Ship Mechanics

The Ship

To aid in running adventures where ships engage in combat, undertake precise navigation, or face situations where their various capabilities become relevant, the following section presents new rules and stat blocks for a spectrum of vessels.

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.

An Object, Not a Creature

Ships are to be considered objects, not creatures. As such, they automatically fail any saving throw against spells that affect the ship, however the ship cannot be targeted with spells that specifically target a ‘creature within range.’ For example, a ship would take full damage from a Fireball, but a ship is immune to the effects of Hold Monster, because it is not considered a creature. Along the same line, a ship cannot suffer any conditions, and is immune to Poison and Psychic damage.

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. The larger the ship, the more crew is typically needed to keep the ship functioning, and the larger the ship, the more actions a ship typically gets in combat.

LARGE
  Large ships are usually quite uncommon, as they are incredibly small (sometimes even glorified or modified rowboats). A Large ship has one ship action, and typically does not require a crew to sail effectively.

HUGE
  Although still on the smaller side, Huge ships are often used by small raiding parties that focus on speed and deftness or are concentrated vehicles of war. A Huge ship typically has two ship actions, and typically requires a Small crew to sail effectively.

Gargantuan
  The size of most ships, Gargantuan ships encompass many traditional brigs, galleons, and other sailing ships. Gargantuan ships typically have three ship actions, and typically require a Medium or Large crew to sail effectively.

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 (See lower).

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.

VULNERABILITIES, RESISTANCES, AND IMMUNITIES

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.

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 can be repaired on the sea, however a ship 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 boat beyond half its hit point total, the ship must be docked in a harbor or elevated so its underbelly can be worked on, and so it does not take in more water while being repaired.

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.

Repairs at a Harbor

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

Repairs at Sea

See the Repairs at sea section in the downtime area.

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

Because ships are large objects that have a number of moving parts, a ship is split into multiple components that each are separate entities with their own respective AC, hit points, and DTs (damage thresholds required to be overcome in order to deal damage to the ship). These components are as follows,

Hull which is a ship’s base frame. The Hull typically has the majority of the ship’s hit points.

Control A control component is used to steer a ship.

Movement which are typically Sails and Oars.

Weapons which are any siege weapons the ship has on board. These can include cannons, ballistas, or other siege weapons that reasonably fit within a ship.

Although a ship may have rigging, light, a steering wheel, and other details; these are not listed on the stat blocks of the ship and instead should be described and kept in mind during the game. The reason as to why these components are listed in the ship’s statistics and not other details, is to keep in mind what can be targeted with attacks and what hit points need to be kept track of.

THE CREW

Officers

If you'd like to explore running a ship, it needs officers to oversee its operations - officers who fill seven different roles. Some roles aboard a ship reflect the need for trained experts to direct a crew's efforts. In order to gain access to Officer Actions in Naval Combat, the Captain, First Mate, Bosun, and Quartermaster must all be filled by separate characters. If the ship has any Ship Weaponry, a Powder Monkey is also required. These are the roles that are considered necessary in Naval Combat, however, in order for a ship to function in any decent capacity, there is also need for a Cook and Surgeon. Although the Cook does not have any Officer Actions in Naval Combat, it is still needed by the crew in order to keep their morale high.

Captain
The captain issues orders and is considered the leader of the ship. Captains typically have high Charisma and Intelligence scores, and are typically proficient in Water Vehicles and the Intimidation and Persuasion skills.

First Mate
The First Mate keeps the crew’s morale high by providing supervision, encouragement, and discipline. A First Mate benefits from a high Charisma score, and typically has proficiency with the Intimidation and Persuasion skills.

Bosun
The Bosun or Boatswain, provides technical advice to the captain and crew and leads repair and maintenance efforts. A Bosun typically has a high Strength score, and has proficiency in Carpenter’s Tools and Athletics.

Powder Monkey
The Powder Monkey, or the Master Gunner, keeps a keen eye on many of the siege weapons on a ship, keeping general maintenance and upkeep to ensure that they are performing at their best. A good Powder monkey typically has a high Intelligence or Wisdom score to spot details in their weaponry and typically has proficiency in Martial weapons.

Quartermaster
The Quartermaster plots the ship’s course, relying on knowledge of nautical charts and a study of weather and sea conditions. A reliable Quartermaster tends to have a high Wisdom and Intelligence score, as well as proficiency with Navigator’s Tools.

Surgeon
The ship’s Surgeon tends to injuries, keeps illness from spreading throughout the ship, and oversees sanitation. A capable surgeon typically has a high Intelligence or Wisdom score, and has proficiency in the Medicine skill and usually a Herbalism Kit.

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 cook drags down the entire crew’s performance. A talented cook typically has a high Wisdom or Intelligence score depending on their style of cooking, and typically has proficiency with Brewer’s Supplies and Cook’s Utensils.

CREW MEMBERS

  Sometimes a ship is large enough that it needs a crew to sail properly and effectively. A crew is separate from naval officers, which are more specially trained and expensive. There are Small, Medium, and Large crews. If a ship has a crew listed in its stat block, the ship needs the crew to sail properly. If a ship is helmed without an appropriately sized crew or with no crew at all and the ship requires one; the travel and combat speed of the ship is quartered.
- A Small crew is comprised of 5 persons and costs 3gp per week.
- A Medium crew is comprised of 10 persons and costs 5gp per week.
- A Large crew is comprised of 20 persons and costs 10gp per week.
- An Officer costs 5gp per week.

Naval Officers

  Naval Officers are separate from a crew and are roles that are adopted by player characters, or NPCs if needed. In order for a ship to sail effectively, a Captain, First Mate, Quartermaster, and Bosun are required for a ship to sail. If a ship has ship weaponry, a Powder Monkey is required, and if a ship has a crew of any size, a Surgeon and a Cook are highly recommended to have aboard, as without them, the morale of the crew is drastically reduced, however they are not required.

More information regarding a Naval Officer's role as well as Officer Actions are listed further in this document.

Morale

  When a ship has a crew, morale plays a significant role in how well a ship functions, and is representative of the general mood of the crew; which can affect many outcomes during Naval Combat.

A crew typically has a Morale Bonus of +0, and this is considered to be the baseline Morale Bonus. The Morale Bonus of a crew can change depending on the actions taken and situations occurring during Naval Combat, and can reach a maximum of +6 or a minimum of -6. This Morale Bonus is added or subtracted to a ship's initiative check, and half of the Morale Bonus (rounded down) is added or subtracted to skill checks a Naval Officer makes as part of an Officer Action or during repairs, Ship Weaponry attack rolls, and Ram attack rolls.

A crew's Morale Bonus naturally decreases or increases by 1 every 4 hours until it is at its baseline of 0 again. If a crew does not have a Cook and a Surgeon the baseline Morale Bonus of the crew is -2.

How Morale is Reduced

  If your ship suffers a critical hit from a ship weapon, multiple crew members die, a poor decision is made from an officer that causes extreme detriment to the crew, a Naval Officer rolls a natural 1 on one of their Officer Action skill checks, or another similarly demoralizing event or action occurs, the crew's Morale Bonus is reduced by 1.

How Morale is Increased

  If the crew scores a critical hit with a ship weapon, sinks an enemy ship, kills the captain of the ship before naval combat is over, a Naval Officer rolls a natural 20 on one of their Officer Action skill checks, or another similarly uplifting event or action occurs, the crew's Morale Bonus increases by 1.

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.

SHIP ACTIVITIES

TRAVEL AT SEA

It's not just pirates and sea monsters that make journeys on the sea so treacherous. Foul weather, nautical accidents. infested food. illness, and worse all conspire to send even the most capable crews to watery graves. The following rules help adjudicate travel al sea, specifically voyages of an hour or more. This material builds on the travel rules in the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon Master's Guide.

TRAVEL PACE

Ships travel at a speed given in their stat blocks. Unlike with land travel, ships can't choose to move at a faster pace, though they can choose to go slower. If a ship's mode of movement takes damage, it might be slowed. For every decrease of 10 feet in speed, reduce the ship's travel pace by 1 mile per hour and 24 miles per day.

Travel Speed and Combat Speed

A ship has two different speeds. One, is it’s travel speed, which represents how far a ship can travel in an hour and how far a ship can travel in a typical 8 hour day, and the other is its Combat speed, which represents how far a ship can travel in a single round of naval combat.

Traveling with or without the Wind

In typical naval combat, whether or not the ship is with the wind does not factor into its speed, however the wind often matters when traveling long distances. Typically to ensure that the ship is sailing with the wind, the Quartermaster (refer to the Officers section) makes a Navigator’s Tools check of 10 at the start of each travel day. Upon success, the ship’s travel speed is maintained as the ship catches the wind. Upon failure, the ship’s travel speed is halved as the course does not travel with the wind. The DC of this check may increase or decrease depending on various environmental effects, such as calm waters, stormy weather, or even hurricanes.

Wind

The ship’s total speed is halved unless it is moving in the same direction of the wind. Stronger winds may effect the speed even more.

Ship Downtime

The activities available to a ship's crew and passengers are a bit different from the options available to a group traveling by land. Refer to "Activity While Traveling" in chapter 8 of the Players Handbook for more information on some of the topics discussed below. A number of activities are restricted to certain officers. unless the DM rules otherwise. For example. a DM might allow a bard to engage in the Raise Morale activity by playing bawdy songs on deck to lift the crew's spirits. The party's pace has no effect on the activities they can engage in while traveling by ship.

Bolster Ship (Bosun Only)

You take the time to bolster and prepare your vehicle for oncoming damage. To take this downtime activity you must use 5gp, or 50lbs, of wood. Then, make a Strength (Carpenter's Tools) check. On a 14 or higher, for the next day, your vehicle has resistance to the next instance of damage it takes.

If your total result was 17 or higher, you reduce the amount of wood used by 10lbs or 1gp. At 20, you reduce the amount of wood used by 20lbs or 2gp, at 23 you reduce the amount of wood used by 30lbs or 3gp, and at 26 you reduce the amount of wood used by 40lbs or 4gp.

Coordinate

In order to take this downtime activity, you must coordinate with at least one other creature. You and your allies practice teamwork exercises, combat routines, and fundamental skills throughout the day, building a combat rapport. Up to six creatures can train together this way, as long as each is taking the coordinate downtime activity.

For the following day, if you and one of your allies who coordinated together roll initiative without having the surprised condition, you both gain a +1 bonus to your initiative check. You cannot gain more than a +1 bonus from this downtime activity, regardless of the amount of allies you coordinated with.

Crack Lock

Sometimes it's much easier to pick a lock and break into a safe or chest if you are not in a dungeoneering environment or being hounded by enemies. Better lighting also does wonders!

You spend all day attempting a Dexterity (Thieves' Tool) check in an attempt to open a locked object you have access to. You gain a +5 bonus to your result from the careful time and precision taken from cracking a lock all day.

DRAW MAP

A ship's captain often undertakes this activity, producing a map of the ship's progress and helps the crew get back on course if they get lost. No ability check is required.

NAVIGATE (QUARTERMASTER ONLY)

The quartermaster can try to prevent the ship from becoming lost, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the DM calls for it. (See "Becoming Lost" in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information.)

Maintain Equipment

You spend the day maintaining your equipment for the upcoming day, either by sharpening or polishing your weapons or by polishing and detailing your armor.

Choose either a suit of armor, a shield, or a simple or martial weapon, then make a DC15 Strength (Smith's Tools) or a Dexterity (Leatherworker's Tools) check depending on the item as you spend your time repairing and maintaining the equipment.

On a success, for the following day the first time you score a critical hit with the weapon you maintained, you deal additional damage equal to your Proficiency bonus. If you maintained a suit of armor or shield, for the next day the first time you are dealt a critical hit, you reduce the damage taken by your Proficiency bonus

Morale Boost (First Mate Only)

  By singing jaunty tunes, playing games, starting sea shanties, or whatever other means you have at your disposal, you can attempt to improve the morale of those around you. Make a Charisma (Performance or Persuasion) check, then consult the Morale Boost with Crew or Morale Boost without a Crew table. You can only take this Downtime activity if the amount of creatures you are attempting to uplift are no greater than 2 times your level + your Charisma modifier.
Morale Boost with Crew

Result	Outcome
15	The crew of your ship is improved in Morale, and their actions are more in sync! The Morale Bonus of your crew increases by 1 at the start of the next day.
20	The crew of your ship is greatly improved in Morale, and their actions are more in sync! For the next day, the Morale Bonus of your crew increases by 2 at the start of the next day.
25	The crew of your ship is vastly improved in Morale, and their actions are more in sync! The Morale Bonus of your crew increases by 3 at the start of the next day.

Morale Boost without Crew

Result	Outcome
13	You and your allies regain 2 additional hit dice at the end of your next long rest.
15	You and your allies regain 2 additional hit dice at the end of your next long rest, or for the next day, the first time the ship rolls initiative it gains a +2 bonus.
20	You and your allies regain 3 additional hit dice at the end of your next long rest, or for the next day, the first time the ship rolls initiative it gains a +3 bonus.
25	Choose one of the following; You and your allies regain 5 additional hit dice at the end of your next long rest, for the next day the first time the ship rolls initiative it gains a +5 bonus, or for the next day you and your allies gain Inspiration.

Prepare Food

Having only rations during a seafaring or traveling 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 the benefits from your cooking are 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.

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.

Plot Course

  You spend your time plotting a course, pouring over maps and your navigational tools. Make a Wisdom (Navigator's Tools) check, and consult the Plotting Course table.

Plotting Course Table

Result	Outcome
10	The first Navigator's Tools check made for the next day has its DC decreased by 1.
14	The first Navigator's Tools check made for the next day has its DC decreased by 2.
16	The first Navigator's Tools check made for the next day has its DC decreased by 3.
19	The first Navigator's Tools check made for the next day has its DC decreased by 4.

Recuperate

  You spend the day recuperating your wounds, physical strains, as well as mentally centering yourself. Make a Constitution check and consult the Recuperation Table below.

Recuperation Table

Result	Outcome
5	You regain hit dice equal to your proficiency bonus.
15	You gain all previous bonuses and you can attempt to remake a saving throw against a poison or nonmagical disease that is currently affecting you.
17	You gain all previous bonuses and your exhaustion level is reduced by 1.
20	You gain all previous bonuses and for the next day, you gain inspiration.

REPAIR (BOSUN ONLY)

At the end of the day, the ship's bosun can make a Strength check using carpenter's tools. and consults the Repair Table. For every creature that is aiding the Bosun in this repair effort, they gain a +1 bonus to their roll. 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.

Repair Table

Result	Outcome
5 or less	You use 10lbs 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.
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.
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.

Study Sample

You spend the day studying an object, an alchemical reagent, a plant, a book, or something else that you don't fully understand.

Make an Intelligence (Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion) check depending on the sample being studied. You then gain information on the sample as if you had rolled your result +5. The DM might rule that certain creatures or materials are too rare or unusual to be identified this way.

Furthermore, you can gain advantage on this check if you have appropriate tools or materials at your disposal to research or study the said sample, such as an Herbalism Kit for plants or a set of monstrous encyclopedias for a monster part.

Subsist

  By taking this downtime activity, you spend your time fishing, and scavenging other edible materials such as mussels, kelp, or clams if you're able to.

Make a Survival (Wisdom) check, and consult the Subsisting Table below.

Subsisting Table

Result	Outcome
10	4 rations
14	5 rations
16	9 rations
20	11 rations
25	14 rations

If you are using the alternative fishing minigame, you may instead make 1 "cast" interaction for every 5 above DC 5 that you roll.

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.

Take Watch

  By taking this downtime activity, you allow yourself to actively take watch of your surroundings and grant you and your crew the ability to see incoming dangers sooner than you normally would.

Make a Wisdom (Perception) check with a +2 bonus. This check is consistent throughout the entirety of the day for the purposes of noticing anything of interest.

NAVAL COMBAT

When it comes to Naval Combat, the crew of the ship is considered to act on the Ship’s initiative, unless some members of the crew are player characters or important NPCs, which gain their own turns in naval combat, as some spells and Officer Actions can change the tide of naval combat.

Initiative

When Naval Combat begins, all ships roll initiative like normal. Normally, a ship does not add any modifiers to its initiative roll, but based on the quality of the crew or other factors, a modifier can be given based on the DM’s discretion. When it comes to a Ship’s turn, it may take Ship Actions.

Ship Actions

On a Ship's turn, it does not have an action, bonus action, reaction, or move action like creatures do. Instead, a ship has an amount of Ship Actions based on its size, which can be used to take the following actions;

MOVE
  The ship moves up to its combat speed in a straight line. This action can only be taken once per turn unless an Officer action states otherwise.

FIRE SHIP WEAPONRY
  The crew gathers together and fires one of the Ship's Weapons. This action can be taken once per weapon as a single action, however three ship actions can be expended to fire a single ship weapon an additional time.

Normally siege weaponry (which includes many of the Ship's Weapons) require an action to reload, an action to aim, and an action to fire; and this is the case when using siege weaponry to fire against specific targets in traditional Combat. However in Naval Combat, there is a crew manning the ship weaponry, as they all individually take these actions, alongside the fact that firing against a ship does not need a large degree of aiming. Ship Weapons typically have a attack bonus, but keep in mind that half of the crew's Morale Bonus is added to Ship Weapon attacks (rounded down). If the crew or a character wishes to use a ship weapon against a specific creature on a ship or against a specific object on a ship (like an enemy cannon or the anchor of a ship) an additional Ship action is required to aim the ship weapon at the specific target, since it is much smaller than the ship it is normally aimed at, and the attack is made with disadvantage.

RAM
  Your ship attempts to Ram into another ship or object. In order to take this special attack the ship must take the Move action and come into contact with another ship or an object or creature that is Huge or larger in size. If the ship has a Ram Ship Weapon, it uses its statistics and modifiers. If the ship does not, instead the captain make a Melee Weapon attack using their Wisdom or Intelligence modifier, adding their proficiency bonus if they are proficient with water vehicles, and half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down).

On a hit, the target takes 2d10 + 1d10 if your ship is Huge or 2d10 if your ship is Gargantuan in bludgeoning damage, and your ship takes half of this damage. On a miss, your ship takes 2d10 + 1d10 if your ship is Huge or 2d10 if your ship is Gargantuan in bludgeoning damage

If this Ram misses by 5 or more, or does not surpass the targeted ship's DT, any creatures on the deck of the ramming ship are knocked prone. However if this Ram exceeds the targeted ship's AC by 5 or more, all creatures on the targeted deck of the ship are knocked prone.

Siege Weaponry

Siege Weaponry on the ship is manned by the crew of the ship itself, and during naval combat, do not need three rounds to load, aim, and fire the siege weapon. It is assumed that in Naval Combat, the crew is doing all three of these actions during the Ship’s turn.

However, if a creature wishes to use a Siege weapon against a specific creature on a ship, an additional action is required to aim the siege weapon at the specific target, since it is much smaller than the ship it is normally aimed at.

Officer Actions

During the ship’s turn in Naval Combat, a player character (or important Officer NPC) can give up their turn in initiative to take an Officer Action. These Officer Actions happen simultaneously during the Ship’s turn, and can change the result of some of the Ship’s turns. Any ability checks made during an Officer Action adds/subtracts half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down). The types of officers are described below, along with their Officer Actions they can take in Naval Combat. These Officer Actions can only be taken in Naval Combat.

Captain:

Double Time
Provided your crew can hear you, you shout out inspiration or threats at your crew to work double time. If you succeed on a Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check of 15 (20 if the Ship’s total hit points are halved), the Ship gains an additional action this round. You add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check.

Full Steam Ahead!
Provided you are at the Helm, you can continue to steer the ship and lead it towards victory. The Ship can take the Move action twice this turn, as opposed to once.

Daring Maneuver
Provided you are at the Helm, you can attempt a daring maneuver. This maneuver could be a 90 degree turn, safe passage through a razor-sharp reef, or any other movement the ship could do within reason. To successfully complete this Maneuver, the ship must take the Move action at least once this turn, and you must succeed on a Wisdom or Intelligence (Water Vehicles) check. The DC for this check is typically 15, but it may be reduced or increased depending on the difficulty of the maneuver you are attempting. You add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check.

Unruly Inspiration
Provided the Officer can hear you, you shout inspirational phrases or threats at your Officer so they can do their job better! If you succeed on a Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check of 12, the Officer takes an additional Officer Action. You add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check.

First Mate:

Chin Up!
You attempt to inspire your crew despite whatever the enemy is throwing at them! Make a DC16 Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check. On a success, the crew's Morale Bonus increases by 1. You add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check.

Double Time
Provided your crew can hear you, you shout out inspiration or threats at your crew to work double time. If you succeed on a Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check of 15 (20 if the Ship’s total hit points are halved), the Ship gains an additional action this round. You add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check.

Unruly Inspiration
Provided the Officer can hear you, you shout inspirational phrases or threats at your Officer so they can do their job better! If you succeed on a Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check of 12, the Officer takes an additional Officer Action. You add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check.

Bosun:

Quick Repair
Provided a component of the ship is damaged, through spare planks or linen, nails, and ingenuity, you can provide a quick repair to a component of the ship. Make a Strength (Carpenter’s Tools) check. On a 10 or higher, the component of the ship you chose gains 10 temporary hit points, for every additional 5 you exceed the check beyond the base DC 10, add an additional 5 temp hp. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute before they break down and you have to actually repair the boat.

Prepare for Impact!
You prepare the rigging and boards of the ship for a hefty impact. Make a DC13 Strength (Carpenter's Tools) check. You add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check. On a success, until the start of the ship's next turn, the first time the ship would take damage due to ramming or being rammed, the ship instead only takes half damage and creatures on the deck of the ship are not knocked prone.

Fortify Ram
You bolster the parts of the ship that are about to make contact with your sorry foes, increasing its weight and bolstering it for a massive takedown! Make a DC13 Strength (Carpenter's Tools) check. You add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check. On a success, if the ship makes a Ram attack on its next turn, it ignores the DT value of its target on a hit, it automatically knocks all creatures on the deck of the targeted ship prone if it hits, and it deals an additional 2d10 bludgeoning damage on hit.

Powder Monkey:

Pack the Good Powder
You pack a cannon within 5 feet of you with extra potent gunpowder. If the cannon hits, it deals an additional 2d10 bludgeoning damage.

QuickLoad
You attempt to minimize the loading time of a ship weapon within 10ft of you. Provided the weapon has a "Cooldown" roll, make a DC 10 Intelligence or Wisdom check, you add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check. On success you increase the "threshold" of a reload roll, increasing it by an additional 1 for every 5 you exceed the check by.

Fire at Will!
You assist in aiming one of the Ship’s weapons that is within 10 feet of you, where it gains advantage on its next attack roll made before the end of the ship’s next turn.

Rapid Bombardment
You attempt to put a much higher focus on the rate of which a ship weapon can be fired as opposed to accuracy. Make a DC16 Intelligence or Wisdom check, you add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check. On a failure, one ship weapon ignores the normal restrictions on ship actions it takes for being fired multiple times on the same turn at a cost of the attacks being rolled with disadvantage. On a success, one ship weapon ignores the normal restrictions on ship actions it takes for being fired multiple times on the same turn.

Steady...
You prepare a ship weapon and ready for the perfect moment. You can ready one ship weapon attack for a certain trigger, as if taking the Ready action, which lasts until the start of your ship's next turn. If you fire a ship weapon readied in this way, it gains a +2 bonus to its attack roll.

Quartermaster

Angle Trajectory
By factoring minor changes in the wind and quickly calculating distance and speed, you can attempt to further optimize the aim of a ranged ship weapon. Make a DC15 Intelligence (Navigator's Tools) check. You add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check. On a success, one ranged ship weapon of your choice instead only suffers a -2 penalty to attacking in its long range as opposed to rolling with disadvantage. Exceed the check by 10 and it is reduced to no penalty.

Predict Wind Change
Through quick and careful analysis of the wind and its current patterns, you can potentially reduce the effects of sailing with headwind! Make a DC20 Intelligence (Navigator's Tools) check. You add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check. On a success, if the speed of the ship is reduced by a factor of wind, the ship ignores this for its next turn.

Surgeon

Anatomical Knowhow
When fighting a large or larger creature, you can attempt to recall knowledge on the creature and give pertinent advice on where to shoot. Make a DC16 Intelligence (Nature, Religion, or Arcana, depending on the creature) check. You add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check. On a success, one ship weapon of your choice has advantage on its next attack roll made against a large or larger creature you can see. The DC for this check can be lower or higher as the DM sees fit depending on the rarity or familiarity of the creature.

Dress Wounds
You quickly attempt to dress the wounds of your crew. Make a DC14 Wisdom (Medicine or Herbalism Kit) check. You add or subtract half of the crew's Morale Bonus (rounded down) to this check, and this DC increases by 1 per crew size above Small. On a success, any crew that were dying are now stabilized and the crews Morale Bonus increases by 1.

CREW IN COMBAT

Managing a ship's entire crew in combat can prove cumbersome, especially as larger ships often host dozens of sailors. Typically the crew is too busy managing the ship to do anything else during combat. Don't worry about tracking their specific positions unless you want to add that complexity. You can assume that the crew is evenly divided among the upper two decks of a ship.

CREW CASUALTIES

Slaying a ship's crew reduces the number of actions most ships can take, making the crew a tempting target in combat. Resolve individual attacks as normal, using the guidelines for resolving many, identical attacks at once from the Dungeon Master's Guide as needed. In the case of spells that cover an area, such as fireball or lightning bolt, you might track the exact location of the spell and crew to determine how many sailors it affects. Alternatively, you can roll ld6 per level of the spell. The total of the dice is the number of crew members caught in the spells area.

MISCELANEOS

CRASHING A SHIP

If a ship moves into the space occupied by a creature or an object, the ship might crash. A ship avoids crashing if the creature or object is at least two sizes smaller than it. When a ship crashes, it must immediately make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes damage to its hull based on the size of the creature or object it crashed into, as shown on the Crash Damage table. It also stops moving if the object or creature is one size smaller than it or larger. Otherwise the ship continues moving and the creature or object collided with moves to the nearest unoccupied space that isn't in the ship's path. At the DM's discretion, an object that is forced to move but is fixed in place is instead destroyed. A creature struck by a ship must make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to 10 +the ship's Strength modifier, taking damage based on the ship's size (as shown on the Crash Damage table) on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

CRASH DAMAGE

Size	Bludgeoning Damage
Small	1d6
Medium	1d10
Large	4d10
Huge	8d10
Gargantuan	16d10

SINKING SHIPS

when a ship's hull is taken to 0 hp, it is now Sinking 1. It will gain another level of Sinking after 1 round unless the bosun makes a DC15 Strength(Carpenter's Tools) check. A ship can have a number of Sinking levels equal to 1+CON before it is completely submerged.

Any additional damage the ship receives while at 0 hp will increase the Sinking level by 1 unless the ship succeeds on a CON save with DC equal to 10 or half the damage, whichever is greater. While Sinking, the ship's speed is 0. The crew can take the brace action to give advantage on the ships CON saves.