Pirates of the Relmspace Main

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Giganotosaurus

Dreaming of Electric Sheep
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Howdy! This about my Spelljammer/Planescape D&D campaign setting I originally made for my first time DM session. That session fell through before it even started but the notes I have for the setting are still here and I thought I might as well post it instead of let it gather dust.

First off the setting was intended for D&D 5e (and then briefly for pathfinder before shenanigans involving a needlesword happened), so I’m going to be using the 5e rules for the most part.

My original idea for this setting was just to use the lore and flavor from the old Spelljammer manuals for a D&D campaign, but I eventually started adding more stuff in and eventually came up with the idea that the current D&D settings (Faerun, Dragonlance, Dark Sun, etc.) are set in a medieval period and that they would eventually enter into the equivalent of the age of exploration/renaissance.

This inherent post will explain a bit of the technology in this setting as well as some basic cosmology:

The various material planes of the multiverse are adrift in a black sea known as Realmspace. The forms that material planes come in in Realmspace are vast and different. Some are surrounded by giant crystal spheres; others are on floating. They are not alone in Realmspace however. Asteroids, Giant Spheres of Annilhation, Portals to the Positive Energy plane and bubbles of a substance known as Phlogiston also float among the infinite blackness that is Realmspace.

In centuries past the only way to travel between the various planes was through portals. This changed with the discovery of Phlogiston. Phlogiston is a 5th element; it is neither Water, Air, Fire or Earth and at the same time all of them at once. Phlogiston is noted for being capable of holding and casting magical power without the need for magic users. The most common usage for this powerful element is as a sort of fuel source for Spelljammer Helms, machines that can create a bubble of air, gravity and levitation for the sky ships that travel Realmspace. In older days Spelljammer helms were literal helmets that used a magic user’s internal mana to create the atmosphere bubble. These were dangerous and taxing for the magic user which led to their replacement with the Battery Helms, which use refined Phlogiston to create atmosphere bubble. The one benefit that older mage powered Helms was that they could also maneuver the ship through realmspace. Ships using the newer Battery Helms must rely on Solar Sails and the Planar winds to maneuver through realmspace.

Refined phlogiston is also used as an ammunition source for Spellock firearms and cannons. Spellock’s are weapons that can turn phlogiston into any spell it is designed for. Typically they are made for shooting arcane bolts of harmful energy, but they can also be made to cast any spell ranging from levitate to the near mythical Wishgun.

That's all for now, My next post will be about who and why people are flying sailing ships through Realmspace!
 
Alright! In this week’s post I’ll be talking about where Phlogiston comes from the basic geography surrounding The Elven Main and several factions that are in the section of Realmspace known as The Elven Main.

On Phlogiston:
Phlogiston, as stated previously, is neither a Gas, Liquid, Solid or Plasma, and at the same time all of those. Phlogiston is the physical form of magical power and as such can take wildly different shapes. It can take shape as crystals, cosmic gases, enchanted springs and great burning stars. Or it can be Cubes, Swords, Ships or even facsimiles of living creates. The last phenomenon is known as Phlo-Ghosts.
In its raw state Phlogiston is wild and unpredictable. Attempting to harness Phlogiston in its raw state can lead to unexpected side-effects similar to wild magic. The great mages have developed a refining process that stabilizes Phlogiston into a Semi-Gaseous state and removes all the risk of spontaneous implosion. This stabilized form of Phlogiston can in turn be used to power all sorts of magical devices including but not limited to Spelljammer’s and Spellock’s.

On the Elven Main:
The Elven Main is the name of a major colonial sector of Realmspace that is near the border of the treacherous and unexplored Wildspace. Within it are 2 crystal sphere bound Material Planes, both Colonies of the Elven ruled Kingdom of Corellon (They’re the Elves in Elven Main) and a multitude of Asteroids that orbit a large Positive Energy plane portal called Aerdrie. Aside from the landmasses The Elven Main is noted as being a major source of unrefined Phlo, which is mostly found in a ring-shaped Nebula surrounding Aerdrie. This Nebula is harvested by floating platforms with large sails called Manascoops, most of which are owned by the Kingdom of Corellon. To the Astral East and South of The Elven Main is the more settled colonial sectors dominated by The Kingdom of Corellon and Goldok’s Holding. To the Astral West and North lies the unexplored Wildspace, full of great riches and dangers.

On the notable actors in the Elven Main:
In the Elven Main there are 2 major Space faring nations that hold a majority of power.
The Kingdom of Corellon:​
A Large Elven Empire that is considered that most powerful space faring nation in the whole of Realmspace. Long wars and expensive public works projects have led to their Empire is becoming stretched thin and they have becoming too reliant on mercenaries to hold onto their more far reaching colonies.​
Goldok’s Holding:​
A relatively new player to the Realmspace field, Goldok’s Holding is a mid-sized Goblinoid nation ruled by a Hobgoblin Nobility caste. They have already seized several large asteroid colonies from Corellon.​

There are several minor powers and non-state actors active in The Elven Main as well:
The Umbral Republic:​
A Drow Republic ruled by several Merchant Houses. It runs several major merchant shipping routes, and also holds 1 Asteroid Trading post in The Elven Main. The Merchant houses often use Privateers to sabotage each other.​
Haj:​
A Pirate and Privateer Haven built on the remnants of a Githzerai Fortress-Monastery. It is ruled by the Githyanki Pirate King Borgnar, who facilitates the Privateer contracts and regulates crime for the entire Elven Main. His presense is tolorated by the Hobgoblins because he manages all the Privateer contracts against the Elves for them. The Elves have several times tried to dislodge Borgnar with Giff Mercenaries but have so far fail, Borgnar's habit of moving Haj around the sector doesn't help this.​
Dzong Champo​
A Githzerai Fortress-Monastery that floats around a large Negative Energy Plane Portal called The Olcraxian Abyss at the very edge of Wildspace. Despite being a fairly secluded monastery far from the major trade routes, the Monks are known for rescuing those who’ve been shipwrecked.​
The Grey Chainers​
A ruthless band of Neogi Free-Pirates. They have so far evaded the Corellon Royal Navy, Hobgoblin Corvettes and even the powerful grasp of Borgnar. From their hidden base they launch slave raids against all other players in The Elven Main.​
The Dark Star​
A mysterious ghostly Drow Star-Fluyt manned by a crew of misty skeletons. It appears and disappears randomly throughout the Elven main, sometimes attacking ships, other times leaving them be. All who have seeked it can never find it, and all who find it wish they never had.​
 
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