PIRATE ------ Pirates choose the captains of their ships by vote. There is a Pirate Code and Articles of Agreement drawn up detailing conduct aboard ship, division of spoils, payment for injury, and punishments for infractions. * HIT POINTS: D6+1 + CON Bonus per level. 2pts/level after 9th. * +1 to TOUGHNESS and REFLEX Saving Throws * Only light armor(leather typically), no shield. * Can use any 1-handed melee weapon plus crossbows and firearms. Favored weapons are cutlass, sabre, rapier, flintlock pistol, hand axe, dagger, and throwing knives. * Can fight with 2 weapons if one of the two weapons used is a pistol. Pistols count as melee weapons for Pirates. * Pirates get a number of melee attacks against 'Normal Men'(or creatures of basically that strength, i.e., goblins, kobolds, dwarves, orks, men, gnomes, giant rats, etc) equal to their level each round. So a 3rd level Pirate would have 3 attacks/round against these. * Any damage dealt by a Pirate which is over the amount necessary to bring their foe to zero hp is spread around to the next closest adversary(ies) with an AC that was able to be hit by the Pirate's attack roll until all the points are used. * +1 on to-hit rolls with firearms. Treat long range as medium. * Pirates can use any magic items common to Fighters and Thieves as well as all general purpose magic items. * LANGUAGES: Begin with Common, Pirate Patois(Thieves' Cant of the sea), and Hobgoblin. A new language of sea-faring peoples or sentient sea creatures may be learned every other level beginning at level 3 until reaching maximum language total(2 languages for every point of INT above 10 instead of the usual 1 per point). Additionally, Pirates are familiar with the major maritime flag codes and similar naval and sea merchant communications. Fighting Ability: Begin with +1 to Normal Man THACO. Add +1 at levels: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16. (STR)Athletics(climbing/swinging through the rigging or walking along the spars of a storm-tossed ship, sliding down a billowing sail using a dagger, running on a slippery deck, swimming in rough seas, etc,): Begin with +1. Add +1 at every level. (DEX)Stealth: Begin with +1. Add +1 every level. (DEX)Filching(pick pockets/palming/hiding small objects on their body): Begin with +1. Add +1 every level. (PER)Awareness(spot, listen, find secret doors): Begin with +1. Add +1 every level. (CHA)Influence(convince, seduce, intimidate): Begin with +1. Add +1 at every odd level(3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15). (DEX)Open Locks, Magical Closures/Puzzle Boxes(INT): Begin with +1. Add +1 every level. (DEX)Escape Artist: Begin with +1. Add +1 every level. (DEX)Forgery: Begin with +1. Add +1 every odd level (3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15). (INT)Seamanship(Navigating without instruments or landmarks and under strange stars, helming a ship through unknown waters with treacherous reefs and shoals or violent storms.): +1 to begin. +1 per level thereafter. --------------------------------------------- Chance To Know Per Level level 1 = 1(D6) level 7 = 1-3 level 13 = 1-5 level 4 = 1-2 level 10 = 1-4 level 16 = 1-19(D20) * Sea Lore: Knowledge of nautical legends, identifying sea monsters and ghost- ships, maritime history, recognizing uncharted islands from rumors and reports of landmarks, sunken ships and buried treasures, distant ports-of-call, etc. * DECIPHER: Treasure maps, magical writings, secret codes, obscure symbols, glyphs and ciphers, local signaling codes, island communication by conch shell, etc. Use Thief Table below. * APPRAISE: Pirates can make an accurate determination of the value of non-magical items and treasure and can tell fakes and forgeries. Very well made or non-magically disguised fakes may require a roll on the table above to see if the fake was discovered. ------------------------------------------------ * SET TRAPS: Pirates are experts at setting large traps such as deadfalls, rope/net snares, covered pits, spear/arrow traps, explosives/gunpowder, and similar devices(collectively called "Pits and Snares"). These traps are very reliable and very well hidden(5 in 6 chance of activating if stepped on/over). Barbarians and Rangers have just a 2 in 6 chance to passively notice them. Barbarians, Rangers, and Thieves have a 2 in 6 chance to activate them when stepping on or over. * Passive ability to Detect Pits and Snares(2 in 6 chance) outdoors when merely passing near. And only 1 in 6 chance to spring pit traps and snares when passing over them(instead of the usual 1-2). ROLLED BY DM. * Pirates know cartography and can create professional maps for navigation on sea or land. * Weather Eye: When on the water, a Pirate can sense changes in the weather 2D6 hours before it happens. This does not include sudden magical changes. * Pirates can swim at their normal movement rate and hold their breath underwater CON/3 rounds. * Shipwright: Can construct a small, single-masted, seaworthy boat that holds up to a dozen human-sized creatures at first level. They can also appraise the seaworthiness of any vessel that sails upon the water. At 9th level, they can design and oversee the construction of a full-rigged ship of excellent quality. * Seeing St Elmo's Fire dancing along the masts and rigging raises crew morale and gives a +4 bonus to all Saves against spells, powers, or events that cause fear, paralysis, or loss of morale. If being pursued by the dreaded Flying Dutchman, the bonus is only +1.*** * Pirate Curse: pronounceable but 3 times in one's life. This curse is bestowed upon another pirate who is deemed to have grieviously betrayed their captain and/or their crewmates. Upon uttering a curse of this type a fourth time, the one pronouncing it is also affected. Only a pirate captain - or one who has been a captain - can do this. * Expert at cards, dice, and other games of chance. Against non-pirates, you win most of the time(5 in 6 chance). * The Black Spot - presented by a ship's crew to a captain or crewmate who has betrayed them, as a judgment and a warning. The one who receives the spot is a "marked man" condemned to death by the crew when any one of them comes across the victim again. The dark spot is made of ash on a round cut of paper about the size of a large coin. On the reverse side is a relevant verse, quote, or message of doom. * At 3rd level, Rum Luck: Drinking a pint of rum gives +2 to all Saving Throws for the next 4 hours. Usable once/day beginning at level 3. * At 4th level, a Pirate begins to be able to "sense treasure" at a distance of 1" per XP level (e.g. 4" at level 4). * At 7th level, the skill of Forgery is gained. Forgery takes time(D6 turns or hours) and knowledge of seals and such for specific documents. Well known signatures require a skill roll if not carefully studied beforehand to see if they were done correctly (roll on Thief Table). ROLLED BY DM. * At 8th level, a Pirate gets 2 attacks/round. * At 9th level, a Pirate is considered a FLEET CAPTAIN and is known far and wide as a bold Commander and treasure hunter on the high seas. You can find a willing crew in any sizeable port town. (A Pirate may captain a ship at 4th level and above.) * At 10th level, a Pirate Captain can give a +2 to crew morale rolls and a +1 to all to-hit rolls by the crew by giving a rousing speech before or even during a battle. Requires 1 Turn. Any enemy boarding crew hearing this bold encouragement must make an immediate morale check at -2, unless they are led by a Pirate or captain of 10th or higher level. Failure means that the boarding crew will cease fighting and surrender. If the morale check is successful, they will continue to fight, but at -1 to-hit and with a loss of 2 points to their morale score. * At 12th level, add a D6 to damage. * At 16th level, a Pirate gets 3 attacks/round. *** The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship of ill omen, captained by the infamous un-living pirate, Davy Jones, and his skeleton crew. It is one of the few things that shiver the timbers of any bold buccaneer.