Re: Whatever happened to the 3.5e conversions to the Spelljammer Spells?

From: "Peter Aronson" <pbaronson@???.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 4:33 AM
Subject: [SPELLJAMMER] Whatever happened to the 3.5e conversions to the 
Spelljammer Spells?


> Hi,
>
>    I was reading through the SPELLJAMMER-L archives and came across 
> Richard
> Gant's conversion of Spelljammer spells from April, 2004.  It looked like
> good stuff, but there was a fairly active discussion of casting times that
> never seemed to be resolved.  Did the matter ever go further?

..continued.

School names could be a bigger problem than duration as some of them have
changed. Some schools now have "subschools" and many spells also have
"descriptors". The conversion rules don't fully explain things, but I've
used the SRD to find a full list of "subschools". The descriptors are
[acid], [air], [chaotic], [cold], [darkness], [death], [earth],
[electricity], [evil], [fear], [fire], [force], [good],
[language-dependent], [lawful], [light], [mind-affecting], [sonic], and
[water]. Descriptors of SJ spells can be inferred from similar SRD spells.
Any spell that creates fire will have the [fire] descriptor any Conjuration
(summoning) or Conjuration (calling) spells that bring good, evil, lawful or
chaotic creatures will have a [good], [evil], [lawful] or [chaotic]
descriptor.

(Most if not all spells with the [language-dependent] or [sonic] descriptor 
will not work if cast through vacuum. All spells with the [fire] descriptor 
will occur centred on the caster in the Phlogiston and cause extra damage. 
It should be easy to use an online version of the SRD and a search engine to 
find all of the affected spells in the SRD and create a list of to replace 
the one in CoAS.)

Some spells have changed school, so if anyone can think of spells in the SRD
that are similar in any way to SJ spells they should point them out so we
can look at their school, subschool and descriptor type.

Here is a list of 2e schools to 3e schools and (subschools):

Abjuration is unchanged.

"Conjuration/Summoning" becomes "Conjuration" with one of the following 5
subschools:
(summoning) - bringing manifestations of objects or creatures to you -
summoned creatures go back if dispelled - if killed they take 24 hours to
reform in their original location,
(calling) - brings creatures (not objects) from other planes - they can
not be dispelled and die if killed,
(creation)" - modifies materials to create objects or creatures,
(healing) - heals creatures or brings them back to life and
(teleportation) - transports one or more creatures a great distance and
possibly over planar barriers.

(The "summoning" and "calling" are probably going to be the most debatable,
but I don't remember anything in SJ that uses either of these concepts.
"Conjuration (creation)" is almost certainly going to be the right one to
use for "Create Minor/Major Helm" and "Create Portal". Obviously Conjuration
(calling) and Conjuration (teleportation) spells will fail if cast in the
Phlogiston)

"Enchantment/charm" becomes "Enchantment" with one of the following 2
subschools:
(charm) - change how a target feels about you and
(compulsion) - makes a target act in a certain way.

(I don't remember any Enchantment spells in SJ 2e.)

"Divination" and "Greater Divination" become "Divination" and "Lesser
Divination" becomes "Universal".

(Hope that's as *easy* as it looks!) :-)

Illusion is not mentioned in the conversion rules (so is unchanged), but it
now has the following subschools:
(figment) - creation of false sensations,
(glammer) - alteration of a subjects sensory qualities,
(pattern) - a mind affecting image,
(phantasm) - a mental image that only the caster and a target or targets of
the spell see,
(shadow) - a partially real object created with material from the Plane of
Shadow.

(Obviously all Illusion (shadow) spells fail to work in the Phlogiston!)

"Invocation/Evocation" becomes "Evocation".

Necromancy unchanged.

Transmutation is not mentioned in the conversion rules (so is also
unchanged).

The way spells are listed is now changed. The SRD has "Spell Lists" (for
*each* spellcasting class) and Domains (sets of freebie spells that 3e
clerics pick two of) followed by an alphabetical listing of all spells. You
could argue that SJ should have at *least* one new clerical domain (that all
spacefaring clerics can choose).

If anyone who has CoAS and Lost Ships can type in *all* the SJ spell names
and a brief description we can use that to generate the 3e Spell Lists. If
you could add: The caster type and caster level (Wiz or Clr or both), the
spell school (with subschool if you can guess it) (and the source) that
would help. Here is an example listing:
"Create Minor Helm - Creates a Minor Spelljamming Helm - Wiz5 Clr4 -
Conjuration (creation) (CoAS)."

(These details might be wrong as I don't have my books with me!)

The Sorcerer Spell List is easy as they get what SJ Wizard get.

The Wizard Spell List is broken down into spell schools so all we need to do
is work out if any spells have switched school.

Bards were sadly neglected by Spelljammer. Bards are *known* to travel and
could be tempted to serve as helmsmen. They might even pilot ships so much
that a "Helmsinger" Prestige Class could develop. (I might carry this
concept on in a separate post.)

We need to create a Bard Spell List. I'd be tempted to give Bards many (if
not all) SJ Wizard spells. Once we have a full list of spells and
descriptions it should be easy for people to say "yes" or "no" for Bard
access to each one. Bards might even deserve getting access to one or two SJ
Cleric spells. Again vote yes or no if you have a strong opinion.

Druids are also sadly neglected by Spelljammer. Perhaps in the mistaken
belief that wildspace is not part of nature. I'm sure there is a Night Druid
out there somewhere! LOL :-P

Joking aside, we need to create a Druid Spell List. I'd be tempted to give
them many of the spells clerics get. Druids that switch spheres are supposed
to "find a new circle" to regain spells so they must have a version of the
Contact Home Power spell (perhaps "Contact Force of Nature"). However Druids
that worship gods instead of the "Force of Nature" could work the same as
Clerics and use the "Contact Home Power" spell instead. You could certainly
argue that anything controlling portals is natural so perhaps those spells
should be on the Druid list even if they are SJ Wizard spells. Perhaps
spells that create helms and enhance how ships work are unnatural and Druids
shouldn't be on the Druid Spell List. What do people think?

3e Paladins get much better spellcasting. Some would become helmsmen to let
clerics and wizards serve as the ships "spellmaster". (As an optional 3e
rule a Paladin on a Spelljamming helm could create an Aura of Courage that
affects the ship and everyone in its air envelope. I might carry this
concept on in a separate post.)

I'd be tempted to put many of the spells clerics get onto the Paladin Spell
List. Paladins worshiping a god need the "Contact Home Power" spell and
those worshiping the "Force of Lawful Goodness" (or whatever the name of the
force that powers 2e Paladins is called) can use a "Contact Force of
Righteousness" version instead.

3e Rangers also get much better spellcasting. As there were kits designed
for Rangers some must work as helmsmen. They should get similar spells lists
to Druids. They gain power from a god or from the force of nature, so need
to get "Contact Home Power" or "Contact Force of Nature".

Perhaps we could rename the Contact Home Power spell and call it "Contact
Home Power/Contact Force" and make one spell work for all divine
spellcasters.

Then again a "Contact Force of Nature" spell could use an area filled with
unspoiled nature as a "focus". This would make Druids and Rangers (who don't
worship gods) head towards the nearest asteroid or planet and stand in a
natural area for the spells casting time. In my opinion a Druid or Ranger
entering a sphere shouldn't have to do this more than once (unless they go
to another sphere and come back) so perhaps it should be "Attune to Force of
Nature".

If we did the "Attune to Force of Nature" spell then Paladins (without gods)
should use an "Attune to Force of Righteousness" spell (once per sphere
visit). This could use a place associated with law and goodness as a
"focus". A temple of a lawful good deity or a law court used by a good
society could work as a focus. This would make Paladins that enter a new
crystal sphere head towards the nearest lawful good society. Perhaps the
spell could involve the Paladin swearing an oath to uphold the law for the
good of all as a verbal component, so perhaps they need to make the oath
before a lawful good cleric, judge, king or other person able to witness an
oath.

>From memory I think there are two versions of Create Minor Helm. (I think
that clerics got this at a lower level than wizards, but that they didn't
get the Create Major Helm spell.) We will need to get rid of one of the
Create Minor Helm spells if we are going to follow the SRD/3e format. We
could do something like have a material component or focus for wizards and
let a cleric use a divine focus instead. We'll have to look at that one
carefully. As clerics now have 8th and 9th level spells in 3e, I'd be
tempted to give them the Create Major Helm spell as well.

Back to Domains (as they are a Clerical thing) possible SJ Domains include:
* Spelljamming or maybe Helm (relating to helms and ships powered by
helms - including Create Minor Helm, Create Major Helm, Enhance Rating,
Enhance Manoeuvrability, Disable Helm, Destroy Minor Helm - Enhance Rating
for 1 round per caster level at will could be its granted power),
* Sphere (relating to crystal spheres, stars, portals and local knowledge -
including Locate Portal, Create Portal, Detect Powers and other useful
divinations. Navigation of all types could be a class skill or could have),
* Wildspace (relating to survival within space and including Create Air,
Create Water, Create Food and Water and possibly a new spell called Summon
Sarphardin - Wildspace Navigation or +1 caster level when in wildspace could
be its granted power),
* Vacuum (relating to the destructive power of the void and including
Reverse Gravity, Destroy Air and perhaps a new spell called Create
Sargasso).

David "Big Mac" Shepheard
Webmaster
http://virtualeclipse.aboho.com/
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/virtualeclipselrp/
(See the Spelljammer links at my yahoo group. Click on: Links > d20 System >
Spelljammer)