Blackpowder Pirates

Blackpowder Pirates

Bringing guns to the high seas.

DESIGN
David Adams

ART
Cover: A Mediterranean Brigantine Drifting Onto a Rocky Coast in a Storm, Willem van de Velde the

Younger PD-1996
Pirate: Enmanuel "Lema" Martinez

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voyage out into open waters is as likely AUTHOR’S NOTE
to be perilous as it is beautiful. There are
strange and terrible dangers lurking in the Firearms feature prominently in most of the new class
deeps, and the waters of Faerûn are no options presented here because of their prominence in
exception. It takes a brave, or perhaps more a great many cinematic depictions of pirates. They
likely reckless, spirit to decide to set sail and lend a distinctive flair to maritime adventures that
venture over the known horizon. helps establish a unique tone. You’ll need the
The denizens of Toril are no strangers to Gunslinger PDF for the complete rules on firearms,
traveling by ship. The Sword Coast is teeming otherwise you can utilize one of the alternative options
with merchant vessels, and with those vessels found within to liberate these pirates from a reliance
looking to make quick money by stealing what’s upon their guns.
on the merchant vessels. From the Trackless Sea
to the Sea of Fallen Stars and every body of BUCCANEER
water across Faerûn, sailors and pirates abound.
Recently, rumors from merchant ships that The archetypal Buccaneer is at home on any
have traveled near the southern reaches of the ship. Buccaneers remain chillingly calm in the
Trackless Sea claim that Lantanese pirates are face of danger and relish any and every
using a fearsome new technology. It is said these opportunity to show off their considerable skill.
pirates bear armaments that belch smoke and Those that seek to emulate this archetype
fire, injuring and quickly killing men from a cultivate a flashy style of fighting that sees them
distance. Lantan is no stranger to amazing new taking many risks, and learning to reap the
artifice, but as of yet these pirates have not been rewards of pushing themselves to their limits.
spotted in northern waters.
COMBAT SUPERIORITY
QUICK BUILD
This tome gives you a variety of simple tools to When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you
quickly turn your character into one of the brave learn maneuvers that are fueled by special dice
souls willing to risk life and limb on the high called superiority dice.
seas in search of plunder. Use the Quick Build Maneuvers. You learn one maneuver of your
suggestions for your class, but consider the choice from a subset of the maneuvers presented
pirate variant sailor background (or simply the in the “Maneuvers” section of the Battle Master
sailor background) as the point to kick start martial archetype in the fighter section of the
building your character. Player’s Handbook. Many maneuvers enhance
an attack in some way. You can use only one
MARTIAL ARCHETYPE maneuver per attack.
You learn one additional maneuver of your
Men and women experienced with a blade are choice at 7th, 10th, and 15th level. Each time you
always a welcome addition to any crew. Any learn new maneuvers, you can also replace one
fighter with the Sailor background will be more maneuver you know with a different one.
than able to hold their own on such an When you learn a maneuver, you may choose
expedition. The archetype presented here, the from the following options: Disarming Attack,
Buccaneer, represents a fighter who learned to Evasive Footwork, Feinting Attack, Menacing
fight amidships, using the sway of the deck and Attack, Parry, Pushing Attack, and Trip Attack.
the punch of a brace of pistols to turn the tide of Superiority Dice. You have four superiority
battle in their favor. dice, which are d8s. A superiority die is
expended when you use it. You regain all of
your expended superiority dice when you finish
a short or long reset.
You gain another superiority die at 7th level and
one more at 15th level.

Using Superiority Dice. In addition to fueling OLD SALT
your maneuvers, you can expend superiority
dice to gain one of the following benefits: When you reach 7th level, your time aboard
 When you make a weapon attack against a ocean-faring vessels has turned you into one of
the finest sailors to board a vessel in living
creature, you can expend one superiority die memory. You are counted as two members of
to make an attack with a firearm you are any ship’s crew and are able to fulfill all the
holding against any creature you can see required duties without unduly exhausting
within range of your firearm. yourself, and you are able to push the efforts of
 When you make an attack with a firearm, you other crew members to further heights. The
can expend one superiority die to add it to the effective crew of any ship you sail on is
damage you deal with the attack. increased by 50% and you can use your
Saving Throws. Some of your maneuvers downtime to increase the loyalty score of the
require your target to make a saving throw to crew by 1d4. Additionally, you are never at risk
resist the maneuver’s effects. The saving throw of losing your sea legs due to prolonged activity
DC is calculated as follows: on dry land.

Maneuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency IMPROVED COMBAT SUPERIORITY
bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier
At 10th level, your superiority dice turn into
(your choice) d10s. At 18th level, they turn into d12s.

FIGHTING STYLE RECKLESS DARING

Heavy armor fashioned of metal might provide Starting at 15th level, you can spur yourself to
excellent protection to those fighters that engage in greater action when you throw yourself
combat upon land, but for the Buccaneer such armor recklessly into daring situations. On your turn,
is a liability. The extra weight makes swimming you can take one additional action on top of your
difficult and risks drowning. Salty spray accelerates regular action and a possible bonus action. You
the rust and deterioration of such armor as well. The can only use this action to Dash or to perform
Mariner fighting style, first shown in the Unearthed any action that requires an athletics or acrobatics
Arcana series from Wizards of the Coast, is check or that would provoke an opportunity
recommended for those characters planning to attack. Until the start of your next turn, attacks
emulate the Buccaneer martial archetype and for any against you have advantage.
campaigns that are planned to spend much of their Once you use this feature, you must finish a
time aboard ships on the open seas. short or long rest before using it again.

MARINER GUNSLINGER PERSONAS

As long as you are not wearing heavy armor or Firearms are a favored tool of pirates. They’re
using a shield, you have a swimming speed and a lethal, intimidating, and conveniently
climbing speed equal to your normal speed, and you transportable. Those pirates that master them, do
gain a +1 bonus to AC. so using the gunslingers art and cultivate a
reputation as ruthless sea dogs.
SHOOT FIRST
DREAD PIRATE
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with firearms.
When you roll initiative you can draw one Noisy spectacle and boisterous showmanship are
firearm in your possession. If you are not the hallmark of your reputation. You use your
surprised, you can also make one attack with
that firearm against any creature that you can see
and whose initiative result is lower than your
own.

firearms as tools of intimidation against your DETERMINED SWORDSMAN
foes, and a means to inspire awe in those that
you are allied with. You desire command of Starting at 3rd level when you select this persona,
your own vessel and crew, inspiring anyone of you gain proficiency with your choice of the
like mind to revel with you in your ostentatious cutlass (use the rules for the scimitar) or rapier.
behavior. You are a consummate adventurer, When you have advantage against the target of
enjoying the company of others as bold as an attack you make with your chosen weapon,
yourself and pushing more out of the dregs that you can expend a use of your Grit to add your
try to keep up with your company. firearm bonus damage to the attack.

COMBAT SUPERIORITY VICIOUS REPUTATION

At 3rd level, you gain a set of abilities that are Beginning at 10th level, your reputation as a
fueled by special dice called superiority dice. scourge upon the sea has reached the point
Superiority Dice. You have four superiority where those that see you coming are apt to turn
dice, which are d8s. A superiority die is and run. When you use your Menace ability, the
expended when you use it. You regain all of creatures you target are frightened until the end
your expended superiority dice when you finish of their next turn and until they rest they have
a short or long reset. disadvantage on any attack made against you if
You gain another superiority die at 7th level and you have more than half of your hit points
one more at 15th level. remaining.

Using Superiority Dice. You can expend WALK THE PLANK
superiority dice to gain a number of different
benefits: Upon reaching 15th level, you use your firearm
 When you make a weapon attack against a to force your foes to swim with the sharks. You
can use your Menace ability to force one target
creature, you can expend one superiority die to spend their turn moving up to their speed
to make an attack with a firearm you are towards the edge of a ship’s deck. They have
holding against any creature you can see advantage on the save against this effect, but if
within range of your firearm. they have enough movement to reach the edge
 You can forgo one of your actions on your of the deck, or a gangplank or similar part of the
turn and expend a superiority dice to allow an ship overlooking the water, they must jump
ally that you can see to either make a firearm overboard if they fail the saving throw against
attack against a target of your choice, or to this ability.
perform an action that requires a skill or
ability check. This ally can add your
superiority die to the firearm damage or
check result.

OPTIONAL RULE: SEA LEGS

The constant rocking of a ship on the open water can be disorienting for
those unaccustomed to it, and presents constant difficulty for balance
and walking. Aboard such a vessel, a character has disadvantage on
acrobatics checks. During combat, a character that moves more than 5
feet has disadvantage on their attack rolls during their turn. After two
consecutive days aboard a ship, most characters gain their ‘sea legs’ and
no longer suffer these penalties (DMs may decide that acclimation takes
longer, if it is possible at all.)

Characters lose their sea legs if they spend more than a month off a
ship, but gain them again after only an hour aboard a ship. After more
than three months as a landlubber, a character must spend two days
aboard a ship before claiming their sea legs again.

ROGUISH ARCHETYPE the target of your attack stunned until the end of
that creature’s next turn. This still counts as a
It takes loose morals and a sharp mind to make a use of your sneak attack ability.
sustained living as a pirate, and rogues have
little problem developing considerable talent in UNFLINCHING
either area. Freebooters are rogues that ply their
larcenous trade under the billowing sails of a At 13th level, you become immune to fear and
ship on the open waters. fear effects and cannot be surprised.

FREEBOOTER BLOOD IN THE WATER

You hone your skills operating as a pirate-for- At 17th level, your combat bloodlust is spurred
hire aboard and ship that will have you. With by the sight of a wounded enemy. When you
finesse and aplomb, you attack other vessels in make an attack against a creature that has fewer
order to sell their cargo to the first merchant that than half of its total hit points remaining, you
will pay you for it at your next port of call. A can deal additional damage to the target equal to
trusty sidearm and a knack for cheating define your sneak attack damage. This does not count
the fighting style that keeps you alive and makes against your limit of dealing sneak attack
you a valuable asset to the rest of your crew. damage once per turn.

SCOUNDREL’S TACTICS FIREARM ALTERNATIVES

Starting at 3rd level, you learn to employ a While the explosive bluster of firearms makes a
number of dirty tricks while fighting. When you solid contribution to the tone of the class options
hit a creature with a melee attack that has presented here, they might not be the best fit for
advantage, you can choose to knock the target every campaign. DMs looking for alternatives to the
prone or cause it to be blinded or deafened until firearm-centric options here need look no further.
the end of its next turn.
ONE STEP AHEAD
Once you have used this ability you cannot
use it again until you complete a rest. Replaces Shoot First
When you roll initiative, you can move up to your
SHOOT FIRST speed before combat beings. Until the end of your
first turn in combat you have advantage on attacks
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with firearms. against any creature that has not yet acted.
When you roll initiative you can draw one
firearm in your possession. If you are not PIRATE’S PET
surprised, you can also make one attack with
that firearm against any creature that you can see Replaces Shoot First
and whose initiative result is lower than your You gain the loyal companionship of a noisy parrot
own. (use the stats for the owl). This companion acts
independently in combat, rolling its own initiative
PRESS THE ADVANTAGE and acting on its own turn, but still obeying your
commands. It can attack, or use its action to distract
At 9th level, your dirty fighting style allows you an enemy, giving you advantage on attacks against
to capitalize more fully on the openings in your that target. If your companion dies, it takes 1d4 days
targets’ defenses. When you would normally to find and groom a suitable replacement.
inflict sneak attack damage with a melee attack,
you can instead deal no extra damage but leave SEA SHANTIES

Replaces Shoot First
As a bonus action on your turn you can begin
singing a nautical song. Any non-hostile creature
that can hear you gains advantage on their next skill
ability check as long as you maintain concentration
on this ability.

manipulating your compass to draw you into the
web of its greater schemes.

WARLOCK OPTIONS OTHERWORDLY PATRONS

Sailors tell tales of voices carried on the wrongs Beings of power capable of fueling the powers
of storms or crashing waves. Many landlubbers of warlocks might be rare, but there are still
dismiss such talk as superstitious nonsense, but many—including those that are imprisoned or
you know better. There are mighty powers that slumber beneath the waves, biding their time
lurk or slumber beneath the deep waters. When until a worthy individual comes along and is
you first heard the call you took to the sea, crazy, or gullible, enough to work towards their
saying far and wide wherever the whispers lead. eventual freedom.
Eventually you found a place of power where
your future master gathered its followers and THE THING BENEATH THE WAVES
you forged pact to the thing beneath the waves.
The new options below allow you to create a You have forged a pact with some inscrutable
warlock with strong ties to the sea. creature that dwells in the eternally lightless
depths far beneath the surface of some notable
PACT BOON body of water. This creature’s ambitions are
often inscrutable, due to the inhospitable
Any of the warlock pacts presented in the
Player’s Handbook are suitable to high-seas THING BENEATH THE WAVES SPELLS
adventures, but the new Pact Boon presented
here is a distinctly nautical option for warlocks Spell Level Spells
interested in exploring the mysteries surrounding 1st fog cloud, thunderwave
exploration upon the high seas. 2nd gust of wind, warding wind*
3rd call lightning, tidal wave*
PACT OF THE COMPASS 4th control water, watery sphere*
5th control winds*, maelstrom*
Your patron has allowed you to hold the Black
Compass, an instrument of guidance and tool for * these spells appear in the Elemental Evil Player’s Companion.
divining your master’s will. The compass does
not point towards magnetic north as other environs in which they dwell. Many look to see
compasses do, instead it bends in the direction kingdoms brought low beneath the waves, or for
that your patron desires. the world to be consumed in unending floods.
While you possess the compass, you can make Others have goals more nuanced and all the
navigation checks on the open water as though more dreadful.
you were trained and you do not risk getting lost Entities of this type include Zoth-Ommog and
if you lose sight of land. Additionally, you can the Abolethic Sovereignty. Some exceptionally
whisper the name of one person known to you powerful sea creatures like the kraken or
and the needle of the compass will point in their leviathan may also be able to grant such power
direction for the next 24 hours. You must finish through pacts with mortals.
a long rest before using this ability again.
At 11th level, you can cast find the path using EXPANDED SPELL LIST
the compass as the required divinatory tool once
per day without expending a spell slot. You must The Thing Beneath the Waves lets you choose
finish a long rest before you are able to cast this from an expanded list of spells when you learn a
spell again. At the discretion of your DM, there warlock spell. The following spells are added to
is always the possibility that your patron is the warlock spell list for you.

BREATH OF THE DEEPS NEW INVOCATIONS

Starting at 1st level, you are able to breathe water The following new invocations complement the
as easily as air. Additionally, you gain a swim nautical options presented here.
speed equal to twice your speed.
BAELFUL GEAS
SIREN’S SONG
Prerequisite: 12th level, Pact of the Compass
Beginning at 6th level, your patron teaches you feature
the irresistible call of the sea. As an action you You can cast the spell geas once using a warlock
cause one creature you can see within 60 feet of spell slot against a creature you have successful
you to make a Wisdom saving throw against tracked with your black compass. You can’t do
your warlock spell DC. On a failure, the creature so again until you complete a long rest.
is charmed by you and must spend its next turn
moving closer to you without regard for its CRAWLING EYE
safety. This effect ends after a number of rounds
equal to your Charisma modifier, or if the target Prerequisite: 7th level
takes damage. You must complete a long rest One of your eyes is permanently disfigured,
before using this ability again. allowing you to cast the spell arcane eye once
using a warlock spell slot. It is your own eye,
STORM SHIELD not a magical sensor, that travels out as part of
this spell. You can’t cast this spell again until
Starting at 10th level, you are protected by your you complete a long rest.
patron’s tempestuous magic. You have
resistance to lightning and thunder damage.
Additionally, when you are damaged by a
creature within 60 feet of you, you can expend a
spell slot as a reaction to deal 5d6 lightning
damage to the triggering creature. You must
finish a short or long rest before using this
feature again.

COMMAND THE GALE

At 14th level, you are granted the power to
summon storms. You are able to cast the spell
control weather once without expending a spell
slot, but you cannot change the temperature or
decrease the intensity of precipitation or wind.
You must complete a long rest before casting the
spell again.