Naval Battles: A D&D 5e Ruleset for Valeria's Seas
This ruleset provides guidelines for Dungeon Masters (DMs) to run large-scale naval conflicts in D&D 5th Edition, from skirmishes involving a few vessels to full-scale fleet engagements. It aims to balance epic scope with manageable gameplay, keeping the focus on the Player Characters' (PCs) impact on the battlefield.
Disclaimer: This is a set of House Rules. You will need the fifth edition Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual to make full sense of this document.
I. Core Concepts & Overview
Naval Battles are primarily fought on a grid representing a larger area than typical D&D combat, where ships themselves are major combatants, alongside their crews and any individual monsters.
A. The Battle Grid & Scale: For naval combat, one square on your battle mat represents 30 feet (Standard Naval Scale). This scale comfortably accommodates Gargantuan ships and allows for dynamic movement and engagement.
- Optional Scales (for Different Scenarios):
- Skirmish: 15 ft. per square (for smaller encounters, boarding actions, or very detailed maneuvers).
- Fleet Action: 60 ft. or 100 ft. per square (for extremely large battles covering vast distances).
- Consistency: Once a scale is selected, all combatants use that same scale for the battle's duration.
B. Combatants: The naval battlefield of Valeria is populated by three primary types of combatants: Vessels, Crews (Units), and Singular Creatures.
- Vessels: These are the ships themselves (Skiffs, Caravels, Galleons, Warships). They are distinct entities with their own Vessel Points (VP), component Hit Points (HP), Armor Class (AC), Damage Thresholds (DT), speeds, and actions (like firing cannons or ramming). They are not "Units" in the traditional sense, but complex war machines.
- Tokens: Each vessel is represented by a large token or miniature, occupying a number of squares appropriate to its dimensions at the chosen scale. Facing is crucial for vessels (bow, stern, port, starboard).
- Crews (Units): These are groups of identical or very similar creatures (sailors, marines, boarders) acting as a single entity when engaged in mass combat, such as boarding actions or repelling invaders.
- Tokens: Each crew unit is represented by physical markers (1-inch squares/circles). Each token represents 5 creatures at Standard Naval Scale (30 ft. per square).
- Singular Creatures: Individual combatants that act independently.
- Monsters: Independent sea creatures (e.g., krakens, sea serpents) or unique monstrous boarders.
- NPCs: Non-Player Characters, typically embedded within a crew unit (e.g., a unit leader, specialized marine).
- PCs: Player Characters, central to the narrative. PCs are typically Singular Creatures and can operate as a Squad (a group of PCs acting as one singular creature for movement tracking). PCs can also be embedded as officers or crew members.
II. Setting the Stage: The DM's Preparation
Before the roar of cannons and the clash of boarding axes, the DM orchestrates the setup of the naval conflict.
A. Fleet Creation: Define the opposing factions and their overall goals. Determine the composition of each fleet.
- Vessel Composition:
- Each fleet is composed of specific types and qualities of vessels (Skiff, Caravel, Galleon, Warship; Poor, Standard, Good, Excellent, Legendary).
- Ensure each vessel has its defined Vessel Points (VP), component HP, AC, DT, speeds, and weapons.
- Crew Complement:
- Each vessel has a defined "Creature Capacity" for crew and passengers. During ship-to-ship combat, the main crew on a vessel is usually abstracted, acting through the ship's actions and officers. However, for boarding actions, you will need to define the specific types and numbers of crew units available on each ship.
- Optional Elements:
- Sea Monsters: Add independent monsters to the battlefield, either allied with a faction or acting as neutral hazards.
- NPCs: Embed NPC captains, specialized officers (like Shipwright Artificers), or elite marine leaders within vessels or specific crew units.
- Player Characters (PCs):
- Command Vessels: PCs can each command a separate vessel, making strategic decisions for their ship.
- Serve as Officers: PCs can serve as officers (Captain, First Mate, Shipwright, etc.) on a specific vessel, taking officer actions.
- Special Forces Squad: PCs can operate as a separate squad to tackle specific objectives (e.g., boarding an enemy ship, disabling a monster), operating as singular creatures.
- Start Embedded: PCs typically start embedded as officers or part of a crew unit on an allied vessel, free to move independently later.
B. Battlefield Setup: Draw the sea battle grid and define its features.
- Draw the Field of Battle: Use your battle mat or virtual tabletop to represent the sea. Indicate wind direction and strength, currents, and any other environmental factors.
- Terrain:
- Open Water: Standard movement.
- Difficult Terrain: Patches of strong currents, dense seaweed, floating debris, or wreckage. Reduces ship speed.
- Cover: Islands, large icebergs (in northern Valeria), floating fortresses, or sections of dense fog banks can provide cover (1/2, 3/4, total).
- Currents: As defined in the River Travel rules, currents affect a ship's Speed Factor when moving with or against them.
- Structures: Coastal forts, lighthouses, or naval blockades can provide tactical objectives or defensive positions.
- Placement of Combatants:
- DM & Player Roles: Decide how control is distributed (DM controls opposition; players control allied vessels/NPCs, or even another group of players controls the enemy fleet).
- Vessel Placement: Vessels are placed first (Defender first, then Attacker). Vessels must be placed with their long sides generally aligned, not overlapping. Opposing vessels must be at least 6 squares (180 ft.) apart for initial setup. Facing (which direction the bow points) is crucial for movement and firing arcs.
- Monster Placement: Not occupied by a vessel. Allied monsters no closer than 8 squares (240 ft.) to enemy vessels, and closer to allied vessels. Neutral monsters at least 8 (ideally 12) squares (360 ft.) away, equidistant from opposing forces.
- NPC/PC Placement: Singular NPCs or PCs start embedded within a vessel (e.g., as an officer or part of its crew complement). If a PC squad, use a single miniature to represent the squad.
III. Vessel & Crew Unit Construction & Statistics
The backbone of naval battles are the Vessels themselves, and the Crews that fight on their decks.
A. Vessel Definition: Vessels use the detailed statistics provided in the "Vessels of Valeria" section (VP, AC, DT, Component HP, Speeds, etc.). They are treated as unique large objects with their own actions.
B. Crew Unit Definition: Crew Units represent a group of 5 identical or very similar creatures fighting as one on the deck of a ship or during a boarding action (at Standard Naval Scale: 30 ft. per square).
- Hit Points (HP):
- Unit HP: (Creature's HP) x (Number of Tokens) x (Creatures per Token).
- Token HP: (Creature's HP) x (Creatures per Token - e.g., 5 at standard scale).
- When a Crew Unit's HP is reduced by one Token HP, one token is removed from the unit.
- Armor Class (AC): Same as a single creature in the crew unit.
- Speed: Same as a single creature. Calculate squares by dividing speed by 30 (at Standard Naval Scale), rounding up.
- Abilities/Skills: Same as a typical creature, though many may not be used in mass combat.
- Actions:
- Damage Multiplier: Multiply single creature damage by (Creatures per Token) for one token's damage.
- Multiple Attacks: If a single creature gets multiple attacks, a token also gets multiple attacks.
- Targeting: All attacks from a single token in one round must be against the same target.
C. Special Crew Unit Types: Crew units can be specialized, gaining specific benefits or limitations.
- Boarding Parties: Crews trained for aggressive ship-to-ship combat.
- Marines/Guards: Heavily armed or armored crews, often defending key areas of a ship.
- Cannon Crews: While operating a ship's main cannons is an "Officer Action," a dedicated crew unit might represent the efficiency of cannon loading and maintenance.
IV. Combat Rounds & Actions
Naval combat rounds represent 6 seconds. Each vessel, crew unit, and singular creature normally gets a chance to act.
A. Initiative: Before combat, each vessel and independent monster makes an initiative check. Crew units only roll initiative if they are detached from a vessel (e.g., in a boarding action, where each boarding party unit rolls its own initiative).
- Vessel Initiative: A vessel rolls initiative using its Dexterity modifier + its current Crew Quality score. Initiative order is set for the duration of combat.
- Singular Creatures (PCs/NPCs):
- Embedded in a Vessel (as Officers/Crew): They act on their own initiative rolls, typically after the vessel's turn. Their actions (e.g., officer actions, spells) directly influence the vessel or events on its deck.
- Joining a Crew Unit (Boarding Party): Their initiative becomes the unit's initiative if they lead it.
- Leaving a Crew Unit: Their initiative becomes one less than the unit they left.
- PC Squad: When leaving a unit or a vessel to act independently, each PC rolls initiative. The highest initiative takes its turn one less than the unit/vessel they left; others follow in their individual initiative order.
- Surprise: Generally not applicable to entire fleets due to the scale of naval combat. Use standard D&D 5e rules if appropriate for specific ambushes (e.g., a submerged monster attacking a single ship).
B. Movement: Each round, a vessel, crew unit, or singular creature can move up to its speed and take one action.
- Vessel Movement:
- Vessels move according to their Combat Speed (derived from Speed Factor) and are controlled by the Helmesman officer action.
- Turning: Vessels typically have a limited turning radius. For simplicity, allow one 90-degree turn per movement action. More precise or tight turns might require a Dexterity (Water Vehicles) check from the helmsman (DM's discretion).
- Facing: A vessel's facing (direction its bow points) is crucial for determining firing arcs for cannons and rams.
- Crew Unit/Singular Creature Movement:
- On Deck: Movement on a ship's deck is standard. Difficult terrain might apply if the deck is cluttered or heavily damaged.
- Pass Through (Crew Units): Crew units can move through allied crew units up to their speed. They must end completely in unoccupied squares. If not, both units forfeit other actions until the first unit fully clears.
- Singular Creatures through Crew Units: Singular creatures (PCs, NPCs, monsters) can move through allied crew units freely. They can fight through enemy crew units, occupying 1 square per round of enemy unit space. To move into an enemy-occupied square, they must make a normal melee attack; if they deal at least 1 damage, they can move into the square.
- Boarding Maneuvers: This involves specific actions to transfer from one ship to another (see below).
C. Vessel Actions (Commanded by PCs/Officers): On a vessel's turn (determined by its initiative), the Captain (or controlling PC) declares its actions, which are executed by the collective efforts of its crew.
- Move: The vessel moves up to its Combat Speed, controlled by the Helmesman (Officer Action).
- Fire Weapons: The vessel can fire its installed weapons (Ballistas, Cannons) based on their action costs and firing arcs. This is often coordinated by a Master Gunner (Officer Action).
- Ram: The vessel attempts to ram an adjacent enemy vessel (see "Ramming" under Resolving Combat). This counts as its combat action.
- Boarding Action: The vessel attempts to come alongside an enemy vessel for boarding (see "Boarding Actions" under Resolving Combat). This typically involves a successful piloting maneuver and a vessel action to initiate grappling.
D. Officer Actions (Taken by PCs/NPCs on their Turn): PCs and key NPCs acting as officers can take specific actions on their individual turns to influence the vessel's performance or the battle's flow. These are distinct from the vessel's main turn.
- Rally the Crew: (Captain/First Mate) Inspire crew for advantage on a roll or boost Crew Quality.
- Find a Weak Spot: (Captain/First Mate/Shipwright) Intelligence check to give advantage on next attack against enemy vessel's weakness.
- Helm the Ship: (Pilot) Make a Dexterity (Water Vehicles) check to control the ship's movement and turns. Success is required for full speed and turning; failure can result in reduced speed, loss of turning, or being blown off course.
- Master Gunnery: (Master Gunner/Shipwright) Direct the firing of ship weapons, potentially granting advantage on attack rolls or coordinating broadsides.
- Emergency Repairs: (Shipwright/Bosun) Use actions or spell slots to quickly repair damaged ship components or VP during combat.
- Spellcasting: (Spellcasters) Cast spells to attack, defend, or aid the ship/crew.
- Save a Crew Member: (Surgeon) Tend to injured crew members.
- Set Against Boarding: (First Mate/Bosun) Prepare defenses against incoming boarders.
E. Crew Unit Actions (When detached or in Boarding): When a crew unit is engaged in a boarding action or operating independently (e.g., a rescue party), they follow a simplified action economy.
- Move: Move up to speed, maintaining formation.
- Charge: Move up to double speed, make a melee attack with advantage (must start 2+ squares away).
- Dash: Double movement, no other action.
- Disengage: Move away from melee combat. No other combat action this round.
- Regroup: Combine two or more partially depleted crew units (similar specs).
- Split Up: Separate a crew unit into two smaller ones.
- Attack - Melee: Engage an adjacent enemy crew unit or singular creature.
- Attack - Ranged: Fire within maximum range.
- Form a Phalanx Formation: (If equipped with shields). Advantage on ranged attacks against it, halved speed.
- Bonus Action: Change Formation.
V. Resolving Combat
Naval combat involves ships attacking ships, crews fighting crews, and singular creatures interacting with both.
A. Damage Calculation:
- Vessel Points (VP) & Component HP: Vessels use their defined VP (Hull HP) and Component HP, along with their specific Damage Thresholds.
- Crew Unit Damage:
- Single Creature Damage: Use standard D&D 5e stats for an individual crew member.
- Damage per Token: Single creature damage x 5 (at Standard Naval Scale).
B. When a Vessel Attacks Another Vessel: Vessels use their mounted weapons (Ballistas, Cannons, Ram) to attack other vessels.
- Firing Ballistas/Cannons: The attack roll uses the weapon's designated bonus (+6 for Ballista, +5 for Cannon, adjusted by Ship Quality and Artificer abilities). Damage is applied to the target vessel's Hull (VP) if targeting the hull, or to a specific component. Damage must meet or exceed the target's Damage Threshold to have an effect.
- Ramming: When a vessel moves into the space occupied by another vessel or object, it attempts to ram. The ramming vessel makes an attack roll (often Strength (Athletics) check for its pilot, or a fixed bonus like the Warship's Ram attack, adjusted by Quality). On a hit, damage is applied to the target's Hull (VP) and also to the ramming vessel's Ram component (if it has one, or its Hull VP otherwise). Damage is calculated by
(Ramming Vessel's Combat Speed / 10) x 1d4 bludgeoning damage. The ramming vessel takes half this damage to its own ram/hull. Ramming damage must meet the target's VP Damage Threshold.
C. When a Vessel Attacks a Crew Unit or Singular Creature: A vessel can run over smaller targets or fire its siege weapons at them.
- Crashing/Running Over: If a vessel moves into a square occupied by a crew unit or singular creature, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 10 + vessel's Strength modifier). On a failed save, the target takes bludgeoning damage based on the vessel's size (e.g., Skiff 1d6, Caravel 4d10, Galleon/Warship 8d10). Half damage on a success. The vessel avoids crashing damage if the creature/object is at least two sizes smaller than it.
- Siege Weapon Attacks (Cannons/Ballistas): When a vessel fires a cannon or ballista at a crew unit or singular creature, apply the weapon's standard damage. For crew units, apply the damage to the unit's total HP. For singular creatures, consider the weapon's destructive power; large siege weapon attacks against individual characters are often devastating.
D. When a Crew Unit Attacks another Crew Unit or Singular Creature: Standard unit combat rules apply here.
- Melee: Multiply damage per token by the number of tokens on the front line (adjacent to enemy tokens).
- Ranged: Multiply damage per token by attacking tokens (not exceeding twice defender's tokens).
E. When a Singular Creature Attacks a Vessel: Singular creatures generally cannot directly reduce a vessel's VP (Hull HP) with typical weapon attacks (like swords or arrows) unless those attacks specifically overcome the ship's very high VP Damage Threshold.
- VP Damage: Only specialized creature attacks (e.g., a giant monster's powerful slam, a spell that deals massive fire damage) that meet or exceed the Hull's VP Damage Threshold can reduce VP.
- Component Damage: Singular creatures can target and damage specific ship components (sails, helm, ballistas, cannons) with any attack, provided they meet the component's AC and Damage Threshold.
F. When a Singular Creature Attacks a Crew Unit or another Singular Creature: Standard D&D 5e combat rules apply. For Singular Creature vs. Crew Unit, damage is applied to the unit's total HP.
G. Collateral Damage (Singular Creatures in Units/Vessels):
- Charge/Melee Attack on a Unit: Singular creatures embedded in a crew unit receive no damage unless purposefully on the front line. If on the front line, damage as if the unit attacked them.
- Ranged Attacks/AoE on a Unit: If an AoE attack or powerful ranged attack affects all unit tokens, singular creatures within must make saving throws or be affected normally.
- Damage to a Vessel: Singular creatures on a vessel take no direct damage from the ship being hit unless the attack is an area-of-effect spell or results in environmental damage (e.g., a cannonball blasts a hole in the deck near them, causing debris damage, or fire spreads).
H. Inter-Unit Actions (Singular Creatures within Vessels/Units): During boarding actions, or when a vessel's deck becomes a battlefield, singular creatures (PCs, NPCs, monsters) typically act on their own initiative within the context of the vessel's space.
- If enemy creatures board a vessel without friendly singular creatures present to intercept them, the vessel's abstracted crew can be represented as a crew unit attacking them during this phase.
- If friendly singular creatures (PCs/NPCs) are present, roll secondary initiative for all singular creatures involved on the deck (friend and foe). Resolve one round of personal combat. The vessel's abstracted crew does not interfere unless their allied singular creatures are defeated or if directly attacked.
VI. Morale & Resolution
The tide of a naval battle can turn not just on overwhelming force, but on the morale of its crews.
A. Winning the Combat: A naval battle ends when one side's fleet is entirely disabled (all vessels at 0 VP, routed, or surrendered), or all its ships surrender or rout.
B. Morale Check (DC 15 Wisdom): Crew units on a ship (including the ship's overall Crew Quality) or during boarding actions must make a DC 15 Wisdom (or Charisma for officers attempting to rally) check under various stressful conditions:
- Major Vessel Damage: When the ship they are on takes damage reducing its VP to half its original amount, or if a critical component (Helm, Sails, or all Cannons) is destroyed.
- Overwhelming Enemy: Attacked by a significantly larger vessel, a terrifying sea monster (DM's discretion), or an enemy boarding party with clear numerical superiority.
- Crew Losses: If the ship's crew (abstracted) suffers heavy losses, or if a specific crew unit is reduced to half its original number of tokens.
- Leader Down: If the Captain or First Mate is incapacitated or killed.
- Only One Token Remaining (Crew Unit): A crew unit reduced to its last token must make a DC 20 Wisdom check to avoid surrender.
Failure: The crew unit (or the ship's overall crew morale) becomes routed.
C. Rout (for Crew Units or Ship's Crew Morale):
- Effect: A routed crew unit suffers from the Frightened condition. They flee from hostile units and attempt to find safety (below deck, abandoning ship, or attempting to surrender).
- Melee Engagement: Opponents can take a reaction to make a melee attack against a routing crew unit or individual.
- Actions: Routing units cannot take reactions. They can only use their movement to Dash or escape effects preventing movement.
- Surrender: If a routed crew unit cannot flee (e.g., trapped on a burning deck), it drops weapons and surrenders.
- Rally: An officer can attempt to rally a routed crew unit with a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check at the start of their turn. A failure for three consecutive rounds means the crew unit scatters (removed from combat, likely abandoning ship or simply becoming ineffective).
- Singular Creatures (PCs/NPCs): May (but are not required to) flee with routed units.
D. Surrender (for Vessels or Crews): Any vessel (by its Captain) or crew unit can choose to surrender at the start of its turn. A surrendering vessel cannot move or take other actions, and its cannons are disarmed. If attacked after surrendering, the attack is with advantage, and combat continues.
E. Recovering Casualties & Repairs:
- Crew Casualties: Crew Unit HP represents fighting capability, not precise individual casualties. At the battle's end, the victorious side typically recovers 50% of lost Crew Unit HP (representing minor wounds, exhaustion, or regrouping). The defeated side recovers 25% of lost Crew Unit HP. When healed HP equals/exceeds one token's HP, add a token back.
- Vessel Repairs: Damaged Vessel Points (VP) and Component HP must be repaired. This requires time, resources, and skilled labor (like a Shipwright Artificer). Use the "Repair Materials" section from the cost guide for expenses.
VII. Magic in Naval Battles
Magic functions largely as in standard D&D 5e, with adaptations for ships as large objects and the presence of crew units.
A. Spell Ranges:
- Touch Spells: Caster's square must be in contact with the target's square (for singular creatures/crew units) or the vessel's hull (for ship components or VP).
- Other Ranges: Distance in feet between the caster's square and the target (vessel, crew unit, or singular creature).
B. Spell Targets:
- Singular Creatures: Affected per standard D&D 5e rules. Singular creatures embedded in a crew unit cannot be targeted by single-target spells (they are too indistinguishable within the unit), unless the caster is also in the same unit.
- Crew Units: Can be targeted by spells that cause HP damage or are area-of-effect (AoE) spells.
- Vessels: Can be targeted by spells that cause HP damage to its components or VP (Hull), or are AoE spells. Spells that "grapple" or "restrain" might affect a vessel's movement, subject to DM discretion and a suitable saving throw based on its STR or CON.
C. Area of Effect (AoE) Spells on Units/Vessels: When an AoE spell affects a space occupied by a crew unit or a vessel:
-
Crew Units (Affected Creatures):
- Circular AoE: Calculate (Radius in feet / 5)² × 3 = affected Medium/Small creatures. Divide this by 5 to get the number of affected tokens. (Always affects at least one creature/token).
- Cone AoE: Circular result / 4, then convert to tokens.
- HP Damage Spells: Calculate total HP damage inflicted on all affected creatures and apply to the entire unit's HP.
- Heal Spells: Calculate total HP healed on all affected creatures and apply to the entire unit. Unit HP (and token count) cannot exceed its original amount.
- Other Spell Types (Buffs, Hinders, etc.): Calculate affected tokens. If the spell doesn't affect the entire unit, the unaffected tokens perform a "Split Up" action as a reaction, forming a new unit.
-
Vessels (HP/VP Damage):
- AoE spells that deal HP damage (like fireball or lightning bolt) can affect a vessel's Hull (VP) or its components if they meet the component's or hull's Damage Threshold. The DM determines which component(s) are primarily affected by the AoE.
- Spells like Control Water or Gust of Wind can directly affect a vessel's movement or a specific component (e.g., sails), requiring a Strength or Dexterity saving throw from the vessel (using its modifier + crew quality score).
-
Collateral Damage (Singular Creatures in Units/Vessels): If an AoE spell affects all tokens of a crew unit, or strikes a portion of a vessel occupied by singular creatures, those singular creatures must make saving throws or be affected normally.
D. Singular Creatures Casting Spells: PCs and monsters cast spells per standard D&D 5e rules, with the unit/vessel adaptations noted above.
E. Proportional Saves (Optional Rule for AoE on Units): Instead of rolling individual saving throws for all tokens in a crew unit, you can average the outcome. Subtract the spell's saving throw bonus from the spell's DC, multiply by 5. The result is the percentage of tokens in the AoE that failed their save (minimum 5%, maximum 95%). Damage or effects then apply proportionally to that percentage of the unit's HP/tokens.
VIII. Naval War Machines (Vessels)
Our defined vessels (Skiff, Caravel, Galleon, Warship) are the primary "War Machines" of naval combat. Their operation and capabilities are detailed in the "Vessels of Valeria" section, with these additional rules for combat.
A. General Vessel Rules:
- Targeting: Vessels (and their specific components) can be targeted by other vessels, crew units, and singular creatures using the rules for attacking singular creatures/objects.
- Movement: A vessel's movement speed and turning are defined by its Speed Factor and controlled by the Helmsman Officer Action.
- Firing Weapons: Each vessel's weapons (Ballistas, Cannons, Ram) have defined attack ranges, damage, and HP. Firing these weapons is a declared action on the vessel's turn, often requiring crew actions or officer commands (e.g., Master Gunner).
- Crew Requirements: Vessels require a minimum number of crew to operate effectively. If a ship loses half or more of its required crew, it moves at half speed and might only be able to use half of its weapons, as per its definition.
B. Boarding Actions: Boarding is the act of bringing your ship alongside an enemy vessel with the goal of capturing or destroying it through direct deck-to-deck combat.
- Initiating Boarding: The attacking vessel's Captain (or controlling PC) declares a Boarding Action on the vessel's turn.
- The vessel must move to become adjacent to the target vessel's hull (touching sides).
- The attacking vessel's Helmsman (Pilot) must make a DC 10 Dexterity (Water Vehicles) check. The DC might be higher (e.g., DC 15) if the target ship is under full control and actively evading. On a success, the ships are locked.
- As part of the same action, the attacking vessel can attempt to grapple the target ship. This requires a successful Strength (Athletics) check by the attacking vessel (using its Strength modifier + its Crew Quality Score) contested by the defending vessel's Strength (Athletics) check. If successful, the ships are grappled and remain adjacent.
- Boarding Party Deployment: Once ships are grappled, crew units and singular creatures can move between ships using grappling hooks, planks, or by swinging on ropes. This often requires successful Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) checks (DC set by DM based on distance, weather, and enemy attempts to repel).
- Repelling Boarders: The defending vessel's crew can take actions to prevent boarding, such as cutting grappling lines (DC 13 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Sleight of Hand)), pushing away boarding planks (DC 13 Strength (Athletics)), or laying down covering fire.
- Inter-Vessel Combat: Once creatures are on the enemy ship, combat proceeds as normal D&D 5e for singular creatures and using crew unit rules for boarding parties. The ship's crew (abstracted) will engage the boarders as a crew unit (often at "Standard Quality" for average enemy ships, or adjusted by the ship's actual Crew Quality Score).
IX. DM Tips for Epic Naval Encounters
Running naval battles in Valeria can be incredibly exciting. Use these tips to enhance the experience:
- Focus on Narrative & Cinematic Moments: Describe the spray of saltwater, the groan of timbers, the roar of cannons, and the desperate cries of boarding parties. Don't get bogged down in every tiny detail; narrate the chaos and drama.
- Break Down the Battle: Divide a large fleet engagement into smaller, manageable zones or phases. Focus on the immediate engagement involving the PCs' vessel, while narrating the distant actions of other ships.
- Character-Centric Objectives: Give PCs specific, impactful missions within the battle (e.g., disable the enemy flagship's helm, board a transport carrying vital intelligence, protect a vulnerable ally, target a sea monster that is harassing your fleet). Treat the PCs as a "special forces" unit on the battlefield.
- Streamline Side Actions: For events not directly involving the PCs, resolve them narratively rather than rolling out full combat. "While your galleon is trading broadsides with the enemy warship, you see the merchant fleet on your left flank beginning to rout under pressure from the pirate caravels."
- Player Agency: Officer Actions are Key: Emphasize and encourage players to use their officer actions. These give PCs direct influence over their vessel's performance and the flow of battle. Allowing players to issue commands to allied units (within 60 ft.) as a bonus action can also be powerful.
- Morale is Paramount: Leverage morale checks for crews to add tension and the possibility of routing forces, creating dynamic shifts in the battle's momentum. A demoralized crew can be a ship's undoing, regardless of its strength.
- Visual Aids: Utilize the battle grid, ship tokens/miniatures, and crew unit markers to clearly visualize positioning, facing, and engagement.
- Embrace the Chaos: Naval battles are inherently chaotic. Don't strive for perfect simulation, but for exciting and impactful gameplay where heroic actions can turn the tide.
