- Built by: Elves
- Used Primarily By: Elves
- Tonnage: 50
- Hull Points: 50
- Crew: 10/50
- Maneuver Class: D
- Landing-Land: No
- Landing-Water: No
- Armor Rating: 8
- Saves As: Ceramic
- Power Type: Major or Minor helm
- Ship's Rating: As per helmsman
- Standard Armament:
- 2 medium ballistae; crew: 2 each
2 medium catapult; crew: 3 each - Cargo: 30 tons
- Keel Length: 175'
- Beam Length: 20'
- Cost: 75,000 gp (due to rarity)
Description
This ancient design is a part of elven history, and is quite rare. The Archaic Man-O-War is a direct ancestor to the modern day Man-O-War. A thousand years ago, these ships were a common sight, but the design was abandoned as newer designs surpassed them in firepower and maneuvering ability.
Following the destructive Unhuman Wars, the elves used almost all of the Archaic Man-O-War to build bases by drawing them into ring-like bases and rooted. A typical base has five to seven of these Man-O-Wars rooted to a central structure, upon which towers are grown. The wings were allowed to grow into a thick, protective wall and all weapons are pointed outwards into space.
Known bases include the abandoned Karpi and Crown of Corelleon, which were ravished by enemies of the elves. The Elven Fleet has built many other like stations at strategic locations in the Known Spheres.
Crew
Like most other elven ships, Archaic Man-O-Wars follow a strict chain of command from captain down all the way to cabin boy. The exact composition of the crew will depend on the function of the ship. Baseships will have marines and officers only, with no sailors. Explorer ships will have a usual mix of sailors, marines, and officers, but their duties will be blurred as over the centuries. Disasters and mishaps force every crewman to learn many duties aboard ship.
Ship Uses
Baseship: Most Archaic Man-O-Wars have been converted into bases for the Elven Fleet. A ring base will have 3 medium ballistae and a medium catapult for every Archaic Man-O-War used in its construction. A garrison of twenty marines and five officers per Archaic Man-O-War will be aboard to protect the base.
Explorer Ship: Some Archaic Man-O-Wars were sent into the depths of wildspace long ago on missions to discover distant spheres. With their long lifespans, elves view these as centuries-long missions. Rarely, one of these explorer ships returns to Known Space, only to discover their port-of-origin long deserted. They can bring strange and powerful magic back with them and can be quite dangerous if roused.
Ship Card
Illustration
Deckplans
