Not All That Glitters Is Golden

Here's another Dropbox link for a Pirates of the Spanish Main adventure. It continues the series introduced in "All's Fair in Love and War" and "To the Victor Go the Spoils."

Not All That Glitters Is Golden

-Nate

To the Victor Go the Spoils

Here's a Dropbox link to another adventure for use with Pirates of the Spanish Main, but again one that can easily be converted for use with Skull & Bones. This one serves as a sequel to "All's Fair in Love and War."

To the Victor Go the Spoils

-Nate

Resources for Pirates of the Spanish Main

As I mentioned in the last post, I've been playing around with the Pirates of the Spanish Main rules. In doing so, it occurred to me that some of the deck plans I've created for Skull & Bones would work well as rough approximations for PotSM. For that reason, I've assembled a PDF of them.

PotSM Deck Plans

Additionally, I've been impressed by some of the resources that Savage Worlds fans have created. In addition to using them for Pirates of the Spanish Main, they might also be useful for players and GM's of Dungeons & Dragons and Skull & Bones.


Cap'n Greywolf's Bonepile

The Bonepile website has, among other resources, lots of great artwork.


Island Rituals

This supplement presents rules for Vodoun, Savaged by HawaiianBrian.


The Agency Star

This website has a handful of adventures along with other resources.


PotSM on Pinnacle's Website

Downloads on the official website, including templates, one-sheet adventures, maps, character sheets, pre-generated characters, and more


Savage Stuff Blog by Richard Woolcock

Lots of interesting articles, including information about converting d20 material to Savage Worlds.


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I'll add to this last as I find more resources.

-Nate

All's Fair in Love and War

While this blog is dedicated to d20-based, pirate-themed RPG adventures and campaigns, I've also spent some time playing around with the Savage Worlds system. In doing so, I've prepared a short scenario set in Port Royal, one intended to bring together a new group of heroes. Of course, GM's who'd rather use it using the Dungeons & Dragons ruleset and the Skull & Bones supplement can easily convert it.

All's Fair in Love and War

-Nate

Three Reviews

For today's post I have three reviews. Two are for adventures, while one is for a short story anthology.

Sails & Sorcery

The short story anthology is one I found while searching online, and I ordered it used. (It's even autographed by the editor, albeit to someone named Jeremiah.) This book includes twenty-eight tales. Some take place in mostly historical settings, while others are more fantastic. All share the common element of centering on sailors and their vessels, and in this way it can be source of inspiration for a GM running a nautical campaign. While some of the tales made less of an impression on me, some of them are really interesting; I particularly liked the last one, "The Spinner," and how it dealt with the question of faith.

Spices and Flesh

This scenario is part of the Pirate Plug-Ins series from Legendary Games. I initially bought it when I was going to fill in for the GM of my monthly campaign, who's running the Skull & Shackles adventure path from Paizo Publishing. Instead, I ended up using it in my current Freeport campaign. We'd finished the "Fury in Freeport" adventure from the rules supplement, and needed something to pad our experience and level before starting in on The Lost Island. Spices and Flesh tied in nicely to one of the plot elements from "Fury." It provided a challenging series of encounters, first aboard ship and then in a sea lair. I had to make some modifications in order to run it with second-level characters, but all in all it was fun. I recommend it as a scenario that can easily be dropped into a nautical campaign.

Thormek's Mansion

This is the scenario that I did end up running when I filled in for the monthly session. It's a sequel to Terror in Paradise, which I reviewed previously. In many ways it's like that adventure,but even more so. By this I mean that, while it has a lot of interesting elements in it, it takes some cleaning up to access them. For one thing, the mansion in question has seventy-five rooms in it. Some of them have important enemies, clues or other things in them, but many don't. The plot has a great Island of Dr. Moreau feel to it, but it can be hard to dig out from the scenes. The stat blocks are not very complete, either, and many of them are just nuisances for a party of third-level characters. Even so, it can be fun if one wants to do the work to make it playable.

-Nate

Interstellar Travel

Although aetherships are impressive things, they have their limits. Such are the distances between stars that, even at cruising speed, the voyage can last for years. Luckily for spacefarers, the elves have devised a means of making such journeys possible. They have built massive vessels known as ark-ships, ones that carry all of the plants, animals and other life forms needed to maintain or create a habitable environment. What is more, their lengthy lifespans make it possible for them to crew the ships that travel between stars.

Interstellar Portal Aura strong conjuration; CL 17th Slot --; Price 400,000 gp; Weight NA DESCRIPTION Much like ring gates, these devices are always created in pairs. In fact, they are essentially larger versions of those devices, being 150 feet in diameter. Each is crafted from a single chunk of nickle-iron asteroid, in the shape of a hollow, flat, circular structure. The surface of each is engraved with mystic symbols related to its system of origin. Together they allow aetherships to pass into one and out of the corresponding other. DESCRIPTION Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, gate; Cost 200,000 gp

The interstellar portals are, of course, closely guarded by the elves. Some say that they keep them hidden amidst the rings of a gas giant planet, concealed by a fog shroud spell and protected by elven ships along with more formidable defenses.

Reda Manor

This location is home to the Governor of Crossroads.

6. Reda Manor

On the hillside that rises behind the plaza, tavern, outfitter and warehouse, there stands a cluster of houses. Most are single-story affairs of an ordinary sort (see below for details), but one rises above the rest; this is the personal dwelling of Luciano Reda, the Governor of Crossroads. The manor is a two-story structure of timber and stucco with a tiled roof. The windows can be shuttered in the event of trouble, and the front door has a high-quality lock (DC 25 for Disable Device checks).

The Manor

Refer to the appropriate map for the following area descriptions.

1. Sitting Room
Visitors to the manor are received here. Comfortable sofas line two of the walls, and end tables fill in the corners. Reda's manservant, Bartholomew, greets guests and brings them refreshments while they wait for the Governor.

2. Dining Room

A broad wooden table, surrounded by chairs, fills the center of this room. It is used for important meetings in addition to meals.

3. Kitchen

A stove occupies one corner of this room, and a food preparation table stands opposite it. There is also a barrel of water, and commonly used implements hang from the ceiling.

4. Pantry

All manner of dried and otherwise preserved foodstuffs line the shelves on the walls of this room. There is really an impressive selection, especially when one considers the remote nature of the asteroid colony. What is more, a trapdoor in the floor provides access to the wine cellar; Reda is particularly fond of elven wine.

5. Servant's Quarters

Bartholomew takes his rest—when he has it—here. There is a comfortable bed, a storage chest, and a small table and chairs. The chest contains changes of clothing and mundane personal items. Beneath it is a loose floorboard, however (DC 15 Perception check to notice), which conceals a pouch that holds Bartholomew's saved wages: 57 gp, 31 sp and 12 cp.

6. Storage

At the top of the stairs stands this closet, which holds typical household items such as linens, candles, cleaning supplies and the like.

7. Guest Bedrooms

Each of these rooms is furnished with a bed and bedside table, a wardrobe, and a writing desk and chair.

8. Reda's Bedroom

This room is furnished much like the guest bedrooms, except that materials are of higher quality. The wardrobe is filled with Reda's fancy clothing. There is also a portrait of the king on one wall; hidden behind it (DC 25 Perception check to notice) is Reda's hidden strongbox. The box is protected by a high-quality lock (DC 25 Disable Device to open) and a poisoned needle trap (treat as a poisoned dart trap; see page 420 of the Pathfinder core rulebook). In it are the funds used for running the colony: 218 pp, 612 gp, 952 sp and 320 cp.

Governor Luciano Reda CR 7 XP X Male human aristocrat 9 LN medium humanoid Init -1; Senses Perception +13 DEFENSE AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 9 (-1 Dex, +1 Dodge) hp 42 (7d8+7) Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +6 Resist None OFFENSE Spd 30 ft. Melee Walking Stick +5 (1d6) Special Attacks None STATISTICS Str 10, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 16 Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 14 Feats Alertness, Dodge, Leadership, Skill Focus (Appraise, Diplomacy) Skills Appraise +15, Bluff +16, Diplomacy +19, Knowledge (local) +12, Knowledge (nobility) +12, Perception +13, Sense Motive +13 Languages Common, elven, dwarven SQ None Combat Gear Sumptuous clothing, purse containing 50 gp in mixed coins, circlet of persuasion Luciano Reda has grown up leading the easy life of a nobleman, but he regards himself as a daring entrepreneur who has worked hard for—and thus is deserving of—all of the comforts he has. If not for the backing of the King, and thus the support of the Order of the Lion, he would be in big trouble. Even so, his goal is to prove himself as a capable administrator at Crossroads, and thus to earn a “more civilized” posting back on his homeworld.

Bartholomew, Reda's Manservant

CR 4

XP X

Male human commoner 5

LN medium humanoid

Init +1; Senses Perception +X

DEFENSE

AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+1 Dex)

hp 30 (5d6+12)

Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +2

Resist None

OFFENSE

Spd 30 ft.

Melee Knife +6 (1d3+2)

Special Attacks Details

STATISTICS

Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10

Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 15

Feats Cleave, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Craft: cooking), Weapon Focus (knife)

Skills Craft (cooking) +11, Perception +8

Languages Common

SQ None

Combat Gear Clothing, cooking implements, masterwork knife

Bartholomew has a good taste for food, and little interest in much else. He spends his spare time reading recipe books, always on the lookout for ways in which to devise new dishes for his employer's table. Those with some guile might be able to take advantage of him.