Ship Actions, Rum Rations, and Pirate Weapons

Ship Actions

Life on a pirate ship is one of constant work, and for those doing the basic jobs of swabs, riggers, or cook’s aides, it leaves precious little time to themselves. Accordingly, for the purposes of game rules each day each player character will have a set number ship actions which we will resolve. A PC can normally take two ship actions each day: one during the day and one at night (think: evening). A PC can also attempt to take up to two additional ship actions during the middle watch in the dead of night, limited to those nighttime ship actions marked with an asterisk. To attempt these additional actions, the PC must make a successful Constitution check (DC 10 +4 per each action taken) or become fatigued.

The first ship action represents the daytime, squeezing in some actions while doing their daily task to keep the ship sailing. After the long, hard work day the crew assembles in the hour before dusk for the “bloody hour”—the time when punishments are meted out to the crew. This is followed by the rum ration, where each crew member drinks their ration of extremely strong liquor. The rum ration is mandatory, and the penalty for selling or spilling one’s ration is six lashes. They are then allowed to head to their bunks or other nighttime pastimes—the second ship action of the day. See the charts below for the various options for ship actions. 

I'm certain that rum rations on The Wormwood's deck will be this orderly...

Shackles Rum Ration: This strong drink is sugarcane distillate with lime juice, and it packs quite a punch. It gives a +2 Alchemical bonus to Charisma checks and the target gains the fatigued condition for 1d8 hours. For a result of one through four hours, the fatigue only affects the PC’s nighttime ship action. If the result is five through eight hours, then the PC counts as fatigued during any attempted middle watch actions (and thus becomes exhausted if they fail their middle watch action Constitution check).

Daytime Ship Actions
Work Diligently	Gain a +4 bonus on any one check for a job’s daily task
Influence	Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and attempt to influence a single NPC
Sneak	Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and briefly explore one area of the ship (the PC can make a single Perception or other skill check with no chance of detection)
Shop	Take a -2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and visit the quartermaster’s store
Shirk	Take a -2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and take time exploring one area of the ship. The PC can take 10 on a single Perception check or other skill check, but must make a check to avoid being discovered (see below)

Nighttime Ship Actions
Sleep	Go to bed early and sleep through the night (automatically recover from all fatigue and exhaustion). Cannot attempt any middle watch actions. Unless they have the Endurance feat, a PC who is exhausted must choose this action.
Gamble	Play or gamble on a game of chance or pirate entertainment
Entertain	Make one Perform check to entertain the crew
Influence*	Attempt to influence a single NPC
Sneak*	Take time exploring one area of the ship. The PC can take 20 on a single Perception check or other skill check, but must make a check to avoid being discovered (see below)
Steal*	Attempt to open a locked door or locker. The PC must make a check to avoid being discovered (see below)

Being Discovered: Instead of determining where each NPC is located and having them make Perception checks when a stealthy action is taken on the ship, the following rules for secrecy will be used. PCs make one general skill check (usually Stealth or Sleight of Hand) against a set DC for that type of action.

Attempting a stealthy action in a crowd (casting a spell with verbal or somatic components without being noticed): DC 20

Attempting a stealthy action where there is a chance of discovery (exploring a room during the day, attempting to open a locker in a room while its occupants are sleeping): DC 15

Attempting a stealthy action under cover of a suitable diversion (attempting to open lockers or search rooms while the rest of the crew are working or on deck enjoying themselves): DC 10

Failing a check by 4 or less means the PC attempting the action is merely disturbed and unable to complete the action. Failing the check by 5 or more means the PC is caught red-handed and might be turned over for discipline.

Pirate Weapons

A quick update on the pirate weapons. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the PCs get one free weapon proficiency as they go in the campaign. They can select it to begin with, or anytime they wish later in the campaign. The players can choose firearm proficiency in either the dragoon pistol or the musket (see this blog post for info on the firearms options), or can pick the cutlass, harpoon, or boarding gaff. The info below gives stats for the other options. 

	Damage (S)	Damage (M)	Critical	Range	Type	Special	Category	Price
Cutlass	1d4	1d6	18-20/ x2	-	S	-	1 Handed Martial Melee	15 gp
Harpoon*	1d6	1d8	X3	10 ft.	P	grapple*	2 Handed Exotic Melee	5 gp
Boarding Gaff	1d4/1d4	1d6/1d6	X2	-	S	double, reach, trip	2 Handed Exotic Melee	8 gp

* Attached to 50 ft. of rope. If proficient with the weapon, on a successful critical hit when thrown you can grapple the target as a free action. You can only move or damage the creature with subsequent grapple checks on your turn

Character Creation: Traits, Power/Paths, and Pirate Weapons

I posted some general thoughts on character creation in the first post (check it out here), but I wanted to make a few more points clear as people start to think out their characters. One discussion is about the background traits for the campaign and one is about power level and path. Finally there is a little section about bonus weapon proficiency that I will be giving to characters. First up, the campaign traits--otherwise known as how you ended up on this ship.

By H.R. Department we mean "Hammer Resources"

Traits
On page four of the Skull and Shackles Campaign Player's Guide (which you can purchase and download for free from Paizo at this link) you will see a section on Campaign Traits. Each character must choose one of these campaign traits, and gets to choose one other trait (listed here) to help shape the background of your character. Traits relate to where your character comes from, how they behave, and what they learned in their life before setting out on adventure. Note that traits are a great way to get "class training" in a skill that you don't already have for a class (e.g. "Sure, you're a book learned wizard but you grew up rough so you know how to Intimidate with the best of them."). While your personal trait choice is pretty open, the campaign traits all set up the reasoning why you were at Port Peril and shanghaied by a press gang from the sailing ship Wormwood.

I would generally prefer that we have variation on campaign traits, as they will really help distinguish between characters. So that said, I want to make many of the traits exclusive--it doesn't make sense to have everyone show up on the ship named after a famous pirate, for instance. Everyone should message me via e-mail with two campaign traits they would be okay with using, and I will arrange them as best I can to your preferences. The following lists have the traits and the quick-and-dirty "why you're in Port Peril" description. Any comments on the trait will be in parenthesis afterward.

Only One:
Barroom Talespinner - Decided to make a few coins telling old sea stories you've heard in Port Peril (preferably outside of archetype--so not a bard or rogue)
Besmara's Blessing - Just seem to have the luck of the pirate queen
Bucaneer's Blood - You have the surname of a famous pirate, and thought you'd try to follow in the footsteps of your forbearer
Eye For Plunder - This one we'll adjust slightly, saying that you've been in on a few heists in your day, but never on the high seas
Peg Leg - You're not a huge fan of sharks because one bit off your leg, but hey you're in Port Peril anyhow (I love this one, btw)
Ship's Surgeon - Grew up as a tradeswoman or carpenter, and turned a natural hand to being a sawbones from that experience

Any Number:
Ancient Explorer- Looking for treasure and ancient ruins
Dockside Brawler- Grew up on the docks of a port city
Touched by the Sea- Just have an affinity for the ocean

Prefer None:
Ilizmagorti Native- This one is really to connect to other prior adventure paths in the pathfinder series.

As players select them for their characters, I'll update a "character options" post which will list who is playing what, and has what trait.

I don't want to deploy a pirate crew of brain eaters against you but I will...

Power and Paths
Because we have a big group, I think that the goal really should be to play an interesting character rather than a super tricky exploitative combat character. To that end, I ask that players be generally reasonable. Central to this are a couple of things:

1) I think that I would like to have no characters that multi-class or take a prestige class in this adventure. Paizo has really made it possible to do single class builds that are very different using their archetypes system (and have been pretty publicly against multi-classing with their game rules). Given that we'll have a rather big table, to be certain that no one crosses into other folks' territory too much I am going to ask that everyone just play a single class character. If this changes your thinking on what you would play, no one's plans are set in stone yet so I ask that you just consider something that works within a single class. I think that will not only help develop clearer personas, but it will also decrease nonsense from a GM point of view (see #2).

2) Don't play the power-gaming game. Don't focus your character on being a one-combo killer, or on one particular mode of tricks to game the system to be completely powerful. The results of that are just that the DM has to either take away your toys every fight so you get frustrated, or dial up the power level such that your over-poweredness is equalized. No one wins in the second version, so prepare for the first version.  Instead, just focus on an effective but diverse character. Because selling out to combat alone means that you'll have less to do in the game (see #3).

3) Skills are of equal importance to combat ability. This module has plenty of fights, but skills and roleplaying will be a big part of every session. You can lose your ship and have every character die just with skill checks alone. Unlikely, but I know one player's ability to roll 1's. Having lots of characters who can support the ship in various roles and work with NPCs in a variety of ways will be huge.

4) Prepare for lower build points. We've got a larger group of players (6 or maybe 7), and that means lower point buys to start. The campaign is written for everyone to have a 15 point buy for ability scores. I might have us go down to that, or be in the 16 or 17 range rather than 20 as I said in the first post. Just an FYI.

Hit 'em with the curvy end!

Pirate Weapons
I think that almost everyone should be able to use a cutlass, a pistol, and/or a harpoon after their time on the ship. So for the purposes of this campaign, each character will get one "bonus weapon" choice in the course of play. You don't have to decide it now, but you can choose to either be proficient with a cutlass, harpoon, boarding gaff, or pistol when you want to pick one (normally the cutlass is martial and the pistol and harpoon are exotic) if you are not already proficient in that type of weapon. I'll record the choice when you select it, but it can be from the very start if you wish. The point of this is to encourage you choosing weapons of these types, as you can be certain that more magical cutlasses, gaffs, harpoons and pistols will appear in the game than other weapons.

Finally of course, a bit of Pirate-themed music for fun. This time everyone's favorite Pirate-Metal band Alestorm, playing my favorite tune of theirs: Keelhauled.