You've sailed the astral sea for years, and your ship and crew were granted a commission by the council of the rock of Bral, charged with rooting out pirates and battling hostile forces wherever they reared their heads.
Discuss the nature of the ship you previously sailed with your Dungeon Master. Was it a merchant ship, a naval vessel, a ship of discovery, or a pirate ship? How famous (or infamous) is it? Is it widely travelled? Is it still sailing, or is it missing and presumed lost with all hands?
What were your duties on board—boatswain, captain, navigator, cook, or some other position? Who were the captain and first mate? Did you leave your ship on good terms with your fellows, or on the run? or are you still sailing with them?
- Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Perception
- Tool Proficiencies: Navigator’s tools, vehicles (Spelljammer)
- Languages: one additional language of your choice
- Equipment: A belaying pin (club), 50 feet of silk rope, a lucky charm such as a rabbit foot or a small stone with a hole in the center (or you may roll for a random trinket on the Trinkets table in chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook or come up with your own), a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp.
roll on this table (or choose a role from it) to determine your role aboard the ship
| d6 | Place in the Crew |
|---|---|
| 1 | Captain, you are the master of the ship. Your word is your bond, and is as good as law. |
| 2 | First mate. You are used to being the second in command. You are the eyes, ears, and mouth of the captain. Loyalty is the most important thing to you. |
| 3 | Boarding party. You are the tip of the spear, you specialise in close combat and creating fear in your enemies. |
| 4 | Rigger. you are at home in the rigging of the ship, tying knots and cutting sheets to repair the sails |
| 5 | Cook. A hungry crew is a useless crew. You are a master at making ship food seem edible |
| 6 | cabin boy. you do all the menial tasks, from swabbing the deck to helping the cook peel potatoes. you are the lowest-ranking member of the crew |
No matter where you go, the common folk are afraid of you, and nobles are in awe of you due to your reputation. When you are in a settlement, you can get away with minor criminal offences, such as refusing to pay for food at a tavern or breaking down doors at a local shop, since most people will not report your activity to the authorities. and nobles will want to invite you to any parties to regale
rock of Bral Feature: Smuggler’s Sense
You’re familiar with the docks of Bral, the movement of inspectors and tax collectors, the way cargo and coin flows. As a result, it’s easy for you to hustle a load of cargo ashore or see such a cargo onto a cooperative ship without attracting suspicion or taxation. You also know the movements of the harbour guards and have a sense of how to operate the city’s mechanized cranes.
Suggested Characteristics
Sailors can be a rough lot, but the responsibilities of life on a ship make them generally reliable as well. Life aboard a ship shapes their outlook and forms their most important attachments.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | My friends know they can rely on me, no matter what. |
| 2 | I work hard so that I can play hard when the work is done. |
| 3 | I enjoy sailing into new ports and making new friends over a flagon of ale. |
| 4 | I stretch the truth for the sake of a good story. |
| 5 | To me, a tavern brawl is a nice way to get to know a new city. |
| 6 | I never pass up a friendly wager. |
| 7 | My language is as foul as an otyugh nest. |
| 8 | I like a job well done, especially if I can convince someone else to do it. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Respect. The thing that keeps a ship together is mutual respect between captain and crew. (Good) |
| 2 | Fairness. We all do the work, so we all share in the rewards. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Freedom. The sea is freedom—the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Mastery. I’m a predator, and the other ships on the sea are my prey. (Evil) |
| 5 | People. I’m committed to my crewmates, not to ideals. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Aspiration. Someday I’ll own my own ship and chart my own destiny. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’m loyal to my captain first, everything else second. |
| 2 | The ship is most important—crewmates and captains come and go. |
| 3 | I’ll always remember my first ship. |
| 4 | In a harbor town, I have a paramour whose eyes nearly stole me from the sea. |
| 5 | I was cheated out of my fair share of the profits, and I want to get my due. |
| 6 | Ruthless pirates murdered my captain and crewmates, plundered our ship, and left me to die. Vengeance will be mine. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I follow orders, even if I think they’re wrong. |
| 2 | I’ll say anything to avoid having to do extra work. |
| 3 | Once someone questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation. |
| 4 | Once I start drinking, it’s hard for me to stop. |
| 5 | I can’t help but pocket loose coins and other trinkets I come across. |
| 6 | My pride will probably lead to my destruction. |
Comments