The Sailor is the sea's answer to the Knight and Rogue: a deck fighter and a ship's captain, at home in a boarding action and behind the wheel. A free class, no unlock needed, and it trains the Sailing meta-skill faster than anyone (its natural home, the way the Commander owns Leadership).
| Hit Die | d10 |
| Primary Ability | Dexterity and Constitution |
| Saving Throws | Dexterity, Constitution |
| Armor | Light, medium (heavy armor drowns you) |
| Weapons | Simple, martial (cutlass, boarding axe, harpoon, hand crossbow) |
| Tools | Navigator's tools |
| Skills | Choose 2 from Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Survival |
Hit Points at 1st level: 10 + Constitution modifier. At higher levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per level.
Ability Score Improvements: 4, 8, 12, 16, 19 (you may take a feat instead at each).
| Level | Prof. | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | +2 | Sea Legs, Boarder |
| 2 | +2 | Rigging Runner |
| 3 | +2 | Berth (subclass) |
| 4 | +2 | Ability Score Improvement (or feat) |
| 5 | +3 | Extra Attack |
| 6 | +3 | Deck Crew |
| 7 | +3 | Berth feature |
| 8 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement (or feat) |
| 9 | +4 | Gunnery |
| 10 | +4 | Storm-Wise |
| 11 | +4 | Cutlass Dance |
| 12 | +4 | Ability Score Improvement (or feat) |
| 13 | +5 | Berth feature |
| 14 | +5 | Captain |
| 15 | +5 | Unsinkable |
| 16 | +5 | Ability Score Improvement (or feat) |
| 17 | +6 | Berth feature |
| 18 | +6 | Berth capstone |
| 19 | +6 | Ability Score Improvement (or feat) |
| 20 | +6 | Master Mariner |
Sea Legs. Never lose footing on a deck or unstable ground; an edge while aboard. Boarder. Bonus to close, grapple, and strike when boarding or repelling boarders. Rigging Runner. Climb, swing, and reposition as a bonus action; the ship is your terrain. Deck Crew. Command a small NPC crew (ties to the Leadership follower cap at boat scale). Gunnery. Crew and fire a ship weapon: ram, bolt-thrower, the naval attack layer. Storm-Wise. Read and ride weather and sea hazards; mitigate wreck and drift. Cutlass Dance. Multi-target melee on a crowded deck. Captain. Pilot a single vessel in combat: buff the crew, steer the fight. Unsinkable. Survive going overboard; resist drowning and fear; hold the deck. Master Mariner. Pilot any vessel at peak, with one signature naval maneuver per long rest (ram, broadside, or slip a blockade).
A Sailor's berth sets which side of the law they sail on (features at 3, 7, 13, 18).
Taking a ship starts with a demand, not a broadside. You close, you show what you have, and you ask for his colours. Most masters strike, because the alternative is dying for somebody else's cargo. A hull you shot to pieces is worth less, a crew you killed cannot sail it home for you, and a reputation for killing after a surrender means the next six ships fight you instead. The reputation is the weapon. Everything else is the fallback.
The Sailor is also the base most Admirals rise from. See The Sea and Classes.
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