Freebooter

You sailed the seas surrounding the Southlands as a freebooter, part of a pirate crew. You should come up with a name for your former ship and its captain, as well as its hunting ground and the type of ships you preyed on. Did you sail under the flag of a bloodthirsty captain, raiding coastal communities and putting everyone to the sword? Or were you part of the Istagal Raiders, the former slaves turned pirates, who battle to end the vile slave trade in the White Sea?

If you’re a minotaur, you likely sailed the Middle Sea, preying on ships between the ruined cities of the Moon Kingdom and the current strongholds of Capleon, Kaptaria and Kyprion. Or perhaps your hunting ground was the Western Ocean and the stretch of coastline running from the Dominion of the Wind Lords down to Lignas and Morreg? Maybe your vessel sailed the Corsair Coast, attacking merchant ships traveling the lucrative routes to and from Cathay in the east, or Zanskar far to the south, before hiding from the navies of Ishadia and Shibai among the Free Islands of Tethys?

Whatever ship you sailed on, you feel at home on board a seafaring vessel, and long periods on dry land take some getting used to.

Source: Southlands Player's Guide from Kobold Press (p.28)

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival

Tool Proficiencies: Navigator's tools, vehicles (water)

Equipment: a pirate flag from your ship, several tattoos, 50 feet of rope, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp.

Suggested Characteristics

Freebooters are a boisterous lot, but their personalities include freedom‑loving mavericks and mindless thugs. Nonetheless, sailing a ship requires discipline, so freebooters tend to be reliable and aware of their role on board, even if they do their own thing once fighting breaks out. Most still yearn for the sea; some feel shame or regret for past deeds.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I’m happiest when I’m on a gentle rocking vessel, staring at the distant horizon.
2	Every time we hoisted the mainsail and raised the pirate flag, I felt butterflies in my stomach.
3	I have lovers in a dozen different ports. Most of them don’t know about the others.
4	Being a pirate has taught me more swear words and bawdy jokes than I ever knew existed. I like to try them out when I meet new people.
5	One day I hope to have enough gold to fill a tub so I can bathe in it.
6	There’s nothing I enjoy more than a good scrap— the bloodier, the better.
7	When a storm is blowing and the rain is lashing down on the deck, I’ll be out there getting drenched. It makes me feel so alive!
8	Nothing makes me more annoyed than a badly tied knot.

d7	Ideal
1	Freedom. No one tells me what to do or where to go. Apart from the captain. (Chaotic)
2	Greed. I’m only in it for the booty. I’ll gladly stab anyone stupid enough to stand in my way. (Evil)
3	Comradery. My former shipmates are my family. I’ll do anything for them. (Neutral)
4	Greater Good. No man has the right to enslave another, or to profit from slavery. (Good)
5	Code. I may be on dry land now, but I still stick to the Freebooter’s Code. (Lawful)
6	Aspiration. One day I’ll return to the sea as the captain of my own ship. (Any)
7	I still feel a deep attachment to my ship. Some nights I dream her figurehead is talking to me.

d6	Bond
1	Captain Spiceblood and the Istagal Raiders rescued me from a Shibain slave ship. I owe them my life.
2	I still feel a deep attachment to my ship. Some nights I dream her figurehead is talking to me.
3	I was the ship’s captain until the crew mutinied and threw me overboard to feed the sharks. I swam to a small island and survived. Vengeance will be mine!
4	300 years ago, when the dragons attacked Roshgazi, I fled the city on a minotaur fleet bound for Capleon. I arrived back in the ruined city a few weeks ago on the same ship and can remember nothing of the voyage.
5	I fell asleep when I was supposed to be on watch, allowing our ship to be taken by surprise. I still have nightmares about my shipmates who died in the fighting.
6	One of my shipmates was captured and sold into slavery. I need to rescue them from the orchards on the Spice Coast.

d6	Flaw
1	I’m terrified by the desert. Not enough water, far too much sand.
2	I drink too much and end up starting barroom brawls.
3	I killed one of my shipmates and took his share of the loot.
4	I take unnecessary risks and often put my friends in danger.
5	I sold captives taken at sea to jinnborn traders at Hartani Bay.
6	Most of the time, I find it impossible to tell the truth.