Chapter 4 - Swimming

Ships and Water Travel

The easiest way to get from one place to another is walking. The fastest way to transport any significant amount of goods however is by boat or ship. These rules include details on the types of boats and ships available to the characters and how to use them. The rules are similar for the skies above but the amount of cargo is limited. While not absolutely required the proficiencies of Boating or Seamanship help the character be able to handle their vessel. Navigation is often a useful skill to have also as well as knowing how to Swim.

The distinction between boat and ship is often lost on land lubbers. A ship is any vessel that is capable of traveling on its own for a significant distance. A boat either a small vessel that can not travel as far without putting in to land or is a small vessel that is carried as part of a larger ship. One easy way for the non-sailor to tell the difference is that in general if there are sails it is a ship. Of course there are many oared galleys that can rightfully be called ships as well.

In order to construct boats and ships the Shipwright proficiency is needed. Those with the Boatwright skill can build smaller vessels. It takes special knowledge to build a vessel that will venture into the skies above.

Note: ships added to the list as the characters encounter them

• Common Size & Cost
• Movement and Combat
• Damage Types
• Repairing Damage

Common Boats and Ships - Size & Cost

Common Boats and Ships - Movement & Combat

Notes:

Crew - first number is the maximum number of people that can work on a vessel without getting in each others way; the second number is the average number of crewmen needed to operate the vessel; the third number is the skeleton crew, the absolute minimum number of people needed to operate the vessel

Passengers - total number of extra people the ship can carry, this includes Marines or extra crewmen for long voyages

Move - this number is in tens of yards per round; with slashes the first number is under sail & oars, the second is under sail only and the third is under oars only. For movement for an entire day multiply the movement rate by 2 for rowed vessels and by 3 for sailing vessels.

Additional Carrying Capacity notes:

1 - Increase the number of passengers and hull points by 1 for every 10 feet of length above the standard of 20 feet and/or decrease the number of passengers and hull points by 1 for every 10 feet of length below the standard of 20 feet

2 - Increase hull points by 1 for every 10 feet above the standard 5 foot length

3 - Dromonds and other war ships rarely carry passengers, during wartime Dromonds carry up to 100 marines

Damage to Ships & Boats

Ships can incur two types of damage during naval combat in addition to that inflicted on crew or passengers. The first type of damage affects the physical stability and Seaworthiness of a vessel and reflects hits against the ship's hull. Hence, it is called hull damage. The degree to which a ship can withstand such damage is measured in hull points. Hull damage occurs as a result of spells striking a ship's hull, ramming actions, and artillery attacks.

The second type of damage - called crippling damage-refers to strikes against a ship's masts, rigging, oars, or any combination of the three. Most ships have numbers of crippling points equal to their hull points. Crippling damage primarily affects maneuverability, pursuit, and movement. Certain ramming action results, as well as spells and artillery, cause crippling damage.

Effects of Hull Damage

Hull damage erodes the stability and Seaworthiness of a vessel The degree of this erosion depends on a vessel's overall size; the larger the ship, the more hull damage it can sustain before losing Seaworthiness. Reduction Rates indicates the rate at which damaged ships lose their stability.

Reduction: This is the rate at which damaged vessels lose Seaworthines6. The first number lists the amount of Seaworthiness lost and the second indicates the number of lost hull points needed to cause the reduction Thus, medium ships lose two points of Seaworthiness for every three hull points loss. The Seaworthiness reduction takes effect immediately - that is, once the DM tallies the hull point damage in the Resolution phase. If the vessel in question requires a Seaworthiness check, it uses its adjusted Seaworthiness until it can put in for repairs (see below).

In addition, every time a ship loses one-half of its original hull points (rounded down), it must make a successful Seaworthiness check or founder in 1d10 hours unless beached or repaired. Furthermore, every time a ship loses an additional quarter of its remaining hull points it must make another check 10 avoid foundering. If the Seaworthiness roll fails on a roll of 20, the ship sinks. Ships lose one third of their adjusted movement rate (the rate after all adjustments for the prevailing conditions) and suffer a -2 penalty on all maneuverability dice rolls (including those made in the Maneuvering phase of the combat round) once they lose half their original hull points. When a ship loses one third of its original hull points, the penalty Increases. Such ships lose an additional one third of their original, adjusted movement rates and suffer a -3 penalty to all maneuverability die rolls.

Once a ship reaches 0 hull points or below, it automatically begins sinking.

All crew and passengers still aboard a ship when It sinks must make successful saving throws vs. death magic or be trapped in the wreck and killed. If the saving throw succeeds, a survivor must still attempt to swim unless he can reach a lifeboat.

Effects of Crippling Damage

Crippling damage directly affects the movement of vessels. For every one third of total crippling points lost, reduce a ship's current movement rate by one third and penalize its maneuverability die rolls by 2. Ships that have a modified movement rate of 0 are dead in the water and automatically lose all maneuverability checks. The effects of hull and crippling damage are cumulative. Thus, a ship that suffers two thirds loss of its crippling points and a one third loss of its hull points would be dead in the water with an effective movement rate of 0.

Repairing Damage

Traversing violent and often unpredictable expanses of ocean in damaged vessels tends to cut short adventuring careers. The natural (and not so natural) elements are harsh enough on undamaged vessels - let alone those ships battered by combat. As a result, ships and their crew often carry spare supplies and construction materials (such as extra sailcloth, rope, oars, pitch, and even masts) to help with repairs.

However, a crew can do only so much to restore a damaged vessel at sea. Such repair attempts can restore only 1d6 points of hull damage and 1d12 points of crippling damage. Repairing hull damage takes 1d4 days plus 2 days per size category above Small. Thus, fixing the hull of a Trireme (Very Large) requires a minimum of 7 days (1 plus 6 for size). Crews can repair crippling damage in 1d4 days. If a ship begins foundering from battle damage, it can be temporarily patched on a roll of 12 or better on 1d20 (provided the ship is not currently engaged in combat or manned by a skeleton crew). If someone aboard makes a successful Seamanship or Ship building proficiency roll, add +3 to the roll for patching. A patched ship generally stays afloat just long enough to allow more extensive repairs.

Once the ship regains even one hull point from repairs, it stops leaking. Repairs can occur after each battle or event that damages a vessel. However, crews cannot restore more hull or crippling points than the particular event caused Thus, a ship that suffers 12 hull points of damage in a battle can repair a maximum of 6 hull points while at sea If that same ship later strikes a reef and loses one hull point, its crew cannot repair more than one hull point.

Skeleton crews cannot attempt repairs, and repairs are not possible during battle, storms, or gales.

Extensive repairs (more than 6 points) require the skills and materials of a shipyard. Damaged vessels must dock or beach for repairs. Because of the materials and skilled labor involved in such repairs, fixing a vessel requires a good deal of time and a potentially large amount of cash. Some ship owners may find it cheaper and more convenient to buy a new vessel than repair a damaged one.

Vessel Repair Cost and Time

• Cost = gold pieces per hull/crippling damage point
• Time = Points per day repaired

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