Re: Jamming suggestion

I Simply like it. In my group I'm still fuddling about with the system
that "drains" one level per hour. Within
a number of hours the casting levels are "drained" (Solely for spelljamming purposes... so the hit dice and
stats remain teh same) and no further spelljamming is possible.
Me also wants the draining of spells not to be total, so the lower level
spells or healing spells could still be
cast when the PC leaves the helm....

Interesting options you suggest!

Greetings Flits3

3e is all about options.  SJ 3e needs to be about options.  SJ 3e still
needs to be SJ.  Based on these points here's a suggestion for how to
use spelljamming/helming with only slight modification (this applies to
standard helms).

Max SR is determied by the total combined spell casting levels (arcane
and divine) of the helmsman (a C3/W4 has 3+4 = 7 helming levels).  Plug
this number into your helm for level to determine maximum SR (so a
minor helm has max SR 2 and a major max SR 3 using the example).

Now the controversial change.  A helmsman decides how many levels to
sacrifice.  So a C3/W4 can decide to sacrifice 1 W level to propel the
ship at spelljamming speed and tactical SR 1.  Spells memorized are
reduced appropriately with specific lost spells being randomly
determined.  If the ship gets in a fight the helmsman can either choose
to start firing off spells from his remaining allotment (note that
effective caster level is also reduced, however) or sacrifice more
levels to the helm.  So our intrepid helmsman wants SR2 on his major
helm but wants to save his healing spells to aid his comrades after the
fight.  He sacrifices all his remaining W levels to increase the ships
speed but can still throw spells as a C3.  Of course the "sacrifice"
doesn't effect anything other than spells memorized and caster level
and is negated after 12 hours (or rest or however you choose to play
it).  Finally touching a helm automatically requires the sacrifice of
at least one caster level (to keep the spirit of the original rules).

Lifejammers (including death helms) should always draw on the full life
force of the individual.  I suggest using CR or something that equates
to levels but also equates other 3e factors for unusual races (so a
troll might be +2 CR or whatever over its character level and this
would reflect it) rather than just levels vs HD.

Series helms have always worked off innate powers (though I prefer them
to be psionic, but then I play 1e).  So they still do.  They drain all
innate abilities from the individual and provide SR 1 per occupied seat
just as in 2e.  I really feel sorcerers fit this mold better than
normal helming (minor and major helms) but they probably should use
normal helms instead since they have levels and it allows them to
operate the most common PC helms.  On the other hand, perhaps they
should be limited to series helms but can actually use their levels
just as a normal helmsman does with a minor or major helm (only
sorcerer levels would apply, of course).  In this case creatures with
innate powers but no sorcerer level are simply considered level 1 by
the helm and have all innate powers drained.

With 3es ability to infinitely multi-class I think this allows the most
options.  Now anyone can sit a helm if they want to take a level in a
spell casting class while spell casters needn't dump all their powers
(of course in 3e those spell casters coudl just chalk up a few scrolls
to help them instead...).

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