The second of four Spelljammer adventures for Dungeons & Dragons 5e is now available to download for free on the D&D Beyond website, and it has introduced the new Spelljammer ship rules to the game. This mini-campaign is called Spelljammer Academy and is leading up to the release of Spelljammer: Adventures in Space on August 16, with players being introduced to the realities of Wildspace.
D&D parties will often use mounts or carriages, but it's rare for them to own vehicles. There are some nautical-themed D&D campaigns that give players access to boats and ships, such as Ghosts of Saltmarsh and Tomb of Annihilation, but most campaigns stay on land, with players often purchasing one-off voyages, as it is far cheaper than buying and maintaining a vessel. The Spelljammer campaign setting is different, as it involves sailing ships that have been enchanted to fly through space. This means players will likely own a spelljammer ship and will come into conflict with other vessels on the sea of stars.
The second part of the Spelljammer Academy mini-campaign is now available to download for free on D&D Beyond. This chapter is called "Trial by Fire" and it involves the players taking part in a magical simulation, replicating the experience of flying a spelljammer ship. The players soon encounter a crew of Githyanki pirates in a squid ship and the two sides must do battle. The players are flying in a hammerhead ship, which is statted out in a separate handout. "Trial by Fire" provides the first look at the spelljammer ship rules, including how combat works between two vessels.
The party members will have specific roles on the ship, which should excite those wanting to run a One Piece D&D campaign in space. The most important role is the Spelljammer, a spellcaster who must operate the Spelljamming Helm, making them the pilot of the vessel. Once combat begins, the initiative is determined for each vessel, with all of its crew going on the same turn, before switching over. If the spelljammer has weapons, then several characters can spend their actions to operate them, such as a mangonel requiring five actions to use, but it can deal 5d10 bludgeoning damage if it hits. These weapons are best suited for random crew members, rather than party members, who could do more damage with their own special abilities. If a ship moves within 5ft of the other, then its crew can board the enemy vessel. It's possible to take a spelljammer ship out of commission by damaging the hull, but this could take a while, as the hammerhead alone has 400 hit points.
The first free D&D Spelljammer adventure has already set the stage, with players dipping their toes into the wider universe. "Trial by Fire" only offers a simulation of the dangers of Wildspace, alongside a glimpse of how the ships will actually function in the game, which is something fans have wondered about since D&D: Spelljammer: Adventures in Space was first announced. The spacefaring ship-to-ship combat is going to make battles a lot more interesting, as players will need to worry about keeping their ship afloat unless they want to take a dip in the void of space.
The Spelljammer: Adventures in Space campaign set for Dungeons & Dragons will launch on August 16, 2022.
Source: D&D Beyond