Path of the Corsair

With a terrible crash, our ship rammed the pirates’ vessel in the middle of the night. Grappling hooks shot through the rain and sank deep into the other ship’s wooden decking. Thunder and screams echoed in the storm that raged around us. “Follow me!” I bellowed. “Let us show these land crab scums what happens when you raid the wrong islands!” Screaming with bloodlust, I leaped across the gap and stormed the enemy ship together with my comrades.

 

You have chosen the Path of the Corsair and become one of the dreaded Barbarians of the Sea. Corsairs are often merciless pirates, feared raiders, or sea tribes, but may also be protectors of the coast or simply earn their living as mercenaries or force others to pay tribute to cross their area.

Corsairs are often superstitious and worship various gods of thunder and storms. Common deities are Thor (God of storms and thunder), Umberlee (Goddess of the sea), Talos (God of storms), or Poseidon (God of the sea and earthquakes). Some corsairs have been known to consume dangerous amounts of fermented alcoholic beverages before battles or paint their faces in tribal patterns.

Fury of Thunder

When you choose this path at level 3, the gods grant you the ability to deal extra lightning damage to your opponent. Once per turn when you rage, you can use a bonus action to add 1d6 in lightning damage to your attack if your weapon is made out of metal.

This damage increases with level to a 1d8 at 10th level, a 1d10 at 15th level and a d12 at 20th level. In addition, you can always tell if there is a storm coming within the next 24 hours.

Pillage and Burn

Beginning at 3rd level, you have learned how to fight and improvise during stormy seas or in brawly taverns. Your experience has taught you to fight dirty and that anything can be used as a weapon, and you add your proficiency bonus and strength or dexterity modifier as you would if you attacked with a weapon. Your DM will decide which damage your weapon will deal, but here are a few examples.

All weapons can be thrown and deal half damage (unless the weapon type states otherwise). You also deal double damage to any structure when you hit it with a weapon or improvised weapon.

Seadog Fighting

At 6th level you gain the ability to fight like a seadog. When an opponent targets you with a direct attack, you can use your reaction to grab another creature within 5 feet of you and swap places with them. The other creature may be a friend or foe; however, if they are unwilling to swap places with you, you have to roll a Strength check (Athletics) against the creature’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. The creature chooses which ability to use.

On a successful roll, you change places with the other creature, who will take all damage instead of you. On a failed roll, you fail to swap places with the creature and you take all damage.

You must be able to see the creature that is targeting you. Also, the creature that you are trying to swap places with cannot be a larger size than you, and you must be able to lift its weight. Area spells or similar attacks have no effect when you use this feature unless you leave the area of the spell or attack when you swap places with another creature.

In addition, seadog fighting has taught you to fight on a moving ship, and you get advantage on balance checks on ships or any other type of unstable or moving surface.

Turn of the Tide

Starting at 10th level, you gain increased resistance to magic and poison when you rage. When you reach half of your maximal hit points (excluding temporary hit points), your primal survival instinct makes you fight harder and shake off damage. You have increased resistance to magic and poison and roll on advantage against spells and poisons that require saving throws.

In addition, you gain proficiency with navigator’s tools and always know the direction of north. (If you already have proficiency with navigation tools, choose any other tools or language.)

Rage of the Sea

Beginning at level 14, your rage is so powerful you can create a storm or call down lightning to strike down your foe. Once per day you can cast the 6th level spell chain lightning, or you can choose to cast one of the 3rd level spells three times: Call lightning, Sleet storm, and Lightning bolt. You can’t use this feature in combination with the effects from Fury of Thunder, and when you have used this feature, you can’t use it again until you have finished a long rest.

Furthermore, you can cast water breathing at will as a special ability. You don’t need to use any verbal, somatic, or spell components to do so.