A bard really shines through this AP, as there is a lot of social interaction and a lot of skills are needed.
Make sure that they have ranks in Profession (sailor) as it would be needed for the whole AP.
One of my players is playing a Watersinger Undine and aside of being thematic she's doing great.
A Druid is also a great character, and some water-themed druid is very fitting. They will need to have ways to act underwater and a druid can easily provide that. In our case we don't have a Druid but a Cleric, which is also great for removing some nasty conditions. But the Bard can do it too via UMD.
An aquatic sorcerer (we have 2) is again thematic and good. They get a swim speed on their own as well as the amphibious ability, so they'll be able to cast underwater. That's a good advantage here.
As a frontliner we had a Swashbuckler that was effective at the first levels but lost a lot of effectivity later because of creatures that were immune to precision damage and poor saves. We've got a Magus later and he was much better. I don't know what to add as the suggested 4th member but I'd make it a frontliner.
Our bard is centered mostly around buffing/debuffing and support roles.
My two main suggestions is to add a bard and a druid, everything else are just ideas, but those two will surely make it great.
Only healer was an npc.
Good old Sandara, what would people do in The Wormwood Mutiny without her? Aside from dying from a combination of fatigue and rum rations.
As I like to keep a balanced team of 4 party members I always have some «replacement NPCs» to replace the players that don't come to a session with a NPC that can fill the role of missing PCs.
Sandara is one of these and she has become a very loved NPC among the party. She has the same level than the PCs and has proved to be a very useful ally. The fun fact is that I'm GMing in a Dragonlance setting so she is a worshipper of Zeboim, the CE goddess of storms and seas. That has turned our Sandara (who is still CN) into a much more volatile character. She also has a taste for throwing stuff overboard (specially spellbooks from captured wizards) as a sacrifice to her goddess. The last thing was a minor artifact. I was expecting PCs to stop her but they encouraged her.
We're currently on book 5. Without giving any direct spoilers, there is much you could guess based on the setting
- Having some people with profession sailor really helps, likewise swim.
- You need at least one person with good social skills & not just diplomacy
- Think about how your character works in ship vs ship battles - lots chance to cast buffs or do ranged stuff as you close in. If you are in heavy armour without much acrobatics or climb you will have trouble getting onto the enemy ship to melee.
- Be ready to fight underwater regularly - think about piercing weapons if you are a melee type or spells that work underwater if a caster (archers can have a great time in ship to ship combat but bows have trouble underwater)
- Our group has really suffered lack of a cleric for condition removal and fighting undead
When everybody has a swim speed having a lot of ranks in the skill is less relevant, and be it with spells, class or racial features, everybody should be getting it soon (at least it happened in my game).
Bard- Amphibious Undine with a swim speed.
Aquatic sorcerers- Both got a swim speed from their Bloodline.
Everybody else- 20ft swim speed with Slipstream (everybody and the dog could cast it)
And there are a lot of looted items that help with it too.
If you are going for a balanced and thematic party, the skill ranks for swimming shouldn't be an issue.
Aside that, I aggree with everything JulianW said.
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I am thinking about possibly assigning pre-generated characters.
Are your players cool with this? I wouldn't be if its a long-term game. I suggest letting them read the S&S player's guide and letting them make their own characters. If you allow races with a swim speed, you will be eliminating one of the primary hazards of the game (which i don't think is good).
I have Played this through before and a few things I can say:
Full Casters Wreck this Campaign. My group's Druid just tore it apart outside combat. Ship to Ship battles became Druid Animal Growths his Shark and the Shark crushes the ship in a Jaws style attack. Nothing could really stop a person who controlled the Oceans and Winds.
Limit Crafting... A crafter has plenty of time to fully arm his team or pimp his ride (Ship). Either limit the Feats or "Shorten" the time he is allowed to craft.
Merfolk is a really strong race in this campaign and you may want to keep the race choices selectively. A race with Flying or a natural swim speed will have a much easier time than many of the others. Also they have an escape tool that can end the campaign. Nothing like Press-ganging them only for them to escape the ship asap.
Suggestions for the Characters:
Max Perception
Take Profession Sailor
Climb and Swim need a few points in the first few levels.
Most classes will work in this campaign tho. Some will really excel like Druid and Bard.
I am thinking about possibly assigning pre-generated characters.Are your players cool with this? I wouldn't be if its a long-term game. I suggest letting them read the S&S player's guide and letting them make their own characters. If you allow races with a swim speed, you will be eliminating one of the primary hazards of the game (which i don't think is good).
I would like to echo this.
As for classes I imagine gunslingers might not enjoy water
Druids and water Sorcs are I imagine the most powerful classes for this campaign
I believe Oracles get a wave mystery which might be relevant.
Also Dex fighters seem to have an obvious advantage over strength as they don't need to wear armour and therefore don't have a crippling AC penalty to swimming
We had a Kitsune Heavens Oracle, a Gnome Grenadier Alchemist, a Sea Singer Bard, and a Merfolk Aberrant Bloodrager. It wasn't a straight S&S (it had a lot more aboleth stuff in it than the printed material, I think) but that was a fun party. Don't be worried about people making choices that are "too good" for a nautical campaign since S&S is most fun when people really get into the whole "pirate" thing (something they're more likely to do when all of their ordinarily narrow archetype features are now appropriate.)
The thing people are saying about "make sure people are good at talking, bragging, and sailing, not just fighting" are absolutely true. Normally people would be hesitant to invest heavily in profession (sailor) but they're going to need it here.
How would a kineticist work in this campaign? Specifically water or air?
Hey all !
Im getting ready to run Skulls and Shackles in a couple weeks and i want my players to really get the most out of the adventure path. I am thinking about possibly assigning pre-generated characters. So I am seeking advice on a four player group combo that will get the most out of the content in this AP.
Thanks!
One of my favorite AP's ever.
While SnS is a great opportunity to try out some of the odder races (like the Tengu), my advice is to avoid races like Gillmen or others who might mechanically mitigate some of the challenge and flavor of the campaign. When we ran it we had a Knifemaster Rogue, an Invulnerable Rager Barbarian, a Seasinger Bard and a Master Summoner who only summoned elementals and creatures he had encountered before. Three humans and a half-elf, and it was an absolute blast.
As stated before, this AP is made for a Bard, though a Skald would work just as well. Druids would likewise be good (particularly Storm Druids). Swashbucklers are a natural fit, as are Rogues, Barbarians, Brawlers, Oracles and Sorcerers of almost any stripe. Gunslingers too, if you're going that route (we didn't).
I'd specifically shy away from Wizards, Arcanists Magus and Clerics - any prepared casters, really.
Also, I've re-written aspects of the campaign to make it more viable for a good-aligned party (if you're even remotely interested in such a thing). Drop me a line if I can be of any help.
I'd specifically shy away from Wizards, Arcanists Magus and Clerics - any prepared casters, really.
Out of curiosity, why do you say this?
How would a kineticist work in this campaign? Specifically water or air?
Playing one with air, and it's great. First part sucks a lot (intentionally dumped anything social, and no means of healing self), but being able to fire back at enemy siege weapon artillary is amazing. Gonna expand into earth for some sweet DR. Looking forward to level 12 and being able to shut people up by cutting off their oxygen at-will.
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When everybody has a swim speed having a lot of ranks in the skill is less relevant, and be it with spells, class or racial features, everybody should be getting it soon (at least it happened in my game).
Fair point - if you have a way to get swim speed then that wins over swim skill of course & long term you want it.
A Cloak of the Manta Ray has been absolutely brilliant for my character.
Swimming is that important however I'd recommend a rank or two in the skill to start with if you will be getting swim speed at higher level.
Equally, a climb speed can be massively helpful (think of climbing up the side of the ship and/or up the rigging)
One final tip - play a pirate. Play someone who wants to get rich and is prepared to get there by taking valuables off others. Don't play a paladin or some other selfless type who has a convoluted reason for hanging around with pirates even when they don't care for gold. This is the pirate AP. Be a pirate.
Out of curiosity, why do you say this?
I'd specifically shy away from Wizards, Arcanists, Magus and Clerics - any prepared casters, really.
Prepared casters who are basically academics don't seem to suit the more primal, chaotic nature of a pirate's life at sea... not to me, anyway. Nor do the particularly spiritually devout, good or bad. Sure, there's exceptions, but the flavor of spontaneous casters seems to be more appropriate as a whole.
One of the things about S&S structurally is that because of the sandbox nature of the "pirating" of the campaign, you're going to have a bunch of "15 minute adventuring day" opportunities (since you're going to take 1-2 prizes in a day, not a dozen).
So classes that can do scary things when given the opportunity to "nova" can render trivial a few things in the campaign (there are certainly some much longer adventuring days in the more structured parts though.)
I don't think that such thing as a less piratey class exists (with the exception of the Paladin).
Maybe most wizards won't fit but that comes more from the concept than the class. You can make a concept that fits a pirate and a wizard equally.
About clerics, not all of them have to be the regular cleric. Gods of nature, of piracy, etc. have very different kinds of clerics.
Look at Sandara Quinn, she's not the average cleric but she still has the personality and devotion that is needed to be a cleric.
The whole AP comes too with a lot of Wizards that are pirates, and none of them feel less piratey.
I'm not talking about Bikendi because I think he should be a Witch.
Another race that works really well for this campaign is the shoreborn half-elf, with the Child of the Sea alternate racial trait. It's thematic, and not a small boost to your ability to sail.
Also the Kuru race is native to the shackles, and might be a fun addition if you aren't going for good-aligned pirates.
While it wasn't for S&S, I ran a half-orc pirate in a friend's home game that was a pirate-y as I could run with. Barbarian (Sea Reaver) 2/Cavalier (Daring Champion, Order of the Cockatrice) X. Gave him a Sawtooth Saber as a weapon, because I felt like it fit. He also had an affinity for adding new titles to himself anytime he did anything he thought was worth it (which happened every other session.)
I maxed out STR and CHA, went super heavy on Intimidate, and took the Rage Swimmer power. I think by the time we were done on the water (which wasn't very long,) I calculated I could hold my breath for.....a while. I'll try to track his sheet when I get home from work today.
Played the campaign with:
Inquisitor following Besmara
Ranger with some kind of freebooter archetype
Rogue focused on her crossbow
Summoner as captain
I played the summoner. Worked well for the social aspects of the campaign. Did feel, however, way light on magical artillery. Aside from the crossbow, we were an up close and personal party. My ability to cast haste did us very well, but we had limited ability to deal with major threats or soften enemy crews at range.
I am on the opposite side.
The group is composed of (counting PCs and replacement NPCs to fill missing holes. We only have 4 characters in the group at a time):
-An Undine Watersinger Bard (buffer/debuffer/supporter)
-A Human Cleric with Storm and Oceans domains (Melee/debuffer/supporter) (Sandara)
-A Human Aquatic Tattooed Sorceress (mostly centered on SoS and raw damage with a few support spells. Her SoS go great with the Bard's debuffs) (Isabella Locke)
-A Human Aquatic Sorcerer (Blaster/controller)
-A Human Hexcrafter Magus (damage dealer) (Ederleigh Baines)
-A Human Inspired Blade Swashbuckler.
So they have spells for everything. The fact that lately the Swashbuckler is not a lot on the party, they are 4 spellcasters!
Sandara is focusing on melee with self buffing because they have so many spellcasters.
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I played a half-elf witch with the water patron and it turned out quite well. Had a turtle familiar at first then upgraded to a tidepool dragon with Improved Familiar. Basic background was that I'd made a pact with the sea for power.
Our group also had a human barbarian sea reaver, an undine rogue, and a tengu cleric of Calistria.
Sea battles were out of hex range until your ships are adjacent anyway, but control water made trapping the enemy ship in a small whirlpool quite simple.
Whatever you have, they want Profession(sailor) and Swim. Even at low levels there are a lot of situations where combat will happen with the PCs in deep water.
Our group had:
Basic Half Orc Intimidation Bard- Was our groups Quatermaster. Did a great job socializing and Boosting the Fame and Infamy scores.
Merfolk Wave Warden (Net and Trident Style) Was our Boatswain and also scout/guide on the open seas. He loved to sink ships and recover the loot from the bottom of the sea.
(My Character)Half Orc Primalist Spelleater Bloodrager- First Mate, 1 man army, and Ended up Pirate King...was the real captain and decision maker because no one can match his strength.
Halfling Shark Shaman Druid- The "Captain" to the crew and public figure. He made all the Profession sailor and Perception checks with ease. He usually handled Ship to Ship. Was the 2nd strongest member of the party.
Was pretty fun but we ended up taking on the final boss 2-3 levels early and still beat the AP.
Our skulls and shackles party consists of
Inquisitor of besmara (Tank, striker)
Wiazard/Gunslinger/Homebrew pistiege class (Ranged attacker, Treasurer)
Alchemist (Captain surprisingly, Ranged attacker)
Animist shaman (Healer, Status remover, Batman caster)
Fighter (Striker)