Mortars an Other Fun Stuff

[David Manley]

Working on some rules for mortars and other fun stuff. I was going to post this morning but am being dragged out for family stuff so hope to have it ready this evening

[Moideeb]

Damn those families, making us do things with them. Don't they know we have battle plans to make.

[David Manley]

Ok. Here goes. Comments welcomed.

Bomb vessels may fire mortars at anchored or grounded ships, or shore batteries and other specific shore targets.
Maximum range of a mortar is TWICE the length of the gunnery ruler.
Minimum range is equal to the length of the gunnery ruler.
Bomb vessels may only fire their mortar when they are at anchor (NOT when grounded)

To determine the fall of shot:
Create two decks of cards. the first deck comprises 9 cards and determines the direction of shot:
North
South
East
West
North West
North East
South West
South East
On Target

The second set of nine cards determines the deviation:
Zero (on target) x1
Very Short (C/D) x3
Short (B) x5

Draw one card of each type to determine where the shot lands.

For second and subsequent shots at the same target, once a very short card has been drawn, subsequent shots other than "on target" will be at very short range. Once a shot is "on target" (from either deck) the mortar is zeroed in and subsequent shots hit the point of aim.

if the shot falls on a static ship's base or a battery the target draws four B damage tokens. if a shot lands on a moving ship it draws four A damage tokens (but remember moving ships cannot be specifically targetted)

Bomb Vessel
Manoeuvre deck A
Burden 3 (stout construction)
Veer 7
Seven damage boxes on hull and crew rows
1/1/1 - 4 - 1 - M
1/1/1 - 4 - 1 - M
1/1/1 - 4 - 1 - M
1/1/1 - 3 - 1 - M
1/1/1 - 3 - 1 - M
1/1/1 - 2 - 1 - -
1/1/1 - 1 - 0 - -

(bow gunnery / beam gunnery / stern gunnery - crew actions - musketry - Mortar)

Reloading the mortar takes one action, as for a normal broadside

Mortar can be fired

[csadn]

Silly question: For shooting the mortar, why not just flip a chit over the target? Wherever the chit lands is where the shot hits.