Of Ships and the Sea

by Keith Francis Strohm

Of Ships and the Sea is packed with information on the ships of the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game, rules for sailing them to exotic lands, and two systems for conducting naval combat. The action... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786907061
• ISBN13: 9780786907069
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: TSR
• Length: 127 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.4" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

A very useful reference book

This AD & D (2nd edition) book is an expansion of the rules for use in aquatic adventures, and is actually two books in one. The first part of the book covers nautical adventuring and covers ships, nautical travel, encounters and finally nautical combat (including spells and their effects). Admittedly, the rules are detailed, and can become quite cumbersome, so the Dungeon Master may wish to do some judicial pruning. However, I did find the rules for fleet actions to be quite useful.The second part of the book covers aquatic (underwater) adventures, and covers everything from underwater survival (for non-aquatic adventurers), combat (including spells and magical items, and their effects), topology, and underwater encounters. This section contains 18 new spells (if I counted properly), one new wizard kit, seven new magic items, and four new aquatic animals (not monsters).Overall I think that this is a great book. I have used it extensively, and have found it to be a very useful reference book. If you are not going to be doing much in the way of nautical or aquatic adventuring, then you can no doubt skip this book. But, if you are going to be doing a lot in the way of nautical or aquatic adventuring, then I think that you would greatly benefit from getting this book.

Very informative

This book holds an abundance of information that can be used in nautical adventures. Also it descrives what problems the PC's will have underwater, what spells work underwater, what weapons work underwater and how magical items react underwater. It even includes new spels and new proficiences. I recomend it to any DM who's campaign is even partialy in an aquatic environment.

Much-needed for that reference, if nothing else

This book does a very good job of explaining one saspect of the shadiest part of AD & D - travel. Although I sincerely hope that a book about overland travel will be released sometime in the future ( or that the Wilderness Survival Guide will become more available - possibly a reprint?), I will have to contend myself with this true gem. Sea travel is comfortably explained and all the random information that is seemingly always necessary and within demand is all in there up for grabs. Give this book a try if you want dependable data.

Need that extra idea for extended campaigns?

This book does an excellent job of decribing in detail all the different ways of traveling over the sea. Every kind of boat you can imagine, including rules on how long, how far, and how well they will survive both in calm waters, the open sea, adrift, or in battle! If you need that extra push to spice up your campaign, get this book and let your party set sail with the next tide.