Written by Evan B. 08/15/2022
Cool copyright-free fantasy spaceship (image from Wikimedia Commons)
Do you like space? Do you like magic? Do you suffer from the existential dread of the limited and shrinking size of the explorable universe? Well do we have just the thing for you! Wizards of the Coast (that is their actual company name I am not kidding) is releasing several books for D&D about the Spelljammer setting. So, what is there to know about it?
Well first off, Spelljammer was an adventure setting that released back in the day for the game's 2nd edition. A fan favorite among fans, because you're in a wizard in f***ing space. This was like the late 80's so yeah, people went wild for that.
An ancient relic of nerd history (image from Wikimedia Commons)
You can travel through space with the use of magic-powered "spelljamming ships". The magic from spellcasting classes like wizards and sorcerers will allow you to use these vessels to explore new planets and civilizations. This decision was made in an attempt to screw over martial classes more than they've already been: IF YOU'RE A ROGUE OR FIGHTER, GOODLUCK BEING STRANDED IN SPACE!
One thing to note is that you cannot breathe in space, and there is limited air in your spelljamming ship. So, Dungeon Masters be prepared for a crap ton of Warforged players! They are inevitable in a setting like this. (And I swear to God if any player tries to plant a tree on a ship and says it supplies enough air for a crew of 5 people to breathe for months on end I will kill their character instantly).
Among the magic stars and vast emptiness of space you will find a number of creatures, the likes you could never even think of. These enemies are so unique and creatively designed that you will not believe how you've never thought of them before. Like SPACE PIRATES. And REALLY, REALLY BIG MONSTERS. It's so badass.
Space pirates, but I accidentally downloaded a jpg file god damn it
(credit to Arizona Public Media and Rawpixel)
Dndbeyond is offering several books for free (limited time) for new adventures and creatures you can find in the infinite space. This is very cool, in my opinion.
We know you're going to do it, so here is some advice for DMs planning to run their own campaign. Make use of the technique used by DMs around the world: the illusion of choice. When players want to explore a new area, it don't matter where the hell they go, their gonna end up on the same planet because I can only be bothered to prepare one thing at a time.
I personally am very excited for the new setting, the same for my friends held at gunpoint! For you nerds at home, have fun, and enjoy this new out of this world adventure!
Me negotiating the terms of my friends' release: bi-monthly sessions of D&D (image from Flickr)
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