BOOK OV THINGS

SHIPS OF TESTORIA

The seas of Testoria are ferocious -- not only because of it's large moon, but also because the God of the Seas, Sawa, demands daily payment for the use of his waters -- or dark consequences follow. The ships that sail the sea are therefore vitally important to national economies, exploration, communication, and even war. Adventurers can spend months on the open sea with not another vessel in sight, or they can put in to land every other week, all depending on the ship they sail on.

Ship Types

Slip

Sloop

Brigandine

Lt. Galleon

Hvy. Galleon

Warship

General Ship Description

Size: Generally denotes overall hull size and crew requirements. Given in increasing size order - Small (2 crewmen), Medium (3-5 crewmen), Large (6-44 crewmen), Huge (45-59 crewmen), Gargantuan (60-199 crewmen), and Colossal (200+ crewmen). Following this number are the standard dimensions of the vessel, in parentheses, in terms of Length, Width, and Draw.
Propulsion: Self explanatory.
Speed: The typical distance the vessel can cover in one combat round, expressed in feet, followed by the normal 'day range' at that speed for twelve hours, expressed in miles.
Crew: Given as two numbers -- the first being the standard number of crewmen required to safely operate the vessel in a timely manner, and the second being the largest number of crew or personnel the vessel can carry, with all cargo converted to provisions.
Cargo: Given as two numbers -- the first being the normal ferrying cargo, and the second being the requirements for the crew to survive at sea. Normal sailors require 1gallon (8lbs) of water per day, and 5lbs of food per day, translating to 13lbs of provisions per day, per person. Provisions are normally scattered all over the vessel in various nooks and crannies, and it is not unusual for half of the provisions to go bad due to disease, infestation, or disintegration. The provisional cargo determines the range of the vessel at sea.
Hull: Given as three numbers -- Armor Class, Hardness, and Hit Points. These stats are listed for the exterior hull only.
Deck: Given as three numbers -- Armor Class, Hardness, and Hit Points. These stats are listed for damage from above, or to each deck, and between walls inside (if applicable).
Mast: Given as three numbers -- Armor Class, Hardness, and Hit Points. On vessels without masts, these three numbers can apply to towers or defensive fortifications built up on the main deck.
Weapons: Listed as the number of 5x5ft slots available on a vessel for weaponry. Heavy catapults take up 6 slots (10x15ft area), where a light ballista only takes 2 slots (5x10ft area).
Ship Qualities: Feats for the vessel (new ones listed below), and special abilities.
Cost and Construction Time: Listed as a raw gold-piece cost, and general time requirement.

Ship Qualities

Beachable: The ship can be beached with little or no damage, and can be pulled back off a shelf of land by an experienced crew. Prerequisite: The vessel must be size Large or less, and have a normal crew's compliment available. Benefit: The hull takes no damage from striking shore -- and instead beaches.
Stealthy: The ship is painted black, with black-dyed sails, and possesses other innovations for night time operations. Benefit: The DC for spotting the vessel at night is increased by 8.

Weapons

Light Ballista: cost 400gp, Hardness 5, 60hp, Slot Cost 2, Damage 2d6, crit20x3, RI120ft, Crew 1, Time 1.5 weeks.

Crew

The traditional positions available aboard a sailing vessel of any kind include:
Captain: The captain is the overall leader for the ship. His orders are to be obeyed absolutely; disobeying the Captain is mutiny, which most pirate captains punish by swift and immediate death. Captains may be seamen themselves, or they may count on their first mate (see below) to provide this knowledge, maintaining their position through prowess as a warrior or charisma. The idea of an "owner-aboard," a captain who leads by virtue of owning the ship, does not exist in pirate groups where such distinctions as legal ownership are considered insignificant.
First Mate: The first mate is responsible for carrying out the captain's wishes. When the captain is asleep or otherwise unavailable, the first mate is in charge of the ship. While not all captains are excellent seamen, there are few first mates who do not know nearly everything about being aboard ship.
Pilot/Helmsman: Often also the first mate, the pilot is responsible for steering the ship. Pilots are also give the orders which control the speed of the oars (for a galley) or the set of the sail (for a sailing ship).
Navigator: While the pilot's job is to steer the ship, the navigator's job is to pick the route the pilot will follow to reach the destination. Navigators should have the Navigation proficiency, and may also require special equipment such as a sextant and compass. Often, the captain is also the navigator. This reduces the chance of a mutiny at sea, as the crew is unlikely to mutiny if they cannot find their way home.
Quartermaster: The quartermaster cares for the ship's tiller, compasses, lamps, and flags. Unlike the land military, the quartermaster aboard ship is not responsible for food or other supplies. These are the responsibility of the mess steward and the boatswain.
Mess Steward (Cook): The mess steward is responsible for preparing meals, buying food, and otherwise ensuring that everyone aboard gets enough to eat and drink. As mentioned above, "enough" may not be very much, particularly on a longer voyage.
Boatswain (Bosun): The boatswain is responsible for the rigging of the ship, including the sails, oars, anchors, and ship's boats. The boatswain often has several helpers, particularly on a large ship. These are referred to as "bosun's mates."
Master Armorer: The master armorer and his men maintain and man the ship's weapons (typically ballistae and catapults), and he is responsible for providing all warriors aboard (on a pirate ship, the entire crew) with melee and missile weapons.
Lookout: The lookout occupies a position on the ship with as unrestricted a field of view as possible. On ships with a crow's nest (a seat on top of the mast), a single lookout can have a clear view completely around the ship. On larger ships, or on ships without crow's nests, lookouts are often stationed in the bow and stern. (In game terms, a lookout in a crow's nest can see 1½ times farther than one on deck.)
Oarsmen: For ships with oars, the oarsmen provide the motive power for the ship. Few oarsmen are slaves, as slave oarsmen have a disconcerting habit of slowing down when the ship most needs speed, in hopes of being freed by the attackers.
Warriors: The rest of the men aboard a pirate ship are cutthroats, there to provide a strong sword arm and a ready back in time of trouble.

See also:

Maritime Lingo
Smuggling & Piracy