Leatherhead
Possibly a Idiot.
Ok, did a bit of a rework. Even went with the Dual Wielder feat, so Glau wasn't just stuck with Scimitars.
Spelljammin' (5e PBP OOC) (Full)
FitzTheRuke
Legend
A gaff hook and a belaying pin? (Can you tell that I'm getting sick of the standard weapon list? I mean, I'm fine with it stat-wise - I don't think it needs to be longer - I just think it's past time we started using the names as placeholders and refluffed stuff as often as possible, even if it requires changing the damage-types of certain weapons to turn them into others).
Steve Gorak
Adventurer
Hey @FitzTheRuke, please note my edit to my latest IC post.
I don't know what I smoked, but I swear I thought I had rolled a 2. It's actually a 1 on the d20, and a 3 on the d4, so even if the total is 11, with the new rules, it's an auto fail if I'm not mistaken.
Sorry aboot that!
Cheers,
SG
I don't know what I smoked, but I swear I thought I had rolled a 2. It's actually a 1 on the d20, and a 3 on the d4, so even if the total is 11, with the new rules, it's an auto fail if I'm not mistaken.
Sorry aboot that!
Cheers,
SG
FitzTheRuke
Legend
In case you haven't heard, the ship-to-ship combat rules in the Spelljammer book are terrible. They don't really give you a lot of guidance for anything at all. We have a few choices:
1) Try them as is. See if we can make them work. I'll do my best to find things for everyone to do, but it'll probably bore most players.
2) Try my incomplete houserule version. As above but maybe a little better.
3) Skip most of it and do a boarding action. I'll let anyone who wants to do it to fire the ballistae at the enemy ship and then set up both ships as a battlefield. Even if we do that, I'll probably start the ships not too close together, so ranged combatants can do their thing. (If you're a melee character, consider crewing a ballista!)
By the rules, it would take 10 rounds for the ships to come together, and that's assuming that the Astral Elves don't do anything to avoid the boarding action. They have a HUGE advantage at range, so it would make more sense for them to try to avoid it.
Wildspace isn't as empty as real space, (this is fantasy space, gang!) so we can say that the Moondancer can make a ruse of running for it until they go around some asteroids or something and then dive on their pursuers.
1) Try them as is. See if we can make them work. I'll do my best to find things for everyone to do, but it'll probably bore most players.
2) Try my incomplete houserule version. As above but maybe a little better.
3) Skip most of it and do a boarding action. I'll let anyone who wants to do it to fire the ballistae at the enemy ship and then set up both ships as a battlefield. Even if we do that, I'll probably start the ships not too close together, so ranged combatants can do their thing. (If you're a melee character, consider crewing a ballista!)
By the rules, it would take 10 rounds for the ships to come together, and that's assuming that the Astral Elves don't do anything to avoid the boarding action. They have a HUGE advantage at range, so it would make more sense for them to try to avoid it.
Wildspace isn't as empty as real space, (this is fantasy space, gang!) so we can say that the Moondancer can make a ruse of running for it until they go around some asteroids or something and then dive on their pursuers.
Leatherhead
Possibly a Idiot.
I'm halfway tempted to strap Glau on a ballista bolt in order to board the enemy ship early.
jmucchiello
Hero
I don't think we'd let that happen. 
FitzTheRuke
Legend
I'll give a chance for others to weigh in with their desires, if any, and then I'll just wing it. I want everyone involved, but I'm not 100% sure who's even still around. I think it's everyone other than maybe @gnarlygninja who hasn't posted lately. (Still welcome to any time!) Anyone who wants to fire the ballista can take a turn doing it (you're part of a crew, but it doesn't really matter who pulls the trigger, and there are plenty of rounds in which to fire. Just give me a 1d20+6 for 3d10 and I'll work it out from there. Just give me one each (if you want your character to be part of a gun-crew), otherwise just tell me what position you're taking. You could be simply part of the boarding party, or passing out pikes to those who will stay aboard the Moondancer to defend it in case of counter-attack.
I'll assume that whatever rounds worth of firing we lack when all is said and done, go about average. I'm going to roll a few random shots from the Moth as well, so expect the possibility of incoming damage.
I'll assume that whatever rounds worth of firing we lack when all is said and done, go about average. I'm going to roll a few random shots from the Moth as well, so expect the possibility of incoming damage.
Steve Gorak
Adventurer
I vote for boarding! I love the idea of having a second ship if we are successful ;-)
Nic has a decent ranged attack at attack +7/+7, damage 2d6+4/1d6+4, range 90/300, and I'm dying to use thorn whip to have one of the elves fall off the ship.
Of course, all of this assumes we won't be wiped out ;-)
Cheers,
SG
Nic has a decent ranged attack at attack +7/+7, damage 2d6+4/1d6+4, range 90/300, and I'm dying to use thorn whip to have one of the elves fall off the ship.
Of course, all of this assumes we won't be wiped out ;-)
Cheers,
SG
FitzTheRuke
Legend
Here's another interesting phenomenon that I didn't notice until I set up the encounter map. The Star Moth moves at 50ft/round, and the Moondancer (a Space Galleon) moves at 35ft/round. (I have no idea if they are capable of the dash action or not. I'd be inclined to say yes, but the rules are mum on the subject).
But the Star Moth is 200ft long, and the Space Galleon 130ft. When I build a map (as you'll see), they will "feel" like they are crawling along, as they can only move ~1/4 their own length in a round!
At any rate, I'm going to start the combat out at ~300ft as the ships move toward each other. You can attack that at range, if you like. If you feel like you're doing nothing, feel free to fire a ballista (only two shots total per round, though, so you can't ALL do that!).
Hopefully if you don't feel that you can do much, well, you can dodge or ready an action and the ships will collide soon enough.
But the Star Moth is 200ft long, and the Space Galleon 130ft. When I build a map (as you'll see), they will "feel" like they are crawling along, as they can only move ~1/4 their own length in a round!
At any rate, I'm going to start the combat out at ~300ft as the ships move toward each other. You can attack that at range, if you like. If you feel like you're doing nothing, feel free to fire a ballista (only two shots total per round, though, so you can't ALL do that!).
Hopefully if you don't feel that you can do much, well, you can dodge or ready an action and the ships will collide soon enough.
FitzTheRuke
Legend
So, I didn't want to start with them just crashed together, in case anyone wanted to do some ranged attacks leading up to it, but I also don't want to spend three weeks getting us to the point where we board. I just wanted to show what it essentially looks like.
Still, the crew of the Moondancer are significantly more exposed than the crew of the Dark Star (the name of the Star Moth). The only ones not behind full cover, ATM, are three gunners on their Mangonel on the roof, and the three gunners (per side) on their ballistae in the "eye holes" (of the moth) - the light green partial circles on the bow, just aft of the long "nose" prow. They all have cover, giving them ACs of 16 (and are 300+ feet away, though the range will shorten slightly as the round progresses).
Is this making sense so far? I can make it make more sense, if need be.
Still, the crew of the Moondancer are significantly more exposed than the crew of the Dark Star (the name of the Star Moth). The only ones not behind full cover, ATM, are three gunners on their Mangonel on the roof, and the three gunners (per side) on their ballistae in the "eye holes" (of the moth) - the light green partial circles on the bow, just aft of the long "nose" prow. They all have cover, giving them ACs of 16 (and are 300+ feet away, though the range will shorten slightly as the round progresses).
Is this making sense so far? I can make it make more sense, if need be.
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