[3.X] Pirate world multiquestion.

[Yael]

I want (really want) to run a 3.X in a pirate-like setting (thank you, AssCreedIV...), I've already gathered the party, but we are all messing ourselves with the classes that will be part of the crew (any legit material allowed, from core to dragon, every book that is not homebrewed, also web enchantments.)

The setting is simple, everyone (but the captain) will start at level 1st, flaws allowed, ACFs too, standard fantasy world, connecting each campaign on one sole world (say that Eberron is a continent apart from Faeru^n, and Rokugan's just the neighbor; not messing with cosmologies, but they are being kept to each continent, weird system, but it works for us [the only homebrewed thing lol], Cthulhu Mythos also's present), so the big blue (not the track lol) will be an important part of the campaign. Everyone WILL be a pirate (good or bad to be decided.) The captain could have the Dread Pirate or the Legendary Captain PrC (Dread Pirate most likely, tho.)

For the purposes of this kind of setting, and because the crew will be a newish vessel that will do its first booty hunt, what classes would fit which role on the ship?

The captain would have the Leadership feat, but that's for the NPC crew, lesser jobs as cleaning will be done by them, but the PCs should take which classes to fill which roles in-boat?

Kinda bit of newbish questions, but I'm a newbish DM/Player.

Also need help with the captain's class entry; is Swashbuckler, Bard or Marshal a good option? Maybe a tier 3^ class would be good? For the record, he will be a human.

I don't really know if Dread Pirate or Legendary Captain are good PrCs anyway, but I think that every PrC should be used at least on "important" NPCs. Are they good? Any way to optimize?

What kind of enemies would be good as a low-challenge to a low-level ship? (Leviathan pls)

[Juntao112]

Also need help with the captain's class entry; is Swashbuckler, Bard or Marshal a good option? Maybe a tier 3^ class would be good? For the record, he will be a human.

I don't really know if Dread Pirate or Legendary Captain are good PrCs anyway, but I think that every PrC should be used at least on "important" NPCs. Are they good? Any way to optimize?

Avast! (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?327699-Shiver-Me-Timbers-It-s-Black-Jack-Wellesley!)

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, starting out, the ship will likely be small enough to be handled by a crew of just the party. I would recommend that you crack open Stormwrack and look at the ships there. A pinance sounds about right for newly starting pirates. It takes a crew of 3 to sail, and in 8 hour shifts that means 9 people total.

Now, that means a party of 4 would have to stick to shallower water and anchor at night, but if you build the world to be like the keys south of Florida (where most pirate stories come from), then shallow water would be common.

Deep water can then be used to constrain their movement and keep them away from areas you want them to be higher level before exploring.

Then, once they want to travel to deeper water, there is a magic item that reduces the crew requirements down to one. They are magic ropes that control the rigging.

Stormwrack also talks a lot about how classes fit onto a ship. A ranger can be a navigator, a fighter a marine, a wizard can control the weather, and a cleric can keep everyone fed, watered, and healthy.

[Zionara]

http://paizo.com/pathfinder/adventurePath/skullAndShackles

All you ever wanted to know about a pirate adventure, but was afraid to ask for.