23.15 Ship Weapons
Three different weapons are currently available for placement on ships: Onagers, Ballistas, and Arcanian Arms (also known as 'throwers'). The prices given may change at any time without notice. Ship weapons may be created, moved, and destroyed by a shipfitter with permissions to SHIPFIT aboard your ship. Onagers - Keyword: "onager" ------- 70 shipwood + 80 shipiron + 35 shiplines Largest of the ship weapons. The large cup at the end of the arm of the onager can hold a very large load in a variety of configurations, including chainshot, or many flares. Ballistas - Keyword: "ballista" --------- 40 shipiron + 50 shipwood + 25 shiplines Rather like a huge crossbow. A ballista can fire shafts much like oversized arrows, or flares. Arcanian Arms (Throwers) - Keyword: "thrower" ------------------------ 30 shipiron + 25 shipwood + 20 shiplines The only weapon that can fit on the tiniest decks, Arcanian Arms fire large, flat objects by rotating in a manner similar to a person throwing something side-arm. Throwers can handle hook-shot, flares, and war discs. Weapons and Arcanian Their Loads Onager Ballista Arm --------------------------------------------- Flare yes/8 yes/5 yes/3 Hookshot no no yes Chainshot yes no no Shaft no yes no Spidershot yes no no Starshot yes no no Wardisc no no yes Windcutter OK? no no yes (limit: 1 total) Seastrider OK? yes yes yes (limit: 3 total) War Galley OK? yes yes yes (limit: 6 total) Weapon Loads ------------ Versus Ships ------------ Flare - Burn brightly for a time, for signals, among other things. - Reveals nearby cloaked ships. - Available in numerous colours. Chainshot - Sails damage, and will bind sails. - Sails will be unusable until they are CLEARed. - When dipped this will set the sails on fire. Hookshot - For grappling. - CHOP TETHER to free yourself. - For the grappler: SHIP DISENGAGE will sever your thrown hooks. Darts - Hull damage and leaking. - When dipped they will set fires. - Rowing crew will be interrupted when hit. Spidershot - Binds a weapon on the enemy ship rendering it inoperable until it is CLEARed. Starshot - Encircles the ship's figurehead, causing any melded sailors to be unmelded. - The figurehead will remain unusable until it is CLEARed. - When dipped, it will start a fire on the bow. War disc - Causes the crew to duck and cower. - This will interrupt the crew for a short duration during which they will halt their current task and not accept orders. Versus Seamonsters ------------------ Flare - Prevent a seamonster from moving for a very short time. Chainshot - Slow a seamonster's movement speed for a short time. Darts - Damage a seamonster. Spidershot - Decrease the damage of a seamonster's next attack. Starshot - Slow a seamonster's attack speed for a short time. War disc - Damage a seamonster (short range) Using Weapons ------------- Try the following to use your ship's weapons: LOAD weapon WITH load UNLOAD load FROM weapon PROBE weapon FIRE weapon [UP|AT targetname|AT SEAMONSTER] Weapon Maintenance ------------------ You can extend the life of your weapons by regularly maintaining them. SHIP WEAPON MAINTAIN <weapon> This costs 1 wood and eight instances will add one month's life to a weapon. Protecting a weapon for eternity can be achieved via the SHIP REQUISITION command. Non-decay will prevent the ravages of time from claiming the weapon and remove the need for maintenance.