Enemy Race or Empire in the shackles?

[hanez]

Hi I am using the AP to run a sandbox style pirate campaign. I made my own first adventure, and at the end of our last session the players are on an island, and a ship is coming toward them (hopefully to rescue the players). I plan one having the ship full of an enemy race, so that the players have an encounter seize the ship and inherit their own pirate ship (they find a prisoner who will support them, show them the ways of the sea, etc). This will lead inyto Adventure 2 of Skull and shackles, they will go to port, fix their ship, and then go in search of plunder etc.

But one of the main differences I want to introduce into this AP is an enemy race or kingdom. Basically bad guys who have invaded a place the players hold dear, so that the player pirates can hunt down their ships, forts and loot them with glee.

I have read a bit of the AP and the campaign setting book and I have yet to find a likely candidate. Looking for maybe some foreign invaders who have attacked a place in the shackles and now the players can give em some revenge. Does anyone have suggestions that might fit well with the setting/campaign?

Looking over the campaign theres a few things I don't want to incorporate. I dont like the idea of the free captains, or a head pirate guy that they need to seek approval from. I'd rather them be on boats, hunting down "enemies", invading small towns, chasing great treasures (possibly in dungeons). So any advice on how to incorporate this AP into that theme would be welcome. Adventure 2 seems to fit pretty well. But the idea of racing in a "captains regatta" or setting dinner for other pirates not so much (although Im sure I can find a reason for them to do that.... maybe they need to impress other pirates to help them invade an enemy fleet?)

Anyone else got ideas like this or advice on how to modify without modifying too much?

[Son of the Veterinarian]

What's wrong with just using Cheliax?

[DM_aka_Dudemeister]

Yeah, Cheliax as written is the enemy force. Since I'm not sure how much of the AP you plan to actually use I'm not sure if that works.

[ferrinwulf]

or how about flipping it on its head, have you're campaign take place just after the events of the AP but Cheliax won and now hold Port Peril in their grasp along with most of the Shackles, you could then have a major threat they need to vanquish to bring piracy back to the Shackles. Kind of fits with you're plan as Cheliax could after getting Port Peril and the ports of Hell Harbour and Drenchport start to take over bit by bit with a real military/naval threat, everythinjg else should fit in to place then I think.

[Trinite]

ferrinwulf wrote:

or how about flipping it on its head, have you're campaign take place just after the events of the AP but Cheliax won and now hold Port Peril in their grasp along with most of the Shackles, you could then have a major threat they need to vanquish to bring piracy back to the Shackles. Kind of fits with you're plan as Cheliax could after getting Port Peril and the ports of Hell Harbour and Drenchport start to take over bit by bit with a real military/naval threat, everythinjg else should fit in to place then I think.

Yeah, that sounds pretty cool!

[Gnomezrule]

Yeah I am putting a lot more of the threat from Cheliax into things. I want a more lovable scoundrel AP ie Han Solo, Firefly, Jack Sparrow than I do killing, raping & torturing pirates. An evil enemy but a lawless and seedy setting seemed the easist way to accomplish this.

[hanez]

Gnomezrule wrote:

Yeah I am putting a lot more of the threat from Cheliax into things. I want a more lovable scoundrel AP ie Han Solo, Firefly, Jack Sparrow than I do killing, raping & torturing pirates. An evil enemy but a lawless and seedy setting seemed the easist way to accomplish this.

Han solo, exactly. So Cheliax is the empire then. I think I'll definetely turn Port Peril into Cheliax controlled, and have insert onto the coast a bunch of small Cheliax pilgrim towns for the pirates to raid.