D&D’s Spelljammer: Adventures in Space requires an odd content warning

Dungeons & Dragons’ reboot of the fanciful Spelljammer setting is arguably the most highly anticipated tabletop RPG release of the year (followed closely by Dragonlance). Fans have waited for this opportunity to return to the land between the stars for over a decade. The new trilogy, titled Spelljammer: Adventures in SpaceAugust 16th. But beware: The module contains a couple of items — including enemies — that Dungeon Masters may want to adjust or avoid entirely when playing with their regular group.

[Content warning: This article includes images of clowns and spiders.]

In addition to Spelljammer’s hippo-folk (giff) and other astral oddities, the setting is also home to a particularly dangerous band of ultra-violent clowns. You can clearly see the pale faces of the clowns in the photo above.

“What we’re looking at here is a modified space galleon,” creative director Chris Perkins said during a recent press preview event. “They’ve put a big klaxon horn on the bow and they’ve got a pie-flinging catapult on the aft-castle.”

Scott Murphy/Wizards of the Coast

Perkins said that the addition of maniacal space clowns — a nod to the 1980s cult classic Killer Klowns in Outer Space — isn’t meant to trigger anyone’s phobias. Far from it; these “whimsical” critters are actually there to provide a bit of comic relief, “a counterpoint for some of the more serious elements in the setting” which includes elements of “cosmic horror.” But if you have someone in your group with a serious clown issue, then you’ll need to steer away from this particular encounter. Of course, a good DM should know their players’ hot-button topics well ahead of time after having established clear boundaries during a pre-game chat, commonly called session zero.

Another oddball element of the original Spelljammer setting are the neogi, cruel creatures described as a “cross between a wolf spider and a moray eel.” So, furry on the bottom and slippery up top. In the new Spelljammer, neogi will be among the player’s enemies. For arachnophobic gamers, their fearsome appearance could be frightening. These massive vessels, measuring 175 feet in length, are shaped almost like spiders and have enormous taloned legs that reach out to grab other ships, so that boarders can move across.

DMs are free to make changes in their home campaigns to change the appearance of enemies or ships.

Image: Jessica Nguyen/Wizards of the Coast

“We present those ships as sort of examples,” Perkins said, noting that the original Spelljammer contained a hefty wargaming element, with gridded battle maps and tokens for enemy and allied starships. “They run the gamut from the expected sort of space galleons to bizarre things like this — and hammerhead ships and squid ships. Spelljammer ships often take inspiration from animals. […] That’s something we preserved. I think it’s one of the key elements that sort of defines Spelljammer.”

Image: Jim Holloway/Wizards of the Coast

New art for the Neogi nightspiders seems to be very faithful to the original, called deathspiders, with Jessica Nyugen’s brightly illuminated starship retaining the same lines and coloration as the 1989 version, illustrated by Jim Holloway.

Wizards of the Coast made a lot of effort over the past few years to ignore issues of racism. For instance, they expanded the drow so that it could allow for many other types of evil. Canonically, the neogi can be considered among the most evil of all the people. Their entire society is dependent on slavery. “Own or be owned” is the neogi way of life, according to the original books. Will Wizards massage elements from this canonical race and others for modern audiences? Perkins states that Perkins is unsure.

The revised setting will feature Mindflayers, who will sail through space on their mollusk-shaped and nautiloid vessels. All who played Baldur’s Gate 3Or who has visited the north frozen in Icewind Dale: Rime the FrostmaidenThese brain-eating, evil squid have been encountered in the past. They’re still basically 100% bad guys, as are some of the beholders (giant, floating head-shaped monsters) that you’ll also be encountering in Spelljammer. However, other races will be more subtle than ever.

“With other types of creatures we just wanted to show that there are layers there [and]Sometimes, […] your expectations can be turned on their head,” Perkins said, in response to Polygon’s query. “This question brought to mind one of my favoriteStar Trek: The Next Generation episode called ‘I, Borg’ where, for the first time, we see sort of a more sympathetic side of what had previously been sort of a monolithic race in the Borg. I think that’s always a possibility within this setting, and many creatures that you encounter both in the adventure that appears in the product and that art more broadly described in [Boo’s Astral Menagerie]There is also a wide range. […]Sometimes vampirates can turn out to be very nasty. But sometimes, you will find one that is actually a good choice. Sometimes you may be able to make deals. And sometimes they’re your friends, and sometimes they’ll even sacrifice their lives to save you.”

Spelljammer: Adventures in SpaceThe 64-page adventure, entitled Light of Xaryxis. The boxed set, which includes a DM screen, is available for pre-order now online and at your local game store — where it features unique cover art from Hydro64.