Canon:Crystal sphere
A crystal sphere is an object of great size that surrounds an entire planetary system and forms a boundry that separates wildspace from the phlogiston.[1]
The size of crystal spheres is related to the size of the planetery system within them. As the name 'crystal sphere' implies, the objects are spherical.[1]
Although they are solid, crystal spheres have no gravity and no atmosphere. The material crystal spheres are made of is a unbreakable dark ceramic material. No magic is powerful enough to damage crystal spheres.[1]
Crystal spheres are also known as crystal shells.[1]
Travel Through a Crystal Sphere
Only a few methods are known to allow travel from one side of a crystal sphere to the other side.[1]
Teleport or Dimension Door Spells
These spells (or magical devices that duplicate them) allow spellcasters to jump from one side of the sphere to the other without phsically crossing the sphere.
Phase Door Spell
This spell (or a magical item that duplicates it) makes part of the crystal sphere immaterial and allows a spelljamming ship to pass through.
Naturally Occuring Portals
Most crystal spheres have natural portals that pierce the shell at various locations. These portals usually and vanish at random times and are located in random places. Looking for these portals can take a long time.
Stars
In some crystal spheres, stars are located on the inside of the crystal shell. A few of these stars are themselves also natural portals through the crystal sphere. A spelljamming ship diving into the heart of the star would pass through the shell and appear in the phlogiston. However, a high number of stars are portals to the Plane of Radience or the Plane of Fire. Flying a ship into one of those stars would be fatal.
The Spelljammer and Creatures Like Space Dragons
The legendary ship, called The Spelljammer, and some large space creatures, like space dragons, seem to have an innate ability to create portals similar to the natural portals. These portals close slowly over time, so ships can sometimes use them.
The Create Portal Spell
This spell duplicates the natural ability of The Spelljammer and space dragons, but the portals created by this spell has a much shorter duration. Portals created via this spell last no longer than 120 minutes.
Individual Crystal Spheres
Size of Individual Crystal Spheres
The size of crystal spheres is usually determined by the size of the planetary system within them. Each sphere usually is usually twice the diameter as the outermost planet within the crystal sphere, but spheres can be larger than this.[1] There are often astronomical objects that defy this 'double diameter' rule and orbit outside the outermost planet. Sages who support the 'double diameter' rule usually argue that these celestial bodies are additional astronomicals rather than true planets.[2]
Nested Spheres
It is possible for a crystal sphere to contain another crystal sphere, or a series of smaller and smaller crystal spheres.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Concordance of Arcane Space pages 9-10
- ↑ SJR6 Greyspace page 3
- ↑ Concordance of Arcane Space Nonstandard Systems sidebar pages 68, 70 and 72
External links
- Crystal Spheres at Beyond the Moons (the official Spelljammer website)
