Slaughter on the Main Deck

[Etepete]

Running a pirate campaign at the moment. Players are lvl 3, kind of pushing their luck on their own little privateer merchant vessel. We're using the narrative system for boardings, which is taking a high toll on both crew and opponents. Basically, I suppose this is because of the low level of the characters. I've got three major irks with the system I hoped you might help me out with for a better houserule version.

1. Supporting the crew is a bit too efficient. I want to get my players off the general mass combat, and onto the poop of the enemy vessel, engaging the officers in epic duels. Any thoughts?

2. Both sides are quite massacred until one side reaches 50%. Maybe bringing a bit more morale rules into it might save some precious buccaneer lives. As it is, the boards are quite awash with blood, and the ship needs to recrew between every action.

3. I'm fine with not having historical accuracy in the game, but as it is, the component rule really restricts the ships in a weird way. Any large ship, for instance, should have moorings, maybe some components, like moorings or another row of oars should be free at some sizes?

4. We really really need some detailed charts for the waters off Zingara down to Stygia. D'ye know any maps what might serve? Something I can repaint a bit for reefs, harbours and other stuff.

....we're only running pirate. Is it worth the bother buying Free Companies just for the narrative combat rules?

 

[Bjorn the Barbarian]

Have you considered using the free downloadable mass combat rules from the Mongoose Site? Also, Pirate Isles has shipboard combat rules.

If you want the characters involved in a battle against the other ship's officers (Major NPCs) then just orchistrate it, and let them swing over and do battle while the minions fight it out.

 

[Sutek]

I'll take'em in order:

1. Supporting the crew is a bit too efficient. I want to get my players off the general mass combat, and onto the poop of the enemy vessel, engaging the officers in epic duels. Any thoughts?

Run the mas boarding combat until you deem it fit to insert Captain NPC of your choice in the midst of things. One of your PCs will step up to the challenge, if not several and then you finish off the crew engagement with the other system while they use th estandard combat system to defeat Captain Black and his closest bodyguards.

2. Both sides are quite massacred until one side reaches 50%. Maybe bringing a bit more morale rules into it might save some precious buccaneer lives. As it is, the boards are quite awash with blood, and the ship needs to recrew between every action.

In real life, historically, they'd re-crew right there. At some point the beaten enemy surrenders and becomes the new, alive half of your crew. Of course, that's why there were so many mutinies...

3. I'm fine with not having historical accuracy in the game, but as it is, the component rule really restricts the ships in a weird way. Any large ship, for instance, should have moorings, maybe some components, like moorings or another row of oars should be free at some sizes?

But then you're talking warship and not dark-ages-style pirate vessel. Think Chinese junk instead of the Spanish Main. That's more in line with Conan style pirate ship sas I see it. I'm not a Conan canon type, so I dont'know how they're portrayed or described in the books, but smaller ships, no more than a single mast, are what I'd imagine doing all the plundering of Hyborian coasts and seaways.

4. We really really need some detailed charts for the waters off Zingara down to Stygia. D'ye know any maps what might serve? Something I can repaint a bit for reefs, harbours and other stuff.

You got me. Do you want just good topographical maps? No idea about that. Just make some - little squiggly lines should suffice in a pinch.

....we're only running pirate. Is it worth the bother buying Free Companies just for the narrative combat rules?

Nah, probably not. It's more for mercenary fighters, but it could have a feat or two that might be interesting. I'd really check it out ahead of time if you're tight for money, or skip it altogether.

 

[Etepete]

Have you considered using the free downloadable mass combat rules from the Mongoose Site? Also, Pirate Isles has shipboard combat rules.

Run the mas boarding combat until you deem it fit to insert Captain NPC of your choice in the midst of things. One of your PCs will step up to the challenge, if not several and then you finish off the crew engagement with the other system while they use th estandard combat system to defeat Captain Black and his closest bodyguards.

I think maybe I will after all. I'm just a bit anxious it might all get a bit too much boardgame. Besides, I'm only just getting to grips with this whole d20 thing (straining my feeble BRP-brain), so I don't wan't to add too much crunch. Have you tried the system? Is it good?

In real life, historically, they'd re-crew right there. At some point the beaten enemy surrenders and becomes the new, alive half of your crew. Of course, that's why there were so many mutinies...

Yup, this is what's been happening as well (and I'm reading up a bit on the mutiny rules right now), but still, the turnover rate is quite high. Isn't there some kind of ratio system in the Free Companies narrative system? That lowers the casualties for a more powerful force?

But then you're talking warship and not dark-ages-style pirate vessel. Think Chinese junk instead of the Spanish Main. That's more in line with Conan style pirate ship sas I see it. I'm not a Conan canon type, so I dont'know how they're portrayed or described in the books, but smaller ships, no more than a single mast, are what I'd imagine doing all the plundering of Hyborian coasts and seaways.

True, true. I'll definitely run it like that. Albeit I'll have to change the sizes in feet. Read up on a the stats for a maltese galley of the 18th C. It measured some 200 feet, and held over 600 souls! But smaller scale is definitely the order of the day for Conan, I'd say.

 

[Sutek]

Have you considered using the free downloadable mass combat rules from the Mongoose Site? Also, Pirate Isles has shipboard combat rules.

Run the mas boarding combat until you deem it fit to insert Captain NPC of your choice in the midst of things. One of your PCs will step up to the challenge, if not several and then you finish off the crew engagement with the other system while they use th estandard combat system to defeat Captain Black and his closest bodyguards.

I think maybe I will after all. I'm just a bit anxious it might all get a bit too much boardgame. Besides, I'm only just getting to grips with this whole d20 thing (straining my feeble BRP-brain), so I don't wan't to add too much crunch. Have you tried the system? Is it good?

The boarding rules simplify things down to a die roll for the good guys and one for the bad guys (mostly). Then just set up a normal style combat on the grid for your PCs to fight out. The combat grid sounds like board gaming it out, but the combat system, manuvers and feats are designed with it in mind, so if you avoid it you're just making things harder on everyone.

In real life, historically, they'd re-crew right there. At some point the beaten enemy surrenders and becomes the new, alive half of your crew. Of course, that's why there were so many mutinies...

Yup, this is what's been happening as well (and I'm reading up a bit on the mutiny rules right now), but still, the turnover rate is quite high. Isn't there some kind of ratio system in the Free Companies narrative system? That lowers the casualties for a more powerful force?

I could look, but then again, that's why historical pirates got such rutheless reputations. Whatever crew thay couldn't replenish when defeating other pirate ships they make up for by kidnapping. It's also why keel-hauling was dreamt up - to avoid those pesky uprisings in the middle of the ocean (lol). The piratical life is a dangerous one and is fraught with crime and violence.

 

[Arkobla Conn]

Don't run the combat! (Well, as you have been)

Tell the players...

the ships collide as you wade into the fray. Swinging your <broadsword>, you feel the satisfying pressure of flesh and bone part with every swing. it's bloody work, but exhilirating. You've never felt more alive than now, as both crew's collide and life has been summed up into luck, skill and fate.

As you hack down once more and a brave but stupid foe falls in his own ichor, you see across from you the <captain> of the boat you fight. He is easily six and a 1/2 feet tall, with several scars running down his massive arms. A splash of blood on his clothes shows that he has been busy getting to this point too.

A corridor has opened in the fighting, allowing you to step up to the Captain and engage. The others have learned their lesson, and offer you no resistance.

-------

As a GM - you determine the crew hits from that point. If the PC does well, then the crew does well, and they take light losses. If the PC doesn't fare well, the same. You can also go the other way, that the story dictates that the players will be captured after killing the enemy captain...

YOU are the GM...don't let fate dictate every aspect of the story you are weaving. Only let fate dictate the actual results the PC's can affect.

 

[slaughterj]

I'm right here! :lol:

For big combats, I just place the PCs and the major NPCs, then scatter random mooks on each ship's decks, then run the fight! The only rolls are for the PCs and for those confronting the PCs - in various rounds, I will pluck off random people from each side from time to time, representing them being cut down (killed, ko'd, or just down for the fight). No worries about mass combat, etc.!

 

[Bregales]

I also heartily agree with Arkobla Conn - damn. I was gonna write something and then a friend walked up and we started talking about writing, narrative voice & such & now I can't remember my point! . I'd just say keep the action going, don't get bogged down in numbers-keeping, keep it fast & descriptive & your guys will have a great time.

I was going to mention the point just made about relating the crew's success to the PC's performance in their combat (Pirate Isles bases it off Captain's rolls if I remember, but anyway) - a computer game I love, Sid Meier's Pirates! uses this technique when your hero is swordfighting the enemy captain in ship combat.

Don't worry about combat placement or such, just let the PCs get to wherever you want them to face off against your planned opponents and pick up the round-to-round fighting from there. Their actions are more important than the NPC resolution anyways, you can describe how they're doing in a couple sentences while the PCs fight if they're paying attention. If not, save the narration for the end. By contrast, if you want them to fight but have their crew slaughtered, like what happened when Conan met Belit, then set up the fight with the resolution pre-determined, let the PCs fight several rounds, then tell them they're all that's left and the enemy captain calls a halt to her crew and appraises them....

Hope this (longwinded) reply helps!

 

[Etepete]

A corridor has opened in the fighting, allowing you to step up to the Captain and engage. The others have learned their lesson, and offer you no resistance.
.

Quite, this is excactly what I want. All I need, I suppose, is some kind of aid for my imagination. Basically, all the characters need to add to the the boarding in some manner: the born seaman pirate doing some manuveur to bring the ship in more neatly to let the crew stream across with drawn cutlasses, the thief singeling out whichever officer of the opposing vessel he wants to sneak up on and dispose of, the noble captain rallying the troops and directing the press of men, or engaging the adversary captain mano a mano, and the soldier archer either sending pointy death to the officers or setting the sails ablaze during the closing rounds (and I'll still use the closing system as is I think). So it's all down to creating unique obstacles and options for each boarding as not to make them too repetetive.

Now, If they're going after a bigger ship or larger crew, things are obviously going to get stickier. But the best way to deal with this might be simply pitting higher level adversaries against the charachters, or maybe downplaying the results of player success: If the pc pirates of a medium merchantship gone buccaneer goes up against a large carrack with a well trained crew, and the players manages to outmanuveur the bigger craft, success might mean forcing the bigger craft to break off, or in extreme cases, sinking her with cargo and all, while failure brings sticky death or shameful slavery.

Anyways, as I'll be running a lot of ship to ship combat, I'll not be able to use all of them as story elements. Some ships will just be the next vessel to loot, so a certain element of chance will be needed.