Siege Equipment
Siege weapons are designed to assail castles and other walled fortifications. Some ships have weaponry for attacking other vessels.
Sometimes having a multitude of smaller more maneuverable weapons is preferable to having cumbersome larger weapons depending on the purpose of the ship and what combat the crew expects to engage. The table below shows the equivalents for weapon sizes. For example, a medium slot can have either 1 medium weapon or 2 small weapons.
| Slot size | # of Smalls | # of Mediums | # of Larges | Base Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 1 | 0 | 0 | 50g |
| Medium | 2 | 1 | 0 | 100g |
| Large | 4 | 2 | 1 | 200g |
| Weapon | Size | Cost | AC / HP | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harpoon Launcher | S | 200g | 13 / 30 | Harpoon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 60/240ft. Hit: 11 (2d10) piercing damage. Costs 2 silver each. Can be shot with rope or chain attached. |
| Scorpio | S | 250g | 13 / 40 | Scorpio Bolt. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 120/480ft. Hit: 11 (2d10) piercing damage. Costs 1 silver each. |
| Ballista | M | 350g | 15 / 50 | Bolt. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 120/480ft. Hit: 16 (3d10) piercing damage. Costs 1g each. |
| Cannon | M | 1000g | 19 / 75 | Cannon Ball. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 600/2400ft. Hit: 44 (8d10) bludgeoning damage. Costs 2g each. Chain Ball. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 300/1200ft. Hit: 44 (8d10) bludgeoning damage (+30 damage to sails). Costs 4g each. |
| Mangonel | L | 650g | 15 / 100 | Mangonel Stone. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 240/960ft. Hit: 27 (5d10) bludgeoning damage. Costs 1g each. |
| Trebuchet | L | 1100g | 15 / 150 | Trebuchet Stone. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 300/2000ft. Can't hit targets within 60 feet of it. Hit: 44 (10d10) bludgeoning damage. Costs 1g each. |
| Naval Ram | -- | 500g+ | 20 / 100 | See Crashing a Ship for damage details. |
💰 Cost formula: base cost + (# of d10s + range/240) * 50 Example for a ballista: 100g + (3 + 480/240) * 50 = 350g
🎯 Loading, aiming, and shooting each require a bonus or main action. Some weapons are easier to aim and only require loading/shooting.
Harpoon Launcher. A harpoon launcher is limited in how far it can pivot and must be mounted to the front or edges of the top deck of a ship to be useful. All harpoons can be tied to be anchored to the ship, linking a harpooned target to the vessel on a connecting hit. The harpoon gun has a more limited range than a Scorpio because harpoons are heavier and affected by the attached rope or chain. No action cost to aim, only load and shoot.
Scorpio. A scorpio is a long crossbow that fires thick bolts. The scorpio is mounted to a tripod base that can pivot and aim freely. No action cost to aim, only shoot.
Ballista. A ballista is a massive crossbow that fires heavy bolts.
Cannon. A cannon uses gunpowder to propel heavy balls of cast iron through the air at destructive speeds. In a campaign without gunpowder, a cannon might be an arcane device instead. It is usually supported in a wooden frame with wheels.
Mangonel. A mangonel is a type of catapult that hurls heavy projectiles in a low arc. This payload can hit targets behind cover.
Trebuchet. A trebuchet is a type of catapult that hurls heavy projectiles in a high arc. This payload can hit targets behind cover. A trebuchet typically launches a heavy stone, however it can launch other kinds of projectiles such as barrels of oil or sewage, which causes different destructive effects.
Naval Ram. The ram at the bow of the ship can be used to purposely crash into other vessels, lodging the two ships together to allow for easier boarding of the defending party or an onslaught until the defending ship is critically damaged. The attacking ship has advantage on all saving throws related to crashing when it crashes into a creature or object. Any damage it takes from the crash is applied to the naval ram rather than the ship. This does not apply if the vessel crashes into a same-sized ship.