Phase Spider (repost sorta)

Knew I'd find it somewhere :)


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Reproduction of my previous post some months back


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           Another interesting ship-board magic used by the drow is the
dweomer that earned the Mylyl 35ton "Phase Spider" variant of the Ruby
Spider ship its name.  The wood on these ships has been grown specifically
in concealed areas of space, using starfly plants somehow bonded with
various ethereal magics.  With only a small amount of metal plating, they
may not stand up to attack quite as good as the ruby spider ship itself (a
fully enclosed ship made wholly of metal for an AR of -2), but have the
ability to phase to the border ethereal, which grants them two main
benefits.

            While ethereal, much like the 3rd level priest spell
Etherealness, the ship and it's crew cannot be detected short of true
seeing, or detect phase.  They perceive all surrounding objects, including
the stars themselves, as very blurred and misty, almost as if they are
flying in a thick fog - but are unaffected by debris, weapons, magical, or
psionic attacks.  This includes nebulae, but not dead magic zones or black
holes.  It also does not effect other spelljamming helms or devices, unless
brought within 10 hexes of it's opponents - making a phase spider ship with
a damn fast helm a deadly, and surprise-bearing opponent.  This actually
causes a surprise roll on behalf of the opposing ship (with a bonus equal to
the lookout and helmsmans average level), with failure granting the normal
free surprise round of action for the phase spider.

            Secondly, once the ship comes out of etherealness, it has a -2
to its AR for 1d4 rounds while it reasserts itself in the prime material
plane.  Unfortunately, it also still suffers from the partial-mist effect of
the border ethereal, and has a -1 penalty to all shots fire and ramming
attempts for the same duration.  It was once theorized that making the ship
act like the actual phase spider and able to teleport itself short distances
would be interesting, but due to the nature of tactical combat this is
likely a bad idea.

            Ethereal wood such as this costs 20 times the standard price,
and is only available to the drow house Mylyl currently.  Activating the
wood is merely a matter of a magical nudge, either one charge from an item,
a level 1 (or higher) spell, or even the insertion of a mana crystal (see
Mana Crystal Magic system by Tilaurin) into a select point of the wood, for
every day of use (typically spells are used).  Note that this is magically
enchanted wood, and like all ethereal objects cannot enter the flow (while
ethereal), nor become ethereal once in the flow.  Further, it is not a helm
type unto itself, and still requires ship propulsion.


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