Sailing Ships -At least until CCoI (Low-Tech) arrives

[fredtheobviouspseudonym]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

<Reaches over, pulls Low Tech off the shelf.>
<Pages through it.>

Didn't think so. The latest Chinese vessel with stats is the shachuan, which pre-dates the junks by several hundred years. The junks evolved out of that vessel, but it existed circa 800 c.e., whereas the proper junks didn't exist for another 200-300 years.

True -- but IMHO the distinction isn't so much as to make much of a difference in game terms. The shachuan should be in the ball park.

Or, there's a junk in GURPS WW II "Motor Pool" (also for 3rd ed.)

[MrId]

I did these designs a while back and they might be useful. The "Yrth-Viking" ships are based on the Skuldelev vessels from Denmark, but increased in TL and with triangular as opposed to square sails. All stats are 3e, but should be easy to convert to 4e. They are very similar to the vessels already posted.

Yrth Viking Ships

Pentekonter

[martinl]

This is probably mean and horrible of me to even suggest, but:

Wouldn't it be fun if we could get a GURPS Spaceships style construction system for sailing vessels?

(Not that Ice isn't doing good work or anything.)

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by martinl

This is probably mean and horrible of me to even suggest, but:

Wouldn't it be fun if we could get a GURPS Spaceships style construction system for sailing vessels?

(Not that Ice isn't doing good work or anything.)

Why not use the same system for both?

After all, I'm sure that somebody out there is still playing Spelljammer or Space:1889, and that somebody might even want to convert the game to GURPS...

[Snargash Moonclaw]

Originally Posted by martinl

This is probably mean and horrible of me to even suggest, but:

Wouldn't it be fun if we could get a GURPS Spaceships style construction system for sailing vessels?

(Not that Ice isn't doing good work or anything.)

Originally Posted by robkelk

Why not use the same system for both?

After all, I'm sure that somebody out there is still playing Spelljammer or Space:1889, and that somebody might even want to convert the game to GURPS...

That's a project I've recently resurrected - I had started trying to put one together when I first started working on my setting since it has a strong nautical/maritime element. I'm hoping to be able to develop something relatively easy to use which can engineer known stats for historical hulls (output should be pretty close to Icelander's data on those) so would generate original/fantasy designs in keeping/balance with the historical ones. Initial discussion was in this thread and further discussion: more in depth regarding what GURPs already has to work with (material HP/DR tables, etc.) here One of the primary determinants of the system elements would be how ship-to-ship (ranged) combat is handled, whether with cannon or earlier mechanical siege engines - HP/DR, HT, maneuverability, etc. are only really meaningful when someone is trying to destroy the vessel. If you're simply trying to get from point A to point B, all that really matters is ship's compliment, provisional range for that compliment (plus any extra people above that), speed (as seen in terms of per day) and cargo capacity. If anyone is interested in this, I would welcome collaboration on the project.

For those interested, there is some conversion for Spelljammer to GURPs 3e already done, although I don't believe the ship construction system from the War Captain's Companion was converted, all published hulls have been GURPsized here. I haven't looked for Space: 1889 conversions, I had the original rulebook for it back when I was looking into running some 3e GURPs Steampunk (all old gaming sourcebooks were left behind w/my ex').

[Phantasm]

Icelander:

Do you have any stats for a 75' caravel? I'll be starting a TL4 game soon that takes place on board one, and I could use some stats.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

Icelander:

Do you have any stats for a 75' caravel? I'll be starting a TL4 game soon that takes place on board one, and I could use some stats.

I'll take a look.

I don't think I was up to that tech level when other matters occupied my interest, but it's not that far from the cogs, so I should be able to fix it. Matter of fact, I think the caravels were up next.

[wajdi]

Just a weird question from left field: what is the effect of sea-growth on the ship's bottom? Say. . . ship's owner/master has neglected to careen and scrape the bottom.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by wajdi

Just a weird question from left field: what is the effect of sea-growth on the ship's bottom? Say. . . ship's owner/master has neglected to careen and scrape the bottom.

The ship is certainly slower. Copper-bottomed ships tended to be faster than earlier ships because growth accumulated more slowly and scraping was easier.

A freshly-scraped ship will be able to outsail a similar ship that has been at sea for several months.

I think the precise effects on speed vary too much with circumstances to make it useful to give a number, but I wouldn't find 10% incredible. In general, the variation is a knot or maybe two.

[Phantasm]

ETA on the caravel information? My game's starting on the 31st, and I'd like to be able to present basic stats by then. I figure I'll be using some of the earlier galleon and carrack designs you posted for some of the other traffic in and around the starting port, including one ship that'll halt the caravel in "international" waters prior to leaving civilization completely.