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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dragnsteph" data-source="post: 5271003" data-attributes="member: 92883">Looking for some feedback on the below. It's sort of a mixed combat/skill challenge. I know the ship speed stuff doesn't exactly jive with what's been done in the past for boats, but I did base it in actual math <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> I don't want to have them spend a week on the water to go less than 400 miles. Anyway - I'm planning on unleashing this, or some edited version of this, on my players tomorrow night. Any constructive feedback welcome! -------- Summary: The players are attempting to cross the Lirean Sea between Punjar and Kassantia. During the course of their journey, they are set upon by pirates! Encounter level: 9 Complexity: 3 (8 successes before 3 failures) Goal: Escape the pirate ship or gain an advantage in fighting them.  Travel Time: Max speed is 12 knots, or 14 mph (well-crewed, fast ship, good wind, with oars and sail). Average speed is about half that, allowing for wind direction etc. Distance to Kassantia is approximately 400 statute miles, or about 2 days and nights on the ship at slightly above average speed. Ship Info: When ships reach bloodied, they are treated as damaged and must be repaired or they will sink within 1 hour. If they reach 0 hp, they will sink within 5 rounds. They have lifeboats aboard. Damaged ships travel at ¼ speed. The PCs are on a ship named The Silent Star. It’s slightly smaller than the pirate’s ship, but built for speed, with more sails and an experienced crew. She is armed with cannons (at-will, +18 vs AC, 5d6 dmg, recharge on a 5 or 6). The Star is crewed by Captain Delancey Burke. His first mate is Reuben Randall, and he has a crew of 15. The Silent Star has 740 hps and a 32 AC. The pirates are aboard The Blood Eagle, a 100-ft 3-masted ship. She’s as fast (maybe faster) as the ship the PCs are on. The ship has cannons and can also ram (encounter, +2- vs AC, targets enemy ships, close blast 5, 10d12 dmg). Crew includes Captain Howling Jane, first mate Jack Fargloom, and 15 crew. The Blood Eagle has 650 hps and a 30 AC. Part 1: The Pirates ApproachThe pirates will attack at a random point during the voyage. When they are spotted they will be at long range from the party’s ship (too far away for ranged combat). At this point, the party must decide if they choose to flee or fight, and attempt this skill challenge. Success in the skill challenge will enable them to choose to flee, or to turn and fight with advantage. If they choose to flee, they will be pursued by the pirates until they are close to land, with a small chance that they may need to undertake the challenge a second time. If they choose to turn and fight and are successful in the skill challenge, they gain a surprise round when they board the pirate's ship. Movement is difficult (Acrobatics or Athletics, DC 14) due to the pitching deck. A failure on a movement check is treated as if the PC is slowed. If the ship takes significant damage (becomes bloodied), the lower decks will take on water and will at first become difficult terrain, then impassable.  Part 2: Boarding and Being Boarded:For every 50 points of damage the ships take, they lose one crewman. If the ships close, either because the PCs fail the skill challenge, or because they choose to fight, the remaining Silent Star crewmen will only defend their ship. The Star crewmen are treated as minions and their captain and first mate will fight alongside the party. The remaining pirate crew will engage the party on either ship, but will not fight to the death if they can avoid it, and will flee if their captain is captured or killed. Primary Skills:Nature (hard DC): Attempt to use the terrain, currents, navigational hazards (rocks? reefs?) to either increase or decrease the distance between the two ships. May only be used twice.Stealth (hard DC): Attempt to hide the ship or use terrain features to avoid detection. May only be used twice.Bluff (moderate DC): Manuever in an attempt to confuse the enemy captain and gain ground. May only be used twice.Athletics, Endurance, Acrobatics (moderate DC): Assist the crew in adjusting the sails. Secondary Skills:Perception (hard DC): From the Crow’s Nest only (successful Athletics checks, DC 10, climb 75 ft, or 15 squares). A success with this check gives the remaining PCs a +2 bonus to their skill checks.The crow’s nest is a precarious perch. If the ship takes damage, a PC in the crow’s nest must make an Athletics check (moderate DC) or fall out of the crow’s nest. The PC takes 25+ 3d10 falling damage and suffers a -2 on his next movement check.Diplomacy, Intimidate (moderate DC): Exhort the sailors to move more quickly, do their jobs more efficiently. Adds +2 to the next round of primary checks.Thievery (hard DC): Party member uses their skill with ropes to add a permanent +1 to primary checks. May only be used once. Damaging the Enemy Ship:If a PC inflicts 30 points of damage in a single round, he scores one success. PCs may use perception to assist the crewmen on the cannons (hard DC). This does not count as a success toward the skill challenge.</blockquote>

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