Transporting troops via ship...

[Stormonu]

heh, you could always just go the math route ... how many standard people's weight goes into a ton? Say, average person is 150 lbs, that's 13.3 people. If you want to get closer to a real number, you could also calculate in the weight of the food and water to feed them (multiply standard ration weight x time at sea x people, for water I think you need 1 gallon a day per person - as long as you know how much one gallon weighs, its just math then).

 

[Derren]

Thanks for all the information guys! I don't have a particular ship in mind, I'm trying to figure out what kind of ship it would take to transport military units (I have the units divided into groups of 50 men per unit). I suspected a cog would be the best cost/speed ratio for it, but I'm not 100% sure. If anyone can give any advice on transporting military units, it would be appreciated!

-Arravis

As others have hinted, the real question should be what ships are available and how long the journey is. There have been huge improvements between medieval sail ships with a crew of hardly two dozen where troops had to stand and sleep in the open and late age of sail ships which were crewed by hundreds of people and could carry an equal number of troops halfway around the world.
Then there are also galleys which even in ancient times could carry close to a thousand people for a few days if the waters permitted.

So how long do the troops have to sail and how technologically advanced is the kingdom sending them?

 

[UngainlyTitan]

heh, you could always just go the math route ... how many standard people's weight goes into a ton? Say, average person is 150 lbs, that's 13.3 people. If you want to get closer to a real number, you could also calculate in the weight of the food and water to feed them (multiply standard ration weight x time at sea x people, for water I think you need 1 gallon a day per person - as long as you know how much one gallon weighs, its just math then).

This is going to give too high a figure unless, you are stacking them like cordwood. Your soldiers will not arrive fit for much in those conditions.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

heh, you could always just go the math route ... how many standard people's weight goes into a ton? Say, average person is 150 lbs, that's 13.3 people. If you want to get closer to a real number, you could also calculate in the weight of the food and water to feed them (multiply standard ration weight x time at sea x people, for water I think you need 1 gallon a day per person - as long as you know how much one gallon weighs, its just math then).

The critical characteristic for moving troops by ship is volume, not mass. You need a lot of volume to move people unless you're just delivering corpses.

As a modern example: a 25,000-ton displacement LPD-17 amphib transports 800 Marines and 360 crew (though admittedly a large volume of cargo space is taken up by the Marines' vehicles and equipment).

If we're talking movement by air, then we'll get into mass.

 

[Andor]

As others have said the length of the voyage is key. If you're just crossing the channel you could have them packed to the rails with no real worries aside from weather. I'd figure about 200-250 lbs per man depending on equipment. For longer voyages they need provisions which between food and water would be something like 5-10 lbs a day, probably three times that for the horses. Do they have access to provisioning magic? It's kind of mind-boggling to contemplate how many lives a spell like purify food and drink would have saved in the age of sail. Ship size is also a factor of course. A typical cog is only 100-150 tons but even in antiquity vessels up to 1200+ tons are not unheard of.

If they need to arrive fit to fight then they also need deck space for exercise. That will limit available stowage, although on a very long voyage it cancels out as the consuption of provisions will clear you enough deckspace by the time conditioning becomes a real issue.

If they are going to a secure beachhead where they can have a few days or a week to recuperate after the crossing then you can pack them in tighter without fear.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

You also have to consider the length of the trip, to determine how cramped people can be (do they need a place to sleep?), how much food and ale you need to bring, and the weight and storage of their equipment.

As a rough estimate, I'd say that for a trip lasting a day or less, you get one soldier per ton. For a longer trips, you get one solder per two tons.

 

[Arravis]

Again, thanks for all the replies. I'm not looking to get the numbers for a specific voyage, just a general rough estimate for transporting troops. There is a good chance my game will have some mass combat elements and I'm just gathering the data I need. As far as setting, for those asking, its set in the Forgotten Realms (1379 DR)

Anyway, this is pretty much what I was looking for, many thanks!

As a rough estimate, I'd say that for a trip lasting a day or less, you get one soldier per ton. For a longer trips, you get one solder per two tons.

 

[Mark CMG]

This would need tweaking but I would suggest coming up with a simple formula that satisfies you, something like 1 ton = 2 men (plus gear) or 1 mount/pack animal. I would further suggest you not be overly concerned with food supplies unless the trip takes a week or more, figuring folks would squeeze stuff into their personal space for a shorter trip. Perhaps 1 ton = one week of provisions for 8 men or four horses (mind that this includes fresh water and potentially short rations). I'm just spitballing here but, leaving aside the crew and their provisions, a formula like this should make for fast conversions for any era (Ancient thru Medieval) of ships where you can find the tonnage they could transport. As I say, use the excellent information given above to tweak this into something you feel comfortable enough using on the fly.

 

[Derren]

As far as setting, for those asking, its set in the Forgotten Realms (1379 DR)

I am not a FR expert but that setting is such a kitchen set of themes with no internal logic that you basically can justify any technology. Although it does tend to lean more towards rather modern technology levels as long as it is "cool".

 

[Arravis]

I am not a FR expert but that setting is such a kitchen set of themes with no internal logic that you basically can justify any technology. Although it does tend to lean more towards rather modern technology levels as long as it is "cool".

I wouldn't say that of FR, at least no from the third edition books. Most of the setting seems to be renaissance era technology and I've seen nothing of "modern" technology in it. I'm no historical expert, so I can't say any of that solidly. Any that are more knowledgable have an opinion on it?

Btw, out of interest, MY version of FR is much more low magic. I know that probably seems a misnomer, but as a DM, I see many of the Realms high magic events to be fairly rare. I see little in the written lore that shows that the average commoner has ever seen a spell, a magic item, or anything of that ilk. Yes, goblins and orcs might abound in regions, but heroes in shining armor and mighty wizards are still a VERY low percentage of the population. They are, for the most part, to the average citizen just a stories you hear at the local tavern. Just like we hear about Hollywood movie star all the time, we're unlikely to ever see one, and much more unlikely for any such person to be part of their daily lives.
Anyway, a little of tangent there...

-Arravis