One of our favorite games is Avalon Hill's naval warfare game Wooden Ships and Iron Men. The Lion's Den games this period using GHQ 1:1200 scale lead ship models based on 1"x3" wooden stands on a 2 1/4" hex gridded blue cloth. Currently we have 21+ ships in our painted collection. Our naval actions were typical one--off games abbreviated from the game designers scenario chart-particularly favored was the points system of buying equal sides for a fight.

I wanted to create a role-playing situation that would dictate a commanders battle actions, give credibility to scenarios and provide a rich history to the game where battles were strung together in a series of on-going campaigns. Here is what I did:

First I read a handful of books relating to the period to be role-played. I will include a bibliography at the end of this PW. As I read I made notes of events that occurred in the lives of 18th century seamen. Every encounter, however trivial, was food for thought concerning the new scope and sequence I was expanding to the game.

All of the encounters were compiled into "event tables" that could be referenced to a random die roll. The player characters would assume the role of captains of a specific ship. That ship would be said to be patrolling an area of water with the balance of its' squadron (player characters or NPC's ships), and we would locate it all on a campaign map. Each turn would represent a calender month of game time and I as referee would roll versus the appropriate chart to create an encounter for a particular squadron. This works really well!

To get the players started all of Avalon Hills rules for WSIM are in effect. Our club decided to begin our first session with the American Revolution time period. Using the "'Design Your Own'' Specifications chart Revolutionary Period, 1776--1778, P.30, each captain was allotted 3D6+10 points to purchase a ship or ships from this chart. The game calender was recorded at April 1776 and the brave band of sea captains set sail from Britain bound for the American colonies. Using the random er-ounter tables that I created, our first session yielded two fine engagements that were fought out under standard procedures of WSIM.

That same evening also saw an American 32 gun frigate evade the British squadron while 4 merchant ships outbound from the colonies were captured in a thick fog. The British squadron patrolled the waters outside Boston harbor in July 1776. The diversity and historical nature of the encounters created truly amazed me. Actions taken during the play of the game took on a whole new light.

Our second session of this campaign actually commenced with the court martial and execution of one of the player character captains for failure to comply with the rules of naval engagement, and insubordination!

Role playing creates immense rewards of adding texture to the wargaming in WSIM. That November 1776 day in Antigua naval base, on the deck of the H.M.S. Isis as I read the ballots of the court martial, the results of a trial we role played in character, tension could literally be sensed as the rogue's march was drummed out on the table edge...the verdict in...death sentence to be carried out... you could almost feel the history and reality of the moment.

If you want to have a go at this sort of wargaming here is a list of encounter tables you should create.

I. British Squadron Encounter Tables (1D6 Based).
A. European Theater.
B. Open Atlantic Theater.
C. American Colonies Theater.

II. Type of Vessel Encountered.

A. Nationality.
B. Size & Shape ex: warship or merchant.

III. Aggressive vs. Passive intention.

A.Fight or Flight.
B. Colours, flags, pennants.
C. Position to the Squadron: fore, aft, etc.

IV. Press gang activity- success vs. fail.

V. Sea Disaster. Storms, Fires, Accidents.

VI. Scurvy. As in WSIM.

VII. Barnacles. As in WSIM.

In addition to this I keep the following player aides nearby during our gaming sessions: Books (as listed), National Geographic Maps: West Indies (4 versions), Oolonization and Trade in the New World, Spain and Portugal, World Map, Spain in the Americas, Letters of Ccmmission as rewards for players, Ship registers, Game Calender, log books, list of Admiralty orders for player characters.

The player characters in this role-playing game receive points for experience gained during play. The points are awarded as follows:

1. Points for capturing prize ships as in WSIM.
2. Longevity- 1 or 2 points per monthly log notation written on ships activities.
3. Admiralty Missions-- 2 to 5 points for completing missions sent from the Admiralty Board.

These points are calculated and compared to an Admiralty chart of the Red, White, and Blue Squadron. A player character can work his way up through the ranks and advance for successful game play. The ranks begin at the lowest, Rear-Admiral Blue Squadron, and end with the highest distinction, Admiral Red Squadron. This is the reward system that motivates players to actively pursue he historical nature of the role-play campaign.

Bibliography

973.341 (B681) Bowler, R. Arthur. Logistics and the Failure of the British Army In America. 1775-1778. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey 1975.
J973.35 (C771) Cook, Fred J. Privateers of '76. Bobbs-Merrill Co. Inc., Indianapolis, New York,1976.
973.35 (M616) Miller, Nathan. Sea of Glory, The Continental Navy Fights for Independence 1775-1783. David McKay Company, Inc.: New York, 1974.