Pirate Captain [Archive] - Wizards Community

Pirate Captain [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
cerberuspuppy
01-20-06, 05:58 PM We're starting a Pirate themed campaign here, and I'm playing the captain. I'm going to try to make him the sort of character that would come from a collaboration between George Martin and Joss Wheadon.

He's a little crass, smarmy, and all that. He does feel somewhat cynical or even jaded from time to time, but he still keeps his wits about him, and he has a certain cunning. He tells himself he's really just trying to live in peace, but the sea just keeps calling him back, and women just keep getting him in trouble. So he goes back and forth between them, trying to keep either from getting too tight a grip.

John Randall Cobb owes his queen a large sum of money, and she could by rights have him hanged for the pirate that he once was. Instead, she has decided to set him loose on her enemies as an officially sanctioned privateer.

Influences for the character include Mal (Firefly), Littlefinger and Jamie (Ice and Fire) and Wesley (Princess Bride). The wit of Martin's writing in general has inspired me.

So, any suggestions as to how to play this character and/or get into character?
Grizzled Gryphon
01-21-06, 09:39 AM Watch lots of pirate movies?
Arco Versipellis
01-21-06, 10:47 AM We just finished a campaign in which two PCs and several NPCs were pirates. In fact, pirates are common place in my campaign world. The first thing I would say is that you should find the middle ground between familiar and cliche. It is hard to have a pirate campaign without a peg leg or an eye patch, but they don't have to be everywhere. Find a unique way to mix a pirate trait with your character. For example, while working with one of my players, we came up with the idea that he would use his psicrystal as his fake eye.

Other than that, just drink a lot of rum.
cerberuspuppy
01-21-06, 11:32 AM Well, he's not missing any body parts as yet. The closest thing we've got so far to any kind of pirate cliche is a pet monkey, and even that's not a sure thing.
Arco Versipellis
01-21-06, 11:51 AM It could be a mannerism as well. Such as saying "ar" or "matey". If you know a sea shanty (Drunken Sailor), you could sing it from time to time.
cerberuspuppy
01-21-06, 04:47 PM I meant cliches including the accent. So far, no one has started doing it, and Cobb certainly won't.

The only sea chanty I do know is Drunken Sailor- the MST3K version:

"What do you do with a drunken sailor?
Make him the captain of an Exxon tanker!"

...doesn't quite fit.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
cerberuspuppy 01-20-06, 05:58 PM	We're starting a Pirate themed campaign here, and I'm playing the captain. I'm going to try to make him the sort of character that would come from a collaboration between George Martin and Joss Wheadon. He's a little crass, smarmy, and all that. He does feel somewhat cynical or even jaded from time to time, but he still keeps his wits about him, and he has a certain cunning. He tells himself he's really just trying to live in peace, but the sea just keeps calling him back, and women just keep getting him in trouble. So he goes back and forth between them, trying to keep either from getting too tight a grip. John Randall Cobb owes his queen a large sum of money, and she could by rights have him hanged for the pirate that he once was. Instead, she has decided to set him loose on her enemies as an officially sanctioned privateer. Influences for the character include Mal (Firefly), Littlefinger and Jamie (Ice and Fire) and Wesley (Princess Bride). The wit of Martin's writing in general has inspired me. So, any suggestions as to how to play this character and/or get into character?
Grizzled Gryphon 01-21-06, 09:39 AM	Watch lots of pirate movies?
Arco Versipellis 01-21-06, 10:47 AM	We just finished a campaign in which two PCs and several NPCs were pirates. In fact, pirates are common place in my campaign world. The first thing I would say is that you should find the middle ground between familiar and cliche. It is hard to have a pirate campaign without a peg leg or an eye patch, but they don't have to be everywhere. Find a unique way to mix a pirate trait with your character. For example, while working with one of my players, we came up with the idea that he would use his psicrystal as his fake eye. Other than that, just drink a lot of rum.
cerberuspuppy 01-21-06, 11:32 AM	Well, he's not missing any body parts as yet. The closest thing we've got so far to any kind of pirate cliche is a pet monkey, and even that's not a sure thing.
Arco Versipellis 01-21-06, 11:51 AM	It could be a mannerism as well. Such as saying "ar" or "matey". If you know a sea shanty (Drunken Sailor), you could sing it from time to time.
cerberuspuppy 01-21-06, 04:47 PM	I meant cliches including the accent. So far, no one has started doing it, and Cobb certainly won't. The only sea chanty I do know is Drunken Sailor- the MST3K version: "What do you do with a drunken sailor? Make him the captain of an Exxon tanker!" ...doesn't quite fit.