Crawl!

fanzine
No. 11
D i g i ta l E d i ti o n

Written by

B o b B rinkman, ceronomus@comcast. net

Re v. D ak J. Ultimak, rev. dak@straycouches. com

D anie l J. B isho p , ravencrowking@hotmail. com

S e an Ellis, www. bacchus-d. com

Cover and Interior Art by

Mario T. , miseophant@gmail. com

Edited by

B rad Littman

Re v. D ak J. Ultimak

Designed and published by

Re v. D ak J. Ultimak, Straycouches Press

Th i s p ro d u ct is ba sed on th e D u n ge o n Cra wl Cl a s s i cs Ro l e P l a yi n g G a m e,

pu bl i sh ed by G ood m a n G a m es. Th i s p ro d u ct is pu bl i sh ed u n d er l i ce n s e .

D u n ge o n Cra wl Cl a s s i cs a n d D CC RP G a re tra d e m a rks o f G o o d m a n G a m e s .

Al l ri gh ts re s e rve d . Fo r a d d i ti o n a l i n fo rm a ti o n , vi s i t:

www. go o d m a n - ga m e s . co m o r co n ta ct i n fo @ go o d m a n - ga m e s . co m
Ahoy! So, here it is...
The lo ng awaite d wate rb o rne , maritime , nautical the me d issue , or as

I' ve de cide d to call it, The Seafaring Issue is no w yo urs and it' s lo ade d!

We have Naval Warfare for Ocean Crawlers ! Q uick and simp le rule s fo r

b asic ship to ship co mb at by the DCC RPG co mmunity' s re side nt Pirate

e xp e rt, B o b B rinkman! He also b rings us a b unch o f nautical and pirate

themed Mighty Deeds of Arms fo r yo ur wate r warrio r. The n we have a

co lle ctio n of fantastic forms of ship propulsion, fro m sunlight to

mo o nlight, ske le to ns to so ngs, atyp ical p o we r so urce s that e mp hasiz e s

what make s fantasy fun, by making the mundane wo nde rful and we ird.

We include the stats fo r so me Wind Wraiths while we ' re at it. The

unsto p p ab le D anie l J. B isho p j o ins us again, this time he b rings us The

Deep Elders , an ancie nt wate r dwe lling sp e cie s that survive s by

co ntro lling and do minating the ir victims, all in the name o f the ancie nt

o ne , D ago n. Finally, S e an Ellis re turns with so me fun rules and random

events for life on these treacherous and endless seas . Cre w mo rale and

wind sp e e d all co me to p lay to make life o n the ship a mise rab le o ne o r

p o ssib ly glo rio us. No life ve sts include d.

S ail o n!

Re ve re nd D ak

(D unge o n) Maste r in Chie f

Correspondence, Concerns and/or Criticism?

Co ntact Crawl! Fanz ine at: crawl@straycouches. com

Crawl! no.11 Page 2

 Contents!
Naval Warfare for Ocean Crawlers 4
by Bob Brinkman

Nautical Mighty Deeds 16

by Bob Brinkman

Fantastic Forms Of Sea 18

Ship Propulsion
by Rev. Dak J. Ultimak

The Deep Elders 20

by Daniel J. Bishop

Life Aboard 24
by Sean Ellis

Submissions!
O riginal sub missio ns are we lco me . Eve rything that ge ts p ub lishe d will b e lo ng

to the autho r, artist, and cre ato r. Fo r art sub missio ns, se nd a link to so me

samp le s. We p re fe r o ld-scho o l “D &D ” style b lack and white line -art with

hatching or halfto ne . S malle r, incide ntal fantasy the me d p ie ce s are always

ne e de d. If yo u have a b rilliant ide a o r p ro p o sal, we want to se e it, b ut make

sure yo u use a sho rt and info rmative sub j e ct line . Include a quick b lurb or

samp le te xt in the e mail. D o n' t se nd attachme nts until re que ste d. All

co ntrib uto rs will ge t a fre e p rint co py o f the z ine .

Email crawl@straycouches. com.

Print+ PDF editions o f Crawl! fanz ine can b e p urchase d dire ctly fro m

http://www. crawlfanzine. com/ o r

https://gumroad. com/straycouchespress

Digital (PDF-only) editions can b e p urchase d o nline fro m

http://shop. d20pfsrd. com/collections/straycouches-press or

http://www. rpgnow. com/index. php?manufacturers_ id=4955

Crawl! no.11 Page 3

Naval Warfare for

Ocean Crawlers
by Bob Brinkman

The type of ships one finds at sea in a DCC

RPG session is only limited by the

imagination. Whether the j udge chooses to

use medieval and earlier vessels (such as

longboats, j unks, dhows, and biremes), the

more familiar vessels of the age of sail

(clippers, galleons, sloops, or Xebecs),

something more modern (steamships), or

even futuristic, there are some basic

similarities that can be used for any form of

naval combat. One only need know the ship’s

stats and then be good to go. We will first look

at ship stat descriptions, then look into

specific examples before we move on to how

they may be used.

Ship Stats
Type – Other than the name of the vessel, the

first thing a j udge needs to know is what type

of vessel the ship is. This allows the j udge to

fully describe the ship to the players and

firmly put the image into their minds with as

much detail as wished. Contrary to popular

belief, all ships are not the same and most

sailing vessels were not very large. Once the

ship type is chosen, much of the other ship

stats will fall into place. In most cases, ship

types from the age of sail can get very

confusing for someone not nautically minded,

as many ship types refer to rigging styles or

mast placement. A good illustration can make

things clear for the players very quickly.

Size – While there are a number of measurements for ships, length and beam (the

ship’s width) taken at the deck is the simplest to use as most action will take place

above deck. In addition, the depth of the ship’s keel, the “draught”, is important if

entering shallow water, maneuvering reefs, or navigating inland channels.

Crawl! no.11 Page 4

Crew – The average crew size needed to manage the ship. Some vessels, such as

pirate ships, would load on as much as two to three times the normal crew for

advantage in boarding. Crew size can also be viewed as the ship’s stamina. The

more crew a ship loses to combat or other reasons, the less the crew can do, and

the slower it is to take action. When a ship falls beneath its minimum crew

compliment (half), all shipboard actions take twice as long. Should a ship fall

beneath one quarter of its crew compliment it will begin to founder (see Handling).

A crew is normally made up of a wide variety of “ratings and positions”. Three such

sailor types are listed below by way of example. A j udge is free to crew a ship with

any number (including one) of crew types.

Ordinary Seaman: Init +0; Atk belaying pin (as club) +0 melee (1 d4) or punch

+0 melee (1 d3); AC 1 0; HD 1 d4; MV 30’, Act 1 d2 0; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AL

Any.

Able Seaman: Init +0; Atk cutlass (as short sword) +0 melee (1 d6) or punch +0

melee (1 d3); AC 1 1 ; HD 1 d4; MV 30’, Act 1 d2 0; SV Fort +0, Ref +1 , Will +0; AL

Any.

Rated Seaman: Init +1 ; Atk boarding axe (as battleaxe) +1 melee (1 d8) or

punch +0 melee (1 d3+1 ); AC 1 2 ; HD 1 d5 ; MV 30’, Act 1 d2 0; SV Fort +1 , Ref +1 ,

Will +0; AL L.

Despite the image of all sailing captains being towering men of action, most were

simply sailors with a better grasp of mathematics and people skills. There are

exceptions (Lord Nelson), but most are average.

Propulsion – The type of propulsion for the ship not only sets the tone for the

adventure or battle, it also is important in terms of combat and combat maneuvers.

Ships that use oars can be highly maneuverable in close quarters, while ships that

use sails are much swifter and can place distance between themselves and

pursuing ships. Both forms of propulsion also have their own weaknesses.

Top Speed – A ship’s speed is generally measured in knots (which are nautical

miles per hour); however that gets a bit unwieldy. Knots are thus estimated to be

approximately seven 4 mile hexes per day while traveling or one 1 5 ’ hex per round

while in combat.

Hit Points – Hit points are used to measure how much damage the ship may take

until it is no longer sea-worthy. Here is where there is a bit of “crunch”. When

creating a ship, the hit points are [(Length x Beam) /2 ] .

Damage Reduction – Unlike a living being, merely hitting a ship will not

significantly damage the hull; no number of arrows is going to sink a ship. (An

Crawl! no.11 Page 5

Ship Examples

Sh i p N a m e: Pi n ta Sh i p Type: Ca ra vel

Len gth : 62’ Bea m : 1 7’ D ra u gh t: 1 0’

D R: 1 0 H P: 527

Propu l si on : Sa i l s Top Speed : 6 kn ots (si x 1 5’ h exes/rou n d )

Crew: 26 Arm a m en ts: 4 x 8 pou n d ers

Sh i p N a m e: Sa n ta M a ri a Sh i p Type: Ca rra ck

Len gth : 62’ Bea m : 1 8’ D ra u gh t: 1 0’

D R: 1 0 H P: 558

Propu l si on : Sa i l s Top Speed : 6 kn ots (si x 1 5’ h exes/rou n d )

Crew: 40 Arm a m en ts: 4 x 1 6 pou n d ers

1 x 1 2 pou n d er

Sh i p N a m e: Ad l er von Lü beck Sh i p Type: G a l l eon

Len gth : 257’ Bea m : 48’ D ra u gh t: 1 7’

D R: 20 H P: 61 68

Propu l si on : Sa i l s Top Speed : 9 kn ots (n i n e 1 5’ h exes/rou n d )

Crew: 3 50 + 650 m a ri n es Arm a m en ts: 1 3 8 ca n n on

Bron ze gu n s- 8 x 48 pou n d ers

6 x 24 pou n d ers

26 x 1 0 pou n d ers

4 x 5 pou n d ers

8 x 3 pou n d er

Iron G u n s- 1 0 x 6 pou n d ers

40 x 1 ½ pou n d ers

3 6 x sm a l l ca l i bre

Crawl! no.11 Page 6

Sh i p N a m e: M a rd öl l Sh i p Type: Skei d (Vi ki n g Lon gsh i p)

Len gth : 98’ Bea m : 8’ D ra u gh t: 3 ’

D R: 4 H P: 3 92

Propu l si on : O a rs Top Speed (oa rs): 1 5 kn ots (fi fteen 1 5’ h exes/rou n d )

Propu l si on : Sa i l s Top Speed (sa i l s): 20 kn ots (twen ty 1 5’ h exes/rou n d )

Crew : 70 Arm a m en ts: N on e

Sh i p N a m e: G u n gn i r Sh i p Type: Sn ekkj a (Vi ki n g Wa rsh i p)

Len gth : 57’ Bea m : 8’ D ra u gh t: 3 ’

D R: 8 H P: 228

Propu l si on : O a rs Top Speed (oa rs): 5 kn ots (fi ve 1 5’ h exes/rou n d )

Propu l si on : Sa i l s Top Speed (sa i l s): 1 2 kn ots (twel ve 1 5’ h exes/rou n d )

Crew: 3 0 Arm a m en ts: N on e

From these examples, you can see that larger ships certainly can be far more

resilient. Once cannon enter the fray, things can get quite deadly. When one

looks at the damage resistance and hit points given to some vessels, it can be

quite intimidating, but considering the damage cannons can do, those numbers

come into perspective pretty quickly.

Crawl! no.11 Page 7

example would be the USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides”. During battle with the

HMS Guerriere many incoming shots simply rebounded from her hull. ) The ship’s

Damage Reduction reflects the amount of damage required to pierce the hull and

physically damage the vessel. Certain weapons, such as axes, can lower the damage

resistance of a specific area through prolonged use.

A ship with a damage resistance of 0 is no longer sea-worthy and immediately

begins to sink. The ship will be completely submerged in 1 d5 turns.

Armor Class – (Not shown) For purposes of targeting, all ships at sea have an AC of

15 for any proj ectile weapon. Hand-to-hand weapons, at melee distance, cannot

miss.

Handling
While a vessel at sea is fairly easy to maintain in a relatively straight direction,

vessels cannot simply turn in place. In combat and moving forward, a ship under

sail may side-slip one hex to port or starboard once per four hexes moved forward.

It may change its facing once per round.

In combat and moving forward, an oar-powered vessel may side-slip one hex to

port or starboard for every two hexes moved forward. It may change its facing

twice per round and, if stationary, may rotate in place.

Aground – Running aground can have devastating effects to a sailing ship. The ship

stops near immediately with the resulting shock causing 5 x knots damage to the

ship. A vessel aground cannot maneuver and often requires the high tide to float

her off. For combat purposes, the ship will remain stuck (barring magical aid) until

the end of the combat.

Foundering – More dangerous than running aground is a ship no longer under

effective control. Without crew to keep the helm steady the ship is in dire danger of

beginning to sink. A ship with one quarter or less its crew capacity must make a

Luck check each round to avoid beginning to sink.

Armaments
To avoid too much “crunch” we are going to skip gun crew sizes and the like. Naval

combat should flow as smoothly as regular combat in DCC RPG.

Cannon – Cannons came in a variety of sizes or “pound ratings” (#). That rating

was the weight of the proj ectile(s) fired by the cannon. There were also guns of

bronze and guns of iron. Bronze guns were longer, safer, and more reliable (+1 to

hit bonus). Iron guns were far less expensive, but prone to explode into deadly

shrapnel on a misfire. The largest guns ever mounted aboard ship in the age of sail

were 48 pounders, but such a thing was very rare and guns that size were usually

used for coastal batteries. Common ratings were 6-pounders, 8-pounders, 9-

Crawl! no.11 Page 8

 Table 1 -1 : Armaments & Ammunition

We a p o n D a m a ge DR Ra n ge Ro F Co st

Ca n n o n , b ro n z e 1 d 1 0 /# 1 D R/# 6 0 ’/# (4 h e xe s ) 1 /1 0 rn d s 1 0 0 0 /#

“Lo n g 9 ” 9d 1 0 9 DR 9 0 0 ’ (6 0 h e xe s ) 1 /1 0 rn d s 9500

Ca n n o n , i ro n 1 d 1 0 /# 1 D R/# 6 0 ’/# (4 h e xe s ) 1 /1 0 rn d s 5 0 0 /#

Ca ta p u l t* 4d 8 2 D R/h i t 6 0 0 ’ (40 h e xe s ) 1 /4 rn d s 500

Fi re -Th ro we r 2 d 1 0 + b u rn 1 D R/rn d 45 ’ (3 h e xe s ) 1 /2 ro u n d s 40 0

Am m u n i ti o n Co st i n G P

B a l l - s h o t (i ro n ) 1 /#

B a l l - s h o t (s to n e ) * * 5 s p /#

Ca ta p u l t S to n e 5

Ch a i n - s h o t 2 /#

G ra p e - s h o t 5 s p /#

G re e k Fi re 2 5 gp

# P o u n d ra ti n g

* Ca ta p u l ts m a y u s e i m p ro vi s e d a m m u n i ti o n , re d u ci n g th e a cti o n d i e b y 1 d o n th e d i ce ch a i n .

* * B a l l - s h o t (s to n e ) i n cre a s e s gu n m i s fi re ch a n ce b y 1 .

pounders, 1 2 -pounders, 1 8-pounders, 2 4-pounders, and 36-pounders. In addition,

some vessels used a single “Long 9” bow or stern chaser that had an extended

barrel and greater range. Due to the fragility of those areas aboard ship, nothing

larger could be used.

Hits from cannon, even small bore cannon, are not survivable by normal men. A

direct hit from a cannon is a fatal hit. However, cannon at sea are not so accurate

as to allow for them to be aimed at an individual without the use of the Precision

Shot or similar mighty deed.

Damage from cannon is figured as 1 d1 0 per “poundage”, rounded to 5 points for

those not wanting to roll massive amounts of dice. Damage from cannon fire

reduces the ship’s DR by 1 for each pound rating of the gun. Remove one crew for

every 2 5 points of damage, rounding up. PCs on deck must make a Luck check or

roll on Table 1-5: Brutal Injuries.

The effective range of a cannon is (poundage x 60’). Range increments are 300’

Crawl! no.11 Page 9

each, with each increment reducing the damage by 1 die and a maximum

additional range of 900’.

The rate of fire for cannons is set to the high-average British naval broadside rate of

three broadsides in five minutes or, in game terms, once every ten rounds.

Variations
Chain Shot – Fire d to dismast ship s, chain sho t is use d at 1 he x o r le ss. The

ammunitio n is ve ry inaccurate , due to the tumb ling nature of its flight

(incurring a -3 p e nalty) . Each succe ssful hit re duce s the to p sp e e d o f a sailing

ship by 1 kno t (1 5 ’ /ro und) .

Double loading – Cannons may be double loaded with solid shot. This halves the

range, but doubles damage. PCs on deck must make a Luck check or roll on Table
1-5: Brutal Injuries.

Grape Shot – Grape shot may be used to sweep the decks while at ½ effective

range. This reduces damage to half, which is then split between the vessel and the

crew. Remove one crew for every 4 points of damage, rounding down. PCs on deck

must make a Luck check or roll on Table 1-5: Brutal Injuries, adding one to the

table result.

Catapults – As early as 1 00BC, and as recently as the 1 300s, shipboard catapults

were used to target other vessels. Due to their arcing fire, catapults were useless

against anything within 1 00’ of the ship. These light catapults fire proj ectiles that do

4d8 damage with a rate of fire of 1 shot every 4 rounds and have a range of 2 hexes.

This weapon cannot crit.

Fire-Throwers – Used as late as the 1 1 th century, naval fire-throwers were short

range weapons that emitted streams of Greek fire. A spray from a fire-thrower does

2 d1 0 points of damage, ignoring the DR of wooden ships. The fire reduces the ships

DR by 1 and continues to lower it by one per round until extinguished. The fire

continues to burn for half damage until extinguished by smothering the blaze with

sand, vinegar, or the like. Short of being completely submerged, water will NOT

extinguish Greek fire. Shooting forth a fiery spray of over 1 ,000 °C at a close range

of 45 ’, this is a weapon that could easily turn the tide of battle, if it didn’t explode.

This weapon fumbles on a 1 -2 (see Table 1-4: Fire-Thrower Fumbles).

Special Combat Manuevers

Boarding – A ship may close side by side to allow crew to board. The ship must be

in the same hex, and traveling in the same direction, as the target vessel. 4 crew per

1 0’ of target length may board each subsequent round.

Crossing the T – A ship may attempt to cross the bow of a pursuing vessel and

bring their guns to bear without fear of a return broadside from their target. As

Crawl! no.11 Page 10

Crawl! no.11 Page 11
they sail across they may fire a rolling broadside down the length of the enemy

ship. The attacking ship must be within a minimum of 1 5 0’ of the target to attempt

this maneuver.

Ramming – Heedless of the cost, a vessel may ram another as an act of desperation.

This causes great damage to both vessels, often tangling them together in a horrid

mass of grinding timber and wailing wounded. The attacking ship must be in the

same hex as the target ship. The target ship takes damage equal to ten times the

attacking vessels DR, while the attacking vessel takes half that in superstructure

damage. For such an attack there is a 5 0% chance (the roll for which can be

modified by PCs spending luck in either direction) that the two ships become

entangled for 1 d5 turns, bringing the ships to a halt.

The PCs
While all this nautical combat is going on, it can be expected that the PCs are not

standing idly by waiting to be killed. PCs should be free to attack the opposing ship

or crew at will and by any means mundane or magical that they can work out.

Treat magical attacks as having DR reduction of 1 per spell level. Weapons such as

battle axes and war hammers are capable of reducing the DR of a portion of the

ship by one with each hit. This vulnerable area is represented by a DR reduction for

the incoming fire of one weapon. Of course, being at such close range can be very

hazardous. Of course, no PC should think that they can single-handedly sink an

enemy vessel with an axe but the information is included because, frankly,

someone will try.

Drowning
Swimming was not a popular pastime until the 1 800s and, as such, swimming is not

a common skill. In fact, you’ll note that most character careers have nothing to do

with swimming. Even common sailors don’t know how to swim. This means that

going overboard is bad, very bad. PCs may hold their breath for a number of turns

equal to their stamina. After that, they begin to drown. Once drowning begins they

must make a DC 1 5 Fortitude save, each round, or black out and begin to sink into

the depths.

Crawl! no.11 Page 12

Crawl! no.11 Page 13
 Tables: Cannon Crits, Fire-

Table 1 -2: Cannon Crits

1 H i t a t Wa te rl i n e S h i p ta ke s o n wa te r, re d u ce s p e e d b y h a l f.

2 S te e ri n g D a m a ge d S h i p n o l o n ge r a b l e to tu rn .

3 Ca p ta i n Ki l l e d S h i p u n a b l e to a ct o th e r th a n co n ti n u i n g s tra i gh t fo r 3

ro u n d s .

4 S h ra p n e l S h a rd s o f wo o d ki l l 5 cre w, P Cs o n d e ck m a ke l u ck

ch e ck o r ro l l o n b ru ta l i n j u ry ta b l e .

Table 1 -3: Cannon Fumbles

1 M i s fi re Gun m u st be b ro u g h t b a ck to b e a r, m i ss n e xt s h o t.

2 Gun D i s m o u n te d Gun j u m ps i ts m o u n ti n g s , l ose on e cre w a n d n e xt 2

s h o ts .

3 S e ri o u s M i s fi re Lose 4 cre w a n d n e xt 4 s h o ts .

4 Can n on D e s tro ye d B ro n ze ca n n o n d e s tro ye d /I ro n guns e xp l o d e ca u s i n g

h al f d am ag e to s u rro u n d i n g cre w. PCs on d e ck m u s t

m a ke a l u ck ch e ck o r ro l l on th e B ru ta l I n j u ry Ta b l e .

Table 1 -4: Fire-Thrower Crits

1 S a i l s Ab l a ze M o ve m e n t re d u ce d b y h a l f.

2 S we e p th e D e ck D e ck s we p t fo r cre w d a m a g e . Re d u ce cre w b y 1

fo r e ve ry 4 p o i n ts of d am ag e.

3 F i re a t Wa te rl i n e Th e si d e o f th e ve s s e l is h i t. Th e fi re C AN N O T b e

e xti n g u i s h e d wi th o u t e xtra o rd i n a ry m e a n s , s u ch as

m a g i c.

4 C a p ta i n /P C I m m o l a te d C a p ta i n of N PC ve s s e l is ki l l e d . Th e sh i p is u n abl e

to a ct fo r th e n e xt th re e ro u n d s o th e r th a n to sai l

s tra i g h t. On PC ve s s e l , PC wi th l o we s t l u ck i s

ca u g h t i n th e b l a ze fo r 1 d 1 0 p o i n ts o f fi re d am ag e.

Th e fi re wi l l co n ti n u e b u rn i n g at h al f d am ag e u n ti l

e xti n g u i s h e d (as p e r F i re ­ Th ro we r) .

Crawl! no.11 Page 14

-Thrower Fumbles & More!

Table 1 -5: Fire-Thrower Fumbles

1 M i s fi re Atta cki n g sh i p h i t b y s p ra y, ta ke s 2d 1 0 d am ag e

fro m G re e k fi re .

2 B l a zi n g M i s fi re S p ra y o f G re e k fi re wa s h e s a cro s s th e d e ck. Sh i p

ta ke s 4d 1 0 d am ag e fro m G re e k fi re an d l oses 1

cre w fo r e ve ry 1 0 p o i n ts of d am ag e.

3 E xp l o s i o n Sh i p ta ke s 1 0d 1 0 p o i n ts of d am ag e fro m G re e k

fi re an d i m m e d i a te l y b e g i n s to s i n k. Lose 1 cre w

fo r e ve ry 5 p o i n ts of d am ag e. PCs a b o a rd m u st

m a ke a l u ck ch e ck o r b e h i t fo r 1 d 1 0 p o i n ts o f fi re

d am ag e. Th e fi re wi l l co n ti n u e b u rn i n g at h al f

d am ag e u n ti l e xti n g u i s h e d (as p e r F i re ­ Th ro we r) .

Table 1 -6: Brutal Injuries

Naval co mb at is de adly. B e yo nd the inco ming gunne ry fire , the re is the adde d

dange rs o f flying “sp linte rs” (o fte n se ve ral fe e t lo ng) , falling masts and sp ars,

e ntangling ro p e s, and mo re . S imp ly standing on a de ck during a co mb at is

asking to b e kille d…

1 B ro ke n s h a rd s o f wo o d p i e rce yo u r a b d o m e n . Ta ke 1 d8 p o i n ts d am ag e.

2 Fal l i n g ti m b e rs cru s h yo u r l e g , p e rm a n e n tl y re d u ci n g yo u r m o ve m e n t b y 1 0 ' .

Ta ke 2d 4 d am ag e

3 Fal l i n g ti m b e rs cru s h b o th o f yo u r l e g s , re d u ci n g th e i r m o ve m e n t b y 2 0 ' .

M o ve m e n t re d u ce d to ze ro re fl e cts p a ra p l e g i a . Ta ke 2d 8 d am ag e.

4 An e xp l o s i o n o f wo o d s e ve rs a l eg . Ta ke 2d 4 p o i n ts d am ag e + 1 HP per

ro u n d u n ti l th e bl eed i n g is s ta u n ch e d .

5 Fal l i n g ti m b e rs cru s h an d s e ve r yo u r o ff­ h a n d . Ta ke 1 d6 p o i n ts d am ag e.

6 Fel l i n g ti m b e rs cru s h an d s e ve r yo u r d o m i n a n t h a n d . PC m u st u se o ff h a n d

(see two ­ h a n d e d co m b a t) . Ta ke 1 d6 p o i n ts of d am ag e.

7 S p l i n te rs fl y i n to yo u r e ye s . C h a ra cte r i s bl i n d fo r 2 4 h o u rs an d m u s t m a ke a

fo rt s a ve a g a i n s t th e a tta ck ro l l . On a fa i l u re on e e ye is p e rm a n e n tl y g o u g e d

fro m th e i r h e a d . Ta ke 1 d4 p o i n ts of d am ag e.

Crawl! no.11 Page 15

Nautical
Mighty Deeds
By B o b B rinkman

Mighty Deeds of Boarding

3 Th e Wa rri o r i s abl e to b o a rd an en em y sh i p wi th i n ra n g e (l eapi n g

o r s wi n g i n g ) .

4 Th e Wa rri o r i s abl e to b o a rd an en em y sh i p wi th i n ra n g e (l eapi n g

o r s wi n g i n g ) , an d kn o cks an e n e m y cre wm a n o ve rb o a rd . Re d u ce

opposi n g cre w b y 1 .

5 Th e Wa rri o r i s abl e to b o a rd an en em y sh i p wi th i n ra n g e (l eapi n g

o r s wi n g i n g ) , wre s ti n g co n tro l o f th e sh i p's s te e ri n g fo r 1 d 4

ro u n d s .

6 Th e Wa rri o r i s abl e to b o a rd an en em y sh i p wi th i n ra n g e (l eapi n g

o r s wi n g i n g ) , an d wre s t co n tro l of on e sh i p's we a p o n . I f l oad ed ,

th e we a p o n m ay be fi re d . (Can n on s m ay be tu rn e d i n wa rd s . )

7+ Th e Wa rri o r i s abl e to b o a rd an en em y sh i p wi th i n ra n g e (l eapi n g

o r s wi n g i n g ) an d i m m e d i a te l y e n g a g e th e e n e m y C a p ta i n .

Crawl! no.11 Page 16

 Mighty Deeds of Gunnery (Cannon)

3 Th e Wa rri o r’ s s ki l l fu l g u n n e ry ta rg e ts th e s te e ri n g o f th e en em y

ve s s e l . Th e ta rg e t ve s s e l m ay on l y sai l in a s tra i g h t l i n e fo r 1 d 5

Tu rn s

4 Th e Wa rri o r i s abl e to p i ck o u t a si n g l e ta rg e t a n d fi re d i re ctl y a t

th e m wi th th e g u n s. Ta rg e t m a ke s a DC 1 5 Re fl e x s a ve to a vo i d

bei n g ki l l e d .

5 Th e Wa rri o r’ s p re ci s i o n ta rg e ts an en em y g u n cre w, d e s tro yi n g

th e we a p o n an d d oi n g an a d d i ti o n a l die of d am ag e to th e ve s s e l .

6 Wa rri o r’ s ca n n o n s h o t s tri ke s th e ta rg e t ve s s e l b e l o w th e

wa te rl i n e . Th e sh i p’s speed is re d u ce d by h al f an d th e ve s s e l wi l l

si n k i n 1 d1 6 tu rn s . Ad d i ti o n a l wa te rl i n e h i ts d e cre a s e th i s ti m e by

1 d4 tu rn s .

7+ Th e Wa rri o r’ s g u n n e ry s ki l l is so g re a t th a t i t i n s p i re s th e gun

cre ws to s u p e r­ h u m a n speed . Re d u ce re l o a d i n g ti m e of sh i p’ s

we a p o n ry b y 1 ro u n d .

Mighty Deeds of Piracy

3 Th e Wa rri o r i s abl e to re d u ce e n e m y m o ra l e th ro u g h

b l o o d cu rd l i n g s h o u ts an d s cre a m s . E n em i es wi th i n 20' m u st

i m m e d i a te l y m a ke a m o ra l e ch e ck o r fl e e th e i r s ta ti o n .

4 Th e Wa rri o r i s abl e to re d u ce e n e m y m o ra l e th ro u g h

b l o o d cu rd l i n g s h o u ts an d s cre a m s . E n em i es re ce i ve a ­1 p e n a l ty

to m o ra l e ch e cks fo r th e re s t o f th e ro u n d wh i l e th e wa rri o r

re ce i ve s a +1 a tta ck b o n u s as he d ri ve s his fo e s b a ck to wa rd s th e

sea.

5 Th e Wa rri o r' s a tta cks a re so fi e rce th a t, ra th e r th a n fi g h t h i m , 1 d4

cre w wi l l i m m e d i a te l y m u ti n y a n d tu rn to fi g h t b y h i s si d e.

6 So fe a rs o m e is th e Wa rri o r' s vi s a g e , so fi e rce his a tta cks th a t h e

seem s to be a cre a tu re fro m th e p i t. Al l en em i es wi th i n si g h t m u st

m a ke a m o ra l ch e ck o r fl e e b e fo re him.

7+ L i ke th e m o s t l e g e n d a ry o f p i ra te s , th e Wa rri o r i s abl e to so

re d u ce e n e m y m o ra l e th a t, fa i l i n g a m o ra l e ch e ck, th e y s tri ke th e i r

co l o rs an d s u rre n d e r.

Crawl! no.11 Page 17

Fantastic Forms
Of Sea Ship
Propulsion And
Their Congenital
Complications
by Re v. D ak J. Ultimak

1 Sunj ets - The sun’s light is cap ture d by mirro re d p arab o las that

funne l the p o we r o ut the ste rn, like glo wing j e ts, p ro p e lling the ship

fo rward. The j e ts do n’ t wo rk at night o r o n clo udy days.

2 Starsails - S tarlight fills the sails at night, p ro p e lling the craft in any

dire ctio n. D uring the day, the sails will o nly fill, and o nly p artially,

whe n the starb o ard side o f the ship is facing e ast fro m mo rning

until j ust b e fo re no o n. And whe n the starb o ard side is facing we st in

the afte rno o n. Fo r 2 d1 0 minute s b e fo re and afte r high-no o n, the

star sails wo n’ t functio n.

3 Moonsails - Mo o nlight fills the sails, e ve n whe n the sun ist o ut. B ut

the y wo n’ t fill o the rwise . Yo ur mo o n’s p lane tary o rb it may vary.

4 Eel-ship - Two -ro ws o f o p e n se ating straddle a giant e e l. The e e l-

minde r stands at the fo re , o ne fo o t on the e e l' s he ad, ho lding

stirrup s to ste e r. The y’ ll ne e d to b e fe d and te nde d to re gularly o r

the y may ge t sick o r e ve n die . The y’ re also fish fo o d fo r the large r

fish in the se a.

5 Turtle Ship - The ship is b uilt-o ut in the she lls o f care fully b re d

giant turtle s. Mo stly fo und in military navie s and p irate ship s. The y

must b e fe d re gularly o r the y may se e k o ut the ir o wn fo o d, do wn in

the de e p s which risks dro wning and suffo catio n fo r the p asse nge rs.

6 Musicship - S o me time in the p ast, mo rtals made a de al with the

Go dde ss o f the S e a, if the y sing he r a so ng, she ’ ll b le ss b o ats with

Crawl! no.11 Page 18

 p e rfe ct wave s to p ush the craft fo rward. This has cre ate d the ne e d

o f a ste ady stab le o f ship -singe rs. Fo r as lo ng as the re is b e autiful

singing, the ship will mo ve . Unfo rtunate ly the Go ds o f the Wind, S ky

and S to rms are j e alo us, and chance s o f b ad we athe r incre ase s by

2 5 %.

7 Skeleton Crews - Ne cro mance rs have fo und se afaring a p ro fitab le

e nde avo r, b e co ming skip p e rs of se a ship s ro we d by unde ad

ske le to ns. Cle rics of Lawful D e itie s may cause disco mfo rt and

p o ssib ly aggre ssio n fro m the o the rwise ne ve r e nding ro we rs.

8 Wind Wraiths - Wraiths fill the we b -like sails. As with unde ad

ro we rs, cle rics o f Lawful de itie s may aggravate the wraiths. Eve n

the mo st p o we rful ne cro mance r-skip p e r may have tro ub le

co ntro lling an angry wraith.

Wind Wraith: Init + 5 ; Atk life drain + 6 me le e (1 d3 te mp o rary S tamina lo ss) ;

AC 1 6 ; HD 5 d8 ; MV fly 40’ ; Act 1 d2 0; S P inco rp o re al, immune to no n-magical

we ap o ns, sp awn, unde ad traits; SV Fo rt + 4, Re f + 8 ; Will + 7 ; AL C.

Wind Wraiths ap p e ar as dark gre y

inco rp o re al b e ings in the ge ne ral shap e

o f a man. The y are the angry sp irits

o f b itte r sailo rs that die d at se a.

The fe e ling o f b e trayal

p e rme ate s the air

aro und the m,

e sp e cially whe n the y

attack. If a PC’s

S tamina is

co mp le te ly draine d,

the PC will

imme diate ly die .

In 1 d3 ro unds,

the darke ne d

sp irit will rip

fro m the

co rp se ,

b e co ming a

wind wraith

e nslave d by

its cre ato r.

Crawl! no.11 Page 19

The Deep

Elders
By D anie l J. B isho p

Crawl! no.11 Page 20

In Po rtsmo uth, sailo rs whisp e r o f the de e p e lde rs, tho ugh fe w have e ve r

me t the m.

The se cre ature s ap p e ar to b e glo wing starfish who se “arms” b ranch o ut

again and again to fo rm a co mp le x lace wo rk o f fib e rs se ve n fe e t in

diame te r. The y are said to live in p alace s o f mo ttle d gre e n sto ne and

p o rp hyry b e ne ath the de e p e st p art o f the o ce ans, b ut the y can co me to

the surface , dancing b e ne ath the wave s, o r e ve n ho ve r ab o ve the wate rs

fo r up to an ho ur b e fo re de sce nding again to the wave s’ e mb race . S o me

have se e n the m ap p e ar b e fo re sto rms, and vie w the m as go o d luck –

warning against dange rs to co me . O the rs have atte mp te d to fle e fro m

the m, o nly to disco ve r that the de e p e lde rs can e asily match the swifte st

ship , whe the r the y flo at within the wate r o r ab o ve it. Tho se who have

le arne d the truth do no t te ll tale s.

The de e p e lde rs are se rvants of D ago n, ab le to “te the r” the mse lve s

p sychically to any ve sse l, maintaining the ir re lative p o sitio ns witho ut

visib le e ffo rt. Each de e p e lde r glo ws (1 d5 ; 1 -2 b lue , 3 -4 gre e n, o r 5 a so ft

ye llo w, ) and has ab ilitie s de p e nding up o n its aura.

B lue e lde rs are ab le to cast we athe r co ntro l o nce p e r we e k, with a + 7

b o nus to the sp e ll che ck. The y use this p o we r to cre ate and e nhance

maritime sto rms, se e king the re afte r to co me up o n sailo rs alo ne in the

dark and driving rain. The e lde r do e s no t suffe r disap p ro val o n a faile d

che ck.

Gre e n e lde rs can e nthrall a single targe t o nce per we e k, which must

succe e d o n a D C 1 5 Will save o r do no thing fo r 2 d6 ro unds afte r b e ing

e nthralle d. A targe t who fails this save canno t de fe nd itse lf against the

gre e n e lde r that e nthralle d it, altho ugh it can de fe nd itse lf against

o the rs.

Ye llo w e lde rs can cast ray o f e nfe e b le me nt o nce per we e k with a +4

b o nus to the sp e ll che ck and no sp e llb urn re quire d. The e lde r do e s no t

suffe r misfire o r co rrup tio n o n a natural “1 ” o n this che ck. It use s this

ab ility to we ake n lo ne watchme n on ship s or do ckside s b e fo re

atte mp ting to p o sse ss the m.

All de e p e lde rs can atte mp t to p o sse ss any living cre ature thro ugh any

o rifice it co me s into succe ssful co ntact with (re quiring a me le e attack

ro ll at +4 to hit, which cause s no damage ) . Unle ss the cre ature is

Crawl! no.11 Page 21

e nthralle d, it can atte mp t to re sist e ach ro und with a DC 15 S tre ngth

che ck. The co nte st e nds whe n the targe t fails a third S tre ngth che ck o r

manage s to slay o r drive the de e p e lde r away. A de e p e lde r will fle e if

re duce d to 5 o r fe we r hit p o ints.

Possessed Characters
The re is no re aso n why a p laye r must re linquish a p o sse sse d characte r. The

j udge may simp ly allo w he r to co ntinue o n, ke e p ing the p o sse ssio n se cre t,

while o b e ying j udge -de rive d mandate s to aid in D ago n’s insidio us p lans fo r

the surface wo rld. Adj ust the characte r using the fo llo wing ste p s:

Ke e p th e ch a ra cte r ’s S tre n gth , Agi l i ty, a n d S ta m i n a .

Re ro l l I n te l l i ge n ce u s i n g 4d 6 (m a x 1 8 ) a n d P e rs o n a l i ty u s i n g 2 d 6 (m i n 3 ) .

Re ro l l Lu ck u s i n g 3 d 6 .

M a i n ta i n th e ch a ra cte r ’s cu rre n t h i t p o i n ts , s a ve m o d i fi e rs , a n d a tta ck ro l l

bon u s.

Th e e l d e r- p o s s e s s e d ch a ra cte r ca n n o t a cce s s Deed Di e, spel l s, or s ki l l s

(i n cl u d i n g th i e f s ki l l s ) .

Th e ch a ra cte r ca n a cce s s th e e l d e r ’s s p e ci a l co l o r- b a s e d a b i l i ty, as

d e s cri b e d i n th e m a i n te xt.

Tre a t th e ch a ra cte r a s a 0 - l e ve l ch a ra cte r a n d s ta rt a n e w XP to ta l a t 0. At

1 0 XP, th e el d er ca n ch o o s e a cl a s s (o r b e gi n to ga i n l e ve l s in i ts d em i -

h u m a n cl a s s ) . Th e b o n u s e s fo r th i s cl a s s s ta ck wi th th e s ta rti n g h i t p o i n ts ,

s a ve m o d i fi e rs , a n d a tta ck ro l l b o n u s .

I f th e e l d e r e n d s p o s s e s s i o n fo r wh a te ve r re a s o n , th e ch a ra cte r ’s o ri gi n a l

I n te l l i ge n ce , P e rs o n a l i ty, and Lu ck a re re s to re d . Th e ch a ra cte r re ga i n s

a cce s s to o l d cl a s s a b i l i ti e s a n d l o s e s a cce s s to cl a s s a b i l i ti e s ga i n e d b y th e

e l d e r. H o we ve r, th e ch a ra cte r ga i n s ½ th e XP e a rn e d b y th e e l d e r d u ri n g

possessi on , and may ga i n n ew l e ve l s in his o ri gi n a l cl a s s th e re b y or th e

cl a s s u s e d b y th e e l d e r.

Crawl! no.11 Page 22

A de e p e lde r who succe ssfully p o sse sse s a cre ature we ars it like a suit.

The cre ature re mains aware o f all that o ccurs, b ut has no co ntro l o f its

b o dy. Unle ss the cre ature has so me fo rm of p sychic p o we rs, it is

e ffe ctive ly he lp le ss to re sist the e lde r’s co ntro l. A cle ric may sile ntly b e g

fo r divine inte rve ntio n (D C 1 0) o r a wiz ard fo r his p atro n’s aid (D C 1 5

Pe rso nality che ck) o nce e ach day to thro w the de e p e lde r o ut o f its b o dy,

b ut with e ach failure the D C incre ase s by + 2 .

O nce in a b o dy, a de e p e lde r can survive o utside the o ce an inde finite ly.

The y re tain the ab ility to make any p art o f the ir ho st b o dy glo w with an

aura o f the ap p ro p riate co lo r, e ffe ctive ly illuminating a 5’ radius. In

additio n, the y co ntinue to e nj oy the ir co lo r-b ase d sp e cial p o we rs within

the ho st b o dy – save that a ye llo w e lde r’s b o dy can suffe r co rrup tio n o n

a natural “1 ” fo r its ray o f e nfe e b le me nt sp e ll che ck (b ut any misfire is

igno re d) .

D e e p e lde rs usually p o sse ss humano ids, b ut may p o sse ss any cre ature

the siz e o f a cat o r large r. D ago n has p lans fo r the wo rld o f the surface -

dwe lle rs, and the de e p e lde rs are His hidde n age nts, acting o ut His will

e ve n far fro m the se a. The y may act to de stab iliz e go ve rnme nts, start

wars, assassinate individuals, or carry o ut raids on o p p o sing cultists.

S o me simp ly o b se rve , carrying ne ws o f the surface lands to o the r age nts

o f D ago n as the S caly Go d co mmands.

Po sse ssio n may b e e nde d by me ans of a b anish sp e ll, a Turn Unho ly

che ck (Lawful o r Ne utral cle ric) o f 2 5 + aime d at the p o sse sse d b e ing, o r

a succe ssful b inding. An e victe d de e p e lde r must find a ne w ho st or

re ach the o ce an within o ne ho ur, o r it will die .

FT 2: The Portsmouth Mermaid (Purp le D uck Game s) include s

intrigue b e twe e n the cults of Cthulhu and D ago n. Judge s are

e nco urage d to use this info rmatio n o n de e p e lde rs to e nhance that (and

o the r) adve nture s. No t e ve ry citiz e n of Po rtsmo uth is e xactly as he

ap p e ars to b e . No r, fo r that matte r, is e ve ry stray do ckside mo ngre l o r

alb atro ss whe e ling in the sky.

Deep Elder: Init + 0; Atk to uch + 4 me le e (initiate p o sse ssio n) o r lash + 6

me le e (1 d5 ) ; AC 1 4; HD 4d8 + 4; MV 1 0’ o r swim 3 0’ o r fly 2 0’ ; Act 1 d2 0; S P

p sychic te the r, p o sse ssio n, co lo r-b ase d magical attack; SV Fo rt +2, Re f

+ 2 , Will + 8 ; AL C.

Crawl! no.11 Page 23

Life Aboard
by S e an Ellis

In Crawl! #7, Kirin Ro b inso n re co mme nds an uno rtho do x me tho d fo r running

adve nture s in labyrinths. Rathe r than have the game -maste r map a maz e and

co unt o n the PCs to co rre ctly re co rd and navigate it, Ro b inso n invite s the j udge

to se rve clue s to the PCs and use dwindling re so urce s as a ticking time b o mb to

e nco urage quick thinking. O nce the se clue s are so lve d, so is the labyrinth. And

if starvatio n and wande ring mo nste rs have cause d a lo ss o f S tamina or hit

p o ints, the n so b e it!

That, to me , is the e p ito me o f o ld-scho o l gaming: a line ar o b j e ctive (re scue the

p rince ss) co mp licate d by rando m o b stacle s (dice ro lls, trap s, wande ring

mo nste rs) . I use a similar p ro ce dure fo r wate r voyage . O lde r fantasy RPGs have

no de ficit o f charts and tab le s indicating that a j o urne y is b lo wn X de gre e s o ff

co urse o r whate ve r, b ut o ur unde rlying go al is a fun adve nture . Le t' s face it,

unle ss the j udge has p lanne d a side adve nture , we b asically want the PCs to

arrive at the ir go al. We j ust want to se e the m challe nge d and e ngage d alo ng the

way. S o , first things first. Whe re are we go ing?

Time and Distance

A j udge sho uld calculate the distance o f the trip , and the n calculate ho w lo ng it

will take to ge t the re . Acco rding to p age 3 08 o f the DCC RPG rulebook, wate r

sp e e ds range fro m five mile s a day with a raft to 9 6 mile s a day with a galle y.

Assume that the cap tain has sto ckp ile d twice the fo o d ne ce ssary to ge t his cre w

the re . No w the challe nge is to ge t to the o b j e ctive with the allo tte d re so urce s.

D ivide the j o urne y into e ithe r days, we e ks, or mo nths. This is yo ur Time

Increment . Re alistically winds can shift ho urly. Fo r the sake o f b re vity, we will

be ro lling fo r an ave rage o f wind sp e e ds o ve r the time incre me nt yo u have

se le cte d.

Ship Morale

First, le t' s se e what life is like ab o ard the ship . Ro ll 1 d2 0 on Table 5-1 : Ship
Morale. Ro lls that affe ct life ab o ard the ship alre ady re p re se nts the b e st e ffo rts

Crawl! no.11 Page 24

of a ship ’s cap tain and

cre w, and the re fo re Luck Table 5-1 : Ship Morale

canno t b e b urne d to affe ct

this ro ll.
Roll Morale Wind Adj . Crew Die

This ro ll p ro vide s mo re

than co lo r. A p ro p e rly 0 o r le ss Mutino us -3 d 1 d1 0

mo tivate d cre w ge ts 1 -3 Ho stile -2 d 1 d8

b o nuse s fo r all che cks to

4-9 Laggardly -1 d 1 d7

re main o n-co urse , is much

1 0-1 4 Indiffe re nt 0 1 d6
kinde r to any landlub b e rs
1 5 -1 8 Mo tivate d +1d 1 d4
ab o ard, and is mo re

1 9 -2 0 D e dicate d +2d 1 d3
e fficie nt o ve rall. Wind

Adj ustment (Wind Adj . ) 21+ Crack +3d 1 d2

mo difie s the wind sp e e d

ro ll b e lo w.

D e p e nding o n the cre w' s mo o d, an e ve nt may b e handle d with mo re o r le ss skill

o r atte ntio n. Whe ne ve r an e ve nt is ro lle d o n Table 5-3: On-board Events , yo u

may also ne e d to ro ll the Crew Die . S e e individual the e ve nts to se e ho w the die

co me s to p lay.

Wind Speed

We start ro lling wind sp e e ds with a d2 0, adj uste d up o r do wn a die o r mo re

acco rding to the Wind Adj ustment . A mo re mo tivate d and o p timistic cre w

te nds to ge t mo re o ut o f the ir rigging and wind. S o a mo tivate d cre w ro lls have

a chance at b e tte r winds.

Table 5-2: Wind Speed

Roll 3 or less 4-7 8-14 15-17 18 +

Wind In Iro ns Light Airs Mo de rate Airs He avy Airs Gale Winds

Speed 0 d% o f S P No rmal S P+ d% 2 x SP

In Irons: The re is no wind, and the o nly p ro gre ss can b e made by ro wing (if

p o ssib le ) . If a cre w is re quire d to ro w mo re than o ne we e k, tho se additio nal

we e ks have the ir sp e e d re duce d by 2 5 % due to fatigue , and b o at mo rale take s a

shift to the wo rse unle ss a D C 1 0 Pe rso nality che ck is made by the cap tain.

Light Airs: Ro ll p e rce ntile s. This is the p e rce nt o f the b o at' s give n sp e e d that the

ship make s in this wind (if a 2 5 is ro lle d, the ship is 2 5 % slo we r, if 00 is ro lle d,

the ship is still) . The wind-chasing take s a to ll o n the cre w. D C 1 0 Pe rso nality

che ck is made by the cap tain, failure wo rse ns ship mo rale .

Crawl! no.11 Page 25

Moderate Airs: No rmal sp e e d is made . D C 1 0 Pe rso nality che ck is made by the

cap tain, succe ss imp ro ve s ship mo rale .

Heavy Airs: Ro ll p e rce ntile s. This is the p e rce nt o f e xtra sp e e d the ship make s

in this wind (if a 2 5 is ro lle d, the ship is 2 5 % faste r, if 00 is ro lle d, the ship twice

as fast) . The cre w must ro ll at o r unde r mo rale to p re ve nt damage to the ship

(an indiffe re nt cre w must ro ll unde r fo urte e n, a laggardly unde r nine ) . If the

cre w is no t atte ntive e no ugh, the b o at must sp e nd a time incre me nt in re p air, o r

e lse mo ve at half o f what is indicate d o n the ne xt wind sp e e d ro ll.

Gale Winds: Gale winds are dange ro us. The ship mo ve s at twice re gular sp e e d,

b ut the The cre w must ro ll at o r unde r mo rale to p re ve nt damage to the ship . If

the cre w is no t atte ntive e no ugh, the b o at must sp e nd a time incre me nt in

re p air, o r e lse mo ve at half the sp e e d ro lle d the ne xt we e k.

In its way, the wind sp e e d ro ll also simulate s accuracy o f navigatio n: if e xtra

time is sp e nt on the wate r b e cause of a b ad wind ro ll, this can inste ad be

attrib ute d to a misre ad co mp ass o r b e ing b lo wn o ff co urse . In any case , the e nd

re sult is the same , so why b uild ano the r tab le ?

On-board Events

The fo llo wing tab le , Table 5-3: On-board Events , is a list to ro ll o n fo r e ve ry

time incre me nt sp e nt ab o ard the ve sse l. Ro ll fo r an O n-b o ard Eve nt afte r a

Wind S p e e d ro ll. Ro ll a d1 8 . D o n' t have o ne ? The n yo ur dice chain is b ro ke n.

O rde r o ne fro m Imp act Miniature s in Indianap o lis imme diate ly! Natural 1 s and

1 8 s co unt as no e ve nt fo r that incre me nt.

Health aboard the Vessel

Seasickness : B e fo re so me o ne ge ts the ir se a le gs, the ro cking o f the ship o fte n

cause s so me disco mfo rt. Ro ll a D C 1 0 Fo rtitude che ck. Faile d che cks may b e re -

ro lle d e ve ry 24 ho urs, and ne w che cks must be ro lle d e ve ry time the wind

change s. Failure me ans the characte r is p ainfully nause ate d and dro wsy, suffe rs

a -1 d to all skill che cks and co mb at ro lls, and must make a D C 1 0 Will save in

o rde r to do anything o the r than sle e p o r p e rfo rm b asic re sp o nsib ilitie s. Afte r

re turning to land, the sickne ss fade s in 2 d4 ho urs.

Starvation: Each time incre me nt e qual to a day o r mo re that is sp e nt witho ut

sup p lie s cause s mo rale to take o ne ste p to the wo rse . Additio nally characte rs at

at -1 d to all ro lls and suffe r 1 d2 S tre ngth and S tamina lo ss fo r e ach time

incre me nt, and no he aling is p o ssib le until sup p lie s are re p le nishe d.

Crawl! no.11 Page 26

Table 5-3: On-board Events

2 Riot – Te nsio ns o n-b o ard have re ache d a b o iling p o int. A gro up o f sailo rs

have de cide d to sp lit so me he ads. Ro ll a Cre w D ie . The re sult is the

amo unt o f sailo rs lo o king to fight. In the case o f an Indifferent to Crack

cre w, the rio te rs may j ust b e inte re ste d in a tussle . Laggardly to Mutinous

cre ws may b e o ut fo r mo re se ve re vio le nce .

3 Strange Stars – Effe cts o f the lo we r atmo sp he re have co nfuse d the night

he lmsman. -4 to the ne xt Wind S p e e d che ck.

4 Church Service – S o me o f the sailo rs have go ne re ligio us and are ho sting

a strange re ligio us se rvice on the de ck. If the PCs wish to atte nd, ro ll a

Luck che ck. S ucce ss me ans the PC is b le sse d with a + 1 to all attacks fo r

the ir ne xt co mb at ro und.

Failure me ans that p articip ating in the p e rve rte d rite re sults in a

disap p ro val che ck using the curre nt Cre w D ie . Try and ap p ly re ligio us

p e naltie s to no n-cle rics in the mo st se nsical way: if the disap p ro val re sult

re duce s casting e fficacy, re duce a characte r’s class ab ility inste ad. If an

athe ist characte r ro lls a re sult that re quire s him/he r to co nve rt so me o ne

to the ir de ity may simp ly re quire a go o d de e d inste ad.

5 Doldrums – Winds are strange ly calm. The ne xt time a Wind S p e e d ro ll is

re quire d, re ce ive the In Iro ns re sult inste ad o f ro lling.

6 Halfling Bumboat – S o me e nte rp rising halflings have manage d to find

yo ur b o at and are se lling go o ds. This is an o p p o rtunity to b uy mo re

sup p lie s fo r the ship and b asic e quip me nt fo r the PCs! At twice the no rmal

p rice , o f co urse . Ro ll the Cre w D ie , add the ro ll to 1 0. This is the D C o f the

Pe rso nality che ck ne e de d to to le rate the gre e d of the halflings lo ng

e no ugh to b uy anything.

7 On a Run! - The wind is to yo ur b ack, and the sails are full. The ne xt time

a Wind Speed ro ll is re quire d, re ce ive the He avy Airs re sult inste ad of

ro lling.

8 Visions in the Water – Pe rhap s it is sunstro ke o r malnutritio n, b ut visio ns

o f the future ap p e ar in the still wate r aro und the b o at. If a PC watche s the

image s, the y must ro ll a D C 1 5 Inte llige nce che ck. S ucce ss me ans that the y

unde rstand a visio n o f the future and are at -1 d o n the ne xt Luck che ck

whe n an ally is re co ve ring the ir b o dy (p g. 9 3 , DCC RPG rulebook) .

9 Red Skies at Night… – S ailing co nditio ns are p e rfe ct! The ne xt time a

Wind S p e e d ro ll is re quire d, re ce ive the Mo de rate Airs re sult inste ad o f

ro lling.

Crawl! no.11 Page 27

10 Care to Wager? – A dice game
1 Yo u l o se b a d l y! - Lo s s o f Co i n s
rage s in the ho lds o f the ship . A PC
x2 a n d Cu rre n tl y h e l d we a p o n .
who sp e nds a day gamb ling can

2 B a d l u ck -
ro ll a d7 . Re fe r to the Loot! tab le s
Lo s s o f Co i n s + 1 .

in Crawl! Issue #2 to de te rmine 3-5 N o t so b a d - Th e P C b re a ks

e ve n .
the amo unt wo n or lo st. Lucky

ite ms are discusse d in the same 6 F o rtu n e sm i l e s - G a i n Co i n s + 1 .

issue . Co nside r the b o at’s mo rale 7 Yo u ' re ri ch ! - G a i n Co i n s x2 p l u s

in allo wing a landlub b e r to win a Lu cky I te m !

any mo ne y fro m the m.

11 Taking on Water – Eithe r by sab o tage o r laz y b ilge mainte nance , the ship

is we ighte d do wn by e xce ss wate r. The ne xt time a Wind Speed ro ll is

re quire d, re ce ive the Light Airs re sult inste ad o f ro lling.

12 Typical Sailors – The ne xt rum ratio n is do le d o ut to mo rro w, so the cre w

drinks the we e k' s re mainde r to day! Ro ll the Cre w D ie . The re sult is the

amo unt o f ratio ns co nsume d in the b acchanal.

13 Storm - The ne xt time a Wind S p e e d ro ll is re quire d, re ce ive the Gail

Winds re sult inste ad o f ro lling.

14 High Seas – Huge winds and cho p py se as b atte r the ve sse l. Ro ll Cre w D ie

and add that numb e r to a D C o f 1 0. The re sult is the D C o f the Agility che ck

that the he lmsman must make to avo id damage to the ve sse l. Failure

me ans a Cre w D ie ' s wo rth o f time incre me nts lo st to re p airs afte r the

sto rm.

15 Surprise Winds – Nasty p uff co ming! Add 4 to the ne xt Wind S p e e d ro ll.

16 Flux – Clo se quarte rs, p arasite s, and o ld fo o dstuffs have cause d dise ase to

sp re ad amo ngst the cre w. Ro ll the Cre w D ie . This is the amo unt o f time

incre me nts lo st due to lacking manp o we r. D uring the time incre me nt o f

the flux, characte rs are at -2 to S tre ngth and S tamina.

17 Fire – A lightning strike , care le ss smo king, o r sab o tage cause s a fire to

rage thro ugh the ship . Ro ll the Cre w D ie . This re sult is the time incre me nt

wo rth o f fo o d and sup p lie s lo st in the fire .

Crawl! no.11 Page 28