Ship Operations & Roles

Individual roles assigned to characters can introduce a unique element of roleplay and teamwork to the game. Players can volunteer or be assigned ship roles/billets/responsibilities, and the player’s performance will have a direct impact on the ship’s operation. Not all roles need to be filled for all vessels for all of the time. DM’s discretion.

Role	Description	Impact	Skill Check
Captain	Command of the ship and responsible for ship safety, decision making, and external diplomacy	Skill check to increase ship CHA (diplomacy)	Perception Intimidation Persuasion Politics Navigation tool Water vehicle
1st Mate or XO (executive officer)	Captain’s assistant in charge of day-to-day running of the ship. Functions as the ship’s safety and security officer	Skill check to increase boarding party efficacy	Investigation Persuasion Deception Stealth Sleight of Hand Insight Performance
Bosun	The Bosun looks after the maintenance of the on-deck areas, including the rigging and the sail. (can be a team of people for bigger vessels)	Skill check to increase ship speed	Athletics Acrobatics
Chief Engineer	In charge of the engineering department and responsible for all mechanical systems	Skill check to maintain ship systems and repairs	Investigation Navigator’s tool Water vehicle Smith’s tools Tinker’s tools Wood carver’s tools
Medical Officer	Ensure the physical and mental well-being of the crew	Crew members gain temp HP equal to their proficiency bonus’	Nature Medicine Diagnostics & therapeutics Investigation
Cook	Ensure good morale on the ship through delicious and nutritious meals	Skill check to give another leadership advantage on their traveling role roll	Cooking utensil
Watch Leader	Ensure a watch rotation that guarantees the ship’s safety from hazards.. Both natural or manmade	Skill check to increase ship’s detection range and efficacy	Perception Investigation (A Spyglass gives advantage on this check)