TEXT: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 z y x w v u t s r q p o n m l k j i h g f e d c b a
  a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
  Drake, Nash, Whitaker
  
  RuneQuest is a trademark of Moon Design Publications LLC. Used under License by The Design Mechanism. All rights reserved. This edition 
  of Ships & Shield Walls is copyright The Design Mechanism © 2014. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without 
  permission from The Design Mechanism, except as quoted for purposes of illustration, discussion and game play.  
  Reproduction of the material in this book for the purposes of personal or corporate profit, by photographic,  
  electronic, or other methods of retrieval is strictly prohibited.
  Ships, Seaborne Encounters & Massed Battles in RuneQuest
  8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 z y x w v u t s r q p o n m l k j i h g f e d c b a
  a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
  Developed and Written By
  Jonathan Drake, Pete Nash and Lawrence Whitaker
  Editing
  Lawrence Whitaker
  Proof Reading
  Alexandra James, JD Holmes & Carol Johnson
  Design and Layout
  Fred Hicks and Lawrence Whitaker
  Artists
  Pascal Quidault, Dan MacKinnon 
  Vyacheslav Biryukov & Jeffrey Thomson (123rf.com)
  Playtesters
  Pablo Castilla, Chris Coulthard, Gabriel Franceschi, Chris Gilmore,  
  Amanda Greenlees, Deborah Greenlees, Arthur Holmes, JD Holmes, Jude Hornburg,  
  Marcus Knapp, Adam Lundgren, Justin Lynas, Martyn Meeks, Brad Milburn, 
  Sebastian Jansson, Sebastian Sandman
  
    Contents
  8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 z y x w v u t s r q p o n m l k j i h g f e d c b a
  a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
  This book continues an irregular series of rules expansions for  
  RuneQuest 6th Edition. It contains material that also appears in the supplements  
  Shores of Korantia and Mythic Britain, but is presented here for RuneQuest players and 
  Games Masters who do not have either of those volumes.
  Ships & Seafaring 
  3
  Sailing Conditions 
  4
  Ships And Galleys 
  5
  Ship To Ship Combat 
  7
  Encounters at Sea 
  10
  Example Ships 
  14
  Mermaids & Mermen 
  15
  Sirens 
  16
  Shield Walls & Battles 
  17
  Battle Components 
  18
  Forces, Units and Formations 
  19
  Phases of Battle 
  22
  Running a Battle 
  25
  Battle Actions 
  28
  Spot Rules 
  28
  Battle Actions Tables 
  30
  
  l 3 l
   
  Ships & 
  Seafaring l
  T
  ravelling by sea is the fastest, and, usually, one 
  of the safest means to cover long distances and 
  explore foreign lands. It is, without doubt, the 
  cheapest and best means to move a cargo. Many ships can 
  make their way for a full 24 hour period, so significant dis-
  tances can be covered in a relatively short time.
  On the other hand, sailing for extended periods of time 
  in the open ocean and out of easy reach of a safe port or 
  harbour is highly dangerous. If a ship gets into trouble 
  with the weather, waves or wildlife it can easily be fatal for 
  everyone aboard.
  Taking A Ship
  Scheduled passenger services are rare. Except for spe-
  cialist military vessels, the main purpose of all ships travel-
  ling between ports is to transport cargo. People who intend 
  to travel by boat need to go to the docks, find out which 
  vessels are sailing in the direction they want to go, and see 
  if they can negotiate passage. Of course, those who have 
  unlimited funds can charter a vessel for the journey and 
  thereby dictate when it sails. 
  Passage on a ship is not necessarily very expensive. 
  Assuming the passengers provide their own food and are 
  prepared to sleep on deck – often the only option – assume 
  a cost of 1-2SP per person per day, depending on the quality 
  of the ship and the comforts it can afford. Large animals 
  take up a lot of cargo space and care, which amounts to 
  approximately 8SP per horse per day.
  Charters can be had from 15SP per day for a small vessel 
  with a three-man crew, and can easily go up to 250SP per 
  day for a larger vessel with an expert captain and a comple-
  ment of 25 crew. 
  Sailing in Strategic Time
  When an adventure involves travel by sea it is often a 
  good idea to stay in Strategic Time, and allow that the jour-
  ney is completed as expected.  As a rule of thumb, Stra-
  tegic Time is used when the total time taken for the jour-
  ney is what matters, and the voyage is an interlude in an 
  adventure rather than part of it – something to be handled 
  quickly before progressing with the action. 
  To work out roughly how long a voyage should take, 
  calculate the distance to travel, then divide by the sailing 
  speed of the ship taken. The result is the time taken in 
  hours. When working around coasts and islands, the rate 
  is a little slower, reducing sailing speed to three quarters. 
  Oared vessels, such as war galleys, normally travel under 
  sail, using the rowing crew for bursts of speed, or to keep 
  the boat moving in a calm. 
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l  Ships & Seafaring
  l 4 l
  Exceeding Travel Distances
  Sailing speed cannot be increased unless the winds and 
  weather allow it. For oared ships, the captain can gain extra 
  distance either by pushing the pace, or by denying proper 
  rest breaks to the crew, in either case gaining up to 50% 
  additional distance, at the expense of a level of fatigue per 
  day. Of course, an undead crew can row indefinitely, being 
  immune to fatigue. 
  Sailing In Local Time
  A great deal of fun can be had adventuring at sea rather 
  than just treating the ocean as a thing to be crossed. In 
  order to do that it is necessary to go into a little more detail 
  about ships and sailing.  When sailing in local time, the dis-
  tance and route is plotted, and the time taken to reach a 
  destination calculated according to the vessel’s movement 
  speed, the sailing conditions, and the captain’s Navigation 
  skill.
  Boating And Seamanship
  When travelling in Local time, Boating and Seamanship 
  become vital skills. Whoever is in charge of running an 
  ocean-going ship must have the Seamanship skill. Boating 
  is used for smaller craft, but at a minimum of one grade of 
  difficulty harder if on the open ocean rather than on rivers, 
  lakes or inshore.  These skills are only tested when the ship 
  encounters a hazard, or there is a situation that requires a 
  response from the captain and crew.
  Navigation
  The essential skill to get a vessel from one place to 
  another is Navigation. If the journey is a short hop (less 
  than three days) between locations well known to the ship's 
  captain, the Navigation roll should be Easy; or, if  it is a 
  simple journey along a familiar coast on which land and 
  landmarks are always in sight, then the roll should be Very 
  Easy (or treated as an Automatic Success).
  If the Navigation roll succeeds then the ship arrives at 
  its destination at more-or-less the expected time, unless 
  encounters or disasters of seamanship prevent it from 
  doing so.  Should it fail, then a suitable delay is placed on 
  the ship’s arrival at its destination, perhaps resulting in 
  more encounters; the Navigation skill is then rerolled, with 
  each failure adding further delay. If the roll is fumbled then 
  the Games Master should feel free to declare the ship has 
  gone wildly astray, and come-up with a suitable stretch of 
  empty ocean, or an unknown shore, for the ship to find 
  itself upon before the crew realise they have gone wrong.   
  Sailing Conditions
  The weather is a fundamental consideration for anyone 
  trusting their life and fortune to a sea-going vessel. While 
  weather conditions may be capricious and unpredictable, 
  the truth is that, in most cases, a sea captain waits for con-
  ditions to be favourable before setting out on a voyage, and 
  hopes that they may remain so. On the whole, people do 
  not sail at all during those seasons when the weather is 
  both more unpredictable and capable of greater extremes. 
  The Sailing Conditions Table (see page 4) gives a general 
  idea of what sort of conditions are encountered: specifics 
  will differ depending on the setting and campaign world. 
  In most cases, it is a matter of waiting in port until a good 
  moment to set out to sea. Of course, sometimes there is no 
  choice but to risk whatever the gods bring.
  Changing Weather
  The weather is quite capable of changing during a voy-
  age. Rather than roll for weather conditions every day, 
  assume that the rolled weather will remain the same for 
  1d4 days in winter, 1d8 days in summer, and 1d6 days in 
  spring or autumn. 
  Wind Damage
  Ships suffer damage from strong winds and waves. This 
  battering places stress on the hull and rigging, accumulat-
  ing a series of, initially, small breakages, that grow in sever-
  ity as other parts of the vessel have to take-up the strain.
  Wind damage is inflicted per day of sailing under the 
  determined weather condition. When the weather changes, 
  so too will the daily damage incurred.
  Damage is calculated by taking the Wind STR value  (see 
  RuneQuest page 130), and cross-referencing it against 
  the Damage Modifier table on page 13 of the RuneQuest 
  rules. Thus, damage only ensues when the Wind STR 
  reaches 26 or more. However, the Armour Points of the 
  vessel reduce this damage.
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l  Ships & Seafaring
  l 5 l
  Ships And Galleys
  Ships come in all shapes and sizes, depending on the 
  culture, requirements, milieu and so forth. These rules 
  focus on sail and oar-powered vessels, as found in Fantasy 
  and the Ancient World. 
  Ship Class
  For game purposes, every waterborne craft is catego-
  rised as one of three basic classes according to its purpose, 
  available tools, materials for construction, and the prevail-
  ing technology. The huge variety of circumstances, con-
  ditions and technologies that may be encountered mean 
  that many variations and hybrid types exist, and frequent 
  bouts of competitive escalation in vessel size and magical 
  enhancement have also produced some interesting depar-
  tures from the standard models.
  Seaworthiness
  The class is the primary factor in determining a vessel’s 
  Seaworthiness, a percentage score that acts like an Endur-
  ance skill to resist damage from wind, waves and other haz-
  ards.  A good captain takes care with his ship - and can aug-
  ment the Seaworthiness roll with his Seamanship skill. If 
  the roll succeeds, then no harm is done. If the roll is failed, 
  then the vessel takes on water, suffers stress to its tim-
  bers or sails – or simply suffers overall wear and tear that 
  requires maintenance and repair. The three basic classes of 
  vessel are as follows:
  Utility
  The craft is designed for a very specific purpose, or with 
  restricted access to materials, and cannot be expected to 
  stand-up well to damage and punishment when in situa-
  tions it was not designed for.  On the other hand, a utility 
  vessel may provide its crew with an easier grade skill roll 
  when performing the task it is designed for, and to gain the 
  same advantage itself if a Seaworthiness roll is needed. 
  The basic Seaworthiness for a Utility craft is 30%
  Galley 
  The ship is proportionally long for its width (beam), 
  with a ratio of approximately 5 or 6:1, and sometimes 
  even more. A galley is built for speed and to accommo-
  date plenty of rowing positions along its length, and with 
  high sides if it is to accommodate more than one bank of 
  oars. Galleys are shallow draft and can usually be beached 
  (dragged onto the shore) as well as ride at anchor. A galley’s 
  specialist design results in some compromise to its stabil-
  ity, or perhaps makes it more fragile. Each vertical bank of 
  oars, after the first, increases the ship’s Size but can also 
  reduce the vessel’s seaworthiness. 
  Most galleys are either warships or private yachts. A war 
  galley is typically 30-40m in length, and 5-6m across the 
  beam. With a full crew at the oars, it can produce sprint 
  speeds, which increase ramming damage, but also allow it 
  to overtake or outmanoeuvre, a vessel dependent on sail 
  alone.
  Spring
  Summer
  Autumn
  Winter
  Wind Type
  Sailing Speed Modifier
  Seaworthiness 
  Roll
  01
  01-02
  01
  -
  Calm
  No movement unless under oar
  Easy
  02-04
  03-05
  02-03
  01-02
  Poor Wind
  Reduce by One Third
  Standard
  05-07
  06-08
  04-05
  03-07
  Contrary Wind 
  Reduce by Half
  Standard
  08-12
  09-14
  06-09
  07-08
  Good Wind
  No Adjustment
  Easy
  13-15
  15-16
  10-12
  09-11
  Following Wind
  Increase by Half Again
  Standard
  16-18
  17-19
  13-17
  12-14
  Violent Wind
  Reduce by Half
  Hard
  19-20
  20
  18-20
  15-20
  Calamitous Wind
  Reduce to One Tenth
  Formidable
  Calm: Insufficient wind to provide impetus for the sails.
  Poor Wind: The winds are weak; vessels under sail struggle to make enough speed. Wind STR is 2d8-1
  Contrary Wind: The wind is blowing in the wrong direction, and requires tacking (a zig-zagging course). Wind Strength is 2d8+14
  Good Wind: A good wind blows from the right quarter. Wind Strength is 2d8+29
  Following Wind: A powerful tail wind will give the vessel a fast ride across the ocean. Wind Strength is 2d8+44 
  Violent Wind: Gale force conditions on the very edge of manageable. If the captain fails a Hard Seamanship roll the ship will go 
  badly off course. Wind Strength is 4d8+57
  Calamitous Wind: Conditions are deadly due to fierce storms. No captain will take their ship out on that day unless forced to or 
  provided with dependable magic or divine help. If already at sea, the captain must make a Formidable Seamanship roll to hold 
  course. Prevailing Wind STR is 4d8+87
  Example Sailing Conditions Table
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l  Ships & Seafaring
  l 6 l
  Merchant galleys, with a smaller rowing crew manning 
  perhaps 10 oars to the side, and cargo capacity for between 
  100 and 200 tons, are commonly used for shipping goods 
  up and down the larger rivers, but are also used at sea. They 
  are not capable of the sprint speeds that a war galley or 
  sleek yacht can deliver, but have the same advantages when 
  making a voyage in calm weather. Galleys cannot risk going 
  out onto the water on a ‘no sailing’ day any more than a 
  sailing ship can.
  The basic Seaworthiness for a Galley is 50%; however, 
  the bigger it is, the less seaworthy. For every Size above 
  Large, a galley’s Seaworthiness is reduced by 10%. War gal-
  leys are something of a hybrid between Galley and Trans-
  port, having some of the advantages of both, and have a 
  Seaworthiness rating of 70%.
  Transport 
  The vessel is optimised for carrying a cargo, hence it typ-
  ically has a lower length-to-width ratio (circa 4:1 but some, 
  immense, vessels are more like 2.5:1), and deeper draught. 
  Such vessels are usually the most resilient to heavy seas, 
  but have to be anchored off-shore, or berthed in a harbour, 
  rather than beached. 
  The basic Seaworthiness of a Transport vessel is 70%.
  Range
  A vessel has a Range of one-tenth of its Seaworthiness. 
  The range is the amount of time in days it can remain on the 
  open sea – including riding at anchor outside a sheltered 
  harbour, before it begins to suffer from the effects of the 
  elements and general wear and tear. Whenever a ship is at 
  sea for a period longer than its Range, it must make a Sea-
  worthiness test. It must make a further test if it exceeds its 
  Range x2, a third if it exceeds its Range x3, and so forth. 
  Ship Condition
  Failed Seaworthiness tests always result in a reduction 
  in the ship’s Condition – similar to when a character suf-
  fers from fatigue – that requires measures such as drying 
  out the hull, repairs, re-caulking, careening, and so forth, 
  to reverse. If too much deterioration is allowed to accumu-
  late, the vessel eventually ships too much water, and begins 
  to sink. A brand-new vessel starts life as Ship-Shape, and, 
  once this has deteriorated, then it needs to undergo repairs 
  and refitting to bring it back-up to top condition. However, 
  if it has suffered damage to its Hit Points, it can never be 
  restored to full Seaworthiness unless the Hit Point damage 
  is repaired first. 
  Condition
  Speed
  Skill Modifier
  Repair And Refit 
  Modifier
  Range
  Ship Shape
  -
  Standard
  -
  Seaworthy
  -
  Standard
  x1
  -25%
  Battered
  -25%
  Hard
  x2
  -50%
  Swamped
  -50%
  Formidable
  x3
  -75%
  Sinking
  -100%
  Herculean
  x4
  -100%
  Condition: The vessel’s state of repair.
  Speed: The effect of the ship’s condition on its movement rate.
  Skill Modifier: The effect of the ship’s condition on its handling, applied as a difficulty modifier to Seaworthiness, 
  Seamanship or Boating rolls.
  Repair and Refit Modifier: Whether dealing with Hit Point Damage or Condition, repairing a vessel requires the 
  entire crew to undertake an extended task with a basic Task Round Unit of an hour for a Personal vessel, six hours for 
  a Small vessel, a day for a Medium size vessel, two days for large, four days for Huge, and so on. The Repair and Refit 
  Modifier acts as a multiplier to the duration of the Task Round Unit. 
  Range: Once a vessel starts taking on water, it needs regular bailing and other action by the crew to prevent 
  deterioration. The result is a decrease in its range. 
  Ship Condition Table
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l  Ships & Seafaring
  l 7 l
  Ship To Ship Combat
  Much of the time, a contest between two vessels is, in 
  reality, a combat conducted between their crews, which 
  can be run according to the rules provided in RuneQuest. 
  Nevertheless, the maneouvering that takes place to get into 
  a position where one vessel can attack another – whether 
  to grapple, or ram, or line-up a shot for an on-board siege 
  weapon – is most easily dealt with using opposed Seaman-
  ship rolls between the two captains. In these cases, it can 
  be helpful to have a few further details on hand about the 
  ships.
  If a boarding action occurs the Battle Rules (starting on 
  page 17) can be used to resolve the conflict, treating each 
  crew as a separate unit.
  Ship Statistics
  All ships have the following Attributes:
  Movement Rate
  All waterborne craft have a movement rate (measured 
  in km/hour) reflecting their average sailing speed, if Wind 
  STR permits. Vessels which can be rowed have an addi-
  tional speed in parenthesis. This value indicates their top 
  speed for short bursts, provided all hands are at the sweeps.
  Size
  A rough measure of the relative bulk of a vessel. The Size 
  tells you whether this vessel is vulnerable to attack from 
  collisions with other vessels, or can shrug off damage; just 
  as when comparing weapon sizes in a parried attack.
  P = Personal  
  H = Huge
  S = Small 
   
  E = Enormous
  M = Medium  
  C = Colossal
  L = Large 
   
  BC = Beyond Colossal
  Hit Points
  Size also determines how many dice are used to calculate 
  the ship’s Hit Points. Hit Points are an abstract measure of 
  the ship’s size and structure. This tells you how much dam-
  age the vessel can take before it is in danger of foundering. 
  Each time a ship receives one third of its Hit Points in 
  damage, its Condition automatically deteriorates by one 
  step. Thus, once a ship reaches zero Hit Points, it is either 
  Swamped or Sinking. If the vessel continues to take dam-
  age, and reaches a negative score equal or greater than its 
  starting Hit Points, it breaks up completely. 
  Armour Points
  Like any inanimate object, a vessel’s armour points are a 
  function of its construction materials:
  Damage 
  The damage a vessel inflicts on another ship, or a crea-
  ture, when there is a collision, is dependent on its Size.
  A vessel’s damage dice are based on the damage it will 
  inflict if moving at a normal speed and striking an object 
  that is not fixed in place, such as another ship or a crea-
  ture in the water. If moving at ramming speed (15km/h or 
  greater), add 1d6; if moving at a slow speed (8km/h or less), 
  reduce damage by half. 
  When two ships collide, their relative size is compared, 
  and the damage inflicted adjusted accordingly in exactly 
  the same way as when comparing parry damage.
  For example, If hitting rocks or a hidden reef, the ship’s 
  Size-based damage is used against itself - however shallow 
  draft vessels might gain a significant reduction in the right 
  circumstances.
  Crew
  The minimum crew for a vessel is also a function of Size. 
  Certain boats (Size P) are made to only require (or accom-
  modate) a single crewman. A Small vessel has a minimum 
  crew of 3, Medium of 5, Large of 10, Huge 15, Enormous 
  25, and Colossal 40. A craft being handled by an under-
  size, or skeleton, crew makes Seamanship rolls at least one 
  grade harder.
  For larger oared vessels, such as galleys, bear in mind 
  that oars are not the basic propulsion, but a substitute for 
  sail, or an adjunct. As a result, it is the sailing crew that 
  determines whether there are sufficient hands to manage 
  the vessel. When the ship is in a situation where the oars-
  men are required, then penalties for reduced rowing crew 
  may apply.
  Construction
  Armour Points
  Bark, Skins, Leather
  1
  Reeds
  3
  Light Timber (Clinker Built)
  4
  Medium Timber (Carvel Built)
  6
  Heavy Timber
  8
  Hull Sheathing
  Each +2 reduces 
  Seaworthiness by 10%
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l  Ships & Seafaring
  l 8 l
  Sample Vessel Types and Statistics
  Vessel
  Class
  Movement
  Rate
  Size
  Typical Crew
  (Min-Max)
  Armour 
  Points
  Hit Points
  Damage
  Raft, Small
  U
  2.5 (3)
  P
  1-4
  4
  1d6+3
  -
  Kayak
  U
  (7.5)
  P
  1
  1
  1d6+6
  -
  Dugout
  U
  3 (5)
  P
  1-6
  8
  1d6+6
  -
  Rowing Boat
  U
  (3.5)
  P
  2-8
  4
  1d6+6
  -
  War Canoe
  U
  27 (12)
  S
  3-6
  1
  1d6+6
  -
  Small Fishing Boat or Skiff
  U
  7.5 (3)
  S
  3-8
  4
  1d6+9
  -
  Raft, Large
  U
  2
  M
  5-8
  4
  2d6+6
  1d3
  Reed Galley
  U
  2.75
  M
  5-12
  3
  2d6+12
  1d4
  River Transport
  T
  5.5 (5)
  M
  5-18
  4
  2d6+18
  1d6
  Viking Longboat
  G
  15 (10)
  L
  10-60
  4
  2d6+18
  2d6
  Small Merchantman/Cog
  T
  11
  L
  10-25
  4
  2d6+30
  2d6
  Small Galley
  G
  9.25 (17.5)
  H
  15-30
  6
  3d6+24
  3d6
  Medium Merchantman
  T
  9.25
  H
  15-50
  6
  3d6+30
  3d6
  Bireme
  G
  8.5 (19)
  H
  15-100
  6
  3d6+40
  3d6
  Trireme
  G
  7.5 (21)
  E
  100-200
  6
  4d6+60
  4d6
  Large Merchantman
  T
  8
  E
  25-60
  6
  4d6+72
  4d6
  Hexareme
  G
  8 (17.5)
  C
  40-300
  6
  5d6+90
  5d6
  Grain Transport
  T
  7.5
  C
  40-120
  8
  5d6+120
  5d6
  Imperial Battle Barge*
  G
  7.5
  BC
  100-1000
  8
  6d6+150
  6d6
  *The sort of vessel a decadent, ultra-wealthy empire might use to control the seas - something the size of a floating town.
  Ship Quality
  Seaworthiness and other attributes can be improved – or 
  indeed reduced – by using the Manufacturing and Quality 
  rules provided in RuneQuest (see RuneQuest page 102). 
  Spells, enchantments and other factors may also make a 
  difference.
  AP: Add 1 per enhancement
  HP: Add the minimum of the dice being rolled, counting 
  each +6 as an additional die (so 4d6+60 becomes 4d6+74) 
  per enhancement. For example, Enhancement provides +1 
  per dice (4), and +1 per +6 added to the dice (10). In this case 
  4d6+60 becomes when enhanced 4d6+60+14  = 4d6+74.
  Movement Rate: Increase by 1km per hour
  Seaworthiness: Increase by +5% per enhancement
  If a boat builder or shipwright fails to properly complete 
  the extended task project to build a vessel, the effect is usu-
  ally to reduce the vessel’s Seaworthiness.
  Crew Quality
  The quality of a ship’s crew (their average skill) affects the 
  difficulty of the captain’s Seamanship rolls, with a skill of 
  26-50% delivering Hard rolls. A green crew with an average 
  seamanship skill of less than 26% is at a Formidable grade. 
  Professional crews of 51-75% has no effect on the Seaman-
  ship roll, while  76% and above make the roll Easy.
  Other Features
  There are other ways to augment or improve a ship – 
  some examples are given here.
  Ships With Personality
  As a major construction, and something that people 
  place a great deal of faith in, it is common to invest a ves-
  sel with personal attributes – and in RuneQuest this can, 
  of course, mean actually binding a spirit into it to, literally, 
  bring it to life. For example, some Meerish cults use an 
  Awaken miracle to summon one or another deity to inhabit 
  their ships – or even a part of the ship, such as the spur or 
  ram.
  Ships As Temples And Shrines
  Larger vessels are routinely consecrated, and a sea cap-
  tain may well act as a priest for his crew (at the very least 
  being of acolyte status).  
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l  Ships & Seafaring
  l 9 l
  Ship’s Weaponry
  Ships can be fitted with weapons with which to hurl 
  missiles at enemy vessels, or to give them an edge in ship-
  to-ship combat. 
  Rams
  A galley can be augmented with a ram, which adds +1 
  Damage per dice it can inflict on an enemy vessel. Hence, a 
  Trireme at ramming speed will inflict 5d6+5 Damage when 
  it strikes an enemy ship. 
  A ram enables the Sunder Special Effect, and also 
  enables the naval equivalent of the Bleed special effect: 
  Breach Hull. If the attacker’s player chooses Breach Hull, 
  the defender must make an immediate Opposed roll of the 
  ship’s Seaworthiness against the original attack (Seaman-
  ship) roll. If this fails, the defender is now holed below the 
  waterline, and, until some emergency measures or repairs 
  are taken, must make a further Seaworthiness roll every 
  15 minutes or the ship’s Condition will deteriorate by one 
  grade.
  Siege Weapons
  Sufficiently large ships may mount a single siege weapon. 
  The size of the siege weapon carried cannot exceed the ship’s 
  own without causing stability problems; for every step by 
  which this limit is exceeded, all Seamanship and Seawor-
  thiness rolls are one grade harder.  Conversely, mount-
  ing a siege weapon smaller than the maximum permitted 
  allows one extra weapon, per step difference, between the 
  two. Thus a Bireme permitted to mount a single mangonel, 
  could install two ballistae instead.
  Elementals 
  The use of an Elemental Summoning miracle together 
  with Extension – or an Evoke Elemental spell with suffi-
  cient Duration or Enchant applied – can enable a captain 
  to make use of the power of an elemental for the full length 
  of a voyage. So long as the Intensity of the Summoning or 
  Evokation magic matches the minimum requirements (see 
  the Ship Elementals table), then the conjured elemental 
  will affect the vessel. 
  A sylph filling the sails can make the winds blow stron-
  ger or safer, improving the ambient sailing conditions by 
  one step (see page 5), depending on the caster's wishes. 
  Every two  Intensities the sylph is larger than the minimum 
  (or one Intensity, if using bound elemental spirits), this 
  bonus in increased by an additional step
  An undine, on the other hand, can be used to float and 
  propel a vessel, providing motive power equivalent to a 
  Poor Wind, enabling it to make progress without either 
  sail or oar. It can also reduce a ship’s draft whilst crossing 
  shallows, refloat it if grounded, and prevent the ship from 
  sinking if it is holed. 
  Smaller sylphs or undines can stack their strength 
  together as a substitute for a sole larger one, but, in this 
  case, the number of lesser intensity elementals must be 
  equal to the square of 1 plus the shortfall in Intensity. For 
  instance a Viking ship requiring a Summon Sylph Miracle of 
  minimum Intensity 8 to boost its sailing speed, could instead 
  use four Intensity 7 sylphs to substitute, or nine Intensity 6 
  sylphs,  and so on, all the way to sixty-four sylphs of Intensity 
  1.
  In the case of Animism, bound elementals confer the 
  same advantages as summoned ones, save that the effects 
  are permanent until the binding is broken. See the Ship 
  Elementals table for the alternate Intensity value required 
  for binding spirits into a vessel.
  Flying Ships And Submarines
  It is possible for a large enough sylph to hold a vessel 
  aloft, enabling it to fly through the air, or for a sufficiently 
  big undine to wrap itself around the vessel, holding water 
  at bay while it moves beneath the waves. The basic require-
  ment for this is a single elemental of an Intensity three 
  times that required to assist the vessel's movement. 
  Vessel Size
  Minimum Elemental Required
  Spell Intensity
  Spirit Intensity
  Personal
  2
  1
  Small
  4
  2
  Medium
  6
  3
  Large
  8
  4
  Huge
  10
  5
  Enormous
  12
  6
  Colossal
  14
  7
  Beyond Colossal
  16
  8
  Ship Elementals Table
  Siege Weapon
  Size
  Scorpion
  M
  Ballista
  L
  Mangonel
  H
  Onager
  E
  Couillard
  C
  Trebuchet
  BC
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l  Ships & Seafaring
  l 10 l
  Encounters at Sea
  When at sea, a high proportion of the encounters a ves-
  sel can run into are likely to be natural phenomena that 
  are, nevertheless, the most common source of peril and 
  disaster. Check once per day; there is a  20% chance of an 
  encounter.
  Change in the weather 
  An immediate re-roll to the Sailing Conditions, that 
  takes effect within 1d3 hours.  
  Dangerous Current 
  An unexpected, but powerful, current pulls the vessel 
  from its course. It may be natural in origin – but it is just 
  as likely that some supernatural forces are at work beneath 
  the waves, and this current is a by-product. The captain 
  must make a Seamanship roll to compensate or to escape 
  the current: Roll 1d6 to determine the level of challenge:
  1 Easy; 2-4 Standard; 5 Hard; 6 Formidable. For every 
  failure until a successful roll is made, the vessel is pushed 
  off course by 1d6 x10 km, or six hours’ sailing
  Fishing Fleet 
  If close to land, these are a collection of  1d10+4 little 
  fishing boats from the nearest coastal settlement, with a 
  handful of crew, or a team of vessels working together to 
  hunt a large shoal. Further out to sea they may be bigger 
  vessels after bigger fish.
  Flying Predator 
  Wyrms, harpies and (even more rarely griffins) can be 
  found roosting on remote islands, or desolate shores, and 
  spreading their hunting territory over the sea. Few such 
  creatures are able to take off again if they hit water, but they 
  are more than capable of taking someone from the deck of 
  a ship.
  Fog 
  All visibility beyond 50m is lost. The fog lasts for 1d6 
  hours before clearing, in which time the vessel may become 
  lost unless it has non-visual means of navigation. A Navi-
  gate roll is required not to stray from course.
  Grounded 
  The vessel runs aground in shallows or on a sandbank, 
  causing an immediate Seaworthiness test. The captain and 
  crew have to find a way to get-free by jettisoning cargo, 
  being dragged or towed to deeper water, or reducing draft 
  through other means. If a vessel runs aground it gets stuck 
  and needs both a feat of Seamanship, and 1d3 hours of 
  work, to get free. Running aground results in an instant 
  Seaworthiness test, which is Hard for deeper drafted (Type 
  T) vessels.  
  Coastal Waters
  Trade Routes
  Deep Ocean and 
  Wilderness
  Encounter
  01-15
  01-17
  01-19
  Change in the Weather
  16-19
  18-21
  20-23
  Dangerous Current
  20-33
  22-31
  24
  Fishing Fleet
  34-36
  32
  25
  Flying Predator
  37-41
  33-37
  26-30
  Fog
  42-50
  38-39
  31-33
  Grounded
  -
  40-44
  34-43
  Island
  51-55
  45-51
  44
  Pirates
  56-60
  52-54
  45-49
  Reef or Submerged Rocks
  61-70
  55-76
  50-75
  Sea Life
  -
  78
  76-79
  Sea Monster
  71-73
  79-80
  80
  Shipwreck
  74-80
  81-85
  81-89
  Squall
  81-86
  86-92
  90-93
  Trade Ship
  87-92
  93-94
  94
  War Ship
  93-94
  -
  -
  Wreckers
  95-00
  95-00
  95-00
  Special
  Sea Encounter Table
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l  Ships & Seafaring
  l 11 l
  Island 
  A small and uninhabited island less than 10km across. 
  There is a 40% chance (or the Games Master may allow use 
  of a Luck Point) that there is fresh water to be had, and, if 
  so, there is also likely to be interesting or edible flora and 
  fauna. Quite possibly inhabited by a creature, such places 
  being ideal basking or nesting sites for monsters.
  Pirates 
  A warboat with a crew of 1d4+2 x10 warriors and sail-
  ors. They will always attack if they have the odds very much 
  in their favour – but pirates will not choose to get into a 
  fight they don’t think they can win.
  Reef or Submerged Rocks 
  A ship that is driven onto a reef or rocks inflicts its own 
  damage on itself, adjusted for speed. A ship can continue 
  to take damage as the wind and waves pound it against the 
  rocks, over and over until it eventually breaks-up.  In each 
  subsequent 15 minute period, until such time as the ship 
  gets free of the rocks, it must succeed in a Seaworthiness 
  roll, or the Wind STR inflicts its Damage Modifier. Many 
  times there are no opportunities to escape the hazard with-
  out recourse to magic, and it is only a matter of time before 
  the ship is torn apart. The beleaguered crew simply have to 
  attempt to save themselves, and anything else they value, 
  before they, too, are lost. 
  Sea life 
  Sharks or dolphins, flying fish, a swarm of poisonous jel-
  lyfish, a huge shoal of tunny, a pod of whales – something 
  delightful, useful or simply frightening offered up by the 
  Ocean Gods.
  Sea Monster 
  Offshore, a giant crab, or octopus, is a likely encoun-
  ter; in deeper water, a sea serpent. These creatures are big 
  enough to take on a Small or Medium vessel, but otherwise 
  target individual characters that they might grab from the 
  deck, or contrive to knock into the water to more easily 
  drag the prey beneath the waves and be devoured.  
  Shipwreck 
  One or more shipwrecked sailors, marooned on a coast 
  and signalling for help; or adrift in a small boat; or even 
  clinging to a piece of wreckage in the sea. Deeply grateful 
  for rescue, they will reward as best they can for safe deliv-
  ery to a port. Coastal shipwrecks may throw salvageable 
  goods onto the shore.
  Squall 
  A contrary, and especially violent, storm rips at the sails 
  and whips up the sea to dangerous heights. Such a squall 
  has the potential to cause damage to a ship’s structure. For 
  every hour a storm lasts, the captain must make a Sea-
  manship roll to get his ship through undamaged. If a roll 
  is failed, test the Wind STR as a percentage against the ves-
  sel’s Seaworthiness in an Opposed roll. If it succeeds, the 
  Wind will inflicts Damage Modifier directly to the vessel’s 
  Hit Points, bypassing its Armour Points, in addition to the 
  usual effects of a failed Seaworthiness roll.
  Storms vary in duration and ferocity according to 
  the season. The Storm’s Ferocity is used as its combined 
  STR+SIZ on the Damage Modifier table to determine how 
  much damage it can do to a ship when the captain fails to 
  manage the ship through the storm’s fury.
  Trade Ship 
  Choose or Roll 1d6: 
  War Ship 
  A large vessel, with an armed crew, from a nearby 
  civilised port, who could be on exercise, or on patrol, 
  carrying dispatches, escorting a dignitary or on a raiding 
  mission. 
  Wreckers 
  Wreckers are people who live on a coast where there 
  are treacherous rocks and sandbars, and are skilled at lur-
  ing unsuspecting ships into difficulties. Once a vessel is 
  foundering on their shore, they proceed to loot and pillage 
  rather than rescue – perhaps killing or enslaving the crew, 
  perhaps just leaving them to their fate.
  1d6
  Encounter
  1-3
  A small trader from the nearest port that 
  normally plies coastal routes
  4-5
  A large ship carrying bulk commodities
  6
  A merchant ship from a distant land,  possibly 
  carrying a cargo of exotic goods. Larger vessels 
  may be a joint venture in which several merchants 
  have placed their hopes of making a fortune
  Season
  Duration 
  (hours)
  Squall Ferocity (STR)
  Summer
  1d4 
  1d20+75
  Spring, Autumn
  1d8
  1d20+90
  Winter
  1d12
  1d20+105
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l  Ships & Seafaring
  l 12 l
  Special  
  Roll on the Special Encounters Table
  Cataclysmic Storm
  This is a storm of such terrible ferocity, with black skies 
  and inky seas, awesome waves of terrifying height and 
  winds impossible to withstand, that there is no hope of 
  survival – except that offered by providence, and all that 
  is certain is that even the survivors can expect a major 
  change of fortune.  The characters’ ship is certain to be 
  lost beneath the waves, or dashed to matchwood upon the 
  rocks. Its occupants’ lives depend on magic, divine inter-
  vention, or sufficient Luck Points to secure success in a 
  Herculean Endurance, Survival or Swim test, to ride out 
  the storm until washed up on a strange shore (or are left 
  clinging to a piece of wreckage in the ocean when the fury 
  finally passes).
  Colossal Sea Monster 
  One of the terrible predators of the deep decides the 
  characters’ ship is interesting prey.  Use the statisticss for a 
  Giant Octopus or Sea Serpent, but increase SIZ and STR by 
  +30 (or even more), and increase the Size/Force and basic 
  damage of its attacks accordingly. Or, present a unique 
  monster, such as a jellyfish 100m across, and capable of 
  sending electric shocks through its prey. Such creatures are 
  capable of taking on, and sinking, even the largest ocean-
  going vessels.  A monster of this size may be the instrument 
  of some god’s, sorcerer’s or arch-priest’s power.
  Deadly Swarm
  A bizarre swarm of tiny, flying creatures bursts from the 
  water and attacks the characters. This swarm is of terrible 
  size (40+), with 6 Action Points and inflicting 1d8 Dam-
  age with bites from the creatures’ tiny, razor-sharp teeth. 
  The swarm can divide into three smaller swarms, each with 
  three Action Points and inflicting 1d3 Damage, in order to 
  chase different victims around a ship. It is as potent, and as 
  hungry, below the water as above it, so there is no escape 
  by plunging into the sea.
  Divine Portent
  Portents with a particularly maritime character – a great 
  wave within which are seen a whole troupe of supernatural 
  sea creatures: nereids and mermaids, tritons (sea satyrs), 
  sea horses and the like; the sea turns the colour of blood, or 
  seems to become as clear as glass revealing some mystery 
  beneath the surface; a pod of dolphins appears to signal to 
  the characters to change course or away from some danger 
  or towards some new objective.
  Fleet
  A fleet of ships appears, signaling some momentous 
  events are in train. Roll 1d6 or choose (see page 14).
  1d100
  Encounter
  01-15
  Cataclysmic Storm
  16-18
  Colossal Sea Monster
  19-22
  Deadly Swarm
  23-30
  Divine Portent
  31-55
  Fleet
  56-65
  Loathsome Fog
  66-77
  Mysterious Island
  78-85
  Sirens
  86-93
  Merman Hellraisers
  99-00
  Zombie Ship
  Special Encounter Table
  1d6
  Fleet Type
  1-2
  Migration Fleet: This is a whole community at sea – 
  perhaps refugees aboard their great ocean rafts; or 
  a small fleet of colonists searching for a new land in 
  which to settle; or even a party of colonists, seeking 
  refuge. The fleet comprises 1d6x100 souls, and 
  includes women and children.
  3-4
  War Fleet: Whether it has set out to mount an 
  invasion of a foreign shore, or is set to engage an 
  enemy in a battle at sea, a war fleet is a terrible sight; 
  the largest number more than 100 ships of war, and 
  occupy several square kilometres of ocean. The fleet 
  is accompanied by a great number of transports, 
  carrying troops and supplies. A fleet will have fast, 
  light, ships detailed as scouts, and to intercept any 
  vessel that might be a threat, or could give its position 
  away.  It will also have significant magical capabilities, 
  enhancements and other supernatural help. 
  5
  Merchant fleet: This merchant fleet comprises 
  three, large, galleons, probably all belonging to a 
  wealthy trading family or association. They may look 
  helpless but are likely crewed by marines, or have 
  hired muscle to protect the cargo from pirates and 
  chancers.
  6
  Pirate Fleet: It is extremely rare for pirate captains to 
  cooperate in a venture, but this gathering of seaborne 
  villains and other hangers-on has created a short-
  lived alliance of 1d6+4 warboats. 
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l  Ships & Seafaring
  l 13 l
  Loathsome Fog
  A thick fog bank rolls in; once it covers the characters’ 
  ship, it has an oppressive feel and reeks with the stench 
  of dead things thrown up on the sea shore. Within the 
  confines of the fog lurk terrifying sea-wraiths, evil spirits 
  well known to anyone steeped in the lore of the sea.  The 
  wraiths are as described in RuneQuest. 1d6+3 in number, 
  they have the appearance of spectral sailors, some bloated 
  in death, others draped in seaweed or crawling with sea 
  life; or with bits of their flesh nibbled away by the fishes. 
  They may be costumed as contemporary crewmen, or in 
  the archaic garb of a long lost era. Sea-wraiths are able to 
  operate beneath the water as well as on the surface – and 
  can appear to walk upon the waves, trying to climb aboard 
  any vessel that is not Consecrated, to get at the crew. They 
  cannot follow a victim onto dry land.
  Mysterious Islands
  An unexpected landfall; a tiny island less than 1km 
  across, with a remarkable feature as created by the Games 
  Master, or picked from the following: 
   
  ҉ A scatter of bones and random treasures; there are 
  jewels, coins and gems worth 1d10 x 1,000SP, to be 
  gathered up, but the task will take some time. Before 
  it is complete, a monstrous creature that nests here 
  will return. This should not come as a complete sur-
  prise – if the island is the nesting site of a giant bird, 
  there may be fragments of eggshells and immense 
  feathers littered about. If it is the basking site of some 
  sea monster, there may be huge faeces and, perhaps, 
  ominous drag marks where it hauls itself in and out 
  of the water.
   
  ҉ An outcrop of rock containing a rare, blue mineral 
  that negates magical effects on contact.  It is rela-
  tively soft and can be harvested as a grit or powder 
  with minimal tools and effort. This substance can be 
  used to render an item or person to which it is applied 
  immune to spells for up to 12 hours or until removed.  
  It can also be used to neutralise magic if applied to 
  an object or person that is already under the effect of 
  a spell. A weapon covered in the stuff will pass right 
  through magical protection spells. One dose (50g) is 
  sufficient to cover a medium-sized weapon, a piece of 
  armour, or a human-sized hit location. It is possible 
  to gather 1d10 doses for every hour of scraping and 
  collecting. The mineral is capable of being refined by 
  an alchemist, but even in its raw state is worth per-
  haps 500 SP per dose.
   
  ҉ A single tree bearing a single small fruit, and, at its 
  base, is a terrifying creature – perhaps a chimera 
  or an immense serpent – that must be overcome to 
  reach the tree and take its fruit. Whoever eats the 
  fruit immediately receives a combined Cure Malady, 
  Heal Body, Heal Mind and Rejuvenate Miracle with 
  a Magnitude and Intensity of 15. The tree will take 
  1d6+20 years to grow another fruit. The island is a 
  fabled and sought-after location, and many kings 
  have sent expeditions to try to find it. Aside from a 
  random encounter, it can only be found with direc-
  tions from a supernatural source – an ocean deity or 
  a powerful spirit, perhaps.
  Sirens
  The characters encounter an island that is home to 1d6 
  sirens (see page 16). The sirens' song becomes audible 
  within 1d100 x10 metres of their rocky island and begins 
  to lure the sailors in. These sirens are human females with 
  POW 16 and CHA 21 - goddesses of song and beauty that 
  have lured scores of mariners to their doom over many 
  centuries. A cave on the island is filled with the bleached 
  bones of previous victims, and there are 1d8 current vic-
  tims already on the island, all in advance states of malnu-
  tirion and dehydration, but too intoxicated to leave the 
  island. Can the characters resist the sirens' call?
  Merman Hellraisers
  If several mermen  (see page 15) coordinate their pow-
  ers, the effect on a ship at sea can be devastating. This gang 
  of ocean trouble-makers is led by a merman warlord, who 
  is half man, half sea serpent. He and his gang of fellow mer-
  men (1d4+3 of them) are often belligerent and spoiling for 
  a fight just for the sake of it – but they may well demand 
  some sort of payment or service in return for leaving a ship 
  unmolested. 
  Zombie Ship
  This vessel is simply lost or adrift. A reed galley per-
  haps, hardly suitable for the open ocean, rowed by tireless 
  zombies and crewed by barbarous, cannibal pirates. The 
  crew includes a captain, a priestess (shaman) and a master 
  at arms, a rowing crew of 30 zombies; a gang of six Slargr 
  mercenary overseers and warriors; and a number of slave 
  deck hands, - captives from recent raids.
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l  Ships & Seafaring
  l 14 l
  Example Ships
  The Axeneya, a Large Merchant Ship
  Movement
  Sail (2 masts, square rigged) 8km/h
  Crew
  35
  Dimensions
  Length 37m, Beam 7.5m, Freeboard 2.5m
  Capacity
  250 Tons
  Size
  E
  Hull Type
  T
  Hit Points
  87
  Armour Points
  6
  Seaworthiness
  80%
  Range
  8
  Armaments
  None; Damage 4d6
  The Axeneya is a Meerish merchant galley captained by 
  Hermestone of Meeros, the eldest daughter of Trimostones the 
  Gold, the city-state's most successful merchant. Trimonstones is 
  old now, and so his daughter has taken over the running of the 
  family trading operations. The Axeneya is named for a minor 
  sea goddess which is the patron of Hermestones' family. She is a 
  well crafted and elegant trader, with her figurehead carved into 
  the form of Axeneya rising from the waves.
  The Spear of Myceras, A Meerish War Galley
  Movement
  Sail (1 mast, square rigged) 8.5km/h, 60 oars 
  19km/h
  Crew
  12 officers and sailors, plus 60 rowers if at 
  full complement or 16 man skeleton or 30 
  man half-crew). A further dozen men as 
  marines when fully fitted for war.
  Dimensions
  Length 27m, Beam 4m, Freeboard 1.5m
  Capacity
  50 Tons
  Size
  H
  Hull Type
  G
  Armour Points
  6
  Hit Points
  56
  Seaworthiness
  55%
  Range
  6
  Armaments
  Spur. Ramming Damage 3d6+3
  The Spear of Myceras is a typical coastal defence bireme, swift 
  and nimble. Stationed aboard is a priest capable of conjuring 
  an Intensity 10 Undine. When summoned, the undine is large 
  enough for the ship to make (slow) progress without even oars 
  or sail, or prevent ithe ship from sinking completely if battle 
  damaged. Its veteran crew grants the captain a bonus to all 
  Seamanship rolls making them one grade easier.
  The Shackle, a Badoshi Slaver
  Movement
  Sail (1 mast, lateen rigged) 11km/h
  Crew
  13
  Dimensions
  Length 22m, Beam 4.5m, Freeboard 2m
  Capacity
  80 Tons
  Hull Type
  T
  Size
  L
  Hit Points
  40
  Armour Points
  4
  Seaworthiness
  70%
  Range
  7
  Armaments
  2 x Scorpion (arbalest) mounted on the fore 
  and aft decks, Damage 3d6
  Thanks to space devoted to keeping human captives under lock 
  and key the Shackle usually only has a capacity of about 20 
  tons for regular cargo. However she can hold some 40 captives, 
  and more if the captain is willing to risk a higher chance of 
  damage to his stock, or simply chain them on deck.
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l New Creatures
  l 15 l
  Mermaids & Mermen
  A combination of human and fish (but this may easily 
  be a combination of human and shark, or squid, eel, sea-
  serpent or sea-horse – any aquatic species), mermaids and 
  mermen have a reputation for mischief, petulance and, 
  sometimes, violence, that colours the stories of many an 
  old sea-salt. Mermaids are often depicted as beautiful 
  temptresses and, sometimes, they are; but their looks are as 
  wide ranging as full humans – as are their temperaments. 
  All mer-creatures have the upper bodies of humans and 
  the lower half of the chosen sea creature. They have the 
  Aquatic, Echolocation, and Swimmer abilities. Mer-crea-
  tures that are half-shark also have the Blood Sense ability, 
  and tend to be fond of human flesh.
  Naturally enough they are worshippers of the various 
  gods and goddesses of the seas, or propitiate the spirits 
  of the oceans if they are of an animistic tradition. Mer-
  creature magicians tend be theists and animists, having no 
  concept of sorcery, but some are also mystics and mystical 
  traditions are strong in many mer-creature communities.
  Where mer-creatures have magic that is capable of 
  summoning and/or controlling other creatures, they have 
  a natural tendency to call on the kind of creatures of their 
  hybrid.
  Animists can also enter the Spirit World of the ocean 
  and call upon the spirits of those who have drowned – as 
  well as the usual array of spirits in their aquatic forms.
  Characteristics (Ave)
  Attributes
  1d20
  Location
  AP/HP
  STR: 2d6+6 (13)
  Action Points
  3
  1–3
  Tail
  2/7
  CON: 3d6 (11)
  Damage Modifier
  +1d2
  4–6
  Dorsal Fin
  2/7
  SIZ: 3d6+6 (17)
  Magic Points
  14
  7–9
  Hindquarters
  2/8
  DEX: 3d6+6 (17)
  Movement
  12m (swimming)
  10-12
  Chest
  0/9
  INT: 2d6+6 (13)
  Strike Rank
  15
  13–15
  Right Arm
  0/6
  POW: 3d6 (14)
  Armour
  Scales (lower body)
  16–18
  Left Arm
  0/6
  CHA: 3d6
  Abilities
  Aquatic, Echolocation, Swimmer
  19–20
  Head
  0/7
  Magic
  Folk Magic (POW x3%; 1d4 spells): Beastcall, Calm, Co-Ordination, Glamour, 
  Mindspeech, Pathway, Slow 
  Plus appropriate Higher Magic - Theism or Animism - according to need
  Skills: Athletics 75%, Endurance 55%, Locale 80%, Stealth 90%, Survival 75%, Willpower 45%
  Combat Style: Mer Creature Defence (Harpoon, Trident, Unarmed, Tail Bash): 65%
  Weapon
  Size/Force
  Reach
  Damage
  AP/HP
  Harpoon
  M
  L
  1d8+2+1d2
  4/4
  Trident
  M
  L
  1d8+1d2
  4/10
  Tail Bash
  M
  M
  1d4+1d2
  As For Tail
  New Creatures
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls l New Creatures
  l 16 l
  Sirens
  In Greek myth the sirens are described in varying forms: 
  sometimes as beautiful women with haunting voices; some-
  times as a mixture of birds and women (not far removed 
  from harpies). In most tales it is agreed that they are related 
  to the goddesses of the seas, although they are not, them-
  selves, aquatic creatures, but instead inhabit small islands 
  far from the mainland, where they lure mariners to their 
  doom with their haunting, enigmatic voices. In Rune-
  Quest, a siren can take one of many forms: they can be 
  beautiful young women, seemingly human, or they can be 
  harpy-like (see RuneQuest page 363), or even iqari-like 
  (RuneQuest page 366), but with human, rather than rap-
  tor, heads. Use appropriate statistics.
  What all sirens have in common is the magical ability to 
  beguile with their voices and musical instruments. Sirens 
  crave companionship: they abhor being alone and iso-
  lated and so use their song and music to lure companions 
  to their sides and keep them there for as long as possible. 
  They do not mean to be cruel; sirens do not inflict physi-
  cal harm on those they beguile. Indeed, they love, passion-
  ately, those who stay with them. Their danger though, lies 
  in their inability to understand or perceive human needs 
  and requirements. Sirens are immortal: they have no need 
  for food, water, warmth or any of the usual biological and 
  environmental essentials. They also have no sense of time: 
  an hour and a year are the same to a siren. And this inabil-
  ity to understand humans – whom they adore – means 
  that, inevitably, they kill them. Some are driven mad by the 
  attention; others fall into a deep reverie and simply starve 
  to death or die of thirst. When caught by the siren's song, 
  only the strongest escape.
  Every siren has the skill of Beguile at 100+POW % (POW 
  based on whatever form the siren takes – 3d6 for human). 
  Anyone hearing the sound of the siren's music must make 
  an opposed roll of Willpower against the siren's Beguile. 
  Furthermore, the grade of the Willpower roll is based on 
  the proximity of the victim to the siren. A siren's music can 
  carry for great distances – up to a kilometre or more – and 
  the closer one is to the song, the harder it is to resist. A 
  single siren can Beguile a number of victims equal to her 
  POW: and sirens are rarely found alone; a typical colony 
  numbers 1d10 individuals.
  Failing to resist the siren compels the victim to go to 
  the siren's side, whatever the conditions, whatever the cir-
  cumstances. Once ensnared by the music the victim can-
  not attempt to resist for another full day and, of course, 
  the closer one is to the siren, the more difficult (and futile) 
  resistance becomes.
  Once at the siren's side, the victim may be lavished with 
  love, beauty, praise and delicate kisses. The sirens never 
  indulge in sexual congress with their victims: they have no 
  concept of, or need for, sex; but they do cause their vic-
  tims to fall hopelessly in love or become hopelessly filled 
  with ennui. Until the victim resists, or is hauled away by 
  someone immune to the siren's call, he (or she) is power-
  less. All they want and need is the siren's music, attention 
  and embraces. Food and water are forgotten. In time, they 
  will die.
  Those who manage to resist the initial strains of a siren 
  must still attempt to oppose the Beguilement every day, but 
  do so at the Standard grade, even when close to the siren. 
  Sirens are puzzled by those who resist their song. They do 
  not attack, but they are saddened by those they cannot 
  beguile and this may create the chance for someone to con-
  vince a siren to stop singing and release her victims – which 
  they can do. How does one convince a siren to release her 
  companions? That is something for characters to discover 
  through roleplaying and ingenuity, but sirens are simple, 
  vain creatures, who adore beautiful things and so might be 
  swayed by some treasure or other form of companionship. 
  Despite their natures, sirens are beloved of their god-
  dess. Physically harming or killing a siren brings about the 
  enmity of the goddess which takes the form of curses, mis-
  fortune, spirits of reprisal and other supernatural torments 
  that may last a lifetime.
  Distance
  Willpower Grade
  POW x1 metres
  Herculean
  POW x5 metres
  Formidable
  POW x10 metres
  Hard
  POW x20 metres
  Standard
  POW x40 metres
  Easy
  POW x80 metres
  Very Easy
  
  d 17 d
   
  Shield Walls 
  & Battles d
  C
  ombat is a staple of most campaigns, yet attempt-
  ing to recreate even minor skirmishes, with several 
  dozen troops, using the personal combat rules  is 
  likely to lead to prolonged and frustrating melees. The Rab-
  ble and Underlings rules (see RuneQuest page 164) can 
  offset the problem to a degree, but running an entire battle 
  at the unit level is still beyond the scope of the core game.
  The following rules have been created to permit char-
  acters to participate in full scale battles, whether they are 
  mere line troops or the leader of an entire army. When run-
  ning such an event during a gaming session, players must 
  accept that the role of their characters is going to be lim-
  ited, and their fate probably beyond their personal control, 
  unless they, themselves, are acting as commanders.
  Realities of Battle
  Perhaps the most important concept to understand is 
  that battlefield combat is not the same as single combat. 
  You might be the most feared champion of your city, or the 
  greatest gladiator ever known, but still die like a dog in a 
  shield wall. Whilst a duel or street brawl allows freedom to 
  attempt feints, and the luxury to focus on a sole opponent, 
  on the battlefield such individual prowess is secondary to 
  formation, morale and above all, teamwork.
  In a battle, warriors are subject to different dynamics 
  than regular hand-to-hand combat, much of which is dic-
  tated by the limited space to wield a weapon, the inability 
  to use footwork, and attacks that can come from any direc-
  tion to either side, or, indeed, from above or below. No mat-
  ter how hard you try, there is little hope of doing more than 
  occasionally wounding an enemy when a chance opening 
  occurs, then watch in frustration as they are shifted to the 
  side by the constant jockeying of formations, or drop to the 
  ground, beyond reach. Worse still, you yourself might suf-
  fer a terrible wound and be utterly unable to retreat due to 
  the surrounding press of warriors.
  Even if you are fortunate enough to take out a foe or 
  two, unless you work together protecting your compatriots 
  to either side, they may be injured instead, or lose faith in 
  your ability to ward them. Once morale starts to fray, the 
  formation will begin breaking apart, leaving you exposed 
  to several attackers simultaneously and, in a matter of 
  moments, you’ll be overrun; cut down or captured by the 
  victorious enemy no matter how skilled a fighter you are.
  Melee between formations is therefore like no other 
  combat environment: a crushing hell of pinned shields, 
  trapped weapons, sweat, blood, tears, fear and helplessness 
  in the face of approaching death. This is the true reality of 
  combat upon the Ancient and Medieval battlefield.
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d  Shield Walls & Battles
  d 18 d
  Battle Components
  RuneQuest uses a number of specific terms to explain 
  the core concepts of battles. They are further explained in 
  later sections, but in overview these are:
  Force
  The combined body of troops sent to fight a battle, 
  which can scale from a warband up to an entire army. A 
  force is nominally made up of one or more units.
  Unit
  A discrete unit of coordinated warriors under control of 
  a commander. Each unit possesses a number of attributes 
  depending on the type and training of its troops.
  Formation
  A formation is the disposition a unit adopts upon the 
  battlefield. Some units are trained in several different for-
  mations which they may select, depending on the tactical 
  situation. 
  Commander
  The character in charge of what a unit does. The actual 
  title depends on the game setting and the number of troops 
  under their authority.
  Command Skill
  The skill used by commanders to control their troops. 
  Usually this is the Lore (Strategy and Tactics) skill, but 
  Influence or Oratory, at a more difficult skill grade, can be 
  substituted if a commander does not have Lore (Strategy 
  and Tactics). The foundation skill can also be augmented 
  by a suitable Passion to arrive at the overall Command skill 
  roll.
  Phases of Battle
  Battles have several distinct phases, from the selection 
  of the battlefield, to the retirement of one side or the other, 
  once the main battle has concluded.
  Battle Rounds
  Length of time, usually about 15 seconds, during which 
  casualties are inflicted upon either side, and, if superiority 
  is gained, a commander can potentially order one or more 
  Battle Actions.
  Battle Actions
  Special orders which can be issued by a commander, if, 
  and when, their unit gains a tactical advantage. The equiv-
  alent of Special Effects from personal combat.
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d  Shield Walls & Battles
  d 19 d
  Forces, Units 
  and Formations
  Each side involved in a battle is referred to 
  as a force. This is an abstract term because the 
  nature and scale of a battle can vary wildly. A 
  force can comprise of one or more units, and 
  each unit can be something as small as a body-
  guard or warband, or as large as a phalanx or 
  legion. The scale is up to the Games Master to 
  decide.
  In small scale engagements each force is 
  likely to be a single unit, fighting under the 
  control of a sole commander – say a warband 
  under the command of its warleader, or a com-
  pany of city militia led by its sergeant. Battles 
  involving forces of a single unit are relatively 
  swift to conclude and require very little use of 
  tactical maps and markers to resolve.
  For larger battles, forces can reach the scale 
  of armies, which are, themselves, usually bro-
  ken down into three parts: a strong centre, and 
  two ‘wings’. In most cases the centre and wings 
  are treated as individual units, each under its 
  own commander, with the overall battle plan 
  predetermined by the leading, or superior, of 
  the three. However, some battles are so large 
  that each deployed element is formed from 
  multiple units.
  Formation Types
  A formation is the tactical disposition a 
  unit of warriors forms, provided that they pos-
  sess the relevant Combat Style Trait, and have 
  trained in that particular formation. Without 
  the correct trait, it is impossible to coordinate 
  individual unit members as an effective team 
  and ensure they apply the correct tactics.
  Depending on the period and culture, more 
  elite professional units may train their war-
  riors in several formations to grant them more 
  flexibility. For instance, despite learning the 
  Shield Wall trait a Viking warband may only 
  know how to form a line formation, whereas 
  a Roman legionary, with the same trait, could 
  adopt line, block, wedge and tortoise. 
  The following list offers guidance as to 
  which Combat Style Traits are applicable for 
  particular formations, and their benefits.
  Broken Formation
  Trait: None
  Move: Up to sprinting speed
  Effects: Cannot engage any other formation, 
  but can be engaged – in which case it inflicts no 
  damage on the enemy unit.
  Skirmish Formation
  Trait: Skirmishing, Beast-Back Lancer, 
  Mounted Combat or Trained Beast
  Move: Up to running speed
  Effects: Allows the unit to fight and move 
  through broken terrain with no undue effects. 
  They also suffer only half damage from ranged 
  weapons. Conversely, a skirmishing unit only 
  inflicts half damage, when engaged in hand to 
  hand combat with close order infantry forma-
  tions. Most skirmishing units offset this disad-
  vantage with a higher movement rate and by 
  use of ranged weaponry.
  Line Formation
  Trait: Formation Fighting, Shield Wall, 
  Beast-Back Lancer, Mounted Combat or Char-
  iot Fighting
  Move: Maximum of walking speed
  Effects: A close order formation that grants 
  advantages over skirmishing units, but  retains 
  tactical flexibility. There is no limit to the 
  frontage, or, for that matter, depth, but addi-
  tional ranks only count as half when engaging 
  phalanxes. Line formation grants the ability to 
  overlap enemy units or split off part of its own 
  strength to create a flanking element.
  More Detail Needed?
  These rules heavily abstract what happens in battle and make no effort to delve deeply into 
  the minutiae of Ancient and Medieval warfare. The aim is to immerse players in the dangers 
  of the battlefield while providing their characters with something worthwhile to do. Anyone 
  wishing to run more complex, or historically accurate, battles is recommended to seek-out one 
  of the many, many sets of wargame rules available for different periods of conflict.
  The Scarlet 
  Spears Saga
  For the purpose of 
  illustrating the applica-
  tion and use of these 
  battle rules, we shall 
  return to the city state 
  of Meeros and its army 
  as described in the main 
  RuneQuest rulebook.
  The army of Meeros 
  has three main troop 
  types. Meerish Slingers 
  are lightly armed units 
  specialising in hit and 
  run tactics, primarily 
  from range. Therefore 
  they are only trained in 
  the Skirmish forma-
  tion. Meerish Infantry, 
  on the other hand, are 
  close order infantry 
  trained in the Line and 
  Phalanx formations 
  and form the majority 
  of the army. Last, but by 
  no means least, are the 
  Scarlet Spears who are 
  skilled in Line, Phalanx 
  and Wedge forma-
  tions, being particularly 
  adept in counter-
  charging cavalry.
  The Scarlet Spears are 
  a highly honoured unit 
  of disciplined veteran 
  warriors dedicated 
  to serving the Queen 
  and City of Meeros. At 
  full muster, they have 
  the following ratings: 
  Strength 120, Morale 
  75%, and Competence 
  80%. Badoshi barbar-
  ian warbands, on 
  the other hand, are a 
  varied lot, depending 
  on the tribe they come 
  from. Most have ratings 
  averaging: Strength 
  100, Morale 95% and 
  Competence 70%, being 
  insubordinate fanatics 
  with a short lifespan.
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d  Shield Walls & Battles
  d 20 d
  Phalanx Formation
  Trait: Formation Fighting or Shield Wall
  Move: Maximum of half walking speed
  Effects: A block of close order troops at least 
  8 ranks deep, which can push back or break 
  through other units. The frontage of a phalanx, 
  once engaged, cannot be changed even by use of 
  a Battle Action (page 28), leaving it vulnerable 
  to being overlapped or flanked. If armed with 
  long or very long weapons, it cannot be fron-
  tally engaged by cavalry or chariots.
  Circle/Square Formation
  Trait: Formation Fighting or Shield Wall
  Move: Immobile
  Effects: A highly defensive, close order dis-
  position, which can protect other troop types, 
  or non-combatants, on the inside of the forma-
  tion. This prevents the unit from being flanked 
  or overlapped in exchange for tactical immo-
  bility. Like a phalanx, if armed with long or 
  very long weapons, it cannot be engaged by 
  cavalry or chariots.
  Wedge Formation
  Trait: Formation Fighting, Shield Wall, 
  Beast-Back Lancer, Mounted Combat or Char-
  iot Fighting
  Move: Maximum of walking speed
  Effects: Used against line or phalanx forma-
  tions, this close order wedge relies on its shape 
  to penetrate an enemy unit, doubling damage 
  on the first round it engages. If this fails to dis-
  rupt or break the foe, it will itself fall apart on 
  the following round, disintegrating into skir-
  mish formation. The ‘frontage’ of a wedge is 
  based upon its rear width and cannot exceed 
  twice its depth (page 21).
  Tortoise Formation
  Trait: Shield Wall
  Move: Maximum of half walking speed
  Effects: A solid, close order formation rely-
  ing on every warrior overlapping their shields 
  around and above the unit, the tortoise pro-
  vides complete protection against ranged 
  attacks (except those imposed by siege engines). 
  However, the unit is unable to initiate engage-
  ment with enemy troops until they change to a 
  less restrictive formation.
  Unit Attributes
  Irrespective of its overall size, every unit 
  possesses a key number of attributes which 
  are used during the engagement.
  Unit Strength
  This is the number of warriors compris-
  ing the unit: in effect, its Hit Points, with one 
  warrior equalling one point of Strength. As a 
  unit suffers casualties this number drops, until 
  it reaches a critical level whereupon the for-
  mation breaks. At this point, the remaining 
  warriors are considered ‘broken’ and must flee 
  the battle or be utterly exterminated. When 
  formed up, only warriors trained in a Combat 
  Style which includes that formation trait can 
  be counted towards the unit’s strength, oth-
  erwise they become a hindrance, or, even, a 
  weak point.
  Unit Morale
  The average Willpower skill of the entire 
  unit’s warriors. Note that this value can drop if 
  a unit receives less experienced replacements 
  to restore it to full strength, taking time to 
  build back up again.
  Unit Competence
  The average Combat Style skill of the unit’s 
  warriors. This acts as a cap to the unit com-
  mander’s Command skill (i.e, the Command 
  skill cannot exceed the Unit’s Competence). 
  The better trained the unit, the more able the 
  commander can control it in battle.
  The Scarlet 
  Spears Saga
  The commander of 
  the Scarlet Spears is 
  Leontichus the Valiant, 
  a famed warrior 
  who once defeated a 
  minotaur champion 
  in a wrestling match. 
  His personal prow-
  ess has faded but his 
  grasp of strategy and 
  powerful voice have 
  only grown with age. 
  With a Command skill 
  of 103%, he is more than 
  able to draw out the best 
  from the Scarlet Spears. 
  In recent years however, 
  the unit's Competence 
  has dropped to 80%, 
  due to the questionable 
  admission of less able 
  candidates, such as the 
  wastrel sons of senators. 
  This watering down 
  means that Leontichus' 
  Command skill is 
  capped to the same 
  value. Whilst his battle 
  knowledge is excellent, 
  the Scarlet Spears are 
  simply not good enough 
  to enact his tactically 
  brilliant orders.
  Skill
  Temperament
  1-30%
  Terrified
  31-50%
  Erratic
  51-70%
  Steady
  71-90%
  Disciplined
  91-110%
  Unwavering
  > 110%
  Fanatical
  Skill
  Expertise
  1-30%
  Cannon Fodder
  31-50%
  Green
  51-70%
  Seasoned
  71-90%
  Veteran
  91-110%
  Elite
  > 110%
  Heroic
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d  Shield Walls & Battles
  d 21 d
  The Scarlet 
  Spears Saga
  At full strength the 120 
  warriors of the Scarlet 
  Spears can be formed 
  into line formation (a 
  shield wall) with a front-
  age of 30 and a depth 
  of 4, which is more than 
  sufficient to block the 
  major streets of Meeros. 
  During the suppression 
  of a city riot casualties 
  start to accrue, dropping 
  its strength to 107. This 
  reduces its depth to 3 
  since it can only provide 
  three full ranks of men, 
  leaving 17 stragglers in 
  its back row. In terms of 
  game mechanics these 
  excess warriors are 
  considered surplus to 
  the formation's require-
  ments, although they 
  will likely play their 
  own part by watching 
  the flanks and acting as 
  replacements as their 
  comrades are injured.
  The limited frontage 
  means that the Scarlet 
  Spears can only inflict 
  1d4 casualties upon 
  the rioters per round, 
  whereas if they faced 
  them in the central 
  forum before the Temple 
  of Myceros, they could 
  expand the line to a 
  frontage of 60, caus-
  ing 1d8 casualties per 
  round. However this 
  would risk the formation 
  breaking as it would 
  only be a single rank 
  deep in some places. 
  Unit Frontage and Depth
  Whilst the number of participants is vital 
  to determine the strength of a unit, its front-
  age and depth are also very important. The 
  precise disposition depends on the type of 
  formation the unit adopts.
  Frontage determines how many combat-
  ants are engaged at any one time and thus the 
  potential damage the formation can inflict 
  each round. 
  Depth, on the other hand, provides stability 
  to the unit, so that it is more difficult to push 
  around or break through. Depth is measured 
  in ranks, with each rank containing a number 
  of men equal to the frontage. Surplus num-
  bers, insufficient to form an entire rank, do 
  not count towards its depth.
  Unit Damage
  The damage a unit inflicts is normally 
  dependent upon its Frontage. This assumes 
  rough parity in the weapons and armour used 
  on both sides of the combat, between cultures 
  which are used to each other’s tactics. The dice 
  roll defines how many casualties are inflicted 
  on the opposing unit that round, reducing its 
  Unit Strength.
  Actual weapons and armour being used are 
  less important than the teamwork employed 
  to protect one another, and overwhelm their 
  opponents. 
  Troop types are important, with cavalry, 
  chariots, and even belligerent creatures, 
  granted a multiple to their frontage value for 
  the purpose of calculating hand-to-hand dam-
  age. Except in special cases (elephant howdahs 
  full of archers, for instance, or the flaming 
  breath of a dragon), no benefit is granted for 
  ranged damage.
  Unit Commander
  The commander of a unit is the character 
  placed in charge of it – usually someone who 
  holds the highest level of authority, whether 
  from social rank, political office or tactical 
  knowledge. It is the commander who gives 
  orders, using their Command skill, to direct 
  the unit’s troops during the ebb and flow of 
  battle. Authority only passes onto a sub-com-
  mander if the current commander is killed, 
  severely injured, flees in terror, or proves so 
  incompetent that a subordinate will risk cen-
  sure to depose control.
  The scale at which the focus of the battle 
  takes place depends entirely on the campaign 
  and setting, allowing a Games Master, if they 
  desire, to place all the player characters as low 
  ranking sub-commanders and divide up their 
  unit into smaller files or warbands. 
  Unit Frontage
  Damage
  <15
  1d2
  16-30
  1d4
  31-45
  1d6
  46-60
  1d8
  61-75
  1d10
  76-90
  1d12
  91-105
  2d6
  106-120
  1d8+1d6
  121-135
  2d8
  136-150
  1d10+1d8
  151-165
  2d10
  166-180
  2d10+1d2
  181-195
  2d10+1d4
  196-210
  2d10+1d6
  Every 15
  Continue 
  Progression
  Troop Type
  Multiplier
  Example
  Infantry
  x1
  Human (sized) 
  infantry
  Cavalry
  x2
  Mounted on horse 
  sized herbivores
  Chariots
  x2
  Drawn by horses or 
  equivalent
  Carnivores
  x3
  Animal handlers 
  paired with tigers 
  or packs of rabid 
  wolves
  Scythed 
  Chariots
  x5
  As per normal 
  chariots, but armed 
  with long scything 
  blades
  Massive 
  Herbivores
  x10
  Elephants carrying 
  howdahs full of 
  troops
  Monsters
  x10 and 
  up
  Horrific creatures 
  such as giant 
  scorpions or 
  wyverns
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d  Shield Walls & Battles
  d 22 d
  For example, the characters could play ser-
  geants in a small mercenary unit of 100 war-
  riors, allowing the company at times to be 
  sub-divided into teams of 20 men under the 
  direct control of each player character. In this 
  way all the players will assume a degree of 
  agency, despite the overall result of the overall 
  battle being beyond their notice or ability to 
  influence. 
  Phases of Battle
  A battle is normally broken down into a 
  series of discrete phases, which follow one 
  another in order. These are:
  1. 
  Choosing Ground
  2. 
  Personal Challenges
  3. 
  Stirring Speech
  4. 
  Engagement
  5. 
  Retiring from the Field
  6. 
  Aftermath
  Each phase is explained over the next few 
  pages. Depending on the circumstances of the 
  battle, it may not be necessary to use every 
  phase. For example the Choosing the Ground, 
  Personal Challenges and Stirring Speech phases 
  would be ignored if a unit was ambushed. 
  Choosing Ground
  Before any battle can happen, at least one of 
  the participating forces must decide where the 
  combat will take place. For most battles the 
  selection of the battlefield will be contested, 
  the overall commander of each side making 
  an opposed roll of their Locale skills, or Lore 
  (Specific Region) if not native to the area. The 
  commander who wins the test selects where 
  the battle will be fought.
  In certain circumstances, one side might 
  be able to pre-select the battleground, such 
  as laying an undetected ambush or withdraw-
  ing to a prepared fortification in advance of an 
  enemy force arriving in the region. Although 
  this may provide a significant tactical benefit 
  to the prepared force, since they automati-
  cally choose the ground best suited to them, 
  they may suffer detrimental strategic effects. 
  For instance the enemy refusing to engage in 
  battle, due to scouts detecting the ambush 
  or judging the fortifications too severe, and, 
  instead, ravaging the undefended countryside 
  or building siege works about the defensive 
  position.
  The following table provides the benefits 
  and detriments of each type of terrain. Before 
  the battle starts each participating unit must 
  also decide what type of formation their unit 
  assumes (see Formation Types).
  The Scarlet  
  Spears Saga 
  When a horde of 
  Badoshi warbands 
  erupts out of the Grey 
  Peaks, raiding villages to 
  the north, Meeros sends 
  out its own army to 
  drive off the barbarians. 
  After several days of 
  scouting the Badoshi are 
  finally spotted and both 
  armies begin to search 
  for a place to battle. 
  Misogynistes, high com-
  mander of the Meeros 
  force, rolls against his 
  Locale skill of 69% and 
  gets a 31. Ungoth the 
  Badoshi commander 
  with a Locale skill of 
  only 55% also suc-
  ceeds, but manages to 
  roll higher with a 48. 
  Thus it is Ungoth who 
  chooses where the 
  fight will be, deciding 
  on a low hill near the 
  River Euphos where 
  the barbarians will 
  hold the high ground.
  Terrain Effect
  Examples
  Effects
  Choke Point
  Narrow pass or strip 
  of land between 
  disrupting terrain
  A choke point limits the maximum frontage of units and prevents units from being outflanked.
  Disrupting
  Woods, marsh or 
  broken ground
  Disrupting terrain prevents the passage of troops unless they disperse into skirmish formation.
  Elevated
  Hill or mountain slope
  Elevation allows the higher positioned troops to double the troop damage inflicted by a charge, but 
  cannot be charged themselves. Moderate slopes (more than 20o) prevent cavalry charges downhill, 
  whereas steep slopes (more than 40o) prevent foot charges downhill.
  Fortified
  Ditches, palisades or 
  walls
  Until the defenders are pushed back, attacking troops suffer one or more Difficulty Grades to their 
  attacking roll depending on the fortification. Ditches or embedded stakes make attacks Hard, palisades 
  and low walls make it Formidable, high walls make it Herculean and towering walls Hopeless.
  Impassable
  Rivers, bogs, sheer 
  cliffs
  Impassable terrain provides a secure barrier, preventing enemy troops from attacking across it. However, 
  troops adjacent to such terrain are vulnerable if pushed back into the feature.
  Open
  Fields or plains
  Open terrain has no detrimental effect or advantage. Permits the use of chariots.
  Precipitous
  Steep slope or atop 
  gorge
  Prevents direct contact between opposing units, but may allow the higher elevated troops to use ranged 
  weapons unopposed.
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d  Shield Walls & Battles
  d 23 d
  The Scarlet 
  Spears Saga
  From their hilltop, sev-
  eral Badoshi chieftains 
  emerge from the gath-
  ered warbands to per-
  form lewd war-dances 
  whilst proclaiming their 
  lineage and victories. 
  One dances down 
  the slope towards the 
  Scarlet Spears and cries 
  out a demand for per-
  sonal combat. Without 
  a second thought, 
  Anathaym steps out 
  of line and accepts the 
  challenge. The fight is 
  intense, but over quickly. 
  When Anathaym finally 
  disarms the Badoshi 
  warrior, instead of 
  acknowledging his 
  request for honourable 
  quarter, she succumbs 
  to her hatred, transfixes 
  him with her spear, then 
  spits on his fallen body.
  On the summit, the 
  gathered enemy groans 
  in despair. The Games 
  Master rolls 1d100 for 
  the fallen warrior’s unit 
  against their Loyalty 
  (Ungoth) passion of 
  64%, to see if they 
  remain on the battle-
  field. The roll is a 04, 
  a critical success! Not 
  only does the unit stand 
  firm, but it also begins 
  howling for vengeance. 
  Unfortunately for 
  Anathaym, it seems the 
  man she just killed was 
  Ungoth’s own brother...
  Personal Challenges
  Assuming the battle is not an ambush, or 
  that one side is defending from behind forti-
  fications, there is the possibility for personal 
  challenges prior to both sides engaging. Some 
  cultures use challenges as a way for up and 
  coming warriors to win renown for them-
  selves, settle long-standing scores, or to shame 
  specific enemies with charges of cowardliness 
  if the challenge is not accepted.
  From the perspective of a Games Master, 
  such challenges not only allow player charac-
  ters the chance to perform some individual 
  combat prior to the more abstracted battle, 
  but it can also be a way of introducing drama 
  into their game, since foes are likely to be of 
  high calibre, and any wounds taken by the 
  character will reduce their chances of surviv-
  ing the forthcoming melee.
  A personal challenge need not end with 
  death. A foe might flee their challenger in fear, 
  or be rescued from the field by supernatural 
  intervention. On the other hand, if they are 
  disarmed or rendered otherwise helpless, 
  there is no shame in allowing them to leave the 
  field in honour, perhaps to return the favour at 
  some other time.
  As a commander, permitting personal chal-
  lenges can be a risk. Whichever side loses the 
  greater number of these heroic single combats 
  is in danger of suffering a psychological dis-
  advantage. This requires that any unit from 
  which a loser originated makes an unop-
  posed test of a relevant Passion, for example 
  Love (Commander), Protect (City), Destroy 
  (Enemy) and so on. The results of this check 
  are potentially crucial according to the roll:
   
  ҉ Critical Success: The unit is angered 
  by the defeat of its champion, vowing 
  revenge. Morale checks over the course 
  of the battle are one grade easier.
   
  ҉ Success: The unit laughs-off the loss, 
  claiming the enemy cheated or it was the 
  god’s will. Beyond becoming resolute to 
  engage in battle, there is no additional 
  effect.
   
  ҉ Failure: The unit takes the loss as a super-
  stitious sign, or that their foes are supe-
  rior to them. Although they will stand to 
  fight in the battle, morale checks over its 
  course are one grade harder.
   
  ҉ Fumble: The unit is so overwhelmed by 
  its loss that it withdraws from the bat-
  tlefield to mourn. Its morale is utterly 
  sapped and they will not participate in 
  any further fighting.
  Note that some personal challenges can 
  be used to avoid further phases in the overall 
  battle. For instance, if the fight occurs between 
  the two overall commanders, forcing one side to 
  depart entirely.
  Stirring Speech
  Commanders may attempt to rouse their 
  unit with a stirring speech, bolstering its 
  morale in the face of imminent combat. Such 
  speeches are risky, however, with a chance of 
  back-firing upon the commander if the ora-
  tion is lacklustre.
  To represent a motivational speech, the 
  commander must make an unopposed roll 
  against their Oratory skill. Influence, at a 
  Hard Difficulty Grade, can be used if the com-
  mander does not have Oratory. The results of 
  the roll are as follows:
   
  ҉ Critical Success: The unit is so inspired 
  by the stirring speech that it is immune 
  to morale checks until it has taken 30% 
  casualties.
   
  ҉ Success: The unit gains a temporary 
  boost to its morale checks for the first 
  1d3+3 Battle Rounds, making them one 
  Difficulty Grade easier.
   
  ҉ Failure: The unit is so underwhelmed 
  it suffers a temporary reduction to its 
  morale checks for the first 1d3+3 Battle 
  Rounds, making them one Difficulty 
  Grade harder.
   
  ҉ Fumble: The unit is so upset or horrified 
  by the speech that it will automatically 
  break as soon as it is forced to make a 
  morale check.
  Some ancient armies substituted the 
  declamatory address with sacrifices to the 
  gods or the taking of omens. In such cases 
  use the most relevant skill, such as Devotion 
  instead of Oratory.
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d  Shield Walls & Battles
  d 24 d
  Engagement
  The next phase of a battle is manoeuvring 
  and exchange of blows. Hand to hand combat 
  requires the units to be in contact, whereas 
  ranged combat does not. Each battle round, 
  both commanders must make a roll against 
  their Command skill. The base Command skill 
  is either Lore (Strategy and Tactics) or Ora-
  tory (Hard) or Influence (Formidable). The 
  commander can augment the skill being used 
  with an appropriate Passion (Hate Saxons), for 
  example.
  Just as with personal combat, each com-
  mander makes a Differential skill roll against 
  their Command Roll. The level of success 
  determines the effect, and results are applied 
  simutaneously.
   
  ҉ If neither side succeeds, there is no dam-
  age that Battle Round
   
  ҉ If both sides succeed, both sides inflict 
  and sustain damage.
   
  ҉ If one side scores one or more levels of 
  success higher than the opposing unit, 
  one (or more) Battle Action can be cho-
  sen and applied to the combat.
  This procedure is repeated every round 
  until one unit retires, surrenders or is wiped 
  out. Player characters who are part of a unit 
  risk being seriously injured whenever it suf-
  fers casualties. Morale, Character Injuries and 
  Battle Actions are described later (see Run-
  ning a Battle).
  Retiring from the Field
  Once fortune turns against a unit, it will 
  usually depart from the battlefield. There are 
  two methods of performing this. First is that 
  a commander can voluntarily order his troops 
  to fall back in good order, maintaining cohe-
  sion so that they can protect themselves and 
  prevent further loss. The second occurs when 
  a unit fails a crucial morale check and routs. 
  A rout spells doom for the routing troops. 
  No longer in formation the warriors scatter, 
  discard heavy weapons such as shields, and 
  run headlong for cover. Although this permits 
  them to outpace the immediate enemy, they 
  can still be caught by other units previously 
  positioned to cut them off, or by cavalry or 
  creatures which have a higher movement 
  rate. If this happens, the routing troops can 
  be engaged by the new unit, without fear of 
  taking any casualties in return. In this case the 
  likely result will be the total annihilation of the 
  routing troops.
  In certain circumstances, the commander 
  in charge of a unit which has just broken its 
  enemy, will want to pursue the routing war-
  riors. This is permitted, but entails the unit 
  devolving into skirmish formation to be able 
  to keep up, at the risk of following the routers 
  into a prepared trap or leaving other units on 
  their side unsupported.
  A rout has the added bonus in that it per-
  mits player characters a final chance of single 
  combat. If desired, a character may attempt to 
  spot a high value target, such as an enemy ban-
  ner bearer, or commander, amongst the fleeing 
  foes. Spotting such a prize first requires a suc-
  cessful Perception roll at Formidable difficulty, 
  after which an opposed Athletics test between 
  the pursuer and the foe is needed to capture 
  them before they rout from the field; or, if the 
  enemy is cut off from escape, a group opposed 
  Athletics test between all those attempting to 
  reach the target first.
  Aftermath
  A battle is won by whichever side main-
  tains control of the battlefield once the fight-
  ing has concluded. Since the majority of casu-
  alties are still living, albeit incapacitated by 
  their wounds, the victors are not only able to 
  recover a significant number of their own war-
  riors, but have the tough decision of whether 
  to ignore, capture or kill those foes still lying 
  upon the field.
  Assume one fifth of casualties die outright 
  during the battle, with the remainder too 
  injured to fight again for weeks or months, 
  assuming they get some form of medical 
  treatment.
  Of course, some battles conclude with no 
  clear victor on either side. At which point 
  opposing commanders generally come to 
  terms in order to recover their own wounded 
  and bury the dead before they become a health 
  hazard.
  The Scarlet 
  Spears Saga
  Anathaym returns to 
  the line, expecting some 
  form of commendation 
  for killing the enemy 
  chieftain. Regrettably 
  for her, Misogynistes, 
  the high commander 
  of the entire army, 
  has attached himself 
  to the Scarlet Spears 
  and launches into an 
  inspirational speech. 
  Rather than laud-
  ing acts of bravery 
  or defending Meeros 
  against the barbarian 
  hordes, he bombastically 
  preaches the impor-
  tance of discipline and 
  order, thinly disguising 
  his public chastise-
  ment of Anathaym for 
  accepting a personal 
  challenge without ask-
  ing for permission.
  The Games Master 
  rolls to see what affect 
  the speech has and 
  Misogynistes fails his 
  Oratory skill. Instead 
  of inspiring them to 
  work better as a team, 
  he manages to alien-
  ate the Scarlet Spears, 
  who actually favour 
  Anathaym’s daring 
  victory. Their morale 
  bruised for the first 
  four Battle Rounds 
  Misogynistes cun-
  ningly holds the unit 
  in reserve, behind the 
  main battle line.
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d  Shield Walls & Battles
  d 25 d
  The Scarlet 
  Spears Saga
  Positioned to hold the 
  centre of the Meeros 
  line, Cohort IX – The 
  Leopards – find them-
  selves facing Ungoth’s 
  personal warband. The 
  Badoshi, furious and 
  seeking blood, start 
  the battle by charg-
  ing down the hill in 
  wedge formation, taking 
  advantage of the slope 
  to increase their impact. 
  As the units engage, 
  both Ungoth and the 
  cohort captain roll 
  against their Command 
  skill and succeed. 
  Since neither gained a 
  level of success over his 
  foe, there are no Battle 
  Actions. The Leopards, 
  however, still roll 2d6 
  damage, inflicting 
  9 casualties on the 
  Badoshi. Whereas the 
  less numerous bar-
  barians only do 1d10 
  damage getting an 8, 
  but double the roll for 
  being in wedge forma-
  tion, a second time for 
  charging and a third 
  for the charge travel-
  ling downhill. Thus the 
  Badoshi inflict a horrific 
  64 casualties as they 
  smash into the cohort!
  Due to suffering so many 
  casualties Cohort IX is 
  forced to make a Hard 
  morale check, which 
  it promptly fails and 
  becomes Shaken. Despite 
  this, the Leopards 
  continue fighting as 
  they remain engaged. 
  Ungoth’s warband, on 
  the other hand, failed 
  to disrupt the well 
  trained Meeros troops, 
  resulting in the Wedge 
  Running a 
  Battle
  When preparing a battle, Games Masters 
  should first consider the objectives of the 
  enemy force and then listen to their players’ 
  plans, before deciding which battle phases will 
  be utilised. The most detailed and time inten-
  sive phase is Engagement.
  As described previously, each commander 
  makes a Command skill check and compares 
  them as per a differential roll. Rolling equal to, 
  or under, the skill value means the unit inflicts 
  a number of casualties equal to its Unit Dam-
  age rating, remembering to apply any modi-
  fiers due to its current formation. Rolling over 
  the skill value results in no additional casual-
  ties that round. If both units fail to inflict dam-
  age then nothing happens if they are exchang-
  ing ranged weapons; or both sides briefly draw 
  apart, breaking contact, if engaged in hand-to-
  hand combat. 
  If a commander manages to both inflict 
  casualties and achieve one or more levels of 
  success over their opponent, then they may 
  select an equivalent number of Battle Actions, 
  granting the unit a tactical advantage over the 
  enemy unit, if successful.
  In the circumstance when one unit armed 
  with ranged weapons engages an opposing 
  unit without, the targeted unit obviously can-
  not inflict any damage on its attacker. Its com-
  mander can however, still roll against their 
  Command skill to in an attempt to win some 
  Battle Actions, or at least, prevent any being 
  used on his unit.
  Units which are not under direct attack 
  may freely move, redeploy, retreat, charge or 
  flank as they desire, provided there is clear 
  space for their formation to manoeuvre. Once 
  engaged they must rely upon a Battle Action 
  to do anything more.
  Winning A Battle
  Individual units continue to fight until they 
  are ordered off the field by their commander, 
  fail their morale, either surrendering or break-
  ing, or are surrounded and cut down to the 
  last man. The battle is won when one side is 
  left in possession of the field.
  Not all battles need end with a clear victor. 
  Some engagements might be so vicious that 
  the commanders of both sides voluntarily call 
  a cessation to combat before their forces are 
  mutually annihilated. In such cases the battle 
  can be either called a draw or pyrrhic victory.
  Unit Condition
  To keep track of what is happening to units 
  engaged in battle, a number of terms specific 
  to their status and condition are defined as 
  follows:
  Broken
  A unit which has lost all morale or cohe-
  sion becomes a Broken Formation and must 
  flee the battlefield.
  Contact
  Units are in contact when they are engaged 
  in hand-to-hand combat with one another. 
  Contact can be broken, for instance if the 
  leaders of both units fail Command rolls caus-
  ing their troops to draw naturally apart.
  Disrupted
  When a close order formation is disrupted, 
  it temporarily loses its cohesion and is there-
  after treated as a skirmish formation. If a 
  skirmish formation is disrupted, it becomes 
  broken.
  Engaged
  The circumstance when a unit is in combat 
  against an enemy formation. A unit can be 
  engaged, even if it cannot initiate the encoun-
  ter itself. For example if it is Shaken or is under 
  attack by ranged weapons and lacks the same.
  Enveloped
  An enveloped unit is one which has been 
  overlapped by an enemy with a larger front-
  age. This continues until the unit can retire, 
  redeploy or push through.
  Shaken
  Being shaken prevents the unit from initi-
  ating any engagement. If an already shaky for-
  mation is shaken for a second time, it becomes 
  Broken.
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d  Shield Walls & Battles
  d 26 d
  Morale Checks
  Morale checks test the confidence a unit has in both its 
  commander, and its own members, to stand and fight. They 
  are required whenever a unit loses a certain proportion of 
  its warriors, but can also be triggered by particular Battle 
  Actions. As a battle continues, morale checks often start 
  to suffer increasing penalties due to adverse events and 
  conditions.
  When a unit’s casualties reach a particular level, a 
  morale check is required. This happens provided that no 
  other morale check was rolled for as part of a Battle Action 
  that round. The listed values illustrate the base difficulty of 
  any and all morale checks for a unit, once it has suffered 
  that many casualties.
  Failing a morale check usually results in the unit becom-
  ing Shaken, and if it subsequently fails a second time it is 
  Broken. Thus, a commander who suspects their troops are 
  on the verge of breaking should pro-actively initiate an 
  ordered withdrawal from the field to ensure no rout occurs.
  The situational modifiers (below) should be made, as 
  applicable, to morale checks by the unit. As per the Rune-
  Quest core rules, only the largest penalty and bonus 
  should be applied. They do not stack.
  1 Modifier may be ignored if the unit is in favourable ter-
  rain, such as plugging a choke point or behind fortifications.
  2 Applies in situations when the unit possesses arms and 
  armour significantly superior to those of its opponents. The 
  bonus can be increased in cases where there is a technologi-
  cal disparity.
  3 If the unit knows that it will not be offered mercy, its 
  remaining warriors will fight to the last man instead.
  Casualties
  Base Morale Check
  5%
  Standard
  15%
  Hard
  30%
  Formidable
  50%
  Herculean
  75%
  Automatically Broken
  Situation
  Difficulty Modifier
  Nearby allied unit leaves the field
  1 grade harder
  Unit is starving or thirsty
  1 grade harder
  Unit commander is a casualty
  2 grades harder
  Outnumbered 2:11
  1 grade harder
  Outnumbered 3:11
  2 grades harder
  Outnumbered 5:11
  3 grades harder
  Unit possesses superior arms2
  1 grade easier
  Unit possesses superior magic
  1-2 grades easier
  Unit fighting to defend homeland
  1-3 grades easier
  Unit has no means of escape3
  Surrenders
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d  Shield Walls & Battles
  d 27 d
  bogging down and 
  falling apart. Thus, on 
  the second round, the 
  cohort remains in Line 
  formation whereas 
  the warband is in 
  Skirmish formation.
  Both leaders roll 
  Command skills, this 
  time Ungoth gaining 
  a critical and a level 
  of success over his 
  opponent. Damage is 
  exchanged, but Ungoth 
  chooses Shake as his 
  Battle Action, driving 
  his screaming barbar-
  ians onwards with reck-
  less abandon. This is too 
  much for the Meerish 
  cohort which promptly 
  fails another morale 
  check (Hard difficulty 
  for its current casu-
  alty level, increased to 
  Formidable), changing 
  its status from Shaken 
  to Broken. Fearing for 
  their lives the Leopards 
  rout from the field, 
  leaving the way open 
  for Ungoth to attack the 
  hated Scarlet Spears.
  Pausing only to redeploy 
  his disrupted unit 
  into a shield wall, 
  Ungoth charges the 
  Scarlet Spears in the 
  hope of repeating his 
  previous success. This 
  time, however, it is 
  Leontichus the Valiant 
  who is opposing him; 
  Misogynistes having 
  mysteriously vanished. 
  They both roll against 
  their Command skills, 
  but this time Ungoth 
  fails. For his Battle 
  Action (unbeknownst to 
  the Badoshi) Leontichus 
  detaches the rear ranks 
  to form a flanking unit.
  Character Injuries
  When player characters join a unit in battle, 
  they face the risk of being injured whenever 
  that unit suffers casualties. Becoming a casu-
  alty does not necessarily imply death, but can 
  result in a terrible wound; most likely prevent-
  ing the character continuing as an effective 
  member of the formation or retreating from 
  the battlefield without aid.
  There are several ways of determining 
  whether a player character becomes a casualty, 
  depending on how abstract the Games Mas-
  ter wishes to make the threat. The simplest 
  method is to work out what percentage of the 
  unit was lost that round, and force every par-
  ticipating character to roll 1d100. If the roll is 
  equal to, or less than, the loss percentage, then 
  they have been wounded that round – perhaps 
  because they were attacked more often than 
  they could parry, faced someone better than 
  them, or simply didn’t see the blow coming. 
  Players are permitted to use a Luck Point 
  to re-roll becoming a casualty. On the rare 
  chance that more player characters become 
  casualties that round than the unit actually 
  suffered in damage, the Games Master should 
  either roll randomly to see who suffers, or 
  allow the potential casualties to roll against 
  their Combat Style and declare those who 
  rolled worst as the injured.
  Whatever the reason, the character auto-
  matically suffers a Serious Wound to a ran-
  dom Hit Location, or if previously damaged in 
  that area, a Major Wound instead. They must 
  make an opposed Endurance test versus the 
  enemy’s Command roll to remain functional, 
  conscious or alive.
  Character Rewards
  Although the risks of battle are very high, 
  and fate can be distinctly capricious, charac-
  ters can gain recognition for their efforts in 
  battle. Rewards can range from war spoils, or 
  plunder given in thanks for their noticeable 
  efforts, to honours such as medals or even 
  social promotion.
  The chance of being rewarded depends 
  on a number of factors which can be seen 
  in the Reward Points table. Once the battle 
  concludes, each character totals these accu-
  mulated points then rolls against that value on 
  1d100.
   
  ҉ Critical Success: The character is either 
  promoted (in military rank or social 
  class) or, instead, granted a valuable 
  medal, wreath or other badge display-
  ing the honour they have won. Such an 
  award will boost their status and grant 
  a bonus to skills used in the right social 
  situation.
   
  ҉ Success: The character is rewarded with 
  some form of trophy; either an item of 
  armour or weaponry of quality, which 
  they can personally use, or an item (or 
  items) of conspicuous value which can 
  later be traded for wealth.
   
  ҉ Failure: The character falls beneath the 
  notice of their commander.
   
  ҉ Fumble: The character manages to per-
  form an act so crass that they alienate 
  their commander or fellow warriors, 
  such as boasting of a kill which wasn’t 
  theirs, or being first to retreat before the 
  enemy. Instead of receiving a reward, 
  they are, instead, punished, or even 
  blamed for some failure.
  Action
  Points
  Every round of active 
  battle participation
  1 point
  Fighting on after 
  becoming a casualty
  +10 points
  Fighting courageously 
  (doubling character 
  casualty chance)
  +1 point per round
  Fighting cautiously 
  (halving character 
  casualty chance)
  -1 point per round
  Winning a Personal 
  Challenge
  +1/5 of the opponent’s 
  Combat Style
  Capturing an enemy 
  banner or unit 
  commander
  +50 points
  Capturing or killing 
  the commander of the 
  enitre enemy force
  +100 points
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d  Shield Walls & Battles
  d 28 d
  Battle Actions
  Battle Actions are the equivalent of Special 
  Effects used in personal combat. Each round of 
  battle, a commander who successfully passes 
  their Command skill and gains one, or more, 
  levels of success over their opponent receives 
  the chance to order an equal number of Battle 
  Actions. This can be veiwed as taking advan-
  tage of an opportunity – perhaps one leader is 
  briefly distracted, his men falter, or a momen-
  tary gap opens up in the formation – at which 
  point, the opposing commander can seize the 
  moment to perform a tactical manoeuvre and 
  take advantage of the situation.
  Just as with Special Effects, some of the 
  Battle Actions are restricted due to the qual-
  ity of the initial Command roll, require pre-
  prepared troop dispositions, or can only be 
  applied by particular formations.
  The table of Battle Actions can be found on 
  pages 30 and 31.
  Spot Rules
  Some addition spot rules have been 
  included to cover unusual circumstances.
  Ambushes and Ruses
  Similar in format to flanking, an ambush or 
  ruse relies more on pre-preparing the battle-
  field to take advantage of its natural features, 
  or by concealing the true nature of a unit so 
  that foes misjudge its purpose.
  Ambushes are triggered if an enemy blithely 
  wanders past terrain in which an allied unit 
  has been hidden prior to the battle starting, 
  or is tricked into approaching the area via the 
  Feigned Retreat Battle Action. This normally 
  requires an opposed test of the ambushing 
  commander's Stealth skill vs. the enemy com-
  mander's Perception skill. 
  If the ambush fails to be discovered, then 
  the enemy formation suffers a surprise attack, 
  during which the commander is assumed to 
  have automatically failed his Command roll on 
  the first round, and suffers a difficulty grade of 
  Formidable on the second. If the enemy unit is 
  still intact, there are no further penalties from 
  the third round onwards.
  A ruse occurs when a unit is disguised to 
  appear as a completely different body of war-
  riors, either luring the enemy to attack an 
  apparently ill-trained formation or intimidat-
  ing the enemy from engaging with what seems 
  to be an infamous crack unit. To pull off the 
  ruse requires the deceitful commander to win 
  an opposed test of his Conceal skill vs. the 
  enemy commander’s Insight skill.
  Changing Formation
  Provided that it has trained in the forma-
  tion being adopted, a unit may freely change 
  formation, provided it is not currently engaged 
  in combat. If it is in contact with the enemy or 
  under fire, it may only change formation by 
  use of a Battle Action.
  Charging
  A unit not currently in contact may freely 
  charge the enemy, provided they are not 
  blocked by terrain, or, intercepted. by the 
  enemy. Charging over a long distance breaks 
  up the cohesion of a close order unit. Thus, 
  most charges occur at short range, often when 
  two formations briefly draw away from each 
  other after both commanders fail to inflict 
  casualties. In this latter case specifically, 
  assume that the re-engaging charge and Com-
  mand roll for inflicting damage occur in the 
  same Battle Round.
  Fatigue
  Each Battle Round represents Medium 
  activity in terms of Fatigue. If Games Masters 
  want to add Fatigue into the equation – espe-
  cially if it appears to be taking several rounds 
  to resolve a shield wall clash – then Endur-
  ance rolls should be made at the end of each 
  round to see if the effects of Fatigue should 
  be applied. The Endurance for the unit is the 
  average Endurance for its members. If Fatigue 
  is accrued, follow the scale provided on page 
  120 of RuneQuest, but only applying the 
  Skill Grade modifier. When combat moves 
  into standard Combat Rounds, characters 
  should check for Fatigue again, applying the 
  effects as accrued.
  Over the next four 
  rounds both units grind 
  together, the Badoshi 
  proving themselves 
  tenacious foes inflicting 
  5, 7, 3 and 8 casual-
  ties before they are 
  broken and routed, 
  when the detachment 
  hits their flank.
  As a member of 
  the Scarlet Spears, 
  Anathaym must roll 
  each round her unit 
  suffers damage, to see if 
  she, herself, is injured. 
  Losses in the first round 
  are 5 in 120, or 5% 
  (4.16% rounded up), so 
  Anathaym rolls 1d100 
  and gets 56. She survives 
  first contact, although 
  five of her comrades 
  drop. On the second 
  round the chance of her 
  becoming a casualty 
  rises to 7 in 115 (9%); 
  on the third round 3 
  in 108 (3%); and, on 
  the last round, 8 in 
  105 (9%). Fortunately 
  for Anathaym, she 
  continues to roll over 
  the loss percentage and 
  survives intact, but, if 
  the battle had lasted 
  much longer, the risk of 
  her being injured would 
  have risen considerably.
  With Ungoth flee-
  ing from the field, the 
  remaining Badoshi units 
  also turn tail and rout. 
  Anathaym emerges from 
  the battle with no signif-
  icant injuries save those 
  she received from her 
  single combat. Having 
  no orders to pursue, she 
  stays behind to help deal 
  with the dead and dying. 
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d  Shield Walls & Battles
  d 29 d
  On the following day, 
  the surviving army is 
  mustered and rewards 
  are given out. Since she 
  won her very public 
  personal challenge, and 
  performed well during 
  the fighting, Anathaym 
  expects to gain some 
  form of recognition. 
  The Games Master tal-
  lies up the points: 18 for 
  accepting and winning 
  the challenge, but only 5 
  from the five rounds of 
  combat against Ungoth’s 
  warband, since she did 
  not fight courageously. 
  This gives a total of 
  23. The dice are rolled 
  and Anathaym gets a 
  47. Although her unit 
  grumbles, she is granted 
  no special honours, 
  leading her to suspect 
  that Misogynistes has 
  deliberately snubbed her.
  Flanking
  A flanking attack occurs when an enemy 
  formation, currently engaged in combat to 
  its front, is hit from a second direction. Being 
  unable to turn freely to face the new unit, it 
  suffers a terrible disadvantage in the Differen-
  tial Roll to determine the effects of the attack; 
  requiring a Hard Command check if struck in 
  the flank or a Formidable Command check if 
  attacked from the rear. If the target formation 
  is a phalanx, make the difficulty grades one 
  step worse.
  To perform such an attack, the flanking 
  unit must be out of contact with other units 
  and have sufficient space to manoeuvre so that 
  it can reach the sides or rear of the enemy for-
  mation. As flanking can be so devastating, the 
  commander of the targeted formation should 
  be permitted a Perception check to notice the 
  approaching unit. If successful, they gain 1d3 
  rounds warning to try to protect themselves, 
  either via winning a Battle Action or by call-
  ing upon an allied unit to intercept on their 
  behalf.
  Ganging Up
  The commander of a unit, simultaneously 
  engaged with two or more enemy forma-
  tions, is permitted to attempt a Command 
  roll against each one that round. This can 
  be done even if some of the enemy units are 
  using ranged attacks, to help avoid nega-
  tive Battle Actions. No penalty is applied to 
  mulitiple Command checks, provided the unit 
  is engaged frontally. Otherwise treat attacks 
  from the side or rear as per Flanking.
  Missile Fire
  Units which launch ranged attacks inflict 
  the same damage as indicated by their front-
  age. Whilst it may seem that, logically, the 
  entire unit could loose their weapons together, 
  lack of accuracy over distance and limited 
  rates of fire make it less effective than hand 
  to hand combat. Additionally, some weapons 
  such as slings or crossbows preclude the abil-
  ity to repeatedly fire in ranks.
  Movement & Retreat
  All unit movement is treated as occurring 
  simultaneously each round. Therefore units 
  which are not currently in contact are free to 
  move away from the enemy, and cannot be re-
  engaged in hand to hand combat unless the 
  pursuers have a higher movement rate. 
  For instance, if two units in Line formation 
  naturally break contact due to both failing 
  Command rolls, one could take the oppor-
  tunity to retreat off the field safely, whilst the 
  other followed unable to re-initiate contact.
  Units which end up in contact after mov-
  ing, may attack each other in hand to hand 
  combat on the following round.
  Final Note
  Remember that the battle rules are highly 
  abstracted to greatly simplify the running 
  of large scale engagements. They are not 
  intended to be comprehensive, but merely 
  offer a solid framework to fit the core tactics 
  of pre-firearm warfare.
  Games Masters should apply common 
  sense where no concrete mechanic is offered, 
  and, as always, feel free to modify them to 
  fit their own campaign settings and periods. 
  Your RuneQuest battles may vary!
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d Battle Actions
  d 30 d
  Battle Actions
  Battle Action
  Restriction
  Effect
  Charge
  Charging unit must start 
  out of contact
  Assuming it is currently out of contact with opposing formations, the unit can charge 
  an enemy formation, hitting home on a subsequent round as decided by the Games 
  Master, based upon the distance it must travel. Close order formations which charge 
  for more than one Battle Round automatically disintegrate into Skirmish formation. 
  Charging, however, will double the damage dice on impact.
  Combine
  Units must share the 
  same Combat Style trait
  Units from the same force may combine together, reinforcing one  another, providing 
  they share a common Combat Style trait. Thereafter, they are treated as a single, 
  larger formation, potentially offsetting morale penalties and permitting the ranking 
  commander to apply (hopefully) better skills.
  Detach
  Unavailable to Phalanx or 
  Tortoise formations
  Permits a formation to hive off part of its strength to form a smaller subsidiary unit, 
  which can then be used as a flanking or reserve unit, at the expense of reducing the 
  original unit’s frontage or depth. The detached unit must be led by a new commander 
  and is treated as an independent entity for the remainder of the battle.
  Divide
  None
  Allows close order troops to briefly split apart, permitting less manoeuvrable, or 
  unstoppable charging units (rampaging elephants or scythed chariots for instance), 
  to pass through without the receiving formation suffering casualties or becoming 
  Disrupted.
  Engulf
  Skirmish, Line or Circle 
  formations
  Assuming it has equal or greater strength, the unit opens up a killing pocket into 
  which the enemy falls unless they win an opposed test of their Competence vs. the 
  original Command roll. Thereafter the enemy cannot Redeploy and are trapped, 
  unable to escape unless they Push free.
  Envelop
  Line formation only
  If the unit has a larger frontage than its engaged opposing formation, its commander 
  may overlap the spare troops around the flanks of the enemy, thus increasing the 
  damage dice rolled each Battle Round to the full amount permitted to its frontage. 
  The enemy unit, however, is still limited to its lesser frontage until it can redeploy.
  Feigned Retreat
  None
  Sets up the enemy formation, luring it into a vulnerable position or pre-prepared 
  ambush. The enemy unit must win an opposed test of their Competence vs. the 
  original Command roll, otherwise starting on the following round, they chase down 
  the fleeing troops and suffer the detrimental effects of the ruse (see Additional Rules). 
  Once the trap is sprung, the falsely retreating troops must, themselves, pass a morale 
  check to reform, or else the rout becomes genuine.
  Guard
  None
  Reduces the casualty losses of the defending unit by half that round. If the Command 
  roll was a critical success, then no loses are incurred.
  Harass
  Skirmishers only
  Using a combination of false charges or ranged attacks, the skirmishing unit causes 
  an enemy unit to suffer a penalty of one additional Difficulty Grade to any morale 
  checks until the skirmisher ceases engagement.
  Push
  Unavailable to Circle or 
  Wedge formations
  If the  unit has an equal, or greater, depth than the enemy, it pushes them backwards. 
  In this case phalanx formations halve the depth of non phalanxes. It can be used to 
  shove an enemy formation from elevated positions, back away from fortifications, 
  through a choke point, or to break free from being engulfed. In confining spaces, such 
  as being pinned against a cliff or river, the enemy must win an opposed test of their 
  Competence vs. the original Command roll, else become Broken.
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d Battle Actions
  d 31 d
  Battle Action
  Restriction
  Effect
  Rally
  Shaken units only
  Commander may attempt an unopposed Oratory check, which if passed, removes the 
  Shaken condition from their unit.
  Redeploy
  None
  The unit may change its existing formation to another type permitted by its Combat 
  Style trait, whether or not it is currently engaged.
  Reform
  None
  Permits a Disrupted unit to pull itself back into formation.
  Repulse
  Units receiving charges 
  only
  On receiving a charge, whether from foot troops, cavalry or chariots, the unit 
  repulses the enemy, causing them to become Disrupted (if not so already).
  Retire
  None
  Allows the unit to disentangle itself from close combat and withdraw out of contact. 
  Whilst it may then retreat from battle in good order, it remains vulnerable to ranged 
  weapons or being charged by higher movement rate troops until it has left the field 
  entirely.
  Savage
  None
  The unit rolls its damage dice twice, taking the best result and applying it to the 
  enemy formation that round. If the Command roll was a critical success, then 
  maximum damage is inflicted.
  Shake
  Critical only
  Requires the enemy formation to pass an unopposed morale check at one Difficulty 
  Grade harder than it is currently suffering, or become Shaken. If already shaken the 
  enemy breaks.
  Shatter
  Phalanx or Wedge 
  formation only
  Enemy unit must win an opposed test of their Competence vs. the original Command 
  roll, or else become Disrupted. If already in Skirmish formation, they are Broken 
  instead. The enemy roll gains a bonus of one Difficulty Grade easier for each point of 
  depth that they have in superiority to the attacking unit, and vice versa if they have 
  less ranks. For this calculation, the depth of Line formations is halved. If the modifier 
  reduces the enemy roll to Hopeless, the formation is automatically Broken and the 
  attacking unit breaks through to the other side.
  Shock
  Charging units only
  Charged unit must win an opposed test of their Morale vs. the original Command 
  roll, or else be reduced to Skirmish formation. If they were already in Skirmish 
  formation, they are Broken instead.
  Take Cover
  Units under ranged attack 
  only
  Assuming it is not engaged in melee, the unit seeks cover, preventing it from taking 
  any more casualties from ranged weapons. In the process, however, it becomes 
  pinned down, unable to move unless the unit wishes to lose its protection.
  Target 
  Character
  Critical only
  The unit focuses on taking out a specific member of the enemy unit, whether a hated 
  foe, a traitor or the unit’s commander. The target must win an opposed test of their 
  Combat Style vs. the original Command roll, else they become a casualty.
  Special Battle 
  Actions
  Restriction
  Effect
  Use Ability
  Unit must be formed 
  from creatures possessing 
  the same special ability
  The unit can invoke a Creature Ability such as Breathe Flame, Gaze Attack, or 
  Intimidate. Targeted unit must win an opposed test of either their Competence or 
  Morale vs. the original Command roll, else suffer the massed effects of the ability as 
  determined by the Game Master.
  Volley Casting
  Orchestrated spellcasters 
  only, who must start out 
  of contact
  If the unit is trained in casting magic together as an orchestrated volley, it may cast/
  exhort/invoke a single spell upon itself or against another formation. The targeted 
  unit must win an opposed test of either their Competence or Morale vs. the original 
  Command roll, or else suffer the effects of the battlefield scaled magic as determined 
  by the Game Master.
  
  RuneQuest: Ships and Shield Walls d Battle Actions
  d 32 d
  Unit Strength
  Damage
  <15
  1d2
  16-30
  1d4
  31-45
  1d6
  46-60
  1d8
  61-75
  1d10
  76-90
  1d12
  91-105
  2d6
  106-120
  1d8+1d6
  121-135
  2d8
  136-150
  1d10+1d8
  151-165
  2d10
  166-180
  2d10+1d2
  181-195
  2d10+1d4
  196-210
  2d10+1d6
  Every 15
  Continue 
  Progression
  Unit Battle Form
  Unit Name:                                                        UnitType:
  Unit Traits:
  Commander:
  Command Skill %
  Strength:
  Current Damage:
  Competency %
  Morale:
  Current Formation:
  Frontage:
  Notes
  Unit Strength
  Damage
  <15
  1d2
  16-30
  1d4
  31-45
  1d6
  46-60
  1d8
  61-75
  1d10
  76-90
  1d12
  91-105
  2d6
  106-120
  1d8+1d6
  121-135
  2d8
  136-150
  1d10+1d8
  151-165
  2d10
  166-180
  2d10+1d2
  181-195
  2d10+1d4
  196-210
  2d10+1d6
  Every 15
  Continue 
  Progression
  Unit Battle Form
  Unit Name:                                                         UnitType:
  Unit Traits:
  Commander:
  Command Skill %
  Strength:
  Current Damage:
  Competency %
  Morale:
  Current Formation:
  Frontage:
  Notes
  8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 z y x w v u t s r q p o n m l k j i h g f e d c b a
  a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
  8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 z y x w v u t s r q p o n m l k j i h g f e d c b a
  a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
  
  8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 z y x w v u t s r q p o n m l k j i h g f e d c b a
  a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
  This supplement for RuneQuest 6th 
  Edition brings you game rules for using 
  sea-going vessels of all sizes in your RQ 
  campaigns, plus a set of semi-abstract 
  mechanics for staging large battles where 
  RuneQuest characters can take a key 
  part – either as commanders, or warriors 
  in the shield wall.
  Designed to be simple, fast and play-
  able, these rules are perfect for those  
  campaigns that aspire to the epic: voyages 
  across the oceans; high-seas piracy; shield 
  wall clashes, or battles between massive 
  armies.
  TDM103
  RuneQuest is a trademark (TM) 
  of Moon Design Publications LLP 
  Produced under license from Moon 
  Design Publications. All rights reserved.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Runequest and Glorantha (d100)/Runequest 6th Edition/RuneQuest 6 - Ships & Shield Walls.pdf