pvgttm-web/src/pages/astral/vessels.md

208 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
Raw Normal View History

2023-02-20 11:46:46 -05:00
---
title: Astral Vessels
description: TBD
date_pub: 2023-02-15T00:26:00-05:00
section: astral
content_type: feature
short_code: av1
---
[[toc]]
### Astral Consoles
- Allow the ship to ride along the naturally occurring astral currents.
- Often shaped like a high-backed chair.
- Controlled by a **Pilot**.
- It takes one round to activate a console, and one round to deactivate a console.
- While active:
- The pilot can sense the astral currents that surround the ship.
- The pilot may move the ship in any direction at individual flight / "falling" speed (INT \* 30')
- can see currents and (subtly) move ship between them (although you can't turn the ship without using the sails)
- viewpoint is the front of the ship (as if standing on the bow), but can be turned 90 degrees left or right (so behind can be seen, but not well)
- The only movement capable via a standard astral console is forward (at
- It can take up to 1 turn to find a suitable current to ride at "traveling speed"
- Once a console has been installed on a vessel, it cannot be forcibly removed (without using the "release" word) until the integrity of the vessel itself has been compromised.
- The pilot can be any character class.
- Piloting a ship via a console requires concentration, and shouldn't be done for more than 8 hours in a row.
- Piloting beyond 8 hours runs the risk of incurring exhaustion.
- The pilot is not incapacitated while piloting the ship - instead, they can choose whether to focus on the ship's POV or their own, while still being peripherally aware of both.
- They have limited ability to move, -4 to all attacks, and can't cast spells, use psionics, or do anything else that would break their concentration.
- If the pilot is pulled or thrown from the console, their connection to the ship is immediately broken, and the ship instantly stops moving.
#### Multiple Consoles
- A ship can have multiple consoles attached to it, but only one may be active at a time.
- If two (or one and a different type of engine) are both active at the same time on the same vessel, perform a check as follows:
- For two consoles (or similar devices), make a contested CHA check between the two pilots, with the loser being locked-out of controlling the ship.
- For one console and an inert device (like a Fire Engine), the pilot should make a CHA check to override the device and take control of the vessel.
<!--
##### Usage with a Planar Compass
+ Using an astral console while wearing a planar compass provides the pilot with an enhanced ability to see the ship, its surrounding area, and even distant targets.
+ The compass can be focused on any ship or location within one day's travel of the wearer at their current speed.
-->
#### Other Types of Engines
- **Fire Engines** - A large thruster, built (and usually controlled) by Dwarves, and powered by elemental fire. Rumored to be capable of propelling even the largest vessels at traveling speeds.
- **Life Engines** - Some evil-aligned races use the life energy from slaves and captives to power their vessels.
- **Mind Engines** - Some psychic races use their psychic energy to power and control their vessels.
- **Orbipods (Tyrant Ships)** - Eye Tyrant ships are powered by one or more orbi (singular orbus), a mutant eye tyrant bred solely for this purpose.
#### Engine Speed
- **Console** = Pilot's INT x 30 yards / round
- **Orbipod** = 300 yards / round for a single one, each additional adds a 20% (60 yards / round) boost
- 2 orbipods = 360 yards / round
- 3 orbipods = 420 yards / round
### Roles
Party members can fulfill various roles aboard astral vessels.
- **Pilot** - the character who flies the ship, typically via an astral console.
- **Gunner** - a character who mans a ship-board weapon (ex: a ballista).
- **Boatswain** - a character who helps maintain (and potentially improve) the various components of the ship.
- **First Mate** - the charcter who leads the rest of the crew in their duties.
- **Navigator** - a character with experience reading astral maps and plotting courses by them.
- **Surgeon** - a character who heals the wounded members of the crew, be it through magic or medicine (or both).
#### Bonuses for Roles
During each round of pursuit or combat, PCs occupying these roles may attempt to improve the ship's tactical movement as follows:
- In lieu of an attack, each of the following roles may make the indicated check:
- **Pilot**: May make their choice of an INT or WIS check.
- **First Mate**: May make a CHA check.
- **Boatswain**: May make their choice of an INT or DEX check.
- **Bonus effects**: Choose one of the following for each successful check:
- +1 level (30' / round) to pursuit / evasion speed.
- +1 AC to the ship _AND_ all creatures on board until the end of the round.
- +1 to all attack rolls made by the ship _AND_ all creatures on board until end of the round.
- **Performing bonus checks**: _Must_ be declared before initiative is rolled, occurs at the start of the party's side of combat (just before the "fire missiles" combat phase while the party's side has initiative).
### Ship Statistics
<div class="dividedTableWrapper">
| Vessel | Cost (gp) | Cargo Capacity (coins) | Length | Beam | Crew | Weapons | Ram | Landing Types | AC | HP |
| --------------------- | :-------: | :--------------------: | :-------: | :-------: | :--: | :------: | :-: | :-------------: | :---------: | :-----: |
| Caravel | 10,000 | 100,000 | 60'-80' | 20'-30' | 10 | 1 | N | Water | 8&nbsp;[11] | 60-90 |
| Galleon | 20,000 | 300,000 | 100'-150' | 25'-30' | 20 | 3 | N | Water | 7 [12] | 120-180 |
| Warship, Sm | 6,600 | 100,000 | 60'-80' | 20'-30' | 10 | 1/2 | Y | Water | 8 [11] | 60-90 |
| Warship, Lg | 26,600 | 300,000 | 100'-150' | 25'-30' | 20 | 2/4 | Y | Water | 7 [12] | 150-210 |
| Ghyffan Corvette | 15,000 | 250,000 | 100'-150' | 25'-35' | 10 | 1/2 | N | Water | 7 [12] | 90-150 |
| Ghyffan Battlecruiser | 45,000 | 450,000 | 220'-280' | 20'-30' | 24 | 3/4 | Y | None | 7 [12] | 180-240 |
| Stral Destroyer | 40,000 | 350,000 | 150'-200' | 25'-35' | 10 | 5 lg | Y | None | 7 [12] | 150-210 |
| Stral Dreadnought | 50,000 | 600,000 | 220'-280' | 20'-30' | 24 | 3 lg | Y | None | 7 [12] | 180-240 |
| Dwarven Fortress | 100,000 | 3,000,000 | 200'-300' | 150'-250' | 10 | 10 lg | Y | Land | 7 [12] | 360-720 |
| Gnomish SteamJammer | 40,000 | 300,000 | 100'-150' | 20'-30' | 20 | 1 lg | N | Land, Water[^1] | 7 [12] | 90-120 |
| Drahki Dragonship, Sm | 60,000 | 150,000 | 80'-120' | 10'-15' | 10 | 1 lg[^2] | Y | Water | 7 [12] | 120-180 |
| Drahki Dragonship, Lg | 60,000 | 450,000 | 150'-200' | 15'-20' | 20 | 3 lg[^2] | Y | Water | 7 [12] | 180-240 |
[Ship Statistics]
</div>
[^1]: Base 50% chance of success on each landing
[^2]: Drahki ships always carry a Fire Cannon as one of their weapons
### Weapons
#### Ballistae
Fire large bolts (arrows) of wood and iron.
**Cargo Space**: A medium ballista plus twenty bolts requires 6,000 coins of cargo space, and a heavy ballista plus twenty bolts occupies 12,000 coins worth (both subtracted from the ships cargo allowance).
**Attack modifiers**: May be applied for environmental conditions, manoeuvrability, etc.
##### Medium Ballista
**Range**: 1,500 yards.
**Attack rolls and rate of fire**: Depend on the number of crew manning the ballista:
- 2 crew (minimum): Attacks with THAC0 15 [+4]. Fires every 3 rounds.
- 3 crew (maximum): Attacks with THAC0 14 [+5]. Fires every 2 rounds.
**Damage**: 3d6 hit points or 3d2 hull points.
##### Heavy Ballista
**Range**: 1,000 yards.
**Attack rolls and rate of fire**: Depend on the number of crew manning the ballista:
- 4 crew (minimum): Attacks with THAC0 15 [+4]. Fires every 4 rounds.
- 5 crew (maximum): Attacks with THAC0 14 [+5]. Fires every 3 rounds.
**Damage**: 3d10 hit points or 3d6 hull points.
#### Bombards (Cannons)
Fire magically-propelled large balls of iron.
**Cargo Space**: A bombard plus twenty cannonballs requires 10,000 coins of cargo space (subtracted from the ships cargo allowance).
**Range**: 1,000 yards.
**Attack modifiers**: May be applied for environmental conditions, manoeuvrability, etc.
**Attack rolls and rate of fire**: Depend on the number of crew manning the bombards:
- 3 crew (minimum): Attacks with THAC0 17 [+2]. Fires every 3 rounds.
- 4 crew (maximum): Attacks with THAC0 16 [+3]. Fires every 2 rounds.
**Damage**: 2d10 hit points or hull points.
#### Drahki Fire Cannons
Fire dragon's flame. Can be tuned to fire in a cloud, cone, or line. Requires a specialist gunner (one trained in the weapon's use) to use.
**Cargo Space**: A fire cannon plus twenty globes of elemental fire requires 10,000 coins of cargo space (subtracted from the ships cargo allowance).
**Range**: Depends on settings
- Cloud: 500 yards cubed.
- Cone: 2 yards diameter at start, widens to 500 yard wide at 1000 yards distance.
- Line: 2 yards in diameter, extends 1,500 yards.
**Attack rolls and rate of fire**: Depend on the number of crew manning the cannons:
- 2 crew (minimum): Attacks with THAC0 15 [+4]. Fires every 2 rounds.
- 3 crew (maximum): Attacks with THAC0 14 [+5]. Fires each round.
**Damage**: 1d6+5 x 10 hit points or 1d6+5 x 5 hull points
<!--
#### Eye Tyrant Blasters
Fire energy bolts that function like magic missiles. Requires 2 common Eye Tyrants to crew.
**Cargo Space**: TBD
**Range**: 1,500 yards.
**Attack rolls and rate of fire**: Attacks with THAC0 15 [+4]. Fires three bolts every round, roll for each bolt.
**Damage**: 1d6+1 hit points or hull points per bolt. Bolts that hit a ship only have a 2-in-6 chance of failing to do damage (scorching the surface).
-->
#### Rams
Can be used against ships or giant monsters. Small individuals cannot be targeted.
**Attack rolls**: Are made using a THAC0 of 19 [0] and occur at the same point in the combat sequence as missile fire.
**Attack modifiers**: May be applied for environmental conditions, manoeuvrability, etc.
**Large ships**: Deals 1d6+5 x 10 hull points damage against ships and 6d6 hit points damage against monsters.
**Small ships**: Deals 1d4+4 x 10 hull points damage against ships and 3d8 hit points damage against monsters.