Ship
From PathfinderWiki
Ships are an essential form of transport throughout Golarion, used for trade, war, and piracy. There are even gods that have shipping as part of their portfolio.[1]
Classes
There are many types of ships that sail the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and skies of Golarion:[2][3][4]
Class | Description | Length | Masts | Passengers |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aethership | Spaceship for traveling the solar system used by Vercites. c.f. Ether Ship, below | |||
Airship | Flying ships pioneered in Alkenstar[6] | |||
Andoren skirmisher[7] | An anti-slaver, river warship powered by sail and oars. | 70 ft. | 1 | 8 crew |
Barge[8] | A flat-bottomed freight boat made for river travel; can be towed by larger boats | 80–150 ft. | n/a | 50–150 |
Barkentine or barquentine | Sailing ship with three or more masts | 3 or more | ||
Barque | Large sailing ship | 3 or more | ||
Bireme | Ship with two tiers of oars | n/a | ||
Brigantine (Brig)[8] | Light, two-masted sailing ship with a square-rigged forward sail | 30–50 ft. | 2 | 20–140 |
Canoe | Paddle-propelled small, manoeuvrable boat | n/a | ||
Caravel[8] | Light and manoeuvrable, ocean-going, sailing ship with multiple decks | 30–50 ft. | 2–3 | 20–140 |
Carrack[8] | Heavier, ocean-going, sailing ship with multiple decks | 50–100 ft. | 3–4 | 20–140 |
Clipper | Very fast sailing ship primarily used for trade | 3 or more | ||
Cog | Type of keelboat. Wooden ship used for ocean or river trade | 1 | ||
Coracle | Very small boat fabricated from wickerwork | n/a | 1 | |
Corsair[9] | Used as a generic term for a pirate ship, regardless of actual type | varies | varies | varies |
Curragh or Currach | Larger coracle that is covered in hides | n/a | ||
Cutter[8] | A small, single-masted sailing boat, very light and fast | 30–50 ft. | 1 | 4–104 |
Demon ship[10] | Expensive and rare ship powered by a bound demon, known to have been built in Nex | 2 | ||
Dhow | Coastal sailing ship with lateen (or triangular) sails | 1 or more | ||
Dinghy | Small sailing vessel | 1 or more | 1–3 | |
Dorey or dory | Small fishing boat with a flat bottom and high sides | 16–23 ft. | n/a | |
Dragon boat | Long, narrow canoe | n/a | ||
Drekar or drakkar | Largest longships: a warship | |||
Dromon[8] | Galley powered by rowing or sailing | 100–150 ft. | 2 | 200–400 |
Dugout | Primitive canoe fabricated from a hollowed out tree trunk | n/a | ||
Ether Ship | Designed to travel the Ethereal Plane. c.f. Aethership, above | 180 ft. | Ether vanes | |
Fireboat | A boat designed to fight fires but could be many types of boats | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Flat-Bottomed Raider | ||||
Frigate[8] | Heavy, fast and extremely manoeuvrable warship with a broad deck suitable for holding siege weapons | 75–120 ft. | 3 | 60–220 |
Galleass | Warship: very large galley | |||
Galleon[8] | Large warship with a distinctive square galley at the stern and multiple decks | 75–120 ft. | 3–4 | 60–220 |
Galley or Slave galley[11][8] | Very large oar-powered ship capable of holding large cargoes | 100–150 ft. | 1–3 | 200–400 |
Galliot or Galiot | ||||
Gondola | Single-oar-powered, flat-bottomed boat (c.f. punt) | n/a | ||
Hooker | Sea-going fishing boat | 24–44 ft. | 1 | |
Houseboat | Floating house: a generic name | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Jolly-boat[8] | Larger clinker-built rowboat usually used for ship-to-ship transport | 20 ft. | n/a | 2–10 |
Junk[11] | Flat-bottomed sea-going boat from Tian Xia | 75 ft. | 2–3 | 100 |
Kayak[12] | Light, one-person or two-person canoe that lies low in the water. Favoured in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, especially by the Varki people | n/a | 0 | |
Keelboat[13][8] | Flat-bottomed river vessel, some having a cabin on-board; single mast & oars. Also hoy, hulk & karve. | 50–80 ft. | 1 | 4–104 |
Ketch | Two-masted sailing vessel | 2 | ||
Knaar or Knarr[14] | Type of keelboat. Sea-going or river-going merchant vessel similar in design to a longship powered by sail and oars | 52 ft. / 54 ft. | 1 | |
Kobukson[15] | (literally 'turtle ship') | |||
Koch | Wooden ocean-going ship designed for polar sea travel; able to sail in ice | 30–70 ft. | 1 or 2 | |
Kyonin barge[7] | Elven, river patrol and cargo vessel powered by sail and armed with ballistae. | 90 ft. | 1 | |
Lantern Galley | Warship: very large galley | |||
Lifeboat | Generic term for any ship designed to aid other ships in distress | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Longboat | Boat to transport crew and passengers from ship to shore; usually rowed | 1 | ||
Longship or dragon ship[13][8] | Generally warships; use both oars and a sail; their shallow draft makes them manoeuvrable along coastlines. Similar to karvi, snekkja, skei, balinger, and birlinn. | 75–125 ft. | 1 | 50–150 |
Lugger | Small ship with four sails | 2 or more | ||
Man-of-War, or Man O' War[8] | One of the heaviest warships, propelled primarily by sails and used by established navies | 90–130 ft. | 3–4 | 60–220 |
Merchantman | A ship carrying merchandise; a general term for a trading vessel; see other entries for specific merchant ships | n/a | ||
Narrow boat | Narrow-beamed canal boat | n/a | ||
Pinnace | Small galleon-style ship | 2 or 3 | ||
Pontoon | Flat-bottomed buoyant boat able to support large weights | n/a | ||
Punt | Flat-bottomed river boat powered by a pole that pushes off the river bed | 24 ft. | n/a | 1–6 |
Raft[13] | Flat platform made from logs tied together powered by oars | 10 ft. | n/a | 1–3 |
River knave[7] | Masted and oared, fast river boat used by slavers and brigands. | 90 ft. | 1 | |
Rowing boat or Rowboat[16][8] | Lifeboat on larger ship or small river vessel powered by oars. Similar to dinghies, dories, skiffs and wherries. A collapsible rowboat can be broken down to be carried, or built up to be serviceable in about five minutes.[17] | 10 ft. | n/a | 1–3 |
Sampan | Small, flat-bottomed river or coastal craft usually pole or oar propelled | maybe 1 | ||
Schooner | Small fore-and-aft rigged ship | 2 or more | ||
Scow | Large, flat-bottomed, square-ended boat | 2 | ||
Ship's Boat[18] | Small boat with oars carried by a larger ship for ferrying purposes. Similar to cutter, gig, jolly boat, launch, longboat, or pinnace. | 16–24 ft. | 1 | 12 |
Skiff | Small boat with oars | n/a | ||
Sloop[8] | Fore-and-aft rigged, small vessel, similar to a cutter, but with a more forward mast | 30–50 ft. | 1 | 4–104 |
Sloop-of-War | 2–3 | |||
Tall ship | Generic term for any ship traditionally rigged | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Trawler | Fishing boat capable of deploying a trawling net | |||
Trireme | Warship with three tiers of oars to propel it; similar to galley | 120 ft. or more | n/a | |
Warship[18] | Generic term for any ship used in war: see other entries for specific warships | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Whaleboat | Open boat used for whaling | |||
Windjammer | Large ship with an iron hull | 3–5 | ||
Wyvern[19] | Large merchant ship common to the Inner Sea, used for trade, exploration, and war | |||
Xebec[8] | Warship with a distinctive overhanging bow | 70–110 ft. | 3 | 60–220 |
Yacht | Boat of many types used for recreation | |||
Yawl | Sailing ship | 1 or 2 |
Specific ships
- For a list of specific ships, see Category:Ships.
Shipping organizations
There are many and varied organizations for which shipping is a significant part of their work. Some of the more remarkable are below:
Merchants
This section is a stub. You can help us by expanding it. |
This section is a stub. You can help us by expanding it. |
Pirates

The port of Khari with a Chelish tall ship in the foreground.
- Bloodcove[21]
- House Surtova, which traces its roots to pirate-kings of Brevoy[21]
- Raiders of the Ironbound Archipelago[21]
- Independent pirate captains on Lake Encarthan[22]
- Shackles Pirates[23]
- Boggard, lizardfolk, and scavenger clans in the Sodden Lands[22]
Slavers

The slave galley Burnt Saffron.
This section is a stub. You can help us by expanding it. |
Shipbuilding

Various classes of ships sailing around Absalom's harbour.
- See also: Category:Shipyards and Category:Shipbuilders
This section is a stub. You can help us by expanding it. |
In religion
- Besmara, the Pirate Queen, is the goddess of pirates and piracy. She is at home on board her ship Seawraith.[24]
- Ovonovo is a nascent demon lord whose portfolio includes shipwrecks and has an unholy symbol portraying a huge shark swallowing a ship.[25]
This section is a stub. You can help us by expanding it. |
References
For additional resources, see the Meta page.
- ↑ James Jacobs et al. (2011). The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 252. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
- ↑ Amber E. Scott. (2012). Pirates of the Inner Sea, p. 24. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-405-4
- ↑ F. Wesley Schneider et al. (2010). GameMastery Guide, p. 219. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-217-3
- ↑ Rob McCreary. (2012). Skull & Shackles Player's Guide, p. 23ff. Paizo Publishing, LLC.
- ↑ Any element in italics is derived from real-life information, probably Wikipedia, to act as a guide to the information for Game Masters until a Paizo publication gives definitive Golarion data.
- ↑ Patrick Renie. (2013). Wardens of the Reborn Forge, p. 59. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-555-6
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Mike Shel et al. (2016). Dreams of the Yellow King, p. 68f. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-899-1
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 Amber E. Scott. (2012). Pirates of the Inner Sea, p. 21. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-405-4
- ↑ Chris A. Jackson. (2013). "Stargazer", Paizo Publishing.
- ↑ Erik Mona. (2011). "Two Pieces of Tarnished Silver", Paizo Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60125-396-5
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Rob McCreary. (2012). Skull & Shackles Player's Guide, p. 23. Paizo Publishing, LLC.
- ↑ Greg A. Vaughan. (2011). Night of Frozen Shadows. Night of Frozen Shadows, p. 21. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-366-8
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Rob McCreary. (2012). Skull & Shackles Player's Guide, p. 24. Paizo Publishing, LLC.
- ↑ Greg A. Vaughan. (2011). Night of Frozen Shadows. Night of Frozen Shadows, p. 10. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-366-8
- ↑ Mike Shel. (2012). Isles of the Shackles, p. 31. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-408-5
- ↑ Rob McCreary. (2012). Skull & Shackles Player's Guide, p. 25. Paizo Publishing, LLC.
- ↑ Robert Brookes, Eleanor Ferron, Michelle Jones, Alex Riggs, and Nicholas Wasko. (2017). Heroes of the Darklands, p. 19. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-936-3
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Rob McCreary. (2012). Skull & Shackles Player's Guide, p. 26. Paizo Publishing, LLC.
- ↑ Mark Moreland, James Jacobs, & F. Wesley Schneider. (2010). Serpent's Skull Player's Guide, p. 12. Paizo Publishing, LLC.
- ↑ Judy Bauer, Logan Bonner, Nicolas Logue, and Matt Vancil. (2013). Towns of the Inner Sea, p. 27. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-576-1
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Amber E. Scott. (2012). Pirates of the Inner Sea, p. 16. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-405-4
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Amber E. Scott. (2012). Pirates of the Inner Sea, p. 17. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-405-4
- ↑ Amber E. Scott. (2012). Pirates of the Inner Sea, p. 14. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-405-4
- ↑ Amber E. Scott. (2012). Pirates of the Inner Sea, p. 26. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-405-4
- ↑ James Jacobs. (2010). Lords of Chaos, p. 39. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-250-0