Yrthrian Naval War

[jason taylor]

In real life Mediterranean naval war, galleys were equipped with bow chasers and boarding spurs. This preserves to some degree the demand for maneuver that the waterline ram once had-even as sinkings became less popular than captures due, among other things, to smaller budgets.

How could a naval system be made for Yrth? A battle mage could substitute for bow chasers but the maneuver element is reduced by him being anywhere he wishes aboard.

One possibility is that a warship is magically shielded. It follows that a battle mage could only get the deck with plunging fire and the best way to bring an antipersonal battle spell is to have him mounted in the fore castle bearing on an exposed deck.

Any more suggestions?