Page 201 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

NOTICING THREATS Once all the checks related to the group check have
Use the passive Wisdom (Perception) score of the player been rolled. the ship's success or failure is determined.
characters or the crew to determine whether anyone on Hazards offer four levels of success or failure deter-
the ship notices a hidden threat. The crew has a passive mined by the results of the ship's group check. A total
Wisdom (Perception) score equal to 10 +the crew's success or a total failure occurs when every roll in the
quality score. The OM might decide that a threat can be group check is a success or a failure, respectively.
noticed only by characters in a specific area of the ship.
DETERMINING HAZARDS
For example, only characters below deck might have a
Traveling by sea is an innately dangerous proposition.
chance to hear or spot a creature hiding on board.
When running an ocean adventure, you can select haz-
REPAIR (BOSUN ONLY) ards based on the needs of your campaign or generate
At the end of the day, the ship's bosun can make a them randomly.
Strength check using carpenter's tools. On a 15 or To determine hazards at random, roll a d20 at the
higher. each damaged component regains hit points start of each day of an ocean voyage. On a 20, the ship
equal to ld6 +the crew's quality score (minimum of 1 faces a hazard that day. Use the following two tables to
hit point). A component other than the hull that had 0 hit determine the nature of the hazard and the DC of the
points becomes functional again. threat it presents. Specifics corresponding to each of
these DC levels are detailed along with each of the fol-
STEALTH (CAPTAIN ONLY) lowing hazards.
The ship's captain can engage in this activity only if
the weather conditions restrict visibility, such as in HA ZARD TYPE
heavy fog. The shjp makes a Dexterity check with a
d20 Hazard Type
bonus equal to the crew's quality score to determine if
1-3 Crew conflict
it can hide.
4-6 Fire
HAZARDS 7-9 Fog
10- 12 Infestation
Sea travel is an innately dangerous proposition. A storm
on land might bog down a caravan, delaying its trip by a 13-20 Storm
few days, while at sea a storm can split a ship in two and
send everyone aboard to their doom. The close quarters HA ZAR D DC
of life aboard a ship leads to short tempers and brawls,
d20 Hazard DC
while a few rats that sneak aboard can spread disease
1-9 10
and spoil supplies. This section presents a variety of
10- 17 15
common hazards sailors might face on the sea.
18-19 20
GROUP CHECKS 20 25
To determine how a ship fares against these hazards,
each threat requires the ship's officers and crew to make
CREW CONFLICT
a special group check (see chapter 7 of the Player's
Sailors can be a rough-and-tumble bunch. and cram-
Handbook for how group checks work). The description
ming them into a ship's confined quarters leads to inev-
of a hazard specifies which officers can roll to contribute
itable rivalries, feuds, and petty crimes. If resentments
lo the group check. That description also states what
among the crew grow too strong, the officers must step
ability check an officer makes. Even if the officers make
in and set things right, lest they risk mutiny or worse.
different ability checks, their successes and failures con-
Each day a ship spends dealing with a crew conflict
tribute to the one group check.
requires those aboard to make a group check. The
Additionally, all the non-officer members of the crew
check's DC is randomly determined or chosen from the
make a single check, a d20 roll modified by the crew's
Crew Conflicts DCs table. The captain, first mate, and
quality. The success or failure of all these checks-both
cook each make an ability check, as shown on the Crew
the officers and the crew- determines the result of the
Conflict Checks table. This check takes the place of any
group check.
other activities that the officer might undertake that day.
While each hazard lists the officers assigned to partic-
representing their contribution lo placating the crew. If
ipate in a group check, anyone can attempt an officer's
no one makes the check for a particular officer, a failure
check in a pinch, with two exceptions: First, only the
is contributed toward the group check.
captain can make checks associated with the captain's
Even though the crew is causing trouble. some mem-
role; no one else can take the captain's place. Second,
bers help the officers. and thus the crew still contributes
only one character can attempt an officer's check; they
a roll to the group check. Roll a d20 for the crew. using
can't receive help.
its quality score as a modifier lo the roll. and compare
that check to the DC.
Determine how many of the group's checks suc-
ceeded- the officers· and the crew's then consult the
Crew Conflict Check Results table.
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