Multiply Interstellar Helm Speed
(Alteration)
Reversible

Range:  10 feet
Components:  V, S, M
Duration:  1 week per level
Casting Time:  3 turns
Area of Effect:  One helm
Saving Throw:  Negates

This spell can be used to increase the interstellar speed of spelljamming helms. It does not increase the tactical combat speed (it does not increase the SR). The increase is dependent on the level: ?2 at levels 14-16, ?3 at levels 17-19, +1 to the multiplier per 3 levels above 19.
This spell can be cast multiple times on the helm depending on the level of the caster. The spell may be cast on the helm once for every full 20 levels (only once at levels 14 to 39, twice from 40 to 59, etc.). The speed which is multiplied is always the current speed at which the helm is travelling at the time. It can be made permanent only once on a given helm, but the temporary version may be cast on the helm as often as described above.
The reverse, reduce interstellar helm speed, will reduce the speed of a helm to a fraction of its interstellar speed. This reduction will not be apparent until the affected ship drops out of its first interstellar journey in which it was affected and notices that it has not travelled as far. The speed reduction is a fraction determined by taking the factor given above and creating the reciprocal out of it. Thus, a 17th-level caster could reduce the speed to _. The helm only gets a saving throw against this spell if it has been used within the last hour, or if it is an artifurnace-including artifact. It then gets a saving throw versus spell like its latest user. If failed, the spell takes effect; otherwise, the spell is wasted. The spell can be negated with dispel magic, but there is a possibility of negating the helm for a while, too. If the helm is freed from this spell by a roll of 20 on the dispel magic table, then the helm is also affected for the duration of the reduce interstellar helm speed spell. During this time it does not produce any locomotive force for the ship.
The material component of the spell is the distilled essence of ten quicklings per factor. The quicklings must have given up their lives willingly (without magical or psionic coercion) for the caster. An additional component is one potion of speed for every factor increase over the current speed.

