Avast, and Merry Christmas!

Once again, I'm a little bit late in rolling this out, but I can promise it's a good one! Once again, I've made some additions and refinements to the core rulebook, further improving the game experience. I've also released an adventure, pitching your characters into a den of intrigue and subterfuge. 

The big news this month is the revision of the naval combat rules. While I was initially quite happy with how they played, after more testing it was clear that there were some areas that needed work. As you can see in the changelog, several areas have been tweaked, including the addition of gun ranges, and the adjustment of damage values for both gunfire and ramming. 

When taken together, the changes to naval combat give a better approximation of Napoleonic naval combat. Ships are more resilient to damage, and the addition of ranges makes manoeuvre all the more essential. You'll also deal more damage if you can lay up alongside, or cross your opponent's "T" to score an automatic critical hit. 

This month saw the release of the first adventure for Shot & Splinters. Beneath the Battlements is centred on Guerande, a picturesque medieval town infested with dark secrets. One of the revised starting situations thrusts you into the heart of this nest of intrigue, battling spies, revolutionaries, and common criminals in an attempt to rescue a captured British agent. 

Beneath the Battlements is a city-sized sandbox, filled with unique NPCs and striking locations. You might find yourself in disguise, watching a cockfight in L’Ensigne du Pourcelet's taproom or being pursued through the streets by bellowing gendarmes. The adventure provides a change of scenery from splintered decks and soaring yards, plunging down into Guerande's rain-soaked cobbled streets. 

November Update

• Shipmates (Pages 2-9): this new system gives each character a network of contacts aboard ship, adding new faces to the crew. Players generate the attitude, competence, courage, and discipline of their new comrade, before generating a name, stats, and a random trait or quirk. 
• Equipment (Page 12): items are now acquired by using an easy Authority test, modified by the requisition. 
• Naval Encounters (Pages 26-27): the system for generating naval encounters has been revised, allowing for convoys and squadrons to be generated. Subtables have been added to give more variance in the kind of ship encountered. The frequency of naval encounters has also been added. 
• Finding Food & Water (Page 29): rules for finding food and water have been added.
• Returning to Portsmouth (Page 30): the rules for returning home have been significantly revised. 
• Fortifications (Page 34): statistics for small and large artillery emplacements have been added. 
• Wildlife (Page 35): statistics for common fauna have been added, allowing for a wider variety of encounters. 

December Update

• New names (Pages 2-3): new names for sailors of different nationalities. 
• Warships (Page 12): starting situations re-worked to include new content. 
• Warships (Page 18): adjusted number of marines in line with historical figure of 20% - resulting in a larger compliment for all ships. 
• Merchant Ships (Page 19): speed of the Lugger and Packet Boat have been adjusted to make them slower.
• Gun Ranges (Page 21): ranges added for all broadside types.
• Damage (Page 21): damage numbers adjusted. 
• Ramming (Page 22): ramming damage numbers adjusted.
• Crew Killed (Page 22): crew killed post-battle linked to damage suffered rather than tied to single dice.
• Combat Complications (Page 22): attacks against a ship's rear arc always cause a Critical Hit. Attacks against a ship in an adjacent hex deal an additional 1D6 damage. 
• Morale (Page 25): added rules for managing morale in battles.
• Making Repairs (Page 27): added rules for repairing the ship. 
• Naval Encounters (Page 28): added the chance of encountering a friendly civilian convoy. Also added the chance of convoys being accompanied by escorts. 
• Returning to Portsmouth (Page 32): section revised to include chance of promotion following a cruise. 
• Wildlife (Page 37): statistics added for fighting dogs and watchdogs.