Captain Kale has been on board a ship, in one position or another, since he signed on with with the Royal Navy when he was twelve years old (lying about his age, of course, as all sailors do). He was young, wild and idealistic, filled with dreams of adventure. He was loyal to his commanding officer, helpful to his fellow crew, and generally keen to make his fortune.
It didn't last.
As the years rolled on, life took a harsh toll on Kale. He lost good friends to the fury of the sea. He was betrayed by sailors with nothing but greed and lust for power in their hearts. And the salt air left his lungs scoured and his joints creaky.
These days, Kale is foul-tempered, pessimistic, and irritable. He shows no sympathy for fools that lose life or limb to the dangers of the sea. He's become infamously known as 'the Heartless Captain'. That innocent young cabin boy of so, so many years ago is long dead, buried in the grizzled carcass of mean, grouchy old Captain Kale.
But secretly, that story's not wholly true, though Kale would rather die than admit it. The sea has toughened Kale, that's true, and he's learned to keep his heart hidden--and hidden well--but it still burns, deep inside him. He still believes in adventure, believes there's treasure and wonder out there. He loves the sea, despite all it's done to hurt him. And if you're fortunate enough to be part of his crew, you'll never find a more loyal captain, even if every other ship in the sea has rejected you.
Spoiler:
Captain Everett Kale
Male Human Battlemaster Level 1
Look: Large, well-groomed grey beard. Perpetual angry scowl. Black and gold tricorner hat. Haunted eyes. Smells of salt and rum.
Attribute notes: Kale has a sharp mind and an incredible force of personality, but he's older, and hasn't taken very good care of his body. His creaky, arthritic joints make it tough for him to move around nimbly, and he's not as healthy as he once was, although he does retain some measure of his strength.
Hit Points: 19 Damage: d8 Armor: 0
Drive: To protect his ship and his crew
Bonds: Eli reminds me of myself when I was young and idealistic. I should try to protect him from all the things that had hurt me. If it weren't for Numeo, my crew might have starved on that island; I owe him. Quelthas and I have sailed together for years--I want to reward him for his skill and loyalty.
Battlemaster Special Abilities
Heavy Armor Training: You ignore the clumsy tag on armor you wear.
Tactics: Your knowledge and training allows you to assess a battle and know the correct tactical approach. Only one Tactic can be active at a time. | Aggressive (When you Hack and Slash, deal your damage even on a 6-.) | Cautious (Gain +1 when you Defy Danger.) | Reactive (You cannot Hack and Slash, but you can Counterattack: When you are attacked in melee and attempt to counter, roll +DEX. On a 7+, you expertly parry the attack. On a 10+, you riposte and deal your damage.) | Defensive (When you use the Defend move, treat a 6- as a 7-9.) | Reckless (When you deal damage, deal +1d4 damage. When you take damage, take +1d4 damage.)
Default Tactic By nature you always have the Cautious tactic active until you use the Change Tactics move. You can always spend 1 Gambit to instantly return to this Tactic.
Gambit When you or someone you have a bond with takes damage from an outside source, it was part of your plan the whole time, gain +1 Gambit. What some might see as an unwanted setback, you know is merely a stratagem to gain a later advantage. At any time, reveal your ploy and use Gambits to: Add +1 to anyone's roll (Cost: 1) | Deal your damage to an enemy (Cost: 2) | Create an obstacle or distraction that a single enemy has to deal with before they can do anything else (Cost: 3) | The GM will help you reveal a trap, ambush, or plan that gives you and your allies a surprising advantage (Cost: 4) | Multiple Gambits can be used and the effects stack. After the end of a battle or when it makes sense, your Gambit count resets to 0.
Change Tactics: When you draw on your knowledge and training to assess a combat situation, roll +INT. On a 10+, you formulate a plan and select a new Tactic. On a 7-9, also choose one: A) The new Tactic isn’t effective at first, take -1 Forward B) An early plan led up to this, spend 1 Gambit or C) The Tactic requires that you draw attention or put yourself in a spot. The GM will tell you how.
War Knowledge: When you Spout Lore about combat topics such as historical battles, military figures, martial weapons or armor, take +1.
Battle of Wits: You always know in which goblet resides the poison. When an enemy is watching you and there's a difficult choice to make, the GM will tell you what the enemy expects you to do.
Intelligent Defense: When you use your knowledge and training to decide the best defense, you can use the Defend move with INT instead of CON. Furthermore, when you’re using Defensive Tactics, you can always spend 1 Gambit to halve an attack's effect or damage directed at you or something you Defend.
Equipment
Your Load is 19. You carry seafarer's rations (5 uses, 1 weight), a brass spyglass (1 weight), a Cassiopian Tusk (+1 Weapon, messy), slightly-rusted but sturdy chainmail* (1 armor, 1 weight), adventuring gear (5 4 uses, 1 weight), Royal Navy Sabre* (close, 1 weight), and bandages (3 uses, slow, 0 weight)
*(Note: chainmail and Royal Navy Sabre currently in the possession of a villain)
