Death by Rum Rations

[Parable]

Hey everyone, I know there are threads on this already, but just wanted to have a basic one to see how people are working around it. Starting Shackles tonight and a little worried of PC's dying by simply drinking? I know they heal 1 ability point per round, and can possibly heal with with magic, but 5 days or less of heavy drinking can cause death? From a half pint of rum, which isn't too much. Someone had posted this alternative rule

Slack Off: Take a –4 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task. You gain 1 ability point as if you had rested and automatically pass any Con checks to not be fatigued.

to add to the daily task choices, think it could balance it out, what do you think?

[Varthanna]

I think that was mean, and it has been quite effective. Once my crew got up to a few friendly mates and could get bonuses during the day, they were slacking off a lot... until they realized they were running out of time to make friends.

So, long story short, Slack Off kept my PCs alive, but I still have one with 4 Con, another with 6, and most with about 10-12. We left off with them spotting the Man's Promise, so we'll see how it all plays out.

edit: I will say, I wasn't having Sandara use her 2nd level slots of Lesser Restoration. That can also drastically change the lethality for the crew, but I prefer the idea that most pirates are all lazy drunks!

[Ruan]

I played it out with the rules straight out of the AP, with no Slack Off. My players fairly rapidly realized that the rum ration was bad news, and very quickly either found ways around it (purify food and drink), dumped it, or got caught doing either of the above, thus taking lashings.

[Lokie]

Hmm... from what I read on the rum ration... it also mentions it was often used to make grog. Seeing as how it both improved the taste of the ships water supply that has been sitting in wooden barrels and stretched out the rum supply. I wonder if the effects are any easier to handle once its been watered down and then spread out over a day.

[Mercurial]

We chose to ignore the rum ration as a game mechanic, role-playing it to a degree but not letting it take over the campaign as it threatened to do.

[HarbinNick]

I think I have a rum ration most days...and my CON isn't taking that much damage...

[Lokie]

HarbinNick wrote:

I think I have a rum ration most days...and my CON isn't taking that much damage...

Present day Rum is nothing like the Rum of ye olden days. Rum in the past had no governing body controlling the quality and proof. It was more like some backwoods 'shine and could be 200+ proof.

[Geistlinger]

Now, while I see the point you are trying to make, your statement is hyperbolic to put it mildly.

Given that in the US proof = twice ACV (alcohol content by volume) it's impossible to have anything more than 200 proof, since 200 proof by definition equals 100% pure alcohol.

And if you use the original British terminology, 100% pure alcohol would be approximately 175 degrees proof.

[Lokie]

Sheesh... I exaggerate just a little bit... ;P

Regardless the point is still there. They had alcohol then that was (to put it mildly) toxic.

[TyrantLobe]

I know this thread is old, but I'm working to get this campaign rolling.

I had an idea to alter the rum rations to make them less deadly.

Changed Con damage to 1d3-1 and reset damage back to 0 before the next evening's rum rations (but after daily work fatigue checks).

This way it can still affect the next day's work, but isn't an ongoing hangover that eventually kills everyone.

Thoughts?

[Eagle0600]

I'm starting the adventure path soon, and I've decided that I'll simply allow a DC 10 Fortitude save to negate the Con damage. Still enough for them to be worried, not enough that the players are left wondering how anyone on this ship managed to survive a single week of drinking the stuff.

[WagnerSika]

I have been thinking of converting the Con damage to Wis damage. This way the crew is more docile but will not die. I think TyrantLobes' idea of 1d3-1 damage is good. I think that sleeping soundly during the night and working normally or slacking off the next day cures 1 point. Most of the crew should be fine before the next ration, but some will slowly lose their willpower. If the PCs try to sneak around the ship or do extra activities they will not heal the damage.