Questions about Cannons in Swashbuckling Adventures
- Thread starter Wolfx
- Start date
Jack Haggerty
First Post
I don't know of any real rules, but here's what I'd do...
Using round shot at long range (ballistic bombardment): Use rules similar to those for a catapult in the DMG. Damage, range and loading time would vary depending on cannon size and quailty.
Using round shot at short range (flat trajectory): Use rules similar to those for the Lightning Bolt spell. It would do damage to anything in an area five feet wide, and out to some maximum range... "If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the bolt may continue beyond the barrier if the spell’s range permits; otherwise, it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does." ...So, if the cannon ball hits a door, and does enough damage to destroy the door, it ploughs on through, otherwise, it stops and sticks in the door. Characters would get a Reflex save for half damage. The DC could be set by the Cannoneer's relevent (Profession [Siege Engineer]?) skill check. Likewise, a character's body would not stop a cannon ball. Again, damage range and reload time would depend on the cannon.
Using grape shot: Everyone within a cone takes damage, with a Relflex save for half damage. The reflex save could be set by the appropriate skill check. Range, damage and reload are determined by cannon type.
Using round shot at long range (ballistic bombardment): Use rules similar to those for a catapult in the DMG. Damage, range and loading time would vary depending on cannon size and quailty.
Using round shot at short range (flat trajectory): Use rules similar to those for the Lightning Bolt spell. It would do damage to anything in an area five feet wide, and out to some maximum range... "If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the bolt may continue beyond the barrier if the spell’s range permits; otherwise, it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does." ...So, if the cannon ball hits a door, and does enough damage to destroy the door, it ploughs on through, otherwise, it stops and sticks in the door. Characters would get a Reflex save for half damage. The DC could be set by the Cannoneer's relevent (Profession [Siege Engineer]?) skill check. Likewise, a character's body would not stop a cannon ball. Again, damage range and reload time would depend on the cannon.
Using grape shot: Everyone within a cone takes damage, with a Relflex save for half damage. The reflex save could be set by the appropriate skill check. Range, damage and reload are determined by cannon type.
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Dr. Strangemonkey
First Post
Cannon Rules
AEG has put cannon rules up on their Seven Seas website.
AEG has put cannon rules up on their Seven Seas website.
Ranger REG
Explorer
Steve Conan Trustrum
Explorer
Whoa!! I just looked over AEG's info, and I gotta say that some of their information seems way off base.
First, unless they're tailoring their costs to some standard from 7th sea (I've never played it, so I can't draw a comparison to other costs in that game), the prices are FAR too low.
Second, both the ranges and the weights for their cannons are very different than their historical equivalents, even for naval artillery. For example, most 6 pound cannons weighed about 0.5 to 1.5 tons with a maximum range of 1,800 to 2,800 yards; they list the weight as 1/12 of a ton (about 167 lbs.) and a max range of 750 yards. Certainly, a cannon's "effective" range was much less than its "effective range", but that is countered by the fact that the more extreme range increments have high modifiers to hit, rendering such long shots "ineffective", for the most part. As I said, even for naval cannons these way off the mark; man portable 6 pound mortars used during the civil war weighed more than 167 lbs., by way of comparison, even though much less metal would have been used in their making.
First, unless they're tailoring their costs to some standard from 7th sea (I've never played it, so I can't draw a comparison to other costs in that game), the prices are FAR too low.
Second, both the ranges and the weights for their cannons are very different than their historical equivalents, even for naval artillery. For example, most 6 pound cannons weighed about 0.5 to 1.5 tons with a maximum range of 1,800 to 2,800 yards; they list the weight as 1/12 of a ton (about 167 lbs.) and a max range of 750 yards. Certainly, a cannon's "effective" range was much less than its "effective range", but that is countered by the fact that the more extreme range increments have high modifiers to hit, rendering such long shots "ineffective", for the most part. As I said, even for naval cannons these way off the mark; man portable 6 pound mortars used during the civil war weighed more than 167 lbs., by way of comparison, even though much less metal would have been used in their making.
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