Rules for thought #46 – Changes to the Boarding mechanic

[Ben]

I have a multi-layered vision of how to make boarding more viable, or at least more reasonable.  Changes:

1. No ram damage

2. No pinning

3. Let the winners of boarding parties choose whether to take OR eliminate a treasure OR equipment, or eliminate a crew.  The winner chooses which treasure or equipment is stolen or eliminated, but the loser chooses which crew is eliminated.

4. Allow boarding parties to happen whenever ships are touching, not just after a ram.

5. Make boarding abilities cheaper.  Each +1 to boards should be only 1 point each.  Hoard should probably be 2-3 points instead of 5.  Massacre might work at 3-4 points instead of 6-7.

[Xerecs]

I agree with numbers 3-5, but I’m not so certain about 1 and 2. It does seem silly that ramming another ship would severely damage that ship, but I suspect it’s a game balance issue, it gives the smaller ships a slight chance against the bigger ones, especially in swarm fleets.

Pinning makes a little bit of thematic sense, since ships of the time couldn’t really move sideways. I think they’d have to get poles or something to push the ships apart if collisions happened accidental or not (I could be wrong though).

Each +1 to boards should be only 1 point each.

Is this for every form of boarding roll bonus? Or just for the ‘”regular” this ship gets +1 to her boarding rolls.

I ask since you can have multiple variations of boarding roll bonuses, such as +1 for every crew assigned to a ship; +1 against ships with more/less masts; +1 to boarding rolls against X faction.

[Ben]

I suspect it’s a game balance issue, it gives the smaller ships a slight chance against the bigger ones, especially in swarm fleets.

But it works against smaller ships more so than against big ones.  Ram damage is one of the biggest reasons small ships aren’t always viable – one ram can dismast a 1 master.  Eliminate that, and various crappy 1 masters become more viable. (especially Turtle Ships)

Pinning makes a little bit of thematic sense, since ships of the time couldn’t really move sideways.

I agree that it makes thematic sense especially regarding rigging/spars/ropes issues, but I think it would be worth doing away with to make boarding more appealing.  It’s partly to offset the no ram damage rule, which makes boarding less appealing in a way since ramming is less appealing.  If there’s less incentive to ram, there will be less boarding… unless other things make boarding MORE appealing than usual.

Is this for every form of boarding roll bonus? Or just for the ‘”regular” this ship gets +1 to her boarding rolls.

Only the regular bonuses.

[Xerecs]

But it works against smaller ships more so than against big ones.

Hmmm. That’s true.

 

If there’s less incentive to ram, there will be less boarding… unless other things make boarding MORE appealing than usual.

Being able to steal treasure from other ships and not being pinned. I don’t usually go for a board unless I have S-board or I’m boarding a derelict since I don’t want to be pinned. If I didn’t need to worry about being pinned, I’d board a LOT more.

[Jeremiah]

I do like the idea of enhancing boarding but I do not like eliminating ram damage. (#1)

 

A custom rule I am planning to play test is called “Evasive maneuver” which is think will help alleviate the ramming weakness of 1 masters.

Basically anytime a ship is about to be rammed the opponent may roll 1 d6. If the die roll is higher than the number of masts their ship starts with (e.g. a 2 master must roll higher than a 2) the ship receives no ram damage and the ramming ship is not pinned but both ships remain touching.

It basically uses the reef terrain rules which favors smaller ships to big ships.

 

Thoughts?

 

[Ben]

Basically anytime a ship is about to be rammed the opponent may roll 1 d6. If the die roll is higher than the number of masts their ship starts with (e.g. a 2 master must roll higher than a 2) the ship receives no ram damage and the ramming ship is not pinned but both ships remain touching.

It will definitely make smaller ships better, but I feel like it’s just an extra d6 roll (on top of the regular ones associated with ramming, boarding, etc) to say “no ram damage” 83% of the time (at least for 1 masters).

[Jeremiah]

True but the die roll would only minimally increase the die rolling burden. The opponent already has to wait to see what the ram roll outcome is. Both the Evasive maneuver and ram damage roll could occur simultaneously.

I’ll definitely play test it to see if it feels burdensome.

[Author]

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