In 1798 Calcutta is a city expanding rapidly under the rule of the Honorable British East India Company. This is the time of great Indian trade fortunes, everyone from the lowliest clerk to the governors council is out to amass wealth. A man must keep his wits about him to prosper despite the corruption, the intrigue, and shrewd local traders.Run by GM 3rd-I
The tiring crew make their final approach to the clipper. Though the coolies keep pushing to the last, Blackstone's efforts are starting to falter and Payne continues to be ethusiastic but ineffective.
As Thurston finishes loading his rifle for one last shot, he looks up to see several of the boarding party raising muskets to their shoulders. He shouts a warning and ducks below the sides of the boat as the ragged volley, perhaps four muskets, crashes across the water. However it is the Clipper and not the rescue craft that has been targetted.
"Good God" mutters the Colonel, aghast, as the bloodied bodies of several crewmen tumble over the railing of the ship. This proves to be the last straw for several of the ship's crewmen, probably just civilian contractors, who decide the time has come to flee the seemingly doomed craft. The deck is soon deserted and the men swimming for safety, despite the Colonel cursing the crew's cowardice at the top of his voice.
The rescue craft reaches the side of the Clipper first with a ten second lead on the boarders and draws up along side the rear mast's, starboard rigging. The boarders small boat approaches the port side of the ship so that they disappear from view, but not before Miller and Thurston, who have wisely saved their shots till the last moment, get a chance to fire. The range is close, deadly close, less than fifteen yards and when both firearms discharge the party can just make out an enemy figure slumping to the deck before they lose sight of the boat.
The Coolies stow their oars quickly and reach out to grab the side of the Clipper and hold the boat steady.
"All aboard!" shouts the Colonel.
Blackstone check vs DX-5 = 8, roll 12 - Fail
Paybe check vs DX-5 = 9, roll 14 - Fail
Thurston:
Range = 10-15 yards
Check vs. Seamanship (to avoid 'œbad footing' penalty due to rocking of boat) @ IQ-4 (Default): Skill 9, roll 11 '€" Fail!
One person can attempt to climb aboard into the entry hex at a time. It takes 5 seconds and a successful climbing check, which defaults DX-5, but is at +5 due to ease (rigging to grab on to etc). You have a ten second head start so far thanks to your rowing efforts, so think about what order to attempt to board in.
You can only see down onto either rowboat if you are standing adjacent to the rail on that side.
The locker and the cabin are both over head height and therefore offer total cover. There is a door in the cabin which probably leads to crew quarters and also down to the hold.
The Carronades and ship's wheel are waist height and can be knelt behind for cover.
The Anchor cables are a waist height obstacle but offer little cover.
The loading hatches are for transfering goods directly by crane to the hold. The lids are grilled however, so any move starting, finishing or through them requires a DX check to avoid tripping.
The rigging and ropes on board can obstruct and tangle melee attacks. Any swinging attacks made from or into a hex that contains or is adjacent to a hex containing rigging is at -2 to hit. (Jees thats wordy).
Combat turns are 1 second each in GURPS, so to speed things up I may skip though "deadtime" when people are reloading and so on. If you can think of ways to speed things up (if/then statements and so on) it might help too. We'll see how it goes and fudge it together.
Players will be added to the initiative list as and when they make it aboard.
I have probably missed something so I might edit this post later if i think of something. I will let you know if I do.
Blackstone is covered in sweat. His arms burn from the exertion of rowing as hard as he could. The bearded fellow immediately scoops up his rifle and rushes for the rigging. "Come on!" he yells at the others, attempting to climb up onto the ship and get to some cover. On the edge of the cabin he kneels, readies his weapon, and will look to fire as soon as a target comes into view.
I'm not exactly how much we can do here, but I will just go ahead a spill out what my plans are over the next couple seconds.
Climb onto Boat
Move to W, W of blue arrow, take cover on corner of cabin.
Presuming by rifle is loaded, aim/kneel for one round
Shoot first person that gets on ship
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."
Blackstone immediatly steps forward for the honour of being first to board. Slinging his rifle he clambers up the side of boat, holding onto the riggin with his hands. He slips a bit and though his entrance is less than graceful, he is soon aboard.
Thats ideal Tet.
You might find the sidebar on p118 of the Basic Set (3rd) interesting. At the bottom in says you can overwatch a single hex for opportunity fire whilst accumulating aim bonus. I'll treat it like that when your in position.
Will execute those moves as the next person boards. Who's next?
EDIT: Forgot to post Climbing check result. Roll was 13 vs default skill of DX-5, +5 for circumstance = 13. V close!
Last edited by 3rd-I on Wed Sep 02, 2009 1:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Nair, armed and employed, springs onto the ship, moving with practiced grace over the deck. Clearly eager to close with the foe, she heads toward the boarders' boat.
Climb on board, move to the limit of my movement toward the far side of the deck and the boarders.
Miller slides his pistol into the belt growling something about rotten luck, and blasted pirates. "Up we go!" He grabs onto Rigging and starts to climb. "Were gonna need a moment to load, I'm gonna head for the wheel and try and keep em from steering her into the beach."
Up the rigging and then heading to the helm. I'm going to try and reload there
With his hands temporarily freed, Sinclair takes hold of the rigging and starts carefully climbing up the side of the clipper.
Does Sailor/Seamanship provide any bonuses for this? I was hoping that the skill included basic shipboard tasks like climbing the side of a ship without embarrassing yourself.
Perhaps the difference is in combat and out of combat. This being a rushed, in combat situation makes it more difficult.
Then again, this being GURPS, perhaps Climbing is necessary to be a halfway decent sailor.
Blackstone darts over to the corner of the cabin and unlslings his rifle, taking up a kneeling position and watching the far railing for signs of enemy boarders. As he waits Nidhi deftly vaults over side of the boat, her feet landing softly on the deck like a cat's. She quickly draws a knife with each and hand and speedily makes her way across the deck, taking a wide arcing path to stay out of Blackstone's line of fire.
Blackstone's patience is rewarded as the first boarder comes into view, clambering up the foremast's rigging, a mean looking boarding hatchet at his side. Blackstone waits until the man is astride the railing before firing. At this range, and with time to aim it's like shooting fish in a barrel for a man of Blackstone's talents and the shot takes the man dead in the chest, spouting blood and sending him careering back over the railing. A loud splash can be heard as the man hits the water.
The sailor Miller is almost aboard, with the Surgeon Sinclair waiting in line to be next to attempt the climb.
Nidhi meanwhile has quickly covered the distance over the deck, and stood only feet from the port rail with no foe in sight must decide her next move......
Ok, need to slow down again now, 1 round per post for a sec. But thats got things moving nicely. Thanks all. Nidhi next please
Sorry Trog, climbing is a separate skill. To be fair, GURPS AoN does list climbing as an essential skill for budding sailors. Which means I kinda dropped the ball when I forgot to spend any points on it for Wayloss' pre-gen. But meh.
Nidhi Check vs default DX-5, +5 = 13 - Roll 8 - Pass!
Miller Check vs default DX-5, +5 = 11 - Roll 9 - Pass!
Blackstone:
Range = 10-15 yards
Check vs. Seamanship (to avoid 'œbad footing' penalty due to rocking of ship) @ IQ-4 (Default): Skill 9, roll 10 '€" Fail!
Blackstone turns away from his firing position, attempting to take additional cover from fire. There, he begins to pull out his gear for reloading his rifle. He quickly attempts to do so, knowing more of the boarders will soon come.
Reload!
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."
Nair has the momentary advantage; the boarders cannot take the ship without passing her. She holds herself defensively, ready to duck the opposition's gunfire. The first boarder aboard, however, will taste her steel.
using the height difference for cover from gunfire. As soon as an enemy approaches, with the knifing!
Thurston takes his time preparing to climb aboard since everyone else is in front of him. He cleans out his rifle's bore, wipes it down and, once it is his turn to climb, he hands his rifle to one of the coolies. Once he's aboard, he'll motion to the coolie to hand the rifle up to him.
