Motteditor's Skull and Shackles PBP (Inactive)

Game Master motteditor

You can retire in luxury now, Cargas! If you weren't stuck in a pirate ship in the middle of the ocean, that is...

.59.8 gp starting gold - still being held
..1.2 gp - found in kitchen
250.0 gp - payout, man's promise
-----------
311.0 gp - current gold

311.0 gp

I realized I forgot to note, the two Rahadoumi sailors who were brought on board are both sleeping with you all in the crew berths.

Dang. Those are some randy Rahadoumi.

Should it come up in the future, Brood's knowledge checks will be a bit different in focus than Malavarius'.

What is it? (Name and type(s))
How can I kill it? (In order: DR, Energy Resistance, Special Defences)
Can it hurt me? (Special attacks)

You should be able to access the maps now...

Waiting on Gezza...

I'm thinking this storm with poor visibility and the distraction of the grindylow attack is our chance to catch Plugg or Scourge alone and get on with the mutiny. Bud has plans, big plans involving big treasure, and getting killed by the lash ain't part of them.

What do you guys think, mutiny now or wait for level 3 to see what unfolds?

Seeing as Cargas might never get down for this fight, maybe we'd better wait. He wants to axe Plugg some questions.

Slow posting through the weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Hey guys, I'm getting my office painted starting tomorrow so my posting may be a little spotty for a few days. (Of course, it's possible I move my computer and everything into another room, because 24 hours without being online could be too much for me.)

OK, I wasn't expecting that reaction. Will try to update and get things started ASAP but I really want/need full use of my computer since I think these are going to be some lengthy rounds of combat. Hopefully manana.

Question - now that the mutiny is underway, presuming we win and there are minimal casualties to our side, how do we expect to sail a crippled ship out of here with an even smaller crew than we already had?

Although the mutiny resulted in [insert number here] casualties, luckily for us there happened to be [insert same number here] castaways stranded on the nearby island. We take on the new crew, refer to Brood as "The Dread Pirate Roberts" and just like that we are sailing and feared on the high seas.

I like turtles...

Haven't had full use of my office until today, plus it's a really busy couple weeks (couple co-workers off, plus now have to reload my bedroom and office after they were emptied for painting), and I think this combat's going to be a bit of a doozy for me, with lots of moving parts. I just want to make sure I give it the proper attention -- I hope to update ASAP but I fear it may not be until Sunday. Sorry!

So... are you all seriously hooking Brood up with the magical cutlass AND the bracers of armor? Hot diggity! It's like it's Christmas or something! =P

Plunder is one of the subsystems S&S uses. I'm leaving out some details for the moment, but here's the relevant parts for you:

Plunder is an approximation of valuable but non-useful cargo. One point of plunder is worth about 1,000 gp, and takes up 10 tons of cargo capacity, unless otherwise noted.

There’s a difference between plunder and the gold pieces in a pirate’s pocket. While gold doubloons and fabulous jewelry can be plunder, pirates are rarely lucky enough to encounter a ship with a hold full of such treasures. Typically, there are trade goods, foodstuffs, spices, and valuables of a more mundane sort. Such takes can fetch significant prices, but for scallywags more interested in looting than the specifics of what they loot, this system provides a way for parties to track their plunder without getting bogged down by lists of commonplace cargo and their values down to the copper piece.

Plunder means more than five wicker baskets, a barrel of pickled herring, three short swords, and a noble’s outfit; it’s a generalization of a much larger assortment of valuable but generally useless goods (and serves to help avoid bookkeeping on lists of random goods). Rather, a cargo ship carrying construction timber, dyed linens, crates of sugar, animal furs, and various other goods might equate to 4 points of plunder.

Characters can buy plunder if they wish, though those who do so risk becoming known as merchants rather than pirates.

Value of Plunder: Plunder is valuable for two reasons: In general, 1
point of plunder is worth approximately 1,000 gp, whether it be for a crate full of valuable ores or a whole cargo hold full of foodstuffs. Regardless of what the plunder represents, getting the best price for such goods is more the domain of merchants than pirates, and just because cargo might be worth a set amount doesn’t necessarily mean the PCs can get that much for it. Exchanging 1 point of plunder for gold requires a PC to spend 1 full day at port and make an applicable skill check. Regardless of how much plunder the PCs have, one PC must spend a full day trading to exchange 1 point of plunder for gold. The PC trading also must be the same PC to make the skill check to influence the trade. The larger the port and the higher the skill check, the better price the PCs can get for their plunder.

At smaller ports there’s little chance of getting more than half value for plunder, unless a PC can employ a skill to make a better deal. At larger ports, the chances of finding a buyer willing to pay a reasonable price for cargo increases, and PCs can still employ skill checks to make even more lucrative bargains. PCs seeking to win a higher price for their plunder can make one of the following skill checks: Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or any applicable Profession skill, like Profession (merchant). A poor result on a skill check can reduce the value of plunder. If the PCs are not satisfied with the price they are offered for their plunder, they need not take it, but a day’s worth of effort is still expended. They can try for a better result the next day.

Most of my relevant 'pirate' knowledge comes from playing Sid Meier's Pirates! in the 80's (yes, that does date me), so this description of plunder makes perfect sense, you would spend substantial effort in trading the appropriate goods at the appropriate port based on current economic conditions (imagine that in a Sid Meier game) in an effort to build an economic powerhouse, or fleet as it turned out in that case, based on the current era. So our 'plunder' is goods that we want to trade for max value where we can, knowing that our opportunities to trade plunder will be limited.

It's late morning but not noon yet.

Look at island map for high ground.

Posting on my phone. Will update Reign tonight.

"Once upon a time I read a tale of a lost colony, called 'Rowan Oake' or some such. Colony was thriving, but when a resupply ship came to call, everyone was gone and a strange word carved in the wall. This gives me the same creepy feeling." Gezza keeps his eyes peeled.

No, wrong game for the Roanoke references... That's Kingmaker (and Kereek) you're thinking of. :)

Those poor Varny-holders! D=

Guys, make a decision. What are you doing?

I think Cargas should drink a potion and we get on with smashin' squidies!

My people used to be immune to such things, Offal, but these days it's just sleep that doesn't affect us.

Please allow the dwarf to explain elf physiology to the piddlespotting elf.

Cargas points the elf to the readin's here.

So I'm bleeding out, paralyzed, AND have ghoul fever?

This is shaping up to be a great day. Sheesh!

Special Attacks paralysis (1d4+1 rounds, DC 13, elves are immune to this effect)

Note the last bit in the parenthetical.

So no paralysis; just ghoul fever!

Why in the world is that called out there but not in the elves' racial traits? Because it's only ghoul paralysis they're immune to? That seems staggeringly arbitrary =\

Well, at least this fever is sure to kill me regardless and I can slaughter the rest of the group and we can go terrorizing the seas as a bunch of undead pirates.

Congrats, guys, we've finished Book 1! Everyone can level up to third level!

Brood doesn't die from fever and come back as a ghoul/ghast/lacedon? Neat!

Level 3
HP +6 (5HD +1 fav class)
BAB +1
Ref +1
Magus Arcana: arcane accuracy
Feat: Uncanny Concentration
Skill Points (+6)
+1 acrobatics
+2 climb
+1 profession (sailor)
+1 spellcraft
+1 swim

First Level Spells (+2)
burning hands
stone fist

Treasure Hunter 3

HP: +6

feat: mobility

skills(8):
acrobatics
diplomacy
knowledge dungeoneering
knowledge local
linguistics
profession sailor
profession siege engineer
use magic device

new language: aquan

sneak attack: +2d6

unflinching +1

Chicago weekend, last bit of Continuing Education. Should be able to update tonight.

How are we tracking loot/plunder, peeps? Am I completely missing our loot link? Do we have one? Do we want one?

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This thread has most of our plunder.

2 points of plunder (how should we keep track of this Mott? Not sure what it is, like crates of bottled rum, spices, blacksmith goods?)

(chest with 100 sp and 200 gp, and 14 pp, 29 gp.)
3 pp and 46 gp and 20 sp for each of you, Bud already took the loss on the short platinum and gold pieces.

(combat gear, who wants the crossbow, handaxe, and cat o' nine for the island trek?)
leather armor
crossbow with screaming bolts
masterwork handaxe
nice cat of nine tails

(unknown items, guessing one is simply snuff and the other is a poisoned dagger. Bud will take the dagger if it goes unclaimed)
snuff box with powder
punching dagger with sheen
dark green bottle

And this link has our loot.

As Budos looks around, he notes dozens of scrimshaw objects litter the chamber in various nooks and crannies carved into the walls. Although many of these items are merely curious, repulsive, or both, among them are the jawbone of a shark carved with scrimshaw images of a vast octopus eating whales and containing a dozen silver and gold rings hammered into it (worth 250 gp), a huge hooked tooth from some colossal sea creature with a seaweed plugged cavity containing six pearls worth 75 gp each, and a whale skull weighing 25 pounds with scrimshaw carvings of arcane words.

They function as arcane scrolls of alter self, black tentacles, blur, color spray, daylight, enlarge person, hypnotism, slow, touch of idiocy, and vampiric touch.

In addition, eight 4-pound silver ingots were used to weight down Sandara and Badger and are now at the bottom of the cavern each worth 20 gp. The rest of their equipment lies scattered on the floor as well, as do two sets of masterwork manacles that were holding the undead pirates, a dozen heavy crossbow bolts, a silver spearhead, an iron bracelet, 211 sp, and 136 gp in assorted coins.

Yeah, we probably should have some sort of list. Prazil/Mal/Brood's done it for my other games, but considering his PBP time seems to have been cut into by work, maybe someone else can do it? (I think you do it for our Savage Tide game, Cargas, but that'll be coming to an end soon...)

The island map link now goes to a map of Rickety Squibs. A yellow star marks the main area where you're staying, though you can explore if you want.

Yeah, we probably should have some sort of list. Prazil/Mal/Brood's done it for my other games, but considering his PBP time seems to have been cut into by work, maybe someone else can do it? (I think you do it for our Savage Tide game, Cargas, but that'll be coming to an end soon...)

Uh. Yes. I'm not sure I have time right now, but might in late April.

NOTE: I've been invited on a diplomatic trip to Cuba from April 8th to April 19th to access the 'before' of Cuba's access to technology. Apparently, Cuba doesn't have good access to the 'net and the access they do have is dial up speeds. I'm going to check things out and evaluate before and as American interests enter and start ruining things with Starbucks and McDonalds.

I'm excited about the trip, but I'll be very unlikely to be able to post much during that time.

After that trip, I might be able to handle the bookkeeping.

As for now, happy to keep winging it.

Very cool-sounding trip, PL! I definitely want to get to Cuba someday.

I've added a few sections to the campaign tab: gaining crew, infamy and disrepute.

You'll have enough time here to try to both gain crew AND infamy/disrepute, so there's no real need to decide which to do. Obviously, if you try to trick or press-gang sailors on board here, you should do it the final day, though there's no reason you can't try to convince some to join earlier. You're fairly undercrewed so you may need to try to get a fair amount on board, though of course you may not want to do that all at once/all at Rickety Squibs.

If we ever pressgang anyone, that'll be the day Brood turns and this turns into a PvP brawl until Brood's either dead or the pressgangers all are. He would not be ok with doing to others what Harrigan had done to him.

Oh, and regarding loot - I'll try and get another tracking sheet put together tonight like we have for Reign of Winter. If no one objects, I'll give everyone edit rights so if any of us catch some time when we're due for an accounting whomever is able can make the changes.

And just at a quick glance, if we're not planning to ever use those shackles of compliance (outside of the bedroom *cough*) we could sell those for a decent bit. That alone'd cover some secret compartments and Brood's disease removal with plenty to spare.

---

Separate question regarding crew (new and old): Are we done with the friendly/antagonistic spectrum now that we're past the mutiny or does that sub-system persist?

Sounds like a plan to me. I'd say we use that income to buy the cure light wounds wand. We're going to need it.

Officially, that system is over (as far as I'm aware; it's not mentioned in Book 2 but I've not yet read the entire AP).

It's possible some of the hostile crew still aren't going to love you right away, but if you treat them better than Harrigan and Plugg -- and get them shares of plunder -- they'll come around. Probably. Unless I can think of a good story reason for them not to. :)

Also, a full crew for your ship is 20 sailors (plus the pilot; this also doesn't count anyone manning siege engines). Right now you have 23, including the five of you. Obviously if you want to be moving at night, you'd need a second shift. I haven't decided yet if I'll flesh out every sailor. Having 40+ NPCs to keep track of could be a lot, though on the other hand, I feel like you'll probably know everyone. I guess we'll see how it goes?

Finally, you are down one of the ship's boats, a couple of the Rahadoumi having escaped in The Man's Promise's gig. You can replace that for 500 gp if you want.

The Inventory Log is up!

The Inventory Log is up!

Thank you, yo! Maybe you're not such a bad elf after all.

Nah.

* * *

Edit: Ah piddlespot. I forgot that Cargas was dubbed the Bosun. I should probably start acting like it, huh?

Next time our boat goes on the watery stuff towards the big light in the sky, he'll make sure the poop deck is properly pooped.

Easter Weekend is upon us! Will be spotty on posts until Monday...

Step up your game, Budos... this old guy's got game...