There are numerous Skylands in the air of Orizon, and very few of them can be crossed by walking. The lifeblood of modern society on Orizon are the airships, a means of travel that allows the people of Orizon to take to the skies and sail across the world.

The presence of Skylands both large and small, and of their various formations in the world means that there are numerous navigational dangers for people sailing through the skies. Reefs, thick curtains formed of smaller floating stones drifting close together can batter hulls and shred sails. Skylands float at different altitudes, and a proper sailor needs to know how far up to travel as well as how far forwards. Weather can spring up, pushing ships off course, smashing them into Skylands or pushing them into a monster’s territory.

Despite the dangers, the people of Orizon have become skilled at sailing the skies. Merchant ships travel between smaller Skylands and the ground, picking up people and cargo and taking them through their routes, air navies conduct elaborate maneuvers in the sky, firing ballistae and cannon back and forth between their hulls.

Without airships life as the people of Orizon know it would not be possible, they would be left on the ground. The airship has opened up the broken horizon.

Airships

The magical properties of floatwood only enable the material to resist the effects of gravity, if it is weighted down or pushed floatwood will begin to sink. To counteract this and fully take advantage of the air, engineers have developed three different means of aiding the floatwood in its suspension. Most airships are divided between these three categories.

The first type of airship maintains its elevation through the use of a series of inflated gasbags that have been connected to the main hull through a series of wires and ropes. The gasbags are inflated and deflated to match the weight of cargo and crew, or to make adjustments to the ship’s altitude. Ships of this type are slower, but much more reliable, and can carry a significantly larger amount of cargo or arms.

The second type of ship contains a measure of skywhale blubber within its hull to act as a counter-ballast and relies on broad sails to manage changes in altitude and speed. These types of ships are significantly faster, but cannot carry much in the way of crew or cargo. In addition, these ships often require a well-trained crew to manage the ship’s operation and its numerous sails. In addition, since these ships aren’t designed with the counter-ballast to support a great deal of cargo, they have to remain in motion to maintain altitude.

Most airships on Orizon have come to incorporate a mix between these two styles, featuring smaller balloons strapped to a hull with broad sails, one maintaining lift, the other responsible for propulsion. These feature streamlined hulls and blimps and there is a constant race between engineers to develop better hybrid ships, getting the most out of each disparate component. Some ships have incorporated gasbags in the inside of the hull, making the above mounted blimps unnecessary. These are popular designs but can be difficult to repair, but they are much quicker and more maneuverable than other airships.

The third major type of airship are called “crystalcraft,” through the use of a crystal similar to an angreal, magic is woven through the ship’s hull and sails, this magic takes on the entirety of the responsibility for maintaining the ship’s altitude while the sails maintain the ship’s speed. These ships are arguably the finest craft that one can obtain, they are faster, more reliable and they are much more responsive, changing altitude with the finest touch. Unfortunately, these ships are expensive to produce, requiring an investment of time and resources from both airwrights and mages, and once built they require an influx of magical energy to stay aloft.

There are numerous different designs for airships but most emulate the designs of “traditional” sailing ships, as the sleek lines of a ship’s hull seem to serve well cutting through the air and the sea. The design of an oceanic ship also serves to accommodate a common touch in the construction of airships, a carved and infused enchantment that, only at the instant of contact, infuses some of the traits of liquid water to the air striking the keel. This creates a visible “splash” of air around the keel, but it also creates drag, enough to allow the ship to make sharper turns than might otherwise be possible with just tacking sails. However, there are more experimental designs that have been put into practice on some airships and most airship designers agree that there is no one “right” way to construct an airship.

Parts of an Airship

The most basic understanding of an airship is similar to an understanding of a nautical sailing ship. The “fore” of the ship is the front and the “aft” of the ship is the back. The fore part of the “hull”, the frame or body of the ship, is the bow. The aft part of the hull is the “stern”. The “back” is the top of the ship and the “belly” is the bottom. “Port '' is to the left while facing the bow and “starboard” is to the right. Running along the bottom of the hull is the “keel,” a long beam that is used as the base upon which the rest of the hull is built. The “top” is the furthest point of the rigging from the center of the ship, so airships have four tops, a back top, a belly top, a portwing top and a starboard wing top. Airships have numerous “masts' ' on the deck, keel and fore of the ship as well as at least two “wingmasts” that extend off the port and starboard sides of the hull. Each mast has at least one “boom” a large beam that holds a sail in position.

On an airship “rope” is cargo, if it’s used it’s a “line.” Mast lines are called “shrouds,” sail lines are “sheets,” lines used for docking are “warps,” and the names depend on what the warp is connected to, so a harpoon line is a “harpoon warp.” Anchors and balloons are connected by “chains” (regardless of what the line is made of, metal or rope). “Nets” are used for fishing or rescue.

The ship’s “rigging” is the whole of many different parts, the whole system of masts and lines. The rudder is a broad device positioned at the rear of the ship that is used for steering. The “rudder” can either be part of the keel or simply mounted alongside it.

Inside of the hull, walls are called “bulkheads,” ceilings are “overheads,” and floors are “decks.” Individual rooms are “cabins,” and all stairs are called “ladders.” The kitchen of the ship is the “galley,” the toilet is “head.” Storerooms are called the “(whatever is inside) locker.” The room where medical procedures are performed is the “sickbay.” The jail is the “brig,” and the room where gunpowder and ammunition is stored is the “magazine.” Officers each have their own private “quarters” and share a “wardroom” that they eat in. The crew shares a “bunkroom” and eat in the community “mess.” The captain has a private quarter of his own that serves as a bedroom, office and dining hall.

Inside of the ship space is put aside for the “cargo hold.” Direct access to the cargo hold through the bottom of the hull is provided through “bomb-bay doors.” So named because pirates and navies use the doors to drop bombs out of the hold onto their targets.

Inside of the hull is a mechanism that holds the internal rigging, the lines, spars and sails that control the ship’s propulsion, and lines. This mechanism, “the works” or “linebox” connects to the cockpit above and can be used to control the wingsails and keelsails. “Windlasses,” and “capstans,” are winches and pulleys used to lift and move cargo and manipulate the ship’s lines.

The “bilge” is at the very bottom of the hull, it fills with water during rain, or if the ship lands on water. The “bilge water” is emptied with a “bilge pump.”

Usually positioned at the stern of the ship is the “cockpit,” where the pilot steers the ship with “rudder-wheel,” which turns the rudder, the “wing-wheels,” which adjusts the tilt of the wings to change altitude and the “gas lever” that adjusts the level of the gas in the balloon above. There are a series of instruments in the cockpit that the pilot and captain use to monitor the ship’s position and plan the ship’s route. Instruments like a “spyglass,” “altimeter,” “compass,” “chronometer,” and “wind gauge.”

“Cannon” and its attached “gearing” is positioned in the “blister,” if this cannon sticks out of the hull it is considered a “turret.” Cannon on the keel or the figurehead is a “spinel gun.” Cannon mounted directly to the fore or aft of the ship are “chasers.”

Airships use numerous different means to signal and communicate. “Signal flags” are run up a line or flares are shot out into the sky. “Signal balloons” are sent up on a chain out behind the ship and “semaphore flags” are used by individuals onboard to send more complex messages at a distance. Flags displayed to indicate nationality, home port, or organizational affiliation are the “colors.”

Airships are often equipped with smaller ships that are used to make short excursions from the main ship. “Longboats” are the largest of these ships, “cutters” are mid-sized, and “jolly boats” are the smallest of these support craft.

Some ships are also equipped with smaller “gasbags”, designed to produce emergency lift if necessary. Or gliders that allow people to travel at a distance without needing the gas for a gasbag or balloon.

Sailing

Extending the sails along the masts of an airship fills the sail’s canvas with air and pushes it forwards, propelling the airship forwards. Within the cockpit, the pilot follows the captain’s orders, charting the ship’s path through the landscape of the sky and plotting the navigational route that the ship takes.

An airship flies above the ground thanks to the floatwood construction of its hull and the addition of either lighter-than-air gasbags or magical levitation. The ship moves forwards thanks to air filling the canvas of its sails which use manipulations of the mast and rigging to catch the wind in just the right way to propel the ship in a certain direction, both vertically and horizontally.

An enchantment, as central to the construction of airships as floatwood, woven into the keel alters the properties of the sky the ship flies through, changing the water vapor briefly into liquid water for only as long as the ship passes across it. This enchantment provides drag against the hull and this drag combines with the propulsion to allow the ship better control in its movements.

To move vertically an airship adjusts the ballast or counter-ballast, tilts the wingsails and adjusts the ailerons, putting all these separate factors to move vertically much more smoothly than using just one of these tools alone. An airship will also turn itself into the wind if it wants an even smoother rise or fall. Sailors are expected to take their time while transitioning altitude to give the crew time to adjust their bodies to the shifts in atmospheric pressure, usually only traveling between one and three thousand feet vertically a day. Above the Altus, a smart pilot never travels further than 500 to 1,000 feet vertically per day.

A skilled pilot is expected to be able to navigate their way through the numerous dangers of the sky, making numerous adjustments to their ship’s heading as they travel. Cartographers guilds make a brisk business keeping maps updated and warning those who consult them for possible dangers that could be encountered on the route. Most pilots try to make adjustments miles ahead of these risks so they’ll be better prepared for dangers that might spring up. A smart pilot tries their hardest to avoid sudden shifts in direction or altitude as that has the very real risk of sending crew overboard. In addition, sudden changes in altitude can have severe health detriments if the shift is far enough. However, if the ship is threatened or if the aerial terrain is especially complex, a pilot may make a series of quick maneuvers with their airship, usually with lighter and more nimble designs.

A good pilot and a good captain also keeps an eye on their instruments, frequently consulting them and comparing their observations with the information recorded on their charts, a discrepancy can spell disaster. In addition, a pilot needs to frequently check their altimeter, since an altimeter uses atmospheric pressure to provide an accurate measure of the ship’s altitude oncoming storms and cold fronts can alter that reading, sometimes by hundreds of feet.

Sailing Maneuvers

Most maneuvers performed while sailing an airship are relatively staid procedures, the open deck and amount of space between bulkheads means that daring, acrobatic, stunts like figure-eights, barrel rolls, or loops only ever serve to simply fling the crew off of the deck. Smaller ships with a minimal crew can perform these maneuvers with enough warning to allow its crew to strap themselves down, but the more crew on the ship the more dangerous these maneuvers are to perform. Small one-man ships do frequently perform these stunts, taking advantage of their small size and ability of a skilled pilot to predict the shifts as gravity takes over in a fall. Additionally, single man craft don’t need to worry about a potential loss of crew, and can react more quickly than a ship with a great deal of crew that needs direction.

There are a few common terms for aeronautical maneuvers that skydrifters and pilots perform and the position of the ship’s angle and its relationship to the wind. Most of these terms are rooted in terminology from oceanic sailing, but there are additions to account for the need to travel vertically as well as horizontally. For example, when a ship is “arching,” its bow is rising above the stern, usually in order to ascend, when a ship is “stooping,” the stern is rising above the bow, usually in order to descend.

A ship “heads to wind” when it points directly into the wind and is “beating” or “tacking” when it sails as close as possible towards the wind in a zig-zag course in order to sail in an upwind direction. A ship is “running” when it sails with the wind coming from behind it, filling the sails, a ship is at a “dead run” when the wind is coming from directly astern. A ship “luffs up” when it points itself directly into the wind, this is usually performed in anticipation of ascending or descending.

A ship “makes more sail,” or “makes sail,” when it lets out more canvas to better catch the wind, and it “reefs” the sails when it takes those sails in.

Sailing Hazards

Sailing the skies of Orizon brings numerous risks to those that attempt it, reefs or small Skylands that may drift can carve a chunk out of a floatwood hull or pierce a gasbag. Storms can whip up winds and blast a ship with lightning or blow a ship off course. On top of those dangers, monsters can travel between Skylands, deciding to establish their territory on these floating islands. Most of these monsters are unaware of humanoid use of these skies, and those that are aware either don’t care, or see that use as an opportunity to plunder ships and amass a hoard.

Reefs and Skylands are mostly stationary features, so long as a ship’s charts and instruments are accurate, and the sailing is smooth, few pilots ever face the risk of running into one. However, if the navigator is inexperienced, or if the sailing conditions become too troubled, then there is a very real danger of getting wrapped up in a reef. Some pirates or monsters have hit on a strategy of harassing a ship and forcing it to sail into a reef, then picking off whatever they can grab from the tangled hulk.

Monsters are one of the best known dangers to sailors, the line “here there be monsters,” is a classic description of uncharted territories and a particularly dangerous monster may have its territory laid out on aeronautical charts to provide sailors with enough warning.

The final “common” dangers are storms. Not only can the winds, the rains, and the ice damage the hull and the rigging, they can also force a ship off course, obscuring the crew’s vision enough that they may not realize how far they’ve traveled until it’s too late. Pilots keep an eye on their instruments, the altimeter can be fouled by changes in atmospheric pressure, and a change in wind or in the horizon can signal an approaching storm.

Trade Routes

Trade routes are regions of the skies that are the primary route sailors, especially merchant vessels, take to travel between major Skylands and ground cities. At their most simple, these are routes that offer the strongest winds, the clearest skies and the most stops to load and unload cargo and passengers.

Small farming villages are best places on these trade routes, taking advantage of the travel of merchant vessels to move their crops and goods, and to travel themselves, hitching a ride on a merchant vessel and sailing to the nearest major Skyland. These merchant vessels are the lifeblood of their communities, using their large stowage space to haul cargo, passengers, and messengers throughout their routes. They often fly accompanied by at least a pair of support vehicles that serve as scouts and combat support.

These routes are patrolled both by military vessels and by mercenaries hired by major trade guilds. But this coverage isn’t complete, and things can slip through. Monsters can “camp” near trade routes and fly into them, making it difficult to find the place that the monster has established as a lair. The war bands can also take advantage of trade routes, they frequently develop hot air balloons that can be deployed quickly and used to strike at islands, and they have been known to seize

Outside of these trade routes things are left “fallow,” left to grow wild. These spaces are used to harvest floatwood stands, or to allow space for griffons and other potential flying mounts to set up nests. These spaces at a distance from normal trade routes can also be occupied by people hoping to live apart from the world at large, like secluded high-elf cities or druidic circles.

Skyports

Every island that receives airship traffic has a port, some are small, only able to accommodate one or two ships at a time, some are so small that they are barely more than a sturdy tree for a ship to moor themselves to The largest ports can accommodate dozens of ships, often incorporating quays built on smaller nearby Skylands to hold overflow.

Upon docking, a ship is approached by a customs agent, a representative of the local harbor master, who collects information on the ship; the ship’s name, its home port and nationality, its cargo manifest, and the names of its captain and its crew. Some harbormasters don’t need all of this information, but most of it is taken down or at least summarized. The customs agent also collects import taxes and harborage fees from the ship’s purser. In smaller ports these responsibilities may be handled by the harbor master alone. These duties are only really carried out on the larger islands that act as hubs for trading ships, or on “sailor’s islands,” smaller islands designed exclusively as way stations for traveling sailors.

Once a ship is moored to a pier, they can unload their cargo and any other things stored away in stowage using either their own equipment or the dock’s cranes and hooks, operated by local stevedores, although most often it’s a combination of both. This cargo is then inspected to look for any contraband or potential dangers and once they can be assured of its safety, transferred to local warehouses, guild offices, or taken straight to the local marketplace. This is also the opportunity for anyone on the ship that paid for passage to leave, walking off the gangplank and making their way into the harbor and the city beyond.

At the dock the ship’s purser looks to spend the funds they’ve earned at the local ship’s chandlers to restock supplies for the ship. And the cook makes their way to local provisioner’s to restock the ship’s food to maintain supplies for however long the ship will remain at port, and arranging another delivery for when the ship is scheduled to leave so it can be fully stocked for the duration of its coming voyage.

While in port, the pilot or navigator has to take time to recalibrate their instruments and ensure their accuracy, especially their altimeter. Since different altitudes have different pressures the pilot must check the precise altitude information recorded in the harbor master’s officer against the information displayed on their own altimeter.

Once all of the work is done and the ship is considered ship-shape, the captain announces the watch schedule, then the captain and purser distribute the crew’s wages and declares the crew “at liberty,” a freedom the crew gets to take advantage of.

There are numerous small ports placed along trade routes to operate as way-stations for sailors, especially on difficult long trade routes. Skylands like this are These are built up both to give sailors an opportunity to rest and resupply as well as give crews an opportunity to acclimatize to their new air pressure after having to change altitude numerous times.

Airmen, Sailors and Officers

Most navies divide their officers into two distinct categories, officers, and enlisted and these broad categories are then further divided. Officers are separated into flag officers, senior officers, and junior officers. Flag officers are officers in a position to declare their command, representing it with a flag on the ship they command and from which they command other ships. An admiral and a commodore are both considered flag officers. Senior officers are expected to serve in the command of a ship, these are captains and commanders. Junior officers serve underneath those in command of a ship, and may be given command of their own, but their responsibilities typically consist of overseeing a ship’s crew or other specific duties on a ship. These are lieutenants, ensigns, and midshipmen.

Beneath officers are the enlisted men, warrant officers, petty officers, and airmen. These men may serve specific roles onboard the ship, especially warrant officers and petty officers. These roles give them a specific title in addition to their rank and further responsibility.

The Ship’s Captain is a position occupied by a senior officer, they are in ultimate command of a vessel and are ultimately responsible for its operation and safety.

The First Mate is the second in command on the ship and often acts as the officer in command of the crew. During combat they may be responsible for coordinating the crew and damage control.

The Second and Third Mates serve as officers under the captain and first mate.

The Navigator is responsible for determining the ship’s course.

The Helmsman is the man at the wheel and is responsible for maintaining the navigator's course.

The Master of Arms acts in command of melee combat, a responsibility that comes up during boarding parties or disembarking from the ship and attacking.

The Master of Guns directs the gunners and the gun crews during naval combat.

The Boatswain, also called the “Bosun” is responsible for the sails, ropes, rigging and boats on a ship, and issues “piped” whistled commands to seamen.

The Cabin Boy attends to passengers and crew, the people in this role are often young, often the youngest onboard.

The Carpenter is responsible for the woodwork on the vessel. They build and maintain woodwork like the masts, hull, parts of the rigging, and small lifeboats.

The ship’s Cook is responsible for food and supplies on the boat.

The ship’s Doctor is responsible for the health of the crew, and for performing medical procedures on any crewmen who should need it.

The Gearmaster is responsible for the metalwork on ship, maintaining the mechanisms for the rigging and the gasbag.

A ship’s Gunner is responsible for managing the crews at the cannon.

A ship’s Lookout is not so much a dedicated position as it is one that’s assigned, men are sent to the crow’s nests to survey the horizon and keep an eye out for potential dangers and the ship’s destination.

A Powder Monkey runs gunpowder from the ship’s magazine to the cannoneers.

The Purser is the person on the ship who buys, stores and sells all stores on board ships, including food, rum and tobacco.

The Sheetman is responsible for the care and maintenance of the ship’s sails.

A Wingman is a man trained in the use of wingsuits to glide between ships.

Aeronautical Terms and Expressions

Abeam - On the beam, a relative bearing at right angles to the centerline of the ship’s keel.

Aboard - On or in a vessel. Synonymous with “on board.”

Able Airman - Able-bodied airman. An airman qualified to perform all routine duties, or a junior rank in some navies.

Adrift - Afloat and unattached in any way to the shore or seabed, but not under way. When referring to a vessel, it implies that the vessel is not under control and therefore goes where the wind takes her

Aground - Resting on or touching the ground (usually involuntarily).

All Hands - Entire ship’s company, both officers and enlisted personnel.

Aloft - In the rigging of a sailing ship. Above the ship’s uppermost solid structure; overhead or high above.

Alongside - By the side of a ship or pier.

Anchorage - A suitable place to moor the ship, usually in a port or harbor.

Avast - Stop, cease or desist from whatever is being done.

Aye, Aye - Reply to an order or command to indicate that it, firstly, is heard; and, secondly, is understood and will be carried out.

Baggywrinkle - A soft covering for cables (or any other obstructions) that prevents sail chafing from occurring.

Ballast - A term referring to all the weight on the ship that is weighing it down and bringing it to the ground.

Bareboat - A ship without crew or provisions.

Beaching - Deliberately running aground, usually to make repairs or offload cargo.

Belay - To make a fast line around a fitting, usually a cleat or belaying pin. - To secure a climbing person in a similar manner. - An order to halt a current activity or countermand an order prior to execution.

Broadside - The simultaneous firing of all the guns on one side of a warship.

Capsize - A ship rolling over or flipping.

Captain’s Daughter - A cat o’ nine tails, punishment used only under the captain’s orders.

Cat’s Paws - Soft, gentle, winds.

Chafing - Wear on line or sail caused by constant rubbing against another surface.

Class - A group of ships of the same or similar design or a standard of construction for vessels. A ship meeting the standard is in class, one not meeting them is out of class

Come About - To maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other.

Commission - To formally place a ship into active military service.

Complement - The number of people in a ship’s crew.

Conn - Directing a ship from a position of command and responsibility. While performing this duty, an officer is said to “have the conn.”

Corsair(s) - A privateer or pirate with a bad reputation. Usually aligned with evil factions or motivations. Scourge of skydrifters and merchant vessels everywhere.

Counter-ballast - The gasbag or other lift that acts in opposition to the ballast, crew, and cargo to keep the ship in the air.

Cut and Run - When wanting to make a quick escape, a ship might cut lashings to sails or cables for anchors, causing damage to the rigging, or losing an anchor, but shortening the time needed to make ready by bypassing the proper procedures.

Doldrums - A long period of foul weather or dull winds

Drogue - A device to slow a ship down so that it does not speed excessively. It is generally constructed of heavy flexible material in the shape of a cone.

Flotsam & Jetsam - Debris after a shipwreck, floatwood parts drift through the air, others crash to the ground.

Foul - Having freedom of motion interfered with by collision or entanglement; the opposite of clear. A rope is foul when it does not run straight or smoothly, and an anchor is foul when it is caught on an obstruction.

Grog - Watered-down rum.

Hardtack - A hard and long-lasting dry biscuit, used as food on long journeys.

Heading - The direction the ship is pointing.

Hulk - An abandoned wreck or shell of a ship.

Icing - A serious hazard where cold temperatures and winds result in water vapor freezing against the hull and rigging.

In Irons - When a ship has lost its forward momentum from heading into the wind and can no longer steer.

Kissing the Gunner’s Daughter - Bending over a cannon’s barrel to receive punishment.

Knot - A unit of speed, about 1 mile per hour.

League - A unit of distance equal to about three miles

Leg - A segment of a voyage between two way points.

Lightering - Transferring cargo from one ship to another to lighten the load.

Luffing - Flapping sails, typically from being too loose.

Masthead - A construction on the masthead or the peak of the gasbag where a lookout can be stationed, also known as a “crow’s nest.”

Narrows - A tight passage in a navigable route.

Overbear - Sailing directly downwind from another ship, stealing the wind from its sails.

Parlay - Parlay is a negotiation conference, especially one between enemies over terms of a truce or other matters. Parlay allows any person to invoke temporary protection and be brought before the captain to "negotiate" without being attacked until the parley is complete. 

Points of Sail - The course of a vessel in relation to the direction of the wind, divided into six points: in irons (pointed directly into the wind), close hauled (sailing as close into the direction of the wind as possible), close reach (between close hauled and beam reach), beam reach (perpendicular to the wind), broad reach (wind behind the vessel at an angle), and running downwind or running before the wind (the wind is behind the vessel).

Quay - A stone or concrete structure used for loading and unloading, synonymous with “wharf.”

Ship’s Bell - Striking the ship’s bell is the traditional method of marking time and regulating the crew’s watches. Each bell (from one to eight) represents a 30-minute period since the beginning of a four-hour watch.

Skydrifter(s) - The men and women that have made their life in the skies of Orizon aboard airships. Usually they work on merchant airships and take mercenary work for profit and glory.

Stow - To store or put away gear, cargo, and personal effects.

Stowage - The amount of room available to store materials on board a ship.

Stowaway - A trespasser on a ship.

Swinging the Lamp - Telling stories

Tell-tale - Sometimes “tell tail,” a small piece of string that is hung up to indicate wind speed and direction

Turtling - A condition of capsizing where the ship has rolled all the way over so the keel is pointing straight up and the masts are pointing downwards

Wake - The air turbulence left behind as an airship flies.

Aeronautical Combat

Infantry Military actions are made difficult by the distances between Skylands, and apart from the ground territories warfare doesn’t typically occur without navies getting involved. Most infantry military forces are positioned as defensive troops, waiting in anticipation to rebuff an attack.

Most of the conflicts between major nations happen in the skies between navies. Sometimes these are skirmishes between only a handful of ships, others are battles between entire armadas. Flotillas blockade and bombard ports, raiders make hit-and-run attacks on cargo and supply ships. And individual ships frequently engage each other in cat-and-mouse chases through the skies, each trying to outmaneuver the other to hit them with cannon or get close enough to board.

Larger conflicts involve flying mounts. These mounts are faster and more maneuverable than airships, but cannot travel as far as a ship, in a planned battle ships will carry flying mounts on their decks. In addition, crewmembers keep ranged weapons accessible to shoot down any flying mounts that fly within range (or any aggressive monsters).

Ships in nautical combat work to maneuver around each other to get off a broadside against each other while avoiding the same, or firing off the more mobile cannon. Smaller, nimble, ships dart around the field of combat, harassing the larger ships. Some ships maneuver close to other airships to send out a boarding party.

Onboard the ships, mages act as magical artillery or healers, and stay positioned to cast the mending spell, or shoot out a fireball, or employ fog to obscure the battlefield.

When battles take place on the ground, against enemies like the monstrous warbands, or opposing nations that try to occupy their territory, the navy often flies above the battlefield, firing cannon on the enemies below. Ground combatants prepare for this by either hiding under cover, engaging ships of their own (or monsters) in a dogfight, or preparing ballista or cannon ready to fire up into the air to try and shoot these ships down.

Corsairs: Piracy and Privateering

One of the scourges of the skies, corsairs take up arms and strike out against vulnerable targets, plundering ships and villages alike. They use devious tactics, swift vessels and biting cannon to attack their victims, melting away into the clouds when their work is done.

Some corsairs hide behind floating Skyland formations, staying obscured until their lookout spots a ship moving past, the corsairs put on all their sails and get ready to strike, moving quickly to board their prey. Another tactic is to fly a “false flag,” running up the sail of an allied vessel and then sailing close enough to get alongside their target. The important thing about the tactics corsairs employ is that it gives them time to survey their targets and ensure that they are not military vessels that might be prepared for a fight. Sometimes corsair ships act in tandem, one moves to distract any escort ships, while the other captures the true prize.

While so-called “sailor’s islands” are located along trade routes, “corsair islands” are hidden away and difficult to spot and access. These corsair islands are havens for other corsairs, mercenaries, and criminals. It’s possible to find just about anything in the black markets of a corsair’s island, and it’s where people go to disappear. To prevent raids, many pirate islands only make the charts to locate them available to select individuals, often proven pirates.

Privateers are corsairs with letters of marque from a regional government that essentially grants corsairs permission to conduct piracy, so long as it’s against that government’s enemies, and to sell their spoils on that government’s soil without reprisal.

Airship Combat Rules

Officers and Crew of a Ship

Captain

Pilot

Shipwright/Airwright

Chief Mate

Gunner

Lookout

Parts of the Ship

All warships are equipped with different types of armaments. These armaments are allocated to the four quadrants/arcs of the ship, as illustrated below. The bow arc represents the front of the ship. Weapons mounted here are often used in pursuit of ships trying to get away. The port and starboard gundecks are where the main armaments of a ship are located. The stern arc, at the rear of the ship, is often used to thwart pursuers.

Navigation Points

Navigation points are a measure of how well the officers and crew of the ship have prepared for the day’s journey. As part of daily preparations, all officers roll a Skill check on one of the following skills: Lore (Sailor) or Survival to plot the ideal course, Crafting or Arcana to insure that the internal workings of the ship are functional, Athletics or Acrobatics to inspect the rigging and other external work, and Diplomacy or Performance to inspire the crew and boost morale. The DC of these checks is determined by the GM and may reflect the weather, the morale of the crew, and/or any other factors. Each success grants 1 Navigation Point, while critical successes grant 2 Navigation Points. These points may be used by the officers to carry out officer actions during ship combat.

Weather

At the beginning of each day, the GM roles a check to determine what the sailing conditions will be that day. Roll a d20 and compare the result to the following table. Apply the listed effects to all ships during ship combat. These results may also influence the difficulty of Navigation Checks, as determined by the GM:

ROUNDS AND PHASES

Like combat between characters, ship combat occurs over a number of rounds until one side flees, surrenders, or is otherwise defeated. Unlike rounds in combat between characters, a round of ship combat doesn’t correlate to a specific amount of time. Each round of ship combat is divided up into three Phases, resolved in order. Each character aboard a ship typically acts in only one of these Phases, depending on their role on the ship.

1. Repair

The Airwright/Shipwright on all ships (if present) each take an action to repair the ship or give it a boost. These actions occur simultaneously, so they can be resolved in any order.

2. Helm

Each Ship’s Pilot attempts a Lore (Sailor) check. The Pilot with the lowest result must move his ship first, followed by the next lowest, until all ships have moved. This check is repeated each round during the Helm phase, so the order of movement can change from round to round. If a ship has no one in the pilot role, that ship acts as if its pilot had rolled a 0.

If there is a tie, the pilot with fewer ranks in the Lore (Sailor) skill must move his ship first. If there is still a tie, the two pilots in question should each roll another Lore (Sailor) check and compare the results; the pilot with the lowest result moves first.

As they move their ships, pilots can attempt additional skill checks to perform dangerous maneuvers or Push their vessels beyond their specifications.

Also during this phase, any character taking on the role of Lookout can use the Ship’s systems to identify vessels or target foes. Lookouts act immediately before or after their ship’s pilot, as agreed upon by the Pilot and Lookout.

3. Gunnery

During the gunnery phase, gunners fire their ships’ weapons. Ships fire in the same order in which their pilots acted during that round’s helm phase, but the effects of damage are not taken into account until the end of the phase, meaning that all ships can fire, even if they take enough damage to be disabled or destroyed during this phase.

Once all of the Phases have been resolved, if there are still combatants engaged in the fight, the next round begins, starting with a new Repair phase.

MOVING

The pilot of a ship has a variety of actions that allow them to guide their ship through the sea and sky. Unlike in battles between characters, ships face a specific direction, and this determines their firing arcs, as well as their direction of movement.

SPEED

A ship’s base speed is the maximum number of hexes it can move in a round. It can instead move fewer hexes than this amount, as determined by the pilot, but this will not affect the movement modifier. This movement is in a straight line in the direction the ship is facing, though a ship’s facing can be altered while it moves by making turns (see below). A ship’s maximum speed modifies Lore (Sailor) checks for that ship.

TURNS

While moving, a ship can make turns, altering its forward movement direction and firing arcs. One turn changes a ship’s forward facing by 60 degrees, or one side of a hex. Every round in which a ship turns, it must move a certain number of hexes before each turn, determined by its maneuverability (see the table below).

For example, a ship with average maneuverability making two turns in a round must move at least 2 hexes before its first turn, and at least 2 more hexes before its second turn. If a ship has perfect maneuverability (the distance between turns is 0), the ship can make two turns for each hex that it moves (allowing it to turn around a single point).

The number of turns per round a ship can take is limited only by its speed and maneuverability. Turns don’t count against a ship’s movement speed. If a ship with average maneuverability has a speed of 8, it can usually turn a total of four times during a single round. A ship’s maneuverability also modifies Lore (Sailor) checks for it.

Whenever one ship fires a weapon at another ship, that action is resolved with a gunnery check. Attacks are made during the gunnery phase of combat, in the order determined during the helm phase, but the damage and critical damage effects are applied after all of the attacks have been made (meaning every ship gets to attack, even if it would be destroyed or crippled by an attack that happened during the same gunnery phase). With only very rare exceptions, each of a Ship’s weapons can be fired only once per round. You make an attack using the following procedure.

RANGE AND ARC

First, determine the range between the two ships (counted in hexes) and the arc of attack. For every range increment beyond the first, the gunnery check takes a cumulative –2 penalty. The attacking ship can fire a weapon against only ships in the same arc as that weapon; see the diagram. If the targeted ship is in a hex that lies in two arcs (the shaded hexes in the diagram on page 5), the gunner decides which arc’s weapons target it; it can’t be targeted by weapons in two arcs.

GUNNERY CHECK

Attempt a gunnery check for each weapon fired against a target. Gunnery Check = 1d20 + the gunner’s ranged attack + bonuses from navigational systems + bonuses from the captain and lookout + range penalty.

DETERMINING THE OUTCOME

Compare the result of the gunnery check to the target’s Armor Class (AC). If you attack with a weapon and the result of the gunnery check equals or exceeds the target’s AC, you hit the target and damage is determined as normal (see Damage below). A target’s AC is determined using the following formula.

AC = Hull Base AC + the pilot’s Lore (Sailor) proficiency + the ship’s armor bonus + bonuses and penalties from successful or failed stunts and actions.

DAMAGE

Combat in the seas and skies can be highly dangerous to the vessel and its crew. Once a ship has been damaged, critical areas might malfunction or shut down altogether, which could Spell defeat during an active engagement.

When a gunner hits with an attack, they roll the damage dealt by the weapon they are using and determining which quadrant of the targeted ship they hit. Damage is calculated by adding the damage dice, plus any crew actions that affect damage.

If a ship is reduced to 0 or fewer Hull Points, it is disabled and it floats in its current direction of travel at a rate of half its speed until it is repaired, rescued, or destroyed. Crew members aboard such ships are not in immediate danger, but they might eventually die from starvation and thirst if they have no way to repair the ship.

If a ship ever takes damage that exceeds twice its Hull Points, it is destroyed and can’t be repaired. All systems stop functioning, and the hull is compromised. The crew might initially survive, they won’t live very long.

Critical Damage

Ship areas can take critical damage, causing them to become less functional and eventually stop working altogether.

Critical damage is scored whenever a gunnery check results in a roll of 10 greater than the AC of the target ship, or a natural 20 if the attack would have resulted in a normal success. Critical damage is also scored whenever the target ship’s hull takes damage that causes its total amount of damage to exceed its Critical Threshold or a multiple of that threshold.

For example, a ship with 100 Hull Points and a Critical Threshold of 20 takes critical damage each time its total amount of Hull Point damage exceeds 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 points (and so on). An individual attack does not need to deal more than 20 damage to score critical damage against this ship; it just needs to be the attack that pushes the ship’s total damage above a multiple of its Critical Threshold.

A ship can take critical damage even when its total Hull Points are below 0.

Critical Damage Effect

When critical damage is scored, the attacking PC should roll on the table below to randomly determine which of the target ship’s key systems is hit; that system gains a critical damage condition (see below), with the effect listed on the table. If the system isn’t currently critically damaged, it gains the glitching condition. If it is critically damaged again, its critical condition changes by one step of severity (glitching becomes malfunctioning; malfunctioning becomes wrecked). These conditions and their effects on crew actions are explained in Critical Damage Conditions.

To determine which system is affected, roll d100 and consult the table below. If a system already has the wrecked condition (or in the case of the weapons array, if all weapon arcs have the wrecked condition), apply its critical damage to the next system down on the chart. If you reach the bottom of the chart, instead deal damage to one of the crew (as described below).

Critical Damage Conditions

The following are the critical damage conditions and their effects, ordered by severity. These effects apply primarily to ship combat and rarely impact noncombat play (wrecked sails can still be used to get a ship to a safe place to repair, for example—though the GM might rule that it takes longer than normal).

Cracked
A cracked area isn’t operating at peak performance. Crew Actions involving the area (except the Hold It Together and Patch Repair actions) take a –2 penalty.

Broken
A broken area is difficult to control. Crew Actions involving the system (except the Hold It Together and Patch Engineer actions) take a –4 penalty. Also, crew members can’t take Push Actions using that system. If the sails are broken, all actions aboard the ship not involving the sails take a –2 penalty; this penalty stacks with penalties from critical damage conditions affecting other systems.

Wrecked
A wrecked system is minimally functional. Crew actions involving the system (except the Hold It Together and Patch Engineer actions and minor Crew Actions) automatically fail. If the sails are wrecked, all crew actions aboard the ship not involving the sails take a –4 penalty; this penalty stacks with penalties from critical damage conditions affecting other systems.

Repairing Damage

When a ship combat encounter is over, the crew members can repair damage done to their ship, provided it hasn’t been destroyed and they haven’t been captured! You can remove the critical damage condition from an area by taking 10 minutes and succeeding at a Crafting check. This check is not affected by the critical damage condition. The DC depends on the severity of the condition (DC 15 for cracked, DC 20 for broken, and DC 25 for wrecked). The area is no longer critically damaged (it has no critical damage conditions) and can function as normal.

Repairing damage to the hull is more difficult. You must first stop the ship completely, usually at a safe location (for instance, a calm body of water or a dock), and the repairing character or characters must have access to the outside of the hull. In most skyports, the crew can pay workers to repair the ship; the cost and time needed are up to the GM. If the crew is on its own in uncharted territory, it can still repair the ship’s hull. Doing so costs 1 GP per point of damage to be repaired and requires 5 hours of work regardless of the number of points repaired.

A character who succeeds at a Hard Crafting check can cut either the cost or the time in half. For every 10 points by which they exceed the DC, they can reduce one of these factors by half (or by half again), to a minimum of 1 SP per point of damage and 1 hour. Any number of allies can use the aid another action to assist with this Crafting check. Failing the check to reduce the time or cost instead increases the cost by 5 SPs per point of damage.

OFFICER ACTIONS

The DCs of Officer Action checks are determined by the Ship’s level and the difficulty of the task. For more information on DCs by Level and DC Adjustments, see page 503-504 of the Core Rule Book.

Captain Actions

As a captain, you can take any of the following actions, depending on your character level, during any phase of combat.

Demand (Any Phase)

You can make a demand of a crew member to try to improve his performance. You grant a +4 bonus to one specific check by succeeding at a Hard Intimidate check. You must use this action before the associated check is rolled, and you can grant this bonus to an individual character only once per combat. Demand might result in negative consequences if used on NPCs, and you can’t make demands of yourself.

Encourage (Any Phase)

You can encourage another member of the crew to give them a bonus to their action. This works like aid another, granting a +2 bonus to the check required by a crew action if you succeed at a DC 10 check using the same skill. Alternatively, you can grant this same bonus by succeeding at a Diplomacy check (DC 15). You can’t encourage yourself.

Taunt (Any Phase, Push)

You can use the communications system to broadcast a taunting message to the enemy vessel. You select an enemy vessel and a phase of combat (airwright, helm, or gunnery), and then attempt a Hard Deception or Intimidate check. If you are successful, each enemy character acting during the selected phase takes a –2 penalty to all checks for 1d4 rounds; the penalty increases to –4 if the enemy’s check is made as part of a Push action. Once used against an enemy ship, regardless of the outcome, taunt can’t be used against that ship again during the same combat.

Orders (Any Phase, Push)

At 6th level, you can grant an additional action to one member of the crew by spending 1 Navigation Point and succeeding at a difficult skill check at the beginning of the phase in which the crew member would normally act. The type of check depends on the role of the crew member targeted: A Perception check for a Lookout, a Crafting check for a airwright or Airwright, a gunnery check for a gunner, and a Lore (Sailor) check for a pilot. The DC of this check is categorized as Hard. If the check succeeds, the crew member can take two actions in their role this round (both when they would normally act), but they can’t take the same action twice. You can’t give yourself orders.

Moving Speech (Any Phase)

At 12th level, you can spend 1 Navigation Point and use your action to give a moving speech to the crew during one phase of combat with a successful Very Hard Diplomacy check. For the remainder of that phase, your allies can roll twice and take the better result when performing crew actions.

Open Crew Actions

Open crew actions are generally less specialized tasks than a typical crew action, and they can be performed regardless of a character’s role. Many open crew actions do not require any specific skill or skill check to perform and can be undertaken by anyone Trained in Arcana, Crafting, Physical Science, or Lore (Sailor). Taking an open crew action counts as your action during a ship combat encounter.

Open crew actions occur at the beginning of the engineering phase, before any other actions occur. All open crew actions occur simultaneously and can be resolved in any order the GM sees fit. Each open crew action can be performed only once per round. 

Erratic Maneuvering (Open)

You trigger minor maneuvering thrusters, probe launchers, ballast vents, and other secondary systems at random to cause your ship to make small, unexpected jukes in its trajectory. This does not affect the ship’s facing or movement, but it grants a +1 circumstance bonus to your ship’s AC and Turn Length against any opponent that performs the flyby stunt this round.

Feign Disaster (Open)

As a ploy, you can wave fake flags, artificially loosen sails, dump trash and other debris from your ship’s bilge, and to convince your opponents that your ship has suffered a catastrophic failure and may imminently explode or otherwise cease functioning in a violent, spectacular manner.

Each enemy vessel’s captain (or the Lookout with the highest Perception skill bonus, if the ship has no captain) must attempt an Easy Perception check immediately after you take this action; this doesn’t take them an action. On a successful check, the enemy ship’s crew sees through your ruse and this action has no effect, but on a failed check, their crews automatically take steps to ensure that their own ship is blinded by the energy released by your ship’s theoretical imminent destruction. These emergency procedures impose a –2 penalty on their checks for scan and lock on actions taken against your ship, as well as on Lore (Sailor) checks attempted while within 1 hex of your ship. Once used, regardless of the outcome, feign disaster can’t be used again during the same combat encounter, even against different opponents or newcomers to the battlefield.

Range Finding (Open)

You use your navigational equipment to identify the range to a specific target or spatial feature, and you relay that information to another crew member so that they are free to focus on other aspects of the task they’re attempting this round. Select one crew member filling the gunner, pilot, or Lookout role. They gain +1 bonus to one attack roll or skill check of their choice related to ship combat that’s attempted before the end of this turn.

Ready Weapon System (Open)

You carefully perform comprehensive pre-firing preparations for one weapon, reading each minute detail and giving the ship’s gunners time to calculate the peak moment to fire the weapon so it can deal the maximum amount of damage to your opponents’ ship. While normally no one has the time or capacity to perform these tasks in the heat of battle, you know they can be invaluable when focused on properly. Select one weapon system when you perform this task. If that weapon is not fired this round but is fired on the next round after you have readied it, it deals +1 damage on a successful attack (+2 damage for ships of level 6 and greater).

Airwright/Shipwright Actions

As a airwright/shipwright, you can take any of the following actions, depending on your ranks in the Crafting skill. These actions can be taken only during the Repair phase. Unless otherwise noted, each action can be performed only once per round, no matter how many airwrights are on a ship.

Divert Magic Flow (Repair Phase)

You can divert auxiliary magic flow into one of your ship’s systems, giving it a boost. This requires a successful Easy Crafting check, and the results depend on where you decide to send this extra magic flow. If you send it to the sails, your ship’s speed increases by 2 this round. If you send it to the lookout, all lookouts receive a +2 bonus to their crew actions this round. If you send it to the ship’s weapons, treat each damage die that rolls a 1 this round as having rolled a 2 instead.

Hold It Together (Repair Phase)

You can hold one area together by constantly patching and modifying it. If you succeed at a Hard Crafting check, you can select one area; that area is treated as if its critical damage condition were two steps less severe for the rest of the round (wrecked becomes broken, and a cracked or broken area functions as if it had taken no critical damage). This check isn’t modified by penalties from critical damage to the Hull.

Patch (Repair Phase)

You can repair an area to reduce the effects of a critical damage condition. The number of actions and the DC of the Crafting check required to patch an area depend on how badly the system is damaged, as indicated on the table. Multiple airwrights can pool their actions in a single round to effect repairs more quickly, but each airwright must succeed at their Crafting check to contribute their action to the patch.

The number of actions required can be reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 1 action) by increasing the DC by 5. If you succeed at this check, the severity of the critical damage is unchanged, but it is treated as one step less severe for the remainder of the combat, until 1 hour has passed, or until the system takes critical damage again (which removes the patch and applies the new severity). This action can be taken more than once per round, and this check is not modified by any critical damage to the core.

Quick Fix (Repair Phase)

If you are at least Master in Crafting, you can try to repair an area quickly by spending 1 Navigation Point and attempting a Very Hard Crafting check. If successful, you remove the critical damage condition from one system for 1 hour (allowing it to function as if it had taken no critical damage), after which time it must be repaired as normal.

Gunner Actions

As a gunner, you can take any of the actions below, depending on your character level. These actions can be taken only during the gunnery phase. Though each of a ship’s weapons can be fired only once per round, multiple gunners can take actions to fire different weapons in a single round. Actions that allow you to fire ship weapons use the rules for attacking.

Fire at Will (Gunnery Phase, Push)

You can fire any two ship weapons, regardless of their arc. Each attack is made at a –4 penalty.

Shoot (Gunnery Phase)

You can fire one of your ship’s weapons. If you use a turret weapon, you can target a ship in any arc.

Broadside (Gunnery Phase, Push)

At level 6, you can expend 1 Navigation Point to fire all of the ship weapons mounted in one arc (including turret-mounted weapons). Each weapon can target any vessel in that arc. All of these attacks are made with a –2 penalty.

Precise Targeting (Gunnery Phase)

At 12th level, you can perform a very precise strike by spending 1 Navigation Point and firing one ship weapon at a single target. If the attack hits, you deal critical damage to a random system. If the attack would normally cause critical damage, the normal critical damage applies as well (meaning your attack could potentially deal critical damage multiple times; determine which system is damaged as normal each time).

Pilot Actions
As a pilot, you can take the following actions, depending on your ranks in the Lore (Sailor) skill. These actions can be taken only during the Helm phase.

Move (Helm Phase)

You move your ship up to its speed and can make any turns allowed by its maneuverability. This doesn’t require a skill check.

Maneuver (Helm Phase)

You move your ship up to its speed. You can also attempt a Hard Lore (Sailor) check to reduce your ship’s distance between turns (see page 7) by 1 (to a minimum of 0).

Stunt (Helm Phase, Push)

You can attempt any one of the stunts described. The DCs of the Lore (Sailor) checks required and the results of success and failure are described in each stunt’s description:

Instead of ordinary movement, pilots can attempt stunts with their ships (see Stunt), pushing them beyond their design specifications to enact daring moves. Several stunts affect your ship’s Armor Class (AC).

Evade

The ship moves up to its speed and can turn as normal, but it gains a +2 circumstance bonus to its AC until the start of the next round. To perform this stunt, you must succeed at an Easy Lore (Sailor) check. If you fail, the ship moves as normal. If you critically fail the check, the ship moves as normal, but it also takes a –2 penalty to its AC until the start of the next round.

Club-Haul

The ship moves forward up to half its speed (without turning) and rotates 180 degrees to face the aft edge at the end of the movement. To perform this stunt, you must succeed at a Hard Lore (Sailor) check. If you fail this check, your ship moves forward half its speed but doesn’t rotate.

Ramming Speed

The ship moves as normal, but it can move through 1 hex occupied by an enemy ship without provoking a free attack (as described in Moving through Other ships) before finished its move action. During the following gunnery phase, you can select one arc of your ship’s weapons to fire at the enemy vessel as if the vessel were in close range (treat the range as 1 hex), against any quadrant of the enemy ship. To perform this stunt, you must succeed at a Hard Lore (Sailor) check. If you fail this check, your ship still moves as described above, but you follow the normal rules for attacking (based on your ship’s final position and distance), and the movement provokes a free attack from that ship as normal.

Full Sail (Helm Phase, Push)

If you at least Expert in Lore (Sailor), you can spend 1 Navigation Point to move your ship up to 1 1⁄2 times its speed. You can make turns during this movement, but you add 2 to your ship’s distance between turns.

Audacious Gambit (Helm Phase)

If you are at least Master in Lore (Sailor), you can spend 1 Navigation Point and attempt a Very Hard Lore (Sailor) check to pull off complex maneuvers. You can move your ship up to its speed, treating its distance between turns as if it were 2 lower (minimum 0). You can also fly through hexes occupied by enemy vessels without provoking free attacks. At the end of your ship’s movement, you can rotate your ship to face in any direction. If you fail the check, you instead move as if you had taken the fly action (but still lose the Navigation Point).

Lookout Actions
As a lookout, you can take any of the following actions, depending on your ranks in the Perception and Arcana skills. These actions can be taken only during the Helm phase.

Brace! (Helm Phase)

You can use your knowledge of the winds, currents, and ship movement top attempt to predict where your opponent will maneuver next, then warn the crew there to brace for impact. With a successful Hard Perception check, choose an arc. That arc receives Resistance equal to your Ship Level for the next Gunnery Phase.

Scan (Helm Phase)

You can scan a ship with your navigational equipment to learn information about it. This action requires your ship to have navigation equipment. You must attempt a Perception check, applying any modifiers from the ship’s equipment. You can attempt this check untrained. This is a Very Easy check + the target ship’s bonus from defensive countermeasures. If you succeed at this check, you learn the first unknown piece of information on the following list. For every 5 by which you exceed the check, you learn another unknown piece of information. Subsequent checks reveal new pieces of information, continuing down this list.

1. Basic Information: Living crew complement and ship classification, size, speed, and maneuverability.

2. Defenses: AC, Total and Current Hull Points, and Hull Hardness value.

3. Weapon: Information about one weapon, including its firing arc and the damage it deals, starting with the weapon with the most damage dice. Repeat this entry until all the ship’s weapons are revealed.

4. Load: Information about how the ship’s hold is allocated and any cargo the ship might be carrying.

5. Other: Any remaining ship statistics.

Target Area (Helm Phase, Push)

You can use your ship’s navigational equipment to target a specific area on an enemy ship. This action requires your ship to have navigational equipment. You must attempt a Perception check, applying any modifiers from the ship’s equipment. This is a Very Easy check + the target ship’s bonus from defensive countermeasures. If you succeed, choose one area (helm, sails, envelope, navigational equipment, or weapons). The next attack made by your ship that hits the enemy ship scores a critical hit on a natural roll of 19 or 20. If that attack deals critical damage, it affects the chosen system. For any further critical damage resulting from the attack, determine which system is affected randomly as normal. Your ship’s navigational equipment can target only one area on a specific enemy ship at a time, though this action can be used to concurrently target systems on multiple ships.

Lock On (Helm Phase, Push)

If you are at least Expert in Perception, you can lock your ship’s weapons on to one enemy vessel. You must spend 1 Navigation Point and attempt a Perception check. This is a Very Easy check + the target ship’s bonus from defensive countermeasures. If you succeed, your ship’s gunners gain a +2 bonus to gunnery checks against the target for the rest of the round. This action can be taken only once per round.

Improve Countermeasures (Helm Phase)
If you have at least Master rank in Perception, you can try to foil enemy targeting arcs and incoming projectiles by spending 1 Navigation Point and attempting a Perception check. This is a Very Easy check + the enemy ship’s bonus from defensive countermeasures. If you’re successful, gunners aboard the target ship roll twice and take the worse result for gunnery checks during this round (including checks for tracking weapons).

Chief Mate Actions

As a chief mate, you can take any of the following actions, some depending on your number of ranks in the Acrobatics or Athletics skill, whichever you favor. (Note that the Targeting Aid and Maximize Speed actions both require a minimum number of ranks in Acrobatics or Athletics to perform.) Each of these actions can be taken only during a particular phase, as noted in parentheses next to the action’s name. You must decide at the start of each round which phase you will act in, usually by deciding which other role you’re supporting that round. Unless otherwise noted, each action can be performed only once per round, no matter how many chief mates are on a ship.

Hard Turn (Helm Phase, Push)

You manually adjust additional propellers and bypass safety systems, shouting for your fellow crew members to brace themselves for a stomach-turning tactical maneuver. This bit of risky co-Lore (Sailor) might overtax the ship’s turn radius, but it can also help the pilot get significantly more maneuverability out of the vessel when the crew finds itself in a lurch. Attempt an Easy Acrobatics or Athletics check. If you succeed, the pilot can make one turn during the round as though the maneuverability of the ship were improved by one step. This has no effect on a ship with perfect maneuverability. If you fail your check by 10 or more, you overheat and temporarily degrade the effectiveness of the ship’s maneuvering propellers, causing the ship’s maneuverability to worsen by one step for the rest of this round.

Rigging Access (Engineering Phase)

You start working on the rigging and halyards and manually bypassing safety systems to help the shipwright/airwright get more out of their systems when they take the divert or overpower action. Attempt an Easy Acrobatics or Athletics check. If you succeed and the engineer also succeeds at their check to divert, they can provide the normal benefit from diverting to two different systems instead of only one. If the engineer instead succeeds at their check for the overpower action, they can choose four different systems to divert power to instead of three. In either case, no system can benefit twice from the same action. If you fail your check by 10 or more, you overtax the ship’s systems without adding any useful capacity, and all engineer actions performed this turn take a –2 penalty.

Manual Realignment (Helm Phase)

Manual realignment of the ship’s navigational equipment to better focus on an opposing ship can help the lookout get better results when using the ship’s navigational equipment to glean information about the other vessel. Attempt an Easy Acrobatics or Athletics check. If you succeed and the Lookout also succeeds at their check to perform the scan action, they receive one additional piece of information, as though their result were 5 higher. If you fail the check by 10 or more, you knock the equipment out of alignment altogether, and no check to scan can be attempted this round as the system recalibrate.

Targeting Aid (Engineering Phase, Push)

If you are at least Expert in Acrobatics or Athletics, you can assist one specific gunner making an attack by inputting secondary navigational information, bypassing safety protocols, and even monitoring and adjusting power fluctuations in a ship’s weapon system to make the ship’s physical weapons more accurate. You must spend 1 Navigation Point and attempt either a Very Hard Acrobatics or Athletics check. One gunner can then take the fire at will or broadside action without the associated penalty to gunnery checks (normally –4 for fire at will and –2 for broadside). If you fail the check by 10 or more, that gunner instead takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls they make this round. This action can be taken more than once per round, but only once per gunner acting in that round.

Maximize Speed (Helm Phase, Push)

If you are at least Master in Acrobatics or Athletics, you can help the pilot get the most speed possible out of your ship, pushing the propellers to their limit. This requires spending 1 Navigation Point and succeeding at an Incredibly Hard Acrobatics or Athletics check, at which point the speed of your ship increases by 2 for this round. This increase is cumulative with other increases to speed, such as from the shipwright diverting power to the propellers.

BUILDING A SHIP

Regardless of ships’ size and purpose, they’re all created using the same process. GMs and players alike can use the following steps to create a diverse array of vessels.

Build Points

Build Points (BP) are an abstract resource used for creating and upgrading airships. They are based off the ship level, as described below:

Ship Level

The ship’s level is determined by adding together the characters’ levels and dividing by thenumber of characters.

Weapons

The skies and seas of Orizon are dangerous places, plagued with hostile monsters, pirates, and worse. As a result, most ships protect themselves with a variety of weapons.

Weapons must be installed on special mounts on a ship, specified in the ship’s hull. These mounts are designed for optimal firing. They also prevent the weapon from affecting the course or speed of a ship when fired.

Weapons are classified using the following key statistics.

Name

This is the name of the weapon.

Mount

Ship weapons are mounted on several positions throughout the ship. The Gundeck is the location for the ship’s main arsenal, used for broadsides. Bow and Stern weapons are mounted in the front and rear of the ship and fire from those arcs. Turret weapons can fire on any arc, though certain hulls can only handle Light turret weapons.

Range

Weapons have one of three ranges: short range (2 hexes), medium range (4 hexes), or long range (6 hexes). As with character-scale ranged attacks, an attack with a ship weapon takes a cumulative –2 penalty for each additional hex between it and the target. A ship weapon can fire at a target up to 4 additional hexes away.

Damage

This is the amount of damage (in Hull Points) the weapon deals when it successfully hits a target.

Special

Some weapons have special properties, as noted in the Appendix. The special properties are listed below:

Arcing

If the weapon successfully hits its target, it will arc to 1d3 additional targets, dealing damage.

Broad Arc

A weapon with this special property can fire in an arc adjacent to the one in which it was installed with a –2 circumstance penalty. A broad arc weapon can fire at only one target at a time.

Chain Shot

Weapons with this special property fire two small cannon balls connected by a length of chain, designed to damage the movement of enemy ships. Ships hit by this weapon take a -1 status penalty to movement until the Shipwright succeeds on a Patch action during the Repair phase.

Explosive

This weapon causes an explosion when it hits its target. It does Fire damage and causes wider damage to the ship. If a ship hit by this weapon takes critical damage, roll twice on the critical table and apply both results to the ship.

Limited Fire

A weapon with this special property can fire only the listed number of times in a ship combat encounter before it requires a brief period of time (10 minutes outside of ship

combat) to recharge and rebuild the weapon’s inherent ammunition.

Magical

Weapons with this special property may use Spell Attack modifier in the Gunnery phase rather than Ranged Attack.

Volley

This ranged weapon is less effective at close distances (measured in hexes). Your attacks against targets that are at a distance within the range listed take a –2 penalty.

Armor

Armor protects a ship from deflecting their projectiles and preventing damage to the ship’s structural integrity. It grants an armor bonus to a ship’s AC.

Crew Complement

The officers alone cannot run a ship by themselves. A proper crew is essential for the smooth running of any ship. The crew of a ship can provide bonuses to any officer action, depending on the size and ability of the crew. Better trained crews have more capacity to operate more complex and powerful ships.

Sails

Ships rely on both wind power to achieve maximum speed. They are designed for ships of a specific size (specified in the Size column of the table below), and they can’t be installed in a ship of an incorrect size.

Navigational equipment functions as a ship’s eyes and ears, allowing a crew to see what’s over the horizon, whether land, other ships, or some monstrosity. Navigational equipment is a combination of spyglasses, sextants, astrolabes, charts, and gauges. In ship combat, short-range equipment has a range of 5 hexes, medium-range has a range of 10 hexes, and long-range has a range of 20 hexes. All equipment has a skill modifier that applies to any skill used in conjunction with them.