Kaptain_Kantrip
First Post
Here is my optional system for giving characters a firmer grasp of their past and family history. 99% of these are taken from AEG's new SWASHBUCKLING ADVENTURES (7th Sea d20) book, although I've modified a fair number of them due to inapppropriate or nonsensical skill selection by the fine editors at AEG, and added the Farmer, which was strangely missing...
The Parental skill mods are my own original idea.
Your feedback is welcome as always!
_____________________
PARENTAL MODIFIERS
Each character receives a +1 bonus in their father and
mother’s primary Craft or Profession skills, representing the
amount of continued exposure to these skills. If one parent died
at an early age in the character’s life, the character receives
only one skill bonus, rather than two.
______________________
BACKGROUND FEATS
Each character may pick one background feat at 1st level as
a bonus feat. Background feats represent the character’s past
and/or current profession (often, but not always, the family
business), or perhaps just passionate hobbies or sidelines.
Each background feat grants the character access to several
related skills as class skills, regardless of the character’s current
class.
ACADEMIC
You have attended a specialized academy in preparation for
assuming your career.
Prerequisite: Int 15+.
Class Skills: Pick any three from the following list as class
skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Escape Artist,
Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Perform, Ride,
Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Rope and
Wilderness Lore.
ACROBAT
You delight in performing acrobatic feats of skill and daring
before the crowd.
Prerequisite: Dex 13+.
Class Skills: Climb, Jump, Tumble and Use Rope.
ANIMAL AFFINITY
You have spent a great deal of time around animals and
know how to get along with them.
Prerequisite: Cha 11+.
Class Skills: Animal Empathy, Handle Animal, Ride.
ARTIST
You have a flair for the arts; this extends into a knack for
being able to influence or read the emotions of your audience.
Prerequisite: Wis 11+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Perform, Sense Motive.
COMMANDER
You are a born leader, and have trained in the art of
commanding others.
Prerequisite: Cha 15+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge: War, Sense
Motive.
COURTESAN
Unlike common street prostitutes, the highly-paid courtesans
are clever, witty and well-educated, and masters of
manipulation.
Prerequisite: Female, Cha 13+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Perform, Sense Motive.
CRIMINAL
You have robbed, scammed or beaten others out of what you
want, possibly serving jail time for your crimes.
Prerequisite: Dex 11+.
Class Skills: Escape Artist, Hide, Open Locks, Pick Pocket.
DOCTOR
You are trained in the art of healing.
Prerequisite: Wis 15+.
Class Skills: Alchemy, Animal Empathy, Handle Animal,
Heal.
ENGINEER
You are trained in designing civil and military architecture.
Prerequisite: Int 15+.
Class Skills: Alchemy, Disable Device, Knowledge:
Engineering, Knowledge: Mathematics.
FARMER
You have spent years working the land and dealing with
animals.
Class Skills: Animal Empathy, Handle Animal,
Knowledge: Nature, Ride, Use Rope.
FENCE
You are a middle man who transfers stolen goods to a
prospective buyer. Without you, thieves would have a great
deal of trouble disposing of their ill-gotten gains. Most fences
run a legitimate business as a cover, and rarely deal in crime
directly.
Prerequisite: Int 11+.
Class Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather
Information.
FORGER
You are a master at locating and creating forgeries of
official documents.
Prerequisite: Int 13+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Decipher Script, Forgery, Gather
Information.
FORTUNE TELLER
You have a gift for reading and interpreting future events.
Pick one form of divination: astrology, crystal gazing, entrail
reading, oneiromancy, palmistry, rune casting, tarot reading,
tea leaf reading.
Prerequisite: Female, Cha 13+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Scry, Sense Motive.
GUIDE
You are intimately familliar with a particular city or locale,
and can expertly guide others through this area. Guides may
also serve as coachmen, messengers, or scouts.
Prerequisite: Wis 11+.
Class Skills: Climb, Gather Information, Handle Animal,
Knowledge: Local, Intuit Direction.
HERBALIST
You are extremely knowledgeable about the harvest,
preparation and practical uses of berries, flowers, herbs, roots
and other flora.
Prerequisite: Int 11+ or Wis 11+.
Class Skills: Alchemy, Heal, Knowledge: Nature,
Wilderness Lore.
HUNTER
You have spent a great deal of time in pursuit of wild game
for profit and sustenance.
Class Skills: Climb, Listen, Spot, Wilderness Lore.
INFORMANT
You have mastered the dubious arts of bribery,
eavesdropping, lurking about and stealing secrets. Whether you
do so out of greed or patriotism is up to you.
Prerequisite: Int 11+.
Class Skills: Gather Information, Hide, Listen, Move
Silently.
MERCHANT
You are well-versed in the art of the deal. Haggling is
second nature to you.
Prerequisite: Int 11+.
Class Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Sense Motive, Speak
Language.
OLD NAME
Your family name is both old and respected in your home
area. Unlike other background feats, you do not necessarily
have any special talent or career interest; you were simply born
into “the right family”.
Prerequisite: Aristocrat, Courtier or Noble class.
Class Skills: You gain a +5 circumstance bonus to your
Charisma-based skill checks during all social situations with
NPCs in your home area.
PERFORMER
You have a special talent for making crowds laugh, cry, and
cheer. You are never happier than when you have an audience
in the palm of your hand.
Class Skills: Bluff, Disguise, Perform, Sense Motive.
POLITICIAN
You are skilled in the diplomatic arts, from bribery to
flattery to seduction, and all in the name of your king or noble
house.
Prerequisite: Aristocrat, Courtier or Noble class, Int 11+,
Cha 13+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Speak
Language.
PRIEST
You are not necessarily a priest, but have devoutly studied
the holy scripture of your religion for years. You may have
faithfully served as an altar boy, or in the choir, or may have
been raised in an abbey, convent, or monastery.
Prerequisite: Wis 11+.
Class Skills: Diplomacy, Knowledge: Religion, Perform,
Sense Motive.
PROFESSOR
You have dedicated your life to spreading knowledge and
teaching others. You may write text books, give lectures or
hold classes.
Prerequisite: Int 15+.
Class Skills: Diplomacy, Gather Information, Knowledge
(any two), Speak Language.
RIVER BOAT PILOT
You ply your trade as a ferryman, bringing cargo and
passengers from one side of a river to the other.
Class Skills: Balance, Spot, Swim, Use Rope.
SAILOR
You have worked on a ship on the open ocean. You have
enough knowledge and skill of ship operation to qualify as a
crewman on any ship.
Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Intuit Direction, Spot.
SCHOLAR
You spent many years in study and pursuit of knowledge.
Prerequisite: Int 13+.
Class Skills: Gather Information, Knowledge (any two),
Speak Language.
SCHOLAR
You spent many years in study and pursuit of knowledge.
Prerequisite: Int 13+.
Class Skills: Gather Information, Knowledge (any two),
Speak Language.
SCROUNGER
You are well-acquainted with the shady side of a particular
city. You know where to shop for the best deals, where to make
contact with criminals or mercenaries, or what path to take
when fleeing the city guard.
Class Skills: Bluff, Gather Information, Hide, Pick Pocket.
SERVANT
You spent many years in the employ of a well-to-do family,
or in a business such as an inn.
Class Skills: Diplomacy, Gather Information, Sense
Motive, Speak Language.
STORYTELLER
You heard and told hundreds of stories, favles, poems and
other written (or oral works of fact and fancy).
Prerequisite: Cha 11+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information,
Perform.
URCHIN
You are a child of the cold, cruel city streets with nowhere
else to call home and no traditional family to rely on. You have
begged, scammed, stolen or done any number of other
distasteful things to survive in the urban jungle.
Class Skills: Bluff, Hide, Move Silently, Pick Pocket.
WHALER
You are skilled at hunting whales and other large creatures
of the high seas. You are strong, fearless, and an expert
swimmer.
Prerequisite: Str 13+.
Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Jump, Spot, Swim.
The Parental skill mods are my own original idea.
Your feedback is welcome as always!
_____________________
PARENTAL MODIFIERS
Each character receives a +1 bonus in their father and
mother’s primary Craft or Profession skills, representing the
amount of continued exposure to these skills. If one parent died
at an early age in the character’s life, the character receives
only one skill bonus, rather than two.
______________________
BACKGROUND FEATS
Each character may pick one background feat at 1st level as
a bonus feat. Background feats represent the character’s past
and/or current profession (often, but not always, the family
business), or perhaps just passionate hobbies or sidelines.
Each background feat grants the character access to several
related skills as class skills, regardless of the character’s current
class.
ACADEMIC
You have attended a specialized academy in preparation for
assuming your career.
Prerequisite: Int 15+.
Class Skills: Pick any three from the following list as class
skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Escape Artist,
Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Perform, Ride,
Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Rope and
Wilderness Lore.
ACROBAT
You delight in performing acrobatic feats of skill and daring
before the crowd.
Prerequisite: Dex 13+.
Class Skills: Climb, Jump, Tumble and Use Rope.
ANIMAL AFFINITY
You have spent a great deal of time around animals and
know how to get along with them.
Prerequisite: Cha 11+.
Class Skills: Animal Empathy, Handle Animal, Ride.
ARTIST
You have a flair for the arts; this extends into a knack for
being able to influence or read the emotions of your audience.
Prerequisite: Wis 11+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Perform, Sense Motive.
COMMANDER
You are a born leader, and have trained in the art of
commanding others.
Prerequisite: Cha 15+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge: War, Sense
Motive.
COURTESAN
Unlike common street prostitutes, the highly-paid courtesans
are clever, witty and well-educated, and masters of
manipulation.
Prerequisite: Female, Cha 13+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Perform, Sense Motive.
CRIMINAL
You have robbed, scammed or beaten others out of what you
want, possibly serving jail time for your crimes.
Prerequisite: Dex 11+.
Class Skills: Escape Artist, Hide, Open Locks, Pick Pocket.
DOCTOR
You are trained in the art of healing.
Prerequisite: Wis 15+.
Class Skills: Alchemy, Animal Empathy, Handle Animal,
Heal.
ENGINEER
You are trained in designing civil and military architecture.
Prerequisite: Int 15+.
Class Skills: Alchemy, Disable Device, Knowledge:
Engineering, Knowledge: Mathematics.
FARMER
You have spent years working the land and dealing with
animals.
Class Skills: Animal Empathy, Handle Animal,
Knowledge: Nature, Ride, Use Rope.
FENCE
You are a middle man who transfers stolen goods to a
prospective buyer. Without you, thieves would have a great
deal of trouble disposing of their ill-gotten gains. Most fences
run a legitimate business as a cover, and rarely deal in crime
directly.
Prerequisite: Int 11+.
Class Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather
Information.
FORGER
You are a master at locating and creating forgeries of
official documents.
Prerequisite: Int 13+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Decipher Script, Forgery, Gather
Information.
FORTUNE TELLER
You have a gift for reading and interpreting future events.
Pick one form of divination: astrology, crystal gazing, entrail
reading, oneiromancy, palmistry, rune casting, tarot reading,
tea leaf reading.
Prerequisite: Female, Cha 13+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Scry, Sense Motive.
GUIDE
You are intimately familliar with a particular city or locale,
and can expertly guide others through this area. Guides may
also serve as coachmen, messengers, or scouts.
Prerequisite: Wis 11+.
Class Skills: Climb, Gather Information, Handle Animal,
Knowledge: Local, Intuit Direction.
HERBALIST
You are extremely knowledgeable about the harvest,
preparation and practical uses of berries, flowers, herbs, roots
and other flora.
Prerequisite: Int 11+ or Wis 11+.
Class Skills: Alchemy, Heal, Knowledge: Nature,
Wilderness Lore.
HUNTER
You have spent a great deal of time in pursuit of wild game
for profit and sustenance.
Class Skills: Climb, Listen, Spot, Wilderness Lore.
INFORMANT
You have mastered the dubious arts of bribery,
eavesdropping, lurking about and stealing secrets. Whether you
do so out of greed or patriotism is up to you.
Prerequisite: Int 11+.
Class Skills: Gather Information, Hide, Listen, Move
Silently.
MERCHANT
You are well-versed in the art of the deal. Haggling is
second nature to you.
Prerequisite: Int 11+.
Class Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Sense Motive, Speak
Language.
OLD NAME
Your family name is both old and respected in your home
area. Unlike other background feats, you do not necessarily
have any special talent or career interest; you were simply born
into “the right family”.
Prerequisite: Aristocrat, Courtier or Noble class.
Class Skills: You gain a +5 circumstance bonus to your
Charisma-based skill checks during all social situations with
NPCs in your home area.
PERFORMER
You have a special talent for making crowds laugh, cry, and
cheer. You are never happier than when you have an audience
in the palm of your hand.
Class Skills: Bluff, Disguise, Perform, Sense Motive.
POLITICIAN
You are skilled in the diplomatic arts, from bribery to
flattery to seduction, and all in the name of your king or noble
house.
Prerequisite: Aristocrat, Courtier or Noble class, Int 11+,
Cha 13+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Speak
Language.
PRIEST
You are not necessarily a priest, but have devoutly studied
the holy scripture of your religion for years. You may have
faithfully served as an altar boy, or in the choir, or may have
been raised in an abbey, convent, or monastery.
Prerequisite: Wis 11+.
Class Skills: Diplomacy, Knowledge: Religion, Perform,
Sense Motive.
PROFESSOR
You have dedicated your life to spreading knowledge and
teaching others. You may write text books, give lectures or
hold classes.
Prerequisite: Int 15+.
Class Skills: Diplomacy, Gather Information, Knowledge
(any two), Speak Language.
RIVER BOAT PILOT
You ply your trade as a ferryman, bringing cargo and
passengers from one side of a river to the other.
Class Skills: Balance, Spot, Swim, Use Rope.
SAILOR
You have worked on a ship on the open ocean. You have
enough knowledge and skill of ship operation to qualify as a
crewman on any ship.
Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Intuit Direction, Spot.
SCHOLAR
You spent many years in study and pursuit of knowledge.
Prerequisite: Int 13+.
Class Skills: Gather Information, Knowledge (any two),
Speak Language.
SCHOLAR
You spent many years in study and pursuit of knowledge.
Prerequisite: Int 13+.
Class Skills: Gather Information, Knowledge (any two),
Speak Language.
SCROUNGER
You are well-acquainted with the shady side of a particular
city. You know where to shop for the best deals, where to make
contact with criminals or mercenaries, or what path to take
when fleeing the city guard.
Class Skills: Bluff, Gather Information, Hide, Pick Pocket.
SERVANT
You spent many years in the employ of a well-to-do family,
or in a business such as an inn.
Class Skills: Diplomacy, Gather Information, Sense
Motive, Speak Language.
STORYTELLER
You heard and told hundreds of stories, favles, poems and
other written (or oral works of fact and fancy).
Prerequisite: Cha 11+.
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information,
Perform.
URCHIN
You are a child of the cold, cruel city streets with nowhere
else to call home and no traditional family to rely on. You have
begged, scammed, stolen or done any number of other
distasteful things to survive in the urban jungle.
Class Skills: Bluff, Hide, Move Silently, Pick Pocket.
WHALER
You are skilled at hunting whales and other large creatures
of the high seas. You are strong, fearless, and an expert
swimmer.
Prerequisite: Str 13+.
Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Jump, Spot, Swim.
Last edited:
Of course, the wanderer class got 8 + Int mod per level in skill points, so that's a no-brainer.
