A Privateer Campaign....

[Bloodweaver1]

I was wondering if players in general would be interested in running a privateer style campaign set in either Fearun (sp) or Eberron (A big fan of the old 'Privateer' video game for the PC). The basic concept would be something to the effect of the party getting hired on as guards for a carvan merchant. They have a couple successful deliveries, make money, etc. During one trip the caravan they are escorting getts attacked and destroyed. They go back to mechant and find out that he has either been killed/disappeared/whatever and all this is left is a POS wagon for which the adventures can take and begin building their own empire.

Of course I would introduce adventures as they travel around the lands deilverying goods and trying to make enough money to stay alive. They can get a better wagon if they get enough money... all that kind of stuff. This is just the basic idea of what I was thinking off. Haven't really developed the specifics yet (if ppl are interested I'll try to post some) but I was wondering what others would think about this. Interested? Not interested? Ideas on how to make it better or don't even bother its waste of flipp'n time.

Thanks for the input
-BW

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

That's not privateers, that's merchants. Privateers are pirates who operate under a license from a government.

I'd love a privateer game, but merchants with a wagon, not so much, unless I could be a hobbit.

 

[Bloodweaver1]

That's not privateers, that's merchants. Privateers are pirates who operate under a license from a government.

I'd love a privateer game, but merchants with a wagon, not so much, unless I could be a hobbit.

Good point! See this is why I post this *** up here first.
Scrap the wagon.

Ok, so how about this. A relatively powerful figure head (perhaps King Berland in Eberron and the Mayor of Baldurs Gate for Faerun) places out a call to help protect and safe guard the highly burglarized and very dangerouse shipping lanes for the relative region. They are given offical licenese and duty titles and will belong to newly formed part of the gov't. At the begining of each adventure certain missions will be available to them to choose from or maybe just assigned to them. The missions could be escorting, deliverying, raiding, spying, assasination... whatever. It will be up to them on how to accomplish each mission (buying supplies) and how to handle the ramifications as well (evil laugh). Various rewards and bounties maybe offered.... who knows.

Does that sound better? I'm trying to create a feeling of freedom or self control over ones destiny on the players part. Again comments are incuraged.

-BW

 

[Runesong42]

I've hand a hankerin' to play a pirate/privateer game for a while now.

The easiest way to do this in a team game is to have the players discuss their characters together with the hope and intention of creating a team that would work well together on a sailing vessel. Make sure they all know ahead of time that your intention is to have them sailing all over the place, being pretty much a naval mercenary unit. Your players should be willing to stay within your theme when creating characters.

Also, make sure you, as DM, keep track of what goals each PC wants for him or herself ouside of working on a ship, lootin' and killin'.

You might consider opening up the Expert and Aristocrat NPC classes as potential choices for PCs. Both have a wealth of useful skills without being tied down to a specific class. Great choices for players who aren't sure what to make but want to make something right NOW.

 

[The_Gneech]

Well, if you want to base it off of Privateer, then the party needs to have a 1-masted sloop and hire themselves out as a vessel of war. Privateering is a naval occupation!

-The Gneech