Harbor master? Just get me off this crazy island!

The ship captain won't take you off deathwater island unless you got a ticket from a harbor master.... so maybe put a harbor master there to buy tickets from? Or allow the captain to take money directly?

Forward planning..... you need to plan your return route before heading to Deathwater .... I always thought it was one of those quirks of travel by sea... Like how the ship will drop you in Alatha (or close to it) but not pick you up ...

Maybe, but it's very unrealistic that the guy would refuse a passenger willing to pay him good money just because said passenger didn't have a piece of paper.

(and... you don't plan farstep potions :-P )

True ... the entire process could possibly be looked at... at the very least the good captain could have a dialogue option that opens "the harbour masters store".... the system wouldn't need to change all that much to accommodate this ((you just buy the passage papers direct then speak to him again to initiate the sailing part)) ....

... and then we could do away completely with the harbour master offices, the harbour masters and thier dialogue ... cut out the middle man, so to speak ..... ....

... The "destination information bulletins" could also be moved to actually be on the ship ... ....