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Tip Request: Ports

JohnnFour

Game Master
Staff member
Adamantium WoA
Wizard of Story
Wizard of Combat
Gamer Lifestyle
Demonplague Author
Borderland Explorer
RPT GM Ronald asked me for tips on how to game shipping ports:

As near as I can tell, NOBODY talks about how to build a realistic sea port.

I know zilch about sailing and sea ports, so take my opinion for what it's worth.

Still, I assume there is at least as much to get right or wrong as there is with making a castle or city. Possibly a lot more.

Does anyone have ideas, tips, or resources?

I'm also personally curious about whether sea ports are the same as space ports, in game terms. Maybe @ExileInParadise you have some thoughts on that?
 

JohnnFour

Game Master
Staff member
Adamantium WoA
Wizard of Story
Wizard of Combat
Gamer Lifestyle
Demonplague Author
Borderland Explorer
Some ideas occurred to me when replying to Ronald, so I'll paste them here:


Hey Ronald!

Interesting question.

I'd break it into layers, such as:
  • Geography => Shallow versus deep water, shipping lanes and whether
  • Economic => Who travels there with what goods and resources to sell? Who travels or lives there to purchase?
  • Geopolitical => What is the strategic nature of the port based on neighboring countries, kingdoms, star systems?
  • Cultural => What cultures are present in the port? How do they tolerate other cultures? What is the rate of cultural absorption?
  • Military => Does the port have military significance (see Geopolitical)?
From my experience, a port has the most exotic nature of cities in a land. It receives the most foreigner visitors, the freshest and most interesting goods, and is subject to much consideration by economic, political, and military powers.

In our world, ports rank higher in nuclear strike orders. They often have wealthier cities, but wealth disparity is higher. And they serve as both cultural melting pots and cultural clashes.

The following gaming ideas come to mind:
  • Blockade
  • Clashes with navies and armies
  • Strange artefacts and unique items / new technologies
  • Factions compete for access from land and sea
  • Strange weather or bad weather causes issues for port and ships
  • Cultures competing for relevance and dominance via economic, military, and infrastructure
 

ExileInParadise

RPG Therapist
Staff member
Adamantium WoA
Wizard of Story
A lot of the design and purpose for a seaport comes from the purpose of the land-based population center it is part of.

For design purposes a 'port' is primarily an interface or waypoint where one type of travel or movement is exchanged for another.
Sea port - ground to sea
Air port - ground or sea to air
Space port - ground, sea, or air to space
Star port - space to space between star systems

What is moving?
People?
Cargo - raw resources, animals, or finished goods?
Hazardous cargo provisions?

Who is moving it?
Private individuals?
Corporations?
Nobles or Governments?

How Freely Can it Move?
What types of vehicles are served? (People movement is usually a secondary concern - loading docks vs. gang planks)
Taxation?
Security Concerns?

Geography and Geopolitical might be combinable since a shipping port is almost always about "the larger story"
Regional weather is a key geographic factor on what might develop into a shipping port and what shipping there is like.
Protected / sheltered coves on the coast can also develop into shipping areas for overland routes due to being a safe harbor in winter, or storm seasons, etc.
Inland water access such as rivers and bayous - mouths of rivers can typically develop into port towns, usually as a "toll gate" for upriver traffic.

Economic and Cultural are possibly able to be combined as well since distant trade tends to require cultural tolerance and encourage cross-cultural assimilation.

Economic: Fantasy Shipping Ports
Primarily product driven - trade of a local resource in abundance with remote regions.
Typically deal with fisherman in the area.
Farm exports and possibly a major interior trade route.

Economic: Modern Shipping Ports
Generally no fishing in the port area.
Private marina and berthing supporting private sailing.
Cargo terminals supporting cargo shipments in and out - in exchange with rail, road, and air networks.
Cruise terminals supporting luxury cruising in and out.

Economic: Science-Fiction Space Ports
The Traveller RPG covers this to the Nth degree:
Downports are extra-territorial areas on a planet surface where trade and politics occur.
Highports are orbital stations where trade and politics occur for ships and cargos which don't need interface exchanges with the ground.
Not all groundports also offer high ports.

Military
Shipping ports for military purpose are all about deployment and logistical support - such as a the German U-boat pens in France.
Think "staging areas"
Security restrictions tend to segregate these from public access too much to do parallel work.
But, a military area may be adjacent to a civilian port to take advantage of some of the things like upriver, road networks, etc for logistics.

Components of a Port
Piers, Docks, Jetties, and Breakwaters
Cargo terminals and warehouses
Pipeline terminals and storage tanks
Boathouses
Ferry terminals
Shipyards
Footpath network - the mesh of walks for people moving about.
Cart/Car path network - the mesh of roads for carts cars or trucks to use
Caravanserai / hotels / inns / guesthouses
Barracks
Offices for bureaucrats and private concerns
 

ExileInParadise

RPG Therapist
Staff member
Adamantium WoA
Wizard of Story
https://www.paulelliottbooks.com/traveller-freebies.html

Scroll down to Mercator - converting the classic Traveller little black books to Roman Empire style trade.
Port coverage is from a historical perspective which is a good example of the "context" driving the port and how it is an interface to adventures beyond.

Designing a port as a structure is basically like a city with the transport interfaces between sea, road, etc as the main design features.
Houston, TX where I live is a great example.

The Port of Houston dominates the design of everything around.
Inland waterway runs from Galveston basically to downtown Houston.
Galveston is the "cruise terminal" end of the port.
Then you have tracts of petroleum tanks and processing / pipeline on and off ship alternating with container cargo handling.
All of the roads in the region lead in or out of the port area, and many roads are routed to accommodate the port.
We have several specialist bridges, a tunnel, and ferries that all were placed with the port as a major concern.
Two major airports (Bush, Hobby), and a specialist /cargo airport (Ellington) as well as rail and bus hub.
All of this is why we measure travel in time not distance.
How LONG does it take to get through all of these interfaces end-to-ends.
Driving across Houston takes roughly an hour - regardless of the distance of the routes you take hehhehe.
 

JohnnFour

Game Master
Staff member
Adamantium WoA
Wizard of Story
Wizard of Combat
Gamer Lifestyle
Demonplague Author
Borderland Explorer
Awesome @ELF. You'll soon bankrupt Jochen. Nice going.

I have Citybook I and II on my bookshelf, so have barely escaped this round.
 

Stephan Hornick

Community Goblin & Master of the Archive
Platinum WoA
Wizard of Story
Wizard of Combat
Borderland Explorer
While Johnn tried to categorize port aspects and Allen describes great analogies between different kinds of ports, I understood the question for "realistic sea ports" as a question for details. Many important "details to describe a realistic sea port to the players" which is how I understood his intention, were already listed between you two. Nevertheless, for me realism stems from the five different senses of experience, architecture/locations, NPCs/factions and logical cohesion/relationships, and in this case, a great deal of knowledge about sea-faring folk, clothing, ships and stuff. And of course, you will want to spice many of those descriptions with possible plot hooks.
As I understand his request to be for a fantasy style sea port, I will limit my elaboration to this. Please understand this only as a few examples.

Senses
  • What to see:
    • The seaport/harbor is a busy place in the morning. You can see workers unhauling boxes, caskets, and barrels. Livestock is herded on to early ships.
    • Ships leave with the morning tide and come at noon or afternoon with the evening sun, so twice a day there are many travellars around and shops open and close depending on the coming of customers.
    • At day, one can see seagulls soaring above, their droppings everywhere near the coast.
    • Fishermen go out for fishing when it is still dark outside and the fish are abundant. They return with their nets of fish before the sea food market opens near the coast. When the sun is getting warmer, they spread their nets and repair the few places that have been torn by too big a fish.
    • At night though, there is hardly anybody at the harbor. Some drunken sailors returning to their hammocks in some musky old ships.
    • When you see at the water, you will notice very little fish, but a dark blue, which should indicate that the water is deep. There are probably other areas beside the harbor which border to the water. And these are much lighter blue, as the water is much shallower.
    • In the shallower areas, there are more fish, but small. Near the harbor, ships move and fish feel at unease. But due to the food that is thrown into the water (e.g. fish intestines that are removed before grilling them), fish, clams, algae, crabs, prawns, and many more sea creatures and plants will be abundant near the coastline. But this is also the reason, seagulls are abundant as dark clouds. But the fishermen drive out to the open sea in the morning to catch the big fish.
    • Plot hook example: One day, the fish change their behaviour. Big fish can be seen near the ships. Something must have attracted them. Or did they flee from something?
  • What to hear:
    • At day, you hear the noisy screeching of seagulls looking for shiny food near the harbor. And below at the quai one can hear the slow drum of the tides, the slowly squeaking ships, constant tightening of ropes, and waves clashing with foam against the stonework of the harbor.
    • At night though, it is quiet. Distant noises from taverns, laughing and clanking of cups. Shuffling noises of heavy boots worn by drunken sailors.
    • When the vermin of the skies (the seagulls) sleep at night, the vermin of the land take over: Sqeaking rats hurry down the street in search of dropped food. And there is many.
    • In addition, you can hear many languages spoken by the multitude of cultures convoluting in the harbor area. And where there are differences, there are conflicts. Many fights ensue due to misunderstanding. And where there are fights, there are guards patrolling the area against enemies afar and trouble within.
    • Plot hook example: But the harbor is also a mingling place of rumors and news. When you want to know about the affair between the king and his cook, you don't go to the castle, you go to the harbor.
  • What to smell:
    • The whole area smells of people (travellers, workers, and other "service people"). In addition, these smells can become putrid when you inadvertedly brush againgst one of those unwashed bodies in the more busy areas. Sometimes, in cases of the richer class, the smell of their body is obfuscated by a strong odor of perfume, rose, violet, or chrysantheme.
    • In addition, it smells of local products, fresh seafood, roasted fish, clams, prawns, tobacco, spilled wine, a cage of pigs that is transported to a distant place, and horse droppings.
    • But the most dominant smell is likely the seaweed rich smell of sea salt.
    • In some places, you might even smell vomit from passengers that didn't feel well on board of a ship.
    • Plot hook example: The ocean is a place of adventure, of the unknown and the never ending conflict of whether to stay in a bad situation on land or to risk everything and take to the sea. Here you will find not only exotic perfumes, exotic herbs and spices, you will also smell incenses from different churches for blessings, warnings, prayers, marriages, or funerals, but you will also smell those unique fragrances of the weird fortune tellers that the lucky or unlucky visit before they start their adventure.
  • What to feel:
    • Sudden strong winds rush up against the shore, only to fade again a moment later. Depending on climate the sun can feel very warm near the coast, in other climates the wind can be chilly or even freezing.
    • The stonework is hard under one's feet, but once you step on the wooding piers, you have the feeling the whole structure is bobbing ever so slightly with the movement of the waves.
    • Sometimes, you can feel the humming in your shoes, when a carriage drives on nearby.
    • Plot hook example: A sudden tug and your purse might be gone. Of course, there are many pickpockets at the harbor.
 

Stephan Hornick

Community Goblin & Master of the Archive
Platinum WoA
Wizard of Story
Wizard of Combat
Borderland Explorer
Locations/Geography/Architecture
  • All streets lead to the harbor:
    • Central streets for entrance to or exit from the sea port/harbor area. They need to be broad as there are many people walking about.
    • Carriages for the wealthy, fast riders for mail and messenging, heavy wagons for barrels, livestock and huge gear, as well as the unique rickshaws need to use those streets side by side.
    • Also, the streets are the ideal spot for tourist shops, money lenders, coin changers, experts in penmarkship, vendors of trinkets, and of course for the many food stalls and taverns near the harbor. You will be able to acquire all kinds of things and services, local goods, exotic goods, food, pleasure, a shaving, mail, heavy lifters, etc.).
  • Open places:
    • Plazas and open places for work and shipping (boxes and barrels etc.)
    • Military training, etc.
    • Speeches about politics, etc. (also used for witch burning or drowning by the way)
    • There should also be guest houses, bath houses, and expensive restaurants at those plazas
    • Barracks will often be near the port for strategic reasons, thus, soldiers will also be around who are off-duty
    • Buildings for the magistrate / bureaucracy are often huge buildings near the port and located at wide plazas for the possibility to talk to the people (also for witch hunts, new laws and additional taxes)
  • Storage houses/warehouses:
    • Big storage houses are located near the harbor. From here the martial for taxes operates. He will look at your wares and talk to the captains. They have a private security and are the very rich and wealthy. The storages are well-secured but hold the most wonderful items of the seven seas.
  • Warfts/shipyards:
    • Big warfts for shipbuilding are seldom but very important. They are at the deep waters but not near the quais nor the market.
  • Coastline road:
    • Near the coastline, there are many places to walk and refresh oneself.
    • But if you go too far, you will reach the slums near the harbor.
    • The road is probably a defense line against invading troops. There may be some canons or guard houses, but mainly it should be consisting of a brick wall or the like to give cover when shooting at enemy boats full of pirates who try to land.
  • Embankment:
    • There are probably different steps from the water line to the central open places to which to withdraw in case of high tides. There may be sand sacks clustered at different places for the improvement of the embankment or stone breakwaters.
  • Bay:
    • As pointed out above, a harbor needs to be located near deep water (as deep as possible) so that big ships can land and stay in winter. Ideally, you choose a big gulf or a smaller bay. In case you cannot, a protected area in a big river might also be possible. In addition, the entrance to the bay can be protected from at least two sides. Often, on one side there is a light house, on the other there is a powerful weapon (like a scorpion, ballista or catapult). In some settings, they might even use magical golems or other kinds of barriers.
  • Quai/Pier:
    • Usually believed the heart of the harbor, the tourists rather flock to the market. The quai is where the big ships are moored. There is a specific limited number of quais and it costs a fortune to moor your ship there. These places are usually reserved for war vessels and big merchant caravals for cargo (livestock, raw material, finished products, exotic items). Only a hand full of people are usually allowed aboard these ships for travelling to a distant port. A ship only for travellers is very uncommon, but not unheard of (a small ship for diplomats e.g.)
    • In addition, there are the smaller quais or just piers for private docking. They are usually dominated by the boats of the fisherfolk, but if you arrive with a small ship, you will surely be allowed to anchor near the quais and use a boat to reach the shore.
  • Protection:
    • Besides the guards, soldiers, canons, ballistas etc., there might also be ways to protect the bay itself, like with huge steel chains or by releasing elementals with the help of antique artifacts (hopefully you can control them enough to return to their artifacts after they have been summoned).
  • Underneath the water:
    • More often than not, there are ancient buildings visible beneath the surface of the water reminding the onlookers of times where the water was much shallower or before a specific attack or earthquake. Parts of the buildings or harbor might have sunk deep beneath the waves or the water rose ever higher and finally covered these parts of the town alltogether. Maybe, the fishermen still talk about one specific slum area where a black mage lived and that one night there was a flash and the whole area collapsed into the waters. Or maybe, there are still divers for that ancient legend of a great Merrow treasure hoarde that is hidden deep within the caves below the harbor. No one could ever dive so deep as to retrieve it. The best of them may have come back with small trinkets, but others just vanish deep below. And the fishermen tell stories of monsters deep below the city.

NPCs/Factions
  • Quick horsemen deliver mail to the captains of ships in the evening, meeting them at their ships before asking for food and a bed in a nearby cheap tavern.
  • Sailors, pirates, adventurers
  • Day workers, rickshaw pulleys, lifters
  • Fishermen generally live in the poorer districts near the harbor. They usually don't like outsiders who ask stupid questions.
  • Shop owners, vendors, prostitutes, the literate (and translators)
  • Thief guild, pirates, pickpockets, smugglers (and they probably fight against each other constantly)
  • Tax collectors, guards, soldiers
  • The rich who want to see the great ships and hear the news, try the exotic, first see the strange creature that the ship brought back, or just to enjoy the fresh fish in one of the many second story cafes looking down on the bay.
  • But there are also the poor, who have nowhere else to go, who can earn a penny when helping people new to the town orient themselves or help them carry their things or will even try to rob them (you see a great disparity of wealth here)
  • The guild of navigators and scientists might flock to the harbor for their experiments.
  • Also, after long travel at sea and with no scientific protection, many sailors complain of toothache. Of course, the self-claimed tooth doctor is located in a dirty shop near the harbor to release those patients from their pain and their money. They might even pay 1s to captains who want to get rid of those sailors (or guests!) who didn't make it during their trip. A great opportunity for those "doctors" to practice anatomy, which is of course forbidden.
  • (And many more)
Ships/Transports/Things
  • I don't want to list all there is I know. It is too much. Let's just reference to a site I used very much for digging deeper for my Pirates of the Unloyal campaign: The Pirate King.
    It includes not only different ship types, histories and typical expressions for every bit and part of ships, but also gives an overview about lifestyle and clothing of pirates and seafolk in general, biographies, navigation, rum, pirate books, movies and music, knotting techniques, sailing simulations, and much much more.
  • In addition, think of horses, carriages, wagons, carts or even rickshaws for transport.
  • Then there is all that, which is lying around. Ropes, wheat, barrels of water, salt, limes (for vitamin C, although they probably don't know why, only that it helps!) or fish, to be unloaded, uploaded or to be later stored in one of the many storage houses.
 
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