spearing a ship until it sinks

[TerraDave]

Ok, in AV there are rules in vehicles, including ships. Vehicles have AC, reflex and HP. If I am reading this right, there is no "hardness"/damage resistance for a standard ship.

A sailing ship has something like 200-300 hp. And a low AC, so is easy to hit.

So low level mooks on rowboats pull up next to the ship, and stab it until it sinks?

 

[Dausuul]

Ok, in AV there are rules in vehicles, including ships. Vehicles have AC, reflex and HP. If I am reading this right, there is no "hardness"/damage resistance for a standard ship.

A sailing ship has something like 200-300 hp. And a low AC, so is easy to hit.

So low level mooks on rowboats pull up next to the ship, and stab it until it sinks?

The elimination of hardness was one of the sillier rules changes in 4E. As far as I know, there is no hardness for anything any more. Chopping down a dungeon with your sword is a perfectly viable, if slightly time-consuming, strategy.

 

[hexgrid]

I've read something somewhere (an ad hoc rule in a module, maybe?) that limits vehicle damage to area effect powers.

 

[RangerWickett]

Ok, in AV there are rules in vehicles, including ships. Vehicles have AC, reflex and HP. If I am reading this right, there is no "hardness"/damage resistance for a standard ship.

A sailing ship has something like 200-300 hp. And a low AC, so is easy to hit.

So low level mooks on rowboats pull up next to the ship, and stab it until it sinks?

Well, 5 damage per round, 8 guys in a boat. 30 seconds of hacking at the hull? Yeah, that's a bit silly.

 

[Dausuul]

Well, 5 damage per round, 8 guys in a boat. 30 seconds of hacking at the hull? Yeah, that's a bit silly.

Actually, that's unnecessarily risky--gets you too close to the enemy. Just shoot it full of arrows.

 

[SoulsFury]

Well, 5 damage per round, 8 guys in a boat. 30 seconds of hacking at the hull? Yeah, that's a bit silly.

That is why the DM has to make things realistic.

 

[renau1g]

Actually, that's unnecessarily risky--gets you too close to the enemy. Just shoot it full of arrows.

or magic missiles, no attack rolls necessary

 

[Scribble]

So low level mooks on rowboats pull up next to the ship, and stab it until it sinks?

Page 66 of the DMG pretty much puts hardness/vulnerabilities of objects in the hands of the DM.

Instead of a standard hardness/vulnerability chart, the DM is encouraged to rule as to whether or not the material something is made of changes the effectiveness of attacks.


So- in your campaign, if you decide that ships get sunk by spears, that's up to you!

 

[TerraDave]

The RC also notes that the DM can add immunities or resistance. But it also says "unusual material" for the later and gives the example of a magic altar for the former. The implication is that normal wood, or even stone, can be attacked with short swords and arrows.

 

[Scribble]

The RC also notes that the DM can add immunities or resistance. But it also says "unusual material" for the later and gives the example of a magic altar for the former. The implication is that normal wood, or even stone, can be attacked with short swords and arrows.

Yeah the DMG gives the example of a gauzy curtain being vulnerable to fire.

Normal stuff can be attacked by stuff, but it's up t the DM to decide if the attack is penalized.

That way you can have different grades of rock without having to have a Complete Book of Rock Hardnesses sourcebook.