Spelljammer Helms

Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a spellcaster)

The function of this ornate chair is to propel and maneuver a ship on which it has been installed through space and air. It can also propel and maneuver a ship on water or underwater, provided the ship is built for such travel.

Provided the vessel weighs between 1 and 100 tons it grants the ship the following properties.

While attuned to a spelljamming helm and sitting in it, you gain the following abilities for as long as you maintain concentration (as if concentrating on a spell):

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The sensation of being attuned to a spelljamming helm is akin to the pins-and-needles effect one experiences after one's arm or leg falls asleep, but not as painful

You can use the helm to propel the vessel across or through water and other liquids at a maximum speed in miles per hour equal to your highest-level unexpended spell slot.

You can use the helm to propel the vessel through air at a maximum speed in miles per hour equal to your highest-level unexpended spell slot × 10.

You can use the helm to propel the vessel through space at a maximum speed in miles per hour equal to your highest-level unexpended spell slot × 100.

When engaged at tactical speeds your vessel can move at it’s typical speed +10ft per unexpended spell slot

You can use the spelljamming helm to move the ship through space, air, or water up to the ship's speed. If the ship is in space and no other objects weighing 1 ton or more are within 1 mile of it, you can use the spelljamming helm to move the vessel fast enough to travel 100 million miles in 24 hours.

Provided you have at least one unexpended spell slot, you can steer the vessel, albeit in a somewhat clumsy fashion, in much the same way that oars or a rudder can maneuver a seafaring ship.

Whenever you like, you can see what's happening on and around the vessel as though you were standing in a location of your choice aboard it.

Drawback.

While attuned to the helm, you cannot expend your spell slots to cast magic as usual.

If the ship suffers a critical mishap, you could take serious psychic damage from helm-shock

Spelljamming Speeds and Tactical Speeds

To move a ship with a helm produces a feeling in the helms-person similar to moving a limb that has fallen asleep — a pins-and-needles sensation, though not as painful as its analog. Piloting a helm requires more or less the full attention of the helms-person, as they need to be attentive of not colliding with any small debris in space.

When the ship approaches something large in space, the helms-person is usually the first to detect it as the ship must slow down. An experienced helms-person can often sense what caused the ship to slow down a few moments before it can be seen; an asteroid “feels” different from a space galleon or a pod of kindori, for example.

Pilot. While the vehicle is moving, the the Crew can steer it along any course.

If the pilot is incapacitated, leaves the helm, or does nothing to alter the ship's speed remains the same until it hits an obstacle big enough to stop it.

Pilot Actions. As an action, the driver can do one of the following:

Have the ship to take the Dash or Disengage action.

Propel the vehicle up to its speed or bring the vehicle to a dead stop.

Helm Exhaustion

A helms-person can safely pilot a ship for 8 hours a day. They can push on beyond that limit, at the risk of exhaustion.

For each additional hour of travel beyond 8 hours, the pilot must make a Constitution saving throw at the end of the hour. The DC is 10 + 1 for each hour past 8 hours. On a failed saving throw, a character suffers one level of exhaustion.

Spelljammer Duels

A ship, or two crashed ships, can have more than one helm affecting it, but only one helm at a time can be used to control the ship.

If a spelljammer tries to gain control of a ship, a spelljammer duel ensues.

Resolve this conflict by having each spelljammer make a Constitution check; if the dueling spelljammers tie, have them reroll.

The spelljammer with the lowest check result loses the duel and gains 1d4 levels of exhaustion; in addition, their attunement to their helm ends at once.