Ships of Maj Space

Here's something pulled out of my GM notes.  I've had my players riding
around my solar system in this.

SHIPS OF MAJ SPACE

The Survey Ship "The Ancient Spacefarer" (Previously the "Delight of
Thunder")

Originally a Giff-built Great Bombard in GLU service, "The Ancient
Spacefarer" was loaned to the Great Survey after her bombard burst in a
battle with pirates.  She is supposed to be returned to regular navy when
her new bombard is completed, but the University doesn't seem in any hurry
to do that.  In the meantime she has been serving as both a survey vessel
and an experimental platform.   An experimental Alchemical Synthetic
Phlogiston Catalytic engine has been installed in her main hold and a light
steel and wood ram occupies the space formally occupied by the bombard.

The theoretical crew for the current configuration is two or three
spellcasters and eight space hands, but the numbers actually shipped tend to
vary.  In addition to the experimental engine, "The Ancient Spacefarer"
caries a minor helm for the times when the Synthetic Phlogiston engine is
down for repairs -- which are often!

The Alchemical Synthetic Phlogiston Catalytic Engine is a one of a kind
experimental unit produced by GLU's Department of Alchemy by Roger Culpepper
and Namrod Turen, both junior professors of that department.  It makes use
of large amounts of scavenged alchemical equipment and parts of various
damaged helms swiped from the Department of Wildspace Magics' storage rooms.

The engine is powered by a large tank of "synthetic phlogiston", a substance
resulting from the study of phlogiston, and not really a form of phlogiston
at all.  It is highly explosive -- use the rules for powder magazine
explosions in combat.  The engine generates synthetic phlogiston when in the
flow, filling its tank in four hours while driving the ship.  Outside the
flow, sufficient synthetic phlogiston to fill the tank can be generated by
burning 100 gp worth of alchemical supplies in a specially modified
spelljamming furnace (such a furnace can no longer power a ship).  The
synthetic phlogiston is in turned "burned" in a catalytic process to drive
the ship.  The tank holds enough synthetic phlogiston for four months of
cruising.  

The engine works like a minor helm in practice in most respects, except it
requires tending by alchemists instead of being powered by a spellcaster.
It can be tended by up to four alchemists at a time, and its speed is
calculated as if powered by a spellcaster of total skill levels in Craft
(Alchemy) minus the number of Alchemists, to a maximum of SR 5.  It needs to
be tended constantly, and has a 1% chance cumulative chance of failure per
minute left untended, with checks every five minutes.  A failure means the
engine becomes unstable and any further failures roll as follows: 1-50
Engine disabled for 1 hour, 51-80 Engine disabled for five hours, 81-90
Engine disabled for 1 day, 91-98 Engine disabled for a week, 99 Engine needs
to be completely rebuilt, 100 Engine catches fire and explodes. The engine
also requires 100 gp of alchemical supplies per month of operation.

In practice, the engine can be somewhat alarming.  It tends to bang loudly
during take off, to the extent of shaking the ship from mast to keel.
Landings can be abrupt, usually dropping the ship the last two or three feet
into the water.  Once in a while it will hum loudly for a few hours.  The
captain and crew, with the exception of the alchemists, are not fond of it.

The usual crew of "The Ancient Spacefarer" is:

Captain: Zanathan Telerandes
Engineers: Roger Culpepper and Namrod Turen
First Mate: Jan Able (ex Albion Space Navy, 6th level Expert)
Space Hands: Ivan, Mikhail, Peotr, Nikolai, Anna and Vladimir (Political
refugees from Moscovy; possibly anarchists)
Ship's Cook: Sophia Guisippe (9th level Cleric of Hestia)
Navigator: Plato the Space Owl


Zanathan Telerandes, Captain

Str 12  Int 14  Wis 10		Level 8 Sorcerer
Con 14  Dex 17  Chr 19 		Neutral/Good Half Elf

A half-elf from Ximera, a small town composed primarily of half-elves in the
GLU's territory; Zanathan is unusual in that his hair is entirely white as
the result of exposure to Things Man Was Not Meant To Know.

As a youngster, Zanathan left dull, conservative society of Ximera for the
excitement of university education and space exploration.   After earning a
degree into liberal arts he fell into out and out adventuring.  This led him
to join a disastrous scouting expedition to Anubis.  Zanathan was one of
three survivors out of forty.  He never talks about what happened there, but
that was when his hair turned white and he began drinking.

These days Zanathan works for GLU's Grand Survey as a spelljammer captain
and helmsman.  He drinks too much and lets too much slide (his appearance is
often unkempt), but danger or need can still bring out the young half-elf
that left Ximera for a life of excitement.  However, if he continues to
spend so much time conferring with "Mr. Bottle", who knows if this will
continue to be true?

Roger Culpepper, Junior Professor of Alchemy

Str 12  Int 17  Wis 13		Level 4 Wizard
Con 13  Dex 16  Chr 9		Neutral Human

Small and slender with nondescript hair and eyes and a neatly trimmed beard,
Roger lives for alchemy.  He is a rising star of the alchemy department
despite his relative youth.  He is best friends with Namrod Turen, and the
two of them are immensely proud of the Synthetic Phlogiston Catalytic
Engine.  Roger is an orphan, but has been unofficially adopted by Namrod's
family. 

Namrod Turen, Junior Professor of Alchemy

Str 10  Int 18  Wis 14		Level 4 Wizard (Conjuror)
Con 17  Dex 15  Cha 10		Neutral Good Gnome

Namrod looks like a 3/4 scale model of Roger -- they even dress alike!
Namrod, while not quite as obsessed with alchemy as his friend, does indeed
take it very seriously, and sees a great future for their engine.  If he has
to prove its worth by ferrying around survey and exploration crews, so be
it.   Namrod is the more grounded of the pair, reminding Roger occasionally
to eat.  Namrod comes from an extended family of gnomes who all work for the
university in one capacity or another.