Return of The Kung Fu Pirates! (my D&D 3.5 campaign idea)

[BuddhaRhubarb]

I've been thinking about doing a Pirate-campaign setting in D&D 3.5. My ideas for a 4.0 game never happened as everyone involved realized they didn't want to play 4.0, including me.

But I've been playing a few different 3.5 games recently and have been getting the urge to DM. My ideas are weird but it's what I want to try. The backstory is where the kung fu comes in. Each PC (I have a group in mind already) has 1 level of Monk and the Monastic Training feat which gives them the chance to advance their Monk levels as well as whatever new levels they gain. Everyone has 5 Actual levels. so they could have whatever combo is reasonable and fits their stats etc.

The story is that These PCs were all orphans from "Port Freedom" an Island Freeport to the south that is a den of villainy and sodomy or something. As children they were sent to a far off Monastery/Orphanarium, and grew up training specifically as Monks, and having shown abilities and skills that could be useful, put into an accelerated program and started training (or received a gift/pact) a second level in a new disciple (any basic class)...

after the second level they were each sent off on their own as wandering adventurers, and they made their own fates as they went. Now as each has gotten to this point (5 actual levels) The Master (Rash) of their order, The Band Of The Golden Handed Fist has called them to their long forgotten hometown Port Freedom.

The Band has come under secret and not so secret attack from The Local Dread Pirate King a former band Monk now a Warlock and Dread Pirate as well. His gaze is said to make the saltiest old sailors pee their pants.

The Group all had been in different areas all working on ships for whatever cause they deemed correct. They are given a small Ship and told to make a name for themselves as a local crew of adventurers. Eventually they will come to the notice of the pirate king and then they either will gain his confidence and try to bring him down. The Crew is given much latitude in how they accomplish this as it's a long term quest that they won't even be able to try for at least a year. there are things to do first. Including re-discovering their hometown. Master Rash will contact them if he needs them to adjust their mission parameters at all.

He'll be watching.

I want to do a standard city adventure at first getting the feel of the place, then have a sea faring adventure or two, back to the city, have a delve under the city, then back out to sea to the Big Boss Dread Pirate.

or something. Any other sources I should be looking at for pirate themed stuff?

[crazy canuck]

The biggest problem you are going to encounter is that there isnt really anything out there in the DnD world that can simulate battles between ships. 

Also, you might want to rethink having a "king of pirates".  It runs against the historical grain to have pirates recognize a king of anything.  Much better to have them as democratic and free spirited as they were historically.  That kind of chaos gives you much better room for story development.     

Why didnt you like 4.0 btw?

[BuddhaRhubarb]

The biggest problem you are going to encounter is that there isnt really anything out there in the DnD world that can simulate battles between ships. 

Also, you might want to rethink having a "king of pirates".  It runs against the historical grain to have pirates recognize a king of anything.  Much better to have them as democratic and free spirited as they were historically.  That kind of chaos gives you much better room for story development.    

Why didnt you like 4.0 btw?

actually in 3.5 there's a book called Stormwrack which has such ship info. All the ideas are in the very early stages. The only thing I'm tied to right now is the Monk multi-classing thing, and that part of the set-up.  and I'll take your ideas under advisement.

4.0 seems too WoW like. too much like a superhero RPG. I already play one of those. Also not one of the three groups I play with sometimes has one person who is still playing 4.0 many of them tried some games, but all of them went back to 3.5.

I do think it is however a good intro to tabletop for newbies, especially those used to MMORPG games.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I'd play 2nd Ed if I could.  Plenty of cheap source books now adays.

Let us know how it works.

[Galrion]

The biggest problem you are going to encounter is that there isnt really anything out there in the DnD world that can simulate battles between ships. 

Also, you might want to rethink having a "king of pirates".  It runs against the historical grain to have pirates recognize a king of anything.  Much better to have them as democratic and free spirited as they were historically.  That kind of chaos gives you much better room for story development.     

Why didnt you like 4.0 btw?

actually in 3.5 there's a book called Stormwrack which has such ship info. All the ideas are in the very early stages. The only thing I'm tied to right now is the Monk multi-classing thing, and that part of the set-up.  and I'll take your ideas under advisement.

4.0 seems too WoW like. too much like a superhero RPG. I already play one of those. Also not one of the three groups I play with sometimes has one person who is still playing 4.0 many of them tried some games, but all of them went back to 3.5.

I do think it is however a good intro to tabletop for newbies, especially those used to MMORPG games.

If you're looking to update your 3.5 materials you might want to look into Pathfinder. http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG 

The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is an evolution of the 3.5 rules set of the world's oldest fantasy roleplaying game, designed using the feedback of tens of thousands of gamers just like you. Players need only the single 576-page Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook to play, while the Game Master who controls the action will also want the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, a massive tome containing more than 350 fantastic foes for you adventurers to face. The Pathfinder RPG is a fully supported roleplaying game, with regularly released adventure modules, world sourcebooks, and complete campaigns in the form of Pathfinder Adventure Paths like Council of Thieves and Kingmaker.

The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game has been designed with compatibility with previous editions in mind, so you'll be able to use your existing library of 3.5 products with minimal effort. In fact, the Pathfinder RPG is designed to smooth over a number of the rough spots in the 3.5 rules set, making several existing books even easier to use. On the other hand, the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game contains numerous additional options and exciting new takes on classic character classes and races, infusing the game with a level of excitement that will carry it years into the future.

Don't own it myself, but it seemed interesting.

[The Brain]

I've had The Master Rash for quite some time now.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

I've had The Master Rash for quite some time now.

Heh. I was hoping someone would make that joke.

@galrion. I've thought about pathfinder. may look into it. never played, but know of games going on.

Friend of mine picked up "Stormwrack" for me yesterday. I like it. will definitely use it as my main source book. Going to also get a some O'Brian books and whatnot. there is a Tim Powers book that I'm trying to remember- has good magical Pirate stuff. It will likley take me several months to get this off the ground.

I'm going to cadge together the locales from Stormwrack with some stuff of my own and whatever else relevant i can find.

[saskganesh]

heya. sounds like a fun campaign.

I'm sure there are some independent d20 supplements for naval stuff. I know there is Rolemaster Sea Law which could be jigged up for d20 (its d100), which you could acquire from the usual suspects and plunder for some ideas. also: look into any sort of 17th-18th century pirate/muskateer type RPG's, there is bound to be a few out there.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

heya. sounds like a fun campaign.

I'm sure there are some independent d20 supplements for naval stuff. I know there is Rolemaster Sea Law which could be jigged up for d20 (its d100), which you could acquire from the usual suspects and plunder for some ideas. also: look into any sort of 17th-18th century pirate/muskateer type RPG's, there is bound to be a few out there.

yeah I was thinking about whether there might be some other game. I'm going to watch some Pirate movies too.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Found some other D20 materials (mostly Green Ronin stuff like "Skull & Bones") to cadge stuff from for my campaign as well as a nice illustrated History of Pirates book, to go with the other Pirate materials I've gathered incidentally over the years. It's going to take me a few months to get ready, as I have other hobby projects and actual jobs to do also.

[crazy canuck]

I highly recommend this book

http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Blue-Water-Americas-Catastrophe/dp/0307236609#noop

[Lettow77]

4.0 is clearly for skubfags.

Then again, 3.5 never wowed me either. What happened to honest to goodness halflings? 2.5 was where it was at.

Oh well, Call of Cthulhu is still wonderful.

I like your campaign idea, but its true that naval combat is going to be mostly narrative due to a lack of good underpinning rules.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

I highly recommend this book

http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Blue-Water-Americas-Catastrophe/dp/0307236609#noop

looks good. thanks.

[Scipio]

I highly recommend this book

http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Blue-Water-Americas-Catastrophe/dp/0307236609#noop

That is a fucking great book.