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Grenzland-Zine/issue03/minigame
2024-04-21 10:11:38 +02:00

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.\" vim: filetype=groff nu relativenumber
.1C
.H1
Salt'n'Tar
.PP
These rules for sailed movement on gaming tables are inspired by the
1968 3M Game
.I Regatta .
Numbers are adjusted to work well with the
original fantasy role-playing games of the 1970's: speed is always given
in tabletop inches (").
.KS
.H2
Initial Wind strength and direction
.PP
On a playing surface without a grid, or a square grid, use 8 points of
wind directions:
.TS
center;
cblbcblb
clcl.
1d8 Wind Direction 1d8 Wind Direction
1 North 5 South
2 Northeast 6 Southeast
3 East 7 West
4 Southeast 8 Northwest
.TE
.PP
on a hexagonal grid, use 6 points of wind directions:
.TS
center;
ciscis
cblbcblb
clcl.
vertical hexes horizontal hexes
1d6 Wind Direction 1d6 Wind direction
1 North 1 Northwest
2 Northeast 2 Northeast
3 Southeast 3 East
4 South 4 Southeast
5 Southwest 5 Southwest
6 Northwest 6 West
.TE
.PP
Thus, the initial Wind Direction may be diced for with a d6 or d8.
.KE
.KS
.PP
The initial Wind Speed may be determined by rolling on this table:
.PP
.TS
center,tab(&);
cbcb
cl.
1d6 & Wind Speed (WS)
1 & Wind Speed = 1 (light breeze)
2 & Wind Speed = 2 (moderate breeze)
3 & Wind Speed = 2
4 & Wind Speed = 2
5 & Wind Speed = 2
6 & Wind Speed = 3 (strong breeze)
.TE
.KE
.KS
.H2
Movement
.PP
Various ship types have different
.I "Speed Factors"
depending on their bearing toward the wind.
Each ships speed in tabletop inches (Mv) is then derived by multiplying
Wind Speed (WS) and Speed Factor (SF):
.EQ
Mv = WS \[mu] SF
.EN
.KE
.KS
.PP
Bearings in the 8 point wind system:
.sp 0
\X'pdf: pdfpic img/movemnt8pt.pdf -C 9c 0 12.8c
.KE
.KS
.sp 5.2c
.PP
Bearings in the 6 point wind system:
.sp 0
\X'pdf: pdfpic img/movemnt6pt.pdf -C 11.5c 0 12.8c
.sp 5.2c
.KE
.PP
When moving, ships may normally change direction by one point per turn.
Changing direction by two points per turn is dangerous and causes Strain
(see below).
.H2
Ship types
.KS
.H3 "Large Galley"
A Trireme or Quadrireme, ships with three or four tiers of rowing benches and
one or more masts, lateen or square rigged:
.TS
center,tab(&);
cbcb
cc.
Bearing & Speed Factor (SF)
Running & 9
Broad Reaching & 10
Quarter Reaching & 8
Beating & 3
Luffing & -1 (backwards)
.TE
.KE
.sp 0
\X'pdf: pdfpic img/Trireme.pdf -C 11c 0 12.8c
.sp 6c
.KS
.H3 "Small Galley"
A Bireme or smaller, ships with one or two tiers of rowing benches and a single
lateen rigged mast.
.TS
center,tab(&);
cbcb
cc.
Bearing & Speed Factor (SF)
Running & 8
Broad Reaching & 9
Quarter Reaching & 7
Beating & 2
Luffing & -1 (backwards)
.TE
.KE
.PP
At Wind Speed 0 or 1 (no wind or light breeze) Galleys and Longships may furl sails
and start rowing instead of sailing. Use Speed Factor for Quarter
Reaching as Movement Speed. It takes one round to furl sails and start
rowing. In the next round the rowing vessel may make half speed.
It takes two rounds to come to a full stop again.
.KS
.H3 "Viking Longship"
A fast square rigged sailer, one mast:
.sp -0.4c
\X'pdf: pdfpic img/Longship.pdf -C 8c 0 12.8c
.sp 4.5c
.TS
center,tab(&);
cbcb
cc.
Bearing & Speed Factor (SF)
Running & 11
Broad Reaching & 12
Quarter Reaching & 9
Beating & 4
Backing & -2 (backwards)
.TE
.KE
.KS
.H3 "Large Merchant"
A square rigged trading vessel with full lines and two to three masts. A
Hulk, Carrack or Caravel.
.sp 0
\X'pdf: pdfpic img/Galleon.pdf -C 7c 0 12.8c
.sp 5.9c
.TS
center,tab(&);
cbcb
cc.
Bearing & Speed Factor (SF)
Running & 9
Broad Reaching & 10
Quarter Reaching & 8
Beating & 3
Backing & -1 (backwards)
.TE
.KE
.KS
.H3 "Small Merchant"
A small trading vessel with full lines, and usually just one mast. A
Cog.
.sp -0.2c
\X'pdf: pdfpic img/Cog.pdf -C 4.5c 0 12.8c
.sp 4c
.TS
center,tab(&);
cbcb
cc.
Bearing & Speed Factor (SF)
Running & 8
Broad Reaching & 9
Quarter Reaching & 7
Beating & 3
Backing & -1 (backwards)
.TE
.KE
.sp 7
\X'pdf: pdfpic img/CoastalLandscape.pdf -C 12.8c 0 12.8c
.sp 4c
.KS
.H3 "Sailed Warship"
A Galleon or Man-'o-War, a massive ship with three or four masts, the
fore- and mainmast are always square rigged. One or more gun decks or
multiple catapults.
.sp 0
\X'pdf: pdfpic img/Carrack.pdf -C 9.5c 0 12.8c
.sp 13c
.TS
center,tab(&);
cbcb
cc.
Bearing & Speed Factor (SF)
Running & 10
Broad Reaching & 11
Quarter Reaching & 10
Beating & 4
Backing & -1 (backwards)
.TE
.KE
.KS
.H3 "Cutter"
A fore-n-aft rigged single masted boat.
.TS
center,tab(&);
cbcb
cc.
Bearing & Speed Factor (SF)
Running & 6
Broad Reaching & 8
Quarter Reaching & 7
Beating & 5
Luffing & -1 (backwards)
.TE
.sp -0.3c
\X'pdf: pdfpic img/Cutter.pdf -C 5.5c 0 12.8c
.sp 5c
.KE
.KS
.H3 "Schooner"
A fore-n-aft rigged boat with two or more masts. The foremast may have
square sails.
.sp 0
\X'pdf: pdfpic img/Schooner.pdf -C 7c 0 12.8c
.sp 5c
.TS
center,tab(&);
cbcb
cc.
Bearing & Speed Factor (SF)
Running & 10
Broad Reaching & 12
Quarter Reaching & 11
Beating & 8
Luffing & -1 (backwards)
.TE
.KE
.H3 "Examples"
At Wind Speed 2 a quarter reaching small galley would sail at speed 14''
per round.
.PP
At that same wind speed a viking long ship would be at an advantage and
make 18'' per round.
.PP
At Wind Speed 3 a proud Galleon would have a hard time beating with no
more then 12'', while the fore-n-aft rigged Schooner would race to
windward making 24''.
.H2
Playing the Game
.KS
.H3 "Game Turn when Racing and Chasing"
.IP 1. 3
One player or the referee rolls a d6 to determine wind speed and
possible change in wind direction (see Wind Roll below).
.IP 2. 3
Each side
.I may
roll a luck die (see Luck Roll below)
.IP 3. 3
Each vessel that has marked Strain
.I must
do a Strain Roll (see
below).
.IP 4. 3
Both sides move their full move according to the movement rules,
possibly changing direction by one point.
.IP 5. 3
Next turn starts at 1.
.KE
.KS
.H3 "Game Turn in Naval Combat"
.IP 1. 3
One player or the referee does the Wind Roll.
.IP 2. 3
Each side
.I may
roll a Luck Roll.
.IP 3. 3
Each vessel that has marked Strain
.I must
do a Strain Roll.
.IP 4. 3
If some kind of initiative system is being used, roll for initiative
now!
.IP 5. 3
Both sides make their first half move, possibly changing direction by
one point. In case of initiative being used, sides move in reverse
order of initiative. The side with the highest initiative moves last.
.IP 6. 3
Both sides may launch missile attacks, magic spells in the order of
initiative.
.IP 7. 3
Both sides move the second half of their move in reverse initiative
order, possibly changing direction by 1 point. Any ship that does a
second change of direction must mark 1 Strain!
.IP 8. 3
Roll for ramming, boarding and any kind of other actions allowed by
the combat system being used.
.IP 9. 3
Next turn starts at 1.
.KE
.PP
.KS
.H3 "Maneuvers"
Optionally, at the end of each game turn ships may declare a maneuver:
.DF "Reef:"
reduce speed by half. It takes another turn to unreef the sails.
.DF "Furl:"
drop sails, the vessel is now adrift, down wind at Wind Speed.
It takes two game turns to set sails again.
.DF "Anchor:"
the ship drops it's anchor, and will stop drifting. Only ships
with furled sails can anchor, lest they have to do an immediate Strain
Roll. It takes two game turns to thus come to a full stop, and three
game turns to light the anchor and set sail again.
.KE
.KS
.H3 "The Wind Roll"
A single roll of the d6 decides, how the wind changes in direction and
strength.
.TS
center,tab(&);
cbcb
cl.
1d6 & Effect
1 & Direction change clockwise
2 & Wind Speed = -1
3 & Wind Speed = no change
4 & Wind Speed = no change
5 & Wind Speed = +1
6 & Direction change counter clockwise
.TE
.KE
.KS
.H3 "The Luck Roll"
A gust of wind might prove fortuitous to gain that extra speed needed,
then again, bad things happen at see ...
.TS
center,tab(&);
cbcb
cl.
1d6 & Effect
1 & Sails luff: Wind Speed -1
2 & no change
3 & no change
4 & no change
5 & a fortuitous gust: Wind Speed +1
6 & Wind Speed +2, mark 1 Strain
.TE
.PP
.KE
Wind Changes due to Luck Rolls usually only apply to the ship the die
was rolled for. However Luck Rolls may change things for everyone, if
two or more sides roll the same result:
.BU
Two or more rolls of a 1: ``Sails luff ...'' cause the wind to
reduce by 1 for
.I everyone .
.BU
Two or more rolls of a 6: ``Wind Speed +2 ...'' increases the
overall windspeed by 1 for
.I everyone
(thus, those who rolled a
six still have the advantage of Wind Speed +1 compared to those who
didn't roll a 6).
.PP
By way of a cumulation of luck rolls, wind speeds of 0 = Calm, or 4+ =
Storm are possible. In case no other rules are provided for these
situations use these:
.DF Calm
no sailing is possible, ships drift. Oared movement, or
some other kind of propulsion may be possible.
.DF Gale
Wind Speed of four or more (4+) makes sailing difficult
and dangerous. With sails furled or masts broken, ships drift downwind
at Wind Speed. Ships with their sails still up may sail downwind at Wind
Speed plus (!) Speed Factor for Running, but have to mark 1 Strain
every round.
.H3 "The Strain Roll"
The forces of wind and waves are taxing on ships and crew. It's
dangerous to overstrain. Any ships that have marked Strain, have to roll
a d6 every turn and add their current Strain to the roll:
.TS
center,tab(&);
cbcb
cl.
d6 + Strain & Effect
5- & no effect ... not yet!
6 & spars and stays creak: mark 1 extra strain
7 & ship makes water: reduce all speed by 3'' ongoing
8 & stays snap, mark 1 extra strain
9 & deck's awash, reduce active crew by 10\%
10 & sails tear, reduce all speed by 3'' ongoing
11 & a mast breaks, reduce all speed by 3'' or drift
12+ & it's over, ship's sinking in 1d6 turns
.TE
.PP
With an effective Strain Roll of 12 it depends on whether it's a one
masted ship or not. Naturally one masted ships without a mast can only
drift. A ship with more masts may still sail downwind at reduced speed.
Whenever the resultant speed reaches 0 or less, the ship can only drift
downwind at Wind Speed.\h'1.4c'\[em] \fIlkh\fR
.LP
\X'pdf: pdfpic img/GalleyAshore.pdf -C 10.5c 0 12.8c