Review:Shadow of the Spidermoon

[A postscript dealing with the editorial appears at the end of this article.]

        Recently WotC has dipped a toe back into the Spelljammer
universe with the publication of a Spelljammer d20 'mini-game' in the
Polyhedron #151 (found pasted to the back of Dungeon #92). The
mini-game attempts to update Spelljammer for the d20 system and
create a Spelljammer setting as well. The mini-game is divided into
five chapters detailing the various aspects of spelljammer and the
'Shadows of the Spidermoon' setting.
        The first chapter deals with character rules. First it deals
with the standard races, attempting to give each a new take based on
the Spidermoon setting. This isn't particularly horrid, but seems
like wasted space. Providing space for non-standard races would have
been a more interesting use of space, since the differences from the
3e Player's Handbook are minimal and easily extrapolated from the
descriptions in Chapters 4 and 5.
        The basic classes are also described, as well as a handful of
new prestige classes, skills, backgrounds, and feats. Some of these
are obviously out of balance (like the 'Craft Spelljammer helm' feat)
and some of the skills/backgrounds seem odd (why does 'No identity'
appear here instead of a more SJ appropriate background?) but these
must be helpful for those trying to convert their Spelljammer
campaigns to 3e. All in all, the first chapter is workman-like but
not brilliant.
        The second chapter deals with space and spelljamming
specifically. Right away the designers make all the mistakes the
online community has been dreading. The basic physics of Spelljammer
have always been confusing and inconsistent. The new d20 game doesn't
attempt to fix it, it erases the past and introduces its own new set
of poorly written rules and inconsistent rulings. Gravity becomes
confusing with a complicated mathematical formula for defining the
power of 'Natural Gravity' and air is provided by the helm. Yet when
the helm goes down the air doesn't just disappear. 'Wonky'. The
authors should have either kept the original physics (perhaps just
fine tuning the rules) or gone to total 'real world' physics where
all of the dangers of space are overcome by magic. Instead the
created simply another confusing, poorly designed spelljammer physics
system.
        Ship combat is more complicated then in the original but not
particularly poorly down. The most noticeable change is that
everything is caled down in size and speed so that Spelljammers are
not totally out of line with terrestrial speeds of dragons, naval
vessels, pegasi, ect. This is a good thing, Spelljammer tactical
speed never needed to be so fast. On the other hand, spelljammer
speed is replaced by 'crusing speed' which is represented by a random
number of days to travel from  world to world. In other words, it's
meaningless and GMs will have to fall back on the old 100 million
miles a day speed.
        The ship designs are not particularly poorly thought out but
they stole names from the old game and used them for new ship types,
and the ship's artwork is astoundingly bad. The Archelon, for
example, is supposed to only hold a maximum crew of 80, yet from the
image it would seem to hold thousands. Even by Spelljammer standards
(the old SJ ships were notorious for not matching stats with deck
plans) the ships are extremely out of whack with the stats. Moreover,
the ships just look bad and many old fans are horrified by the new
depictions of ships like the Hammership (which now looks like a
pregnant puffer fish and bears no resemblance to a shark or hammer of
any type) and Armada (which now looks like a flying slug instead of
the majestic, beautiful terror of space). There are a few positives
here, such as the Elven Arrowing and the Illithid Boreworm both of
which are interesting designs. Of course, the lack of deckplans make
all the ships much less useful then they might have been. Fewer,
better designed ships with good art and deckplans would have been
much better. [side note: The online community has come to the rescue
here with some great deckplans for these ships available at Beyond
the Moons.]
        The third chapter is pretty short and deals with spelljammer
equipment and magic items. Gunpowder weapons are given more space
then spelljamming helms, which seems a reversal of perspective but
nothing particularly good or bad appears here. The equipment
statistics are useful and the magic items are sufficient.
        The last two chapters describe the 'Shadows of the
Spidermoon' setting specifically. It seems to be a pretty standard
sphere (though crystal spheres are never mentioned one way or the
other in the articles at all). It's fairly pedestrian though the
economics, politics, and ecology of the setting are poorly thought
out. The setting establishes foes and societies, but never explains
why anyone would spelljam at all [aside from the rapacious illithids
duping the drow into conquering the other planets for them]. Is there
any trade, and if so between which planets? What goods are they
exchanging? If there is no trade then why did the humans develop
spelljammers at all? Still, the setting is quite salvageable by a GM
willing to put some work in.
        'Spelljammer: Shadow of the Spidermoon' is in many ways like
the original Spelljammer accessories. Unfortunately, the similarities
are with all of the originals weakness: poorly designed, confusing
physics, inconsistent and illogical settings, and sparse, inadequate
rules for creating unique characters and equipment. The wonderful
weirdness of the original is missing, replaced with a typical
'fantasy-punk' feel which fits better in Darksun or Planescape. The
game seems unplayable by anyone who does not own the original
Spelljammer, yet the authors clearly intend it for a non-Spelljammer
fan audience. On the other hand, at $5 with a Dungeon issue included
it is a pretty good deal. You get what you pay for.
        I've read worse products, but I can't help but feel sad for
what might have been. Spelljammer has always seemed like a setting
that could be quite wonderful with just a little solid editing. This
product isn't it and it will not be adding new fans to the setting,
but those existing Spelljammer fans who want 3e are better off then
they were.

Post-script:
        In the Polyhedron #151 editorial Erik Mona respond to the
criticism he received for his attack on classic Spelljammer in his
Polyhedron #150 editorial.  He seems to have been so busy feeling
victimized he missed the entire point. Spelljammer fans did not need
Giff in the setting in order for it to be Spelljammer, but we didn't
see any reason for them to be dissed either. His approach wasn't
irreverent it was insulting. Insulting the old products is a trend at
WotC since 3e came out, and it has certainly cost the company some
customers.
        Erik, you may have 'the power' of the editorial page
(certainly no opposing views will make it into the next issue of
Polyhedron) but I think you will find the power of the wallet is
stronger and you lost customers because of those two editorials.
Hmmm, I wonder where they will splice Polyhedron now... maybe it will
become the back page of the company newsletter.

--
"We sleep safely in our beds, only because rough men stand guard in
the night, ready to visit violence upon those who would do us harm."
H.G. Wells.

Paul Westermeyer,  westermeyer.3@???.edu
Phd Candidate, History, Ohio State University
Instructor, Humanities, Columbus State Community College