This ship is crafted of reinforced wood with a single mast and magically treated sails, although oars can also propel it. A warship is used for short-distance forays and troop deployment, as it does not have cargo space to carry supplies for large numbers of passengers over a long distance. Like galleys, warships are not designed for sea voyages and tend to stick close to the coast. A warship is not used for cargo. The largest Norse longships, called drekar or drakkar, as well as very large galleys such as galleasses and lantern galleys, are all considered warships.

Variations

• Battleship: Often called line-of-battle ships, these vessels are used as main forces by large navies. Battleships commanded by commodores often head squadrons, hunt pirates, or escort merchant fleets or expeditions. With upward of 40 ballistae, three to four catapults, and often 200 fighting sailors, such a ship is rarely tangled with by a lone corsair.
• Catawar: This large, shallow-draft warship has two hulls connected by a broad, firm platform, and is usually rigged with lateen sails. Each hull can be fitted with 100 oars, and the vessel can support large numbers of soldiers, archers, and siege engines. Despite its size, the craft can maneuver well using its huge banks of oars. Catawars are often used for harbor protection or in blockades.
  
• Frigate: A heavy warship with a broad deck suitable for holding siege weapons. Frigates are the fastest and most maneuverable type of warship. Three-masted and square-rigged, frigates are the smallest of the “rated” ships—those commanded by an officer of captain rank. They’re fast and heavily armed, with one or two decks of ballistae and a bow-mounted catapult. Frigates can hoist a huge number of sails, require large crews, and are often manned with specially trained fighting marines for boarding actions.
  
• Galleon: A warship with three or four masts and a distinctive square galley at the stern. An eminently durable design characterized by lofty forecastles and sterncastles, galleons are used as heavily armed merchants or warships. They are square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast, and lateen-rigged on the mizzen.
  
• Man-of-War: One of the heaviest warships, propelled primarily by sails. These sailing behemoths are the height of military naval engineering. Generally fleet flagships commanded by admirals, men-o’-war rarely leave port with fewer than a dozen other warships accompanying them. With up to 50 ballistae on three or four decks, half a dozen heavy catapults, and hundreds of fighting sailors, marines, clerics, and wizards, these intimidating ships are virtually unstoppable.
  
• Xebec: A three-masted warship with a distinctive overhanging bow.

Note: There are numerous differences between the descriptions below due to the sources. Be sure to use the mechanics for the version of naval combat being used in the campaign.