Whether pirates or privateers, you and your fellow characters are the ranking officers of a small frigate. You might be criminals of the sea, pillaging and looting the coasts of the Wraith Coast for your own purposes. Or you might be officially recognized privateers bearing a letter of marque issued by the naval authorities of Newforge.
Downtime: Smuggle Cargo
You can earn extra finances to maintain and equip your ship by smuggling illicit cargo or passengers along the coasts and rivers of western Wraith Coast. This activity requires spending at least 3 days finding an employer and securing cargo, plus a number of days determined by the distance to the cargo’s destination. For each day of travel, each member of the company earns 1d10 gp.
Company Accomplishments
Your company’s prestige whenever you demonstrate your mastery of the seas through acts such as the following:
- Plundering at least 1,000 gp in goods from a merchant vessel
- Navigating a dangerous storm
- Defeating a significant beast of the sea
- Stealing a navigational rudder from a rival captain
- Surviving a battle against a military vessel
- Plundering a coastal village
Prerequisites
Any character can be a member of a Pirate Crew
company, but at least one member must be proficient with vehicle (water) or have a Seafarer background.
Tier 1 : Local Corsairs
At this tier, your small-time crew has little reputation or presence. You might be river raiders who prey on lightly armed crews transporting goods down the River, coastal bandits who flee at the sight of a kingdom’s navy, or the crew of the newest vessel in a larger armada.
Although you can safely harbor in a number of known pirate ports, you will need to plunder a few ships before you can take on additional members of any real value.
Benefits
Any Port in a Storm. Your company begins the game with knowledge of a network of hidden pirate lairs and smuggling ports along the coast. These places are ideal for lying low from the authorities, making repairs, and fencing any plunder the crew takes on the seas.
Starter Vessel. Your company has a small keelboat crewed by three loyal but fairly unskilled sailors. These sailors handle the ship’s day-to-day operations but do not participate in combat. They use the commoner stat block.
Your crew either stole or salvaged the keelboat, which is in poor condition. One or more of the keelboat’s systems has taken damage and has been reduced to half its total hit points. Refurbishing the keelboat—or, better yet, replacing it—is one of your top priorities.
If the keelboat is lost or destroyed, you will need to purchase or pilfer a replacement.
Tier 2 : Privateers
Upon reaching this tier, your company has earned enough reputation to draw the attention of a powerful authority. Under the auspices of that authority, you become privateers who can legally attack certain ships. This newfound status makes it easy for you to pick up new crew members in many different ports.
Benefits
Letter of Marque. Your company gains a letter of marque issued by an authority in your region. The letter of marque authorizes your crew to take rival vessels as prizes without fear of retribution from the issuing authority. For each rival vessel your crew defeats in battle, your company earns 1 prestige.
Sea Dogs. Up-and-coming criminals seek out your company to prove their worth. You gain 1d4 hirelings you can use in boarding actions and on coastal raids. Hirelings gained by this benefit must have a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower.
Tier 3 : Infamous Marauders
At this tier, your crew has earned a fearsome reputation. Some of your targets are more likely to surrender than to put up a fight, as losing a bit of wealth and cargo is better than the alternative. Word of your crew’s deeds has spread to most of the coastal cities and ports on the mainland, drawing the attention of a better breed of sailors.
Benefits
Dread Pirates. Your crew’s pirate flag chills the blood of those who see it on the horizon. While you fly your colors, anyone who is not part of your crew but recognizes your flag must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is frightened of all crew members for 10 minutes. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the start of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. If a creature’s saving
throw is successful, the creature is immune to this effect for the next 24 hours.
Better Recruits. More skilled sailors seek out your company, looking to join up. The number of hirelings you can have increases by 1d4, and your hirelings can have a challenge rating of 1 or lower.
Tier 4 : Sea Reavers
At this tier, your company is one of the most powerful pirate crews on the water. Your infamy is so great that you can command the loyalty of other smaller vessels, and the sailors who want to sign up with your crew are some of the finer scallywags to walk a deck.
Benefits
Commodores. Your company’s reputation as master pirates and the riches of your plunder earn you esteem in the eyes of lesser sailing crews. When you launch a pirate raid on a city or flotilla belonging to an enemy of the authority that issued you its letter of marque, you can call upon the assistance of 1d4 smaller vessels. These ships are keelboats with a crew of 1d10 + 10 NPCs with a challenge rating of 1 or lower. The vessels accompany your crew for the duration of the raid or
attack before looting what plunder they can and sailing back to their home ports.
Premier Recruits. Top-level sailors seek out your company. The number of hirelings you can have increases by 2d4, and these NPCs can have a challenge rating of 2 or lower.