Ammunition
Ships typically carry round shot (cannon balls) by default, but other types of ammo may be purchased from shipwrights. Additional ammunition ideas: canister shot, heated shot, spider shot, smoke bombs, poisonous canisters, random cargo (forks and knives), bones, and magical ammo.
Round Shot
Round shot, or simply "cannon balls", are accurate and deadly at long range. They can cause massive damage against their targets and are used in all types of naval warfare, especially when the primary objective is sinking the enemy.
- Range. As listed on ship card (typically 6"/12")
- Critical Hit. Critical hits function as normal: roll damage dice twice.
- Exploding Critical Hits. For an added level of chance and excitement, DMs may consider "exploding" critical hit damage dice to represent a ship taking extreme damage (ex. hitting the gunpowder magazine). When damage dice are rolled, any dice that roll the maximum value are rolled again, adding their value to the total. Repeat until no maximum values are rolled.
Chain Shot
Chain shot is made by attaching two cannonballs—or two halves of a single cannonball—together with a chain. It is designed to attack a ship's masts and rigging and is typically used to slow ships down.
- Range. 3"/6"
- Target Masts & Rigging. Attacks made with Chain Shot deal half damage, rounded down. Any ship that has taken damage from Chain Shot moves at half speed (rounded down, minimum of 1) until the end of its next turn.
- Critical Hit. When a Chain Shot attack scores a critical hit, the target ship's speed is 0 until the end of its next turn.
Grapeshot
Grapeshot is made by filling a bag or hollow ball with small round metal balls, similar to shotgun shells. It is very effective against creatures but less so against a ship's hull.
- Range. 3"/6"
- Target Crew. Attacks made with Grapeshot deal half damage rounded down. Any ship that has taken any damage from Grapeshot has disadvantage on Skill checks and has -1 action point (minimum of 1) until the end of its next turn.
- Critical Hit. When a Grapeshot attack scores a critical hit, the target ship loses half of its action points (rounded down to a minimum of 1) until the end of its next turn.
Tags
References
- 5e - Supplemental - Limithron's Guide to Naval Combat.pdf