Spacejammer Ship Construction System

This document is a modified version of Leroy Van Camp's "Ship Construction System" for the Spelljammer game setting, and would not exist if it were not for his work and great ideas. Thank you Leroy! You can access his original 2e ship construction rules from his web site, the Tarkas Brain Lab IV.

This is the fourth document in a series of conversion notes and house rules. It makes references to concepts introduced in the other documents, so I recommend you read them in order. The entire series is available at my web site.

In addition to containing a number of conceptual changes and new house rules, it is also a conversion of that modified content to the new 3e D&D game. While I considered splitting these into two separate documents, one for changes to the system in 2e and another to convert to 3e, I ultimately decided that was going to be too much work. For those who intend to use Spelljammer with its original 2^nd edition AD&D rules, there may still be some conceptual ideas and house rules in this document that you may find interesting, but some of them will need to be backwards-converted to 2e.

Definition of Game Mechanic Terms

Term	Abbrev.	Definition
Spacejam, Spacejammer, Spacejamming	SJ	These terms refer to travel through space, and have no implication for the nature of propulsion being used. More specific terms do have specific connotations, where lifejammer vessels make use of lifejamming helms, spelljammer vessels make use of spelljamming helms, etc.
Normal Scale	NS	This is a term to differentiate between Ship Scale and Normal Scale combat. Normal Scale combat uses hit points, armor class, melee weapons, 6 second rounds, and the normal 3e rules.
Ship Scale	SS	This is a term used to differentiate between Normal Scale and Ship Scale combat. Ship Scale combat uses Structure Points, Hardness Ratings, Evasion Ratings, heavy weapons, one minute turns, and my other modified rules for ship-to-ship combat.
Round	--	A round is a standard 3e six second round.
Turn	--	A turn is one minute, or 10 rounds in 3e.
Hex	--	A hex is 500 yards, the same as a 2e SJ hex.
Tactical SJ Speed	--	A vessel moving at tactical speeds will cover one or more hexes per turn, based on its Speed Rating.
Full SJ Speed	--	A vessel moving at full SJ speed is moving at approximately 100 million miles per day in a straight line.
Speed Rating	SR	A ship's Speed Rating is the number of hexes it can travel per turn (10 rounds).
Maneuver Rating	MR	A ship's Maneuver Rating represents how quickly, easily and accurately a vessel can turn.
Evasion Rating	ER	This is the ship scale version of armor class. It represents size, design and maneuverability. Unlike AC, it does not represent armor or materials used in the vessels construction.
Hardness Rating	HR	This is my implementation of the 3e Hardness concept in the ship scale system.
Structure Points	SP	This is my equivalent of Hull Points. I changed it to Structure Points both because it is a more accurate term, and the abbreviation won't be confused with Hit Points.
Spacejammer Tonnage	Ton	An SJ Ton is a measure of size and volume, not mass or weight. An SJ ton is 100 cubic yards, or 2,700 cubic feet.

To illustrate how the system works, we will build a ship as an example…

A successful band of mercenaries and privateers have recently come into a lot of money and three major helms, and so wish to purchase some ships that can make better use the more powerful helms. They look at the standard designs, but decide to have three custom built ships, better designed for warfare. They decide to call the ship class the Tiger Shark, since they will base it on the Hammerhead.

Choose a Shipwright

The ship construction process comes under the general guidelines of the Craft [SJ Shipwright] skill. Finding the right shipwright may be the single most important element of building your dream ship. His skill rank will have an impact on how long it will take to design and build the ship, and the quality of the result. His skill will be the primary factor in determining whether a new class of ship has any special benefits or hidden flaws.

Choose Form and Tonnage

The form of a spacejamming vessel is its overall shape and design, and plays a significant role in how maneuverable the ship is. A ship designed by a space-faring shipwright is shaped to best work with the way a helm functions, so the ship moves with the helmsman, rather than fighting him. Ships not designed to take advantage of the freedom and three dimensional aspects of space are less maneuverable.

There are three broad categories of ship form: space, terrestrial, and poor. There is no cost difference between then, nor does it take longer to build; what determines the difference is who designed the ship. Space-faring shipwrights create space ships, while groundling shipwrights without knowledge of the workings of spacejamming create terrestrial ships. Poor designs are the results of people without any real engineering skills designing and building ships. They are also common amongst gnome ships, who think they know what they are doing.

At this point also determine the tonnage of the ship. The larger the ship, the larger the cost, but it will also be more powerful and durable, carry more crew or travel longer distances. The following chart shows a typical breakdown of the available size categories. These terms vary from Sphere to Sphere and race to race, but present a general guideline for what ships of various sizes will typically be used for.

Tonnage	Size Mod	MR	Typical Terms and Purposes
1-3	-2	A	Boat (derogatory term if unarmed) or Fighter (if armed)
4-8	-3	A	Boat (derogatory term if unarmed) or Fighter (if armed)
9-10	-3	B	Galley, Cog or Sloop
11-20	-4	B	Galley, Cog or Sloop
21-30	-5	C	Schooner
31-40	-6	C	Frigate, or Skipjack if a trading ship
41-50	-7	D	Corvette or Karkentine
51-60	-8	D	Ship of the Line, Clipper (if primarily cargo) or Man-o-War (if primarily warship)
61-100	-9	E	Ship of the Line, Clipper (if primarily cargo) or Man-o-War (if primarily warship)
101+	-10	F	Dreadnought

The ship will be designed and built by space-faring shipwrights, and so will be a space design. After some consultation, they decide on a tonnage of 60, since this is a Ship of the Line but allows them to maintain a slightly better Maneuver Rating.

Design Decks and Enclosures

Most ships in space have an open top deck, much like any groundling sailing vessel. This makes the mounting of weapons and rigging much easier and more space efficient. Some ships instead are designed to have their ship partially or fully enclosed, reducing their deck space but increasing the ship's level of protection. This improves the ship's Evasion Rating, but reduces the amount of weapons and rigging a ship can mount without complication. Enclosure of any kind is fairly uncommon, most often seen on ships designed either for warfare or vessels that try to avoid warfare, depending on other ships for protection, such as large cargo ships and passenger liners.

It is also possible to have more deck space. This is simply a function of widening the deck while making the ship more shallow, or adding decks to other parts of the ship, such as the underside. The benefit of this is that it increases the amount of weapons that can be added externally. The drawback is that it decreases the Evasion Rating, as flat surfaces are much worse at deflecting shots, and a bigger deck makes it an easier target. Expanded decks and enclosure are mutually exclusive.

Using the following formula and chart, the approximate square footage of deck space can be calculated. Do not treat these as hard-and-fast numbers, but as ballpark figures.

Square Feet = Tonnage x 190 x Deck Space Mod

Design	Deck Space Mod
Full Enclosure	0.2
Partial Enclosure	0.6
Standard	1
Partial Expansion	1.4
Full Expansion	2

The Tiger Shark will not have more than standard rigging, so they opt for partial enclosure. It provides a bonus to ER, but it also reduces the deck space and the number of weapons they can mount externally. This costs nothing.

Design the Frame

The frame is the internal structure of the ship, the skeleton upon which all other components are built. It is the only part of this system a ship must have to be considered a ship. It is also the most important, since it determines how big the ship is, and thus how many people and weapons it can carry, and is the primary component in determining how much damage it can take.

The first factor in frame design is the material; better, stronger materials make a ship more durable but cost more, as shown below.

Material	Cost Per Ton
Bone	150 gp
Wood	400 gp
Stone	1,250 gp
Metal	2,000 gp
Ceramics	3,000 gp

The second factor in frame design is how much of the material goes into the frame: the more materials you use the stronger the frame becomes, at the expenditure of gold and space. The more space used to build the frame, the less space you have in the ship to house people or cargo.

There are five types of frames: light, standard, heavy, extra heavy and super heavy. Each frame type is generally found on ships serving a particular purpose. The type of frame used will affect the cost, figured as a multiplier to the base cost from material type, as shown here:

Frame	Cost
Light	x 0.5
Standard	x 1
Heavy	x 1.5
Extra Heavy	x 2
Super Heavy	x 4

A light frame is found mostly on ships designed to carry large amounts of cargo or on shuttles and small pleasure craft. The frame is basically just enough structure to mount a hull upon and support cargo. The lack of material saves both money and space, but reduces the durability of the ship.

A standard frame is the most common type, used for most ships excepting those expecting to see a large amount of combat. This includes most traders and groundling ships.

Heavy frames are used on ships designed to be combat capable, but whose primary use is not always combat. They are often used as trading ships in rough territories, or as secondary trade ships providing protection to a caravan. Heavy framed ships are also the most popular with adventurers and freebooters. Some examples of heavy framed ships are the Hammership and Squidship; both can hold their own in a fight, but they also are multi-functional enough to see non-combat use.

Extra heavy frames are almost always found on ships whose primary purpose is warfare. Their reduced space and high cost make them impractical for most other purposes.

Super heavy frames are found mostly on ships made from hollowed out objects, such as the asteroid-carved Citadels of the dwarves. Super heavy frames have very thick walls, varying from two to five feet. For walls beyond this thickness, such as asteroids that have only a small percentage of their interior hollowed out, see the option for Asteroid Ships in the Advanced Options section. Note that the cost for the super heavy frame assumes that the materials are being assembled like any other ship. For hollowed out objects the price may drop or rise, depending on the extent of work that needs done.

Looking over the materials available, they find that metal is far too expensive, and stone is expensive and impractical, so they stick with the standard of wood. An extra heavy frame seems a natural, but since they tend to carry a large number of mercenaries and supplies, they decide to go with heavy, so they don't have to give up space. At 400 per ton for wood, the 60 ton frame will cost 24,000 gold. Modified by the x1.5 multiplier for a heavy frame, the total cost is 36,000.

Design the Hull

If the frame is the skeleton of the ship, the hull can be considered the skin. It provides protection to the crew and cargo of the ship, both from attacks and the elements. The only decision in hull design is type of material used. The cost for the hull, per ton of the ship, is shown below. Unlike the frame, there is only one standard thickness for hulls. Using more materials is considered plating and further increases the ship's structure points.

Note: A ship is not required to have a hull, which will reduce the cost and construction time, but reduces durability as well as allowing attackers to target specific internal sections of the ship. It also prevents the ship from being able to land in water.

Hull Material	Cost per Ton
Bone	85 gp
Wood	150 gp
Stone	750 gp
Metal	1,000 gp
Ceramics	1,500 gp

Again, the mercenary company would like metal, but the cost is prohibitive for the full hull. They decide to go with wood, and will look at metal plating next. The cost is 9,000 gold.

Add Plating

It is uncommon to find merchant vessels or cargo ships with additional plating. Ships that expect to see combat but are generally designed to be useful in other situations, such the Hammership and Squidship, add additional wood plating. Metal plating is typically reserved for ships either designed completely for combat, or as an upgrade for other ships.

Note: Plating can not be added to a vessel without a hull.

Material	Cost per Ton
Wood	100 gp
Stone	300 gp
Metal	400 gp
Ceramics	600 gp

Conversion Note: Ships in 2^nd edition SJ that have a saving throw of Thin Wood are represented by vessels having a Wood Hull and no plating. 2e ships that save as Thick Wood are represented by having a Wood hull and Wood Plating.

Although it is expensive, the mercenaries decide that metal plating is worth the price. This will cost them 24,000 gold.

Choose Rigging Type

Nearly all ships rely on Wild Sails to help maneuver the ship. Although some ships attach the Wild Sails to rudders and fins rather than traditional masts and rigging, these steering aids are still referred to as rigging. There are five categories of rigging: none, minimal, standard, topped-out, and terrestrial.

No rigging is just what it sounds like, a ship that does not use any sort of additional steering device beyond the helm. Almost no ship is designed this way intentionally, since it makes the ship extremely sluggish while maneuvering. Those few that are tend to be small, to offset the penalties, or extremely large, since rigging after a certain size tends to do no good. On the other hand, any ship can end up without rigging if it is destroyed or the crew is dead.

Minimal rigging includes enough steering devices to put some of the maneuvering work into the hands of the riggers, but provides no propulsion. It is most common on ships that expect to always have another source of power (spell casters and a spelljamming helm, slaves and a lifejamming helm, serial helms, etc), and are not designed for combat.

Standard rigging is found on the majority of ships in Arcane Space, representing what most consider the optimal ratio of redundancy, speed, maneuverability, and crew requirements. It provides an SR 1, but no extra maneuverability beyond that of Minimal rigging. Using the sails for movement requires at least a Sailjamming Helm, but it can work with (and stack with) any other form of helm that provides its own propulsion.

Topped-out rigging adds additional steering devices, and provides more speed (SR 2), but also increases the manpower to use the Wild Sails properly. The additional rigging allows the crew to use more specific steering devices for certain situations, which increases the Maneuver Rating of the ship. There are two drawbacks to topped-out rigging. First, it requires 50% more crew to operate. Second, if all of these men aren't available during tactical movement, the ship drops to minimal class rather than standard. This is due to the fact that the rigging has been thoroughly optimized, and a lack of a few men throws the system far off.

Terrestrial rigging is the result when Wild Sails are used on any ship of terrestrial origins (i.e. galleons, cogs). This will include most ships with the terrestrial design form, but there are exceptions (e.g. a ship built by a space-faring shipwright, but has a terrestrial form due to an oddly shaped forecastle would not need terrestrial rigging). The crew requirements and cost of Terrestrial rigging are equivalent to Topped-Out rigging, but it only counts as Standard rigging for purposes of speed, maneuverability and resolving shear attacks.

Ships of 101+ tons gain reduced benefit from rigging. Minimal counts as None, Standard counts as Minimal, and Topped-Out counts as Standard. A ship of 201+ tons gains no benefit from Minimal or Standard rigging, but can get minor benefits from Topped-Out rigging. It counts as None for maneuverability, and cannot power the ship to full spacejamming speeds, but it can provide a tactical SR 1 (which does not stack with any SR from propulsion helms).

A ship that has either full or partial enclosure may need some of the rigging to be installed internally. Ships with partial enclosure and topped-out rigging, or full enclosure and any rigging, require internal mechanisms that take up a percentage of the ship’s tonnage based on the type of rigging (5% for minimal, 10% for standard, and 15% for topped-out). Terrestrial rigging cannot be mounted internally. Note that this internal space usage represents the spatial requirements for crew and the portion of the steering device they directly handle. The fins, rudders and sails still stick out of the ship and can be attacked. On the other hand, the crew cannot be directly attacked, although they can be damaged by attacks to the area they occupy.

The cost of rigging depends on the size of the ship, as shown below. Note that the listed cost is per five tons, rounded up. This cost does NOT include the cost of the Wild Sails themselves (see "Install a Helm and Sails" below). This is just the cost of installing the masts, steering devices, pulleys, etc.

Rigging	Cost per 5 Tons
None	no cost
Minimal	50 gp
Standard	100 gp
Topped Out	200 gp
Terrestrial	200 gp

The mercenaries have no desire to pack around extra riggers for topped out rigging. However, they may not always have round-the-clock access to spell casters, so they want the Wild Sails to provide some propulsion, and so go with standard rigging. This costs 1,200 gold.

Install a Helm and Sails

Every vessel needs some form of helm to control the ship, and most ships have Wild Sails for steering and/or additional propulsion. If the ship has at least Standard or Topped-Off rigging, the rigging can provide propulsion but the ship still needs at least a Sailjamming Helm. If the ship has minimal or no rigging, the ship must have a helm that can provide propulsion, typically a minor or major Spelljamming Helm. Full details about Helms are included at the end of this document in Appendix A.

Typical costs for Wild Sails depends on the size of the ship and the type of rigging, as shown here:

Rigging	Cost per 5 Tons	SR
None	no cost	0
Minimal	250 gp	0
Standard	750 gp	1
Topped Out	2,000 gp	2
Terrestrial	2,000 gp	1

The list below includes the "standard cost" for helms in an active space-faring port like the Rock of Bral or Refuge. Note that in other places the price quickly becomes what the market will bear and thus can drop or rise considerably.

Helm	Cost	Max Tonnage	SR*
Sailjamming	2,000	None	None
Spelljamming, Minor	10,000 + 2,000 per ton capacity	Varies, 18-40	1 per 5 levels (round up)
Spelljamming, Minor (Arcane)	100,000	50	1 per 5 levels (round up)
Spelljamming, Major	20,000 + 3,000 per ton capacity	Varies, 42-60	1 per 3 levels (round up)
Spelljamming, Major (Arcane)	250,000	100	1 per 3 levels (round up)
Furnace, Minor	10,000 or 30,000	20	special
Furnace, Major	100,000	100	2
Lifejamming	50,000 plus 20,000 per extra	???	varies
Serial	50,000 plus 25,000 per extra	Varies, 5-50	1 per helm in the series

* If the ship has Standard or Topped-Out rigging, the SR can be increased by 1 or 2.

They have Standard rigging, so the Wild Sails cost 45,000. The Tiger Shark is intended to be used in combat, so relying solely on Wild Sails is not a good option. Fortunately, they already have three major helms, so they do not need to buy any. Otherwise, they would go for a spelljamming helm, and it has to be a major helm to meet the tonnage requirements, so a helm rated at 60 tons would cost 200,000 gold.

Calculate Ship Statistics

In 3e, objects have hit points and a hardness. This system is relatively easy to tweak for use with ships and ship-to-ship combat, but it results in a lot of hit points, a fair amount of math during play, and slows the game down a little. For that reason, I've combined the systems for 2e and 3e. The durability of a ship is represented by Structure Points, but the vessel still receives a Hardness Rating that is subtracted from damage. The HR is not determined in the exact same way as normal object hardness, because on a ship scale, multiple layers and increased thickness should improve the HR. Ship scale weapons impact with great force, but spread it over a relatively large area, and layered hull and plating materials can spread the impact even better and reduce the damage further.

Hardness Rating

To calculate the HR, cross-reference the hull material (on the left side) with the plating material (across the top) in the chart below:

Hull Material	Plating Material
Hull Material	None	Wood	Ceramic	Stone	Metal
Bone	0	1	1	1	2
Wood	1	1	1	2	2
Ceramics	1	1	2	2	3
Stone	1	2	2	3	3
Metal	2	2	3	3	3

Structure Points

To calculate the Structure Points of the ship, use this formula and two charts below. Round the final value up.

Structure Points			=	0.5 x Frame MF x Frame SF x Tonnage
			+	0.3 x Hull MF x Tonnage (if there is a hull)
			+	0.2 x Plating MF x Tonnage (if there is plating)
Material Factors					Strength Factors
	Material	MF				Frame	SF
	Bone	0.5				Light	0.75
	Wood	1				Standard	1
	Ceramics	1				Heavy	1.25
	Stone	1.5				Extra Heavy	1.5
	Metal	2				Super Heavy	2

The ship is 60 tons, the frame is wood, giving a Frame MF of 1, and is heavy, giving a Frame SF of 1.25. Plugging these into the first formula would be 0.5 x 1 x 1.25 x 60, which is 37.5. The Tiger Shark has a wood hull, giving it a Hull MF of 1, so plugging this into the second formula would be 0.3 x 1 x 60, which is 18. The metal plating has a Plating MF of 2, so plugging this into the third formula would be 2 x 0.2 x 60, which is 24. Adding the three together is 79.5 hull points, which is rounded to 80.

Maneuver Rating

Now that the various factors involved with maneuvering a ship have been decided, we can calculate its Maneuver Rating. Simply look up its tonnage on the Size chart to find its base MR, then modify it according to its Design and its Rigging.

For a ship of 101+ tons, the design of the ship does not affect the Maneuverability Class. At that size, the design means very little.

MR by Size		MR Modifier by Design		MR Modifier by Rigging
Tonnage	MR	Form	MR Mod	Rigging	MR Mod
1-8	A	Space	None	Topped Out	1 Better
9-20	B	Terrestrial	1 Worse	Standard	None
21-40	C	Poor	2 Worse	Terrestrial	None
41-60	D			Minimal	None
61-100	E			None	1 Worse
101+	F

Once the final MR is determined, the ship's Piloting Modifier can be recorded. This penalty is applied to any Profession [SJ Pilot] skill checks by a helmsman in that ship.

MR	Pilot Modifier
A	0
B	-1
C	-2
D	-3
E	-4
F	-5

The Tiger Shark is a 60 ton ship, which is MC D. It is a space design and has standard rigging, neither of which modifies Maneuverability. Its helmsman will suffer a -3 on all piloting skill checks.

Evasion Rating

The ER of the ship represents how difficult it is to hit with ship-scale weapons, and is primarily based on its size, shape, maneuverability and speed. Similar to an armor class, the base ER is equal to 10 plus the SR plus the Size modifier plus the Design modifier plus the MR modifier. The SR and MR modifiers only apply when the vessel is mobile and being actively piloted.

Note: Because SR can vary widely depending on helm types and the helmsman on duty, that element will need to be modified on a case by case basis.

ER by Size		ER by Design		ER by MR
Tonnage	Size Mod	Design	Design Mod	MR	MR Mod
1-3	-2	Full Enclosure	+2	A	+3
4-10	-3	Partial Enclosure	+1	B	+2
11-20	-4	Standard	0	C	+2
21-30	-5	Partial Expansion	-1	D	+1
31-40	-6	Full Expansion	-2	E	+1
41-50	-7			F	+0
51-60	-8
61-100	-9
101+	-10

The Tiger Shark's base ER is 10, +1 for SR (Wild Sails, and may be increased depending on the Helmsman), -8 for size, +1 for design, and +1 for MC, for an ER of 5 (3 if stationary).

Air Supply

Air Supply is the number of man-days of air the ship carries within its gravity. A ship can support one medium-sized creature for four months with fresh air for every ton of the ship. To find out the number of man-days this equals, multiply the ship's tonnage by 112 (days in four months). Every day a ship has to rely on its own air envelope, subtract the total number of medium-sized air-breathing crew from this. If this number drops to zero, the air is considered stale. The ship then has the same number of stale man-days of air. After that the air turns deadly.

Note that individuals who are less than medium-sized use only half as much air, while large- and huge-sized creatures use twice as much. Creatures that are gargantuan-sized or larger require five times as much air, but may add an extra 112 man-days of air.

At 60 tons, the Tiger Shark can carry 7200 man-days of air. If they are carry a full crew with all their mercenaries, typically 74 men, they could go 97 days before their air became stale.

Landing Capabilities

By default, a ship is only capable of docking on a gravity plane or a special dry-dock; the capability of landing on either water or ground requires additional construction.

Water-landing capability requires that the hull be sealed, which can only be done for wooden or ceramic ships, unless magic is used. It also requires approval of the DM, based on its shape. Some ships are not shaped properly and will capsize even if the hull is sealed. Some examples of these are the Cuttle Command and the Dolphin.

There are two forms of ground-landing capability: partial and full. The difference is in the type of ground they can land on. With partial ground-landing a ship can land on any clear, mostly flat surfaces without trouble. Any other kinds of surfaces can cause problems such as tipping over (as determined by the DM). Partial landing is mostly a function of reinforcing the hull and frame to support the weight of the ship. The cost depends on the frame type of the ship, as shown on the chart below.

Full landing allows a ship to land on most fairly clear land surfaces, including hilly or mountainous areas. Full ground landing typically requires the addition of landing struts, like those seen on the Wasp. See the following chart for costs.

A ship without landing capabilities that tries to land on ground risks serious damage. The helmsman must make a roll versus Spacejammer piloting, as well as a save for the ship against crushing blow. If both are made, the ship takes no damage for now. If both are failed, the ship loses 10% of its structure points; if one is missed while the other is made, the ship loses 5%. Every 24 hours the ship must save again, or lose 5% of it's structure points. As long as the ship does not move, this damage tops out at a total of 40% (including from the landing itself). Landing a second time starts it all over again. A ship with a heavy frame saves at +2, extra-heavy frames save at +4, and super-heavy frames save at +6.

Landing Type	Cost per Ton
Water	50 gp
Ground, Partial
Light Frame	50 gp
Standard Frame	30 gp
Heavy Frame	20 gp
Extra-Heavy Frame	10 gp
Super-Heavy Frame	10 gp
Ground, Full
Light Frame	125 gp
Standard Frame	100 gp
Heavy Frame	90 gp
Extra-Heavy Frame	80 gp
Super-Heavy Frame	70 gp

The DM decides that it would be feasible for the craft to land in water, so the mercenaries have it sealed, which costs 3000 gold.

Add a Ram

Rams are common weapons on warships in space, and adding one is fairly simple. To mount a ram a ship must have at least a standard frame, since a light frame is not up to taking the shock from ramming, making it likely to break off and take a sizable chuck of the ship with it. Even with a standard frame a certain amount of reinforcement needs to be done. Heavy and extra heavy ships are considered already reinforced.

There are three types of rams: blunt, piercing, and grappling. The cost of a grappling ram is based only on tonnage: 200 gp per ton. In addition, 5% of the ship's internal space is taken up by the grappling ram's operational mechanics.

The cost of piercing and blunt rams is based on the frame material and the ship's tonnage, as shown on the chat below:

Blunt and Piercing Rams Only

Frame Material	Cost per Ton*
Bone	50 gp
Wood	100 gp
Stone	200 gp
Ceramics	250 gp
Metal	250 gp

* If the ship has a Standard frame, it needs to be reinforced, which adds 25% to this cost.

A ram is a must for any sort of combat ship, and sticking with the shark theme they decided upon a blunt ram, with the nose as the ram. The frame is already heavy, so overall reinforcement is not needed, just the reinforcement of the nose. The cost for a wood ram is 6,000 gold.

Weapons

Normally, little consideration is given to weapons when designing a ship, since most weapons are mounted on the deck of the ship, and is easily done post-construction. There are, though, a few considerations for certain specific situations.

A ship can have up to one half of its tonnage in weapons mounted on its deck(s) without taking up internal space. The ship’s deck type may modify this, as shown in the first chart below. Each weapon has a cost and tonnage rating in the second chart.

The most common option for surpassing the limitation of weapons on deck is mounting additional weapons internally. Adding weapon space during initial construction is simple: the tonnage the weapon and its crew take up is just allocated during the construction. However, constructing these rooms have a cost based on the cost of the hull, since shutters must be built into them. The cost is 25% of the cost of the hull material, per ton of the weapon.

It should be noted that the tonnage numbers required internally are not the same as for deck mounted weapons, as it includes space for the crew and factors in the ways in which it is used (i.e. catapults take up more space since there needs to be room for their arms, which is not a factor when on an open deck).

It is possible to mount smaller weapons in rooms meant for larger weapons, though not vice versa. It is also possible to mount weapons of different types in space meant for other weapons, as long as it is at least 2 tons less in space requirements.

	Available Weapon Space as a Percent of Ship's Tonnage	Weapon	Deck Space	Internal Space	Costs
Design	Available Weapon Space as a Percent of Ship's Tonnage	Ballista
Full Enclosure	0%	Light	1	2	400 gp
Partial Enclosure	25%	Medium	2	3	600 gp
Standard	50%	Heavy	3	4	800 gp
Partial Expansion	67%	Catapult
Full Expansion	85%	Light	2	4	500 gp
		Medium	3	5	700 gp
		Heavy	4	6	1,000 gp
		Jettison
		Light	1	2	400 gp
		Medium	2	3	600 gp
		Heavy	3	4	800 gp
		Bombard	2	3	20,000 gp
		Greek Fire Projector	2	3	1,000 gp
		Sweeper, Gnomish	2	3	800 gp

With a partial enclosure, they have up to 15 tons worth of weapon space on the deck. They will put two heavy ballistas and two heavy catapults on the deck. They decide to add internal rooms for two light ballistas, port and starboard, and a small catapult in the aft. With their wood hull costing 150 gold per ton, 8 tons of internal weapons would be 25% of 1200, or 300 gold. The weapons themselves cost 4,900 gold.

Weapon Stats

For every weapon on the ship, record its relevant statistics from the following chart.

				Range Mod	Ship Scale		Normal Scale
Weapon	Crew	Reload	Acc.	Range Mod	Damage	Criticals	Damage	Criticals	Notes

Ballista, Light	2	3	+3	-3	1	--	3d8	19 / x2
Ballista, Medium	3	4	+3	-3	1d2	20	4d8	20 / x3
Ballista, Heavy	4	5	+3	-4	1d4	18	4d10	20 / x3
Usually installed on swivel mounts and can fire in most directions. Light ballistas typically are used as anti-personnel weapons. They are the only ship scale weapon that can target a creature that is less than huge-sized.

Catapult, Light	3	4	+0	-4	1d4	20	4d8	20 / x2
Catapult, Medium	4	6	+0	-5	1d6	18	4d10	20 / x2
Catapult, Heavy	5	8	+0	-6	2d4	16	4d12	20 / x2
Fixed in place, it can fire in one direction only. Side-mounted catapults can attack to either side of a ship if the helm is manned and the ship rotates on its long axis to bring the weapon to bear. Catapults can be loaded with shot, in which case it counts as a Jettison (but still needs the full crew).

Jettison, Light	2	4	+1	-6	--	--	1d10	--	5' radius, DC 18
Jettison, Medium	3	6	+2	-8	--	--	2d8	--	10' radius, DC 15
Jettison, Heavy	4	8	+3	-10	--	--	2d10	--	15' radius, DC 12
A successful attack hits a random deck location, and everyone in the area gets a Reflex save for no damage. The weapon chief can chose a specific location, but suffers a -4 penalty on his attack roll. Fixed in place, it can fire in one direction only. Side-mounted jettisons can attack to either side of a ship if the helm is manned and the ship rotates on its long axis to bring the weapon to bear.

Bombard	3	6	+1	-5	1d12	16	4d10	20 / x3
Fixed in place, it can fire in one direction only. Side-mounted bombards can attack to either side of a ship if the helm is manned and the ship rotates on its long axis to bring the weapon to bear. Each shot uses 10 charges of smokepowder. Smokepowder works in some Crystal Spheres but not all. Any critical hit the ship takes has a 5% of igniting the powder magazine. The powder magazine is also known to rarely explode while traveling through the phlogiston.

Greek Fire Projector	3	8	+2	--	1d4	20	3d10	19 / x2	5' radius, DC 15
Damages both the target ship and possible crew. A successful attack does damage to the ship, and has a 50% of hitting an exposed deck area. If the deck is hit, randomly determine the location, and everyone in the area takes the normal scale damage, with a Reflex save for half. Alternatively, the weapon chief can chose a specific location, but suffers a -4 penalty on his attack roll. Vessels with an outer surface (hull or plating) of wood do not get to use their HR. Greek fire starts fires where it hits, even on stone or treated wood, and spreads normally if the surface is flammable. Greek fire can only be projected to another ship if the air envelopes overlap. Any critical hit the ship takes has a 5% per projector of causing an addition Fire critical effect.

Sweeper, Gnomish	3	8	+2	-6	--	--	1d10	--	10' square
Still experimental, made of two light ballistas on a single mount that fire a heavy chain (like a giant bola). A successful attack hits a random deck location, and everyone in the area gets a Reflex save for no damage. The weapon chief can chose a specific location, but suffers a -4 penalty on his attack roll. Unless stopped by a Large-sized or immovable object, it continues into the next 10' square area away from the firing ship. It can only affect a maximum of two 10' squares. Everyone in the area must also check to see if they fall, as per a Ship Shaken critical effect.

Calculate Crew Requirements

The minimum crew required to run the ship is based on its rigging and weapons. These figures do not include additional personnel such as the captain, officers, support crew, or others not necessary to flying the ship, nor does it include the helmsman.

Total the minimum number of weaponeers by adding up the required crew for each weapon using the weapon chart above.

Calculate the minimum number of riggers needed, based on ship size and rigging, using the following chart. Round fractions up.

Type of Rigging	Minimum Riggers
None	Only the helmsman
Minimal	1 per 20 tons
Standard	1 per 10 tons
Topped Out	1 per 7.5 tons
Terrestrial	1 per 5 tons

Remember that these numbers are how many riggers and weaponeers are needed to fight the ship at full capability in combat. Almost all ships carry extra men both to form at least a skeleton crew on other shifts, and as back ups in case of casualties.

The Tiger Shark has standard rigging, and so needs at least 6 riggers. It's weapons need at least 24 weaponeers.

Design Internal Space Usage

The passengers and crew require space to live and work in. So does everything else that goes inside of a ship, from space for cargo to facilities for dining. This space is rated in tons, and a ship has internal tonnage equal to its actual tonnage. Note that fractions are not rounded in the internal space section, as fractional tons are still useful.

A ship's frame will take up a portion of this space as shown in the first chart below. If the ship has partial or full enclosure, the rigging may require the use of some internal space as shown in the second chart. A grappling ram takes up 5% of internal space for it's operational mechanics. Weapon rooms designed in the previous steps also subtract from the internal space.

Frame	Space	Enclosure Design	Rigging
Light	5%	Enclosure Design	Minimal	Standard	Topped-Out
Standard	10%	Partial Enclosure	--	--	15%
Heavy	10%	Full Enclosure	5%	10%	15%
Extra Heavy	20%
Super Heavy	30%

Beyond this, the designer must decide what to do with the remaining free space. Space for the crew to rest, and eat in, as well as space to prepare food, is generally considered minimal.

Below are the descriptions of rooms and their uses. How much space they use and the cost is shown on the next chart. Note that these numbers all include the various hallways used to access rooms, and thus the space allocated does not necessarily translate into exact room size for most rooms. Allocating one ton to an officer’s room does not mean the room itself is exactly 2700 cubic feet, as the one ton includes hallway space. The GM will have to determine the actual space of a room, should it be deemed necessary, but the basic rule of thumb is that a room is 75% to 85% of the space allocated to it. Cargo is an exception to this; the space allocated to cargo is the actual space available.

Keep in mind the minimum crew requirements when assigning internal space, and remember to include space for multiple shifts and any additional men that might be needed, such as cooks, astrogators, helmsmen, weaponeers, marines and passengers.

Note that these rooms are just examples, and the numbers can be tweaked with the approval of the DM. In particular, the space devoted to any of these rooms can be increased. If the designer is the captain and wants a 4 ton room, he can have it.

Anything not specifically allocated to a room becomes cargo space, which costs nothing.

Rooms	Typical Space	Cost
Bunk Only	0.05 tons per 2 men	25 gp per man
Cramped Crew Quarters	0.15 tons per man	75 gp per man
Standard Crew Quarters	0.25 tons per man	100 gp per man
Spacious Crew Quarters	0.5 tons per man	125 gp per man
Luxurious Crew Quarters	0.75 tons per man	150 gp per man
Small Room	0.5 tons	125 gp
Standard Room	0.75 tons	150 gp
Spacious Room	1 ton	175 gp
Luxurious Room	1.5 tons	250 gp
Suite	2+ tons	200 gp per ton

Facilities	Space	Cost
Galley	0.25 tons per 3 people per hour	100 gp per man
Mess Hall	0.5 tons per 4 men	75 gp per man
Fine Dining Facilities	0.25 tons per 1 man	150 gp per man
Saloon/Lounge	0.25 tons per 1 man	100 gp per man
Laundry Facilities	0.25 per 5 men served per day	50 gp per man
Helm Room	Varies	Varies
Chart Room	0.5+ tons	100 gp per ton
Basic Engineering	2 tons	300 gp
Advanced Engineering	4 tons	600 gp

Storage	Space	Cost
Cargo	1 ton per one ton of storage	None
Weapons Locker	Varies	75 gp per ton
Magazine	Varies	75 gp per ton

Docking Bays	Space	Cost
Internal, Specific	Docking vessel tonnage plus 10%	50 per ton
Internal. General	Docking vessel tonnage plus 20%	50 per ton
External, Passenger	1 ton	200 gp
External, Cargo	2+ tons	200 gp per ton

Rooms

Bunks Only: This is simply a bunk in a wall, and includes no space for anything but sleeping. Storage is above the person in nets or bags hung from corners. Privacy is through a curtain, and there is no room to stand; dressing is done in the hall or room where the bunk is. Quarters are typically grouped together in one or more rooms. Includes: bunk.

Cramped Crew Quarters: These are the same as Standard Crew quarters, but with less personal space. There is enough room for a moderate size chest for personal belongings, plus room to dress, but little else. Quarters are typically grouped together in one or more rooms. Includes: bunk, space for a personal chest.

Standard Crew Quarters: These are the standard quarters for most members of the crew. It includes space for a bunk, personal storage and room to dress and move about in, as well as space for a chair. Quarters are typically grouped together in one or more rooms. Includes: bunk, storage cabinet, and a chair.

Spacious Crew Quarters: These are typically assigned to junior officers, helmsmen, etc. It includes space for a bunk, personal storage and room to dress and move about in, as well as space for a small table and chair. Quarters are typically grouped together in one or more rooms. Includes: bunk, storage cabinet, chair, small table and space for a personal chest.

Luxurious Crew Quarters: These are typically assigned to senior officers. It includes space for a bunk, personal storage, small desk, and room to dress and move about in, as well as space for a chair. Quarters are typically grouped together in one or more rooms. Includes: bunk, storage cabinet, chair, small table, small desk, and space for a personal chest.

Small Room: A small room is basically spacious quarters but divided into a private room. Includes: bunk, storage cabinet, small table, chair, and space for a personal chest.

Standard Room: A standard room differs from a small room in size, giving additional room for a dresser and a small desk. Includes: bunk, storage cabinet, small table, dresser, small desk, two chairs and space for a personal chest.

Spacious Room: A spacious room is like a standard room, with more space for additional chairs and a table, or for other larger furniture. It has enough room that it could be considered a berth or dorm room. It is often used as a captains quarters on larger ships, or as a room on passenger liners. Includes: bunk, storage cabinet, dresser, small table, small desk, two chairs, and additional space for some other furniture (must be provided separately).

Luxurious Room: A larger version of the spacious room, it has enough space for both additional furniture such as a couch and large stuffed chair plus a table with several chairs around it. Includes: bunk, storage cabinet, dresser, desk, large table, several chairs, and additional space for some other furniture (must be provided separately).

Suite: Basically a fair sized living area with space for everything in a luxurious room, plus space for luxuries like more couches, stuffed chairs and self-serve bars. It has a separate room for the sleeping chambers. Includes: bed, storage cabinet, dresser, large table, several chairs, bar. Other furniture items will have to be provided.

Facilities

Galley: This is the cooking facilities and larder for the ship. The amount of space depends on how many people they expect to serve in an hour. It has space for storage for pots, pans and utensils, plus standard cooking ingredients (i.e. spices, barrels of water, flour, and so on). Includes: stove(s).

Mess Hall: Simply space for people to eat. It is a room with tables and chairs. Most ships only allocate enough room for half or less of its normal crew to eat, since others will be asleep or working. Some let men eat on deck or in their rooms, and assign no room to dining facilities. Three times as many people can be packed in if they are simply there to talk, and it is often used for ship meetings. Included: benches and tables.

Fine Dining Facilities: The same as Standard Dining Facilities, except designed for more spacious accommodations. Almost never used for anything other than luxury passenger liners. Includes: tables and chair

Saloon/Lounge: This is a place for the crew or passengers to relax, and possibly have a drink. It is generally more spacious than the mess hall, and may have a bar in it. It is essentially the same thing as Fine Dining Facilities, the main difference being quality of the tables and chairs. Includes: bar, tables and chair

Helm Room: Ships will usually have a separate room for the helm. Size can vary, as low as .25 tons, but 1 is the standard, as few ships have separate chart rooms for the astrogators, and it allows the captain, first officer and the helmsmen to hold private meetings. The cost is essentially nothing if it is nothing but a room for the helm. If it is used for astrogation and charts, use the cost for that room.

Chart/Astrogation Room: Uncommon except on larger or exploration ships, this room is designed to hold the charts and equipment need to astrogate. Includes: shelves, desk, chairs. This can also be used to represent offices or libraries.

Basic Engineering Room: Enough space for a one-man shop. Includes: shelves and workbenches. Tools are separate.

Advanced Engineering Room: Like the basic version, but supports a three-man shop and more equipment. Includes: shelves and workbenches. Tools are separate.

Laundry Facilities: Most ships will not have any sort of laundry facilities, as most spacefarers tend to do little in the way to wash their clothes, and will generally do it themselves. On some larger ships, usually capital ships or luxury lines, there are facilities to do laundry. These facilities are generally not as capable as a land-based laundry, as water is used sparingly. It includes the tubs and other equipment used for cleaning.

Storage

Cargo Space: Simply open space to store goods. Includes: a variety of rings and pinions mounted on walls, floors and beams to tie cargo off to. Included free of charge is a basic hatch or door to move cargo in or out.

Note that cargo space can be used for a variety of things besides cargo. People can sleep in the cargo bay, food can be eaten or courses can be astrogated. It is just that the cargo area does not fully support such actions (i.e. no walls for privacy, no shelves or desks for working at, and so on).

Weapons Locker: Any cargo space can be used, but a lockable weapons locker includes cabinets and racks for weapons and armor. One ton can hold weapons and armor for up to 50 men, or weapons only for up to 100 men. Includes: racks and cabinets.

Magazine: Any cargo space can be used for ammunition storage, but a lockable magazine includes cabinets and racks for ammunition, replacement parts, etc. Includes: racks and cabinets.

Ballista bolts are normally stored in bundles of 20, which is about 1'x1'x6'. 200 bundles can fit in a one ton magazine.

Catapult stones are usually stored 10-12 stones to a 2'x2'x3' case. 75 cases can fit in a one ton magazine.

Jettison shot is usually stored in canvas bags, with 6 bags per 2'x2'x3' case. 75 cases can fit in a one ton magazine.

Bombard shot is usually stored 12 shots per 2'x2'x3' case. 75 cases can fit in a one ton magazine.

Smoke Powder is usually stored in stone or ceramic pots. Ten charges, or one shot for a bombard, are stored in two small pots that are mixed as they are loaded into the weapon. Eight pots (enough for four bombard shots) are stored in a 2'x2'x3' padded case. 75 cases can fit in a one ton magazine.

Greek Fire is usually stored in stone or ceramic pots, with each pot containing enough for one shot. Eight pots are stored in a 2'x2'x3' padded case. 75 cases can fit in a one ton magazine.

Docking Bays

Internal, Specific: This is a docking bay that is designed for a specific type of ship. Other ships will have a very hard time fitting it, often not fitting at all, unless they are of a very similar design or much smaller. It includes a door, plus space around the ship to access most of its surfaces above its deck (or rough approximation thereof).

Internal, General: This is a docking bay that is designed to fit a variety of ships within a certain size. The dimensions of the bay are used to figure the cost, and the additional twenty percent in size is for the docks and accesses to the ship. Thus if a bay was 100 feet long by 50 feet wide by 50 feet tall it would be a 90 ton bay. With the additional 20% it would take up 111.1 tons. The GM will have to decide if a given ship can land in the docking bay based on the ship’s dimensions and shape and the docking bay’s dimension and shape. The cost includes a sliding door if the GM deems it feasible, based on size.

The general internal docking bay assumes the docking ship will use the gravity plane of the larger ship. This can cause problems if the larger ship enters the gravity of an even larger ship or a planet. To get around this the bay can be outfitted with a drydock system. This is expensive, raising the price to 200 gp per ton.

External, Passenger: This is docking bay designed to allow a ship to come along side and dock. The size of the docking ship isn’t really important, as it won’t be actually entering the ship it docks. The passenger external docking bay is designed primarily to allow passengers and small parcels to be passed from one ship to another. It includes mooring points, a basic dock extension, a sliding door over the bay and space for a group of people to wait for boarding.

External, Cargo: This is the same as the Passenger docking bay, except it is designed to allow the transfers of larger objects. The actual size of the docking bay can vary upwards from two tons, depending on the size of the cargo that is expected to be moved. Two tons will work for most barrels and smaller crates, while stuff like lumber or ore might require from four to six tons. Half of the space can be used as temporary cargo space when no ship is present. It comes with the same stuff as a Passenger bay.

The Tiger Shark is a ship designed to carry mercenaries, either to transport them or to use them as marines. It requires only limited cargo space, enough for the standard stock of food, water, and extra shot for the heavy weapons.

It has a heavy frame, which uses 10% of its space, or 6 tons. They set aside 15 tons for cargo, which they feel is the minimum. They also use 8 tons for internally mounted weapons, and so set that aside. This leaves them 31 tons for other things.

They will give the two helmsmen a spacious crew quarters (1 ton, 250 gp), plus standard private rooms for two war wizards, a priest, the Captain and First Officer (5 tons, 750 gp). A mess hall that serves 16 men at a time (2 tons, 1200 gp) and cooking facilities to feed 15 men per hour (1.25 tons, 1500 gp) are added.

They give 2 tons to a helm room, which is also used as a meeting room for senior staff and a chart room (2 tons, 200 gp). They also designate a Basic Engineering Room (2 tons, 300 gp). A 1 ton magazine is added (1 ton, 75 gp).

The remainder of the tonnage, 16.75 tons, is used for standard crew quarters (6700 gp). Anything not used for riggers and the cook are used for weaponeers and marines, allowing for 67 men. With the captain, first officer and the five spellcasters, this works out to 74 men when full manned. The cost is 10,975 gp.

Masterwork Designs

The rules given above allow you to build a "generic" ship in a consistent and (hopefully) logical way. However, for that added touch of realism, different classes of vessels that make similar "choices" (size, layout, etc) shouldn't really all perform exactly the same. Unfortunately, the consistency of this design process works against that, since all 60-ton-wooden-ships-with-a-ram come out pretty much the same. How can we represent in game mechanics why some designs catch on and become popular throughout Known Space, while others are relegated to the sidelines? How can ships be given some individualized flavor? Even in the basic canon ship classes, we have several examples of this: there are comments that the squid ship's simple design allows for a relatively small crew compared to what it might otherwise need; the man-o-war's unusually high maneuverability (despite it's lack of rigging and low crew requirements); and "refinements in the layout of the ship's wings" reduce the crew of the damselfly in an improvement over the original dragonfly.

So, to provide a little extra flavor, variety and realism, when a Shipwright is designing and building an entirely new class of ship (NOT just using the plans of an existing class, like a Hammerhead or Tradesman), the client can have him put a little extra work into the design in an attempt to make the vessel "better" than normal in a specific area. It is similar to attempting to make a masterwork ship class, rather than a normal ship class. The client can specify what feature he'd like the designer to enhance, or leave it up to the designer, or even skip this step and just go with an ordinary, conservative design. Why would anyone choose to go with an ordinary by-the-book design approach? Because adding in some unique design elements adds to the cost, and is also a little risky. If the designer fails a skill check, the vessel can end up worse than normal, and they won't know it until they've already spent all the money building the thing!

The client (or designer) can pick one feature from the following list of samples that they are going to try to enhance, or they can make up their own. As per the normal rules for masterwork items, the designer must complete the masterwork portion of the project separately, rolling his Craft [SJ Shipwright] against a DC 20 to determine how long it will take. The cost of this process will be 10,000 + 250 gp. per ton of the vessel.

However, there are two important differences from the standard masterwork rules:

First, at the end of the project, the shipwright must make one final craft check against the difficulty listed for the type of enhancement chosen. The shipwright cannot Take 10 on this, but must actually roll it. If the check is successful, the ship gets the listed benefit. If the check is unsuccessful, the money is lost and there is no benefit. However, if the check fails by 5 or more, it actually suffers a penalty related to the bonus he was trying for (so a loss of MR instead of a gain, etc.).

Second, to balance out that (fairly major) penalty, there is a fairly major perk. The Masterwork attempt isn't actually during the building phase, it is actually during the design phase. The shipwright is actually attempting to create a masterwork design or class of ship. So, whatever the result is (good, bad or neutral), it will automatically apply to all future vessels of the same class built using those same plans, without needing any extra money, time or skill checks. The bonus (or penalty) feature is forevermore a part of this new class of ship.

DC	Sample Design Effects
10	Very responsive. +1 on Profession [SJ Pilot] checks.
10	Simple Design. The crew needed for the rigging is reduced to 2/3 normal.
10	+5% to the final Structure Points (minimum of +2).
15	+10% to the final Structure Points (minimum of +3).
15	The ship provides well-designed weapon placement and a sturdy firing platform. +1 on all ship-scale attack rolls.
15	ER is improved by +2.
15	MR is improved by 1 rank (and recalculate ER).
20	SR gets a +1 bonus as long as there is a propulsion source (it doesn't do anything by itself).
20	The vessel is very sturdy. When it suffers a Critical hit, it makes a 1d20 check against a DC of 15 to avoid the effect.

They pay 25,000 gold to get a Masterwork design. The Tiger Shark is an aggressive, heavily armed warship, so they go for a +1 attack roll. The designer rolls a 13+10 (his skill bonus), which makes the 15 DC. All future Tiger Sharks will have this bonus.

Final Cost and Time to Completion

A modified version of the normal rules for the Craft skill will be used in building the vessel, and determining how long it takes. The cost of the vessel, the DC, and the shipwright's rolls still determine how long it takes to build as ship.

First, calculate the cost of the vessel. Do not include the cost of the Wild Sails, Helm, or Weapons, but include everything else. Keep the cost in gold pieces, not silver.

Second, the difficulty class for building a ship depends on its form: Space, Terrestrial or Poor. Vessels designed around a space-worthy form have a base DC of 18. Terrestrial vessels typically have a base DC of 15, and Poor vessels are typically DC 12.

Third, calculate the Shipwright's skill result if he Takes 10.

Finally, divide the cost in gold pieces by the DC, and then divide that result by the Shipwright's skill total on a Take 10. The result is the number of days it will take to build the ship given a standard work crew (several apprentice shipwrights adding cooperation bonuses, scores of laborers doing all the work under their supervision, etc.). You may increase or decrease the time depending on the size and quality of the work force. If the Shipwright is building the vessel himself, use the normal rules (cost in silver and measured in weeks rather than days).

The masterwork portion of the Tiger Shark cost 25,000 and took 25,000 / 18 / 20 (Take 10 + 10) or 69 days just to design! As for the actual construction, the Tiger Shark costs a total of 90,475 gold (not counting helm, sails or weapons). It will take 90,475 / 18 / 20 or another 251 days to complete the construction. Then, 4,900 gold is spent on weapons, and 45,000 gold is spent on Wild Sails, and another 200,000 gold would be needed if they didn't already have three Major Helms waiting to be used.

Appendix A - Helms

Helms are very powerful magic items, ranging from Major Wondrous Items through Minor Artifacts, and a few are even Major Artifacts. There are many different types of helms of varying abilities, of which the most common are listed below. Remember that other types of helms exist, some of which are quite bizarre. This list is just a starting point for "standard" spacejamming cultures, and as always in SJ, expect the unexpected.

Helms are very resilient and difficult to damage. Minor helms always receive at least a +10 to +14 bonus on saves, while major helms typically get +12 to +18 or more. Against physical attacks, they receive twice the normal hardness for their material, and typically have a minimum of 100 hit points.

Helms must be firmly installed in a vessel, and often require some customized fittings, which means they can be difficult to remove safely. To install or remove a helm requires a Craft [SJ Shipwright] check against a DC of 10. If the check fails, the helm must make a save against DC 20 or be adversely affected (DM's choice of how).

All Helms have the following generic features:

Pilot Bonding: A helmsman is an individual who sits on the helm and directs the ship's general motion. The helmsman actually merges with the ship, and feels as if he is personally flying through space. The helmsman perceives damage to the ship as white flashes of pain, but takes no actual personal damage in most cases. Sometimes, however, the pain is intense enough to cause unconsciousness; this is called "spelljammer shock" and is usually a result of a critical hit.
Instinctive Piloting: In many ways, helming a vessel is instinctual, because the helmsman "merges" with the vessel, and he can generally control the vessel as easily as walking. While this is true for general movement, with training and practice (ie, learning the Profession[SJ Pilot] skill) it is possible to become much better, more efficient, and more effective.
Spatial Perception: The helmsman can perceive the world around the ship as if he were standing anywhere on the outer hull, and can change the point of view as a free action.
Dual Awareness: While spacejamming, the helmsman retains his normal senses and can hold a conversation with those nearby. In general, spacejamming is no more difficult then walking (except during combat) so that anything a person can reasonably be expected to concentrate on while walking can be done while 'jamming.

It's important to keep in mind, however, that while the helmsman controls speed and basic maneuverability, for best results many vessels also use sailors to add additional maneuvering ability, as described below.

Arcane Wild Sails

Produced By: Arcane

Cost: Varies, depends on the amount of rigging you are buying:

                        Topped Out rigging costs 2,000 gp per 5 SJ tons
                        Standard rigging costs 750 gp per 5 SJ tons
                        Minimal rigging costs 250 gp per 5 SJ tons

The most common form of spacejamming among sentient races makes use of critical, magical sails, known as Wild Sails, that are provided only by the mysterious Arcane, although they can sometimes be found for resale by middlemen.

The Wild Sails are made out of an unknown, white silk-like material that no one has ever been able to recreate, other than with a Wish. The sails are magical and typically have a +10 on saving throws. They have a normal scale Hardness of 5, and 5 hit points per square foot. While tough for their material and thickness, they can still be easily damaged by physical assaults or hazardous environments. Luckily, they are also easy to repair from such purely physical damage, since rips and tears can be mended normally as long as there is no missing fabric. They are virtually fireproof (they always get a save vs. fire with a +15 total bonus, take no damage if successful, and half damage if failed), but remember that the ropes that attach the sails to the mast probably lack that resistance, so the sail can still be made ineffective by fire.

They can be stained by most dyes without damaging them, and are often decorated with identifying marks for a vessel.

NOTE: To make use of the Wild Sails you also need at least a Sailjamming Helm, a magic item that works in conjunction with the sails.

Arcane Spelljamming Helm, Minor

Produced By: Arcane
Cost: 100,000 gp

This helm has all the features of a generic Helm, and it also provides propulsion to the vessel by drawing power from the spell energy of their helmsman (draining all memorized spells at a touch). Minor helms can move vessels at both full and tactical spacejamming speeds, with a tactical SR of 1 per 5 levels of the helmsman, rounding up (so SR 1 at levels 1-5, SR 2 at levels 6-10, etc.). Arcane minor helms can affect ships up to 50 tons, and are usually made of metal.

These vessels still need rigging and at least Minimal Wild Sails for maximum maneuverability. If the ship actually has Standard or Topped Out rigging, the sails' SR adds to current helmsman's SR. The Wild Sails must be purchased separately from the Arcane (or a reseller).

Spelljamming helms require well-rested spellcasters, but it does not require spells to be prepared in advance. Members of a spellcasting class that normally must prepare spells can work a helm at full effect even if they have not prepared any spells at all. It is the magical potential that is important, not the actual prepared spells. Similarly, members of spellcasting classes that do not prepare spells have no advantages or penalties when it comes to powering a spelljamming helm.

However, because it is the magical potential that is important, a spellcaster who has already used several spells will not be as effective as a he normally would. For each spell that he has cast since last resting, a spellcaster suffers a -1 SR to the speed he can evoke from the helm, to a minimum of SR 1.

Upon sitting in the helm and activating any of it's abilities, even just the Dual Awareness, the spellcaster will lose all currently prepared spells, and all spellcasting potential for the rest of that day. Spellcasters can rest and recover their magic as per normal.

Arcane Spelljamming Helm, Major

Produced By: Arcane

Cost: 250,000 gp

These helms function just like minor spelljamming helms, but they provide an SR equal to the users level divided by 3 (rounded up, so SR 1 at levels 1-3, SR 2 at levels 4-6, etc) and can affect ships of up to 100 tons.

Sailjamming Helm

Produced By: Arcane and others
Cost: 2,000 gp

To make use of the Wild Sails you also need a Sailjamming Helm, a magic item that works in conjunction with the sails. These basic helms have all the generic helm features described above, and can be used by any sentient being. However, all motive power comes from the Wild Sails, so if the sails are removed, the helm cannot move the vessel (though the helmsman could still shift his perspective to any point on the hull, for example). Similarly, speed control is only via the helm, so a ship with Wild Sails but no helm cannot move either. A ship with both a working helm and working sails can maneuver, although if the sails or rigging are damaged it may move slower and/or maneuver very poorly.

Spelljamming Helm, Minor

Produced By: Varies
Cost: 10,000 gp plus 2,000 gp per SJ ton of rated capacity.

These helms are created most commonly by the priesthoods of Ptah and Celestian, or by the Imperial Elven fleet (but they jealously recover those lost when possible). Minor helms are rated according to the size vessel they can power, typically from 18-40 tons. Many of these helms are constructed from fine woods. In all other respects they are equivalent to the minor helms made by the Arcane, and they are somewhat more common than Arcane-manufactured minor helms.

Spelljamming Helm, Major

Produced By: Varies

Cost: 20,000 gp plus 3,000 gp per SJ ton of rated capacity.

These helms are much less common than minor helms, so they are rarely for sale. In fact, they are so rare that the Arcane-manufactured major helms are more commonly available than those of other races. The only known "common" manufacturer is the Imperial Elven Navy, and their helms are usually used to power elven man-o-wars. All major helms are constructed of metal, and are rated according to the size vessel they can power, typically from 42-60 tons, with the lower sizes being the most common.

Furnace Helm, Minor

Produced By: ???

Cost: 10,000 gp (lifeboat version, SR1) or 30,000 gp (fighter version, SR4)

These helms are used extensively within spheres (they explode in the phlogiston) to power fighters, lifeboats, harbor ferries, etc. They propel a vessel by drawing on the power of magical items placed within its fuel opening. Items placed within are burned (literally) by the fire within, and their dweomer is sucked into the helm to give it power. The size and shape of the furnace is such that only items no greater than 18" on a side can fit within, and the item must fit entirely within to begin burning (a thick leather glove is used to protect the hand while adding fuel), and the item must be flammable.

These helms commonly come in two varieties. The lifeboat version has an SR of 1, but it can attain spacejamming speeds. The fighter version provides an SR of 4, but cannot attain spacejamming speeds. Minor Furnace Helms can helm ships of up to 20 tons in size.

To determine how much power is provided by a magic item, take the square root of its gold piece value and multiply it by four hours. Most of these helms are fueled by scrolls with continual light or some other common spell inscribed upon them. They can even be fueled for an hour or so if a piece of wood or paper with a Magic Mouth, Continual Flame, or even Nystul's Magical Aura spell has been cast (as opposed to inscribed) on them.

Some goblinoids are rumored to power their furnaces with an incendiary, magical fuel. Some think this fuel might be related to smokepowder in some way but reliable reports are rare.

The furnace helm is usually a single item, with a chair over a large base where the furnace burns the items. The helmsman can sit in the chair and insert items into the furnace through the hatch between his feet. They can be helmed by anyone and do not drain spells from spellcasters using them.

Vessels using a furnace helm still need rigging and at least Light Wild Sails for maximum maneuverability. If the ship actually has Standard or Full Wild Sails, the sails' SR adds to the furnace's SR. The Wild Sails must be purchased separately from the Arcane (or a reseller).

Furnace Helm, Major

Produced By: ???

Cost: 100,000 gp

These items function just like the Minor Furnace Helm in principle. Specifically, they provide SR 2 and can travel at spacejamming speed for ships up to 100 SJ tons in size. To determine how much power is provided by a magic item, take the square root of its gold piece value and multiply it by eight hours. If two items are sacrificed at the same time SR is boosted to 3 but the helm might explode (25%).

ArtiFurnace Helm

Produced By: Arcane or unknown

Cost: priceless

These exceedingly rare and powerful items function just like the Minor Furnace Helm in principle. However, they provide SR 5 and can travel at spacejamming speed for ships up to 300 SJ tons in size for an unlimited duration. However, this phenomenal power is only available because the furnace is drawing power from an artifact-class magic item! The furnace must be custom built for the specific artifact, and will be destroyed if that artifact is ever removed. However, while the artifact is present, the helm, furnace and artifact all share the artifact's ability to resist harm.

Lifejammer Helm

Produced By: Neogi or Arcane?

Cost: 50,000 gp plus 20,000 per closet (minimum of 1)

The lifejammer helm is a very specialized and evil type of helm which feeds off the life energy of an individual placed inside (usually against his will). Lifejammers are believed to be the invention of the neogi, but other evil races, including undead, have been known to use them as well. They are usually in two (or more) pieces, with a single helm attached to coffin-like closets by tubes made of the skin of a wight. There can be up to five such closets, but usually there are only 1-3.

For every day of operation, the lifejammer drains 2d4 temporary Constitution from each victim, which cannot be regained while the individual is within the lifejammer. In addition, for every day of operation (or fraction thereof) each victim must make a Fortitude save (DC 10) or perish.

A lifejammer helm gives the ship an SR equal to the Constitution bonus of the victim (minimum of 1). The Constitution bonus for that day is determined prior to subtracting the temporary Constitution loss. Lifejammers that are designed to have multiple victims use the victim with the best Constitution modifier for determining the base speed and add +1 SR for each additional victim (to a maximum of +4 for 5 victims).

Series Helms

Produced By: Arcane, maybe others

Cost: 50,000 gp plus 25,000 per additional linked helm.

An invention of either the Illithids or the Arcane with the Illithids in mind (accounts vary as to which), this helm has been adapted for a number of other species with supernatural or spell-like abilities. These helms work like a normal spelljamming helm except they draw power from creatures with innate supernatural or spell-like abilities. If those innate powers can be used a limited number of times per day, all of that day's uses are drained into the helm, but if the powers can be used at will, the creature can continue using them that day if they leave the helm.

One such helm can power ships between 5 and 10 tons. Each additional helm, up to a maximum of five in the series, can increase that by a like amount, so five linked helms can only be used on vessels between 25 and 50 tons. Each occupied helm in the series provides an SR of 1.

Note: If a mind flayer in a series helm is slain, there can be drastic effects on the others in the series. The series is broken, which means the ship loses all power and movement for one turn, plus every other helmsman in the series must make a Fortitude save vs. DC 15 or be slain as well.

Appendix B - Optional Equipment

At this point the designer or the owner can add other standard equipment.

Appendix C - Advanced Options

These are various options that can be used during ship construction. They tend to be either options that add a layer of complexity, or things that the DM might not want to allow in his games.

Composite Hulls

It is possible for a ship to have a composite hull, where different sections are made from different materials, such as a metal aft and a wooden fore, rather than one material over another. This can be used to protect specific portions of the ship, or to add a bit more durability. To do this simply decide how much of the ship's tonnage each material covers, finding the appropriate cost of each. Add these two together, plus 5%, for the final cost.

To calculate structure points for a ship with a composite hull, perform the second equation of the structure point calculation for each section, adding the results together. For example, a ship with 20 tons of stone and 40 tons of wood would have 21 points from the hull, 9 (20 x 1.5 x 0.3) from stone and 12 (40 x 1 x 0.3) from the wood.

Composite Frames

While ships with composite hulls, made up of more than one material, are not uncommon, ships with composite frames are extremely rare. Most shipwrights see little use for it, and building a composite-framed ship can actually be dangerous. It is possible, though, and there are two types.

Split Frames: These are ships that have two or more materials making up distinct sections of the ship, such as a metal aft and a wooden fore. Experienced space shipwrights will never purposely build a ship like this, and recommend against it to demanding customers. The reason is due to the problems with the point where one material joins the other. Such locations are more vulnerable and fragile than contiguous-material ships. Experienced captains will focus their attacks on such locations. Such attacks receive penalties for targeting specific locations, but if damage equal to 20% of the ship's Structure Points is amassed due to such attacks, the ship will split. To find the cost for split frames simply find the cost of each section, then add them together, plus 10%. For their structure points, calculate them in a fashion similar to composite hulls (above).

Shell Frames: More common than split frames, they are still very rare, A shell frame is a frame of one type of material wrapped around a frame of another material, completely or mostly enveloping it. This is done to protect certain key areas of the ship, such as cargo vaults or the helm room. The Structure Points are figured the same as for the split frame, but it does not have the drawbacks. The cost is figured the same, except add 20% to the total.

Shell Ships

Despite the name, this is not ship made from a giant seashell, but rather a smaller ship than somehow fits into a larger ship, in some sort of mooring cradle, and becomes its motive force. For example, a small 10 ton all metal ship could be built and outfitted with a major helm. Then a 90 ton ship with a sort of socket that the smaller ship fits in and is moored to could be built. As long as the smaller ship was firmly attached to the larger, it could propel and maneuver the entire ship as one. Then, if the larger ship becomes severely damaged, the smaller ship can be used as an escape craft.

To design such a craft, build both ships, but the larger ship must designate a portion of its volume to holding the smaller. How much space is up to the designer, but the less space devoted, the more of the smaller ship's volume will be revealed, and the less sturdy the connection will be. Thus it may be possible to target the smaller craft and damage it. The DM determines the hit penalty to strike the moored craft based on how much is revealed. The larger ship does not count the mooring space in its volume when it calculates structure points. The designer could even allocate no tonnage, but the ship would then simply be lashed on, which is precarious at best.

It is possible to build two equal sized ships this way, with one being the propulsion unit.

Note that the shell ship is different from the shell frame in that it is actually considered two different ships, and do not combine their Structure Points.

Ironwood

Ironwood is a rare type of tree that is known to grow on several worlds, including Toril, Oerth and Mystara. It is extremely dense and resilient, and while not capable of taking as much punishment as iron, is far stronger than normal wood. It is an eagerly sought after material for ship building. It is extremely rare, though, and is rarely found in groups; ironwood trees are typically found spread out across large areas in deep forests. This makes it hard to lumber.

The density of ironwood makes it impossible for most people to use it. It dulls axes after only a few chops, making normal lumbering techniques useless. The only way to cut and use ironwood is through magic.

Ironwood counts as stone when calculating Structure Points and Hardness Rating. Ironwood hulled ships can be made water landing capable.

The cost of ironwood will vary widely, if it can be found at all. Few places will have it in stock, or even be able to get it. Three times the cost of normal wood should be considered the absolute minimum, and six times the cost is typical. It is also quite expensive to repair.

Solid Mass

There are times when a ship wishes to add a large amount of bulk to a ship, without actually adding any usable space, to reduce the cost. The most common reasons for this are to increase a ship's gravity field, and thus air supply, or to achieve a certain appearance or motif. A good example of such is the Octopus, whose tentacles add a fair amount of mass, but no space.

This option is rarely used in ship construction, as it is not deemed particularly useful. While it would seem that the solid mass would add a fair amount of hull points, the truth is that on most ships the parts that are not solid mass are large enough to be targeted without penalty, and most ship crews of any appreciable experience can recognize this, and simply target the normal mass of the ship.

Solid mass sections of a ship have 5 times the structure points of a normal section, and also counts as having a super heavy frame, hull and plating all made of the same material (multiplied before rounding). So, a 10 ton section of solid wood would have 75 structure points. These structure points are calculated and kept separate from normal structure points. It will have a Hardness Rating as a hull of the same material, plated with that material, plus 1. Solid mass has no internal space to be used, but decks can be built upon it, so the space does count towards deck space and weapon capacity.

The cost of solid mass varies by material type, as shown below. The cost of stone and wood is actually cheaper, as less work is needed to prepare the mass, while metal is more expensive, as the cost of the material outweighs the reduction in work. Bone has no price listed as the only way to have solid bone mass is to find bones of sufficient size, which are very rare, and typically not found for sale. Ceramics would be even harder to find as a solid mass, and no mundane procedures could create it. Magical creation is possible, such as those known by the elves, but the DM will have to determine the prices based on the situation. The price of metal reflects the difficulty of using mundane means to create a section of ship 2,700 cubic feet in volume.

Costs also do not include any magics or work needed to shape the wood into the desired form, such as with the Octopus' tentacles.

The penalties to hit the non-solid portions of such ships are determined by the DM, but ships with 10 or more tons of solid mass rarely have any penalties. If a ship does not target a specific area of the ship, roll randomly to see if the shot hits the solid or non-solid portion, based on percentages. For example, a 60 tons ship that has 20 tons of solid mass has a 33% chance of being hit in the solid portion.

Material	Cost per Ton
Wood	500 gp
Stone	1,000 gp
Metal	15,000 gp

Asteroid Ships

Although some Dwarven Citadels and similar ships can be created through the use of the super heavy frame, there are times when only a small percentage of the internal "space" of an asteroid or similar body is used. For example, a 20 ton rock that has a 2 ton helm room and a 3 ton cargo room, with all other facilities being on the surface.

In cases like these, instead of bothering with the frame at all, calculate all non-used space as solid mass (as per the option, above) for calculating structure points. So, in the case of the 20 ton rock with 15 tons of non-used space, the ship would have 169 hull points. This may seem like quite a large amount, but considering how much solid mass this really is, as compared to a hollow shell — 40,500 cubic feet of solid stone — it makes sense.

As for hardness, the ship is considered to be plated with the material it is made of, plus a bonus of one to account for the thickness of the hull, as per the solid mass section. Most such ships are also at least partially enclosed, and often fully enclosed, which affects their Evasion Rating.

These type of ships typically have no rigging, but it can be added. The cost is doubled, since adding masts and such will require extra work. Unless extensive work is done, an asteroid ship is going to be of Poor design, and thus not particularly maneuverable. It might be possible to find a rock that could be classified as Terrestrial, but they are going to be quite rare. Anything beyond this will take radical redesign work.

Cost for such asteroid ships will be based more on mining costs than actually ship building costs, and is likely to be more expensive, especially if nice, flat walls and squared rooms are used. This should also be taken into consideration for other aspects of ship building and modification. For example, adding internal weapon may require some additional mining work to open a hole to fire through. Another example is landing capabilities: many asteroids will be fully capable of landing on the ground without paying for it, but are unlikely to land straight, due to odd their shape.

Ram Rings

While a ship with a ram has been designed to take the shock of impact, the people on board haven't. Those unprepared for the ram will typically be tossed around and stunned, sometimes even wounded. To help prevent this most ships with rams will have a large number of ram rings mounted throughout the ship. These are simply rings bolted to the walls and ceilings, in a manner similar to cargo rings (and are actually the same thing). They provide solid handholds for crew during ramming.

Properly outfitting a ship with ram rings costs 5 gp per ton of the ship that is not devoted to cargo. Cargo space already has the equivalent of ram rings.

Strengthened Internal Bulkheads

Unless all of its internal space has been categorized as cargo, a ship is going to have bulkheads (walls) throughout, and a ship designer may want to strengthen some of these. The most common use is for security of vital areas. The cost of the strengthened bulkhead depends on the materials being added:

Material	Cost per Sq. Foot
Wood	1 gp
Stone	5 gp
Metal	5 gp
Ceramic	10 gp

A one ton cube has a surface area of about 1165 square feet.

Ceramics

The term "ceramic" in Spacejammer can be misleading as it does not refer to actually ceramics as most know them. It is instead a sort of catchall term for materials that have similar properties. Ceramics are good for deflecting shots, being rather hard, but aren't as good at taking actual damage, having a resiliency similar to that of wood.

The most common ceramic found in Arcane Space is the plant used to construct the ships of the Elven Imperial Fleet. Created by magically altering a space-borne plant, this material is still alive and continues to grow. Some other examples of ceramic materials are the shells of large sea creatures, such as used for the gnomish Whelk, or the hardened silk excretions used to create the ships of the arachnid aranea.

The cost of ceramics materials listed for hulls or frames assumes the builder is acquiring his materials from someone else rather than creating it on their own. The elves, for example, do not pay 3,000 go per ton, but rather grow it from a seedling. The cost for those capable of creating their own ceramics vary, from 500 per ton for the elves, to free but very time consuming for the aranea.

Notes and Bibliography

The above document contains TSR trademarked material, as well as paraphrased copyrighted material. This use should not be construed as a challenge to that status.

Bibliography

TSR / Wizards of the Coast

The core rules and setting for the Spelljammer game were produced by TSR in the early 1990s. TSR was subsequently bought by Wizards of the Coast. All Spelljammer intellectual properties are copyrighted by Wizards of the Coast.

Similarly, AD&D 2^nd Edition (which is referred to as 2e) and D&D (referred to as 3^rd edition or 3e) are also copyrighted by Wizards of the Coast.

Leroy Van Camp

A significant majority of this entire ship design system is taken from Leroy's "Spelljammer Ship System", which is available at his web page, the Tarkas Brain Lab IV.

URL: http://www.users.qwest.net/~malacoda/TarkasBrainLabIV.html

Spacejammer Ship Construction System

By Lindharin (Lindharin@Telluri.com)

Version 0.93

This system is based on the Ship Construction System by Leroy Van Camp III, which can be found at Tarkas Brain Lab IV, in the Arcane Space Division.

Table of Contents

Definition of Game Mechanic Terms

Hardness Rating

Structure Points

Material Factors

Strength Factors

Maneuver Rating

MR by Size

MR Modifier by Design

MR Modifier by Rigging

Evasion Rating

ER by Size

ER by Design

ER by MR

Air Supply

Blunt and Piercing Rams Only

Weapon Stats

Calculate Crew Requirements

Rooms

Facilities

Storage

Docking Bays

Rooms

Facilities

Storage

Docking Bays

Arcane Wild Sails

Arcane Spelljamming Helm, Minor

Arcane Spelljamming Helm, Major

Sailjamming Helm

Spelljamming Helm, Minor

Spelljamming Helm, Major

Furnace Helm, Minor

Furnace Helm, Major

ArtiFurnace Helm

Lifejammer Helm

Series Helms

Composite Hulls

Composite Frames

Shell Ships

Ironwood

Solid Mass

Asteroid Ships

Ram Rings

Strengthened Internal Bulkheads

Ceramics

Bibliography

By Lindharin
(Lindharin@Telluri.com)

This system is based on the Ship Construction System by Leroy Van Camp III,
which can be found at Tarkas Brain Lab IV, in the Arcane Space Division.