Greetings, ye salty sea-dogs!
I am looking for NPC's that are relatively hashed out, but not completely combat oriented. The type of people that one may recruit to be a sailor on a boat, perhaps. So they need to know how to defend themselves, but additional skills and talents are preferred to anything murderhobo.
Any race, class, level is fine... variety is the spice of life. This is going to be loosely based on Skulls and Shackles, so pirates, sailors, dock-hands, fishermen, and the like make the most sense (but all are welcome).
Post them here, or post a link... both will be appreciated.
Navigator
Transporter Ranger 8
The whole crew effectively gets Favored Terrain +4 when the Transporter plots the course, which stacks with actual Favored Terrain if they have it.
Does not have to fight or even be nearby for the bonus to apply, but can easily be built as whatever with combat styles.
Deck Officer
Constable Cavalier 3
Grants the Escape Route teamwork feat to allies at the start of every combat, so that squishy deckhands and noncombatants can more easily run away if there's danger.
Hungry Danny
Goblin psychodermist occultist 4
Hungry wants a job as ship's carpenter. He's got the skills - craft (carpentry) and the wood shape spell - but his trophies and pickles creep people out, and he's going to assume he's vital to the crew. If there's no special leadership he's going to fall overboard some time with his hands mysteriously tied behind his back.
Lauren Little
Half-orc lifting hand unchained monk 3
Half-decent cook, though she tends to overrate her skills. Prone to throwing people out of her galley or off the ship. Possibly Hungry's nemesis.
Aikio the Navigator (aka Aikio the Dip)
Tengu colluding scoundrel hunter 3
Uses the commune with birds spell to make up for her less than stellar know (geography); this works well near land, poorly in deep waters. Good at blaming others. Something of a magpie for shiny things. A decent sailor even when not a great navigator.
@Wonderstell, is there any particular reason to continue the "Navigator" to level 8 in Transporter Ranger? It seems that they could bounce at level 4. Maybe pursue Horizon Walker?
The "Deck Officer" might end up with some Blackjack Fighter levels, and a few fellow Blackjacks as deckhands.
@avr, Hungry Danny is awesome. I don't exactly see why he is a Psychodermist... but I have an idea to tie his hungry nickname to his Trophies. Make him a special kind of awkward, constantly chewing on pieces of fallen enemies.
Lauren Little seems a little out of place. I like the concept, especially the idea of her being a constant menace to Hungry Danny. I just don't know how well her Lawful monk nature will fit in with a crew of Chaotic scoundrels of the sea. Might change her class, but I will probably keep her as a cook.
Aikio, will be a welcome addition. I have several other Tengu NPC's, and this will make them quite the little team.
@Wonderstell, is there any particular reason to continue the "Navigator" to level 8 in Transporter Ranger? It seems that they could bounce at level 4. Maybe pursue Horizon Walker?
They could bounce at level 4, but that means their Plot Course bonus stops at +2. It's unfortunately not actually Favored Terrain you're giving out, but an ability that replaces it. So you don't qualify for Horizon Walker and can't increase the bonus by any other way than leveling up Transporter.
At 8th level, if the transporter’s Knowledge (geography) check exceeds the DC by 10, the bonuses increase to +4. At 13th level, if his Knowledge (geography) check exceeds the DC by 20, the bonuses increase to +6, and at 18th level, if the transporter’s check exceeds the DC by 30, the bonuses increase to +8.
A transporter can gain the benefits of only a single plotted course at any given time. If the transporter ever strays from the course or attempts to plot a new course for any reason, he loses the benefits of his current course immediately. A transporter can retry his Knowledge (geography) check to plot a course as long as he spends 1d4 hours each time.
This ability replaces favored terrain.
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There's a skill DC and a level requirement preventing you from getting the higher bonus, which is why you must keep leveling up. But it's a very attractive class feature for the constant buff it gives out to every sailor on the ship. The lookouts want Perception, the fishermen want Survival, and everyone wants Initiative.
Horizon Walker doesn't require one to possess Favored Terrain before entering the Prestige Class. But, regardless, Transporter Ranger is still better because it can share the bonus... Horizon Walker is quite selfish for a team environment.
Hungry's a psychodermist because they take a lot of trophies; it's a class feature, he's not going to just stop. Lauren's a lifting hand monk for easy throwing people around. I don't think we're going to agree on alignment so I'll stop there.
Oh, I'm freaking stupid... I didn't realize that Lifting Hand was an archetype. Lol. I thought you were just refering to her role. I will go check that out...
I don't have the wherewithal to come up with stats at the moment, but:
Captain Reeves of the Black Corsairs. A half-black dragon fighter/barbarian, cruel and crafty, who carries the Salt Razor.
Pierre Crinswall, a human druid and merchant who's rickety dingy can be found weeks from the sight of land. His companion and guardian, an ancient blue whale, is seldom seen but never far away.
The S.S. Kerrigan, a rotting hulk of an old war galley, given a strange and vicious life of its own, it's decks manned by a monstrous and/or ghostly crew.
Omen, an awakened albatross.
Captain Reeves of the Black Corsairs... now I have to make the Black Corsairs a thing. What fun. The Viking Fighter archrtype seems fitting, given that it has the Barbarian's Rage.
Pierre is neat. Might take some messing around to get such a big companion, but he is a merchant, not a warrior, so allowing it shouldn't be a problem.
Ghost ship... classic. Will explore and expand on.
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Captain Mal Fillion {Dwarven Alchemist}- Maybe Mixologist archetype if you want, but works fine without. Professional Brewer & Sailor, making sure the crew is always happy...less so when he starts throwing bombs, but he'll make sure they always have rum.
Mr. Hogan Washburn {Human, Extradimensional Focused Wizard}- Great at making sure supplies and storage are never a problem on the ship, and if he can help it, even if the ship sinks they'll still have loot to rebuild. (Extradimensional Focused is found in Black Markets book, Conjuration wizard that loses Summoner's Charm to add a bonus to the duration of all extra dimensional spells) Skilled sailor and Navigator as well.
Inara Baccarin {Elf, Cleric of Calistria}- the ships Diplomate and Moral officer, maybe a Champion so only focuses on one Domain and gains some combat feats to help with ship duties, otherwise a healer always helpful.
Cobb {Half-Orc, Brute Fighter}- Specializes in two-handed weapons thus why the brute style build, plays up peoples perceptions on Orcs and acts like a barbarian but intelligence and works the security of the ship so knowledge in Engineering, Craft- Carpentry and Profession Sailor.
These where a random idea and flight of fancy to create a 'Firefly-esque' ship crew, about as far as I got with it for my group in Ketchikan with building the idea up.
Currently I'm revisiting an idea from ages past of Star Trek style spell jammer game, where I had made magic versions of all the star-trek tech. Granted instead of it being a Federation of Planets, it was the Federation of Goblinoids.