Jack Thimble, Jr.'s page

Jack grew up on one of the many islands of the Shackles, raised in a halfling community near a small port town by his single mother. She would never tell him anything about his father, and he often wondered who he might be, imagining everything from a naval captain to a mighty wizard. When he grew old enough to work, he worked as a deckhand aboard a small fishing vessel, feeling as at home aboard a ship as he did on solid ground. He always felt the call of the waves, though, longing to venture into deeper waters and the open sea.

One day, upon returning to port, he discovered that his mother had fallen ill. Rushing to her side, he found her feverish and weak, unable to leave her bed. She revealed to him that his father had been one of the feared Free Captains of the Shackles, a pirate of great renown named Jack Thimble, rumored to have cut down men of twice his size with ease. She had seen his longing for the sea, and knew that to keep him from his father's legacy would be to deny him the destiny he deserved.

She passed away within the week, leaving Jack with little to tie him to the sleepy and peaceful village of his birth. Selling off his mother's home, he bought passage on a ship to the notorious pirate haven of Port Peril to seek his destiny.

Dashing and handsome even by halfling standards, Jack is a lover of women, of drink, and of the thrill of adventure. Sailing and swordplay are his two greatest passions, though, and he takes to both with grace and practiced ease. He has long since felt that the sea is in his blood, and with the discovery of his father's past, he feels compelled to seek out his own destiny upon the high seas. He stands at a striking 3'4" (quite tall for his race), with a charming smirk and rich brown hair, and has well-calloused hands from working with ropes and rigging. Confident and assured, he exults in defeating opponents larger than himself - both in contests of skill and in physical combat.

Prideful of his talents and determined to prove himself, Jack nevertheless manages to maintain an optimistic outlook even when his pride is wounded. He loves making friends, enjoying helping an ally succeed as much as himself, and could potentially flourish into a talented leader if given the opportunity. If nothing else, Jack knows that lady luck has his back, and has been known to take crazy risks to meet his goals. His luck hasn't failed him yet, and despite all challenges, he eagerly looks forward to a life of adventure!

Panache (Ex): More than just a lightly armored warrior, a swashbuckler is a daring combatant. He fights with panache: a fluctuating measure of a swashbuckler’s ability to perform amazing actions in combat. At the start of each day, a swashbuckler gains a number of panache points equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1) and Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). His panache goes up or down throughout the day, but usually cannot go higher than his Charisma modifier (minimum 1) plus his Intelligence modifier (minimum 1), though feats and magic items can affect this maximum. A swashbuckler spends panache to accomplish deeds (see below), and regains panache in the following way:

Critical Hit with a Rapier: Each time the inspired blade confirms a critical hit with a rapier while in combat, he regains 1 panache point. Confirming a critical hit on a helpless or unaware creature or on a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the swashbuckler’s character level doesn't restore panache.

Deeds wrote:

Deeds: Swashbucklers spend panache points to accomplish deeds. Most deeds grant the swashbuckler a momentary bonus or effect, but some provide longer-lasting effects. Some deeds remain in effect as long as the swashbuckler has at least 1 panache point. A swashbuckler can any deeds of his level or lower. Unless otherwise noted, a deed can be performed multiple successive times, as long as the swashbuckler has or spends the required number of panache points to perform the deed.

Derring-do (Ex): At 1st level, a swashbuckler can spend 1 panache point when he makes an Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Fly, Ride, or Swim check to roll 1d6 and add the result to the check. He can do this after he makes the check but before the result is revealed. If the result of the d6 roll is a natural 6, he rolls another 1d6 and adds it to the check. He can continue to do this as long as he rolls natural 6s, up to a number of times equal to his Dexterity modifier (minimum 1).

Dodging Panache (Ex): At 1st level, when an opponent attempts a melee attack against the swashbuckler, the swashbuckler can as an immediate action spend 1 panache point to move 5 feet; doing so grants the swashbuckler a dodge bonus to AC equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 0) against the triggering attack. This movement doesn't negate the attack, which is still resolved as if the swashbuckler had not moved from the original square. This movement is not a 5-foot step; it provokes attacks of opportunity from creatures other than the one who triggered this deed. The swashbuckler can only perform this deed while wearing light or no armor, and while carrying no heavier than a light load.

Opportune Parry and Riposte (Ex):At 1st level, when an opponent makes a melee attack against the swashbuckler, he can spend 1 panache point and expend a use of an attack of opportunity to attempt to parry that attack. The swashbuckler makes an attack roll as if he were making an attack of opportunity; for each size category the attacking creature is larger than the swashbuckler, the swashbuckler takes a –2 penalty on this roll. If his result is greater than the attacking creature’s result, the creature’s attack automatically misses. The swashbuckler must declare the use of this ability after the creature’s attack is announced, but before its attack roll is made. Upon performing a successful parry and if he has at least 1 panache point, the swashbuckler can as an immediate action make an attack against the creature whose attack he parried, provided that creature is within his reach.

Adaptable Luck: Most haflings are lucky, but Jack Thimble is luckier than most. Three times per day, Jack can gain a +3* luck bonus on an ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check. If Jack chooses to use this ability before he makes the roll or check, he gains the full +3 bonus; if he chooses to do so afterward, he only gains a +2 bonus. Using adaptable luck in this way is not an action.

Fleet of Foot: Jack Thimble is quicker than most of his kin, but less cautious, giving him a base speed of 30 feet.

Low Blow: Some halflings train extensively in the art of attacking larger creatures, and Jack is no exception. Jack isn't afraid to "hit 'em where it hurts," which gives him a +1 bonus on critical confirmation rolls against opponents larger than him.

Fearless: Jack is hard to spook, and gains a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear.