Dread Pirate Without A Ship

[Palanan]

One of my players is working up a prospective dread pirate for my seafaring campaign, which seemed appropriate at the time. The PCs are starting at fourth level, and she's planning to take the PrC at sixth level.

For most PrCs, this wouldn't be an issue, but one of the requirements for dread pirate is a ship worth 10,000 gp. This could be a bit of a problem, because depending on how things go, a likely vessel may or may not be available. (You know, plot and all that.)

So, here's the rub. I don't want to contort the storyline just to get her a convenient ship at exactly the right moment. But I also don't want to delay her character's advancement if she reaches sixth level and the storyline has taken them far away inland, as it might.

Since, by definition, a dread pirate without a ship or crew is hardly game-breaking, I'm thinking of letting her take the PrC even if a ship isn't available. This would essentially make her a Rogue 2/Swash 3 with free TWF. But I'm not sure if this is a good solution, or even if I should be looking for a "solution" per se.

Fact is, I'm not really sure how to approach this, so I'd appreciate some thoughts.

[Shadowknight12]

Let her already own a ship (to qualify for the PrC), but contrive a reason she can't access it until you see fit. Say it has been stolen (and you have a side-quest to retrieve it if you want), say the Guard/King/Authority has commandeered it for the time being and will be returned to her at the utmost brevity (yeah, right), say it is in heavy disrepair after a storm/attack/etc and making it seaworthy again will take a while. You know, so on and so forth.

[Weirdlet]

Consider that the Dread Pirate PrC basically offers the advantages and reputation of a gang leader or crime boss, regardless of whether land-based or able to travel by sea. Only the Seamanship class feature is really specific to anything to do with ocean travel, and things like Acrobatic Charge and Steady Stance effectively work out to being a really flexible ninja-type rogue, since they aren't labeled 'only works on a ship'.

Instead of the ship itself as a requirement, see what amount of loyal followers would be necessary to crew it, and have recruiting and whipping that number of folks into shape be the activity that earns the reputation.

[gorfnab]

You could have the group find a Folding Boat as part of some random loot. If you combine it with a Field Provisions Box (MIC) your party would then have both an easy source of food and transport for 10,000gp.

[gbprime]

Let her already own a ship (to qualify for the PrC), but contrive a reason she can't access it until you see fit. Say it has been stolen (and you have a side-quest to retrieve it if you want), say the Guard/King/Authority has commandeered it for the time being and will be returned to her at the utmost brevity (yeah, right), say it is in heavy disrepair after a storm/attack/etc and making it seaworthy again will take a while. You know, so on and so forth.

Maybe her ship's been stolen away by the first mate who promoted himself to captain. The crew then sailed away and got themselves turned into undead by stealing a chest of cursed golden... uh... on second thought, that one's been done to death. :smalltongue:

[OracleofWuffing]

Well, it says that the ship must cost 10,000gp, and that he must be able to freely operate it on the open seas. Doesn't say how big it needs to be. So... Um... Jewel-Encrusted Model Yacht (http://youtu.be/rr3I78YCWd4)?

E: It could even work as a rain check. If the campaign ever gets to where he can get a real boat, you can have a guy who owns a boat trade him for the model.

[Mystify]

You can have them acquire the deed to the ship, and they are allowed to operate it, but since they are inland, they don't actually have physical access to the ship to use it.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Weirdlet
Instead of the ship itself as a requirement, see what amount of loyal followers would be necessary to crew it, and have recruiting and whipping that number of folks into shape be the activity that earns the reputation.

Good point about the gang-leader aspect, and this is a good suggestion. I'd been wondering how to work the reputation aspect, if she takes a second level with still no ship in sight. This could be the answer to that part.


Originally Posted by Mystify
You can have them acquire the deed to the ship, and they are allowed to operate it, but since they are inland, they don't actually have physical access to the ship to use it.

...And this is just excellent. This opens...real possibilities. :smallbiggrin:


Originally Posted by OracleofWuffing
So... Um... Jewel-Encrusted Model Yacht?

She has one of those pound-o'-dice bags. That might hurt.

:smalltongue:

[OracleofWuffing]

She has one of those pound-o'-dice bags. That might hurt.

:smalltongue:

Well, sometimes thee DM has to take a hit for the benefit of the players' enjoyment... Or buy a steel DM Screen.

[DarkestKnight]

the character could just run around with what seems like a small toy boat, but is actually a ship that someone has thoroughly abused with shrink object. they might even strive to later make it resume it's normal size by saying toy boat five times really fast.

[Snowbluff]

...a very expensive ship in a bottle... Found in some rich person's house.

[memnarch]

Probably doesn't fit the setting in the slightest but..... airship? :smalltongue:

[Palanan]

You'd be surprised. I hope the players will be. :smalltongue:



...And once she sees one, she'll have to have one. At least I have time to prepare.

[Venger]

Probably doesn't fit the setting in the slightest but..... airship? :smalltongue:

there's airships all over the place in eberron. might fit

[Flickerdart]

10kgp is 100,000sp. So for the cost of just over 3k, and some carpentry (4th level means you'll have a check around +10, so hitting the highest general DC on taking 10, so 400sp of progress a week) she can finish her ship alone in just under five years.

Forty apprentices (taking 280sp per week) will raise that to 100 total through Aid Another, for 10,000sp of progress per week, meaning that if you can round up a crew before you even have a ship, your shiny boat can be done in only ten weeks, paying the apprentices a total of 280gp. Obviously the more untrained chumps you can get to help out, the faster the boat will be done.

[Nerd-o-rama]

there's airships all over the place in eberron. might fit

Airships (and Stormships, magically-powered sailing boats) in Eberron are all technically controlled by the Half-elf Mafia House Lyrandar the Half-elf Mafia, and they're all constructed by the Gnome Mafia. That said, an Excoriate hireling with a Mark of Storm or a very creative contract with House Lyrandar's Windwrights' Guild could allow for plenty of air privateering. I ran a rather short-lived campaign about that once, a while back. Like everything else in Eberron (Khorvaire in particular), though, you have to in theory dance around political and business complications. It's much harder to just Jack Sparrow yourself a boat when only a few members of one extended clan can operate the helm.