INTRODUCTION Character Generation system for Napoleonics based on The old Traveler chargen system of promotion and mustering out. This rule-set is specific for Naval Officer Characters. DICE The favored Die is the good old Six Sider. CHARACTER STATS Stat Abbreviation Strength Str Dexterity Dex Endurance End Intelligence Int Education Edu Social Standing Soc BEGINNING STATS Each player stars with 2D6 in each Stat and 2 rolls on the Boyhood Skill Table. All Players going on this Officers Track have a Minimum Soc = 8. TERMS Each Term of Service is 1 year long. STARTING AGE Roll 1D6 for starting Age: 1-3 11 years old 4-6 12 years old SEX All Characters are Male. RANK TABLE Rank MAR PRR Command Volunteer 11 - Midshipman 15 7+ Lieutenant 19 12+ Master & Commander - 13+ Sloop Post Captain - 14+ 6th Rate Frigate Captain - 13+ 5-4th Rate Senior Captain 30 13+ 3-2nd Rate Flag Captain - 14+ 2-1st Rate Rear Admiral 40 10+ Vice Admiral - 10+ Admiral - 10+ MAR = Minimum Age Requirement PRR = Promotion Roll Requirement TERM SEQUENCE OF EVENTS Age Phase Promotion Phase Post Phase Service Phase Action Phase Event Phase Seniority Phase AGE PHASE The Characters age increases by 1 year. PROMOTION PHASE The Character rolls 2D6 to see if he is promoted. Consult the Rank table for Target Number. Add Seniority and Merit Bonuses. Get +1 to the Roll for a Soc of 11 or greater. If the Character is promoted, he loses all accumulated Seniority and Merit Bonuses. If a Lieutenant has Merits +5 or more there is 33% change that when he is promoted, he will become a Post-Captain and not a Master & Commander. POST PHASE The Character rolls on the Post Table for his Rank to see what kind of Ship he is assigned. If a Character was not promoted this turn, and his Post Roll is the same, there is a 50% chance he remains on the same ship. SERVICE PHASE The Character rolls on the Service Table to see what kind of duty he is to perform. ACTION PHASE The Character rolls on the Action Table to see if he took part in any Naval Battles. EVENT PHASE The Character rolls on the Event Table to see if his any special Events befell him. SENIORITY PHASE The Character gets Seniority +1. SKILL PHASE The Character may roll to gain a new skill. If the Character was in Reserve this term, he rolls once on the Reserve Skill Table. If the Character was at Sea, he may roll once on the Skill table of his Rank. If the Character was in a Battle, he may roll once on the Fighting Skill Table. If a Volunteer was in Naval College, Roll once on the Naval College Skill Table. BOYHOOD SKILL TABLE 1 Physical Skill Table 2 Mental Skill Table 3 Reserve Skill Table 4 Ship Handling +1 (Seamanship) 5 Brawling +1 6 Language Players start knowing Language (English) at Level = 3. The other main Languages to be learned are French & Spanish. VOLUNTEER POST TABLE 1-3 Naval College 4 Unrated Ship 5 Frigate 6 Ship of the Line A Volunteer may attend a maximum of 3 years at Naval College. VOLUNTEER AT SEA SKILL TABLE 1-2 Physical Skill Table 3-5 Ship Handling +1 6 Fighting Skill Table NAVAL COLLEGE SKILL TABLE 1-2 Soc +1 3 Navigation +1 4 Edu +1 5-6 Mental Skill Table MENTAL SKILL TABLE 1-2 Edu +1 3 Soc +1 4 Int +1 5 Language +1 6 Specialist Skill Table SPECIALIST SKILL TABLE 1 Cooking +1 2 Boatswain +1 (Mend Rigging) 3 Carpentry +1 4 Armorer +1 (Gunsmith) 5 Medicine +1 (Surgery) 6 Purser +1 (Bookkeeping) PHYSICAL SKILL TABLE 1-2 Str +1 3-4 Dex +1 5-6 End +1 FIGHTING SKILL TABLE 1 Gunnery +1 2 Boarding +1 3 Small Arms Skill Table 4 HTH Skill Table 5 Leadership +1 6 Naval Tactics +1 SMALL ARMS SKILL TABLE 1-3 Pistols +1 4-5 Musketry +1 6 Hand Grenades +1 HTH SKILL TABLE 1-2 Brawling +1 (Bare Hands, Clubs) 3-4 Fencing +1 (Cutlasses, Dirks, Knives) 5-6 Hand Weapons +1 (Axes, Bayonets, Pikes) RESERVE SKILL TABLE 1-2 Carousing +1 (Drinking) 3 Gambling +1 4 Music +1 (Play Instrument) 5 Physical Skill Table 6 Mental Skill Table A Ship In Reserve may be there for a Refit. Characters in Reserve may be in port, on garrison or on leave, or may be forced to wait out their Term on a moored Hulk. MIDSHIPMAN SKILL TABLE 1 Navigation +1 2 Gunnery +1 3 Ship Handling +1 4 Fighting Skill Table 5 Leadership +1 6 Specialist Skill Table LIEUTENANT SKILL TABLE 1 Navigation +1 2 Naval Tactics +1 3 Mental Skills Table 4 Midshipman Skill Table 5 Leadership +1 6 Soc +1 This Table is also used by Lieutenant Commanders CAPTAIN SKILL TABLE 1 Navigation +1 2 Naval Tactics +1 3 Mental Skills Table 4 Lieutenant Skill Table 5 Leadership +1 6 Soc +1 This Table is also used by Master & Commanders. ADMIRAL SKILL TABLE 1 Naval Tactics +1 2 Mental Skills Table 3-4 Captain Skill Table 5 Leadership +1 6 Soc +1 VOLUNTEER POST TABLE 1-3 Unrated Ship 4-5 Frigate 6 Ship of the Line MIDSHIPMAN POST TABLE 1 Cutter or Schooner (Sub-Lieutenant) (4,6,8,10 Guns) 2 Gun Brig (Sub-Lieutenant) (12,14 Guns) 3 Sloop 4-5 Frigate 6 Ship of the Line A Sub-Lieutenant (Acting Lieutenant) gets Merit +1 A Cutter has 1 Mast. Schooners (Fast) and Gun Brigs (Slow) have 2 Masts. LIEUTENANT POST TABLE 1 Cutter or Schooner (Lieutenant as Commander) 2 Gun Brig (Lieutenant as Commander) 3 Sloop 4-5 Frigate 6 Ship of the Line A Lieutenant as Commander gets Merit +1 MASTER & COMMANDER POST TABLE 1-2 Quarterdeck Sloop 3-4 Flushed-decked Sloop 5-6 Brig Sloop A Sloop of War had 14-18 Guns POST CAPTAIN POST TABLE 1-2 Old Style Frigate (28 Guns) 3-6 Small Frigate (20,22,24 Guns) These are Sixth Rate Ships. These & Sloops were called Corvettes by the French. FRIGATE CAPTAIN POST TABLE 1-5 Frigate Fifth Rate (32,36,38,40, 44 Guns) 6 Large Frigate Fourth Rate (50,54,56,60 Guns) SENIOR CAPTAIN POST TABLE 1-5 Third Rate Ship of the Line (64,74,80 Guns) 6 Second Rate Ship of the Line (98 Guns) FLAG CAPTAIN POST TABLE 1 Second Rate Ship of the Line (98 Guns) 2-5 First Rate Ship of the Line (100,110,120 Guns) 6 Commodore (First Rate + Control of Squadron) SHIP SKILL MODIFIERS Ship Type Ship Handling Gunnery Notes Cutter +2 -1 Also Schooner Gun Brig - - Cheap to Make Sloop +1 - Built in Large Numbers 6th Rate +1 - Undergunned vs other Frigates 5th Rate +2 +1 Most Glamorous Ships 4th Rate +1 +1 Undergunned for the Line 3rd Rate +1 +2 Backbone of the Line 2nd Rate -1 +2 Top Heavy 1st Rate - +3 Expensive to Build & Man Ship Handling effects Speed and Seaworthiness. EVENT TABLE 1-5 No Event 6 Calamity CALAMITY TABLE 1-2 Illness Table 3-4 Storm or Rocks: Shipwreck Table 5-6 Morale Table ILLNESS TABLE 1-2 Accident: Roll on the Wound Table 3-4 Sickness: Str 1 (Scurvy) 5-6 Disease: End 1 (Dysentary/Plague) MORALE TABLE 1-2 Scandal: Soc 3 3-4 Rivalry: Soc 2 5 Duel Table 6 Mutiny Table SHIPWRECK TABLE 1-3 Drowned (or Dehydration or Sun-Stroke) 4-6 Rescued Add your Navigation Skill to the Roll. DUEL TABLE 1-2 Killed 3-4 Wound Table 5-6 Victorious Add your Pistol or Fencing Skill to the Roll. MUTINY TABLE 1-2 Killed 3-4 Escape or Set Adrift: Shipwreck Table (Merit 2) 5-6 Quell Mutiny Add your Leadership Skill to the Roll. This Table assumes you are trying to stop the Mutiny WOUND TABLE 1-3 No Wound 4-5 Minor Wound 6 Major Wound MINOR WOUND TABLE 1-3 Flesh Wound 4 Limb: Dex 1 5 Gut: End 1 6 Chest: Str 1 MAJOR WOUND TABLE 1 Lost Eye: Dex 1 2 Head Wound: Int 1 3 Disfigured: Soc 1 4 Peg Leg: Dex 1 5 Lost Arm: Dex 1 6 Killed SERVICE TABLE 1 Reconnaissance Table 2 Communications Table 3 Reserve (Moored, Drydocked, Refit) 4-6 Wartime Service Table Ships of First, Second, and Third Rate get +2 to rolls on this Table Brig Sloops also get +2 to rolls on this Table RECONNAISSANCE TABLE 1-3 Poor Intelligence 4-6 Good Intelligence (Merit +1) Add your Navigation Skill Level to this Roll COMMUNICATIONS TABLE 1-2 Lost (Merit 2) 3-4 Timely Advice 5-6 Swift Dispatch (Merit +1) Add your Ship Handling Skill Level to this Roll WARTIME SERVICE TABLE 1 Escort Table 2 Colonial Expedition Table 3 Guard Table 4 Blockade Table 5 Patrol Table 6 Attack Table ESCORT TABLE 1-2 Lost Convoy (Merit 3 and Soc 2) 3-4 Convoy Diminished (Merit 2) 5-6 Convoy Safely Delivered (Merit +1) Add your Naval Tactics Skill Level to this Roll COLONIAL EXPEDITION TABLE 1-2 Detrimental Engagements (Merit 2) 3-4 Inconclusive Engagements 5-6 Successful Engagements (Merit +2 & Prizes Table) Add your Navigation Skill Level to this Roll GUARD TABLE 1-2 Fail to Stop Invaders (Merit 2 and Soc 1) 3-4 Belay Enemy 5-6 Repulse Attackers (Merit +2) Add your Ship Handling Skill Level to this Roll BLOCKADE TABLE 1-2 Incomplete Cordon (Merit 2) 3-4 Partial Success 5-6 Seal off Coast (Merit +2) Add your Ship Handling Skill Level to this Roll PATROL TABLE 1-2 Meet no Enemy 3-4 Capture a Few Prizes (Merit +1 & Prizes Table) 5-6 Take Enemy Convoy (Merit +2 & Prizes Table x2) Add your Ship Handling Skill Level to this Roll Get +1 to roll on Action Table ATTACK TABLE 1-2 Attack Thwarted (Merit 3) 3-4 Damage Enemy Ships or Positions 5-6 Destroy Enemy Ships or Positions (Merit +3) Add your Naval Tactics Skill Level to this Roll Get +2 to roll on Action Table PRIZES TABLE 1-3 Merchants 4-5 Troop Ships 6 Treasure Ships ACTION TABLE 1-3 No Action 4-5 Minor Action (Skirmish) 6 Major Action (Battle) Next roll on Conduct in Action Table CONDUCT IN ACTION TABLE (Roll 2D6) 2-5 Poor (Merit 1) 1 to roll on Action Result Table 6-8 Dutiful 9-12 Exceptional (Merit +1) +1 to roll on Action Result Table Add all Fighting Skill Levels to Roll Next roll on Action Result Table and the Wound Table ACTION RESULT TABLE 1-3 Defeat Table 4-6 Victorious Table VICTORIOUS TABLE 1-2 Prize (Captured Enemy Warship) 3-4 Glory: Soc +1 5-6 Strategic Victory: Merit +2 Roll Twice for a Major Action DEFEAT TABLE 1-2 Capture Table 3 Sunk: Shipwreck Table 4-6 Limp Home (Merit 2 and Soc 1) CAPTURE TABLE 1-2 Released (Merit 1) Roll for New Post 4-6 Rot in Foreign Prison for Another Year AGING TABLE 1-2 Str -1 3-4 End -1 5-6 Dex -1 Roll once for every 2 years starting at age 56. ALTERNATE PROGRESSION TRACK For Characters of Social Standing less than 8. Instead of starting out as a Volunteer, you begin as a Seaman. After minimum 4 years as a Seaman, and having Ship Handling Skill of 2+ and Promotion Roll of 7+ you progress to Able Seaman. After minimum 4 years as Able Seaman and having a Navigation Skill of 2+ and Promotion Roll of 10+ you progress to Master After minimum 4 years as Master and having a Soc of 8+ & Promotion Roll of 11+ you progress to Master & Commander. SEAMAN SKILL TABLE 1-2 Ship Handling +1 3 Physical Skill Table 4 Fighting Skill Table 5 Reserve Skill Table 6 Gunnery +1 ABLE SEAMAN SKILL TABLE 1 Ship Handling +1 2 Specialist Skill Table 3 Physical Skill Table 4 Fighting Skill Table 5 Navigation +1 6 Gunnery +1 MASTER SKILL TABLE 1-2 Navigation +1 3-4 Mental Skill Table 5 Soc +1 6 Leadership +1 GAME DESIGNERS NOTES This can be played as a Solo game: Keep track of Prizes, Engagements fought, and Total Merits recieved as well as Rank. Be sure to name the Ships you are posted to. This Track is specific to the British Navy. Still need to work on Admiral Postings, Pay and Prize Monies, Social Scale and other details for more advanced play. REFFERENCE Books and Films: Horatio Hornblower Series Master and Commander The Illustrated Companion to Nelsons Navy The World of Jack Aubrey Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail
