Anchored Ships, Who Is On Them?


Rules Questions and Gameplay Discussion


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Just wanting to clarify that I'm reading something right.

S&S Rulebook p17 wrote:
Whenever it is your turn, if your ship is anchored and you are at the ship’s location, you are commanding your party’s ship; all characters at your location are on the ship. You may not choose to move an anchored ship. If your character moves or is moved from the ship’s location, you are no longer on the ship or commanding it, and other characters may not choose to move with you.

So, if the active player is not at the anchored ship's location (whether because they started at another location or because they moved), are the other characters that are at the anchored ship's location? In other words, can you be on the ship if there is no commander?

The answer seems to be no, you can not be on the ship without a commander. Which is perfectly fine. I just wanted to make sure I had that right.


Hawkmoon269 wrote:

Just wanting to clarify that I'm reading something right.

S&S Rulebook p17 wrote:
Whenever it is your turn, if your ship is anchored and you are at the ship’s location, you are commanding your party’s ship; all characters at your location are on the ship. You may not choose to move an anchored ship. If your character moves or is moved from the ship’s location, you are no longer on the ship or commanding it, and other characters may not choose to move with you.

So, if the active player is not at the anchored ship's location (whether because they started at another location or because they moved), are the other characters that are at the anchored ship's location? In other words, can you be on the ship if there is no commander?

The answer seems to be no, you can not be on the ship without a commander. Which is perfectly fine. I just wanted to make sure I had that right.

I dunno, that last sentence seems to imply that the active player started on the ship and was then no longer on the ship after moving but the other players at that location are still on the ship. It might not make any difference; there might not be any effects for players "on a ship" when it's not their turn, apart from moving.


I am interpreting the rules as everyone at the ship's location is on the ship, regardless of who's turn it is and whether the person who's turn it is is on the ship.


The thing is, the rules don't seem to simply say anywhere "if you are at the location where the ship is anchored, you are on the ship." (Unless I missed it.) Being on the ship seems entirely tied to be at "your location" when you are commanding the ship.

For instance, the rules have specifying anyone as being on the ship when a character starts a turn at a non-anchored location.


You're correct. The rules don't specify that. That could be because it doesn't matter if you're on the ship or not when you aren't commanding it, it can't move and the active player is in a different location, but if it does that is how I would interpret it. At least until Vic/Mike/Tanis/Chad/etc says otherwise :-)


nondeskript wrote:
You're correct. The rules don't specify that. That could be because it doesn't matter if you're on the ship or not when you aren't commanding it, it can't move and the active player is in a different location, but if it does that is how I would interpret it. At least until Vic/Mike/Tanis/Chad/etc says otherwise :-)

It could easily matter. Imagine you encounter a barrier that makes everyone at an open location fight, and someone is at the anchored location and using a boarding pike

Grand Lodge

But that segment after the semicolon,

S&S Rulebook p 17 wrote:
all characters at your location are on the ship.

does specify that the other characters at the starting location (for the commanding character) are on the ship. Just because the starting character moves or is moved doesn't change the fact that the ship is still anchored at the starting location nor change that the other characters are still on the anchored ship.

It is simply that the ship is no longer being captained. At least until the next character's turn at that location.


I think it does need to be clarified, but the current wording does seem to imply that no one is on the ship if it isn't being commanded.

Grand Lodge

csouth154 wrote:
I think it does need to be clarified, but the current wording does seem to imply that no one is on the ship if it isn't being commanded.

How does it imply that?

All it talks about is that you are no longer commanding the ship and no longer on it (if you move or are moved). Nowhere does it say or change the fact that the other characters at that location are no longer on it. But it does specify they start on the ship for that turn. True?


Theryon Stormrune wrote:
csouth154 wrote:
I think it does need to be clarified, but the current wording does seem to imply that no one is on the ship if it isn't being commanded.

How does it imply that?

All it talks about is that you are no longer commanding the ship and no longer on it (if you move or are moved). Nowhere does it say or change the fact that the other characters at that location are no longer on it. But it does specify they start on the ship for that turn. True?

Somehow I don't think they intend to require you to remember where a character WAS. So if the commander of an anchored ship moves away from it, I think no one is on the ship at that point.

Grand Lodge

While it may not matter (since probably and cards encountered won't affect the previous location) but in case it does, I think you're reading something that isn't there. Again, re-read that passage. It specifies where the other characters are at the start. But that's where they stay during that turn. They stay with the anchored ship.


Theryon Stormrune wrote:
While it may not matter (since probably and cards encountered won't affect the previous location) but in case it does, I think you're reading something that isn't there. Again, re-read that passage. It specifies where the other characters are at the start. But that's where they stay during that turn. They stay with the anchored ship.

Actually, I wasn't remember that anchored ships are actually next to a location. So, yeah, I think you're right. Anyone at the same location of the ship is on it.


csouth154 wrote:
Actually, I wasn't remember that anchored ships are actually next to a location. So, yeah, I think you're right. Anyone at the same location of the ship is on it.

Another reason for my group to use the Pirates of the Spanish Main mini to mark where the ship is! It's so much cooler than a flat token card ;)


It seems clear to me that if you start your turn at an anchored ship location, everyone there is on the ship. If you move, you aren't on the ship anymore. It doesn't say anything about the other characters so their status hasn't changed, they are still on the ship. The only question open to interpretation is what happens when you start your turn in a location other than the one where the ship is anchored. The active player is clearly not on the ship, but other characters at the anchored ship's location? It is not specified. I would say any character at the ship's location is on the ship.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Any character at the ship's location is on the ship.


Thanks Vic. That might be worth an FAQ.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Yep. Soon!


Vic Wertz wrote:
Any character at the ship's location is on the ship.

If I'm honest, I'd have been stunned if the answer had been anything but.

Would the implication have been that the other members of the party were too scared to go on board without the commander's permission? Did the commander go away with the cabin door key?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Added to FAQ.


Vic Wertz wrote:
Added to FAQ.

this may be a dumb question but are we always on the ship...unless it is anchored?

another question
an anchored ship can not ever be moved to a different location.

I am doing my first scenario tomorrow I am a bit nervous about only the ship rules. The rest are pretty straight forward from playing ROTRL.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Characters at the same location as the party's ship are always on the ship, anchored or not.

You may not choose to move an anchored ship. (The door is open for the possibility of something *else* choosing to move your anchored ship, whether you like it or not...)

Sovereign Court

If a ship is not anchored, the current player is commanding the ship, and anyone at the same location as s/he is on it as well.


Here is how Ships and movement work. (To the best of my understanding.)

Situation 1: The Ship Is Not Anchored
Who Is On The Ship
Whoever's turn it is, they are commanding the ship.
Anyone that is at the commander's location is on the ship.

Who Can Move
When the commander moves, anyone that is at the commanders location can move with them. They can do this whether the commander moves as part of their move step or from a power or card to allow them to move.

When You Can't Move
You can not move simply because someone's turn ends and someone else's turn begins. The ship doesn't create new ways to "earn" a move, just ways for other people to tag along when the commander moves.

Example 1
It is Valeros' turn. Valeros is commanding the ship.
Feiya is at Valeros' location. Feiya is on the ship.
Merisiel is at another location. Merisiel is not on the ship.

Valeros moves as part of the move step of his turn. Feiya may come with Valeros. Merisiel may not move.

Example 2
It is Valeros' turn. Valeros is commanding the ship.
Feiya is at Valeros' location. Feiya is on the ship.
Merisiel is at another location. Merisiel is not on the ship.

Valeros ends his turn and it is now Merisiel's turn. Neither Valeros nor Feiya can move to Merisiel's location with the change of the turn. Merisel is now commanding the ship.

Example 3
Someone has decided to play Amiri in S&S.
It is Amiri's turn. Amiri is commanding the ship.
Feiya is at Amiri's location. Feiya is on the ship.
Merisiel is at another location. Merisiel is not on the ship.

Amiri moves to Merisiel's location as part of the move part of her turn. Fieya may come with her, but decides not to. Feiya is no longer on the ship, but Merisiel is.

At the end of her turn, Amiri uses her power to move. Merisiel, who is on the ship, may come with her. Fieya, who is not on the ship, may not.

Situation 2: The Ship Is Anchored
Who Is On The Ship
If you are at the location where the ship is anchored you are on the ship.
If it is your turn, and you are at the location where the ship is anchored, you are commanding the ship.

Who Is Not on The Ship
Anyone at a location other than the one where the ship is anchored.

Who Can Move
Just the person whose turn it is. The ship grants you not movement benefits while anchored.


Additional situation: you are at another location, and move or are forced to move to where the ship is anchored; you then end up on the ship with anyone else who happens to be there.

I think the bottom line is, the ship is wherever the captain is, unless the ship is anchored at a specific location; anyone who is at the ship's location (and by extension, the captain's if the ship isn't anchored) is on the ship.


Thanks for the clarification. It seem a bit weird almost like if you have 5 players on 5 different location in essence you have 5 ships? OR 1 ship that is active when you play and when it is not your turn then you are not on a ship, unless it is your turn.

Anchored ships then you only 1 ship at all times because it sits at 1 location and unless you are on that location then you are not on the ship :)

make sense? Saying it out loud to make sure I am right.

Grand Lodge

There is only one ship (unless specified otherwise). It travels from location to location on the current player's turn. That's why there is a single ship card out at the top. When anchored, the ship sits next to that location.

If the ship is not anchored, then the current player and all players at his or her location are on the ship. If the ship is anchored then if the current player starts his turn at the anchored location or is moved to that anchored location (along with anyone else there), they are on the ship.

Note: if you are at the location where the ship is, anchored or not, and not your turn, you are on the ship.


This may sound a little ridiculous and this thread is fairly old but...

How the heck are we doing all this exploring and uncovering treasure from on the ship? Do we take turns with long poles and binoculars digging through the sand on the islands? Are we taking turns sprinting off the ship, killing monsters, and returning to the ship?

Honestly, unless I'm moving the ship to a new location or it's a water-based location, it doesn't make any sense for **anyone** to be on the ship.

On the same token, I'd love to see a person "exploring" Shipwreck Graveyard or Raker Shoals without a ship. And shooting a longbow from Lonely Isle to Cannibal Isle while he's at it. Must be one of those 250 lbs English longbows.

Just fancying a bit of realism, I suppose!


Thematically, they're disembarking to deal with the explorations. That's why when the current character moves, people -may- choose to move with them.

Some characters stay on the ship in between exploring the areas and some don't.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

This ship thing confuses me still. I finally got the play my first game of this last night, and I'm a bit fuzzy on how ships work. Suppose the following situation. Two characters (Lem and Valeros) and four locations (A, B, C, and D).

Setup: Lem starts A, Valeros starts at B. The ship is not anchored, nor is it at a specific location. The ship card is next to the scenario card.

Turn 1: Lem is commanding the ship. Lem is on the ship. Valeros is not on the ship. Lem moves to B. Now Lem is commanding and on the ship, and Valeros is on the ship. Where is the ship card? Still by the scenario card, or is it at B now?

Turn 2: Valeros is commanding the ship. Valeros and Lem are both on the ship. Valeros moves to C and Lem stays behind. Lem is no longer on the ship. Where is the ship card? Still by the scenario card, or is it at C now?

Turn 3: Lem.... is commanding the ship? But the ship just left him behind? Did the ship actually move? Is the ship card still by the scenario card or did it move to Valeros's location?

What just happened? I'm unsure if the ship teleports back to Lem, stays with Valeros, or is some sort of Schrodinger's ship that can be in either place depending on whose turn it is and not based on actual movement. I understand the ship is an abstraction, but I'm not sure what kind of abstraction it is.


There's never any need to move the ship card at all. Just leave it by the scenario card.

The characters are commanding, not piloting the ship. Therefore the pilot can be considered to be taking the ship from location to location between turns.

Castarr4 wrote:

Turn 2: Valeros is commanding the ship. Valeros and Lem are both on the ship. Valeros moves to C and Lem stays behind. Lem is no longer on the ship. Where is the ship card? Still by the scenario card, or is it at C now?

End of turn 2: Valeros says to the ship's pilot "Right, leave me here and go and pick up Lem from B"

Turn 3: Lem.... is commanding the ship? But the ship just left him behind? Did the ship actually move? Is the ship card still by the scenario card or did it move to Valeros's location?


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Cool. So unless the ship is anchored, it travels to whoever's turn it is between turns. The card stays put and doesn't move typically. Good to know.


The_Napier wrote:
The characters are commanding, not piloting the ship. Therefore the pilot can be considered to be taking the ship from location to location between turns.
Castarr4 wrote:
Cool. So unless the ship is anchored, it travels to whoever's turn it is between turns. The card stays put and doesn't move typically. Good to know.

*This* was the biggest thing that was bugging me as I have been getting up to speed with PACG. Anchored ships were intuitive, but each commander suddenly having a ship appear underneath their feet when their turn started bugged me, even with the call for abstraction made in the manual.

It feels much more reasonable to think of the ship as having a completely separate crew with pilot separate from the heroes. Between turns, the upcoming commander calls the ship to meet them where they are (as long as it isn't anchored). When it arrives at the start of their turn, they are now "on the ship".

As for the bits about using long sticks or hopping on and off the ship, I think it makes sense to visualize each turn as something that might potentially be taking significant time rather than minutes. The crew currently on the ship decides to go explore the island, fight the skeleton, then dig up that treasure chest. At the end of the day, they head back to the ship to hit their bunks.

Where the illusion does seem to fall apart though, is if the next commander is at a different location, and they call the ship to them, it feels weird that everyone else on the ship is forced off of it. I can't think of a good explanation for that. Maybe they hate sleeping on the ship so they are all passed out at a tavern when the pilot moves the ship? :) I don't know if it was ever playtested, but I'd offer the suggestion of maybe trying out a rule change where the current heroes on the ship at the end of a turn can choose to follow the ship to the next commander's location when their turn starts.

Anyway, I think it would be great to have some of the color about the commander calling the ship to them in the manual to ease new-comers into the illusion of the world.

Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Designer

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DEinspanjer wrote:
It feels much more reasonable to think of the ship as having a completely separate crew with pilot separate from the heroes.

This right here. Ships are big things requiring lots of crew, and Oloch isn't taking off his heavy armor to heist the jibberjab, or whatever it is you do on a ship.

When it's your turn, you call (carrier pigeon? divine entreaty? flare gun?) for your ship to pick you up. Everyone else is off the boat doing off-the-boat things: thwacking cannibals on Cannibal Isle, buying a muffin at the Seaside Warehouse, whatever. Then the ship arrives and you and your pals get on it and go somewhere.

That's how it works. Also, it's a card game.

Mike


Mike Selinker wrote:
When it's your turn, you call (carrier pigeon? divine entreaty? flare gun?) for your ship to pick you up.

Just for kicks, can we thematically assign how each character would signal the ship? My suggestions:

Carrier Pigeon: Lini
Divine Entreaty: Alahazra, Oloch
Flare Gun: Lirianne
Signal Fire: Damiel
Magical Device/Cauldron: Feya
Song: Lem
Stern Look: Jirelle
Somehow just sneaks her way back onto the ship: Merisiel
Ship's crew is scared they will be murdered if they don't come back and check to see if he wants to use the ship every so often: Seltyiel
Ship's crew just really wants to go get a drink so they come back to ask if they can do that: Valeros

Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Designer

Hawkmoon269 wrote:
Mike Selinker wrote:
When it's your turn, you call (carrier pigeon? divine entreaty? flare gun?) for your ship to pick you up.

Just for kicks, can we thematically assign how each character would signal the ship? My suggestions:

Carrier Pigeon: Lini
Divine Entreaty: Alahazra, Oloch
Flare Gun: Lirianne
Signal Fire: Damiel
Magical Device/Cauldron: Feya
Song: Lem
Stern Look: Jirelle
Somehow just sneaks her way back onto the ship: Merisiel
Ship's crew is scared they will be murdered if they don't come back and check to see if he wants to use the ship every so often: Seltyiel
Ship's crew just really wants to go get a drink so they come back to ask if they can do that: Valeros

Don't forget:

Has stolen the keys to the ship: Ranzak


Ooh, I like this topic. Here's what my group would use (They're based on the actual characters we ran in S&S, I'll reference the cards used):

Sends her familiar over: Nadira (Feiya)
Twilight Squeak (Twilight Bark but with Rats): Pascal (Lini)
The Wheel just knows and steers to him: Warth (Oloch)
Runs across the water to the ship: Matthew (Meresiel)
Two Gunshots means come get me, Three means stay away: Aniki (Lirianne)
Used a plot coupon: Captain Fawn du' Chan (Jirelle)
Teleports to the ship: Garel (Seltyiel)

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