Purpose
The Brotherhood of Sailors is a professional organization made up of men and women who sail the seas for a living. It is dedicated to pro- viding better working conditions, fair treat- ment, and a modicum of security to all who sail the seas, as well as making a profit for itself where possible.
Leader
Sail mistress Deliah Burke (LN human female Rog12/Sam7)
Current Activities
The Brotherhood is as old an organization as any that currently exists among free men. The founder of the group was a man called Brunel, a veteran sailor who dreamed of captaining his own ship. Despite his skill as a sailor, however, he remained unable to raise the funds to buy his own ship on his meager pay. Still, he saved what he could and waited for an opportunity to arise.
It was only a few years later when the local magistrate held an auction of ships seized from the pirate bands that had tried to raid the city. They were mostly old and battle-scarred, some only barely seaworthy. Still, Brunel saw his chance. He joined with a group of other sailors, pooling their funds to purchase a sizable wreck they christened New Tides.
Brunel and his fellows crewed the vessel, tak- ing on new members as needed under the fol- lowing restriction: The sailor wishing to work on the vessel must pay 50 gp up front and would take a share of the profits upon the voy- age’s completion. Such an arrangement was unheard of, and many laughed at Brunel and his fellows outright. But a few more joined
at every port, and soon they were sailing with a full complement. Fortune smiled on the group, and they had a highly profitable voyage, mak- ing all of them wealthier than they had hoped. Brunel saw the advantage in what he had done and proceeded to expand his operation. He pur- chased more ships, seeking out like-minded sailors to run them. As time went on, the group began to have more interest than there were ships available. It was then that Brunel realized what could be done. He and the others renamed their enterprise the Brotherhood of Sailors. They established a chapterhouse in Haros, their home port, and began offering training, free room and board for sailors, and some small security to the members’ families. Through the years, the Brotherhood has spread. It now num- bers some 25 chapterhouses and more mem- bers than anyone has bothered to track.
In the current day, the vaunted sail masters of the Brotherhood, with their undisputed skills and magical talents, are considered the elite among sailors and fetch unheard-of wages to sail with another ship. There are some, howev- er, who doubt the good intentions of the Brotherhood. Whether these rumors are simply jealousy or spring from fact, few can say.
CHAPTER ONE: Prestige Classes
CHAPTER ONE: Prestige Classes
The truth is that the Brotherhood has grown so large, no one can know what happens through- out all its ranks. While most chapterhouses are benign organizations that wish only to serve the common good of their members, many are becoming shady organizations bent on piracy, fencing stolen goods, and other vices. Many independent captains have complained of sabo- tage at the hands of the Brotherhood, but evi- dence is rare and most claims are quickly dropped. The leadership of the Brotherhood is only now beginning to hear of such things; what their reaction will be is anyone’s guess.
Campaign Integration
Membership in the Brotherhood costs 50 gp per year. For those dues, a character receives the following benefits.
• In the case of the member’s death or disap- pearance, the immediate family of the member will receive an annuity of 25 gp for each year that the sailor was a member in good standing. • At any port in which there is a chapterhouse, members in good standing can receive free room and board, as well as training in skills appropriate to the profession of sailor.
• At any port in which there is a chapterhouse, a member of the Brotherhood who is under attack can call out the code of the Brotherhood and gather 1d6 fellow members to his aid on a successful Gather Information check (DC 12). In any other populated area, 1d3 members may respond (including onboard ship).
• Members in good standing for a decade are eligible for command of one of the Brotherhood’s own ships, if recommended by a sail master. Captains must serve for five years, at the end of which they may either continue on, purchase the boat outright, or leave their command and strike out on their own. While they serve on the Brotherhood’s ship, all profit from the voyages are split 70/30 with the guild, with the Brotherhood getting the larger half. Those who choose to join the Brotherhood are given an intricate tattoo on their upper arm: a ship with the wind in her sails, surrounded by a wreath of olive branches and the code of the Brotherhood, “Ora et Labora” (pray and labor), on a ribbon below.
The Brotherhood of Sailors can easily serve as the focus in a maritime campaign, with the characters being members of the group and serving among its ranks. For campaigns where the characters do not wish to join (or for those campaigns that are set in or near a port), it can serve as a side plot, where darker influences seek to take control of the Brotherhood and turn it to little more than a glorified thieves’ guild with a convenient cover. This can give the DM a host of plot hooks to include in his campaign, including internal strife within the Brotherhood, territorial wars with rival thieves’ guilds, piracy, trade and exploration, or investi- gating dark deeds with an eye to rooting them out of the Brotherhood altogether.
Alternatively, Brotherhood chapterhouses can simply serve as a waypoint for characters in a maritime campaign, a place to get work, rest safely, hear gossip, and train. Regardless of how it is used, the Brotherhood can provide some interesting additions to any game with an eye to the sea.