Thyatian Ships

by James Ruhland

Special thanks to Rob Fry for a number of ideas. Ideas on the ships themselves were also culled from the Chivalry & Sorcery supplement Bireme & Galley. Gaz 4: Ierendi was used for pricing and hull points, Champions of Mystara was used for some other calculations. Towing rules used regarding the Elementals came out of Pirates of the Fallen Stars, as did rules for Liquid (Greek) Fire projectors and certain spells. Some other spells named come out of Al Quadim: Arabian Adventures. Other data came from the "Dromon" as described in Dawn of the Emperors.

Length: 130'

Beam: 20'

Draft: 5'

Freeboard: 10'

Forecastle: 20'

Midships Castle: 20'

Aftcastle: 25'

(surface Area = 10,000 square feet)

Hull Points: 150

Weight: 250 tons

Base Movement: 160' (sails & elementals); 120' (sails only); 100' (elementals only).

Movement (miles/day): 90 (sails & elementals); 72 (sails only); 60 (elementals only).

Seaworthiness: 16 (60%)

Rigging: 2 masts; 3000 sq. feet of sail. Lateen rigged.

Crew: 4 bound elementals to propel ("tow") vessel in place of oarsmen, 30 sailors manning rigging, up to 75 marines.

Cargo Tonnage: 150 tons

Armor Rating: 6

Saves As: Thick Wood +2

Armament: Scissors-like ram (does maximum damage on each hit, or does both Ship Shaken and Hull Holed critical hits if one is using rules where those would apply.)

Corvus to lock ships for boarding.

1 Dolphin Dropper Boom.

12 Mangonels (6 starboard, 6 port)

5 automatic ballistae (2 forecastle and 2 aftcastle turrets, 1 mounted in rotating aft tail turret)

1 Jettison (aftcastle turret mounted)

1 Liquid Fire Projector (forecastle turret mounted)

All above weapons (except for the ram) have twice the normal range.

Cost: 45,000 gp (bound elementals and weapons, except for the ram, not included).

These lateen rigged vessels, the successors to the War (Great) Galley, are the mainstay of the Thyatian battle fleet. Because of the nature of the Thyatian Empire and its need for an ocean capable navy, an unusual degree of effort and care was given into developing the seaworthiness of the Dromond, and its method of construction is similar to that of a longship. For similar reasons, a means of lowering the crew requirements was likewise developed, resulting in the use of bound elementals rather than oarsmen for propulsion.

The hull is treated with a special preservative that renders it more resilient and fire resistant than normal (thus the +2 to saving throws). It is also barbotte, which is to say it is clad in hides soaked in vinegar, which has two affects. The first is that it reduces the chance that the ship will catch fire (25% lower chance) and it reduces fire damage to the ship as if it were protected by the spell Resist Fire (but note that it does not provide the immunity to non-magical fire that the spell does). The second protection it provides is that while the hides are in place, they block line-of-sight to the wood of the hull, making it impossible to cast Warp Wood and similar spells on areas that are so covered. The hull has also been treated with a Preserve Wood spell (see Pirates of the Fallen Stars for spell description), protecting it from Warp Wood and the like. The hull is further defended by a Shipshock spell. The ships upper decks are protected with netting, giving a +2 defensive bonus and saving throws to the ship and crew from missile weapons and magic which creates solid objects, and has superior rigging giving it an improvement to maneuverability. The spell Enhance Maneuverability is often used in combat situations. The lookout in the Crows Nest is always equipped with an Eyeglass of Aquatic Viewing. Members of the ship's observation parties are also equipped with means to See Invisiblity.

The Mangonels are mounted where a normal galley would have portholes for oars, providing them and their crews with 9/10 cover. The Mangonels can swivel to attack skyward to a degree in addition to being aimed at surface targets. The Jettison is housed within the aft castle and is designed mainly to attack surface and submerged targets, and its crew is provided with 9/10 cover as well. The jettison is often used to fire either Depth Bombs or ceramic globes containing some nasty substance, like puddings or slimes, instead of normal ammunition. The spell Aquatic Penetration is often cast on the Jettison to enable it to better strike at submerged targets like underwater creatures and submersibles. The liquid fire projector is mounted within the forecastle and is designed to fire at surface and aerial targets, and its crew is also provided with 9/10 cover. The automatic ballistae are positioned atop the fore and aft castles, useful to attack both surface and aerial targets. They are housed within rotating turrets designed to give the crews overhead protection against aerial attack as well as protecting them against normal attacks. These turrets give them 3/4 cover. The tail-mounted ballista turret is similarly protected, and can be rotated 360 degrees, as well as elevated to fire at aerial targets or depressed to fire at surface and submerged targets. The Dolphin Dropper is mounted on the forecastle, and can drop Dolphins (heavy metal weights on which a Glyph of Warding has been cast). The Dolphin can be dropped on grappled enemy ships (which they hit automatically) or on submersibles (which they have a normal chance of hitting), when they hit they cause damage equal to a heavy catapult, and in addition discharge the Glyph, which is usually set to detonate a Sonic Blast. Depth Bombs are also carried in the later stages of the Twaelar War and their after, for use against aquatic enemies and submersibles.

In battle, in addition to the aforementioned ones, favored spells include Ball Lighting (from Pirates of the Fallen Stars; used to clear the decks of enemy vessels and for use against submersibles), Mass Jump (for boarding actions), Wind Servant (to increase maneuverability), and Ship of Fools. The spell Stone Hull is used in situations where maneuverability and speed are not as important as toughness. A scroll with Shatterhull (modified to affect a ship constructed of any materiel) is always kept on hand for use against submersibles.

Length: 180'

Beam: 30'

Draft: 10'

Freeboard: 10'

Forecastle: 15'

Aftcastle: 20'

(surface Area = 16,000 square feet)

Hull Points: 200

Weight: 400 tons

Base Movement: 160' (sails & elementals); 120' (sails only); 100' (elementals only).

Movement (miles/day): 90 (sails & elementals); 72 (sails only); 60 (elementals only).

Seaworthiness: 16 (60%)

Rigging: 3 masts; 8000 sq. feet of sail. Lateen rigged.

Crew: 8 bound elementals to propel ("tow") vessel in place of oarsmen, 30 sailors manning rigging, up to 125 marines.

Cargo Tonnage: 300 tons

Armor Rating: 5

Saves As: Thick Wood +2

Armament: Scissors-like ram (does maximum damage on each hit, or does both Ship Shaken and Hull Holed critical hits if one is using rules where those would apply.)

Corvus to lock ships for boarding.

2 Dolphin Dropper Booms.

12 Mangonels (6 starboard, 6 port)

5 automatic ballistae (2 forecastle and 2 aftcastle turrets, 1 tail mounted turret)

2 Jettisons (aftcastle turret mounted)

2 Liquid Fire Projectors (forecastle turret mounted)

All above weapons (except for the ram) have twice the normal range.

Cost: 66,000 gp (bound elementals and weapons, except for the ram, not included).

These lateen rigged vessels, the successors to the War (Great) Galley, are the largest and most powerful craft in the Thyatian battle fleet. Because of the nature of the Thyatian Empire and its need for an ocean capable navy, an unusual degree of effort and care was given into developing the seaworthiness of the Galeass, and its method of construction is similar to that of a longship. For similar reasons, a means of lowering the crew requirements was likewise developed, resulting in the use of bound elementals rather than oarsmen for propulsion.

The hull is treated with a special preservative that renders it more resilient and fire resistant than normal (thus the +2 to saving throws). It is also barbotte, which is to say it is clad in hides soaked in vinegar, which has two affects. The first is that it reduces the chance that the ship will catch fire (25% lower chance) and it reduces fire damage to the ship as if it were protected by the spell Resist Fire (but note that it does not provide the immunity to non-magical fire that the spell does). The second protection it provides is that while the hides are in place, they block line-of-sight to the wood of the hull, making it impossible to cast Warp Wood and similar spells on areas that are so covered. The hull has also been treated with a Preserve Wood spell (see Pirates of the Fallen Stars for spell description), protecting it from Warp Wood and the like. The hull is further defended by a Shipshock spell. The ships upper decks are protected with netting, giving a +2 defensive bonus and saving throws to the ship and crew from missile weapons and magic which creates solid objects, and has superior rigging giving it an improvement to maneuverability. The spell Enhance Maneuverability is often used in combat situations. The lookout in the Crows Nest is always equipped with an Eyeglass of Aquatic Viewing. Members of the ship's observation parties are also equipped with means to See Invisiblity.

The Mangonels are mounted where a normal galley would have portholes for oars, providing them and their crews with 9/10 cover. The Mangonels can swivel to attack skyward to a degree in addition to being aimed at surface targets. The Jettisons are housed within the aft castle and is designed mainly to attack surface and submerged targets, and its crew is provided with 9/10 cover as well. Jettisons are often used to fire either Depth Bombs ceramic globes containing some nasty substance, like puddings or slimes, instead of normal ammunition. The spell Aquatic Penetration is often cast on the Jettisons to enable them to better strike at submerged targets like underwater creatures and submersibles. The liquid fire projector is mounted within the forecastle and is designed to fire at surface and aerial targets, and its crew is also provided with 9/10 cover. The automatic ballistae are positioned atop the fore and aft castles, useful to attack both surface and aerial targets. They are housed within rotating turrets designed to give the crews overhead protection against aerial attack as well as protecting them against normal attacks. These turrets give them 3/4 cover. The tail-mounted ballista turret is similarly protected, and can be rotated 360 degrees, as well as elevated to fire at aerial targets or depressed to fire at surface and submerged targets. The Dolphin Droppers are mounted on the forecastle, and can drop Dolphins (heavy metal weights on which a Glyph of Warding has been cast). The Dolphin can be dropped on grappled enemy ships (which they hit automatically) or on submersibles (which they have a normal chance of hitting), when they hit they cause damage equal to a heavy catapult, and in addition discharge the Glyph, which is usually set to detonate a Sonic Blast. Depth Bombs are also carried in the later stages of the Twaelar War and their after, for use against aquatic enemies and submersibles.

In battle, in addition to the aforementioned ones, favored spells include Ball Lighting (from Pirates of the Fallen Stars; used to clear the decks of enemy vessels and for use against submersibles), Mass Jump (for boarding actions), Wind Servant (to increase maneuverability), and Ship of Fools. The spell Stone Hull is used in situations where maneuverability and speed are not as important as toughness. A scroll with Shatterhull (modified to affect a ship constructed of any materiel) is always kept on hand for use against submersibles.

Length: 130'

Beam: 40'

Draft: 15'

Freeboard: 15'

Forecastle: 20'

Aftcastle: 20'

(surface Area = 14,000 square feet)

Hull Points: 220

Weight: 450

Base Movement: 120'

Move (miles/day): 72

Seaworthiness: 18 (75%)

Rigging: 3 masts, 6,500 sq. feet of sail. Aft mast is lateen rigged; fore and main mast are square rigged.

Crew: 20 sailors manning rigging, up to 125 marines.

Cargo Tonnage: 1250 tons or 100-150 horses and 300 soldiers.

Armor Rating: 5

Saves As: Thick Wood +2

Armament:

12 Mangonels (6 starboard, 6 port)

2 Dolphin Booms.

8 automatic ballistae (4 forecastle and 4 aftcastle turrets)

2 Jettisons (aftcastle turret mounted)

2 Liquid Fire Projectors (forecastle turret mounted)

All above weapons have twice the normal range.

Cost: 60,000 gp (weapons not included).

This is the largest sort of troop transport in the Thyatian fleet. There are essentially two distinct strategies for transports. One is to have a larger number of smaller transport ships, each cheaper, less well armed and protected, and carrying fewer troops. Thus if any one is sunk, it isn't a great loss. The other is to have larger, more expensive but better protected transports. Since there are only so much resources to be invested in any one vessel, concentrating such resources in a larger vessel provides better protection than can be given to smaller ships. Thyatis has used both methods in the past and is moving to a mixed deployment. Thyatis uses smaller ships (Carracks, which are similar to Harbortown Traders) for basic marine transport needs. Larger ships such as the Usciere come in handy because they are better able to transport aerial and ground cavalry, for example. The rounded stern of the Usciere has clamshell ports to permit the rapid loading and unloading of horses and heavy cargo. Flight ships are considered increasingly important in this era, for example, when every important nation is attempting to build up its aerial assets.

The hull is treated with a special preservative that renders it more resilient and fire resistant than normal (thus the +2 to saving throws). It is also barbotte, which is to say it is clad in hides soaked in vinegar, which has two affects. The first is that it reduces the chance that the ship will catch fire (25% lower chance) and it reduces fire damage to the ship as if it were protected by the spell Resist Fire (but note that it does not provide the immunity to non-magical fire that the spell does). The second protection it provides is that while the hides are in place, they block line-of-sight to the wood of the hull, making it impossible to cast Warp Wood and similar spells on areas that are so covered. The hull has also been treated with a Preserve Wood spell (see Pirates of the Fallen Stars for spell description), protecting it from Warp Wood and the like. The hull is further defended by a Shipshock spell. The ships upper decks are protected with netting, giving a +2 defensive bonus and saving throws to the ship and crew from missile weapons and magic which creates solid objects, and has superior rigging giving it an improvement to maneuverability. The spell Enhance Maneuverability is often used in combat situations. The lookout in the Crows Nest is always equipped with an Eyeglass of Aquatic Viewing. Members of the ship's observation parties are also equipped with means to See Invisiblity.

The Mangonels are mounted along the sides of the ship's second deck, providing them and their crews with 9/10 cover. The Mangonels can swivel to attack skyward to a degree in addition to being aimed at surface targets. The Jettisons are housed within the aft castle and is designed mainly to attack surface and submerged targets, and its crew is provided with 9/10 cover as well. Jettisons are often used to fire either Depth Bombs or ceramic globes containing some nasty substance, like puddings or slimes, instead of normal ammunition. The spell Aquatic Penetration is often cast on the Jettisons to enable them to better strike at submerged targets like underwater creatures and submersibles. The liquid fire projector is mounted within the forecastle and is designed to fire at surface and aerial targets, and its crew is also provided with 9/10 cover. The automatic ballistae are positioned atop the fore and aft castles, useful to attack both surface and aerial targets. They are housed within rotating turrets designed to give the crews overhead protection against aerial attack as well as protecting them against normal attacks. These turrets give them 3/4 cover. The tail-mounted ballista turret is similarly protected, and can be rotated 360 degrees, as well as elevated to fire at aerial targets or depressed to fire at surface and submerged targets. The Dolphin Droppers are mounted on the forecastle, and can drop Dolphins (heavy metal weights on which a Glyph of Warding has been cast). The Dolphin can be dropped on grappled enemy ships (which they hit automatically) or on submersibles (which they have a normal chance of hitting), when they hit they cause damage equal to a heavy catapult, and in addition discharge the Glyph, which is usually set to detonate a Sonic Blast. Depth Bombs are also carried in the later stages of the Twaelar War and their after, for use against aquatic enemies and submersibles.

In battle, in addition to the aforementioned ones, favored spells include Ball Lighting (from Pirates of the Fallen Stars; used to clear the decks of enemy vessels and for use against submersibles), Mass Jump (for boarding actions), Wind Servant (to increase maneuverability), and Ship of Fools. The spell Stone Hull is used in situations where maneuverability and speed are not as important as toughness. A scroll with Shatterhull (modified to affect a ship constructed of any materiel) is always kept on hand for use against submersibles.

Catapult Shot Special Munitions: Special munitions used by the Thyatian Navy include shots designed to discharge Fire Trap upon impact and shots upon which Glyphs of Warding have been cast which discharge Dispel Magic when they hit, among other spell-charged ammo. Shot composed of a hollow ceramic globe (enclosed via a Mending spell to make it seamless) shatter on impact to release Mold Spores, Jellies, Puddings, Slimes, and other nasties, and can also be designed containing Liquid Fire that ignites and splashes across the target.

Thyatian Artillery: Note that the Artillery used on Thyatian Ships, with extra range, are the result of considerable Imperial research and Thyatian engeneering efforts aimed at developing weapons for use against their traditional enemies and airships, for which the added range is considered especially neccissary. These weapons, as well as the special munitions, are not available on the open market for purchace.

Overall, the Thyatian Imperial Navy may seem to have a lot of expensive equipment, but when compared with the cost of a skyship or submersible, the Thyatians use their resources much more efficiently in developing a cost-effective naval force. It is for this reason that the Thyatians were more than able to hold their own against the Alphatians in the major sea battle of the Wrath of the Immortals War, even at a time when Thyatis was comparitively militarily drained.

Copyright (c) 2001, James Ruhland. Used by permission. All rights reserved.