on board, being able to view any part of the ship as if standing in a location of their choice upon it.
While a ship is being powered by a spelljammer helm, its travel pace and movement speed are multiplied by 1,000,000 within Wildspace or the Phlogiston. While above twice its normal movement speed, a spelljammer ship can not turn.
- Multiple Helms
A vessel can have more than one spelljammer helm, but only one can be used at a time. Such back-up helms are common on larger ships.
Mundane Helm[edit]
Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement)
Rather than using magic like other helms, mundane helms utilize a unique chemical mixture to achieve similar, if much weaker, results typically only reserved for lifeboats, and can be bought from most spacefaring merchants for roughly 1,000 pp. A mundane helm can support up to 2 other components and has a cargo capacity of 10 tons.
A mundane helm can not have magic items attached to it.
While a creature is sitting in and attuned to a mundane helm, they may inject a fuel cell as an action to power the spelljammer for up to 1 hour.
Minor Helm[edit]
Wondrous Item, Very Rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)
Taking the form of a less-ornate chair, throne, or other form of seating, or occasionally a carved crystalline q'nidar a minor helm is often considered a "budget" helm, and can typically be bought from the Arcane for roughly 10,000 pp. A minor helm can support up to 4 other components and has a cargo capacity of 50 tons.
While a creature is sitting in and attuned to a minor helm, they may spend a spell slot as an action to power the spelljammer for up to a number of hours equal to the spell's level with concentration. This concentration is broken if the helmsman leaves the helm.
Major Helm[edit]
Wondrous Item, Legendary (requires attunement by a spellcaster)
Taking the form of an ornate chair, throne, or other form of seating, a major helm is often considered a symbol of success as a spelljammer, and can typically be bought from the Arcane for roughly 100,000 pp. A major helm can support up to 8 other components and has a cargo capacity of 100 tons.
While a creature is sitting in and attuned to a major helm, they may spend a spell slot as an action to power the spelljammer for up to a number of hours equal to the spell's level with concentration. This concentration is broken if the helmsman leaves the helm.
Furnace Helm[edit]
Wondrous Item, Very Rare (requires attunement)
Taking the form of a burning furnace, complete with all the risks fire comes with in the Phlogiston, furnace helms mark some of the earliest known spelljamming helm attempts, using fire to burn the magic from magic items, and can typically be bought from the Arcane for roughly 10,000 pp. A furnace helm can support up to 6 other components and has a cargo capacity of 75 tons.
While a creature is touching and attuned to a furnace helm, they may add a magic item to the fires as an action to power the spelljammer for up to a number of hours depending on the item's rarity using the following table:
| Rarity | Spell slot equivalent |
|---|---|
| Common | 2 hours |
| Uncommon | 4 hours |
| Rare | 6 hours |
| Very Rare | 8 hours |
| Legendary | 9 hours |
Lifejammer Helm[edit]
Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement)
Favored by evil spacefarers, particularly the Neogi, a lifejammer helm takes the form of a variety of chains and tubes that derive motive power from the life energy of a creature trapped within it, and can typically be bought from the Neogi for 8,000 pp. A lifejammer helm can support up to 5 other components and has a cargo capacity of 65 tons.
A Medium or smaller creature can be placed inside or removed from a lifejammer helm over the course of 1 minute, after which it is restrained unless its chains are broken. While within a lifejammer helm, a creature can not regain hit points by any means other than a wish spell or similarly powerful magic. Immediately before a creature dies while within a lifejammer helm, they must make a Charisma saving throw. If their result was at least 20, they are resurrected as a zombie. If their result was at least 25, they are resurrected as a wight.
While a creature is touching and attuned to a lifejammer helm, they may deal 2d6 necrotic damage to the creature within the lifejammer helm as an action to power the spelljammer for a number of minutes equal to ten times the number of hit points the creature lost.
Deathjammer Helm[edit]
Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement)
An "improved" lifejammer helm, a deathjammer helm incorporates the chains and tubes of its predecessor into an otherwise ornate throne, and can typically be bought from the Neogi for 5,000 pp. A deathjammer helm can support up to 5 other components and has a cargo capacity of 65 tons.
When a creature attuned to a deathjammer helm attempts to leave the helm, they must succeed a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be charmed until the end of their next turn. While charmed in this way, a creature cannot attempt to leave the helm and must spend their first action on each of their turns powering the spelljammer. Immediately before a creature dies while within a lifejammer helm, they must make a Charisma saving throw. If their result was at least 20, they are resurrected as a zombie. If their result was at least 25, they are resurrected as a wight.
While a creature is sitting in and attuned to a major helm, they may deal 2d6 necrotic damage to themself as an action to power the spelljammer for a number of minutes equal to ten times the number of hit points the creature lost with concentration. This concentration is broken if the helmsman leaves the helm.
Ki Helm[edit]
Wondrous Item, Very Rare (requires attunement by a monk)
Ki helms were first crafted by the monks of Wa, and take the form of a small octagonal crystal which suspends itself above a large taijitu, and can typically be bought in Wa for roughly 5,000 pp. A ki helm can support up to 2 other components and has a cargo capacity of 25 tons.
Up to eight ki helms can be connected as if with a Series pipe without the use of one.
While a creature is sitting in and attuned to a ki helm, they may spend a ki point as an action to power the spelljammer for up to 1 hour with concentration. This concentration is broken if the helmsman leaves the helm.
Innate Helm[edit]
Wondrous Item, Very Rare (requires attunement by a creature with innate spellcasting)
Created by the magic-averse Illithids, the innate helm takes the form of a mass of tentacles or spider legs, and can typically be bought from their creators for roughly 7,500 pp. An innate helm can support up to 4 other components and has a cargo capacity of 50 tons.
While a creature is touching and attuned to an innate helm, they may spend a use of one of their innate spells as an action to power the spelljammer for up to a number of hours equal to the spell's level with concentration. This concentration is broken if the helmsman leaves the helm.
Orbus Helm[edit]
Wondrous Item, Very Rare (requires attunement by an orbus)
Orbus helms serve as little more than a mount upon which a living orbus can be placed, and can rarely be bought from beholders for roughly 5,000 pp. An orbus helm can support up to 2 other components and has a cargo capacity of 25 tons.
Up to five orbus helms can be connected as if with a Series pipe without the use of one.
While an orbus is sitting in and attuned to an orbus helm, it may become paralyzed as an action to power the spelljammer until it loses concentration. This concentration is broken if the orbus leaves the helm.
Creative Helm[edit]
Wondrous Item, Very Rare (requires attunement)
Taking the form of a workshop, a creative helms derive power from raw creative energy, originally having been developed from dwarven forges, and can typically be bought from spacefaring dwarves for roughly 50,000 pp. A forge helm can support up to 3 other components and has a cargo capacity of 50 tons.
A creative helm is constructed around a set of artisan's tools, which can be used while incorporated into the creative helm. A creature may remove this set of artisan's tools and replace it with another over the course of 1 minute.
When a creature crafts an item with the set of artisan's tools incorporated into it while attuned to a creative helm, the spelljammer is powered for a number of hours equal to the value of the object created in gp.
Pool Helm[edit]
Wondrous Item, Legendary (requires attunement by an elder brain)
A relatively recent Illithid invention, a pool helm is a fully functional elder brain brine pool that is able to feed off of its occupant's overwhelming psionic energy, and can rarely be bought from the Illithid for roughly 50,000 pp. A pool helm can support up to 14 other components and has a cargo capacity of 175 tons.
While an elder brain is sitting in and attuned to a pool helm, it may spend the uses of its innate spellcasting and Mind Blast as an action to power the spelljammer until it loses concentration. This concentration is broken if the elder brain leaves the helm, and the elder brain can not regain use of its innate spellcasting or Mind Blast while concentrating on powering a pool helm.
Artifurnace Helm[edit]
Wondrous Item, Legendary (requires attunement)
Taking the form of a complex furnace, artifurnace helms mark the single rarest and most powerful spelljammer helm type, using the inexhaustible magic of a nigh-indestructible artifact to generate magical fire to further extract power. Every artifurnace must be custom-built to house and extract power from its artifact, and thus can never be bought. An artifurnace helm can support up to 14 other components and has a cargo capacity of 175 tons.
An artifurnace powers a spelljammer forever. If the artifact within an artifurnace helm is removed, the helm is irreparably destroyed. If a creature touches an artifurnace, they take 12d6 fire damage at the end of each of their turns until they are no longer touching the artifurnace. Additionally, an artifurnace bears any curses that its artifact does.
Hulls[edit]
A ship's hull is the foundation upon which a ship is built. As such, a ship can only have one hull. A ship is wrecked if its hull is destroyed.
A ship's hull determines its Constitution score and partially determines its Strength and Dexterity scores.
By default, all hulls are 20 feet wide, with their cost being measured by the foot in length. A ship could feasibly be wider or narrower than 20 feet, but would cost the same per square foot.
Cloth[edit]
Cost: X gp per 10 feet
Armor Class: 11
Hit Points: X
Crystal[edit]
Cost: 100 gp per 10 feet
Armor Class: 13
Hit Points: 40 hit points 10 feet
Crystal hulls, such as glass or drow jade, are rare due to their price-to-durability ratio, but is nevertheless preferred for fast attack craft.
Ice[edit]
Cost: X gp per 10 feet
Armor Class: 13
Hit Points: X
Wood[edit]
Cost: X gp per 10 feet
Armor Class: 15
Hit Points: X
Bone[edit]
Cost: X gp per 10 feet
Armor Class: 15
Hit Points: X
Stone[edit]
Cost: X gp per 10 feet
Armor Class: 17
Hit Points: X
The ship is constructed from a hollowed-out asteroid or other large geological body. This is common design with starfaring races fond of mining, such as dwarves.
- A geomorphic hull can have any number of Armor (Stone) components at no cost.
- Such a vessel is never seaworthy
- Due to its non-streamlined hull, it gains no benefit from Rigging components.
Iron[edit]
Cost: X gp per 10 feet
Armor Class: 19
Hit Points: X
Steel[edit]
Cost: X gp per 10 feet
Armor Class: 20
Hit Points: X
Mithral[edit]
Cost: X gp per 10 feet
Armor Class: 21
Hit Points: X
Adamantine[edit]
Cost: X gp per 10 feet
Armor Class: 23
Hit Points: X
Propulsion[edit]
Without propulsion, a ship is little more than driftwood. The speed granted by propulsion is relative to the ship's length, assuming that the ship's width is only 20 feet.
Oars[edit]
Cost: X gp
Armor Class: 12
Hit Points: 100; –5 ft. speed per 25 damage taken
Oars are the simplest means of propulsion, being nothing more than manually-manipulated lengths of wood. A set of oars grants a ship a swimming speed of 5 feet while manned by a number of rowers equal to the ship's length divided by 5, and this speed doubles each time the number of rowers does.
Sails[edit]
Cost: X gp
Armor Class: 12
Hit Points: 100; –10 ft. speed per 25 damage taken
Description. A sail requires two crew to operate, and grants a ship a swimming speed of 25 feet while sailing normally. This movement speed decreases to 15 feet while sailing into the wind, and increases by 15 ft. while sailing with the wind.
Elemental Engine[edit]
Cost: 10,000 gp
Armor Class: 18
Hit Points: 100; –20 ft. speed per 25 damage taken
An elemental engine burns fuel to create thrust. An elemental engine requires one crew to operate, and grants a ship a flying speed equal to 100 - 5 times its weight feet.
Other Components[edit]
Additional Sail[edit]
Cost: X gp
Requires a Sail. For each additional sail, each of which must be operated by two crew, the swimming speed granted by a ship's sails increases by 10 feet.
Weapon Mount[edit]
Cost: 500 gp
Armor Class: equal to the mounted siege equipment
Hit Points: equal to the mounted siege weapon
A weapon mount is responsible for securing a siege weapon, such as a ballista, cannon, mangonel, or trebuchet, to a ship's deck. Without use of a weapon mount, a siege weapon must be stabilized as a number of actions equal to the number of actions the siege weapon takes to load before it can be fired, any attack rolls the siege equipment makes have disadvantage, and the siege equipment risks falling off the ship when in firing position.
Automated Weapon Mount[edit]
Cost: 1,500 gp
Armor Class: equal to the mounted siege equipment
Hit Points: equal to the mounted siege weapon
Requires a Weapon Mount. An automated weapon mount streamlines the operation of a secured siege weapon, automatically reloading and aiming the weapon once without the use of an action on each of the user's turns.
Ram[edit]
Cost: 500 gp
Armor Class: 20
Hit Points: 100 (damage resistance 10)
The ship has advantage on all saving throws relating to crashing when it crashes into a creature or object, and any damage it suffers from the crash is instead applied to the ram. These benefits do not apply if a vehicle crashes into the ship.
Thesalian Piercing Ram[edit]
Wondrous Item, rare
Armor Class: 13
Hit Points: same as the ram
Requires a Ram. The favored weapon of Hummingbird-class spelljammer ships, modified Thesalian rams utilize large crystals to modulate magic missiles into ship-to-ship weaponry. When a magic missile spell targets the ram, it instead targets a different target within 60 feet of the ram of the caster's choice and gains a +10 bonus to its damage rolls.
Soft-Landing System[edit]
Cost: 100 gp
Armor Class: 13
Hit Points: 40
A soft-landing system allows a ship to shrug off the force of an impact, once. There are as many different types of soft-landing system as there are tinker gnomes. The component might be an array of drogue parachutes, a pre-deployed trampoline, or bag of marshmallows that expands on contact with water. When a ship would take damage from crashing, a ship's captain may deploy any number of soft-landing systems as a reaction, decreasing the damage by 8d10 per soft-landing system used and destroying any used soft-landing systems.
Protection Rune[edit]
Wondrous Item, rare (+1), very rare (+2), or legendary (+3)
Armor Class: 17
Hit Points: 50
Protection runes emanate magic throughout a ship's hull, granting a bonus to the AC of each of the ship's components, not including the rune itself. The bonus is determined by its rarity.
- Common
- Special
- Dwarf Components
- Rock Gnome Components
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