Ships and the Sea 5e

Of Ships and the Sea

A guide to ocean adventures and combat in Dungeons & Dragons 5e

1

Ships
Introduction

This guide was made in an attempt to adapt the extensive rules created in the Ships & the Sea booklet for AD&D 2e to D&D 5e.
The rules are streamlined somewhat to make naval engagements flow easier, but key elements of the warfare has been retained.

Table Of Contents

1 Of Ships and the Sea
1.1 Ships
1.2 Introduction
1.3 Ships
1.4 Ships descriptions
1.5 Rules for travel
1.5.1 Crew actions
1.5.2 Crew quality
1.5.3 Crew roles
1.6 Rules for combat
1.6.1 Phases of naval warfare
1.6.2 Crew and Roles
1.6.3 Attacks and Damage
1.6.4 Spells in Naval Combat

2

Ships

Ships List Draft Length Beam Cost Build Time
5' 20' 10' 500 gp 1 week
Ship 1' 10' 5' 30 gp 3 days
Barge 5' 70' 20' 30 000 gp
Canoe 4' 70' 25' 12 000 gp 5 months
Caravel 5' 90' 20' 20 000 gp 3 months
Cargo Ship 1' 20' 5' 60 gp 4 months
Cog 2' 100' 15' 25 000 gp
Curragh 1' 30' 6' 350 gp 1 week
Drakkar 5' 130' 20' 25 000 gp 2 months
Fishing Boat 1' 20' 6' 250 gp 3 weeks
Great Galley 2' 75' 15' 6 000 gp 4 months
Keelboat 2' 75' 15' 15 000 gp 2 weeks
Knarr 10' 200' 75' 10 000 gp 1 month
Longship 1' 30' 16' 75 gp 1 month
Manta 2' 60' 15' 20 000 gp 1 month
Outrigger 3' 10' 10' 50 gp
Pentekonter 4' 65’ 12' 15 000 gp 1 week
Raft 1' 16' 5' 100 gp 3 months
Raker 4' 90' 25' 17 000 gp
Skiff 4' 90’ 15' 20 000 gp 1 week
Sohar 3' 135' 15' 20 000 gp 2 months
Striker
Trireme 1 week
4 months
3 months
4 months

Draft
Draft is how deep in the water the ship runs. The draft of a ship may detail how well a ship can travers shallow waters. Sailing
ships often run with a deeper draft to keep stable in strong winds.
Length
This is the length of the vessel from bow to stern.
Beam
This is the width of the ship at its widest.
Cost
Finding a ready to use ship for sale is often a rare thing, and price can vary wildly based on supply and demand, the condition of
the ship etc. The listed cost represents what must be paid for material and manpower to have a vessel built, given that there is a
ready supply of both.
Build Time
This is the time it would take to build a vessel of this type. For vessels above 30 feet in length, a shipyard is commonly required to
build the vessel. The number of men optimal for building a vessel depends on the vessel's size. A large vessel requires 3 men to
build. Huge vessels require 10 men to build. Gargantuan vessels require 30 men to build. Having fewer men available results in a
longer construction time. Half the manpower available results in double the construction time. One third of the people results in
three times the construction time. A vessel cannot be constructed with fewer than one third of the required manpower. At the DMs
discretion, having larger humanoids aiding in the construction such as ogres or giants may count as several men when calculating
available manpower.

PART 1 | SHIPS 3

Ship Attributes Move (oar) Move (sail) Crew Passengers Cargo Seaworthiness
3 0 3 2 8 tons Inland
Ship 6 0 1 - 500 lbs Coastal
Barge 0 12 20 20 200 tons Ocean
Canoe 0 6 10 10 100 tons Coastal
Caravel 0 9 8 5 150 tons Ocean
Cargo Ship 3 3 5 - 5 tons Coastal
Cog 3 12 50 60 tons Coastal
Curragh 2 6 1 100 1 ton Coastal
Drakkar 6 12 80 5 100 tons Coastal
Fishing Boat 0 6 1 50 500 lbs Inland
Great Galley 6 6 7 6 50 tons Ocean
Keelboat 3 12 26 8 80 tons Ocean
Knarr 18 0 75 Ocean
Longship 3 3 200 - Coastal
Manta 6 12 3 200 500 lbs Coastal
Outrigger 0 3 42 - 10 tons Inland
Pentekonter 6 12 1 - 3 tons Coastal
Raft 6 0 36 - 5 tons Coastal
Raker 0 15 1 20 500 lbs Ocean
Skiff 3 12 9 3 100 tons Coastal
Sohar 6 15 65 - 15 tons Coastal
Striker 44
Trireme 100 90 -

Move
This is the ships movement rate under either sail or oar under neutral conditions. Ships that have movement rates for both may
operate under both oar and sail at the same time, combining the two ratings. Thus, a Pentekonter would have a combined
movement rate of 18. The movement represent how far the vessel travels in a round. A vessel with movement 6 moves 6 miles in
an hour.
Crew
This is the normal amount of crew for the vessel. A vessel can run with a maximum of double this number, as long as it has
lodgings for this amount of crew (see passengers and cargo below). More than this, and the crew will begin to get in the way of
each other. It can also run with a skeletal/minimum crew of half the standard amount of crew (round down, minimum 1). Running
with a skeletal crew will reduce the vessels effective movement. Running with a boosted crew will grant a bonus to a vessel trying
to push its movement rate. It will also allow spare crew to repair damages, put out fires or step in for crewmembers suffering from
wounds or disease.
Passengers This is the common number of accommodations available for passengers or extra crew. If desired, passenger space
for one passenger can be sacrificed to gain one ton of extra cargo space.
Cargo Most vessels have cargo space. Some, like barges and longships stow cargo on the open deck. Others, like caravels and
cogs keep their cargo in a cargo hold below deck. Cargo is not only tradable goods, but also crew provisions like food and
freshwater. The amount of cargo a vessel can carry often dictates how far of a journey it can undertake. Some vessels, such as the
manta and the trireme are vessels of war, that carry no cargo space. They may however sacrifice space for troops to take on cargo
(see passengers above). A vessel may also sacrifice cargo space to take on more passengers. For each ton of cargo space sacrificed,
the vessel can take on one more passenger. But such space will often be cramped and uncomfortable.
Seaworthiness
Some vessels are made to travel only on lakes and inland rivers. Others can sail along coasts but should not leave sight of land.
Others again are made to cross large open oceans. Braving the open seas in a costal vessel, or taking the inland raft out on the
coast, can be a dangerous ordeal.

4 PART 1 | SHIPS

Ship Combat Attributes

Ship Maneuver Marines Artillery Size Defense Class Ram Hull / Structure
Barge 0 2 0 H C - 9/9
Canoe +3 0 0 L C - 5/0
Caravel +1 20 2M G A -
Cargo Ship +1 10 2S G A - 54 / 54
Cog +1 5 1S G A - 36 / 36
Curragh +3 0 5' H C - 51 / 51
Drakkar +2 4S G B -
Fishing Boat +2 140 0 H C - 5/5
Great Galley +2 5 4M C B X 36 / 36
Keelboat +1 50 0 H C - 21 / 21
Knarr +2 6 0 G B - 36 / 36
Longship +2 8 2S G B -
Manta +2 4S C B X 4/4
Outrigger +2 100 0 H B - 48 / 48
Pentekonter +3 200 4M G B X 48 / 48
Raft 0 0 L C - 72 / 72
Raker +2 0 2M G B X 21 / 21
Skiff +3 50* 0 L C - 24 / 24
Sohar +2 2S G A -
Striker +2 0 4M G B X 3/3
Trireme +2 20 3M G B X 29 / 29
0
10 5/0
44 45 / 45
30* 32 / 32
32 / 32

Maneuver
This is a measure of how maneuverable a vessel is. Having a good maneuver score may be vital when trying to avoid danger such
as shoals, or when maneuvering a vessel to get the upper hand in boarding actions.
Marines
Marines show the maximum number of how many troops may participate on a vessel in battle at the same time, as boarders,
archers, artillerists, spellcasters etc. Ships that have more troops/passengers than it's marine score must have the surplus troops
wait in reserve until space has been cleared.
Artillery
Some vessels may carry small or medium artillery pieces. These commonly include small and medium ballistae and catapults, but
may also include dreaded weapons such as greek fire projectors or light and medium cannons if your campaign allows for
gunpowder. A small artillery piece has two crew members but takes the space of 5 marines on the vessel. A medium artillery piece
has three crew members, and takes the space of 10 marines. A vessel that can carry medium artillery can choose to have two
small pieces of artillery rather than one medium piece.
Defense Class
Vessels have a defense class based on its general layout and structure. Class A are sailing vessels, commonly with multiple decks.
Class B vessels are combined sailing and rowing vessels, often with open deck structures. Class C vessels are often small open
vessels with little in the way of sail and rigging.
Ram Some vessels are outfitted with a ram on the prow of the ship, just at the waterline. Ships outfitted with a ram can inflict
crippling injuries to another vessel if it is are able to actively charge into the vessel with the ram.

PART 1 | SHIPS 5

Ships descriptions Drakkar

Barge The drakkar, or great dragonship, are the largest of the
northfolk vessels. Built primarily for war, the drakkar can
These crafts have boxy hulls ranging in size from 10 to 50 carry a large compliment of oarsmen and warriors. Though it
feet long. Barges can carry 4 tons of cargo for every 10 foot of possesses a single mast, the main power comes from the
length. Because of its simple construction barges are not very large number of oars, each manned by a single crewmember.
seaworthy and is useful only in calm waters. Moving a barge Due to its large size, the drakkar is less seaworthy than the
is usually done by oar or pole. Barges are commonly used to regular longship, and commonly stay close to shore where it
ferry goods or passengers on rivers, or across harbors from can seek shelter from rough weather and restock its supplies
vessel to vessel. easily. Although capable of carrying some small artillery
pieces, the drakkar rarely does so.
Canoe
Fishing Boat
A canoe can be something as simple as a hollowed out log.
Other canoes consist of a wooden frame covered in hides, Used mostly by the rustic folk of costal villages and towns,
bark og other pliable material. The standard canoe carry two fishing boats represent the most common type of ship
persons and up to 500 pounds of equipment. But the canoe is encountered in civilized areas. Fishing boats come in a
very versatile, and for every added 5 feet of length adds the variety of shapes and designs, though all share some
capacity for one more person and 50 more pounds of cargo. common traits. Most fishing boats possess a small, single
mast for sailing, but usually also carry oars for moving. These
Caravel crafts are fairly stable. Most fishing boats can make a short
ocean voyage, as they can hold up to 1000 pounds of cargo
The caravel is a two or three masted ship representing the and feature a small sheltered area in the bow. However, the
most modern of all ship designs. The ship combines excellent dangers of such a pursuit usually keep fishing boats close to
cargo and passenger capacity with an unsurpassed shore.
seaworthiness, making it the safest and most reliable of all
vessels for extended ocean voyages. Most caravels sport both Great Galley
multilevel castles both in the aft and fore section. Despite its
size and cargo capacity, the fighting space aboard the caravel The great galley is a grand vessel, by far the largest in most
is limited by the amount of sail and rigging. navies. Its main propulsion comes from the power of up to
140 oarsmen. However, three masts supplement the great
Cargo ship galley's speed and maneuverability. When used as a warship,
the vessel can carry up to 150 soldiers onboard, though far
This ship, also called a round-ship, hugs the coastline as it from all can contribute to the fighting. Great galleys often
carries its trade goods. The standard cargo ship has two carry artillery pieces, with two medium and four light artillery
masts with triangular sails. Cargo ships are not very fast, but pieces being the most common configuration. The great
they can carry a lot of cargo and a large complement of crew. galley is also commonly outfitted with a powerful ram.
In the interest of profit however, most merchant limit the
number of crew to the bare minimum. This ship commonly Keelboat
has a small stern castle that provide a limited shelter from
the worst of weather. The keelboat is a small riverboat designed to carry
passengers along river routes. A common keelboat can carry
Cog up to 6 passengers and their equipment, as well as a single
crewmember. Power is usually provided by a single mast and
The cog is an improved version of the common cargo ship. In sail. Close to shore maneuvering is assisted by a pole.
addition to a sizable cargo hold, the cog has a single deck
with amply sized fore- and aft castles - useful for shelter as Knarr
well as defense. Unlike the cargo ship, the cog is also
seaworthy enough to make extended ocean voyages. The The knarr is the most common design for northfolk cargo
stability and cargo space of the cog makes it one of the most ship. This vessel sports a single mast with a square sail. In
versatile vessels on the Sword Coast. times of poor wind, the crew can row from the bow and stern
to add power to the vessel. Unlike other cargo ships, the
Curragh Knarr is well suited for travel in open ocean. In addition, the
flat bottom makes it very useful along rivers and estuaries.
A primitive vessel made from thick hides stretched across a
wood-and-wicker frame. The curragh sports a single mast Longship
with a square sail; however, the vessel primarily move by
oars. The curragh is not particularly seaworthy and stay well This is the standard vessel of war and exploration used by the
within sight of the coast. northfolk. Each side of the vessel commonly have space for
20 to 25 oars, and the vessel also sport a single mast with a
square sail. In addition to their crew, the longship can carry a
large number of warriors. But for longer journeys, the
number of warriors is reduced to allow the vessel to carry
more supplies to last the duration of the travel. The longships
are capable of making extended open ocean voyages. In
addition the flat bottom of the longships make them well
suited for traveling along rivers and shallows.

6 PART 1 | SHIPS

Manta Sohar

The dreaded war vessel of the sahaugin, the manta is a sort The sohar is a merchant vessel common around Calimshan.
of floating fin propelled by a strange screw powered by 40-60 It sports three masts as well as a small forecastle. The sohar
sahaugin. The tip of the manta is usually sharpened and has both ample crew quarters and cargo space. Along with its
reinforced into a ram. seaworthiness this makes it a vessel well suited for extended
ocean voyages. The stability, speed and maneuverability
Outrigger makes it a vessel suited for both trade and war

These vessels are no more than canoes with streamlined Striker
floats joined parallel to the hull for added stability. Outriggers
are common amongst the tribes of Chult and the southern The striker is a galley type vessel sized somewhat between
isles. Some versions of outriggers sport only one float, while the raker and the great galley. Like these vessels it is outfitted
others have two. Single-float outriggers lack the with a single mast, but gain most of its power from its 42
seaworthiness of their double-float cousins, but are oarsmen. Broader and somewhat slower than the raker, the
somewhat faster. Almost all outriggers carry a single mast striker is capable of carrying a larger complement of troops
with a square or triangular sail, but its main power comes and artillery. Almost all strikers are outfitted with a sharp
from the oars. Like canoes, the size of an outrigger can vary a ram as well as castles aft and fore that act as platforms for
lot. The largest of them can easily hold up to 20 crew and 5 archers and artillery. Like the raker, striker vessels usually
tons of cargo. Outriggers are fairly seaworthy, and the largest sail in sight of shore, and anchor or beach at night.
of them can make extended ocean voyages.
Trireme
Pentekonter
Another rare ship in the northern Sword Coast, the trireme is
A rare design amongst the galleys that travel the Sword a grand galley with three banks of oars. The ship possesses a
Coast, the pentekonter is a bireme. In other words a galley single mast that can be lowered in times of battle. The
with two banks of oars. In addition, the pentekonter is trireme is highly seaworthy but carry little space for supplies.
outfitted with hollow outriggers that add to the stability of the Thus, the vessel must stay close to shore to resupply.
vessel as well as supporting the second bank of oarsmen. In
addition to the power of its oarsmen, the pentekonter is
outfitted with a single sail. Like with the raker, the
pentekonter comes in many designs, with some sporting
castles for archers, other outfitted with artillery and others
again being stripped down to serve as cargo or troop ships.
Most pentekonters are outfitted with a sharp ram just below
the water surface.

Raft

A simple craft made by lashing logs together into a floating
platform. Like canoes and barges, rafts come in many sizes. A
raft can carry 3 tons of cargo for every 10 feet in length.

Raker

This is a costal runner vessel, favored by many nations along
the Sword Coast. Two masts with triangular sails, as well as
a bank of 26 oars. The rakers can carry a respectable amount
of cargo and passengers for its size. Some rakers have
castles added fore and aft to act as firing platforms for troops.
Another commong configuration is for rakers to carry two
small catapults for launching firepots, and two ballistae. The
rakers also carry a sharp ram. All in all, the rakers prove very
fast and powerful vessels for their size, and are often used as
scout or patrol crafts. Unfortunately, their slender design
render them susceptible to capsizing in rough weather. For
this reason, rakers usually sail in sight of shore, and anchor
or beach at night.

Skiff

The skiffs serve primarily as workboats on larger boats or in
harbors. Being narrow, skiffs prove slightly unstable.
Although capable of short sea voyages, the absence of crew
quarters, as well as a tendency to capsize or swamp in rough
weather, makes any such voyage dangerous.

PART 1 | SHIPS 7

Rules for travel Crew quality
A ship can have crew of various quality. When determining
Crew actions the crew modifier, one should consider the composition of
the majority of the crew. If a crew consists mainly of marines,
Draw a map with some landlubbers and scurvy rats, the quality is
considered as marines. If its more or less half and half, and
A ship’s captain often undertakes this activity, producing a the difference is more than one level, then the total crew
map that records the ship’s progress and helps the crew get quality is somewhere in the middle.
back on course if they get
lost. No ability check is required. Crew Quality Crew Experience Modifier

Forage Dice Roll (3d4)

The character casts out fishing lines, keeping an eye out for 3 Landlubbers -1
sources of food, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the
DM calls for it. 4-5 Scurvy Rats +1

Raise Morale 6-8 Mates +2

The first mate usually undertakes this task on a ship. The 9-11 Marines +4
officer undertaking this action can manage the crew’s time to
grant extended breaks, provide instruction, and improve 12+ Old salts +6
morale. Once per day, if the crew’s quality score is 3 or lower,
the officer can make a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. The crew quality modifier is added to rolls when rolling for
On a successful check, the crew’s quality score increases by pursuit and maneuvering. It is also used as a skill/proficiency
1. modifier when random crew members attempt to perform a
skill check they should logically be skilled at.
Navigate
To randomly determine crew quality, the DM should roll
This task is normally handled by the captain or 3d4. Make a note that most ships of war rarely sail with a
quartermaster. The officer can try to prevent the group from crew consisting of landlubbers. For pirates, privateers and
becoming lost, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the warships the DM should in most circumstances add +2 to the
DM calls for it. roll for crew quality.

Noticing Threats Landlubbers

Use the passive Wisdom (Perception) score of the characters These crewmembers have little to no sailing experience.
or the crew to determine whether anyone on the ship notices Traveling with a crew of landlubbers is often quite dangerous.
a hidden threat. The crew has a passive Wisdom (Perception) At the same time, such crews are cheap to run, and will hire
score equal to 10 + the crew’s quality modifier. The DM might themselves out for 2 gold per month (plus food and quarters
decide that a threat can be noticed only by characters in a onboard). A crew of slave rowers often fall in this category.
specific area of the ship. For example, only characters below
deck might have a chance to hear or spot a creature hiding on Scurvy Rats
board.
These are crewmen with some sailing experience - perhaps a
Repair couple of short voyages - and some desire to perform well.
Scurvy rats hire themselves out for 3 gold per month. Crews
The ship’s bosun or carpenter can undertake this activity and of slave rowers might rise to this level if well trained, well
takes the role as the taskmaster of a repair team. At the end cared for and highly motivated.
of the day, the taskmaster can make a Strength check using
carpenter’s tools. On a 15 or higher, each damaged Mates
component regains hit points equal to 1d6 + the crew’s
quality modifier. A component other than the hull that had 0 Professional sailors fall into this category. Mates make up the
hit points becomes functional again. Some repairs may majority of most sailors found in any given place. They are
require proper materials to be present. A mast cannot be competent, dutiful and fairly loyal (when treated well). They
repaired if there is no timber available that can be shaped hire themselves out for 4 gold per month.
into a new mast.
Marines
Stealth
These are highly experienced sailors. Often these crewmen
The ship’s captain can engage in this activity only if the as somewhat older and have a few scares - physical or
weather conditions restrict visibility, such as in heavy fog. The emotional - from their years at sea. These sailors often have a
ship makes a Dexterity check with a bonus equal to the multitude of outrageous stories of their experiences, ready to
crew’s quality modifier to determine if it can hide. be shared over a drink. They commonly hire themselves out
for 5 gold per month.
8 PART 2 | RULES FOR TRAVEL
Old Salts

These sailors represent the most experienced and skilled
crewmen in the world. Old salts have spent the majority of
their life at sea, and often prove tough, leathery and
argumentative. Old salts hire themselves out for 6 gold per
month. Some also claim a share of the profits of the voyage.

Crew roles Sailor
Onboard a vessel there are many roles to fill. And on any
given vessel many sailors may fill multiple tasks at once. Sailors are the main crew of sailing vessels. Sailors are
responsible for running sails and rigging on a vessel, but they
Artillerist also serve other tasks such as simple maintenance, cooking,
watches and damage control.
These are soldiers specialized at crewing artillery such as
catapults and ballistae. Wizard

Captain Many vessels, especially those carrying valuable cargo or
vessels of war, may carry a dedicated ship spellcaster. These
The captain is the master of a vessel. Onboard the vessel the provide an essential edge in facing of with dangerous
captain is the key decision-maker and ultimate lawmaker. For encounters such as pirates or monsters of the sea, as well as
smaller vessels the captain may also fill the role as first mate, sometimes providing magic that can heal crew or repair
quartermaster and/or navigator. vessels. Despite the title wizard this role may also be filled by
sorcerers, clerics, warlocks and bards.
Carpenter

The carpenter and any carpenter's mates are the repair crew
onboard a vessel. They report on damages to the vessel and
make whatever repairs can be done by simple labor at sea or
in port. Quite often the carpenter doubles as sailors or
another officer position on smaller vessels.

Deckboss

On vessels such as gallleys, the deckboss is commonly
responsible for the oarsmen on a deck, relaying commands
from the captain or navigator to ensure that the oars row in a
manner that cause the vessel to turn or move in accordance
with said officer's request.

First mate

The first mate (and on larger vessels second and third mate)
relieve the captain in steering the vessel and keeping an all-
around tally of the ship.

Marine

Dedicated soldiers onboard a vessel. These can work as
archers, or as close combat soldiers used to board or repel
boarders. Larger crews of marines may have their own
command structure separate from the ships command
structure. But all marines answer to the captain of the vessel.
For some trade vessels like whaling vessels, marines may
also be the role of such crew as the harpooners onboard.

Navigator

THe navigator is responsible for plotting a vessel’s position as
well as planned route for a journey.

Oarsman

The oarsmen are responsible for rowing a vessel. On galleys
these are often slaves or rowers recruited from the dredge of
society. On northmen vessels, such as longships, the oarsmen
double as marines and are usually soldiers rather than
dedicated oarsmen.

Quartermaster

The quartermaster is responsible for keeping stock of
inventory, making notes of cargo, docking fees and personnel.
Quartermasters are often the first line when it comes to
keeping the crew in god morale, having a say on rations,
shifts and number of crew on a task.

PART 2 | RULES FOR TRAVEL 9

Rules for combat Rowers Endurance

Phases of naval warfare A ship powered by oars suffer from fatigue, unlike ships
To streamline naval combat, engagements between ships at powered by sail. During pursuit, a vessel powered by oars
sea is divided into three phases. Normally, a ship will spot must make an endurance check based on the skill of the crew
another ship at distances that far outrange any missile or every hour. Oarcrews with Mates quality automatically
spell attacks. As such, the first phase is the Pursuit phase. succeed on the first check. Oarcrews with Marines or Old
Once the ship is within missile and spell attack range, the Salts quality automatically succeed on the first two. The
engagement moves into the Ranged phase. Once the vessels check is made using the crew quality modifier. The difficulty
move within throwing distance of each other, the engagement starts at 12 and increased by +1 for every subsequent check.
moves into the Boarding phase. The first time the check is failed, the crew of oarsmen gain
one level of exhaustion, and the rowing speed of the vessel is
Pursuit Phase halved. If the vessel continues to row, the following checks
are made with disadvantage. The next time the oarsmen fail
Vessels may spot each other at distances of several their check they gain another level of exhaustion, and the
kilometers at sea, depending on visibility. Once two vessels vessel no longer have any power by oars.
spot each other, they may opt to keep distance, sail away or
engage. If one vessel opts to engage or keep distance, while Ranged phase
the other attempts to sail away, the two ships must make
opposed Pursuit checks. Once two vessels close within the ranged phase, both vessels
declare their intent.
When a pursuit check is made each vessel rolls to see if
it wins the opposed check. The roll is made as a skill Evade
check by the captain, rolling a wisdom check and adding Keep at range
any proficiency bonus for water vehicles as well as the Close for boarding and/or ramming.
modifier for the crew quality. If one vessels speed is 50% If both vessels wish to close, there are only two combat
faster than the other (i.e one vessel has a speed of 6, and the rounds in this phase. One starting at 200 meters and ending
other a speed of 9), it gains advantage on the roll. If it is twice at 120 meters. The second starting at 120 meters and ending
as fast (i.e one vessel has a speed of 6 and the other a speed at 30 meters. No rolls for maneuvering is required, and the
of 12), the faster vessel gains advantage on the roll and the engagement automatically moves to the Boarding phase at
slower gains disadvantage on the roll. Each check represents the end of the second round.
an hour of travel. If both vessels roll the same result, the If one vessel desire to evade, and the second desire to
distance remain the same. board/ram, there are four rounds in this phase. First starting
at 200 meters and ending at 160 meters. The second starting
On a clear day, the vessel that first gains three more at 160 meters and ending at 120 meters. The third starting at
successes that the opposing vessel wins. During dusk or light 120 meters and ending at 75 meters. The fourth round
rain, this drops to two successes more being needed. In fog, starting at 75 meters and ending at 30 meters. The engaging
heavy snow or during night only a single success more is vessel keeps its momentum from closing during the Pursuit
needed. If the vessel being pursued wins, it has slipped out of phase and does not require a roll during this phase.
sight. If the pursuing vessel wins, it has managed to gain on It one vessel desire to keep at a distance suitable for ranged
the vessel is so desired or keep at the desired range of attacks, the engagement has a varied duration at the Ranged
visibility. If it chooses to gain, it now moves to the next phase phase. At the end of each round, the captain wishing to keep
of Ranged. at range must make an opposed roll versus the other captain.
At the DM's discretion, captains may during the pursuit The roll by captains of both vessels is made as a wisdom
phase try to make use of the terrain to gain an advantage. check and adding any proficiency bonus for water
Examples of this would be to run into an area of shallows or vehicles as well as the modifier for the crew quality and
sandbanks, hoping that the vessel in pursuit will beach itself. the vessels maneuverability modifier. If the vessel desiring
Environment factors such as changes in wind, currents or to keep at range wins, the vessels remain in the ranged phase
weather may also have an effect, either as a bonus/penalty on for the following round. If the opposing vessel wins, it may
the roll or in changing the number of successes needed to choose to open up range or close range. If it opens up range,
win the challenge. ranged attacks are made with long range penalty. If it closes,
attacks are now at close range for most attacks. If the
opposing vessel wins the next round as well, it either closes
and initiates the Boarding phase, or move beyond the range
and the engagement returns to the Pursuit phase.

10 PART 3 | RULES FOR COMBAT

Missile attacks If hit allocation result is Special this indicates a hit on
important personell such as PCs, NPCs, officers or
Naval archery can soften up resistance on a ship before artillerists.
boarding actions or slow down a fleeing ship by killing sailors
and rowers. In addition, incendiary arrows can ignite sails Artillery
and flammable material onboard the target vessel. A vessel's
marines can serve as archers as well. But no matter the Artillery attacks may be directed at a target vessel itself,
number of marines a vessel may carry, there are a maximum inflicting hull or crippling damage, or it may contribute to
number of archers possible per vessel, as the archers require missile attacks against crew based on how it hits. If an
a clear field of view and a fairly secure and steady place to artillery attack is made against a vessel, the artillery rolls an
stand. attack against an armor class of 14. Smaller vessels are
harder to hit but have less sturdy hulls and rigging. Likewise,
Naval archers larger vessels are easier to hit, but are better at resisting or
deflecting attacks.
Vessel Size Maximum number of archers
Large 5 Artillery

Huge 20 Weapon Range Damage Crew ROF Attack
Gargantuan 30
M/S/L Crew / Ship

Colossal 40 Ballista, -/80/240 3/0 1 1/2 +4
light

Using mass combat rules, the DM should mass the number Ballista, 10/100/300 6/1d3 2 1/3 +3
of archers into groups of 5, called a missile factor. Each such medium
missile factor has an attack bonus and AC based on the most
prevalent attack bonus and AC amongst the archers it Ballista, 20/120/360 6/1d4+2 (+1) 4 1/4 +2
consists of. At the ranged phase, when the ships being heavy
moving targets in and of their own, the missiles do not target
individual sailors, but instead aim to hit some part of the Catapult, 50/120/250 5/1d2 (+1) 1 1/2 +2
vessel that seems populated. light

An attack roll is made for each missile factor, taking possible Catapult, 50/160/320 10/1d3+1(+2) 2 1/3 +1
range penalties into account, but not that of cover. If the medium
attack hits a DC of 10, roll on missile hit allocation for that
missile factor. If both vessels are using missile attacks, roll Catapult, 80/180/360 15/2d4 (+3) 4 1/4 0
attacks for both vessels before assigning hits to the vessels. heavy

Greek fire -/20/60 Special 2 1/4 +6
projector

Missile Hit Allocation (1d10) Trebuchet 120/240/480 20/4d4 (+4) 8 1/4 -1

Die roll Target Defense class Range
Range is divided into minimum range, short range and long
ABC range, measured in meters. Minimum range dictates the
1-3 - - - minimum range the weapon must have to be able to hit its
target. Inside the minimum range, the weapon can no longer
4- - Sailor track strike at the target. Shots at long range have
5- Sailor Rower disadvantage.

6 Sailor Rower Rower Damage
7 Sailor Rower Rower Damage is listed with up to three values. The crew damage
indicates how many hit dice worth of personnel damage the
8 Marine Marine Marine weapon is capable of. Resolve this in the same way as missile
9 Marine# Marine# Marine# factors. A weapon with crew damage 6 would roll once with a
full missile factor and once with an incomplete missile factor
10 Special Special Special of only 1 hit dice. Ship damage is the amount of hull or
crippling damage inflicted by the weapon. The numbers
On a roll of 9, indicated by a #, the attack also triggers a roll listed in the parenthesis is the bonus, if any, added to the
on the Incendiary Hit Table below if the vessel struck has Artillery Effects table roll.
prepared incendiary attacks. For the Greek Fire Projector, if it hits it automatically starts
If the missile hit allocation of a missile factor is marked as one hull fire. In addition, roll once on Missile Hit Allocation
having hit a crew member, compare the rolled result to the table and once on Incendiary hit location table, counting it as
most prevalent AC of that crew group. If the roll was good a full missile factor (5 hit dice).
enough to hit that armor class, that crew member group is
assigned 5 hit dice worth of damage. If the missile factor was
incomplete, such as consisting only of 3 archers, only 3 hit
dice worth of damage is done. See damage and injuries
below for resolving this in mass combat.

PART 3 | RULES FOR COMBAT 11

Light ballistae do not have the potential to damage vessels Hull Smashed
directly. Instead they are commonly used as a missile attack, The artillery attack destroys a section of the ship's hull. The
with each light ballista counting as an incomplete missile ship in question suffer an additional 2d6 hull damage and
factor (3 hit dice). Catapults can also choose to aid in missile must make an immediate seaworthiness check or begin
attacks instead, by loading baskets om smaller stones. If so, a sinking. Even if it succeeds, it will founder in 1d10 hours
light catapult adds a full missile factor, while a medium unless beached and repaired.
catapult adds two full missile factors. When used in this way, Crippling Strike
the catapult cannot damage the vessel itself. Catapults can The artillery strike severely damages a ship's rigging (if sail-
also launch firepots. These causes a number of rolls on the powered), oars (if rowed) or both. The vessel suffers an
table for Incendiary Hit Allocation equal to the parenthesis additional 2d6 points of crippling damage, as well as three hit
bonus, but no ordinary ship damage. dice worth of crew damage (automatic).
Attack Tactical Strike
This is the average attack bonus when used by skilled The attack strikes a particularly vulnerable part of the target
artillerists. If used by unskilled crew, add a -2 penalty to the to vessel. Double the damage rolled for the attack. If target
hit roll. If used by NPCs or characters with increased vessel had incendiary attacks prepared, roll twice on the
proficiencies, use the lowest modifier for the crew. For Incendiary Hit Allocation table.
indirect fire weapons, the attack bonus is Proficiency + Artillery Hit
Intelligence modifier. For direct fire weapons, the attack This affects artillery bearing vessels only. One randomly
bonus is Proficiency + Dexterity modifier. selected artillery piece on the vessel is smashed (cannot be
repaired) and the crew takes three hit dice worth of damage.
Artillery Effects (2d10) IF the artillery piece was a greek fire projector, the vessel
automatically suffers one hull fire and roll five times on
Roll Effect Incendiary Hit Allocation table to see if additional fires start.
2-3 Partial Hit: Crippling damage with a penalty of -2
If the targeted vessel has no artillery, the weapon does
(minimum 1) normal weapon damage as well as three hit dice worth of
4-5 Partial Hit: Crippling damage with a penalty of -1 damage to either crew or marines.
Ram Smashed
(minimum 1) The targeted vessel loose its ram and 1d6 hull points. Do not
6- Rigging/Oar Hit: Normal crippling damage add traditional weapon damage. If the vessel has no ram, the
10 ship simply suffers 1d6 hull damage.
11- Partial Hull Strike: Hull damage with a penalty of -1
12
13- Hull Strike: Normal hull damage
14
15 Rigging / Oar Hit: Normal crippling damage +

personnel damage
16 Hull Strike: Normal hull damage + personnel damage
17- Critical hit: Roll on table Artillery Critical Hit
18
19 Critical hit: Roll on table Artillery Critical Hit +

personnel damage
20+ Critical hit: Normal hull and crippling damage + roll

on table Artillery Critical Hit + personnel damage

If the artillery effect indicates personnel damage roll once for
each missile factor (full or incomplete) on the table for
Missile Hit Allocation.

Artillery Critical Hit (2d4)

Dice roll Effect
2 Hull Smashed
3 Crippling Strike
4-5 Tactical Strike
6 Artillery Strike / Crew Casualty
7 Ram Smashed
8 Hull Smashed

12 PART 3 | RULES FOR COMBAT

Incendiary Attacks Fires (1d10) Fire Size
1d4
Archers and artillery may opt to use incendiary attacks Die roll 1d6
against an opposing vessel. Readying incendiary ammunition 1 1d8
takes time, and a vessel can have up to four volleys of 2-5 1d10
incendiary ammunition prepared. If the ship have spare crew, 6-9
these can keep on preparing incendiary ammunition for 10
longer engagements.
Effects of Fire
A weapon firing incendiary ammunition loose one third of When a fire breaks out, it immediately inflicts the appropriate
its range. Each time a roll on the table for Incendiary Hit die of damage, either as hull damage or crippling damage
Allocation indicates a fire, roll on the table Fires to determine based on its allocated location. Whenever a fire rolls its
the size of the fire. maximum damage it grows to the next size (i.e 1d6 becomes
1d8) as well as rolling on the Incendiary hit Allocation to see
Incendiary Hit Allocation (1d10) if it starts a secondary fire. Whenever a fire rolls minimum
damage, it goes down a size. The next dice size after 1d10 is
Die roll Target Defense class 1d12, then 1d20. If a 1d4 fire rolls a 1, the fire dies out by
itself. The fire continues to roll for damage every five rounds,
A B C until either put out or the vessel is lost to the flames.
1 Fire, crippling Fire, crippling Fire, crippling

2 Fire, crippling Fire, crippling # Fire, hull
Fire, hull #
3 Fire, crippling Fire, hull

4 Fire, hull Fire, hull # Fire, hull ^
5 Fire, hull Fire, hull ^ -

6 Fire, hull ^ - -
- -
7-10 -

PART 3 | RULES FOR COMBAT 13

Boarding phase Target ship partially grappled
The attacking ship have managed to attach a few grapples to
The boarding phase is split in two parts. As the boarding the target ship. The ship being grappled can immediately
phase begins, the captains of both vessels attempt to make an attempt to cut loose from the grapple. Normally the
maneuver to gain the upper hand. The roll is made as a targeted ship tears free on a 5-6 on a d6 rolled. For every 10
wisdom check and adding any proficiency bonus for crew designated to repel boarders, a +1 modifier is added to
water vehicles as well as the modifier for the crew quality the role. But a role of 1 always fail. If unable to cut loose, the
and the vessels maneuverability modifier. ship may still attempt to tear free. Each captain rolls an
If the vessel desiring to board or ram win the opposed roll, it opposed maneuvering check (see beginning of maneuvering
may make either a boarding action roll or a ramming action phase), but the partially grappled ship rolls with
roll. disadvantage.
If the vessel attempting to avoid boarding/ramming wins the If the captain of the partially grappled vessel wins the
roll, the first boarding actions roll is made with a penalty of -2, opposed role, the vessel tear loose.
and a vessel ramming gains a -2 penalty to the ram action. A vessel that tear or is cut loose moves freely, and the
engagement returns to the ranged phase for the next round.
As part of the mass combat rules, the rounds in the Should the grapple stay in place after the first round, more
boarding phase is divided into several steps. grapples are added and the vessel is considered fully
grappled. See 'Target ship grappled' below.
1. Resolve artillery attacks Target ship grappled
2. Resolve archers and missile attacks The grappled ship no longer have any maneuverability and is
3. Resolve ramming attempts tied down to the attacking ship. Gangplanks and ladders
4. Resolve boarding attempts begin to be put in place, but no boarding parties can enter the
5. Resolve melee attacks grappled ship this round. At the end of the round the ship
being grappled can try to cut loose from the grapple.
Note: In the boarding phase, archery no longer target the Normally the targeted ship tears free only on a 6 on a d6
entire vessel, but may target individuals or groups of rolled. For every 10 crew designated to repel boarders, a +1
individuals directly. Thus, any cover such as railings or modifier is added to the role. But a role of 1 always fail. If
defensive castles must be taken into consideration. But any unable to cut loose, the attacking ship then rolls on the
hit is no longer rolled on the Missile Hit Allocation table 'boarding action' table again, adding +6 to the role. The
modified result indicates how the next round begins.
Boarding 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or Entire boarding party
This indicates the total number of marines who successfully
When boarding is about to take place, each ship assigns board a secured ship this round. As the engagement reaches
marines or crew to the roles of either boarding or repelling this stage, the combat shifts into regular combat rounds. On
boarders. A boarding party will commonly consist of marines the following rounds, another quarter of the boarding party
or soldiers onboard the vessel, but it is not uncommon for marines can cross over to the secured vessel.
sailors that can be spared from other tasks to be added to the
boarding party to aid in grappling and securing the hold of Melee Fighting
the vessel to be boarded. At the start of boarding, the DM
compares the number of people assigned to board or repel When rolling to resolve the fight between boarding crews and
boarders on each vessel. If one vessel has more than the those assigned to repel boarders, the marines (and crew
other, then for each 5 more it has it gains a +1 on the assigned to fight) are assigned to boarding factors similarly to
boarding role. So if the boarding marines of a ship had 12 the missile factors in the ranged phase. The DM determines
more soldiers assigned to board than the opposing ship had the attack bonus and armor class for each boarding factor
assigned to repel boarders, they would get a +2 to the based in the most prevalent values. Both sides roll to hit
boarding roll. before results are calculated. See damage and injuries below
for resolving this in mass combat.
Boarding acton (2d10) Ramming

Modified die roll Result
6 or less Grapples repulsed
7-8 Target ship partially grappled
9-12 Target ship grappled
13-14 1/4 boarding party
15-17 1/2 boarding party
18-19 3/4 boarding party
20+ Entire boarding party

Grapples repulsed
Indicates that all attempts to grapple and board were
repulsed. The ships glide apart for the next round and return
to the ranged phase.

14 PART 3 | RULES FOR COMBAT

Ramming Attacking vessel suffers damage
Attacking vessel suffers either hull damage if the ram attack
Ramming, particularly for those vessels equipped with a ram, was against the hull or crippling damage if the attack was
can be a fast and efficient way of smashing and sinking an against the oars. After the miss the defending vessel may
opposing vessel. DMs should note that only oared ships can either opt to board or to maneuver away. If it maneuvers
perform ramming actions as sailing vessels don't possess away, the next round starts in the ranged phase.
sufficient maneuverability to make ramming a viable tactic. Critical hit
Se critical hit table.
Ramming and boarding actions Critical miss
In naval combat, ramming often proceeds boarding Se critical miss table
actions, as the maneuver brings the two ships into Complete miss
physical contact. Ships that inflict more than a The attacking vessel misses completely. After the miss the
glancing strike during a ramming maneuver gains a defending vessel may either opt to board or to maneuver
+2 on their boarding roll if they choose to board away. If it maneuvers away, the next round starts in the
the vessel immediately following the successful ranged phase.
ramming. Deadly strike
The attacking ship has damaged a significant portion of the
Likewise, ships the inflict only glancing strikes or target's hull. This result is possible even if the attack was
miss the ramming maneuver entirely, or suffer aimed at the oars. The target vessel loose half its original hull
damage themselves become subject to boarding points and the captain must make an immediate
by the target vessel. This boarding attempt receives seaworthiness check (pilot vessel check) against DC 15. If the
no bonus to the roll. check fail, the vessel begins to sink immediately. Even if
successful, the vessel will founder and sink in 10 hours
Each ship capable of making a ram attack can gain a bonus unless beached and repaired.
based on size and a further bonus if it possesses a ram. If the Target vessel suffer damage Target vessel suffers the
ramming vessel is larger than the target vessel, it gains +1 for described amount of damage, either as hull damage or
every difference in size category. On the other hand, if the crippling damage based on where the attack was aimed. If the
target vessel is larger than the ramming vessel, the ramming ship has rowers they suffer as many dice of damage as the
vessel gets -1 for every difference is size category. vessel. During the resolution phase of the round, the DM
checks if a seaworthiness check is needed for the vessel (see
If the ramming vessel is equipped with a ram, it gets +4 to Attacks and Damage below)
the ramming check. Ramming Critical Miss Results (2d4)

The attacking vessel, before making the ramming attack Die roll Result
selects whether it wants to make a strike at the hull or a 2 Ram Shatters
strike at the oars. 3 Oars Sheared / Sails Tear
Ramming Action Results (2d8) 4-5 Fouled Oars / Rigging
6 Poor Tactical Position
Modified 7 Collision
roll Result 8 Ram Shatters

1 or less Ramming ship suffers critical miss Ram Shatters
2 Ramming ship suffers 4d6 damage points The attacking ship rams the target with a glancing blow,
3 Ramming ship suffers 3d6 damage points doing 1d6 points of hull damage. The blow shatters the
4 Ramming ship suffers 2d6 damage points attacking ship's ram. The attacking vessel must make a
5-6 Complete miss Seaworthiness Check at disadvantage or begin to founder -
7 Glancing strike. Target suffers 1d6 damage sinking 1d10 hours later unless beached and repaired.
8 Target suffers 2d6 damage

9-10 Target suffers 3d6 damage
11 Target suffers 4d6 damage
12-14 Target suffers critical hit
15 Target suffers critical hit and takes 2d6

additional damage
16 Target suffers critical hit and takes 3d6

additional damage
17 Target suffers critical hit and takes 4d6

additional damage
18+ Deadly strike

PART 3 | RULES FOR COMBAT 15

Oars Sheared / Sails Tear Deadly Strike
The target ship barely avoids the ramming ship. For a vessel See Deadly Strike under the description list of Ramming
powered by oars, the proximity of the vessels causes one side Action Results. But the ship must make a Maneuverability
of the attacking ship's oars to break violently against the hull Check at DC 20 or become stuck in the rammed ship. Once
of the target ship. Oarsmen manning the oars on that side stuck, both ships loose all movements. The ship can try to
either die or get horribly maimed from the brutal battering of free itself on the following rounds but gain a cumulative +1 to
the oars. This effectively cripples vessels powered solely by the DC for each round it fails. If the ship forgoes all combat
oars. For vessels powered by sail the sails and rigging tear actions and assign all crew to try and free the ship, they gain
under the violent maneuvering. This result cripple a ship advantage on the roll. If the ram is stuck in target vessel, and
powered by sail, as well as kill or injure half the sailors the target vessel sinks, it pulls the ramming ship with it into
onboard. For vessels powered by both oars and sail, randomly the depths.
determine which effect strikes the vessel. Oars Sheared / Mast Cracked
Fouled Oars / Rigging If the target vessel is powered by oars, the ram strikes in a
The crew manning the oars fall out of rhythm, or the sails way that causes one side of the target ship's oars to break
and rigging gets tangled. The attacking vessel cannot violently. Oarsmen manning the oars on that side either die
complete its ramming attack, and also loose two thirds of its or get horribly maimed from the brutal battering of the oars.
movement for the next round. This effectively cripples vessels powered solely by oars. For
vessels powered by sail the sails and rigging tear under the
Poor Tactical Position violent impact of the ramming. This result cripple a ship
Not only does the attacking vessel miss the target, but on the powered by sail, as well as kill or injure half the sailors
following round, in the ranged phase, the vessel automatically onboard. For vessels powered by both oars and sail, randomly
fails the opposed maneuvering/pursuit check. On the round determine which effect strikes the vessel.
following that it makes the check with disadvantage before it Crew Stunned
regain control of its position and relation to wind, currents or The crew aboard the struck vessel is stunned by the impact of
similar. the vessel. Any boarding attack immediately following the
ramming gains a +4 bonus due to the crew being unable to
Collision immediately repel boarders. Any attempts for the target
The attacking ship strikes a natural object (rock, coral, reef vessel to maneuver in the round immediately following the
etc) or floating debris during its 2d6 hull points. (even if the ram attack has disadvantage.
attack was made against the oars. Ships receiving this result Tactical Advantage The attacking ship gains a tactical
while engaged in combat along shallows or near the coastline advantage in positioning and maneuvering following the
should make a Seaworthiness check to see if it runs aground. successful ram attack. The ramming ship gains either
Ramming Critical Hit Results (2d4) advantage on maneuvering for the next round, or a +2 to any
boarding action immediately following the ram attack.
Die roll Result Crippling Strike
2 Deadly Strike The ram attack strikes a particularly vulnerable part of the
3 Oars Sheared / Mast Cracked ship. The crippled ship loose two thirds of its movement rate
4 Crew Stunned and has disadvantage on any maneuverability checks. It also
5-6 Tactical Advantage loose a quarter of its original hull or structure points. If the
7 Crippling Strike vessel struck had prepared incendiary attacks, roll twice on
8 Deadly Strike Incendiary Hit Allocation table.

16 PART 3 | RULES FOR COMBAT

Crew and Roles Attacks and Damage
During combat between vessels those onboard may serve
several roles Damage to vessels
Archer
Crew assigned to this role take part in the missile factors of Damage done to vessels are assigned to either its hull points
the vessel. or structure. Each ship type has a fixed maximum of both hull
Boarding / Repel Boarders and structure points. Hull damage is assigned to hull points.
Crew assigned to this role take part in the boarding factors of Crippling damage is done to structure points.
the vessel.
Damage Control Hull Damage
Crew assigned to this role try to contain damage on the
vessel, whether it’s because the vessel springs a leak, or a fire Hull damage erodes the stability and seaworthiness of a
breaks out. If a vessel is threatened by sinking, and it makes vessel. The larger the ship, the more damage it can sustain
the Seaworthiness check this is due to crew, and preferably before loosing seaworthiness.
those assigned to damage control, containing the flooding. If
a fire breaks out, one or more crew assigned to firefighting Seaworthiness Reduction Rates
may try to put it out. For each crew member assigned to
fighting a fire, roll the same dice as the damage dice of the Ship Size Reduction
fire. Each attempt takes five rounds. On a result of 1 on the Large 2 per 1 hullpoint lost
die (for any of the fire fighters assigned), the fire is put out. If Huge 2 per 3 hullpoints lost
the crew assigned to this role has had time to prepare, by Gargantuan 1 per 3 hullpoints lost
readying buckets of wet sand, barrels of saltwater, poles with Colossal 1 per 4 hullpoints lost
soaked skins and cloth and similar, they roll a die category
lower than the fire. So, if a gargantuan vessel loose 12 hullpoints, it gets a -4
penalty to Seaworthiness checks. Fractions are rounded
Oarsman down.
Crew assigned to this role power the oars of the vessel. Once
the vessel has halted, due to boarding or being boarded, some Once a vessel has lost more than half of its hullpoints it
vessels may have their oarsmen be reassigned to damage must succeed at a DC 15 Seaworthiness check (with
control or to boarding or repelling boarders. appropriate penalties for hull points lost). If it fails it begins to
Officer founder and will sink in 1d10 hours unless beached and
Officers may take part in other actions or be responsible for repaired.
redirecting and reassigning crew. Each officer reassigning
crew may redirect five crew members per round, despite the Should a vessel be reduced to 0 hull points it immediately
din and chaos of battle. Outside of battle a single officer can begins sinking according to the table below.
reassign any and all crew members that can see and hear the
officer. Some officers may have unique roles such as spell Sinking Times
casters or other powerful NPCs.
Healer This is the role of someone taking care of wounded Ship Size Sinking Time
during combat. Outside of any form of magical healing, a Large 1 round
crew member that is assigned to this role will try to save
those wounded in combat. As long as someone has been Huge 1d8 rounds
wounded in this or the previous round, a Healer my attempt Gargantuan 1d10 rounds
to save the life of that/those someone. If the crew member
serving in this role is Proficient in medicine, the attempt Colossal 1d12 rounds
succeeds automatically. If not proficient, the Healer grants
the patient advantage on the death save following the combat Any crew and passengers still onboard once the vessel
(see Death and Injury below). actually sinks must succeed at av DC 12 DEX save or be
Sailor Crew assigned to this role control the sail and rigging trapped in the sinking vessels. Creatures trapped in such a
of the vessel. Once the vessel has halted, due to boarding or way quickly die unless able to breath underwater. Those that
being boarded, some vessels may have their sailors be escape the sinking vessel still need to succeed at swimming
reassigned to damage control or to boarding or repelling to land or a lifeboat before succumbing to fatigue or
boarders. hypothermia.

PART 3 | RULES FOR COMBAT 17

Crippling Damage Crew Injury and Death

Crippling damage affects the non-hull structure of the vessel, Assigning Damage
directly impacting the vessels movement and
maneuverability. Every time a vessel loose one third of its To resolve mass combat more expediently, all damage
structure points, the vessel loose one third of its movement between NPCs are resolved in hit dice. A missile factor
rate and gains a -3 penalty to maneuverability. consisting of 5 human archers that hit and have their hit
allocated to the sailors on an enemy vessel deal 5 hit dice
A vessel that loose all of its structure points is considered worth of damage. Typical humans and demihuman crew at
dead in the water, unable to move or maneuver. level 0 have only a single hit dice worth of health. A crew of
professional archers might be considered 1st level fighters, if
Repairing Ship Damage so each is counted as a 2 hit dice creature due to second
wind ability. A boarding factor or missile factor consisting of
Due to the hazardous nature of ocean travel, ships commonly 5 gnolls would have a total of 25 hit dice (5 for each gnoll).
carry spare supplies for repairs in form of extra sailcloth,
rope, oars, timber, pitch and even masts. Even so there are When assigning damage to individuals, simply subtract hit
limits to what repairs can be carried out at sea. Repairs at dice of damage from the available hit dice of the target. If 10
sea can restore a maximum of 1d6 points of hull damage and hit dice of damage is dealt to a crew of level 0 oarsmen, 10
1d12 points of structure damage. Repairing hull damage oarsman get taken out by the damage.
takes 1d4 days, plus 2 days per size category above Large. As an example, if a missile factor of 5 human archers strike a
Crews can repair crippling damage in 1d4 days. boarding factor of 5 gnoll mercenaries, a total of 5 hit dice f
damage is dealt to the gnolls. One of the gnolls collapse from
If a vessel has begun foundering, it can be temporarily the volley of missiles. The remaining gnolls continue on as an
patched by a successful Seamanship or Tools: Carpentry skill incomplete boarding factor.
check at DC 12. This attempt require that the vessel is no
longer in combat and required crew can be spared to begin Injurie or death
making repairs. Success means that the vessels stay afloat
until repairs have been made. As soon as at least 1 hullpoint Once an NPC is assigned a number of hit dice of damage
is restored to flooding is halted completely. equal to the hit dice of health, that NPC is incapacitated. At
the end of battle, the DM rolls a single death save for all
If a vessel is repaired at sea after combat and then damaged incapacitated NPCs. Those that fail are dead, while the rest
again in a later encounter, further repairs can be made, but are considered severely wounded and out of action.
they can only restore a maximum of a single hull point.

Skeletal crews cannot perform repairs at sea, and repairs
cannot be made during storms, gales or combat.

Extended repairs of vessels require the materials and
availability at a shipyard. The vessel must be placed in a dock
or beached at a location that have the material in place to
repair a vessel and an area suitable for working at it.

Vessel Repair Time and Cost

Ship Size Cost Time
Large 10 gp 2 per day
Huge 15 gp 1 per day
Gargantuan 150 gold 1/3 per day
Colossal 300 gold 1/4 per day

Cost is the cost per point of hull or structure damage
repaired.

Due to the time and cost involved, some captains may find
it more convenient to buy a new vessel rather than repairing
one that have suffered extensive damage.

PART 3 | RULES FOR COMBAT

18/div>

Monsters in Naval Combat _ A creature ramming a vessel suffers the damage above
unless it makes a DC 14 Strength save. If it makes the save,
Tigennuhtoieeduresaglecihnattewiossiitfsnhuhtloevleruoaslfdcsstetblrwseainiutnhgsenevdaeavsnwasdelhlcfesaonnamlttaabsrsaegttaie.c.rTccrhreeeaatftuoulrrleoesws, oisnofgmthee large damage is halved. If the creature successfully rams the vessel,
sea it rolls on table for Ramming Action Results, calculating in
the relative size of the creature and its target. If the creature
Creature Movement has a particularly hard body, such as the shell or a
dragonturtle og the scales of an aquatic dragon, it gets a
When determining av creatures maneuverability, a creature bonus to the roll similar to that of having fitted a ram.
native to the sea rolls a Dexterity check, doubling its dexterity Is a vessel rams a creature, do not roll for Ramming Action
bonus or penalty, with advantage. If the creature is not native Results but instead inflict the damage indicated in the table
to the sea, it rolls without advantage. _ In the Pursuit phase, above (no Strength save for half damage).
a creature rolls a Strength check, adding appropriate
bonuses or penalties based on the creatures move in Creatures and Boarding
comparison to the vessel.
Creatures able to swim and match a vessels speed can
Creatures and Missile Fire attempt to board a vessel, using the same rules as for a ship
boarding another ship. If the creatures are able to naturally
Creatures can be subject to missiles from archers on a climb the hull of the vessel, ignore results for Grapples
vessel. Archers roll an attack versus the creature's armor Repelled and Partially Grappled. Even though creatures
class. A hit would result in 5 arrows striking the target if succeed at grappling a ship, it generally does not loose
fired by a standard missile factor. _ If a creature is fully movement or maneuverability. Should the attackers wish to
submerged, it cannot be targeted by missile fire. Partially slow a vessel down, they must leave some attackers below
submerged creatures gain a +5 bonus to armor class and the water to try and restrain the vessel. Small vessels can be
dexterity-based saving throws. restrained by two medium size creatures. For larger vessels
15 medium sized creatures are needed, with another 15 for
Creatures and Artillery Fire every size category beyond Huge.

Light ballistae can fire at Large creatures directly. Other Scuttling and Crippling
types of artillery can only target creatures that are Huge or
larger. If artillery strikes a creature directly it deals the It is possible for creatures (including PCs) to attack a ship's
following damage: _ Artillery Damage on Creatures hull directly or climb aboard a vessel and cripple it by cutting
at its oars, mast and rigging. Generally, such attacks require a
Artillery Damage Type number of creatures acting in concert while using the
appropriate tools (pick-axes, axes, hatchets, crowbars and the
Ballista, light 3d8 Piercing like). Not that creatures of huge size may use their natural
weaponry to attack in such manner. Scuttling is a rather time-
Ballista, medium 3d10 Piercing consuming process. Six man-sized creatures working in
concert on a section of the hull will inflict 1d2 hull points of
Ballista, heavy 3d12 Piercing damage every minute. Teams of less than six creatures can
still damage the hull, but are delayed one round for every one
Catapult, light 2d10 Bludgeoning or Fire creature missing.

Catapult, medium 3d10 Bludgeoning or Fire One Large creature counts as two Medium creatures. A
Huge creature counts as four Medium creatures and so on.
Catapult, heavy 4d10 Bludgeoning or Fire
Attacking a vessel's oars, mast and rigging require the
Greek Fire Projector 3d10 Fire same number of creatures as scuttling - though this attack
causes 1d4 points of crippling damage per round rather than
Trebuchet 5d10 Bludgeoning or Fire hull damage.

_

Creatures and Ramming

It is possible for some creatures to make a ramming attack
on a vessel or be rammed by a vessel. If so, consult the table
below _ Creatures and Ramming

Creature Size Rams as vessel size Damage suffered

Tiny - -

Small - -

Medium - -

Large Large 2d8

Huge Huge 3d10

Gargantuan Gargantuan 4d10

PART 3 | RULES FOR COMBAT

19

Spells in Naval Combat Lightning Bolt

Burning Hands If aimed at a ship, the bolt inflicts 3d2 damage, plus 1d2 for
every two levels above 3rd levels. In addition, roll once on
Roll once on Incendiary Hit Allocation to see if the spell Artillery Hit table, adding +1 and a further +1 for every two
starts a fire. levels above 3rd. If aimed at the crew, roll three times on
Missile Hit Allocation table. Each time a crew section is hit,
Call Lightning three crew members, plus one for every level above 3rd the
spell is cast at (to a maximum of 5), are hit and suffer the
If aimed at a ship, the bolt inflicts 2d3 damage. If cast at a effect of the spell.
higher level, it gains +1d3 for every level above 3rd. In
addition, roll once on Artillery Hit table with a +1 bonus, Meteor Swarm
adding a further +1 if cast at a higher level for every level
beyond 3rd. If aimed at the crew, roll three times on Missile This spell is every sailor’s nightmare. Roll eight times on
Hit Allocation table. Each time a crew section is struck, three Missile Hit Allocation table. Each crew section struck suffers
crew members suffer a hit. If the spell is cast during a storm, nine hits. In addition, roll eight times on Incendiary Hit
it automatically counts as if cast at one higher level. Allocation table to see if any fire start. Then roll once on
Artillery Hit table with a bonus of +4. Lastly, the spell inflicts
Chain Lightning 3d8+2 points of damage to the ship.

Roll once on Missile Hit Allocation table. If the result Wall of Fire
indicates crew is hit, up to 4 creatures in that crew section is
subject to the spell. If no crew sections are hit, the ship Roll on Missile Hit Allocation three times, each crew section
absorbs the spell, taking 6d2 point of damage and a roll on struck suffering four hits. Also roll twice on Incendiary Hit
the Artillery Hit table with a +4 modifier. Allocation table. A moving ship sailing through the spell
suffers the effect once. Stationary ships suffer the effect every
Control Flames round.

This spell can be used to automatically put out one fire.

Disintegrate

This spell allows the caster to inflict 2d10 points of hull
damage or crippling damage to a vessel. If directed at the
ship's hull, the spell creates a hole, and the vessel must
immediately make a Seaworthiness check or sink. If directed
at the rigging, the ship immediately suffers a Mast Cracked
critical hit effect.

Fireball

This spell proves devastating to ships and their crews. Roll
four times on Missile Hit Allocation table. Each time a crew
section is hit, three crew member, plus one for every level
above 3rd the spell is cast at (to a maximum of 5), are hit and
suffer the effect of the spell. In addition, roll four times on
Incendiary Hit Allocation table to see if any fire start. Then
roll once on Artillery Hit table with a bonus of +1 and a
further +1 for every two levels above 3rd the spell is cast at.
Lastly, the spell inflicts 2d2 points of damage to the, plus 1d2
for every level of the spell beyond 3rd.

Flaming Sphere

For every round the Flaming Sphere is present on the vessel,
roll once on Incendiary Hit Allocation table to see if any fire
starts and once on Missile Hit Allocation. Each crew section
struck takes one hit.

Grease

If cast at the start of boarding action, the spell gives a -2
penalty to any boarding attempts made.

Ice Storm

If cast at the start of boarding action, the spell gives a -2
penalty to any boarding attempts made. In addition, the
hailstone effect allows four rolls on Missile Hit Allocation
table. Each crew section struck suffers four hits.

20 PART 3 | RULES FOR COMBAT