I think you'll find no calling more holy than to take your destiny into your hands, feel the wind on your skin, and take what you deserve from fat merchant ships that sail your beautiful sea.
Skull & Shackles Book 2 & Treasure of Chimera Cove:
Our heroes finished their long rest on the hard stone floor of the Dragon's Head cavern. After a brief discussion, the party decided to explore the cavern fully rather than take Flynn's risky shortcut.
Flynn intimidated the now barely conscious Poltur into showing the right sequence of lever pulls to open the doors. Inside the party soon encountered trouble in a fight against the last Chimera of Chimera Cove, cursed with the Sea-Sworn Undeath.
Sandara used her wave power to push the Chimera back away from Flynn, which caused it to trigger a trap. Isolating Flynn and causing the chamber he was trapped in with the Chimera to flood.
Working quickly Captain Aselia filled herself with divine strength, and used her trident to pry open the door to provide a clear shot for Marina to fire on the creature. Giving Flynn the opportunity to finish off the beast. Looking around, Flynn found the trap bypass and reset allowing the party to continue their exploration. Captain Aselia, aware that the cavern was full of undead used a Hide From Undead spell so the party could bypass the undead marines in the next chamber.
In the treasure chamber that followed the party used their knowledge of the water elemental to negotiate with a tribe of mephits for their treasure and moved on to the chamber to follow. Poltur's guidance was proving valuable.
Given the choice between recalling the Spirit of Poltur's ancestor to answer some questions about the Terraken, or dealing with the ancient undead Chelish Necromancer first - the party chose the Necromancer.
Stepping into the Necromancer's chamber she immediately saw through the Hide From Undead, and questioned what a band of Filthy Pirates was doing in this place.
Our plunderin' pirates had a conversation with the Necromancer, and realised that though she was trapped here by the oaths she swore to a country that forgot and abandoned her as much as the pirate's elemental curse she realised her only path to freedom was through death.
Our pirates made short work of the necromancer and her cronies with the help of Poltur the Accursed.
In the next chamber they performed a seance and spoke with the spirit of Pelastour who told them of some of the fearsome power of the Terraken, as well as some potential weaknesses, and the nature of the curse crafted to keep the creature bound to this place.
The pirates then reached Fluxhold, where Captain Aselia and Marina (Little Droplets as the elemental called the two undines), were able to discuss a solution to free the Elemental Iqubaal , with some of the curse's power freed now that the necromancer and the sea-sworn were destroyed a plan was struck:
The party would signal Iqubaal to unleash the Terraken, which would allow it to break free of Chimera Cove, the Defiant would lure the Terraken to the Chelish Man-O-War Dominator, and the party would "let them fight!" Finishing off the weakened surviving party. Flynn wanted permission to send an infiltration party onto the Dominator in order to sabotage their powder room.
What followed was an intense naval battle full of deceptions, narrowly successful attacks. The Terraken and Dominator trading blows, Flynn's party managed to sneak aboard the Dominator and found some prisoners a halfling calling himself Bloodnose the Pirate, an elf named Delilah Ashwood and a Catfolk called Killer Bill Brimkin. Freeing the prisoners just in time for the Terraken to break through the side of the ship and snatch a member of the boarding party in its terrible skeletal beak. RIP Stephan Seaborne, we barely knew ye.
Infiltrating deeper into the ship, Flynn's stolen disguises from their last infiltration allowed him to find storage room to return the gear of the rescued prisoners.
Finally they reached the powder room. The powdermaster and some marines packed into the room.
"Today we reap vengeance for the Misty Mourning and Captain Morgan."
Marina used her scroll of Dimension Door to escape with the rest of the infiltration team and prisoners (sadly not enough room for Bloodnose The Pirate), and Flynn ignited the powder.
The room reverberated with the explosion, when the smoke cleared Flynn was alive but naked, somehow his armour absorbed all the damage, the marines and Bloodnose were little more than ash and shattered bones on the floor and naked as the day he was born was the Powder Master, looking mad as hell and ready to fight. Flynn created a weapon of Air, and the Powdermaster drew his magical blunderbus.
Outside the Defiant took an opportunity to fire black powder into a cracked part of the Terraken's Shell, causing a grievous wound. It replied by firing its Bone Javelin and pulling the Defiant back towards the Dominator and slamming the two ships together. The party worked together firing everything they could at the beast, leaving an opening for the Dominator to finish the Terraken once and for-all! Cheers came from the decks of both ships.
... But it wasn't over yet.
"Captain! We've had boarders! The prisoners are gone and the powder room has been blown up! That other ship ain't Chelish traders! They're pirates!"
The Captain of the Dominator gritted his teeth, it all made sense, the sabotage in the rudder from the previous day, the monster lured into attacking his ship.
Captain Aselia's voice called on the wind!
"Captain of the Dominator! You are defeated this day, surrende and we will take your ship's plunder."
"You're certainly welcome to try!" The Captain called back.
"Oh you don't understand. We plan to pick it out from the bottom of the ocean. You see you destroyed the ship of a dear friend of mine, and the destruction of the Dominator is payment for the destruction of Captain Morgan and the Misty Mourning."
The Chelish Captain growled. "All hands, ABANDON SHIP!"
Chelish soldiers raced to the jollyboats, grabbing what they could, the Captain and his aide gathered their maps and charts, as the Defiant aimed ballistae and catapult at the Dominator and let fire.
In the belly of the ship, Flynn was streaking through the Man-O-War, chased by the Dominator's Powder Master, laughing maniacally. Powdermasters were all like that apparently. He raced for the hole created by the Terraken when it devoured poor Stephan. Leaping out of the opening in the hull of the ship and throwing his Rope of Climbing and Sure Grapple at the aft of the Defiant Flynn swung back aboard the ship.
The Dominator already weakened by the Terraken's assault, was obliterated in the assault and begain to sink. The Captain ordered a crew to ransack the ship before anything of worth was lost.
Coda...
The newly rescued prisoners were offered passage or places in the crew.
Standing naked on a beach on the Slithering Coast was the Chelish Powder Master, naked as the day he was born. He would kill that beautiful man that blew up his powder room and doomed the Dominator someday. He swore it...
Weapons: 2 Light Ballistae (Close-Near)
Base DC: 13
Hard DC: 18
Skills: Profession (Sailor) +7
Cargo: 2 Points of Plunder (Fruit and Wool), 14 Units of Stores.
Elten Bade, Sargavan Fishing Hooker CR 4:
Weapons: 2 Light Ballistae (Close-Near)
Base DC: 15
Hard DC: 20
Skills: Captain Vesgal Falkirk (NG Male Dwarf Aristocrat 2/Expert 3) Profession (Sailor) 11, Diplomacy +9
Crew 1 Marine, 15 Sailors
Cargo: Freshley Caught Mackeral (7 units of Stores)
Famished Mane, Chelish Cutter CR 4:
Weapons: 4 Light Ballistae (Close-Near)
Base DC: 15
Hard DC: 20
Captain/Skills: Captain Cyvantris Tisserond (LE female human magus 5); Profession [sailor] +12, Intimidate +9
Crew 6 Marines, 30 Sailors
Cargo: 8 points of stores (ship’s arsenal and stores), 1 Point of Plunder (Chelish fittings and cutlery)
Devil's Pallor, Shackles Drekar CR 5:
Weapons: 2 Catapults (Near-Far) , 2 Cannon (Close-Near)
Base DC: 16
Hard DC: 21
Captain/Skills: Captain Gortus Svard (CE male hobgoblin fighter 3/rogue 3); Intimidate +8 or Profession [sailor] +10
Crew 40 Goblins
Cargo: 8 points of stores (ship’s arsenal and stores), 2 Points of Plunder (assorted loot)
Kurstav, Aspis Consortium Lugger CR 6:
Weapons: 2 Light Catapults (Near-Far) , 2 Ballistae (Close-Near)
Base DC: 18
Hard DC: 23
Captain/Skills: Captain Aspar Tharkidor (LE male human aristocrat 2/expert 3), Profession [sailor] +11
Crew 24 Sailors
Cargo: 2 points of plunder (armor and weapons)
Dowager Queen, Chelish Caravel CR 7:
Weapons: 2 Light Catapults (Near-Far) , 2 Cannons (Close-Near)
Base DC: 19
Hard DC: 24
Captain/Skills: Captain Irius Trock (NE male human Sorcerer 5); Profession [sailor] +11;
Crew Sailing Master Norva Wintarius (LN female gunslinger 5), 4 Marines (N Fighter 2), 34 Sailors.
Cargo: 3 points of plunder (gems and grain)
Sanbalot, Rahadoumi Schooner CR 7:
Weapons: 2 Light Catapults (Near-Far), 2 Ballistae (Close-Near)
Base DC: 19
Hard DC: 24
Captain/Skills: Captain Aisha Hamiyaz (LN female human fighter 5); Profession [sailor] +11
Crew Manticore The Pure Legion marines have brought along a trained manticore slave. 4 Marines. 30 sailors (minimum 20)
Cargo: 2 points of plunder (cloth, copper and salt)
Special Tactic: As an additional tactic, the Sanbalot may command their manticore to Strafe the PC ship with a ranged attack (+11) vs the PC ships hard DC. If successful, the crew is forced to take cover from the Manticore spikes and all checks are made at a -2 Penalty for the round.
I altered ship-to-ship combat to make it run a little faster, and simpler and definitely more interactive for the whole party. This is absolutely stolen from Narrative Starship Combat from Starfinder Enhanced.
Narrative Ship Combat Overview:
The combat takes place over a series of rounds, during which the PCs attempt to destroy, disable or board one or more enemy ships.
Each round, the GM chooses a tactic for the enemy forces, which might affect the actions the PCs take on their turn.
Each PC crew member takes an action related to their role on board the vessel, which might prompt them to attempt a skill check. The enemy forces take a number of hits based on the number of skill checks the PCs succeed at.
The combat ends when the enemy forces take a certain number of hits or when the PCs’ ship takes a certain number of hits. (A GM might rule that a narrative starship combat ends due to other criteria, such as the enemy forces surrendering or the passage of a specific number of rounds.)
Ship Stats:
Like standard ship combat and tactical combat, narrative ship combat requires stats for the enemies the PCs face as well as stats for the vessel (or vessels) that the PCs control. However, the stat blocks for this system are more streamlined and contain only a few pieces of key information.
Name: This is the name of the ship or threat.
CR: This is the tier of the ship or threat. CRs in narrative ship combat work the same way as in standard starship combat for the purposes of determining the difficulty of the encounter and awarding XP. See page 326 of the Core Rulebookfor more information.
Average DC and Hard DC: Use the below tables for the Average and Hard DCs.
HP: This is the number of hits a starship can take before it’s taken out of the fight. Most ships have 5 HP.
Threshold: This is the number of skill checks that the PCs must succeed at to deal a hit; this statistic appears only on NPC starship stat blocks.
Skill Bonus: This statistic, which appears only on NPC starship stat blocks, is used when an NPC ship attempts a skill check.
Skill Modifiers: Some ships grant bonuses and penalties to certain skills as determined by their systems. These modifiers don’t affect an NPC’s skill check, so this line usually appears on PC ship stat blocks.
Special Abilities: This section of the stat block details any special abilities a starship might have. They’re usually only the purview of NPC ships, but that doesn’t mean a PC’s ship can’t do something unique as well!
Step 1 - Determining the DCs: Use the CR of the Enemy ship to determine base DCs for the ship.
Step 2 - Determine hp. Medium Ships have 1 HP. Large Ships have 2 HP. Gargantuan Ships have 3 HP. Colossal ships have 5 HP. If the ship is larger than Colossal, add an additional HP.
Step 3 - Determine Threshold: A ship with no defensive upgrades has a threshold of 2. Armor Plating increases Threshold by 2, Magically treated control device, hull or sails increase Threshold by 1 each, Wooden Plating increases threshold by 1. These all stack to a maximum of Threshold of 6.
Step 4 - Determine Skill Bonus: Use the Profession (Sailor) skill of the captain of the NPC ship.
Step 5 - Consider Special Abilities: Some stat blocks (especially those of ship sized creatures) feature interesting special abilities, and ignoring them could cause the ship to lose what makes it special. Some special abilities can be used as written as the foe's tactic for the round, while the others require more adjustment. Compare the special ability to the listed tactics and tweak it to allow it to work within narrative starship combat.
Building and Advancing the PC Ship:
Step 1 - The Player's ship level starts at level 1, as the crew builds familiarity with the ship their level increases. The maximum level of the ship is equal to the APL of the Command Crew (the PCs).
Step 2 - PC ships list the following items.
For a colossal ship the HP are listed as follows:
Fore 4 (Fore Weapons - Gunner Weapons)
Aft 4 (Aft Weapons - Gunner Weapons)
Port 4 (Port Weapons - Gunner Weapons)
Starboard 4 (Starboard Weapons - Gunner Weapons)
Sails/Masts: 3 (Lookout)
Control: 2 (Pilot)
Crew: 1 for every 10 Crew (Captain, Officers)
Cargo: 1 for every Plunder (Shipwright)
Step 3 - Mount Weapons - Choose positions for weapons, Fore, Aft, Port, Starboard. Rams are always mounted Fore.
Weapon Range Bands:
000 - 049 feet - Close
050 - 100 feet - Near
101 - 200 feet - Far
201 - Further - Wherever You Are... I mean Extreme.
Indirect Weapons: Cannot target within Close Range.
Earning Ship XP:
After each ship battle the Ship gains 1 XP. Gain an additional XP if the opposing ship was of a higher CR than the Ship Level.
Once the ship gains XP equal to their current level the party can level up the ship whenever they reach port by spending gold equal to the new level x 100 gp. (Level 2 costs 200 gp, Level 3 costs 300 gp etc.)
Before Combat Begins:
In narrative ship combat, as with standard ship combat, each PC should know which role they’re performing before combat begins (see roles below). In addition, the GM describes the foes (though they need not go into specifics about the stat blocks) and area in which the combat takes place to the players. The GM should also inform the players of any special rules or victory or loss conditions added to this particular combat.
You can use a combat map, draw concentric circles around each enemy ship to represent range bands.
Combat Rounds:
[1] Determine Range "There are 4 range bands in Ship-to-Ship Combat.
Extreme: Out of range of weapons and spells, a ship can escape if they use the tactic at this range.
Far: Usually only can be targeted by indirect-fire weapons. Extreme range spells.
Near: Can be targeted by indirect and direct fire weapons. Long range spells.
Close: Can be targeted by direct fire, grapple, ram, boarding weapons. "
[2] Determine Ship Roles Each player assigns a character or NPC to a ship role. Characters can change roles from round to round.
[3] Determine Advantage The Captain of each vessel makes an opposed Profession (Sailing) check. The winner gains combat advantage granting the entire Crew a +1 circumstance bonus to skill checks for the round. Each consecutive advantage won increases this bonus by 1 to a maximum of +3. This bonus resets if the opposing captain wins the check.
[4] Opponents Choose Tactics Opponents set their tactics for the round or utilize special abilities.
[5] Players Act "Players select their actions from their role on the ship, and make appropriate checks to try and beat listed DCs.
Enemy ships have thresholds and hit points."
[6] Cleanup Any uncleared damage becomes permanent and will need to be repaired in downtime. If opposing ship is at 0 Hits remaining, has succeeded at an escape tactic at Extreme range or has put up a flag of surrender the combat finishes. Otherwise go to step one.
Taking a Hit "If the enemy succeeds on their check on a tactic that counts as a hit, the PCs (default to Captain) determines where to assign damage.
If the roll is a Natural 20, the GM doubles the amount of hits, and can choose where to apply them. "
Same Tactic Twice Using the same action twice in a row inflicts a -4 penalty to the check as the enemy learns to anticipate the move.
Ship Level vs CR The difference between ship levels acts as a penalty on all checks.
Enemy Tactics:
Each round, the GM chooses one of the following tactics for each enemy vessel. GMs can also create their own tactics tailored to a particular setting or foe, basing them off the ones presented here. No two enemy ships can choose the same tactic in a round.
Each tactic notes how it affects the combat in that particular round, usually by granting a bonus to an enemy ship or by imparting a penalty on the PCs or damaging their ship. Some tactics require the enemy ships to attempt a skill check before the tactic takes effect; these skill checks use the skill bonus listed for that ship.
All-Out Attack
Source Starfinder Enhanced pg. 177
An enemy ship concentrates a salvo of attacks!
Effect: The enemy ship attempts two skill checks against the Hard DC of a PC ship. If both succeed, that ship takes 2 hits. If even one check fails, the PC ship takes no damage.
Special: If successful, this tactic can’t be chosen again by any enemy starship until after the following round.
Cruel Taunt
Source Starfinder Enhanced pg. 177
The enemy unleashes a barrage of threats and taunts.
Effect: The enemy starship attempts a skill check against either the Average DC or the Hard DC of a PC ship. On a success, characters on board that ship take a –1 penalty to all skill checks until the end of the round; this penalty increases to –2 if the check succeeds against the Hard DC.
Evasive Maneuvers
Source Starfinder Enhanced pg. 177
An enemy ship flies in a manner that makes them hard to target.
Effect: All ranged attacks (page 180) and Piloting checks attempted against the enemy ship use the Hard DC for that ship until the end of the round.
Flee
Source Starfinder Enhanced pg. 177
A foe tries to escape the battle.
Effect: If the enemy ship has more than 0 HP at the end of the round, it flees the battle, likely ending the narrative starship combat if there are no other enemy ships remaining.
Special: If the players want to give chase to the fleeing enemies, the GM can, at their discretion, run a starship chase (Starship Operations Manual 44).
Sailby Stunt
Source Starfinder Enhanced pg. 178
An enemy ship crowds the characters’ ship as it sweeps past.
Effect: The GM chooses a PC ship. Acrobatics and Athletics checks attempted by crew on board that ship use the Hard DC for the target until the end of the round.
Make Repairs
Source Starfinder Enhanced pg. 178
Enemy shipwrights scurry to repair the damage inflicted on their vessel.
Effect: The enemy starship recovers 1 HP (up to its maximum). However, that ship’s threshold is lower (minimum 1) until the end of the round.
Open Fire
Source Starfinder Enhanced pg. 178
An enemy ship fires upon the characters’ ship!
Effect: The enemy starship attempts a skill check against the Average DC of a PC ship. On a success, that PC ship takes 1 hit.
Sail Defensively
Source Starfinder Enhanced pg. 178
An enemy ship diverts all their skill to avoiding enemy assault
Effect: The enemy starship’s threshold is 1 higher until the end of the round.
Ram
Source Starfinder Enhanced pg. 178
Heedless of danger, a foe barrels into the characters’ starship.
Effect: The enemy vessel attempts a skill check against the Average DC of a PC ship. On a success, both the PC ship and the enemy ship take 1 hit, and all characters on board the PC ship take a –1 penalty to all skill checks until the end of the round.
Counterspells
Source Starfinder Enhanced pg. 178
The enemy vessel emits mystical interference.
Effect: The GM chooses a PC ship. Computers and Mysticism checks attempted by crew on board that ship use the Hard DC for the target until the end of the round.
Take Cover
Source Starfinder Enhanced pg. 178
An enemy ship ducks behind an island, rocky outcropping or cover.
Effect: The enemy ship can’t be targeted by PC skill checks this round. On the PCs’ turn, the PC pilot can attempt a special Piloting check against the enemy ship’s Hard DC to negate this effect, but this action doesn’t count as a successful skill check for the purpose of meeting or exceeding that enemy ship’s threshold.
Use a Special Ability
Source Starfinder Enhanced pg. 179
One of the enemies activates one of their special abilities.
Effect: The effect of this tactic depends on the special ability used, as described in the ship’s stat block.
Crew Actions
Each turn the Command Crew can take actions in any order they wish, encourage discussion to decide the best course of action each round.
Command Crew take a penalty or bonus based on the difference between their ship's level and the opposing ship's level.
Any Command Crew:
Provide Aid
You help out a crew member by providing your expertise.
Preferred Skills: Any
Effect: Choose an allied crew member who hasn’t taken a crew action this round, and attempt a skill check against your ship’s DC. If you succeed, that crew member gains a +2 bonus to the skill check they attempt this round. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, this bonus increases to +3.
Fortune: By spending 1 fortune point, you can provide the same bonus to second allied crew member who hasn't acted this round.
Harrass the Enemy - Range: Near or Close
You order the boarding crew to bang their weapons, shout threats and fire potshots at enemy.
Preferred Skills: Persuasion (Intimidate), Sense Motive, Attack Roll
Effect: Roll a check against the enemy's standard DC, on a success the enemy takes a -2 penalty on their next skill check to resolve a tactic, if you beat the DC by 5 or more the enemy takes a -3 penalty instead.
Fortune: By spending 1 fortune point, you can provide the same bonus to a second enemy.
Order a Volley - Range: Near or Close
You order the crew to concentrate fire from spells, bows or guns at the enemy crew.
Preferred Skills: Concentration, Ranged Attack, Perception, Profession (Soldier)
Effect: Roll a check against the enemy's hard DC, on a success this counts as a success. Success by 5 or more counts as two successes.
Captain:
Enact Cunning Stratagem
You come up with and have the crew execute a clever plan to outwit the enemy!
Preferred Skills: Lore (Shackles Pirate), Knowledge (Local), Profession (Sailor), Stealth
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, you gain 1 skill check success toward that ship’s threshold. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, this action counts as 2 successes.
Encourage Crew Member
With a few words, you bolster a crew member’s determination.
Preferred Skills: Deception (Bluff), Persuasion (Diplomacy/Intimidate)
Effect: Choose an allied crew member and attempt a skill check against your ship’s DC. If you succeed, that crew member regains 1 Fortune Point (up to their maximum).
Fortune: By spending 1 fortune point, a second allied crew member regains 1 fortune point (up to their maximum)
Give Orders
Your orders could spell the difference between life and death for you and your crew.
Preferred Skills: Any
Effect: Choose an allied crew member who has already taken a crew action this round and attempt a skill check against your ship’s Hard DC (regardless of the skill used). If you succeed, that crew member can take a second action this round.
Fortune: By spending 1 fortune point, the targeted crew member receives a +2 bonus to the skill check on their second action.
Taunt Enemy - Range: Near or Close
You relay some choice quips to your enemy
Preferred Skills: Deception, Persuasion, Insight
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, you gain 1 skill check success toward that ship’s threshold. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, this action counts as 2 successes
Officer Actions:
These actions can be taken only by a member who's filling a 1st or 2nd mate role.
Haul the Ropes - Range: Ship
You know which ropes are best to haul and tie off to get the best performance of the ship.
Preferred Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Profession (Sailor)
Effect: Choose an allied crew member in an ship wright or lookout role who hasn’t take a crew action this round and attempt a skill check against your ship’s DC. If you succeed, the shipwright or lookout can roll their next skill check twice and take the better of the two rolls.
Fortune: By spending 1 Fortune Point, you can grant this bonus to a second allied crew member, though they must be in a different role.
Deride Enemy Ship - Range: Near or Close
You point out a number of flaws in your foe's ship's design or performance.
Preferred Skills: Kn. (Engineering), Profession (Sailor), Lore (Ships)
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, you gain 1 skill check success toward that ship’s threshold. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, this action counts as 2 successes.
Maximize Crew Efficiency - Range: Ship
You know how to get the most out of your fellow crewmembers.
Preferred Skills: Any
Effect: Choose an allied crew member who hasn’t taken a crew action this round and attempt a skill check against your ship’s Hard DC (regardless of the skill used). If you succeed, the next time this round that this allied crew member succeeds at an action that grants skill check successes, the number of skill check successes that action grants is doubled.
Fortune: By spending 1 Fortune Point, the targeted crew member receives a +2 bonus to the skill check on their next action
Provide Targeting Solution - Range: Varies by Weapon
With some solid tools and some muscle, you manually align the siege weapons to better fire on the enemy.
Preferred Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Perception
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, you gain 1 skill check success toward that ship’s threshold. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, this action counts as 2 successes.
Gunner:
These actions can only be taken by a crew member in a gunner role. For a gunner, a ranged attack roll counts as a valid option for a skill check; when a gunner chooses to make a ranged attack during narrative ship combat, they gain a +3 bonus to the roll.
Draw Fire
Your attacks draw the attention of the enemy vessel
Preferred Skills: Athletics, Intimidate, Ranged Attack, Profession (Siege Engineer)
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, that ship must take the Open Fire tactic against your ship next round.
Fortune: By spending 1 Fortune Point, the enemy ship must roll twice and take the worse of the two rolls when firing upon your ship next round.
Fire at Will
You open fire with your ship's weapons on the enemy.
Preferred Skills: Acrobatics, Profession (Siege Engineer), Ranged Attack
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, it counts as a skill check success toward that ship’s threshold. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, this action counts as 2 successes.
Harry Enemy
Your shoot not to damage but to harass an enemy ship.
Preferred Skills: Deception, Profession (Siege Engineer), Ranged Attack
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, that ship takes a –2 penalty to skill checks in the following round
Fortune: By spending 1 fortune point, this penalty applies to an additional enemy ship of your choosing next round.
Target Weak Spot
You attempt to hit an enemy ship in a vulnerable area.
Preferred Skills: Any (including ranged attack).
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s Hard DC (regardless of the skill used). If you succeed, you gain 1 skill check success toward that ship’s threshold. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 10 or more, you also automatically deal 1 hit to that ship; this is in addition to any damage through normal skill check successes gained.
Magic Officer:
These actions can be taken only by a crew member filling a magic officer role. When a Magic Officer attempts a Concentration check to perform a ship action they gain a +3 bonus on the check.
Channel Eldritch Energy - Any
By pulling magic into the winds and tides, you can hinder the enemy ship.
Preferred Skills: Concentration, Kn. (Arcana, Religion, Nature, Planes), Spellcraft
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s Hard DC (regardless of the skill used). If you succeed, you gain 1 skill check success toward that ship’s threshold. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, the targeted enemy ship’s threshold is reduced by 1 in the next round.
Empower Crew
You use your magic to support the rest of your crew.
Preferred Skills: Concentration, Perform, Kn. (Arcana, Religion, Nature, Planes), Spellcraft
Effect: Attempt a skill check against your ship’s DC. If you succeed, each other allied crew member on board who has yet to act this round gains a +1 bonus to any skill check they attempt. This bonus increases to +2 if you beat the DC by 5 or more.
Fortune: By spending 1 Fortune Point, this action also counts as a skill check success
Prognosticate - Range: Any
You attempt to predict the future by reading the weft and weave of the wyrd.
Preferred Skills: Concentration, Kn. (Local), Sense Motive
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, the GM must immediately decide on that ship’s tactic and perform that action next round. The first action that targets that ship next round gains a +2 bonus.
Fortune: By spending 1 fortune point, the first two actions that target that ship in the next round gain the +2 bonus.
Divination - Range: Any
You try and use divination on the enemy's command crew.
Preferred Skills: Concentration, Spellcraft, Perception
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, you gain 1 skill check success toward that ship’s threshold. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, this action counts as 2 successes
Pilot:
These actions can only be taken by a crew member who's filling the Pilot Role
Release the Mainsail! - Move up to 2 range bands.
You order the mainsail open to escape or close with enemy forces!
Preferred Skills:Acrobatics, Profession (Sailor), Kn. (Engineering)
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, that ship must use your ship’s Hard DC for any tactics, and it takes a –1 penalty to its skill check.
Fortune: By spending 1 fortune point, you can increase this penalty to -3
Hold Steady - Move 0-1 Range Bands.
You try to keep an enemy ship within range of your gunner's weapons.
Preferred Skills: Athletics, Perception, Profession (Sailor)
Effect: Choose an allied crew member in a gunner role who hasn’t take a crew action this round and an enemy ship. Then, attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, the gunner gains a +3 bonus to any action that grants skill check successes and targets the same enemy ship.
Fortune: By spending 1 fortune point, you can grant this bonus to a second gunner, though they must target the same enemy starship.
Outmaneuver - Move up to 1 Range Band.
The enemy forces are no match for your piloting skill
Preferred Skills: Acrobatics, Deception, Profession (Sailor)
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, you gain 1 skill check success toward that ship’s threshold. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, this action counts as 2 successes.
Perform Audacious Stunt - Move up to 1 Range Band
You sail the ship in such a way to confound and surprise the enemy
Preferred Skills: Deception, Profession (Sailor), any
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s Hard DC (regardless of the skill used). If you succeed, you gain 2 skill check success toward that ship’s threshold.
Ram Enemy Ship - Range: Close
You ram your ship directly into the enemy.
Preferred Skills:Profession (Sailor)
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship's Hard DC (regardless of the skill used). If you succeed you and your opponent each take 1 hit. All other characters take -2 on skill checks for the rest of the turn.
Special: If your ship is equipped with a Ram, your ship does not take a hit, and your crew do not take a penalty, however your Ram gains the broken condition and can only be repaired via downtime action.
Lookout:
These actions can only be taken by a crew member who's filling the lookout role
Shout Warning - Range: Any
By keeping watch for enemy attacks you can help the ship and crew avoid damage.
Preferred Skills: Perception, Profession (Sailor), Profession (Siege Engineer)
Effect: Attempt a skill check against your ship's DC. If you succeed, your ship's DC increases to the Hard DC against enemy attacks for the next round.
Fortune: By spending 1 resolve point, an allied crew member in the shipwright role can attempt a Patch Hull action immediately for free at a -2 penalty; this doesn't count as the shipwright's action for the round, and they can attempt it even if they've taken an action this round, but they can't spend a fortune point on the action if they are successful.
Scan Enemy - Range: Any
You look over the enemy's vessel with your spyglass to learn more about it.
Preferred Skills: Perception, Lore (Ships), Kn. (Engineering), Profession (Sailor)
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, you gain 1 skill check success toward that ship’s threshold. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, this action counts as 2 successes.
Consult Logs - Range: Any
You quickly scour your ship logs for pertinent information about the enemy.
Preferred Skills: Kn. (Local), Profession (Sailor), Lore (Shackles)
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, all skill checks attempted against that ship’s DC gain a +1 bonus this round. This bonus increases to +2 if you beat the DC by 5 or more.
Fortune: By spending 1 Fortune Point, this action also counts as a skill check success
Call Target: Range: Varies by Weapon
You call out to the crew and gunners to target a specific area of the ship.
Preferred Skills: Kn. (Engineering), Perception, Profession (Sailor)
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s Hard DC (regardless of the skill used). If you succeed, and if that ship takes at least 1 hit this round, it takes an additional hit.
Fortune: By spending 1 Fortune Point, this action also counts as a skill check success
Shipwright:
These actions can only be taken by a crew member in a shipwright role.
Experimental Ship Upgrade
You have provided a temporary upgrade to the ship that can help turn the tide of battle.
Preferred Skills: Any
Effect: Choose an action that grants skill check successes and attempt a skill check against your ship’s Hard DC (regardless of the skill used). If you succeed, the next time this round any ally succeeds at that action, the number of skill check successes that action grants is doubled.
Fortune: By spending 1 fortune point, the next time this round an allied crew member rolls a check for the targeted action, that crew member can roll the skill check for the targeted action twice and take the better of the two rolls.
Tension the Lines
You know the right lines to overtension to outmaneuver or outgun the enemy.
Preferred Skills: Profession (Sailor), Knowledge (Engineering)
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, you gain 1 skill check success toward that ship’s threshold. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, this action counts as 2 successes.
Patch the Hull
With a few quick repairs you restore your ship's hull integrity.
Preferred Skills: Any
Effect: Attempt a skill check against your ship’s DC. If you succeed, the ship regains 1 HP (up to its normal maximum).
Fortune:By spending 1 Fortune Point, you also increase your ship’s DC to the Hard DC against enemy tactics the next round.
Drop Dangerous Cargo - Range: Near or Close
You throw explosive booze, flammable oil or alchemical waste behind the ship.
Preferred Skills: Athletics, Craft (Alchemy)
Effect: Choose an enemy ship and attempt a skill check against that ship’s DC. If you succeed, you gain 1 skill check success toward that ship’s threshold. If the result of the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, this action counts as 2 successes.
Skull and Shackles Players have survived their first week on the Wormwood, as well as their first storm, they're absolutely smashing their way through influence checks but the action is about to ramp up and Plugg and Scourge have taken notice.
Wormwood Mutiny: Pressganged! Day 1: 13 Desnus 4713
“Still abed with the sun over the yardarm? On your feet, ye filthy swabs! Get up on deck and report for duty before Cap’n Harrigan flays your flesh into sausage skins and has Fishguts fry ye up for breakfast!” The bark of the Bo'sun Master Scourge was punctuated with a whipcrack.
The pressganged members, rolled off the floor and stood, woozily at best. Though they were full of questions, Scourge was hardly forthcoming with answers, except to bark orders and with the group of well armed heavies he brought down with him "encouraged" the pressganged pirates up the stairs. Only briefly taken by surprise as young Cephia fell out of the rafters onto the ground.
Once abovedecks the pressganged pirates found themselves stood before the Quarterdeck, Captain Harrigan stood behind the wheel.
“Glad you could join us at last! Welcome to the Wormwood! My thanks for ‘volunteering’ to join my crew. I’m Barnabas Harrigan. That’s Captain Barnabas Harrigan to you, not that you’ll ever need to address me. I have only one rule—don’t speak to me. I like talk, but I don’t like your talk. Follow that rule and we’ll all get along fine.
“Oh, and one more thing. Even with you new recruits, we’re still short-handed, and I aim to keep what crew I have. There’ll be a keelhaulin’ for anyone caught killin’ anyone. Mr. Plugg! If you’d be so kind as to make pirates out of these landlubbers, it’ll save me having to put them in the sweatbox for a year and a day before I make pies out of ’em.”
With that Captain Harrigan and his cabingirl/bodyguard Caulky Taroon headed for his quarters.
"Welcome to the Wormwood," Mister Plugg taunted.
With their first opportunity to actually get their bearings the pressganged pirates realised that they recognised some faces around them, old friends and acquaintances from times past. Along with Breaker Bones ('How had he survived the wreck of the prison ship?' Wondered the clever half-orc Julian) and an unknown dwarf in a heavy cloak puffing on a pipe.
"Hard to know what manner of catch our nets have dragged in. So let's start with a little game. A race to the Crow's Nest," He pointed up to the nest at the top of the mast, "Your prize for gold and silver? Avoiding a lashing at the next bloody hour. Begin!"
Still groggy from the heatstroke Julian found himself quickly tangled in the ropes, while Flynn found his calloused hand slipping off the ropes but his natural aerial nature helped compensate. Aubrey, a nimble climber since childhood took an early lead. While Cephalia and Breaker Bones taking his climb slowly and steadily. Meanwhile both undines Aselia and Marina refused to continue the climb, enduring Master Scourge's frustrated shouting and the accompanying lashing. As well as tally marks in Mr Plugg's notepad.
Julian and the Dwarf continued to struggle in the ropes. Cephalia whispered in Druidic, her hands growing subtle webbing and her big toes elongated and changed to an opposable formation. With that she shot up the rigging faster than any of her competition could hope, the crew on deck shouting and whooping their approval at her speed. Without a chance to stop the little halfling Aubrey pushed higher, forced to settle for the silver.
With that test complete, Mr Plugg looked over ath the pressganged pirates.
"At least a couple of you have shown some basic proficiency. Nothing I would call impressive. Now for my next test. Any of you lot know how to cook?"
The party looked at each other nervously.
"I'm willing to learn?" Offered Flynn.
"Good enough for me. Head to the Galley and report to the Cook Fishguts Kroop," Plugg ordered, then turned to the rest.
"As for the rest of you," He looked them over as if taking their measure, "Your blood is staining my deck, grab a prayer stone and a mop and clean that up," he said to Aselia.
"You there quit flapping your hands about and head to the bilge," he ordered Marina.
Looking at the sleight frame of Julian he put him on Rope Hauling and Knot Work.
The pressganged pirates took some time to get their bearings a little, and get to know their fellow pirates.
Aselia took some time to chat with a fatalistic swabbie named Crimson Cogward. Aubrey tried to get to know her nest-mate Ratline Ratsberger, but failed to make an impression. Julian got to know a halfling by the name of Giffer Tibbs, to the detriment of his work. Marina meanwhile managed to get to know a slightly tipsy pirate called Tilly Bracket, asking about the barely conscious pirate chained to the wall. The chained pirate was named Jakes Magpie, and apparently he had been caught stealing from his fellow pirates, and was due for a major punishment at Bloody Hour. Cephalia decided to keep her head down and work diligently at her task.
Meanwhile in the Galley, Flynn was greeted by a half-orc woman by the name of Cut-Throat Grok, the Wormwood's quartermaster. He was quick to turn on the charm, figuring having the Quartermaster on-side would
Before they knew it there was the ringing of the Wormwood Clock, an ominous tune, marking the Bloody Hour.
The crew was brought to the deck along with the officers to watch Jakes Magpie get dragged in chains aboard the deck.
"Any last words?" growled Master Scourge. Magpie spat blood through dry, cracked lips.
"I'd do it again, and go f*** yourself."
Mr Plugg began to sing:
"My friends, I stand before you
To tell a truth most dire
There lurks a traitor in our midsts
Who hath invoked the captain's ire
He don't deserve no mercy
We ought to shoot him with a gun
But I am not an evil man
So first let's have a little fun
We'll tie that scoundrel to a rope
And throw him overboard
Drag him underneath the ship
A terrifying, deadly trip"
At which point the whole crew (minus the pressganged pirates) joined in chorus:
"Keelhaul that filthy landlubber
Send him down to the depths below
Make that bastard walk the plank
With a bottle of rum and a yo ho ho
Keelhaul that filthy landlubber
Send him down to the depths below
Make that bastard walk the plank
With a bottle of rum and a yo ho ho
I will not say what he has done
His sins are far too grave to tell
It's not my place to judge a man
But for them he will burn in hell
The sharks will dine upon his flesh
And Davy Jones will have his soul
Take his money and his hat
He won't need them where he's gonna go
But first let's tie him to a rope
And throw him overboard
Drag him underneath the ship
A terrifying, deadly trip
Keelhaul that filthy landlubber
Send him down to the depths below
Make that bastard walk the plank
With a bottle of rum and a yo ho ho
Keelhaul that filthy landlubber
Send him down to the depths below
Make that bastard walk the plank
With a bottle of rum and a yo ho ho
We'll tie that scoundrel to a rope
And throw him overboard
Drag him underneath the ship
A terrifying deadly trip
Keelhaul that filthy landlubber
Send him down to the depths below
Make that bastard walk the plank
With a bottle of rum and a yo ho ho
Keelhaul that filthy landlubber
Send him down to the depths below
Make that bastard walk the plank
With a bottle of rum and a yo ho ho!"
What was left of Jakes Magpie when pulled up the other side of the ship was barely recognizable as human, a lacerated mess of briny, bloody, flesh. Aubrey and Marina approached the corpse.
"Volunteers to toss this mess to the sharks I see? Let it be a lesson to you all, discipline aboard this ship is strictly enforced."
Marina tore a chunk of the bloody flesh from Jakes Magpie, and bit into it maintaining eye contact with Plugg. A silent promise, that Plugg's days were numbered. The horrifying moment was observed by all aboard the deck. A perfect moment for Aubrey to surrepticiously slip some flesh off the corpse to sate her own endless hunger. Fine young cannibals indeed.
Rum, rations and entertainment followed, as some watered down their rum into grog, and others snuck their ration over the side. Julian unfortunately was caught spilling his rum ration, ratted out by Fipps Chumlett, and given a straight shot, but orcs are able to deal with the strong stuff.
Aselia immediately took the opportunity to Gamble on an armwrestling competition between Fipps and Rosie Cusswell, her keen gambler's eye assessed the halfling as a profitable dark horse. Despite having no cash on her she gambled an additional alotment of work for 5 gp. Aselia was quick to congratulate Rosie on her victory, he learned she was a foul-mouthed braggart of a winner, but also desired the return of her Fiddle from the Quartermaster's store.
Aubrey sought out a little information about Ratline, and learned he was in-line for the Bo'sun position, but lost the vote for the position and has been keeping his head down since. As a long-term member of the ship he would be useful contact. So she once again tried to make an impression on him, and was politely rebuffed. Ratline preferred to keep his relationships aboard the ship professional. Aubrey was bored now, she added him to a mental list of enemies.
Julian placed a bet on a game of hock the Loogie between Barefoot Sams and Narwhal Tate with a pirate called Terrible Terry. He won handily by betting on Tate, but Terry didn't have the full amount he wagered, so Julian accepted the 4 gp.
Marina spent some time talking to Cut-Throat Grok, asking if she could have her violin back of an evening to entertain the crew. Grok agreed knowing it would annoy Rosie.
Flynn decided to keep up the charm offensive on Grok, and she had enough to drink that she brought him back to the Quartermaster's store for a bit of sexy fun. Once it was complete, Grok offered Flynn his gear back to get dressed into.
Cephalia meanwhile called an early night.
During last watch, Aubrey, Aselia and Marina decided then to turn in for the evening, while Flynn and Julian decided to go sneaking about. Julian snuck into the Quartermaster's store (finding it unlocked), and studied his spell-book for some spells that would be useful for survival aboard the wormwood, and to study the Quartermaster's ledger. He also swiped a set of thieve's tools not properly accounted for on the ledger. Flynn headed to the deck to find the Thrush that was in his pocket when he was captured, but in the dark he was unable to find it. He headed back to his bunk in order to grab a precious few moments of sleep before another dawn awakening, he noticed Cephalia slipped into her bunk around the same time with a look of recognition.
Next Time: Laying Down the Law
Prologue: Tides of Fate Wherein the Fates of Six Pirates Intwine across the seas of Golarion.
On the island of Devil's Arches, four children sought fortune in the forbidden ruins of this island. Aubrey Wynn, a half-elven girl, Julian Skrith a half-orc boy, and two other girls Sandara Quinn and Natalia Devlin snuck out of the town of Hell Harbour, avoiding Admiral Endymion's Gendarme. Once in the jungles, the children followed goat paths and animal trails to one of the forbidden ruined arches. Luckily Julian cleverly packed rope for the expedition so the children could climb down safely. Following unseen by the children a terrible reptilian predator stalking the vulnerable prey.
Julian noted a strange rune at the top of one of the arches, unsure of the translation he was near certain the rune represented "Treasure". That's all young Aubrey needed to hear, she began clambering up ruins to reach the rune, unfortunately the ancient stone crumbled under her hand. Aubrey fell, crashing hard into the ground below, which crumbled underneath her sending her into some dark subterranean cave.
"Aubrey!" Called out Sandara, "We have to help her!"
She turned and saw why Julian and Natalia hadn't reacted to Aubrey's fall.
Rearing up on a serpentine lower half a vaguely draconic creature with a vibrating ring of feathers around its head full of cobra-like fangs, unusually this serpentine creature also possessed a pair of small yet powerful serpentine arms.
Hissing agressively as its feathers lit hypnotically Natalia was frozen either by some primal magic the beast possessed or fear. Without hesitation Julian stepped forward in front of the girl, prompting the creature to strike. Biting hard and wrapping around the slight frame of the half-orc boy. Pumped full of poison, and unable to wriggle free Julian passed out...
Beneath their feet, Aubrey rolled out of the way of the earth and stone that followed her into the hole. Unable to see her hand in front of her own face. Aubrey stood up, and shut her eyes. Relying on her hearing and smell to navigate the space. Overwhelmingly the room smelled of iron and copper... blood. Then that red glow beyond her eyelids, she looked up.
A mural, a shapely woman with 6 arms, each holding a piercing weapon, serpentine lower-half, a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth and in the center of her head a single glowing, red eye. A shard of a blood red jewel set in its pupil.
Looking up at this impressive relief, Aubrey could only look into the eye and desired it. Once again scrambling up the wall as quickly as she could she cut herself on one of the stone weapons depicted there. Reaching out with a bloody hand she grabbed ahold of the jewel. There was a pulse of power, and a thrum of energy through the island...
Elsewhere deep below the Shackles, an undine mercenary dedicated to Gozreh, named Aselia patted the clamshell of coin she received from the ancient sea hag. A downpayment for services rendered: "Get the Girl to the surface, where sharks can't track her scent." In the cosmopolitan subaquatic village of Coral, a pack of weresharks hunted. Aselia bided her time to set an ambush, her spot chosen she watched as the young undine princess Marina swam past chased by the weresharks.
Aselia struck! Stabbing the wereshark in the tail, and pinning him to a nearby coral structure. The other wereshark bit hard into the vulnerable flesh of Marina. She screamed silently and passed out. Blood exploding into the water from the bite. Marina began convulsing, and the blood in the water began to coalesce into the shape of a dread shark. Taking on form and substance the hemoshark tore Marina's assailant in half. Aselia dived out of the way as it torpedoed towards the other wereshark. Scooping up the young Aselia the pair swam towards the surface...
A small halfling girl sits in the dark hold of a slaver ship, along with a number of other halflings stand terrified. An older halfling puts a comforting arm on the shoulder of the girl: "Don't worry, this weather will pass."
She looked up at him wide-eyed and smiled a mischievious smile.
"Don't worry Besmara has it all in hand."
Suddenly the ship capsized as a massive tentacle raised up out of the sea, dragging the slaver ship beneath the waves. Water began geysering up the grate into the hold. The halflings began to panic, all except one. A great cephalapoidal eye looked up into the hold. Young Cephia Lopodia found her faith. When a drowning sailor pressed against the great the eye moved, and was replaced with a vicious toothy beak tearing through the corpse and planks alike. Seeing her opportunity Cephia dove into the water, swimming as hard as her tiny body would take her. Her body and lungs burning, she inhaled a reflexive breath under water, and found herself drowning, the dark water fading to perfect black.
She awoke, sitting on the surface of a black sea, an endless starscape above reflected on its surface and upon the surface of that water a massive ship built from the bones of some incredible draconic leviathan looked down upon the girl.
"Such a small catch Captain, I doubt she'll make a capable sailor."
The voice of Besmara's ship the Kelpie's Wrath echoed in the girl's head. A beautiful woman stepped up on the forecastle rail, looking down at the girl.
"Very well then, let's toss her back in so this minnow can grow into a marlin. Back to the living sea with ye girl!"
Suddenly the solid surface of the sea was liquid again. Cephia felt sand beneath her fingers and began coughing sea-water. Somewhere on the coast of Bag Isle a halfling voice called out: "Look! Over there! A girl, a survivor!"
***
Years later, far from the Shackles at the edge of the Inner Sea in some tiny Taldane port town a grizzled old sea Captain by the name of Morgan was interviewing a prospective young pirate to assist on his smuggling ship. A windswept young man sat across from the Pirate, spinning lies and half-truths saying anything he could to get aboard this ship and away from his pursuers.
"Quite an impressive resume," Morgan laughed, "Truth be told, ye've got a quick mind and that's all I need to teach ye the rest. Welcome aboard the Misty Mourner. Yer in like Flynn matey, though I suppose I should ask you what's your name boyo?"
The windswept man flashed a charming smile... "Why Flynn of course! Flynn Montair."
***
Years later still, at the edge of the Shackles, an older, more handsome Julian Skrith sits chained on a prison ship headed for Deepmar. Next to him a massive Mwangi Man called Breaker Bones sits alongside him. Exhausted from long days rowing, Julian drops the oar. The Chelish sailor guarding the prisoners stepped forward with a club. Ready to beat Julian.
"Hold sailor, I wish to talk to this deserter," a finely dressed noblewoman interrupted the expected beating.
Julian and his fellow prisoner were led to the Captain's cabin, well appointed, but vacated for this noblewoman.
"Let me tell you about Angels. See you were rightfully convicted of the Sin of Dersertion. You made a solemn vow, and signed a contract with Admiralty of Her Majestrix's Navy. In Cheliax we take vows and contracts very seriously, the great nation invested their funds and faith in you. Yet you fled your duties, and your obligations."
Julian listened in silence, this woman liked to talk, and listening hurt less than rowing.
"In any case, I am a reformist, I don't believe every sin must result in an eternity of punishment. I believe in the possibility of absolution and redemption. And so I come as an angel to deliver you from the hell that awaits you at Deepmar with a simple deal. I let you free in the Shackles, to live your life as you see fit. On occasion you will be contacted to provide reports. Simply answer questions honestly when asked and you will avoid a painful death of black lung, forgotten in the depths of Deepmar. What say you?"
Julian considered the question for a long time.
"I'm going to need more precise terms than that before I agree to anything."
"I'm afraid this is the deal at the moment. So choose wisely prisoner Skrith, because there's one thing you should know about angels. Everybody only gets one."
Julian again took a moment to pull together his thoughts, before finally responding.
"Your deal sounds very good. But I must politely decline. I am not inclined to trade these chains for the invisible ones you offer."
"An interesting decision from a man facing life in a hole, but one I suspect will change with a little more perspective. Sailor?" She calls for the guard just outside the door.
"Put him in the box."
For a long week Julian was confined to a steel box on the deck of the prison ship, nothing but his sweat and waste for company. Once per day he was given a moment of freedom and air only long enough to answer the lady's question.
"Do you agree to my terms?"
The response, spoken through chapped lips and with exhaustion always was the same.
"No."
Julian was in the box when the leviathan struck, tearing the ship to shreds. Some kind of divine provenance kept that box afloat upon a piece of the deck. Locked in a steel box with no food or water, Julian had traded one death for another.
Upon the deck of the Misty Mourner one foggy morning Flynn called from the crow's nest: "Ship aftward Captain! Looks like a Chelish Galleon." Flynn grabbed a line to swing down to the deck. Morgan whispered some rapid orders to his crewmen. As a smuggling ship the Mourner had been through this routine a dozen times. He turned to his newest recruit "Miss Aselia, remind me do you have any outstanding warrants, bounties or debts in Cheliax?"
"No sir," Aselia answered promptly.
"Good, we've got contraband aboard, Ms Aselia and Mr Montair, you'll be lowered down the jollyboat on the port-side of the ship with a lockbox full of contraband. We'll play it cool, and be back to sailing with this patrol ship in our wake soon enough mateys."
The jollyboat was lowered to the water, Flynn and Aselia hidden under a tarp and the boat pulled close to the Misty Mourner. The Chelish boarded the ship.
"Good morning Captain?"
"Smith, we're a simple merchant ship, trading under an Isgeri flag, good to see an ally out in these waters."
"Indeed Captain, I'm sure our diviners will see to it that everything is in order."
Long tense minutes passed, with only the muffled sound of the Chelish mariners searching the ship.
Eventually voices from the deck: "All goods appear to match your manifests captain, we merely need to cross-reference your papers with our logs and we'll have you on your way Captain Smith."
Flynn released a long held breath: "Glad that's over."
Aselia's long history of ill-fated encounters caused a moment of dread to sink into her stomach.
After some minutes a voice, magically projected from the Chelish ship.
"Captain Morgan! It is my pleasure as a Captain in service to her Majestrix to pronounce you a smuggler and a pirate, guilty of multiple crimes against Cheliax. You and your crew have been sentenced to death, by cannonfire, until your ship burns to the waterline."
Flynn prepared himself to return to the ship to defend it, but Aselia already was prepared by capsizing the jollyboat. Their only chance of survival, hiding amongst the wreckage...
After the thunder and clamour of the canonfire was over eventually all was quiet again on the seas. Aselia and Flynn righted the Jollyboat, and began the long arduous process of rowing...
Witness reader, as we leave the sun boiled ocean for the city of Port Peril, crown jewel of the Shackles. A seedy dive bar by the name of the Formidably Maid. A beautiful Undine plays a soulful violin, and is accompanied by a beautiful half-elven singer. Marina and Aubrey enchanted the whole bar, every piratical patron stopped their brawling and chaos to watch and listen intently. After the song, a handsome young pirate, bald except for a single braid, shirtless but wearing a fancy coat, approached.
"Captain Harrigan was impressed by your music, and would like to invite you for a drink."
Excited to meet such an incredible pirate legend, Aubrey and Marina agreed. Marina signed an order for Rum, and Aubrey asked for "anything interesting"
"I haven't heard such beautiful music since my dear sweet mother, on the island where I was born. I had to buy ye each a drink."
The women were excited to meet the Captain and his officers, and soon the handsome pirate Plugg arrived with rum and a strange drink in a grail with smoke or steam rising out if it, a lot of umbrellas and a crazy straw.
The girls toasted their fortuitous meeting and drank, hoping to sign on with Captain Harrigan, until the room started spinning.
"You could have just asked," slurred Aubrey as she passed out.
Days later, somewhere in that water the Mourner's survivors discovered a metal hotbox, with a barely conscious half-orc inside, they pulled him aboard, but days from food and exhausted from the heat these survivors fell unconscious one-by-one, until only Aselia witnessed a ship with a great draconic figurehead.
"What have we here Master Scourge?"
"Looks like the fishing nets have caught some little fishies Mr Plugg."
"Ahoy there! Prepare to be boarded!" Called Plugg.
"No thank you!" Said Aselia rowing as quickly as she could away.
"Fire the cannon."
The jaw of the dragon opened and breathed cannonshot and flame, the explosion that followed sent the members of the jollyboat and its contents sprawling across the ocean.
The laughter of the Crew of the Wormwood was the last thing that Aselia remembered before falling unconscious...
I can see what's frustrating about this, and I have some issues with it as well.
That said here's my simple solution:
Reverse the two plot pieces.
The Chelish Navy is coming; Kerdak Bonefist refuses to organize a defense of the Shackles. Tessa Fairwind and other allies of the PCs call B**S*** on The Hurricane King. The PCs need to topple the Hurricane King (installing either themselves or Tessa Fairwind as the new Hurricane King/Queen) and they need to do it fast because Cheliax is on its way.
Basically as days pass Cheliax gets closer and closer to Port Peril, and if the PCs don't unite the Pirate Lords there's not going to be much of the Shackles left.
Quote:
"But Cap'n Dudemeister Kerdak Bonefist and his fortress is built for APL 14 characters!"
I understand your concern, but the difference between APL 13 and 14 really isn't that much, plus if you want to reduce the challenge a little there are simple templates or you can retcon Kerdak's Sun Orchid Elixir out so he does take penalties for aging.
Quote:
"But Cap'n Dudemeister, why didn't Paizo get it all perfect the first time?"
Look, run as written this is still a pretty great AP, and I'll duel any landlubber who says otherwise. It's a Sandbox, and while it doesn't have the convenience of a Hex Map like Kingmaker had it does require more work from a GM. That's the ship you signed on for.
Quote:
"So what are we going to do now?"
Now never fear me hearties, because Ol' Cap'n Dudemeister is here to guide you through the storm! I'll take the hard work of Paizo and bring it up to a shiny polish, and give this treasure out for free.
Who wants:
- Street Fights in Port Peril?
- Liberation of Pirate Ports?
- A Deadlier Chelish Navy?
- A quest draw out the Herald of Dagon from the water's depths to fight the Devil Bone Flagship of the Chelish Navy?
So sign on with Ol' Cap'n Dudemeister, I don't know the first thing about ships, but I think I know a thing or two about crafting an old pirate legend that you'll remember for a while.
Avast ye Scurvy landlubbers and harken to yon Cap'n Dudemeister (or face the edge o' me blade!).
I'll be runnin' Skull & Shackles in a couple of weeks time for some o' me crew here in the Pirate Port of Sydney. So I thought I'd share what changes I'll be makin' to the Adventure for me own edification and to give all those other Captains out there a map so they won't be sailin' blind!
This is the guide I put together for my players. It operates under the assumption the scurvy sea dogs own a copy of Pirates of the Inner Sea, and the GM has access to yon Bestiary 3, and Ultimate Combat.
Second things next!
The new opening vignette, note I'll be doing this before we've even created characters completely.
The players need to discuss only the following with each other: What is their character's name? What is their race? What is their class?
Day 1: Sunk
Quote:
The rain patters on the deck of the Misty Mourner, the crew and other passengers and yourselves stand upon the deck watching Captain Jonas Morgan talk to the Captain of the Chelish Warship The Thrune's Fang II. The Fang II's captain, an unctuous man with a fussy mustache inspects Captain Jonas Morgan's papers. Then, looks up and squints at the man from behind his monocle.
"Everything seems to be in order, and I hope you find yourself sailing with fairer winds than these. Captain..."
"Ackles," says Captain Morgan, "Captain Shamus Ackles."
"Indeed."
With that the Chelish Captain walks up the gangplank back onto his boat.
Just as the Captain Morgan is about to give the order to release the grapnels from his ship words can be heard over the rain.
"Fire all cannons men! Burn that ship to the waterline! If that man isn't a pirate, he once was and I'll be damned to the deepest of hells if I'll let him free to commit another act of devil-blasted piracy!"
The Thrune's Fang opens up her cannon ports:
BOOOOOM! CRASH!
"Blast it all!" Yells Captain Morgan, "The Misty Mourner won't last a minute under this assault! ALL HANDS TO THE BOATS! ABANDON SHIP YOU SCABROUS DOGS, AND THAT'S AN ORDER!
If any of the PCs refuse to abandon ship Captain Morgan shakes his head and yells:
"It's a Captain's duty to go down with his ship, but it's a sailor's duty to do as Captain commands!"
If a PC is still being stubborn, he knocks the blaggard out and tells the others.
"Get off the damn ship, I've kegs of powder in the hold and ye'll not survive the blast once I set her off. With any luck neither will those thrice-damned bastards on the Fang!"
At which point the PCs should run, or be dragged away by other members of Captain Morgan's crew. The PCs have their packs thrown to them as they land on the life-boat by the cabin boy.
Other crewmembers each jump on to other boats and begin rowing away as fast as they can.
As the PCs make their getaway the Misty Mourner explodes, and wooden shards are flung in every direction, including through the sails of the Thrune's Fang II.
It'll take take time for the Fang II to repair it's sails, perhaps enough time for the PCs to get away and perhaps find land....
Day 2: A Wake For Captain Morgan
Quote:
The long night of rowing has taken its toll, you're exhausted and with no shade on the little dinghy the sun beats heavily upon ye. You might have enough food to eat for a few days, but water will be scarce, and of course boredom might drive ye mad first. Then it hits you, Captain Morgan is dead. He was a man of honor, or at least, a certain kind of honor. Still, there's a bottle of rum in the boat, and you can't go wrong with a wake for a Captain who sacrificed his life to save yours...
Each player should tell the story of how they met Captain Morgan (as determined by which Trait they choose). Particularly good stories earn the player a Swashbuckler point.
Day 3: Rolling the Bones
Quote:
The rum is gone... the water, well that's mostly gone too. There might be one swig left in the little canteen. There's only one fair way to determine who gets the last of it. Rolling the bones. Ye'll use your possessions as the ante, and whoever has the least at the end gets one last swig...
At this point players will play the Rolling the Bones game as outlined in the Skull & Shackle's Advanced Player's Guide, and then complete their character sheets.
Day 4: Become a sailor they said... see the world they said...
Quote:
Another day... passes
Have the PCs make Fortitude Saves. Describe each PC passing out from thirst and exposure in order from lowest roll to highest.
Then read the following:
Quote:
As your fellow crewmen of the lifeboat fall into unconsciousness you consider the predicament that Cheliax put you in by sinking The Misty Mourner. You swear that if you ever get a chance to avenge yourself on those bastards that left you to die, just one chance, you'll buy Besmara and Calistria some very fancy rum indeed.
Your eyes begin to close, as the sun begins to set... You suspect that this may be the last sunset you ever see... Is that a sea dragon rising up from out of the waves?
Day 5: Welcome to the Sweet Trade
Begin the rest of the AP as detailed in Skull & Shackles #1: The Wormwood Mutiny.
