Encounter tables.

 

Thanks to all those who commented on my idea of creating encounter tables for this campaign. I've done some work on the idea, so here goes...

North Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak map squares adjacent to coastlines are high traffic zones and will have the higher chance of ship encounters. D1 & D2 will have a chance of encounters with Norwegian and Icelandic shipping, and hostile Royal Navy warships.

 

Encounter Zone	1d10 score
Adjacent Coastal Squares - Roll twice	1-4
All others	1-3
During hours of darkness	-1
Fog/heavy rain	-1

Minus scores are cumulative.

Go to type of vessel(s) encountered table.

Plus one to dice roll if transiting squares adjacent to hostile country. Minus one if transiting squares adjacent to own country.

2d12	Civilian Vessel Encountered
0	Own national small civilian craft
1	Own national fishing boat
2	Own national merchantman *
3	Own national passenger liner or ferry *
4	Allied national fishing boat
5	Allied national merchantman *
6	Allied national passenger liner or ferry *
7	Neutral fishing boat
8	Neutral merchantman *
9	Neutral passenger liner or ferry *
10	Hostile national warship
11	Hostile national fishing boat
12	Hostile national merchantman *
13	Hostile national passenger liner or ferry *

In general fishing vessels from hostile powers were left alone to go about their business unless they were really cheeky and sailed close to the hostile shore. Even during WW2 some British boats still fished off the coasts of France. It's up to the player whether such boats are fired upon or captured, but the example of the Dogger Bank Incident should serve as a warning to what can go wrong.

* Roll 1d6: Score of 6 indicates the vessel is equipped with wireless. Go to chart to see if the vessel transmits an encounter message.

Nationality of vessel	Transmits on score of:
Own	6
Allied	5-6
Neutral	4-6

Hostile warships and wireless-equipped merchant vessels from a hostile power will automatically transmit a contact or mayday call. Warships will identify the type and course of the encountered enemy. Merchantmen will merely transmit an encounter with warships. Neutral warships will transmit an encounter message but it will be enciphered. All the hostile power will know is that the neutral ship(s) encountered something. Warship transmissions will be received automatically by their Admiralty. Merchant and neutral warship transmissions are picked up by the hostile power on a d6 score of 5-6. 

For the sake of completeness I've added a neutral warships table. It's up to the player again if there's a chance of a misidentification happening and what the consequences are.

1d12	Warship
1-5	Neutral national Destroyer, Auxiliary or Fleet Courier
6-8	Neutral national Cruiser
9-11	Neutral national Armoured Cruiser
11-12	Neutral national Battleship