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I have been excited to run S&S since last year's PaizoCon. Having been privileged to sit in on an early brainstorming session, I decided I had to call dibs for this run.
I've purchased three pirate ships to be converted to 1" square/25mm.
I've purchased a dark blue felt covering for the game table.
I've collected a massive archive of pirate (nautical) themed game products and books for reference material.
[SIGNIFICANT CHANGES I WILL IMPLEMENT]
* Gunpowder/Cannons will be more prevalent than written. I feel very strongly that a Pirate Adventure Path is EXACTLY the place to have them. It won't be the most effective means to conduct ship to ship combat, but the flavor needs to be there! I've decided that the advancement of cannon technology in the Shackles Region is in its infancy, prone to accidents and mishaps.
* Banned Class - Barbarian: Bar-bars don't fit the flavor, nor do I care to deal with the ridiculously unbalanced damage output of this class. Yeah, I said it. Deal with it. ;)
* Banned Class - Witch: In an urban (predominately humanoid) setting, as with S&S, I find the serious advantage the witch poses to be completely undesirable to judge. I believe the witch is an awesome NPC class, but hate it otherwise.
* Aggressive Superstition - I am drafting several regional superstitions that by design will alter traditions and understanding of the area and its people.
~More to come & pictures too~
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[PARTY CREATION]
In past campaigns, I've allowed my players to create (within reason) whatever kind of character they wanted to play. In my King Maker game, it became apparent around book 4 that my group was struggling to maintain group unity. This might have been a result of the KM AP by nature, but it got me thinking how I wanted to do it next time 'round.
Skull & Shackles is the first AP where the players aren't presumed to be the good guys. This fact can create unnecessary strain on the harmony of the party and its long term success.
Our first gathering we won't crack the binding.
Our first session will be dedicated to party creation.
I am requiring each of my players to come to the table with two completely different characters.
They will audition their concepts and we will collectively decide which combination of personalities shall play the parts in this tale.
I am toying around with the idea of giving each player the right to VETO any one character build.
`more to come`
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* Banned Class - Witch: In an urban (predominately humanoid) setting, as with S&S, I find the serious advantage the witch poses to be completely undesirable to judge. I believe the witch is an awesome NPC class, but hate it otherwise.
AW MAN! There goes my rogue witch knife fighter concept! Can we just ban certain hexes? :P
Azmeth: Can't wait to hear more about your game. Will you be doing updates on the podcast as well?
As an aside, I am reintroducing the concept of a party charter into my S&S campaign. It is thematically appropriate and pirate life was often better than the traditional navy, which likely pressed the sailor into service to begin with. Besides the out-of-game rules, I'm hoping those two aspects will help keep the party coherent in game. (Also the KM campaign ran into a similar problem as yours; apparently a nature loving misanthropic ranger and evil druid aren't the best PCs for a campaign about building civilization.)
Annyway, looking forward to hearing more.
In case this helps anyone, I've been running a pirate game for years and here's my rules and player's guide. Yes to guns and cannon, core only (APG by request, no ultimates) plus the Swashbuckler and Shaman classes from Adamant's Tome of Secrets and dueling stuff from Art of the Duel by Sinister Adventures. I created a bunch of fitting campaign traits detailed in the player's guide linked off that site and did a "player's guide to piracy" that collates and expands on the various sea/trade route/port info available.
I call dibs on the passed out drunk all the time useless guy (maybe a cook?) who has no overall impact on the encounters or story. :Þ
In case this helps anyone, I've been running a pirate game for years and here's my rules and player's guide. Yes to guns and cannon, core only (APG by request, no ultimates) plus the Swashbuckler and Shaman classes from Adamant's Tome of Secrets and dueling stuff from Art of the Duel by Sinister Adventures. I created a bunch of fitting campaign traits detailed in the player's guide linked off that site and did a "player's guide to piracy" that collates and expands on the various sea/trade route/port info available.
Thanks for sharing. Those are great ideas, and I can't wait to implement some in my S&S campaign.
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Re: Barbarians -- as my fighter in Cherry's Serpent Skull should be letting you know by now, the ridiculous high damage output of the "barbarian class" is easily achievable by an optimized fighter too. The fighter just doesn't shine quite as brightly at levels 2-4. After that? It's just as bad.
The problem with optimizing for damage on fighters and barbarians comes down to two things:
1- Potions of Enlarge Person are too powerful; and
2- Potions of Enlarge Person when combined with Accelerated Drinker are just BROKEN.
That's the thing which needs controlling. Suggested fix:
Potions of Enlarge Person do not take instantaneous effect and come in over the course of a round (it takes time to grow); and
The Accelerated Drinker feat is broken when it is combined with an Enlarge Person potion. It needs to be banned.
Frankly, this is a change that is required in the core of Pathfinder RPG, too because this combo utterly shatters Level 1-5 PFS. I know, as I played up with an optimized 2nd Level Barbarian today in two scenarios. I still kicked ass and took names with an enlarged, Power attacking, cleaving, barbarian build - even when playing level 2 in a 4-5 tier scenario.
Re: Witch -- I think you are assuming, in the absence of evidence, that there will not be a large number of monstrous opponents in S&S. My guess is that there will continue to be a large number of monsters.
Even if there is not, a tendency to stack a large number of Will Save spells is still nasty in any humanoid campaign. Is the Witch really that much worse than an optimized Enchanter in such a milieu? Probably not.
And my next AP correct? Or are you gonna skip me again like with Serpents Skull... :-P
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And my next AP correct? Or are you gonna skip me again like with Serpents Skull... :-P
Ahem. I did not skip you -- you skipped *me*. It was your first campaign and I was told that you did not want to have to deal with remote players. It's a little hard to skip something you were not invited to play in the first place. :)
And what Are you wanting to run next, anyway?
I meant you skipped Serpent's Skull In the podcast run (I was being a brat and teasing you again if you missed that) and I seem to remember a dwarf arriving in camp recently.....
I plan on running Shattered Star next.
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@Steel - I think Pie was referring to the Podcast skipping the Serpent's Skull AP for review...
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So why seven players you say? Because my love for this game and these people exceeds the discomfort I'll experience to adjust the run.
I am bringing my absolute 'A-Game' to this AP and I expect nothing less from my players.
This is why we play the game!
(and the woes of knowing too many great geeks!)
1) Cherry Pie - Easy on the eyes; Great Role Player; Cooks of Bonus XP; Lives here.
2) YoCholly - Looks like a Pirate in RL; One of the BEST Role Players I've ever met; His constant abuse will keep me on my toes; Master Mumbler.
3) Mr. Archer - I've eagerly wanted to integrate him into one of our campaigns; Amazing RP skills; Great Communicator in & out of play; My newest BFF.
4) Painlord - A walking, breathing Social Network; His grasp of the 'Spirit of the Game' is unequaled; His RP is upper 1% without being an elitist; The reason I'm a VC.
5) Steel_Wind - My cohort in corruption; The man with the plan; If I ran a Pirate campaign without him, he'd finally make it California, for all the wrong reasons!
6) Mr. Parker - Longtime friend and Manager of the best game store in the East Bay! We've been trying to sit at the same table for years, it finally happening!
7) Merry Prankster - He's the type of player you go out of your way to play with; One of my 4e converts; Amazing RP skills; Not allowed to play Paladins.
`more to come`
So far I'm playing with the idea of a "face man" of some sort. Powers of persuasion but fairly corrupt. Also actually looking at Bard..... Never thought I'd say that.
I'm thinking Sea Singer into Duelist maybe even as a Tengu. MUHAHAHAHA
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Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
The final cast of players has been announced.
Your pre-quest to build a strong crew with stomachs for the long voyage is before you!
Bring Ye not one, but two complete persona's to audition for the right to sail together.
Each player has the right to vote Nay on any one build. Two casts of Nay and it walks the plank before we sail!
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Capt. Venture
Capt. Venture
Go Team Venture?
Did you mean to put this in the Campaign Journals messageboard? Gamer Connection doesn't seem to make much sense...
Sometimes the robot brain is on the fritz. I read the intention of this thread incorrectly. It's back where it was.
And don't forget people much like our Kingmaker, Serpent's Skull and Legacy of Fire games, You will get to watch them on Grumpy GM.
(18 and over please. We are adults and we play like them. I'm sure this AP will bring out the pirate talk potty mouths... like me.)
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When are these auditions taking place? I already have a few concepts, should I have full character write-ups (full sheet, background, etc), or is this more of a conceptual interview?
Full character and background x 2.
I'll have mine done out to level 7 as well just to give an idea of where I am going with them, a la Character Concept Workshop (Hero Lab to the rescue!)
As for when, that's up to Azmyth. Given the delays in bringing to a close the current AP that just will not end (I swear Kingmaker has Fast Heal 10) it may be a while yet...
I think the plan is to post the HTML char sheet exported from Herolab using Armidale's HTML exporter for Herolab on to the Skull and Shackles site. That will give all listeners to the podcast a chance to DL the character builds and try out variations of their own (if they are so inclined).
I will not have builds up to lvl 7 nor will I have 4 page backgrounds. I will have 2 fun ideas and a general idea of who she is and where she came from but I like to learn who my PC is as time passes really get a feel for her, but then I'm all about flavor. :p love ya Steel_Wind you nut ball
oh and cookies!
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Confounded. Already filled with 7. One of these days, I'm going to weasel my way into a remote player spot. Guess I will planon GMing this one here locally if I find some players.
You could always GM it remotely - I'm sure you could find more than enough players that way.
I'll probably end up running this for my local group (although back-to-back runs of RotRL & Shining Star look tempting ...), but it certainly looks as though it could be fun to play in. Decisions, decisions ...
Of course I'd also like to run Legacy of Fire (especially with interludes from all the Al-Quadim stuff on my bookshelf). And if Paizo release un updated Guide to Absalom and/or an AP centred on Absalom I'd probably want to do something with that, too. Too many ideas, and not enough time!
Confounded. Already filled with 7. One of these days, I'm going to weasel my way into a remote player spot. Guess I will planon GMing this one here locally if I find some players.
You can be in my next game
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For your viewing pleasure...
Sunday the Eleventh beginning at approximately six bells in the eve,
Captain Azmyth Venture will hold crew auditions aboard the HMPK Zealotious.
He has ordered the Fleet-Mages to permit scrying of this event and when the time is right, you may focus your third eye efforts
The actors have already been cast. It is the persona behind the persona that takes form and ushers in a season of great play!
Live 2 Game.
Game 2 Live.
~@~
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Despite the machinations of DJCherryPie and Painlord who attempted to defeat my evil aspirations for our crew, Koren The Kraken made it onto the ship! MUHUHAHAHAHAHA!
Watch the reflections of moonlight gleam off The Kraken's slimy tentacles as Koren paces the quarterdeck, his mind far away plotting revenge for the great, great wrongs done to him and his. Thee and thine shall PAY in blood and grief.
Our S&S sessions appear destined to chart a course through darker waters and more shadowy realms as a result. If the greatest infamy one can earn is to be known as "Vile", what better way to achieve this than by including a crewmember who is, clearly, the creepiest sailor to sail twixt the Shackles!
, Motherless Qlippoth-tiefling, Neutral Evil Cleric (Undead Lord).
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Despite the machinations of DJCherryPie and Painlord who attempted to defeat my evil aspirations for our crew, Koren The Kraken made it onto the ship! MUHUHAHAHAHAHA!
Watch the reflections of moonlight gleam off The Kraken's slimy tentacles as Koren paces the quarterdeck, his mind far away plotting revenge for the great, great wrongs done to him and his. Thee and thine shall PAY in blood and grief.
Our S&S sessions appear destined to chart a course through darker waters and more shadowy realms as a result. If the greatest infamy one can earn is to be known as "Vile", what better way to achieve this than by including a crewmember who is, clearly, the creepiest sailor to sail twixt the Shackles!
, Motherless Qlippoth-tiefling, Neutral Evil Cleric (Undead Lord).
I thought Azmyth wanted concepts with no companions and little-to-zero secondary action economy? Because that it the COMPLETE opposite of the Undead Lord. :P
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I thought Azmyth wanted concepts with no companions and little-to-zero secondary action economy? Because that it the COMPLETE opposite of the Undead Lord. :P
Shhh. Nobody has said anything about that yet!
(And it does not come into play in any serious manner until mid-level anyways. My starting companion will be for flavor only - more like a familiar that a Druidic companion.)
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Despite the machinations of DJCherryPie and Painlord who attempted to defeat my evil aspirations for our crew, Koren The Kraken made it onto the ship! MUHUHAHAHAHAHA!
Please don't be confused...if Cherry and I wanted Koren gone, he'd be gone.
Never underestimate a singing-she-sea-chicken...or Cherry's character either.
And I'm not called Painlord just for my bad roleplaying and obnoxious behavior...Miha can do...something...someday...I just need to figure out what that is.
:)
-Pain
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Steel, I have a friend that plays an Undead Lord that is level 3. On average, he can (and usually has) upwards of 5-6 skeletal companions via Animate Dead. If he gets Command Undead off... well, that number begins to quickly climb.
All of the crazy minion shenanigans comes in to play right at 1st level. I've seen it in action, and it's nuts.
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Well,it does not come into play if I don't go there with the character and that is not my current plan. Skeletal and zombie recruits into the crew sounds cool for flavor purposes,(especially the cause fear part, which is my character's schtick) but otherwise? Not so much.
What a character can do, and what he Will actually do -- are two different things.
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I was ready weeks ago!
But nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.... some players at the table whined "Wait wait, we need the Players Companion first!"
It's this whole Player's Companion thing which Azmyth is now embracing with gusto -- mainly as his Wormwood ship conversion project isn't finished yet I think...
Ah well. Game of Thrones Season #2 this Sunday night still outshines any new game, however strongly anticipated!
So the Players Guide still isn't released? Wow.
The Player's Guides are always released in conjunction with the first volume of the AP.