D&D 5E Docks Illustration?

[Lanefan]

This. D&D boats are always oversized so there are enough 5-foot squares for the PCs and their enemies to move around in while fighting each other.

Yet another symptom of rules trumping fiction.

That said, even in the 1e version where 5-foot squares didn't matter the Sea Ghost is mighty big (and ungainly) for its intended purpose.

 

[Hussar]

Yet another symptom of rules trumping fiction.

That said, even in the 1e version where 5-foot squares didn't matter the Sea Ghost is mighty big (and ungainly) for its intended purpose.

Again it depends if you follow a historical approach or not.

A cog is flat bottomed in order that it could be beached on the low tide and easily unloaded. Fantastic for a time period where you didn’t really have docks and quays in most locations.

By the 17th century, this wasn’t a thing since there were solid docks pretty much everywhere. But for DnD level technology, say mid fifteenth century, this was basically the best Europe had to offer. Faster, far more durable and REALLY easy to crew.

 

[Lanefan]

Again it depends if you follow a historical approach or not.

A cog is flat bottomed in order that it could be beached on the low tide and easily unloaded. Fantastic for a time period where you didn’t really have docks and quays in most locations.

By the 17th century, this wasn’t a thing since there were solid docks pretty much everywhere. But for DnD level technology, say mid fifteenth century, this was basically the best Europe had to offer. Faster, far more durable and REALLY easy to crew.

A cog is also fairly slow and not very maneuverable, neither of which seem to be good qualities for a smugglers' ship. Being flat-bottomed also means it can't go upwind by sail and therefore has to be rowed, meaning a need for more crew as rowers.

If you're familiar with the TV series Black Sails*, set in the early 1700s, you'll note that the ships (all keeled) never dock at Nassau but instead anchor off and row their (usually pirated) cargoes ashore even in daylight, I suspect because Nassau isn't (or isn't portrayed as) a deep-water harbour.

This is how I assume smugglers at night would work as well, as a small boat or dory is easier to conceal than a full-size cog (or whatever) and quieter to operate.

* - and if you're not familiar with it, get yer mitts on it and watch it - it's excellent!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yet another symptom of rules trumping fiction.

Sometimes it’s best just to throw away the scale.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

there were solid docks pretty much everywhere

Eh, I know places were there aren’t solid docks in 2025, including my home town of Lytham. The cockle boats are drawn up on the shingle beech by rusty old tractors. The lifeboat is mored in the estuary and reached by dinghy.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This is how I assume smugglers at night would work as well, as a small boat or dory is easier to conceal than a full-size cog (or whatever) and quieter to operate.

Indeed. There was a lot of this kind of smuggling in the 18th century, especially in Cornwall. The caves and secret paths are now tourist attractions. I suspect most of the boats used to cross the channel were small and fast, not lumbering cogs.

There are also smugglers’ tunnels at Whitby. I’m surprised Stoker didn’t work them in to Dracula.

 

[haakon1]

Eh, I know places were there aren’t solid docks in 2025, including my home town of Lytham. The cockle boats are drawn up on the shingle beech by rusty old tractors. The lifeboat is mored in the estuary and reached by dinghy.

Wikipedia tells me Lytham’s flag is a rowboat above stylized waves, and it’s known for its ….

Salt marsh!

And the parish church is St. Cuthbert!

Lytham St Annes - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Hussar]

A cog is also fairly slow and not very maneuverable, neither of which seem to be good qualities for a smugglers' ship. Being flat-bottomed also means it can't go upwind by sail and therefore has to be rowed, meaning a need for more crew as rowers.

If you're familiar with the TV series Black Sails*, set in the early 1700s, you'll note that the ships (all keeled) never dock at Nassau but instead anchor off and row their (usually pirated) cargoes ashore even in daylight, I suspect because Nassau isn't (or isn't portrayed as) a deep-water harbour.

This is how I assume smugglers at night would work as well, as a small boat or dory is easier to conceal than a full-size cog (or whatever) and quieter to operate.

* - and if you're not familiar with it, get yer mitts on it and watch it - it's excellent!

But, again, you're several centuries of ship development past where D&D generally is. A cog is fairly slow compared to later ships but is fantastically faster than anything contemperous. Other than maybe the Chinese ships that is. And, no, being flat bottomed doesn't mean it cannot be sailed upwind. That's just not right. Granted, it's garbage sailing upwind, true, but, it can do it. The Hanseatic Cogs needed very, very small crews and no rowers.

 

[Hussar]

Eh, I know places were there aren’t solid docks in 2025, including my home town of Lytham. The cockle boats are drawn up on the shingle beech by rusty old tractors. The lifeboat is mored in the estuary and reached by dinghy.

Sigh. Thank you for pedantry of being technically correct. Well done you.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Wikipedia tells me Lytham’s flag is a rowboat above stylized waves, and it’s known for its ….

Salt marsh!

And the parish church is St. Cuthbert!

Lytham St Annes - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Yup, this is all true. There are no nearby cliffs with spooky houses on them though.