Sea Reaver

You come from a proud group of sailors and raiders who originated from the cold lands. They ply the sea and the nearby shore, exploring new lands as they discover them, develop trade with those they deem worthy, while taking food and supplies by force from those they deemed weak.

Your first memories were from a small village in the snowy highlands, but you were soon brought aboard the brightly painted longships and taught to row. At first you saw newly discovered lands from the safety of the ship as it waited in the harbor for the warriors to return, but as time went on, your family taught you to fight as part of a raiding unit. They also taught you to trim the sails to increase speed, and they taught you how to navigate.

As with most those from most warrior cultures, your path led to adventuring when your time with your people ended.

The reason for this end could have been one of many things.

Perhaps you were injured during a raid and left for dead.

With your longboat gone without you, you had little choice but to integrate with the people you had meant to raid, but perhaps you hope to make your way back to your homeland, or perhaps track down your longboat. Another possibility is that your group conquered an area, decided to stay and lord over those who live there, and your time on the sea came to a natural close.

Now more civilized than the culture in which you have originated, you have earned your way by helping trading ships navigate the seas, serving aboard seagoing vessels as a guard, and teaching others how to make their own way on the sea. Nevertheless, you long to sing the songs of your people again and feel the spray of the ocean on your face as your blood rises while you prepare for battle.

Proficiencies

Skills Intimidation, Nature
Tools: Brewer’s supplies, carpenter tools
Equipment: longsword, leather armor, sextant

Feature: Skilled Shipwright

One of the most important skills you picked up during your time on the sea is how to patch up a damaged ship. Whether it’s patching up a holed hull or building a new ship from the ground up, you have the skills to make the vessel seaworthy.

Captains seek out your expertise, seemingly wherever you go, so long as it’s near water, and this is something you can always use to earn an income.

Suggested Characteristics

Perhaps it’s your salt-worn face, or your imposing frame, but you seem to instill trust in those who meet you. In fact, you might have been their enemy the night before, but when you meet people in a non-combat situation, they tend to like you and want to drink some ale with you. Perhaps this comes from the camaraderie of serving aboard a longboat for so long, or maybe it comes from a general likableness of your people, but when there is trouble and you are around, people seek you out for your help.

d8	Personality Trait
1	You might be virtuous, but I will raid your village!
2	I’ll do the job you’re offering if I must; I just want to be in the cold air at the bow of a ship.
3	Your coins look shiny. You don’t mind handing them over to me…
4	I choose my side of the battle, even when it’s the wrong side.
5	Fill my cup and I will regale you with thrilling tales of the sea!
6	Fight at my side and though I can’t guarantee your survival, I can guarantee you won’t be left on the field.
7	The sea is a cold mistress, but one I take willingly.
8	Few things compare to the rush of boarding another ship on the sea!

d6	Ideal
1	Authority: I never question one to whom I have pledged my allegiance.
2	Challenge: All life is a challenge. It is how you rise to it that defines you.
3	Fairness: It would be damning if everyone fairly deserves what they get in this world.
4	Humor: One must maintain a sense of humor or be overwhelmed with grief.
5	Reputation: My reputation precedes me… I hope.
6	Trustworthiness: If I give you my word, I intend to keep it.

d6	Bond
1	My raid group was defeated and I was taken prisoner by a corrupt noble. I escaped.
2	The local shipwright has given me a lot of work and I owe him a debt of honor.
3	My son was kidnapped from me as a baby and I will find him.
4	I left my people when my father was killed at the hands of his political rival.
5	I took command of a vessel and crashed it on the rocks. I now owe that merchant a replacement.
6	The local noble has earned my respect and I will fight against his enemies.

d6	Flaw
1	I smell of old leather and sea salt.
2	I spend my coin faster than I earn it.
3	I have taken jobs repairing ships for people I don’t like, and left weaknesses in their ship’s hulls.
4	I think some dogs are more worth saving than their owners.
5	I have a price on my head.
6	I often act before thinking things through.