Pirate (NN)
About
The Pirate
Avast ye landlubbers! High adventure on the seven seas is the life for a Pirate. Whether they be scurvy dogs like Edward
“Blackbeard” Teach or suave gentlemen like Jean LaFitte and Stede Bonnet, pirates be found anywhere there is something
of value sailing across the sea. Other examples include Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean), Captain Hook
(Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie), and Long John Silver (Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson).
The most important aspect of being a pirate is attitude. The swagger, the costume, the jargon, the disregard for personal hygiene ... these things are far more important to portraying a pirate than any collection of abilities will ever be. That said, there is more than one kind of pirate and it stands to reason that there is more than one way to portray one in a battlegame. Below you will find the Pirate Gunner and the Swashbuckler, two very different types of piratical persona, each built around a 6th level Spellcasting Class. The Priest of the Drowned God is yet another blackhearted villain that you'd likely find aboard a fantasy pirate ship. Spellcasting not your thing? Never fear. Just check out the sidebar for a breakdown on pressing any standard class into the crew!
Archetypes
More pirate personas
Spellcasting classes aren’t the only way to play a pirate or other swashbuckling hero. Pretty much every class has some aspect to it that can be explained away in a nautical sense - and honestly, the most important part of playing the part is looking and acting like one. Keep the theme in mind when equipping yourself. Pirates didn’t really wear heavy armor, so keep it at padded or light leather, at best. Swords and daggers are more on-theme than maces or flails. Of course, the customary attire of loose pants, muslin shirts, fancy vests, high boots, crossed belts and the ubiquitous eye patch will remove any doubt as to what kind of character you are portraying.
Archers and bow-wielding Scouts represent the pre-firearms world of ranged nautical combat - flaming arrows taking the place of flintlocks and cannons. Not exactly the most thematic of classes, to be sure, but with excellent attire and role-playing it won’t really matter.
Anti-Paladins would feel right at home amidst (or, more likely, leading) a motley band of cutthroats - while their Paladin counterparts might be more comfortable sailing with the Queen’s Navy as a bodyguard or other defender of nobility and civilization amidst the usual killers and criminals found at sea.
Barbarian pirates relish their Berserk abilities with wild cries of howling bloodlust and find their home amid the real world Vikings and Norsemen of legend. Brutal and ravenous, armed with whatever weapons and armor they can steal or pillage, Barbarians are truly the original pirate archetype.
Assassin and Monk pirates focus more on quick strikes and evasive techniques. Think of Sanctuary as a kind of parlay ability, Poison and Blink as typical pirate treachery and never go without as many throwing daggers as you can carry. Light, fast and nimble in combat makes for a high survivability rate in the close-quarters of naval combat.
Warriors are more the Royal Marine-type if wearing heavy armor, or just a simple brute who found a life cracking skulls among the dregs of society. Again, the heaviest of armors were rarely worn while aboard ship, as the buoyancy of the wearer is seriously jeopardized while encased in sheets of metal. Still, no decent crew goes without extra muscle, and that is exactly what Warriors provide.
