Velmad

- Battles at Sea -

Velmad

- Sea at War - RULES v 1.2

Presentation

elmad is a tactical game that represents the naval battles in the time of sail and Vwooden vessels. Currently it is focused on XVIII and beginning of the XIX centuries , when artillery and large ships of the line were the masters of the sea. Future versions will extend the game to other times, add campaigns and a strategic game.

Velmad is assisted by computer and is playable online using any browser, but it could be transferred to miniature games, for example, using one or two ten-sided dices to get % values, and with some other modifications and simplifications (you can contact the game designer if you are interested in these changes).

To know more look for Velmad section at : http://foro.spacegame.esTo register and play : http://velmad.spacegame.es

Morale and Combat Capability

Morale represents not only the state of mind of a crew, but also their efficiency in combat, how ready they are and their aptitude to fight, in general, the combat capability CC of the crew in their state and with that ship, also in its current state.

Throughout the battle, the morale of the vessels will drop as conditions described below, to the extent that so much for the ships that are being defeated like for the victors, their morale and therefore their combat capability, will be reduced in such a way so as not to be able to continue the battle. This can really do decide both fleets to break contact and end the confrontation, if it has not finished already by limit of turns.

Morale decreases in the following cases :

-2 points when receiving a bow raking broadside from less than 2 boat lengths apart (from center to center) of at least 150 damage points. -3 points when losing a mast.-4 points when receiving stern raking fire from less than 2 lengths (damage 150)- Raking with damage of less than 150 but equal to or greater than 75 will get only half the damage to the enemy morale.

In addition, extra points are lost :

-1 for receiving 100 damage points of grapeshot fire to the hull from less than 2 lengths.-1 for receiving 500 or more total damage points in a broadside fired to the hull.

It is possible to recover 1 morale point, up to 10 maximum, knocking down a mast or achieving a stern raking broadside from less than 150 meters. This would reward the ship which has successfully reorganize and prove that she has recovered some of their ability to fight after losing at least 3 points during the battle. This way it is posible for a ship to get no boardable status but it is not possible to come to the values of initial morale (or CC) of an intact ship.

FatigueThe fatigue represents the depletion and exhaustion of the crews, as well as their

availability to be used for various tasks; the difficulty of loading and operation of the artillery pieces as the combat progresses, men forces become exhausted, chaos inside the galleries increases, with smoke, noise, uproar, heat, cries of pain, … It simulates the effect of stress of battle on the crew and also their ability to respond under pressure and perform their work more quickly and efficiently.

The following actions cause fatigue :

- Shooting one broadside : 10% of fatigue.- Shooting both broadsides : 30% of fatigue.- Making full sail : 30% of fatigue.

- Remove all sailing : 30% of fatigue.- Collect all the sail (pass to no sail) 40%.- Pas from no sail to few or medium sail, 20 %.- Send a party for fire fighting 10% per turn.- Send a party for cutting, unravel and dislodge a mast from deck, 10% per turn.- Reload double shot, 10% per band.

In collisions :

- Sailing with full sail: 60% of fatigue.- Sailing with medium of few sail : 40 % of fatigue.- With no sail : 0 % fatigue.

Fatigue affects the effectiveness of the shot and whether or not a ship can shoot in a given turn. It also affects the boarding battles.

Each turn a ship doesn’t take any actions that lead to fatigue from the first list, will recover 10% fatigue for the next turn. If the current level of fatigue is more than 80%, it will be reduced by 20%.

Types of VIn Velmad there are many different kinds of vessels, moreover those of similar

class can even take different armaments depending on the nation and on each individual boat.

- 100 or more guns (official guns), 100, 112, 120 and 130/136 (Santísima Trinidad, the only four decker in the world) are first-class and 3 deckers.- 90 and 98 guns are second-class and 3 deckers.- 80 guns (so far only english build) and 3 deckers are second-class.- 80 guns on two decks (French and Spanish), are second class.- 74 and 70 guns are 2 deckers and third class- 68 and 64 guns dutch build, 2 deckers and third class.- 64, 60, 56 and 50 guns are 2 deckers and fourth class

essels

- 44-gun frigates are 2 deckers and fourth class.- 36, 32, and 28 guns frigates have 1 deck and are fifth class.- 24 guns corvettes, 1 deck and fifth class.- 18 guns brigs have 1 deck and are sixth class.

Sailing Speed

The sailing speed of a vessel depends fundamentally on her class, her unfolded sails and its position with respect to the wind. It also depends on the state of her rigging and her hull, as well as on if she is dragging some mast. These negative modifiers will be explained in their respective chapters.

Attending to her class and with regard to the average speed of a 74, ships have the following speed:

- 1st class : 80% speed.- 2nd class : 90% speed.- 3rd class : 100%, reference speed.- 4th class : 110% speed.- 5th class (frigates and corvettes) : 120% speed.- 6th class (brigs) : 125 % speed.

Vessels have two limits of total rigging points, below which suffer penalties. For those of 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes are 2800 and 1800, for the 4th, 5th classes and two deckers frigates, are 2500 and 1500, and for the 6th class are 1350 and 350.

Depending on the state of her hull and rigging:

- By each fallen mast, speed is reduced by 30%- Dismasted, she remains detained.- If under first rigging limit, she sails up to 90 % of her speed.- If less of second rigging limit, she sails up to 80 % of her speed. In this concrete case on having fallen the first mast, it is only applied the 90 % malus.- If her hull is 0 or 1, she will sail up to 70% her speed.- draging a mast she will sail up to 90% of her speed.

Maneuvering

The different kinds of vessels have different maneuver abilities, both in the time needed to carry them out, as in the space of rotation necessary or how quickly they can turn.

In Velmad this is represented by the possibility or not to use the rudder two points, one or none. Each point of rudder allows to turn 15º in that sense.

The ships that have put their rudder to port or starboard may, on the next turn, veer everything to port or starboard as appropriate. In case she have been kept sailing ahead or turning to the opposite side to be doing now, it will only be possible veer a point. Then it remains like that :

- If in the previous turn helm was at port, she will have the option of turning everything to port.- If she had the rudder to starboard, she will have the option of everything to starboard.- If helm was at the center, she will only be able to veer one point to port or starboard.- If she have lost a single mast. may turn 1 point and if she is dismasted, none.

The different types of ships have certain possibility of veering 2 points of helm, independently of his position in the previous turn, according to her class :

- 1st class: 25 % possibilities.- 2nd class : 50 %.- 3rd class : 75 %.- 4th, 5th y 6th classes : 100 %.

The different ships had different aptitude to sail close to the wind, but this aspect was not covered by existing rules and for gameplay reasons all ships are allowed beating close to the wind at wish, albeit they will have serious penalties to speed and maneuvering.

Tacking

A vessel tack when, during she is turning, put her bow against the wind direction. If she makes the turn in opposite sense it is said that she is wearing in round.

In Velmad tacking is penalized for all vessels as follows:

- When entering exactly against the wind direction the ship won't be able to rotate more grades although she has left more helm points to apply.- When leaving that situation the ship will only veer “a point" independently of the points of the helm.

Crew Quality

Not all boats had crews equally prepared, trained, ready or loyal. According to the historical moment, each country was going through various circumstances that made them have more or less abandoned its armada, paying better or worse to its men, giving them one or another preparation and equipment or none.

In the times of peace they were used to disassemble the artillery of some ships and to leave them in port, licensing to most of its crew, and diminished the endowment, according to regulations of peace, of the ships that were in service.

At the outbreak of war ships should be quickly rearmed and relevant crews enlisted. This ultimately could be very difficult due to the shortage of available and skillful men in knowledge of the marine work. In occasions it was appealed to bring people in a mandatory way, incorporating troops from the ground army or looked for in jails, often with not much knowledge of the sea, inexperienced and without enough time to acquire it in the new ship.

All these circumstances were increased more if the ships had been out of service for a long time, or if they should remain in port due to maintenance and equipment shortage or under enemy blockade.

This was especially the case of the spanish and french navies, whereas the british had an enormous merchant fleet, same for Royal Navy, yand had a greater base of sailors to whom to resort, more experienced, having spent big seasons at sea in their merchant labors or patroling in the navy. In addition, their smaller ships and smaller calibre guns required smaller crews, reason why they could arm more ships, more cheap, or to destine better sailors for those that were armed.

Spaniards and french had special difficulties during the Napoleonic wars, the spanish economic shortage, bad payments, few motivations, minor population, even epidemics, and in the french case, loss of thousands of military and merchant saliors, prisoners in England, abandonment of navy after the revolution, elimination of officials...

In Velmad there are 4 categories in terms of quality of a crew :

- Beginner : Most of the crew just enlisted, usually by the force, without experience at sea (or very little) and practically none in their new ship. Really deficient to operate any task of the boat.

- Normal : Crew with knowledge of the marine life although part of them can be just recently enlisted and don’t have such knowledge. They lack a suitable training but in general they are able to develop all the required tasks in a minimumly acceptable way, employing the most inexperienced crew in simplest or where they can be always supported by more experienced sailors who can correct and replace their deficiencies.

- Veteran : Crew accustomed to the marine life, having spent big seasons on the high seas in the merchant marine or navy. A large number of them are veterans of previous campaigns or have taken part in some combat. Nevertheless a small portion of them could be rookie sailors but with enough marine knowledge and abilities or having spent some weeks on board. They train routinely and can carry out any task in a suitable or good way.

- Elite : The whole crew is acutely aware of marine life, much of them being veterans of previous campaigns or expert sailors. The new enlisted have enough experience on the high seas. This crew trains and makes shot practices routinely and intensively if its action is imminent. They perform any task satisfactory and even brilliantly.

In the game :

- Beginner : 6 % of penalty to the firing by each 10% of fatigue. They can shoot until with 100% of fatigue. Their % of maneuver 2 points (all rudder) depending on the ship class reduces to half.

- Normal : 5 % malus when shooting for each 10% of fatigue. They can shoot until with 100% of fatigue. They have the difficulty and consequence rising% of maneuvering 2 points (all rudder) each ship class according to the chart of the corresponding chapter.

- Veteran : 4 % malus to the firing by each 10% fatigue. They can even shoot with 120% of fatigue, and maneuver any type of ship in 2 points (all rudder)

- Elite : 3 % of penalty by each 10% of fatigue. They even shoots with 120% of fatigue and can maneuver any type of ship to all rudder.

In the boardings the different types of crew quality also have their effect, being their fight capacity in this cases the corresponding to the previous order, expressed from smaller to bigger

Shots and Damages

The artillery of the epoch used in the ships of the line had a range between 1000 and 2500 meters, depending on the calibre and the degrees of inclination that could be given. But his penetration and most importantly, its accuracy was very low at these distances, reason why often battles were fought at much nearer distances, where its power and penetration were really devastating

Different types of ammunition existed: round shot, bar-shot, chained or arbour, grapeshot, heated to red, even were used combinations like double or triple ball, round ball with grapeshot or dumbbell or chained...

Four types of these ammunition are available in Velmad :

- Round shot : That of most destructive power, capacity of penetration, range and accuracy. It is used primarily to shoot to the hull though it can knock down masts if it reaches them accurately or in several occasions.

o It can cause fires and critical impacts in the magazine. o Fired to the rigging it only produces 50% of damage.o The damage caused to the rig from more than 7 lengths away is the same as that which would take from 7.

-Bar-shor and chained-shot : In the game they are considered the same ammunition type due to their similarities. They have shorter range, precision and penetration than the round shot. They are used fundamentally to destroy the enemy rigging.

o Fired to the hull it only produces 50 % of damage.o When shooting to more than 7 lengths of distance the caused damage is divided by 3 due to the fact that it doesn't have so much range, neither power not even precision to these distances..

-Grape shot : It is the close-range ammunition for excellence in Velmad. Its main mission is to decimate the enemy crew.

o Its damage against the hull is of 50% o Fired against the rigging it only produces one third of the damage.o It causes the triple of losses that the round-shot would do shot to the hull and the double of losses that the chain-shot to the rigging.o It mays have an effect on morale as shown in the corresponding chapter.

- Double shot: Really devastating at very close range. At longer ranges its accuracy is minimal and most of its capacity of penetration gets lost. In addition, this overfatigues and overheats the gun, being able to end up damaging it, slowing the rate of fire and making necesary cooling the bore frecuently. o In order to reload double-shot, round shot must be loaded previously in that band.o During the turn that double-shot is reloaded that band cannot be fired.

o The double shot is reloaded without necessity of shooting the current round and costs 10 % of fatigues per band. o Its effective range is 112 meters, at more distance its damage is divided by 5o It causes 25% more of damage to the hull, disassembles 50% more of artillery pieces and causes the double of crew losses than the simple round shot. o Shot to the rigging in battle range it causes 3 times less damage than the bar-shot and out or range 5 times.

It should be decided with which ammunition will be reloaded each band that shoots in the current turn. This ammunition will be the one that is available on the next turn. Therefore the captain must foresee his next maneuvers beforehand.

An objective can be at shot from the complete battery or only from its bow or stern section.

Each length of distance decreases about 10% the minimum base and the maximum accuracy and therefore the caused damage.

The general range is just over 10 lengths and once the damage is calculated it is distributed 90% - 10 % between hull and rigging according to the target area.

To 112 meters or less, the shot will always be carried out as targeting the hull.

Starting from little more than 6 lengths when it is shot against the hull damages will be 50% of those that would correspond.

To one length of distance maximum effectiveness of shot is already achieved. Comming closer just increases the minimum damage that may be caused but not the maximum.

The damages to the rigging depend on the sails of the objective, this way:

- At medium sail, the usual damage.- At full sail, +50% of damage.- With collected sail or no sail, - 50% of damage (half the usual damage)- At few sail, -10% of damage.

Shooting from a ship with no sail (anchored) has a similar bonus to the one of having 10% less fatigue.

When shooting from a ship in full sail the upper deck battery cannot be used (forecastle, quarterdeck and poop), due to the fire risk. Even this way a 20% risk exists of provoking it. In addition, it has a penalty to the shootting accuracy equivalent to +10 % of fatigue.

Shooting one broadside costs 10 % of fatigue that in turn reduces the efficiency of the next shots depending on the crew quality as shown in the chapter devoted to it.

If there is not enough crew to serve guns they will only shoot for those that there are enough servants.

It is calculated if a ship is in windward or leeward concerning its shot position keeping in mind an arch of 30º with the wind. This way if a ship when shooting she does it in a fork of 30º against the wind it is said that she is to leeward and is shooting to an enemy to windward. If she shootst in a fork of 30º in favor of the wind it is said that she is to windward and that she shoots on an enemy to leeward.

- Shooting to a target to windward :

The own ship has greater tendency to lean by the action of the wind, rising the band that shoots. In addition, the smoke from her own batteries is pushed back to them, just like the smoke from enemy's guns, hiding it, and arriving to the own ship if they are near.

Shooting on the hull is more complicated because of the slope of the battery upwards and the possible smoke that hides it. For the purpose of the game, the damage will be distributed 60% to the hull and 30% to the rigging. The remaining 10% gets lost due to aim problems and disorders in the gallery caused by both the own smoke

and enemy’s one.

Shooting on the rig is the natural tendency in that position, though the aim system of the time caused that some shots even get lost passing above the enemy rigging. The effect in the game is that 90% of damage will go to the rigging and 0% to the hull. 10% of damage is lost again.

- Shooting to a ship to leeward :

Our boat is leaning more towards the water, so that she loss some of her gun range and some shots can put an end in the sea with greater easiness. Even with bad sea, the water would arrive to the main battery (the inferior one), forcing to close the gun doors and not to be able to use them.

By contrast, the enemy ship to leeward will be tilted backward offering more hull area so that in her sway she ends up showing hull below the waterline, favoring the impacts under flotation line and suffering them when navigating in another attitude regarding the wind.

The effect in the game when shooting on the hull is that the 100% of the damage are received in him, leaving 0% to the rigging, representing the greater loss of shots, but its greater concentration and possible greater damage in the hull.

When shooting on rigging the allocation is 40% hull and 60% rigging, as the shooting on the latter is more difficult and the tendency is to shoot lower.

Carronades in Forecastle, Quarterdeck and Poop

Developed by the Carron Company in Falkirk (Scotland) and adopted by the Royal Navy in 1779, carronades are light and short guns (aprox half long) of lower muzzle velocity, and therefore less accurate. They use less load of gunpowder reason why they do not need to be so solid but they have less range and penetration power. The process of production allowed to adjust more the caliber of the weapon to that of the ammunition (windage), giving this way more power, range and precision, but without being comparable to those of a long gun.

Their advantages are their much smaller weight (about three times less) being able to be mounted in the high parts of the boat with calibers superior to those of a conventional gun, that would not be supported and would destabilize the ship. They need less endowment and are simpler of using, being easier and quicker their loading, as well as their maneuvering.

At short ramge their impacts penetrating the hull at low speed causes great quantity of wooden splinters that act as grapeshot among the enemy crew. For this reason they are nicknamed smashers. On the other hand, long guns usually use half gunpowder load or double shot (even triple shot) at very short distances to simulate that effect and that the strong impact doesn't break the hull cleanly.

Given their high position they are also tremendously useful shooting grapeshot sweeping enemy’s deck. Or shooting combined ammunition as the case of the 68 pounder port carronade of HMS Victory in Trafalgar that was her first piece in shooting when passing by stern of the Bucentaure, loaded with 3kg of gunpowder, a bullet of 30.6 kg (68 pounds) and a keg with 500 musket bullets, which was followed by the fire in sequence of all the port battery loaded with double ball, disassembled 20 pieces and seeded the death in the gallic gun galleries.

Their disadvantages are their smaller precision, range and penetration power.

In the game carronades add their power to that of the broadside depending on the distance to which fire is done this way :

- at 300m or less, it will only take advantage of one third of their fire capacity.- at 225m or less, it will be the half.- at 150m or less, 100% of their power will be added, since it is the distance where their precision is more useful and their smasher effect against the hull take greater importance.

BoardingsThe boardings were bloody and quick, but to be able to carry out them the

objective ship had to be sufficiently punished so that she could not offer great resistance while crew jumped on board. Enemy’s deck should be cleaned by musket fire from high positions on the rigging, tops, sometimes with grenades, or from points on the

own deck, using grapeshot in the artillery or with help of small gun pieces only useful for these purposes or landings.

To be able to board a ship it is necessary to be close enough and that the objective ship had her sail gathered (stopped, by collision or voluntarily), or at least a fallen mast. Moreover, she must have less than 10 morale points.

If both ships were trying to board each other, the one with more morale or to equality, the one with more crew, will be the boarder .

Battle Calculation

It is estimated the fighting force of the attacker and the defender :

- If the ship has given order of shooting any of her batteries, her combat force will be similar to the number of free men after discounting the necessary ones for using the batteries of that band. The number appears in the fleet information screen. If the ship doesn't shoot her combat force will be 2/3 of her crew.

- The attacker / defender ratio is calculated. This value must be bigger than 1 when concluding the calculations to give as winner to the attacker and to capture the ship. Otherwise it is rejected.

- If the defender ship fired grapeshot against the attacker this turn, then the ratio value is multiplied by 0.6 (decreases 40%)

- Each point of difference in morale adds or subtracts 0,075

- The fatigue will contribute 0.075 to favor or against the boarding depending on if attacker has smaller or bigger fatigue than defender.

- Each point of difference of crew quality adds or subtracts 0.10

- There is a malus of 0.1 (equivalent to 1 crew quality level) for the attacker by each deck of difference between the two ships against her, but of being to its favor there is not bonu. For example, a one deck frigate that tries to board a 3 decker will have a 0.2 of malus to see if the boarding is successful . However, if that three decker board to the frigate she doesn't obtain any bonus for her 2 more decks.

- Finally there is a luck factor ranging from -0.20 to +0.20

The battle produces a certain number of casualties, lower as the crew quality goes higher.

If the boarded ship doesn't have a minimum number of casualties before the boarding, its resistance is much more tenacious and as a result the combat much bloodier. The number of casualties is doubled for both and -0.075 malus is applied.

This minimum is of 100 for the first class, 80 for the second, 60 for the 74-gun, 40 for the other 2 deckers, 20 for frigates and 0 for smaller boats.

For the boarding to succeed, the calculation of the battle must be greater than 1. In case of being rejected, the attacker will suffer a extra number of casualties. If it is successful, the vessel will be captured with white flag, her crew made prisoner and a prey company will be destined to marinate the boat and to take care of the prisoners.

The ships captured previously in the course of the battle and in the enemy's possession they are dammed without combat necessity.

Surrendering Ships

More common yet than by boarding, was to surrender one of these big ships of the line punishing her until she could not sustain the combat or could not return fire, that without another option, she finished lowering her flag awaiting being approached from another ship or small boats without opposing resistance.

If a ship arrives to morale 0 she will surrender when receiving a new broadside.

If she has 1000 or less hull points, for each broadside from less than 300 meters she will pass a morale dice roll from 1 to 10. If the result is bigger than the morale of the ship, she surrenders.

White F lagA recently surrended ship appears with the white flag. During one turn she

cannot navigate, veer, board or shoot, neither to be shot or boarded. We suppose that boats come to take possession of him.

Captured Ships

A captured (surrendered, prize) vessel can not sail in full sail, shoot or board to any other. Neither can be fired by a ship of the same flag. In adition, to be able to take care of the ship, their prisoners and to marinate her, it is necessary a prey company according to their class:

- First class : 50 crew members.- Second class : 40 crew members.- Third class : 30 crew members.- Fourth class : 20 crew members.- Fifth and sixth classes : 10 crew members.

If a captured boat is to more than 525 meters from nearest friend, her crew will retake the control taking as prisoners to the prey crew. Any recaptured vessel, through her own crew or an allied boat, pass to 120% of fatigue and white flag.

Hull 0 & 1

When a ship is at 0 hull remains operational, she has only just received the punishment is known that can withstand. Since then it is not possible to know with certainty when it will happen to be non-operational reason why it is the critical situation in which a ship must leave the line battle when not being able to sustain it during much more time. Nevertheless it continues being able to navigate for their own means and it is able to combat if it was necessary.

An 0-hulled vessel has several malus which are described in each chapter corresponding to its effects. In addition, a 0-hulled vessel that has not been captured has a 10% chance to start sinking every turn. Once she starts sinking remains unsuitable for the combat as she leans and loses stability, not being able to navigate and not being safe for her crew, for what is retired from the game.

A boat at 0 hull can pass to 1 hull making intensive use of bailing pumps and repairing the hull. This requires to have 100% of fatigue at the most and the process

will carry an increase of 20% of the same one.

The use of the first battery (main, bottom) is prevented to 0-hulled vessels, but 1- hulled can use it .

This way, a ship at 0 hull that is in the middle of a combat receiving constant fire, won't be able to respond, since 0-hulled cannot use their first battery and to pass to 1 hull she will spend fatigue (reducing her combat effectiveness), moreover as she is being shot will go down to 0 hull again.

Thus the state of shock of the ship under constant fire is simulated. However, a ship that moves away and can stabilize her situation and reorganizes herself, will be able to fight with the 100% of which she has left of firepower, that naturally she will lose when she will be shot again returning to 0 hull.

Crítical ShotsCritics to knock down masts :

· When a ship has 3 masts and someone of them has less than 500 points, a critical impact will be produced and the above mentioned mast will fall down if the damage that it suffers are of more than 50 points.

· When 2 masts are had, that mast must have fewer than 300 points in order to obtain the critical impact.

· If she only mantains one mast, it is necessary to leave it at 0 points to knock down it.

Mast fall :

When a mast falls there is a 50% chance that it remains tangled and covering one of the boards (side), dragging by the sea.

If this happens, it has a 75% of falling in the sense that wind pushes it. If the wind enters by port it will fall on the starboard band (side) and vice versa. The other 25% is of falling in the opposite band.

When firing from the band covered there is a risk of 50% of causing a fire and there is a malus to the precision and shooting power equivalent to that of

20% of fatigue.

If a ship with a fallen mast covering one of her sides is shot, and the broadside is aimed at that band (side) there is some % of setting on fire equivalent to the power of the broadside divided by 10.

Every turn that a ship sails dragging a mast, she will always veer 1 point toward that side in any rudder position and she will reduce her speed according to how is explained in the corresponding chapter.

To move away and to loose of the ship the fallen mast it is necessary to dedicate a cut party that will spend 10% of fatigue for every turn used and will have 50% of success.

Critical impacts :

A critical impact can take place when a broadside of round shot is fired to less than 300 meters. Under those conditions there is 1% of possibilities that the critical impact is obtained.

If the critical impact takes place the number of guns bigger than 24pd are counted multiplied by 2, and it is added to the number of 24pd guns. The obtained value more 1% is the% of getting an impact in the magazine and that the ship explodes. Otherwise the ship is set on fire. The following modifiers affect to the probability of the critical impact :

- with less than 2000 hull the% is similar to damage/100 - with 0 & 1 hull these probabilities increase 10 times .

For each piece destroyed in the quarterdeck there is 10% of reaching the captain hurting or killing him. The ship will enter in surrender range starting from 1500 hull points instead of the 1000 habitual ones. If the captain is killed the ship will also lose 1 morale point.

Helm damages :

Governing a great ship of the line was not simple, and required of two men by wheel (4 total) that in bad sea conditions had to be increased. During the battle or in

intense maneuvers they had to be released each half an hour.

The rudder can have the following 4 states :

- intact or working correctly.- damaged : it is not possible to veer 2 points (all to port, all to starboard)- very damaged : there is a % of being able to veer 1 point to port or starboard

depending on the ship class, otherwise she can only continue sailing straight. (First - three deckers 20%, Second - three and two deckers 40%, 74's 60%, Fourth 80%, inferiors always)

- destroyed, blocked, disabled : There is half % of veering 1 point than in the case of a very damaged helm.

Fires :

The most feared things in a wood boat loaded with tons of gunpowder and ammunitions were fires that could damage her up to making her unseaworthy and sink her, cause the chaos in her interior preventing the sailors to carry out their works, due to the smoke, heat and asphyxiation, destroy her sails and rigging immobilizing her, or even making her explode.

There are 5 levels of fire intensity. When a fire begins it always does with level 1, but if another fire is declared it pass to level 2 and so on.

1- local2- extended3- serious4- widespread (general)5- ship in flames

Each turn that the fire remains at level 3 will damage randomly a mast or the hull with 50 points, and at level 4, both with 100. If no mast remains, all damage will apply to hull until leaving it at 0.

At level 3 (serious) every turn a 33% risk of exploding exists. At level 4 (widespread) it is 66%. At level 5 the ship is in flames and crew jump overboard to avoid to dieing burned or suffocated. The ship remains out of combat then explodes or burns out by fire and sinks.

Each turn with no fire fighting team assigned the fire level will increase 1 point. It is supposed that a minimum of fire fighting always exists but not enough to prevent that it grows slowly.

Assigning a fire fighting team will cost 10% of fatigue and must be done every turn you want to apply their effects.

The team will have 50% of being able to control a fire level 1. For each superior fire level 10% will be subtracted.

If it is successful fire will decrease 1 or 2 levels depending on if the ship ordered shooting with any of her batteries or sail changing (1 level), or not (2 levels).

If it is not successful, the fire has 50% chance to increase 1 level or to keep up.

Two collided or entangled boats can transmit fires mutually. They will have a 10% by level of fire intensity of being infected for each turn that they are in this condition.

Fear

Usually in some games participants tend to struggle in excess, much more than it would be logical in a real situation. Battles are fought with supreme easiness up to the last man unless some specific rules of the game prevent it. Such it is the case of Velmad with its surrendering rules for example.

The terror to the battle, the logical fear and the instinct of survival, joins the natural prudence to not to lose war material or battle units, so that ships tend to withdraw from battle when their state begins to be worrying and their captains understand that they cannot contribute great thing to the battle and however they run the risk of losing their own ship or having serious damages.

In Velmad it is infused a bigger fear or caution to the players since a captured, sunken or destroyed ship (explosion, consumed by a fire), loses all the points that she had gotten for their fleet, besides the points that this action can contribute the enemy.

In the games that are attached to the ranking system or captains ladder, the player owner of the lost ship will only get 10% of the points that he had obtained in the battle.

End of Battle

A game in Velmad can conclude for different circumstances :

- Elimination of one of the two fleets or capture of its remaining ships.- Completion of the pre-established turns for a scenario in particular.- When the two admirals decided to break the contact the previous turn. If only one made it, the following two points are applied.- When 3 turns passes without any shooting after turn 40.- When 1 turn pass without any shooting after turn 60.

Score & Victory

The side with the highest score at the end of the battle will be the winner. Points are awarded as follows :

- By each damage point caused to hull or rigging, 1 point.- By sunk or flown ship, 1000 points.- By captured ship, 2000 points.- By knocking down a mast, 300 points.- The points contributed by a ship’s shots get lost when being captured or sunken.- When recapturing a ship her points are recovered and the 2000 points obtained for the prize are subtracted from the enemy score.

It is not distinguish between sizes, types or classes of ships for scores, thus increasing the fear factor discussed above. In addition, presumably a more important ship will have achieved more points that will lose when being apprehended or eliminated, which indirectly rewards her capture or destruction. On the other hand, destroying or capturing an important ship with no points means that her real battle value is very small reason why logically this action is less rewarded.

Signals

At the times that we cover, vessels communicated hoisting signals, by loudly voice if they were close enough, sending boats, or even with the help of sound signals as gunshots with bad visibility or luminous with lights and lanterns.

In the multiplayer games it is very important to maintain a fluid communication, for it the signals are used. These can be of two types :

- Loudly by means of horns to some vessel that is up to 150 meters of distance, of few clear and concise words (not more than 100 letters).- By flags using the flags book and Velmad code that we don’t treat in the present rules book, but they can be found in the forum or in other documents.

At the beginning of each battle players have the opportunity to meet and discuss the battle plan, reaching agreements of actions to carry out when hoisting a concrete signal.

Each scenario can indicate if a side can meet or not before the battle for these initial instructions. If allowed, it can be distinguished if it is done before seeing the enemy deployment or at turn 0 before moving to turn 1. Once the game begun players will only be able to communicate by means of game messages (signals).

Each ship will be able to send a single message each turn that will be received at the beginning of the following turn. But she will receive any number of messages.

The admiral will be able to send his message simultaneously to the whole fleet or to a concrete ship. The squad or division leaders may send their message simultaneously to all vessels under their command or to any particular ship of the fleet. The remaining ships may only send a message to anyone single recipient of the fleet.

Wind Change & VisibilityEvery turn there is a 5% probability of a wind change (4% slight change, 1%

abrupt change). This can be defined by scenario, as well as the visibility that may be changing (tending to be limited) turn by turn due to fog or sunset.

Court - Martial

Each admiral and squadron or division leader can mark any ship under his command as defendants of court-martial. These ships won't obtain points from those that can be distributed among the fleet after the battle. They will do it from the obtained ones by themselves and half the points of their prizes.

Time Scale & Conventions

Each turn in Velmad corresponds to 5 minutes of action, although the movements are more suitable to 2 and a half minutes, so we make here a compression process that does not affect its realism and facilitates playability.

Often it is spoken about lengths to make reference to distances. You can take this measure as 75 meters, understanding that we count up to the bowsprit and that it is favored to choose a measure in round numbers.

In Velmad often it is denominated fleet admiral to the higher commanderin chief of the whole fleet whatever his graduation and the entity (size) of the fleet were. In the same way we call indistinctly squadron or division leader, to the commander of the different vessels groups of the fleet: vanguard, center or main corps of battle, rear, squadron of observation and reserve squadron. If any of these groups have in turn subgroups, its commanders are denominated division leaders and that of the superior group exclusively squadron leader.

In the present regulation have been omitted the movement and combat damages calculation systems, since these aspects are automated by the computer. Nevertheless, in future revisions they can be incorporated or requested in the proposed adaptation of the game to a miniatures game.

Munrox, on January 5, 2008munrox@wanadoo.es

The most recent version of this document can be found at : http://velmad.spacegame.es/velmad_rules.pdf