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Jayne 04-18-07, 08:03 AM	Up until this point, I have found the majority of naval campaigning books to be a little less than what I had wanted. Even the book I recommend to anyone who asks, Broadsides, is a hair away from entirely satisfactory. However, after carefully compiling details from 3 books (Stormwrack, Broadsides, and Seas of Blood), as well as from ideas put forth by the various people on this forum (thanks everyone). The rules are relatively simple, straight forward, and should be quick to add and easy to understand CAMPAIGNING ON THE HIGH SEAS: Chapter 1: Introduction Roles Nautical Instruments (or “Finally, a real use for that compass in math class…”) Terrain Wind & Weather Other Important Stuff Cannon Ships What’s in a ship? Pricing Construction Options Equipment Naval Movement Naval Combat Navigation on the High Seas Conclusion CHAPTER 1: Introduction Roles: On any given ship, it takes a group of hard-working (hopefully), devoted individuals to help run a ship. These include (described below): Captain Pilot Navigator Sailor Head Gunner Sponsor Captain: Every ship has (or had) a captain. There are no exceptions. The captain makes major decisions, makes the crew run well, and, in some cases, finances the voyage. He still uses his Profession: Sailor (or other profession, if he was a navigator or pilot before) to make skill checks, but he may use the Aid Other ability to help the entire crew with their checks, when appropriate. Pilot: Almost as important as the captain is the pilot. He is responsible for steering the ship (both directly by controlling the rudder, as well as telling the other crew what to do), making a Profession: Pilot check for each and every full turn the ship makes (more later). He is also responsible for docking the ship, though this is aided by the longshoreman that send out towing lines, allowing the pilot to take 20 on the check. Actual movement is discussed more in Chapter 4. Navigator: Unless the vessel will confine itself to following a coastline with light-houses every mile or so, the navigator is a highly important job, especially if the vessel is planning to travel over the ocean. Profession: Navigation is used, and is discussed in Chapter 6. Sailor: Every ship has sailors. There are no exceptions. Sailors use the Profession: Sailor skill for checks, with the exception that it may be used while untrained (press-ganged crews are/were more likely than not skilled, albeit there are/were many exceptions). Head Gunner: Just as the captain is the mind of a vessel, the head gunner is the mind of the cannon crew. His skill, Profession: Artillerist is used as the attack roll modifier for cannon fire (rather than his actual attack bonus, which works off of actually being near the weapon when being used. Gunners who stand behind their cannons while they are fired, as a rule, do not live long). Sponsor: Ships are big, expensive things. Big expensive things require rich people to buy them. Sponsors work on a percentage basis. They get the largest chunk of the prize (worked out by percentage of interest owned), usually totaling around ½ or so of the total cargo taken/sold/”found.” Nautical Instruments: Every ship has instruments by which it is sailed across the seas. These include: Astrolabe/ Back-staff/ Cross-staff Binnacle Charting Tools Log Line Bell Whistle Speaking Trumpet Spyglass/ Telescope Timepiece Sounding Line Astrolabe/ Back-staff/ Cross-staff: This is the most basic type of instrument that the navigator needs to gauge the stars. A navigator attempting to gauge his position (see Chapter 6) takes a -2 penalty for/if not using the tool. Though size and materials vary, they all work the same. Cost: 5gp. Masterwork versions are treated as masterwork tools for the purpose of cost and weight (after a time, they all ended up about the same style of construction and weight). Binnacle: This tool holds the ship’s compass and a small lamp to read it by. The compass is mounted on a gyroscope, as to keep it accurate even with raging seas around the vessel. The lamp uses one pint of oil for every 12 hours it is lit, and provides light equivalent to a candle. It is bolted to the deck of the ship, and gives both the pilot and the navigator a +2 bonus to their appropriate Profession skills. Masterwork versions cost five times as much, and provide a +4 bonus. Cost: 100 gp. Weight: 150 lbs. Charting Tools: Filled with tools ranging from a small compass and wax pencil to a abacus and others, this kit is required to gain a bonus of +6 or more to Profession: Navigation from a high quality chart or map. Cost: 15 gp. Weight: 1 lb. Map/Chart: Maps and Charts are vital to navigating the oceans. All maps and charts vary widely in appearance, size, and scale, but at most a high-quality chart provides a +10 bonus, and navigating without one incurs a -5 penalty. Log Line: An absolute must, this tool is mandatory if the ship wishes to know what speed it travels at without an external reference. It consists of a triangular piece of wood, tied to a 750 foot line with knots every 50 feet and 8 inches. For every knot that passes through the hands of the sailor taking the measure in 30 seconds, the ship is traveling at 1 knot. Cost: 8 gp. Weight: 15 lbs. Bell: While not a fully necessary piece of equipment, it is highly recommended for captains wishing to set up a watch system. Cost 25 gp. Weight: 12 lbs. Whistle: Again, while not necessary, it is needed if the ship wishes to set up a watch system. Cost: 35 gp. Weight: Negligible Speaking Trumpet: This tool is necessary for the captain to be able to speak over the din of battle and large distances while being calm and understood. Cost: 4 gp. Weight: 2 lbs. Spyglass/ Telescope: Used to help gauge distances, it gives a +1 bonus to Navigation and Piloting Checks for every factor of magnification above 1. Cost: 50 gp + 100 per level above 2. Weight: 3 lbs. Timepiece: One of the most valued tools of the Navigator; a timepiece is necessary to measure the current longitude of the vessel. It gives a +1 bonus to Navigation checks to find position per rating, up to a maximum of +3. Masterwork versions allow a higher rating, with a maximum of +6. Cost: 150gp + 150gp for every rating above 1, and +300 gp for every rating above 3. Weight: 2 lbs. Sounding Line: This tool is used to measure the depth of the water the ship is traveling in, and is mostly used around shallow coasts. It takes 5 rounds to determine the depth of the water, and may be done so at speed (In practice, the weight is tossed forward, and the rope pulled taught as it passes underneath the vessel). Cost: 10 gp. Weight: 20 lbs. Terrain: In a perfect world, the seas would always be calm, the sky always be clear, and the winds always the way you want them. Hah. If you want that, try casting Control Weather. If a ship is trying to sail through terrain other than water, the DM will assign a Pilot check modifier based upon the safety or ease of the travel. Note: Damage may occur this way, so watch your step. Modifiers for rough weather are just as in the Dm’s Guide. For almost any case, however, the ship is to be assumed to be moving on water. Wind & Weather: With few exceptions, wind is key for a ship’s movement. Use the following chart to help determine a ships relative speed (as compared to its standard rate) over large distances: Degrees Off Wind / Sail Type / No Wind / Light Wind / Moderate Wind / Strong-Severe Wind / Windstorm-Hurricane 180-150-Square Rigged-x0-3/4-x1-+1-+2 180-150-Lateen Rigged-x0-2/3-x1-x1-+1 149-90-Square Rigged-x0-2/3-x1-x1-x1 149-90-Lateen Rigged-x0-2/3-x1-x1-x1 89-60-Square Rigged-x0-½-2/3-½-1/3 89-60-Lateen Rigged-x0-½-2/3-2/3-½ 59-0-Square Rigged-x0-¼-1/3-¼-x0 59-0-Lateen Rigged-x0-1/3-½-1/3-x0 However, sailing in harsher winds, though advantageous they may be, does have consequences. If the sails are not reefed (taken in and/or tied down), the sails have a DC check based upon the following: Weather Type/Wind Type/DC Calm / Normal-Light Wind-0 Inclement Weather-Light Wind-6 Severe Weather-Moderate Wind-10 Storm-Strong Wind-18 Severe Storm-Severe Wind-22 Powerful Storm-Windstorm-26 If the check is failed, the sails and rigging suffer 1d4 damage for every 2 points the check is failed by, per minute, until the sails are reefed. For every 4 points the check is failed by, the hull also takes 1d4 damage. Hurricanes deal damage as listed in the DM’s Guide. If the PC’s and NPC’s attempt to take skill checks while exposed to the weather, they also use the Weather DC (Balance check, may take 10 and 20) or fall prone. As a note, tactical movement (that is, movement under combat conditions), is handled differently than movement on the larger scale. It covered in Chapter 4. Navigation on the high seas is, of course, just as important as making sure the ship is in one piece. Navigation Accuracy checks follow these guidelines: DC=15+1/100th distance between landings +Average Weather Modifier (Weather DC of previous day) +Change in Longitude (in units of 15 degrees, assuming Earth-sized planet) –Terrain Modifier Check is taken once per day, with a failed check incurring a 1 degree error in course planning per point check is failed by (DM is the only one aware of this). A Piloting check (DC: 20) determines if the pilot is capable of following the mapped course. Failure is treated the same way as failing a Navigation check. Finding the position of the ship takes a Navigation check (DC:20) and can be used to determine if the ship is off course. In addition, it is wise for the DM to set up prevailing winds upon his larger map (trade winds and the like). In these places, wind only has a 50% chance of coming from a random direction (Wind direction is measured in units of 22.5 degrees, so North, North northwest, Northwest, and so on.) If the ship is traveling through a “dead zone,” that is, an area of which very little wind is found (In the movie Master & Commander, this would be their dreaded “Doldrums Region”), then there is a 50% chance of there not being rain on any given day. Unless they are truly sailing into the unknown, trade winds and dead zones should be mapped out, with the players’ knowledge (these regions were well established in our history, some of them for hundreds of years.). As with the wind, the DM should also map out currents, again, letting the players know unless conditions say they wouldn’t. Other Important Stuff: Lastly, people get sea-sick. Everyone gets it sooner or later, and it is caused by the motion of the ship in comparison to the waves and the horizon (or, the motion of the postcard being held by the bird in relation to the cat, if you feel a little nostalgic). Aside from communication and slow movement, a sea-sick character is otherwise incapable of actions. Checks for sea-sickness (Fortitude, DC= Weather DC) occur after the first hour to sea, as well as once per week of travel. Failure leaves the character sick for 1d4 days, at the end of which another check is made, based upon the current Weather DC. The character may add his balance skill bonus to his fortitude score for all tests after the first, and going onto solid land cures the character of the disease within 1d4 hours. CHAPTER 2: CANNON You watch any maritime movie, there will be cannon. Seeing as how cannon have played a significant role in history (as well as D&D’s lack of clear rules) has given the opportunity for a nice, easy system. Cannons work as follows: Loading and Operation: Because of the nature of how cannons worked back when they were common, they function differently then, say, a ballista. Rather than using the base attack bonus of the character, they function off of the Head Gunner’s Profession: Artillerist skill. Cannons, almost as a rule, require 4 people for normal operations, in addition to the Head Gunner. Cannons require 20 consecutive rounds to load, with an additional 2 rounds for every crewman missing (minimum crew is one). Firing is a full round action As a side note, all crew (with the exception of the Head Gunner), because of how tight conditions were, and how closely cannons were packed in, all fit within the 7.5 foot by 7.5 foot square required by the cannon. As a full round action, the Head Gunner may adjust the quoin or trunion (if a carronade) to add or subtract 1 from the Hit Location Roll. HE may do this multiple times, up to ±5 Attack Roll: Attack DC is: 10 + Range Increment Modifier (normal) + Distance (Hexes) – Size Modifier (8 from side, 4 from front) + ½ Weather Modifier Broadside: As a particular note, no ship can fire more than 1/3 of her guns at any one time, as the forces otherwise involved would crush the side that the guns were firing from. However, it is perfectly ok to stagger them (i.e., 2 guns this round, 3 more the next, etc.) within the Ship’s round (more in Chapter 4). Cannon Properties: Cannons deal full damage to objects, unless otherwise stated (or the cannon is the swivel-gun, in which case it is treated as a Large Musket.). Cannons, as well the various kinds of shot purchased for them, deal Piercing damage. Carronades, however, deal Bludgeoning damage. While the damage for cannons may seem low, bear in mind ships often withstood hours of punishment (or surrendered immediately) and crew were almost never hit by the cannonball itself (many more were killed by the insuing shrapnel). Cannons deal an additional 8 damage to ships and other significantly large objects or creatures (Huge and larger). Cannons are rated by the weight of the projectile they fire (i.e., 3-pounder, 10 pounder, etc.) Cannon Stats ae as follows: http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i235/TanithFirstOnly/Picture2.png [[[I apologize to readers who have a hard time making out numbers]]] Carronade: Carronades are very similar to cannons, in that they work off of the same principles to fire their projectiles. However, carronades use fire larger projectiles at lower velocities (off-setting the proportionally less powder they use), inflicting tremendous damage by creating ragged holes and clouds of shrapnel. All damage modifiers are in addition to the modifiers from the shot. Because of the reduced windage (space between the barrel and the projectile), carronades are also capable of firing out to greater ranges than comparable cannon. Carronades give a +1 bonus to Profession: Artillerist checks for purposes of hitting and confirming critical hits. CHAPTER 3: Ships [[[I apologize. I have been musing over the system, and have decided to streamline it to the point of ease. Bear with me. ? ]]] [LIST] What’s in a ship? Ships, when it all boils down, are relatively simple things. You could easily compare it to an animal, with sails or oars for limbs, a hull for a body, and guns for teeth. Of course, ships are far larger, and some may argue less sentient, but it doesn’t change the basic shape of the picture. To help adequately break up the picture, ships are broken into three classes, and three sub-classes: [INDENT] Merchant: Merchant vessels are (usually) slow, ponderous things, built for one thing and one thing only: To haul cargo. They do this quite well. Generally, merchant vessels are less durable than their similarly sized counterparts, as well as far less armed, but can hold far more than most other vessels. Merchant vessels can also travel longer distances than their counterparts (exploiting their holds to carry food and water rather than riches and goods), making them excellent exploratory vessels. Warship: Lean, mean, and bristling with guns, the warship is the king of the seas. Sporting far more guns than any other ship of her size, she can out muscle any other ship in one-on-one combat. However, because her armament takes up so much room, her cargo capacity, and by extension, her range, are limited. In order to achieve the distance needed to guard her waters, she must often go without trading goods of any sort, preventing adequate exploitation of this legitimate resource. However, she could just as easily use another vessel to do it for her… Privateer: You are possibly the fastest vessels on the seas. You have sacrificed almost everything for the sake of speed and maneuverability. Not to say that you are defenseless, however. You could easily out-gun a merchant vessel or out-run a warship of equal tonnages. Your beauty is in your grace and balance. Exploit it, and you could be as rich as any of the pirate kings of lore. With is clean lines and low center of gravity (having less guns and cargo to shift about) it is also somewhat more sea-worthy than most other vessels. When it comes to simple math, ships [[[are now]]] far easier to design. Simply use the following chart. Type: HD Cargo Capacity Base Speed Armament per Ton Base Seaworthiness Crew / HD Sail HP Merchant D20 =2x Tonnage 5 knots 1/5 weight 3 2 Weight x4 Privateer D12 =Tonnage 7 knots 1/3 weight 4 1.5 Weight x4 Warship D10 =.75x Tonnage 6 knots ½ weight 3 1 Weight x4 Weight is determined by (HP)/10*d20, in tons. While it may seem that cargo capacity is relatively large, bear in mind that ships operate at this figure routinely (if significantly lower, a ship is highly unstable). The majority of the time, the ship will have any excess weight shorn up with ballast rocks (one of the major sources of these was, in real life, the famous White Cliffs of Dover. Many a vessel were held down by those rocks, and many a street was later paved with them.). You may be wondering, why does a merchant vessel have more hit points than a warship? Simply put, warships have more guns per ton than any other vessel, and so, when comparing a merchant vessel and a warship of equal durability, the warship will have the greater weight of fire. The same also applies to the privateer, thought slightly less so. Actual size is a bit trickier. Generally, it is assumed that a ship has an average deck height of 5 feet (except for open decks, for obvious reasons). Size is largely up to the designer, but be sure that the sizing makes sense (i.e., no 500-foot, 8-story gnomish launches.). For the most part, depth is about 1/3 ship’s height. Here is a sample ship: Sentinel Redoubt Length: 83 feet Type: Privateer Sail Type: Lateen Rigged (1 Large Lateen, 1 Large Square, 2 Medium Square) Tonnage: 33 tons Cargo Capacity: 33 tons Crew: 20 (Skeleton) Deck Height: 14 feet Total Height: 49 feet Draft: 5 feet Seaworthiness: +4 (fair) Armament: 12 6-pounders HD: 12d10 (61 HP) Speed: 7 knots Acc. /Dec.: 1/3 Maneuverability: C (3-30o turns / minute) Greater maneuverability and speed can be achieved through a sacrifice of seaworthiness, while sea-worthiness can be gained through a sacrifice of speed or maneuverability. The maneuverability scale starts at grade F (1 30o turn per minute) and ends at grade A 96 30o turns per minute) Grades A and B are generally reserved for oared vessels, paddlewheels, and magically enhanced vessels. Cost is not affected by maneuverability or speed, as they are achieved through other sacrifices. If a ship truly requires greater speed and/or manuverability, then they can be improved through either lightening the hull (reducing Hit Points) or by streamlining it (increasing cost). For every 10% change in either of these, speed or manuverability is improved by one rating (i.e, "C" to "B," 8 knots to 9, etc.). Likewise, if a ship designer wishes it to be cheaper or more durable, then the opposite holds true.
Jayne 04-19-07, 09:59 AM	I apologize for the delay. If anyone has any comments on anything so far, feel free to ask.