Ship Sizes and Capacity
Though there are some variations, given the range of sizes in which some of these ships can be built, the table that follows presents a guide to the size, capacity, crew, cost, and Damage Level Modifier of some typical ships.
| Size | Capac ity |
Crew | Cost | Dam E | xample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +3 | 1 ton | 2 | 1/5 pound | 2 | Small river ferry |
| +3 | 8 tons | 2 | 2 pounds | 2 | Lighter |
| +4 | 20 tons | 3 | 4 pounds | 2 | River barge |
| +5 | 20 tons | 8 | 8 pounds | 2 | Coastal buss, knarr, small cog |
| +6 | 100 tons | 12 | 40 pounds | 3 | Medium cog, large nef |
| +7 | 240 tons | 18 | 100 pounds | 3 | Large merchant cog |
| +8 | 800 tons | 150 | 320 pounds | 3 | Mediterranean grain barge |
| +9 | 1200 tons | 200 | 600 pounds | 4 | Large Mediterranean grain barge |
Lateen-rigged ships typically require larger crews than square-rigged ships, adding half as many crew again to the numbers listed earlier. The grain barges described earlier are only found in the Mediterranean and already have the larger crews factored into their descriptions.
make good fishing boats. Variations on the cog can be found in every sea across Mythic Europe. The nef fills the same role as the cog and is commonly used in the Mediterranean. This ship has lateen sails and is carvel-built, with the hull planks laying flush against each other.
Though outdated by the 13th century, the dromon is a long-keeled warship powered by both oar and lateen sail. Designed for speed, the dromon houses a hundred oarsmen arranged in two banks of 25 oars on each side. In addition, the dromon carries armed marines as well as engines to launch stones, arrows, and Greek fire into enemy vessels. The galley is also still in use, especially in Byzantine waters, and like the dromon carries both oarsmen and sails. Unlike the dromon, the galley is a cargo ship with little adaptation to fighting at sea.
The knarr is an open Scandinavian vessel used for long Atlantic voyages, typically taking passengers and livestock to Iceland and Greenland. The knarr travels under sail and is steered through a steering oar at the rear of the ship. With little or no cover, travel in a knarr, especially to cold northern destinations, is a harsh experience.
Lighters are small vessels designed to take goods from larger ships unable to dock at the quayside. They are typically around 25 feet long and carry around eight tons of cargo.