Black Sails

Game Master Shady_Motives

Yo ho yo ho a pirates life for me! We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot! Drink up me 'earties yo ho! We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot, drink up me 'earties yo ho!

No matter what you were born as, no matter what destiny or family or society intended for you, something else called you. Laws and niceties mean nothing out on the open ocean, that cruel cruel mistress who both giveth and taketh. Adventure and glory pull you from the safety of your comfy homes, a wide open vista where the strength of your back is all you need to achieve greatness!

This is a Skull and Shackles AP.

House Rules:

Alterations to Heal and Knowledge Religion: All heal spells/channel energy/lay on hands are modified by the casters total heal skill (min. of 0). Example: Joe Bob has a heal skill of 10. He casts cure light wounds for 1d8+3. Say that gives him an 8. Add his heal skill to that and poof, 18! This represents the casters knowledge of the healing and how to properly channel the healing energy to maximum effect. If used offensively, for example channel energy to damage undead, you instead use your bonus from Knowledge Religion.

The bonuses to healing do NOT apply to effects such as fast healing or regeneration.

Nat 20's and 1's: In my games there is a chance for even a 1st level character to impale a dragon through the heart against impossible odds as well as a 20th level rogue tripping and landing flat on his face. Roll a nat 20 and the accomplishment will go above and beyond whatever you are trying to attempt. Roll a nat 1 and it's an automatic failure, regardless of your base attack or skill ranks. Even gods can screw up.

Spells: Spells do not require a spell-book to replenish your daily use, thats accomplished with an hour of meditation. Spell-books are only required to change your daily spells or learn new spells.

Summoning Spells: Summoned creatures can have any of the following templates applied; celestial, entropic, fiendish, or resolute. With sufficient K. Planar rolls of DC 15+ the following templates will become available on a 1 by 1 basis; aerial, aqueous, chthonic, dark, fiery, or primordial. A good character summoning a creature that is ALWAYS evil (such as a devil or demon) risks alignment shift and vice/versa for evil characters. All creatures that can be called from the Summon Monster spells and the Expanded Summon Monster, Summon Neutral Monster feats are combined into 1 list. All creatures that can be added to Summon Nature's Ally from feats or Archetypes are also combined into 1 list. This also applies to the fiendish and celestial templates.

Traits: 4 to start, 1 must be Skull and Shackles trait. Additional traits are earn via playing the campaign. These are rewards or affects your characters will gain depending on their actions in the campaign. You also have to choose 1 Drawback.

Skills: Each character will recieve 2 extra skill points per level. They will also recieve 1 bonus skill of their choice that will be considered a class skill.

Variant Multiclassing: Each character will reieve 1 variant multiclass for free. This means you do not have to sacrifice any feats to gain the features of a variant multiclass.

PC vs PC Diplomacy Checks: This will not be allowed to force players to think or behave a specific way. You must convince them with traditional means of roleplay.

Feats: Feats are gained as normal, but additional feats may be awarded by group/character play. Bonus feat awarded at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level.

Gaining Feats:There is a change to gaining feats. To gain any feat you must train such an ability. Such training comes from NPCs or through manuals in which case it will cost gold/time OR you teach yourself. This of course does not apply to feats gaint at 1st level.

Each feat will have an associated DC for it that will set the amount of 'experience' you need. Every day you will roll a D20+your character level in that class+your primary attribute modifier. Each skill check you make a day will be added to the total until it meets the DC (similar to crafting an item via the Craft skill). Roll a natural 20 and you're done. You do not need training for feats granted through a class feature.

Getting training via a NPC or a manual greatly lowers the DC needed for the feat.

Feat Tax: I will be using the system suggested here.

Crafting: A slightly altered system will be replacing Pathfinders crafting rule set to accommodate the campaign.

Combat: Players will be given one day to post their turn in combat. By the end of day if a player has not taken their turn, they will be put on delay and combat will proceed normally. GM will roll all initiative rolls to keep from breaking the flow of the PbP.

Player Death: In the event of a players death, that is the end of their journey (If there is no chance to get a revival/reincarnation). This also means your participation in the campaign is done. No re-rolling of characters will be permitted. This is to allow other outside players a chance to participate in the campaign.

Party Wipe: In the event of the death of the entire party, a new recruitment will be held. You will be allowed to submit a new character then, but only then.

Magic Armor: Each +1 added to armor enchantment also increases Max Dex by 1, reduces armor check penalty by 1 and spell failure chance by 5%.

Character Creation:

-->Attributes: I like high powered games so start off thus; start off with 1 auto 18. Roll 3d6, reroll 1's, drop the lowest dice and add 6. Do that 5 times and you have a set. Do that as many times as you want until you arrive at a set that you like (max of 50 times). You must accept stats as a set, no mixing and matching.

Also there is a 7th stat in my game that represents your characters 'looks'. 9-12 is average, <8 is ugly, 13-16 is very pretty. 17< is luminous beauty. Roll 3d6 and that represents your comeliness, no rerolls. You cannot increase/decrease the beauty stat through normal means. The following table illustrates the bonuses and penalties to social scores.

Beauty--Diplomacy/Bluff--Intimidate
3................-6....................+6
4................-5....................+5
5................-4....................+4
6................-3....................+3
7................-2....................+2
8................-1....................+1

13................+1
14................+2
15................+3
16................+4
17................+5
18................+6

If you have a beauty stat of 17 or higher a number of times per day equal to your beauty modifier (normal stat rules) you can attempt to charm someone who might be sexually attracted to your character as a move action. The willsave DC for this is equal to 10+1/2 HD+Beauty modifier. The charm is equal to Charm Person spell that lasts for 1 rd/HD.

Conversely if you have a beauty stat of 5 or lower you can attempt to frighten someone. A number of times per day equal to your beauty modifier you can attempt to scare someone as a move action. The willsave DC for this equal to 10+1/2 HD+Intimidate bonus. This ability is equal to the Fear Spell and lasts for 1 rd/HD.

-->Starting Level: 1st

-->HP: Max.

-->Alignment: Arg, we be pirates!

-->Max gold 1st level.

-->All archetypes allowed.

-->Books allowed: All Pathfinder and WotC 3.5 with the following exceptions; No Occult Adventures or 3PP.

-->Background Skills: Yes.

-->Variant Multiclassing: Special.

-->Firearms: Early firearms. Exotic weapons for all but Gunslingers, full price.

-->Forbidden Classes: Ninja, Samurai, any from Occult Adventures, paladins.

-->Races allowed: All from core and advanced race guide. You can modify current races up to 16 RP. If the race you have chosen has total RP beyond 16, you cannot modify them. Also the abilities you chose must fall within the theme of the race you are modifying.

Combat:

During small(few to one monsters) combat:
Standard book combat rules apply.

During large(many monsters) combat:
Players Initiatives will be averaged, so players may take their turn at any time during the players group turn.

Enemy initiatives will be grouped together as well in the initiative order. They will be placed in respect to the averaged players initiative.

During Combat. Due to its lengthy nature, I will speed up posts to once a day. At the end of each day, the monsters will always take their turn. This is to prevent a month long combat sequence.

Ex.
Combat 1:
Players have an average initiative roll of 8. Monsters average initiative rolls is a 4. In this event, the Players take their turn first, then the monsters will after.

Crafting System:

You can craft many items in the campaign, from armor and weapons, but you must have skill points allocated to Craft: [Category] in order to do so. You must obtain raw materials and/or schematics to do. The system is explained in more detail below:

Crafting Categories:
-->Armor + Weapons
-->Spellcraft (This is the existing Spellcraft in skills)
-->Alchemy (includes everything of an alchemical nature, magical or otherwise.)
-->Siege
-->Clockwork
-->Art (paintings, pottery, sculpting, etc.)
-->Clothing (anything that goes on the body not considered armor)

What you need to craft?
To craft items in the campaign you must have the raw material to do so. Most raw materials can either be found, salvaged, or bought. There will be unique materials and components you can find to add special affects or bonuses.

When you have the required materials, you can do one of two things. You can either find/purchase a schematic in order to know the quantity of resources you need. Or you can make a Craft [Category] skill check to see if your character knows how to craft that item that you want. If you fail to pass this knowledge check you have to buy a schematic or take a penalty to your Craft [Category] check to when you craft your weapon.

How long does it take?
Crafting takes time in the game world, there will be moments when you enter towns where you will have access to what you need to craft your items. The length of time is calculated from a Craft [Category] check and the complexity/quality of the weapon. You can rush your crafts but you will take a penalty on your Craft [Category] check for quality.

How are the stats determined?
I will determine final base stats of your item. Your will make your final Craft [Category] check to determine your characters success at making the item. This check will help determine the quality of your item, or if your character blunders and wastes the materials.

Can I get an example?
Of course you can! (Note: All data here is an example and does not represent what the materials actually do.)

Bliggledorf the Dwarf decides he wants to make a one handed waraxe. First he makes a check to see if he is knowledgeable enough in crafting it.

He has a Craft: Weapons skill of 15. His final roll tallies results in a 25. Crafting a standard waraxe is pretty common knowledge so he doesn't need a schematic. He finds out he needs 2 ingots to craft it and it will take approximately 2 full days to make it.

Bliggledorf the Dwarf has enough Darksteel and Obsidian to craft it. He decides to use Darksteel because it gives a inherent +2 to attack rolls against Goblins. He knows this because of a finding a tattered book on Darksteel. Though a Craft Weapons check could reveal if he worked with that material before and possibly gleamed what it might do.

Bliggledorf then makes a Craft Weapons Skill check to Craft the weapon. He doesn't have enough time craft it so he wants to attempt to craft it in one day which raises the difficulty of the check. His skill check results in 20. Luckily since it is a simple weapon with no other enhancements he makes it without too much difficulty. His weapon now has the base stats of a common waraxe, but with a +2 to attack rolls against Goblins.

If he had extra time, he could lower the difficulty of the check or opted to use extra materials to try and get a boost to its effect or find a new affect by combining materials.

Posting: I expect a certain level of skill with the english language from my players. One sentence responses will usually not be sufficient. Repeated 1 sentence responses will result in the player being removed from my game. There is a built in spell check on the site but I would suggest writing your lengthy responses in a writing program. Blatant poor grammar (with the exception of idiotic character speech) will not be accepted and repeated grammatically incorrect posts can lead to removal. All this means is read over what you write BEFORE posting and spell check. It only takes a minute or two and saves everyone a headache.

At the beginning I will not be militant about grammar or post length as all of the players (myself included) will be getting used to the other players' writing styles. As time progresses however posts should become more fluid and well written as we get more experience as a group. If a character is saying something posting just the speech in bold font is unacceptable. Write your posts as if you are taking part in writing a book.

Major Events:

Spoiler:

I've created these rules based off of several games as both a GM and player so please don't bother trying to suggest an alternative to what is already stated. Any situations not covered by these rules will be decided on a case by case basis.