S&S Game Master's page

Scourge grins devilishly at Iogorian and Peggy. "Look alive, swabs! Yer fresh meat here on this ship. Ye gets the gruntwork."

Iogorian Task: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Peggy Task: 1d6 ⇒ 2

He points at Iogorian with a crusty finger. "Slim, yer on repairs today. There's some sails that need sewin' an' some rope that needs splicin' down in the hold. Getcherself down there!" Profession Sailor or Dexterity check.

"An' you, peggy," he doesn't realize he's already calling her by her nickname without having heard it, "There's some rats an' roaches needs squashin' down below deck. Take the stairs down from the hold to get there." Stealth, Survival, or Dexterity check. He shoos them off and starts barking orders at other swabs. Everyone begins taking their respective places for the day's work.

Sandara glares at Plugg as he cuts her off before she could respond to the wordy new cook's mate. She sighs and agrees to help take Ostarian down to the crew's quarters. Walking with the hefty man between her and Ri'el, she spares a few hushed words down the steps. "I'm a cleric of Besmara. I want off this ship, and I'm not looking to make any enemies while I'm on it. You all seem like smart folk, not like these cads." As they reach the ship's middle hold, she points to a door to the right. "That's the galley. Best get there as soon as we've got Ostarian downstairs. Don't go up the stairs on the fore or aft, there's only trouble to be had there. Officers' quarters in the fore, captain's in the aft. Just keep your head down and do your work and you'll be fine."

They continue downstairs to the crew's quarters and heave Ostarian into a hammock. When she's sure nobody is looking, she slips out a book and and pouch and hands them to Ostarian. "Thought these might be yours. Managed to trick the quartermaster into thinking they were cursed, so she handed them over." Turning back to Ri'el she says, "Go, now! If you're caught lurking around when you're supposed to be cooking, there's no telling what they'll do."

Okay, so you guys can interact with any characters in your area of the ship for the 'influence' daytime ship action. Additionally, the non-static characters may also be influenced, as they can be just about anywhere on the ship at any time. Just make sure two of you aren't interacting with the same non-static character. You can't influence any of the officers.

Edit: The cook's mate will be able to influence the cook, the quartermaster, and any non-static NPCs.

It's a Knowledge (Local) check since he's a humanoid.

In addition to Plugg and Scourge, Peggy can see 3 female humans, 3 male humans, a female half-elf, a male half-orc, and a male dwarf who seem to be relishing Ostarian's pain more thoroughly than the rest. They begin booing when Sandara helps Ostarian up. With a stern look of contempt on his face, Mister Plugg curbs his enthusiasm for the fallen man and speaks up.

"'Nuff o' this nonsense! Looks like ye won't be worth yer weight after all. Still, two hands is better'n none, even if they is a bit porky. A big boy like you ought to know how to cook at least. Fer yer sake, ye better hope ye can. Bed rest 'til ye can work in the galley. 'Til then, this'n will take yer place," he points to Ri'el. Glaring now at Sandara, he continues, "And Quinn, ye best not be showin' these swabs no sympathy. Ah'll have yer head before I have a soft crew, y'hear? An' since ye seem to like him so much, I'm going to have ye tend to fatty here during yer free hours." He intentionally ignores Iogorian's request for his drugs back.

Rigger Duty: 1d6 ⇒ 4

"Now, looks like shortie here is me new rigger. What's yer name, pipsqueak? Yer workin' with me, an' today yer handling the ship’s ropes. Ye'll be coilin' 'em, stowin' 'em, an' securin' 'em to cleats an' single an' double bollards." Profession (Sailor) or Dexterity check.

Addressing Iogorian and Peggy, he says, "Yer both swabs, so yer under Master Scourge's jurisdiction. He'll tell ye what yer tasks are."

Finally, turning to Ri'el, he says "Head down to the galley where ol' Fishguts is. If'n he ain't drunk himself drowned, he'll give ye a task. If'n the fool ain't sober, come back to me fer yer task. Help Quinn get fatty down the stairs on yer way."

He now shouts out to the rest of the crew, "Ye know yer places already, get a move on! Entertainment's over, it's time to get to work!"

Oops wow, I totally got Mister Plugg and Master Scourge mixed up. They're both kind of huge a$~$&**s, so it's hard, forgive me. :'D Master Scourge is who woke you, Mister Plugg is the one next to the captain once you get to the maindeck as described below.

You can tell that this is probably the ship’s main cargo hold. The hold is mostly empty, save for 14 pigs that are kept caged. In the forward section, a flight of wooden stairs climbs upward, while a second set of stairs descends into the lower hold. A large impeding man who seems to have bits of tar and feathers stuck to him is chained to the foremast here. He watches everyone warily when they are escorted past him up the stairway. Another flight of stairs in the aft section leads up as well, but the way is blocked by the pirate thugs. Stored near the mainmast are two light ballistas, a disassembled light catapult, and 12 barrels.

Each of you is escorted up the stairs by one of the thugs as you ascend. The stairway results in a cramped cabin occupied by hammocks, lockers, and sleeping mats. There are two doors to each far side, and two more closer to the middle. Master Scourge produces a key to unlock one of the middle doors and allow you through, quickly locking it back behind him.

When you reach the main deck, it’s quickly apparent that you are on a sizable ship in the middle of the ocean, far from any land. Port Peril and the mainland of the Shackles are just an ochre haze many miles astern. Figures cluster around the ship’s mainmast, looking up at the higher deck on the stern, where two figures stand. One of them is a broad, muscular Garundi man with a shaven head, a long beard bound with gold rings, and an eye patch— clearly the captain. The other is a younger, balding man with a long black ponytail, wearing a long coat and carrying a well-used cat-o’-nine-tails. You also notice that you are not the only new recruits—four others are standing with you on the deck, set apart by their relative cleanliness and their apparent unease with their newfound situation. A dozen or so other pirates, clearly existing members of the crew, stand about on the deck or in the ship’s rigging. Captain Harrigan begins to address all of you.

"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."

At the end of his speech, the captain walks away, leaving behind the man with the cat-o’-nine-tails. This is Mister Plugg, the Wormwood’s first mate. He looks down at you and the other impressed captives and smiles unpleasantly. Plugg has no time for small talk or pleasantries.

"Alright ye dogs, first thing's first," Plugg says, addressing the five of you. "I needs me a new rigger, see, so what'cher gonna do is climb yer arses up this here mainmast. First one up to the crow's nest is the new rigger, and the rest o' ye'll be swabs. Might spare one o' ye to cook with ol' Fishguts, if ye consider that sparin'!" He laughs menacingly and points upward for you all to start climbing immediately.

Master Scourge
Mister Plugg
Captain Harrigan

When you're ready to climb, you'll need to make consecutive DC 10 climb checks to climb 60 feet at one-quarter your base speed. A climb check that fails by 4 or less means that you make no progress, and one that fails by 5 or more means that you fall from whatever height you have already attained. Whoever can make it up in the least amount of climb checks gets to be the rigger. Good luck, swabs! ;D

Each of you spent the previous night drinking at the Formidably Maid, a notorious drinking establishment in Port Peril, where a press gang from the Wormwood marked you as targets. After drugging you into unconsciousness, the press gang dumped you in the ship’s hold to sleep it off, where you soon get a rude awakening.

You wake up the following morning in the dark hold of the Wormwood. You all remember the night before—the ringing laughter of a wild night, the heady joy of excess, the scents of rich stewed meat and perfume lingering in your nostrils. you feel a pounding headache, the sickly taste of cheap wine in your mouth, the hard floor, a rhythmic creaking noise, and the feeling of the room swaying, as if you were still drunk. Before the you can do much more than sit up, however, several pairs of heavy footsteps enter the dark room, and the harsh light of a lantern painfully spears the your eyes.

Master Scourge, the Wormwood’s boatswain, master-at-arms, and infamous disciplinarian, has entered the hold to wake you and get you up to the main deck. Six rough-looking Wormwood pirates, armed with saps, accompany him. An expression that might be mistaken for pain but which is clearly an attempt at a smile bruises Scourge’s face as he cracks the whip in his hand and screams at you.

“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!”