Buccaneer

Castlemourn depends on Glamryn Bay for swift

travel and trade. The waters of the Bay are busy
with ships carrying traders and their goods, settlers,
and questors from port to port on the mainland
and between those ports and the arc of large islands
that form the sekhovynd (southern) boundary of
Glamryn Bay. As a result, its
not surprising that many have
taken to the waves. The most
successful seafarers are those
not just skilled at sailing,
but able to defend their
ships from the treacheries
of the high seas. Every day
at sea may test the bravery
and smarts of these hardy
sailors commonly called
buccaneers or salts.
Adventurers: Buccaneers
adventure for a living, sailing
to various ports and fighting
off pirates and hostile beasts.
Such careers often spark
in them an even greater
wanderlust, full of curiosity
about what lies beyond the
Vaerath in wider Umbrara.
Some become questors,
signing on to perilous
voyages of exploration.
Financially-successful old
salts often sponsor their
own missions to explore the
mysteries of Castlemourn.
Characteristics:
Buccaneers have a wide array
of skills, including martial
training. Their ship-learning
gives them the ingenuity and
swift reactions necessary to
cope with unexpected and
dangerous situations, at sea
and elsewhere.
Alignment: Buccaneers
can embrace any alignment.
Good and neutral salts often
serve as crew or bodyguards
to wealthy merchants or join navies as freesails.
Those who are more carefree travel wistfully or act
as guides for others. Evil buccaneers often succumb
to the lure of piracy.
Religion: Buccaneers can be of any faith, though
they often renounce all piety. Most pay at least
nominal respect to Araugh, seeking protection
against the fierce storms at sea.
Background: Buccaneering is integral to
Mournan society, especially in and around the
Iron Isles. Most salts begin young, signing on
as apprentice crew or deck rats. Others learn
seafaring the hard way as mutinous slaves,
prisoners of war, or after being kidnapped and
spirited away to sea.
Races: Buccaneers can be of any race, but
(as the profession favors
ambition and adaptability)
most salts are humans,
half-elves, or golaunt. Most
dwarves remain among
their own kind, but the few
who become buccaneers
find life at sea soothing
and in accordance with
their philosophy. The other
short races tend to dislike
buccaneering, as ships are
not often built with their
stature in mind and so are
especially hazardous. Thaele
are least likely to become
buccaneers, largely avoiding
ship travel altogether.
Other Classes:
Buccaneers are useful even
ashore. Naturally gregarious,
they get along well with most
other classes but are most
at home with those who
practice related skills and
live similar lifestylesrogues,
fighters, and rangers. Their
relationships with other
classes are influenced more
by personal ethics and beliefs
than profession.
Role: Buccaneers
make strong secondary
combatants, relying on
specialized attacks more
than brute force. They are
excellent sailors and scouts;
they are good at gleaning
resources and lore from
many sources, thanks to their knack for dealing
with folk from many lands.
Game Rule Information
Abilities: A high Dexterity helps a buccaneer with
attacks and defense, as well as Balance and Tumble
checks. A high Intelligence helps a buccaneer best
develop a broad array of skills. High Strength aids
in climbing and swimming, and a high Charisma
helps in maintaining crew harmony and dealings in
foreign ports.
Starting Coin: 6d4 x 10 (150 gp)
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8
Class Skills
The buccaneers class skills (and the key ability
for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex),
Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy
(Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather
Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str),
Knowledge (geography) (Int), Profession (sailor)
(Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival
(Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope
(Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int
modifier
Class Feature s
All of the following are class features of the
buccaneer.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Buccaneers
are proficient with all simple weapons, bows (long
and short), and nets. They are also proficient with
the following buccaneer weapons: handaxe, kukri,
longsword, rapier, sap, scimitar, and short sword.
Buccaneers are proficient with light armor but not
with shields.
Scrap-Fighting (Ex): In addition to traditional
sword skills, buccaneers use an unorthodox form of
fighting that involves a combination of swordplay
and unarmed combat. Provided he is using a
buccaneer melee weapon, a buccaneer can make
a second attack (either by punching or kicking)
as if he had both the Two-Weapon Fighting feat
and the Improved Unarmed Strike feat (even if he
doesnt meet the prerequisites). A buccaneer can
also use his unarmed attack from scrap-fighting to
make grapple and trip attacks. He cannot fight in
this manner if wearing medium or heavy armor, or
using a non-buccaneer weapon. Scrap-fighting is a
full-round action.
Rapid Climb (Ex): At 1st level, a buccaneer
learns to climb faster. If he takes a 5 penalty to
his Climb skill check, he can climb at half his base
speed. At 5th level, the penalty for rapid climbing
is reduced to 2. At 10th level, his climb speed
increases to three quarters of his base speed. At
15th level, he loses the remaining penalty for
rapid climbing. At 20th level, he can climb at his
base movement without penalty. He cannot use
this ability if wearing medium or heavy armor, or
carrying more than a light load.
Combat Expertise: A buccaneer gains the
Combat Expertise feat even if he does not meet its
prerequisite.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): By 3rd level, a buccaneer
cannot be caught flat-footed and reacts to danger
before his normal senses would warn him to do
so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class
even if caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible
attacker (but loses this bonus if immobilized). If a
buccaneer already has the Uncanny Dodge ability
from another class (such as barbarian or rogue), he
instead gains Improved Uncanny Dodge.
Great Leap (Ex): All buccaneers need to learn
how to jump from ship to shore, to other ships, and
to maneuver quickly around a ships deck. At 4th
level, a buccaneer always makes Jump checks as if
he was running and had the Run feat. This enables
him to make long jumps without a running start
and provides him with a +4 competence bonus to
Jump checks. He cannot use this ability if wearing
medium or heavy armor, or carrying more than a
light load.
Bonus Feat: At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level,
a buccaneer can choose one of the following
bonus feats: Acrobatic, Agile, Alertness, Dodge,
Improved Critical, Improved Disarm, Improved
Feint, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Mobility,
Negotiator, Persuasive, Quick Draw, Spring Attack,
Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus, Whirlwind Attack.
The buccaneer must still meet all prerequisites for
a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack
bonus minimums.
Drop Attack (Ex): At 5th level, a buccaneer
can make attacks by dropping on a flat-footed
opponent from above, allowing him to strike from
a mast, a roof, or even a tree. The target must be
the same size as, or smaller than, the buccaneer,
who must be 20 feet or less above his target with
an unobstructed line of effect. A successful Jump
check (DC 15) breaks his fall on his target, dealing
the target 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage per
10 feet the buccaneer drops. The target must also
make a Fortitude save (DC 14) or be dazed for 1
round + 1/2 the buccaneers level (rounded down).
Following the attack, both buccaneer and target
are prone. A drop attack is a full-round action that
does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the
target.
At 10th level, the buccaneer can attempt to
grapple an opponent he successfully drop attacks
in the same round, though he and his opponent
are still both knocked prone. The grapple doesnt
provoke an attack of opportunity from the target. By
13th level, he can attempt to make a melee attack
against an opponent he scores a successful drop
attack on in the same round (he and his opponent
are still both knocked prone), and this melee attack
doesnt provoke an attack of opportunity from the
target. At 16th level, a buccaneer can instead choose
to stand as a free action following a successful drop
attack.
Acrobatic Charge (Ex): By 6th level, a
buccaneer has learned to make charge attacks
through hazardous terrain, around allies, and over
obstacles that would normally impede a charge.
This allows him to charge across a ships deck, then
leap or swing from masts and rigging to attack
opponents. Acrobatic charge is a move action, and a
buccaneer employing this tactic may need to make
appropriate skill checks along the way, depending
on the circumstances (GMs decision). He cannot
use this ability if he is wearing medium or heavy
armor, or is carrying more than a light load.
Improved Scrap-Fighting (Ex): At 7th
level, when using his scrap-fighting ability, the
buccaneer is now treated as if he had the Improved
Two-Weapon Fighting feat when fighting with a
buccaneer weapon, even if he doesnt meet the
prerequisites. He cannot use this ability if wearing
medium or heavy armor, or carrying more than a
light load.
Throw Weapon (Ex): At 8th level, a buccaneer
can throw any buccaneer melee weapon as a ranged
attack without suffering the normal 4 penalty. All
buccaneer weapons are treated as having a range
increment of 10 feet.
Roll with the Blow (Ex): Starting at 8th
level, the buccaneer learns how to roll with his
opponents blows, so they do not inflict as much
damage. Provided he is not caught flat-footed
and maintains his Dexterity bonus to AC, he can
reduce the damage from each attack scored against
him with a weapon or natural attack by 1 point. In
practice, this acts like a conditional form of damage
reduction. For every 3 levels thereafter (11th, 14th,
17th, and 20th), the amount of damage a buccaneer
can avoid in this manner increases by one point to
a maximum of 5 at 20th level; however, this ability
can never reduce the damage from a successful
attack to less than 1 point. A buccaneer can only
roll with the blow if he is wearing light armor or
less and carrying no more than a light load.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 9th level,
a buccaneer can no longer be flanked, reacting
to opponents on opposite sides as easily as he
reacts to a single attacker. Additionally, only an
opponent whose class level is four greater than
the buccaneers class level can sneak attack him.
This ability allows a buccaneer to flank rogues and
buccaneers with the same ability, provided he is
four levels higher than such an opponent.
Scrap-Fighting Mastery (Ex): At 11th level,
a buccaneer has mastered his unique style of
brawling combat. When using his scrap-fighting
ability, the buccaneer is now treated as if he had
the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if
he doesnt meet the prerequisites. As before,
the buccaneer cannot use this ability if wearing
medium or heavy armor, or carrying more than a
light load.
Acrobatic Mastery (Ex): By 14th level, a
buccaneer becomes thoroughly proficient with his
acrobatics and can take 10 on any Balance, Climb,
Jump, and Tumble checks, even under stress.
Acrobatic mastery works in conjunction with rapid
climb.
Seen the World (Ex): At 18th level, the
buccaneers extensive travels and experience
grant him keen insight into his current location.
He automatically knows which direction he faces
at all times, as if under the effect of a permanent
know direction spell. Furthermore, he is aware of
his relative location and distance from major
settlements in any country or body of water in
which he has traveled.