Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JackSnape 09-02-07, 09:17 PM	So I've just agreed to DM a campaign. I had an idea about a (I think) cool begining. But I could use some ideas to flesh it out. Here's where I'm starting, the players can make any character they want at L1 with one restriction they must not be dry ie must at least sometimes drink alchohol. So I tell each player individually that they walk into a tavern in a small town on the sea shore. You order a drink and rugged sailor/dashing young man (depending on what's appropriate) approaches and buys you a drink. He says he just got off a ship that's been at sea for 6 months, he's so hoppy to meet anyone new and he has all this money from working. He buys you more drinks and shows you a generally good time. Before long you pass out. (he's put something in the drink) You wake on a pirate ship you are chained to an oar with a bunch of other people (including the other PCS.) At first the PCs proabbly will have to play the part of pirates if they want to be unshackled but should soon find an opportunity to escape/kill thier captors/take over the ship/etc, depending on alignment and creativity. I hope to keep it really open-ended giving them occasional clues that now might be the time but letting them find the opportunity they're happy with. The other pirates would probably be rangers with a Dred pirate captain. Anyway, I've rambled on a bit, does anyone have suggestions on classes for NPCs, how to make it work well, etc?
Delfedd 09-02-07, 09:54 PM	Pirates should be every class, not just rangers. It's an interesting Idea though. The BBEG is someone that they have to listen to. Alliances are mutible, unstable. Although I'm not sure how the players are going to prove themselves when they're chained to an oar.
JackSnape 09-02-07, 10:53 PM	I was thinking a diplomacy check could get one freed early, the rest would be unchained to prove themselves in a raid, probably with a pirate sword at thier back. I guess I have a hard time seeing pirate Wizards and some other classes, but you're probably right that I should have a more varied crew.
Rhineglade 09-02-07, 11:07 PM	Forcing the players to be already chained in the ship may lead to problems. Perhaps there could be another way for the players to "end up" on the pirate ship like hiding in packing crates as they are being loaded onto the ship. I'll leave it to you to explain why it is necessary for the players to want to go aboard in the first place. Don't forget to add the swashbuckler class to the class roster. Rogues would also be an important element since many pirates were thieves of the sea. I would recommend that you take a look (ie "Google") the classic novel "Treasure Island" and also the '80s cartoon "Pirates of Dark Water" for tons of adventure ideas.
Talisman 09-02-07, 11:25 PM	I can't get over the whole "you meet in a tavern...a stranger approaches" part of this. Sorry. Be aware that, in order to drug all the PCs in this way, you'll have to either spike the poison DC up to insane heights or flat-out cheat. I guarantee, at least one PC will make that Fort save if it's under 25. It's a little railroady, but first sessions often are. Not a big problem. Maybe you could have the PCs be caught in two different groups, in two different taverns. That way, some of them would meet on board the pirate ship. As Delfedd said, pirates should't be just rangers...in fact, why rangers? I think of pirates as fighter and rogues, with the occasional bard (chantyman) and lots of warriors. A ship's mage is almost required for D&D, and if you don't like the wizar idea, make him a warlock or sorcerer. A ship's cleric is another good one, perferably of a mercenary or amoral deity. Farlanghn and Olidarmmara would both work, as would Obad-Hai. Finally, pirates were a very eclectic lot. There's always room for a bizarre, exotic crewman, such as the huge Northern berserker (barbarian), the tarnished knigt (ex-paladin), the quiet little Easterner (monk), the sinister magician (warlock, shugenja or wu jen), etc. I have a bit of a problem with being unchained for a good Diplomacy check...are pirates really going to listen to slaves? Here are some alternate ideas: Someone with a useful skill (cook, carpenter, whatever) has just died. If a PC has an appropriate skill, he'll be unchained and ordered to put it to use (and watched carefully, of course). In a related idea, perhaps the ship's chaplain has just perished and the pirates recognize the holy symbol around the cleric PC's neck. he's unchained and ordered to use his divine magic to purfy the drinking water, heal the pirates' various minor injuries, etc. If he refuses, he'll be flogged (or, depending on alignment, some other slaves will be flogged! :devil:) The PCs might be "general slaves," or they might belong to certain specific pirates. In the latter case, they might be used as valuables in a poker game, meaning they would have to be moved around! For some reason, the ship is undermanned. A coupe of PCs are unchained and ordered to swab the decks, etc. It's assumed (by the pirates) that one armed, sober pirate can handle a couple of unarmed slaves. A Rogue should be able to scrounge up a bent nail or a couple of sticks (improvised lockpicks, -2 to the roll). He probably won't be able to free anyone but himself, at least right away, but it lets the PCs be a bit more proactive. Pirate manacles may not be in the best of shape. A raging barbarian should be able to bust 'em with a good Strength check. they're intended to hold half-drunk wharf-rat scum, not hardened adventurers! A monk PC doesn't need his hands free to fight effectively. In other ideas, anything that creates chaos and mayhem onboard the ship is good for the PCs. I like the idea of a night-time sahuagin attack: as chaos ensues, the PCs get free and rush up on deck, only to be confronted by savage fish-men on one hand, and enraged pirates on the other, neither of whom minds taking a swing at an escaped slave. For added fun, have it happen during a storm! This could lead to the sahuagin being fought off, but the PCs and the pirates coming to a wary truce. The ship is now lost in sahuagin-infested waters (blown off-course by the storm) and badly damaged. The carpenters and navigators were killed by the fishies, and the ship needs to dock at the nearest island to repair. A few days pass, and land is sighted. It's a tropical island, and the PCs are elected to go ashore and protect the "carpentry party." As they disembark, the pounding of native drums is heard...
Delfedd 09-02-07, 11:54 PM	Here's the thing. The crew is going to be thirty people (maximum). These are people that the players will be interacting with each and every session. Make sure that they are all different. There shouldn't be any "Pirate thugs (level 1 warrior)." Make every character unique. I would suggest writing names, class, race, and any basic information about them on a notecard.
AshenRoseOfTheWaningSun 09-03-07, 01:46 AM	A quick search on Google found the following jobs on a ship's crew: Captain - Obvious Quartermaster/First Mate - often the same person, possibly even Co-Captain Boatswain - in charge of discipline and the junior officers Sailing Master/Navigator - in charge of figuring out how to get where we're going Carpenter - one of the most important jobs on a floating chunk of wood Surgeon/Cook - both adaptable roles Gunner/Mate/Sailor - the majority of the crew, some hierarchy may be involved I would say give individual NPCs some class(es) that better enables them to do their jobs. How big is your group? There should be a number of ways that each players background/class could be worked into a pirate crew. If one or more is a caster they can change the traditional pirate game dramatically. Also are these evil rape and pillage, take no prisoners type; or are they privateers in the employee of a nation charged to protect the waters and harass enemy nation's ships?