I need a suggestion for a good Swahbuckling world

[JacktheRabbit]

I am going to be starting a new campaign since my current campaign ended in a horrible TPK due to stupid party action.

The new one shall be a setting a la: Brotherhood of the Wolf, Swashbuckling, 1750 colonial America time period.

Can anyone reccommend a good setting for this? I plan on using Freeport to a degree with a few minor changes but that is only one city and several islands.

I need good maps with cities, empires, all that fun stuff. I really don't want to draw maps myself and I dont want to reuse maps from another world like Kalamar, Greyhawk, or Realms.

Any suggestions?

 

[kenjib]

Twin Crowns and Swashbuckling Adventures are the two d20 swashbuckling settings that come to mind for me.

Swashbuckling Adventures has a new set of rules that really make the system work very well for swashbuckling - new classes, feats, magic system, equipment, with a great swashbuckling feel, including a lot of tools to help characters fight well in light armor and a cool hubris/flaw system that potentially gives characters more bravado/spirit. The world is a fairly close copy of the real renaissance world, but with all of the names changed. IE there is a set of islands called Avalon that are a lot like the British Isles, there is Eisen that is a lot like Germany, there is Montaigne that is pretty much France, etc. This may or may not be the kind of thing you want. If that sounds cool to you then you're probably all set. It's not really my preference though. I'd just as well play using the real Renaissance world with magic thrown in instead of using a close analog with everything renamed.

From what I understand, Twin Crowns is a more original world instead of Swash. Adv.'s European re-hash, but I don't believe that it has the extensive rules coverage that Swash. Adv. has. The Broadsides! book by the same company, however, has much better naval rules than the somewhat meager ones provided in Swash. Adv. Unfortunately I only have Swash. Adv. and not Twin Crowns, so I can't say much else about the setting.

I wonder if perhaps using the Swashbuckling Adventures book to play in the Twin Crowns setting might be a good option. Perhaps someone who has both could say.

I'm sure Freeport would fit in perfectly with either setting -- you'd just need to get rid of the dwarves, elves, etc. if you use Swash. Adv., since there are only humans there (reclusive fey exist, but are not really of the world like D&D elves and are not intended for PCs for sure).

 

[Marius Delphus]

I was going to recommend Septentrionalis, but the authors have pulled the Web page and the PDF downloads:

http://www.catspawcomics.com/sept/sept.html

I also *highly* recommend the "Age of Unreason" novels by J. Gregory Keyes, though these have not been translated into game form AFAIK. Would require heavy adaptation but there is a years-long gap between two (of the four) books in which a campaign not featuring the series' characters could certainly take place.

What I'd like to know is, is d20 Modern more or less appropriate than D&D for post-Renaissance, pre-20th century gaming? (I know, that's a lot of historical territory, but still. Not trying to hijack the thread or anything. )

 

[Bob Aberton]

Also, if this is going to be the typical swashbuckling game with ships and all, I highly suggest Broadsides! by the same company that puts out Twin Crowns. It is simply the most comprehensive resource for shipborne gaming, and as an avid sailor myself (just dinghies for now but intending to work in the tallship industry eventually), I can say that the one thing it doesn't lack is realism and detail.

And if you need any tips or ideas, feel free to drop in on my game any time (Deep Water and Shoals, A Swashbuckling Campaign, in the Playing the Game [IC] forum).

Good luck...

 

[Larry Fitz]

Wow Doc, thanks for the opportunity for an "unabashed plug".

I personally recommend (though I'm certainly biased) Twin Crowns and the Streets of Silver city setting. Parma is a great homebase for a group and the lower levels can be them (the pc's)learning how to be sailors and navigators capable of traversing the ocean, then you can have them make the trip back and forth between the colonies and the old world, either as a merchant trade vessel or as privateers or a little of both... if you do love naval adventuring (and heck, who doesn't?) get Broadsides! to enhance the experience, but I think you'll find the rules in Twin Crowns sufficient to the task, Broadsides! is definitely a worthwile enhancement. If you have any questions about how various things are handled in the setting, feel free to ask.