Sky Hazards

The following rules are based on those found in Ghosts of Saltmarsh published by the Wizards of the Coast.

Determining Hazards

Traveling by sea is an innately dangerous proposition. When running an ocean adventure, you can select hazards based on the needs of your campaign or generate them randomly.
To determine hazards at random, roll a d6 at the start of each day of an ocean voyage. On a 6, the ship faces a hazard that day. If your instead moving in weeks (4 days), roll a d4. On a 4, a hazard occurs. Use the following two tables to determine the nature of the hazard and the DC of the threat it presents. Specifics corresponding to each of these DC levels are detailed along with each of the following hazards.

Hazard Table:

D8	Hazard
1	Nothing Happens (False Alarm)
2	Crew Conflict
3	Fire
4	Clouds
5	Infestation
6	Storm
7	Sky Beast
8	Encounter

Hazard DC Table:

d20	Hazard DC
1-9	DC 10
10-17	DC 15
18-19	DC 20
20	DC25

Nothing Happens:

What seemed like a problem turned out to be a false alarm.

Crew Conflict:

Sky sailors can be a rough-and-tumble bunch, and cramming them into a ship’s confined quarters leads to inevitable rivalries, feuds, and petty crimes. If resentments among the crew grow too strong, the officers must step in and set things right, lest they risk mutiny or worse. Each day a ship spends dealing with a crew conflict requires those aboard to make a group check. The check’s DC is randomly determined by the DM. The captain, first mate, and cook each make an ability check to placate the crew, determined by either the PCs in those roles or the DM playing the NPCs. This check takes the place of any other activities that the officer might undertake that day, representing their contribution to placating the crew. If no one makes the check for a particular officer, a failure is contributed toward the group check.
Even though the crew is causing trouble, some members help the officers, and thus the crew still contributes a roll to the group check. Roll a d20 for the crew, using its quality score as a modifier to the roll, and compare that check to the DC.
Determine how many of the group’s checks succeeded — the officers’ and the crew’s — then consult the Crew Conflict Check Results table.

Crew Conflict Results:

Result	Effect
Total Success	The crew’s quality score increases by 1 for 1d4 days and the hazard ends.
Success	The hazard ends.
Failure	The crew’s quality score decreases by 1.
Total Failure	The crew’s quality score decreases by 1, and the crew immediately mutinies.

Fire:

A fire in the Sky can turn a ship into a burned-out hulk, its crew slain or forced overboard. If a fire erupts aboard a ship, its officers and crew must make a group check to coordinate efforts to extinguish it. The check’s DC is randomly determined or chosen from the Hazard's DC Table. The group check represents 5 minutes of work. The captain, first mate, bosun, and surgeon each make an ability check to douse the flames (chosen by the PCs or the DM). If no one makes the check for a particular officer, a failure is contributed toward the group check. Also, roll a d20 for the crew, using its quality score as a modifier to the roll, and compare that check to the DC.
Determine how many of the group’s checks succeeded — the officers’ and the crew’s — then consult the Fire Check Results table.

Result	Effect
Total Success	The fire is extinguished with nothing beyond cosmetic damage.
Success	The fire is extinguished, but the hull and 1d3 other random components take 6d6 fire damage.
Failure	The hull and 1d3 other random components take 6d6 fire damage, and the fire continues. Make another set of checks.
Total Failure	The crew’s quality score decreases by 1 due to injuries, while the hull and 1d3 other random components take 6d6 fire damage. The fire continues. Make another set of checks.

Clouds:

Clouds on land is usually an inconvenience, but in the Sky it can prove disastrous. Decreased visibility makes navigation more difficult and can cause a vessel to crash. A group check determines how the officers and crew manage through one day of clouds. The check’s DC is randomly determined or chosen from the Hazard DC Table. The captain and quartermaster each make an ability check. If no one makes the check for a particular officer, a failure is contributed toward the group check. Also, roll a d20 for the crew, using its quality score as a modifier to the roll, and compare that check to the DC.
Determine how many of the group’s checks succeeded — the officers’ and the crew’s — then consult the Cloud Check Results table.
Roll 1d20. On a 1, the cloud is infused with the power of Nul, and deals 1 point of necrotic damage each round to anyone inhaling the cloud's vapor. The crew must retreat inside or die.

Cloud Check Results:

Result	Effect
Total Success	The clouds has no effect on navigation, and the crew’s quality increases by 1 for 1d3 days.
Success	The clouds has no effect on navigation.
Failure	The clouds slow the ship, reducing its travel pace and speed by half for the day.
Total Failure	The clouds slow the ship and disorients the crew, reducing the vessel’s travel pace and speed by half for the day and causing it to move in a random direction.

Infestation:

Provisioning a Sky journey is challenging, particularly when allocating what to pack for the voyage. A rat infestation or an outbreak of even a minor illness can spell disaster at sea. This type of hazard covers illnesses, infestations, spoiled supplies, and other troubles that wear away a crew’s health. Each day a ship spends dealing with an infestation requires those aboard to make a group check. The check’s DC is randomly determined or chosen from the Hazard DC table. The captain, first mate, healer, and cook each make an ability check to deal with the Infestation. This check takes the place of any other activities that the officer might undertake that day. If no one makes the check for a particular officer, a failure is contributed toward the group check. Also, roll a d20 for the crew, using its quality score as a modifier to the roll, and compare that check to the DC.
Determine how many of the group’s checks succeeded — the officers’ and the crew’s — then consult the Infestation Check Results table.

Infestation Check Results:

Result	Effect
Total Success	The crew’s quality score increases by 1 for 1d4 days, and the hazard ends.
Success	The hazard ends.
Failure	The crew’s quality score decreases by 1.
Total Failure	The crew’s quality score decreases by 1, and the distraction caused by the crisis forces the ship to move at half speed that day.

Storm:

Terrible winds toss ships like bath toys. Random Snowstorms occasionally batter vessels. Hurricanes consume whole armadas. More common and deadlier than most Sky monsters, storms claim more ships than any other threat in the Skies. Each day a ship spends involved in a storm requires those aboard to make a group check. The check’s DC is randomly determined or chosen from the Storm DCs table. The captain, first mate, bosun, and quartermaster each make an ability check. This check takes the place of any other activities that the officer might undertake that day, representing their contribution to keeping the ship afloat. If no one makes the check for a particular officer, a failure is contributed toward the group check. Also, roll a d20 for the crew, using its quality score as a modifier to the roll, and compare that check to the DC.
Determine how many of the group’s checks succeeded — the officers’ and the crew’s — then consult the Storm Check Results table.

Storm Check Results:

Result	Effect
Total Success	The ship survives unscathed. The crew’s quality score increases by 1 for 1d4 days.
Success	The ship survives unscathed.
Failure	The ship’s components each take 4d10 bludgeoning damage. The crew’s quality score decreases by 1. The ship struggles, moving at half speed that day.
Total Failure	The ship’s components each take 10d10 bludgeoning damage. The crew’s quality score decreases by 2, and 10 percent of the crew is washed overboard and lost. The ship is blown off course and struggles to recover its bearings, moving in a random direction.

Sky Beast:

The Skies are home to many different gargantuan beasts, both hostel and neutral to Sky farers. Other creatures migrate in swarms, soaring hundreds of kilometers between different islands. The creature is determined by the DM. Roll 1d4 to determine the creatures intention; on a 1 it is hostile, while on a 2-3 its indifferent, and on a 4 it is friendly. A hostile creature will attack the ship, while a friendly creature will defend the ship as it swims beside it for 1d3 days.
If the creature is hostile and attacks the ship, roll the Sky Beast Results table to determine the results of the attack. This is considered a summery of events for the speed of play. Alternatively, the Player may decide to go into regular combat with the creature(s), potentially risking themselves to protect the ship.

Result	Effect
Total Success	The ship survives unscathed, and you're able to salvage usable meat from the creature that attacked. You gain 1d10+1 Ship's Rations and your crew's quality score increases by 1.
Success	The ship survives with only some moderate damage, but none of the crew are lost. The ship takes 6d6 slashing damage.
Failure	The ship survives with only some moderate damage, but some of the crew are carried off. The ship takes 6d6 slashing damage and 1d10+1 crew members are carried off. The crew quality decreases by 1.
Total Failure	The ship takes heavy damage, and quite a few crew members are carried off. The ship takes 12d6 slashing damage and 1d12+4 crew members are carried off. The crew quality decreases by 1d6.

Encounter:

If this option is rolled, take a look at the Sky Encounters. Choose one randomly from the encounters listed.