Class Origins: Fighting Men of the Ruby Isles

In the Ruby Isles, men with swords come in many flavours, from pirates to hunters to the personal body guards of wealthy merchants. Here are some island-themed Fighter variants for my Lions & Thieves S&W campaign.

Pirate

Feared and hated by merchants, loved by women and brigands, these charming scoundrels are notoriously well muscled sea-faring thieves. They roam the Ruby Isles, relieving unwary vessels of their treasure and eluding the grasping Arm of the North by making berth in secret caves and hidden bays.    

Prerequisite Ability: None.

Prerequisite Alignment: Chaotic.

Special Weapon: Fighter starts with a cutlass (1d4) and pistol (1d6+1; 1-in-6 chance to malfunction [see chart]). 

Sea Legs: Fighter receives a +2 bonus to-hit when fighting on the deck of a ship. 

Ante Up: Fighter can make a combined attack for both cutlass and pistol for 2d4+1 damage once per encounter.

Pistol Malfunction Chart (2d6)
2. Fires in random direction
3-6. Fires in 1d2 turns

7. Doesn't fire
8-11. Ball falls out (must reload)
12. Explodes (1d4 damage to wielder)

Mercenary

Mercenaries are hired swords skilled in a chosen weapon. Merchants are their main employers, but trading caravels and serpenteering ships occasionally bring them on as extra muscle for particularly risky voyages. To a mercenary, it doesn't matter who they work for, just as long as they pay is good.

Prerequisite Ability: None.

Discount: Mercenaries accumulate credit and can buy standard weapons and ammunition at half price. 

Best Friend: Choose 1 weapon to receive a permanent +1 to-hit with; the mercenary must spend a full week training to transfer the bonus to a new weapon.

On the Job: +1 to-hit when employed/under contract.

Body Guard

Loyal and stoic, body guards protect their charges with stolid fierceness. They serve as personal protectors for wealthy merchants, nobles, tavern bouncers, or guards for the Ruby Consortium. They are experts at keeping others from harm. 

Prerequisite Ability: Con 13+ 

Protector: AC is better by 1 point when defending an ally. 

Defend: Fighter can take a hit for an adjacent ally once per encounter.

Disarm: 1-in-6 chance to disarm an attacking enemy once per encounter.

Hunter

Hunters provide food for the towns and tribes of the Ruby Isles. They gather hides and bones from jungle beasts for craftsmen to work into fine armor, weapons and clothing. Most of the hunter's day is spent wandering the wilds, hard on the trail of their quarry.

Prerequisite Ability: Wisdom 12+

Tracking: 4-in-6 chance to pick up any trail outside; 2-in-6 in a dungeon. 

Good Eye: +1 to-hit with missile weapons. 

Survivalist: Fighter can spend 1d3 hours foraging/hunting for food and water.

Serpenteer

With their grim, bloodstained vessels, the serpenteers ride the waves in search of monstrous sea serpents for glory and riches. Serpenteers are easily the wealthiest of the professions in the Ruby Isles, but their careers are also the most dangerous. As such, these warrior sailors must be rugged and vigilant, strong enough to withstand the bitter grog, wield the heavy harpoons used to impale the giant creatures and drag them back to port. 

Prerequisite Ability: Str 13+ 

Serpent Pike: This heavy, forked harpoon has a thick rope attached to the butt and can be used to drag targets back to the wielder. (1d8+1 melee; 1d6+1 missile, firing rate is 1/2 [1 turn to drag it back]; 1-in-6 chance to get lodged in target for 1d4 rounds). 

Big Fish: +1 to-hit vs. aquatic or reptilian creatures. 

Rosy: Saving throw is better by 1 point if imbibing liquor.

Enlisted Man

The soldiers of the North Country have garrisons spread out all over the Ruby Isles. The expedition has been dubbed the Arm of the North, and each man receives a basic training course which prepares them for hand-to-hand combat in the steaming jungles. The Arm brings in fresh recruits every week for their garrison on the islands of Nefk, and Gixf where they are fighting against a mysterious new enemy.   

Prerequisite Ability: None.

Military Training: AC is better by 1 point if adjacent to an ally. 

Resourceful: Free melee attack for 1d4 damage once per encounter.

Sentinel

The Elves of Ydlon keep a small but elite force of guardians who watch the coasts of their island for invading enemies. Because the island is shrouded in a magical, obscuring mist, the threat of invasion is low, but the Elves have not forgotten the black sorcerers of Tzeejg, ever vigilant in case they rise again and use their magic to find and destroy Ydlon.

Prerequisite Race: Elf

Prerequisite Ability: Dex 13+

Watchful: If the Fighter spends 1 turn observing an enemy, AC is better by 1 point against that target.  

Ydlon Boomerang: 1d6+1 missile damage; returns when thrown. 

Disciplined: Saving throw is better by 1 point if the Fighter spends 1d3 hours each day to clean and polish her armour.