Chapter 1? - Class? - Character Kits? - Warrior Kits?
Outlaw
This character is the heroic scofflaw, the warrior who defies the laws
and rulers of the land and steers his own course. Usually in the company of other pirates
or outlaws, he fights the minions of the rulers he defies, and comes to be regarded as a
hero by others who suffer at those rulers' hands. The Pirate, of course, is the adventurer of
the high seas, who makes his living raiding other ships and seacoast communities; the
Outlaw makes his home in the wilderness (often deep forest) and preys on the traffic
moving through that wilderness.
There are no special ability-score requirements to be a Pirate or Outlaw.
Role: - In a campaign, the pirate or outlaw can belong to one of two orientations.
Either he's a "good guy," and it is the law and the rulers who are evil, or he is a "bad guy"
and simply takes what he wants from those who have it. The player, therefore, gets to
decide on his character's alignment and (mis)deeds.
Note, though, that good guy pirates and outlaws tend to live by a very strict code of
conduct—for example, the classic cinema code of Robin Hood and his Merry Men,
where the outlaws robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, and protected the
defenseless with more honor and zeal than England's supposedly Noble Warriors did.
Naturally, if a player chooses to be a good guy in a company of bad guys, or viceversa, when his companions find out his true colors, they'll probably try to kill him or to
turn him in to the law for the reward on his head.
Secondary Skills: - If the character is a Pirate, roll d100 for his Secondary Skill. On a
01–70, his Secondary Skill is Sailor; on a 71–80, it's Shipwright; on 81–00, it's
Navigator. If the character is an Outlaw, the character may choose between
Bowyer/Fletcher, Forester, Hunter, and Trapper/Furrier.
Weapon Proficiencies: - If the character is a Pirate, he must take the following
proficiencies: Cutlass*, and Belaying Pin* or Gaff/Hook* (player choice). If the
character is an Outlaw, he can take any weapon proficiencies he chooses . . . but the DM,
if he's created this campaign so that the outlaws have a special motif weapon (such as
Robin Hood's Merry Men and their longbows) may insist that all Outlaw characters take
a specific weapon proficiency. Recommended to classic Merry Man-type outlaws are
longbow, long sword and quarterstaff. (The ``*'' symbol indicates a new weapon found in
the Equipment chapter.)
Nonweapon Proficiencies: - Pirate's Bonus Proficiencies: (General) Rope Use,
Seamanship. Pirate's Recommended Proficiencies: (General) Swimming, Weather Sense,
(Warrior) Navigation, (Priest, double slots unless Paladin) Engineering (for shipbuilding),
Reading/Writing (for mapmaking), (Rogue, double slots) Appraising, Set Snares (in
association with Rope Use skill), Tightrope Walking, Tumbling, (Wizard, double slots
unless Ranger) Engineering (for shipbuilding), Reading/Writing (for mapmaking).
Outlaw's Bonus Proficiencies: Direction Sense, Fire-Building. Outlaw's Recommended
Proficiencies: (General) Riding (Land-Based), (Warrior) Animal Lore, Bowyer/Fletcher,Endurance, Hunting, Running, Set Snares, Survival, Tracking, (Priest, double slots unless
Paladin) Healing, Herbalism, Local History, (Rogue, double slots) Disguise. Special
Note: Your DM may be a fan of the very acrobatic pirate or outlaw movies of the past,
and prefer that Tumbling be one of your Bonus Proficiencies instead of one of the ones
listed; check with him to see if this is so.
Equipment: - Pirates and Outlaws come from widely diverse backgrounds, so there's
no real restriction on what they can buy with their starting money. However, it would be
foolish for either type of character to buy metal armor of any kind (banded, brigandine,
bronze plate, chain, field plate, full plate, plate mail, and ring mail). Pirates wearing such
armor in naval combat will inevitably fall overboard and sink (they can't swim with such
stuff on); if they're lucky enough to get it off so they can swim, they've lost the armor.
Outlaws living out in the wild have their belongings exposed to the elements, and metal
armor quickly corrodes. Therefore, it's up to the DM to keep things in balance. If a Pirate
or Outlaw buys metal armor and keeps it stowed away for special occasions (major land
engagements, climactic battles, etc.), that's fine. But if they wear such stuff all the time,
the DM should continually take it away from them through accidents, rust and corrosion,
etc.
Special Benefits: - Pirates and Outlaws do not have any intrinsic special benefits,
although the DM can bestow some campaign-based benefits on them if he chooses. For
instance, in many Pirate settings, there is a powerful pirate city where the PCs can go to
trade their ill-gotten gains, a place where the law dares not enter; this makes it easier for
them to dispose of their goods and enjoy the benefits of a home city when otherwise they
wouldn't have one. As another example, in a "Merry Men" type outlaw campaign, the
heroes have the dubious benefit of knowing that they're on the right side and if they can
just oust the current rulers (probably restoring the proper rulers in the process), they'll
have their fortunes restored or enhanced, the land will once again be bright and shiny,
and everyone will live happily ever after.
Special Hindrances: - The major problem with being an outlaw or pirate is that the
law is always after the characters. Though the authorities do not have to put in an
appearance in every single play-session, they're always out there, plotting against the
heroes. Many of them are quite clever, they probably have more money, ships and men
than the heroes, and they'll continue to plague the heroes until the campaign is done.
Wealth Options: - Pirate and Outlaw characters get the standard 5d4x10 gp for
starting gold.
Races: - Outlaws and Pirates, unless your campaign is very human-oriented, will take
just about anyone they can get, so it's perfectly appropriate for there to be Outlaws and
Pirates of the demihuman races.
Note: In a Pirate campaign, it could be that the player-characters will eventually
come to terms with the authorities and "go straight." This doesn't mean they have to
abandon the Pirate Warrior Kit, however. They could instead become Privateers—who
are basically pirates sailing under the papers of (permission of) their ruler, and preying on
the nation's enemies. At that point, they can still behave just as they did previously, and
the other nation's authorities become their specific enemy.
