Shipwrecks (OSS)

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Despite every precaution, death at sea is a real possibility. Even the most carefully constructed vessels cannot always withstand the awesome fury of the sea and the capricious might of prevailing weather.
==Seaworthiness Checks==
Every ship in the AD&D game possesses a Seaworthiness rating between 1 and 20. This rating demonstrates the relative stability of a vessel in the face of dangerous weather and ocean conditions. The higher the Seaworthiness rating, the more stable and robust the vessel. DMs can find Seaworthiness ratings for all ships on Table 2.
To make a Seaworthiness check, the DM simply rolls a 20-sided die and compares the result with the ship's rating. If the roll is greater than the Seaworthiness value, the ship either founders or grounds, depending on its location.
===Foundering===
Any vessel caught within the dangerous force of a storm or gale can founder; make one Seaworthiness check each day the storm or gale lasts (a storm imposes a -3 penalty to a Seaworthiness check). A ship that fails its Seaworthiness check sinks after 1d10 hours. If the vessel possesses any smaller craft (such as a skiff) the crew has a chance of escaping. However, these boats must also make Seaworthiness checks while subjected to the storm or gale.
A roll of 20 on a storm-induced Seaworthiness check indicates that the vessel in question has capsized. The ship sinks immediately and escape by boat is impossible. All crew and passengers must make successful saving throws vs. death magic or be trapped in the wreck and killed. If the saving throw succeeds, a survivor must still attempt to swim. See the Swimming rules found in the Movement chapter of the Player's Handbook.
===Grounding===
Grounding occurs when a ship enters coastal waters in a fog, storm, or gale. A failed Seaworthiness check indicates that the vessel has run aground. Should a ship ground on a marshy coast, sandy shoal, or otherwise soft coastal area, the crew can repair and refloat it after 1d6 days of work, though repairs are not possible until the storm or gale blows out. The jury-rigged ship, however, makes all future Seaworthiness checks with a -3 penalty until properly repaired at a shipyard.
Ships that ground on rocky coastline or coral reefs sink within 1d3 hours. A natural roll of 20 on a
Seaworthiness check indicates that the ship in question splinters and sinks immediately on the jagged rocks of the coastline. Survivors must attempt to swim to shore using the Swimming rules found in the Movement section of the Player's Handbook.
==Dungeon Mastery Tips: Handling Shipwrecks==
Nautical travel often proves hazardous. Monstrous sea creatures and other dangers (such as pirates, violent storms, and jagged reefs) can destroy even the strongest of vessels. During a nautical campaign or adventure, it is quite possible that the PCs' ship will suffer such a fate. It falls to the Dungeon Master to make sure these occurrences do not derail the campaign. Treated the right way, shipwrecks are doorways into new and unexplored territory-not an ignominious end for the PCs, as the following notes show:
• Shipwrecks as plot devices: This is the simplest method for dealing with shipwrecks. The Dungeon Master simply avoids destroying the PCs' ship unless it furthers the plot. This could mean fudging some die rolls during play or even ignoring the dice altogether. When the time comes for the PCs' vessel to sink, however, the DM should accomplish this in an exciting way-making it the focal point of an entire night's gameplay. Again, the DM may need to fudge die rolls (this time in the villain's favor) to move the story along. This technique requires subtlety, as players rarely enjoy being forced into a particular course of action or situation.
 • Shipwrecks as Transition: Some DMs allow chance a freer hand in their campaigns. In these cases, a few unlucky die rolls may doom the PCs and their vessel. In such cases, the Dungeon Master needs to think quickly. Don't let random occurrences spoil the adventure. The destruction of the PCs' vessel is an opportunity for the DM to switch the focus of the campaign.
If the PCs' ship founders near land, the characters can wash up on the shore of a desolate island or isolated coast. Such an area offers the possibility of exploration and adventure. Perhaps the area has a vast system of undersea caves housing long-lost treasure. Traversing such cavern complexes can spark several evenings of gameplay and add spice to the campaign. On the other hand, a community of humans or humanoids could call the area home, or perhaps two tribes or nations are at war. The DM could then design several adventures in which the PCs have a chance to influence the conflict.
If the PCs sink in the open sea, they can begin a series of underwater adventures (see the second half of this book for more information on running undersea campaigns). A group of sea elves could rescue the PCs before they drown, bringing them down to their undersea realm and enlisting their aid against the sahuagin or some other suitable undersea antagonist. Likewise, the sahuagin or locathah could capture the PCs. Adventures would then revolve around the PCs attempting to escape from the clutches of these evil undersea creatures.
 • Surviving a Shipwreck: The key to using shipwrecks to begin new adventures is to give player characters reasonable chances to survive. If the wreck occurs near some kind of land, the party can simply swim and trust to luck. Otherwise, a DM can devise any number of ways to keep the party afloat, at least for a short time. For example, even in real life ships don't sink without leaving some floating wreckage behind. Of course, the PCs might have to swim a bit to reach objects large enough to support them. Various sea creatures, from dolphins to mermen to the sea elves mentioned earlier, might arrive at the scene to help out, and there's always the possibility that another ship might happen along.
To ensure that players retain their fear of shipwrecks, it is a good idea to make sure the party does not emerge unscathed. Perhaps a hungry shark or three stops by for a snack. Don't forget the destructive effects of seawater on the party's equipment especially anything made from paper. (The section on spell component saving throws in Chapter 7 could prove helpful here.) There's also the chance that a character swimming for his life might just drop something. Anything not actually strapped to the character could be lost; pouches and packs might open, spilling their contents. To simulate this kind of event, allow each character to designate one item per three character levels as something he definitely holds onto; for example, a 10th level character could automatically hold onto three items of his choice. Then roll 1d20 for each remaining magical item or piece of important equipment. On a roll of 12 or better, the character keeps the item, otherwise it sinks out of sight. Recovering items lost in this manner could be an adventure in itself.