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D&D 5E Why are vehicle speeds so slow in the DMG?
- Thread starter robus
- Start date
DMG says characters can row for 8 hours a day (pg 117) so I'd be pretty mad if I'd rowed all day and only gone a third of the distance I can walk!
Blimey. I’ve done some rowing. I certainly can’t do it for 8 hours!
robus
Lowcountry Low Roller
Sure - I'm an amateur sailor and know there are lots of factors. But if there are provisos then the DMG should list them. But on face value these numbers are very low IMHO.
CapnZapp
Legend
But if you had to put down a number, and you couldn't list any provisos, what would it be? Wouldn't you, in the final analysis, lowball your number, or you'd open up for complaints people row "too fast" in conditions like this or that...
I am pleased there are no complicating factors above the +3 mph thing.
robus
Lowcountry Low Roller
It would be your normal speed. Headwinds and opposing currents would constitute difficult terrain and halve your speed. Done.
Hussar
Legend
Something to remember too, the DMG ships and based on medieval and earlier ships. Something like what Columbus sailed would be very anachronistic, never minding the typical fantasy image of some 100 gun ship of the line which is closer to a modern aircraft carrier than what you should see in a D&D setting.
A viking longship goes along at about 12 miles per hour (give or take). So, yeah, the DMG speed listings are very low. Keelboats, OTOH, are pretty slow. The record speed is about 20 miles per day, so, it seems they aren't too far off that.
A viking longship goes along at about 12 miles per hour (give or take). So, yeah, the DMG speed listings are very low. Keelboats, OTOH, are pretty slow. The record speed is about 20 miles per day, so, it seems they aren't too far off that.
Horwath
Legend
How fast is your walking speed at the bottom? [emoji14]DMG says characters can row for 8 hours a day (pg 117) so I'd be pretty mad if I'd rowed all day and only gone a third of the distance I can walk!
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Lanefan
Victoria Rules
The rowboat speed I can see, if it's based on the average of an 8-hour day. And some rowboats are definitely easier to row than others.
The sailing speed is too slow, but that said I'm kind of half-surprised they even bother giving one at all in that sailing speed is so highly variable and dependent on both a) wind speed and b) wind direction relative to where you want to go.
I mean, even the luggiest lug afloat can still consistently go at 3 or 4 knots* if going more or less downwind in a decent steady breeze. And less luggy lugs go even faster.
* - speed through the water. Speed made good over the ground also has to factor in currents etc.
Upwind is a different matter entirely. Some medieval ships e.g. Viking longships could barely sail upwind. Others - like the Greek bireme or trireme - couldn't really sail upwind at all and had to be rowed. And of course nobody really sails anywhere if it's flat calm...you're pretty much going where the currents take you, end of story.
But they probably realized it would take too much space in the DMG to detail all this, and in the grand scheme of things it really is a pretty minor thing for most games/DMs, so I can sort of see why they just took a low number and went with it.
Lan-"red sails in the sunset"-efan
The sailing speed is too slow, but that said I'm kind of half-surprised they even bother giving one at all in that sailing speed is so highly variable and dependent on both a) wind speed and b) wind direction relative to where you want to go.
I mean, even the luggiest lug afloat can still consistently go at 3 or 4 knots* if going more or less downwind in a decent steady breeze. And less luggy lugs go even faster.
* - speed through the water. Speed made good over the ground also has to factor in currents etc.
Upwind is a different matter entirely. Some medieval ships e.g. Viking longships could barely sail upwind. Others - like the Greek bireme or trireme - couldn't really sail upwind at all and had to be rowed. And of course nobody really sails anywhere if it's flat calm...you're pretty much going where the currents take you, end of story.
But they probably realized it would take too much space in the DMG to detail all this, and in the grand scheme of things it really is a pretty minor thing for most games/DMs, so I can sort of see why they just took a low number and went with it.
Lan-"red sails in the sunset"-efan
Imaculata
Hero
Stormwrack for 3.5 had a reasonable list of ship speeds...
Barge 1/2 mph
Caravel 3mph*
Cog 2 mph*
Coracle 1mph
Dhow 2mph
Dromond 2mph* or 3mph
Dugout 1mph
Elf wingship 4mph*
Galley 1-1/2mph* or 2mph
Greatship 2-1/2mph*
Ironclad 1mph* or 1mph
Junk 1-1/2mph*
Keelboat 1mph* or 1 mph
Launch 1-1/2 mph
Longship 1-1/2 mph* or 2mph
Pinnace 3mph* or 1/2mph
Raft 1/2mph
Rowboat 1mph
Theurgeme 3-1/2mph
Trireme 1-1/2mph* or 2mph
War canoe 1mph* or 2mph
(*base sailing speed in light winds)
Sailing speeds obviously vary depending on the wind speed, as indicated by the asterix. And some vessels can rely on sails as well as rowing.
Barge 1/2 mph
Caravel 3mph*
Cog 2 mph*
Coracle 1mph
Dhow 2mph
Dromond 2mph* or 3mph
Dugout 1mph
Elf wingship 4mph*
Galley 1-1/2mph* or 2mph
Greatship 2-1/2mph*
Ironclad 1mph* or 1mph
Junk 1-1/2mph*
Keelboat 1mph* or 1 mph
Launch 1-1/2 mph
Longship 1-1/2 mph* or 2mph
Pinnace 3mph* or 1/2mph
Raft 1/2mph
Rowboat 1mph
Theurgeme 3-1/2mph
Trireme 1-1/2mph* or 2mph
War canoe 1mph* or 2mph
(*base sailing speed in light winds)
Sailing speeds obviously vary depending on the wind speed, as indicated by the asterix. And some vessels can rely on sails as well as rowing.
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