I know we'll see official pirate style traits when Skulls & Shackles hits, and I eagerly anticipate it. However as I mentioned elsewhere my players decided not to wait and want pirates now. As such I was working on some campaign traits for sailor/pirate types. Here's the few I came up with, if you'd be so kind as to look them over and tell me what you think. Also feel free to drop in any pirate or nautical themed traits you've created for me to ste...err look at! :P
- Glass eye/Eye Patch: During the course of your career youve lost an eye. You take a -4 penalty to all perception involving sight, and a penalty to ranged attacks as well. However you gain a +4 bonus on perception checks involving sound, touch, taste, and hearing. Plus you look Damn cool!
- Hook Hand: You lost a hand! You recieve Improvised weapon:Hand Hook as a free virtual feat, and can wield it as a light weapon that does d4 and x2 critical. It can be made master work, and be enchanted as normal (and you can get interchangable ones). You may also take weapon feats for it as with any weapon. The downside is, you lost a hand....
- Peg Leg: You lost your leg and got a stump to replace it. Your speed is reduced to 20 if it was 30 or 15 if it was 20. The upside? You can get a hollowed out leg that can hide tiny objects in it and be enchanted (Peg leg of holding? Flask of ale or potion of cure light wounds? Be creative)
Press Ganged: You were press ganged into sailing service. You gain swim as a class skill and get a +1 trait bonus on all Swim and Proffession (Sailor) rolls.
The Dread Pirate.... "Whats his name": You were the apprentice to a well known pirate captain at some point and could possibly still be. You are being groomed to one day take his place when he inevitably dies a painful and treacherous death. As such you start play with an additional 300gp of starting wealth. However as his apprentice you inherit his enemies, whether you still work with him or not.
Slaver: You make a living trafficking in the suffering of others. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Proffession (Slaver) checks and start with an additional 200gp thanks to your proffessional success.
Illicit Trader: You have a contact in A Port City (Chosen when this Trait is chosen). Once per game session you may make a DC15 Diplomacy check to use this contact to acquire you up to 200gp in mundane items and basic illicit goods. However you must travel to their base of operations to use this ability and it takes time based on the items requested. Any time after you have succeeded in this check the contact may call in his favor in equal amount to the cumulative in goods you have acquired so far.
We Named the Monkey Jack: You recieve a familiar as a first level wizard or sorcerer. You may not take this if you already gain a familiar from another source or you have given up the option of a familiar. This familiar must be a standard sailor/pirate familiar such as a monkey or parrot. You are always considered 1st level in regards to it's abilities.
Another trait I'm contemplating.... A gunslinger style trait.
I know it's sort of steps on the toes of the gunslinger here, but...
- Pistoleer: You begin play with a pirate weapon, a pistol. This is effectively the same as a gunslingers starting gun, being battered (broken for anyone who isn't you) and only worth 2d10gp if sold. You also start with 5 shots (and equivelant powder)
Too good?
Another trait I'm contemplating.... A gunslinger style trait.
I know it's sort of steps on the toes of the gunslinger here, but...
- Pistoleer: You begin play with a pirate weapon, a pistol. This is effectively the same as a gunslingers starting gun, being battered (broken for anyone who isn't you) and only worth 2d10gp if sold. You also start with 5 shots (and equivelant powder)
Too good?
You could just use the existing traits. They can help establish the character. Any of the social traits can work. A pirate who came from lost nobility or with a hellknight ancestry would be interesting. Any of the traits should only cover a part of a character's background that may not be directly related to the story.
Campaign traits are the exception but these really only exist to tie the character to that campaign. Otherwise, a non-trait description will work.
You could just use the existing traits. They can help establish the character. Any of the social traits can work. A pirate who came from lost nobility or with a hellknight ancestry would be interesting. Any of the traits should only cover a part of a character's background that may not be directly related to the story.
Campaign traits are the exception but these really only exist to tie the character to that campaign. Otherwise, a non-trait description will work.
I guess I didn't make it clear in my first post. I am using the other general traits as well. My players specifically wanted some pirate flavored ones. I was seeing what I could come up with. :)
Any other criticisms or ideas for them?
I think Lost Eye might be kinda harsh unless the Eye of Vecna shows up somewheres, but I wish i'd thought of those. nice flavor.
Pistoleer is prolly too good. firearms are freakin' expensive!
Here are the campaign traits I used for my Freeport campaign:
Home Port- You either grew up in Freeport or spend much time there when not at sea. It has become second nature for you to keep a sharp eye out to find your next mark or to avoid the press gangs. You receive a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (local) and Perception rolls and Knowledge (local) is always treated as a class skill for you.
Bar Fly- You know that taverns are where the action is and you’ve spent an inordinate amount of time sharing a drink and a yarn in a wide array of Freeport’s dives. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Fortitude saves against intoxication and the sickened condition and a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks to gather information in a bar.
Able Seaman- You have spent years aboard ships and hsvr earned recognition as a competent sailor. You gain a +1 bonus to Acrobatics, Climb, Swim, Survival, or Profession (sailor) and that skill becomes a class skill for you.
NOTE: Home Port was to encourage players to take local knowledge to help the GM introduce the setting and drop hints and Able Seaman was a catch all for shipworthy skill proficiency.
Lost boy: you start the game with the young template but also are proficient with weird multicolored food when used as an improvised weapon. As an added benefit if you call out "Bangarang!" At the gaming table you receive +1 for the rest of the combat. (Usable 1/day)
"But Cap'n - ye forgot tha most important one of all!"
Crow's Nest Squint: +1 bonus to Perception, and that skill becomes a class skill for you whilst on board a ship
Yeah - it's probably a little on the weak side, but fit my character pretty good so I'm happy.
One thing to think of though - how many other traits grant access to Perception as a class skill?
ihmo, you need a trait to (substantially) decrease armor check penalties. No self respecting pirate would accept heavy penalties on live saving skills such a swim, climb and acrobatics.
Classes that use heavier armor for protection become a lot less interesting (though maybe this is a good thing).
Name to be filled in: When first joining a gang of pirates, you only had steel armor for protection. Even though everyone you predicted you would drawn due to it's encumberment, you couldn't get adjusted to a life of danger without the protection of steel. Through the years, you have learned to move with grace when wearing that particular kind of steel armor. You reduce the armor penalties for a particular kind of armor with 2 to a minimum of 0.
P.S. About 'We Named the Monkey Jack'. I don't think it's a good idea to tie it mechanically to a familiar (Alertness, improved evasion, share spells, empathic link, +3 bonus to a skill). At low level, this will be overpowered. And what to do when it dies.
I think a mechanical function as an animal companion (Link and share spells) with the stats of a familiar might be better.
I see what you mean on the 'We named the Monkey Jack'... I like the change, What I think I'll do is take your idea and run with it, and make it the following:
- We named the Monkey Jack: You gain a animal companion from an approved list (the list would be parrots and tiny sized monkeys me thinks). This companion gains Link and Share spells as per a druids animal companion. If you take a class that allows a familiar or animal companion you may only have 1 or the other (though you may take this companion as that companion)...
As to the unnamed trait you added (which I like) I would be apt to call Steal Sea.
Seems too weak to limit it to just on ships only...
Crow's Nest Squint: +1 bonus to Perception, and that skill becomes a class skill for you
Aye, I offered to have it apply in any outdoor situation, but Dibbs really wanted it tied to shipboard life. The character already has a good perception, but this should make him an especially good look-out.
Are you going to 'force' your playings to take a pirate trait?
If so, you may want to include some stuff for casters. Something like +4 bonus to concentration check to resist the motion of a ship (I actually think there is a similar trait, not sure where though). Or a +1 caster level for water spells.
No, I'm not forcing them to take any specific traits they have the option of these though. I don't limit them in general but I do approve them so there's no trying to cheese the game by taking two combat traits that do the same thing or something. Generally I don't mind if someone takes two from the same group if they make sense and add to the character.