Ships and Equipment
Ships
Adventurers exploring the seas or islands of the world need a good ship - a vessel swift enough to go in harms way and sturdy enough to stand up to mighty sea monsters, terrible storms, pirate attacks, and other hazards one meets on the water. While Goods & Services describes a small number of typical vessels for river and ocean travel and provides some simple information about cost and speed, the exact characteristics of the hero's boat or ship play a much more important role in an aquatic or seafaring adventure. This section therefore describes almost two dozen distinct ship and boat types found on the rivers and seas of the D&D world. Player's Handbook.
Vessel Characteristics
Any vehicle is an inanimate unattended object, even if manned by hundreds of crewmembers. Since player characters usually rely on a ship to get them from place to place across stretches of water and keep them from drowning when they're in the middle of the ocean, knowing how ships are damaged and how they move is important.
Sections
Any boat or ship of Huge size or larger is not treated as a single object, but instead a composite of a number of different sections. A section is a 10-foot x 10-foot x 10-foot piece of a ship. Hull sections are used for recording combat damage to a ship, and serve no other purpose. A vessel 40 feet long, 10 feet in beam, and 10 feet from keel to deck has four hull sections in a line from bow to stern.
It might not always be clear exactly how a ship might be broken up into even 10-foot cubes. Consider a hull section to be roughly 1,000 cubic feet; round partial hull sections up to 1 full hull section. For example, a vessel 60 feet long, 15 feet in beam, and 15 feet from keel to deck has about 13,500 cubic feet, or 14 hull sections. You could treat such a vessel as 2 rows of 7 hull sections each. Each hull section would be about 7-1/2 feet wide, 15 feet tall, and about 8-1/2 feet long, if you ever needed to know exactly where each hull section was located. Remember, though, hull sections are intended to be an abstraction; a ship is not a big square block of uniform sections floating in the water.
In addition to the hull sections, any sailing ship also has a number of rigging sections. These sections might be quite large, since each one represents a mast and all its yardarms, sails, and lines. Destroying one section of a ship's rigging might damage its maneuverability, but unless the ship has only one mast, it will retain some ability to move.
Propulsion
While some crude rafts or barges might not have any ability to move under their own power, most vessels are designed to travel as their crews direct. This requires some sort of motive force - sails, oars, paddlewheels, propellers, or even draft animals. The most important types are sails, oars, or propellers. Some vessels have both sails and oars.
Sails: A sailing ship's speed varies with the wind conditions. As long as the vessel is steering downwind or across the wind (within 90° of downwind), its maximum speed is equal to the speed given in the vessel's statistics block multiplied by the speed multiplier for wind strength (see Wind and Weather). For example, if the wind is out of the northwest, a ship sailing northeast, east, southeast, south, or southwest can move up to its maximum speed.
A sailing ship steering within 45° to 90° of the wind - north or west, in the example given here - is reduced to half speed. Finally, a sailing ship cannot sail directly into the wind; its speed is reduced to zero if it tries to do so, although a ship can tack close to the wind and make good a course to the northwest by alternating between sailing north and sailing west, in the example above.
A sailing ship with its nose pointing into the wind isn't stuck there forever. The helmsman can "turn in place" 45° in one full round in order to fall off the wind and begin making way again.
Oars: Vessels with rowers need not worry much about wind direction. They simply move their given speed in any direction the helmsman sees fit to steer.
Oars and Sails: Some vessels have both sails and oars. The ship uses either its rowing speed or its sailing speed, as the master chooses. Changing propulsion modes requires 1 full round.
Propellers: A few rare ships are built with mechanical or magical propellers, screws, paddlewheels, or even mechanical oars. Like oared vessels, vessels driven by paddlewheels or propellers ignore wind direction.
Maneuverability
Boats and ships don't turn on a copper piece and lack anything like a brake. More than one captain has been carried to disaster by virtue of the fact that he was unable to turn his ship aside from danger in time.
| Maneuverability | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Average | Poor | |
| Maximum speed change | 20 ft. | 10 ft. | 5 ft. |
| Reverse¹ | 10 ft. | 5 ft. | 5 ft. |
| Turn | 45°/ 30 ft. | 45°/60 ft. | 45°/120 ft. |
| Turn in place1 | 180° | 90° | 45° |
| Maximum turn | 90° | 45° | 45° |
| ¹Normally available only to oared vessels. | |||
Maximum Speed Change: The maximum amount by which the vessel can change its speed (either speeding up or slowing down) in a single round. A vessel cannot exceed its maximum speed given the current wind strength and direction.
Reverse: Only oared vessels can travel in reverse. A vessel cannot go backwards unless its speed was zero in the preceding round, and a vessel moving in reverse must first come to a dead stop for 1 round before moving forward again.
Turn: How much the vessel can turn after covering the stated distance.
Turn in Place: Normally, oared vessels are the only vessels that can turn in place. The vessel must begin the round with a speed of zero to turn in place. A sailing ship can turn in place only when its speed is zero and its bow is pointing into the wind (the ship raises enough sail to fall off the wind and assume a new direction that will permit it to sail in the following round).
Maximum Turn: How much the vessel can turn in any one space.
Maneuverability And Narrative Combat
If you are using the narrative ship combat rules described in Marine Combat, you can ignore all maneuverability characteristics other than maximum speed change. The narrative system assumes that the ship's master is making appropriate maneuvers to open, close, or hold the range, so it is not necessary to deal with precise ship maneuvering.
Statistics
Each of the vessels presented in this chapter includes a short statistics block describing the vessel. A ship's statistics block includes the following entries.
Size: The size of the vehicle, using the same size categories as creatures do.
Seaworthiness: The ship's overall sturdiness. This modifier is applied to any Profession (sailor) checks the captain or master makes in order to avoid foundering, sinking, and hazards that large, well-built vessels avoid more easily than small and frail ones.
Shiphandling: The ship's agility and nimbleness. This modifier is applied to Profession (sailor) checks the captain or master makes in order to avoid collisions, come about, sail close to the wind, and other situations that small, swift vessels avoid more easily than large and clumsy ones.
Speed: The ship's speed and its nautical maneuverability rating.
Wind: Sailing vessels have a base speed, which is then modified by the wind strength. For example, a ship with a speed of "wind x 15 feet" has a speed of 15 feet if the wind speed modifier is x1, 30 feet if the modifier is x2, or 45 feet if the modifier is x3. See Wind and Weather.
Oars: The ship's speed while being rowed.
Overall AC: The AC of the ship as a whole. Ships of Huge size or larger rarely use this, since an attacker targets a single hull section at a time when attacking a Huge or larger ship.
Hull Sections: The number of hull sections the ship possesses.
Sink: The number of destroyed hull sections necessary to sink the ship outright. A ship can sink from the destruction of a single hull section, but it is not automatic.
Section hp: The number of hit points and the hardness of each hull section.
Section AC: The Armor Class of each hull section.
Rigging Sections: The number of rigging sections the ship possesses. Generally, each rigging section is equal to one mast.
Rigging hp: The number of hit points and the hardness of each rigging section.
Ram: The damage dealt by the vehicle per 10 feet of speed it currently possesses if it rams another object. For example, a ship with a base ram damage of 3d6 deals 3d6 points of damage if moving at a speed of 10 feet, 6d6 at a speed of 20 feet, 9d6 at a speed of 30 feet, and so on.
Mounts: The number of weapons the ship can mount. A light mount is suitable for a ballista; a heavy mount is suitable for a catapult.
Space: The length and width of the area taken up by the ship.
Height: The height of the main deck above the waterline. Most large vessels will have deckhouses, forecastles, or sterncastles that are above this level.
Watch: The number of crewmembers necessary to make course changes, adjust for wind changes, and generally handle the ship. Usually the watch consists of a helmsman, a lookout or two, and a small number of deckhands who can go aloft to change the set of the sails as necessary. On an oar-powered vessel, the watch includes the number of rowers necessary or the ship to make use of its full oared speed.
Complement: The number of crewmembers, passengers, and soldiers who can be carried by the vessel for extended aging. For a short voyage (a day or less) a ship might be able to cram two or three times this number of people on board.
Cargo: The capacity of the vehicle's hold, in tons (1 ton = 2,000 pounds). Most ships are slowed to 3/4 normal speed if carrying half this load or more.
Cost: The vehicle's cost in gold pieces.
Vessels
The following boats and ships are only a small sample of the types most typically found on the seas, lakes, and rivers of a fantasy world.
| Boats And Ships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Vessel | Complement | Speed | Cost |
| Barge | 120/5/40 | 1/2 mph | 6,000 gp |
| Caravel (sailing ship) | 30/7 | 3 mph* | 10,000 gp |
| Cog | 20/4 | 2 mph* | 6,000 gp |
| Coracle | 2/1 | 1 mph | 5 gp |
| Dhow | 25/5 | 2 mph | 7,000 gp |
| Dromond (warship) | 200/7/100 | 2 mph* or 3 mph | 25,000 gp |
| Dugout | 4/1 | 1 mph | 20 gp |
| Elf wingship | 30/5 | 4 mph* | 40,000 gp |
| Galley | 300/10/160 | 1-1/2 mph* or 2 mph | 30,000 gp |
| Greatship | 500/20 | 2-1/2 mph* | 60000 gp |
| Ironclad | 120/5/60 | 1 mph* or 1 mph | 50,000 gp |
| Junk | 50/7 | 1-1/2 mph* | 15,000 gp |
| Keelboat | 16/3/12 | 1 mph* or 1 mph | 3,000 gp |
| Launch | 8/1/2 | 1-1/2 mph | 500 gp |
| Longship | 60/3/40 | 1-1/2 mph* or 2 mph | 10,000 gp |
| Pinnace | 15/3/8 | 3 mph* or 1/2 mph | 4,500 gp |
| Raft | 8/1/2 | 1/2 mph | 100 gp |
| Rowboat | 4/1 | 1 mph | 50 gp |
| Theurgeme | 40/1 | 3-1/2 mph | 80,000 gp |
| Trireme | 100/3/70 | 1-1/2 mph* or 2 mph | 12,000 gp |
| War canoe | 16/1/12 | 1 mph* or 2 mph | 1,000 gp |
| *Base sailing speed in light winds (x1 speed multiple) | |||
Complement: The first number in this entry is the ship's complement, or the total number of Small or Medium humanoids that can normally be carried on board as crew and passengers. The second number is the ship's watch requirement, or the minimum number of people necessary to control the ship without penalty. The third number, when present, indicates the number of rowers required in addition to the normal watch; a ship doesn't need rowers to sail, but does need rowers to use its oared movement rate.
Speed: The ship's sailing speed. Sailing vessels have an asterisked speed entry, since the actual sailing speed varies with the wind speed and direction.
Cost: The ship's cost in gold pieces.
Barge
A barge is not much more than a large, fiat-bottomed hull designed to haul heavy cargoes by water. Most barges are intended to be towed by other ships or by teams of draft animals on shore, but some are fitted out as royal yachts or war barges, and equipped with a set of oar sweeps for maneuvering. Barges of this sort might have large deckhouses or weapon mounts. Barges are best employed on calm, slow rivers or canals, where maneuvering is not an issue.
Barge: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +0; Shiphandling -6; Speed oars 5 ft. (poor) or drawn; Overall AC -3; Hull sections 80 (sink 20 sections); Section hp 50 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Ram 6d6; Mounts 2 light and 2 heavy; Space 100 ft. by 40 ft.; Height 10 ft. (draft 10ft.); Complement 120; Watch 5 plus 40 rowers; Cargo 50 tons; Cost 6,000 gp.
Caravel (Sailing Ship)
The caravel is a seaworthy, nimble ship that can handle long ocean crossings. It has a small forecastle and sterncastle, and three masts. A caravel is a smooth-hulled, full-decked vessel built on a strong internal frame. It is a relatively advanced design, and not every seafaring people have the skills and knowledge to build one.
The sailing ship mentioned under Transport is a caravel.
Caravel: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +4; Shiphandling +2; Speed wind x 30 ft. (average); Overall AC -3; Hull sections 24 (sink 6 sections); Section hp 80 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 3; Rigging hp 80 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 4d6; Mounts 2 light and 1 heavy; Space 60 ft. by 20 ft.; Height 10 ft. (draft 10 ft.); Complement 30; Watch 7; Cargo 120 tons (Speed wind x 15 ft. if 60 tons or more); Cost 10,000 gp.
Cog
The cog is the basic medieval-era sailing ship. It is a single-masted sailing ship with around, sturdy hull. It has a partial deck (the waist of the ship is not decked over, but the ends are) and raised bow and stern platforms that are open, as opposed to being enclosed like a true forecastle or sterncastle. It is seaworthy, but not very handy in adverse winds.
Nefs, roundships, or knorrs use these same statistics. A knorr or roundship also has an oar speed of 5 ft. in addition to the sailing speed.
Cog: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +2; Shiphandling -2; Speed wind x 20 ft. (poor); Overall AC -3; Hull sections 16 (sink 4 sections); Section hp 80 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 1; Rigging hp 60 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 4d6; Mounts 1 light and 1 heavy; Space 40 ft. by 20 ft.; Height 10 ft. (draft 10 ft.); Complement 20; Watch 4; Cargo 40 tons (Speed wind x 10 ft. if 20 tons or more); Cost 6,000 gp.
Coracle
A small and very simple boat, the coracle is made from a light wicker or branch frame, over which waterproofed hide or bark is stretched. A coracle weighs only 40 pounds, and can easily be carried for short distances. A coracle is too small to have different hull sections, and therefore only has an overall AC and a single hp total for the hull.
Coracle: Medium vehicle; Seaworthiness -4; Shiphandling +0; Speed oars 10 ft. (good); Overall AC 5; Hull hp 10 (hardness 2); Ram Mounts - Space 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Height 1 ft. (draft 2 ft.); Complement 2; Watch 1; Cargo 100 pounds; Cost 5 gp.
Dhow
The dhow is a moderately sized sailing vessel with a single mast and a full deck. It might have a small sterncastle or deckhouse at the stern. Many dhows are made of sewed or stitched hulls - the hull planks are sewed to one another with sturdy cord.
Dhow: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +2; Shiphandling +0; Speed wind x 20 ft. (average); Overall AC -3; Hull sections 18 (sink 4 seconds); Section hp 50 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 1; Rigging hp 60 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 4d6; Mounts 1 light and 1 heavy; Space 60 ft. by 20 ft.; Height 5 ft. (draft 10 ft.); Complement 25; Watch 5; Cargo 60 tons (Speed wind x 15 ft. if 30 tons or more); Cost 7,000 gp.
Dromond (Warship)
The dromond is a medium-sized galley that is fast, nimble, and eminently suitable for warfare. It has two masts and sails better than it rows with any kind of favorable wind. It is fully decked, and the rowers are covered from attack. The dromond usually has a small deckhouse or fighting platform at the stern. The dromond is the most advanced galley design, and not many seafaring folk have the expertise and skills to build a dromond. The warship mentioned under Transport is a dromond.
Dromond: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +0; Shiphandling +2; Speed wind x 20 ft., or oars 30 ft. (average); Overall AC -3; Hull sections 60 (sink 15 sections); Section hp 80 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 2; Rigging hp 80 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 4d6; Mounts 4 light, 2 heavy, ram; Space 100 ft. by 20 ft.; Height 15 ft. (draft 15 ft.); Complement 200; Watch 7 plus 100 rowers; Cargo 150 tons (Speed wind x 10ft. or oars 15 ft. if 75 tons or more); Cost 25,000 gp.
Dugout
The dugout is the simplest boat possible - a hollowed-out log hacked into the shape of a boat.
Dugout: large vehicle; Seaworthiness -3; Shiphandling +1; Speed oars 10 ft. (good); Overall AC 4; Hull hp 40 (hardness 5); Ram 1d6; Space 10 ft. by 5 ft.; Height 2 ft. (draft 2 ft.); Complement 4; Watch 1; Cargo 500 pounds; Cost 20 gp.
Elf Wingship
So named because of its great, sweeping sails that seem more like a bird's wings than a ship's rigging, the elf wingship is the fastest ship on the sea. Despite its graceful lines and delicate appearance, the wingship is actually quite sturdily built and deadly in a naval battle. Elves rarely (if ever) sell wingships to non-elves.
Elf Wingship: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +4; Shiphandling +4; Speed wind x 40 ft. (good); Overall AC -3; Hull sections 12 (sink 3 sections); Section hp 150 (hardness 6); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 2; Rigging hp 80 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 4d6; Mounts 2 light and 1 heavy; Space 60 ft. by 10 ft.; Height 10 ft. (draft 10 ft.); Complement 30; Watch 5; Cargo 30 tons (Speed wind x 30 ft. if 15 tons or more); Cost 40,000 gp.
Galley
Also known as the quinquireme, or great galley, this is the largest oared vessel normally built. It is fully decked, with a complicated arrangement of oars in multiple banks. Great galleys are usually warships, vessels whose primary purpose is service in a fleet.
Galley: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +0; Shiphandling -2; Speed wind x 15 ft. or oars 20 ft. (poor); Overall AC -3; Hull sections 78 (sink 19 sections); Section hp 80 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 2; Rigging hp 60 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 6d6; Mounts 6 light, 3 heavy, ram; Space 130 ft. by 20 ft.; Height 15 ft. (draft 15 ft.); Complement 300; Watch 10 plus 160 rowers; Cargo 150 tons (Speed wind x 10 ft. or oars 15 ft. if 75 tons or more); Cost 30,000 gp.
Greatship
Fitted with a towering forecastle and sterncastle, this huge, broad-beamed sailing ship is almost a seagoing castle. It has four masts and is not remotely nimble, but it is large and sturdy and can carry hundreds of sailors and soldiers. It has multiple decks, and the mainmast often has one or more fighting tops, small platforms suitable for archers to fire down at other ships.
Greatships are sometimes called carracks.
Greatship: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +6; Shiphandling -4; Speed wind x 25 ft. (poor); Overall AC -3; Hull sections 240 (sink 60 sections); Section hp 80 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 4; Rigging hp 80 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 6d6; Mounts 12 light and 4 heavy; Space 150 ft. by 40 ft.; Height 20 ft. (draft 20 ft.); Complement 500; Watch 20; Cargo 500 tons (Speed wind x 15 ft. if 250 tons or more); Cost 60,000 gp.
Ironclad
Protected from enemy fire by solid iron plate, the ironclad is slow and clumsy but deadly in a naval battle. The ironclad is built on a frame of thick wooden timbers, just like most other vessels; armor is then riveted or bolted onto its sides. Most ironclads are built by seafaring dwarves who turn their remarkable knack for metallurgy and engineering to the construction of these warships.
Ironclad: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness -2; Shiphandling -4; Speed wind x 10 or oars 10 ft. (poor); Overall AC -3; Hull sections 72 (sink 18 sections); Section hp 150 (hardness 10); Section AC 34; Rigging Sections 1; Rigging hp 60 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 6d6; Mounts 8 light, 2 heavy, ram; Space 80 ft. by 30 ft.; Height 15 ft. (draft 15 ft.); Complement 120; Watch 5 plus 60 rowers; Cargo 20 tons; Cost 50,000 gp.
Junk
A junk is a large sailing ship often found in eastern waters. It has a flat bottom, no keel, and a high stern, with masts and a sail reinforced with bamboo ribs. The junk hull is partitioned into a number of small, watertight compartments, which makes it unusually seaworthy.
Junk: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +4; Shiphandling +0; Speed wind x 15 ft. (average); Overall AC -3; Hull sections 32 (sink 8 sections); Section hp 50 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 2; Rigging hp 80 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 4d6; Mounts 2 light and 2 heavy; Space 80 ft. by 20 ft.; Height loft. (draft 10 ft.); Complement50; Watch 7; Cargo 160 tons (Speed wind x 10 ft, if 80 tons more); Cost 15,000 gp.
Keelboat
This flat-bottomed boat is built for use on rivers and lakes. It is fully decked, with a large deckhouse that takes up most of the boat's center or stern depending on the design. It has a small sail and eight oars for traveling upstream.
Keelboat: Gargantuan vehicle; Seaworthiness -2; Shiphandling +2; Speed wind x 10 ft, or oars 10 ft. (good); Overall AC 1; Hull sections 3 (sink 1 section); Section hp 50 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 1; Rigging hp 60 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 3d6; Mounts 1 light; Space 30 ft. by 10 ft.; Height 5 ft. (draft 5 ft.); Complement 16; Watch 2 plus 8 rowers; Cargo 20 tons (Speed wind x 5 ft. or oars 5 ft. if 10 tons or more); Cost 3,000 gp.
Felucca
Feluccas are small two-masted vessels unique to Rashemen. A felucca is roughly equivalent to a keelboat (see above), but is only about 40 to 10 feet in length. It has a crew of six to twelve and can carry up to 35 tons of cargo. A felucca moves at about 2 miles per hour.
Launch
Also known as a whaleboat, the launch is a large, open dinghy with a stout, round-bottomed hull that can stand up to surprisingly rough seas. Launches are often carried by larger ships for use in landing in places where the larger ship can't go.
A launch is too small to have different hull sections, and therefore only has an overall AC and a single hp total for the hull.
Launch: Huge vehicle; Seaworthiness +0; Shiphandling +2; Speed oars 15 ft. (good); Overall AC 3; Hull hp 50 (hardness 5); Ram 2d6; Mounts - Space 15 ft. by 5 ft.; Height 5 ft. (draft 2-1/2 ft.); Complement 8; Watch 1 plus 2 rowers; Cargo 4 tons (Speed oars 10 ft, if 2 tons or more); Cost 500 gp.
Longship
The longship is a sturdy vessel with a single mast. It does not have a deck, although some longships are built with small walks or platforms at the stern and bow. The shallow draft of a longship allows it to enter rivers or land on beaches that other vessels couldn't manage.
Longship: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +2; Shiphandling +0; Speed wind x 15 ft., or oars 20 ft. (average); Overall AC -3; Hull sections 14 (sink 3 sections); Section hp 50 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 1; Rigging hp 60 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 4d6; Mounts 2 light; Space 70 ft. by 20 ft.; Height 5 ft. (draft 5 ft.); Complement 60; Watch 3 plus 40 rowers; Cargo 40 tons (Speed wind x 10 ft. or oars 15 ft. if 20 tons or more); Cost 10,000 gp.
Pinnace
The pinnace is a small, two-masted sailing vessel. It's sturdy enough to undertake long open-water voyages and handy enough to use close to shore. A pinnace is fully decked, but its sterncastle is hardly worthy of the name; it's little more than a cramped cabin.
Pinnace: Gargantuan vehicle; Seaworthiness +2; Shiphandling +2; Speed wind x 30 ft. or oars 5 ft. (good); Overall AC 1; Hull sections 4 (sink 1 section); Section hp 50 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 2; Rigging hp 60 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 3d6; Mounts 2 light; Space 30 ft. by 10 ft.; Height 10 ft. (draft 5 ft.); Complement 15; Watch 3 plus 8 rowers; Cargo 30 tons (Speed wind x 20 ft. if 15 tons or more); Cost 4,500 gp.
Raft
While almost anyone can lash a few logs together and make a crude raft, this is a vessel made of sawn planks with logs or empty barrels for flotation. The raft normally has a small deckhouse or flat for shelter. It is slow and hard to maneuver, and is really only suitable for calm rivers or lakes.
Raft: Huge vehicle; Seaworthiness -4; Shiphandling +0; Speed oars 5 ft. (poor); Overall AC 3; Hull hp 30 (hardness 5); Ram 2d6; Mounts -; Space 15 ft. by 10 ft.; Height 2-1/2 ft. (draft 2-1/2 ft.); Complement 8; Watch 1 plus 2 rowers; Cargo 2 tons (Speed oars 5 ft. if 1 ton or more); Cost 100 gp.
Rowboat
Also called a skiff, punt, or pirogue, this is a flat-bottomed boat for use in calm waters.
Rowboat: large vehicle; Seaworthiness -4; Shiphandling +2; Speed oars 10 ft. (good); Overall AC 4; Hull hp 30 (hardness 5); Ram 1d6; Mounts - Space 10 ft. by 5 ft.; Height 2-1/2 ft. (draft 2-1/2 ft.); Complement 4; Watch 1; Cargo 1,000 pounds (Speed oars 5 ft. if 500 pounds or more); Cost 50 gp.
Theurgeme
The theurgeme is a vessel powered by magic. Without sails or rowers it moves swiftly and tirelessly across the water. Theurgemes can be powered in a variety of ways, but the most common design is a simple paddlewheel or set of mechanical oars turned or driven by a magical construct, mindless undead, or even a bound elemental. Many theurgemes are luxuriously appointed with comfortable cabins and exotic decor, as befits the wealthy wizards who most likely own such vessels.
Theurgeme: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +2; Shiphandling +2; Speed propellers 35 ft. (good); Overall AC -3; Hull sections 28 (sink 7 sections); Section hp 150 (hardness 6); Section AC 3; Ram 4d6; Mounts 4 light, 2 heavy, ram; Space 70 ft. by 20 ft.; Height 10 ft. (draft 10 ft.); Complement 40; Watch 1; Cargo 100 tons (Speed oars 20 ft. if 50 tons or more); Cost 80,000 gp.
Trireme
The average galley is a single-masted bireme or trireme. While it is quick and nimble in fair weather, it is not very seaworthy and liable to founder in high seas or bad weather. The galley is partially decked, usually with a walk that runs the length of the ship above and between the rowers' benches. The rowers are not covered by the deck or the walk.
Trireme: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness -2; Shiphandling +0; Speed wind x 15 ft., or oars 20 ft. (good); Overall AC -3; Hull sections 32 (sink 8 sections); Section hp 50 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 1; Rigging hp 60 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 4d6; Mounts 1 light, 1 heavy, ram; Space 80 ft. by 20 ft.; Height 10 ft. (draft 10 ft.); Complement 100; Watch 3 plus 70 rowers; Cargo 40 tons (Speed wind x 15 ft. or oars 15 ft. if 20 tons or more); Cost 12,000 gp.
War Canoe
The war canoe is a large, seagoing canoe, often with one or two outriggers for stability. It has a small stepped mast for sailing on open water.
War Canoe: Gargantuan vehicle; Seaworthiness +0; Shiphandling +2; Speed wind x 10 ft. or oars 20 ft. (good); Overall AC 1; Hull sections 2 (sink 1 section); Section hp 30 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 1; Rigging hp 40 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 3d6; Mounts -; Space 40 ft. by 5 ft.; Height 2-1/2 ft. (draft 2-1/2 ft.); Complement 16; Watch 1 plus 12 rowers; Cargo 2 tons (Speed wind x 10 ft, or oars 15 ft. if 1 ton or more); Cost 1,000 gp.
Weaponry And Accessories
The seas of the D&D world are dangerous places, roamed by deadly monsters and bloodthirsty pirates. Prudent captains carry the best armament they can obtain for their vessel in order to discourage attack.
Many ships, especially ships used by adventurers or villains, feature one or more magical items. Magical helms, sails, keels, or figureheads often provide a ship with unusual maneuverability, seaworthiness, or protection from attack.
See Marine Items for specific items and their effects.
Weapon Descriptions
Shipboard weapons require specific mounts, or hardpoints, where heavy equipment can be securely installed on the deck. Most of the ship descriptions in the preceding section state a number of heavy and light mounts available for carrying weapons (or other heavy gear). The limitations in the number of mounts available stem from the ship's basic design - each one must be reinforced with heavy timbers, and requires a certain amount of clear deck space for use. You can install a weapon requiring a light mount in a heavy mount, but not vice-versa.
Shipboard weapons come in two basic varieties: direct fire and indirect fire.
Reloading: Each weapon notes the reloading procedure and checks necessary to fire. Asterisked actions can be assisted by means of the aid another action (and in fact, trained weapon crews routinely do so in order to expedite reloading).
| Ship Weapons | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item | Cost | Damage | Critical | Range Increment | Typical Crew | Type | Mount |
| Ballista | 500 gp | 3d8 | 19-20 | 120 ft. | 1 | Direct | Light |
| Bolt | 1 gp | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bombard, light | 2,000 gp | 3d10 | x3 | 150 ft. | 4 | Direct | Light |
| Bombard, great | 8000 gp | 6d10 | x3 | 200 ft. | 8 | Direct | Heavy |
| Catapult | 550 gp | 4d6 | - | 150 ft. (100 ft. min.) | 2 | Indirect | Heavy |
| Firebomb | 50 gp | 3d6 fire | - | - | - | - | - |
| Firespout | 4,000 gp | 6d6 fire | - | - (60 ft.) | 5 | - | Heavy |
Ballista
The ballista is a Huge heavy crossbow fixed in place. The ballista is a direct-fire weapon; due to its size a Medium creature takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls when firing a ballista, and a Small creature takes a -6 penalty. The ballista takes up a space s feet across and weighs 400 pounds. A ballista deals half damage to an enemy vessel.
Reload: Full-round action and DC 10 Strength check to wind to half-cock; Full-round action and DC 10 Strength check to wind from half- to full-cock; full-round action to load bolt. Normal rate of fire is one shot per 4 rounds.
Bombard, Light
The light bombard - also known as the perier or stone gun - is a relatively short and light piece designed to fire round stone shot with small charges of powder. Like the ballista, the bombard is a direct-fire weapon; due to its size a Medium creature takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls when firing a bombard, and a Small creature takes a -6 penalty. The light bombard takes up a space 5 feet across and weighs 500 pounds.
Reload: Full-round action and DC 10 Profession (siege engineer) check to swab out bore; full-round action and DC 15 Profession (siege engineer) check to load powder and wad; full-round action and DC 10 Strength check to load stone shot; full-round action and DC 10 Strength check to tamp the shot; full-round action to aim the bombard. Normal rate of fire is one shot per six rounds.
Bombard, Great
The heavy bombard is sometimes referred to as a basilisk. It fires a heavy stone ball with a modest charge of powder. It is a direct-fire weapon; due to its size a Medium creature takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls when firing a bombard, and a Small creature takes a -6 penalty. The great bombard takes up a space 10 feet across and weighs 2,000 pounds.
Reload: Full-round action and DC 10 Profession (siege engineer) check to swab out bore; two full-round actions and DC 15 Profession (siege engineer) check to load powder and wad; two full-round actions and DC 10 Strength check to load stone shot; two full-round actions and DC 10 Strength check to tamp the shot; two full-round actions to aim the bombard. Normal rate of fire is one shot per ten rounds.
Catapult
This is the light catapult described in Goods & Services. A catapult is an indirect-fire weapon that uses a tensioning device to throw a heavy stone hundreds of feet. Because the catapult throws its stone in a high arc, it cannot strike a target within 100 feet - the range is simply too close. The catapult takes up a space 10 feet across and weighs 2,000 pounds.
Reload: Full-round action and DC 10 Strength check to wind to half-cock; full-round action and DC 10 Strength check to wind from half- to full-cock; full-round action and DC 15 Profession (siege engineer) check to load stone; two full-round actions to aim the catapult. Normal rate of fire one shot per six rounds.
Firebomb
The firebomb is a special type of ammunition suitable for catapult or bombard shot. It is a small cask filled with alchemist's fire, designed to set the target ship afire. A firebomb is about a foot in diameter and weighs 40 pounds.
When the firebomb hits its target, it bursts open and deals 3d6 points of fire damage in a 10-foot radius, DC 15 Reflex save for half. On the round following, all targets within the radius take 1d6 points of fire damage; DC 15 Reflex save negates.
A ship (or similar wooden structure) struck by a firebomb might catch on fire; see Fires. Creatures who fail their Reflex saves against a firebomb catch fire; see Catching on Fire.
Firespout
The firespout is a device that spews a great gout of alchemist's fire on a nearby enemy ship. It consists of a long copper tube mounted in the bow, with a large bellows and a reservoir for its highly flammable fuel. When you fire the firespout, you create a 60-foot-long line of alchemist's fire directly in front of your ship.
To use a firespout, you must bring your ship within 60 feet of the enemy (and choose a closing strategy or maneuver, if you are using the narrative combat system described in Chapter 1). Instead of an attack roll, the commander or captain of your ship makes a DC 5 Profession (sailor) check, modified by your ship's shiphandling modifier. If you succeed, you strike the enemy ship with your alchemist's fire; on a failure, you miss.
The alchemist's fire deals 6d6 points of fire damage in a 60-foot line; DC 15 Reflex save for half. On the round following, all targets within the radius take 3d6 points of fire damage; DC 15 Reflex save negates. A ship (or similar wooden structure) struck by a firespout might catch on fire; see Fires. Creatures who fail their Reflex saves against a firespout catch fire; see Catching on Fire.
A firespout takes up a space 10 feet across and weighs 1,500 pounds. It takes 25 flasks of alchemist's fire (25 pounds, or 500 gp) to fill the firespout.
Reloading: Five full-round actions and DC 10 Profession (siege engineer) check to clear the bellows and fill the reservoir; two full-round actions and DC 15 Profession (siege engineer) check to ready the weapon to fire. Normal rate of fire is one shot per eight rounds.
Gunpowder?
Bombards might not be available in all D&D worlds. A bombard is an early cannon, requiring gunpowder or something similar to work. Whether or not gunpowder and firearms are available in your campaign is up to the Dungeon Master.
Unavailable: Nothing like gunpowder works in the campaign, so bombards (and other firearms) do not exist.
Smokepowder: Gunpowder is not available, but an expensive alchemical substitute known as smokepowder is. Bombards and other firearms exist, but the price of smokepowder is prohibitive so they are not widely used or available. Smokepowder can be created by anyone with 9 ranks in Craft (alchemy). One pound of powder costs 25 gp; it takes 1 oz. to fire a pistol or musket, 4 pounds to fire a light bombard, or 20 pounds to fire a heavy bombard.
Gunpowder: Gunpowder is commonplace and inexpensive. Bombards and other firearms are fairly common, and the cost of gunpowder is not a significant factor in arming a ship with bombards.
Accessory Descriptions
In addition to the weapons carried by most vessels, a number of special accessories are available. Many vessels carry various magic items and gear in addition to these mundane accessories; see Marine Items for magical items.
| Davit, large | 500 gp |
| Davit, huge | 1,500 gp |
| Diving bell | 7,000 gp |
| Grappling ramp | 500 gp |
| Netting, Large | 50 gp |
| Netting, Huge | 150 gp |
| Netting, Gargantuan | 300 gp |
| Netting, Colossal | 500 gp |
Davit
A davit is a special hoist and cradle designed to carry small boats on the deck of a larger ship. Most ships carry a skiff or two stowed on deck, but a davit can accommodate a fairly large boat, and makes launching and recovering the vessel much easier. A large davit can hold a boat of large size or smaller, and requires a light mount; a huge davit can hold a boat of Huge size or smaller, and requires a heavy mount
Launching a boat with a davit requires only a single round and one crewmember; recovering a boat requires 1 minute and two crewmembers for a large boat or eight crewmembers for a Huge boat. The cost of the davit does not include the craft carried in the davit.
Diving Bell
The diving bell is a sturdy weighted barrel or sphere of wood and iron, fitted with several thick glass portholes. It can hold up to two Medium creatures or four Small creatures. The bell descends on a stout cable from the ship above, and can't move horizontally - it can only ascend or descend at a rate of 10 feet per round. The bell can descend to a maximum depth of 200 feet.
Bells can be left open on the bottom, allowing a swimmer to easily enter or exit the bell. The air inside the bell will prevent the water from completely filling the bell, although the deeper you descend, the less headroom you'll have. An open bell can descend to a maximum depth of 100 feet, at which point everyone inside will be neck-deep in water. The diving bell apparatus includes a davit or hoist on the ship's deck for raising or lowering the bell, and a crude hand-powered air pump and waterproofed hose of canvas or leather to provide fresh air to the bell. It takes 2 crewmembers to work the pumps, and 4 crewmembers to operate the winch to raise or lower the bell.
The bell itself weighs 1,000 pounds. The hoist on deck takes up a 10-foot space and uses a heavy mount. The price of the diving bell includes the air pump, hoist, and bell.
Diving Bell: Medium vehicle; Seaworthiness +0; Shiphandling -; Speed -; Overall AC 5; Hull hp 80 (hardness 6); Ram -; Mounts - Space 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Height 0 ft. (draft 5 ft.); Watch 1; Complement 2; Cargo 200 pounds; Cost 4,000 gp (bell) or 7,000 gp (bell, pump, and hoist).
Grappling Ramp
This structure is a long ramp and frame that resembles a small drawbridge. When an enemy ship is near, the grappling ramp is dropped, so that it forms a bridge to the other vessel. The top end of the grappling ramp is usually fitted with iron spikes, cleats, or grapnels so that its drop drives the ramp into the enemy vessel's deck, holding it fast. A grappling ramp gives you a +4 bonus on Profession (sailor) checks to initiate a grapple with another ship or to maintain a grapple from a foe who wants to escape (see Special Maneuvers), but no bonus on resisting another ship's attempt to grapple your own vessel. It also creates a five-foot-wide bridge to the other vessel's deck. A grappling ramp has a space of 10 feet and weighs 1,000 pounds. It requires a heavy mount.
Netting
Designed to hinder boarders, ship's netting consists of a sturdy net of tarred rope that is rigged 10 feet or more above the gunwales. A creature attempting to climb over the rail or gunwale and board the ship (or attempting to leave the ship, for that matter) can't pass through the netting, but it's perfectly feasible to make attacks through the netting. Piercing weapons or ranged weapons can be used through the netting at no penalty; slashing or bludgeoning weapons can only be used against foes adjacent to the netting, and take a -4 penalty on attack rolls.
A 5-foot section of netting has hardness 2 (the rope is heavily tarred) and 20 hit points. Piercing weapons and bludgeoning weapons deal one-quarter damage to netting instead of the normal one-half damage when attacking an object.
Rigging ship's netting takes 1 hour of work. The number of crewmembers required depends on the size of the netting: 1 crewmember for large, 4 for Huge, 8 for Gargantuan, and 12 for Colossal.