Ship Mods & Items

HULL TYPE COST PER HULL LOCATION BUILD TIME WEIGHT SPECIAL

• Standard 2,400 gp 1 month 2,000 pounds Str +0, speed +0
  (The standard hull is sized for non-specialized vessels. Most ships use the standard hull.)
  
• Broad 3,000 gp 1 month 3,000 pounds Str +4, –1 maneuverability rating 
  (This wide hull slows a vessel, but its reinforced interior increases its strength (and therefore its carrying capacity). This increased capacity comes at the cost of maneuverability in the water.)
• Sleek 3,000 gp 1 month 1,500 pounds Str –4, +1 maneuverability rating
  (This streamlined hull increases a vessel’s maneuverability, but its smaller cross-section reduces strength.)

A Hull Location is Colossal, and has a hardness of 5 and 150 hit points. You can only choose the type of hull at the time of building - you can’t modify the ship to have a different type of hull after creating it.

• Standard Hull (7): 2,400 gp / 2,000 pounds per hull (16,800 gp / 14000 lbs) (hardness 5 and 150 hp per)
• Standard Rig (4): 2,000 gp / 1,500 pounds per rig (8000 gp / 6000 lbs) (hardness 1 and 75 hit points per)

STANDARD OFFICIAL UPGRADES

Extended Keel
The ship’s keel is longer than usual for a vessel of its type.
Benefit: The ship’s measurements from bow to stern are 10% longer than normal, though cargo capacity is not appreciably affected. The ship is more stable, and grants a +1 bonus on all sailing checks. This improvement must be installed at the time of the ship’s construction and cannot be added later.
Requirements. Craft (ships) DC 19; Cost: 10% of base ship cost

Glass Bottom
The bottom of the ship is inset with wide windows, permitting those inside to gaze into the ocean.
Benefit: This has no effect on ship performance, other than making the ship’s bottom only as strong as thick glass (hardness 1, hp 3, Break DC 8).
Requirements. Craft (glass) DC 19; Cost: 5% of base ship cost

Increased Cargo Capacity
An efficient remodeling of the ship’s layout means more room for the ship’s stores.
Benefit: The ship’s cargo capacity is increased by 10%.
Requirements. Craft (ships) DC 22; Cost: 15% of base ship cost

Movable Deck
The features of the ship’s decks are designed to be moved in order to disguise the ship as an altogether different vessel.
Benefit: After pulling up dozens of kingpins, the crew can slide the sterncastle forward on hidden rails, rearrange the position of the masts, extend the gunwales, lower the poop deck, transfer the ship’s wheel, and make other cosmetic changes such as a new figurehead and different-colored sails. The secret pins, levers, and tracks can only be found with a DC 20 Perception check during a close examination of the ship.
Requirements. Craft (ships) DC 28; Cost: 40% of base ship cost

Narrow Hull
The ship has been intentionally designed with a more slender hull, enabling it to slip through smaller spaces.
Benefit: The ship’s beam (width) is decreased by 20%, and cargo capacity is reduced by 10%. However, the ship gains a +2 bonus on all sailing checks. This improvement must be installed at the time of the ship’s construction and cannot be added later.
Requirements. Craft (ships) DC 22; Cost: 15% of base ship cost

Sturdy Hull
The ship’s body has had additional supports and layers of wood added to it, making it thicker and more resilient.
Benefit: The hull’s hardness is increased by 2, but the ship’s cargo capacity is reduced by 10%.
Requirements. Craft (ships) DC 16; Cost: 10% of base ship cost

HULL MATERIAL / COST PER LOCATION / BUILD TIME MODIFIER / WEIGHT PER LOCATION / HARDNESS / HP / SPECIAL

• Lead lining +1,000 gp 2 x normal 500 lbs. — — Foils divinations attempting to penetrate to the interior of a ship. Does not prevent divining the location of a ship, –2 Dex
  (This ship has a lining of thinly hammered lead built into its bulkheads and decks that foils divination magic aimed at targets inside a ship. It does not however, prevent divination magic from locating a ship or targeting those above decks or in the rigging.)
• Reinforced Oak +1,000 gp 1.5 x normal +1,000 lbs. 6 250 +2 Strength, –1 maneuverability rating
  (Thicker oak planks and iron reinforcements are used in this ship’s construction, granting +2 to Strength, but at the cost of maneuverability.)
• Iron +2,500 gp — +4,500 lbs. 8 400 +6 Str, +4 armor bonus to AC, –2 Dex, –1 maneuverability rating, –2 Speed
  (The hull of this ship is clad in iron, significantly increasing its resilience. Note that this is not the same thing as armor plating (described later in this chapter). A ship clad in iron is stronger and tougher, but also slower and less agile. Note that the penalty to Speed cannot reduce the ship’s Speed below 1.)
• Darkwood +5,000 gp 1.25 x normal 1/2 original 5 200 +2 Dex, +1 maneuverability rating
  (Building your ship’s Hull Locations from this magical wood greatly increases the cost, but the finished product is lighter and more nimble.)

STANDARD OFFICIAL UPGRADES

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ARMOR COST PER LOCATION ARMOR BONUS WEIGHT BUILD TIME

• Scale +1,750 gp +5 +1,000 lbs. 5 days
  (Scale plating involves layering smaller iron plates in a pattern very similar to a dragon’s scales. Each individual plate (roughly 1 foot per side) doesn’t offer much protection on its own, but when layered and reinforced with other plates it offers stronger protection than link armor. Installing scale plating requires more labor than link armor, and so the cost is slightly higher. Iron Plates: The strongest — and heaviest — of the armor options, iron plating involves bolting massive iron plates directly to the side of the Hull Location. The sheer weight of the plates requires specialized booms to lift into place, increasing the cost to produce and install this armor.)
• Link +1,000 gp +3 +750 lbs. 3 days
  (Much like a chain shirt for a PC, this style of armor involves a bevy of interlinking chains, which are then bolted to the side of the Hull Location. Link armor is the easiest to manufacture and install, but provides the least amount of protection of the various armor types.)
• Iron Plates +2,250 gp +8 +2,500 lbs. 1 week
• Sculpted Iron Plates +10,000 gp +8 +2,500 lbs. 2 weeks
  (These specially crafted plates provide a ship with the same defense as standard iron plates, but are instead shaped in such a way as to make the ship appear more fearsome. For example, you could opt to sculpt your plates so that your ship appears to be a dragon.)
• Deflective Iron Plates +6,500 gp +82 +2,500 lbs. 1.5 weeks
  (These iron plates are shaped in such a way as to deflect cannonballs away from the ship. In addition to the standard armor bonus provided by the plates, they also grant a +1 deflection bonus to the armor class of the Hull Location they protect.)

Adamantine: Crafting armor from adamantine gives the ship extra resistance to damage. Link armor grants the Hull Location DR 3/—; scale armor grants DR 5/—; and plate armor grants DR 8/—. However, the sheer amount of adamantine necessary greatly increases the cost, multiplying the original price by a factor of 10. Ship armor fashioned from adamantine weighs the same as that made from iron.

Mithral: Much like PC armor, ship armor fashioned from mithral is lighter than but just as strong as its iron counterpart. Mithral armor weighs 75% as much as iron armor, but costs 5 times as much.

STANDARD OFFICIAL UPGRADES

Armor Plating
Benefit: By attaching metal plates to the ship, the hull’s hit points are increased by +15% and its hardness is increased by +4. This modification reduces a ship’s cargo capacity by 15%. The armor plating slows the ship, imposing a –1 penalty on all sailing checks. The ship’s tactical speed in ship-to-ship combat is not affected, but its waterborne speed is reduced by 20%.
Requirements. Craft (ships) DC 28; Cost: 30% of base ship cost

Wooden Plating
For protection during naval combat, this ship has received additional wooden planks nailed to its hull.
Benefit: The hull’s hit points are increased by 5% and its hardness is increased by 2. However, this reduces cargo capacity by 10% as extra room must be made inside for beams to support the reinforcements. The ship’s tactical speed in ship-to-ship combat is not affected, but its waterborne speed is reduced by 10%.
Requirements. Craft (ships) DC 25; Cost: 20% of base ship cost

RIGGING MATERIAL / COST PER LOCATION / BUILD TIME MODIFIER / WEIGHT PER LOCATION / HARDNESS / HP / SPECIAL

• Crow’s Nest +500 gp + 1 week +75 lbs. — — See below
  (This item can be added to one of the Rigging Locations for the listed cost. A crewmember in a crow’s nest receives a +5 circumstance bonus to Perception checks to see other ships, distant land formations, and similar objects. A standard crow’s nest is 10 feet in diameter and made from wood. It can support up to 500 pounds.)
• Silk Ropes +1,500 gp — ¾ of original 4 100 —
  (These ropes reduce the weight of your Rigging Locations by 75% but cost more than standard hemp ropes.)

STANDARD OFFICIAL UPGRADES

Broad Rudder
Benefit: A wide rudder makes a ship more nimble, granting a +1 bonus on all sailing checks.
Requirements. Craft (ships) DC 16; Cost: 500 gp

Rapid-Deploy Sails
The ship’s rigging undergoes a wholesale change as improvements in engineering enable the sails to be raised and lowered much faster than normal.
Benefit: Any sail adjustments can be made in half the normal time, granting a +1 bonus on all sailing checks.
Requirements. Craft (sails) or Knowledge (engineering) DC 25; Cost: 10% of base ship cost

Silk Sails
Few ship improvements are as beautiful as the addition of silk sails. These sails can be designed in whatever color the player desires; they are often embroidered with striking images of the sea. Such sails are usually imported from faraway lands. Silk sails give the ship superior rates of movement, as they capture and displace the wind more efficiently.
Benefit: A ship with silk sails gains a +1 bonus on opposed sailing checks to gain the upper hand. The ship’s tactical speed in ship-to-ship combat is not affected, but its waterborne speed is increased by 10%.
Requirements. Craft (sails) DC 16; Cost: 15% of base ship cost

STANDARD

Additional Crew Quarters
The ship’s sailors have more space to sleep and eat. The ship may support 10% more passengers, but its cargo capacity is decreased by 10%.
Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 22; Cost: 20% of base ship cost

Concealed Weapon Port
Benefit: The ship’s belowdecks area undergoes major reconstruction in order to house Large direct-fire siege engines, such as light ballistae or cannons, if they are in use in the campaign. A concealed weapon port can only be recognized on a successful DC 15 Perception check. Each concealed port reduces a ship’s cargo capacity by 5 tons, in addition to the space required by the weapon itself.
Requirements. Craft (ships) DC 16; Cost: 100 gp per port (in addition to the cost of the weapons)

Smuggling Compartments
The ship’s bulkheads are modified so that gaps between them can serve as hidden cargo storage areas.
Benefit: This does not change a ship’s cargo capacity. A smuggling compartment can hold anything that fits within a 5-foot cubic space. If you are using the plunder rules (see “The Life of a Pirate” in Pathfinder Adventure Path #55 for details on the plunder system), in general, two smuggling compartments are required to hold 1 point of plunder. A DC 20 Perception check is required to locate smuggling compartments in a search of the ship.
Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 19; Cost: 500 gp per 5-foot-square compartment

RAZOR COAST

Captain’s Quarters: This Location provides the Captain some privacy from the rest of the crew, and also provides an antechamber the Captain can use for meetings Razor Coast: Fire As She Bears 23 with his mates and other officers. The standard Captain’s quarters provides basic comforts. The room is furnished with a comfortable bed, armoire, chest-of-drawers, and a simple safe (Disable Device DC 25 to open without the key). The antechamber comes with a simple table and ten chairs.

Captain’s Quarters, Luxurious: This specialized Location is similar to the standard Captain’s quarters, but is far more decadent. The furniture is made of the finest wood and inlaid with gold filigree. Thick, plush carpets cover the decks; spectacular paintings and tapestries adorn the bulkheads. The antechamber’s table and chairs are likewise upgraded and far more comfortable than the standard outfitting.

Cistern: This special Location can only be incorporated into the ship when it is first being built. The cistern is typically set near the center of the ship to provide balance. Special tubing runs through the masts and spars, collecting rainwater when it’s available. The tubes all flow to the central cistern location, where the water becomes available through taps to consume and use. A cistern holds up to 2,000 gallons of water. The listed weight does not include the weight of the water. When full, add 16,000 pounds to the weight (one gallon weighs 8 pounds).

Galley: A galley is used to prepare and serve food to the crew. The price in the table is for a single galley, which requires a full Hull Location and provides space to feed up to 30 crewmembers at once. Multiple Hull Locations can be placed together to create a larger galley if desired. A standard galley includes a rudimentary pantry for storing enough food and water for 90 meals; the remainder of the food must be stored elsewhere. In addition, simple tools — butcher knives, pots and pans, cutting blocks, and so on — are included as part of this Location, though food is not.

Oars: A ship can be equipped with one or more banks of oars rowed by an expanded crew. The oars can propel the ship even if there is no wind. A single oar bank requires a crew of 20 to operate successfully, and adds +1 to a ship’s speed. For purposes of fatigue, treat operating an oar bank as a forced march (including gaining a +4 to Constitution checks from the Endurance feat). Typically, a ship will have 60 crew assigned to oar duty, and rotate them through 3 shifts during the day. The listed price includes the work necessary to allow the oars to move through the Hull Location, a supply of a dozen oars, and benches for the rowers to sit on.

A ship can have multiple oar banks. The bonus to speed stacks; that is, a ship with two oar banks gains +2 Speed when they’re in use, three oar banks grants +3 Speed, and so on. Each oar bank takes up half the space available in the appropriate Hull Location. A ship cannot benefit from an oar bank at the same time it is under sail or engine power. To do so would be deadly to the crew manning the oars. Generally, oars are only used when Rigging Locations are either completely destroyed or there is no wind power available.

Powder Magazine: This compartment contains a ship’s supply of gunpowder and is usually water tight and has magical lighting to minimize potential sparks. The typical powder magazine requires a full Hull Location worth of space on board the ship. Generally, a powder magazine contains several bins or large barrels full of powder, as well as the means to transfer powder to smaller casks used near the cannons. When full, a powder magazine can hold one ton of gunpowder. Standing orders on most ships forbid any metal tools (shovels, scoops, wheelbarrows, etc.) from entering the powder magazine, lest they generate a spark.Instead, a standard powder magazine comes equipped with appropriate tools made from highly polished wood. The listed weight does not include the powder.

The smallest of sparks — let alone an actual fire — often results in the demise of the ship and her crew. If the gunpowder catches fire, it explodes 1 round later. Rules for gunpowder explosions can be found under the Powderentry in the Weapons section of this product. Creatures physically in the powder magazine when it explodes suffer a –10 penalty on the saving throw due to the confined space. Standard practice is to hire a spellcaster to cast continualflame inside the powder room, to remove the need for torches or candles to provide light. Such spellcasting service is not included in the listed cost.

Smuggling Compartment: This special Location is built in such a way as to have a portion of the Location hidden from plain view. The most common method is to place this Location in the hold of the ship, and have the hold only be 15 feet in height. The remaining 5 feet are hidden beneath the floor. Finding a standard Smuggling Compartment requires a DC 20 or 30 Perception check. 

STANDARD

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RAZOR COAST

EQUIPMENT COST WEIGHT

• Fire Pump 800 gp 1,000 lbs.
  (A fire pump is a series of hoses connected to a pump, used to extinguish fires on board the ship. Each fire pump is manned by a crew of five and gives a +5 circumstance bonus to a Mate’s Reflex save to extinguish a fire aboard ship.)
• Gun Mount 500 gp 500 lbs.
  (This articulated arrangement allows a gun to swivel across a 360o arc of fire. Price and weight are for a Large weapon. Multiply cost and weight as normal to allow for larger weapons. Gun mounts allow cannon to fire grapeshot on exposed enemy crew on either ship’s deck. Most typically, a gun mount is affixed to the bow of a ship and used as an anti-boarding weapon. The swivel allows the mounted gun to come to bear where it is needed. Moving a gun mount requires a move action, and locking it into place requires a standard action. If a cannon on a gun mount is fired without the mount being locked in place, there is 20% chance of the weapon backfiring. A backfiring weapon attacks the Location in which the gun mount is located. It hits automatically, but resolves damage as normal. Additionally, a weapon that backfires in this manner gains the broken condition. Finally, all creatures and unattended objects in the Location must make a Reflex saving throw (DC equal to 10 plus the number of damage dice for the cannon). Failing the save means the creature or object takes 1d4 points of bludgeoning damage and catches fire due to the hot backfiring weapon spinning on its mount and clipping them.)
• Hold Pump 800 gp 1,000 lbs.
  (A hold pump is a series of hoses connected to a pump, used for extracting water from the hold of the ship once it begins taking on water. A hold pump can extract 5,000 lbs. of water per minute (or 500 lbs. per round). A pump is manned by a crew of four.)
• Rations 5 sp 1lb.
  (A basic ship’s ration typically includes hardtack, salted pork and fresh water. A serving of boiled cabbage or limes is included once per week. The entry in the table above is for one crewmember per day.)
• Shot Brazier 1,200 gp 50 lbs.
  (A shot brazier stands next to a cannon and is used to heat the cannonball prior to firing it. Heating a cannonball requires 2 rounds, and imposes a –2 penalty on the attack roll made to fire it. A heated cannonball must be fired within 5 rounds or it loses its heat. A heated cannonball inflicts 2d6 fire damage in addition to its standard damage. In addition, the Captain must make a DC 15 Reflex saving throw for the Hull Location. She uses her base Reflex save value and her ship’s Dexterity modifier, as well as any other modifiers the ship receives, such as from magic. If the saving throw fails, the struck Location catches fire. This fire inflicts 2d6 points of damage per round and ignores hardness. See Actions During Naval Combat in Chapter 4: Combat for details on extinguishing fires aboard ships.)

SIMPLE WEAPONS COST DMG CRITICAL RANGE WEIGHT TYPE SPECIAL

• Ship’s Ram 4,000 gp +6d8 ×2 — 1000 lb. B, P Colossal, add to collision damage
  A ship’s ram deals an additional 6d8 damage in addition to the standard collision damage to the targeted ship (see the Combat chapter for information about collisions). A ship fitted with a ram does not take damage from a collision it instigates. A ram is a single-use item.

Large Direct-Fire Cost Dmg Critical Range Type Crew Aim Load

Ballista, light 500 gp 3d8 19–20/×2 120 ft. P 1 0 2

Large Indirect-Fire Cost Dmg Critical Range Type Crew Aim Load

Catapult, light 550 gp 4d6 ×2 150 ft. (50 ft. min.) B 2 2 3

Huge Direct-Fire Cost Dmg Critical Range Type Crew Aim Load

Ballista, heavy 800 gp 4d8 19–20/×2 180 ft. P 3 2 2

Firedrake 4,000 gp 6d6 — — fire 3 2 5

Huge Indirect-Fire Cost Dmg Critical Range Type Crew Aim Load

Catapult, standard 800 gp 6d6 ×2 200 ft. (100 ft. min.) B 3 2 3

Springal, arrow 1,000 gp 3d8 ×3 100 ft. (50 ft. min.) P 3 2 3

Other Cost Dmg Critical Range Type Crew Aim Load

Corvus 100 gp — — — 1 1 — —

Disable Seige Engine: 2d4 rounds, DC 20 Disable Device

HP Statistics: Siege engines are typically made out of wood and have an AC of 3 (–5 Dex, –2 size), a Hardness of 5, and 80 hit points

Modifiers: Treat seige engine as a Huge creature to determine the cost of armor. Can be masterwork or enchanted.

Cost Breakdown: masterwork = +300 gp. Enchanting a siege engine costs twice the normal amount. For example, a +1 flaming heavy catapult, armored with full plate, would have an AC of 11 and would cost 23,100 gp (800 gp base + 6,000 gp for the armor + 300 gp masterwork + 16,000 gp for the enhancements).

Cost: This value is the siege engine’s cost in gold pieces (gp). The cost includes gear needed to work the engine as well as gear for upkeep. Typical ammunition costs and weights are given in the siege engine descriptions.

Damage: This entry gives the damage typically dealt by the siege engine. Unlike normal ranged weapons, siege engines deal full damage to objects. Siege engines do not deal sneak attack damage or any other kind of precision damage.

Critical: The entry for this column notes how the engine is used with the rules for critical hits. Unlike normal ranged weapons, siege engines can deal critical damage to objects as well as creatures.

Range: Any attack at a distance greater than that listed in this entry is penalized for range. Beyond this range, the attack or targeting check takes a cumulative –2 penalty for each full-range increment (or fraction thereof ) of distance to the target. Some siege engines have a minimum range for effectiveness, listed in parentheses after its range.

Type: Like weapons, siege engines are classified according to the type of damage they deal: B for bludgeoning, P for piercing, or S for slashing. Some siege engines deal energy damage. In those cases, the type of energy damage is listed instead.

Crew: This column gives the number of Medium creatures needed to properly operate the siege engine.

Aim: This column gives the number of full-round actions required to aim a siege engine. If the siege engine is being controlled by less than its normal crew complement, the number of actions it takes for the crew to aim the siege engine is doubled.

Load: This column gives the number of full-round actions required to load a siege engine.

Ballista: A ballista resembles a massive crossbow, and its power is provided by twisted skeins of animal sinew used as torsion springs driving a pair of adjustable arms. A cord attached to both arms is winched back and a projectile is loaded into a grooved slider for release. Ballistae are direct-fire siege engines.

Light: This common type of ballista, also called an arbalest or scorpion, is Large, maneuverable, and often mounted on ships. light ballistae have a hardness of 5 and 50 hit points. Light ballista bolts cost 10 gp each and weigh 10 pounds.

Heavy: These Huge siege engines are commonly used as castle defenses, as well as on large warships. Heavy ballistae have a hardness of 5 and 100 hit points. Heavy ballista bolts cost 30 gp and weigh 20 pounds each.

Catapult: Catapults are stone-throwing siege engines powered by winched arms that run through torsion skeins, and hold their payload in a cup that swings up and over the weapon when released. Catapults can hurl a variety of different types of ammunition (the damage given is for stone projectiles; other types of ammunition can be found in the Special Siege Engine Ammunition section, below). Catapults are indirect-fire siege engines.

Light: These catapults are Large and often mounted on wheels. The targeting DC of a light catapult is 15. light catapults have a hardness of 5 and 50 hit points. Light catapult stones cost 10 gp and weigh 50 pounds each.

Heavy: These Huge catapults are too large to be transported in one piece, and require assembly. The targeting DC of a standard catapult is 20. Standard catapults have a hardness of 5 and 100 hit points. Standard catapult stones cost 15 gp and weigh 75 pounds each.

• Condition Modifier
• No line of sight to target square –6
• Successive shots (crew can see where most recent misses landed) Cumulative +2 per previous miss (maximum +10)
• Successive shots (crew can't see where most recent misses landed, but observer is providing feedback) Cumulative +1 per previous miss (maximum +5)

Corvus: A corvus is a boarding device that features a hinged counterweight system for mounting a bridge vertically on the side of a ship, with a hooked end to grab onto a target ship. A corvus is usually 10 feet wide and 15 feet long. It has a hardness of 5 and 10 hit points per square. Using a corvus requires a DC 10 Profession (siege engineer) check as a full-round action, provided the corvus is in the correct position, which is within the length of the corvus and adjacent to another ship. If the check fails, the corvus fails to catch on the target and must be reset (a full-round action). Once a corvus is attached, it takes a Strength check as a full-round action to dislodge the corvus. Alternatively, if the corvus is attached to a ship, the pilot of either ship can make a sailing check as a standard action to dislodge the corvus (a check that succeeds by 5 or more destroys the corvus). The base DC for either of these checks is 15, and the DC increases by 5 for every Small or Medium creature currently standing on the corvus. If a corvus is disengaged while creatures are standing on it, those creatures must make a DC 15 Reflex saving throw or fall. Succeeding at the saving throw allows them to move to the nearest area of safe ground, but such movement provokes attacks of opportunity. A corvus cannot be armored. A corvus does not count toward a ship’s maximum number of siege engines.

Firedrake: These Huge siege engines are often mounted on wheels. This apparatus fires gouts of Alchemist’s fire in either a 60-foot line or a 30-foot cone (siege crew leader’s choice). Targets in the area take 6d6 points of fire damage (DC 15 Reflex save for half damage); those who fail their saves also catch on fire. A firedrake with the broken condition that suffers a further mishap explodes, dealing its damage to all creatures within a 20-foot-radius burst (DC 15 Reflex save for half damage). Firedrakes have a hardness of 10 and 70 hit points. One use of firedrake ammunition costs 200 gp and weighs 20 pounds.

Springal: A springal uses a torsion-cranked composite paddle to strike a firing rack containing multiple arrows, which rain down in an arc over a burst area. Springals are indirect-fire siege engines that affect the targeted square and a 15-foot burst around that square. One use of arrow springal ammunition costs 20 gp and weighs 10 pounds.

CANNONS / # PER GUN DECK / COST / DMG DICE / CRIT /  RANGE / POWDER / WEIGHT / SIZE / RELOAD TIME / CREW REQ.

• Cannon, 3 pounder 12 500 gp 3 X3 140 ft. 1 lb. 800 lbs. Large 1 full-round action
• 2 Cannon, 6 pounder 6 1,000 gp 4 X3 180 ft. 2 lbs. 2,000 lbs. Large 1 full-round action
• 3 Cannon, 9 pounder 4 1,500 gp 5 X3 220 ft. 3 lbs. 2,500 lbs. Huge 1 full-round action
• 4 Cannon, 12 pounder 3 2,000 gp 6 X3 260 ft. 4 lbs. 3,000 lbs. Huge 2 full-round actions
• 5 Cannon, 24 pounder 1 4,000 gp 7 X3 300 ft. 8 lbs. 5,000 lbs. Gargantuan 2 full-round actions
• 6 Cannon, 32 pounder 1 6,000 gp 8 X3 340 ft. 10 lbs. 5,600 lbs. Gargantuan 2 full-round actions
• 7 Cannon, 48 pounder ½ 12,000 gp 9 X3 380 ft. 12 lbs. 8,000 lbs. Colossal 2 full-round actions
• 8 Cannon, 68 pounder ½ 15,000 gp 10 X3 420 ft. 14 lbs. 9,000 lbs. Colossal 3 full-round actions

On a successful hit, creatures in the targeted area get a +8 bonus to their AC due to cover

Assuming an entire Hull Location is dedicated to the cannons — called a “gun deck” in naval parlance — you can fit up to 12 3-lb. guns in one Hull Location, 6 6-lb. guns, 4 9-lb. guns, or 3 12-lb. guns. If you’re interested in using the larger guns, a single Hull Location can accommodate a single 24- or 32-lb. gun. If your Hull Location was designed with two decks, each 10 feet high, you can double these numbers if you want to dedicate the entire Location to your guns. For example, if your Location has 2 decks and you want both to be gun decks, you could fit a total of eight 9-pound guns in that Location — four on each deck.

The largest guns — the 48-lb. and 68-lb. cannon — require two Hull Locations each. Note that these largest cannons were most often used on land, to defend forts and towns, rather than aboard a ship. These Hull Locations must be adjacent to one another; that is, you cannot stack two Hull Locations vertically and use both to house these super-sized guns. The damage a cannon inflicts is the number of its damage dice times the damage of the ammunition. For example a cannon ball inflicts d10 points of damage. A cannon ball shot from a 9-pounder inflicts 5d10 points of damage.

STR LIGHT LOAD MEDIUM LOAD HEAVY LOAD

26 7,344 lbs. or less 7,345–14,688 lbs. 14,688–22,032 lbs.

27 8,304 lbs. or less 8,305–16,608 lbs. 16,609–24,912 lbs.

28 9,600 lbs. or less 9,601–19,200 lbs. 19,201–28,800 lbs.

29 11,184 lbs. or less 11,185–22,368 lbs.  22,369–33,552 lbs.

30 12,768 lbs. or less  12,769–25,536 lbs.  25,537–38,304 lbs.

31 14,688 lbs. or less  14,689–29,376 lbs.  29,377–44,064 lbs.

32 16,608 lbs. or less  16,609–33,216 lbs.  33,217–49,824 lbs.

33 19,200 lbs. or less  19,201–38,400 lbs.  38,401–57,600 lbs.

34 22,368 lbs. or less  22,369–44,736 lbs.  44,737–67,104 lbs.

35 25,536 lbs. or less  25,537–51,072 lbs.  51,073–76,608 lbs.

36 29,376 lbs. or less  29,377–58,752 lbs.  58,753–88,128 lbs.

37 33,216 lbs. or less  33,217–66,432 lbs.  66,433–99,648 lbs.

38 38,400 lbs. or less 38,401–76,800 lbs.  76,801–115,200 lbs.

39 44,736 lbs. or less  44,737–89,472 lbs.  89,473–134,208 lbs.

40 51,072 lbs. or less  51,073–102,144 lbs.  102,145–153,216 lbs.

41 58,752 lbs. or less  58,753–117,504 lbs.  117,505–176,256 lbs.

42 66,432 lbs. or less  66,433–132,864 lbs.  132,865–199,296 lbs.

43 76,800 lbs. or less 76,801–153,600 lbs.  153,601–230,400 lbs.

44 89,472 lbs. or less  89,473–178,944 lbs.  178,945–268,416 lbs.

45 102,144 lbs. or less  102,145–204,288 lbs.  204,289–306,432 lbs.

46 117,504 lbs. or less  117,505–235,008 lbs.  235,009–352,512 lbs.

47 132,864 lbs. or less  132,865–265,728 lbs.  265,729–398,592 lbs.

48 153,600 lbs. or less  153,601–307,200 lbs.  307,201–460,800 lbs.

49 178,944 lbs. or less  178,945–357,888 lbs.  357,889–536,832 lbs.

50 204,288 lbs. or less  204,289–408,576 lbs.  408,577–612,864 lbs.

51 235,008 lbs. or less  235,009–470,016 lbs.  470,017–705,024 lbs.

52 265,728 lbs. or less  265,729–531,456 lbs.  531,457–797,184 lbs.

53 307,200 lbs. or less  307,201–614,400 lbs  614,401–921,600 lbs.

54 357,888 lbs. or less  357,889–715,776 lbs.  715,777–1,073,664 lbs.

55 408,576 lbs. or less 408,577–817,152 lbs.  817,153–1,225,728 lbs.

56 470,016 lbs. or less  470,017–940,032 lbs.  940,033–1,410,048 lbs.

57 531,456 lbs. or less  531,457–1,062,912 lbs.  1,062,913–1,594,368 lbs.

58 614,400 lbs. or less  614,401–1,228,800 lbs.  1,228,800–1,843,200 lbs.

59 715,776 lbs. or less  715,777–1,431,552 lbs.  1,431,553–2,147,328 lbs.

60 817,152 lbs. or less  817,153–1,634,304 lbs.  1,634,305–2,451,456 lbs.

+10 x4 x4 x4

• Ammunition Cost Weight
• Alchemist’s fire 200 gp 10 lbs.
• Chain shot 50 gp 30 lbs.
• Liquid ice 400 gp 20 lbs.
• Plague bundle 80 gp 20 lbs.
• Smoke shot 250 gp 20 lbs.

Alchemist’s fire: This is either a hard, ceramic container of Alchemist’s fire that can be used as ammunition in catapults, or a ceramic bulb of Alchemist’s fire mounted on the tip of a ballista bolt to be fired from ballistae. When it hits its target square, it deals 4d6 points of fire damage to each creature and wooden structure within 5 feet of the target space, and each creature must make a DC 20 Reflex saving throw or catch on fire (wooden objects automatically catch on fire). Every creature and wooden object within the area between 5 and 30 feet of the target space must make a DC 20 Reflex saving throw or take half the fire damage, but does not catch on fire. On a siege engine mishap, this ammunition explodes before it is launched, dealing its damage to the siege engine and all nearby creatures and wooden objects as if one of the spaces of the siege engine (crew leader’s choice) were the target square. This alchemical fire ignores the hardness of wooden objects.    

Chain shot: Made of two small catapult stones chained together, this ammunition can be fired from catapults. Chain shot is especially good at tearing through sails and rigging, dealing double its normal damage to that form of propulsion. It deals normal damage to a creature, and if hit, the creature must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude saving throw or be knocked prone. Chain shot is relatively ineffective against ships themselves, dealing only 2d6 points of damage for a light catapult, or 4d6 points of damage for a standard catapult.

Liquid ice: This hard, ceramic canister filled with alchemical liquid ice can be used as ammunition in catapults. When it hits its target square, it deals 4d6 points of cold damage to each creature within 5 feet of the target space, and each creature must make a DC 20 Fortitude save or become entangled for 1 round. Every creature within the area between 5 and 30 feet of the target space must make a DC 20 Fortitude saving throw or take half damage. On a siege engine mishap, this ammunition explodes before it is launched, dealing its damage to all nearby creatures as if one of the spaces of the siege engine (crew leader’s choice) were the target square.                         

Plague bundle: This hard, ceramic canister is filled with a noxious mass of diseased carrion and offal that can be used as ammunition for a catapult. It deals only half damage, but every creature hit by it is exposed to filth fever. A GM might allow a plague bundle to inflict other diseases.     

Smoke shot: This hard ceramic sphere contains two alchemical substances separated by a thin barrier, much like a smoke pellet in larger form. It can be used as ammunition in catapults. When smoke shot hits the target space, it deals 2d6 points of damage to any creature in that space, and the substances mingle and then create an area of foul but harmless yellow smoke radiating 30 feet from the target square. Treat the effect as a fog cloud spell. On a siege engine mishap, the ammunition explodes before it is launched. Its effect is centered on one of the spaces of the siege engine (crew leader’s choice). 

CANNON AMMUNITION COST DAMAGE1 WEIGHT TYPE SPECIAL

• Powder 15 gp — 1 lb. — —
  (Generally, this highly flammable substance is needed to fire ammunition from a cannon. The larger the cannon, the more powder it requires. Once set afire, powder explodes 1 round later (except in the touchhole of a cannon, in which case the explosion to fire the weapon is instantaneous). A gunpowder explosion inflicts 5d8 points of fire damage if at least a quarter-pound of powder is present; each full pound of gunpowder present increases the damage caused by 1. For example, 20 pounds of gunpowder causes an explosion that inflicts 5d8+20 points of damage. The blast has a radius of 5 feet per 5 pounds of powder (rounded down) to a maximum radius of 200 feet. For example, the same 20-pound explosion has a blast radius of 20 feet. Any creature caught in the blast area may attempt a Reflex saving throw with a DC equal to 15 +1 per 5 pounds of powder (A DC 19 save for our example blast) for half damage.)
• Ball 20 gp d10 3 lbs. B Splinter
  (This ammunition is a solid ball of iron. If the cannonball hits a Location, roll and apply damage normally. In addition, flying splinters inflict 1 point of damage per damage dice rolled on any crew in that Location (DC 15 Reflex save for half). Example: A 9-pounder that deals 5d10 points of damage inflicts 5 points of splintering damage to crew in a Location who fail their saving throws, and 2 points of splintering damage to those who successfully save. Damage from splinters is piercing damage, regardless of what material the Location is built from.)
• Grapeshot 10 gp d4 3 lbs. B, P Reflex save required; half range and only 5 increments
  (This ammunition is a canister containing hundreds of small iron pellets, designed to kill and injure crew rather than damage a ship. Grapeshot deals damage to any creature in one Location (Reflex DC 10 + damage dice rolled halves damage), but does no damage to the Location itself. Example: A 12-pounder that fires grapeshot deals 6d4 points of damage to all creatures in one Location and would require a DC 16 Reflex saving throw. When firing grapeshot, the targeted Location must be at least partially exposed (open-air, portholes, etc.). The shot must beat the AC of the Location in order to affect the creatures in that Location. Failure to beat the AC indicates the shot didn’t penetrate a ship’s defenses. Grapeshot can only be fired up to a distance of five range increments, rather than the usual ten, due to the nature of the shot.)
• Chain Shot 30 gp d4 6 lbs. B, S Negates dodge bonus on Rigging Locations; half range and only 5 increments
  (This ammunition consists of two balls joined by a chain or telescoping bar, designed to destroy Rigging Locations. Chainshot ignores any dodge bonus to AC when targeting a Rigging Location. It has no effect against Hull Locations. Due to the lack of aerodynamics, chainshot can only be fired up to a distance of five range increments.)

1 The damage listed is the base damage. Apply the number of damage dice for the cannon being used.