Scallywag (Cavalier)

[Chris Shaeffer]

Scallywag (Cavalier)
Gliding effortlessly atop lakes and streams throughout the River Kingdoms, these brazen boatmen handle their crafts with uncanny skill and precision. Scallywags hold many occupations, from defenders of their local lords' holdings to unscrupulous bandits plundering those very same riverbanks.

Class Skills: A scallywag gains Acrobatics and Survival as class skills and does not gain Handle Animal or Ride as class skills.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Scallywags are not proficient with heavy armor or shields. A scallywag gains proficiency with boarding gaffs, grappling hooks, harpoons, nets, and snag nets.

Skiff (Ex): The scallywag possesses an agile sailing skiff which functions identically to a rowboat (Skull & Shackles Player's Guide, p. 25), except that it only holds 500 pounds of cargo or one additional passenger, only has one set of oars (Acceleration 15 ft.), and has sails (one mast, 3 squares of sails, hp 15; Maximum Speed 90 ft., Acceleration 30 ft., Sailing Check Acrobatics, Control Device rigging). As a standard action, a skiff may be turned 180 degrees, decelerating it by 30 feet and adding 10 to the sailing DC.

The scallywag's skiff is carefully calibrated to his own sailing style, and he gains a +5 bonus on sailing checks when piloting it, while others attempting such suffer a -5 penalty. For a scallywag, his skiff counts as a mount for charging, cavalier class abilities, and mounted combat feats (except for Trample and those with Handle Animal as a prerequisite). He can pilot the vessel one-handed, wielding a weapon in his other hand and threatening spaces normally.

Should his skiff be lost or destroyed, a scallywag requires one month to obtain a replacement through his associates. A scallywag who lacks patience or connections may opt for alternate means of procurement, but he suffers a -5 penalty to sailing checks with the vessel for one week as he calibrates it to his style.

This ability replaces mount.

Harpoon Mastery (Ex): At 4th level, the scallywag gains the benefits of the Charging Hurler feat (Ultimate Combat, p. 80), even if he does not meet the requirements. Additionally, the scallywag may wield harpoons as lances, using one hand and dealing double damage with them if charging with his skiff.

This ability replaces expert trainer.

Hoist the Colors (Ex): At 14th level, the scallywag's banner strikes fear into the hearts of his foes. All enemies within 60 feet who see the banner must succeed at a Will save (DC equals the scallywag's cavalier level plus his Charisma modifier), or become frightened for a number of rounds equal to half the scallywag's cavalier level. A creature cannot be affected by this ability more than once per day.

This ability replaces greater banner.

[Sean K Reynolds]

Okay, so you took a class which is primarily defined as "wears a lot of armor" and "has a bonded mount," and you changed that to "medium armor or less" and "has a boat." That's really weird.

Cavaliers already have the problem that they rely on their mount a lot and that hampers them in dungeons. This archetype is even more limited, in that not only can the cavalier not use his "mount" in dungeons (unless there's water in it), but he can't use his "mount" unless he's near a body of water. And this basically serves as the scalawag's mount, providing the same sort of benefits as an actual mount (except it can't attack like a warhorse could)... but it's useless anywhere you can't use a boat.

If the archetype said, "there's a type of water lizard in the River Kingdoms, and this archetype lets you select one as your mount," that would have been a functional mount, and you could have swapped some other abilities to enhance that, and it still would have been a mount, but I just don't see anyone taking this archetype.

I do NOT recommend this archetype for advancement.

[Clark Peterson]

Initial impression: One man's trash is another man's treasure. I think this is a bold swing for the fences. Basically, taking the cavalier's mount and making it a boat instead of a horse. That is a big swing, I'll give you that.

I think, though, that like at least one other archetype this round your initial big idea refused to yield to the mechanical issues it generated and you stuck with it regardless. I like the core idea: "hey, I got it! What if a cavalier's mount was a boat and not a horse!" Very inspired. But when you try to put pencil to paper and work out the specifics it fails, for all the reasons Sean mentions.

I don't think the big idea here alone is enough. But as I said in my first line, the voters may like it anyway.

Chris, having gone through all the 32 submissions, I don't think there are 16 really great ones. So though I think this one has some problems, I think the boat as mount idea is such a good core concept that you deserve to be in the top 16. So while my recommendation may be hesitant, still:

I DO Recommend this archetype for advancement.

[Wolfgang Baur]

I love the flavor of this, but it retains all the difficulties of the cavalier in a slightly altered environment.

Like all the boat-driven archetypes, I do not recommend this to advance.

[Paul Brown]

If you thought fitting a horse into a dungeon was problematic...

[P33J]

Skulls and Shackles is about the only place where this archetype feels like it would have major attraction.

You swung for the fences, but sometimes when you swing that hard you miss.

Good writing, good idea, poor appeal.

[Cheapy]

I have a character in a pirate campaign who will be taking a level of cavalier. Originally I was considering a flying mount using leadership and just ignoring the mount, but now I'm probably going to ask my GM about letting me have this archetype as well. It'll fit the theme of the game better, and it's a great idea. Niche, yes. But that's just like the Watersinger bard. No one is really going to take that unless water is a mainstay of the campaign.

[Kiel Howell]

My first issue was actually with the name of the archetype. The name, if you look at the dictionary meaning of scallywag, suggests this will be someone who uses Dirty Trick a lot. My expectations were immediately driven to the Cad archetype and that's bad on a first impression.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised that this was going to be a boating archetype.

The issue is the reliance on mounts as has been said. This can't be used anywhere where there's not water. Very, very bad design decision.

The rest of the archetype was well written, the swaps were nice and thought out, and were thematically appropriate. Like was said above, if you had added some sort of river or water dwelling creature as a mount, or a creature unique to the River Kingdoms, this might have worked better.

I do NOT recommend advancement.

[LoreKeeper]

I think there's too much negative criticism on the archetype. Archetypes - especially Campaign Setting tied archetypes - are very much allowed to be very niche. There is nothing wrong with a boat-focused cavalier in the River Kingdoms; granted it makes the archetype more suitable for NPCs, but that is fine too.

[Andrew Marlowe]

LoreKeeper wrote:

I think there's too much negative criticism on the archetype. Archetypes - especially Campaign Setting tied archetypes - are very much allowed to be very niche. There is nothing wrong with a boat-focused cavalier in the River Kingdoms; granted it makes the archetype more suitable for NPCs, but that is fine too.

I'd like to +1 Cheapy and LoreKeeper here. It is a little too niche for the dungeon delving crowd but there is something in this entry I like.

I'll have to read through more entries before I decide whether I'm voting for this or not but I'm more favorably disposed to it than not. Good luck - you may need it with such a niche archetype.

[Illeist]

I really like this one. As most everyone has said, it's very niche, but that doesn't change the fact that it's well-designed and well-written. It's awesome in a way that few of the other archetypes are. If I ever play a Skull and Shackles game, I will ask my GM if I can use this archetype. This is undeniably Superstar quality.

[Cheapy]

I like this one a lot. Comments about it not being viable in dungeons or whatnot are a bit misplaced, in my opinion. This is something that's not new, and is the problem that has plagued the cavalier since the start. It's one of the least favorite classes, probably in no small part due to this reason. When your entire class is based on mounted combat, when you aren't able to do mounted combat you're losing a lot of your capabilities. But the scallywag? It does something that hasn't been done before, and it does it well. It makes the cavalier playable in a sea campaign. Let me repeat that.

It makes the cavalier actually able to be played on a subset of campaigns where previously it was a fools game to do so.

Suddenly this class can be used in Skull & Shackles, Journey to the West, Razor Cost, Cerulean Seas, or whatever sea or river campaign you want. Sure, I guess you could play a Musketeer to replace the mount and not straight up ignore the most important abilities of your class. But ah...firearms...yea....Those aren't too popular, so I guess that's a no go.

The scallywag uses the new vehicle rules which shows a willingness to tackle non-conventional rules, and created a new vehicle.

The class skill swaps fit the theme well, and the weapon armor proficiencies make internal sense.

The feat that replaces expert trainer is nice, and about equal since that class ability can be leveraged to get a mount that scales with your class level.

Hoist The Colors has some issues though. Constant AoE fear can be a problem, although mostly for lower level enemies. Enemies of that level will be making their saves with no problem. There's also the wonkiness of how if you're in negotiations with a group and they turn sour, suddenly they'll be fearful of you and run away. That's a bit weird. If I were doing this archetype, I would probably make this a full-round or standard action to use.

Did I mention that this archetype allows cavaliers to actually be played in water based campaigns? Because that's really freaking cool and is reason enough for me to recommend voting for this.

[Andrew Marlowe]

Cheapy wrote:

((Makes a lot of good points then adds the following))

Did I mention that this archetype allows cavaliers to actually be played in water based campaigns? Because that's [b]really freaking cool[b] and is reason enough for me to recommend voting for this.

I've made it through several archetypes now and I'm pretty confident this is getting a vote from me.

[Thomas LeBlanc]

I love the idea of charging while on a boat! Most campaign a horse doesn't seem to get much action, so I can overlook the restriction to a boat because this would be picked for a nautical game and I am fine with that. Very well put together.

Congrats Hodge Podge, this was my easiest choice this round.

[Dan Jones]

Join the Order of the Dragon, and you got yourself some Mal Reynolds goodness!!!!!!!!!

Join the Order of the Cockatrice, and you got yourself some Han Solo goodness!!!!!!!!!

[Jaerc]

I love this. Except Hoist the Colors, but even it's name I'll concede is oozing coolness.

[R D Ramsey]

My plan is to comment on all 32 archetypes. We'll see if I make it!

I will give general impressions, but with 3 areas of particular focus that suit my personal interests. Archetype and feat names: do they show flare? How closely tied to the River Kingdom is the archetype? And last but certainly not least, do I want to play this archetype?

Archetype and feat names: Mostly functional, but the archetype name seems grossly misused here to me. Scallywag implies scoundrel, and I'm not seeing scoundrel here. There are certainly more appropriate names.

River Kingdom tie: Loose, but exists. This archetype certainly can function in RK, but it would likely be much stronger in a purely coastal setting. I don't get a strong sense of RK from any of the archetype.

Desire to play: In RK, low. In the Shackles, high. I think in RK this would mostly be a npc class. But in a coastal/island setting there could be a lot of fun to be had charging around on a boat. Skiff is nearly the entire appeal of this archetype, with harpoon being a little bit of fun on the side.

[frank gori]

Good: There's a serious cool factor here that kind of makes me want to mash up Kingmaker and skulls and shackles and that's a good thing. There's another boat one out there so I kind of want them to duel but I think this would win!
Bad: Can't take my boat into dungeons? no way!
Ugly: Writing for the River Lands and picking a water or watercraft theme is obvious and kind of a dark mark in my book.
Overall: We have another contender for my vote. If nothing else this is very well written which could break a tie for me. There's just something about this I love.

[RonarsCorruption]

I was torn at first, about this class. Vehicles are so much more complicated than a mount when dealing with movement and getting around. You have a little bit of interesting flavor, sure, but it's hard to say if that's awesome or not.

But Cheapy's comments make me realize this is a lot better than it initially seems, because a lot of people's problems are the same complaints cavaliers normally have.

So, this is a pretty good one. I can't say if it's great, but it's certainly good.

[Nicos]

Cheapy wrote:

...Did I mention that this archetype allows cavaliers to actually be played in water based campaigns?

You convince me sir. I think this archetype would fit better for a different place in golarion but your points are pretty good.

[Kiel Howell]

Cheapy wrote:

The scallywag uses the new vehicle rules which shows a willingness to tackle non-conventional rules, and created a new vehicle.

...Did I mention that this archetype allows cavaliers to actually be played in water based campaigns?

I agree on the willingness to tackle non-conventional rules and it is impressive that they designed a new vehicle in the word count. You raise a really good point there.

I contest, though, that this archetype is playable in open seas campaigns. A rowboat in the open sea that can only hold 1 additional passenger (which kind of doesn't make sense since it can also hold 500lbs of cargo instead of that passenger...). Any storm would capsize this boat or flat out destroy it. While on the main ship, sure you can throw your one weapon as a charge. While on your skiff, a fair distance below a big ship, you can...throw it at the ship. And that's it, until you climb up the big ship. Losing your skiff. For a month, at the least until you get to port to get a new one.

I can believe that this is playable in large bodies of water, just not open seas.

But, the author should have put that willingness to create new vehicles into creating a new RK creature like a lizard that could be taken ON a big ship. Then you have an open seas playable cavalier.

I'll keep this as a DO NOT recommend...but I will vote for it if I have enough extra votes left.

[Cheapy]

The skiff actually has sails, so it'll only be using rowing to get around if things get messed up. And you wouldn't be using it during a storm, just like a vanilla cavalier wouldn't be using their horse to walk through lava. And the idea of this is as support to the "mother ship", as it were, not as a solo ship. Think A-Wing to the Rebel Alliance's Starcraft Launching Ship. :)

[Kiel Howell]

Cheapy wrote:

The skiff actually has sails, so it'll only be using rowing to get around if things get messed up. And you wouldn't be using it during a storm, just like a vanilla cavalier wouldn't be using their horse to walk through lava. And the idea of this is as support to the "mother ship", as it were, not as a solo ship. Think A-Wing to the Rebel Alliance's Starcraft Launching Ship. :)

Fair enough, but it's the size of the ship that concerns me. I get your points and they are valid! I still can't vote for it, unless I have an extra vote to spare :)

[Cheapy]

Yea, I'm trying to think what it could do to a big ship. Best answer so far: Bring an alchemist. Or a drill. Pick off people who fell off the ship. (Useful for being able to loot them before they sink, as all good adventurers should know.) Use your Harpoon to pull someone off the ship. Surfing competitions. Deliver the sneaky type who can disable parts of the ships.

I'm drawing more blanks than I care to, but I guess the point is that you're better off in the skiff than the horse, because horses don't swim so well in the open seas and this at least gives you some nice options.

Once you are able to fly somewhat reliably, it loses its edge. But at least you still beat flying with style.

[Mikko Kallio]

I like it that you didn't write a boring archetype. This gotta be one of the most creative ones. The abilities are well written as well.

But there are a few problems. If you put this in a book of archetypes, it wouldn't see much use. I wouldn't necessarily want a boat-mount even in a pirate campaign.

Secondly, the name. It doesn't quite fit.

And lastly, is this a cavalier? The banner ability fits the theme of this archetype nicely, but everything else a cavalier is, does and represents is so different from what these scallywags are. I don't know. This is not a cavalier, in my opinion.

Anyway, I wish you good luck in round 2!

[Archomedes]

When I saw the archetype's name, I said to myself, "Well, lets see if this is a Scallywag."

Scallywag is pirate talk. This Scallywag has his own boat and flies the colors of a dread pirate. He can harpoon the white whale. He can probably make the kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.

Ahrrr, here be a scallywag.

Good idea, river-piratey in a river-pirate nation, excelent mechanical execution. Overall I get a strong sense that this idea stands on its own in regard to both flavor and mechanics, and that says superstar to me.

I will most likely be voting for this archetype.

[Joel Flank]

I like this one a lot. As soon as I read the name, I was excited - scallywag is simply a great word, and who wouldn't want to be one? (also see, brigand and bushwacker). That being said, I was expecting a bit more of a rougish element to the achetype, since scallywags aren't exactly upstanding citizens. However, it's still nautical, so I'll give you a pass for not having every element of the word I was expecting.

I was excited by swaping the mount for the skiff. It not only fits the River Kingdoms well, but really does something different with the archetype, and offers something existing class options don't. Sure, it's niche, but it's a niche that can and does come up for some campaigns, and even if you're not in a campaign like that, a GM can get some good use from it for an NPC encountered on the river.

However, as Sean mentions, the skiff simply isn't as powerful as a mount that advances as you level up, and can attack. I felt that something should be given in exchange - even if it wouldn't make the skiff AS powerful as a mount, it should have had some additional abilities as you leveled up. Maybe increasing the max speed and acceleration as you gain levels, more hp, hardness, ability to repair faster, etc. I'm guessing your word count prevented some of this, though, so it's understandible.

Good job, and while I have a lot more to read through, this is the first I'm thinking of voting for.

[N. Edward Lange]

well written and good template use; seems pretty connected to RK, to me.

game balance... you certainly didn't make this overpowered. i'm a little concerned about how limited its functionality really is- but i think enough has been said about that. you really took a risk on this one, and i applaud you for it, though the end product may be lacking.

[Jason Rice]

I agree with the judges here. Fun idea, but it will probably not be all that fun to play. This will be hard to actually use in an adventure or campaign. Ignore for a moment the fact that most combat, heck most of the social interaction too, will be on land, not the water. Even if your party finds itself on the water, everyone else will likely be on boat "A", and you will be alone on boat "B" (aka: your mount).

[Marco Polaris]

I agree with everybody criticizing the name choice. Even after I get past the name, I read the archetype description, and I still have trouble connecting what is being described here with the abilities of the cavalier. Are there orders of scallywags? Do they fly banners for their honor? Another sentence or two in the description could really clear up the conflicting imagery in my head.

And sad to say, but I agree that the skiff just can't keep pace with the mount companion. While the mount's abilities scale over time, a scallywag always has the same skiff. What's more, each party member can have their own horse while traveling, but the scallywag's skiff separates him from the rest of the party in a big way--at best, you'll have to tie the skiff to the party's ship outside of combat. That's not quite as terrible as it sounds, but the skiff has enough to compete against already.

I want to like this skiff-rider idea, but the anachronism of the archetype and cavalier abilities and the weak and limited nature of the skiff leave me dry. I'd love to give this archetype idea to the party cavalier in my sea game, but as is, it's just not ready for print.

[Jacob W. Michaels]

I'm not a fan of the name. Unlike Joel, I think it just has a slightly silly feel, though I certainly recognize that's just my personal bias.

Otherwise, I agree with pretty much everything Joel said, especially his idea for letting the skiff scale a bit as you level up. I really like the idea of swapping out the mount for the skiff, though -- I think it works better than the attempt to do a similar idea with the ranger's bond that one of your competitors did. Sure, it's going to be of use mostly in a specific campaign, but so is the mount.

I think the charging hurler is a smart tradeoff for expert trainer as well, though that's been overlooked (and one feat for another is hardly sexy, though it is a smart change).

[R Pickard]

Finished voting earlier today, but left my notes at work... so I don't know how much commentary I'll recall for everyone (plus I gotta go to bed soon).

But I definitely wanted to remark on the scallywag--it was absolutely one of my top favorites. I LOVE the idea of taking the concept of the cavalier--a knight of the road--and transforming it into a guardian of the waters. After all, many sailors, privateers, and pirates go by their own code of honor (or lack thereof) so the cavalier's challenges, orders and edicts can be adapted very easily and nicely to the concept, and I think the execution went off really well here, especially with the banner becoming the flag of the ship.

I've no objections to the idea of mount-for-boat swap--transport for transport, makes perfect sense. And unlike a mount, if you do need to leave the waters and go into town/a dungeon/whatever, while you need to safely dock your skiff somewhere, you don't need to worry about feeding it or grooming it or someone killing it. And while your skiff can be broken or stolen, it cannot be tripped, poisoned, disease, nor does it breathe, eat, or sleep. Someone might try to steal it and you might need to securely stow it somewhere, but it's still less maintenance. (And yet not as powerful as a mount companion so there's tradeoff.)

That said, suggestions for breaking it down (some boats can be) and/or portage would probably be a good idea and help with the practicality issue (if there were room to describe it, or maybe I'm forgetting such rules exist elsewhere anyway). I also think maybe the scallywag should be able to rebuild his own skiff if he loses it (just keep the time requirement).

My one main hesitation is trying to envision how charging with the skiff works--I kind of get it and I can see it working to actually impale and damage other boats, but it seems very limited, more so than the abilities it replaces. I think I'd rather see other abilities replace Cavalier's Charge and its higher abilities, including bonuses to piloting and ship's combat that could also be used on other vessels other than his own skiff (maybe a higher bonus for the skiff and a lesser bonus for other ships). This would make him more useful in water based campaigns when he needs to be working with others. An ability involving boarding another vessel--river piracy is definitely a thing--could also make sense.

Also, could the skiff be redesigned to hold more passengers as the scallywag levels? I'd imagine it could never hold more than 4 at most but that would be nice.

Hesitations are minor, I think it's a good archetype. I especially like archetypes that take a class concept and twists it, but still works, and this is a great example. Don't know what the bottom line will be between votes and judges, but I'm rooting for this one.

[Starglim]

This is sort of fun. I could see it for a grippli or something. Pity the rules of the round wouldn't allow it.

[Prizrak]

Replacing a cavalier's mount with a boat is inspired, and shows the same delightful creativity as your Cloudwrangler's Gloves and your unsubmitted Kettle item. Reading further, I found the other abilities not too mechanically interesting, but they do an adequate job fleshing out the archetype, and considering both items and archetypes I think you're easily one of the most interesting contestants to follow.

You have one of my 6 votes.

[RonarsCorruption]

Actually, on Jacob's comment about the name - I have to agree. The name does have a less serious feel to it than most archetypes. But there's another problem with it too - when I think of scallywag, I think pirate. And I don't associate pirates with good guys or people who have strong moral codes.

I mean, they can exist, sure, but that's not what I think of.

[G.Kaiser]

Point #1: The name.) Much like RonarsCorruption, When I hear "Scallywag" I too naturally think pirate. The difference in my opinion to his is that to me, the name has a wispy and adventurous tone to it which recalls the typical flair that is inherent to the pirates of story and legend. He calls it less serious, I call it very fitting. While we're on the subject of pirates, I think this class depicts them very well.

Pirates famously looted and plundered, but many pirate crews were agreeable to working in the service of merchants, nobles, and even countries for a suitable compensation as well. Whether through payment or plunder, pirates will do what is most profitable. This ties naturally into this class's penchant for operating on both sides of the law. So yes, they weren't really good guys, per se, but they could easily be working in the service of good guys.

Point #2: The class.) I think it's a REALLY cool concept, and in fitting campaigns I'd definitely put it on the top of my "Archetypes of Choice" list. The cavalier itself is a shamefully unoriginal, boring archetype in my opinion, and this revamp has managed to make me interested in it! Limited? Yes, but fitting (and useful!) for the RK campaign, I think.

When I envision the Skiff ship you describe, I think of something roughly Sunfish sailboat-sized. A ship this small could easily make its way up rivers and into inland bodies of water, a la Viking longboats, and groups of them could pose a very real threat to coastal dwellings and riverside towns alike. In a land like that featured in RK, Scallywags could potentially turn up anywhere, and while they would be significantly less powerful off of their boats, they could certainly be developed into a VERY effective raiding archetype with a little tweaking and further development.

What I'm seeing here is a very, very good start, and I would love to see a this idea progress.

You have one of my votes, good sir.

[Chris Shaeffer]

Okay, the voting's done!

First of all, thanks so much for all the comments! Even though it was somewhat divisive, it was still one of the most commented-on and "favorited" archetypes. So I have a lot of hope that I will make it to the next round.

I learned a lot from your criticisms, as well. Especially on the name part. Moving on into future rounds, I will really have to be careful about separating my impressions of a particular word from the actual popular definition of the word.

So now's the time to take all your comments into consideration and give some feedback on your feedback. The tables be turned! YARRR! :D

Identity - Not Cavalier Enough / Not Scallywag Enough:

When I think of a cavalier I think less about the armor and mount, and more about a certain brash boldness, running into a charge yelling and inspiring (or daunting) those around him with his bravado. I think about his exacting code of honor which he may share with his brothers in arms. None of this is incompatible with a crusty riverdog on a boat, in my opinion. What enables his mobility is only secondary, in my mind (and the armor thing is really only due to his not wanting to drown...). I can see every one of the Cavalier orders working well for a dude on a boat, and what actually excites me about this is that I can see the Scallywag being a great thing to develop NEW CAVALIER ORDERS for. How about an order based on freedom of the open road/river/sea? And why are all the orders "Good Guy Compatible"? At worst, they are only a little greedy (Order of the Cockatrice), but why not have orders focused on banditry and murder? These orders don't have to be knights. They can be brotherhoods of any sort.

As for the name, I touched on it a bit in another thread:

Quote:

The working title for my archetype was "River Rider". Besides being terribly generic, having a two-word archetype was adding significantly to my word count, which I tend to push to the limit anyway. I spent a lot of time thinking about single word names that weren't just typical Noun+Noun compounds ("Lakeskimmer", etc.), and settled on Scallywag, which actually led me to make the archetype more "piratey" than I had originally intended. I recently thought up "Skipper" for it, but now I can't get Gilligan's Island out of my head.

I picked Scallywag not for its textbook definition of “scoundrel,” but for its pop-culture usage and association with piratey types. What others must think of this harpoon-for-hire in his dingy dinghy! Scallywags, the lot of them! And perhaps, despite its negative connotations, they embrace this monicker. “Yar, we all be fellow scallywags on THIS river!”

I think that Archomedes said it best:

Archomedes wrote:

Scallywag is pirate talk. This Scallywag has his own boat and flies the colors of a dread pirate. He can harpoon the white whale. He can probably make the kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.

Ahrrr, here be a scallywag.

Sure, I might have come up with a more suitable name or flavored this to be more "scoundrel-y", but... well, it is what it is. But what do you folks think of the archetype name "Skipper"?

Overall Usefulness:

As said countless times, yes, it's niche. I knew that going in! :D

Clark mentioned that it seemed like the initial idea was difficult and I decided to go with it anyway. This is actually pretty spot-on, and I thought it would be a great way to stretch my boundaries a bit. "You have a cool idea! Make it work!" This is actually my first archetype, well, ever. So despite its shortcomings, I'm actually pretty proud of it.

Not every option has to be useful in all situations, in my opinion. That would be supremely boring. Someone would only pick this, or any other option, if it was something they expected to be useful in their game. It is true that you can't bring it into most dungeons (that made me laugh endlessly, thanks Isaac!), but why don't you turn the "you can't bring it on land" thing on its head?

You can't bring a horse on water either. I'm not saying that the utility isn't impacted, because, let's face it, most adventuring happens on land, but why would you pick a scallywag for anything that doesn't have lots and lots of water? The idea of making it portable over land, as DQ mentioned, did actually cross my mind a few times. But alas, the word count! (By the way DQ, the Scallywag COULD rebuild his ship, he'd just have to take ranks in a relevant Craft skill, just like everybody else. I guess if I had specified it I would have said that he would not suffer the -5 penalty if he built it himself either.)

Keep in mind that the Cavalier still has ALL its other abilities, in addition to Charging Hurler and the use of several exotic thrown and other weapons. The lack of heavy armor and shields is alleviated by the use of ranged combat and a heavier focus on Dexterity. All told, this archetype will actually be marginally MORE useful in a dungeon or other non-mounted situations than a normal cavalier. Seriously. ;)

Compatible Archetypes:

I was hoping someone would take this into account, not just for mine, but for all of the archetypes, as it is a very important consideration. The Scallywag archetype is compatible with Gendarme and Luring Cavalier. I was sure to leave those options open as I developed the archetype, and they have good synergy together.

Mechanics - Skiff:

My biggest regret is not having the word count to include stat growth for the ship. Its saves already scale with the scallywag's sailing checks, but I was hoping to increase at least its hp and ramming damage as the archetype leveled up. I also originally had the speed as 60 feet, with the speed increasing as the scallywag leveled. My fluff for this was that the scallywag was continuously tinkering with and reinforcing his ship. I thought lacking feats and skills wasn't too big of a loss, either.

Another thing I had hoped people might bring up is that this skiff is totally customizable. Nothing but gold is stopping a player from pimping this thing out with the ship modifications from the Skull & Shackles Player's Guide (pp. 26—28). (The S&S Player's Guide is a free download, by the way! I feel like that's another plus, as it lets players use this archetype without having to buy another supplement.)

I originally had Ride as the sailing check, but I changed it, since it had no precedent. Acrobatics seemed a good fit because it could be used for other small wind-powered vehicles. One thing I did forget to do was note that Acrobatics would work as the prerequisite for those mounted combat feats in lieu of Ride.

I'm thinking I should have kept Ride as the sailing skill, as it would have sidestepped the question of feat prerequisites and have made the archetype viable on horses (he just wouldn't have a special horse). I just wasn't so sure it fit the flavor I was going for.

Mechanics - Harpoon Mastery:

Originally called "Strong Arm" (but changed to avoid confusion with the "Strong Arm, Supple Wrist" trait, which would coincidentally be a very good choice for the archetype), this is pretty straightforward, and almost essential to make the "charging on a boat" thing possible. You can still charge with melee weapons on the skiff, but unless you have some sort of one-handed reach weapon, you would only be able to hit with a melee weapon if your target ended adjacent to your right or left side (since the space in front of and behind you is occupied by your own boat).

It has a nice side effect of making the scallywag a better combatant on land too. I originally had the harpoon thing work on mounts as well, but I nixed it for flavor reasons similar to the "Ride as the sailing skill" issue.

I thought often of making ramming attacks count as a charge as well, but the ramming rules as written make this complicated and unnecessary.

Mechanics - Hoist the Colors:

If I could make this again, I would have made it necessary to brandish the flag overhead in some fashion up to a certain number of times per day, like the original ability. I think I would have done that, but I was focusing on making the Skiff work so much that it went under my radar. This wasn't in my original plans for the archetype, but as it got more and more pirate-like, making the banner act as a Jolly Roger made stupidly obvious sense to me.

::EDIT::

I might as well take this opportunity to show you some of my brainstorming and some early drafts as well.

Brainstorming and Compatibility with other Archetypes:

Class Skills -> add Acrobatics and Survival; remove Handle Animal
Weapons and Armor -> add boarding gaffs, grappling hooks, harpoons, nets, and snag nets; remove Heavy Armor and Shields
Bonus Feats -> Same (Gendarme)

Challenge -> Same (Luring Cavalier)
Demanding Challenge -> Hoist the Colors/Jolly Roger: Strike fear into the hearts of foes with banner, double the banner's area of effect for related abilities

Order 2 -> Same
Order 8 -> Same
Order 15 -> Same

Banner -> Same
Greater Banner -> Same

Tactician -> Same (Gendarme)
Greater Tactician -> Same (Gendarme)
Master Tactician -> Same (Gendarme)

Mount -> Skiff: Gain Skiff (Uses Ride)
Expert Trainer -> Strong Arm: Gain the charging hurler feat, able to use harpoon one handed and as lance, allow thrown attacks to work with combat maneuvers?

Cavalier's Charge -> Same (Luring Cavalier)
Mighty Charge -> Same (Luring Cavalier)
Supreme Charge -> Same (Gendarme), (Luring Cavalier)

River Rider - Draft 1:

River Rider (Cavalier)
Skimming atop lakes, streams, and wetlands throughout the River Kingdoms, these brazen boatmen handle their crafts with uncanny skill and precision. River riders run the gamut of occupations, from defenders of their local lord's holdings to unscrupulous bandits plundering those very same riverbanks.

Class Skills: A river rider gains Acrobatics and Survival as class skills and does not gain Handle Animal or Ride as a class skill.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A river rider is proficient in all simple and martial weapons as well as boarding gaffs, harpoons, nets, and snag nets. River riders are proficient in light and medium armor, but not in heavy armor or shields. In the hands of a river rider, a harpoon can be wielded one handed and thrown as part of a charge action as per the Charging Hurler feat.

Skiff (Ex): A river rider gains a small, maneuverable sailing skiff to traverse the River Kingdoms' many waterways. The skiff requires Profession (sailor) for its sailing checks, and can be controlled with a simple sailing mechanism or a single oar. It functions as a cavalier's mount for class abilities and combat feats that don't have Handle Animal as a prerequisite.

When using the Trample feat, an enemy ship is overturned instead of made prone, and the skiff deals a second hit with its ramming attack (in addition to the hit from the initial collision). The Unseat feat may be used to knock enemies on another vessel overboard.

Skiffs come in many shapes and styles, but all function similarly and have the following statistics:

River Rider Skiff
Size Large (5 ft. by 10 ft.)
AC 9; Hardness 5; hp 30 (oar 20, sail 5); Base Save +0
Maximum Speed 60 ft. (sail), 30 ft. (oar); Acceleration 30 ft.; CMB +1; CMD 11; Ramming Damage 1d8
Crew 1 (the pilot); Decks 1; Cargo/Passengers 500 pounds/up to 1 passenger (the skiff can carry a total of 2 Medium creatures)

The river rider is continually tweaking his ship for better performance. At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, the skiff gains an inherent +1 bonus to its AC, base save, CMB, and ramming damage. The skiff also gains +4 hp, and the sail and oar each gain +2 hp.

This ability replaces mount.

Hoist the Colors (Ex):

River Rider - Draft 2:

River Rider (Cavalier)
Skimming atop lakes, streams, and wetlands throughout the River Kingdoms, these brazen boatmen handle their crafts with uncanny skill and precision. River riders run the gamut of occupations, from defenders of their local lord's holdings to unscrupulous bandits plundering those very same riverbanks.

Class Skills: A river rider gains Acrobatics and Survival as class skills and does not gain Handle Animal or Ride as a class skill.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: River riders are proficient in light and medium armor, but not in heavy armor or shields. A river rider is proficient in all simple and martial weapons as well as boarding gaffs, grappling hooks, harpoons, nets, and snag nets. In the hands of a river rider, a harpoon also counts as a lance and may be wielded one-handed while piloting his skiff.

Skiff (Ex): A river rider gains a small, maneuverable sailing skiff in order to traverse the River Kingdoms' many waterways. Skiffs come in many shapes and styles, but all may carry 500 pounds of cargo or a single additional passenger. They otherwise function identically to a rowboat and follow vehicular combat rules (Ultimate Combat pp. 170–180, 185), except for the following:

Squares 2 (10 ft. by 5 ft.)
hp 20
Maximum Speed 60 ft. (current) or 30 ft. (muscle); Acceleration 30 ft. (current) or 15 ft. (muscle)
Ramming Damage 1d8
Propulsion current (air; 2 squares of sails, hp 10), current (water), or muscle (pushed; 1 Medium rower)
Driving Check Profession (sailor)
Driving Device oar or rigging
Driving Space the rear space of the skiff

A river rider's skiff functions as the cavalier's mount for his class abilities. It is also compatible with mounted combat feats other than Trample or those which have Handle Animal as a prerequisite. He may steer with one hand and wield a weapon with the other, allowing him to threaten adjacent spaces as normal.

If his skiff should ever be lost or destroyed, it takes one week for the river rider to receive a new ship from his connections.

This ability replaces mount.

Clever Boatwright (Ex): The river rider continually tweaks and reinforces his vessel for better performance. From 4th level, he adds his Cavalier level to the skiff's ramming damage and five times his Cavalier level to the skiff's hit points. At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, the skiff gains +5 feet to its maximum speed.

This ability replaces expert trainer.

[Chris Shaeffer]

Fridge Logic:

Oh, duh. There IS a REALLY OBVIOUS one-handed reach weapon this archetype could use. I'm sure I thought of it when I made the archetype, but... wow, designer. Keep your head on straight.

Spoiler:

A lance. Herp derp.

[Cheapy]

Do you have a draft of the over-word limit version where it does have the additions?

[R Pickard]

Scallywag makes total sense for a name. Been reading Treasure Island... the honor codes of seamen, sailors, privateers, and yes, even pirates are well a part of sea-adventure lore.

[Clay Blankenship]

I like the idea of a knight in a boat. Good work!

[Chris Shaeffer]

Cheapy wrote:

Do you have a draft of the over-word limit version where it does have the additions?

I don't, but I'll tell you what. How about I work out a Scallywag (or other name) as an alternate base class to the Cavalier? It'll give me more wiggle room. :D

(Or I could do both.)

DQ: Give a Scallywag a Map of Refuge and set him loose for some high seas adventure!

Clay: Thanks man, keep up the great work! And get workin' on that monster!!

[Orthos]

Man, really sorry to see this one not make it. Good luck to you in the future Chris. You've got talent, that's for sure.

If you flesh out this concept any more, put me on the list as well to receive further info =D

[James Conder]

Ahh Chris, my commiserations fellow contestant! We sank together!

[Prizrak]

Chris didn't sink, he has a skiff! But my commiserations, I would have liked to see you in the next round.

And James, take heart. It may not be a displayable title, but you have my favorite avatar of all the contestants.

[James Conder]

The real tragedy master Prizrak is that this is no avatar. It's a picture of my face!

[R Pickard]

Orthos wrote:

Man, really sorry to see this one not make it. Good luck to you in the future Chris. You've got talent, that's for sure.

If you flesh out this concept any more, put me on the list as well to receive further info =D

Me too me too!

[Chris Shaeffer]

Hey all, since I'm in design mode lately, I'll try to revise this for you all sometime soon. :)

[Archomedes]

I'd love to see an option for an alchemical flight engine and/or wheels as the scallywag advances. :D