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.

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

New Rule: Vehicles and 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

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