Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

^SffvancecTDungeoiisMlragonsT
® I
J
=*—I 2Q<! Edition * ^ — - ° -

Accessory

Ships and Captains

by Jeff Grubb

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 I have seen starry archipelagoes! and islands
Whose raving skies are opened to the voyager:
Is it in these bottomless nights that you sleep, in exile,
A million golden birds, O future Vigor?

—Arthur Rimbaud, Le Bateau Ivre, 1871

Design: Jeff Qrubb

Editing: Steve "Old Man" Winter & Dori "the Barbarian" Watry
More Spiritual Guidance: James M. Ward
Cover Paintings: Jeff Easley
Ship Concepts & Illustrations: Jim Holloway
Ship Coloring: Les Dorscheid
Cartography: Diesel
Graphic Design: Stephanie Tabat
Production: Sarah Feggestad
Art Coordinator: Peggy Cooper
Typography: Gaye O"Keefe & Angelika Lokotz

TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd.

POB 756 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton
Lake Geneva, Cambridge CB1 3LB
Wl 53147 USA Gnited Kingdom

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and AD&D are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. SPELLJAMMER and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A. Copyrighte 1991 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Shipyard 4 Kristobar 56
Terms 4 Leoster 57
Smalljammer 5 Miark the Blind 59
Unity Ships of the K'r'r'r 8 Mostias 60
Battle Dolphin 9 Nagasimi 60
Cuttle Command 11 Ollister 62
Great Bombard 13 Orik 62
Illithid Dreadnought 15 Selura 64
Octopus 17 ShiCaga 65
Quentin's Libraria 19 Si Loo 66
Gnomish Whelk 21 Stardawn 67
Leech 22 Suza the Brass 68
Urchin 24 Taja 70
Whaleship 26 Theorx 71
Trebek 72
Personalities of the Spelljammer 28
Arcane 28 Campaigning With the Spelljammer 74
Argargon 29 The Owl of the Mystics 74
Arvanon 29 I. The Halfling's Package 74
Astor 32 II. Charity 75
Breakox 33 III. Quentin 75
Brother Burke 34 IV. Leeches 76
CassaRoc 35 V. Arrival 76
Chaladar 36 VI. Investigation 77
Chila 37 VII. Things in Passing 78
Coh 38 VIII. The Tower of Neridox 79
Demets 39 IX. Getting Off the Ship 79
"Diamondtip" 41 X. Endgame 80
Father Goat 41 The Spelljammer Campaign 82
Firespitter 43 I. Discovery 82
The Fool 44 II. The Pursuit—H'Carth's Boys 83
Gray Eye 47 III. Pursuit Part 2—H'Carth's Ship 85
Hancherback 48 IV. Search for the Spelljammer 86
Highstar 49 V. Arrival , 86
Hobgoblin Prophet 50 VI. The Control Room 89
Hooded Soldier 52 VII. Setting Up Shop 90
Jokarin 53 VIII. The Dark Time 92
Kaba Danel 54 IX. Picking Up the Pieces,
Korvok 55 Further Adventures 94
Kova 55 X. Retirement and Moving On 95

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

T he ships in this section are tied in with the

Spelljammer itself, from the lesser smalljammers
which are its "young" to the ships that hunt it across
Landing: Whether the ship can land on air or wa-
ter without risking a crash. This feature does not
affect ships using space docks.
the void. Many are unique, others are part of greater
fleets. Armor Rating: The resistance of the ship's hull to
damage, similar to armor class for characters.
Terms
Saves As: Material the hull saves as for purposes
Name: Common name of the ship type. of saving throws. Refer to page 25 of the Concor-
dance of Arcane Space in the original SPELL-
Built By: The race or entity which usually con- JAMMER™ game.
structs this ship hull.
Power Type: The usual spelljamming engine
Used Primarily By: The race which generally uses found with this ship type. Others are possible, but
this type of ship. This is usually (but not always) the ship is generally fitted with this type of engine.
the building race.
Ship's Rating: The speed of the ship in tactical
Tonnage: Tonnage is a measure of the ship's vol- combat. Those ships that use major or minor
ume, with one spatial ton equal to 100 cubic yards spelljamming helms are noted as being variable
of air (a cube approximately 14 feet on a side). according to the helmsman using that particular
Tonnage determines hull points for the ship and spelljamming helm.
the number of crew and passengers that may be
safely carried. Standard Armament: This is the typical weaponry
of the ship. Armament varies radically from ship
Hull Points: The amount of damage the ship can to ship, but this gives an idea of what might typi-
take before breaking up. cally be carried.
Crew: The crew entry is represented by two num- Cargo: Amount of space available for cargo and
bers. The number before the slash is the number other sundries, not including crew quarters, weap-
of crew members required to operate the ship at ons, and maneuverability equipment. Cargo
maximum maneuverability. The number follow- space can be dedicated to carrying cargo, more
ing the slash is the maximum number of passen- passengers (up to the stated limit), or additional
gers the ship can carry without overtaxing the weapons.
ship's atmospheric envelope. If only one number
is present, this means that the ship generally can- Keel Length: Length of the ship from front to
not carry passengers, but only crew. back.
Maneuver Class: The rating of a ship's ability to Beam Length: Maximum width of the ship from
turn and dodge. A is the highest maneuver rating, side to side.
F is the worst.
Description: The general appearance of the ship.

The ships in this section are tied in with the Spelljammer itself,
from the lesser smalljammers that are its "young" to the ships
that hunt it across the void.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

Crew: A section listing the various positions usu- enclosed crew quarters. Instead of a landing plat-
ally occupied by the crew, including chain of com- form the bow quarters have a small outer deck as
mand. The usual location of the bridge and helm well as the command deck.
is also noted here. While this is the smalljammer's "true" appear-
ance, very few see the ship as such from the out-
Ship Uses: Most ships in this section are tailored side world. A smalljammer can project an illusion
to particular tasks, and those tasks are described around itself, usually of an asteroid, space crea-
in this section. While any ship can be used for al- ture, or some type of ship, up to a maximum of 50
most any particular mission, certain ships are best tons. The illusion is perfect and undetectable until
suited to particular types of action. the atmospheric envelope is breached. The small-
jammer does not gain the abilities of the ship it
Other Configurations: This last section repre- imitates but keeps its own abilities, which may
sents common variants of the ships (except for the provide sharp observers with clues as to its true
unique vessels). Various races make modifica- nature (such as a surprisingly mobile asteroid, or
tions to the ships for their own uses and these are a clumsy galleon turning at MC B).
also noted here.
Crew:
Smalljammer Only the helmsman is needed to operate the
BUILT BY: Spelljammer smalljammer. All others aboard are effectively
USED BY: passengers. As a result, the ship suffers no loss of
Any race or none maneuverability as long as the helmsman is in
TONNAGE: 20 tons
HULL POINTS: contact with the ship.
20 The smalljammer moves at spelljammer speeds
CREW: 1/20
MANEUVER CLASS: without a helm only once in its life, on its initial
B flight. The flight lasts until it reaches a crystal
LANDING—LAND: Yes
LANDING— WATER: sphere. The smalljammer enters wildspace and
Yes begins to drift, floating at "normal" speeds until
ARMOR RATING: 6
SAVES AS: found. The smalljammer, like the Spelljammer,
Leather has the ability to open portals in crystdl spheres,
POWER TYPE: Major or minor helm
SHIP'S RATING: but these portals do not remain permanently
As helmsman open.
ARMAMENT: None
CARGO: 15 tons Only major and minor helms operate with the
KEEL LENGTH: 60 ft. smalljammer. Other helm types, including pool
BEAM LENGTH: 70 ft. (wingspan) helms, will not function onboard the smalljam-
25 ft. (hull beam) mer. A lifejammer helm will kill the ship (saving
throw vs. lightning applies, check every day the
helm is used). Failing that saving throw turns the
Description: smalljammer into a lifeless hulk that will decay in
The smalljammer is a miniature version of the 1-10 days. Although it will still move at spelljam-
Spelljammer itself. It retains the basic manta ming speeds, at the end of the noted time, it will
shape with its upswept tail, but where the citadels break up.
would be on the larger ship the smalljammer has The relationship between the smalljammer and

A smalljammer can project an illusion around itself, usually of

an asteroid, a space creature, or some type of ship.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

the helmsman is similar to the relationship be- the potential strangers and dangers of civilized
tween the great ship Spelljammer and its captain. space. Their lack of armament, small need for
However, the smalljammer does not have the fi- crew, and high maneuverability make them ideal
nesse of its parent craft, so it reacts more strongly. ships for solitary wizards, lone-wolf adventurers,
If the helmsman acts in a fashion that the small- and other individuals who prefer the quiet of
jammer does not approve of (such as placing it in space without a lot of other human activity. It is
danger), the helmsman must make a saving throw not a warship in any degree, but smalljammers
vs. spells or suffer intense pain and take 1-6 points have been used for smuggling in cases where the
of damage. In addition, in dangerous situations helmsman has ultimate trust with the ship.
the helmsman must make a saving throw vs.
spells or the ship will immediately flee at top Other Configurations:
speed for 1-6 turns.
The smalljammer recognizes one helmsman, There are no other configurations for the small-
much like the Spelljammer has but one captain. jammer other than what is noted here. The small-
CJsually this is the first person who uses the helm. jammer cannot (or rather, will not) carry any
Others are repulsed, and must make a saving weapon larger than a small catapult or ballista,
throw vs. spells to avoid 1-6 points of damage. and never carries bombards or smoke powder. If a
Once bonded, the smalljammer will answer only larger weapon is placed on a smalljammer, the
to its helmsman until death, or until the smalljam- vessel simply retracts its leathery supports from
mer rejects its helmsman. Each time the helms- around the weapon and lets it topple over the side
man performs an action which causes the (bolting it to the smalljammer would damage the
smalljammer to rebel, make a second saving creature).
throw for the helmsman vs. staves. If this saving Each smalljammer considers itself unique in
throw is failed, the smalljammer rejects its helms- the universe, and feels no family loyalty to either
man and the next person to attempt to control the the Spelljammer or other smalljammers. The vast-
smalljammer becomes its new master. ness of the Known Spheres and the fact that most
Things which cause a smalljammer to rebel in- smalljammers do not operate above an empathic
clude leaving it alone for extended periods of level with their masters ensure that few ever meet
time, crowding it with other ships or potentially after their initial flight. The result of such a meet-
hostile individuals, inflicting damage on its hull or ing is unknown as one has never been observed.
interior, and exposing it to constant danger. The
smalljammer cannot keep its helmsman on the
ship, but does exert a psychic bond up to 10 miles
away, calling for the helmsman to return. The
smalljammer is responsive to its captain and pas-
senger, such that it will form doorways, seal pas-
sengers, and otherwise create furnishing from its
living hull.

Ship Uses:
The smalljammers are excellent exploration
vessels, as they prefer the emptiness of space to

Each smalljammer considers itself unique in the universe

and feels no family loyalty to either the Spelljammer
or other smalljammers.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

Smalljammer

Unity Ships of the K'r'r'r

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

The unity ships can in this manner exceed the

Unity Ships of the K'r'r'r 100 ton maximum for most movement. They can-
BUILT BY: The k'r'r'r not attain spelljamming speeds in this fashion,
USED BY: The k'r'r'r but can maneuver at their ship's rating on the tac-
TONNAGE: 30 tons each tical map.
HULL POINTS: 30 Unity ships which are linked have combined
CREW: 15/30 hull points and air envelopes. A critical hit affects
MANEUVER CLASS: C only one member of the unity, so those that
LANDING—LAND: No have their helmsmen incapacitated drop out of
LANDING— WATER: No the unity.
ARMOR RATING: 8 All weapons can fire forward on linked unity
SAVES AS: Metal ships. When ramming, the unity ships gain +1 to
POWER TYPE: K'r'r'r helm hit for every two ships in the unity. The ramming
SHIP'S RATING: As helmsman ship then breaks away from the other ships, its
ARMAMENT: 3 medium ballistas crew left to board the rammed vessel.
Piercing ram
CARGO: 10 tons Crew:
KEEL LENGTH: 120 ft.
BEAM LENGTH: 25 ft. The k'r'r'r are a race of intelligent space-faring
pirates. They are fanatical fighters when led by a
war master, who acts as both captain and leader of
Description: any assaults.
The unity ships are the creation of the spider- The helmsmen of the k'r'r'r are specialized
like k'r'r'r, a race of deep-space dwellers. Their priests with limited access to spells (all, guardian,
ships are great catamarans with three outer decks protection, sun spheres). All possess the k'r'r'r
and three outriggers. Each deck carries a medium helm. The k'r'r'r helm appears as an ivory staff
ballista at the bow. The gravity plane runs along bound in gold. It functions in all ways as a minor
the length of the ship, but the catamarans provide helm. Non-k'r'r'r can use the helm, but do not gain
three downward directions, allowing the k'r'r'r to the k'r'r'r's ability to unite ships. The k'r'r'r helm
operate in all three dimensions. The approach and puts users of the correct race in mental contact
design are alien to most races evolved from with each other, so that each ship is movirig at the
ground-dwelling creatures, and it is unique to the exact same rate and carries out maneuvers at the
k'r'r'r. same speed.
The unity ships are identical and modular, such In addition to a war master and two helmsmen
that they can link together at the catamarans to (each capable of taking 8-hour shifts), each
form a large ship (all ships occupy the same hex, unity ship has a complement of a dozen k'r'r'r
regardless of the eventual size). The binding is a warriors who man the ballistas and serve as
maneuver practiced by the crews until it is second boarding parties.
nature to them. The two ships only need to move
into the same hex to be linked up. The k'r'r'r Ship Uses:
helmsmen have their minds melded at the time of
the linking, such that the ship has the SR of the The unity fleet of the k'r'r'r has but one purpose:
slowest member of the meld. to go out and seize new lands for their em-

The unity fleet of the k'r'r'r has but one purpose: to go out
and seize new lands for the empire.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

pire. The k'r'r'r have a preference for gas worlds,

dwarven citadels, and asteroid bases, but any spa- Battle Dolphin
cial body up to size A is a potential target. Such BUILT BY: Humans
targets must be cleansed of non-k'r'r'r life, after USED BY: Any race
which the new owners can settle down to estab- TONNAGE: 70 tons
lishing their colony and building more unity HULL POINTS: 70
ships. CREW: 12/70
The individual vessels of the k'r'r'r unity fleet MANEUVER CLASS: D
are launched in a straight line, far enough apart to LANDING—LAND: No
prevent each one's gravity field from interfering LANDING—WATER: No
with the others. When a unity fleet is encountered, ARMOR RATING: 5
a new unity ship appears each round, from the SAVES AS: Wood
same direction and on the same vector as the pre- POWER TYPE: Major or minor helm
vious ship, until the entire fleet is assembled. SHIP'S RATING: As helmsman
There are usually 4-24 (4d6) ships in a k'r'r'r unity ARMAMENT: 2 medium catapults
fleet. CARGO: 35 tons
The best (possibly the only) tactic for surviving KEEL LENGTH: 250 ft.
a k'r'r'r attack is to hit them hard as they slow to BEAM LENGTH: 30 ft.
tactical speed, before they can unite. A unity of
several ships forms a mobile fortress that can Dolphin-Shuttle
knock most other ships out of the sky. Yet individ-
ual vessels are weak enough that the k'r'r'r's oppo- BUILT BY: Humans
nents may make short work of them. USED BY: Any race
TONNAGE: 20 tons
Other Configurations: HULL POINTS: 20
CREW: 4/20
K'r'r'r ships are rarely used by other races be- MANEUVER CLASS: C
cause of their triaxial design. K'r'r'r helms are fair- LANDING—LAND: No
ly common, as the helms also make beautiful LANDING—WATER: Yes
walking canes. ARMOR RATING: 6
SAVES AS: Wood
POWER TYPE: Major or minor helm
SHIP'S RATING: As helmsman
ARMAMENT: None
CARGO: 15 tons
KEEL LENGTH: 40 ft.
BEAM LENGTH: 15 ft.

Description:
The graceful battle dolphin is the latest human
ship to appear in any quantity in the void. It com-
bines a number of design features necessary to

The graceful battle dolphin is the latest human ship to appear

in any quantity in the void. It combines a number of design
features necessary to human travel and commerce in space.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THESHIPYAR

human travel and commerce in space. Like the ship, the ship is helmless if the only helm is
hard-shelled nautiloids, the bulk of the battle dol- aboard the lander. As a result, either mobile
phin is enclosed. It maintains an upper "surveil- helms (like the crown of stars), or two helms (one
lance" level which places it above the decks of of which is kept off line) are sought by adventurers
opposing ships. Most importantly, the galleonlike using the battle dolphin. The Arcane, who market
portion of the upper deck can separate from the such helms, are overjoyed by the additional need
main ship and make planetary landings. The for these items that this ship design provides.
small galleon is less likely to attract attention in Battle dolphins are being constructed in ship-
the port of Waterdeep and similar venues than a yards throughout the known spheres, as the ship
fully-armed hammership. becomes more popular. Whether it is a long-
lasting design (like the hammerships) or one more
Crew: attempt to be later abandoned remains to be seen.
The headquarters of a battle dolphin may be lo- Other Configurations:
cated either in the forward bridge or in the detach-
able upper deck. Which one is used depends on The battle dolphin is a new ship, and as a result,
the number of helms available and their common very few modifications have been seen yet. Most
use. If two helms are available, then one will be modifications involve a change of weaponry, to
mounted on either deck. If one helm is used, then ballistas or (in one noted case) bombards. Several
it is mounted on the upper deck, unless the "land- shipyards do mount a piercing ram on the forward
er" has other magical means of propulsion. bridge, removing the windows in the process. This
The remainder of the crew is needed for the variant is called the narwhal.
combined sails (one lateen-rigged above the for-
ward bridge, two other square rigs on the lander)
and to man the medium catapults (mounted di- Cuttle Command
rectly behind the bridge). BUILT BY: Humans, mind flayers
USED BY: None
Ship Uses: TONNAGE: 100 tons
HULL POINTS: 100
The battle dolphin, sometimes just called the CREW: 30/100
dolphin, is quickly becoming a popular ship for MANEUVER CLASS: E
adventurers and other small parties, in particular LANDING—LAND: Yes
those which need to make planetfall on large LANDING—WATER: Mo
worlds filled with groundlings. The lander unit al- ARMOR RATING: 8
lows access to most worlds without arousing at- SAVES AS: Wood
tention, while the main body of the ship is laid out POWER TYPE: Major or minor helm
to meet the challenges of wildspace. SHIP'S RATING: As helmsman
The greatest flaw in the design is the placement ARMAMENT: 4 heavy ballistas
of the helms, particularly when only one helm is 2 heavy catapults
available. Either the adventurers must keep the 1 heavy jettison
helm with the lander, making it the center of oper- CARGO: 50 tons
ations, or forego the advantage of the lander to KEEL LENGTH: 120 ft. (high)
make the forward bridge the location of the helm. BEAM LENGTH: Variable
Further, once the lander is away from the main

Battle dolphins are being constructed in shipyards throughout

the Known Spheres as the ship becomes more popular.
Whether it is a long-lasting design (like the hammerships) or
one more attempt to be later abandoned remains to be seen.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

Description: mage through half a hundred worlds as a curiosity.

The cuttle was to be the answer to the Elven Ar-
The cuttle command is a ten-story-tall tower in mada, proof that an organized human community
space. It is even taller than it is wide along its hull. could create great ships to destroy the raiding
It maintains its gravity plane by having large goblins. Unfortunately, the human organization
weapons mounted on four of the eight tentacles. proved to be less cohesive than the elven navy,
These tentacles extend far enough horizontally to and in the one great battle they fought in, cuttles
change the orientation of the gravity plane to a appeared on both sides of the fight—turncoat
horizontal axis running through the eyes of the mercenaries seized one ship and turned it against
cuttle. As a result, the cuttle is much bulkier and human builders.
nowhere near as maneuverable as a ship built Vintage cuttles are now mostly abandoned, torn
along normal lines. apart or parked out on some asteroid to quietly
fall apart. When in use, they often serve as towers
Crew: for spaceborne wizards who do not wish to be dis-
turbed.
The cuttle was set up as a command ship and However, the plans for the cuttles were relayed
information center, with the "brains" hidden with- from world to world by an "old mage" network, so
in the protective shell. The ship's functions, in- occasionally a new vessel appears, usually
cluding the spelljamming helm, were installed scratch-built jobs piloted by the same wizard who
behind the ship's eyes, where they would be out of built it. On a number of worlds, cuttles were be-
the way. The cuttle could support a full command gun for protection (or out of curiosity), and later
staff, and included about half its number in abandoned. In one case a town grew up around an
heavily-armed raiders and defenders. Cuttles were abandoned cuttle, and the ship is the major fea-
historically well-armed with magic as well. ture of the skyline.

Ship Uses: Other Configurations:

The cuttle was originally built for the (Jnhuman The cuttle's precarious gravity plane simultane-
Wars as a mobile command base. It was primarily ously cries out for modification at the same time
designed and used by humans, though it used that it makes modification extremely difficult.
many of the same design techniques as the octo- Adding or subtracting armor tends to unbalance
pus. The cuttle appealed to human wizards in par- the ship with tragic results. This is a reason that
ticular. Despite the natural laws of space survival, many cuttles have been abandoned or unfinished;
wizards felt "safer" in a towerlike setup. they have limited potential for personal changes.
The outer tentacles of the cuttle are usually Most cuttles have the armament listed, but
fixed in place, but can be pulled in close to the there are occasional all-catapult or all-ballista ver-
ship. This was only done in emergencies, because sions. There was a greek fire projection cuttle, Ul-
while it increases maneuverability to MC C, it also timate Victory, but it was destroyed in a mutiny
shifts the gravity plane to the vertical axis, which when the mutineers captured one of the weapon
has a dramatic effect on anything that is not bolt- platforms and turned it against the ship. The
ed, strapped, or nailed down. burned remains are said to be abandoned some-
Only about 20 cuttles were originally built, where in the Sea of Dust on Oerth.
though the plans were handed off from mage to

The outer tentacles of the cuttle can be pulled in close to the

ship to increase maneuverability, but this also shifts the
gravity plane to the vertical axis, which has a dramatic effect
on anything that is not bolted, strapped, or nailed down.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

Great Bombard Description:

BUILT BY: Giff The great bombard resembles a single-decked
USED BY: Giff groundling bireme, and indeed such craft were
TONNAGE: 40 tons initially used as the frames for early versions of
HULL POINTS: 40 this vessel. Its rowing banks are planked over and
CREW: 20/40 (10 giffs) its prow removed, replaced with a huge bombard
MANEUVER CLASS: E of cold iron banded with steel rings, which runs
LANDING—LAND: No half the length of the ship.
LANDING— WATER: Yes The great bombard is dominated by its gun,
ARMOR RATING: 6 which has the following stats:
SAVES AS: Thick wood
POWER TYPE: Major or minor helm
Cost: 60,000 gp (when available at all)
SHIP'S RATING: As helmsman
Range: 4 hexes (2,000 yards)
Damage: 3d 10 hit points
ARMAMENT: 1 great bombard 2dl2 hull points
2 light ballistas Crew: 5
Blunt ram Rate of Fire: 1/3
CARGO: 20 tons THAC0: 16
KEEL LENGTH: 140 ft. Critical Hit on 19
BEAM LENGTH: 20 ft.
The bombard may also be capped with a great
brass blunt ram, usually sculpted in the shape of a
giffs head.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

The great bombard fires stone shot, and uses 20 next crystal sphere. However, as it is dominated by
charges of smoke powder to loft the ball. These its gun, the captain and crew of the great bombard
charges are usually kept in pre-measured tin are continually in service, seeking to earn enough
drums onboard ship. Any critical hit against a smoke powder to be able to fire the weapon.
great bombard has a 10% chance of igniting the As a result, great bombards are usually out for
powder room, inflicting 3dlO x 5 points of hull hire, mercenaries in the line for other organiza-
damage (this is greater than normal because in tions. They are preferred by small factions and
addition to the great bombard's powder, there will races who do not have their own fleets, as the
be considerable additional smoke powder belong- bombard is often more effective as a threat than
ing to the crew). as an actual weapon. In action, it is almost as great
The bombard can only fire in the direction the a danger to foe as it is to friend.
ship is moving. In game terms, this means that the The greatest danger to someone facing a great
bombard will only fire along a straight row of bombard is whether the bombard truly has
hexes, which the ship is facing. The bombard may enough powder to fire or not. Often a canny giff
fire at the beginning or the end of its turn, at the will wait until the ship is within ramming distance
captain's order. before firing off the gun, simply to raise the level
of tension among the enemy crew.
Crew: Reloading a great bombard is quite an under-
taking, considering that the muzzle usually pro-
The four chief officers of a great bombard are jects beyond the ship's deck. One or more giffs
the respected captain, the noble helmsman, the must leap off the ship and drift out to the muzzle,
puissant crafter, and the master gunsman. The throw the powder charges down the barrel, and
master gunsman is responsible for firing the bom- then push the shot down the barrel by walking or
bard. The puissant crafter is responsible for main- crawling in behind it. To the giff, of course, this is
tenance. The noble helmsman operates the helm great fun.
(or more usually is in charge of the human or oth- There are about two dozen great bombards in
er individual operating the helm), and the respect- Known Space, which form a loose brotherhood of
ed captain, of course, gives the order to fire. giff known as the Cult of the Gun. All captains are
The remaining six giff of a standard crew are as- cult members by the very act of possessing the
sistants to the ship's masters, as well as being re- great bombard, and an unspoken rule is not to fire
sponsible for the ship's maneuverability, keeping on another great bombard, as it might damage
the gun clean, forming boarding parties, and the weapon.
when necessary, manning the light ballistas Most great bombards are mercenary vessels but
(though these are considered sissy weapons). The a few have gone pirate, getting more with a kind
respected captain is the ultimate leader of the giff, word and a large gun than with just a kind word.
though he may answer to a higher authority—the
customer who has purchased the giffs services.
Other Configurations:
Ship Uses: As the great bombards are often without pow-
der, several sensible captains armor-plate the bow
The great bombard is the giff super-weapon—a of their vessel to aid it in ramming. This raises the
(sort of) mobile platform with a big gun on it, ca- AR of the bow to 5 against attacks from the front
pable of knocking most of its opponents into the (such as other rams), but drops the MC to F.

Reloading a great bombard is quite an undertaking. One or

more giffs must leap off the ship and drift out to the muzzle,
throw the powder charges into the barrel, and then push the
shot down the barrel by walking or crawling in behind it.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

When possible (and smoke powder is available), catapults for assaults.

the giff will replace the light catapults with typical The interior of the shell is a single great vault,
bombards. These will be mounted on heavy, swiv- similar to the interior of the nautiloids. Walkways
eling bases, giving them a THACO of 19, but the around the perimeter provide access to the ballis-
giff are more comfortable with them. ta stations and the various officer's posts. The
vault is lit with red hues and dominated by the
glowing pool that provides the motive force for
Illithid Dreadnought spelljamming. The captain's post is on a catwalk
BUILT BY: Mind flayers over the pool.
USED BY: Mind flayers
TONNAGE: 90 tons Crew:
HULL POINTS: 90
CREW: 20/90 (usual maximum One mind flayer is deadly. Twenty-five of them,
of 25 mind flayers) the maximum number to be found on a dread-
MANEUVER CLASS: E nought, are a disaster waiting to happen. Early re-
LANDING—LAND: Mo ports about the abilities of the pool helms seem to
LANDING—WATER: Yes have been inflated, and the pools are as limited as
ARMOR RATING: 4 the other forms of standard spelljamming
SAVES AS: Thick wood drives—they are held to the 100 ton limit.
POWER TYPE: Pool helm The size restraint on crew for the mind flayers
SHIP'S RATING: 5 seems to be a doctrinal restriction by the race
ARMAMENT: 2 large catapults rather than any physical requirement. On most il-
4 medium ballistas lithid ships, advancement is by assassination, and
1 large jettison captains prefer to place their best, brightest, and
Piercing ram most dangerous officers in positions of authority
CARGO: 45 tons and danger, in the hopes that they will be either
KEEL LENGTH: 100 ft. kept busy or killed before the officers get the idea
BEAM LENGTH: 90 ft.
of killing the captain.
On a dreadnought the leaders consist of the
captain and four staff officers. Titles run along the
Description: lines of maintenance, weapons, navigation, and
The newest and largest ship in the mind flayer morale, but in duties all are interchangeable.
fleets, the dreadnought represents the full exploita- Each staff officer maintains his own group of fol-
tion of the pool helm to produce ships above 50 lowers among the other mind flayers of the ship.
tons (but still beneath the apparent 100 ton maxi- Wise captains play one side off another to retain
mum). control, as no officer would place the ship in dan-
The dreadnought looks like a great snail-shell ger just to advance his own career (at least, not if
laid on its side, resting on two hulls. The hulls are he could get caught doing it).
similar to the forward halves of the standard nauti- The remainder of the crew consists of slaves.
loid, the workhorse of the illithid fleets. One of the The bulk of the slaves are humans, gnomes, and
hulls is known as the command hull, and contains other races captured from enemy ships and im-
the officers' quarters, while the other is the battle pressed into service. In addition, each officer and
hull, and is used for ramming. Both hulls mount the captain maintains a personal slave who is not

On most illithid ships, advancement is by assassination, and

captains prefer to place their best, brightest, and most
dangerous officers in positions of authority and danger.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

Illithid Dreadnought

Octopus

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

bound by shackles (though they may be charmed or There are stories of a heavy dreadnought with
otherwise ensorceled to serve the illithid loyally). an armor rating of 2 and a maneuver class of F, but
The personal servants are treated as loyal pets, and armed with four heavy catapults and eight heavy
are counted on to pass on any information they get ballistas. This, like the earlier promises as to the
from other slaves as to the ship's political climate, in effectiveness of the pool helm, should be seen be-
addition to performing all odd jobs for their mas- fore it is believed.
ters. These servants are treated better than the
standard illithid slave, but run the risk of having
their brain sucked out if their master has a bad day. Octopus
BUILT BY: Humans, mind flayers
Ship Uses: USED BY: Humans, mind flayers
TONNAGE: 70 tons
The dreadnoughts have only appeared within HULL POINTS: 70
the last year, and are still relatively rare. They usu- CREW: 13/70
ally appear in large-scale mind flayer activity, in MANEUVER CLASS: D
particular in cases where the mind flayers wish to LANDING—LAND: Yes
drive a particular point home. Usually in such LANDING—WATER: No
"diplomatic" missions, the dreadnoughts are es- ARMOR RATING: 7
corted by two to four nautiloids. SAVES AS: Wood
Lone dreadnoughts are now being used as ex- POWER TYPE: Major/minor helm,
ploration craft, particularly in areas known to pool helm
have active spelljamming races. A large, powerful SHIPS RATING: As helmsman
ship, manned by mind flayers, tends to make a ARMAMENT: 2 heavy catapults
good impression on newcomers to the spelljam- 2 heavy ballistas
ming community. CARGO: 35 tons
KEEL LENGTH: 100 ft. (not including
Other Configurations: tentacles)
Given any new invention, there will be those BEAM LENGTH: 60 ft.
seeking to get hold of it. The first dreadnoughts
encountered in many spheres have not been ac- Description:
credited representatives of the illithids, but vari- A huge ship reminiscent of the earthly cephalo-
ous rogues, outlaws, and pirates who can use a pod of the same name, the octopus moves
great ship in their raids. Apparently the various through the void in a manner similar to those
shipyards building the dreadnoughts had no prob- creatures, its bulbous end first, trailing its armed
lem "losing" a ship or two, which found its way in- tentacles. Originally designed as a convoy protec-
to other hands. tor during the (Inhuman Wars, its weapon layout
Pirate dreadnoughts are lighter and slightly earned it the nickname "tailgunner" (although, as
more maneuverable, given maneuver class D noted below, the vessel actually has very good all-
while having an armor rating of 6. They also tend round fields of fire).
to have additional breeches in the main shell, be-
hind which are mounted light ballistas (up to six
maximum).

There are stories of an improved dreadnought with heavier

armor and daunting weaponry, but like early rumors
about the effectiveness of the pool helm,
this should be seen before it is believed.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

Crew: Other Configurations:

The octopus was originally designed for a hu- The octopuses from the illithid cache are typi-
man crew, supplemented by mind flayers as cal of their type, and the new owner's refitting has
"heavy assistance" in boarding actions. The cap- done little to modify their standard appearance
tain and helmsman are located within the protect- and/or armament. Some buyers have stripped the
ed "head" of the octopus. upper catapults and replaced them with heavy bal-
Four of the eight arms of the octopus have listas instead.
some limited movement, controlled by great Those octopuses which have been sold to other
winches within the main body. These winches are mind flayer houses are outfitted with pool helms
used to pull the weapons into position. As a result, as opposed to major helms. As a result, only the
the ship can fire in all directions equally well. more powerful families have been able to afford
the octopus, and it is currently primarily a human
Ship Uses: craft.
There is a legendary octopus with fittings of
The octopus is a relic of another time and place. gold and tentacles of silvery steel. This Gold Octo-
It appeared at the height of the (inhuman Wars, pus was reputed to be owned by the Corsair, a leg-
during an unlikely alliance between neutral hu- endary pirate. The Corsair boasted of being part
mans and mind flayers. The resulting hybrid has Shou, part Solamnic Knight, and all-round hel-
many illithid characteristics but was piloted by hu- lion. The Gold Octopus's tentacles were appar-
man wizards and used primarily to guard caravans ently animated by magic, giving it the equivalent
and convoys from goblin depredations. With the of a grappling ram.
destruction of the goblins, the need for large The Gold Octopus was a terror of the spaceways
groups of ships traveling convoy-style dimin- for a generation, then it disappeared as mysteri-
ished, the human/illithid alliance broke up, and ously as it appeared. Before his disappearance,
the ships were retired, their equipment scavenged the Corsair boasted of being able to raid any ship
for other, more maneuverable ships. and set off to take on the Spelljammer itself. If this
Until recently, that is. An enterprising illithid is true, the Gold Octopus now resides within the
has reportedly discovered a forgotten depot with great ship's armory, and the Corsair is either dead
several octopus ships and has been refitting and or has taken on another identity aboard the ship.
reselling them to anyone who can afford them, no
questions asked. The depot was likely a secret
fleet base or an abandoned illithid outpost which
collapsed because of mind flayer infighting. The
refitting consists of repainting and changing
enough detail work so that the original owners do
not come looking for the new salesman.
The octopuses are being used in a variety of
ways, as adventurers' crafts (they avoid the open-
deck problem of the hammerships) and as a pirate
vessel. Pirates are beginning to take the edge in
number of ships in use, so that strange octopus
ships are best approached cautiously.

There is a legendary octopus with fittings of gold and

tentacles of silvery steel. This Cold Octopus was owned by an
infamous pirate, the Corsair, who disappeared after
announcing he would seek out and capture the Spelljammer.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

For every clerical or magical scroll fed into the

Quentin's Libraria maw of the idol, maneuver class increases to MC
BUILT BY: Human (Quentin Axan) C for four rounds. The number of spells on the
USED BY: Human (Quentin Axan) scroll does not matter for the purposes of power-
TONNAGE: 30 ing the ship, only that a magical or clerical scroll
HULL POINTS: 30 is fed to the flames.
CREW: 5/30 For every spell book fed into the maw of the
MANEUVER CLASS: E (Variable) idol, maneuver class increases to MC B for six
LANDING—LAND: Yes rounds.
LANDING— WATER: No For every magical book (such as a Libram of Sil-
ARMOR RATING: 7 ver Magic) fed into the maw, the maneuver class
SAVES AS: Thick wood increases to MC A for the next 10 rounds.
POWER TYPE: Major helm All books and scrolls fed to the idol are utterly
SHIPS RATING: As helmsman consumed by the flames.
(10 for Quentin Axan) The idol is a harsh master, and is constantly
ARMAMENT: 1 light ballista roaring, demanding to be fed. Failure to feed the
Piercing ram idol will result in louder and louder imploring,
CARGO: 15 tons then the idol's maw will belch forth billows of poi-
KEEL LENGTH: 120 ft. sonous gas, causing the atmosphere to become
BEAM LENGTH: 25 ft. tainted in five rounds and forcing all aboard to
save vs. poison or perish. In addition, the idol has
the power to cast one flaming sphere per turn, but
Description: cannot use its spelljamming abilities when doing
The Libraria is a unique ship created by Quentin so. This power is used as a defense when on the
Axan in the pursuit of the Spelljammer. It appears ground. Quentin Axan is always seeking more
to be a synthesis of a standard tradesman with a texts, in particular magical texts, to feed to his
great stone idol with flaming eyes and mouth. The ship.
remainder of the ship is packed with books and
bookshelves—Axan's reading library and power Crew:
source.
The idol which dominates the stern of the ship The Libraria is crewed entirely by Quentin Axan
is a variant of the major spelljammer helm. It func- and his assistants. Quentin serves as captain and
tions as a spelljamming helm in all manners, but navigator. He is aided by four halfling priests who
in addition it can attain greater maneuverability take turns as helmsmen directing the ship's
classes through offerings burned in its mouth, pri- course. Those not on duty are busy cataloguing,
marily paper and books. copying, and reorganizing the files, and of course
The normal maneuver class of the ship is MC E. feeding the idol. Quentin will occasionally carry
Depending on the types of knowledge fed into the passengers, though always at the price of magical
flaming mouth, the MC can be improved. texts. Scribes may "work their passage" creating
Normal paper, including nonmagical books and texts to be consumed while they sail.
scrolls, increase the maneuver class to MC D. This
increased maneuverability lasts for one round for
every book or scroll fed into the idol.

The idol is a harsh master, constantly roaring, demanding to

be fed. Failure to feed the idol leads to louder imploring, then
the idol's maw belches forth billows of poisonous gas,
tainting the atmosphere of the ship.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

Gnomish Welk

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

Ship Uses: Gnomish Whelk

The Libraria was cobbled together by Quentin BUILT BY: Illusionist gnomes
Axan from the ruins of his crashed tradesman and USED BY: Illusionist gnomes
a mystic idol from the planet he was forced down TONNAGE: 30 tons
upon. The sole purpose of the idol was the con- HULL POINTS: 30
sumption of knowledge, which correlated closely CREW: 20/30
with Quentin's acquisition of knowledge. The idol MANEUVER CLASS: D
gained the reach of space thanks to Quentin, LANDING—LAND: Yes
while the scholar gained a powerful spelljamming LANDING—WATER: Yes
artifact. ARMOR RATING: 6
The Libraria is currently hunting the Spell- SAVES AS: Ceramic
jammer for the supposed great libraries therein. POWER TYPE: Major or minor helm
Quentin Axan's theory is that the Spelljammer is SHIP'S RATING: As helmsman
powered in much the same way as his own ship, ARMAMENT: 1 medium catapult
and he might be able to use his idol to gain control 1 medium jettison
of the great ship, and with it all the knowledge and Piercing ram
legends held by the Spelljammer. CARGO: 15 tons
Quentin Axan is a 9th level wizard with the fol- KEEL LENGTH: 120 ft.
lowing abilities: Int High; AL N; AC 8 (Dexterity BEAM LENGTH: 25 ft.
bonus); MV 12; HD 9; hp 27; THACO 18; #AT 1;
Dmg 1-4 (dagger); SA Spell Use; SZ M; ML 12 (18
on board the Libraria); Spells: 4 (1st), 3 (2nd), 3 Description:
(3rd), 2 (4th), 1 (5th). The whelk is a grown ship, much like the elven
flitters and armadas. It appears as a spiralled sea
Other Configurations: shell dotted by sharp spikes along the whorls,
traveling large-end first through the void. The jet-
The Libraria is a unique vessel under the com- tison is mounted on the trailing edge, while the
mand of Quentin Axan. It is possible, should catapult is laid in at the highest point of the shell.
Quentin ever fail his idol, that the idol will slay
him and his crew. Travelers encountering the ship
thereafter would find only a wreck with a tainted Crew:
atmosphere, books decaying from the heat but The whelk is a gnomish ship, which takes most
not fed to the idol, and a very, very hungry idol. spacefarers by surprise, as most gnomish ships are
hodgepodges of different ships and naval architec-
tural styles, as if the designer was changing his
mind as he built it (which is often the case). The
gnomes who crew the whelk, however, are illusion-
ists by trade and following, and do not care for their
more technological cousins, whom they consider
to be failures at the gnomes' "true calling"—
illusion magic.

Most gnomish ships are hodgepodges of different ships and

naval architectural styles, as if the designer was changing his
mind as he built it (which is often the case).

fl
Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)
 THE SHIPYARD

The crew of a whelk is almost exclusively gnom- memories, and those in space have a tendency to
ish, and no allowance is made for larger wait for revenge. They are not above ambushing
creatures—the quarters and passage-ways are someone to make a point.
gnome-sized, and larger creatures must make do
or sleep on the outer deck. Other Configurations:
The command staff of a whelk are all gnome
illusionists—captain, helmsman, chief mage, and The most powerful of the gnomish whelks have
weapons officer—of levels 2-12. In addition, there portions of their shells cut away for greater firing
will be 1-4 additional gnome illusionists of levels ability and maneuverability. These portions are
1-6 among the rest of the crew. The command stored for later use, and separated from the hull
staff uses its spells to increase the apparent dan- only if a mission looks particularly dangerous.
gerous nature of the ship (large monsters on deck, These whelks can carry an additional five light
or flaming projectiles in the catapult—an effec- ballistas, and have a maneuver class of C. Their
tive deterrent to attackers in the phlogiston). armor rating, however, drops to 8.
Those of sufficient level may use hallucinatory ter-
rain to mask the appearance of the ship, making it
appear as a star field (though movement spoils Leech
this illusion). BUILT BY: Neogi
In addition to the crew, the whelk will be home USED BY: Neogi
to either a family of normal badgers or 1-2 giant TONNAGE: 20-100
badgers, who are used as watchdogs, pets, and HULL POINTS: 20
spies throughout the vessel. CREW: 2/20
MANEUVER CLASS: B (alone)
Ship Uses: D (when mounted)
LANDING—LAND: No
The whelk is an excellent warship. With a pow- LANDING—WATER: No
erful crew it can be a deadly ambush weapon or an ARMOR RATING: 9
effective exploration craft. As a result, many illu- SAVES AS: Metal
sionist gnome crews have become mercenaries, POWER TYPE: Lifejammer
selling their unique services to the highest bidder. SHIP'S RATING: As victim
They will work for anyone except the neogi, and ARMAMENT: 1 light catapult
have even participated in various illithid raids and CARGO: 10 tons
beholder civil conflicts. KEEL LENGTH: 50 ft.
Whelk crews will work with their technological BEAM LENGTH: 30 ft.
cousins, though this is distasteful to them. They
feel that tinker gnomes have made fools of them- Description:
selves and are the laughing stock of wildspace
with their ramshackle ships and dubious inven- The leech is little more than a lifejammer drive
tions. The illusionist gnomes tend to overcom- mounted within a small dome. The dome is sup-
pensate as a result, such that they are deadly ported by eight grappling legs, which gives the en-
serious in their dealings with other races. Those tire structure the appearance of a headless spider.
who ridicule the wrong type of gnome in space It can be operated by a single neogi with his um-
should be wary. Illusionist gnomes have long ber hulk slave.

Anyone who ridicules the wrong type of gnome in space

should be wary. Illusionist gnomes have long memories
and wait patiently for revenge.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

The leech is designed to fit onto the back of an- the elven fleets caused them to abandon the prac-
other living creature, which may or may not have tice. The leeches still exist, however, and are
space-faring abilities of its own, and turn the tan- sometimes used by rebels, rogue neogi, and other
dem device and being into a spelljamming ship. unscrupulous individuals who need to get some-
The process of using the lifejammer drive kills the where quickly but don't want to take a ship.
harnessed creature, so the neogi can only use it in Now it appears that new leeches are appearing in
situations where time is of importance or where the Known Spheres, and that neogi and other evil
replacement creatures can be found. creatures are using the leeches both for communi-
The leech has maneuver class B and an SR of 2 cation and for smuggling. Neogi diplomats of a half-
on the tactical level. This is attained by bleeding dozen spheres claim that they are not responsible,
off part of the neogi's personal slave to attain the though their less-moral brothers might be tempted.
power to move. The slave will be - 1 to all die rolls Elven attempts to track down those responsible
(including hit dice) until healed. Prolonged expo- have so far proved fruitless. These new leeches are
sure will kill the slave. Despite the ship's rating, nearly identical to the older models, but carry im-
the leech cannot attain spelljamming speeds with- proved lifejammers and new fittings. The Arcane,
out a host. who dislike the neogi use of lifejammers (as it com-
Any gargantuan-sized creature between 60 and petes with their own near-monopoly on spell-
120 feet long can be mounted with the leech and jamming helms), have a standing reward of a
turned into a captive of the neogi ship. This in- custom-built hammership to anyone who tracks
cludes such space creatures as krajen and kindori, down the being or beings responsible.
as well as large groundling dragons and small ce-
lestial dragons. Other Configurations:
The neogi do not need the creature's intelli-
gence, only its life-force, so the grapples of the Of greater concern to the elves and the Arcane
leech are tipped with a paralyzing venom. The is the growing use of leeched kindori or other
neogi must make an attack roll to hit (as for ram- creatures as weapons of terror. Leeches loaded
ming a gargantuan creature), and if it strikes, the with greek fire or other flammables are loaded
target must save vs. poison or be paralyzed. After and rammed into civilized areas. Usually the dead
initial paralyzation there are no additional saving pilot is found to be a neogi, but charred human
throws. Creatures which can naturally attain spell- and dwarf remains have been dragged from the re-
jamming speeds (such as kindori) may add +4 to sulting firestorm.
the roll and try to shake off the leech (a successful Bases in areas where this tactic have occurred
attack roll throws off the leech, but only if the are on constant alert, and craft approaching from
creature was not paralyzed first). Failure to dis- odd directions, or living beings behaving unusu-
lodge the leech indicates that the ship remains an- ally or unnaturally, are investigated quickly and
chored to the victim's flesh and another save will hopefully dispatched before they can endanger
be required the next turn. the base.
Anyone caught within 30 yards of such a crash
is affected as if he himself had crashed, and must
Ship Uses: make an additional saving throw vs. death or per-
The leech was used primarily for running dis- ish in the resulting firestorm. In the phlogiston,
patches between neogi outposts until about a hun- the save is at - 4 because of the volatility of the
dred years ago, when a concentrated assault by region.

It appears that new leeches are appearing in the Known

Spheres and that neogi and other evil creatures are using
them both for communication and for smuggling. The arcane
have a standing reward of a custom-built hammership to
anyone who tracks down the beings responsible.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

fectively, 30 hit points), but the attacker must first

Urchin survive 1-4 attacks by spikes, each inflicting 10
BUILT BY: Neogi points of damage as a pole arm, before making
USED BY: Neogi his own attack. The spikes themselves are AC 9,
TONNAGE: 3 tons and are destroyed by five points of damage. De-
HULL POINTS: 3 stroying five spikes reduces the urchin's move-
CREW: 3 ment rate to 6 and allows the attacker to get at the
MANEUVER CLASS: C urchin without risking assault. Destroying 10
LANDING—LAND: Yes spikes immobilizes the urchin.
LANDING—WATER: Yes
ARMOR RATING: 9 Crew:
SAVES AS: Thin wood
POWER TYPE: Lifejammer The urchin is primarily intended as a one-being
SHIP'S RATING: As victim vehicle, though two medium-sized figures can fit
ARMAMENT: Piercing ram into it. Usually a lone neogi is its sole crew. Those
CARGO: 1.5 tons that carry spelljamming helms will always be life-
BEAM LENGTH: 5 ft. radius, jammers, and the second "passenger" will always
20 ft. counting spikes be some unwilling victim (likely one of the size S
races, since space is at a premium).
Description: Ship Uses:
The urchin is the neogi response to the elven
flitter: a light, inexpensive craft which can be used The urchin is used primarily as a close-assault
either at the tactical level for support or as an vehicle. Op to 20 urchins can be carried inside a
emergency vehicle. It can be fitted with spelljam- deathspider and strewn like mines in front of oth-
ming drives if need be. An urchin with a lifejam- er ships, much in the same manner as stones
mer moves according to the hit dice of the victim. launched by a jettison. The urchins are most effec-
An urchin equipped with more conventional, non- tive against the elven flitter, but larger ships have
spelljamming drives has a tactical movement of 1. to avoid them as well else they end up rolling up
the deck, skewering deck hands as they pass.
The urchin looks like the sea creature of its Open ships such as the hammersHip are the most
namesake, with 8-foot spikes jutting out of a vulnerable, while illithid ships like the nautiloid
spherical body. The neogi (without his umber hulk are nearly invulnerable to this assault.
slave) sits in a separate central sphere encased in
the spike sphere, weighted at the bottom so that
the pilot will remain upright regardless of how the Other Configurations:
ball moves or rolls. The spikes are sharpened so The urchin has a number of other uses as well.
that they can be used as rams against small ships The primary one is as a messenger ship. Such ur-
or, more importantly, as antipersonnel weapons. chins are painted white, their spikes capped by
If the urchin is on the ground, it can be used to bulbous metal or ivory sheaths (which can be re-
attack enemies like a monster, rolling at its oppo- moved if need be). While the spikes are sheathed,
nents and spiking them. The urchin on the ground the ships lose their attack capability and are re-
has a movement rate of 12 and is very maneuver- ferred to as "snowflakes" by the neogi.
able. The central sphere is vulnerable (and has, ef-

Unmanned urchins, packed with greek fire, are called

'Thrig'ki's lovers" (an obscure historical reference understood
only by neogi) or simply "gobs."

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

Leech

Urchin

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

Unmanned urchins are also sometimes used as freight and passengers. Its lack of maneuverabil-
mines in battle with other ships. They are de- ity makes it ineffective as a combat craft, but
ployed like normal urchins but do not move. In- whales have been used in that capacity in the past.
stead they are packed with greek fire. Once an an Their greatest advantage is that all of their consid-
enemy's gravity field they fall onto the vessel, erable tonnage is enclosed.
crack open, and ignite. Such craft are called
"Thrig'ki's lovers" (an obscure historical reference Crew:
understood only by neogi) or simply "gobs," by
the neogi. They pose nearly as great a danger to In addition to the helmsman and captain, the
the deathspider carrying them as to their potential crew consists of oarsmen (who man the whale's
targets—a critical hit might set them aflame in "flippers" for what little control the craft has) and
the ship. Only a neogi captain who has offended a maintenance crew. Those whaleships which are
his superiors will be ordered to carry gobs. used in passenger service usually have these crew-
man doing double duty as pursers, cooks, and ser-
vants to those on board. The bridge is usually
Whaleship located at the bow of the ship, directly behind the
ram and above the mouth.
BUILT BY: Humans
USED BY: Humans
TONNAGE: 80 tons Ship Uses:
HULL POINTS: 80
CREW: 20/80 Whale-class vessels are used as haulers of both
MANEUVER CLASS: E people and equipment. Cargo haulers specialize
LANDING—LAND: No in bulk goods, like grain, cloth, or other food-
LANDING—WATER: Yes stuffs. Some whaleships are modified so that one
ARMOR RATING: 4 side of the hull can be detached for easy loading.
SAVES AS: Thick wood Otherwise, all materials are loaded through the
POWER TYPE: Major or minor helm ship's "mouth."
SHIP'S RATING: As helmsman Those whales used as passenger liners have
ARMAMENT: 1 medium jettison multiple decks installed within the hull, with quar-
Blunt ram ters and a common room, much like any tavern
CARGO: 40 tons found planetside. Like taverns, the quality of
KEEL LENGTH: 250 ft. whaleship liners ranges from barely palatable
BEAM LENGTH: 25 ft. dives to opulent, ornate pleasure palaces in space.
The former cram as many folk into the hold as
possible, while the latter serve only a fraction of
Description: the people they could handle, but charge them 10
As long as the hammership class, but much tall- to 20 times the normal price of a trip for luxury
er, with a large number of enclosed decks and a service. There are a number of different firms us-
heavy, armored, blunt ram in the front, the whale ing whaleships throughout the known spheres,
looks like the sea mammal it is named after, a ranging from one-ship operations to massive
huge sperm whale. It is not known for being grace- lines. One of the most successful is the Pandros
ful, only big. It is a perfect hauler of large bulk Line out of Theiaspace, which is run by a female
halfling named Calia Thornbow. Others include

Whales used as passenger liners have multiple decks installed

within the hull, with quarters and a common room, much like
any tavern. Also like taverns, their quality ranges from barely
palatable dives to opulent, ornate pleasure palaces.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 THE SHIPYARD

Brilliant Night Tours, Fraldathiagn Haulers, and front of the weapons, concealing them from po-
Meer, Dostrol, Hampstad, and Klatchkapper, Ltd. tential victims. This human/gnome band operates
The whaleship's only defenses are a small jetti- as pirates, and apparently has a great hatred for
son in the stern of the craft, and its ram (though the tinker-gnomes which are very common in
some would argue with calling a ram a defensive space. They are said to attack and burn tinker-
weapon). The entire bow of the ship is plated in gnome ships wherever they find them.
armor. Its normal method of dealing with assail- The whaleship is also a popular ship with the il-
ants is to plow right through, leaving only debris lithids, in particular in areas where the standard
in its wake. Being rammed by a whale will finish mind flayer design is likely to invite attack. The
off many small ships. Once a whaleship is enclosed whaleship provides the cool darkness
stopped, however, it is easy prey for boarding par- mind flayers prefer. These whaleships use the
ties. newer pool helms (in fact, these pool helms were
Trade whaleships are usually unpainted or at first encountered powering whales, before the
best given a starry background that might help dreadnoughts came into use).
hide the craft from potential attackers. Passenger A last variant that is just beginning to appear is
whaleships are usually sprayed with gaudy colors the glass whale. The armor plating at the bow of
and swirls on the outer hull, depending instead on this type is made clear using glassteel spells to
the talents of capable and high-priced helmsmen provide a "window on wildspace" for the passen-
to keep them out of harm's way. gers. The Arnazdo Operation (Milo Arnazdo, pro-
prietor) uses glass whales as the symbol of his
Other Configurations: passenger service, and backs up the apparently
fragile (but actually quite sturdy) ships by station-
The whaleship is not an effective combat vessel, ing powerful wizards on board.
though it can absorb a great deal of punishment
before breaking up. Its lack of weaponry and slug-
gish maneuverability makes it an easy target in
combat. In large-scale human combats, whale-
ships are used primarily as cargo transports and
troop carriers.
Attempts have been made to turn whaleships
into flying space fortresses. This usually involves
cutting parts of the outer hull away to reveal bat-
teries of ballistas, or very rarely bombards. These
type of craft may gain up to six large weapons in
this fashion, but at great cost. Armor rating drops
to 6, maneuverability falls to MC F (little better
than a groundling ship), and the ram is less effec-
tive. If a "killer whale" rams a target of 50 tons or
greater, the helmsman must check to see if his
own ship breaks up from the impact.
There are reports of a killer whale which is
manned by a mixed human/illusionist gnome
crew. This whale has illusions of solid walls in

The whale's normal method of dealing with assailants is to

plow right through, leaving only debris in its wake. Being
rammed by a whale will finish off many small ships.
Once a whaleship is stopped, however, it is easy prey for
boarding parties.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

In his madness, he knows all of this, but he

Arcane speaks very little, and then only once a high price
The Mad Arcane is met. The elven warrior Stardawn stole the mas-
ter seed of an elven ship for him, while the lizard
HEADQUARTERS: Arcane's tower priest Demets sacrificed his own sister for part of
(area #31) the solution. He has given each bits of the puzzle,
ARMOR CLASS: 3 but has told no one why they cannot leave the
MOVE: 12 great ship, and mixes lies with his truth to prevent
HIT POINTS: 75 anyone from gaining the upper hand on him.
HO. OF ATTACKS: 1 Arcane fears and hates the Fool, whom he
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10 (two-handed knows is acting to destroy the ship. He cannot
broadsword wielded stop the Fool, nor can he escape, and that feeds
in one hand) his madness even more. Arcane's actions are of-
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil ten to foil what he sees as one plot or another by
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Invisibility, the Fool, and every newcomer is checked out to
dimension door see if he is secretly an agent of the undead lord.
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 40% Arcane's madness regarding the Fool has ex-
SIZE: L(12 ft.) tended to dressing up the body of his murdered
ALIGNMENT: CE brother arcane in motley, with a hat-of-bells on his
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil head, so as to better understand his foe. The Fool
would dearly love to add that dead arcane to his
Arcane of the Spelljammer is a mad creature, his network of spies, so that he may know Arcane's
mind twisted by life on the Spelljammer and bro- plan as well.
ken entirely by the great ship's rejection of his at- Arcane has an ultimate plan—to escape the
tempt to become captain. Spelljammer, sell the information that he has, use
Arcane (he has no other name) appears as a nor- the money to raise a great space fleet, and then
mal individual of his race—blue-skinned giant return to destroy the Spelljammer before the Fool
dressed in robes, calm, implacable, and willing to can take control, and destroy both Fool and ship.
deal for any available item. However, unlike the To that end, he is using the master seed of the el-
rest of his race, he is prone to murderous fits of ven ship to grow a new vessel in an area of the cita-
rage, will lie to buyers (though lie intelligently), del far from prying eyes. He has sacrificed the soul
and seek to destroy anyone or anything that gets of Arvanon's granddaughter to gain the knowl-
in his way. edge of creating such a ship, and now seeks a
Arcane has figured out the entire picture, and helm (or helms) to pilot himself away.
that has granted him his cunning insanity. He He has plans within plans. He has ordered his
knows about the ultimate helms, how they are cre- gnomes to build a great catapult, for if he cannot
ated, and where they go. He knows about the cause find a helm, he will use it to push himself out of
of the dark times, the growing of the smalljammers the air envelope, possibly in the phlogiston, where
and first flight. He knows why no one thinks of leav- his body will solidify into a preserving stone until
ing the Spelljammer once they arrive, something rescued.
that no one else considers. He knows about the However, he cannot accomplish this as long as
Lost Captains locked in their brigs, and about the he feels compelled to remain, and so he has or-
Fool gnawing at the heart of the Spelljammer. dered the gnomes to build a great suit for him to

Arcane is a mad creature, his mind twisted by life on the

Spelljammer and broken entirely by the great ship's rejection
of his attempt to become captain. He is prone not only to
lying, but to murderous fits of rage as well.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELL JAMMER

explore underwater. At the same time, he provides that survived the massacre by the beholders found
useful information in exchange for air—air within that other races, primarily the giff, were more
bottles or other containers, which have not been than willing to finish the job.
poisoned by the Spelljammer itself. Lastly, he lusts Argargon and his clan leaders formed up a rear
after the ioun stones that the Gray Eye possesses. guard during the giff assaults and retreated deep
His plan, once he has gained enough air, is to into the passages of the warrens, figuring that
dress in the great suit, make arrangements' for from these cavelike regions they could return and
launch, catapult his ship into space, where, should destroy their foes. Instead, the gnolls were am-
he find a helm he can use, he will move away, and bushed by forces of the Fool (q.v.), the undead
if he should not, use the ioun stones to survive to lord who controls the depths of the Spelljammer.
reach civilization. Argargon and his companions were slain and
If he finds a helm, he needs to take with him turned into zombies. Argargon, armed with a
someone who can operate it. The elven ship, a rat- huge axe, now serves as the Fool's personal ser-
ty, twisted version of a true flitter, is now com- vant and bodyguard. Argargon speaks not, but
plete, and Arcane has a few bottles of precious air only reacts to his master's wishes. The Fool can
already. He needs the stones, and the gnomes to see and hear all that Argargon sees and hears.
finish their work, for him to escape.
Arvanon
Argargon Arvanon the Lizard Priest
The Late King Argargon of the Qnolls Lizard King/13th Level Priest
(Jndead Gnoll Chieftain
HEADQUARTERS: The gardens (area #2)
HEADQUARTERS: The warrens (area #42) ARMOR CLASS: 3
ARMOR CLASS: 3 MOVE: 9, Sw 15
MOVE: 9 HIT POINTS: 65
HIT POINTS: 32 NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 or 2
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 DAMAGE/ATTACK: 5-20( + l)( + I trident) or
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 4-16( + 3) 1-3/1-3 (bare hands)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil SPECIAL ATTACKS: Skewer
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to sleep, charm, SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
hold, death-magics, poi- PRIEST SPELLS: lst:8, 2nd:8, 3rd:7,
son, and cold 4th:5, 5th:2, 6th:2
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil PRIEST SPHERES: creation, divination,
SIZE: L (7 ft. 7 in.) guardian, protection,
ALIGNMENT: N sun, necromantic,
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil weather
Str 17 Dex 12 Con 17 Int 10 Wis 10 Cha2 MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: L(9ft.)
Argargon was once the leader of the gnolls (ar- ALIGNMENT: NG
ea #21). Once the allies of the beholders, they PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
were slaughtered by their former allies during the Str 15 Dex 13 Con 12 Int 16 Wis 18 Cha 12
Blinding Rot that destroyed the eye tyrants. Those

Armed w i t h a huge axe, Argargon now serves as the Fool's

personal servant and bodyguard. He never speaks, but only
reacts to his master's wishes. The Fool sees and hears
everything Argargon sees and hears.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELL JAMMER

Arvanon is a native of the Spelljammer. He was side the gardens following these dark times. He is
raised in the gardens and his superior abilities are aware of the potential harm the dark times bring
a direct result of the effects of increased sun and to the citadels, and as a result strongly advises the
heat on lizard man eggs. As a result, Arvanon is various factions to store supplies, as well as de-
larger, more powerful, and more intelligent than velop their own resources to tide them until the
his groundling equivalents. He also lacks the gen- gardens are reopened. Despite this realization, he
eral savagery, cunning, and nasty dining habits of will not stand in the way of potential captains, as
the rest of the race (he does not demand living that would interrupt the cycle and do a disservice
flesh from his followers). to the Spelljammer, his lord. He will still order non-
Arvanon is a huge, hulking lizard king, tower- lizard friends and allies ejected from the gardens
ing above his companions and acolytes. He still when the time comes.
bears an ornate trident as the symbol of his office, Arvanon and his people view the Spelljammer as
which he may use to skewer opponents, if he so a quasideity, a representation of nature found
wishes. Such skewering is optional, and Arvanon within all the spheres. While the Spelljammer is
uses the ability if there is great need. not a deity, this veneration of nature results in his
Arvanon has ruled the gardens and led the liz- being granted spells in any sphere where nature-
ard men through many captains, and is deeply based deities are venerated (which is the bulk of
committed to the nature of the cycle—the arrival known spheres). In the phlogiston, Arvanon and
and proving of a new captain, the closing of the his other priests gain none of their spell abilities,
gardens, the growth and first flight of the small- and as a result tend to stay within their gardens
jammers, and the recovery of the civilization out- during this time.

y /-v -v
Arcane, Argargon, Arvanon

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

Arvanon usually appears in public with a hand- she hears of. In turn, Arvanon shares all of his
ful of lizard men and one to three acolytes, includ- knowledge with Suza, outside of that forbidden by
ing his grandson Demets. Arvanon dotes on his holy writ.
grandson, and sees the lad as his eventual replace- Arvanon is ancient in terms of lizard men, and
ment when Arvanon must return his body and very wise. He is also very reserved in his dealings
spirit to the great cycle. Demets already repre- with individuals from outside the gardens, in par-
sents Arvanon in the council and commands the ticular newcomers who seek the captaincy. He
respect of many of the other lizard men. feels that encouraging or discouraging a particu-
Arvanon sees himself as evenhanded and fair to lar individual to captaincy would upset the natural
all races, from human to neogi, and sees it as the cycle of the great ship. Further, the ascendency of
lizard men's duty by nature and the Spelljammer to a new captain will bring on a closing of the gar-
feed all these people while the gardens are open. dens, which would hurt many of his nonlizard al-
Only attacks against him or his people will bring lies. As a result, he is extremely neutral toward
him to anger. If members of a particular citadel newcomers, offering neither aid nor hindrance in
are the offenders, he will cut off food deliveries their tasks.
until the offender is turned over for punishment. If If an individual manages to befriend or aid Ar-
the offender belongs to no. particular citadel, then vanon, he will lay out the general cycle of captain-
the council appoints a particular citadel to bring cy as he knows it: The captain takes command,
in the offender. and the gardens close for a few months, leaving
Despite his civilized manner, Arvanon is brutal the citadels to fend for themselves. He defends
in justice. Lesser crimes such as theft are pun- this as the natural order of his world, one that he
ished by working in the gardens, but killing a liz- has lived through several times. He will not men-
ard man is punishable by death at Arvanon's tion the smalljammers, nor the fact that they are
hands (this is an execution, not a fair fight). Once grown in the gardens, as that verges on holy mat-
the offender is slain, Arvanon will sometimes ters, which he is prevented from speaking of. He
raise the offender back to life to "learn from his does not know of the fate of the lost captains nor
experience," particularly if there were mitigating does he know the exact role the captain plays in
circumstances. In one particular case, when his the creation of the smalljammers, only that a new
granddaughter was slain, Arvanon executed the captain results in a new crop of the small ships.
offender, raised him, and executed him again, Arvanon is still a powerful lizard king, his broad
showing a savage streak that is still remarked shoulders only slightly slumped from age, and a
upon by the natives of the great ship. red tinge only now appearing at the edges of his
Arvanon has a small hoard of clerical items in scales. He is normally dressed in flowing robes
his garden hut. This includes five potions of extra- and an ornate, golden headpiece that accentuates
healing, three jars of Keoghtom's ointment, a staff his already imposing height. Other than the head-
of command and two(!) staffs of curing. He will dis- piece (set with diamonds and worth 10,000 gp,
tribute these as need arises, either using them should a thief escape the Spelljammer alive), and
himself or allowing his acolytes to use them in his his ornate trident +1, he carries nothing of value
name and the name of the Spelljammer. on his person.
If Arvanon has a particular confidant onboard
the ship, it is Suza, the brass dragon inhabiting
the dracon tower (area #40). Suza is a wonderful
gossip and informs Arvanon of all matters that

Arvanon sees himself as evenhanded and fair to all races,

from human to neogi. But despite his civilized manner,
Arvanon is brutal injustice.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMIVIER

that these nonbeholders should feel any affection

Astor toward him at all—but it serves his purposes (and
Old Astor saves his hide) in order to keep them happy.
Partially Blinded Beholder Should all the other beholders of the great ship
disappear, a goodly number of the remaining half-
HEADQUARTERS: The market and general lings will as well, as Astor takes revenge for years
stores(area #6) of kidding.
ARMOR CLASS: 0/2/7 Common (but quiet) speculation in the Open
MOVE: Fl 3 (B) Air is the state of Old Astor's eyes—namely, which
HIT POINTS: 60 ones are functional? It is accepted that his anti-
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 magic eye (the central one) and telekinetic eye
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8 work—all have seen them in operation. The re-
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Magic mainder are stuff of speculation.
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Anti-magic ray The truth is this: All eyes function except for the
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Special Fear, Charm Monster, and Slow eyes. Astor does
SIZE: M (4 ft. diameter) not use the other eyes save in secret or in times of
ALIGNMENT: LN deep need, and would rather take damage than re-
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil veal his secret. He feels (and rightly so) that if he
were to show his power, Gray Eye and the other
Astor was once one of the beholders of area beholders would hunt him down.
#24, one of the ruling elite of that group before Astor is polite, even endearing in his approach
the blinding rot struck that race. CJnlike most of to other races, a break from the standard xeno-
his race who were affected by the rot, he survived, phobic beholder. It appears that spending time
but suffered partial loss of his eye-stalk abilities as with the halflings has softened him, such that he
well as gaining a gray, mossy patina on his outer will tolerate other races. In reality, he is recording
shell. This gray material gives him the nickname every slight and insult for the eventual day of retri-
"the Old." In reality, he is middle-aged (by behold- bution against both his former comrades and all
er standards) and remembers when the last dark other nonbeholder races.
time occurred, with its starvation and inter-city Astor keeps in his memory a complete listing of
battles. the common stores, though he will be loath to
Astor fled from the beholders but received help pass on that information for common use. He
from an unlikely quarter—the halflings of the pulls in all the gossip picked up by Brewdoc (q.v.)
Open Air Public House. Charged with finding a and his peers, but passes nothing on for his own.
new steward for the stores, the halflings chose As- He is looking for potential captains.
tor chiefly for his potential magical abilities and Astor fears two things—one is the retribution of
firepower, and secondly to give a balance to the his former comrades, such that he will never be in
beholder nation. the market if other beholders are present. The sec-
Astor has remained with the halflings as the ond fear is that a new captain will appear. A new
steward for the ship, and has proved to be accu- captain means a dark time, when the gardens shut
rate, exact, and honest in his managing of surplus and the stores (HIS stores) are stormed. Astor will
ship material. He is adopted as a mascot by the seek out as much information as possible on
halflings, who refer to him as a favorite old uncle. those asking about captains, and if he fears that
This galls the beholder to an extreme degree— they are capable of attaining captaincy, he will

It appears that spending time with the halflings has softened

Astor, but in reality he is recording every slight and insult for
the eventual day of retribution against both his former
comrades and all other nonbeholders.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

have them killed. This has happened once in the ets), promptly turned on (and reportedly ate) his
past, and Astor ambushed the indiscreet would-be former crew-mates, and settled in as the master of
captain, disintegrating him. It was assumed that the minotaur tower.
another beholder did the deed, since no one has Breakox is huge, twice the size of his compan-
seen Astor use his disintegration eye. ion minotaurs. He rules them with an iron hand,
A would-be captain who comes storming into and Breakox's declarations are followed to the
the Open Air declaring his intentions will likely at- letter.
tract Astor as a foe (as well as several other char- Breakox is short-tempered, obstinate, and vio-
acters in the Spelljammer's citadels). One that is lent. He is rarely dressed in more than a padded
more cautious can take command before Astor re- kilt, and carries a giant version of the minotaur
alizes what is happening. great axe.
The minotaurs are the target of the mind flay-
ers, beholders, and neogi, all of whom see the
Breakox bull-headed men as a potential slave race.
Breakox is no being's slave, and as such tries to
Hammerstun Breakox play one force off against another. He has suc-
Hill Giant Minotaur Elder
ceeded only in irritating all three factions.
HEADQUARTERS: The minotaur tower On the other hand, Breakox maintains good re-
(area #22)
lationships with Father Goat's church (which is a
potential sanctuary), and with ShiCaga and her
ARMOR CLASS: 6 ogres. Rumors regularly float about him and Shi-
MOVE: 12
HIT POINTS: 86
Caga as being romantically entwined. Actually,
2
such rumors only surface when one of the two is
NO. OF ATTACKS:
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8/2-8 ( + 7), or
threatened by outside forces, as a reminder that to
1-4/2-12 ( + 7)
attack one may bring in the other. Breakox actu-
ally finds ShiCaga a ruined old hag of an ogre, but
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Grapple, charge is at least wise enough not to voice that theory out
SPECIAL DEFENSES: + 2 to surprise loud.
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: H(16ft.)
ALIGNMENT: CE
PSION1C ABILITY: Nil
Str 19 Dex 10 Con 18 Int 12 Wis 12 CCha6

Breakox is a hill giant originally from a cluster

of planetoids, who was cursed with minotaurhood
for "crimes against the natural order." The nature
of these crimes has not been revealed, and no one
wants to ask the hill giant minotaur for further
elaboration. Breakox became a pirate leader for a
brief time, eventually choosing to raid the
Spelljammer herself. On arrival, he found a small
community of minotaurs (from a number of plan-

Breakox is short-tempered, obstinate, and violent, and he

rules his minotaur companions with an iron hand. His
declarations are followed to the letter.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 y vs 7 7 VT-V -7-V-7-7-T-r S S / S S SV/-/• rrr/ ssr/- rrri
Astor, Breakox, Brother Burke

ALIGNMENT: LE
Brother Burke PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Brother Burke, Chief Academician S t r l 2 Dexl2 Con 9 Int 16 Wis 13 Cha 12
7th Level Wizard
Brother Burke is the "front man" for the Xenos,
HEADQUARTERS: The Academy of Human a secret society dedicated to the elimination and/
Knowledge (area #34) or subjugation of all other races to humanity. In
ARMOR CLASS: 10 his guise as the Chief Academician, Brother
MOVE: 12 Burke is the contact man for all those seeking
HIT POINTS: 15 knowledge at the academy, and is literally the on-
HO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ly one that newcomers can talk to (the others have
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 taken a vow of silence).
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil Brother Burke is a simple, typical monk,
SPECIAL DEFENSES: ring of mind shielding dressed in simple brown robes. He does not have
WIZARD SPELLS: lst:4,2nd:3,3rd:2,4th:l his head shaved, but instead has the thick stock of
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See above black hair sprouting in all directions. He has a
SIZE: M (5 ft. 1 in.) friendly, easy demeanor, is happy to see visitors to

As the chief academician at the Academy of Human

Knowledge, Brother Burke is the contact man for everyone
seeking information at the academy. He is also the front man
for the human-supremacist group called the Xenos.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAM/VlEn

his small library, and interested (but not to a force- leaving behind the comforts of a world now long-
ful degree) in hearing newcomers' tales. forgotten after many battles (and even more
Brother Burke maintains this guise by a ring of mead). In his travels, CassaRoc picked up three
mind shielding, turned invisible and worn on the things—the nickname "the Mighty," the talents of
left hand. Further, he has voluntarily accepted a a skilled swordsman, and a wealth of brewing ex-
geas from the other Xenos (as have his staff) to perience from half a hundred worlds. All three
NEVER reveal anything of the Xenos or their have proved to be invaluable in his further deal-
plans to questioners. Attempts to pry out that in- ings aboard the Spelljammer.
formation will result in pain for Brother Burke, CassaRoc rules the tower of thought, and has
and, if he is forced (by magic or threat) to reveal collected a group of like-minded warriors about
the information without removing the geas, it will him to aid in his general aims—to have a good
kill him. (At this point the player characters time, beat up a few forces of evil, and prevent said
should begin worrying how to explain the fact forces from overrunning the ship, seizing entire
they killed one of the few apparently nice people control, and generally making a mess of things.
on the ship.) CassaRoc is a hale, good-tempered, massive in-
Brother Burke and his comrades take their or- dividual, shorter than Chaladar the Paladin, but
ders from the Hooded Soldier, but are unaware of broader, and as such appearing to be larger. It
his true identity. They believe the Hooded Soldier should be noted that his nonmagical armor has
is Si Loo, but this is untrue. been let out a few times and new plates hammered
in by the dwarves of Kova.
Human characters of any significant rank or
CassaRoc power (level 10 or higher) should expect to receive
CassaRoc the Mighty an invitation to dine with CassaRoc. This should
15th Level Fighter occur soon after they make their abilities known,
either through combat or through general boast-
HEADQUARTERS: The tower of thought ing (Kristobar Brewdoc, master of the Open Air
(area #11) Public House and incredible gossip, is a frequent
ARMOR CLASS: - 3 (full plate, shield +3) visitor to the tower). CassaRoc will size up the
MOVE: 6 newcomers as far as potential threats to himself,
HIT POINTS: 130 and then either offer admission to his little group
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 (usually involving some deed or heroics, ranging
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 +3 (bastard sword from simple pranks to outright provocation of an
+2, Str bonus) evil race), or just pull as much information as pos-
SPECIAL ATTACKS: None sible.
SPECIAL DEFENSES: ring of fire resistance CassaRoc believes the Fool exists, but that he is
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil not an evil creature—in reality he IS the secret
SIZE: M(5ft. 10 in.) captain of the Spelljammer. Since nothing bad has
ALIGNMENT: NG happened to him and his group (other than the
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil standard battle casualties and the like), he feels
Str 17 Dex 14 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 12 Cha 10 quite positive that he has solved the mystery of
the Spelljammer. The fact he has no proof to his
CassaRoc worked himself up the ranks as a claim has totally eluded him.
wildspace mercenary from an early beginning,

CassaRoc rules the tower of thought and has collected a

group of like-minded warriors about him to have a good time,
beat up a few forces of evil, and prevent them from
overrunning the ship.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAIVIIVIER

ALIGNMENT: LG
Chaladar PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Str 13 Dex 10 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 14 Cha 18
Grand Knight Chaladar
19th Level Paladin Chaladar is a native of Krynn, a veteran of the
Wars of the Lance. In the course of his repelling an
HEADQUARTERS: The chalice tower evil horde of draconians in the last days of that
(area #10) war, Chaladar discovered a magical boat, which
ARMOR CLASS: -4 (+2 shield, +4 plate) allowed him to journey between the stars. Seeing
MOVE: 6 that the war was left in the good hands of strong
HIT POINTS: 120 allies, he set out for the stars to find new injustice
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 to fight. The boat, now lost, brought him to the
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 + 1/1-8 + 1 Spelljammer, where the forces of good and evil are
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Paladin abilities, long once more clearly marked, and he may use his
sword of sharpness sword and those of his fellow companions of the
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Paladin abilities chalice, to repel the forces of evil and save the free
PRIEST SPELLS: lst:3, 2nd:3,3rd:3,4th:2 peoples of the Spelljammer.
PRIEST SPHERES: combat, divination, At least that's the tale that Chaladar tells about
healing, protection the fire. The truth of the matter was that Chaladar
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil forsook Krynn at the start of the war, was being
SIZE: M (6 ft.) pursued by the draconians as opposed to vice ver-

CassaRoc, Chila, Chaladar

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 sa, and accidentally activated the "magical boat" ed, of course, that the new captain is both lawful
which took him to the stars. He was 9th level at the and good.
time, and has risen to 19th through various adven- Chaladar has no tolerance for evil, or even most
tures since then. His love of the Spelljammer and neutrals (who he believes to be misguided but
its people is heartfelt, however, and he would harmful in that they do not convert to the true
dearly love to wipe the evil races and individuals path of law and goodness). He will not dine with,
from the ship, if only he could do so without turn- nor acknowledge known thieves, and such indi-
ing all the neutral parties (including the powerful viduals will be banned from the chalice tower. He
but deluded lizard men and their gardens) against is used to not getting any arguments from others
his own forces. in this matter.
Chaladar has ruled the chalice tower for only Despite all this, Chaladar is a loyal ally, and if he
four years, and has proved a capable leader, flexi- gives his word to other good lawful individuals, he
ble in doctrine if inflexible in argument. He is bull- will keep it. The best way to court his favor is to
headed and impossible to convince of any view slay an evil creature on the ship, and offer proof of
but his own. He follows the narrow path of that killing to him.
paladinhood—something is right or it is wrong,
black or white, up or down. There is no middle
ground. Chila
Moderating that viewpoint are the facts of life Chila Irontooth
on the Spelljammer—that the majority of the races 18th Level Fighter
on board are neutral, and do not like to have any
one force, regardless of how well intentioned, up- HEADQUARTERS: The tower of trade
setting the balance. Chaladar bridles at the re- (area #12)
strictions and works in small ways, cleaning up ARMOR CLASS: - 2 (leather armor +2,
the ship of evil where he can. Dex bonus +4, ring of
Chaladar is tall, reddish-blonde, with a neatly- protection +4)
trimmed moustache. His armor is of the Krynnish MOVE: 12
style, with ornate shoulder epaulets, but his shield HIT POINTS: 150
carries a smiling sunburst—a later acquisition. He NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
has named his sword of sharpness Scaleslicer, a DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10 (two-handed sword)
move which has done little to endear the paladin SPECIAL ATTACKS: Mil
to either Suza the Brass or the lizard men. SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
Chaladar is stiff-necked and no-nonsense. He MAGIC RESISTANCE: + 4 to all saving throws
does not believe in fussing about, nor in rumors SIZE: M (5 ft.)
unsupported by fact. He believes (firmly) that the ALIGNMENT: N
tales of the Fool are the creations of the Long PS1ONIC ABILITY: Nil
Fangs and the Tenth Pit, to disguise their own Str 15 Dex 18 Con 17 Int 15 Wis 12 Cha 15
criminal doings. While he admits that something
bad happens with the ascendency of a new cap- Chila Irontooth was a spaceborne warrior from
tain, he does not believe that it is so serious that it the Land of Kasros in the sphere of Homespace.
will threaten him or his people; in fact, in times of Early in her career she had the "canine" teeth in
crisis, men and women rally around the forces of her mouth replaced with ones of cold iron, both
good, and so he welcomes a new captain. Provid- giving her present surname and allowing her to

Chaladar has ruled the chalice tower for only four years but
has proved a capable leader. He is a loyal ally, and if he gives
his word to other lawful individuals, he will keep it.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

win a pitched battle with a jackalwere. Chila has

ruled her little operation for years now, watching Coh
self-important fools such as Chaladar and bluster- Master Coh
ing bombards like CassaRoc come and go with the Leader of the Neogi
tides of space.
Chila Irontooth arrived during the last dark HEADQUARTERS: The neogi tower
times, and seized control of the tower of trade, (area #27)
saving a large number of humans as well. She has ARMOR CLASS: 5
remained a favorite of the various human com- MOVE: 6
munities, despite her selling her group's services HIT POINTS: 40
to other races, because she distributes the wealth NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
to nonadventuring humans (and in turn uses them DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-3/1-3/1-6
as protection from reprisals). SPECIAL ATTACKS: Slowing poison
Chila is a black-haired, middle-aged woman in SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
excellent fighting condition, her dark hair WIZARD SPELLS: lst:4,2nd:4,3rd:4,4th:2
streaked with grey and pulled into a tight braid MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
down the back. She likes to move fast and inflict SIZE: S (3 ft.)
damage, as reflected by her armor and weapon ALIGNMENT: LE
choice. One eventual goal she has is to further in- PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
crease her offensive power with a magical two-
handed broadsword, and anyone possessing one Coh is the most recent of the leaders of the
will receive an offer for purchase. neogi of the Spelljammer. His predecessor had
Unlike CassaRoc, Chila does not go looking for been reduced to the status of a Great Old Master,
new recruits. If fighters are interested, they will the breeder of future neogi, as a result of his fail-
come to her. She makes it clear that her personal ures (namely a continuing war with the behold-
code is to furnish the best warriors available to the ers). Master Coh intends to avoid that same fate, if
best side that pays. If an individual has problems he can help it, by increasing the number of slaves
with fighting alongside neogi or illithids, he owned by the neogi, replenishing their numbers,
should find another group to hang out with, such and finishing the war with the eye tyrants.
as CassaRoc's drunken louts. He is hampered in all these matters by the fact
Chila believes that there is a Fool, a universal that practically every other race on the ship has a
force of evil on the ship, and that there are secret rabid hatred of the neogi, and that none will come
captains, similar forces of good. The fact that nei- to his aid. There have been several neogi colonies
ther have contacted her makes her feel fairly com- on the ship through the years, and all of them
fortable in the fact that she is doing her job well. have been wiped out in battle with other races.
Coh is actively searching for both allies and new
slaves. A potential ally is the Fool. Coh has dis-
covered that the Fool exists, and communicates
with him through a zombified head kept in a box
in his quarters. Coh asks for advice, and if the
Fool chooses to respond, a message is found at
the gates of the complex, left by either a zombie
or one of the Xenos. Coh believes that the Fool is

Coh is the leader of the neogi aboard the Spelljammer. He aims

to increase the number of slaves owned by the neogi,
replenish neogi casualties, and finish off the eye tyrants.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELL JAMMER

secretly a necromancer, and the creator of the MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil

Spelljammer. Further, the Fool considers the other SIZE: L (8 ft.)
living races trespassers, caring not what Coh will ALIGNMENT: CN
do with them. The neogi does not understand that PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
the Fool desires nothing more or less than the de- Str 17 Dex 14 Con 15 Int 13 Wis 13 Cha 13
struction of the Spelljammer and all who live on it,
including the neogi. Demets is the favorite grandson of Arvanon, the
Coh has magical ability, and has discerned that only other lizard king in the population of the gar-
a future captain must be a magician of some type. dens, and the heir apparent of Arvanon (q.v.).
He further believes that the Fool makes the choos- However, he is much less than his sire, being incu-
ing, and if he plays his cards right, he will become bated and hatched at a time when the Spelljammer
the next captain of the Spelljammer. Coh believes was far from life-giving (and intelligence-
the Fool is challenging him to bring his own race inspiring) stars. As a result, Demets is more sav-
to dominate the others, then he will be provided age and more cunning than his grandsire.
with the reward. At that point the Fool will be Demets sees himself as the future lord of the
slain, and Coh will turn the Spelljammer into a gardens, and is intent on operating it in a more
master slaver's craft, reducing entire planets' pop- efficient manner, in effect using the supply of
ulations to slavery. food on board to ultimately control all actions by
Coh is a typical neogi, marked with a number of all other races on the ship. Demets sees Ar-
body tattoos, the most prominent being a set of vanon's encouragement of self-sufficiency as
interlocked circles on his forehead. His hissing self-defeating: the lizard men should be encour-
form of speech and inverted grammar (he scram- aging the opposite—a complete reliance on the
bles verbs, such as "Die you will screaming," in- gardens.
stead of "you will die screaming") make him an Demets has not lived through any of the dark
unpopular individual among the other races. Still, times, and fancies that through control of the
backed up by his slave umber hulk Orik, Coh is food, he can control the allegiance of any future
avoided as opposed to confronted. captain, making himself the mastej of the game.
To that end, he has entered into an alliance with
the mad Arcane, in exchange for information on
Demets the nature of the captaincy. Demets is aware that a
Demets the Chosen future captain must bring a particular item to the
Lizard King/9th Level Priest ship, but believes it to be some powerful and
unique item, such as the Hand of Vecna or the Cup
HEADQUARTERS: The gardens (area #2) of Crimson Wonder. The price Demets paid was
ARMOR CLASS: 3 the sacrifice of his own sister, paying another to
MOVE: 9, Sw 15 slay her. The direct murderer was caught and slain
HIT POINTS: 54 repeatedly by Arvanon. Arvanon is unaware of De-
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 or 2 mets's complicity in the crime, nor is he aware of
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-18 or 1-3/1-3 Demets's dealing with Arcane.
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil Demets represents the gardens and its lizard
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil men tenders in the council, replacing his grandfa-
WIZARD SPELLS: lst:5, 2nd:4, 3rd:3, ther in the task. Demets sees the council as a
4th:2, 5th: 1 method of further enforcing control over the na-

Demets is the grandson of Arvanon and the only other lizard

king living in the gardens, but he is much less than his
grandsire--less intelligent, less civilized, and less principled.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

tives of the Spelljammer. In the past he has cut spe- seek to use food as a weapon to control other fac-
cial deals for particular members of the council. tions.
Arvanon has discovered such deals in the past, The DM should portray Demets to the players
but has made no move other than to negate them as a friendly shark, savage and brutal, but capable
when they are discovered. of hiding behind his grandfather's power if he
Demets, as all lizard men, believes in the place needs to. He is an untrustworthy ally and a deadly
of the lizard men as the guardians of the gardens foe, such that those who cross him may end up
for the Spelljammer, and for nature in general, and "accidentally" offending the lizard men of the gar-
would never act in a fashion to harm the gardens. dens, and finding themselves without allies
His devotion, however, ends at the edge of the gar- among the various citadels.
dens, and all other races are left to fend for them- Demets lacks the trident of his grandfather—in
selves. theory that would be part of his heritage in the
Demets is smooth, oily, and openly disdainful event of Arvanon's passing. So far Arvanon's pop-
of other races, but is more accessible than his re- ularity and protection for Demets has prevented
clusive (but wiser) grandfather. He will be inter- the young lizard king from seeking to attain that
ested in anything that smacks of a deal, goal early, but if his grandfather's position weak-
particularly one that can advance his own goals ens, he will think nothing of taking advantage, re-
and those of his people. He would very much like moving both the trident and mantle of command
to be the next captain, to the point of slaying (or from Arvanon's dead body.
having slain) individuals with powerful artifacts in
the hopes of taking control. Failing this, he would

e TT~? s cv i s s - s-7~-?-7T7*-r

"Diamondtip," Demets, Coh

r s-r*7- s
E^

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

made of beholder-flesh (the beholders once stiffed

'Diamondtip' the giff after hiring them).
Lord High Gunsman Rexan "Diamondtip" Hojson "Diamondtip" is organized and precise. He wants
Qiff Commander (8 HD) to know as much as possible about his battlefield
before going into it, and as a result has an excellent
HEADQUARTERS: The building of the gift collection of maps in his command quarters. He has
(area #18) maps of all the human quarters, the dwarf citadels
ARMOR CLASS: 6(2) (but not those of the elves or gnomes), the common
MOVE: 6 buildings (such as the council), the centaur and dra-
HIT POINTS: 64 con outposts, and the beholder and gnoll ruins. He
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 or 1 does not have any maps to the territory of the mind
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 +7 or flayers or neogi, or any of the ship's regions. He has
1-6 (starwheel pistol) a partial map of the warrens, showing a few en-
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Head butt trances, but does not have the manpower (or giff-
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil power) to fully explore that area.
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 10% Other than his mania with maps, "Diamondtip"
SIZE: L(10ft.) is a typical giff—loyal to his comrades and devoted
ALIGNMENT: LN to the acquisition and detonation of smoke pow-
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil der. "Diamondtip" is getting on in years, and those
S t r l 9 Dexl3 Con 17 Int 14 Wis 12 Cha 10 that know him are worried that he may soon take
on the giff traits of their aging number—namely
"Diamondtip" is a large and powerful giff who acting recklessly to prove his youthfulness.
takes his name from a jewel-studded plate that he
has bolted to his snout. The plate covers an old
sword-wound from Argargon the gnoll-king him- Father Goat
self. Hojson had the plate made of steel, overlaid Austinius Corbundium
with ivory, and studded with white gems, giving Satyr
him his nickname. The plate is worth 40,000 gp,
but likely cannot be sold on the ship, since it will HEADQUARTERS: Communal Church
take slaying "Diamondtip" to remove it. (area #19)
"Diamondtip" is equally proud of his custom- ARMOR CLASS: 5
made bone-and-ivory suit of armor, called affec- MOVE: 18
tionately "The White Suit," which he wears only HIT POINTS: 40
into combat. The suit is enchanted with a protec- NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 head butt
tion from normal missiles spell, and carries a DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8
brooch of shielding over the heart. "Diamondtip" SPECIAL ATTACKS: Charm, cause fear, sleep
in his white suit is cause for concern in that it (all through use of pipes)
means a major battle is imminent (and that means SPECIAL DEFENSES: + 2 on his surprise rolls
a lot of smoke powder and destruction). MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50%
When not in combat, "Diamondtip" prefers a SIZE: M (5 ft.)
white military jacket (with medals from previous ALIGNMENT: N
campaigns over the pocket), ruffled shirt, and PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
black slacks tucked into knee-high leather boots Str 14 Dex 14 Con 15 Int 12 Wis 14 Cha 16

Diamondtip" takes his name from a steel plate, overlaid with

ivory and studded with jewels, that is bolted to his snout.
It covers an old sword-wound he received from
Argargon, the gnoll-king.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

Father Goat was originally a satyr name Austi- has many humans and halflings in his flock, such
nius, and was a native of the Elven Court, that that often other citadels hold back on reprisals in
woods in the Forgotten Realms just north of Cor- fear that the other human groups might rally to
myr. He was calmly minding his own affairs (af- Goat's side. Goat has proved to be even-handed in
fairs of the heart, they were), when he was his mediation.
suddenly wrapped up by a monster summoning Actually, Father Goat has been charmed by Tre-
spell and forced into aiding a group of adventur- bek, the leader of the mind flayers (q.v.). Trebek
ers in combat. Said adventurers made their es- visits twice weekly with alms for the poor, and re-
cape from battle by means of a dragonfly-class inforces his charm, continually conquering the
spelljamming ship, taking the Satyr in tow. The Satyr's magic resistance purely through massive
battles and adventures that followed are a blur for repetition. Trebek uses his influence over Father
Austinius, given that he suffered from a bad case Goat sparingly, however, so as not to reveal the
of motion sickness. His few brief excursions on fact that he has the satyr under his control. Father
relatively solid ground (such as the Rock of Bral) Goat is positively disposed toward the illithid, but
ended in his capture either for disturbing the most other natives understand that, since Trebek
peace or as a curiosity in space. Eventually, he contributes to the church.
made his way to the Spelljammer. Father Goat wears a black floor-length robe and
The Spelljammer delighted Austinius, as the clerical dog-collar, but retains a great deal of his
ship was large enough to avoid giving him the natural tendencies, even now that he has taken
queasy feeling of hanging in space. He quickly the cloth. He seems to be continually smiling,
saw the great ship as a literal savior. This sudden amused by some inside joke, and always advocat-
case of "getting religion" resulted in Austinius ing compromise and discussion over pitched bat-
taking on a new name, Father Goat, and dedicat- tle. He believes that the Fool is the incarnation of
ing himself to helping the other outcasts who, interracial evil in the world of the Spelljammer,
through no fault of their own, end up trapped in created by all the hatred that has passed above.
wildspace. In this regard, he has become the Only when all fighting ceases will the ship's karma
founder of the Communal Church of Wildspace. be cleansed and the Fool be defeated. A local leg-
Father Goat has no priestly powers, and wor- end says that Father Goat contested the Fool for
ships no extra-planar deity. He sees his small the lands of the church and beat him. This is un-
church as a sanctuary for those creatures who true, but Father Goat will not deny it.
have no home elsewhere, whether because of
race, belief, or nasty personal habits. As a result, a
mixed bag of creatures make the church their
home. The church is also the headquarters for a
collection of petty thieves, cheats, and grifters.
Father Goat tolerates such activities, indeed, he
remembers when he was young(er) and wild(er).
At worst he recommends discretion and wisdom
in thefts and cons, so as to avoid retribution.
Father Goat maintains good relationships with
both the human communities and the illithids,
and is often called upon to act as mediator in dis-
agreements between the two communities. Goat

Father Goat maintains good relationships with both the

human communities and the illithids, and he is often called
upon to act as mediator in disagreements between the two
factions. He has a reputation for evenhandedness.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 Father Goat, Firespitter, the Fool

- 4 to be hit by giants,
Firespitter trolls, ogre mages, titans
Vagner Firespitter of the Free Dwarves SPECIAL DEFENSES: + 5 on saves vs. spells,
10th Level Dwarven Fighter wands, rods, staves, and
poisons
HEADQUARTERS: The free dwarves' citadel MAGIC RESISTANCE: See above
(area #23) SIZE: S(4ft.)
ARMOR CLASS: - 1 (bracers of defense ALIGNMENT: CM
AC 2, Dex bonus) PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
MOVE: 9 Str 13 Dex 17 Con 18 Int 15 Wis 14 Cha 15
HIT POINTS: 100
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2/1 Firespitter is the leader of those dwarves who
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 +2(warhammer +2), chafe under the restrictive, hidebound, and bu-
1-3 + paralysis venom reaucratic leadership of the Kova family, and seek
(hand crossbow) to experiment in new ways in craft, art, and metal-
SPECIAL ATTACKS: +1 vs ores, half-ores, work. He and his followers are more free-
goblins, hobgoblins; wheeling, creative, temperamental, and generally

Firespitter and his dwarf followers are more freewheeling,

creative, temperamental, and generally dangerous than their
restrictive, hidebound, and bureaucratic companions
in the Kova citadel.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 p E i? s o N mmmII:-- OJF T H E SISEIILJ A M MEii
dangerous than their companions in the Kova Firespitter believes that the Spelljammer is
citadel. moved through space by the creative input of the
Firespitter is a scarlet-haired dwarf with a multi- Dwarves, their regular fashioning and refashion-
colored beard, about 4 feet high and 3 feet wide at ing of weapons and jewelry. The ship was original-
the shoulders. His rainbow beard is the product of ly created by the dwarven gods, and operates
numerous fashion statements, several dye-jobs, according to their whims. The Fool is a creation of
and a few failed experiments. He keeps the beard the Kovans, and a clumsy, unthinking creation at
braided with gold laces, tipped with rubies (500 gp that—only those bureaucratic metal-heads would
value). He disdains armor, and usually wears a think of scaring someone with a boogieman living
wide variety of colorful (and usually clashing) in the heart of shivak territory.
cloaks, shirts, and slacks. His followers usually
maintain the look in rebellion of Kovan mores, so
that a collection of them look like a living prismat- The Fool
ic sphere. Romar the Fool
Firespitter is incredibly talented and equally Master Lich
temperamental. As noted in the entry for the Free
Dwarves' citadel, Firespitter will often hold up one HEADQUARTERS: The warrens (area #42)
of his own works for criticism, not revealing that ARMOR CLASS: -2
he is the creator. He makes a few disparaging re- MOVE: 6, Fl 12 (C)
marks about the piece—its crude technique or HIT POINTS: 80
poor choice of material. If the listener joins in and NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
adds his criticism, Firespitter will turn angrily on DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-18
the critic, suddenly defending the inner beauty of SPECIAL ATTACKS: Paralysis
the piece, which the critic has (obviously) missed SPECIAL DEFENSES:Immune to enchantment
as a result of his ill-bred upbringing and total lack and necromantic magic,
of artistic talent. Firespitter will launch into a five- polymorph, poison, cold,
minute tirade about heathens and critics. If the insanity, electricity; amulet
would-be critic was seeking a favor, he has now of protection against detec-
found himself at the bottom of Firespitter's "to- tion and location
do" list. WIZARD SPELLS: lst:5, 2nd:5, 3rd:5, 4th:4,
If the individual meeting Firespitter defends the 5th:4, 6th:2
craft of the persecuted piece, the dwarf will wel- MAGIC RESISTANCE:20%
come him as a true artistic spirit, and will be will- SIZE: M (5 ft. 5 in.)
ing to help (such help usually extends to providing ALIGNMENT: CE
equipment, but not manpower). Firespitter is rela- PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
tively loyal, and if he gives a promise, he will keep Str 13 Dex 17 Con 15 Int 18 Wisl7 Cha 5
it, unless he has forgotten in the meantime.
Firespitter is fond of argument and bluster. If The creature known as the Fool was once a hu-
matters look like they are getting out of hand, he man captain of the Spelljammer named Romar.
can protect himself with a hand crossbow, its Romar was a serious, intense young human, driv-
quarrels tipped with neogi slowing poison. Fires- en to conquer any obstacle. However, with the
pitter claims to fetch the poison himself, defeat- amount of power the Spelljammer possessed, his
ing the neogi in the process. direct-line approach meant reaching for the ship's

The Fool was once human and a captain of the Spelljammer.

But the great ship's power drove him to less and less subtle
methods, until eventually he proved too dangerous
and was removed.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 OF THE SPELL JAMMER

"sting" regularly, and Romar left the debris of proaching bells often warns of his presence (for
dwarven citadels and asteroid ports behind him in the same reason, he has been known to give a
the wake of his decisions. As with other danger- zombie or undead servant the bells in order to
ous captains, Spelljammer sought to remove and move silently himself).
imprison him. In reality, the Fool is a powerful individual, his
But Romar's drive, determination, and intelli- skin translucent and tight over his skeletal frame.
gence short-circuited that attempt. He has discov- He wears a hooded cloak of star black, trimmed
ered the fate of those who passed before him, and with gold around the sleeves and hood. His eyes
made alternate arrangements, including deals glow with a golden resonance, such that with the
with various dark forces of other planes. When the hood up all that can be seen are the twin lamps of
shivaks finally broke into the control room, Ro- his eyes. The Fool allows the grim jester image to
mar took his own life, intent on his dark allies to persist, if only because that allows the natives
rescue him. something else to worry about.
However, Romar did not take into account the In addition to his normal abilities, the Fool pos-
fact that most extra-planar beings have nothing to sesses an angle-bladed long sword of lifestealing.
do with the Spelljammer, and avoid it where possi- This weapon functions like the item in the DMQ,
ble. In slaying himself, Romar called into play his but in addition, creatures which are drained of
old dealings with these beings, but they could not their life energy become zombies under the Fool's
or would not respond by pulling him from the control. Also, the Fool carries a wand of conjura-
great ship. He was trapped, and his form given an tion, topped by a stuffed doll's head representing
undying life of lichdom. the Fool himself. The Fool uses the wand of conju-
Romar suddenly dropped from sight, as the ration for its unseen servant, prismatic wall, and
Spelljammer could no longer see his undead en- curtain of blackness functions, but cannot access
ergy. He fled from the control room into the war- its monster summoning abilities.
rens, where he hid from the various natives of the The Fool knows the full story of the
citadels above. Spelljammer, having once been linked to it. He
In the process, Romar's body and mind twisted knows how one becomes captain, the closing of
into their present shape, and he went mad. His the gardens, the creation of the smalljammers,
name was recorded as a former captain, but he be- and the final fate of the captains. He guards that
came the entity known only as the Fool. information most carefully, in that he wishes no
The Fool is a master lich, a new form of undead others to benefit from it.
(see new monsters section). He is unaffected by The Fool controls an undead army of about 160
the atmosphere of the Spelljammer, but cannot common zombies and 40 monster zombies, the
leave it as his spirit would then be collected by his latter being both umber hulks and gnolls which
dark allies. Therefore he remains, working dili- have been taken under the control of the undead
gently toward a new goal—destruction of the lord, including the former gnoll lord Argargon.
Spelljammer, so that he may take the great ship The Fool's control allows him to see through their
with him in his passing. eyes, along with the eyes of the zombie rats. The
The Fool is pictured by the populace of the Fool has practically eliminated the vermin prob-
Spelljammer as dressed in ripped, rotted finery, his lem on the ship by reducing most of the rodents to
face a mask of dried skin tightened over the skull. unliving status, where they serve as his eyes and
His distinctive trademark is a cap of bells that he ears throughout the ship.
wears on his head, and the jangling sound of ap- Also under the control of the Fool are a group

In fact, the Fool is a master lich w h o controls an undead army

of zombies, monster zombies, ghouls, spectres, and even a
banshee. This army serves as his eyes and ears throughout the
warrens and the ship.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 OF THE SPEL L JAMMEI?

of 20 ghouls, three spectres, and a banshee. These they are seen will it be possible to sneak up on the
creatures are under the command of the Fool, but Fool
do not provide him with direct information like Newcomers, and even long-term residents, will
the zombies do. Instead, they have some form of be unlikely to encounter the Fool face to face. He
free will, and occasionally act on their own. The sees his hidden nature as the reason for his cur-
ghouls are a colony rescued by the Fool from rent survival, and has no desire to change it. If the
elimination at the hands of human adventurers, heroes seek out the Fool to destroy him, they will
the three spectres are former humans, and the find traps and undead ambushes waiting for them.
banshee is an undead elf which the Fool had trick- If the heroes seek out the Fool to deal with him,
ed into destroying part of the elven complex. they will be attacked a few times, then an undead
The Fool wishes to divide the various factions of emissary will appear with a note from the Fool to
the ship with an eye to eventually destroying all pass on to the heroes.
life on board, turning the ship into a great ghost- The Fool should appear to have almost godlike
ship, which he will then attempt to kill. To that end knowledge in his home territory of the warrens,
he has an agent deceiving the Xenos as the Hood- much less so in the citadel areas of the ship, and
ed Soldier, urging them on to further terror. In ad- none at all in the ship's regions. This is solely as a
dition, he has made his presence known to Master result of using the zombies and zombie rats as an
Coh of the neogi and the mad Arcane. Coh con- advance warning system. The Fool will occasion-
siders the Fool to be a potential ally, while the Ar- ally send his undead rats into the citadels to spy
cane considers the Clndead Lord a rival for on potential rivals (Coh is unaware of this effect,
control. In turn, the Fool considers both to be use- but the Arcane does know, and forbids all vermin
ful tools in further upsetting the balance on board from his tower). If the heroes can somehow
the Spelljammer. Any contact between others and "blind" these undead creatures, the Fool will not
the Fool is through intermediates, usually zom- know what they are up to. Those he finds truly
bies, which can be destroyed with little loss to the dangerous he may attack with a team of agents
Fool's armies. (from the Xenos), hoping to dispatch the enemy
Most of the rest of the ship's natives consider before they get too far.
the Fool to be little more than a bogey-man, or at The Fool will fight only if he has no other es-
worst a monster that may be lurking in dark quad- cape, and will first attempt to escape, tempting
rants of the ship, evading the shivaks only the heroes with knowledge in exchange for avoid-
through brute cunning. Charms against his influ- ing damage. His voice is the rattling, hissing
ence and effects are sold in the market, but all speech of such undead, and he seems deathly seri-
which do not have specific power against the un- ous. The name Fool does not apply to him so
dead are useless. None of the Spelljammer natives much as to the fact that by his craftiness he has
have seen the Fool; those who have usually have fooled others.
soon after joined his zombie legion.
The Fool travels light, and is wealthy in his
number of followers. He maintains a number of
small niches and hiding holes throughout the
ship's warrens, and will move quickly from one to
another, using his zombies and zombie rats to
warn him of attackers. Only if individuals are able
to move invisibly or destroy all undead before

Most of the ship's inhabitants consider the Fool to be little

more than a boogieman, or at worst a monster that may be
lurking in dark quadrants of the ship, evading the shivaks
only through animal cunning. No living creature aboard the
Spelljammer has seen the Fool.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

ing on for survival. One beholder apparently

Gray Eye survived his bout with the rot and recovered, and
Leader of the Beholder Citadel now lives outside the citadel, as steward of the
ship (see Astor).
HEADQUARTERS: The beholder citadel Gray Eye has let the ship's natives assume that
(area #24) the rotted beholders were dead and burned, but in
ARMOR CLASS: -1/1/6 reality, their embalmed bodies were kept alive in
MOVE: F13(B) the heart of the ruins. As a result, the beholders
HIT POINTS: 75 still receive food from the Shivaks for numbers
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 larger than are currently active. This food is being
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8 stored for the next dark time.
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Magic Gray Eye is aware of the Fool, and knows that
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Anti-magic ray, +1 on he moves his base around in the warrens, but is
saving throws, ioun unaware that the Fool was once a captain. Gray
stones, brooch of Eye's beholder mummies, while undead, are not
shielding under the control of the Fool.
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Special Gray Eye is currently engaged in a small war
SIZE: M (6 ft. diameter) with the nearby neogi, and as such often directs
ALIGNMENT: LE short airborne raids against the spider-creatures.
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Normally the war is conducted directly between
the two towers, and while the beholders have the
Gray Eye is an ancient beholder who has led his power, the neogi have the numbers.
people through good times and bad and through Gray Eye is selfish and brutal, perfectly willing
more dark times than he wishes to remember. He to sacrifice another's life for his own ends. He is
is the oldest known beholder on the ship; though even more willing to sacrifice another race's life
Miark the Blind, a former captain, is older, his for his own ends, and beholder hirings are com-
presence is not known on the ship. mon for raids against the neogi. TJieir food sur-
Miark came to captaincy at the same time as plus and wealth of treasure left behind by their
Gray Eye attained power, and with the beholder- former comrades give them the money to hire
captain's aid, Gray Eye learned how to best sur- mercenaries. They must hire in person, as their
vive the dark times—through a combination of gnoll slaves were destroyed in the blinding rot
raiding, storage, cannibalization of slave races, plague as well. On Gray Eye's dictum, beholders
and, if need be, sacrifice of eggs and junior mem- outside the tower appear in threes.
bers of the community so that the elders could Gray Eye takes his name from the milky orb in
survive. This policy has served Gray Eye well, and the center of his body. It grows whiter and whiter
few other beholders survive who remember the with each passing year, a symbol of his age (as op-
last of the dark times. posed to Old Astor, who is thought to be old be-
The eye tyrants have been further reduced by a cause of his gray scales, but that is the result of
disease that spread through their group, the blind- the rot). Gray Eye wears a broach of shielding at-
ing rot, which robbed the beholders of their magi- tached to one of his eyes. When in his lair (which is
cal eyes and debilitated their minds and bodies. most of the time), he also has orbiting him four
The blinding rot turned a healthy, powerful be- ioun stones (their orbits carry them away from fir-
holder community into a dozen creatures, hang- ing eyes). These stones are a clear spindle (allows

Gray Eye has led the ship s inhabitants to assume that the
corpses of those beholders killed by the Blinding Rot were
burned, but in reality their mummified bodies
are kept alive in the heart of the ruins.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

Gray Eye to survive without food and water), an SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
iridescent spindle (allows Gray Eye to survive SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
without air), a pearly white spindle (allows Gray MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
Eye to regenerate 1 hit point per turn), and a dusty SIZE: S (3 ft.)
rose prism (provides +1 protection—noted on AC ALIGNMENT: N
above). PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
S t r l 2 Dex 17 Con 16 Int 14 Wisll Cha 14
Hancherback Hancherback is the political leader of the half-
Hancherback Scuttlebay, Lord Mayor of Halflings lings, though their economic and spiritual leader
10th Level Thief is Kristobar Brewdoc (q.v.). Hancherback is a tub-
by, waddling halfling with sand-colored hair,
HEADQUARTERS: The halfling citadel (area dressed in halfling finery—usually leather leg-
#14), or the Open Air gings, a white blouse, and a black vest inscribed
Public House in the mar- with runes and other designs. He is good-natured
ket (area #6) and always glad to see strangers, in particular hu-
ARMOR CLASS: 7 (with Dex bonus) man strangers.
MOVE: 6(9) Hancherback was born on the Spelljammer and
HIT POINTS: 40 knows no other life. He is less interested in the
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 tales of the outer world, but is intensely interested
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 in serving the needs of newcomers to the ship:

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

making sure they get comfortably settled among

others of similar race and creed, and that needed Highstar
supplies are provided (or at least directions given Admiral Drova Highstar
as to how to gain them). He and his halflings ex- 8th Level Fighter/ 7th Level Wizard
pect to be rewarded for these services, and accept
payment both in gold coin and in barter (Hancher- HEADQUARTERS: The elven high com-
back readily accepts alcohol in all its forms). mand (area #36)
Hancherback believes firmly in the Fool. He be- ARMOR CLASS: 1 (elven chain plus
lieves the Fool to be a creature from the lower Dex bonus)
planes who inhabits the dark passages of the ship, MOVE: 12
boring through them like a worm through an ap- HIT POINTS: 54
ple. He also believes that one of the requirements NO. OF ATTACKS: 3/2
for captaincy should be humanity, and knows of DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1 -8 (long sword +1/ + 4
no halfling captains in the (incomplete) history of vs. giants)
the Spelljammer. He does not personally believe in SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
the rumors of "secret captains" running the ship, SPECIAL DEFENSES: 90% immune to sleep
but if there is a profit in it, he will point those inter- and charm spells
ested to the guild and an audience with Leoster IV, WIZARD SPELLS: lst:4,2nd:3,3rd:2,4th:l
Regent of All Humanity. MAGIC RESISTANCE: See above
Hancherback's quarters are 10% living space, SIZE: M (5 ft.)
90% treasure vault for all the extra material he ALIGNMENT: LN
has acquired over time, including gold (10-100 PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
thousand), alcohol (20-80 barrels) and magical Str 13 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 16 Wis 14 Cha 17
items and weapons (one of each major type, and
five random miscellaneous magical items). Han- The commander of all elven forces aboard the
cherback never uses magic himself, and refrains Spelljammer is Admiral Drova Highstar, late of the
from using any weapons. He relies instead on his elven armada Triumph (now dismantled and re-
standing within the community to call upon a tired from active service). Highstar has served in
group of halflings and humans to rescue him this position for 15 years now, and is the epitome
should trouble arise. of the elven naval academy.
Hancherback can usually be found in the Open That is to say, he is stiff-necked, obstinate, hide-
Air Public House in the market district, working bound, book-bashing, and racist to all others be-
with Kristobar on helping newcomers with their sides elves. He is condescending to other
problems. If not there, he is dealing with his duties humanoid races such as humans, dwarves, and
as lord mayor of the halflings. halflings, relentless in his persecution of goblins
and their ilk, hostile toward the declared evil races
of illithids, beholders, and neogi, and intolerant of
anyone, elf or otherwise, who thinks differently.
He operates his tower in a stiff, precise, military
fashion, with crisp salutes, well-pressed uniforms,
and clipped speech being the order of the day.
Any sentient creature with more than just the
merest mote of creative imagination finds the ad-

Admiral Highstar is stiff-necked, obstinate, hidebound, book-

bashing, racist, condescending, relentless, and intolerant.
Fortunately, he has talented advisers.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

miral to be a juggernaut of boredom, and spend- Highstar knows of the coming of various cap-
ing five minutes in his presence to be a lifetime of tains over the years (it's in the log, after all), but
punishment. evil has survived, and in some cases thrived, in the
Highstar's conversation centers on three main wake of such captains, so there is little that this
topics: how to protect the Spelljamrner from the apparent being can do to affect day-to-day life.
forces of evil, how to deal with the goblin prob- The Fool is obviously a tool of the goblins, either a
lem, and how all the other races of the universe goblin himself, or something more deadly, per-
are non-elven (and therefore not up to snuff in his haps a barghest or similar being. The Hobgoblin
eyes). Once these subjects are exhausted, he Priest is similarly the Fool's minion, trying to di-
might move off into past campaigns, what with vide the rest of the great ship with tales of illithid
their goblin problems and non-elves mucking atrocities, when it is very clear (at least to the ad-
things up, but only the most die-hard elf fan (or miral) that the two races are thick as thieves.
enlisted elf unable to escape) will put up with this. And so Admiral Highstar plows along, head up,
The admiral is beautiful along middle-aged el- eye bright, as completely oblivious to the "real
ven lines: sharp features and graceful lines. His world" as Si Loo is in the Shou tower. Should a
flaxen hair spills neatly over his broad shoulders, danger present itself, it is fortunate that his advis-
cut at the precise military length. He is often in his ers and commanders have sufficient flexibility to
dress uniform, with the lightweight elven chain keep the elves from going down in defeat.
worn directly beneath his robes, and his sleek
pants tucked neatly into his boots.
The admiral is no fool, but he does tend to be Hobgoblin Prophet
single-minded, chiefly because the weight of el- Hobgoblin Shaman
ven civilization, and even the survival of all good
beings aboard the Spelljammer, seems to rest HEADQUARTERS: The ogre wizard citadel
upon his shoulders. He and his staff must be ever- (area #23)
vigilant, never letting their guard down, lest the ARMOR CLASS: 2
forces of evil make a cowardly attack, such as the MOVE: 9
one that destroyed the elven academy. Highstar is HIT POINTS: 22
continually checking security, changing patrols, NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
warning their supposed allies of potential dan- DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 +4
gers, and preparing for that inevitable attack. SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
Goblin attacks, even with the goblins under the SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
thumb of the mind flayers, are common enough PRIEST SPELLS: lst:5, 2nd:4, 3rd:l
that a few squads must strike out, killing the of- PRIEST SPHERES: combat, divination,
fending vermin, else the entire great ship would elemental
be awash in elven blood. MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
Highstar neither likes nor trusts Trebek, the gob- SIZE: M (6 ft. 6 in.)
lins' supposed leader, who seeks to advance the ALIGNMENT: LE
goblin cause by crying to the council every time PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
the elves take their vengeance, but is silent when Str 18/01 Dex 15 Con18 Int 13 Wis 15 Cha 18
good elves are slain by goblin assassins. The rest of
the leadership either is too evil to care or too fool-
ish to pay sufficient attention to the dangers.

Highstar's conversation centers on three topics:

protecting the Spelljammer against the forces of evil,
combating the goblin problem, and reflecting on the
inferiority of all non-elf races.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 Hobgoblin Prophet, Hooded Soldier, Jokarin

The Hobgoblin Prophet has no other known people to the degree of being a monomaniac. All
name. "My name was taken from me by the tenta- other matters on the ship pale by comparison, and
cled devils, and shall be returned to me only when if the matter does not directly affect .his people, he
all my people are free. Until the devils are turned to does not even recognize it. The Fool, the captains
dust, I shall be no more than the humble voice of my (secret and real), and the raids between rival cita-
trapped people, fighting to return them to freedom." dels do not even register to him, and are dis-
The prophet is a rare creature—an intelligent missed if brought up.
goblinoid who escaped the dinner tables of the The prophet sees the freeing of his people as be-
mind flayers. The illithids keep their goblin slaves ing accomplished in several steps;
under control in part through skimming off the 1) The rescue of the hobgoblins enslaved by the
best and the brightest, leaving only the stupid illithids.
ones to breed. The prophet not only avoided be- 2) The formation of those rescued hobgoblins
ing killed, he also escaped from the horned tower, into a fighting force.
eventually finding refuge in the ogre wizard cita- 3) The rescue of the remaining goblinoids from
del, under the auspices of ShiCaga the Enchant- the horned tower.
ress (q.v.). 4) The destruction of all illithids, so that this
The prophet is dedicated to the freeing of his does not happen again.

The Hobgoblin Prophet is dedicated to freeing his people from

slavery, but his version of freedom extends to destroying
all potential enemies and seizing the Spelljammer
for a goblinoid homeland.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELL JAMMER

5) The destruction of all races which have the The prophet has many enemies, including Shi-
potential to enslave the hobgoblins (chiefly the Caga's two sons, Trebek and the illithids, and the
elves). elven high command. All would be relieved if the
6) The establishment of the Spelljammer as a little monster suddenly turned up dead some-
Utopia, under the wise and beneficent governing where, provided their own group was not indicted
of a hobgoblin council, which of course would be in the killing.
guided by the divine influence of the prophet. As it stands, the prophet is being warily watch-
Fortunately, only steps 1 and 2 are underway, ed by the other groups, and his little band moni-
and only about 20 goblinoids have been rescued tored as it grows. The prophet has taken to
from the tower, primarily hobgoblins. These the lecturing every few weeks in the market and is
prophet has formed into a core group of warriors guaranteed to keep a clear area around him, as
whose chief mission seems to be to irritate their other natives seek to avoid him.
ogre hosts (at least this is the ogres' viewpoint on
the matter).
The prophet works with the approval of ShiCa- Hooded Soldier
ga the Enchantress, who sees herself as heading The Hooded Soldier
up a pan-unhuman rulership of the Spelljammer. Zombie
The prophet only knows that ShiCaga has com-
mitted her protection and resources to the cause, HEADQUARTERS: The Academy of Human
and considers her a loyal follower. Knowledge (area #34)
The prophet dresses in red armor ("to symbol- ARMOR CLASS: 8
ize the blood of my people") and carries a mace MOVE: 6
with the head fashioned to resemble a hobgoblin's HIT POINTS: 16
head ("so there may be no mistake to my foes who NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
slays them.") Everything the prophet says, does, DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8
and wears ties back to his crusade. He is pedantic SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
and practiced at discoursing extensively to prove SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to sleep, charm,
his point. The ogres, with generally short atten- hold, and death magic,
tion spans, avoid arguing with him, as they do not poison, and cold
have several days to listen to his litany of illithid MAGIC RESISTANCE: Special
atrocities. The prophet takes this as a sign that he SIZE: M (5 ft.)
has converted them. ALIGNMENT: N
As a shaman, the prophet has spellcasting abili- PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
ty. However, he can only cast spells in the divina- Str 12 Dex 12 Con 12 IntO WisO Cha3
tion, combat, and elemental spheres.
Interestingly, the prophet is unaware of the sen- The Hooded Soldier is the recognized head of
tient nature of the brain mold in the horned tower, the Xenos, a secret society based in the Academy
but even if he were aware, that would have little of Human Knowledge. At the time of a meeting,
affect on his attacks on the illithids. At heart a rac- the Hooded Soldier appears by means of a secret
ist who believes that all other races should be sub- panel into the meeting room, where he communi-
ordinate to his own, the prophet is ultimately cates with his fellow members through a combina-
fighting to free his people so they can enslave tion of thieves' signing (a silent tongue using hand
someone else. signals), and messages drawn on paper with char-

The prophet has many enemies, including ShiCaga's two sons,

Trebek and the illithids, and the elven high command.
All would be relieved if the little monster
turned up dead somewhere.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 coal. The Hooded Soldier never speaks. MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
The soldier is dressed as a warrior wearing a SIZE: M (6 ft.)
great cloak. Every part of his human body is per- ALIGNMENT: N
fectly proportioned and covered by armor, from PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
his greaves to his neck. He wears a cowl up over Str 17 Dex 16 Con 18 Int 12 Wis 13 Cha 12
his head and a silver mask across his face.
This mask is from Waterdeep, and is identical to Jokarin was the most recent of the captains,
those used by the Lords of the City to maintain and he ruled more than 20 years ago for a period
their secrecy. Mo mind-affecting magic can be of only six months. During this time he forced the
used against the wearer, nor can divination spells Spelljammer into a series of four battles with rival
reveal the wearer's thoughts, alignment, or identi- space fleets, until the ship determined that he was
ty. Short of information from the gods, no one a threat to its own health and had him removed,
may divine the Hooded Soldier's true identity. dragged in the night through underground pas-
The Hooded Soldier, in fact, has no identity. It is sages by the shivaks to the dark tower, where he
a zombie under the control of the Fool, who uses remains to this day.
it to order the Xenos to do his bidding, sowing dis- Jokarin had found an ultimate helm, disguised
cord and weakening the various houses and fac- as a crown, in the lair of a celestial dragon. He
tions of the citadel district. The Hooded Soldier fought through a number of hazards before attain-
does not speak because it cannot—its true face is ing the Spelljammer, and took command in the
a ruin and its vocal chords have long-since rotted control room. He declared himself captain in the
away. The Fool can move the Hooded Solder's landing deck, to the approval of thousands of sen-
limbs and see and hear what it would hear, and as tients. Six months later many of the towers were
a result it signals and uses its signboards. in flames, and he was imprisoned by the servitor
None of the Xenos know the Hooded Soldier's creations of the ship he served. The experience
identity. If forced to reveal it, Burke and the other has left him bitter, even after 20 years.
academicians will finger Si Loo (q.u) as the likely Jokarin is still a powerful man, the first streaks
suspect. of grey appearing in his shovel-bladed beard and
raven-black hair. He misses his weapons and he
misses his armor and most of all he misses the
Jokarin linkage between his mind and the Spelljammer,
Jokarin the Bold, ex-captain between his spirit and the spirit of the great ship.
10th Level Fighter He plots and plans his escape, and dreams of find-
ing another ultimate helm and taking command
HEADQUARTERS: The dark tower again of the Spelljammer, but all his attempts are
(area #38) foiled and he is always returned to the captains'
ARMOR CLASS: 10 quarters.
MOVE: 12 Jokarin will applaud any rescue, but will imme-
HIT POINTS: 90 diately attempt to overthrow and/or kill any sit-
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ting captain when he escapes. He knows of the
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-3 or with weapon Fool (who was a minor annoyance when Jokarin
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil first appeared), and feels that he is the only one
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil who can save his precious ship from that threat.

In fact, the Hooded Soldier has no real identity. It is a zombie

under the control of the Fool, who uses it to order the Xenos
to do his bidding and to sow discord among the various
houses and factions of the citadel district.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

Danel's credit, not only did he defeat the beholder

Kaba Danel who killed his father, he managed to escape from
Dracon Leader the other beholders who sought to pursue him.
The pursuit lasted to the gates of the dracon tow-
HEADQUARTERS: The dracon tower er, where only the presence of Suza the Brass con-
(area #40) vinced the eye tyrants to accept their loss and
ARMOR CLASS: 5(3) retreat.
MOVE: 18 Kaba Danel is still young at rulership, and con-
HIT POINTS: 32 fused by the maddening variety of different races
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 or 1 on his home ship (and secretly thankful that his
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/1-4 or 1-10 (halberd) citadel is far from the others). He has managed to
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil offend Highstar of the elves horribly by suggest-
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil ing the elves were very similar to the goblins in ap-
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil pearance, and is personally afraid of the neogi,
SIZE: L (12 ft. long) wanting to stomp out the spiderlike creatures like
ALIGNMENT: LG the bugs that they are. Hopefully, Kaba Danel's
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil judgement and wisdom will improve with age. As
it stands now, he is willing to help any good crea-
Kaba Danel is the master of the dracon herd, tures, and leans heavily on advice from his shalla
having succeeded his father following that Kaba's (local priest) and Suza.
untimely death at the hands of a beholder. To Kaba Danel appears as a typical draconian, his

Kaba Danel, Kova, Korvok

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELL JAMMER

hide a tad more yellow than green, with a deep ble, wenches and imported wine at hand (he has a
green stripe down his nose. taste for the off-ship varieties of alcohol). He is a
powerful, wide-bodied man, quick and nimble de-
spite his great size. His face is scarred from nu-
Korvok merous fights, and his black beard is always short
Korvok the Fell and patchy.
17th Level Thief Despite his appearance and manners, Korvok
feels that he is the ultimate in human develop-
HEADQUARTERS: The Tenth Pit (area #32) ment, in particular in regards to appeal to women.
ARMOR CLASS: 0 (leather + 3, He fancies Selura Killcrow of the Long Fangs, and
Dex bonus) hopes that their partnership will blossom into
MOVE: 12 (boots of striding and something more worthwhile. He should not hold
springing) his breath (though those in front of him might
HIT POINTS: 74 wish he would).
NG. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 (long sword)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Backstabbing, Kova
thief abilities Agate Ironlord Kova
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Amulet of proof against 12th Level Dwarven Fighter
detection and location
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil HEADQUARTERS: The citadel of Kova
SIZE: M (6 ft. 6 in.) (area #25)
ALIGNMENT: LE ARMOR CLASS: 0 (plate + 3, no shield)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil MOVE: 6
Str 12 Dex 18 Con 17 Int 13 Wisl4 Cha 7 HIT POINTS: 119
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
Korvok the Fell fancies himself as the nastiest DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 +6
of the nasty, the worst the human race can pro- SPECIAL ATTACKS: +1 vs. ores, half-ores,
duce, and is incredibly proud of his accomplish- goblins, hobgoblins;
ments: Looting, pillaging, and burning his way - 4 to be hit by giants,
across the starfields until finally reaching the trolls, ogre magi, titans
Spelljammer, where he magnanimously decided SPECIAL DEFENSES: + 5 on saves vs. spells,
to set up permanent shop. wands, rods, staves, and
Korvok is a foul, unwashed brigand who as- poisons
sumes that everyone else is just as guilty as he, MAGIC RESISTANCE: See above, otherwise nil
and that he has gotten as far as he has by being SIZE: S(4ft.)
honest with himself about it. His favorite tactic is ALIGNMENT: LN
to root out one secret or another, something that PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
would start a minor war, then let that slip into Str 18/50 Dex 9 Con 18 Int 12 Wis 13 Cha 12
common knowledge, always hiring out his Tenth
Pit group to the stronger of the two possible oppo- Kova is the name of the largest citadel on the
nents. Spelljammer, the leading family of that citadel,
Korvok can usually be found at his favorite ta- and the title of the patriarch of that family. The

Korvok the Fell fancies himself as the nastiest of the nasty

the worst the human race can produce, and is incredibly
proud of his accomplishments: looting, pillaging,
and burning his way across space.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

Kovans are among the oldest continuous citadel histories of the Spelljammer, become "captain," a
lines on board the ship, and the most conserva- false title created by greedy humans to exploit
tive. Agate Ironlord Kova, or "The Kova" in con- their own power.
versation, has held his position for more than 100 The Fool is known to the Kova as the burrower,
years, through at least two dozen dark times. and is described as a skeletal worm that twists
A powerful, broad-built dwarf with a closely- through the heart of the Spelljammer like a para-
cropped gray beard, Kova is no dotard on his site through an apple. Mortal men brought the
throne. He is actively involved in council matters, burrower to the Spelljammer, and it is up to mortal
planning and leading raids, and even working in men to take care of it.
the foundry, refashioning weapons and procuring
new metals. The Kova is comfortable in armor and
has several sets in his throne room. As a symbol of Kristobar
his office, he carries a battle axe +3 which has the Kristobar Brewdoc
ability to detect and identify metal. 5th Level Halfling Fighter
The Kova family is said to stretch back to the
origins of the Spelljammer itself, but that may be HEADQUARTERS: The Open Air Public
just speculation. All the tales of the Kovans and House, in the market (ar-
the Spelljammer (told from a dwarf-eyed view) ea #6), or, failing that,
were written down in great books of steel plates, a the halfling district (area
tradition that continues today. Only Volumes 13 #14)
and 14, cataloging the last 150 years of the ARMOR CLASS: 4
Spelljammer, currently survive, the others being MOVE: 6(9)
lost or stolen. HIT POINTS: 30
The Kova is open and friendly toward other NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
dwarves, reserved and cool toward nondwarves. DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 (long sword)
Much of the pain of the Kovans has been caused SPECIAL ATTACKS: + 3 with bow and sling
by ties (in one way or another) to outsiders, such SPECIAL DEFENSES: save vs. magic and poi-
that they are very cautious about dealing with oth- son as 9th level fighter
er races. The Kova holds humans in the highest MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
regard, but places elves and halflings almost with SIZE: S (3 ft. 6 in.)
beholders and the neogi in disdain. ALIGNMENT: CG
Agate Ironlord Kova's heir apparent is a neph- PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
ew, Sulfer Darkblood Kova. The nephew's atti- Str 13 Dex 16 Con 15 Int9 WislO Cha 17
tudes and abilities are so similar to his uncle's that
a change in rulership would hardly be noticed. Kristobar Brewdoc was born and raised on the
The Kova teaches that the Spelljammer is con- great ship, and was a mere pup when the gardens
trolled by dwarf elders beyond even his level of last closed with the ascendency of a captain. In the
power, and it is the creative activity of the time since then, he has endeavored to apply him-
Spelljammer's foundry that gives it motive force. self to the life he knows best, that of brewing and
He can point to the fact that dwarven citadels are working a tavern. His latest (and most successful)
the only other vessels massing greater than 100 attempt in the latter has been the Open Air Public
tons which are capable of moving at spelljamming House, located in the market district. Brewdoc
speeds, and that no dwarf has ever, in the known oversees a staff of about a half-dozen halflings,

Lord Kova believes that the Spelljammer is controlled

by dwarf elders and that it is the creative activity of the
Spelljammer's foundry that gives the ship motive force.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

cooking, cleaning, and serving drinks at any one and other valuable items might persuade him to
time. The halflings have a standing rule ("no pil- lower his voice.
fering on the premises") which makes the location Brewdoc and most of his staff have never ven-
an ideal meeting spot for the various races. tured into the warrens, though they know of a sec-
Brewdoc is a dreamer, and while his dreams ond cousin or two who have, never to return.
tend to center around the Spelljammer itself, he is Brewdoc believes the ship is ruled by "secret cap-
more than interested in the activities of others, in tains" who control everything, and "the Fool" is
particular newcomers. He has the standard half- merely something these captains made up to
ling energy and curiosity toward new things, and keep folk out of areas where they weren't wanted.
while he would never think to leave his home, he
is glad to hear tales from other lands. These tales,
along with whatever other information comes Leoster
along, are then funnelled back to Old Astor (q.v.), The Puissant and Sage Leoster IV,
who is a combination ally, protector, overseer, and Regent of All Humanity
bookkeeper. 20th Level Fighter/13th Level Wizard (dual-class)
Brewdoc is lean in halfling terms (which tends
to a mean "thinner than a keg"), and very excit- HEADQUARTERS: The guild tower
able. His green eyes gleam with energy when he's (area #13)
listening to tales, and given the right speaker, he ARMOR CLASS: 0 (bracers of defense plus
will sit for hours, listening to every word someone boots of speed)
has to say, and remembering it. MOVE: 24 (boots of speed)
Brewdoc is a wonderful source of information HIT POINTS: 120
on daily life in the great ship. He knows nothing NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
about how to become a captain, nor the cycle of DAMAGE/ATTACK: Either 1-6+2 (as mace),
the ship, but he can give very good input on most 1-8 +1 (as sword of
of the other major players, at least those who flame), 1-8 +4 (as battle
spend any time in the Open Air. He is prejudiced axe), or 1-6 +3 (as
toward humans in general and against dwarves spear); all are functions
and elves, who tend to be elitist toward their fur- of his rod of lordly might
footed cousins. He also does not trust the behold- SPECIAL ATTACKS: Paralyzation, fear, drain
ers, given their own dislike of Astor. His 2-8 hit points, all
comments reflect these basic assumptions (a be- functions of his rod of
holder's actions are always suspect, while a hu- lordly might
man may be given "the benefit of the doubt"). SPECIAL DEFENSES: ring of invisibility,
Brewdoc is more than willing to listen to the ring of fire resistance
players, asking questions in an excited voice. If WIZARD SPELLS: lst:5, 2nd:5, 3rd:5,
asked for information, he'll provide it if possible, 4th:4, 5th:4, 6th:2
but in a loud fashion, motioning with his hands. MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
("You want to know about TREBEK?" he says SIZE: M (5 ft. 7 in.)
loudly, pointing toward a table of mind flayers ALIGNMENT: LN
who have suddenly craned their heads in your di- PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
rection, "He's one of them 1LLITHIDS! DANGER- Str 16 Dex 13 Con 18 Int 15 Wis 13 Cha 15
OUS lot, they are, and LOUSY TIPPERS!") Gold

Brewdoc is a wonderful source of information on daily life

in the great ship. If asked for information,
he'll provide it if possible.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMEn

Leoster is also known as the "Silver Lion," a ref- jar him out of it. He is very interested in his coin
erence to his long, gray hair and beard, well- collection, and is always interested in new addi-
trimmed and braided with silver cords. He has tions. Individuals from other worlds may find an-
been in charge of the guild tower as long as Ar- cient coins in mint condition among his effects,
vanon has ruled the lizard men, and seen his share and he is very proud of them, willing to lecture for
of captains and would-be captains come and go. hours on the various details.
Like most of the guild, he and his extended fam- Leoster has seven children, all daughters. Six of
ily are insular, more concerned with the latest tow- them are married into other families in the guild.
er gossip than any particular attack or threat to The seventh is the youngest, Llewellyn, and the
the Spelljammer. Only when the hordes of goblins most headstrong. Leoster has hopes that she will
or legions of beholders are at the very gates do he eventually wed a captain of the ship, but sees that
and his people choose to enter the fray, usually hope dimming as the years pass.
with exceptional results. His walking staff is really Leoster has heard of the Fool, and intends to
a rod of lordly might and his shoes are boots of get around someday to taking care of that crea-
speed. Combined with his bracers of defense (AC ture, if such a beast exists. As an aside, he'll note
2) and rings of invisibility and fire resistance, he is a that one of his advisers (now passed on, gods rest
fighting machine that no one wishes to get too an- his soul) had come up with the Fool as a way of
gry. proving the guild still had a reason for existing.
Fortunately, Leoster is rather distracted in his Stuff and nonsense, but it keeps the commoners
dotage, and it would take something on the order in line, in particular those nasty military brother-
of a major assault or the arrival of a new captain to hoods.

s x /- / • / - / • / / - / - / - / /"/'/'/"/' V / r ? f S /"/" T'VV /

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONA

Leoster has a healthy respect for nobility, even different nations launched an assault, and the air
groundling nobility, and will on occasion throw a envelope rained spheres of death. Miark's people
cotillion or other bash to celebrate a new arrival. were slain, their slaves destroyed, and Miark fled
Of course, every new arrival should not expect a into the warrens. This was before the coming of
welcome in his Leoster's court, unless he has the Fool, and it was in the warrens that the shivaks
something really important to share. found him, depriving him of his spell books and
dragging him back to the tower.
He has been here two years. Or has it been 200?
Miark the Blind The time passes strangely for the old beholder,
12th Level Beholder Wizard who has forgotten much, and sometimes still be-
lieves he is at the helm, sending commands to his
HEADQUARTERS: The dark tower ship to swoop, to bank, to attack. He plays chess
(area #38) with Theorx and listens to Jokarin rant. Miark is
ARMOR CLASS: 0/2/6 dimly aware that his other minor eyes still func-
MOVE: fl 3 (B) tion, and that he has used them in the past to de-
HIT POINTS: 65 stroy captains who had finally cracked and
HO. OF ATTACKS: 1 attacked him. And he remembers that someone
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8 wanted him to kill them.
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Magic eyes Miark occasionally thinks of escaping, but re-
SPECIAL DEFENSES: None gaining his old ship is not on his list. First he
WIZARD SPELLS: lst:4, 2nd:4, 3rd:4, would find a spellcaster and relearn his old spells.
4th:4, 5th:4, 6th:l Then he would destroy every other beholder on
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil the ship. He had lost his nation when the other na-
SIZE: S (4 ft. wide) tions attacked, and has no illusion about their
ALIGNMENT: LE survival.
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Unlike Astor and Gray Eye, Miark has fur on ei-
ther side of his central mouth, creating the im-
Miark the Blind is one of those few beholders pression that he has sideburns.
who have sacrificed a central eye for the ability to
cast spells, and he is also the only eye tyrant to
have ever captained the Spelljammer. Miark's ulti-
mate helm was nothing more than a magical be-
holder mouth-pick, a simple tool used by some
beholder nations to manipulate objects. His path
led to the Spelljammer, where his control room
was in the tail itself, surrounded by pulsing pods
of negative energy.
Miark ruled well and wisely for years, punishing
good, encouraging others of his nation to settle,
and while not actively seeking battle, destroying
all abominations (other beholders of different spe-
cies) who crossed the ship's path. Miark's reign
went well until a combined beholder fleet of 20

Miark the Blind was the only eye tyrant ever to captain the
Spelljammer. He ruled well and wisely for years,
until a combined beholder fleet of 20 different nations
launched an assault.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELL JAMIVIER

Mostias IMagasimi
Mostias the Centaur Nagasimi of the Shou
12th level Wizard/Wu Jen
HEADQUARTERS: The centaur tower
(area #41) HEADQUARTERS: The Shou tower
ARMOR CLASS: 5(4) (area #30)
MOVE: 18 ARMOR CLASS: 10
HIT POINTS: 24 MOVE: 12
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 HIT POINTS: 36
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-6/1-8 (spear) NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1 -4 (dagger of venom)
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil SPECIAL DEFENSES: Ring of fire resistance
SIZE: L(9ft.) WIZARD SPELLS: lst:5, 2nd:5, 3rd:5,
ALIGNMENT: CG 4th:4, 5th:2, 6th:2
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M (6 ft. 3 in.)
Mostias is an incredibly fat centaur who has dis- ALIGNMENT: NE
covered the easy life on the Spelljammer and has PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
no intention of either giving it up or fighting for it. Str9 Dex 13 Con 10 Int 18 Wisl2 Cha9
The remote location of their tower does not bring
them into conflict often with other races, and it Note that the stats above are from the AD&D 2nd
has been years since a concentrated attack has Edition game. If the DM has a copy of Oriental Ad-
forced them to limber up the catapults. ventures, Nagasimi should be treated as a wu jen
Mostias is lazy, and most of his clan follow his and his spells should come from the OA book.
example, lazing away the day on grain and mush-
room wine. Were it not for a family of energetic Nagasimi is the trusted adviser of Si Loo (q.v.)
(and traditional) wemics, the entire tower would of the Shou, and his lordship's connection be-
collapse on itself from disrepair. tween the real world of the Shou tower and out-
The centaur chief takes it all in stride, usually lander madness that consumes the rest of the
falling back on homilies like "the squeaky wheel Spelljammer. Nagasimi is aware that his master
gets replaced" as a means of defending his lack- does not control the Spelljammer, though he
luster performance. He is a pleasant sort, willing comforts his lord by publicly supporting the fic-
to entertain any travelers who make it out on the tion while working toward the day when Si Loo is
wing, but not someone who can be counted upon the captain, by virtue of being the only surviving
for a daring rescue (or even a timely hand). lord on the ship, and the Shou the only surviving
Mostias is a chunky appaloosa with roan- people.
colored hair on his head, beard, and hanging over Nagasimi is pencil thin, with long, straight
his hooves. He is rarely seen standing up, and black hair reaching halfway down his back. He has
there is always debate about whether he would tip no facial hair, but has a butterfly tattooed on his
over if he tried. bald forehead. Nagasimi has taken a vow never to
eat meat and is offended by those who partake of

Mostias is lazy, and most of his clan follow his example, lazing
away the day on grain and mushroom wine. He is a pleasant
sort, but not someone who can be counted on.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 meat in his presence. dier and leader of the Xenos, a fiction which exists
Nagasimi hates all the gaijin that swarm only because so many of them have never actually
through the ship, humans and nonhumans alike, met Si Loo). Much in the way of Xeno resources
and his polite disdain is only barely held in check can be traced back to the Shou, and in fact the
by his manners. He would be quite happy if they demolition of the elven academy was accom-
would all kill each other. When he is away from the plished from a store of smoke powder squirreled
Shou tower, he never misses an opportunity to en- away by Si Loo's predecessor.
courage one faction or another to fight, hoping Nagasimi is loyal to his master in that he sees
that they will bring the entire house of cards down that as a wu jen, he is unsuitable for leadership
on top of themselves, leaving the way clear for the (otherwise he would have been made leader). He
true people, the Shou, hiding in their citadel. attempts to sniff out any plot against his master
Nagasimi is a member of the Xenos (area #34), and deal with the offender as quickly as possible.
though he does not attend in person. Rather he One or two likely human assassins found them-
sends a subordinate to represent the name of Si selves invited to the tower, and then never left it
Loo. As a result, the other Xenos know nothing of again.
Nagasimi, but only of Si Loo's envoy (and in fact Nagasimi would like the captaincy of the
many believe Si Loo himself to be the Hooded Sol- Spelljammer for his master, but is unaware of how

Nagasimi hates all the gaijin that swarm through the ship,
humans and nonhumans alike, and his polite disdain is only
barely held in check by his manners.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELL JAMMER

to go about obtaining it. He believes the gaijin leg- Xenos are ever revealed. He has been sworn to se-
ends are mostly lies, not to be trusted. He would crecy (and lives by his word) and just for good
like to contact the one known as the Fool, for he measure, the Xenos placed a geas on him as well,
seems to be the true master of the Spelljammer. to cause pain and death if he tries to reveal any-
thing about the organization.
Ollister is a happy-go-lucky, friendly individual,
Ollister a break from the more refined (read "stuck-up")
Ollister of the Blood of Leoster IV, members of the guild. He can sometimes be found
Regent of Humanity at the Open Air, listening to stories. He'd like to
7th Level Fighter visit the warrens some day, since he believes there
is a dragon's horde down there (of course, there is
HEADQUARTERS: The guild tower (area a dragon's horde underneath the dragon Suza, but
#13), or the Academy of that doesn't count).
Human Knowledge (area If asked (or even if the subject comes up in his
#34) presence), Ollister will volunteer that the Fool is a
ARMOR CLASS: 2 (chain +3, shield) myth, created by his grandsire's adviser or some-
MOVE: 12 thing, to keep the little people in line.
HIT POINTS: 46 The DM should have fun with Ollister—he is ca-
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 pable in combat if not competent in society. And
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 (long sword) he really, really tries hard.
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
Orik
SIZE: M (5 ft. 11 in.) Orik the CJmber Hulk
ALIGNMENT: N (arguably
neutral-stupid) HEADQUARTERS: The hulk tower (area
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil #28), the neogi tower (ar-
Str 13 Dex 13 Con 13 Int7 Wis7 Cha 15 ea #27), or in the compa-
ny of his lord, Master
Ollister is living proof of the problems you can Coh
get into by not getting around much. The descend- ARMOR CLASS: 2
ent of Leoster himself, Ollister set out to find out MOVE: 6 (does not burrow)
more about his world than he could learn just in the HIT POINTS: 72
human collective, to experience and enjoy. NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
Of course, immediately he fell in with one of the DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-12/3-12/1-10
worst terrorist groups on the entire ship, the SPECIAL ATTACKS: Confusion
Xenos, and has been used by them as a pawn and SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
dupe ever since. MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
Ollister thinks of the academy as simply having SIZE: L(8ft.)
a "secret club" which he is privy to, since he does ALIGNMENT: CE
represent the elite of the Spelljammer's society. He PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
occasionally attends meetings, often enough to
make himself and the guild look responsible if the

Ollister is living proof of the problems you can get into

by not getting around much. The Xenos have used him
as a pawn and dupe for years.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

Orik is the personal ^lave of Master Coh of the use tenses correctly, but he can get his ideas
neogi, and will almost always be found in his com- across. Most of his ideas are Coh's, of course, at
pany when not in his personal quarters. Orik is in- least the ones he voices in council. Orik's pres-
tensely loyal to Coh, who treats him well, has ence there offends the other members of the
other slaves polish his hide, and allows the umber council and he is often called "Coh's parrot"
hulk first choice of the slaves to kill and eat. If a (though not to his face).
creature as evil as an umber hulk has loyalty, Orik Orik is frankly amazed that everyone would not
has loyalty to Coh, and will defend him to the choose to be owned by someone else. It makes life
death. much simpler if an owner is calling the shots, in
Coh is a typical umber hulk, marked on the particular if the owner is as wise as Master Coh.
forehead with the interlocked rings which are the Therefore everyone should be owned, primarily
symbol of his wise master. He and the rest of his by Master Coh. Attempts to put this belief into
race can burrow into the chitinous hide of the action have resulted in battle, and Master Coh
Spelljammer, but are forbidden to do so by the (concerned master that he is) has ordered Orik to
neogi, and so do not. Orik bullies and pushes cease "recruiting" people at random to be slaves.
around the other umber hulks and nonhulk Master Coh is the greatest owner in the uni-
slaves, but does not kill them, at least not without verse, according to Orik. His greatest enemy is the
Master Coh's permission. Fool, who is another owner, who has taken the
Orik speaks his own language but has also ground away from the hulks and captured many
made attempts to learn the common speech. His of the other slave-hulks. The Fool is a bad owner,
diction is slow and slurred, and he often forgets to and Coh wishes to destroy him before he owns

.•/-._-• U(f\\\,. U

f rs s /yy^f /Vs~i~/\jr[ i2l

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

anyone else. This Coh has told Orik, and while to place. She is more than willing to sacrifice a few
Orik is not privy to Coh's discussions with the of her number to the Fool in exchange for safe
Fool, Orik believes him. Why would Coh lie to a passage, and the Fool feels that her missions of
slave? death are more than sufficient to justify letting her
live.
Selura is tall, lean, with dark red hair the color
Selura of curdled blood. She lost an eye in battle with a
Selura Killcrow minotaur, and wears an eyepatch over it marked
18th Level Fighter with the symbol of the Long Fangs in silver. Hav-
ing lost partial vision, she is continually checking
HEADQUARTERS: The Long Fangs citadel on those around her, making sure of their place-
(area #33) ment.
ARMOR CLASS: AC 1 (elven chain mail, Selura will kill anyone, anytime, for the right
Dex bonus) price. She feels no loyalty to humanity, which
MOVE: 12 abandoned her, nor to any other race or people.
HIT POINTS: 104 All of her comrades, including friends and allies,
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 are expendable, provided that she gets what she
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1 -8 +1, (long sword +1/ wants.
+ 4 as. reptiles) Selura is enchanted, however, with things elven.
SPECIAL ATTACKS: necklace of missiles She rescued the boots from a minotaur's treasure
(lxll HD, 2x9 HD, 2x7 pile and pulled the chain from an outlander pala-
HD, 2x5 HD, 2x3 HD fire- din. Her one recent romantic liaison was directed
balls) toward the elven commander Stardawn, who used
SPECIAL DEFENSES: ring of regeneration, her as a contact to deal with Arcane, then spurned
boots of eluenkind her further advances. Angry at being rejected, she
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil has added Stardawn and the elves to her list of en-
SIZE: M (5 ft. 11 in.) emies.
ALIGNMENT: CE Selura has great plans of revenge. Her dream is
PSIONIC ABILITY: Mil to conduct a "night of long knives," when the lead-
Str 13 Dex 18 Con 17 Int 12 Wis 14 Cha 18 ers of all the various factions will be killed at once.
In the resulting bloodbath, Selura will profit great-
Selura was born and bred on the Spelljammer, ly, as well as enjoy the carnage. She is still plan-
spawned in the sprawl and clutter of the human ning this and significant problems remain to be
collective, orphaned and enslaved by first the overcome, but she has recruited Korvok of the
ogres and later the minotaurs. Selura learned to Tenth Pit and several of Taja's younger hill giants
fight for her life and found she was very good at it. as assistants. Korvok is very enamored of the
First with a pack of other young thieves, then as a yoiing fighter, but Selura plans to have him killed,
mercenary leader, she has the advantage of most too. And if he makes any advances on her, killed
of the other military leaders in that she is a native, soon.
and knows many secret routes and passages from
place to place, in particular the entrances of the
warrens. She has no fear of using the warrens as
an escape route, or as a way of getting from place

Selura will kill anyone, anytime, for the right price. She feels
no loyalty to humanity, which abandoned her, or to any other
race or people. All of her comrades are expendable.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

expanding her realms by freeing the goblin races

ShiCaga from the illithids and taking control of them her-
ShiCaga the Enchantress self. This has caused her to become vocal in criti-
Ogre Mage Chieftess cism of the mind flayers, and supportive of the
prophet in his attempts to rescue his fellow hob-
HEADQUARTERS: The ogre wizard citadel goblins. This tilt toward the diminutive hobgoblin
(area #23) has sparked some speculation and created rifts
ARMOR CLASS: 4 within the ogre community, ShiCaga, the prophet,
MOVE: 9, fl 15 (B) his followers, and some other ogres on one side,
HIT POINTS: 45 the bulk of the ogrish population and the two sons
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 on the other.
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-12 ShiCaga's relationships with the other citadels
SPECIAL ATTACKS: fly, invisibility, darkness (other than Trebek's) are cool and cordial. Ogre
10ft, polymorph self, re- raids are not common enough to be dangerous,
generate, charm person, and the same ogres will gladly hire out to do
sleep, gaseous form, someone else's dirty work. This includes Cas-
cone of cold; attacks as a saRoc and the Shou, although those relationship
9 HD monster are chilly.
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Saves as a 9 HD monster ShiCaga has a good relationship with Father
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil Goat, though she suspects that he and the mind
SIZE: Large (12 ft.) flayers are in cahoots, so she does not trust him
ALIGNMENT: LE with information. ShiCaga has been linked ro-
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil mantically with Breakox the minotaur giant, but
Str 18 Dex 12 Con 18 Int 15 Wisl3 Cha 6 this is a relationship of convenience as opposed to
true feeling—ShiCaga will happily turn over
ShiCaga is one of three ogre mages on board Breakox to any other faction when the minotaurs
the Spelljammer, the other two being her sons. are attacked. Finally, ShiCaga has no dealings
She and her family are recent arrivals. They came with the Fool, who she believes was created by the
soon after the most recent dark time, and after an forces of good to blame all evil activities on.
unsuccessful attempt to usurp control of the Shou ShiCaga is a beautiful ogre, at least to other
Lung tower, took over command of the ogres in- ogres. She prefers make-up in the oriental tradi-
stead. ShiCaga's husband was slain in the fracas tion, making her look like a no actor. Further, she
involving the Shou by the warrior CassaRoc the enjoys long gowns of oriental fabric, and should
Mighty (q.v.), and while ShiCaga has forgiven the such material come to the Spelljammer, there will
loss, she has not forgotten. be an ogre willing to buy it.
ShiCaga has been for most of her time on board ShiCaga has two twin sons, AziKash and HiRo-
the Spelljammer a patient spider, sitting at the cen- tu. Both believe that their mother's age has finally
ter of her web, protecting the ogres from outside caught up with her. This is how they account for
enslavement and dubious alliances, working for her sudden interest in the hobgoblin and his faith.
other races in order to hoard precious food. She may need to be replaced, but each feels that
This has changed in the past year, with the arriv- he is the best suited to replace ShiCaga. Both
al of the Hobgoblin Prophet (q.v.), who has cap- have their supporters among the ogres, but both
tured ShiCaga's attention and turned her mind to must move carefully—should one brother move

ShiCaga has been a patient spider for most of her time on

board the Spelljammer, sitting at the center of her web,
protecting the ogres from outside enslavement
and dubious alliances.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

openly against his mother, the other brother will outlanders, to the point of opening his tower to
certainly turn on him, and neither is strong them. Acting quickly, Si Loo disposed of the err-
enough to overcome both brother and mother si- ing magistrate and set himself up as ruler. The
multaneously. As a result, neither sibling wishes people were unaware of the revolution until it was
to make the first move. Unlike ShiCaga, AziKash over, and they returned to their regular life. All re-
and HiRotu have many old scores to settle, includ- cords of the previous administration were de-
ing against CassaRoc and the Shou. Rumors float stroyed and composted into the rice fields.
occasionally (and are hotly denied when they do) Si Loo is a thin Shou with a drooping mous-
that Trebek is in contact with one or both brothers. tache. He is a dreamer, and fancies himself the
Such rumors usually are followed by an ogre raid true master of the Spelljammer, which reacts to his
against the mind flayers, led by the brother who every whim. The fact that he often quickly forgets
was slandered. what his whims were helps to maintain this fanta-
sy. Si Loo does not believe captains exist, nor does
he believe in the Fool; both are creations of the
Si Loo outlanders and nonhumans, who need these fic-
Magistrate Cinder the Heavens tions to prevent them from going mad with the re-
8th level Bushi (Fighter) alization that one as radiant as Si Loo, master of
the Spelljammer, is among them. Being a kind and
HEADQUARTERS: The Shou tower generous master, Si Loo allows the deception to
(area #30) continue.
ARMOR CLASS: 3 It has been four years since Si Loo last saw an
MOVE: 12 outlander, and two years since he has seen an-
HIT POINTS: 66 other Shou who was not a member of his court. He
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2/1 spends his time composing poetry, orders to the
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10 ( + 2) (katana +2) outlanders in the other citadels, and reports to the
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil Emperor of the Shou, to be sent out with the next
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil ship leaving the Spelljammer. These reports are
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil dutifully filed by his adviser Nagasimi, com-
SIZE: M (5 ft.) posted, and returned to the rice bed.
ALIGNMENT: NE Should some character be granted an audience
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil with the mighty Si Loo, he should be prepared to
Str 17 Dex 14 Con 12 Intl2 Wis9 Cha 17 step into a world where even the strangeness of
the Spelljammer looks calm and serene. Any sup-
Note that the stats above are from the AD&D® 2nd posed enemies are ordered slain, friends reward-
Edition game. If the DM has a copy of Oriental Ad- ed from ship's stores, and information freely
ventures, Si Loo should be treated as a bushi and given. However, Si Loo has no power outside his
given all the powers and qualities of that class. own gates, and most information bandied about
in his court is laced with allegory and quite use-
Si Loo is the most recent in a long line of magis- less ("Space is little more than a serpent swallow-
trates to rule the reclusive Shou aboard the ing not only its own tail, but also the tail of its
Spelljammer, having arrived a scant five years ago. neighbor"). Within the tower, however, Si Loo's
Si Loo and his wu jen found the present magis- power is absolute, enforced by Nagasimi and his
trate in deadly danger of dealing with non-Shou own loyal retainers, and a single false step or mis-

It has been four years since Si Loo last saw an outlander,

and two years since he has seen another Shou who was not a
member of his court. Within his tower, however.
Si Loo's power is absolute.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

taken word can bring instant calamity. Stardawn joined the staff of Admiral Highstar
Reports that Si Loo is the Hooded Soldier are aboard the great ship and quickly earned a reputa-
entirely false. tion for his bravery on the Spelljammer as well, in
particular in punishing goblin incursions, once or
twice taking the battle to the gates of the horned
Stardawn tower itself. He has earned the respect of his com-
Commander Lothian Stardawn, Elven Fleet rades and the hatred of Trebek, lord of the mind
6th Level Elf Fighter flayers, who has branded Stardawn "the most vio-
lent and petty of his violent, petty race."
HEADQUARTERS: The elven high com- Throughout all this, Stardawn continues re-
mand (area #36) searching the Spelljammer. He was dismayed that
ARMOR CLASS: 5 (elf chain) Highstar does not care about the ship's secrets
MOVE: 12 and that the other non-elves all told varying (and
HIT POINTS: 49 conflicting) reports as to the great ship's nature
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (the most useless source was the so-called Acad-
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 (long sword + 1) emy of Human Knowledge, an oxymoron if ever
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil there was one).
SPECIAL DEFENSES: 90% immune to charm Working through a striking but unpleasant
and sleep spells young human named Selura, Stardawn made con-
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See above tact with Arcane. Arcane posed a deal—he would
SIZE: M (5 ft. 6 in.) trade information for the master seed kept in the
ALIGNMENT: NG elves' vaults, from which the elves could grow new
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil ships.
Str 14 Dex 16 Con 12 Intl4 Wis9 Cha 17 Stardawn considered his options, decided that
the ends justified the means, and pirated the mas-
Stardawn is one of the rising stars of the elven ter seed from the elves, replacing it with a ceramic
fleet, since even before his arrival on the duplicate. From Arcane, the elf commander
Spelljammer. The scion of a powerful admiralty learned that all captains possess a single item, a
family, Stardawn was known for his forceful, take- symbol of command (the ultimate helm, in one of
charge manner as well as his bravery under fire in its many forms). This item provides passage to the
a series of campaigns against stellar corsairs. He heart of the ship, where the captain takes full com-
was given a plum assignment by the high admi- mand of a crew locked in a frozen sleep. The crew
rals: discover the secret of the Spelljammer, (why thaws and responds to the captain's every need,
does no one return from it?) and if possible, bring bringing the ship to life. The gardens are closed
it back for use by the elven fleet. then, to starve out evil; presumably good folk
Locating the Spelljammer proved easy—its have stockpiled enough food to keep themselves
course had been marked through admiralty space alive during the dark times. (The last three points
for months—but upon arrival, Stardawn found were intentional lies on the part of Arcane. Star-
himself on his own. The crystal ball he had been dawn has never met a lying arcane, and believes
provided with for communication malfunctioned what he was told.)
and was soon stolen, presumably by forces of Stardawn broke off his contact with Selura
darkness (actually by shivaks who picked it up upon getting the information, covered his tracks
and threw it in the trash). in contacting Arcane, and now waits for the arriv-

Believing that the ends justified the means, Stardawn pirated

the master seed from the elves' vault, from which the elves
could grow new ships, and traded it to Arcane
for information.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 Suza the Brass
Suzarindarcallioup
Mature Female Brass Dragon (15 HD)
HEADQUARTERS: The dracon tower
(area #41)
ARMOR CLASS: -3
MOVE: 12, fl30(C)
HIT POINTS: 90
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-6/4-16 (all +7)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon 14d4 + 7
or sleep gas; suggestion,
control temperature, dust
devil, create water
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
WIZARD SPELLS: lst:2, 2nd:2
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%
SIZE: G (30 ft.)
ALIGNMENT: CG
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Suzarindarcallioup was captured by neogis who
crash-landed on her home planet, a world without
human or humanoid life, where elves, dwarves,
and men were only fairy tales to frighten small
drakes. She was fitted with a leech to be used as
an emergency vehicle, and taken into space. The
transport ship passed alongside the Spelljammer,
and Suza was used as a landing craft. The effect of
al of a new captain. Stardawn intends to intercept the atmosphere caused all to stay on board. The
the newcomer, take his badge of office, and as- leech was dismantled, Suza was freed, and the
sume command himself. He will then return in tri- neogi who captured her was killed by his fellow
umph to the admiralty with the greatest ship in neogi (using Suza to strafe the neogi citadel with
known space beneath him. heat breath probably contributed to the native
Stardawn also figures that others know what he neogi's decision).
knows, and keeps close tabs on them. He believes Suza found herself in an incredible world where
Arcane is trustworthy, but the lizard king's grand- creatures of myth and legend honestly existed—
son, Demets, seems a little shady, and Trebek, the the brave little men, the driven elves, and the roly-
beholders, and the neogi are all smart enough to poly dwarves. Best of all, there were races she had
figure things out. Further, this Fool creature may never heard of, including the dracons, who con-
be a red herring, a piece of goblin agitation, or sidered her the voice of a god. Having never been
something else entirely. He is currently the big- the voice of a god before, Suza was honored, and
gest mystery and most puzzling gap in Stardawn's moved in with the dracons.
personal understanding of the ship. Stardawn will Suza really liked the dracons, and told them
move when the time is right, perhaps even aiding what they wanted to hear. Unfortunately, what
the new captain against the others before taking they wanted to hear was that they were the favored
the ship for himself. children of the gods and that all other races

Stardawn awaits the arrival of a new captain

because he intends to intercept the newcomer,
take his badge of office, assume command himself,
and return in triumph to the elven admiralty.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 ' / / £~-

should honor them. Suza inadvertently fanned ra- home, she loves her new family and marvels at all
cial attitudes that nearly sent the dracons on a ho- the things that happen in the nearby city (where
ly crusade against the beholders, creatures who the city-dells are). She will defend her people and
looked like soft sea urchins. A quick confab with her home, and has in the past proved to be a nasty
the kaba (leader) of the tribe, and the shalla (priest surprise to attackers who never expected to con-
and spellcaster) convinced Suza to tell the fired- front a brass dragon in space.
up dracons that she had got it slightly wrong— Suza knows the limits of the air bubble sur-
that the gods thought highly of the dracons rounding the sphere, and tries to avoid leaving it
because the dracons didn't care whether they were (as she might die and would be leaving her friends
honored or not. The crusade was called off and behind). She loves to gossip about all the city
Suza settled in for an easy life on board. members, whether what she hears is true or not,
Suza has been adopted into the dracon tribe, and always takes visitors, particularly mythologi-
and while she misses the open fields and dells of cal and imaginary characters like men.

Suza liked the dracons and told them what they wanted to
hear. Unfortunately, what they wanted to hear was that they
were the favored children of the gods and that all other races
should honor them.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELL JAMMER

keeps them (generally) out of trouble.

Taja Taja is interested in the history of the
Taja Deeplunder Spelljammer and its races, and has endeavored to
Frost Giantess collect information about the various races and
their adventures on the Spelljammer. She can
HEADQUARTERS: The giant's citadel identify the arrival dates of most of the present
(area #29) leaders, as well as the outer cycle of the dark
ARMOR CLASS: 0(5) times (the arrival of the captain, the closing of the
MOVE: 12 gardens, the dark times, and the flight of the
HIT POINTS: 99 smalljammers). She knows when the Fool first ap-
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 peared, but not that he was formerly a captain, nor
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 +9 (bare hands) or does she know that he is undead (though she can
2-15 +9 (giant axe) add up the long years he has been active). She is
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Hurl boulders particularly interested in songs and has a good
(2-20 damage) voice. She will often sing for payment, particular-
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Impervious to cold ly to human and halfling audiences, and once
MAGIC RESISTANCE: N " sang before Leoster IV himself.
SIZE: H(21 ft.) Despite her positive moves to improve her race's
ALIGNMENT: N image, Taja has many enemies on the ship, in part
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil because of her high profile. The dwarves respect
Str21 Dexll Con 8 Int 10 Wis 15 Cha 13 her, but worry that her popularity will turn other
races against them, considering their long-
Taja arrived at the Spelljammer a decade ago, at standing enmity toward the giants. More impor-
a time when both neogi and dwarves were seeking tantly, Breakox the giant minotaur has drawn away
to wipe out the giant colony and enslave its mem- many of the hill giant family who believe that his
bers. Quickly rallying the giants and alerting the way of thinking is more "giantish" than Taja's neu-
attackers' traditional enemies (which was every- tral alignment allows. Lastly, the neogi, beholders,
body in the case of the neogi, and the elves in the and illithids would all like to add the remaining gi-
case of the dwarves), Taja managed to save the ants to their own slave collections (Coh and the
community from being overrun. She established neogi in particular), especially if Taja was over-
herself as the leader of the giant family. thrown and her people committed a few acts of vio-
In the years since then, Taja has done well as a lence so they could be legitimately enslaved.
leader, turning the hill giants into a potent labor Taja is 21 feet tall, with light blue hair and pale,
and mercenary force, willing to work for hire for ivory skin. She uses a harp of correct size for her
most races (except the dwarves). She has attracted frame, and is learning to write (aided by an assist-
three stone giants as assistants and has on several ant of Hancherback's) so that she may record the
occasions managed to negotiate with the dwarves tales she has collected.
to release family members who have been en-
slaved (usually after losing a brawl with a dwarf or
10). She has been unable to convince the dwarves
to release those slaves who are not official "fami-
ly," but the dwarves will concede that Taja has a
moderating influence over the other giants, and

Ten years ago, Taja rallied the giants and saved the community
from being overrun. Despite her positive moves to improve her
race's image, Taja has many enemies on the ship.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELL JAMMER

At first Theorx railed and howled at the injus-

Theorx tice. Then he plotted, and planned, and re-
Theorx the Aged searched. Then he attempted to escape. And he
13th Level Priest of Odin failed. And he failed again. And he failed contin-
ually.
HEADQUARTERS: The dark tower Finally, Theorx accepted his fate as the will of
(area #38) Odin himself, and decided that he was in a sort of
ARMOR CLASS: 10 valhalla—he could rest if he wanted, fight if he
MOVE: 12 wanted, and all his needs were taken care of. Of
HIT POINTS: 97 the three captives, Theorx is the best adapted. He
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 has even begun writing a book on his experiences
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-3 or by weapon (any (though he has to keep it hidden from the
type of weapon) shivaks).
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Attacks as 13th level Theorx is a broad-shouldered, good-natured old
fighter man dressed in Norse garb, even though the
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil rooms are warm enough to do without furs. As
PRIEST SPELLS: lst:8, 2nd:7, 3rd:6, new captains arrive, he will learn what has hap-
4th:4, 5th:2, 6th:2 pened in the outside world from them, and try to
PRIEST SPHERES: all, animal (minor), com- ease their transition into involuntary retirement.
bat, divination, elemen- Occasionally, the Spelljammer drifts into
tal (minor), protection, spheres where Odin's name is still used in wor-
summoning shipful tones. Theorx has long since ceased to call
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil on his god for aid, and now takes to the simple
SIZE: M (5 ft. 6 in.) life. If freed, he would still like to go home, though
ALIGNMENT: LG life has been very good for him aboard the
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Spelljammer.
Str 14 Dex 7 Con 13 Int 12 Wis 15 Cha 15
Theorx was originally the ship's priest on a
world which venerated the entire Nordic panthe-
on. His ship defeated a sea serpent, and in its belly
he found a great rune, which stuck to his skin.
Soon afterward he and his crew were drawn into
the sky by a strange force which turned out to be a
neogi deathspider. So did his journey begin that
ended in the discovery of the Spelljammer and his
attaining captaincy.
Theorx served long and well as captain, helping
the land recover from the depredations of warring
beholder nations on board. After a decade, he told
the Spelljammer to take him home. Then he told it
to let him leave the ship. Then the ship impris-
oned him in the dark tower.

Finally, Theorx accepted his fate as the will of Odin himself

and decided that he was in a sort of valhalla —
he could rest if he wanted, fight if he wanted,
and all his needs were taken care of.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

pressive forces when they are only trying to

Trebek survive in peace and harmony. He presents the
Lord Trebek idea that the mind flayers are the protectors of
Mind Flayer other hunted races such as the goblins, and as an
ally to the poor of Father Goat's church. His ef-
HEADQUARTERS: The horned tower forts have been quite successful, particularly
(area #16) among the poor and the disenfranchised on board
ARMOR CLASS: 5 the great ship, and Trebek is a popular spokes-
MOVE: 12 being for them.
HIT POINTS: 68 Among his own clan leaders, Trebek speaks of
NO. OF ATTACKS: 4 the enslavement of the goblin races and the even-
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Special tual conquest of the remaining races on the ship.
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Mind blast Ultimately he is an illithid and he believes all other
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil races are cattle to be harvested for their brains or
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 90% husbanded as slaves. He needs to show steady ad-
SIZE: M (6 ft. 6 in.) vancement of that cause in order to retain his po-
ALIGNMENT: LE sition among the mind flayers, so Trebek is
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil continually wheedling and planning. His current
Str9 Dex 13 Con 15 Int 18 Wis 17 Cha 15 project is to bring Breakox and his minotaurs un-
der mind flayer control.
Trebek is a newcomer to the ship, arriving with- Trebek's ideal situation would involve a mini-
in the past two years and quickly rising (through mum of danger to himself and his people. He
guile and compromise) to the leadership of the would love to see the neogi and beholders batter
horned tower. Not a member of any particular clan themselves senseless against each other. To that
of illithids on the Spelljammer, he has used his end he has offered to help chair peace negotia-
nonpartisanship to represent himself as a neutral tions (which to date have proven unsuccessful.. .
third party in internal disputes. As long as he ap- how unfortunate).
pears to not play favorites, he is popular among He would deeply enjoy seeing the elves split
his people, and from that power base, he is ex- from their normal allies in the human towers. He
panding into new areas. has staged an atrocity or two involving goblins so
Trebek is taller than the average mind flayer, that the elves can overreact and appear as the ag-
with a more pronounced forehead. He dresses as gressors.
others do of his race, in black robes with a star- And he looks forward to the arrival of a captain,
emblazoned cape. Trebek always uses a splash of particularly an evil captain, as the resulting confu-
color, usually red or yellow, as well—a pin or amu- sion and dark time would set the stage for a mind
let, or a sash—to set himself apart from the com- flayer rampage which would roll over the other cit-
mon illithid and make himself more recognizable adels and reduce them all to slave-states.
as a leader to other races. Trebek has no desire to be captain—there are
Trebek is smooth, polite, and intelligent, choos- too many unknowns involved for his taste (most
ing to make his point with words, not actions, and important is what happens to old captains). He
fighting only if no other course is available. To the would like to control the new captain, however,
other citadels, he portrays the illithids as a victim- whether by alliance or by sorcery, and use him as a
ized minority, slandered by the elves and other op- tool.

Trebek would love to see the neogi and beholders

batter themselves senseless against each other.
He would deeply enjoy seeing the elves split from their normal
allies, the humans.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 PERSONALITIES OF THE SPELLJAMMER

Trebek does not believe in the Fool, nor in lost Even the most loyal illithid lieutenant under-
captains. He has little regard for the mad Arcane stands that every officer above him is an impedi-
and his gnomes, or for the squabbling human fac- ment to his own advancement and every officer
tions, and discounts the influence of the lizard below him is a potential assassin.
men of the gardens. He believes that the battle for Trebek should be played as a friendly, interested
the Spelljammer is between evil (represented by party, willing to help others as long as their plans
himself) and good (represented by the elves). Fur- do not interfere with his own. If helping is against
ther, he believes it is a battle for the hearts and his interest, he will make the offer anyway, then
minds (literally) of the other natives, as opposed work to guarantee failure. He will seek to slander
to a fight for the inanimate ship. In this fight Tre- (politely) and blacken the names of those who op-
bek uses the council as a podium to lash out at the pose him and draw those who ally with him tightly
elves and speak sugar-coated words to the other under his control. He is not above theft and black-
races. mail, but tries to make sure that the evil deeds
Throughout all of this, he also must remain on cannot be traced back to him. Ultimately, he has
guard for treachery within his own ranks, as there no one's interest but his own in mind.
are other mind flayers who covet his position.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJAMMER

T he Spelljammer can be used either as the goal of

an epic adventure or as part of a larger cam-
paign. Included below are two separate adventures
than serving drinks. It is a boring evening all
around.
using the Spelljammer. The first is for lower level The peace is broken by the front door swing-
characters and involves hunting down the ing inward with a crash. A small figure sways in
Spelljammer and recovering an artifact that has been the doorway, stumbles a few feet into the room,
captured by shivaks. The second is a presentation of then crashes backward to the floor with a heavy
how to handle the Spelljammer as a "campaign"— thump.
the ultimate goal of which is to gain possession of You rise as a group and surround the new-
the Spelljammer, and what happens next. comer. He is a halfling of an unfamiliar sort,
with a full, wide beard, and his long hair in dis-
array. He's dressed in an orange duster and had
The Owl of the Mystics (until he fell) a wide-brimmed black hat. He's
clutching a ball of paper in his hands.
Summary: Your group of adventurers is ap- As you kneel down, the hairy halfling smiles
proached by a dying man, one who has in his pos- and with his last breath croaks a single word:
session a set of magical devices that negate the "Spelljammer!'
effects of the Spelljammer. You are contacted by And then he dies.
two parties immediately thereafter, each seeking
a particular device that is on the Spelljammer. Ren-
dezvous with the Spelljammer occurs, and the ad- His name is Jakobin Zeborox, and he was hired
venturers must first find the device, then get off to procure the items he died with. He incurred a
the Spelljammer to collect their rewards. magical geas in the process and fought it to his
This adventure is designed for mid-level charac- last dying breath. If a raise dead spell is attempted,
ters and those still getting the hang of space travel he will fail his system shock roll. If a speak with
(4-8 characters, levels 6-9). It is fairly straightfor- dead spell is used, he will reveal his name and the
ward, but the DM is welcome to elaborate as he fact that he was supposed to meet Charity here, to
goes along, particularly once the party reaches give her the package.
the Spelljammer. The package, or ball of paper, contains about a
dozen items that look like large golden horse-
shoes. Actually, they are tores which are worn
I. The Half ling's Package around the neck. They radiate strong alteration
The players are hanging out in their favorite magic, and when donned, allow the individual
nightspot, whether that be on the Rock of Bral or wearing them to survive without breathing, as
in some groundling joint like The Yawning Portal long as they are worn (similar to the iridescent
of Waterdeep. Read the following to the players. spindle ioun stone).
Checking the paper shows that it is a bundle of
scrap used to hold the loose tores together. Includ-
It is a quiet night, one of the few you've seen re- ed among the scrap are pages of arcane symbols
cently. The room is spacious, but most of the (magical recipes in a personal code), a torn (but
chairs and benches are empty. The regulars usable) scroll containing three lightning bolt
seem to have other business tonight, and the spells, some butcher's paper, and a map of the
barkeep is more interested in taking inventory Spelljammer (use the one from the original box,
and hand it to the players).

The peace is broken by the front door swinging inward

with a crash. A small figure sways in the doorway,
stumbles a few feet into the room, then crashes backward to
the floor with a heavy thump.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH SPELL JAMMER

About the time all of this sinks in, a sultry voice Again, the story holds water—no other means
at the doorway says, "Oh, no, I'm too late!" of divination shows where Zeborox's race is. The
owl is a small figurine of wondrous power made of
stone, its eyes of carved jade. Not fashionable, but
II. Charity the only clue she has.
Charity knows where the Spelljammer will be in
Framed in the doorway is a leggy blonde, an en- a few days' time, and time is of the essence. Now
chantress in all senses of the word. Her red satin she needs help. Will the players aid her in her
robe is cut high at the hip and low at the chest, quest?
and cinched tightly around the waist by a wide The Spelljammer has in the past always returned
golden belt embroidered with dragons. An ivo- to the edge of this sphere at the same time, every
ry wand is tucked into that belt. Her hair is the two years for the past twenty years. Charity
color of winter wheat and cascades down on her learned this from notes stolen from Ominovin.
bare shoulders. Her features would be perfect if This is the one opportunity to discover the Mystic
they weren't now twisted into a mask of con- Owl and reveal where poor Zeborox's people are
cern. She raises a delicate hand to her lips and hiding. The tores should protect the characters (in
says, "Is he . . . dead?" theory) from the poisoned air. Charity has a
tradesman she will provide (if needed), and is will-
The shapely young woman is Charity Phelonia, ing to act as the spelljamming mage if none is
a 5th level wizard (AL CQ; AC 10; MV 12; HD 5; hp available. Or she can stay behind and wait for the
18; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1 -4 (Dagger); SA spell players to return with the owl. The decision is the
use, wandofwirebalb; SD nil; SZ M; ML 10). While players'. She will offer the tradesman in payment
alarm bells should be ringing in the head of every for recovering the owl.
suspicious player, Charity is on the level, honest, Did we mention that Charity is Ominovin's
and no more (or less) than she appears. daughter? That might be important later o n . . . .
Charity's story is that Zeborox is a member of a
"lost tribe" of hairy halflings, the Furchin subrace. III. Quentin
Charity helped the Furchins escape from a cruel
master, Ominovin, and wants to send them home. You have barely lifted off when ariother ship is
However, she does not know where home is for spotted off the port bow. It appears to be an-
them. The only way to discover the Furchin home- other of the tradesman class, but its stern is
land is with a device called the Owl of the Mystics. oddly distorted. The ship has made no hostile
All checks with divination spells say that the fu- actions, but is on a convergent course with your
ture of the Furchins is closely tied to the mythical own.
Spelljammer ship.

"I knew enough of the Spelljammer to know that The players can evade the ship if they so
no one ever comes back," says Charity, a per- choose, but get a good look at it. It is Quentin's
fect tear streaking down the side of her face. "I Libraria (described elsewhere in this book). He,
had heard that its atmosphere was poison, so I too, is aware of the Spelljammer's future position,
had Zeborox here steal the tores from and he is heading in that general direction, stop-
Ominovin, both to prevent him from following ping for supplies on the planet below before set-
us and to keep us alive on the Spelljammer. ting out.
Poor Zeborox. . . ." If the heroes hail the Libraria, they will find

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 Quentin Axan gruff but friendly—he is at last clos- they are traveling with Quentin's Libraria, then
ing in on the Spelljammer, and soon her great li- both ships can combine their attacks to battle the
braries will be his. If the heroes are friendly, he will Leeches.
gladly share his information and be willing to ac- The leeches will attack until two of them (or
company the hero's ship to the Spelljammer if they their mounts) are destroyed. A leech that has lost
will wait two days for him to regain supplies (Char- its mount will attempt to escape the battlefield.
ity did mention that time is of the essence). They The survivors will retreat to a safe bolt-hole and
will not miss the Spelljammer if they accompany later attempt to contact Ominovin to report their
Quentin, but the players will not know this. failure.
Quentin will offer to carry the characters in his If the leeches succeed in destroying the heroes'
ship, if they so desire, if they are willing to pay ships, they will fly off, leaving the survivors to suf-
passage (in burnable books), and contribute suffi- focate in their dwindling air envelopes. The he-
cient supplies to reach the great ship. He inquires roes must save themselves at this point. In a day's
time Quentin Axan and his Libraria (if not already
about the character's intentions to determine that present) will follow the same route and find the de-
they are not threatening his goal. The characters bris, taking on the stragglers, and head for the
are under no restriction to inform Quentin about Spelljammer.
the tores.
If the heroes fire on Quentin, he will flee. The
heroes may capture and/or destroy the Libraria in V. Arrival
combat. This will cripple their attempts to get
home. The spelljammer is already there when you
drop from spelljamming speed, its huge bulk
filling half the sky. Its great wings shine in the
IV. Leeches reflected sunlight. In the shade of its back, a
great city glitters with small lights and fires.
Your ship drops from spelljamming to tactical
speed, and everyone aboard tenses for the po-
tential battle that often accompanies contact. The heroes can land their ship anywhere on the
Instead, at the edge of your contact area are a ship, though coming too close to certain towers
trio of kindori, the majestic space whales that may be inviting attack. Remember that landing
float through the void. But while normal kin- the ship elsewhere than in area #1 will result in al-
dori bob and weave in the nonexistent currents most immediate attack and dismantling (and even
of wildspace, these turn upon you and charge. landing in area #1 only postpones the attack).
You see mounted on their backs small metallic As long as the heroes keep their tores on, they
ships with catapults readied. will be protected from the effects of the
Spelljammer s magical air. However, after the first
day, they will notice that their gold tores begin to
The kindori are under the command a trio of tarnish. On each day thereafter they will corrode
neogi leeches. Each leech has a neogi pilot and a further, as the magic within the tores suffers from
human catapult team of five sailors (all 1st level the assault of the Spelljammer itself. After 10 days,
fighters armed with long swords). The neogi have the tores will fall away, useless, and the normal ef-
been retained by Ominovin to destroy the first fects of the Spelljammer will occur. A character
ship that crosses its path, heading in the direction can remove a tore, but it will have no effect on re-
of the rendezvous. The hero's ship is elected. If donning it if the saving throw is failed.

The Spelljammer is already there when you drop from

spelljamming speed, its huge bulk filling half the sky. Its great
wings shine in the reflected sunlight. In the shade of its back,
a great city glitters with small lights and fires.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJAMMER

Mote that none of the natives on board (with the the heroes back to someone they have already
exception of Arcane) will even think of leaving the dealt with (or are avoiding dealing with).
place, and their reaction to any such suggestion A collection of small adventures to be used dur-
will be startled disbelief, as if the hero had sug- ing the investigation is included below.
gested they flap their arms and fly away. The search should begin with the Open Air, (ei-
Regardless of area, the heroes will first encount- ther before or after the battle) with Holodin get-
er a young halfling named Holodin Castleknight. ting Kristobar over to their table.
Holodin watched the approach of their ship and Kristobar has never seen the owl, but he thinks
scurried to where they looked like they were going he knows someone who will know. Would the he-
to land. Holodin is a curious halfling, only inter- roes be willing to do him a favor in exchange for a
ested in making a few quick gold pieces. He will name?
warn the characters if they are landing in an area Kristobar jerks a thumb at a loud, rude hill giant
other than area #1, and point them in the direction in the corner, overturning tubs of mead in his face
of the market (area #6) and the Open Air Public and backhanding waitresses on the rump. "This
House. Of course, he will expect to be tipped every guy is ruining business. Could you bounce him for
step of the way. Holodin will be an excellent intro- me?"
ductory character, getting the characters initially How the heroes get the giant out of the public
involved with the other individuals on the ship. Ho- house is up to them. Killing him outright will re-
lodin has the typical halfling prejudices (in favor of sult in a later ambush by some of the other giants
humans, wine, and gossip, against beholders, mind (and possibly some minotaurs, as Breakox de-
flayers, and combat). He has no real information cides to show support). Magical enchantment
about any of the power politics, but he will be glad works, as does challenging him to a duel or mere-
to introduce them to Kristobar Brewdoc, who will ly duping him. The giant is none too bright.
have the information (he thinks). When the heroes get the giant out of the public
Unless he accompanies the players, Quentin house, Kristobar gives them CassaRoc's name (ar-
will land about a day later. Quentin will immedi- ea #11), and sends Holodin ahead to announce
ately seek out the centers for learning, starting them.
with the Xenos (and not getting very far, since all When they arrive at CassaRoc, the fighter has
their texts on the Spelljammer were taken by the laid out an impressive feast. Chaladar and Chila
wizard Neridox), then attempting to break into the have been invited as well. CassaRoc does remem-
tower itself. Which is what the characters have to ber the device, a reddish owl, and knows where it
do eventually as well. should be. He'll turn over the information for a
small favor in return (attacking or enspelling Cas-
VI. Investigation saRoc might yield the information directly, but it
risks the wrath of the other human leaders and
Once at the Spelljammer, it will be very easy for their troops).
the players to fall into the cycle of the various CassaRoc wants proof of the heroes' bravery.
power groups and factions operating aboard ship. Most mind flayers on board are a dour lot, but not
The investigation is a simple trail of contacts and their leader, Trebek. Trebek is a more colorful indi-
favors, as each being in the chain wants some- vidual, easily identified by a bright badge of red or
thing else for his little bit of information. Others yellow.
not in the chain may or may not have pieces of the Get CassaRoc that badge, and he'll tell the he-
operation, at the DM's option, or may just send roes where the owl is.

Kristobar jerks a thumb at a loud, rude hill giant in the corner

who is overturning tubs of mead and backhanding serving
girls on the rump. "This guy is ruining business.
Could you bounce him for me?"

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELL JAMMER

Trebek spends most of his time in the horned so far (who the heroes are, what they are after, and
tower, except for when he attends council meet- definitely the fact that they are interested in the
ings, such as one that evening. The player charac- old wizard library).
ters may attempt to reach Trebek in his lair or at This sets the stage for the final battle, but first...
the council.
Trebek is more reasonable than either human or VII. Things In Passing
halflings and does not demand anything for his
badge except an explanation of why they need it. There are a number of small adventures that
He has been the brunt of some of CassaRoc's chal- can occur while the heroes are tracing the line
lenges before and considers the human a boor. If back to Neridox. They include:
asked, Trebek will gladly surrender a small swatch Ship Demolition: If the time expires for remov-
(autographed) to help the party, with a side note al of the ship, the shivaks will move in, taking it
that they may return the favor some day. apart. Common items go to the ship stores, more
Of course, some player characters may not complex and unique items go to the museum. If
bother to ask for the badge, seeking to either any player character is present, read him the fol-
break into the horned tower (good luck) or am- lowing:
bush Trebek en route to or from the council (Tre-
bek is discoursing on the danger of the Hobgoblin You are roused by the sound of chattering.
Prophet). Trebek is accompanied by a second Looking out, you see a collection of about a
mind flayer and a pair of hobgoblin guards, who dozen silvery forms—human, centaur, and be-
act as living proof of the benefits of working with holder. As you watch, they begin to converge
the illithids. on your ship, arms held high to attack.
Attacking Trebek (if successful) will result in a
later ambush by illithids. Killing Trebek will result
in the heroes being hunted down by all the evil Getting the ship off the Spelljammer is a won-
forces on board, with the humans (even CassaRoc) derful way of avoiding losing the ship. If the he-
standing aside (after all, CassaRoc never said they roes left NPCs on board without instructions on
should kill the mind flayer). how to proceed, the NPCs will seek out the heroes
If the heroes fail, CassaRoc may assign some and report that the ship is being destroyed (likely
other mundane task to them to complete before too late to do anything about it). If the heroes sim-
giving them the information. Should they suc- ply trust that the ship will be safe, they will eventu-
ceed, CassaRoc will throw another feast (lasting ally return to find it gone.
most of the evening) and tell them that the pre- Note that Quentin's Libraria, which arrives the
vious time he heard of such an item, it was in the day after the heroes, is under the protection of its
possession of Neridox, the wizard (building 8). idol, which will immolate anyone who attempts to
Neridox was the chief wizard when the last captain harm it, including the shivaks. (intended, it will
died in battle, but in addition to his great library, eventually weaken and be destroyed as well, but it
will last longer than the tores for getting off the
Neridox had a collection of statuettes. He is sure ship.
that the red clay owl was one of them. If the heroes destroyed the Libraria and lose
While CassaRoc is wining and dining, Holodin is their own ship, they must find a way to get off the
making a little cash on the side selling out the he- ship on their own. Good luck.
roes. He will meet with a gnome follower of the Ar- Ambush: The minotaurs are looking for a few
cane and explain all that has been revealed to him good slaves, and they target the adventurers.

You are roused by the sound of chattering. Looking out, you

see a collection of about a dozen silvery forms—human,
centaur, and beholder. As you watch, they begin to converge
on your ship, arms held high to attack.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJAMMER

They set up an ambush as the heroes are moving and armored giff (the best he could hire at the
from place to place. There are as many minotaurs time). He wants the books and will be beside him-
as player characters in the parties (if Charity is self to find that they have already be burned. Un-
present, they will definitely try to keep her alive). less the characters act fast, he will order the giff to
They will not be led by Breakox. After taking half open fire. If the heroes calm Quentin down, the
losses, the minotaurs will break off. If they defeat giff will help when the beholders attack, firing one
the heroes, the female survivors will be enslaved round before retreating in good order.
by the minotaurs, and the male survivors will be The shivaks are already on their way when the
offered to the mind flayers. The survivors will be characters break in. They arrive three rounds be-
left with their tores, and escape is up to them. hind Quentin Axan (nine rounds after initial en-
The Hobgoblin Prophet: The heroes are con- try). They seek to remove anyone they find,
fronted by the rabid form of the Hobgoblin including beholders. There will be a few beholder
Prophet, ranting against Trebek and the mind flay- versions to deal with their kindred as well.
ers. The hobgoblin will go so far as to grab the he- The doors to the library are locked normally,
roes and shout at them that they must pay then wizard locked as well and sealed with tar. The
attention to the plight of his brethren. He is locks may be picked or bashed and the wizard
flanked by two bored ogre mages, ShiCaga's two lock dispelled, but it will require a strength of at
sons, who were assigned to protect the Prophet. least 18 to pull the door open. Once the heroes en-
While they would not mind the Hobgoblin Prophet ter, the clock starts running. Read the following to
being bounced around a bit, they will step in and the players and go from there:
defend him if steel is drawn.
The door swings outward slowly on rusty
VIII. The Tower of Neridox hinges, and you are overwhelmed by the smell
Use the map for area #8. The Owl of the Mystics of old, smoldering fire. A black cloud billows
is still on Neridox's desk, covered with soot but out toward you from the tower.
otherwise unharmed. There are four groups con-
verging on this area: the heroes, the beholders,
Quentin Axan, and the shivaks. The smoke is harmless, but it reduces sight to
about 4 feet and permeates the entire tower. The
The heroes were sent by CassaRoc. full tower description and its map are in the The
The beholders were sent by Arcane. There are Grand Tour book. There is nothing else in the tow-
three beholders already in the building, hovering er (with the possible exception of a scroll placed
near the ceiling of the main library. They have by the DM).
been told the Owl of the Mystics was a weapon
designed by Neridox to harm beholders and that
hirelings of the neogi are going to fetch it. They IX. Getting Off the Ship
will attack only once they are sure that the heroes The DM may craft other adventures as he sees
are after the owl. The Arcane is invisible in the fit to delay and or interest the player characters on
corner and wants to grab a tore from the first board the Spelljammer (see below for the Spelljam-
fallen hero for further research. He will flee if dis- mef* Campaign). Note that the clock is ticking,
covered. not only for possible survival of their own ship,
Unless Axan is with the heroes, he will appear but for the duration of the tores. The characters
behind them in about six rounds, with 12 armed have several escape options.

The door swings outward slowly on rusty hinges and

you are overwhelmed by the smell of old, smoldering fire.
A black cloud billows out toward you from the tower.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELL JAMMER

Use Their Own Ship. If their own ship was

placed out of the range of the shivaks, or the char- its air envelope, you hear a voice: "Resistance is
acters are quick in their mission, their ship should useless. Surrender the owl to me. Surrender the
not be disassembled. owl to Ominovin."
Use Quentin's Libraria. The Libraria has its
own defense systems, and will likely be still'availa-
ble at the completion of the mission. Unfortu- If Charity is with the heroes, she will blanche
nately, the players will have to be with Quentin to and say something like, "Oh, Daddy's found me."
turn off the system or else be attacked them- If she is not, she is held captive aboard her father's
selves. If Quentin is dead, they will have to get ship (he will note that she is in chains).
through the system to take command of the ship Ominovin's ship is run by Furchin halflings,
(by tossing books into the burning maw of the slaves to the wizard. There are only about 10 other
ship, showing that they will serve it). Getting rid of human crewman on the ship, and all of these are
the Libraria later is their problem. 5th level fighters. There are five batteries of two
ballistas each along the upper spine of the whale,
Deal With Arcane. Useful only if both the above with a single human ordering the crewmen about.
options do not work, Arcane will gladly attempt to Ominovin (and Charity) are found beneath a glass
get the heroes off the ship in exchange for a task dome on the nose of the ship. The Furchin will not
(what, again?). They will have to get the large tow- fight and will only fire the ballistas as long as the
er bell from the dwarves. Arcane will have the humans are there to enforce Ominovin's rule.
characters drink wine drugged with a paralytic
venom (assuring them it will protect them from Ominovin wants the map to find more of the
the void), load the bodies into the bell, and cata- Furchin—they make such diligent workers. If the
pult the bell off the side of the Spelljammer. Ar- heroes surrender it, he and his crew will open fire
cane is checking to see if the catapult will be and try to kill the heroes. If the heroes refuse to
sufficient to launch that much mass into space. surrender it, he will still open fire, seeking to pull
it from the wreckage.
The characters' ability to survive once the bell is Ominovin is a 15th level mage with bracers of
launched into space is not Arcane's concern, defense (AC 4), a dagger + 3, and the following
though the players might note this and try other spells:
means to rescue themselves. Those tossed off the
Spelljammer should be picked up (under a merci- 1st Level: sleep (x2), feather fall, wall of fog, magic
ful DM) by Ominovin. missile.
2nd Level: flaming sphere (x2), spectral hand, web,
X. Endgame shatter.
After the heroes leave the Spelljammer (by what- 3rd Level: fly, haste, fireball, lightning bolt (x2).
ever means), they will have one last encounter: 4th Level: polymorph other (into furchin, x3), wall
of ice, shout.
5th Level: cloudkill, cone of cold (x2), feeblemind
Called a whaleship, it lives up to its reputation. (x2).
A huge beast of wood and polished metal, the 6th Level: death, disintegrate.
upper deck bristles with ballista. As you enter 7th Level: finger of death.

A huge beast of wood and polished metal, the upper deck

bristles with ballistas. As you enter its air envelope, you hear
a voice: "Resistance is useless. Surrender the owl to me.
Surrender the owl to Ominovin."

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELL JAMMER

Ominovin will use his killing spells on the is red paint over solid platinum, worth some
heaviest fighters or those who seek to land on the 10,000 gp. This tale about the Spelljammer would
deck and attack him. The fireball and lightning be worth another 10,000 gp to the Arcane, in par-
bolts are for distance attacks. He thinks that poly- ticular any mention of their mad brother, and if
morphing individuals into hairy halflings is a the heroes have any information, the Arcane will
good joke. pay another 10,000 to ensure it does not get
Should anyone land on the whale, the humans passed around.
will abandon their posts and come forward to pro- The players have a whaleship full of Furchin,
tect their masters. Should the heroes flee, the and Charity is curious if they will provide an escort
whale will pursue until their next landfall, then en- through all the dangers of space to their new
gage them there. home.
If Charity is alive and present, she will try to But that is another adventure.
save her father from death at the hands of the ad-
venturers, recommending imprisonment instead
for the evil old man. Of course, Ominovin must be
caught first.
And the Mystic Owl? Well, it does not radiate
magic, but the circular base pulls away to reveal a
lead-lined cache. Stored in the cache is another
map, showing the directions to the Furchin hiding
world, located in another crystal sphere. The owl

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJAMMER

The Spelljammer™ Campaign Within 2-20 days of initial discovery, the first of
the minor powers should manifest itself. These
The initial parts of the quest for the Spelljammer minor powers have either been chosen by the DM
are best played against a backdrop of other adven- (with an eye toward making things interesting for
tures, the pieces attaching themselves as the the players without unbalancing the campaign),
game progresses. A piece is found here, a clue or rolled randomly. Start with the weakest or
there, culminating in the discovery of the choose one at random. Usually a power will mani-
Spelljammer itself, and the battle for control. But fest when it is a) useful, and b) the player character
the story does not end there. There is the little using the helm is in an excited or agitated state.
matter of running the Spelljammer while it moves This requires a little memory and sleight-of-hand
through its dark times, until the flight of the small- by the DM (remember that the DM knows what the
jammers, and the return to "normalcy." Lastly, helm can do, but the player does not).
there is the question of leaving the Spelljammer. Initial research (identify spells, contact other
The Spelljammer™ campaign is best played by planes, legend lore) should merely reveal that the
experienced players of at least name level (about item is what its base appearance is (a set of plate is
9th level or higher). One player (the one who picks plate mail + 1). If the helm is somehow deactivated
up the ultimate helm) will be the center of the and sold, it will fetch a price comparative to the
campaign, but he will need as much help as he can item that it mimics. As additional minor powers
get, so two to eight other cooperating characters appear, those too will show up as a result of such
are recommended. magical tests, but only after they have first mani-
fested themselves ("Odd, that wasn't there
I. Discovery before—this +1 sword allows you to cast a light
spell.")
The campaign plot kicks off with the discovery When referring to the ultimate helm in conver-
of an ultimate helm. This helm can be any type of sation, use its item name (hat of disguise, etc.).
object, with several small magic powers. Calling it a helm is a giveaway to the players (un-
The ultimate helm should be specifically placed less, of course, it is a helm, as in helm of compre-
by the DM into the campaign, most likely as trea- hending languages and reading magic).
sure. The best bet is to treat an ultimate helm as The only other piece of information to keep in
an oddly-cursed variant of a standard item. For ex- mind following the initial discovery is that the ulti-
ample, an ultimate helm in boot-form may func- mate helm's priority is to get itself (and its chosen
tion like boots of eluenkind, except that they user) into wildspace, where it can eventually re-
cannot be removed. This will usually cause the turn to the Spelljammer (the assumption is that the
characters to make extensive attempts to remove ensuing adventure is sufficient to give the individ-
the items (with the effects as noted in ultimate ual enough power to survive on the Spelljammer,
helms—remove curse has no effect, dispel magic but the ultimate helm is only driven to get the
does, and wishes destroy the helm). It will also character there). If the hero with the helm is al-
cause the players to wait with gritted teeth until ready in a space situation, all well and good. If
the "obviously" cursed item shows its true nature. such is not the case, the characters will soon en-
The characters may succeed in removing an ul- counter one of the many ways of attaining space
timate helm and even in palming it off on another travel as outlined in the original SPELLJAMMER™
individual. There will be others to find as the cam- boxed set, be it the discovery of a decommis-
paign progresses. sioned or crashed ship or simple capture by one of

"Perhaps, m'lord, we have erred in accepting their challenge."

The late Admiral Blaise mon'Chevalier to

Comte PhiMipa de Havuezollern, moments after sighting the
great bombard Krakatoa.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH SPELLJAMMER

the many slaving races in space. that evening and their general raiment (full armor
And if all that fails to interest them, send indicates fighters to him, blunt weapons priests,
H'Carth's boys after them (Part II). leather armor rogues and no armor wizards). If the
hero (or his friends) threaten the stranger, he'll
II. The Pursuit-H'Carth's Boys just move on. If they talk with the stranger, he'll
attempt to find out as much information about the
The ultimate helms radiate a strong glow of item as he can. The characters can lie like the
magic around them, with the same intensity as ar- Lower Planes and he'll just suck it in. ("So, that
tifacts, drowning out the magical auras of other BAG contains undead rattlesnakes? Really, well,
items. This tends to attract attention. my second cousin's BAG didn't have nothing like
For the purposes of this presentation, the helm that in there. We just couldn't remove it. Had to
has attracted the attention of a renegade beholder cut off the hand. Real pity. Gsed to play the violin.
name H'Carth. H'Carth's nation had been wiped So, friend, do those undead rattlesnakes in your
out by other beholders, and he is out for venge- BAG do anything?)
ance and looking for power. Artifact-sized power. Play the stranger for comedy. He talks funny, he
When word comes back that something of great radiates no evil, and he believes what he's told. Af-
magical intensity is nearby, he sends someone to ter about five minutes of inquiry, he moves off
investigate. ("Well, thanks for the conversation, friend. If I see
This section consists of two encounters, the another BAG like that one I'll be sure to mention
first being a set-up which will determine the it. Funny how my second cousin's BAG was
strength of H'Carth's forces. cursed. Had to cut off the hand. Real pity. Used to
The Set-Up. The hero with the ultimate helm is play the violin. Well friend, thank you anyway.")
approached by a stranger. This could be in a bar, About five minutes later he leaves, and the DM
on the street, in a church, or in any public place can get on with the regular part of his campaign.
that the player character frequents. The stranger Or maybe not. Suspicious players may follow
is of the same race as the hero and is a 0-level hire- the stranger. Here's what happens.
ling employed by H'Carth and sent to check out The stranger moves off to a scribe's establish-
the situation. He will be neutral in alignment and ment and spends about a half-hour ^here. A young
unarmed. If threatened, he will flee. boy, a runner for the scribe, leaves the scribe's of-
The stranger will introduce himself, offer to buy fice and delivers a letter to a ship on the docks (if
a drink, comment on the weather, and generally no ship is available, then to a merchant). The
make small talk before homing in on his target— stranger has been hired by H'Carth to check
some item in the hero's possession. If the ultimate things out. His report details the following:
helm is visible (a sword, helmet, or gloves), he will
target on that. If not visible, he will comment on • The appearance of the ultimate helm (if he
the item that contains or hides it. ("Say, that's a hasn't seen the ultimate helm, the appearance
real nice BAG you have there, friend. I remember of the package).
my second cousin had a BAG like that. Only it was • The appearance of the hero with the ultimate
cursed. Had to cut his hand off to get it loose. Real helm: race, sex, apparent class, apparent tough-
pity, and he played violin. So, is your BAG cursed, ness, hair color, distinguishing marks, apparent
friend?") intelligence (always listed as "not too bright").
The stranger is sizing up the party and particu- • The appearance of the hero's companions, in-
larly the hero. He will notice the size of the party cluding number and apparent class and tough-

"Say, that's a real nice bag you have there, friend;

I remember my second cousin had a bag like that. Only it was
cursed. Had to cut his hand off to get it loose.
So, is your bag cursed, friend? "

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJAMMER

ness (again, judging from appearances—a pala- has been charmed by the beholder, and he recruit-
din dressed in comfortable clothes, unarmed ed the other ambushers. His mission is to return to
and unarmored, will be noted as a wizard). H'Carth's ship with the item, or not return at all.
Heridos will stop the party and demand that the
The suspicious heroes can find out the informa- rest of the heroes' allies pass on, leaving him to
tion from later accosting the stranger (after per- talk to the hero. His friends spell will make this
forming his mission he has no reason to lie), from sound like a reasonable request, while black-
bribing the scribe and/or the runner. The mer- armored men slide out of the shadows. If the hero
chant captain is unbribable and his ship sails/he dis- with the helm fails his saving throw, he will agree
appears soon afterward. The stranger was merely that the others should pass along, leaving himself
told to pick up what he could about the hero in ques- behind. The ambushers will allow the other player
tion and deliver the information to the scribe. The characters to move along, but assign at least one
scribe was merely hired to hire the stranger, write ruffian to watch and see if they come back.
the message, and send it to the ship. Heridos demands the ultimate helm. He is well
However, the heroes may not be suspicious, aware that he will likely have to kill the hero in or-
and the DM can slide into his regular adventur- der to get it, and so draws his dagger of venom (he
ing, until about two weeks later. Then the am- does not want to risk damaging the helm if he can
bush occurs. help it). The ambushers close in against the hero
The Ambush. Put this encounter at least two and his remaining allies, and battle is joined.
weeks after the set-up, at the next time it is appro- If Heridos slays the hero, he will remove the ulti-
priate (if the heroes are involved in an epic quest mate helm (slicing off a hand if need be), dimen-
with no time to relax, it's OK, this can wait). The sion door out of combat, and teleport back to
ambush should take place in the dark if possible, H'Carth. If the wizard takes more than half dam-
and the villains will lay in wait. If in the meantime age, he will dimension door to safety, watch to see
the heroes have disposed of the ultimate helm, no if his ruffians can handle the situation, then either
further harm will come to them—it is now some- return to claim the prize or flee entirely. If he does
one else's problem. not have the ultimate helm, he will not return to
How many bad guys are involved will depend on H'Carth, instead hiding out until the charm wears
the information that the stranger put into the mes- off. By that time H'Carth will be long gone. The
sage. There will be at least 50% more ambushers heroes may be able to get information from Heri-
than there are comrades of the hero with the ulti- dos through various means, but all that the wizard
mate helm. For every mage or priest listed, there knows is that his master, the beholder H'carth, de-
will be an additional fighter in the ambush. The re- sires the item that the one hero possesses.
mainder will be made up of fighters in black chain The ambush should leave either the ultimate
mail (AC 5) with long swords (1-8 damage). Level of helm in H'carth's hands (and out of the players'
toughness will be noted according to the message: area) or the players now convinced that some-
thing is up.
Not tough All will be 5th level Then H'Carth gets involved directly.
Tough All will be 7th level
Very tough Fighters will be 9th level Evil wizard Heridos; Int High; AL LE; AC 10; MV
12; HD 9; hp 27; THACO 18; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4 +
The ambushers will be led by Heridos, a 9th poison (dagger of venom); SZ M; ML 15; XP
level wizard, who is in the service of H'Carth. He 2,000.

Heridos wants the ultimate helm. He is well aware that he

will likely have to kill the hero in order to get it,
and so he draws his dagger of venom.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJAMMER

1st Level: friends, detect magic (already cast in space in front of the hero's ship, within the air en-
preparation), magic missile (x2). velope. It will speak.
2nd Level: hypnotic pattern, web, darkness 15' r.
3rd Level: lightning bolt (x2); protection from nor- Greetings, foolish mortals. I am H'Carth of the
mal mbsiles (already cast in preparation). One and True Beholder Regency. One of your
4th Level: dimension door, stoneskin (already cast number has an item that belongs to me. That
in preparation). item is the key to my race's salvation, the helm
5th Level: teleport. by which I may command the universe's mighti-
est weapon. By the great Spelljammer, artifact
III. Pursuit Part 2-H'Carth's Ship of my people, you will surrender and turn over
This event should follow the next time the he- the item and its owner to me, now, or you will
roes are in space in a single ship. If it is neces- be destroyed. This is your only warning.
sary to find a reason for travel, float the tale that
a sage might know what's going on, and a spell-
jamming sage is said to make his hermitage on If the characters ask for a description of the
a nearby asteroid. As soon as the heroes leave item, H'carth provides one, briefly (the players
the atmosphere, H'Carth will attempt to destroy should not be left wondering what he is after).
them. In the unlikely event that the heroes surrender,
H'Carth's ship is the sole survivor of his behold- H'carth will kill the hero with his death ray eye, re-
er nation. The crew consists of himself, the hive move the ultimate helm, return the body, then
Mother, and five orbi, resulting in a very fast but leave. As this sort of behavior is typical of behold-
badly undercrewed ship. He hopes to make up for ers, it is more likely the characters will fight.
this with two charmed gnome illusionists who will The tyrant ship is woefully undermanned, ac-
use their illusion abilities to help the tyrant ship counting for horrible maneuverability and poor
defeat the heroes. effects of the attacks. However, the ship may still
Each of the two gnomes casts an improved take out the hero's vessel, concentrating on disin-
phantasmal force. One phantasmal force is cast on tegration to reduce its integrity. If the tyrant ship
the shell of the tyrant ship (similar to the one on does destroy the heroes' ship, it will attempt to
the back of the Lorebook of the Void) to make it snare the hero with the helm, remove the helm,
appear that the shell is filled with beholders. The then depart, leaving the others to their fate.
second will cast an improved phantasmal force of Should the heroes board the tyrant ship, the
H'Carth, demanding the surrender of the hero ruse of many beholders will be exposed. In order
with the helm. to defend his last ship, H'Carth will attack himself,
The H'carth ship is waiting for the heroes. It will along with the hive mother (the gnomes will run in
appear 24 hexes away and close as fast as it can. If panic and hide, and the orbi are useless). They will
the heroes have an SR greater than 6, they can es- fight to the death.
cape; if not, they must fight. (Even if they do es- H'Carth's ship contains the ragged remains of
cape, H'Carth will show up the next time, and the his regency's treasure—about 20 gems worth
next, etc., until they do fight.) 1,000 gp each, and a set of scrolls. Most are star-
H'Carth will close for the first pass, and the charts, but one is a detailed description of the
gnomish illusionist will cast his improved phantas- item in the hero's possession, referring to it as a
mal force. The figure of H'Carth will appear in "helm." Another section describes the

"I am H'Carth of the one and true beholder regency.

One of your number has an item that belongs to me. That
item is the key to my race's salvation, the helm by which I
may command the universe's mightiest weapon."

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELL JAMMER

Spelljammer as the greatest ship in known space, He believed that the Spelljammer was a tool of
its purpose unknown, and includes a number of vengeance created by his people, and he intended
the short tales presented in the start of book one. to capture it for himself. How he intended to do so
The last tale, scrawled in, is H'Carth's own notes was unclear, though the assumption was that he
that the Spelljammer is a weapon, and it belongs to was seeking out some powerful magical artifact or
him. entity to aid in his quest.
Should the players escape after receiving the Talking to the arcane: Information regarding
warning, H'carth will not pursue. Should they the Spelljammer is available at 2,000 gp per ques-
leave H'Carth alive after this encounter, he will ap- tion, to be refunded if the answer is "I don't know."
pear later on. The heroes should leave the en- The arcane have access to all the legends and will
counter with the idea that the helm is valuable use the information therein, quoting their sources
and, somehow, it is involved with the Spelljammerl and noting their possible veracity. They know
nothing of the particular item, but can conjecture
H'Carth's tyrant ship: Hull Points 23; Crew 9; Ma- that its origin is in wildspace, possibly tied to the
neuver Class E; Armor Rating 0; Saves as Spelljammer. Several research missions to the
Stone; SR 5. (The tyrant ship's high SR is the re- Spelljammer over the years have proved fruitless,
sult of its multiple orbi. Its miserable MC is be- as none have returned. The arcane will pay
cause it is seriously undercrewed.) 100,000 gp in gems to anyone capable of proving
who controls the Spelljammer, and 500,000 gp to
IV. Search for the Spelljammer anyone who can deliver the Spelljammer into their
hands. They will stress that no one has returned
After one (or two) encounters with H'Carth, the from the Spelljammer alive, and that landing on
heroes will be interested in what the ultimate the Spelljammer is an apparent one-way gate, with
helm really does. Here's what information can be little hope of return.
divined. Calling upon extra-planar beings or powers: A
From examining the item itself: Only the type lot of high-level individuals have worked with or
of item and those powers that have been manifest- for a deity or two over the years, and may want to
ed will be revealed, but nothing of its origin. The call in a favor to discover what is going on. The
best an attempt at discovering its origin will grant gods are mum on the Spelljammer, only giving the
the user (say, by legend lore spells) will be to point vaguest of clues ("Your fate lies far from us").
off into space. Those capable of granting wishes will do so, de-
From researching the Spelljammer: There is a stroying the ultimate helm in the process.
variety of claims involving the Spelljammer, many
of them detailed in the opening section of the first
book. Rely heavily on these tales, but do not give V. Arrival
more than one or two at a time. There are a lot of As the campaign progresses, the hero with the
stories about the Spelljammer, and most of them ultimate helm should come more and more into
contradict each other. There is no mention of the contact with the Spelljammer, perhaps seeing it
particular hat/mirror/gloves that the individual streak across the sky when involved on a planet,
possesses. or having it cruise by when the heroes are in-
From checking out H'Carth (through sages, volved in a space battle. Eventually, the heroes
speak with dead, etc.): H'Carth is the last survi- will attempt to land on the Spelljammer.
vor of his beholder nation, and he seeks revenge. And then the fun begins.

The arcane will pay 100,000 gp in gems to anyone capable of

proving who controls the Spelljammer, and 500,000 gp to
anyone who can deliver the Spelljammer into their hands.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJA

The effects of the Spelljammer's air envelope many beholders on the ship, then finding a situa-
and the actions of the shivaks to disassemble tion where their characters must be bathed in its
ships are noted in the first book of this boxed set. anti-magic ray for an extended period). Such "in-
The initial saving throw against the ship is made advertent" attempts must be handled by the DM,
for all those who come within its air envelope. but should not be quashed, unless the DM really
In game terms, falling within the aura of the feels like running the Spelljammer as his cam-
Spelljammer is to place the player character within paign. If anyone is going to escape the Spell-
the restrictions and control partially of the DM— jammer, it is the player characters—after all, they
the DM can forbid or negate certain actions as be- are the heroes of the tale.
ing unlikely to occur, since it would take the For the ensorceled heroes, the destruction of
character away from the Spelljammer. Building a their ship is a minor loss; the loss of any important
new ship would be an odd thing to do, since no items will probably be more severe. The loss of
ever wants to leave. the helm is unimportant, as they are not going
As each character falls under the spell of the anywhere. Those who leave a guard on their ship
Spelljammer, take the player running the charac- will likely find that guard attacked by shivaks
ter aside and read him the following: seeking to disassemble the ship (see area #1).
The course of events after arrival depends on
the players' actions. With the arrival of the ulti-
Your character has fallen under the spell of the mate helm, the Spelljammer begins to assemble
Spelljammer. Your character feels as if the its "control room" in one of the areas detailed in
Spelljammer is his true home, and does not wish area #43. This will take 2-8 days, during which
to harm it or to leave it. This is not a charm time it will be "conferring" with the ultimate helm
spell, and your character is under no other limi- to determine how difficult the guardian of the con-
tations, except to not take actions to leave or trol room will be. At the end of that time, the ulti-
harm the Spelljammer. You will not speak di- mate helm leads the hero to the control room, but
rectly of these restrictions to other players. until then, it remains silent.
First contact between the heroes and the na-
The player is then responsible for running his tives (discounting any possible interaction with
character in a manner compatible with the above the shivaks) will likely be with ordinary humans.
guidelines. Maintaining this is good role-playing, They will be friendly toward other humanoid races
and the player character should be rewarded ac- (including elves, dwarves, and halflings), cautious
cordingly. Continual attempts to escape should be toward unhuman races (ogres, goblins, mind flay-
reined in (but not punished) merely by invoking ers, and the ilk), and fearful of total nonhumans
the above statement (and those who persist (neogi and beholders). Questions about captains
should be shown the Mad Arcane as an example of will be responded to by confusion, though they
what happens when a player character knows he will gladly take the individuals to their leaders
can't escape, but keeps trying anyway). (probably someone in the human collective). They
will also gladly point out the citadels for various
Now, the character is limited to this degree, but other races and note that the "center of activity"
the players, of course, are not. Being a bright, in- for the ship is likely the market (area #6).
telligent group, they will come up with a number
of ways to "accidentally" throw off the effects of Player characters reporting to the various cita-
the spell (for example, befriending one of the dels will encounter the leaders of those citadels,
who have their own interests and agendas. Those

If anyone is going to escape the Spelljammer, it is the player

characters —after all, they are the heroes of the tale.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJAMMER

who go to the market will definitely encounter the tain that there is no retirement from captaincy, on-
Open Air Public House, and Kristobar Brewdoc. ly death.
Kristobar will give the players the general run- Coh will send two umber hulks led by a neogi
down (who lives where, who rules who, and where lackey to the would-be hero and attempt to
to find information and other sundries), as well as kill him. He will report his success or failure to
pump the players for information about their own the Fool. Definitely throw this encounter at the
mission. players.
If the heroes keep their mission a secret, they The Fool will act based on Coh's success. Dark
will have normal encounters similar to those list- times under a weak captain are good, since it in-
ed in the first adventure; Orik and the minotaurs creases his own hand. Dark times under a strong,
trying to "recruit" them, the Hobgoblin Prophet wise captain are bad, since he may gain enough
haranguing, a bit of Xeno terrorism, etc. power to challenge the Fool. If the heroes take
If the heroes tell their tale; of the item being losses from Coh's attack, then the Fool will hold
somehow tied to the Spelljammer, the word will back. If Coh's attack has no negative effects, then
spread quickly. It will attract the attention of sev- he will have a message sent (through a Xenos) to
eral individuals: the hero, luring him into the warrens (most oth-
Astor will keep an eye on them initially, unless ers will recommend staying away from the war-
they speak of taking command of the ship, of be- rens). There an ambush using the banshee, two
coming captain. If this is the case, he will try to spectres, and about 30 zombies will be launched.
ambush and disintegrate the would-be captain. Lastly, the hero's own interests may take them
Demets knows that the captain brings a sym- to particular towers, such as Arcane. Given the de-
bol of his authority. This item is that symbol. scriptions of their personalities and the informa-
Should the information spread out, Demets will tion the players are willing to provide with
send a summons for the hero to meet him in the themselves, the various NPCs will decide if it is in
gardens, where he will explain that he believes their best interest to aid, stand aside, or turn the
that the hero is the next captain of the heroes over to another force to kill (the last can be
Spelljammer. He will support him in his captaincy done merely by putting onto the street that these
if he makes Demets his regent. Otherwise he will might be captains).
cut off food supplies. After a short time (2-8 days after arrival, time
Stardawn will also send a summons, to meet enough for all player character to fail their saving
with him at the Elven High Command. He wishes throws and accept their fate as prisoners—for
to befriend the individual and aid in him becom- now—or actively get off the Spelljammer—to try
ing the captain. That the hero may have little idea and figure out why they were affected, then re-
of captaincy puzzles and convinces Stardawn that turn), the control room is finished. The hero with
the hero is unworthy. Stardawn will remain an ally the ultimate helm is told that he is suddenly at-
until the battle in the control room. Then he will tracted to a particular area. Getting to that area
attempt to kill the hero and take command him- (such as the tip of the tail) is his problem, but
self (with a similar rejection as experienced by Ar- there is a strong mental nudge to check out that
cane). region.
Arcane knows all but is insane. He will agree to
reveal all about the captaincy in exchange for a
very high price (say, all the hero's assistants plus a
spelljamming helm). He will tell the would-be cap-

Demets knows that the captain brings a symbol of his

authority. He will support him in his captaincy if he makes
Demets his regent. Otherwise he will cut off food supplies.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJAMMER

VI. The Control Room If the Fool has determined that the captain is
strong, then he will show up himself, leading his
The control room is detailed in area #43. The remaining high-level undead (spectres, banshee,
DM chooses its location, and it is up to the player and monster zombies) against the captain. As a
character to reach it. The guardian shivak has side note, Stardawn will recognize the banshee,
been activated and placed there, to attack when and she will choose him as a target, if he is
the captain first enters. Should the would-be cap- present.
tain retreat, the guardian shivak will pursue, up to The hero with the ultimate helm may attempt to
the limits of the ship itself, until the possessor of bond with the ship during the combat. It will take
the ultimate helm is dead. If the possessor of the 1-4 rounds after initial contact to complete bond-
ultimate helm dies after opening the control room ing. After that, the ship will be under the new cap-
but before defeating the guardian, the helm will tain's control. The Fool and his minions will try to
be destroyed. If he dies after defeating the guard- kill the captain, excluding all others, if bonding is
ian but before bonding with the ship, the helm will attempted. Even if bonding fails, the Fool will try
survive and could be used by someone else. to kill all others in the control room.
In addition to the guardian shivaks, 1-10 regu- Bonding (either during or after the battle) takes
lar shivaks will turn up per turn (maximum 20 at place as dictated in the description of area #43.
any time), but will not battle the would-be captain, Should the bonding be successful, read the fol-
only any of his companions in the area. They will lowing to the new captain:
not pursue if the companions flee the area.
The current guardian shivak is in the form of a
10-foot-tall mind flayer, and in addition has the You suddenly feel as if you are expanding, as if
ability to focus a mental blast, like that creature. If your spirit is a great balloon, swelling with air,
the guardian shivak manages to stun the would-be engulfing everyone around you. You feel that
captain, it will close and automatically hit for nor- time is stopped, and everyone around you is re-
mal damage, until the target is dead. At that point duced to shimmering light.
the ultimate helm will be destroyed. You continue to expand, and more points of
In addition to the shivaks, the Fool will also use light appear. Points of life, as you feel the entire
this opportunity to strike against the great ship. community of the Spelljammer come under
Once the guardian shivak is destroyed, there will your control. Each mote represents a sentient,
normally be nothing to stand in the way of the he- living being. Gray smudges move about you—
ro from attempting to bond with the Spelljammer. the shivaks, now under your complete control.
However, the Fool will take the opportunity to at- You look up, look around you, and you see
tack. If Lothian Stardawn the elf is allied to the he- you are floating in space, the entire rainbow of
roes, he will also take this chance to attack by energies swirled around you, brimming with
surprise, kill the hero, and attempt to bond with life from every star and sphere. And you know
the great ship himself. that beyond the stars, beyond the spheres, are
If the Fool has determined that the captain is other worlds and other lives, and you can take
weak (from the encounter with Coh's forces), then yourself there in an instant, by whim.
he will send his banshee, three spectres, and 10 You also feel another presence, a companion
monster zombies led by Argargon (if the zombies in the void, as powerful as yourself, giving you
can reach the area) to destroy the new captain and the energy. Its spirit is a world-rattling sympho-
trash the control room.

You are most welcome to take command," says the

Spelljammer, speaking soul to soul, spirit to spirit.
"You are a part of us, as captains before you.
Let us make you welcome."

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJAMMER

The helm is destroyed, but the would-be captain

ny. It is the Spelljammer, or rather its sentient is not otherwise affected, with one major excep-
core, which grants you its power and com- tion. For 24 hours he is not affected by the mysti-
mands you to be its captain. cal atmosphere of the Spelljammer, and in that
"You are most welcome to take command," time can fashion an escape for himself and any
says the Spelljammer, speaking soul to soul, partners.
spirit to spirit. "You are a part of us, as captains The Fool, if present, will cut the battle short if
before you. Let us make you welcome." the hero is rejected by the ship. He has done
enough damage, and another day will come. He
will escape the first round, and the others fall back
You can lay down the law on the prerogatives the next. The zombies will fight until they are dead
and restrictions of the captain with this player lat- (OK—destroyed).
er, but the important thing (particularly if the Fool
is still about) is that the captain can summon the
shivaks and cause them to attack the undead that VII. Setting Up Shop
they normally could not see (but can now, be- The new captain has one to four weeks before
cause the captain is present). Also, note that the the gardens shuts and the dark times begin. Dur-
captain is now free of the" magical air of the ing this time the captain should:
Spelljammer, though he has other restrictions, his Learn the restrictions placed on him by the
character can now plot and plan as he sees fit to Spelljammer. This can either be done by having a
get other characters (and perhaps himself) off the heart-to-heart chat with the player, or letting the
ship. player discover as he goes along what he can and
Should the hero be rejected by the Spelljammer, cannot do. The new captain wields godlike
read the following to him: powers, but by the same token he has extreme
limitations. Let the captain know (eventually,
You feel yourself tumbling through the void, probably after Arvanon mentions it) that the dark
stars wheeling in all directions. You slow in your times are coming, and what it entails.
spinning and see that they are not stars, but Encounter a few spacecraft, such as a k'r'r'r
rather little bits of life—human and elf and multi-ship fleet, or several neogi death spiders.
mind flayer and neogi all swirling about and Let the captain have some fun wiping out a few en-
through you. You look up and see the stars, the emies with the most powerful ship in the Known
real stars, dancing and laughing at you. Spheres (but keep an eye on the restriction for en-
You feel another presence, great and lumber- dangering the Spelljammer)
ing, like a whale passing by a minnow. You Receive Envoys. Arvanon will see the first
know it is the ship itself, the spirit of the warning signs that the dark times are coming. He
Spelljammer. It examines you to your very soul, will pass out word that a new captain reigns, and
and then a single word cuts through your being the search will be on. The newcomer and his party
like a dagger. will be feted, feasted, and allowed to stay in any
"No." tower of his or her choice (with the exception of
And you are back in the control room. The the dark tower, which is still forbidden).
presence is gone, and you are shivering. All the various factions will have a chance to
show things off to the captain, make offers of alli-
ance, and seek favors (such as punishing an oppo-

Arvanon will see the first warning signs that the Dark Times
are coming. He will pass out word that a new captain reigns,
and the search will be on.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING SPELLJAMMER

nent or cutting off their food). The captain can Chaladar seeks an agreement that the captain
choose what order he takes his visitors, and how will cut off food to all evil races.
he deals with their various problems. Chila seeks an agreement that the captain will
Arcane will lock himself in and take no visitors, defend humans in case of attack.
as he tries to figure out what to do next. While the Coh (with Orik) seeks mediation in ending the
captain is taking visitors, he will have his gnomes war with the beholders. He demands a complete
scope out any of the captain's companions for beholder surrender and the lower floors of their
weaknesses and opportunities. He will gladly es- citadel for neogi use. He will deny all connection
cape with the heroes if he can (killing them later with the neogi/hulk ambush earlier (shocked, he
because they know too much). is, simply shocked!), saying his people were
Arvanon will explain that the dark times are charmed by beholders. He will not attack again
coming, and what it entails, including the devel- until the dark times.
opment of the smalljammers and the lean times "Diamondtip" comes to swear fealty for the
ahead. He will recommend stockpiling what is giff. If the captain is pleasant to him, he will tell
possible to help the majority survive. He will make about his quadruple bombard. He brings a gift of
clear that there is nothing he can do about it, it is smoke powder.
natural law (and a check with the Spelljammer will Father Goat asks for an agreement to protect
confirm this). the lesser races of the Spelljammer. He denies any
Demets will make contact for the gardens if Ar- thievery in his church.
vanon is dead or out of action for some reason. He Firespitter sends a congratulatory message,
will state the same objectives as before—he wants with the note "Hope you last longer than the last
to be regent. He does not mention the dark times, one."
figuring the captain will know it for himself. The Fool, if he still exists, is waiting for the dark
Astor will make an assassination attempt, if he times.
has not done so before. If the captain kills Astor, Gray Eye appears with two other beholders. He
his support from the halflings will diminish, and demands resolution of the war with the neogi,
from Gray Eye's beholders will increase. with the neogi giving them half their slaves in the
Breakox wants the captain to declare that Taja's deal. He also demands the death of Astor (if he is
giants should be part of his faction. He is a hill gi- not dead already) as a plague carrier.
ant. They are hill giants. He will be blunt and rude. Hancherback appears to swear fealty to the
Brother Burke and the Xenos will be entrench- captain and to note that if his nibs needs any infor-
ing if the Fool is destroyed, probably cutting a mation, he should call on him "nudge-nudge."
deal with Selura. If the Fool is still active, Brother Highstar sends a representative requesting the
Burke will continue to gather information for captain meet with him, in regard to eliminating
the Hooded Soldier. If the captain is nonhum- the goblin menace on the ship. If Stardawn is
an, they will be planning an assassination (details dead, his tone will be frosty and he will demand an
left to the DM, but the Xenos do have access to explanation of the captain's barbaric behavior,
the Fool's powers, as well as Shou Lung smoke leaving with a threat that the elven navy could
powder). take apart the Spelljammer if it so choose.
CassaRoc seeks an agreement that the captain Kaba Danel appears to swear fealty for his peo-
will defend humans in case of attack, and to cut ple and Suza. If the captain wishes to meet Suza,
down on the thieves operating out of Father he'll have to come to the tower of the dracon.
Goat's "church." He brings a gift of mead. Korvok will appear to demand protection for

Coh demands a complete beholder surrender and the lower

floors of their citadel for neogi use. He will deny all
connection with the neogi/hulk ambush earlier,
saying his people were charmed by beholders.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJAMMER

the humans under his care. become boring, but sprinkle in just enough to
Kova appears with 10 dwarf courtiers and a keep things interesting and remind the captain
weapon or suit of armor suitable for the new cap- that there are others on board watching him. The
tain. He requests the captain provide protection captain has limited power, but he can request Ar-
for the foundries in case of attack. vanon to reduce food supplies to one group or an-
Leoster is too busy to pay fealty to the captain, other, with good cause. More importantly, he can
but sends his grandson Ollister to invite the cap- position shivaks to watch or protect certain
tain to dinner and examine his coin collection. He groups. Placing these shivaks would be consid-
does not offer to aid the captain in any way, but ered a sign of status for those groups, and irritate
does not ask for any help, either. their opponents.
Mostias invites the captain and his party for a
cook-out and beer bash. A good evening, with no VIII. The Dark Time
results.
Nagasimi is sent as Si Loo's representative, After one to four weeks, the gardens close for
with his greetings. No offer of help. No request. 18 weeks while the smalljammers are created. All
No invitations. Seeing Si Loo would be "quite im- food shipments stop except for special shivak-
possible." delivered shipments to the captain and his com-
Selura asks for protection for the humans un- mand staff (those who live in his quarters). All but
der her control, and recognization that Taja's hill the lizard men are ejected from the gardens by a
giants are really part of her citadel, since she combination of the lizard men and shivaks. The
hangs out with them. She is sizing up the captain captain can call off the shivaks, but the great ship
for later execution. will ignore the order and depose the captain. His
ShiCaga requests the captain grants an audi- former followers are left to fend for themselves.
ence for the Hobgoblin Prophet. The prophet ha- The captain and his crew will not starve during
rangues the captain and anyone else nearby for 45 the dark times, and the Spelljammer will let the
minutes on the deadly slavery of his people by the captain know that this is part of the natural cycle.
mind flayers, and demands that they be released. However, during this time, raids will become com-
ShiCaga also notes that most of the other evil monplace, including against the captain and his
creatures aboard are not to be trusted. crew. The captain and his shivaks must watch out
Taja will ask for a long audience to commit to for themselves during this period.
memory the captain's life story, in particular the Only the elves, centaurs, Shou, and mind flay-
events that led to his captaincy, for future refer- ers can survive through the entire 18 weeks with
ence. their at-hand supplies. The elves, centaurs, and
Trebek will appear to swear fealty and lodge a shou have massive interior gardens, while the
formal complaint against the elves for their har- mind flayers intend to eat all their slaves and re-
assment. He will not free his subject people unless place them later on. Encounters the captain will
all other races are freed as well, including the have to handle include:
dwarves' prisoners (which Kova will flat out refuse) Raiding the Larder. In particular, human groups
and the neogi's umber hulks (which Orik will stealing from centaurs and beholders (depending
refuse). on alignment). Battles will cause the deaths of 1-2
Each of these encounters can be run as a full en- beholders, 11-20 humans, and 3-4 centaurs (de-
counter, or just in summary, depending on the pending on the combatants). If the captain di-
DM's feelings for it. Too many meetings quickly rectly interferes, run the combat, otherwise just

The captain and his crew will not starve during the
Dark Times, and the Spelljammerwill let the captain know
that this is part of the natural cycle. However,
during this time, raids will become commonplace.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJAMMER

take the losses. There will be a number of these er slaves, and the horned tower has become a
attacks through the dark times, and other nations death camp. ShiCaga, the prophet, Coh, Orik, and
can and will be involved. For the first three weeks Gray Eye all demand the mind flayers be brought
of the dark time there is a 10% chance per day for back into the sunlight. Trebek denies everything,
a raid, increasing by 10% every three weeks fol- and is lying. The captain can help the illithids
lowing. The DM either chooses the target and the (turning the other evil groups and the elves
raider, or rolls on the following table (ignoring against him), help with the assault (in which a
cases where a group raids itself). quarter of the evils, 20 shivaks, and three-quarters
of the mind flayers will be killed, along with half
Raider Target the surviving goblins, but the tower is taken and
1. Human Collective Human Collective Trebek and the other survivors flee into the war-
2. Dwarves Dwarves rens to plot revenge), or do nothing (in which case
3. Neogi Beholder half the evil alliance dies, half the mind flayers
4. Centaur Centaur die, the tower is not taken, and everyone hates the
5. Giff Elves captain).
6. Father Goat Shou Lung Assault on the Captain's Quarters. Anyone
7. Dracons Dracons with a grudge against the captain will assault the
8. Other Humans Other Humans captain's quarters at one time or another. The cap-
tain can call on still-loyal groups to aid him, as
Storming the Stores. Another dark times well as use shivaks. Each assault can be gamed
tradition—the looting of what is available in the out, or cost 1-10 shivaks and 5% of the support-
storage area. A mixed group of humans, neogi, ing troops, while wiping out 20% of the opposi-
giff, and dwarves, whose only crime is being hun- tion. After suffering 20% losses, however, allies
gry, attempt to break into the stores and carry no longer show up to help.
away as much as possible. The captain can repel The Flight of the Beholders. If, through various
them with shivaks, but at losses (run battle or as- causes, the beholders are knocked down to three
sume 1-6 human deaths, 1-2 neogi, a 50% chance or fewer survivors, or Gray Eye himself is slain,
of an umber hulk or giff death, per attack). Using the contingency plan for the undead beholders is
the shivaks to repel the assault will automatically brought on-line. The beholder-mummies are acti-
turn these groups against the captain. If Astor is vated and turned loose on the citadel district.
still alive, he will be in the defense, and if the cap- They will destroy everything they can reach in a
tain does not defend the stores, an angry Astor mad burst of necromantic force. The captain's
will come looking for answers. quarters will likely be besieged by refugees seek-
Night of the Long Knives. Selura attempts to ing an escape.
consolidate her position. Unless stopped, she will If the captain survives all this, at the end of the
have Taja and Korvok slain, taking over their 18 weeks he is rewarded by the flight of the small-
memberships. Then she will try to take out the jammers; read him and his surviving crew the fol-
captain and his crew. ShiCaga and Breakox can be lowing:
allies, but they have their own axes to grind (Shi-
Caga wants a move against the horned tower,
Breakox wants Selura's troops as slaves.) There is a new sound in the ship, a deep rum-
Assault on the Horned Tower. Rumors start to bling that vibrates and courses through the
surface that the mind flayers are eating their form- bones of every surviving creature on the

The great doors on either side of the ship slowly roll open.
A small ship, looking like a miniature version of the
Spelljammer, slowly drifts out the doorway.
Then a second. Then a third. . . .

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 C A M PA IG N I N G W I T H T HE $ P E L L J A M M E R

with promises of food and protection, but elimi-

Spelljammer. The great doors on either side of nating hated enemies would be the best way to
the ship are slowly rolling open. avoid getting into a war, such as killing almost all
A small ship, looking like a miniature version goblins for the elves.
of the Spelljammer, slowly drifts out the door- Scouring the Warrens. If the Fool lives, he will
way. Then a second. Then a third. They bob and still be in the warrens, working through any sur-
weave as they move down the great strips along viving agents to destroy the captain. The shivaks
either side, picking up speed and then finally are useless without the captain to act as their eyes,
dropping away from the great ship, spinning in- so the warrens will have to be cleaned out first
to the void on a life of their own, dancing hand. For search parties without player charac-
among the stars. ters, use the following table for success:
The ships continue, and now sparkling fire-
works shoot through the opening as well, spin- d 100 Result (per party)
ning quickly and madly through wildspace 01-20 2-20 zombies destroyed, no loses
before exploding in cold fireballs of blue and 21-40 2-20 zombies destroyed, 1-4 search-
green. The lights are blindingly bright, and the ers killed
reports of their explosions shake the ship. 41 -60 1-10 zombies destroyed, 1-10 search-
All surviving eyes aboard the Spelljammer are ers captured
raised to see the last of the smalljammers drift 61-80 1-6 zombies destroyed, 1-10 search-
through space, away from its parent craft. The ers captured.
cycle has been renewed, the Spelljammer lives. 81 -00 1-10 searchers captured
Captured searchers are turned into zombies (or
IX. Picking Up the Pieces, monster zombies) by the Fool. Mote that more
Further Adventures powerful undead, including the Fool, will only be
dealt with through player characters searching the
The flight of the smalljammers is a once-in-a- warrens.
career event. It will not be repeated as long as the Other Assaults. Some other navies will attack
captain rules. However, there may still be some the Spelljammer, including the k'r'r'r unity ships,
unattended business left. the neogi with urchin landers, the mind flayers (in-
Retribution Against the Lizard Men, who are cluding the new dreadnoughts), and beholder
just as strong as when they kicked everyone out of craft. There will usually be 1-10 such ships in an
the gardens, and have weathered the storm just attack. The Spelljammer can fight or flee, but note
fine, thank you. Arvanon may be a target for at- the limitation of the captain's term by fighting too
tacks, and if he dies, Demets, who has very differ- often or letting the ship take damage.
ent ideas about food distribution, will succeed Newcomers. Just as the player characters first
him. encountered the Spelljammer, there will be a num-
Retribution Against the Captain. Anyone with ber of newcomers appearing, with about a 20%
a grudge against the captain for the last 18 weeks chance per week. The captain can help or hinder
will take the opportunity of trying at least one as- them as the case may be, and the DM is encour-
sassination attempt and, if possible, a full-fledged aged to think up his own groups. Examples in-
assault. Lawful enemies will call for a duel to the clude:
death. Good opponents can possibly be placated

Anyone with a grudge against the captain for the last 18

weeks will take the opportunity of trying at least one
assassination attempt and, if possible, a full-fledged assault.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH

• A mixed group of adventurers in a squid ship or chaotics will continually set up deals with the oppo-
hammership, exploring space and seeing what sition to overthrow the current captain.
the Spelljammer has to loot. Getting Allies Off the Ship. This one is a little
• A dwarven pirate in a citadel seeking to add the tough because, while the players may feel it is
Spelljammer to his claim by killing the captain. time to move on, their characters will consider the
• A group of refugees of any race (probably one Spelljammer their home. As a result, the players
destroyed in the dark times) aboard a whale, will likely come up with interesting ways to "inad-
looking for sanctuary. vertently" leave the Spelljammer, such as allowing
• A Shou Lung dragonship, the most recent at- themselves to be captured during a slave-raid by
tempt to command the Spelljammer, resulting clockwork horrors. Depending on their creativity,
in two warring shou camps. the DM can reward them with escape (if that is
• A beholder nation ship which will land and at- their goal) or put them into a new, even worse situ-
tempt to take over the territory of any other be- ation. The only exception is the captain—his
holders. mind is directly linked with that of the Spell-
• A giff bombard bringing smoke powder—LOTS jammer, so any attempt to leave, or even to ex-
of smoke powder. They will be welcomed by pose himself to an accidental departure, will be
their brother giff and there will be a lot of experi- known by the ship. The Spelljammer will first warn
mental explosions. the captain, then it will depose him and place him
in retirement.
Encountering Other Space Civilizations. Pull
up the Spelljammer next to the Rock of Bral and X. Retirement and Moving On
watch people panic! The Spelljammer is by turns
regarded as a good omen or a harbinger of doom, The captaincy of the Spelljammer is a life-time
so the captain will be worshipped as a god or face career. There are very few old captains floating
a wide variety of attacking ships. Then he must around. Even if the captain figures out a method
solve the problem of communicating through the of getting his comrades off the ship, he is still
Spelljammer s magical buffers—he cannot leave, stuck there. The following methods are recom-
and those who arrive may not want to leave. mended for resolving the Spelljammer captain's
Arrival of a New Captain. Captains are few and plight.
far between, no more than one per year of game Retiring the Character. A decisive step, but
time. About half of these are pretenders and pos- keep in mind that these characters have achieved
ers, without the ultimate helm necessary to com- the equivalent of the holy grail of space, the cap-
mand the ship. The other half are real, and must taincy of the Spelljammer. Swashbuckling cam-
kill the current captain in order to take command. paigns of space pirates and interplanetary wars
The details of a captain-to-captain fight are left may pale by comparison (or may seem to be an
to the DM, but it should be noted that they will be improvement, depending on how much heat is be-
of similar power level to the current captain, and ing placed on the captain); gods themselves may
have companions of the same level. Reactions in step out of the heroes' way. If the players choose,
part can be determined by comparing alignment of their characters still on board the Spelljammer be-
the two captains. An evil challenging captain will come NPCs, but remain in command of the great
always try to destroy his opposition. Good chal- ship from that point on.
lengers will wait to succeed other good characters, Involuntary Retirement. The captain is faced
neutrals will not support the existing captains, and with a large force of shivaks. Every shivak will be

The Spelljammer is by turns regarded as a good omen or a

harbinger of doom, so the captain will be worshiped as a god
or face a wide variety of attacking ships.

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 CAMPAIGNING WITH THE SPELLJAMMER

raised against him, intent on dragging him to the About a year after the dark time, the captain
dark tower or killing him in the process. The old and his surviving comrades are called to the gar-
captain joins Jokarin, Miark, and Theorx in retire- dens by Arvanon (or whoever rules the gardens). A
ment. The character can attempt to escape at that great dome of earth has risen in the center of the
point (Jokarin is more than interested, the others community and Arvanon felt a sudden need to
less so), or the character may retire. note it to the captain, as such a thing has never
Continued Adventuring. There is no rule that happened before in all his records.
the campaign aboard the Spelljammer has to end As the captain approaches, the mound begins
with the defeat of its major villains. There is a con- to disintegrate, revealing a smalljammer. It is sil-
tinual flow of newcomers to the ship, and all man- ver, with fittings of gold and platinum, and its eyes
ner of potential threats for the DM to throw at his are clusters of rubies. A voice sounds in the cap-
players, including full-fledged invasion, new un- tain's head. A familiar voice:
dead or unliving creatures, and threats to the "You have served me well, chosen one, though
spheres themselves. The DM is encouraged to your heart longs to be elsewhere. Take this gift as
continue the campaign as long as the players are a token of my gratitude and go with your allies to
interested and feel that there are new challenges what new lands and new worlds you choose. You
aboard the Spelljammer. Only when interest wanes will always be remembered as a master among
should escape and/or retirement be considered. captains."
The Hollywood Ending. This one is reserved for For the next hour the captain is freed of his
DMs who like to give their players a break, in par- compunction to remain on the Spelljammer, as are
ticular if the players have been running their char- survivors from his original crew (later additions
acters well and wisely and contributing to the will have to be persuaded and/or knocked out and
civilization of the Spelljammer, destroying the dragged aboard). He receives the ship and an open
Fool, and making the great ship a good place to path to adventure, and takes off as the
live. It's called a Hollywood ending because it Spelljammer, once more under its own control,
bends a few rules in the process, but it lets the veers away and heads for far distant spheres and
player characters continue in the game. new captains.

He that strives to touch the stars.

Oft stumbles at a straw.

— Edmund Spenser, 1579

Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)

 ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is a registered trademark owned by TSR, Inc.
SPELLJAMMER, and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. © 1991 TSR, Inc. All Rights
Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Didier Westlake-Bush (Order #36344544)