Hello everyone. I'm a rather new DM so I'm in need of making one of my character's backstory work with other players.
One of my characters created a backstory where they were the leader of a strong pirate fleet. Their character entered the party without leaving his status as a captain. So normally, the player expects to utilize their fleet and treasury since it is in their backstory and it would make sense. The only thing I could think of (and still slightly be balanced?) is some type of gold income and free travel on the seas, since it is already an ability that the sailor background gets. I'm afraid it would be op compared to the other players since just getting gifts from the DM due to your backstory seems a bit too much for me.
I would personally talk to the Player about their character’s backstory and tell them they need to adjust it. A “level 0” character would never rise to be the commodore of a pirate fleet. The coolest stuff that a PC does should never be in their backstory.
Hello everyone. I'm a rather new DM so I'm in need of making one of my character's backstory work with other players.
One of my characters created a backstory where they were the leader of a strong pirate fleet. Their character entered the party without leaving his status as a captain. So normally, the player expects to utilize their fleet and treasury since it is in their backstory and it would make sense. The only thing I could think of (and still slightly be balanced?) is some type of gold income and free travel on the seas, since it is already an ability that the sailor background gets. I'm afraid it would be op compared to the other players since just getting gifts from the DM due to your backstory seems a bit too much for me.
I appreciate your help in advance.
Pirates captains are elected democratically. If he's not there, on the ship leading his crew, he's no longer the captain. The guy who's willing to do those duties is voted in.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Yeah, I would set a cap of what you get to bring with you from a backstory. One point of renown, a common magic item, 50gp value of extra stuff. Unless at your table you are allowing more than that it gives a starting character way too much resources.
A better fix in this case is that the character *was* of rank with the pirates and presumed dead when they left. They may have entitlement to these resources, but not access due to circumstance. This sets up a nice plot hook, and gives you as the DM control over what they gain, and when they gain it.
The day he left, he was overthrown. Now he’s got no current benefits from the backstory, and he’s got a score to settle to motivate him. Also +1to sposta. A first level character isn’t the head of anything, that’s part of what level 1 means. He might grow into the head of a pirate fleet, but he was more likely to have been a deckhand doing the crappy jobs.
I see, thank you everyone for your help. this has really been helpful. I will talk with them and try to find a middle ground (probably make this into a plothook in the future like socon67 said), but I won't be giving anything further than the pirate feature.
Or maybe, just maybe, the Character believes he was the captain of a pirate fleet... and still does. He's never sailed a day in his life, but he believes it. Role-play the heck out of that... cause there's a lot there. But if the Player was just wanting to have a way to bring in money and no other motivation... nope... sorry buddy, you're a pauper like the rest of us (well, technically, 5-25 GP is pretty good money in most towns across the realms). But being better at playing Jack Sparrow than Jack Sparrow? That's a good roleplaying background!
Honestly, I wouldn’t give anything more than the standard Pirate background grants.
This.
Don't approve a backstory that has the PC running a ship and having a hoard of treasure. If the PC is in that circumstance why even adventure? The player has written the backstory of a level 20 character, or at least a level 8 or 10, not a level 1. Time to come up with a new concept.
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WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
I played in a campaign where everyone started at level 3, and one of the players was a pirate who had been mutinied and was on a quest to reclaim her ship. Functionally she just had the starting equipment and benefits of the pirate background, but the fact that she had the potential to reclaim her ship was balanced by the fact that she was wanted in most large cities.
Unfortunately, the player had scheduling issues and regularly missed games (sometimes this was explained as her running ahead to tear down wanted signs in a city before we reach it), until eventually they just left the campaign and the character's backstory never paid off.
"[was]the leader of a strong pirate fleet" what are you doing adventuring? unless they where deposed, have a nice piece of paper with a black spot on it. deposed captains would have such a bad reputation, ruled as is in the background.
if hay to reference Pirates of the Caribbean movies, walking around saying your the leader of a pirate fleet might just come back to bite them, even if they just proclaim it while its has no noticeable value they can make good on.
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Hello everyone. I'm a rather new DM so I'm in need of making one of my character's backstory work with other players.
One of my characters created a backstory where they were the leader of a strong pirate fleet. Their character entered the party without leaving his status as a captain. So normally, the player expects to utilize their fleet and treasury since it is in their backstory and it would make sense. The only thing I could think of (and still slightly be balanced?) is some type of gold income and free travel on the seas, since it is already an ability that the sailor background gets. I'm afraid it would be op compared to the other players since just getting gifts from the DM due to your backstory seems a bit too much for me.
I appreciate your help in advance.
I would personally talk to the Player about their character’s backstory and tell them they need to adjust it. A “level 0” character would never rise to be the commodore of a pirate fleet. The coolest stuff that a PC does should never be in their backstory.
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Pirates captains are elected democratically. If he's not there, on the ship leading his crew, he's no longer the captain. The guy who's willing to do those duties is voted in.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Yeah, I would set a cap of what you get to bring with you from a backstory. One point of renown, a common magic item, 50gp value of extra stuff. Unless at your table you are allowing more than that it gives a starting character way too much resources.
A better fix in this case is that the character *was* of rank with the pirates and presumed dead when they left. They may have entitlement to these resources, but not access due to circumstance. This sets up a nice plot hook, and gives you as the DM control over what they gain, and when they gain it.
The day he left, he was overthrown. Now he’s got no current benefits from the backstory, and he’s got a score to settle to motivate him.
Also +1to sposta. A first level character isn’t the head of anything, that’s part of what level 1 means. He might grow into the head of a pirate fleet, but he was more likely to have been a deckhand doing the crappy jobs.
Honestly, I wouldn’t give anything more than the standard Pirate background grants.
I could see maybe if they were a chief petty officer and maybe an extra 10-15gp, but that would be about it at the most.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
I see, thank you everyone for your help. this has really been helpful. I will talk with them and try to find a middle ground (probably make this into a plothook in the future like socon67 said), but I won't be giving anything further than the pirate feature.
Or maybe, just maybe, the Character believes he was the captain of a pirate fleet... and still does. He's never sailed a day in his life, but he believes it. Role-play the heck out of that... cause there's a lot there. But if the Player was just wanting to have a way to bring in money and no other motivation... nope... sorry buddy, you're a pauper like the rest of us (well, technically, 5-25 GP is pretty good money in most towns across the realms). But being better at playing Jack Sparrow than Jack Sparrow? That's a good roleplaying background!
This.
Don't approve a backstory that has the PC running a ship and having a hoard of treasure. If the PC is in that circumstance why even adventure? The player has written the backstory of a level 20 character, or at least a level 8 or 10, not a level 1. Time to come up with a new concept.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
I played in a campaign where everyone started at level 3, and one of the players was a pirate who had been mutinied and was on a quest to reclaim her ship. Functionally she just had the starting equipment and benefits of the pirate background, but the fact that she had the potential to reclaim her ship was balanced by the fact that she was wanted in most large cities.
Unfortunately, the player had scheduling issues and regularly missed games (sometimes this was explained as her running ahead to tear down wanted signs in a city before we reach it), until eventually they just left the campaign and the character's backstory never paid off.
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"[was]the leader of a strong pirate fleet" what are you doing adventuring? unless they where deposed, have a nice piece of paper with a black spot on it. deposed captains would have such a bad reputation, ruled as is in the background.
if hay to reference Pirates of the Caribbean movies, walking around saying your the leader of a pirate fleet might just come back to bite them, even if they just proclaim it while its has no noticeable value they can make good on.