Tarvok wrote:Are they covered in other AtB suppliments? Is their nature ever revealed? Or are they just there as a teaser for GMs to use, or as a mechanism to isolate various sections from others (by preventing sea travel)?
They're not found in any AtB supplements. IMO they're there at the discretion of the GMs imagination as to how far he wants to take it.
But, outside of AtB, IIRC there was a black sailed fleet that appeard in a Rifts World Book at some time...I got rid of all my Rifts books years ago and can't remeber which book it was.
"Select the facts and you manipulate the truth!" - Calvin & Hobbes
If my info is correct, the use of black sails was used in leiu of pirate flags, or just as a scare tactic; it was expensive to get cloth for sails dyed, especially black (which was considered bad luck), and what ship used those kind of sails were generally considered either pirate or just plain trouble.
"Yes, I know I'm going to hell; I'm bringing marshmallows." BookWyrm aka The Horn'd One Str-8 male Dom/Top; Honourable but not gullible; a Hero of the Megaverse.
gordyzx9r wrote:But, outside of AtB, IIRC there was a black sailed fleet that appeard in a Rifts World Book at some time...I got rid of all my Rifts books years ago and can't remeber which book it was.
That was Rifts Australia from memory. I believe the Moloki have some trade agreement with the pirates (?) of the Black Sails. Or it could have been in Underseas....
Also, I think there was reference to Black Sails in a PFRPG book, probably Adventure in the High Seas.
The demon black ships are from PFRPG's Adventure at Sea. They also made an appearance in Rifts South America 1.
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Tarvok wrote:Sounds like, in the future, there is a group--possibly an entire nation--of pirates dominating the South Pacific. Its really interesting how they just throw these teasers out. I wonder what Erick Wujick thinks when he sees those black sails?
Ironically, it's not so futuristic. There are currently pirates in the South Pacific. Erick's even mentioned an article on the pirates of Indonesia.
Tarvok wrote:Sounds like, in the future, there is a group--possibly an entire nation--of pirates dominating the South Pacific. Its really interesting how they just throw these teasers out. I wonder what Erick Wujick thinks when he sees those black sails?
Ironically, it's not so futuristic. There are currently pirates in the South Pacific. Erick's even mentioned an article on the pirates of Indonesia.
Therumancer wrote:...but got stuck there and eventually adapted to life in Fantasyland, learning magic and such as the supplies of bullets/explosives/etc... began to dwindle. The game went on for a while.
I sorta did the same thing, but it was a Star Frontiers into D&D crossover.
"Select the facts and you manipulate the truth!" - Calvin & Hobbes
Oh just had a thought. What if this coral reef had psionics. The Black ships were just illusions to distract from the reef. Using its psionics it turns the crews of the ships against each other. Eventually scutling the ships. Creating an artificial reef. Which is engulfed by the natural reef. Creating a larger reef quicker. Increasing its size and survivablity.
Chi Panda wrote:I recall this from back in the day and had the thought of the "black sails" actually being the dorsel fins of REALLY big somethings. Perhaps mutant sharks or even whales, or something more horrific.
Thats a very interesting idea.
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Chi Panda wrote:As is your psionic reef idea. William C Dietz used a similar concept in his Legion of the Damned series with a race of intelligent/psionic plankton.
I really should get the rest of that series, he has quite a few good ones though.
