My SotSM campaign - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

My SotSM campaign

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
mankyle
Dec 19, 2006 14:45:28 I'm about to start a new Shadow of the Spider Moon campaign.

I'm using some variant rules and the basic idea of the campaign revolves around an idea extracted from the Star Wars corellian trilogy by Roger McBride Allen.
The Planetary repulsors.

The idea is that the whole Pyrespace is a construction made aeons ago by an unknown race (arcane??). They use enormous ziggurats to channel the gravity force of each planet and use it to transport the planets through the space and put them orbiting pyra.
IMC that's the reason behind the fact that six planet lie in stable orbits around one sun and all at distances that allow human life.

The central theme is that the players discover that the Crown of Wildspace is an artifact that can be used to power the gravity channeller artifacts located in each planet (one ziggurat lies in each planet) and activate them.
The master ziggurat lies in "the visitor", a comet that travels aaround the system in an irregular pattern.
The visitor is a gigantic spelljammer that controls all ziggurats and keeps all planets orbits stable, changing them as it is required. This comet is defended by golems, elementals and many other guardian monsters.

The Ilithids control one ziggurat, the elves another one, the one in Quelya is underwater, the one in Ashen is covered by the desert sun and the one in verdura is the temple of the feathered serpent. The one of the chain of tears lies in an asteroid in the middle of formian territory.

All players have already created their PCs: A half elf, two humans and one halfling. They are going to start in quelya.Some ideas about how to start?
#2
zombiegleemax
Dec 19, 2006 15:07:37 Sounds interesting:what's the campaign aim? To gain control of the Crown of Wildspace? Or to destroy it hoping no evil villain could use it for his dark aims?
Or to build a cult that venerates the powers ofthe forgotten race of ziggurat-builders to honor the celestial mechanics?
Or... else?
A campaign aim should be extremely important in defining the whole campaign, including the starting point.

By the way: what about the character class of your PCs?
And what about Pyrespace? Is it in some "canon" material?
#3
jaid
Dec 19, 2006 18:02:23
And what about Pyrespace? Is it in some "canon" material?

Shadows of the Spider Moon (ie pyrespace) is the closest thing to a third edition spelljammer conversion out there.

it's in dungeon or polyhedron magazine (maybe both?), can't remember which, and definitely can't remember which issue :P
#4
zombiegleemax
Dec 20, 2006 1:02:43
Shadows of the Spider Moon (ie pyrespace) is the closest thing to a third edition spelljammer conversion out there.

it's in dungeon or polyhedron magazine (maybe both?), can't remember which, and definitely can't remember which issue :P

Ok... I'm proud of being totally 3.x naïve!
#5
zombiegleemax
Dec 23, 2006 4:03:00 You're not missing much although parts of spider moon are growing on me. But I rather prefer the current edition of game to its predecesor. Although some of the artwork still grates on my sensibilities. I really and truly like the new version of the Illithid Dreadnaught.
#6
zombiegleemax
Dec 23, 2006 14:04:58
I really and truly like the new version of the Illithid Dreadnaught.

New Illithid dreadnought? Do you have a picture? I'd like to see it!

Also if I enjoy the 2ed dreadnought! ;)
#7
zombiegleemax
Dec 23, 2006 15:23:10 I'd need to find my copy of Spider Moon and scan the pic but I hope I might be able to post up here. The 2Ed looked a little goofy and artistically lazy to me. Now granted a lot of SJ was goofy and we liked it that way. But the Illithid Dreadnaught is something out of a spacefarer's nightmare. Which I think is a little more appropriate for the mind flayers.
#8
wyvern76
Dec 23, 2006 16:37:03
it's in dungeon or polyhedron magazine (maybe both?), can't remember which, and definitely can't remember which issue :P

It was published in Polyhedron during the period when Dungeon and Polyhedron were combined into a single magazine.

Wyvern
#9
jaid
Dec 23, 2006 20:31:29
New Illithid dreadnought? Do you have a picture? I'd like to see it!

Also if I enjoy the 2ed dreadnought! ;)

hmmm... how to describe... well, if you were to take a squid, knock it down to four tentacles, have those tentacles stretched out fairly straight to the... err... head? body? whatever it is?

basically, that's the rough shape of it. in other words, it's kinda like an illithid head, only the "head" portion is a little elongated.

also, the tentacles are animated and act as a grappling ram.

basically, it looks a lot better and, imo, a lot more illithid... ish? y? than the end edition dreadnought.
#10
zombiegleemax
Dec 28, 2006 14:21:51 Ok, it is in Polyhedron #151... I have it! I just looked at it, and it seems interesting.
Of course, being a 2ed purist I'm not interested in the classes, but the campaign seems interesting. Pictures are exellent ++.
I'm going to read it more to understand better it.

I see that there are formians... i'll read more about it.
#11
zombiegleemax
Dec 29, 2006 0:47:32 Their version of a Hammership still rubs me the wrong way.
#12
nightdruid
Dec 29, 2006 7:06:41
Their version of a Hammership still rubs me the wrong way.

Just think of it as a hammership that's done one too many ramming attacks...;)
#13
zombiegleemax
Dec 29, 2006 12:58:37
Just think of it as a hammership that's done one too many ramming attacks...;)

I dunno, the Hammership was one of my all time faves along with the Whaleship, Nautilloid and Triop. I didn't see any diff in the way they did the Nautilloid but I thought the hammership more resembled a bloated slug than the sleek shark the hammership usually is. Part of me is surprised the Whaleship wasn't done as well. Although in my own proposed SJ campaigns I reworked the triop so it is fully functional as a submarine as well as a space going vessel.
#14
zombiegleemax
Dec 31, 2006 7:07:50 Ok: I read it... I find it strange about Formians... in my memory Formians are lawful good arcadian ant people, not the kind to conquer and conquer and conquer: they are not Star Trek Borgs! They are very lawful, bing arcadians, but I feel it would be better to have xixcil to be the would be asteroid belt conquerors.
#15
zombiegleemax
Dec 31, 2006 7:14:07 Aren't Formians Lawful Neutral now? I think in the one supplement, they are fight with the Modrons over control of Mechanus in 3.5 Ed.
#16
jaid
Dec 31, 2006 10:33:09
Aren't Formians Lawful Neutral now?

yes. yes they are..
#17
zombiegleemax
Dec 31, 2006 15:59:49 There's you're impetus for a Borg-ish mentality. Bringing the light of law to the darkness of chaos without regard to morality. Good or evil doesn't matter unless it's legislated.
#18
bigmac
Jan 06, 2007 21:42:15 Here are a few resources that can help any DM wanting to use Pyrespace:

Pyrespace at Beyond the Moons (supporting material from the official fan website)
Andy Collins' Spelljammer Project (Infomation about the Spelljammer: Shadow of the Spider Moon d20 mini-game from its author)
Andy Collins' Spelljammer noticboard (where you can talk to fans of SotSM and if you are lucky Andy Collins himself)

If you develop any new supporting material for Shadows of the Spider Moon, please consider donating it to Beyond the Moons so that other DMs can benifit from your own work.

And if you want people to help test any new material you are currently developing then you might want to try joining the Spelljammer Mailing List (SJML).

Good luck!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 mankyle Dec 19, 2006 14:45:28	I'm about to start a new Shadow of the Spider Moon campaign. I'm using some variant rules and the basic idea of the campaign revolves around an idea extracted from the Star Wars corellian trilogy by Roger McBride Allen. The Planetary repulsors. The idea is that the whole Pyrespace is a construction made aeons ago by an unknown race (arcane??). They use enormous ziggurats to channel the gravity force of each planet and use it to transport the planets through the space and put them orbiting pyra. IMC that's the reason behind the fact that six planet lie in stable orbits around one sun and all at distances that allow human life. The central theme is that the players discover that the Crown of Wildspace is an artifact that can be used to power the gravity channeller artifacts located in each planet (one ziggurat lies in each planet) and activate them. The master ziggurat lies in "the visitor", a comet that travels aaround the system in an irregular pattern. The visitor is a gigantic spelljammer that controls all ziggurats and keeps all planets orbits stable, changing them as it is required. This comet is defended by golems, elementals and many other guardian monsters. The Ilithids control one ziggurat, the elves another one, the one in Quelya is underwater, the one in Ashen is covered by the desert sun and the one in verdura is the temple of the feathered serpent. The one of the chain of tears lies in an asteroid in the middle of formian territory. All players have already created their PCs: A half elf, two humans and one halfling. They are going to start in quelya.Some ideas about how to start?
#2 zombiegleemax Dec 19, 2006 15:07:37	Sounds interesting:what's the campaign aim? To gain control of the Crown of Wildspace? Or to destroy it hoping no evil villain could use it for his dark aims? Or to build a cult that venerates the powers ofthe forgotten race of ziggurat-builders to honor the celestial mechanics? Or... else? A campaign aim should be extremely important in defining the whole campaign, including the starting point. By the way: what about the character class of your PCs? And what about Pyrespace? Is it in some "canon" material?
#3 jaid Dec 19, 2006 18:02:23	And what about Pyrespace? Is it in some "canon" material? Shadows of the Spider Moon (ie pyrespace) is the closest thing to a third edition spelljammer conversion out there. it's in dungeon or polyhedron magazine (maybe both?), can't remember which, and definitely can't remember which issue :P
#4 zombiegleemax Dec 20, 2006 1:02:43	Shadows of the Spider Moon (ie pyrespace) is the closest thing to a third edition spelljammer conversion out there. it's in dungeon or polyhedron magazine (maybe both?), can't remember which, and definitely can't remember which issue :P Ok... I'm proud of being totally 3.x naïve!
#5 zombiegleemax Dec 23, 2006 4:03:00	You're not missing much although parts of spider moon are growing on me. But I rather prefer the current edition of game to its predecesor. Although some of the artwork still grates on my sensibilities. I really and truly like the new version of the Illithid Dreadnaught.
#6 zombiegleemax Dec 23, 2006 14:04:58	I really and truly like the new version of the Illithid Dreadnaught. New Illithid dreadnought? Do you have a picture? I'd like to see it! Also if I enjoy the 2ed dreadnought! ;)
#7 zombiegleemax Dec 23, 2006 15:23:10	I'd need to find my copy of Spider Moon and scan the pic but I hope I might be able to post up here. The 2Ed looked a little goofy and artistically lazy to me. Now granted a lot of SJ was goofy and we liked it that way. But the Illithid Dreadnaught is something out of a spacefarer's nightmare. Which I think is a little more appropriate for the mind flayers.
#8 wyvern76 Dec 23, 2006 16:37:03	it's in dungeon or polyhedron magazine (maybe both?), can't remember which, and definitely can't remember which issue :P It was published in Polyhedron during the period when Dungeon and Polyhedron were combined into a single magazine. Wyvern
#9 jaid Dec 23, 2006 20:31:29	New Illithid dreadnought? Do you have a picture? I'd like to see it! Also if I enjoy the 2ed dreadnought! ;) hmmm... how to describe... well, if you were to take a squid, knock it down to four tentacles, have those tentacles stretched out fairly straight to the... err... head? body? whatever it is? basically, that's the rough shape of it. in other words, it's kinda like an illithid head, only the "head" portion is a little elongated. also, the tentacles are animated and act as a grappling ram. basically, it looks a lot better and, imo, a lot more illithid... ish? y? than the end edition dreadnought.
#10 zombiegleemax Dec 28, 2006 14:21:51	Ok, it is in Polyhedron #151... I have it! I just looked at it, and it seems interesting. Of course, being a 2ed purist I'm not interested in the classes, but the campaign seems interesting. Pictures are exellent ++. I'm going to read it more to understand better it. I see that there are formians... i'll read more about it.
#11 zombiegleemax Dec 29, 2006 0:47:32	Their version of a Hammership still rubs me the wrong way.
#12 nightdruid Dec 29, 2006 7:06:41	Their version of a Hammership still rubs me the wrong way. Just think of it as a hammership that's done one too many ramming attacks...;)
#13 zombiegleemax Dec 29, 2006 12:58:37	Just think of it as a hammership that's done one too many ramming attacks...;) I dunno, the Hammership was one of my all time faves along with the Whaleship, Nautilloid and Triop. I didn't see any diff in the way they did the Nautilloid but I thought the hammership more resembled a bloated slug than the sleek shark the hammership usually is. Part of me is surprised the Whaleship wasn't done as well. Although in my own proposed SJ campaigns I reworked the triop so it is fully functional as a submarine as well as a space going vessel.
#14 zombiegleemax Dec 31, 2006 7:07:50	Ok: I read it... I find it strange about Formians... in my memory Formians are lawful good arcadian ant people, not the kind to conquer and conquer and conquer: they are not Star Trek Borgs! They are very lawful, bing arcadians, but I feel it would be better to have xixcil to be the would be asteroid belt conquerors.
#15 zombiegleemax Dec 31, 2006 7:14:07	Aren't Formians Lawful Neutral now? I think in the one supplement, they are fight with the Modrons over control of Mechanus in 3.5 Ed.
#16 jaid Dec 31, 2006 10:33:09	Aren't Formians Lawful Neutral now? yes. yes they are..
#17 zombiegleemax Dec 31, 2006 15:59:49	There's you're impetus for a Borg-ish mentality. Bringing the light of law to the darkness of chaos without regard to morality. Good or evil doesn't matter unless it's legislated.
#18 bigmac Jan 06, 2007 21:42:15	Here are a few resources that can help any DM wanting to use Pyrespace: Pyrespace at Beyond the Moons (supporting material from the official fan website) Andy Collins' Spelljammer Project (Infomation about the Spelljammer: Shadow of the Spider Moon d20 mini-game from its author) Andy Collins' Spelljammer noticboard (where you can talk to fans of SotSM and if you are lucky Andy Collins himself) If you develop any new supporting material for Shadows of the Spider Moon, please consider donating it to Beyond the Moons so that other DMs can benifit from your own work. And if you want people to help test any new material you are currently developing then you might want to try joining the Spelljammer Mailing List (SJML). Good luck!