The ships and boats of Sakhar, commonly know an Dhow, are very different from those of Hann. They are lightweight and made of sewn wood, rather than the heavy planking that we are used to. Not only that, but they also use triangular, lateen sails - although, sometimes, the sails have the front corner cut off, and they are then known as settee sails. Sakharan ships conform to standard Pathfinder ship statistic, although they may require more crew and do not, generally, carry catapults; they can only carry half as many light ballistae as their Hannish counterparts.

Basic Ship Stats

Rafts are very simple vessels, and you do not need any specialized boat building facilities to build any of these vessels. However, you will need appropriate craft or survival skills. These are the favoured vessels of many small wetland and river communities - and are suitable for emergency use.

Raft details

The Dunij is built a little differently from Hannish rowboats, but is statistically identical, and has the same uses. It serves as a tender to larger vessels, and as a personal craft for fishing and moving about in rivers and wetlands.

Rowboat details

The Qarib is a large Sakharan boat, that corresponds to the standard ship's boat. It can serve as an auxiliary vessel for ships, a harbour tender or as a local fishing boat.

Ship's boat details

The Barijah This small, 40-foot dhow (keelboat) is the most common vessel sailed along the Sakaran coasts, where it serves fishermen, pearl divers and merchants. The small ship sticks to the coast and is the workhorse of most inshore merchants and fishers. It does not have any cabins, has a tapered prow, with a square stern. The ship carries a crew of 10 men, but can comfortably 50 tons of cargo. Cost 3,000gp.

Note: The Barija cannot carry catapults, but can carry ballistae.

Keelboat details

The Zaruq is a fast inshore keelboat favoured by smugglers and coastal pirates, although some fishers, small merchants uase Zaruqs as well. Rather than having a square stern, the zaruq comes to a point at both ends. An average Zaruq measures 50 feet in length, carries a crew of 15 sailors, and can also carry up to 40 tons of cargo. However, it is among the fastest of small vessels. The Zaruk is an open vessel, with cargo stored under tarpaulins on the open deck and there are no cabins. Their size and manoeuvrability makes them more difficult to hit with siege weapons, although they are more susceptible to damage. Cost 3,750gp.

Note: The Xaruq cannot carry any siege engines.

Keelboat-Zaruq details

The Boom is a coaster, and one of the main merchant vessel for inshore use. It is particularly well suited to smaller merchants working well established trade routes between towns and cities. With a skilled captain, Booms can make voyages into the open ocean - although the trip isn't very comfortable. Cost 7000gp.

Note: A Boom cannot carry catapults, although it can carry ballistae.

Coaster Details

Note: Sakhar does not build Junks, per se, but the Sambuk has many similar characteristics and statistics.

The Sambuk is one of the most common merchant ship in the Land of Fate. It has a keel length of 75 feet and a beam (width) of 20 feet. The crew is 15 sailors; in addition, the sambuk can carry up to 80 passengers or 90 tons of cargo. The sambuk has a cabin area at the stern of the vessel; which is divided into a large living area for the crew and passengers, with smaller rooms for the officers. The sambuk is navigated with a stern-mounted rudder and lateen (triangular) sails, and is capable of making deep water journeys, although it is never a comfortable passage. Cost 13,500gp.

Note. Sambuks require more crew members that true junks, and cannot carry catapults.

Junk details

The Baghala is a deepwater sailing ship commonly used by merchants. Like most ships from the Land of Fate, it has a single cabin area at the stern, divided into smaller cabins for crew and passengers. The crew hang hammocks in the cargo deck. Perhaps less sophisticated than other sailing ships, the Baghala can match them in most ways. Cost 10,000gp.

A baghala cannot carry catapults, but can carry ballistae.

sailing ship

The Xebec is a match for the men-o-war of any other region, and is one of the few Sakharan vessels that can carry catapults. They are capable of long distance ocean travel, and often operate in small fleets. However, only the wealthiest cities, and the Mamluka, can afford to run them

Note: They are not generally for sale, although they could be commissioned from a large shipyard - but it would take years to build.

Ship Statistics

The Dromon is a large galley used by Sakharan military forces, although they are rare and expensive to run. While they have a ram and a battery of ballistae, their primary tactic is to close and overwhelm the crew of the enemy vessel, making best use of their large crew. Many rowers board the enemy vessel alongside the ship's marines.

• Colossal ship
• Squares 4 (20 ft. by 130 ft.); Cost 30,000 gp
• DEFENSE
• AC 2; Hardness 5
• hp 1,560 (oars 1,400, sails 320)
• Base Save +8
• OFFENSE
• Maximum Speed 60 ft. (muscle), 60 ft. (wind), or 120 ft. (muscle and wind); Acceleration 30 ft.
• CMB +8; CMD 18
• Ramming Damage 10d8
• STATISTICS
• Propulsion muscle, wind, or current
• Sailing Check Diplomacy or Intimidate (when using muscle);
• Profession (sailor) (when using wind or current)
• Control Device tiller
• Means of Propulsion 140 oars, 80 squares of sails (two masts)
• Crew 200 (60+140 Medium rowers) plus 50 marines
• Decks 3
• Cargo/Passengers 100 tons
• One of the largest sailing ships on the sea, the dromon has 70 oars on either side, in two banks(one above the other). A galley can be any large ship that primarily relies on oars for propulsion, but also contains one to three masts with sails. Galleys typically stick close to the coast, as long ocean voyages are risky in such vessels. This stat block can be used to represent a variety of historical galleys, from biremes and triremes to galliots and dromons.
• Weapons: Up to 20 Light Ballistae in banks of 10 positioned on the port and starboard sides of the ship These siege engines may only fire out the sides of the ship that they are positioned on and cannot fire toward the forward or aft sides of the ship. These siege engines cannot be used while the galley is being rowed.
• A Dromon is fitted with a ram and castles with firing platforms fore, aft, and amidships. Each of these firing platforms holds a single Large catapult. The catapult on the fore and aft firing platforms can be swiveled to fire out the sides of the ship or either forward or aft, depending on their position. The catapult on the amidships can be swiveled to fire out either side of the ship.