Pirate

The Pirate

The Pirate is guileless, bold, subversive, independent, democratic, opportunistic, dastardly, cunning, feckless, foolish, ignoble, honorable, and host of other contradictory things, but at his heart what defines the pirate is freedom. He takes what he can, and makes no apology. He cares nothing for rules of nations. He makes his own laws to live by with his fellow pirates, if any at all. Pirates that live and pirate on land are often called brigands.

Alignment: Non-Lawful (any).

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The pirate’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int),Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4+ Int modifier.

Table: The Pirate
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+0	+2	+0	Sneak attack +1d6, Bonus feat
2nd	+2	+0	+3	+0	Dodge, trapfinding
3rd	+3	+1	+3	+1	Press the advantage
4th	+4	+1	+4	+1	Uncanny dodge
5th	+5	+1	+4	+1	Sneak attack +2d6, bonus feat
6th	+6/+1	+2	+5	+2	All together now!
7th	+7/+2	+2	+5	+2	Team work
8th	+8/+3	+2	+6	+2	Evasion, Opportunist
9th	+9/+4	+3	+6	+3	Bonus feat
10th	+10/+5	+3	+7	+3	Sneak attack +3d6
11th	+11/+6/+1	+3	+7	+3	Improved uncanny dodge
12th	+12/+7/+2	+4	+8	+4	Ranged opportunist
13th	+13/+8/+3	+4	+8	+4	Bonus Feat
14th	+14/+9/+4	+4	+9	+4	Against all odds
15th	+15/+10/+5	+5	+9	+5	Crippling strike, Sneak attack +4d6
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+5	+10	+5	Follow my lead
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Bonus feat
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6	Improved evasion
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+6	Bloody strike
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6	Sneak attack +5d6

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the pirate.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Pirates are proficient with all simple weapons, light melee, and one-handed melee martial weapons, plus whips, spiked chains, and nets. Pirates are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Sneak Attack: If a pirate can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The pirate’s attack deals extra damage any time his target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the pirate flanks his target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and it increases by 1d6 at level five and every fifth pirate levels thereafter. Should the pirate score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, a pirate can make a sneak attack that deals non lethal damage instead of lethal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal non lethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty.

A pirate can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. The pirate must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A pirate cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

Trapfinding: Pirates can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20.

Finding a non magical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

Pirates (and only pirates) can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

A pirate who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with his party) without disarming it.

Press the Advantage (Ex): At 3rd level, a pirate learns value of working with other gaining a moral bonus to attack and damage equal to number of ally exceeding that of his known adversaries in this encounter not exceeding one half his level. Any time he loses his Dexterity bonus to AC he loses these bonuses.

All Together Now! (Ex): At 6th level, a pirate learns to work better with others. Whenever a pirate successfully makes an assist check he adds his charisma bonus if any to the bonus normally granted. Everyone else who attempts to make an assist check gains a moral bonus (or penalty) to their check equal to his charisma modifier on their assist check. Others who succeed on their assist check gain a bonus to the assist bonus equal to the pirate’s wisdom bonus if any. If there is more than one than one pirate with this ability only the greatest wisdom bonus is applied to all the others, the pirate still uses gains his charisma bonus to this assist check.

Team Work (Ex): At 7th level, a pirate gains a +2 to AC and attack damage when flanking. Any time he loses his Dexterity bonus to AC he loses these bonuses. When a pirate is in melee with a creature he grants a flanking bonus to any other creature in melee with the same creature.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 5^th level, a pirate can react to danger before his senses would normally allow his to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

If a pirate already has uncanny dodge from a different class he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Evasion (Ex): At 8th level and higher, a pirate can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the pirate is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless pirate does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Opportunist (Ex): Once per round, the pirate can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack counts as the pirate’s attack of opportunity for that round. Even a pirate with the Combat Reflexes feat can’t use the opportunist ability more than once per round.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A pirate of 9^th level or higher can no longer be flanked.

This defense denies another pirate the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking his, unless the attacker has at least four more pirate levels than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum pirate level required in order to flank the character.

Ranged Opportunist (Ex): Once per round, the pirate can make an attack of opportunity with a ranged weapon against an opponent who has performed an action which would normally provoke an attack of opportunity if done within melee combat, such as moving more than 5ft within range or casting a spell. The pirate must already have a ranged weapon out ready to fire to use this ability. This attack can only be taken if the creature provokes the attack while within one range increment of the weapon. This attack counts as the pirate’s attack of opportunity for that round. Even a pirate with the Combat Reflexes feat can’t use the ranged opportunist ability more than once per round.

Against All Odds (Ex): At 14^th level, a pirate has gained a courage born of confidence and experience. He gains a moral bonus whenever his adversaries out number the pirate’s allies. He gains a +1 AC and attack for each adversary more than his allies not to exceed his level. Any time he loses his Dexterity bonus to AC he loses these bonuses.

Follow My Lead (Ex): A pirate can coordinate the efforts of his comrades to near perfection. After a pirate has had his turn in a round, he grants his wisdom bonus if any to the initiative a number of allies equal to his charisma modifier to a minimum of one. If this would cause an ally to go before him in the first round of combat, that ally goes directly after him in the first round and at his new initiative in the round after.

Crippling Strike (Ex): A pirate can sneak attack opponents with such precision that his blows weaken and hamper them. An opponent damaged by one of his sneak attacks also takes 2 points of Strength damage. Ability points lost to damage return on their own at the rate of 1 point per day for each damaged ability.

Improved Evasion (Ex): At 18th level and higher, a pirate can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throws against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. If he fails he only takes half damage. Evasion can be used only if the pirate is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless pirate does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Bloody Strike (Ex): A pirate can rip into a creature’s vital parts with unparalleled savagery. When he would normally deal sneak attack damage to an opponent, to sacrifice a portion of his the sneak attack damage in order to deal 1 point of constitution damage per 2d6 sneak attack damage sacrificed. Ability points lost to damage return on their own at the rate of 1 point per day for each damaged ability.

Bonus Feat: At 1^st level, and at every four levels thereafter (5^th, 9^th, 13^th, etc.), a pirate gains a bonus feats. These bonus feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets from advancing levels. A Pirate is not limited to the list of pirate bonus feats when choosing feats from advancing levels.