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Thread: Fatebreaker's Guide to Naval Surface Warfare

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07-16-2015, 11:09 PM #1
Fatebreaker
Warrior
So! You want to run a naval game. Great! After all, who doesn't
love pirates? And, of course, those awesome pirates get to go
open in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API pdfcrowd.com
with you everywhere! Huzzah! Plus, you and your built-in cast of
recurring characters have an awesome ship to sail around in, and
let's be honest, you can find adventure just about anywhere in a
Join Date: Nov 2012 party boat stuffed with explosives and rum. How can this possibly
Posts: 45 go wrong?
Well, quite easily, actually. There actually aren't any rules for
larger ships. There are some very fine rules for smaller ships (in
Bitter Medicine), plus rules for chase scenes (in the
aforementioned smaller ships), but nothing yet for full-blown
warships.
"That's okay," you say, "we'll just handwave everything and let
the GM figure it out." And that is totally a fair response. I want
you to have fun in the way which works best for you and your
group. So waste no more time, get out there, and get on with
the high seas hijinks!
But maybe you want something just a little more detailed. Not
too detailed, mind you, just a little bit more. Something that lets
your ship play a role just as your warjack does. Something that
lets you leave your fate in the hands of fickle dice when your
"privateer" frigate pulls alongside that Mercarian League galleon,
just in time to watch all their gunports open and unleash a hellish
barrage of smoke and fire and steel. And if you want that little bit
of extra detail, just enough for that spice of uncertainty, then
welcome to Fatebreaker's Guide to Naval Surface Warfare!
Table of Contents:
1. Rules for Sailing
2. Ship to Ship Combat
3. Who's Who at Sea
4. Historical Ships As Inspiration & Guidelines
5. Ships of the Iron Kingdoms
A few quick points before we move on. Life at sea is hard, and
the crew around you matters a great deal. So social checks and
command checks are probably going to be important. A major
warship has more crew and guns than is feasible for most groups
to actually roll for, so a great many things are simplified for the
sake of getting on to the action. If you're looking for a
standalone sailing simulator, then... this is not it. But if you want
your players to be influential characters in a naval-themed game,
then maybe this is for you! Any feedback is always welcome, so I
can update and refine these rules over time. In the meantime,
enjoy!
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07-16-2015, 11:10 PM #2
Fatebreaker
Warrior
Rules for Sailing
The rules for sailing are set out on page 191 of the Iron
Kingdoms: Full Metal Fantasy core ruleboook. There's no real
need to reinvent the wheel here, but there is one major change I
would recommend. The rules say that, "when working as a team
Join Date: Nov 2012 to sail a boat or ship, the players must select one character to
Posts: 45 captain their efforts. For each character trained in Sailing
(including an non-player sailors), add 1 to the captain's result."
That's fine on a riverboat or a sloop, but on a warship with
hundreds of crew, that rapidly gets out of hand. As such, I use
the following modifications for ships of the line.
If a player character is an officer, have them roll a command or

social check (as appropriate) to order, cajole, inspire, or threaten
the crew; for every two points the check exceeds the target
number, add 1 to the result of the component's own check.
Key skills aboard ship could include sailing, navigation, rope use,
mechanikal engineering, artillery, detection, and of course,
mechanikal engineering, artillery, detection, and of course,
various command and social checks as appropriate. Wise players
may also be interested in gambling. Hopefully, neither swimming
nor medicine will ever be required.
Sailors By Nation:
Cygnar: +1 to Artillery RAT & Mechanikal Engineering
Ord: +1 to Sailing & Command
Khador (Khardstadt "volunteer"): -1 to Sailing & Command
Khador (Patriot): +2 to Command
Cryx (Satyxis): +2 to Sailing
Cryx (Pirate): ???
Pirates & Other: ???
Pirates, privateers, merchants, and "other" sailors vary wildly in

their skills. The above numbers are just suggestions, and
individual crews may differ.
Weather, Wind, & Obstacles:

Weather: Weather can impair a ship's attempts to sail and
navigate. Storms can be dangerous, but even when the ship is
not in danger, the crew themselves may be. Rain can make the
deck slippery, wind can pitch a man from the rigging, and
darkness can impair vision. Bad weather can impose a penalty
from -2 to -3 to any relevant check.
Wind: Due to the prevalence of steam-powered ships, the effects
of wind are not nearly as dominant as they used to be. Still, wind
matters, even if only to avoid burning through the entire supply
of coal. As such, wind can impose or grant a penalty or bonus
from -1 to +2, as appropriate, to any sailing check.
Obstacles: Obstacles could include reefs, islands, shipwrecks,
and anything which might impair the progress of a ship. These
should present no real danger in good weather and under no
duress, so long as they are marked on a map, nautical chart, or
rutter. However, they make excellent complications in a chase or
a combat scene!
Note that in heavy weather, a ship can suffer penalties due to

Note that in heavy weather, a ship can suffer penalties due to
rain, but also gain bonuses from a favorable wind. A ship can also
suffer from both bad weather and bad wind. The GM is the final
arbiter, of course.
Chase Scenes:
While the phrase "chase" conjures up a high-speed pursuit, a
chase might be equally suitable for two groups of ships
attempting to beat each other to a location, or a ship attempting
to reach somewhere within a time limit. A sea-chase is a great
opportunity for tension. Remember, at sea, it's hard to hide, so
chases can be long, slow affairs compared to what takes place
on land. Ships might attempt to gain enough of a lead during the
day to run dark and change course at night, then hope that the
enemy loses you. Ships also contain very few guns capable of
firing fore or aft, which lets you play up the tension with
intermittent fire.
First, assemble a tracker showing the relative progress of each

ship. I recommend that you have characters roll one action per
hour of a chase, though may feel free to adjust this to suit your
circumstances. If enough of the characters succeed, their crew
managers to close the gap or extend the lead by one space.
Particularly strong rolls (or particularly weak ones) may change
the relative positions by an additional space, as appropriate.
Which skills are relevant in a chase may change according to the

scenario. Good options include:
1. Sailing, to sail.
2. Navigation, to know where you are, where you're
trying to get, and how best to get there. Navigators
might be able to offer advice on how the prey might
attempt to escape, or good opportunities to escape if
you have the misfortune to be the prey.
3. Rope Use, to ensure that the million and one ropes
aboard the ship are doing what they're supposed to
be doing.
4. Artillery, to fire bow or stern chase guns.
4. Artillery, to fire bow or stern chase guns.
5. Detection, to spot enemy vessels, to spot reefs and
other hazards below the waves, to spot land, or to
notice changes in the enemy's sailing or behavior.
6. Mechanikal Engineering, to get the most out of the
boiler, the engines, and the paddlewheels.
7. Oratory, Command, Intimidation, Etc., for getting the
crew to do what must be done. Bolstering their spirits
with tales of past exploits, enticing them with tales
of the upcoming loot, or reminding them that being
captured by Cryxian pirates is a very bad thing are all
great ways to get the crew to perform better at their
own tasks.
Rather than having contested rolls, decide what number of

successes are required each hour in order to close the gap or
extend a lead between pursuer and prey. The more skilled the
opponent, the more successes must be rolled across all players.
This not only speeds up play, but also lets everyone contribute,
and also emphasizes the communal nature of success and failure
aboard ship.
Once the two ships are on the same space on the tracker, the
chase is over. If the two ships were hostile, the predator has
caught the prey, which must now resort to ship to ship combat
or perish on the high seas!
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07-16-2015, 11:10 PM #3
Fatebreaker
Warrior
Ship to Ship Combat
Once two ships have engaged one another in combat, a tense
seagoing artillery duel follows. If one side is fortunate, the other
ship will strike its colors and surrender. If not, the pair will have
to go on hurling iron at one another until one ship sinks, escapes,
Join Date: Nov 2012 or closes for a boarding action. If a ship escapes, resume a chase
Posts: 45 scene (if necessary). If a boarding action takes place, commence
with a normal combat encounter where the two ships become the
environment. However, so long as neither ship escapes or boards,
then it's time to give 'em a broadside!
Distance & Maneuver: Distance is measured in "sea units," an

abstract unit of measurement which compares the relative
distance between two ships. At range zero, a boarding action
takes place. At range four, a ship escapes. The player-character
ship should roll a sailing check to keep the enemy vessel in range
of their guns (or, if they're running, attempt to evade). Success
allows them to move one sea unit closer, stay where they are, or
move one sea unit away.
Firing: Roll 2d6 to hit as normal, adding the RAT of the

crew/gunner (default to 5). Assign penalties or bonuses from
sailing, sea conditions, magical influence, etc. No aiming is
allowed, unless the cannon has a means of doing so (such as a
turret or barbette mount), as most shipboard cannon mostly face
one direction, and are "aimed" by moving the ship. For
convenience, gun decks are treated as a single weapon (a
"battery") and count as firing the same ammunition. Ships of the
line have a DEF of 7, but gain a cumulative +1 DEF for every sea
unit of range. For every three points by which a RAT roll beats a
ship’s DEF, add +1 to the POW as more shots from the battery
strike home.
Damage: Roll POW+2d6 vs. ARM as normal, including any

bonuses. Weapons not mounted in a battery only deal d3
damage, unless they would deal less. On-hit affects are still
applied.
Damage Capacity: For every point by which a shot beats a ship's

ARM, the ship suffers one point of damage. When a damage roll
exceeds a ship's damage threshold, the damage is applied to the
ship’s damage capacity, plus one of its subsystems ( 1 – 2 guns,
3 – 4 crew, 5 – 6 sails) also suffers damage equal to the excess
damage. When a subsystem has no more health, the ship suffers
penalties. When a ship has no more health, it begins to sink. How
quickly it sinks is up the GM. Time to swim!
Guns
All ship guns count as artillery, and can therefore damage other
ships.
Deck Guns: Small, lightweight cannons, deck guns are great for
hammering smaller vessels or delivering canister at pesky crews!
Deck guns have a range of 2 sea units and a POW of 13.
Heavy Guns: Reliable, deadly, and accurate. Heavy guns have a
range of 3 sea units and a POW of 15.
Royal Weight Guns: Royal weight cannons are the kings of the
sea, with massive power. Royal weight cannons have a range of
2 sea units and a POW 18.
Ammuntion
Roundshot: Roundshot adds +1 to the range, allowing it to be
fired during the final stages of a chase, and +1 to the POW of
the gun.
Canister: If canister deals any damage, an additional point of
damage is assigned to the crew subsystem.
Chainshot: If chainshot deals any damage, an additional point of
damage is assigned to the sails subsystem.
Alchemical: Alchemical rounds are a catch-all category, and
could consist of incendiary or corrosive shot, explosives, or any
number of other wacky effects. Be creative, have fun. Alchemical
rounds do not affect the range or POW of a gun battery unless
they gain an ability which does so.
Subsystems
Guns: When the gun system is disabled, the ship rolls one less d6
for damage.
Crew: When the crew are disabled, the ship suffers -2 to all
sailing, artillery, and mechanikal engineering rolls.
Sails: When the sails (and/or the engines & paddle wheel) are
disabled, the ship cannot maneuver in combat. Once out of
combat, it may attempt to limp back to port.
The GM may assign further penalties as necessary.
Last edited by Fatebreaker; 07-16-2015 at 11:14 PM.
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07-16-2015, 11:11 PM #4
Fatebreaker
Warrior
Who's Who at Sea:
Cryx:
In many ways, Cryx is the premier naval powerhouse of the Iron
Kingdoms. Cryx maintains a vast and diverse fleet, ranging from
Join Date: Nov 2012 the legendary Blackships to the haunted vessels of the Ghost
Posts: 45 Fleet, and the Scharde Isles swarm with hundreds upon hundreds
of lesser pirate ships. Cryx combines occult strength and
necromantic power with diverse swarms of vicious and merciless
killers. To sail the seas of Cryx is to court death.
Cygnar:
Commanded by Navarch Govan Trent from the Sentinel Point
Naval Fortress, the Cygnaran Navy is highly advanced, highly
trained, and thoroughly overstretched. Three distinct fleets
handle the three broad theaters in which Cygnaran admirals can
expect to operate, with the threat of Cryx predominant. While
Ord maintains a stronger cultural sailing tradition, Cygnar is
forever pushing the boundaries of naval science, compensating
for enemies on all sides with newer and more fantastic
technologies.
Ord:
The Ordic Navy is Ord's claim to military fame. While their army
has learned to do a lot with a little, the Ordic Navy receives
relatively ample funding, resources, personnel, and training. Still,
this is Ord, and its relative poverty (compared to its larger
neighbors) means that the navy has had to practice a long
tradition of retrofitting older vessels to bring them up to modern
standards in order to stay competitive. That said, the Ordic love
of the sea has also allowed them to focus on naval technologies
and training. The first true ironclad vessel was Ordic (the
Sprightly). Ord is also known for its exceptional fleet tactics,
thanks in part to the combination of the scholarly education its
officers receive at the Royal Naval Academy and the practical
on-the-job training they receive at sea. Ord also trains
warcasters & naval arcanists at the Trident School. At this time,
Ord can field 90 ships of the line, and twice as many smaller
vessels.
Khador:
Both in cultural and geopolitical terms, Khador is predominantly a
land power. As such, its navy receives neither the support nor
the acclaim of the army. However, Fleet Admiral Donekev is
determined to rebuild, revitalize, and modernize the Khadoran
Navy after its near-total destruction at the hands of Cryx. The
new Khadoran Navy emphasizes aggression when selecting
officers for promotion, suggesting that Fleet Admiral Donekev
envisions a naval expansion to match the conquests in Llael and
the Thornwood. Aside from the traditional military and merchant
navies, Khador also maintains a whaling fleet.
Others:
Pirates & privateers, merchants & the Mercarian League -- the
sea is crawling with folks who owe allegiance to coin over cause.
The Mercarian League in particular is wealthy, powerful, and
ruthless, maintaining strong connections across the Iron
Kingdoms and beyond to the distant continent of Zu. However,
the wealth of the Mercarian League attracts enemies, in
particular the shipping concerns of House Mateu of Ord.
Meanwhile, the port of Five Fingers (and lesser ports of dubious
nature, such as Clocker's Cove and Carre Dova) plays host to
"independent operators" of all stripes, including famous pirate-
warcasters like Captains Phinneus Shae and his frigate, the
Talion.
Last edited by Fatebreaker; 07-16-2015 at 11:13 PM.
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07-16-2015, 11:12 PM #5
Fatebreaker
Warrior
Historical Ships As Inspiration & Guidelines:
So, you want to run a game at sea. But what kind of ships exist
at sea in the Iron Kingdoms? The Iron Kingdoms, Warmachine,
and Hordes deal mostly with land-based conflicts, which makes
sense given that many factions are entirely land-locked or simply
Join Date: Nov 2012 unconcerned with the ocean. Kings, Nations, & Gods touches on
Posts: 45 naval matters here and there, and both Forces of Warmachine:
Cryx and Forces of Warmachine: Mercenaries each discuss the
subject, but if you're looking for more detail, where do you look?
Why, history, of course! Iron Kingdoms vessels have

characteristics which can be compared roughly to ships ranging
from the Napoleonic Wars to just prior to World War I, or
approximately a one hundred year span of our own naval history.
Pure sailing ships are on the way out, pre-dreadnought ships are
on the way in, and we find ourselves in the middle ground of the
steam-and-sail hybrids of historical ironclads. While there is not a
direct one-to-one comparison, players and GM's looking for ideas
can find plenty of inspiration in our own time. A few minutes on
wikipedia can go a long way. I recommend three sections in
particular, since each has something to contribute:
Age of Sail: Age of Sail warships ("ships of the line") were triple-
masted, with one to three decks of various types of cannons
along their flanks for delivering broadsides at relatively close
range. Given the technological progress of the Iron Kingdoms, the
addition of steam-powered paddle wheels means that, strictly
speaking, the age of sail is over (outside of the Ghost Fleet and
assorted older vessels). However, judging from artwork, fiction,
and descriptions, even the steam-augmented ships of the Iron
Kingdoms draw heavily from ships of this era. the rating system of
the Royal Navy is shared (in spirit, if not exactly) by the
Cygnaran Navy.
Ironclads: Ironclads are, oddly enough, clad in iron! This marks

one of the major points of departure from the prior age of sail, as
does the growing inclusion of steam power. Limitations on engine
efficiency saw some classes of ironclad keep their sails as a
secondary and ancillary means of propulsion. Ironhulls and
ironclads are a diverse lot. Examples which match the Iron
Kingdoms aesthetic include HMS Warrior and the French-built
Gloire, rather than the box-like CSS Virginia or USS Monitor,
which are more appropriate for river or coastal vessels.
Pre-dreadnought: The Dreadnought was a historical vessel

whose design rendered obsolete an entire generation of ships.
This generation was retroactively dubbed the "pre-dreadnought"
generation. Their primary characteristics included heavy steel
armor, barbette- or turret-mounted mounted main gun batteries
backed by one or more secondary batteries, and a steam-
propulsion system. Certain newer Cygnaran vessels are blurring
the line between older ironclads and newer pre-dreadnoughts,
which matches with our own history, where the transition is still
not entire clear, even in hindsight.
So, given that none of the three categories truly fit, what can
we learn?
For starters, this patchwork spectrum is an amazing opportunity

for gamemasters. Cygnar is perpetually designing new ships and
technologies, Khador is rebuilding their fleet after the disaster of
Port Vladovar, and Ord has a knack for retrofitting older vessels
to keep them up to speed with newer ships. Cryx, of course, is
an amalgamation of both the very old and the very new. And
while pirates & privateers probably make do with older ships,
Broadside Bart's heavily rebuilt Tordoran galleon, the Calamitas,
shows just how dangerous older vessels can be! This means that,
as a GM, you have a fairly generous safety net in terms of what
kinds of ships your players encounter, even if one or more of your
players knows a thing or two about historical naval vessels.
Different technologies emerging at different points in time, plus
things like warjacks and magic which have no historical analogue,
will naturally create differences which you can exploit for the
sake of your plot. For example, the pirate vessel Talion is a forty-
gun frigate, which equates roughly with a fifth-rate from our own
history. That said, even a brief glance at the artwork reveals two
major differences: steam-powered paddle wheels, and a forward
barbette for the Commodore, a royal-weight cannon. The Talion
is otherwise a fairly conventional ship. On the other hand, Cygnar
has launched a pair of submarines (the Intruder and the Reliant),
so don't let your plot (or your sense of awesome) be constrained
by one particular time period.
Additionally, in the Iron Kingdoms, offensive power is much more

heavily weighted than defensive power, and this shows, too.
While Cygnar uses the rating system, historically a third-rate ship
mounted somewhere in the 64 to 80 gun range across two decks,
while according to Kings, Nations, & Gods, a Cygnaran third-rate
carries "three gun decks of more than 50 guns each on its port
and starboard sides." Does that mean that each side has more
than 50 guns, for a total of over 100? Or that each deck has
more than 50 guns, for a total of 150+ per side and 300+ per
ship? Either way, a Cygnaran third-rater packs more punch than
a British first-rate, and that's before we get into warjacks, magic,
and steam! And the Calamitas has a whopping five whole decks
of guns. This is a good thing for GM's looking to actually run
combats between ships, since it gives you the ability to resolve
long-range gunnery duels faster without breaking suspension of
disbelief. Naturally, if you want a slow, durable slugfest, you can
do that, too.
As far as actual details, first, I presume that most ships are some
combination of steam-and-sail hybrid. If a ship lacks steam-
power, I presume that it is either an older vessel whose owners
are too poor to afford better, or else a pleasure yacht of the
eccentrically rich. If a ship lacks sail power, I presume that it is
very advanced. Since I cannot find any in-game examples of a
steam-only ship of the line which is not Cygnaran, I also presume
that it is part of the Cygnaran ironhull fleet, or else an
experimental craft from another nation. Certain Cryxian vessels
(the ships of the Black Fleet and the spectral vessels of the
Ghost Fleet) are able to either control the weather or sail
regardless of mortal winds, and so are treated as "steam only"
even they have sails.
Second, I presume that most ships are primarily made of wood.

According to Kings, Nations, & Gods, Cygnar and Ord are explicitly
stated to already have ironhull vessels, while the Khadorans
either already have them or are attempting to build them. These
could be either wooden vessels sheathed in metal plating, or true
metal-hulled ships. Cryx, due both to their sheer variety and
habit of plundering the best ideas from everybody, could have
wood, metal-sheathed, or true metal hulls. Also, more powerful
vessels could use occult means to make metal-equivalent hulls
from wood.
Third, I presume that most ships still fight with broadside tactics:
sail alongside the enemy and blast them into sharkbait.
Engagements are close-range affairs, and true turret-mounted
weapons are usually found only on newer (or extensively
retrofitted) vessels.
Lastly, I presume that ships of this size are simply too powerful
to be hurt by anything less than artillery, some warjack weapons,
or magic. On-hit effects may still work (huzzah for fire!), but your
repeater pistol just isn't going to cut it.
So if you're looking for inspiration, feel free to plunder from

history. There's some cool stuff there.
Next up, we'll discuss the ships of the Iron Kingdoms!
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07-16-2015, 11:12 PM #6
Fatebreaker
Warrior
Ships of the Iron Kingdoms:
So, taking both the information available from Privateer Press,
and filling in the gaps with historical influence, let's look at the
ships for my naval warfare rules. Unless otherwise specified, I am
only discussing ships of the line, rather than smaller riverboats,
Join Date: Nov 2012 sloops, schooners, etc. Privateer Press has already provided rules
Posts: 45 for smaller ships in Bitter Medicine, which work just fine. Larger
ships, however, are on an entirely different scale; you could play
a game of Warmachine on a table designed to be two frigates in
a boarding action against one another.
I use the Royal Navy rating system as a rough guide for ranking
I use the Royal Navy rating system as a rough guide for ranking
the size and power of different ships. As discussed earlier, the
Cygnaran Navy and the Royal Navy do not always agree, but it's
convenient enough for quick comparisons and rough adaptations.
For our purposes, I've only put together the odd-numbered rates,
as the remaining ships represent a distinction without a
difference. Most GM's will probably only need these three here,
and tweaking the numbers to make the rest is easy enough.
First Rate:
Description: The first-rate warship is a monster: big, dangerous,
and tough. However, it sacrifices some speed and
maneuverability in exchange for raw firepower. A first-rate ship
makes an excellent flagship for a fleet, where other ships can
help cover for its weaknesses, and its firepower and survivability
can keep an admiral afloat and in command.
DEF: 7
ARM: 18
Gun Decks:
1x Deck Gun Battery (port, starboard)
1x Heavy Gun Battery (port, starboard, fore, aft)
3x Royal Weight Gun Batteries (port, starboard)
Skill Modifiers: -2 to Sailing, +2 to Command
Damage Capacity: 125
Damage Threshold: 10
Guns: 10
Crew: 10
Sails: 10
Special Rules:
Ship of the Line
Rolling Thunder: All Royal Weight Gun Batteries adds +1d6
to damage rolls
Third Rate:
Description: The third-rate warship is a balance between
firepower, survivability, speed, and handling. It is the workhorse
of the fleet, the solid backbone of the navy. It mounts cannons
on three decks, along with both fore and aft chasers for pursuit
work.
DEF: 7
ARM: 18
Gun Decks:
1x Heavy Gun Battery (port, starboard, fore, aft)
2x Royal Weight Gun Batteries (port, starboard)
Skill Modifiers: None.
Damage Capacity: 100
Guns: 10
Crew: 10
Sails: 10
Special Rules:
Ship of the Line
to damage rolls
Fifth Rate:
Description:
DEF: 7
ARM: 16
Gun Decks:
1x Heavy Gun Battery (fore, aft) & 1x Royal Weight Gun
Battery (port, starboard)
Skill Modifiers: -1 to Sailing
Damage Capacity: 75
Guns: 5
Crew: 5
Sails: 5
Special Rules:
Ship of the Line
to damage rolls
Ship of the Line Special Rules:
Structure At Sea: Due to scale, a ship of the line is immune to all
damage which does not result from artillery, an AoE, fire or
corrosion damage, magical attacks, magical weapons, or a POW
14 weapon. A GM may choose to ignore this rule if circumstances
warrant; for example, if a character has the opportunity to
directly attack the helm or rudder of a ship, the GM may allow
the character to impair the ability of the crew to control the
vessel. Weapons may still apply on-hit effects.
Flammable: Fire damage and the continuous fire effect roll an
additional die on the damage roll against ships of the line.
Sturdy: A ship of the line cannot be knocked down, slammed,
pushed, or thrown. A ship of the line is immune to effects which
make it stationary. A ship of the line instead suffers a -2 to any
sailing checks the next turn. At the GM's discretion, characters
aboard a ship may suffer these effects.
Fighting Platform: While aboard a ship of the line, characters can
still move and take their actions.
Ship of the Line Upgrades:

Alchemical Treatment: The ship no longer suffers from the
Flammable rule.
Ghost Ship: The vessel ignores any penalties for weather and/or
wind, and gains a +2 bonus to Sailing checks. Crew members who
die return to life elsewhere on the ship within d3 rounds. A ghost
ship usually has some arcane anchor to Caen, which, if
destroyed, will cause the ship and the souls trapped aboard to
evaporate and pass into Urcaen. Until this is destroyed, the ship
slowly repairs itself to full health outside of combat.
Ironclad: +4 to ARM.
Occult Vessel: The ship ignores any penalties for weather and/or
wind, and gains a +2 bonus to Sailing checks.
Steam Only: The vessel ignore penalties for wind (though not
other inclement weather), and gains a +2 bonus on Sailing
checks.
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07-16-2015, 11:13 PM #7
Fatebreaker
Warrior
Final Thoughts
I've posted quite a bit tonight, and there's a lot to review. If you
have any thoughts or feedback, I'd love to hear it. I'll be adding
to this over time, whether with more ship stats, revisions, new
special rules, and all sorts of fun things. If there's something y'all
Join Date: Nov 2012 are interested in seeing, let me know!
Posts: 45
Until then, clear skies, flowing seas, and good hunting!
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07-16-2015, 11:39 PM #8
Munindk
Destroyer of Worlds
Join Date: May 2007 This looks amazing!
Location: Denmark
Posts: 1,156 So far the only thing I'm missing is how many sailors it takes to
crew a ship.
Is it by rating or X number of sailors per gun?
Nevermind, found it here
Last edited by Munindk; 07-16-2015 at 11:43 PM. Reason: I should have
read the WIKI too...
Originally Posted by ChainGun
The thing I like the best about eButcher is that he

instantly transforms a bunch of socially awkward,
nerdy, forum posters into a vicious gang of blood
thirsty, testosterone laden, manly men.
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07-17-2015, 10:53 AM #9
Fatebreaker
Warrior
Originally Posted by Munindk
This looks amazing!
So far the only thing I'm missing is how many sailors

Join Date: Nov 2012 it takes to crew a ship.
Posts: 45 Is it by rating or X number of sailors per gun?
Nevermind, found it here
The sloop in Bitter Medicine requires a minimum of eight crew,

and can carry up to eight guns, each of which would require
between three to six additional crew. Meanwhile, a similarly sized
vessel in the Royal Navy would have a crew of twelve or more
simply to sail.
There's a bit of a rabbit hole here in terms of detail and
assumptions, but I would use the Royal Navy rating system as a
rough guideline, then adjust that figure if necessary. Fortunately,
most of the listed ships have a range of crew, and there's any
number of reasons why that number might fluctuate. Maybe a
ship is undermanned after a prior battle. Maybe a pirate captain,
looking to cut down on how many folks get a cut of the loot, only
has enough gunners to man the port or starboard guns at any
one time. Maybe changes to technology allow for more efficient
control of a ship. Maybe it's a Cryxian ghost ship and it can do
whatever it wants. As a random assumption from out of a hat, I
would figure that the minimum crew would be no less than two-
thirds of the "minimum" listed on the rating system. Below that,
it's time to start imposing penalties to sailing checks and the like.
For my campaign, I figure that there are certain groups aboard

ship whose numbers are largely irrelevant for gameplay purposes.
Okay, sure, each royal weight cannon requires a crew of about a
half-dozen gunners, but those gunners are pretty much tied to
the gun. If they're firing the cannon, they're not doing anything
else, so I don't need to worry about them. The guys in the boiler
room? They're all tied up in making mechanikal engineering checks
to keep the ship going. Really, by the time characters board an
enemy ship, I'm really only worried about marines, warjacks, and
couple of solos (officers and the like). I may drop d3 to d6 sailors
on them every other round as the crew swarms down from the
rigging or up from the hold, but once boarding happens, I let the
two crews cancel each other out and let the players take
center-stage at the crucial bits of the fighting.
Invenium viam aut faciam.

I will either find a way or I shall make one.
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07-21-2015, 07:30 PM #10
Arasaka
C onqueror
Damn fine work!
/salute
Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 414
Originally Posted by rocksalt
I can't take credit for this line but it pretty much

sums up my feelings for the current state of the
game: "Warmachine/Hordes is the most expensive
game of rock, paper, scissors I've ever played".
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If a player character is an officer, have them roll a command or

Pirates, privateers, merchants, and "other" sailors vary wildly in

Weather, Wind, & Obstacles:

Note that in heavy weather, a ship can suffer penalties due to

First, assemble a tracker showing the relative progress of each

Which skills are relevant in a chase may change according to the

Rather than having contested rolls, decide what number of

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Distance & Maneuver: Distance is measured in "sea units," an

Firing: Roll 2d6 to hit as normal, adding the RAT of the

Damage: Roll POW+2d6 vs. ARM as normal, including any

Damage Capacity: For every point by which a shot beats a ship's

The GM may assign further penalties as necessary.

Last edited by Fatebreaker; 07-16-2015 at 11:14 PM.

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Last edited by Fatebreaker; 07-16-2015 at 11:13 PM.

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Why, history, of course! Iron Kingdoms vessels have

Ironclads: Ironclads are, oddly enough, clad in iron! This marks

Pre-dreadnought: The Dreadnought was a historical vessel

For starters, this patchwork spectrum is an amazing opportunity

Additionally, in the Iron Kingdoms, offensive power is much more

Second, I presume that most ships are primarily made of wood.

So if you're looking for inspiration, feel free to plunder from

Next up, we'll discuss the ships of the Iron Kingdoms!

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Ship of the Line Upgrades:

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Nevermind, found it here

Originally Posted by ChainGun

The thing I like the best about eButcher is that he

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Originally Posted by Munindk

This looks amazing!

So far the only thing I'm missing is how many sailors

Nevermind, found it here

The sloop in Bitter Medicine requires a minimum of eight crew,

For my campaign, I figure that there are certain groups aboard

Invenium viam aut faciam.

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07-21-2015, 07:30 PM #10

Join Date: Jul 2010

Originally Posted by rocksalt

I can't take credit for this line but it pretty much

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