Naval Crew
Level 8Abilities
Troops are composed of many individuals, represented by four "segments" on a battle grid. Each segment is 10 feet on each side and as tall as the individual members of the troop. Segments must remain contiguous. Each one has to share at least 5 feet of one of its edges with another segment—being adjacent on a diagonal isn't sufficient! You can measure flanking, cover, and the like using the center of any segment. A troop has two Hit Point thresholds in its HP entry and loses segments as it crosses thresholds. Typically, the higher threshold is at 2/3 of the troop's maximum Hit Points and the l
Whenever a troop moves, you move one of its segments and the other segments follow behind it. At the end of the movement, you can group the other segments adjacent to the one you moved as you see fit, provided none of them moves farther than the moving segment. If you choose not to move the troop any distance, you can instead reshape the position of all the segments as long as one stays in place.
1 to 3 Frequency once per round Effect The naval crew attacks as a disciplined whole against each enemy in a 5-foot emanation, with a DC 23 reflex save. The damage depends on the number of actions. 1 (1d6+2) slashing damage 2 (3d6+6) slashing damage 3 (4d6+8) slashing damage
The naval crew draws, loads, and shoots its hand crossbows. The bolts hit in a 10-foot burst within 60 feet that deals 5d6 piercing damage with a DC 23 reflex save. When the naval crew is reduced to 2 or fewer segments, this area decreases to a 5-foot burst.
The naval crew chooses a single direction and smashes into its enemies to push them in that direction. The troop attempts one Athletics check to Shove and compares the result to the Fortitude DC of all enemies that are adjacent to the troop and in the chosen direction. The direction can be straight or diagonal, and the GM determines which enemies can be affected. If at least one enemy was moved, the troop can Stride to follow as described in Shove; the troop can move any number of its segments when it does, and this Stride doesn't trigger reactions.
Requirements The crew is on a ship on the water
The naval crew coordinates its movement to pitch the vessel to and fro. It Strides, and at the end of the movement, each other creature on the ship must succeed at a DC 26 reflex save or fall Prone.
The naval crew ignores uneven ground resulting from a ship's movement.
Description
Every navy has use for a well-trained, disciplined naval crew. Unfortunately, most of those called by the sea are a grand assortment of misfits, dregs, and rebels seeking to escape the structures or perils of the land, so developing teamwork and coordination takes extensive work. The adversaries a naval crew faces usually lack the same discipline. While ramshackle pirate crews excel at aggression, improvisation, and even dirty tricks, their onrushing wave often breaks against the unflappable reef of a true naval crew.
Though each navy has its own training regimens and priorities when assembling these disciplined squads of soldiers, most agree that the same combination of equipment is most effective: sturdy cutlasses perfect for hacking through boarding lines, close-quarters fighting belowdecks, and the opportunity for the more ornamented weapons preferred by officers, along with a brace of crossbows ready to catch a fleeing pirate in the back or surprise a group of miscreants.