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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Starfox" data-source="post: 6463669" data-attributes="member: 2303">5 out of 5 rating for Skull & Shackles Adventure PathPlaying this adventure path now, just about to start on the final book. First of all, it is not really a pirate adventure at all. It is a series of adventures in a pirate setting - any actual piracy is strictly optional except perhaps for a bit in part 2. Second, real-life pirate laws do not work for the player's and their crew - you can't give everyone in the crew an equal share of the spoils in a game like Pathfinder where the players' gear needs to advance along with them. The player's companion includes pirate rules for infamy - these did not work very well for our group, as they are not achievement-based but are based on social skills - which all of our character excel at, making it too easy to feel relevant. The incorporated ship combat rules are also not very good and better resolved though storytelling. So, the piratey bits don't really work. The fleet battle rules are pretty good tough, and add a quick and exiting tactical game element, but that's really out of the scope of normal piracy.  On to the advenures. The first part begins with the players shanghaied and having to work their way up from the bilges, literally. It needs to be GMed with a light hand - I actually lost half my gaming group here as their characters were wallowing in filth. It has some great roleplay moments, and builds camaraderie among the future crew, but some players prefer to not play misery in such detail. The camaraderie doesn't really last unless the players and GM works at maintaining the crew - Pathfinder's rapid advancement means crew will become obsolete in later adventures.  Part two is the one where you engage in actual piracy, and ends with the players accepted as pirates. Part three gives them a chance to become sort of pirate "nobility" in a fantastic race. Part four gives them an island home to explore  and build into a port. Part five is preparations for a big fleet battle, while parts five and six detail a war among pirates. Throughout the players have a plot to investigate and must determine who to trust and not. This is perhaps the most interesting part; no concrete proof is found until late in the story, but there is a growing mood of suspicion, without actually going into paranoia.  Overall, this is an excellent adventure path. Going over my text, I notice I point out all the bad things. A review is often like that - it is easier to complain, and you avoid spoiling things too. Still, more than a summary like this indicates, this is an adventure of many, many small plots and situations you weave together. The players have a great freedom of choice, and there are many instances where you can insert a little extra plot or piracy to spice things up. Depending on your chosen rate of advancement, this could easily be the skeleton plot of a huge pirate campaign.</blockquote>

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