Introduction
Imagine a universe where square worlds spin around gemstone suns.
Where planets lie cradled in the roots of an oak tree so vast its
leaves twirl around brightly burning suns. Where ships of wood sail
the void between worlds, and battle each other with catapult and
ballista, spell and sword. Where an asteroid may be a safe harbor, a
slaver's den, or a hungry creature eager to devour any that pass by.
Where daring swashbucklers and scoundrels race for fantastic treasures
and literally touch the stars. Where terrifying beasts with the power to
destroy whole worlds roam.
Welcome . . . to the universe of Spelljammer!
In the Spelljammer campaign, the fantastic is possible and
one is limited only by the depths of their imagination. Sailing ships,
enwrapped in bubbles of air, travel empty Wildspace, moved by the power
of their mystic helms. Gravity is a matter of convenience, where a
captain can tour the bottom of his ship, and worlds come in all shapes
and sizes. Whole solar systems are surrounded by colossal spheres made
of an unbreakable, crystal-like substance to protect them from an ocean
of swirling light and color, the flammable Phlogiston, which divides
the void between stars.
New to Spelljammer?
If you're new to Spelljammer, check out the
Spelljammer Basics and Fast Play Rules
found in the
Game Mechanics
section. That article provides the basic concepts and some simple mechanics
to get you up and running with 2nd Edition rules.
Spelljammer fans have also created a wealth of
fiction and artwork
for their favorite setting. This material will help you explore
the richness and depth of the setting.
If you're interested in D&D 3e, you may be interested in the
recent Dungeon/ Polyhedron (#92/#151) issue. It contains
a set of stand-alone Spelljammer rules. Though the rules
are only loosely related to their 2nd Edition counterparts, there's
enough in the article to get you into Wildspace. More info on this
issue is available at the
Shadow of the Spider Moon
pages.
Spelljammer Products
The Spelljammer line contained quite a few core products:
- Boxed Sets
AD&D Adventures in Space; Legend of Spelljammer;
War Captain's Companion; Astromundi Cluster
- Monstrous Compendiums
Monstrous Compendium: Spelljammer Appendix I & II
- Adventures
SJA1 Wildspace; SJA2 Skulls & Crossbows; SJA3 Crystal Spheres;
SJA4 Under the Dark Fist; SJS1 Goblin's Return; SJQ1 Heart of the Enemy
- References
SJR1 Lost Ships; SJR2 Realmspace; SJR3 Dungeon Master's Screen;
SJR4 Practical Planetology; SJR5 Rock of Bral; SJR6 Greyspace;
SJR7 Krynnspace; SJR8 Space Lairs
- Handbook
CGR1 Complete Spacefarer's Handbook
- Novels (The Cloakmaster Cycle)
Beyond the Moons; Into the Void;
The Maelstrom's Eye; The Radiant Dragon;
The Broken Sphere; The Ultimate Helm
A complete listing of Spelljammer products is available
at the SJ
Bibliography page.
The one product you must have for Spelljammer is
the main "Adventures in Space" boxed set. The "War Captain's Companion"
boxed set is also quite useful, as it introduces new rules and a
(very simple) ship construction system. It also has short stats
for every ship. (The other two boxed sets, "Astromundi Cluster"
and "Legend of Spelljammer" are campaign settings, and are of limited
usefulness unless you want to base your campaign around them.)
"CGR1 Complete Spacefarer's Handbook" is also very useful. It has
PC versions of some monster races, various groups and organizations of
wildspace and additional general rules. The two SJ Monstrous
Compendium Appendices (#7 and #9) can come in handy, for
obvious reasons.
"SJR1 Lost Ships" is a good module to get. It's got
tons more rules, more ships, and some general SJ info for DM's (like how to
get campaigns off the ground).
"SJA2 Skulls & Crossbows" and "SJR8 Space Lairs"
are both good sources of short adventures/encounters, and can add flavor to
the campaign.
