Stonehearth Marines

## **A Maritime History**

The patriars of Baldur's Gate had limited license to crennelate (maintain defensive measures), if only to guard what merchant assets any given noble house might have. While House Stonehearth had chartered Baldurian arms right away, the natural assumption was that it was for a house guard. Stonehearth had gone the extra mile, chartering a military force early on – and part of this was maritime soldiers that would accompany the Stonehearth Merchant Company vessels as they sold the trademark scrolls and potions around Faerûn.

These high-value shipments were a frequent target from pirates and everybody else, so the Marines were well paid, highly-trained, extremely deadly. It was this history that eventually led to the current deployment and training cycles as they are today: learn to be a soldier, then learn to apply it over the sea.

These maritime soldiers studied, developed and fought with with the focus learning to neutralize shipborne-complications and even making them work in their favor. Thus was born the concept of marines. As Stonehearth's role expanded beyond simply defending the family business to a valid part of local government, the Marines (along with the rest of the soldier at the time), were not only legally empowered masters-at-arms aboard ships, they retained law enforcement authority when ashore, often acting in defense of port facilities.

### **Mission Profiles**

Modern-day Stonehearth Marines are assigned as government protection to the Coronet's merchant ships as well as their naval vessels. Beyond floating duty, they also serve as gendarmerie for maritime facilities.

In combat functions, they are regularly deployed along the coastline and river banks around North Point or any Stonehearth jurisdiction. If they can *see* the water, then it's in their OA.

The Marines are the premiere commandos of the Stonehearth Arms, over-the-beach raiders that have stopped countless troll incursions while they're still on the north shore beach.

## **The Candidate Path**

Prospective candidates for the Marines need to attain a *minimum* Infantry progression (level 6), if only for the anti-mind control indoctrination. Concurrently, they must serve a minimum of two years in the infantry before they are eligible to test into the Marines.

Less than 5% enter this way – most will serve a full 6 years in the Infantry. The competition for Marines is intense: there is both a pay and prestige bump and infantry experience gives a natural advantage to those candidates vying for entry.

As challenging as the infantry soldier's job is, the Marines are known to be an elite unit that sees constant action. The pay and prestige only go so far: the only easy day was yesterday.

If they aren't combat deployed, they are rotated through ship or shore duty, or are on a training/recovering cycle that is structured by the best practices and lessons learned from the infantry.

Should a player's character choose to go this route, success at the candidate path is presumed. This included early entry if that's a player's desire, though unless a player has a very specific development arc for their character, DMs may choose to make early entry based on experience-gained probabilities.

If a character gains early entry into the Marines, there should be a role-play/character history element to that plot development, including dealing the anti-hotshot attitudes of the professional Marines and possible tragic, youthful mistakes made due to the lack of Infantry experience.

## **The Stonehearth Arms Marine**

The Stonehearth Marines build on their Infantry experience, but in game terms, this technically branches the character into a multi-class status. The Marine is a Fighter hybrid class, and multi-class rules apply for challenge ratings, combat, experience and so on. Most new Marines would be written as Infantry 6/Marine 1.

### Class Features

As a Stonehearth Marine, you gain the following class features.

#### Hit Points

* **Hit Dice:**1d10 per Marine level
* **Hit Points at 1st Level:**10 + your Constitution modifier
* **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Marine level after 1st

### Proficiency Bonus

Your Proficiency Bonus is always based on your total character level, as shown in the Character Advancement table, not your level in a particular class. For example, that Infantry 6/Marine 1 has the Proficiency Bonus of a 7th-level character, which is +3.

Note that while the *minimum* Infantry level is 6 prior to cross-over, and represent a full enlistment cycle, fully roleplay-realized characters are likely to wait until level 10 (when early retirement or transfer may take place without restriction); or level 12, with the completion of a full second cycle. As such, the Level/Proficiency Bonus columns make the assumption of level-1 start and let players look at equivalent character progressions. The exact proficiency bonus will be determined by the level the character jumps.

For more on multiclassing character progressions, check:

* **Primal Multiclass Characters**

### Proficiencies

Infantry soldiers taking up the Marine class gain no new, separate proficiencies beyond what is listed on the Features and Special Training columns below. Features and Special Training are detailed below the table.

### **Features and Feats in the Stonehearth Marines**

#### ***2nd Method Wandism (Gendarmerie Training)***

This is technically 2M Wandism (untrained), but only in the class sense that Marines, Rangers and Guards aren't fully trained in arcane theory. Rather, this is focused Gendarmerie Training (same as the Guard), that turns a military-grade *Wand of Casting* into a professional tool.

There are four initial spells taught, including the usual training tool: the cantrip-level Mage Hand.

* Mage Hand. As the conjuration cantrip.
* Light. No components, otherwise as the evocation cantrip.
* Zone of Truth. As the 2nd-level enchantment.
* Arcane Hand. No components, otherwise as the 5th-level evocation.

#### ***Favored Terrain (coast)***

Similar to the Ranger Favored Terrain feature, this counts for all surface maritime and riverine environments, including watercraft and water-related structures (piers, docks, etc.).

* When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your favored terrain, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in.
* While traveling for an hour or more in your favored terrain, you gain the following benefits:
	+ You can swim and tread water.
	+ Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
	+ Your group can’t become lost except by magical means.
	+ Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
	+ If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
	+ When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.

* While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.

#### ***Gendarmerie***

The Marines and Guard are both trained as security and law enforcement officers. This includes perception training, psychology and deductive reasoning, as well as the administrative and logistical processes. In game mechanics, that translates as four default skills:

* Skill: ***Investigation*** (INT) Looking for clues, making deductions, and finding hidden objects
* Skill: ***Insight*** (WIS) Analyzing body language, truthfulness, predicting next moves
* Skill: ***Perception*** (WIS) Spot, hear or otherwise detect particulars in the environment
* Skill: ***Intimidation*** (CHA) Attempting to influence through conveying unfriendly intentions

#### ***Aquatic TTP***

* Emergency purge: can shed any armor before drowning
* Can operate Marine armor for UW buoyancy control and breathing

#### ***Feat: Field Medic***

* This is a 60-hour first responder-level medical course that combines mundane (non-magical) medical training in diagnosis and treatment, including the tools to so (a Healer's Kit).
* Treat for shock: can stabilize dying without kit on successful wisdom check. Will automatically stabilize dying with a use of a Healer's Kit.
* Trauma kit: Will heal 1d8 +medic's INT mod per wound treated.

#### ***2M Wand Training (2nd Pass)***

* Shape Water, as the transmutation cantrip. Additionally, acts as surface or UW propulsion.
* Silence, as the 2nd level illusion.
* Mending, as the transmutation cantrip.
* Fire Bolt, as evocation cantrip (1d10 damage, fire).

#### ***Feat: Charger***

* When you use your action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack or to shove a creature.
* If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you either gain a +5 bonus to the attack’s damage roll (if you chose to make a melee attack and hit) or push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed).

### **Features and Feats from the Infantry**

#### ***Close Quarters Battle (CQB)***

* Advantage on pointblank range, ignore loading quality.

#### ***Combat Ballistics***

* *Archery evolved:* gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls made with ranged weapons.

#### ***Sharpshooter***

* Ignore half and 3/4-cover, no disadvantage on long-range shots.

#### ***Savage Attacker***

* Once per turn when rolling damage for a melee weapon attack, that damage roll can be rerolled the and use either total.

### **Mobile Infantry Issued Equipment**

#### **Armor**

Stonehearth Marines utilize a single full-plate armor design, no matter what type of Projector an individual is equipped with. Like the Infantry Armor, the Marine armor is also based on Arcanium, allowing up to +2 max Dex bonus to AC (and no Dex penalty against ranged fire), despite being heavy armor. The water properties make this a major arcane engineering feat: not only is it stainless (it does not rust), but the enchantment on it makes it naturally neutrally buoyant. If the Marine is unconscious, it will go auto-positive; and it can be controlled to be negatively buoyant for underwater operations.

* The buoyancy enchantments are carried on external mithral ribbing. The metal takes a cobalt blue hue after the enchantment, giving the Marines' armor a distinctive look.
* **\**Cost note:*** this amount is the projected expense if reproduced elsewhere. Stonehearth arcane process allows production at 1/4th this cost. That production cost is secret and sensitive information: the inflated "estimated" production cost (above) is a form of information warfare to discourage other entities from attempting to follow the Stonehearth lead.

**Helmet**

The helmet is an evolution of the model used by the infantry. Also made with the Arcanium R741, provides visored, full-face protection. In both visor-up and visor-down configuration, attuned to provide platoon-wide magical voice communication. In visor-down configuration, provides both darkvision (60’) and an interior air-bubble to sustain breathing underwater. This air-production is magical, and has high positive-pressure, allowing for operations in vacuum or toxic environments (as commonly found in the Underdark).

**Upgradeable armor**

Modular enchantment sockets: each major piece of armor (pauldrons, chest, each gauntlet, upper arm, etc.) may modified with an "ingot," a coin-like chip that carries a specialized enchantment. These may be awarded for exceptional service (or purchased), and modify the protective value of the armor. Popular ingots include Protection vs Poison and Protection vs Disease.

**Shield**

* An Arcanium R741 shield, this provides lightweight (6 lb.) protection +2 when utilized on the off-hand.
* When slung on the back, will provide a +2 bonus vs rear attacks.
* Stand and upper notch allow the shield to provide both cover and act as bipod to steady long-range shots.

#### **Weapons**

**Longsword, MIC STD 1457** (versatile; 1d8+2 [+1d4 Fire] / 1d10+2 [+1d4 Fire]):

* +2 hit
* +2 damage (+1 Piercing/+1 Slashing)
* Damage, *plus:* +1d4 Fire

**Smoothbore Projector:** ammunition (range 50/150), 1d10B/1d8P, heavy, loading (30 shots), two-handed

**Rifled Projector:** ammunition (range 150/600), 1d6B/1d8P, heavy, loading (30 shots), two-handed

**Special Ammunition:** further modifies damage. If utilized, replace damage stats with special stats.

* Incendiary Rounds; *utilized on Troll Patrol:* Damage as normal +1 Fire (results in other damage becoming permanent, preventing regeneration).
* Explosive Rounds: 1d8P/1d8B/1d10S/1d8fire
* Other, more exotic rounds also exist...