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Hi there,
I am relatively new to the pathfinder card game (i have only played a couple scenarios in rise of the runelords previously), we just purchased the skull and shackle box set but the whole ship angle confuses me.
Who is in control of the ship at any given point? How does one move the ship/anchor it? So I need to move the ship card, or is there a token as to where its currently docked? Can people move to other locations when not on the ship? How important is the ship mechanic to the game and is it worth playing a character that benefits more from it?
Probably lots more questions to come since I could not seem to find a comprehensive guide to figure out how it works.
Your ship is more of an abstract thing.
The Scenario will tell you if you need a ship and if the ship is docked anywhere.
If the ship is not docked, then it's being commanded by the person whose turn it is. Everyone at that location is on the ship. If the commander moves, other players at that location cam choose to move with them.
If it is docked, then everyone at the location where the ship is docked is on the ship. Someone is in command if they are at that location while it's their turn.
You don't need to move the ship around; either place it where everyone can see it (not docked) or at the location where it is docked.
Hope this gets you going. :)
In Skull and Shackles, you always have a ship. Choose one of the ships checked off on your Fleet Card.
The back on the scenario card, where locations are listed, will tell you if your ship is anchored, and if so where.
Place the ship card next to the scenario card. You will never move it.
If it is your turn, you are commanding the ship. Everyone at the same location as you is on the ship. Even if you move, this rules applies. You are commanding the ship at your new location and everyone at that new location is now on the ship
When you move (during your move step of your turn or by using a card or power) everyone on the ship can move with you, but they don't have to.
Place the ship card next to the location it is docked at. You will never move it.
If you are at the docked location, you are on the ship. If it also happens to be your turn while you are at that location, you are commanding the ship.
Others can not move with you when you move.
You can only encounter another ship if you are on a ship. If something would make you encounter a ship while you are NOT on a ship, ignore it.
If you defeat another ship, you get to stash 1 plunder card.
Lots of things can deal Structural Damage to your ship. Just because you aren't on or commanding your ship doesn't mean it won't be dealt Structural Damage.
If you fail to defeat another ship, your ship takes Structural Damage equal to the difference of the difficulty and your results.
Other things, such as closing locations, may also deal you structural damage.
When your ship is dealt Structural Damage do the following:
-Apply powers on the ship or other cards in play.
-Play cards or use power that reduce structural damage.
-Discard cards to reduce by 1 per card.
-If unwrecked ship is dealt any damage, it is wrecked.
If your ship is wrecked, flip it over to the "wrecked" side.
Other characters cannot move with the commander.
Any damage dealt to a wrecked ship that is not reduced by powers, playing cards, or discarding cards from your hands is discarded from the blessings deck.
At the start of your move step, you may attempt the repair check listed on the wrecked ship. If you succeed, flip your ship back over, it is no longer wrecked.
At the end of your turn, banish 1 plunder.
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Another detail: When the Scenario says that your ship is anchored somewhere, that place is the starting location of everyone at the beginning of the scenario.Place the ship card next to the location it is docked at. You will never move it.
If you are at the docked location, you are on the ship. If it also happens to be your turn while you are at that location, you are commanding the ship.
Others can not move with you when you move.
We forgot this so many times.
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So I want to do an example:
Merisels Turn: Everyone is at Shark Island, so Merisel is pilot. Merisel goes to Ale house, Lem and Oloch follow, where as Feiya stays on Shark Island.
Is the ship now at the Alehouse? Or next round when it is Feiyas turn is she the pilot and now magically back on the ship if she decides to move else where?
Technically, the ship isn't at Shark Island or at Ale House. When your ship isn't anchored, the game never cares about where your ship is. (Also, the term is "commanding" in the game, not pilot.)
That is the mechanism in the game. Your ship is just a card. It is sitting there by the scenario card. On Merisiel's turn, she is considered the commander. So anything that cares about who is commanding a ship cares about Merisiel. Anyone at the same location as Merisiel is considered on the ship.
On Feiya's turn, Feiya is commanding the ship. Anything that cares about who the commander is cares about Feiya. Anyone at the same location as Feiay is considered on the ship.
Now, thematically, if you want to imagine this, then yeah, what you describe is essentially what happens. If you want, imagine you've hired a crew and that includes a pilot, let's call him Pilate. Merisiel is commanding the ship. She tells Pilate to take her, Lem, and Oloch to the Ale House. At the end of her turn, she tells Pilate to leave them all there and go back and let Merisiel command the ship.
The important break between theme and gameplay though is that you don't get to move at the end of the turn. Just because the game jumps from from Merisiel commanding at the Ale House to Fieya commanding at Shark Island doesn't mean anyone gets to move from Ale House to Shark Island between the turns. The ship doesn't create a new part of the turn for you to move. It just lets others tag along with you if you move while you are the commander.
Chief Technical Officer
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It's really best not to think about the ship's position—your mental picture is making it seem a lot more complicated than it actually is.
Assuming the ship is not anchored, there are really just two things to think about:
• If it's your turn, you're commanding the ship.
• If you're at the same location as the commander, you're on the ship.
That's it.
So when it's Feiya's turn, she's commanding the ship. Anybody at her location is on the ship. It's literally that simple.
Now, thematically, if you want to imagine this, then yeah, what you describe is essentially what happens. If you want, imagine you've hired a crew and that includes a pilot, let's call him Pilate. Merisiel is commanding the ship. She tells Pilate to take her, Lem, and Oloch to the Ale House. At the end of her turn, she tells Pilate to leave them all there and go back and let Feiya command the ship.
Clarifying correction.
I still don't understand the ship. What purpose does it serve? If I'm not to think about the ship's position it seems superfluous. It "solves a problem that doesn't exist."
Story-wise: You're pirates, so you have a pirate ship.
Mechanics-wise: The ship cards serve a dual purpose. You occasionally fight ships, so the ship cards have checks to defeat and special powers much like a bane. When commanded by the players, most ships have a power that generally involves discarding cards from the blessing deck to do something. Some also reduce structural damage you might take, limit how many plunder cards that ship can carry, and a few other things.
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I still don't understand the ship. What purpose does it serve? If I'm not to think about the ship's position it seems superfluous. It "solves a problem that doesn't exist."
After Rise of the Runelords, each later Adventure Path has had some mechanics changes and twists.
For Skull and Shackles, it was ships and movement. Parody touched upon it. The ship is there for the theme of the adventure path. The rules for ships are how it functions in the game. If you look at the locations, you're traveling to islands and coastal locations.
For Wrath of the Righteous, it was Mythic paths and corruption and redemption. So Mythic charges were introduced and rules on how to use them were given.
Mummy's Mask will be triggers, traps, and the Undead. (And more!)
But all of these things tie into the theme of the adventure paths. So when you say it "solves a problem that doesn't exist", you're not looking at what the adventure path theme is all about. The ship isn't solving anything. It's how you move in that adventure path from place to place with the ability to drag others with you.
Theyron Stormrune: Your answer was what I needed to hear. I was misunderstanding the theme. Theme is very important to me, and my Guild lead was good at expressing it. For example, that Valeros could use a "scroll" Spell of Acid Arrow, despite not having Spells on his initial Cards List.