Re: LONG -- SJ+Planes / Drow Question / Ranting -- LONG

On Fri, 9 Nov 2001, Andrew 'NightBeing' Alchemist wrote:

> BTW, did anyone ever thought WHY mixing SJ and planes is considered at
> least a bad taste? ;)

Actually, I've been part of several discussions on the subject.  Also, I
do it on a regular basis in my Planescape campaign.

> If  we  start creating such kind of things, few questions arise, in an
> order:
>
> 1) Do SJ helms function on other planes?

Typically, but not universally.  On most planes they work just fine, in
theory.  In practice, they are affected by local magical conditions and
the nature of the plane.  (On the Beastlands, for instance, they don't
move the ship.  Nothing can fly there, unless it is naturally capable of
flight.)

Environmental conditions can make it rough as well.  Spelljamming ships
rarely do well in Elemental Earth, Water, or Fire.  Limbo (pronounced
KEGIWHPU&R* today) is theoretically workable, but the Helmsman needs a
strong will to keep the ship intact.

Also, on some planes, travel time has nothing to do with travel speed.  In
the Outlands, Astral, Ethereal, and Inner Planes, you get there when you
get there.  It doesn't matter if you are travelling on foot, by
spelljammer, or at the speed of light.  It still takes 3d6 days to get
from Rigus to Ribcage.

> If they do:
>
>    Then  why  in  all hells the SJ ships aren't commonly equipped with
>    plane-hopping devices, and not used extensively on other planes? Do
>    I  need  to  mention such places as Limbo to make a point that drow
>    aren't  among the top ten of planehoppers among SJ-aware races, and
>    aren't even on par with some of SJ-expert races?

SJ ships *are* equipped with plane-hopping devices.  They're called helms
and portal detectors.  :)

Seriously, I always played it up as a difference in perspective.  Planars
see risking your neck on a *boat* that may or may not have enough air to
get where you are going as suicidal.  Spelljammers argue that flinging
yourself through a network of random portals in hopes that your *ten
thousand year old* information about the connections is still accurate, in
an effort to get from Oerth to Faerun, is suicidal.

Also, Spelljammers can ship much more cargo than the average portal.  they
also don't reuire esoteric portal keys.

>    Why  SJ  ships  don't  travel  in  such  a  state -- for it is MUCH
>    quicker, and safer in some aspects like air and asteroids?

Much more dangerous in others, though.  It's sort of like asking why
someone uses ocean vessels, when airplanes are available.

Rich Gant
"Onward!  Into the Future!"
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