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Carmichael
2006-09-14, 12:17 AM
Julian Mawles, Inquisitor of the High Seas

Introduction

This entry is divided into four sections, detailing separately the pirate Julian Mawles, his giant eagle sidekick Zoltan the Cruel, his treasure, and his ship and crew.

A note on character description: you will notice that you can comprehend character description in this entry in a quick and dirty fashion. Characters are in part described by four passions:

What they want – characters have agency and motivations, and to do this they hatch plans, make allies and enemies, wage battles, and more.

What they hate – certain things tick everyone off at some point, but each character has one stimulus that incites their fury and bitterness.

What they fear – the high seas are full of terrible and unknown dangers, but each character has one true fear or deep shame he cannot wholly confront.

What they admire – pirates may not be a kind lot, but each character is moved by a certain ideal or positive quality.

Passions can be a good way for you to grasp non-player character motivations and personality; what’s more, you can use these qualities to your advantage so that the NPC’s respond to the player characters or game events in the right way. For example, Julian admires conviction, so PC’s with guts will receive his respect. Conversely, Soren Aabye, a romantic knight, hates cynics, so a PC of that persuasion might find herself at odds with him. Graywater Jack, the first mate, is deathly afraid of krakens, and he might panic during an attack by the monsters, allowing your PC’s alone to save the day.

Keep in mind that these passions are neither absolute nor extreme. Normal people do not kill who they hate on sight, nor do they typically betray their inner natures in pursuit of their passions.

This method of detailing characters comes from the role-playing game Unknown Armies by Greg Stolze and John Tynes. However, this method works as a guide and I don’t include mechanics for supporting it; you can, however, use the +2/-2 rule if you want to add a mechanical dimension to these passions.

Carmichael
2006-09-14, 12:19 AM
The Inquisitor of the Shiproads: Julian Mawles

“I hope for your sake you are bowing to the right god.”

Who is Julian Mawles? Julian Mawles is not only a pirate, but also a cleric of the Traveler God (see below) who is disgusted with the general impiety that pirates share; people, he thinks, need an occasional dose of holy fear and awe of their gods. Mankind, Julian believes, was meant only to travel on the sea, not dwell in or revere it; thus, he takes the reasonable conclusion that the Traveler God is the best deity for pirates, sailors, and seafarers to follow (if not necessarily worship).

What does Julian Mawles do? Julian Mawles, however, is significantly less reasonable when it comes to his insistence that pirates, sailors, and seafarers follow the Traveler God. He believes seafaring followers of the old gods of the deep, of the deities of wind and water, and of anything else unassociated with his patron deity are heretics and should be dealt with by force. Today, he leads a small inquisition, bent on ferreting out and driving off (and sometimes killing) pirates who do not pay respectful homage to the Traveler God. Such pirates have not been uncommon, and as a result, Julian and his crew have fought a number of fellow pirates. Julian is as famous for being a pirate-inquisitor as he is for being a pirate-killer, and at least one captain is willing to pay a good sum for his head.

Who is the Traveler God? The Traveler God is any god in your campaign setting commonly associated with travel, so long as he is unrestricted to a particular race. (Obviously, this god should have the Travel domain.) Fharlaghn makes an excellent candidate if you are using deities from the Player’s Handbook, but the remainder of this text will leave Julian’s god unnamed for the convenience of your campaign. To suit your game, you may have to change Julian’s selected domain of Trickery accordingly. (Julian should retain the Travel domain, however.)


Julian Mawles

Male human cleric 10
Size/Type: Medium humanoid
Hit Dice: 10d8+20 (hp 68)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (+7 armor, +2 shield, +1 deflection), touch 11, flatfooted 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+8
Attack: +1 bastard sword +10 (1d10+2/19-20)
Full Attack: +1 bastard sword +10/+5 (1d10+2/19-20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Rebuke undead 4/day, spells
Special Qualities: –
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +12
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 13

Skills: Bluff +6, Concentration +11, Diplomacy +11, Heal +11, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (religion) +9, Profession (sailor) +11, Spellcraft +9, Swim -1
Feats: Craft Wondrous Item, Improved Initiative, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (bastard sword)

Challenge Rating: 10
Possessions: +1 bastard sword, +2 breastplate, masterwork large steel shield, periapt of wisdom +2, ring of protection +1, ring of swimming, 2 scrolls of cure serious wounds.
Alignment: Neutral

Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 10th):
5th – mass cure light wounds, insect plague, summon monster V, teleport*
4th – confusion* (DC 19), control water, cure critical wounds, discern lies (DC 19), divine power
3rd – cure serious wounds, fly*, magic vestment, prayer, water walk
2nd – bull’s strength (2), cure moderate wounds (2), invisibility*, zone of truth (DC 17)
1st – cure light wounds (3), divine power, endure elements (2), longstrider*
0 – create water (2), cure minor wounds (2), purify food and drink (2)
*Domains: Travel, Trickery

What he wants: To establish his god’s authority. Julian is bent on making sure that the pirates bow their collective head to the Traveler God alone.

What he hates: Religious hypocrisy. Julian cannot abide how some people flippantly pay lip service to their religion, only to abandon it when inconvenient.

What he fears: The future. Julian knows he’s only one man, and he has spent sleepless nights worrying about his role in a murky future.

What he admires: Conviction. Julian despises cowards and cravens, and deeply respects the refusal to back down when the chips are down.

History: Julian’s father was a priest of the Traveler God, and his father before his father, and his father before his father’s father. Julian’s family resided in a town reputed for its close association with pirates, and it was no surprise when a young, carefree Julian joined a crew of pirates, serving a needed role as healer.

Young Julian was unprepared, however, for the realities of the pirating lifestyle. He could handle scurvy and the general lack of comely women, but he was more uncomfortable with his companions’ spiritual outlooks. His crew stole, fought, and murdered (not among themselves) for a bagful of coins or for a magical trinket. What was more, Julian became slightly disgusted at the general impiety he found on the high seas; for example, if a priestess of the weather goddesses were the most potent (or attractive) in the region, then Julian would find his faith ignored. However, the priest of the Traveler God took this in stride, continuing his trade as a pirate-priest, until he was shipwrecked.

It’s unclear how Julian washed ashore a desolate island; he remembers a howling storm and the pull of ugly tentacles from the deep ocean, but that’s it, and he’ll be damned if any of his other crew survived. Naturally, he credits his survival to this day to the favor of his patron god. Whatever the case, Julian apparently survived on a small, lonely island for around three years (he lost count).

When a thankfully merciful crew rescued him from isolation, those who knew Julian claimed he had undergone a drastic spiritual change. His eyes burned with a fire of conviction – even fanaticism. He now walked the shores and traveled the seas with a divine purpose. The Traveler God, Julian claimed, had spoken to him after testing the priest’s soul and body with long years of thirst and hunger. His god had informed him that he was tired of the seas ruled by the impious and the wicked. Pirates served only themselves, cultists of the old gods of the sea worshipped without fear, and men no longer bowed their heads in reverence before a long journey by sea.

The means to accomplish his god’s will were clear to Julian. He scrounged up enough money (from new pirating and from performing magic) to finance himself, and began waging a desperate, one-sided war to bring the high seas under the authority of the Traveler God. He’s been fighting, looting, killing, sailing, getting wounded, and generally adventuring for nearly seven years now – all in the name of his holy inquisition.

Julian’s reputation may vary depending on your campaign, but anyone leading an inquisition is bound to receive unwanted attention. In any case, he makes no bones about being a pirate – he’s just assured that he and his crew are pirates revering the right god. On the other hand, at least several other pirates see him as anything from a nuisance to a pretty bounty to a serious menace. At least one pirate captain is willing to pay a few shiny pearls for his head, and at least one innocent life has been saved thanks to Julian.

Description: The years marooned on an island were not kind to Julian; he is in his late twenties, but looks more haggard than he should be. His skin is dark brown, and his black hair and beard are matted into thick dreadlocks. He is tall and built, but lacks the physical grace and dexterity expected by pirates. Julian’s eyes burn with a determination uncommon even among clerics, and his voice carries a confidence and surety to match any faithful believer.

Personality: Julian does not appreciate the idea of compromise; he treats life with a religious conviction and duty that makes fight, steal, and kill with a purpose. On the other hand, he is well-spoken – even charming sometimes – and “in tune” with the divine in a way few pirates are. His crew and allies respect him, although not entirely without question. (In fact, some are a little creeped out by him.)

Keep in mind Julian doesn’t work on the basis of destroying his enemies immediately. He’s capable as any captain of careful planning, and is willing to make alliances (and break them too) if he thinks it will help him in the long run. Julian would rather have another pireate as an ally than as an enemy if possible – there’s no point in cutting down a potential brother or sister of the faith.

In your campaign: Julian’s “default” role is as the captain of a small ship and crew (see section four). In this case, he works slowly but surely towards his cause, and actively tries to spread his faith and gather recruits for his inquisition. However, you might make Julian a sole operative, sabotaging the ships and monkeywrenching the plans of his deemed enemies. (An insect plague and control water followed by a teleport can cause a good deal of havoc.) Finally, Julian might be part of a crew, but not captain. In this case, he is far more likely to work towards passively his god’s supposed designs.

As an ally, Julian and your PC’s might have a common enemy, such as another pirate crew or a cult of an evil deity. As an antagonist, Julian might decide that the PC’s are opposed (or not allied with) the Traveler God, and hence need some sense beaten into them. Somewhere in between lies the possibility of Julian being a contact, a spellcaster whose services are for hire, or simply as someone with a ship.

Carmichael
2006-09-14, 12:20 AM
The Big Bad Bird: Zoltan the Cruel

“Men are cruel. Men are not cruel as Zoltan.”

Who is Zoltan the Cruel? Zoltan is Julian Mawles’ closest ally and sidekick, Zoltan doesn’t exactly appreciate the latter term, since he likes to think that he and a human are at least equals. A giant eagle, Zoltan was captured about five years ago by the crew of the Smiling Tiger; in his long weeks of captivity, he was humiliated and disfigured – for a proud giant eagle, an extremely infuriating experience. Now, he is the strong talon of Julian’s inquisition, and serves a number of purposes most pirates can’t, like flying.

What does Zoltan do? Zoltan wants nothing less than to exact revenge on every pirate who captured and tortured him, but there are at least two hindrances he faces. First, Zoltan is a bird, not a pirate, and tough as he is, he needs guidance and allies if he hopes to find vengeance. Second, Zoltan has a very poor recollection of who exactly is responsible for his debt of pain – the crew of the Smiling Tiger, sure, but it’s not always easy to recall faces and names when your feathers are being yanked painfully out of your wings. Zoltan intends to “overcome” this problem by just killing as many pirates as he can before actually finding his real targets or finally becoming satisfied with his bloodlust. Obviously, Julian has some problem with Zoltan’s goal, so they’ve reached an unsteady agreement: Zoltan can kill who he wants, so long as his victims are not followers of or ready converts to the Traveler God.


Zoltan the Cruel

Male advanced giant eagle barbarian 3
Size/Type: Large magical beast
Hit Dice: 7d8+3d12+40 (hp 94)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 50 ft. (poor)
Armor Class: 18 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +3 natural, +1 deflection), touch 14 , flatfooted 18, raging 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+20
Attack: Claw +13 melee (1d8+8)
Full Attack: 2 claws +13 melee (1d8+8) and bite +8 melee (1d8+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Rage 1/day
Special Qualities: Fast movement, low-light vision, evasion, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +8
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 10

Skills: Diplomacy +2, Knowledge (nature) +9, Intimidate +6, Listen +9, Profession (sailor) +5, Sense Motive +9, Spot +15, Survival +10 (+12 in aboveground natural environments)
Feats: Flyby Attack, Improved Natural Attack (claw), Iron Will, Power Attack

Challenge Rating: 8
Possessions: Ring of protection +1 (worn on talon), ring of resistance +1 (functions as cloak of resistance +1, worn on talon)
Alignment: Neutral evil

Evasion (Ex): With a successful Reflex save against an attack that allows a Reflex save for half damage, Zoltan the Cruel takes no damage.

Rage (Ex): Twice per day, Zoltan can enter a state of fierce rage that lasts for 9 rounds. At the end of his rage, Zoltan is fatigued for the duration of the encounter. He temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but he takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Zoltan retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

Trap Sense (Ex): Zoltan gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps.

Skills: Zoltan has a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks.

Note: Zoltan uses the elite ability score array. Zoltan’s flight maneuverability is reduced from 80 ft. to 40 ft., and from average to poor; I have given him a +2 to his Charisma to balance his degraded flight maneuverability. (Because of his fast movement quality, Zoltan’s total fly speed is 50 ft.)

Note: Zoltan uses the Power Attack feat in combat, giving himself a +2 bonus to damage on all attacks, but a -2 to hit on all attacks as well.

What he wants: Revenge. Zoltan intends to hunt down, torture, kill, and maybe eat the pirates of the Smiling Tiger, who captured and disfigured him.

What he hates: Being mocked. Zoltan rarely hesitates to attack anyone who he thinks is mocking him.

What he fears: Undead. A group of shadows attacked and nearly killed Zoltan a few years ago; he now feels chills down his back when facing the living dead.

What he admires: Giant eagles. Zoltan hasn’t seen his kind in a long, long time, and might be willing to endanger himself to protect or find another giant eagle.

Background: Zoltan, a strong giant eagle slightly less moral than his kind, dwelled in an aerie in tall, cloudy mountains close to the ocean. He ventured one summer too close to a village under the influence of a pirate captain – namely that of the Smiling Tiger. He was attacked during his sleep, captured, and taken aboard the ship, presumably to await a future as a mount or sideshow attraction.

His weeks aboard the ship were, needless to say, unpleasant. Zoltan isn’t interested in discussing the particulars of his experience, but whatever happened, he not only became gruesomely disfigured – to the point of having his flight impaired – but he lost part of his sanity, and all of his compassion.

An attack by an enemy crew (the Smiling Tiger’s crew was victorious) provided Zoltan the lucky opportunity to escape. Wounded for days and lost in a strange land of too much salt-water and too little trees and mountains, Zoltan led a miserable existence flying on broken wings from lonely island to lonely island, looking for food and shelter and madly plotting vengeance in his waking hours. His occasional encounters with other people proved brief and usually violent – especially if such people were sailors or pirates.

About four years ago (after one year after being captured), Zoltan had a bad encounter with a number of shadows in the ruins of an old temple dedicated to the Traveler God. Julian and some of the cleric's crewmanaged to drive the shadows off, saving Zoltan’s life. This first meeting between the priest and the eagle proved awkward, almost violent, but they found out that they did not have unlike goals; Julian wanted the religious submission of the high seas to his god, and Zoltan wanted to kill some pirates. What was more, Julian needed an ally who could exercise brute force and sheer terror, and Zoltan needed someone who could guide him along the high seas. Since the four years, the two have made an unsteady partnership, but at this point it seems that Zoltan is somewhat more dependent on Julian than Julian is on Zoltan.

Zoltan fills a number of roles helpful to Julian’s inquisition, namely as a scout and warrior, although he never truly forgets that the high seas are not his real home. In the past years, Zoltan has taken a crude study of human fighting, and lends himself in battle to fits of fury and anger like barbarians.

Maybe some day Zoltan will find revenge. Maybe someday he will give up the ghost, or some intrepid pirate will take his head as a trophy. But most likely, Zoltan will degenerate, day by day, from the noble creature he once was into a (more) terrible and insane monster.

Description: Zoltan is not a handsome sight. He’s slightly bigger, tougher, and stronger than most of his kind by a good amount, but what really stands out is an unclean fearsomeness. Zoltan’s feathers are usually matted and stained with blood. More importantly are his disfigurements – old, gruesome scars run all over his face and body, while his wings bend at an ugly and unnatural angle. (Zoltan’s flight is impaired because of this, and he would like find a cleric able enough to magically restore his wings.)

Zoltan’s eyes betray the interior of a vicious, violent monster, albeit a dangerously cunning and perceptive one. His voice – although he rarely speaks – sounds harsh and angry. He speaks Common in a clipped and agrammatical manner.

Personality: Zoltan is mean, cruel, sadistic, and his allies and foes know this to an unsettling degree. His thoughts are largely preoccupied with inflicting pain and exacting vengeance on old foes whose names he cannot even remember. He is clearly mad to some degree, but he is certainly no fool. Zoltan understands that his pirate allies are a way to expedite his vague, violent ends, and has no qualms enforcing Julian’s goals (he does enjoy bloodshed) so long as he is getting something out of it.

Zoltan in your campaign: Zoltan is designed to serve as an ally or warrior to Julian, although he is certainly adaptable to another pirate captain or NPC. On the other hand, he might just work as a lone killer, filling a role in your campaign as a monster that needs putting down. However, keep in mind that Zoltan is capable of speaking and dealing with humans – it’s just that he likes killing them a lot more.

As an ally, Zoltan can be used as someone who might have a common enemy with the PC’s: the crew of the Smiling Tiger, for instance. He probably best fits, however, an ancillary role to a more important NPC in your campaign. As an antagonist, well, Zoltan rarely needs a good excuse to not attack someone, and he could be willing to defy Julian to have a go at the PC’s, if they really tick him off.

Carmichael
2006-09-14, 12:23 AM
The Sake of Filthy Lucre*: Treasure

For the past several years, Julian and his crew have amassed a significant degree of wealth, magic items, strange texts and maps, and booty in general. Although his inquisition is religiously fueled – not for the sake of filthy lucre, as it were – Julian is well aware of the usefulness of his treasure (to hire help or to buy an interesting magical doodad, for example), and hence stores a good deal of gold and other valuables in his ship. At any given time, Julian is apt to have this treasure on his ship (this does not represent the crew’s gear, but the crew is likely to make use of it at times): Anywhere from 2,500 to 7,500 gp in platinum, gold, silver, and copper pieces.
Anywhere from 500 to 1,500 gp in gems, jewels, and precious stones.
Anywhere from 500 to 1,500 gp in valuable art objects, idols, statuettes, and lost tomes.
About 100 gp in valuable religious art objects, props, and holy texts of the Traveler God (followers of the Traveler God are likely to pay significantly more for these objects).
A number – anywhere from 10 to 20 each – of mundane weapons, armor, and shields (perhaps with one or two masterwork items among them).
About 2,000 to 3,000 in magic scrolls and potions.
A few weapons or armor of +1 enhancement deliberately unused by the crew (because no one is proficient in that weapon, for example)
Of course, you should tailor this treasure to suit your campaign and your PC’s.

In addition, the ship’s valuable items include: A small library of geographical texts, atlases, and maps. These can provide up to a +4 circumstance bonus on Knowledge (geography) and Knowledge (local) checks, but require time and effort to be utilized.
A smattering of holy texts of the Traveler God. These can provide up to a +4 circumstance on Knowledge (religion) checks on the Traveler God, but require time and effort to be utilized.
A cursed -2 sword and two stones of weight; Julian is fond of selling or “losing” these magic items to his enemies.
A map of sacred geography (see below); Julian keeps this in his quarters.

Map of Sacred Geography: This ancient yet well-maintained parchment presents a map of no known geographical location across the planes. Outlandish names of unknown lands and seas are described, but on the back of the parchment there are strange glyphs and symbols of the Traveler God. When this map is studied for 10 minutes by anyone with at least 6 ranks in the Knowledge (religion) skill, the person sees divine, hallucinatory shapes on the map, and may make a Knowledge (geography) check as if he had a number of ranks in that skill equal to five less than his ranks in Knowledge (religion). The map must be studied for another 10 minutes to allow another roll to be made. For example, by studying the map for 10 minutes, Julian may make one Knowledge (geography) at +5.

In addition, anyone with the map on the person has better skill at navigation with the teleport spell (as well as all its variants). He may make two percentile rolls and take the better (that is, the lower) result after casting the spell.

Moderate conjuration and divination; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item, scrying, teleport; Price 8,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.


* -- anyone who can tell me from where this phrase originates will make me smile.

Carmichael
2006-09-14, 12:25 AM
The Inquisition of the Traveler God: the Crew

This section will detail the crew of Julian’s ship, or perhaps more properly, the smattering of allies, followers, and hired help he has gathered for his inquisition. Seven major NPC’s are described in this section. The rest of the crew aren’t considered significant enough to be detailed, partly because they are of low level, and partly because they’re interchangeable with other hired hands that Julian can employ (usually with little problem).

Julian’s crew is largely loyal to him, partly because they have done fairly well under his leadership. They also know that it’s not a good idea to leave strike out alone when one has been responsible for attacking and driving off other pirates.

Julian’s ship will not be detailed in this entry. What you should know is that it is a seaworthy sailing ship of its kind, capable of holding a few dozen individuals and fair amount of treasure. No magical or prominent features adorn the ship; Julian in fact prefers that his ship not appear unusual, so as to direct unwanted attention away from him – or to gain the element of surprise in a battle. At certain times, such as on holy days of the Traveler God, the ship sails with a prominent symbol or colors of the Traveler God. For the most part, though, Julian’s ship appears as “just an ordinary ship”. (Or perhaps "just an ordinary pirate ship", depending on your campaign.)

Graywater Jack (Male human LN Rogue 8)
Graywater Jack, as Julian’s first mate calls himself, is at forty-five years of age an aging grizzled veteran of the high seas, although the truth is, he’s only survived this long by being cautious where others were intrepid. Jack’s skills at operating and maintaining the ship are unparalleled among the crew, which makes him indeed valuable to Julian.

Jack is a longtime friend of Julian, but he is looking to retire soon from a life of steady piracy. Now, he’s just looking to accumulate enough wealth to live out the rest of his days in comfort – and maybe even raise a family. But for now, he’s a faithful first mate who trusts that Julian is doing the right thing.

What he wants: Money; once he’s done with that “last big score”, Jack hopes to retire in peace.
What he hates: Cheaters; as far as pirates go, Jack’s an honorable man.
What he fears: Krakens (or another similar creature in your game); the existence of alien beings that were old when mankind was young deeply frightens Jack.
What he admires: Steadfastness; people who take the sorrow and joy of life in stride earn Jack’s respect.

Soren Aabye (Male human LG Fighter 7)
Soren Aabye is an honorable knight from a distant land who lost his wife to pirates about a year ago. Having no prior experience to sailing with the high seas, Soren has allied with Julian to find his lost love; the knight serves as little more than a capable fighter, but that role has proved priceless at least once. At this point, Julian and Soren regard each other as good allies, but know that they will part ways if Soren at last finds his wife.

Soren displays chivalry, justice, prudishness and a dozen other attributes missing in most pirates. He speaks politely, even when swinging his greatsword in the midst of combat. Soren is a pious warrior, and gives thanks every day to the Traveler God for having survived this long on foreign seas.

What he wants: To find his wife; Soren will stop at nothing to find her and the pirates who captured her.
What he hates: Cynicism; Soren doesn’t understand this attitude, but he sure doesn’t like it.
What he fears: Futility; at this point, Soren’s wife could easily be dead.
What he admires: True love; Soren is indeed a romantic to a fault.

Mary North (Female human CN Sorcerer 7)
Julian and his crew encountered Mary only several months ago, and hired her services as a spellcaster and adventurer. As bad-tempered and self-centered as she is, Mary has surprisingly has not demanded great amounts of payment for her valued fireballs, and some suspect this is because she enjoys adventuring so much – or perhaps just the thrill of burning people with magic. Mary could probably care less about Traveler God this and inquisition that, but so long as she’s getting gold, excitement, and a reputation on the high seas, Mary North is a content woman.

Mary has proven herself more than useful on several occasions, but no one on the crew really likes her that much, partly because she’s got a big ego. Mary feels like she deserves entitlement and attention on account of her natural arcane powers; she demands this frequently, and a number of the crew just try not to suffer an “accident” from her next fireball.

What she wants: A reputation; Mary would like nothing less than fear and acknowledgement of her power.
What she hates: Being denied; Mary wants what she wants when she wants it.
What she fears: Gnomes; Mary finds the little munchkins as scary as hell.
What she admires: Female strength; Mary respects women who can achieve greatness even when chauvinism stands in the way.

Regine Waterwheel (Female half-elf N Cleric 5)
Julian has been Regine’s mentor for about two years now, and the half-elf has been a faithful disciple of the Traveler God, although she is noticeably less motivated than Julian. In any case, she is a capable cleric and healer, and valued aboard the ship because unlike Julian, Regine can spontaneously cast cure spells. Although Julian can do most things better than her, Regine nonetheless serves as the glue of the crew, and gets along well with everyone on the ship, except Zoltan and Obadiah (see below), but no one gets along with Zoltan and Obadiah.

Regine is demure, thoughtful, and prone to long hours of meditation and religious devotion to her patron god. She favors mulling over sacred texts to battling and crusading in name of faith, but Julian continues to drill his beliefs in her head, largely because he knows that Regine will be able to take on his cause for a longer time than him. This isn’t unlikely, however, and it’s possible that the priestess will someday achieve the same determination and relentlessness as her mentor.

What she wants: Devotion; Regine tries to channel her life to humble service to her god.
What she hates: Bickering; Regine is a calm woman, but can’t stand it when people won’t agree to disagree.
What she fears: Other religions; Regine was indoctrinated into her temple at a young age, and is a little wary of faiths she doesn’t understand.
What she admires: Unity; Regine tries to make sure the crew runs smoothly as an entire unit.

Obadiah, the Unwilling Prophet (Male human CE Rogue 5)
Julian recently visited a lost temple to the Traveler God, where the natives and other pirates were hesitant to approach. Nonetheless, Julian and his allies investigated the ruins, and found a pirate, out of his mind, raving about "his flesh being the voice of the Traveler God”. Very intrigued, Julian managed to convince the madman Obadiah to join him. Interestingly, Obadiah is to this date very compliant with Julian and Regine.

Obadiah is almost certainly insane – even more than Zoltan – but it’s really not his fault. Julian surmises that Obadiah peered into ancient ruins too powerful for his own good, and now thinks that Obadiah is some kind of unwilling prophet through whom servants of the Traveler God (or at least some powerful force) speak. At least once Obadiah’s visions and prophecies have proved true, but no one is sure whether those things are just coincidental hallucinations. And if Obadiah’s not really touched by the Traveler God, well, there’s no point in letting a useful, albeit murderous, pirate not help you.

Obadiah has no desire to be the puppet of some god, but thinks he is controlled by forces beyond his power. He fears Julian and Regine without good reason, and he tries to win the favor of the Traveler God so that the deity (if it’s even the case) will stop speaking through him. Obadiah greatly relishes combat, for fights are the only release he gets from the awful voices in his head.

What he wants: To get rid of the strange voices in his head; Obadiah is sick, sick, sick of those voices.
What he hates: Paladins; Paladins spared his life in battle and stranded him on the island where he went mad.
What he fears: The Traveler God; Obadiah fears this god and his priests, and will do anything – anything! –to placate them.
What he admires: Sympathy; Obadiah wishes to be understood as something more than a mere crazy.

Zack Bloodwater (Male human N Ranger 3/Fighter 1)
Zack Bloodwater, as the young man calls himself, is a self-styled “pirate hunter” who claims that he’d like nothing less than to cleanse the seas of pirates. Regardless of what he says, he’s still regarded as a brash but sometimes competent kid by most of the crew, and Zack has got no desire to fight his pirate crewmates. (It would be suicide to begin with anyhow.)

The truth is that Zack is just a scared, lonely, and pretentious adventurer who got enamored with tales of pirates at a young age. Thinking that it wasn’t just good enough to be a pirate, Zack decided to become a “pirate hunter”, and he now affects the role of grim hunter who brings justice to thieves and scum. Most people tend to see through him after a while, but he’s still a decent shot with a bow, and Julian figures Zack’s desire to become a feared warrior will serve him well at this point. Of all the crew members, Zack is among the most impressionable and likely to follow Julian first.

What he wants: Admiration; Zack wants the respect and adoration heroes always seem to get.
What he hates: Incompetence; Zack sometimes demands that people do their best, at least with him.
What he fears: Exposure; Zack is deeply afraid that people will see past his constructed exterior.
What he admires: Courage; Zack tries to emulate heroes who fight without regard for their own safety.

Geoffrey Moros (Male human N Bard 4)
No one really suspects it, but this aloof and sometimes gloomy bard is a spy and a double agent. Geoffrey owed a significant debt to an influential pirate lord, and being unable to pay it off, was sent to serve watch a curious inquisitor of the high seas and his shabby crew. Since Geoffrey is likely to face a painful death – either by his employer or by Zoltan – if he lets it slip that he’s been disloyal to the crew, he keeps his mouth shut, and does what he’s good at: entertainment, lore, and the occasional magic. He keeps a journal of his observations of the crew, and hasn’t been informed to actively sabotage the ship or betray Julian. In a few months, Geoffrey is expected to report to his pirate lord on all he knows, and then continue spying.

Although he’s a mole who could really care less about the Traveler God, Geoffrey is in fact unwilling to impede Julian’s progress – he would even like to help Julian out in a tight spot. Don’t get him wrong: Geoffrey takes on the role of a detached and world-weary observer, but he has a soft spot for tales of adventure. Geoffrey surmises that Julian’s inquisition would make for a wondrous tale or poem to be recited in a court one day, so he keeps watching, hoping he’ll never receive the order to draw his sword against his crew.

What he wants: Just to watch; Geoffrey is interested in watching Julian’s inquisition unfold over the years.
What he hates: Being pestered; Geoffrey really doesn’t like it when nosy people go and bother him.
What he fears: Betrayal; Geoffrey hopes he never has to turn his hand against people he trusts.
What he admires: Beauty; Geoffrey somewhat naively thinks life imitates art, and is joyful when the real world is dramatic and romantic.

The rest of the crew
The remainder of the crew is “in the background”, so to speak, and generally don’t fill important enough roles or aren’t driven enough to merit separate entries. At any given time, there are around a dozen to over twenty of these crew members. (You can roll 3d4+10 to randomly determine the number.) One to three (1d3) of these people are of 3rd-level, one to four (1d4) are of 2nd-level, and the rest are of 1st-level. These crew members are typically of the fighter, rogue, expert, warrior, and sometimes commoner class, and most of them are humans. An elf, a wizard, or some other less commonly seen race or class might be on the ship, but it’s not so likely – unless, of course, they’re your PC’s.

The crew knows how to operate, sail, and fix the ship competently. Most, if not all, of them have ranks in Craft (shipbuilding), Profession (sailor), Survival, Swim, and/or Use Rope.

The crew in your campaign: this section the entry is intended to be the most malleable to your campaign. For example, Graywater Jack might be a friend of one of the PC’s, allowing them to become more than strangers with the crew. Alternately, perhaps Obadiah will receive some visions that can help expedite one of the PC’s goals.

Although the statistics of the crew are not be detailed here, you can use the Dungeon Master’s Guide to come up with quick statistics of them if need be, making minor changes where appropriate. Remember, however, that this section works with respect to Julian, and the crew is written as an ancillary group to Julian, even if certain members have different goals.

Carmichael
2006-09-15, 04:49 PM
Edit and shameless bump: I can't use the word s-a-l-t-w-a-t-e-r in the entry.