Pirate Queen Ching Shih

Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral bard (battle) 5/rogue (mastermind) 7/fighter (warlord) 8

Armor Class 17 (studded leather, fighting style)
Hit Points 138 (12d8+8d10+40)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	18 (+4)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)

Saving Throws Dex +10, Int +9
Skills Deception +15, Insight +14, Intimidation +15, Perception +8, Persuasion +15, Stealth +10; artisan’s tools (pick one) +9, navigator’s tools +9, thieves’ tools +10, vehicles (water) +10
Senses passive Perception 18
Languages Chinese, Thieves’ Cant
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Special Traits

• Action Surge (1/short Rest). On her turn, Ching can take an additional action on top of her regular action and a possible bonus action.
• Bardic Inspiration 1d8 (3/short Rest). As a bonus action on her turn, Ching can choose one other creature within 60 feet who can hear her. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d8. Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. In addition, they can add it to a weapon damage roll, or when they are hit by an attack they can use their reaction to add it to their AC
• Song of Rest. After a short rest, Ching or any friendly creatures who can hear her performance regain hit points by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.
• Spellcasting. Ching is a 5th-level spellcaster that uses Charisma as her spellcasting ability for spells (spell save DC 17; +9 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following spells prepared from the bard’s spell list:
  • Cantrips: message, true strike, vicious mockery
  • 1st-level (4 slots): bane, comprehend languages, hideous laughter
  • 2nd-level (3 slots): calm emotions, silence, suggestion
  • 3rd-level (2 slots): bestow curse, fear
• Tactical Focal Point. Ching selects a 10-foot square to be her tactical focal point as a bonus action or as part of the attack action, choosing a Tactic to apply to it (see page 8). This lasts until she cannot take actions or uses this feature again. Each time Ching completes a long rest, she can swap one of these benefits for a different one: Area Clear, Cover the Flank, Phalanx Sidestep, Run Away!
• Tactical Mastery (7/long Rest). Ching uses part of her Attack action or a bonus action to take mastery of the battlefield, granting it to herself and allies within her focal point by expending uses of this feature. A creature that is granted a use of Ching’s Tactical Mastery can either regain 2d10 hit points when it is granted (any hit points greater than its maximum are temporary hit points) or use it to deal an extra 2d10 damage with an attack.
• Tactician. Ching is able to use the Help action to aid an ally attacking a creature as long as the target of the attack is able to see and hear Ching and is within 30 feet of her (possibly causing an attack to miss). The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.
• Cunning Action (1/turn). Ching can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, Help, or Hide action.
• Brilliant. Ching always knows how long it will be before the next sunset or sunrise, the northerly direction, and can perfectly remember anything she’s experienced within the last 31 days.
• Evasion. When Ching is subjected to an effect that allows her to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, she instead takes no damage if she succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if she fails.
• Jack of All Trades. Ching adds +3 to any ability check she makes that doesn’t already include her proficiency bonus.
• Second Wind (1/short Rest). On her turn, Ching can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+8 hit points. Sneak Attack (1/turn). Ching deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage when she hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Ching that isn’t incapacitated and Ching doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Actions

• Multiattack. Ching attacks twice when she takes the Attack action.
• Saber. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) slashing damage.
• Dagger (4). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft. or thrown 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) piercing damage.
• Pistol (8). Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 30/90 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10+4) piercing damage.

Reactions

• Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker Ching can see hits her with an attack, she can use her reaction to halve the attack’s damage against her.

About

Ching is able to acquire passage on a sailing ship for her and her allies free of charge. She has no control over

Where to begin with the pirate queen Ching Shih, generally considered the single most successful pirate in history, commanding nearly 20,000 crew? Well, she wasn’t originally called Ching Shih (a name which means ‘Widow of Ching’). She was born and named Shih Yang in 1775, then took on the nickname Shih Heang Koo while working on a flower boat (brothel) in Guangzhou until 1801 where she married the pirate Zheng Yi Sao. Together they created a massive coalition of pirates known as the Red Flag Fleet, sporting over 200 cannons and more than 1,300 rifles that made them a practically unstoppable force.

Zheng Yi died in Vietnam in 1807 and—in order to retain her power—Ching Shih married their adopted son Cheung Po. It’s a little difficult to be certain, but this seems to be around when she took the name she’s known for. While Cheung Po was the nominal head of the fleet (what with being a male and all) she held all the reins of power.

A rigid structure of rules helped Ching Shih turn her pirates into a fearsome navy that went undefeated for several years. In 1810 their daring victories came to an end when the Portuguese Navy gave them the what-for in the Battle of Chek Lap Kok. the ship’s route, departure, or return, and although no coin is required she and her companions do have to help crew the vessel.

Ching Shih surrendered and accepted amnesty from the Qing Dynasty, and—this is the part that’s really out of this world—only about 300