Fighter Archetype
Buccaneer
Some fighters learn their craft at sea, intent on a life of adventure amidst the salt and the waves. These buccaneers gain a facility for shipboard life and the sailors' trade, and provide needed combat expertise aboard ship. Buccaneers pride themselves for their adaptability and ingenuity, fighting expertly even in the chaos of a boarding action or a raging storm.
While many buccaneers are scoundrels or pirates, they are not universally evil. Some may serve as marines aboard lawful ships, or perhaps follow a life of piracy more by necessity than brutal inclination. They are rarely from wealthy backgrounds, though - the buccaneer's life almost requires turning one's back on landbound comforts.
Buccaneer Features
| Fighter Level | Features |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Savvy Shiphand, Scoundrel's Strike |
| 7th | Sea Legs |
| 10th | Improved Scoundrel's Strike |
| 15th | Marine Captain |
| 18th | Buccaneering Spirit |
Savvy Shiphand
When you adopt this archetype at 3rd level, you adapt yourself to life at sea. You gain a swimming speed equal to your movment speed, and you gain proficiency with water vehicles, or another tool of your choice if you're already proficient.
Scoundrel's Strike
Additionally at 3rd level, you develop the mobility required for shipboard combat, and the skill to exploit an off-balance foe. Once per turn when you hit an enemy with an attack, you can use your Scoundrel's Strike if you have advantage on the attack roll, if an ally is within 5 feet, or if you've already hit the target with an attack this turn. When you do so, The attack deals an additional 1d8 damage of the weapon's type, and you can choose to apply one of the effects below.
- Opening Cut. You gain advantage on opportunity attacks against the target until the start of your next turn.
- Unbalancing Blow. The target can't make opportunity attacks until the end of your next turn.
- Infuriating Strike. The target gains disadvantage on its next attack unless that attack targets you.
Sea Legs
Also at 7th level, your balance and mobility reach their peak. Your jumping distance is doubled, and you gain advantage on all saving throws to avoid being knocked prone.
Improved Scoundrel's Strike
At 10th level, your facility for a sudden and decisive blow improves. Your Scoundrel's Strike now does 2d8 bonus damage, and when you use it, you can choose two effects instead of one.
Marine Captain
At 15th level, you can give others the benefit of your long experience. Creatures of your choice within 30 feet also gain the benefits of your Savvy Shiphand and Sea Legs features.
Buccaneering Spirit
At 18th level, your swashbuckling ways are plain for all to see, setting an example for your allies. Your Scoundrel's Strike improves in the following ways.
- Your Scoundrel's Strike now does 3d6 bonus damage.
- As a reaction when an ally within 30 feet makes an attack that would meet the conditions for Scoundrel's Strike, you can apply its benefits to their attack.
- You gain one additional reaction per turn, which may only be used for Scoundrel's Strike or for making an opportunity attack.
Buccaneer quirks
The following are some optional quirks for a player of this Domain to choose from.
| d6 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You have a collection of medallions plundered from your foes. |
| 2 | You think salt spray is just as good as a proper bath. |
| 3 | You really wish you had a pet monkey. |
| 4 | You wear an eyepatch even though both your eyes are totally fine. |
| 5 | You keep a secret stash of citrus fruits at all times. |
| 6 | You keep a cutlass polished to a mirror sheen. |
Change Log
v0.4
- Buffed Scoundrel's Strike from d6's to d8's.
- Replaced Crippling Blow with Infuriating Strike
v0.3
- Added quirks
v0.2
- Finished feature names
- Fixed missing range on Buccaneering Spirit
v0.1
- Initial Draft!
Credits & References:
Buccaneer created by somanyrobots Discord | Patreon
Art
Buccaneer Fighter, by Alifka Hammam Nugroho
Background Image Stains
License
© 2024 somanyrobots, CC BY-NC 4.0
5E SRD Content
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available here.
The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available here.
