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Best pirate RPG?

Started by Trond, June 29, 2016, 12:48:42 PM

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Matt

#15
June 29, 2016, 07:18:22 PM
Quote from: Christopher Brady;905866Personally, I was more of a fan of PEG's Pirates of The Spanish Main myself.  But if you hate Savage Worlds, then I guess it can be a bit of a turn off.  But for me, the setting information with the real world locations but the ambivalent timeline (It's somewhere in the 1700s, who cares what the actual date is) made it fun.

Too bad there was only the core book released.

Savage Worlds system is why I don't play this one. A friend and I went in on buying the book together and otherwise it's pretty good aside from the fantastical elements.

But there were all those neat little ships you could get for the card game and then use for the RPG instead (or as well). I still have those ships and use them. That and one of those "Toob of Pirates" tubes covers most of your prop needs.

Matt

#16
June 29, 2016, 07:19:36 PM
Quote from: Shipyard Locked;905862Flashing Blades has good points, but there's too much table-referencing in its combat system for my tastes.

What table referencing? It comes with a handy GM screen that I hardly even look at. Most of what you need is right on the character sheet.

Doughdee222

#17
June 29, 2016, 07:48:33 PM
Quote from: Matt;905848Runner-up: Pirates & Plunder, except there are no rules for ships.



Wait a minute. Wait a minute. No rules for ships? That's like writing a fantasy game and not having rules for swords and shields.

Christopher Brady

#18
June 29, 2016, 08:13:23 PM
Quote from: Doughdee222;905888Wait a minute. Wait a minute. No rules for ships? That's like writing a fantasy game and not having rules for swords and shields.

Come on, it's Matt, unless it's from the 70's it's utter shite and should be burned at the stake.  Deal with it and move on.
"And now, my friends, a Dragon\'s toast!  To life\'s little blessings:  wars, plagues and all forms of evil.  Their presence keeps us alert --- and their absence makes us grateful." -T.A. Barron[/SIZE]

JeremyR

#19
June 29, 2016, 09:06:50 PM
Quote from: JesterRaiin;905835FREEPORT!



I've been participating in a few sessions of 50 Fathoms/Savage Worlds and I liked it, although I wouldn't consider it "best pirate RPG". ;)

Maybe things have changed, but Freeport is more like Disney's idea of pirates. I remember in the original book about it (the city book), there were more police than modern day cities have. There was an insurance company that worked by having a powerful artifact that people would swear by and it would force them to tell the truth. There was a store that sold Pokemon.

And there was a serious lack of sleazy/nasty stuff that real pirates practices.  I can see wanting to skirt over that, but to avoid it completely?

Trond

#20
June 29, 2016, 09:16:27 PM
So what's the Flashing Blades system like?

Jetstream

#21
June 29, 2016, 09:20:17 PM
Quote from: JeremyR;905895Maybe things have changed, but Freeport is more like Disney's idea of pirates. I remember in the original book about it (the city book), there were more police than modern day cities have. There was an insurance company that worked by having a powerful artifact that people would swear by and it would force them to tell the truth. There was a store that sold Pokemon.

And there was a serious lack of sleazy/nasty stuff that real pirates practices.  I can see wanting to skirt over that, but to avoid it completely?

So it's romanticized, funtimes, fantasy pirates? That's a pretty popular trope.

Baulderstone

#22
June 29, 2016, 09:55:42 PM
I ran a brief pirate campaign with Savage Worlds. What I found particularly good about it was the rules for Extras (mooks). It made ship-to-ship boarding actions with PCs plus the crews of both ships much more manageable. I'd advice leaning towards something that can handle large numbers of combatants easily.

David Johansen

#23
June 29, 2016, 10:08:25 PM
ICE's RMSS compatible stand alone Run Out The Guns.  Naturally!
Fantasy Adventure Comic, games, and more http://www.uncouthsavage.com

Simon W

#24
June 30, 2016, 02:21:53 AM
There's always Woodland Warriors At Sea

But I agree with the earlier poster - Flashing Blades + High Seas.

JesterRaiin

#25
June 30, 2016, 02:28:05 AM Last Edit: June 30, 2016, 04:58:54 AM by JesterRaiin
Quote from: JeremyR;905895Maybe things have changed, but Freeport is more like Disney's idea of pirates.

Well, romanticized setting doesn't exclude "serious" in tone stories, just like any "serious" setting doesn't forbid people from playing light, tongue-in-cheek joke sessions.

On the streets of Freeport you could've meet fantasy creatures, people using weird magic and selling exotic stuff belonging more to the lands of fairy tales than to our reality. Does it forbid the equivalents of Benito de Soto or Henry Avery from showing up and starting their reign of terror? Does it make the life of a pirate less dangerous and his "job" easier?

I see no reason for that, still you be the judge. :)
"If it\'s not appearing, it\'s not a real message." ~ Brett

Spinachcat

#26
June 30, 2016, 03:02:08 AM
The answer is Crimson Cutlass.

The bigger question is hunting down a copy!

The PDF is on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Cutlass-Fundamentals-Book-One-ebook/dp/B00V0B88GQ#navbar

Shawn Driscoll

#27
June 30, 2016, 04:04:32 AM
GURPS Swashbucklers. But for the source ideas.

jadrax

#28
June 30, 2016, 05:27:31 AM
I quite enjoyed running Swashbucklers of the Seven Skies, if you can cope with your pirates riding Giant Parrots and hitting people in the basket-weaving.

Shipyard Locked

#29
June 30, 2016, 06:27:44 AM
Quote from: Matt;905882What table referencing? It comes with a handy GM screen that I hardly even look at. Most of what you need is right on the character sheet.

You mean you can remember the hundreds of varying pluses and minuses in the combat section without looking at the tables!?
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