I'm going to run ST for our group (currently in 3foE in AOW), and I'm contemplating how I'm going to change things up (already...before I've seen a word of the first module). My big idea is to make the setting more Renaissance and less Greyhawky-D&D. Not because I don't like GH/d&D but I figure after AoW, it might be a nice change of pace, and with all the talk of pirates and whatnot, it might be a nice fit. Without going into the obvious Renaissance changes (guns, politics, religion, etc), here's what I'm contemplating as far as the PC's go:
- Use Backgrounds (Occupations in d20 Modern) as a way to give PC's a couple of Class-based skills they can carry with them throughout their adventuring careers, and a couple of 'bennies'. For example, if the PC chooses a Nobility background, maybe they get Knowledge (nobility) as a class skill, perhaps proficiency with a rapier and a body servant. This gives the player a bit of a boost (but not much) and sets up the character for the kind of culture and game style I'm looking for.
- Use a variety of 'paths' to get to the information they need to move the story along. I'm noticing this in AoW, though it may be the group's style, but we get the 'good' information only after we hack apart some evil cabal. I'm all for it, but I'm wondering how my group would take an entire session of 'gambling' as a stand-in for dungeon crawling. Defeating their opponents at the table yields the treasure and information they need to proceed. And whether that change of pace is fraught with peril. Taken with the Backgrounds above, I think I could get some mileage out of these paths.
Anyway, just looking for others opinions, especially those that may have tried similar methods to change things up.
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Thinking about guns, and drow spidersilk armor is like kevlar-like +3 to ac against low kinetic energy attacks (ancient weapons I think that's the ac I read for it) but it has a stopping power (d.r.) against bullets.
So, now alla sudden everybody wants to do business with the drow. Small arms race starting to rear its ugly head.
WRT gambling, I think shipboard AFTER there's a big loot score, all the sailors will want to gamble with the party. I don't know if a whole session of gambling would float my boat, but it's a subjective opinion; maybe a part of a session; I could be wrong though.
Also the sailors might do a pool on who in the party is going to take a dirt nap first on the Isle of Dread. Wouldn't that mess with their heads?