River Gunboat Ironclad (5e Equipment)
River Gunboat Ironclad[edit]
Cost: 73,600 gp
Speed: Maximum: 9 mph; Cruise: 4½ mph
An industrial-era armored boat intended for service on a river. It has a centrally-mounted feathered paddlewheel powered by two steam engines. The frame and hull is wooden, with 2-inch thick iron casemates for armor. The riverboat has a flat hull with a 6-foot draft. The two steamengines are noncondensing: a third smaller steam engine pumps river water into the boilers. The flat keel and reliance on freshwater make the boat is unsuited for coastal or ocean travel.
Size: Gargantuan
AC: 18
Hit Points: 350 (damage threshold 17)
Crew and Passengers: 278
Dimensions. 170 feet long, 50 feet wide, 2 decks
Draft. 6 feet.
Endurance. Each bunker of 30 tons of coal consumed fuels the steam engine for 8 hours (maximum speed) or 32 hours (cruise speed). The water tanks replenish themselves from river water; they otherwise fuel the steam engines for 20 minutes.
Steam Engines. From a cold start, it takes 30 minutes to build up the heat and pressure before the steam engines provide power. Each engine requiers 1 stoker.
Damage Threshold. Optionally, the damage threshold of the boat varies depending on the diretion of the attack made against it, due to different thicknesses of armor plating.
- Front: 20
- Center: 30
- Rear: 17
- Top: 15
- Underside: 15
Skeleton Crew: The mininum crew required to operate the gunboat: 1 pilot, 2 steam engine stokers, 5 workspace technicians.
Minimum Wartime Crew: 9 helm crew, 6 stokers, 15 workspace technicians (working over 3 shifts); 24 gun crew; 8 officers; 60 marines
Full Wartime Crew: Up to a total of 278 people.
Occupancy: Short-term occupancy (a few days), on-board supplies supplemented by supply ships, or from what the crew can gather from the riversides.
Cargo Hold: 15 tons.
Berth: Cradles for up to 5 tons-worth of boats (cost not included).
Components[edit]
Occupancy: Short occupancy. 268 poor seats for enlisted men, 8 comfortable seats for officers.
Strength: 21 (+5)
Dexterity: 3 (−4)
Constitution: 20 (+5)
Design Notes: Mass xi body (600 tons laden). Acceleration: 8 feet. Plating: 2.5 (front), 4 (center), 1 (rear), 0 (top), 0 (underside). Water drag: −5
| Slot | Component | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iron structure* – full, AC 18, 2 SP, thick plating (front) | 6,000 gp |
| 2 | Artillery – 2× 8-inch smoothbore muzzleloaders (fowards) | 6,000 gp |
| 3 | Helm* – 3 stations | 3,000 gp |
| 4 - 7 | Seating** – 60 poor seats each | 2,000 gp each |
| 8 | Bunker – 30 tons of coal | – |
| 9 | a. Compound steam engine* – generates 1/8 PP b. Water tank |
6,000 gp 300 gp |
| 10 | a. Compound steam engine* – generates 1/8 PP b. Water tank |
6,000 gp 300 gp |
| 11–12 | Iron structure – full, AC 18, 2 SP, thick plating (center) each | 6,000 gp each |
| 13 | Bunker – 30 tons of coal | – |
| 14 | Artillery – 2× 8-inch smoothbore muzzleloaders (left) | 6,000 gp |
| 15 | Wood structure – frame, AC 12, 8 SP | 600 gp |
| 16 | Wood structure – full, AC 15, 1 SP | 600 gp |
| 17 | Cargo hold – 15 tons Magazine – 10,000 lbs |
– 300 |
| 18 | Artillery – 2× 8-inch smoothbore muzzleloaders (right) | 6,000 gp |
| 19 | a. Paddlewheel, feathered* – 1/4 PP transmission rating b. **Berth** – cradles for 5 tons-worth of boats |
10,000 gp 500 gp |
| 20 | Seating** – 8 comfortable seats, 28 poor seats | 2,000 gp |
* 1 workspace per component
** Here, "seating" just means areas short-term occupancy for crew and passengers, it's literally the decks and small private rooms for the officers.
Piloting Maneuvers[edit]
If you are a helm station, you can use your action to:
- Turn: The boat rotates 45-degrees
- Accelerate: You use the engine order telegraph to signal the crew in the engine room. The boat's speed increases by 5 feet to a maximum of 90 feet.
- Decelerate: The boat's speed decreases to a minimum of 0 feet.
Artillery[edit]
8-inch Smoothbore Muzzleloader[edit]
Size: 100
Cost: 3,000 gp
Crew: 1 gunner, 4 loaders
Rate of Fire: It takes 6 rounds for a full crew to load, aim and fire the gun. It fires on the gunner's initiative count.
Ammunition: Each gun has a shot locker for 30 pieces of ammunition. Additional ammunition can be stored in the cargo hold.
Powder: Each shot requires a 7-lb service charge of smokeless powder.
8-inch Shot. Ranged weapon attack: +6 to hit, range 1,000 / 3,000 ft., one target. Hit: 93 (17d10) bludgeoning damage.
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