Pirates and d20

JPL · Jul 10, 2003

Just thinking out loud here...

Saw Treasure Planet yesterday. Seeing Pirates of the Caribbean this weekend. Sudden interest in a pirate game.

Hmmm...

Historical? Historical plus voodoo? Do I finally break down and buy Swashbuckling Adventures?

What about airships? Or spelljammers?

Observation: I have never played with a group that could do swashbuckling right.

Hmmm....

Arnwyn · Jul 10, 2003

Love it. Love it. I'm a big fan of pirate/seafaring adventures.

I think Swashbuckling Adventures might help, but I've done it just fine with the standard rules and a set of naval adventuring rules (Seas of Blood is good).

The PCs (most of them landlubbers, in fact) successfully became privateers for a nearby country, and sailed the Pirate Isles - hiding behind islands and then striking out by surprise from hidden coves when pirates sail by; using Leadership to set up small bases on some islands to cover shipping lanes and provide supplies for friendly ships; etc, etc.

They still go on inland adventures fairly regularly (they're entering a desert right now), but they'll always return to their home port and their trusty caravel...

Hella fun.

P.S. Pirates of the Carribean rocks on toast. (But then again, I'm always up for a pirate movie...)

Tabarnak Smokeblower · Jul 10, 2003

JPL said:
Observation: I have never played with a group that could do swashbuckling right.

Hmmm....

Well, I don't know if it has anything to do with this, but IMHO, pirates are the most stereotypical adventurers out there, and have been done and redone, without the mold ever changing much (of course, there's an historical basis for that).

I'm not a big fan of Pirates and Swashbuckling in particular. Maybe I find it too flashy. Maybe I just can't get "Arrrr me maties, fire in the hole!" out of my head.

Anyways, I plan on seeing Pirates of the Carrabean, perhaps just on DVD when it comes out (unless my gf, a big Orlando Bloom, uh, fan, drags me to the cinema

)

Have a good one

TS

Voadam · Jul 10, 2003

A lot of d20 options

Swashbuckiling Adventures by AEG not D&D but close, same mechanics mostly but different magic.

Black Flags by Avalanche press low powered classes for historical pirating.

Sea And Foam upcoming from Avalanche naval system for Black Flags

Twin Crowns a high magic heavily naval setting with great in depth boat rules.

Broadsides, their naval sourcebook, same rules as in Twin Crowns campaign setting, very in depth and realistic

Pirates! their pirates sourcebook is supposed to come out later this year I believe.

Seas of Blood by Mongoose simpler naval system with non human navy supplements.

FFG has a seagoing sourcebook as well with more underwater campaign stuff.

Freeport by Green Ronin a pirate city with tons of NPCs, a trilogy of modules, and a dark almost Cthulhu feel.

Green Ronin is also coming out with a historical Carribean Pirate Setting this year as well, including heavy voodoo aspects.

redknight · Jul 10, 2003

Swahbuckling Adventures is very good and I highly recommend it. I have been using it for my seafaring campaign for 6 months now. THe biggest weakness is in the spellcasters. I ported some Rokugan stuff over and that is working well.

I also recently added airships to the scene. Alos very good suplimental material. The players are excited and are looking for a way to either convert their ship or get an airship of thier own.

PS Pirates of the C. rocks. I will be seeing it again soon. Oh yes.

Voadam · Jul 10, 2003

for teh airships a couple of ways to go:

Airships by Bastion Press

Goodman Games has an air supplement with ships as well.

Broadsides and Twin Crowns have very neat methods for making ships fly.

There was a Polyhedron (I think) mini game on Spelljammer.

BigFreekinGoblinoid · Jul 10, 2003

I'd challenge anyone to see the new "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie and NOT want to run ( or play in ) a pirate/ship based adventure! I saw the movie last night and immediately wanted to get my party out of the Seprpent Amphora trilogy and sail directly to Termana ( Scarred Lands speak for all you uninitated )!!!

Ok, that's not gonna happen, but as a DM, you cannot help but be inspired after watching the movie. I'm seriously thinking about buying Fantasy Flight's Seafarers handbook now - one of the only FFG books I have passed on.

Good movie ( two words guys: 1)Keira 2)Knightley !! - oh, and for equal time to the other persuasion, you should have heard the teenage girls swooning over Orlando Bloom during the movie - too funny )
Great acting all around. A bit silly at times, but a lot of fun.

JPL · Jul 10, 2003

I just watched a bunch of Harryhausen movies --- the Sinbads and "Jason and the Argonauts" --- and that got me thinking about seafaring adventures in general.

I think a little extra research could push a pirate game beyond the cliches. Sure, we all have a certain vague idea about pirates --- parrots, and cutlasses, and treasure maps, and peg legs --- but there's got to be more to it than that.

I like the idea that you could either run it as the original kill-them-and-take-their-stuff campaign, or as a romantic tale of high adventure. Or both. The motivations on a single ship might be as basic as greed, or as complicated as revenge, true love, and chivalry...

alsih2o · Jul 10, 2003

my boats should be ready in late august, hold oyu breath!

JPL · Jul 10, 2003

The Spelljammer minigame is a hoot.

Airships looks interesting...but it's awfully expensive for its size.

And Avalanche...I've heard good things, but those covers make me ashamed of my hobby...

I'm keeping an eye out for Green Ronin's Skull and Bones, although it looks a little dark in tone. Still, voodoo and pirates is a pretty good combo.

It seems to me that one invaluable asset would be some really nice ship schematics...some nice cross-sections and floorplans and such. Get the players to really visualize that big creaky ship and smell the salt air and taste the rum. [Not that I'll serve rum...]

Oh, and capoeira. I'm of the belief that every RPG can be improved by adding albino apes and kung fu, but here I'll make an exception and say that capoeira fights against zombies on a pirate ship would suit my needs.

Pirates and d20

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