Help with Gnomish Pirates

[just__al]

My players (who are all elves) are about to take an ocean voyage as they continue on a journey that takes them all waaaay outside of their forest home. I've got a few ocean encounters planned but I was thinking I want something a little different for a pirate encounter.

I was thinking gnome pirates with varying and sundry gadgets or magics to help with piracy. Anybody got any good ideas... I want my players to really have something off the wall happen...

 

[Sejs]

OKay, first off, you ever see that disney cartoon "Talespin"?

Four words: Dread Gnomish Air Pirates.

 

[just__al]

OKay, first off, you ever see that disney cartoon "Talespin"?

Four words: Dread Gnomish Air Pirates.

Haven't. What were the high points?

 

[sckeener]

oh gosh this brings back memories....

I once had some players journeying up a river into an enchanted faerie forest...I decided to have them attacked by pirate pixies....oooo...it was too comical.

and deadly....falling asleep from pixie arrows in heavy armor near the water...I almost killed the dwarf cleric.

The party was captured in the end.....

twas fun.

 

[Umbran]

I was thinking gnome pirates with varying and sundry gadgets or magics to help with piracy. Anybody got any good ideas... I want my players to really have something off the wall happen...

There are two basic modes of piracy:

1)Blow the snot out of the other ship, so that the crew surrenders.
2)Board the other ship, and fight man-to-man.

(2) Is not a wise choice for a species which are typicall smaller and weaker than their victims. So, tactics-wise, the gnomes ought to go for disable and threaten to destroy the victim ship as a whole...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Everquest had a gnomish pirate ship fleet, where they sailed ironclads equipped with ice-cutting gears on the front of the ship. The gnomes there had read about pirates and decided it sounded like fun, so they actually carried little books about piracy around with them and consciously tried to learn to "speak" Pirate.

They also lived in igloos, because igloos are cool. And wore black leather armor, presumably so they could merge ninjas and pirates together.

 

[icedrake]

Eberron uses elementals to power the vessels that exist in its world. I suggest throwing an air or water elemental on the gnomish ship to give them greater maniuverability and speed. Maybe have their artiliery be magical or alchemical (refer to Heroes of Battle). They'd likely also have a spell caster or two that could add some firepower and control to their side. Check out Freezign Sphere and wall of force, or they could have a boarding teams pop on and off with dem door.

 

[Ilium]

I have a pirate ship in my campaign. The pirates have hippogriffs that they fly over to the other ship to drop alchemist's fire in the rigging and generally harass and slow the defenders while the ship closes to ballista range. Maybe the gnomes could have flying machines or something instead.

 

[Tonguez]

Kwalish Device anyone?

Imagine a ship suddenly being swarmed by an attack fleet of mechanical lobsters who promptly start drilling into the hull.

I once designed a gnome colony that lived in a submarine 'Aquasphere' which was powered by a psionic coral-colony and had a oxygen releasing sponge growing on its interior walls. They used kwalish devices whenever they left the aquasphere to explore the seafloor or to travel to dry-land

Follow up with air machines of course....

 

[Tonguez]

double post!!!!