Hello everyone! I will be starting a PbP campaign based on the Skull and Shackles adventure path! While many NPCs, locations, items and plots will be coming straight from the APs, I will be making some changes to the story as I see fit.
I will be looking for a balanced 4 player group that can commit to at least 2 posts a day and have a passion for plunder, infamy and life on the open seas!
Character guidelines:
20 point buy (no stat above an 18. No stat below an 8.)
1st Level
Average Gold
3 Traits (1 from the S&S player's guide)
Fast exp. advancement
Core races and class's are preferred.
(With that being said I will entertain any concept idea)
All Core Pathfinder books allowed. Please no 3.5 material.
Other material may be considered on an individual basis.
Getting Started:
Keep in mind this entire campaign takes place on the decks of ships, in the thick jungles of forgotten cities and sometimes completely under water! Try and make your characters have some kind of theme that would fit such an adventure. You also need to keep in mind that your characters, at least to a degree, WANT to be pirates! This doesn't mean you have to be murderous curs without honor or compassion...but you should be relatively alright with robbing other ships of their goods and shiny, shiny gold!
Your reasons for being in the Shackles can be your own, but your reasons for being together will be brutally revealed at the very start of the campaign. You sorry lot have had the unfortunate luck of being press ganged in the service of one of the Free Captain's most nefarious pirates- Captain Redtide!
What makes me a happy GM:
A character that feels alive, with a short back story and a physical description. Characters should have a good balance between enough info to guide the beginning of the story, and general enough to develop and evolve along the way.
I’m looking for players who enjoy cinematic combats and creating interesting descriptions and dialogue. I'm also looking for friendly folk who enjoy the social interaction and casual nature of such a game.
I will always attempt to keep to the Pathfinder rules and mechanics when it comes to gameplay unless something does not translate well or is bogging down the posts.
Avast! I 'ave rambled on enough! If you wish to be' havin' a part in THIS crew, lets be' hearin' yer submissions!
Wow, I just discovered this "Online Campaigns" corner of the forum today and here is a brand new invitation. Thank you!
I would love to be the group's front line warrior: Fighter or Barbarian or Monk.
(My gaming group did three Kingmaker books, then switched to start Legacy of Fire. I played a Witch and then a Cleric. I would enjoy a non-caster for a change, please.)
Not much brainstorming yet. So far I imagine a young male who is conniving yet weakly committed to being Lawful. He respects the need for rules rebelling against the rules others make. Then he heard that on a ship at sea the only Law was the word of the captain--perfect! Unfortunately, his infant plans to become a mercenary guard for a merchant ship and some day rise to captain his own vessel were interrupted after meeting one of Redtide's thugs in a waterfront tavern.
I'm happy with "Core only" yet will confess that the Core races bore me compared to the Advanced Race Guide after so many years of D&D and similar RPGs. But I do not really care about the PC's race. Perhaps after others have chimed in about their PCs the choice of race will become clearer.
Enough for now. Bedtime.
Woot! I really want to play this AP. I will edit Ari Mai to fit your requirements first thing tomorrow. A swash buckling fighter rogue type.
I'd like to submit Malack the Accursed.
A dastardly looking middle-aged man with a face covered in deep pores and acne scars. His hair is long and nappy and almost seems to fear soap and water as it tangles itself about his shoulders and neck. The tattered nature of armor betrays the corded muscle of his frame. He has the look of an older man but the spring in his step says he's got some good years left in him.
He doesn't remember why he came to Port Peril. Maybe a shipwreck, maybe he'd earned his passage there. All he knows is that he'd been drinking, gambling, and purchasing the company of ladies and that he could feel his coin purse getting lighter as the days went by. And then there were the young lads making merry at the Formidably Maid. Malack seems to remember some harsh words of reproach being bandied about his general direction. The rap of knuckle on chin, the sweet smell of ale, a strong blow to the liver, and pleasant darkness enveloping him before waking to the smell of the sea.
"Where am I?"
Sam I am! Human Wizard (Fire Element).
Gellius Marcellano, sea witch, and his parrot Azdzi, reguesting to sail with ye, captain.
Gellius's family abandoned Cheliax after House Thrune took over generations ago, and have plied the seas ever since. Being exiled from your homeland naturally leads to less savory dealings, one of which involving a Taldan merchant, his bodyguard, a crate of Osiriani relics, and the bodyguards falcata left him less of a man. One hand less, to be exact. Gellius met Azdzi during shore leave in the jungles near Sargossa, and was struck by the parrot addressing him by name in the language of the Mwangi. Azdzi taught him great secrets of the sea, and Lost in conversation with the bird, Gellius returned to Sargossa to find his shipmates on the Lusty Varisian had left him for dead and had set sail. Urged onward's by the cryptic hints of his only companion, Gellius finally arrived in Port Peril with the remnants of his share of loot. Taking in a few drinks at the Formidably Maid, they eventually went to his head and he slumped in a drunken stupor against the wall.
I present Lorelei, half-elven Bard. Full character sheet and background up behind this alias.
Plus, with a name of Singer, don't you need a bard in your game? :)
Dotting for interest.
Azmerai, Inquisitor of Besmara would ask permission to come abourd.
Let us bring the glory of the piratequeen on the ocean and the fear of our names in our enemys heart. If you don´t like the idea, I would play a ranger.
Glad to see this start up! I will get a character in for submission this evening. :)
I'm already in one S&S campaign, one that I'm really enjoying (Now near the end of part one I think). I can, however, "Play dumb" (Sometimes without trying ;) ) . Would previous/current experience disqualify me?
Made this character for another skull and shackles I think I altered to fit your requirements but its not core, been wanting to try elemental knight out since the race book came out.
Currently considering a Female Dwarf Barbarian named Chantilly Seamripper. The Seamrippers are a clan other Dwarves look down on. Instead of revering smithing and mining, the Seamrippers value collecting adamantine weapons and using as many of these as possible in ritualized duels. Although the Seamrippers claim impeccable vow-keeping and Good Form, their frequent internal conflicts cause other Dwarves to whisper they are a bit...chaotic. Chantilly loves jewelry and gold. A book entitled J. A. S. about rugged Dwarven pirates who valiantly defended their territory from tricksy Shoanti and mischievous fey prompted Chantilly to try piracy as a way to gain the gold to buy her first adamantine. It must be easier than mining! But her new career is not starting as planned!
Definitely interested. Submitted this character for Skull and Shackles before... will adjust the stats to fit your requirments after work (which I'm heading of to now...)
DM quick question. You said no stat higher than 18, do you mean before applying racial attributes? Or after?
I want to play ! I will have a character up soon.
Well I changed Azmerai to ranger. Almost all complete done.
Any rules on alignment?
Just changed my campaign trait.
Hey there Singer
I am interested, though I will not be able to make up a new build today, all day at work.
I will put together an Arcane Duelist Bard, that might eventually go into the Duelist PrC, though that is so far down the line it is hard to say.
He was charming enough to soften the hearts of even the most hardened Pirates and smart and quick enough to avoid the most cutthroat. From them he learned to fight, and swim and do all things Pirate. He can sing a sea shanty with the best of them.
Recently he has been getting himself into a bit of trouble. Having picked one to many fights in the tavern he has decided that perhaps it is about time for him to hit the open seas for a bit. Perhaps there he can find his fortune and wait for things to cool down
Hi! I'm both pretty new to the forums as well as pretty new to PbP, but I'd like to express my interest in taking part in your game. I'm not wholly committed to a concept just yet, but I am exploring concepts. I'm sure I'll have something for you in no time :)
Wow, thanks for all the great submissions! Due to the response I will be pushing the party to 5 instead of 4 so more players can take part.
I'm going to wait until the end of the day for submissions to come in and characters to be hammered out before I make my final decisions. Look for the campaign to start very soon if you are selected to join. Characters who are more fleshed out will have a better chance of finding a seat at the table. I will also be choosing players based on roles needed for party balance.
If you aren't selected, fret not, I will also be starting a Jade Regent PbP within the week once S&S gets its feet off the ground. The guidelines will be the same and details will be incoming in the next few days.
Thanks again for all of the interest! This is going to be a wild ride!
Excellent! I love games that actually get going swiftly, nothing wrong with taking a week or two for submissions, it just makes a part of my soul cry when I have a character I am excited about raring to go.
Will you allow the Aquatic sorcerer bloodline? Its mentioned in the players guide, and the elemental water bloodline doesn't really fit - it seems cold themed and merfolk aren't really elementals.
I was thinking about a female Sorcerer whose father caught a mermaid who returned to the sea and then brought him her daughter when she proved to be human. Oviously the background would be hugely expanded beyond that :)
Lorelei is done and ready to go whenever you are. I can also post at least a few times every day including weekends.
If you aren't selected, fret not, I will also be starting a Jade Regent PbP within the week once S&S gets its feet off the ground. The guidelines will be the same and details will be incoming in the next few days.
Thanks again for all of the interest! This is going to be a wild ride!
This being the case, I think I'll wait for that instead. Seeing all the new guys (and gals) who haven't gotten a chance to play pirates yet (or a Play By Post period) while I'm already in an S&S game I think it would be nicer of me to pass this time around. BUT... I will definitely check out your Jade Regent recruitment.
I hope whoever gets selected for THIS game has a blast :)
Hey Singer
I will work on a pdf of Bref over dinner break at work. I will send it to you by 6pm California time. Pdf is way faster than doing it into my profile, but I will move it over it selected! I will just send it to your pm. Does that work?
Changed Lorelei's appearance. I think this one looks more piratey. :)
Ok instead of editing Ari Mai I made a new similar fighter rogue type. Introducing Poxymoron.
One evening in the 'charming' dockside tavern called The Drowned Dwarf he and his friends were settling down to drink off a hard day of working on the docks. The tavern was known for it's abundance of cheap ale and women. As such, it was a favorite stop for visiting sailors looking for some action. That evening, a rough looking crew came into the bar and it wasn't long before a brawl broke out. Poxy had just beat one sailor bloody and grabbed a clay jug and smashed it on the back of the head of another sailor who was busy choking the life out of his friend Gellic. The jug shattered and so did the skull of the sailor who just so happened to be a distant relative of Kerdak Bonefist; the hurricane king. One of the other sailors then yelled "He just keeled Tommy! 5 gold sovereigns to the man who brings em to me."
It didn't take long for the locals to turn on Poxy, friend or not, that was more money than any dockworker was likely to see in a decade, and now Poxy finds himself pressganged into service.
*Edit: I just noticed I forgot to add the +3 for class skills. Will tidy that up later tonight.
Ok, here's my submission. I have some gear to still purchase but overall this is it. :)
Hey Singer
I managed to get the time to go ahead and move the character into the online profile. There are a couple changes to reflect details I missed in my excitement.
Here he is. I hope you consider me.
Edit: This is Vuvu. :)
Here is a background of my character, I'm hoping the audacity of the concept will overrule the fact that, as a strix gunslinger, both his race and class are on the 'non preferred' list.
Within a few years, Cawin was considered a valuable memeber of the crew, the common joke was that the Strix was more useful than his master. Obviously this was a point of contention for the pirate that had found Cawin, but even he couldn't deny that the Strix's abilities made him useful aboard a pirate vessel. It was for that reason that he made a surreptitious deal with Captain Redtide. Cawin doesn't know the details of the deal, or really that he was betrayed. All that he knows is that his master told that they needed to have a chat at the Formidably Maid tavern while they were docked in Port Peril. No doubt the captain and crew of Cawins former ship would be rather unhappy to discover he'd been served up to a group of press gangers, were they to find out. The only thing in favor of Cawin's new ship is that he is accustomed enough to slavery that he might accept the explanation that he has been sold.
I will have a sheet up later, if you can wait.
This is Byden's submission, as mentioned above. Crunch will be up shortly.
O' over the dockside, or so they say,
there's a barmaid whose curves,
take your troubles away!
She's as pretty as sunlight, after a storm,
and we bet in her bed, you'd be lovely and warm!
Sweet, sweet, Jilly my sweet,
when I come back from a sailing,
perhaps we could meet!
But your daddies a strongman,
eyes filled with ire,
but if I say I don't want you then I'd be a liar!
They say her mum was a mermaid,
her Pah caught at sea!
But if her downsides all scaly,
thats alright by me!
Most fishermen use hooks,
her Pah thinks that silly!
When he courts the mermaids he uses his...
Sweet, sweet, Jilly my sweet,
when I come back from sailing,
etc., etc.
But when the Sweet Vengance, his sleek ship, was sunk in a storm Joshua saved himself by making a deal with a mermaid. She saved his life in exchange for their freedom, carrying him beneath the waves and sharing her breath with him. Then she nursed him back to health on a tiny rocky island, and he fell in love with her. They were together there for nearly a month, until a ship finally spotted Joshua and his mermaid vanished into the waves.
Joshua had told the mermaid, she never gave him her name in all their time together, that he would look for her every day, at sunrise, at the end of Port Peril's longest peer. Months passed and he spent most of the fortune he had amassed buying an Inn upon the peer, and watched the waters every morning. Then after nearly nine months she came, kissed him, handed him a basket, made from woven kelp, with a tiny baby girl inside and swam away.
The Sweet Tides Inn is the finest dockside Inn in Port Peril, frequented more by Captains and mates than by sailors. Jilly grew up there under her father's ever watchful eye, a charming little girl who was the darling of half Captain's in the Shackles. They would tell her tales and sing her shanties, and if she did not have a mother she hardly missed it because she was so often mothered by the Inn's barmaids, and cooks.
She always felt drawn to the water, and would sit with her father watching the waves every morning and feeling them call to her. But he made her promise she would never go in to the sea, and the pain in his voice as he asked made it impossible for her to break her word. So she tried to shut out its siren song with stories, finding herself to be a hopeless romantic.
When she reached her teens and started working as a barmaid things began to change, the patrons eyes went from fond to lustful as she transformed into a rare beauty. Her father beat several men who tried to court her within an inch of their lives and announced that anyone who touched his daughter would find out why he had been known as Bloody Sweet. And everything seemed to return to normal, save for a few fun secretive flirtations with handsome young Captains.
Then she flirted with the wrong man, Captain Ranuccio Svarn, an oily, but handsome young man who scoffed at her aging father. He courted her with sweet words and persuaded her to meet him in the market place. He lead her to a shortcut through an alley and then tried to take her. But fortunetly for Jilly something inside her exploded and she was able to call forth a strange power covering herself in grease and slipping from his grasp then hitting him with a dazzling barrage of colors leaving him stunned as she fled.
Later that night after sobbing into her pillow unable to sleep she went to watch the sea and saw her father dragging the corpse of Ranuccio Svarn down to the end of the peer. He had earlier announced he would be away for the night, which was a not infrequent occurence - she suspected he had a lady friend. She snuck back into the Inn planning to head back to her room around the back when she heard a shanty she had never heard before. All of those she had thought her friends were singing about her, and her father was, despite what he claimed, still a cold blooded killer.
Feeling sick and alone, as she watched even women who had been virtually mothers to her sing the horrible song, she cut her hair short grabbed a few possessions and fled into the night.
Finding herself at the Formidably maid, she thought little of the dangers of entering such an establishment and soon found some nice men to buy her a drink...
Jilly is a Sorcerer with the Aquatic Bloodline Sjurd, not a bard - I posted asking for permission before I saw your character.
not sure I would put bref as skilled. As an arcane duelist bard he is a bit melee focused. No biggy though.
a new thought. I think I will add the sound striker archetype to Bref as well as the arcane duelist to add some ranged punch...eventually.
No problem Sjuld, thanks for changing it :) Jilly's crunch should be complete.
CURRENT SUBMISSIONS
Melee
Azmerai (Helikon)- Human Male Ranger
Malack the Accursed (Meditation) - Human Male Fighter
Erik Stormeyes (Grimblade) - Suli Male Magus
Kiernan D'Agostin (Arknight) - Human Male Fighter
Poxymoron (Krallek) - Human Male FighterRanged
Cawin (wolfman1911) - Strix Male GunslingerArcane
Sjurd (Tanner Nielsen) - Human Female Aquatic Sorcerer
Samuel Adroushan (Hassan Ahmed) - Human Male Fire Wizard
Gellius Marcellano (d'Eon) - Human Male Sea Witch
Jilly Sweet (Byden) - Human Female Aquatic SorcererDivine
Asmodia Voralius (Uzzy) - Human Female ClericSkilled
Lorelei (Joy) - Half-elf Female Bard
Urk the Green (Dave Herman) - Goblin Male Rogue
Bref (Vuvu) - Human Male Bard
Technically Poxy is a skill monkey as I only plan on taking a few levels of fighter and the rest rogue.
I just have to point out that one of Bref's spells allows him to turn water into booze. How pirate is that!?
I'm sticking with Bard all the way, so ya got my little sea siren in the right category. :)
If you aren't selected, fret not, I will also be starting a Jade Regent PbP within the week once S&S gets its feet off the ground. The guidelines will be the same and details will be incoming in the next few days.
With that news, I will bow out of this submission process and wait for Jade Regent. That Adventure Path sounds like a better fit for me.
I second this notion. I don't think I'll have this submission done before tonight, but I hope you guys have a blast! :D