TEXT: © Tribality. All rights reserved.
  PIRATE ADVENTURERS
  F O R  F I F T H  E D I T I O N
  C R E AT E D  B Y
  SHAWN ELLSWORTH
  PIRATE ADVENTURERS
  F O R  F I F T H  E D I T I O N
  F O R  F I F T H  E D I T I O N
  PIRATE ADVENTURERS
  PIRATE ADVENTURERS
  F O R  F I F T H  E D I T I O N
  PIRATE ADVENTURERS
  F O R  F I F T H  E D I T I O N
  PIRATE ADVENTURERS
  F O R  F I F T H  E D I T I O N
  F O R  F I F T H  E D I T I O N
  PIRATE ADVENTURERS
  PIRATE ADVENTURERS
  PIRATE ADVENTURERS
  
  © Tribality. All rights reserved.
  page 2
  A H O Y  L U B B E R !
  With PIRATE ADVENTURERS you can provide your players with new player character 
  options for 5th edition to create pirate themed characters. These options can be used 
  to play an entire campaign in a pirate setting, or just to provide a player with more 
  pirate ﬂ avored options than provided by core 5th edition materials.
  Allow your players to dive into custom backgrounds, equipment, feats and shipboard 
  roles created just for their swashbuckling pirates and privateers.
  B A C K G R O U N D S
  • Variant Sailor: Privateer ...................................................................................................................................page 3
  • Variant Sailor: Ship’s Surgeon .........................................................................................................................page 3
  • Variant Sailor: Navigator .................................................................................................................................page 3 
  • Variant Sailor: Explorer ....................................................................................................................................page 4
  E Q U I P M E N T
  • Weapons & Ammunition ..................................................................................................................................page 5
  • Adventuring Gear .............................................................................................................................................page 6
  F E AT S  ................................................................................................................................................................page 4
  S H I P B O A R D  R O L E S ...............................................................................................................................page 7
  page 2
  
  © Tribality. All rights reserved.
  page 3
  B A C K G R O U N D S
  VA R I A N T  S A I L O R :  P R I VAT E E R
  While pirates are often seen as fearsome and cruel 
  criminals, the privateer is more often glamorized as 
  a romantic hero. As a privateer your activities are 
  similar to those of a pirate, but you are authorized by 
  a country’s government by letters of marque to attack 
  the ships of its enemies. You could be a member of 
  the nobility, a commoner or even a former pirate. 
  What sets you above a pirate is your adherence to the 
  Privateer Code, a set of rules to guide your conduct to 
  be honorable and virtuous.
  If you decide your sailing career involved privateering, 
  you can choose the Friendly Shores feature instead of 
  the Ship’s Passage feature.
  VA R I A N T  F E AT U R E :
  F R I E N D LY  S H O R E S
  When you are in any settlement that is friendly to 
  the ﬂ ag you sail under, you are treated as a hero of 
  the high seas. Everyone has heard the stories of your 
  adventures and are inclined to think the best of you. 
  Both nobles and common folk will make every effort to 
  accommodate your requests in exchange for news of 
  your adventures, unless you act dishonorably.
  VA R I A N T  S A I L O R :  S H I P ’ S  S U R G E O N
  Ship’s rarely have a true doctor onboard and this 
  role is often ﬁ lled by the cook, carpenter or whoever 
  says yes to the job. In the past you may have been a 
  physician, surgeon, barber, carpenter or nurse who 
  used non magical healing to treat your patients and 
  create medicine. For whatever reason you became a 
  ship’s surgeon, your past medical experience (or lack of 
  experience) is less important than your ability to focus 
  and stop the bleeding when others panic.
  If you decide your sailing career involved acting in 
  the role of a Ship’s Surgeon, you can replace the 
  Sailor proﬁ ciencies and equipment with the variant 
  proﬁ ciencies and equipment below.
  Skill Proﬁ ciencies: Investigation, Medicine
  Tool Proﬁ ciencies: Herbalism Kit, vehicles (water)
  Equipment: Herbalism kit, a set of traveler’s clothes, 
  and a pouch containing 10 gp
  If you decide your sailing career involved acting in 
  the role of a Ship’s Surgeon, you can choose the 
  Dead Reckoning feature instead of the Ship’s Passage 
  feature.
  VA R I A N T  F E AT U R E :
  D E A D  R E C K O N I N G
  Your experience healing fallen allies during combat has 
  provided you with the ability to snatch lives back from 
  death. When using a healer’s kit you are able to heal 
  a creature for 1 hit point. This ability can not be used 
  again until you complete a long rest.
  VA R I A N T  S A I L O R :  N AV I G AT O R
  You are a skilled navigator who has learned to combine 
  your knowledge of cartography, sense of direction and 
  superb sailing skills. Your past experience as a ship’s 
  navigator makes you invaluable on any sea voyage. 
  You are used to keeping a daily log and maintaining 
  charts, maps and navigation tools while on a ship. 
  If you decide your sailing career involved acting 
  in the role of a navigator, you can replace the 
  Sailor proﬁ ciencies and equipment with the variant 
  proﬁ ciencies and equipment below. 
  page
  
  © Tribality. All rights reserved.
  page 4
  Skill Proﬁ ciencies: Nature, Perception
  Tool Proﬁ ciencies: Cartographer’s tools, Navigator’s 
  tools, vehicles (water)
  Equipment: A set of traveler’s clothes, cartographer’s 
  tools or navigator’s tools, a chart, and a pouch 
  containing 10 gp
  If you decide your sailing career involved acting in 
  the role of a navigator,  you can choose the Sense of 
  Direction feature instead of the Ship’s Passage feature.
  VA R I A N T  F E AT U R E :
  S E N S E  O F  D I R E C T I O N
  Your skills as navigator make you an excellent ship’s 
  pilot, but they also have provided you with an 
  excellent sense of direction. As long as you have a full 
  view of the sun or moon, you can not become lost.
  VA R I A N T  S A I L O R :  E X P L O R E R
  You grew up dreaming of sailing the seas, exploring 
  the far edges of civilization and beyond in search of 
  the unknown. You might have been drawn to a life of 
  sea exploration for the love of discovery or to get rich 
  ﬁ nding lost treasures.  
  If you decide your career as a sailor has focused on 
  exploration, you can choose the Secret Discovery 
  feature instead of the Ship’s Passage feature.
  VA R I A N T  F E AT U R E :
  S E C R E T  D I S C O V E R Y  
  Whatever reason you became an explorer, your 
  journey brought you to some secret, mythical, far off, 
  or otherwise inaccessible place from which only you 
  returned. Only you know of the existence of this place 
  and its secrets. Work with your GM on the speciﬁ c 
  details of the location and its people, dangers, treasure 
  and more.
  F E AT S
  The following pirate ﬂ avored feats will allow your 
  players to further customize their player characters. 
  D E C K  B R A W L E R
  Prerequisite: Sailor Background (includes variants)
  Accustomed to ﬁ ghting on ships, barges or anything 
  else that ﬂ oats, you gain the following beneﬁ ts:
  • Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, 
   
  to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain a +2 bonus to initiative while standing 
   
  on anything that is ﬂ oating on water.
  • Climbing doesn’t half your speed.
  • You can add your proﬁ ciency bonus to any 
   
  check that involves boarding another sea vessel.
  F L I N T L O C K  E X P E R T
  Thanks to extensive practice with guns, you gain the 
  following beneﬁ ts:
  • You are proﬁ cient with pistols.
  • Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t 
   
  impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
  • When you use the Attack action and attack with a 
   
  one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to 
   
  attack with a loaded pistol you are holding.
  • You can use this feat for any pistols you are 
   
  carrying that are loaded.
  N I M B L E
  Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher
  You are built for speed, so you are built to get out of 
  the way of an attack! Gain the following beneﬁ ts:
  • Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a
   
  maximum of 20.
  • Add +1 bonus to your AC while you are wearing 
   
  light or no armor. This stacks with any other effect 
   
  that add to your AC.
  © Tribality. All rights reserved.
  and more.
  
  © Tribality. All rights reserved.
  page 5
  NOTE: The cost and damage of guns is lower than what is found in ofﬁ cial sources. This adjustment was made to better ﬁ t a pirate world where ﬂ intlock 
  guns are common, replacing crossbows of a more traditional game. To create more powerful guns simply increase Flintlock Pistols to 1d10 damage and 
  Flintlock Muskets to 1d12 damage.
  W E A P O N S  A N D  A M M U N I T I O N
  A collection of pirate ﬂ avored weapons and ammunition to provide your players.
  FIREARMS & EQUIPMENT
  NAME
  COST
  DAMAGE
  WEIGHT
  PROPERTIES
  Simple Melee Weapons
  Bayonet
  5 gp
  1d6 piercing
  1 lb.
  Special
  Belaying pin
  2 sp
  1d4 bludgeoning
  2 lb.
  Light
  Boarding axe
  2 gp
  1d6 slashing
  2 lb.
  Light, thrown (range 20/60)
  Dirk
  10 gp
  1d4 piercing
  1 lb.
  Finesse, light
  Hook
  5 gp
  1d4 slashing
  1 lb.
  Light, special
  Martial Melee Weapons
  Cutlass
  15 gp
  1d8 slashing
  3 lb.
  Finesse
  Rapier
  25 gp
  1d8 piercing
  2 lb.
  Finesse
  Scimitar
  25 gp
  1d6 slashing
  3 lb.
  Finesse, light
  Martial Ranged Weapons
  Flintlock Pistol
  125 gp
  1d8 piercing
  4 lb.
  Ammunition (range 30/90), loading
  Dragon Pistol
  125 gp
  1d6 piercing
  3 lb.
  Ammunition (range 20/60), loading, special
  Blunderbuss
  500 gp
  1d8 piercing
  8 lb.
  Ammunition (range 20/60), loading, two-handed, special
  Flintlock Musket
  250 gp
  1d10 piercing
  8 lb.
  Ammunition (range 40/120), loading, two-handed
  Ammunition
  Lead Balls (40)
  5 gp
  -
  1 lb.
  Special
  Pellets (40 handfuls)
  40 gp
  -
  1 lb.
  Special
  Gunpowder (40)
  10 gp
  -
  2 lb.
  -
  © Tribality. All rights reserved.
  page 5
  
  © Tribality. All rights reserved.
  page 6
  S P E C I A L S
  Bayonet: To attach or remove a bayonet from from a 
  musket is a Use an Object action. Because bayonets 
  are designed for use while attached to a musket. 
  It counts as an improvised weapon that does 1d4 
  piercing damage (when used by itself).
  Blunderbuss: This weapon can be ﬁ red normally 
  or loaded to make a scattering shot, attacking all 
  creatures within a 15 foot cone. Each creature in the 
  cone must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw 
  or take 1d6 piercing damage. Using a scatter shot 
  requires pellet ammunition.
  Dragon Pistol: This weapon can be ﬁ red normally 
  or loaded to make a scattering shot, attacking all 
  creatures within a 15 foot cone. Each creature in the 
  cone must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw 
  or take 1d4 piercing damage. Using a scatter shot 
  requires pellet ammunition.
  Hook: To attach or remove a hook from the wrist is a 
  Use an Object action.
  Lead Balls: This ammunition is destroyed when 
  used. You do not get to ﬁ nd half of your expended 
  ammunition.
  Pellets: This ammunition is destroyed when used. You 
  do not get to ﬁ nd half of your expended ammunition.
  A D V E N T U R I N G  G E A R
  A collection of pirate ﬂ avored gear to provide your 
  players.
  Astrolabe | 100gp | 6 lbs
  Astrolabes determine the date and time (which takes 
  1 minute). At night, you are granted Advantage on 
  Nature checks (related to geography) and Survival 
  checks to navigate in the wilderness or at sea. To use 
  one of these complex astronomical devices you must 
  be proﬁ cient with navigator’s tools.
  Bandana | 1 sp
  Colorful bandanas are used for sun protection or worn 
  under a hat to make it more comfortable.
  Eye Patch | 1 sp
  Eye patches are worn to cover one eye and tie around 
  the head, usually to cover injured or blind eyes. They 
  are also worn to look more intimidating or to keep one 
  eye covered when transitioning from the dim light of 
  below decks to the bright sunlight above.
  Hat | 1sp to 5gp | 1/2 lb to 2lbs
  Often worn by pirates for sun protection and style, 
  such as bicorn and tricorn hats.
  Nautical Chart | 25 gp
  Nautical charts display settlements, depth of water, 
  shape of coastlines, currents, tides and navigational 
  hazards such as reefs. A chart grants Advantage on 
  Nature checks related to navigation when in the area 
  detailed by the chart to those who are proﬁ cient with 
  navigator’s tools.
  Reed Breathing Tube | 1 sp | 1/2 lb.
  Use of a reed tube allows breathing 1-2 feet under 
  the surface in calm waters. Using this device in rough 
  waters is difﬁ cult or impossible.
  Sextant | 500 gp | 2lbs
  Used to determine latitude, a sextant grants you 
  Advantage on Survival checks made to navigate while 
  above ground at midday or at night. You must be 
  able to clearly see the midday sun or stars to use this 
  device.
  Spyglass | 250 gp |  1lb
  Objects viewed through a spyglass are magniﬁ ed to 
  twice their size.
  Tattoo | 1 cp – 20gp (or free... ouch!)
  Tattoos provide decoration, indicate group 
  membership or can even provide an arcane focus. 
  The quality, size, and the number of colors used in 
  a tattoo determine its cost. Describe the tattoo you 
  wish to have done to your GM to determine the price.
  
  © Tribality. All rights reserved.
  page 7
  S H I P B O A R D  R O L E S
  Player characters who spend a signiﬁ cant amount of 
  time traveling on the seas should have an important 
  role while they are on the ship. The following are 
  typical roles on a pirate ship and provide additional 
  abilities to offer players for use during naval combat 
  encounters. 
  C A P TA I N
  Prerequisite: Proﬁ ciency with vehicles (water)
  The captain is the overall leader of the ship and his 
  orders are to be obeyed absolutely. To disobey is 
  mutiny and punishment is swift and often death. A 
  pirate captain is usually elected, while a privateer is 
  given command by attaining a captain’s rank. Captains 
  are often charismatic natural leaders or powerful and 
  intimidating ﬁ gures, they act as the face of the ship. 
  As a captain you gain the following naval combat 
  abilities:
  Captain’s Orders. As a bonus action on your turn you 
  can choose one creature (other than yourself) within 
  60 feet of you who can hear you. The creature gains 
  advantage on their next attack roll, skill check or saving 
  throw. You can not use this ability again until you 
  complete a short rest.
  Weak Spot. As an action you can look for a weakness 
  in the defenses of the enemy’s vessel. Make an 
  Intelligence check with a DC of 15 (adjusted for 
  conditions) to spot a weakness and give advantage 
  on the next attack roll by your allies that targets that 
  weakness until the start of your next turn.
  Q U A R T E R M A S T E R  ( F I R S T  M AT E )
  Prerequisite: Proﬁ ciency with vehicles (water)
  The quartermaster (or ﬁ rst mate for privateers) is the 
  second in command and is responsible for enforcing 
  rules and acting as a counterbalance to the captain in 
  decisions by representing the crew. The quartermaster 
  is also responsible for splitting up any booty taken 
  from a prize.
  As a quartermaster you gain the following naval 
  combat ability:
  Rally. As an action on your turn you can choose a crew 
  member (other than yourself) within 60 feet of you who 
  can hear you. The creature gains advantage on their 
  next attack roll, skill check or saving throw. 
  P I L O T
  Prerequisite: Navigator background
  As the number three on the ship, the pilot reports 
  directly to the captain. The pilot serves as the ship’s 
  navigator and is usually the best sailor on the ship. A 
  pilot is also responsible for keeping a daily log and 
  maintaining charts, maps and navigation tools. 
  As a pilot you gain the following naval combat ability:
  Evasive Maneuvers. As an action on your turn you 
  can take evasive maneuvers. Make a Dexterity (pilot) 
  check with a DC of 15, success will grant your enemies 
  disadvantage on all attack rolls against your ship until 
  the start of your next turn. You can not use this ability 
  again until you complete a short or long rest.
  B O AT S W A I N
  The boatswain, or bosun, is responsible for the ship 
  itself and keeping it in shape for travel and battle. He 
  looked after the wood, canvas and ropes that were 
  of vital importance on board. The boatswain oversaw 
  activities such as dropping and weighing the anchor, 
  setting the sails and leading shore parties when 
  supplies or repairs were needed.  
  As a boatswain you gain the following naval combat 
  ability:
  Order Repairs. As an action on your turn you 
  supervise repairs to the deck, hull, sails or rigging of 
  the ship. The ship recovers hit points equal to 1d4 + 
  your level.  
  
  © Tribality. All rights reserved.
  page 8
  M A S T E R  G U N N E R
  Prerequisite: Proﬁ ciency with martial weapons
  The master gunner is the person in charge of the ship’s 
  guns and his mates who assist him in his duties.
  As a master gunner you gain the following naval 
  combat ability:
  Order Broadside. As an action on your turn you can 
  ﬁ re all of the guns on one side of the ship at the same 
  time (foregoing their normal turns). This allows you to 
  make one attack roll for all cannons with advantage. 
  On a miss, the attack does half damage.
  S H I P ’ S  S U R G E O N
  Prerequisite: Proﬁ ciency with Medicine
  A ship’s surgeon reports to the quartermaster and 
  serves not just as a healer, but as the barber for the 
  entire crew. A surgeon should as comfortable with 
  shaving a beard as cutting off a damaged leg. Ship’s 
  rarely have a true doctor onboard and this role is often 
  ﬁ lled by the cook, carpenter or whoever says yes to 
  the job.
  As a ship’s surgeon you gain the following naval 
  combat ability:
  Revive Crew. You can use your action to attempt 
  to revive one crew member, which requires a DC 10 
  Wisdom (Medicine) check. Depending on how you 
  handle naval combat, a success will either:
  • stabilize a crew member that dropped to 0 hit 
   
  points in the last 30 seconds that the surgeon can 
   
  reach using their move 
  • return a crew member back to active duty or restore 
   
  the hit point equivalent of the crew member to the 
   
  ship’s current hp (for a ship with 25 crew and 500 hp 
   
  this is equal to 20 hp)
  ﬁ re all of the guns on one side of the ship at the same 
  time (foregoing their normal turns). This allows you to 
  make one attack roll for all cannons with advantage. 
  On a miss, the attack does half damage.
  S H I P ’ S  S U R G E O N
  Proﬁ ciency with Medicine
  A ship’s surgeon reports to the quartermaster and 
  serves not just as a healer, but as the barber for the 
  entire crew. A surgeon should as comfortable with 
  shaving a beard as cutting off a damaged leg. Ship’s 
  rarely have a true doctor onboard and this role is often 
  ﬁ lled by the cook, carpenter or whoever says yes to 
  • stabilize a crew member that dropped to 0 hit 
   
  points in the last 30 seconds that the surgeon can 
   
  reach using their move 
  • return a crew member back to active duty or restore 
   
  the hit point equivalent of the crew member to the 
   
  ship’s current hp (for a ship with 25 crew and 500 hp 
   
  this is equal to 20 hp)
  
  © Tribality. All rights reserved.
  page 9
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
  The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.
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  15.COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  Pirate Adventurers for Fifth Edition 1.0 published by Tribality.com (Innovaworks Inc.); Copyright 2016 Shawn Ellsworth
  
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