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Captain Roderick Ashford

A retired naval officer turned adventurer who knows every current, reef, and pirate haven along the Azure Coast. Roderick brings military discipline and tactical brilliance to the defense of Saltmarsh against threats from both land and sea.

Level 4
Species

Human

Class

Fighter (Battle Master)

Background

Sailor

Alignment

Lawful Good

Ability Scores

STR

16

+3

DEX

12

+1

CON

14

+2

INT

13

+1

WIS

12

+1

CHA

10

+0

Skill Proficiencies

Athletics
History
Perception
Survival

Character Details

Backstory

Roderick served twenty years in the royal navy, rising from midshipman to captain of a warship that patrolled the coast for pirates and smugglers. A shipwreck during a storm took his vessel and half his crew, and the admiralty blamed him rather than the weather. Stripped of his commission, Roderick settled in Saltmarsh, where his naval expertise made him invaluable to a town that depends on the sea for its livelihood. When smugglers began operating from the haunted house on the cliffs and sahuagin scouts were spotted in the harbor, Roderick found himself drawn back into service — not by orders, but by duty.

Personality Trait

"I refer to directions as port, starboard, fore, and aft, even on dry land."

Ideal

"Duty. A captain protects his crew and his coast. Retirement doesn't change that."

Bond

"Saltmarsh took me in when the navy cast me out. I will defend this town with my life."

Flaw

"I can't forgive the admiralty for what they did to me, and I bristle at any authority figure."

Appearance

Gender

Male

Age

48

Height

5'11"

Weight

185 lbs

Eyes

Sea gray

Skin

Deeply tanned and weathered

Hair

Salt-and-pepper, cropped close

A weathered, square-jawed man who carries himself with the upright bearing of a career naval officer. He wears practical half-plate over a sailor's coat, and a cutlass with a well-worn grip hangs at his hip. His hands are calloused from years of hauling line, and his eyes instinctively scan the horizon.