9. WATERBORNE EXPEDITIONS

Hyperborea’s roiling seas are unpredictably windy and teem with frightful leviathans. The realm is flat, its seas perpetually spilling off the edge of the world in massive falls. Ice sheets consume many bays and inlets during winter; icebergs present ofter in spring; and in summer, storms at sea are more frequent. In Hyperborea the enormous red sun never rises to a true zenith; rather, it wheels around the horizon, rising and falling in subtle degrees. Measurements are taken by employing a type of sextant, subtle differences in the sun’s position relative to the horizon indicating heading (although skilled seamen can find their bearings without need of an instrument). On the open sea, celestial navigation generally is easier, though no less hazardous.

WATER VESSELS:

Several types of vessels may be found in Hyperborea. Typically, they are available for purchase in port towns and cities. Of course, an Esquimaux fishing village may sell only canoes and kayaks, and a Viking settlement may sell primarily longships, knörr, and færings, whereas the City-State of Khromarium will have almost all types available for purchase. Viking and Amazon ships are esteemed the finest by most seamen; hence their technology oft is imitated by other cultures.

Water Vessel Descriptions:

Each vessel includes all the usual tackle, including rigging, sails, oars, a sextant, and so forth. If the sextant is lost, a new one may be obtained at most ports for 500gp. Navigation in Hyperborea can be difficult without one.

Amazon Carrack: Large sailing ship of 90-foot length (70-foot keel), 20-foot hull width (25 feet with outriggers), and 20-foot depth from amidships rail to keel; double or triple mast, with lateen sails. It features a large aftcastle and a smaller forecastle, with a usual crew of 50–60 (40–50 sailors, 10 officers). A seaworthy vessel superior at tacking to windward, this is perhaps the most impressive presenting ship in all of Hyperborea, the pride of New Amazonia; it is rivalled only by the Viking drekar.

Barge, River: Large, rectangular craft with flat bottom, used to transport freight on rivers.

Boat, River, Sailing: Four- or six-man sailing boat used on rivers and lakes.

Canoe: Narrow boat with no keel, propelled via paddles; typically built to convey 4–10 passengers.

Canoe, War, Large: Massive, Tlingit-style canoe used for waterborne expeditions and warfare. It seats 40 persons and generally is comparable to a drekar.

Canoe, War, Small: Tlingit-style canoe used for oceancrossing raids. It seats 20 persons and is comparable to a snekke.

Coaster: Small sailing ship with a single mast and square-rigged single sail, used to transport cargo along the coast, with a usual crew of 10 (9 sailors and 1 officer).

Cog: Large sailing ship of 50-foot length (16-foot keel), 14-foot hull width, and a single mast with a squarerigged sail. It features a forecastle and an aftcastle, with a usual crew of 20 (18 sailors and 2 officers). The cog is able to make ocean journeys, though not as reliable as the carrack or longship.

Esquimaux Kayak: Light wood- or bone-framed, watertight (decked) boat wrapped in skins (e.g., elk, mammoth, seal). It oftest is piloted by a single rower who sits in a small hole, though kayaks for two are not uncommon.

Esquimaux Umiak: Open boat made of skins (e.g., elk, mammoth, seal) wrapped around a wooden or bone frame; seats 8–10 persons.

Galley, Large: Sailing ship that also can be propelled entirely by oarsmen; typical specifications are 120-foot length (90-foot keel), 25-foot hull width (30 feet with outriggers), and 30-foot depth from amidships rail to keel. It is equipped with 110 oars of about 20-foot length, with double rows at port and starboard. This vessel is seaworthy, though best suited for coastal expeditions because of cargo weight and low freeboard oar piercings. It features prominent forecastle and aftcastle and can be equipped with ballistæ, with a usual crew of 200 (130 rowers, 60 sailors, 10 officers). A large galley can be outfitted with a ram for an additional 5,000gp.

Galley, Small: Sailing ship that also can be propelled entirely by oarsmen; typical specifications are 90-foot length (60-foot keel), 15-foot hull width (18 feet with outriggers), and 18-foot depth from amidships rail to keel. It is equipped with 60 oars of about 18-foot length. This vessel is seaworthy, though limited to coastal expeditions. It features prominent forecastle and aftcastle and can be equipped with ballistæ, with a usual crew of 120 (75 rowers, 40 sailors, 5 officers). A small galley can be outfitted with a ram for an additional 2,500gp.

Galley, War: Same as large galley, except with a reinforced hull and outfitted with a ram, two or three ballistæ, and one or two light catapults for firing rocks or flaming pitch. War galleys also are built with detachable masts.

Lifeboat: Small boat kept on a galley or cog; used for emergencies, though sometimes to convey goods to or from a shore sans docks.

Raft: Small, rectangular craft with flat bottom used to convey freight along rivers; propelled by poles, oars, or sails. Oceangoing rafts, scarcely seen, are outfitted with single or double outriggers and single sails.

Rowboat: Small, keeled boat used for paddling rivers, lakes, and swamps; typically two- or four-oared.

Viking Færing: Small, open rowboat with two or three pairs of oars, each end of the boat coming to a point.

Viking Knarr: Single-mast cargo ship used for long journeys overseas (plural knörr). Typical size is 55-foot length and 15-foot beam (width). It can bear 24 tons of cargo, with a usual crew of 17 men (15 oarsmen, 1 coxswain, 1 master).

Viking Longship, Large (Drekar): Long, narrow, light ship with shallow-draught hull and 42 oars; double-ended with single, rectangular sail. Typical specifications include 98-foot length, 12½-foot beam (width), and 2½-foot draught. Every drekar features a prominently carved prow. Usual crew includes 60 men (54 oarsmen, 2 coxswains, 3 officers, 1 master).

Viking Longship, Small (Snekke): Long, narrow, light ship with shallow-draught hull and 24 oars; doubleended with symmetrical bow and stern for superior manœuvrability. Shallow draught allows for beaching. Typical specifications include 48-foot length, 8-foot beam (width), and 1½-foot draught. It has a single rectangular sail used to replace or augment rowing power, with a usual crew of 26 men (24 oarsmen, 1 coxswain, 1 master).

Open Sea Expeditions

Few vessels are appropriate for open sea expeditions. The finest seaworthy vessels in Hyperborea include the Amazon carrack and the large Viking longship (drekar); other sizeable vessels such as the cog and galley are fine seaworthy ships, though usually do not operate on the open sea.

MAN OVERBOARD!

A man overboard has a 1-in-20 chance of drowning if unarmoured, 4-in-20 if clad in light armour, 16-in-20 if clad in medium armour, and a 19-in-20 chance if clad in heavy armour. If one’s armour is magical, the chance of drowning is decreased by three (−3) for every “plus,” to a minimum 1-in-20 chance. A swimmer has a 5-in-6 chance to remove light armour before drowning, a 4-in-6 chance for medium armour, and a 2-in-6 chance for heavy armour. Of course, any bulky items such as backpacks, longbows, large weapons, and the like also must be removed to tread water. Swimming for 6 turns (1 hour) requires a constitution DC10; swimming for two or more hours requires a constitution DC15 for each additional hour. The chance of drowning must be checked every turn until the swimmer is rescued or gains purchase on a suitable flotation device. These checks assume the swimmer has basic natatorial knowledge.

UNDERWATER COMBAT

The realms of possibility in games of sword-and-sorcery are nigh infinite, and so too are the stages on which battles may take place. Fighting underwater is difficult, though not impossible. Such battles may be as brief as a person can hold their breath, or as long as any land-based combat if sorcery obviates the need to breathe air. Consider the following guidelines:

• Surface dwellers suffer −4 “to hit” when fighting underwater. This penalty may be reduced over time if the campaign features extensive underwater adventuring.

• Swords (other than short swords) are difficult to use. They suffer an additional −4 “to hit” and reduced damage dice: d8 becomes d6, d10 becomes d8, and so on.

• Hafted weapons (axes, clubs, flails, hammers, maces, etc.) are extremely difficult to swing, imposing an additional −8 “to hit” penalty and halved damage dice (modifiers applied afterwards).

• Spears and other spear-like weapons (pikes, pole arms, long tridents, etc.), as well as thrusting weapons such as short swords and daggers, suffer no additional penalties (beyond the standard −4 “to hit” penalty incurred by all surface dwellers).

• Missiles are ineffective except when launched outside of water into water, in which case their penetrative thrust is reduced to half of their shortest range (in feet), and a −5 “to hit” penalty applies. N.B.: Some undersea denizens might have specially engineered missile weaponry.

• Spells cannot be cast unless some dweomer allows the caster to speak the incantations clearly. Spells associated with air and wind, or fire and heat, are ineffective regardless, but spells that are allowed may have enhanced, reduced, or alternative results as adjudicated by the referee. For example, a lightning bolt might spread in a radius away from the caster, not unlike a fireball. Referees should take a moment to consider the environment and the spell cast, and judge with logic and fairness.