“Corsairs of Varisia” is a homebrew campaign which has low magic; emerging technology in the form of firearms; reavers, swashbucklers, buccaneers, and pirates.
“Corsairs of Varisia” campaign pits the starting party in a emerging town situated between Riddleport and Magnimar.
The town, formerly Roderic’s Cove, had been conquered by pirates from Riddleport, but has been recently liberated from support from the south to stop the advance of Riddleport into their waters.
The town was renamed “Beacon” and the lord of the town is calling on any who wish to make their fortune and become something great; with little to aid them but their wits and steel.
DESCRIPTION
This massive sailing ship is used for warm ocean travel.
Colossal Water vehicle
Squares 60 (20 ft. by 65 ft.); Cost 8,500 gp
DEFENSE
AC 2; Hardness 5
hp 700 (350)
Base Save +0
OFFENSE
Maximum Speed 150 ft. (current) or 75 ft. (muscle)
Acceleration: 25 ft. (current) or 20 ft. (muscle)
Weapons: Up to 6 Large direct-fire siege engines in banks of 3positioned on the port and starboard sides of the ship and one at the bow and stern. The siege engines may only fire out the sides of the ship they are positioned on. They cannot be swiveled to fire toward the forward or aft sides of the ship.
Attack ram 10d8
CMB +12; CMD 16
DRIVE
Propulsion current (air; two masts, 25 squares of sails, hp 125) or current (water)
Driving Check Profession (sailor) or Knowledge (nature) +10 to the DC
Forward Facing the ship’s forward
Driving Device: steering wheel
Driving Space the nine squares around the steering wheel, typically located in the aft of the ship
Crew: 12
Maximum Passengers: 26
LOAD
Decks 1
Cargo Up to 150 tons plus crew and passengers.
Corvette:
Corvette
DESCRIPTION
This sailing ship is used for extremely fast ocean travel.
Colossal Water vehicle
Squares 60 (20 ft. by 65 ft.); Cost 12,000 gp
DEFENSE
AC 4; Hardness 5
hp 800 (400)
Base Save +0
OFFENSE Maximum Speed 240 ft. (current)
Acceleration: 40 ft. (current)
Weapons: Up to 4 Large direct-fire siege engines in banks of 2 positioned on the port and starboard sides of the ship and one at the bow and stern. The siege engines may only fire out the sides of the ship they are positioned on. They cannot be swiveled to fire toward the forward or aft sides of the ship.
CMB +6; CMD 24
DRIVE
Propulsion current (air; two masts, 30 squares of sails, hp 150) or current (water)
Driving Check Profession (sailor) or Knowledge (nature) +10 to the DC
Forward Facing the ship’s forward
Driving Device: steering wheel
Driving Space the nine squares around the steering wheel, typically located in the aft of the ship
Crew: 8
Maximum Passengers: 20
LOAD
Decks 1
Cargo Up to 100 tons plus crew and passengers.
John Dodger:
Name: John “Johnny” Dodger
Title: Captain of The Seahawk Race: Andoran
Species: Human
Age: 34
Gender/Size: Male, 6’, 160 lbs.
Known Languages: Common, Elven, Orc, Polyglot, Shoanti, Varisian
Carried Gear: Pepperbox pistol; gun belt; bullwhip; two daggers; Holy Symbol of the goddess Nise. Wears studded leather armor.
Note: As a buccaneer John has a small “familiar” in the form of a falcon named “Lady Death”.
Possible Class: Corsair, Martial Artist, Gunslinger: Buccaneer,
Possible Level: 3, 1, 8
Possible Class: Swashbuckler, Gunslinger: Mecahnist; scholar
Possible Level: 5/1/4
The Padre:
Name: Vale Blackroot
Title: Priest; follows the path of Fate Race: Chelaxian – sold as slave so spent most of his time in Mwangi before he returned north
Species: Halfling
Age: 50
Gender/Size: Male, 3’4”, 40 lbs.
Known Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Common, Fey, Halfling, Infernal, Mwagni, Polyglot, Skald, Varisian
Carried Gear: Falchion, sling. Wears leather armor under long robes.
Possible Class: Scholar, Cleric: Cloistered Cleric
Possible Level: 4, 4
Enforcer:
Name: Khal Ragnast
Title: Sailor
Race: Shoanti – spent time with the Mamoth Lords
Species: Human
Age: 26
Gender/Size: Male, 6’4”, 210 lbs.
Known Languages: Common, Giant, Hallit, Orc, Skald, Varisian
Carried Gear: Heavy shield; boarding axe; throwing axe. Wears partial armor under heavy furs.
Possible Class: Martial Artitst, Gladiator, Hunter
Possible Level: 2, 2, 3
Possible Class: Martial Artitst, Bounty Hunter, Gunslinger
Possible Level: 3, 3, 1
Gunner:
Name: Ella Twofer
Title: Ships Gunner
Race: Numerian
Species: Gnome
Age: 22
Gender/Size: Female, roughly 3’5” and 35 lbs.
Known Languages: Common, Fey, Giant, Gnomish, Goblin, Hallit, Varisian
Carried Gear: Gnomish pistol; tool belt, throwing daggers, and boarding pike, leather armor and heavy furs.
Note: Ella Twofer has an Animal Companion in the form of a Baby Griffon named Kit.
Possible Class: Gunslinger: Experimental; Scholar, Corbie
Possible Level: 2, 4, 1
Rules on Crafting:
The following House Rule is in play for Crafting:
1. Calculate DC
2. Pay 1/3 GP in "parts".
3. Roll appropriate Crafting Check.
4. If Check succeeds - then multiply DC x Check x 1/2 x Gold.
In short - if you are crafting a "weapon" and the DC is 15, and the weapon costs 30 gold and you roll a "Craft Weapons" check of 20 - your total is 15x20x.5xgold = 150 gold completed in seven days. Or - 21 gold pieces in one day of work. This means you can craft a weapon in roughly 2 days provided you have the time, parts and place to craft it.
You need both a place to craft things and the tools and materials to do so, if you wish to attempt it.
Bonus Skill Powers –
Players are able to use additional powers for Skills found in the book: 101 Skill Uses.
Rules for Bargaining
The opponents roll opposed Diplomacy Checks.
Whoever wins the roll wins the Bargaining and the price goes up/down by 5%.
For every 10 additional points that you defeat your opponent, lower/raise the price by an additional 5%.
If the opposition wins, they gain the bonus to their buying or selling price against you.
You cannot take 10 or 20 on bargaining.
Rules on Firearms
1. You can use a pistol to "club" someone for 1d4 points of damage so long as you are proficient with Simple Weapons.
2. You can use a two-handed firearm to "club" someone for 1d8 points of damage, so long as you are proficient with Simple Weapons.
3. A double-barrelled musket has a range increment of 40 feet, not 10 feet.
4. Gunpowder is more common. Therefore all costs associated with firearms are now half price.
Notes On Combat:
1. Anyone with the Feat “Quick Draw” can holster a weapon as a “Swift Action”.
2. Anyone with the Feat “Weapon Finesse” can take the Feat “Dervish Dance”. You do not need to spend ranks in Dance to qualify for this feat. Further, any weapon that you can apply “Finesse” bonuses to can be used with this Feat, such as Rapier, Handaxe and so on. Finally, this feat can be combined with any shield except for a Tower Shield.
New Combat Feat – Deadly Shot
Benefit: With this feat you may apply your Dexterity modifier to damage with a ranged weapon if the target is within 30 feet.
Special: Bonus’s which effect the length of your range increment also effect the range that you are able to use this ability. In other words; if you take a Feat that extends your Range increments by 5 feet this Feat is extended to 35 feet and so on. This Feat stacks with the Gunslinger Deed “Gun Training”.
Special: This feat effects all mundane ranged attacks but does not allow you to stack both your Dexterity and Strength modifier to damage for things such as a Composite Bow or thrown weapons.
Notes on Casters:
1. Clerics are not allowed until Level 3; but the player must take “Cloistered Cleric” if they wish to advance as a Cleric from that point.
2. Intimidate is always considered a class skill for any caster and the caster may use their primary magic user Modifier (such as Intelligence for Wizards) for their Stat modifier for Intimidate.
Note: Wizards, Oracles and Druids may be allowed on a higher level; however, that’s still under consideration.
Bonus’s for Posting
For every 50 posts a PC makes they gain a free Re-Roll to be used at any time. They may have up to 3 re-rolls at a time.
Moon Cycle –
To deal with issues such as nighttime, darkness and so on – a moon cycle will be used.
The starting time for the game will be January 2014 – or, in game terms;
Abadius, 1st; 4710.
Additional House Rules –
Firearms
1. From now on all Firearms are considered to be “Martial Weapons”. If you are proficient with Martial Weapons, you can use a firearm with no penalty.
2. On level 2 all Gunslingers automatically gain a +1 to damage with all blackpowder weapons; including Siege Guns (assuming they are using black powder; i.e. cannon and so on). This bonus goes up +1 every four levels to a total of +5 on level 18.
3. All firearms resolve in the first 2 range increments (but the penalty for distance still applies). Grit allows a gunslinger to resolve touch attack in all 5 range increments, with penalties for range still in place.
Movement
The Acrobatics skill can no be used as part of a Move Action. The DC for any Acrobatics check during a Move Action goes up by +20. If you are using Acrobatics as part of a Move Action and you fail your roll, that means you will fall “Prone” at the point that you attempted your roll.
Effect: This means you can move 30 feet toward an enemy and as part of your “Move Action” you can roll an Acrobatics Check to “leap” the extra five feet to land at your enemy’s feet and attack them. This also means if you are moving to attack an enemy who is across a gap you could run 20 feet across the roof as part of your Move Action – make your Acrobatics Check to leap over the gap – hit the opposite side and then run the extra 10 feet up to the enemy and stab him. Again, if you fail at the check, that is the point you fall. So if you are jumping over an alley and you fail the check you’ll fall down to the street below; but if you succeed you effectively gain a bonus to your movement speed – assuming that you succeed on the check.
Question: Can I use Acrobatics twice in a round if I choose to make a "Double Move"?
Yes - providing that you succeed at both your checks. You must state which Coordinate on the map that you want to jump, but failure means you end up falling prone.
Healing
You are now able to Craft healing remedies.
Healing Remedy:
Cost: 100 GP
Time: Full Round Action
Requirements: Must make a Craft: Alchemy Check – DC is 25.
Effect: When you give this to an ally, roll a Heal Check. The DC is 15. If you are successful, the subject recovers 1d6+1 HP. For every 5 points you beat the target number, add an additional 1d6+1 to it. In other words if you got a Heal of 20 it would be 2d6+2; Heal of 25 is 3d6+3, and so on.
Failure: The subject gains no healing bonus and they cannot receive another Healing Remedy that day.
Note: You can only receive one Healing Remedy per day. A second Healing Remedy will not grant any bonuses to healing if used on the same day.
