by Daniel Horne
| Ship propulsion | Crews and ship types | Table Descriptions | - | - |
| 1st Edition AD&D | - | Dragon magazine | - | Dragon #130 |
by Daniel Horne
This article introduces historical Chinese
ships and new ship-related rules to the
AD&D® game's Oriental
Adventures campaigns,
using the ship rules published in
DRAGON® issue #116 ("High
Seas," pages
10-27). So that you can use these two
articles together without confusion, the
tables here are not numbered sequentially,
but are numbered as if the two articles
had been printed together.
One book used in preparing this article
was especially helpful: G.R.G. Worcester?s
The Junks and Sampans of the Yangtze
(Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press,
1971), a compilation of that author?s earlier
works on junks. It has detailed plans
of over 150 junks and sampans. If you
want to know anything about these ships
and the people who use them, here it is.
Whatever the Chinese can do on land,
they can also do on water. Floating inns,
groceries, shops, and teahouses exist. Even
ducks are raised on boats. Hundreds of
different kinds of junks and sampans
cruise the great waterways of China.
China?s principal waterway system is the
Yangtze River, with all its tributaries and
canals: 5,500 miles of navigable waters
serving 750,000 square miles. Wintertraveling
vessels of 5? draft and summertraveling
vessels of 14? draft can reach
Ichang, 1,000 miles from the sea. Rivers in
Oriental lands in the AD&D® game could
be equally extensive.
Ship propulsion
The most distinctive Chinese sail is the
square lugsail with battens. A lugsail is
hung from a lug (a type of yard), which is
hung from the mast at a point two-thirds
of the way along its length. The head of
the sail is shorter than the foot ? threefifths
the length of the foot, usually. The
foot of the sail is laced to a boom. Battens
are strips of bamboo sewn across the sail
and attached to the mast. Battens force the
sail to stay flat so the ship can sail at a
sharper angle when tacking, and make it
easier for the sail to be reefed (partially
folded) and lowered. The sail acts like fanfold
computer paper when raised or lowered.
Even when full of holes, a battened
sail still draws the wind well. The battens
also replace ratlines, which allow the crew
to climb up the sail when necessary.
The junk and sampan are Chinese vessels
characterized by a keelless flat bottom,
a square bow, and a high stern.. They
were the first ships to use bulkheads
(walls across the hold) to form watertight
compartments and strengthen the hull.
Each ship uses rowing techniques distinct
from those used by Western ships. The
rower faces forward and pushes the oar
while standing. Usually there is only one
rower per oar. Rowing and sailing were
often combined to add speed.
Junks and sampans are also sculled. A
long sweep, the yuloh, is hung over the
stern and worked from side to side to
propel the boat in the same manner that a
fish uses its tail to swim. The sweep is
often so long that the rower has to stand
on a high platform at midship. The
sweeps great weight is carefully balanced
so that it can be easily worked.
Poling a boat is the process of sticking a
pole in the riverbed and pushing the boat
forward. Except for steering problems,
hanging onto the pole, and getting the pole
out of the mud, poling would be a simple
process. The energetic style of poling
requires the poler to begin at the bow and
walk the pole back to the stern. Poling
works only in water 10? deep or less.
The hardest way to move a vessel is
tracking: hauling a boat with ropes by
people on shore. This is, however, the only
way to go up rapids. The heavier cargo is
off-loaded and most of the crew go ashore.
As their water levels fall in the winter,
many of the rivers of China become shallow
stretches interrupted by rapids and
narrow channels. Some rivers have rapids
all year round; others become foaming
torrents during the summer. Rapids occur
when the bed of the river suddenly drops,
when the river is partly blocked, or when
the river enters a gorge. Dangerous areas
include boulders and rocks, whirlpools,
boils, and backwaters. Each tracker wears
a harness which attaches to a bamboo
rope. The track on shore may cross
creeks, canals, or boulders, or it may be
carved out of the side of a vertical gorge.
When considering whether to track a
boat or not, five questions are important:
1. How long are the rapids?
2. How many trackers are needed to haul the boat
upriver?
3. How long will it take?
4. How much will it cost?
5. What are the chances of successfully shooting
the rapids and tracking without disaster?
For purposes of comparison, a very
difficult stretch of rapids could be a mile
long, take nine hours and 200 trackers,
and require payment of one yuan per
tracker for a total cost of 10 taels. The
chance to successfully track or shoot these
rapids is 65%. At the other extreme, a
very easy stretch of rapids could have a
95% chance of being successfully negotiated,
be 10 yards long, take 12 trackers
half an hour, and require payment of one
fen per tracker for a total of 12 fen. The
last case would be appropriate for tracking
a boat through a canal gate.
When negotiating rapids, roll percentile
die to see if the tracking or shooting is
successful. If the attempt fails, the vessel
takes damage as per Table Vb. Once the
hull has been reduced to zero or fewer
points, it breaks up, throwing those
aboard into the water. Each must save vs.
paralyzation every 20 yards of rapids or
take l-6 hp damage.
Crews and ship types
The basic statistics for Chinese ships are
given in Table Id and Table Ie.
Additional information
is provided here.
The crews of junks and sampans are
frequently all of one family, having often
been commanded by three generations of
laodah in turn. Laodah (meaning
"old
great") is the Chinese title for a ship captain.
The t誕i-kung is the bow lookout who
wields the bow sweep (if there is one); he
takes soundings with a long boathook. The
shao-huo-ti (cook) is also in charge of buying
provisions for the vessel. The hsiench置eh
(?man of all work?) is the equivalent
of the landsman or ordinary sailor.
The pa-liang-chia-ti (?one who has to
climb?) is equivalent to the able-bodied
sailor.
The lorca is a ship with a Western-style
hull but with a junks rigging and sails.
The statistics given in Table Id are for a
lorca whose hull has had bulkheads added
to give the hull more strength. If you wish
to have a lorca which has not had its hull
modified, use the statistics given in Tables
Ia and Ib of the "High Seas" article (issue
#116) for a cog, caravel,
brig,
or corvette
but increase the R&S (rigging and sail)
points by 8 points and their speeds by 3".
The Kiangsu trading junk and the Pechili
trading junk are different-size versions of
the same seafaring cargo and passenger
ship: the sha-ch'uan ("sand boat"). They
are found all over eastern Asia sailing
from one seaport to another. They are also
used by pirates and are outfitted with
anywhere from 2-10 artillery engines.
The ta-ping-ch置an (ocean war junk) and
the k置ai-tu (small war junk) are just two
of the many types of war junks. Almost
any type of junk can be converted for
naval use with the addition of artillery
engines. The ocean war junk carries 4-16
artillery engines; the small war junk, 2-6.
The chang-k弛u ma-yang稚zu (river junk)
is a sailing cargo boat for rivers and bays.
The hou-pan-ch置an (crooked-stern junk) is
a river cargo vessel built to negotiate the
most treacherous rapids, using bow
sweeps for added maneuverability. The
shape of the crooked-stern junk allows it
to use two stern sweeps, which makes it
even handier in the rapids. With the two
laodah, who stands on a platform 25'
above the water. The additional crew of
these junks handle the oars and tracking.
The crooked-stern junks often travel in
groups of about 8 so that they may
combine their crews for tracking.
The yao-Wang-ch置an (fishing junk) also
carries six oars, each 30' long. The lou-tzuch置en
(flower junk) is a floating restaurant
or teahouse. It can be hired for an
afternoon (2 taels) or evening (5 taels) of
boating, music, song, and food. The flower
junk accommodates 24 guests.
The house junk on Table Id is a larger
variety of the many kinds of house junks.
These junks are usually anchored among a
maze of rickety, thin walkways. If it becomes
necessary to move the house, the
boards of the walkways are removed to let
the junk pole out and move away. The
family aboard it usually has 1 or 2
sampans for getting around. There are
several advantages to the house junk: no
rent, no land tax, no problem with floods,
and no hassle when moving.
The three sampans on Table Id are poled
or paddled in the shallow waters they
normally frequent. They can be used for
fishing, ferrying, and cargo transfer. With
the addition of a roof, they may also be
used as homes. In harbor settings, some
sampans have small kitchens aboard for
making meals for the crews of other vessels
(possibly leading to boat fires).
Dragon boats, specific to China, vary
from 44' to 110' in length. Their sole purpose
is to race in the Dragon Boat Festival,
held to commemorate the drowning of
Ch'u Yuan (in the 4th century B.C.), a poet
and statesman of the Chou dynasty. The
races recall the frantic searches for his
body by his friends and admirers. The
Festival is held on the 5th and 15th days of
the 5th moon. The festivities include offerings
to the Lung Wang. Debts are to be
settled at this time. The festival is very
near those of the Last Sowing and the
Summer Solstice. The cost of the boats and
races are borne in part by the pious as an
offering to the river gods. The crew and
officers are drawn from the same neighborhood,
company, or village. The race
usually runs diagonally across the river
for a half mile or so. Since the draft (when
fully loaded) of these boats is only 3',
contestants must pause at least once for a
few minutes to engage in some furious
bailing. DMs may handle the race as a
proficiency contest as outlined
in Oriental
Adventures, page 52; the proficiency is
paddling, which requires one slot with a
base chance of success of 14.
SIZE: L
COST (1,000 taels): 43
FULL LENGTH (ft): 130
DECK LENGTH (ft): 110
BEAM (ft): 30
DRAFT (ft): 8
FREEBOARD (ft): 4
TONNAGE: 500
NO. FULL DECKS: 1
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 2
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: 16 x 12
NO. OF SAMPANS: 2
CREW: 20
MAX. ADD.: 38
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 60
EACH MAST: 15
RIGGING & SAIL: 27
SAILING
NO. MASTS: 4
BASE SPEED: 27
MANEUVERABILITY: 8
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: -
NO. OF OARS: m
NORMAL SPEED: 0
FULL SPEED: m
SPRINT SPEED: -
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: -
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: 20
NORMAL SPEED: 1
FULL SPEED: 1 1/2
SPRINT SPEED: 2
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: 12
SCULLING: -
The lorca is a ship with a Western-style
hull but with a junks rigging and sails.
The statistics given in Table Id are for a
lorca whose hull has had bulkheads added
to give the hull more strength. If you wish
to have a lorca which has not had its hull
modified, use the statistics given in Tables
Ia and Ib of the "High Seas" article (issue
#116) for a cog, caravel,
brig,
or corvette
but increase the R&S (rigging and sail)
points by 8 points and their speeds by 3?.
KIANGSU TRADING JUNK
SIZE: L
COST (1,000 taels): 50
FULL LENGTH (ft): 90
DECK LENGTH (ft): 70
BEAM (ft): 18
DRAFT (ft): 6
FREEBOARD (ft): 4
TONNAGE: 135
NO. FULL DECKS: 1
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: 27 x 3
NO. OF SAMPANS: 2
CREW: 38
MAX. ADD.: 35
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 40
EACH MAST: 10
RIGGING & SAIL: 30
SAILING
NO. MASTS: 5
BASE SPEED: 33
MANEUVERABILITY: 8
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: -
NO. OF OARS: -
NORMAL SPEED: -
FULL SPEED: -
SPRINT SPEED:
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: -
POLING SPEEDS: -
NO OF POLES: 35
NORMAL SPEED: 1
FULL SPEED: 1 1/2
SPRINT SPEED: 2
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: 12
SCULLING: -
The Kiangsu trading junk and the Pechili
trading junk are different-size versions of
the same seafaring cargo and passenger
ship: the sha-ch'uan ("sand boat"). They
are found all over eastern Asia sailing
from one seaport to another. They are also
used by pirates and are outfitted with
anywhere from 2-10 artillery engines.
SIZE: L
COST (1,000 taels): 80
FULL LENGTH (ft): 120
DECK LENGTH (ft): 100
BEAM (ft): 25
DRAFT (ft): 6
FREEBOARD (ft): 6
TONNAGE: 280
NO. FULL DECKS: 2
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 1
SIZE OF THE DECKHOUSE: 20 x 10
NO. OF SAMPANS: 2
CREW: 30
MAX. ADD.: 60
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 50
EACH MAST: 15
RIGGING & SAIL: 27
SAILING
NO. MASTS: 3
BASE SPEED: 30
MANEUVERABILITY: 8
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: -
NO. OF OARS: -
NORMAL SPEED: -
FULL SPEED: -
SPRINT SPEED: -
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: -
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: 50
NORMAL SPEED: 1/2
FULL SPEED: 1
SPRINT SPEED: 1 1/2
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: 12
SCULLING: -
The ta-ping-ch置an (ocean war junk) and
the k置ai-tu (small war junk) are just two
of the many types of war junks. Almost
any type of junk can be converted for
naval use with the addition of artillery
engines. The ocean war junk carries 4-16
artillery engines; the small war junk, 2-6.
RIVER JUNK
SIZE: L
COST (1,000 taels): 30
FULL LENGTH (ft): 90
DECK LENGTH (ft): 75
BEAM (ft): 18
DRAFT (ft): 5
FREEBOARD (ft): 2
TONNAGE: 110
NO. FULL DECKS: 1
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF THE DECKHOUSE: 38 x 16
NO. OF SAMPANS: 1
CREW: 8
MAX. ADD.: 19
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 30
EACH MAST: 8
RIGGING & SAIL: 10
SAILING
NO. MASTS: 2
BASE SPEED: 27
MANEUVERABILITY: 6
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: 40'
NO. OF OARS: 16
NORMAL SPEED: 12
FULL SPEED: 16
SPRINT SPEED: 18
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: 6
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: 30
NORMAL SPEED: <1> <2>
FULL SPEED: <3>
SPRINT SPEED: 10
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: 10
SCULLING: 8
The chang-k弛u ma-yang稚zu (river junk)
is a sailing cargo boat for rivers and bays.
The hou-pan-ch置an (crooked-stern junk) is
a river cargo vessel built to negotiate the
most treacherous rapids, using bow
sweeps for added maneuverability. The
shape of the crooked-stern junk allows it
to use two stern sweeps, which makes it
even handier in the rapids. With the two
laodah, who stands on a platform 25'
above the water. The additional crew of
these junks handle the oars and tracking.
The crooked-stern junks often travel in
groups of about 8 so that they may
combine their crews for tracking.
SIZE: M
COST (1,000 taels): 33
FULL LENGTH (ft): 60
DECK LENGTH (ft): 45
BEAM (ft): 12
DRAFT (ft): 4
FREEBOARD (ft): 3
TONNAGE: 40
NO. FULL DECKS: 1
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: 25 x 10
NO. OF SAMPANS: 1
CREW: 22
MAX. ADD.: 18
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 26
EACH MAST: 8
RIGGING & SAIL: 16
SAILING
NO. MASTS: 4
BASE SPEED: 30
MANEUVERABILITY: 8
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: -
NO. OF OARS: -
NORMAL SPEED: -
FULL SPEED: -
SPRINT SPEED: -
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: -
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: 20
NORMAL SPEED: 1
FULL SPEED: 1 1/2
SPRINT SPEED: 2
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: 12
SCULLING: -
The Kiangsu trading junk and the Pechili
trading junk are different-size versions of
the same seafaring cargo and passenger
ship: the sha-ch'uan ("sand boat"). They
are found all over eastern Asia sailing
from one seaport to another. They are also
used by pirates and are outfitted with
anywhere from 2-10 artillery engines.
SIZE: M
COST (1,000 taels): 53
FULL LENGTH (ft): 80
DECK LENGTH (ft): 75
BEAM (ft): 15
DRAFT (ft): 3
FREEBOARD (ft): 3
TONNAGE: 60
NO. FULL DECKS: 1
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: -
NO. OF SAMPANS: 2
CREW: 46
MAX. ADD.: 16
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 35
EACH MAST: 8
RIGGING & SAIL: 8
SAILING
NO. MASTS: 2
BASE SPEED: 36
MANEUVERABILITY: 8
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: 20'
NO. OF OARS: 40
NORMAL SPEED: 21
FULL SPEED: 28
SPRINT SPEED: 31
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: 6
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: -
NORMAL SPEED: -
FULL SPEED: -
SPRINT SPEED: -
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: -
SCULLING: -
The ta-ping-ch置an (ocean war junk) and
the k置ai-tu (small war junk) are just two
of the many types of war junks. Almost
any type of junk can be converted for
naval use with the addition of artillery
engines. The ocean war junk carries 4-16
artillery engines; the small war junk, 2-6.
SIZE: M
COST (1,000 taels): 23
FULL LENGTH (ft): 70
DECK LENGTH (ft): 65
BEAM (ft): 16
DRAFT (ft): 4
FREEBOARD (ft): 2
TONNAGE: 75
NO. FULL DECKS: 1
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: 20 x 15
NO. OF SAMPANS: 1
CREW: 22
MAX. ADD.: 16
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 60
EACH MAST: -
RIGGING & SAIL: -
SAILING
NO. MASTS: -
BASE SPEED: -
MANEUVERABILITY: -
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: 40'
NO. OF OARS: 16
NORMAL SPEED: 15
FULL SPEED: 20
SPRINT SPEED: 21
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: 4
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: -
NORMAL SPEED: -
FULL SPEED: -
SPRINT SPEED: -
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: -
SCULLING: 4
The chang-k弛u ma-yang稚zu (river junk)
is a sailing cargo boat for rivers and bays.
The hou-pan-ch置an (crooked-stern junk) is
a river cargo vessel built to negotiate the
most treacherous rapids, using bow
sweeps for added maneuverability. The
shape of the crooked-stern junk allows it
to use two stern sweeps, which makes it
even handier in the rapids. With the two
laodah, who stands on a platform 25'
above the water. The additional crew of
these junks handle the oars and tracking.
The crooked-stern junks often travel in
groups of about 8 so that they may
combine their crews for tracking.
SIZE: S
COST (1,000 taels): 11
FULL LENGTH (ft): 35
DECK LENGTH (ft): -
BEAM (ft): 5
DRAFT (ft): 1
FREEBOARD (ft): 6
TONNAGE: 4 1/2
NO. FULL DECKS: 0
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: -
NO. OF SAMPANS: 0
CREW: 3
MAX. ADD.: 18
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 10
EACH MAST: -
RIGGING & SAIL: -
SAILING
NO. MASTS: -
BASE SPEED: -
MANEUVERABILITY: -
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: 5'
NO. OF OARS: 2
NORMAL SPEED: 4
FULL SPEED: 5 (* The vessel is being paddled, not
rowed.)
SPRINT SPEED: 6
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: 6
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: 2
NORMAL SPEED: 3
FULL SPEED: 4
SPRINT SPEED: 5
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: 6
SCULLING: 4
The three sampans on Table Id are poled
or paddled in the shallow waters they
normally frequent. They can be used for
fishing, ferrying, and cargo transfer. With
the addition of a roof, they may also be
used as homes. In harbor settings, some
sampans have small kitchens aboard for
making meals for the crews of other vessels
(possibly leading to boat fires).
SIZE: S
COST (1,000 taels): 5
FULL LENGTH (ft): 15
DECK LENGTH (ft): -
BEAM (ft): 3
DRAFT (ft): 10
FREEBOARD (ft): 6
TONNAGE: 1/2
NO. FULL DECKS: 0
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: -
NO. OF SAMPANS: 0
CREW: 3
MAX. ADD.: 15
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 8
EACH MAST: -
RIGGING & SAIL: -
SAILING
NO. MASTS: -
BASE SPEED: -
MANEUVERABILITY: -
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: 5'
NO. OF OARS: 2
NORMAL SPEED: 5
FULL SPEED: 6 (* The vessel is being paddled, not
rowed.)
SPRINT SPEED: 8
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: 6
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: 2
NORMAL SPEED: 3
FULL SPEED: 4
SPRINT SPEED: 5
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: 4
SCULLING: 4
The three sampans on Table Id are poled
or paddled in the shallow waters they
normally frequent. They can be used for
fishing, ferrying, and cargo transfer. With
the addition of a roof, they may also be
used as homes. In harbor settings, some
sampans have small kitchens aboard for
making meals for the crews of other vessels
(possibly leading to boat fires).
SIZE: S
COST (1,000 taels): 3
FULL LENGTH (ft): 9
DECK LENGTH (ft): -
BEAM (ft): 3
DRAFT (ft): 8
FREEBOARD (ft): 4
TONNAGE: 1/3
NO. FULL DECKS: 0
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: -
NO. OF SAMPANS: 0
CREW: 1
MAX. ADD.: 2
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 10
EACH MAST: -
RIGGING & SAIL: -
SAILING
NO. MASTS: -
BASE SPEED: -
MANEUVERABILITY: -
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: 5'
NO. OF OARS: 2
NORMAL SPEED: 4
FULL SPEED: 5 (* The vessel is being paddled, not
rowed.)
SPRINT SPEED: 6
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: 4
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: 1
NORMAL SPEED: 2
FULL SPEED: 3
SPRINT SPEED: 4
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: 2
SCULLING: 2
The three sampans on Table Id are poled
or paddled in the shallow waters they
normally frequent. They can be used for
fishing, ferrying, and cargo transfer. With
the addition of a roof, they may also be
used as homes. In harbor settings, some
sampans have small kitchens aboard for
making meals for the crews of other vessels
(possibly leading to boat fires).
SIZE: M
COST (1,000 taels): 20
FULL LENGTH (ft): 66
DECK LENGTH (ft): -
BEAM (ft): 6
DRAFT (ft): 15
FREEBOARD (ft): 3
TONNAGE: 12
NO. FULL DECKS: 0
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: -
NO. OF SAMPANS: 0
CREW: 39
MAX. ADD.: 0
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 18
EACH MAST: -
RIGGING & SAIL: -
SAILING
NO. MASTS: -
BASE SPEED: -
MANEUVERABILITY: -
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: 5'
NO. OF OARS: 36
NORMAL SPEED: 26
FULL SPEED: 35 (* The vessel is being paddled, not
rowed.)
SPRINT SPEED: 29
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: <>
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: <>
NORMAL SPEED: <>
FULL SPEED: <>
SPRINT SPEED: <>
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: <>
SCULLING: <>
Dragon boats, specific to China, vary
from 44' to 110' in length. Their sole purpose
is to race in the Dragon Boat Festival,
held to commemorate the drowning of
Ch'u Yuan (in the 4th century B.C.), a poet
and statesman of the Chou dynasty. The
races recall the frantic searches for his
body by his friends and admirers. The
Festival is held on the 5th and 15th days of
the 5th moon. The festivities include offerings
to the Lung Wang. Debts are to be
settled at this time. The festival is very
near those of the Last Sowing and the
Summer Solstice. The cost of the boats and
races are borne in part by the pious as an
offering to the river gods. The crew and
officers are drawn from the same neighborhood,
company, or village. The race
usually runs diagonally across the river
for a half mile or so. Since the draft (when
fully loaded) of these boats is only 3',
contestants must pause at least once for a
few minutes to engage in some furious
bailing. DMs may handle the race as a
proficiency contest as outlined
in Oriental
Adventures, page 52; the proficiency is
paddling, which requires one slot with a
base chance of success of 14.
SIZE: L
COST (1,000 taels): 30
FULL LENGTH (ft): 90
DECK LENGTH (ft): 75
BEAM (ft): 18
DRAFT (ft): 5
FREEBOARD (ft): 2
TONNAGE: 110
NO. FULL DECKS: 1
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: 38 x 16
NO. OF SAMPANS: 1
CREW: 8
MAX. ADD.: 19
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 30
EACH MAST: 8
RIGGING & SAIL: 10
SAILING
NO. MASTS: 2
BASE SPEED: 27
MANEUVERABILITY: 6
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: 40'
NO. OF OARS: 16
NORMAL SPEED: 12
FULL SPEED: 16
SPRINT SPEED: 18
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: 6
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: 30
NORMAL SPEED: <1> <2>
FULL SPEED: <3>
SPRINT SPEED: 10
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: 10
SCULLING: 8
SIZE: M
COST (1,000 taels): 16
FULL LENGTH (ft): 50
DECK LENGTH (ft): 45
BEAM (ft): 10
DRAFT (ft): 5
FREEBOARD (ft): 3
TONNAGE: 20
NO. FULL DECKS: 1
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: 10 x 7
NO. OF SAMPANS: 1
CREW: 10
MAX. ADD.: 8
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 20
EACH MAST: 8
RIGGING & SAIL: 20
SAILING
NO. MASTS: 4
BASE SPEED: 27
MANEUVERABILITY: 6
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: -
NO. OF OARS: -
NORMAL SPEED: -
FULL SPEED: -
SPRINT SPEED: -
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: -
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: 6
NORMAL SPEED: 3
FULL SPEED: 4
SPRINT SPEED: 4 1/2
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: 6
SCULLING: 6
The yao-Wang-ch置an (fishing junk) also
carries six oars, each 30' long. The lou-tzuch置en
(flower junk) is a floating restaurant
or teahouse. It can be hired for an
afternoon (2 taels) or evening (5 taels) of
boating, music, song, and food. The flower
junk accommodates 24 guests.
SIZE: S
COST (1,000 taels): 14
FULL LENGTH (ft): 40
DECK LENGTH (ft): 30
BEAM (ft): 10
DRAFT (ft): 3
FREEBOARD (ft): 2
TONNAGE: 13
NO. FULL DECKS: 1
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: -
NO. OF SAMPANS: 0
CREW: 7
MAX. ADD.: 36
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 8
EACH MAST: -
RIGGING & SAIL: -
SAILING
NO. MASTS: -
BASE SPEED: -
MANEUVERABILITY: -
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: -
NO. OF OARS: -
NORMAL SPEED: -
FULL SPEED: -
SPRINT SPEED: -
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: -
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: 8
NORMAL SPEED: 6
FULL SPEED: 8
SPRINT SPEED: 9
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: 8
SCULLING: -
The yao-Wang-ch置an (fishing junk) also
carries six oars, each 30' long. The lou-tzuch置en
(flower junk) is a floating restaurant
or teahouse. It can be hired for an
afternoon (2 taels) or evening (5 taels) of
boating, music, song, and food. The flower
junk accommodates 24 guests.
SIZE: S
COST (1,000 taels): 12
FULL LENGTH (ft): 40
DECK LENGTH (ft): 35
BEAM (ft): 8
DRAFT (ft): 2
FREEBOARD (ft): 1
TONNAGE: 10
NO. FULL DECKS: 1
NO. PARTIAL DECKS: 0
SIZE OF DECKHOUSE: -
NO. OF SAMPANS: 1
CREW: 4
MAX. ADD.: 18
DEFENSIVE POINTS
HULL: 12
EACH MAST: -
RIGGING & SAIL: -
SAILING
NO. MASTS: -
BASE SPEED: -
MANEUVERABILITY: -
ROWING SPEEDS
OAR LENGTH: 12'
NO. OF OARS: 4
NORMAL SPEED: 3
FULL SPEED: 4
SPRINT SPEED: 5
ROWING MANEUVERABILITY: 6
POLING SPEEDS
NO OF POLES: 4
NORMAL SPEED: 3
FULL SPEED: 4
SPRINT SPEED: 4 1/2
MANEUVERABILITY
POLING: 8
SCULLING: -
The house junk on Table Id is a larger
variety of the many kinds of house junks.
These junks are usually anchored among a
maze of rickety, thin walkways. If it becomes
necessary to move the house, the
boards of the walkways are removed to let
the junk pole out and move away. The
family aboard it usually has 1 or 2
sampans for getting around. There are
several advantages to the house junk: no
rent, no land tax, no problem with floods,
and no hassle when moving.
Table descriptions
Table Id is very similar to Table Ia of the
"High Seas" article. "Maximum additional
crew" refers to those who stay with the
vessel. Polers, rowers, trackers, and pilots
for rapids are hired as necessary, and are
not counted toward this total.
Table Id
Oriental Ships' Statistics
Defensive points
| Vessel | Size | Cost (1,000 tales) | Full length (ft) | Deck length | Beam | Draft | Freeboard | Tonnage | No. full decks | No. partial decks | Size of deckhouse | No. of sampans | Crew | Max. add. | Hull | Each mast | Rigging & sail |
| Lorca | L | 43 | 130 | 110 | 30 | 8 | 4 | 500 | 1 | 2 | 16 x 12 | 2 | 20 | 38 | 60 | 15 | 27 |
| Kiangsu trading junk | L | 50 | 90 | 70 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 135 | 1 | 0 | 27 x 3 | 2 | 38 | 35 | 40 | 10 | 30 |
| Ocean war junk | L | 80 | 120 | 100 | 25 | 6 | 6 | 280 | 2 | 1 | 20 x 10 | 2 | 30 | 60 | 50 | 15 | 27 |
| River junk | L | 30 | 90 | 75 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 110 | 1 | 0 | 38 x 16 | 1 | 8 | 19 | 30 | 8 | 10 |
| Pechili trading junk | M | 33 | 60 | 45 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 25 x 10 | 1 | 22 | 18 | 26 | 8 | 16 |
| Small war junk | M | 53 | 80 | 75 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 80 | 1 | 0 | - | 2 | 46 | 16 | 35 | 8 | 8 |
| Crooked-stern junk | M | 23 | 70 | 65 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 75 | 1 | 0 | 20 x 15 | 1 | 22 | 16 | 60 | - | - |
| Fishing junk | M | 16 | 50 | 45 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 10 x 7 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 8 | 20 |
| Flower junk | S | 14 | 40 | 30 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 7 | 36 | 8 | - | - |
| House junk | S | 12 | 40 | 35 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 4 | 18 | 12 | - | - |
| Fishing sampan | S | 11 | 35 | - | 5 | 1 | 6* | 4¼ | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 3 | 18 | 10 | - | - |
| Creek sampan | S | 5 | 15 | - | 3 | 10* | 6* | 1/2 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 3 | 15 | 8 | - | - |
| Junks sampan | S | 3 | 9 | - | 3 | 8* | 4* | 1/3 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | - | - |
| Dragon boat | M | 20 | 66 | - | 6 | 15* | 3* | 12 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 39 | 0 | 18 | - | - |
Table Ie
Oriental Ships' Speeds
Sailing
Rowing speeds
Poling speeds Maneuverability
| Vessel | No. masts | Base speed | Mnvr. | Oar length | No. of oars | Normal | Full | Sprint | Rowing mnvr. | No. of poles | Normal | Full | Sprint | Poling | Sculling |
| Lorca | 4 | 27 | 8 | - | m | 0 | m | - | - | 20 | 1 | 1 1/2 | 2 | 12 | - |
| Kiangsu trading junk | 5 | 33 | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 35 | 1 | 1 1/2 | 2 | 12 | - |
| Ocean war junk | 3 | 30 | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 50 | 1/2 | 1 | 1 1/2 | 12 | - |
| River junk | 2 | 27 | 6 | 40' | 16 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 6 | 30 | <1> <2> | <3> | 10 | 10 | 8 |
| Pechili trading junk | 4 | 30 | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | 1 | 1 1/2 | 2 | 12 | - |
| Small war junk | 2 | 36 | 8 | 20' | 40 | 21 | 28 | 31 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Crooked-stern junk | - | - | - | 40' | 16 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| Fishing junk | 4 | 27 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 1/2 | 6 | 6 |
| Flower junk | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | - |
| House junk | - | - | - | 12' | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 1/2 | 8 | - |
| Fishing sampan | - | - | - | 5' | 2 | 4 | 5* | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Creek sampan | - | - | - | 5' | 2 | 5 | 6* | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Junk's sampan | - | - | - | 5' | 2 | 4 | 5* | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Dragon boat | - | - | - | 5' | 36 | 26 | 35* | 39 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Most of the vessels on Table Ie have
more than 1 speed listed. Sailing speed,
maneuverability, and direction were explained
in the "High Seas" article. Oar
speeds are given as ?normal,? ?full,? and
?sprint.? Normal oar speed can be kept up
for four hours. Full speed can only be
maintained for an hour, and sprint speed
for only 30 minutes. After the maximum
time at a given oar speed, it must be followed
by one hour of rest. An asterisk
next to the oar speed means the vessel is
being paddled, not rowed.
Sculling speed, regardless of the vessel,
is 7?) which can be maintained for six
hours before an hour's rest is needed. In
emergencies or under very favorable
conditions, this speed can be raised to 13?
for an hour,
Poling, like oar speed, has normal, full,
and sprint speeds, which are subject to the
same time restrictions as oar speed. Poling
and sculling maneuverability are handled
as per oar maneuverability.
The following combinations of the forms
of propulsion are possible: sail with oar or
pole, or sculling with oar or pole. The final
speed is the sail or sculling speed plus onehalf
of the normal poling or rowing speed.
The speed of the vessels given can be
modified by several factors. A current, be
it river or tidal, adds or subtracts one-half
of its speed to a vessel?s speed. (By way of
example, the Upper Yangtze River in winter
varies between 1? and 9? in game
speed, and in summer from 12? to 24?.) In
rapids however, the full speed of the current
is added when shooting, up to 39? in
very violent rapids.
Table V lists the new sources of damage
appropriate to an Oriental campaign. A
stink pot is a half-gallon clay jar filled with
a mix of gunpowder, sulfur, and nails in
one half, and any malodorous substance in
the other half. It is then sealed with clay
and plaster, forming a simple bomb that
produces a cloud of noxious smoke equal
in effect to a stinking cloud, lasting for
three rounds. It also does 2d6 hp damage
to all within 40?. Stink pots were dropped
from the yards of one vessel onto an interposing
ship. Mines are floating versions of
stink pots with timed fuses. They are
floated downstream in large numbers in
the hopes of disrupting enemy ships. Fire
boats are paired by a chain which snags
on enemy ships so that the fire boats come
to rest on either side of the target. Each
fire boat sets a 14-point fire.
The addendum to Table VIII includes one
new point: The percent of hull damage is
the percent chance for sinking, because of
the watertight compartments formed by
the bulkheads. Lorcas without bulkheads
suffer the usual chance for sinking ? i.e.,
two times the percent damage to the hull
(note the correction!).
The addendum to the "High Seas" Table
IX includes an altered speed formula.
Fouling results when a vessel fails to make
its maneuver roll changing from 1
POINT of sail to another when rowed, paddled,
poled, or sculled. The crew must roll
on Table III of the "High
Seas" article for
each type of movement used. The length
of fouling differs for each type of
movement.
Table Vb
Amount of Damage Caused by Monster Type
| Monsters | Hull damage* | % Chance to capsize |
| Carp (R) | 1-12 | 8-12 |
| Crocodile, giant (R) | 2-8 | 7 |
| Dragon turtle (R)** | 3-12 | 12-14 |
| Elemental, water (R) | 1d4 per 4 HD | 2 per HD |
| Nature spirit, greater (R) | 1d4 per 4 HD | 8-15 |
| Nature spirit, lesser (R) | 1d4 per 4 HD | 2-7 |
| Mottled worm | - | 15 |
| Octopus, giant (C: 6 tentacles) | 2-8 per round | 0 |
| River dragon (R) | 2-12 | 10-12 |
| Sea dragon (R)** | 3-12 | 11-13 |
| Sea snake, giant (C) | 2-8 per round | 0 |
| Sea turtle, giant | - | 15 |
| Shark, giant (R) | 3-12 | 10-15 |
| Squid, giant (C: 9 tentacles) | 3-12 per round | 0 |
| Typhoon dragon (R) | 2-12 | 10-12 |
| Verme (R) | 5-20 | 20 |
| Whale (R) | 1d4 per HD | 2 per HD |
Table V (addendum)
Amount of Damage by Cause
| Source of damage | Damage done* |
| Rapids (hull 100%) | 1-6 hp per 10 yards |
| Stink pot | 1 |
| Mine | 2 |
| Fire boat | 14** |
| Disintegrate | 2 |
| Divine wind | 3 per level |
| Elemental burst | 1 |
| Fire breath | 1 per level** |
| Fire rain | 1/2 per level** |
| Fire shuriken | 1/3 per level** |
| Fire wings | 2** |
| Hail of stones | 1/2 per level |
| Horn of blasting | 18 |
| Incendiary cloud | 1/2 per 6 HP |
| Steam breath | 1 per level |
| Tsunami | 5 per level |
| Wall of fire | 2 per level** |
| Wall of force | 5-30 |
| Whirlwind | 1 per level |
| Wind breath | 1 per level |
| Wood rot | 1/2 per turn |
Table VIII (correction)
Effects of Fire and Other Damage
| Hull: | (Percentage of hull damaged) X 2 = Percentage chance to start sinking
for
boats without bulkheads. |
| Hull: | Percentage of hull damaged = Percentage chance to start sinking for boats with bulkheads. |
Table IX (addendum)
Miscellaneous Items
| Actual speed = [(Base speed + Maintenance adjustment) + Wind adjustment] + |
| Current's speed adjustment - (Damage adjustment) ± gust of wind adjustment. |
FEBRUARY 1988
