Just Add Dice 100 Ship Cargos

Just Add Dice:
100 Ship
Ca os
Jazon Mcfadden (Order #12599763)

Just Add Dice: 100 Ship Cargos
Table of Contents
Introduction ………………………………………………………………. 2
How to Use this Book …………………………………………………….. 2
How to Read the Entries …………………………………………………. 3
The Master Tables ……………………………………………………….. 6
Item Pricing ……………………………………………………………... 10
Cargo List ………………………………………………………………... 11
Final Notes ………………………………………………………………. 34
Author Editor
Christopher Baldi Carol Baldi
Artists
Christopher Baldi
or
Free Public Domain Sources
We thank the artist for posting their art for use.
Special Thanks: I wish to offer my sincere thanks to the reviewer Malcolm MacDonald
and all the other readers who suggested a way to include a generic value system to this
product. I hope this revision and its included value system meets with your approval and
is still as flexible and versatile as this author intends. Once again thank you all for your
feedback and advice on how to make this product even more useful to game masters.
Copyright Information
Just Add Dice: 100 Ship Cargos Copyright © 2008 Healing Fireball Publications All Rights Reserved.
The Healing Fireball logo is Copyright © 2007. Just Add Dice Logo is Copyright © 2008.
-1-

Introduction
In any campaign that occurs on the sea there is going to be a time when the cargo of a
ship comes into question. Whether it’s a pirate crew asking about the prize they just
captured, a merchant crew transporting the cargo of a recent client, or a military vessel
assigned to protect a transport ship, the cargo of a ship is often an important part of life at
sea. The type of cargo a ship is carrying is not just a story point or a form of treasure to
be looted, but may also affect the way a ship performs at sea. Cargo may be unusually
heavy and thus slow the boat down or it may take up a lot of space and reduce the room
onboard for other supplies. If not properly stored, cargo may slide around and damage or
even sink the ship. For all of these reasons and many more cargo was high priority to the
sailors onboard ship.
To help a game master address these cargo concerns we are proud to present the Just Add
Dice: 100 Ship Cargos book – a book that hopes to help you answer the question, “So
what are we hauling today?” So, as with all of our Just Add Dice products, we invite you
to grab your dice and spark your imagination.
How to Use This Book

As with all of the Just Add Dice products, this product is designed to spark the
imagination of a game master and provide a set of tables to quickly, randomly generate a
place or object. This product is split into two different sections, the first of which is the
Master Tables section, which contains several tables to help generate cargo, including the
full table that contains all of the cargos in this book. The rest of the book is an
alphabetical list of the cargos on the full table. To use the book, just roll a d100 and
consult the full table or generic cargo table for each ten foot space in your cargo hold or
wagon in your caravan. Then all you have to do is look up the rolled cargo and note any
special properties about the cargo you are hauling.
The sizes and storage quantities listed in this book are for ten-foot square areas. The
default assumption of this book is that free traders will try to carry as many different
cargos as possible in their holds to maximize their profits. But this is not often the case
and there are many ships and caravans that just carry a single cargo or a small number of
related cargos; in these cases just roll for a single cargo and multiply the amount carried
by the amount of ten-foot spaces in the hold. For ships carrying related cargo items, you
can ether use the provided cargo group table or roll once on the full table and choose the
other cargos based on the result of this roll.

How to Read the Entries

The entries in this book are listed in alphabetical order and marked with their
corresponding number for easy reference. Under the name of the cargo you will find
several categories designed to give you more information about the cargo. Theses
sections will be described in detail below.
Storage type The first category listed under any type of cargo is its storage type. This
tells you what type of container the item is stored in. The type of container an item is
shipped in can affect how many of the items can be carried and if they can be stacked.
Below is a list of all of the containers used in this book there descriptions, how many of a
medium size container can be put in a ten foot area and if they can be stacked. Note that
some cargos may have more than one type of container listed. In these cases, the game
master should choose one of the container types for the cargo, as it is rare that a cargo
would be shipped in more than one container type at the same time.
Bales: Bales are piles of things such as cotton or straw that have been compressed and
bound into a roughly rectangular shape. Up to twelve medium bales can be packed into a
ten foot area. Because of the solidness of bales, they can be stacked up to four high.
Barrel: Barrels are wooden cylinders with flat ends and sides that bow out. Twelve
medium size barrels can be fit either on their sides or on their ends in a ten foot space.
Because of their rounded sides, barrels can only be stacked either two high on their ends
or on their sides in a pyramid shape, where each stack is decreased by two. If the barrels
not properly secured or are knocked free, they will roll around the hull causing a hazard.
Bolts: Blots are typically used for shipping

material and consist of a roll of fabric around a
center post or board. Up to sixteen medium bolts
can be easily stored in a ten foot space and bolts
can be stacked up to six high.
Bundles: Bundles are stacks or piles of an item

that are gathered together and tied with string or
wire. Bundles are roughly rectangular in nature
and can be easily laid side by side and end to end.
Twelve medium bundles can be packed in a ten
foot area and they can easily be stacked three Bolts of Fabric
bundles high.
Bushels: Bushels are large open top baskets used for gathering fruits and berries.
Sixteen medium size bushels can be packed into a ten foot area. Because of their open
tops, bushels cannot be stacked.

Casks: Casks are round barrels used to both age and store alcohol. They are different
from barrels in that they have pour spouts at one end. Medium size casks can be packed
twelve to a ten foot space. Because of their round shape and the spouts, the casks do not
stack well and can be only stacked in a pyramid shape, decreasing by two per stack. Like
barrels, if casks are not properly secured or are knocked free, they will roll around the
hull causing a hazard.
Chests: Chests are finished boxes made of heavy wood, able to be locked. Medium
chests can be packed sixteen to a ten foot space. Chests with flat tops can be packed
three high in a ship’s hull.
Crates: Crates are boxes made out of rough wooden boards. They are roughly square in
shape and sixteen medium crates can be packed into a ten foot square. Crates can be
stacked up to three high.
Sacks: Sacks are canvas or burlap bags used to carry cargo. Sacks are very compact and
twenty medium sacks can be packed into a ten foot square. Because of their compact
nature, sacks can be stacked five high.
Other or None: Both the “None” storage type or any other types can be packed eight
medium-sized items to a ten foot space. If it is appropriate for the items to be stacked,
they can be stacked three high.
Size: This category gives the average size of the cargo. There are four size categories
used in this book: small, medium, large, and huge. The size of the item affects how many
can be carried in a ten foot area. The above quantities have all been given for medium
cargo. For cargo of small size, double both the number of items per ten foot area and the
number of stacks. For large size items, halve both the number of items and the total
stacks. Round up for both. For huge size items, only one can be fit per ten foot area.
Item Value: Exact prices for each of the items listed in this book are not given.
However, I have designed a value rating system to give you some idea of the price of the
items in your world. The system is similar to the size categories above and consists of
five levels.
To assign prices to these value categories it helps to know that, historically, the average
monthly salary for a laborer was about 10 U.S. dollars. This standard persisted through
the Victorian era and a sailor for all his risk could make as much as an entire year’s pay
or between 100–120 U.S. dollars per trip. Below I will use this average sailor’s pay as a
base for the value categories. I hope these explanations help you assign appropriate
prices for your world or at least appropriate salaries for your sailors per trip.
Poor: A poor cargo is one that is either very common or of a lower quality. A ship
packed with poor cargo can only expect to make only enough money to pay salaries
about half the average and possibly as low as a quarter of the average. Using the average

salary presented above, this would mean sailors only get around 50 dollars for the trip
and, in a lean time, it may only be 25 dollars.
Average: Average value items are the items that make up the bulk of shipping
worldwide and are the items that, when sold, allow the sailors to make their average
wage. Using our historic average above, a ship full of these cargos will net a sailor
between 100–120 dollars a trip.
Good: Good value products are the products that most sailor’s hope their ships will be
carrying as the value or rarity of these items ensures a good payday for this haul. Sailors
on a ship that is carrying only good value cargos can expect to get a salary of around one
and a half times the average for that trip. With our historic average as a base, this would
make the salary of the sailors on this ship around 150–180 dollars.
Great: Great value cargos are cargos that often involve greater risk in their transport or
are of such rarity that they always command top dollar at market. Sailors on a ship that is
carrying only great value cargo can expect a salary of twice the average. This would
make the historic salary of a ship carrying good value cargos around 200–240 dollars for
the trip.
Special: The final value category for cargo is the special value category which includes
very rare or expensive items. The values of these items usually make carrying even just a
few crates of them worth the trip. Special items are a cargo that is worth so much that
their price of transport must be negotiated separately. In our historical example, this
would mean a sailor on a ship carrying Specialty cargo could receive a salary of
anywhere from 200 to 600 dollars for the trip.
Finally, in the common case of mixed value cargos, just add up the salaries from all the
different categories you’re carrying and divide this by the total number of cargos carried
to get the sailor’s salaries.
Description/Use This section offers a brief description of the cargo as well as how it
is most often used by society. This section is mostly flavor but is also meant to give the
game master some idea as to the potential value of the cargo.
Special Properties This category appears at the

end of some of the entries and gives additional
special rolls regarding this type of cargo. These
rules are optional and are designed to be generic
enough to work with any system. They are
designed to give a unique feel to the different
cargos in this book.

The Master Tables

In this section, you will find a collection of tables designed to help a game master
randomly generate the cargo of a ship. The tables in this section could also be used to
generate cargo that clients might need to ship. The generic cargo table is designed to
allow game masters to quickly generate a generic category of cargo. This table can be
handy for generating the cargo of a group of ships the players to escort or the cargo of a
ship that is being scouted for attack. The categories on this table are designed to be
broad, and specific items in the full table may fit in more than one category.
Table 2 in this section is designed to allow the game master to generate a more defined
group of cargos. Next to the cargo group’s name is a short list of cargos from the full list
Table 1: Generic Cargo in this group. This table is good for a game
% Cargo master who wants to generate the cargo of
1-10 Lumber (Hardwood, Softwood) ships that work for a single company like a
11-20 Live Stock (Cows, Chickens) brewery. The groups are also good for
21-35 Food (Flower, Meat, Fruit) generating the cargo of a client.
36-55 Grain (Wheat, Rye)
56-65 Luxury Item (Sugar, Silk) Finally, the third table is the exhaustive full
66-75 Spice/Herbs (Salt, Basil) table. This table lists individually every
76-85 Textiles (Wool, Cotton) cargo, and can be used to generate
86-95 People (Slaves, Settlers) individual cargos for the hull of a captured ship
or the cargos available at a port. The full table
95-100 Treasure (Gold, Coins) can also be used in reverse with the results being
goods that the town will pay top dollar for.
Table 2: Cargo Groups
% Cargo Group
1-5 Brewing (Barley, Hops, Water, Grapes, Sugar)
6-10 Sugar Products (Sugar, Molasses/Treacle)
11-15 Alcohol (Ale, Rum/Grog, Wine-Cheap, Wine-Good)
16-20 Spinning (Fleece, Cotton, Silk-Raw)
21-30 Grain (Barley, Wheat, Triticale, Oats, Rye, Rice)
31-35 Textiles 1 (Wool-Cloth, Cotton-Cloth, Silk-Cloth, Dye)
36-40 Food 1 (Cheese, Beef-Salted, Pork-Salt, Fish-Salt, Fish-Fresh)
41-45 Food 2 (Berries-Fresh, Berries-Dried, Potatoes, Maize/Corn, Fig)
46-50 Livestock (Cattle, Chickens, Horses, Pigs, Sheep)
51-55 Military (Artillery, Soldiers, Gun Powder/Arrows, Horses)
56-60 Colonists (Settlers, Chickens, Pigs, Maize/Corn, Rye, Wheat, Ale)
61-65 Fishing (Fishing Nets, Rope, Balsa Branches/Logs)
66-70 Feed (Hay/Straw, Oats, Sorghum)
71-75 Masonry (Stone, Marble)
76-80 Textiles 2 (Wool-Yarn, Cotton-Yarn, Silk Yarn)
81-85 Luxury (Silk-Cloth, Statuary, Ivory, Tapestries, Rugs)
86-90 Treasure (Coins, Gold Plate/Bars, Gold/Silver Dust, Gems-Uncut)
91-95 Household (Rugs, Tapestries, Furniture)
96-100 Herbs/Spices (Cooking Herbs, Spice, Medicinal Herbs)

Table 3: Full Table

% Cargo % Cargo % Cargo % Cargo
1 Ale 26 Fish, Salted 51 Maize/Corn 76 Silk Yarn
2 Artillery 27 Fishing Nets 52 Maple Syrup 77 Slaves
3 Balsa Branches/Logs 28 Fleece 53 Marble 78 Soldiers
4 Bamboo 29 Flour 54 Medicinal Herbs 79 Sorghum
5 Barley 30 Flowers, Dried 55 Molasses/Treacle 80 Sorghum Syrup

Flowers, Fresh
6 Baskets 31 56 Nuts 81 Spice, Common
Cut
Spice,
7 Beef, Salted 32 Furniture 57 Oats 82
Rare/Exotic
8 Berries, Fresh 33 Gems, Uncut 58 Pigs 83 Statuary
Gold
9 Berries, Dried 34 59 Pins 84 Steel
Plate/Bars
Gold/Silver
10 Bulbs 35 60 Plants, Live 85 Stone
Dust
11 Canvas 36 Grapes 61 Pork, Salt 86 Sugar
Gun
12 Cattle 37 62 Potatoes 87 Sugarcane
Powder/Arrows
Tobacco-
13 Cheese 38 Hay/Straw 63 Pottery 88
Ground/Cigars
Tobacco
14 Chickens 39 Hemp Fibers 64 Prisoners 89
Leaves
15 Coal 40 Hops 65 Rice 90 Tapestries
16 Coins 41 Horses 66 Rope 91 Tea
Cooking Herbs,
17 42 Ice 67 Rugs 92 Triticale
Common
Cooking Herbs, Incense,
18 43 68 Rum/Grog 93 Walnut Burls
Rare/Exotic Common
Incense,
19 Cotton 44 69 Rye 94 Water
Exotic/Rare
20 Cotton Cloth 45 Iron 70 Salt 95 Wheat
Willow
21 Cotton Yarn 46 Ivory 71 Settlers 96
Braches/Wicker
22 Diplomats/Dignitaries 47 Logs 72 Sheep 97 Wine, Cheap

Lumber
23 Dye 48 Common 73 Silk Cloth 98 Wine, Good
Hardwood
Lumber Exotic
24 Fig 49 74 Silk, Raw 99 Wool Cloth
Hardwood
Lumber
25 Fish, Fresh 50 75 Silk Worms 100 Wool Yarn
Softwood

Value Modifiers: To simulate the external conditions that affect the value of cargo, a
series of tables are presented below.
Port Modifiers: One of the major external modifiers of a cargo’s value is the condition
of the port at which it is sold. Below are two tables that allow you to create unique port
characteristics that will affect the cargo’s value. To uses them, just roll once on each
table and add the value changes together to determine the final modifier.
Table 4: Port Size

Small Ports: Small ports often have few traders and thus less
% Port Size competition drives prices down. Subtract 5% from the total price of
1-25 Small the sold cargo. Small ports also have limited warehouse space and a
26-75 Average ship will only be able to sell a max of 2d6 ten foot squares of cargo.
76-95 Large
96-100 Huge Average: Average size ports are usually relatively busy and the
brisk trade standardizes the prices at the normal unmodified values.
Large: Large ports are major trade centers and merchants often compete to offer the best
prices for desired goods. Add 5% to the total price for sold cargo.
Huge: Huge ports are very rare and usually represent a kingdom’s central trading hub or
capital city. Prices at these rare ports are the best as competition drives up the value of
sold cargo by 10%.
Table 5: Port Quality

% Port Quality Destitute: Destitute ports are usually makeshift shanty towns or
1-5 Destitute young colonies. These places do not have a lot of money.
6-25 Poor Subtract 10% from the total price of the sold cargo. You may
26-85 Average not be able to sell luxury items or any item of great or better
86-100 Rich value in this port.
Poor: Poor ports are usually less successful colonies, rowdy frontier ports and ports
located far from central trade routs. These ports are often unable to purchase expensive
luxuries and cargo sells at 5% less. Luxury items may not be able to be sold at this type
of port.
Average: This is your average trading port where cargo is off loaded and caravans are
formed. The prices at this type of port are not affected by quality.
Rich: Rich ports are both trading and cultural centers where a large wealth of money and
a craving for the good life meet. Raise the total price of the sold cargo by 5%. At rich
ports, ship captains can find a buyer for any cargo.

Item Modifiers: Several factors can also affect the value of specific items. Below are a
group of tables that allow you to alter the item value level of specific cargos. Since
cargos with the special item value have unique values, do not roll on these tables for
those items.
Table 6: Item Demand Demand represents whether a

% Demand specific item is desired or not. The
1-5 Very High – Raise item value 2 levels level of desire can raise or lower the
6-20 High – Raise item value 1 level item value level from its base.
21-78 Average – No change High desire could represent an item
79-94 Low – Lower item value 1 level not available locally where low
95-100 Non-Existent – Lower item value 2 levels desires could represent the local
cash crop.
Table 7: Manufacturing Some textiles such as fleece or

% Manufacturing cloth can be major industries for
1-10 Major Industry – Raise item value 2 levels towns; in these places the value of
11-25 Minor industry – Raise item value 1 level such needed raw supplies is
26-89 Some Local Users – Normal, no change higher in towns based around
90-100 No Local Users – Lower item value 1 level these industries. Roll on this
table to determine if there is a
demand for these textiles in the port. It is important to note that most towns will only
have one dominant industry.
Other unusual circumstances, such as war or famine, can cause the base item value to rise
or fall. The below table contains a selection of common circumstances that may cause
the values of cargo to change in an area. Some of these conditions such as war or plague
may increase the danger to a ship and crew trying to trade there and captains may need to
balance the chances for large profits versus the danger to his vessel and crew.
Table 8: Unusual Circumstances

% Unusual Town Circumstance
1-60 None
Town at War or Besieged – Weapons sell 2 levels higher but luxuries can’t be
61-70
sold and other cargos sell at 1 level lower.
Drought or Famine – Food and drink sells at 2 levels higher. Can’t sell herbs or
71-80
spice.
81-90 Plague or Disease – Medicinal herbs sell at 2 levels higher.
91-100 Major Construction – Building supplies sell at 1 level higher

Item Pricing
In the “How to Read the Entries” section, the item value level’s example prices have been
given in the form of salaries. It has been my experience that players are more interested
in liquidating the cargo and getting their cut then they are in how much each individual
item is worth. However, for groups that would like to know how much in total the ship
has made or what each items cost, the rules below should give some fast and easy
methods to determine this information.
Total Profit: For those who want to know just how much they made by selling their
goods at port or for those groups that don’t split up their wealth. You can calculate the
total profit simply by calculating the value of the individual salary as normal, then
multiplying it by 15, which is about the number of sailors onboard a mid-size freighter.
In our historical example, this would make the total profit for a ship carrying average
item value products with no other modifiers between 1500–1800 dollars per trip.
Total Profit:
Salary value of the cargo x 15 = Total Profit
* For larger ships substitute 15 with the actual number of sailors on the ship.
Individual Prices: With a little bit of work and record keeping, it is possible to use this
system to determine individual prices for each type of cargo in the book. First, you must
calculate an individual price for each item value level. The best way to do this is to
determine the value for an item with an average item value level and then modify it for
the other levels in the same way as you would modify the salaries at the different levels.
Calculating the base value of an average level cargo is very system-dependent, however,
there are a couple of rules that could aid you in determining this number.
1. A good rule is that a ten-foot square of average level cargo should have a value of
around two week’s salary in the modern world or two month’s salary in the
Victorian era.
2. If your system gives a price per sack of wheat that is a good price to use as the
average cargo level.
Once you have this base, roll on the below table and add that modifier to the base to get
the final value of each type of cargo. Table 9:Value Modifier
% Modifier % Modifier
1-10 + 10% 51-60 + 0%
11-20 + 5% 61-70 -1%
21-30 + 3% 71-80 -3%
31-40 + 2% 81-90 - 4%
41-50 + 1% 91-100 - 5%
10

Cargo List
1. Ale
Storage type: Casks
Size: Medium to Huge
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Ale is one of the most common alcoholic drinks. Ale is made from
malted barley and comes in a large variety if styles.
Special Properties: Casks of the large and huge size that are not secured in the hull may
cause the ship to roll violently and capsize as they shift around the hull.
2. Artillery
Storage type: None or Crate
Size: Large
Item Value: Great
Description/Use: Artillery such as heavy cannons or ballistae often need to be shipped
from the foundries and shops where they are made to remote forts and ports where they
will be used. Most often artillery is shipped “as is,” not stored in crates, but if the
shipment is to be kept secret or if it is a new model of artillery, it may be shipped in
crates.
Special Properties: If not in a crates, cannons usually have wheels that are chocked into
place when stored in rough seas or during combat. These chocks may slip and the
cannon may roll around the hull damaging the ship.
3. Balsa Branches/Logs
Storage type: Branches-Bundles, Logs-None
Size: Bundles-Medium, Logs-Medium and Large
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Balsa wood is a light, buoyant hard wood that is easy to shape and is
desired as an ideal wood for fishing bobbins, buoys and floats. The larger logs are also
popular to use in the creation of shallow draft river rafts.
4. Bamboo
Storage type: Bundles
Size: Medium (Long)
Item Value: Average Where it Grows, Good Where it Doesn’t Grow
Description/Use: Bamboo is a strong woody grass whose shoot is round and hollow. It
is grown and harvested for use in everything from scaffolding to paint brush handles to
pipes.
Special Properties: Bamboo is very long so while the bundles are considered Medium
items for the purposes of the number that can be stored in a ten foot area, their length
requires that they be stored across two adjacent areas as well.
11

5. Barley
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Barley is a very hearty and cold-resistant crop usually grown on land
too poor for wheat. Barley is used as a feed grain as well as for malting and, most
famously, in ale/beer. The barley grain is removed from the shoots when harvested.
Special Properties: When shipping grain there is a danger of mold and rot if not kept
reasonably dry.
6. Baskets
Storage type: None
Size: Small or Medium
Item Value: Poor (very common)
Description/Use: Hand-woven wicker baskets of a multitude of sizes and designs are
used throughout the world for various tasks. Since it is a time consuming and frustrating
process to weave your own, there is a thriving trade in these utilitarian devices.
7. Beef, Salted
Storage type: Crates or Barrels
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Salted and preserved beef is an essential winter store for the middle
and upper class and is the only type of meat available to the lower class. It is also an
ingredient in most meat pies and stews. Because of its importance as a winter store, the
price of salt beef rises the closer it is to winter.
8. Berries, Fresh
Storage type: Bushel Baskets
Size: Medium
Item Value: Great
Description/Use: Fresh berries are a luxury food that is in
great demand in the salons and upper class homes of society.
Whether sweet strawberries or tart cherries, berries are
considered a refreshing dessert or snack.
Special Properties: Berries are very sensitive to and water
and if kept damp and they will begin to quickly rot.
9. Berries, Dried
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Dried berries are easier to transport and far more resistant to cold and
water and as such are preferred as a food source for the lower and middle class. Dried
berries are also used in baking as they are easier to store and use.
12

10. Bulbs
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Flower bulbs are harvested in the fall and are allowed to dry before
being packed in sacks by type. The bulbs of many flowers are in demand by the upper
class for landscaping and gardens.
11. Canvas
Storage type: Bolts
Size: Large
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Canvas is a rigid, heavy waterproof material that is used for tents,
awnings and ship sails. Canvas is shipped rolled into large bolts of material usually
around a central post or log.
12. Cattle
Storage type: None
Size: Large
Item Value: Great (difficulty of transport)
Description/Use: Cattle are essential for both dairy and meat production. Cows are
often bred and sold by cattle ranchers to both dairy farms and butchers that may be far
from the pasture land where cattle is raised.
Special Properties: Because cattle are living beings they are a drain on the ship’s water
supplies and any ship that transports livestock needs to carry a stock of feed onboard to
keep the animals alive.
13. Cheese
Storage type: Crates
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Cheese is the most common dairy item eaten by people and it comes
in a variety of types. Cheese is usually shaped into wheels and sealed in wax for
transport and these wheels are very resistant to things such as water and mold that would
rot other food. The wheels can also be easily packed in crates for shipment.
14. Chickens
Storage type: Cages
Size: Small
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Domesticated chickens are raised world wide both for food and eggs.
Chickens are also essential to colonies that often raise them as one of the first renewable
food sources available before the first season of planting.
Special Properties: Because Chickens are living beings they are a drain on the ship’s
water supplies and any ship that transports livestock needs to carry a stock of feed
onboard to keep the animals alive.
13

15. Coal
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Coal is an essential fuel source for much of the world, plus it is
important in the forging of steel and iron. Coal is mined as a rough black stone made of
compressed carbon.
Special Properties: Coal is very flammable and will easily catch fire if exposed to
flame. When coal burns it smolders, and this may make it hard to put out as it may
appear extinguished only to flare up again.
16. Coins
Storage type: Chests
Item Value: Special (risk and temptation)
Description/Use: The standard currency of most business dealings. They are often
transported as part of mercantile transactions, as tithes or as governmental wealth
distribution.
Special Properties: Because of the value and ease of transport of coins, a ship carrying
them may become a target of pirates or raiders. The cargo may also require extra guards
to insure that greedy members of the crew don’t steal some of the cargo.
17. Cooking Herbs, Common

Storage type: Dried-Sacks or Bales, Green-tied in bundles and hung from poles
Size: Medium Sacks and Bales
Item Value: Average Dried, Good Green
Description/Use: Common cooking herbs are leafy plants used for seasoning food that
are grown domestically or are available in such quantities that their price is relatively
low. Examples of common cooking herbs are basil or mint.
Special Properties: Green herbs must be tied to poles that are hung from the ship’s bulk
heads, making them harder to secure and transport. Also, since many herbs must be used
fresh, there is often a time limit on delivery time for green herbs (Roll 2d6 to determine
how many days the herbs will be fresh).
18. Cooking Herbs, Rare/Exotic

Storage type: Dried-Sacks or Bales, Green-tied in bundles and hung from poles
Size: Small or Medium Sacks and Bales
Item Value: Good Dried, Great Green
Description/Use: Rare/exotic herbs are leafy plants that usually can only be grown in
certain climates or are the products of foreign countries.
Special Properties: The rarity of some of these herbs may make them only available in
small quantities. Green herbs must be tied to poles that are hung from the ship’s bulk
heads, making them harder to secure and transport. Also, since many herbs must be used
fresh there is often a time limit on delivery time for green herbs (Roll 2d6 to determine
how many days the herbs will be fresh).
14

19. Cotton
Storage type: Bales
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Cotton is a fibrous material that is harvested from the cotton plant and
bundled into bales. This fiber is spun into yarn and then used to make cotton clothing.
20. Cotton Cloth

Storage type: Bolts
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Cotton Cloth is a light, durable material made by weaving cotton yarn
into sheets. It is one of the most common cloths used for clothing. Cotton is shipped
rolled up around wooden dies in bolts.
21. Cotton Yarn

Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Cotton yarn is made by spinning the fibers of yarn together to form a
tight strand. This yarn is stored on bobbins and is used for both weaving and knitting
cotton cloth.
22. Diplomats/Dignitaries
Storage type: None
Size: Large
Item Value: Great
Description/Use: Ships are often needed to transport diplomats/dignitaries to important
meetings or their final assigned posts. Diplomats/Dignitaries are accustomed to a certain
level of comfort and civilization and, as such, they take up the space of a large item.
Special Properties: As people, diplomats/dignitaries are a drain on the ship’s food and
water stores and they must be fed daily or they will starve. Also, unlike slaves and
prisoners, diplomats/dignitaries are free to move around the ship and may get in the way
of the crew.
23. Dye
Storage type: Barrels, Jars packed in Crates
Size: Medium, Each Jar is Small
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Colored dyes are often produced from organic plant matter or minerals
and are usually in high demand among clothing and textile makers.
Special Properties: If stored in glass jars there is a 10% chance per jar that it will break
in rough seas or if the ship enters battle. Because of the demand, dyes are often very
valuable and may draw the attention of raiders. Finally, certain colors may be illegal or
restricted to a certain class in certain countries.
15

24. Figs
Size: Medium
Item Value: Great
Description/Use: Figs are the fruit of the ficus tree and they are considered a delicacy by
the upper class.
25. Fish, Fresh

Size: Medium
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Fresh fish is a staple form of meat for the lower and middle class.
Once caught, the fish must have a fast way to transport to the city before they spoil in a
few days.
26. Fish, Salted

Storage type: Crate or Barrel
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average in Winter, Poor in Summer (lower class)
Description/Use: Salted and preserved fish are usually one of the winter staples as they
stay good longer. The fish are first dried then cured with salt to preserve them.
27. Fishing Nets

Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Fishing nets made of woven hemp cords are an essential supply to any
fishing town. The nets are usually constructed in textile mills where the hemp cord is
made and must be transported to the costal fishing villages.
28. Fleece
Storage type: Sacks, Bales
Size: Medium
Item Value: Poor
Description/Use: Fleece is raw unspun wool that has been sheared from sheep. It is not
uncommon for towns known for their spinning or weaving to be miles away from the
pasture land.
29. Flour
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Flour is a finely ground powder made from a high starch cereal grain
such as wheat. Flour is used in the baking of bread or the creation of pastries.
Special Properties: Flour is very susceptible to water; if it gets wet the powder
dissolves into a gooey blob.
16

30. Flowers, Dried

Size: Medium
Item Value: Poor in Spring, Average in Summer, Good in Fall, Great in Winter
Description/Use: Dried flowers are used in floral arrangements in colder months when
fresh flowers are not easily attained.
31. Flowers, Fresh Cut

Storage type: Bunches
Size: Small
Item Value: Good in Spring and Summer, Great in Fall, Special in Winter
Description/Use: Fresh cut flowers are shipped all over the world to be used as
decorations in the world’s salons and upper class houses. Flowers are harvested and tied
into bundles by type and color for easy sorting.
Special Properties: Fresh cut flowers have a very short shelf life and must make it from
field to market in 1d6 days to be sold at peak value.
32. Furniture
Size: Medium to huge
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Whether tables, chairs, hutches, or chests of drawers, furniture is often
crafted in the shops of masters and shipped long distances to their middle or upper class
clients.
33. Gems, Uncut

Storage type: Chests
Size: Medium
Item Value: Special (value, danger)
Description/Use: Mined from deep in the earth at distant locations, rough uncut gems of
great value must be transported to artisans who will cut, shape and polish the gems.
Special Properties: Because of the gems’ raw value and the fact that they cannot be
traced, the ships that carry uncut gems are favored targets of raiders.
34. Gold Plate/Bars

Storage type: Bars, Sheets or Goods
Size: Small to Medium
Description/Use: Gold plate/bars are often part of a treasure haul, but may also be used
in large mercantile transactions or in transactions between governments. Gold Plate/Bars
are very heavy and in the case of plate (which is either gold that has been crafted into
objects such as platters and pitchers, or large flattened sheets) may be awkward in size
and shape. Usually due to its excessive weight or awkward size there is no good
container in which to transport the gold.
Special Properties: The value of this cargo may require extra guards to protect it from
greedy members of the crew. The lack of a suitable container may also make it hard to
17

secure gold plate/bars and it may fly around the hull in stormy weather or during combat.
Finally, the weight of the plate/bars may make the boat ride low in the water and thus
decrease its speed and maneuverability while increasing the chance of running aground in
shallow water.
35. Gold/Silver Dust

Storage type: Lined Chests
Description/Use: Used as the raw ingredients in minting coins, gold and silver dust is
usually transported to the mint in locked chests that are lined with leather or hide to
prevent leakage.
Special Properties: Because of its nature, if the crates are ever damaged or destroyed
the contents is scattered and most of it will be lost.
36. Grapes
Storage type: Bushel Baskets
Size: Medium
Item Value: Great
Description/Use: Grapes are a sweet vine-grown fruit eaten world wide by the upper
class and used in the creation of wine. Because of how fragile grapes are, they can only
be packaged in bushels.
Special Properties: Grapes are extremely fragile and can be easily bruised or crushed by
rough seas or the chaos of battle (there is a 20% chance per bushel of damage in these
conditions).
37. Gun Powder/Arrows

Storage type: Barrels, Bunches for Ballista Bolts
Size: Medium Barrels, Medium Bunches
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Gun powder is truly one of the most essential supplies for a modern
military and a constant supply must be shipped to remote forts and outposts all over the
world. In a game where gun powder doesn’t exist, arrows or the heavier ballista bolts are
often in demand and must be shipped in large quantities to remote locations.
Special Properties: Gun powder is explosive and if there is a fire in the ship’s hull the
barrels are likely to blow up.
18

38. Hay/Straw
Storage type: Bales
Size: Medium
Item Value: Poor (Common)
Description/Use: Hay is a soft mow of sweet grasses that is harvested and baled to be
used as feed for animals such as horses and cattle. Straw, while similar to hay, is made of
stronger, thicker grasses and is used not for food, but for animal bedding or stuffed into
mattresses for the lower class.
Special Properties: Hay/straw is extremely vulnerable to water and if it gets wet it will
begin to rot and be useless for its intended purpose.
39. Hemp Fibers

Storage type: Bundle
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: The fibers commonly called hemp bast that are found between the
plant’s bark and the interior shoot are used to make rope and cord because of their
strength and rigidity.
40. Hops
Storage type: Bushel Baskets, Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Hops are the flowers of the female hop plant. Their primary use is as
a flavoring and a stabilizer for beer and ale. The plant is also used as a medicine as it has
a mild antibiotic effect.
Special Properties: Hops are resistant to water and rot making them good for shipping.
41. Horses
Storage type: None
Size: Large
Item Value: Great (value, difficulty of transport) Special (Race or show horses)
Description/Use: Horses are an essential method of long distance travel for most of the
world. A good horse breeder’s animals may be in great demand and may need to be
shipped long distances.
Special Properties: Because horses are living beings they are a drain on the ship’s water
supplies and any ship that transports livestock needs to also carry a stock of feed onboard
to keep the animals alive.
19

42. Ice
Storage type: Blocks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Great (rarity and complication of transport)
Description/Use: Some of the colder lands have a lucrative trade in exporting blocks of
ice that have been cut from frozen lakes and rivers. Ice can be transported long distances
as long as it is kept below deck where it is sheltered from the sun, in a cool, dark place.
Special Properties: To prevent excessive melting, ships that carry ice cannot haul
anything that might absorb the cold or release heat below deck
43. Incense, Common

Size: Medium
Item Value: Average or Good
Description/Use: Common incense in made from aromatic material that is grown
domestically or is available in such quantities that its price is relatively low. The material
is usually ground and may be mixed with a binder to create incense cones or sticks.
Incense is used as an air freshener by the upper class and it is often burned as part of
religious rituals.
44. Incense, Exotic/Rare

Size: Medium
Item Value: Good or Great
Description/Use: Exotic/Rare Incense in made from aromatic
material that usually can only be grown in certain climates or
are the products of foreign countries. The material is usually
ground and may be mixed with a binder to create incense
cones or sticks. Incense is used as an air freshener by the
upper class and it is often burned as part of religious rituals.
45. Iron
Storage type: Barrels of Billets
Size: Medium, Each Billet is Small
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: A soft black metal that is smelted out of mined rock. Iron is used to
make many common household items, from fireplace pokers to door hinges. The crude
iron is often shipped to a forge where it can be shaped and turned into one of these
objects.
20

46. Ivory
Size: Medium
Item Value: Great (Value)
Description/Use: The ivory tusks of elephants are in great demand by artisans who use
them to create ivory sculptures, pieces of musical instruments and delicate inlays.
Special Properties: Ivory is a real luxury item and, as such, its high value may draw the
attention of raiders.
47. Logs
Storage type: None
Size: Large (Long)
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Ideal locations for logging are often not ideal for the processing of the
fallen trees into usable lumber, and it is not uncommon for ships to carry stripped,
unprocessed logs to the sawmill.
Special Properties: Logs are Large items, but their length requires them to inhabit two
adjacent squares.
48. Lumber, Common Hardwood

Size: Large (Long)
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Hardwood lumber is lumber cut from broad leaf deciduous trees such
as oak, ash, mahogany, and walnut. Finished lumber is needed for every thing from
housing to furniture and certain hard woods, such as mahogany and cherry, are prized by
furniture makers for their beauty.
Special Properties: Lumber is a Large item, but their length requires them to inhabit
two adjacent squares.
49. Lumber, Exotic Hardwood

Size: Large (Long)
Description/Use: Hardwood lumber is some of the most varied on the planet and there
are many exotic varieties such as teak, sandalwood, rosewood and eucalyptus. These rare
lumbers are prized by furniture makers for their beauty and unusual features.
21

50. Lumber, Softwood

Size: Large (Long)
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Softwood lumber is lumber that is cut from needle-baring conifer trees
such as pine, fir, redwood and cypress. Finished lumber is needed for everything from
housing to furniture. Softwood is the most common wood used in construction and some,
such as redwood and cedar, are prized for furniture and paneling.
51. Maize/Corn
Storage type: Kernels - Sacks, Ears - Crates
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: A staple grain world wide, cultivated in many temperate, warm and
tropical regions. It is also used as a feed grain for livestock. The corn is either removed
from the husk and packed in sacks or left on the husk and packed in crates.
Special Properties: When shipping grain, there is a danger of mold and rot if not kept
reasonably dry.
52. Maple Syrup

Storage type: Barrel
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Maple syrup is made from the sap of the maple tree and is a sticky
amber liquid that is popular for use on griddle cakes, biscuits and toast.
53. Marble
Storage type: Blocks
Size: Small to Large
Item Value: Great
Description/Use: Marble blocks are often shipped long distances from their quarry to be
used in palaces, temples and churches.
Special Properties: Due to their great weight, marble blocks cause the ship to sit lower
in the water and thus plow more water. The ship is slowed by the extra weight by up to
half the ship’s total speed.
54. Medicinal Herbs

Storage type: Sacks, Bales, Hung in Bundles or Unique Packaging
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: The term “herb” has been used for many years to describe a wide
range of plant-based medicines. In addition to traditional leafy herbs, medicinal herbs
also include roots like mandrake and other plant parts like rose hips or belladonna berries.
Even the more common herbs may be specially harvested or prepared. Medicinal herbs
22

may be shipped in sacks or bales, hung as with cooking herbs, or packaged in unique
ways such as pickled in bottles, ground into powder, or reduced to essential oils.
Special Properties: The strange packing of some herbs may make them hard to store or
the herbs may need to be specially attended by an apothecary/herbalist during the trip.
Fresh medicinal herbs usually go bad quickly and time may be of the essence (roll 1d6 to
determine how many days for which the herbs will be fresh).
55. Molasses/Treacle
Storage type: Barrels
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Molasses/treacle is a thick syrup byproduct created during the creation
of sugar. Molasses/treacle is a cheaper alternative to pure sugar and is used as a spread
and in baking.
Special Properties: If the barrels of molasses/treacle are damaged, they will release
their thick sticky syrup, which may make movement and work below decks harder.
56. Nuts
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Nuts, including walnuts, pine nuts or peanuts, are in demand both by
pastry chefs who use them in desserts and breads and by the middle and upper class who
eat them as food course.
57. Oats
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Poor (Low class)
Description/Use: Oats are a hearty grain that are a staple of some cold regions, often
made into a hearty warm porridge. Oats are also a popular feed grain for livestock and
milled oats are packed in sacks for shipping.
reasonably dry.
58. Pigs
Storage type: None or Cages
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good (difficulty of transport)
Description/Use: Pigs are raised for food and leather world wide because they are easy
to raise and will eat almost anything. It is not uncommon for a colony to raise pigs as
their initial livestock.
Special Properties: Because pigs are living beings, they are a drain on the ship’s water
23

59. Pins
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good
Description/Use: Pins are essential to many cultures that have elaborate fashions such as
ruffles and, for many years, each and every pin was hand made. But because of the smell
produced by the chemicals in the process of pin making, factories were often located far
from the cultural centers of civilization and had to be shipped.
Special Properties: If the crates are broken open in rough seas or battle, the pins will
spill out and cause a hazard below decks as they roll around the floor and get lodged in
every crack.
60. Plants, Live

Storage type: Pots
Size: Medium or Large
Item Value: Great or Special (difficulty of transport)
Description/Use: Whether to be transplanted or studied as exotic specimens, it is
sometimes necessary to transport live bushes or trees over great distances.
Special Properties: Live plants must be kept watered and so are a drain on a ship’s
water stores.
61. Pork, Salt

Storage type: Crated or barrels
Size: Medium
Item Value: Poor in Summer and Fall, Average in Winter and Spring
Description/Use: Salted and preserved pork is the protein part of most military and navy
diets. It is fried and eaten by the lower class and used for flavor in stews and soups.
62. Potatoes
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Description/Use: Potatoes are starchy tubers that are staple vegetables among the
middle and lower classes.
63. Pottery
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average on Coasts, Good inland
Description/Use: Whether jugs, lamps, plates or bowls, the creations of the potter’s
wheel are many and permeate much of daily life. However, the availability of clay is
usually limited to areas around the shore line or in swampy areas, making it necessary to
ship the goods to far-off areas. Pottery is shipped packed in straw in crates to help
prevent damage.
Special Properties: There is a 5% chance that the pottery will break in rough seas or
battle.
24

64. Prisoners
Storage type: None or Cage
Size: Medium
Item Value: Special (Usually by bounty for fugitives)
Description/Use: Whether they are convicted people being sent to a prison colony or
fugitives being brought back to stand trial, prisoners are often transported long distances.
Prisoners are usually transported locked in cages or in shackles and manacles that are
attached to the hull or bulkhead to prevent free movement.
Special Properties: Prisoners are a drain on the ship’s food and water stores and they
must be fed daily or they will starve. On any ship carrying prisoners, there is also a risk
that the prisoners will try to escape or take the ship over.
65. Rice
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Poor in Tropical Regions, Good in Other Areas
Description/Use: Rice is a staple grain of tropical regions and central to the diets of
those regions. To the rest of the world, rice is an exotic imported grain available to the
middle and upper class. The rice is harvested in flooded rice patties and laid out to dry.
Special Properties: Unlike other grains, rice is more water resistant and therefore well
suited to life at sea. The exotic nature of rice and its water resistant properties make it a
highly profitable cargo.
66. Rope
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Heavy hemp rope, made by winding the hemp fibers into strong
cables, is an essential supply for shipwrights, farmers and millers and is therefore in great
demand.
67. Rugs
Storage type: Rolls
Size: Medium (Long)
Item Value: Great (Value and rarity)
Description/Use: Rugs are floor coverings
made of heavy durable woven fabrics. Rugs
are often woven in intricate colorful patterns
and may be bordered by fringe or knot work.
Rugs are used as a form of insulation to keep
heat in a room.
Special Properties: Rugs are medium items,
but due to their length, only half as many can
fit in a ten foot square space.
25

68. Rum/Grog
Storage type: Casks
Size: Medium to Huge
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Rum or ale is a common alcoholic drink made from distilled
sugarcane. Grog is a form of watered-down rum that is often given to sailors and soldiers
since the drink is far less alcoholic than pure rum.
Special Properties: Casks of the large and huge size that are not secured in the hull may
cause the ship to roll violently and capsize as they shift around the hull.
69. Rye
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Description/Use: Rye is a common grain crop in colder regions where wheat is not
hearty enough to grow. In addition, rye is a staple cereal grain for the poor and lower
classes. The large rye grains are separated from the shoot when harvested.
reasonably dry.
70. Salt
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good or Great (Value and need)
Description/Use: A staple for preserving food before refrigeration, salt often must travel
vast distances from where it is mined to where it is used. Salt crystals are pulverized to a
fine sand and sealed into barrels for shipment.
Special Properties: Salt is the gold standard for spices; it is so valued that some cultures
have based their monetary systems on it, making it a tempting prize for raiders.
71. Settlers
Storage type: None
Size: Large
Item Value: Special
Description/Use: In any age where exploration and colonization are common there will
be a need for ships to transport settlers to these colonies. Settlers are the equivalent of
large size items because of all the materials they bring with them to their new homes.
Special Properties: Settlers are a drain on the ship’s food and water stores and they
must be fed daily or they will starve. Also, unlike slaves and prisoners, settlers are free to
move around the ship and may get in the way of the crew.
26

72. Sheep
Storage type: None or Cages
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good (Difficulty of transport)
Description/Use: Sheep are raised both for their wool and for their meat. Sheep are
hearty animals that can live on a small amount of scrub land and flourish. Sheep are
often in high demand in colder regions as they are not as sensitive to cold as other
animals.
Special Properties: Because sheep are living beings, they are a drain on the ship’s water
73. Silk Cloth

Storage type: Bolts
Size: Small
Item Value: Great (Value, rarity)
Description/Use: Silk Cloth is a sheer fabric made from the silk yarn.. Silk is an exotic
luxury item that is in great demand by the upper class for clothing.
Special Properties: Its popularity and rarity makes a ship carrying silk material a target
for raiders.
74. Silk, Raw

Storage type: Bushels
Size: Medium
Item Value: Good (Value)
Description/Use: Raw silk is silk still in the form of cocoons. Raw silk must be boiled
and spun to create silk yarn that can be woven into fabrics.
75. Silk Worms

Storage type: Leaf-covered wooden plates that are covered
Size: Medium
Item Value: Great (Difficulty of transport)
Description/Use: Silk worms are small caterpillar-like animals that make silk to cocoon
themselves at the end of their larval stage.
Special Properties: Silk worms must eat constantly or they will die so only the fastest
ships are able to ship them without a supply of leaves and a keeper on board (silk worms
can only live for 1d12 hours without a fresh food source).
27

76. Silk Yarn

Storage type: Crate
Size: Medium
Item Value: Great (Rarity and value)
Description/Use: Silk yarn is made from boiled and spun raw silk. It is the raw material
used to create silk material and clothing.
Special Properties: Silk yarn’s value and rarity makes the ships that carry it targets for
raiders.
77. Slaves
Storage type: None
Size: Medium
Item Value: Special (Usually based on slave auction profits)
Description/Use: Some cultures employ slaves as part of their work force and in those
cultures the transport of slaves to and from slave markets is a big business. Slaves are
usually transported shackled and manacled. These manacles are usually chained together
and the chain is anchored to the bulkhead or hull of the ship.
Special Properties: Slaves are a drain on the ship’s food and water stores and they must
be fed daily or they will starve. Also, since slaves are not happy to be slaves, there is
always a risk of revolt on ships that carry them.
78. Soldiers
Storage type: None
Size: Medium
Item Value: Special (May be impressed into service)
Description/Use: In a time of war or when the navy is stretched too thin, civilian vessels
are sometimes hired to transport troops to the front in distant locations.
Special Properties: Soldiers are a drain on the ship’s food and water stores and they
must be fed daily or they will starve. Also, unlike slaves and prisoners, soldiers are free
to move around the ship and may get in the way of the crew.
79. Sorghum
Storage type: Bales, Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Poor (Low class), Average if Used For Syrup
Description/Use: Sorghum is a grass with a large heavy head packed with grain kernels
similar to corn. It is grown in warm or tropical regions primarily as a feed grain but it is
also a staple grain in dry arid regions due to its drought resistance.
reasonably dry.
28

80. Sorghum Syrup

Storage type: Barrels, Glass Jars packed in Crates
Size: Medium, Each jar is Small
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: A dark, thick, sweet syrup, similar to molasses, made from the cane of
the sorghum plant. Sorghum syrup is a cheaper alternative to the traditional sugar
molasses.
Special Properties: If stored in glass jars, there is a 10% chance per jar that it will break
in rough seas or if the ship enters battle.
81. Spice, Common

Storage type: Barrel or Crate
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average or Good
Description/Use: A common spice is a spice that is grown domestically or is available
in such quantities that its price is relatively low. Pepper and ginger are perfect examples
of common spices. Common spices are shipped either in barrels if they are of fine
consistency (such as pepper), or in crates if the spice is large enough (such as the roots of
ginger).
82. Spice, Rare/Exotic

Storage type: Barrels or Crates
Description/Use: Rare/exotic spices usually can only be grown in certain climates or are
the products of foreign countries. Saffron is a good example of an exotic spice. Like
common spices, exotic spices are shipped either in barrels if they are of fine consistency
or in crates if the spice is large enough.
Special Properties: The rarity of some of these spices may make them unable to be
produced in large quantities and, thus, some of the most valuable spices may only be
available in small quantities. Also, exotic spices are in great demand in many cultures
and ships transporting them may be targeted by raiders.
83. Statuary
Size: Small to Huge
Item Value: Good to Special Depending on Size and Quality
Description/Use: Carved stone or marble statues and fountains are often in great
demand among the wealthy members of the upper class. Often built by commission in
the work shops of masters, these statues must be shipped to their final destinations.
Special Properties: Statues are of odd shapes and various sizes. They may be easy or
hard to stow and secure in the hull depending on the statues’ shapes and sizes. There is a
danger that if they are not properly secured in the hull, rough seas or battle may cause
them to shatter (10% chance that the statue is not properly secured).
29

84. Steel
Storage type: Crates of Billets
Size: Medium, Each Billet is Small
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Steel is iron that has been infused with carbon, making it harder and
capable of holding an edge. Steel in often in great demand for the creation of weapons
and armor, and some iron mines have large steel-producing foundries attached to them to
meet this need.
Special Properties: Steel crates are heavy and if they are knocked free in rough seas or
battle they may damage the hull of the ship or cause a leak.
85. Stone
Storage type: Blocks, Crates
Size: Small to Large Blocks, Medium Crates
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Both quarried stone blocks and crushed stone are often transported
long distances from their quarries to be used in building and landscaping.
Special Properties: Due to their great weight, stone cargo causes the ship to sit lower in
the water and plow more water. Ships are slowed by the extra weight by up to half the
ship’s total speed.
86. Sugar
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Great (Value)
Description/Use: Sugar is processed from sugar cane or sugar beets and is a crystallized
white or yellow powder. It is used world wide as a sweetener in both drinks and baking.
Pure sugar is highly prized as a symbol of wealth by the upper class.
Special Properties: Sugar is extremely vulnerable to water and the slightest bit of
moisture could melt away the cargo. Sugar is also considered a luxury item that is often
in high demand by the upper class. It is very valuable and transport ships are targets for
raiders.
87. Sugarcane
Size: Medium
Description/Use: Sugarcane is a heavy woody grass that looks similar to bamboo but
with a dense pulp high in sucrose. Sugarcane is often cut into splints and used to sweeten
drinks or is used to make sugar and molasses.
Special Properties: Sugarcane, like sugar, is in high demand in the salons and tea
parlors of the world and a valued commodity that could make the ship the target of
raiders.
30

88. Tobacco Ground/Cigars

Size: Medium
Item Value: Good or Great Depending on Quality and Blend
Description/Use: Tobacco is processed into one of two forms: either the course ground
pipe tobacco (usually packaged in one pound pouches) or as rolled cigars (usually packed
in small boxes). These individual packages are then packed in crates for shipping.
89. Tobacco Leaves

Storage type: Dried in Crates or Bales, Green Leaves tied in bundles and hung from
poles
Size: Medium Crates and Bales
Description/Use: Tobacco Leaves are transported from the farms to companies that
either grind it up for use in pipes or roll it into cigars. Crated/bundled dried leaves are
easier to transport as they can be easily stacked in the hull, unlike the green leaves, which
must be hung from the rafters. The green leaves, however, are more valuable as they are
sold to high-end cigar makers.
Special Properties: Green leaves must be hung from polls that are hung from the ship’s
bulk heads making them harder to secure and transport.
90. Tapestries
Storage type: Rolls
Size: Medium (Long)
Item Value: Great (Value, Quality)
Description/Use: Tapestries are heavy woven wall coverings used to insulate stone
walls. Tapestries usually display scenes from a story and it is very common for them to
be made in series telling a whole story over four or five tapestries. Tapestries are shipped
rolled up like rugs.
Special Properties: Tapestries are medium items, but due to their length, only half as
many can fit in a ten foot square space.
.
91. Tea
Storage type: Sacks or Crates
Size: Medium
Item Value: Poor to Great Depending on Freshness and Availability
Description/Use: Tea is a staple drink among many civilized cultures and, since tea
leaves can only be grown in a limited number of climates, they are a common ship cargo.
Special Properties: Tea is such a cornerstone of some civilizations that the cargo ships
that carry it are often the targets of raiders. Also the ships are often attacked by rival
countries trying to cut off the supply of tea, or by rival ships that are racing against them
to get the best price for the freshest tea.
31

92. Triticale
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Triticale is a hearty hybrid of rye and wheat that is a large grain plant
like rye but with a taste and color closer to wheat. Triticale is highly valued in cold
regions as it allows for a crop that is more profitable than rye to grow. The grains of
triticale are separated from the shoot and packed in sacks.
reasonably dry.
93. Walnut Burls

Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Burls or large knotty bulges that grow in the side of walnut trees are
harvested because they are ideal wood for carving bowls from. In a society that has the
spinning lathe the burls are considered ideal for the creation of turned objects.
94. Water
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average Fresh Water, Good or Great For Water With Mythical Properties
Description/Use: Fresh, clear water is not always available in all areas and some water
is said to have mythical healing properties. For these reasons, it is not uncommon that
water be transported by ship.
Special Properties: Water stored in this way has a maximum shelf life after which it
becomes rancid and toxic (roll 2d6 to get the number of weeks for which the water will
be good).
95. Wheat
Storage type: Sacks
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Wheat is the most common staple grain for temperate regions and is
the preferred cereal grain of the middle and upper class. The wheat grain is separated
from its shoot when harvested.
Special Properties: When shipping grain there is a danger of mold and rot if not kept
reasonably dry.
32

96. Willow Branches/Wicker

Storage type: Bushels
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Thin willow branches, sometimes called wicker, are bundled into
bushels and sold to both basket weavers and furniture makers who weave it into finished
goods. In a fantasy setting, willow branches are also prized as a base for wand making.
97. Wine, Cheap

Storage type: Cask
Size: Medium or Large
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Wine is an alcohol made from a mash of grapes that is fermented.
Cheaper wines are often either very sweet or very bitter as the mash is usually made of
inferior quality grapes.
Special Properties: Casks of large size that are not secured in the hull may cause the
ship to roll violently and capsize as they shift around the hull.
98. Wine, Good

Storage type: Glass Bottles sealed with corks and wax. Crates of bottles.
Size: Small for bottles, Medium for crates
Item Value: Good or Great Based on Vintage and Quality
Description/Use: Wine is an alcohol made from a mash of grapes that is fermented.
Good wine is usually made from the highest quality mash and the bottles are usually
allowed to age for a better taste.
Special Properties: To transport free bottles, the ship must be fitted with a wine rack in
the hull. There is a 10% chance that the glass bottles will shatter in rough seas or if the
ship enters battle.
99. Wool Cloth

Storage type: Bolts
Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Made by weaving wool yarn into sheets this thick heavy fabric is ideal
for the production of warm clothing or blankets. Wool is shipped rolled up around
wooden dies into bolts.
100. Wool Yarn

Size: Medium
Item Value: Average
Description/Use: Wool Yarn is the spun product of fleece and the raw material for
knitting and weaving.
33

Final Notes
Q. Why don’t you give exact prices for the cargos in this book?
A. The cargos in this product do not have solid prices because the product is designed to
be as flexible as possible so it can work with the largest number of game rules and in the
largest number of game worlds. Many of the cargo descriptions hint at their values in a
historical world, but the availability of certain substances may vary in your world and
thus change the prices of it in your world. Also, there is no standard money system
between game systems.
Q. Why is the grain and food presented individually instead of in small groups like
the herbs, spices or lumber?
A. This was done for two reasons – first, food and grain are some of the most common
items transported by ship to this day. Second, these two categories are so varied in their
type, use and value that it would be hard to create larger categories without
oversimplifying the items in these categories.
Want More Cargo? Then check out these other

products from Healing Fireball Publications.
Just Add Dice: 50 Modern Ship Cargos
Just Add Dice: 50 Starship Cargos
Just Add Dice: 50 Fantasy Ship Cargos

All products guaranteed to be compatible with each other and to contain
rules for combining them.
Love random chance? Then look for these other Just

Add Dice Titles…
Just Add Dice: Random Tavern Generator

Just Add Dice: Tavern and Restaurant Menu Generator
34

Even as the final sailor dropped his weapon and surrendered

to the pirate’s captain, Red Jack Robert’s attention was
shifting to the door that led to the ship’s hull and the booty
that lay within…
Preliminary scouting reports told Red Jack that the ship was carrying luxury items as his
man had seen the crates marked Flaming Arrow Importers being loaded on at Banton Bay
two days earlier. As Red Jack descended the stairs, he could see the stacks of crates
carefully tied down and just waiting to be transferred to his hull. Red Jack thought to
himself, “This is a prize worthy of my time.”
Throughout history, ships of brave sailors or caravans of hearty merchants have moved
goods and people from one place to another. But what goods these ships carried and the
risks associated with transporting them varied greatly and that’s where we come in. In
this installment of the Just Add Dice series, we present a collection of 100 ship and
caravan cargos, as well as several tables to help the busy game master generate cargos for
all the ships or caravans in his world.
www.HealingFireball.com
35

Just Add Dice 100 Ship Cargos

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How to Use This Book

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How to Read the Entries

Bolts: Blots are typically used for shipping

Bundles: Bundles are stacks or piles of an item

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Special Properties This category appears at the

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The Master Tables

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Table 3: Full Table

4 Bamboo 29 Flour 54 Medicinal Herbs 79 Sorghum

5 Barley 30 Flowers, Dried 55 Molasses/Treacle 80 Sorghum Syrup

22 Diplomats/Dignitaries 47 Logs 72 Sheep 97 Wine, Cheap

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Table 4: Port Size

Table 5: Port Quality

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Table 6: Item Demand Demand represents whether a

Table 7: Manufacturing Some textiles such as fleece or

Table 8: Unusual Circumstances

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Salary value of the cargo x 15 = Total Profit

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17. Cooking Herbs, Common

18. Cooking Herbs, Rare/Exotic

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20. Cotton Cloth

21. Cotton Yarn

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25. Fish, Fresh

26. Fish, Salted

27. Fishing Nets

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30. Flowers, Dried

31. Flowers, Fresh Cut

33. Gems, Uncut

34. Gold Plate/Bars

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35. Gold/Silver Dust

37. Gun Powder/Arrows

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39. Hemp Fibers

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43. Incense, Common

44. Incense, Exotic/Rare

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48. Lumber, Common Hardwood

49. Lumber, Exotic Hardwood

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50. Lumber, Softwood

52. Maple Syrup

54. Medicinal Herbs

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60. Plants, Live

61. Pork, Salt