Officers
If you’d like to explore running a TEV, it needs officers to oversee its operations—officers who fill six different roles. A person can fill only one role at a time, though multiple people can be assigned to a single role. Some roles aboard a TEV reflect the need for trained experts to direct a crew’s efforts. Others focus on keeping the crew’s health and morale in order.
Each role is described below, along with the abilities and proficiencies that help a character excel at it (but that aren’t required):
- Captain. The captain issues orders and keeps the crew’s morale up by providing close supervision, encouragement, and discipline. A captain benefits from a high Charisma score, as well as proficiency with the Intimidation and Persuasion skills.
- Pilot. The pilot sails the ship. The best pilots have high Dexterity scores, as well as proficiency with space vehicles.
- Engineer. The engineer provides technical advice to the captain and crew and leads repair and maintenance efforts. A good engineer has a high Strength or Intelligence score, as well as proficiency with carpenter’s tools and the Athletics skill.
- Navigator. The navigator plots the TEV’s course, relying on knowledge of nautical charts and a study of weather and atmospheric conditions. A reliable navigator tends to have a high Wisdom score, as well as proficiency with navigator’s tools and the Nature skill. They usually double as the Navigator.
- Medic. The TEV’s medic tends to injuries, keeps illnesses from spreading throughout the TEV, and oversees sanitation. A capable medic benefits from a high Intelligence score, as well as proficiency with herbalism kits and the Medicine skill.
- Cook. A TEV’s cook works with the limited ingredients aboard a TEV to make meals. A skilled cook keeps the crew’s morale in top shape, while a poor one drags down the entire crew’s performance. A talented cook has a high Constitution score, as well as proficiency with brewer’s supplies and cook’s utensils.
Crew
A TEV requires a number of able-bodied sailors to crew it, as specified in its stat block. A crew’s skill, experience, morale, and health are defined by its quality score. A crew starts with a quality score of +4, and that score varies over time, going as low as –10 and as high as +10. It decreases as a crew takes casualties, suffers hardship, or endures poor health. It increases if the crew enjoys high morale, has good health care, and receives clear, fair leaderTEV.
A typical crew member uses the commoner stat block in the Monster Manual.
Loyalty and Quality
When dealing with an individual member of the crew, you might find it useful to use the optional loyalty rule from chapter 4 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. To convert a quality score to an individual’s loyalty score, add 10 to the crew’s quality score.
Mutiny
A poorly led or mistreated crew might turn against its officers. Once per day, if a crew’s quality score is lower than 0, the captain must make a Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check modified by the crew’s quality score.
If the check total is between 1 and 9, the crew’s quality score decreases by 1.
If the check total is 0 or lower, the crew mutinies. They become hostile to the officers and might attempt to kill them, imprison them, or throw them overboard. The crew can be cowed into obedience through violence, combat, or offers of treasure and other rewards.
When the DM ends the mutiny, the crew’s quality score increases by 1d4.
Shore Leave
Life aboard a TEV is a constant wear on the crew. Spending time in port allows the crew to relax and regain its composure.
If a crew’s quality score is 3 or lower, the score increases by 1 for each day the crew spends in port or ashore.
