Identity
A Smuggler-Captain is what you become when the freighter is yours, the crew is yours, and the contract is technically not yours but the cargo is paid through. The iconic Smuggler-Captain is a Black Meridian veteran whose corvette has been rebuilt three times, who knows the customs officer at every minor port within fifty parsecs, and who has personally taught their gunner to lie to authorities with a straight face. Captains do not fight battles; they finish runs.
Features
- L3 Ship's Confidante
Choose one crewmember of your Bonded Vessel at the end of a long rest. That crewmember is your Confidante for the next 24 hours. While you and your Confidante are both aboard your Bonded Vessel, the Coordinated Crew bonus they receive from you increases by an additional +1 (so +2 at 5th level, +3 at 14th), and you have advantage on Insight checks made to detect deception aimed at either of you. You also gain proficiency in Persuasion if you do not already have it.
- L7 Captain's Gambit
Once per short rest, when a crewmember of your Bonded Vessel within 30 ft of you makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to allow them to reroll the result, taking the higher of the two. You must be able to see or speak to them (including via comms). You can use this feature on yourself only if you are at the controls of your Bonded Vessel at the time.
- L11 Reputation as Cover
Your name carries at frontier ports, free stations, and grey-market exchanges. When you arrive at a port your GM judges to be of frontier or criminal-adjacent character, you can spend 10 minutes asking after favors, leads, or local intelligence. You learn one piece of useful local information (rumor, contact, threat) without rolling, and you can attempt to invoke a small favor (overnight berth, expedited clearance, a tip on a job) on a successful DC 13 Charisma check. The reputation can also work against you: agents of factions you have crossed will hear of your arrival within a day.
- L15 Ghost Ship
Your Bonded Vessel becomes operationally invisible to ordinary tracking. While you are aboard and at the controls (or have designated a trusted crew member at the controls), your Bonded Vessel does not appear on standard sensor sweeps, port-authority manifests, or magical scrying that targets the vessel itself by location. Targeted scrying that names you or another aboard crew member by name still functions normally. Specialized military or Aurelion High Magisterium sensors can pierce the cover on a contested Investigation or Riftcraft check against your INT or DEX modifier + your proficiency bonus.
- L18 Legendary Captain
Your crew does not break. While you are conscious and aboard your Bonded Vessel, your trusted crew (designated by Crew Captain or any Confidante currently in effect) are immune to the frightened condition and have advantage on saving throws to maintain concentration on tasks (piloting, gunnery, system operation) while under fire. Additionally, when a trusted crewmember would drop to 0 HP from a single instance of damage, they instead drop to 1 HP. Each crewmember can benefit from this last effect once per long rest.