Mariner
Pirate, buccaneer, swashbuckler, privateer, merchant, these are some of the titles given the men that sail the seas of Jostyn. Having no home save the next port, the mariner is a breed that heard the siren song of the blue waters and heeded the call. Sailors one and all, some ear their pay honestly, while others are the lowest form of life to be found anywhere, willing to kill their mates for a lowly piece of copper.

Adventure: Mariners more often than not embark on adventure for one of two reasons; it’s their job, or for the fun and profit of it. When one commits his life to the sea, it is a given that a life of daring and adventure go along with it. Whether battling off the monsters of the deep, pirate raiders, or primitive barbarians on uncharted tropical islands, the mariner knows that adventure and fortune are only as far as the next horizon.

Characteristics: While fully capable in a one-on-one fight, mariners are not as combat oriented as the standard fighter is. Being a little more backhanded than the fighter is, the mariner tends to use sneaky combat tactics to get the job done. A large part of this is due to his lack of armor proficiency; he would not stand as much of a chance in a face-to-face confrontation with a fully armored opponent.

A mariner is also skilled in underhanded dealing as well, much the same way as a rogue, although not to the extent. They tend to really on their skills as much as their sword, often being quicker of wit and intellect than most people gives them credit for.

They put forth the image of an unclean, unshaven, uncouth scoundrel, and often times that is exactly what they are. But just as often, they are the devil-may-care swashbucklers that bards and storytellers romanticize about in song and tale.

Alignment: The alignment is as varied as the mariner’s reason for setting sail on the seas. Some are lawful and good, being in the employ of a kingdom as a privateer, a pirate hunter, keeping the waterways safe for merchant vessels and private charters. Others are merely sailors and buccaneers, sailing for the one who pays the most, and doesn’t really care much who he sails for. While others are pirates and nothing more, preying on the helpless and weak, taking whatever they want and hording all the gold for themselves.

Religion: For the most part, there is no one religion that binds all the mariners together. In fact, many of them do not seem to worship any god at all; although ironically they all seem to believe in and have a deep—deep—fear of the “Devil” (Asmodeus) and of Hell.

Background: Many mariners are born to it. They’re father did it, and their father’s father did it, so they do it too. The real irony behind this is that due to the lifestyle some mariners lead, they never really know who their father is in the first place. Other mariners as merchantmen that looked to the seas to make their fortunes, sailing to exotic lands with the promise of bringing new good home—for a profit that is. And others joined the ranks of the buccaneers only for the joy of adventure and wenching, having gotten caught up in the tales of the bards that they decided to live the life of high adventure for themselves.

Races: For the most part, the role of the mariner is almost universally human. The half-breeds have turned to a life on the seas as well, finding that no other societies would let them in, half-orcs, half-elves, and ogreborn can all be found tending to the sails and mopping the deck onboard the great galleys. Elves have their sailors as well, but most of them tend to sail for the royal elven Armada. Minotaurs as well have turned to the sea; with no homeland to call their own, they find a home on the briny sea. Gnomes prefer to remain to the forests that they call home, not feeling comfortable outside the safety of their lands. An elfling’s natural wanderlust has driven many elflings to the role of the sailor, but it is not something they exclusively pursue, usually elflings at sea are rogues and bards. Dwarves hate water.

Other Classes: The class a mariner can relate the most to is the rogue. Both are used to dealing with the shadier side of life, and nether one of them is above stabbing an associate in the back—one way or the other. Mariners realize the value of fighters and archers onboard the ship, especially in the event of repelling—or mounting—a boarding party. Wizards and sorcerers can be an invaluable tool at sea as well, when the ship is sinking or the wind is not co-operating. Every ship has at least one priest to tend to the sick and bless their voyage.

Game Rule Information
Mariners have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity is very important to the mariner, it helps compensate for their lack of armor, many of their skills are based on dexterity, and it helps with ship-to-ship ranged combat. Strength is another important one; it doesn’t do much good to live the life at sea if you can’t swim to save your life. Also, Charisma is an important ability as well if the mariner fancies himself a swashbuckler of sorts.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8

Class Skills
The mariner’s class skills (and key ability for each) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int; exclusive skill), Gamble (Wis), Gather Information (Cha), Innuendo (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nautical) (Int), Knowledge (shipwright) (Int), Panache (Cha; exclusive skill), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language, Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex) and Mariner Lore (Int; exclusive skill)

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int Modifier) x 4
Skill Points at each Addition Level: 4 + Int Modifier

Class Features
All the following are class features of the mariner.
Weapons and Armor: Mariners are proficient with all simple weapons, as well as the cutlass, handaxe, long sword, rapier, sap, short sword, throwing axe, and bows and crossbows. Mariners tend towards lighter weapons such as short swords, rapiers, and the cutlass. They are proficient with light armors only, and they are not proficient with shields at all. Note that check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pockets and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a –1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried.

A Sailor’s Life: At 1st-level the mariner gets the Feat, Skill Focus (profession [sailor]) for free. In addition, the mariner gains the following benefits from his Profession (sailor) skill.

Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum: Mariners drink, they drink a lot. Used to ease their sorrows, drown their sins, and to chase away the horrors, mariners are quite fond of drink, especially rum. The mariner may either use his skill modifier in Profession (sailor) in place of his Constitution check to stave off the effects of intoxication, whichever is greater. When the Profession (sailor) skill is used in this way, the key ability becomes Constitution instead of Wisdom.

Sea Legs: The mariner is sure of foot; he has to be to walk and work on a ship that is constantly pitching and rolling beneath his feet, especially in a storm. As such, at 3rd-level, for every 5 ranks of Profession (sailor) the mariner has, he receives a +2 competency bonus to his Balance, Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks.

Helmsman: At 5th-level, the mariner may take three move actions in a round when piloting his ship (instead of the normal two), but this third one suffers a –10 penalty to the roll.

The Wind at Your Back: At 7th-level the mariner can increase the speed of his ship by 10% by making a successful Profession (Sailor) check (DC 15).

Helmsman: At 9th-level, the mariner may take a 10 on his Profession (sailor) when piloting his ship, even when stress and distractions would normally prevent him from doing so.

The Wind at Your Back: At 11th-level, the mariner may increase the speed of his ship by 20% with a successful Profession (sailor) check (DC 25).

Bombardment Evasion: at 13th-level the mariner can use his skills of piloting to turn into the incoming fire of his opponent’s ship and lesson the damage they would receive. If the mariner succeeds at a Profession (sailor) check (DC set by the attacking forces to hit roll) then the ship only takes half damage from the attack.

Improved Bombardment Evasion: At 17th-level, the mariner can take no damage from successfully evading the attack, just as with the Bombardment Evasion ability above.

Illicit Barter: Beginning at 2nd-level, the mariner gains a +5 competence bonus on any Diplomacy checks made to buy or sell illicit or illegal goods.

Map Reading: At 2nd-level, the mariner gains a +2 competence bonus on any Decipher Script check when trying to read a map of any type.

Dirty Fighting: Mariners are not the most…upfront…combatants that one will be likely to run into. They have no hesitation to use dirty tricks and underhanded tactics to get the better of their opponents. At 3rd-level, and every three levels after, the mariner may choose one of the following special abilities:
*Bluff can be used as a free action in combat instead of a standard action
*A +2 bonus to Bluff checks when using the Bluff skill in combat only
*A +2 bonus to Sense Motive checks when using it to oppose an opponent’s Bluff check in combat situations only
*A +2 to initiative checks whenever the mariner is approaching under the pretense of truce or a peaceful meeting
*+2 bonus to Disarm checks
*+2 bonus to Trip attacks
*Combat Reflexes Feat
*Improved Disarm Feat
*Improved Trip Feat

Bonus Class Skill: The mariners travel the world, picking up new ideas and new skills wherever they may go. At 4th-level, and every four levels after that, the mariner may choose any cross class skill and make it a class skill. Skilled deemed "exclusive" to other classes are not permitted to be taken as bonus class skills.

BAB: as Cleric
Fortitude Save: Good
Reflex Save: Good
Will Save: Poor
1st-level: A Sailor’s Life (Skill Focus, Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum)
2nd-level: Illicit Barter, Map Reading
3rd-level: A Sailor’s Life (Sea Legs), Dirty Fighting
4th-level: Bonus Class Skill
5th-level: A Sailor’s Life (Helmsmen)
6th-level: Dirty Fighting
7th-level: A Sailor’s Life (The Wind at your Back)
8th-level: Bonus Class Skill
9th-level: A Sailor’s Life (Helmsman), Dirty Fighting
10th-level: ---
11th-level: A Sailor’s Life (The Wind at Your Back)
12th-level: Dirty Fighting, Bonus Class Skill
13th-level: A Sailor’s Life (Bombardment Evasion)
14th-level: ---
15th-level: Dirty Fighting
16th-level: Bonus Class Skill
17th-level: A Sailor’s Life (Improved Bombardment Evasion)
18th-level: Dirty Fighting
19th-level: ---
20th-level: Bonus Class Skill

New Skills
Mariner Knowledge (Int; trained only; exclusive)
A mariner picks up a lot of stray knowledge while wandering the land and learning stories from other mariners.
Check: You may make a check to see whether you know anything about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. This check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. The DM will determine the DC of the check by referring to the table below.

DC 10: Common, known by at least a substantial minority of the local population (A local mayor’s reputation for drinking, common legends about powerful places of mystery)

DC 20: Uncommon but available, known by only a few people in the area (A local priest’s shady past; legends about a powerful magical item)
DC 25: Obscure, known by few, hard to come by (A knight’s family history; legends about a minor place or mystery or magic item)

DC 30: Extremely obscure, known by very few, possibly forgotten by most who once knew it, possibly known by only those who don’t understand the significance of the knowledge (A mighty wizard’s childhood nickname; the history of a petty magic item)

Retry: Generally no, if you fail the check, then your wealth of knowledge has been tapped and you do not know anything about the person/place/thing at hand. You may try a retry when you attain a new level, when you add more ranks to the skill, or when the DM deems it possible.
Special: You may not take a 10 or a 20 on this check. This is basically random knowledge you have acquired.
Time: This is random knowledge you have at your fingertips. A mariner knowledge check is a free action.

Panache (Cha; trained only; exclusive)
Many men have charisma; the king of Jotha rules with a gentle hand and men and women hail him for his nobility, the shogun of the Great Empire to the west commands legions of men, a vampire lord leads his undead minions through the night, hunting the living. All these are examples of people with great charisma, the ability to inspire and lead beings through almost sheer force of will. However, these men do not necessarily have “style”.

That sense of style, of flair, of…panache, is the ability to do everything in such a self-glorifying style that often you do not have to say a word to win people’s adulation. People watch you amazed and intrigued at the way you do something, and wondering what you will be doing next; those of the opposite sex love you, and those of the same sex want to be you.

Check: You do not make checks with panache in the same way that you do with other skills. By building ranks in the skill, you begin to accomplish certain Feats of fancy and daring (as described in the Feats below).

5 or more ranks in panache also give you a +2 synergy bonus to Balance, Jump, and Tumble.
Special: You may not take a 10 or a 20 when using panache.

Time: The amount of time needed when using panache depends on the situation. More often than not, the use of the skill/Feat is instantaneous; if there is a change it will be explained in the Feat description.
Note: Bards and rogues can take panache as a class skill as well as all the panache Feats listed below. No other class other than the bard, mariner, or rogue may take this skill.

New Feats
Another Round of Rum! [Mariner]
Alcohol has less of an affect on you than it does on most.
Prerequisites: Rum, Bring me Rum!
Benefit: With this Feat, you are able to drink twice as much as normal before feeling the effects of intoxication. Also, against imbibed poisons that deal only subdual damage, or against those that have a DC less that 20, you take only half damage. If the effect is “unconscious”, you are instead fatigued for 2d6 hours. If you are rendered unconscious due to intoxication, then you are unconscious, but you abilities score points are regained at a rate of 2/hour.

Defensive Rolling [Panache]
You are adept at dodging and weaving your enemy’s strikes…with flair!
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge, Tumble 7 ranks, Panache 7 ranks
Benefit: As a move action, you can dodge and weave one attacker’s strikes, allowing you to add your panache skill modifier to your AC against one opponent’s attacks (as with the Dodge Feat). This Feat can only be used when you are wearing no armor; any type of armor at all restricts your movements.

Ego [Panache]
You ego is at such a degree that you find it hard to imagine anyone is your better, lending you to not blindly follow the words of others you do not know.
Prerequisites: Wis 13, Cha 13, Panache 5 ranks
Benefit: Your large sense of self-worth and self-importance makes it difficult for others to put you down, or get one over on you. You also project a very strong sense of self-worth and pride in yourself. As such you gain a +5 panache bonus to Intimidate and Sense Motive.

Flogging [Mariner]
You can cause heightened amounts of pain through the use of the while or cat-o’-nine-tails.
Prerequisites: Task Master, Weapon Focus (whip) or Weapon Focus (cat-o’-nine-tails)
Benefit: You may perform a coup de grace with a whip or cat-o’-nine-tails. When doing so, the normal rules for a coup de grace apply, with the following exception; should the victim of a flogging fail his Fortitude saving throw, he does not die. Instead he becomes unconscious for 1d4 hours.

Gentleman of Fortune [Mariner]
You have access to an array of resources; usually through crew, friends, or patrons.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, Skill Focus (gather information) Diplomacy 5 ranks, Gather Information 5 ranks
Benefit: Calling upon friends, acquaintances, crew and captain, or patron of your ship, you can make a Charisma check once per week to gather resources when you need them. The value of these resources equals your mariner class level multiplied by the result of the Charisma check, multiplied by 5. Thus a 6th-level mariner who gets a result of 16 on his Charisma check would gain 480 gold pieces’ worth of resources to use in the adventure (6 x 16 x 5 = 480).

The resources can take almost any form the mariner whishes (magic items are at the soul discretion of the DM, his word is final!) and are his to do with as he pleases. The resources gained arrive to the mariner in 2d8 hours after he makes the check. The resources must be reasonably available to the mariner when he makes the check; for instance, a mariner trekking through an arid desert won’t have too many resources.

Hero Worship [Panache]
You are looked upon as the pinnacle of human growth by those of the same sex that are younger that you. They worship you as a priest may worship a saint.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, Panache 4 ranks
Benefit: You receive a +5 competency bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy checks when dealing with people who are the same sex but younger than you.

Lunge [Panache]
You are adept at pouncing towards your opponent and striking a devastating blow, using your forward momentum.
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Riposte, Weapon Finesse, Panache 9 ranks
Benefit: As a move action, you can choose to lunge towards your opponent in a melee dual with any weapon you can us Weapon Finesse with. Lunging and using your forward momentum in this manner causes your strike to do more damage than it normally would. The amount of damage inflicted is dependant upon your Panache total modifier (ranks and Cha modifier).

However, performing this strike does have its disadvantages. By lunging towards your opponent you are leaving yourself open to attack from him and others. When you perform a lunge, you loose all Dexterity bonuses to your AC.

Panache Modifier/Additional Damage Die
9—14/+1d6
15—20/+2d6
21—25/+3d6
26—30/+4d6
35+/+5d6 (maximum)

Note: Lunge is a move action and entitles you to only one attack at your highest BAB when used.

Riposte [Panache]
You are a show off, wielding your blade with style and flare unseen in combat.
Prerequisites: Dex 12, Weapon Finesse, Panache 4 ranks
Benefit: As a move action, you can wield your weapon with flair. Any time this Feat is used, you are allowed one attack using your panache skill modifier in place of your BAB. The use of this Feat is a move action.

Rum, Bring me Rum! [Mariner]
You drink more than the average man, meaning you can drink just about anyone under the table.
Prerequisite: Con 13, Great Fortitude
Benefit: In addition to being able to drink twice as much as normal before feeling the effects of intoxication (your tolerance is doubled), you also gain a +2 bonus to saves vs. imbibed poisons, disease and toxins.

Shiver Me Timbers [Mariner]
You get a cold chill down your back when things not of this world are nearby.
Prerequisite: Wis 13
Benefit: Being a mariner, you are part of a superstitious lot, wary of all things unnatural, such as spirits, ghosts, devils and demons. Whenever something with the Outsider or Undead subtype is within 30’, you may make a wisdom check (DC 20) to detect them. This is a supernatural ability.

Smooth Criminal [Panache]
Small acts of petty theft are your hobby, and often you perform them with intent that someone is going to witness you, and get a good chuckle at how easily you were able to purloin the goods from your victim.
Prerequisites: Panache 4 ranks
Benefit: You receive a +5 panache bonus to all Gambling and Pick Pocket skill checks.

Tagging [Panache]
You are skilled at “tagging” your opponent with the tip of your blade.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Riposte, Weapon Finesse, Panache 7 ranks/10 ranks
Benefit: Whenever you strike an opponent with a melee touch attack, you do not actually do any damage to your opponent. Instead you taunt them, antagonize them, and perhaps humiliate them a little. With your blade you may cut buttons off their vest, slice the brim off of a hat, sever the ties of their shirt, or slice your initial (only one) into his clothing. For a more practical use in combat, this can also be used to cut the straps of a satchel that may hold the treaty of peace with the neighboring kingdom you were sent to recover, it could be used to flick back the hood of the mysterious assailant that ambushed you and your friends so that you can learn his identity, or cut a gold necklace free of someone’s neck.

The use of tagging does draw an attack of opportunity if you have 7 ranks in the panache skill. However, upon attaining 10 or more ranks, it no longer draws an attack of opportunity upon you.

Task Master [Mariner]
You are adept at the use of the whip.
Prerequisites: Base Attack Bonus +1, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip) or Exotic Weapon Proficiency (cat-o’-nine-tails)
Benefit: When attacking with a whip, you can opt to do normal damage instead of subdual damage. The normal rules for attacking with a whip still apply, meaning that heavy armor completely negates the effects of a whip or cat-o’-nine-tails.
Normal: Normally, whips only due subdual damage, you can’t pick which type you want to deal.

Wooing [Panache]
You have a knack for talking and seducing members of the opposite sex. You charm them with your charisma and style.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, Panache 4 ranks
Benefit: You receive a +5 panache bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy checks when dealing with members of the opposite sex in a non-combat encounter.

Intoxication
Inevitably, heroes in a setting such as Dungeons & Dragons are going to drink. Whether in celebration, whether to toast the success of their latest adventure, or whether to mourn the passing of a fallen ally, they will drink. However, they cannot—despite the fortitude most people believe their characters have—drink all night and not expect to pay the repercussions.

Tolerance: Your tolerance is the number of drinks you can put down before feeling the effects of intoxication. Your Constitution score rates this; the number of drinks one can have before worrying about intoxication is 1 plus your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 drink). For example, a character with a Constitution score of 14 will be able to have 3 drinks before worrying about getting drunk, while a character with a score of 8 (with a –1 modifier) would still have a tolerance of at least 1 drink.

Once a character’s tolerance level is reached, he has to start rolling Constitution checks for each drink he has after that (DCs listed below). Once the character fails three Constitution checks, he is mildly intoxicated. After that, there is a +5 penalty to the DC of the alcohol that is being consumed. After the character fails two Constitution checks after being mildly intoxicated, he then becomes heavily intoxicated. After being heavily intoxicated, if the character fails one Constitution check after being heavily intoxicated, then he becomes drunk.

All dwarves automatically receive a +2 bonus to their tolerance level, as well as a +2 bonus to their Constitution checks while drinking.

Mildly Intoxicated: Character suffers a –1 penalty to Intelligence and Wisdom.

Heavily Intoxicated: In addition to the results of mild intoxication, the character suffers a –2 Intelligence modifier, a –3 Wisdom modifier, a –2 Dexterity modifier, a –1 Charisma modifier, a –1 to hit penalty, and +1 temporary hit point.

Drunk: In addition to the results above, the character suffers a –4 Intelligence modifier, a –4 Wisdom modifier, a –3 Dexterity and Charisma modifier, -4 to hit penalty, +2 temporary hit points.

Once a character is deemed drunk, he must make a Constitution check for every drink. For each failed Constitution check after, he will suffer an additional –1 penalty to Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Charisma, and to hit, and gain +1 temporary hit point.

If any ability is reduced to 0 or lower, the character passes out. The character will not gain consciousness until the ability that is reduced to 0 is halfway recovered. Each ability will recover at a rate of 1 point/ hour.

Drinks and DCs: Different drinks have different types of DCs for the Constitution checks, as described below.
Average Drinks: This includes beer, ale, mead, wine, champagne, and “rot-gut” whiskeys and such, as well as just shots. DC 10.
Greater Intoxicants: Quality whiskey, rum, vodka, bourbon, gin, and sake. These are not shots; this is either mixed drinks or drinking it straight. DC 15, and each drink counts as two drinks.
Exotic Alcohols: Dwarven Ale, Elven Wine, Orc Mead, etc. DC 20, counts as three drinks.

If a character fails a Constitution check while drinking a drink that counts as more than one drink, then it is as if he failed that many constitution checks. Such as failing a constitution check while drinking Elven wine, it would be as if a character failed three constitution checks, making him immediately mildly intoxicated.