Preserving, Cosmic Energy (Sphere Ratings), Nebulae, and Manasails Addons pt1

Preserving & Cosmic Energy was something I began writing up a while ago.
Sorry if it doesn't make much sense to a lot of people, but I thought it
would be interesting to post :)

PT1

 Along with the mana crystal system, this document is intended for use as a
much different way of running spelljammer.  It offers a different helm
system (based upon Scott McCarrol's mana sails and gravwood system), along
with enhancing and explaining the use of preserving magics within space.

Preserving

 Preserving magi within space are very rare.  Elves, Giants, and only a few
other select races (the Gerese, and several other rarely seen races) use
this system of magic.  It is unkown why other races do not use this way of
casting spells, but it is theorised that certain organs are needed within
the body that simply do not exist for humans, dwarves, and the goblinkin, or
are in a different order making it impossible.  Suffice to say, no human has
even been able to preserve in space.

 Energies in space are not taken from the life around one, but instead draw
upon the cosmic power of stars, and planets, which is given off
continuously.  In our terms today we may call this radiation, of a sort, but
it is nothing so crude or easily explained.  It is part of the energy of a
sun, binding the fire to its surface, or part of the energy of a planet,
which keeps it spinning through space, and clings its dirt, creatures, and
plants to its body.  It is the breath of the elements and the gods
themselves, some sages theorise.

 For the purposes of this document, however, it is known as Cosmic Energy,
and is recorded, for each sphere, as a Sphere Rating.  This energy is given
off by stars, planets, moons, and other similar sized bodies.  It is also
theorised to be given off by the crystal spheres, but due to their mystical
nature, naught is surely said.

 A mage using this system takes energy slowly from the area around him,
similar to preservers and defilers from the Spells & Magic book.  There is,
however, only preserving available, and there is no requirement of plant or
other life needed, merely requiring one to be within a crystal sphere with a
sun and planets.  Crystal spheres with less such bodies (ie a sphere without
a sun, such as the darkened star in the Crystal Spheres adventure) modify
the amount of mana preservable, while spheres with an abundance increase it.

 It is the star itself within a crystal sphere that gives of Cosmic Energy.
The planets, moons, and other heavenly bodies (including mega-fauna etc)
simply bounce it around a tad more, but not enough to make a signifigant
change, or in the case of some spheres, absorb a deal of it.  Each sphere is
given a rating, as listed below, based upon the bodies within it.  The more
stars, and the larger they are, the more energy is given off, but given
enough planets, that energy is counter-acted.

 To find the rating of a sphere, look up the sizes of the heavenly bodies it
possesses below.  Add up all their modifiers, and include the basic crystal
sphere modifier, on the second table, to find the spheres rating.  Below
this table, another exists stating the modifications to preserving based
upon the sphere rating.

Heavenly Body Modifiers
Size Live Fire Earth1 Water Air SB Nebulae* Dark Nebulae*, 2
A >10mi 0 +4 0 0 0 +1 +1 -1
B 10 to 100mi +2 +4 -1 0 0 +1 +1 -1
C 100 mi to 1k mi +2 +4 -1 -1 0 +1 +2 -2
D 1k to 4k mi +2 +6 -2 -1 -1 +1 +2 -2
E 4k to 10k mi +4 +6 -2 -1 -1 +2 +3 -3
F 10k to 40k mi +4 +6 -4 -2 -1 +2 +3 -3
G 40k to 100k mi +4 +8 -4 -2 -2 +2 +4 -4
H 100k to 1M mi +6 +8 -6 -2 -2 +2 +4 -4
I 1M to 10M mi +6 +8 -6 -4 -2 +3 +5 -5
J 10M miles plus +6 +10 -8 -4 -4 +3 +5 -5
*Nebulae & Dark Nebulae must be 1000 times the size of a standard body, and
preserving within them is based solely upon their own modifier, and effects
all spelljaming.
1 Deadworlds are treated as earth worlds of the same size, but with their
penalty doubled.
2 Black holes are treated as dead worlds, and effect an area equal to a dark
nebulae of the same row (ie a size A black hole effects an area as a size a
dark nebulae)

Sphere Modifiers
Sphere Diameter Modifier
> 1000 mi  +4
1000 to 2000 mi +3
2000 to 4000 mi +2
4000 to 6000 mi +1
6000 to 8000 mi 0
8000 to 12000 mi -1
12000 to 16000 mi -2
16000 to 20000 mi -3
20000 miles or more -4

Preserving Ratings
Sphere Rating Effects
-9 or worse SJ speed reduced to 10%, half mana/round drawn*, -4 levels
-8 to -7 SJ speed reduced to 25%, -6 mana/round drawn, -2 levels
-6 to -5 SJ speed reduced to 50%, -4 mana/round drawn, -2 levels
-4 to -2 SJ speed reduced to 75%, -2 mana/round drawn,  -1 level
-1 to +4 No effect, magic functions as normal, as do manasails,
+5 to +6 SJ speed increased 25%, +2 mana/round drawn, +1 levels
+7 to +8 SJ speed increased 50%, +4 mana/round drawn, +2 levels
+9 or greater SJ speed increased 100%, double mana /round drawn, +4 levels
* note that, if the -6 mana/round is more than halving mana, take this
penalty instead

 The Sphere Rating affects both the speed at which a magi can draw mana to
cast spells, and the speed at which mana sails will propel a craft.  Note
that while a preserver cannot have his or her mana/round drawn increased or
decreased in any other conventional means, there exist ways of making up for
the lower speeds of mana sail craft in badly rated spheres.  In the case of
elves, every elven wizard of level 10 or greater increases the effects to
the ships sails by one factor (ie an elven ship with a 12th level mage in
a -9 rated sphere travels as though it is in a -8 or -7 sphere), sa they
attract more cosmic energy with their mere prescence.  This bonus given by
elven wizards, however, does not make the speed go above normal, it merely
makes up for penalties given.  Note that the elven sails are usually
crystalline in nature, and this is discussed later.

 Giants using these sails (titans that fly through the stars in huge
galleons with wings made of magical sails) make up for the lower speeds by
singing, or having more powerful members of their race aboad their ships.
For every such giant of 12 hit dice or more, cancel the penalty in the same
way as for elven mages, and for those giant ships that have no such
creatures, a constant song raises the penalty by two (if the majority - more
than 65% - of the crew sing).

 The gerese helms naturally use this energy to propel their ships, but have
the unique ability of storing it up when it is not needed.  A Gerese ship
can enter a sphere with a bad rating and remain at normal speed (for a
gerese helm, of course), for one and a half months per Gerese Lord aboard
the ship.

 Preservers themselves are affected regardless, as listed above.  Their mana
accumulation rate is modified, as is their casting level.  Note only to
modify the accumulation rate once, the enhanced (or decreased) casting level
has no affect upon their true level, only the effects of the spells once
cast.  Furthermore, it does not allow them to cast higher level spells, nor
does it stop them casting spells, nor affect the amount they may memorise.

 Several spells exist to temporarily increase the absorbtion rate of
manasails using this system, but they can be dangerous.  They are listed in
the spells section.  The basic mana sail system used was presented to the
Spelljammer Mailing List, by Scott McCarroll, and assumes one sail gives 1
SR to 20 tons of ship (this a 60 ton ship with 3 sails has 1 SR, while one
with 9 sails has 3 SR).  For my own Star of Enerithan campaign setting I
have specified the weight of these sails, also, at half a ton, and specified
they must count towards a ships systems.




Tilaurin
www.planetbaldursgate.com/atreus/index.html
tilaurin@?????????????????.com
"Dying Swans/Twisted Wings,
Bring This Savage Back Home"
Brave New World - Iron Maiden