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[OOC] Poison'd - pirates, backstabbing, and assassinations.
robotsunshine
regular
regular
POISON'D : Pirates aboard the most terrifying vessel, The Dagger
Welcome to Poison'd, a pirate RPG created by Vincent Baker (creator of Dogs in the Vineyard, Mechaton, and In A Wicked Age - for those not in the know, the guy makes good shit). It's a fantastic game, and the PDF is only 7 bucks and 28 pages. I'll be disclosing enough rules to play by, but those looking to run it for their own groups will need the full rules - you can purchase it from Vincent's website here: http://www.lumpley.com. It's a short read, and again, it's only 7 bucks if you end up not liking it.
In Poison'd, the players all create pirates - no Captain Jack Sparrows here, mind you: real, gritty pirates. These pirates aren't sexy or charismatic - they're filthy, murderous, blasphemous, mangled warriors of the sea, full of scars, diseases, filth, greed, and blood lust. The game takes place on a pirate ship called The Dagger, formerly ruled by Captain Brimstone Jack until his untimely death at the hands of the assassin Tom Reed, a double agent sent by the King, masquerading as the ship's cook. The game starts just minutes after the captain's death, with the crew in chaos and disarray as they attempt to maintain order and forge onwards.
Players are allowed to elect one of their own as the new captain, and if he fails to live up to expectation, start a mutiny and send his ass packing. You'll engage in battles with the King's royal navy, board and plunder innocent merchant ships, spend treasure on booze and whores in harbor towns along the way, and God knows what other sorts of depravity. Politics and backstabbing are not only encouraged, but players will find they're almost necessary to getting anything done.
CHARACTER CREATION:
You're all pirates, obviously. No exceptions. First, get a name for your character.
1. Choose your character's position / occupation under Captain Brimstone Jack.
2. Which of the following sins has your pirate committed? Choose any, all, or none.
If you are particularly excessive in a certain sin, you can count it twice.
Your first stat is Devil, and it equals the number of sins you just chose. If you chose more than six sins, Devil is still 6. If you chose less than 2 sins, Devil is still 2.
Your next stat is Soul, and it equals 8 minus your Devil rating.
3. Which of the following punishments have you endured? Choose any or all, but at least one. If any were at the hands of Brimstone Jack, make note of it.
Your third stat is Brutality, and it equals the number of punishments you just picked. It can't go higher than 6 or less than 2, just like Devil.
4. From which ambitions / goals do you take strength? Choose any, all, and at least one.
Your next stat, Ambition, is how many goals you just chose, and follows the no-greater-than-6, no-less-than-2 rule as above with Devil and Brutality. (note that all stats so far except Soul follow this rule).
5. Your character's Brinksmanship is equal to the highest of Soul, Devil, Brutality, or Ambition. It represents your will to commit and to win.
6. Your Profile determines your initial advantage in a confrontation. It's like your terrifying image, natural advantage, and luck rolled into one. Here's how to determine it:
Every player starts with a gun, knife, and sword. But what else? Choose up to two, or none at all.
Also, if you want, assign a mutilation or disability to your pirate - a split tongue, lost limb, lots of scars etc.
Your Profile is [2 plus the number of items you chose from the list, minus the number of disabilities you chose (0 or 1)].
7. Introduce your pirate to the other players. Then, when everyone has done so, go back and pick someone else's pirate. Then pick one:
Example of character creation:
=========================
=========================
That's it! Once we have a crew, we'll make two more characters: the ship and the ship's company (basically, everyone will vote on a few attributes for each).
Here's a very general summary of the rules, which I'll expand later.
====================
====================
Anyone up for it? Make a character, post it here. We'll start when we get about 3-5 pirates, and we're aiming for weekend play, mostly. Then we make The Dagger and the company, get more detailed rules, and figure out the first order of business: What to do with the assassin, Tom Reed?
In this, the Year of Our Lord 1701, did end the bloody career of the pirate Captain Jonathan Abraham Pallor, called Brimstone Jack.
He did not die on the gallows, nor by the sword, nor shot in two by cannon. He died of poison, administered to him by his cook, an assassin under the King’s orders.
This is what happened next.
Welcome to Poison'd, a pirate RPG created by Vincent Baker (creator of Dogs in the Vineyard, Mechaton, and In A Wicked Age - for those not in the know, the guy makes good shit). It's a fantastic game, and the PDF is only 7 bucks and 28 pages. I'll be disclosing enough rules to play by, but those looking to run it for their own groups will need the full rules - you can purchase it from Vincent's website here: http://www.lumpley.com. It's a short read, and again, it's only 7 bucks if you end up not liking it.
In Poison'd, the players all create pirates - no Captain Jack Sparrows here, mind you: real, gritty pirates. These pirates aren't sexy or charismatic - they're filthy, murderous, blasphemous, mangled warriors of the sea, full of scars, diseases, filth, greed, and blood lust. The game takes place on a pirate ship called The Dagger, formerly ruled by Captain Brimstone Jack until his untimely death at the hands of the assassin Tom Reed, a double agent sent by the King, masquerading as the ship's cook. The game starts just minutes after the captain's death, with the crew in chaos and disarray as they attempt to maintain order and forge onwards.
Players are allowed to elect one of their own as the new captain, and if he fails to live up to expectation, start a mutiny and send his ass packing. You'll engage in battles with the King's royal navy, board and plunder innocent merchant ships, spend treasure on booze and whores in harbor towns along the way, and God knows what other sorts of depravity. Politics and backstabbing are not only encouraged, but players will find they're almost necessary to getting anything done.
CHARACTER CREATION:
You're all pirates, obviously. No exceptions. First, get a name for your character.
1. Choose your character's position / occupation under Captain Brimstone Jack.
- Boatswain - sails, rigging, anchor, cables. Day to day work of the crew.
- Boy - light labor and training.
- Carpenter - repairs on the ships, patching up the sails.
- Gunnery Master - the ship's cannons and cannonballs, the gunnery crew.
- Quartermaster - the ship's treasurer, books and accounts, and quartering of the company.
- Sailing Master - navigation and steering.
- Sailor - manual labor, gunnery, fighting.
- Surgeon - crude medical care of all aboard.
- Mate - (Boatswain's Mate, Quartermaster's Mate, Cook's Mate, etc.) Basically an assistant.
2. Which of the following sins has your pirate committed? Choose any, all, or none.
- Adultery
- Blasphemy
- Idolatry
- Murder
- Mutiny
- Rape
- Robbery
- Sodomy
If you are particularly excessive in a certain sin, you can count it twice.
Your first stat is Devil, and it equals the number of sins you just chose. If you chose more than six sins, Devil is still 6. If you chose less than 2 sins, Devil is still 2.
Your next stat is Soul, and it equals 8 minus your Devil rating.
3. Which of the following punishments have you endured? Choose any or all, but at least one. If any were at the hands of Brimstone Jack, make note of it.
- Accursing
- Arrest
- Attempted Murder
- Beating
- Branding
- Damnation
- Disownment
- Impressment
- Imprisonment
- Lashing
- Mutilation
- Rape
- Torture
Your third stat is Brutality, and it equals the number of punishments you just picked. It can't go higher than 6 or less than 2, just like Devil.
4. From which ambitions / goals do you take strength? Choose any, all, and at least one.
- To be captain
- To own land
- To be pardoned
- To be revenged upon (another player's pirate)
- To be revenged upon (a man beyond your station)
- To have sex with (another player's pirate)
- To have sex with (the daughter or son of a man beyond your station)
- To spit in the eye of God
- To spit in the eye of the devil
- To live forever
- To be remembered forever
- To be regarded highly by society
Your next stat, Ambition, is how many goals you just chose, and follows the no-greater-than-6, no-less-than-2 rule as above with Devil and Brutality. (note that all stats so far except Soul follow this rule).
Personalities:
- a pirate with higher Devil than Ambition eagerly marches into danger, is full of bravado, and takes risks.
- a pirate with higher Ambition than Brutality uses cunning, trickery, sneaking, and deceit.
- a pirate with higher Brutality than Soul is ruthless, sadistic, and murderous.
- a pirate with higher Soul than Devil is calm amidst chaos and can endure punishment.
Note, however, that whichever one describes you, the next one in the list (or first one if you're the last one, there) is what you're particularly bad at.
5. Your character's Brinksmanship is equal to the highest of Soul, Devil, Brutality, or Ambition. It represents your will to commit and to win.
6. Your Profile determines your initial advantage in a confrontation. It's like your terrifying image, natural advantage, and luck rolled into one. Here's how to determine it:
Every player starts with a gun, knife, and sword. But what else? Choose up to two, or none at all.
- A second off-hand sword
- A brace of pistols
- A hatchet, cudgel, hammer, or other distinctive weapon
- A long sharpshooter's musket
- Grenades
- Your pirate is a hulking brute with fists like stones
- Your pirate's tattoos and savage demeanor are terrifying
- Your pirate is slight, quick, and vicious
Also, if you want, assign a mutilation or disability to your pirate - a split tongue, lost limb, lots of scars etc.
Your Profile is [2 plus the number of items you chose from the list, minus the number of disabilities you chose (0 or 1)].
7. Introduce your pirate to the other players. Then, when everyone has done so, go back and pick someone else's pirate. Then pick one:
- "(that pirate) swore to back me as captain"
- "(that pirate) swore to help me win (one of your ambitions)"
- "(that pirate) owes me 3 Leisure [basically, you spend Leisure points to enjoy a night on the town once docked]"
- "(that pirate) swore to protect me from (one of your violences)"
- "(that pirate) owes me his life"
- "(that pirate) swore to fight by my side when all others desert me"
Example of character creation:
Name: Sea Salt Samuel
Position: Cook's Mate
Sins: murder, robbery, blasphemy
Devil: 3 [equals the number of sins chosen above]
Soul: 5 [8 minus Devil]
Punishments: damnation, arrest, lashing (from Brimstone Jack)
Brutality: 3 [equals the number of punishments chosen above]
Goals: to own land
Ambition: 1 [equals number of Goals chosen above]
Brinksmanship: 5 [equals highest of all stats, in this case Soul]
Profile: grenades, brace of pistols, only has one eye [equals 3: starts at 2, grenades adds +1, brace of pistols adds +1, and since "only has one eye" is a disability, it gives -1]
Bargain: Richard DeCourt swore to back me as captain.
=========================
=========================
That's it! Once we have a crew, we'll make two more characters: the ship and the ship's company (basically, everyone will vote on a few attributes for each).
Here's a very general summary of the rules, which I'll expand later.
Success Rolls: these determine if you did something, how well you did it, and to what advantage.
1. Roll one of your stats (Soul, Devil, Brutality, Ambition) and the GM rolls another one of your stats. (based on what you're trying to do).
2. Try to beat the GM. 4, 5, an 6 counts as a success. High numbers of successes can award you Xs, which are special points that can help you in Fights.
Now to the heart of the game: Fights!
1. You and your opponent compare Profiles. Higher Profile gets some bonus Xs.
2. Then you each roll Brinksmanship.
3. The loser (whoever has fewer successes on the roll) has to choose: lose the conflict, spend Xs, or escalate.
- 3a. If you lose, then you lose. You take wounds or damage based on your current level of escalation.
- 3b. You can spend Xs to do a number of things: roll extra dice, inflict bonus wounds, invoke the current result of the escalation, and other fun stuff.
- 3c. Escalate! Each Fight has three levels of escalation, starting from light conflict (such as an argument, threats, or swashbuckling) and advancing to more severe blows (stabs, broken bones, and blood). To escalate, simply reroll any of your dice that you wish and advance to the next level (meaning the Fight is now more violent and more dangerous). Check to see who is now the loser - the new loser starts over again from step 3.
4. Repeat until someone chooses to lose or until a loser is forced during the third level of escalation.
====================
====================
Anyone up for it? Make a character, post it here. We'll start when we get about 3-5 pirates, and we're aiming for weekend play, mostly. Then we make The Dagger and the company, get more detailed rules, and figure out the first order of business: What to do with the assassin, Tom Reed?
robotsunshine on
0
Posts
I don't know if this is going to get off the ground considering it's a brand new system, your OP is a bit long and confusing, and you want up to 10 players
I think you might want to narrow the scope just a tiny bit, because as a PbP this one is making all of the mistakes that lead to an untimely death
good luck though
revisions are underway
also thank you for the heads-up.
Crovax.436 Steam: Crovaxan
i'm off work fridays, saturdays, and sundays, so throughout those days - probably with more activity during the nights (eastern time zone), and with the most activity on saturdays.
So how often does this happen?
well, things get lonely at sea.
Unromanticized pirates.
White FC: 0819 3350 1787
not a problem.
Gunnery Master
Devil: 3
Murder
Robbery
Adultery
Soul: 5
Brutality: 3
Imprisonment
Lashing
Beating
Ambition: 2
To own land
To be remembered forever
Brinksmanship: 5
Profile: 3
A brace of Pistols
A long Shapshooter's musket
Body covered with scars
Crovax.436 Steam: Crovaxan
lovin' it
just for clarification, we'll be starting next weekend (assuming we have enough people by then) with mostly heavy weekend play. since this game is best when it pits player against player, as long as you guys are active and about, there's no problem with you all playing throughout the week in my (most of the time) absence. and you know, honestly, most of the rolls the GM has to make, you guys can easily make for yourselves if you really, really needed to.
what i figure is, weekdays could be inter-group conflict aboard the ship or in a town, and weekends could be when the action hits hard and heavy as the English navy closes in on you guys.