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For my Nimble pirate campaign, I am using an adapted form of Limithron’s Guide to Naval Combat for 5e. From that guide, I modified the actions characters can take at Action Stations during ship-to-ship combat, both to ensure compatibility with Nimble characters and to align with my own gamemastering sensibilities.
In the guide as written, every action taken on the ship is based on a single static bonus added to a d20 test, with characters adding a “sailing die” if they are take that particular action themselves rather than leaving it to the NPC crew. (This die is a d4 to start with, though it can be upgraded as a character levels up).
This does a few things I don’t like. It combines disparate actions like repairing, coming about, and going full sail into a single, static number based on the ship. It reduces a unique character’s contribution to the fact that they are a player character—a dedicated shipwright player character would add the same bonus to a Repair action as any other player character, for example.
I’d much rather use a system that emphasizes the skill of the characters sailing it.
Also, I wanted to add degrees of success to these actions, to move away from a simple pass/fail dynamic. Every action succeeds on a DC 12, and critically succeeds on a DC of 22. For some actions, I added an intermediate success threshold of 17.
A level 1 Nimble character with the highest possible bonus in a relevant skill (+6) would hit a DC of 12 three-quarters of the time. As a character levels up and increases their skill bonus, they will hit higher threshold(s) more often, representing their growing veterancy. Hitting the maximum Nimble skill bonus of +12 would allow characters to hit the “critical success” threshold half of the time. They would also automatically pass the basic success threshold on every roll, which feels appropriate for a legendary, veteran sailor.
I hope this system allows for characters to grow into their chosen roles over the course of a long-term campaign.
Here are my detailed changes to the following ship actions available in combat:
I changed the Intimidation/Persuasion to an Influence check in the Push the Crew bonus action, in keeping with the conversion to Nimble. I kept the limitation that this action cannot be performed two combat turns in a row; however, I waive this limitation if the captain critically succeeds on this check (DC 22, and/or a natural 20).
The Captain also rolls Influence for each action a ship takes not covered by another player character; however, only the basic (DC 12) success can be achieved this way for each action. I intend this to encourage non-Captain players to take on actions themselves, when possible.
For the Come About action, I changed the skill check to the Pilot’s own Might or Finesse roll, allowing both strong and dexterous characters to excel behind the wheel.
Since Nimble handles armor differently, I wasn’t initially sure how to translate the +1 bonus to AC granted by a player character acting as a Lookout. This was what I eventually came up with:
Before initiative is rolled each round, any character may spend their action to become the Lookout. The Lookout rolls initiative for the ship using their own Perception or Insight skill, and they may choose to swap turns with one ship going directly after their own in initiative.
In addition, the Lookout may spend a reaction to roll Perception or Insight to Brace the ship in response to one single attack that would hit the ship. On a success (DC12), they increase the ship’s armor by one tier against that attack. On a 22+, they increase it by 2 steps. This reaction cannot be taken on consecutive turns.
The armor system in Nimble divides enemy armor into three tiers: unarmored (taking full damage), medium armor (ignoring damage modifiers, taking damage only “from the dice”), and heavy armor (as medium armor, but only taking half damage from the dice). While this armor system does not apply to player characters in Nimble, I have adopted it for all ships in the campaign.
To Raise Morale, the Bosun makes an Influence roll (in keeping with the Nimble conversion). Additionally, I increased the effect of Raising Morale by one for each degree of success (+2 or 2 turns ignoring Stressed on a 17-21; and +3 or 3 turns ignoring Stressed on a 22 or more).
Note that, as Nimble does away with attack rolls entirely, the +1/2/3 bonus applies directly to the ship’s damage rolls, moderately changing the effect of this action.
The Gunner can make a DC 12 Finesse or Perception check before rolling damage for the ship in combat. On a success, they grant Advantage 1 to all the ship’s damage rolls for this turn. If they instead get a 22+, they grant Advantage 2.
I modified the Repair action quite a bit. For this action, the Carpenter uses their own Examination or Might skill. On a result of 12-21, they grant the ship temporary HP equal to half the ship’s maximum damage from their primary attack. On a result of 22 or more, they grant the full value of the ship’s primary attack in temporary HP.
Additional Carpenters taking the same action collectively apply Advantage 1 to the skill roll.
Further, I modified how temporary HP works for a ship:
A ship’s temporary HP added to its current HP can never exceed its maximum HP. Subsequent Repair actions can add to a ship’s current temporary HP. Temporary HP lasts no longer than 12 hours.
I do want to playtest this action specifically to see how it feels at the table. I hope the system captures the feeling of jury-rigging temporary repairs to the ship in the heat of battle. As a further note, a Carpenter can spend a Watch outside combat to convert some or all of a ship’s temporary HP into HP, as detailed in Sailing.
The Rigger uses Influence or Finesse to make the ship go Full Sail or Come About—either managing deckhands under their command effectively in the heat of battle, or applying their own skill and leading by example at critical juctures.
A success of 22 or more allows the ship to move two extra spaces that turn going Full Sail, or move one extra space when Coming About.
I left the Ram, Drop Anchor, Weigh Anchor, Cut and Run, and Change Ammo Type ship actions from the guide unchanged.
A character of the specified level who has access to the Wind spell list may spend mana to influence the winds in the following ways on their turn. Each mode may be chosen more than once.
Changing wind direction by 1 means rotating it to an adjacent face on the battle hexmap. Wind changed in this way may be maintained and further changed by spending 2 actions on each subsequent turn.
Naval Combat