[D&D4E Info] Adventures on The Blind Swallow

Burning Organ

What is this?

A DnD game I intend to run with homebrew ship-to-ship combat rules. I'm new to DMing and I'm also new to the rules I've made for this so there will probably be a little balancing during the game.

How will this be taking place?

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pw: fortytwo

When will stuff start happening?

Probably not for another week or so. The planned starting time is Sunday 16:00-17:00 GMT. The first session will probably be a little short.


The game is light hearted, and I'm going to put most control in the hands of the players.

So here's the world and some stuff about ship combat!

Map of the world
(I will allow all the stuff that is in the normal books, except the ships because I don't think they work in this. I reserve the right to not allow things I think might be overpowered)

LEGEND : Brownish blobs are towns. Towns with underlined names are Capital cities.
Unfilled islands are pirate islands/neutral islands
Red arrows signify war between nations
Empty space is just that, empty space.
The lighter blue signifies the four waterfalls of infinity

So that is the world this takes place in. It doesn't have a name, it isn't flat or round either. It's just islands floating around in a space that looks like our sky.
The inhabitants of this world did quickly discover how the islands stayed afloat in the emptiness. It was due to strange crystals imbued in the land. The could not remove the crystals for fear that their lands would fall, but they did quickly discover that the waterfalls of infinity were filled with the crystals.
And so they managed to start building ships and colonize other islands, and pretty soon all the islands they could discover were populated.

After that things happened as usual, some places wanted to be autonomous and wars erupted and blood was spilled until four countries were left. And this is where you will be starting.


Starting level is 3 and you can choose one magic item of the same level.

Current roster of people interested:


Zen vulgarity (first mate) Warden
Melding (Captain) Swordmage
interrobang Sorcerer
Powerpuppies Rogue
Shananiganeer Barbarian
samurai6966 Cleric
vagrant_winds Warlock
Tommy2hands Bard



(PM me myth weaver sheet and I will edit this to show your character class)

We still need at least one more player, and maybe even more than that if some people can't make it at the posted time.

Ship and crew stuff and rules

Explanations:

Crew: (Each crew member level is one more point for the captain to invest. Points can only be invested at ports)

Crews pay = crew level x 5 GP

Crew skill = 1/2 Crew level

Crew skill tree

Manuevering:

Speed:

Cannoneering:

Ramming:

Stealth Sailing:

Crafting:

Stowing:

Spotting:

Maneuvering determines turning speed of the craft (5 points per -1 turn up to 50% ship normal turn is max)

Speed determines speed of the craft (2 points per 1 more speed up to 200% ship speed)

Cannoneering Determines the chance to hit enemy ships with cannons and range (2 points = 1 more DC to hit and 1 square extra range and 3 more damage)

Ramming determines chance to do damage when ships are rammed (2 points per 1 more DC to hit and 5 more to damage)

Stealth Sailing determines how well the crew can keep a low profile (2 points = 1 higher DC to notice)

Crafting determines the chance your crew has to craft items (2 points = 1 higher DC)

Stowing increases storage capacity up to a point (Maximum of 25-30% increase, 5% increase per point)

Spotting increases the notice check of crew (1 spotting skill per 2 point)

Ship:

HP: Obvious. Ship with 50% HP starts to creak, ship with 0 HP starts to turn into pieces. (Repairing costs hp to repair x3)

Armor: Decreases enemy chance to hit the ship (Determines to hit DC)

Structure: Decreases damage if enemy hits ship (This is taken off the damage)

Slots left: Determines number of weapon slots on the left

Slots Right: Same as above except right

Slots front: same as above except front

Slots back: Same as above except back

Weapon list: Will include a list of weapon and position of said weapons

Ram: Ram type increases ramming damage and chance to do ramming damage

Engine speed: Determines how much propulsion the steam engines will give. (In squares)

Maneuverability: Determines how well the ship can turn (How many turns it takes to go from horizontal to vertical) (Note: Anything else would be a bitch in maptools, sorry)

Facilities: A list of facilities on the ship

Storage space: Determines the amount the ship can hold

Crew space: Determines how much crew the ship can have

Crew minimum: Determines how much crew the ship needs to sail

White/black list: Determines if the ship is a known pirate vessel or not

Upkeep: Determines the cost of upkeep on the ship.

Ships:

Pirate ships:

Blind Swallow

HP: 200

Armor: 18

Structure: 10

Slots left: 0

Slots Right: 0

Slots front: 0

Slots back: 0

Weapon list: None

Ram: Ram of Iron (+3 to hit +25 to damage.)

Engine speed: 6

Maneuverability: 6

Facilities:

Kitchen

Prison Cells

Storage space: 44000 lbs

Crew space: 30

Crew minimum: 5

White/black list: Black (Vessel is a known pirate vessel)

Upkeep: 250 GP

Crew

Stinky Pete lvl 5

Gr'nash the Smasher lvl 5

Dastardly Dick lvl 4

Johnny Peg Head lvl 3

Elbows Greg lvl 2

Mellow 'ellow lvl 2

Coalface Steve lvl 2

Derrick the shovel lvl 2

Cranky Hal lvl 1



Total crew level 26


Crew skill (13 points)



Manuevering: 5 points

Speed: 2 points

Cannoneering: 0 points

Ramming: 3 points

Stealth Sailing: 2 points

Crafting: 0 points

Stowing: 0 points

Spotting: 1 point

Cosmic Sombrero

Any idea what the other people are interested in? I might make a navigator-type Artificer.

Burning Organ

I think Melding talked about a swordmage.

The rest I do not know, so Artificer is free.

Powerpuppies

Is this first come first serve?

Burning Organ

Pretty much.

Powerpuppies

Is the time at all negotiable? How long would the sessions be? That's 9AM-10AM my time, and if it's a four hour session I can probably play until 1PM (20:00 GMT), but 2PM would be pushing it.

Burning Organ

That is up to the rest of the players.

We'll have to see how long sessions will last, so I can't guarantee anything.

Powerpuppies

I'll put something together and we'll see how it goes.

edit: Can we get the classes, or at least the roles, of the other players?

Burning Organ

It looks like we have a swordmage and artificer kind of confirmed.
I'm not putting classes in the OP until they're confirmed though.

Powerpuppies

Thinking about trying on a cleric. What's your pantheon?

Burning Organ

I think a artificer + cleric might be a bit too much healers? I don't know.

You can pretty much use whatever you want.


EDIT: Also I hope no one is expecting high class art.

I'm doing most of this myself, and I suck.

Zen Vulgarity

If the guy wants to be an artificer that's cool

personally I'm up in the air as in what I wanna do, brah

Powerpuppies

Don't want to overstack the leader role. I'm rolling a trickster rogue instead.

Burning Organ

Alright.

We could still do with some Nukers, preferably magic ones as I will pretty much only allow fire, electricity and such damage ships beyond the ships own weapons.

Melding

Man, you art better then I.

Edit: If i may suggest, if we are doing a lot of boarding combat, someone good at bull rushing or even just pushing would be good, we could kill some difficult people just with throwing them off the ship.

Powerpuppies

The CB summary for Erik, 15-year-old human thief and Artful Dodger, is below:

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Erik, level 3
Human, Rogue
Build: Aerialist Rogue
Rogue Tactics: Artful Dodger
Background: Occupation - Criminal (+2 to Thievery)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 11, Con 10, Dex 20, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 11, Con 10, Dex 18, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14.


AC: 18 Fort: 13 Reflex: 20 Will: 15
HP: 32 Surges: 6 Surge Value: 8

TRAINED SKILLS
Perception +5, Stealth +11, Thievery +13, Bluff +8, Athletics +7, Acrobatics +11, Streetwise +8

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +1, Diplomacy +3, Dungeoneering, Endurance +1, Heal, History +1, Insight, Intimidate +3, Nature, Religion +1

FEATS
Human: Sure Climber
Level 1: Defensive Mobility
Level 2: Backstabber

POWERS
Bonus At-Will Power: Deft Strike
Rogue at-will 1: Piercing Strike
Rogue at-will 1: Sly Flourish
Rogue encounter 1: King's Castle
Rogue daily 1: Handspring Assault
Rogue utility 2: Double Take
Rogue encounter 3: Flamboyant Strike

ITEMS
Dagger, Hand Crossbow, Leather Armor, Adventurer's Kit, Shuriken, Short sword, Talon Amulet +1
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

Burning Organ

Looks good to me.

You had any magic item in mind?

Powerpuppies

Melding wrote: »

Man, you art better then I.

Edit: If i may suggest, if we are doing a lot of boarding combat, someone good at bull rushing or even just pushing would be good, we could kill some difficult people just with throwing them off the ship.

I could take trick strike or positioning strike... the former gives slide 1 every time I hit a certain opponent, the latter gives a one-time slide 2.

edit: forgot the magic item. I'll look into it. I figure Erik will be switching between weapons a lot, so I don't know if that's a good use of the magic item.

edit2: Yeah, I think the Talon Amulet makes a lot more sense for a young thief. Something he could wear around his neck and not have stolen.

Melding

Either would work, I think the encounter power might be more useful depending how often per day we get into combat. Up to you ultimately, i was just throwing an idea out there.

interrobang

I'm leavin' in five minutes to help do sound for my friend's band, but when I get back I'll whip up a Mythweavers sheet. I'm kinda leaning towards Sorcerer.

Melding

Sorc is a fun class, Storm sorc could be really useful with the thundering people around.

Man, i hate 4th edition, every thing looks fun so i get bored of things quickly.

Shananiganeer

If I get picked I would like my primary duty to be boarding enemy ships and slaying everyone aboard :P.

EDIT: I threw a barbarian into the mix.

Burning Organ

I think that that is basically Meldings strategy.

Shananiganeer

Well that is extremely convenient cause I can jump like a tiger, or maybe throw allies/enemies around with my giant-ness.

Melding

My strategy in a nut shell:

Step one: Ram side of target ship
Step Two: keep speed up to not allow them to pull away easily
Step Three: Board
Step Four: Throw everyone off the ship we can, kill those we can not.
Step Five: Profit

Zen Vulgarity

Oh hey Organ

When do you want a sheet

Burning Organ

Well we're starting next weeks sunday, so an hour or two before we start is the latest really.


EDIT: At the earliest we start next weeks sunday I mean

interrobang

Storm sorc DOES seem really fun but I'd have to borrow a copy of AP from someone, I don't have a DDI subscription, so I'm stuck with the crappy demo character builder.

interrobang

Alright, I think I've got something built here. But before I go through the trouble of putting it up on Mythweavers...

Burning, you said you were only gonna allow fire-based magic? Or am I reading what you said on the previous page wrong?

Shananiganeer

I think he's saying only elemental magic would be strong enough to damage enemy ships.

Melding

Dang, Storm sorc fits in so well too with flying around and stuff, i built one all the way to level 11 i think, it would destroy everything, specially since there is a lot of thunder lightning combo feats that let you ruin people.

Shananiganeer

Yea, Burning said:

Burning Organ wrote: »

I will pretty much only allow fire, electricity and such damage ships beyond the ships own weapons.

So Storm sorc would be the only one of us able to damage enemy ships.

interrobang

Shananiganeer wrote: »

Yea, Burning said:

Burning Organ wrote: »

I will pretty much only allow fire, electricity and such damage ships beyond the ships own weapons.

So Storm sorc would be the only one of us able to damage enemy ships.

That's true, it'd be too easy for a storm sorc to just shoot lightning at everything and fuck up all their mechanical stuff.

Back to the drawing board!

Shananiganeer

Ahhh, epic misunderstanding. Burning's whole post:

Burning Organ wrote: »

Alright.

We could still do with some Nukers, preferably magic ones as I will pretty much only allow fire, electricity and such damage ships beyond the ships own weapons.

I think he wants us to be able to fuck up everyone else's ships.

Melding

Interrobang, i am willing to help you, i have the materials. I have the technology, i can help you become stronger, faster, better, the three million dollar book man.

interrobang

Shananiganeer wrote: »

Ahhh, epic misunderstanding. Burning's whole post:

Burning Organ wrote: »

Alright.

We could still do with some Nukers, preferably magic ones as I will pretty much only allow fire, electricity and such damage ships beyond the ships own weapons.

I think he wants us to be able to fuck up everyone else's ships.

I'm gonna draw up a storm sorc and an alternate build and just wait for confirmation from Burning himself before I fire off a PDF. I have so much fun tinkering around in the Character Builder it doesn't even feel like wasted time! I just really hope I can get my RAGING STOHM on 'cause I really wanna blow people off the deck of a ship into oblivion.

and melding i appreciate the offer but some good samaritan already helped me out!

Melding

Alright cool then, also, what is the crew shaping up to be, i know roughly the classes, but races too.

interrobang

Only sheet I've seen so far is Powerpuppies', unless I'm overlooking someone's. He's gonna play a human. I'm thinking half-elf for my sorc.

Melding

if this was eberron i would urge you for the mark of storm for the paragon deally with it.

interrobang

There was this one prestige class in 3.5 that I really thought was awesome - it's basically that you're a guy who gets STRUCK BY LIGHTNING and survives and as a result he can channel the element at will. It was the coolest thing.

This guy is not gonna be super-optimized because I find that kinda boring. He's gonna be hella thematic.

Melding

the mark of storm feat lets you slide people around by hitting them with lightning, that's awesome and ..awesome.