Skulls and Shackles

Game Master Diamondust

Infamy Score: 5
Disrepute Points: 5
Plunder: 0

PLUNDER & INFAMY QUICK REFERENCE:

The following terms feature prominently in the plunder and Infamy subsystems, and are called out for ease of reference.

Disrepute: The amount of Infamy the PCs have accrued through successful Infamy checks, which can be spent on impositions. Costs measured in Disrepute are marked with a price.

Infamy Check: A Bluff, Intimidate, or Perform check made to gain Infamy and Disrepute. The DC of this check equals 15 + twice the group’s average character level. Spending plunder grants bonuses on this check.

Impositions: Incredible deeds and outrageous acts that grant the PCs a variety of benefits or impose crippling consequences on their victims. Higher tier impositions become available as PCs reach higher Infamy thresholds.

Infamy Threshold: Ranges measured in Infamy. Upon achieving new Infamy thresholds, additional impositions become available for purchase.

Plunder: 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.

Infamy: The highest total number of points of Disrepute achieved by making successful Infamy checks, representing the PCs’ total reputation. This number cannot exceed the PCs’ average party level × 4 but rarely, if ever, decreases.

Infamy Thresholds:

Disgraceful (10+ Infamy) Characters may purchase disgraceful impositions. The PCs may choose one favored port. They gain a +2 bonus on all Infamy checks made at that port.

Despicable (20+ Infamy) Characters may purchase despicable impositions. Once per week, the PCs can sacrifice a prisoner or crew member to immediately gain 1d3 points of Disrepute. This sacrifice is always fatal, and returning the victim to life results in the loss of
1d6 points of Disrepute.

Notorious (30+ Infamy) Characters may purchase notorious impositions. Disgraceful impositions can be purchased for half price (rounded down). The PCs may choose a second favored port. They gain a +2 bonus on all Infamy checks made at this new favored port and a +4 bonus on Infamy checks made at their first favored port.

Loathsome (40+ Infamy) Characters may purchase loathsome impositions. Despicable impositions can be purchased for half price (rounded down). PCs gain a +5 bonus on skill checks made to sell plunder.

Vile (55+ Infamy) Characters may purchase vile impositions. Notorious impositions can be purchased for half price (rounded down). Disgraceful impositions are free. The PCs may choose a third favored port. They gain a +2 bonus on all Infamy checks made at the new favored port, a +4 bonus on Infamy checks made at their second favored port, and a +6 bonus on Infamy checks made at their first favored port.

Impositions:

Disgraceful Impositions
Cost: 2 Yes, Sir!: For the next hour, the PCs’ crew completes any mundane tasks they’re assigned in half the expected time. This typically relates to Craft and Profession (sailor) checks made to prepare, maintain, or repair the ship, and cannot be applied to combat or more complex deeds like crafting magic items.
Cost: 5 Captain’s Orders!: As a standard action, a PC on board her ship can cast fog cloud, heroism, make whole, quench, or whispering wind with a caster level equal to her character level.
Cost: 5 Walk the Plank!: The PCs may sacrifice one crew member or prisoner to grant themselves and their crew one of two bonuses: either a +2 bonus on all skill checks or a +2 bonus on attack rolls. These bonuses only apply while on board the PCs’ ship and last until either the next day or when the captain leaves the ship. If a sacrificed character is returned to life, the PCs and their crew members take a –2 penalty on both skill checks and attack rolls for 1 day.
Cost: 10 Get Up, You Dogs!: Every PC and allied character on the deck of the PCs’ ship is affected as per the spell cure light wounds, as if cast by a cleric of the PCs’ average party level. This imposition can only be used once per week.

Despicable Impositions
Cost: 5 Lashings!: The speed of the PCs’ ship doubles for 1 day.
Cost: 5 Shiver Me Timbers!: While on board their ship, the PCs and their entire crew can reroll initiative or roll initiative in what would otherwise be a surprise round. The benefit of this imposition can be used immediately, but only once per week.
Cost: 10 Besmara’s Blessings!: As a standard action, a PC on board her ship can cast animate rope, control water, remove curse, remove disease, or water breathing with a caster level equal to her character level.
Cost: 10 Dead Men Tell No Tales!: While on board their ship, the PCs can use this imposition to automatically confirm a threatened critical hit.

Notorious Impositions
Cost: 5 You’ll Take It!: The PCs can spend up to 5 points of plunder in 1 day at 50% of its value (regardless of a community’s maximum sale %). This amount cannot be adjusted by skill checks.
Cost: 5 Honor the Code!: The PCs and their crew gain a +4 bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks made against other pirates for the next 24 hours.
Cost: 10 Master the Winds!: As a standard action, a PC on board her ship can cast call lightning storm, control winds, mirage arcana, or telekinesis with a caster level equal to her character level.
Cost: 15 Chum the Waters!: For every Infamy threshold they possess, the PCs summon 1d4 sharks into the waters surrounding their ship. These sharks are not under the PCs’ control and viciously attack any creature in the water.

Loathsome Impositions
Cost: 5 Evade!: Teleport your ship 100 feet in any direction. This imposition can be used once per day.
10 You’ll Take It and Like It!:[/b] The PCs can spend up to 5 points of plunder in 1 day at 100% of its value (regardless of a community’s maximum sale %). This amount cannot be adjusted by skill checks.
Cost: 10 Master the Waves!: As a standard action, a PC on board her ship can cast control weather, discern location, hero’s feast, or waves of exhaustion with a caster level equal to her character level.
Cost: 20 The Widow’s Scar!: Choose one enemy to curse. You and your crew gain a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls against that NPC for 1 week. The enemy is aware of the curse and who cursed her, and can end the effect with a remove curse spell.

Vile Impositions
Cost: 10 More Lashings!: The speed of the PCs’ ship quadruples for 1 day.
Cost: 15 The Hungry Sea!: A PC aboard her ship may cast elemental swarm, storm of vengeance, or whirlwind as an 17th-level caster.
Cost: 20 Dive! Dive! Dive!: The PCs’ ship submerges and can travel underwater at its normal speed for up to 1 hour. During this time, the vessel is encompassed by a bubble of breathable air and takes no ill effects from the water—even most sea creatures keep their distance. The ship leaves no visible wake upon the waters above, but might be visible in particularly clear water.
Cost: 25 Summon the Serpent!: One sea serpent comes to the aid of the PCs’ ship. This sea monster is under the control of the PCs and serves for 10 minutes before disappearing back into the deep.

HIRING CREWS AND SHARING PLUNDER:

At some point, the PCs will no doubt be interested in acquiring more sailors for their crew. They may do so at any port or settlement, or upon the successful capture of another ship, by making a DC 20 Bluff (to trick sailors on board), Diplomacy (to convince people to join the crew), or Intimidate (to press-gang new crew) check. Each such check takes 1 full day, and a successful check results in 1d4+2 new crew members for the PCs’ ship. You can use the statistics for the shipmate on page 294 of the GameMastery Guide to represent these sailors.

Unlike many other NPC hirelings, pirate crews do not have a daily wage. Instead, they are paid shares of the ship’s plunder taken in acts of piracy, when that plunder is sold. Rather than try to recreate the complexity of share amounts for historical pirate crews, the PCs should simply deduct 1 point of plunder from their total each time they attempt to sell plunder. This represents the shares of the plunder paid out to the crew, regardless of the actual amount of gold received for its sale. See Pathfinder Adventure Path #55 for a detailed description of the plunder rules. This Adventure Path assumes that the PCs follow these guidelines to keep their crew happy and well paid. It is left to the GM to decide how a crew reacts if the PCs do not pay them plunder on a regular basis.

Current Officers
Tobias - Captain - First in command
? - First Mate - second in command
? - Boatswain - deck crew and rigging
? - Sailing Master - piloting the ship
? - Surgeon/Carpenter - Ship/Crew Health
Ambrose Kroop - Cook - food and drink
? - Quartermaster - inventory and supplies
? - Master Gunner - weapons
? - Master-at-Arms - discipline

The Man's Promise Crew and attitude towards you:

Owlbear Hartshorn - Male Human - Plugg's Pet - Hostile
Conchobhar Turlach Shortstone - Male - Gnome - Quartermaster - Hostile
Fipps Chumlett - Male - Human - Master at Arms - Hostile
Ambrose "Fishguts" Kroop - Male - Human - Cook - Helpful

Crew
Sandara Quinn - Female - Human - Rigger - Helpful
Rosie Cusswell - Female - Halfling - Rigger - Helpful
Crimson “Cog” Cogward - Male - Human - Rigger - Helpful

Tilly Brackett - Female - Human - Swab - Friendly

Shivikah - Female - Human - Swab - Indifferent
Tam “Narwhal” - Male - Dwarf - Rigger - Indifferent

Slippery Syl Lonegan - Female - Human - Rigger - Unfriendly

“Ratline” Rattsberger - Male - Halfling - Rigger - Hostile
Jaundiced Jape - Male - Half-orc - Swab - Hostile
Maheem - Male - Human - Rigger - Hostile
Aretta Bansion - Female - Human - Rigger - Hostile

Day to day:

Rigger Tasks
1 Rigging Repair: The ship’s rigging frequently gets damaged and must be repaired, requiring DC 10 Climb checks to reach the rigging 30 feet up, followed by a DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Dexterity check.
2 Line Work: Hard work hoisting and lowering sails, requiring a DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Dexterity check. The PC must also make a DC 10 Constitution check to avoid being fatigued at the end of the shift.
3 Upper Rigging Work: Work in the upper rigging, 50 feet up, requiring DC 10 Climb checks, followed by a DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Dexterity check.
4 Rope Work: Handling the ship’s ropes, including coiling them, stowing them, and securing them to cleats and single and double bollards, requiring a DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Dexterity check.
5 Lookout: A climb to the crow’s nest 60 feet up, requiring DC 10 Climb checks followed by a DC 10 Perception check.
6 Mainsail Duties: Tough work raising and lowering the mainsail, requiring a DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Strength check. The PC must also make a DC 10 Constitution check to avoid being fatigued at the end of the shift.

Swab Tasks
1 Man the Bilges: Vile and sweaty work cleaning out the bilges (area A11), requiring a DC 12 Strength check. The PC must also make a DC 10 Constitution check to avoid being fatigued at the end of the shift.
2 Rat Catcher: Catching rats and other vermin belowdecks, requiring either a DC 10 Stealth check, Survival check, or Dexterity check to catch and kill enough rats, cockroaches, and beetles for a good day’s work.
3 Swab the Decks: Backbreaking work mopping the decks and scrubbing them with sandstone blocks called holystones, requiring a DC 10 Strength or Constitution check. Failing either check results in the PC being fatigued at the end of the shift.
4 Hauling Rope and Knot Work: Tying and untying knots in the ship’s ropes and moving heavy coils of rope from one part of the ship to another, requiring a DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Strength check. The PC must also make a DC 10 Constitution check to avoid being fatigued at the end of the shift.
5 Runner: Passing messages to the crew and officers of the Wormwood in all parts of the ship except officers’ cabins, requiring a DC 10 Acrobatics check and DC 10 Constitution check. Failing the Constitution check results in the PC being fatigued at the end of the shift. A PC with the Run feat automatically succeeds at this task.
6 Repairs: Things constantly tear or break aboard the ship and need repairs, whether sewing sails or splicing rope all day, requiring a DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Dexterity check.

Cook’s Mate Tasks
1 or 2 Cooking: Assisting Ambrose Kroop in preparing the day’s meal. If Kroop is sober, no check is required. If Kroop is drunk, this requires a DC 10 Profession (cook) or Intelligence check.
3 Fishing: Catching tonight’s supper using the ship’s nets. A DC 10 Profession (fisherman) or Survival check provides enough fish. A failed check results in a day in the bilges as punishment the following day (see the swab task Man the Bilges on page 23).
4 Turtle Hunting: Hunting leatherback sea turtles with harpoons, treble hooks, and nets. A DC 10 Profession (fisherman) or Survival check provides enough food. A failed check results in a day in the bilges as punishment the following day (see the swab task Man the Bilges on page 23).
5 Bull Session: Drinking with Ambrose Kroop and listening to his stories. The cook’s mate must drink an additional rum ration, but is able to take an additional ship action during the day.
6 Special Occasion: Captain Harrigan is celebrating something today, and wants one of the ship’s pigs butchered and cooked for dinner. The PC must make a DC 10 Profession (cook) or Survival check to slaughter the animal, then help Kroop to clean, cut, and prepare the carcass. If Kroop is sober, no additional check is required. If Kroop is drunk, this requires a DC 15 Profession (cook) or Intelligence check.

Each PC can normally take two ship actions each day, one during the day and one at night. A PC can also attempt to take up to two additional ship actions during the middle watch in the dead of night (any nighttime ship action marked with an asterisk), but to do so the PC must make a successful Constitution check (DC 10, +4 per extra ship action taken) or be fatigued for the next day.
Daytime Ship Actions
Work Diligently: Gain a +4 bonus on any one check for a job’s daily task.
Influence: Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and attempt to influence a single NPC.
Sneak: Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and briefly explore one area of the ship (the PC can make a single Perception check or other skill check with no chance of detection).
Shop: Take a –2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and visit the quartermaster’s store.
Shirk: Take a –2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and take time exploring one area of the ship. The PC can take 10 on a single Perception check or other skill check, but must make a check to avoid being discovered(see below).

Nighttime Ship Actions
Sleep: Go to bed early and sleep through the night (automatically recover from fatigue).
Gamble: Play or gamble on a game of chance or pirate entertainment.
Entertain: Make one Perform check to entertain the crew.
Influence*: Attempt to influence a single NPC.
Sneak*: Take time exploring one area of the ship. The PC can take 20 on a single Perception check or other skill check, but must make a check to avoid being discovered(see below).
Steal*: Attempt to open a locked door or locker. The PC must make a check to avoid being discovered (see below).

Theft, Pilfering, and Secrecy Aboard the Wormwood
Attempting a stealthy action in a crowd, such as casting a spell with verbal or somatic components without being noticed: DC 20.
Attempting a stealthy action where there is a chance of discovery, such as visiting the quartermaster’s store during work, exploring a room during the day, or attempting to open a chest in a room while its occupants are sleeping: DC 15.
Attempting a stealthy action under cover of a suitable diversion, such as attempting to open lockers when the rest of the crew are working or on deck enjoying themselves: DC 10.
Failing this check by 4 or less means the PC attempting the action is merely disturbed and is unable to complete the action. Failing the check by 5 or more means the PC is caught red-handed by a random crew member, and might be turned over to Master Scourge for discipline.

Roll 20 maps

Ship Combat
Advanced Naval Combat
Naval Siege Engines
Naval Terminology
Spell effects in naval combat
Vessels and Vessel Customization

Character and leveling rules:

Level - 5. Gain levels at story milestones. Gain mythic tiers after completing adventure path books (total of 5 tiers).
Class - Paizo classes and archetypes allowed, 3rd party to be considered. Best of average or roll for class starting gold.
Race - Only Golarion player races allowed. Alternate racial traits allowed.
Attributes - 15 point buy. Max 17 Min 7 at start after racial bonuses.
Traits - 2 standard traits, 1 campaign trait. No drawbacks.
Hit points - Max at level 1. Roll for level 2+, take highest of the roll or Half HD+1.
Skills - Normal class skills plus 2 background skills each level.
Feats - 1 feat gained per level instead of 1 per 2 levels. Also using 'Elephant in the room' feat tax.
Additional - Automatic Bonus Progression is in effect.