Palanan
2012-06-10, 08:50 PM
The Seaman
"They were nearly always uneducated, often unable to read or write, and they had generally lived very hard all their lives; but there were some wonderful men among them, brave, very highly skilled at their calling, magnificently loyal to their shipmates and to their officers if they were well led."
Patrick O'Brian, "Men-of-War," p. 56
Introduction
One of the many disappointments of Stormwrack is that, in a book supposedly devoted to the oceans, there's hardly any attention paid to the sailors themselves.
We're meant to assume that a man who spends his working life wrestling halyards a hundred feet above a heaving sea, isolated from home for months or years at a time, would be no different from a weaver who works his loom in a dry, stable workshop a few steps away from his kitchen--and who doesn't have to drop his work and fight for his life at a moment's notice. In a pinch, this may work for the crew of a coastal trader, but fighting sailors in a professional navy deserve something more.
So I sketched out the Seaman as an NPC class for my seafaring campaign, and I'd appreciate any constructive feedback on what, for want of a better word, we can call its design. All I've done is combine the Expert's skills with the Warrior's combat progression, and then tried to add a few minor class features that could be expected of the ordinary seafaring man.
I wouldn't expect most seamen to advance more than a few levels over the course of their working lives, so the later levels would be reserved for those few, exceptional cases where ordinary sailors rose to command a vessel, a squadron or a merchant fleet. In my campaign I don't expect to use any seaman NPCs above tenth level, so that's where I've concentrated the class features; they tend to thin out above that, and I'd welcome any suggestions for the levels beyond.
Game Rule Information
A seaman has the following game statistics.
Abilities: Good Dexterity is essential to climbing high in the rigging or balancing on a pitching, deluged deck, and also helps offset the seaman's typical lack of armor. A strong Constitution is also important to surviving the rigors of a voyage at sea, and Strength is useful for half a thousand chores, from hauling ropes and working the capstan to manning the sweeps when the sails are slack--or fighting off a hostile boarding party.
Alignment: Any. Most seamen are accustomed to the set schedules and strong hierarchies of a working vessel, and may have a slight lawful tendency--although this disappears the moment they step onshore.
Hit Die: d8.
Starting Age: As rogue, although many seamen first go to sea as boys of ten or twelve.
Starting Gold: 1d4 X 10.
Class Skills
The seaman's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Profession (sailor) (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) X 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.
The Seaman
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Class Features
1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+0|Illiteracy, Skilled Sailor
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+0|Martial Weapon Proficiency, Sailor's Feat
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+1|Sailor's Trade, Skilled Sailor
4th|
+4|
+4|
+4|
+1|Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Grog Bonus, Sailor's Feat
5th|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+1|Trader's Tongue, Skilled Sailor
6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+2|Well-Known Sailor, Sailor's Feat
7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+2|Skilled Sailor
8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+2|Trader's Tongue, Sailor's Feat
9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+3|Skilled Sailor
10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+7|
+3|Celebrated Captain, Sailor's Feat
11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+7|
+3|Trader's Tongue, Skilled Sailor
12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+8|
+4|Sailor's Feat
13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+8|
+4|Skilled Sailor
14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+9|
+4|Trader's Tongue, Sailor's Feat
15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+5|Skilled Sailor
16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+10|
+5|Sailor's Feat
17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+5|Trader's Tongue, Skilled Sailor
18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+11|
+6|Sailor's Feat
19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+11|
+6|Skilled Sailor
20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+12|
+6|Trader's Tongue, Sailor's Feat[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the seaman.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The seaman is proficient with common simple weapons and with light armor but not shields. (Many seamen eschew armor altogether, because of the restriction on their movements and the expense.)
Illiteracy: As barbarian. A seaman may spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write all languages he is able to speak. A seaman who gains a level in any other class automatically gains literacy, and a seaman who starts at first level with the Education feat is automatically literate.
Skilled Sailor: The long, often monotonous days and weeks at sea provide abundant opportunities to endlessly practice one's skills. At 1st level, and every two levels thereafter, the seaman gains a +3 bonus on a single skill of his choice, as the feat Skill Focus.
Sailor's Feat: At 2nd level, and at every two levels thereafter, a seaman gains a bonus feat drawn from the following list: Agile Athlete, Alertness, Athletic, Blooded, Daredevil Athlete, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Sea Legs, Seaman's Hands*, Topman*, Toughness, Waterman*, Water Rat. (*New feat described below.)
Martial Weapon Proficiency: At 2nd level, a seaman gains proficiency with a single martial weapon (light or one-handed melee weapons only).
Sailor's Trade: At 3rd level, a seaman adds his ranks in Profession (sailor) as a circumstance bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate or Gather Information checks involving sailors or other maritime professionals. The seaman also ignores any Charisma penalties when interacting with other sailors.
Exotic Weapon Proficiency: At 4th level, a seaman gains Exotic Weapon Proficiency as a bonus feat.
Grog Bonus: With daily exposure to his alcohol ration, a seaman gradually builds a tolerance to strong drink. Starting at 4th level, a seaman gains a +4 bonus on saves vs. alcohol and a +2 bonus to saves vs. poison. At 8th level, the bonuses improve to +6 and +4 respectively.
Trader's Tongue: Years of travel and the necessities of commerce have slowly impressed the seaman with a working knowledge of other tongues. At 5th level, and every three levels thereafter, a seaman learns the basics of a new language--typically a trading pidgin, the home tongue of a frequently visited port, or the language of a competing seafaring nation.
The Well-Known Sailor: Hard-earned seamanship and many successful voyages have contributed to the seaman's growing reputation. At 6th level, a seaman may add half his class level to his Leadership score when recruiting sailors as followers. (Leadership must still be taken as a separate feat.)
Celebrated Captain: Many years plying the oceans have marked the seaman as a leading figure in the brotherhood of mariners. A seaman with Leadership ignores Charisma penalties to his Leadership score.
New Feats (shorthand version):
Seaman's Hands
Long hours of working in the topgallants have sharpened your surefootedness.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on all Balance and Use Rope checks.
Topman
You are one of the elite sailors who man the highest yards.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on all Climb checks, and +4 on Climb checks to ascend a ship's rigging or similar structures.
Waterman
Growing up on the coast has made the water your second home.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on all Swim and Profession (sailor) checks.
So, as I mentioned in the Introduction, this is intended as an NPC class, and very much still a work in progress. I'd be glad of feedback overall, but especially on the first five to seven levels, since I'm planning to include a shipful of these gentlemen in my next game session.
Changes
6-11-12 Changed the Leadership bonus from ranks in Profession (sailor) to class level.
"They were nearly always uneducated, often unable to read or write, and they had generally lived very hard all their lives; but there were some wonderful men among them, brave, very highly skilled at their calling, magnificently loyal to their shipmates and to their officers if they were well led."
Patrick O'Brian, "Men-of-War," p. 56
Introduction
One of the many disappointments of Stormwrack is that, in a book supposedly devoted to the oceans, there's hardly any attention paid to the sailors themselves.
We're meant to assume that a man who spends his working life wrestling halyards a hundred feet above a heaving sea, isolated from home for months or years at a time, would be no different from a weaver who works his loom in a dry, stable workshop a few steps away from his kitchen--and who doesn't have to drop his work and fight for his life at a moment's notice. In a pinch, this may work for the crew of a coastal trader, but fighting sailors in a professional navy deserve something more.
So I sketched out the Seaman as an NPC class for my seafaring campaign, and I'd appreciate any constructive feedback on what, for want of a better word, we can call its design. All I've done is combine the Expert's skills with the Warrior's combat progression, and then tried to add a few minor class features that could be expected of the ordinary seafaring man.
I wouldn't expect most seamen to advance more than a few levels over the course of their working lives, so the later levels would be reserved for those few, exceptional cases where ordinary sailors rose to command a vessel, a squadron or a merchant fleet. In my campaign I don't expect to use any seaman NPCs above tenth level, so that's where I've concentrated the class features; they tend to thin out above that, and I'd welcome any suggestions for the levels beyond.
Game Rule Information
A seaman has the following game statistics.
Abilities: Good Dexterity is essential to climbing high in the rigging or balancing on a pitching, deluged deck, and also helps offset the seaman's typical lack of armor. A strong Constitution is also important to surviving the rigors of a voyage at sea, and Strength is useful for half a thousand chores, from hauling ropes and working the capstan to manning the sweeps when the sails are slack--or fighting off a hostile boarding party.
Alignment: Any. Most seamen are accustomed to the set schedules and strong hierarchies of a working vessel, and may have a slight lawful tendency--although this disappears the moment they step onshore.
Hit Die: d8.
Starting Age: As rogue, although many seamen first go to sea as boys of ten or twelve.
Starting Gold: 1d4 X 10.
Class Skills
The seaman's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Profession (sailor) (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) X 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.
The Seaman
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Class Features
1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+0|Illiteracy, Skilled Sailor
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+0|Martial Weapon Proficiency, Sailor's Feat
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+1|Sailor's Trade, Skilled Sailor
4th|
+4|
+4|
+4|
+1|Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Grog Bonus, Sailor's Feat
5th|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+1|Trader's Tongue, Skilled Sailor
6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+2|Well-Known Sailor, Sailor's Feat
7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+2|Skilled Sailor
8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+2|Trader's Tongue, Sailor's Feat
9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+3|Skilled Sailor
10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+7|
+3|Celebrated Captain, Sailor's Feat
11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+7|
+3|Trader's Tongue, Skilled Sailor
12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+8|
+4|Sailor's Feat
13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+8|
+4|Skilled Sailor
14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+9|
+4|Trader's Tongue, Sailor's Feat
15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+5|Skilled Sailor
16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+10|
+5|Sailor's Feat
17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+5|Trader's Tongue, Skilled Sailor
18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+11|
+6|Sailor's Feat
19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+11|
+6|Skilled Sailor
20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+12|
+6|Trader's Tongue, Sailor's Feat[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the seaman.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The seaman is proficient with common simple weapons and with light armor but not shields. (Many seamen eschew armor altogether, because of the restriction on their movements and the expense.)
Illiteracy: As barbarian. A seaman may spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write all languages he is able to speak. A seaman who gains a level in any other class automatically gains literacy, and a seaman who starts at first level with the Education feat is automatically literate.
Skilled Sailor: The long, often monotonous days and weeks at sea provide abundant opportunities to endlessly practice one's skills. At 1st level, and every two levels thereafter, the seaman gains a +3 bonus on a single skill of his choice, as the feat Skill Focus.
Sailor's Feat: At 2nd level, and at every two levels thereafter, a seaman gains a bonus feat drawn from the following list: Agile Athlete, Alertness, Athletic, Blooded, Daredevil Athlete, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Sea Legs, Seaman's Hands*, Topman*, Toughness, Waterman*, Water Rat. (*New feat described below.)
Martial Weapon Proficiency: At 2nd level, a seaman gains proficiency with a single martial weapon (light or one-handed melee weapons only).
Sailor's Trade: At 3rd level, a seaman adds his ranks in Profession (sailor) as a circumstance bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate or Gather Information checks involving sailors or other maritime professionals. The seaman also ignores any Charisma penalties when interacting with other sailors.
Exotic Weapon Proficiency: At 4th level, a seaman gains Exotic Weapon Proficiency as a bonus feat.
Grog Bonus: With daily exposure to his alcohol ration, a seaman gradually builds a tolerance to strong drink. Starting at 4th level, a seaman gains a +4 bonus on saves vs. alcohol and a +2 bonus to saves vs. poison. At 8th level, the bonuses improve to +6 and +4 respectively.
Trader's Tongue: Years of travel and the necessities of commerce have slowly impressed the seaman with a working knowledge of other tongues. At 5th level, and every three levels thereafter, a seaman learns the basics of a new language--typically a trading pidgin, the home tongue of a frequently visited port, or the language of a competing seafaring nation.
The Well-Known Sailor: Hard-earned seamanship and many successful voyages have contributed to the seaman's growing reputation. At 6th level, a seaman may add half his class level to his Leadership score when recruiting sailors as followers. (Leadership must still be taken as a separate feat.)
Celebrated Captain: Many years plying the oceans have marked the seaman as a leading figure in the brotherhood of mariners. A seaman with Leadership ignores Charisma penalties to his Leadership score.
New Feats (shorthand version):
Seaman's Hands
Long hours of working in the topgallants have sharpened your surefootedness.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on all Balance and Use Rope checks.
Topman
You are one of the elite sailors who man the highest yards.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on all Climb checks, and +4 on Climb checks to ascend a ship's rigging or similar structures.
Waterman
Growing up on the coast has made the water your second home.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on all Swim and Profession (sailor) checks.
So, as I mentioned in the Introduction, this is intended as an NPC class, and very much still a work in progress. I'd be glad of feedback overall, but especially on the first five to seven levels, since I'm planning to include a shipful of these gentlemen in my next game session.
Changes
6-11-12 Changed the Leadership bonus from ranks in Profession (sailor) to class level.