Pirate Hero arrrrrg!

[CourtFool]

I am running a cinematic style (150/50) Pirate campaign set in the 1640's Caribbean. There is no magic or animated skeletons, sorry. I would just like to pick my fellow Hero games forum posters' brains for adventure ideas. I mean, you can only do so many sea battles and port raids.

The characters are pirates and not subject to the same 'heroic' plot hooks.

[Curufea]

Character drama-
Stoways, betrayal, mutiny, plague on ship, food poisoning, starvation, traitors, ship sinking, natural disasters.

Non-combat
Diplomacy and double dealing with other pirates.

Off-ship
Caspture and trial, deal making, ship stealing

[yamamura]

Treasure Island from Stevenson is basically a quest without magical things.

G

[tancred]

Do any of the PCs have families? Or DNPCs?
If they do, you have ready-made plot hooks.

If not, then you have to work harder. An old friend, long-lost sibling, distant cousin, former lover, former adventuring companion, or some such shows up with a tale of woe/story about a magical artifact/plea for vengeance.
Perhaps the NPC asking for help expires after finding the PC/party.

I've seen all of these used in several differnt genres.
Sounds like a fun game.

[Savinien]

Just because you know there isn't any magic, doesn't mean the characters don't know. Run some horror adventures playing on sea legends. Do it old X-Files style where there is still that question whether or not that particular treasure is cursed.

Ghost stories and hidden caves might be fun. What about a treasure map?

Privateering is another name for Piracy. It is because of the political nature of those involved. Get the pirate band involved in a quest by a particular nation and reel them in with psuedo-spy, anti-terrorist/terrorist raids along particular coasts.

Then, play the 'Are we on the right side?' card by using family and DNPCs.

[keithcurtis]

See if you can pick up the excellent ICE book, "Pirates". It's 1/2 Rolemaster, 1/2 Hero.
Here's a <a href="http://www.indianbay.net/">cool map site</a>.


Keith "Captain Helpy-Guy" Curtis

[austenandrews]

Savinien said most of what I was going to say.

I found that pirate friendships & rivalries worked best. Players heighten their game when they see flashy NPC pirates buckling swashes. Plus everyone loves to hate entertaining pirates.

[John T]

Just about anything for the 7th Sea RPG is applicable to other swashbuckling fantasy adventures. The Pirate Nations (OOP), Waves of Blood, Islands of Gold and Ships and Sea Battles would all be particularly handy resources.

John T

[Sketchpad]

I think some ports of intrigue would be interesting, as well as being offered a letter of privateering ;)

[MisterBaldy]

The original 7th Sea RPG (http://store.alderac.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=7001&Category_Code=7thSeaRPG) is definitely worth looking into, as is the GURPS Swashbucklers Sourcebook (http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/Swashbucklers/) are a couple of good places to start. ;)

[CourtFool]

Thank you for all the great ideas. I knew I could count on the board members for something other than squabbling amonst themselves.

I had not thought about stowaways. I will definitely have to use that one. I did foreshadow in the first game that the ship is cursed. I am keeping blowing up the ship (cannon ball hits the magazine or sabotague) as an ace up my sleeve. Afterall, no one put any points into vehicles.

No one has any DNPCs but the captain does have a contact pool and a reputation. I figure I can use that for a few hooks.

I did tell the players that there is no magic, but their characters would not know that. And as I said, I have already alluded that the ship is cursed.

The captain does have a an english letter of marque. King Charles I is pretty hard up on cash having to disperse the Short Parliment. Maybe he sends word that gold needs be plundered from the French and Spanish to finance his war with Scotland.

Rival pirates should be fun. A snooty French pirate captain. A friendly Dutch pirate captain that knows more about economics than sailing. Hmmm.

I have G.U.R.P.S. Swashbucklers 2nd and 3rd edition. Are you kidding? I doubt I could run this type of campaign without those resources.
I will have to look into the 7th Sea stuff.

[tkdguy]

7th Sea is an interesting setting, although the stuff I've seen pertains more to the nations of that world. I haven't seen much about pirates, although the Brotherhood of the Coast may be what you're looking for. Still, the other sourcebooks can be useful as background information.

[Starwolf]

For inspiration watch Captain Blood with Errol Flynn, IMHO probably the best pirate movie ever made.

[TheQuestionMan]

Hows about a sea shanty
http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiSASKPIR.html

ARRRRRRRR!!!!!

QM

[Michael Hopcroft]

Why not? We already have Ninja HERO.

[MisterBaldy]

You can also check out the following sites for some wonderful background information...

Pirates! Facts & Legends (http://www.piratesinfo.com/)
Legends: Pirates and Privateers (http://www.legends.dm.net/pirates/index.html)
National Geographic Kids: Pirates (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pirates/)
Pibburns.com's: Pirate Links (http://www.pibburns.com/pirates.htm). (contains many great links to info sites)
Cindy Vallar's Site: Pirates and Privateers (http://www.cindyvallar.com/pirates.html) (she also has a lot of great info and links)

I hope that helps CourtFool

[CourtFool]

Bump and rant.

Why does every role playing resource for pirates/swashbuckling have to have f-ing magic in it? If I wanted to play D&D on boats I would.

[Mantis]

Arrrr, ye scurvy ungulate.

Wikipedia has a page on Pirates of the Carribean (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy_in_the_Caribbean) which is useful background.

If you need a plot hook, some buccaneers were also explorers (William Dampier, although from a later time and different part of the world, is an example). Your group could explore uncharted territory in the region, looking for riches (information which could be sold) or a location for a base (authorities can't find you if you are hiding somewhere that isn't on their maps).

[CourtFool]

I am outlining plot threads and thought I would post here for input. Some of this may not make sense. I was just trying to capture some good stuff before it came out of the other ear. Confusinator stop reading!

Orville Jenot, the governor's son, stows away aboard the Lucky Strike. He has a crush on Katie and wants to become a pirate. He is young and naïve.

If the PCs take him back to Martinique, the governor will be grateful.
If the PCs allow him to stay aboard the Lucky Strike he becomes quite useful if not annoying.
If the PCs drop him off in some other port and tell him to return to Martinique he does not. He eventually takes up with another pirate ship and will come back to haunt the PCs. The governor will be angry at the PCs.
Le Aguila, a Spanish Merchantman, is docked in Guadeloupe. Alberto Marin, a sailor aboard Le Aguila, had a brother who sailed aboard the Lucky Strike. He will seek out his brother when he sees the ship pull into port.

If the PCs attack Le Aguila, the Santa Clara, Fidel Herrera's ship, may catch them in port and attack.
Unless the PCs come up with a very good reason (this is a different Lucky Strike, they were recently recruited aboard, his brother was injured and stayed in Santiago for a couple of weeks or something similar) he will attack the PCs.
Mary Blair, the owner of Mary's, has some interesting information for the PCs. She is catholic Irish and hates the Spanish as much as Katie does. If engaged in conversation she will tell the PCs that a Spanish captain (Fidel Herrera) was in her place a couple of days ago and was looking for a female pirate. She will also tell them that Charles I desperately needs money.

If the PCs make a friend of Mary, she will keep them appraised of the situation in Guadeloupe whenever possible.
If the PCs insult her, she will get word to the Spanish captain that Katie is in the Caribbean.
Charles Houel, the governor of Guadeloupe, would like to hire the PCs to help deal with the Carib problem on Guadeloupe. When he hears a new ship is in port he will offer an invitation to the captain and officers to join him at dinner. At dinner he asks very directed questions to determine if the crew could be hired to attack a Carib village. Charles runs the island like a company. He is fair, but very business minded.

If the PCs agree to help him with the Caribs, they will earn him as a contact, however, they will earn the Company of the Islands of America as an enemy as the Company wants Charles to fail.
If the PCs decline, Charles will not hold any grudges and will ask about demand for sugar, coffee and cocoa.

[tkdguy]

Bump and rant.

Why does every role playing resource for pirates/swashbuckling have to have f-ing magic in it? If I wanted to play D&D on boats I would.
You can always use GURPS Swashbucklers, which discourages magic in that type of campaign. Also FH written for 4th Ed. HERO classifies the genre as Swashbuckling Fantasy, which says there is generally no magic in that type of campaign.

I just take what I like in a given sourcebook and remove all the magic.

[Savinien]

I am outlining plot threads and thought I would post here for input. Some of this may not make sense. I was just trying to capture some good stuff before it came out of the other ear. Confusinator stop reading!

Orville Jenot, the governor's son, stows away aboard the Lucky Strike. He has a crush on Katie and wants to become a pirate. He is young and naïve.

If the PCs take him back to Martinique, the governor will be grateful.
If the PCs allow him to stay aboard the Lucky Strike he becomes quite useful if not annoying.
If the PCs drop him off in some other port and tell him to return to Martinique he does not. He eventually takes up with another pirate ship and will come back to haunt the PCs. The governor will be angry at the PCs.
Le Aguila, a Spanish Merchantman, is docked in Guadeloupe. Alberto Marin, a sailor aboard Le Aguila, had a brother who sailed aboard the Lucky Strike. He will seek out his brother when he sees the ship pull into port.

If the PCs attack Le Aguila, the Santa Clara, Fidel Herrera's ship, may catch them in port and attack.
Unless the PCs come up with a very good reason (this is a different Lucky Strike, they were recently recruited aboard, his brother was injured and stayed in Santiago for a couple of weeks or something similar) he will attack the PCs.
Mary Blair, the owner of Mary's, has some interesting information for the PCs. She is catholic Irish and hates the Spanish as much as Katie does. If engaged in conversation she will tell the PCs that a Spanish captain (Fidel Herrera) was in her place a couple of days ago and was looking for a female pirate. She will also tell them that Charles I desperately needs money.

If the PCs make a friend of Mary, she will keep them appraised of the situation in Guadeloupe whenever possible.
If the PCs insult her, she will get word to the Spanish captain that Katie is in the Caribbean.
Charles Houel, the governor of Guadeloupe, would like to hire the PCs to help deal with the Carib problem on Guadeloupe. When he hears a new ship is in port he will offer an invitation to the captain and officers to join him at dinner. At dinner he asks very directed questions to determine if the crew could be hired to attack a Carib village. Charles runs the island like a company. He is fair, but very business minded.

If the PCs agree to help him with the Caribs, they will earn him as a contact, however, they will earn the Company of the Islands of America as an enemy as the Company wants Charles to fail.
If the PCs decline, Charles will not hold any grudges and will ask about demand for sugar, coffee and cocoa.




These look excellent to me. You could further complicate things by retconning similar situations of past exploits. Slowly mapping a politcal chart, detailing how everyone that has ever come into contact with the Lucky Strike feels about them and what they might do to help or hinder the ship and its crew.

Great stuff, CF!

[AmadanNaBriona]

I absolutely LOVE the Pirate Genre. I tend towards "magical" pirate games, but definitely NOT "Pirate D&D"... More "Horror Pirate Hero". "On Stranger Tides" by Tim Powers is one of my ATF books on the genre. For a more realistic look, "The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd" is a phenomenal read. It might piss you off tho. It sure did me. The injustice in Kidds arrest and execution is appaling to anyone with a sence of fair play. The hardest thing I've had to overcome is getting players and fellow GM's to drop the Swashbuckler genre tropes. I like my historical fantasy somewhat, well, historical. I prefer things to be a bit more harsh, even in my more fantastical games. Other people have compliled a great list of ideas for adventure hooks, so rather than repeat them, i'll just chime in with a last idea for a game, one that I never did get to run.... The Sargasso Sea is another great classic bit, one that is usually played for semi mystical flavor, but could just as easily be used in a straight game... Imagine trying to refit a badly damaged ship while stuck far at sea on a dead calm drift of seaweed, with nothing but the wrecks of other becalmed ships as available sources for parts. Add sharks, searing heat, a lack of fresh water, mutinous crew, political infighting among the crew, spoiling food, disease from rotting corpses in the ships you are plundering, possibly even crazed cannibal survivors from prior wrecks, and the possibility that the attackers who crippled your ship the first time finding you becalmed... it could get very tense.

[CourtFool]

These look excellent to me. You could further complicate things by retconning similar situations of past exploits. Slowly mapping a politcal chart, detailing how everyone that has ever come into contact with the Lucky Strike feels about them and what they might do to help or hinder the ship and its crew.

Great idea, especially since the Lucky Strike is cursed. Formerly known as Lady Synchronicity. I have not decided how to drop this one on the PCs yet. I want to give them some background on LS before they find out they are on her. Of course I do not want it to be too obvious either.

[Mantis]

I am outlining plot threads and thought I would post here for input. Some of this may not make sense. I was just trying to capture some good stuff before it came out of the other ear.This write-up reminded me of the old Traveller book, '76 Patrons'. It then occurred to me that some SF RPG material is just 'pirates-in-space' anyway, so if you are looking for plot seeds, don't discount SF material as a potential source.

[Savinien]

Great idea, especially since the Lucy Strike is cursed. Formerly known as Lady Synchronicity. I have not decided how to drop this one on the PCs yet. I want to give them some background on LS before they find out they are on her. Of course I do not want it to be too obvious either.

Cursed? :eek:

I thought your 'pirate world' didn't believe in that sort of thing...

doing something to the Caribs might be a great chance to lean towards voodoo and the tension that could create with player idiosyncracies making characters tense. Of course, you'll have to have that toothless pirate in the pub tell a story of what a houngan once did to the group of pirates that raped her and left her for dead...

This sounds like a great game. Ever think of taking it on-line?

[CourtFool]

Seafarers are notoriously superstitious. Just because there is no magic in my campaign does not mean people do not believe in magic.

I say 'cursed' simply as a plot device or GM fiat. Whatever bad things I want to happen to the ship, do. When the PCs earn another ship I will not hit them with so much bad luck. Neither of the characters paid points for a ship or followers. I figure that gives me free reign to make the ships whatever I want and the crew as unruly as I find amusing. Do not get me wrong. I am not out to stick it to my players. I am just trying to make it interesting and taking some creative liscence.

I would seriously consider taking this campaign online if I had the time and there were enough interest. If my current group were to disband I would consider runing this online.

[tkdguy]

I was looking at FH last night, and I thought the following package deals would be appropriate for a nonmagical pirate campaign:

Mariner: Self-explanatory

Merchant: The main target of the pirates. Sea trade is at its apex.

Crusading Priest: A missionary. Just remove all magic and (probably) weapon skills.

Light Fighter: These could be marines.

Archer: Just replace bows with flintlocks.

Martial Artist: Extremely rare. However, you can have a sailor who is adept at boxing, wrestling, or savate.

Commander: This could be an officer of the Queen's Navy or the Royal Marines. Or he can be an exceptional captain of a merchant ship.

[CourtFool]

Martial Artist: Extremely rare. However, you can have a sailor who is adept at boxing, wrestling, or savate.

Great catches but I would disagree that Martial Artist should be extremely rare. Fencing itself gives you the English School, the French School, the Italian School and the Spanish School.

There is also Sevillian Knifefighting which, according to the UMA, was invented in the 1600s.

And certainly a bawdy tavern or a boarding action is a perfect place for Dirty Infighting/Fisticuffs/Cinematic Brawling.

Maybe it is just my style of play which leans towards cinematic and away from realistic, but I have never had a problem with allowing a street thug to buy a couple maneuvers.

[tkdguy]

You're right; the armed martial arts would definitely be appropriate to the genre, as would brawling.

[Mantis]

Seafarers are notoriously superstitious. Just because there is no magic in my campaign does not mean people do not believe in magic.Beat me to my next suggestion! Arrrrr!

Okay, here it is: the pirates come across a lone small merchant ship well away from the normal trade routes. Its sails are furled, it is flying no flags, and it appears to be drifting. It does not respond to warning shots or hails. Moving in, no movement is seen, no shots are fired. Curiously, it bears no nameplates, so it cannot be identified.

Boarding it, it is found to be abandoned, and in fact, there is no sign of anyone ever being aboard. There are no personal effects, no provisions, no cargo. The ship's boat is missing, but the ship itself appears to be whole, hale, and perfectly seaworthy.

The backstory: In 1610, the remaining Moors in Spain were forced to convert to Christianity or be expelled to North Africa. The Moors who were expelled were known as 'Moriscos' and some of them took up piracy against Spanish Christian vessels as their new profession.

A group of these Morisco corsairs captured a trio of Spanish ships and decided to sail them to the Caribbean and continue their piratanical activities against the Spanish infidels there. However, they did not realise the difficulty and danger of such a lengthy sea voyage, and the group suffered losses from injury, disease, and malnourishment as a result. It reached the point that they no longer had enough fit, able-bodied crew to man all their vessels efficiently, so they transferred the crew from the smallest vessel to make up the numbers on the others, and abandoned it. However, since they were near to their goal, they did not scuttle it. There plan is to return in one ship to the point of abandonment and hopefully relocate it in a few days once they have landed and established their new base. The exact fate of this expedition, and whether or not they do return to claim their prize, is up to the GM (note that in appearance, language, action, and weaponry - haggard Moors in traditional dress and wielding scimitars - the Morisco will be unlike any other inhabitant of the Caribbean, and maybe worth including for this reason alone).

The Reaction: The abandoned, creaky and nameless ship will quickly be regarded as a 'Ghost Ship' by the superstitious crew; an NPC should use the term 'Ghost Ship' even before she is boarded. Her appearance will be unlike any other ship in the region, being from the Mediterranean and not intended for long sea voyages such as she has just survived. Any incident or accident or illness that befalls a crewman while aboard the Ghost Ship will quickly become the fault of the 'spirits' that 'haunt' the ship. [In fact, if the GM decides the biggest issue facing the Morisco was a simple illness, like gastroenteritis or influenza, then anyone who boards the Ghost Ship will come down with the same illness, although anyone who doesn't stays healthy]. Whether they are ultimately able to sail this ship to port, claim salvage and/or convince authority that it is not stolen is up to the GM.

[CourtFool]

Thanks for the hook, Mantis.

To illustrate my point about magic allow me to present some highlights of Island of the Damned, an adventure for Skull & Bones. The basic premise is that a pirate captain hires the PCs to help him recover his treasure from an island not on the charts. Fairly simple and straight foward? This much I can use. The captain though...is a monkey. A monkey! Yes, transformed by a bokor. O.k. that is going to need a re-write. Still salvageable. So the monkey hires the PCs and navigates them to this island that only he knows about. How many islands exist that were not mapped in the 1640s? I mean, I do not mind one or two, but I want to keep things fairly true to life. I digress.

So the PCs plus one monkey land on Isla de los Maldecidos and trek across the length of it until they find a plantation. Did I forget to mention the roaming monster table? That will just be tossed completely out except I may use the former crew member of the captain's that is stranded on the island. Of course the plantation is nothing more than a dungeon just better squared off at the edges; complete with traps and monsters. Can you hear the sarcasm dripping from my keyboard yet? O.k. so I replace some of the monsters with guard dogs. That seems reasonable enough to me. The magical traps are going to have to go. The worst part? the major encounter is suppose to include the zombified remains of the captain's crew. Oh, and the monkey/captain just wants the magical artifact (whoa, didn't see that one coming) which controls aforementioned zombified remains.

This will take some major re-writes. O.k. So the former crew are not zombies. They are scouring the island to find the captain's burried treasure. That could lead to some interesting role playing as the PCs try to figure out who is telling the truth; captain or crew.

The adventure is still usable, but it does require some serious overhauls. I thought D20 was really trying to push out of old molds, but, honestly, tell me this is not D&D on boats.

[Mantis]

I thought D20 was really trying to push out of old molds, but, honestly, tell me this is not D&D on boats.Okay, its AD&D on boats :p.

Reminds me of the adventures I got for Top Secret (published by TSR) many years ago. They were straight ports of D&D adventures, with underground "bases", finding "krugerands" instead of treasure, and fancy guns and gear instead of magical swords and items. These would have been so easy to port to D&D.

Here's a suggestion: the boat hits an underwater obstacle near an island and is holed beneath the waterline, and has to be hurriedly beached so it can be repaired. Due to the extent of the damage, a significant amount of timber of a minimum length is required. In the distance, a stand of trees can be seen which look suitable candidates to provide repair material. A party from the crew must set off on a trek to collect and return with the timber needed (the ship's boat is too small to carry enough men and equipment for the task. Or it will meet them there. Or can get the men there, but not back. Or something to make them walk.). At least you can use the map for this :).

Add a mad hermit who hates outsiders, and/or some aggressive island fauna, or a bunch of weird voodoo cultists, or whatever, if you want to add spice to the journey. Again, if they are mysterious and sneaky, make creepy wailing noises in the middle of the night, and generally give the impression of being supernatural, then the players may think something 'magical' is happening when it is not.

[Savinien]

Seafarers are notoriously superstitious. Just because there is no magic in my campaign does not mean people do not believe in magic.

I say 'cursed' simply as a plot device or GM fiat. Whatever bad things I want to happen to the ship, do. When the PCs earn another ship I will not hit them with so much bad luck. Neither of the characters paid points for a ship or followers. I figure that gives me free reign to make the ships whatever I want and the crew as unruly as I find amusing. Do not get me wrong. I am not out to stick it to my players. I am just trying to make it interesting and taking some creative liscence.

I would seriously consider taking this campaign online if I had the time and there were enough interest. If my current group were to disband I would consider runing this online.

Egad! I thought you meant it was cursed game mechanically. I absolutely agree with your definition of cursed. Love it!

[tkdguy]

Here's a fun little game you may enjoy:

http://www.wizkidsgames.com/pirates/

[CourtFool]

Here's a fun little game you may enjoy:

http://www.wizkidsgames.com/pirates/

Are you kidding? I picked up two packs last weekend so I would have minature ships. Thanks for the tip, though. I was reading the short stories yesterday for plot hooks.

[Haerandir]

I've played in a pirate campaign, and one way of freshening things up is to diversify your criminal enterprises. Between a couple of ambitious and inventive players and the somewhat lunatic schemes of our NPC captain, our pirates devoted a fair amount of their time to smuggling, kidnapping, pillaging, espionage, shipbuilding, merchant ventures, hotel management and anti-piracy patrols.

Sure, some of those things at the end there may sound legitimate, but we managed to make crimes out of them, anyhow.

[tkdguy]

Are you kidding? I picked up two packs last weekend so I would have minature ships. Thanks for the tip, though. I was reading the short stories yesterday for plot hooks.
You can also run a few ship-to-ship battles in between rpg sessions and use the results as part of the campaign's continuity.

[tkdguy]

Wow, that sounds like a campaign I'd like to play. I wish I lived in Boston.

[CourtFool]

---Long---

I love me some vice. I just finished season one of Miami Vice. When are they going to release season two?

Miami Vice Hero was one of the campaigns I offered up to my players for a campaign. Not surprisingly they passed and went with Pirate Hero Arrrrrr. I do not blame them. Not everyone is a Vicie or Vicer. But as I sat watching the flamencos scurrying about while the credits rolled I wondered how I might use the episode in my current campaign.


The episode was Lombard. I thought I would post some notes on converting a 20th century cop show into a 17th century pirate tale. Synopsis provide by www.miami-vice.org (http://www.miami-vice.org/) Albert Lombard is aboard his yacht, having a conversation with his son, Sal. It's obvious the two don't get along.


O.k., the names will need to be changed but at least they are on a boat. And a father/son disagreement is universal.
Miami vice cops sneak aboard the yacht, neutralize Lombard's henchmen, and make their way on deck, where they serve Lombard with a subpoena to testify in court against a criminal named Labrizzi.


I could have the PCs come across a merchant ship where there is an obvious confrontation on the poop deck. I just love saying 'poop'. The PCs strike the Jolly Roger and the ship immediately surrenders. They are really not in the mood for a fight. Besides, 'Lombard' is a notorious pirate in his own right. Surely the PCs will leave his ship unmolested once they discover whom they are dealing with.
After the cops leave, Lombard talks with his friend Charlie, and tells him he has no intention of ratting out Labrizzi.


Assuming the PCs do not kill 'Lombard' he makes it a point to inform the Brethren of the Coast (BotC) that the PCs attacked a fellow pirate.
At the OCB, Castillo recognizes that Al Lombard is between a rock and a hard place because of his immunity agreement. If he testifies, he's dead; if he doesn't, he'll go to jail on contempt of court charges. Castillo orders the vice squad to keep Lombard alive.
Someone tells the PCs who 'Lombard' is and that they have made a bad mistake. If they only took him prisoner, they could release him at this point and avoid a lot of grief.

Charlie goes to meet Labrizzi in a soda shop [My Boy Lollipop]. Labrizzi feels certain Al will testify, and asks Charlie if he's ready to take over Lombard's action. Charlie nods his agreement.


The soda shop will have to be a tavern, The Rock Candy. Again, more name changing…'Labrizzi', a high level member of the BotC finds out what happened to 'Lombard'. He decides this is a perfect time to move in on 'Lombards' action. Maybe a particularly juicy region of the Caribbean.
Later, Lombard has lunch with friends. As he's leaving the restaurant, two hired guns attempt to assassinate him. Lombard is shot, but was wearing a vest, and escapes relatively unharmed.


The PCs hear rumors that assassins made an attempt on 'Lombard'. They figure out that there is dissention amongst the BotC.
A warehouse owned by Labrizzi is torched, presumably by Lombard's people. Crockett and Tubbs go to visit one of their snitches, Augie, at the dog track, to try to find out what's going on. Augie doesn't know much, but promises to sniff around.


The PCs hear more rumors that 'Labrizzi' was attacked.
Sonny and Rico then pay Lombard a visit, offering to put him under protective custody. Al declines.



The PCs offer to throw in with 'Lombard' or maybe not. I would need to come up with some kind of hook why they would care at all about an internal war that has very little to do with them. Maybe 'Lombard' showed mercy to one of the PCs at some point.
Lombard's men catch one of Labrizzi's thugs, and Lombard tries to get him to cough up the name of the person who set him up. The man points at Charlie. Even though the man has complied, Lombard concludes the meeting by having him shot. He has other things in mind for Charlie; he orders him to set up Labrizzi.


More behind the scenes stuff. 'Lombard' finds out one of his most trusted officers is two timing him. The scurvy dog.
That evening, Lombard receives a call from Charlie. He did set up Labrizzi, but things didn't work out exactly as planned, so Al needs to get out of town for a while. Charlie says he's prepared all the necessary papers for Al, and that the two need to meet.


Things are really getting hot in the Caribbean for 'Lombard'. 'Labrizzi' is leaking information to Spanish pirate hunters where 'Lombard' is. 'Lombard' plans to meet up with 'Charlie', the scurvy dog, to dig up some treasure to finance a trip to Europe until things cool down a bit.
Al leaves his yacht to rendezvous with Charlie, with Crockett and Tubbs tailing him [Wire]. It quickly becomes clear, as Al and Charlie face each other, that Charlie intends to kill Al. The two vice cops prevent this from happening by shooting Charlie before he has a chance to shoot Lombard. Now, Lombard is taken into protective custody and transported to an old apartment complex comprised of small, single-residence buildings.


The PCs find out the location of an un-named island the two are going to meet at and arrive just in time to see 'Charlie', the scurvy dog, fire on 'Lombards' ship. More assumptions that the PCs help 'Lombard'
Lombard sends Tubbs to get the fixings for a vermicelli dinner and, over the meal, Lombard tells the story of how he got into the criminal life and became estranged from his son. An undercurrent throughout this episode is a strange appreciation, even admiration, which Sonny Crockett develops for Al Lombard. He's a hard guy not to like. There's something about Lombard with which Sonny identifies - perhaps his loyalty, or the honor code, of a sort, that Lombard lives by. It's never completely clear.


The PCs prepare to take 'Lombard' to the Ivory Coast where he can pillage and plunder a while until things cool off in the Caribbean.
The next morning, Lombard asks to go for a walk. Crockett and Tubbs escort him into the courtyard. As Lombard is doing a little stretching, a truck pulls up and shooting erupts. As the vice cops are busy trying to stop the truck and the people in it, Lombard slips away.


'Lombard' pleads with the PCs to make one last score before heading off for the Ivory Coast. Afterall, he is going to need a little sumptin' sumptin' to finance his piracy once he gets there. Assuming the PCs agree and attack a ship, 'Lombard' manages to take over one of the ships and sail off.
Al goes to visit Sal, who berates him for never having been there for him when he was a kid. Lombard clearly wants to make amends. Sal insists that the only way that can happen is for Lombard to testify. He also wants his dad to stick around and tells Al that he loves him. Lombard agrees to testify and go into the witness protection program.


'Lombard' heads straight to [insert port city here] where his son is.
He spends his last evening before the court appearance on Crockett's boat. He has a talk with Sonny, telling him that he and Crockett are a lot alike. Crockett disagrees because, he says, he has never murdered anyone. Crockett then accuses Al of the murder of a woman named Barbara Carol, but Lombard claims he wasn't the one responsible for her death. Al Lombard does appear in court the next day, with his son waiting proudly to hear his father testify.


The PCs should figure out where 'Lombard' went and catch up to him. 'Lombard' refuses to give up piracy in the Caribbean much to the chagrin of his son and the PCs.
When the moment comes, Lombard takes the fifth and refuses. His son angrily leaves the courtroom. Al tells Sonny that he will never rat out his friends, and it's clear that Sonny respects that stance. In the final scene, Lombard leaves the courthouse in his car. Two men in another car immediately begin following him. They are carrying some big guns.


A week later the PCs learn that 'Lombard' was captured by the Spanish.

[Mantis]

For this adventure, you could make the PCs Privateers, operating under a Letter of Marque. Then they would be like 'cops' and would have reason to react the way you want them to react.

[altamaros]

For this adventure, you could make the PCs Privateers, operating under a Letter of Marque. Then they would be like 'cops' and would have reason to react the way you want them to react.Not even that; the "pirate" society in the Caribbeans had laws anyone respected so it's posible that the PCs could be designated (or elected if you prefer) as investigators by their fellow pirate citizens.
Pirates invented the concept of "medicare" after all.

[Markdoc]

Here's some other ideas.

Based on your proposed ideas, the players are going to have some people pissed off at them soon. A friend of one of these people pretending to be a "contact" can let them know about a spanish treasure galleon which is taking a solitary route while the loudly proclaimed "treasure fleet" acts as a decoy. The treasure galleon is really a man o'war trolling for pirates. When /if the players escape they're probably going to want to talk to their informant :) Finding him/her and finding out why they stiffed the players is an adventure in itself. It might lead to more conflict with the rival/enemy (always good to have a defined enemy or two)

Take a page from real life. Henry Morgan led a pirate army across the isthmus to attack Panama. Since the players already have a letter of Marque, introduce an annoying noble with a plattoon of Royal Marines turn up and suggest a profitable looting expedition of a Spanish town (with a royal command, of course). While fortified against a sea attack it might be vulnerable to a surprise assault from the landward side. They'd probably need to do a deal with some other pirates, involving a certain amount of diplomacy. It'd give your pirates something different to do - swamps, crocodiles and possibly annoyed Carib.s to start with, then a battle and storming the walls, followed by looting and escape.

If you want, they can escape with a map showing the route of the real treasure fleet hidden in among the loot (they can find it later, letting you split this story arc up with another adventure in between) - they'd need to gather a pirate fleet to have any chance of taking it (maybe try sneaking some pirates on board disguised as honorable but lusty seamen before the fleet sails, maybe involving their companions from the town escapade), and even if they do, they'll have their work cut out keeping a share of the spoils after the battle - treachery among pirates and all that.

At the end of that, they'll be established pirates with both contacts among the English (and possibly Dutch) and enemies among the Spanish, to provide plot hooks. And if you play it well, one of their erstwhile pirate allies will sail off with most of the loot, leaving them with several chests of stones. They'll need to find him, extract the location of the place where he's buried the loot (he's tattooed one half of the map onto the back of two different slaves...). Even when or if they get it back, they'll need a base and to outfit their own ship, and some way of using their ill-gotten loot (start a merchant business on the side, or a plantation, or etc, etc)

cheers, Mark

[AmadanNaBriona]

A couple more inerseting tidbits, percolating up from my barely awake brain...
Remember that you have some freedom to play with isolated colonies of critters that are extinct and or never documented in the modern age. Gives you a bit of the "monster" element without breaking credibility. The example that made me think of this was from the book I mentioned in my previous post (The Pirate Hunter). As late as the 17th century, IIRC, there was documentation of a tribe of people with very sensitive and partially prehensile tails. The Catholic Missionaries were scandalized by some of the things the natives did with these tails (use your imagination....) They are now gone, thanks to disease and interbreeding, but back in the day, you got to see a lot more of this kind of thing.
Another idea, less of a "bit" and more of a theme, is again taken from Cpt. Kidd. He set out as a Privateer, who's crew turned pirate when they failed to take any prizes. This is a particularily evil and tense thing to pull on players, but can be a good start for "good guy" pirates... Hunted by the crown for going renegade while at the same time trying to track down your former flagship and retrieve it from the mutineers, while trying to find a way to clear your name or earn a pardon...
Just hope you don't end up the way Kidd did.

[CourtFool]

My group has missed a few sessions so we decided to do some e-mail updates until the next session.

The captain and the surgeon are in Martinique taking on supplies. They were asked by the governor to bring back food stuffs because they were recently hit hard by a hurricane.

The surgeon decided to honor any diner invites from the governor and spend some time in the local taverns while they are provisioning. I am sending him the following update:

You gain the following from your dinners with Lord Beuregard:

Lord Beuregard, governor of Martinique, has two daughters, Alice and Laetitia, and one son, Orville. Orville is the oldest being of 13 years of age. Laetitia is 12 and Alice, the girl who had the tumor, is 10.

Lord Beuregard felt stifled in Paris. He was a wealthy, land-owning baron. Despite his wealth, or perhaps because of it, he was looked down upon by higher ranking lords. He felt that moving to the Caribbean would get him out from under their disdainful glare.

Orville is brimming over with curiosity, especially about sea adventures. He also shows quite an interest in a certain female captain. His father intends him to attend university at Paris. Orville seems resigned to his father's wishes.

Lord Beuregard has been having problems with the local Caribs. They will attack the out-laying plantations and then disappear back into the interior jungles. He does not want to risk pulling too many of the local garrison to go chasing after them.

Most of the ventures in Martinique were financed by The Compagnie des îles d'Amérique (The Company of the Islands of America).

Martinique does not have trained doctor and Beuregard offers to hire you on multiple times.

King Charles I (England) is in real financial trouble. There is talk he may recall parliament.

England and France are at war with Spain.


You gain the following from your slumming:

The Company of the Islands of America are only concerned with turning a profit.

Many ships of questionable repute make dock in Martinique and trade with the port. As long as they do not make trouble, Beuregard turns a blind eye.

Who cares if England and France are at war with Spain, we just want some food!

The surgeon does have Conversation, High Society and Streetwise so I thought this was reasonable. It is not as detailed as I would like; me being a perfectionist and all. I just want to try to keep things going while I work the cobwebs out of my brain.

[tancred]

You are SO giving me ideas for TravellerHERO! :)

One of the best Traveller games I ever ran, all the players wanted to be pirates. My GM PC and the main character had both been pirates, and both mustered out with a pirate cruiser. They sold one of their ships to get the money to up-gun the other one.

Then the whole crew went on a pirate rampage, that lasted for about 5 years (game time). They were wildly successful, but got bored.
So they went legit, opened a shipping line, and made more money in 6 months as legit merchants than they had the whole 5 years they were pirates.

If I get to run TravellerHERO anytime soon, I WILL be using this material. Good ideas, oh llama!

[CourtFool]

Good ideas, oh llama!

Oh stop! You are making me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Curiously, the only reason I am running this campaign is because the GM who was going to run Traveller Hero baled.

[TheQuestionMan]

Pirate Movies
http://www.geocities.com/captcutlass/Film.html

Pirate Resources
http://pirateshold.buccaneersoft.com/pirate_movies.html

Cheers

QM

[TheQuestionMan]

Pirate - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate

Cheers

QM

[Andrea]

Hi,
I agree in a certain way that pirate and generally seamanship adventures tend to be repetitive but if the overall feeling is similar the plot twists can be numerous. And also the situation can be varied enough to keep the player entertained ( they must love the genre nevertheless...)

I think that the best inspirational writer in this field is James Nelson with his books about the Brethren of the Coast ( historically perfect for your setting)and the Revolution at Sea ( can be adapted with not much effort).

Among the book consituting the two series the Maddest Idea is the one most ripe with ideas... you got Bermuda and New England and a lot of interesting situations for your players to face.
I don't want to spoil the book so if you want a brief synopsis I can send one to you via email.
Then you can consider to adapt some adventures that were created for Run out the guns, the pirate game that ICE ( Rolemaster) supported for a brief period. i don't know the availability but at the website www.guildcompanion.com (http://www.guildcompanion.com) you should be able to find some used in conventions.

Ciao
Andrea

[Lethosos]

You may even want to run around on the Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates (http://www.puzzlepirates.com) forums for some thoughts from the regulars. They may be even willing to give you plot ideas and useful things for Pirate HERO.

But I would be careful if they start nitpicking about the differences between a cleaver and a scimitar...

[CourtFool]

The campaign has been put on hold indefinitely. It never got going the way I would have liked. I think this has a lot to do with my GMing style and the expectations of my players. Something I will have to address in future games.

Some people expressed an interest in this campaign online. While I do not think I could commit to a specified time block I might be able to run a Play By Post or e-mail campaign if people were interested in that sort of thing. I have a wife and two year old daughter that like to monopolize most of my time but I could commit to a weekly update. Any takers?

[Savinien]

I am in. And, if no one else is interested... I'm all you need!

W00t!

[CourtFool]

Well, apparently, I have all I need. :D

I will set up a Yahoo group.

[CourtFool]

While I am working on the campaign...

Early Firearms



Cost Power END
Matchlocks
3 1) Arquebus: RKA 1d6+1 (20 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
4 2) Caliver: RKA 1 1/2d6 (25 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
3 3) Matchlock Pistol: RKA 1d6 (15 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
5 4) Musket with rest: RKA 2d6 (30 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
3 5) Target Rifle: RKA 1d6+1 (20 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]

Wheellocks
2 1) Belt Pistol: RKA 1d6-1 (10 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
4 2) Horse Pistol: RKA 1d6+1 (20 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
5 3) Jager Rifle: RKA 2d6 (30 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
2 4) Pocket Pistol: RKA 1/2d6 (10 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]

Flintlocks
5 1) Blunderbuss: RKA 2d6 (30 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
5 2) Brown Bess: RKA 2d6 (30 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
4 3) Charleville: RKA 1 1/2d6 (25 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
4 4) Durs Egg Holster Pistol: RKA 1d6+1 (20 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
4 5) Fusil: RKA 1 1/2d6 (25 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
3 6) Highland Pistol: RKA 1d6 (15 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
4 7) Musketoon: RKA 1 1/2d6 (25 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
3 8) Naval Pistol: RKA 1d6 (15 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
5 9) Pennsylvania Rifle: RKA 2d6 (30 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]
3 10) Wogdon Dueller: RKA 1d6 (15 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time; -1 1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Jammed (-1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) [1]

Basically ripped off from G.U.R.P.S. Swashbucklers.

[CourtFool]

It occurred to me that a lot of space is taken up with the same limitations. Really, the only differences are die of damage and wheter it is a pistol or rifle (Requires Two Hands).

Increased Reloading Time did not print the length of time (that is annoying). It should be a Full Turn. Fantasy Hero suggest allowing this to be shortened to Two Full Phases with a successful Fast Draw roll.

There probably should have been some negative range modifiers for the weapons. There are already quite a few Limitations on the firearms and since I am running a cinematic style campaign I did not think the extra work would really add any value. Those wanting a more realistic game are free to add some Side Effects (Negative Skill Levels).

[CourtFool]

Once again I am exploring the Pirate genre. I thought I would throw some characters together in case I ever had a chance to run a pick up game and needed some pre-generated PCs. I do not have any background because my imagination is a little rusty these days. Basically, this is a priest, who, for whatever reason, has found himself on the outs with the church and now runs with Pirates. For those of you familiar with Firefly, I was thinking a little of Shepard Book.


Fernando de la Vega

Val Char Cost
10 STR 0
12 DEX 6
13 CON 6
10 BODY 0
18 INT 8
16 EGO 12
20 PRE 10
10 COM 0

2 PD 0
3 ED 0
3 SPD 8
5 REC 0
26 END 0
22 STUN 0

6" RUN 0
2" SWIM 0
2" LEAP 0
Characteristics Cost: 50

Cost Power
12 Blessing: Luck 4d6, Delayed Effect (+1/4), Usable Simultaneously
(up to 4 people at once; +3/4) (40 Active Points); OAF (-1),
Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), Only to Activate,
Character May Take No Other Actions, -3/4), Gestures (-1/4),
Incantations (-1/4)
Powers Cost: 12


Cost Skill
12 +4 with Conversation, Oratory and Persuasion
0 AK: Spain 8-
0 Acting 8-
3 Bureaucratics 13-
0 Climbing 8-
0 Concealment 8-
3 Conversation 13-
0 Deduction 8-
3 High Society 13-
3 Linguist
0 1) Language: English (basic conversation; literate) (2 Active Points)
1 2) Language: French (completely fluent; literate) (4 Active Points)
0 3) Language: Latin (basic conversation; literate) (2 Active Points)
0 4) Language: Portugese (completely fluent; literate) (4 Active Points)
0 5) Language: Spanish (idiomatic; literate) (5 Active Points)
3 Oratory 13-
3 PS: Priest 13-
0 Paramedics 8-
3 Persuasion 13-
0 Shadowing 8-
0 Stealth 8-
0 WF: Clubs, Unarmed Combat
Skills Cost: 34

Cost Perk
4 Fringe Benefit: Priest,
Right to Marry: Can perform the marriage ceremony
Perks Cost: 4


Total Character Cost: 100

Base Points: 100
Experience Required: 0
Total Experience Available: 0
Experience Unspent: 0


You may notice the lack of Disadvantages. This was intentional. It is quite possible that the aforementioned imaginary pick up game that may or may not ever happen may very well be with people who are not entirely familiar with the concept of Disadvantages. In general, I find people rarely play the Disadvantages of pre-generated characters. Yes, I could make them all something other than Psychological Limitations, but I find it rather difficult to come up with enough points out of the other categories. Besides, if I find a group interested and they like the characters, I could let them come up with 50 points worth of Disadvantages on their own and then run 100/50 which is what I probably would have run anyway.

[Vondy]

They need a naval nemesis - perhaps a spanish commodore sent to deal with them. And pirate stories are ripe for romance - perhaps the daughter of the governor who wants them destroyed falls in love with one of them - or perhaps their foes seize the saucy tart they have a soft spot for? And then, a rivalry with another pirate crew and a race for lost treasure might be in order. I also agree the absence of magic doesn't mean you can't play up on legends and the like. Also, what if ju-ju zombies are just people in a deep drug-coma? And then we have islands with natives and death drums! (of course, that's a south pacific thing, but hey...). You could also throw in hapless missionaries ala Nate and Hayes. And what about political intrigue - the area is dominated by the portuguese and spanish at this point in history IIRC, but the british are pushing for control of the area. A shifty british business man giving them information on shipping in a local port may be more than he appears... and, of course, there's the silver train - and the AMAZON! You could run a lost city adventure!

[Lethosos]

You might want to keep an eye out for Pirates of the Ceruclean Ocean, a campaign setting based off of the interesting background of Puzzle Pirates. There's still some stuff I need to do before starting, but it's intended to be open-format Wiki-based, with outside work allowed. I just need to state some rules, declare certain conventions off-limits, and so on so on...

[Roter Baron]

For adventures take a lot at the old Hero Games supplement PIRATES! For older but still good stuff (if you can get it you'll get it for cheap) take Falshing Blades "High Seas" adventure module and Skull & Crossbones "Pieces of Eight" by FGU. Each module has 3 respectively 4 adventures and some plot hooks/ adeventure ideas thrown in.

For a good read on pirates' myth and reality take a look at David Cordingly, Under The Black Flag. The romance and reality of life among the pirates, New York (Random House) 1996

There are probably more recent ones out than this one but I found it an informative, entertaining, educational read - and it has a kick-a$$-skull cover!

The old Privateers & Gentlemen might also be worth a look but it is set in the late 18th/ early 19th century - so probably out of the desired timefrmae.
Not many history books sport a cover like that!

[Savinien]

Can you ever really get enough Pirates!?

[CourtFool]

No.

Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/973/973.txt)

[Captain Obvious]

Dude, that version doesn't have Pyle's awesome pictures!

http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/PylPira.html

[CourtFool]

I have revived my Pirate Hero campaign at my local gaming store. It is currently a 'pick up' game so I do not know who will be playing from session to session.

The PCs were all guilty of some crime which the punishment was being sold into slavery and shipped to the Caribbean. They killed the slavers and appropriated the ship and managed to make port in Martinique. Conveniently, they are low on gold, food, the ship has no canon, they have no crew and none of them are experienced sailors. I would like to keep them on the island for a bit as I did a bit of research on Martinique and I would like them to use it as a base of operations.

The town is currently under a 'curse' and the local militia attempted to apprehend one of the party as a witch. The 'witch' ran away and the party did not really bite on the 'curse' hook so I think I need to try something else. I am planning on attacking the town with pirates. It should be pretty difficult for the PCs not to get involved. After helping defend the town from pirates they will be heroes and gain an audience with the governor. Then I plan to have the governor ask them to help him with the local Carib problem. I am thinking he asks the PCs to retrieve something from the Caribs but I can not come up with a good MacGuffin.

At first I was thinking his daughter, but why would they capture her? Why not just kill her? I need something the Caribs would keep and that is important enough for the Governor to want back. So I am turning to my fellow board members for ideas. Thank you in advance for your help.

[Balabanto]

Uh, the ship has no cannon. :)

I don't know how many priests they have among their number.

[CourtFool]

Depends on if anyone plays the priest this session.

[Captain Obvious]

At first I was thinking his daughter, but why would they capture her? Why not just kill her? I need something the Caribs would keep and that is important enough for the Governor to want back. So I am turning to my fellow board members for ideas. Thank you in advance for your help.

How about some symbolic gold-encrusted hooha that was originally taken from the Caribs? Some item of religious importance to them that is now being used as a symbol of authority.

Or maybe just a giant pearl. I'm not sure how much gold the Caribs ever had, but they had pearls. Or a weird hunk of coral. Carved like a monkey or something.

Just a little brainstorming. I think the best way to tie these things together would be to give the item some monetary value to the (French, Spanish, English...who's in charge of Martinique at this time anyway? All those places changed hands so much) and some ritual value to the Caribs. Maybe they just figured out where it was, or maybe some alignment of the stars is coming up, and they have to get the thing back quick.

[CourtFool]

Currently, Martinique is French. I plan to keep things historically accurate until dramatic liscense hits me.

Shortly after posting I remembered that I had given this hook some thought before. I am thinking I will use the governor's daughter who he believes the Caribs kidnapped in their most recent raid. He is rather fixated on wiping them off the island. They are, after all, savages and not really people.

Anyway, the thing is that his daughter, Elisabeth has run away with the weaponsmith, Guilliam de Bois. So I have an excellent excuse to drag the PCs through jungles of Martinique, toss some angry natives at them only to discover the governor's daughter has been hiding out at the local smithy. Now will they help her run away or return her to her father. Either way they earn a favor and quite possibly a hunted.:rolleyes:

[Captain Obvious]

Heh heh...cool. Very close to a no win situation, but in an interesting, non-TPK way.

So, the Curse of the Coral Monkey will remain undiscovered for a while longer.

[CourtFool]

I do not want it to feel like a 'no win' situation. Do you think the PCs may feel frustrated by the bait and switch? I am just trying to make it a little more interesting than retrieve [item] from [obstacle].

[Savinien]

I think it is a good plan and allows the PCs to decide where they want to go. There is no wrong answer and repercussions either way.

After all, they could help the daughter escape in a way that the Governor doesn't find out.

I think it is definitely a winnable scenario, they just might need to get creative.

[CourtFool]

Very true. Or even convince the Governor that it is o.k. I had not considered that earlier, but I would certainly let the characters give it a go if they think of it.

[Captain Obvious]

I do not want it to feel like a 'no win' situation. Do you think the PCs may feel frustrated by the bait and switch? I am just trying to make it a little more interesting than retrieve [item] from [obstacle].

I didn't mean no-win as in "why bother?", but rather no matter what they do, there will be some interesting outcome that will lead into other adventures.

I'm sure they won't see it as no-win anyway, from their POV. They can do whatever they want to do and it will have the consequences they intended. It will just have side effects they (most likely) didn't take into account beforehand.

[Toadmaster]

Following the model of many pirate computer games you can have a high degree of intrigue. You had the Spanish, British, French and Dutch at odds, alliances switched often. These games often track your "prestige" among the various nations, if you focus on Spanish shipping the British and French may consider you a hero, while the Spanish put a price on your head. But loyaties are often fickle, the mission you took from the British to attack a Spanish town could easily have you attacking after the British and Spanish have allied against the French. To avoid embarassment the British disavow all knowledge of your employment and sned pirate hunters after you.

Many Pirate crew were simply sailors who chose to join the crew after their ship was captured rather than taking their chances with the sharks. Many dramatic elements could revolve around this, from being part of the crew to watching for a chance to escape.

Many Privateers and Pirate hunters became wanted by the nation that initially hired them due to politics or bad fortune.

Reality was most pirates (like many criminals) led short lives of despiration and poverty that ended in a violent death, but if you are running a cinematic campaign you can include all kinds of "fantasy" elements (treasure hunts, escort important person from point A to B, transport important cargo etc) and espionage elements (assassinations, spying, sabotage the new warship in the area etc).

Also for an occasional change of pace you can have the Caribean get too hot and have the crew move over to the Pacific side, cruise the shores of West Africa, the Mediterranian or even China. All of these areas had their pirates and many Caribean pirates did journey to these areas (well maybe not China but I know they travelled to the others on occasion).

[CourtFool]

It sounds like I could run the entire campaign without ever firing a cannon. Not that I would want to, just saying is all.

[Savinien]

I didn't mean no-win as in "why bother?", but rather no matter what they do, there will be some interesting outcome that will lead into other adventures.

I'm sure they won't see it as no-win anyway, from their POV. They can do whatever they want to do and it will have the consequences they intended. It will just have side effects they (most likely) didn't take into account beforehand.

Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

Sort of like the Curse of the Coral Monkey! I'm going to use that in my pulp game!

[CourtFool]

Chaotic Curse of the Cracked Coral Chimpanzee

[Savinien]

So, which do you prefer for a Pirate PC?

Ya know, since I sent you a couple charsheets.

[CourtFool]

So I have an excellent excuse to drag the PCs through jungles of Martinique, toss some angry natives at them only to discover the governor's daughter has been hiding out at the local smithy.

No plot survives contact with the PCs. I am looking for ideas on how to help the PCs figure out the governor's daughter has run away with the weaponsmith without being too obvious or too obscure. Ideally, I do not want them to figure it out until after they had trudged through the jungle and killed a bunch of savages.

Edit: One of the pre-generated characters is a fortune teller. There is no guarantee any of the players will pick her and I imagine if one does they will attempt to divine the governor's daughter's location before they trudge through the jungle and kill a bunch of savages.

[CourtFool]

So, the Curse of the Coral Monkey will remain undiscovered for a while longer.

They will find a snuff box made of coral and carved into the shape of a sitting monkey at the Carib's lair.