Dragonlance as a setting tends to focus on land adventures, but it is set on Ansalon, a continent surrounded by and filled with massive and iconic bodies of water. Let’s take a look at the language and types of ships for waterborne adventures in this first episode. Buy the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/17004/dungeon-master-s-guide-1e?affiliate_id=50797
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Transcript
Cold Open
If you are considering a water based adventure, you should watch this first!
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about waterborne adventuring in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and Dragonlance. I would like to take a moment and thank the members of this channel, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate links. I am referencing the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide, Dungeon Survival Guide, Wilderness Survival Guide, DL12 Dragons of Faith, and The Atlas of the Dragonlance World. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below!
Discussion
Adventuring overland on Ansalon will quickly end in you needing to traverse streams, lakes, inland bodies of freshwater and vast oceans of saltwater. This may be done in ‘theater of the mind’ narrative, or you can take a more rule based adventurous approach. Dragonlance has a rich history of waterborne adventuring with the Heroes of the Lance being forced to sail north from Icereach to Southern Ergoth, and from Flotsam through the Blood Sea of Istar. Traveling via ship can be infinitely faster than traveling overland, and with it comes new possibilities for adventure and encounters. Apart from the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide detailing out Random Waterborne Encounters in Appendix C, DL12 Dragons of Faith has a wonderful list of possible Sea Encounters from all over Ansalon in Chapter 7. While the scope of this episode is language and types of vessels for waterborne adventures on the surface, Dragonlance has vast realms and ruins to explore underneath its water’s surfaces as well. I may discuss some of these in future episodes.
The first step to understanding waterborne adventuring is to understand the vernacular associated with it. Let’s cover some generic naval terminology to assist in the realism of adventuring on the water’s surface. The Corvice is a bridge with a long spike in its end used by the Romans for grappling and boarding. The Devil is the longest seam on the bottom of a wooden ship. Devil to pay is chalking the seam of the same name. When this job is assigned, it is given to the ship’s goof-off and thus comes the expression “You will have the devil to pay”. The Fore is the forward part of a ship. Hoist Sails means to raise the sails. The LEE is the side away from the direction from which the wind blows. Lower the sails means to let the sails down. A Reef is an underwater obstruction of rock or coral which can tear the bottom out of a ship. Shearing off oars means accidentally or intentionally breaking oars of one or more ships when attempting to board or cripple the ship if it did not retract its oars. Step means to put the mast up. The Stroke is the drummer and the beat he sets for the oarsmen on a galley. To Unstep is to take down the mast. And Weigh Anchor means the anchor is clear of the bottom.
Now that you have some rough language to use, let’s look at the anatomy of a seafaring vessel. AFT is at, in, toward, or close to the rear of the ship. AMIDSHIP is the middle of a ship. The BALLAST is the Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship to enhance stability. A BEAM is a piece of timber perpendicular to the sides of a ship which supports the deck. The BILGE is the lowest part inside the ship, within the hull itself which is the first place to show signs of leakage. The bilge is often dank and musty, and considered the most filthy, dead space of a ship. The BOOM is a horizontal pole along the bottom edge of a mast to which the mast is fastened. BOW or Prow is the front of a ship. The BOWSPRIT is the slanted spar at a ship’s prow jutting out in front of the ship. It is usually used as a lead connection for a small navigational sail. BROADSIDE is a general term for the vantage on another ship which is absolute perpendicular to the direction it is going. To get along broadside a ship was to take it at a very vulnerable angle. The BULKHEAD is a partition or dividing wall within the hull of a ship. A CROW’S NEST is a small platform, sometimes enclosed, near the top of a mast, where a lookout could have a better view when watching for sails or for land. The FORECASTLE is the section of the upper deck of a ship located at the bow forward of the foremast. A GANGPLANK is a board or ramp used as a removable footway between a ship and a pier. GANGWAY is a passage along either side of a ship’s upper deck. The GUNWALE is the elevated side edges of a boat which strengthen its structure and act as a railing around the gun deck. HELM is the steering wheel of a ship which controls the rudder. The HOLD is a large area for storing cargo in the lower part of a ship. HULL Is the body of a ship. The value of a hull is how much damage it can sustain before sinking without repairs. JACOB’S LADDER Is a rope ladder with wooden rungs used to access a ship from the side. The KEEL is the underside of a ship which becomes covered in barnacles after sailing the seas. The MAIN is the longest mast located in the middle of a ship. MIZZENMAST is the largest and, perhaps, most important mast. It is the third mast or the mast aft of a mainmast on a ship having three or more masts. The POOP DECK the highest deck at the stern of a large ship, usually above the captain’s quarters. PORT is the left side of the ship when you are facing toward her prow opposite of starboard). The QUARTERDECK is The after part of the upper deck of a ship. RIGGING is the system of ropes, chains, and tackle used to support and control the masts, sails, and yards of a sailing vessel. A RUDDER is a flat piece of wood at the stern of a ship that dips into the water and is used for steering. The rudder is controlled at the helm. The SCUPPERS are openings along the edges of a ship’s deck that allow water on deck to drain back to the sea rather than collecting in the bilge. SCUTTLE is a small opening or hatch with a movable lid in the deck or hull of a ship. STERN is the rear part of a ship. STARBOARD is the right side of the ship when you are facing toward her prow (opposite of port). The STERNPOST is an upright beam at the stern bearing the rudder. TACK is the lower forward corner of a fore-and-aft sail. The TRANSOM are any of several transverse beams affixed to the sternpost of a wooden ship and forming part of the stern. And finally the YARDARM is the main arm across the mast which holds up the sail.
Now that we understand some common sailing terms and ship anatomy, let’s examine the general classes of vessels. First let’s start with Rowboats. These are small boats, with or without a sail, which are rowed by oars or paddles. A normal crew for a rowboat can be from one to ten or more men depending on its size. Rowboats do not come equipped with armament and don’t function well in breezes above 19 miles per hour. They have a hull value of one to four. And tend to range from eight to twenty feet long and two to four feet wide. It can travel from one to three miles per hour. Much like traveling underground, underground water travel movement rates differ as well. Rowboats may travel from thirty to one hundred and twenty feet per round, taking one to five rounds to achieve that speed.
Barges/Rafts are long, somewhat rectangular craft designed primarily for river transportation. A few larger and sturdier types are used for lake and coastal duties. Barges generally have a shallow draft, as do rafts — the former having a bow and side freeboard, with the latter having neither. Normal crew for a barge varies between 20 and 100 or more men, depending on the size of the ship and its purpose. Barges and rafts don’t usually come with armament, but can be so equipped if desired. These types of vessels do not function well in winds above moderate breezes. They have a hull range of between one and eight. And typical sizes vary from fifteen to forty five feet long and eight to twenty feet wide. Barges can take from two to five rounds to get up to speed, and can travel from one to three miles per hour. Underground water travel is from twenty to fourty-five feet per round taking two to ten rounds to achieve normal speeds.
Galleys are long, slim oared ships. Crew for galleys depend on their size. Some can have as few as 30 men manning the oars while others have been known to have 200 or more. Most galleys, because of the need for space for the men at the oars, do not venture far from land. The general construction is such that even though she is seaworthy it is more comfortable to be near land or sail the rivers and make camp on the shore. Armament on galleys ranges from a ram to ballistae. Some of the larger ones may even sport a catapult. Their hull value ranges from two to sixteen. And its sizes vary from thirty to one hundred and sixty feet long, and eight to thirty feet wide. Galleys can take from three to six rounds to get up to normal speed, and are able to travel at four to nine miles per hour.
Merchant Ships are most commonly a small wide-hulled vessel having a single mast and a lateen sail. She is not only favored by merchants, but pirates as well. She can be moved by sweeps at rowboat speed. Most ships of this type can feasibly carry a hundred or more men, but because of on-board conditions and money, ships are manned by a minimal crew of at least 10 men, including the officers. Typical armament for this kind of ship includes ballistae and perhaps a catapult. Their hull values range from six to forty-eight. And their size varies from twenty-five to eighty feet long, and ten to twenty-five feet wide. Merchant ships can take from five rounds to a full turn to get to normal speeds, traveling from one-half to seven miles per hour.
Warships tend to be fast, but at most times not very seaworthy, particularly the earlier ones. They feature two or more masts and are of caravel construction. They also have a distinctive overhanging forecastle and a rounded stern. The crew of a warship generally consists of 2 or 3 men to work each ballista, 3 or 4 men to handle the catapult and the rest to man the sails. It is possible to have 100 or more men on board, but because of the shortage of space for food and fresh water, the number is usually considerably less. Their hull values are from seven to fourty-two. With sizes ranging from seventy to one hundred feet long and fifteen to twenty five feet wide. It typically takes a warship a full turn to get up to normal speeds of one-half to four miles per hour.
Let me know if there are other aspects of Waterborne Adventuring you would like me to cover in future videos.
Outro
But for now that is all I have to say about Waterborne Adventuring in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Have you ever run a waterborne adventure? Are there any favorite monsters you like to throw at a ship? And finally, do you enjoy the more detailed ship to ship travel and combat over more ‘theater of the mind’ narratives? Leave a comment below.
I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time, remember:
Palanthas has lived in peace and beauty for many centuries. But we will buy neither peace nor beauty at the price of our freedom.
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