On pirate ships there is no formal chain of command. There's the Captain, the First Mate and maybe someone recognized as the unofficial Second Mate, but everyone else on the crew is more or less equal. One thing they do have is the power to vote out the Captain if they feel he is not benefiting their best interests and it is within their right to mutiny should the Captain refuse to abide the vote to remove him. However, there are crewmen with certain responsibilities who are recognized as "officers", and since officers get a bigger share of the plunder than ordinary hands, titles are often quickly snapped up. But with more responsibility comes greater punishment for dereliction of duty. You can make up any title you like (such as Keeper of Lemons). The actual ranks and titles are decided by the Captain but here are the more common ranks you will find aboard pirate ships.
Before we get to that, an explanation on shares. Crew get one share of the plunder, officers and captains get well....more. So says the pirate code. Although you don't have to stick to the code, and the Captain can get as many shares of the loot as he likes, it's not something that tends to make them popular among their men. It varies from ship to ship, but the general idea is the same. Crew generally get one share, officers get more and the Captain gets the most.
Slave: Someone serving against their will, either sold or forced into slavery, probably owned by the Captain or another officer. Most likely kept for sexual purposes, but some can be made to do the dangerous work. It is not common, but it's not unheard of either. As they are slaves, they are not entitled to any share of the plunder. A ship with slaves serving aboard is probably captained by a very bad person.
Cabin Boy/Girl: The lowest ranking official members of the crew and help with anything that their higher ranks ask of them. They will often be assigned to kitchen work and cleaning of the ship. The pirate equivalent of an internship. Not entitled to any shares.
Stowaway: Someone who snuck aboard without anyone noticing. Perhaps they were caught and made to serve (if the Captain was feeling generous) or someone who was able to mingle in with the crew with no one the wiser. In both cases, as part of the crew they are entitled to the standard crew share.
Swabbie: The lowest-ranking official members of the crew. They have either volunteered or were press-ganged into service. Their main responsibility is to keep the decks and outside hull clean, and to be the first to attack during a raid They're cannon fodder, basically but there have been many instances where swabbies have proved themselves salty and rose to become Captains. Entitled to the standard share.
Deckhand: The rank and file grunts of any pirate ship. These crew are mostly volunteers, but others are press-ganged. A little more respected than Swabbies and not given the crap work that is usually foisted on the swabbies. Many pirate captains started out as deckhands. Deckhands are the warriors of the ship and they are the ones who press-gang others. Entitled to the standard share.
Lookout: The Lookout is a Swabbie or Deckhand assigned with standing in the crow's nest and alerts the crew of what's in sight. Whether it be a port or another ship. A more dangerous job than it sounds, because on ships that are configured that way, he or she is required to climb up the side of the airbag and brave the high altitude winds in order to reach the crow's nest which means for most of the trip up there is nothing separating them from The Big Plunge. Entitled to the standard share.
Gunner: Responsible for the upkeep of the weapons as well as being responsible for manning, loading and firing the cannons and other guns such as Steam Gatlings, Lightning Cannons and Harpoons. Entitled to the standard share.
Cook: Works in the Galley, the cook is the one who feeds the memebers of the crew and in some cases they take care of the injured if there is no Medic aboard. The cook will often have a cabin boy as an assistant.
Boatswain's Mate The equivalent of a petty officer or warrant officer and is the lowest ranking of the officer ranks. In charge of a ship's rigging, moorings, cables and deck crew. Entitled to the officer share.
Helmsman/Woman: Also commonly known as the Pilot (the terms are interchangeable), The crewman who stands at the helm and steers the ship. Entitled to the officer share.
Quartermaster:: They have charge of the hold for stowage, rummaging and trimming the ship in hold. They also have the job of making sure that there are no stowaways aboard the ship when it sets off. Entitled to the officer share.
Armory Officer: In charge of maintaining the weapons aboard ship and all matters regarding security and conflicts between crew. Entitled to the Officer's share.
Engineer: Responsible for the maintenance of the ship below the deck level. In charge of maintenance and repair of the ship's mechanics, especially the engines and up to and including repair of the ship's guns and vital components such as the keel and rigging as well as other 'special' modifications the ship may have. An airship cannot keep flying without one. Stories about legendary Skyfolk Engineers working miracles under fire fuel the legends of the Airship Pirates. Entitled to the officer's share.
Medic: The ship's Doctor, in charge of maintaining the health of the crew and patching up wounds and injuries. Human medics are preferred for ships lucky enough to have one, but Automaton doctors very similar to the ones who work in NeoVictorian factories and IAN Frigate sickbays are more likely to be found. If neither are aboard, these duties fall to the ship's cook. Entitled to an officer's share if human, none if Automata.
First Mate: Often serves as both the second in command and the crew's advocate to the Captain. Carries more or less the same duties as the Captain and will take charge if the Captain is not available. Entitled to the officer's share.
Captain: Supreme commander aboard ship. While they call the shots, they also bears the most responsibility. It is they who take the blame when a raid goes wrong and it is he or she who is responsible for making sure food stores, rum and morale are high, and when things go REALLY wrong, it's the Captain's ass that's on the line. A Captain with an unhappy crew will not remain a Captain for long. Entitled to the Captain's share.
Wed Jun 13, 2012 2:12 am