Spelljammer, The

The Spelljammer is a legendary, sentient ship eternally roaming the Astral Sea and the namesake for all spelljamming vessels.

Crew

The Spelljammer needs no living crew to function. Instead, it seemingly can power and propell itself. Repairs and other tasks that require precision on the Spelljammer itself are handled by shivaks, servitor constructs designed to protect and maintain the larger vessel.
Despite this the Spelljammer carries around 5,000 living humanoids at any one time. More akin to passengers than crew, those that travel on board the Spelljammer will fight to defend it and are inexorably tied to it. When the Spelljammer isn't threatened, however, the living passengers wage an endless war against one another, split into smaller fiefdoms and tribes as they fight in vain over the untold riches aboard the legendary vessel. These fights are permitted by the Spelljammer and the servitors, so long as they don't interfere with the ship's operations or functions.
The Spelljammer continually releases magical scents and fragrances throughout its air envelope that entraps the wills of others, subtly charming those that enter into never being filling to leave. The exact nature of the smell varies from target to target, race to race, ranging from roses to fresh-baked foods to rotted flesh. No matter what it is, it is universally appealing to each individual and seemingly affects powerful magic users faster than ordinary crewmen. Despite the stories of this effect from the few who managed to escape from the Spelljammer, individuals are still drawn to board the vessel, hoping to secure its riches, control the legendary ship, or perhaps rescue a loved one.

Piloting the Spelljammer

One of the great draws for individuals to risk the charming effect of the Spelljammer are rumors and legends of those few that have managed to captain the legendary vessel. The stories of those that have are scattered and fragmented, not helped by the fact that none that have reportedly piloted the Spelljammer have ever returned after doing so. Most stories share a similar element though in needing a spelljamming helm of immense power and strength and a test of considerable strength against the Spelljammer's chosen defender.

Propulsion

Perhaps the most suprising feature of the Spelljammer is its speed and maneuverability despite its immense size. Despite centuries of advancement, few spelljammers are capable of keeping up with the Spelljammer when the larger vessel reaches its max speeds. In addition, it can turn 120 degrees in only a few seconds, which has no effect on its onboard crew or passengers, a disturbing and unatural sight for most spelljamming captains.

Weapons & Armament

The Spelljammer does not appear to be constructed for battle, but it is more than capable of defending itself. The large complement of weapons onboard the vessel are controlled by the various races that ride onboard the ship. While normally used against one another during their endless battles, the ship's passengers turn their weapons against any vessels that threaten the Spelljammer.
One of the few natural weapons the Spelljammer has access to is stored within its tail. When threatened, the tail can open and fire a sphere of annihilation. The sphere has the ability to lock-on to targets and will continue chasing targets until it reenters the air envelope of the Spelljammer, at which point it fizzles out of existence. However, this weapon hasn't been witnessed in centuries, leading to speculation that it requires a unique energy source to fire or that the Spelljammer cannot use its tail without a captain.

Armor and defense

In addition to its considerably effective physical armor, the Spelljammer is also resistant to nearly all forms of magic.
However, perhaps its greatest defense is its sheer size. The enormity of its gravity plane means that smaller vessels pulled into its gravity plane can have their ships smashed against the hull of the Spelljammer. Even those helmsmen that can deftly pilot their ships to avoid crashing still find themselves disoriented.

Sensors

Lacking eyes in the biological sense, the Spelljammer is nonetheless seemingly able to detect individuals and vessels around and on board it. This perception doesn't appear to extend to constructs or undead, as reports from escaped passengers have reported shivaks unable to register their presence. This may be why the Spelljammer allows living passengers to remain on board, to fight the threats the vessel cannot detect.

Hangars & docked vessels

The Spelljammer is capable of creating much smaller versions of itself, known as smalljammers. These smaller vessels, once "born," quickly fly away from the mothership. If the smalljammers ever return to the larger Spelljammer, it has never been documented.
The purpose of the smalljammer is a hotly debated topic among scholars of the Spelljammer. One prevalent theory is that the Spelljammer is not in fact the original Spelljammer, proposing that everytime a Spelljammer is destroyed or dies, a smalljammer grows to take its place. While interesting, there is no proof to support this theory.

Navigating Crystal Spheres

Unlike most spelljamming vessels, the Spelljammer creates massive, permeable holes in crystal spheres that remain for some time after it passes through that other vessels, even those without spelljamming helms, are able to make use of.

Class

Spelljammer

Beam

3,100 ft. (.59 mile)

Length

1,575 ft. (.3 mile)

Complement / Crew

1 (?) - 5,000

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

.75 million tons (est.)

by Tom Baxa, copyright Wizards of the Coast