This tab is dedicated to all the equipment required to run a spelljammer ship. Note that this is for certain types of ships, those who employ mechanika to power and direct their ships. Living ships do not need these things, nor do Beholder ships, Illithid ships or those employing livehelms.
Helms:
In the current system, a Helm is built and customized to each ship. Often it includes a connecting section that serves as a navigation device. The Helm looks like a table, but angled at a 45 degree increase so a seated person can access every part of it with comfort. On top of the helm are attached any number of etched rune plates, each one tied to a function of the ship. Those functions can vary, of course, but the core required are the main engines and some form of maneuvering engines. Additional functions can include wizards eyes to see various spots on or outside of the ship, magic mouths to communicate with crew, force walls for shielding during combat, fireballs and lightening bolts for combat (do not use in the Phlogiston!). It is only limited by the size of the helm and the imagination(and treasure chest) of the captain.
Cost and construction of various Spelljamming helms:
The prices listed here are full retail. If you build any of these items yourself, the cost is halved. Also, if you are buying retail, expect some fluctuation and haggling.
Helm:
1. base 300 gp. +50 gp./rune plate
2. conduit socket (1-?) 50 gp. ea.
3. Etched Rune Plate (per device) 150 gp.
4. Conduit (per device) 50 gp.
5. Accumulator Socket 100 gp. (50 lite, 200 heavy)
6. Accumulator 500 gp (250 lite, 1000 heavy)
options:
1. Navigation box: 1500 gp. + 100 gp. / map crystal (includes Rune Plate and Conduit)
2. Rudder control: 300 gp. + 150 gp. per steerage element (includes Rune Plate and Conduit)
notes; You will need one etched rune plate per function of the helm. the only one required is propulsion, literally turning on the engines. Any other functions tied to the helm, such as wizard eye, magic mouth, steerage, wall of force shields, etc. require an additional etched rune plate. Each function will also require a conduit and a socket; each conduit terminates in a socket connected to the helm, and terminates on the other end directly to the device thus controlled. Adding a Navi Box includes it's own etched rune plate and conduit; a back up etch plate and conduit to the helm can be added, so the Helmsman can use the navi box. Steerage requires 1 rune plate and 1 conduit and 1 socket per steerage element. So, if you have a fish ship you have 1 rune plate, conduit, and socket per flipper. Rudder control can also be mirrored at the Helm for single crew control, just as the Navi Box.
Element Rod Propulsion Device:
1: Gantry (1) 100-1200 gp. (50 gp. per rod)
2. Element Rods(2-24) or 1 for thruster 1000 gp. ea. average
3. Sockets: (4-48) 2 per rod 50 gp. ea.
4. Conduit (1) 50 gp.
Construction and rating of Element Rods:
Element rods have become the most popular form of propulsion in space, since the process was streamlined and the costs reduced. Original Element rods came from Eberron,and required the rare and expensive Dragon Shards to house the elemental. However other operators have created successful adaptations of the Eberron type rod using crystals from other sources. Eberron elemental rods are still available, and they are technically the best quality, however the price is often outrageous, and the supply is never enough for demand.
Eberron rods do not burn out as quickly as secondary market ones do; the life of an Eberron rod typically doubles or triples that of a secondary market rod, and claims have been made that some Eberron rods will never burn out, though this claim is not corroborated by research that was not commissioned by an Eberron House.
Elemental rods come with ratings to define them according to the hit die of the elemental and the source of construction.
X. 9 CR 6X
A. 8 CR 4X
B. 7 CR 2X
C. 6 CR 1.5X
D. 5 CR 1000gp
E. Eberron 2X
R. Refurbished* .5X
S. Secondary market
AIR: air elemental
FIRE: fire elemental
EARTH: earth elemental
WATER: water elemental
NC: non coercive construction** 2X
note: You will not find a refurbished X rod; nobody wants to take the chance of shoving a Monstrous elemental into a refurbished rod.
Ratings always start with the origin of the rod, followed by the CR of the elemental, the type of elemental, and special notations like Refurbished or Non Coercive. Thus if you were to purchase an SBAirR, that is a 12 HD rod from the secondary market that has been refurbished.
Thus, the base price of an element rod is 1000gp, for an 5 CR secondary market rod. Other qualities have modifiers to that cost, thus a 7 CR Air elemental rod from Eberron would be classified as : EA AIR and it would cost 1000gp. X1.5=1500gp. X2 = 3000 gp.
* Refurbished rods have been burnt out through usage and "recharged" with a fresh elemental. Refurbished rods should only be re charged with the same CR elemental or lower as it's original construction; putting a higherCR elemental into a refurbished rod is dangerous. There is a chance that the housing will crack and the elemental will escape, killing everything it sees. Most element rods are refurbished under this restriction, but there are a few underhanded retailers who will try to squeeze by with an overcharged rod to make a buck. Rods that have been Refurbished twice are supposed to be labeled with two R's both lower case, thus SCrr refers to a secondary market 5 CR rod that has been refurbished twice. It is not recommended to refurbish a rod more than three times. However, it does happen, and some shops do not mark them with multiple R's as they should.
** Non coercive construction means that the elemental was not forced into the rod, but bargained with to enter willingly. This is a recent development as a call for more humane building practices gathers momentum all over the Known Spheres. The thought is that forcing an elemental is inhumane, since the elementals are sentient beings. Elementals can be bargained with to serve in the element rod for a time, in return for a permanent stay of further conjuration. NC rods do not last as long as a regular rod does b/c the bargain with the elemental determines a shorter shelf life; however when an NC rod ceases to function, it is not b/c the elemental has "burnt out", but rather that the elemental has refused to perform on command. A "burnt out" NC rod must be returned to an NC operating shop for recharging. It can be recharged with a Coerced Elemental with no repercussions. Some claim the NC rods do not perform at the full power of a coerced elemental rod, but no accepted research corroborates this claim.