It's no secret that I love Spelljammer specifically and the idea of space fantasy in general. Having said that, I was always bothered by the helm concept. It didn't make sense to me that the pilot of a spacefaring ship had to be a Priest, Psionic or Wizard character. Sure there were the life-draining helm, but that is also problematic.

The main issue was that swashbuckling action and pirates evokes images of Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard. The closest thing to a spellcaster was Blackbeard, but that is a bit of a stretch to even call him an illusionist. The captain of the ship is more like a Rogue character than a spell-caster. Although it is true that a spell-caster can work for a pirate, there just aren't enough higher level spell casters for all the ships in space.

In 2e, everything else on a ship was a non-weapon proficiency, so why wouldn't piloting a spaceship be one as well? To solve that issue, I imagine a magical device that can be operated by anyone with sufficient skill is used to pilot the ship. I have spent the last two weeks attempting to draw this device in vain, so I have to describe it, instead of providing a picture. Sorry.

This device is an orb with three triangular shaped handles on it. Each of the handles are perpendicular to each other. In other words, one is the x-axis, another on the y-axis and the third lies along the z-axis. Each handle controls a gear that can spin a full 360 degrees. It is made to easily rotate to a specific setting and stay locked at the setting.

One handle controls the pitch of the craft, the other two control the yaw and roll respectively. The pilot rotates one or two of the handles to direct the craft in three-dimensional space. Being able to only control two of the three at any given moment is normally not an issue. The only time it may be an issue is when a craft is attempting evasive maneuvers. An observant attacker can sometimes anticipate evasive maneuvers because the ship can only move in two dimensions simultaneously.

Assigning a piloting skill based on DEX allows any rogue to pilot a spacecraft. Broadening it out to all classes, anyone can pilot a ship with the right training. I also imagine a unique spell/magic item that allows a pilot to use a third arm for maneuvering in tight spots and/or attempting evasive manuevers.

However, I would still set an 8 hour limit for how long a creature can act as pilot without losing concentration. Anyone piloting after 8 hours of piloting would suffer penalties to rolls and increased chance of being surprised.

One other thing that the use of this device allows is mutiny. No longer is it necessary to get the spell-casting pilot to join your cause - just eliminate the captain and bridge crew and get the best remaining man to pilot.

More coming about possible quests and adventures in Tiezerakan in future posts. Let me know what you think of the Pilot's Orb (working title only).