4e Swashbuckling campaigns?

[Afrodyte]

*snort* "That guy must be a total bad-ass!" 'Really? What makes you think so?' "He's so pretty?" 'Oh, him? That's a guy?'

Of course the trouble with that set-up is it doesn't allow Cyrano deBergerac to be a bad-ass. Any setup that disallows Cyrano deBergerac can not be considered a true swashbuckling system.

Cyrano de Bergerac can be badass.

His sister just needs to be able to be badass too (hence shoujo ai and not shonen ai).

It's more like this:

FANGIRL: That guy must be total badass!
PC: How so?
FANGIRL: He's so . . . pretty!
PC: (snickers)
FANGIRL: What? You don't think he's totally awesome?
PC: You mean the one with the long hair, pouty red lips, and flamboyant attire?
FANGIRL: (dreamy expression) Yes. He's so dreamy . . .
PC: Yeah, about him. She's my business partner.
FANGIRL:

 

[dystmesis]

Thanks for the tips, guys! Keep 'em coming!

I really enjoy character-driven campaigns. I want PCs and NPCs driven by strong passions and a heightened sense of style. Now that I think about it, what I have in mind is sort of like Steven Brust's Jhereg series with a touch (OK, a huge wallop) of shoujo ai (at least for some NPCs). Hm. Maybe I should just start with that?

I think you mean shoujo? Lots and lots of flowers? Overly feminine men with fabulous style?

'Shoujo ai' means lesbians...

 

[Afrodyte]

I think you mean shoujo? Lots and lots of flowers? Overly feminine men with fabulous style?

'Shoujo ai' means lesbians...

*shrug* I was mainly speaking for my own characters, who tend to fit the shoujo ai mold for the "dominant" characters quite a bit.

 

[Phaezen]

Keep your DMG open on page 42, and say yes, alot. I would possibly even say stick to the easy DC's as much as possible, to encourage the players to be creative and think outside the box.

Phaezen

 

[Andor]

I think you mean shoujo? Lots and lots of flowers? Overly feminine men with fabulous style?

'Shoujo ai' means lesbians...

My bad. I confused shoujo ai with shonen ai. My japanese is rusty.

In any event the important phrase in a swashbuckling game is 'En guarde!'

 

[Fallen Seraph]

In any event the important phrase in a swashbuckling game is 'En guarde!'

I am still proud that one of my first words as a child I spoke thanks to a early obsession with The Three Musketeers was "en guarde" (even if badly said )

I also recommend checking out the DMG they have a section that gives little bits of advice for different game-styles including Swashbuckling. One advice they give is for classes like the Paladin that would normally wear plate-armour you should instead make it so a breastplate is equal too plate-armour.

 

[Afrodyte]

One advice they give is for classes like the Paladin that would normally wear plate-armour you should instead make it so a breastplate is equal too plate-armour.

I remember seeing something like that.

Would anyone recommend making rapiers a martial rather than a superior weapon?

The more I think about it, the more the idea have in mind becomes Steven Brust's Jhereg series meets Revolutionary Girl Utena.

 

[Andor]

I remember seeing something like that.

Would anyone recommend making rapiers a martial rather than a superior weapon?

The more I think about it, the more the idea have in mind becomes Steven Brust's Jhereg series meets Revolutionary Girl Utena.

I think I'd leave the statistis as is, but you might reskin things a bit.

IE: The Longsword is called a rapier. The rapier is called an epee. The short sword is called a small sword.

But really fencers were familiar with a pretty wide range of weapons, including staves, polearms and wrestling.

I wouldn't limit things to martial charaters either. Swashbuckling is more about attitude than anything else. A dramatically inclined wizard could as easily be a swashbuckler as a rogue. It's not like the 3 musketeers spurned the use of firearms for swords, they were after all musketeers. Similarly I doubt they would have sneered at magic had it been available.

 

[drothgery]

I remember seeing something like that.

Would anyone recommend making rapiers a martial rather than a superior weapon?

The more I think about it, the more the idea have in mind becomes Steven Brust's Jhereg series meets Revolutionary Girl Utena.

Brust's Khaavren Romances (The Phoenix Guards, Five Hundred Years After, and the three books of The Viscount of Andrilankha), maybe?

 

[Afrodyte]

Brust's Khaavren Romances (The Phoenix Guards, Five Hundred Years After, and the three books of The Viscount of Andrilankha), maybe?

Haven't read those yet.