Nautical Combat · Eavaros Codex

These are house rules for ship-to-ship fights. Which campaign they were written for isn't recorded. They pair with the homebrew Outrigger Fishing Boat on D&D Beyond, a vessel meant to be upgraded as the party improves it.

Crew roles

Role	Job	Best suited to
Captain	Gives the orders.	High Intelligence and Charisma; water vehicles, Intimidation and Persuasion.
Armsman	Mans the ship's weapons; with none aboard, repels boarders or casts spells in support of the crew.	Martial or spellcasting characters.
Bosun	Advises the captain and crew on the ship and leads repairs and maintenance.	Technical know-how.
Navigator	Plots the course from charts, weather and sea conditions.	Nautical charts and weather lore.
Surgeon	Treats injuries, keeps disease from spreading and oversees sanitation.	Medicine.
Cook	Makes meals from the ship's limited stores. A good cook keeps morale high; a bad one drags the whole crew down.	Cooking.

Role actions

Captain.
- Load the good powder (action): the armsman loads the best ammunition aboard, adding two of the weapon's damage dice to its damage.
- Full speed ahead (action, on deck): the ship takes the Dash action.
- Do your best (action): another crew member takes a full turn (action, movement and bonus action) on their turn.
Armsman.
- Fire the missile (action): fire any weapon aboard; its stats depend on the weapon.
- Taking aim: take the Ready action to hold a weapon attack for a trigger.
Bosun.
- I can fix it (action): repair 1d6 + 6 damage to one section of the ship. A component other than the hull that was at 0 hit points works again.
- Trim the mast, swab the poop deck (reaction): shift damage from one part of the ship to another, perhaps saving a component from destruction.
Navigator.
- Tacking and jibbing (action): the ship zigzags, giving disadvantage on the next attack against it.
- Steerage: taken on the navigator's turn and again on each crew member's turn until the navigator's next turn, adjusting the ship's heading. The ship itself always moves on the captain's turn.
Surgeon.
- Patch him right up (action): heal a party member 1d12.
- Save their souls (reaction): divert damage that would hit a humanoid to a nearby section of the ship.
Cook.
- Pass around the rum (reaction): give a crew member a d8 inspiration die, which can be rolled after seeing the d20 but before the result is known.
- A nice hot meal, a nice cold drink (action): hand out cold water or warm food, granting resilience to fire or to cold until the end of the recipient's next turn.

General rules

An unconscious or sleeping crew member takes no role actions.
Roles act in rank order: captain, bosun, armsman, navigator, surgeon, cook.
A crew member takes a normal turn instead of a role turn only when the captain directs it, and never both, except the armsman.
If the ship is boarded, roll initiative.