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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheAuldGrump" data-source="post: 3019124" data-attributes="member: 6957">Hmmm, somewhere there is a long write up that I did about Corsair! the stand alone ship combat system taken from S&B.Here it is, it was in an e-mail. The write-up ignores many of the rounds that were only manuever, since you get about ten rounds of movement for every time a cannon can fire. Rolling your fire cuts down on this, since while any one cannon is not going to be firing it is possible that at least one or two guns bearing will have a chance.I will modify it a bit to be easier to read, since a cut and paste from an e-mail looks like dung....> Yeah, I also like Skull & Bones and have> Corsair! - I won a free copy, which made me feel all warm> and tingly inside...> > The last time I played in a sea battle it went...> poorly for the other side, they managed to get> themselves caught between an island and the> wind, where to manuever they would have had to go> against the wind. I proceeded to destroy their ships> each in its turn, and they could not even run. (This is> called 'being hung in irons' and spelled the end for> more than one ship, or even fleet.) I approached> line abreast ( | | | ),then changed to line astern > ( - - - ) for battle, raking the ships while they were> confined. (Raking means firing from the prow or> the stern, so the ship cannot return a broadside.)> > It was not pretty. I was simply better at> guaging the wind and how much room I needed to maneuver.> Then again I used to play Wooden Ships & Iron Men a> good  deal, so I had a better grasp of what to> expect, plus they were hampered by being a commitee. My> ships were the Dauntless (Class 4), the Challenger> (Frigate) and the Rake Hell (Brigantine). Of them only the> Dauntless took any damage. (He managed to fire his> sternchasers as we passed by to our final position.) They> didn't bother to name their ships...> > It was a good deal of fun, but I should have> suggested that we start over once their fleet was caught> by the wind. (All I needed to do was stay put and> hammer them.) They had been trying to use the island> as a sheild against my fleet, but I cut wide then> came  round while he brought himself too close by.> The  island had a head, a big chunk that stuck out> near the  end of one side, he thought that he could use> it to shield two sides of his ship, and since he> seemed to know what he was doing the others followed> him... > > I scorned the shielding of the island, went to> three quarters sail while he maintained battle sails> (1/4 sails). Then once I got into position I dropped> anchor and maintained position, giving them three> broadsides a turn... A ship of the line gets to roll a lot> of dice for a broadside... They almost panicked> when they saw what I was rolling. > > And the whole time I maintained persona as the> captain of the Dauntless speaking to his officers and> their replies - adding the fear of insanity to my opponent's> burdens... 'Mr. Jones! Reduce sail and drop> anchor!' -  'Aye and aye sir! ' 'Prepare broadsides> starboard Mr. Anthers!' - 'Aye! (All right you sons of> mothers! Run out the guns!)' 'Fire at will Mr. Anthers!'> *Boom! Boo Boom! Boo Boo Boom!*> > The first time a friend and I tried out the> rules we had one ship each... I got behind him, where> his sternchasers could fire at me, then proceeded> to yaw, alternating fire from my port and starboard> batteries.> It was closer, but he took a lot more damage> than I did, which is why he wanted cover for the> return engagement. But his ship survived, he raised> sail and fled the battle, battered, bloody, but with his> colors flying.> > If you want to introduce your players to the> ship  battles system then I would recommend having> them play one of the fleets in a battle that they witness> for the first encounter rather than dumping them> and their ship into an immediate sink or swim battle. If> they are pirates they may feel justified in pursuing> the near crippled survivor of the engagement. (That> was the original idea for both of the trial battles> that I ran... instead they learned to avoid my fleets> altogether...)Maybe not a lot of help, I seem to remember it having more detail than it in fact has...The Auld Grump</blockquote>

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