Creating a Ship

[Animal]

i want to buy a ship. to be specific - a dhow. what rank in profession (sailor) should i have to be a captain? what equipment would you advice me to buy for my ship? how to hire the crew? any general advice?

 

[Land Outcast]

what rank in profession (sailor) should i have to be a captain?

"Need" Not even 1, but some wouldn't hurt.


what equipment would you advice me to buy for my ship?

Ballista (DMG 99), 3d8, 19-20, Operated by only one man.
Decanter of Endless Water. (one or more)


how to hire the crew?

Get Leadership, the feat. Also Gather Information can help.

 

[mvincent]

i want to buy a ship. to be specific - a dhow. what rank in profession (sailor) should i have to be a captain? what equipment would you advice me to buy for my ship? how to hire the crew? any general advice?

The Stormwrack book could be a good resource for you (as could the old Arms and Equipment guide).

 

[Dirigible]

Decanter of Endless Water. (one or more)

Tie enough to the sides of the ship, and every dungeon becomes a nautical adventure

 

[Hussar]

Lyre of Building. The absolute most brokenist magic item in a naval campaign. Make your ship immune to all damage for 1 hour.

As a captain, you might want Knowledge Geography (for reading maps) as well as profession Seaman.

 

[Kilmore]

According to Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhow ) a small dhow can be crewed by about a dozen people. As far as how you got your crew, think of your captain's background. Your captain probably had spent a number of years out to sea already, visiting different ports and meeting a lot of people with different interests and abilities. Being how the dhows traditionally operate in Middle Eastern seas, the vessel may well be crewed by tribal or clan mates of the captain. On the other hand, and this may be something the DM may be interested in, getting the right mix of characters to crew the ship may be a series of adventures in themselves ("One Piece" manga).

 

[Dross]

If able, get an aquatic elf or a half aquatic elf as part of your crew.
Having someone able to breath water will be a great boon for retreiving people or items from the sea, to plant nastiness on the hull of other ships or to check your ship's hull.

As for equipment. include Water breathing potions/scrolls.