I've been thinking a bit lately about how I might revise
Spelljammer (not that I haven't done Spelljammerish
riffs before) and so this serves as a bit of a companion to my
Dark Sun and
Ravenloft pieces. Here are my notes:
Greater Economy of Space. While it's certainly an aesthetic choice, how I would want to run a game of ships sailing between worlds isn't enhanced by a lot of crystal spheres. The detailed one's only seem to connect D&D IP and made up ones would tend to be like systems in Star Trek or Star Wars--generally only with one place of interest. I think a denser packed, smaller setting is better--though of course smaller is relative. We're still talking a system that encompasses numerous worlds. I'm think one very overstuffed primary system (cosmos or cosm), and perhaps a couple of other, more mysterious ones. There might be other cosms out there, but they aren't as closely linked.
No Spelljamming Helms. Space travel should be due to a specific technology, but I have something more like the alternate physics of Garfinkle's Celestial Matters, maybe. Some special material like Cavorite or lift wood will likely be necessary.
No Elves. Well, maybe there might be something somewhere named elves, but what I mean is, I think I would avoid standard D&D species/races in favor of more science fiction ones, maybe just reskinned from stuff in D&D. The Star Frontiers borrowings in Spelljammer might well show up.
More fantastic. There's just air in space, or at least the in-cosm space ships typically travel through, no need for all the rules about ships and air envelopes. Rock or earth generates gravity (maybe it's a property of elemental earth?), but ships themselves or other objects.
Psionic/Psychic Powers Over Spells. I'm not completely sure of this one, but I feel like framing magic more as psionics without out and out trad wizard rare and notable would enhance the sort of planetary romance feel.
Inspirations:
Flash Gordon, Alex Raymond
Storm "The Pandarve Cycle," by Don Lawrence and others.
Celestial Matters. Richard Garfinkle
Iron Wolf and Cody Starbuck both by Howard Chaykin
Brass Sun: The Wheel of Worlds, Edington and Culbard.
The Rediscovery of Man stories by Cordwainer Smith
The Airtight Garage, Moebius
Treasure Planet (2002)