Ship to Ship Combat (fast start rules)

Optional Rules for Dungeons and Dragons 3.5

Introduction
This is a paired down version of my full ship to ship combat rules. The main difference is that we are not using the wind and PCs are only
directing ship movements and firing ship weapons. In other words, no personal weapons or spells.

Uses One Minute Turns Rotate in Place

Ship combat uses a unit of time called the ship turn, or simply Add one to the ships maneuverability rating for the number of
turn for short. A turn is one minute long, which is equal to ten move actions that must be spent to rotate a ship by one hex face
normal combat rounds. when not moving forward. A ship with a “good” maneuverability
rating (a maneuverability rating of 0) can rotate in any direction
Uses a Hex Combat Mat while stopped as a free move action.

Each hex on the combat map is equal to 50 feet.

Reduce Speed
Ships Move in Initiative Order The helmsman can reduce the speed of the ship to match
slower ships effortlessly.
The ships’ initiative checks determine the order in which they
act, from highest to lowest. At the start of a battle, each ship makes
a single initiative check, adding the ship’s shiphandling modifier. Multi-Hex Ships
Each ship acts in initiative order, with the check applying to all
Each hex is 50 feet long, and many ships will be larger than
turns of the combat.
this. A ship might be both longer and wider than 50 feet, in which
case they take up more than one hex, possibly in multiple
directions. See the image below for examples. In these cases the
The Basics of Ship Movement forward most hex is considered the front of the ship and its turning
point. When any turns are made, they are based on this hex, and
The number of hexes per turn a ship can move works as pool
the rest of the ship turns around that hex. For a ship up to 60 feet
of points—termed move action points—which are spent to move
long, just use one hex. For a ship up to 110 feet long only use two
hexes on the combat map. Table 6: “Boats and Ships” lists the
hexes.
speed for each type of ship. The number in parentheses following
the ships speed is the number of move actions that the ship can Diagram 1: Single and Multi-Hex Ships
take in a turn.
Moving forward is simple, and all ships follow the same rules,
regardless of how maneuverable they are. Moving forward one
hex takes one move action point.
Ship combat has strict rules for facing. Each hex has six sides,
and the front of the ship must be pointing towards one of these
sides; it cannot be facing one of the corners. In order to turn, a ship
must use some of its move action points to change facing.

Turning
A ship must move a number of hexes equal to its
maneuverability rating before it can turn by one hex face. If it was
moving at the end of the previous turn, you can consider the total
distance traveled in a straight line when calculating in which hex it
can change its direction this turn.
Ships with a “good” maneuverability rating (a
maneuverability rating of 0) don’t have to spend move action
points to turn, but must move at least one hex forward before they
can turn by one hex face.
Ship to Ship Combat – Fast start rules

Firing Ship Weapons Range

All ship weapons have a listed range, in hexes. They receive
no penalty to attack ships within this range. For every hex beyond
Where the Ship is When the Weapon Fires this, they have a penalty of -2 to their attack roll.
During a ships turn the attack actions are performed while the
ship is moving and can be performed at any point along its path.
The attacks can be made before any move actions points are used, Threats and Critical Hits
after one or more are used, or after they have all been used. Each weapon has a threat rating. If the attacker rolls this
number or greater, and the attack was a hit, the attacker has scored
a threat. Roll the attack again, using the all the same modifiers. If
The Attack Roll the second roll is a success, the attack is a critical hit. If it is a
failure, it is a normal hit. On a critical hit roll the weapon’s listed
The basic ship’s weapon attack roll is:
damage twice, including bonuses, such as enhancement bonuses. If
1d20 + Base Attack + Weapon Modifier – Range Penalties ±
the weapon has a multiplier of x3 roll the damage thrice. All
Your ship’s Size Modifier
damage from a critical hit is totaled before hardness is subtracted.
The total is compared to the target ship’s current Armor
Class; if the roll is equal to or greater, it is a hit. Otherwise, it is a
miss. A 20 is always a hit and a 1 is always a miss. A natural 20 is Reload
also a threat—a possible critical hit.
Each ship weapon has a listing for reload. The number in
parentheses indicates the number of times the weapon can be fired
Base Attack in one ships turn.

Attacking with a ship weapon is based on the base attack

bonus of the leader of the weapon crew. If the crew leader does not Firing Arcs
have the appropriate Weapon Proficiency they suffer a -4 penalty
to hit. A ship mounted weapon can fire into a limited area, termed its
firing arc. There are four firing arcs: forward, aft, port (left) and
Table 3: Ship Size
starboard (right). The firing arcs are illustrated below. The firing
Ship Size Size Example Creature arc of a weapon is determined by its placement and facing. A
Modifier Equivalent weapon will be capable of firing into only one of these arcs.
+16 Small Multihex ships work the same way. Decide which hex of the
Very Fine
+8 Kayak Medium ship a given weapon resides on, then use that single hex to
Fine determine its firing arc.
+4 Dugout Large Weapons are typically mounted on a turret that allows the
Diminutive weapon to change its firing arc. It takes one turn to rotate a weapon
+2 Raft Huge into a new arc. This can be done during reloading so the weapon
Tiny
+1 Small Sailing Gargantuan can fire on the turn following turning.
Small Ship Diagram 2: Firing Arcs
0 Sailing Ship Colossal
Medium
-1 Junk
Large
-2 Warship
Huge
-4 Galley
Gargantuan
-8 Greatship
Colossal

Weapon Modifier
Some weapons are more accurate than others. Each ship
weapon has an attack modifier that is added to all attack rolls.

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 by Ronny Hart

Ship Damage Effects of Crew Casualties

Ship weapons are fired at the other ships hull. If you want to When the crew is reduced by 10%, the ship looses 1 move
fire at the rigging, or at anything else, refer to the full ship to ship action point per turn. When reduced by 25%, the ship looses 2
combat rules. move action points per turn. When reduced by 50%, the ship
looses 4 move action points per turn. When reduced by 90%, the
ship looses 5 move action points per turn. Note that these
Effects of Hit Point Damage adjustments might result in the ship being unable to turn or move.
Damaged (reduced to 3 /4 hit points): -1 to Seaworthiness
saves. The crew suffers 10% casualties. One random PC must
succeed on a Difficulty 15 Reflex save or take 1d6 damage. Effects of Leaks
Wrecked [reduced to 1 /2 hit points]: -2 to Seaworthiness Minor Leak: The ship is taking on water and may suffer
saves, +1 to Maneuverability Rating. A minor leak develops (see further damage as a result (see “Continuing Leak Damage” below).
below). The crew suffers 25% casualties. Lose half of the ship The ship makes a Seaworthiness save against a DC of 15. A Craft
weapons randomly selected (rounded down, minimum loss of one (Shipwright) bonus can be used to aid this check. If the ship makes
weapon). Crew must make a Will save at DC 15 to keep fighting. the Seaworthiness save, the leak is sealed and the ship takes no
One random heroic character (PC) must succeed on a Difficulty 15 additional damage.
Reflex save or take 2d6 damage. A Craft (Shipwright) check can be made the next turn and
Disabled [reduced to 1 /4 hit points]: -3 to Seaworthiness repeated every turn after that at DC 20, success puts an immediate
saves, +2 to Maneuverability Rating. A major leak develops (see end to continuing damage.
below). The crew suffers 50% casualties. Lose of all ship Major Leak: The ship is taking on large amounts of water
weapons. Crew must make a Will save at DC 20 to keep fighting. and may suffer further damage as a result (see continuing leak
One random heroic character (PC) must succeed on a Difficulty 15 damage below). The ship makes a Seaworthiness save against a
Reflex save or take 4d6 damage. DC of 20. A Craft (Shipwright) bonus can be used to aid this
Derelict [0 hit points]: When your ships hit points drop to check. If the ship makes the Seaworthiness save, the leak is sealed
exactly 0, it is derelict. It has no Maneuverability and no wind and the ship takes no additional damage.
speed and no weapons able to fire. The crew suffers 90% casualties A Craft (Shipwright) check can be made the next turn and
and disbands. Their ship has no effective crew at all. One random repeated every turn after that at DC 25, success puts an immediate
heroic character (PC) must succeed on a Difficulty 20 Reflex save end to continuing damage.
or take 4d6 damage. It can move at half speed under oars Continuing Leak Damage: The ships hull takes an additional
(assuming it still has at least half the normal number of rowers 1d6 points of damage form a minor leak and 2d6 points of damage
available). It cannot ram without additional damage. If it performs from a major leak each turn until the leak is repaired. This
any other move action (or any other strenuous action) it takes 1 additional damage is from water entering the hull of the ship and
point of damage after completing the act. It is now at –1 hit points, can be reduced at a rate of 2 points of damage each turn for each
and it's sinking. If its weapons are still manned and functional, it person bailing. This damage reduction due to bailing out water
can make attacks at an additional -4 penalty to hit. doesn’t count as a repair that would cause a sinking ship to stop
A ship can also become derelict when recovering from losing hit points and become stable.
sinking. In this case, it’s a step toward recovery, and it can have
fewer than 0 hit points (see Stable Ships and Recovery, below).
Sinking [–1 TO – (9 + Seaworthiness) hit points]: When
your ship’s current hit points drop to between –1 and – (9 +
Seaworthiness) inclusive, it’s sinking. A sinking ship can take no
actions. It can't move or attack. A sinking ship loses 1 hit point
every turn. This continues until the ship sinks or becomes stable
(see below)
Sunk [– (10 + Seaworthiness) hit points or lower]: When
your ship’s current hit points drop to – (10 + Seaworthiness) or
lower it’s sunk

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Ship to Ship Combat – Fast start rules

Ramming and Shearing Grappling and Boarding

Ramming a ship may result in damage to your own ship. After you successfully ram the other ship you can
Ramming is handled a bit differently than ship weapon attacks automatically grapple and board it if you choose to do so. You can
also grapple and board another ship by moving into the other ships
In order to ram another ship the attacker must be moving at hex and beat it in a Profession (sailor) check, modified by the
Ramming Speed, have traveled at least four hexes without ships’ respective shiphandling bonuses. Once the ships are
turning, and made no turns after having moved 4 hexes. The grappled together, institutive is rolled and combat returns to
attacking ship must enter the same hex as the defending ship
standard D&D rules [6 second rounds, 5 ft. squares]. You can’t
grapple and board a ship that is 2 or more sizes larger than yours.

Ramming Statistics
The basic attack roll is: Each of the vessels presented here includes a short statistics
block describing the vessel. A ship’s statistics block includes the
1d20 + Shiphandling Modifier + Profession (sailor) Modifer ±
following entries.
Size Modifier
Size: The size of the vehicle, see Table 3: “Ship Size”.
The total is compared to one-half the target ship’s Armor Seaworthiness: The ship’s overall sturdiness. This modifier
Class; if the roll is equal to or greater, the ramming attempt is is applied to any Profession (sailor) checks the captain or master
successful. Otherwise, there is no ship damage. You missed the makes in order to avoid hazards that large, well-built vessels avoid
other ship entirely or glanced off without any significant damage to more easily than small and frail ones.
either ship. A 20 is always a hit and a 1 is always a miss. A natural Shiphandling: The ship’s agility and nimbleness. This
20 is also a threat—a possible critical hit. Rams threaten on a 20, modifier is applied to Profession (sailor) checks the captain or
and a critical hit does x2 damage. master makes in order to avoid situations that small, swift vessels
avoid more easily than large and clumsy ones.
When one ship rams another both ships take damage. The Speed: The ship’s speed and its nautical maneuverability
attacking ship receives half the base damage it inflicts on the other rating. A ship gets to use one move action point for every 5 feet of
ship. The base damage dealt by the vehicle is listed in that speed, which relates to moving one 5 ft. square in one round (6
vehicle’s statistics. seconds), or moving one 50 ft. hex in one turn (one minute).
Hardness is subtracted from all ram damage as normal. Any hp: The number of hit points, hardness and AC of the ship’s
time a ship being rammed is reduced to zero hit points the hull.
attacking ship takes half the normal damage he would otherwise Ram: The damage dealt by the vehicle if it rams another
take. object.
See “effects of hit point damage” above. Mounts: The number of weapons the ship can mount. A light
When one ship rams another both ships come to a stop, unless mount is suitable for a ballista or stonethrower; a heavy mount is
the ramming ship reduces its target to zero hit points, in which case suitable for a catapult.
it can move normally. Space: The length and width of the area taken up by the ship.
Height: The height of the main deck above the waterline.
Shearing Most large vessels will have deckhouses, forecastles, or
sterncastles that are above this level. Draft is how far under the
If you enter the defenders hex, you can attempt to shear off water the ship’s hull extends.
her oars, if she has any. You must equal or beat her Profession Watch: The number of crewmembers necessary to make
(sailor) check, modified by the ships’ respective shiphandling
course changes, adjust for wind changes, and generally handle the
bonuses.
ship. On an oar-powered vessel, the watch includes the number of
If you successfully shear your opponent’s oars, her speed is
rowers necessary for the ship to make use of its full oared speed.
reduced to zero, and she cannot change speed until she puts out
Complement: The number of crewmembers, passengers, and
new oars, which takes one full turn. The ship can still change
soldiers who can be carried by the vessel for extended voyaging.
heading, but it is spinning in place and not making any headway. 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.

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Table 6: Boats and Ships
Maneuverability
Vessel Ship Size/ Space Complement Rating Speed Cost
Caravel (sailing ship) Medium / 60’x 20’ 30/7 1 average sail 30ft (6) 10,000 gp
Dromond (warship) Huge / 100’ x 20’ 200/7/100 1 average sail 20ft (4) or oars 30ft (6) 25,000 gp
Galley Gargantuan / 130’ x 20’ 300/10/160 2 poor sail 15ft (3) or oars 20ft (4) 30,000 gp
Greatship Colossal / 150’ x 40’ 500/20 2 poor sail 25ft (5) 60,000 gp
Pinnace Small / 30’ x 10’ 15/3/8 0 good sail 30ft (6) or oars 5ft (1) 4,500 gp
Rowboat Diminutive / 10’ x 5’ 4/1 0 good oars 10ft (2) 50 gp

Vessel Descriptions Greatship

Greatship: Colossal vehicle; Seaworthiness +6; Shiphandling –
Caravel (Sailing Ship) 4; Speed 25 ft. (poor); hp 4,8000 (hardness 5); Ram 6d6;
Caravel: Medium vehicle; Seaworthiness +4; Shiphandling +2; Mounts 12 light and 4 heavy; Space 150 ft. by 40 ft.; Height 20
Speed 30 ft. (average); hp 480 (hardness 5), AC 15; Ram 4d6; ft. (draft 20 ft.); Complement 500; Watch 20; Cargo 500 tons;
Mounts 2 light and 1 heavy; Space 60 ft. by 20 ft.; Height 10 ft. Cost 60,000 gp.
(draft 10 ft.); Complement 30; Watch 7; Cargo 120 tons; Cost
10,000 gp. Pinnace (Small Sail Boat)
Pinnace: Small vehicle; Seaworthiness +2; Shiphandling +2;
Dromond (Warship) Speed 30 ft. or oars 5 ft. (good); hp 50 (hard-ness 5), AC 16;
Dromond: Huge vehicle; Seaworthiness +0; Shiphandling +2; Ram 3d6; Mounts 2 light; Space 30 ft. by 10 ft.; Height 10 ft.
Speed 20 ft., or oars 30 ft. (average); hp 1,200 (hardness 5), AC (draft 5 ft.); Complement 15; Watch 3 plus 8 rowers; Cargo 30
13; Ram 4d6; Mounts 4 light, 2 heavy, ram; Space 100 ft. by 20 tons; Cost 4,500 gp.
ft.; Height 15 ft. (draft 15 ft.); Complement 200; Watch 7 plus
100 rowers; Cargo 150 tons; Cost 25,000 gp. Rowboat
Rowboat: Diminutive vehicle; Seaworthiness –4; Shiphandling
Galley +2; Speed oars 10 ft. (good); hp 30 (hardness 5), AC 19; Ram
Galley: Gargantuan vehicle; Seaworthiness +0; Shiphandling – 1d6; Mounts —; Space 10 ft. by 5 ft.; Height 2-1/2 ft. (draft 2-
2; Speed 15 ft. or oars 20 ft. (poor); hp 1,520 (hardness 5), AC 1/2 ft.); Complement 4; Watch 1; Cargo 1,000 pounds ; Cost 50
11; Ram 6d6; Mounts 6 light, 3 heavy, ram; Space 130 ft. by 20 gp.
ft.; Height 15 ft. (draft 15 ft.); Complement 300; Watch 10 plus
160 rowers; Cargo 150 tons; Cost 30,000 gp.

Ship Weapon Descriptions

Shipboard weapons require specific mounts, or hardpoints, where heavy equipment can be securely installed on the deck. You can install a
weapon requiring a light mount in a heavy mount, but not vice-versa.
Ballista: The ballista is a Huge heavy crossbow fixed in place. The ballista takes up a space 5 feet across and weighs 400 pounds.
Stonethrowers: These are a cross between a ballista and a catapult. They use the same firing mechanism as a ballista, but have a cup for
holding a stone, like a catapult. Because of the weight of the stone they are not as fast and as accurate as a ballista, but do more damage.
Catapult: A catapult 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.

Table 7: Ship Weapons

Weapon Attack Bonus Damage Threat/ Critical Crew Reload Range AC HP/ Hardness Cost
Ballista (damage type: Piercing)
Medium +4 2d8 20x2 2 3 (3) 9 hexes 19 48/5 1,200 gp
Stonethrower (damage type: Bludgeoning)
Medium +2 4d6 19-20/x2 3 4 (2) 6 hexes 19 48/5 1,400 gp
Catapult (damage type: Bludgeoning)
Medium +0 4d6 20x3 3 5 (2) 3 hex 19 48/5 1,600 gp
Reload: the first number is the number of rounds it takes to reload. The number in parentheses is the number of times it can fire in
one ships turn (one minute).