I want to give my players an astral ship for a few sessions but I don't want them to keep it, so I was thinking that it'd be a really, really old one.
Like from a lost civilisation., So it's literally held together by magic and once it's going, only lasts a few sessions.
What ancient civilization from 5e realms lore, who have had the knowledge and tech and magical ability to build such a ship though?
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I am an online author and sci-fi lover who plays table too roleplaying games in his free time. See all my character concepts at: Character Bios – Jays Blog (jaytelford.me)
With Githyanki being the bad guys, who would come to take their ship back and probably kill whoever has it, the Githzerai are the side of the Gith that the players could interact with.
There's a load of really good info on them in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes.
Do old 2nd edition Spelljammer ships count as astral ships? (since not yet updated to 5e)
Space faring elves had the butterfly like "Man o Wars", which were magically grown and kind of "living". Not knowing anything about the maintenance of the magical growth, the ship could break down and "die", limiting the time the players can use it.
Any other Spelljammer that uses a "magical furnace" can work too, because it might simply run out of fuel and the players do not know how to "burn" magical items properly. I am mainly thinking about Spelljammer, because the ships were very exotic looking and not just regular sail boats with cloth wings.
Spell jammer starships are interesting, though I'm not quite sure they would be suited to the astral.plane. though certainly, I can see a civerlisations from that time developing an astral ship (ahead of it's time maybe?)
Elves perhaps would be into the astral and stuff I think.
I am going to have to go find some manuals from the spell jammer era now.
Gith was also my first thought, but I'm not sure that Gith have ever actually came to the prime in tyetrealms setting
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I am an online author and sci-fi lover who plays table too roleplaying games in his free time. See all my character concepts at: Character Bios – Jays Blog (jaytelford.me)
In 5E its hard to say, as there is nothing out in print yet. In the original, the Githyanki Void Cruiser was the only ship able to shift from Material Plane to Astral Plane (they were separate planes then). Spelljammer.org has some stats on the Void Cruiser in a limited extent. The older Spelljammer material will detail it out a bit more. Cruising around in one will absolutely get attention, some will run, others will shoot on sight. Elves are to efficient to leave a ship intact and abandoned. If it was overrun by Scro etc….maybe. Then you could claim it by force and say the damage was so extensive it is running on the breath of a prayer at best.
Just a thought.
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Known in other realms as Ranxaeroth.
“Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and good with bar-b-que sauce.” ~Cheshire Dragon
”You can fool most of the people most of the time, but a Sphinx….never.” ~Torwyn Vantalion.
“When the DM smiles, its already to late.” ~many a player.
I like your idea and wouldn’t feel too tied to published literature. Just homebrew something. Since you’re looking for some more specific inspiration I might suggest the illithid as a likely source for an astral ship. Your PCs could find a wretched nautilloid they somehow have to get flying again. In my campaigns nautilloids require an extracted brain that serves as a sort of ships computer in order to function. Maybe one of them volunteers to become the ships brain or the PCs otherwise need to find a suitable substitute.
Illithids we're also ones known to use ships to traverse the Astral Plane called Nautiloids. Basically those prehistoric squids with the shell with a ship in it. Though they no longer use them as they are quiet rare(lore wise). It's completely possible to stumble upon an abounded one.
I want to give my players an astral ship for a few sessions but I don't want them to keep it, so I was thinking that it'd be a really, really old one.
Like from a lost civilisation., So it's literally held together by magic and once it's going, only lasts a few sessions.
What ancient civilization from 5e realms lore, who have had the knowledge and tech and magical ability to build such a ship though?
I am an online author and sci-fi lover who plays table too roleplaying games in his free time. See all my character concepts at: Character Bios – Jays Blog (jaytelford.me)
Gith immediately spring to mind.
With Githyanki being the bad guys, who would come to take their ship back and probably kill whoever has it, the Githzerai are the side of the Gith that the players could interact with.
There's a load of really good info on them in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/mtof/gith-and-their-endless-war
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Do old 2nd edition Spelljammer ships count as astral ships? (since not yet updated to 5e)
Space faring elves had the butterfly like "Man o Wars", which were magically grown and kind of "living". Not knowing anything about the maintenance of the magical growth, the ship could break down and "die", limiting the time the players can use it.
Any other Spelljammer that uses a "magical furnace" can work too, because it might simply run out of fuel and the players do not know how to "burn" magical items properly. I am mainly thinking about Spelljammer, because the ships were very exotic looking and not just regular sail boats with cloth wings.
Spell jammer starships are interesting, though I'm not quite sure they would be suited to the astral.plane. though certainly, I can see a civerlisations from that time developing an astral ship (ahead of it's time maybe?)
Elves perhaps would be into the astral and stuff I think.
I am going to have to go find some manuals from the spell jammer era now.
Gith was also my first thought, but I'm not sure that Gith have ever actually came to the prime in tyetrealms setting
I am an online author and sci-fi lover who plays table too roleplaying games in his free time. See all my character concepts at: Character Bios – Jays Blog (jaytelford.me)
Salutations,
In 5E its hard to say, as there is nothing out in print yet. In the original, the Githyanki Void Cruiser was the only ship able to shift from Material Plane to Astral Plane (they were separate planes then). Spelljammer.org has some stats on the Void Cruiser in a limited extent. The older Spelljammer material will detail it out a bit more. Cruising around in one will absolutely get attention, some will run, others will shoot on sight. Elves are to efficient to leave a ship intact and abandoned. If it was overrun by Scro etc….maybe. Then you could claim it by force and say the damage was so extensive it is running on the breath of a prayer at best.
Just a thought.
Known in other realms as Ranxaeroth.
“Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and good with bar-b-que sauce.” ~Cheshire Dragon
”You can fool most of the people most of the time, but a Sphinx….never.” ~Torwyn Vantalion.
“When the DM smiles, its already to late.” ~many a player.
Githyanki or Giff could have left an astral ship behind for various reasons.
I like your idea and wouldn’t feel too tied to published literature. Just homebrew something. Since you’re looking for some more specific inspiration I might suggest the illithid as a likely source for an astral ship. Your PCs could find a wretched nautilloid they somehow have to get flying again. In my campaigns nautilloids require an extracted brain that serves as a sort of ships computer in order to function. Maybe one of them volunteers to become the ships brain or the PCs otherwise need to find a suitable substitute.
happy gaming
Illithids we're also ones known to use ships to traverse the Astral Plane called Nautiloids. Basically those prehistoric squids with the shell with a ship in it. Though they no longer use them as they are quiet rare(lore wise). It's completely possible to stumble upon an abounded one.