Nautical Roles

The roles detailed below are meant to be taken as positions aboard an arcane ship which a character occupies in addition to their character class. The format and style were inspired by (and to some extent, completely ripped off) from the Acquisitions Inc. company positions, because they are great and the creator of this document is a hack.
If the DM chooses not to use these, it is probably a good idea to allow players to substitute background proficiencies as desired to accommodate for the s, mounted weapons, and repair skills added in this supplement.

Role Proficiencies

Accepting a position aboard an arcane ship means more than just a title and hopes of a paycheck. With it comes access to a whole new way of life that comes with making the sea your home. Sometimes the magic of the sea starts to permeate the everyday mundanity of one’s role within a ship. When a character takes a specific nautical role, they gain proficiency in the tools and skills associated with that role. Such proficiency also extends to a variety of naval practices, day-to-day tasks, and hazard mitigations that are all part of the job. Role functions to which characters can add their proficiency bonus are detailed in the “Role Proficiency” section of each of the following role descriptions.

Ship’s Tools

Magic items gained as part of a nautical role always require attunement, but they do not count against the number of magic items a character can normally attune to. Each item can be attuned to only by the character to whom it has been assigned by the captain of the ship. If the tools of other ships are ever found, they cannot be attuned, even by characters with the applicable position.

Ranks and Levels

You choose your nautical role when the character first joins an arcane ship. Your character’s position rank is equal to your ship’s rank. The ship rank determines the capabilities of the nautical positions aboard the ship; when the ship rank increases, it unlocks new options within each position. Each time the ship gains a rank (normally at levels 9 and 16 ), your character is promoted to that new rank in their position and gains the appropriate benefits. Starting from rank I, you gain specialized training (including new proficiencies), special equipment, possible innate magics and your rank I position feature. Then, as your reputation grows, the scope of your position grows with it. Ultimately is the DM who determines when the ship rank increases and these are just guidelines.