I'm planning a homebrew pirate campaign set in a historically accurate 18th century Caribbean...

Go watch master and commander, it should give you a boat load of ideas.

The citadel was part of a british propaganda campaign against Napoleon and his "19th century Sea Lion Invasion".

I actually think it is quite cool for dwarfish navy, albeit the particular design would have to be changed. I would prefer something more like a catamaran joining two atakebunes mixed with chinese paddlewheel warship design and persian windmill towers, for a sea fortress.

Oh yeah, before I forget again.

If you research deep enough, you'll find plenty of conflicting information regarding ships, naming and classes. This is because:

A) Our time is the first where people are keen on classifying things like that. Poeple back in the day would say 'sword', we create names like 'sidesword'.

B) Design of a given, say, 'galleon', differed between countries, some of which just modified previous vessels, mostly likely removing oars and adding or removing forecastles and aftcastles and named the result so it would sound better.

C) There was no standardized design, every ship was very much unique and might mix some characteristics, 'classic' caravels and galleons were born of such hybrid designs. And classes tended to increase tonnage over time, the caravel alone began with 50 tuns of cargo capacity and went all the way up to 180.

D) Available english material seems to lack some information. In particular, it seems the consensus is that Portugal did everything Spain said when they were joined, and although the victory over the Invencible Armada is glorified, the defeated english fleet sent afterwards disapears.

>don't know why you'd assume this was going to be an elves and dwarfs casting magic sort of campaign

Nobody ever said that, though. If you're gonna get butthurt, at least get butthurt over things that people are actually saying instead of making them up in your head.

I appreciate the boat pun.

Fantasy naval battles could definitely be cool, but in this instance I and a half of my 6 players are Black Sails fans hyped by the final season and were fond of the idea of an autistic recreation of the Golden Age of piracy to dick around in.

Ha, I'm really enjoying learning about this stuff. Thanks for more info.

You're right, that was assumption on my part, you only mentioned classes whilst I remembered it as classes and races as I replied. I have no quarrel with you good sir, to start a petty argument would merely sabotage my own thread and I apologise vehemently if my tone appeared belittling or hostile, we seem to fall victim of a misunderstanding of my making. I trust you are satisfied with this response? (note: I've been listening to Pirate History Podcast all day and can't help talking like this)

>asks for links to DnD systems
>gets mad when people assume that his "homebrew" is yet another "it's DnD but with X" game

You're kinda hard to talk to, you know.

>belittling or hostile, we seem to fall victim of a misunderstanding of my making. I trust you are satisfied with this response

Holy crap, I can almost smell the sweat soaked into your fedora.

This is the last time I shall respond to messages of this nature, I have tried to make amends and am saddened to hear this didn't quell your displeasure. Might I suggest you venture forth to other threads as I have nothing further to offer you in way of rhetoric or apology.

I am most ashamed to find that my comments read as anger rather than puzzlement sourced from my own misunderstanding of the situation. I should have detailed the nature of the gameplay in OP but the character limit proved impeding in this regard.

Had this idea to handle player deaths as the life of a pirate is a dangerous one.

When a player dies, a new crewman can be purchased from port towns, the location of said port and the amount of gold one is willing to spend determines how good his stats are. This way players don't have to start from scratch, just pay a sort of death penalty, they would be allowed to customise this character too, effectively purchasing a reroll but one that doesn't have to start from scratch. One of my potential players said they should be able to use their crewman to replace themselves but I argued for balance reasons that having 30+ extra lives on board like Sonic or Mario doesn't really set the right tone and negates the gold penalty of death which I'll probably make roughly 10% of their total gold to purchase a character of equal ability to the one lost any time it happens. Thoughts?

Don't forget mast circumference!

You're welcome once again.

Btw, there were locally built galleys in the Caribbean, used for local trade, defense etc. Given the amount of hiding places, a pirate crew might be quite sucessful with galleys, provided they don't challenge the open seas.

I take my leave with some, likely useful, linked images for your setting.

i.imgur.com/F6ISrYi.jpg

i.imgur.com/GyAnvRH.jpg

i.imgur.com/vUMbvf0.jpg

i.imgur.com/UoXfR4z.jpg

i.imgur.com/kXrAPi1.jpg

i.imgur.com/x70R02j.jpg

i.imgur.com/FacHVU6.jpg

i.imgur.com/YacIYja.jpg

i.imgur.com/kA8dDys.png

i.imgur.com/iiwLfwm.gif

i.imgur.com/g2Ey2gX.jpg

i.imgur.com/CWFHYWt.png

Seems overcomplicated to me. Also, player is out of game until party reaches port.
If party is a squad/crew and letality is high, it's easier to make each player roll 3+ characters, one of whom is actually played and others are lower-ranked but outstanding crew members who might take his place when they die.
Need to spend gold to hire new crew members and send money to deceased PC's families still remains.
You can even go as far as letting players switch character without previous dying.
Also, real pirates chose new officers among themselves, not hired them in port.

>adds a couple of house rules to DnD
>"look mom, I've made my very own homebrew system. I'm a big boy game designer now!"

DnD players are adorable.

The Buccaneers of America by Alexandre Exquemelin is a pretty cool book.

If you're not listening to Alestorm every session, you're doing it wrong.

D&D is absolutely fucking horrible at early firearms.

Like the worst of all the systems I ever tried.

You are going to regret this.

D20 systems utterly fail at realism.

The illusion of realism will absolutely fall apart the moment combat starts.

The penalty of being out of game until next port is a deliberate consideration to punish death. I think having extra lives aboard makes death inconsequential.

This is a pretty good rule of thumb for pirate games, and it's importance is multiplied if you're going to be anything but 100% sober.

Maybe make an exception if there's some really serious business shit going down, but otherwise Alestorm should be your soundtrack

Pirate crews are bigger than you think - you need a lot of people to run an old-school ship

It's simulated realism, real locations depicted through real historical maps, real limitations of the time period. Realism within the limits of d20 if you will, everyone involved realises it's a tabletop game and not VR with an omnidrectional treadmill.

There will be about 30 crewmen on their first ship, doesn't mean they can bodyswap with them 2 seconds after they die. Gameplay is king and if there's a choice between realism and balance I will opt for balance. In the overworld map they will spot ships 3-5 hexes away depending on the quality of the spotter in the crows nest, each hex is about 27 miles despite the viewing distance of these ships on open sea irl being about 12 miles.
It's a game using a realistic backdrop because the golden age of piracy is fun and interesting.

>This is the last time I shall respond to messages of this nature, I have tried to make amends and am saddened to hear this didn't quell your displeasure. Might I suggest you venture forth to other threads as I have nothing further to offer you in way of rhetoric or apology.

holy fucking kek

My players just got to the sea last session.

Does anyone have any Pirate themed music?

Fighting Fantasy: seas of blood.
what else could you need?

See

Just to cover... You're not the screeching autist from the last pirate thread, are you? The one who claims that playing a naval game with people who don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of ships ruins it for you, and claims to be a "community GM" who has no selection in his groups?

Honestly, as crap a game as it was, the sea shanty OST from Assassin's Creed: Black Flag is goddamn awesome in quality. The PotC OSTs are good too. I also suggest various 18thC folk music

Other selections...

youtube.com/watch?v=U0cIIbK71_o

Nope, not me lol. I want to create a rich historical background to start our campaign on and I'd like some autistic shipping mechanics that requires all ym players cooperating together but in a fun way, and if they want to be goofy and dick around and stuff I don't mind, I find their antics funny.

Ok, nothing wrong with detailed mechanics, but this guy was spergtastic.

Though I highly suggest ditching the D20 system.

What would you suggest? It's what my groups used to and we enjoy it, like I've said before we're not looking for realistic gameplay, the system is just good for letting us tell spontaneous adventures with me as narrator and them as the main cast in a variety of settings if that makes sense.

>It's what my groups used to and we enjoy it
Have you all literally played anything else? BRP, WHFRP 2ndEd, GURPS...

>not looking for realistic gameplay
>I'm planning a homebrew pirate campaign set in a historically accurate 18th century Caribbea
>I'm going for a sense of realism and want the sailing mechanics to be quite detailed and interactive but I have a rather pedestrian knowledge of sailing.

You are contradicting yourself, user.

I only know d20 personally so there may well be better alternatives, and I'm having a hard time explaining this concept, I apologise. The gameplay is realistic in the sense that there is not magic or other races, in that it will take place in a recreation of 1700s Caribbean to best of my knowledge and ability but it will have board gamey elements like the overworld map will work kind of like the Total War map where you navigate the world in a gamey fashion and meeting other tokens throws you in to a naval skirmish and shit will be determined by dice rolls ala d20.

Ignore the h8ers and just do your thing, OP - you have massive resources hereand here.
There ARE better games for this, but who cares? You don't need what you don't know. If your players are fine with this, then GO!
Sure are a lot of shitty trolls here.....

>Historically accurate pirate campaign
>18th century Carribbean
>Using D&D
Too many contradictions to begin with.

Also, if you are complete layman in terms of maritime or even just sport sailing, just skip it. This is one of those situations when Mount Stupid really fucking hurts the quality of the game, scenarios and basic interactions with NPCs.

>You're not the screeching autist from the last pirate thread, are you? The one who claims that playing a naval game with people who don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of ships ruins it for you, and claims to be a "community GM" who has no selection in his groups?
No, that's me.

GURPS

It's probably the only system in existence that can pull it, keep it realistic and also clean and simple.

>18th century Caribbean
>Pirate
So you basically want to play a game where your players are mercilessly hunted down or are such small fries the best they can hope to achieve is robbing fishermen?

...

>Dat photo
Man, I really miss times when I could take a two month long leave and just go on a cruise.

Are you suggesting pirates haven't existed since the beginning of sea trade to present day?

I plan to start the campaign about 10 years before the kings pardon which will serve as a soft closing of the campaign when it happens, a sort of doomsday countdown. Who knows maybe they'll actual repel the English from Nassau? As soon as the campaign starts it switches to alternative history fiction, anything is possible.
If they like the campaign enough it could even continue if they sail to The Orient.

I'm suggesting the 18th century was a really, really, REALLY "bad" period, at least if you were a Carribbean pirate. By late 1730s all the "big fishes" were hunted down, most ports fortified and all marines increased in numbers to the point where piracy went from "booming" to "mate, better look for new job".
Pick tail end of 17th century, between 1670s and 1690s and you will be golden.

I know all this, I'm not going to set it in 1799 I'm setting it 10 years before the kings pardon so it comes to an exciting end eventually without dragging on too long.

le bites le obvious le bait...le pathetic l'user.

OP, don't take these system trolls seriously.

They're brainfucked losers upset that people play popular games, so they just do nothing but troll here. Just ignore them and use the system you like, because I can basically guarantee that they're only going to pitch you garbage systems not worth playing, like they already have.

Stick to D&D if you like it. It's all just preferences in the end, especially because you're homebrewing anyway.

Yarrr, it be Cap'n Blackfedora, here tah tip yer boat 'n' use things fer what they not be intended.

A-are you ok, user? D-do you need a cookie? Your blood sugar seems low....

I'm not particularly good at typing out a pirate accent, but I'm sure you get the joke.

Elaborate?

Y'know, good luck to you, but for me personally I'd try and hack Dogs of the Vineyard to do realistic seafaring.

I've never ran a sea based campaign or even game but I have spent months of my life scraping and oiling this old Brig over several thousand nautical miles.

I'm going to sleep now but if the threads alive tommorrow afternoon I'll be happy to answer questions.

Except on subjects like Careening and Keelhauling which are better achieved by miserable weeks in drydock twice a year.

Its time to stretch your wings, and move on the better systems. Try looking up Basic Role Playing (BRP) which uses the D% system, or WHFRP 2Ed, and just ignore the setting.

How are you doing?

I haven't gone sailing proper in nearly 7 years... I used to know two people who ran historic ships, but both had to sell because cost is up, and public interest is down.

I know its campy, but PotC being set in the 1730s-1750s and driving home the theme of "the seas are becoming less mysterious and the oceans are no longer free" is a good frame.

Well, as you are a pirate, why do you object to someone 'pirating' a system to use for their pirate game??

Holy fuck, you are one spergtastic troll! Did you recommend gurps, too? Fuck off, kid - it's past your fucking bedtime.

>Its time to stretch your wings, and move on the better systems. Try looking up Basic Role Playing (BRP) which uses the D% system, or WHFRP 2Ed, and just ignore the setting.
There ARE no better systems - just different opinions. Do what you like, OP.

They work as bows with restrictions and flaws based half-understood concept of blackpowder firearms.

Who did you sail on, and what was your call, shipmate?

I know you're probably an elaborate if transparent troll, but I like to think that you're seriously triggered

These are awesome images! Do you have any similar images of medium-small merchant vessels? Preferably unarmed?

I want my players to start off in a one to two-masted merchant ship, low or no armament, and shallow draft for coastal or river trading. I was thinking of a cog or something similar?

Will post the ambient sounds and music I'll be using in exchange.

It was the ship in the picture I don't want to be specific because it is still my postal address you understand.

One thing I'll say straight up is hull cleanliness is something you take for granted while at sea. There's so much else to keep on top of it's the least of your worries.

Obviously you scrub the deck at least daily but thats not a question of cleanliness thats making sure the planks don't dry out/make sure they're evenly saturated so the rain and seawater doesn't drip unto your bunk and ipad.

Mechanics i would work into game would be Sleep deprivation. Sea sickness (doubled or even tripled by having to perform even basic tasks. x100 modifier when doing the dishes) for the first 4 days at least of a trip for those unlucky sods prone to the condition (read: 70% of new sailors. 40% of experienced), and vertigo.

I wanna say Pride of Baltimore II.

A pretty boat for sure might even look similar to nonsailors but count the squares in my pic it's clearly not a Schooner. Good guess tho.

My ship is a somewhat bit bigger and a Brig.

Systems are tools. A hammer is better than a screwdriver at driving nails.

>might even look similar to nonsailors
Im on a phone, and can't zoom much, but if you look from the aft deck, through the mainmast to the foremast, while the spar is carrying jib and flyer at half rig or sway, you could understand why your force perspective shot might cause assumptions to mast count.

Besides, the PoBII typically flys three wedge on spar, jib and flyer, as well as its square rig tops and Cornish mainsails.

Just spit out your girls name. You're user anyways.

Maybe. The yards would give it away to me but I meant no offence, buddy.

I didn't mean to come across as condescending just that they all looked the same to me once upon a time.

You lucky sod, I was born and lived my first few years on the 70-foot schooner that my dad built, then would go out every few months until I was ten. I haven't seen that boat in years, it's in stuck in drydock a few thousand miles away. I'd like nothing more than to learn how to sail and reacquire it then tour Europe.

>Cornish on a Schooner
I mean, it's not hideous, but its not my taste.

Gropey is legit bro.

None taken. This is Veeky Forums though.

>elaborate if transparent troll
>elaborate
>transparent
erm, trip: I don't think those two words go together....I think you just oxymoroned......can't be both a transparent (i.e. obvious) AND elaborate (i.e. not obvious) troll.
Oh, and how is it 'trolling' when I'm, uhhh, dismissing the trolls? Unless you mean that I'm trolling trolls, which is spot on!
There is nothing wrong with using ANY system if that's the system you wanna play - telling OP he's having badwrongfun is, well, trolling.
SO FUCK OFF ALREADY TROLL.
There! was that 'triggered' enough for you? Or is babby gonna keep trollin'??

Thats awesome I hope you get a chance to. I'd a l m o s t rather work on a Schooner. They'd roll less and staysails are easy mode.

Fuck me. Is there anything you don't do?

> A hammer is better than a screwdriver at driving nails
Can't screw in a nail with a hammer; you CAN hammer with the handle of a screwdriver. Ingenuity and inventiveness are hallmarks of humanity, user.
But do tell us more about how OP is doing it wrong....

If there is a heavy storm, having a mast fail will cause the ship to sink if they do not fix it before hitting the crest of the next wave.

Listen to this faget backpedal!
>muh, your shitty pic made it impossible for me to show off ma mad saylin' skillz!
Stay a loser, m8!

D20 is an objectively bad system, and always will be.

Sorry dear.

Also, I recommend reading through Master & Commander if you want to learn a bit about ships.

One of these days, she'll be mine again.

Ahhh, THIS is cool info - moar?

Seconded. Also, the entire Horatio Hornblower series.

Really user, your acting out is concerning. Is everything ok at home?

Insisting on using a screwdriver without even trying a hammer is just stubbornness not ingenuity. user is going to have a huge amount of work ahead of him, there's nothing wrong with suggesting he look at something that might save him some time.

>gotta hate what's popular
>i'm Veeky Forums!!!!
Stay great!
Why are all trips fagets?

But its true.

>nothing wrong with suggesting he look at something that might save him some time.
Yeah, but that's not what's been happening, though, is it? It's been all system trolls lololling to themselves. Weak. OP has stated what he's doing: bitching about it like three year olds just shows up your patheticness. Give OP what he asked for, and stop trollin' - ain't hard.

He's just looking for attention. Its late and he's over stimulated.

If you mean break its not actually THAT big a deal at that time. Since the mast coming down would snap it's rigging and it wouldn't take much to cut away. You exaggerate a little but when I say not that big a deal it's still a worse peril than any of us will have to deal with.

Funny enough modern ships with their reinforced wire rigging are at much greater risk of this since their masts will break long before their rigging.

I helped save a boat once that had exactly that problem and only survived because they had a good angle grinder onboard.

From your point of view, child. When/if you mature, you will come to understand that the world is a far greater place than you could have ever imagined! A world where people don't sperg out because they heard the name of a game system that they don't play.
Not your world, obvs - but, y'know, for real folk.

>sys.Veeky Forums.org/derefer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DU0cIIbK71_o

Fuck thats catchy.

So, with modern sail, the rigging must be cut with wirecutters? Does every able bodied seaman have those handy?

I mean, if you like bork-bork-bork music.

Yeah, I don't remember the EXACT details. Everything I know about it is from books, where it's made out to be one of the most dangerous parts of sailing.

IIRC It was that if the mast is broken but not removed, it could still catch wind and turn the ship causing it to flip over when the next wave hit it.

It's been a LONG time since I read the books, though.

Oh no we'd be so fucked.

But wooden ships are in a constant state of sinking and it would be an incredible achievement to have a mast break. You'd deserve to die honestly.

Masts were intentionally destroyed in combat remember so it was more routine to deal with then especially on warships. The worst part is the actual falling mast. Unless you're on it obviously in which case the drowning finale would probably be worse. I honestly hate sailing. Love living on

Yea you're right.