Sky Pirate O.C.C.

Sky Pirate O.C.C. by Stone Gargoyle

One of the more sinister men of arms O.C.C.s, combining the skills of the sky sailor and mercenary warrior O.C.C., is the Sky Pirate. They are rarely found, as theirs is a highly dangerous profession. They will typically hide at higher altitudes than other airships and attack those flying below, or fly over seagoing vessels or towns and attack them. Even though they make their fortune by attacking, plundering, kidnapping and extortion, they frequently follow their own code, their own laws, and often engage in legitimate trade in addition to their illegal activities, depending on where they can make the most money.
Pay is usually a small percentage of the plundering (very small percentage, varying depending on the number of crew on their airship). A larger percentage goes to proven officers and particularly capable, powerful, valuable or deadly individuals. The captain and his first mate get the largest portion.
Since Sky Pirates generally don't live aboard their airship, fringe benefits generally don't include meals or a place to sleep, so Sky Pirates have to fend for themselves between adventures. They do get a fair share of adventure and travel, as well as a means to vent their foul side, by terrorizing, stealing, destroying, torturing, raping, maiming and murdering.
The Sky Pirate is a combination thief and warrior. Some are more warrior than thief and vice versa. Consequently, the skills and alignments of a Sky Pirate may vary widely. Occasionally, regular thieves and assassins join the crew, as do practitioners of magic and psychics, but being part of the crew is not the same as being a Sky Pirate, and such characters keep their thief, assassin, etc., O.C.C. and may not know a thing about flying.

Alignments: Usually anarchist or evil. While a Sky Pirate cannot be of a good alignment, they usually have to be team players, so the majority are rarely diabolic. Of course, there are always a few bad apples (rotten to the core) in every group of Sky Pirates.

Attribute Minimum Requirements: P.S. 7, P.P. 8

O.C.C. Bonuses: +2 initiative, +2 to maintain balance, +2 to save vs. Horror Factor, +1 to all Perception rolls (anything to do with working at high altitudes)

O.C.C. Skills:

Airmanship (+15%)

Rope Works (+10%)

Castaway/Shipwreck Survival (+10%)

Climb/Scale Walls (+10%)

Parachuting (+5%)

W.P. Blunt

W.P. Grappling Hook

W.P. Two of choice

Hand to Hand: Expert. Can be changed to Hand to Hand: Assassin (if evil) at the cost of one "other" skill, or to Hand to Hand: Martial Arts for the cost of two "other" skills.

O.C.C. Related Skills: Select eight other skills at level one, plus select two additional skills at levels 4, 8 and 12. All new skills start at level one proficiency.

Communications and Performing Arts: Any (+5% for any languages)

Domestic: Any

Espionage: Any

Horsemanship: General only

Medical: First Aid only

Military: Any

Physical: Any (Skydiving is typical)

Pilot: Lighter-Than-Air Vehicles only

Pilot Related: Any

Rogue: Any (+5%)

Science: Astronomy & Navigation, or Mathematics: Basic, only

Scholar & Technical: Any (+15%)

Weapon Proficiencies: Any

Wilderness: Any

Secondary Skills: The character also gets to select four secondary skills from the previous list at level one, and one additional skill at levels 3, 6, 9 and 11. These are additional areas of knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonus listed in parentheses. All secondary skills start at the base skill level. Also, skills are limited (any, only, none) as previously indicated.

Starting Equipment: One suit of clothing, including a good pair of leather boots and a wide leather belt, plus a spare pair of pants, and two spare shirts. Also goggles, leather gloves, a large sack, a small sack, a small pouch, a sewing kit with an over-sized needle for repairing the gasbag, and a marlin spike (looks like an ice pick) used for splicing rope (also does 1d6 damage in combat). Parachutes are usually also provided.

Armor: Sky Pirates wear leather armor or none at all. Leather armor provides freedom of movement, light weight, and the wearer can wear it when parachuting. Most Sky Pirates wear hard leather or studded, the two which afford maximum protection. Heavy armor is too restrictive when climbing and parachuting. Sky Pirates start out with hard leather armor (A.R. 11, 39 S.D.C.), typically either provided by their captain/employer, or scavenged as booty from one of their fallen victims.

Weapons: The cutlass and scimitar are commonly identified with Sky Pirates, but almost any small and medium type weapon can be used. Sky Pirates usually have a wide variety of weapons and armor from plundering them, but starting characters have either a cutlass or scimitar, plus two knives (one for cooking and eating, the other for combat, but both can be used either as throwing weapons or for hand to hand combat.

Money: The character starts out with 100 gold in pocket.