Swashbuckling, pirate campaign -- please help

RichGreen

Adventurer
Hi,

I've been toying around with some ideas for a "Fantasy Caribbean" setting for quite a while now and need to start nailing down some details. The campaign would be more like D&D than Skull and Bones as I would allow sorcerors, wizards and the setting would have dwarves and orcs in it, but with a time period closer to the Golden Age of Piracy than Freeport.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Which non-core character classes would you recommend for use in this setting? Would you allow both Arcana Unearthed/Evolved's Unfettered and Complete Warrior's Swashbuckler? Are the classes in Skull and Bones and Swashbuckling Adventures any good?

2. Which defence bonus would work best -- Unearthed Arcana's or the one in Green Ronin's Advanced Gamemaster's Guide? Would either of these cause balance problems when used with the classes above?

Any advice gratefully received!

Cheers


Richard
 

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Howdy. I don't have most of the resources that would allow me to actually answer your questions, but I see know reason to let that stop me. I just started a swashbuckling pirate game (story hour is here) and we're having a great time. I've also got a behind the scenes thread. There isn't much there yet, we're only three sessions in. I intend to keep a running list of what resources I've used and how they worked, stat blocks, and hopefully get some folks to help me brainstorm ideas for the campaign. You might find it useful eventually.

I allow the Swashbuckler from Complete Warrior. None of the PCs ended up taking it, but I've used it for a couple NPCs to good effect. I'd recommend it.

In terms of resources, I can't speak highly enough of Green Ronin's Freeport line. For ship rules I'm using Mongoose's Seas of Blood. I'm not totally happy with it, and haven't really used it for ship to ship combat yet. The crew combat rules have been a big help, though.

I hope you post some details from your campaign. I'd be interested in seeing what you've come up with (and shamelessly stealing ideas).

Morrow
 

RichGreen said:
Hi,

I've been toying around with some ideas for a "Fantasy Caribbean" setting for quite a while now and need to start nailing down some details. The campaign would be more like D&D than Skull and Bones as I would allow sorcerors, wizards and the setting would have dwarves and orcs in it, but with a time period closer to the Golden Age of Piracy than Freeport.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Which non-core character classes would you recommend for use in this setting? Would you allow both Arcana Unearthed/Evolved's Unfettered and Complete Warrior's Swashbuckler? Are the classes in Skull and Bones and Swashbuckling Adventures any good?

2. Which defence bonus would work best -- Unearthed Arcana's or the one in Green Ronin's Advanced Gamemaster's Guide? Would either of these cause balance problems when used with the classes above?

Any advice gratefully received!

Cheers


Richard

I've got both those books you mention, and the classes in each of them work well. I personally do use the Unarmored Defence Proficiency feats from Swashbuckling Adventures, but you do want to be careful with what you allow them to be combined with. As an example, one of the players in my campaign took Vow of Poverty, and then asked for Unarmored Defense Proficiency, but I won't allow that kind of combo, as it could get a monk character with 40 AC at lvl 10. But one or the other? Not bad.

Many swashbuckling type games like Wheel of Time and Star Wars had defence bonuses based on class and level. The SA method is very similar...it's just that you have to expend feats to get it.

In any case, SA tends to be a bit more fantasy-style.....very swashbuckly, high-magic type of feel. Skull & Bones is more gritty, but their naval rules have a lot more detail, which is a good thing.

Banshee
 

It sounds to me (and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) that you're working more on a "D&D on the High Seas" rather than a "High Seas campaign using d20 rules," maybe.

In that case, you probably want to pick your diversions from the usual D&D system carefully. The swashbuckler from CW or something would be a really good fit (better than the Unfettered in my opinion, but they both have something to offer). You should remove the heavy armor, and defense bonuses are good, but can become quickly problematic. A good solution to the "low AC's" problem might be to give Combat Expertise for free instead of heavy armor proficiency for the classes that get it. Another alternative would be to give extra hp (which, to a certain extent, represent endurance and ability to doge) to all characters, depending upon armor proficiency. Dwarves, however, with their ability to move more freely in heavy armor, may be the exception to that rule -- allow them to gain things that help offset the penalties to swim and saves for weather, or give them something instead of heavy-armor mobility to reflect their skill (perhaps a natural armor bonus?).

Water breathing and swimming will probably be supremely useful in the campaign -- you might want to consider giving everyone swim as a class skill, perhaps even adding an aquatic race as a PC race (merfolk, locathah, sahagin, tritons...) and developing them as fully as elves and dwarves.

Naval combat can be important, but it can also be glossed over and abstract, for a more speedy (but less detailed) case. Develop a "naval attack bonus" linked to the Profession (captain) skill and give ships AC's, and link it to a Charisma bonus or Intelligence bonus, and call it a day.
 

Hmmm, I have and like both Swashbuckling Adventures and Skull & Bones, and like them both, with my favorite between the two being determined by my mood of the moment.

Swashbuckling Adventures is bigger and brighter than life, swashbuckling heroes, with classes that are a bit unbalanced when compared to most D&D core classes. But they balance against each other just fine - as long as you don't mix it with standard D&D much it is great. Magic is limited, but very powerful inside of those limitations. If you want Errol Flyn and Douglas Fairbanks style pirates this is the better choice.

Skull & Bones is grittier, and I can't help but wonder how well it would mix with Grim Tales. Compared with D&D the classes are perhaps a bit weak, but again are balanced nicely among themselves. Magic is rare and dangerous, and based on Voodoo. If you want Blackbeard, John Rackham, or On Stranger Tides style pirates this is the better choice.

For ship to ship combat both Corsair by Adamant and Book of the Sea by Mongoose are quite good. I lean more towards Book of the Sea because it ties in with Mongoose Publishing's Open Mass Combat System Revised so very well.

The Auld Grump
 

Complete adventurer has the Dread Pirate PrC that works well in a swashbuckler campaign. Also, the Roofwalker feat in Races of Destiny works well on a ship as well.

I flipped through Swashbuckling adventures, and didn't think it was that great, though that was mostly because I think it was written for 3.0. It's also set in a particular setting, though that's easy to throw out.

I highly recomend using some sort of action point system to allow over the top dramatic feats. Also, keep in mind when you build a combat field that players should be encouraged to swing/jump around, attempt unheard of acrobatics, and exchange witty raparte.
 


Bront said:
Complete adventurer has the Dread Pirate PrC that works well in a swashbuckler campaign.
Unless it's been updated to have a lot more flavor in 3.5, I'd include the Freeport Pirate (available as a free PDF from Green Ronin, in addition to being in the Freeport city book) instead. But they're so much alike, there's probably not need for two of them, unless there's distinctly different pirate communities.
 

I can't only speak to the classes in Skull and Bones and Swashbuckling Adventures. (I don't have the other books you asked about.)

S&B is for gaming Pirates of the Caribbean; SA is for gaming The Three Musketeers

I like the classes in S&B, and I think most of them would fit into a more fantasy-oriented campaign with little tweaking. They're definitely grittier, seagoing types. SA has some good classes that offer more of continental feel (e.g. the courtier, the noble, and the spy.).

My problem with SA is that the book is heavily weighed down by prestige classes focused on the specific nationalities of Theah, the 7th Sea campaign setting; and I've found few of them useful in a non-Theah game.

One suggestion I can offer to add and enhance the swashbuckling feel of the game is to employ some kind of action points system. Allow them to spend points to do cool, dramatic stuff, including dramatic editing of the surroundings.

"I grab the rope that's conveniently hanging next to me (spending an action point to have the rope be there) and swing across the courtyard to balcony where the governor's daughter is waiting!"

I use a variant on a system developed for 7th Sea, called Drama Doubloons. The d20 pulp game, Adventure! uses a similar system, and I understand Great White Games produced a similar system called the d20 Adventure Deck, cards that allowed you to do special, fun things.

Carl
 

Whizbang Dustyboots said:
Unless it's been updated to have a lot more flavor in 3.5, I'd include the Freeport Pirate (available as a free PDF from Green Ronin, in addition to being in the Freeport city book) instead. But they're so much alike, there's probably not need for two of them, unless there's distinctly different pirate communities.

The new version of the Dread Pirate in Complete Adventurer is a significant improvement over the original in both style and execution. It and the Freeport Pirate are different enough to incorporate both into a campaign. They really flesh out two very different pirate concepts (three actually, the new Dread Pirate has both an honerable and a dishonerable pirate option).

Two of my PCs were looking for pirate prestige classes and I showed them both the Freeport Pirate and the Dread Pirate hoping to get some variety. Of course they both took a shine to the Freeport Pirate, curse their filthy hides. I think it was the animal companion that did it. No player who is seriously considering a pirate character can resist having a parrot or monkey on their shoulder.

Morrow
 

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