Product Concept - Naval Combat

Beleriphon

Totally Awesome Pirate Brain

• Mar 14, 2016

• #1

Hi everybody!

I'm working on a naval combat rule set for the DMsG. However I'm looking for a bit of feedback from you fine folks about how much, or how little, I should narrow my focus to make my first venture into publishing a reality. The biggest thing I want to know is how many ages of naval combat I should include.

To explain the general time frames. I will absolutely include the Ancient through Late Medieval periods.

Ancient World: Bireme and triremes powered by vast numbers of oarsmen ply the Mediterranean conquering ports of call for the Greeks and Romans.
Early Medieval: Viking longships raid the coasts and Rivers of Europe.
Late Medieval: Cogs and hulks are the height of naval achievement in Europe.
Renaissance: Caravels and carracks have just been invents, cogs and hulks are common. Galleys have made a comeback in the Mediterranean.
Age of Exploration: Think Christopher Columbus, the time when caravels and carracks ruled the waves.
Golden Age of Piracy: Galleons and ships-of-the-line are kings of the sea, hauling plunder from the new world to Europe in vast flotillas.

 

Last edited: Mar 14, 2016

log in or register to remove this ad

GX.Sigma

Adventurer

• Mar 22, 2016

• #2

I can only comment on what I would personally want to buy.

I personally would not want to buy a naval combat supplement that is so detailed and granular that it distinguishes between different real-world eras and ships.

I'm interested in 4 types of ships:

1. Big sailing ship
2. Small sailing ship
3. Big rowing boat
4. Small rowing boat

I'm interested in 3 levels of technology:

1. Gunpowder
2. Pre-gunpowder
3. Magic

So, I'd start with that.

 

Last edited: Mar 22, 2016

Beleriphon

Totally Awesome Pirate Brain

• Mar 22, 2016

• #3

Thanks GX.Sigma. My objective isn't to differentiate between each era so much as find a way to include vessels that kind of match each era and make them work together. The only reason to make them different is that Ancient ships tended to go into combat by ramming each other, and the farther along you get in the time line if moves into progressively more distant ranged combat, and some kind of boarding actions.

 

GX.Sigma

Adventurer

• Mar 22, 2016

• #4

Beleriphon said:

Thanks GX.Sigma. My objective isn't to differentiate between each era so much as find a way to include vessels that kind of match each era and make them work together. The only reason to make them different is that Ancient ships tended to go into combat by ramming each other, and the farther along you get in the time line if moves into progressively more distant ranged combat, and some kind of boarding actions.

Click to expand...

Ah, interesting. Sounds cool!

 

DM Howard

Explorer

• Mar 26, 2016

• #5

I'd be interested in all of it, but especially the Renaissance and backwards type of ships/technologies.

 

bedir than

Full Moon Storyteller

• Mar 27, 2016

• #6

I would also focus on 1-3 ships being involved. While the big battles of lines were fun, they don't fit with how most people play DnD. Also, in heavy magic worlds naval combat may be more like Age of Exploration and Piracy because of how spells are more like firearms and cannons.

 

bedir than

Full Moon Storyteller

• Mar 29, 2016

• #7

I would also think that airship rules could be quite similar, and would broaden the appeal of the product.

 

DM Howard

Explorer

• Mar 29, 2016

• #8

bedir than said:

I would also think that airship rules could be quite similar, and would broaden the appeal of the product.

Click to expand...

Very good idea. I'd certainly be down for some quality airship rules.

 

Beleriphon

Totally Awesome Pirate Brain

• Apr 1, 2016

• #9

Dndungeoneer said:

Very good idea. I'd certainly be down for some quality airship rules.

Click to expand...

In my working draft I have some basic rules for ships moving between movement modes, sailing to flight is the example I use. I did envision this including some basic rules about airship combat, but for the most part that might be a few extra options in the equipment section.

 

DM Howard

Explorer

• Apr 1, 2016

• #10

Beleriphon said:

In my working draft I have some basic rules for ships moving between movement modes, sailing to flight is the example I use. I did envision this including some basic rules about airship combat, but for the most part that might be a few extra options in the equipment section.

Click to expand...

Well, I don't think it would need a huge amount of extra rules. Perhaps some thought put into changing altitudes and how that might affect combat, but I think the normal naval rules would work well enough as a starting point.