Pirate Borg -- any of you scurvy dogs have it?

[Divine2021]

Just read it, well designed, meta plot is dumb and I won’t be using it. Looks fun to run and play.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Just read it, well designed, meta plot is dumb and I won’t be using it. Looks fun to run and play.

I suspect most people just pick a generic point in the timeline where stuff is bad but not apocalyptic, but won't use the metaplot until the Dark Caribbean sourcebook is available, some time in 2026 or 2027.

 

[Divine2021]

that’s cool, though it drives it home for me that the system, not the setting, is what makes Pirate Borg interesting to me. The meta plot, in my opinion, makes the story telling too constrictive.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

that’s cool, though it drives it home for me that the system, not the setting, is what makes Pirate Borg interesting to me. The meta plot, in my opinion, makes the story telling too constrictive.

Yeah, I think that page is in there because he didn't think he'd have a chance to do the Dark Caribbean book and wanted the basic ideas out there.

I know a lot about real-world pirate history, but I feel a little constrained by the timeline, since I don't want to set an adventure in the destruction of Port Royal (a real life thing, and something that's a super-cinematic moment for an adventure) until I know what the "reall" answer for the setting is.

 

[cbwjm]

My friends and I have been having quite a bit of fun with pirate borg, no idea if our DM is running the meta-plot (I don't even really know what that is, I think it has something to do with an undead apocalypse).

So far we went in search of a governor's daughter (i.e., rescue the princess) at a haunted fort who we ended up leaving to her own devices when we discovered a treasure room which we looted to gain coin to get a ship. Turns out, she hadn't been kidnapped by dark forces, she just didn't like her dad (who may have been undead) and so had wandered off.

Had a couple more players join us on the high seas, each of which is just as weird as the others (we have 2 "normal" human characters as well as a hook-handed mermaid and a vampire). Our first attempt at piracy was made easier by actually boarding the ship since we apparently can't aim the cannons to save ourselves. All in all, a lot of fun.

 

[Weiley31]

mermaid and a vampire)

Are those classes in Pirate Borg?

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Repping my twin brother's itch.io page - he's done some Pirate Borg work. They're not on there, but he also does these neat bookmarks that have a small bit of mechanics on them, like a single monster or table to roll on.

metamer - itch.io

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Are those classes in Pirate Borg?

There's a Tall Tales class in the core book that adds a lot of supernatural choices, as well as appropriate animals (monkeys, parrots, etc.). It's listed as an optional class.

 

[overgeeked]

There's a Tall Tales class in the core book that adds a lot of supernatural choices, as well as appropriate animals (monkeys, parrots, etc.). It's listed as an optional class.

Thankfully they're explicitly optional. It's the only thing I've just outright banned. As much as I love gonzo and weird, that's too much even for me.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Thankfully they're explicitly optional. It's the only thing I've just outright banned. As much as I love gonzo and weird, that's too much even for me.

I think it can quickly get out of hand, changing the tone of a campaign to one that some groups may not want.

I think once I have a Dark Caribbean campaign going in the future, I'll make it available to players whose initial -- more grounded -- characters die, rather than opening the flood gates on day one.