Freeport without the gunpowder

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

After looking long and hard for a context to drop Freeport down into (because I find it hard to muster up much enthusiasm for an island in the trading lanes when you don't know who's trading or where), I'm thinking about putting it in Eberron this summer, as a lot of the atmosphere fits, and the setting info about the wars on the mainland fit nicely with the Last War.

The only problem, to the extent that it IS a problem, is that Eberron doesn't use gunpowder. To me, pirates sort of NEED gunpowder -- pulling a flintlock from your belt and firing it at the enemy as you board their ship is one of the classic tropes for me, and I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around piracy without it.

Has anyone run Freeport without gunpowder? How "authentic" was the pirate flavor to you and your players?

 

[trancejeremy]

Well, Freeport really doesn't have gunpowder, other than that one little shop. And I think that mostly sells hand weapons.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yeah, but it's provided because even the designers concede that a lot of people can't figure out how piratical adventures feel right without gunpowder -- I'm one of them.

I was just wondering if folks who have played Freeport without gunpowder found it to be "piratical" enough.

 

[Jeremy757]

I use Freeport and make extensive use of pirates in my FR - Vilhon Reach campaign without using a drop of gunpowder (or smokepowder). And it has worked just fine. The Pirates make extensive use of crossbows and ballistas and in FR ships can be armed with Thayin bombards, which are cannons that fire cloudkill or fireballs spells. Plus you can always have your pirates have indentured wizards or sorcerers who are low level with wands of magic missle, melf's acid arrow, etc.

Oh yeah and every pirateship needs a giant who flings goblins with knives and torches onto their prey ship to burn its sails down.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Yeah, but it's provided because even the designers concede that a lot of people can't figure out how piratical adventures feel right without gunpowder -- I'm one of them.

I was just wondering if folks who have played Freeport without gunpowder found it to be "piratical" enough.

I did it without Gunpowder by emphasizing the following:
- The "Port" feeling - salty air, sweaty sailors that say "ahoy matey" a lot etc.
- Increasing the lawlessness in Freeport - dead bodies in the seedier streets.
- The Dockside Tavern - the seediest, sleaziest place in Freeport
- Swashbuckling - this guy is the biggie.
When you have an emphasis on "finer" weapons (people are more impressed by an exquisitely crafted rapier than a big bloody longsword or two hander), you can change the way how characters play and thus how the setting feels. By emphasizing that any masterwork equipment is going to be of the lighter variety, players will adjust to this and go for these weapons. This will work. If you let the players play characters that could be dropped straight into a medieval setting, it won't. Change availability of material and you should do fine.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Tewligan]

Well, if you want to have guns in your game, you could just say that gunpowder DOES, in fact, exist in Eberron. Doesn't seem like a game-breaking change to me.

 

[Wrahn]

Is this THE Whizbang Dustyboots?

 

[Pramas]

After looking long and hard for a context to drop Freeport down into (because I find it hard to muster up much enthusiasm for an island in the trading lanes when you don't know who's trading or where), I'm thinking about putting it in Eberron this summer, as a lot of the atmosphere fits, and the setting info about the wars on the mainland fit nicely with the Last War.

Coincidentally enough, Eberron creator Keith Baker contributed to Denizens of Freeport and co-authored the upcoming Creatures of Freeport, so that seems quite appropriate.