Naval Ship Combat

Naval Combat Actions and initiative

  During start of naval combat each vessel must roll initiative, this initiative is rolled by the helmsmen and the bonus' added to the roll are as follows: 1/10 of the vessels move speed (rounded down) + the helmsmen's boat proficiency + any other magical sources of initiative boosting. A ship may sink if it drops to 0 hp, is capsized, has no more living crew remaining, or takes half of its maximum hp damage in one round. Boats can only use the weapons they have on one side of the ship to fire at targets on that corresponding side. Boats have an AC dependent on their size. Boats also get aquatics bonus' based their size. The chart goes as follows:     Boats only trigger opportunity if they move into the range of other boats that are alert, pass in front of another ship's guns, or attempt to board and fail. Boats have 3 different speeds at which they can operate, stalled, the vessel doesn't generate noise, sound or any noticeable features of movement, has advantage on stealth rolls, and gains a +5 bonus to stealth rolls; cautiously, granting the vessel advantage on attack and stealth rolls however they can only move at half speed; cruising, the vessel moves at its normal speed and doesn't gain any other benefits; and hastily, the vessel can move 4 times its move speed whenever taking the move boat action, has disadvantage on stealth rolls, remaining hidden, and attack rolls. During the boat's turn in initiative the boat has a number of boat actions equal to the number of combat ready crew on board. Different actions a boat can take can be taken by the crew at the time of the boat's initiative. For example one crew member can load a ballista and the other can fire it, this combination will require and consume 2 boat actions. Basic boat actions that all boats have are as follows and can only be taken by a crew proficient in naval vessels:

Moving

This action can only be performed by the helmsmen and costs boat action allowing the boat to move its current speed

Turning

Normally requires half of the boat's speed to perform and only rotates 90 degrees. If the boat has the turning property it can turn an extra 45 degrees costing the rest of the boat's move speed that turn.

Evasive maneuvers

This action must be performed by the helmsmen and causes all ships to have disadvantage targeting the boat and grants the boat an armor class of 14 + the helmsmen's proficiency + 1/10 of the boats move speed rounded down. All subsequent attacks to and from the boat are made at a disadvantage until the start of the boat's next turn.

Board

This action can only be performed if the vessels are within 10 feet of each other, the boat attempting to board is the same size or larger than the opposing boat, and the boarding boat has not used more than 1 boat action this turn. Upon attempting to board both the vessels must make opposing Aquatics checks. The vessel with the highest aquatics check gets to decide whether it is boarding or not. If two vessels are joined and boarded naval combat ends for them and each crew must role initiative and neither may take any boat actions unless they have their helmsmen at their wheel in which case they have the boat actions given to them by their helmsmen and may only attempt to take the dis-boarding action.

Dis-boarding

This action can be taken by anyone as a reaction to being boarded or an attempt to board. The boat attempting to dis-board must succeed on an aquatics saving throw against their aquatics DC (8 + aquatics proficiency + boat proficiency + boarding proficiency)

Siege Use

This action costs 2 cooperating boat actions that can be taken by anyone but the helmsmen and allows for the operation of a siege weapon unless the siege weapon specifically dictates that it requires more than 2 boat actions

Targeted Aim

This action costs 3 cooperating boat actions that can be taken by anyone except the helmsmen. This allows the people operating it to target one essential part of the opposing boat that can be either the mechanism of motion, steering, a single weapon, the crew, or the mechanism of steering. In order to hit the target the person that aimed the targeted aim action must make a ranged attack roll with the weapon against the components AC. On a hit the component is damaged and inoperable until the start of the firing boat's turn or until a ship mechanic fixes the damaged mechanism. On a miss the shot instead hits the enemy ship and deals damage normally. On a critical hit the damage against the target is doubled and it is rendered inoperable until a mechanic spends twice the time normally necessary fixing it and if a roll is needed from the critically damaged section it gets a critical failure. A critical failure to hit the weapon used with the targeted aim is damage and the shot completely misses and deals no damage to the targeted ship.

Ram

This action can only be taken by the helmsmen and costs 2 boat actions and has moved 30 ft or more towards the targeted boat this action takes effect. When a vehicle is rammed it must make an opposing power check against the boat's power DC (8 + power bonus + boat proficiency). On a success the boat rams into the opposing boat causing it to take damage equal to twice the remaining move speed of the ramming boat and causes the ramming boat to take half of that damage. On a critical success the ramming boat takes no damage. On a fail the boat merely gets shoved and the ramming boat triggers opportunity. If it critically fails the ramming boat must expend all of its move speed moving in a straight line and triggers opportunity.

Shifting Pace

This action can only be taken by the helmsmen and allows for the shift of operation speed.    

Reactions and Opportunity

  Boats in naval combat have a certain amount of reaction points equal to half of the vessels normal boat actions rounded down. Only one reaction point may be spent per sailor unless they have a special ability that allows them to exceed this limit. Boats trigger opportunity whenever they enter the range of another vessel's guns or if the boat is over-encumbered when it attempts to leave as well. When opportunity is triggered only the guns that can see or have the range to hit the enemy vessel may be fired. Additionally the crew may expend any of their boat actions to Shift Pace, Aim, or Move as long as they do not exceed their reaction point limit. Boats do not trigger opportunity if they cannot be seen, targeted by an operable weapon, or are leaving the opposing ship's range.    

Morale

  Boats that have a crew must also keep track of their morale. Their morale can range from a +10 to a -10. The crew's morale is added to any check that they do to avoid a storm, stay awake, traverse a storm, boarding, and traversal times. Morale can improve and decrease based on the player's actions. Morale can be improved with higher pay rates, high quality food, low casualty rates, PC interactions, and good decisions made. Like wise morale can be lowered by pay rates, low quality food, disease, higher casualty rates, rude PC's, poor choices, and pro longed travel times. At a +0 morale the crew is neutral to the party and isn't likely to risk their lives for them or go out of their way to make things extraordinary but is still likely to follow commands. At a +10 morale the crew loves the party and is willing to risk their lives for them and try out crazy ideas and will obey the parties command to the best of their capabilities they also crit on 18s an above. Like wise at -10 morale the ship will undergo mutiny and is considered incapacitated for combat purposes. The crew will try and rebel, purposefully fail at task, put in no effort at all, and will act more on their own behalf than that of the players they also will critically fail on 5 and below.    

Traversal

  While the party is out exploring the high seas they are more than likely to do some traversing. While traversing they can go at various different speeds ranging from very fast paced to incredibly slow. Each pace has its own benefits and can be changed to by the helmsmen. The base traversal pace of the boat is 1 hex regardless of the boats base speed. This pace increases with the pace of the vessel and the same rules apply. For example if the boat is traveling at a hasty speed the tiles they can move everyday is multiplied by 4. For each day they are at sea they must roll on the traversal table (). If they are attempting to voyage to a destination they must roll a navigational check (survival + boat proficiency + cartographers tools if they have a map). The DCs vary depending on their familiarity as stated below:  

If they are a days or less voyage away

They have successfully navigated to and visit frequently: 12

They have successfully navigated to before: 16

They were given instructions to: 20

They have seen before: 26

They have heard of before: 30

If they are two days worth of voyaging away

They have successfully navigated to and visit frequently: 16

They have successfully navigated to before: 20

They were given instructions to: 26

They have seen before: 32

They have heard of before: 40

If they are 3 days away worth of voyaging

They have successfully navigated to and visit frequently: 20

They have successfully navigated to before: 24

They were given instructions to: 28

They have seen before: 34

They have heard of before: 40

For every day past 3 add 2 to the DC of everything except the first two, only add 1 to the DC of those   If they fail the DC they spend a day going in the wrong direction and the voyaging time increases by a day and they can get potentially lost. For every day out at sea that they are lost they most roll on the traversal table with disadvantage (meaning the DM picks the worst effect).    

Damage and Repairs

  During combat your boat is likely to take damage of varying degrees. If your ship is hit directly, in a storm, or one of the parts of your boat takes damage the boat as a whole takes damage. For example if your boat has a cannon and that cannon takes 40 damage so does your boat. A weapon that takes damage is stunned until the start of its turn in which case it can expend its boat action to become un-stunned. If a weapon takes more damage than its hit points the weapon is considered in operable until it is repaired up to half of its hit points again in which case it is operable. Your boat has 3 separate hit points, its max HP which does not change unless under magical effects or otherwise, your repairable HP, and your current HP. Whenever your boat takes damage your repairable HP takes 1/10th of the damage rounded down. During a long rest your boat can expend a number of hit dice equal to the result of an aquatics check rolled by any of the crew members. The hit points regenerated in this manor cannot exceed the repairable HP of the vessel and for every hit dice spent consumes 1 crate of raw boat materials. The boat regains all expended hit dice at the dawn of the next day. Another method of repairing your vessel is by going to a ship yard or port. Once at a shipyard or port the repairable HP of the boat can be set to the max HP of the vessel with a successful DC 16 boat check (addding inteligence modifier as well). The players can attempt to fix the vessel themselves or hire an NPC to do so. Regardless ship repairs will consume 1gp per hit point regained in supplies or hiring. Once repaired the ship will regain all of its hit points, weapon functionality, and its repairable HP will be reset to its max HP.

These rules apply only to naval combat when there are people mounted on a vessel