Book 3 - Act 1: Perilous Waters

The shipping lanes of Golarion's seas and oceans are filled with fat merchant vessels laden with trade goods both mundane and exotic, as well as the pirates and freebooters who prey on them. Under the banner of their Hurricane King, these buccaneers sally forth from that archipelago of lawless pirate ports and anchorages known as the Shackles, plundering the shipping of countless countries and trade consortiums, then vanishing back into the maze of islands and reefs they call home. The nations of the Inner Sea would like nothing more than to end the pirate menace once and for all, but the eternal hurricane known as the Eye of Abendego has thus far shielded the Free Captains of the Shackles from the threat of retaliation.


In the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path, the PCs take on the role of pirates, but they must make a name for themselves in piracy, plunder, and disrepute to truly become infamous Free Captains of the Shackles.

A Paizo Adventure Path

Run by the Pirate King Vardaen
User avatar
Vardaen
Admin
Admin
Posts: 66394
Location: Miskatonic University
Title: Great Old One
User Class: Unshackled AI

Boarding Action: Round 1

Post by Vardaen » Mon Apr 20, 2020 7:58 pm

The two ships slam into each other broadside. Grapples and ropes are tossed across by your pirate crew and boarding axes reach out and pull. In moments the two ships are locked in a mortal struggle. The Chelix ship has its sails all torn up from your ballista shots as you closed in. You can see a typical Chelis arrangement -- sailors and marines. The Marines are guarding the captain, while the sailors are holding off the rest of the ship.

Your crew leaps into action against the enemy sailors, and your group of officers is paired with the Marines and the Captain!

Rose, at the helm, shouts a bawdy sea shanty!
Round 1 Flavina 27, Seroneth 21, Chelish Crew 15, Meri 9, Rod 9, Xie 8, Crews


Combat Round: Surprise
Seroneth: Mirror Image: 5 Images, Haste
Xie: Ice Armor
Flavina: Mage Armor, Fly, Fly Xie
Meri: Mage Armor, Shield, Resistance

Weapons Out

We will mainly ignore the non-numbered NPCs on both sides.
Flavina and Seroneth leap into action before anyone else....
Image
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

User avatar
Othniel
Level 12
Level 12
Posts: 1545
User Class: Wanderer

Boarding Action: Round 1

Post by Othniel » Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:52 pm

With a flick of her wrist, Seroneth casts a tiny pinch of ground mica into the air and utters an incantation, conjuring a cloud of golden particles around the enemy captain and two of his men.
Glitterdust on the enemy captain and Bad Guy #4 and #6. DC 17 Will Save or blinded. ^_^

Zorbeltuss
Level 12
Level 12
Posts: 1939

Boarding Action: Round 1

Post by Zorbeltuss » Tue Apr 21, 2020 1:46 am

With a smirk, arcane phrases, fancy gestures and a battery of colorful phrases which are merely optional for it to work, Flavinia works her magic.
If feasible: Hydraulic push vs Mook #5, if a success moving him 5' throws him overboard. In that case, it's bull rush +14 (Caster Level which is 8 because water spell+Cha).
If not: Glitterdust DC 18 covering Mooks #2, 7 and 8.

User avatar
Vardaen
Admin
Admin
Posts: 66394
Location: Miskatonic University
Title: Great Old One
User Class: Unshackled AI

Boarding Action: Round 1

Post by Vardaen » Wed Apr 22, 2020 6:41 pm

Round 1 Flavina 27, Seroneth 21, Chelish Crew 15, Meri 9, Rod 9, Xie 8, Crews
Flavina doesn't need all those weaving arms and funny bits, well she needs some of it, but in a nice subtle manner she causes a burst of water to rise up from between the ships and slam into one of the Chelish Marines. The impact of the water knocks the man over the railing and into the sea with a splash!

Seroneth uses more flare and flourish as she casts her arcane spell on the captain and his nearby men. A burst of glittering dust settles over them, blinding his two marines. The captain resists the blinding power but glows bright and yellow like a beacon.

He howls, "Defend your ship with life my men! The Chelish do not give into pirates or privateers! Honor and duty will see you through the day! Remember we sail under her glorious flag!" He scans the men on your ship and points his cutlass at Roderick, "A captain in the front lines! Good, come, let us fight mano y mano like men and captains of honor you pirate dog!"

His mean howl, "HUZAH!" as they open fire. Bolts from their crossbows fire over the bow mostly missing high or wide or slamming into the rail or posts. Roderick takes a shot to the leg however and its crippling. He staggers forward grabbing the rail, his leg is numb, and he'll be damn slow for a bit.

Meri, Rod, and Xie....
Combat Round 1
Flavina: Hydrlic Push: Bull Rush 17 + 14 = 31 vs CMD 16 = Success -- MAN OVER BOARD!
Seroneth: Glitterdust: Will Save DC 17, Captain 17 Success, #4 7 Fail, #6 Fail
M1: Shoot Seroneth 8 Miss (no Mirror Image Dmg) , Reload
M2: Shoot Rod "20" (Crit:18), Crit vs FF 15 Dmg + Leg Wound: Speed is Half for 3 Rounds!, Reload
M3: Shoot Meri 15 Miss, Reload
M7: Move, Shoot Xie 16 Miss
M8: Move, Shoot Flavina 14 Miss
M4: Will Save 20 Success, M6 Will Save 8 Fail
Captain: Issues Challenge to Rod, Uses Tactician to Grant his men Precise Strike
Yellow boarders are glittering, yellow overlay are blind. Blue is drowning.
Image
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

User avatar
Grimbold
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10309
Location: Austria
Title: Professor
User Class: Scholar

Boarding Action: Round 1

Post by Grimbold » Sat Apr 25, 2020 4:00 pm

Rod's leg hurts like hell, but he needs to keep some air of authority and grits his teeth.
He calls out to the other ship's captain: "Then why do you send your men to die and hide behind them like a coward? Come and dance with me... if you dare!"
With that, he grabs a rope hanging down, swings over to the other ship, careful to land on his good leg, then jumps over an enemy crewman (groaning a bit as he lands on his legs) to stand before the captain. Rapier in hand, he bows mockingly: "Would you possibly allow me this dance?"
Hasted for +30ft speed, but half speed from wound.
Free: Activate daredevil boots.
"As a free action, the wearer can click her heels together to grant herself a +5 competence bonus on Acrobatics checks made to move through threatened squares or to move through an enemy’s space without provoking attacks of opportunity for up to 10 rounds per day. The rounds need not be consecutive. Furthermore, anytime the wearer of the boots successfully moves though the space of an enemy without provoking an attack of opportunity, she gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls against that enemy until the end of her turn."
Move: swing on other ship (acrobatics+15). Use Derring Do if needed for 1 panache point). Land as close to the captain as possible. If no rope is near, just jump. I assume he prepared something to get over.
Derring-Do (Ex): At 1st level, a swashbuckler can spend 1 panache point when she makes an Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Fly, Ride, or Swim check to roll 1d6 and add the result to the check. She can do this after she makes the check but before the result is revealed. If the result of the d6 roll is a natural 6, she rolls another 1d6 and adds it to the check. She can continue to do this as long as she rolls natural 6s, up to a number of times equal to her Dexterity modifier (minimum 1).
Move to get right west of the captain (+5 on acrobatics to avoid aoo- daredevil boots).

GuyWithSword
Level 5
Level 5
Posts: 321

Boarding Action: Round 1

Post by GuyWithSword » Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:18 am

Meri sees an opportunity, and quickly moves to seize it. Rarely does an enemy formation line up so well as to allow to hit 4 of them at once! Slithering into position at the edge of their ship, she points her rod at the enemy line. "DIE, SLAVERS!" A thick, loud line of lightning shoots forward, zapping 4 of them. Including the captain.
Meri moves 2 west, 1 NW, and then uses an Empowered Lightning Bolt on enemies 2, 8, Captain, and 6. 9d6+18 x1.5, Reflex DC19 for half

User avatar
Vardaen
Admin
Admin
Posts: 66394
Location: Miskatonic University
Title: Great Old One
User Class: Unshackled AI

Boarding Action: Round 1

Post by Vardaen » Tue Apr 28, 2020 4:39 pm

Meri can't help it, she sees a chance to line up a shot and so she moves around through the Captain and crew. Perfect. She summons as much power as she can into her finger tips and unleashes a blast of electricity that could split the main mast of your ship. The bolt of lightning strikes the first Chelish Marine in the chest and like a harpoon it pierces through him into the next angling up to the for'castle into and through the captain and the man behind him.

When the blinding flash of light clears the four men drop dead to the deck in a smoking pile.

The whole battle pauses, the men on the enemy ships shout for parley and mercy. They surrender almost instantly begging for quarter with weapons thrown to the deck and hands thrown high.
Meri: Move, Empowered Lightning Bolt: Ref Saves Marines: "20" Success, 10 Fail, 4 Fail: 60 Dmg (or 30dmg) ALL DEAD, Captain 9 Fail DEAD


You one shot the captain, and 3 of the marines? Yeah they surrender. Huzzah?
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

GuyWithSword
Level 5
Level 5
Posts: 321

Re: Book 3 - Act 1: Perilous Waters

Post by GuyWithSword » Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:44 am

Smiling at the remaining sailors, Meri points at the smoldering pile of charred meat.

"I guess honor and duty doesn't really win you the day, does it?"

Looking back to her captain, she looks a bit more sheepish. "Sorry. I think I overdid it just a bit..."

User avatar
Grimbold
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10309
Location: Austria
Title: Professor
User Class: Scholar

Re: Book 3 - Act 1: Perilous Waters

Post by Grimbold » Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:03 am

Rod was just about to attack the enemy captain when he drops, hit by lightning. Rod staggers back and shields his eyes with his left arm then looks again to see everyone surrendering. "That was fast!" he says, slightly disappointed.
"Ok," he calls out to the Chelish. "Drop your weapons now, or else... we'll roast you." He turns to his crew. "Lock them up and let's see if there is anything to plunder. He starts by looking at the captain, checking to see if he has anything valuable on him.

Zorbeltuss
Level 12
Level 12
Posts: 1939

Re: Book 3 - Act 1: Perilous Waters

Post by Zorbeltuss » Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:30 pm

Though not much liking Chels, and rather selfish, Flavinia isn't a complete and utter bastard, nope, her parents were married before they had her, she thinks. She's got a drowning little marine to save, serve an evil empire he might be, but most such men were just trying to get by. Can't let him drown needlessly. Besides, they attacked his ship, not the other way around.
Fly spell and swim speed presumably suffices to save the poor mook, might not be able to pull him out of the water, but sufficient to get him to a rope or something

Post Reply