[5e] Spell & Crossbones

[Quickleaf]

I've been giving this some thought, as a suggestion for the DM: What if, instead of using real-world countries, we take a page from the 7th Sea and Eberron settings, and make up our own nations?

I contemplated this too, but in the end decided it was too much work. However, if you want to tweak a nation to suit your character's backstory, I'm cool with that. For example, [MENTION=2820]Fenris[/MENTION] introduced the Zeeland Bellows as an artifact which got the Spanish to the New World ahead of the pack.

Can we have a rundown list of the characters so far? Trying to keep track of them so I can isolate ideas. When this happens to me (the block) I find that something inspired will come from total BS improve in play, but I still need something to start with.

Here's my updated character list...

[MENTION=6755061]Kiraya_TiDrekan[/MENTION] Half-elf (Mayan) ? Wizard (diviner) 4; N/A; Sacred Relic; Superstitious, Loa Patron, Magic Trinkets, Jonah, Haunted; 5 lives (figured being a diviner she should know!)
[MENTION=51930]fireinthedust[/MENTION] Young Hawken Mer (English) ? Warlock 4?
[MENTION=6777934]Maldavos[/MENTION] Hugo Van Haan CG Dwarf (Dutch) Noble Bard (lore) 4; Quartermaster/Cook/Surgeon; Gold, Glory and Adventure; Contacts, Enemy
[MENTION=23484]Kobold Stew[/MENTION] Gentleman Jim Barrington LG Human (English) Charlatan Fighter (battlemaster 4); Captain/Gunner/Quartermaster; Secret Agent; Enlightened, Shore Leave, Wanted
[MENTION=8058]Queenie[/MENTION] Katerina CN Human (Catalonian/Spanish) ? Rogue (thief) 3/Fighter 1; Captain; Curse and the Child; Notorious, Monkey Magnet, Wanted
[MENTION=6781406]Unsung[/MENTION] Gunner Teague CN Human (English) Sailor/Escaped Convict Barbarian 1/Cleric (tempest) 3; Gunner; Curse of Aztec Gold; Hangin' Look, Old Salt (missing eye, illiterate), Treasure Map, Wanted
[MENTION=2820]Fenris[/MENTION] Jozef Van Der Nagel N Dwarf (Dutch) Guild Artisan/Sailor Rogue 1/Ranger (hunter) 3; Boatswain/Carpenter/Gunner; Sacred Relic (Zeeland Bellows); Old Salt (peg leg), At Sea, Trading Company, Obligation, Wanted

Human Sailor Rogue3/Fighter1. Two handed fighting style. Does that help? Also, crazy stats! You go

You guys must be blessed by the dice gods (who clearly prefer pirates over ninjas)

 

[fireinthedust]

Nations: I could whip up a few, if you'd like.

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=51930]fireinthedust[/MENTION] No, I'd prefer to keep real world nations that people can readily recognize. Saying "Spanish" is easier than a made-up name cause everyone is on the same page already. A few made up little islands is OK by me but not, for example, a faux Spanish nation.

(me; scoundrel, some kind of magical)

Sorry you're having writers block I get it too sometimes, and it sucks.

I was just thinking that you could merge the mermaid, the young lad on an adventure, and the magical scoundrel ideas. Basically a "Young Lad and the Sea" fairy tale where he falls in love with a mermaid (Selkie's Kiss fortune) who teaches him magic (Valor Bard? Arcane Trickster Rogue? Archfey Warlock re-skinned? Wild Magic Sorcerer?). Some sort of a misunderstanding, tragic separation, or betrayal ensues and he is now at sea (either several years later, or still as a Kid). Could even take on a pirate name with "Kidd" in it. Just my two pieces of eight

 

[Quickleaf]

In case anyone was curious, here's a writeup of the ship Coral Curse...

The Coral Curse (Schooner)
Medium-size Merchantman
AC: 8
Hit Points: 180 (4d8x10)
Draft: 1.5 fathoms (9 ft)
Maneuverability: -2
Speed: 120 ft / 12 knots
Turn Rate: 3 rounds
Weapons Fore: 2 Demi-Culverin (1d4x10 piercing damage; range 200/600)
Weapons Aft: 2 Demi-Culverins (1d4x10 piercing damage; range 200/600)
Weapons Broadside: 10 Culverins (2d4x10 piercing damage; range 250/750)
Crew: 50
Passengers: 20
Cargo: 100 tons

Schooners like the Coral Curse are a common site in the Caribbean, their shallow draft and speed making them ideal for navigating reef and coves where larger ships flounder. They are favored by smugglers, pirates, and blockade runners. The Coral Curse was once under the command of Captain Piet Van Djik, became a hospital ship when the crew were afflicted with yellow fever, and was severely damaged in a battle with French Naval Captain Jacques Cassard. She is beached in the port of Nassau, and none dare touch her for she is both haunted by a djab (dark spirit) and owned by Edward "Blackbeard" Teach. Her masthead depicts a mermaid with eyes and mouth sewn shut.

-----

HP refers to hit points, but they're handled a bit differently for ships. Basically all damage dealt to a ship is rounded down to the nearest 10's value, though common melee or ranged weapons are totally ineffective. For example, a fireball that deals 28 damage would only inflict 20 damage against a ship (though the fire would be a major issue!), whereas a fire bolt that deals 9 damage would inflict 0 damage and barely singe the hull. Shipboard weapons (as well as some massive monsters) deal damage in multiples of 10, thus circumventing this rule.

Size is not the same as creature size. For example, a medium ship is the equivalent of a Gargantuan creature in d20 terms. Ship size determines # Hit Dice and AC/Manueverability/Ramming modifiers.

Type desscribes which of the four main classes of ship it is: Auxilary, Coastal, Merchantman, or Warship. Each type determines the type of Hit Die rolled and some modify Manueverability and AC.

Draft is the minimum depth the ship can operate in without running aground (1 fathom = 6 feet).

Manueverability acts a modifier to the ship's initiative, which is based on the helmsman's initiative. It also serves as a modifier to piloting checks the helmsman might make; such checks are usually called for only when performing difficult maneuvers like threading narrow sea cliffs, performing or defending against a boarding action, and so forth.

Speed is how far the ship moves per round (1 knot = 1.69 feet per second) under ideal conditions with at least a light wind blowing about 33-66 degrees off the aft (the stern, or rear, of the ship). The nautical term for this is "quartering."

Turn Rate is how often (in rounds) a ship can make an 11.5-degree turn. For example, a turn rate of 3 round means the ship can turn 11.5-degrees once every three rounds, so the ship might turn the first round, then the fourth, again on the seventh, again on the tenth, and so on.

Crew is how many able seamen are needed to effectively man the rigging, sails, and guns. Less than this, and you start to take penalties.

Passengers is how many passengers can be accommodated with modest comforts and their own bunk to sleep on.

Cargo is a measure of how much tonnage the ship can transport safely.

 

[Queenie]

[MENTION=51930]fireinthedust[/MENTION] you don't want to go with the young "new to the sea" lad? I liked that idea. But I do think there are still lots of positions available to come up with other ideas. I liked Quickleaf's mermaid teaching you magic idea too.

 

[fireinthedust]

Yeah, I'm working through ideas. May go with "lad of the sea". Regardless, I am absolutely playing this guy: no way I'm walking away from ludicrous ability scores like these!

Here's a Wizard Arcane Tradition I'm fiddling with, the Spellblade

Think that'll fit the game?

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=51930]fireinthedust[/MENTION] Normally I'm very open to homebrewing, but the Spellblade needs serious revising and I'd be disinclined to allow it in its present form. If you're really gung-ho about a swordmage conversion, here's my advice...

First, there's no flavor. Right now, the Spellblade isn't sufficiently different from an Eldritch Knight Fighter or Fighter/Wizard multiclass. I would come up with some flavor of what the Spellblade represents in the setting/genre. Not only might that help with your character concept, but it might suggest abilities to round out the class. Some ideas...Is it an ancient form of sea elven or triton magic/fighting that uses a trident and casts sea-themed spells? Is it a Catalonian elven dueling school with its own strict code of dueling? Is it based around bonding with a weapon infused with magic and tied to a ship, a la Blackbeard from Pirates of the Caribbean: Stranger Tides? Is it a nearly lost Atlantean tradition passed down from father to child, with forbidden magic undertones allowing conversion of spell energy into wrath (spellsmite), but requiring one's anger to always be kept in check less it explode uncontrollably?

Ok, going thru level-by-level...

2nd Level: Having *both* spellsmite and arcane aegis at 2nd level is overpowered compared to other Arcane Traditions...at 2nd level you should get either spellsmite OR arcane aegis, as well as some minor thematic ability (like the Eldritch Knight sword bonding) related to the flavor.

6th Level: Teleporting is cool, and seems balanced with the 7th level vengeance paladin feature. I do wonder about "killing" being required to use dimensional step...is that intentional as part of the flavor? Or would "reducing an enemy to 0 HP" suffice, allowing you to teleport after knocking someone out?

10th Level: Switching from Strength or Dexterity as main melee ability to Intelligence is weird conceptually. Also, this flies in the face of 5th edition's design paradigm. Instead, I'd come up with something new or possibly move arcane aegis here.

14th Level: Hard to say what should go here without knowing the flavor you are going for.

Hope that helps!

 

[Fenris]

[MENTION=51930]fireinthedust[/MENTION] Normally I'm very open to homebrewing, but the Spellblade needs serious revising and I'd be disinclined to allow it in its present form.

He's disinclined to acquiesce to your request. It means "No".

 

[fireinthedust]

He's disinclined to acquiesce to your request. It means "No".

(ahem) Thank you for that clarification, [MENTION=2820]Fenris[/MENTION]... although I *believe* he was saying that it needs fixing. And yes, it's a movie quote, grumble, grumble...


Okay, it may need work. There's a Swordmage thread elsewhere, and I was considering using their version, but maybe I'll try something new.

Here's a Mer writeup. It's... well, do you have an email so I can give you permission for this? I'll take it down after you get a good read, or lock it up (so enjoy ye now).

I've got a setting book they're in, but it's less piratical and more... something else. Anyhoo, for this setting think of them as humans who can turn into Abe Sapien when they need to.

I'm not sure if they're powerful enough, too powerful, or under-powered (especially compared to Tieflings or Dragonborn). Yes, the stats are good for Bards, Sorc's, Warlocks, but otherwise they just don't drown. That's not bad for a pirate setting, but should I give them armored scales? resistances? Advantage on saves vs. song?

At any rate:

Young Hawken, an English lad with a knack for adventure, was befriended by a mermaid when he first went out to sea. Travelling for some years with a band of rogues, he gained some skill and wealth; yet also the curse of the mermaids kiss, and a deep longing for the Sea.

 

[Quickleaf]

Interesting idea having him transformed by the mermaid's kiss/friendship! I could access the Mer race you posted just fine, and I think it is pretty well balanced (amphibious, fast swim speed, double prof bonus for swim checks, Performance proficiency, advantage on Charisma checks to befriend/attract).