My players have just acquired a sailing ship, as per the Ghosts of Saltmarsh appendices, and I need help making a few decisions. I just finished running them through The Secrets of Skyhorn Lighthouse and they convinced Aryn Hest of the Jade Lion to abdicate leadership to them as they pursue their military-appointed mission.
Mainly, I need to figure out how to best fulfill the various roles on the ship with the party I have. The party consists of a Cha/Dex Paladin, Dex/Str Rogue, Cha/Dex Warlock, and Int/Dex Wizard. I can keep Aryn Hest aboard so I have at least one NPC with proficiency in water vehicles, which none of the party has. The Rogue has Expertise in Athletics, so he will fit in well enough as the Bosun as long as he finds someone to help him learn how to use carpenter's tools. The Paladin would normally be a natural fit for captain, but she has an 8 INT and WIS, so being the decision maker is a terrible idea. She's the party chef and healer, so that situates her to handle both the Cook and Surgeon roles on her own, though a single person covering two roles ought to have some repercussions. The Warlock is skilled at Deception and Intimidation but not Persuasion, and is functionally insane so really isn't well suited to Captain or First Mate. Also, as a Kenku Warlock of the Raven Queen he has demanded that the crows nest be turned into a literal birdhouse. No one in the party has high Wisdom or skill in Nature or navigator's tools, so I'll likely need an NPC for that role. The Wizard I think is likely to take the Captain role, since he's not bad at social skills and is the only borderline mature party member. On the other hand, my brother's character is a Fighter and has been the straight-man/leader of the group all along. Unfortunately he is leaving town in a month, so perhaps I can just turn him into an NPC and have him be the permanent Captain of the ship.
What other roles on the ship might these characters suit? What other NPCs do I need to create to fill the gaps?
Mainly, I need to figure out how to best fulfill the various roles on the ship with the party I have. The party consists of a Cha/Dex Paladin, Dex/Str Rogue, Cha/Dex Warlock, and Int/Dex Wizard. I can keep Aryn Hest aboard so I have at least one NPC with proficiency in water vehicles, which none of the party has. The Rogue has Expertise in Athletics, so he will fit in well enough as the Bosun as long as he finds someone to help him learn how to use carpenter's tools. The Paladin would normally be a natural fit for captain, but she has an 8 INT and WIS, so being the decision maker is a terrible idea. She's the party chef and healer, so that situates her to handle both the Cook and Surgeon roles on her own, though a single person covering two roles ought to have some repercussions. The Warlock is skilled at Deception and Intimidation but not Persuasion, and is functionally insane so really isn't well suited to Captain or First Mate. Also, as a Kenku Warlock of the Raven Queen he has demanded that the crows nest be turned into a literal birdhouse. No one in the party has high Wisdom or skill in Nature or navigator's tools, so I'll likely need an NPC for that role. The Wizard I think is likely to take the Captain role, since he's not bad at social skills and is the only borderline mature party member. On the other hand, my brother's character is a Fighter and has been the straight-man/leader of the group all along. Unfortunately he is leaving town in a month, so perhaps I can just turn him into an NPC and have him be the permanent Captain of the ship.
What other roles on the ship might these characters suit? What other NPCs do I need to create to fill the gaps?
