Pirates with Ben – About Pirates CSG › Pirates CSG Forums › Pirates CSG › Custom Ships (post your custom game pieces here!)
Tagged: Custom Ships
- This topic has 1,592 replies, 34 voices, and was last updated 2 weeks ago by Ben.
-
AuthorPosts
-
January 28, 2024 at 12:03 AM #17759XerecsModerator
What’s the intended timing on this ability? Do you have to eliminate the mast before rolling anything, or can you choose to eliminate one after you’ve fired some/all of them?
Meant to be the first one. Would amending the wording to:
“When this ship is given a shoot action, before an dice are rolled, you may eliminae one of this ships masts to cancel all crew and ship abilities of one enemy ship within S of this ship until the beginning of your next turn.”
make the intent and functionality better?
This should probably have some extra limitations built in. The simplest would be to make it an optional effect that you use instead of firing normally, and then add a die/cannon limit, like a max of two.
Would something like this work:
“When this ship rolls a 6 on a cannon roll, instead of eliminating a mast, the target ship may not be given am action on it’s next turn.”
January 28, 2024 at 12:41 PM #17760XerecsModeratorDaily Customs continue, with two of the final 3 ships for the Americans in the Farthest Shore!
USS Coyote
American
Points: 10
Masts: 2
Cannons: 2L-3L
Cargo: 3
Movement: L+S
Ability: Schooner. This ship gets +1 to her boarding rolls.Flavor: The Coyote is crewed by a fierce assortment of sailors, each one with countless, dubious stories of how he ended up serving on her.
USS Beagle
American
Points: 8
Masts: 2 (A)
Cannons: 3L-3L
Cargo: 4
Movement: S+S
Ability: This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls against Pirate ships.Flavor: TBD
January 29, 2024 at 10:43 AM #17768XerecsModeratorAll of the Pirates regular release ships have been seen, and their roster is almost fully revealed with only crew left to be shown!
Michael Cunningham
Pirate
Points: 4
Ability: When this ship hits an enemy ship, eliminate a cargo from the enemy ship. This ship gets +1 to boarding rolls.Flavor: One of Sam Sinister’s favorite guardsmen, Cunningham is a brute of a thug who has surprising accuracy with a rifle.
Rodrigo Vilanova
Pirate
Points: 6
Ability: Explorer. This ship gets +1 to Mysterious Island and Blood Island rolls.Flavor: A recent addition to Sam Sinister’s gang, Rodrigo is a man of the wild. He can survive just about anywhere, and can navigate any island with ease, no matter the wildlife or risk.
January 29, 2024 at 4:06 PM #17769WoelfModeratorMeant to be the first one. Would amending the wording to:
“When this ship is given a shoot action, before an dice are rolled, you may eliminae one of this ships masts to cancel all crew and ship abilities of one enemy ship within S of this ship until the beginning of your next turn.”
make the intent and functionality better?
Yep, that will work.
Would something like this work:
“When this ship rolls a 6 on a cannon roll, instead of eliminating a mast, the target ship may not be given am action on it’s next turn.
That would lessen the effect if used by that ship, but doesn’t prevent the copying issue. To keep it somewhat similar, maybe try something like this:
“When this ship rolls a 6 on any cannon roll, the shoot action immediately ends. Do not eliminate a mast; instead, the target ship may not be given an action on its next turn.”
It could still be copied, and a large ship would still be much more likely to trigger it, but it wouldn’t be able to knock out multiple ships at once with good rolls.
January 31, 2024 at 8:57 AM #17782XerecsModeratorThe last regular release of Cursed ships before we move into their crew section of the Farthest Shore!
Kero
Cursed
Points: 6
Masts: 1
Cannon: 3L
Cargo: 2
Movement: S
Ability: This ship gets+1 to her cannon rolls against Alliance ships.Flavor: Despite it’s diminutive size, the Kero is known widely as a hunter of the Nexus Alliance. Purportedly the Alliance has made the capture or sinking of this ship one of their top priorities.
Darklings
Cursed
Points: 8
Masts: 0
Cannon: 3S
Cargo: 2
Movement: S+S
Ability: Native Canoes. Once per turn, when this ship hits an enemy ship, you may eliminate a cargo from that ship.Flavor: As part of his falling to the Cursed, Typhonus corrupted and enslaved this local tribe to do his bidding.
Hallowed Ravine
Cursed
Points: 6
Flags: 5
Cannons: 2L-2L-2L-2L-2L
Ability: Once per turn, roll a d6 for each ship within S of this fort. On a 4-6, give the target ship a fire mast.Flavor: Built on a volcanic island, the Hallowed Ravine lies at the heart of the territory controlled by Baron Typhonus. It is whispered that the Baron himself resides in the Ravine, lording over the demons of his horde, from a blackened throne.
January 31, 2024 at 11:22 AM #17783BenKeymasterI’d say Kero could come down to 4 points.
Those canoes will be a boon to Cursed gold running. I’m tempted to say any canoes with more than 1 cargo space each should probably cost at least 10 points, but I might be too biased from how good the American ones are. I like that these are closer to “hybrid canoes” than the original Cursed ones from SS, which aren’t very effective.
That is an awesome fort! Love the flavor text too. I’d love to use it… maybe it will appear in CG4….
February 1, 2024 at 9:49 AM #17790XerecsModeratorThat is an awesome fort! Love the flavor text too. I’d love to use it… maybe it will appear in CG4….
Thanks! Just bear in mind that the ability will affect a friendly ship too.
________________________________________________
Two more for the French!
Le Diamant
French
Points: 10
Masts: 2 (B)
Cannons: 2S-2L
Cargo: 3
Movement: L
Ability: This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls against ships that are assigned a captain crew.
Flavor: Stolen from the English, and manned by an elite crew, the “Diamond” is a diplomatic vessel, sent to negotiate with enemy ships before bringing in the big firepower.
Madrigal
French
Points: 10
Masts: 2
Cannons: 3L-3S
Cargo: 4
Movement: S+S
Ability: Armed Merchant. Secret Hold.Flavor: The Madrigal is an honorable merchant vessel by day, and a smuggling ship by night. Extra space has been made in her hold for less than legal cargo. And if her captain’s usual bribe doesn’t pass cargo inspection, her cannons will.
Armed Merchant: Once per turn as a free action one of this ships cannons may shoot at one enemy target within range. The shot may not have it’s range or rank increased.
February 1, 2024 at 1:21 PM #17791WoelfModeratorHallowed Ravine
Ability: Once per turn, roll a d6 for each ship within S of this fort. On a 4-6, give the target ship a fire mast.Now that you’ve clarified that it affects friendly ships too (very good!), you should adjust the wording to a more specific timing, either the start of the fort’s turn, or the end of the turn.
That will prevent any gamey timing manipulations of the effect, like rolling for it just before or just after pulling a friendly ship out of range so it will only hit enemy ships nearby.
February 6, 2024 at 6:55 AM #17813XerecsModeratorAfter a small break we continue with the Farthest Shore! Two more Spaniards arrive!
Santa Clara
Spain
Points: 4
Masts: 2
Cannons: 4L-4L
Cargo: 4
Movement: S+S
Ability:Flavor: The Santa Clara had been a Spanish merchant ship for years, before the Farthest Shore was discovered. She was recruited by the Admiralty to run supplies between Barcelona and Fortaleza Dorada.
Condessa de Cavour
Spanish
Points: 11
Masts: 2
Cannons: 4S-4S
Cargo: 3
Movement: L
Ability: Battleship. This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls when she is within S of an island.Flavor: Enlisted from the Portuguese to aid in the race to the Farthest Shore, the Condessa patrols territory around Spanish forts and colonies, protecting them from foreign interference.
Battleship: This ships cannons have two shots per mast, and the Extended Range keyword.
February 8, 2024 at 2:33 PM #17817XerecsModeratorAnother double helping of the Ionics!
H’Pka
Ionic
Points: 10
Masts: 3
Cannons: 3S-4S-4S
Cargo: 3
Movement: S+S
Ability: Galley. This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls when a captain is assigned to her.Flavor: Before the outside world came to the Ionics this ship was a patrol craft, guarding shipping lanes and small coastal villages from local thieves and Pirates.
R’Ki
Ionic
Points: 19
Masts: 2
Cannons: 2L-3L
Cargo: 2
Movement: L
Ability: Submarine. This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls for every friendly ship within S.Flavor: By itself the R’ki is no large threat. Surround it with friends and allies however, and the ship seems to transform into an unstoppable juggernaut.
Utakam
Ionic
Points: 15
Masts: 2
Cannons: 3S-3S
Cargo: 3
Movement: L
Ability: Submarine. You may give this ship a shoot action while submerged to make one 3L+L mortar attack against a target ship (it may make no other attacks). If it hits eliminate a mast and a cargo from the target ship. If the die roll is a 1, eliminate a segment from this ship.Flavor: The Utakam was outfitted with experimental cannon mortars that would allow her to fire on ships while staying under the water. While initially successful the cannons have backfired more than once, resulting in significant damage to the ships hull.
Boldirk
Ionic
Points: 13
Masts: 2
Cannons: 3L-4S
Cargo: 3
Movement: L
Ability: When this ship is given an explore action, you can swap a treasure on the wild island with a crew on any friendly ship.Flavor: The crew of the Boldirk have little concern for the well-being of others. They simply want to do their job and go back home.
February 9, 2024 at 10:54 AM #17818BenKeymasterI think the first two ships above would see more usage at these costs:
H’Pka: 9
R’Ki: 11Utakam and Boldirk both have strong abilities, so I think you’re probably right on the money with their costs.
February 9, 2024 at 11:08 AM #17819XerecsModeratorWe close out this cycle with the last regular mercenary ship and their singular fort!
Widow
Mercenary
Points: 14
Masts: 2
Cannons: 2S-2S
Cargo: 3
Movement: S+S
Ability: Mercenary. The first time each turn that this ship hits another ship, eliminate two masts instead.Flavor: The woman who captains the Widow lost her husband at sea, in a petty war. She now sails the sea to show the women of the world what loss awaits them when their men don’t return home, either.
Isle of Berk
Mercenary
Gold Cost: 8
Flags: 6
Cannons: 3S-3S-3S-4L-4L-4L
Ability: Friendly sea creatures may dock at this fort and be given repair actions while docked. Enemy ships get +1 to their cannon rolls against both this fort, and against pieces docked at this fort.Flavor: Once the Homeland of a tribe of dragon-taming vikings, the Isle of Berk now serves as a stronghold for those who live under the Mercenary flag. The island’s shores still attract all manner of sea creatures, much to the chagrin of the Mercenaries who live there.
February 9, 2024 at 5:07 PM #17820BenKeymasterI’d bring Widow down in cost, probably to the 10-12 range.
The first time each turn that this ship hits another ship, eliminate two masts instead.
I recommend adding “instead of one” at the end. I know it’s a stretch, but this could be interpreted as “instead of Widow scoring a hit, eliminate two masts from her instead”.
February 10, 2024 at 9:01 AM #17821XerecsModeratorI recommend adding “instead of one” at the end. I know it’s a stretch, but this could be interpreted as “instead of Widow scoring a hit, eliminate two masts from her instead”.
I don’t quite see how it could be interpreted that way but I’ll clear it up. “instead of one from the target ship” should make it clear.
February 10, 2024 at 10:33 AM #17822XerecsModeratorWe begin another cycle with the Nexus Alliance, and we’re rapidly coming to the close on their regular ships as well! At this point the Farthest Shore is about 2/3 or more released!
Marksman
Nexus Alliance
Points: 13
Masts: 2 (A)
Cannons: 2S-2S
Cargo: 3
Movement: L
Ability: This ship eliminates two masts in one hit.Flavor: The Marksman serves as a training vessel dedicated to gunnery. Crews that perform well are graduated to the capital ships of the Alliance.
Bolt
Nexus Alliance
Points: 10
Masts: 2 (A)
Cannons: 3S-2S
Cargo: 2
Movement: S+S+S
Ability: On the turn this ship is pinned, eliminate a mast and a crew from the rammed ship.Flavor: Several claw cannons have been mounted to this ships bow for an experimental type of naval warfare.
February 11, 2024 at 6:33 AM #17823XerecsModeratorThe cycle continues with two more for the Nexus Alliance!
Fireblade
Nexus Alliance
Points: 9
Masts: 2
Cannons: 2L-2L
Cargo: 2
Movement: L+S
Ability: Junk. This ship may not be given firemasts.
Link: Kenneth SmithFlavor: Kenneth Smith has claimed that the Fireblade is fire-proof. This claim is dismissed as nothing more than more of Smith’s typical hyperbole.
Ice Fang
Nexus Alliance
Points: 9
Masts: 2
Cannons: 3L-2L
Cargo: 4
Movement: S+L
Ability: Junk. If this ship begins its turn within S of an iceberg, it gets +S to it’s base move for this turn.
Link: Zachariah ShardFlavor: The Fang has spent extended time in arctic and antarctic waters, often at the behest of the erratic Zachariah Shard.
February 12, 2024 at 12:00 PM #17826XerecsModeratorThis cycle continues with two more for the Nexus Alliance!
Explosion
Nexus Alliance
Points: 14
Masts: 2
Cannons: 3L-3L
Cargo: 2
Movement: S+S
Ability: Junk. Ghost Ship. This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls against the Cursed. Cursed ships get -1 to their cannon rolls against this ship.
Link: Christopher StoneFlavor: Made by Christopher Stone with the express purpose of hunting the Cursed, the Explosion has several confirmed kills to her name, despite her diminutive size.
Chaser
Nexus Alliance
Points: 11
Masts: 2
Cannons: 3L-3L
Cargo: 3
Movement: S+S+S
Ability: Junk. At the beginning of your turn declare an enemy ship a target of this ship. This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls and +S to her base move against the target ship.
Link: Kenneth Smith, Natalie SmithFlavor: Unofficially known as the headhunting ship, the Chaser is the preferred ship of both Smith siblings, as it allows them to focus the anger and energy they both posses and use it for the Alliance.
February 12, 2024 at 1:04 PM #17828BenKeymasterExplosion may be great against The Cursed, but looks quite average otherwise. I think I would price her at 8.
At the beginning of your turn declare an enemy ship a target of this ship. This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls and +S to her base move against the target ship.
This is pretty unique, not sure how similar it would function to the kraken targeting. Sounds like you must use it every turn, even if you’re targeting the same ship each time. Is that +S treated like a regular movement bonus? Or must the ship being moving in a straight line towards the targeted ship with every segment? It could become a pretty powerful ability to copy, and might see usage on a 10 master via Davy Jones. (possibly in conjunction with LE Griffin to give a 10 “extremespeed”)
February 14, 2024 at 11:57 AM #17832XerecsModeratorSounds like you must use it every turn, even if you’re targeting the same ship each time.
Is that +S treated like a regular movement bonus? Or must the ship being moving in a straight line towards the targeted ship with every segment?
You wouldn’t have to use it every turn. Yes the +S is treated like a regular movement bonus, you wouldn’t be required to move in a straight line toward the target ship, but you would be required to move toward the target every turn that ship is a target. I suspect the language might need to be cleared up a bit….
February 14, 2024 at 12:23 PM #17833XerecsModeratorTwo more for the Alliance as the Cycle continues!
Desert Lightning
Nexus Alliance
Points: 9
Masts: 2
Cannons: 3L-4S
Cargo: 3
Movement: S+S+S
Ability: Junk.
Link: Gordon WalkerFlavor: Modified by Walker, the Desert Lightning is one of the fastest ships in the Alliance.
Destiny’s Shadow
Nexus Alliance
Points: 10
Masts: 2
Cannons: 4S-4S
Cargo: 3
Movement: S+L
Ability: Junk. This ship cannot be shot at by ships within S.
Link: Lloyd MontgomeryFlavor: Montgomery has gone to great lengths modifying his ship, making it difficult to hit. His method for achieving this incredible feat involved live fire experiments.
February 14, 2024 at 12:59 PM #17834BenKeymasterYou wouldn’t have to use it every turn. Yes the +S is treated like a regular movement bonus, you wouldn’t be required to move in a straight line toward the target ship, but you would be required to move toward the target every turn that ship is a target. I suspect the language might need to be cleared up a bit….
In my opinion, custom creators (myself included as many of mine are probably not this way) should get in the habit of saying “you may”/etc to make abilities sound less mandatory. Based on how many original abilities are optional, it’s a bit of an odd aspect of the game that I think Wizkids got wrong.
The +S gets extremely subjective. If not in a straight line, what determines whether or not the ship is moving towards the target? An opponent could demand a certain angle of approach requirement is met. Then you have whirlpool “shortcuts” that could expedite the travel by heading in the opposite direction.
If you’re looking for a cost on Destiny’s Shadow, I would start at 12+ depending on the cannons (seems similar to Black Arrow from RotF). I recommend adding “of her” to the end of the ability text so players can’t interpret it as “within S of whatever I want”.
February 14, 2024 at 1:38 PM #17835XerecsModeratorIf you’re looking for a cost on Destiny’s Shadow, I would start at 12+ depending on the cannons (seems similar to Black Arrow from RotF).
Whoops! She has a point cost of 10 with cannons of 4S-4S.
February 14, 2024 at 3:42 PM #17836XerecsModeratorThe +S gets extremely subjective. If not in a straight line, what determines whether or not the ship is moving towards the target? An opponent could demand a certain angle of approach requirement is met. Then you have whirlpool “shortcuts” that could expedite the travel by heading in the opposite direction.
If I included some language that made the +S only relevant while the ship was moving toward the target ship, would that clear things up a little? Something like this:
“At the beginning of your turn you may declare an enemy ship a target of this ship. This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls the target ship; this ship gets +S to her base move when moving in a direct line toward the target ship.”
February 14, 2024 at 5:34 PM #17837BenKeymasterYeah I think that would work, I would just change the last sentence slightly: “This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls against the target ship and +S to her base move when moving in a direct line toward the target ship.”
I could still see some rules questions coming up. I think you would need to move all segments in the direct line, including the +S or else it could get gamey.
February 15, 2024 at 10:52 AM #17838XerecsModeratorTwo more for the Alliance!
Kite
Nexus Alliance
Points: 6
Masts: 2
Cannons: 2S-3L
Cargo: 2
Movement: L
Ability: Junk. This ship gets +1 to her boarding rolls. This ship ignores terrain when given a move action (islands are not terrain).
Link: Kenneth SmithFlavor: Small but well armed, the Kite flits about Alliance waters, seeming to cover great distances in a short time. Some suspect that Smith vents his anger and frustrations on the Kite’s crew, however this could not be further from the truth.
Destiny’s Wing
Nexus Alliance
Points: 4
Masts: 2
Cannons: 3S-4S
Cargo: 2
Movement: S+S
Ability: Junk.
Link:Kenneth SmithFlavor: Though he is associated with many vessels, and often prefers others, Kenneth Smith spends most of his time on the Destiny’s Wing. The ship is small enough that he can man her himself, useful for when he flies into a rage.
February 16, 2024 at 8:03 AM #17847Robert BlackParticipantHello,
I was just thinking of some custom ships and thought I might throw one or two out there for review. A little Historical Fiction reference for anyone out there.
HMS Sophie
Faction: English
Rarity: C
Type: Ship
Point Value: 9
Number of Masts: 2
Cargo Space: 3
Base Move: S+S
Cannons: 3L, 3S
Ability: Schooner. This ship gets +1 to her cannon and boarding rolls against Spanish ships.
February 16, 2024 at 9:45 AM #17849XerecsModeratorHMS Sophie
I’m unfamiliar with the historical reference, but this is a nice little ship. She feels appropriately costed given her stats and ability. Also, welcome aboard!
February 16, 2024 at 9:53 AM #17850Robert BlackParticipantShe’s the first ship introduced in the Aubrey Maturin Series, which covers the two during their careers in the RN during the Napoleonic Wars. I gave her the advantage against Spain as the big action she’s involved in in the book she appears in (Master and Commander) has her surprise and capture a Spanish frigate that outmasses and outguns her by a considerable margin (be the equivalent of Sophie here taking on a 4-mast ship solo and winning).
I’ve been thinking up some stats for other ships that appear in that series, so I’ll be back later
February 16, 2024 at 11:02 AM #17853Robert BlackParticipantOkay, Thought up some stats for more ships from the Aubrey-Maturin series (also the movie)
Cacafuego
Faction: Spanish
Rarity: R
Type: Ship
Point Value: 12
Number of Masts: 4
Cargo Space: 5
Base Move: S+L
Cannons: 3L, 4S, 4S, 4L
Ability: Galley. This ship gets +1 to her boarding rolls.
—-
Acheron
Faction: France
Rarity: R
Type: Ship
Point Value: 20
Number of Masts: 5
Cargo Space: 4
Base Move: L
Cannons: 3S, 3L, 3L, 3L, 3S
Ability: Two hits from the same shoot action are required to eliminate one of this ship’s masts
—-
Cacafuego was a little more speculative, since her only claim to fame in the books was “got captured by the Sophie”. She’s based off the historical xebec-frigate El Gamo (which lost a similar battle against the HMS Speedy), and the closest approximation to that I could think of was a galley. Her guns might be better, though how her historical counterpart was taken was that Speedy pulled in so close and was so small Gamo’s cannoneers couldn’t depress their cannons low enough to do more than shoot up her sails.
Acheron was essentially Constitution under a French flag, so I used PotRV’s Constitution as a base as Acheron displayed similar durability against cannon fire at long range. I debated between that ability and the Ignore First Hit ability, but decided to go this route for a more tough, dangerous ship.
(Edited for Adjusted Points)
February 16, 2024 at 11:19 AM #17854XerecsModeratorI feel the Cacafuego could come down a point or two in her cost, but she looks very usable and interesting otherwise. Acheron certainly seems impressive, though I think you’d be okay with her at 20 points instead of 21.
——————————————–
The Cycle continues with two more from the Farthest Shore!
Bilge Urchin
Nexus Alliance
Points: 12
Masts: 2
Cannons: 4S-4S
Cargo: 6
Movement: S
Ability: Pirate crew may use their abilities on this ship. When another face-up crew on this ship is would be eliminated turn it face down instead.Flavor: The Bilge Urchin and her crew are former pirates who fled from the wrath of One-handed John. Occasionally they forget that they are no longer pirates.
Cecil
Nexus Alliance
Points: ?
Masts: 2
Cannons: 2L-3L
Cargo: 5
Movement: L
Ability: Once per turn you may trade an equipment assigned to this ship for a treasure on a friendly ship within S.Flavor: Like many ships that sail in Alliance waters, the Cecil carries a goodly amount of firearms and other weapons. Although they are intended to be sent to the frontlines of alliance waters, the crew of the Cecil often conducts off the books trade on the open ocean to earn themselves a pretty penny.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.