Pirate

There is just something magical about the thought of the ocean breeze blowing past billowing sails, the feel of strong wood beneath one’s feet and the gentle roll and
pitch of the waves as your ship cuts across them in search of fame and fortune. The adventurous, often romantic image of the pirate is a part of our collective psyches, handed to us from historical figures such as Redbeard and Sir Francis rake and the many corsairs and villains who have plied the seas of our imagination. There is something primal about the freedom and untempered bravado pirates possess that inspires us to place them over and over again in song and story.

Heroes of Fantasy
Author August Hahn, Tim Hitchcock, Joseph Miller, Ian Sturrock, John Thompson, Paul Tucker & Patrick Younts
Series Power Classes
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2005

From a roleplaying standpoint, pirates are a wonderful addition to our games. They are fierce, self-reliant characters with a crew of men willing to do their bidding, a ship to call their home that grants them the ultimate mobility to travel as they wish and a licence to do as they please lest someone do it to them first. With pirates come the brotherhood and code of the sea, a form of unwritten law that creates a grand backdrop for adventures of buccaneering and bounty-chasing. Hoist the main sails and batten down the hatches; there’s glory to be had, me mates!

The Pirate

Adventures: A pirate’s life is all about adventure. From his first days as a young cabin boy or foundling during a sea raid through his years as a member of a cutthroat crew to his later glory as the captain of his own scourge of the seas, a pirate lives each day as if it were his last. Living under the shadow of the cutlass and pistol as constant threats, every day just might be his last. Still, this burden is not a hindrance to a true pirate, it is the truth that defines his universe. A single bloody stroke or the roar of thunder might be the last thing on this earth he witnesses, so it is up to him to make sure everything before that death knell be as passionate and enjoyable as possible.

Pirates are almost universally driven by two things – glory and gold. Wealth buys the few pleasures the sea does not grant on her own and fame can make another ship’s crew surrender without a fight. Every time ships clash on the open sea, men die on both sides. It is in a pirate’s best interest not to be one of them and not to lose experienced crewmates needlessly. As the dark prestige of a pirate increases, his missions on the waves become easier; that is just the legacy a man looks for as his years beneath the skull and crossbones grow long.

Characteristics: Three things stand out about a pirate: hard working, hard fighting and hard living. The first might be surprising, as a work ethic is not exactly what one would expect from someone who prowls the seas looking for gold. Life aboard a ship is not easy, as when a storm or a battle erupts, everyone must do their part. Even a ship’s captain is not above being expected to throw his back into whatever needs doing, especially if the men need a strong example to work by. Hard fighting is a given; few opposing crews will willingly surrender their vessels, especially if they already expect to die. Cornered rats fight and so do sailors when pirates swarm their decks. As for hard living, the lifestyle of a pirate does afford certain pleasures, especially when the bounty has been good and the port of call is a friendly one. Drink, dancing and merriment are all part of the life; play today, bleed tomorrow, live to play again!

Alignment: Despite their reputation, not all pirates are evil. Some are desperate men with nothing else to live for and either the threat of death at the hands of the pirate captain he serves or the loss of his entire previous life and only the slim chance of a normal existence in the future. Others are quite taken with the mystique of piracy and wholeheartedly embrace the theft and plunder while refraining from the murderous side of things. Many pirates simply raid and disable, leaving a living crew unable to pursue them as they escape. Law and chaos are subjective concepts, with lawful pirates usually being the ones dedicated to the code of the sea and the obligations of a ‘true’ pirate.

There is one important subset of lawful pirates, the privateers. These are essentially anti-pirates, dedicated to hunting down pirate crews that have gone too far and angered the governments they plague sufficiently enough to send someone after them. Privateers may be knights in their homelands or military officers given command of a warship. They can also simply be ship captains granted the legal authority to dispatch pirates as he encounters them. Pirates and privateers are generally two sides of the same coin, a dark reflection of each other. Few animosities on the ocean are as heated or as prone to extreme violence as the hatred these two groups share for each other.

Religion: On the sea, with nothing in one’s world that is not under direct command, it is easy to feel a bit like a god. As such, few pirates are religious by nature. In contrast, most ship’s crews are. The gods of the ocean, sailors, weather, ill omens, fate and other such things are very important to most crewmen. Appeasing them and making certain all the signs are right can take up a goodly portion of a superstitious crew’s time. Woe betide the captain who does not indulge these little rituals, as few things can incense a crew to mutiny as much a captain who mocks their gods and thus ‘endangers’ their lives.

Background: Pirates can come from anywhere and from any family. Many are orphans, as this separation from society can foster the kinds of resentment that would lead a man to prey on his fellows but just as many come from happy middle and upper class homes. These kinds of pirates have chosen their lifestyle out of boredom, a desire to seek something outside their sedentary lives, or escape an unwelcome marriage or business. No matter the background, pirates usually keep some remnant of the lives they used to lead; their societal mannerisms marking them as nobility or commoners to all those with an eye to see such things.

Races: Pirates can occur among any race with a seagoing tradition or contact with a race that does. Even among races that have no relation to the oceans of the world, there is the occasional rogue member who has found the open water and fallen in love with its promise of boundless freedom and adventure. As such, the crew of a pirate ship in most fantasy settings could have virtually any combination of races comprising its number. While most ships will have a majority of a single race, there could easily be a few members of other types.

On most fantasy worlds, humans are the pre-eminent sailors and thus have the vast majority of pirates among them. Human sailing ships tend to be wide, strong and well-rigged with massive sails and roomy holds. These are perfect both for transporting a sizable pirate army and for holding treasure taken from other vessels. Elves might also find a home aboard such vessels or on their own narrow, elegant, extremely manoeuvrable crafts. Gnomes and Halflings may be counted as auxiliary crew but their racial temperaments do not, on the whole, sit well with the thought of armed piracy and raiding other travellers. Dwarves typically enjoy sailing about half as much as they appreciate having a caltrop shoved through their foot but the rare one who appreciates the lifestyle can be a true terror on the waves.

Odd as it might sound, half-elves and half-orcs are particularly well suited for piracy. Both are often outcasts from the cultures of both their parents, which forces them to find a place that will accept them as people, not as their heritage. Pirates are traditionally very blind to a crewman’s past as long as he will lift a cutlass and tack a sail when the need arises. This level of acceptance, rare for a half breed, can make them dedicated members of any crew open-minded enough to take them in.

Other Classes: The lifestyle of a pirate makes them appealing to fighters and rogues alike. Both classes tend to at least understand them, even if they come at odds during a seagoing raid or in the back alleys of some port town. The accepting nature of pirates for anyone who will work with them or have something useful to contribute makes them ideal, if dangerous, companions. Spellcasters of all kinds are especially prized, especially wizards and sorcerers for their support in combat and clerics for their ability to heal and provide food and water when the ship is days from the nearest port. bards are valuable because of their inspirational abilities and even druids can be prized for their power over the weather. Barbarians, once they get used to the water, can be potent front-line combatants and rangers dedicated to the sea can be lethal twin-weapon fighters. monks are often too far above the venal concerns of piracy to fit in well but those with a reason to do so can be very effective members of the crew. In fact, the only class with a direct opposition to piracy would be the paladin, and these make ideal privateers in the right setting.

Game Rule Information

Abilities: The key ability score for a pirate depends largely on what he intends to excel at and his place in the crew. Dexterity is valuable in any setting where heavy armour is a detriment and allows a pirate to be skillful with ropes, movement in ship’s rigging, and grants access to movement-based feats such as Dodge. Charisma is a must for any pirate who wishes to be a ship’s captain and lead his men into battle on the open seas. Strength is useful for those who see much combat and Constitution will help a pirate survive to plunder another day. Intelligence and Wisdom are not among the most common high ability scores for pirates, though an exceptional captain would do well to excel in both.

• Alignment: Any
• Hit Die: d8

Class Skills

The pirates’ class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Intelligence), Balance (Dexterity), Climb (Strength), Concentration (Constitution), Craft (Intelligence), Escape Artist (Dexterity), Intimidate (Charisma), Intuit Direction (Wisdom), Jump (Strength), Profession (Wisdom), Search (Intelligence), Spot (Wisdom), Tumble (Dexterity), and Use Rope (Dexterity).

• Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Intelligence modifier) x 4
• Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier
• Starting Gold: 2d4 x 10 gp

The Pirate
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	Pirate’s lore – superstition
2nd	+2	+3	+2	+0	Bonus feat
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Uncanny dodge (Dexterity bonus to AC)
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Infamy
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	Bonus feat
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Pirate’s lore – nautical
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	Uncanny dodge (cannot be flanked)
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	–
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Bonus feat
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	The scarlet sign
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	Pirate’s lore – superlative sailing
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	–
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	Bonus feat
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	–
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5	Terror on the waves
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	Pirate’s lore – beloved of the sea
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Bonus feat
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	–
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	–
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	Scourge of the seven seas

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the pirate.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A pirate is proficient with all simple weapons and martial melee weapons. He is proficient with light armour but not shields of any kind. Note that armour check penalties for medium or heavy armour apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armour and equipment carried.

Pirate’s Lore: The seas have a way of gifting those who learn its ways with many secrets. Some are overheard when other crewmates get together to talk and carouse after the day’s work is done, other secrets are whispers that rise above the din in shanty taverns and dark alleys. Regardless of where a pirate learns his lore, it is a valuable part of what makes him who he is. As such, Pirate’s Lore is a jealously-guarded resource and seldom if ever shared with outsiders. Each time a pirate gains a new level of lore, it expands the secrets at his command, making him an even more valuable member of the crew or a vastly more capable captain aboard his own ship. See the Pirate’s Lore section below for more details.

Bonus Feats: The dangerous life of a pirate builds up their skills and abilities far beyond those of normal sailors. Pirates gain bonus feats at 2nd, 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels. These reflect a pirate’s additional training and must be chosen from the following list: Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise (Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Whirlwind Attack ), Combat Reflexes, Dodge (Mobility, Spring Attack), Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Improved Critical, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, lightning reflexes, Point Blank Shot (Far shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run), Quick Draw, Skill Focus, Two-Weapon Fighting (Improved Two-Weapon Fighting), Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus.

Uncanny Dodge: At 3rd level, a pirate retains his Dexterity bonus to Armour Class even when he is flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. This skill comes from being constantly under threat of death while fighting in the confusing and dangerous conditions aboard ship. Only complete immobilisation can negate this ability.

At 7th level, a pirate’s Uncanny Dodge becomes so acute, he can react fully to attackers trying to surround him for an advantage. Pirates of 7th level or greater cannot be flanked, denying multiple attackers any flanking bonus and their ability to Sneak Attack him because of it. A pirate with this ability can be amazing to watch in combat, bounding from rigging to rails and back again in a whirlwind of movement and steel.

Infamy: A pirate begins to develop a reputation after a number of successful raids, so much so that people he has never even encountered have heard of him. At 4th level, this reputation is called Infamy and results in a +1 reaction bonus from any Non-Player Character who would be inclined to react favorably to a pirate and a -1 penalty to any who would react poorly. The pirate also gains a +1 circumstance bonus to all Intimidate checks and his own Will saves versus fear effects.

The Scarlet Sign: At 10th level, a pirate’s infamy and reputation have grown considerably, spreading his name through the area he plagues and along every shore he touches. The bonuses and penalties from Infamy increase to +2/-2 and people familiar with him are prone to treat him well in fear for their own safety or because he has gained a reputation for fair and equitable treatment in return. The nature of the reputation is determined primarily by the way the pirate acts but some elements of infamy are based more on perception and word of mouth than on truth.

At this level, a pirate can also begin cultivating the effects of a personal symbol. Most often painted on a flag or left carved in the decks of plundered ships, this symbol is so synonymous with violence and death that it is often called the Scarlet Sign regardless of its actual form. A pirate may design his own Scarlet Sign or allow the Games Master to have one associated with him but one is always chosen at this level. Whenever a pirate’s Scarlet Sign is visible during combat, all of his allies fight as if under the effects of a bless spell. This is a non-magical morale effect and cannot be dispelled but it is negated instantly if the Scarlet Sign is destroyed during the fighting. The sign can be recreated normally once the combat ends but neither it nor its bonus can be regained in any given battle once lost.

Terror on the Waves: The sight of a 15th level pirate’s Scarlet Sign now acts as a prayer spell for both his allies and his enemies. As with the Scarlet Sign power, this is a non-magical effect, cannot be dispelled and the effects are considered a morale bonus or penalty, not luck. If the Scarlet Sign designated as the focus for this ability is destroyed, the bonuses and penalties are lost immediately. If this occurs, the crewmen of the pirate are so disheartened, they suffer a -1 morale penalty to all attacks and damage rolls until the end of the current combat. A Terror on the Waves adds a +2 circumstance bonus to his Intimidate skill checks.

The pirate’s reputation is so great now that people seek him out in the hope of serving him and sharing in a bit of his glory. This is treated as a virtual Leadership feat gained by the pirate at 15th level. The cohort and followers gained by this feat are loyal to the pirate as long as he continues to conquer his foes and provide the same kind of riches and combat he has become legendary for. If the pirate ever utterly loses a battle or his ship sinks, they will desert him immediately.

Scourge of the Seven Seas: At 20th level, the legend of this pirate becomes so incredible and awe-inspiring, it takes on a life of its own. The bonuses and penalties provided by the Terror of the Wave’s ability increase to +3 and -3 each and are no longer dependent on the display of the Scarlet Sign. Even if the pirate is killed in battle or otherwise vanishes from sight, his name lives on and his crew benefit from a +1 morale bonus to attack, damage and saving throw rolls as long as they fight in his name. A Scourge of the Seven Seas adds a +3 circumstance bonus to his Intimidate checks.

Pirate’s Lore – Secrets Whispered on the Waves

A pirate learns many things while charting his course across the waves of the world. Many of these lessons are reflected in the skills and feats he receives for advancing in levels. Others are a little less tangible but no less important. The following four class features provide a pirate character with valuable information that can have a direct impact on his effectiveness on the open seas. Knowing a given stretch of islands in the Sea of Sorrows shelters a gaggle of harpies can spell the difference between a successful voyage and an ignoble death.

Superstition

The life of a sailor is filled with mysterious and dangerous situations, from rolling fog on the ocean that blocks out the sky to bizarre creatures and magical phenomena. Sailors talk, especially about their fears, and this talk culminates in a vast pool of knowledge any among them can draw from for an anecdote or a terrified sea story at any time. While the information gleaned from these superstitions can never truly be counted on for truth’s sake, a sailor will always have something to say about every little omen, sign, occurrence or mysterious happenstance. Pirates, who spend more time at sea than most dedicated sailors, hear these stories more often than most, building up a vast, if spurious, inner library of lore.

In game terms, this is treated much like bardic Knowledge. A pirate with this power can make a special Superstition check with a bonus equal to his pirate class level plus his Intelligence modifier (positive or negative). Like Bardic Knowledge, this power will not reveal the actual magical properties of magical items or the specifics of creatures or locations, but a successful check will always provide some piece of information regarding the topic at hand. The following examples are representative of what DCs will be needed to recall something the pirate has heard. Keep in mind that while the information will never be blatantly wrong, it may not be terribly helpful.

DC	Type of Knowledge	Examples
10	Common, known by many of your peers or easily learned at any port of call.	The type of creatures or people who live on a frequently-passed island; frequently discussed legends about sea monsters.
20	Uncommon but not unheard of. These superstitions are often talked about in dark corners during hard sea voyages and rarely discussed in the light of day.	The reputation around a particular ship or captain; the truth about a port town with a shrouded history; powerful but mysterious artefacts.
25	Obscure lore, difficult to come by and very rarely spoken of at all.	Knowledge about the hidden past of a specific crewman; the legends surrounding a sea-related magic item.
30	Virtually unheard of, the subject of perhaps one night’s telling under a baleful moon aboard ship or the idle ramblings of a drunk old sailor with no idea of the importance of what he is prattling about.	The complete record of a sailor’s past voyages; the location of an ancient buried treasure; the name of an individual mermaid.

Games Master’s Option: Because of the nature of this lore, a Games Master may wish to make the check for Superstition secretly. If the check fails, the pirate character remembers a legend or rumour but it is a fabrication, one of the many false reports given by drunken sailors with nothing better to talk about. It should always be kept in mind Superstition can only be used to dredge up knowledge about the sea, the people who ply it and things that have become associated with it. The Games Master is the final arbiter over what can be learned with this ability and what cannot.

Nautical

A pirate is expected to know much about the sea and what he can expect to find while sailing for new adventures. This information is vital, as it means the difference between attacking a tempting-looking merchant vessel and getting broadsided by a hidden privateer’s warship. By the time a pirate gains the Pirate’s Lore – Nautical ability, it has become second nature for him to note the truths of all he sees in or around the ocean. This is treated as a combination of Knowledge skills, including local, history, engineering, nature, religion, and geography, but only as they pertain to the areas he travels around. If it is in the sea, on it, or lives near it, a pirate gets a skill check to know of it.

Unlike Superstitions, this is a reliable resource though it does not quite have the wide-reaching scope of the former ability. Instead, if it is knowledge that no one keeps hidden or can be easily learned by a scholar, Pirate’s Lore – Nautical can reveal it to a pirate who wishes to learn. The skill check for using this ability is based on the standard DC for any Knowledge attempt, with a bonus on the roll equal to the pirate’s class level plus his Intelligence modifier (if positive). Failure on this check cannot be rerolled until the pirate has gained another class level or has reason to learn the answer that eluded him.

Superlative Sailing

While this is technically a Lore ability, it has a very practical application. As a pirate grows in his capabilities, he learns little secrets about wind, sail, keels and the ways in which a ship can travel the waves better, faster and with greater agility. While he is a crewman on another ship, these bits of Wisdom are of limited use but, once he gets his own ship or is part of a command staff, he can turn his Lore of Superlative Sailing to great effect. Any ship commanded in whole or in part by a pirate of 11th level or better benefits from his attentions.

While the rules used for sea and ocean travel will vary between campaigns, this ability should always be able to get at least 10% better performance in every aspect of a ship’s travelling statistics. This ability also allows a pirate with it to squeeze 10% more room in his cargo hold and find the space and supplies to handle 10% greater crew capacity than a ship normally provides. In addition, a pirate with this ability can manage his ship with half the normal minimum crew required, though all of his other bonuses are lost if he does so.

Superlative Sailing is completely non-magical, though others who witness it in action may think otherwise. Magical bonuses to any aspect of a ship’s statistics apply as normal, though they are taken into consideration after adjustments for this ability. If the campaign provides for masterwork or superior shipbuilding, a pirate with the Superlative Sailing ability can arrange for such construction at 90% of its listed cost and have the work completed in half the usual time if he is willing and able to supervise the work himself. A representative cannot be chosen for this task; the pirate must be willing to watch over and assist the entire process personally.

Beloved of the Sea

Once a pirate has reached 16th level, he has undertaken many voyages, heard virtually every rumour whispered in the dark and seen things in the waves of the world few have ever glimpsed and lived to tell the tale. These experiences had engendered in him a deep sympathy for the sea and her mysteries, one that is returned by the waters on which he sails. Beloved of the Sea is part Wisdom, part knowledge and part mystical connection between pirate and the depths of the ocean itself. This ability is one from which legends are born; those who possess it and ever show it once to his crew or any witnesses will be known to any pirate with Superstitions on a DC check of 20.

The game mechanics for Beloved of the Sea are fairly simple. A Beloved of the Sea, so long as he is on a ship or personally in contact with a natural body of water more than five miles in diameter, gains access to the clerical Water Domain, receiving its Domain power and its spell list. At 16th level, he gains the ability to cast each of its Domain spells from the 1st through 5th level once per day. Each level beyond this, from 17th through 20th, the pirate gains access to the next spell level until, at 20th, he can cast 1st through 9th level Water Domain spells once each per day as an extraordinary ability and a full round action.

The most potent aspect of being a Beloved of the Sea is that these spells are not considered magical and cannot be blocked by Spell Resistance, anti-magical fields, or even interrupted like normal spellcasting. A pirate who is Beloved of the Sea simply has a special relationship with the elemental forces of the ocean, allowing him to request boons and see them granted by the waves. This relationship can be a tempestuous one and the Games Master can decide the oceans will withhold their blessings if a pirate does something drastically at odds with the interests of elemental water, whatever those might be in the current campaign.

Using this power indiscriminately may get the pirate a loyal following of people believing him to be some chosen one of various aquatic deities but he will quickly realize such a congregation is more trouble than it is worth. Such water churches are generally short-lived in any case, as a pirate and his crew will have trouble continuing their normal activities with a gaggle of chanting supplicants clogging up their decks and following them from port to port in barely sea-worthy ships of their own. Beloveds of the Sea can even worship their own gods, as the relationship they share with water both transcends and is completely unrelated to any dedication they may have to a divine power.

New Equipment

Many of the things pirates use in their adventures are easily duplicated with standard equipment. The reinforced leathers they sometimes wear during boarding actions are essentially leather armour and weapons such as belaying pins can be treated as clubs. The deck of a sailing ship can provide dozens of unique items but there is no need for specific rules to cover every possible object a pirate might pick up in the heat of battle.

Three specific items stand out as being different enough to warrant their own descriptions. These weapons, synonymous with combat on the open sea and piracy, follow all of the rules for standard equipment, including the possibility of encountering masterwork or enchanted versions of them in the hands of enemies and the treasure holds of royal galleons on their way to courts that will never receive them. Special rules for these weapons are included with each description; any deviation from the normal rules for masterwork or combat specifics is noted as well.

Cutlass: Essentially a single-edged short sword with a basket hilt of steel covering the wielder’s hand, a cutlass is an ideal weapon for shipboard battles. Its Small size, difficulty at being disarmed and the fact its basket hilt allows the wielder to deliver an effective punch in close combat makes the cutlass a popular weapon with pirate and privateer crews alike. Wielding a cutlass gives the bearer half of the advantages of having a locked gauntlet in combat (-5 to disarm attempts), including the ability to punch without drawing an attack of opportunity

Masterwork versions of the cutlass are reinforced enough to allow spikes over the hilt, giving it the punching characteristics of a spiked gauntlet.

Cutlass: Size S; Dam 1d6; Crit 19-20, x2; Range Inc -; Wt 4 lb.; Type S; 14 gp

New Magical Item

Cutlass of Command

A potent weapon in its own right, the cutlass of command is a +2 keen cutlass in the hands of anyone who wields it. When held by a wielder with the Leadership feat, its true nature reveals itself. The weapon’s enchantment bonus becomes +3, it gains the defending property and it grants its wielder a +2 enhancement bonus to Charisma while unsheathed. Pirate captains have been known to sail across the oceans and through incredible dangers just on the rumour of one’s existence. Aside from its special properties, the legend surrounding these blades grant a +2 reaction bonus when encountering Non-Player Characters who have a reason to know of the wielder and his reputation (such as the Infamy and related class abilities). Intelligent versions of the cutlass of command are fairly common, though they have a commensurately higher market value.

Caster Level: 9th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, charm animal, shield or shield of faith, keen edge; Market Value: 54,314 gp.