Ship Captain
The master of a registered vessel: a spacer who earned or bought a captain's chair.
A Ship Captain is the licensed master of a registered vessel: a cargo hauler, a passenger liner, a survey ship, or a private yacht. They are the verse's working professionals: skilled, experienced, and operating under the constant pressure of maintenance costs, fuel prices, and Confederation regulations. They are not criminals, not soldiers, and not heroes -- they are spacers who happen to be in charge.
A Captain is an elite encounter on their ship and a moderate one on the ground. They are skilled pilots and administrators, but not fighters. The lever is the ship -- a Captain without a ship is a spacer without a livelihood.
Rules Reference
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abilities / Cha | 14 |
| Abilities / Con | 12 |
| Abilities / Dex | 12 |
| Abilities / Int | 16 |
| Abilities / Str | 10 |
| Abilities / Wis | 14 |
| Armor Class | 14 |
| Base Attack Bonus | 3 |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Flat Ac | 13 |
| Hd Count | 4 |
| Hd Sides | 8 |
| Hit Dice | 4d8+4 |
| Hit Points | 22 |
| Hp Bonus | 4 |
| Initiative | 2 |
| Languages | Trade Cant; Core Standard; one Rim dialect; shipboard code; Confederation shipping regulations (fluent) |
| Morale | Steady (10); the Captain defends the ship but will surrender if the ship is taken and the crew is safe |
| Psionics | None |
| Role Tags | Pilot, Support, Commander |
| Saves / Fort | 4 |
| Saves / Ref | 4 |
| Saves / Will | 6 |
| Senses | Normal human vision; spacer instincts grant +4 to Notice in shipboard and zero-G environments; passive Perception 14 |
| Size | M |
| Skills / Bureaucracy | 11 |
| Skills / Deception | 8 |
| Skills / Intimidation | 8 |
| Skills / Navigation | 12 |
| Skills / Notice | 10 |
| Skills / Persuasion | 10 |
| Skills / Pilot | 13 |
| Skills / Repair | 9 |
| Skills / Zero Gops | 9 |
| Speed | 30 |
| Threat Rating | 3 |
| Touch Ac | 12 |
| Xp | 300 |
| Dialogue Path | game/dialogue/npc-ship-captain.yaml |
Notes
Full Attack: Ship's Pistol ranged +5 (1d6+1 energy; range 30 ft) or Stun Baton melee +4 (1d6 electric; non-lethal)
Habitat: The bridge of a registered vessel, orbital stations, and Confederation ports. Found navigating, negotiating cargo, or managing the ship. Roll 1d6: 1-2 = Captain on the bridge (navigating, in command), 3-4 = Captain in a station cantina (negotiating, drinking), 5-6 = Captain in a crisis (ship threatened, crew mobilised).
Resistances: Armoured ship-suit (included in AC; vacuum-rated, shipboard-grade), Spacer conditioning (immune to space sickness and zero-G disorientation)
Tactics: The Captain avoids fights, using Ship Authority and Emergency Protocols to control the environment. They rely on the crew for combat and use Navigation Expertise to find escape routes. If the ship is boarded, the Captain uses Emergency Protocols to vent atmosphere or seal compartments. The Captain fights to protect the ship, not to kill.
Treasure: Ship's pistol (200 rek), stun baton (150 rek), armoured ship- suit (300 rek), navigation instruments (500 rek), ship's manifest (cargo, passengers, routes; intelligence value varies), ship (the real treasure; value varies from 20,000-150,000 rek), 3d10 rek in ship's funds, personal effects (a photograph, a navigation chart, a ship's log).
Vulnerabilities: Ship-dependent (the Captain's authority comes from the ship; without it, they are just another spacer), Non-combatant (the Captain has minimal combat training; in a fight they rely on the crew and ship systems), Regulation-bound (the Captain operates under Confederation regulations; breaking them risks the licence)
Attacks
Ship's Pistol
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 5 |
category | ranged |
damage | 1d6+1 |
damageType | energy |
name | Ship's Pistol |
notes | Standard sidearm; the Captain draws only when the ship is threatened |
rangeFt | 30 |
Stun Baton
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 4 |
category | melee |
damage | 1d6 |
damageType | electric |
name | Stun Baton |
notes | Non-lethal; used for shipboard discipline |
Special Abilities
Ship Authority
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | passive |
name | Ship Authority |
description: The Captain has absolute authority on their vessel. The Captain gains +4 to Persuasion and Intimidation on their own ship, and can command the ship's systems (doors, alarms, gravity, ventilation) with a standard action. Player-visible: the Captain speaks, and the ship responds.
Crew Loyalty
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | passive |
name | Crew Loyalty |
description: The Captain's crew (1d4+1 generic spacers) will defend the ship and the Captain. The crew gains +2 to attack rolls when defending the ship and will not abandon the Captain unless the ship is destroyed. Player-visible: the crew does not run. They stand behind the Captain.
Emergency Protocols
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Full-round (1/encounter) |
name | Emergency Protocols |
description: The Captain activates the ship's emergency systems. Choose one: seal all doors (trapping creatures in compartments), vent atmosphere in one compartment (DC 14 Fort or Stunned for 1 round), or activate fire suppression (all fire damage in the ship is halved for 1d4 rounds). Player-visible: the Captain hits a console, and the ship obeys.
Navigation Expertise
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Standard |
name | Navigation Expertise |
description: The Captain calculates an escape route, a shortcut, or a hazard bypass. The Captain makes a DC 15 Wayfinding check; success grants the party +4 to the next Pilot check or reveals a hidden route. Player-visible: the Captain studies the charts, mutters, and points to a line nobody else saw.