The Sea Captain
Description

Any port will have a number of these men, brash and flamboyant, but made tough by the hard life of the sea.

Benito Aravelo is a typical example of the breed. He is the Captain of The Fairweather Maiden, a small, fast ship, ideally suited to carrying small, expensive cargoes or passengers willing to pay well for hire of his ship.

Benito is tall and thin, with dark hair, and a perfectly kept beard and moustache. His many years at sea have given him strength and grace, and he is an expert with his favoured weapon, the rapier. He will most likely be encountered as the party seek passage to new lands, either drinking in a bar with some of his men, or on the dockside, supervising some arcane maintenance of his beloved vessel.

If he has taken on a cargo, he will take passengers to the same destination, or to a port on the way. He will take any passenger with coin, but those he likes will secure a better deal. Benito respects those who will keep up with him on a night of drinking, who look to be able to manage themselves in a fight, and those who will not be ill affected by the movement of the sea. Scholars and merchants will find a poor bargain, as will those without Benito's redeeming grace and poise.

It costs Benito about 1Gp per day for each passenger he takes on, so he will seek a fare of between 2 and 5 Gp per person. To hire his ship never costs less than 500Gp, and anyone who baulks at the price can expect a long and passionate defence of the costs involved, as Benito's ship is the best, fastest and safest in the world (according to Benito).

Characters that can build a friendship with Benito can expect more than just reduced prices, they may find themselves with offers to travel on far ranging trade expeditions, or be able to rely on a small boat being ready to carry them out to sea, after a night of adventuring.

Making use of the character

Benito will always be initially neutral towards a character party who encounter him. If they can muster a modicum of grace and politeness, then he will stay that way, trading with them fairly and honestly.

If the characters work hard to become Benito's friend, then they can find themselves with a useful ally, who will be ready to take any number of small risks to help out, and may be a source of new adventures in far off lands, as described above.

Statistics

Benito is a 4th level Aristocrat, he is 6' tall, with black hair and a small, pointed beard and well trimmed moustache. He is thin, but strong, and aged around 35 years.

StatisticScoreModifier
Str12+1
Dex110
Con110
Int110
Wis9-1
Cha14+2

HP: 16
Hit die: d8
Base attack bonus: +3
Base For save: +1
Base Ref save: +1
Base Will save: +4

Skill nameRanks
Appraise7
Bluff7
Diplomacy7
Perform4
Swim7