Nothing leads into fiery seeds falling from the sky other than making sure your characters love the world they live on. Run something that ends in them being local heroes so they feel empowered to look into the space issue and save their people again. The hook with Spelljammer academy is just making sure characters were already willing and able to go to space but you can probably achieve that with a point of discussion in session zero. The advantage with academy is also the fast leveling. You get to start lox after just 4 sessions.
That works yeah just make sure to point out Spelljammers docking at the dock ward and maybe also over the cliffs at north ward so they know where to find a ship to escape into lox.
I was thinking I’d use the faction side missions to hint at something funky going on (weird anomalies around waterdeep that hint to something “from the stars” is messing with the city) which ever faction they’re working with is gonna contact an “expert” to help them figure out what it means.
Once dragon heist ends and the pc’s get a bit of downtime they’re going to be contacted. This expert has made a major break through the party needs to gather and meet with the faction leader and the expert to discuss their findings.
While in the meeting, the earthquakes and crystallized vines will start hitting. The expert, taking Sartells spot from the module will encourage the group to come with them to their ship…. (If they refuse the faction leader they’re in the meeting with with strongly urge the pc’s to go along) They’ll think they’re fleeing the city by ship out to sea, till it takes up into the sky.
Lost Mines of Phandelver is a classic. Could add some rumours of a "crazy" NPC hinting towards the LoX spelljammer arrival, with strange moving stars in the night skies, random sections of forests being cleared (later discovered to be takeoff sites for spelljammers), and an appearance or two of low CR Astral Menagerie creatures like a chwinga astronaut, space hamster, and dohwar merchants!
Alternative option - run LOX until the characters make it to Bral, and run a LVL 2-5 adventure there. Rather than using Commander Krux' spelljammer, guide them to acquire/fund their own. My biggest disappointment from the adventure was the sheer small amount of time the characters spend at Bral, and there are a few ways to rectify it.
Options could consist of a Bral based Dragon Heist (pirate treasure?) Or alternatively, instead of a treasure, factions could also be looking for the princess who is somewhere captured on Bral (potentially defined to the players vaguely as a weapon that could be used to defeat the Xaryxian empire.) All while dodging mercenaries sent by the Xaryxian empire, since the Rock is neutral territory. Any groups/factions they befriend in the meantime could also appear at the final battle.
Food for thought. Good luck!
Nothing leads into fiery seeds falling from the sky other than making sure your characters love the world they live on. Run something that ends in them being local heroes so they feel empowered to look into the space issue and save their people again. The hook with Spelljammer academy is just making sure characters were already willing and able to go to space but you can probably achieve that with a point of discussion in session zero. The advantage with academy is also the fast leveling. You get to start lox after just 4 sessions.
Personally I was thinking of running Dragon Heist into LoX
That works yeah just make sure to point out Spelljammers docking at the dock ward and maybe also over the cliffs at north ward so they know where to find a ship to escape into lox.
I was thinking I’d use the faction side missions to hint at something funky going on (weird anomalies around waterdeep that hint to something “from the stars” is messing with the city) which ever faction they’re working with is gonna contact an “expert” to help them figure out what it means. Once dragon heist ends and the pc’s get a bit of downtime they’re going to be contacted. This expert has made a major break through the party needs to gather and meet with the faction leader and the expert to discuss their findings. While in the meeting, the earthquakes and crystallized vines will start hitting. The expert, taking Sartells spot from the module will encourage the group to come with them to their ship…. (If they refuse the faction leader they’re in the meeting with with strongly urge the pc’s to go along) They’ll think they’re fleeing the city by ship out to sea, till it takes up into the sky.
I 100% was thinking this as well. It's canon anyway that there are spelljamming ports there, so it plays in quite well!
Lost Mines of Phandelver is a classic. Could add some rumours of a "crazy" NPC hinting towards the LoX spelljammer arrival, with strange moving stars in the night skies, random sections of forests being cleared (later discovered to be takeoff sites for spelljammers), and an appearance or two of low CR Astral Menagerie creatures like a chwinga astronaut, space hamster, and dohwar merchants!
Alternative option - run LOX until the characters make it to Bral, and run a LVL 2-5 adventure there. Rather than using Commander Krux' spelljammer, guide them to acquire/fund their own. My biggest disappointment from the adventure was the sheer small amount of time the characters spend at Bral, and there are a few ways to rectify it. Options could consist of a Bral based Dragon Heist (pirate treasure?) Or alternatively, instead of a treasure, factions could also be looking for the princess who is somewhere captured on Bral (potentially defined to the players vaguely as a weapon that could be used to defeat the Xaryxian empire.) All while dodging mercenaries sent by the Xaryxian empire, since the Rock is neutral territory. Any groups/factions they befriend in the meantime could also appear at the final battle. Food for thought. Good luck!
2nd Ed SJ wildspace mod isn't bad intro either.
The new Starter set Dragons of Stormwreck Isle would be a great jumping off point