In order to understand how crew roles work, it is important to understand a new system of reward points I am introducing called "Pirate Prestige". This is intended to reward players for playing their roles to the best of their ability, while also promoting proper teamwork. A crew that works together will succeed, and this system is designed to make that process feel very fulfilling. While you can use Inspiration Dice in favor of this system if you don't like it, it is another easy way to balance crew roles by rewarding points to players, which can be used for strengthening their role's abilities and different roleplay elements.
The way this works is fairly simple. Whenever players overcome a difficult challenge, like winning a fight against a mighty enemy pirate, battling a deadly storm on the seas, or simply saving a town from danger, everyone who did well in that situation will gain a point of pirate prestige. However, characters that were absent, didn't want to help the group, or simply complained and caused issues for others shouldn't receive any points. Fighting pointless battles, intentionally running into dangerous situations which have no reward, or simply trying to farm these points will not net the crew any points. At higher levels, you can also choose to elect an MVP character during an event. Players may decide someone in the crew went above and beyond in overcoming a challenge, and give them a large surge of pirate prestige points at the end of the encounter. An MVP may roll a 1d4 at the end of such an event, and gain a number of pirate prestige points equal to the number rolled. A character can have a maximum number of Pirate Prestige points equal to half their character level, rounded up.
Methods of Spending Pirate Prestige
While pirate prestige should be primarily used to benefit the crew as a whole and should heavily reward teamwork, it can also be spent in a few other ways. Stockpiling these points can be rewarding and beneficial to overcoming future challenges. Other uses for pirate prestige is described under "Crew Roles" up next, but these points can be used for anything that the DM deems to be fun or appropriate for roleplay, investigating, or exploration, such as the following abilities:
Pirate Prestige Ability: Locate Quests
When exploring a populated town, city, or village, a character may expend 1 pirate prestige point to locate a random NPC or troubled creature that will provide them with a task to complete (up to the DM to decide the difficulty and reward), without needing to make any skill checks. To use this ability again, a character must complete a long rest.
Pirate Prestige Ability: Find Minor Clue
If a group is stuck on a mission or quest that they need to complete, a character may expend 1 pirate prestige point to ask the DM for a minor hint or clue that may lead them on the right track. This can only be used once per character during any single mission or quest.
Pirate Prestige Ability: Gain Reputation
If a group wants to gain recognition or respect in a single kingdom, village or town, or simply undo their negative reputation, characters may spend 24 hours and 1 pirate prestige point to spread rumors and tales of their deeds and gain 1 point of reputation in that location (explained further in the One Piece D&D 5E DM's guide). A character can only use this ability this way once per location, and a crew can only spend a total of 5 pirate prestige points altogether to gain reputation in a location. A crew cannot use this ability when they only have 1 reputation point in that location.
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