The Pirate--an AD&D character Class.

by Vince Garcia

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Pirates are found throughout the world in a variety of different forms and cultures. But one thing all have in common is that they are seafarers who rely on High Seas thievery to enrich themselves. Past that, their motivations, the manner in which they steal, and the degree of morality--or lack thereof--they may use in the pursuit of wealth can vary greatly. Everything from Viking raiders to Japanese Wokou can rightfully be called Pirates, but for purposes of this article and AD&D, pirates are most closely related in culture and outlook to European pirates of the 17th and 18th century.

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Restrictions.

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Anybody can follow the path of piracy, though pirates are overwhelmingly Human and of Neutral or Evil alignment, and overwhelmingly male. However, there have even been women pirates of some notoriety and "pirates" of Good alignment. These Good characters will usually be raiding other pirates and enriching themselves off the goods they have pilfered; or else they will be raiding the shipping of a national enemy as part of a King's unofficial naval forces. Such characters are rightfully called Privateers, and most would bristle at being called Pirates.

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Pirates may thus be of any race, sex and alignment. In fact, many are Lawful, and pirate society is a surprisingly Lawful one. They live by various "Pirate Codes" covering everything from their pay to the sort and degree punishment they can expect for messing up or violating protocol.

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The typical pirate ship often has a variety of crewmen who are not true members of the Pirate class. Assorted Fighters, Thieves, Assassins, and even clerical or spellcasting classes might join up with a pirate band as equal members of the crew, but what will distinguish them is lack of a true background in sailing and pirate culture. Such non-Pirate-class characters may prosper and even rise to captain a vessel by vote of the crew, but will rarely be considered true pirates by the fraternity of pirates, nor be accepted onto Captains Councils, nor be elevated to the true rank of Pirate Lord or Admiral. (Nazier, who manages the Raven's Inn, is an example, being a master Thief who nonetheless had and has the respect of many a pirate who sailed locally during his years at sea, though he was never a member of the Pirate class.)

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As they are at home on the water, one thing pirates do not do well is handle horses. They may certainly ride from here to there on a good-natured steed, but handling a difficult horse or a warhorse is beyond their ken as seafarers. Give them at least a boat or raft, and they do much better

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Multiclass characters are not allowed, but it is possible one might split class with good enough stats.

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Obviously, pirates are typically found aboard ship on the High Seas. Pirates thus have a good working knowledge of water-borne craft, and additionally may have information about many seaports and coasts in the world. But it would be a mistake to presume they make their living only by robbing ships. Pirates are just as eager to land and undertake an assault on a town or temple if that's where the money is and they think they can make a go of it. Thus, it is not uncommon for them to mix both land and sea operations, and some may even leave the sea to focus on dry land in order to maximize their chances at getting rich.

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That, and adventure while doing it, is the point of being a pirate!

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Armor & weapons.

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Pirates--many of whom can't swim--dare not rely on more than light armor, and thus are restricted to leather, studded, Elven chainmail, or some sort of mithril shirt. Bracers of Defense are highly coveted by them. They do not typically use shields starting out, but do acquire the ability.

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Pirates tend to keep things simple, and thus start play with only two weapons, one of which is a cutlass (treat as scimitar), though the DM may allow a rapier. The other is often a dagger or brass belaying pin (treat as horseman's mace). Others favor the harpoon (2D4 damage) as a ranged weapon, though they certainly are known to use crossbows from foretops to fire down on enemies. Not many use bows, as crossbows are easier to wield aboard ship, but they certainly can if they wish.

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A few of the bolder pirates, either by exploration or through happenstance, have found themselves all the way across the world in the lands of Kara Tur and beyond, and a handful of them have returned with priceless samples of explosive black powder they have used, with the help of Dwarven smiths, to fashion into matchlocks or flintlocks doing 10-40 points of damage, though the range of these primitive firearms is very bad. Unfortunately, the means of replicating this powder is largely unknown to alchemists, and so the supply never lasts long. One pirate fortunate enough to possess some of the powder was "Black Jack" Morgan, whose ship, the Firefly, reached Kara Tur and the Far East through hostile seas and winds with the help of his captive wind djinn, but was wrecked off the Isle of the Dead with at least one waxed cask of the priceless powder aboard that has never been found.

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Magic items.

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Pirates may employ magic items usable by Fighters and those usable by Thieves if compatible with their thieving skills.

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Skills.

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Climb. If there's one thing a sailor learns, it's how to climb! Pirates have to learn how to climb the rigging of a ship, climb it fast, climb it safely, handle lines and sails--all while the vessel may be yawing in gale force winds! Thus, they can climb like the best Thieves. As masters of rope use, often this climbing skill is based on a rope and grapple if the surface is otherwise slippery and smooth. Needless to say, pirates are masters at tying sophisticated and useful knots, and rigging rope for hauling, setting snares, tying up prisoners, etc.

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Combat bonus. While attacking and saving as Fighters, pirates are not finesseful and skilled as some other warriors like the Paladin or specialized Fighter. But they are highly effective and adrenalized in combat, learning how to make the best of their weapons and natural skills because of the limitations and dangers of combat at sea. This translates into their receiving a combat bonus as they advance in level that they may apply to their AC, Attack or Damage rolls each round as they choose. All the bonus must be allotted to a single category; it cannot be divided up.

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Sailors, however, are notoriously superstitious. While it is a myth that they consider women on board ship to be bad luck--in fact, women on ships were common until the 18th century, and men loved having them on board--their superstition and constant wariness of doing something to cause bad luck manifests itself in a penalty of "1" to saves against fear. Having a true pirate in an adventuring party may make for some amusing paranoia at times, especially if the mage has a black cat for a familiar.

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Lockpick. As their Thief cousins, pirates learn to pick locks in order to get into those chests of gold. (Dex bonuses apply.)

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Miscellaneous. As many pirates come from a variety of backgrounds and experience, a pirate may select a miscellaneous skill that befits his profession. Some possible selections are: Hide in shadows, Move silently, Find/remove traps, or Pickpocket. (Dex bonuses would apply with Thief skills.) Other skills could include:

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Escape. This talent permits a pirate captured by enemies to use his wits, cunning and powers of observation to find a weakness in his captors' confinement. This is worked out between the player and DM, and by making the roll, the pirate determines a viable plan of escape, though he must still implement it and there is no guarantee of success or survival. (The best plan could simply be no better than attacking an armed guard when he opens the cell door to escort the pirate to the gallows, and hoping for the best…) Included in this skill would be working his hands free from bonds, managing to slip free from manacles, and so on. The skill can also be used in reverse, allowing the pirate to determine the best way to infiltrate a structure or area.

Evaluation. This allows the pirate to determine the value of items such as jewels, furs, ivory, and "normal" items.

Fence goods. With this, the pirate can contact with the local Underworld and buy or sell stolen or questionable goods for 25% of their normal value with a successful roll. (When using the skill to hunt for and buy stolen property at a discount, the DM decides if a desired item is even available. A pirate is unlikely to find a discount Vorpal sword, for instance--unless the DM plans on its owner and a strong force tracking him down to get it back down the line!)

Healing. Since pirates must learn to doctor each other, this skill permits a character with bandages to attempt to heal wounds. A successful roll will heal 1D6 points of damage per application, though at least one point of damage will always remain from each strike. The pirate may attempt multiple healings on the same character until he fails the roll, then no other attempts for that battle may be attempted.

Rumors. Pirates are great at scuttlebutt. A successful roll will gain the pirate some information that could be useful to he or his mates.

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A player may also invent a skill with DM approval.

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Retainers/henchmen.

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There are no restrictions other than the impracticality of hiring retainers when one is a sailor.

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Special Abilities.

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A. Weapon proficiency. At 1st level, the character may choose two weapons of proficiency, one of which must be a cutlass/scimitar. Periodically, he gains proficiency with another weapon.

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B. Pirates Cant. As do thieves, pirates have their own secret language. After a newcomer shows himself good enough to graduate from being treated as a land lubber to an actual sailor--albeit a pathetic excuse for one--he'll make enough friends that his mates will indoctrinate him into the art of Pirates Cant, an entire language consisting of various inflections of the word "Argh," or "Yar" for pirates with a southern accent.

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C. Ballista/catapult use. One of the first things pirates learn the art of when it comes to warfare is the use of ballistae and catapults, firing them as if using normal weapons, including making extra attacks with them if of sufficient level.

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D. Shield use. At 6th level, the character gains the ability to use a small shield.

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E. Detect secret doors bonus. As pirates are skilled at noting disturbances in natural terrain indicating something could be buried, and additionally learn to check every cubby hole on a captured ship for hidden compartments and hiding places for treasure, they periodically receive a bonus of "1" to their roll to find secret/concealed doors and compartments.

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F. Extra attack. At 8th level, the pirate makes three attacks every two rounds. Extra attacks only apply to a melee attack with the primary hand.

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G. Decipher maps and read languages. Masters at reading treasure maps, pirates gain an ability to read languages more quickly than do Thieves. However, they do not gain an ability to read spell scrolls, though they are able to enact magical effects off maps or scrolls somehow dealing with revealing treasure. With this skill they also gain a 50% + 5%/level increasing chance from this point to match up otherwise obscure landmarks and clues corresponding to points on a treasure map. At DM discretion, a roll against the same percentage will also allow them to solve riddle clues leading to a treasure horde.

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H. Skipper a ship. Upon reaching the status of Mate at 10th level, the pirate is fully qualified to skipper a vessel (being competent with respect to navigation, ship-handling, etc.), and often is called upon by his captain to man a captured ship with a prize crew to sail back to port for resale or perhaps to add to the captain's fleet as an allied vessel. A mate further implements his captain's orders and typically acts as a bridge between the captain and crew. He also dispenses discipline, taking heat off the captain for its typical harshness.

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I. Become a full captain. At 11th level, the pirate may--unless his own skipper exerts pressure to prevent it--acquire his own ship if he can secure one, and design his own flag. Ten "loyal" 1st level pirates of similar general alignment will join the character as crew, though, at minimum, a mate and bos'n must be added separately, their pay negotiated, and their loyalty affected by how much they profit in the relationship, and the character's Charisma.

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J. Become a Pirate Lord. At 12th level, it is possible for a skipper to become a Pirate Lord within a fraternity of other Pirate Lords in a pirate community, ala Port Royal. If the skipper has a reputation as a successful pirate who pays his men well, other pirates will seek to sail under his flag, and he will either attract other ships to join him; or if he can afford it, he may obtain other ships and outfit separate crews as allied vessels. These ships will tithe an amount set by him, but the more they make and are allowed to keep, the greater their loyalty. Not all captains choose this path, however. Many prefer to live as lone sea wolves with just one ship and crew, and thus do not gain the appellation of "Lord Captain." Others, however, take advantage of this, form their own fleets, then look for a pirate community; and the skipper seeks out membership in the ruling pirates' council. If he has something to offer, he may get voted in and allowed a seat on the council with voting rights and the coveted title that comes with the position. If not, he may be allowed to sail in and out, sell his cargo and re-supply, but he will have none of the rights of a Pirate Lord (which are basically that he can do what he wants, and be responsible to no one but the Council of Captains when in town; and be relieved from fear of his ships being harassed by those from other Lords).

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While the default for a Pirate Lord is to have a fleet under him, on rare occasions the Council may allow particularly skilled or influential lone wolves a seat on their council if it is in their best interests as a group. In years past, the local Admiral's girlfriend, along with Edward Teach and Raven TenTolliver all had but one ship yet came to occupy seats on the Council--the Admiral's girlfriend for obvious reasons, Teach because he was the most powerful and violent pirate ever known, and Raven because she attacked the Admiral's ship with her adventuring party, disarmed him with Kara Turan fighting techniques, then put a wakizashi to his throat, forcing him to give her a Council seat or die on the spot.

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K. Become an Admiral. At 16th level, the character's reputation is such that other successful captains with their own fleets will seek to ally with him and form a union of pirates. If he chooses to accept them, they normally do not tithe to him--or if they do, tithe only a small amount or else only pay a tax to fund their base--but look to the Admiral as a leader and titular head of a pirate community they will set up, which will soon attract other pirate vessels seeking to use it as a safe haven or market for their wares. These other pirates will form the usual tax base of the area. Locally, Admiral Lord John Lightfoot held such a position until Raven poisoned he and all but one of the other Pirate Lords at a banquet, and took control of their ships and the town, turning it into a respectable port of commerce.

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L. Extra attack. At 17th level, the pirate's ferocity in battle is such that he makes two attacks per round. Extra attacks only apply to a melee attack with the primary hand.

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M. Become a Lord Admiral. This is largely an honorary title, acknowledging the experience and skill of a master pirate--often retired and no longer active--who has seen and done it all. Such a character is often sought out for advice by other captains and Pirate Lords. A gift of not less than 5,000 GP in value is customary when seeking the advice or help of such a character, who usually still wields a degree of influence over other Admirals and Pirate Lords.

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