Anyone have an explanation? I've come to the conclusion that catapults are basically mounted on jammers for use in planetary combat, where the planet's gravity field takes over. Wildspace is the domain of ballista, cannon, and other direct fire weapons.
How do catapults work on a spelljammer? Ballistas are fine because they are direct fire, and dont rely on gravity for aiming. But catapults are physically incapable of firing directly at their target. They use the constant plane of gravity to arc their shot onto the target. But SJ catapults have a gravity field whose bound ends at a different point not only for different hulls, but for different hardpoints on the same. Then there is the space between the ships where there is zero gravity, and finally the gravity plane on the target could be at almost any orientation. These three put together would make it almost impossible for anyone to fire a catapult with any sensible level of accuracy.
This is exactly the problem I've had with spelljammer catapults from the start. Add in the fact that both ships are moving, probably at different speeds, possibly in six different directions (not to mention axis orientation), and the idea of hitting anything with a catapult becomes ridiculous.
Personally, I've never really understood why ships don't have better weapons in Spelljammer--if you can make the entire ship fly, can't you install a magic missile or lightningbolt gun? (Check out the oft-overlooked Top Ballistae supplement for Mystara for some cool fantasy weapons for airborne ships.)
Anyone have an explanation? I've come to the conclusion that catapults are basically mounted on jammers for use in planetary combat, where the planet's gravity field takes over. Wildspace is the domain of ballista, cannon, and other direct fire weapons.
Unfortunately, the books haven't treated it this way. In the Cloakmaster Cycle, ships in space were firing catapult at each other all the time. This usually resulted in explosions (?) and fires breaking out on the ship that was hit (??). It never made any sense, but it did show that the authors were looking for something that could simulate an exciting, Star Wars-style space battle, but had nothing to work with.
Pax,
KRad
Light ballista: can fire 9 magic missiles per round, 200' range. Also includes light spells, fiorcing save vs spells or be blinded for 6 turns. Physically looks like 3 large rods mounted together, and displays a visual fire effect at the muzzle when used.
Heavy ballista: can fire web spell once per round, 300' range. Physically looks like 2 large rods mounted together, and appears as two black hissing snakes when in use.
Catapult: can fire disintegrate spell once per turn, 400' range. Looks like a wooden medieval cannon.
Heldannic Blight Belcher: pretty much the same as the catapult on the Princess Ark, except for the name.
Personally, I see ballistae as the space weapon of choice, with cannon supplementing it in spheres where smoke powder is convenient, catapults in specialised planetary assault ships, and marines armed with crossbows or longbows for light missile support. highly magical space empires will of course supplement these with magical artillery pieces, fireball and lightning rods being the most common.
ballistas make sense, a jettison that works like a ballista also makes sense (imagine it using a sort of bucket to fire out shrapnel)
Then add in HelmSeeking missiles etc, hehe!
"Photon torpedoes, Cap'n!"
