Re: Capital Ships

On Thu, 28 Nov 1996, Forest T Pavel wrote:

> From what I've seen you've only given Capital ships to the Elven Armada.
>  In my eyes that give them too much of an advantage.

    First, I want to make clear that the Fleet doesn't have dozens of
these things in every sphere.  IMC, each major sphere (Realmspace,
Krynspace, Greyspace and Mystaraspace, IMC) has one of each, patroling the
sphere.  The other spheres where the elves have a presence are grouped
into a sector of 3-5 spheres, which a pair of Armadas patrol.
    So, while it does strengthens the fleet, it doesn't make them overly
powerful.
    Besides, I like the idea of a slightly stronger, more organized EIF.
They make a good foil for the PC's.

> Other races will surely have capital ships if the elves develope them.

    I don't think this is a surety, at least as far as _races_ are
concerned.  What race in space has the organization and resources fot he
Elves?  After all, a ship that big is going to take a lot of money and
other resources to own and operate.  And, depending on their planned use,
it may be more feasible to use multiple smaller ships.
    Very few of the races seem to have the unified goals of the elves.
Why would the neogi come together to build such a ship?  How about the
mind flayers?  In the SJ boxed set we're told that the illithids belong to
a loose trading organization.  Why would they come together to build such
a ship?
    Note that I am not trying to be one of those people that try to point
out what the book says as gospel, That Which Cannot Be Altered.  My own
version of SJ has a variety of small changes in it.  I am just explainging
why I don't see such a thing happening in the normal SJ setting, or my
own.  I would be more than happy to read someone's rationale.
    On the other hand, I can see individual nations, of whatever race
(barring a few), building such ships.  I can see a large, spacefaring
human nation building captial ships, especially if they are of a militant
bent (i.e. the sun-worshipping nation in Astromundispace [my ass is too
lazy to get up and look for the name]).

> In fact , the neogi and the illithid would probably be major competitors
> in this market.

    IMHO, I don't see the neogi having much use for ships fo that size.
As slavers, I think the Mindspider is the biggest ship they could make
practical use of.  The bigger the ship, the more men/slaves required to
run it.  And the more men not caged up, the more chance for a revolt.
    Also, I don't feel the slave trade would generate enough profit for a
neogi master to be buying such a ship, at least not regularly.  And it
probably wouldn't pay for itself; the neogi probably couldn't fill a
capital ship with sellable slaves with any regularity.
    So, while I could imagine a few neogi capital ships in existance, IMHO
you should be able to count them on one hand, and have fingers left over.
    With the mind flayers, I can't imagine them wanting a ship that big.
But then again, I have always pictured spaceborne illithids as a race that
prefers to work in small groups, or individually.  This could just be my
own perceptions, though (and probably is).  I don't see them as a
particulalry militant race, prefering to work in the background, which
their powers make them particularly adept at.

> And as for the crown of the leviathan, there are going to be some very
> angry arcane, elves are horning in on their territory.

    Hmmm... I have to admit I don't really see why.  The crown is not a
helm itself.  If anything, the Arcane probably like the concept since it
requires the Fleet to purchase multiple helms to use.  Each of the two
Armadas I presented require four helms to function, which the Arcane would
be more than happy to provide.

> PS- expect to see some neogi and illithid capital ships in the future

    Looking forward to it.  Despite my arguements against such things,
above, I am always willing to take a look at new ideas.  This list could
really use some life.

> (along with rules on how to play a mind flayer).

    Looking forward to that, too.


   owner-mystara-l@??.com      Leroy Van Camp III      van891@??????.edu
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