Waves and Wind, Above and Below

[Raven Crowking]

One of the areas I am interested in, but personally lack experience with, is marine settings. I've been on ferries to Catalina Island in California, and to Juneau in Alaska, and I've been on a catamaran on Lake Ontario, but my overall ship experience is very limited.

Likewise, I have been to the Californian coast, to Rhode Island, to New Brunswick and PEI, but my knowledge of coastal waters -- and deeper! -- is very limited. I've never been to a reef or a tropical beach.

I strongly believe that knowledge is key to presentation, and that presentation is a key to great GMing. So, I am starting this thread to ask the advice of EN Worlders who have experience -- direct or otherwise -- of the oceans of our world. Sailing, swimming, snorkeling, deep sea diving, beach combing....whatever experiences you are willing to share, I want to read!

I recently acquired Blue Planet as a birthday gift, and I am devouring it.

Anyone have anything interesting to share?


RC

 

[Hand of Evil]

I will start by saying see Wiki: Ocean - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also Ben Franklin and Ocean Currents: Modules

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Well, my personal experience amounts to several sailing trips in the Northern Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. I own a license to operate sailing boats and motor craft within 3 miles of the coast.

When I want to inject some maritime flavor in my games, I concentrate on portraying the sea as a host the sailors are just a guest of; they are not at home at sea.

Observation of the environment is paramount for handling sudden changes or threats, but landlubbers just don't know what to look at. Either the characters are in charge of the vessel and will be surprised very often or they'll see the crew suddenly spring to some incomprehensible action.

Sailors tend to be a very superstitious lot. Have fun inventing some superstitious believes.

It's hard to estimate distances at sea. The characters may observe some thing which seems to be either very small or much too big. A lot of historical reports of giant sea snakes and octopuses are probably due to this effect.

A ship generates a lot of mysterious noises.

A ship is operated using a very strict chain of command. If some officer tells you to do something, you do it and do it now, not start a discussion.

A sailing ship is a very complex system. It has many parts which have to work in concert. Don't think that you could just use your character's Int or Wis or Str to get the job done; you'll need the professionals.

Ahoy RavenCrowking, and alway a span of water under your keel!

 

[Hand of Evil]

Oh, LONG PORK = human flesh - being out to sea for long periods of time, crews would start to get sick, no fresh water, food gone bad, lack of basic needs. They would reach a point where some one would provide a hand or a leg to the pot.


Some older threads:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/275873-ship-map-help.html

http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/1053-layouts-old-sailing-ships.html

 

[Lanefan]

I pretty much grew up in boats and yachts; I've tried to incorporate many things marine into my games (with widely varying success), and have learned a thing or two:

At sea, weather is far more important than on land; for game purposes you'll need a good weather table - either random or pre-designed.

Also for game purposes, you'll need to think how various magic items and effects might work. Fireball is devastating to any sailing ship, for example. Water-walking on a sea with waves any larger than a tiny ripple would be difficult if not impossible. Druids casting weather-affecting spells can make your day - or ruin it. And so on.

And ships that are themselves magical can be all kinds of fun.

Combat between ships at sea is *slow*. Throw the round-by-round system out the window unless you're playing 1e RAW with 1 minute rounds. Spellcasters should always have a chance of failure due to being un-used to the rolling of the deck, unless said casters are experienced in casting at sea.

As for *under* the sea, I know nothing. If an adventure goes there, I make it all up as I go along.

Lanefan