D&D 5E Which Version of Freeport/Other Pirate City...?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yeah, I should have said: The Pirate's Guide to Freeport is the second edition and my recommendation.

Pick up Black Sails in PDF, if you can. The adventure is just OK -- it gets a little jokey at parts again, which doesn't fit well with the rest of the tone -- but it also details both the main pirate god of the setting and the extremely evil forbidden earlier pirate god who comes roaring back in the mega-adventure. I find both to be essential world-building elements of Freeport.

If I didn't own/love Freeport, I would be very tempted by Razor Coast, because I need more fantasy Polynesia in my life.

Also note that Chris Pramas loves the Cthulhu Mythos, and there are a number of overt mythos elements in the Freeport Trilogy and subsequent setting. That's probably a big plus for a lot of people, but if isn't, note that there are literal serpent people and the Yellow Sign from the mythos. I dialed that stuff back, myself, since I'm kind of over it, but it's an easy dial to spin back and forth, as preferred. (If I had to do it over, I would have made all the serpent people into Yuan-Ti and had the plot of the Freeport Trilogy involve Yuan-Ti lore instead, for instance.)

 

[Retreater]

Also note that Chris Pramas loves the Cthulhu Mythos, and there are a number of overt mythos elements in the Freeport Trilogy and subsequent setting. That's probably a big plus for a lot of people, but if isn't, note that there are literal serpent people and the Yellow Sign from the mythos. I dialed that stuff back, myself, since I'm kind of over it, but it's an easy dial to spin back and forth, as preferred. (If I had to do it over, I would have made all the serpent people into Yuan-Ti and had the plot of the Freeport Trilogy involve Yuan-Ti lore instead, for instance.)

Perhaps it's also an issue of Yuan-Ti not being in the SRD, so 3rd party publishers had to create their own workarounds. When I wrote Coils of Set for Necromancer, I used Ophidians instead of Yuan-Ti (which were from their Tome of Horrors line).

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Perhaps it's also an issue of Yuan-Ti not being in the SRD, so 3rd party publishers had to create their own workarounds. When I wrote Coils of Set for Necromancer, I used Ophidians instead of Yuan-Ti (which were from their Tome of Horrors line).

Maybe, but there's a lot of Cthulhu stuff in Freeport. I think it's genuine fandom. Green Ronin folks are perfectly comfortable with creating new monsters to fill in the gaps in the SRD. And I know I'm apparently in the minority of gamers for not being cuckoo for Cthulhu.

 

[Retreater]

Maybe, but there's a lot of Cthulhu stuff in Freeport. I think it's genuine fandom. Green Ronin folks are perfectly comfortable with creating new monsters to fill in the gaps in the SRD. And I know I'm apparently in the minority of gamers for not being cuckoo for Cthulhu.

I agree with that. Lots of reasons someone would use Cthulhu stuff - but also it's public domain and kinda creates an "instant audience."
For me, I don't know if my displeasure with Cthulhu products is because of the problematic issues with HPL, the cliched feeling of most of the stories, or the ubiquity of the franchise (because of public domain) so everyone makes Cthulhu plushie slippers/Nyarlahotep waffle makers/etc.

 

[smetzger]

Pirate's Guide to Freeport or Freeport City of Adventure if you want a 'setting' book.

Black Sails Over Freeport - The beginning and end is decent. The middle of it is a mess and should be completely re-worked.

Original Freeport Trilogy - These are solid adventures. But starts at level 1 and takes place entirely in Freeport. So, if you are looking for adventures on the high seas... this is not it.

 

[Zaukrie]

Yeah, I should have said: The Pirate's Guide to Freeport is the second edition and my recommendation.

Pick up Black Sails in PDF, if you can. The adventure is just OK -- it gets a little jokey at parts again, which doesn't fit well with the rest of the tone -- but it also details both the main pirate god of the setting and the extremely evil forbidden earlier pirate god who comes roaring back in the mega-adventure. I find both to be essential world-building elements of Freeport.

If I didn't own/love Freeport, I would be very tempted by Razor Coast, because I need more fantasy Polynesia in my life.

Also note that Chris Pramas loves the Cthulhu Mythos, and there are a number of overt mythos elements in the Freeport Trilogy and subsequent setting. That's probably a big plus for a lot of people, but if isn't, note that there are literal serpent people and the Yellow Sign from the mythos. I dialed that stuff back, myself, since I'm kind of over it, but it's an easy dial to spin back and forth, as preferred. (If I had to do it over, I would have made all the serpent people into Yuan-Ti and had the plot of the Freeport Trilogy involve Yuan-Ti lore instead, for instance.)

I love Freeport, and the Razor Coast is a great product (though it has been SOME TIME since I read it, so, who knows?).