So a friend of mine invited me to an aquatic campaign and I immediately look into archetypes that are built with an aquatic campaign in mind. The Sea Singer, for example. Half-elves can also pick up Child of the Sea, which is nice for a sailor to have.
Another build idea would be a Dwarf with the Saltbeard alternate racial trait and the Darklands Sailor archetype. He'd be navigation focused.
If anyone else had any other ideas, I'd really appreciate it!
There are very few opportunities to take advantage of the water kineticist, so I’d go with that. There’s a rule in ultimate wilderness that lets a water blast ignore the penalties for underwater combat, so keep that in mind.
Ocean Echo Oracle
Tidal Hunter Ranger
Watersinger Bard
Pearl Seeker Paladin
Are there definitely a lot of shipboard tasks? Aquatic might just mean aquatic creatures not a shipboard game.
There are sorcerer bloodlines which relate directly to aquatic adventures starting with the obvious aquatic one. Elemental, marid and some of the dragon bloodlines might qualify too.
A druid with the aquatic domain might be fairly scary in your game. Being able to command creatures with the aquatic or water subtype isn't normally a big thing, but... It'd go well with the feyspeaker archetype for Cha-dependence but that isn't required.
There are very few opportunities to take advantage of the water kineticist, so I’d go with that. There’s a rule in ultimate wilderness that lets a water blast ignore the penalties for underwater combat, so keep that in mind.
if its a mixed above and below water aquatic campaign, id say kineticist with water leading into air, but if its an underwater aquatic campaign, i'd go full tilt into Aquakineticist Yeah its super specialized. An underwater campaign is totally the time to do that tho.
I don't know exactly what the game will entail. However, picking a race that can breathe underwater and has a swim speed is likely to be more important than the choice of class or archetype.
If aquatic elf is an option, they are pretty good on land or water.
Thank you all for all the advice so far. I really appreciate it! To clarify, though, most of the campaign will be dealing working on a ship (navigation, crow’s nest, bosun, etc.). It’s a homebrew the DM is working on.
There's the Poleiheira adherent wizard, who at 8th level can telekinetically replace up to his caster level worth of crew using spell craft as his profession sailor skill. And "passwall" is a wizard only spell which can be used to make a ship immediately start sinking, so gaining access to it is a priority. Otherwise it's quite hard to sink a large ship.
As for race, anything with a fly speed is typically rejected by DMs for good reason, but picking up a climb and or swim speed is a good idea.
I wouldn't recommend gillman to anyone who doesn't want the gm to yank control of them with an aboleth at some point during a ship based aquatic campaign.
Just one of those "dont poke the bear" thoughts
Undine might be a better choice. There is an alternate racial trait that lets them be fully amphibious without the baggage that a gillman would have to accept.
Undine might be a better choice. There is an alternate racial trait that lets them be fully amphibious without the baggage that a gillman would have to accept.
Its not even me casting aspersions on a jerk GM, you cant DANGLE a plot hook like that in front of a gm during a setting appropriate campaign and not expect at least a few nibbles.
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Its not even me casting aspersions on a jerk GM, you cant DANGLE a plot hook like that in front of a gm during a setting appropriate campaign and not expect at least a few nibbles.Undine might be a better choice. There is an alternate racial trait that lets them be fully amphibious without the baggage that a gillman would have to accept.
Perhaps i'm different, but I would be disappointed if I didn't get to meet my ancient creator and nemesis. It is like playing a paladin and never experience a falling from grace. Or playing a cha 7 thiefling and never get thrown into jail for being a "demon" or chased by an angry mob.
Your weak sides should make some fun roleplaying to.
Shipboard tasks - the sea singer bard is a solid way to do your part of those, I'll admit. An investigator who uses extracts to shapeshift can handle the odd jump overboard, and is of course the best at skills - which is what most of those shipboard tasks come down to.
I'm told a hydrokineticist who gets control water is overpowered to the point of trivialising much of skull and shackles.
Perhaps i'm different, but I would be disappointed if I didn't get to meet my ancient creator and nemesis. It is like playing a paladin and never experience a falling from grace. Or playing a cha 7 thiefling and never get thrown into jail for being a "demon" or chased by an angry mob.
Your weak sides should make some fun roleplaying to.
I mostly agree, but there should be a caveat of that being a really rare thing to happen. Once or maybe twice an adventure is plenty. More than that and you've fallen into jerk DM territory.
PS: To clarify, a paladin shouldn't necessarily "fall", but should be seriously tempted. Again, that's the sort of thing that should only happen rarely.
Since everyone's got the weird niche stuff covered: if you're looking at a plain ol' Person on a Boat, barbarian seems like a solid way to go. Not reliant on heavy armor, decent number of skill points and high Con for holding your breath.
Of course, bard/rogue/swashbuckling types were just made for this stuff. Fighting in the rigging, swinging from ropes, etc.
I wouldn't recommend gillman to anyone who doesn't want the gm to yank control of them with an aboleth at some point during a ship based aquatic campaign.
You could always take the Slimehunter Alternate racial trait that trades the "+2 saves against enchantments, -2 against Aboleth enchantments" for a "+2 against any save an Aboleth would have you make" if you think aboleths are likely.
Shipboard tasks - the sea singer bard is a solid way to do your part of those, I'll admit. An investigator who uses extracts to shapeshift can handle the odd jump overboard, and is of course the best at skills - which is what most of those shipboard tasks come down to.
I'm told a hydrokineticist who gets control water is overpowered to the point of trivialising much of skull and shackles.
Yeah honestly any class that gets the ability to control water wind and weather tends to be OP in shipboard campagins. After a while the gm goes "there's a storm brewing, its gonna be dangerous" and the druid goes "control weather, drop the severity down two steps." Which from a cinematic standpoint is solid filmwork, but from a game standpoint can be a letdown.
Grippli Rangers using their FCB to get a Swim speed.
Strix Zen Archer Monks because flying is better than swimming.
Undine might be a better choice...
An Undine Gunslinger (Bolt Ace) with an Underwater Crossbow is another suggestion. Not exactly underwater themed, but underwater friendly.
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Aquachymist (Alchemist)
Elemental Master (Water) (Arcanist)
Deepwater Rager (Barbarian)
Mooncursed (Shark) (Barbarian)
Sea Reaver (Barbarian)
Sharptooth (Barbarian)
Buccaneer (Bard)
Sea Singer (Bard)
Watersinger (Bard)
Aquatic Bloodline (Bloodrager)
Wild Child (Brawler)
Oceanrider (Cavalier)
Order of the Eel
Order of the Waves
Crashing Wave (Cleric)
Aquatic Druid (Druid)
Tempest Tamer (Druid)
Shark Shaman (Druid)
Storm Druid (Druid)
Undine Adept (Druid)
Aquanaut (Fighter)
Corsair (Fighter)
Roughrider (Shark) (Fighter)
Bolt Ace (Gunslinger)
Buccaneer (Gunslinger)
Aquatic Beastmaster (Hunter)
Pelagic Hunter (Hunter)
Keeper of the Current (Inquisitor)
Aquakinetcist (Kineticist)
Water Dancer (Monk)
Ocean's Echo (Oracle)
River Soul (Oracle)
Kraken Slayer (Paladin)
Pearl Seeker (Paladin)
Seeker of the Lost (Rogue)
Tidal Trickster (Rogue)
Deep Shaman (Shaman)
Drowned Channeler (Spiritualist)
Storm Caller (Summoner)
Okayo Corsair (Swashbuckler)
Hidden Current (Vigilante)
Coral Witch (Witch)