Spelljamming Catalysts - 5e Homebrew

Written by DoStuffZ

Spelljamming Catalysts (5e Homebrew)

Overview:

Spelljamming Catalysts are materials that must be integrated into a ship’s structure to allow it to exceed the 100-ton limit. These enchanted components stabilize the helm’s power but also introduce dangers if the ship takes damage or the helmsmen lose control.

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Types of Spelljamming Catalysts:

1. Aether Crystals:
   • Description: Large, glowing crystals that store pure magical energy. These crystals resonate with the magical energy of the helmsmen, amplifying their power.
   • Usage: Aether Crystals must be placed in key areas of the ship’s hull and enchanted to sync with the helm. At least one Aether Crystal is required for every 50 tons of ship mass over 100 tons.
   • Effect: Aether Crystals stabilize the flow of magic from the helm, preventing the ship from tearing itself apart.
   • Danger: If a crystal is damaged, the magic it contains is violently released. This can result in:
   • Helm Overload: All helmsmen must immediately make a Helm Shock save (DC 15) or become stunned for 1d4 rounds.
   • Ship Damage: The ship takes 3d10 force damage per broken crystal, potentially tearing apart critical areas.
2. Astralwood Planks:
   • Description: Rare wood harvested from trees that grow in the Astral Sea. Infused with astral energy, this wood allows the ship to partially exist in the border between planes.
   • Usage: Astralwood must be built into the ship’s frame. For every 50 tons over the 100-ton limit, a portion of the hull must be replaced with Astralwood.
   • Effect: The astral-infused wood increases the ship’s resilience to the rigors of spelljamming, allowing it to maintain structural integrity even at large sizes.
   • Danger: When the ship takes heavy damage (from a critical hit or if hull integrity drops below 25%), the astral energy may destabilize, partially phasing the ship into another plane. This can cause:
   • Dimensional Rift: The ship is shunted into the Astral Plane for 1d6 rounds before returning, potentially becoming lost.
   • Hull Weakness: The affected area becomes brittle, reducing the ship’s AC by 2 and making it vulnerable to further damage.
3. Voidstone Relays:
   • Description: Small, dense stones of pure void energy that absorb and channel the power of the helm. Voidstones are harvested from the edge of dead stars and are incredibly difficult to procure.
   • Usage: Voidstone Relays are installed along the ship’s keel and masts, acting as magical conduits for helm energy. One relay is required per 25 tons over 100 tons.
   • Effect: These stones allow the ship to channel enormous amounts of magical power without destabilizing. Voidstones enhance the ship’s maneuverability, reducing the penalties for additional helms by half.
   • Danger: Voidstones are extremely volatile. If a helm shock occurs or the ship takes massive damage (reducing it to 0 HP in a single area), the Voidstones can implode, resulting in:
   • Singularity Effect: A miniature black hole forms at the site of the destroyed Voidstone, sucking in parts of the ship and anything within 30 feet (Strength save DC 18 to avoid being pulled in).
   • Helm Drain: All helmsmen must make a Helm Shock save (DC 17). If failed, they are incapacitated for 1d4 rounds, and the ship's SR drops to 0 until recovered.
4. Planar Veins:
   • Description: Metallic veins running through the ship, forged from rare alloys infused with elemental energies from multiple planes of existence.
   • Usage: Planar Veins must be integrated into the ship’s structure, usually in critical load-bearing sections. These veins allow the ship to draw on the power of the planes to support its massive size. One vein per 75 tons over 100 tons is required.
   • Effect: The Planar Veins stabilize the ship and boost its defensive capabilities, granting it resistance to force and fire damage.
   • Danger: When struck by a high-damage spell (dealing over 40 damage), the Planar Veins can overload, causing a Planar Surge:
   • Planar Flicker: The ship momentarily flickers between the Material Plane and another random plane (DM's choice), potentially drawing creatures or hazards from that plane onboard.
   • Explosion: The overloaded section of the ship erupts in a blast of elemental energy (3d10 elemental damage to all nearby, type depends on the infused element).

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Failure Scenarios (5e Mechanics):

1. Helmsman Failure:
   • If a helmsman fails their Helm Shock save or the telepathic link is disrupted, the connected Spelljamming Catalysts may also destabilize, leading to catastrophic consequences.
   • SR Reduction: Upon failure, all active Spelljamming Catalysts resonate uncontrollably, immediately reducing the ship’s SR to 0 for 1d6 rounds.
2. Hull Damage:
   • If the ship takes damage to a section where a Spelljamming Catalyst is housed (such as a critical hit), the Catalyst may be destroyed or disabled. This triggers the respective effects (e.g., Aether Crystal explosion or Voidstone singularity).
3. Overload:
   • If the helmsmen try to push the ship beyond its safe limits (e.g., attempting to exceed the normal maximum SR or performing reckless maneuvers), the Spelljamming Catalysts may overload. The DM can impose a Helm Shock save with a higher DC (e.g., DC 20), and failure results in catastrophic failures as the catalysts break down.

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In-Game Roleplaying Impacts:

• Acquiring Materials: These catalysts are rare and difficult to acquire. Organizations like the CVC might have the resources to obtain them, but each one requires substantial effort (such as questing to the Astral Sea or finding a dead star to harvest Voidstones).
• Maintenance: Spelljamming Catalysts require periodic maintenance, especially after taking damage. The party or organization may need to hire specialized mages or artificers to keep the ship in working order.
• Emergency Repairs: In the event of a catastrophic failure, the crew may have only minutes to stabilize a broken catalyst. This could lead to tense, time-sensitive repairs during combat or exploration.

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This addition of Spelljamming Catalysts provides a tangible reason why ships over 100 tons are rare and dangerous, even with supercharged helms. These catalysts introduce high costs and high risks, where failure quickly leads to severe consequences, making the decision to go beyond 100 tons a daunting but tempting prospect for well-funded organizations.