You have spent your life aboard fishing vessels or combing the shallows for the bounty of the ocean. Perhaps you were born into a family of fisher folk, working with your kin to feed your village. Maybe the job was a means to an end — a way out of an undesirable circumstance that forced you to take up life aboard a ship. Regardless of how you began, you soon fell in love with the sea, the art of fishing, and the promise of the eternal horizon.
Fishing Tale
You can tell a compelling tale, whether tall or true, to impress and entertain others. Once a day, you can tell your story to willing listeners. At the DM’s discretion, a number of those listeners become friendly toward you; this is not a magical effect, and continued amicability on their part depends on your actions. You can roll on the following table to help determine the theme of your tale or choose one that best fits your character. Alternatively, work with your DM to create your own fishing tale.
d8 | Fishing Tale |
1 | Lobster Wrestling. You fought in hand-to-hand combat with an immense lobster. |
2 | It Dragged the Boat. You nearly caught a fish of monstrous size that pulled your boat for miles. |
3 | Fins of Pure Gold. You caught a sea animal whose fins were made of pure gold, but another fisher stole it. |
4 | Ghost Fish. You are haunted by a ghostly fish that only you can see. |
5 | Nemesis Clam. A large clam containing a pearl the size of your head claimed one of your fingers before jetting away; one day, you’ll find that clam. |
6 | It Swallowed the Sun. You once saw a fish leap from the water and turn day into night. |
7 | Dive into the Abyss. You found yourself in an underwater cave leading to the Abyss, and your luck has been sour ever since. |
8 | Love Story. You fell in love with a creature of pure water, but your brief romance ended tragically. |
Feature: Harvest the Water
You gain advantage on ability checks made using fishing tackle. If you have access to a body of water that sustains marine life, you can maintain a moderate lifestyle while working as a fisher, and you can catch enough food to feed yourself and up to ten other people each day.
Suggested Characteristics
Fishers succeed only if they spend time at their jobs. As such, most fishers have a strong work ethic, and they admire others who earn their living honestly. Fishers tend to be superstitious, forming attachments to particular fishing lures or special fishing spots. They have a connection to the bodies of water in which they fish, and they think poorly of those whose actions adversely affect their livelihood.