ShneekeyTheLost
2006-09-21, 04:37 AM
"Arrr... ye think that was bad, I onced sailed with Captain Blackswain!" the weather-worn sailor expounded, in the age old tradition of matching tales of woe.
"Ye did, eh? An' wot so bad abbat dat, eh? Did 'ee figger ye fer a cabbin boy?" The rebuttal garnered a round of guffahs until the first sailor stood and looked at 'em with his remaining good eye...
"Captain Blackswain was a hearty fellah, an' make no mistake. A hard 'un, aye, but fair. But me tale's not aboot him, me lads. Nae, for there was far worse to deal with on the ship. A lowly deckhand like meself hardly ever saw th' Captain hisself." the sailor walked around the smokey atmosphere around the table, his peg-leg thumping on the loose wooden floor "T'was Bosun McGee we all did learn to fear."
"An' wot was so fearful 'bout this 'Bosun McGee' fellah, eh? Did 'ee make ye do a honest days work?!"
"Nae lads... harken well an' mebbe ye can avoid the same fate as I suffered for. Bosun McGee is a man, aye, an' only that. I suppose tha's wot makes 'im so fearsome, fer 'ee don' need no fancy-pants magic 'nor any spooky things tae make th' crew fear 'im. But mistake me not, he may be a man, but his soul's long since been bartered away, an' a lump of northern ice put in it's place. I ain't ne'er seen better wi' a bow, he could range in on ships long outside o' ballista range, an' his flamin' arrows would set any sail afire, leavin' it dead in th' water. But ye see, ye be thinkin'... tha's nae sae terrible, aye? Well, he's as likely tae shoot at the sailors what fell overboard as he is th' sails or th' mainmast. An' tha's only the least o' what 'ee do." The room had gone quietly hushed as the old sailor continued his tale "Y'see, 'ee's th' bosun, aye? So 'ee's th' one wot meet out th' stripes. Well, 'ee got a very devil o' a whip, name o' Cat. This cat don' need no nine tails ta flay ya ta ribbons, it'll strike like lightning, and shock ye to yer very core. Few can take more 'n five stripes from 'im, an' more die than get pulled off alive when 'ee's through wi' 'em. Wot's worse, you should see 'is face when 'ee's layin' th' lash... be like yer face on seein' a fair wench... an' most as say 'ee'd rather flay yer back off yer bones than go lift a skirt.
An' don' think tae jump ship neither, not while Bosun McGee be th' Bosun on board. Last fellah did that, Bosun went after 'im personally. Came back wi' 'im an' gave 'im thirty strokes of Cat. Now, this was a strong fellah, so after ten strokes, he was done fer. No, the rest was just because he enjoyed watchin' th' blood fly. Then he took wot was left, an' hung it from th' nose as a reminder.
So listen well me hearties. If'n th' boat ye lookin' tae sail on 'as Bosun McGee on board... find another vessel tae sail on. No plunder be worth sailin' wi' 'im."
Bosun McGee is the last person you ever want to be under. He's mean, sadistic, and looks like someone has rearranged his face one too many times. He leads by threat of his whip rather than any personality he might possess. He started out as a 'sea ranger', lawfully employed as a pirate chaser, and recieved training as such. However, he soon realized he was on the wrong side of the law, and started his career in piracy by turning over his former crew to one of the most infamous pirates to have ever sailed the seas.
He delivers hard-handed punishment personally, one might almost say lovingly, with his whip named 'Cat'. This cat doesn't need nine tails to cut to the bone, and the electrical discharge it delivers is enough to send wracking pain through any sailor. Sure, he kills more than a few with his floggings, but there's always more scallywags waitin' ta hire on.
In combat, he is often found on the Crow's Nest, sending his arrows with uncanny accuracy down upon any opponent vessel. His primary target is the sails, to try and catch them on fire so as to disable their movement, but his accuracy, even at a range of three hundred or more yards, is such that he can pick and choose his targets with ease. His greatest delight, however, is to pick off sailors who have gone overboard trying to abandon a sinking ship.
And may the heavens help the sorry soul who jumps ship on HIS boat, because he surely won't, and he will track you down, to the ends of the earth if necessary, and bring you back to be flogged to death in front of the crew and the remains hung from the nose as a reminder to the rest of the crew what the price for desertion is.
Oddly enough, he has no desire to be the Captain. He's quite content as the Bosun on any ship he serves. As the Bosun, he meets out any punishment, and can take a more active role in combat, which is as he perfers. Also, as the Bosun, he gets the biggest cut of any haul, other than the Captain himself, and so has much greater wealth in the form of plundered booty than his level would indicate.
He can be encountered as an NPC villian in any seafearing campaign, or as an NPC superior if the party hires on with an evil Pirate crew.
Bosun McGee
Human Ranger* 11
Size/Type: Medium Humanoid (Human)
Hit Dice: 11d8
Initiative: +9 (Dex +5, Improved Initiative +4)
Speed: 30
Armor Class: (22), touch 15, flatfooted 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+11
Attack: Sorrow +17 (1d8+4+1d6 Flame Crit:19-20/X3), Pain +15 (1d6+4 1 con damage
Crit:18-20/X2), Cat +15 (1d4+3 Subdual + 1d6 Lightning)
Full Attack: Sorrow: +15/+15/+10/+5, Pain: +15/+10/+5, Cat: +15/+10/+5
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Favored Enemy: Human
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +5
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 20, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8
Skills: Profession (Sailor) +14, Search +11, Spot +11, Survival +16, Swim +11, Use Rope +17, Move Silently +15*, Hide +15*, Listen +11, Knowledge (Geography) +6
Feats: Track(Ranger Bonus), Endurance(Ranger Bonus), Exotic Weapon Proficency: Whip(1st level), Point Blank Shot(Human Bonus), Far Shot(3rd), Improved Initiative(*4th), Dodge(6th), Mobility(*8th), Improved Critical (Longbow) (9th), Shot on the Run (*11th), Rapid Shot, Manyshot, Improved Precise Shot
Challenge Rating: CR 11
Possessions: Bosun's Whistle, Sorrow, Pain & Misery, Cat, Mariner's Chain
Alignment: NE
*Using the OA/L5R Ranger variant which does not gain spells, but gains a feat when they get a new spell level. This gives him a bonus feat at 4, 8, and 11.
Favored Enemy: Humanoid (Human) +6, Humanoid (Aquatic) +2, and Monsterous Humanoid +2
Wild Empathy (Ex)
A ranger can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his ranger level and his Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the ranger and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a -4 penalty on the check.
Woodland Stride (Ex)
Starting at 7th level, a ranger may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. In underwater settings, this includes such growths as seaweed.
However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.
Swift Tracker (Ex)
Beginning at 8th level, a ranger can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal -5 penalty. He takes only a -10 penalty (instead of the normal -20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.
Evasion (Ex)
At 9th level, a ranger can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the ranger is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless ranger does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Combat Style (Ex)
Bosun McGee has chosen to specialize in ranged combat. This gives him Rapid Shot, Manyshot, and Improved Precise Shot for free.
Animal Companion His Animal Companion is Crackers, the parrot. It is stated identically to a Hawk. His effective druid level is 5th, so it gains Evasion, +1 to Str/Dex, +2 HD, and +2 Natural Armor.
"Ye did, eh? An' wot so bad abbat dat, eh? Did 'ee figger ye fer a cabbin boy?" The rebuttal garnered a round of guffahs until the first sailor stood and looked at 'em with his remaining good eye...
"Captain Blackswain was a hearty fellah, an' make no mistake. A hard 'un, aye, but fair. But me tale's not aboot him, me lads. Nae, for there was far worse to deal with on the ship. A lowly deckhand like meself hardly ever saw th' Captain hisself." the sailor walked around the smokey atmosphere around the table, his peg-leg thumping on the loose wooden floor "T'was Bosun McGee we all did learn to fear."
"An' wot was so fearful 'bout this 'Bosun McGee' fellah, eh? Did 'ee make ye do a honest days work?!"
"Nae lads... harken well an' mebbe ye can avoid the same fate as I suffered for. Bosun McGee is a man, aye, an' only that. I suppose tha's wot makes 'im so fearsome, fer 'ee don' need no fancy-pants magic 'nor any spooky things tae make th' crew fear 'im. But mistake me not, he may be a man, but his soul's long since been bartered away, an' a lump of northern ice put in it's place. I ain't ne'er seen better wi' a bow, he could range in on ships long outside o' ballista range, an' his flamin' arrows would set any sail afire, leavin' it dead in th' water. But ye see, ye be thinkin'... tha's nae sae terrible, aye? Well, he's as likely tae shoot at the sailors what fell overboard as he is th' sails or th' mainmast. An' tha's only the least o' what 'ee do." The room had gone quietly hushed as the old sailor continued his tale "Y'see, 'ee's th' bosun, aye? So 'ee's th' one wot meet out th' stripes. Well, 'ee got a very devil o' a whip, name o' Cat. This cat don' need no nine tails ta flay ya ta ribbons, it'll strike like lightning, and shock ye to yer very core. Few can take more 'n five stripes from 'im, an' more die than get pulled off alive when 'ee's through wi' 'em. Wot's worse, you should see 'is face when 'ee's layin' th' lash... be like yer face on seein' a fair wench... an' most as say 'ee'd rather flay yer back off yer bones than go lift a skirt.
An' don' think tae jump ship neither, not while Bosun McGee be th' Bosun on board. Last fellah did that, Bosun went after 'im personally. Came back wi' 'im an' gave 'im thirty strokes of Cat. Now, this was a strong fellah, so after ten strokes, he was done fer. No, the rest was just because he enjoyed watchin' th' blood fly. Then he took wot was left, an' hung it from th' nose as a reminder.
So listen well me hearties. If'n th' boat ye lookin' tae sail on 'as Bosun McGee on board... find another vessel tae sail on. No plunder be worth sailin' wi' 'im."
Bosun McGee is the last person you ever want to be under. He's mean, sadistic, and looks like someone has rearranged his face one too many times. He leads by threat of his whip rather than any personality he might possess. He started out as a 'sea ranger', lawfully employed as a pirate chaser, and recieved training as such. However, he soon realized he was on the wrong side of the law, and started his career in piracy by turning over his former crew to one of the most infamous pirates to have ever sailed the seas.
He delivers hard-handed punishment personally, one might almost say lovingly, with his whip named 'Cat'. This cat doesn't need nine tails to cut to the bone, and the electrical discharge it delivers is enough to send wracking pain through any sailor. Sure, he kills more than a few with his floggings, but there's always more scallywags waitin' ta hire on.
In combat, he is often found on the Crow's Nest, sending his arrows with uncanny accuracy down upon any opponent vessel. His primary target is the sails, to try and catch them on fire so as to disable their movement, but his accuracy, even at a range of three hundred or more yards, is such that he can pick and choose his targets with ease. His greatest delight, however, is to pick off sailors who have gone overboard trying to abandon a sinking ship.
And may the heavens help the sorry soul who jumps ship on HIS boat, because he surely won't, and he will track you down, to the ends of the earth if necessary, and bring you back to be flogged to death in front of the crew and the remains hung from the nose as a reminder to the rest of the crew what the price for desertion is.
Oddly enough, he has no desire to be the Captain. He's quite content as the Bosun on any ship he serves. As the Bosun, he meets out any punishment, and can take a more active role in combat, which is as he perfers. Also, as the Bosun, he gets the biggest cut of any haul, other than the Captain himself, and so has much greater wealth in the form of plundered booty than his level would indicate.
He can be encountered as an NPC villian in any seafearing campaign, or as an NPC superior if the party hires on with an evil Pirate crew.
Bosun McGee
Human Ranger* 11
Size/Type: Medium Humanoid (Human)
Hit Dice: 11d8
Initiative: +9 (Dex +5, Improved Initiative +4)
Speed: 30
Armor Class: (22), touch 15, flatfooted 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+11
Attack: Sorrow +17 (1d8+4+1d6 Flame Crit:19-20/X3), Pain +15 (1d6+4 1 con damage
Crit:18-20/X2), Cat +15 (1d4+3 Subdual + 1d6 Lightning)
Full Attack: Sorrow: +15/+15/+10/+5, Pain: +15/+10/+5, Cat: +15/+10/+5
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Favored Enemy: Human
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +5
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 20, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8
Skills: Profession (Sailor) +14, Search +11, Spot +11, Survival +16, Swim +11, Use Rope +17, Move Silently +15*, Hide +15*, Listen +11, Knowledge (Geography) +6
Feats: Track(Ranger Bonus), Endurance(Ranger Bonus), Exotic Weapon Proficency: Whip(1st level), Point Blank Shot(Human Bonus), Far Shot(3rd), Improved Initiative(*4th), Dodge(6th), Mobility(*8th), Improved Critical (Longbow) (9th), Shot on the Run (*11th), Rapid Shot, Manyshot, Improved Precise Shot
Challenge Rating: CR 11
Possessions: Bosun's Whistle, Sorrow, Pain & Misery, Cat, Mariner's Chain
Alignment: NE
*Using the OA/L5R Ranger variant which does not gain spells, but gains a feat when they get a new spell level. This gives him a bonus feat at 4, 8, and 11.
Favored Enemy: Humanoid (Human) +6, Humanoid (Aquatic) +2, and Monsterous Humanoid +2
Wild Empathy (Ex)
A ranger can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his ranger level and his Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the ranger and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a -4 penalty on the check.
Woodland Stride (Ex)
Starting at 7th level, a ranger may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. In underwater settings, this includes such growths as seaweed.
However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.
Swift Tracker (Ex)
Beginning at 8th level, a ranger can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal -5 penalty. He takes only a -10 penalty (instead of the normal -20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.
Evasion (Ex)
At 9th level, a ranger can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the ranger is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless ranger does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Combat Style (Ex)
Bosun McGee has chosen to specialize in ranged combat. This gives him Rapid Shot, Manyshot, and Improved Precise Shot for free.
Animal Companion His Animal Companion is Crackers, the parrot. It is stated identically to a Hawk. His effective druid level is 5th, so it gains Evasion, +1 to Str/Dex, +2 HD, and +2 Natural Armor.