Sea Captain

By David Eber.


"Did I ever tell you about the one that got away?"

For as long as you can remember, you've had the sea in your blood. Maybe you were born into a sailing family, or maybe you ran away when you were young to follow your destiny across the watery horizon. Whatever the case, you found that life at sea wasn't as exciting and romantic as you thought. It was a lot of hard work in the sweltering tropical sun and a lot of cold nights trying to ride out a killer storm. It was rotten food and little sleep and boredom and poverty, and maybe you had to turn to smuggling or even piracy to survive. But with a lot of time and perserverance you became captain of your own ship. And somewhere along the way you found out the truth, or at least enough of it, and there was the adventure you were looking for. Now you no longer sail just the seven seas, but the waterways of the Netherworld as well. You've fought off sea demons and skirted the whirlpool of blood, and you call no man your master. But though you decided long ago that you were in it for yourself, some of the things you've seen have made you reconsider. With your talents and knowledge, you might just be able to make a difference.

Juncture: A.D. 69, 1850, contemporary

Attributes: Bod 5, Chi 0 (For = 5), Mnd 5 (Cha 6), Ref 5

Divide 6 points among your primary attributes, spending no more than 4 points on any single attribute.

Skills:
Driving (Piloting) +7 (12)
Fix-it +3 (8) (Max 12)
Guns (=13)
Info/Netherworld +3 (8)
Info/Navigation +5 (10)
Info/Seamanship +7 (12)
Leadership +4 (10)
Martial Arts (=10)

Add 6 skill bonuses. You may swap Martial Arts and Guns if desired.

Weapons: 2 weapons of appropriate juncture

Unique Schtick:
  1. You have travelled the seas long enough to find your way, and the Netherworld long enough to know its ways. If you are ever lost on the water, you may spend a Fortune Die to have the GM tell you where you are (unless it disrupts the plot).
  2. Your line of work and your travels around the world have put you into contact with a lot of people of all types. Whenever you make a contacts task check, the difficulty is reduced by one.
Quick Schtick Pick:
weapons
69: sword, dagger
1850: sword, black powder pistol
contemporary: Norinco Type M1911, knife

Wealth Level: working stiff

Notes: Obviously, this is getting into the realm of highly specialized characters, and is probably better suited as a GMC. I tried to keep this character type relatively balanced. While he may not be as great combat-wise or schtick-wise as some other characters, his knowledge of the Netherworld and his varied connections could prove a useful asset to a starting group who don't know their way around.



Last modified: November 30, 1996; please send comments to durrell@innocence.com.