Mariner (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

This is a merger of the Inner Sea Pirate and Shackles Pirate prestige classes.

An adventurer of the great blue, the mariner sees herself as a daredevil champion of freedom, but many of them are little more than thugs of the sea. Mariners sail many different bodies of water in search of plunder, from pirates to privateers, slave hunters, and slave-trader hunting abolitionists. Mariners are adept at both sailing and sword fighting, and most have looked death in the face more than once. They possess a variety of skills that prove useful when sailing, and two mariners might be quite different from each other.

Some heroic mariners prowl waters near natural hazards, stormy seas, fairy bogs, and mist-shrouded reefs. They mix the practical skills with a mystic understanding of their environs, and legends among them can harness the power of nature for their own benefit. Such brave souls can learn tricks that utilize their supernatural environment.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype, a rogue of the high seas.

Prestige Class: Inner Sea Pirate from Pathfinder Player Companion: Pirates of the Inner Sea and Shackles pirate from Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting.

Build Classes: Rogue.

Role: While there are many sailors, those in this class show more talent than do common deck hands. Mariners often captain their own ships; those who do not usually serve as officers or aboard notorious ships under accomplished captains. Legendary mariners not only brave natural danger, they thrive of them, seeking out dangerous situations others cannot handle to gain an advantage. At higher levels, they can call on these natural hazards for aid.

Alignment: Any. Mariners often have a hard time dealing with the life on shore. Legendary mariners often use and champion some natural phenomenon, making them friendly to druids.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The mariner's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The mariner has the class features of the rogue, except as follows.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Mariners are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the boarding gaff, cat-o’-nine-tails, cutlass, grappling hook, hand crossbow, handaxe, hook hand, knife (butterfly, switchblade), rapier, sap, short sword, and shortbow. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Marine Specialty (Ex)

Shipboard life is quite specialized, with crew holding the same position on each ship throughout their career. A first level mariner chooses a marine specialty, that adds an additional edge to her skills. This choice can never be changed. Note that only a few ships have mariners in every position, many make do with experts or hire skilled landlubbers.

Engineer: An engineer is responsible for the ship's siege weapons and for any other complex systems carried on the ship. If the ship has an unconventional propulsion, the engineer is responsible for this as well. Only warships or exceptional vessels normally carry engineers. An engineer adds half her level (minimum +1) to Disable Device, Knowledge (engineering), and Use Magic Device checks. At level 1, and every two levels thereafter, an engineer gains proficiency with one type of siege weapon.

Navigator: Navigators are educated specialists able to navigate on the high seas, and are often the captains of oceangoing ships. Navigators add half their class level (minimum +1) to Intimidation, Knowledge (engineering, geography, history, local, nature, and nobility), and Profession (sailor) checks.

Pilot: A pilot is an expert at crossing guarded or hazardous waters. Many pilots work the same stretch of coast all their lives, guiding ship after ship past the same obstacles. Others enlist on tall ships and become explorers, coastal raiders, or run naval blockades. A pilot adds half her level (minimum +1) to Knowledge (geography, nature), Perception, and Profession (sailor) skill checks.

Seaman: Able seamen are the senior crew of a water vessel. They lead unskilled seamen and know the operation of the various systems and devices aboard a ship. The senior seaman is the boatswain, seamen are rarely officers except on the smallest of ships. Seamen add half their class level (minimum +1) to Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, and Profession (sailor) checks. An able seaman can find employment on almost any vessel at any time; there is always a shortage of good seamen.

Specialist: A ship can benefit from a variety of specialized skills, but true marine specialists are quite rare. A mariner specialist adds half her class level (minimum +1) to Diplomacy, Craft, Heal, and Profession skill checks.

Supercargo: The supercargo is responsible for cargo and provisions. On trading ships, she is responsible for selecting what cargo to carry and might be or represent the owner of the ship. A supercargo adds half her class level (minimum +1) on on all Appraise, Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), and Sense Motive checks. A supercargo can use Diplomacy to gather information in ports and on ships at no cost in gold and without attracting attention, this is a normal part of her job.

Adventuring Focus

At 1st level, a mariner chooses a focus for her adventurer abilities. Select one adventuring focus from the list below.

• Alchemy: The mariner gains a competence bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks when creating alchemical items equal to their class level, can identify potions like an alchemist, and can create and use bombs, as the alchemist's alchemy class feature. The mariner alchemist cannot create extracts or mutagens. Finally she gains the alchemist's throw anything class feature,

• Arcanism: The mariner learns, prepares, and casts arcane spells as a magus. This includes the effects of Intelligence on spellcasting, spells per day, avoiding arcane spell failure in light armor, cantrips, spellbook, and free spells.

• Chaplain: A marine chaplain learns and casts divine spells as a cleric. This includes the effects of Wisdom on spellcasting, spell list and spells per day. She selects one domain her patron offers and gains the domain powers of this domain as a cleric of her mariner level. She has no domain spell slots, instead she adds the spells of her chosen domain to her cleric spell list.

• Martial: A mariner with a martial focus gains proficiency with all martial weapons and with medium armor at level 1 and a bonus combat feat at level 2 and every 2 levels thereafter. She must fulfill the prerequisites of these feats, but counts mariner levels as fighter levels for feat prerequisites.

• Mesmerist: The mariner learns and casts psychic spells as a mesmerist. This includes the effects of Charisma on spellcasting, spell list, spells known, and spells per day.

• Chaplain: A marine chaplain learns and casts divine spells as a cleric. This includes the effects of Wisdom on spellcasting, spell list and spells per day. She selects one domain her patron offers and gains the domain powers of this domain as a cleric of her mariner level. She has no domain spell slots, instead she adds the spells of her chosen domain to her cleric spell list.

• Sea-Speaker: A sea-speaker learns and casts divine spells as a druid. This includes the effects of Wisdom on spellcasting, spell list and spells per day. She selects one domain available to druids and gains the domain powers of this domain as a druid of her mariner level. She has no domain spell slots, instead she adds the spells of her chosen domain to her druid spell list.

• Shanties: The mariner knows how to use performance to entertain and inspire her fellow seafarers. She gains the bard's bardic performance class feature, counting mariner levels as bard levels. This includes rounds per day and all bardic performances. In addition, when using inspire competence to improve certain shipboard skills, the range improves to 100 ft., she can inspire ability checks, and she can inspire a number of creatures (including herself) equal to her skill modifier in the corresponding type of performance, according to this list: Act (Diplomacy), Comedy (Bluff), Dance (Acrobatics), Keyboard Instruments (Knowledge [any]), Oratory (Climb), Percussion (Intimidate), Sing (Strength checks), String (Perception), and Wind (Profession [sailor]). If these allies coordinate on a single task—such as a very hard Strength check to tow a ship or Profession (sailor) check to make a difficult maneuver, use the highest bonus in the group with an additional +1 for every member of the group.

• Skulduggery: The mariner gains certain rogue class features as she advances in level: sneak attack at level 1, uncanny dodge at level 4, evasion at level 7, improved uncanny dodge at level 10, and improved evasion (as the advanced rogue talent) at level 13. She uses these abilities as a rogue of her mariner level, including increasing sneak attack damage.

Sea Savvy (Ex)

A mariner has the ability to augment skill checks and ability checks. The Mariner has a savvy pool equal to 1/2 her Mariner level + her Constitution modifier (minimum 1). A mariner’s savvy pool refreshes each day, typically after she gets a restful night’s sleep. As a free action, she can expend one use of savvy from her pool to add 1d6 to the result of that check, including any on which she takes 10 or 20. This choice is made after the check is rolled and before the results are revealed. A mariner can only use savvy once per check or roll. Savvy is also used to power many tricks (see below).

The mariner can use savvy on any Acrobatics, Climb, and Profession (sailor) skill checks without expending a use of savvy, provided he’s trained in the skill.

Savvy can also be used on attack rolls and saving throws, at the cost of expending two uses of savvy each time from the devil’s pool. In the case of saving throws, using savvy is an immediate action rather than a free action.

This is a variant of the investigator's brilliant inspiration class feature and work with anything that works with brilliant inspiration.

Marine Tricks

A mariner is a consummate seaman, and learns various tricks that goes beyond normal maritime skill. Starting at 2nd level, a mariner gains one mariner trick. She gains an additional mariner trick for every 2 levels of mariner attained after 2nd level. At level 10, the mariner can select advanced marine tricks. At level 16, she can select legendary mariner tricks.

Adventuring Tricks

Mariners are also adventurers, and learn tricks that let them survive and prosper in all kinds of dangerous situations. Select one adventuring tick at 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter. At level 11, the mariner can select advanced adventuring tricks. See adventuring tricks in the appendix.

Table: Mariner

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Finesse training, sneak attack +1d6, trapfinding
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Evasion, mariner trick
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Finesse training, sea sense +1, sneak attack +2d6
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Debilitating injury, mariner trick, uncanny dodge
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Rogue's edge, sneak attack +3d6
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Mariner trick, sea sense +2
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Sneak attack +4d6
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+2	Improved uncanny dodge, mariner trick
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+3	Sea sense +3, sneak attack +5d6
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+3	Advanced tricks, mariner trick, rogue's edge
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+3	Finesse training, sneak attack +6d6
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Mariner trick, sea sense +4
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Sneak attack +7d6
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+4	Mariner trick
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+5	Rogue's edge, sea sense +5, sneak attack +8d6
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Legendary tricks, mariner trick
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Sneak attack +9d6
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6	Mariner trick, sea sense +6
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+6	Finesse training, sneak attack +10d6
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6	Master strike, mariner trick, rogue's edge

Adventurer Tricks

Alchemist Discovery

Prerequisites: Alchemy adventuring focus.

Benefit: . You learn an alchemist discovery. Mariner levels count as alchemist levels to use qualify for discoveries. You cannot select discoveries that work with alchemist abilities you do not have, such as elixirs or mutagen. You can select this trick multiple times, gaining a different alchemist discovery each time.

Armor Training (Ex)

Prerequisites: Proficiency with medium armor.

Benefit: Whenever you are wearing armor, you reduce the armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor by 1. You can also move at your normal speed while wearing medium armor.

Concentration (Ex)

Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus on Concentration checks.

Death from Above (Ex)

Benefit: When you do a jumping charge an opponent at least 10 ft. below you, that opponent is considered flat-footed. Reduce any falling damage you take by the damage the target takes from the charge attack. Creatures with uncanny dodge can't be made flat-footed this way.

Deck Proof (Ex)

Benefit: When you use an area effect on a ship, such as a spell with an area of effect or a splash weapon, you can make sure that the ship does not take any damage and is not set on fire.

Doomed (Su)

Benefit: You have picked up a doom (as the doomed warrior class feature). Preferably, this should reflect events in your career.

Duelist (Ex)

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls made with a cutlass, rapier, or short sword.

Evasion (Ex)

Experienced mariners know how to avoid hazards like waves, flying splinters, and explosions.

Benefit: This is the same as the 2nd level rogue ability of the same name.

Extra Bombs (Ex)

Prerequisites: Alchemy adventuring focus.

Benefit: You gain Extra Bombs as a bonus feat. This trick can be selected multiple times, the benefits stack.

Extra Performance (Ex)

Prerequisites: Shanties adventuring focus.

Benefit: You gain Extra Performance as a bonus feat. This trick can be selected multiple times, the benefits stack.

Familiar (Ex)

Benefit: You gain a familiar as the familiar option of the wizard’s arcane bond class feature. This ability functions exactly like that part of the class feature. If lost, this familiar can be replaced at no cost simply by acquiring a new animal to be a familiar. If have an Improved Familiar and lose it, a new familiar must be summoned at the usual cost of 200 gp per mariner level. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete.

Grudge (Ex)

Benefit: Select one seafaring organization or a type of creature (except humanoid or outsider). Slavers, pirates, smugglers, and the fleet of Nondor are typical examples. You hold a grudge against this group and gain a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against targets you know to be of this group. This trick can be chosen several times, each time selecting a new group. The benefits do not stack.

Quick Appraise (Ex)

At times you must quickly select the most valuable items to spirit away.

Benefit: You can appraise an item as a move action and can determine the most valuable item visible to your in a 60 ft. radius as a standard action.

Rogue Talent

Prerequisites: Skulduggery adventuring focus.

Benefit: You can pick a rogue talent instead of a mariner trick. Mariner levels count as rogue levels to use and qualify for rogue talents.

Rough Rest

Benefit: You can prepare rest and prepare spells gained from the mariner class even under adverse conditions. You are fully rested after 4 hours of sleep (2 hours of meditation for elves). After one week of such limited rest, you suffer the normal penalties of missing sleep. You gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against nightmare' spells and other effects that disturb your sleep, make resting less effective, or interfere with your spell preparation. This also applies against effects that would change your alignment or cause a divine caster to lose faith, such as faith-stealing strike. If you prepare arcane spells, you only need to sleep 4 hours beforehand. You can prepare spells despite interruptions unless you actually take damage, suffer a harmful condition, or fail a saving throw against a non-harmless effect during spell preparation.

Shootist (Ex)

Benefit: You gain proficiency with all firearms and Gunsmith as a bonus feat. You alos gain one of the following firearms of your choice: blunderbuss, musket, or pistol. This weapon is battered, and only you know how to use it properly. All other creatures treat her gun as if it had the broken condition. If the weapon already has the broken condition, it does not work at all for anyone else trying to use it. This weapon has no resale value. If the weapon is enchanted it becomes a normal weapon, that anyone can use.

Spin Yarn (Ex)

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff and Perform (oratory) checks. By speaking for one minute and succeeding at a Bluff or Perform (oratory) check (DC 10 + each listener's Sense motive or twice the listener's Will save bonus against charm effects, whichever is higher), you can fascinate listeners with an unlikely tale of naval adventure. You need to make another check every 10 minutes to keep your audience's attention. Make one check against each creature within 20 ft.

Telling Shot (Ex)

Prerequisites: Precise Shot, Deadly Aim.

Benefit: Select one type of crossbow or firearm. When attacking with this weapon, you can add your Dexterity bonus to damage.

Telling Strike (Ex)

Prerequisites: Mariner level 3, Weapon Finesse.

Benefit: Select one melee weapon you can use with Weapon Finesse. When attacking with this weapon, you add your Dexterity bonus to damage instead of your Strength bonus. Anything that would cause you to lose some or all of your Strength bonus to damage instead reduces your Dexterity bonus to damage.

Treasure Finder (Ex)

Benefit: You are an expert at finding buried treasures and hidden cargoes. You gain a +2 bonus on Disable Device checks and Perception checks to notice hidden doors, objects, and traps. You can use Disable Device to disable magical traps, like a rogue with Trapfinding.

Versatile Performance

Benefit: You learn the bard's versatile performance ability with a single selected Perform skill.

Special: You can select this trick an additional time per four mariner levels after level three, choosing a different Perform skill each time.

Wave Action (Ex)

Benefit: When on a moving vehicle or other similar unstable surface or swinging of something suspended, you can use the swing to your benefit. You always count as having a running start when jumping and can perform the withdraw action as a move action but moving only your speed, not twice your speed.

Advanced Adventurer Tricks

Abolitionist's Resolve (Ex)

Prerequisites: Advanced adventurer tricks, good alignment, grudge (slavers).

Benefit: You have seen more suffering aboard a single slave ship than many will see in their entire lives, but this only hardens your resolve—you know all too well that there are fates worse than death. You become immune to fear effects and gain Diehard as a bonus feat.

Advanced Rogue Talent

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks, skulduggery adventuring focus.

Benefit: You can pick an advanced rogue talent instead of a mariner trick. Mariner levels count as rogue levels to use and qualify for rogue talents.

Fearsome Advance (Ex)

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks.

Benefit: At the end of a turn in which you dealt damage, you can make an Intimidate check as an immediate action to demoralize every damaged opponent.

Foot Sweep (Ex)

You have learned to sweep your opponents’ legs when they are reeling from the pain of your precise attacks.

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks.

Benefit: If you deal damage with a melee attack, you can make a trip attack against the damaged opponent as an immediate action that does not trigger an attack of opportunity. All the usual rules for trip attacks apply, and feats such as Improved Trip modify the attack normally.

Hand Stab (Ex)

You can weaken an opponent’s weapon hand with an attack.

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks.

Benefit: When you deal damage against an opponent, you can make a disarm combat maneuver against the damaged opponent as an immediate action that does not trigger an attack of opportunity. All the usual rules for disarm attacks apply, and feats such as Improved Disarm modify the attack normally.

Magic of the Sea (Ex)

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks.

Benefit: When both you and the target(s) of your spell are within 100 ft. of a body of water, the save DC of all your spells increases by 2. This only applies to spells gained from the mariner class.

Master Duelist (Ex)

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks, duelist trick.

Benefit: Increase the duelist bonus to +2.

Mutagen (Ex)

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks, alchemy adventuring focus.

Benefit: You gain the alchemist's mutagen ability.

Steal the Story (Ex)

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks.

Benefit: While another individual attempts to give an account of an event or improve a creature's attitude, you can make a Bluff check opposed against a speaker's Diplomacy to deftly interject comments or statements over the course of the storytelling that cause the individual to muddle specific details. This will discredit, insult, and humiliate the speaker. If the check succeeds, the speaker does not succeed at informing listeners about what she was trying to say and the attitude of anyone who heard the altered story worsens by one step. The target is allowed a Sense Motive check (DC equal to your Bluff check) to figure out that you made deliberate attempts to confuse the story.

Pounce Down (Ex)

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks.

Benefit: When you do a jumping charge an opponent at least 10 ft. below you, you can do a pounce, as the monster ability. Reduce any falling damage you take by the damage the target takes from the first attack in the charge.

Sea Singer (Ex)

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks.

Benefit: Your voice carries very well over water. You can be heard up to a 3 miles away, and your words are clear up to 500 ft. away, even over the din of waves, wind, and battle. In conditions of utter calm, your voice carries ten times as far. The range of all your spells and bardic performances are doubled.

Ship Spell (Su)

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks.

Benefit: When you cast a spell that is targeted on a point in space and which would normally not move along with a moving ship, you can alter the spell so that it targets a point on the ship and moves along with the ship. You must touch the ship to use this ability.

Vendetta (Ex)

Prerequisites: Advanced tricks, grudge trick.

Benefit: The bonus from all grudge tricks you know are increased to +4. You automatically confirm critical threats against grudge targets.

Marine Tricks

These marine tricks are available to mariners.

When a talent mentions drive skill, this is Diplomacy or Intimidate for rowing craft or Knowledge (nature) or Profession (sailor) for sailing craft.

When a talent mentions a body of water, it must have at least a 20 ft. radius.

Bilge Rat (Ex)

Benefit: You are inured to the dangers of the bilge and other hidden spots on a ship. You gain a +2 bonus on Escape Artist checks and on saving throws against curse, disease, and poison effects.

Bogstep (Ex)

Benefit: You learn how to move quickly through treacherous bog terrain. You move through shallow bogs normally, and it costs your 2 squares of movement to move into a square of deep bog. You can use Acrobatics to tumble through shallow bogs with no penalty and can tumble through deep bogs with a –4 penalty (see Marsh Terrain for more information regarding bogs and swamps.) You ignore the increased Acrobatics difficulty for water or slippery surfaces.

Bribery (Ex)

Benefit: You know how to smooth over interactions with customs and other officials. When dealing with officials working at a checkpoint, conducting an inspection, or performing another routine activity, you can make a Sense Motive check (DC 10 + 2x the official's Hit Dice) to understand in the official can be bribed, what kind of bribe is needed, and how to present the bribe. A normal bribe is 1 gp per level of the official, but lawful officials are harder to bribe and might require twice as much gold or some special favor. If the official has orders or a concrete reason to be suspicious, use the normal Diplomacy rules.

Distraction (Ex)

Benefit: You can use patter and body language to deflect searchers from hidden items. You may make a Bluff check when a searcher looks for secret compartments and hidden items, if the result is higher than the normal Perception DC to spot the item, use the Bluff check as the DC of the Perception check.

Diver (Ex)

Benefit: You can move through water along ropes or underwater surfaces (such as the bottom of a ship) at half land speed without needin to make a Swim check and can avoid barnacles and similar dangers while doing so. You can hold your breath twice as long as a normal creature of your ype(this is usually four rounds times your Constitution score) before you must start making Constitution checks to drown.

Favored Port (Ex)

Benefit: Mariners build alliances and friendships that last lifetimes. You can pick any coastal settlement as a favored port. While in that settlement, you gain a +2 bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Knowledge (local) checks, as well as on initiative checks and Will saving throws. You also gain your favored port bonus when aboard any ship whose home port is one of your favored ports. A mariner with this trick gains an additional favored port at level 6 and every four levels thereafter, taking this at level six and above instantly grants these favored ports.

Favored Tavern (Ex)

Benefit: You are famous enough that you can get others to pick up your tab. You designate one tavern per mariner level as a “favored tavern.” When in a favored tavern, you drink for free. In addition, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks within a favored tavern. A mariner with this trick gains an additional favored tavern at level 4 and every two levels thereafter, taking this at level four and above instantly grants these favored taverns.

Gunner (Ex)

Benefit: A gunner becomes proficient in all Large and Huge siege weapons.

Hide Ship (Ex)

Benefit: A Mariner with this talent gains a +10 modifier on drive rolls to hide his ship (see the rules section, below).

Lookout (Ex)

Benefit: A mariner with this ability has an amazing ability to spot other ships. When your ship first comes within sight of another ship, you can make an opposed Perception check against the best Perception skill on that ship (both sides ignore distance modifiers for this roll). On a success, you notice the other ship before they notice hers and your ship stays unobserved for a number of minutes equal to the difference between the Perception checks (minimum 1 minute). This is usually enough to disappear behind some concealment, such as under the horizon. If you or your shipmates attack during this time, you have surprise.

Low-light (Ex)

Benefit: You gain low-light vision. A creature with low-light vision can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of dim light. It retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

Rigging Monkey (Ex)

Benefit: This ability grants you a climb speed equal to your land speed you need only one hand free to climb. You doe not gain the usual +8 bonus on Climb checks, but you can take 10 even in combat and under stress. You do not lose your Dexterity bonus to AC when climbing.

Sounding (Ex)

You have learned to use a weighted line to probe the bottom of the sea.

Benefit: As a full-round action while at the bow of a ship or boat, you can find the depth and composition of the sea floor. This allows a Perception check with a +8 circumstance bonus on Perception checks do discover things underwater, such as reefs and wrecks. A stationary ship allows sounding depths down to 100 ft., reduce this depth by the speed the ship moves at. Sounding can also be used as aid other to driving checks to avoid running aground, giving a bonus of +1 per 10 points rolled on the Perception check (this includes the +8 bonus). A character lacking this talent can make a sounding check in one minute, with a penalty based on how far their ship moved in this minute.

Storm Sailor (Ex)

Benefit: You treat all storms as if they were one category less severe for the purposes of sailing and navigation. (This benefit stacks with other effects related to wind conditions.) You does not fall prone when you fail an Acrobatics check to move across uneven ground, instead you merely fail to move. You does not take a penalty on any Acrobatics checks due to slightly slippery, slightly unsteady, or moderately unsteady conditions.

Weather Eye (Ex)

Prerequisites:

Benefit: You are is sensitive to weather changes. You can use Knowledge (nature) to predict weather as if it was Survival and gain insight how to use the vagrancies of the weather. When informing the captain of your ship of a successful weather prediction, the ship gains a +2 bonus on Initiative checks in ship combat and reduces the drive skill penalty of wind-powered vehicles by 5.

Whaler (Ex)

Benefit: You gain proficiency with the harpoon and when using a harpoon, any hit on a Huge or larger creature is a critical threat. If you are in a boat or ship of a size category smaller than the target of your attack, you gain a +10 circumstance bonus per difference in size category on CMB and CMD check to grapple (but not to pin).

Windrigger (Ex)

Benefit: You have learned the tricky art of tacking. With a DC 15 Profession (sailor) check, you increase the base speed of your sailing ship’s by 5 feet for 1 hour, until your ship changes heading by 90 degrees, or the wind changes. If you beat DC 30, the bonus is 10 ft. of speed, 45 gives +15 ft. speed, and so on. You can try this roll once per hour. You have also learned to coax speed out of your ship when it really counts. With a DC 20 Profession (sailor) check, you double your ship’s base movement for 1 round, but on a failed roll your ship's speed is reduced to half. You must be in command of the crew assigned to sails to use this trick.

Advanced Marine Tricks

At 10th level, and every two levels thereafter, a mariner can choose one of the following advanced mariner tricks in place of a normal mariner trick. As a mariner’s connection to the sea grows stronger, she learns to perform tasks impossible by normal means.

Breathe Easy (Sp)

Prerequisites: Advanced mariner tricks.

Benefit: You can help allies who fall overboard to stay alive until they can be plucked from the waves. You can cast water breathing as a spell-like ability (Cl = your class level). Each use costs a point of savvy. You can use this ability as a standard action, move action, or immediate action. When used as a standard action, it has the normal effect. When used as a move action, the ability can affect only one creature, but can do so at a range of 120 feet. When used as an immediate action, the ability can affect only one creature, but can do so at a range of 60 feet, and its duration is reduced to 1 minute per level.

Fog Eye (Su)

Prerequisites: Advanced mariner tricks.

Benefit: You can see through fog and mist without penalty as long as there is enough light to allow you to see.

Grapple Ship (Su)

Prerequisites: Advanced mariner tricks, proficiency with grappling hook.

Benefit: You gain the ability to stop another ship dead in the water for a short time. To use this ability, you must hurl a grappling hook at the target ship. You can throw the grappling hook up to ten range increments in this situation. If you hit the target ship, you then make an opposed Profession (Sailor) check against the ship's commanding officer. For every point by which you win the check, you halt its progress for 1 round. Aid other is not possible in this situation.

Old Salt's Curse (Sp)

Prerequisites: Advanced mariner tricks.

Benefit: Landlubbers who pretend to be seamen easily fall afoul of the old salt's curse.

You can cast old salt's curse. Each use costs a point of savvy. The save DC is 10 + half your mariner level + your Charisma or Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher. Targets can use their bonus in Profession (sailor) instead of their Will save bonus for the saving throw against this ability, using whichever score is higher.

Rogue Wave (Sp)

Prerequisites: Advanced mariner tricks.

Benefit: You are lucky with rogue waves. Rogue waves are waves much larger than regular waves, that can lift a ship over a barrier or ground a ship in shallow water. It also acts as a barrier.

You can call a rogue wave in a body of water at least three miles in length. Each use costs a point of savvy. This acts as control water, but the effect moves in the direction of the wind (or current if there is a significant current) at a speed between 30 and 240 ft., as decided by you. A ship caught in a rogue wave needs a drive check (DC 10 + your mariner level) or get the broken condition. Your ship automatically passes this check.

A ship on top of a rising wave can ride the wave to be carried along as the wave moves. This requires a Drive check of 20 each minute, or the wave will leave the ship behind.

Shipboard Authority (Ex)

Prerequisites: Advanced mariner tricks.

Benefit: As a full-round action on board a ship, you can shout orders to your crew. All allies within 50 feet of you who can hear your gain a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls or on a particular ability or skill check for 1 round per point of Charisma bonus (minimum 1 round). If these allies coordinate on a single task—such as a very hard Strength check to tow a ship or Profession (sailor) check to make a difficult maneuver, use the highest bonus in the group with an additional +1 for every member of the group who has the relevant skill or ability. You specify which bonus applies when you use this ability and may not change the bonus except by using the ability again.

Swinging (Ex)

Prerequisites: Advanced marine tricks, rigging monkey.

Benefit: When on a masted ship or similar environment with plenty of ropes or vines, you gain an effective fly speed equal to your land speed, using the Acrobatics skill instead of the Fly skill. Each round spent swinging inflicts 1d6 damage to a ship's rigging.

Legendary Marine Tricks

At 16th level, and every two levels thereafter, a mariner can choose one of the following legendary mariner tricks in place of a normal mariner trick.

Fogcraft (Su)

Table: Fogcraft

Fogcraft Type	Size	Complement	Duration	Stealth
Rowboat	Large	10	2 days	+12
Barge	Huge	30	18 hours	+8
Keelboat	Gargantuan	90	6 hours	+4
Warship	Colossal	270	2 hours	+0

Prerequisites: Legendary mariner tricks.

You have the power to shape a vessel out of sea spray, fog, or mist. This ability functions only in mist, fog, or thick spray (as is common near navigational hazards). Each use costs a point of savvy.

A fogcraft appears made of swirling gray mist but feels solid to the touch. Its unique composition can make it difficult to spot, and the craft makes no sound, but it does not baffle sounds made by its crew. All fogcraft can be rowed (by a crew equal to half its compliment) or sailed at a speed of 60 ft. A fogcraft has a carrying capacity equal to an ordinary ship of its type, but its impermanence makes it a poor cargo ship. It requires no crew. A fogcraft possesses speed and maneuverability equal to that of an ordinary ship of its type, but unlike ordinary ships, a fogcraft cannot run aground and can sail over reefs and through bogs.

When creating a fogcraft you can chose its size from the table. With larger ships comes a trade-off in stealth and duration. "Complement" in the table is how many medium-sized humanoids the fogcraft can carry, including yourself. Forming a craft takes 10 minutes, and the craft’s duration lasts for a variable number of hours depending on its size. It is also possible to turn an existing boat or ship into a fogcraft of the same size, this works the same way but takes only a minute to do. Such a craft reverts to normal at the end of the duration.

Grant Freedom (Sp)

Prerequisites: Legendary mariner tricks.

Benefit: You gain the effects of freedom of movement as a constant spell-like ability (his effective caster level equals his class level). As a swift action, he can transfer this effect to a creature by touch, but in this case the effect persists for only 1 round. When he does so, he regains the benefits at the end of the 1 round duration and can confer it to a new creature.

Into the Maelstrom (Sp)

Prerequisites: Legendary mariner tricks.

Benefit: You can make your ship seemingly flounder while really emerging in another plane. Each use costs a point of savvy. This works like plane shift cast by a sorcerer of your level, except the entire ship and crew moves into another plane. Unwilling passengers can make a Will save (DC 15 + your Charisma modifier) to avoid this effect. Creatures observing the event can make a DC 22 Spellcraft check to realize what is really happening.

Maelstrom Ally (Sp)

Prerequisites: Legendary mariner tricks.

Benefit: You can cast summon nature's ally VII, but only to summon creatures in water or bogs. Each use costs a point of savvy. This spell-like ability has a duration of concentration, plus 1 minute/level after you stop concentrating to maintain it.

Master Shot (Ex)

Prerequisites: Legendary mariner tricks.

Benefit: When firing a siege engine at another water vehicle and the attack roll matches the target ship's captain's piloting skill the target ship is rendered immobile for one minute.

Shipmind (Su)

Prerequisites: Legendary mariner tricks.

Benefit: You can control your ship with a thought as a standard action. Each use costs a point of savvy. You must be on the deck of the ship you wish to control and you must be conscious. Once you activate your shipmind, you can feel the ship as if it were an extension of your body. You can “see” from the ship anywhere you want, and adjusting your point of view is a free action. You can move the ship as if it were your own body, and it moves over water at your base move or the ship’s normal speed, whichever is preferred. If you move the ship at your own speed, it moves as a character, not a vehicle, which means it has no facing and can make unlimited turns. The ship can only move along the surface this way, and can move at either your land or swim speed. While you use your shipmind ability, your body appears paralyzed and unresponsive. you are considered helpless and cannot defend yourself, but you retain an awareness of what goes on around your body (and can see your body from your perspective on the ship if you wish). You may end the shipmind effect as an immediate action. This ability lasts for 1 round per class level.

Whisk to Freedom (Sp)

Prerequisites: Legendary mariner tricks.

Benefit: A mariner spends enough time harnessing the wind that he learns to become one with it. You gain wind walk at will and word of recall (caster level equals your mariner level). Word of recall must return to a ship you own or serve on. Each use costs a point of savvy.

Whistle for Wind (Sp)

Prerequisites: Legendary mariner tricks.

Benefit: You can whistle for wind (a standard action) to cast control weather, but you can only create more severe wind conditions this way. By performing for 10 minutes and succeeding at a DC 20 Perform (any except act and comedy) check, you can cast the spell with normal effect. Each use costs a point of savvy.

New Rule: Vehicle Stealth

Any driver can hide her vehicle from prying eyes, as long as the vehicle has cover (such as from intervening terrain or sufficiently large creatures or objects) or concealment (commonly from darkness, foliage, or weather conditions). The driver uses the drive skill as if it was the Stealth skill and suffers the normal Stealth penalties for the size of the vehicle (Large -4, Huge -8, Gargantuan -12, Colossal -16). Instead of the normal movement penalties to stealth, the driver suffers a -10 penalty for every 30 ft. the vehicle moves.

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the rogue are lost or modified in this archetype:

See Also

Prestige archetype variants of the two separate mariner prestige classes.

• Maelstrom Pirate
• Pirate

The text in this article is Open Game Content. It is covered by the Open Game License v1.0a, rather than the Action copyright. To distinguish it, these items will have this notice. If you see any page that contains OGL material and does not show this license statement, please contact one of the Action administrators. Please note that images used in article may have different copyright than the text.