Swashbuckling Adventures

[EdwardForrester]

Greetings,
After watching "Pirates of the Caribbean" I am suddenly inspired to do some pirate inspired role-playing, but I have a question. I am aware that Swashbuckling Adventures is 7th Sea d20, but how much of the storyline is lost in the conversion. I am really looking at it, but I don't want to get only have of the back story for such a great setting. Thanks for all the info. If I am not making myself clear please let me know I will explain. Also just from a gameplay standpoint how well does it translate to d20? Thanks in advance to all who answer.

 

[JPL]

Heh. Just saw PotC yesterday, and went straight to the store and bought Swashbuckling Adventures.

All the 7th Sea magic classes are covered in a separate book.

The conversion looks pretty smooth. Some folks have suggested that the prestige classes are a little overpowered, and you could probably get by without all the new base classes [swashbuckler and musketeer are rather redundant].

This is a matter of personal taste, but I find certain elements of the 7th Sea campaign world to be pretty wonky. There's no New World, there's a wall of flame keeping you from reaching the far East...and apparently recent developments in the metaplot have been controversial. And Vikings coexist with the French Revolution. Me, I'm more interested in mining this for ideas.

 

[Dagger75]

I like this book, bought when it first came out.

Can't help with the conversion since I have never played the orignal game can't tell you how well it transfered over.

I basically am going to steal a whole bunch of stuff from this book when I run my Swashbuckler game after the CoC game ends.

 

[Azure Trance]

Some of the mechanics are a bit wonky. Or, a lot, depending. Some of the feats, equipment, and especially prestige classes. Though I'm told it's because it's only meant for use in it's own, native low-magic setting.

Don't forget about Skull & Bones by Green Ronin.

 

[JPL]

Having read the book a bit more and pondered...

To me, the problem with AEG's settings is that the focus is on the metaplot, leaving relatively little room for advice on making the PCs the heroes.

The Forgotten Realms has taken the same criticism, and I think the new edition of FRCS shows how to fix the problem. The emphasis on adventure hooks for PCs runs throughout all the new FR books.

The more I think about it, the more I like the selective squishing of 1000 years of European history into a world where expatriate Vikings can fight in the French Revolution. In a good swashbuckler, the history is just there to set the scene for very personal stories about love, honor, courage, and revenge...compared to these lofty matters, questions about the missing New World or the wall of flame surrounding the Far East are mere trivia.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Well about the absence of a New World, don't forget about the Midnight Archipelago. You can stick whatever you want in there... for my part, this is one of those things I'd have to run as a play-by-post thing. It's one I'd like to play, but my current players have no interest in.

I'm definitely checking out Skull & Bones, though. I'm a bonafide Green Ronin junkie.

 

[EdwardForrester]

Thanks all for the info, I will probably check out Skull and Bones but it lookes like I will have it as well as swashbuckling adventures. I have been told some stories of SA and it's setting and I do like it as well. Thanks again for the info.

 

[Sarah Jacques]

I didn't really like Swashbuckling adventures, AEG's 7th Sea was just a lot more stylish and fun. The Freeport adventures and sourcebooks by Green Ronin, however, are very good, I've really enjoyed playing them. But then, I like pirates. A lot.

 

[JPL]

I certainly would've prefered a Swashbuckling Adventures closer in format to Oriental Adventures --- a toolkit using Theah as an example, rather than a direct translation of the setting.

 

[EdwardForrester]

Answer me this lads and lassies (couldn'r reisist sorry)

So I ask this question to you all who have more books than me. Which book out there would you all consider the best pirate setting series. Obviously we will have to wait and work in Skull and Bones later but for now which would you all say is the best for your, or should I say my, money. Thanks again in advance.