Traditional Maritime Ships

Rules for classic Naval Ships

Ship Stat Blocks

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.

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.

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 (page 199).

Capacity

A ship's stat block indicates how many creatures andhow 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.

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

A ship is composed of different components, each of which comprises multiple objects:
Hull. A ship's hull is its basic frame, on which the other components are mounted.
Control. A control component is used to steer a ship.
Movement. A movement component is the element of the ship that enables it to move, such as a set of sails or oars, and has a specific speed.
Weapon. A ship capable of being used in combat has one or more weapon components, each of which is operated separately.

A ship's component might have special rules, as described in the stat block.

Armor Class

A component has an Armor Class. Its AC reflects the materials used to construct it and any defensive plating used to augment its toughness.

Hit Points

A ship component is destroyed and becomes unusable\when it drops to 0 hit points. A ship is wrecked if its hull is destroyed. A ship doesn't have Hit Dice.

Damage Threshold

If a ship component has a damage threshold, that threshold appears after its hit points. A component has immunity to all damage unless it takes an amount of
damage that equals or exceeds its threshold, in which case it takes damage as normal. Damage that fails to bypass the threshold is considered superficial and doesn't
reduce the component's hit points.

Officers and Crews

Each vessel requires people to run it: the officers in charge and the sailors who follow their orders.

Types of Officer

If you'd like to explore running a ship, it needs officers to oversee its operations- officers who fill six different roles. Some roles aboard a ship reflect the need for
trained experts to direct a crew's efforts. Other roles focus on keeping the crew's health and morale in order. The roles are meant to provide a sense of the types
of ability checks useful to managing a ship. Of these, though, captain is the only role that must be filled for the ship to function. A ship needs a single person to issue
orders and respond to threats, otherwise a ship risks chaos and confusion during a crisis. Each type of officer is described below, along with the abilities and proficiencies that help a character excel in that role:
Captain. The captain issues orders. The best captains have high Intelligence and Charisma scores, as well as proficiency with water vehicles and the Intimidation
and Persuasion skills.
First Mate. This specialist keeps the crew's morale high by providing supervision, encouragement. and discipline. A first mate benefits from a high Charisma
score, as well as 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 good bosun has a high Strength score, as well as proficiency with carpenter's tools and the Athletics skill.
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 score, as well as proficiency with navigator's tools and the Nature skill.
Surgeon. The ship's surgeon tends to injuries. keeps illnesses from spreading throughout the ship, and oversees sanitation. A capable surgeon benefits from
a high Intelligence score, as well as proficiency with herbalism kits and the Medicine skill.
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 one drags down the entire crew's performance. A talented cook has a high Constitution score. as well as proficiency with brewer's supplies and cook's utensils.

Crew Members

A ship requires a number of able-bodied sailors to crew it, as specified in its stat block. A crew's skill, experience, morale. and health are defined by its quality score.
This score can affect a number of general ship activities, like the crew's ability to notice threats or contend with hazards. A crew starts with a quality score of +4. but
that score varies over time, going as low as - 10 and as high as +10. It decreases as a crew takes casualties, suffers hardship, or endures poor health. It increases if the crew enjoys high morale, has good health care, and receives fair leadership. A typical crew member uses the commoner stat block in the Monster Manual.

Optional Rule: Loyalty and Quality

When dealing with an individual member of the crew, you might find it useful to use the optional loyalty rule from chapter 4 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. To convert a quality score into an individual's loyalty score. add 10 to the crew's quality score.

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 J 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.

Superior Ship Upgrades

Some vessels possess extraordinary abilities, whether due to magic or superior artisanship. The upgrades below can replace a ship's existing components or provide
a new element to augment a ship's abilities. Adding an upgrade costs 15,000 gp and requires 1d4 weeks of work. During that time. the ship must remain in port. If the ship leaves, the work must start over, but you don't need to pay the gold piece cost a second time.

Hull Upgrades

Any ship with a hull can gain one of the following upgrades. In some cases, an upgrade also provides a benefit to the ship's other components.

Churning Hull

A tempest rages within these rune-etched, iron chains. Raiders and pirates who operate under the blessings of a storm god sometimes make use of this upgrade.
By draping the chains over a ship's hull, the storm's fury thrashes into the water around it. The water within 210 feet of the ship is difficult terrain for everything
other than this ship.

Death Vessel

Crafted with materials harvested from the Shadowfell, this upgrade grants a ship an aura of dread. As an action, the ship can create a pulse of horrific energy. Every
creature that is an enemy of the ship who is on board or within 210 feet of it must make DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is frightened of the
ship for 1 minute. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this ability for 24 hours. Once this ability is used. it can't be used again until 1d4 hours have passed.

Frost-Locked Hull

This upgrade replaces a ship's hull with supernatural ice drawn from the elemental planes. The hull and the other components of the ship are immune to cold damage but vulnerable to fire damage. The ship can also move at its normal speed over ice of any thickness, floating on the ice at the same depth as it would in water.

Living Vessel

This vessel's hull was crafted in the Feywild under the direction of master eladrin shipwrights. It is a living plant. drawing sustenance from water and sunlight.
Vines covered in thick leaves hang over its side, and the wood runs with fresh sap when damaged. The ship gains a +2 bonus to all Constitution checks or saving
throws. As long as the ship has at least 1 hit point, it regains 10 hit points every minute.

Reinforced Hull

A master shipwright can use superior materials and clever design to make a ship's hull more resilient. Such reinforcement doubles the hull's hit point maximum.

Vigilant Watch

A row of crystal orbs, each filled with viscous liquid and a beholder's eyeball, is mounted along this ship's hull. Invisible creatures are visible while on the ship or
within 120 feet of it.

Movement Upgrades

Each movement upgrade applies 10 a specific movement type. A component can gain the benefits of one upgrade.

Clockwork Oars

Using a combination of magic and clockwork, the oars on this ship require only one crew member to use them, pushing the button or lever that activates them.

Ever-Full Sails

These billowing sails are woven from cloud-stuff drawn from the Elemental Plane of Air. Wind whips and whistles around them, allowing a ship to move with a speed
of 60 feet regardless of direction relative to the wind.

Defiant Sails

These sails glitter with a fine coat of mithral treated with abjuration magic. While the sails are unfurled, ranged weapon attacks made against the ship and anyone aboard it are made with disadvantage, as a result of the sails' protective magic. This drawback doesn't apply if the attacker is aboard the ship.

Dragon Sails

Dragon scales woven into these sails make them more resistant to damage. The sails gain a +3 bonus to AC, and they have resistance to a damage type based on the type of scales used to craft them, as shown on the Dragon Sails table.

Dragon Sails

Screaming Sails

Woven from the energy of captured wraiths and bound with the spirit of a banshee, these sails groan mournfully when they catch the wind. As an action, while within 5 feet of the sails, the ship's captain can cause the sails to unleash a howl. Every creature hostile to the ship who is on board or within 300 feet of it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw, or the creature takes 4d6 psychic damage and is then frightened for 1 minute. Once this ability has been used, it can't be used again until 2d6 hours have passed.

Scything Oars

Sharpened, magically reinforced oars make a vessel dangerous to approach. When the ship takes an action that moves it with these oars, any creature or object in the water within 10 feet of it at any point of the move must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 slashing damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

Weapon Upgrades

The following upgrades can apply to any weapon mounted aboard a ship. A component can gain the benefits of one upgrade, or two upgrades if one of the
upgrades is Arcane Artillery.

Arcane Artillery

Using methods similar to those used to produce magic weapons, a skilled spellcaster imbues a ship's weapon with destructive energy. This weapon gains a +2 bonus
to its attack and damage rolls, and its attacks count
as magical.

Concussive Rounds

Enhanced by abjuration magic. this weapon's attacks burst with raucous noise capable of momentarily distracting and disorienting enemy crews. If this weapon
hits a vehicle's hull, that vehicle's speed decreases by 2d10 feet until the start of the attacker's next turn.

Explosive Rounds

Drawing on powerful evocation magic, this weapon's attacks are imbued with unstable energy that explodes in a fiery blast. When this weapon hits. it deals an extra 2d6 fire damage.

Grasping Rounds

This weapon creates spectral chains that trail after its shots, restraining enemy vessels in their grasp. When this weapon hits a ship, that vehicle must succeed on a
DC 14 Strength saving throw or it can't move away from the attacker. As an action. the attacking ship can end this effect, and the target can end it by taking an action and succeeding on a DC 14 Strength check.

Figurehead Upgrades

While figureheads are usually purely decorative, they might be magically treated to produce extraordinary effects. A ship can receive one figurehead upgrade.

Guardian Figurehead

This figurehead depicts an armored knight. As an action, the ship can activate this item, causing it to animate as an iron golem. The golem acts on the ship's turn when the captain uses one of the ship's actions. The golem remains animated for 1 minute. At the end of that time, it teleports back to its position as a figurehead. Once a ship uses this action, it can't use it again for 24 hours.

Red Dragon Figurehead

This figurehead depicts a red dragon rearing to strike, its mouth open. As an action, the ship can activate this item to create a 60-foot cone of flame that originates from the figurehead. Each creature and object in the cone must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much
damage on a successful one. Once a ship uses this action, it can't use it again for 1 minute.

Storm Giant Figurehead

This figurehead depicts a storm giant clutching a thunderbolt. As an action, the ship can activate this item to create a 60-foot cone that originates from the figurehead. Each creature in the cone must make DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that fails its saving throw is also pushed 10 feet away from the figurehead. Once a ship uses this action, it can't use it again for 1 minute.

Miscellaneous Upgrades

The following upgrades don't apply to a specific element of the ship. A ship can use any number of them, but it can gain a specific upgrade only once.

Bones of Endless Toil

The bones of ancient, mysterious creatures festoon the ship. Potent runes crawl across these remains, emitting a sickly green radiance. When a humanoid dies aboard
the ship, that creature must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, it dies as normal. If it fai ls, it immediately rises as a zombie obedient to the
ship's captain. The zombie gains a working knowledge of the ship, allowing it to serve as a member of the crew. A number of creatures equal to the ship's creature capacity can be animated in this manner at any given time.

Smuggler's Banner

This flag is meant to be flown from a ship's mast. Its powerful magic causes it to appear as a flag or banner displaying the symbol of a group, captain, or realm
friendly to the viewer. Multiple viewers might see different flags or crests.
The banner's true power is its ability to aid a ship in making rapid escapes. As an action, the ship and all friendly creatures aboard it teleport up to 3 miles to a
known destination of the captain's choice. Hostile creatures aboard the ship don't move with the ship and fall into the water it once occupied. Once this item is used to
teleport, it can't teleport in this way again for 2d6 days.

Taskmaster's Drums

This 4-foot-tall bronze drum comes with a pair of iron mallets. A creature can activate the drums as an action, causing the hammers to float above the drum and strike it to produce a thundering rhythm. For the next minute, the ship gains one additional action, as long as it has at least one action. Once this item is used, it can't be activated again for 2dl0 hours.

Ships in Combat

Whether sailing to war or hunting notorious pirates, ships make deadly weapons and dramatic battlefields. This section provides guidance on using ships in combat.

Ships and Initiative

A ship rolls initiative using its Dexterity, and it uses its crew's quality score as a modifier to that roll. On a ship's turn, the captain decides which of the
ship's actions to use.

Special Officers Actions

During an encounter, the captain, first mate, and bosun each have access to two special action options: Take Aim and Full Speed Ahead, both detailed below.

Take Aim

As an action, the captain. first mate, or bosun directs the crew's firing, aiding in aiming one of the ship's weapons. Select one of the ship's weapons that is within 10 feet of
the officer. It gains advantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of the ship's next turn.

Full Speed Ahead

As an action while on deck, the captain, first mate, or bosun can exhort the crew to work harder and drive the ship forward faster. Roll a d6 and multiply the result by 5. Apply the total as a bonus to the ship's speed until theend of the ship's next turn. If the ship is already benefiting from this action"s bonus, don't add the bonuses together; the higher bonus applies.

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 s hips 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 1d6 per level of the spell. The total of the dice is the number of crew members caught in the spell's area.

Crashing a Ship

If a ship moves into lhe 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

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 I mile per hour and 24 miles per day.

Activity While Traveling

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, 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.

Draw a 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.

Forage

The character casts fishing lines, keeping an eye out for sources of food, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the DM calls for it.

Raise Morale (First Mate Only)

The first mate can manage the crew's time to grant extended breaks, provide instruction, and generally improve the quality of life on the ship. Once every 24
hours, if the crew's quality score is 3 or lower, the first mate can make a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. On a successful check, the crew's quality score increases by 1.

Navigate (Quartermaster Only)

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

Noticing Threats

Use the passive Wisdom (Perception) score of the player characters or the crew to determine whether anyone on the ship notices a hidden threat. The crew has a passive
Wisdom (Perception) score equal to 10 +the crew's quality score. The OM might decide that a threat can be noticed only by characters in a specific area of the ship.
For example, only characters below deck might have a chance to hear or spot a creature hiding on board.

Repair (Bosun Only)

At the end of the day, the ship's bosun can make a Strength check using carpenter's tools. On a 15 or higher. each damaged component regains hit points equal to ld6 +the crew's quality score (minimum of 1 hit point). A component other than the hull that had 0 hit points becomes functional again.

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 shjp makes a Dexterity check with a bonus equal to the crew's quality score to determine if it can hide.

Hazards