D&D 5E What ability check for piloting a ship?

[Will Doyle]

What ability check should I use for piloting a ship? For example, steering the ship through treacherous reefs, steering through a storm, or avoiding a collision between vessels.

I was thinking Intelligence, with proficiency bonus added if I'm proficient in Vehicles (Water). However, I could see equally good arguments for Wisdom, Dexterity, or even Charisma.

What do you think?

 

[billd91]

I think either Intelligence or Wisdom work best - better than Dexterity for most purposes. So much of controlling a ship needs to be filtered through mechanical devices, variations in the sea, variations in the wind, that I don't think differences in physical reaction speed end up being as important as differences in decision-making ability - the more important difference being whether you consider it an analytical task (Intelligence) or perceptual/instinctual task (Wisdom).

Charisma would be good for getting the most out of your crew - by pushing them. Normal activities shouldn't require a Charisma check.

 

[Zaran]

I'd leave it open. If they are fighting a storm and the pilot needs to keep the ship facing the waves, then it would be a Strength check. If it's trying to figure how to best use the wind, then I could see Intelligence. If it's to avoid bottoming out on a reef, wisdom.

 

[iserith]

If the player has made his or her goal and approach clear and the DM believes the outcome is uncertain, then the ability check should be somewhat obvious. The approach is what typically establishes the ability score being referenced. With a given approach, it might be Intelligence. With another it might be Wisdom. Or any of the others.

 

[jgsugden]

There is not single right answer here, but my advice is to make the proficiency important if it is possessed by a PC. Find an argument to allow a PC with vehicles (water) to excel in a situation in which command of a water vehicle is required. Find a good reason for them to use one of their better attributes. Why? Because the skill is something that makes a PC distinct and you want to highlight those elements of a PC that make them distinct.

 

[Will Doyle]

There is not single right answer here, but my advice is to make the proficiency important if it is possessed by a PC..

That's good advice.

I'd be rather annoyed if I made a sailor with high Wisdom under the assumption that's what pilot checks would be based on, only to have the DM base them mostly on Intelligence. For home games it's fine - you just thrash it out during character gen - but for public games I think it's an issue. Using whichever ability the *player* thinks is best may be a good general approach for tool proficiencies.

 

[iserith]

That's good advice.

I'd be rather annoyed if I made a sailor with high Wisdom under the assumption that's what pilot checks would be based on, only to have the DM base them mostly on Intelligence. For home games it's fine - you just thrash it out during character gen - but for public games I think it's an issue. Using whichever ability the *player* thinks is best may be a good general approach for tool proficiencies.

It's also on the player to describe piloting the ship in a way that speaks to using his or her wisdom (or whatever ability score they favor). Players don't get to decide if a check is made to resolve an action, but they can certainly frame their goal and approach in such a way that the DM is inclined to call upon their favored attribute should the DM find that the action has an uncertain outcome.

 

[Magistus71]

Though I would say that if the player has Vehicles (Water), which you get for the sailor background, allow that player to have advantage for piloting the ship.

 

[Ashrym]

The default for piloting a vehicle is DEX for reflexes required and I might use that under several circumstances, but I definitely agree with getting a description and making a judgement call based on the described action.

Something to keep in mind, avoiding natural hazards would be INT (nature) and I wouldn't necessarily require any check if I think the character is sufficiently skilled.

If there is no foreknowledge of the reefs and they are not clearly visible a passive perception check might be appropriate.

 

[RangerWickett]

E.N. Publishing sells Admiral o' the High Seas which is fairly system-agnostic, and fits in smoothly with Pathfinder and 4e, so you could easily adapt it to 5e.

I'm working from memory here, but the brief brief version is that there are four steps - maneuvers, location, bearing, attack.

Then there are various officer positions; each PC can fulfill one officer role per naval turn (which is 1 to 5 minutes long, based on range). Captain has final say, bosun directs crew, navigator sets course, look-out detects threats, engineer makes the ship work better, gunner attacks.

In each stage of a naval turn, the captain makes a Command check (Int, Wis, or Cha - whatever they're best at). Once per turn, each officer can also make a specific type of check, and the captain gets to use either his roll or the officer's role. The navigator is often the second most-used officer, but he has to decide whether to devote his efforts to avoiding hazards (maneuver), getting to the right position (location), or setting up a good attack (bearing).

The bosun can add to any stage by diverting crew from one task to another, but that's a more complicated part of the rules.

Maneuvers - You gauge what the enemy ship(s)'s crew is doing, requiring a Wisdom check from the look-out. If you succeed, you force them to pick their maneuvers first (stuff like being evasive to get a bonus to defense but penalty to attacks, or going full speed to try to close and ram, etc.)

If there are sea hazards, you also need to make a Command check to avoid them. You might take damage on rocks, get stuck on a sandbar, and the like. The navigator can aid in avoiding these hazards with an Int check.

Location - The navigator makes an Intelligence check to plot a course to get where the captain wants. Based on how well he does, the enemy ship might outmaneuver the PC ship and prevent them from going to the area they want, or from closing to the range they want. The engineer can grant bonuses to this check by trimming sails the right way.

Bearing - Do you end up bow to bow with your enemy? Presenting broadsides? Do you get to fire a fusillade at their rudder? The navigator has a big effect here. If the engineer didn't help with location, he can help with bearing.

Attack - The gunner makes a Dexterity or Intelligence check to fire shipboard weapons (or order the crew to fire, as the case may be).


Apologies for shilling a product, but I think the system works well for 5e. http://www.rpgnow.com/product/10706...bat-Supplement-for-Pathfinder--DD-4th-Edition