Dread Pirate & Diplomacy

[ivocaliban]

At 2nd level, Dread Pirates receive Fearsome Reputation +2. Honorable Dread Pirates receive this as a bonus to Diplomacy, while dishonorable Dread Pirates receive it as a bonus to Intimidate. The Dread Pirate skill list includes Intimidation, but lacks Diplomacy. While I understand that there are many ways to justify this if all is as it should be, I cannot help but wonder if Diplomacy was left out accidentally. It seems strange to support only half of an ability, so I'm curious if this might be errata.

Furthermore, when Intuit Direction became part of Survival I would have thought Survival might be a Dread Pirate class skill for that alone. Staying alive at sea often depends on making sure you know where you're going, especially for those who live outside the law and may not have access to skilled cartographers. Still, this is more of a personal preference issue, unlike the Diplomacy/Fearsome Reputation discrepancy mentioned above.

I'd appreciate any information or opinions on the matter.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Re: Diplomacy: It was the same in Song & Silence. To me, the explanation would be that a Pirate shouldn't be good at being friendly with people. His persona and accomplishments can astound people sometimes (ie, the reputation bonus), but usually, a pirate is someone you don't want to meet and get to know better...

IMHO of course.

As for Intuit Direction / Survival, Intuit Direction was part of the Pirate's Class skills in Song & Silence. It's indeed surprising not to find Survival on the 3.5 Dread Pirate's class skill list.

AR

 

[ivocaliban]

It was the same in Song & Silence. To me, the explanation would be that a Pirate shouldn't be good at being friendly with people. His persona and accomplishments can astound people sometimes (ie, the reputation bonus), but usually, a pirate is someone you don't want to meet and get to know better...

IMHO of course.

AR

I would agree if the Honorable Dread Pirate concept wasn't obviously based on swashbucklers like Wesley/Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride and to a lesser degree Errol Flynn, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Tyrone Power's swashbuckling privateers. Considering that it's probably the most viable and useful ship captain PrC available, it seems like the Honorable Dread Pirate isn't really even a pirate in the common interpretation of the word. It's one of those prestige classes where the name is slightly misleading.

 

[Felix]

I'd roll the Intuit Direction still into Profession (sailor) skill, as navagation by the stars, and to a lesser extent by a sextant, was a fairly widely held skill among even the crew. Doing it this way will mean sailors can navagate on the water, but not necessiarly on land. They will be able to know the direction to go in from the stars, but not how to hunt, provide food, predict weather, etc.

Of course, this ability will go away as soon as the sailor hits the shore... but then, generally all they need to know how to do is find their way to the nearest tavern.

 

[ivocaliban]

I'd roll the Intuit Direction still into Profession (sailor) skill, as navagation by the stars, and to a lesser extent by a sextant, was a fairly widely held skill among even the crew.

That's pretty much how I've been handling the Intuit Direction/Survival issue so far. Profession (sailor) covers a lot of territory, thankfully.

 

[Tessarael]

Give dishonourable Dread Pirates the Intimidate skill, and give honourable Dread Pirates the Diplomacy skill. Easy fix.

 

[ivocaliban]

Give dishonourable Dread Pirates the Intimidate skill, and give honourable Dread Pirates the Diplomacy skill. Easy fix.

Yes, that is easy, isn't it? Seems the logical thing to do and I most likely will go that route in the end. Thanks for the advice.