Improving the Shackles

[UnboltedAKTION]

I'd like to start by saying that I love S&S but I feel like the Shackles itself could use a lot of work. It has a lot of potential to be a great setting but it's so big, open, and underdeveloped that a lot of it feels empty and forgettable.

Here are two ideas I have to improve it:

Make the Set Pieces More Central to the Plot:

To me I feel like Port Peril and a lot of other locations were underused. I think that modifying the story to centralize the plot around Port Peril (and other ports) while making the NPC's more important to the story could really help add focus to the campaign.

I know this campaign is all about piracy on the open ocean and exploring the Shackles but a lot of the ports or places you can visit only have a name attached to it, with maybe a sentence of description. This for the most part gives that empty feeling and adds a lot of monotony to traveling in the game.

Example: Port Peril.
You get to visit in the third book but you're barely there long enough before you're sent out to do a bunch of (what can feel like) fetch quest and talk to maybe one person at each port or town. Keeping it closer to home would make Port Peril seem bigger and more important in the over all adventure, and that book.

So shrinking the map down and keeping each books attached closer to a locale and it's NPC's would make the world seem bigger, giving it a more grand sense of adventure.

This is the quick way to do things and would still keep in line with the pace of the game if done well.

Screw That Noise: Make it More Like Kingmaker:

On the other side of that coin you could attempt to make the map more like the Stolen Lands. Gridding out the Shackles and really taking the time to fill those grids with stuff to find and explore.

Kingmaker had a huge map. Maybe not in area compared to the Shackles but in page size and what the map actually had in it. In the Stolen Lands you always felt like you were discovering something or meeting someone who was genuinely interesting in (most) every grid you discovered. This really made the Stolen Lands feel alive.

You could also use the Ultimate Campaign rules in the S&S to build up new ports around, lets say Tidewater Rock, to have a true sense of building up fame around the Shackles. Maybe even add a module or two.

Sure doing this to the Shackles would take a lot of work and you'd probably have to do away with experience for pacing reasons. But done right would yield some fantastic results.

So what do you guys think? Am I right or wrong? What have you done or would do to improve the Shackles?

[Shaun]

You do need to work hard to make the towns in any AP memorable, for the mot part. I didn't have much trouble with Port Peril; my biggest problem was Quent. Anyway, here are some ideas: http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2rkn2?Interesting-Settlement-Flavor

[Cevah]

In the AP now.

Biggest issue I have, is that as the party's merchant, I had no time to pursue my own interests in port. I was so busy selling plunder, I could not gather info, increase infamy, or pursue my own plans of getting the magic item I need just now. Add to that, there is never time to stay an extra few days, but you are always sailing somewhere, it means my character had little chance to become unique.

Even with the sandbox feel, there is a lot of railroad elements that the party must follow. Until later in the AP, there is little reason to follow the path decreed, and in the later part, you know (in essence) what is coming, so the path i close to what they would do anyway.

I don't know if it is AP or GM fiat, but in our game, the number of ranks Profession(Sailor) controls your ability to lead ships. While not an issue in itself, I don't think it was ever mentioned. Therefore, my character invested only enough to make the initial checks needed to get by, and used magic to boost the score. Without that magic counting, he could not lead ships easily. While it can be corrected as he levels, it is an unplanned need for skills.

/cevah

[Fomsie]

Um, actually there is no timer/calendar until late in the AP. Talk to your GM, because there is nothing forcing you to spend minimum time in port.

[Cevah]

Well, the GM kept the tension up, and the party was always wanting to get something else done that needed them to be elsewhere. That said, it might have been easier on my character if he was not the merchant stuck selling plunder.

Since he allowed Leadership, I have been using that to set up several organizations: information network (two types), fleet crew, witch coven, and the assorted extras. I have also invested in Rickety's operation, and that is helping build my fleet. Since the GM allowed a Lyre of Building to make ships, I have built several. Currently at 5 keelboats (3 battle ready, 2 regular), and plan on making other ships soon. [I plan to sell some of them, to have cash to make the bigger ships. I will try to see I I can get a good (better than 50%) price for them.]

/cevah

[pendothrax]

You may be able to trade time for more money when selling ships. if you travel to Riddleport or Magnimar where ships are less abundant, you may be able to sell for more than 50%.

Or if there are other pirates you may be able to trade for plunder worth more than 50% of the ships value.

[pat leblanc]

I put pirates of the carribbean on in the background or play shanties from assassins creed black flag soundtrack, then i just describe the ports from the movie/game...especially tortuga.

[Haldrick]

In a recent thread about the Map packs I commented about the S&S one having a Large Map of Port Peril which the AP does not need. Changing parts to take place in Port Peril makes a lot of sense and makes use of a great map.