Movement on Water
Boat Movement
*These vessels can triple their hourly movement when the sail is raised (provided the wind has the right heading).
| Vessel | Feet/Round | MPH | Cargo | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kayak | 200 | 2 | 250 lbs. | 8-10 ft. |
| Canoe, small | 200 | 2 | 550 lbs. | 10-15 ft. |
| Canoe, war | 180 | 2 | 800 lbs. | 25-35 ft. |
| Coracle | 60 | 1* | 600 lbs. | 8-10 ft. |
| Keelboat or raft | 60 | 1* | 2,000 lbs. | 15-20 ft. |
| Barge | 60 | 1* | 4,000 lbs. | 25-40 ft. |
| Rowboat | 160 | 1.5* | 600 lbs | 8-12 ft. |
Ship Types
Each of these ship types are described in the equipment - transport section
| Ship Type | Move/Hour | Emergency Move | Seaworthiness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caravel | 4 | 5 | 70% |
| Coaster | 3 | 4 | 50% |
| Cog | 3 | 4 | 65% |
| Curragh | 2/3 | 10 | 55% |
| Drakkar | 2/4 | 12 | 50% |
| Dromond | 2/9 | 12 | 40% |
| Galleon | 3 | 6 | 75% |
| Great galley | 3/6 | 11 | 45% |
| Knarr | 4/2 | 12 | 65% |
| Longship | 5/2 | 13 | 60% |
Sailing Movement Modifiers
* A seaworthiness check is required.
** A seaworthiness check with a -45% penalty is required.
| Weather Condition | Sailing Modifier | Rowing Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Adverse | x1/2 | x1 |
| Becalmed | NA | x1 |
| Favorable (average) | x2 | x1 |
| Favorable (strong) | x3 | x1* |
| Gale | x4* | x1/2* |
| Hurricane | x5** | x1/2** |
| Light breeze | x1 | x1 |
| Storm | x3* | x1/2 |
Weather Conditions
* Hurricanes occur only if the previous day's weather was gale. If not, treat the result as a gale.
| 2d6 Roll | Spring/Fall | Summer | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Becalmed | Becalmed | Becalmed |
| 3 | Becalmed | Becalmed | Light breeze |
| 4 | Light breeze | Becalmed | Light breeze |
| 5 | Favorable | Light breeze | Favorable |
| 6 | Favorable | Light breeze | Strong winds |
| 7 | Strong winds | Favorable | Strong winds |
| 8 | Storm | Favorable | Storm |
| 9 | Storm | Strong winds | Storm |
| 10 | Gale | Storm | Gale |
| 11 | Gale | Gale | Gale |
| 12 | Hurricane* | Hurricane* | Hurricane* |
One of the fastest and easiest ways to get somewhere is to travel on a river. It's hard to get lost; a large amount of equipment can be easily carried; it is faster and easier than walking; characters can even do other things (mend clothes, learn spells, cook meals) while traveling on smooth waters.
River travel is not without its risks, however. Eddies, snags, sandbars, rapids, and dangerous waterfalls can make a journey quite exciting. Fortunately, most of these hazards can be avoided by knowledgeable characters.
The rate of movement on a river is determined by two factors: the type of boat and the flow of the current. If the boat is traveling downstream (in the direction of the current), add the speed of the current to the speed of the boat. If the boat is traveling against the current, subtract this amount from the boat's speed. Table 76 lists rates in both feet/round and miles/hour for the common types of riverboats.
When sailing downstream, characters must be wary of unexpected hazards. While a good map can show the location of waterfalls and rapids, only a knowledgeable guide or pilot knows the location of hidden sandbars, snags, and dangerous eddies. While these are easy to avoid when traveling upstream (all one need do is stop paddling), unprepared boaters can quickly be swept into them going downstream.
Once characters find themselves in a dangerous situation, they must make a Wisdom check (modified for seamanship proficiency, if this is used) to prevent capsizing. Capsized boats and goods are swept downstream, although hazards like waterfalls and particularly strong rapids will smash most craft.
Ocean Voyaging
Ocean journeys are a dangerous business, especially in a fantasy world. Sea serpents, incredible maelstroms, and other imaginary horrors that filled the maps of medieval navigators really can lurk in the deeps of the AD&D game's oceans. Not that they are really necessary—pirates, storms, hidden shoals, and primitive navigational techniques leave the typical sea captain with more than enough danger to cope with.
Deep-sea sailing is pretty much unknown in the AD&D game world. The majority of captains prefer to stay close to known coasts. Without navigation equipment only a few ships venture into open water beyond the sight of land. Ship-building skills are not fully up to the needs of deep-sea sailing. Most ships are easily swamped by the stormy waters of major oceans, while their small size prevents crews from carrying adequate supplies for long voyages. Even the skills of sail-handling are in their rudimentary stages.
However, these limitations are not serious in a fantasy world. Those with wealth can cross oceans by other, more practical, means: flying mounts, undersea dwellers, and teleportation are all available, at least to the rich and powerful. (The vast majority of the population does not have access to these forms of travel.) Also, magical transport is impractical for moving large cargoes. The need to move goods and the scarcity of magical transport make sailing a valuable and necessary art.
The Boat Movement table lists ships that could commonly be found in a medieval world. The table lists basic game information about each ship: base speed, emergency speed, and seaworthiness. More information about each ship is given in the chapter on Money and Equipment in the Player's Handbook.
Base move per hour is the average speed of the vessel under good conditions. Where two numbers are separated by a slash, the first is the speed under sail and the second is the rowing speed.
To determine the movement of a ship per round (in rare occasions where this is necessary), multiply the current speed times 30. This is the yards traveled per round.
Emergency move is the top speed of the vessel in emergency or combat situations. For sailing ships, emergency speed is gained by putting on every yard of sail possible. Galleys and other oared ships rely on the strength of their rowers. This speed can only be maintained for short periods of time. Too long and rowers will collapse; masts, yards, and sails will break.
Seaworthiness rates the vessel's ability to remain afloat in dangerous situations, notably storms, hidden shoals, extended voyages, huge monster attacks, and rams. Any time the DM rules that there is a chance of sinking, he rolls percentile dice. If the roll is equal to or less than the seaworthiness rating of the ship, it remains afloat, though bailing or repairs may be necessary. If the roll is higher than the seaworthiness rating, the ship sinks.
Ports and anchorages give a seaworthiness bonus of +50%. Thus, vessels at anchor are in little or no danger from a normal storm.
Weather and Ship Travel
More than other methods of travel, ships (especially sailing ships) are subject to the whims of wind and weather. While it can be assumed that sailing weather is normally good, there are times when storms, favorable winds, or freak currents can increase or decrease a ship's speed. The effects of different weather conditions are listed on the Sailing Movement Modifiers table.
Weather conditions are generally fairly consistent within a single day. (This is an obvious simplification to keep the game moving.) The exact conditions for a given day can be chosen by the DM (perhaps by using the weather outside) or it can be determined randomly. To do the latter, roll 2d6 and find the result on the Weather Conditions table.
Adverse winds are determined by rolling 1d6. On a 5 or 6, the winds are unfavorable. When adverse winds are storm strength or greater, the ship will be blown off-course by at least half its movement under those conditions, regardless of whether it is a sailing ship or galley.
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