[5e] Spell & Crossbones

[MENTION=8058]Queenie[/MENTION] [MENTION=2820]Fenris[/MENTION] With the Rogues Gallery, is that the place I should post crew / ship stats and stats for NPC henchmen like Badouin? I ask for your ease of findability.
I personally think everyone should post their character sheet in the Rogue's Gallery and also the NPC's that we need to reference should be there. A perfect example is that KS posted a picture of his character but I didn't know that or catch it the first time and I have no idea where everyone's else characters are in this thread. And definitely don't have hours to re go through these 15 pages! I have never had anything like ship stats before. I really like how you have so much info in the first and third (I think) posts here. But maybe the ship stats over there would help too. If it's not overly onerous for you, I think we should give it a try. The first post here is getting pretty large.

From my own experience in the past, if there is a lot of info to be had, I think the GM's start the OOC or Rules thread and basically post a "holder" of like the first 3 or 4 posts, whatever they think they will need.. You know, "Hold for GM," then they can go back and edit posts with the information and it's all nice and neat up front.

Hey guys,

As fun as this seems to be, I am not going to be able to keep up. :(

I shall have to drop out.

*pouty faces*

Really sorry to hear that. Katerina will always be thankful for her help :)

I gave a picture! (Though let's assume a maroon coat, rather than the British military red).
Nice pic! He looks like a straight and narrow kind of guy - Norrington from POTC? :)
 
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[MENTION=8058]Queenie[/MENTION] Thanks for the tip! I will post the ship & crew to our Rogues Gallery.

I know there is a lot to absorb... What I've tried to do is pace things out a bit. There's not going to be any seafaring for the first adventure/level, so it's all about getting into your characters, the setting, and so forth. Once everyone is good and settled in then I'll start to bring in the ship stuff. And even then if you are the sort of player who doesn't like more complex rules / information tracking, then just pay attention to the story stuff and let others/myself take care of it.

Also, I've almost finished up my second round of Fortunes. Here's a preview list of the new Fortunes. Trying to get to a total of 20 Fortunes of each type (yes, I am a little OCD :p ), so I have just a few more to write up. I'll take any special requests.

MIXED FORTUNES 7/8
Brethren of the Coast
Casanova
Fish Tales
Quicksilver Eyes
Rogue-a-Plotting
Weather Pains
Whiskey Johnny
?

GOOD FORTUNES 7/8
Armed to the Teeth
Fencing School
Immortality
Lucky Ship's Cat
Secrets of the Deep
Ship Mage
Voodoo Rituals
?

ILL FORTUNES 6/8
Beastie Bait
Between the Devil and the Deep Sea
Grog-headed
Marooned
Obsessed with Treasure
Phobia
?
?
 

Hey guys,

As fun as this seems to be, I am not going to be able to keep up. :(

I shall have to drop out.

*pouty faces*

Well that's too bad. I know we'll see you around. Hopefully by the time I run my game you'll be ready (if you're willing).

Can everyone give a little description of what their characters look like? Pretty Please :D

It's in the IC post, but it's as good a description as there is:

"His coat was green, but subtle enough to miss being garish. The silver buttons were recently cleaned and his kerchief was that dirty-white that alerted everyone that he had no talent for laundry. He wore no hat, as was custom for dwarves, and instead proudly showed off a head of hair boldly red and cut to reveal two long strips of scalp on either side of his head. This combined with the intricate braiding of both hair and beard showed him to be of a house of some low nobility, that he was the third of seven sons, and that he had seen 25 winters. brass rings and wax held all the details of his hair in place.

This aside, he was ugly. His nose was red, his eyes over-large, green and kind. There was scarring from a burn or perhaps a disease on one side of his face, and his ruddy pink hide seemed forever on the verge of blistering."

And this is from his sheet:

"Hugo Van Haan is ugly, even for a dwarf. His bulbous, red nose has seen at least two breaks, he’s short and pudgy, his red hair is styled in a garish mohawk (the style of New World natives), his mustache waxed and curled downward and his beard and fingers set with several brass rings. Scars line a side of his face and redden with his ruddy complexion. Green eyes that would normally be regarded as captivating only add to the numbered oddities in Hugo’s face.

Hugo adores fine clothes, stockings, ruffles and silks. Being on a ship persuades him not an inch into more utilitarian clothes."


 
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[5e] Spell & Crossbones (FULL)

And even then if you are the sort of player who doesn't like more complex rules / information tracking, then just pay attention to the story stuff and let others/myself take care of it.
Ding Ding Ding!! Winner winner chicken dinner!

You wrote that just for me, didn't you? :p

Also, I've almost finished up my second round of Fortunes. Here's a preview list of the new Fortunes. Trying to get to a total of 20 Fortunes of each type (yes, I am a little OCD :p ), so I have just a few more to write up. I'll take any special requests.

MIXED FORTUNES 7/8
Brethren of the Coast
Casanova
Fish Tales
Quicksilver Eyes
Rogue-a-Plotting
Weather Pains
Whiskey Johnny
?

GOOD FORTUNES 7/8
Armed to the Teeth
Fencing School
Immortality
Lucky Ship's Cat
Secrets of the Deep
Ship Mage
Voodoo Rituals
?

ILL FORTUNES 6/8
Beastie Bait
Between the Devil and the Deep Sea
Grog-headed
Marooned
Obsessed with Treasure
Phobia
?
?

Wow they sound so cool! And mysterious! I wish I had some empty room... Yaknow, just in case ;)

I *almost* took Vice - Floozy. Cause, live for the moment and all that. Right? Casanova sounds interesting.....


:o
 
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Well that's too bad. I know we'll see you around. Hopefully by the time I run my game you'll be ready (if you're willing).

OOhhhh what game are you going to run?? :lol:



It's in the IC post, but it's as good a description as there is:

"His coat was green, but subtle enough to miss being garish. The silver buttons were recently cleaned and his kerchief was that dirty-white that alerted everyone that he had no talent for laundry. He wore no hat, as was custom for dwarves, and instead proudly showed off a head of hair boldly red and cut to reveal two long strips of scalp on either side of his head. This combined with the intricate braiding of both hair and beard showed him to be of a house of some low nobility, that he was the third of seven sons, and that he had seen 25 winters. brass rings and wax held all the details of his hair in place.

This aside, he was ugly. His nose was red, his eyes over-large, green and kind. There was scarring from a burn or perhaps a disease on one side of his face, and his ruddy pink hide seemed forever on the verge of blistering."

And this is from his sheet:

"Hugo Van Haan is ugly, even for a dwarf. His bulbous, red nose has seen at least two breaks, he’s short and pudgy, his red hair is styled in a garish mohawk (the style of New World natives), his mustache waxed and curled downward and his beard and fingers set with several brass rings. Scars line a side of his face and redden with his ruddy complexion. Green eyes that would normally be regarded as captivating only add to the numbered oddities in Hugo’s face.

Hugo adores fine clothes, stockings, ruffles and silks. Being on a ship persuades him not an inch into more utilitarian clothes."


That was PERFECT!! You are such a good writer. :)
 


So, all this talk of changes... if I am able to switch I am thinking of taking Inspiring Leader. I would have to drop my Cartography Tools and Gaming (Cards) and also one Proficiency, I am thinking either Acrobatics or Intimidation. Both are +6 and would drop to +4. If Barrington isn't going to take it, I'd like to. What do you think?

Quickleaf... Just in case you missed this with the flurry of posting.
 

So, all this talk of changes... if I am able to switch I am thinking of taking Inspiring Leader. I would have to drop my Cartography Tools and Gaming (Cards) and also one Proficiency, I am thinking either Acrobatics or Intimidation. Both are +6 and would drop to +4. If Barrington isn't going to take it, I'd like to. What do you think?
It sounds like Barrington is taking Ritual Caster instead, so sure go for Inspiring Leader if you'd like. I think it would suit Katarina well!
[MENTION=6777934]Maldavos[/MENTION] I feel like a thread of mighty pirating should be a magic item ;) Good luck with the game you're planning too!
 
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New Fortunes

Queenie said:
I *almost* took Vice - Floozy. Cause, live for the moment and all that. Right? Casanova sounds interesting.....
Haha, so by "negotiation" you mean... :heh:

Ok! I've got most of the new Fortunes done, so here they are!

Bear in mind that Fencing School and Voodoo Rituals involve converting d20 material from Skull & Bones and I'm trying to distill them into as simple yet flavorful and interesting a form as I can, so it will take me a bit longer to get those done. And, as always, I will update the original post with these new Fortunes.

[SBLOCK=Mixed Fortunes (New)]
[h3]Mixed Fortunes (New)[/h3]
Brethren of the Coast: You are a member of a loose coalition of pirates and privateers based in Tortuga called the Brethren of the Coast. The Brethren sometimes join in raids together, share leads on potential treasure, and don't attack one another's ships. They have their origins in Protestant privateers who raided Catholic French and Spanish shipping and territories. As a member of the Brethren, you are required to hold to certain standards of conduct (as defined in the ship's Articles) including legislative decision-making, a defined hierarchy of command, establishing disability insurance, and equitable division on resources. Spain, in particular, ruthlessly hunts down the Brethren.

Casanova: You are a Lothario, Don Juan, Bluebeard, femme fatale, or temptress. You have paramours in most every port you visit who may provide you with favors, or who you may choose to entertain so as to take advantage of them later while they're sound asleep. However, your proclivities tend to embroil you in dramas ranging from scandalous affairs with married men or women, to condemnation by clerics secretly jealous of your affections.

Fish Tales: You are prone to exaggerated accounts of your and your companions' adventures. When you tell a riveting tale of exaggerated truth to a new audience, you may make a Perfomance check (DC 25 - the Fame of the main PC involved). If you succeed, the main PC involved in your story gains +1 Fame as people buy the tale hook, line, and sinker. If you fail by 5 or more, there is an unintended repercussion to your sharing of the tale, but no change in Fame. If you fail by 10 or more, you and the main PC involved in your story both lose -1 Fame as everyone decries your fish tale.

Quicksilver Eyes: You must have lost a Life (or take a -1 Life penalty) to take this fortune. You had a close brush with death that opened your eyes to the other side. With an action you can enter a state of profound concentration allowing you to see invisible and ethereal creatures within 30 feet for up to 1 minute (concentration), though for each time you attempt this beyond once per day you take a level of Exhaustion. However, your strange supernatural looking eyes seriously unsettle superstitious people.

Pirate Hobby: Doldrums? Long days at port? Marooned on a tropical island? Waiting at the tavern for hung over companions to awake? What's a pirate to do in his or her spare time? You've picked up an odd hobby and gotten very, very good at it. Some examples include insult arm wresting, spitting contests, jig dance-offs, coconut tree climbing contests, card throwing, stone skipping, sealion call imitating, sea shanty competitions, and other silliness. Gain +1 Fame, and when engaging in your specific hobby you add double your proficiency bonus on the check. However, a string of competitors will always rise to challenge you for the title of "Best ________ in the Caribbean", and they will be very persistent and annoying.

Rogue-a-Plotting: You are the proverbial Long John Silver, constantly undermining the authority of those around you, and would see yourself in the Captain's seat. When you're captain gain +2 Sway checks. When you're challenging a captain for leadership, gain +4 Sway checks. However, authority figures and ship captains tend to suspect you of treachery regardless of your guilt or innocence, and you have an Enemy (see the ill fortune) whose authority you undermined in the past.

Weather Pains: Pains in your joints and bad headaches warn you when a storm is coming, giving you at least a few hours to prepare or change heading. However, you suffer a level of exhaustion each time this occurs.

Whiskey Johnny: Your prodigious skill at drinking leaves you standing in drinking competitions where lesser fools fall. You gain advantage on Constitution saves to avoid becoming intoxicated, and you can fight while intoxicated without suffering disadvantage on your attack rolls. However at the start of any given day, when you had acces to rum the night before, there is a 50% chance you wake up hung over and are useless on the ship until noon. Taking the Vice (alcohol) ill fortune would be apropos, but not required.
[/sblock]
[SBLOCK=Good Fortunes (New)]
[h3]Good Fortunes (New)[/h3]
Armed to the Teeth: You are armed to the teeth, and short of being strip-searched or magically searched you always manage to conceal at least one small weapon on your person. Gain any two weapon of your choice, and if either are firearms 12 shot and powder for each. In addition gain one of the following masterwork weapon options.
Long Musket: As per a musket, except the range is 50/150, and it cannot be fired at adjacent targets.
Double Barrel Musket: As per a musket, except it holds 2 shot which it fires separately before needing to reload.
Double Barrel Pistol: As per a pistol, except it holds 2 shot which it fires separately before needing to reload.
3 Bombs: As an action, you can light a bomb and throw it up to 60 feet. Each creature within 5 feet of that point (a 10-ft diameter blast) must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or takes 3d6 fire damage. Flammables are lit on fire by the explosion.
12 Silver Bullets

*Fencing School: work in progress....

Free Diver: You worked as a diver on one of the Caribbean islands, whether recovering pearls for a wizard's spell components, recovering treasure from sunken wrecks, or spearfishing. You can hold your breath for 5 + your Constitution modifier in minutes (instead of just your Constitution modifier in minutes), and know techniques to avoid shallow water blackout and handle water pressures at 100 feet depth.

Immortality:You will never die of old age, and thus are immune to effects that age you. Perhaps you are attuned to magical Lazarus pools somewhere that allow you to be rejuvenated in their waters? Perhaps you drank from the Fountain of Youth? Perhaps you cut a deal with the Devil?

Lucky Ship's Cat: You have a polydactyl cat (cat with extra toes), a black cat, or a cat (or other animal mascot) otherwise believed to be lucky by sailors. Your cat is an excellent hunter and keeps the rodent population down, allowing you to re-roll any random encounters pertaining to rats or rat-borne disease. Moreover, so long as your cat is well fed and well treated, the crew gain +1 morale. Only one player may take this fortune.

Secrets of the Deep: This fortune is best suited for warlocks with a Pact of the Great Old One or other characters who've had close contact with the watery Abyss. Gain one of the following secrets of the deep when you take this fortune. 
  • You intuitively understand how to operate gateways/planar passages to the Abyss, and can understand Quallith (the alien Braille writing of the Illithid).
  • You automatically differentiate different kinds of merfolk (Jenny Hannivers, Onijegi, Sea Monks, Merfolk, Merrow, or Sirens) and knows considerable lore about them.
  • Merfolk (Jenny Hannivers, Onijegi, Sea Monks, Merfolk, Merrow, or Sirens) will never harm you.
  • Your tattoo, or other remark upon you, writhes and changes slightly when any Sea Beastie is drawing near, granting you advance warning, but causing you crippling albeit fleeting pain.
  • You had a vision during your "awakening" by the Great Old One(s), a vision of how to read a map on the back of a scarred sailor; this map would lead you to what you most desire, but it would come at a price. The map would also grant advantage on some island encounter rolls and provide other secret benefits.
  • You realized there is a conspiracy of others like you out there when you "awakened", only they are willing servants of the Great Old One(s). They call themselves The Cabal. Sometimes their dreams bleed together and you gain secret knowledge of their plans.
  • You constantly fight a subtle madness from your "awakening", however you can automatically recognize signs of madness in others and can "eavesdrop" on nearby telepathic conversations.
  • (Warlock Pact of the Blade) Your pact blade is a Cthonic artifact slowly materializing into the world, becoming more real with each use of your pact blade. This means it gains power as a rare magic item following the story, but also gains malign intelligence and heralds some coming disaster.

Ship Mage:You must be able to cast spells to take this fortune. You served aboard at least one vessel as Ship Mage and picked up minor magical tricks of the sea along the way. Gain a bonus cantrip from one of the ship mage cantrips below (booming captain's voice, buoyancy, drowned likeness, false flag, ghost rigging, mariner's boon). In addition, when you gain a cantrip you may choose from these ship mage cantrips.

*Voodoo Rituals: work in progress...
[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Ill Fortunes (New)]
[h3]Ill Fortunes (New)[/h3]
Beastie Bait: There is some beastie, usually a sea beastie, that is after you with a vengeance. Maybe it got a taste of your leg and wants more? Maybe you killed its offspring or stole its treasure? Whatever the case, settle on a suitable beastie with the DM. Whenever your party would roll on the beastie table suiting that beastie's natural environment (port, sea, island, abyss), roll twice; if the beastie comes up on either die take that result, otherwise take the result of your first roll. Naturally, should you encounter the beastie it preferentially seeks you out.

Between the Devil and the Deep Sea: There is a war for your soul, matey, but not between heaven and hell. No, the Devil wants your soul as does the Abyss. Both send fiendish agents to corrupt you and lure you to disaster. These agents will be disguised as NPCs whose vying for your soul will land you in "between a rock and a hard place" situations.

Grog-headed: Grog was a mixture of rum and water used to ration out rum and keep up morale. A "grog-head" is one who could get drunk off of grog, thus someone who couldn't handle their liquor. After one glass of any real alcohol you are intoxicated. Other sailors and pirates enjoy giving you a hard time about this and challenging you to drinking matches.

Marooned: You were recently marooned on an island, sandbar, or cay with little to nothing in the way of food, left to survive by your own wits. During this time any wealth you had which wasn't on your person was taken by others (often those who marooned you), and any social status you had was lost or significantly diminished. You probably have strong feelings about the place you were marooned, and you should choose a suitable name for it (e.g. Skull Island, Albatross Rock, White Sands Cay).

Obsessed with Treasure: You have an unhealthy fascination with treasure; all things bright and glittery draw you in like a moth to a flame. When confronted with a treasure you can't help but handle several pieces of it right away or, if unable to handle it, stare transfixed for a round. You always try to take more than your fair share of a prize when doing so won't raise the hackles of your companions...usually because they won't find out.

Outlaw Slave: Most of the slaves in the Caribbean are from the African nations of Ashanti, Dahomey, and Oyo, though some Carib and Arawaks are enslaved, and a rare few white indentured servants still exist (or Europeans who escaped Barbary slavers). Regardless of your origin, you escaped your cruel enslavement, though not unmarked. You might bear a brand marking you as property, or perhaps an ear or buttock was cut off for a previous failed attempt at escape. African escaped slaves are known as Maroons (England, France, and the Netherlands) or Cimarrones (Spain). Slave hunters called "ranchers" have been sent by your former master to hunt you down, and are within their legal rights to do so according to the laws of the colonial powers.

Phobia: You have an irrational fear of something, which you will go to extreme lengths to avoid and probably react to hysterically or simply freeze up. Some interesting phobias include astraphobia (fear of storms), blennophobia (fear of slime), claustrophobia (fear of tight spaces), demonophobia (fear of djab and fiends), entomophobia (fear of insects), icthyphobia (fear of fish/sharks), necrophobia (fear of corpses/undead), ophidiophobia (fear of snakes), pyrophobia (fear of fire), spectrophobia (fear of ghosts), or tomophobia (fear of surgery).

Touched: You are convinced you have the power to do something you cannot actually do. A classic example would be delusions that you possess magic you do not actually have. Another might be thinking you are the greatest bluffer in the world when, in fact, you are not. It's meant to be a comical fortune, but could also be played seriously.
[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Ship Mage Cantrips]
Booming Captain's Voice
Enchantment cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 ft
Components: V, S
Duration: Up to 1 minute

You shout to get the crew's attention. For the next minute, the Captain of the ship you are aboard (or whoever you consider Captain if there's a dispute or mutiny) gains +1 Sway checks and their voice is magically amplified voice to carry above even storm winds.

Buoyancy
Abjuration cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a piece of pumice)
Duration: Up to 1 hour

A creature or object (weighing no more than 250 pounds) you touch resists sinking on its own, and if currently submerged will rise to the surface. If an affected creature tries to dive under, they must make a DC 20 Athletics check to stay submerged, There are practical limits, like the creature or object not floating to the surface if restrained or something blocking its route up. This spell lasts for up to 1 hour or until you cast it again on a different creature or object.

Drowned Likeness
Necromancy cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a mirror with water poured over it)
Duration: Up to 1 minute, concentration

One creature you touch either gains the likeness of a drowned creature or, if they are already drowned, they assume their likeness as if they were freshly dead (and the corpse identifiable). This seeming lasts only as long as you maintain touch and concentration, for up to one minute.

False Flag
Illusion cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Special
Components: V, S, M (a small canvas version of the flag you wish to imitate)
Duration: Up to 1 hour, concentration

You cause the flag of the ship you currently are aboard to blur and adopt the likeness of another flag you have seen. This illusion only fools those who are over 200 feet away; any closer and a blurred view of the ship's actual flag becomes visible. You must concentrate to maintain the illusion which can last for up to 1 hour.

Ghost Rigging
Conjuration cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action, or 1 reaction taken when you or a creature within 30 of you falls
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (ship's rigging or an equivalent large amount of rope or line)
Duration: Instantaneous

You conjure a long length of rope to lash out at your command toward a creature in range. If the target is unwilling, make a melee spell attack. If the attack hits, and the target is Large or smaller, slide the target 15 feet in any direction. If you hoist them upward, they are now in the ship's rigging.

In addition, you may cast this spell as a reaction when a Large or smaller creature within 30 feet of you falls. If they are unwilling, roll attack as above. If the attack hits or they are willing, the creature takes no falling damage and is instead left hanging from the rope wrapped about a limb. A creature left hanging from rope is grappled and must cut itself free (falling 10 feet), make a check to escape a grapple as if you were holding them, or be freed by another.

Mariner's Boon
Divination cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

This spell was developed by ship mages to assist in common shipboard tasks. You perform one of the following tasks:
  • You gaze upon a magical compass invisible to all but you which points north before vanishing.
  • You raise your hand off the rail of the ship and get a sense for the current water depth.
  • You turn your face to the wind, sensing the next change to wind coming before sunrise or sunset (whichever comes first).
  • You gaze toward the horizon, viewing far away objects at double size.
[/SBLOCK]
 
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