Spelljammer floorplan and vessel hp

[Blacksad]

Among the 6 ESD available
http://store.wizards.com/search.asp?Search=spelljammer&go.x=2&go.y=5
is there any that have the floor plan of the ships in shadow of the spider moon?

Also, the hp of the ships seems low, the human tradesman has as much hp as a 10ft. by 10ft. section of wood should have according to the rules in Dragon 294, its kind of strange isn't it?

Anyone has tried combat with ships? and have you changed hp?

Another question while you're here has anyone tried (if he made or had maps of the ships) to calculate the time and construction prices of ships using the strongholdbuilder handbook? (It isn't completly stupid considering that many marine carpenter in my region also did the wood structure of many houses, so the prices could be similar).

 

[Neo]

Some of the Spider moon vessels floorplans can be found at http://www.darkwood.org/sj/index.html

 

[Blacksad]

Thanks!

 

[ajanders]

Stronghold Builders and ship costs

I did try using the SHBG to calculate ship costs, both for regular naval ships and spelljammer ships.
I've decided I'm not happy with the results.
One of the recent Dragon articles had vehicle rules that included examples of ships, but not a ship construction guide. Those work considerably better in my campaign.
The most useful ruleset, however, is in the Seafarer's Handbook, which actually lets you design your own ships.
I'd suggest building ships from that, adding on 10-15 percent for spaceworthying the hull, and then adding the helm price in.
There's probably a more scientific way to work it out, but if you're not going to complain about fire-breathing flying dragons, it seems pretty rude to complain about spaceship design.
aja

 

[Blacksad]

Re: Stronghold Builders and ship costs

I did try using the SHBG to calculate ship costs, both for regular naval ships and spelljammer ships.
I've decided I'm not happy with the results.

May I ask: why?

 

[ajanders]

Reasons for unhappiness with Stronghold rules

It wound up being very expensive to build a ship.
One of the major points in a spelljamming game is the spelljamming. I wanted to make sure my party could have a ship of some sort by the time they all hit 3rd/4th level if they really wanted it.
Might be Monty Hall, but it's hard to have interplanetary adventure without a ship.
aja

 

[SteveMND]

"It wound up being very expensive to build a ship."

If you're using the prices straight out of the SHBG, sure. Remember, the SHBG is also working from the concept that all those 'module' prices include foundations and other fixed-construction needs that wouldn't necessarily be needed in a free-standing vehicle.

I think the SHBG's 'modular' system is a good idea to base a ship-building system around, but it would have be be significantly modified to be very useful.

Steve M

 

[Blacksad]

"It wound up being very expensive to build a ship."

If you're using the prices straight out of the SHBG, sure. Remember, the SHBG is also working from the concept that all those 'module' prices include foundations and other fixed-construction needs that wouldn't necessarily be needed in a free-standing vehicle.

You need some kind of foundations to build a ship too (but they are destroyed once the ship is finished), and building to put the ship in water (unless you have permanent building for construction and "watering"). In the real world, ship construction could take years, and I thougt that the necessary wood piece (i.e. costly tall straigth trees to produce mast and the core structure of the ship) would compensate for the somehow smaller size of a ship for a similar number of room. Plus there isn't that many foundations in normal wood structure. So I thougt that it could be used as is.

OT: that's a reason forest where so prized in the pre-industrialized world

Curently I'm waiting review to know what the 7th sea ship construction rules could produce.