Spelljamming Helms

Helms are the primary method of powering spelljamming vessels. Simply put, a helm is a magical device that channels magical energy from some source into motive force for the ship it's attached to. Some helms operate on slightly different principles, but these are few and rarely seen in the Known Spheres.
There are several different types of helms of varying types and abilities. This is just a list of the most common types within the Known spheres below and the "standard cost" for such a helm in an active spelljammer port like the Rock of Bral or Refuge. Note that in other places, the price quickly becomes what the market will bear and thus can drop or rise considerably.
Each one of these helms provides at least 1 HR (Helm Rating), which measures the power of the helm.

Furnace Helm (Wildspace only)

10,000 gp
These Helms provide HR 2 and can travel at spelljamming speed for ships up to 100 tons in size. The magical item is placed within the furnace, where it is consumed in an arcane fire (furnace helms do not function in the phlogiston).
Anyone can then pilot the furnace helm. An item with a common rarity provides one day worth of power while every increase in rarity item provides ten times as much, with artifacts providing an indefinite duration.
If two items are sacrificed at the same time, HR is boosted to 3, but the helm might explode (25%). Some goblinoids are rumoured to power their furnaces with an incendiary, magical fuel. Some think this fuel might be related to smoke powder in some way, but reliable reports are rare.

Minor Helm

100,000 gp
These are the most common helms in space, drawing their power from the spell energy of their helmsman (a spellcaster loses all memorized spells when they touch the helm).
These helms provide an HR of 1 for every three levels of the helmsman, rounding down (minimum of 1 HR).
A spellcaster can also keep their memorized spells by spending a spell slot to power the helm. For a minor helm, the HR equals half of the level of the expended slot rounded down (minimum of 1 HR)
They will power vessels up to 100 tons in size.

Major Helm

250,000 gp
These function just like minor helms but provide an HR equal to the users level divided by two and rounded down (minimum of 1 SR).
A spellcaster can also keep their memorized spells by spending a spell slot to power the helm. For a major helm, the HR equals the level of the spell slot expended.
They will power vessels up to 100 tons in size.

Lifejammer Helm

80,000 gp
Lifejammer helms are evil abominations that power ships by drawing on the lifeforce of their victim. Any living creature can be used; each day, the victim takes 2d6 necrotic damage and must make a constitution save with a DC of 10 or gain one level of exhaustion.
Lifejammers function otherwise just like minor helms, providing an HR equal to the victims level divided by three and rounded down (minimum of 1 HR). A 3rd level victim would provide HR 1, for instance, and one of 5th level HR 2. They will power vessels up to 100 tons in size.
Aside from the victim, the lifejammer requires a navigator, who may be of any class and who does the actual piloting of the ship. Lifejammers are often used by neogi, mind flayers, and the evil humanoid races.

Gnomish Helm

50,000 gp
These function just like minor helms but are made from all manner of strange gizmos and whizbangs "crafted" by the gnomes of krynnspace. When using a Gnomish Helm, roll a d10 whenever you make a movement during ship to ship combat; on a 1, the helm breaks and must be repaired over the course of 1d4 turns. They will power vessels up to 100 tons in size.

Pump Helm

600,000 gp
A pump helm is a spelljamming helm that must be fed material in order to create HR. The type of material placed in The Pump will determine the HR that this spelljamming engine generates (see the following table).
Simply stated, one pound of material can move a spelljamming ship of up to 100 tons for one hour. After that, absolutely nothing is left of the material placed in the helm.

Helm Rating	Material
1	Cloth, Liquids. Paper, Plant products, Rope, Stone, Wood
2	Copper, Glass, Greek fire, Metal
3	Bone, Ivory, Silver
4	Crystal, Electrum, Flesh, Leather
5	Fine Ceramics, Gold
6	Platinum, Semi-Precious Gems
7	Precious Gems
8	Mithril
9	Adamantine

Orbus

300,000gp (Beholders only)
Despite their natural spell-like abilities, the Beholders do not use Series Helms to power their ships. Instead, the Beholders have come up with their own unique solution: the Orbus.
The Orbus is a living beholderkin that functions in a fashion similar to the Series Helms. They appear as a smaller, gaunt, and pale beholder who's eyestalks are withered and vestigial. For each Orbus onboard the Beholder ship, the Ship's Rating is 1, to a maximum of 5 Orbus at any one time.
A single Orbus can power a ship of up to 20 tons, two can power up to 40 tons and three or more can power a maximum of 60 tons.
There is some discussion that the Orbus could also be used by ships crewed by races other than the Beholders, but the Beholders would rather destroy their own Orbus than see them in the hands of other races.

Orbus CR: 1/8

Medium aberration, neutral

Armor Class: 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 22 ( 4d8+4 )

Speed: , can hover

STR

17 +3

DEX

13 +1

CON

12 +1

INT

3 -4

WIS

13 +1

CHA

13 +1

Saving Throws: Wis +3

Skills: Perception +3

Condition Immunities: prone

Senses: passive Perception 13

Challenge Rating: 1/8

Antimagic Cone. The orbus’ central eye creates an area of antimagic, as in the antimagic field spell, in a 150-foot cone. At the start of each of its turns, the orbus decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 ( 1d6+1 ) piercing damage.

The orbus is only found among spacefaring beholders, lacking functional eye stalks and most of the intelligence of a regular beholder. They are the means by which beholders move their ships through Wildspace, channeling the energies of other members of the hive into motive force as a living Spelljammer helm. Aboard a ship, they tend to be found near the hive mother, who controls them, under the highest level of security available to them.
Orbus avoid fights whenever possible, being much weaker than other beholders, attempting to float up and away from any conflict. Only if cornered and threatened will it resort to its bite attack. If a beholder ship is attacked by another hive of beholders, the attacking forces attempt to capture as many orbi as they can to improve their ship's capabilities.

Artiforge

500,000 gp initial 100,000 gp per year
Dwarves, long known for being one of the least-magical races in the void, power their ships through magical engines known as Artiforges. The forge is found in a large foundry room, generally in the base of the ship, where Dwarves work around the clock, crafting and forging.
Instead of using magical energy to create motive force, the Forge uses the creative energy of the Dwarves working within it. For every 100 dwarves working in the foundry, the ship has a Helm Rating of 1 (to a maximum of 9), so generally speaking, the faster the ship, the more space it has given up to the Forge.
The Forge can power a ship with a minimum tonnage of 100 tons, and a maximum of 700 tons, although these are exceptionally rare.
Attempts to replicate this technology on ships of other races has failed miserably thus far.
As a side effect of the crafting and forging taking place in the foundry of ships powered by this type of helm, they are home to a huge amount of trade goods, and an even larger armory.

Series Helms

75,000gp (per linked helm)
These helms, invented by the Mindflayers, have been adapted for use by many other races with natural spell-like abilities. They resemble major and minor helms, but their primary difference is that they can be linked together, increasing their overall power, and can be used by non-mages, provided they have natural spell-like abilities available to them (such as illithid psionics).
For each helm in the series that is currently being manned, the ship has a Ship's Rating of 1. Generally, series helms contain between three and five active helms at any one time.
Series helms can move a ship between 5 and 50 tons.

Pool Helms

500,000gp (Mindflayers only)
Another development of the Mindflayers, the pool helm uses the natural life-pool of the mindflayers to power the ship, rather than the individual mindflayers themselves.
These helms have an automatic Ship's Rating of 5. It is not known, currently, what the maximum tonnage of ship that can be moved by this helm is, but rumors hold it to be 200 tons.

Non-magical Engines

Cost varies, but approx. 10,000gp is common
Not every engine uses magic. There are other alternatives available, from chemical propellants to explosive mixtures ignited in a closed space.
Most non-magical engines are used in lifeboats or other class A ships, as backups for the main helm of a ship to be used if the helm is disabled, or in dead magic areas.
The maximum Helm Rating for any non-magical engine is never more than 1, and they cannot be used to lift off from celestial bodies larger than Class A.

Non-traditional Helmsmen

The rules for controlling a spelljamming helm assumes a traditional spellcasting character class such as a wizard or cleric, but there are other options for classes, some presented here.

Barbarians

Barbarians would not seem like a good fit for a helmsman, however they make excellent Life-Jammer helmsmen thanks to their endurance. While raging a barbarian can benefit, and maintain, the benefits of a Life-Jammer reducing any damage in half, and they have advantage on saves against becoming jammer-shocked.

Druids

Druids cannot typically cast spells while wild shaping, however they can still power a helm while wild shaped.

Monks

Monks can use ki to power Life-Jammer helms, but there are also some helms that have been reconfigured by artificers of cultures such as Wa from Realm Space to be powered directly with ki.

Monk Level	Maximum Ki Points	Equivalent SpellLevel
1st-4th	2	1st
5th-8th	3	2nd
9th-12th	4	3rd
13th-16th	5	4th
17th-20th	6	5th

Paladins, and other innate Healers

Paladins and some other classes like Celestial warlocks, Divine Soul sorcerers, and Circle of Dreams druids have access to magical healing powers, that exist independent of spell slots. These magical energies are very specifically attuned to life giving energies, and cannot be converted directly into the raw magical energies required to power a regular Spelljamming helms. These energies can be used to feed a Life-Jammer Helm, 5 lay on hand hit points, or one healing die, can be used to ignore one d10 worth of damage when powering a Life-Jammer.

Rogues

Arcane tricksters are an obvious choice for a rogue helmsman, however the Thief rogue deserves special mention, because at 13th level they gain the Use Magic Device feature, which can be used to basically power a helm without any inherent spell casting abilities. For the sole purpose of powering a Spelljamming helm a Thief rogue is considered to have the spellcasting abilities of a warlock of half their level.

Sorcerers

Sorcerers have sorcery points which can be converted into spell slots to power a helm, but they can also be used directly to power a helm at the conversion rate shown in the Players Handbook without requiring an additional bonus action.

Warlocks

Warlocks have limited spell slots and regain slots on short rests. Luckily for them it is possible to benefit from short rests while controlling a helm as long as they are not under the duress of combat or traveling through especially dangerous space like an asteroid field.