Well we finished our first session last night, here's our group breakdown:
Elf Rogue (Swashbuckler)
Human Magus
Human Cleric of Besmara
Dwarf Alchemist (Grenadier)
Now before I start explainging what happened, I will tell you that my player group is quite... confrontational. So I knew after reading the Wormwood Mutiny that things might be a bit difficult. Man was I in for a surprise. Here's how our first two days on this ship went.
Day One:
After waking up on the ship, the group took a quick stock of their situtaion, some where a bit miffed that they were lacking their equipment minus the clothing on their backs. When Master Scourge comes down and rushes everyone up on deck, the group hurries and lines up. The Captain was about to start his introduction when the Rogue decides to beeline for the poop deck to assault the captain and "rip off his ugly beard". Master Scoruge tries to trip him, but misses. Mr. Plugg intervenes to also try to subdue the Rogue, but the rogue easily avoids and twirls around Mr. Plugg to come face to face with the Captain. The Rogue is about to reach for, and pull on the captain's beard when he is finally subdued by both Mr. Plugg and the ship's wizard (who's name escapes me). The Rogue is sentenced to 3 lashes at the "Bloody Hour" for his transgressions.
The assigning of job's goes off without a hitch, the cleric, assigned to being a swab, tries several times to try to open the door leading to the officer's cabin, but is discovered twice, and is sentenced to work the bilges the next day. The cook's mate (Magus) fails to catch enough fish and is also sentenced to work the bilges the next day.
Sandara introduces her self and gives 1 or 2 items back to the players, most notable she gives the rogue his elven curve blade, the cleric her morningstar, and the magus his aldori dueling blade. She also warns the rogue not to try anything else that is crazy or he might get himself killed, a sentiment that the alchemist repeats to him.
With the day being over, rum rations are handed out. The rogue takes his rum ration and throws it into the face of Master Scourge and the rogue is subdued, tied to the mainmast and given 9 lashes, 3 for his previous crime and 6 for his continued problems. With the start of the Bloody hour, the players witness the kheelhauling of Magpie. Most of the players are exhausted at this point and two head to sleep while the other two decide to gamble. The cleric again tries to sneak into the officers cabin but is unable to get the door open.
Day Two:
The group is assaulted by the pirates trying to make them late. They very nearly kill the main guy who pulls a knife on them, but is convinced by Sandara and the alchemist player to let them go.
Both the Cleric and Magus report to the bilges for the day, where they fail their rolls and end up being exhausted. The rogue however sneaks off from his rigging duties to find the quartermaster where he convinces her that his armor is cursed. He suceeds and he gains his armor back.
At the end of the day, rum rations are distributed, and the rogue again throws his in the face of Master Scourge, who is about to administer punishment when the rogue charges him. Long story short, the rogue is subdued by Mr. Plugg and half a dozen other pirates, but not in time to save Master Scourge, who has been murdered by the Rogue. The rogue is sentensed to kheelhauling, to which the player thinks he can survive, but by about the third round of being under, the player realises that he isn't going walk away from this, so he attempts to escape from the rope and does manage (with a natural 20 on his check) to get loose from the rope. He then climbs up the anchor chain to come face to face with Captain Barnabus, who comments that the rogue has a death wish, but can't seem to be killed. The rogue is sentensed to 24 hours in the sweatbox, after which he will be given direct duties from Mr. Plugg. If the rogue steps one toes out of line again, Captain Barnabus comments that he will rip off all his limbs and leave him for the sharks.
They didn't originally spawn from mortal souls, and the vast vast utterly vast majority of them aren't now, but they can take mortal souls and make them into proteans if they so desire. In their mind they're setting that soul free. Letting a soul be shackled into an eternity of structured, rigid, defined, eternal slavery rather than the Maelstrom's freedom is a hell of its own to them. In their own way, they'll do it when they're feeling sympathetic, but really only if the soul is willing. Denying them the choice would be antithetical.
But beyond giving that gift (as they see it), they'll argue for souls: just because, to spite and throw a cog into the future plans of pretty much every other outsider race especially devils/archons/axiomites and demons given the atypical enmity there for that last one.
Honestly, if you dont like minmaxing, roll dice, do something like 2d6+6 (depending on how high you want stats to be) so minmaxing is impossible. Point buy specifically encourages it. And if you take that out, it really doesn't function the way it was meant to.
Funny how people always seem to associate point buy with min-maxing/powergaming/etc, yet every single time I watch/assist someone who's used to rolling stats making their first PFS (20pt) character, they're appalled at how low-powered they are compared to characters they've rolled.
I don't get it. Why are you concerned your players are dumping stats, or min maxing?
All that does is give you a weakness to exploit as the DM.
Oh you dumped your str down to a 7 because your a wizard and have your int boosted to a 20. Well say hello to my friend the shadow. Let's see how many rounds you survive.
oh your a warrior and boosted your str to stratospheric numbers, but you ignored your dex? hmmm centipede poison says hi.
It usually only takes one or two encounters for pcs to stop dumping stats and there are a ton of creatures that focus on this sort of thing.
I'm starting to get the impression that Ryan has visited people and literaly peed in their Wheaties...
I get the impression some people are more swayed by gossip and rumor than others, and don't have any compunction about saying incredibly rude things in forums that would rightly get them punched in the face if they said them face-to-face.
Are firearms going to be "required" for this AP (i.e.: NPCs with pistols, ships with cannons, etc.) or just optional?
Just as firearms are not common in Golarion, so are they not common in Skull & Shackles. They *will* make a brief appearance late in the AP, but should be relatively easy to remove if you absolutely don't want any firearms in your campaign.
On the other hand, if you want firearms to have a bigger role in your campaign, the plan right now is to include a sidebar in each adventure with suggestions as to where firearms could be easily added.
So in short, firearms are mostly optional throughout the AP, except for right at the end. :)
MORE GUNS. I know why you have downplayed the presence of firearms in a Golarion AP, but of all the APs Paizo has ever done, this is the one to unleash the full weight of smooth bore cannon and musketry.
I know the decisions on this were made long ago and it is far too late to change anything, but something this important is still worth (pointlessly) repeating :)
Are firearms going to be "required" for this AP (i.e.: NPCs with pistols, ships with cannons, etc.) or just optional?
Just as firearms are not common in Golarion, so are they not common in Skull & Shackles. They *will* make a brief appearance late in the AP, but should be relatively easy to remove if you absolutely don't want any firearms in your campaign.
On the other hand, if you want firearms to have a bigger role in your campaign, the plan right now is to include a sidebar in each adventure with suggestions as to where firearms could be easily added.
So in short, firearms are mostly optional throughout the AP, except for right at the end. :)
Who cares. WotC's rude behavior to its "former-fans" is unforgivable. Its placement of greed over the interests of gamers is not forgotten.
... just be sure to spell 5e like this: $e.
I feel like a fool for not mentioning this on these boards on Paizo last week after posting such to my local pf board and on Facebook. I have been giving away the dnd intro box to the toys for tots charity for years now. This time I did the pf intro. Don't forget that type of opportunity to spread the hobby either. Sometimes I do get concerned about the age level but figure if it means the parent has to spend time with the child reading, that can only be a good thing.
I think you need to be upfront with your players before character creation when you have a specifically themed campaign. As you say, it's no good playing a pirate campaign if all the characters are heavily armored and no ranks in profession or campaign useful skills (balance, climb, for example). Those characters arent going to be much use the first time they're out on a boat. It's the DM's job to run the campiagn but the players job to fit into it. If you've already started, find ways to make the players think hard about working on the skills and knowledge they'll need to succeed in your game.
For example, I knew I'd done a good job in a diplomacy heavy campaign when most of the PC's increased their charisma at 4th level and/or bumped their social skills, because they'd seen the benefit to it during the campaign.
I would recommend you to be prepared for PCs leaving before the 30 days though, if you have players like mine who rarely follow the rails unless it seem logical to them.
(My players left for Lepidstad within 2 weeks after they got help from the village to crudely raze the prison and casting hallow on the area.)
Wow. So they didn't follow the instructions in the will then? What happened to Kendra? I'd have the characters receive a letter in Lepidstad from the councillor informing them that being left alone in her grief she killed herself. Yes, guild trip the players, have them return for that funeral then let them get back to the adventure.
So a game of kill people and take their stuff is acceptable for the whole family but pg 13 cartoon drawings are not? I don't get people.
However, a pure black and white copy without artwork might not be a horrible print on demand item if layout / formatting issues wouldn't be too difficult.
Jiggy: Anyone offended by Seoni's dress or Alhandra's outfit should probably steer clear of beaches, swimming pools, the Internet, formal ballrooms, James Bond movies, beauty pageants, the magazine covers in the check-out aisle as the super market, prime-time television...
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