Galleon from TUV

[CourtFool]

I humbly ask that one of my fellow anally retentive Hero fans checks my math on the Galleon listed in the TUV.

 

As listed it has a SPD 3 and Swimming 3"/6"

 

This makes me wonder if average sailors have to have a SPD 3 to keep up or do they just let the ship run wild on the extra Segment...but that is for another thread.

 

On page 55 of TUV: 1 nautical mile per hour = 926" per hour.

On page 232 of the rule book: Each Turn = 12 seconds.

That would mean 5 Turns/Minute and 300 Turns/Hour.

926"/hour divided by 300 Turns/Hour would mean 1 nautical mile per hour is roughly 3.09"/Turn. Assuming NCM 6" x 3 SPD = 18"/Turn. 18"/Turn divided by 3.09"/Turn = 5.83 knots.

 

I seem to recall that even the big, fat, slow galleons could manage about 10 knots. Where did I screw up?

[Talon]

That's the number I got during playtesting, and I was satisfied at the time that it was within historical norms for the ship type. If your research and/or opinion differs, it's easy enough to change.

 

And yes, vehicle SPD is generally screwy. I house rule it to avoid such problems.

[BobGreenwade]

Originally posted by Geoff Speare

And yes, vehicle SPD is generally screwy. I house rule it to avoid such problems.

I tried to figure out a good way to change this without dramatically changing the way HERO System combat works. I did try to include an optional "segmented movement" rule someone suggested during the writing phase, but apparently Steve didn't care too much for it (or maybe it got cut out for some other reason... I really don't recall offhand).

[Talon]

Steve staunchly supports the "vehicles have their own SPD, drivers must match that SPD" rule. My possible house rules, in approximate order of radical-ness:

 

1) Drivers perform a "drive vehicle" maneuver, which lets them control the vehicle on each of its Phases until their next Phase.

 

2) Convert vehicle movement to MAX, divide it over driver's Phases.

 

3) Use per-Turn movement rules for everyone; vehicles move on their driver's Phases. At this point, vehicles probably don't even need a SPD stat.

[CourtFool]

I like house rule 2. I may use it.

 

I have no problem with "vehicles have their own SPD, drivers must match that SPD" rule. Just if you are going to do that, give vehicles a SPD of 2 and adjust movement appropriately. I can see giving a higher speed for high performance vehicles but I think most should have the same SPD as the average person. But what the hell does a llama know?

 

Thanks for verifying my math, Geoff. I will have to modify the galleon for my Pirate campaign.

[Fitz]

Assuming a galleon has SPD 3, then presumably a crack crew, all also with SPD 3 or better, could put it through a 60° turn every 4 seconds.

 

A galleon?

 

There was never a galleon made that was that maneuverable.

 

There's more than just rate of travel to consider when determining vehicle SPD, and for something like a galleon (or a zeppelin, or giant pleasure barge, or a 1970s Cadillac) there's a case for imposing a negative SPD.

 

Disclaimer: I don't have TUV, so there is a faint possibility that I may be talking out of my arse.

[Killer Shrike]

Seems like a Galleon, or other unwieldy vehicle should have a 1 SPD and more NCMs to make up the difference in velocity.

 

Ive never been too crazy about the way vehicles move in the HERO System. It seems to herky-jerky to me.

 

 

BTW, for some reason Steve is not a fan of Segmented movement.

[Captain Obvious]

When I built ships and stuff under 4th ed rules, I gave all sailing ships a 1 SPD, miniscule movement, and a lot of NCM multiples. Basically any movement over one or two inches was non-combat.

 

As far as a SPD 3 galleon goes, if they're moving at SPD 3 with a SPD 2 crew, it's non-combat as well. For that matter, it's pretty difficult to imagine any sailing ship dodging and weaving around to avoid enemy fire, so any sort of speed in a combat situation should naturally be considered non-combat. If the ship collides with rocks or another ship because it's moving too fast for the crew to keep up, well, that happened historically. I think in most cases, a SPD of 3 gives a sailing ship an incredible acceleration rate, especially if their movement isn't primarily NCMs, but otherwise I have no problems with it.

[Ndreare]

Well the way I see it is that a ship can easly get out of hand if you are not carefull

 

I do however think that that is were multiples of crew become required so that others can "Hold" basicly catching the slack were one man could not do it all.

[Talon]

Originally posted by Fitz

Assuming a galleon has SPD 3, then presumably a crack crew, all also with SPD 3 or better, could put it through a 60° turn every 4 seconds.

 

There are rules for more limited maneuverability in TUV, and those rules allow turn rates appropriate for galleons, but I don't have TUV in front of me to see if they were applied appropriately.

[Talon]

Double checked TUV: the Galleon gets one turn per Minute at full speed.

 

Also, there's at least some support in sources for a max speed of 6 knots, though of course such things are often open to debate.

[Captain Obvious]

Sailing ships in TUV are built with their maximum possible speed, ie with the wind coming from the right angle and blowing a gale, and a crack crew, and about a thousand other factors.

 

Six knots may have been what they'd make on average (most speeds for sailing ships I've seen have been little more than estimates anyway), but to build it right in TUV you'd have to give them probably a little more than double that.

[Blue Jogger]

Originally posted by Captain Obvious

Sailing ships in TUV are built with their maximum possible speed, ie with the wind coming from the right angle and blowing a gale, and a crack crew, and about a thousand other factors.

 

Six knots may have been what they'd make on average (most speeds for sailing ships I've seen have been little more than estimates anyway), but to build it right in TUV you'd have to give them probably a little more than double that.

 

You could always add the following:

3pts - - - - - x2 Non-Combat Manuever

(-1/2 Requires Navigation Skill Roll)

 

2pts - - - - - x2 Non-Combat Manuever

(-1 Requires Navigation Skill Roll at -3 and

Favorable Conditions)

 

-5 pts Distinctive Features: Legendary Fast Ship