Skyborne: a Quest of Airships, Terror and Revolution
- Thread starter Photomajig
- Start date
- Original Alt. History
Vote closed
- Location
- Finland
Well, that was not a very controversial vote. Calling it now and starting on getting you armed and dangerous!
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Ascent: 5 - Gearing Up
- Location
- Finland
It doesn't take you long to make up your mind. You suspect van Assen expected to become First Mate, being a fellow Service officer, but he will have to be satisfied with his position as Flight Master. There are no redundant or unnecessary stations on a ship, so you would not complain in his shoes. Indeed, he takes the news without any obvious disappointment, eager to get to work.
The others do not cause any trouble either - indeed, some of them, like Saragih and Hennepin, seem pleasantly surprised to be chosen for their new duties. Such grateful souls will make good officers, you hope. Jan Spijker has no particular enthusiasm for the position of Captain of Marines, but gets to work with an air of familiarity. Vroomen admits disappointment at not being named Chief Engineer, but is soon making rather wild-sounding plans for modifications to gunnery ports and weapon mounts. The Signora Traversi you assign as Ship's Surgeon, trusting in her depth of education for the vital work.
The crew begins to settle into routine soon after. Hennepin names some seconds and organizes watches and shifts. By the time you wake, early in the morning, the activity onboard the Hadewijck is beginning to resemble that of a proper skyship.
You leave the machine in his capable hands and head back out to the city. The Hadewijck is shamefully unarmed and unequipped. Flying out with her in such a state would not be wise. The world-sky is full of its criminals, opportunists and dangers. You cannot possibly lift off without the means to do battle, should such misfortune greet you.
Finding crew did not weigh too heavily on your finances, but armaments and equipment are another matter entirely. You will have to think carefully on the matter before making any purchases.
NOTE: I have retooled my original Finances system (which used d20 checks) to a more traditional currency-based system. As such, your +1 to Finances has been converted to 15,000 guilders, or £. This represents income and cash reserves free to be used - I won't be tracking Crew wages or such. This is subject to change if I notice some awful inflation or other problems.
You spend much of the day visiting gunsmiths, weapon markets, Service contacts and fellow sky-captains, seeing what sort of weaponry you might find for your new ship. There is a fair amount on the legitimate market - the state naturally controls the trade in arms somewhat, but as a captain of the Service, you have every right to browse. A variety of armaments, from rapid-firing deck guns to enormous carronades, catch your eye.
Armaments (the Hadewicjk currently has 4 available Armament Slots; further purchases can be stored as Cargo)
Support Weapons
[] [Free] Set up marine gunners. The crew you hired brought with them a variety of small arms. You could assign these to your marines and organize firing squads. Their lack of firepower and range limits their usefulness, but it is better than nothing. Marine Gunners: Damage 1/Inaccurate 3, Anti-Crew, Battery 3.
[] [1,500£] VMD Mk. 1848 Deck LMGs. State-manufactured machine guns for close quarters defense and boarding support. VMD Mk. 1848 LMGs: Damage 1/Inaccurate 1, Anti-Crew, Defensive, Battery 3.
[] [2,000£] AdV 'Howler' Deck Guns. Rotary guns of Italian manufacture notable for the disconcerting howling sound generated by their firing. AdV 'Howlers': Damage 2, Inaccurate 1, Terrifying, Anti-Crew, Defensive, Battery 3.
Light Guns
[] [1,500£] Dragoon 9-pounders. Lightweight long guns from the French Dragoon manufactory. Accurate and precise, but with limited destructive power. Dragoon 9-pounders: Damage 3/Accurate 1, Battery 1.
[] [1,800£] Thyssen-Bahr K11 Cannons. Potent light artillery from the Thyssen-Bahr conglomerate of Brandenburg. Special-made shells burrow into deck and erupt within to destroy important mechanisms. Thyssen-Bahr K11s: Damage 5/Crippling, Battery 1.
[] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Artfully crafted compact artillery pieces capable of inflicting considerable structural damage through concussive 'quaker' shells. Van Rijn Scuttle Guns: Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2.
Heavy Guns
[] [3,500£] VMD Mk. 1820 Heavy Carronade. An aging but undeniably powerful model of heavy cannon. They have been known to fire straight through enemy vessels to the point of striking targets behind them. VMD Mk. 1820 Heavy Carronades: Damage 10/Anti-Ship.
[] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. An enormous type of cannon capable of flinging high-explosive death across vast distances. Rarely seen in service due to the exorbitant cost of manufacturing such pieces. VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun: Damage 12/Accurate 2.
[] [8,000£] UdF 'Chevalier' Dual 400mm Artillery. An enormous dual-barreled cannon from a failed French armament programme, copied and developed further by gunsmiths around Europe. While immensely powerful, the weapon suffers from an overcomplicated loading system and operational difficulties. UdF 'Chevalier': Damage 20/Anti-Ship, Heavy, Loading, Battery 1.
Other than guns, there are various other interesting contraptions, modifications and additions that the Port of Rotterdam provides. It is not the most esoteric of selections, but you note quite a few things of interest regardless.
Auxiliaries (the Hadewicjk currently has 2 available Auxiliary Slots and the Van Rijn Sea-Plane 1; further purchases can be stored as Cargo)
[] [2,500£] Storm Traps. Magnetic contraptions designed to harness the power of storms into stored energy. This can be used in work aboard the ship, channeled into electric equipment, or used as a defensive measure against such weapons. Storm Traps: Gain charge to Storm Traps when traveling, which can be applied either as a +5 bonus to Sharp aboard the ship, as +2 Damage for Shock weapons, or as a defense inflicting Disadvantage on Shock weapon attacks targeting you. Only one effect can be active at a time, and can only be changed between Flights.
[] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Specially prepared nets left out to hang in the ship's wake, collecting valuable aether vapor residue during travel in the world-sky. This unearthly gas is used in airships, automata and industrial production. It has notable benefits in wound treatment as well. Vapor Nets: Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
[] [1,500£] Additional Armour. Reinforced armor plating installed around vulnerable locations of the ship, allowing it to shrug off light impacts. Additional Armour: Gain +1 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage.
[] [3,000£] Enclosed Deck. A system of armoured walls and ceilings to protect the crew in combat. Enclosed Deck: Anti-Crew weapon damage bonus decreased to +50% (from +100%) against this ship.
[] [3,000£] Reinforced Structure. Carefully applied further reinforcement and redundant design allowing the ship's structure to withstand a greater degree of harm. Reinforced Structure: Anti-Ship weapon damage bonus decreased to +50% (from +100%) against this ship.
[] [5,000£] Ramming Prow. A heavy, reinforced prow meant for ramming into other ships for severe damage. Ramming Prow: No Max Structure loss to self from successful ramming. Target ship loses an additional point of Max Structure and may only take one Half Action on their next turn.
[] [2,500£] Flying Workshop. An extension of the lower decks to house a full experimental workshop for any onboard projects and research. Flying Workshop: +5 to Sharp actions aboard the ship.
[] [2,500£] Ship Library. An extension of the quarterdeck to house a comprehensive library, benefiting any scholar aboard. Ship Library: +5 to Scholar actions aboard the ship.
[] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. A curious combination of occult sanctum and cutting-edge laboratory, dedicated to the study and understanding of the strange and wondrous. Experimental Laboratory: +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
[] [2,500£] Sky Chapel. A place of sanctum and peace for the weary sky-traveler, where a troubled soul may retire for meditation and quiet. Sky Chapel: +5 to Soul actions aboard the ship.
There is, of course, the matter of munitions and supplies for the crew. The guns must be kept firing and the people fed, clothed and content.
Cargo
[] [50£] Munitions, 1 combat. Artillery munitions, small arms and materials necessary for battle.
[] [50£] Food Supplies, 1 day. Foodstuffs and drink to keep the crew healthy and happy.
[] [?£] Write-in. You're looking for something else, perhaps?
Code:
Captain Johannes de Vries
Condition: Fine.
Finances: 15,000£
Personal Skills:
+4 Sense (perception, awareness, insight)
+2 Strange (esoteric knowledge, unearthly matters)
+2 Sharp (innovation, engineering, technology)
Aero Skills:
+0 Sky
+0 Spar
+1 Saw
Possessions:
-Service Standard-Issue Sidearm (This compact sidearm fires a kind of miniature harpoon and can operate even in high pressure underwater environments.)
Code:
The Hadewijch
LZ Marinezeppelin (Large Aircraft)
Structure: 20/20 (Max: 20)
Crew: 20/20 (Max: 30)
Officers: 6/7
Evasion: DC 6
Attack: +0
Parts:
-Flight: LZ Trifold Envelope System
-Armament Slot
-Armament Slot
-Armament Slot
-Armament Slot
-Aux: OS Mk. 1841 Water Sealing (A comprehensive system of water- and pressure-proofing to allow for underwater operations.)
-Auxiliary Slot
-Auxiliary Slot
Cargo:
-Diving Suits (4)
-Food Supplies, 50 days worth
-Munitions, 10 combats worth
Code:
Unnamed Aircraft
Van Rijn 'Zeelander' Sea-Plane (Small Aircraft)
Structure: 5/5 (Max: 5)
Crew: 5/5 (Max: 5)
Evasion: DC 15
Attack: +0
Parts:
-Van Rijn Vd.3 Engine (Reliable 2)
-VMD Mk. 1848 LMGs (Damage 1, Anti-Crew, Battery 1)
-VMD Mk. 1830 Air Rocket (Damage 4, Burn, Limited 2)
-Auxiliary Slot
Cargo:
-None
Code:
First Mate: Georges Hennepin (Stalwart: Whenever the ship would suffer a Crew Check, roll a 1d6. On a 3-6, the ship returns to 1 Current Crew with no further effect.)
Chief Engineer: Anneke Dhien Saragih (Choose one enemy to study in each combat, gaining +2 Evasion and +2 Attack against them for its duration.)
Gunnery Officer: Eleonora Vroomen (Overclock: Activate during combat to gain +5 Evasion and Advantage on Sky checks, but suffer additional dice in your Structure Checks based on number of turns active. 1-4: +1d6. 5-7: +2d6. 8-11: +3d6. 12+: +4d6-)
Captain of Marines: Jan Spijker (Jaded: Ship gains immunity to the Terrifying weapon quality.)
Flight Master: Maarten van Assen (Vanguard: The first attack made against the ship is always made at Disadvantage.)
Ship's Surgeon: Antonia Luna Traversi (Mother of Invention: Once per combat, take an additional free Full Action.)Vote by plan, please. Moratorium of, uh, let's say 6 hours so people can get some thoughts in.
As mentioned earlier, I revised some rules. There might be slight changes to the rules in the third post if you had a look at them before, but they're nothing to worry about if you didn't. The Battery trait is new, replacing my earlier haphazard rules for how many attacks can a weapon make at once.
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- Location
- Somewhere in the area
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
Support Weapons
[] [2,000£] AdV 'Howler' Deck Guns. AdV 'Howlers': Damage 2, Inaccurate 1, Terrifying, Anti-Crew, Battery 3.
Light Guns
[] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Van Rijn Scuttle Guns: Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2.
Heavy Guns
[] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun: Damage 12/Accurate 2.
Thinking something like this for the weapons, gets us an Anti-Crew and Anti-Ship weapon both with decent damage and Battery, and an accurate long range weapon with a good amount of damage. All for just over half of our budget at 8700, leaving us with 7300 for auxiliaries.
[] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Vapor Nets: Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
[] [2,500£] Flying Workshop. Flying Workshop: +5 to Sharp actions aboard the ship.
[] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. Experimental Laboratory: +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
The vapor nets are a way to always have a bit of money when we reach a new port, and can help healing any injuries in a pinch as well. I also want one of the Laboratories, either the Strange or the Sharp one, for a place to do experiments while we are on the move. We even have our first avenue of study with the Aether vapor from the nets as well, studying it's physical or mystical properties will be a good way to start unlocking the mysteries. Sadly, we're 200 short for buying both and installing the nets on the zeelander, if we bought the guns I selected. Definitely something to get at the next port with our paycheck.
For food and munitions, I have a few questions. @Photomajig Do the supplies on the Hadewijch account for what the zeelander will use? Otherwise we should buy an equal amount of supplies for it. Also, how far away is the next port? Do we have any current jobs or contracts to fulfill? If not, where can we get them? We need to know how much supplies we need for a trip before we buy them. Normal travel time + 1/3 to 1/2 more depending on the danger is a good place to start imho.
[] [2,000£] AdV 'Howler' Deck Guns. AdV 'Howlers': Damage 2, Inaccurate 1, Terrifying, Anti-Crew, Battery 3.
Light Guns
[] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Van Rijn Scuttle Guns: Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2.
Heavy Guns
[] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun: Damage 12/Accurate 2.
Thinking something like this for the weapons, gets us an Anti-Crew and Anti-Ship weapon both with decent damage and Battery, and an accurate long range weapon with a good amount of damage. All for just over half of our budget at 8700, leaving us with 7300 for auxiliaries.
[] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Vapor Nets: Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
[] [2,500£] Flying Workshop. Flying Workshop: +5 to Sharp actions aboard the ship.
[] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. Experimental Laboratory: +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
The vapor nets are a way to always have a bit of money when we reach a new port, and can help healing any injuries in a pinch as well. I also want one of the Laboratories, either the Strange or the Sharp one, for a place to do experiments while we are on the move. We even have our first avenue of study with the Aether vapor from the nets as well, studying it's physical or mystical properties will be a good way to start unlocking the mysteries. Sadly, we're 200 short for buying both and installing the nets on the zeelander, if we bought the guns I selected. Definitely something to get at the next port with our paycheck.
For food and munitions, I have a few questions. @Photomajig Do the supplies on the Hadewijch account for what the zeelander will use? Otherwise we should buy an equal amount of supplies for it. Also, how far away is the next port? Do we have any current jobs or contracts to fulfill? If not, where can we get them? We need to know how much supplies we need for a trip before we buy them. Normal travel time + 1/3 to 1/2 more depending on the danger is a good place to start imho.
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10ebbor10
DON'T PANIC
- Location
- Present
For reference, from the OPP
What is battery?
Does the Chevalier load with a half action, or a full action?
Which leaves us with a few questions.
What is battery?
Does the Chevalier load with a half action, or a full action?
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- Location
- Finland
The plane shares your supplies for simplicity's sake. No need to buy separate supplies for it.
We'll be getting to missions and such next. You can expect some to be found closer, some further away. In general, you can get across Europe in a week just fine. There are plenty of ports within a few days travel for resupply. Don't worry about supplies too much right now. You have enough to get started.
Battery provides multiple attacks in an attack action (Skirmish or Barrage). Battery provides an additional attack per rank, so with Battery 3 you make four total attack rolls when you attack with that weapon.
The Chevalier loads with a Half Action. Editing that in.
Resonant
Procrastinator Supreme
-[ ] [1,500£] VMD Mk. 1848 Deck LMGs. Damage 1/Inaccurate 1, Anti-Crew, Battery 3. (Support)
-[ ] [1,500£] Dragoon 9-pounders. Damage 3/Accurate 1, Battery 1. (Light Gun)
-[ ] [1,800£] Thyssen-Bahr K11 Cannons. Damage 5/Crippling, Battery 1. (Light Gun)
-[ ] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2. (Light Gun)
-[ ] [2,500£] Storm Traps. +5 bonus to Sharp aboard the ship, as +2 Damage for Shock weapons, or as a defense inflicting Disadvantage on Shock weapon attacks targeting you.
-[ ] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
-[ ] [2,500£] Flying Workshop. +5 to Sharp actions aboard the ship.
-[ ] [100£] Munitions, 2x combat.
-[ ] [100£] Food Supplies, 2 days.
EDIT: Realized that Storm Traps could give a +5 Sharp bonus similar to Flying Workshop, so it's inefficient to double-down there.
EDIT2: Scrapping my plans after some reconsideration, it wasn't thought out properly.
-[ ] [1,500£] VMD Mk. 1848 Deck LMGs. Damage 1/Inaccurate 1, Anti-Crew, Battery 3. (Support)
-[ ] [1,500£] Dragoon 9-pounders. Damage 3/Accurate 1, Battery 1. (Light Gun)
-[ ] [1,800£] Thyssen-Bahr K11 Cannons. Damage 5/Crippling, Battery 1. (Light Gun)
-[ ] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2. (Light Gun)
-[ ] [2,500£] Storm Traps. +5 bonus to Sharp aboard the ship, as +2 Damage for Shock weapons, or as a defense inflicting Disadvantage on Shock weapon attacks targeting you.
-[ ] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
-[ ] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
-[ ] [100£] Munitions, 2x combat.
So, here's the reasoning breakdown for this Purchase Plan. We only have £15,000 for expenses, and the two main spending areas are Weapons & Auxiliaries. So, let's split that budget in half, £7,500 for each. We also need to take into account of supplies, however, so earmark at least £100 for that.
Auxiliaries:
1. Right off the bat, grab Storm Traps (Multi-purpose) & Vapor Nets (Resource Collection) for self-sufficiency. -£5,000.
2. Our goal is to 'Uncover Mysteries,' so we'll want
- Leftover Budget: 7,500/15,000 (3/3 Auxiliary Slots filled)
1. We want at least 1 Anti-Ship Weapon for naval battles, there's 3 choices there: the Van Rijn (£2,500), the VMD Mk. 1820 (£3,500), the UdF 'Chevalier' (£8,000). Based on our limited budget, I think the Van Rijn suits us the best, especially as it's classified as Reliable, which is important if it's going to be our Main Weapon.
2. The VMD Mk. 1820 would eat up almost half our budget (3,500/7,500) and has been noted to "fire straight through enemy vessels to the point of striking targets behind them." We can't afford to buy it, and that kind of heavy firepower isn't an immediate priority.
- Leftover Budget: 10,000/15,000 (3/4 Weapon Slots)
Thus, the only options left are: the VMD Mk. 1848 (£1,500), the Dragoon 9-pounders (£1,500), the Thyssen-Bahr K11 (£1,800) = 4,800/5,000 to fill all 3 Slots. This leaves us with £200 for Food and Munitions.
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How much food and munitions do we need on average?
- Location
- Finland
Food is consumed 1 unit per day of travel. Munitions are consumed, generally, 1 unit per combat encounter. I don't think I'm going to get bogged down in the logistics any deeper than that. So the average rather depends on the situation and your travel plan. Sailing a short trip in peaceful skies probably requires less stocking up than an invasion in wartime.
Resonant
Procrastinator Supreme
Alright, so after some reconsideration, I realized my initial plan was poorly planned and find myself in agreement with @Doctor Elsewhere's suggestions for Weapon allocation. I think we can pick 1 Support, 1 Light Gun, 1 Heavy Gun and leave 1/4 Slot to fill in later on, once we've re-assessed our needs.
EDIT: Removed purchases of Food and Munitions, since it was pointed out we had enough.
Moreover, 2-3 days of Food/Munitions is nowhere near enough to stay afloat, minimum of a week of supplies is needed, so my Plan was evidently not prudent, ironically enough for its name.
Lastly, I re-checked and saw we only had 2 Auxiliary Slots on the Hadewijck, so going all-out for 3/3 Auxiliary is actually excessive for our limited budget. So with that said, here's a reworked tentative Plan, with some thoughts on it below, lemme know your input:
[ ] Plan Prudent Purchases v2
-[ ] [2,000£] AdV 'Howler' Deck Guns. Damage 2, Inaccurate 1, Terrifying, Anti-Crew, Battery 3. (Support)
-[ ] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2. (Light Gun)
-[ ] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. Damage 12/Accurate 2. (Heavy Gun)
-[ ] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
-[ ] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
Total Cost: £13,700/15,000
Note: This is a conservative purchase plan, with only 3/4 Weapon Slots filled and leaving some leftover budget for discretionary spending.
Thoughts:
- I think the AdV 'Howler' Guns are a more effective close-quarters Support Weapon than the default State-manufactured machine guns. Its 'Terrifying' quality is noted to have a disconcerting effect on Crews, especially useful on boarding actions or countering them.
-- Two of our Weapons have high amounts of Battery, so we can quickly output a supportive field of fire for suppression in a single action.
- Munitions: Enough for 3 combat encounters, Offense -> Defense -> Escape.
- Food Supplies: One week's worth of Food can get us across Europe, which is a good benchmark for a safety net.
EDIT: Removed purchases of Food and Munitions, since it was pointed out we had enough.
Lastly, I re-checked and saw we only had 2 Auxiliary Slots on the Hadewijck, so going all-out for 3/3 Auxiliary is actually excessive for our limited budget. So with that said, here's a reworked tentative Plan, with some thoughts on it below, lemme know your input:
[ ] Plan Prudent Purchases v2
-[ ] [2,000£] AdV 'Howler' Deck Guns. Damage 2, Inaccurate 1, Terrifying, Anti-Crew, Battery 3. (Support)
-[ ] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2. (Light Gun)
-[ ] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. Damage 12/Accurate 2. (Heavy Gun)
-[ ] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
-[ ] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
Total Cost: £13,700/15,000
Note: This is a conservative purchase plan, with only 3/4 Weapon Slots filled and leaving some leftover budget for discretionary spending.
Thoughts:
- I think the AdV 'Howler' Guns are a more effective close-quarters Support Weapon than the default State-manufactured machine guns. Its 'Terrifying' quality is noted to have a disconcerting effect on Crews, especially useful on boarding actions or countering them.
-- Two of our Weapons have high amounts of Battery, so we can quickly output a supportive field of fire for suppression in a single action.
- Food Supplies: One week's worth of Food can get us across Europe, which is a good benchmark for a safety net.
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- Location
- Somewhere in the area
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
We do have 50 days of food and 10 combat's worth of munitions already in our cargo hold btw. Just to save you £500.
[] Plan Double Up
-[] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. An enormous type of cannon capable of flinging high-explosive death across vast distances. Rarely seen in service due to the exorbitant cost of manufacturing such pieces. VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun: Damage 12/Accurate 2.
-[] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Artfully crafted compact artillery pieces capable of inflicting considerable structural damage through concussive 'quaker' shells. Van Rijn Scuttle Guns: Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2.
-[] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Artfully crafted compact artillery pieces capable of inflicting considerable structural damage through concussive 'quaker' shells. Van Rijn Scuttle Guns: Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2.
-[] [Free] Set up marine gunners. The crew you hired brought with them a variety of small arms. You could assign these to your marines and organize firing squads. Their lack of firepower and range limits their usefulness, but it is better than nothing. Marine Gunners: Damage 1/Inaccurate 3, Anti-Crew, Battery 3.
-[] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. A curious combination of occult sanctum and cutting-edge laboratory, dedicated to the study and understanding of the strange and wondrous. Experimental Laboratory: +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
-[] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Specially prepared nets left out to hang in the ship's wake, collecting valuable aether vapor residue during travel in the world-sky. This unearthly gas is used in airships, automata and industrial production. It has notable benefits in wound treatment as well. Vapor Nets: Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
The Scuttle Guns are incredibly good, and I see no reason not to get two. Firing both as a full round action would get us 48 structure damage, assuming all 6 shots hit. A single hit will reduce the structure of Personal and Small ships to 0. Two hits for Medium, three for Large, and four for Very Large. And larger ships get easier and easier to hit. It's not automatically game over when structure hits zero, but I don't expect many hostile ships to make it past 2 rounds.
Armor might apply before the damage gets doubled, which would cause problems if it's being stacked. I took the Mk. 1839 for that reason, it's got respectable damage and a +4 to hit, it's also not anti ship, so it can be our anti-crew weapon, as most of the actual anti-crew weapons are low damage and inaccurate. I took the marine gunners option because it was free.
Vapor Nets to start saving up for any future expenses. Labs for if we find neat stuff. We start with 50 days of food and 10 combats of ammo, so no need to purchase more.
This plan leaves us with 800 cash left over, as an emergency fund.
-[] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. An enormous type of cannon capable of flinging high-explosive death across vast distances. Rarely seen in service due to the exorbitant cost of manufacturing such pieces. VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun: Damage 12/Accurate 2.
-[] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Artfully crafted compact artillery pieces capable of inflicting considerable structural damage through concussive 'quaker' shells. Van Rijn Scuttle Guns: Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2.
-[] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Artfully crafted compact artillery pieces capable of inflicting considerable structural damage through concussive 'quaker' shells. Van Rijn Scuttle Guns: Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2.
-[] [Free] Set up marine gunners. The crew you hired brought with them a variety of small arms. You could assign these to your marines and organize firing squads. Their lack of firepower and range limits their usefulness, but it is better than nothing. Marine Gunners: Damage 1/Inaccurate 3, Anti-Crew, Battery 3.
-[] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. A curious combination of occult sanctum and cutting-edge laboratory, dedicated to the study and understanding of the strange and wondrous. Experimental Laboratory: +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
-[] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Specially prepared nets left out to hang in the ship's wake, collecting valuable aether vapor residue during travel in the world-sky. This unearthly gas is used in airships, automata and industrial production. It has notable benefits in wound treatment as well. Vapor Nets: Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
The Scuttle Guns are incredibly good, and I see no reason not to get two. Firing both as a full round action would get us 48 structure damage, assuming all 6 shots hit. A single hit will reduce the structure of Personal and Small ships to 0. Two hits for Medium, three for Large, and four for Very Large. And larger ships get easier and easier to hit. It's not automatically game over when structure hits zero, but I don't expect many hostile ships to make it past 2 rounds.
Armor might apply before the damage gets doubled, which would cause problems if it's being stacked. I took the Mk. 1839 for that reason, it's got respectable damage and a +4 to hit, it's also not anti ship, so it can be our anti-crew weapon, as most of the actual anti-crew weapons are low damage and inaccurate. I took the marine gunners option because it was free.
Vapor Nets to start saving up for any future expenses. Labs for if we find neat stuff. We start with 50 days of food and 10 combats of ammo, so no need to purchase more.
This plan leaves us with 800 cash left over, as an emergency fund.
Resonant
Procrastinator Supreme
Did a quick read on the mechanics, came up with another Plan that's optimized for direct battle and fully utilizes our budget so there's no leftovers, give it some consideration:
[X] Plan Blistering Barrage
-[X] [1,500£] VMD Mk. 1848 Deck LMGs. Damage 1/Inaccurate 1, Anti-Crew, Battery 3. (Support)
-[X] [1,800£] Thyssen-Bahr K11 Cannons. Damage 5/Crippling, Battery 1. (Light Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2. (Light Gun)
-[X] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. Damage 12/Accurate 2. (Heavy Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
-[X] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
Total Cost: £15,000/15,000
Note: A synergistic build that fills all 4/4 Weapon Slots (1 Support, 2 Light Guns, 1 Heavy Gun).
Thoughts:
- Heavy Long Gun: The Big Stick. A good investment combining both high Damage and Accuracy, we can use this for deterrence and sniping capabilities.
- Scuttle Guns is a very solid weapon, with the Anti-Ship trait, high Battery and decent Damage. Great for slugfests with other Airships, and easily repairable if we take some damage from battle.
- Scuttle Guns + K11 Cannons provides a potent combination, since they both focus on causing Structural Damage, and a high rate of Fire since both have Battery. The Hadewijck becomes an impressive brawler in direct ship-to-ship battles with its powerful barrage.
- Rounds out the build with Anti-Crew Support from close-range LMGs, although this is the vanilla option compared to the 'Howler Guns.'
- Vapor Nets: Resource Collection for passive income while exploring or traveling, self-sufficiency is key.
- Experimental Lab: Cutting-edge exotic science, it's the key to understanding this strange new world around us. Our goal is to "Uncover the Mysteries" after all.
EDIT:
Question @Photomajig, would it be possible to trade-in our purchased weapons, and refund some of their value, when we attempt to replace them in the future?
[X] Plan Blistering Barrage
-[X] [1,500£] VMD Mk. 1848 Deck LMGs. Damage 1/Inaccurate 1, Anti-Crew, Battery 3. (Support)
-[X] [1,800£] Thyssen-Bahr K11 Cannons. Damage 5/Crippling, Battery 1. (Light Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2. (Light Gun)
-[X] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. Damage 12/Accurate 2. (Heavy Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
-[X] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
Total Cost: £15,000/15,000
Note: A synergistic build that fills all 4/4 Weapon Slots (1 Support, 2 Light Guns, 1 Heavy Gun).
Thoughts:
- Heavy Long Gun: The Big Stick. A good investment combining both high Damage and Accuracy, we can use this for deterrence and sniping capabilities.
- Scuttle Guns is a very solid weapon, with the Anti-Ship trait, high Battery and decent Damage. Great for slugfests with other Airships, and easily repairable if we take some damage from battle.
- Scuttle Guns + K11 Cannons provides a potent combination, since they both focus on causing Structural Damage, and a high rate of Fire since both have Battery. The Hadewijck becomes an impressive brawler in direct ship-to-ship battles with its powerful barrage.
- Rounds out the build with Anti-Crew Support from close-range LMGs, although this is the vanilla option compared to the 'Howler Guns.'
- Vapor Nets: Resource Collection for passive income while exploring or traveling, self-sufficiency is key.
- Experimental Lab: Cutting-edge exotic science, it's the key to understanding this strange new world around us. Our goal is to "Uncover the Mysteries" after all.
EDIT:
Question @Photomajig, would it be possible to trade-in our purchased weapons, and refund some of their value, when we attempt to replace them in the future?
Last edited:
TimEd
Meteor maker
We don't really have a disposable crew, due to our great recruit rolls. Maybe we need this to ensure their safety.
- Location
- Somewhere in the area
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
[X] Plan Prudent Purchases v2
-[X] [2,000£] AdV 'Howler' Deck Guns. Damage 2, Inaccurate 1, Terrifying, Anti-Crew, Battery 3. (Support)
-[X] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2. (Light Gun)
-[X] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. Damage 12/Accurate 2. (Heavy Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
-[X] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
-[X] [2,000£] AdV 'Howler' Deck Guns. Damage 2, Inaccurate 1, Terrifying, Anti-Crew, Battery 3. (Support)
-[X] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2. (Light Gun)
-[X] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. Damage 12/Accurate 2. (Heavy Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
-[X] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
- Location
- USA
[x] Plan Blistering Barrage
[X] Plan Blistering Barrage
-[X] [1,500£] VMD Mk. 1848 Deck LMGs. Damage 1/Inaccurate 1, Anti-Crew, Battery 3. (Support)
-[X] [1,800£] Thyssen-Bahr K11 Cannons. Damage 5/Crippling, Battery 1. (Light Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2. (Light Gun)
-[X] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. Damage 12/Accurate 2. (Heavy Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
-[X] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
-[X] [1,500£] VMD Mk. 1848 Deck LMGs. Damage 1/Inaccurate 1, Anti-Crew, Battery 3. (Support)
-[X] [1,800£] Thyssen-Bahr K11 Cannons. Damage 5/Crippling, Battery 1. (Light Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2. (Light Gun)
-[X] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. Damage 12/Accurate 2. (Heavy Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
-[X] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
Resonant
Procrastinator Supreme
We only have 2 Auxiliary Slots on the main Airship and limited funds, so we have to prioritize. In an ideal scenario, we'll eventually upgrade the ship to fit in more slots, but for now Vapor Collection and the Exotic Lab will be more useful for our goals.
Btw for those voting, I'd heartily endorse Plan Blistering Barrage, because it manages to fill all 4 Weapon Slots covering all the important roles:
- Long-range bombardment.
- Very powerful mid-range capabilities: Crippling + Anti-Ship = a One-Two Punch of Structural Damage
- CQC fire support with Light Machine Guns.
The main difference between my two plans is spending inefficiency:
- Prudent Purchases v2: Buying Howler Guns means we won't have enough funds to purchase a 4th Weapon. This places undue importance on what's supposed to be a Support Weapon.
- Blistering Barrage: By making do with a conventional LMG (Support), it's possible to purchase a more powerful Artillery (K11 Cannons) for actual combat.
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A support weapon could still be critical if(likely when) it does come to boarding, but yeah, that's why I went with the other one. On the flip side, crew guns are probably the easiest to upgrade if we decide we want to do that later on.
- Location
- Pennsylvania
[X] Plan Blistering Barrage
-[X] [1,500£] VMD Mk. 1848 Deck LMGs. Damage 1/Inaccurate 1, Anti-Crew, Battery 3. (Support)
-[X] [1,800£] Thyssen-Bahr K11 Cannons. Damage 5/Crippling, Battery 1. (Light Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2. (Light Gun)
-[X] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. Damage 12/Accurate 2. (Heavy Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
-[X] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.
-[X] [1,500£] VMD Mk. 1848 Deck LMGs. Damage 1/Inaccurate 1, Anti-Crew, Battery 3. (Support)
-[X] [1,800£] Thyssen-Bahr K11 Cannons. Damage 5/Crippling, Battery 1. (Light Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Van Rijn Scuttle Guns. Damage 4/Anti-Ship, Reliable 1, Battery 2. (Light Gun)
-[X] [4,200£] VMD Mk. 1839 Heavy Long Gun. Damage 12/Accurate 2. (Heavy Gun)
-[X] [2,500£] Vapor Nets. Gain vapor residue when traveling, which can be applied as a bonus to Crew Recovery or sold for profit in ports.
-[X] [2,500£] Experimental Laboratory. +5 to Strange actions aboard the ship.