I'm trying to make a class that would be a Kenku (Volo's Guide to Monsters) ... Sailor Background .... But i want to make it a Ranger Class .... I know the idea of a Pirate Ranger is far from traditional but do you think it would be possible? i'm currently working on the backstory ... but does this even seem possible enough to try?
Well, lore wise, Rangers draw their magic from nature, and the wide ocean blue is still nature. Rangers don't all have to be forest striders and what have you. Coast can be your favored terrain choice, abberations of the deep your favored enemy. You could even take two weapon fighting at level 2 to complete the look with dual scimitars (though that will make casting a bit tricky for some spells).
So yeah it's totally doable and could be a fun little twist on the class. So get that character on up to the crow's nest, ha!
Ive been playing around with this story of a Kenku Pirate Ranger .... he served against his will on an Orc pirate ship ... There was also an Elven Druid Woman who was captured on a raid and was forced to be a healer for the pirates ... she acted basically as a mother to the the kenku pirate and raised him from an egg (Im assuming that Kenku would lay eggs.) One day the pirate captain kills the elven druid in a fit of range and the Kenku Pirate Kills him and has to flee ...
So eventually the DM may have the pirates catch up to the Kenku for revenge.
I was also think if he started as a Rouge ... and spent a lot of time with a Druid it might kind of yield a Ranger ? what are peoples thoughts? Im picturing him as very quite ... not talking very much (How i'm trying to RP the language barrier without it becoming obnoxious) ... and being obsessed with Shiny things (the Pirate idea even though i will use the Sailor background not the pirate Variant) ive been thinking about either a Heavy Crossbow ... or possibly dual whips ... thoughts?
Although black powder does exist in our world there are no guns as usable weapons (Barrels of it in traps, and orcs factions have Heavy Bombards (Basically a huge canon)) so a crossbow seems like a likely pirate weapon ... and a whip would allow it to swing around on a ship and maybe even climb the mast to the "Crow's Nest" pun intended....
If you're going with crossbow might I suggest nabbing crossbow expert as a feat? Nothing screams pirate more to me then a dude with a saber in one hand and a pistol in another. A Hand crossbow fits that image pretty well. Gives you the awesomeness of duelweilding with range and style (imagine cutting one guy down and then shooting another in the same turn for BA points!)
Also if he lived on a pirate ship since hatching he should totally speak like a pirate.
being a kenku and the mimicry concept the first place my mind went was a parrot and who has parrots .... pirates .... the Kenku is a new race to the table no one has ever played it or even encountered it before ... so i'm a little nervous about overdoing the mimicry concept and annoying the other players or DM. So ive also thought he wont talk much, and that it will be communicate through a low level of mime work ... *Shrugged his shoulders undecided* *Shakes his fist angrily* and the like ... and when he speaks it will be in a mocking concept almost like "Famous last words" or to play up the deception ...
Curious question, I wonder how good kenkus would be at swimming...
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"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Not sure how a Kenku would play out. I have a Dark Elf that was a pirate for about 50 years or so. He is now a Ranger after seeing his ship destroyed by a dragon. He chose Dragon as his favored enemy. There was a lot of thinking that went into getting him where he is now... as he had to basically start over (and left the pirate lifestyle behind him, but not necessarily the baggage). With an elf, there is enough time for these kind of background designs, but there are expedient means to an end as well. Mostly you just need a good reason to motivate you to find the "Why?" in your backstory. There are a million ways to do it... and that's part of the fun that is had...
so in a nut shell the plot is that the pirate ship actually belongs to a bunch of Orc Pirates... One day they attack an elf ship and capture the captain. The captain is a elvish woman druid who the orcs basically force to be healer for the pirates. The pirates abuse and mistreat her and wield her magic more like a weapon and tool. Years later the pirates come across a kenku treasure ship. The pirates force the Elf druid to use her magic (whirlwind or something similar) to kill all the kenku but not sink the ship. When they go into the captains quarters they find the dead body of the captain clutching an egg with a strange coin lodged into the side cracking it slightly. The elf takes the egg back to the pirate ship as the Orcs take all the treasure. She manages to heal the egg and wears the coin as an amulet around her neck. That Egg will eventually become my kenku character "Klankers of the Coin." The Elf druid will act as a mother to him and try to protect him from the savage pirates.
He will be a primary class of Rogue, dual weapon type. Do to the years of watching his "Mother" perform Magic (She was a druid), he starts to learn a little bit and will eventually multi class into a Ranger, Dual weapon type. I'm trying to explain it as like if you average together a Rogue and a Druid you basically get at a Ranger.
A few years later when the kenku is a "Young Teenager" he acts a pirate under the orders of his cruel "Father" the Orc Pirate Captain. When he fails his assignments the captain beats him until one day the captain has had enough. The captain decides the Kenku has outlived his usefulness and that he would better serve the pirates as a meal for the rest of the crew. The way a mother would .... the Elf Druid woman throws herself onto Klankers and shields him from the Pirate Captains Killing blow.
After watching his "Mother" die at the hands of his cruel "Father" Klankers goes ballistics and savagely kills the Pirate Captain. Not knowing what to do without his mother he takes the amulet from around her neck (His Trinket, aka "the coin") and decides to try to kill all the pirates. Obviously the Kenku is no match and is forced to flee. He runs to the Bow of the ship and jumps into the air wings extended ready to take to the Skies... One problem ... Kenku cant fly ... After gliding a few feet he plunges into the ocean.
He washes up on the beach near a city called "New Haven Wharf" (where our party's adventure began) alone, confused, heartbroken, and wanting revenge.
In our world we have a biome called the "Seas" that druids and rangers can use as there preferred locations. So he will have that as his choice, when he gets to a pick a second one he will choose coasts. His enemy of choice will start with Orcs.
Its also up to the DM if the pirates someday come looking for Klankers to avenge there dead captain.
Thus my attempt to to make a Pirate, Kenku, Ranger .... thoughts?
I'm trying to make a class that would be a Kenku (Volo's Guide to Monsters) ... Sailor Background .... But i want to make it a Ranger Class .... I know the idea of a Pirate Ranger is far from traditional but do you think it would be possible? i'm currently working on the backstory ... but does this even seem possible enough to try?
Well, lore wise, Rangers draw their magic from nature, and the wide ocean blue is still nature. Rangers don't all have to be forest striders and what have you. Coast can be your favored terrain choice, abberations of the deep your favored enemy. You could even take two weapon fighting at level 2 to complete the look with dual scimitars (though that will make casting a bit tricky for some spells).
So yeah it's totally doable and could be a fun little twist on the class. So get that character on up to the crow's nest, ha!
Ive been playing around with this story of a Kenku Pirate Ranger .... he served against his will on an Orc pirate ship ... There was also an Elven Druid Woman who was captured on a raid and was forced to be a healer for the pirates ... she acted basically as a mother to the the kenku pirate and raised him from an egg (Im assuming that Kenku would lay eggs.) One day the pirate captain kills the elven druid in a fit of range and the Kenku Pirate Kills him and has to flee ...
So eventually the DM may have the pirates catch up to the Kenku for revenge.
I was also think if he started as a Rouge ... and spent a lot of time with a Druid it might kind of yield a Ranger ? what are peoples thoughts? Im picturing him as very quite ... not talking very much (How i'm trying to RP the language barrier without it becoming obnoxious) ... and being obsessed with Shiny things (the Pirate idea even though i will use the Sailor background not the pirate Variant) ive been thinking about either a Heavy Crossbow ... or possibly dual whips ... thoughts?
Although black powder does exist in our world there are no guns as usable weapons (Barrels of it in traps, and orcs factions have Heavy Bombards (Basically a huge canon)) so a crossbow seems like a likely pirate weapon ... and a whip would allow it to swing around on a ship and maybe even climb the mast to the "Crow's Nest" pun intended....
Thoughts?
If you're going with crossbow might I suggest nabbing crossbow expert as a feat? Nothing screams pirate more to me then a dude with a saber in one hand and a pistol in another. A Hand crossbow fits that image pretty well. Gives you the awesomeness of duelweilding with range and style (imagine cutting one guy down and then shooting another in the same turn for BA points!)
Also if he lived on a pirate ship since hatching he should totally speak like a pirate.
being a kenku and the mimicry concept the first place my mind went was a parrot and who has parrots .... pirates .... the Kenku is a new race to the table no one has ever played it or even encountered it before ... so i'm a little nervous about overdoing the mimicry concept and annoying the other players or DM. So ive also thought he wont talk much, and that it will be communicate through a low level of mime work ... *Shrugged his shoulders undecided* *Shakes his fist angrily* and the like ... and when he speaks it will be in a mocking concept almost like "Famous last words" or to play up the deception ...
He totally needs a sprite or similar small humanoid on his shoulder.
Roleplaying since Runequest.
Favored Enemy: Landlubbers
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
Curious question, I wonder how good kenkus would be at swimming...
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Not sure how a Kenku would play out. I have a Dark Elf that was a pirate for about 50 years or so. He is now a Ranger after seeing his ship destroyed by a dragon. He chose Dragon as his favored enemy. There was a lot of thinking that went into getting him where he is now... as he had to basically start over (and left the pirate lifestyle behind him, but not necessarily the baggage). With an elf, there is enough time for these kind of background designs, but there are expedient means to an end as well. Mostly you just need a good reason to motivate you to find the "Why?" in your backstory. There are a million ways to do it... and that's part of the fun that is had...
so in a nut shell the plot is that the pirate ship actually belongs to a bunch of Orc Pirates... One day they attack an elf ship and capture the captain. The captain is a elvish woman druid who the orcs basically force to be healer for the pirates. The pirates abuse and mistreat her and wield her magic more like a weapon and tool. Years later the pirates come across a kenku treasure ship. The pirates force the Elf druid to use her magic (whirlwind or something similar) to kill all the kenku but not sink the ship. When they go into the captains quarters they find the dead body of the captain clutching an egg with a strange coin lodged into the side cracking it slightly. The elf takes the egg back to the pirate ship as the Orcs take all the treasure. She manages to heal the egg and wears the coin as an amulet around her neck. That Egg will eventually become my kenku character "Klankers of the Coin." The Elf druid will act as a mother to him and try to protect him from the savage pirates.
He will be a primary class of Rogue, dual weapon type. Do to the years of watching his "Mother" perform Magic (She was a druid), he starts to learn a little bit and will eventually multi class into a Ranger, Dual weapon type. I'm trying to explain it as like if you average together a Rogue and a Druid you basically get at a Ranger.
A few years later when the kenku is a "Young Teenager" he acts a pirate under the orders of his cruel "Father" the Orc Pirate Captain. When he fails his assignments the captain beats him until one day the captain has had enough. The captain decides the Kenku has outlived his usefulness and that he would better serve the pirates as a meal for the rest of the crew. The way a mother would .... the Elf Druid woman throws herself onto Klankers and shields him from the Pirate Captains Killing blow.
After watching his "Mother" die at the hands of his cruel "Father" Klankers goes ballistics and savagely kills the Pirate Captain. Not knowing what to do without his mother he takes the amulet from around her neck (His Trinket, aka "the coin") and decides to try to kill all the pirates. Obviously the Kenku is no match and is forced to flee. He runs to the Bow of the ship and jumps into the air wings extended ready to take to the Skies... One problem ... Kenku cant fly ... After gliding a few feet he plunges into the ocean.
He washes up on the beach near a city called "New Haven Wharf" (where our party's adventure began) alone, confused, heartbroken, and wanting revenge.
In our world we have a biome called the "Seas" that druids and rangers can use as there preferred locations. So he will have that as his choice, when he gets to a pick a second one he will choose coasts. His enemy of choice will start with Orcs.
Its also up to the DM if the pirates someday come looking for Klankers to avenge there dead captain.
Thus my attempt to to make a Pirate, Kenku, Ranger .... thoughts?
I like it! I have wanted to play a monster class in a pirate campaign, myself.