Dungeons & Dragons 5e Background: Pirate
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Pirate
You spent your youth under the sway of a dread pirate, a ruthless cutthroat who taught you how to survive in a world of sharks and savages. You've indulged in larceny on the high seas and sent more than one deserving soul to a briny grave. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you've garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town. If you decide that your sailing career involved piracy, you can choose the Bad Reputation feature instead of the Ship's Passage feature.
Features
Bad Reputation:
No matter where you go, people are afraid of you due to your reputation. When you are in a civilized settlement, you can get away with minor criminal offenses, such as refusing to pay for food at a tavern or breaking down doors at a local shop, since most people will not report your activity to the authorities.
Traits
Roll a d8 1d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
1 | My friends know they can rely on me, no matter what. |
2 | I work hard so that I can play hard when the work is done. |
3 | I enjoy sailing into new ports and making new friends over a flagon of ale. |
4 | I stretch the truth for the sake of a good story. |
5 | To me, a tavern brawl is a nice way to get to know a new city. |
6 | I never pass up a friendly wager. |
7 | My language is as foul as an otyugh nest. |
8 | I like a job well done, especially if I can convince someone else to do it. |
Ideal
Roll a d6 1d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
1 | Respect. The thing that keeps a ship together is mutual respect between captain and crew. (Good) |
2 | Fairness. We all do the work, so we all share in the rewards. (Lawful) |
3 | Freedom. The sea is freedom—the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. (Chaotic) |
4 | Mastery. I’m a predator, and the other ships on the sea are my prey. (Evil) |
5 | People. I’m committed to my crewmates, not to ideals. (Neutral) |
6 | Aspiration. Someday I’ll own my own ship and chart my own destiny. (Any) |
Bond
Roll a d6 1d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
1 | I’m loyal to my captain first, everything else second. |
2 | The ship is most important—crewmates and captains come and go. |
3 | I’ll always remember my first ship. |
4 | In a harbor town, I have a paramour whose eyes nearly stole me from the sea. |
5 | I was cheated out of my fair share of the profits, and I want to get my due. |
6 | Ruthless pirates murdered my captain and crewmates, plundered our ship, and left me to die. Vengeance will be mine. |
Flaw
Roll a d6 1d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
1 | I follow orders, even if I think they’re wrong. |
2 | I’ll say anything to avoid having to do extra work. |
3 | Once someone questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation. |
4 | Once I start drinking, it’s hard for me to stop. |
5 | I can’t help but pocket loose coins and other trinkets I come across. |
6 | My pride will probably lead to my destruction. |
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