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 Post subject: Commodore
PostPosted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 12:38 pm 
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Not an uncommon position among the Mantis or Tortoise previously, with the expansion of the Imperial Explorers, the position of Commodore has become more prevalent in the Empire. Commodores are considered senior ranking captains at sea, usually in charge of a large vessel or several smaller ones. In the context of the Imperial Explorers these individuals are usually those invested in by the Imperial Admiral who have proven their skill and mettle when it comes to naval affairs. They can expect a great deal of respect and access to the young and limited resources of the Imperial Navy.

Squadron Management

Having command of vessels at sea provides you with some options that many others do not have. Each time unit (determined by GM to fit the game schedule) you may command your Squadron to take actions. The number of actions your Squadron can take each time unit is equal to your Capacity. Capacity may be lost due to attrition or damage taken because of elements or combat. There are a few different actions listed below that your Squadron can engage in, and certain ships can take only certain types of actions (listed in their feature descriptions):

Trade: You gain 2 koku.
Policing: Your Squadron gains 2 points of Glory.
Piracy: You gain 3 koku but your Squadron also gains 2 points of Infamy.
Blockade: Vessels with lower Capacity than yours cannot take actions up to your Capacity in the area.
Exploration: Your fleet gains 1 point of Glory, and may make a discovery in the process. GM will determine potential discoveries.
Drills: Benefits of the next action and chances of its success are doubled.
Repairs: Restore 1 point of Capacity.
Long-distance Travel: Action necessary to move between continents. Each time unit spent this way Costa a point of Capacity.

Every 3 Ranks of Glory or Infamy (not both) of your Squadron grant you an additional action.

Regardless of other statements, all those actions are dependent on context; if the Squadron is in an environment where they are impossible they cannot be performed. GM has the final say in this regard. Also, each Squadron action may lead to an encounter.

Level One Commodore Features

Location (1-5 points): You must spend at least one Duty Point in this Feature to start your naval command career, representing either a new port office or one which has fallen under your supervision. You can of course make port in many different locations, as you wish, but this is your home port where you need not worry about docking fees or access to resources. In most cases it will be a port of your Clan, for less standard choices consult a GM. Your Squadron may never have more Ship Features than your points in this Feature, as you require a large enough home port to be able to handle more vessels.

Port Network (1-3 points): This represents legal access to other ports around the world that you have an excellent relationship with. Not simply any port that you stop in at, these ports are ones that you frequently stop at, where you are often expected and welcomed by the harbourmaster or governor personally. Your presence often means good things to these locations and so you are given incentive to return. You often do not have to wait for repairs, other captains being pushed back in line to wait for you instead. You are welcomed as a friend to the city and have little trouble finding entertainment or leeway you seek. Each point represents a different such port. Your home port does not need to be included among them, but it often is for most Commodores. Those choices still have to make sense setting- and background-wise, so please consult the GM on them.

Merchant Master (1-5 points): This Feature represents a cargo broker that makes it easier to handle your shorebound affairs. With this Feature you no longer have to sell trade goods wholesale to unknown merchants when you reach port. Instead, you have taken on the role of a merchant patron as well, allowing you to sell your trade goods directly to consumers. The trade representative resides in one of the ports of your network. Depending on a given port, he may have some outreach to other markets in geographic proximity. It's best determined with the GM. You may purchase Level 1 Merchant Patron Features with no increase in cost, but the points in each individual feature may not exceed the points in this feature.

Ship: Small Vessel (3 points): You must purchase at least one Ship Feature to start your Commodore career and this is the cheapest one. This ship may later be replaced, but it is the minimum required for you to be considered a captain. This small kobune has some cargo space and a crew of capable sailors but is otherwise very basic (Capacity: 1). It's unfit for high seas. This ship may take Trade, Piracy, Drill and Repair actions.

Ship: Medium Vessel (6 points): This ship may later be upgraded or replaced, but it is the minimum required for you to be considered a captain. This decently sized ship has more cargo space and a crew of capable sailors. They hold about double the cargo space and crew of the a Small Vessel (Capacity: 2). This ship may take any fleet actions except Long-Distance Travel unless it has Foreign Design.

Crew: Warriors (1-5 points): This feature improves the quality of your crew. Each point represents 2 sailors per a point of Capacity who are also trained ashigaru bushi. At 5 points each ship also has 2 samurai bushi sailors per point of Capacity.

Renown (1-5 points): Word of your fleet has spread far and wide. Your fleet gains 2 Glory Points per point of Capacity for each Duty Point spent on the Feature.

False Flag (1 point): You carry a false flag with you and may raise it on any ship you are captaining. This is an authentic flag from a different country or port that identifies you as part of a different fleet than your own. When flying this flag, attempts to recognize your fleet are made very difficult. If you dock in a port of that country, you can count on treatment similar to that you'd receive in a home port or one of those of your network, depending on circumstances. If your ship design does not match that of the culture the flag is from you are likely to arouse suspicion. You may purchase this feature multiple times.

Crew: Navigator (1 point): You have a navigation specialist on ship that can help ensure ease of travel. They can help you avoid natural hazards and find the quickest routes between two places, particularly when not using established routes. Such a person is vital to any exploration efforts and Exploration and Long-distance Travel actions cannot be taken by a ship without a navigator. This feature may be purchased once per ship, and only for those which allow Exploration actions.

Crew: Boatswain (2 points): Drill action affects one more action. This can be purchased once per ship.

Crew: Shipwrights (2 points per rank): Some of your crew is trained in basic shipwright skills such as carpentry and sewing, and keep relevant tools. This allows them to make repairs to the ship while underway, though severe enough damage or careening may require docking or mooring for proper repairs. You can perform one Repairs action for free per time unit per rank in this feature.

Crew: Cook (1): First decrease of Capacity resulting from Long-distance Travel is annulled.

Level Two Commodore Features

Secret Trade Route (3 points per rank): Increase the amount of koku you gain for each Trade action by 3 if you're trading along a secret route. The particularities of the secret trade route have to be determined with the GM.

Mercantile Emporium (3 points): You must have the Merchant Master feature to purchase this feature. Your broker has proven his capabilities and you have given him greater access to expand your land-based interests. He or she also has a small fleet of boats and/or carts to distribute goods across the region. You may now purchase Level 2 Merchant Patron Features without increased cost. The number of points you can put in those features is still limited to the number of points you have in the Merchant Master feature.

Ship: Large Vessel (9 points): This size of sailing ships is the greatest in size that the Empire has so far been able to build or acquire (Capacity: 4). Treasure junks belong to this category. There is not a great number of these available and they are only entrusted to proven captains. The Mantis, the Crab and the Tortoise are the only Clans that have had the ships of these size in use before creation of the Explorers, because only they needed to transport so much cargo. This is likely to change quickly when other Clans learn the value of efficiency in sea trade. This ship may take any action except Long-distance Travel unless it has Foreign Design. Mantis vessels of this size travelling to the Ivory Kingdoms and Coral Islands can do so without Foreign Design.

Ship: Traditional Warship (12 points): This ship is a floating barracks and armory (Capacity: 3, 1 taken by a Weapons: Traditional feature). It is designed for ship to ship combat and has advantages to doing so. The ship can perform any action except Exploration and Long-distance Travel. You may purchase up to two units from Level One or Two Warlord features of Personnel type without paying additional Duty Point costs. This unit resides on the ship. That unit is considered to have three points of Support: Dwelling and the Support: Supply Train feature thanks to the features of the Warship. In addition, triple the effects of the Crew: Warriors feature on this ship.

Ship: Pleasure Barge (6 points): This ship is it’s very own willow world on the water (Capacity: 2). Complete with entertainers such as geisha, singers, and actors. It's been introduced by the Crane Clan. This type of ship is often found near large ports and offers privacy from prying legal eyes. As part of a fleet it is often meant to keep the morale of sailors high and can be a bit more crude than those ships tied to locations. The presence of shipboard weaponry would defeat the point of the illusion the barge is perpetuating, thus these ships are often easy targets. But they are also welcome tastes of pleasure and relaxation wherever they make port. You cannot put Weapons features on a Pleasure Barge. This ship may only take Trade and Repair actions. Trade actions performed by a Pleasure Barge have a double the effect and can be performed without taking cargo.

Ship: Foreign Design (1 point per Capacity): Either because the ship was captured or purchased from another culture, or because it was specifically built or refitted to work and look like it came from another culture, this ship has a specific aesthetic and functionality to it. It is recognized as being from a culture of your choice. When flying a flag from that culture you arouse no suspicion. When flying your fleet’s flag you may arouse suspicion, but the ship is legally part of it and so will have no legal issues. In addition, this feature is necessary for Rokugani ships to conduct Long-distance Travel. You may purchase this feature once per ship.

Weapons: Traditional (2 points per rank): This feature outfits one of your ships with weaponry designed for attacking other ships such as boarding planks and hooks, ballistae, catapults and/or naval rams, depending This may include personal weapons and/or armour for your Crew: Warriors in bulk, of kind and quality depending on the composition of them - in most cases it'd be spears or peasant weapons and ashigaru armour. The GM is the final arbiter of what and effectively how much is added. Weapon features can be purchased several times up to Capacity, but it permanently expends the ability to conduct Trade actions by the amount of Weapon features bought.

Crew: Priest (3 points): This feature adds a shugenja or a priest of another religion to the crew of one ship in your fleet, who appeases the Fortunes, preaches, conducts rituals and has some capacity in divining weather and dangers. This feature counts as both Navigator and Surgeon.

Crew: Surgeon (2 points): This feature adds some medical training to your crew. It allows to nullify first decrease of Capacity or loss of a Crew feature per time unit.

Crew: Seasoned Sailors (3 Points): Drills triple rather than double the effects of other actions. This can be purchased once per ship.

Level Three Commodore Features

Weapons: Iron Plating (3 points): This can only be applied on a Traditional Warship. It makes the ship an Iron Turtle. Koutetsukan are an exclusive Crab design, shared with only most trusted allies. It is intended to be able to withstand assault from the monsters that call the Sea of Shadows their home. For this reason they are some of the toughest ships on the sea, if not the toughest. While defeating them in battle may be a chore, outrunning them is not. The iron plating is extremely heavy. Iron Turtles are not meant to chase the enemy, but rather be a floating wall against it. Difficult to damage, specifically designed for ramming into and destroying their opponents while protecting itself against being boarded. Nullify first two decreases of Capacity. Traditional Warship upgraded to Koutetsukan cannot take Trade actions.

Legendary Sailor (3 points): Your name is known on the seas, and your Squadron benefits from it. Half your Ranks in Glory and Infamy add to those of your Squadron.

Divine Blessing (3 points): Your Squadron needs at least 3 Glory Ranks to be purchased. You have proven yourself a man worthy of kind regard of Osano-Wo, Suitengu, Isora, Kaze-no-Kami, the Merciless Sea or whatever other deity that patrons you and has some say in what happens at sea. As such, any ship in your Squadron that has either you or Crew: Priest feature on board can nullify up to 2 Capacity decreases from weather conditions. Other ships sailing with you are blessed as well, and can nullify 1 Capacity decrease.

Weapons: Gunpowder (4 points): This feature outfits a ship with gunpowder weapons, firearms for sailors or cannons, plus their munitions. The ship becomes a modernised force to be reckoned with. The GM is the final arbiter of what and effectively how much is added, or whether this feature can be taken. Weapon features can be purchased several times up to Capacity, but it permanently expends the ability to conduct Trade actions by the amount of Weapon features bought.



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