Re: Ships and Age

Paul Westermeyer meandered fecklessly...

> >Ships and Age
> >Spelljammer doesn't really have any sort of rules concerning ships
> >and age, but it is something I would like to introduce into my games.
> >It makes a good factor to help determine ship costs, both for
> >buying and selling used ships.  Old ships should be less durable (i.e.
> >fewer hull points), and cost more to upkeep.  Thusly, they should
> >also cost less to buy and bring in less money when sold.
>
> This is a good question, leroy:) The answer is pretty complicated.

I figured it would be.  : )

> See,
> much like a car, with proper work, a ship could technically last forever.
> Take the US Constitution, for example. She's near two hundred years old,
> yet she's almost in sailing shape. And, in fact, could be returned to
> sailing ship if we wanted to spend the time and money:)

In the end, though, how much of the original ship remains?
Over the years how much has been replaced?

I guess the is part of the problem I am having.  Sensibly, few
ship owners are going to let their ships fall apart.  They will do
what is required to keep her in good shape.  So it seems any sort
of system would have to take things into account.  For some ships
age, perhaps even for ships over a century, won't be any big deal,
since any problems that arise will be addressed quickly through
constant routine maintenance.  Others will look their age, due
to neglect.

Perhaps some sort of relative age thing would work.  One chart,
but the age of the ship is adjusted to reflect the care it has
recieved....  I 'll have to think on that.


> Most other parts, like masts, spars, ect were replaced.  Many a vessel was
> demasted and seemingly destroyed, only to be towed into port and repaired,
> often by the other side as a prize:) Several of Nelson's men-o-war had
> started as French or Spanish vessels:)

Yeah, though this kind of thing is already address in my
ship repair system.


> As designed, Spelljammer seems to have very few stresses on the ship's
> design, though an argument could be made that the helm itself wears the
> vessel down. I'd suggest that 25 years is a reasonable point to start
> reducing hull points, I'd reduce them by 1d3 per decade, 1d6 with poor
> maintanance.

I think I am going to go with a percentage modifier.  Like 5%
per category after the first.  This makes calculations quicker,
I think.  25 years sounds good, though.  I think I will start
with it.


> BTW, this is a good way to make individual vessels more unique. Every
> eelship shouldn't always have the same Hull points:)

Definitely, and that is one of the big reasons for this.  I am also
doing some basic quality rules at the same time, to reflect poorly
built ships (or worse).  I want to work something up so low
level characters can work their way up through the ranks of ships,
buying used and poorer quality ships to start with.


Leroy Van Camp III
malacoda@??????.net
http://www.users.uswest.net/~malacoda/TarkasBrainLabIV.html
ICQ #20039817

"When you die you're free. I had a friend who committed
suicide, and she's free now. I talked to her on a ouija
board, and she said she was free."

             November 17, "Wasted"