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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 9780597" data-attributes="member: 4937">I think that's definitely one of the two ways to start the campaign.  The other, is that you start for whatever reason as part of the crew of the larger vessel, though that way requires the group to be OK with the game being on rails for a while.But at 1st level, just a small 30 or 40 foot sloop or pinnace or dhow with the PC's as being basically the whole crew is perfect.The trouble I think you will have is that there is little means to keep it that way.  The advantages of a larger ship over a smaller ship in terms of seaworthiness, cargo capacity, speed, endurance, and combat ability are just too great.  Plus there is something cool about having the more prestigious ship.  Pretty soon they are going to want a 60 foot schooner, still sailable by 5 or so persons - mainly the PC's.  And then perhaps a 120 foot three masted snow with a battery of six ballista on eiher side, and swivels on the fore and stern castle.  And now we have a crew of 110.  And so forth.The thing is, I've been in that campaign.  And on a smaller scale I ran that campaign.  You can do it, but I agree with you that it's more work than most groups are going to want to do.</blockquote>