Hazards

Sea travel is an innately dangerous proposition. A storm on land might bog down a caravan, delaying its trip by a few days, while at sea a storm can split a ship in two and send everyone aboard to their doom. The close quarters of life aboard a ship leads to short tempers and brawls, while a few rats that sneak aboard can spread disease and spoil supplies. This section presents a variety of common hazards sailors might face on the sea.

Group Checks

To determine how a ship fares against these hazards, each threat requires the ship's officers and crew to make a special group check (see chapter 7 of the Player's Handbook for how group checks work). The description of a hazard specifies which officers can roll to contribute to the group check. That description also states what ability check an officer makes. Even if the officers make different ability checks, their successes and failures contribute to the one group check.

Additionally, all the non-officer members of the crew make a single check, a d20 roll modified by the crew's quality. The success or failure of all these checks—both the officers and the crew—determines the result of the group check.

While each hazard lists the officers assigned to participate in a group check, anyone can attempt an officer's check in a pinch, with two exceptions: First, only the captain can make checks associated with the captain's role; no one else can take the captain's place. Second, only one character can attempt an officer's check; they can't receive help.

Once all the checks related to the group check have been rolled, the ship's success or failure is determined. Hazards offer four levels of success or failure determined by the results of the ship's group check. A total success or a total failure occurs when every roll in the group check is a success or a failure, respectively.

Determining Hazards

Traveling by sea is an innately dangerous proposition. When running an ocean adventure, you can select hazards based on the needs of your campaign or generate them randomly.

To determine hazards at random, roll a d20 at the start of each day of an ocean voyage. On a 20, the ship faces a hazard that day. Use the following two tables to determine the nature of the hazard and the DC of the threat it presents. Specifics corresponding to each of these DC levels are detailed along with each of the following hazards.

Hazard Type d20 | Hazard Type --- | ----------- 1-3 | Crew conflict 4-6 | Fire 7-9 | Fog 10-12 | Infestation 13-20 | Storm

Hazard DC d20 | Hazard DC --- | --------- 1-9 | 10 10-17 | 15 18-19 | 20 20 | 25

Crew Conflict

Sailors can be a rough-and-tumble bunch, and cramming them into a ship's confined quarters leads to inevitable rivalries, feuds, and petty crimes. If resentments among the crew grow too strong, the officers must step in and set things right, lest they risk mutiny or worse.

Each day a ship spends dealing with a crew conflict requires those aboard to make a group check. The check's DC is randomly determined or chosen from the Crew Conflicts DCs table. The captain, first mate, and cook each make an ability check, as shown on the Crew Conflict Checks table. This check takes the place of any other activities that the officer might undertake that day, representing their contribution to placating the crew. If no one makes the check for a particular officer, a failure is contributed toward the group check.

Even though the crew is causing trouble, some members help the officers, and thus the crew still contributes a roll to the group check. Roll a d20 for the crew, using its quality score as a modifier to the roll, and compare that check to the DC.

Determine how many of the group's checks succeeded—the officers' and the crew's—then consult the Crew Conflict Check Results table.

Crew Conflict DCs DC | Description -- | ----------- 10 | Minor scuffle or petty theft 15 | Brawl involving several people, theft of a valuable 20 | Large brawl resulting in several injuries, theft of a prized item 25 | Murder, serious brawl involving most of the crew

Crew Conflict Checks Officer | Check ------- | ----- Captain | Charisma (Intimidation) First mate | Charisma (Intimidation) Cook | Intelligence (brewer's supplies)

Crew Conflict Check Results Result | Effect ------ | ------ Total Success | The crew's quality score increases by 1 for 1d4 days and the hazard ends. Success | The hazard ends. Failure | The crew's quality score decreases by 1. Total Failure | The crew's quality score decreases by 1, and the crew immediately mutinies.

Fire

A fire at sea can turn a ship into a burned-out hulk, its crew slain or forced overboard.

If a fire erupts aboard a ship, its officers and crew must make a group check to coordinate efforts to extinguish it. The check's DC is randomly determined or chosen from the Fire DCs table. The group check represents 5 minutes of work. The captain, first mate, bosun, and surgeon each make an ability check, as shown on the Fire Checks table. If no one makes the check for a particular officer, a failure is contributed toward the group check. Also, roll a d20 for the crew, using its quality score as a modifier to the roll, and compare that check to the DC.

Determine how many of the group's checks succeeded—the officers' and the crew's—then consult the Fire Check Results table.

Fire DCs DC | Description -- | ----------- 10 | Small, contained fire, equivalent to an oil lantern 15 | Dangerous flame, equivalent to a large campfire, or multiple, smaller fires ignited at once 20 | Intense fire with significant chance to spread, equivalent to a bonfire 25 | Sudden, pervasive flames, such as from igniting a hold filled with flammable cargo

Fire Checks Officer | Check ------- | ----- Captain | Intelligence (water vehicles) First mate | Charisma (Intimidation) Bosun | Strength (carpenter's tools) Surgeon | Intelligence (Medicine)

Fire Check Results Result | Effect ------ | ------ Total Success | The fire is extinguished with nothing beyond cosmetic damage. Success | The fire is extinguished, but the hull and 1d3 other random components take 6d6 fire damage. Failure | The hull and 1d3 other random components take 6d6 fire damage, and the fire continues. Make another set of checks. Total Failure | The crew's quality score decreases by 1 due to injuries, while the hull and 1d3 other random components take 6d6 fire damage. The fire continues. Make another set of checks.

Fog

Fog on land is usually an inconvenience, but at sea it can prove disastrous. Decreased visibility makes navigation more difficult and can cause a vessel to crash.

A group check determines how the officers and crew manage through one day of fog. The check's DC is randomly determined or chosen from the Fog DCs table. The captain and quartermaster each make an ability check, as shown on the Fog Checks table. If no one makes the check for a particular officer, a failure is contributed toward the group check. Also, roll a d20 for the crew, using its quality score as a modifier to the roll, and compare that check to the DC.

Determine how many of the group's checks succeeded—the officers' and the crew's—then consult the Fog Check Results table.

Fog DCs DC | Description -- | ----------- 10 | Light fog 15 | Moderate fog 20 | Heavy fog 25 | Very heavy fog

Fog Checks Officer | Check ------- | ----- Captain | Intelligence (water vehicles) Quartermaster | Wisdom (Nature)

Fog Check Results Result | Effect ------ | ------ Total Success | The fog has no effect on navigation, and the crew's quality increases by 1 for 1d3 days. Success | The fog has no effect on navigation. Failure | The fog slows the ship, reducing its travel pace and speed by half for the day. Total Failure | The fog slows the ship and disorients the crew, reducing the vessel's travel pace and speed by half for the day and causing it to move in a random direction.

Infestation

Provisioning a sea journey is challenging, particularly when allocating what to pack for the voyage. A rat infestation or an outbreak of even a minor illness can spell disaster at sea. This type of hazard covers illnesses, infestations, spoiled supplies, and other troubles that wear away a crew's health.

Each day a ship spends dealing with an infestation requires those aboard to make a group check. The check's DC is randomly determined or chosen from the Infestation DCs table. The captain, first mate, surgeon, and cook each make an ability check, as shown on the Infestation Checks table. This check takes the place of any other activities that the officer might undertake that day. If no one makes the check for a particular officer, a failure is contributed toward the group check. Also, roll a d20 for the crew, using its quality score as a modifier to the roll, and compare that check to the DC.

Determine how many of the group's checks succeeded—the officers' and the crew's—then consult the Infestation Check Results table.

Infestation DCs DC | Description -- | ----------- 10 | Minor bug or rat infestation, common cold 15 | Persistent bug or rat infestation, stomach ailment or typical flu 20 | Serious bug or rat infestation, contagious flu or spoiled food 25 | Overwhelming bug or rat infestation, lethal plague

Infestation Checks Officer | Check ------- | ----- Captain | Intelligence (water vehicles) First mate | Charisma (Persuasion) Surgeon | Intelligence (Medicine) Cook | Constitution (cook's utensils)

Infestation Check Results Result | Effect ------ | ------ Total Success | The crew's quality score increases by 1 for 1d4 days, and the hazard ends. Success | The hazard ends. Failure | The crew's quality score decreases by 1. Total Failure | The crew's quality score decreases by 1, and the distraction caused by the crisis forces the ship to move at half speed that day.

Storm

Winds and towering waves toss ships like bath toys. Snowstorms batter vessels venturing too far north. Hurricanes consume whole armadas. More common and deadlier than most sea monsters, storms claim more ships than any other threat on the high seas.

Each day a ship spends involved in a storm requires those aboard to make a group check. The check's DC is randomly determined or chosen from the Storm DCs table. The captain, first mate, bosun, and quartermaster each make an ability check, as shown on the Storm Checks table. This check takes the place of any other activities that the officer might undertake that day, representing their contribution to keeping the ship afloat. If no one makes the check for a particular officer, a failure is contributed toward the group check. Also, roll a d20 for the crew, using its quality score as a modifier to the roll, and compare that check to the DC.

Determine how many of the group's checks succeeded—the officers' and the crew's—then consult the Storm Check Results table.

Storm DCs DC | Description -- | ----------- 10 | Heavy gale 15 | Strong storm 20 | Typical hurricane 25 | Overwhelming hurricane

Storm Checks Officer | Check ------- | ----- Captain | Intelligence (water vehicles) First mate | Charisma (Intimidation) Bosun | Strength (carpenter's tools) Quartermaster | Wisdom (Nature)

Storm Check Results Result | Effect ------ | ------ Total Success | The ship survives unscathed. The crew's quality score increases by 1 for 1d4 days. Success | The ship survives unscathed. Failure | The ship's components each take 4d10 bludgeoning damage. The crew's quality score decreases by 1. The ship struggles, moving at half speed that day. Total Failure | The ship's components each take 10d10 bludgeoning damage. The crew's quality score decreases by 2, and 10 percent of the crew is washed overboard and lost. The ship is blown off course and struggles to recover its bearings, moving in a random direction.