Back From the Dead - and some new Helms!

Hmm, weird, I sent this email to the list last week, but it doesn't seem
to have gone through, even though I haven't received any sort of error
message... Oh well, here's a re-send:

Hi everyone, I'm back from the dead! Well, not really, but a painful and
lengthy recovery from a car accident has kept me from having any time
for the list for the last few months, but now I'm able to start enjoying
many of my hobbies again, so I'm back!

As a result, I've just completed a couple of write-ups on some ideas
that have been kicking around my head lately.

New Helm Types:

Boat Helm:

             Boat helms are a variant helm type sold by (and presumably
created by) the Arcane. Appearing much as their standard minor and major
helms, a boat helm also functions in a similar fashion, but is generally
more limited. The SR for a boat helm is calculated based on the level of
the spellcaster manning the helm, with each level granting 1SR. While
this would seem to be a more efficient conversion than even with a major
helm, it does have limitations. First, the helm itself is limited in
power, and can never grant a SR of more than 6. Second, using a boat
helm tires the helmsman more quickly than using a major or minor helm,
and the helmsman will start to lose SR points after only 4 hours,
instead of the standard 12.
     This limitation tends to mean that boat helms are used primarily
either for light combat craft, or for short-range shuttles. Boat helms
are also popular on lifeboats, since they are relatively cheap, yet
still allow survivors of shipwrecks to travel at spelljamming speeds
(albeit for shorter periods of time than a standard helms would allow),
thus allowing a greater chance of getting to a safe port. Boat helms can
power ships up to 5 tons in size, and are sold by the Arcane for 20,000gp.

Series Major Helm (note: helms of this type have been mentioned in
several SJ products, but I was never happy with the scant information
provided):

      Series Major Helms are nothing more than standard Major Helms
which have been modified to resonate with each other in order to move
vessels larger than 100 tons. This modification must be performed on a
custom basis for a vessel, as the size and shape of the craft affect the
resonance formed by the linked helms. As a result, a Series Major Helm
designed for one ship cannot be removed and placed aboard another ship -
even if both ships are of the same type. The Arcane are willing to
perform this modification at a cost of 50,000gp per helm to be included
in the series. Note that this cost is in addition to the cost of the
helms. Thus far, none other than the Arcane have ever discovered the
secret of creating a Series Major Helm. If a Series Major Helm were ever
to be removed from the ship it was created for, none of the individual
helms involved would function by themselves until modified again by the
Arcane (again at a cost of 50,000gp per helm). As a result, once
installed a Series Major Helm will usually only ever be removed if the
ship it was created for is damaged beyond all possibility of repair.
      There is no theoretical maximum size ship that could be moved with
a Series Major Helm, but the manner in which the helm functions does
place a practical limit on size. For each 100 tons (or portion thereof)
of the ship to be moved, 1 Major Helm must be used. In order to move the
ship, each helm must be manned. If any one of the helms is unmanned,
then the ship will be unpowered. The highest-level spellcaster manning
the helm is always the one in control of the ships movement, with the
rest merely channeling power for him/her. If two or more helmsmen are of
the same level, then whichever of them has the highest combined
Intelligence and Wisdom will be in control. If these are also equal,
then neither will be able to control the ship, and it will simply not move.
     The SR of the vessel is determined by taking the average of the SR
that would be normally gained by each helmsman (round any fractions
down), and subtracting 1 for each helm in the series after the first. If
the resulting SR is 0 or less, then the helmsmen are not powerful enough
to move the craft. As an example, a 400 ton ship with helmsmen of levels
15, 12, 10, and 9 would have a SR of 2 (add the SR of each helmsman:
7+6+5+4=22, divide by the number of helmsmen: 22/4=5.5 rounded down to
5, subtract 1 for helm after the first: 5-3=2). In practical terms this
means that a very large ship powered by a Series Major Helm would need
to have a significant number of high-level spellcasters in order to move.
     Rumours of a massive 1,000 ton ship powered by a cabal of ten 20th
level wizards (which would give this craft a SR of only 1) are generally
dismissed as being ridiculous. The most common ships powered by Series
Major Helms are the Zoocraft built by the Arcane as colony ships for all
manner of races, although some human groups have built 200 ton
dreadnaughts. There are unconfirmed, but widely believed, rumours that
the IEN operates a number of secret 200-400 ton behemoths which carry
enough flitters to block out the sun. Some rumours say that these
massive elven ships are simply vastly over-sized Armadas, while other
rumours state that they are crafted from mature starfly-plant
mother-trees (see MC 9 for details on the starfly plant).

Scavver Saddle:
Lesser:

     Scavver Saddles are a specialized form of lifejammer helm. A
Scavver Saddle appears as any other saddle, but when placed on a scavver
of any type (other than the massive sky scavvers of Alabeth which are
simply too large for the saddle to fit) will force that scavver to save
vs. spells at a -5 penalty or become docile. A scavver which fails its
save will follow the mental commands of anyone sitting in the saddle or,
if nobody occupies the saddle, will simply remain at rest. A scavver
which makes its save will generally go into a frenzy, attacking any
nearby creatures without regard to morale. This frenzy will last until
there are no living creatures in sight, or until the 2d6+6 rounds have
passed.
     A lesser Scavver Saddle does not allow the scavver it controls to
travel at greater speeds than normal, and as such is normally used for
short-range combat applications. One or more void scavvers approaching a
ship which is already engaged in ship-to-ship combat is a fearsome
sight. Because a lesser Scavver Saddle does not provide any motive
force, and instead only allows the 'helmsman' to control the actions and
movement of the scavver to which it is attached, the amount of lifeforce
which it syphons off from the scavver is relatively insignificant. The
only noticeable effect of this lifeforce drain is that a scavver which
has been fitted with one of these devices will have its rate of natural
healing reduced by 50%.
     These items seem to be distributed exclusively by the Arcane at a
cost of 10,000 gp, but they are not widely sold, primarily since
relatively few groups currently seem to be interested in them. Chief
amongst these groups are the illithids, who enjoy using charmed slaves
as helmsmen who pilot scavvers into combat with their enemies. The neogi
are also beginning to use Scavver Saddles which have been re-sold to
them by illithids. Other groups which have been known to use these items
are goblinkin reavers, human pirates, and a few groups of lizardmen.
Recently a few asteroid bases and cities have begun using Scavver
Saddles on night or void scavvers, and subsequently using the controlled
scavvers to hunt and kill any other scavvers or vermin which may plague
the asteroid.

Greater:
     Greater Scavver Saddles function exactly as lesser Scavver Saddles,
but are fully as powerful as a normal lifejammer helm. Greater scavver
saddles are capable of travelling at spelljamming speeds, and at
tactical speeds calculate SR based on the hit dice of the scavver which
has been saddled, in exactly the same manner as a normal lifejammer. For
example, a gray or brown scavver would provide SR 1, a night scavver
would provide SR 2, and a void scavver would provide SR 3. If the
helmsman riding the saddle has the spelljamming proficiency, a
successful check can temporarily increase this SR as described in that
proficiency. A saddled scavver is always considered to be MC A. A
greater Scavver Saddle drains the life of the scavver in the same
fashion as any other lifejammer. It should be noted that depending on
the size of the scavver which has been saddled, on anything but the
shortest voyages air can become a real concern.
     The Arcane sell greater Scavver Saddles at a price of 80,000 gp
(the same price as a normal lifejammer), but the expense of these items,
combined with the fact that they eventually kill their scavvers, has
made them less popular than the lesser variety. Despite this, illithids
have been known to use these items for messengers, although no other
groups are currently known to use greater Scavver Saddles on any sort of
a regular basis.

Any comments or thoughts?
-Ben