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SolkaTruesilver
2008-03-29, 10:27 PM
Hi there, I am wondering if any of you played a naval campaign in any RPG, and which of these is the most appropriate.

A friend told me that D&D is a bad rule set, because the Wizards simply are overpowered on water. So.. I'm ready to hear alternatives.

(I was looking at Warhammer RPG, the ruleset sounds nice for Naval Campaign, but maybe someone actually tried it, and could tell me)

Da King
2008-03-29, 10:33 PM
I don't see how Wizards are anymore powerful on open water, but they are overpowered in general. And how is D&D a bad rule set for an aquatic campaign? There's tons of info in the PHB and DMG on running an aquatic campaign, and lots of great aquatic enemies.

Avor
2008-03-29, 10:36 PM
D&D Wizzards are overpowered period.

In one of my games there was Orc supership, the size of castle, flaming balistas, the whole nine yards.

Have something like that, the party has to get in, steal stuff, mess things up, and kill people.

But don't forget this D&D, there is crazy crap all around, underwater travel, airships, magical siege weapons, ect.

FlyMolo
2008-03-29, 10:47 PM
I haven't done anything cool with boats, but there's good rules in Stormwrack and A&EG. I used an A&EG keelboat as a model for an airship I did eventually use in my campaign. The PCs were just passengers, though.

deathbyhokie
2008-03-29, 10:47 PM
(I was looking at Warhammer RPG, the ruleset sounds nice for Naval Campaign, but maybe someone actually tried it, and could tell me)

If you can get ahold of it, the 7th Sea Roll and Keep system is designed for swashbuckling games. Wonderful system, incredible setting. However, this isn't the best system if you want the Heroes (and Villians) to be on the same level as the rest of the world. Plus, by the default system, you can only be Heroes (or Scoundrels). Outright Villiany is the sole province of the GM.

That said, Stormwrack is a D&D book that contains a ton of good information on running a sea campaign, and good rules to go along with it. We used part of it in a previous campaign, and it worked out well.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-03-29, 10:54 PM
Adventure Quest (http://www.aquest.com/AQJAERNdownload.htm) is a system based on a world covered by ocean. It's far more balanced than D&D, with more of a focus on non-combat encounters and a much more interesting magic system. I highly recommend it, though you may want to increase starting XP a bit, if you'd rather not have the players start off as complete rookies.

Collin152
2008-03-29, 11:42 PM
Oh, better far to live and die under the brave black flag I fly than play a hypocritical part, with a pirate head and a pirate heart. Away to the world across the seas, where pirates all have law degrees, but I'll be true to the song I sing, and live and die a pirate king!

DnD works just fine for naval campaigns, and wizards are overpowered everywhere, ship or no ship.
Druids, though, they get even worse.

Ascension
2008-03-31, 04:12 AM
My DM told me today about an aquatic campaign he played where the party's wizard kept unloading the enemy ship's ballistas right before they fired with Mage Hand... Beaten by a cantrip... :smallamused:

Thiel
2008-03-31, 05:03 AM
My DM told me today about an aquatic campaign he played where the party's wizard kept unloading the enemy ship's ballistas right before they fired with Mage Hand... Beaten by a cantrip... :smallamused:

That one is fairly easy to overcome. Just make the bolts heavier.
Besides, even at lvl. 20 he'd have to be very close to the ballista to make it work. Anything larger than a longboat and he'd have to board it.

Ceaon
2008-03-31, 05:13 AM
(...) Druids, though, they get even worse.
Since when have druids ever been bad? As a pirate, a sharkform druid with a flying animal companion casting storm spells could wreak serious havoc.

YPU
2008-03-31, 05:20 AM
Actually wizards are relatively more powerful on a ship, that is on a normal ship that does not have any enchantments a normal ship would have. Druid is perhaps even more powerful. The point is that fire and lighting can destroy a ship in rather short time, and a crew without a boat isn’t worth much in combat. I’m not sure a fireball would be able to destroy a ships hull, but enough spells that are.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-03-31, 05:39 AM
Warp Wood?

Grynning
2008-03-31, 05:39 AM
Ceaon - he's saying druids get MORE overpowered - and yes, they do.

I do recommend D&D for a pirate/high seas game though. We ran one starting at lvl 2 and had a blast - skill monkeys really shine in these games if you use the rules from Stormwrack. I also recommend picking up Complete Adventurer, the Dread Pirate PrC in there is fun, and Complete Warrior and Scoundrel to round out your options for swashbuckler characters.

If you really don't want spellcasters doing all the pwnage in the sea battles, I say just run a low magic game and don't make full spellcasting classes available to players. But that can be really challenging when balancing encounters if you're not familiar with the system, so maybe it's not for you.

Collin152
2008-03-31, 05:13 PM
Since when have druids ever been bad? As a pirate, a sharkform druid with a flying animal companion casting storm spells could wreak serious havoc.

Druids being ridiculously overpowered is a bad thing, kimosabe.