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My gaming group is preparing to run Skull and Shackles and we're working on our characters. I'm considering running a Fighter (Corsair)/Rogue (Thug), but the Corsair's Armored Pirate ability has me confused.
First, it replaces the Fighter's Armor Training 1 at 3rd level to allow you to take a 0 penalty for Swim and Acrobatics checks while wearing light armor. That's fine.
But at 7th level, you're supposed to be able to take a 0 penalty for Swim and Acrobatics checks while wearing Medium armor. And 11th is heavy armor. But, the Acrobatics skill doesn't work in Medium and Heavy armors. Except for swimming, it kind of makes the Armored Pirate ability moot.
Also, Armor Training 1 provides the ability to use your full movement speed when wearing medium armor. If you take that and the proceeding armor training skills away for Armored Pirate, you end up with the absurd result of a pirate in chain mail only able to move 20' on the deck of a ship, but able to swim like a fish when knocked overboard.
So, is this a mistake in the Pirates of the Inner Sea Player's Companion Guide? I liked the archetype until I started considering the mechanics of this ability. I might just be better off with a vanilla fighter if the Armored Pirate ability is written as intended.
Thanks.
It replaces armor training so yes you will only have a speed of 20(or 15) feet. Where did you get the idea that you can't use acrobatics while wearing medium or heavy armor? You can make the checks just the same, but instead of applying a -4 armor check penalty when wearing a breastplate, you have 0 armor check penalty when jumping, tumbling, swimming, etc. I have a corsair and I like it. Get a buccaneer's breastplate, it really matches the theme and still gives you 30 feet of movement.
Edit: Ah. Now I see. You can't use acrobatics to move through threatened squares with medium or heavy armor. You can still do everything else with acrobatics.
Yeah, you can't tumble through squares in the heavier armors.
You could ask the Armored Pirate ability at level 7 and 11 to say that medium (and then heavy) armor is treated like light armor for swim and acrobatics checks. This would let you get the no ACP and still be able to tumble around the field. It isn't really that broken a thing since tumbling is so rarely exercised in combat.