Archpaladin Zousha
2010-02-27, 01:53 AM
After the Nostalgia Critic's Top Ten Villain Song list reintroduced me to the awesomeness of "Shiver My Timbers" from Muppet Treasure Island, I've been interested in starting up a freeform pirate game. I'm trying to figure out what sort of a plot to set up though.
I already know that I'm more interested in a fantastical pirate world, akin to the Pirates of the Carribean movies. Magic exists, but it's not the extreme CRAZINESS of One Piece, where everyone and their parrot's got some strange power. I'm hesitant to completely bar the PCs from having access to it, but I also don't want them to depend on it either.
I also have an idea of how the PCs start out. Rather than the traditional "you all meet in a tavern," I had the idea of "you all meet in prison." The idea is that all of the PCs have been arrested for crimes real or fake, and are being held. At the start of the game, however, the island where the prison fort they're being kept in is attacked. I'm not sure who the attacker should be or why they're attacking yet (part of why I'm asking). The point is that the PCs use the chaos of the attack to escape the fort, and then they steal a naval vessel and begin their career in piracy.
Finally, I've got some ideas for concepts in the world that the PCs could run into:
The Black and White Doctor
This guy was kind of imagined as a slightly more benevolent version of Dr. Facilier/The Shadow Man from The Princess and the Frog. A charismatic "voodoo" magician who is a lot more powerful than he seems. Unlike his inspiration, however, he's not evil. Just amoral. His magic could help the PCs if they are willing to pay his prices (which, while different every time, are always a pain in the ass to pay), or he could use it to screw the PCs over if they tick him off or someone else pays him to mess with the PCs. A trickster figure, basically.
I also had the idea of having him being one of several "witches" who inhabit the Caribbean-like world the PCs live in. Beings who have powerful magic, and are extremely dangerous to bargain with. One of them would definitely be a "sea witch," much like Disney's Ursula and the character from Andersen's original fairy tale. And if you are foolish or desperate enough to seek them out, be prepared for them to royally punish you by twisting your wishes to benefit them.
The Hellriver Fleet:
This was an idea I had for the primary antagonists. It's basically five Flying Dutchmans, each of them named after one of the mythical rivers of the Underworld:
Styx
Acheron
Phlegethon
Cocytus
Lethe
Yes, I borrowed that idea from Cervantes' swords in Soul Calibur 2. Each ship is crewed by the drowned dead and they basically are harbingers of doom at sea. They also attack ships that draw their attention. A pirate once made a legend for himself by actually fighting back and sinking one of them. However, the ship eventually returned and the pirate was punished for his insolence. The PCs could capture the ships one by one, eventually unearthing the dark secrets behind the fleet and gaining five very powerful ships in the process.
I like these ideas, but I can't imagine every player will want to get involved with the occult and stuff, wanting instead to do the normal pirate stuff, pillaging and looting (but not raping, that's a line I won't allow the PCs to cross). Plus, I'm sure they'd want to fight other pirates, hunt for treasure and fight the navy too.
I'm not sure how to build a solid story that incorporates so many disparate elements without directly ripping off Pirates of the Carribean or something. Perhaps some of the better story crafters here would be willing to offer insights into how to make a fun pirate campaign story? I would greatly appreciate any advice. Thank you.
I already know that I'm more interested in a fantastical pirate world, akin to the Pirates of the Carribean movies. Magic exists, but it's not the extreme CRAZINESS of One Piece, where everyone and their parrot's got some strange power. I'm hesitant to completely bar the PCs from having access to it, but I also don't want them to depend on it either.
I also have an idea of how the PCs start out. Rather than the traditional "you all meet in a tavern," I had the idea of "you all meet in prison." The idea is that all of the PCs have been arrested for crimes real or fake, and are being held. At the start of the game, however, the island where the prison fort they're being kept in is attacked. I'm not sure who the attacker should be or why they're attacking yet (part of why I'm asking). The point is that the PCs use the chaos of the attack to escape the fort, and then they steal a naval vessel and begin their career in piracy.
Finally, I've got some ideas for concepts in the world that the PCs could run into:
The Black and White Doctor
This guy was kind of imagined as a slightly more benevolent version of Dr. Facilier/The Shadow Man from The Princess and the Frog. A charismatic "voodoo" magician who is a lot more powerful than he seems. Unlike his inspiration, however, he's not evil. Just amoral. His magic could help the PCs if they are willing to pay his prices (which, while different every time, are always a pain in the ass to pay), or he could use it to screw the PCs over if they tick him off or someone else pays him to mess with the PCs. A trickster figure, basically.
I also had the idea of having him being one of several "witches" who inhabit the Caribbean-like world the PCs live in. Beings who have powerful magic, and are extremely dangerous to bargain with. One of them would definitely be a "sea witch," much like Disney's Ursula and the character from Andersen's original fairy tale. And if you are foolish or desperate enough to seek them out, be prepared for them to royally punish you by twisting your wishes to benefit them.
The Hellriver Fleet:
This was an idea I had for the primary antagonists. It's basically five Flying Dutchmans, each of them named after one of the mythical rivers of the Underworld:
Styx
Acheron
Phlegethon
Cocytus
Lethe
Yes, I borrowed that idea from Cervantes' swords in Soul Calibur 2. Each ship is crewed by the drowned dead and they basically are harbingers of doom at sea. They also attack ships that draw their attention. A pirate once made a legend for himself by actually fighting back and sinking one of them. However, the ship eventually returned and the pirate was punished for his insolence. The PCs could capture the ships one by one, eventually unearthing the dark secrets behind the fleet and gaining five very powerful ships in the process.
I like these ideas, but I can't imagine every player will want to get involved with the occult and stuff, wanting instead to do the normal pirate stuff, pillaging and looting (but not raping, that's a line I won't allow the PCs to cross). Plus, I'm sure they'd want to fight other pirates, hunt for treasure and fight the navy too.
I'm not sure how to build a solid story that incorporates so many disparate elements without directly ripping off Pirates of the Carribean or something. Perhaps some of the better story crafters here would be willing to offer insights into how to make a fun pirate campaign story? I would greatly appreciate any advice. Thank you.