The Wavecrester
gargantuan vehicle (80ft x 30ft),
Crew quality: +4
Number of crew aboard: 10 NPCs, 5 PCs
Actions
On its turn, the Wavecrester can take 3 actions, choosing from the options below. It can take only 2 actions if it has fewer than 10 crew and only 1 action if it has fewer than five. If it has fewer than 3 crew it cannot take any actions.
Move: the Wavecrester uses its helm to move with its sails.
Fire Scorpio: the Wavecrester fires one of its scorpios.
Hull
Armor Class: 15
Hit Points: 300 (damage threshold 10)
Control: Helm
Armor Class: 16
Hit Points: 50
If the helm is destroyed, the ship can't turn.
Movement: Sails
Armor Class: 14
Hit Points: 75 ; -10 ft speed per 25 damage taken.
Speed (water): 40 ft; 15 ft while sailing into the wind.
Weapons: Scorpios
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 50 (each)
Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 120/480 ft, one target. Hit: 14 (2d10+3) piercing damage.
Scorpios have an arc of fire about 120 degrees from the bow on each side.
The Wavecrester
| Length | 80 ft |
| Beam | 30 ft |
| Sail Plan | Brigantine |
The Wavecrester is a brigantine, a two-masted ship with two square sails on her fore mast and two square sails on the main mast with a large gaff sail over the quarterdeck. Two headsails fly from her bowsprit. Her masts are about 75 ft tall each. There is a crow's nest 40 ft up in each mast, and netting lets anyone climb up without an ability check.
She was originally owned by Captain Maldus Strongmantle. During a trading run between Solstice and Covenant, they were boarded and captured by the pirate crew led by Durg 'the Shank', who executed the officers on board and enslaved the crew before going on a plundering streak, looting several ships before being stopped by the crew of the Windflower.
Officers
Captain, Quartermaster and Bosun need to be assigned. The first mate is chosen from the surviving crew. Captains should have proficiency in water vehicles. Quartermasters are navigators and should have proficiency in cartographers or navigator tools. Bosuns are in charge of keeping the ship in good condition, and should have proficiency in Carpenter's tools or similar.
| Role | Check | Proficiency gained | Player | Proficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain | Intelligence | Water Vehicles | Iris | |
| First Mate | Charisma | Intimidation | Nila (npc) | |
| Quartermaster | Wisdom | Navigator Tools | Urbanus | 2/5 |
| Bosun | Strength | Carpenter's Tools | Tranvol | |
| Surgeon | Wisdom | Medicine | Thalia | 2/5 |
| Cook | Wisdom | Cook's Utensils | Helge | 3/5 |
If the players do not have the required proficiencies, they can still perform that role, albeit possibly less well than someone with proficiency. If they spend some time learning their craft, they could develop the proficiency later on. Once every day on board, the players can roll a DC 15 check as described in the table. Once they have 5 successes (natural 20s count as 2 successes) they gain proficiency in the relevant skill.
Officer actions
Some officer roles get special actions to help the ship, both in and out of combat.
Take Aim (all officers)
As an action, the officer 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 (Captain only)
As an action while on deck, the captain 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 the end of the ship’s next turn.
Repair (Bosun Only)
Once per 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 1d6 + the crew’s quality score (minimum of 1 hit point). A component other than the hull that had 0 hit points becomes functional again.
Crew
An average crew member costs about 20gp a month (in wages and supplies used), and the total running expenses for supplies, minor repairs and salaries is currently around 400gp/month. The following are a few of the crew that are on board the Wavecrester.
First Mate Nila nan Maeral
Female high elf. Became the de facto leader of the surviving crew during their captivity under Durn. The crew all look up to her. Tall, with raven hair and piercing green eyes. Looks after the ship when the captain is ashore.
Ol' Tubb
Oldest among the crew. Portly human male with grey hair and a full beard who sings sea shanties and plays his mandolin. It is unclear which of his myriad of songs and stories that are true, but they are always entertaining.
Whiskers
Tabaxi sea-priest of Aegir. Older, with solid grey fur. Sees omens in small inconsequential events which he shares with everyone. Has some skill with healing magic.
Crew quality and actions
Crew quality is a measure of both how good the crew is, and how loyal they are to the captain. It ranges from -10 to +10, and is added to ship ability checks, saving throws and attack rolls. A ship with negative quality might even have a mutiny.
| Crew Actions | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hire specialist | 250gp | Increases crew count by 1, increases quality by 1 |
| Hire able seaman | 50gp | Increases crew count by 1 |
| Hire warm bodies | 10gp | Increases crew count by 1, decreases quality by 1 |
| Double Rations | 50gp | Increases the crew quality by 1, can be used once per week |
| Combat Drills | 1 week downtime | Increases the crew quality by 1, can be used once per month |
| Shore Leave | Downtime | Increases the crew quality by 1 per day of downtime, up to a maximum of +3 |
Upgrades
While the Wavecrester is a capable trading ship, a few upgrades could prove a big benefit, especially in combat. All of these upgrades are not readily available, some might need a drydock, others require special craftsmen who will only give their services in return for a favor. They may also take some time to install.
Some examples of where upgrades could be bought/found: purchased at the shipyard in Greystone, recovered from a shipwreck, salvaged from a defeated pirate ship.
| Upgrade | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lubed-up rudder chain | 150gp | +1 Dexterity |
| Workshop | 500gp | Creates a space for crafting under deck |
| Ram | 1000gp | Adds a sturdy ram in the front of the ship, +2 Strength |
| Scorpios | 1500gp | A pair of deck mounted crossbows |
| Cannons | 15000gp | Two cannons on either side |
| Efficient Bulkheads | 2500gp | Increases the cargo capacity by 5 tonnes |
| Staysails | 1200gp | Increases the travel speed of the ship by 1 mph |
| Self-tacking foresails | 1000gp | Decreases the crew requirement for maximum efficiency by 2 (only the highest tier is affected) |
| Windsilk sails | Special | Increases the travel speed by 1 mph, the combat speed of the sails by 20ft and removes the penalty for sailing into the wind |
| Siren's Ship's Bell | Special | Mounted at the helm, ringing this bell forces the captain any hostile ship to make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be forced to stop his pursuit. Any hostile action after this wakes them from their slumber and they resume their original course of action. Once used, can not be used for 5 (1d4+3) days. |
| Fluxcharger Eye | Special | Looking through this magical spyglass negates any effects of non-magical fog |
| Hydra Slime Anti-foul Coating | Special | With this coating applied to the hull, the Wavecrester ignores non-magical difficult terrain |
This is not a complete list.