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  Player’s Guide
  Player’s Guide
  
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  Author • Rob McCreary
  Cover Artist • Christer Sveen
  Interior Artists • Michael Carlisle, Carolina Eade,  
  Mikaël Léger, Daniel Rizea, Tyler Walpole, and Kieran Yanner
  Creative Director • James Jacobs
  Senior Art Director • Sarah E. Robinson
  Managing Editor • F. Wesley Schneider
  Development • Patrick Renie
  Editing • Christopher Carey and Patrick Renie
  Editorial Assistance • Judy Bauer, Jason Bulmahn,  
  Adam Daigle, Rob McCreary, Mark Moreland,  
  Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds,  
  and James L. Sutter
  Graphic Designer • Andrew Vallas
  Production Specialist • Crystal Frasier
  credits
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  System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc; Authors: Jonathan Tweet, 
  Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
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  T
  he shipping lanes of Golarion’s seas and oceans 
  are filled with fat merchant vessels laden with 
  trade goods both mundane and exotic, as well 
  as the pirates and freebooters who prey on them. Under 
  the banner of their Hurricane King, these buccaneers 
  sally forth from that archipelago of lawless pirate ports 
  and anchorages known as the Shackles, plundering the 
  shipping of countless countries and trade consortiums, 
  then vanishing back into the maze of islands and reefs they 
  call home. The nations of the Inner Sea would like nothing 
  more than to end the pirate menace once and for all, but 
  the eternal hurricane known as the Eye of Abendego has 
  thus far shielded the Free Captains of the Shackles from 
  the threat of retaliation.
  In the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path, the PCs take 
  on the role of pirates, but they must make a name for 
  themselves in piracy, plunder, and disrepute to truly 
  become infamous Free Captains of the Shackles. The 
  most important thing to keep in mind when creating 
  your character is that piracy plays a significant role in 
  this Adventure Path—your character should want to 
  become a pirate, or at least not be opposed to the idea. 
  This guide offers some tips about the types of characters 
  that will be best suited for adventuring in the Shackles, 
  as well as campaign traits to flesh out those characters’ 
  backgrounds. Finally, it provides rules for ship-to-ship 
  combat (including sample ships) that will play a major role 
  in the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path as the PCs captain 
  their own ship in search of plunder and infamy!
  skull & shackles characters
  Characters of almost any race or class can be found in the 
  melting pot of the Shackles, so long as they have a reason 
  to embrace a life of piracy. In fact, the only class that is 
  probably not a good fit for the Skull & Shackles Adventure 
  Path is the paladin, whose alignment restriction and code 
  of conduct are in direct opposition to the themes of piracy 
  and plunder in this campaign.
  Archetypes: A number of archetypes are especially 
  suitable for use in the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path. 
  The following archetypes from the Pathfinder RPG Advanced 
  Player’s Guide are all good choices: aquatic druid (druid); 
  rake, swashbuckler, thug (rogue); sea singer (bard); and 
  water elementalist (wizard). The tempest druid archetype 
  from Pathfinder Player Companion: Inner Sea Magic is also a 
  good fit, while Pathfinder Player Companion: Pirates of the Inner 
  Sea offers the buccaneer (bard), corsair (fighter), freebooter 
  (ranger), and smuggler (rogue) archetypes. From Pathfinder 
  RPG Ultimate Combat, the cad (fighter), daredevil (bard), 
  pirate (rogue), and sea reaver (barbarian) archetypes all 
  complement the themes of this Adventure Path, as do the sea 
  witch (witch), shark shaman (druid), and storm druid (druid) 
  archetypes from Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic.
  Bloodlines: The elemental (water) bloodline is a solid 
  choice for a sorcerer in the Skull & Shackles Adventure 
  Path, as is the aquatic bloodline or stormborn bloodline 
  from the Advanced Player’s Guide.
  Domains: Clerics, druids, and inquisitors that have 
  some connection to the sea make a perfect fit for the 
  Skull & Shackles Adventure Path. Details on Besmara—
  goddess of piracy, strife, and sea monsters—can be found 
  in Pathfinder Adventure Path #55. Good domain choices 
  include Charm, Liberation, Luck, Travel, Trickery, Water, 
  and Weather, and useful subdomains include Curse, 
  Deception, Oceans, Revolution, Storms, and Thievery. 
  In addition, druids might be interested in the aquatic 
  terrain domain from Ultimate Magic.
  Favored Enemies and Terrains: Good favored enemy 
  choices for rangers in the Skull & Shackles Adventure 
  Path include aberration, humanoid (giant), monstrous 
  humanoid, and in particular, humanoid (human). For 
  favored terrains, water would be the obvious choice.
  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES  
  FOR PLAYERS
  Players interested in further immersing 
  themselves in the world of Golarion and 
  adding campaign-specific details relevant 
  to the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path 
  to their PCs’ background may wish to 
  investigate the following Pathfinder 
  campaign setting books.
  Inner Sea Primer: Although not 
  specifically about the Shackles, this 
  crash course on the continents 
  of Avistan and Garund provides 
  regional traits and background 
  suggestions for PCs from over 40 nations, any of 
  which make a great home for characters beginning the 
  Skull & Shackles Adventure Path.
  Pirates of the Inner Sea: While this book focuses 
  on pirates across the Inner Sea region, it also contains 
  information on the Shackles and provides a host of new 
  options for pirate PCs, including regional traits, new 
  pirate archetypes, pirate weapons and gear, new spells, 
  and the Inner Sea Pirate prestige class.
  Sargava, The Lost Colony: The nation of Sargava lies 
  just south of the Shackles, and provides a variety of exotic 
  options for pirates who might visit this land.
  To represent a ship’s deck or cabins in your game, simply 
  use Flip-Mat: Pirate Ship and Map-Pack: Ship’s Cabins. These 
  Pathfinder RPG resources and more are available at your 
  local game store, and online at paizo.com.
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  first adventure, and to gain Infamy throughout the 
  campaign. Characters interested in using siege engines 
  such as ballistae and catapults during ship-to-ship 
  combat should strongly consider taking the Exotic 
  Weapon Proficiency feat to gain proficiency with siege 
  engines and putting ranks in Knowledge (engineering).
  Other skills that will be helpful are Climb, Craft 
  (sails), Craft (ships), Craft (siege engine), Knowledge 
  (engineering), Knowledge (local), Profession (cook), 
  Profession (siege engineer), and Swim. Feats such as 
  Athletic and Skill Focus can be useful, as well as feats 
  such as Expert Driver, Sea Legs, Siege Commander, Siege 
  Engineer, Siege Gunner, Skilled Driver, and Sure Grasp 
  (all from Ultimate Combat).
  skull & shackles camPaiGn traits
  Character traits are essentially half-feats that help 
  customize a PC’s background and tie her to the themes 
  and events of a particular adventure. Each character 
  should begin play with two traits, one of which may 
  be selected from the Skull & Shackles campaign traits 
  below. For general traits, see the Advanced Player’s Guide 
  or the Character Traits Web Enhancement, a free PDF 
  download available at paizo.com/traits. Additionally, 
  most Pathfinder Player Companion supplements contain 
  racial, regional, and faith traits unique to Golarion and 
  suitable for use by Skull & Shackles PCs.
  Campaign traits are tailored to a specific Adventure 
  Path and give your character a built-in reason to begin 
  the first adventure in a new campaign. Campaign traits 
  assume a lot more about your character’s backstory than 
  do normal traits, and they are meant to help serve as 
  inspiration for a player working to create a detailed and 
  interesting history for her character. You have a certain 
  amount of leeway in adjusting a campaign trait’s expected 
  backstory once you’ve selected the trait that’s right for 
  you; just be sure to get your GM’s approval before you run 
  with a modified history.
  All of the following traits revolve around characters 
  that have a reason to be in Port Peril—the unruly capital 
  of the Shackles—and the circumstances that brought 
  them to the notorious dockside tavern known as the 
  Formidably Maid, where they ran afoul of a press gang 
  from the pirate ship Wormwood. You can take a look at 
  these traits to get a general, spoiler-free idea of the types 
  of foes and challenges your character might encounter 
  over the course of the Adventure Path. Knowing that 
  there are going to be elements of piracy, sailing ships, 
  ancient cyclops ruins, and both jungle and underwater 
  adventuring should help you build a character that fits 
  more organically into the campaign you’re about to join.
  Ancient Explorer: You are a student of the ancient 
  history of Golarion, and you’ve come to the Shackles 
  PEG LEGS & EYE PATCHES
  This optional rules system gives GMs a way to assign scars 
  and major wounds to their PCs. Before implementing this 
  system, consider these rules carefully. Major wounds can 
  have major effects upon play, and some groups may not 
  appreciate such debilitations, preferring the threat of death 
  and an unscarred resurrection over a thematic crippling. 
  These rules are a variation on the optional massive 
  damage rule found on page 189 of the Core Rulebook. 
  Whenever a character takes damage equivalent to 
  massive damage, he must make a successful DC 15 
  Fortitude save or be reduced to –1 hit points and gain a 
  permanent debilitating scar or handicap. These effects 
  are randomly determined by rolling 1d20 on the table 
  below. Effects are permanent and cumulative, though 
  the GM should reroll results that seem too crippling or 
  don’t make sense—such as a character losing a hand 
  two or three times. The regenerate spell heals scars 
  and restores lost limbs, removing both positive and 
  negative effects.
  Rules for eye patches, peg legs, and prostheses to cover 
  injuries and replace lost limbs may be found in Pirates of 
  the Inner Sea.
  d20 
  Battle Scar or Amputation
  1–5 
  Minor scar—interesting but otherwise cosmetic
  6–8 
  Moderate scar—cut on face (+1 bonus on 
  Charisma-based skill checks for first scar only, 
  consider subsequent cuts as a major scar)
  9–10 
  Major scar—severe cut on face (–1 penalty on 
  Charisma-based skill checks**)
  11–14 
  Loss of finger (for every 3 fingers lost, –1 Dex)
  15–16 
  Impressive wound (–1 Con)
  17  
  Loss of eye (–4 penalty on all sight-based 
  Perception checks)
  18  
  Loss of leg (speed reduced to half, cannot charge)
  19  
  Loss of hand (cannot use two-handed items*)
  20 
  Loss of arm (–1 Str, cannot use two-handed 
  items*)
  * Losing a single hand or arm does not affect a spellcaster’s 
  ability to cast spells with somatic components.
  ** At the GM’s discretion, characters with major scars 
  may also be granted a +1 bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, 
  or Intimidate checks against other pirates, as the scars of 
  battle are much admired by pirates.
  Skills and Feats: Certain skills and feats will be 
  particularly useful during the Skull & Shackles Adventure 
  Path. First and foremost is the Profession (sailor) skill. 
  Some sort of social skill—either Bluff, Diplomacy, or 
  Intimidate—will also be important, especially in the h
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  to explore the crumbling and vine-choked ruins of the 
  cyclops empire of Ghol-Gan, which have lain abandoned 
  among the isles of the Shackles for thousands of years. 
  You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (history) and 
  Knowledge (local) checks, and one of these skills is 
  a class skill for you. In addition, you gain Cyclops or 
  Polyglot as a bonus language.
  You went to a tavern called the Formidably Maid in 
  Port Peril last night to meet a contact who supposedly 
  had an old map of lost cyclops ruins to sell, but the drink 
  was stronger than you had expected and you passed out 
  before making the deal.
  Barroom Talespinner: You grew up listening to tales 
  of adventure and piracy on the high seas and the sea 
  chanteys of old salts in dockside dives. You learned all 
  about what it’s like to be a pirate by talking with the 
  sailors on shore leave, and learned how to tell a tale (or 
  perform some other pirate entertainment) yourself. 
  You gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks and one 
  category of Perform checks, and one of these skills is a 
  class skill for you. In addition, once per week you can 
  make a DC 15 Knowledge (local) or Intelligence check 
  to see if you know a popular legendary pirate tale, the 
  telling of which grants you a +1 trait bonus on checks 
  made to inf luence NPCs on the Wormwood.
  You went to a tavern called the Formidably Maid 
  in Port Peril to earn a few coins with your tales of 
  the sea. The patrons seemed pleased with your 
  performance and bought you a few drinks. You 
  had just remembered a tale of an unfortunate 
  sailor who found himself press-ganged on a 
  pirate ship after his drink was drugged when 
  suddenly everything went black.
  Besmara’s Blessing: You were born aboard 
  a ship at sea or down by the docks in a port city on an 
  auspicious day. Old salts and sea dogs nod knowingly 
  and say that Besmara the Pirate Queen, goddess of piracy, 
  sea monsters, and strife, has marked you for a greater 
  destiny. You don’t know anything about that, but you’ve 
  always felt more at home on the sea than on land, and 
  your keen eyes can easily pick out a sail on the distant 
  horizon. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception 
  and Profession (sailor) checks. In addition, 
  once per week you can reroll a Profession 
  (sailor) check and take the higher result (you 
  must announce that you are using this ability before the 
  results of the check are known).
  You came to a tavern in Port Peril called the Formidably 
  Maid in search of your fate. You’re not sure how many 
  drinks you had, but they quickly went to your head and 
  you passed out on the table before you found your 
  destiny—unless it lay in the bottom of a bottle. Then 
  again, maybe you found your destiny after all...
  Buccaneer’s Blood: One of your ancestors was an 
  infamous Free Captain of the Shackles, whose very name 
  struck fear in the hearts of those who sailed the seas in 
  search of an honest living. Piracy is in your blood, and 
  you’ve always longed to follow in your forebear’s footsteps 
  and plunder the shipping lanes. You gain a +1 trait bonus 
  on Intimidate and Profession (sailor) checks. In addition, 
  you gain a one-time +1 trait bonus to your Disrepute and 
  Infamy scores (see “The Life of a Pirate” in Pathfinder 
  Adventure Path #55 for details on the Infamy system).
  You went to a tavern called the Formidably Maid, a 
  notorious pirate hangout in Port Peril, eager to start your 
  career as a buccaneer. While you were there, however, a 
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  TABLE 1: NEW PIRATE WEAPONS
  dashing and flirtatious corsair caught your eye, and 
  after a whirlwind night of booze and romance, you found 
  yourself beaten senseless and stuffed in a sack, carried 
  off to who knows where.
  Dockside Brawler: You grew up on the dangerous docks 
  of one of the Shackles’ numerous ports or anchorages, 
  and quickly learned that fists often make a better point 
  than fancy words, especially when used the right way. 
  You’ve always preferred action to talk, anyway. You gain 
  a +1 trait bonus on damage rolls with brass knuckles 
  (Advanced Player’s Guide 176) and improvised weapons.
  While drinking at a tavern called the Formidably 
  Maid in Port Peril last night, you got into a brawl with 
  some of the other patrons. You handled yourself well, 
  but a group of rough-looking characters ganged up on 
  you and overwhelmed you, knocking you unconscious. 
  Fortunately, you were able to conceal your brass knuckles 
  when you were press-ganged, and you begin the campaign 
  with them, regardless of your starting circumstances.
  Eye for Plunder: You’ve always had a keen eye for the 
  glitter of gold or silver, and you’ve robbed enough rich 
  merchants and raided enough ships to have a feel for 
  where the most valuable plunder is hidden. You gain a 
  +1 trait bonus on Appraise and Perception checks to find 
  concealed or secret objects (including doors and traps). 
  In addition, you begin the campaign with a selection 
  mundane trade goods worth 50 gp that you were able to 
  scrounge together during your first day on the Wormwood.
  You found yourself relatively well off when you got your 
  share of your last voyage’s plunder, and decided to spend 
  a few of your hard-won coins at the Formidably Maid, a 
  popular pirate tavern in Port Peril. Maybe the shine of 
  your new wealth distracted you, however, because you 
  never saw the miscreants who slipped something into 
  your drink, knocking you out cold.
  Ilizmagorti Native: You grew up in the city of 
  Ilizmagorti on Mediogalti Island, a pirate port infamous 
  for both the scoundrels who visit it and the feared Red 
  Mantis assassins who run it. You’ve been around pirates 
  all your life, but you’ve learned to be wary in your dealings 
  with people, as there’s no telling who might be a Red 
  Mantis in disguise. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sense 
  Motive checks, and Sense Motive is a class skill for you. In 
  addition, your familiarity with the pirate’s life allows you 
  to make untrained Knowledge (local) checks regarding 
  pirates or the region of the Shackles.
  Looking to make your fortune, you hopped aboard a 
  pirate ship in Ilizmagorti, and decided to celebrate your 
  safe arrival in Port Peril with a few drinks at a tavern 
  called the Formidably Maid. There were some suspicious-
  looking characters there, to be sure, and you decided to 
  give them a wide berth, but as you left, feeling a bit woozy 
  from drink, you were set upon by thugs in a dark alley 
  and knocked unconscious.
  Peg Leg: One of your legs was bitten off below the knee 
  by a shark when you were just a child, and was replaced 
  with a wooden peg leg (Pathfinder Player Companion: 
  Pirates of the Inner Sea 20). You’ve long since gotten used 
  to your prosthesis, however, and take none of the normal 
  penalties from having a peg leg. You’ve had to learn to 
  Simple Weapons 
  Cost 
  Dmg (S) 
  Dmg (M) 
  Critical 
  Range 
  Weight 
  Type 
  Special
   Light Melee Weapons
    
  Hook hand 
  10 gp 
  1d3 
  1d4 
  ×2 
  — 
  1 lb. 
  S 
  Disarm
   Two-Handed Melee Weapons
    
  Bayonet 
  5 gp 
  1d4 
  1d6 
  ×2 
  — 
  1 lb. 
  P 
  —
    
  Boarding pike 
  8 gp 
  1d6 
  1d8 
  ×3 
  — 
  9 lbs. 
  P 
  Brace, reach
  Martial Weapons 
  Cost 
  Dmg (S) 
  Dmg (M) 
  Critical 
  Range 
  Weight 
  Type 
  Special
   Light Melee Weapons
    
  Axe, boarding 
  6 gp 
  1d4 
  1d6 
  ×3 
  — 
  3 lbs. 
  P or S 
  —
    
  Cat-o’-nine-tails 
  1 gp 
  1d3 
  1d4 
  ×2 
  — 
  1 lb. 
  S 
  Disarm, nonlethal
   One-Handed Melee Weapons
    
  Cutlass 
  15 gp 
  1d4 
  1d6 
  18–20/×2 
  — 
  4 lbs. 
  S 
  —
  Exotic Weapons 
  Cost 
  Dmg (S) 
  Dmg (M) 
  Critical 
  Range 
  Weight 
  Type 
  Special
   Two-Handed Melee Weapons
    
  Harpoon 
  5 gp 
  1d6 
  1d8 
  ×3 
  10 ft. 
  16 lbs. 
  P 
  Grappling
   Ranged Weapons
    
  Grappling hook 
  6 gp 
  1d4 
  1d6 
  ×2 
  10 ft. 
  14 lbs. 
  P 
  Grappling
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  Boarding 
  Axe
  Cutlass
  Boarding Pike
  Harpoon
  Bayonet
  Hook Hand
  Grappling Hook
  deal with the pain of your injury as well, and you gain a 
  +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saves. Ever since your accident 
  you’ve hated sharks, and you also gain a +1 trait bonus on 
  damage rolls against sharks and other animals with the 
  aquatic subtype.
  Your balance always gets a bit shaky after a few drinks, 
  and last night at the Formidably Maid—a tavern in Port 
  Peril—was no exception. That must be why you fell to the 
  floor as soon as you tried to stand up. What happened 
  next is hazy, but you’re pretty sure you were dragged out 
  of the bar and onto a ship at the docks. At least they didn’t 
  throw you to the sharks...
  Ship’s Surgeon: On a ship, a sailor often has to learn 
  multiple skills, and this rule certainly applies to you. 
  Your father was a woodworker, and you learned your 
  first trade from him. But on your first voyage at sea you 
  quickly found out that a carpenter is often a ship’s doctor 
  as well—after all, who knows more about sawing off limbs 
  than someone who saws wood for a living? People are a lot 
  bloodier than wood, that’s for sure, but you haven’t had 
  many complaints—those sailors who have enjoyed your 
  services are either happy to be alive or dead, and there’s 
  old salts who swear the peg legs you for made them are 
  better than the real legs they used to have. You gain a +1 
  trait bonus on Craft (carpentry) and Heal checks, and 
  Heal is a class skill for you.
  You were between ships in Port Peril, and after 
  stopping for a drink at a tavern called the Formidably 
  Maid, you happened upon a damsel in distress in the 
  alleyway outside. Thinking you could help, you didn’t 
  notice the thugs hiding nearby, and they caught you 
  unawares. You’ve been on enough ships to know a press 
  gang by the blow of the sap on the back of your neck—you 
  just hope whatever ship you end up on needs a surgeon. 
  Although the majority of your equipment was taken away 
  when you were press-ganged, you managed to hang on to 
  a fully stocked healer’s kit, and you begin the campaign 
  with it, regardless of your starting circumstances.
  Touched by the Sea: You’ve always felt the call of the 
  sea and your blood surges with the ebb and flow of the 
  tides. Perhaps one of your parents was a sailor or pirate, 
  or maybe one of your ancestors had a bit of aquatic elf 
  or undine blood in them. Whatever the reason, you’re as 
  comfortable in the water as you are on land. You gain a 
  +1 trait bonus on Swim checks and Swim is a class skill 
  for you. In addition, penalties on attack rolls made 
  underwater are lessened by 1.
  You came to Port Peril in search of your destiny, and 
  after a few drinks at a tavern called the Formidably Maid, 
  you went down to the docks to take in a view of the sea. 
  The last thing you remember is a blow to the back of your 
  head and the waves rushing up to meet you.
  Pirate WeaPons
  Several new weapons with a pirate style or theme appear 
  in the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path. Full descriptions 
  of these weapons and more pirate weapons and gear are 
  presented in Pathfinder Player Companion: Pirates of the Inner 
  Sea, but the weapon qualities are reprinted on Table 1 on 
  page 6 for your convenience.
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  A 
  pirate ship can be as much of a character as the 
  scoundrels crewing it, and once the PCs get 
  their own ship, it will likely see as much action 
  as do the PCs themselves. Whether the PCs are fighting 
  rival pirates in hand-to-hand combat on the deck of a 
  sailing rig, attacking a merchantman with a hold full of 
  riches to plunder with their own pirate ship, or sending 
  an entire f leet of ships against an enemy armada, naval 
  combat plays a significant role throughout the Skull 
  & Shackles Adventure Path. Generally speaking, naval 
  combat is handled in one of three ways: shipboard 
  combat (normal combat on board a ship), ship-to-ship 
  combat (combat between two or more individual ships), 
  and mass naval combat (combat between two or more 
  f leets of multiple ships). The rules for these three types 
  of naval combat are detailed in the following section.
  mass naval combat
  Rules for mass naval combat, that is, large-scale 
  engagements between fleets containing multiple ships, 
  will be fully detailed in Pathfinder Adventure Path #59: The 
  Price of Infamy.
  shiPboard combat
  Shipboard combat is just like any other combat between the 
  PCs and their opponents, except the encounter takes place on 
  board a ship, rather than in a dungeon or on a forest path. For 
  the most part, shipboard combat can be resolved normally. 
  The only constraints are the size of the ship (and therefore, 
  the size of the battlefield), the danger of falling overboard 
  into the water, and the effects of weather on the ship.
  If the combat happens during a storm or in rough seas, 
  treat the ship’s deck as difficult terrain. Remember to take 
  Naval Combat
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  into account the effects on spellcasters’ concentration 
  checks due to weather or the motion of the ship’s deck 
  (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 206–207). If a combatant 
  falls overboard, see the rules for aquatic terrain and water 
  dangers on pages 432 and 445 of the Core Rulebook. In all 
  other ways, shipboard combat functions no differently 
  than combat on land.
  To represent the deck or cabins of a ship, you can use 
  GameMastery Flip-Mat: Pirate Ship, GameMastery Flip-Mat: 
  Ship, GameMastery Map Pack: Boats & Ships, or GameMastery 
  Map Pack: Ship’s Cabins, available at paizo.com and gaming 
  stores near you.
  shiP-to-shiP combat
  When ships themselves become a part of a battle, combat 
  becomes unusual. The following rules are not meant to 
  accurately simulate all of the complexities of ship-to-
  ship combat; rather, they represent an attempt to strike 
  a balance between verisimilitude and ease and speed 
  of play during combat, and can be applied to a vessel of 
  any size, from a simple dinghy to a multi-deck man-o’-
  war. These rules are a modified version of the vehicles 
  rules found in Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat, focusing 
  only on piloting and fighting with a ship on the water. 
  Alternatively, if you’d prefer a quicker and easier way of 
  resolving ship-to-ship combat, you can instead use the 
  fast-play ship combat rules found on pages 214–215 of the 
  Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide. 
  It is important to note that while ships can be attacked 
  in combat, it is difficult to significantly damage such 
  large vehicles. In addition, a captured ship is usually 
  worth more as a prize to be towed or sailed home than 
  sunk to the bottom of the sea. As a result, most ship-
  to-ship combat ends when the crew of one ship boards 
  another to fight the enemy crew in hand-to-hand combat 
  (see Boarding and Grappling on page 14).
  Ship BaSicS
  The following overview presents the basic rules for ship-
  to-ship combat in the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path. 
  All ships use these rules for movement and combat.
  Pilots
  A ship requires two things to keep it moving—a pilot 
  and a means of propulsion. A pilot is a creature with an 
  Intelligence score of 3 or higher who is physically able 
  to use the ship’s control device. A ship’s captain is often 
  (but not always) the pilot. The pilot uses the control 
  device and either her sailing skill (see the Sailing Check 
  section on page 10) or her Wisdom to control the ship. 
  Without a pilot, a ship will not move or will continue 
  moving in a straight line, depending on the ship’s state 
  when it becomes pilotless.
  Crews
  Most ships require a crew. A ship without a full crew 
  complement, but with at least half its crew, takes a –10 
  penalty on all sailing checks. A ship needs at least half 
  its crew complement in order to be piloted at all. If 
  more than half of a ship’s crew is killed, dazed, stunned, 
  or rendered unconscious, the ship can only take the 
  “uncontrolled” action (see page 13). Crew members can 
  take no action while the ship is in motion except to aid in 
  that ship’s movement. Any crew required to operate siege 
  engines (see page 18) are in addition to those crew needed 
  to operate the ship.
  Size and Space
  Ships have sizes and spaces different from creature sizes 
  and spaces. In order to play out ship-to-ship combat on 
  a Flip-Mat or battle mat, a single square on the map 
  corresponds to 30 feet of distance, rather than 5 feet. Most 
  ships are long and thin; rather than taking up a space of 
  an equal number of squares per side like creatures do, a 
  ship’s width is always considered to be one square. 
  Facing and Movement
  Ships do not move like creatures, even when they use 
  creatures for propulsion. They tend to move in the 
  direction of their forward facing, and do so quickly.
  Facing: Unlike creatures, ships have a forward facing. 
  Usually one of the shorter sides of a ship serves as the 
  ship’s forward facing. Facing represents the effect of 
  inertia on vehicles. Ships move best when moving in the 
  direction of their forward facing, and it takes time and 
  skill to move them in other directions. 
  When piloted correctly, ships can move straight ahead, 
  diagonally, or a mix of both within the same movement. 
  Skilled pilots can make a ship zigzag in a forward 
  direction with ease.
  Movement: Ships have a maximum speed and an 
  acceleration listing. The maximum speed is the fastest 
  rate the ship can travel per round (though a wind-
  propelled ship sailing in the direction of the wind can 
  double this speed). A ship cannot usually start at its 
  maximum speed. Each round, the pilot can attempt 
  to accelerate the ship or decelerate it by a rate equal to 
  its acceleration (see the Movement section in Ships in 
  Combat on page 12). The rate at which a ship is currently 
  moving is called its current speed.
  Edge of the Map: When playing out ship-to-ship 
  combat on a Flip-Mat or battle mat, the edge of the map 
  forms an artificial boundary—on the open sea, there is 
  no edge of the map. As a result, if a ship moves off the 
  edge of the map, you should extend the map with a new 
  blank Flip-Mat or battle mat, or reposition the ships so 
  they have room to maneuver.
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  Waterborne Movement: Travel over long distances 
  across seas or oceans uses waterborne movement, 
  measured in miles per hour or day. For muscle-propelled 
  ships, a day represents 10 hours of rowing. For a wind-
  propelled sailing ship, it represents 24 hours. Waterborne 
  speeds for the most common ship types can be found on 
  page 174 of the Core Rulebook or in the individual ship stat 
  blocks beginning on page 23. 
  Sailing Check
  To control a ship in combat, a pilot must make a sailing 
  check to determine the maneuverability and speed of the 
  ship that round. The ship’s propulsion determines what 
  skill is used for the sailing check (see Propulsion and 
  Sailing Skills on this page). If a ship is using two means 
  of propulsion at the same time, such as wind and muscle, 
  the pilot chooses which skill to use, and takes a –5 penalty 
  on all sailing checks. A pilot can always make a Wisdom 
  check in place of a sailing check. Outside of combat, the 
  base DC for all sailing checks is DC 5. In combat, the base 
  DC for all sailing checks is DC 20. A ship without a full 
  crew complement, but with at least half its crew, takes a 
  –10 penalty on all sailing checks.
  Aid Another: Just as with other skills, a character can 
  spend a standard action to use the aid another action. 
  This represents an extra pair of eyes observing the enemy, 
  giving orders to the crew, or simply helpful advice. The 
  helping character makes a sailing check as well. If the 
  result is 10 or higher, the pilot gains a +2 bonus on her 
  sailing check. Only one character can use the aid another 
  action to help a pilot on a single sailing check.
  Controlling a Ship Outside of Combat: Since piloting 
  a ship outside of combat is easily accomplished by taking 
  10 on the skill check, sailing checks are not normally 
  needed. Almost every character can do it with relative 
  ease; the DCs are given only to adjudicate special 
  situations that may come up in your game.
  Controlling a Ship without the Proper Skill: If a 
  pilot lacks the proper skill to control a ship, the pilot 
  can always make a Wisdom ability check instead of the 
  appropriate sailing check. A pilot can even take 10 (when 
  outside of combat) or gain the benefits of the aid another 
  action when using Wisdom instead of the ship’s normal 
  sailing skill.
  Control Devices
  Every vehicle has a control device for steering. A control 
  device is typically an object with object immunities and 
  resistances and with its own statistics. The following 
  are some of the typical control devices for ships, plus 
  their usual Armor Class, hit points, and hardness. 
  When a control device gains the broken condition, all 
  sailing checks take a –10 penalty. When a control device 
  is destroyed, a ship cannot be piloted until the control 
  device is repaired. 
  Control Device 
  AC 
  Hit Points 
  Hardness
  Oars* 
  12 
  10 per oar 
  5
  Steering wheel 
  10 
  25 
  5
  Tiller 
  10 
  25 
  5
  Magically treated** 
  — 
  ×2 
  ×2
  * Oars gain the broken condition if at least half the oars on 
  a ship are destroyed.
  ** More information on magically treated control devices 
  can be found in Ship Modifications on page 26.
  Propulsion and Sailing Skills
  Every vehicle has a means of propulsion. Boats and 
  ships are propelled by currents, muscle, wind, or all 
  three forces. The method of propulsion typically affects 
  the speed and maneuverability of a ship, but more 
  importantly, determines the required skill needed 
  to control the ship. Controlling a ship takes common 
  sense, awareness, intuition, and often some amount 
  of skill in the ship’s means of propulsion. In the case 
  of wind or current propulsion, it is about using the 
  current and tools like sails, oars, or a rudder to move 
  the ship. In the case of muscle propulsion, it is about 
  guiding creatures to move the ship. The following are 
  the general methods of ship propulsion, along with the 
  skills typically needed to pilot ships propelled by the 
  specified means.
  Current: All boats and ships can use water currents 
  for propulsion, but ships that only rely on currents 
  for propulsion are somewhat limited. These vehicles 
  can only move in the direction and at the speed of a 
  current unless they also employ some other means of 
  propulsion or manipulation, and thus often have an 
  additional form of propulsion, such as muscle in the 
  case of a rowboat, or wind in the case of a sailing ship. 
  A current-propelled ship requires a Profession (sailor) 
  check for the sailing check.
  A current-propelled ship’s maximum speed depends 
  on the speed of the current (often as high as 120 feet). The 
  acceleration of a current-propelled ship is 30 feet.
  Muscle: Muscle-propelled ships use oars and rowers to 
  push the ship forward. Sailing skills for muscle-propelled 
  ships tend to be Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Handle Animal, 
  depending on the intelligence and attitude of the creatures 
  supplying the muscle for the propulsion.
  For intelligent creatures, use Diplomacy if the 
  creatures providing the propulsion have an attitude 
  of indifferent, friendly, or helpful (Core Rulebook 94). If 
  the creatures providing the propulsion are friendly or 
  helpful, Diplomacy sailing checks are made with a +5 
  bonus. An average crew is considered indifferent, though 
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  a particularly loyal crew might be considered friendly. 
  Intimidate is used for intelligent creatures with an 
  attitude of unfriendly or hostile, such as captive rowers 
  on a slave galley. Handle Animal is used if the creatures 
  providing the propulsion are not intelligent.
  The maximum speed and acceleration of a muscle-
  propelled ship depends on the number of creatures 
  providing the propulsion, but most muscle-propelled 
  ship have a maximum speed of 30 feet and an acceleration 
  of 30 feet. Larger muscle-propelled ships with many 
  rowers have a maximum speed of 60 feet and an 
  acceleration of 30 feet.
  Oars: All muscle-propelled ships require the use of 
  oars. Oars have their own statistics (see sidebar).
  Wind: Wind-propelled ships use sails to harness the 
  power of the wind for propulsion. A wind-propelled ship 
  requires a Profession (sailor) check for the sailing check.
  Small wind-propelled ships can move at a maximum 
  speed of 30 feet. Larger ships that are also muscle-
  propelled often have a maximum speed of 60 feet when 
  using only wind propulsion. Large ships with multiple 
  masts and many sails can have maximum speeds of up 
  to 90 feet. The acceleration of a wind-propelled ship is 
  30 feet.
  All wind-propelled ships can move twice their normal 
  maximum speed when moving in the direction of the 
  wind. A ship using wind propulsion cannot move in the 
  opposite direction from the wind.
  Sails and Rigging: All wind-propelled ships require the 
  use of sails and rigging. To move at full speed, a ship 
  requires 10 5-foot squares of sails per mast per square of 
  the ship. For example, a 3-square ship with three masts 
  requires 90 squares of sails. Sails have their own statistics 
  (see sidebar). 
  Mixed Means of Propulsion: Some ships use multiple 
  forms of propulsion. Multiple methods of propulsion 
  add flexibility and can work in concert to create faster 
  movement. If a ship has two means of propulsion, such 
  as wind and muscle, it generally adds its two maximum 
  speeds together to determine its maximum speed. 
  Acceleration remains the same. Nothing is added for a 
  third form of propulsion, except for the flexibility of 
  having a back-up form of propulsion. A ship with multiple 
  methods of propulsion often requires a large crew to get 
  it going and keep it moving.
  Evasion and Pursuit
  On the wide, open sea, one ship can spot another from 
  miles away, making it virtually impossible to surprise 
  another ship. If both ships want to engage in combat, 
  the ships close with one another and begin ship-to-ship 
  combat normally. If one ship wants to avoid combat, 
  however, a chase ensues. At the GM’s discretion, a faster 
  ship can always catch a slower ship, but even slow ships 
  can take advantage of favorable winds, currents, or coastal 
  terrain to make good their escape.
  When two ships first encounter one another, the 
  pilots of the two ships must make three opposed sailing 
  checks. Whichever pilot wins at least two out of three of 
  the opposed checks is victorious. If the pursuing ship 
  wins, it catches up to the fleeing ship and ship-to-ship 
  combat begins. If the fleeing ship wins, it escapes. If the 
  result is a tie, the pilots should begin a new series of three 
  opposed checks. 
  MEANS OF PROPULSION
  The following are some of the various means of 
  propulsion for ships, plus their base Armor Class, hit 
  points, and hardness. To calculate the actual AC of a ship’s 
  propulsion, add the current pilot’s sailing skill modifier 
  (or Wisdom modifier, if she is using that ability to drive 
  the ship) to the base AC. When a means of propulsion 
  gains the broken condition, the ship’s maximum speed is 
  halved, and the ship can no longer gain the upper hand 
  (see page 12) until the propulsion is repaired or replaced. 
  If the ship is in motion, and is traveling faster than its 
  new maximum speed, it automatically decelerates to its 
  new maximum speed.
  Oars: Oars are often weaker than the vessels they 
  propel, and are difficult to replace. Destroying a ship’s 
  oars is a good way to capture a vessel. Oars gain the 
  broken condition if at least half the oars on a ship are 
  destroyed. If all of a ship’s oars are destroyed, the ship can 
  no longer use muscle propulsion and must rely on current 
  and/or wind propulsion only.
  Sails and Rigging: Sails (including the rigging 
  that controls them) are often weaker than the vessels 
  they propel, though they are relatively easy to repair. 
  Destroying a ship’s sails is a good way to capture a vessel. 
  Sails take double the normal damage from acid and fire 
  attacks (multiply the damage roll by 2). Sails gain the 
  broken condition if at least half the squares of sails on a 
  ship are destroyed. If all of a ship’s sails are destroyed, the 
  ship can no longer use wind propulsion and must rely on 
  current or muscle propulsion only.
  Propulsion 
  Base AC 
  Hit Points 
  Hardness
  Oars 
  12 
  10 per oar 
  5
  Sails 
  6 
  4 per 5-ft. square 
  0
  Magically treated* 
  — 
  ×2 
  ×2
  * More information on magically treated means of 
  propulsion can be found in the Ship Modifications section 
  on page 26.
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  Such chases can take days, as one ship struggles to 
  outmaneuver the other. At the GM’s discretion, roll 1d4 
  to determine the number of days a chase lasts.
  Withdrawing: Once in ship-to-ship combat, a ship can 
  withdraw from combat by simply moving off the edge of 
  the battle mat, ending ship-to-ship combat immediately. 
  At the GM’s discretion, the ship has either escaped 
  completely, or the two ships can go back to the evasion 
  and pursuit rules above.
  ShipS in comBat
  The following are the rules for how ships act in the 
  combat round.
  Preparation
  Once at least two ships are ready to engage in combat, use 
  a large, blank battle mat to represent the waters on which 
  the battle occurs. The reverse side of GameMastery Flip-
  Mat: Ship contains a blank water grid that is ideal for use 
  with ship-to-ship combat. A single square corresponds 
  to 30 feet of distance (see the Size and Space section on 
  page 9).
  Determine which ship is the attacker and which is the 
  defender. As pirates, the PCs will usually be the attacking 
  ship, and their opponent will usually be the defending 
  ship (though the tables might be turned in specific 
  encounters). Represent each ship by using markers that 
  take up the appropriate number of squares, or use the 
  counters provided on page 29.
  To establish the position of the ships on the battle mat, 
  roll 1d4 to determine the ships’ heading (the direction 
  they are facing). Since both ships are coming out of a 
  chase, they are both assumed to have the same heading. A 
  roll of 1 is north, 2 is east, 3 is south, and 4 is west. Place 
  the defending ship as close to the center of the map as 
  possible on the correct heading.
  Next, roll 1d8 to determine the bearing of the 
  attacking ship (its position relative to the other ship). 
  Follow the guidelines for missed splash weapons (Core 
  Rulebook 202), with a roll of 1 indicating north, and 
  counting squares clockwise for a roll of 2 through 8 
  to determine the bearing. In some cases, this will put 
  the attacking ship ahead of the defending ship—this 
  simply means the attacking ship overshot its quarry as 
  the chase came to a close.
  Finally, roll 1d4+2 to determine the number of squares 
  on the battle mat between the two ships. Place the 
  attacking ship on the map at the appropriate bearing and 
  distance from the opposing ship. 
  Unless otherwise detailed in an encounter, assume 
  that each ship begins combat with a speed of 30 feet. Any 
  siege engines (see page 18) carried on a ship are likewise 
  assumed to be loaded at the beginning of combat.
  Wind: If any of the ships in the battle rely on sails 
  and wind to move, randomly determine what direction 
  the wind is blowing by rolling 1d4 and using the same 
  guidelines for determining heading.
  Initiative
  When combat begins, the pilot of a ship should roll 
  initiative as normal—the ship moves at the start of its 
  pilot’s turn. If a ship has no pilot, it moves on the turn of 
  the last creature that was its pilot, or on a turn determined 
  by the GM. If they wish to take actions in combat, the PCs 
  (and important NPCs involved in the combat) should roll 
  initiative at this time as well.
  The Upper Hand
  At the beginning of every round, each pilot makes an 
  opposed sailing check to determine who has the upper 
  hand that round. This represents the vagaries of luck, 
  skill, and the environment, whether catching a favorable 
  gust of wind, taking advantage of a fast current, sliding 
  down the back of a large wave, or disrupting an opposing 
  ship’s wind with your own ship’s “dirty air.” The pilot 
  who succeeds at the check gains the upper hand, and 
  can immediately reposition her ship by one square in 
  any direction as a free action. For every 5 by which the 
  successful pilot’s check exceeds the opposing pilot’s 
  check, the pilot with the upper hand can reposition her 
  ship by an additional square. On a tie, neither pilot gains 
  the upper hand.
  Alternatively, the pilot who wins the upper hand can 
  change the heading of her ship by 90 degrees. For every 5 
  by which the successful pilot’s check exceeds the opposing 
  pilot’s check, the pilot with the upper hand can change the 
  heading of her ship by an additional 90 degrees.
  A ship that is upwind of another ship (closer to the 
  direction of the wind) is said to “hold the weather gage,” 
  and gains a +2 bonus on the opposed check to gain the 
  upper hand.
  Movement
  At the start of a pilot’s turn, she can take any of the 
  following sailing actions (except the “uncontrolled” 
  action) by making a sailing check to control the ship. 
  The pilot must take whatever action is required before 
  doing anything else that turn. Just as in normal combat, 
  a pilot can perform a standard action and a move action 
  each round. Once the pilot has selected an action, or 
  takes some other action forcing the ship to become 
  uncontrolled, the ship moves. If a ship has less than 
  half its crew or has no pilot, or if the pilot takes no 
  action, takes some other action instead of piloting the 
  ship, or delays or readies an action, the ship takes the 
  “uncontrolled” action.
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  Full Ahead (standard action): With a successful 
  sailing check, the ship’s current speed increases by its 
  acceleration (usually 30 feet), but no higher than its 
  maximum speed. The ship can move forward or forward 
  diagonally. In other words, each time a ship enters a 
  new 30-foot square, it can choose any of its forward-
  facing squares—the one directly in front or either of the 
  squares directly forward and diagonal. This allows the 
  ship to swerve. A pilot who fails her sailing check does 
  not accelerate and can only move into a square directly in 
  front of the ship’s forward facing.
  Hard to Port or Hard to Starboard (standard action): 
  The pilot can turn the ship while it moves forward at its 
  current speed. With a successful sailing check, the pilot 
  can change the ship’s forward facing either left (port) or 
  right (starboard) by 90 degrees at any point during the 
  ship’s movement. Do this by pivoting the ship so that 
  the rear square of the ship takes the place of the ship’s 
  former forward facing square. If a ship’s current speed 
  is twice its acceleration, the pilot takes a –5 penalty on 
  the sailing check. If a ship’s current speed is three times 
  its acceleration, the pilot takes a –10 penalty on the 
  sailing check. If its current speed is four or more times 
  its acceleration, the pilot takes a –20 penalty. On a failed 
  check, the ship does not turn, but can be moved forward 
  diagonally during its movement. Note: A wind-propelled 
  ship that turns into the wind (its forward facing is 
  pointed in the opposite direction from the wind) is said 
  to be “in irons” and takes the uncontrolled action until 
  its pilot turns it to face another direction.
  Heave To (standard action): With a successful sailing 
  check, the ship’s current speed decreases by 30 feet. On 
  a failed check, the ship does not decelerate. Either way, 
  the ship can move forward on its current facing and 
  can move forward diagonally. If deceleration reduces a 
  ship’s speed to 0, some amount of inertia will continue to 
  move the ship forward. The ship moves forward (either 
  directly forward or forward diagonally) 1d4×30 feet 
  before coming to a complete stop. Having the Expert 
  Driver feat (Ultimate Combat 100) reduces this distance by 
  30 feet (minimum 0 feet).
  Make Way (standard action): With a successful sailing 
  check, a pilot can make a tricky or difficult maneuver that 
  forces an enemy pilot to react. The result of this sailing 
  check then becomes the DC of the enemy pilot’s next 
  sailing check. On a failed check, the ship’s speed remains 
  constant, but the ship cannot move forward diagonally, 
  and the enemy pilot makes his next sailing check at the 
  normal DC.
  Stay the Course (move action): With a successful sailing 
  check, the pilot can move the ship forward on its current 
  facing at its current speed, and it can move directly 
  forward or forward diagonally. Failing the check keeps 
  the speed constant, but the ship can only move directly 
  forward, not forward diagonally.
  Full Astern (full-round action): With a successful 
  sailing check, the pilot can move the ship backward at 
  a speed of 30 feet, moving either directly backward (the 
  reverse of its forward facing) or backward diagonally. On 
  a failed check, it does not move backward. A ship may 
  only be moved in reverse if its current speed is 0.
  Uncontrolled (no action): When the pilot does nothing, 
  if there is no pilot, or if the ship has less than half its 
  crew, the ship is uncontrolled. An uncontrolled ship does 
  nothing except take the uncontrolled action until it stops 
  or someone becomes its new pilot. An uncontrolled ship 
  moves forward only (it cannot move forward diagonally) 
  and automatically decelerates by 30 feet. Even if a ship 
  does nothing, it can still perform ramming maneuvers 
  (see Ramming, below).
  Attacks
  Ships typically don’t have attacks and do not threaten 
  any area around them, though some ships can be fitted 
  with rams (see page 28). Some ships also carry siege 
  engines (see page 18). Provided that the ship has enough 
  additional crew to operate them, these siege engines can 
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  make attacks. While individuals aboard a ship generally 
  don’t play a significant role in ship-to-ship combat, 
  important characters such as PCs might still become 
  involved if they wish to fire siege engines or if an enemy 
  ship is in range of their ranged attacks or spells. When 
  attacking a ship, you can attack the ship’s structure, 
  occupants, propulsion, or control device. You can also 
  attempt to grapple and board a ship. In addition, a ship 
  can make a ramming maneuver or shearing maneuver as 
  part of its movement.
  Attacking the Structure: This is an attack against 
  the ship itself. If the attack is successful, the ship takes 
  damage normally. 
  Attacking an Occupant: This is a normal attack against 
  a ship’s occupant—any creature that is a passenger, pilot, 
  crew, or providing propulsion on a ship. Occupants get 
  partial cover (+2 to AC and +1 on Reflex saving throws) or 
  greater against attacks coming from outside of the ship. 
  Occupants in a forecastle or sterncastle have cover (+4 to AC 
  and +2 on Reflex saving throws), while those inside a port 
  or hatch have improved cover (+8 to AC and +4 on Reflex 
  saving throws). In general, once combat begins among the 
  occupants of two ships (such as when boarding), ship-to-
  ship combat should be replaced with shipboard combat.
  Attacking Propulsion: A ship’s means of propulsion 
  usually has its own set of statistics (see sidebar on page 
  11), while creatures propelling a ship use their own 
  statistics. See Attacking an Occupant above if crew 
  members providing propulsion are attacked. Individual 
  ship stat blocks detail their means of propulsion.
  Attacking the Control Device: A ship’s control device is 
  an object with its own statistics (see Control Devices on 
  page 10). When a control device is destroyed, the ship can 
  no longer be piloted.
  Attacking a Siege Engine: Siege engines mounted on a 
  ship have their own statistics (see page 18). Siege engines 
  benefit from cover as occupants on a ship.
  Broadsides: Some ships can carry a large number of 
  siege engines. Rather than bog down ship-to-ship combat 
  with numerous individual attack rolls, siege engines can 
  be fired in “broadsides.” All siege engines of the same 
  type on a single side of the ship can fire at once. Broadside 
  attacks can only be used to attack the structure of a ship 
  or propulsion. Make a single attack roll for all of the siege 
  engines in the broadside. If the attack roll is successful, 
  all of the weapons hit their target. If the attack roll fails, 
  all of the weapons miss. On a successful attack roll, take 
  the average damage of a single weapon and multiply it by 
  the number of weapons in the broadside to determine the 
  total damage dealt.
  For example, a sailing ship with a bank of 10 light 
  ballistae on its port side fires a broadside attack. A single 
  light ballista deals 3d8 points of damage, for an average 
  of 13.5 points of damage. If the attack hits, the broadside 
  deals 13.5 × 10, or 135 points of damage.
  Grappling and Boarding
  When the crew of one ship wishes to board an enemy 
  ship and attack its crew, they must first grapple the other 
  ship. To grapple, the two ships must be within 30 feet of 
  one another (in other words, they must be in adjacent 
  squares on the battle mat). If both pilots want to grapple, 
  grappling is automatically successful. The two crews 
  throw out grappling lines and draw the ships together. 
  If both ships are reduced to a speed of 0 as the result of a 
  ramming maneuver, they are also considered grappled.
  If only one pilot wants to grapple, she must make a 
  combat maneuver check against the target ship’s CMD, 
  using the base CMB of the ship plus the pilot’s sailing 
  skill modifier (or Wisdom skill modifier if she is using 
  that ability to control the ship) as the total CMB of the 
  grappling maneuver. If the check is successful, the target 
  ship is grappled. On the next round, the two ships are 
  moved adjacent to one another, and the speed of both 
  ships is reduced to 0. If a ship has less than its full crew 
  complement, the pilot takes a –10 penalty on her combat 
  maneuver check to make a grappling maneuver.
  Breaking a Grapple: The pilot of a grappled ship can 
  attempt to break the grapple by making a combat maneuver 
  check against the opposing ship’s CMD, but at a –4 penalty. 
  If the check is successful, the crew has cut the grappling 
  lines and the freed ship may now move as normal. 
  Boarding: Once two ships are grappled, a crew can 
  board the other ship. The pilot with the highest initiative 
  can choose whether to board the opposing ship with 
  her crew first or wait for the opposing crew to board 
  her ship. Characters boarding an opposing ship are 
  considered flat-footed for the first round of shipboard 
  combat, due to the difficulty of climbing over the ships’ 
  rails and finding footing on the enemy deck. Characters 
  using a corvus (see page 21) to board another ship are not 
  considered flat-footed.
  Ramming
  To ram a target, a ship must move at least 30 feet and end 
  with its forward square in a square adjacent to the target. 
  The ship’s pilot must make a ramming combat maneuver 
  check against the target’s CMD, using the base CMB of 
  the ship plus the pilot’s sailing skill modifier (or Wisdom 
  skill modifier if she is using that ability to control the 
  ship) as the total CMB of the ramming maneuver. If 
  the check is successful, the ship hits its target, dealing 
  its ramming damage to the target. The ramming ship 
  takes half that damage. A ship’s base ramming damage is 
  listed in its stat block (see page 22). If the pilot’s combat 
  maneuver check exceeds the target’s CMD by 5 or more, 
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  COMBAT AFTER BOARDING
  Ship-to-ship combat in the Skull & Shackles Adventure 
  Path assumes that the PCs are more interested in 
  capturing enemy ships than in sinking them. After all, if 
  you sink a ship, you can’t plunder its cargo, ransom its 
  crew and passengers, and sell (or use) the ship yourself. 
  So once a ship has been boarded, ship-to-ship combat 
  ends and shipboard combat begins on whichever ship 
  was boarded first.
  Shipboard combat is normally a battle between the 
  “primaries” of the two ships—usually meaning that the 
  PCs fight the enemy ship’s captain and any other major 
  NPCs on the enemy ship in normal combat. Meanwhile, 
  the two ships’ crews are assumed to be fighting each 
  other in the background.
  Whoever wins the “primary” combat (either the PCs or 
  the enemy NPCs) wins the entire battle. In other words, 
  a ship’s crew is victorious over an enemy crew if their 
  captain defeats the enemy captain. While a ship’s crew will 
  likely take losses in a battle, it is assumed that enough 
  members of the defeated crew join the victorious crew 
  to replenish any losses. This keeps the PCs from having 
  to play out combat between large numbers of low-level 
  opponents, and from needing to track exactly how many 
  casualties their crew takes in each battle.
  The PCs earn normal XP for the foes they defeat in 
  shipboard combat. In most circumstances, the ship-to-
  ship battle just serves as a prelude to the main combat. 
  If, however, the PCs decided to fight out an entire ship-
  to-ship battle and they sink or destroy a ship without ever 
  fighting the ship’s captain and NPCs, then they earn XP 
  based on the captain’s CR (as the captain is the only one 
  piloting the enemy ship in ship-to-ship combat).
  the target takes twice the ship’s ramming damage. If 
  the combat maneuver check exceeds the target’s CMD 
  by 10 or more, the target takes twice the ship’s ramming 
  damage and the target’s speed is immediately reduced to 
  0. Regardless of the result of the combat maneuver check, 
  the ramming ship’s speed is reduced to 0.
  If a ship collides with another ship or a solid object 
  (an immobile structure with a hardness of 5 or more), it 
  also makes a ramming maneuver, regardless of the pilot’s 
  intent. There is no combat maneuver check for this 
  ramming maneuver; its effects happen automatically. 
  When a ship makes a ramming maneuver against a solid 
  object, to determine how much damage both the solid 
  object and the ship take, allow the ship to enter the solid 
  object’s space. The ship will only travel through that 
  space if the damage is enough to destroy the solid object; 
  in all other cases, the ship takes the damage and its speed 
  is immediately reduced to 0 as it comes to a sudden stop 
  directly in front of the solid object.
  A ship can be outfitted with a ram on its forward facing. A 
  ship equipped with a ram deals an additional 2d8 points 
  of damage with a ramming maneuver, and ignores the 
  damage for the first square of a solid object it enters, 
  and all damage from ramming creatures or other objects 
  (such as other ships). A ram can be added to a Large ship 
  for 50 gp, a Huge ship for 100 gp, a Gargantuan ship for 
  300 gp, and a Colossal ship for 1,000 gp. 
  If a ship has less than its full crew complement, but has 
  at least half its crew, the pilot takes a –10 penalty on her 
  combat maneuver check to make a ramming maneuver. 
  A ship without at least half its crew complement cannot 
  make a ramming maneuver.
  Shearing
  A ship may attempt to shear off the oars of an opposing 
  ship, if the target ship uses oars for muscle propulsion. 
  To attempt a shearing maneuver, a ship must be adjacent 
  to the target’s forward or rear square and move along 
  the side of the target for a number of adjacent squares 
  equal to the target ship’s number of squares. The ship’s 
  pilot must make a shearing combat maneuver check 
  against the target’s CMD, using the base CMB of the 
  ship plus the pilot’s sailing skill modifier (or Wisdom 
  skill modifier if she is using that ability to control the 
  ship) as the total CMB of the shearing maneuver. If the 
  check is successful, the ship shears the target’s oars. The 
  target’s oars take damage that reduces their hit points to 
  half their maximum hit point total and gain the broken 
  condition, thus reducing the ship’s maximum speed by 
  half and preventing its pilot from gaining the upper 
  hand. If the target ship is in motion, and is traveling 
  faster than its new maximum speed, it automatically 
  decelerates to its new maximum speed. A ship that does 
  not use oars for muscle propulsion is unaffected by a 
  shearing maneuver.
  If a ship has less than its full crew complement, but has 
  at least half its crew, the pilot takes a –10 penalty on her 
  combat maneuver check to make a shearing maneuver. 
  A ship without at least half its crew complement cannot 
  make a shearing maneuver.
  Taking Control of a Ship
  If a ship has no pilot, another creature can take control 
  of the ship as long as the creature is adjacent to the ship’s 
  control device and makes a sailing check as a free action. 
  The ship’s pilot can always give over control to another 
  adjacent creature as a free action. If a creature wants to 
  take control of a ship from another forcefully, it must kill 
  the pilot or otherwise remove the pilot from the control 
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  device. When a new creature becomes the pilot, the ship 
  moves on the new pilot’s turn, but not on the new pilot’s 
  first turn after taking control of the ship.
  Damaging a Ship
  Ships have hit points and hardness based on their primary 
  components. Most ships are made of wood (15 hit points per 
  5-foot-square, hardness 5). When a ship is reduced to below 
  half its hit points, it gains the broken condition. When it 
  reaches 0 hit points, it gains the sinking condition. 
  Broken Condition: Ships—and sometimes their means 
  of propulsion—are objects, and like any other object, when 
  they take damage in excess of half their hit points, they 
  gain the broken condition. When a ship gains the broken 
  condition, it takes a –2 penalty to AC, on sailing checks, 
  saving throws, and on combat maneuver checks. If a ship 
  or its means of propulsion becomes broken, the ship’s 
  maximum speed is halved and the ship can no longer gain 
  the upper hand until repaired. If the ship is in motion 
  and traveling faster than its new maximum speed, it 
  automatically decelerates to its new maximum speed.
  Sinking Condition: A ship that is reduced to 0 or fewer 
  hit points gains the sinking condition. A sinking ship 
  cannot move or attack, and it sinks completely 10 rounds 
  after it gains the sinking condition. Each additional hit on 
  a sinking ship that deals more than 25 points of damage 
  reduces the remaining time for it to sink by 1 round. A 
  ship that sinks completely drops to the bottom of the 
  body of water and is considered destroyed. A destroyed 
  ship cannot be repaired—it is so significantly damaged 
  it cannot even be used for scrap material. Magic (such 
  as make whole) can repair a sinking ship if the ship’s hit 
  points are raised above 0, at which point the ship loses the 
  sinking condition. Generally, nonmagical repairs take too 
  long to save a ship from sinking once it begins to go down.
  Repairing a Ship
  The fastest and easiest way to repair a ship is with spells. 
  Mending is not powerful enough to meaningfully affect 
  an object as large as a ship, but make whole affects a ship 
  as if it were a construct, repairing 1d6 points of damage 
  per level. In addition, more mundane methods can also 
  be used to repair ships. Because of their specialized 
  construction, ships (as well as oars and sails) usually 
  require the Craft (ships) skill to repair. Depending on 
  the nature of the damage, skills such as Craft (carpentry) 
  or Craft (sails), or even various Profession skills, can be 
  used to repair ships with the GM’s approval. In general, 
  a day’s worth of work by a single person using the 
  appropriate skill to repair a ship requires 10 gp of raw 
  materials and a DC 10 skill check, and repairs 10 points 
  of damage on a success, or 5 hit points on a failure. 
  Fabricate can also be used to create the raw material 
  needed for repairs. New oars can be purchased for 2 gp 
  each (Core Rulebook 159).
  Fire
  Fire is an ever-present danger on every wooden ship, 
  but while most ships are not in danger of going up in 
  flames from a dropped torch or lantern, alchemical or 
  magical fires can be much more dangerous. Note that 
  many instantaneous fire spells do not automatically 
  catch a ship on fire, but those that deal fire damage over 
  multiple rounds have a better chance of causing a fire on 
  board a ship (see Magic below).
  When a ship takes fire damage (such as from 
  alchemist’s fire, flaming arrows, certain spells, and 
  other effects at the GM’s discretion), it must immediately 
  make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or catch 
  fire. Unless an attack specifically targets a ship’s means 
  of propulsion (such as sails), it is assumed that such 
  attacks affect the structure of a ship itself.
  Once a ship has caught fire, it automatically takes 2d6 
  points of fire damage per round (ignoring hardness) 
  as the fire spreads. The ship’s crew can attempt to 
  extinguish the flames as a full-round action for the entire 
  crew, allowing the ship to make a Reflex save (DC 15 + the 
  number of rounds the ship has been on fire). A successful 
  saving throw means the fire has been put out. A failed 
  saving throw results in the ship taking the normal 2d6 
  points of fire damage for the round.
  A ship must take the “uncontrolled” action each round 
  that its crew attempts to put out a fire, as they are not 
  sailing the ship at this time.
  Those who would like more detailed rules for fires, 
  spreading flames, and fighting fires can use the system 
  presented in the “Catastrophe!” article in Pathfinder 
  Adventure Path #30: The Twice-Damned Prince.
  magic
  Creatures can attack ships with spells. Ships are objects, 
  so spells that can only target creatures have no effect on 
  ships. However, because a ship is actively crewed and 
  piloted, it can make saving throws against spell effects. 
  Ships are immune to most spells that require a Will save. 
  A ship without a crew is considered an unattended object 
  and cannot make saving throws.
  The effects of most spells on ships can be determined 
  normally. However, certain spells have different effects 
  in naval combat. The effects of these spells are detailed 
  on the following page. GMs can use these examples as 
  guidelines for determining how other spells not listed 
  here affect ships. For the most part, these effects only 
  apply during ship-to-ship combat, not during normal 
  combat aboard a ship, though some affects (such as 
  starting fires), could still apply, at the GM’s discretion.
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  Acid Fog, Solid Fog: The effects created by these spells 
  do not move with a ship, but they do reduce the speed of a 
  ship moving through them to half.
  Align Weapon, Keen Edge, Magic Weapon, Greater Magic 
  Weapon: These spells also affect siege engines and siege 
  engine ammunition.
  Animate Objects: A ship under the control of a pilot 
  cannot be animated with this spell without the pilot’s 
  consent. An animated ship moves as the caster directs. 
  It needs no crew other than the caster, who is considered 
  the ship’s pilot. An animated ship’s statistics, such as its 
  hit points, do not change.
  Black Tentacles: This spell can be cast on the surface of the 
  water or on a ship’s deck. The tentacles do not attack ships.
  Blade Barrier, Cloudkill, Fog Cloud, Mind Fog, Obscuring 
  Mist, Pyrotechnics, Stinking Cloud, Storm of Vengeance: The 
  effects created by these spells do not move with a ship.
  Call Lightning, Call Lightning Storm, Chain Lightning, 
  Lightning Bolt, Scorching Ray, Storm of Vengeance: These 
  spells do not start fires on a ship.
  Control Water: A ship cannot leave the area affected by 
  this spell and must take the “uncontrolled” action for the 
  duration of the spell.
  Control Winds: The area of winds created by this spell 
  does not move with a ship.
  Delayed Blast Fireball, Fireball, Fire Seeds, Flame Arrow, 
  Flame Blade, Flaming Sphere, Meteor Swarm, Produce Flame: 
  These spells can start fires on a ship.
  Dimension Door, Greater Teleport, Teleport, Teleportation 
  Circle: Because ships are constantly in motion, the caster 
  of spells of the teleportation subschool must have line of 
  sight to teleport onto a ship. Otherwise, a caster must scry 
  upon a particular ship first, then immediately teleport 
  to the scryed destination. Any delay in casting means the 
  ship has moved from its scryed location and the spell fails.
  Disintegrate: This spell deals 2d6 points of damage per 
  caster level (maximum 40d6) to a ship.
  Earthquake: This spell has no effect in the deep waters 
  of the ocean.
  Fabricate: The materials created by this spell can be 
  used to repair a ship (see page 16).
  Fire Storm, Flame Strike: These spells do not start fires 
  on a ship unless the ship rolls a natural 1 on its saving 
  throw against fire damage.
  Forcecage, Resilient Sphere, Wall of Force: The effects of these 
  spells move with a ship if they are anchored to it. Otherwise, 
  they do not move with a ship, and a ship running into them 
  makes a ramming maneuver (see page 14).
  Freezing Sphere: This spell can be used to attempt to 
  trap a ship in ice by targeting the water around the ship 
  rather than the ship itself. The ship’s speed is reduced to 
  0 for the duration of the spell unless the pilot of the ship 
  makes a DC 25 sailing check to break free of the ice.
  Gaseous Form: A creature in gaseous form does not move 
  with a ship.
  Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser Globe of Invulnerability, 
  Tiny Hut, Wall of Ice, Wall of Thorns: The effects created by 
  these spells move with a ship.
  Guards and Wards, Mage’s Private Sanctum, Screen: These 
  spells can be cast on a ship.
  Make Whole: This spell affects a ship as if it were a construct.
  Mage’s Magnificent Mansion, Rope Trick: The entrances 
  to the extradimensional spaces created by these spells do 
  not move with a ship.
  Mirage Arcana: Ships are considered structures for the 
  purposes of this spell.
  Ice Storm, Sleet Storm: The sleet, snow, and ice created 
  by these spells do not move with a ship, but the deck is 
  considered icy. These spells also allow a ship to make an 
  additional saving throw to extinguish fires.
  Incendiary Cloud: The cloud created by this spell does 
  not move with a ship, but the caster can concentrate to 
  move the cloud along with a ship. This spell can start 
  fires on a ship.
  Passwall: A ship can make a Fortitude save to negate the 
  effects of this spell. A ship affected by this spell gains the 
  broken condition and the sinking condition, but the ship 
  is restored to its normal condition when the spell ends 
  (though a sunken ship remains sunk).
  Polymorph Any Object: A ship is a collection of numerous 
  objects. As a result, any ship of Huge size or larger is too 
  big to be affected by this spell.
  Prismatic Sphere, Prismatic Spray, Prismatic Wall: These 
  spells do not start fires on a ship unless the ship passes 
  through the spell effect and rolls a natural 1 on its saving 
  throw against fire damage. A prismatic sphere or prismatic 
  wall moves with a ship if it is anchored to the ship. 
  Otherwise, it does not move with a ship. 
  Repel Wood: If you are standing on a ship, that ship is 
  considered a fixed object in relation to you and is not 
  affected by this spell. Loose objects on your ship, or on 
  other ships within range, are affected normally. A ship 
  under the control of a pilot can make a Will save to negate 
  the effects of this spell.
  Reverse Gravity: A ship must fit entirely within the 
  spell’s area to be affected by this spell, though creatures 
  and objects on a ship’s deck are affected normally. If an 
  entire ship is affected and falls back down more than 50 
  feet, the pilot must succeed at a DC 20 sailing check when 
  the ship lands or it gains the sinking condition.
  Sunbeam, Sunburst: These spells deal only half damage 
  to ships.
  Sympathetic Vibration: A ship is considered a freestanding 
  structure for the purposes of this spell.
  Wall of Fire: A wall of fire cast on the deck of a ship moves 
  with the ship and can start on-board fires. Otherwise, 
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  the wall does not move with the ship, and does not start 
  on-board fires.
  Warp Wood: A warped ship springs a leak and gains the 
  broken condition. If the ship is reduced to below half its 
  hit points while warped, it gains the sinking condition.
  Whirlwind: Most ships are too large to be affected by 
  this spell, but loose objects and creatures on the ship’s 
  deck may still be affected.
  Wind Wall: The effects of this spell move with a ship if 
  it is anchored to the ship.
  sieGe enGines
  Siege engines assault structures and people from a 
  distance by propelling ammunition in some fashion. 
  The following rules are a modified version of the siege 
  engine rules found in Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat, 
  and focus only on those siege engines that can be carried 
  and used on board ships.
  Siege engine BaSicS
  All siege engines in the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path 
  use the following basic rules, unless stated otherwise in 
  an individual siege engine description.
  Proficiency: Siege engines are exotic weapons. The 
  Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat allows a character to fire 
  a single type of siege engine without penalty. A creature 
  with the Siege Engineer feat (Ultimate Combat 118) is 
  proficient with all siege engines.
  Feats: Several feats presented in Ultimate Combat can 
  be used with siege engines. These include the following: 
  Master Siege Engineer, Siege Commander, Siege Engineer, 
  and Siege Gunner.
  Crew: The sheer size of a siege engine often 
  necessitates a crew for its use. One person of that crew 
  is the crew leader. Usually the crew leader controls the 
  movement of a siege engine or designates its targets; 
  sometimes the crew leader does both. Often the crew 
  leader is required to take actions and make specific 
  checks in order for a siege engine to function. The rest 
  of the crew members are required to spend actions and 
  make checks in order for a siege engine to function. The 
  crew of a siege engine is in addition to the crew needed 
  to operate the ship.
  Constructing Siege Engines: A siege engine is a 
  complex device requiring a DC 20 Craft (siege engine) 
  skill check to build.
  Magical and Masterwork Siege Engines: Siege engines 
  can be masterwork, increasing their Craft DC by 5 
  and cost by 300 gp. A masterwork siege engine can be 
  enchanted at twice the cost for a normal magical weapon. 
  The enhancement bonus of a siege engine applies on 
  attack rolls and targeting checks (in the case of indirect-
  fire siege engines).
  Disabling Siege Engines: A siege engine is considered a 
  difficult device to disable, requiring 2d4 rounds of effort 
  and a DC 20 Disable Device check to do so. When a siege 
  engine is disabled, it either doesn’t work or is sabotaged 
  and stops working after 1d4 minutes of use. 
  Repairing Siege Engines: Repairing a broken or 
  disabled siege engine requires a DC 20 Craft (siege 
  engine), Disable Device, or Knowledge (engineering) 
  check. It takes 10 minutes to fix the device, and the check 
  can be retried if the fix fails.
  Defense and Hit Points: All siege engines are objects, 
  typically crafted out of wood. A siege engine has a 
  Dexterity of 0 (–5 penalty) and a further penalty based on 
  its size. Each type of siege engine has its own hardness 
  and hit points. Siege engines can be armored—treat the 
  siege engine as a creature of its size to determine the 
  cost of the armor. Masterwork siege engine armor can be 
  enchanted for twice the normal cost to enchant armor. 
  Armored siege engines gain an armor bonus to AC equal 
  to that normally granted by the specific armor (shields 
  have no effect on a siege engine), a hardness and hit 
  points equal to that of the armor, and bonus hit points 
  equal to the armor bonus ×5.
  Assembling Siege Engines: Siege engines can be 
  broken down for storage or transport and can be 
  reassembled on a ship’s deck. A Large siege engine 
  requires 1 hour and four workers to assemble. A Huge 
  siege engine requires 2 hours and six workers to 
  assemble. Each assembly worker must make a DC 10 
  Craft (siege engine) check; if untrained, the worker may 
  not take 10. Assembly can be performed with at least 
  half the required number of workers by doubling the 
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  time required. If fewer than half are available, the siege 
  engine cannot be assembled.
  Firing Siege engineS
  Siege engines hurl massive projectiles in one of two ways: 
  direct fire or indirect fire. Both take a number of actions 
  to load or aim, and the basic rules are described below.
  Load Ammunition: In order for a siege engine to fire, it 
  must be loaded with ammunition. Loading ammunition 
  takes a number of full-round actions depending on the 
  siege engine (this time can be reduced to move actions 
  if the crew leader has the Master Siege Engineer feat 
  [Ultimate Combat 109]). For example, a light ballista loaded 
  by two creatures takes 1 round to load the siege weapon, 
  since the creatures each take one of the two necessary 
  full-round actions to do so.
  Aiming a Siege Engine: Siege engines must be aimed in 
  order to attack a desired target (in the case of direct-fire 
  siege engines) or square (in the case of indirect-fire siege 
  engines). Aiming takes a number of full-round actions 
  depending on the siege engine. Aiming a siege engine 
  with a diminished crew doubles the amount of time it 
  takes to aim the siege engine. Each time a new target or 
  square is chosen as the target of a siege engine’s attack, 
  that siege engine must be aimed anew. For example, 
  a light catapult aimed by two creatures would have to 
  spend a turn aiming the catapult in order to fire it on the 
  next round, since a light catapult takes two full-round 
  actions to aim. If the same light catapult were instead 
  crewed by three creatures, two could spend full-round 
  actions aiming it and the remaining creature could fire 
  it with a standard action.
  Direct-Fire Siege Engines: Direct-fire weapons launch 
  their projectiles on a relatively flat trajectory, allowing 
  them to more easily target creatures or pummel barriers 
  directly in front of them.
  A direct-fire weapon uses a normal ranged attack 
  roll, with the normal penalty for nonproficient use if 
  none of the crew operating it have proficiency in siege 
  engines. In addition, a direct-fire weapon takes a penalty 
  on attack rolls of –2 per size category that the weapon is 
  larger than the creature aiming it. Creatures with ranks 
  in Knowledge (engineering) are not adversely affected by 
  their size when firing direct-fire siege engines.
  Sheer manpower can also reduce the penalties for size. 
  Increasing the crew of these weapons by 1 or more can 
  reduce the attack roll penalty for creature size: as long 
  as an extra crew member is no more than three size 
  categories smaller than the direct-fire weapon, it can 
  reduce the penalty due to the aiming creature’s size by 2. 
  For example, a Huge ballista fired by a Medium creature 
  that is part of a crew of four (one more than the minimum 
  number of crew members required) takes only a –2 
  penalty on attack rolls, and a crew of five would negate 
  the penalty altogether.
  Indirect-Fire Siege Engines: Indirect-fire weapons 
  launch projectiles in high arcs toward their targets. They 
  typically lob heavier missiles and payloads than direct-fire 
  weapons, but they are harder to aim accurately. Indirect-
  fire weapons can bypass many forms of fortification, 
  delivering their payloads of solid shot, scatter shot, or 
  even disease-ridden offal to targets on other ships.
  Indirect-fire weapons use a targeting mechanic similar 
  to that described for catapults in the Core Rulebook, 
  hereafter referred to as an indirect attack. The following 
  is an update to those rules.
  Indirect Attack: To fire an indirect-fire siege engine, 
  the crew leader makes a targeting check against the DC of 
  the siege engine. This check uses his base attack bonus, 
  his Knowledge (engineering) skill modifier if trained in 
  that skill (or his Intelligence modifier, if not trained), any 
  nonproficiency penalty, and the appropriate modifiers 
  from Table 2. If the check succeeds, the ammunition of 
  the indirect attack hits the square the siege engine was 
  aimed at, dealing the indicated damage or effect to any 
  object or creature within the area of its attack. Creatures 
  may get a saving throw to limit the effect of the attack; 
  this is typically based on the type of ammunition used.
  If the attack misses the intended square, roll 1d8 to 
  determine in what direction the shot veers. A roll of 1 
  indicates the ammunition falls short (toward the siege 
  engine), with rolls of 2 through 8 counting squares 
  clockwise around the target square. Roll 1d4 for every range 
  increment at which the attack was made (1d4 if the target 
  square is within the engine’s first range increment, 2d4 if 
  the target square is within the second range increment, 
  and so on). The total is the number of squares by which the 
  attack misses. The ammunition deals its damage and any 
  other effects in the square it lands on.
  TABLE 2: INDIRECT ATTACK 
  CHECK MODIFIERS
   
  Condition 
   
   
   
  Modifier
  No line of sight to target square 
  –6
  Successive shots  
  +2* 
  (crew can see where most recent miss landed) 
    
  * Cumulative +2 per previous miss (maximum +10)
  Successive shots  
  +1* 
  (crew can’t see where most recent missed shot  
  landed, but observer is providing feedback) 
   
  * Cumulative +1 per previous miss (maximum +5)
  Successive shots after a hit 
  +10
  Critical Hits: When a direct-fire siege engine scores 
  a critical hit, it confirms the critical and deals critical 
  hit damage just like any other weapon. If an indirect-fire 
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  TABLE 3: SIEGE ENGINES
  Siege Engines 
  Cost 
  Dmg 
  Critical 
  Range 
  Type 
  Crew 
  Aim 
  Load
   
  Large Direct-Fire Siege Engines
   
   
  Ballista, light 
  500 gp 
  3d8 
  19–20/×2 
  120 ft. 
  P 
  1 
  0 
  2
   
  Large Indirect-Fire Siege Engines
   
   
  Catapult, light 
  550 gp 
  4d6 
  ×2 
  150 ft. (50 ft. min.) 
  B 
  2 
  2 
  3
   
  Huge Direct-Fire Siege Engines
   
   
  Ballista, heavy 
  800 gp 
  4d8 
  19–20/×2 
  180 ft. 
  P 
  3 
  2 
  3
   
   
  Firedrake 
  4,000 gp 
  6d6 
  — 
  — 
  fire 
  3 
  2 
  5
   
  Huge Indirect-Fire Siege Engines
    
  Catapult, standard 
  800 gp 
  6d6 
  ×2 
  200 ft. (100 ft. min.) 
  B 
  3 
  2 
  3
   
   
  Springal, arrow 
  1,000 gp 
  3d8 
  ×3 
  100 ft. (50 ft. min.) 
  P 
  3 
  2 
  3
   
  Other
   
   
  Corvus 
  100 gp 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  1 
  — 
  —
  siege engine rolls a natural 20 on its targeting check, 
  it can also score a critical hit. The crew leader must 
  reroll the targeting check to confirm the critical. If the 
  confirmation targeting check is successful, the attack is 
  a critical hit, and the siege engine multiplies its damage 
  by its critical multiplier. Unlike normal attacks, siege 
  engine attacks can deal critical hit damage to objects. 
  Siege engines do not gain the benefit of critical feats the 
  crew or the crew leader may have.
  Mishaps and Misfires: Rolling a natural 1 on an attack 
  roll with a direct-fire siege engine or a targeting check 
  made by an indirect-fire siege engine produces a mishap. 
  Usually a mishap applies the broken condition. A siege 
  engine with the broken condition takes a –2 penalty on 
  attack rolls, targeting checks, and damage rolls.
  If the creature that serves as crew leader has the Siege 
  Engineer feat, that creature does not generate a mishap 
  on a natural 1 when firing the siege engine.
  Siege engine QualitieS
  Siege engines are presented in the following format on 
  Table 3.
  Cost: This value is the siege engine’s cost in gold pieces 
  (gp). The cost includes gear needed to work the engine as 
  well as gear for upkeep. Typical ammunition costs and 
  weights are given in the siege engine descriptions.
  Damage: This entry gives the damage typically dealt by 
  the siege engine. Unlike normal ranged weapons, siege 
  engines deal full damage to objects. Siege engines do not 
  deal sneak attack damage or any other kind of precision 
  damage.
  Critical: The entry for this column notes how the 
  engine is used with the rules for critical hits (Core Rulebook 
  144). Unlike normal ranged weapons, siege engines can 
  deal critical damage to objects as well as creatures.
  Range: Any attack at a distance greater than that listed 
  in this entry is penalized for range. Beyond this range, the 
  attack or targeting check takes a cumulative –2 penalty for 
  each full-range increment (or fraction thereof) of distance 
  to the target. Some siege engines have a minimum range 
  for effectiveness, listed in parentheses after its range.
  Type: Like weapons, siege engines are classified 
  according to the type of damage they deal: B for 
  bludgeoning, P for piercing, or S for slashing. Some siege 
  engines deal energy damage. In those cases, the type of 
  energy damage is listed instead.
  Crew: This column gives the number of Medium 
  creatures needed to properly operate the siege engine. 
  Aim: This column gives the number of full-round 
  actions required to aim a siege engine. If the siege 
  engine is being controlled by less than its normal crew 
  complement, the number of actions it takes for the crew 
  to aim the siege engine is doubled.
  Load: This column gives the number of full-round 
  actions required to load a siege engine.
  Siege engine DeScriptionS
  The following siege engines are available in the Skull & 
  Shackles Adventure Path.
  Ballista: A ballista resembles a massive crossbow, and 
  its power is provided by twisted skeins of animal sinew 
  used as torsion springs driving a pair of adjustable 
  arms. A cord attached to both arms is winched back and 
  a projectile is loaded into a grooved slider for release. 
  Ballistae are direct-fire siege engines.
  Light: This common type of ballista, also called an 
  arbalest or scorpion, is Large, maneuverable, and often 
  mounted on ships. Light ballistae have a hardness of 5 
  and 50 hit points. Light ballista bolts cost 10 gp each and 
  weigh 10 pounds.
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  Heavy: These Huge siege engines are commonly used 
  as castle defenses, as well as on large warships. Heavy 
  ballistae have a hardness of 5 and 100 hit points. Heavy 
  ballista bolts cost 30 gp and weigh 20 pounds each.
  Catapult: Catapults are stone-throwing siege engines 
  powered by winched arms that run through torsion 
  skeins, and hold their payload in a cup that swings up 
  and over the weapon when released. Catapults can hurl 
  a variety of different types of ammunition (the damage 
  given is for stone projectiles; other types of ammunition 
  can be found in the Special Siege Engine Ammunition 
  section, below). Catapults are indirect-fire siege engines.
  Light: These catapults are Large and often mounted on 
  wheels. The targeting DC of a light catapult is 15. Light 
  catapults have a hardness of 5 and 50 hit points. Light 
  catapult stones cost 10 gp and weigh 50 pounds each.
  Standard: These Huge catapults are too large to be 
  transported in one piece, and require assembly. The 
  targeting DC of a standard catapult is 20. Standard 
  catapults have a hardness of 5 and 100 hit points. Standard 
  catapult stones cost 15 gp and weigh 75 pounds each.
  Corvus: A corvus is a boarding device that features a 
  hinged counterweight system for mounting a bridge 
  vertically on the side of a ship, with a hooked end to 
  grab onto a target ship. A corvus is usually 10 feet wide 
  and 15 feet long. It has a hardness of 5 and 10 hit points 
  per square. Using a corvus requires a DC 10 Profession 
  (siege engineer) check as a full-round action, provided 
  the corvus is in the correct position, which is within the 
  length of the corvus and adjacent to another ship. If the 
  check fails, the corvus fails to catch on the target and must 
  be reset (a full-round action). Once a corvus is attached, it 
  takes a Strength check as a full-round action to dislodge 
  the corvus. Alternatively, if the corvus is attached to a 
  ship, the pilot of either ship can make a sailing check 
  as a standard action to dislodge the corvus (a check that 
  succeeds by 5 or more destroys the corvus). The base DC 
  for either of these checks is 15, and the DC increases by 5 
  for every Small or Medium creature currently standing on 
  the corvus. If a corvus is disengaged while creatures are 
  standing on it, those creatures must make a DC 15 Reflex 
  saving throw or fall. Succeeding at the saving throw 
  allows them to move to the nearest area of safe ground, 
  but such movement provokes attacks of opportunity. 
  A corvus cannot be armored. A corvus does not count 
  toward a ship’s maximum number of siege engines.
  Firedrake: These Huge siege engines are often mounted 
  on wheels. This apparatus fires gouts of alchemist’s 
  fire in either a 60-foot line or a 30-foot cone (siege crew 
  leader’s choice). Targets in the area take 6d6 points of fire 
  damage (DC 15 Reflex save for half damage); those who fail 
  their saves also catch on fire. A firedrake with the broken 
  condition that suffers a further mishap explodes, dealing 
  its damage to all creatures within a 20-foot-radius burst 
  (DC 15 Reflex save for half damage). Firedrakes have a 
  hardness of 10 and 70 hit points. One use of firedrake 
  ammunition costs 200 gp and weighs 20 pounds.
  Springal: A springal uses a torsion-cranked composite 
  paddle to strike a firing rack containing multiple arrows, 
  which rain down in an arc over a burst area. Springals are 
  indirect-fire siege engines that affect the targeted square 
  and a 15-foot burst around that square. One use of arrow 
  springal ammunition costs 20 gp and weighs 10 pounds.
  Special Siege engine ammunition
  The following kinds of ammunition can be used in select 
  types of indirect-fire siege engines. The ammunition 
  description specifies which types of siege engines can 
  use the special ammunition. The costs and weights on 
  Table 4 are for individual uses of special ammunition.
  TABLE 4: SPECIAL SIEGE ENGINE 
  AMMUNITION
  Ammunition 
  Cost 
  Weight
  Alchemist’s fire 
  200 gp 
  10 lbs.
  Chain shot 
  50 gp 
  30 lbs.
  Liquid ice 
  400 gp 
  20 lbs.
  Plague bundle 
  80 gp 
  20 lbs.
  Smoke shot 
  250 gp 
  20 lbs.
  Alchemist’s Fire: This is either a hard, ceramic container 
  of alchemist’s fire that can be used as ammunition in 
  catapults, or a ceramic bulb of alchemist’s fire mounted 
  on the tip of a ballista bolt to be fired from ballistae. 
  When it hits its target square, it deals 4d6 points of fire 
  damage to each creature and wooden structure within 
  5 feet of the target space, and each creature must make 
  a DC 20 Reflex saving throw or catch on fire (wooden 
  objects automatically catch on fire). Every creature and 
  wooden object within the area between 5 and 30 feet of the 
  target space must make a DC 20 Reflex saving throw or 
  take half the fire damage, but does not catch on fire. On 
  a siege engine mishap, this ammunition explodes before 
  it is launched, dealing its damage to the siege engine and 
  all nearby creatures and wooden objects as if one of the 
  spaces of the siege engine (crew leader’s choice) were the 
  target square. This alchemical fire ignores the hardness 
  of wooden objects.
  Chain Shot: Made of two small catapult stones chained 
  together, this ammunition can be fired from catapults. 
  Chain shot is especially good at tearing through sails 
  and rigging, dealing double its normal damage to that 
  form of propulsion. It deals normal damage to a creature, 
  and if hit, the creature must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude 
  saving throw or be knocked prone. Chain shot is relatively 
  ineffective against ships themselves, dealing only 2d6 
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  points of damage for a light catapult, or 4d6 points of 
  damage for a standard catapult.
  Liquid Ice: This hard, ceramic canister filled with 
  alchemical liquid ice can be used as ammunition in 
  catapults. When it hits its target square, it deals 4d6 
  points of cold damage to each creature within 5 feet of 
  the target space, and each creature must make a DC 20 
  Fortitude save or become entangled for 1 round. Every 
  creature within the area between 5 and 30 feet of the target 
  space must make a DC 20 Fortitude saving throw or take 
  half damage. On a siege engine mishap, this ammunition 
  explodes before it is launched, dealing its damage to all 
  nearby creatures as if one of the spaces of the siege engine 
  (crew leader’s choice) were the target square.
  Plague Bundle: This hard, ceramic canister is filled 
  with a noxious mass of diseased carrion and offal that 
  can be used as ammunition for a catapult. It deals only 
  half damage, but every creature hit by it is exposed to 
  filth fever (Core Rulebook 557). A GM might allow a plague 
  bundle to inflict other diseases.
  Smoke Shot: This hard ceramic sphere contains two 
  alchemical substances separated by a thin barrier, much 
  like a smoke pellet (Advanced Player’s Guide 185) in larger 
  form. It can be used as ammunition in catapults. When 
  smoke shot hits the target space, it deals 2d6 points of 
  damage to any creature in that space, and the substances 
  mingle and then create an area of foul but harmless yellow 
  smoke radiating 30 feet from the target square. Treat the 
  effect as a fog cloud spell. On a siege engine mishap, the 
  ammunition explodes before it is launched. Its effect is 
  centered on one of the spaces of the siege engine (crew 
  leader’s choice).
  shiP statistics
  A vast variety of boats and ships exist in the real world, 
  from small rafts and longboats to intimidating galleons 
  and swift galleys. To represent the numerous distinctions 
  of shape and size that exist between water-going vessels, 
  the following stat blocks categorize several standard 
  ship sizes and their respective statistics, including all 
  water vehicles that characters can purchase in the Core 
  Rulebook. GMs can use or alter the statistics below to 
  create new ships for specific cultures or races to suit the 
  needs of their individual campaigns. All ships have the 
  following traits.
  Name: The name or type of the ship.
  Size and Type: The size and type of the ship.
  Squares: The number of 30-foot squares the ship 
  takes up on the battle mat, followed by the ship’s actual 
  dimensions. A ship’s width is always considered to be 
  one square.
  Cost: The ship’s cost in gp. Sometimes the description 
  or the weapons section provides possible modifications 
  for the ships. These are not included in the cost of the 
  ship, nor are additions like rams or siege engines.
  AC and Hardness: The ship’s base Armor Class and 
  hardness, based on its size, defenses, and its construction 
  material (hardness 5 for most wooden ships). To calculate 
  the ship’s actual AC, add the current pilot’s sailing skill 
  modifier (or Wisdom modifier, if she is using that ability 
  to drive the ship) to the ship’s base AC. Touch attacks 
  against a ship ignore its pilot’s sailing skill or ability 
  modifier; thus a ship’s base AC is its touch AC. A ship is 
  never considered flat-footed. If the ship is not in motion, 
  it has an effective Dexterity of 0 (–5 penalty to AC), and an 
  additional –2 penalty to its AC.
  hp: The ship’s total hit points. A ship that takes 
  damage in excess of half its total hit points gains the 
  broken condition. At 0 or fewer hit points, a ship gains 
  the sinking condition. A ship that sinks completely is 
  considered destroyed. Ships do not have ability scores, 
  and are immune to ability score damage or drain. They 
  are also immune to bleed damage. Unlike other objects, 
  ships do not take half damage from energy attacks, but do 
  take half damage from all ranged weapons except siege 
  engines. This line also lists the total hit points for the 
  ship’s oars and sails, if any.
  Base Save: The ship’s base save modifier. All of the 
  ship’s saving throws (Fortitude, Reflex, and Will) have 
  the same value. To determine a ship’s actual saving throw 
  modifiers, add half the pilot’s sailing skill modifier (or 
  half the pilot’s Wisdom modifier) to the ship’s base saving 
  throw. A ship is immune to most effects that require a 
  Will saving throw (though pilots, crew members, and 
  passengers typically are not). 
  Maximum Speed: This is the fastest that a ship 
  can move. When a ship has more than one means of 
  propulsion, it may also have more than one maximum 
  speed. If a ship has sails, it can move at double its 
  maximum wind propulsion speed when it moves in the 
  direction of the wind.
  Acceleration: This is how fast a ship can increase its 
  speed each round. It also determines the maximum 
  amount a ship can safely decelerate each round.
  CMB and CMD: The ship’s base CMB and CMD. To 
  calculate the ship’s actual CMB and CMD, add the current 
  pilot’s sailing skill modifier (or Wisdom modifier, if she 
  is using that ability to drive the ship) to the ship’s base 
  CMB. A ship is never considered flat-footed. If the ship is 
  not in motion, it has an effective Dexterity of 0 (–5 penalty 
  to CMD), and an additional –2 penalty to its CMD.
  Ramming Damage: The base damage dealt by the ship 
  on a successful ramming attack (without a ram).
  Propulsion: The types of propulsion used by the ship.
  Sailing Check: The skills typically used to make a 
  sailing check with this type of ship.
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  Control Device: The typical control device the pilot 
  uses to steer the ship.
  Means of Propulsion: The actual means and amount of 
  propulsion used to move the ship.
  Crew: This is the minimum number of crew members 
  needed to move the ship, in addition to the pilot. If a ship 
  uses muscle propulsion, the number and size of creatures 
  providing the propulsion are listed here as well. Any crew 
  required to operate a ship’s siege engines is in addition to 
  this number.
  Decks: The usual number of decks on a ship and any 
  important information about those decks is given in 
  this section.
  Cargo/Passengers: The amount of cargo (in tons) a ship 
  can hold, as well as the number of non-crew passengers 
  it can carry.
  Galley
  Colossal ship
  Squares 4 (20 ft. by 130 ft.); Cost 30,000 gp
  DEFENSE
  AC 2; Hardness 5
  hp 1,560 (oars 1,400, sails 320)
  Base Save +8
  OFFENSE
  Maximum Speed 60 ft. (muscle), 60 ft. (wind), or 120 ft. 
  (muscle and wind); Acceleration 30 ft.
  CMB +8; CMD 18
  Ramming Damage 8d8
  STATISTICS
  Propulsion muscle, wind, or current
  Sailing Check Diplomacy or Intimidate (when using muscle); 
  Profession (sailor) (when using wind or current)
  Control Device tiller
  Means of Propulsion 140 oars, 80 squares of sails (two masts)
  Crew 200 (60+140 Medium rowers)
  Decks 3
  Cargo/Passengers 150 tons/250 passengers
  One of the largest sailing ships on the sea, a galley has 
  70 oars on either side. A galley can be any large ship 
  that primarily relies on oars for propulsion, but also 
  contains one to three masts with sails. Galleys typically 
  stick close to the coast, as long ocean voyages are risky in 
  such vessels. This stat block can be used to represent a 
  variety of historical galleys, from biremes and triremes 
  to galliots and dromons.
  Weapons: Up to 40 Large direct-fire siege engines in 
  banks of 20 positioned on the port and starboard sides 
  of the ship, or up to 12 Huge direct-fire siege engines in 
  banks of six on the port and starboard sides of the ship. 
  These siege engines may only fire out the sides of the 
  ship that they are positioned on and cannot fire toward 
  the forward or aft sides of the ship. These siege engines 
  cannot be used while the galley is being rowed. 
  For an additional 8,000 gp, a galley can be fitted with 
  a ram and castles with firing platforms fore, aft, and 
  amidships. Each of these firing platforms can hold a 
  single Large or Huge direct-fire or indirect-fire siege 
  engine. Siege engines on the fore and aft firing platforms 
  can be swiveled to fire out the sides of the ship or either 
  forward or aft, depending on their position. A siege 
  engine on the amidships can be swiveled to fire out 
  either side of the ship.
  Junk
  Colossal ship
  Squares 3 (20 ft. by 75 ft.) Cost 15,000 gp
  DEFENSE
  AC 2; Hardness 5
  hp 900 (sails 360)
  Base Save +6
  OFFENSE
  Maximum Speed 90 ft. (wind); Acceleration 30 ft.
  CMB +8; CMD 18
  Ramming Damage 8d8
  STATISTICS
  Propulsion wind or current
  Sailing Check Profession (sailor)
  Control Device tiller
  Means of Propulsion 90 squares of sails (three masts)
  Crew 10
  Decks 2
  Cargo/Passengers 100 tons/100 passengers
  This flat-bottomed sailing ship from Tian Xia has two 
  or three masts with junk-rigged sails, allowing it to 
  be easily sailed by a small crew. Junks typically have a 
  high poop deck and a flat bottom with no keel, and so 
  rely on daggerboards, leeboards, or large rudders for 
  stability. A junk’s hull is divided into several watertight 
  compartments, like a stalk of bamboo, which strengthen 
  the hull and slow flooding. Junks are capable of ocean 
  travel, and have a waterborne speed of 2 miles per hour 
  or 48 miles per day.
  Weapons: Up to 12 Large direct-fire or indirect-fire 
  siege engines in banks of six positioned on the port and 
  starboard sides of the ship, or up to four Huge direct-fire 
  siege engines in banks of two on the port and starboard 
  sides of the ship. These siege engines may only fire out 
  the sides of the ship that they are positioned on and 
  cannot fire toward the forward or aft sides of the ship.
  In addition, up to two Large direct-fire or indirect-fire 
  siege engines may be positioned one each on the forward 
  and aft sides of the ship (one Huge direct-fire or indirect-
  fire siege engine may be positioned on the aft side of the 
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  ship instead, but the forward side can only fit a Large 
  siege weapon). These siege engines can be swiveled to 
  fire out either side of the ship, or either forward or aft, 
  depending on their position.
  Keelboat
  Gargantuan ship
  Squares 2 (15 ft. by 50 ft.) Cost 3,000 gp
  DEFENSE
  AC 6; Hardness 5
  hp 600 (oars 80, sails 80)
  Base Save +4
  OFFENSE
  Maximum Speed 30 ft. (muscle), 30 ft. (wind), or 60 ft. (muscle 
  and wind); Acceleration 30 ft.
  CMB +4; CMD 14
  Ramming Damage 4d8
  STATISTICS
  Propulsion muscle, wind, or current
  Sailing Check Diplomacy or Intimidate (when using muscle); 
  Profession (sailor) (when using wind or current)
  Control Device tiller
  Means of Propulsion 8 oars, 20 squares of sails (one mast)
  Crew 15 (7+8 Medium rowers)
  Decks 1
  Cargo/Passengers 50 tons/100 passengers
  This flat-bottomed ship has a few oars to supplement 
  its single mast with a square sail. It can make both sea 
  and river voyages. Keelboats are designed to carry cargo, 
  rather than for fighting. Types of keelboats include the 
  cog, hoy, hulk, karve, and knarr.
  Weapons: One Large direct-fire or indirect-fire siege 
  engine positioned on the forward or aft side of the ship. 
  This siege engine can be swiveled to fire out either side of 
  the ship, or either forward or aft, depending on its position.
  Longship
  Colossal ship
  Squares 3 (15 ft. by 75 ft.) Cost 10,000 gp
  DEFENSE
  AC 2; Hardness 5
  hp 675 (oars 400, sails 120)
  Base Save +5
  OFFENSE
  Maximum Speed 30 ft. (muscle), 60 ft. (wind), or 90 ft. (muscle 
  and wind); Acceleration 30 ft.
  CMB +8; CMD 18
  Ramming Damage 8d8
  STATISTICS
  Propulsion muscle, wind, or current
  Sailing Check Diplomacy or Intimidate (when using muscle); 
  Profession (sailor) (when using wind or current)
  Control Device tiller
  Means of Propulsion 40 oars, 30 squares of sails (one mast)
  Crew 50 (10+40 Medium rowers)
  Decks 1 (with small cargo area under the deck)
  Cargo/Passengers 50 tons/100 passengers
  This long and relatively narrow boat has a single mast 
  with a square sail and 40 oars. It can traverse lakes, 
  oceans, and deep rivers. This stat block can be used to 
  represent Norse longships such as the karvi, snekkja, and 
  skei, as well as the balinger and birlinn.
  Weapons: Up to two Large direct-fire or indirect-fire 
  siege engines positioned one each on the forward and aft 
  sides of the ship. These siege engines can be swiveled to 
  fire out either side of the ship, or either forward or aft, 
  depending on their position.
  Raft
  Large ship
  Squares 1 (10 ft. by 10 ft.) Cost —
  DEFENSE
  AC 9; Hardness 5
  hp 30 (oars 20)
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  OFFENSE
  Maximum Speed 30 ft. (muscle); Acceleration 30 ft.
  CMB +1; CMD 11
  Ramming Damage 1d8
  STATISTICS
  Propulsion muscle or current
  Sailing Check Diplomacy or Intimidate (when using muscle); 
  Profession (sailor) (when using current)
  Control Device oars
  Means of Propulsion 2 oars
  Crew 1 (the pilot, who is also a rower, plus up to 3 additional 
  Medium rowers)
  Decks 1
  Cargo/Passengers 1,000 pounds/up to 3 passengers (a raft 
  can carry a total of 4 Medium creatures, either as crew or 
  passengers)
  The most basic and primitive type of ship, a raft is a 
  simple, flat boat with no hull, often made of logs lashed 
  together, using two to four oars for propulsion. Rafts are 
  not designed for ocean travel. A raft cannot carry any 
  siege engines.
  Rowboat
  Large ship
  Squares 1 (5 ft. by 10 ft.) Cost 50 gp
  DEFENSE
  AC 9; Hardness 5
  hp 60 (oars 20)
  Base Save +1
  OFFENSE
  Maximum Speed 30 ft. (muscle); Acceleration 30 ft.
  CMB +1; CMD 11
  Ramming Damage 1d8
  STATISTICS
  Propulsion muscle or current
  Sailing Check Diplomacy or Intimidate (when using muscle); 
  Profession (sailor) (when using current)
  Control Device oars
  Means of Propulsion 2 to 4 oars
  Crew 1 (the pilot, who is also a rower, plus up to 1 additional 
  Medium rower)
  Decks 1
  Cargo/Passengers 1,000 pounds/up to 3 passengers (a 
  rowboat can carry a total of 4 Medium creatures, either as 
  crew or passengers)
  This small boat has two to four oars and is primarily 
  used to ferry a few passengers across small areas of water 
  such as a harbor, stream, or small lake. Larger ships use 
  rowboats as tenders or lifeboats. A rowboat cannot carry 
  any siege engines. This stat block can be used to represent 
  any of a number small open boats propelled by oars, such 
  as dinghies, dories, skiffs, and wherries.
  Sailing Ship
  Colossal ship
  Squares 3 (30 ft. by 90 ft.) Cost 10,000 gp
  DEFENSE
  AC 2; Hardness 5
  hp 1,620 (sails 360)
  Base Save +6
  OFFENSE
  Maximum Speed 90 ft. (wind); Acceleration 30 ft.
  CMB +8; CMD 18
  Ramming Damage 8d8
  STATISTICS
  Propulsion wind or current
  Sailing Check Profession (sailor)
  Control Device steering wheel
  Means of Propulsion 90 squares of sails (three masts)
  Crew 20
  Decks 2 or 3
  Cargo/Passengers 150 tons/120 passengers
  This massive sailing ship has one to four masts (usually 
  two or three) with either square or lateen sails. Often they 
  have raised forecastles and sterncastles. Sailing ships are 
  primarily used for ocean travel. Most merchant ships, 
  and many military and pirate vessels are sailing ships 
  of one type or another. Sailing ships come in a variety 
  of different designs, including barques, brigantines, 
  caravels, carracks, larger cogs, frigates, galleons, 
  schooners, sloops, and xebecs. A sailing ship with four 
  masts and outfitted with siege engines is often known as 
  a man-o’-war.
  Weapons: Up to 20 Large direct-fire siege engines in 
  banks of 10 positioned on the port and starboard sides 
  of the ship, or up to six Huge direct-fire siege engines in 
  banks of three on the port and starboard sides of the ship. 
  These siege engines may only fire out the sides of the 
  ship that they are positioned on and cannot fire toward 
  the forward or aft sides of the ship.
  In addition, up to two Large or one Huge direct-fire or 
  indirect-fire siege engine may be positioned on both the 
  forecastle and sterncastle of the ship. These siege engines 
  can be swiveled to fire out the sides of the ship or either 
  forward or aft, depending on their position.
  Ship’s Boat
  Large ship
  Squares 1 (10 ft. by 20 ft.) Cost 500 gp
  DEFENSE
  AC 9; Hardness 5
  hp 120 (oars 60, sails 40)
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  OFFENSE
  Maximum Speed 30 ft. (muscle or wind); Acceleration 30 ft.
  CMB +1; CMD 11
  Ramming Damage 1d8
  STATISTICS
  Propulsion muscle, wind, or current
  Sailing Check Diplomacy or Intimidate (when using muscle); 
  Profession (sailor) (when using wind or current)
  Control Device oars
  Means of Propulsion 6 oars, 10 squares of sails (one mast)
  Crew 4 to 10 Medium rowers
  Decks 1
  Cargo/Passengers 2 tons/up to 12 passengers (depending 
  on size, a ship’s boat can carry up to a total of 16 Medium 
  creatures, either as crew or passengers)
  Ship’s boats are usually carried on the decks of larger 
  ships to use as tenders to ferry passengers and cargo 
  from ship to shore or between ships. Some ship’s boats 
  are reserved for the use of officers, while others are used 
  as landing craft or to carry boarding parties. An average 
  ship’s boat is 16 to 24 feet long (though the largest ship’s 
  boats can be upward of 30 feet long) and has anywhere 
  from four to 10 oars as well as a single mast with a 
  square or lateen sail. A ship’s boat has a waterborne 
  speed of 2 miles per hour or 20 miles per day. A ship’s 
  boat cannot carry any siege engines. This stat block can 
  be used to represent any of several types of ship’s boats, 
  such as cutters, gigs, jolly boats, launches, longboats, 
  or pinnaces, as well as other small, open boats such as 
  faerings, sampans, and whaleboats.
  Warship
  Colossal ship
  Squares 4 (20 ft. by 100 ft.) Cost 25,000 gp
  DEFENSE
  AC 2; Hardness 10
  hp 1,200 (oars 600, sails 320)
  Base Save +7
  OFFENSE
  Maximum Speed 60 ft. (muscle), 30 ft. (wind), or 90 ft. (muscle 
  and wind); Acceleration 30 ft.
  CMB +8; CMD 18
  Ramming Damage 8d8
  STATISTICS
  Propulsion muscle, wind, or current
  Sailing Check Diplomacy or Intimidate (when using muscle); 
  Profession (sailor) (when using wind or current)
  Control Device tiller
  Means of Propulsion 60 oars, 40 squares of magically-treated 
  sails (one mast)
  Crew 80 (20+60 Medium rowers)
  Decks 2
  Cargo/Passengers 50 tons/160 passengers
  This ship is crafted of reinforced wood with a single 
  mast and magically treated sails, although oars can 
  also propel it.  A warship is used for short-distance 
  forays and troop deployment, as it does not have cargo 
  space to carry supplies for large numbers of passengers 
  over a long distance. Like galleys, warships are not 
  designed for sea voyages and tend to stick close to the 
  coast. A warship is not used for cargo. The largest Norse 
  longships, called drekar or drakkar, as well as very large 
  galleys such as galleasses and lantern galleys, are all 
  considered warships.
  Weapons: Up to 20 Large direct-fire siege engines in 
  banks of 10 are positioned on the port and starboard sides 
  of the ship, or up to six Huge direct-fire siege engines 
  in banks of three on the ship’s port and starboard sides. 
  These siege engines may only fire out the sides of the 
  ship that they are positioned on and cannot fire toward 
  the forward or aft sides of the ship. These siege engines 
  cannot be used while the warship is being rowed. 
  For an additional 8,000 gp, a warship can be fitted 
  with a ram and castles with firing platforms fore, aft, 
  and amidships. Each of these firing platforms can hold 
  a single Large or Huge direct-fire or indirect-fire siege 
  engine. Siege engines on the fore and aft firing platforms 
  can be swiveled to fire out the sides of the ship or either 
  forward or aft, depending on their position. A siege 
  engine on the amidships can be swiveled to fire out 
  either side of the ship.
  shiP modifications
  Not all ships are created equally. Players looking for 
  a ship that is faster, tougher, or more agile might 
  consider adding modifications to their vessels. Each 
  of the following ship improvements must be planned, 
  built, or installed (as appropriate) by someone with the 
  Craft (ships) skill or other skill or feat, as described in 
  the Requirements line. In order to alter a ship with one 
  of the following modifications, the shipwright must 
  make a skill check, with the final DC dependent upon 
  the overall complexity of the desired modification. A 
  failed check means that this particular ship-builder 
  is unable to install that feature, though 1/2 of the cost 
  of the feature is nonetheless expended on wasted parts. 
  Another shipwright must be consulted to complete the 
  work, but the DC for his check is increased by 2 if any 
  previous modifications were made by another shipwright 
  (different builders have different techniques).
  Ship improvementS
  The following ship improvements can be added to a ship.
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  Additional Crew Quarters: This translates into more 
  space for a ship’s sailors to sleep and eat. The ship may 
  support 10% more passengers, but its cargo capacity is 
  decreased by 10%.
  Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 22
  Cost: 20% of base ship cost
  Armor Plating: By attaching metal plates to the 
  ship, the hull’s hit points are increased by +15% and its 
  hardness is increased by +4. This modification reduces 
  a ship’s cargo capacity by 15%. The armor plating slows 
  the ship, imposing a –1 penalty on all sailing checks. 
  The ship’s tactical speed in ship-to-ship combat is not 
  affected, but its waterborne speed is reduced by 20%.
  Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 28
  Cost: 30% of base ship cost
  Broad Rudder: A wide rudder makes a ship more 
  nimble, granting a +1 bonus on all sailing checks.
  Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 16
  Cost: 500 gp
  Concealed Weapon Port: The ship’s belowdecks area 
  undergoes major reconstruction in order to house 
  Large direct-fire siege engines, such as light ballistae or 
  cannons, if they are in use in the campaign. A concealed 
  weapon port can only be recognized on a successful DC 
  15 Perception check. Each concealed port reduces a ship’s 
  cargo capacity by 5 tons, in addition to the space required 
  by the weapon itself.
  Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 16
  Cost: 100 gp per port (in addition to the cost of the weapons)
  Extended Keel: The ship’s keel is longer than usual 
  for a vessel of its type. The ship’s measurements from 
  bow to stern are 10% longer than normal, though cargo 
  capacity is not appreciably affected. The ship is more 
  stable, and grants a +1 bonus on all sailing checks. This 
  improvement must be installed at the time of the ship’s 
  construction and cannot be added later.
  Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 19
  Cost: 10% of base ship cost
  Figurehead: Some ships sport fanciful carvings 
  on their bowsprits. This modification is strictly 
  cosmetic, with no real impact on game play. Players 
  are encouraged to design their own custom 
  figureheads, such as dolphins, mermaids, and 
  other such creatures of myth.
  Requirements: Craft (carpentry) or 
  Craft (sculptures) DC 10
  Cost: 100–1,000 gp, depending 
  on the port and the craftsman
  Glass Bottom: The bottom of the 
  ship is inset with wide windows, permitting those 
  inside to gaze into the ocean. This has no effect on ship 
  performance, other than making the ship’s bottom only as 
  strong as thick glass (hardness 1, hp 3, Break DC 8).
  Requirements: Craft (glass) DC 19
  Cost: 5% of base ship cost
  Increased Cargo Capacity: An efficient remodeling of 
  the ship’s layout means more room for the ship’s stores. 
  The ship’s cargo capacity is increased by 10%.
  Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 22
  Cost: 15% of base ship cost
  Magically Treated Control Device: The ship’s steering 
  wheel or tiller is magically treated, doubling its hit points 
  and hardness. This improvement can only be added by a 
  spellcaster with the Craft Wondrous Item feat.
  Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, Craft (ships) DC 15
  Cost: 1,000 gp
  Magically Treated Hull: The ship’s hull is magically 
  treated, doubling the ship’s hit points and hardness. This 
  improvement can only be added by a spellcaster with the 
  Craft Wondrous Item feat.
  Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, Craft (ships) DC 15
  Cost: 4,500 gp per square of ship
  Magically Treated Oars: The ship’s oars are magically 
  treated, doubling their hit points and hardness. This 
  improvement can only be added by a spellcaster with the 
  Craft Wondrous Item feat.
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  Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, Craft (carpentry) 
  or Craft (ships) DC 15
  Cost: 100 gp per oar
  Magically Treated Sails: The ship’s sails are magically 
  treated, doubling their hit points and hardness. This 
  improvement can only be added by a spellcaster with the 
  Craft Wondrous Item feat.
  Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, Craft (sails) DC 15
  Cost: 500 gp per 5-foot-square of sails
  Movable Deck: The features of the ship’s decks are 
  designed to be moved in order to disguise the ship as 
  an altogether different vessel. After pulling up dozens 
  of kingpins, the crew can slide the sterncastle forward 
  on hidden rails, rearrange the position of the masts, 
  extend the gunwales, lower the poop deck, transfer the 
  ship’s wheel, and make other cosmetic changes such as 
  a new figurehead and different-colored sails. The secret 
  pins, levers, and tracks can only be found with a DC 20 
  Perception check during a close examination of the ship.
  Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 28
  Cost: 40% of base ship cost
  Narrow Hull: The ship has been intentionally designed 
  with a more slender hull, enabling it to slip through 
  smaller spaces. The ship’s beam (width) is decreased by 
  20%, and cargo capacity is reduced by 10%. However, 
  the ship gains a +2 bonus on all sailing checks. This 
  improvement must be installed at the time of the ship’s 
  construction and cannot be added later.
  Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 22
  Cost: 15% of base ship cost
  Ram: The ship bears a standard ram, usually sheathed in 
  bronze or iron, mounted on its bow. A ship equipped with 
  a ram deals an additional 2d8 points of damage with a 
  ramming maneuver, and ignores the damage for the first 
  square it enters of a solid object, and all damage from 
  ramming creatures or other objects (such as other ships).
  Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 10
  Cost: 50 gp (Large ship), 100 gp (Huge ship), 300 gp 
  (Gargantuan ship), or 1,000 gp (Colossal ship)
  Rapid-Deploy Sails: The ship’s rigging undergoes 
  a wholesale change as improvements in engineering 
  enable the sails to be raised and lowered much faster than 
  normal. Any sail adjustments can be made in half the 
  normal time, granting a +1 bonus on all sailing checks.
  Requirements: Craft (sails) or Knowledge (engineering) 
  DC 25
  Cost: 10% of base ship cost
  Silk Sails: Few ship improvements are as beautiful as 
  the addition of silk sails. These sails can be designed 
  in whatever color the player desires; they are often 
  embroidered with striking images of the sea. Such sails 
  are usually imported from faraway lands. Silk sails give 
  the ship superior rates of movement, as they capture 
  and displace the wind more efficiently. A ship with silk 
  sails gains a +1 bonus on opposed sailing checks to gain 
  the upper hand. The ship’s tactical speed in ship-to-
  ship combat is not affected, but its waterborne speed is 
  increased by 10%.
  Requirements: Craft (sails) DC 16
  Cost: 15% of base ship cost
  Smuggling Compartments: The ship’s bulkheads are 
  modified so that gaps between them can serve as hidden 
  cargo storage areas. This does not change a ship’s cargo 
  capacity. A smuggling compartment can hold anything that 
  fits within a 5-foot cubic space. If you are using the plunder 
  rules (see “The Life of a Pirate” in Pathfinder Adventure Path 
  #55 for details on the plunder system), in general, two 
  smuggling compartments are required to hold 1 point of 
  plunder. A DC 20 Perception check is required to locate 
  smuggling compartments in a search of the ship.
  Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 19
  Cost: 500 gp per 5-foot-square compartment
  Sturdy Hull: The ship’s body has had additional 
  supports and layers of wood added to it, making it thicker 
  and more resilient. The hull’s hardness is increased by 2, 
  but the ship’s cargo capacity is reduced by 10%.
  Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 16
  Cost: 10% of base ship cost
  Wooden Plating: For protection during naval combat, 
  this ship has received additional wooden planks nailed to 
  its hull. The hull’s hit points are increased by 5% and its 
  hardness is increased by 2. However, this reduces cargo 
  capacity by 10% as extra room must be made inside for 
  beams to support the reinforcements. The ship’s tactical 
  speed in ship-to-ship combat is not affected, but its 
  waterborne speed is reduced by 10%.
  Requirements: Craft (ships) DC 25
  Cost: 20% of base ship cost
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  Ship Counters
  © 2012 Paizo Publishing, LLC. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.
  
  Ship Name
  Campaign
  total crew
  cargo cap
  Ship Type
  Sailing Check
  Ship Sheet
  Total
  current hp
  HP
  CMB
  CMD
  armor class
  AC
  touch
  AC
  hardness
  WEAPON
  ATTACK BONUS
  DAMAGE
  RANGE
  CREW
  AIM
  LOAD
  TYPE
  AMMUNITION
  CRITICAL
  WEAPON
  ATTACK BONUS
  DAMAGE
  RANGE
  CREW
  AIM
  LOAD
  TYPE
  AMMUNITION
  CRITICAL
  WEAPON
  ATTACK BONUS
  DAMAGE
  RANGE
  CREW
  AIM
  LOAD
  TYPE
  AMMUNITION
  CRITICAL
  WEAPON
  ATTACK BONUS
  DAMAGE
  RANGE
  CREW
  AIM
  LOAD
  TYPE
  AMMUNITION
  CRITICAL
  sails/
  oars
  max 
  speed
  ramming 
  damage
  accel.
  saves
  plunder
  infamy
  disrepute
   cargo/passengers/impositions
  initiative
  SHIP IMPROVEMENTS
  OFFICERS
  POSITION
  NAME
  CREW
  NAME
  JOB
  © 2012 Paizo Publishing, LLC. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/Adventure Paths/PF055-060 - Skull & Shackles/Skull & Shackles - Player's Guide.pdf