Pirate

Pirates of Zerim sail many different bodies of water in search of plunder, from the most common pirates to the Tamoran privateers and the fast-moving brigands of the Scadia. Those who prove handy on a ship might rise to the rank of captain and command their own ships. Pirates are adept at both sailing and sword fighting, and most have looked death in the face more than once. They possess a variety of skills that prove useful when sailing and plundering, and two Pirates might be quite different from each other.

**Role**: While many sailors in the waters around Ituval, Uresh, and Eastrune work as pirates, those experienced enough to take levels in this prestige class show more talent than do common deck hands. Pirates often captain their own ships; those who do not usually serve as officers or aboard notorious ships under accomplished captains.

**Alignment**: Pirates are often chaotic and rarely good, but can be any non-lawful alignment.

### **Requirements**

To qualify to become a Pirate, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

**Alignment**: Any non-lawful.

**Skills**: Appraise 5 ranks, Profession (sailor) 5 ranks, Swim 5 ranks.

### **Class Skills**

The Pirate’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (sailor) (Wis), and Swim (Str).

**Skill Ranks per Level**: 6 + Int modifier.

### **Class Features**

The following are class features of the Pirate prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Pirate gains proficiency with the cutlass, hook hand, rapier, and short sword. A Pirate gains no armor proficiency.

Sneak Attack (Ex): This ability is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 at 4th level and every three levels thereafter. If a Pirate gets a sneak attack bonus from another source, the damage bonuses stack.

Pirate Talent: As a Pirate develops her skill, she learns a number of tricks that aid her in her work. She gains a pirate trick at 4th level and every three levels thereafter. A Pirate cannot select an individual trick more than once. Tricks marked with an asterisk add effects to a Pirate’s sneak attack. Only one of these tricks can be applied to an individual attack, and the decision must be made before the attack roll is made.

*Classic Duelist* (Ex): The Pirate gains a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls made with a cutlass, rapier, or short sword.

*Deep Breath* (Ex): The Pirate can hold her breath for a number of rounds equal to three times her Constitution modifier before she must start making Constitution checks.

*Drink for Free* (Ex): This ability presumes that the Pirate is admired or feared in the taverns she frequents. The Pirate designates one tavern per Pirate level as a “favored tavern.” When in a favored tavern, the Pirate drinks for free. In addition, she gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks within a favored tavern.

*Farseer* (Ex): Pirates take turns serving as lookouts. A Pirate with this ability reduces any distance- based penalties on Perception checks by half when she is at least 10 feet off the ground or above the deck of a ship.

*Hand Stab\** (Ex): The Pirate can weaken an opponent’s weapon hand by hitting with a sneak attack. When she deals sneak attack damage against an opponent, that opponent becomes easier to disarm. Until the end of the rogue’s next turn, anyone attempting to disarm that opponent gains a +2 bonus on the disarm attempt.

*Quick Appraise* (Ex): The Pirate must at times quickly select the most valuable items to spirit away. She appraises an item as a move action and can determine the most valuable item in a treasure hoard as a standard action.

*Rigging Monkey* (Ex): Some pirates become skilled at climbing on ropes and rigging. This ability grants the Pirate a +2 bonus on Climb checks when using a rope to help her climb. In addition, when using a rope to help her climb, the Pirate can move at half her speed. (By accepting a – 5 penalty she can move at her normal speed.)

*Storm Sailor* (Ex): The Pirate treats all storms as if they were one category less severe for the purposes of sailing and navigation. (This benefit stacks with the Hurricane Savvy character trait and other effects related to wind conditions.) She can make an Acrobatics check to move her normal speed across uneven ground, and she does not take a penalty on any Acrobatics checks due to slightly slippery, slightly unsteady, or moderately unsteady conditions.

*Windrigger* (Ex): The Pirate has learned the tricky art of tacking. With a DC 15 Profession (sailor) check, she increases her ship’s base movement by 5 feet for 1 hour.

Advanced Tricks: At 6th, 8th, and 9th level, an Pirate can choose one of the following advanced tricks in place of a pirate trick.

*Burst of Speed* (Ex): The Pirate has learned to coax speed out of her ship when it really counts. With a DC 20 Profession (sailor) check, she doubles her ship’s base movement for 1 round. She can use this ability once per day.

*Defensive Climber* (Ex): The Pirate does not lose her Dexterity bonus to AC when climbing.

*Fearsome Advance\** (Ex): If the Pirate deals damage with her sneak attack, she can make an Intimidate check as an immediate action to demoralize the damaged opponent.

*Foot Sweep\** (Ex): The Pirate has learned to sweep her opponents’ legs when they are reeling from the pain of her precise attacks. If the Pirate deals damage with a sneak attack, she can make a trip attack against the damaged opponent as an immediate action. All the usual rules for trip attacks apply, and feats such as Improved Trip modify the attack normally.

*Shipboard Authority* (Ex): As a full-round action once per day, the Pirate can shout orders to her crew. All allies within 30 feet of the Pirate who can hear her gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls or on a particular skill check for 1 round per the Pirate’s level. The Pirate specifies which bonus applies when she uses this ability and may not change the bonus for the duration of this ability.