Ship's Crew

RANKINGS

The rank of an entire crew is its quality and is determined by the Fame Points of its Captain.

CAPTAIN'S FAME

The Fame of the Captain attracts crewmen. The higher the Fame, the better the crew... as long as the Captain pays them. For Fame to matter, a Captain must have a ship. If the Captain loses their ship, they lose crew and at a rate of 50% per week. All player characters can acquire Fame points but they only matter when/if they Captain a ship/boat (including the Captain's Cog).

EX: Captian Tarheel's ship is destroyed in a harbor by a rival. After one week he loses 60 of 120 crew, leaving him with 60. After the next week, he loses 30 of 60 crew, leaving him with 30. And so on until all his crew is gone or he has acquired a new ship.

How To Attain Fame

• Slaughter 10 + crews: +4

• Spared 10+ crews: +4

• Defeat a Naval Ship: +3

• Attain a haul of 5000+ Gold Coins: +2

• Choosing a Pirate Name: +2

• Captain's Base Attack Bonus 15+: +2

• Defeat a Pirate Ship: +2

• First time slaughtering a surrendered crew: +2

• First time sparing an enemy crew: +2

• Slaying a Beast of the Deep: +2

• Capturing a Merchant Ship: +1

• First time surviving a direct hit from Siege Weapon (once for each type): +1

• Survive committing an act of colossal stupidity: +1

• Upgrading the ship: +1

CREW QUALITY

• 1-2: Rabble

  Crew Seamanship: -2
  Ship Speed: -2 Nauts
  Base Sail Changes: 5 rounds
  Base Reload Speed: 6 rounds
  Aim: -2
  AC: 10 HP: 5 F+0/R+2/W+0
  Rusty Cutlass +1 ATT 1d6-2 Slashing Damage
  Cost: 3 Silver/month per Crewman

• 3-4: Poor

  Crew Seamanship: +0
  Ship Speed: -1 Naut
  Base Sail Changes: 4 rounds
  Base Reload Speed: 5 rounds
  Aim: -1
  AC: 12 HP: 21 F+1/R+4/W+1
  Worn Cutlass +4 ATT 1d6 -1 Slashing Damage
  Cost: 12 Silver/month per Crewman

• 5-9: Average

  Crew Seamanship: +2
  Ship Speed: -0 Nauts
  Base Sail Changes: 3 rounds
  Base Reload Speed: 4 rounds
  Aim: +0
  AC: 14 HP: 37 F+2/R+5/W+2
  Cutlass +7/+2 1d6 +1 Slashing Damage
  Short Musket +1 ATT 3d4 Bludgeon Damage, one shot per 2 rounds
  Cost: 2 Gold 1 Silver/month per Crewman

• 10-12: Superior

  Crew Seamanship: +4
  Ship Speed: +1 Naut
  Base Sail Changes: 2 rounds
  Base Reload Speed: 3 rounds
  Aim: +1
  AC: 16 HP: 53 F+3/R+7/W+3
  Masterwork Cutlass +11/+6/+1 1d6 +2 Slashing Damage
  Short Musket +4 ATT 3d4 Bludgeon Damage, one shot per 2 rounds
  Cost: 3 Gold/month per Crewman

• 13+: Expert

  Crew Seamanship: +6
  Ship Speed: +2 Nauts
  Base Sail Changes: 1 round
  Base Reload Speed: 2 rounds
  Aim: +2
  AC: 18 HP: 69 F+4/R+8/W+4
  Masterwork Cutlass +14/+9/+4 1d6 +3 Slashing Damage
  Masterwork Short Musket +8 ATT 3d4 Bludgeon Damage, one shot per round
  Cost: 5 Gold/month per Crewman

CAPTAIN'S SWAY

A crew, especially pirates, is in a constant state of flux between the pressures to obey and their own tendencies toward amorality. Sway is the Captain's influence on their crew and determines the mood of the crew. Sway is also used for a company of the crew on an away mission. Base Sway is calculated by: Captain's Fame/2 +CHA bonus.

Sway Modifiers

• High share value (per 1000 Gold/share): +1

• Each fortnight at sea without a prize: -1

• Crew is hungry: -2

• More than 1/3 of crew injured: -2

• More than 1/3 of crew diseased: -2

• Crew sober for a fortnight: -4

Sway Checks

• Assigned to Guard Cargo DC: 15. Fail: Open it, pocket something, and drink any liquor found

• Ordered to gaurd prisoners DC: 15. Fail: Torment the prisoners

• Outnumbered by enemy DC: 15. Fail: Flee or surrender

• Wounded in combat DC: 15. Flee or surrender

• Finds liquor while taking a prize ship DC: 20. Fail: Opens it and drinks it

• More than 1/2 crew dead DC: 20. Fail: Flee or surrender

• Outnumbered by a Navy DC: 25. Fail: Flee or surrender

SHIP'S OFFICERS

If a party acquires a ship, they take up officer positions. These positions are:

Navy

• Captain

• Lieutenant: Captain's Deputy

• Sailing-Master: Navigator

• Bosun: keep the ship in shape, running well, and disciplines the crew

• Master-At-Arms: in charge of a bay of seige weapons and their crews (can be more than one)

• Cogswain: commands the Captain's Cog (landing boat) and is the Second Sailing-Master

Pirate

• Captain

• First-Mate: keeps the ship in shape, running well, and disciplines the crew

• Sailing-Master: Navigator

• Master-At-Arms: in charge of a bay of siege weapons (can be more than one)

• Coxswain: commands the Captain's Cog (landing boat) and is the Second Sailing-Master

• Quartermaster: Crew spokesman and supervises fair division of loot (this can be an NPC chosen by the players)

SHIP ACTIVITIES

Daytime Ship Actions

• Work Diligently

  Gain a +4 bonus on any one check for a job’s daily task

• Influence

  Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and attempt to influence a single NPC

• Sneak

  Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and briefly explore one area of the ship (the PC can make a single Perception check or other skill check with no chance of detection)

• Shop

  Take a –2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and visit the quartermaster’s store (area A9)

• Shirk

  Take a –2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and take time exploring one area of the ship. The PC can take 10 on a single Perception check or other skill check, but must make a STEALTH check to avoid being discovered.

Nighttime Ship Actions

• Sleep

  Go to bed early and sleep through the night (automatically recover from fatigue)

• Gamble

  Play or gamble on a game of chance (Python- a card game) or Rolling teeth- a dice game)

• Entertain

  Make one Perform check to entertain the crew

• Influence

  Attempt to influence a single NPC

• Sneak

  Take time exploring one area of the ship. The PC can take 20 on a single Perception check or other skill check, but must make a STEALTH check to avoid being discovered.

• Steal

  Attempt to open a locked door or locker. The PC must make a STEALTH check to avoid being discovered.