Subject:
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Pirate Game Mortars: First Draft
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.gaming
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Date:
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Tue, 13 Jun 2000 03:14:17 GMT
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Viewed:
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1296 times
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Hi Frank and Pirate Game folks!
Here's my musing on the "Big Honkin' Mortar" issue. Comments,
suggestions, detections of imbalance, etc. are welcome.
ARCHIMEDES' REVENGE: Siege Mortars in Evil Stevie's Pirate Game
(I haven't written an introduction for this, but I could look up some
interesting stats on siege mortars, which were first introduced in the
late fifteenth century and used regularly in the Turkish wars. I also
want to make the point that to be anything more than an expensive
decoration, a shift in game strategy would be required--namely, the
creation of a flying squadron of medium-sized to large ships that could
screen a vessel carrying a mortar, because without 'em the mortar
platform would be a sitting duck. This would require trust and
coordination, two things truly challenging for most good pyrates even
when considered separately.)
BUYING AND PLACING MORTARS:
-Mortars may only be mounted one per ship. For space purposes, each
mortar counts as four regular cannon. If a ship cannot carry four
cannon, it cannot carry a mortar; even if a ship may carry eight cannon,
it may not carry more than one mortar (but it may carry four cannon as
well as the mortar, if the captain can find enough space). Mortars may
not be moved off a ship except at a port--it is too large even to be
jettisoned!
-Mortars are mounted on swivels but must be deliberately turned, by
crewmembers dedicated to such a task. The maximum speed at which a
mortar may turn is 90 degrees a turn, assuming that two crewmembers are
minding the mortar's cranks. Speed is halved if only one is available.
No other cannon on a mortar-laden ship may be mounted on swivels.
-Mortars require two crewmembers to load and fire in addition to the two
who control the mortar's train. Fully staffed, the mortar may fire
every second turn. One crewmember alone cannot load or fire the mortar
at all.
-Mortars fire either solid shot or bombs (at GM's discretion, as bombs
begin to appear only towards the end of the Pirate Age and they are
exceptionally dangerous for both firing vessel and target). Unlike
cannon shot, mortar shot is *not* limitless and must be represented
aboard the owning vessel by barrels (each barrel representing two bombs
or balls).
-A mortar's base cost is 600 gold (if even available); it may require a
bribe to a Blue Imperial or Red Imperial base governor to even make the
item available for sale. No pirate base worthy of its salt would sell
away a mortar and they are too difficult to cast locally, so they are
only available by capture or by purchase from unscrupulous Imperials.
Mortar shot can be cast (if solid) or captured; each solid ball costs 10
gold. If explosive shot is available, these cost 30 gold per
projectile. Repairing a damaged mortar requires 150 gold per hit the
mortar has taken, and it must be repaired fully before it will again be
operable.
-COMBAT: Mortars are notoriously bad for hitting moving targets, being
indirect fire weapons in an age without rangefinders. In fact, they're
bad for hitting stationary targets as well, but at least with stationary
targets one can correct the aim and try again. Also because they are
arc weapons, mortars have a minimum range of 12". However, a mortar
does not suffer range-based modifiers (+ or -) and has an outside
effective range of 42", which allows it to fire upon installations with
some impunity if unchallenged. However, in order to find the range, the
mortar-carrying ship must be able to fire successive shots without
moving. Damage locations on ships are always hull (the ball goes right
through the deck), and on buildings the firing captain may select the
6x6 surface area under attack. I am not concerning myself with scatter
fire, but rather I am assuming for sake of ease that missed shots are
short.
The following to-hit modifiers apply to siege mortars:
MOVING TARGETS (solid shot):
-8 to hit *all* moving targets at all times. For ships that do not move
(docked, abandoned, or dead in the water), consider them "stationary
targets" until they do move.
MOVING TARGETS (explosive shot):
-5 to hit moving targets--near-misses still do a lot of damage to
animals, people, and wooden ships.
STATIONARY TARGETS (any kind of shot):
-8 to hit on the first shot.
-4 to hit on the second shot.
-0 to hit on third and later successive shots.
*If the firing ship or target move more than 2", the count must begin
anew from -8. (No, attacking another 6x6 area on the same target does
not require the count begin anew--that's relatively easy to recompute.)
SKILL MODIFIERS:
-There are no specials available for pirate mortars, unless the GM
decides to institute a "sapper" class of swabbie (??). However,
redcoats and bluecoats get a +1 to-hit, because they're military
personnel and know about such things.
DAMAGE:
-A mortar ball (solid) clears a 6x6 space down to the baseplate, leaving
rubble and gore behind. A second shot flattens the rubble, effectively
clearing it. A mortar bomb clears an 8x8 area all by itself, and any
minifigs within 4" suffer the equivalent of a musket attack. Captains
and governors, being the prescient creatures they are, are considered
automatically to dive under cover; they do not suffer the shrapnel
attack. To simulate damage to installations, pull up the affected
pieces/wall segments/ etc. and lay them down (for solid shot) or toss
them about (for explosive shot). Anything that comes with the pieces is
considered "collateral damage."
-If the target is a ship, roll on the hull attack table and multiply the
result (the amount of damage, not the 3d6 roll) by six (if solid shot).
If a bomb is used, roll on the hull attack table and multiply the result
by three, but also roll on the deck attack table and multiply by three
*and* roll on the rigging attack table and multiply by three; there is
also a 50% chance the ship will start on fire. Yeow!
If the mortar bursts (3 on 3d6) and solid shot was loaded, the crew is
merely killed. If explosive shot was loaded, treat the result as though
the ship were hit by the explosive shot, but omit the hull damage and
make all deck results *in addition to* the reduction of the guncrew to
pirate smears. If a mortar is hit by enemy fire, it becomes inoperable
after one hit but it is rendered unrepairable only after all four (thus
its four boxes on the record sheet).
One can see pretty quickly that one good mortar ball does to a cutter
what a cannon shot does to a rowboat...and one good bomb can do the same
thing to a brig. Best to keep those sails unfurled and KEEP MOVING!
Arrr.
Thoughts?
best
Lindsay
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Pirate Game Mortars: First Draft
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| Neato! It is hard to imagine this coming into play in the normal game much. However, it seems like this game, once you have a group who plays regularly, would almost require scenario construction. And your Big Honkin' Morter(tm) would be great for a (...) (24 years ago, 13-Jun-00, to lugnet.gaming)
| | | Re: Pirate Game Mortars: First Draft
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| (...) I'll have to look these over when I have more time. I've definitely got some ideas on how to incorporate them, and I'm sure this first pass is most of the way there. I agree that they will probably mostly be usefull in a more battle type game, (...) (24 years ago, 13-Jun-00, to lugnet.gaming)
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