Tall Ships and a Star To Steer By

Just in!  New release PDF netbook by Adam “Night Druid” Miller, HackJammer designer!

Tall Ships and a Star To Steer By

Featuring several spelljammer ships of his creation.  Enjoy!

Night Druid’s Hobbit Birthday Present: Steelspace

Check out the PDF for Steelspace at this link, and comment with your feedback, as this is a beta test!

Crew of the Reverie (Remembrance)

Griim (ogre male): AL N; W5; hp 15; AC 10; #AT 1; DMG 2-9; SZ L; STR 17, INT 17
Notable Possessions: Bo staff, Lens of Speed Reading, Periapt of Wound Closure

Not long ago, Griim was a simple ogre sage and scribe of minor note in Steelspace. He was part of a minor order of scribes based out of a derelict mammoth near Corrukai. Griim was training in the fields of history (Steelspace) and Known Sphere cultures. He was part of a group of about two dozen scribes, serving under one Gistor the Gray, an elderly ogre magi. He was dislodged from his relatively comfortable life about four years ago.

The group was visited by Makamo the Glutton, an ogre bushi who came looking for answers to a burning question of his. Much research would be required, so Makamo was allowed to stay in the guest quarters while Gistor researched his books for the answers Makamo sought. Over the course of the next week, many of Gistor’s scribes and servants disappeared. Griim feared the worse, and his suspicions were realized when spied Makamo hunched over Gistor’s corpse, devouring it greedily. Griim and the remaining scribes fled to the cargo hold, where the Remembrance was being stored (Gistor had purchased it a few years ago as a curiosity). Fearful of Makamo’s wrath should he learn that Griim had escaped his grisly feast, Griim fled Steelspace and made his way to the Known Spheres.

Griim uses Change Self spells to disguise his true nature. He usually uses the disguise of a half-orc courier wizard to earn enough coin to survive. Despite his self-banishment from his homesphere of Steelspace, Griim is actually having a good time. He sees it all as a grand adventure, a chance to study up close all of the cultures, kingdoms, and races he’s read about in his master’s scrolls and books. He rather enjoys his freedom from his master’s harsh gaze.

Krosh (hobgoblin male): AL N; Scribe 2; hp 7; AC 10; #AT 1; DMG 1-8; SZ M; STR 10, DEX 14, INT 15
Notable Possessions: Bo staff, signet ring, writing equipment, potion of healing

As a young hobgoblin, Krosh was the runt of the family. Considered good for nothing, his clan sold him to Gistor, and Krosh became a simple scribe under his tutelage. Even as an adult, Krosh is very small for a hobgoblin, both shorter than normal at only 5’11” tall, and weaker than typical. He is quite the pacifist, preferring to sit and chat over herbal tea rather than resorting to violence. Much like Griim, he finds the Known Spheres fascinating, despite the inhabitants being uncouth, uncivilized barbarians. Krosh knows how to handle the wing-sails and his duties are to manage them.

Krosh appears much like a peasant in his mid-twenties from Wa, save that his skin color is a shade of light orange, fairly close to the color of a ripe apricot. Krosh wears sandals, a simple peasant tunic and breeches, and a broad straw hat that helps obscure his unusual skin coloration.

Sakka (hobgoblin female): AL N(C); Scribe 3; hp 8; AC 10; #AT 1; DMG 1-4; SZ M; INT 16, WIS 14, CHA 13
Notable Possessions: Dagger, writing equipment, Quill of Neverending Ink, Spectacles of Comprehending Languages

Bookish, quiet, shy, and “wall flower” all described Sakka, one of Gistor’s underling scribes. Getting away from Steelspace’s structured society has liberated Sakka. When the crew pulled into Bral for supplies and work, she walked the streets like a wide-eyed child, taking in the sights. It is perhaps a small miracle she did not get mugged, but it is likely her meager possessions did not attract any attention.

Sakka is short, 5’6” tall, and has dark orange skin and long, black hair. She is not unattractive, all things considered, but certainly no exotic beauty. She has traded in her drab peasant clothes for attire more commonly worn by the aperusa. Her favorite is a colorful dress, but she has more practical clothes as well. Sakka is near-sighted, which she corrects by wearing spectacles.

Sakka is much more aggressive than Krosh, and knows how to load and fire the catapult. It is actually something she takes pride in, since Krosh does not, and often teases him about it.

Brakkdor (bugbear male): AL LN; Bushi 3; hp 31; AC 5; #AT 3/2; DMG 6-11; SZ L; STR 18/22, CON 16
Notable Possessions: Shikomi-zue (double-bladed) +1, leather lamellar, Ring of Protection +1

Brakkdor is the crew’s ‘heavy’, the only one who is actually trained in combat. A bugbear from Korryl, he was hired on as part of Gistor’s security. When Makamo murdered Gistor, he first knocked Brakkdor unconscious in a swift, dishonorable blow from behind. As Griim and the others fled, they discovered the unconscious Brakkdor, and carried him to safety. When he awoke, Brakkdor was enraged, but even he realized how badly outmatched he was against the likes of Makamo, and sullenly accepted the self-imposed banishment the rest of the group agreed upon. Although he would dearly love to extract revenge on Makamo, he knows that ogre is far beyond his skills and does not allow thoughts of revenge to consume his every waking moment.

Since leaving Steelspace, Brakkdor is probably the most uncomfortable of the Remembrance’s crew to their new life in the Known Spheres. Everywhere he sees enemies, people that would do him and the people he protects harm. Of course, being a seven foot tall very hairy humanoid does not help matters, for most people treat him as a scary monster. Ironically, Brakkdor is surprisingly gentle for a bugbear, and Sakka has noted that he has a soft spot in his heart for children, regardless of race.

Brakkdor’s Shikomi-zue appears as an iron staff with a length of about six feet. With a simple twist of the handle, it can produce foot-long blades from either end of the shaft. This special weapon normally causes 1d6+1 points of damage, either bludgeoning (as a staff) or piercing (the spear tips). Brakkdor is specialized in its use. He also knows martial arts, so he is never completely disarmed.

Tarn Rabbittoe (kender male): AL NG; Handler 6; hp 28; AC 8; #AT 1; DMG 1-6; SZ S; DEX 16; CHA 12
Notable Possessions: Hoopak, lock picks

Tarn stands out with the rest of the crew, as he is neither a native of Steelspace, nor is he a humanoid. He is a kender, which in some peoples’ minds, make him by far the most dangerous member of the crew. This, in some ways, is a very true statement.

Tarn met up with the crew while they were docked at the Rock of Bral. He encountered Sakka while she was wandering the streets, and after some small talk, the two became fast friends. Both share a fascination with wildspace and the myriad of cultures of the Known Spheres. Tarn, of course, hails from Kendermore, and managed to stow away on an odd ship while it was docked in Balifor. He had been wandering the docks of wildspace for almost a decade before he met the crew of the Remembrance, and has become a guide of sorts to them. His knowledge of wildspace and its dangers has kept the crew out of the worst danger, although he still loves a little mischief every now and again to keep things interesting. He genuinely cares for the crew, and would never knowingly endanger them, although he is a bit scatter-brained and often oblivious to danger.

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By Adam “Night Druid” Miller

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The Reverie (Remembrance,) Part 1

Reverie (Remembrance)

Elven Stinger

Built By: Elves

Used Primarily By: Ogres

Tonnage: 7 tons

Hull Points: 7

Crew: 2/7 (5)

Maneuver Class: B

Landing-Land: Yes

Landing-Water: Yes

Armor Rating: 8

Saves As: Ceramic

Power Type: Splendid Sails

Ship’s Rating: 2

Standard Armament:

Light catapult (A; Crew 2)

Cargo: 3 tons

Keel Length: 100’

Beam Length: 20’

 

The Reverie (Common translation: Remembrance) is hardly what many people would consider a ‘ship’; it is more akin to a boat for a larger craft much like a flitter or a mosquito. It indeed looks like an enlarged flitter, big enough to carry multiple crewmen while not being large enough to be considered a true ship.

The Remembrance is an elven stinger, an ancient design from the earliest days of elven exploration. The stinger is rarely seen today, usually confined to elven-dominated spheres such as Darnannon. It is too lightly armed and armored for most captains’ tastes. Some stingers are used by couriers for long-distance message delivery between elven colonies and Armada, but little else.

The Remembrance looks like an oversized flitter, with a black body and wings, with cobalt-blue highlights. There is a single interior deck and a small top deck. There is only one weapon, a light catapult set to fire at pursuing ships. The Remembrance is not designed for battle, and would be easily defeated by anything more powerful than a dragonfly.

Top Deck

1. Hatch: The hatch to the main deck can be bolted from the inside.
2. Bowsprit: A small Continual Light Lantern that sheds a soft light down upon the deck is located here. The light shed by the lantern is about as bright as a full moon.
3. Catapult: The Remembrance’s only armament, a light catapult, is set to fire in a rear-ward arc. It is movable such that it could be fired in any arc, but this requires a good deal of muscle and takes about five minutes.
4. Ammunition: This crate is bolted to the deck. It holds eighteen round stones that weigh about forty pounds each (ammunition for the catapult). The crate has a simple latch to keep the lid closed, but otherwise is unlocked.

Main Deck

1. Hatch: The hatch to the top deck can be bolted from here. A ladder leads up to the top deck.
2. Bridge: The Bridge of the Remembrance is fairly bare. There is a simple mapping table with charts to about half a dozen spheres (none Steelspace) and a Telescope of Planetary Location. The Telescope is a primitive version of the Planetary Locator. When a person gazes through the telescope, it directs the viewer towards the nearest planet of size A or larger, and shows the viewer a fuzzy image of the planet and a general distance in days of travel. Once per day, the viewer can view another planet so long as he knows the generally accepted name of the planet. There is also a pair of chairs in front of the windows for stargazing.
3. Galley: The Remembrance’s galley is fairly advanced, thanks to an upgrade by Gistor before he died. There is a small, magical stove that can be commanded to become very hot three times per day, enough to prepare a simple meal. There are four barrels in this room (grog, apples, citrus fruit, and salted pork), several sacks of flour, and the usual pots, pans, skillets, and knives to prepare a meal. The Remembrance usually carries enough food to keep the crew fed for four months.
4. Captain’s Cabin: The captain’s cabin has been claimed by Griim. It has a long bed, specially built to accommodate Griim’s eight-foot tall frame. There is also a writing desk, a trunk of clothes, and a small coffer with 500 gp in various currencies (to pay for docking fees). There is also a bookshelf with more than a dozen books written by Griim on life in the Known Spheres. These books detail the people and cultures he has encountered, with little attention to defenses or battle-readiness of non-ogres. As such they are completely useless to the ogres of Steelspace.
5. Crew Quarters: The four-man crew shares this room. There are four hammocks and four sea chests for the crews’ belongings. A silk screen decorated with an oriental-style dragon is in one corner, to allow Sakka some privacy when she changes. There is a writing desk and more than two dozen books on a shelf, all detailing life in the Known Spheres. There is a small table with a drawer that contains dozens of colorful ceramic tiles – useful for play Mahjong and Go! Griim and Krosh often play against one another; when sailing in deep space, their games can last hours.
6. Privy: This tiny cubby of a room has a Chamber Pot of Devouring and Cleanliness (a magically enchanted chamber pot that not only disposes of waste but also cleans the backside with a spray of water and hot air) and an Incense Burner of Neverending Delightful Scents (Jasmine-scented).
7. Cargo Hold: The cargo hold of the Remembrance is quite small, only capable of holding small amounts of cargo.
8. Companionway: The companionway is lit by two small glowing globes, both putting off light equal to moonlight. They can be shuttered to show no light at all.

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By Adam “Night Druid” Miller

Crew of the Huntsman

Xinnix (dizantar): AL LE, HD 8, hp 65, AC -3, #AT 1, DMG 9-18, SA Spiked armor, SD Dimension door, MR 30%, SZ L

Possessions: Halberd +2, Rope of Entanglement, Beads of Force (3), Crown of the Stars

Xinnix appears as a typical dizantar. That is, a very tall humanoid completely encased in elaborate full plate armor. The only part where one can look into his armor is the eyeholes in his helmet, which only reveal a cold, empty void. Xinnix has only one goal: to slay Arcane. He rarely speaks to his crew; they are familiar enough with his orders that they can act without direction. He can communicate with them through silent telepathy, but when speaking to others, he speaks in a whispery voice. Unlike standard dizantar, Xinnix realized the value of a ship and crew, and entered into a bargain with a Pit Fiend to supply him with both. In exchange for treasure and magic items Xinnix would otherwise discard, the Pit Fiend provided a crew for Xinnix’s newly acquired ship, and keeps a squad of baatezu ready for Xinnix to call upon whenever necessary.

The Huntsman

Scorpion Ship
Built By: See below
Used Primarily By: See below
Tonnage: 60 tons
Hull Points: 60
Crew: 7
Maneuver Class: C
Landing-Land: Yes
Landing-Water: No
Armor Rating: 5
Saves As: Metal
Power Type: Special
Ship’s Rating: 4
Standard Armament:
2 Ram Claws (Crew: None)
1 Heavy Ballista (Crew: None)
1 Heavy Catapult (Crew 5)
Cargo: 12 ton
Keel Length: 75’
Beam Length: 20’The Huntsman is a spelljammer built in a fashion similar to the scorpion ships favored by ancient orcs. The overall layout is unchanged, although it has many enchantments that make it unique from other scorpion ships. It was probably built twelve hundred years ago on a backwater orc world or moon, and saw action during the First Unhuman Wars. It was defeated in battle sometime after the Battle of Kule and left a drifting wreck until it was claimed five years ago by its current owner, the Dizantar Xinnix.

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The Wartusker (Part 2)

Crew of the Wartusker

CAPTAIN – ‘Manmauler’ Olarf is an ogre chieftain with these characteristics: AC 4 (chain armor & shield); HD 7+1; hp ; #ATT 1; DMG 1d10+9; AL CE; EXP 1,400; STR 19, INT 6, CHA 5. Wears chain mail and carries a shield. Olarf is armed with a bastard sword +2. He wears a gold ring set with four small amethysts (500 gp) which is a Ring of Fire Resistance. He has a pouch with 25 pp, 33 gp, 75 sp, and 6 uncut topazes (value: 120 gp each). Olarf is the largest (and strongest!) ogre aboard the Wartusker, whose wide girth cannot be fully contained by his filthy red sash. Olarf is also quite stupid, boorish, and cruel. Ironically, he believes himself to be a great captain, a brilliant tactician, and the gods’ gift to women. Woe be any woman who falls into Olarf’s clutches; many have died due to his ‘affection’.

The Wartusker (Part 1)

Ogre Mammoth
Built By: Ogres
Used By: Ogres
Tonnage: 90 tons
Hull Points: 90
Crew: 42 Ogres, 4 Ogre Magi, 6 Orogs, 4 Half-ogres, 60 Orcs
Maneuver Class: E
Landing-Land: Yes
Landing-Water: No
Armor Rating: 4
Saves As: Thick Wood
Power Type: Type III Minor Helm
Ship’s Rating:
Armament:
6 Heavy Ballista (2FS, 2FP, 2A)
2 Heavy Catapult (P, S)
1 Heavy Jettison (A)
Blunt Ram
Cargo Capacity: 36 tons
Keel: 135′
Beam: 45′

Cephalocog

Built Primarily By: Humans?
Used Primarily By: Humans, mind flayers?
Cost: 25,000 gp
Tonnage: 25
Hull Points: 25
Crew: 6/25
Maneuverability Class: D
Air Worthiness: 50%
Sea Worthiness: 50%
Landing: Water only
Armor Rating: 6
Saves As: Thick Wood
Standard Armament:
1 medium ballista (F)
1 medium catapult (A)
Cargo: 13 tons
Keel: 50’
Beam: 25’