Instead, they can hang out under the ship, knocking a hole or three in the hull while they have total cover from anyone on board. Then, when the ship sinks, and all the land-based folks are flailing around
While a sound tactic, we should keep in mind that drilling a hole isn't easy to do against a moving vessel unless one has considerable time on their hands. Thus, a creature or team of them should either plant some type of sticky explosive to the bottom of the ship or commence drilling when the ship is anchored or somehow stalled in the water (like via a Water Elemental).
First, they have a swim speed and so can keep up with most boats. On their turn, their move matches the boats move, their action is hit the hull. Or the shark they’re riding takes the dash to keep up, and they don’t worry about moving. And who said anything about drilling? Use an axe (they have a swim speed, so they don’t have disadvantage) it will make a bigger hole. Ram it with a whale you’ve tamed.
And it doesn’t have to be easy for them, necessarily. They don’t know there’s superhero PCs on board. They think they can hang out under the hull and take their time. If it takes an hour, so what? They specifically waited until the ship was 2 days from land.
To be effective at making a hole you want to hit the same spot over and over again. Just because you have a swim speed does not make your hand steady enough to hit that same spot. Have you ever tried hammering something in place on board a van while it's on the highway? That's relatively easier than what you suggest because a rider is being carried by the vehicle. Exactly matching speed and striking at a certain spot over and over requires aiming, so it would necessitate an attack roll to be anything like accurate to IRL difficulty.
If you have a whale ram the boat, then you lose your element of surprise after the first collision, if not sooner.
The hull of a ship is a much larger target than a nail. They can get close enough. Destroying things is much easier than building them.
To be effective at making a hole you want to hit the same spot over and over again. Just because you have a swim speed does not make your hand steady enough to hit that same spot. Have you ever tried hammering something in place on board a van while it's on the highway? That's relatively easier than what you suggest because a rider is being carried by the vehicle. Exactly matching speed and striking at a certain spot over and over requires aiming, so it would necessitate an attack roll to be anything like accurate to IRL difficulty.
If you have a whale ram the boat, then you lose your element of surprise after the first collision, if not sooner.
The hull of a ship is a much larger target than a nail. They can get close enough. Destroying things is much easier than building them.
Just because a hull is huge in size does not mean it is easier to destroy. According to your logic, a simple hammer wielded by a regular human can be used to destroy a wooden fort in an efficient manner.
The physics of applying sufficient force to an object to produce a hole in it depends on the area per square inch/centimeter/millimeter upon which said force is applied as well as the velocity and mass of that force. Application of force on a singular spot is far more efficient than applying force to several spots that are close to each other. It will take a very long time to chip away at the hull of a ship using an axe if you are striking slightly different spots each time you swing that axe because the object to be penetrated (the ship itself) is moving. As such, an attack roll is needed to accurately hit the same spot you struck last time.
Also keep in mind that using an axe or similar striking weapon means that stealth will not be effective for long. Any repeated reverberation against the hull of a ship will soon be felt or heard by creatures in the hold of the ship. This is why using a drill (no repeated reverberations) or an explosive (one big reverberation) is far better than using an axe or similar swinging tool.
On drilling: it shouldn't be hard to do - if you have a drill that's long enough, and strong enough. Underwater is a poor environment for crafting quality steel tools.
To be effective at making a hole you want to hit the same spot over and over again. Just because you have a swim speed does not make your hand steady enough to hit that same spot. Have you ever tried hammering something in place on board a van while it's on the highway? That's relatively easier than what you suggest because a rider is being carried by the vehicle. Exactly matching speed and striking at a certain spot over and over requires aiming, so it would necessitate an attack roll to be anything like accurate to IRL difficulty.
If you have a whale ram the boat, then you lose your element of surprise after the first collision, if not sooner.
The hull of a ship is a much larger target than a nail. They can get close enough. Destroying things is much easier than building them.
Just because a hull is huge in size does not mean it is easier to destroy. According to your logic, a simple hammer wielded by a regular human can be used to destroy a wooden fort in an efficient manner.
The physics of applying sufficient force to an object to produce a hole in it depends on the area per square inch/centimeter/millimeter upon which said force is applied as well as the velocity and mass of that force. Application of force on a singular spot is far more efficient than applying force to several spots that are close to each other. It will take a very long time to chip away at the hull of a ship using an axe if you are striking slightly different spots each time you swing that axe because the object to be penetrated (the ship itself) is moving. As such, an attack roll is needed to accurately hit the same spot you struck last time.
Also keep in mind that using an axe or similar striking weapon means that stealth will not be effective for long. Any repeated reverberation against the hull of a ship will soon be felt or heard by creatures in the hold of the ship. This is why using a drill (no repeated reverberations) or an explosive (one big reverberation) is far better than using an axe or similar swinging tool.
This is D&D, physics are irrelevant. Game rules are what matters. My axe does a d12+str damage (plus any feats or other goodies I might have). The hull has whatever AC and hp it has, and if I hit the hull enough times, it will break. That's just game rules. Get 3-4 creatures doing it, and you can make pretty quick work of the thing. Heck, get a caster to hit it with shatter a couple times, and that can do the trick.
And who said anything about stealth? You keep trying to introduce new conditions. They don't need stealth. They have full cover from anyone in or on the ship. unless all these air-breathers want to come swimming, the water folks have all the time in the world.
Something that never fails to fill the armories of nations and legions in both real and imagined worlds. Also, non-aquatic races have .... very little reason to have drills of the right type for trade or to steal. But that's neither here nor there: To me, it's one of the interesting things about the sahuagin that they're underwater, and that they must logically source everything from places other than the forge.
I'd say an octopus of the right size might well be able to chew through the timbers of a wooden ship, and I honestly feel that's a cooler, more sahuagin answer to the challenge.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
A key question for anything attacking ships is... why are they doing it? Sinking the ship shouldn't be super hard, but also might not serve their purpose (which might be something like demanding tribute).
To be effective at making a hole you want to hit the same spot over and over again. Just because you have a swim speed does not make your hand steady enough to hit that same spot. Have you ever tried hammering something in place on board a van while it's on the highway? That's relatively easier than what you suggest because a rider is being carried by the vehicle. Exactly matching speed and striking at a certain spot over and over requires aiming, so it would necessitate an attack roll to be anything like accurate to IRL difficulty.
If you have a whale ram the boat, then you lose your element of surprise after the first collision, if not sooner.
The hull of a ship is a much larger target than a nail. They can get close enough. Destroying things is much easier than building them.
Just because a hull is huge in size does not mean it is easier to destroy. According to your logic, a simple hammer wielded by a regular human can be used to destroy a wooden fort in an efficient manner.
The physics of applying sufficient force to an object to produce a hole in it depends on the area per square inch/centimeter/millimeter upon which said force is applied as well as the velocity and mass of that force. Application of force on a singular spot is far more efficient than applying force to several spots that are close to each other. It will take a very long time to chip away at the hull of a ship using an axe if you are striking slightly different spots each time you swing that axe because the object to be penetrated (the ship itself) is moving. As such, an attack roll is needed to accurately hit the same spot you struck last time.
Also keep in mind that using an axe or similar striking weapon means that stealth will not be effective for long. Any repeated reverberation against the hull of a ship will soon be felt or heard by creatures in the hold of the ship. This is why using a drill (no repeated reverberations) or an explosive (one big reverberation) is far better than using an axe or similar swinging tool.
This is D&D, physics are irrelevant. Game rules are what matters. My axe does a d12+str damage (plus any feats or other goodies I might have). The hull has whatever AC and hp it has, and if I hit the hull enough times, it will break. That's just game rules. Get 3-4 creatures doing it, and you can make pretty quick work of the thing. Heck, get a caster to hit it with shatter a couple times, and that can do the trick.
And who said anything about stealth? You keep trying to introduce new conditions. They don't need stealth. They have full cover from anyone in or on the ship. unless all these air-breathers want to come swimming, the water folks have all the time in the world.
Stealth is relevant if you want "to have all the time in the world".
Physics is relevant because the ship is moving. A moving target is not the same as a stationary one. I notice that you keep failing to address that crucial point. Have you tried hammering something in place on board a moving van?? Hitting numerous random spots on a stationary object like a tree with an axe will not get you very far. That's why chopping a tree down usually entails striking the same spot over and over again. If you are attacking a Treant without arms, the Treat still has an AC, doesn't it? Why? Because it's moving and has a hardness. Both of those factors mean you can't just automatically succeed on your attack roll to damage the Treat.
This is D&D, physics are irrelevant. Game rules are what matters. My axe does a d12+str damage (plus any feats or other goodies I might have). The hull has whatever AC and hp it has, and if I hit the hull enough times, it will break. That's just game rules. Get 3-4 creatures doing it, and you can make pretty quick work of the thing. Heck, get a caster to hit it with shatter a couple times, and that can do the trick.
And who said anything about stealth? You keep trying to introduce new conditions. They don't need stealth. They have full cover from anyone in or on the ship. unless all these air-breathers want to come swimming, the water folks have all the time in the world.
Stealth is relevant if you want "to have all the time in the world".
Physics is relevant because the ship is moving. A moving target is not the same as a stationary one. I notice that you keep failing to address that crucial point. Have you tried hammering something in place on board a moving van?? Hitting numerous random spots on a stationary object like a tree with an axe will not get you very far. That's why chopping a tree down usually entails striking the same spot over and over again. If you are attacking a Treant without arms, the Treat still has an AC, doesn't it? Why? Because it's moving and has a hardness. Both of those factors mean you can't just automatically succeed on your attack roll to damage the Treat.
The physics are still not relevant, because this is still a game. What matters isn't nails and moving vans, what matters is if a shark-riding fish-man can keep up with a boat enough to hit it with a greataxe. There's move speeds, dash actions, and attack actions. If the fish person can keep up, they can take their attacks and damage the boat on a hit. You are trying to introduce what amounts to a called shot mechanic where people have to target a specific point, but that's not how the game works -- not with objects and not with creatures. Each individual board of the boat does not have hit points, the hull as a whole has hit points. You don't need to keep hitting the same place again and again, you just need to damage the overall structure, exceed the damage threshold and the whole hull takes the damage. Get those hp to 0, and then the boat is wrecked. (Just like in the treant you brought in out of nowhere, you don't need to hit the same point on it, you don't target a specific part of it. You just do damage.) IRL, your way makes sense, absolutely. But this is a game, and the game rules are clear about how damaging objects (and creatures) works -- you damage the whole object, not one part of it.
And stealth doesn't matter, because what is a crew of sailors (non-PCs) going to do? They can't target the fish people, because they're under the hull, basically on the other side of a wall, so they have total cover. Fishfolk can just chop away at the hull, and unless the sailors are going to jump into the water and try to fight shark-riding fish people, the fishfolk don't need to worry. And if the sailors do jump in, see how long they last. So, the overall point is, the fish people can do this time and again, but this time they picked on the wrong boat, because there's PCs on it with capabilities enough to actually fight back.
Regarding the "physics is/isn't relevant" argument, it actually kinda is because the DMG mentions aspects like a Damage Threshold or judging whether or not a piece of equipment is suited to a task (ie a pick is not effective for cutting down a tree, and an axe is not effective for breaking down a wall). So, in point of fact, you axe might very well not be able to bust through several inches of treated hardwood underwater against a moving target unless the DM gives the okay and/or you're rolling very high. And, regarding what the sailors are going to do, your typical Sahuagin is only CR 1/2. Not pushovers, but a determined crew or one with a few hired guards of their own could make the fight unprofitable for simple raiders. It's not nearly so clear-cut as you make out unless the DM is very overtly applying the power of plot in the raiders' favor.
From the Sahaugin's perspective, one of two things is probably going to be the outcome of them attacking a ship's hull:
One, the sailors do noting and the Sahaugin can attempt to sink the ship unimpeded. Even if it's a slow process, they can just keep trying until they succeed.
Two, the sailors jump into the water to fight them. The average Sahaugin might only be a CR 1/2 creature, but they have all the advantages underwater in a fight against surface dwellers.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
At which point you have to wonder why shipping trade exists in the first place if any scrub enemy can attack a ship with impunity. A sailing ship moves at 60 ft/turn per Ghosts of Saltmarsh stats; nearly every aquatic beast moves slower, as do the sahuagin. They have to Dash to keep up in the short term, and it's easy for the DM to justify that a ship at sail can outpace them. Ship ballista also allow for attacking while they try to catch up. It's not impossible to write this scenario, but once again it is demonstrably not one-sided.
At which point you have to wonder why shipping trade exists in the first place if any scrub enemy can attack a ship with impunity.
For the same reason that small villages and isolated farmsteads exist when there are free-roaming monsters that could wipe them off the map as an afterthought. Attacks are rare enough that you can hope it will happen to someone else instead of you, and/or you hire adventurers to keep the population down.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Point, but this fails to address both the Damage Threshold/immunity point I brought up a while ago and the fact that they objectively cannot hold pace with a sailing ship for more than brief surges. There's a laundry list of common sense and mechanical reasons why boring through the hull isn't viable here. Best bet would be to rush up or lie in wait, board the ship, and then disable it.
Point, but this fails to address both the Damage Threshold/immunity point I brought up a while ago and the fact that they objectively cannot hold pace with a sailing ship for more than brief surges.
If you're going to worry about appropriate weapons... the appropriate weapons for fouling or destroying the rudder are entirely reasonable for sahuagin to carry, at which point keeping up with the ship is no longer a problem as it cannot steer.
A sailing ship moves at 60 ft/turn per Ghosts of Saltmarsh stats; nearly every aquatic beast moves slower, as do the sahuagin.
I'm sure you're right about Ghosts of Saltmarch - but regardless, that's nonsense.
It may move 60' pr. turn in favorable winds, but that rather requires that the winds be both strong enough, and in the right direction. Realistically, any relatively fast fish or sea mammal (sharks, dolpins, marlin, and so on) can keep up with a sailing ship most of the time. Those being the mounts of choice for the sahuagin. Not that the typical dolphin is quite large enough to seat a sahuagin, but the example remains. Orca are also sort of dolphins =)
And sahuagin are clever - they really should have some sort of countermeasure, like a sturdy rope to attach to the keel or rudder (or simply magically stick to the hull) which drags either a sea anchor or just a nice, heavy rock. Speed advantage gone, time to ... drill, or whatever.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Regarding fouling the rudder, it's an option, but see my post regarding speed. They'd be trying to hit a moving target while at speed themselves. Technically not impossible, but hardly reliable. Also falls under hand of the DM, since there's no mechanical framework for the rudder, just the wheel. To go into speed in a little more detail, you are correct, that 60 ft/round is under optimal conditions, but normal conditions are still 45 ft/round, which still exceeds nearly all beast swim speeds, and the ship's hourly speed is 5 mph. The fast hourly movement speed for humanoids and beasts is 4 mph, so regardless of which metric you use, they objectively cannot keep pace with a ship under sails using the printed stats. All this said, if the DM wants to just say "boat is hulled, everyone dies", that's their prerogative, but by every objective metric I can find, attacking a ship underway from below is not a viable avenue. A sailing ship moves faster and would reasonably have a DT such that beings with a +1 damage mod are not going to knock holes in it in a timely fashion. Rushing the ship and then climbing up to swarm the deck not only is something that's infinitely easier for the players to engage with, it is demonstrably the best option available to them under information we have.
Every objective method - barring the simple fact that dolphins keep pace with ships on a daily basis. So, sure, if we ignore objective real world observable fact and focus only on the rules, then yes, you're right. Which, btw, is entirely noble and acceptable. It's a game, there are rules, no one should be surprised by this.
On the other hand though, we have very solid real world proof that fish can keep up with sailing ships for hours at a time. Are those ships going full tilt on favorable winds? Likely not, but I couldn't say.
So ... I guess my point is that there's no real, objective answer - but I happen to like sahuagin, and I'd say they would have noticed the ships of the surface races, and come up with answers. Orca, megalodon, magic fish hooks of longstrider/-swimmer, to make sure they're able to control the seatrade within their territory. In precisely the same manner that various kingdoms of men and related bipeds control the overland trade.
But that's me. No reason my logic would apply outside my own campaigns =)
Oh, final remark: Obviously, when the sahuagin invent clever ways to stop ships, the seafarers invent clever countermeasures to avoid that. From simple, such as dumping a mealsworth of bloody meat into the path of pursuing orca, to more advanced, like maybe an underwater harpoon turret, or whatever magic contraption one might find cool and effective.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
The sahuguin all have shark telepathy and routinely ride sharks. Sharks are fast enough to keep up with the ships, take the dash action, and free their riders to do the attacking. They attack the hull from underneath. When the boat breaks up, they just wait for the loot to sink and retrieve it at their leisure. And their shark pets can eat the sailors. It’s really a pretty low risk endeavor on their part.
Regarding fouling the rudder, it's an option, but see my post regarding speed. They'd be trying to hit a moving target while at speed themselves. Technically not impossible, but hardly reliable. Also falls under hand of the DM, since there's no mechanical framework for the rudder, just the wheel.
In an NPC vs NPC engagement, you don't need hard rules. GM fiat is perfectly reasonable to set up an encounter for the PCs to deal with.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
The sahuguin all have shark telepathy and routinely ride sharks. Sharks are fast enough to keep up with the ships, take the dash action, and free their riders to do the attacking. They attack the hull from underneath. When the boat breaks up, they just wait for the loot to sink and retrieve it at their leisure. And their shark pets can eat the sailors. It’s really a pretty low risk endeavor on their part.
And once again we come to the point that they don’t actually have the means to damage the hull. Their default weapons are spears, and regardless of what weapon they have, they only have +1 to strength. Given the DMG outline of object Damage Threshold, they’d be unlikely to damage the hull in anything approaching a timely or realistic fashion. If you don’t believe me, buy a 2x4 and a screwdriver and tell me how long it takes for you to punch through the board with it.
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The hull of a ship is a much larger target than a nail. They can get close enough. Destroying things is much easier than building them.
Just because a hull is huge in size does not mean it is easier to destroy. According to your logic, a simple hammer wielded by a regular human can be used to destroy a wooden fort in an efficient manner.
The physics of applying sufficient force to an object to produce a hole in it depends on the area per square inch/centimeter/millimeter upon which said force is applied as well as the velocity and mass of that force. Application of force on a singular spot is far more efficient than applying force to several spots that are close to each other. It will take a very long time to chip away at the hull of a ship using an axe if you are striking slightly different spots each time you swing that axe because the object to be penetrated (the ship itself) is moving. As such, an attack roll is needed to accurately hit the same spot you struck last time.
Also keep in mind that using an axe or similar striking weapon means that stealth will not be effective for long. Any repeated reverberation against the hull of a ship will soon be felt or heard by creatures in the hold of the ship. This is why using a drill (no repeated reverberations) or an explosive (one big reverberation) is far better than using an axe or similar swinging tool.
That's what trading and raiding is for.
This is D&D, physics are irrelevant. Game rules are what matters. My axe does a d12+str damage (plus any feats or other goodies I might have). The hull has whatever AC and hp it has, and if I hit the hull enough times, it will break. That's just game rules. Get 3-4 creatures doing it, and you can make pretty quick work of the thing. Heck, get a caster to hit it with shatter a couple times, and that can do the trick.
And who said anything about stealth? You keep trying to introduce new conditions. They don't need stealth. They have full cover from anyone in or on the ship. unless all these air-breathers want to come swimming, the water folks have all the time in the world.
Something that never fails to fill the armories of nations and legions in both real and imagined worlds. Also, non-aquatic races have .... very little reason to have drills of the right type for trade or to steal. But that's neither here nor there: To me, it's one of the interesting things about the sahuagin that they're underwater, and that they must logically source everything from places other than the forge.
I'd say an octopus of the right size might well be able to chew through the timbers of a wooden ship, and I honestly feel that's a cooler, more sahuagin answer to the challenge.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
A key question for anything attacking ships is... why are they doing it? Sinking the ship shouldn't be super hard, but also might not serve their purpose (which might be something like demanding tribute).
Stealth is relevant if you want "to have all the time in the world".
Physics is relevant because the ship is moving. A moving target is not the same as a stationary one. I notice that you keep failing to address that crucial point. Have you tried hammering something in place on board a moving van?? Hitting numerous random spots on a stationary object like a tree with an axe will not get you very far. That's why chopping a tree down usually entails striking the same spot over and over again. If you are attacking a Treant without arms, the Treat still has an AC, doesn't it? Why? Because it's moving and has a hardness. Both of those factors mean you can't just automatically succeed on your attack roll to damage the Treat.
The physics are still not relevant, because this is still a game. What matters isn't nails and moving vans, what matters is if a shark-riding fish-man can keep up with a boat enough to hit it with a greataxe. There's move speeds, dash actions, and attack actions. If the fish person can keep up, they can take their attacks and damage the boat on a hit. You are trying to introduce what amounts to a called shot mechanic where people have to target a specific point, but that's not how the game works -- not with objects and not with creatures. Each individual board of the boat does not have hit points, the hull as a whole has hit points. You don't need to keep hitting the same place again and again, you just need to damage the overall structure, exceed the damage threshold and the whole hull takes the damage. Get those hp to 0, and then the boat is wrecked. (Just like in the treant you brought in out of nowhere, you don't need to hit the same point on it, you don't target a specific part of it. You just do damage.) IRL, your way makes sense, absolutely. But this is a game, and the game rules are clear about how damaging objects (and creatures) works -- you damage the whole object, not one part of it.
And stealth doesn't matter, because what is a crew of sailors (non-PCs) going to do? They can't target the fish people, because they're under the hull, basically on the other side of a wall, so they have total cover. Fishfolk can just chop away at the hull, and unless the sailors are going to jump into the water and try to fight shark-riding fish people, the fishfolk don't need to worry. And if the sailors do jump in, see how long they last. So, the overall point is, the fish people can do this time and again, but this time they picked on the wrong boat, because there's PCs on it with capabilities enough to actually fight back.
Regarding the "physics is/isn't relevant" argument, it actually kinda is because the DMG mentions aspects like a Damage Threshold or judging whether or not a piece of equipment is suited to a task (ie a pick is not effective for cutting down a tree, and an axe is not effective for breaking down a wall). So, in point of fact, you axe might very well not be able to bust through several inches of treated hardwood underwater against a moving target unless the DM gives the okay and/or you're rolling very high. And, regarding what the sailors are going to do, your typical Sahuagin is only CR 1/2. Not pushovers, but a determined crew or one with a few hired guards of their own could make the fight unprofitable for simple raiders. It's not nearly so clear-cut as you make out unless the DM is very overtly applying the power of plot in the raiders' favor.
From the Sahaugin's perspective, one of two things is probably going to be the outcome of them attacking a ship's hull:
One, the sailors do noting and the Sahaugin can attempt to sink the ship unimpeded. Even if it's a slow process, they can just keep trying until they succeed.
Two, the sailors jump into the water to fight them. The average Sahaugin might only be a CR 1/2 creature, but they have all the advantages underwater in a fight against surface dwellers.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
At which point you have to wonder why shipping trade exists in the first place if any scrub enemy can attack a ship with impunity. A sailing ship moves at 60 ft/turn per Ghosts of Saltmarsh stats; nearly every aquatic beast moves slower, as do the sahuagin. They have to Dash to keep up in the short term, and it's easy for the DM to justify that a ship at sail can outpace them. Ship ballista also allow for attacking while they try to catch up. It's not impossible to write this scenario, but once again it is demonstrably not one-sided.
For the same reason that small villages and isolated farmsteads exist when there are free-roaming monsters that could wipe them off the map as an afterthought. Attacks are rare enough that you can hope it will happen to someone else instead of you, and/or you hire adventurers to keep the population down.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Point, but this fails to address both the Damage Threshold/immunity point I brought up a while ago and the fact that they objectively cannot hold pace with a sailing ship for more than brief surges. There's a laundry list of common sense and mechanical reasons why boring through the hull isn't viable here. Best bet would be to rush up or lie in wait, board the ship, and then disable it.
If you're going to worry about appropriate weapons... the appropriate weapons for fouling or destroying the rudder are entirely reasonable for sahuagin to carry, at which point keeping up with the ship is no longer a problem as it cannot steer.
I'm sure you're right about Ghosts of Saltmarch - but regardless, that's nonsense.
It may move 60' pr. turn in favorable winds, but that rather requires that the winds be both strong enough, and in the right direction. Realistically, any relatively fast fish or sea mammal (sharks, dolpins, marlin, and so on) can keep up with a sailing ship most of the time. Those being the mounts of choice for the sahuagin. Not that the typical dolphin is quite large enough to seat a sahuagin, but the example remains. Orca are also sort of dolphins =)
And sahuagin are clever - they really should have some sort of countermeasure, like a sturdy rope to attach to the keel or rudder (or simply magically stick to the hull) which drags either a sea anchor or just a nice, heavy rock. Speed advantage gone, time to ... drill, or whatever.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Regarding fouling the rudder, it's an option, but see my post regarding speed. They'd be trying to hit a moving target while at speed themselves. Technically not impossible, but hardly reliable. Also falls under hand of the DM, since there's no mechanical framework for the rudder, just the wheel. To go into speed in a little more detail, you are correct, that 60 ft/round is under optimal conditions, but normal conditions are still 45 ft/round, which still exceeds nearly all beast swim speeds, and the ship's hourly speed is 5 mph. The fast hourly movement speed for humanoids and beasts is 4 mph, so regardless of which metric you use, they objectively cannot keep pace with a ship under sails using the printed stats. All this said, if the DM wants to just say "boat is hulled, everyone dies", that's their prerogative, but by every objective metric I can find, attacking a ship underway from below is not a viable avenue. A sailing ship moves faster and would reasonably have a DT such that beings with a +1 damage mod are not going to knock holes in it in a timely fashion. Rushing the ship and then climbing up to swarm the deck not only is something that's infinitely easier for the players to engage with, it is demonstrably the best option available to them under information we have.
Every objective method - barring the simple fact that dolphins keep pace with ships on a daily basis. So, sure, if we ignore objective real world observable fact and focus only on the rules, then yes, you're right. Which, btw, is entirely noble and acceptable. It's a game, there are rules, no one should be surprised by this.
On the other hand though, we have very solid real world proof that fish can keep up with sailing ships for hours at a time. Are those ships going full tilt on favorable winds? Likely not, but I couldn't say.
So ... I guess my point is that there's no real, objective answer - but I happen to like sahuagin, and I'd say they would have noticed the ships of the surface races, and come up with answers. Orca, megalodon, magic fish hooks of longstrider/-swimmer, to make sure they're able to control the seatrade within their territory. In precisely the same manner that various kingdoms of men and related bipeds control the overland trade.
But that's me. No reason my logic would apply outside my own campaigns =)
Oh, final remark: Obviously, when the sahuagin invent clever ways to stop ships, the seafarers invent clever countermeasures to avoid that. From simple, such as dumping a mealsworth of bloody meat into the path of pursuing orca, to more advanced, like maybe an underwater harpoon turret, or whatever magic contraption one might find cool and effective.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
The sahuguin all have shark telepathy and routinely ride sharks. Sharks are fast enough to keep up with the ships, take the dash action, and free their riders to do the attacking.
They attack the hull from underneath. When the boat breaks up, they just wait for the loot to sink and retrieve it at their leisure. And their shark pets can eat the sailors. It’s really a pretty low risk endeavor on their part.
In an NPC vs NPC engagement, you don't need hard rules. GM fiat is perfectly reasonable to set up an encounter for the PCs to deal with.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
And once again we come to the point that they don’t actually have the means to damage the hull. Their default weapons are spears, and regardless of what weapon they have, they only have +1 to strength. Given the DMG outline of object Damage Threshold, they’d be unlikely to damage the hull in anything approaching a timely or realistic fashion. If you don’t believe me, buy a 2x4 and a screwdriver and tell me how long it takes for you to punch through the board with it.