Wool Bales

A cheap, unusual but sometimes effective means of armouring one’s ship.

Ultimate Equipment Guide II

Author Greg Lynch, J. C. Alvarez
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2005

By Sail and Wain often sells wool bales to poor ship captains who cannot afford the more effective (and less ridiculous-looking) hull armour. Still, despite the rather comical appearance, a ship armoured with wool bales can withstand more punishment from rams and catapults than one without. Amara began selling this strange armour after hearing a merchant ship crewman recount a tale of its use in a battle with a pair of pirate ships. The captain of the merchant ship, which was carrying a load of wool, had his men strap it to the sides of the ship, dampening the blows of the enemy ships’ attacks and somehow keeping the merchant ship afloat.

The bales sold at By Sail and Wain are one foot thick and three feet wide, and come lashed together with thick cords of braided leather. They are kept on deck, just behind the ship’s gunwale. When needed, they can be heaved over the side, unspooling to form a solid covering over the ship’s side, from the gunwhale to just below the water line.

A ship outfitted with wool bales enjoys a limited amount of armour against attacks which rely on kinetic force to do damage, such as rams and catapult stones. The damage of a ram is reduced by two points, and the damage of stone or bolt from a siege engine, such as a catapult or ballista, is reduced by one point per die of damage. Despite the efficacy of wool bales against kinetic impact damage, however, they are very susceptible to fire. They are usually kept damp with seawater to lessen this vulnerability, but still, any fire-based attack against a ship armoured with wool bales will do an additional one point of damage per damage die.

Wool bales must be replaced every two months, or they will become useless with rot.

Wool Bales (per bale): 1 gp; 25 lb.