So, Week 1 begins!
I have am easy start here, because I already have most of the concept in mind. I want D&D Does Pirates, rather than just a lightly-reskinned D&D game. The setting becomes an important part of that - it needs to be alive and vibrant, offering more opportunities than just dungeons.
Of course, there will be dungeons, I'm not a monster.
Remember, you can play along at home - visit Ray Otus' itch.io store and download the workbook (for free!) to get started!
Tasks
Get a Notebook
Easy, got dozens of them. I am using a cheapo sketchpad from Flying Tiger; gives me room to write, doodle, and the paper is thick enough to take any clippings or things pasted in without becoming difficult. I will also be using digital notebooks; I find OneNote is amazing for this sort of planning.
Develop Your Pitch
Now, I have some of this stuff already in mind, but let's get the out on paper;
- A Living Setting - a sandbox game is nothing without a vibrant, living setting. The world changes with your actions, or without them. Make alliances, break countries, forge a new path for your characters and the world they live in. Make history! Change the world!
- It's A Pirate's Life For Me! - this game will be fairly thematically focused. Be pirates, do crimes. Explore a new world. Get rich! Live in hard and fast, enjoying your freedom all while an oppressive Empire breathes down your neck. Tonally, I want it a little gritty and a little fun. Permanent injuries (cause we want an excuse for peg-legs), difficult fights, but a sense of camaraderie and fun as well.
- Alignment Isn't An Issue - Alignment doesn't work too well in a game of grey morals like this one. While there will still be Demons and Devils, people are just... people. So no alignments for the common man. Clerics might need to live up to Codes, like Paladins, instead of following their God's Alignments. Means there is plenty of wiggle room for corrupt churches, weird cults and fighting the "good guys".
- Technology and Magic Are Marching Forward - not only are black powder and cannon changing warfare, but the printing press is changing people's lives, while magic struggles to keep up with the availability and reliability of technology. Of course, that just means Wizards have to really pull out the weird and wonderful stuff to show they're still relevant in this new world.
- Anti-Colonialist - your players are fighting for a new world of their own, while The Empire wants to take your land from you. The setting has been hidden behind an unnatural storm for generations, and has only just been released. Now, refugees from a war caused by The Empire are settling here, exploring this new land, while The Empire sees an opportunity for greater domination. Running these sorts of games comes with a lot of unchecked colonialist themes, so being aware of them and working against them is important to me.
- Simple Mechanics, Lots of Choice - I will be using a homebrewed version of Blood & Treasure for this game. I don't want to get bogged down in complex mechanics; at the same time, I want there to be something. The ability to tweak classes to fit the new theme, and even to make my own, is a big selling point. B&T hits that sweet spot pretty well. It even advertises itself as "rules light, options heavy" - perfect for my needs.
Sources of Inspiration
TV & Movies
Black Sails
One of the best bits of pirate-related media in recent years. It's got drama, violence, gratuitous hot naked men... what's not to like? It also gives a deeper look at shipboard politics, the behind the scenes actions of movers and shakers in a setting, lots of interesting mundane plots to draw from, and of course plenty of imagery to use. Seriously, go watch it!
Pirates of the Carribean
The first one, at least. It's a fun time, visually gorgeous, costuming is on point, and of course the classic "undead pirates" schtick. I expect for all my attempts at a more serious tone, this is where the players will end up. Well, either here or Muppet Treasure Island. C'est la vie.
Video Games
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag and AC: Rogue
Seriously, Black Flag is a way better pirate game than it is an AC game. Why didn't we get another pirate game immediately after this? Same basic skeleton, none of that first person future nonsense. Well, we kinda did. Rogue is interesting, for having a similar set of mechanics, with a new setting and plot (you get to play a bad guy!). Again, lots of imagery (and concept art) to borrow from. Less of the plot stuff, but who knows.
Books
Skulls & Shackles
This whole thing started with S&S, so let's use it. Lots of cool plot hooks, maybe the odd bit of dungeon inspiration (one in particular I will go into), as well as the general setup of a pirate haven harassed by an evil Empire... Yeah, I imagine a fair amount of stuff will get transferred over.
The Gentlemen Bastards Cycle
Just started the second book, but the happy-go-lucky nature of the protagonists in the face of the horrors wrought in the first book really gives a hint at the sort of shenanigans and tone I would like to strive for.
Next time I manage to visit a library, I expect to be able to pick up a few non-fiction books about Pirates for some proper reading.
Websites
Has all the info you could ever need about pirates - need a primer on nautical navigation? Appropriate slang? Period-accurate fashion? Rum reviews? Rob's your man.
Extra Credit
Make a Moodboard
I used BeFunky, a free online collage maker to do this one. Give it a go!
I might redo this as I go, add new stuff or remove other things as inspiration strikes.
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