Captain
Most Spelljammer ships have a hierarchy of officers to ensure the ship runs as efficiently as possible. Below is a list of typical officer roles and the duties that come along with them . Not all ships will have all of the officer positions, and some position may be held by the same person aboard the ship. A smaller ship my only have a captain and a spell-caster that takes on the role of helmsman, navigator, and ships mage for example.
The captain is the final say in all matters on the ship. He is in charge during combat, giving orders to other officers or directly to the crew. Even if he doesn’t own it, it is his ship and he is responsible for it and it’s crew. On most ships outside of very large sailing companies, the captain is the owner of the ship.
First Mate
This is the XO or second in command. He is there to assist the captain in any way and to take over if anything should happen to the captain.
Helmsman
The helmsman sits in the Spelljammer helm and moves the ship. Smaller crews may only have 1, in which case they will have to stop and let the helmsman rest. See the exhaustion rules on helms. The bigger and better outfitted the ship is, the more helmsman it may have. In a perfect situation there would be a chief helmsman and two other helmsmen so the ship could fly nonstop without tiring them out. The secondary, or junior helmsman may be very low level and be replaced by the chief in any combat situations.
Navigator
The navigator is in charge of plotting the course and keeping the ship from getting lost. They are also have the maps and navigator tool’s in their charge. On smaller crews, the navigator may also double as another position or crew member.
Ship’s Mage
This title typically goes to the wizard or sorcerer of the highest level that is not on the helm powering the ship. In most crew’s this is a luxury that is not afforded. Having a mage around with fabricate to repair hull damage, or cast fireball onto a grappled ship before boarding can be very handy.
Doctor/Healer
This may be the highest level cleric, paladin, druid, or even bard. Anyone who can cast healing spells. In absence of healing spell caster, the best medicine skill on the ship gets to be the doctor.
Quartermaster
This is the officer in charge of the crew. He enforces the rules and settles disagreements. He also makes sure the crew gets their payments and any portion of plunder or bounties they may be due. He makes sure provisions and equipment are properly distributed. In the case of the captain becoming incapacitated as well as the first mate, if there is one, the quartermaster in next in line. He will typically captain any captured ship until it be docked and dealt with.
Boatswain
A boatswain, also known as a bosun, is the senior crewman of the deck. He is responsible for the ship’s hull and all its components, including its rigging, anchors, cables, sails, deck maintenance and small boat operations. He is under the quartermaster in the chain of command.
Weapons Master
There may be multiple weapons masters on a ship as one can only master one heavy weapon in combat. They maintain their weapon or multiple weapons depending on how many a ship has. They are in charge of the weapon and it’s crew. A good weapons master can make a heavy weapon more accurate with his skill and experience.
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
