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A helmsman piloting his spelljammer through wildpace.

Skills Feats

Updated Player’s Handbook Skills

This section describes new uses, DCs, and modifiers for familiar skills from the Player’s Handbook. Certain spelljamming-specific skills have groundling equivalents, due to the similar nature of them to their counterparts. Skills that have equivalents can be used to apply for content in place of each other, and can be used for skill checks interchangeably, but at a -2 penalty. For example, if a prestige class requires 8 ranks in Profession (sailor), you would need 10 ranks in Profession (Spacehand). Using a Profession (Spacehand) check in place of a Profession (Sailor) check would have a -2 penalty.

Groundling/Spelljammer Skill Equivalents

  • Profession (Spacehand) - Profession (Sailor)
  • Wildspace Survival - Survival

Craft

  • Shipwright - Spelljammer: allows for the construction and repair of spelljammers

Knowledge

Spacefarers have access to additional areas of knowledge:

  • Planetology: Covers lands, terrain, seasons, cycles, weather, and determining probable inhabitants of planets.
  • Wildspace: Focuses on celestial mechanics, identifying life-bearing planets, wildspace spheres, and wildspace beasts.

Characters with Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility & royalty) must specialize in a specific location, time period or topic such as:

  • Knowledge (geography - Antæran Plains)
  • Knowledge (local - Gallamarketh)
  • Knowledge (nobility & royalty - New Haven Imperium)

Characters with Knowledge (history) may specialize in a topic, granting them specific knowledge in that subject. For example, a character that has Knowledge (history) attempting to remember information about spelljammers will only remember vague information, while a character making the same check with Knowledge (history - spelljamming) will get specific information.

Any character with access to Knowledge (any), Knowledge (geography), or Knowledge (nature) as class skills also has Knowledge (planetology) as a class skill. Likewise, characters with Knowledge (any), Knowledge (arcana), or Knowledge (the planes) as class skills gain Knowledge (wildspace) as a class skill.

  • Synergy: 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (wildspace) grants a +2 bonus to Profession (wildspace navigator) checks.

Profession

Siege Engineer
If you join a ship's weapon team without at least one rank in this skill, your presence adds one round to the reload time.

Additional professions for Spelljammer campaigns:

  • Spacehand: Trained in shipboard duties.
  • Wildspace Navigator: Capable of using charts to navigate through space.

These professions are available only to spacefaring characters who have the Spacefarer feat.
Synergies:

  • 5 or more ranks in Profession (sailor) grants a +2 bonus on Profession (spacehand) checks and vice versa.
  • 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (wildspace) grants a +2 bonus to Profession (spacehand) checks.

Search allows a character to discern small details and quickly grab valuables, useful when seizing treasure from a ship that is breaking up or burning up.

  • Synergy: 5 or more ranks in Appraise grants a +2 synergy bonus on Search checks related to looting.

Speak Language

This skill allows a character to speak and read/write languages, including new languages for Spelljammer campaigns:

  • Semaphore: Used for long-distance communication in wildspace. Requires a clear line of sight, typically at a range of a quarter-mile. A spyglass can extend this range.
    • Language rate: 20+ words per minute using body poses, aided by flags or lights.
  • Signaling: Similar to Morse code, used with lights or mirrors. Can be done at longer ranges (up to 10 miles).
    • Language rate: 10 words per minute using light-based signals.
  • Speak Archaic Language: Master an obscure wildspace language, useful for reading ancient tomes. This skill allows either reading or speaking, but not both.

New Skills

Helm Pilot (varies)

Use this skill to effectively pilot a Spelljamming vessel.

Check: This skill's ability score is based on the primary casting/manifesting ability from the spellcasting/manifesting class you got it from. For example, a Wizard or Psion would use Int, a Cleric or Druid or Paladin or Ranger Wis, a Sorcerer or Bard Cha. If you would gain it from multiple sources, you may alternate this skill's ability score between them. For example, if someone is a Wizard and a Sorcerer, they may use either Int or Cha for this skill. Someone who is not a spellcaster and is using a helm not powered by spells, such as a Lifejammer, Series Helm, Forge or Furnace, would use their Cha; spellcasters/manifesters using a non-spell-powered helm would still use their spellcasting/manifesting ability. This skill is a class skill for all spellcasters/manifesters and a cross-class skill for all others.
Special: This skill is 'Trained Only' for non-spellcasters; all spellcasters can use it untrained.

Wildspace Survival (wis)

Check: This skill helps you conserve resources in space, safely guide a ship, identify nearby pirates, or avoid natural hazards.

  • DC 15: Reduce air, food, and water consumption by half, provided physical activity is kept minimal.
  • DC 20+: Identify hazards such as space worm nests, sargassos, or infinity vine patches by studying the surrounding space.

A Wildspace Survival check applies for the full day. Checks made to identify hazards take at least a full-round action, or longer at the DM’s discretion.

  • Synergy: 5 or more ranks in Wildspace Survival grants a +2 synergy bonus on checks to put out fires.
  • The skill is cross-class unless the Spacefarer feat is selected, in which case it becomes a class skill for all of your classes.

New Feats

Apprentice Helmsman [General]

You can operate a spelljamming Helm.

Prerequisites: Int 10+.
Benefit: You operate a Helm as an arcane spellcaster of half your highest class level (round down, minimum 1st). For example, a 3rd level Fighter with this feat would operate a Helm as effectively as a 1st level Wizard. Helm Pilot skill is now considered a class skill and can be used untrained.

This feat allows a non-spellcaster to tap into their latent magical talent for the purpose of operating a spelljamming helm. If something prevents their access to this talent, then just as a Wizard who was cut off from their magical power by some means, they cannot operate a Helm.
Normal: Without this feat, a character who is not a spellcaster cannot operate a standard Spelljamming Helm.

Freefall [General]

You have adjusted to maneuvering in an environment with low or no gravity.

Prerequisites: Dex 10+, Int 10+, Spacefarer feat.
Benefit: No penalty to actions in low/zero gravity. Grants a +4 bonus to balance when gravity shifts. The character will not provoke attacks of opportunity for most actions in these environments.

Journeyman Helmsman [General]

You can operate a Spelljamming Helm more efficiently.

Prerequisites: Int 10+, Apprentice Helmsman.
Benefit: You operate a Helm as an arcane spellcaster of two-thirds your highest class level (rounded down, minimum 1st). For example, a 3rd-level Fighter with this feat would operate a Helm as effectively as a 2nd-level Wizard.
Normal: Without a Helmsman feat, a character who is not a spellcaster cannot operate a standard Spelljamming Helm.

Master Helmsman [General]

You can expertly operate a Spelljamming Helm.

Prerequisites: Int 10+, Apprentice Helmsman, Journeyman Helmsman.
Benefit: You operate a Helm as an arcane spellcaster of equal to your highest class level. For example, a 3rd level Fighter with this feat would operate a Helm as effectively as a 3rd level Wizard.
Normal: Without a Helmsman feat, a character who is not a spellcaster cannot operate a standard Spelljamming Helm.

Phlogiston Sense [General]

You intuitively understand the movement of Phlogiston and can navigate through it more effectively.

Prerequisites: Profession (wildspace navigator) 4 ranks, Spacefarer feat, one trip between spheres.
Benefit: Allows the use of Profession (wildspace navigator) to shorten trips through Phlogiston, but cannot create a path where none exists.

Ship Focus [General]

Choose a type of spelljammer, such as a Hammership. You have special training with that ship.

Prerequisites: None
Benefit: Having this feat for the specific type of spelljammer you are on gives you +2 to all ship-related skills involving that ship.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new spelljammer.

Slow Respiration [General]

You can enter a trance to conserve air while in wildspace.

Prerequisites: Wildspace Survival 4 ranks.
Benefit: Enter a trance that reduces air consumption to one-tenth of normal. You can take no actions during this time, but remain aware of your surroundings and can regain full consciousness in 1d6 rounds.

Space Mariner [General]

You are experienced in traveling the spaceways.

Prerequisites: Spacefarer feat.
Benefit: Grants a +2 bonus to Wildspace Survival and Profession (spacehand) checks.

Spacefarer [General]

You come from or have lived in a spelljamming-aware society and possess basic knowledge of wildspace and spelljamming.

Benefit: Characters from unaware societies may acquire this feat for free after gaining familiarity with Wildspace and the Phlogiston over the course of one full level of experience. This can be achieved by adventuring at an asteroid port, learning from a spelljamming relative, or traveling with others familiar with spacefaring life.

Characters are not required to take this feat but must actively seek to learn and acclimate themselves to the spacefaring lifestyle to gain it.
Special: Characters hailing from a spelljamming-aware society, such as the Rock of Bral, automatically gain this feat at character creation. Characters without this feat suffer a -4 circumstance penalty on all knowledge-based skills related to spelljamming and cannot select feats or learn skills that have Spacefarer as a prerequisite.

Existing Feat Notice

The following feats now also apply to shipboard weapons:

  • Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Must select a specific type of shipboard weapon.)
  • Weapon Focus
  • Weapon Specialization
  • Greater Weapon Focus
  • Greater Weapon Specialization
  • Ranged Weapon Mastery
  • Weapon Supremacy