What follows is an unofficial adaptation of the concept TSR calls Spelljammer. This is an attempt to simplify, rationalize, and revise SOME of the concepts behind Spelljammer. One thing that has not changed is the basic battle tactics as described in the Concordance of Arcane Space, this manual can also serve as a helpful guide to this revision. This is nothing more than a rule system and a presentation of concepts that can be applied to and help connect the various worlds and realities which serve as the fantasy campaign settings of AD&D (as well as new creations) in new ways while still allowing for the fantasy space travel of the Spelljammer setting. As such, it should serve as an adventure expansion system. Also, since I haven't had the advantage of game testers I would greatly appreciate any feedback on the material presented below. If you dislike something or you spot a flaw in the system just let me know and I'll do my best to fix it if I agree with you. Otherwise, just give me your opinion and I'll be happy to listen.
[ This article was written for AD&D 2nd Edition. --ed ]
Changes to the Spelljammer Concept of Normal Space
Taken by themselves, the various settings of the AD&D campaigns go relatively unchanged. Those settings which are described as planets (like Forgotten Realms' Toril) inside their own settings, remain planets. This is where much of the Spelljammer campaign material can come in handy, because it describes such settings in some of the terms of a basic solar system layout, although, any GM should feel free to change these descriptions (adding, dropping, or changing the planetary bodies described within the Realmspace accessory for instance) as they see fit. Contained within the Standard Solar System Design Kit (which I am currently unable to send through e-mail) is a more realistic and very simple system for designing normal solar systems or adapting old ones. Solar systems, etc., which don't conform to these relatively normal physical laws should include a basic description of the laws which do govern it in order to help a GM answer potentially difficult questions about how to explain or run a campaign in said setting. Spelljammer accessories may not contain such descriptions and neither will personal creations (unless, of course, they follow the Kit mentioned above) and thus it will be up to the GM to create such descriptions if they would prefer to have them (recommended).
What About Crystal Spheres?
The original concept of crystal spheres no longer exists. This leaves a GM with three basic options for adapting existing Spelljammer accessories (like Realmspace):
There is nothing beyond the final planet of a solar system but the void of space (exceptions: stars either no longer exist or they are light giving bodies, perhaps non-physical, which float in fixed positions just beyond the final planet, also, there may be a sort of Oort cloud, a spherical field of asteroids surrounding a solar system which supplies comets and meteors, but nothing beyond this); or there is a sort of physical boundary like the inner wall of a crystal sphere (perhaps creatures even walk on it as a sort of "planetary surface" with its own atmosphere) which surrounds an atmosphere or pocket of space (which may contain a sun and other planets), but which cannot be penitrated or acts as a planetary body of infinite depth, or perhaps this "planetary surface" is uncurved and resembles a flat plane that stretches infinitely in all directions; or there is a normal universe full of other solar systems, galaxies, and what not (basically something identical to the universe in which our Earth currently resides).
The first two are recommended (although the second would require a revision of physical laws to alleviate gravity conflicts/problems), but the third supplies more complexity than is easily dealt and could use some form of simplification, although the first and third (in its unmodified form mentioned above) require no revision of normal physical laws and the Standard Solar System Design Kit can apply.
So How Is Inter-Solar System Travel Accomplished Now?
Since solar systems are not contained within the crystal spheres of old, how are they reachable? This is where the biggest change comes into play. Since crystal spheres used to contain realities governed by different magical laws and yet were reachable by physical means, they had to be seperated by the barriers the crystal spheres represented, which meant each "Prime Material Plane" (in AD&D dimensional terms), or the space which represented each solar system or variation thereof, had to be bottled up. This seems a bit absurd considering the infinite dimensions of the other planes they were supposedly, individually connected to (i.e., inner planes, outer planes, astral planes, etc.). So, instead of this, dimensional travel will be used. Replacing the crystal spheres and the Phlogiston is the Plane of Doors, a sort of alternate Astral Plane which connects all known Prime Material Planes (meaning the solar systems, etc., which were formerly contained within the crystal spheres) and allows for travel between them.
The Plane of Doors
The Plane of Doors is in many ways like the Astral Plane (although not connected to it, the Plane of Doors is connected to and allows for travel between alternate Prime Material Planes only) in that any who enter it can see themselves connected to their point of entrance on the plane by a cord of ghostly white light (invisible until viewed with any form of detect magic spell) called the Soul Cord. This beam is seemingly indestructable (and completely intangible to all attacks) and is thought to carry the soul of a dead creature back to its home plane upon death so that it is not trapped in another. This cord is rendered entirely invisible somehow (even by all magical means of detection) once the Plane of Doors is exited. Creatures without souls, however, have no such cord.
Any form of magic that works on any Prime Material Plane (and magic from PMPs only), works exactly as it is supposed to work (as it was learned) for the creature using it in the Plane of Doors. The Plane itself is a stormy blue in color that gets darker at great distances but is lighted by the occasional, stationary, spherical portal that radiates a brilliant white light (stationed at great if random distances) that leads to an unknown destination and that may vanish at any given moment. The portals cannot be probed by magic from the outside because of the barrier of the portal itself, but they may be probed if the magic is carried through the portal by a physical probe (meaning a physical probe that is enchanted) as long as the magic used works on the other side, making enchanted probes of portals that lead to unkown destinations unreliable (see Magic in Other Dimensions), although they can be probed reliably by physical probes at a risk (probes anchored by metal wires, for instance, could conduct heat through the portal by means of the wire). Note that "probes" here mean devices used to check out what's inside a portal before going there oneself. The natural portals of the Plane of Doors block magic effects cast through them, only magical effects/power carried through portals by physical anchors/vessels (like an enchated object or the body of a caster) can advance through a portal and take effect on the other side. Note that natural portals work in only one direction; into a Prime Material Plane, and not even non-magical physical objects or energy can enter the PoD through them. Natural portals radiate no magic by themselves and so they cannot be detected by a detect magic spell or most magical means (neither can a typical Plane of Doors artifact) in a normal sense from either side of the portal.
Like in space, the Plane of Doors contains no atmosphere and those exposed to it will suffocate. Its temperature is an anomaly and it neither radiants nor absorbs heat and the given temperature of a body will remain uninfluenced if exposed. For instance and to be absolutely clear, a fire will die of a lack of oxygen, but a body that produces heat otherwise will not gain or lose any more unless for some reason it stops producing heat itself (i.e., lack of fuel). Natural portals can be any size and appear as three dimensional spheres that can be entered from any direction. If a portal vanishes before an object has entirely passed through or if an object does not pass through a portal without keeping inside its dimensions/boundaries, thus causing it to collapse, that object remains intact as if the parts of it that had passed through the portal had never left (although any damage taken on the other side remains). These portals only allow exit from the PoD and are not even visible from the plane they allow entrance into. Their point of entry on another plane is determined at random. Naturally created portals cannot open in the midst of a solid or even semi-solid object, although they can open in the midst of atmospheric gasses.
The Plane of Doors Artifact
Within the Plane of Doors float uncountable numbers of opaque crystals of a dark blue color that are created when a naturally formed portal collapses and that themselves vanish when they pass through another portal (the crystals are attracted to the natural portals by an unknown/undetectable force that attracts them at a maximum speed of one foot per minute), thus appearing in the dimension the portal leads to, upon which they flash constantly with a brilliant white light until touched by a living creature with a soul, upon which they are capable of opening portals themselves, but not before (it is believed that this is how the first artifacts were found and their powers discovered). These crystals behave exactly like common glass in a physical/chemical sense and can be destroyed easily by physical means (any damage, no matter how small, will cause a crystal to not function at all), as well as magical as long as they are not cast upon at zero range (by touch), are spherically shaped, weightless under any gravity, and range between 1 and 3 feet in diameter. Any crystal, if cast upon at zero range (by touch) by a living creature with a soul utilizing any kind of spell gained by any type of class experience (can be activated by clerical powers, psionic powers, etc., but not magical items and their effects) will cast a beam 300 feet from its opposite surface in the same direction as the spell was cast, and open a one dimensional (it is only visible and enterable from the direction in which it was opened and not in the dimension open which it gives entrance), circular portal at the end of that range equal in diameter to 100 feet times the level of the caster, absorbing all of the spell's other effects as long as it was cast while the caster was in physical contact with the crystal. The portal lasts until the duration of the spell runs out or if physical contact between the caster and the artifact is broken. Once the ship carrying the artifact that opened the portal passes through, the beam projecting the portal disappears leaving the portal open until its duration ends as previously described. Objects passing through the portal appear on the opposite side instantaneously as they pass through, not the entire object at once, just like passing through a door. Objects which are too large to pass through the portal or miss it partially cause the portal to collapse entirely, returning whatever has passed through to the rest of the object as if it had never left (although any damage taken on the other side remains). These unnatural, or "cast portals," do not radiate magic by themselves and so they cannot be detected by such means. They differ from natural portals in that they transport objects and radiate non-magical energy "into" the PoD. Just like natural portals, magic can be carried through them as long as it is contained/attached to a physical body that can carry it through the portal and thus allow it to take effect on the other side once (and not before) that physical body has carried it through. Artifact created portals cannot open in the midst of a solid or even semi-solid object, although they can open in the midst of atmospheric gasses.
The Plane of Doors is filled with such artifacts (they give it its blue color and can be found about once every thousand miles or so unless they are found clustering around a natural portal, thus blocking most of its light), anything striking them receives damage as if they had struck an orb of pure glass.
These portals only allow entrance into the PoD if cast outside of it or exit if cast inside of it, they are not even visible from the plane they allow entrance into. Used as described above, portals created with an artifact open up upon the PoD at a random point and upon exiting the PoD the enter a random plane altogether as well as at a random location (although objects cannot enter a portal that opens up upon or inside a solid object for the object entering will be prevented from doing so by such an obstruction as in normal space, but, of course, an object can still wreck itself). This makes dimensional travel of this kind dangerous and unexacting to say the least. However, there is an alternative. It has been discovered that placing an object within the path of a beam creating a portal will cause that portal to open up upon that object's home plane, which is helpful, to say the least, when leaving the PoD so that a ship does not become stranded in the wrong dimension. It was also discovered that if an object is succesfully enchanted (whether it's within its home plane or not at the time) a beam passing through it will cause a portal to open at the exact place and dimension that object was enchanted (technically where ever the item's enchantment was completed) as long as it is within a Prime Material Plane (the type of enchantment doesn't matter). This works for the PoD as well, allowing ships to appear in specific locations in the PoD. If two or more objects from different planes or enchanted on a different plane are placed in the path of the beam creating a portal the portal will collapse or not open at all. An artifact, when fully charged, has enough power to open 4 portals in quick succession, but it takes 24 hours for an artifact to regain a lost charge. Artifacts naturally recharge themselves and no other way is known of to charge them.
So Who or What Created the Plane of Doors and its Artifacts?
No one knows, but many sages seem to think it must have been created by an extremely powerful being, perhaps one more powerful than all the gods in all of the Prime Material Planes the Plane of Doors connects. Certainly most of the gods in the other PMPs would see such an opening into their realms as a threat to their reign. Others think that the PoD is more fundamental than this and that the gods of the various PMPs have used it in the past to expand their power and influence. Others say the absence of angelic and demonic beings in the PoD seems to refute this. Many think that even the gods themselves cannot enter the plane because of an as yet unkown of ward placed there by the plane's creator. This perhaps, supports the claim that the PoD was created by an all powerful and benevolent being who wanted to give mortals the chance to observe one another, communicate, and learn from one another for the common good. Finally, others curse its creation and the destruction its existence has wrought on many unprepared civilizations.
Who Supplies the Necessary Spacefaring Technology?
As in the original Spelljammer, the arcane (or another, equally mysterious race of the GMs choosing) traffic spelljamming technology, as well as PoD artifacts, but this time they do it through the PoD and into the various PMPs. It is not known whether or not the arcane are or were in league with the creator of the PoD, but it seems likely. There is no known PMP that the arcane claim as home, but they have built small stations inside the PoD (of which only a few are known of). Aggressors have captured these structures but have found little inside but the occasional storage room full of helms and other spacefaring devices.
Modifications to the Arcane
The most surprising attributes of the arcane is their talent for learning new forms of magic and their total absence of malice (although they are virtually fearless and will defend themselves and their goods for as long as they think it is in their advantage to do so) and wish to interfere in the affairs of other races. They only seem to want to do one thing, sell spacefaring equipment to those who want to buy them, no matter who. The arcane keep to themselves and are undaunted by torture (they seem to be able to shut off their minds to pain), thus remaining almost completely mysterious to this day. The massive profits they seem to make from selling their goods has kept them superiorly equipped and it is suspected that the arcane keep some of their best goods for themselves.
Magic In Other Dimensions
Because of the soul cord, magic items (when used by a caster from their plane/dimension of origin) and wizards, clerics, etc., casting spells ruled by the magical laws of a plane/dimensions other than the plane/dimension in which they trying to caste can operator as usual except when it comes to alteration and summoning-type spells, which often cannot function (as well as any other spell a GM rules out). Ultimately however, it is up to each individual GM what works and what does not since only they know the magical laws of the dimensions their character's play in.
Planetary Movement Rules In a Standard Solar System
Planets are always assumed to be lined up in a strait path for ships to travel to and planets can be skipped as if they are not their if a ship wishes to avoid them.
Figuring a Character's MLP Total
MLPs are Magic Level Points. Characters belonging to classes with access to spells that are ranked by levels can figure their MLP total by taking every the number of spells they have at each level and taking them times their level and adding them together. For example, a wizard with three 1st level spells, two 2nd, and one 3rd has a MLP total of 8.
Figuring a Standard Helm's MLP Costs
A helm (magic device supplying motive force to a ship) requires certain number of MLPs per day to move a ship of a certain mass at cruising speed. A standard helm follows the table below.
Note: only one helm can move a single ship at a single time.
Mass of Ship MLP Cost Per Day to Move at Cruising Speed
if > continue as before ? 650-550,001 7 550-450,001 6 450-350,001 5 350-250,001 4 250-150,001 3 150,000-0 2
Note: be sure to include a ship's cargo, weapons, ammunition, and personnel when figuring its current mass at the rate of 5 mass units per every 2 lbs or less/1250 mass units for every 500 lbs.
Note: when a ship is under the external influence of gravity (i.e., when in the atmosphere of a planet or caught within the gravity field generated by the gravity generator of another ship) the ship and its cargo and personnel will be pulled towards source of that gravity, thus requiring a helm to consume more power to overcome the force of that gravity. To determine the increased cost per hour until free of the gravitational force, take the force of the gravity in Gs (1G equals one times the Earth's gravity) times the mass of the ship and its cargo and personnel in mass units and divide by 650,000 (always round fractions up to the next whole number). For simplicity's sake, gravity in a normal planetary atmosphere or generated by a normal gravity generator will always be figured as 1G (it is up to the GM to say otherwise).
Note: a ship's self-generated gravity doesn't effect the rate of that ship's helm's MLP consumption.
Figuring Planetary Atmosphere/Gravity Escape Times and MLP Cost
Again, for simplicity's sake, the end of a planet's atmosphere marks the end of its gravitational influence as well. Also, the standard planet, no matter its size, fits inside a single long range space on a standard solar system map. Thus, the time it takes to escape its atmosphere/gravity (this includes gaseous planets) equals the long range speed of the ship. Since the maximum long range speed of a ship in a gas-type atmosphere being 1 space per 4 hours, it would take a minimum of 4 hours to move out of the space which the planet inhabits (and thus its atmosphere) in long range terms. Since the constant gravitational force of a planet is 1G, it would cost a ship of 650,000 mass units (again, including the mass of cargo and personnel) 4 additional MLP to escape a standard planet's atmosphere in calm weather if traveling at one long range space per 4 hours. If a planetary body covers more than one long range on a standard solar system map, than it is up to the GM to determine the end of its atmosphere and thus gravitational effect in long range spaces and mark it appropriate on a map. The gravitational range of a sun/star is a special case and can be ignored for simplicity's sake (it is also possible to assign a sun/star an planetary-like gravitational range to show its effect at close ranges). Increased gravity can cause damage to a ship's personnel and to a ship if they cannot withstand their own weight, this is why ships have stowage capacities and the gravitational maximum is 1G.
Note: when traveling within a planet's gravitational field, no matter if escape or entry is being attempted, a helm opperates at an increased rate of MLP consumption (figure as normal). If at full stop a ship will fall, but it can retain its position, barring weather, by expending 1 MLP per hour for every 650,000 mass units of ship or less.
Note: a ship cannot move faster than 1 long range space per 4 hours when inside a gas-type atmosphere (3 tactical spaces per turn) with calm weather and not faster than 1 long range space per 12 hours through a liquid-type atmosphere/body which remains relatively calm (1 tactical space per turn).
Note: it is up to a GM to determine the effects of weather other than what can be described as calm on a ship and crew, including a ship's speed and maneuverability.
Helm Speed Conversions
Tactical Speed Long Range Speed Conversion
6 tactical spaces per turn (max) 1 long range space
per 2 hours (max)
5 spaces/turn 1 space/2.5 hours
4 spaces/turn 1 space/3 hours
3 spaces/turn 1 space/4 hours
2 spaces/turn 1 space/6 hours
1 space/turn (cruising speed) 1 space/12 hours (cruising speed)
full stop full stop
Maneuverability
All ships have a maximum maneuverablitiy of 1 direction change at the end of every turn. A ship at full stop however, can make two direction changes per turn.
Note: direction changes are made at the end of a turn.
Note: standard helms can move a ship in reverse at a rate of 1 space every other turn with one direction change every two spaces moved.
Acceleration/Deceleration in Space
A standard helm can only accelerate/decelerate a ship to the next highest/lowest speed rating in a single turn. Any change in speed should be announced to a GM by a PC for a PC controlled ship before it is moved on a map grid. Every change in speed when accelerating/decelerating costs 6 MLPs. A ship assumes the new speed at the beginning of the turn in which the change in speed was announced. Thus it requires energy to accelerate/decelerate, but not to maintain a speed. The exception to this rule is when a ship is moving through an atmosphere upon which 1 MLP is consumed every 2 hours times 1+n (n = 1 for every speed rating above cruising speed), adding the n before multiplying, to maintain a speed, otherwise the ship drops to the next lowest speed rating (whether at long range or tactical speed) when moving in a standard gas-type atmosphere. 1.5 MLPs are consumed every 2 hours times 1+n, again adding the n before multiplying, when moving through a liquid-type atmosphere/body (it also costs 9 MLPs to INCREASE a ship's speed in a liquid-type atmosphere). In long range terms this comes out to 6 MLPs/space in a gas-type atmosphere and 9 MLPs/space in a liquid-type atmosphere. A ship can slow down without expending energy in this way if it waits long enough, but it costs the usual 6 MLPs to decelerate before then in either atmosphere type. Speed maintenance costs are added to acceleration/deceleration costs.
Standard Gravity and Radiation Shield Generators
Gravity/radiation shield generators are flat circles/ovals of a random make that are imbedded in the center of a ship, usually composing part of a well protected floor/ceiling. Extending outward and parallel to the gravity/radiation shield generator in a two dimensional plane is the ship's gravity field (when the gravity generator is active). This plane does not bend with the dimensions of the ship and only pulls objects directly up/downward towards the imaginary surface of the gravity plane from the position which they occupy. Objects falling down towards the plane will be pulled back "up" if the force of their fall carries them through the plane and back down again, etc., until they come to a complete rest, balanced in weight on both sides of the plane. Objects are not attracted towards the center of the ship where the generator rests and so they will not be pulled towards the center of the ship if they are floating along the plane of the gravity field, again, the gravity generated only pulls objects directly (up/down) towards the gravity plane from the position which they occupy. The boundaries of the gravity field and plane extend outward from the edges of the generator a set distance (depending on the power of the generator) and around as if the edges of the plane were rotated 180 degrees. Beyond these boundaries the gravity generated does not take affect. All standard gravity/radiation shield generators require 1 MLP per day to continue working and 1 MLP begin. They can also store and infinite number of charges. In addition to the gravity produced, a gravity/radiation shield generator (also called a GRSG) creates a radiation shield on the surface of the gravity field which blocks out outside magical/non-magical temperature and harmful radiation effects (as produced by most stars). The temperature inside the shield is maintained at a constant temperature which can be set by those with the knowledge and skill to any degree. Fires behave normally however and can increase or decrease this set temperature if active inside the shield. The arcane GRSG seems to be immune to all forms of dispel magic and seems to work in any dimension, no matter what its magical/physical laws. When two gravity fields generated by two different GSRGs collide their boundaries join like ordinary soap bubbles and the effects of the area of each field which would normally extend into the other's area apparantly ceasing to exist while not collapsing the remainder of either field, reappearing instantaneously as the fields separate. As such, a smaller ship, when entering and finally surrounded by the gravity field of a much larger ship, effectively has no gravity field until it escapes the effect of the other. If two generators should actually physically make contact however, both generators stop functioning and must be recharged. GRSGs are not effected by the gravity fields of other non-GRSG gravity producing objects (like planetary bodies), and will cut off their effect inside of the GRSG's field of effect.
Standard Atmosphere Generators
Even with the abnormal gravity generated by GRSGs, ships can contain an atmosphere. However, this atmosphere rapidly deteriorates due to the natural breathing of a ship's personnel and most be constantly replenished to avoid their suffocation. A standard ship atmosphere generator (or SAG) actually creates air molecules of a certain type to supply a continuously breathable atmosphere for a ship's intended personnel while repelling all air molecules outside of the ship's gravity field (if a ship's gravity field is not in effect this repelling of foreign air molecules does not occur, and anything heavier than a gas, as in water, enters the gravity field normally even when it is). It takes an atmosphere generator 1 hour for every 50 feet in radius a gravity generator's gravity plane extends (rounding up to the next whole number) to increase a ship's pre-existing atmosphere rating up one level (deadly to foul to fresh, p. 11, Concordance of Arcane Space). When an atmosphere generator shuts down it takes the same amount of time to decrease to the next lowest atmosphere rating. If a gravity generator shuts down, the ship's atmosphere rating increases/decreases once in level every turn to the atmosphere level outside of the former gravity field (a vacuum is equal to deadly). The air composition generated can be set by those knowledgeable and with the necessary skills. A standard atmosphere generator costs 1 MLP per day to function.
Standard Personal Atmosphere and Radiation Shield Creator
Many space travelers wear a PARSC (pronounced "parsack"), which comes in many forms (ring, medallion, collar, etc.) in case of an emergency (such as a failing atmosphere or radiation shield generator, also an incompatible atmosphere). They remain inactive until a radiation shield fails or an atmosphere becomes deadly, upon which they automatically and instantaneously become active, protecting the wearer from any such dangers until physical contact is broken, its power runs out, or its owner dies by other means, upon which they instantaneously shut down, exposing its owner completely to their surroundings. PARSCs automatically protect a wearer from the effects of non-magical poisonous gasses, but not magical gasses (as per a spell). PARSCs consume 1 MLP per day and can store an infinite number of charges (although a charge usually comes at a service fee if obtained from another individual). The base temperature and type of atmosphere a PARSC generates can be set by those knowledgeable and with the necessary skills.
Note: since the atmosphere of a PARSC is only generated inside
Standard Device Costs
Helm - 3,000 gp SAG - 1,000 gp PARSC - 500gp (the recharging cost is 1d6+4 gp per MLP) GRSG - 500 gp for every 50 feet or less in radius the gravity plane extends [average radius (length from center plus width from center divided by 2) in feet for an oval shaped gravity plane]
Note: these are arcane prices and generally only the arcane know how to customize the devices to a client's needs.
Destroying Standard Arcane Devices
These devices are immune to dispel magic-type spells but can be destroyed physically when the materials composing them are damaged.
Figuring a Ship's Mass
Take the average length in feet, times the average width in feet, times the average height in feet, times the correct mass classification, times the average thickness of the hull, times average thickness of internal walls and floors/ceilings.
Note: anything less than one foot in any dimension still equals 1.
Mass Classifications
Standard Wood/Bone = 1 Standard Stone/Light Metal (Aluminum, Titanium) = 2 Heavy Stone/Ore = 3 Standard Metal (Iron, Bronze, Copper, Brass, Steel, Tin) = 4 Heavy Metal (Lead) = 6 Extremely Heavy Metal (Platinum, Gold) = 8
Note: if the ship is made of composite materials take the length, width, height, and thickness total and figure by percentages. Example: 90,000 (length, width, height, and thickness total) X 20% Standard Metal = 18,000. 90,000 X 80% Standard Wood/Bone = 72,000. Then take the mass classification of each material times the appropriate number. Example: 18,000 X 4 (mass of standard metal) = 72,000 and 72,000 X 1 (mass of standard wood/bone) = 72,000, bringing the total mass to 144,000.
Figuring a Ship's Hull Point Total From Mass Units
Divide the mass total by 100,000 and then by 2.
Figuring a Ship's Hull Point Total From Mass Units
Take the percentages of the ships composing materials times their own mass classification (for these purposes lead, platinum, and gold have a mass classification of 2 and titanium 6) and add them together with an additional 4 points, rounding up to the next whole number.
For the example above: .8 X 1 Standard Wood/Bone + .2 X 4 Standard Metal = 1.6, and 1.6 + 4 = 5.6 = 6
Note: a ships saves as the material which composes the greatest percentage of it. In this case the materials are simply refered to as wood, bone, stone, and metal.
Effects of Exposure to Normal Space
Note: always round fractions up to the next whole number (i.e., 2.1 = 3)
Note: refer to a solar system map or table to figure distances (number of spaces) from a sun.
Temperature and Other Short-Term Radiation Damage From a Sun
Step One: Take the size of the sun compared to the Earth's sun (.5X, 1X, 2X, 3X, 5X >) times 2 to determine the number of spaces away from the sun at which no damage is taken, the temperature and short-term radiation safety zone. Then determine the position of the exposure on a solar system map. If farther out from the sun than the safety zone than the damage is due to freezing alone, heat and short-term radiation if farther in.
Step Two: If the exposure was farther out than the safety zone subtract the safety zone position number from the position number (number of spaces from the sun) of the exposure. If farther in, subtract the position number from the safety zone position number and times by 5.
Step Three: Subtract the previously mentioned total from 1d20+5 to figure the approximate number of turns (minutes) until death occurs (O turns/minutes means instant death upon exposure). Take this total and divide a creature's HP total by it. Subtract this many HPs every turn until death. The damage (unlike in real life) stops once exposure stops and can be healed by a normal healing spell.
Freezing Damage in Normal Space Without a Sun
Death is instantaneous due to near absolute zero temperatures.
Long-Term Radiation Damage From a Sun
Step One: Take the size of the sun compared to the Earth's sun (.5X, 1X, 2X, 3X, 5X >) times 62 to determine the maximum range of long-term radiation damage effects in spaces, if beyond this range there is no damage due to long-term radiation. If this does not apply continue.
Step Two: Take the size of the sun compared to the Earth's sun (.5X, 1X, 2X, 3X, 5X >) times 12. Anything farther in than this number of spaces (i.e., farther in to a sun) recieves a decreased life expectancy. Count the number of spaces farther in by counting the distance from the sun at the time of exposure and subtracting from the total above. Take this total and times by 3. If farther out than the area of decreased life expectancy, subtract the total at the beginning of this step from the number of spaces out from the sun at the time of exposure and take that total times 3 as well.
Step Three: If farther in subtract from (if farther out add to) 1d100+36 to figure out the radiation death rate in days (minimum of 1 day). Using this rate, subtract 1 strength and 1 constitution point from the creature's stats at the end of each period until one score reaches zero, meaning death. Damage does not stop with exposure and can be healed by a normal healing spell (1 strength or constitution point per 3 HPs, damage rate stopping once completely healed).
Long-Term Radiation Damage in Normal Space Without a Sun
No damage due to long-term radiation without a sun.
When Exposed to Multiple Suns at the Same Time in Normal Space
If exposed within the heat/short-term radiation damage ranges or long-term radiation damage ranges (freezing ranges don't apply here) of more than one sun, figure the heat/short-term radiation damages per turn for each and add them together (5 HPs/turn + 5 HPs/turn = 10 HPs/turn), and for long-term radiation damage simply increase the strength and constitution damage per period by one for every sun that the creature was within range of when exposed and then figure the damage rate according to whichever sun is the closest.
