Re: Stormwrack review (3.5e)

Thanks! I have just borrowed it from a friend and will be going
through it in detail.
-Loki

On 5/7/06, Alexander James <acjames148@????.ca> wrote:
> WotC's book on the environments of seafaring and underwater. $35US (c)2005, closed content
> chapt1 - general terrain effects and minitures combat guide for all things wet
> and a Narrative naval combat system - so that ship duels no longer
need a map to resolve, it's all about skill and distance (such had also
appeared in 2e Of Ships and the Sea, but this one is much smoother)
> Weather tables and effects more extensive than ever before
>
> chapt2 - new races - includes the Hadozee (a reasonably good conversion imo), and orca-men (Darfellan)
>
> chapt3 - Classes
> how base classes relate to the environment, appropriate choices for
companians (even paladin's hippocampus)
> When some class abilities are gained, option to swap them out for
equivalent abilities from the terrain (fast movement - swim, woodland
stride - underwater terrain, slow fall -> Water Step [distance of Water
Walking instead of reduced falling damage])
> prestige classes:
> water-tied: Kinight of the Pearl (paladinic) positive energy channeler
>         Sea Witch (wiz/sor) summons creatures and storms, curses ships
>         Wavekeeper (druidic) shaper of water
> Ship-based: Legendary captain: very appropriate ship bonuses and leadership abilities
>         Scarlet Corsair: feint, sneak attack and ability to intimidate whole ships
> other: Leviathan hunter (kills big stuff)
>         Stormcaster: sonic/electric specialist with wind abilities
>
> Chapt 4 - skills and feats
> Craft (boatbuiling) and Knowledge(architecture and engineering) DCs to build various ships
> example climb, balance, jump, listen, ride, spot, swim, survival checks
> new animal tricks
> Knowledge(Geography) - how to plot and keep a course
>        set course DCs from 5 to 35 depending on distance and
familiarity of destination, +0 - +20 certainty of start point, chart
modifiers
>         hold course DCs from 5 to 17 depending on landmarks, up to 40
for bad weather - lost only after three consecutive failures
> Profession(Sailor) - control checks, seaworthiness checks
>
> Useful feats: Great Captain (aid another the whole ship), Old
Salt(Prof(sailor) predicts weather, +1 balance, P(sail), use rope),
sailor's balance(+5 while shipboard), Scourge of the seas(intimidate
whole ship), Sea legs(+2 shipboard balance, tumble, +1 initiative),
Ship's mage(+1caster level, never hurt own ship)
>
> chapt5 - Ships and equipment
> uses Arms&Equipment vehicle stats, a Seaworthiness modifier, and a
Shiphandling modifier (for special manuevers and difficult terrain); a
few deckplans
> shipboard weapons: explains the checks required to load & aim each weapon [very useful bit imo]
>     Light ballista (3d8) 1 man, rof 1/4 - strength
>     light bombard (3d10) 4men, rof 1/6 - P(siege engineer)&strength
>     'ight catapult (4d6) 2men, rof 1/6 - strength&P(siege engineer)
> davits for carrying launches
>
> Chapt6 - spells, magic items
>     spells that grant swim speeds at 2nd level (druid, paladin, sor/wiz)
>     transformations to adapt to the environment - grant swim speeds,
scales, water breathing (drd8 become a megalodon (very dire shark))
>     disguise and speed boosts for ships
>     Detect ship (brd3, sor/wiz3) all day sense ships in mile/lvl,
P(sail) check to gain info about any ship can actually spot.
> three new domains, but only air breathing as general cleric spell, and
only steed of the seas as paladin spell
> a few weapon/armour abilities {deep armour +22,500gp immune cold and
pressure of ocean, water breathing, darkvision 60'}
> Rod of the legendary mariner - makes provisions, P(sailor) bonus, detect ships
> Admiral's bicorne - fancy hat of persuaion, leadership, heoism aura, and megaphone
> Captain's lantern - ship Alarm with passcoins 12k
> Everfull sails 12k per mast, Oars of speed 2,500gp a pair, Sails of minor Displacement 120k
> Animated figureheads - similar to Figurines of Wonderous Power, but
attached to front of ship and grant powers to the ship while active
> Sea Steed's Bridle - on command make any trained mount into amphibious creature 28,800gp
> Secure Lines - balance,climb bonus, will grab any crewmember that falls 10,800gp
> Soverign Sealent - +2 hardness, watertight 8k per drum (covers 2 tons)
>
> chapt7 - monsters
> what can we expect
>
> chapt8 - adevnture locales
> premade adventures: a goblin pirate ship, hag's isle, and storm giant's territory
> the hag's isle "Shatterhull isle" has some promise: lure in with
deciet, or force with storm, then draw into worst landing spot with
illusion, now loot.
> the goblin pirates scenario uses rats well (captain is were-rat), but
trap their ship like they were kobolds
> some random encounter tables
>
> Overall fits its task well, the new monsteres weren't spectacular (not that it could be expected)
> Quite useful ship selection and weather/navigation rules
> But.. uses the section-based hp scheme, and has no ship designing guidelines
> However, many aspects of the ship stats fall into recognizable patterns.
>
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