Ship Rules

Ship Rules

Ship Battle (Battles & Boarding)

Health

The ship has health and can take damage. Certain attacks will do more damage to the ship.
Different upgrades can increase the ship's health and gain its resistance or immunity to certain types of damage. As well as possible self-repair functions.
The ship is resistant to piercing and slashing damage from non-magic attacks.
The ship is vulnerable to fire, bludgeoning, and force damage.
The ship is immune to poison and psychic damage.
Certain health markers will have effects on other aspects of the ship, Ex. Speed, increased repair cost, loss of upgrades (minor), Movement capability (loss of flight), loss of supplies/fuel.
100 % Health - No Negative Effect
75% Health - -2 Manuever DC
50 % Health - -5 Manuever DC
25 % Health - -5 Manuever DC, Half Speed
0 % Health - 0 ft speed, loss of ship equipment & storage, can no longer perform

Manuevers.

Any addition damage done to ship after it reaches 0 will lead to the ship having to make a Hull Save (After Three failed Hull saves the ship will be completely destroyed leaving it unrepairable.)

Armor

Armor is determined by an AC of which the attacker must roll above to do damage. This includes creatures and other ship weapons.
AC can be raised or lowered based on certain Maneuvers and actions performed by the party.
Different armors raise AC and other upgrades can also be applied such as an additional health pool for armor to not have to repair the ship.
Different armors may reduce or increase ship speed depending on its materials.

Weapons

Certain weapons can be purchased and added to the ship to allow for large amounts of damage to be done to the target. Weapons designed to attack ships will have disadvantages when it comes to hitting specific targets such as creatures or certain parts of a ship. Certain weapons can do AOE damage depending on their type.
These weapons can be used by Crew(NPC) for passive damage to the enemy ship determined by the type of weapon or by players for increased damage and ability to target specific parts of the ship.

Boarding

To board an enemy ship or vessel you must make acrobatics or athletics check to either jump or swing across. You may use other checks or spells to do so if you can convince the DM.
Certain upgrades can make this easier with additional ropes, boarding boards, etc.
To stop enemies from boarding you can use your action to block boarding which increases the DC. If done by a player it increases by +2 per character taking this action, however, this can be performed by the Crew(NPC) as well with a flat +5. This action can also be done by enemies.

Looting

Certain upgrades can be looted from enemy ships. To search a ship for upgrades it must first be cleared of enemies (capture/kill), then you must roll an investigation check to see if any of the weapons or other things are easily removable.
Along with this an amount of gold and supplies can be found on most ships and be looted. Typically (_d6 supplies) (_d10 gold) depending on the quality of the ship. Ex. Pirates, merchant ships, navy ships, etc. Other items can be found on certain ships as well.
A navigation/perception check can be taken to identify possible ships or special encounters as well as being able to identify the possible value of raiding the ship.

Crew(NPC) Actions

During combat, the crew can perform several actions for passive buffs.
The ship also has a creature Capacity. Default 10, can be upgraded to accommodate more creatures (beds, housing, rooms).
If you exceed the capacity the ship becomes harder to manage negatively affecting Morale, as well as giving a decrease to maneuver capability, -1 per creature over capacity.
Different crew types can perform special actions and amounts of actions.
These are the basic actions all crew can perform.

Ship Weapon Attack

Provide passive damage per round of ship combat based on weapon types

Block Boarding

Passive DC increases towards attempts of boarding the ship. +5 to DC

Man The Sails

Passive decrease in maneuver DC for escape combat or doing specific maneuvers.

Ship Movement (Driving Ship & Avoiding Danger)

Fuel Type

Certain types of fuel can be used and have various different effects.

Maneuvers

To perform a maneuver is a set of actions determined by the players. With the use of spells, special actions, or skill rolls the players may attempt to perform a special movement action. A base DC is determined based on the determined difficulty of the maneuver (see examples below). Every player who wishes to help in the maneuver can spend an action to add a bonus to the roll (a sailing check using water vehicles).
By a skill check the player will either cause a -1, 0, +1 depending if they are able to pass half the base DC.
If a spell is used a + dependent on the spell level + 1 is gained.
Special actions such as class abilities can also be used and will add a +1 if applicable.
The base crew (NPC) action known as Man the Sails gives a +3 addition to the roll. This depends on the skill and special abilities of the crew.
Must state if going to help prior to Water Vehicle Check being rolled.

Examples of Maneuvers

Full Speed Ahead: Double speed of the ship going forward. DC 18 (This action can be maintained for as many turns as the focus is given, actions given.) (Spell length determined how long a specific spell gives + benefit)(Skills and instantaneous spells give benefit for as long a players continue sacrificing their actions) (If bonus loss ever causes the total value to go below DC then the benefit is lost)
Fast Turn: Turn at high speeds. DC 20
Breaking Ankles:
Turn the ship around on the spot. DC 22
Evasive Maneuvers:
Equivalent of taking the dodge action, granting any attacks upon the ship not done whilst on the ship. This maneuver works similarly to “Full Speed Ahead”. DC 24
Battering Ram:
Crash into an enemy ship to bypass it if blocking your path. DC 26
Barrel Roll:
Flip boat upside down above another ship to get on the other side of an enemy ship. DC 28
Crash Landing:
Try to land a ship with little control from a high height, especially on land. DC 30
Certain upgrades will give a flat bonus to Maneuvers, if the failure of the Maneuver would cause damage to the ship the amount you fail by will dictate the amount of damage the ship takes. Ex. 1d10 bludgeoning per # below 30. So rolling a 25 would be 5d10 damage

Speed

The base speed of a ship is 30 ft. This can be increased through maneuvers. This is equivalent to about 2.25 mph or 54 miles per day. In the astral sea this is multiplied by 10. A single Astral parsec is equivalent to the base amount of space you can travel in a day. Therefore 540 miles equals 1 AP
This can be increased with different fuel types, upgraded engines, and other upgrades.

Ship Movement Types

Ship movement types dictate how fast you are moving during travel with a ship, once you enter combat you return to your ships default rate if not using maneuvers.
Every ship has three movement types:
Agile: In this movement type you move at 1.5 base speed allowing you to swiftly travel across the Astral Sea. However it comes with many draw backs. It requires the focus of the crew to maintain, therefore during travel you are unable to gain the benefit of a long rest as well as downtime. This also gives a -5 penlty to all manuvers and sighting check while moving. This also uses twice the amount of fuel.|
Default: in this movement type you move at 1 base speed allowing you to glide through the Astral Sea. This requires the partical focus of the crew to maintain. While traveling you are able to gain the benefit of a long rest as well as downtime but only once per month rather than per week. These is no + or - to any manuver or sighting checks. This uses the base amount of fuel.
Steady: In this movement type you move at .75 base speed allowing you to travel across the Astral Sea at a slow steady rate. This comes with many benefits. It require very little focus of the crew leaving it to the crew npc's, therefore you gain all of the benefits of long rests every week of travel aswell as being able to use downtime to work on various things while traveling. This also give a +5 benefit to all maneuvers and sighting checks while moving allowing you to easily manuver throughout the Astral Sea. This uses half the amount of fuel.

Ship Maintenance

 

Fuel

 

Repairs

 

Crystals

 

Ship Defense

This refers to when your ship is left in an unsafe location. Some dockyards such as Safehaven have protective measures to protect your ship however these a few and far between. Typically you will either have to pay for additional protection at a dock yard or have built in protection on your ship.
When you are leaving your ship you can attempt to assess the area for danger, with a applicable skill check to see if you can figure out what threats are in the area. When your ship is left unattended by you the DM will roll a raid chance dependent on the danger level of an area. This roll will decide if a raid is triggered in your absence. If one does trigger the DM will use the danger level and assumed threat of the creatures involved and will roll on a table to see what happens. Various upgrades, crew, defences. and effects can be activated to make both the chance of a raid and the negative effects of said raids lower.

Danger Level

Safe - Dockyard under heavy survalence 0%
Unguarded Dockyard - Dockyard is widely used but not guarded 10%
Unsafe Dockyard - Dockyard is fairly empty making ships easy targets 25%
Wilderness - There is no defense of ship in wild 50%
Unsafe Wilderness - There is no defense of ship in wild with activity in area 75%
Warzone - There are active threats in the area seeking to harm. 100%

Crew

Having a crew on your ship is the best way to protect a ship from intruders. However not all crew are made equal, some crew will do a better job than others at protecting your ship. Typically if a crew has weapons they have a better chance at protection. Special (named) NPC's living on your ship have great incentive to protect it and typically will do so if left with it.

Armor

The armor of your ship will help reduce the damage done by raiding creatures. The tougher your ship the less it can be hurt when intruders attempt to steal from it.

Weapons

Certain weapons can help reduce the amount of raiding enemies will be willing to attempt. The more weapons you have the better your crew can defend it without you.

Effects

Special enchantments, wards, and spells can help keep your ship safe while you are away.
Devising battleplans / building protections prior to leaving your ship will give your crew a better ability to defend against the level of threats in the area.

Ship Additions

Quality of Life & Moral System  

Quality of Life

Similar to long rest you must pay for a certain level of Lifestlye, however upgrades to the ship can reduce the required cost for this while long resting on the ship.
The cost for upgrading the ship to each of the levels of lifestyle and its effects are below:

Room Additions

You are able to pay to have entire rooms created on your ship for many purposes. You must have room for these rooms, some require dedicated area while others can be shared between room upgrade. These rooms can allow for certain downtime activites to be preformed (ex. Forge for crafting mundane items), passive buffs to players / crew / ship (ex. Hot Spring to increase crew morale), or to have an active effect which can be activated (ex. Magic Circle Basestone).

Item Additions

You can pay to have specific items added to your ship rather it be weapons, armor, or something else. Many of these are listed below in the upgrade table.

Crew Happiness

The Morale of your crew is an imporant metric as it dicates if they will get invovled when conflict arrises. A happy crew is a healthy crew. The Morale of your crew can be effected by a few different things.
Flat bonuses to crew morale can be applied by special upgrades to the ship.
All crews have a base expected Lifestyle, typically tied to their usefullness. The more abilites a crew has the higher standards they have.
The crew's lifestyle cost is a half of a players cost therefore for a crew of 6 would be the equvilant of 2 players paying for a lifestyle level. The crew gains the same benefit from Ship lifestyle upgrades of a reduced cost.

Upgrades

This area is listing some os the more common upgrades. This is not an exhaustive list. If you come up with an idea for an upgrade for the ship and its effects, or come across a item you think could be used to upgrade the ship let me know. I am happy to make it work, this may come with an additional charge or time commitment depending on the attempted upgrade. It could also require an adventure in itself to find the rare item required for such an upgrade.
It is also possible to come across upgrade salesmen who might have a custom upgrade available. I will make it known when you come across such a person and what said upgrade would allow for.

Weapons

Ships As Bastions

Your ship is full of NPCs that can take all sorts of actions.
For every ship turn that takes place over 1 month, you can assign an NPC crew member to a certain room, which can have an effect .
Every month that passes as long as you are paying for the board of an NPC, they will take action as you direct in a room which can create an item, gather information, make money, and many other things.

Once per Ship Turn (1 month), a special Ship Event may happen. Make sure not to leave your ship unprepared if you are not present.

Special Rooms require you to have built a base room to begin as below:
  Room Size Area Cost(Days) Upgrade Cost(Days)
Cramped 4 tiles 500(20)
Roomy 16 tiles 1,000(45) 500(25)
Vast 36 tiles 3,000(125) 2,000(80)

At level 5 you can build the special rooms as below:

Arcane Study

Level 5 Bastion Facility

Cost: 2000 GP
Prerequisite: Ability to use an Arcane Focus or tool as a Spellcasting Focus
Space: Roomy
Hirelings: 1
Order: Craft

An Arcane Study is a place of quiet research that contains one or more desks and bookshelves.

Arcane Study Charm. After spending a Long Rest in your Bastion, you gain a magical Charm that lasts for 7 days or until you use it. The Charm allows you to cast Identify without expending a spell slot or using Material components. You can’t gain this Charm again while you still have it.

Craft Options. When you issue the Craft order to this facility, choose one of the following options:

Craft: Arcane Focus. You commission the facility’s hireling to craft an Arcane Focus. The work takes 7 days and costs no money. The Arcane Focus remains in your Bastion until you claim it.

Craft: Book. You commission the facility’s hireling to craft a blank book. The work takes 7 days and costs you 10 GP. The book remains in your Bastion until you claim it.

Craft: Magic Item (Arcana). If you are level 9+, you can commission the facility’s hireling to craft a Common or an Uncommon magic item chosen by you from the Arcana tables in chapter 7. The facility has the tool required to craft the item, and the hireling has proficiency with that tool as well as proficiency in the Arcana skill. See the “Crafting Magic Items” section in chapter 7 for the time and money that must be spent to craft the item. If the item allows its user to cast any spells from it, you must craft the item yourself (the facility’s hireling can assist), and you must have all those spells prepared every day you spend crafting the item.

Garden

Level 5 Bastion Facility

Cost: 2000 GP
Prerequisite: None
Space: Roomy
Hirelings: 1
Order: Harvest

A Bastion can have more than one Garden. Each time you add a Garden to your Bastion, choose its type from the options in the Garden Types table.

While in your Bastion, you can instruct the facility’s hireling to change the Garden from one type to another. This work takes 1 Ship Turn, during which time no other activity can occur in this facility.

Harvest: Garden Growth. When you issue the Harvest order to this facility, you commission the facility’s hireling to collect items from the Garden as noted in the Garden Types table. The work takes 1 Ship Turn and costs no money.

Enlarging the Facility. You can enlarge your Garden to a Vast facility by spending 2,000 GP. A Vast Garden is equivalent to two Roomy Gardens and can include two of the same type of Garden or two different types. When you issue the Harvest order to a Vast Garden, each component garden produces its own harvest. A Vast Garden gains one additional hireling.

Garden Type:
Decorative
Aesthetically pleasing garden full of flowers and topiaries.
Ten exquisite floral bouquets (worth 5 GP each), ten vials of Perfume, or ten Candles

Food
Garden of delicious mushrooms or vegetables
100 days worth of Rations (Reduce Cost of QoL for 3 People to Level Below)

Herb
Garden of rare herbs, some of which have medicinal uses
Herbs that are used to create either ten Healer’s Kits or one Potion of Healing

Poison
Garden stocked with plants and fungi from which poisons and antitoxin can be extracted
Plants that are used to create either two vials of Antitoxin or one vial of Basic Poison

Library

Level 5 Bastion Facility

Cost: 2000 GP
Prerequisite: None
Space: Roomy
Hirelings: 1
Order: Research

This Library contains a collection of books plus one or more desks and reading chairs.

Research: Topical Lore. When you issue the Research order to this facility, you commission the facility’s hireling to research a topic. The topic can be a legend, a known event or location, a person of significance, a type of creature, or a famous object. The work takes 7 days. When the research concludes, the hireling obtains up to three accurate pieces of information about the topic that were previously unknown to you and shares this knowledge with you the next time you speak with them. The DM determines what information you learn.

Sanctuary

Level 5 Bastion Facility

Cost: 2000 GP
Prerequisite: Ability to use a Holy Symbol or Druidic Focus as a Spellcasting Focus
Space: Roomy
Hirelings: 1
Order: Craft

Icons of your religion are displayed in this facility, which includes a quiet place for worship.

Sanctuary Charm. After spending a Long Rest in your Bastion, you gain a magical Charm that lasts for 7 days or until you use it. The Charm allows you to cast Healing Word once without expending a spell slot. You can’t gain this Charm again while you still have it.

Craft: Sacred Focus. When you issue the Craft order to this facility, you commission the facility’s hireling to craft a Druidic Focus (wooden staff) or a Holy Symbol. The work takes 7 days and costs no money. The item remains in your Bastion until you claim it.

Smithy

Level 5 Bastion Facility

Cost: 2000 GP
Prerequisite: Able to use Smith Tools
Space: Roomy
Hirelings: 2 Order: Craft

This Smithy contains a forge, an anvil, and other tools needed to craft weapons, armor, and other equipment.

Craft Options. When you issue the Craft order to this facility, choose one of the following options:

Craft: Smith’s Tools. The facility’s hirelings craft anything that can be made with Smith’s Tools, using the rules in the Player’s Handbook.

Craft: Magic Item (Armament). If you are level 9+, can you commission the facility’s hirelings to craft a Common or an Uncommon magic item chosen by you from the Armaments tables in chapter 7. The facility has the tool required to craft the item, and the hirelings have proficiency with that tool as well as proficiency in the Arcana skill. See the “Crafting Magic Items” section in chapter 7 for the time and money that must be spent to craft the item. If the item allows its user to cast any spells from it, you must craft the item yourself (the facility’s hirelings can assist), and you must have all those spells prepared every day you spend crafting the item.

Storehouse

Level 5 Bastion Facility

Cost: 2000 GP
Prerequisite: None
Space: Roomy
Hirelings: 1
Order: Trade

A Storehouse is a cool, dark space meant to contain trade goods objects from the Trade Goods table in chapter 7 and from chapter 6 of the Player's Handbook.

Trade: Goods. When you issue the Trade order to this facility, its hireling spends the next Bastion Turn procuring nonmagical items that have a total value of 500 GP or less and stores them in the Storehouse, or the hireling uses that Bastion Turn to sell goods in the Storehouse when docked in a reasonable location to buy and sell items. You bear the total cost of any purchases, and the maximum value of the items purchased increases to 2,000 GP when you reach level 9 and 5,000 GP when you reach level 13.

When you sell goods from your Storehouse, the buyer pays you 10 percent more than the standard price; this profit increases to 20 percent when you reach level 9, 50 percent when you reach level 13, and 100 percent when you reach level 17. You can only buy and sell goods when docked in a reasonable location.

Workshop

Level 5 Bastion Facility

Cost: 2000 GP
Prerequisite: Ability to use Artisan Tool's used for crafting
Space: Roomy
Hirelings: 3
Order: Craft

This Workshop is a creative space where useful items can be crafted.

Artisan’s Tools. The Workshop comes equipped with six different kinds of Artisan’s Tools, chosen from the following list:
Carpenter’s Tools
Cobbler’s Tools
Glassblower’s Tools
Jeweler’s Tools
Leatherworker’s Tools
Mason’s Tools
Painter’s Tools
Potter’s Tools
Tinker’s Tools
Weaver’s Tools
Woodcarver’s Tools

Craft Options. When you issue the Craft order to this facility, choose one of the following options:

Craft: Adventuring Gear. The facility’s hirelings craft anything that can be made with the tools you chose when you added the Workshop to your Bastion (see above), using the rules in the Player’s Handbook.

Craft: Magic Item (Implement). If you are level 9+, you can commission the facility’s hirelings to craft a Common or an Uncommon magic item chosen by you from the Implements tables in chapter 7. The facility has the tool required to craft the item, and the hirelings have proficiency with that tool as well as proficiency in the Arcana skill. See the “Crafting Magic Items” section in chapter 7 for the time and money that must be spent to craft the item. If the item allows its user to cast any spells from it, you must craft the item yourself (the facility’s hirelings can assist), and you must have all those spells prepared every day you spend crafting the item.

Source of Inspiration. After spending an entire Long Rest in your Workshop, you gain Heroic Inspiration. You can’t gain this benefit again until you finish a Ship turn.

Enlarging the Facility. You can enlarge your Workshop to a Vast facility by spending 2,000 GP. If you do so, the Workshop gains two additional hirelings and three additional Artisan’s Tools (chosen from the list above).



 

Health

Movement

Crew Upgrade

Crew Hiring

Quality of Life

Other