D&D: How to Sink a Spelljammer in a Single Round
Spelljammers are massive flying space boats. They’re tough, sure, but can an adventurer sink a spelljammer in a single round?
There’s an old adage that says “if it has stats, we can kill it.” And that’s provably true in every edition of D&D. That’s why villains on the power level of gods like Asmodeus don’t actually have stat blocks. If they did, some PC out there, somewhere, would find a way to kill them in short order. But Spelljammers have stats. And with the right tools and the right build, it’s possible to sink a Spelljammer in a single round.
But let’s make it even harder and say that you want to sink the Spelljammer at range. Because while you’d think it would be harder to cut a boat in half, it’s actually easier. And besides, the idea of firing a volley of like four arrows at a Spelljammer and causing the whole thing to go down in flames is incredibly entertaining.
If it has stats, it can be killed. And Spelljammers are no exception. Here’s how you do it.
How to Sink a Spelljammer – Know What You’re Up Against
To start with, let’s look at what keeps Spelljammers afloat. One of the biggest things they have going for them is that they’re technically objects.
As objects, they aren’t creatures. This means that many of the most powerful single attack boosting effects, like a Rogue’s Sneak Attack or a Paladin’s Smite can’t help here. Even things like Hex or Hunter’s Mark don’t work. Those features require that the character target a creature. So they’re out.
The other thing that Spelljammers have going for them is a pile of hit points. Even the flimsiest ship, the Damselfly, has 200 hit points. Which will take a while to chew through when you’re not pulling on the usual shenanigans. Especially since ranged attacks preclude a lot of the other bonuses you’d be able to pull on, since the only smite spells that work with a ranged weapon don’t work on objects.
But that’s fine, there are still plenty of ways to stack up damage.
Use Magic
Magic is key here. You won’t get the job done without it. But that’s fine. Dungeons & Dragons aren’t made by Fighters of the Coast. So you’ll want the best magical weapons you can get your hands on. And you’ll want to be an archer of some renown. If you want to sink a Spelljammer in a single round, you’ll need some magic on your side.
Specifically, you’ll need an Oathbow, which allows you to name an enemy (which doesn’t have to be a creature) and deal an extra 3d6 damage per arrow. You’ll also want Bracers of Archery, which give you a +2 damage bonus to any ranged attacks made with a Long or Shortbow. And then you’ll want some +3 magic arrows, which will give you an additional +3.
You’ll also need a friend with access to the Flaming Arrows spell to cast it on your quiver.
Pick the Right Classes and Stats
Class features go a long way towards this as well. You’ll want a strange Multiclass mix, which means you’ll need good stats. But that’s always good no matter what you’re doing.
Your starting stat block could look something like:
Str: 8, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 13. And that’ll all come into play to pile on the damage in the one big round. By the time we end up at 20th level, that should be a Dex of 20, everything else is irrelevant since this is all going into sinking a Damselfly with a single volley of four arrows. You’ll also need the Sharpshooter feat.
Next the build. You’ll want 11 levels of Monk, with the Kensei class. The big features you want here are the Kensei feature Deft Strike which lets you spend a ki point to deal your martial arts die to a single attack from a Kensei weapon (which your Oathbow is). And Sharpen the Blade which lets you spend up to 3 ki points to give your Oathbow +3 to attack and damage (the Oathbow doesn’t come with that innately).
On top of that, you’ll want six levels of fighter, Battle Master specifically, as you’ll be wanting the Strike maneuver for an extra bonus action attack.
And then finally you’ll want to be a College of Swords Bard since they can famously use their Blade Flourish with any weapon, blade or no.
With two levels of Fighter we get the all-important action surge, allowing for four attacks in a single turn with Extra Attack. And then a fifth attack from the Snipe maneuver out of Tasha’s Cauldron, which is the only Battle Master maneuver that can affect a creature.
The Round That Will Sink a Spelljammer
Now your hated foe, a Damselfly Spelljammer is in sight. Swear an oath, and then the fun begins. With the Oathbow you’ll add 1d8 + 3d6 per attack. With Extra Attack and a timely Action Surge that’s four attacks base. Plus an extra bonus action attack from Snipe. So five all in all.
That’s a base of 5d8 + 15d6, Flaming Arrows gives you another 1d6 per shot, so another 5d6. Add to that another 1d8 from Deft Strike, 1d8 bonus damage from Snipe, and another 1d6 from a Blade Flourish and you get a total of 7d8 + 21d6 damage dice being rolled. That averages out to 105 points of damage.
But you have static bonuses. The Sharpshooter feat means you’re adding +10 to every attack this round, +3 per attack from Sharpen the Blade and another +3 from your magic arrows, +5 from your Dexterity modifier, +2 from the Bracers of Archery. That gives you a total of +23 on each attack. Multiply that by five and that’s 115 points of damage. So 7d8 + 21d6 + 115, or 220 on average, and you’re sinking a Damselfly in a single round.
We did it with arrows. It’s probably easier with magic or melee. What would *your* best single-round Spelljammer slayer look like?
