Spacefaring

This D&D campaign takes place in an interstellar fantasy universe in which the universe itself has the same basic astronomical structure as our own and the civilized races have discovered how to use space travel to build a cosmopolitan interstellar civilization.

Dresium

The entire system of space travel is made possible by the existence of an element called dresium, which has a light bluish color and can be ground to a fine powder. Dresium is a necessary ingredient for the construction of both starjamming and lifejamming helms which make space travel possible. As such, dresium is the most important item of trade and commerce in the Known Systems.

Starjamming and Lifejamming Helms

Traveling within a system is accomplished by the use of a ship with a starjamming or lifejamming helm installed. These helms make it possible for a ship to move quickly enough to travel the large distances between planetary bodies in terms of days and weeks. In addition, these helms use magic to provide artificial gravity and a bubble of atmosphere to the ship.

Furthermore, the helms are able to adjust for nearby planetary objects and immediately slow speed to account for such hazards without injury to the passengers. Generally, when a ship gets within a certain proximity of a large body or another ship, it will instantly slow down to a cruising speed equivalent to that of a fast horse, preventing any unwanted collisions. Because of this feature/limitation, battles in space between ships take place at roughly the same pace as seafaring ships.

The helms differ primarily in their means of power. Starjamming helms are powered by solar rays. A starjamming ship is identifiable by the gossamer-like sails that will extend from some part of the ship. These solar sails are used to collect the power of sunlight to power the starjamming helm. Starjamming helms are produced by a single race, the mysterious Arcane. The Arcane’s monopoly over starjamming helms has given them a great deal of power and Arcane settlements are often the most cosmopolitan of places, as other races use them as centers of trade and diplomacy.

Lifejammer helms, on the other hand, are powered by the life force of a creature. The drain in life force is slow, so a single creature can power a lifejammer for some time, but eventually a creature powering a lifejammer will die. Lifejammer helms are most commonly supplied power by the use of slaves or prisoners, making them distasteful to many races to say the least. The Arcane forbid the use of lifejammer helms and any race that regularly trafficks in them will join the list of Banned Races who are not welcome at Arcane settlements.

Lifejammer helms are produced by the evil neogi, who happily sell them to the highest bidder for a lower price than starjamming helms. Lifejammer helms are also made for dresium, so the Arcane’s injunction against lifejammer helms helps feed a vibrant black market trade in dresium.

Interstellar Travel

Distances between stellar systems are too great even for spacejamming helms. Fortunately, a shorter route exists between systems via the Ring Network. The rings are mysterious and ancient artifacts of unknown origin. They are gargantuan rings placed at the nadir and zenith points of stellar systems. A ship that travels into a ring will enter a vortex-like wormhole that makes possible transport to another system.

Transport is not instantaneous via the rings. A ship will typically have to travel about a day within the extra-dimensional wormhole of prismatic undulating colors before arriving at the other system.

Each ring is associated with travel to a specific system and there is always a corresponding ring on the other side for return travel. Many systems contain multiple rings allowing travel to multiple destinations. Over time, astronavigators have mapped out all of the various ring connections to generate a network map of what are called the Known Systems. These are all of the systems connected by the Ring Network. Many of these systems are inhabited by some intelligent life forms, but some systems seem to be intermediary waystations containing no life.

The rings are constructed of an indeterminate matter and have proven indestructible to all efforts to disable or destroy them.