Ships in Combat

D&D 2024 rule: Ships in Combat. Source: Ghosts of Saltmarsh. rule type Rule 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 Officer 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 the end 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 ships 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...