2 replies to this topic

[Trotsky]

Hi everyone, just started my journey into Post Captain and have a few rules questions and clarifications. I apologise if any of these are obvious to you but I am new to age of sail and just want to check I am doing things right J

 

1.    Jig Boom critical hit and sprung masts. In my test game one of the ships had a critical hit on the jig boom. The rules state that the foremast becomes sprung. Does the main mast become sprung, therefore affecting the entire mast?

 

2.    Fouling – cutting free. During a boarding action, or in fact any other time, which of the cutting free tables do you use – I am guessing it is the ‘mast free?’ Also, if an enemy boarding party has control of a deck area can an unfouling attempt still be taken? I know if it was an ungrapple they could not.

 

3.    Grappling. If a grappling attempt is failed during a collision or fouling can additional attempts be made if the ships remain fouled? This would occur in the cutting free phase?

 

4.    Cutting free from fouling or grappling – does this require a crew unit to be allocated? Does it happen immediately or does it take a turn?

 

5.    Proximity collision. The rules state that when ships ‘pass within 25 yards’ they roll for a proximity collision. If ships remain within 25 yards of each other do they have to check again? A situation occurred in my battle where two ships had been fouled long enough to have both of their bows into the wind, when they unfouled they were in irons and so slowly drifted apart, remaining within 25 yards for a turn – should they have checked for a collision again?

 

6.    Damage allocation. I kept hitting an already damaged ship section (the upper deck guns). I ignored additional hits – is that correct? 

 

7.    ‘In irons’ A ship can find itself in irons for other reasons than just tacking failure, ie due to drifting – Do I just follow the procedure in tacking until the wind catches the sails?

 

Sorry again for the stupidity of some of my questions…

[Cpt M]

Sorry about the late reply (been having an extreme case of real life interventions).

 

"1.    Jig Boom critical hit and sprung masts. In my test game one of the ships had a critical hit on the jig boom. The rules state that the foremast becomes sprung. Does the main mast become sprung, therefore affecting the entire mast?"

 

When the jib boom (or bowspirit) is lost (for whatever reason), that immediately causes the entire foremast to be sprung (fore (lower) mast, fore top mast and fore top gallant mast).  It does not affect the other masts (mainmast and mizzenmast). 

 

"2.    Fouling – cutting free. During a boarding action, or in fact any other time, which of the cutting free tables do you use – I am guessing it is the ‘mast free?’ Also, if an enemy boarding party has control of a deck area can an unfouling attempt still be taken? I know if it was an ungrapple they could not."

 

You'd use the 'Mast Free' table for unfouling (this probably should have been more explicit).  And you can still attempt to unfoul even with a boarding party aboard (unfouling is considered to be done aloft, ie, above the deck).

 

 "3.    Grappling. If a grappling attempt is failed during a collision or fouling can additional attempts be made if the ships remain fouled? This would occur in the cutting free phase?"

 

The rules don't specify any additional attempts.  Given that the opposing ships' crew may object to such a thing, I would say no (but I'll check with Lonnie on that).

 

"4.    Cutting free from fouling or grappling – does this require a crew unit to be allocated? Does it happen immediately or does it take a turn?"

 

No.  The available deck crew (or boarding parties, if present) would be sufficient.  And the cutting free happens immediately.

 

"5.    Proximity collision. The rules state that when ships ‘pass within 25 yards’ they roll for a proximity collision. If ships remain within 25 yards of each other do they have to check again? A situation occurred in my battle where two ships had been fouled long enough to have both of their bows into the wind, when they unfouled they were in irons and so slowly drifted apart, remaining within 25 yards for a turn – should they have checked for a collision again?"

 

Yes.  If a ship remains within 25 yds on subsequent phases it would need to test for fouling.

 

"6.    Damage allocation. I kept hitting an already damaged ship section (the upper deck guns). I ignored additional hits – is that correct? "

 

Yes.  Additional hits to an already damaged section causes no additional damage (you basically "bounced the rubble".  An old and honored tradition, I might add!).

 

"7.    ‘In irons’ A ship can find itself in irons for other reasons than just tacking failure, ie due to drifting – Do I just follow the procedure in tacking until the wind catches the sails?"

 

Yes.  You'd follow the same procedures (in 'irons' is in 'irons', regardless of the cause).

 

"Sorry again for the stupidity of some of my questions…"

 

No reason to apologize!  Keep in mind, this a period of history (and a technology) that is pretty much lost to our modern times.  Much that would have fallen in the category of "everyone knows that" has been totally lost.  And remember that a square-rigger was the height of technology in this period.  Its been said that the highly experienced sailing masters of today's handful of existing square-rigged ships would have barely qualified as rookie topmen back in the day.

 

Hopefully, Post Captain recreates, in some small part, the flavor and challenges of that long lost time.

[Trotsky]

Thanks Cpt M - really helped clear a few things up for me. I am new to the subject and have little frame of reference to make any judgements - appreciate your detailed response.