Hand-to-hand combat at sea is waged just as on land, with non-sailors getting a –5% to their % to hit due to uneven footing, waves, etc. If large waves are present, everyone will get subtractions from their percents.

Ships, too, can wage battle against one another. They generally do this by Ramming or by Shooting from Afar.

Ship combat is best envisioned on a piece of paper marked with hexagons. For ease in combat, print out our hex-grid. Each hex represents about 50 feet. All ships will have a Speed Rating, a Cut Rating, Damage Points, a Length, and a Loadout. The strength and direction of the wind must then be determined.

Speed Rating – This is how many hexes the ship can travel if the wind is Good and the ship is traveling horizontal to the wind direction. It is modified by the speed and direction.

Cut Rating – This is the maximum angle at which a ship can turn.

Damage Points – This is how many Damage Points a ship can absorb before sinking. Note the Special Ship Damage cost. Some ships have reinforced hulls. A ship with a reinforced hull has 50% more damage points, but its Speed Rating is lowered by 1.

Loadout – This is the maximum amount of ballistae and catapults a ship can carry. It is represented by a number. A light ballista takes up 1 point, a heavy ballista 2, a light catapult 2, a heavy catapult 3. A ship can carry a number of points up to its loadout number.

A ship’s speed rating is altered by the wind speed as well as the ship’s orientation to the wind.

Speed Loss During Cutting- A ship will lose 1 extra point of speed for every two hexes in a row that it spends cutting into a direction which will not end up increasing its speed.

Rate of Speed Gain or Loss-Action during ship battles is done in quints, just like in land-fighting. A ship can never lose or gain more than 1 speed point per quint.

Oars- Ships that are using oars can move a total of 1 space per quint, unless the wind is Excellent and the ship is attempting to move into the wind. No movement is possible in this manner.

Floundering- If a ship loses all its speed while facing into the wind, it will flounder, and it will take 1d6 quint before it can angle itself 45 degrees into the wind and gain 1 speed point.

Slow Cutting- If a ship is moving at its Slow Cutting (SC) speed or less, (this is found under each ship’s speed rating), it can cut in any direction but directly into the wind at a 45 degree angle for each hex it travels. Cutting into the wind will create a danger of Floundering. This does not apply to smaller ships which can cut at this rate anyway.

First, all ships determine initiative (using the Reaction score of the Captain of each ship).

Second, allow all ships to move.

Third, allow all ships (in order of initiative) to fire any weapons they choose (remember the orientation of the weapons, most of which will be mounted and unable to swivel).

Fourth, compute damage. Check for Special Damage.

Begin again at step one, determining initiative for the next quint (this is unlike land combat, in which the initiative is fixed from quint to quint.)

% to Hit- Most ships have a base 60% chance of hitting with a ballista, and 40% chance of hitting with a catapult. This may be modified up or down by 20% to account for the experience of the crew and the experience of the captain in naval warfare. It is also modified by 10% for every two hexes of distance between the ships. Furthermore, the ST may choose to give a better chance to hit a larger ship and a lesser chance against a small ship

The catapult damage is for stone or iron balls. If flaming oil is used, no damage is initially done, but a hit will cause 1d10 damage each quint until the fire is put out. Each man who is set to putting out the fire will give a cumulative 10% chance of putting out the fire each quint. These men, of course, can do nothing else.

A ram does damage based on the size of the ramming ship and the speed it is traveling. For every ten feet of length behind a ram, it will do 2d10 damage at a movement rate of 1 or 2. If the speed of the ship is 3 or 4, double the damage, and if it is 5 or above, triple the damage. A ship must be at least Trell Class to carry a ram.

These blades are set along the side of a ship and are designed to destroy oars when a ship comes up alongside. If oars are out and the ship can edge along its enemy, there is a 70% chance that each oar will be sheared. (Oars per ship per side – Caravel 4, Trading ship 5, Merchant ship 10, Galleon 20.) If oars are not out, the blades will do only 2d10 damage.

Any ship that takes a single hit that does 20 damage or more might suffer Special Damage. A hit of 20-29 damage gives a 10% chance of special damage.

For each 10 damage over 20, add a 5% chance of special damage.

Then roll a 1d10-

1-4 Mast broken. If ship has more than one mast, this will only reduce speed by ½ or 1/3, depending on the ship’s number. If the ship has only one mast, it cannot move unless oared.

5 Taking Water. The ship will suffer the equivalent of 1d10 damage per quint from sinking.

6-9 Steering Mechanism Damaged. This halves the ship’s Cut Rating.

10 Steering Mechanism Destroyed. This prevents the ship from changing direction.

Sinking Damage- Any ship reduced to 25% of its Damage Points begins to sink. It will lose 1d20 damage per quint automatically. Any ship reduced to 0 damage points is sunk.

Damage Affecting Movement- When a ship has lost 50% of its damage points, its Speed Rating is reduced by half. When reduced to 25% of its Damage Points, a ship can no longer move.