Help me build the best pirate captain

[Costantine10]

I need some advices building a good pirate, the captain of the ship, a 20 level build( i need to use him for all the campain). He must have a good cha, int and wis, he is smart, wise and charismatic.
I'm thinking about a cha based class, like the bard, but also something like a shaman can be interesting, a shaman of the sea seems cool, maybe he speak with the davy jones' spirit.

[Secret Wizard]

Dragon Skald is probably your best choice -

1. Good Charisma

2. Great bonuses to ship-related skills

3. Good battle prowess to command respect from the crew.

4. Ability to grant himself a huge bonus to Diplomacy/Intimidate.

5. Boat-based spellcasting.

6. Unshakeable by intimidation.

7. Good fortitude saves to handle sickness and malaise.

8. Powerful Will to guide the crew even in the darkest times.

[Necromancy]

What are you using him for specifically? Antagonist? Comic relief? Safety net?

[Costantine10]

@Secret Wizard, ty now i'm looking at the skald



What are you using him for specifically? Antagonist? Comic relief? Safety net?
safety net, an importat NPC for all the campaign. Antagonist? I relly don't know, it depends from the pc, they can fight him( and he must be really hard to defeat) or they can become his friends

[Elricaltovilla]

I second skald, although there are other suggestions that can be made depending on what books or material you allow, such as 3rd party.

[Costantine10]

I second skald, although there are other suggestions that can be made depending on what books or material you allow, such as 3rd party.

only official books( all them, but not 3rd party)

[Secret Wizard]

Yep, check the Dragon Skald archetype.

[Necromancy]

Bah, you're the DM, he doesn't have to be rules legal. I'd go gestalt lore warden fighter with some kind of bard for buckling my swash.

[Florian]

Another one for Dragon Skald.

And please, he´s heavy metal! He sings at the wheel!

(And his soundtrack should be Alestorm - Sunken Norwegian)

[Krazzman]

Another one for Dragon Skald.

And please, he´s heavy metal! He sings at the wheel!

(And his soundtrack should be Alestorm - Sunken Norwegian)

Yeah or anything alestorm really. I for one really like keel hauled which might not fit a more good aligned captain.

[Malimar]

Another one for Dragon Skald.

And please, he´s heavy metal! He sings at the wheel!

(And his soundtrack should be Alestorm - Sunken Norwegian)

Yeah or anything alestorm really. I for one really like keel hauled which might not fit a more good aligned captain.

Alestorm, you say?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXoZsgNHquM

[Immabozo]

Alestorm, you say?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXoZsgNHquM

Malimar, your are my favorite person in the world for bringing that masterpiece into my life.

On a similar note, and completely disrelated to this thread, check out this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gysxizrrhvY)

So my contribution to the thread is this. I want to suggest something entirely different. The race Anthropomorphic Baleen Whale from Savage Species. 3 RHD, 0 LA, +16 str, +8 con, +4 dex, +6 wis, +4 cha, +9 NA, with no penalties for being away from water, but I think it has water breathing and a swim speed AND size large, IIRC. Physically imposing, tons of stats, gives you cha and wis, like you want. Then Swashbuckler seems like the natural class choice, thematically.

EDIT: Maybe build it into a AoO build, to take advantage of its size and the close quarters of a ship. PA, leap attack, Knockback and shock trooper for free bullrushing that the captain doesn't move with, and try to throw people off the sides of the ship, using the shock trooper's less used ability to control the trajectory of those you bull rush. Maybe War Hulk to hit 3 squares and then get a psion to pschic reformation away the war hulk level 1 ability (is that legal? Well, you're the DM!). The character will be intesely difficult to kill because he bull rushes everyone off the sides of his ship! Cant kill what you cannot stay on the battlefield with!

EDIT 2: I really like this character! There certainly are stronger builds, but this one fits race wise would be a king of the seas, the class is thematic and still very effective. The king of the seas! Captain.... or maybe Admiral... Finn! Or Tailor. Or J.Sea.

[Elricaltovilla]

Malimar, your are my favorite person in the world for bringing that masterpiece into my life.

On a similar note, and completely disrelated to this thread, check out this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gysxizrrhvY)

So my contribution to the thread is this. I want to suggest something entirely different. The race Anthropomorphic Baleen Whale from Savage Species. 3 RHD, 0 LA, +16 str, +8 con, +4 dex, +6 wis, +4 cha, +9 NA, with no penalties for being away from water, but I think it has water breathing and a swim speed AND size large, IIRC. Physically imposing, tons of stats, gives you cha and wis, like you want. Then Swashbuckler seems like the natural class choice, thematically.

EDIT: Maybe build it into a AoO build, to take advantage of its size and the close quarters of a ship. PA, leap attack, Knockback and shock trooper for free bullrushing that the captain doesn't move with, and try to throw people off the sides of the ship, using the shock trooper's less used ability to control the trajectory of those you bull rush. Maybe War Hulk to hit 3 squares and then get a psion to pschic reformation away the war hulk level 1 ability (is that legal? Well, you're the DM!). The character will be intesely difficult to kill because he bull rushes everyone off the sides of his ship! Cant kill what you cannot stay on the battlefield with!

You realize this is a Pathfinder thread right? Savage species is a 3.5 book and not a Pathfinder book, as are most of the things you're suggesting. It also seems that OP isn't building an antagonist, but someone to support or interact with the party.

Last but not least, friends don't let friend play swashbuckler. Especially not in pathfinder. :smalltongue:

[Immabozo]

You realize this is a Pathfinder thread right? Savage species is a 3.5 book and not a Pathfinder book, as are most of the things you're suggesting. It also seems that OP isn't building an antagonist, but someone to support or interact with the party.

Last but not least, friends don't let friend play swashbuckler. Especially not in pathfinder. :smalltongue:

Oh, I missed the pathfinder tag, haha. I thought when he said all books are allowed, my mind went wild with the idea!

And Swashbuckler is not a good class, I fully agree, but it is thematic for a pirate! Although a DM could just use another class re-fluff it to a swahbuckler