Ship, Equipment and Crew II

[Kelly]

I also think we should get a scroll of gentle repose.

The scroll control water would be invaluable if our hull is damaged or we spring a leak. I could reduce the water in the hold and keep us from sinking.

Probably 5 diamonds would be enough since we only need them for PCs. Plus, if we don't use them then they are still worth their cost.

[Kelly]

Ship's Fund = 37,653 GP + 3000 GP (from Apoctus) + 1000 GP (from Palai) + 1000 GP (from Nicki) = 42,653 GP

[Kelly]

Ship's Fund = 42,653 - 13,000 (lyre of Building) - 1500 (2 CLW wands) - 3354 (crew costs/food/odds and ends) - 15000 (three 5000 GP Diamonds) = 9,799 GP + 8201 (from Chey) = 18,000 Remaining Ship's Fund

[shadowbane]

Starting Ship's Fund = 42,653 GP + 8201 = 50854 GP(for purposes of treasure at the end of this venture)

[Kelly]

Here are some issues we might want to address:

1) DM since we are higher levels as officers and since our reputation is fairly large, can we raise officer's shares to 5 or 6 on the next voyage?

2) Some items we should still consider buying:

Scrolls = Comprehend Languages (25 GP), Detect Evil (25 GP), Jump (25 GP), Magic Weapon (25 GP), Obscuring Mist (25 GP), Make Whole (150 GP), Zone of Truth (150 GP), Gentle Repose (150 GP), Water Breathing (375 GP), Water Walk (375 GP), Wind Wall (375 GP), Control Water (700 GP), and Restoration (700 GP).

The make whole scrolls would be invaluable to repair any damage to our ship quickly and could prevent us from sinking and losing all we own plus our lives.

The control water scrolls would be invaluable should we ever take on water in our hold from leaks, damage or massive storms. This could quickly reduce the water levels and prevent us from sinking.

The comprehend languages, detect evil and zone of truth scrolls would be handy during interactions with others.

The jump, magic weapon and obscuring mist scrolls would be nice to have in combat. Jump could also be used in non-combat situations occaisionally.

The water breathing and water walk scrolls would be handy to move about on or under the water or for diving to recover sunken items or people.

Gentle repose and Restoration scrolls would help if someone is killed and we cannot immediately raise them from the dead or if someone is level drained and we need to get them back into combat quickly.

The wind wall scroll could be used to slow enemy ships, speed up our own ship, and to provide protection from gases or weapons impeded by the wind.

Potions of healing. These could be useful for marine sargents wounded in battle and are fairly inexpensive. Further, we have very few sargents on board so the cost would be low.

Certain arcane scrolls once our resident wizards post a suggested list.

3) We may want to consider hiring higher level seige engineers/artillerists to run the two above deck catapults and 4 above deck ballistae. This would not only make these weapons more accurate, but the individuals would have higher hit points and could more likely survive a battle. A few extra artillerists might be a good idea as well since we run short if even one of them is killed just like our last battle.

4) Here are some items that we recovered from the island of the tiger dwarves. I do not believe that they were sold. Did the PCs take these items or are they part of the ship's inventory? Does anyone know? DM thoughts?

Arcane Scrolls
Minor Image (l2, cl3)
Levitate (l2, cl3)
Identify (l1, cl1)
Ray of Enfeeblement (l1, cl1)
Unseen Servant (l1, cl1)
Minor Image (l2, cl3)
Detect Thoughts (l2, cl3)
Mirror Image (l2, cl3)
Change Self (l1, cl1)

120 Crystal tipped arrows (adds +d4 damage to each hit)

[Merkuri]

Well, I think we should put control water and make whole at the end of our shopping list because the lyre makes those less likely to be needed. Still good purchases, but they should have a low priority. I think Gentle Repose and Restoration should be on the top of the list. And I'd be all for hiring better artilerists, but how much extra money are we looking at here?

[Hussar]

1) DM since we are higher levels as officers and since our reputation is fairly large, can we raise officer's shares to 5 or 6 on the next voyage?

No.

Realistically, historically, the captain of a privateer made 2 shares, not 4. I'm already giving you twice the cash you should be getting. Besides, take a look at your character sheet and your level. Add up your equipment and you'll find you are actually a touch ahead of the game.

[Kelly]

I agree that the Lyre of Building will usually control ship to ship combat damage. I suggested the scrolls because they are fairly cheap and could be essential for hull damage caused by reefs, rocks, or even surprise attacks from under the water by monsters or sea creatures. That is how many sea creatures handle combat against us landlubbers is to sink the ship, then go for the kill or spoils. With such a surprise attack, it is unlikely that the Lyre would do us any good b/c the damage would occur before we even knew what happened.

Plus these scrolls could also be used to repair a sinking enemy ship that we ourselves damaged in combat. Then we can possibly salvage the ship and sell it for tens of thousands of gold pieces.

I can keep taking these spells for the time being, but they take up valuable spell slots and reduce my capabilities. So eventually I think we should invest the small amount of money into these scrolls to have on board to keep our ship from sinking and killing us all especially since the price of saving our ship, our valuables and our lives is 1000 GP.

Seems like pretty cheap insurance for us. (2 make whole scrolls x 150 GP and a control water scroll x 700 GP).

[shadowbane]

Kelly said:

I agree that the Lyre of Building will usually control ship to ship combat damage. I suggested the scrolls because they are fairly cheap and could be essential for hull damage caused by reefs, rocks, or even surprise attacks from under the water by monsters or sea creatures. That is how many sea creatures handle combat against us landlubbers is to sink the ship, then go for the kill or spoils. With such a surprise attack, it is unlikely that the Lyre would do us any good b/c the damage would occur before we even knew what happened.

Plus these scrolls could also be used to repair a sinking enemy ship that we ourselves damaged in combat. Then we can possibly salvage the ship and sell it for tens of thousands of gold pieces.

I can keep taking these spells for the time being, but they take up valuable spell slots and reduce my capabilities. So eventually I think we should invest the small amount of money into these scrolls to have on board to keep our ship from sinking and killing us all especially since the price of saving our ship, our valuables and our lives is 1000 GP.

Seems like pretty cheap insurance for us. (2 make whole scrolls x 150 GP and a control water scroll x 700 GP).

I agree but we shouldn't rely on the lyre too heavily, it is only useable one a day for protection and one a week? for building and repairs ( i think) and that is a tiny bit of a recharge time ands the lyre wouldn't stop water flooding into the ship as the ships being repaired, as yes those scrolls are invaluble anmd i think whover disagrees may change their mind after were caught off gaurd with the lyre drained of power, i donb't really think waiting 4 or 5 days for the lyre to rechange is going to be a option with a breached hull. and 1000gp is an investent if it can be used to save a 'prize ship' and bring it into harbour. after all letting enemy ships sink is just a waiste of good money.

(as for repairs i think chey can cast mendings as well as cure light wounds, so could be useful in speeding recovery from battles.)

[shadowbane]

Has anyone considered purchasing a magical figurehead for the ship. i have 2nd ed sources at my disposal that mentions about them, (the warcaptains guide etc)

from this source it mentions these items and i was wondering if any of these would exist in this world.

Greater anchors of staying (when cast over the side it holds the ship there preventing even the worst storms from tearing the anchor from the seabed)

Never ending barrels of grog (unlimited suply of very cheep and rather nasty liquor)

Never ending barrels of salt pork (same idea)

Basket of devouring (anything you though in gets eaten as with the bag of same name)

Helm of Liaison (maybe a little too expensive lol.... it brings uo a veiw of everything within 10,000 yards of the ship in the wearers mind, above and bellow water)

Magical balista (and i guess catapults)

Bell of warning (sounds when any ship or vessel aproaches within 5000 yards of the ship)

Box of preservation (8ft by 4ft by 3ft) (anything put in it is put in a state of susatended animation with a small changce of anything living placed in their of dying fromn shock when removed)

Coat of the Seas (makes wearer imune to winds and rain and acts as a floatation device if the wearer ends up in the sea, and can breath normally with no danger of drowning no matter how big the waves)

lantern of spying (by turning a nob then listening to it the user can hear any convesations onboard the ship with crystal clarity...... perfect for the paraniod captain)

'Lighthouse' (a small shperical object after 21 days of contact with it the user can instantly tell which diection and how far away this item is.... its usually concealed onboard a ship after it has atuned to its new user so that person can always tell where the ship is)

Masthead of durability (this lower deck suport for the mast render the mast indestructable to everything except fire)

Rudder of maneavrability (increases the turning speed of the ship... )

Rudder of speed (same idea lol)

Sails of maneavrability (same ideas as rudder)

Helm of detection (as helm of liason but doubled the range)

Statues of power: (like wonderous figures of power but nautical) 1/day.
:medic with a bag: (ac:10, hp:8, mv:30) can either use 5* clw, 2*csw, or 1*ccw (only one set of spells each day), or it can use heal but then is poweless for 7 days.
: Old captain with pipe: (ac:16, hp:23, mv:30), gives the captain unering and aciurate advise, either with regards to where to head, or advise on how to battle an enemy ship (the latter only gives 1d4 'turns' a bonus, but in that time gives +1 to initative and attacks)
: pirate with a pegleg: (ac:10 hp:2 mv 30) when activated all enemies on your ship must make a will save or be forced to dance a jig for 1d6 rounds preventing then from attacking, those who sucseed are still penalized with -1 to hit. 'killing' the pirate with a pegleg negates all these affects instantly.
: pirate with rapier and parrot: (hp:50, mv:30, ac:15, attacks: raper 1d20+8 for 1d6+4, fort:+4, ref +1, wil +1)
creates a L5 warrier to fight alongside the crew.
:sailsboy with rope: (ac14, hp:12, mv:30) works once a day for 1 hour, if 'killed' it becomes inactive for a week, as acts as (?) crewmen and inproves ships maneavrability when its used.
: Old salty with raincoat: when used the user knows whatthe weather will be like over the next 24 hoursand if the weather in the next 24 hours around the ship witll be magically tampered with.
:Skipper with hat: (ac:18, hp:35, mv:30) 1 hour once a day. It summons a skipper who yells (often obscene) commands at the pilot,, but actiually is quite useful allowing the ship to make better time. (increase in speed).
:Swabbie with bucket: (ac:12, hp:12 mv:20) once per week. cleans 5ft sq of floor a round until job completed ot killed.
:WeaponsMaster: (Ac:16 Hp:45, Mv:30) acts as an entire crew for one weapon (treated as L5 artilerist) useable 1/day for 1 hour.

Unseen ships crew: when blown this whistle creates unseen crew equal to 50% of the ships current crew (treated like unseen servants, 1hd) it can be blow 1/day and lasts (1d4*10) +40 miniutes. they man and operate all possitions not currently crewed (eg if 1 person was doing a 3 person job they would leave him alone but if he left 3 unseen crew would take over fully crewing that uncrewed possition)

Urn of water purification: turns sea water to fresh water at a rate of 1 gallon every 10 miniutes. holds 30 gallons.

Vane of location: the captain can tell it a location (the exact name if a : habour, island, city, town etc) and it unerringly points straight at that location, (straight at that location it doesn't take into account safest or quickest ruites of dangers though).

then there are others but i don't have time now to list them.

[shadowbane]

i'm adding some more to the list from the sme source:

Ships wheel of maneuvrability (you get the idea)

Protective turrets and magical turrets and turretets of stability (all probably useless for this ship)
(non magical protective turrets give the weaponeers 50% cover)
(magical stability ones act as above add and add +1 to the weapons accuracy)
(magical protective ones act as a protective turret and the crew inside where they would take 1/2 damage from an sucessful save instead take no damage as the turret takes the brunt of the inpact. the turret has to be destroyed before the weapon inside can be harmed by any attack)

Mage shot (magical balista rounds):
(ring shot is only useable against metal plating so will be left out)
Dust shot: ship hit by this round is coveredin a cloud of white dust obscuring vision and giving -4 on all that ships and crew attack rolls, and -2 to all attack rlls against it, it disipates fairly quickly. (1d4 min)
Snow shot: a ship hit by this finds itself hit by a blizard. all above deck crew not protected from cold take 1d4 (save for 1/2), and the ship itself takes 2d10 water damage, during its breif existance it (2d4 min) the ship is clouded in snow.

Figureheads:
these are some of the enchantments (a figurehead can carry multiple affects)
: Smiling: (it did improve how well the ship was received but i don't know hoiw that converts into 3.5)
: Headgear: (eg bonnet flower or wreath) allows one shipbased roll to be rerolled once a day.
: Armless: increases the dificulty of attepts to ram the ship.
: Armoured: increased the dc/ac of attempts to hit the ship with attacks and shipbased weapons.
: Eyes closed: shrouds the ship in an aura that prevents scrying.
: Sideways glancing: improves ship morale.

other ideas that may work

Hull plates with one use remair whole spells enchanced into them that triggers on the event of a hull breach within x ft of them

now off to a diferent subject:
it mentions here about ship modifications... i left out those that would be inapropriate of useless to this ship. but here are a few remaining they could be adapted for this game:
: Rigging or Topping out: adding extra sails and rigging (increases the min crew but improves speed and handing... probably a bad idea anyway on this ship)
: Bracing: reduces the cargo hold by 20% due to the extra timbers used to suport and reinforce the hull, i not use if if this is useable but could reinforcing the hull this way increase she ships hp and or resistance to attacks?
: Plating: i guess you already know this one lol.

[Hussar]

Actually, Scarn has a number of magical mastheads that can be placed on a ship. When I get a minute, I'll post what is available.

As far as adding more sails, you'd have to replace the masts on your ship to do it. I've got the cost for doing this somewhere, and you would up your maximum speed by a bit and possibly up your maneuverability.

As far as the nautical magic, there are a number of items in the Arms Guide too.