Hoist the Black Flag - Dungeon World (Inactive)

Game Master kdtompos

I do like that connection with Kale and Sebastion III - a gifted royal navy sabre. And the idea that he was cheated out of high ranking possition and turned to the pirate lifestyle to seek revenge. It is a shallow motive but a perfect reflection of the type of man he was: he hated being cheated. I am also piqued by the idea that he had lore regarding the deep ones and the sleeper that Sebastion IV kept out of the Pirate's Concordat.

I think it would be interesting if that's one of the rumored origin stories that you have all heard in common about Sebastion. Perhaps there is a legendary and mythical artifact supposedly connected with the Sleeper that was one of the last things his father was searching for. He concluded that the Deep Ones are tied to the Sleeper and necessary to tracking down the secret treasure.

Here's a simple solution I was thinking of for our murderous cleric (the irony is brilliant by the way that the potential healer wants you all dead). I'm sure there's more, but here's one:

What if the whole "kill everything on land" thing is one of those end time deals. But to try and stop it, something has created a way to imprison Dagon. Obeds greater goal then is to free this forgotten god (which could help explain why Squart and the other oceanbred/briney/seaborne don't know of their heritage). That way we can all still root for your character and his pursuit in freeing this god (that might eventually kill us all) and Obed can still look forward to the day when that comes to fruition.

I really love the irony of this character. And I want to find a way to give this murderous priest what he wants... without killing everyone else.

That's perfect. I was thinking end of time approach myself. Considering that Old Ones are effectively immortal they take the very long view. Therefore their church is very pleased with small, incremental gains. My thought is that as Obed grows in power he looks more and more like an Old One and at some point in the future will finish his transformation and will go to join them.

Thanks for the feedback on the bonds. Agreed that resolving a bond that requires the world to end and the other character to die might be a bit difficult. So, I'm thinking that Obed's bound with Sebastian is to use him to gain a better sacrificial victim. For example,if Obed could convince Sebastian to bring him a injured damsel to heal and then Obed sacrifices her (telling Sebastian she died from her injuries) that would resolve that bond.

Here is Obed's info all in one spot

M Deep One Hybrid Cleric Lvl 1 XP0

Presenting Obed Marsh, Cleric of Father Dagon whom the deep ones worship.

His appearance reveals that he is not completely human. His skin has a pale grayish color, like a fish that has been out of the water for too long. He has pitch black eyes with no eye lids, just membranes that cover them in bright sunlight. His teeth are small and pointed and seem to be too many for a normal mouth. The fingers of his hands and toes on his feet are webbed and seem to be slowly fusing together. He wears tattered robes with a cowl pulled over his head which normally conceal the fact that his ears have receded into his skull leaving just the ear holes remaining. He speaks with a low rasping voice and coughs frequently with a wet gurgling sound. Sometimes it seems as if he is breathing from slits that open and close in his neck. On the outside of his robes hangs a golden oddly shaped polygonal symbol that draws in the eye as it seems to have impossible angles. The shape of the symbol causes a primal fear in most who see it.

Drive - awaken the sleeper.
Obed believes that every sacrifice that he makes to Father Dagon tears another small rip in the tapestry between this world and the sleeping world. Enough of the tapestry has been torn that Obed can call on the powers of Father Dagon to work what the Landlings would call magic. Obed knows there is no such thing as magic in this world just the ability to reach through the void to the other side. Once enough sacrifices are made by Obed and his brothers, the veil will be torn away, the sleeping world will awake, and this world remade into a world covered by water with no Landlings anywhere. Then the deep ones will be powerful and Father Dagon will be the only God left. Until the great day happens, Obed will work with the pirates of this crew as they are willing to look the other way when prisoners disappear in exchange for his healing abilities.

Bonds
Everett knows a dark secret about Obed. He's the only one of the crew that has seen the creatures that come forth in the night to feed when Obed makes a sacrifice but he still provides the sacrifices.

Obed is working on converting Squart to the worship of Father Dagon. He has to move slowly as Squart may have loyalty to the crew of pirates that accepted him. The fact that all the Landlings will die (including the crew) once the great day comes is a secret that Obed is not ready to share yet.

Sebastian will unwittingly provide Obed with sacrifices.

Stats:
Strength - 12 (0)
Dexterity - 9 (0)
Constitution - 15 (+1)
Intelligence - 13 (+1)
Wisdom - 16 (+2)
Charisma - 8 (-1)
Damage: d6
Armor: 1 (Chainmail)
HP: 23/23

Race: Deep One Hybrid - can breath underwater

Your faith is diverse. Choose one wizard spell. You can cast and be granted that spell as if it was a cleric spell. (Charm Person)

Divine
When you petition your deity according to the precept of your religion, you are granted some useful knowledge or boon related to your deity’s domain. The GM will tell you what.

Turn Undead
When you hold your holy symbol aloft and call on your deity for protection, roll+Wis.

✴ On a 7+, so long as you continue to pray and brandish your holy symbol, no undead may come within reach of you.

✴ On a 10+, you also momentarily daze intelligent undead and cause mindless undead to flee. Aggression breaks the effects and they are able to act as normal. Intelligent undead may still find ways to harry you from afar. They’re clever like that.

Commune
When you spend uninterrupted time (an hour or so) in quiet communion with your deity, you:

Lose any spells already granted to you.
Are granted new spells of your choice whose total levels don’t exceed your own level+1, and none of which is a higher level than your own level.
Prepare all of your rotes, which never count against your limit.
Cast a Spell
When you unleash a spell granted to you by your deity, roll+Wis.

✴ On a 10+, the spell is successfully cast and your deity does not revoke the spell, so you may cast it again.

✴ On a 7–9, the spell is cast, but choose one:

You draw unwelcome attention or put yourself in a spot. The GM will tell you how.
Your casting distances you from your deity—take -1 ongoing to cast a spell until the next time you commune.
After you cast it, the spell is revoked by your deity. You cannot cast the spell again until you commune and have it granted to you.
Note that maintaining spells with ongoing effects will sometimes cause a penalty to your roll to cast a spell.

Gear:

Gear
Your load is 10+Str. You carry dungeon rations (5 uses, 1 weight) and some symbol of the divine, describe it (0 weight).

Choose your defenses:

Chainmail (1 armor, 1 weight)

Choose your armament:

Staff (close, two-handed, 1 weight) and bandages (0 weight)

Choose one:

Healing potion (0 weight)

That's perfect. I was thinking end of time approach myself. Considering that Old Ones are effectively immortal they take the very long view. Therefore their church is very pleased with small, incremental gains. My thought is that as Obed grows in power he looks more and more like an Old One and at some point in the future will finish his transformation and will go to join them.

Thanks for the feedback on the bonds. Agreed that resolving a bond that requires the world to end and the other character to die might be a bit difficult. So, I'm thinking that Obed's bound with Sebastian is to use him to gain a better sacrificial victim. For example,if Obed could convince Sebastian to bring him a injured damsel to heal and then Obed sacrifices her (telling Sebastian she died from her injuries) that would resolve that bond.

Cool, I'm glad that works! I want to be able to resolve some of your goals, which means I want to have the realistic option of freeing Dagon from captivity/slumber (though that wouldn't end the world yet). I don't know what that will do to the world, but we'll figure it out when it happens.

----------------------

Everything looks fantastic guys! I'm sure you're itching to start. But I've got training for the next few days, which means I will be sparse. Likewise, we still have 2 players that I still believe will be joining us. One i've been in contact with and is figuring things out. The other is out of town, but should be back today.

I'll set up the discussion thread, and I'll throw out a few questions for you guys to hash out regarding the first adventure. It looks like you guys have been filling in profiles, which is great. I'll check those when I have some small breaks.

Finally, if you have any questions on the system, feel free to ask. (Expect the Discussion thread to be up in an hour or so).

I'm impressed with the way Obed's character came together. His physical description is very creepy and macabre. I like the very Lovecraftian 'holy symbol' that he wears.

I would be interested to see Kale and Obed either having or eventually developing a measure of respect for one another. Even though Kale knows that Obed is a monster (of sorts) he can't help but be acknowledge the priest's wise mind and perceptive nature. And perhaps Obed will see something of value in Kale, despite the fact that he's a Landling.

I see the discussion forum is now open, so I'll move over there for further posting. I'm looking forward to seeing what our other two players bring to the table.

Hey guys, Frogfoot here! DM Mogthrasir was kind enough to extend an invitation to me, and I'll be joining the campaign. I'll need a day to read up on this thread and get fully up to speed, but I'll get caught up as soon as possible and post my character. Cheers!

Awesome, look forward to seeing what you come up with! And welcome to the crew.

Greetings all!

I'm fairly new to this whole Dungeon World system, but as a veteran RP'er, I look forward to trying this out.

I'll be putting together Quelthas Greybreak, an elven Mage of The Storms. Currently, I'm going full tilt with full time work and full time school, but I pledge to carve out some time for some fun on the high seas!

~Greybreak

Okay, I really need to go to bed, but I wanted to post my initial thoughts for my character. As Mogthrasir said earlier, I was looking at Alchemist, and I've decided to go for it. My character (unnamed as of yet) is a human, a member of a strange indigenous tribe belonging to an island that Captain Everett's crew once took shelter on.

When Everett's crew disembarked from their ship on my island, they found my character, clutching a cutlass and a strange potion bottle, screaming incoherently and running down the beach at them. Understandably, they were somewhat alarmed at this introduction, and would've shot me if I hadn't suddenly interjected Obed's name, clear as a bell, into my ramblings. I pointed at him, demanded to accompany him, and promptly fell unconscious - you had to verify that I hadn't dropped stone dead.

I awakened suddenly, seconds later, startling the pirates who were kneeling over my body, and to their surprise, spat liquid fire straight upward. The fireball enveloped a pterodactyl who had swooped silently in from above for an easy kill, and the pirates feasted on dinosaur flesh around a gigantic beach bonfire that night.

Drive: To understand my prophetic visions of doom that drove me from my tribe, and Obed's role in them.

Bonds: Obed plays some important role in the doom that is to befall our world. I must study his actions for clues about that role.

Everett's mind is too focused on the mundane. I must awaken his perceptions to the eldritch doom that is coming.

Sebastion's concerns for flash and style mark him for a consummate fool.

I have never before seen explosives like those wielded by Squart. I must understand the strengths and limitations of his strange weapons and how they can relate to my alchemy to aid us in the coming disaster.

Also had a question re: flintlock pistols. Are they meant to be a melee weapon range? Reach is normally a melee tag - a tag used for weapons like polearms and halberds. I know early pirate-era flintlocks were primitive, but I didn't realize we were going with that short of an effective range.

The tag I would expect for a pistol would be Near, which is the minimum-range ranged weapon tag. Is that accurate or...?

Awesome guys! And welcome!

There's a bit of back conversation if you have the time for it. Otherwise, I believe the other players have backgrounds/personalities in their profiles. Checking those should be plenty to catch you up.

Also, in the discussion tab there's some decisions that the group needs to finalize on ship details :). Welcome aboard.

Great question on flintlock. I've actually already been looking at a lot of interpretations, all of which have things I like or don't like.

Tags I've seen:

• Gunpowder - on misses, complications are more severe because of the volatile nature of the weapon
  
• Reach/Near - How far away can you get and be accurate?
  
• Armor Pierce 1 - I may have the exact name wrong, but can bullets penetrate armor better than standard weaponry?
  
• Reload - Should it require a moment to reload? (that's why you carry several if you can)

I like gunpowder tag, but with that set back there should be benefits to counter it. I also prefer near range to reach. The other two I'm still wrestling with... Armor piercing seems to be a bigger benefit than gunpowder off sets. And reload is fun as far as lore, but seems to offset the other direction.

So this is already something I'm working to figure out. Please feel free to jump in with thoughts.

Maybe have it use the near range, but not have penalties for using it in melee combat, and give it a plus to hit in melee, since it is kind of made for such encounters?

Honestly, all four of those sound fairly appropriate. Gunpowder for obvious reasons. Near works because it did have a range, just a very short one. Armor piercing works as that's what they were known to do. Although you could argue that many metals were strong enough to only suffer a dent. Reload also feels appropriate as they err single shot weapons that required a downtime between shots or burning embers that were still hot in the barrel could ignite the next batch of powder as it was being reloaded.

Maybe have it use the near range, but not have penalties for using it in melee combat, and give it a plus to hit in melee, since it is kind of made for such encounters?

I'm not saying this doesn't make sense, but these sort of conditional +1 modifiers should be extremely rare in Dungeon World. The game's designed so we don't have to remember a lot of conditional modifiers to our rolls.

Reach - think Polearm range. Longer than a longsword but not long enough to be considered "ranged." Only the earliest historical pistols were this limited. Near is what I would consider most "ranged attacks" to be in most RPGs - firing from the poopdeck to the rigging would be Near imo. Far, the other ranged weapon tag, is described to be more for sniping over long distances. Think "firing upward to achieve a parabolic arc and land a shot a football field away" type of thing.

My suggestion for gunpowder is this:

Positive Tags: Messy, Volatile

Negative Tags: Noisy, Reload

Nice thing about balancing items in DW is that it's up to you, really. What does the Messy tag mean? Well, what do you think it means?

This way, gunpowder is unique and distinct from the other reload ranged weapon, crossbows, by having the Messy and Volatile tags, which crossbows don't.

The original intention was to treat them as any other ranged weapon. But I quickly grew to dislike that idea.

I like the Gunpowder tag. What I described above is actually the Dangerous tag (I was on my phone and not looking at my notes). Gunpowder has requirements to keep it dry and away from flames, so if you went swimming that weapon wouldn't work for a while as it needed to dry. Dangerous is, as explained above, the fact handling it without proper knowledge can come with big penalties. I will not use the dangerous tag with flintlock weapons, but I will with explosives. This is especially necessary as I believe the Bombardier has an ability which ignores Dangerous tags. So I better make sure they're there!

Noisy also needs to be there. Mechanically this won't do a lot through my interpretation. It's not like it will suddenly draw everyone's aggression. It just means that it will be hard to hide and shoot, because the flash and boom may give you away ;).

If I go with Reload I will also go with 1 Piercing.

I also agree with Frogfoot that Near is a better choice than Reach. I reserve the right to introduce unique guns. Maybe there will be one with the Messy tag, but also the Reach tag.

As it currently stands, the typical Flintlock tags will be: Gunpowder, Noisy, Reload, 1 Piercing

But I will keep looking at the options and weighing them, so feel free to keep discussing it if you have thoughts to add.

Also, I am slowly but surely working my way through these backgrounds you've all created. Even if I don't comment on something specifically, rest assured that it hasn't gone unnoticed. You may find remnants of things later as I'm adding them to my notes to 'resurface' (as it were) later.

Quelthas Greybreak: The Character

I am looking to recruit 1 or 2 more players. The crew is at a breaking point between adventures and it's a perfect place to add in some fresh blood.

Whether you're familiar with Dungeon World or not, I welcome those who are interested. It's a very simple system that favors the fiction over mechanics, so often the biggest hurdle for beginners is un-learning much of what has become natural through DnD or Pathfinder.

Current adventuring crew members:

• Captain Kale - A wizened sailor with a mind sharper than any blade (Battle-Master Class - much like a Warlord in DnD 4e).
  
• Quelthas Greybreak - A sarcastic elven storm mage whose arcane manipulations prove disastrous almost as often as critically beneficial. (Mage Class, storm focus)
  
• Numeo - A native islander with extensive knowledge of alchemical mixtures and uses. He's a wild card in personality as well as application, able to consume mixtures with interesting results or spew them out with reckless destruction.

Balance isn't a big issue as there's countless ways to compensate for any missing areas. But I point these out so anyone interested knows what's already present. I have access to a list of classes far too long to cover, so your best bet is to come up with a concept you really enjoy and I'll help you find a class that fits it.

If you need some inspiration though, here's a handful of classes that are particularly pirate-y:

On the off chance that there's more interest than anticipated, I'll give priority to those that express interest first. I prefer that to weeding through applications.

Just to get in at the front of the line: I saw your post in the DW Tavern, and I'm interested!

Fantastic. How can I help you out?

Feel free to take your time if you want to catch up on stuff, or I can throw in a recap of broad strokes. Once you have an idea of what kind of character concept you want I can recommend some playbooks. Or if you have one in mind already I'll check it out and we can start building it up.

Also, I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have about this game, or system, or even these forums if you're not familiar with them.

The group is currently at a bit of a break between adventures so it's a great time to be bringing in some new characters. We'll set up some bonds as well.

Here's a little more than just "Oooh oooh! Me! Me!" :)

I'm relatively new to, but already familiar with, PbP and Dungeon World. I actually recently started GMing a PbP DW game myself over on unseenservant.us, and it's going well – at least I think it is.

I haven't got the playbook myself, but the idea of a Halfling Swashbuckler sounds like fun. Over-inflated ego, rakish good looks, stylish clothes, cheerful attitude, and under three feet tall.

If you're happy to have me join you, and the character idea sounds feasible, let me know and let's work out the details. Thanks!

I'm perfectly fine with knowing only what my character would know, so maybe a summary of common knowledge, and we can get into a few more details in chargen?

How do you do chargen here? Should we (you Mogthrasir and I) PM it out and not spam everyone with all the details along the way?

Cool. We had a swashbuckler type to begin with, and it was great fun!

There are 3 playbooks that might fit what you want.

• Pirate - I will get you access to this playbook this evening when I can get into google.docs - D8 damage; has starting moves that let you use the environment to find weapons, maneuver enemies, steal, etc.; bonus to defying danger on ships; increase treasure rolls; have treasure stashed around the world; and can carouse without spending money.
  
• Swashbuckler/Pirate - Sending you a link to this - this one is still in formation, but may be something you like. You have tricks with a firearm, leap off of things with skill, and formulate crazy plans.
  
• Dashing Hero - Sending you a link to this, sort of. I'll get a better one tonight as well. - This is more of your charismatic, chandelier-swinger. Ladies love him, and he aims to impress.

Each of these have a bit of overlap, but are flavored slightly differently--in case one fits the image forming in your head a bit better than the others. Available links coming to your inbox.

If you want, jump over to the discussion thread and I have no problem hashing it out there. That way, as you build, it can be a community process as well where you and the others can be contemplating connections and bonds.

Also, Mb., halflings have yet to be introduced in this world. That means that you're not only the expert on them (since you are one, should you still wish to be) but that you also have a clean slate to work with. What makes a Halfling distinct in a predominantly water based world? Feel free to eschew any conventional or "standard" Halfling things such as furry feet, kleptomania, or love of the wacky-tabacky... make them whatever you want.

Are you still taking players?

I'd take one more if you're interested. I'm currently catching up from the weekend :)

I am! :)

I have played DW before, one game as a player (here on the forums) and one a DM (in rl). I'm still learning with it, but the system is really fun!

Concept wise I was thinking about something along the lines of a fortune-telling sea witch.

How about a 7' lizardman, brute (by human standards) loyal to captain... Mutually saved eachother's life.

Exiled for some reason, seeks to prove himself in the "outside" world and maybe return to his colony.

Primitive weapons, sailor. Somewhat amphibious, hold breath extended periods, swim speed.

Every pulp fiction needs a brute, no? But, the witch was here first. I can respect that.

Hi Kana :)

Can vouch for Kana's skills, I recruited her to my Pathfinder all-skinwalkers campaign before I got tired of the Pathfinder system.

And I baled on him... very damning. But not telling, I swear! -Gerard here.

Rather than applications, I always prefer the first-come queue. So priority to Kana if interested. If not, that brute sounds really interesting. Either way, I keep track in case there are needs for others in the future.

And I baled on him... very damning. But not telling, I swear! -Gerard here.

Oh hey Gerard! I didn't recognize that alias. You did well roleplaying for the time you were a part of it. I still miss that campaign sometimes...

And Kana, if you're thinking about a fortune-telling sea-witch then I would recommend perhaps the witch class by Melissa Fisher & David Guyll. The introductory moves include Divination for discovering hidden knowledge, Hex for placing incredibly open ended curses on others, Apothecary for making healing consumables such as salves, antitoxins, etc., and Thaumaturgy which is much like the Wizard ritual move in that it allows you to create any type of magical item or effect with limits and requirements dictated by the GM.

If you're interested, I'll link you the playbook when I'm able to do so this evening.

Hi Frogfoot! *waves*

And I would like to play. :) I had actually been looking at that one trying to decide if I should buy it or not.

If we were playing it live you would be able to borrow playbooks others in the group have purchased so I try to help give access to players while they're in the game if you want to get a look at it before buying it.

But having said that, I also always try to encourage the support of people putting together these things, as that what keeps solid material coming. And I've been pretty impressed with Fisher and Guyll's stuff so far!

I just keep imagining:

A muscled and mottled sinewy form silently rises from the dark calm water and extracts itself from the shadows on a moonlit wharf. Purposefully advancing as a dull blade finds freedom from its sheath and refuses to reflect the light.

Inhuman eyes pierce the darkness, unhindered.

Find the witch, save the witch... Find the...

I have a whole wishlist full of ones I'm considering :) I like supporting the people behind games. And, I did end up buying it. I was on the edge and your vote of confidence in the quality was all I really needed. I'm liking the look of this witch class, I feel it's safe to say I'll play a witch :) I'm not sure on a race yet... I toyed with the idea of being a water Primordian... Any suggestions for what would work well and fit in in this world?

Alright Gerard... if you're still feeling the lizardman brute, bring his scaley a** too. We'll see how this ship sails with 6 characters!

And Kana, I really like the class too. It was a good purchase ;). As for race, I'm pretty open to a lot of different things. I'm not certain what a Water Primordian is, but I'm intrigued. We've fleshed out a lot of the "prominent" races, but this ocean has tons of room for more obscure things. So if that's something you like, then feel free to start describing!

Same for Gerard's Lizardman. I'm interested to hear more about that race as well. Here's some links to the more recent outline of what's been established in this world.

Overview 1
Overview 2 -- with some more links contained in the post

More on Halflings
More on Elves

I know it seems like a lot to catch up, but I'll try to re-explain the obscure stuff as it comes up. The quickest, easiest overview is behind that first link!

It's from Grim World. They are an elemental based race, so I was considering making her water aligned. Though I did notice things on Oceanfolk/Brinies :) Maybe I'll just make something new. I like the idea that she was someone that was looked down on by society (possibly a slave), hence leading her to make her deal for power.

Do you want us to move over to the Discussion for more fleshing out of things?

That'd be great!

Actually, Gerard, if you're interested: the other DW game I GM looks like it may be down a player and could use another to bolster the ranks. It's a more traditional fantasy setting (a bit darker as well) than this pirate setting. But if you're looking for a DW game, that's an option!

Whatever works, Sir. I'm willing to fill a niche. A "character actor" as it were.

You'd still be playing with one of my characters too, Jaxx...and he's a lizardman himself. A LG Necromancer who acts as a cleric of the sun god Quetzalcoatl.

I don't feel the need to fill a certain type of character in either game, but I would much rather boost the other game up to 4 characters again than push this one to six. So if you can handle something less pirate-y, then it works better for me.

However, if you prefer pirates, then I'm intrigued enough to make it work.

The other game is found here. Feel free to start working on a character or ask some questions in the Discussion tab.

Otherwise, you can jump to the Discussion tab for this game and build a character alongside Kana's witch.