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Of late I've been trying to come up with a way to play a character in Skull and Shackles who's interesting, and I'm hitting a brick wall, namely that it feels like pirate texts tend to follow several very specific stereotypes that EVERYONE is familiar with:
The Naive Noob, a well-meaning young man swept up in the adventure of the pirate's life, whether willingly or by circumstance, and becomes competent over the course of the narrative.
Examples: Guybrush Threepwood from the Monkey Island series, Will Turner from the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Dan from Yellowbeard and Jim Hawkins from Treasure Island.
The Bumbling Lunatic, one or possibly a group of pirates who seem incompetent and goofy when introduced but can achieve surprising things when their act together.
Examples: Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the Pirates of Penzance from the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera of the same name, most pirates in children's literature.
The Dashing Hero, a charming and handsome man who is acrobatic, chivalrous and a skilled duelist. Basically like Robin Hood, but on the ocean instead of the forest, and with a rapier instead of a longbow.
Examples: The Dread Pirate Roberts (Wesley) from The Princess Bride, almost any character played by Errol Flynn but especially Piter Blood from Captain Blood.
The Grimy and Scary Captain, a fierce, unwashed man, usually with a bushy, unkempt beard who rules his crew through fear and treachery. May be quite charming despite appearance, but this usually only serves to make him seem more menacing.
Examples: Hector Barbossa in the later Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Yellowbeard in the film of the same name, Barnabus Harrigan and Kerdak Bonefist in Skull and Shackles itself, Captain Ahab in Moby-Dick (though not an actual pirate, he behaves very much like this archetype), Blackbeard in both fiction AND real life!
The Hypercompetent Pirate Princess, practically any woman in pirate literature, regardless of actual status in society or among the crew. If they AREN'T a captain already, they probably will be at some point. Usually the brains behind the rest of the cast.
Examples: Elizabeth Swan from the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Elaine Marley from the Monkey Island series, Tessa Fairwind and Sandara Quinn in Skull and Shackles, pretty much ANY historical women pirates but especially Anne Bonny and Grace O'Malley.
The Toadying First Mate, the Captain's right hand man, usually a grimy bearded man whether or not his captain is the aforementioned Grimy and Scary Captain. Usually executes his boss' will faithfully, with an occasional bit of sarcasm or questioning, though not exactly what one would call bright or courageous.
Examples: Smee in Peter Pan, Gibbs in Pirates of the Caribbean, Mr. Plugg and Scourge in Skull and Shackles.
The Monster Pirate, a supernatural creature that was usually a human pirate at some point before being transformed into what they are now, almost ALWAYS an antagonist.
Examples: Hector Barbossa in the first Pirates of the Caribbean film and Davy Jones in the later ones, Captain LeChuck in the Monkey Island series.
And last but not least, The Big Two: Long John Silver of Treasure Island and Captain James Hook of Peter Pan. These two characters are what virtually EVERYONE thinks of when they hear the word "pirate" (though one could make the argument that it's now a Big Three, with Captain Jack Sparrow making such an impression on the pop culture landscape that even current adaptations of pirate stories older than the Pirates of the Caribbean films are utilizing mannerisms from him in their characters). Their missing limbs are iconic (even if Long John Silver never actually HAD a peg leg in the book). Tim Curry has played BOTH of them! If you've had even a passing interest in running or playing in Skull and Shackles, you know about these two, full stop.
So...it just feels like there's no way to PLAY Skull and Shackles without falling into one of these archetypes. To play something outside these almost feels like they're "not a REAL pirate," and it frustrates me to no end. What do I do to make a pirate character that truly "stands out" amongst these figures, to make a GM say "yes, that character looks interesting, I'll let them join my PbP"?
That's a pretty good list you've got going there. I think that part of the issue is that Skull and Shackles is, in many ways, written as a vehicle so players get to play those kinds of characters.
There are other sources for sea-faring characters, even pirates, that you haven't mentioned here. All of your examples draw from a very narrow range of pop culture pertaining to the Golden Age of Piracy which was concentrated on the Caribbean in the mid-17th century. This completely ignores the Muslim corsairs and the Viking raiders, as well as piracy from East Asia. What about Sinbad the Sailor? Or Leif Erickson? Even if they may fit certain characteristics that you've included above, they still feel very different from the picture you've painted, which is the whole point. Also, if you haven't seen it, give Starz's Black Sails a watch. Captain Flint is fantastic, and it's a much grittier pirate story than we're used to.
My answer would be to play something other than a pirate. There are plenty of characters that can fit into S&S if you expand the theme in your mind beyond "pirates". Piracy is far from the only thing going on in this campaign, it's just a very important part of it. Think about the Shackles region in Golarion and the other places surrounding it. Within the Shackles proper, you've got the ruins of Ghol Gan, an sect of dragon cultists with their own archipelago, Mediogalti and the Red Mantis. Nearby, you've got Sargava and Bloodcove, the Mwangi expanse, and the Sodden Lands. Anybody from these locales could have ended up in the Shackles for any number of reasons, and they don't have to be strictly integrated with piracy. Maybe a storm blew your ship off course and you had to set in at Port Peril for some repairs?
Integrating your character within the Shackles will go a long way toward making your character appealing. In my opinion, the most boring way to play this campaign is to have a bunch of identical grog-swilling blackhearts with stereotypical brogues. Anybody who crews a ship that makes its money by poaching legitimate trading business is a "real pirate", even if they wouldn't be at home in a Treasure Island knockoff.
If you'd like to pitch some ideas, we can talk them over here. Heck, I've got plenty of examples of my own I could share if you'd like.
Just off the top of my head without thinking about it, you could play the Indiana Jones type in search of ancient artifacts from Ghol-Gan.
Looking into Polynesian sailors might be a good way to break out of the typical cultural assumptions. They were supposed to be really good navigators.
Other ideas:
The obsessed hunter: A grim, obsessed hunter of sea-born monsters, scarred and maimed from previous fights with the beast. Puts it all on the line for the kill. Wields a harpoon or other really big honkin' weapon.
Example: Captain Ahab
The Patriot Privateer: Sharp-dressed and prim and proper (as far as pirates go), the Patriotic Privateer attacks enemies of the Crown for gods and country.
A few ideas that might help you along Zousha. All of these are characters that my friend and I have come up with as possible PCs for Skull & Shackles.
Tian Dominance: Based on the famous asian pirate Ching Shih, it would be pretty cool to run a tian prostitue working out of Port Peril (there are plenty of Tian in the shackles, specifically Tian-Min and Tian-Sing I believe. Throughout the course of the AP she would obviously grow and live up to her namesake, who stood against coalitions of nations and won, by standing up to a nation backed by Hell itself.
The Albatross: Tengu have a reputation as 'jinx eaters' in The Shackles, including a supposed aura of good or bad luck based on who you ask. This Albino tengu could go along the lines of a witch, hexcrafter magus, or perhaps sorcerer, swashbuckling through the shackles while maintaining a reputation of ill tidings for all his foes.
Born of the Ocean: A half sea-elf brought into the conflicts of the surface world, insofar as ships and coasts go, could be a really fun character to play. A ranger, cavalier, or druid could be really excellent, capitalizing on an aquatic mount or animal companion. A gillman could work well with this idea too.
Dead Tom's Dead!: What started as a comedy idea derived from Dead Tom of Muppet Treasure Island turned into a rather feasible concept, that would require some work with your GM to accomplish.
Dead Tom would work with any character concept, but particularly well with one that begins with a low Con score or Fortitude save. The island you crash on in the first book is infested with ghoul fever. Working with your GM, Dead Tom would catch the fever and die, rising as a ghoul. Uniquely, he's a very lively ghoul, and using feats from the Monster Codex, passes off as a human for as long as he can. What's really interesting about this character idea would be the struggle as 'Tom' wrestles with his former self and the gnawing hunger taking over his body.
I hope some of these ideas help spark more of an interest in a Skull & Shackles character.
@Dreaming Psion: That's an awesome lead-in for this awesome PbP. Naturally, being a PbP, it contains spoilers, but you can just look at the very beginning and then look at the character sheets. Fair warning: DM Barcas did a major and apparently much-needed rewrite of the first chapter of the AP, getting rid of the cheesy railroad start that every other S&S PbP I looked at has (which makes me conlude that the cheesy railroad start that ties into the tropes in the original post is in fact the original start, even though I don't have the AP myself). It does funnel into a different railroad later on that leads into the rest of the AP, but it is one with a much more interesting track layout. Unfortunately, this PbP went inactive, but it sure was awesome while it lasted.
The characters are anti-slavery freedom fighters and eventually privateers working unofficially for Andoran.
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Just be clear that it is a Pirate campaign that includes, well Piracy. My advice is not to create a character that is not interested in Piracy or Pirates.
That said, you can watch Black Sails for a whole range of new character types including a roguish ships cook John Silver, the cunning but cowardly Jack Rackham, the brutal but damaged Anne Bonney, the ruthlessly efficient self loathing Captain Flint, the feisty but naive Helena Guthrie and the murderous but loyal Captain Vane.
This is almost compulsory watching for anyone about to start a skull and shackles.
Play someone more like Han Solo? He could work on a pirate ship. Look at some sci fi for space pirates. You might get something new out of that.
If you're looking for something else entirely, you could always play the old really stupid really lost barbarian.
While technically not pirates, the bad guys of 300: Rise of an Empire can be portrayed as pirates. They basically take what they want with force. Something any pirate would do. And the god guys use tactics and skill, also something pirates would value.
/cevah
Here are two ideas off the top of my head:
- The renegade naturalist, unable to find funding for his expedition, decides to try his luck with a gang of scalawags. While he may seem a man of high society, his knowledge and wits make him a surprisingly adept combatant, well suited to the pirate's life.
- The good man in bad circumstances, captaining a pirate vessel because it's the only way he can get the money he needs. Maybe it's to save his sick spouse or child. Maybe he owes some unsavory organization a little too much money. Either way, he's only doing this because he has no other option, and tries his best not to stoop to the level of a petty criminal. He has a code of honor, and strict rules, but genuinely cares for people's well being. Of course, in his business, a bit of evil is necessary sooner or later. Will he fall to sin? Or will he prove that there is such a thing as a "Good" pirate?
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I think my Skull & Shackles character is very non-stereotypical and blends into the campaign very nicely.
He is an ex-slave of Mwangi descent and is a voodoo witchdoctor of sorts. Witch with the hedgewitch archetype with a monkey familiar. He first started as a cook and is now the ships surgeon. He has cannibalistic tendencies so has made for some great roleplaying when it comes to preparing meals, with the crew not quite sure what is in that stew they are eating.
I based the character of this image I found of a witchdoctor.
I took the prehensile hair hex, just imagine those dreads coming to life and grappling you.
Oh, and here is a link to the custom mini I made for him.
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Your characters in the AP start off shanghaid onto the ship. You could be any kind of traveler who has fallen into the pirate life.
My character is a semi exiled teifling nobleman from Cheliax. he is an alchemist and part of his confiscated black surgical bag is a degree in both alchemy and medicine from Egorian University. He has become an enthusiastic pirate after the mutiny on the man's promise. He is both the ship's surgeon and master of munitions.
I base his personality heavily on House MD.
Well others have already noted the exotic sailor.
But you should also remember pirates have to work as part of a larger criminal enterprise. Southern are many types of characters that might be included. Local fence who was short cutting the wrong people out of his deals and was targeted for getting pressed ganged as pay back. This character is going to understand deals be street smart and be looking for how to negotiate. He knows how to sail because everyone knows in the shackles but his real skills are face skills, and crafting.
Every criminal enterprise has wise careful planners even if they have to get their hands dirty. Born from Game of Thrones is this type of character.
The Ironborn from Game of Thrones have a Viking in the age of sail feel. Taking things by force is a virtue and the right of the strong.
Don't let the Western lingo and dusters fool you the show Firefly is a pirate adventure. A disgraced or defeated soldier from a nation or dead cause makes for a great pirate. Take Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly former freedom fighter from a dead cause now captain of a ship trying to steal a little bit more to just keep going.
Here's a few racially based pirate ideas I came up a few years ago when considering a game of S&S.
The elven scholar/explorer: He came to the Shackles in order to better understand humans and their instincts, he was sent as junior aide with an expedition meant to examine the Eye of Abendego and the surrounding locales, flora and fauna (human settlements included). Then tragedy struck. Now he's the only survivor of his expedition, left alone with a crew of murdering unwashed bloodthirsty pirates as sole companions. This is the first time he's not under the direct supervision of one of his teachers... this is what real adventure tastes like... and he loves it!
The halfling avenger: He's out for blood. As a slave on a Chaelish boat he suffered pain, degradation and humiliation. He saw his friends and family get slaughtered when deemed unfit to serve the cause of her diabolical majesty. His hate festered and grew until finally an opportunity presented itself. When the pirate sails were spotted the crew tried its best to outrun them but but incidents kept happening. A ripped sail there, ropes falling into the sea. Until, somehow the helm broke. There was no time to ascertain responsabilities. The pirates had closed the distance and fell on their wounded prey like a school of barracudas. The fighting was fierce and the halfling saboteur, having ridden himself of his chains a long time before, joined the pirate cause. In the end they won and the halfling reclaimed his freedom and joined the pirates. Despite his race's fame he's actually broody and rarely smiles, unless he's plounging his knives in the back of some unfortunate slaver. He's free and woe betide anyone who tries to strip him of his hard earned freedom...
The dwarven innovator:He never fit in. Dwarven society with all of its rules and rigid protocols was not for him and he knew it from an early age. Despite all of his brilliance bordering on genius when dealing with volatile components and gunpowder he was never going to carve a place for himself surrounded with people obsessed with tradition and cautious development of procedures. So he did the most logical thing: he fled along with all the alchemical reagents he could appropriate: He had heard about the Shackles, it seemed exactly like the place where a dwarf of his talents would be appreciated...
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The Voodoo Mystic She is in touch with the native spirits and religion of the area, and uses her power to guide her crew to fortune.
Examples: The Voodoo Lady from Monkey Island, Tia Dalma PotC.
The Kuru Cannibal Exiled from his tribe for breaking some taboo or another, the Kuru Cannibal finds himself aboard a ship. Kept around because a shark-toothed warrior with knowledge of flora and fauna of nearby islands is both useful and terrifying.
The Huge Pirate Strong enough to fight with an anchor, or carry a cannon under her arm. She is a mighty pirate indeed.
The Swindler A charismatic liar who does not deserve any of the praise or accolades that he finds heaped upon him. The Swindler is okay with a sword but better with his words. The Swindler will sell booty for more than its worth, and cheat at cards to win a new ship from under its captain's nose.
The Sea Witch Something nameless and ineffable beneath the ocean calls to her, grants her strange magics and gives her purpose. She travels with these pirates to forward her own horrifying agenda, an agenda which only aligns with the goals of the Shackles Pirates for now.
I highly recommend the filk group, Boogie Knights, for all sorts of reasons; one of them is their original tune (they usually do parodies, a la Weird Al Yankovic), "Buccaneer Rap" from their song list. Among the folks who decided a sea voyage was a Good Thing:
The runaway peasant boy who couldn't pay his taxes and would've been sold into slavery as a result;
The smith who, while minding his own business at the end of a long day, relaxing in the local tavern, was in the wrong place when some incredibly obnoxious, drunk soldiers picked a fight and three of them wound up dead;
An elite guardsman of a ruler who sought to outdo Zeus, Jupiter, Odin, and every other horny patriarchal deity in the Prime Material Plane single-handedly (or with some sort of appendage...); the poor sod of a lookout guard was ill one day and the king got caught by his queen;
A gentleman rover who got one of his rich paramours "in the family way" and fled an honorable but unwanted marriage;
An earnest freedom fighter whose revolution attempt failed;
A medieval/Renaissance astronomer (potentially awesome navigator!) who had a falling-out with The Church on his official stance on the sun, the planets, etc. (probably not an issue on a polytheistic world)
You get the idea; anyone can have a reason for not sticking around "where they belonged." French Foreign Legion at sea. The cool thing about pirates in places like Riddleport and the Shackles is they pretty much don't give a crap what you are (being Chaotic helps with that), they'll diss you like they do everyone (Equal Opportunity Dissers). If you can keep what you have, good for you; they might actually respect you! If you can't... ;->
LB
The Indoctrinated Victim: Not everybody enters the world of piracy (or the navy) willingly. Some were once innocent souls forcefully kidnapped and taken aboard the ships to join the crew or merely act as a hostage. Living through the hell of abuse, the character later identified with the crew and became one of their own, or at least pretended to until better options were available. A character like this is likely to be a fish-out-of-water everyman, though their skills may end up being useful in unexpected ways.
Examples: Rokuro "Rock" Okajima (from Black Lagoon), Patricia Hearst (not a pirate, but an individual whom experienced a similar situation)
The Campy Shipmate: ARRR! This buccanneer be all th' stereotypes rolled up into one scenery-chewin' ham! Parrot on th' shoulder, big hat, eyepatch (despite th' fact both his one good eye be good), huge bloody hook, e'en huger bloody beard, an' o' course speakin' like International Talk Like a Seafarin' hearty Day be everyday! Th' character may co'er himself flour or perform other similar shenanigans t' scare meddlin' kids away from his dubloon an' other such booty! He may nay e'en be a real buccanneer, but merely a villain on a cartoon show wi' a highly formulaic, mystery solvin' plot.
If ye need t' learn how t' speak like a gentleman o' fortune, ye can use this translator thin', ya scallywag who ortin' t' be keel hauled! ARRR!
What about a fallen paladin who seeks redemption, but is currently caught up in being a pirate?