Incarnations of the Midnight Special

The Midnight Special is a ship that exists in several different versions in my campaign.  Its "default" form is that of a keelboat that operates in the waters around the Velen Peninsula in the Forgotten Realms.  The second version is a seaplane in the 1920s on Earth-218 and the third is an armored fishing trawler used to hunt pirates off of the Somali coast in modern times.

Midnight Special

Gargantuan Vehicle (30‘l x 10‘w x 5‘h, 5‘draft)

Seaworthiness: -2; Shiphandling: +2

Speed: wind x 10’ or oars 10’ (good); Overall AC: 1 (-4 size, -5 Dex)

Hull Sections: 3 (sink 1 section); Section Hp: 50 (hardness 5); Section AC: 3 (-5 Dex)

Rigging Sections: 1; Rigging Hp: 60 (hardness 0); AC: 1

Ram: 3d6; Mounts: 1 light

Complement: 16; Watch: 2 (+8 rowers); Cargo: 20 tons (speed wind x 5’ or oars 5’ if 10 tons or more)

Weapons:

1 Ballista (1 fore)

Crew: 1 Hardness: 5 Hp: 75 Dmg: 3d8 (19-20/x2) Range: 120’

A Medium creature takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls when using a ballista (-6 for Small creatures). It takes a creature smaller than Large 2 full-round actions to reload a ballista after firing.

Special: Diving Bell; 3 Passenger Spaces (6 person capacity); Salvage Crane; Scarlet Marpenoth (Gnomish Submersible);

Diving Bell

Medium Vehicle (5‘l x 5‘w x 0‘h, 5‘draft)

Seaworthiness: +0; Shiphandling: N/A

Speed: N/A; Overall AC: 5 (-5 Dex)

Hull Sections: 1; Hp: 80 (hardness 6);

Ram: N/A; Mounts: N/A

Complement: 2 (Medium) or 4 (Small); Watch: N/A; Cargo: 200 lbs.

Scarlet Marpenoth
Huge Vehicle (10' l x 5'w x 5' h, 0' draft)
Seaworthiness: -2; Shiphandling: N/A
Speed: "oars" 10' (good); Overall AC: 5 (-5 Dex)
Hull Sections: 1; Hp: 80 (hardness: 5)
Ram: N/A; Mounts: N/A
Complement: 2 (Small); Watch: N/A; Cargo: 50 lbs.

(Generic Keelboat)

(The Midnight Special template)

The Midnight Special is a keelboat purchased jointly by the members of the Leatherwood Adventuring Party. Raellius Thornside captains her. The keelboat is 50’ long, 20’ across at her widest point, and has a 4’ draft. The ship can carry 8 tons of cargo in the main hold and has attachment points on the main deck and top of the sterncastle that allow her to transport a small submersible and diving bell. Unless otherwise noted, the overheads are 7’ high and passageways are 5’ wide. Wall sconces that hold Continual Flame lamps light all interior spaces.

Main Deck Exterior

1. Forecastle (Foc’sle)/Ballista Platform: This raised platform carries the ship’s only mounted armament. Ten feet across at its widest point, the foc’sle tapers to a point at the ship’s bullnose. The ballista is mounted on a pivot that can be rotated from relative bearings of 315 ° to 45 °.

2. Main Deck: The main deck is located between the foc’sle and sterncastle. It ranges from 20’ wide aft to only 10’ wide forward. The ship’s mast is located just aft of the hatch leading down to the cargo hold. A door located in the center of the forward bulkhead leads into the anchor windlass. A second door in the center of the aft bulkhead leads into the primary berthing aboard the ship. A ladder on the portside leads up to the cox’n flat and crane deck.

3. Cox’n Flat/Crane Deck: The helmsman flat and helm is located atop the ship’s sterncastle. This area is 20’ wide x 15’ long and is surrounded by a crenellated bulwark similar to the one located on the foc’sle. A salvage crane has been installed on the aft portion of the cox’n flat. Mounted to port, the crane has access to both the diving bell stored on this deck and to the Scarlet Marpenoth which is carried on the submarine deck all the way aft. This crane can support up to close to 8,000 pounds of cargo (roughly the weight of the gnomish submersible). The crane can raise or lower the diving bell at a rate of 10’ round and the sub at half that speed.

The crane can lower the diving bell to a maximum depth of about 200’.

4. Submarine Deck: The last ten feet of the main deck is taken up by the submarine deck. This is where the Scarlet Marpenoth is normally carried when the Midnight Special is underway. Special braces have been installed here to support the sub when it is out of the water without damaging its delicate paddlewheel assembly. The rudder and bowplanes are lashed to the forward bulkhead in an effort to conserve space aboard the ship. A pair of large tarps is also stored here to conceal the submersible while it is being carried.

Deck Houses

5. Anchor Windlass: The anchor windlass is a small cabin located directly beneath the foc’sle. The capstans used to raise the salvage ship’s anchors are located here. A series of levers and gears are built into the overhead that allow the capstan to also serve as the motive force for the heavy ballista mounted on the foc’sle. Voice tubes pass through the overhead to the foc’sle to allow for the relaying of orders during combat at sea or anchoring operations.

6. Sterncastle: The sterncastle houses the main berthing space aboard the Midnight Special as well as the ship’s only head (see space 15 and 16 for details).

Cargo Deck

7. Bos‘n Locker: This storeroom contains line, wood, supplies, cleaning gear, paint, and other items used aboard ship. All tools used to anchor the ship and secure the ship’s smaller vessels are also kept here.

8. Cargo Hold: This space has the same dimensions as the deck above it. Thick shelving and beams run throughout the hold and provide places to store or tie down cargo. Up to eight tons of material can be stored here.

9. Dive Locker: Swimming gear, salvage tools and looking boxes are stowed here to dry. Small holes in the floor allow water to drain into the bilge. Additionally, the bilge pump is also located in this compartment with an eductor drain leading out of the portside of the ship.

10. Lower Bunkroom: The lower bunkroom serves as additional living quarters. The aft bulkhead of the space has a door that opens into the chartroom.

11. Galley/Galley Stowage: The ship’s small galley is located on the starboard side of this deck. The galley is 7’ wide and is equipped with a wood-burning stove, a small washbasin and cabinets that hold cooking utensils. Cupboards and countertops fill most of the remaining space. The aft door leads into the ship’s pantry.

12. Chartroom: All of the charts and maps the Leatherwood Party has been able to acquire are stowed here. A large table has been bolted to the floor here for the viewing of maps. The ship’s deck log, flags, and navigation tools (sextants, protractors, compasses, etc) are kept in a special watertight locker here to protect them from exposure and fire. The only way in and out of this room is through the lower bunkhouse, which is deterrent for most people.

13. Rudder Post Room: This 10’ x 10’ compartment houses all the gears and cables run that run throughout the room to link the wheel atop the sterncastle to the ship’s rudder. The room also contains tools and spare parts that are most likely to be needed to affect repairs to the ship’s steering capabilities.

14. Pantry: The galley storeroom is a 10’ long x 5’ wide chamber that contains dried meats, flour for making hard biscuits, fruit and vegetables, replacement cookware and flatware, clean linens and cleaning gear for the galley.

Sterncastle Interior

15. Jake: This is the only head aboard the ship. It is located in the forward port corner of the upper bunkroom.

16. Upper Bunkroom: Three sets of two bunks are built into this room. Two bunks run the length of the room against the portside bulkhead. The other four run amidships from the starboard bulkhead toward the center of the room. A hatch located in the floor in the forward starboard corner leads down to the cargo deck. Lockers located at various points throughout the room contain the personal belongings of the Leatherwood Group. A door in the forward bulkhead leads to the main deck. A second door in the aft bulkhead leads to the deck where the Scarlet Marpenoth is stowed.

Midnight Special II

Craft: Modified Sikorsky S-42 Flying Clipper

Class: Civilian Aircraft Size: Colossal (68’ long x 15’ wide x 21‘ high x 118‘ wingspan)

Crew: 2 Passengers: 12 Cargo Capacity: 5 tons

Initiative: -4 (-4 size) Maneuver: -4 (-4 size)

Top Speed: 280 (28) - approximately 190 mph

Defense: 2 (-8 size) Hardness: 10 Hit Points: 60

Purchase DC: 43 Restriction: Lic (+1)

Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Radial Engines (750 horsepower each)

Maximum Speed: 190 mph Cruising Speed: 150 mph

Cruise Ceiling: 16,000’ Range: 1,200 miles

The Midnight Special is one of the newest Flying Clippers to roll off of the assembly line. Since its delivery, the interior of the airplane has been extensively modified to suit the needs of its crew. The passenger seats in the cabin have been replaced with a living room of sorts. A radio provides most of the onboard entertainment, although bookshelves containing novels, magazines and copies of Raellius’ pulp fiction series are also present. Large recliners and a small grouping of end tables are bolted to the deck. Shower facilities are located in the far aft of the plane.

A small kitchen located just forward of the airplane’s waist contains a small refrigerator, oven, a sink and cupboards. Continuing forward from the kitchen, six bunks and lockers line the opposite walls of the fuselage. A radio booth and water closet are located between the sleeping area and cockpit.

Even though the plane’s passenger capacity has been decreased, its expanded cargo capacity has been taken up with additional water storage tanks, CHT tanks, and a water desalination system.

Midnight Special III

Craft: modified Fishing Trawler     Class: Civilian Water

Size: Gargantuan (107’ long x 18’ wide x 7’ draft)

Initiative: -4 (-4 size)

Crew: 9 Passengers: 2 Cargo Capacity: 100 tons

Maneuver: -4 (-4 size) - +2 to Drive checks in rough seas

Top Speed: 70 (7) - approximately 33 knots

Defense: 6 (-4 size) Hardness: 10 Hit Points: 175

Weapons: (4) M60E2 General Purpose Machine Guns w/ twin spade firing grips and firing shield on coaxial mount: 2d10 (20/x2, 100’ autofire)and 5 linked belts of 50 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition

The armor-plated wheelhouse is located aft of the working deck and above the crew quarters. It has been outfitted with state-of-the-art navigation and communication systems (autopilot, GPS, satellite phone, basic and maritime distress radios). Echo sounders and radar display screens are mounted in the overhead. Proceeding aft leads to the captain’s cabin, which contains a bunk, desk and chair, and private head and shower. A small Zodiac inflatable boat (not pictured) is stored atop the wheelhouse.

The crew quarters, galley and crew’s head/shower are located below the wheel house. The galley has a lot of overhead storage, including hanging racks for pots and pans, wall-mounted cabinets for flatware and regularly-used items. The stove top has a clamp system that prevents pots and pans from sliding off of the stove in rough weather. A dishwasher, microwave, and most importantly, a coffee maker is located here as well.

The head is small and cramped but has a shower and sink, toilet and urinal.

The crew quarters have coffin bunks (bunk beds stacked three high, the mattresses on lowermost and middle bunk lift to reveal storage compartments) and rows of lockers against the wall. A small lounge with a table and four chairs, a cabinet containing recreational electronics (DVD/VCR player, PS3, Xbox, CD Player) and a personal computer provide off-duty crewmembers a place to unwind.

The engine room is located in the stern of the ship. The propulsion power plant has been completely replaced, incorporating a pair of advanced gas turbine engines capable of powering the boat to speeds in excess of 30 knots . A smaller, auxiliary generator provides electricity. A powerful water pump draws water from the sea for firefighting purposes, a desalinator purifies seawater for drinking, showering and cooking. Additional equipment includes air compressors, fire suppression controls, auxiliary steering and refrigeration equipment. The fuel and potable water tanks are located along the centerline, just forward of the engine room and waste water tanks can be found aft.

Continuing forward leads into the cargo hold, most of which has been converted for use as a machine shop, brig, armory and sick bay. SCUBA gear is kept in the former hold as well. At best, only half of the original storage area remains.

Two heavy outrigger booms, operated from winches on the foc’sle (or from an auxiliary location inside the pilot house) perform double duty as cargo handling equipment for ship’s stores and the Zodiac. The foc’sle interior houses the windlass used to raise the ship’s anchor and storage for mooring lines, wire rope, paint and other chemicals plus dry consumables like toilet paper, rags, cleaning supplies and canvas.

Several hard points for mounting belt-fed machine guns have been installed along the boat’s gunwales. Watertight lockers on the deck contain belts of ammunition.