Naval Combat?

[Nerdynick]

My group is potentially going to be getting into naval combat. So first of all, any advice for a DM running naval combat (using the rules in Stormwrack)?
Secondly, is there an effective way to conduct naval combat aside from boarding actions (without access to bombards)? Because it seems to me like catapults require too specific a range and ballistas aren't viable because they deal half damage.

[Doughnut Master]

You could try and maneuver in close and use a flamethrower. Useful tactic from ancient times.

It also depends. If they're fighting pirates, boarding actions are the way to go because they wanted to capture ships, not wreck them. You could set up control points where the pirates are swinging onto the ship and the PC's are trying to cut their ship loose.

[mootoall]

Two words: RAMMING SPEED!

[LansXero]

iirc Arms & Equipment Guide had rules on vehicles (including ships) that divide them in sections and assign HP / AC to each individually, so you can incapacitate but not destroy enemy ships. Or blow them up and avoid fighting their pesky crews.

As for tactics, fantasy ships are probably very vulnerable to PCs jumping off into water, swimming under them and casting woodshape to either break in or plainly sink them. They could maybe build a submarine while they are at it :D

[Eldariel]

Siege engines/cannons can be mounted onto ships; the half damage isn't really an issue, as it still does do a number on the hull. Catapults require some maneuvering but ships aren't really the most nimble things; it's quite possible to launch at least one-two salvos from a Catapult before engaging. Given those are the only non-cannon weaponry available, their relative efficiency isn't really a consideration since there's simply nothing better to mount on a ship for those ranges.

Stormwrack also has rules for cannons which are obviously optimal if available. Other than that, massive numbers of flaming arrows of course work, as does magic. And summoned Krakens. Really, in this system a single character can be more efficient than an entire ship's worth of weaponry.

[Ksheep]

The catapults and ballista can be mounted on traverses so that they can be turned, easing the aiming problem. Also, very easy way to get around the "half damage" bit: balls of flaming pitch for the catapults and flaming pitch-coated bolts for the ballista.

If I recall, most D&D ships that are shown as armed have one or two catapults on both the front and back, mounted such that they can swivel and aim at the enemy. This would actually make them much easier to use than cannons, as the only adjustments you can easily make to a canon is elevation.

[Nerdynick]

Can you enchant shipboard weapons?

[OracleofSilence]

why not? magic weapon would be your friend here

[aquaticrna]

i ran a navel campaign once... ships are a pain in the ass. I highly recommend a narrative style of combat followed closely by boarding, though if the pcs are intent on not boarding or being boarded you'll probably have to rely on bombards and fireballs. I think boarding is preferable simply because the rules are much less cumbersome and there is more for the pcs to do.

[Socratov]

I have had naval battles once in a campaign (as a player), I found that ballsita's are great (especially when double barreled). As for other forms of combat (apart from siege weapons and ramming) spellcasters are great. Druids get a spell that picks ships clean from any people, but leave the ship completly intact, for your fleet building purposes (take leadership though, you will need the hands on deck). then there is fireball, and of course druids wilshaping into sharks (or shen possible krakens) and with natural spell casting pressure waves against the ship's body :)

[deuxhero]

ballistas aren't viable because they deal half damage.

Is that explicitly stated in Stormwrack? I thought the rules for damaging objects explicitly say right after the half damage from ranged attacks thing doesn't apply to seige engines, which ballista are.


edit


Objects take half damage from ranged weapons (unless the weapon is a siege engine or something similar). Divide the damage dealt by 2 before applying the object’s hardness.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/wilderness.htm#siegeEngines

Ballista is 100% given as one.