Naval Combat

Ship combat is handled similarly to individual combat. Ship combat is broken into Strategic Rounds, which occur at the beginning of every round. During each Strategic Round, each ship must make one Manoeuvre Action and may make one Shooting Action during its turn. Each of these Actions must be performed by a separate Explorer. Any Explorers who did not perform either Action may perform an Extended Action instead, or they may act normally as individuals. These Actions may be performed in any order desired. PCs and NPCs taking part in any one of these actions may not act during the ensuing combat round.

Maneuver Actions
In marine combat, the distance between ships and the distance a ship moves on its Strategic Turn is measured in 5 foot squares.

Half way through a ship’s move it may turn. Transports, raiders, frigates, and other ships of equivalent size can turn up to 45 degrees to the left or right (or port and starboard). Unless otherwise stated, all other ships may turn up to 22.5 degrees instead (every two squares forward takes it 1 square left or right). This default movement does not require any Skill Test, but a ship’s helmsman can attempt the following Maneuver to modify the vessel’s movement. It is best to think of this as a an arc instead of a square, right turn.

A ships generally cruises at its max speed. In all other cases, the captain must specify the speed at which his ship travels.

When a ship takes its Maneuver Action, it chooses one of the following.

Adjust Bearing
This is used to decrease the distance a ship must move before it can turn. The helmsman makes a DC 22 Maneuverability Test. On a success, the ship may turn after moving one square less than half its move for that turn. For every 4 points of success, it may turn after moving one less square. A ship must move at least one square before turning. Once the ship has turned, it must move the remaining distance.

Adjust Speed
This is used to adjust the distance a ship is required to move. The First Mate makes a DC 16 Maneuverability Test. On a success, he may increase or decrease the number of squares his ship moves by one. For 4 points of success, he may increase or decrease that number by an additional one. The ship may not move less than 0 squares forward. The number of squares the ship moves this turn becomes its new base speed. A ship can never exceed its max speed.

Adjust Speed & Bearing
A ship’s crew may attempt both the “Adjust Speed” and the “Adjust Bearing” actions in the same turn. If they do, both checks are made at a -4 penalty.

Come to New Heading
This is used to make radical course changes. The helmsman makes a DC 28 Maneuverability Test. Success means the ship may turn when it has moved half its Speed value, then turn again when it has moved its full Speed value. The ship suffers –20 to any Ballistic Skill Tests to fire its weapons during this turn.

Disrupt Boarding
If a ship is being boarded it may attempt to break the remaining grapples that bind it and escape the boarding action. The Helmsman makes a DC 16 + (1 per attached grapple) maneuverability test. If successful the ship is no longer being boarded and may immediately either turn up to its max turn or attempt an Adjust Speed action (if the rigging crew is available). If the other ship wishes, they may contest this action by attempting a DC 18 maneuverability test to stay alongside their quarry. If they succeed with more points than the other ship, the Disrupt Boarding attempt automatically fails.

Evasive Manoeuvres
This is used to help avoid enemy fire and can only be attempted in a Keeled craft. The helmsman makes a DC 20 Maneuverability Test. Success (and every 4 additional points beyond success) imposes a –1 penalty to all shooting directed against the ship, except for the hull, until the beginning of its next Turn. The ship suffers the same penalty to its own shooting during this time. This represents rocking the ship back and forth in order to make more difficult the task of hitting the crew or the ship’s weapons. Moving around the ship at this time must be done at half movement. A character may attempt to avoid this by making a DC 18 balance check. If they fail by 5 or more they fall prone. Every additional 5 points of failure sends them flying 1 square in a random direction.

Extended Actions
Extended Actions are only available to characters who have not taken part in Maneuver or Shooting Actions this turn.

Aid the Rigging Crew
The character must make a DC 16 climb or use rope check to provide heroic aide to the rigging crew. On a success, the character may add +1 to the ship’s Maneuverability for the remainder of the turn. For every 6 by which this check succeeds, the character may add an additional +1.

Disinformation
The character makes a DC20 moral (bluff or diplomacy) check. If he succeeds, he can increase the crew’s Morale by 1d4 and by an additional 1 for every 4 points the check succeeded for the duration of the combat. These moral points are spent first and disappear at the end of combat. These points always disappear at the beginning of the next Disinformation check.

Emergency Repairs
The character makes a DC 20 Craft (any reasonable) Test to plug holes, restring ballistas, and the like. If he succeeds, she repairs one Component. Repairs normally take 1d5 turns, however, this can be reduced by one turn per 4 points of success, to a minimum of one turn. Emergency Repairs cannot fix destroyed Components. Casting spells such as mending as part of this action give the character +3, and an additional +3 per spell level. This take 1 minute (+2 DC per round hurried)

Flank Speed
The character must make a DC 22 Maneuverability Test to nurse the ship’s crew and sails and push them to their limits. Success means the ship may move an additional square this turn, even beyond its max speed. Every 4 degrees of success allows an additional square of movement. Failure by 5 or more means the ship immediately loses a random member of the rigging crew. Failure by 9 or more means the ship immediately suffers a Masts Crippled critical hit as ropes snap and sails fly loose.

Spot the Enemy
This test is used to try to pick out enemy officers and special components. If the character is looking for officers he may be forced to make a sense motive test instead of a spot test.

Launch Rowboats
The pilot of the Rowboat(s) being launched makes a pilot (small crafts) check to successfully launch the craft. The DC is equal to twice the ship’s speed. Failure indicates that the ship begins floundering and requires 1 round of bailing out per 4 points of failure. A natural 1 may render the ship upside down.

Lock on Target
The character makes a DC 20 spot check to spot weak spots on an enemy vessel. If successful, he adds a +1 bonus to the attack roll to fire one Weapon Component during this turn. Every two additional degrees of success add an additional +1 to the same Test.

Put Your Backs Into It!
The character makes a DC 18 moral (Intimidate or Diplomacy) check. If he succeeds, he can choose to add +2 to an attack roll to fire a Weapon Component, Launch Rowboats Action, Maneuverability check, an Emergency Repairs Action, or an attempt to put out a fire made during this turn. He may aid an additional Attack roll, Emergency Repairs Action, Launch Rowboats Action, or to one maneuverability check for every 5 points he exceeded the check.

Triage
The character makes a DC 20 Heal check. If he succeeds, he reduces any damage to Crew Population by 1, plus 1 for every 6 points that he passed the check. Triage may  cancel Crew Population damage suffered during any turn within 30 seconds, but each lapsed turn adds 3 to the DC. Triage renders the crew member at -6 hitpoints. A single “cure” spell may be cast during the attempt, providing a +2 bonus per spell level to the check and resolving on a saved crew member if the check is successful. If the check is unsuccessful the spell is wasted.

Shooting Actions
Each Weapon Component (both catapults, heavy ballistae, and ballistae batteries) aboard a ship has the following statistics:

• Strength: This is the maximum number of hits a ballistae battery can land on an enemy ship.

• Damage: This is the Damage each hit deals.

• Crit Rating: This is the number of points the attack roll must exceed by to score a critical hit on the target.

• Range: This is the range of the weapon. ship weapons may be fired at targets no farther away than twice the weapon’s range–which applies a -3 penalty. Firing at a range less than 100 feet gives a +2 bonus to ballistas but renders catapults able only to target the enemy rigging.

When firing a Weapon Component, the character directing the fire makes a ranged attack roll, adding in any appropriate modifiers. Characters may direct the fire of more than one Weapon Component. Different Weapon Components may be fired by different characters if the party chooses. A ship’s weapons may be directed against multiple targets.

Firing arcs
Front (fore), port (left), starboard (right), and rear (aft)- determine which direction a Weapon Component may fire. Firing arcs extend in a 90 degree arc from the center of the vessel. Center-mounted weapons on pivots may fire to the fore, port, and starboard. Port weapons can fire to the port firing arc; Starboard weapons to the starboard firing arc. Mast weapons may fire in any direction.

When firing a catapult treat it in every way like a normal attack. For every 4 points by which an attack succeeds, deal an additional point of damage to crew population.

When firing a heavy ballista treat it in every way as a normal attack. If a heavy ballista is loaded with boarding rounds (see below) it has its range reduced to 3/4s.

When firing a weapon, if the character rolls a number of points of success equal to the weapon’s Crit Rating, the shot has caused a Critical Hit. If the shot does not do any damage to Hull Integrity, inflict 1 automatic point of damage. Then roll 1d5 on the Critical Hit chart and apply the result to the target.

Damage and Defenses
There are two principal defenses for ships: armor and hull integrity.

the damage for each hit is rolled and added together. The ship’s armor value is subtracted from the damage total. If the result is zero or less, the target’s Armour has successfully protected the vessel. If the result is more than zero, the target loses that many points of Hull Integrity.

Hull Integrity can be considered similar to a ship’s HP. It is a measure of how tough the vessel is, and how much damage it can take before being blown open. For every 5 points of hull integrity, a ship loses 1 point of moral. For every 10 points of Hull Integrity a ship loses, it loses 1 Crew.

When a ship reaches 0 Hull Integrity, it becomes Crippled. Apply a –6 penalty to its Maneuverability and reduce its Speed to half. In addition, reduce the strength of all weapon Components by half (round up). A ship will remain Crippled (and continue to suffer these effects) until it has regained at least 1 Hull Integrity. When a Crippled ship takes damage past its Armour, it takes a Critical Hit. Compare the value of the damage that exceeded the Armour to the Critical Hit chart. The ship suffers this Critical Hit result. A ship immediately suffers 4 points of moral damage when it takes a critical hit.

The following is the Critical Hit chart for ships, and should be used when a weapon’s attack roll has met its Crit Rating, or when a crippled ship takes damage. Roll 1-4

1 - Breached: the ship is hit just below its waterline. The ship must devote 2 crew to bailing out the ship. If it does not it takes 2 point of hull damage per round. This effect can stack

2 - Weapons damaged: the attacker chooses one weapon component of the struck ship to render damaged. This effect also kills an additional crew member.

3 - Crew Slaughtered: Too many crew members have been hit by the splintering shrapnel and knocked free of the rigging. The Attacker picks a component. That component lose 3 crew (in addition to any other crew loss)

4 - Mast/Oars Crippled: The ship has its maneuverability reduced by 6 and all checks to change speed are impossible. The ship reduces its current speed by 5 feet every round.

5 - Rudder Damaged: The ship has its maneuverability reduced by 12 when attempting to turn. The ship’s helmsman must attempt a DC 16 maneuverability test to turn the ship even at its base amount per round.

6 - Helm Destroyed: The ship can not turn.

7 - Component Destroyed: the attacker chooses one component to totally destroy.

8 - Hull Rent: the ship is no longer buoyant, and sinks beneath the waves in 3-6 rounds.

Boarding
When two ships come within 100 feet of each other one may attempt to start a boarding action. This involves throwing ropes and chains to tie the two vessels together. This may only be done by two ships of reasonably similar size. The Boarding Team makes DC 15 a use rope check or a ranged touch attack (AC16) for each 4 levels it has. Success, and each 4 points above that threshold, means a chain is added connecting the ships. Ballista and Heavy Ballista may be loaded with boarding rounds, which, if they deal 1 point of damage to the enemy hull, count as a chain as long as the the target is within 100 feet. If at least 5 chains land then both ships now count as boarded and can not turn. If one ship succeeds on the Disrupt Boarding action the effect immediately ends. The chains connecting the ships may be traversed with a DC 14 climb or use rope check (DC 18 1 handed, DC 23 no handed). Success indicates that the climber moves 20 squares per move action dedicated to climbing. Failure means that the climber advances 1 square and loses their turn. Anyone who fails by 5 or more must make a DC (same as climb DC) reflex save or fall. Disembarking from the rope may be accomplished by either sacrificing 1 square of movement and provoking an attack of opportunity or by using a move action and not provoking. Characters climbing a rope suffer -3 to AC. Of Course, adventurous characters may chose to swing across the divide between ships, which can be accomplished only if Newtonian laws are satisfied and the character succeeds on a DC 12 jump or balance check.

Ship Teams (Hordes)
Large crew vs crew combat is generally expedited via Hordes.

A ship's crew is generally broken into 3 Hordes: the rigging/rowing team, the weapons team, and the boarding team. To form a team a group of NPCs must be working together, have similar weapons and attributes, and be organized into a team. A team Must have at least 4 members.

The rigging team does not actually occupy space on the decks, instead existing above the ship. A ship may also have, or may only have, a rowing team. This team stays at its oars while they are needed to maneuver the ship. Weapons teams are a horde as well, but they are always dispersed across the ship's weapon systems. It is important to keep track of whether or not a ship has enough members of its weapon team to use all of its weapons. Finally, and most importantly, a ship will often have a boarding team, representing the members of the crew who are currently allocated to participate in boarding actions. Because the captain will likely wish to allocated crew to this team, as a rule of thumb a creature can leave or enter a horde as a move action. The exception to this is the rigging team, which must make a successful DC 14 climb, use rope, or jump check to join a different horde if they are currently involved in the rigging. Failure indicates that they do not join the horde until the end of the hordes next turn.