Quickleaf
Legend
[MENTION=6781406]Unsung[/MENTION] Figuring out things in play is where most of the fun is anyway! 
Though writing the setting and watching your characters come together has been pretty fun too!
So, another update: I just added the specific ship combat roles PCs can assume in the first post in "All Hands to Quarters!"
[SBLOCK=All Hands to Quarters!]
[h3]All Hands to Quarters![/h3]
"All hands to quarters" (or "beat to quarters, ye crack-handed deck apes!") is the command given when entering combat (or navigating a storm, in a chase, running a blockade, or other high tension situation); it advises all crew to take up their combat stations and be ready for a fight. The various "quarters" on a ship include:
Artillery: During combat, magic-users often fill the roll of artillery, applying spells to great effect against enemy crews and ships. Alternately, a character might man unconventional weapons like ballistae or Greek fire throwers.
Boatswain: During combat, the boatswain oversees the rescue of any men overboard and determines when to leave a man behind or to send an injured man to the surgeon. The boatswain player rolls the crew's saves, morale checks, and ability checks as normal, and also devises strategies and rolls (the precise check varies) to rescue men overboard.
Carpenter: The carpenter handles repairs in the heat of battle. The carpenter player rolls Craft (carpentry) or Dexterity (shipwright's tools), using the result as the amount of HP repaired (tables in Skull & Bones determine how long this takes). If the ship has taken than half its total HP in damage, then the carpenter can only patch it (restoring up to 25% of damage done) and further repairs must be done in field or port.
Captain: During combat, the captain is the ultimate authority, and his or her decisions about strategy and tactics are final. The player also handles crew melee attack and damage during boarding scenarios.
Crew: During combat, some of the crew stay on the sails while the rest either form powder crews to man the cannons or take to the deck to fire volleys of pistol and musket shot and prepare for boarding. A player character among the crew may take over crew ranged attack and damage rolls (for pistol/muskets) from the Master Gunner, and/or crew melee attack and damage rolls from the Captain.
Crow's Nest: During combat, a skilled sniper may be sent up into the crow's nest with several muskets and lots of shot (or a bevy of spells, scrolls, or wand) to wreck havoc during close naval combat and boarding scenarios.
Gunner: A gunner oversees the firing of some number of cannons by the crew and can personally fire one cannon. Typically a gunner will be responsible for all cannons on one side of the ship (i.e. fore gunner, aft gunner, port broadside gunner, starboard broadside gunner). The player rolls attack and damage for canonfire from the side of the ship under their command.
Helmsman: During combat, the helmsman's initiative (modified by ship Manueverability) determines the ship's initiative, the helmsman player rolls opposed Intelligence (watercraft) or Wisdom (watercraft) checks to resist/attempt boarding, and rolls attack when ramming.
Master Gunner: During combat, the master gunner takes on the role of a gunner for one side of the ship, and also determines overall rate of fire (timing being the great secret of cannon fighting), reloading protocols, and the use of any special shot (e.g. grape shot, chain shot, heated irons). The player handles all cannon fire not handled by a gunner PC, and also rolls crew ranged attack and damage (pistol and musket fire).
Quartermaster: During combat, the quartermaster handles the application of any non-traditional weapons created from cargo, such as sea mines and makeshift grenades.
Sailing Master: During combat, the sailing master player determines the ship's speed and makes any checks relating to the sails as normal. They also make opposed Intelligence (watercraft) or Wisdom (watercraft) checks when attempting to outmaneuver an enemy ship, or steal the wind from a ship's sails (or resist such an attempt).
Support: During combat, musicians and chaplains often take on a supporting role in order to rally the crew's morale (allowing them to make Sway checks with the captain's go ahead), orchestrate careful timing of a plan via drums/horns, attempt to demoralize the enemy with Intimidate checks, special abilities, or spells (or counter such attempts with Perform checks).
Surgeon: If not himself engaged in combat, the surgeon makes Medicine checks to stabilize the dying, performs emergency surgeries, and casts curative spells if they have access to magic.
[/SBLOCK]
Though writing the setting and watching your characters come together has been pretty fun too!So, another update: I just added the specific ship combat roles PCs can assume in the first post in "All Hands to Quarters!"
[SBLOCK=All Hands to Quarters!]
[h3]All Hands to Quarters![/h3]
"All hands to quarters" (or "beat to quarters, ye crack-handed deck apes!") is the command given when entering combat (or navigating a storm, in a chase, running a blockade, or other high tension situation); it advises all crew to take up their combat stations and be ready for a fight. The various "quarters" on a ship include:
Artillery: During combat, magic-users often fill the roll of artillery, applying spells to great effect against enemy crews and ships. Alternately, a character might man unconventional weapons like ballistae or Greek fire throwers.
Boatswain: During combat, the boatswain oversees the rescue of any men overboard and determines when to leave a man behind or to send an injured man to the surgeon. The boatswain player rolls the crew's saves, morale checks, and ability checks as normal, and also devises strategies and rolls (the precise check varies) to rescue men overboard.
Carpenter: The carpenter handles repairs in the heat of battle. The carpenter player rolls Craft (carpentry) or Dexterity (shipwright's tools), using the result as the amount of HP repaired (tables in Skull & Bones determine how long this takes). If the ship has taken than half its total HP in damage, then the carpenter can only patch it (restoring up to 25% of damage done) and further repairs must be done in field or port.
Captain: During combat, the captain is the ultimate authority, and his or her decisions about strategy and tactics are final. The player also handles crew melee attack and damage during boarding scenarios.
Crew: During combat, some of the crew stay on the sails while the rest either form powder crews to man the cannons or take to the deck to fire volleys of pistol and musket shot and prepare for boarding. A player character among the crew may take over crew ranged attack and damage rolls (for pistol/muskets) from the Master Gunner, and/or crew melee attack and damage rolls from the Captain.
Crow's Nest: During combat, a skilled sniper may be sent up into the crow's nest with several muskets and lots of shot (or a bevy of spells, scrolls, or wand) to wreck havoc during close naval combat and boarding scenarios.
Gunner: A gunner oversees the firing of some number of cannons by the crew and can personally fire one cannon. Typically a gunner will be responsible for all cannons on one side of the ship (i.e. fore gunner, aft gunner, port broadside gunner, starboard broadside gunner). The player rolls attack and damage for canonfire from the side of the ship under their command.
Helmsman: During combat, the helmsman's initiative (modified by ship Manueverability) determines the ship's initiative, the helmsman player rolls opposed Intelligence (watercraft) or Wisdom (watercraft) checks to resist/attempt boarding, and rolls attack when ramming.
Master Gunner: During combat, the master gunner takes on the role of a gunner for one side of the ship, and also determines overall rate of fire (timing being the great secret of cannon fighting), reloading protocols, and the use of any special shot (e.g. grape shot, chain shot, heated irons). The player handles all cannon fire not handled by a gunner PC, and also rolls crew ranged attack and damage (pistol and musket fire).
Quartermaster: During combat, the quartermaster handles the application of any non-traditional weapons created from cargo, such as sea mines and makeshift grenades.
Sailing Master: During combat, the sailing master player determines the ship's speed and makes any checks relating to the sails as normal. They also make opposed Intelligence (watercraft) or Wisdom (watercraft) checks when attempting to outmaneuver an enemy ship, or steal the wind from a ship's sails (or resist such an attempt).
Support: During combat, musicians and chaplains often take on a supporting role in order to rally the crew's morale (allowing them to make Sway checks with the captain's go ahead), orchestrate careful timing of a plan via drums/horns, attempt to demoralize the enemy with Intimidate checks, special abilities, or spells (or counter such attempts with Perform checks).
Surgeon: If not himself engaged in combat, the surgeon makes Medicine checks to stabilize the dying, performs emergency surgeries, and casts curative spells if they have access to magic.
[/SBLOCK]
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