Freeport: City of Adventure Review

It was Freeport that started me down the piratical path. When I went to Gen Con in 2000, excited to play the new 3rd Edition of D&D, one of two adventures available was Death in Freeport. That first scenario hooked me on the setting, leading to numerous campaigns. Now, more than fourteen years later, Green Ronin has published its dedicated Pathfinder version of the setting. This is my favorite setting, and so I can't help but be biased in reviewing the new book. Even so, here goes.

-Nate


Freeport: City of Adventure Review
This book weighs in at 545 pages. It includes a brief introduction, one chapter with a history of the city and one that presents an overview of Freeport. Chapters 3-12 detail each of the city's neighborhoods in turn, while Chapters 13 and 14 detail the surrounding islands of the Serpent's Teeth and the greater World of Freeport. In Chapter 15 are detailed some of the major players in Freeport life, complete with color illustrations of the characters. That is followed by the crunchier parts of the book, with chapters dedicated to races, classes, supplemental rules, goods & gear and spells & magic. Finally there is a sixty-page adventure, "The Ironjack Legacy," which is designed to immerse characters thoroughly in the city.

The Old and the New
One major question people might have about this book is now much new content it provides. After all, there's already a Pathfinder rules supplement for the old, system-neutral Pirate's Guide to Freeport. What this book does is to update the timeframe for the setting by two years. It adds new characters and plot elements, including the dreaded salt curse. It also incorporates many of the additions that Pathfinder has made to d20, including rules for settlements and vehicles. Some of the classes that were added in the PFRPG rules supplement have been modified for use as archetypes instead of as separate classes. All told, it does a much better job of weaving the rules into the setting. That, along with the aforementioned advancement of the city's history, helps to keep the setting vibrant and makes this an excellent supplement for those who want to run an urban and nautical Pathfinder campaign.

Sweet Video

Since I've been writing about space fantasy recently, I thought I should include a link to a video I just watched on Blastr.com. It provides some sweet visuals for different types of worlds that beg to be used as backdrops for adventures.

Wanderers video

-Nate

Grid Markers for Ships

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Here is a link to a PDF containing top-down images of ships for which I've made deck plans, suitable for printing and use on a combat grid.

Ship Markers

-Nate

The Docks and the Plaza

This post continues to develop the asteroid colony of Crossroads, focusing on the first locations that a newcomer is likely to visit.

-Nate

1. The Docks

One end of the asteroid is equipped with broad wooden platforms, fifteen feet wide and 150 feet long, for mooring aetherships. The nature of maneuvering in space allows captains to draw their vessels right up along the asteroid, requiring a DC 15 Profession: pilot check. Failure by five or more causes a collision, resulting in damage based on the size of the aethership in question to both the vessel and the docks. Those who make landfall are likely to be met by one of Luciano Reda's cargo inspectors and some dockworkers; those latter individuals double as enforcers if there is need.

Cargo Inspector CR 2 XP 600 Male human bard 3 N medium humanoid Init +1; Senses Perception +9 DEFENSE AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +2 armor) hp 13 (3d8) Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4 Resist Bard abilities OFFENSE Spd 30 ft. Melee Shortsword +1 (1d6-1) Ranged Light crossbow +3 (1d8) Special Attacks Bard abilities STATISTICS Str 8, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 14 Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 12 Feats Alertness, Dodge, Persuasive Skills Appraise +8, Bluff +8, Diplomacy +10, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (local) +8, Perception +9, Perform +10, Profession (Sailor) +7, Sense Motive +9 Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven SQ Bard abilities Combat Gear Leather armor, short sword, light crossbow, case of 10 bolts, musical instrument, pouch containing 1d20 for each type of coin, logbook, quills and ink Each of these fastidious individuals values the cargoes brought into Crossroads and levies a 1% tax on them. Although regarded as somewhat aloof, they also enjoy sharing a story or a song in the tavern, and hearing new material from those passing through port.

Dockworker CR ½ XP 200 Male human fighter 1 N medium humanoid Init +1; Senses Perception +1 DEFENSE AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +2 armor) hp 8 (1d10+2) Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1 Resist None OFFENSE Spd 30 ft. Melee Longsword +4 (1d8+2) Ranged Light crossbow +2 (1d8) Special Attacks None STATISTICS Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8 Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 14 Feats Cleave, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword) Skills Climb +6, Profession (sailor) +5 Languages Common SQ None Combat Gear Leather armor, longsword, light crossbow, case of 10 bolts, pouch containing 1d6 sp and 1d12 cp These rough, tough individuals handle the loading and unloading of cargo in Crossroads. What is more, they act as peacekeepers should it become necessary. When not on duty, they can usually be found at the local tavern, or sleeping off recent festivities in one of the typical dwellings on the hillside.

2. The Plaza

More of an open expanse of rock than any kind of structure, this area sees a steady stream of traffic when ships are in port. At the same time, it can be home to impromptu marketplaces that pop up when locals or visitors have wares to sell. This is especially the case during the Festival of the Comet, an event that occurs annually.

Crossroads

Back in the epic Spelljammer campaign that we played in junior high and high school, one location that really stands out to me is the Rock of Bral. Although we flitted from Krynn to the Realms to Greyspace, it was the Rock that provided a sense of cohesion and familiarity. With that in mind, this post begins to detail an asteroid city known as Crossroads. Future posts will continue to flesh out this floating city and its inhabitants.

-Nate

A History of Crossroads

When brave explorers decided to leave their home planet and explore the unknown reaches of space, one of the first locations they visited was the asteroid belt. After all, each of the drifting space rocks contained valuable ore, and reaching them in an aethership wasn't as difficult as making landfall on a full world. It wasn't long, then, before a savvy entrepreneur realized that having a place for the miners to go for some downtime, without having to sail back to their home planets, could be a lucrative enterprise. That's why a human merchant named Luciano Reda invested in transforming one from an a mined-out rock into a habitable planetoid, one complete with docks for landing aetherships and all the benefits of a port town.

At first Reda had to hire people to live on his asteroid. Before long, though, other like-minded entrepreneurs recognized good business opportunities when they saw them and decided to try opening their own establishments there. Reda had made sure to build a tavern and inn, an outfitter and a warehouse, knowing that such places were vital to the fledgling economy. Soon those three structures were joined by a public shrine, an observatory, stables and an apothecary, and an enthusiastic halfling druid even began to develop orchards and gardens. Now Reda's colony, a village in its own right, has come to be known by the name Crossroads.

Crossroads N village Corruption +0; Crime -2; Economy +2; Law -1; Lore +1; Society +1 Qualities Insular, Prosperous Danger +0 DEMOGRAPHICS Government Council Population Approximately 100 (the exact number, along with the breakdown by race, varies according to the ebb and flow of traffic through Crossroads) Notable NPCs Luciano Reda (N human rogue 7) MARKETPLACE Base Value 500 gp; Purchase Limit 2500 gp; Spellcasting 3rd

The Lay of the Land

Presented here is a key to buildings listed on the map of Crossroads; individual establishments are detailed below.

1. Docks

2. Plaza

3. Tavern & Inn

4. Outfitter

5. Warehouse

6. Manor House

7. Ordinary Dwellings

8. Obelisk

9. Grove

This list is by no means comprehensive, of course, and individual GM's should feel free to adapt the floating city as they see fit.

Con of the North 2015

For anyone who's in the area and enjoys nautical fantasy adventures, I'll be running a couple of Freeport scenarios at Con of the North, on Valentine's Day weekend in the Twin Cities.

Con of the North

-Nate

Campaign Style and Developing Cultures

Here are a couple of articles about space fantasy campaign design and developing interesting cultures.

-Nate

A Question of Style—Star Wars vs. Star Trek, or Something In-Between

In planning a space fantasy campaign, a GM can look to two great sources of inspiration: the franchises of movies, TV shows, novels, comics, etc. for Star Wars and Star Trek. For one thing, the sheer mass of material for each of these titles should provide plenty of ideas. For another, the differences between the two represent different theories in campaign design.

Star Wars: One Overarching Plot

A rebellion against an evil Galactic Empire drives the plot in the original movie trilogy. What is more, most of the early spinoff material focuses on that conflict as well. (This can be compared to the “Adventure Path” model that has been so successfully utilized by Paizo Publishing, where the scenarios in a campaign are driven by one primary plotline.) While fighting in the interplanetary Civil War, of course, the heroes do visit distinctly different planets and interact with their inhabitants, but that's not really the focus of the adventures.

In a campaign such as this, the focus could be a plot by an alien species such as the formians to conquer Known Space, the quest for an artifact that can destroy worlds, the establishment and operation of a settlement in aetherspace, or something similar. An advantage of this model is that it provides a sense of cohesion to a campaign; a challenge is that it can be hard to develop one main plot slowly over numerous adventures.

Star Trek: New Discoveries Each and Every Day

The introduction to the first TV series summarizes this style nicely: “...to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations...” etc. In this case, individual adventures focus on interacting with these unique environments, and many of the conflicts in them stem from cultural differences. In this case, the crew of the aethership have some kind of mission; this might include exploration, trade, military functions or the like.

In a campaign such as this, the focus might be on acquiring and selling cargoes from one world to the next, spreading the teachings of a religious faith, gaining and recording knowledge of the new worlds in question, implementing the will of a sovereign ruler, or the like. An advantage for this type of campaign is that it allows the GM tremendous flexibility in planning adventures, but a disadvantage is that it can be hard to create a sense of impetus from one session to another.

Something In-Between: Firefly and Serenity

The most likely solution for a space fantasy campaign is that the GM chooses a path in the middle of these poles. A good example of this is the TV series Firefly, taken together with the movie Serenity. In the dozen or so episodes of the prior, the character are just regular people traveling the galaxy and trying to make a living. Wherever they go, they run into new and interesting characters, along with conflicts to face. There are recurring characters, however, along with a couple of plot elements—the mystery of the Reavers and the Alliance's problem with River—that are gradually developed.

“Back on my homeworld, individuals, organizations and even nations fought over the limited resources they saw around them. Those of us who've learned the secret of aetherial travel know that the galaxy's resources are almost unlimited. Of course, that doesn't mean we're sharing the secret.” -Luciano Reda, human merchant prince

Worlds Building Revisited: Alien Civilizations and Cultures

A previous article discussed how to work different and interesting kinds of worlds into space fantasy adventures. Just as important, however, are the beings who inhabit those worlds, and the societies in which they live. When creating new civilizations and cultures for a campaign setting, the GM would do well to consider the following factors.

Start with Species

The most important point to consider, of course, is the species that inhabit(s) the planet in question. As mentioned previously, space fantasy campaigns provide an excellent chance to introduce strange new entities; the characteristics of those creatures go a long way toward providing the nuances of how they organize themselves and interact with each other.

Take, for example, the formians from Bestiary 4. They are instectoid creatures, and thus their society has many of the qualities of bug colonies. They are unthinkingly loyal to their queen, and tend to live in large communal complexes. Any kind of armed forces they have are more for protecting against outsiders than for enforcing their own laws amongst themselves. Of course, if the planet in question also has slaves toiling away for their formian masters, then their could be pockets of escapees who live freely but in constant danger. If one or more formians ever rejected the queen's authority, however, that could make for a distinctly different settlement. There, too, if two queens went to war, then the preparations of each colony for battle provide another important detail.

The arborlings—creatures from a supplement published by Clockwork Gnome—on the other hand, are sentient plant creatures. On a world that has plenty of soil, moisture and sunlight, they don't need to compete for material goods. One can imagine a fairly idyllic, sylvan planet with very little in the way of government or law enforcement, but periodically the arborlings gather to discuss the health of the forest and share news. Should there be competitors for the forests' resources, however, more organization might be required.

What Kind of World?

A previous article discussed the many varieties of planets depending on their type, temperature and other features. Those details also impact how inhabitants live on such worlds, and thus the structures of their society. For example, on a hot planet close to its sun, the locals might be forced to live underground in order to avoid the heat. In such cases, a subterranean lake might be the center of the major settlements. Similarly, on a cold world the locals could live next to volcanic vents in order to benefit from the heat that they provide. Fungus could become an important foodsource. On a planet covered with water, transportation via ship would be invaluable. If it's also a cold planet, then sailing ships might be replaced by ones with runners for maneuvering on the ice. Aetherships would be a necessity on a gas giant, where traveling between sky citadels is the primary traffic.

With this in mind, the GM should also scan through the Bestiary books and decide what else lives on the planet in question. Which monsters are appropriate to the environment? Are there any unexpected surprises lurking in the corners of the world? In addition to determining what kinds of random encounters travelers might have on these worlds, this can provide inspiration for developing a world's history (see below).

These details also help determine which commodities are readily available and which are scarce, thereby establishing imports and exports. Many foodstuffs could be rare and exotic (and thus valuable) on worlds that don't have the climate or conditions for growing them. That's not the case on a temperate, sylvan world. A hot planet might have an overabundance of valuable metal ores, but would pay good money for fresh drinking water.

Pick Technology and Magic Level

The default technology level for most standard fantasy campaigns is somewhere between medieval and Renaissance. Moreover, magic is relatively common, as long as one has the money, the connections or the natural ability. Traveling from world to world provides a chance to introduce planets with different degrees of advancement in both these categories, however. For example, one might have a society that has come no further than nomadic hunter-gatherers, while a second could have achieved something akin to steampunk. At the same time, magic could be virtually unknown on one world, and therefore viewed with awe, greed or fear; on another it might be so commonplace as almost to lose its value. Needless to say, these factors can have a huge impact on how the PC's interact with the inhabitants of these worlds, and perhaps even more long-term influence once the characters have visited them.

Making History

Every world should have its own history, even if it's just a rough sketch for which details can be filled in later. What are the recent events that have taken place on it? This could include:

• Wars between power groups
• Changes in a dynasty of kings and/or queens
• Some kind or rebellion against authority
• Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, meteor showers, or fires
• Famine
• Plague
• An outbreak of piracy
• A major magical or technological discovery

These factors can all influence the local political landscape, and have further influence if the PC's are looking to buy or sell goods on the planet in question.

Connections to Other Worlds

Finally, does this world have established connections to other planets? It's important to know whether or not the planetary population is aware of aetherial travel. PC's venturing into uncharted space could be the first offworlders to visit a planet, or it could be a known and accepted occurrence.

More Inspiration GM's seeking inspiration for a space fantasy campaign can look to these sources, too. The novel The Daedalus Incident, along with its sequels The Enceladus Crisis and The Venusian Gambit, provide another take on sailing ships traveling through space. For musical inspiration or background ambience, The Planets by Gustav Holst is quite appropriate. The film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World has some of the best depictions of life aboard ship in movies. A cheesy example is the Wildspace video from TSR, which can be found on Youtube at .

The Angry Druid

Born and raised in the embrace of the sea, the elf druid Maelyrra considers herself a protector of the waters and the plants and animals that inhabit it. To that end she spends most of her time in the form of an orca, traveling with her dolphin companion and bringing comfort to animals in need. She considers violence to be abhorrent, except for that which is required to survive per the natural order of the world.

Maelyrra

CR 7

XP 3200

Female elf druid 8

CG Medium humanoid

Init +1; Senses Perception +2; Low-light vision

DEFENSE

AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+1 Dex, +1 Dodge, +1 natural, +1 deflection)

hp 36 (8d8)

Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +9

Resist Elven immunities

OFFENSE

Spd 30 ft.

Melee Weapon +6/+1 (None)

Ranged Weapon +7/+2 (None)

Special Attacks Elven magic

STATISTICS

Str 10, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 16

Base Atk +6/+1; CMB +6; CMD 17

Feats Dodge, Natural Spell, Sea Tongue, Self-Sufficient

Skills Handle Animal +14, Heal +15, Knowledge (nature) +11, Survival +15, Swim +11

Languages Elven, Common

SQ Spells, nature bond, nature sense, wild empathy, woodland stride, trackless step, resist nature's lure, wild shape 3/day

Combat Gear Druid's vestments, amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +1

Silverfin, dolphin companion

CR ½

XP 200

N medium animal

Init +2; Senses Perception +9; Blindsight 120 ft., low-light vision

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +4 natural, +1 Dodge)

hp 38 (7d8+7)

Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +3

OFFENSE

Spd swim 80 ft.

Melee Slam +7 (1d4+2)

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6

Base Atk +5 CMB +7; CMD 20

Feats Dodge, Endurance, Improved Dodge, Weapon Finesse

Skills Perception +12, Swim +17; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception

SQ hold breath

Using the Angry Druid in a Nautical Fantasy Campaign

There are many ways in which this protector of the seas could become involved in a nautically-themed Pathfinder campaign; a few of the possibilities are detailed here.

• As a pacifistic, naturalistic druid, Maelyrra makes a potentially comic foil for pirates and similar characters.
• Maelyrra could encounter the orc whale hunters of the Abattoir and decide to recruit the PC's in order to halt their predations.
• The druid can offer her services as a scout, or perhaps even the location of lost ships, in exchange for the party's aid.

Political Entities and Flags

This post presents suggestions for developing political organizations in a space fantasy campaign, along with three different groups and the flags that they fly.

-Nate

The Politics of Aetherspace

Given that aetherial travel opens whole new worlds for exploration, adding it to an existing campaign setting can have a huge impact on the balance of power between individuals and nations. Some of the possible outcomes are detailed here.

Colonies of Existing Powers

One possibility is that the governments of countries in the setting develop their own colonies, settlements over which they maintain a good deal of control. This adds a touch of the familiar—that is, pre-existing power groups and conflicts—to space fantasy campaigns. On the other hand, it doesn't add much that is new.

An exception to that last comment is the fact that, as worlds begin to explore aetherspace, they develop new organizations for doing so. From a military standpoint, this is likely to include some kind of official presence, such as ships which are part of a Royal Aetherspace navy or some such group. Another example could be private organization that spans multiple planets, such as an Illumination Society that includes clerics of the God of Knowledge from different worlds.

New and Independent Settlements

In contrast, space fantasy campaigns give the GM a chance to introduce completely new, unanticipated organizations. In this way these campaigns reflect the political developments that occurred during the Golden Age of Piracy on Earth, when independent-minded freebooters created their own utopian settlements in previously undeveloped locations. While these could be piratical settlements, they might also be founded by splinter religious groups, independent traders, or others who have been marginalized by existing world cultures.

Visitors from Other Worlds... and Beyond

Finally, given the unlimited possibilities of life beyond this galaxy, virtually any kind of life form (and therefore society and culture) could be introduced. This might include a plant-based civilization, intelligent oozes, sentient constructs, and even weirder encounters.

Three Sample Organizations

Detailed here are three organizations ready to be dropped into a space fantasy campaign.

The Interstellar Order of Illumination Once aetherial travel became known, a number of interested parties decided to cooperate in exploring the void and creating a chronicle of its secrets. This group includes clerics of the Sun God, navigators, wizards, loremasters and other scholars. For them, knowledge is the treasure that they seek, and they're willing to share it with all who are interested..

The Royal Interplanetary Company In contrast to the IOI, the RIC is founded on the premise of making a profit from the many resources to be found throughout the galaxy. Its members are up-and-coming entrepreneurs, ones who'll stand at nothing to fill their own pockets. They can be instrumental in funding new aetherial expeditions—as long as they receive the lion's share of the profit, of course.

The Children of the Widow Not all of the intrepid individuals who venture into the void will submit to any kind of authority. Take, for instance, the drow pirate known as “the Widow,” who commands a fleet of pirate vessels. Among these scallywags, all are equals—except, of course, when the Widow leads them into battle. Then her command is inviolable, and quarter is neither asked nor given.

Run Up the Colors

Amongst aetherships, flags are an important means of identification. While some just provide the nationality or affiliation of a vessel, others provide hints to the purpose of the ship and its crew. For example:

The flag of the Interstellar Order of Illumination just uses the initials of that organization, IOI. Even

so, they resemble the face of a lantern, a fitting symbol for a group whose purpose is discovery.

The Royal Interplanetary Company's flag combines its initials with a crown capped by stars.

This image depicts royal authority, along with the notion that every new system explored

will simply add more jewels to that crown.

This flag uses only two visual elements—a field of black, representing the vast emptiness of space, along with a red shape reminiscent of both a poisonous spider and an hourglass, which signifies

that the Widow's enemies have only a limited amount of time left before meeting their doom.

More Shipboard Modifications

Presented below, for nautical as well as aetherial adventures, are some ideas for regulating the additions and modifications that can be made to ships.

-Nate

More Shipboard Modifications

Detailed here are more ways in which aethernauts can customize their vessels, along with guidelines for doing so.

Cargo Capacity

Every aethership has a specific cargo capacity. In addition to determining how many crates, barrels and other such items can be loaded into its hold, this number also determines the limit for the total number of additions and modifications that can be made to it.

Type of Ship	Cargo Capacity
Dhow	50 tons
Bark	150 tons
Junk	250 tons
Merchantman	350 tons
Galleon	450 tons

Additions and Modifications

Each of the following modifications and additions, along with the required cargo space for each, are detailed below.

Item	Space
Quarters for two passengers	1 ton
Siege weapon, large	5 tons
Siege weapon, huge	10 tons
Pen, garden or pool	5 tons
Hidden compartments	Special

Note that aetherships are still limited to the total number of siege engine emplacements that they can carry as listed in their stat blocks; this reflects the fact that there are only so many places from which such weapons can have a proper line of fire.

Hidden Compartments

Sometimes aethership captains and their crews like to engage in what is known as the small package trade. To do so, they add cargo compartments which are specially designed so as not to be apparent to any but those who are in the know. This is represented by having the carpenter who adds them make a Craft: carpentry check, with the result of it determining the DC for the Perception check to notice the compartments. Note that the amount of space which can be converted in this matter is limited; after all, a galleon that seems to have no overt cargo capacity is likely to draw suspicion. Therefore, every increment of space equal to 5% of a ship's total cargo limit beyond the first imposes a cumulative +2 circumstance bonus on all checks made to notice those spaces.

Hidden cargo compartments cost 50 gp per ton of space provided; this cost does not include any measure taken to prevent discovery via detect magic or similar spells.

Planetary Transformation

Although aetherships provide a means of traveling between destinations in the depths of space, it takes even greater magic to make previously unlivable planets into inhabitable worlds. To that end, arcane pioneers devised these items, which harness the combined powers of the four elements to create them. Indeed, it is said that they negotiated deals with the princes of the genies in order to do so. Whatever the truth of the matter, the devices work.

Elemental Obelisk

Aura strong conjuration; CL 9th

Slot NA; Price 100,000 gp; Weight 10,000 lbs.

Description

This item is a tall pillar of stone with a square base and a pyramid-shaped cap. Its sides are inscribed with the symbols of the four elements, one to a side. While it seems unassuming in appearance, it in fact contains powerful magic; they create gravity, warmth, moisture, and breathable air on a suitable surface. The exact volume of livable space one can create with each of these devices is left up to the discretion of the GM.

Construction

Requirements Craft Wondrous Item; create water, flaming sphere, gust of wind, wall of stone; Cost 50,000 gp

The Old Asteroid Mine

I am an inveterate re-user of maps. In this case, here's one that I created for my Edge of the Empire blog, repurposed for space fantasy.

-Nate

Encounters in Space: The Old Asteroid Mine

For use in any variety of ways is this mined-out asteroid, now abandoned serving as a home to a wing of gargoyles.

The Asteroid

Refer to the appropriate map for the following area descriptions.

1. Entrance

The only indication that this asteroid has been worked is a hole fifteen feet in diameter. Should the PC's wish to access it, they'll need to maneuver their aethership along a path that follow's the asteroid's drift, requiring a DC 15 Profession: pilot check—with failure by five or more indicating a collision. One or more crew members must then snag it with a grappling hook or some other such device, requiring attack rolls against AC 10.

2. Main Chamber

This broad, open area is nearly fifty feet long as well as wide; it has a ceiling thirty feet high. The interior is pitch dark. Scattered about the floor is evidence of the mine's old purpose—a broken shovel, a rusted pickaxe, and similar detritus. There is also a pile of loot taken by the gargoyles. The GM should feel free to tailor this list of loot as desired, or perhaps even trust to rolling on the treasure tables to determine its nature. Whatever the case, it includes a lot of worthless material with which the valuables are mixed. This is also a good chance to introduce a new plot hook, such as a letter containing important information that never reached its intended destination.

Closer inspection (a DC 15 Survival check) also reveals gargoyle tracks leading into the tunnels.

3. Tunnels

The height of any given tunnel section generally matches its width. These areas were dug out in pursuit of the asteroid's ore, and now serve as lairs for the gargoyles. The total number of such creatures present, along with their distribution, is left to the GM's discretion, in order to provide a challenging but not overwhelming threat for the aethership's crew.

Orcs in Space!

In a previous post I wrote up a crew of orc whale hunters. This post provides ideas for incorporating them in a space fantasy campaign.

-Nate

Orc Whaling Ship

The Discovery

(a.k.a. Orcs in Space!)

“Captain!” The voice carried down to the sterncastle of the ship Abattoir from the crow's nest on the foremast. “Two points to starboard!”

Pulling out his spyglass, Captain Cyrus scanned the surface of the water in the direction mentioned. 

For a moment he couldn't make out a telltale. “Is it a spume?”

“No, Captain—seabirds. It could still be lucrative, though.”

“That is true.” Cyrus nodded, returning the spyglass to it case. “That is true. Alter course, two points to starboard. All hands on deck, and prepare for retrieval.”

There was a flurry of activity as boots pounded along the deck; a mass of orcs appeared from below, retrieving grappling hooks as they did so. They filled the ship's forecastle and head and then stopped, watchful and waiting.

Waves beat against the vessel's hull while the Abattoir closed on its target. As it did so, the crew members began to realize the size of the thing they'd encountered.

“By the gods,” the first mate declared. “It's huge!”

It was. The closer they drew to the mass that floated on the water, the higher it loomed before them. Gulls and other seabirds circled in the air above, but Cyrus had the impression that they were just as confused by it as he was. The dead thing looked like a whale, but it was larger than any he'd seen, dead or alive. Instead of a distinct dorsal fin, it had a ridge running much of its back. What was more, no eyes were visible on it.

“What in the hells is it?” someone asked.

“I don't know,” Cyrus declared, “but it could still be valuable. Lads, pull it alongside us.” He was answered by the sound of grappling hooks being spun and then thrown, followed by the meaty slapping of prongs biting into decaying flesh. Then, with an effort, the orcs of the Abattoir began hauling on their ropes, drawing the carcass alongside their ship. Only then, as the corpse shifted in the water, did Cyrus notice the timbers and shreds of canvas that were sticking out of its mouth.

“Hold there!” he shouted. “Lower the longboats; let's have a closer look at this thing!”

The Crew

Captain Cyrus and his orcs soon learned that the carcass they'd found was not of their world. What was more, he recruited a wizard to confirm what he suspected—that the wreckage belonged to a ship capable of traveling beyond his world's atmosphere. It took a good deal of time and money for them to repair that vessel, and then to master handling it. Once they'd done so, however, unbelievable new vistas opened for them.

The orcs of the Abattoir can be used in a space fantasy campaign in many different ways; here are a few possibilities:

• They perhaps function best as rivals for the PC's—not necessarily enemies, but NPC's who compete against them for valuable opportunities such as claiming salvage rights and the like.
• Characters in a difficult spot might be forced to take passage aboard the Abattoir, making for a voyage with plenty of opportunities for roleplaying and conflict.
• When the orcs' unimpeded predations upset a nearby space druid and she lashes out against them, the PC's might find themselves in a position to mediate between the two sides.
• In the event that the orcs did turn pirate, they would be formidable foes indeed.

“Aetherspace is a living system, just like those to be found on the many worlds that float through it. It has its predators and its prey. Of course, only time will tell how the introduction of predators from those worlds will affect its balance.” -Kestrel, halfling druid

The Abattoir

This vessel is a modified merchantman, set up for hunting whales. It has two notable modifications. The first is the addition of grappling ballistas, ones with barbed projectiles that tear into the flesh of prey and affix ropes to it. The second is a pair of large boiling kettles used for cooking down the valuable blubber taken from its victims. The fact that this process takes place inside a limited pocket of air means that she ship has a permanent stink of smoke and grease.

Hunting Space Creatures

Given the lack of, well, everything in space, hunting creatures in the aether is notably different from hunting them in the water. In this case, the attackers must hit with a harpoon, and then succeed at a Profession: pilot check opposed to the prey's CMD. Each successive hit provides a +2 circumstance bonus to that check. The prey, meanwhile, can attempt to break the grapple with combat maneuver checks opposed to the captain's Profession: pilot effort. Successive efforts by the attacker can reduce the prey to a “pinned” state, at which point it can be brought alongside the aethership and attacked normally.

Ballistic Harpoons These function just like normal ballista bolts, except that they also have the Grappling quality and are connected by ropes to the aethership. They cost the same amount as grappling ammunition.

Shipboard Modifications

Shipboard Modifications

While some spacefarers focus their energy on developing new armor or weapons for aetherships, the elves work at building shipboard environments that are more natural and thus better suited for long-distance travel.

Item Cost Weight

Animal pen 2 sp/5-foot square 5 tons of cargo space

Box Garden 1 gp/5-foot square 5 tons of cargo space

Pool 5 gp/5-foot square 5 tons of cargo space

Each of these additions to an aethership creates space that can be used for housing some kind of flora or fauna. Note that these prices don't include the cost of animals or plants with which they're stocked; refer to the Trade Goods table on page 140 of the core rulebook to find costs for them. Each five-foot square devoted to uses as an animal pen, garden or pool can hold one large creature, or twice as many of each size category smaller than that.

With these modifications, some captains have turned their vessels into floating menageries, traveling aetherspace in search of new specimens for adding to their collection, or carrying known specimens with which to populate new worlds.

Naturalist's Guidebook Cost: 50 gp; Weight: 3 lbs. This book is a collection of drawings and writings detailing the plant and animal life native to a given planet. It grants a +2 circumstance bonus to Survival and Knowledge: nature checks made on that world (and that world only).

“One thing I'll give the elves—it does smell better aboard their ships.” -Lucinda, half-elf sorceress and pilot

Hodgepodge

Today's post combines a number of elements. For one, here are links to sheets that can be used to track stats for a ship's crew. I'm including two because one is for seafaring vessels and the other is for spacefaring ships.

Sailing Ship Crew Sheet

Aethership Crew Sheet


There's also a bit about naming vessels.

What's in a Name? After a party acquires a vessel, one of the first tasks is to give it a good name. To that end, there are plenty of options. Some ship owners like to name a vessel after an existing person, such as the Moon Maiden or the Lady Katherine. Others prefer to invoke a place name, for example the Mercurial Messenger, the Virtue of Venus or the Martian Marauder. Another option is to use an abstract principle, such as the Liberty or the Vengeance. Animals can make good namesakes, with examples such as the Skylark or the Dolphin.

Last is a short article about carrying animals aboard ships.

Animals Aboard Aetherships

An interesting element of travel aboard aetherships is carrying animals aboard them. Presented below are a few of the possibilities for these situations.

The Ship's Pet

Having one or more pets aboard an aethership can be good for the morale of the crew. What is more, ship's cats, along with certain types of dogs, can be useful for eliminating rats and other vermin that tend to gather aboard ships.

Service Creatures

Sometimes certain crews—especially the elves—carry wondrous creatures that perform various duties aboard the ship. Elves like to keep a few griffons aboard, especially for rescuing crew members who fall overboard, and some goblins are known to keep worgs for making hit-and-run attacks.

Living Cargo

Another common reason for animals to be aboard aetherships is if they're being transported as cargo. This can be preferable to hauling prepared meat—smoked or pickled, for example—because living animals don't spoil, and because they can be used to establish a population on colony worlds. It provides a challenge, however, because they take up more room, they can be messy and, in times of trouble, they can become downright dangerous. After all, should a ship be caught in battle, the animals could become panicked and thus stampede. Refer to the rules for the Handle Animal skill, along with the Bestiary entry for herd animals, to adjudicate such a situation.

“I tell ya, that wolf never had it better. She'd make the rounds of the ship, payin' a visit to all of the crew, and every one of 'em had a scrap of biscuit or a bit of meat for her. She got downright fat, she did.” -Annelise, human ranger

Solar System Gazetteer

Here's a sample write-up for a typical (and familiar) solar system.

-Nate

Gazetteer of the Solar System

Presented below are stats for the planets of a typical solar system.

Mercury Diameter: 3,031 miles Gravity: 0.38 standard Period of Rotation: 59 days Period of Revolution: 88 days Distance from Sun: 36 million miles Temperature Range: -297° to 800° Number of Moons: 0 Ring System?: No Other Notable Features: The proximity of Mercury to the sun means that its sunward surface is extremely hot, while the night side is very cold. This means that it is possible to do some mining work in the edge between the two, but one must be highly mobile in doing so.	Venus Diameter: 7,521 miles Gravity: 0.9 standard Period of Rotation: 243 days Period of Revolution: 224 days Distance from Sun: 67 million miles Temperature Range: 896° Number of Moons: 0 Ring System?: No Other Notable Features: This planet has an acidic, hothouse atmosphere, making it even hotter than Mercury and on all sides of the world. Some alchemists believe it might be possible to harvest chemicals from the upper atmosphere, but haven't perfected a method yet.
Earth Diameter: 7,926 miles Gravity: 1.0 standard Period of Rotation: 24 hours Period of Revolution: 365 days Distance from Sun: 93 million miles Temperature Range: -60° to 120° Number of Moons: 1 Ring System?: No Other Notable Features: This planet is, of course, the gold standard when it comes to habitability. It has numerous highly-developed societies, and ones that now compete to exploit the resources of the many bodies to be found throughout the aether.	Earth's Moon Diameter: 2,171 miles Gravity: 0.17 standard Period of Rotation: 29 days Period of Revolution: 29 days Distance from Sun: 93 million miles Temperature Range: -29° Number of Moons: 0 Ring System?: No Other Notable Features: While it lacks much of an atmosphere, it is relatively warm by aetherial standards. As such, it is a favored location for experimentation with agricultural processes. There are rumors, though, of undead haunting some of the moon's dark corners.
Mars Diameter: 4,222 miles Gravity: 0.38 standard Period of Rotation: 24 hours, 37 minutes Period of Revolution: 687 days Distance from Sun: 141,700,000 miles Temperature Range: -81° Number of Moons: 2 Ring System?: No Other Notable Features: The surface of this world is covered by red-tinted desert, which lends Mars its distinctive appearance and thus its name. Long ago, astronomers on Earth saw what looked like canals on its surface, and the first aethernauts who arrived found that there was indeed the remains of a long-ruined civilization. What is more, tunnels lead beneath the world's surface into a veritable underdark. That underground world remains relatively unexplored, however.	Jupiter Diameter: 88,846 miles Gravity: 2.64 standard Period of Rotation: 9 hours, 55 minutes Period of Revolution: 11.86 years Distance from Sun: 483,500,000 miles Temperature Range: -202° Number of Moons: 66 Ring System?: Yes Other Notable Features: The most striking feature of this world is the giant red spot, a planet-sized storm that has been active for years and circles the world. Legends tell that this storm is inhabited by a powerful, angry spirit. Jupiter also boasts a narrow band of planetary rings, along with dozen of moons, with their own distinctive qualities, and ripe for exploration and development in their own right.
Saturn Diameter: 74,900 miles Gravity: 1.16 standard Period of Rotation: 10 hours, 39 minutes Period of Revolution: 29 years Distance from Sun: 888,750,000 miles Temperature Range: -202° Number of Moons: 62 Ring System?: Yes Other Notable Features: The broad system of rings is this planet's most notable feature, made of water ice and dust or rock. As such, it is a favorite place for harvesting ice for use on other worlds, not to mention a preferred destination for the up-and-coming tourist trade. It has nearly as many moons as Jupiter, too, promising plenty of opportunities in the future.	Uranus Diameter: 31,763 miles Gravity: 1.11 standard Period of Rotation: 17 hours, 14 minutes Period of Revolution: 84 years Distance from Sun: 1,783,744,300 miles Temperature Range: -238° Number of Moons: 27 Ring System?: Yes Other Notable Features: This is another gas giant (jovian planet), like Jupiter and Saturn. Its axis of rotation lies parallel to its planet of revolution, meaning that the planet rolls through the aether like a giant wheel. It is a cold world, but speculators believe that its ice may contain valuable alchemical compounds.
Neptune Diameter: 30,779 miles Gravity: 1.21 standard Period of Rotation: 16 hours, 7 minutes Period of Revolution: 164.8 years Distance from Sun: 2,797,770,000 miles Temperature Range: -328° Number of Moons: 13 Ring System?: Yes Other Notable Features: This planet is best known for is distinctive blue coloration. Its atmosphere is driven by powerful winds, and is very cold. In fact, it boasts a great dark spot, a massive and powerful storm similar to that found on Jupiter.	Pluto Diameter: 1,430 miles Gravity: 0.07 standard Period of Rotation: 6 days, 9 hours Period of Revolution: 248 years Distance from Sun: 3,670,000,000 miles Temperature Range: -378° Number of Moons: 5 Ring System?: No Other Notable Features: Some astronomers argue that this is actually a dwarf planet, similar to larger bodies in the asteroid belt and even some of the other planets' moons. It is little more than a cold rock drifting through the aether, but does boast a cache of supplies in case of interplanetary emergencies.

The Asteroid Belt

Given that hundreds of thousands of individual bodies make up this belt, it can't be detailed in the same way as the planets. The belt lies in a broad orbit between Mars and Jupiter. Each of these drifting space rocks can vary in size from ones that are similar to earth-bound boulders to those that are larger than the planet Pluto. Many of these are rich in minerals, making them a favorite target of space miners. Of course, ones that have been dug full of tunnels can also then become lairs for those creatures that live in the aether. In a similar manner, the asteroids' relatively small size also makes them the first candidates for terraforming, resulting in the first permanent outposts built by aetherial travelers.

Travel Times, Distance and Speed Compared to planetside journeys, the distances covered when traveling between bodies in a solar system are incredibly long. After all, a voyage from the sun to the earth covers 93 million miles. To handle this, a space fantasy campaign divides movement into two different types. Tactical speed is handled as per the rules presented in Ultimate Combat. Ships move and maneuver at their speeds in feet per round, while characters aboard them operate in the same manner. Cruising speed, on the other hand, is much faster. In fact, cruising speed for ships uses the same number, but it is applied in thousands of miles per hour. Aetherships can only reach cruising speed when they are beyond the gravity influence of heavenly bodies—that is, outside of a planet's atmosphere, or at a similar distance from bodies such as asteroids or comets.

Using Earth as a Campaign Setting GM's interested in using Earth and its solar system as the setting for a space fantasy campaign might want to check out the Kingdoms of Legend: World Guide from Interaction Point Games to find suggestions for that planet's cultures.