All At Sea - Sea Voyages on Lohwand

 Sea Voyages

Being a system for adjudicating the fate of fleets and supply convoys and the like around the seas and oceans of my Lohwand campaign. The assumption is that the seas are divided into movement zones and that each zone has a "Perilous Seas" rating which indicates how safe the stretch of water is. The rating equates to extra dice on the table, so the higher the value the more perilous the body of water. Hint: if it's called "The Sea of Storms" or the "The Sea of Chaos" then expect a higher rating than something more serenely named.

The second assumption is that if there is a fleet moving then there is an Admiral who decides when it sails and what route it takes. He may have advisors but the ultimate decision is his so his skill level is used for the roll. Pray that he knows what he is doing.

The method is to roll 3D10's as the Base dice, plus one "Fate Die", and "Perilous Seas" dice equal to the rating as mentioned above.  When the roll is made one is looking for Successes rolled on the Base Dice alone. The other dice are just there to see if they roll Zeroes (Z). 

Each roll <= the Admiral's Skill equals a success. At least one success is needed to arrive at the destination. If no Z are rolled then the fleet arrives without incident. If no S are rolled or Z > S then something has happened and one must check the Peril table to the right.

When rolling for Peril, there are two Cases, the first if the fleet or ship has reached the destination (i.e. one or more S have been rolled previously) and the second if there is a danger the fleet or ship has been lost at sea.

The number of Base dice are the number of Z rolled in the first instance, plus 1D10 per ship in the fleet. Successes are <= the Admiral's skill again, and the total number of S represents the number of ships in the fleet (in addition to the Admiral's ship) which have arrived safely at the destination. For each of the other ships in the fleet a roll must be made as in Case 2.

In Case 2 the same roll is made again, but for each ship, and rolled vs the individual Captain's skill. If at least one S is rolled then the ship arrives but is late, either at the destination or at the home port, having been forced to turn back. The delay is 1-5 days (1D10/2).

If no S are rolled then the ship is "Lost". In this instance we do not know the fate of the ship, they are merely not seen again, presumably lost at sea and drowned. Note that a later "Fate Roll" might reveal this fate, whether it turns out they were captured by Pirates or taken by Mermen, or dashed on the rocks with a few survivors struggling in to a nearby village.

Lohwand: Umbar in Detail - Part 1

 

Hannibal

from Mommsen's "Römische Geschichte"

(as found on Wikipedia)

I've started to think in detail about Umbar, my proxy Carthage. Not just historical Carthage, of course, but also Tolkien's Corsairs of Umbar, and Moorcock's Sea Kings of the Purple Towns. Both the Isles of the Purple Towns and Umbar were founded by Dara Happa during its "Golden Age" but have long since won their independence. The Sea Kings of Menii are not actually subject to Umbar, but are more like close cousins.

Following Tony Bath's ideas from his Hyboria Campaign, as detailed in "How to Set up a Wargame's Campaign", I am starting my detailing by setting up some Noble families. I haven't divided up Umbar's holdings into provinces as of yet, but I have the names of the cities from my map, shown again below:

Umbarite Provinces and Cities, in blue

The principal provinces and cities shown are:

1) Umbar;

2) The Isles of the Purple Towns;

3) Menii;

4) Milii;

5) Uqbara;

6) Shekar;

7) Zoat;

8) Zuzzbur;

9) Bazzur;

10) The Isles of the Green Gables;

11) Azbar (on the Island of Cirith Ungol);

12) Aza Island (the small island south-west of Cirith Ungol);

13) Bakaz Island (the small island south-east of Cirith Ungol);

14) Menaz Island (in the Straits of Blades).

For each of those I need to come up with noble families and a hierarchy of command. My Umbar is ruled by an elected King, who rules for his life time or until impeached by the High Council. The High Council of Nobles forms a senate-like body that makes laws and enacts the will of the King. Beneath the "Primarchs" of the High Council are the Provincial Governors (called "Boetharchs") and beneath them are the Chief Magistrates (known as "Suffetes"). 

The King of Umbar

x

The High Council of Nobles

[Primarchs]

x

Provincial Governors 

[Boetharchs]

x

Chief Magistrates

[Suffetes]

I haven't worked out all the details yet. What I have decided is that I need at least thirty family names, plus a table of given names, male and female, so that not all my characters are called "Hannibal"! This I have done, using Wikipedia, Tolkien and Moorcock as primary sources; also Chaosium's "Sea Kings of the Purple Towns" Stormbringer supplement; and finally just making some things up myself.

The following tables use a D66. That is, roll 1d6 followed by a second d6 to get a range between 1 and 36. Notice that there is only a 1 in 36 chance each of getting "Hannibal", "Hasdrubal", or "Barca"! ;-)

Table of Surnames (D66):

1/1) Gisgon;

1/2) Magon;

1/3) Barca;

1/4) Cabrala;

1/5) Barkeno;

1/6) Bagradas;

2/1) Gisco;

2/2) Machus;

2/3) Huss;

2/4) Bojador;

2/5) Mogador;

2/6) Kariss;

3/1) Karisan;

3/2) Edox;

3/3) Gestrani;

3/4) Lorkar;

3/5) Shascil;

3/6) Uthel;

4/1) Inkel;

4/2) Belrain;

4/3) Salkan;

4/4) Anguzz;

4/5) Kymar;

4/6) Killaraz;

5/1) Danit;

5/2) Telhak;

5/3) Temoraz;

5/4) Nazhan;

5/5) Agril-Maren;

5/6) Maren;

6/1) Zzar;

6/2) Telamar;

6/3) Bellaz;

6/4) Zorlas;

6/5) Zzolir;

6/6) Zork;

Table of First Names (Male) (D66):

1/1) Carthalo;

1/2) Melqar;

1/3) Adherbal;

1/4) Atarbas;

1/5) Gadir;

1/6) Mago;

2/1) Mattan;

2/2) Nolfo;

2/3) Fantar;

2/4) Penatar;

2/5) Hamilcar;

2/6) Hanno;

3/1) Gisgo;

3/2) Hasdrubal;

3/3) Hannibal;

3/4) Fazzur;

3/5) Khandive;

3/6) Manno;

4/1) Matho;

4/2) Bomilcar;

4/3) Navaras;

4/4) Suniatus;

4/5) Timoleon;

4/6) Gersakkun;

5/1) Himilco;

5/2) Phameas;

5/3) Marhabal;

5/4) Eldacar;

5/5) Castamir;

5/6) Calimentar;

6/1) Romendacil;

6/2) Orendil;

6/3) Zzabur;

6/4) Smiorgan;

6/5) Orgon;

6/6) Kargan;

Table of First Names (Female) (D66):

1/1) Dido; 

1/2) Alyssa;

1/3) Elissa; 

1/4) Della; 

1/5) Salammbo; 

1/6) Sophonisba;

2/1) Salome;

2/2) Sunna;

2/3) Menna;

2/4) Navia;

2/5) Mara;

2/6) Calla;

3/1) Dida;

3/2) Narisba;

3/3) Gada;

3/4) Gallas;

3/5) Gaya;

3/6) Hara;

4/1) Harissa;

4/2) Gayssa;

4/3) Galissa;

4/4) Harome;

4/5) Didara;

4/6) Kaya;

5/1) Kalissa;

5/2) Kalyssa;

5/3) Nayenna;

5/4) Nayella;

5/5) Nanba;

5/6) Islamora;

6/1) Berka;

6/2) Amaree;

6/3) Karina;

6/4) Makavee;

6/5) Osolly;

6/6) Samarda;

Nest Step: Work out those family trees!

Hyborian Wars!

Hyborian Wars Map, by RSI

This map is from a PBEM game run by Reality Simulations Inc (RSI). I'm not certain if they are still running games, but I found it Here via this site.

Even if they are not still running, the map is of interest as is the zipped "Set up" file for all the 36 "Player Kingdoms". This lists the starting forces and characters, along with their abilities and the composition of  the starting armies. The troop ratings are very generic - ie. Missile ability: POOR, Melee ability: EXCELLENT, Morale: ADEQUATE, etc. The cost to maintain the troops is given in similar fashion with Amazonian Javelin troops having LOW maintenance costs whereas those of the Black Dragons are VERY HIGH.

It is of interest to me for several reasons:

1) I have always enjoyed and admired Tony Bath's Hyboria Campaign as chronicled in "Battle" and later "Military Modelling". I have his book "How to Run a Wargames Campaign" but have never yet run a Hyborian campaign myself.

2) The map could be used for a "Barbarians of Lemuria" campaign.

3) The map has far eastern nations and so the "Garden of Kama" setting might be introduced into the game.