Sailor
You sailed on a seagoing vessel for years. In that time, you faced down mighty storms, monsters of the deep, and those who wanted to sink your craft to the bottomless depths. Your first love is the distant line of the horizon, but the time has come to try your hand at something new.
Discuss the nature of the ship you previously sailed with your DM. Was it a merchant ship, a naval vessel, a ship of discovery, or a pirate ship? How famous (or infamous) is it? Is it widely traveled? Is it still sailing, or is it missing and presumed lost with all hands?
What were your duties on board – boatswain, captain, navigator, cook, or some other position? Who were the captain and first mate? Did you leave your ship on good terms with your fellows, or on the run?
Source: Player's Handbook
Proficiencies
Tools: You are proficient with navigator's tools and water vehicles.
Skills: You are proficient in Athletics and Perception.
Languages: None
Equipment
- - A belaying pin (club)
- - A 50 feet of silk rope
- - A lucky charm (trinket)
- - A set of common clothes
- - A purse containing 10 gp
Background Features
Ship's Passage
When you need to, you can secure free passage on a sailing ship for yourself and your adventuring companions. You might sail on the ship you served on, or another ship you have good relations with (perhaps one captained by a former crewmate). Because you're calling in a favor, you can't be certain of a schedule or route that will meet your every need. Your DM will determine how long it takes to get where you need to go. In return for your free passage, you and your companions are expected to assist the crew during the voyage.
I'll patch it!
Provided you have carpenter's tools and wood, you can perform repairs on a water vehicle. When you use this ability, you restore a number of hit points to the hull of a water vehicle equal to 5 × your proficiency modifier. A vehicle cannot be patched by you in this way again until after it has been pulled ashore and fully repaired.
Life at Sea
Your life at sea and in port has shaped you; you can roll on the following table to determine its impact or choose an element that best fits your character.
| d6 | Seas Influence |
|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Designs. You are working on plans and schematics for a new, very fast ship. You must examine as many different kinds of vessels as possible to help ensure the success of your design. |
| 2 | Solid and Sound. You patched up a war galley and prevented it from sinking. The local navy regards you as a friend. |
| 3 | Favored. You insisted on thicker planking for a merchant vessel's hull, which saved it from sinking when it smashed against a reef. You have a standing invitation to visit the merchant's distant mansion. |
| 4 | Master of Armaments. You specialized in designing and mounting defenses for the navy. You easily recognize and determine the quality of such items. |
| 5 | Low Places. You have contacts in the smuggling outfits along the coast; you occasionally repair the criminals' ships in exchange for coin and favors. |
| 6 | Mysteries of the Deep. You experienced an encounter with a possibly divine being while sailing alone. Work with your DM to determine the secret about the deep waters of the sea that this entity revealed to you. |
Suggested Characteristics
Sailors can be a rough lot, but the responsibilities of life on a ship make them generally reliable as well. Life aboard a ship shapes their outlook and forms their most important attachments.
Traits
| d8 | Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | My friends know they can rely on me, no matter what. |
| 2 | I work hard so that I can play hard when the work is done. |
| 3 | I enjoy sailing into new ports and making new friends over a flagon of ale. |
| 4 | I stretch the truth for the sake of a good story. |
| 5 | To me, a tavern brawl is a nice way to get to know a new city. |
| 6 | I never pass up a friendly wager. |
| 7 | My language is as foul as an otyugh nest. |
| 8 | I like a job well done, especially if I can convince someone else to do it. |
Ideals
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Respect. The thing that keeps a ship together is mutual respect between captain and crew. (Good) |
| 2 | Fairness. We all do the work, so we all share in the rewards. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Freedom. The sea is freedom—the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Mastery. I'm a predator, and the other ships on the sea are my prey. (Evil) |
| 5 | People. I'm committed to my crewmates, not to ideals. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Aspiration. Someday I'll own my own ship and chart my own destiny. (Any) |
Bonds
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm loyal to my captain first, everything else second. |
| 2 | The ship is most important – crewmates and captains come and go. |
| 3 | I'll always remember my first ship. |
| 4 | In a harbor town, I have a paramour whose eyes nearly stole me from the sea. |
| 5 | I was cheated out of my fair share of the profits, and I want to get my due. |
| 6 | Ruthless pirates murdered my captain and crewmates, plundered our ship, and left me to die. Vengeance will be mine. |
Flaws
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I follow orders, even if I think they're wrong. |
| 2 | I'll say anything to avoid having to do extra work. |
| 3 | Once someone questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation. |
| 4 | Once I start drinking, it's hard for me to stop. |
| 5 | I can't help but pocket loose coins and other trinkets I come across. |
| 6 | My pride will probably lead to my destruction. |
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