Mariners are seafaring heroes, undaunted by storms, long distances or the things that dwell in the deep. They are a notoriously superstitious bunch, but if their superstitious have kept them alive in their perilous journeys, perhaps they deserve a bit more credit than the name ‘superstition’ lends them.
Example Backgrounds: Sea of Swords Voyager, Harbormaster’s Apprentice, Knot Savant, Sea-Shanty Performer, Storm-Tested Helmsman.
Class prerequisite: When you create a character, in order to choose mariner as a class you must have a background related to navigable waters.
Level 1 Talent
Mariner’s Knack: When you gain this talent choose one of your backgrounds related to navigable waters. This is your mariner’s background. When you make a skill check using your mariner’s background and fail, you may re-roll one of the dice, possibly turning a failure into a success. Additionally, you may perform great deeds with rope, related to tying knots, throwing ropes, hoisting with ropes, and etc.
Level 2 Talent
Ship’s Captain: When your party sends hirelings and specialists out on a job, you may act as a commander specialist if you travel with the hirelings as they work. When you do so, your Mariner’s Knack counts as your area of expertise. Additionally, you may instruct other specialists in the art of captaining a ship, such that other specialists employed by your party may substitute your Mariner’s Knack background for their area of expertise.
Level 6 Talent
Soul of Salt: You’ve had some dealings with creatures of the deep that can’t be fathomed by mortal minds. Perhaps in dreams, or perhaps face to face. These experiences have left a mark on your body and soul. Everywhere you go the smell and feeling of the sea seems to follow you, and you’ve gained a touch of magic. You may spend 1 adventure point to give you and your companions the ability to breathe underwater until the next time you refresh. When you do so, you may choose to take on a hulking form somewhere between your old self and a sea creature. Your fitness and dexterity is set to 4 for the next hour, and your charisma is set to 0, after which you revert to normal and must flip a coin. On tails, you take an injury to your fitness or dexterity (per your choice).
Loyal Sailors: Thanks to your reputation as a mariner and esteem among sailors, your party’s club may hire Loyal Sailor hirelings for 1 pull. Loyal sailors have 1 force and 2 labor. When working on jobs related to your Mariner’s Knack, they instead have 2 force and 3 labor.
Level 10 Talent
Legendary Seafarer: tall tales of your daring deeds are already already on the lips of dockworkers on the job and sea captains entertaining their crews, and will long outlive you. You’ll appear long after your death, with your face in the clouds or your voice ringing through storms to deliver omens to superstitious sailors, inspiring them take keep their spirits up as they travel the seas. While you live, your maritime knowhow has advanced beyond what was once thought possible. Treat your proficiency bonus as 2 higher than it is when making a check where a seafaring or maritime or traveling-related background is relevant.