How difficult will it be to run Skull & Shackles with three (3) players?
I was thinking about having them use 25 point buy as compensation. Is that going to work?
I don't know if this has been covered...but will there be a map folio with this adventure path?
So...question...I heard during an interview that this was one module where Paladins were pretty much going to be banned because their concept doesn't fit well with the theme of the AP. What about other Good aligned type characters? From the Chaotic Good rogue to the Lawful Good Cleric...will they fit in here?
I have a group that I believe would like this, but I do have a player who stated, "Attacking innocents, robbing, stealing... not my idea of fun." I want to make sure this AP is a good fit for my entire group before I invest. Thanks!
Skull & Shackles' plot is "The PCs are pirates who are trying to become better pirates by doing pirate things." There IS of course more to it than that... but lawful characters are going to find themselves put in tough situations very often. The good part doesn't really matter—look at any pirate movie ever made and there's great examples of good aligned pirates in there. No... it's hte LAWFUL component of an alignment that'll clash with this AP's plot.
And even then... most lawful characters will still be able to enjoy some elements of the AP... but of them all, only the Paladin has not only a strict adherence to the alignment most oppositional to piracy... but frankly, it's the TRADITION and the INERTIA that paladin codes have in most game groups that makes them poor choices for this AP. When a lawful good character does something in a game that's not particularly lawful or good, players (and often not the GM) seem often not to notice, but when the paladin does that same thing... the game derails.
In the end, whether or not a paladin is a good choice for Skull & Shackles is up to the GM. Some GMs and parties are a lot less strict about paladins. It's a question you'll have to answer for yourselves.
That said... there's a reason "Skull & Shackles" is far from the first AP we've published. It, more than any other AP, moves pretty far from the baseline assumption that the PCs are heroes doing adventures for the greater good. You...
late to the party on this one but...if you want to see an example of a 'lawful good' character among a group of pirate/smuggler types...well, go look up the show Firefly. the character of Shepard Book is a VERY lawful good character who's hanging out with a crew who varies from chaotic neutral through various flavors of good alignments. From the Alliance perspective, the crew of the Firefly are no good smuggling scum. the crew themselves would disagree...freedom is a big theme to the show. Shepard Book ends up being something of a balancing force among the crew.
just my two cents anyways.
Just got In the next week... Email.
Yay! I've missed those emails!
Prepare to set sail - Ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!
I don't know if this has been covered...but will there be a map folio with this adventure path?
Yes, there is. You can find it here
I don't know if this has been covered...but will there be a map folio with this adventure path?Yes, there is. You can find it here
you sir, are a gentleman and scholar. thank you!
wrapping up Kingmaker with my group now (they're just starting the war of the river kingdoms) and lemme tell ya - without the map folio, that would have sucked. i'm sold on buying those maps for any adventure path that I run.
If I get some extra cash I will pick this Adventure up. Look cool!
Quick q for those in the know. Would a party of 3 non-magic using PC's work for this AP? I want the group to choose the pcs they want without having to say I need a cleric, wizard etc and my group is likely to pick the non-magic classes, I also dont want to have to bookkeep a magic NPC if at all possible. I'm think of boosting the party by giving each of them 1 1st level warrior as a henchman to run as well so hopefully that may offset the party of 3. Any thoughts?
Quick q for those in the know. Would a party of 3 non-magic using PC's work for this AP? I want the group to choose the pcs they want without having to say I need a cleric, wizard etc and my group is likely to pick the non-magic classes, I also dont want to have to bookkeep a magic NPC if at all possible. I'm think of boosting the party by giving each of them 1 1st level warrior as a henchman to run as well so hopefully that may offset the party of 3. Any thoughts?
I had the exact opposite problem with Kingmaker - magic heavy group (druid, sorcerer, specialist mage and a ranger). no tank or heavy/dedicated melee specialist type.
I think you could run anything without being 'magic heavy'. just let your group run with whatever they want, and adjust healing potions and the like with whatever treasure they find along the way. granted...spellcasters help a lot, but players can find work arounds for almost anything.
Quick question. The Druid that I've got made up for a S&S PbP was made with the idea in mind that he really doesn't like pirates at all. Thinks they take advantage of the sea for their own material gains and would really rather try to rid the world of their ilk.
After flipping through the player's guide, I'm not certain a character of that nature would do very well in a setting like this. Should I re-write his history to reflect something less opposed to what seems to be a primary theme of the AP, or would a pirate-hating druid have more of a place here than I think he would?
I think the guide specifically says the players should want to be pirates, so I'd suggest tweaking it, Phillip. Perhaps he hates pirates who take advantage of the sea, as opposed to thinking all of them do it?
Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Got a couple ideas swimming around in my head for how to fix him already, so I should be able to have that done pretty quick. Thanks motteditor!
What if I want to play a paladin of the god of pirates? ;)
Considering the god of pirates is chaotic neutral, she doesn't have any paladins.
She could have antipaladins, though.
The whole "Lawful will be a problem" is something I can't wrap my head around. Lawful just means you have a code, not that you follow everyone elses code. Every land and culture have different rules, you only identify with one of those usually.
Pirates have a code just like everyone else, in my estimation if you identify as a pirate and are lawful then you're fine as long as you're adhering to that pirates code. Just because some do-gooders want to stop you doesn't mean you're not lawful, it just makes them enemy combatants. At least that's how I play it.
Creative Director
|
It's no so much "lawful will be a problem," honestly, as it is "Paladins and they way that the majority of gaming groups interact with them will be a problem."
Every time I've seen a paladin in play... it seems like whether or not the paladin's doing something against her code ends up turning into a big distraction now and then... and that type of distraction has the potential to end a campaign early if the campaign, like Skull & Shackles, is built specifically to embrace elements that a paladin would not.
How difficult will it be to run Skull & Shackles with three (3) players?
I was thinking about having them use 25 point buy as compensation. Is that going to work?
Thanks for the advice!
|
Creative Director
|
How difficult will it be to run Skull & Shackles with three (3) players?
I was thinking about having them use 25 point buy as compensation. Is that going to work?
Games depend more on point buy to "work."
A group that's never played the game before isn't going to be helped much by high point buys since they'll be making errors, while a group that's played together for 20 years will not only have mastery of the game, but will know each other's play styles so well that they could make a 10 point buy game feel underpowered.
In the end, the difference between 3 players and 5 players is pretty small. My guess is that a 25 point buy will result in a game feeling a bit more high powered than you're used to if you're used to.
But it'll still work.
Thanks James!
Maybe I'll give them 25 points, but not allow them to lower any scores below 10 (before racial mods), to have more rounded characters.
Thanks James!
Maybe I'll give them 25 points, but not allow them to lower any scores below 10 (before racial mods), to have more rounded characters.
I would recommend 20 points. I played in a 3-man Council of Thieves with 20 point buy and it was challenging enough without being impossible.
Although I must recommend a Ranger/Druid with an animal copmanion as one of the PCs. Extra meat really helps.
My PDFs were unlocked an hour or two ago. It's a beauty.
Whoa, is this thing out now??
My PDFs were unlocked an hour or two ago. It's a beauty.Whoa, is this thing out now??
Subscribers should be getting their notification emails starting today. If you haven't received it yet, it may have not yet processed. Once your order ships, the PDFs for your subscriptions will be added to your Downloads.
"But daddy I want it now!"
Thanks for the heads up.
I have it as well.
I have it as well.
*shakes fist*
Just downloaded mine!
Waa! Still waiting!
I got mine! Huzzah...er, AAAARRRRRRR!
It was the best surprise I can have this morning... opening my mailbox and find the e-mail and the pdf... so nice! I cannot stop to read it.
In my humble opinion, the finest set of ahaars you could wish for to get you in the mood:)
Sound more lie zombie pirates ...
|
In my humble opinion, the finest set of ahaars you could wish for to get you in the mood:)
I see your "ahaars", good sir, and raise you ten-fold. Furthermore, I think I have discovered the story for the entire AP!
Ha. I'll see your ahaaaaar, and raise you double again , you scurvy knave!
...so...how exactly does the Incutilis Puppetmaster Special Attack work? I don't see poison in the stat block, and the jumps on you and instantly kills you attack seems a mite powerful :P
...so...how exactly does the Incutilis Puppetmaster Special Attack work? I don't see poison in the stat block, and the jumps on you and instantly kills you attack seems a mite powerful :P
Its target must be helpless to use this ability if that helps...
|
I'll hedge my bet: AHAAAAAAAAAR!
I think we have a winner!
(I'm not too sure about the fish dressed up in a hat, though. Unless it's an eidolon ...)
|
I'll hedge my bet: AHAAAAAAAAAR!I think we have a winner!
(I'm not too sure about the fish dressed up in a hat, though. Unless it's an eidolon ...)
I saw that two weeks ago, great film.
In the UK it's called: Pirates! In an adventure with scientists.
I assumed it was the inspiration for the dodo familiar but perhaps not.