Recently I've been reading a number of books that talk about salvage efforts on sunken Spanish galleons; this has inspired a new interlude, along with a new prestige class and an optional rule taken from another RPG.
-Nate
Interlude 28: The
Shipwreck 2
A previous
interlude introduced a shipwreck, a vessel that sunk but was mostly
intact. This interlude involves a more complicated salvage operation,
one in which the vessel in question broke up as it sank, leaving
wreckage and valuable goods scattered across the bottom of the sea.
Because of this, recovering the lucre is much more difficult.
Background
Even before the
PC's undertake a salvage operation, it's important to figure out some
details for the wreck in question. From where was it sailing, and to
where? Who was the captain, and what other passengers of note
traveled aboard it? What kind of cargo was it carrying? Not only do
these details impact what the heroes might find during the business,
but can provide hooks for other adventures in the future.
Introduction
The PC's could
learn of this opportunity in a variety of ways. In the aftermath of a
big storm, rumors might start to spread of a ship that didn't reach
its destination. This could lead to a race against rivals, with
everyone outfitting ships and gathering crew members as quickly as
possible in order to find the most loot. Alternately, a concerned
relative or business partner might seek out the PC's and ask them to
go looking for the lost ship.
Once it comes
time to outfit, the PC's need to lay in the appropriate supplies and
hire personnel. In addition to extra rope, empty barrels for use as
buoys are especially useful. It could also be good to hire some
divers, requiring negotiations for payment and other concerns.
Finding the Site
Locating the wreck
requires a few different steps. The first requires some information
gathering, and then plotting the intended course of the ship in
question. After that they can set out to follow that path. This
should require use of Knowledge: navigation, followed by Search or
Spot checks to find some of the debris. At that point additional
checks, perhaps by teams in longboats, to trace the path of
destruction.
Diving
Eventually it is
necessary for someone to go into the water. The PC's could hire
divers, or do it themselves. Historically, native people were the
most skilled, able to stay down longer and thus find more goods.
Depending on the weather, this requires Swim checks to reach the
wreckage, and then Search or Spot checks to find items of value.
Coinage and smaller items can be loaded into baskets, and larger
loads could require a Strength check to be lifted.
There is also the
possibility that sharks are attracted to the site. This should
provide some excitement; keep in mind that the rules for fighting
underwater make it much tougher for landlubbers to battle creatures
of the sea.
Hauling Up the Goods
While smaller
items can be lifted manually, larger things like cannons and treasure
chests need to have ropes tied to them so that they can be raised by
the crew. One good option is to run a line from the capstan, through
a block and tackle hanging from one of the spars, and then down into
the water. In that way one character can make the Strength check,
while up to five others can make checks to assist. Detailed below are
check DC's for different types of cannon. Of course, it is also
necessary for someone to tie a line to the cannon underwater,
requiring a Use Rope check with a DC five less than that of the
Strength check.
Cannon / DC
Demi-Culverin / 18
Culverin / 21
Demi-Cannon / 24
Cannon / 27
Interlopers
There's an old
saying that “Treasure is trouble.” This proves true when other
interested parties show up with hopes of taking some of the lucre for
themselves. It is up to the GM here to decide on the appropriate
level of challenge for the PC's, but other interludes and adventures
provide plenty of options for sample crews and captains.
Rules for Complex Actions
First
and foremost, it should be acknowledged that these rules are inspired
by the Cortex rules system from Margaret Weis Productions.
To
represent the extended time it takes to perform certain tasks, such
as plumbing the depths to remove lucre from a shipwreck, the GM
should set a DC higher than is normal—for example, 250. Each day's
work allows one check, with subsequent results being cumulative
toward that total DC. What is more, the GM can add various
stipulations to the results. For example, characters involved in
salvage might recover 1000 p.o.e. x the daily result, up to a given
maximum. There could also be a time limit, such as a storm arriving
or an enemy showing up after ten days' time.
Complex
actions can be used in a number of other situations as well. For
example, the PC's could be caught when the entrance to the tunnels
they're exploring collapses; it takes a complex Strength check to
remove enough of the debris so that they can escape, with the risk of
suffocating from lack of air after a certain amount of time.
Alternately, the PC's might be forced to seek a safe harbor after a
battle, with a complex Craft: shipbuilding check to make repairs
before their enemies find them to continue the fight.
The Diver Prestige Class
Some people in this world take to the
water as if they were born with gills and webbed feet. Where others
feel uncomfortable in an environment where they can’t breathe, the
Diver becomes just as comfortable as if she were on the land.
Requirements
Swim +6
Game Rule
Information
Divers
have the following game statistics.
Hit Die
Divers gain 1d8 hit points per level.
Class Skills
Climb, Hide, Jump, Listen,
Move Silently, Search, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int
modifier.
Special Abilities
Iron Lungs: At 1st level the
Diver automatically gains the feat Iron Lungs. If she already
possesses that feat, she may select a different one from the list
below.
Fast Swimmer: The Diver is so much at
home in the water that she can swim almost as well as a marine
animal. Instead of covering one-quarter her speed as a move action
and half her speed as a full-round action, she covers half her speed
as a move action and her full speed as a full-round action.
Underwater Combatant: Because of her
familiarity with the marine environment, the Diver no longer suffers
all of the penalties that hinder others. For her, the usual –2
penalties on Reflex saves, attack and damage rolls are reduced to –1;
the –4 penalty for wielding bludgeoning weapons is reduced to –2.
Bonus Feats: Divers may select their
bonus feats from the following list: Alertness, Dodge, Extraordinary
Ability, Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes.
Deep Diver: A Diver becomes
accustomed to working at extreme depths. While she still has her
ability to hold her breath decreased, the penalties for her are
reduced.
Depth: Duration
0-30 feet: Normal
31-60 feet: Normal
61-120 feet: 2/3
121-250 feet: 1/2
251-500
feet: 1/3
