Vision (OSS)

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Because of the wide variety in ship size, certain ships are easier to see across a watery expanse. Table 6: Visibility Ranges details the range at which certain objects can be seen. This table corresponds directly to the one found in Chapter 13: Vision and Light in the Player's Handbook and refers specifically to people and man-sized objects. All ranges are given in yards.
 Table 6: Visibility Ranges
Condition 	Mvm 	Spotted	Type	ID 	Detail
Clear sky 	2,000	1,500 	500 	100	10
Fog, dense 	10 	10 	5 	5 	5
Fog, light 	500 	200 	100 	30 	10
Fog,moderate 	100 	50 	25 	15 	10
Mist,light rain	1,000	500 	250 	30 	10
Night,full moon	200 	100 	30 	10 	5
Night,moonless 	100 	50 	10 	5 	3
Twilight 	500 	300 	150 	30 	10
: Movement (Mvm) indicates the maximum distance at which a moving figure or object can be seen. The observer notes only that something is mowing and whether it rests on the surface or moves through the air. Ships under sail or oar power are considered mowing objects.
: Spotted is the maximum distance a moving or stationary figure can be seen. Drifting objects are considered stationary for purposes of visibility. General characteristics such as size and the presence of sails become apparent at this range.
: Type gives the maximum distance at which the general details of a figure can be seen-species, race, weapons, vessel type, etc.
: ID range enables exact identification-including a vessel's crew complement.
: Detail range means small actions can be seen clearly.
Each vessel in the AD&D game has a size category, which influences the ranges given above. Those ships in the Medium category double the ranges on Table 6. Large ships triple the ranges, and Very Large ships quadruple the ranges.
Geographical features such as islands or continental shores become visible at four times the listed range if fairly flat. Hills or cliffs become visible at five times the listed range. Very tall cliffs or low mountains become visible at six times the listed range. Extremely large geographical features, such as continental mountain ranges, remain visible for hundreds of miles on clear days.
All of the foregoing assumes that the viewer stands at roughly sea level. A viewer perched in a crow's nest can see roughly twice as far as one on a ship's deck. A viewer flying at more than twice mast height can see about three times as far as a viewer on the deck.
None of these multipliers apply to the Detail category. Height multipliers do not apply to the ID category, but size multipliers do. Thus, someone standing on a ship's deck can recognize a cog (Large ship) on a clear day at 1,500 (500×3) yards. The same viewer could note the cog at a range of 3,000 yards if he stood in a crow's nest. However, both viewers would have to come within 100 yards to note anything about the cog's armament or crew. Small details (such as the condition of the cog's sails) would become visible to both viewers at a range of 10 yards.