Archives of Nethys
You live a life of freedom, taking by force and intimidation all that you could possibly desire. You may be a privateer, raiding and plundering on behalf of a particular nation or another authority, or you may answer to no one but your own capricious whims. Either way, you rely on intimidation, wits, and combat prowess to take what you want from those you deem less deserving.
Pirates have much in common with swashbucklers, and many pirates have the swashbuckler class or archetype. Much like a swashbuckler's daring deeds, classic pirate maneuvers are often showy feats intended to impress, intimidate, and gain panache. For example, if you have the panache class feature, Boarding Assault gains the bravado trait.
Additional Feats
Source Player Core pg. 215Some archetypes include a list of “Additional Feats” that appear in other sources. The list includes each feat’s level, which might be different than normal when gained from the archetype. You can take the feat as an archetype feat of that level, meaning it counts toward the number of feats required by the archetype’s dedication feat. When selected this way, a feat that normally has a class’s trait (such as the fighter trait) doesn’t have that class trait.
Click here for the full rules on Additional Feats.
Pirate Dedication Feat 2
Archetype Dedication Source Player Core 2 pg. 209
Archetype Pirate
Prerequisites trained in Intimidation
As a pirate, you sail the seas in search of enemy ships to plunder and great adventures to embark on. You gain the Additional Lore general feat for Sailing Lore or for a specific coastal city you have a connection to (such as Port Peril Lore). You ignore the effects of difficult terrain or uneven ground caused by unstable ground (such as the deck of a ship). Additionally, you gain the Boarding Assault action.
Boarding Assault [two-actions] (flourish) Either Stride twice or attempt an Acrobatics check (DC determined by the GM, but usually DC 20) to swing up to twice your Speed on a rope or similar object, then Strike. If you boarded or disembarked from a boat or similar vehicle during this movement, the Strike deals one additional weapon damage die.
Antagonize Feat 4
Swashbuckler Source Player Core 2 pg. 165
Archetype Pirate
Your taunts and threats earn your foes' ire. When you successfully Demoralize a creature, its frightened condition can't decrease to less than 1 at the end of its turn until it either uses a hostile action against you or can no longer observe or sense you for at least 1 round.
Bitter Taste of Betrayal Feat 4
Uncommon Archetype Source High Seas pg. 92
Archetype Pirate
Prerequisites Pirate Dedication
Access You're from the Shackles
Spend enough time in Hell Harbor, and you pick up the paranoia encouraged by Arronax Endymion. Maybe you served under him on the Tyrannous, escaped his executioners, or had a friend who wasn’t so lucky; whatever the reason, you have some of his wariness. Unless you’re a willing target, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to AC and saves against creatures you consider an ally and creatures who are undetected by you. If a creature you thought was an ally reveals itself as an enemy, you get the same bonus against them until the end of your next turn.
Broadside Buckos Feat 4
Legacy Content
Uncommon ArchetypeSource Firebrands pg. 78
Archetype Pirate
Prerequisites Pirate Dedication
Access Members of the Firebrands at the rank of second mark or higher have access to this feat.
Shimali Manux trains every Salt Breaker to fight in the cramped quarters below deck, and you've learned how to use these techniques with your crew. During your daily preparations, you can name up to five crewmates you will be working with that day. If an enemy is within reach of you and at least two of your crewmates, that enemy is flat-footed against you.
Inner Sea Privateer Feat 4
Archetype Skill Source High Seas pg. 92
Archetype Pirate
Prerequisites Pirate Dedication; expert in Sailing Lore
Access You're from the Shackles
You make your living as a pirate, as well as a little extra by hiring out your services to Andoran, Cheliax, or Mbe’ke. You need to recognize which ships are legitimate targets and which you need to play nice with. You can use Sailing Lore to Recall Knowledge about creatures native to the High Seas and flags, ships, and sailors in the region. If a ship is using a false flag or other disguise to hide its true allegiances, the GM will roll a secret Sailing Lore check for you to recognize it, typically against a standard DC for the level of the ship’s captain.
Into the Storm Feat 4
Uncommon Archetype Source High Seas pg. 92
Archetype Pirate
Prerequisites Pirate Dedication
Access You're from the Shackles
Many Shackles pirates use the Eye of Abendego to great effect, but none have more familiarity with the storm than the Master of the Gales, ruler of Drenchport and five-time winner of the Free Captains’ Regatta. You’ve learned his crew’s techniques for fighting in severe weather. You reduce circumstance penalties to ranged weapon attacks due to wind or precipitation by 2. You can also use weapons you’re a master in with a –4 circumstance penalty (–2 if you’re legendary) even if wind or precipitation would normally prevent it, such as the effects of wall of wind.
Pirate Combat Training Feat 4
Archetype Source Player Core 2 pg. 209
Archetype Pirate
Prerequisites Pirate Dedication
You're particularly skilled at wielding the weapons used traditionally by pirates. You gain either the Combat Climber or Underwater Marauder skill feat, even if you do not meet its prerequisites. You have familiarity with the following weapons: hatchet, rapier, scimitar, and whip—for the purposes of proficiency, you treat any of these weapons as simple weapons. Your GM may add additional martial weapons to this list as appropriate for your world or region.
At 5th level, whenever you get a critical hit with one of these weapons, you get its critical specialization effect.
Pirate's Pet Feat 4
Archetype Source High Seas pg. 92
Archetype Pirate
Prerequisites Pirate Dedication
Access You're from the Shackles
An animal has become your loyal ally, perhaps after you liberated it from another ship or found it on a remote island. You gain the Pet general feat. Your pet gains an additional pet Shackles Options ability, which you can choose from the standard pet abilities or the following familiar abilities: accompanist, damage avoidance, independent, partner in crime, speech, and valet.
In addition, you learn a common 1st- or 2nd-rank spell that targets your familiar, and can cast it once per day as a primal innate spell. You can instead learn phase familiar and can cast it once per hour as a primal innate spell; it’s not a focus spell for you. When you cast the chosen spell, you target your pirate’s pet instead of a familiar.
Rope Runner Feat 4
Archetype Skill Source Player Core 2 pg. 209
Archetype Pirate
Prerequisites Pirate Dedication; trained in Acrobatics and Athletics
You run and climb across ropes and rigging almost as easily as on the ground. You gain a climb Speed of 15 feet, but only when climbing ropes and similar objects. Whenever you succeed at an Athletics check to Climb or an Acrobatics check to Balance, you get a critical success instead. You aren't off-guard while Climbing or Balancing on a rope or similar object.
Sharkskin Grip Feat 4
Uncommon Archetype Source High Seas pg. 92
Archetype Pirate
Prerequisites Pirate Dedication
Access You're from the Shackles
You served on nephilim pirate Ila “Sharkskin” Clare’s ship, the Scorched Shark, and have adopted xir practice of embellishing clothing and armor with sharkskin. As long as you’re wearing your clothing, you gain a +1 item bonus to unarmed attack rolls, Acrobatics checks, and Reflex saves and DCs to Escape, Grab an Edge, or avoid falling prone. In addition, when you successfully Grapple a creature, you deal slashing damage equal to your fist damage dice to that creature as you abrade their skin.
You're Next [reaction] Feat 4
Emotion Fear Mental Rogue Swashbuckler Visual Source Player Core pg. 171, Player Core 2 pg. 165
Archetype Pirate
Prerequisites trained in Intimidation
Trigger You reduce an enemy to 0 Hit Points
After downing a foe, you menace another. Attempt to Demoralize a creature within 60 feet, with a +2 circumstance bonus. If you have legendary proficiency in Intimidation, you can use this as a free action with the same trigger.
Walk the Plank [two-actions] Feat 8
Archetype Source Player Core 2 pg. 209
Archetype Pirate
Prerequisites Pirate Dedication
You frighten a foe into moving where you want them, traditionally demanding they walk the plank. Attempt to Demoralize an opponent. On a success, in addition to the normal effects, you can also force the target to Stride up to its Speed immediately. You choose the path the target takes, but you can't force it to move into an obviously harmful space (such as into hazardous terrain or a space where it would fall) unless your check was a critical success. As normal for forced movement, this movement doesn't trigger reactions. The target then becomes temporarily immune to Walk the Plank for 10 minutes.
Hook 'Em [two-actions] Feat 10
Legacy Content
Uncommon Archetype FlourishSource Firebrands pg. 80
Archetype Pirate
Prerequisites Pirate Dedication
Access Members of the Firebrands at the rank of second mark or higher have access to this feat.
Requirements A rope is within your reach, or you have a rope or grappling weapon in your hand.
The Salt Breakers learned to use whatever they could during the Vidric Revolution, and they quickly mastered the art of making a rope into a useful tool in combat. You take hold of a nearby rope, throw a rope from your hand, or fire a grappling weapon at a solid surface—and then swing up to twice your Speed. If you end your movement next to an enemy, attempt an Athletics check to Grapple that enemy, tying them up in your rope.
Shelyn's Corner
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The classic look for the Archives of Nethys.
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An alternative feel, based on the Rulebooks.
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