Re: [none]

In <URL:news:local.spelljam> on Sun 11 Dec, jamesriley wrote:
> Hello,
> 
>             I am new to the net, but old to the game and I would like some
> input on some ideas I have had (good, bad, unworkable, etc.). The first is a
> conversion of the mammoth hull to something I would like to call the
> Horseshoe Crab ship. take the offensive weapons off (including the rams) and
> add a set of retractable landing legs to the underside for planetary
> landings. The goal is to create a spelljamming supertanker. Ideally I would
> like to have a 70 to 90 ton vessel with about 50 to 60 tons of cargo space.
> I am having difficulty determining minimum crew size based on the ship
> creation process, but am also considering implementing automation via unseen
> servants and spell effects (I'm trying to get the crew size down to around
> 10).

This sounds like a fun idea!

Someone trying to do organised spelljamming merchanting.


I don't have the module which lists the spec of the Mammoth, but
a quick google gives 27 as the minimum crew. If you want to work
out the minimum crew size, think about what the ship does while
it is operating, what needs to be done with sails, etc.

If you are spelljamming in three shifts of 8hrs each then you
need at least three people to operate the Helm, however it works.
Then you need someone to run the non-Helm parts of the ship,
again reasonably three shifts. At least one lookout on each
shift, and an officer to make everyone else does their jobs
right. That's ten already, and no one spare if anything goes
wrong, like illness.

Ideally you want a captain (who is helmsman in an emergency), a
first officer (who is chief helmsman), a second and third officer
(who are the other helmsmen), a purser who is responsible for the
cargo (and who has some medical training), a carpenter/engineer
(who maintains the ship) and an engineer's assistant (who may
also have another job), a cook and a cook's assistant (who may
also have another job), and probably six general sailors on each
shift who do all the other work: deckwork, tiller, rigging;
including loading and unloading in ports.

If you want to replace crew with Unseen Servants these with
probably need to be permanently enchanted - which I would expect
to be expensive. I would guess a few thousand gold each. What is
the break-even for paying food, water, wages etc for conventional
crew against expensive magic? Someone quite skilled will need to
order the Unseen Servants in their work, and conventional ones
are neither strong nor skilled sailors. If you attacked one of
these ships, should they fear the effect of a Dispel Magic?


> The plan is for these class of ships to be made in quantity and to
> travel in convoys protected by warships within the FeOsphere.

If the ships are in convoy then you might be able to get away
with minimal crew, but if anything goes wrong... What might
happen is that a ship has a problem and starts lagging behind the
others - do you slow down to its speed (bad for your schedule),
split the convoy (bad for protection), or what? Do you need tugs
to tow in an emergency while repairs are done? A repair ship?

If you want ships made in quantity you will want to think about
where the Helms come from, what they cost, and maybe things like
what maintenance the ship and the Helm requires. Also, how many
warships, and of what types? What sort of enemy do they expect to
defend the convoy against?


> Ideally suited
> to transporting large volumes of bulk goods and materials from processing
> stations to the inner worlds, these ships (if practical) would create an
> increased economic stability and provide raw materials to the inner worlds
> that cannot be acquired elsewhere. Since these vessels would not need to
> travel through Hyper (the plogiston) I intended to power them with pumps or
> furnaces. My players have already deduced how the goblins and scro make
> pumps and there is an abundance of furnaces in my system. Any helpful ideas
> or critiques would be appreciated. Thanks.

You may want to think a bit about economics. What is the cost to
run your Pump and Furnace Helms? What effect does this have on
your goods cost?

All sounds interesting!


> V/R FC2 Riley, James R. 
> 
> cel: 228-249-2967
> 
> e-mail: jamesriley@???.net


-- 
Dreamer
dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk
http://www.romsys.demon.co.uk/