Blackpowder Pirates

A
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Author’s Note
Firearms feature prominently in most of the new class options
presented here because of their prominence in a great many
cinematic depictions of pirates. They lend a distinctive flair to
maritime adventures that helps establish a unique tone. You’ll
need the Gunslinger PDF for the complete rules on firearms,
otherwise you can utilize one of the alternative options found
within to liberate these pirates from a reliance upon their
guns.


 Fighting Style
Heavy armor fashioned of metal might provide excellent

 protection to those fighters that engage in combat upon land,

but for the Buccaneer such armor is a liability. The extra
weight makes swimming difficult and risks drowning. Salty

M
spray accelerates the rust and deterioration of such armor as
well. The Mariner fighting style, first shown in the Unearthed
Arcana series from Wizards of the Coast, is recommended for
those characters planning to emulate the Buccaneer martial
archetype and for any campaigns that are planned to spend
much of their time aboard ships on the open seas.


As long as you are not wearing heavy armor or using a shield,
you have a swimming speed and a climbing speed equal to
 your normal speed, and you gain a +1 bonus to AC.


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

Optional Rule: Sea Legs

The constant rocking of a ship on the open water can be
disorienting for those unaccustomed to it, and presents
constant difficulty for balance and walking. Aboard such a
vessel, a character has disadvantage on acrobatics checks.
During combat, a character that moves more than 5 feet has
disadvantage on their attack rolls during their turn. After
two consecutive days aboard a ship, most 
characters gain their ‘sea legs’ and no longer
suffer these penalties (DMs may decide that
acclimation takes longer, if it is possible at all.)
Characters lose their sea legs if they spend more
than a month off a ship, but gain them again
after only an hour aboard a ship. After more
than three months as a landlubber, a character
must spend two days aboard a ship before
claiming their sea legs again. 

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
Replacing Firearms
While the explosive bluster of firearms makes a solid
contribution to the tone of the class options presented here,
 they might not be the best fit for every campaign. DMs
looking for alternatives to the firearm-centric options here
need look no further.


Replaces Shoot First
When you roll initiative, you can move up to your speed
before combat beings. Until the end of your first turn in
combat you have advantage on attacks against any creature
that has not yet acted.


Replaces Shoot First
You gain the loyal companionship of a noisy parrot (use the
stats for the owl). This companion acts independently in
combat, rolling its own initiative and acting on its own turn,
but still obeying your commands. It can attack, or use its
action to distract an enemy, giving you advantage on attacks
against that target. If your companion dies, it takes 1d4 days
to find and groom a suitable replacement.


Replaces Shoot First
As a bonus action on your turn you can begin singing a
nautical song. Any non-hostile creature that can hear you
gains advantage on any skill ability check made while you
maintain concentration on this ability.

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S
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



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Thing Beneath the Waves Spells

Spell Level Spells
1st fog cloud, thunderwave
2nd gust of wind, warding wind*
3rd call lightning, tidal wave*
4th control water, watery sphere*
5th control winds*, maelstrom*

* these spells appear in the Elemental Evil Player’s Companion.

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  

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

Invocations and Your Pact Boon

There are some patrons that straddle the boundaries between
conventional categorization. For example, the entity Dagon
dwells in the Abyss, but his aquatic realm connect him to the
theme of the Thing Beneath the Waves and his real-world
origin has ties to the same body of lore inspiring the creation
of the Great Old One. There are invocations exclusive to other
pacts that would go a long way in fleshing out the concept of
 a warlock serving Dagon, and Dagon is not alone in the
characteristic. You are here encouraged to work with your DM
to potentially remove patron prerequisites when an invocation
would fit the theme of your character and the nature of your
patron.
Additionally, the nature of the Thing Beneath the Waves can
be reflected in the manifestation of your pact boon.
Pact of the Chain. Your familiar, if not already an aquatic
creature, like a reef shark, may have gills or a moist,
amphibious nature. Work with your DM if a beast not already
 listed as an option for a familiar might be a better fit, or if
water breathing or the amphibious trait can be added to your
chosen creature.
Pact of the Blade. It is likely that your pact weapon bears the
signs of a lifetime at sea; encrusted with salt, stained with
rust, smelling of the sea, and pocked by barnacles. Weapons
like the cutlass, harpoons, and tridents are good choices for
sea-faring warlocks.
Pact of the Tome. Like a pact weapon for the Thing Beneath
the Waves, your tome likely bears signs of wear from the sea.
Alternatively, it might be of more exotic construction – pages
of dried and bleached seaweed bound between massive clam
 shells or slabs of coral.

|
Nautical Options
For the Rest of the Crew
 Nautical Superstitions

T d10
1
2
Superstition
You must pour libations before boarding a ship.
You believe whistling on a boat challenges the wind
and refuse to allow anyone to do so.
3 You have a tattoo of a rooster on your foot, believing
it will show you back to shore if you are lost at sea.
4 You refuse to cut your hair or beard and trim your
nails until your voyage is finished.
5 You always bring a black cat aboard ships you sail
with.
6 Any time you sight birds during a voyage, you pause
to offer a prayer to your god.
7 You keep a scrimshaw fishbone as a lucky charm.
8 You will not touch the corpse of anyone that has died
aboard a ship.
9 You must repay any outstanding debts before
embarking upon a new voyage.
10 You will not sail on any ship that is not manned by at
least one kobold.

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