UA:Character Background: Maritime Background
| This material is published under the OGL 1.0a. |
Maritime Background
Characters with maritime backgrounds indulge in the same passions as everyone else- war, trade, and larceny- but they do it with a ship's deck beneath their feet (unless they've been shipwrecked, which is one possible activity in this background).
A character's time spent on the high seas provide a bonus on recognition checks; each time the maritime background is selected for this character, the bonus is increased by 1.
Example Maritime Ranks
Every navy has its own ranking system, and few ships are at exactly their full complement of crew. The following system of ranks is a good starting point for most campaigns.
Maritime Ranks (Lowest to Highest): Ordinary hand, able hand, leading hand, petty officer, chief petty officer, sublieutenant, lieutenant, lieutenant commander, commander, captain, commodore, admiral, grand admiral.
| d% | Activity | Class | Feats | Skills | Gear | Contacts | Rep | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01-12 | Pirate | Rogue | Dodge, Mobility | Balance, Jump, Tumble,Bluff, Swim | Weapon | Information | +1/2 | Rank, DC 22 |
| 13-24 | Military Navy | Fighter | Leadership, Weapon Focus | Profession (sailor), Swim, Use Rope | Weapon | Influence | +1/2 | Rank, DC 24 |
| 25-34 | Sea trader | Rogue or bard | Negotiator, Deft Hands | Appraise, Sense Motive, Diplomacy, Swim, Profession (sailor) | Wondrous item that aids interaction | Skill | +0 | Rank, DC 26 |
| 35-44 | Ship's Marine | Fighter | Power Attack, Improved Sunder | Swim Climb, Jump | Light armor | Skill | +0 | Rank, DC 26 |
| 45-52 | Stowaway | Rogue | Stealthy, Deceitful | Swim, Hide, Move Silently, Disguise, Bluff | Item that aids stealth | Influence | +0 | - |
| 53-62 | Shipwrecked | Barbarian | Track, Self-Sufficient | Swim, Survival, Craft (any), Spot, Listen | Simple weapon or hand-crafted item | Skill | +0 | - |
| 63-72 | Deckhand | Rogue or fighter | Dodge, Weapon Focus | Swim, Use Rope, Profession (sailor), Climb, Jump | Weapon | Information | +0 | Rank, DC 26 |
| 73-82 | Navigator | Bard or wizard | Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Transmutation) | Profession (sailor), Decipher Script, Knowledge (geography), Spellcraft, Swim | Scrolls | Skill | +0 | Rank, DC 24 |
| 83-90 | Wind-bringer | Druid or sorcerer | Spell Focus (Transmutation), Spell Focus (Conjuration) | Spellcraft, Concentration, Knowledge (geography), Swim, Profession (sailor) | Item that affects weather or wind | Information | +0 | Rank, DC 24 |
| 91-100 | Chaplain | Cleric | Any metamagic | Heal, Swim, Profession (sailor) | Item that heals or cures | Information | +0 | Rank, DC 24 |
Back to Main Page → Variant Rules → Building Characters
 |
This is Open Game Content from Unearthed Arcana. It is covered by the Open Game License v1.0a, rather than the GNU Free Documentation License 1.3. To distinguish it, these items will have this notice. If you see any page that contains Unearthed Arcana material and does not show this license statement, please contact an admin so that this license statement can be added. It is our intent to work within this license in good faith. | |
