think this is largely done...man, been on this one FOREVER. Could not make up my mind what I wanted to do. Been through about 4 revisions; best I post it now least I spend another 6 months revising it to the nth degree. ;) I'll do a sample ship soon
Btw, Goblin Gear is a set of four articles detailing each of the goblin-kin ships (kobold angelship, goblin porcupine, ogre mammoth, orc scorpionship), their helms, and interesting pre-Unhuman Wars cultural notes. I intend to compile them together soon into one nice, big article with other stuff that applies to all of the articles.
Nightcrawlers of Wildspace: Orc Scorpionships
Though hardly the first of the so-called goblin-kin races to
enter wildspace, orcs quickly became one of the most influential. Larger
and stronger than goblins and nearly as numerous, the orcs aggressively
expanded their sphere of influence. Before the Unhuman Wars, the orc
scorpionship was an all-too common menace. The elves destroyed nearly half
of the orc fleets, and drove the remaining ships from the Known Spheres.
Orcs traveled in small fleets known as wolf packs, although a
lone ship was not unheard of. A wolf pack ranged from two to twelve ships
and quite often was lead by the largest and craftiest orc in the fleet.
Loyalty came through fear and intimidation. Orcs were notorious for going
rouge due to infighting.
Scorpionships
Compact and lethal, the orc scorpionship is a dreaded warship
from an earlier time. Typically only eighty feet from the tip of the jaws
to the base of the tail, a scorpionship is deceptively small. It can
withstand a great deal of damage and retaliate with two ship weapons and a
pair of ram claws. Aboard is a crew of the toughest orcs that can be found,
readied for battle. Backed up by shaman and witch doctors, the orcs sought
out wealth and glory.
The first scorpionships began in the sweeping badlands of some
forgotten world where colossal scorpions dwelled. The orcs discovered that
the iron-hard exoskeletons of dead scorpions could be fitted with decking,
and used the husks to build their distinctive spelljammers. As the orcs
refined their shipbuilding craft, they learned to build new scorpionships
without need of a dead scorpion's husk.
A scorpionship is built from a hull of iron-sheen chitin husk or
a frame of thick wood. Decks of duskwood, ironwood, or oak divide the top,
main, and cargo decks. The workmanship is shoddy and the ship is often in
ill repair; orcs care little for the condition of their ship. Many patches
identify a veteran ship. Rust, rot, and shoddy repairs plague many ships;
more than one scorpionship collapsed unexpectedly.
Space is limited aboard a scorpionship. There is room enough
for a ballista on the deck and a heavy catapult stop the tail. A set of
deadly claw rams completes the ship's armament. Rare larger scorpionships
carried more weapons; a rumored ninety-ton ship was said to have carried six
heavy weapons and had ram claws that could rend ships into flotsam.
A scorpionship requires only a small crew. Triangular sails are
strung between the tail and the legs. Four orcs are needed to man the
sails, while the captain shouts orders to coordinate their efforts. A sixth
orc, a shaman or witch doctor, is needed to operate the helm. In addition
to providing maneuverability, the sails serve a double purpose in blocking
out hateful sunlight. The orcs keep the sails situated to block as much
sunlight as possible. The remainder of the crew, usually about thirty orcs,
mans the ship weapons or waits for an attempt to board other ships. A
scorpionship can carry as many as eighty or ninety orcs, but conditions are
abhorrent.
Below the top decks is the main deck, with a small bridge, the
controls for the claw rams, and quarters for the crew. The eyes are made of
crude, opaque glass and are often tinted red. Small incense burners hang
from the ceiling, filling the bridge with arcane smoke. Star charts hang
from the wall, usually on animal skins. The shaman or witch doctor watches
over the lifejammer, constantly chanting to make the magic work. Behind
him, a pair of burly orcs operates a series of levers and turnstiles that
make the ram claws move. The orcs practice operating the weapons, and are q
uite good at it. The room doubles as a galley, with a cauldron in the
center of the room where orcs prepare their meals. The orc kitchen is quite
crude, with only the bare necessities. Meals consist of a watery stew,
jerky, and an orc deviation of hardtack. Heading aft from the galley/claw
control room is the crew quarters. Dozens of bunks are built into walls,
stacked four high. Bunks are a right of the strongest warriors; an orc must
earn his bunk through combat. Those orcs without a bunk sleep on the deck
or the cargo hold. The captain's quarters are located at the base of the
tail, the only private quarters aboard the ship. The best trophies will be
located in his room.
Below the main deck and opposite of the gravity plane is the
cargo deck. This area is roughly oval shaped, about twenty-five feet long.
Sometimes this space is subdivided into other rooms, such as an armory and
brig for prisoners. The hold is filled with all manner of wares that the
orcs might need or otherwise find interesting. A hatch offer access to the
cargo deck.
Orcs of Wildspace
Wildspace orcs are a clannish lot. Most orcs are part of small
buccaneer clans that have much in common with traditional pirates. Rarely
these clans will unite behind a powerful leader known as a "Wolf Chief", a
title that honors their cunning, battle prowess, and ferocity.
Orc legends speak of a mystical homeworld, where all orc tribes
began. Fortunately, perhaps, the name and location of this homeworld are
long lost. According to the legends, this world has twisted badlands and
deserts that the orcs scoured in search of elusive scorpion husks. Hundreds
of scorpionships set sail from this homeworld.
Tusked Freebooters
Most orcs are freebooters, buccaneers, and pirates. These
freebooter clans are small, perhaps 50 to 300 male orcs in all. They have
few women or children with them, as such dependants can slow them down.
They raid trade ships, ransom hostages, and otherwise make life miserable
for travelers.
Freebooters use older scorpionships, built from the husks of
dead scorpions. They rarely have the ability to build ships of their own;
such an effort requires more resources than they have available and forces
them to stay in one place far longer than they feel comfortable. Their
lairs are small asteroids, just large enough to hide their ships, some small
buildings, and a few places to stash stolen loot. A freebooter tribe has
1-6 scorpionships and maybe 1-2 other ships, depending on their success.
Excessive ships are sold to unscrupulous dealers in black-market deals that
keep the orcs rich in coin.
Typically, a freebooter clan will take a small number of ships
per season, and then spend the next several months spending their loot on
ale, fast women, gambling, and everything else that catches their eye. Only
after all of their loot has been spent do they set sail once more in search
of new ships to steal from. Rarely do captains look to improve their ships
or increasing the size of their fleet.
Due to the activities of these orcs, freebooters have more
half-orcs in their ranks than standard; 1 out of every 10 orcs will be
half-orcs. These half-breeds can rise to rule whole tribes, having the
strength of their orcish ancestors and the wits of their human parent.
These individuals can be roguishly charismatic individuals, the terrors of
ports across many spheres.
Wolves of Wildspace
Rarely, perhaps no more than once or twice a generation, an orc
will arise with such charisma that he can unify many orc clans into a
single, destructive army. These leaders are known as the Wolves of
Wildspace. This orc will be the largest, meanest orc imaginable. A Wolf
Chief is a crafty tactician and mighty warrior. At his command are at least
7-12 scorpionships and 2-8 other ships. This is the minimum force of these
monsters; some chiefs manage to assemble fleets in upwards of a hundred
strong! His sub-chiefs are captains of lesser ships; his flagship will be
an unusually large scorpionship, sometimes as large as 100 tons. The Wolf
Chief, at times, will ally himself with a stronger individual, such as an
archmage or dragon, selling the services of his fleet as mercenaries, if the
pay is right.
Wolf Chiefs are the terror of wildspace. A single successful
Wolf Chief can terrorize several spheres. Many are driven by ego and a
desire to be remembered for generations, and will try to out-do previous
Wolf Chiefs with increasingly horrible atrocities. Names that have been
burned into the memories of space travelers include Fellthane the One Tooth,
who sacked the city of Jirr's Rock; Blacktusk the Buccaneer, whose treasure
is said to be unequaled in vastness; and Greeneye the Flayer Foe, a
mind-bender who won many battles against mind flayers.
It is fortunate that Wolf Chiefs rarely live long. Their
activities drive them to commit crimes that demand retribution and revenge.
The Elven Fleet typically offers a reward of 100,000 gp on the head of any
Wolf Chief, dead or alive, once they become known; other powers offer
similar rewards as well. Greeneye, for example, survived for almost ten
years after sacking a mind flayer outpost, despite the creatures putting a
500,000 gp bounty on his head. None are known to have lived to a ripe old
age; such is life of a Wolf Chief. In many ways, they prefer it as such.
To die in glorious battle is seen as one of the best ways to be forever
remembered; to die an old orc is to die a coward.
The last known Wolf Chief perished at the start of the Unhuman
Wars, in the Battle of Kule. In killing him, the Elves hoped to divide and
weaken the orc clans, a strategy that proved very successful. It might be
noted that although two great orc leaders arose near the end of the Unhuman
Wars, Longtooth of Armistice and Dukagsh Father of the Scro, neither can
truly be considered Wolf Chiefs, for Longtooth choose peace over a violent
death, and Dukagsh fled from the Known Spheres to die an old man. Although
revered by their followers, "traditionalist" orcs hold these leaders in
great contempt as cowards.
Orc Worlds
Driven by a desire to acquire property and territory, orcs find
wildspace an ideal habitat. Many asteroids, moons, and small worlds could
be easily conquered and dominated without competition. They seek out places
with deep caves, thick forests, and constant cloud cover. Natives were a
plus; after all, the orcs needed a supply of slaves!
From harsh fortresses, the orcs strip the countryside of
everything of value to fuel the construction of new scorpionships. These
destructive habits leave the world ruined, and when the land becomes
uninhabitable, the orcs move on. In this way, countless otherwise habitable
worldlets have been left spoiled by orc hordes. What life is left behind
are creatures that share the orcs' temperament, such as carnivorous plants,
mobats, worgs, and giant spiders.
Cult of the Wolf
Even orcs have their heroes. The so-called "Cult of the Wolf"
is a pantheon of Wolf Chiefs that wildspace orcs hold up as heroes they
identify with. The cult is really a series of personality cults without
true worshippers or clerics. Many orcs can find at least one hero in the
collection of dead chiefs to personally identify with and maintain as his
idol. To an extent, the Wolf Chiefs fulfill a similar role to Saints in
some human religions.
Known past Wolf Chiefs include the following:
Blacktusk the Buccaneer (4441 OC to 4502 OC): A dangerous pirate that is
said to have left a hundred ships burning in his wake. His personal horde
of gold, gemstones, and magic items could rival that of the greatest
dragons, which he buried on dozens of asteroids. Orcs that unexpectedly
discover some small cache of loot are said to have received Blacktusk's
boon.
Fellthane the One Tooth (4509 OC to 4538 OC): This monster is said to have
been part ogre, for he was large and brutal. His greatest accomplishment
was the sacking of the city of Jirr's Rock, then a large and prosperous
city.
Greeneye the Flayer Foe (3830 OC to 3860 OC): A mind-bender with a
particular dislike for mind flayers, Greeneye was a deadly foe of those
creatures. As such, he was hailed a hero even in some human circles.
Griznarr to Armada Slayer (2531 OC to 2555 OC): One of the earliest known
Wolf Chiefs, Griznarr is believed to be the first orc captain to have
successfully destroyed an elven armada in battle. Although most assuredly
long dead, the Elven Fleet maintains a 200,000 gp bounty on his head that
has never been collected.
Manbane (4290 OC to 4316 OC): Said to be half-troll, Manbane held a
particular dislike for humans. Before perishing in the Battle of the Eight
Sisters, he had built a warship made from the bones of his victims, a grisly
trophy of victories.
Baz'or (3930 OC to 3961 OC): A truly ugly monsters, Baz'or served as admiral
for a powerful warlock in Greyspace. The warlock attempted to conquer key
parts of the sphere, but ultimately failed when many forces of good allied
together to destroy his fleet in the Battle of Gnibile.
Blood Altars: Orc Lifejammers
Being a cruel and savage race, it is little surprise that orcs
would use helms that involve inflicting pain and suffering to fly their
ships. The secrets of the lifejammer are a gift from evil deities.
Yurtrus, the orc god of death, is considered the most likely inventor of the
lifejammer, although he may have stolen the secrets from another.
A lifejammer takes the form of a pitch black stone alter about
three feet long, two feet wide, and a little over two feet high. Grooves on
the upper surface draws blood spilled upon it into a basin at the center of
the top. The blood then flows through a tiny drain at the bottom of the
basin, emptying into tiny channels run throughout the entire ships, just as
veins in a human. When blood is freshly spilled, the veins glow with a
hellish crimson light. The light dims over the course of the day, until it
vanishes completely after twenty-four hours, when a fresh batch of blood
must be sacrificed.
Each lifejammer is linked to a ceremonial dagger, carried by the
ship's witch doctor or shaman. If lost or destroyed, a new dagger must be
crafted (see below). The dagger is made from bone, gold, and gemstones.
The edge is very sharp, and black from dried blood.
The lifejammer is a terrible device. To make it operate, blood
must be spilled upon it altar, which uses to fly the scorpionship. The
damage must be inflicted by the ceremonial dagger, which causes a minimum of
1d8 points of damage as it draws life from a victim, who must make a saving
throw or perish due to the necromantic energies (3e: Fortitude save, DC 15;
2e: Save vs. Death, no penalty). The damage cannot be magically healed or
regenerated; it can only be healed naturally. Healing skills and
proficiencies will have not affect on the rate of healing. The bloodletting
is part of an elaborate ritual that involves chanting in tongues and making
precise cuts. The whole ritual takes 1 minute for every 1d8 points
sacrificed.
At the option of the shaman (or witch doctor), more damage can
be inflicted on a victim to increase the speed of the ship. For every 1d8
points of damage inflicted, the ship gains 1 ship's rating, to a maximum of
ship's rating 5. Thus, if the shaman were to cause 3d8 points of damage to
a victim, the blood gives the ship a ship's rating of 3. Every additional
ship's rating increases the chances of death (3e: +2 to DC per point; 2e: -1
penalty to save).
After the blood is collected, the victim is no longer needed and
can be tossed back in a cell, tossed overboard, or returned to duties
(depending on the circumstances). In exchange for this blood sacrifice, the
scorpion can be flown without tying up a spellcaster or forcing the helmsman
to sacrifice his spellcasting abilities for a day.
Crafting a lifejammer is a fairly simple task, so long as the
proper materials are gathered. The stone must come from the cold, dead
heart of an extinct volcano. Tools of cold iron are used to carve fiendish
runes into the stone. The runes must be carved during nights of a new moon,
when darkness is strongest. Ritualistic chanting and the sacrifice of a
living being (preferably an elf, human, or dwarf) completes the alter piece
of the lifejammer. A rib bone is torn from the victim's carcass and used to
craft the ceremonial dagger. The dagger takes 3 days to complete. Making
the alter takes a month to construct.
Once complete, the lifejammer can be installed. If the ship is
a scorpionship made from the exoskeleton of a dead scorpion, no further work
needs to be done; blood will flow through veins already existing in the
exoskeleton. For all other ships, tiny grooves must be carved into the
sides of the ship to allow blood to flow to every part of the ship. This is
a labor-intensive process that takes about a week for every ten tons of
ship.
Scorpionship Spells
The orcs have devised a number of vicious spells for use in
conjunction with a scorpionship. It is unknown if any of the spells
presented below will operate with other ship; all copies were destroyed by
the elves during the Unhuman Wars. Undoubtedly the Elven Fleet has copies
of their own hidden away in a library in Lionheart. The scro might have
their own versions, keyed to their own ship designs.
Hellfire Claws
Level: 3
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting Time: 9
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
This spell places an enchantment on metal claws, such as those
found on a scorpionship. The claws will glow red-hot, with small bursts of
flames dancing across the surface of the claws. Due to the great heat, any
creature struck by the claw suffers and additional 3-12 points of heat
damage. Against ships, the ship must make a saving throw vs. fire or suffer
an additional hull point of damage due to the burning heat. The claws can
set fire to sails and rigging, tearing them away with great ease.
The material components of this spell are a billows, sulfur
dust, and coal. The billows are used to stoke the coals and spread sulfur
over the claws.
Sting of the Star Scorpion
Level: 2
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 2 rounds/level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
The Sting of the Star Scorpion is a simple enchantment that is
cast on the tail of a scorpionship. The orc spellcaster can then cast
certain, so-called "venom" spells through the tail, using the inherent magic
of spelljammers to increase the power of these spells. The spells siphons
power from the helm such that for every round in which a spell is cast
through the tail in this manner decreases the ship's speed by one point for
one round. Each tail can handle only one spell per round besides the
initial Sting of the Star Scorpion spell.
The component of this spell is a scorpionship with an active
helm aboard it.
Animate Sting
Level: 4
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 2 rounds/level
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
This powerful spell imbues the tail of a scorpionship with a
life of its own. The spellcaster can direct the tail by concentrating. If
the spellcaster can direct the tail to repeat a command (usually striking at
a ship) until he gives it a new order. Any weapon on the tail can no
longer be used, but the tail gains melee attacks. The tail can strike once
per round, causing 1-2 hull points against ships or 3-24 hit points against
creatures. The tail attacks as with the same THAC0/BAB as the caster who
cast the spell. Animated Stinger siphons power from an active spelljammer
helm, draining 1 point of SR while the spell is active.
The material component of this spell is a scorpionship with an
active helm aboard it.
Scorpion Tailblade
Level: 2
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
The Tailblade spell causes a vicious metal blade to grow out of
the tip of the tail of a scorpionship. The blade can be used in conjunction
with the Animated Stinger spell, increasing the damage done by the tail to
2-3 hull points versus ships and 4-32 points of damage versus creatures.
Woodvenom
Level: 2
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: Nil
This spell is used in conjunction with the animate sting spell.
When cast on the animated tail of a scorpionship, it creates a tiny
reservoir of specialized venom that causes rot in wooden targets. Each
strike causes 1-3 points of wood rot damage. The reservoir has enough venom
for 1 strike for every 5 levels of the caster. The venom can remain unused
for up to 1 day; after that time, the venom loses its potency. Woodvenom
does not affect any creature other than plant creatures such as treants.
Against plant creatures like treants, a strike causes 3-18 points of damage.
The material component of this spell is a piece of wood infected
with wood rot.
Airvenom
Level: 1
Range: 4 hexes
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Instantaneous
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
The airvenom spell creates a sphere of poisonous gas that is
launched from the tail of the scorpionship. It makes a single attack roll
as if made by the caster of the spell with a +2 bonus to hit (it merely
needs to hit the air envelope of the other ship). If the sphere hits, the
poison gas mixes into the air envelope. The poison degrades the air
envelope of the ship at the rate of 1d12 man-days per level of the caster.
Thus, a 7th level orc spellcaster that uses this spell against an enemy ship
can destroy 7d12 man-days of air if it hits. If the sphere misses, it
dissipates harmlessly.
The material component of this spell is a rotten egg.
Cometvenom
Level: 3
Range: 5 hexes
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Instantaneous
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: 15' radius
Saving Throw: ½
The cometvenom spell creates an icy sphere that is launched from
the tail of the scorpionship. It makes a single attack roll as if made by
the caster of the spell. If the sphere hits, it bursts into a sphere of
unbelievable cold. Anyone caught in the area of effect must make a saving
throw vs. spell (3e: reflex save) or suffer 3-30 points of cold damage. The
spell can damage large weapons, which also must make saving throws vs. cold
or be rendered inoperable. The spell also causes 1-2 hull points of damage.
If the sphere misses, it dissipates harmlessly.
The material component of this spell is an iceball made from the
ice of a comet.
Meteorvenom
Level: 3
Range: 5 hexes
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Instantaneous
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: 15' radius
Saving Throw: ½
The meteorvenom spell creates a fiery sphere that is launched
from the tail of the scorpionship. It makes a single attack roll as if made
by the caster of the spell. If the sphere hits, it explodes into a
fireball. Anyone caught in the area of effect must make a saving throw vs.
spell (3e: reflex save) or suffer 3-30 points of fire and debris damage.
The spell can damage large weapons, which also must make saving throws vs.
fire or be destroyed. The spell also causes 1-2 hull points of damage and
can start fires. If the sphere misses, it dissipates harmlessly.
The material component of this spell is a rock taken from a
meteor that has passed through the atmosphere of a world of at least size D.