The Old World - Warriors & Heroes - Complete Online Rule Book
Ship Ownership
Players Owning Ships
Heroes can often find themselves in possession of much wealth. One way to spend that wealth may be by purchasing a ship. Or they may be gifted a ship by a wealthy and grateful person. Either way, it’s important to understand ship ownership in the Old World.
Ships aren’t cheap, and neither is their upkeep. A person owning a ship is responsible for paying the crew, hiring a captain, and maintenance. This can add up to a lot, especially with ships that are costing 150,000 gold or more. The crew will require 30 gold per person each month. The captain’s pay will be higher, but that can be a roleplay decision. Docking fees should also be handled in roleplay, however typical costs are around 100 gold per month. Maintenance costs are covered under the sea peril table.
A player who owns a Corsair class ship may use the vessel for trade when not in use for sea journeys. This can defer a lot of the costs of owning a ship. For each month, the ship is involved in trade, the players will roll a total of 8 D20 dice. The total result will be multiplied by 30.
This will equal the amount of gold earned by the ship that month. This can be as little as 240 gold or as much as 6,400 or more if dice explode. The player will still be responsible for paying the crew for that month, so deduct costs from that earned trading.
Longships, Wargalley class and Carrack class ships are not usable as trade vessels. Ownership of these vessels can incur huge costs for docking and crew. These costs cannot be mitigated. If players run out of money, the ship will not be usable. The crew will leave as will the captain. This can provide an interesting opportunity for roleplay. Debts to crew that were unpaid should not be forgotten unless the story has a good reason for doing so.
Even if the ship is out of play due to lack of funds, docking fees will still stack up. Owning a ship is a massive expense and comes with plenty of risks. Players can easily find themselves in deep debt. However, if the seas are kind, they can just as easily make massive amounts of money. Remind players to weigh the risks carefully when seeking ship ownership.
Long Ship Class
Crew Size: 20-30
Storage Capacity: 1,000lb
Ship Length: 23m – 28m
Average Value: 19,000-31,000 Gold
Long ships are commonly used for land raids or beach landings. They are designed for carrying a large number of soldiers. They have little in the way of storage for equipment. Though these boats are capable of sea voyages, they provide no protection from the elements. The Norsca are particularly fond of this class of ship as they are perfect for raiding coastline cities and towns. They are not equipped for sea battle. The other great strength of a long ship is its speed. Since they are manned by rowers, they are some of the fastest ships in the sea.
Wargalley Class
Crew Size: 30-70
Storage Capacity: 10,000lb
Ship Length: 30m – 50m
Average Value: 250,000-450,000 Gold
While seldom any larger than a Corsair, Wargalley class ships are purpose-built for warfare. They are commonly equipped with reinforced hulls. They come standard with a wide variety of weapons. Some may even have ramming hulls reinforced with metal for sinking enemy vessels. They will commonly forgo cargo holds for extra crew quarters. It’s common for these ships to have rowing ports for extra speed in battle. Druchii, Asur, and the Empire are all well-known for this class of ship. They are the backbone of naval superiority.
Corsair Class
Crew Size: 30-50
Storage Capacity: 10,000lb
Ship Length: 30m – 40m
Average Value: 150,000-350,000 Gold
Corsair class ships are the most common sailing vessels of the Old World. They are favored by merchants, private military, and pirates alike. A corsair can hold a large amount of cargo, even including livestock and carriages. They require a large crew to run but are worth the cost. Though not every corsair class ship is equipped for battle, they are more than capable of being outfitted with cannons and battle equipment. During wartime many privately owned corsairs may be forced into military service by the local governments. Corsairs are also well suited to long ocean voyages. Since they have below deck crew compartments, they even work well as passenger vessels. The versatile nature of these ships makes them prized vessels.
Carrack Class
Crew Size: 60-150
Storage Capacity: 20,000lb
Ship Length: 50m – 70m
Average Value: 550,000-950,000 Gold
Carrack class ships are the greatest vessels of the sea. Sometimes also known as wolf ships, they are a rare sight. Only the most elite of soldiers or best-trained sailors will be found aboard a carrack class ship. These ships are generally used as command ships for armadas. Were a military looking to capture a territory or wage war on another faction, one of these ships would most likely sail among its fleet.
Players seeking to own such a ship should expect significant costs in both the purchases of and the upkeep associated with ownership. Also owning a powerful and significant war vessel may draw unwanted attention from rivals.