I could use some good ship ideas (water)

[Lupine]

So, the PC's recently commandeered a pirate vessel (It was originally built by the pirates), and are pressuring me to provide them a chance to use it.
Can you give some encounters for naval encounters? maybe some ways to get them all involved and interested?
Some ideas on how to get them into navel encounters, other than "Go get that item over there" and attacking the in the sea
They're a part of 2 7ths, and 2 6ths, and they have a keelboat with a single spinal ballista, if that matters

[Boverk]

There's always the quests "Go stop those pirates!" and "They say a monster is attacking ships along the ____ Strait"

[WereRabbitz]

Lots of options here:

1. They could become pirates themselves and pillage villages along the coast.
Examples: Rob Villages, Take hostages, fend off navy commanders sent to hunt them down. Find a hide out for storing their gold as well as using deception to disguise their ship like merchants to prey on other merchant ships caught off guard.

2. They could turn into Merchants you could have multiple towns with varying prices on trade goods like spices/lumber/metal and they could sail for profit.
Examples: Buying and Selling at high/low prices, protecting their goods from pirate attacks, corrupt officials, and opening warehouses & stores to store/sell their goods and becoming a trade power in their home area.

3. They could sign up for the royal navy and be given a Privateer License
Examples: Seek out wanted criminals for capture, open ware fare on merchants of another nation they are at war with, joining up on large scale ship battles. Defending against enemy sabotage.

All 3 options above they should be dealing withe the following:
1. Pirates attacking trying to steal cargo
2. Enemy nations
3. Thieves
4. Sea Monsters destroying cargo
5. Corrupt Politics
6. Possible bounties being set on their heads


Good Luck and Fair Seas!

[DMThac0]

There are classic nautical encounters you can start with;

• pirates trying to commandeer their ship
• an opposing faction/nation trying to stop them with a blockade for political/mercantile/military reasons
• You could have them encounter some of the aquatic denizens; merfolk, saughains, aquatic elves
• Have them come across sunken temples/cities they can explore
• If you really want to drop them in the deep end, you have dragons and krakens
• You could shipwreck them on an island where they have to survive and repair their ship
• A maelstrom that consumes the ship and transports them to the elemental plane of water.

Those are a few ideas that jump out to me immediately, maybe it'll spark inspiration for you! Bon voyage!

[ErHo]

I just finished up a series of sessions that ran along a long coast, FWIW.

The party took a charter to get down south quick, which is a great thing for groups that need to travel long distances quickly, and its a moving dwelling with tons of storage, btw.

I hadnt planned on it, but once they were on they were just along for the ride with the Captian was a privateer and smuggler, making pickups and drop offs frequently. The party just went along with it and even helped with "collections". A few chases and getaways by water were interesting. I felt like I was railroading them, but they seemed to just want to have it happen for them. Ok...

Theye ran into draugr emerging from shallow water wrecks, Sahuagin and their baited traps with sharks, harpies from the cliffs, and a juvie Bronze dragon that nearly destroyed the ship. A few Sea Hags with water elementals nearly TPK'd them, and a close call with a Green Dragonborn Sea Druid for an underwater encounter. By the end they were framed by the captain, wanted and abandoned on the beach.

The combat was funky, with 6th level Warlock, Bearbarian, Paladin and Rogue, and a Ranger. No one had ranged attacks aside from bow and a deck gun that only the NPCs knew how to use, or even tried to for that matter...

In the end it was the warlock flinging out a few choice spells like Fireball and eldritch spears, etc. that saved them mostly.

[Aett_Thorn]

If they take ownership of it, you could have them chased by the authorities because they still think that it’s full of pirates.

[Efrate]

Finding and dealing with a ghost ship is classic. As is looking for buried treasure. Maybe the ghost ship has a treasure map that tells the location of the macguffin, and they need to at least copy it.

You can use any adventure hook from land. Just think of the ocean as your normal plains with underground being undersea and you can adapt most stuff.

[ImproperJustice]

For less piratey groups:

Get a charter to explore or aid exploration in uncharted (possibly occupied) lands and make first contact with new people groups.

Get involved in trade or religious negotiations with new people groups meeting for the first time at some trade hub.

The body of a massive sea beast (many square miles) serves as a source of industry, as an entire fleet of ships are working at processing the body for meat, armor, and oil. Many nations are present and vying for better position. Some say there could be ship loads of treasure in the belly, and some crackpot wizard thinks he can pull ancient knowledge from it’s brain.

What complicates things is the massive predators that keep showing up for a nibble or to feed on the scavenger ships, and some crazy necromantic cult is worshipping the thing and talking about trying to bring it back to life?

[napoleon_in_rag]

-There is a ship of slavers raiding villages along the coast.
-They become smugglers in the highly profitable Macguffin Trade.
-A powerful magical storm blows them off course and they discover a magical island with fantastic inhabitants.
-They become whalers but discover whales are intelligent with telekinetic powers (was that a Star Trek episode)?

Suggested Readings:
The Odyssey by Homer
The Queen of the Black Coast by Robert E. Howard

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

You've got some good ideas for how to get them into encounters; here are some ideas for what to do in those encounters. I'm probably the person most likely on these boards to suggest using environmental factors in encounters, so I'm going to play to type.

Ships are cool, complicated environments. Anything belowdecks is cramped. Really cramped. Taller party members may have to duck or walk hunched over. There's stuff everywhere. The whole surface is moving. Anything abovedecks is wet. Water sloshes across the deck. Footing is uncertain. Moving from place to place is not a trivial task. Any or all of those factors might complicate an encounter.

Ships are also opportunities for party members who don't typically shine in combat to have impact. Maneuvering the ship in combat is a big deal. Think of ways for your crew to participate beyond firing bows or spells. Environmental factors in the water are a huge deal - running your ship onto a rock tears the bottom out and the ship will sink, beaching onto a sandbar in a non-tidal area could require throwing provisions or cargo overboard to lighten the vessel. The ship is surrounded by water. Very few PCs are prepared in a given combat to be tossed into the water. Take advantage of that.

Finally, combine multiple factors. Create an encounter where the party has to divide their efforts between multiple essential tasks: these guys fight off the merrow, while these guys get the ship off the bar. This guy takes the wheel and that guy mans the sails to keep the ship out of a whirlpool while the rest of the party keeps the tentacles of a giant squid from wrapping around the mast.

Engaging multifaceted encounter design leads to players seeking out similar encounters. If they have fun on their ship, they'll keep taking it out.

[Aett_Thorn]

Well, there’s always Holy Ship, a boat filled with Paladins and Clerics.

There’s Bull Ship, captained by a Minotaur.

Then there’s Horse Ship, crewed by Centaurs somehow.

And of course, sometimes you find yourself in Total Ship, where the boat is crewed by animated, smaller boats.

[cullynthedwarf]

Most of my last 3.5 party hated ships. Exact wording ”There slow, there boring and only one or two of the party can really shine" I heard there complaints and some of this is fair, most of it is bad DMs in the past not showing how great they can be.

They're Slow,
Honestly they are faster the those caravans you all seem to enjoy so much.

Only one or two players can really shine,
In 3.5 unless you had some kind pro sailor skill or had magic this one had a point until combat happened. But in 5.0 it seems everyone has some use on a ship, keen eyed rangers in the nest, wizards to call the winds, silver tongued bards keeping everyone's spirit up and of course ragingn barbarians to repelled borders. All with out a single skill in sailing

They're boring.
That one is on the players, if they wish to engage in your plot that's on them.

[SociopathFriend]

While not quite, "Attack those guys" you could easily have them discover plot threads.
Have them sailing along and one of them, perhaps if someone is using a spyglass, spots a pair of ships in a chase off in the distance. You're in a boat- there isn't really a "Hyperdrive" option to get them there faster. By the time they arrive, one ship is sinking with only one survivor remaining. His last words are of:

1) A pirate lord searching for an ancient bloodline to lift a curse
2) A female bounty hunter slaughtering all in her path to find the target of her revenge
3) A treasonous plot against the crown where the most loyal captains are being targeted to erode support
4) A damsel in distress, perhaps even someone related to one of the PC's backstory? They'll then have to scope out the enemy stronghold and find a way in as frontal assault is suicide.
5) An island of natives has begun a profane ritual to grant themselves power over the sea, they require 3 artifacts to accomplish it and they've just found the 2nd one, get moving party!


And so on and so forth. The sea overall is just a giant tavern waiting to happen- all you need is random chance of coming across the rumor.

[Vogie]

Then there’s Horse Ship, crewed by Centaurs somehow.

Maybe they're Centaur Druids, so they wild shape into sea creatures when in the water. Following that logic, perhaps their ship itself is an ent of some variety (a la Steelbeard from Godsfall)

[willdaBEAST]

Maybe they're Centaur Druids, so they wild shape into sea creatures when in the water. Following that logic, perhaps their ship itself is an ent of some variety (a la Steelbeard from Godsfall)

I like the idea that the boat is basically a giant pedal boat. The centaurs propel it by pushing down on wooden (or some other material) pedals instead of using sails or oars.

[Spiritchaser]

Whatever you do, be aware that with extreme sight lines (fog or mountainous waves notwithstanding) many ship to ship encounters will favour ranged attacks more than normal.

Keeping the paladin and the barbarian busy putting out fires can be ok some of the time, but having a few pieces of home brew siege equipment with multiturn loading times (strength check for one less turn) can work too...

Edit: They might even get one last shot off within 30’ which could let someone usefully cast true strike...

[cullynthedwarf]

Tried to dbl post. Sorry.

[cullynthedwarf]

I like the idea that the boat is basically a giant pedal boat. The centaurs propel it by pushing down on wooden (or some other material) pedals instead of using sails or oars.

Sorry I have a crew of centaurs running through my head now using a giant gerbil wheel as there means of locomotion

[Laserlight]

Sorry I have a crew of centaurs running through my head now using a giant gerbil wheel as there means of locomotion

Mississippi Sidewheeler steam boat, except centaurs in the wheels. "Set centaurs to Gallop! Full speed ahead!"

This leads to thoughts of centaurs on rollerblades. Probably time to call it a night.

[Sigreid]

The captain should be a little girl that gives out lollipops. That's right, I went all Good Ship Lollupop on this thread.