II. Of sea travel
Travel on the sea is handled relatively simply. The different types of ships have basic sea travel speeds (not to be confused with their Speed attribute which is used in Ship-to-Ship combat) as shown below and given in nautical miles:
Type of Ship Sea Travel Speed
Corsair 100 miles per day
Small Warship 90 miles per day
Merchantman 80 miles per day
Large Warship 70 miles per day
Galleon 60 miles per day
To this basic sea travel speed, add or subtract the following modifiers as appropriate:
Streamlined ships sail an extra ten miles per day.
If a ship’s crew is highly competent (i.e. has a Well Trained Crew modification), add ten miles per day. If the Master-o-Tops (the ship’s Sail Master) has at least four ranks in the Rigging Knack, then add another ten miles per day. If the ship’s Pilot has at least four levels in the Pilot Knack, then add yet, another ten.
For each voyage roll one Die to determine the average winds, as indicated on the table below:
Roll Winds Results
1 Light Breezes - 30 miles per day
2 Poor Winds - 20 miles per day
3 or 4 Light Winds - 10 miles per day
5 or 6 Moderate Winds No change to speed
7 or 8 Strong Winds + 10 miles per day
9 Powerful Winds + 20 miles per day
10 Gales + 30 miles per day
For each 20% of total Rigging Points suffered by the ship, lose five miles per day.
Some Hull damage can cause reduced speeds, but this depends upon the exact nature of the damage and such reductions are left to the Game Master.
For each month past the fourth that the ship is not careened, lose five miles per day (cumulative) until the ship is properly careened to reduce drag.
On cross-ocean trips and other long sea voyages, the Game Master may spend a Drama Die to initiate and cause a special event to occur during the voyage. Roll one Die and consult the following table:
Roll Result
1 or 2 BECALMED: The ship sails into the doldrums, and is left at rest
(No movement) for 1K1 days.
3 or 4 FOG: The ship is caught in a thick fog for 1K1-5 days (minimum of one). The ship’s Pilot must make a Navigation check roll with a TN of 20, or the ship will become lost for an additional 1k1-5 days (minimum of one).
5 or 6 SHIPBOARD DISEASE: The crew of the ship are afflicted with a pox or plague. Each player character or NPC must make a successful Resolve roll with a TN of 20 or lie sick with fever for the whole voyage (If the total rolled is less than five then the individual dies of the illness unless successfully treated by someone with the Doctor skill). 6K6 of the ship’s crew will also become ill. Roll a Die, if a seven or higher is rolled, then the illness is terminal and they will die unless treated, other wise they will be lie sick with fever for the whole voyage. If there is a ship’s Doctor aboard, then only 3K3 of the crew will become ill.
7 or 8 SQUALLS: Sudden squalls delay the ship for one day, damage the ship’s Rigging (take 1K1 points of damage to Rigging Points), and blow the ship off course by 6K6 miles in a random direction.
9 WRECK: The vessel is threatened with the immediate possibility of shipwreck. The ships’ Captain or Pilot (whichever has the best chance) must make a successful Pilot check roll with a TN of 15, or the ship will be dashed to splinters on uncharted rocks or reefs. Player characters must make a Wit roll with a TN of 10 to get into a jolly boat, or onto a raft or piece of floating wreckage, otherwise they must start making drowning checks as per the Game Master’s Book.
10 STORM: The ship is caught in a violent sea storm which lasts for 1K1-5 days (minimum of one), damages its Rigging and Hull Points (1K1 to each), and blows it off course by 10K10 miles in a random direction. The Captain or Pilot of the ship must make a successful Pilot check roll with a TN of 15 for each day the storm persists, to avoid the possibility of shipwreck as described above.
NOTE: With the GM’s approval, the players may spend one Drama Die each to avoid these circumstances. However, all the players must agree to spend a Drama Die. If a player is out of Drama Dice, then another player may spend one for him.