Today’s a bit of a shipwreck because Mythological Figures is taking on the erstwhile sailor Sinbad!
Sinbad has been used in a bunch of different stories that aren’t from his first (late) appearance in 1,001 Arabian Nights (where most of the original tales from his seven voyages involve him getting shipwrecked). He does a lot of interesting things during his journeys:
Design Notes: Sinbad is a survivor through and through, good at staying alive in the wilderness, not bad at sailing (just plagued by misfortune), and he’s a talented archer. Breaking down his CR you get either 6 (accurate arrows) or 3.5 (more damaging arrows) so I’m inclined to put him at a 5—definitely a character that could be fun to include or play in a seafaring game but probably not wildly exciting on the land or in a city.
Sinbad
Medium humanoid (human), lawful good rogue 2/ranger 1/fighter (archer) 7
Armor Class 15 (studded leather)
Hit Points 73 (2d8+8d10+20)
Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +6
Skills Animal Handling +6, Athletics +4, Insight +6, Investigation +6, Perception +6, Persuasion +10, Stealth +7, Survival +6; thieves’ tools +7, vehicles (water) +11
Senses passive Perception 16
Languages Common
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Action Surge (1/Short Rest). On his turn, Sinbad can take an additional action on top of his regular action and a possible bonus action.
Attentive Gaze. Sinbad can use a bonus action to take the Search action.
Background: Nautical. Sinbad is able to acquire passage on a sailing ship for him and his allies free of charge. He has no control over the ship’s route, departure, or return, and although no coin is required he and his companions do have to help crew the vessel.
Cunning Action (1/Turn). Sinbad can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Excellent Aim (3/Short Rest). Sinbad can spend a bonus action to aim a wielded ranged weapon at a target within his range. Until the end of his turn, ranged attacks that Sinbad makes against the target deal an extra 5 damage.
Favored Enemy. Sinbad has advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track beasts, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
Feat: Superb Aim. Sinbad ignores half cover and three-quarters cover when making a ranged weapon attack, and he doesn’t have disadvantage when attacking at long range. When Sinbad makes his first ranged weapon attack in a turn, he can choose to take a -5 penalty to his ranged weapon attack rolls in exchange for a +10 bonus to ranged weapon damage.
Natural Explorer: Coasts. When Sinbad makes an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to the coast, his proficiency bonus (+4) is doubled if he is using a skill that he’s proficient in. While traveling for an hour or more in his favored terrain, Sinbad gains the following benefits:
Second Wind (1/Short Rest). On his turn, Sinbad can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+7 hit points.
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Sinbad deals an extra 3 (1d6) damage when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Sinbad that isn’t incapacitated and Sinbad doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Sinbad attack twice, instead of once, whenever he takes the Attack action on his turn.
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage.
Dagger. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage.
Sinbad has been used in a bunch of different stories that aren’t from his first (late) appearance in 1,001 Arabian Nights (where most of the original tales from his seven voyages involve him getting shipwrecked). He does a lot of interesting things during his journeys:
- got married and entombed with his recently deceased wife (surviving by stealing and eating the rations of other unfortunate spouses doomed to the same fate)
- made rafts and sailed them (sometimes pretty far) several times
- hitches a ride from rocs and bird people
- blinds a monstrous giant
- carries around the Old Man of the Sea on his shoulders
- gets rich over and over again
- is enslaved more than once
- kills so many elephants that he’s taken to the elephant’s graveyard by the king of the elephants
Design Notes: Sinbad is a survivor through and through, good at staying alive in the wilderness, not bad at sailing (just plagued by misfortune), and he’s a talented archer. Breaking down his CR you get either 6 (accurate arrows) or 3.5 (more damaging arrows) so I’m inclined to put him at a 5—definitely a character that could be fun to include or play in a seafaring game but probably not wildly exciting on the land or in a city.
Sinbad
Medium humanoid (human), lawful good rogue 2/ranger 1/fighter (archer) 7
Armor Class 15 (studded leather)
Hit Points 73 (2d8+8d10+20)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 11 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 14 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 14 (+2) |
Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +6
Skills Animal Handling +6, Athletics +4, Insight +6, Investigation +6, Perception +6, Persuasion +10, Stealth +7, Survival +6; thieves’ tools +7, vehicles (water) +11
Senses passive Perception 16
Languages Common
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Action Surge (1/Short Rest). On his turn, Sinbad can take an additional action on top of his regular action and a possible bonus action.
Attentive Gaze. Sinbad can use a bonus action to take the Search action.
Background: Nautical. Sinbad is able to acquire passage on a sailing ship for him and his allies free of charge. He has no control over the ship’s route, departure, or return, and although no coin is required he and his companions do have to help crew the vessel.
Cunning Action (1/Turn). Sinbad can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Excellent Aim (3/Short Rest). Sinbad can spend a bonus action to aim a wielded ranged weapon at a target within his range. Until the end of his turn, ranged attacks that Sinbad makes against the target deal an extra 5 damage.
Favored Enemy. Sinbad has advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track beasts, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
Feat: Superb Aim. Sinbad ignores half cover and three-quarters cover when making a ranged weapon attack, and he doesn’t have disadvantage when attacking at long range. When Sinbad makes his first ranged weapon attack in a turn, he can choose to take a -5 penalty to his ranged weapon attack rolls in exchange for a +10 bonus to ranged weapon damage.
Natural Explorer: Coasts. When Sinbad makes an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to the coast, his proficiency bonus (+4) is doubled if he is using a skill that he’s proficient in. While traveling for an hour or more in his favored terrain, Sinbad gains the following benefits:
- Difficult terrain doesn’t slow his group’s travel.
- Sinbad’s group can’t become lost except by magical means.
- Even when he is engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), Sinbad remains alert to danger.
- If Sinbad is traveling alone, he can move stealthily at a normal pace.
- When he forages, Sinbad finds twice as much food as he normally would.
- While tracking other creatures, Sinbad also learns their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.
Second Wind (1/Short Rest). On his turn, Sinbad can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+7 hit points.
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Sinbad deals an extra 3 (1d6) damage when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Sinbad that isn’t incapacitated and Sinbad doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Sinbad attack twice, instead of once, whenever he takes the Attack action on his turn.
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage.
Dagger. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage.
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