AlysCole

Hello Everyone!

Hey there. Welcome to RPG! Let loose your creativity and have fun, man.

Seas of Blood: The Premier Buccaneering Roleplay!

Glad to see this up! Do let me know when/if a character sheet template is up? I'd appreciate it.

Seas of Blood

The Royal Navy never was -quite- as aristocratic as the army, in which one might simply buy a commission if one had money. Navy officers needed specific training for which a specific inclination and talent was particularly prized, no matter how blue your blood was, tho it might incur you preferential treatment, not guarantee you a command. You did need to pass the examination for lieutenant before a board of captains to become an officer, and that could not be bought. Captains also had the freedom to take on whomever they pleased on as midshipmen. There was a clear incentive to taking on those who had letters (incurring favor with those up the chain of command to make Post, for example), but a less fortunate Captain, say one that might have a few debts might take one as a personal favor, or might take his own child, or the child of a career seaman as form of recognition and thanks for his service.

@TheIratePirate

Nice, okay. So how would... her using a letter forged in her father's name sound like? Since he would've been (or still is, perhaps) a seaman, it may or may not lend to her favor.

Seas of Blood

Oh! Midshipmen actually are taking lessons in navigation and mathematics from the sailing master and bookkeeper/purser. Sometimes the Captain himself oversees lessons to pass time on long voyages. The point of these lessons is to prepare the midshipmen for their examination for Lieutenant when they reach 18 years and 6 years at sea, guaranteeing a steady supply of competent officers. So as a midshipman you'd not only be allowed mistakes, you're not even expected to have experience. If you want a good example of a midshipman's life, look for a Mini Series called "Hornblower". Very good presentation of sailors and officers' life shipboard and a great source for learning the jargon. There is also a very young midshipman in the movie "Master and Commander". Both fantastic :)

@TheIratePirate

Oh, oh. I see! That's good to know, thanks. So midshipmen, if I'm getting this right, would usually be boys/men of a higher social class than, say, an ordinary seaman?

Seas of Blood

Oh she's totally a go, not a moment's hesitation.

If it helps, in the Royal Navy there are two or three positions a 15-16 year old might hold. Indeed the base seaman is one of them, but there also the powder monkeys (generally even younger), the steward/cabin boy, and there are midshipmen, which are a little more interesting if you'd care to do a little forgery with that "letter of service", but would actually get you trained in the finer arts of sailing a ship. Whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll do great!

@TheIratePirate

It does help, thank you. I absolutely like the idea of more counterfeiting. Let's say she does manage to forge a letter of service stating she has more experience in the sea than she actually does (hence her gaining the position of midshipman). Having been the daughter of a seaman, she's done her research, but not enough. The large holes in her sailing knowledge might've been apparent when they actually set sail and so, during their course of travel, she's revealed to be less than an able midshipman.

When she lets slip that she'd forged the documents she came in with... what do you think a suitable punishment would've been, with the Navy? A demotion? A flogging? That would've revealed her as what she is straight out, which I could go along with.

Seas of Blood

If she's thinking of singing up with the navy (the ship is Navy until the mutiny), her charismatic personality probably won't be the saving grace she needs. She'd need to pass-off as a man, at least until the officers are dealt with. As a passenger however, she could have indeed run off to make a life for herself in the colonies. After that point, I doubt the pirates would be able to refuse her anything. Like... ever. ;)

@TheIratePirate

Ah, I missed that little tidbit. I like the idea of her masquerading as a fifteen to sixteen-year old boy to serve in the Navy, perhaps in the foolish hopes of finding adventure and all that bull. She'd have been a Junior Seaman in the Navy before the mutiny, maybe?

She'll probably try to keep up the charade, afterwards. I'll see about fleshing out the character. That is, if she's a go!

Seas of Blood

This sounds like it could be fun. Consider me interested! As for a character... how's an uneducated, hotheaded rigger/sailor sound like?

I was thinking she'd be the daughter in a line of lowly sailors, who decides to take to the seas after a huge argument broke out between herself and her mother. When she'd heard of the ship sailing out into new lands, she had managed to weasel her way on and sign on as a rigger. Her... charismatic personality might have had something to do with it.

An unstoppable force and an immovable object

Sounds interesting. Any rules on the actual roleplay?

Bureau of Paranormal Investigation

You've put a ton of thought into this. Will there be a story line for characters to try to resolve, or will it be more sandbox-like?

'Elves' - An inverted Elven RP

@Jbcool I'm still good for this! And I could toss in my name for Co-GM as well, as I really like the premise of this idea.