Introduction and Game Designers Notes

Welcome to the first add-on to the SRE. I love swashbuckling games and sailing ships figure big into them. So the first add-on is add the rules to the Simple Rules Engine for sailing ships. The basic SRE covered people and actions, with little mention of how to handle things like large objects such as ships. I realized this while trying to some sci-fi conversions. I though I would tackle sailing ships prior to starships. But you can assume they will be somewhat similar.

Now the heart of the SRE is just giving the minimum amount of rules to consistently simulate actions. That is what I have tried to do here. I am the first to admit it seems a bit more complicated than the SRE. Not as elegant in the authors own opinion. It was challenging to come up with something that felt like naval actions and combat without having it turn into a miniatures game. On the other end of the scale, I did not want every ship and naval encounter to be the same either. So I came up with a compromise. One that I am not super thrilled with, but I think is workable, and does not require keeping track of a map, or distances.

Just like the core SRE, this has two sections, the first the character sheet for the ships, and the second how to resolve actions. Additionally, as penance for making a more complex than I wanted, I have an alternative super simple version which can be used for those who just use ships occasionally, and an example of play.

The Simplest Version

Just have ships with one stat Body. When you want to see who outruns who, make an opposed action check. Apply modifiers as GM sees fit (ie. With great sails you might get a +1). To see who wins naval combat, roll opposed body, the higher person either disabled or sank the other ship.

The Slightly More Complex but more Fun Version

The Ship Sheet

Ships like characters, have a few numbers and words to define them.

Ship Details The name of the ship, number of masts, etc, whatever you want to personalize your ship (painted red and flys a pirate flag) akin to peronsal details.

Archetypes Ships can have archetypes just like people, Pirate Sloop, or Merchantman Flute, etc.

The Stats Ships have stats as well, but different from characters. These range from 0 to 6 just like people. They are:

Body: The size of the ships. A good rule of thumb is either the number of masts, or the ships tonnage/100. How can you have a ship of 0 you ask, well these are like the longboats. One shot takes them down. Damage is applied to the body. When the body drops below 0, (so if your body is 1 and you are hit and goes to 0, your still floating) the ship starts to break up and sink. Also use body for the cargo space of the ship.

Sails/Oars: This the raw sailing or oar power of the ship. Again usually the number of masts, although a small ship with lots of sail (like a sloop) might have a higher sail than the number of masts. Sails/Oars are used for figuring out if you can outrun another ship, or maneuver into position to fire a shot. Note, that if you see Fittings below, some ships are more maneuverable than others, or more bulky in the water. These ships get modifiers applied to their sails for certain maneuvers depending on the GMs opinion.

Crew/Min Crew: This is the crew of the ship. Usually a point of crew is about 10-20 sailors. The number after the slash is the minimum to keep the ship sailing and running, if you current crew is less than your required crew, the GM will start making you take negative modifiers to the ship.

Fittings: These are like talents and flaws for your ships as well as the weapons for the Ship. Typical fittings are extra cargo, less cargo, maneuverable (all lanteen rigged), bulky (all square rig), fast, slow, deep draft, shallow draft. Additionally, some ships may have rams, while most ships carry cannons. Also you can different qualities of crew. Green crew give you a 1 to all actions, while veterans give you a +1 to all actions.

Cannons: If you dont want gun powder, than call them catapults and ballistae. Or just skip it altogether and do crew-to-crew combat only. Canons are either fixed or swivels (although swivel are smaller). And canon have a max damage number. So if you want a wargalley with a huge compliment of broadsides, but on your sheet Broadsides 5. That means they can do a max damage of 5, but have to be in broadsides to use them. You could also have smaller swivel. So your war galleon might have, Broadsides 5, Fore/Aft 3, and 3xSwivel 1. You can fire as many as applicable during your turn. Cannons also have different kinds of shot. Balls affect Body, while Chain/Grape affect crew or sails (your choice).

Example Ships These ships will be used in the example below.

Pirate Sloop

Body: 1

Sail: 2

Crew/Min Crew: 3/1

Fittings: Maneuverable, Small Cargo, Veteran Crew, 2xSwivel 1

Merchant Flute

Body: 3

Sail: 2

Crew/Min Crew: 3/2

Fittings: Bulky, Extra Cargo, Broadsides 2

Sailing the High Seas

Generally when using ships, you are just traveling from point A to B. No Actions Checks needed, and the GM just uses the Sail number to determine how long it takes you to get there. But occasionally you might want to spice up your travels. While the character actions and difficulties are intutative in the SRE, sometimes with ships people want a little help. So here are some common things you might want the characters or the ship to have Action Checks.

Navigation Have the character make an Easy (6) Mind check for coastal waters, and Tough (8) for the open seas. Perhaps if uncharted terrority, maybe even a Hard (10).

Storms Depends on how you want to play it. If the character just want to sail through it, have the ship make a Body Check, against the strength of the storm (Trival, Easy, etc.). Perhaps the players want to outrun the storm or outmaneuver it (they have a small ship), have them make a Sails/Oars check.

Combat This is the tricky one, but I have tried to keep it simple. In general, I dont worry about distances and headings, etc. That turns into a miniatures game real quick. Instead the distance between two ships can be thought of:

- Horizon Very fall off, but can be seen you cant shoot at them

- Haling Far off, but close enough to make out some details. You can try to shoot at them, but expect a 1 to your action check.

- Close Close enough to exchange shots without penalty.

- Boarding Close enough to leap over to the other ship and attach boarding lines. +1 to canon shots.

If it is important to know who goes first have the captains make opposing Mind Checks. Assume all captains who arent stated have a Mind of 3. Apply the Crew modifier to this Action Check (green 1, veteran +1).

Ships can usually move and fire in their phase (lots of crew). I have some sample move actions below to give you a starting point for combat:

- Close with another ship An opposed sail check (add slow and fast and crew). If you win, you close to the next distance (i.e horizon to hailing, hailing to close, close to boarding (ramming).

- Flee same as closing but getting away ;)

- Maneuver for a shot If you have broadsides or fore/aft guns you have to get your ship into position to use them. This is an opposed sails check (add maneuverable, bulky and crew), however you must beat at least an Easy (6). You stay in that position until either you or the other ship decides to get out of position (see below)It is important to note that some ships have fore/aft guns instead or in addition to broadsides. If a ship (your opponent) has manuevered into fore/aft shot, and you have only broadsides you will have to try and manuever into broadsides and won't be able to return fire. This can make some ships have some interesting strageties, as a small manueverable longboat with a fore cannon can try to manuever into a shot with a bigger ship who only has broadsides. Unless the bigger ships countermoves, the longboat can take pot shots without fear of being shot back.

- Maneuver away from a shot - same as maneuver for a shot (opposed check) but easier to get away, you only have to beat a Trivial (4). If you flee but not maneuver away from shot the opponent can still fire their broadsides at you (however at a longer range now).

- Fire Canons This is not an opposed action. Just a straight Body Action Test of the Gunner (assume gunners have Body 3 +1 Skill if not listed). Easy (6) with modifiers for distance, and crew to hit the ship. Although it requires a Tough (8) to hit the sails and you have to have grape shot/chain shot to hit sails. Damage is how much you beat the target by, to a maximum of your cannons. Example the sloop above fires at the merchantman. The gunner has a Body of 3 and is skilled with swivel cannon. He rolls a 5. That is 3+1+5=9. He does 9-6 = 3 Damage. However the max damage from a swivel gun is only 1. So he only does one damage to the opposing ship. Like the SRE, the goal here is one dice roll to resolve everything.

- Fire at Crew You nasty pirate, wanting to kill the crew and keep the ship. This is an opposed action check, gunners total (Body+Skill) vs. the opposing crews body (Body+Applicable Skill like dodge, nimble, etc). The amount you beat them by is the amount of crew you minced. Max damage applies as well (since 1 crew point = 10-20 crew). Note for PCs they just take damage as normal (Difference between action check).

- Ram Em If you go from close to boarding you may decide to ram the other ship instead. Make a body vs. body opposed check (add+1 if you have a ram). The loser takes the difference in body damage (so if you ram a big ship you could sink your own be careful). You are automatically stuck together.

- Boarding Once you are within boarding distance just have the crew fight like characters assume they all have average (3) stats unless otherwise noted (example pirates skilled at boarding might have a 3+1=4). The difference between checks is how many crew points die. If you have PCs involved switch back to normal character v. character combat. The above is just for generalities.

Example of Play

The Players have turned pirate. They have outfitted a captured Sloop to fit their needs (see Pirate Sloop above), renaming the Ship the Red Death they go off in search of pray, after paying top doubloon for the most experienced and cutthroat crew alive. They are hiding behind the rocks and tiny islet just up the coast from Port Leon. Meanwhile, the Royal Trading Company Flute RTS SilverHawk has a belly full of silver bars from the silver mines outside of Port Leon. It is cautiously approaching around the bend to the open seas where they think they will be safe, little do they know. The players have let Pete, who plays Captain Red Beard be their spokesperson and captain for the encounter. Red Beard is skilled at sailing, and has a Mind of 3.

Players: Arg matey, when we see that fat bellied pig come around the bend, we start to chase her.

GM: OK you manage to get the jump on the SilverHawk. You get to go first, and we start at hailing range since you were hiding.

Players: Get to it, you scurvy dogs, I want that ship, but care nothin for the crew. Ok, we try to close and fire grape shot at them! We have swivel guns, so we dont need to maneuver or anything. (Pete rolls dice and gets a 5, the GM rolls a 3 for the SilverHawk).

GM: OK your total is 8 (Die Roll of 5 + Sails (2) + Veteran Crew (1) = 8). The SilverHawk is 5, (Die Roll of 3 + Sails (2). You manage to sneak up behind her getting closer. Roll dice for your swivel cannons.

Players: We blast em with a 4. (GM Rolls a 3).

GM: Ok your gunner is average, but a skilled salty dog. So that is a total of 8 again (Roll of 4 + Body (3) + Skill (1)). The crew of the Silverhawk tries their best to duck behind whatever they can, but many die to your ruthless streak. (Die Roll of 3 + Body of 3 = 6; 8-6 is 2, so two crew points which is about 20 of them die) (The Silverhawk has less the right number of crew so it takes a 1).

GM: In a desperate move Cpt. Flint of the Silverhawk, bleeding from his wounds, trys a desperate last stand and he maneuvers for a broadside. (GM rolls a 6! With Sails of 2, and Less than normal crew the total is a 5 (Die Roll (6) + Sails (2) + Min Crew (-1) +Bulky (-1) = 6). Enough to get into position as long the players roll poorly).

Players: I whip my crew into shape ye scoundrels, get a movin if you want to see land ever again (Player rolls a 1). Oh No! They went lazy on me. I got a total of 5. (Die Roll (1) + Sails (2) + Veteran Crew (1) + Maneuverable (1) = 5).

GM: The SilverHawk manages to get into position, and unleashes her broadsides hoping on the luck of the god (GM rolls a 5). Ok the total is 8 (Die Roll of 5 + Crew (Body 3 + 1 for Skill =4) 1 less than full crew). The total minus the target (6) is 2. Enough to start breaking up the Red Death as her canons rip into you. (Note the maximum damage she could do would be 2 since her canons are broadsides 2).

There you go. A simple ship-to-ship battle. Still interesting but only took 4 Action Checks (2 opposed)

The Red Death closing in

The Red Death firing

The Silverhawk moving into broadsides

The Silverhawk blasting the Red Death to bits.

But in this designers opinon, still relatively easy, with no maps or counters, still fast, but still exciting. After all had the pirates survived the first shot they might have considered boarding or even ramming (although ramming with a body of 0 is always a bad idea).






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		pdf coming soon! < Introduction and Game Designers Notes Introduction and Game Designers Notes Welcome to the first add-on to the SRE. I love swashbuckling games and sailing ships figure big into them. So the first add-on is add the rules to the Simple Rules Engine for sailing ships. The basic SRE covered people and actions, with little mention of how to handle things like large objects such as ships. I realized this while trying to some sci-fi conversions. I though I would tackle sailing ships prior to starships. But you can assume they will be somewhat similar. Now the heart of the SRE is just giving the minimum amount of rules to consistently simulate actions. That is what I have tried to do here. I am the first to admit it seems a bit more complicated than the SRE. Not as elegant in the authors own opinion. It was challenging to come up with something that felt like naval actions and combat without having it turn into a miniatures game. On the other end of the scale, I did not want every ship and naval encounter to be the same either. So I came up with a compromise. One that I am not super thrilled with, but I think is workable, and does not require keeping track of a map, or distances. Just like the core SRE, this has two sections, the first the character sheet for the ships, and the second how to resolve actions. Additionally, as penance for making a more complex than I wanted, I have an alternative super simple version which can be used for those who just use ships occasionally, and an example of play. The Simplest Version Just have ships with one stat Body. When you want to see who outruns who, make an opposed action check. Apply modifiers as GM sees fit (ie. With great sails you might get a +1). To see who wins naval combat, roll opposed body, the higher person either disabled or sank the other ship. The Slightly More Complex but more Fun Version The Ship Sheet Ships like characters, have a few numbers and words to define them. Ship Details The name of the ship, number of masts, etc, whatever you want to personalize your ship (painted red and flys a pirate flag) akin to peronsal details. Archetypes Ships can have archetypes just like people, Pirate Sloop, or Merchantman Flute, etc. The Stats Ships have stats as well, but different from characters. These range from 0 to 6 just like people. They are: Body: The size of the ships. A good rule of thumb is either the number of masts, or the ships tonnage/100. How can you have a ship of 0 you ask, well these are like the longboats. One shot takes them down. Damage is applied to the body. When the body drops below 0, (so if your body is 1 and you are hit and goes to 0, your still floating) the ship starts to break up and sink. Also use body for the cargo space of the ship. Sails/Oars: This the raw sailing or oar power of the ship. Again usually the number of masts, although a small ship with lots of sail (like a sloop) might have a higher sail than the number of masts. Sails/Oars are used for figuring out if you can outrun another ship, or maneuver into position to fire a shot. Note, that if you see Fittings below, some ships are more maneuverable than others, or more bulky in the water. These ships get modifiers applied to their sails for certain maneuvers depending on the GMs opinion. Crew/Min Crew: This is the crew of the ship. Usually a point of crew is about 10-20 sailors. The number after the slash is the minimum to keep the ship sailing and running, if you current crew is less than your required crew, the GM will start making you take negative modifiers to the ship. Fittings: These are like talents and flaws for your ships as well as the weapons for the Ship. Typical fittings are extra cargo, less cargo, maneuverable (all lanteen rigged), bulky (all square rig), fast, slow, deep draft, shallow draft. Additionally, some ships may have rams, while most ships carry cannons. Also you can different qualities of crew. Green crew give you a 1 to all actions, while veterans give you a +1 to all actions. Cannons: If you dont want gun powder, than call them catapults and ballistae. Or just skip it altogether and do crew-to-crew combat only. Canons are either fixed or swivels (although swivel are smaller). And canon have a max damage number. So if you want a wargalley with a huge compliment of broadsides, but on your sheet Broadsides 5. That means they can do a max damage of 5, but have to be in broadsides to use them. You could also have smaller swivel. So your war galleon might have, Broadsides 5, Fore/Aft 3, and 3xSwivel 1. You can fire as many as applicable during your turn. Cannons also have different kinds of shot. Balls affect Body, while Chain/Grape affect crew or sails (your choice). Example Ships These ships will be used in the example below. Pirate Sloop Body: 1 Sail: 2 Crew/Min Crew: 3/1 Fittings: Maneuverable, Small Cargo, Veteran Crew, 2xSwivel 1 Merchant Flute Body: 3 Sail: 2 Crew/Min Crew: 3/2 Fittings: Bulky, Extra Cargo, Broadsides 2 Sailing the High Seas Generally when using ships, you are just traveling from point A to B. No Actions Checks needed, and the GM just uses the Sail number to determine how long it takes you to get there. But occasionally you might want to spice up your travels. While the character actions and difficulties are intutative in the SRE, sometimes with ships people want a little help. So here are some common things you might want the characters or the ship to have Action Checks. Navigation Have the character make an Easy (6) Mind check for coastal waters, and Tough (8) for the open seas. Perhaps if uncharted terrority, maybe even a Hard (10). Storms Depends on how you want to play it. If the character just want to sail through it, have the ship make a Body Check, against the strength of the storm (Trival, Easy, etc.). Perhaps the players want to outrun the storm or outmaneuver it (they have a small ship), have them make a Sails/Oars check. Combat This is the tricky one, but I have tried to keep it simple. In general, I dont worry about distances and headings, etc. That turns into a miniatures game real quick. Instead the distance between two ships can be thought of: - Horizon Very fall off, but can be seen you cant shoot at them - Haling Far off, but close enough to make out some details. You can try to shoot at them, but expect a 1 to your action check. - Close Close enough to exchange shots without penalty. - Boarding Close enough to leap over to the other ship and attach boarding lines. +1 to canon shots. If it is important to know who goes first have the captains make opposing Mind Checks. Assume all captains who arent stated have a Mind of 3. Apply the Crew modifier to this Action Check (green 1, veteran +1). Ships can usually move and fire in their phase (lots of crew). I have some sample move actions below to give you a starting point for combat: - Close with another ship An opposed sail check (add slow and fast and crew). If you win, you close to the next distance (i.e horizon to hailing, hailing to close, close to boarding (ramming). - Flee same as closing but getting away ;) - Maneuver for a shot If you have broadsides or fore/aft guns you have to get your ship into position to use them. This is an opposed sails check (add maneuverable, bulky and crew), however you must beat at least an Easy (6). You stay in that position until either you or the other ship decides to get out of position (see below)It is important to note that some ships have fore/aft guns instead or in addition to broadsides. If a ship (your opponent) has manuevered into fore/aft shot, and you have only broadsides you will have to try and manuever into broadsides and won't be able to return fire. This can make some ships have some interesting strageties, as a small manueverable longboat with a fore cannon can try to manuever into a shot with a bigger ship who only has broadsides. Unless the bigger ships countermoves, the longboat can take pot shots without fear of being shot back. - Maneuver away from a shot - same as maneuver for a shot (opposed check) but easier to get away, you only have to beat a Trivial (4). If you flee but not maneuver away from shot the opponent can still fire their broadsides at you (however at a longer range now). - Fire Canons This is not an opposed action. Just a straight Body Action Test of the Gunner (assume gunners have Body 3 +1 Skill if not listed). Easy (6) with modifiers for distance, and crew to hit the ship. Although it requires a Tough (8) to hit the sails and you have to have grape shot/chain shot to hit sails. Damage is how much you beat the target by, to a maximum of your cannons. Example the sloop above fires at the merchantman. The gunner has a Body of 3 and is skilled with swivel cannon. He rolls a 5. That is 3+1+5=9. He does 9-6 = 3 Damage. However the max damage from a swivel gun is only 1. So he only does one damage to the opposing ship. Like the SRE, the goal here is one dice roll to resolve everything. - Fire at Crew You nasty pirate, wanting to kill the crew and keep the ship. This is an opposed action check, gunners total (Body+Skill) vs. the opposing crews body (Body+Applicable Skill like dodge, nimble, etc). The amount you beat them by is the amount of crew you minced. Max damage applies as well (since 1 crew point = 10-20 crew). Note for PCs they just take damage as normal (Difference between action check). - Ram Em If you go from close to boarding you may decide to ram the other ship instead. Make a body vs. body opposed check (add+1 if you have a ram). The loser takes the difference in body damage (so if you ram a big ship you could sink your own be careful). You are automatically stuck together. - Boarding Once you are within boarding distance just have the crew fight like characters assume they all have average (3) stats unless otherwise noted (example pirates skilled at boarding might have a 3+1=4). The difference between checks is how many crew points die. If you have PCs involved switch back to normal character v. character combat. The above is just for generalities. Example of Play The Players have turned pirate. They have outfitted a captured Sloop to fit their needs (see Pirate Sloop above), renaming the Ship the Red Death they go off in search of pray, after paying top doubloon for the most experienced and cutthroat crew alive. They are hiding behind the rocks and tiny islet just up the coast from Port Leon. Meanwhile, the Royal Trading Company Flute RTS SilverHawk has a belly full of silver bars from the silver mines outside of Port Leon. It is cautiously approaching around the bend to the open seas where they think they will be safe, little do they know. The players have let Pete, who plays Captain Red Beard be their spokesperson and captain for the encounter. Red Beard is skilled at sailing, and has a Mind of 3. Players: Arg matey, when we see that fat bellied pig come around the bend, we start to chase her. GM: OK you manage to get the jump on the SilverHawk. You get to go first, and we start at hailing range since you were hiding. Players: Get to it, you scurvy dogs, I want that ship, but care nothin for the crew. Ok, we try to close and fire grape shot at them! We have swivel guns, so we dont need to maneuver or anything. (Pete rolls dice and gets a 5, the GM rolls a 3 for the SilverHawk). GM: OK your total is 8 (Die Roll of 5 + Sails (2) + Veteran Crew (1) = 8). The SilverHawk is 5, (Die Roll of 3 + Sails (2). You manage to sneak up behind her getting closer. Roll dice for your swivel cannons. Players: We blast em with a 4. (GM Rolls a 3). GM: Ok your gunner is average, but a skilled salty dog. So that is a total of 8 again (Roll of 4 + Body (3) + Skill (1)). The crew of the Silverhawk tries their best to duck behind whatever they can, but many die to your ruthless streak. (Die Roll of 3 + Body of 3 = 6; 8-6 is 2, so two crew points which is about 20 of them die) (The Silverhawk has less the right number of crew so it takes a 1). GM: In a desperate move Cpt. Flint of the Silverhawk, bleeding from his wounds, trys a desperate last stand and he maneuvers for a broadside. (GM rolls a 6! With Sails of 2, and Less than normal crew the total is a 5 (Die Roll (6) + Sails (2) + Min Crew (-1) +Bulky (-1) = 6). Enough to get into position as long the players roll poorly). Players: I whip my crew into shape ye scoundrels, get a movin if you want to see land ever again (Player rolls a 1). Oh No! They went lazy on me. I got a total of 5. (Die Roll (1) + Sails (2) + Veteran Crew (1) + Maneuverable (1) = 5). GM: The SilverHawk manages to get into position, and unleashes her broadsides hoping on the luck of the god (GM rolls a 5). Ok the total is 8 (Die Roll of 5 + Crew (Body 3 + 1 for Skill =4) 1 less than full crew). The total minus the target (6) is 2. Enough to start breaking up the Red Death as her canons rip into you. (Note the maximum damage she could do would be 2 since her canons are broadsides 2). There you go. A simple ship-to-ship battle. Still interesting but only took 4 Action Checks (2 opposed) The Red Death closing in The Red Death firing The Silverhawk moving into broadsides The Silverhawk blasting the Red Death to bits. But in this designers opinon, still relatively easy, with no maps or counters, still fast, but still exciting. After all had the pirates survived the first shot they might have considered boarding or even ramming (although ramming with a body of 0 is always a bad idea).