Set Piece - A Ship in a Storm

The deck bucked to the starboard as the wave crashed into the ships port side. Sabastian could not
keep his balance and slid across the quarter deck on his rear. The jackline was the only thing that
saved Sabastian from a watery grave. He held onto the line with all his might as he slowly tried to get
his feet below him.

The captain was yelling orders from the wheel but Sabastian couldnt hear a word of it above the wind
and the rain and the churning seas. This is bad. The worst storm hed seen. Lightning arched
across the sky above them, the thunder that followed did little to mask the load Crack that came from
mizzenmast. Even with sails stowed the mast had taken on more stress than it could bear.

Sabastian looked up just in time to dodge the tangle of rigging falling toward the deck. Sabastian
picked himself off the deck and found himself staring at the wave, it was larger than their ship and
was about to hit them once again on the port side. It was then that he realized he no longer held the
jackline.

(image from The Perfect Storm 2000 Warner Brothers)

Introduction

Ive been reading a lot of the 7th Sea Second Ed. Corebook lately and its got me jonesing for some
high seas swashbuckling action. A storm on a ship is a great encounter for the players to fight the
elements rather than an enemy. (though having a ship battle in a storm is action extraordinaire) Now
dont think this Set Piece is only for ships at seas. Ive run this more times as a spaceship in an ion
storm/nebula/fill in the blank/ type storm than I have one at sea. Ive even done this encounter with
the players in an airship. Its always a fun time.

Scene

The players ship his run afoul of some nasty weather, can their ship survive? Can they stop
themselves from going overboard?

Mood

You can start a scene(or session) like this in medias res if you want. With that, the mood needs to be
action, risk, and consequences. The players cannot control the scene they just have to adapt. Do
they try to climb up and untangle the shattered topmast stay from the rigging or risk the main mast
being damaged as well? In medias res is a great way to have the storm be a jumping off point to
something else you have planned.

However, if the storm is the main part of your session, then there should be some build up, some
foreboding. Your players see the storm on the horizon, they cannot get out of its way but they can
batten down the hatches and be better prepared for what you throw at them. Be ominous in your
descriptions, be foreboding, make it seem like this is a full on hurricane the players are about to face,
make them sweat. Also, make sure you allow time for character moments. If you feel comfortable try
to force some player dialogue, some interactions. Ask the player what their character is feeling. What
is her demeanor is as she ties down the main sail? This kind of stressful downtime can give players
a chance to flesh out some of their characters personality.

Threats

Everything not tied down on the ship can be a threat. Obviously the wind, water, lightning and the
ship itself can be threats the PCs need to overcome. If the hull gets punctured, or masts break, or
things get washed away, it is something to overcome. A scene like this can be difficult to GM because
the players can see this as you really screwing with them since you set all the stakes. To avoid that,
try asking them,what happens next. Or take ideas that players say off-hand and run with them. It can
give them some agency in the threats and situation.

Mechanics

Before you do a scene like this jot down a few scenarios The Mast cracks water rushes into the
captains quarters threating to wash away their map a crew member gets flung over the side Water
is threatening to ruin the cargo just some ideas you dont really have to do more than that. If the
players have prep time before the storm, they could really button up some of your scenarios great.
(more on that later)

As the storm hits, start small with any obvious prep you think of that they may have missed. A sail
wasnt stowed properly and is coming loose. Give them a chance to cause their own trouble.

Then let time pass. Describe the storm, the waves, the spray on their faces, the color of the sky, the
things going on.. Ask the players where do you station yourself? What jobs do you undertake during
the storm? Then transition into your first scenario.

Storms arent usually quick things.. Dont try to pack every disaster into the first scene. Once they
solve the first crisis. Let the players have breathing room, time to make some recovery rolls or apply
some healing, maybe some banter, or a character moment. Describe how the seas are getting worse,
make them make some Resilience or constitution checks. If they fail, give them a slight hindrance on
their first few rolls of the second scene. Then start scene two and so forth

You can put two scenarios back to back or on top of each other especially towards the end to ramp up
the climax.

You dont have to run every scenario. The storm could last all night, you can even have an hour or
two between each dramatic scene. However, if the players prep makes one of your scenarios easier,
or obsolete, make sure you run it or at least mention it. Show them that their forethought really paid
off. (make sure you include this scenario when calculating rewards (like XP) too)
Dont try to run the whole storm as a combat encounter. Doing so will tempt you to pile on disaster
after disaster and you will run through your entire list of scenarios in what amounts to an hour of time
for the characters.

Tips

Have some NPCs on board. I know this isnt directly related to this scene. But Ive learned early on in
Star Wars RPGS and other games that it is always good to have some NPC crew, passengers,
prisoners, family, what-have-you on the ship during scenes like this. It gives the players something
else to worry about and you, as a GM, something else to leverage other than the PCs lives. It
complicates things in a good way. Saving yourself is survival, saving the stowaway dangling off the
edge of the ship clinging desperately to a cracking rail is heroic.

When running these scenarios, threaten things the players cherish. You brace yourself as the wave
crashes into you, holding your ground, but a glint of gold in the water catches your eye as it washes
towards the port bow. It is then that you realize your fathers scimitar is no longer at your waist. Just
dont overdue it. Everyone shouldnt be a target.

A storm is a GREAT time for plot to happen. Maybe this is the opportunity the cruel first mate has
been waiting for to take out the captain. Or better yet, the captain gets killed naturally leaving the
players to deal with the cruel first mate. Maybe this is when the assassin in disguise tries to fulfill his
contract and kill a PC, or a crew member fearing death professes his love to a PC. Just because
there is a dramatic storm going on it doesnt mean plot has to take a back seat to spectacle.

A Storm is also a good time to have Loss. Kill an NPC (or a player). Nature is cruel, death doesnt
always come at the hands of a villain. Having an NPC or two perish in a massive storm is realistic.
Whether they are washed overboard or impaled by sharp debris. If the NPC in peril is important to a
PC make sure they have a chance to save them. (as a GM it is sometimes refreshing to be able to kill
off NPCs whose story is complete and has no further usefulness)

Know when to stop. Take the temperature of the room, if the players nerves are shot, if their
characters are on their last legs, give it a rest. They survived the worst of it. Time to deal with the
aftermath. Make sure this scenario doesnt overstay its welcome. You dont want them refusing to
enter the ocean ever again because they dont want the chance of another storm. So keep a close
eye on everyone make sure they are having fun.