My players have been asking me to house rule an acrobatics or similar check to negate the you are flatfooted for the first round after boarding the ship. I'm aware you can use a corvus to achieve this but I was wondering if there is a another rule set to accomplish the same thing. All suggestions are welcome.
I've been resistant to my players asking to have the ship boarding drawbacks nerfed. First, these challenges help even out the encounter, especially in "Raiders of the Fever Sea" where most of the enemies in shipboard combat will be fighters 2-4 levels lower than the PCs and aristocrat/experts. Secondly, raiding a ship is raiding a fortification and doing so has risks; that's why people fortify things. You'll find that these complaints evaporate if the PC's ship is raided and the same drawback applies to their enemies.
Regarding your question directly, uncannny dodge negates this penalty, I believe.
Are they flat footed because combat has just begun or are they flat footed because they are climbing onto the ship? If it is the latter, there are all sorts of in-game ways to negate being flat footed while climbing.
There is a special condition specific to this AP in "Wormwood Mutiny" that basically states when a character boards an enemy ship during shipboard combat, he's flat-footed for the first round afterwards due to climbing the gunwhals or somesuch.
There is a special condition specific to this AP in "Wormwood Mutiny" that basically states when a character boards an enemy ship during shipboard combat, he's flat-footed for the first round afterwards due to climbing the gunwhals or somesuch.
If you're using Pirates of the Inner Sea, how about changing the Riddleport trait "Eager Combatant" to have this effect?
There is a special condition specific to this AP in "Wormwood Mutiny" that basically states when a character boards an enemy ship during shipboard combat, he's flat-footed for the first round afterwards due to climbing the gunwhals or somesuch.
Then anyone wth sufficient magic should be able to negate that condition by gaining a climb speed or flying or teleporting onto the ship. Of course, those solutions may not be available to the party if they are under 5th level and certain more exotic races are disallowed.
There is a special condition specific to this AP in "Wormwood Mutiny" that basically states when a character boards an enemy ship during shipboard combat, he's flat-footed for the first round afterwards due to climbing the gunwhals or somesuch.
Which basically is utter nonsense - or does anyone believe one is flat-footed by vaulting over a fence (or climbing it ?). After each and every jump or leap ?
Later on characters will fly or teleport/dimension door aboard their targets - are they going to be flat-footed as well ?The whole "condition" is basically a device employed by Monsieur Pett in that particular combat. I don't see much legitimacy on his part to decide upon a boarding rule...
consider this - does a Merrow who climbs over the side in a random encounter become flat-footed ? Or the Sahuagin in Fever Sea ? How about the Elementals in part#3 ?
We never actually used it, simply because it is utterly silly if applied universally.
As for "fortification" - the gunwhale provides cover and/or concealment for the defenders who - looking at history - used to gather in its cover and strike anyone oncoming from this "safer" place. And if the defenders gather behind the gunwhale - there will be very little space for any boarders to attack from.