Re: Mammoth -> Horseshoe Crab

In <URL:news:local.spelljam> on Mon 12 Dec, jamesriley wrote:
> Yes you are right about the square meal bit. I only wish the USN was as
> enlightened as you on sleep and meal requirements for its sailors. Lol. On
> further reflection I have decided that I will probably need to add about 6
> more crew to the vessel to round out two full strength shifts.

So, that is about 16 crew. Probably enough on an immense
magically automated ship if nothing goes wrong. Is there any
concern about stow-aways?


>       As you pointed out, of course, any landings or emergencies will be
> an all hands evolution. The time underway should be about 1 month with
> appropriate r&r at each port of call. Loading and unloading the cargo is
> handled by dockworkers not the crew, so no fatigue errors involved with them
> there. I have also decided that the Senate is not going to approve the use
> of the military escorts as detailed by the PCs, but will rather demand that
> escorts be provided on the basis of convoy protection as a sole mission
> parameter with manning and scheduling reflected accordingly. 

That sounds reasonable there. You might want to consider all the
poltics that went into that decision - maybe the PCs have made
some new political enemies! [grin]

Then, there is maybe politicing within the FRN about who gets the
convoy duty - this may well not get the best naval captains.

I wonder how upset the Arcane are at loosing all that (potential)
business! [grin]


>       You are not the first person to express concerns over invisible
> enemies assassinating the crew and/or stealing the ship. However I must
> point out that the standard sensor suites aboard FeOsphere ships can easily
> detect invisible, cloaked, and illusioned vessels/crafts within 50,000 yds.
> Likewise our primary weapons systems have an effective range of about 40,000
> yds. And are fire and forget weapons. Yes the numbers are correct. Even more
> so all FRN ships come equipped with what might be considered souped up
> versions of wand of enemy detection built in. bad guys have a real hard time
> sneaking up on the FRN.

More than twenty miles to nearly thirty miles. That _is_
impressive!

I would be interested in anything more that you are prepared to
say about the magical 'technology' you are using for such good
sensors. Also the fire-and-forget weapons. Are merchant ships as
well equipped?

How rugged is this equipment - does it need regular magical
'maintenance'? Or, a skilled magic-user to run it? Maybe with a
specialised NWP/skill?

The souped-up wands of enemy detection would be of interest as
well - is all this automatic, or does this mean that there needs
to be a crewman on sensor duty?

A standard Wand of Enemy Detection uses charges - this sounds
like a permanent enchantment. Expensive!

Someone who could subvert this sensor and detection scheme might
be able to do a lot of damage to unprepared captains who depended
on it.

Or, evade the 'fire and forget' tracking system, maybe by
subverting the IFF - think about the UK problem with Exocet
missiles in the Falklands War - sinking HMS Sheffield and the
Atlantic Conveyor.

I suppose it depends on the mechanism that the enemy detection
works by - if it detects 'hostile intent' then some sort of mind
shield might work, or something without a mind or that just
(re)acts without hostility... Or some sort of long ranged monster
summoning... Or, implanting a suggestion in a crew member to
disable the defences when they get a special signal or at a
certain time...

If I wanted to crack those sorts of defences then I would set an
illusionist to work out ways around them, or a mage specialising
in detection. Boarding parties of automata or maybe undead that
travel without a ship from outside the detection range might be
considered - the standard SJ sensor systems ignore things below a
minimum size, and would you want scavers to keep setting off
alarms?

I'm sure you can work out all sorts of scenarios to make things
interesting for the PCs! [grin]

It sounds as though they are very well defended against almost
all conventional attackers - but with all that magical automation
I wonder how much of a mess a beholder anti-magic ray would
cause? Or, a few well-placed Dispel Magics, or even the odd use
of a Rod of Cancellation.

With those sorts of defences it sounds as though the FRN is
setting itself up for some really serious enemies, like those who
make use of skrying, instant travel, or even things like demons.


>       Just a fun little factoid British sailors got tagged with the
> nickname "limey" by American sailors, because of the English navy policy of
> requiring English sailors to drink lime juice to prevent scurvy. But the
> healthy British sailors got the last laugh I guess. 

Jolly jack tar from using tar on their pigtails?

What do convoy duty crew do to keep from going off their heads
with boredom? Make-work tasks? If you are spelljamming then there
is far less variety of scenery than in sea travel! Lots of card
or dice games? Storytelling? Whittling? Do they get a rum ration?
Self-improvement? [grin]

 
> V/R FC2 Riley, James R. 
> cel: 228-249-2967
> e-mail: jamesriley@???.net
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Spelljammer Setting Discussion
> [mailto:SPELLJAMMER-L@??????.???????.com] On Behalf Of David Shepheard
> Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 5:51 PM
> To: SPELLJAMMER-L@??????.???????.com
> Subject: Re: [SPELLJAMMER] Mammoth -> Horseshoe Crab
> 
> >From: Dreamer <dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk>
> >Reply-To: Spelljammer Setting Discussion <SPELLJAMMER-L@??????.???????.com>
> >To: SPELLJAMMER-L@??????.???????.com
> >Subject: Re: [SPELLJAMMER] Mammoth -> Horseshoe Crab
> >Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 09:56:23 +0000

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