Leviathan Series: Longship (Patreon)

Today I finished up the first part in a series of maps and tokens called the Leviathan series, I am going to try and create a series of maps connected by a norse/viking fantasy theme and a very loose plot that will enable someone to fill in the blanks and create an adventure of their own! 

The starting point for the series is the longship, one of the most iconic ships ever created and a great starting point for anyone looking to start an adventure in the frozen northlands of any fantasy setting! 

Longship

Average Length: 100 feet

Cost: 7,000 gp/12,000 gp

Build Time: 5 Weeks

Armour Class: 15

HP: 300

The longship is a graceful, long, narrow and light ship, and the standard vessel used by the Vikings in the real world or other northern cultures of a fantasy setting. The ship's shallow draft allows it to navigate in waters only a meter deep, which also allows it it to land on beaches or even carried over land by its crew. A longship is also double-ended, the symmetrical bow and stern allows the ship to reverse direction quickly enabling it to maneuver around icebergs, sea ice, rock or other hazards.

Each side of the vessel may contain 20 to 25 oars, these would be used for rowing against the wind or up river. A single mast with a square sail stands in the center of the vessel and provides the ship with propulsion enabling it to reach speeds up to 15 knots (28 km/h) These ships can also carry cargo, but with a large crew to man the oars their trading ability is fairly limited.

Redorm, The Red Serpent

Locked and bound, the PC’s awake to sound of a cracking whip and the smell of salt and brine. Waves crash around them as the sleek ship bounds it way across the water and the realization of being press ganged into service hits like a sledgehammer in the back of the head. Another crack of the whip brings their attention to the oars pressed into their hands and a bellowed command, ‘Man the oars! Pull your weight!’. Shackles have been locked around their feet, bound to the hull of northern longship, painted in red and with a fearsome carved head of a snarling serpent at the prow. Looking around, gruff bearded men and a few other captive rowers man the rest of the oars along the length of the ship. A bearde, one eyed bosun, bare chested and wielding a long whip stands near the single sail, bellowing commands as the ship lurches adn crashes forwards. At the head of the ship near the prow a hunched cloaked figure looks out over the waves.