The idea of the Nebula Project is to create a new Pathfinder campaign setting. First off, this is not a Spelljammer conversion. This is something that share's Spelljammer's "spells and space" theme, but that doesn't make it Spelljammer any more than Dragonlance is Forgotten Realms for having a similar theme. I only mention Spelljammer to give people an idea of what The Nebula Project is supposed to produce.
Now, this is a big project, and I don't want to do it alone. I want this campaign setting to be something created by a bunch of people all putting in their input on what a Pathfinder space setting should look like, not just by me. A wiki exists for this, but I would appreciate it if we could leave that to posting crunch and fluff and use this thread for project discussion.
Who's interested? Who wants to hear the basic ideas I have?
I have many fond memories of Spelljammer...
Lately I've given consideration to how to set up a "Pathfinder in Space" type of setting and campaign.
I'd be interested to hear (read) your ideas. I think it would be helpful to gain a general idea of what general inspirations or overarching ideas most appeal to you -- or seem absolutely necessary to include.
To my mind, one of the biggest and most important elements of any science fantasy setting involves the races (i.e., the character races, as well as the races most central to the setting). To help give a space setting a flavor apart from standard fantasy settings, it would likely need to have a different mix of races.
As a Babylon 5 fan myself, I always considered the details of the various races (e.g., Narn, Centauri, Vorlons, Minbari) crucial components of what made the show special.
I'm open to suggestions on races, as I haven't really done any thinking about them.
To start off with, I have two big things I want to incorporate. First, a lot of magitek. Magic should be common enough that the average person uses magic items like we use technology, and standards of living should be relatively high. Space travel should be common, as should interstellar nations. Melee weapons and bows should still be the weapons of war, but that doesn't mean they can't be upgraded. Magical alloys could be lighter and stronger than steel, allowing for better armor and weapons, and perhaps compound bows could be the ranged weapon of choice.
Secondly, crunch. I think mining D20 Future for space travel and environment rules would be an excellent idea. It's got everything we could need for space battles.
I would very much be interested in this idea.
Another way of differentiating between 'Pathfinder in Space' & 'Pathfinder' might be to ask how the races might be different in space. Or for that matter, how classes are different in space. What is 'nature' when there is no nature for it to be in?
Sounds neat... but can we have giant space hamsters?
Uh... I dunno.
I adopted many of the things seen in Stormwrack to my Spelljammer campaign. Here are some of the ships that featured in those games. Feel free to use what you want.
I don’t use the spelljamming helm as presented in Spelljammer. The idea that every ship needed a powerful wizard or cleric in order to sail was just . . . wrong. And you actually needed at least THREE if you wanted to sail around the clock. So, these ships don’t have helms. They have three enchanted components, however. The gravity keel is the backbone of the ship. It establishes the ship’s plane of gravity at the base of the hull (not through the center of the bloody ship!) and allows a vessel to fly in a larger gravity well. The arcane rudder is needed in order for the crewman manning the ship’s wheel to maneuver in etheric space and in a planetary atmosphere. And finally, the etheric sails catch the ethereal winds of wildspace and provide the means by which these sailing vessels are propelled.
Once these components have been enchanted, the ships don’t need a spellcaster.
I had an entire section on arcane carronades, but the file seems to be missing. I’ll have to search through my old stored CDs and see if I still have it.
Sailworthiness: The vessel’s crew receives the listed value as either a bonus or a penalty on Profession (sailor) skill checks made to prevent a vessel from foundering in an etheric storm. The listed value also applies as a bonus or penalty on saving throws made by the vessel to avoid breaking up after having suffered severe damage.
Shiphandling: The vessel’s crew receives the listed value as either a bonus or a penalty on Profession (sailor) skill checks made to perform maneuvers. The listed value also applies as a bonus or penalty on saving throws made by the vessel to avoid collisions or underwater obstacles.
Speed: Each vessel is given a base value. This is then modified by a multiple based upon the strength of the etheric winds. A light etheric wind provides a multiple of 1. A moderate etheric wind provides a multiple of 2. A strong etheric wind provides a multiple of 3. Severe etheric winds also provide a multiple of 3, but the vessel’s crew must make Profession (sailor) skill checks to avoid being driven. A gale-force etheric wind provides a multiple of 3, but the vessel’s crew must Profession (sailor) skill checks to avoid being driven. Hurricane-force etheric winds will automatically drive the vessel before them.
A driven vessel cannot sail, but is instead forced directly downwind at a speed in feed per round equal to twice the wind speed in miles per hour.
The vessel’s maneuverability is also listed here.
Base AC: This is the base Armor Class of the vessel as a whole. Remember to apply all range penalties to attacks made against the vessel. Unless a specific hull section is targeted, use the base AC value to make attacks on the ship and then randomly apply the damage to a hull section.
Hull Sections: Each ship consists of a number of different hull sections. Each hull section has its own AC and Hit Point value. Once one-quarter or more of a vessel’s hull sections have been reduced to 0 Hit Points, the vessel is considered to be in distress and must make checks to avoid breaking up.
Section AC: The AC value of an individual hull section. Use this value when the attacker is attempting to concentrate his attacks against a specific area of the vessel.
Section Hit Points and Hardness: Each hull section has its own Hit Points and Hardness. Hardness applies to all melee and ranged attacks made against the vessel by weapons, ramming attacks from other vessels, damage caused by a collision with an object, or by spells that are not energy based. Hardness does not apply to energy based spells, but such spells normally inflict only one-half damage to a vessel, although these spells may well have other effects (for example, fire based spells stand a good chance of starting a conflagration onboard a vessel).
Masts: This is the number of mains carried aboard a vessel. In addition, many vessels possess a bow-spit which aids in maneuvering. However, within the listed masts the vessel cannot sail.
Mast AC: The AC value of an individual mast. Use this value when the attacker is attempting to concentrate his attacks against a vessel’s masts.
Mast Hardness and Hit Points: Masts are much more fragile than the remainder of the vessel simply because they do not consist solely of the mast but also the etheric sails. As such, masts are considered to have a Hardness of 0. When the listed Hit Points have been reduced to 0, the vessels speed is reduced in a proportional amount (i.e., a vessel with three masts loses one and its associated etheric sails; its speed is reduced by one-third, rounded down).
Ram: The listed damage value is per 10 feet of speed that the vessel is currently moving at when it rams another vessel or object. A vessel suffers one-half of the damage that it inflicts in a ram.
Space: The length and width of the area taken up by the vessel.
Height: The height of the ship from the keel to the main deck.
Castles: This entry will read one of the following: None, Fore, Aft, Fore-and-Aft. This indicates whether or not the vessel has a raised deck above the main deck and whether or not that raised deck (the castle) is positioned fore (known as a foc’s’le) or aft (known as a quarterdeck).
Decks: The number of decks that the vessel possesses, not including any castles. The top deck is known as a main deck, followed by the upper deck, the lower deck, the hold, and finally the bilge. Normally, the bilge is a half-size deck and is used only to store ballast. Not all vessels have all of the listed decks.
Watch: The listed number is the minimum number of crewmen required to sail the vessel. Most ships have at least three watches in order to operate efficiently over long durations.
Complement: The listed number is the total amount of crewmembers, passengers, and marines that can be carried by the vessel under normal conditions. Up to two, or even three, times this number can be accommodated for short periods of time, although the vessel will be extremely cramped for space.
Cargo: This is the capacity of a vessel’s hold, in tons. Each ton is 2,000 lbs.
[b]Cost: Large vessels cost quite a bit of gold to construct. This is gold piece cost for the specific vessel listed.
Brig
Colossal vessel
Sailworthiness: +3
Shiphandling: +3
Speed: 35 ft. x etheric wind multiple (good maneuverability)
Base AC: -3
Hull Sections: 20
Section AC: 3
Section Hit Points and Hardness: 80 HP (hardness 5)
Masts: 2
Mast AC: 1
Mast Hardness and Hit Points: 80 HP (hardness 0)
Ram: 4d6 per 10’ of speed.
Space: 50’ by 10’
Height: 15’
Castles: Fore-and-aft
Decks: 3 (main, lower, hold)
Watch: 10
Complement: 40
Cargo: 25 tons
Cost: 250,000 gp
A brig is a handy, maneuverable, and fast two masted vessel that is often the favorite etheric sailing vessel of pirates.
Carrack
Colossal vessel
Sailworthiness: +5
Shiphandling: +0
Speed: 30 ft. x etheric wind multiple (poor maneuverability)
Base AC: -3
Hull Sections: 32
Section AC: 3
Section Hit Points and Hardness: 80 HP (hardness 5)
Masts: 4
Mast AC: 1
Mast Hardness and Hit Points: 80 HP (hardness 0)
Ram: 5d6 per 10’ of speed.
Space: 80’ by 25’
Height: 30’
Castles: Fore-and-aft
Decks: 5 (main, upper, lower, hold, bilge)
Watch: 20
Complement: 100
Cargo: 250 tons
Cost: 500,000 gp
The carrack is a true man-of-war. Hideously expensive, this vessel also requires an extremely large crew, and as such is only operated by well financed governments.
Caravel
Colossal vessel
Sailworthiness: +4
Shiphandling: +2
Speed: 30 ft. x etheric wind multiple (average maneuverability)
Base AC: -3
Hull Sections: 24
Section AC: 3
Section Hit Points and Hardness: 80 HP (hardness 5)
Masts: 3
Mast AC: 1
Mast Hardness and Hit Points: 80 HP (hardness 0)
Ram: 4d6 per 10’ of speed.
Space: 60’ by 20’
Height: 20’
Castles: Fore-and-aft
Decks: 4 (main, lower, hold, bilge)
Watch: 12
Complement: 50
Cargo: 100 tons
Cost: 300,000 gp
The caravel is largest vessel normally encountered in etheric space. Serving as a merchant-man, a man-of-war, and an exploration vessel, the versatile and capable carvel is an excellent vessel.
Cog
Colossal vessel
Sailworthiness: +2
Shiphandling: -2
Speed: 20 ft. x etheric wind multiple (poor maneuverability)
Base AC: -3
Hull Sections: 16
Section AC: 3
Section Hit Points and Hardness: 60 HP (hardness 5)
Masts: 3
Mast AC: 1
Mast Hardness and Hit Points: 60 HP (hardness 0)
Ram: 3d6 per 10’ of speed.
Space: 40’ by 20’
Height: 20’
Castles: Fore-and-aft
Decks: 4 (main, lower, hold, bilge)
Watch: 12
Complement: 50
Cargo: 50 tons
Cost: 120,000 gp
The cog is a slow, cumbersome vessel that is widely employed as a merchantman. It is relatively inexpensive, however.
Dhow
Colossal vessel
Sailworthiness: +2
Shiphandling: +0
Speed: 20 ft. x etheric wind multiple (average maneuverability)
Base AC: -3
Hull Sections: 16
Section AC: 3
Section Hit Points and Hardness: 60 HP (hardness 5)
Masts: 2
Mast AC: 1
Mast Hardness and Hit Points: 60 HP (hardness 0)
Ram: 3d6 per 10’ of speed.
Space: 60’ by 20’
Height: 15’
Castles: Aft
Decks: 3 (main, lower, hold)
Watch: 10
Complement: 40
Cargo: 60 tons
Cost: 150,000 gp
The dhow is another type of common vessel. Slightly more advanced than a cog, it is not as heavily built, but capable of hauling a larger amount of cargo, with a smaller crew, and is more maneuverable.
Schooner
Colossal vessel
Sailworthiness: +3
Shiphandling: +3
Speed: 40 ft. x etheric wind multiple (average maneuverability)
Base AC: -3
Hull Sections: 16
Section AC: 3
Section Hit Points and Hardness: 60 HP (hardness 5)
Masts: 3
Mast AC: 1
Mast Hardness and Hit Points: 60 HP (hardness 0)
Ram: 3d6 per 10’ of speed.
Space: 60’ by 10’
Height: 15’
Castles: None
Decks: 3 (main, lower, bilge)
Watch: 10
Complement: 40
Cargo: 25 tons
Cost: 200,000 gp
The schooner is the fast etheric vessel encountered to date. This ship is essentially a brig that has been lightened and fitted with an additional mast, allowing it to out sail any other vessel in any given etheric wind conditions. Unfortunately, the limited amount of cargo space means that this vessel is normally used for courier and packet duty.
Sloop
Gargantuan vessel
Sailworthiness: +2
Shiphandling: +2
Speed: 30 ft. x etheric wind multiple (good maneuverability)
Base AC: 1
Hull Sections: 8
Section AC: 3
Section Hit Points and Hardness: 60 HP (hardness 5)
Masts: 2
Mast AC: 1
Mast Hardness and Hit Points: 60 HP (hardness 0)
Ram: 2d6 per 10’ of speed.
Space: 40’ by 10’
Height: 10’
Castles: Fore-and-aft
Decks: 2 (main, hold)
Watch: 4
Complement: 15
Cargo: 25 tons
Cost: 60,000 gp
The sloop is an excellent little vessel for sailing the etheric winds. Handy, maneuverable, and fast, it can also be crewed by only a handful of sailors. It’s only shortcomings are the lack of ample cargo space and the lightness of its hull.
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I have to say that I love Space Opera and Fantasy. I loved Spelljammer back in the day, and I would enjoy seeing a less campy setting.
Have you seen any of the DragonStar Campaign Setting for basic d20? It was essentially a futuristic setting with 3e style fantasy blended in seamlessly. I liked it considerably, and it would be well worth your reading. I'm sure you can borrow ideas from there as well -- I'm assuming this is a for fun project?
So for the longest time I've had the idea to make a campaign called Cosmos. It is a universe where wizards use their sorcerous ways to craft marvelous works, massive ships capable of traveling the stars. All those pesky worries of space travel are solved via magic. Terraforming is just a matter of the right kinds of spells. Think of it like Eberron +500 years.
The Adventures were going to be high class space opera, my plan was something akin to Star Wars minus the Jedi. Really zeroing in on the freelancers, scoundrels, and smugglers of the setting.
Due to the massive resources needed to control an interstellar empire, what is more common is a small state that encompasses a single planet or solar system with something similar to NATO or the European Union being the controlling force in the universe.
As for races? I was going to allow the players to use rules similar to the ones that will be found in the Advanced Race Guide to make their own alien races and homeworlds, then incorporate those races/homeworlds into the campaign.
I got snagged on a few sticking points, what would alien magic look like? things like that.
My plan for battles was to make something like the Dradis machine from Battlestar Galactica. Planets, asteroids, ships etc. were going to have cool looking symbols, probably on some old miniature bases. So the players aren't actually looking at space, but a machine that shows them the battle. Just like the crew of the Battlestar Galactica on board the ship. Just looking at a screen and hoping.
Dragonstar was interesting setting but had different feel from Spelljammer.
Very tired and near delirious here, so if I'm stating redundancies I apologize.
One thing I would strongly consider is making the science level consistent, and well defined. What would the planet Venus be like if seen through the Nebula Project filter? Would it still be the inhospitable furnace of a planet, or would it be a steamy jungle hundreds of millions of years old? Would space be a cold, silent vacuum where people can't hear an audience scream from having seen Alien: Resurrection, or would it be filled with "ether" allowing beings to be outside their vessels between planets?
Very interesting idea, and one very much worth exploring. I like the idea of making the whole campaign setting set in one system with many habitable worlds, but I think making them the size of asteroids could present a problem. There'll always bee one guy who'll ask "Why is there so much gravity? This world is the size of the moon, I should nearly be able to fly!" I came up with an idea for a seperate story (for a book I kinda wanna write) where the system is populated with hundreds of earth-sized worlds, most either acting as moons for ultra-giant gas giants (class U planets) or sharing a solar orbit with 5 or 7 other planets. After all, space is big, nothing saying that there isn't another planet right on the other side of the sun from us, sharing the same orbit.
So putting together the planets and the actual campaign setting'll be important. Having every world be habitable can get boring, too, so here's an easily findable planetary classification list. It's boosted from a Star Trek fansite, so it's not too technical, and it'll work pretty well for a game while still seeming legitimate. You could have each race come from a different world, and with so many possibilites for worlds, you could keep all the core DnD races and monster races, and also come up with as many other races as you like. Humans and halflings could come from very earth-like planets, elves could come from a heavily-forested world that orbits a gas giant, so it doesn't get nearly as much sunlight (hence the pointy ears to hear through dense forest and low-light vision), dwarves and gnomes could live on planets that are almost uninhabitable on the surface, but have extensive cave systems running through the entire planet.
Also, you could have a lot of fun with ship design. After all, naval vessels were designed the way they are because that's what works best. However, if you're in a flying ship that doesn't need to touch water, you can come up with some really interesting designs.
As far as the system, mining existing systems is a good way to go. I play a game named '7th Sea', and I started writing up a 'Star Wars' skin for that system since it has a good naval system, and it's a vehicle for dramatic roleplaying rather than hack 'n slash. But using existing systems and modifying them is good because all the playtesting has basically been done for you. You're just picking and choosing which systems to use in your game.
I have more ideas, but thery're very specific ideas for things like races, magitech, prestige classes, and equipment. I just wanted to focus on the basics for the moment. I hope you find at least a little of this useful.