Naval Rules

Ship Stat Blocks

 

Example Statblocks

Examples of some common ships can be found here: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/n4v3VPDToR2T  

Basic Statistics

A ship stat block has three main parts: basic statistics, components, and action options. Ships can't take any actions on their own. Without effort from its crew, a ship might drift on the water, come to a stop, or careen out of control.  

Size

Most ships are Large, Huge, or Gargantuan. A ship's size category is determined by its length or width, whichever is longer. For instance, a ship that is 10 feet long and 20 feet wide would use the size category that has a 20-foot width, which means the ship is Gargantuan.  

Space

A ship doesn't have a square space unless its stat block specifies otherwise. For example, a ship that is 20 feet long and 10 feet wide occupies a 20-by-10-foot space.   A ship can't move into a space that is too small to accommodate it. If it tries to do so, it crashes, as described in the "Crashing a Ship" section.  

Capacity

A ship's stat block indicates how many creatures and how much cargo it can carry. Creatures include both the crew of the vessel and any passengers who might ride along. Passengers don't generally engage in running a ship, but they also don't need to be mere bystanders. Seasick merchants and marines thoroughly capable of facing menaces from the deep both count as passengers.   Cargo capacity notes the maximum amount of cargo a ship can carry. A vessel can't move—or might even start taking on water—if its cargo exceeds this capacity.  

Travel Pace

A ship's travel pace determines how far the vessel can move per hour and per day. A ship's movement-related components (described later in the stat block) determine how far the vessel can move each round.  

Ability Scores

A ship has the six ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) and the corresponding modifiers.   The Strength of a ship expresses its size and weight. Dexterity represents a ship's ease of handling. A ship's Constitution covers its durability and the quality of its construction. Ships usually have a score of 0 in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.   If a ship has a 0 in a score, it automatically fails any ability check or saving throw that uses that score.  

Vulnerabilites, Resistances, and Immunites

A ship's vulnerabilities, resistances, and immunities apply to all its components, unless otherwise noted in the stat block.   Ships are typically immune to poison and psychic damage. Ships are also usually immune to the following conditions: blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, and unconscious.

Actions

This part of the stat block specifies what the ship can do on its turn, using its special actions rather than the actions used by creatures. It even relies on its actions to move; it doesn't have a move otherwise. The ship's captain decides which actions to use. A given action can be chosen only once during a turn.

Components

A ship is composed of different components, each of which comprises multiple objects:   Hull. A ship's hull is its basic frame, on which the other components are mounted.   Control. A control component is used to steer a ship.   Movement. A movement component is the element of the ship that enables it to move, such as a set of sails or oars, and has a specific speed.   Weapon. A ship capable of being used in combat has one or more weapon components, each of which is operated separately.   A ship's component might have special rules, as described in the stat block.  

Damage Threshold

If a ship component has a damage threshold, that threshold appears after its hit points. A component has immunity to all damage unless it takes an amount of damage that equals or exceeds its threshold, in which case it takes damage as normal. Damage that fails to bypass the threshold is considered superficial and doesn't reduce the component's hit points.  

Repairing a ship

Whether a ship has taken water, taken fire from an enemy pirate, or had its mast split in twain, a ship eventually must be repaired. A ship hull can be repaired on the sea, however, a ship's hull can only be repaired up to half its total hit points; unless the Bosun or ship has some kind of technology that will allow for the repair of the boat on the outside without the ship taking in water or suffering water damage. In order to repair a ship's hull beyond half its hit point total, the ship must be docked in a harbour, beached or elevated so its underbelly can be worked on, and so it does not take in more water while being repaired. Repairing a ship whilst beached uses the same rules as repairing a ship at sea.   To repair a ship; wood, canvas, nails, and other materials are needed. Every 10 pounds of spare materials (typically wood) costs 1 gp. For example, if a crew wanted to stock up on 2,000lbs of wood and repair materials, they would need to spend 200gp. A bosun can only repair one ship component at a time.  

Repairs at a Harbour

At a harbour, or when a ship is similarly docked, the ship can be repaired using 10lbs worth of wood, nails, and canvas for 3 hit points, up to a maximum of 30 hit points per hour. (i.e 10gp per hour). If a creature repairing the ship has the Mending spell, the ship is repaired for an additional 2 hit points per 10 lbs of wood, nails, and canvas used.  

Hiring a Shipwright

Many harbours employ shipbuilding companies with access to labour and equipment that would not be possible to take on a voyage. When employing a shipwright's company, they restore component hit points at a rate of 40-60 hit points per hour depending on the skill of the company in question. These companies charge a premium in addition to the cost of supplies, and so typically cost between 20-50gp per hour.  

Repairs at Sea

To repair a ship quickly, a Bosun can take the Repair downtime activity for as many hours as they see fit, up to a maximum of 8, where the Bosun makes a Strength (Carpenter's Tools) check, and consults the Repair Table. If the crew is assisting him, add half the crew's quality score to the check (rounded down). If the Bosun, or a creature aiding the Bosun, has the Mending spell, the ship is repaired for an additional 2 hit points per 10lbs of wood, nails, and canvas used.  

Ship Repairs Table

Result	Outcome
5 or less	You use 20lbs worth of wood, nails, and canvas to repair 1 hit point, up to 10 hit points per hour for as long as you take this downtime activity. (20gp per hour)
15	You use 10lbs worth of wood, nails, and canvas to repair 1 hit point, up to 20 hit points per hour for as long as you take this downtime activity. (20gp per hour)
20	You use 10lbs worth of wood, nails, and canvas to repair 2 hit points, up to 40 hit points per hour for as long as you take this downtime activity. (20gp per hour)

Officers And Crew

Whilst a ship needs plenty of hands to keep everything running, a few specialised roles are often required to keep things running smoothly. These high ranking crew members are known as officers.

Types of Officer

If you'd like to explore running a ship, it needs officers to oversee its operations—officers who fill six different roles. Some roles aboard a ship reflect the need for trained experts to direct a crew's efforts. Other roles focus on keeping the crew's health and morale in order. The roles are meant to provide a sense of the types of ability checks useful to managing a ship. Of these, though, captain is the only role that must be filled for the ship to function. A ship needs a single person to issue orders and respond to threats, otherwise a ship risks chaos and confusion during a crisis.   Each type of officer is described below, along with the abilities and proficiencies that help a character excel in that role:

• Captain: The captain issues orders. The best captains have high Intelligence or Wisdom and Charisma scores, as well as proficiency with water vehicles and the Intimidation and Persuasion skills.
• First Mate/Quartermaster: This specialist keeps the crew's morale high by providing supervision, encouragement, and discipline. A first mate benefits from a high Charisma score, as well as proficiency with the Intimidation or Persuasion skills.
• Bosun: The bosun (or boatswain) provides technical advice to the captain and crew and leads repair and maintenance efforts. A good bosun has a high Strength score, as well as proficiency with carpenter's tools and the Athletics skill.
• Navigator: The navigator plots the ship's course, relying on knowledge of nautical charts and a study of weather and sea conditions. A reliable navigator tends to have a high Wisdom score, as well as proficiency with navigator's tools and the Nature or Survival skills.
• Surgeon: The ship's surgeon tends to injuries, keeps illnesses from spreading throughout the ship, and oversees sanitation. A capable surgeon benefits from a high Intelligence score, as well as proficiency with herbalism kits and the Medicine skill. Although healing spells exist in the world, sanitation and hygiene are equally important as injury recovery in ship life.
• Cook: A ship's cook works with the limited ingredients aboard a ship to make meals. A skilled cook keeps the crew's morale in top shape, while a poor one drags down the entire crew's performance. A talented cook has a high Constitution score, as well as proficiency with brewer's supplies and cook's utensils.

 

Alternative Roles

Each of the roles above require specific expertise in various areas. For crews that lack individuals with the required proficiencies, there are other officer types detailed below.

• Helmsman. A helmsman is an officer who specialises in maneuvering the ship. Although not always the one to steer the ship, they are the ones most relied upon in adverse weather and pitched battles. They work well in crews when the captain lacks water vehicles proficiency. A good helmsman has water vehicles proficiency, and a decent strength score to help turn a stubborn rudder.
• Musician. The musician's job is to entertain the crew and keep them in high spirits. Although it sounds a needless role, a good music and party atmosphere can bring a crew together and raise morale. A capable musician has a high charisma score, and proficiency with at least one musical instrument.
• Lookout. A ship's lookout spends most of their time in the crow's nest, a precarious platform atop a ship's mast. Their job is to alert the captain of any and all pertinent information, from land, to other ships, to ill weather and other hazards. Any lookout worth their salt has proficiency in the Perception skill, and carries a spyglass. A great lookout will also have proficiency in either althetics or acrobatics to avoid falling from their perch in tough situations.
• Master Gunner. Whilst most any sailor at sea knows their way around a ship's weaponry, a master gunner lives and breathes weapon use and maintenance. A master gunner oversees the crew manning weapons, ammunition and gunpowder storage, and repairs any damages incurred to them. They also man weapons themselves, to devastating effect. Master gunners know their way around a cannon inside and out, and with their direction, greatly increase the efficiency of the guns by avoiding using excess gun powder. If a ship has a master gunner, it uses half the normal amount of gunpowder on each shot. Master Gunners benefit from high strength scores, as well as proficiency with Smithing Tools in order to repair damaged guns.

Crew Members

A ship requires a number of able-bodied sailors to crew it, as specified in its stat block. A crew's skill, experience, morale, and health are defined by its quality score. This score can affect a number of general ship activities, like the crew's ability to notice threats or contend with hazards. A crew starts with a quality score of +4, but that score varies over time, going as low as −10 and as high as +10. It decreases as a crew takes casualties, suffers hardship, or endures poor health. It increases if the crew enjoys high morale, has good health care, and receives fair leadership. Scores above +4 will slowly decrease until they reach +4 if there are no events that particularly raise or lower morale.  

Mutiny

A poorly led or mistreated crew might turn against its officers. Once per day, if a crew's quality score is lower than 0, the captain must make a Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check modified by the crew's quality score.   If the check total is between 1 and 9, the crew's quality score decreases by 1.   If the check total is 0 or lower, the crew mutinies. They become hostile to the officers and might attempt to kill them, imprison them, or throw them overboard. The crew can be cowed into obedience through violence, combat, or offers of treasure or other rewards.   When the DM ends the mutiny, the crew's quality score increases by 1d4.  

Shore Leave

Life aboard a ship is a constant wear on the crew. Spending time in port allows the crew to relax and regain its composure.   If a crew's quality score is 3 or lower, the score increases by 1 for each day the crew spends in port or ashore.

Activity While Travelling

Draw a Map

A ship's captain often undertakes this activity, producing a map of the ship's progress and helping the crew get back on course if they get lost. No ability check is required. When a map is drawn, no survival checks are required when the ship moves along a route it has taken before, barring unusual circumstances such as magic or an unusually powerful storm.  

Prepare Food(cook only)

  Having only rations during a seafaring or travelling journey can practically be insanity-inducing if they are not varied or extremely delicious, and hot-cooked meals can greatly improve mood and health.   You spend your day preparing and creating meals from rations that are tasty! Make a Wisdom or Intelligence (Cook's Utensils) check. The amount of creatures that can gain benefits from your cooking is equal to the result of your Wisdom or Intelligence check.   On a 15 or higher, the food was tasty, and all creatures that ate your food have advantage on saving throws made to resist contracting diseases for the next day as well as a number of thp equal to your proficiency bonus. If all non-officer crew aboard the ship ate the food, the crew's quality increases by 1 up to a maximum of +1.   On a 20 or higher, the food was absolutely delicious and ravishing, and creatures that ate your food gain the previous benefit as well as gaining inspiration for the next day. The amount of thp gained also increases to double your proficiency bonus. If all non-officer crew aboard the ship ate the food, the crew's quality increases by 1 up to a maximum of +4.  

Forage

The character casts fishing lines, keeping an eye out for sources of food, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the DM calls for it.

Raise Morale(First Mate or Musician only)

The first mate can manage the crew's time to grant extended breaks, provide instruction, and generally improve the quality of life on the ship. A musician can provide an evening's entertainment, lead shanties to pass the time, or otherwise attempt to lighten the mood. Once every 24 hours, if the crew's quality score is 3 or lower, the first mate can make a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, or the musician makes a DC 15 Charisma (Performance) or Charisma (Musical Instrument) check. On a successful check, the crew's quality score increases by 1. A musician can attempt to raise morale when the crew's score is 5 or lower.

Navigate(Navigator Only)

The navigator can try to prevent the ship from becoming lost, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the DM calls for it.

Noticing Threats

Use the passive Wisdom (Perception) score of the crew to determine whether anyone on the ship notices a hidden threat. The crew has a passive Wisdom (Perception) score equal to 10 + the crew's quality score. The DM might decide that a threat can be noticed only by characters in a specific area of the ship. For example, only characters below deck might have a chance to hear or spot a creature hiding on board.   If the lookout is in the crow's nest, their passive perception is used instead of the crew's. A lookout can see twice as far as the crew, or farther if they use a spyglass.

Repair Ship(Bosun only)

See ship repairs section above.

Repair Weapons(Master Gunner only)

At the end of the day, the ship's master gunner can make a Strength check using smithing tools. On a 15 or higher, each damaged ship weapon regains hit points equal to 1d10 + the crew's quality score (minimum of 1 hit point).

Stealth(Captain Only)

The ship's captain can engage in this activity only if the weather conditions restrict visibility, such as in heavy fog. The ship makes a Dexterity check with a bonus equal to the crew's quality score to determine if it can hide.