Sinking a Rowboat - How?

Rechan · Sep 23, 2007

Here's the situation.

The PCs are traveling about three hundred feet from a ship to the beach. They are in a rowboat.

Half way to shore, the boat is attacked from below by a monster who is stupid enough to think the boat is a big fish. I want the monster to punch a big enough hole in the boat to make the boat start taking water.

A rowboat is 8-12 feet long, made of wood. Wood has a hardness of 5 and 10 HP/Inch. I figure a rowboat's bottom is 1.5-2 inches of wood (So maybe 15-20 HP?).

Any rules suggestions on simulating 'boat is taking water'? How much damage should it do to accomplish this, how many rounds do you think it'll take for the boat to have taken enough water to be submerged, any mechanic suggestions for 'bailing water out' (or how many rounds that will save them), etc?

Goblyn · Sep 23, 2007

Rechan said:
Here's the situation.

The PCs are traveling about three hundred feet from a ship to the beach. They are in a rowboat.

Half way to shore, the boat is attacked from below by a monster who is stupid enough to think the boat is a big fish. I want the monster to punch a big enough hole in the boat to make the boat start taking water.

A rowboat is 8-12 feet long, made of wood. Wood has a hardness of 5 and 10 HP/Inch. I figure a rowboat's bottom is 1.5-2 inches of wood (So maybe 15-20 HP?).

Any rules suggestions on simulating 'boat is taking water'? How much damage should it do to accomplish this, how many rounds do you think it'll take for the boat to have taken enough water to be submerged, any mechanic suggestions for 'bailing water out' (or how many rounds that will save them), etc?

I don't think there are RAW to cover this cool little scenario. Even if there are, it may behoove you to post this in House Rules, as well, to see what folks come up with ... if you haven't already.

Kmart Kommando · Sep 23, 2007

Have it Trip the boat. Huge 'creature', no STR mod, +4 for being stable(ish). Then it flips over. If it fails, it just rocks the boat, then people on board have to make a Balance check DC 10(ish) to not fall prone.

Other than that, assume 'good door' is about the right hit points and hardness, so break DC of 23, followed by sinking in 10 rounds, less one round for each 5 points above the DC 23. Each person bailing out water adds one round before it sinks.

darthkilmor · Sep 23, 2007

Rechan said:
Here's the situation.

The PCs are traveling about three hundred feet from a ship to the beach. They are in a rowboat.

Half way to shore, the boat is attacked from below by a monster who is stupid enough to think the boat is a big fish. I want the monster to punch a big enough hole in the boat to make the boat start taking water.

A rowboat is 8-12 feet long, made of wood. Wood has a hardness of 5 and 10 HP/Inch. I figure a rowboat's bottom is 1.5-2 inches of wood (So maybe 15-20 HP?).

Any rules suggestions on simulating 'boat is taking water'? How much damage should it do to accomplish this, how many rounds do you think it'll take for the boat to have taken enough water to be submerged, any mechanic suggestions for 'bailing water out' (or how many rounds that will save them), etc?

So they PC's won't want to bail from the baot and swim because of the monster. Whats the speed of the boat ? if they're attacked 150 ft from shore, you wouldnt just want them to ignore the taking on water and row on in i'm assuming? Or maybe you do if they have to subsiquently repair the boat.

I wouldnt worry too much about the rules of it and just wing it. The boat is attacked, a hole forms in the bottom, it starts taking on water. Unless the PC's generally carry buckets they won't be able to bail any measureable amount of water out. They might be able to try and slow the water intake down by stuffing a backpack over the hole or seomthing, but other than that maybe require str checks on the guys rowing to move faster that round. ( maybe standard speed 10 ft / round, DC 20 str check to move 20 ft ?). boat keeps getting attacked, PC's get nervous about boat breaking up. Then just say once 8 rounds have passed, the boat has taken enough damage that it sinks, then its swim checks to get to shore. The better they did on str checks the closer to shore they actually are. Once they're swimming they should be able to get to shore or at least shallow enough water to be safe in a few rounds. Maybe someone gets attacked once.

Ogrork the Mighty · Sep 23, 2007

What kind of monster? Anything bigger than Medium should be able to smash it apart pretty darn quick!

Sigurd · Sep 23, 2007

Dont forget that the boat is not held by anything - Floating. Its not braced against the ground like a normal item being hit. Unless the beast is very very fast the boat deserves a low save against damage as the creature doesn't have the leverage to knock a hole through 1 1/2 inches of wood.

If the creature has claws it would probably be much easier to roll or swamp the boat by pulling it down on one side - this is more threatening and survivable at the same time.

Sigurd

Maldor · Sep 23, 2007

try a ramfish out of stormwreck

Primitive Screwhead · Sep 23, 2007

Answered to same thread over in HR

Rechan · Sep 23, 2007

Sigurd said:
If the creature has claws it would probably be much easier to roll or swamp the boat by pulling it down on one side - this is more threatening and survivable at the same time.

The creature LOOKS like an aquatic grick (I just like the tentacle faced worm look). I'm thinking of using the stats, but modifying them (Up the HP, up the tentacle damage, reduce the DR).

My thinking is that the monster is too stupid to think that the boat isn't a big fish. So it's not going to realize that "Hey there's food on the upper half". When the PCs attack the monster, I figure it will "surface" and try to chew on them in retaliation, and realize "Hey food!"