Professional D&D-quality feat line for Crew Roles & Pirate Specializations
The following feats represent the training, instincts, and maritime disciplines cultivated by sailors across the Estes Sea. Whether forged under a pirate flag, sanctioned by a Privateer House, or honed in the deadly trade halls of the Bounty Hunter’s Epsilon, these feats define who you are aboard a ship—and what you become when the sea rises to claim you.
You may take a specialization feat only once, unless a feature (like Captaincy progression) states otherwise.
Some feats have level prerequisites or faction alignment requirements.
These represent the core positions aboard a ship.
They are broadly accessible, though some require faction allegiance or level requirements.
Prerequisite: 5th level, possession of a ship & Jolly Roger (or national charter if Privateer), faction: Pirate / Privateer / Buccaneer / Bounty Hunter
You are the undisputed voice aboard your vessel.
Command Aura: Allies within 30 ft who can see or hear you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and saving throws against fear while aboard your ship.
Crew Rally (1/rest): As a bonus action, choose up to 5 allied crew members; they gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
Authority at Sea: You automatically succeed on checks to command or intimidate your own crew unless magically compelled otherwise.
Fleet Potential: Your character becomes eligible to eventually gain First Mate, Second Mate, and Fleet Commander Leadership benefits.
This feat marks the beginning of a captain’s legacy.
No requirement
You are trained to guide any vessel across the perilous currents of the Estes Sea.
Oceanic Awareness: Gain proficiency in Navigator’s Tools or double proficiency if you already have it.
Pearlflow Sense: You can detect the presence of active pearls within 300 ft, though not their size.
Current Reader: Advantage on checks to avoid storms, reefs, pearl turbulence, elemental rifts, or supernatural sea hazards.
Star-Thread Memory: You can always determine your cardinal direction unless magically obscured.
No requirement
You know how to keep a crew alive with skill, food, and improvised medicine.
Galley Surgeon: Gain proficiency in Medicine and Cook’s Utensils.
Battle Rations: After a long rest, you can prepare “Hardy Meals” for up to 6 creatures; each gains +2 temporary hit points and advantage on the next saving throw against exhaustion.
Emergency Brew: Once per long rest, you can stabilize a creature automatically and restore 1d4 hit points.
No requirement
You maintain a ship like a doctor maintains a body.
Reconstruction Expert: Gain proficiency in Carpenter’s Tools or double proficiency if already proficient.
Rapid Repairs: Once per short rest, you can repair your ship for an amount equal to 5 × your proficiency bonus × the ship’s tier category (Common, Grand, Titanic).
Structural Diagnosis: You can identify weak points, rot, pearl stress fractures, and sabotage with advantage.
The most prestigious of all support roles
You are trained to handle, bind, stabilize, and maintain magical pearls of all sizes.
Pearl Handling: Gain proficiency in Arcana or double proficiency if already proficient.
Safe Binding: You reduce the risk of pearl instability on a ship by 25%.
Quick Slotting: You can attune or un-attune a pearl in half the usual time.
Elemental Insight: You have advantage on checks to diagnose conflicting pearl elements, slot contamination, or figurehead resonance issues.
These represent important but non-essential roles that greatly enhance the functionality of any vessel.
Prerequisite: Appointed by a Captain
You are the captain’s right hand, the one who enforces order and keeps the ship running.
Quartermaster’s Cut: All personal purchases made for ship supplies or upgrades cost 25% less.
Bellowed Orders: Once per short rest, you may shout a command as a bonus action; 3 crew members may move up to 10 ft without provoking opportunity attacks.
Steel the Crew: Crew morale checks against fear or mutiny gain advantage as long as you are present.
Medical specialization – may be taken by a Cook or Shipwright for additional power
Advanced Medicine: You can treat two creatures when using the Help action to aid Medicine.
Surgical Precision: When you heal a creature, add +3 to the total restored hit points.
Pearl Injury Expertise: You have advantage on checks to treat injuries caused by pearl backlash, elemental burns, ruptures, or resonance fractures.
You are trained in naval artillery and handheld ranged combat.
Sharpshot Aim: Ignore half cover while firing ranged weapons or ship cannons.
Rig-Brace: Allies within 10 ft have advantage on checks to steady cannons during turbulence.
Reload Commander: Once per short rest, you can reduce the reload time of a ship cannon or heavy weapon to a bonus action for one round.
You control the ship’s wheel and guide its power.
Master of Rudder & Pearlflow: Advantage on all checks to steer through storms, whirlpools, elemental wakes, or pearl turbulence.
Evasive Wheel (1/rest): As a reaction, reduce an incoming ship-damage roll by 1d12.
Perfect Drift: When using a pearl-powered ship, gain +5 ft to all tactical maneuvering bursts.
You specialize in infiltration, reconnaissance, and rumorcraft.
Silent Boarding: Advantage on checks to climb or board ships undetected.
Gossip’s Compass: Once per long rest, you may ask the DM one question about pirate movements, bounties, or local political tensions.
Disguise Adept: Gain proficiency in Disguise Kit and one extra language.
Optional but powerful backgrounds that flesh out crew identity.
Hawkeye Training: Gain proficiency in Perception; double proficiency if already proficient.
Stormwatch: You can see through rain, fog, and sea mist as if lightly obscured.
Early Warning (reaction): Grant one ally advantage on initiative once per long rest.
Sea-Shanty Resonance: Allies who hear you perform during a short rest gain +1d4 additional healing.
Tempo of Battle: Once per long rest, grant 5 allies +10 ft movement for one round.
Blade Rhythm: Gain proficiency in a martial weapon.
Lorekeeper: Proficiency in History plus advantage on checks involving pirate legends, ancient islands, or pearl beasts.
Loot Ledger: You increase your personal number of allowed “loot interactions” or treasure dice by +5 each long rest.
Map Recorder: You can flawlessly record maps, routes, and landmarks seen once.
Haggler: Personal food purchases cost half.
Market Eye: Advantage on checks to appraise goods.
Supply Stretch: You reduce ship food consumption by 10%.
Brawler’s Instincts: Gain proficiency in unarmed combat and improvised weapons.
Deck Fighter: You do not suffer disadvantage on attacks made on a rolling or unstable ship deck.
Knockdown Burst (1/rest): Strike a creature; if it fails a Strength save, it falls prone.