Hidden Damage Tables

Only The Referee Sees This!

In a quick game, ignore this table. In a slow game, if the referee suspects that the players have seen this table, he should change it!

Roll on the appropriate table(s) if a captain skimps on repairs when he returns to port after taking damage. Any hidden damage should be recorded secretly and passed to the combat GM.

Remember that if a ship spends a week on a wooded island, the crew’s repairs will be sound and this table need not be checked.

Rigging – 2 dice – roll if rigging repairs weren’t checked

2-8	–	No problem.
9	–	Take 2 rigging hits at beginning of first combat.
10	–	Take (Class) rigging hits at beginning of first combat, minimum 2.
11	–	Take (Class x 2) rigging hits at beginning of first combat.
12	–	Mast falls down the first time rigging is hit.

Hull – 2 dice – roll if hull repairs weren’t checked

2-8	–	No problem.
9	–	Hull springs occasional small leaks. Reduce travel speed by 1″.
10	–	Hull springs constant small leaks. Reduce travel speed by 2″.
11, 12	–	Hull springs constant serious leaks. Reduce travel speed by 4″.

Steering – 2 dice – roll if steering repairs weren’t checked

2-7	–	No problem.
8-10	–	Steering is cranky. Reduce travel speed by 2″.
11-12	–	As above, and steering fails at beginning of first combat.

Wind Changes

Pick a random starting point each time a battle begins. Roll a die every turn; on a 5 or 6, the wind makes the next change. Mark off each change as it is made. Only the referee sees this sheet! But it lets you tell an Old Salt what the next change will be.

Medium wind from North.
Medium wind from NE.
Medium wind from N.
Medium wind from NE.
Light wind from NE.
Medium wind from N.
Wind dies!
Light wind from NE.
Light wind from E.
Medium wind from E.
Light wind from E.
Wind dies!
Light wind from E.
Light wind from SE.
Medium wind from SE.
Medium wind from E.
Strong wind from E.
Strong wind from SE.
Medium wind from E.
Strong wind from E.
Strong wind from SE.
Strong wind from E.
Medium wind from NE.
Medium wind from E.
Medium wind from NE.

Light wind from NE.
Medium wind from N.
Wind dies!
Light wind from E.
Medium wind from E.
Light wind from E.
Medium wind from E.
Medium wind from NE.
Light wind from NE.
Medium wind from NE.
Medium wind from E.
Medium wind from SE.
Light wind from SE.
Light wind from S.
Medium wind from S.
Medium wind from SE.
Medium wind from S.
Medium wind from SW.
Medium wind from S.
Light wind from SE.
Medium wind from S.
Medium wind from SW.
Medium wind from W.
Light wind from W.
Medium wind from W.

Strong wind from W.
Strong wind from NW.
Medium wind from W.
Light wind from W.
Light wind from SW.
Light wind from S.
Medium wind from S.
Medium wind from SE.
Medium wind from S.
Light wind from SE.
Medium wind from SE.
Medium wind from E.
Strong wind from E.
Strong wind from SE.
Medium wind from E.
Medium wind from NE.
Light wind from NE.
Medium wind from E.
Medium wind from SE.
Medium wind from S.
Medium wind from SW.
Light wind from W.
Medium wind from W.
Medium wind from NW.
Light wind from NW.
Medium wind from W.
Medium wind from NW.
Light wind from NW.
Medium wind from NW.
Light wind from N.

WEATHER AND ENCOUNTER TABLES

WEATHER

Use this table in a game where turns represent a long period of time. There’s no need for weather, other than simple wind changes, in a sail-and-shoot game. GM rolls every move, before determining final move, for weather.

Below 70	–	Nothing unusual.
70-79	–	Light winds. Chases doubled in duration. Halve planned move.
80-89	–	Strong winds. Chases halved in duration. Double planned move.
90-95	–	Squalls. As above, but each ship takes 1d–3 of rigging damage before figuring chase results.
96-99	–	Storm. Each ship takes 1d+1 of rigging damage before calculating chase result. Ships with hull damage take on water and lose 2″ of speed.

ENCOUNTERS

In a simple sail-and-shoot game, there is no need for extra encounters; the players can see everything that’s in play. If the map represents a whole ocean and there are separate “movement” turns, though, you may use this to determine random encounters.

Roll 1d6 to determine whether there is an encounter at all. It takes a 6 normally; lower numbers will work in more populated areas.

These only represent a sighting. A chase may then be required.

Roll D10 for number of hours of clear daylight. To determine whether the chase can be brought to bay, take the difference in their speeds, in the direction the chase chooses to go, and subtract it from 10. So if one ship has a speed of 12 and the other 8, the difference is 4. 10-4 is 6; it will take 6 hours. If the pursuer catches up, start the combat with the ships 20″ apart.

For any cargo ship, there is a 7/10 chance it has cargo, and a (total classes –2)/10 chance it has an escort.

00-19	–	Unarmed cutter(s) – 1d-4, minimum 1.
20-39	–	Unarmed brig (s) – 1d-5, minimum 1.
40-54	–	Unarmed Class 2 square-rigged cargo ship(s) – 1d-5, minimum 1.
55-64	–	Unarmed Class 2 square-rigged fishing boat(s) – 1d-4,minimum 1.
65-69	–	Unarmed Class 3 square-rigged ship and 1d-4 Class 2, minimum 0.
70-75	–	Unarmed Class 4 square-rigged ship and 1d-4 Class 2, minimum 0.
76-84	–	Imperial cutter(s). 50% chance of 1 or 2.
85-89	–	Imperial Class 2.
90-93	–	Imperial Class 3.
93-94	–	Imperial Class 2 and two cutters.
95-96	–	Imperial Class 2 and Class 3.
97-98	–	Imperial Class 2 and Class 3, and two cutters.
99	–	The Excalibur!