Legendary Captain

Requirements

Base Attack Bonus: +4

Skills: Profession (Sailor) 8 ranks , Knowledge (geography) 5 ranks

Feats: Leadership

Special: Must be the captain or master of a ship.

Summary

Seafarers’ tales are filled with the exploits of legendary captains—those who can urge their ships and crews to exceptional feats through sheer determination, leadership, and tactical skill. A legendary captain might be the commander of a fleet’s flagship or a bloodthirsty pirate, but whatever the role, her reputation is widespread and her crew fanatically loyal.

The ability to command and to inspire is a rare gift, and not necessarily one that comes with high social standing. Some of the most famous captains rose from humble origins, as sailors who worked their way up through the ranks. Others purchased a commission or bought a vessel of their own outright in order to gain a command. However, one comes by it, the profession of captain requires experience, skill, and an expert knowledge of the capability of both vessel and crew.

A typical legendary captain begins her career as a fighter or rogue with experience at sea, although a charismatic character such as a bard or paladin might also do well. These characters generally operate in a navy or as masters of their own adventuring ships. Spellcasters are less common, but a sorcerer captain with the very winds at her command makes for an awe-inspiring leader. Barbarian crews are certainly well known—the sea raiders in longships are the most obvious example—but a legendary captain rarely springs from an uncivilized past.

Role: Utility DPS

Characteristics: Captains that rally their crews to incredible victories and feats

Source: Stormwrack

Game Rule Information

The Legendary Captain has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Charisma for guiding your crew to victory in naval encounters, Wisdom for augmenting your Profession Sailor check to keep captaining your ship at maximum effectiveness.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Legendary Captain's class skills are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (any)(Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (architecture and engineering)(Int), Knowledge (geography)(Int), Knowledge (local)(Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (any) (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex), Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Legendary Captain.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Legendary Captain is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with prior to taking levels in this class.

Great Captain: You gain Great Captain as a bonus feat. If you already have Great Captain, you instead gain Skill Focus with one of the legendary captain class skills given above.

Leadership: At 2nd level, you gain a +2 bonus to your effective character level for purposes of the Leadership feat to attract followers. This bonus increases to +4 at 4th level, +6 at 6th level, +8 at 8th level, and +10 at 10th level.

Weather Gauge Ex: On reaching 2nd level, your superior ability in handling a ship allows you to maneuver so as to have the more advantageous wind. You gain a +4 competence bonus on Profession (sailor) checks to gain the advantage (see Narrative Naval Combat, beginning on page 25). As long as you have the advantage, your crew gains a +2 bonus on all Profession (sailor) checks and on attack rolls made with shipboard siege engines, and your ship gains a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks by enemy ships.

Luck of the Wind Su: Beginning at 3rd level, you are able to cheat the fates on occasion. Once per day you can reroll a failed attack roll, saving throw, skill check, or ability check. You must reroll before the DM declares whether the roll results in success or failure, and you must take the result of the reroll, even if it's worse than the original roll. On reaching 7th level, you can reroll twice per day.

Uncanny Navigation Su: On reaching 3rd level, you develop an innate sense for detecting and avoiding maritime hazards. You add your legendary captain level as a bonus on Spot checks to notice aquatic hazards and on Profession (sailor) checks to navigate safely through them.

Wind At Your Back Ex: On reaching 4th level, you can use your mastery of navigation to coax additional speed from your ship by directing the most efficient placement of sails or encouraging rowers to exert themselves. A ship you captain moves 20% faster (minimum of +5 feet).

Accelerated Firing Ex: Beginning at 5th level, you can urge your weapons crews to exceed ordinary performance. A ballista or catapult can be reloaded or re-aimed in a round by one less crew member than normal. If the weapon is fully crewed, it can be reloaded or reaimed as a standard action instead of a full-round action. In addition, your crews gain a +2 morale bonus on Profession (siege engineer) checks.

Steady Stance Ex: Starting at 5th level, your sea legs keep you stable when others have difficulty standing. You are not considered flat-footed while balancing or climbing, and you add your class level to Balance or Climb checks to remain balancing or climbing when taking damage.

Rake Ex: At 6th level, you increase your ability to handle a ship and maintain an advantage in naval combat. As long as you have the advantage, attacks against enemy vessels with your shipboard siege engines deal an additional die of damage on a successful attack. This die is of the same kind as the weapon normally deals: For example, a light catapult (normal damage 4d6) deals an extra 1d6 points of damage, while a ballista (normal damage 3d8) deals an extra 1d8 points.

Legendary Helm Ex: Starting at 7th level, you grant an additional +2 dodge bonus to the Armor Class of any vessel you steer or command. In addition, you can attempt saving throws using your save bonuses against spells or effects targeting your vessel. For example, if a dragon uses its breath weapon against a ship you are steering or commanding, you can make a Reflex save on behalf of the ship to halve the damage. (Normally, vessels are considered unattended objects and fail all saving throws.)

Misdirect Ex: Beginning at 8th level, you might trick an enemy captain into underestimating the capabilities of your ship and crew. This includes disguising your vessel, lurking at the edge of fog, holding off on firing your weapons, and other such stratagems. The enemy captain must have line of sight to your vessel, and you must make a Bluff or Profession (sailor) check, whichever modifier is higher, with a bonus on the roll equal to one-half your legendary captain level. This is opposed by the Sense Motive check of the enemy captain. If your check succeeds, the enemy captain and crew take a —2 penalty on attacks, saves, and skill checks for the length of the engagement, and the enemy vessel takes a —2 penalty to Armor Class.

Splice the Main Brace Su: On reaching 9th level, you can hearten your crew with your personal strength. ("Splice the main brace" is nautical jargon for hoisting a mug of grog, originally at the end of a hard day's work.) Once per day you can produce a mass cure light wounds effect to heal the injuries of all on board. Your caster level is equal to your prestige class level. It requires 10 minutes for the healing effect to take place, so it is not usable in the midst of combat.

Fleet Admiral Ex: At 10th level, your phenomenal leadership skills allow you to assist the crews of allies' ships as well as your own. You can use the aid another action to confer a +2 morale bonus on checks made by the crews of a number of additional ships equal to your Charisma bonus (minimum one extra ship) within signaling distance (1 mile in clear conditions). You grant a +4 morale bonus on allied captains' Profession (sailor) checks to gain the advantage in combat, and they gain the same benefits you confer. In addition, when aiding the actions of your own crew, you confer a +4 bonus instead of +2 on a successful check.

Table 1-1: Legendary Captain Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+2	+0	+ 2	Great Captain
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+ 3	Leadership +2, weather gauge
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+ 3	Luck of the wind 1/day, uncanny navigation
4th	+3	+4	+1	+ 4	Leadership +4, wind at your back
5th	+3	+4	+1	+ 4	Accelerated firing, steady stance
6th	+4	+5	+2	+ 5	Leadership +6, rake
7th	+5	+5	+2	+ 5	Luck of the wind 2/day, legendary helm
8th	+6	+6	+2	+ 6	Leadership +8, misdirect
9th	+6	+6	+3	+ 6	Splice the main brace
10th	+7	+7	+3	+ 7	Leadership +10, fleet admiral