The Privateer Captain
an OGL 3.x Prestige Class

Copyright D. Andrew Ferguson ©2001

Edited by Jamie Revell for The Guild Companion

Privateer Captain Prestige Class

The Privateer Captain is the leader of a cutthroat ship of pirates, thieves and murderers. The Captain is charged with the task of maintaining order and keeping all of his unprincipled underlings in line. Due to the swashbuckler nature of ship to ship combat Privateer Captains only wear light armour and prefer smaller weapons such as short swords, daggers, and rapiers which are easier to use on the confines of a sailing ship.

Hit Dice: 1d10

Base Attack Bonus: +6

Swim: 5 ranks

Intuitive Direction: 3 ranks

Profession (sailor): 10 Ranks

Use Rope: 3 ranks

Intimidate: 5 ranks

Feats: Weapon Focus, Leadership, Dodge, Ambidexterity, Two Weapon Fighting.

Other: A ship and crew.

The Privateer Captain's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points as Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Privateer Captains are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armour, but not with shields.

Mobility: The Privateer Captain gains the advantages of the Mobility feat as a class ability

Advanced parry: The Privateer Captain becomes highly proficient at parrying. By foregoing any off hand attacks the Privateer Captain can add the listed bonus to their AC.

Intimidating: The Privateer Captain gains a +2 bonus to Intimidation skill checks.

Sneak Attack: Any time the Privateer Captain's target would be denied her Dexterity bonus to AC (whether she actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), the Privateer Captain's attack deals +1d6 points of damage. This extra damage increases by +1d6 points at higher levels (+2d6 at 6th level, +3d6 at 9th level). Should the Privateer Captain score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

It takes precision and penetration to hit a vital spot, so ranged attacks can only count as sneak attacks if the target is 30 feet away or less.

With a sap or an unarmed strike, the Privateer Captain can make a sneak attack that deals subdual damage instead of normal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals normal damage to deal subdual damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty, because he must make optimal use of his weapon in order to execute the sneak attack.

A Privateer Captain can only sneak attack living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Additionally, any creature immune to critical hits is similarly immune to sneak attacks. Also, the Privateer Captain must also be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach a vital spot. The Privateer Captain cannot sneak attack while striking at a creature with concealment or by striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

If a Privateer Captain gets a sneak attack bonus from another source (such as rogue or assassin levels), the bonuses to damage stack.

Leader: The Privateer Captain gains the listed bonus for all Leadership rolls - this bonus will stack with similar bonuses from any other source.

Improved two-weapon fighting: The Privateer Captain gains the advantages of this feat as a class ability.

Greater Defence: The Privateer Captain has become adept at foreseeing the attacks of their opponent and may add their wisdom modifier to AC as long as they are not wearing armour or using shields.

High Initiative: The Privateer Captain gains a +2 bonus to initiative.

Appendix A

This article: "The Privateer Captain, an OGL 3.x Prestige Class", Copyright © 2001 by D. Andrew Ferguson, is an OGL 3.x article.

This article is covered by the Open Gaming License. The title "The Privateer Captain, an OGL 3.x Prestige Class" is Product Identity, all other material in this article is Open Gaming Content. Portions of this work are derived from the System Reference Document, Copyright © 2000 by Wizards of the Coast, and are used with permission.

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System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

"The Privateer Captain, an OGL 3.x Prestige Class", Copyright © 2001 by D. Andrew Ferguson, first published by The Guild Companion (http://www.guildcompanion.com)

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