The Waterlord

The Waterlord is a first-level sample character for Spheres of Might, suitable for use as a PC or as an NPC. Information on its build rules, and how to adjust for different rules, is included below. This character was created by the community.


The Waterlord (Pirate Commander)
Human commander 1
LG Medium humanoid (human)/outsider (native)
Init +0; Senses Perception +5

Defense

AC 13, touch 10, flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +1 shield)
hp 10 (1d8+2)
Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +3

Offense

Speed 30 ft., swim 10 ft.
Melee cutlass +2 (1d6+2 18-20)
Ranged light crossbow +0 (1d8, 19-20)

Martial

Tradition Pirate (Equipment: Pirate Training, Unarmored Training; Fencing sphere; Athletics sphere, Swim package); PAM Int
Athletics Sphere - DC 13, Talents none, Drawbacks none
- coordinated movement (whenever you take the withdraw action, you regain your martial focus)
- swim package (swim and fight in water more easily and faster)
Equipment sphere - DC 13, Talents Pirate Training, Unarmored Training
- pirate training (discipline) (proficiency with boarding axe, boarding gaff, boarding pike, cat-o’-nine-tails, cutlass, duelist sword, grappling hook, pistol, rapier, and sea-knife. +2 competence bonus to Profession (sailor) checks made to sail a ship.)
- unarmored training (bonus +3 on AC when unarmored, +1 for every 3 ranks in Acrobatics)
Fencing sphere - DC 13, Talents none, Drawbacks none
- fatal thrust (deal +1d6 precision damage to a target that is flat-footed or has lost its Dex bonus to AC)
Warleader sphere - DC 13, Talents Courier’s Dash, Drawbacks Meek Leader
- tactics (flanking: allied creatures are considered to be flanking as long as they both threaten the same creature; courier’s dash: allies that start their turn within the radius gain a +5 ft enhancement bonus to their base land speed)

Statistics

Str 14, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 12
Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 12
Traits Touched by the Sea, Undine Loyalty
Feats Aquatic Ancestry, Planar Heritage (Undine)
Skills Bluff +5, Diplomacy +5, Handle Animal +5, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (engineering) +7, Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (nature) +7, Perception +5, Profession (sailor) +5/+7, Sense Motive +5, Stealth +1, Survival +5, Swim +7
Languages Abyssal, Aquan, Common, Sylvan
SQ lingering commands (3 rounds)
Gear cutlass (15 gp), 2 flasks of liquid life (40 gp), light underwater crossbow (70 gp) with 10 bolts (1 gp), leather armor (10 gp), ranger’s kit (9 gp), buckler (5 gp)

Special Abilities

Athletics Sphere When you gain the Athletics sphere, you gain one of the following packages with its included abilities. You may take the Expanded Training talent to gain additional packages.

Each package has an associated movement mode and an associated skill. Some abilities require you to be using an associated movement mode to function. When you gain a package, you gain 5 ranks in its associated skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Athletics sphere (maximum ranks equal to your total Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the associated skill you may immediately retrain them, but you do not get to retrain when only temporarily gaining talents, such as through the armiger’s customized weapons class feature.

If you possess both the (leap) and (run) packages, you gain a competence bonus on Acrobatics checks equal to half your base attack bonus instead of retraining the ranks a second time.

In addition, you gain the following ability: Coordinated Movement.

Athletics: Coordinated Movement Whenever you take the withdraw action, you regain your martial focus.

Athletics: Swim Package You may perform the charge and withdraw actions while swimming, and can make standard actions and attack actions without decreasing the duration for which you can hold your breath. A successful Swim check means you may move up to your base land speed as a full-round action (as opposed to ½ your base land speed) or ½ your base land speed as a move action (as opposed to ¼th your base land speed). Associated Movement Mode: Swimming. Associated Skill: Swim.

Equipment: Pirate Training (discipline) You gain proficiency with the boarding axe, boarding gaff, boarding pike, cat-o’-nine-tails, cutlass, duelist sword, grappling hook, pistol, rapier, and sea-knife. Additionally, you gain a +2 competence bonus to Profession (sailor) checks made to sail a ship. At +10 base attack bonus, this bonus increases to +4.

Equipment: Unarmored Training Your deft movements, physical conditioning, and expert use of your chosen weapons allow you to create a protective barrier around yourself as effective as any true suit of armor. When unarmored and unencumbered, you gain a +3 armor bonus to your AC. This bonus increases by +1 for every 3 points of base attack bonus you possess. Characters who gain Acrobatics as a class skill may instead choose to have the armor bonus increase by +1 for every 3 ranks in the Acrobatics skill they possess.

This bonus to AC applies even against touch attacks or when you are flat-footed. You lose these bonuses when you are immobilized or helpless, when you wear any armor, or when you carry a medium or heavy load. These bonuses do not stack with the AC bonus class feature of the monk or similar abilities.

This bonus depends on an intricate awareness of the practicioner’s body and balance, and as such is lost when the target is under any shapeshift other than blank form, or is polymorphed into a creature of the animal, dragon, elemental, magical beast, plant, or vermin type.

Fencing Sphere Fencers are quick fighters who use nimble footwork and expert feints to open up their target before landing a fatal blow.

When you gain the Fencing sphere, you gain 5 ranks in the Bluff skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Fencing sphere (maximum ranks equal to your total Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the Bluff skill you may immediately retrain them, but you do not get to retrain when only temporarily gaining talents, such as through the armiger’s customized weapons class feature.

Fencing: Fatal Thrust Whenever you make an attack action or an attack of opportunity against a target that is within 30 ft. and that you are flanking, that is flat-footed, or that has lost its Dexterity bonus to AC (such as through a successful feint), you deal an additional +1d6 precision damage to the target. This damage is not multiplied on a critical hit. This damage increases by an additional 1d6 precision damage for every 5 points of base attack bonus you possess.
A fencer may apply the effects of a single (exploit) talent to any fatal thrust.

Lingering Commands The commander is an expert at commanding troops, even under the most difficult of conditions. Whenever the benefits of a shout or tactic the commander initiated would end, their benefits persist for a number of rounds equal to the higher of his Intelligence or Charisma modifiers. Instantaneous effects are not affected by this ability, nor are tactics that end because the commander used a swift action to activate a different tactic.

Warleader Sphere Practitioners of the Warleader sphere learn techniques for organizing, rallying, and directing their allies in battle. Regardless of whether they are charismatic warriors leading from the front or canny tacticians directing their troops from a secure position overlooking the battlefield, it is the superior talent for directing their troops to coordinate the correct response that makes them invaluable forces on the battlefield. When you gain the Warleader sphere, you gain 5 ranks in the Diplomacy skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Warleader sphere (maximum ranks equal to your total Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the Diplomacy skill you may immediately retrain them, but you do not get to retrain when only temporarily gaining talents, such as through the armiger’s customized weapons class feature.

Warleader: Aggressive Flanking (tactic) While within the affected area of this tactic, allied creatures are considered to be flanking as long as they both threaten the same creature, regardless of their comparative positioning.

Warleader: Courier’s Dash (tactic) All allies that start their turn within the radius of this tactic gain a +5 ft enhancement bonus to their base land speed. An ally who begins or ends their turn outside of this tactic’s affected area loses its benefits until they once more start their turn within its radius. For every 5 ranks in Diplomacy you possess, this enhancement bonus is increased by an additional 5 ft.

Warleader: Meek Leader You do not gain the shout ability. You cannot take (shout) talents. You must take Courier’s Dash with the bonus talent gained through this drawback.

Warleader: Tactics Tactics are coordinated battle plans that require continuing direction from the practitioner to maintain. A creature must have line of sight to, and be able to see, the practitioner to benefit from a tactic. Beginning a tactic is a move action, and it can be maintained each round as a move or swift action. Once activated, you may switch between any tactics you know each time you use a swift action to maintain an ongoing tactic. Tactics affect all allied creatures within a radius of 10 ft. + 5ft. per rank in Diplomacy you possess, and may be centered on any square you have both line of sight and line of effect to. You may recenter an ongoing tactic at a new location as part of the swift action used to maintain it. The benefits of your tactics end immediately if you are helpless, killed, paralyzed, rendered unconscious, or stunned.

When you first gain the Warleader sphere, you gain the following tactic: Aggressive Flanking.


Build

The Waterlord is built with a 20-point buy and 150 gp starting wealth. Favored Class Bonus is +⅙ of an enhanced tactic. If using a lower point buy, you can lower Charisma. If using a higher point buy (or rolling really well), your most important attributes are Intelligence and Strength. Intelligence is your casting statistic and affects the save DCs of all your magic and martial talents and your spell pool, and it also raises your bonus on Knowledge checks; in addition to boosting your Will saves; Strength is important in combat and to do great swimming deeds. Dexterity is important too, to better fire a crossbow, increase your initiative and bolster AC, and Stealth skill checks. Constitution increases your hit points, and a good Wisdom is useful to resist mind control and mind-affecting effects.

How to Play a Waterlord

You are a great corsair commander both above and underwater, relentlessly chasing pillagers and slavers and freeing their prisoners, to give stolen treasures back to the people. You fight both from the back and on the front line as necessary, directing your allies with quick, sensible advice, but you can also be an expert of guerrilla and stealth if needed. In a team, you are the one who always keeps his head level, never letting yourself be carried away by emotions. You don’t bother to be the actual party leader or not: what counts is for the party to work together as one.

Future Abilities

Martial Talents Animal Empathy, Beastmastery Sphere (Handle Animal), Coordinated Attack, Coordinated Reflexes, Expert Eye, Lookout, Mobile Striker, Mobility, Moving Target, Rapid Placement, Reactive Motion, Remote Trigger, Shieldbrothers, Trap Sphere, Verbal Commands

Enhanced Tactics All, with Expert Coordinator taken twice (or none, if you opt for the Vanguard archetype)

Battlefield Specialist Desert, Jungle, Water

Logistic Specialties Call In a Specialist, Mercantile Connections, Secret Ways

Feats Aquadynamic Focus, Aquadynamic Shot, Aquatic Advantage, Aquatic Combatant, Combat Reflexes, Divine Defiance, Endurance, Master Swimmer, Weapon Focus (cutlass)

Consider taking the Vanguard archetype when reaching 2nd level.


This website uses cookies. See the Legal & OGL page for important information. Any material NOT covered by the Open Game License Version 1.0a is covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.