Cove of the Piratical Bureaucrats"Er. Captain Sir. Looks like pirates."
Offer helpful advice!
((Does "Bluff" actually offer me any advantage? Does it mean I can attempt anything, but with a -1 penalty? What is the penalty for other people attempting anything they are not skilled in?))
Yeah, you can try anything with a -1, and beat even a professional at it, with your skill level. It's not always a good plan, failures being much more brutal than in a skill you actually have while overshoots can be disastrous, but other people just won't
have that skill. i.e. if you know nothing about medicine, you'll never do better than wrapping a bandage or two round a wound after cleaning it. More than one skill will sometimes work for the same activity, though.
Also, while multiple actions don't actually annoy me, other gms with systems etc will prefer it if you avoid them.
That Bloody Cat continues eating.
the neck is a little stringy, but full of flavour.
Devan retreats to his quarters and returns, holding three small crossbows, two quivers, and a pair of short-swords. He dumps them all on the deck, then sets to calibrating his cannon.
"Get some weapons, fellows, even if you plan not to fight. It may come in handy if we are somehow boarded."
Hmm. While a weapons officer and blacksmith, even one with a criminal record, could concieveably have all those, I don't actually remember hearing about them before. So inventory rolls will be required.
Combat/Inventory: 1 (skill level) x
4. So a crossbow and a sword.
Grab a crossbow and man a cannon and prepare to look like a non-combatant if anyone comes aboard.
Seizing: 1
You trip over yourself, watch as the weapons are taken away by other people, then dejectedly start loading one of the safety cannons.
Octavius grabs a short sword before heading down to man one of the cannons.
Seizing:4
You get the short sword, and load the other safety cannon.
Candygal grabs a short sword and runs down deck attempting to start a place where wounds can be disinfected and treated.
Seizing: 1
You miss the pile, grab hold of a net, tangle yourself up in it, escape, and begin trying to set up an infirmary/field hospital.
Book-learning: 3
You set up a table, spread a little bedding over it, purify a bit of brine for disinfectant by running it through some cloth. Not ideal.
"Thank you, Jackson. Tthat's very astute of you.
It looks to me like sailing close to the beached ship, but away from the shore, is our safest option, as it will keep us away from the ballistae most effectively. Boarders might be a problem though. Or fire ...
I suggest we sail quickly past, under the range of the beached ship's ballistae, and prepare to repel attacks. Someone man the cannons! I'll take the wheel, Octavius, thank you. Devon, assist me with the sailing, but keep a hand on that cannon of yours. Everyone who has weaponry, prepare to fight! Cat! Where is That bloody Cat? Cat! Come prepare for unfriendly guests!"
My vote currently is to sail near enough the beached ship to avoid her ballistae, and simply attempt to speed through, while avoiding sandbars and the like.
Edit: I'll grab a crossbow from the pile Devan brings up, and a quiver. If Iam able, I'll load the crossbow, but not cock it yet.
Seizing: 5
You casually take hold of a crossbow and quiver, loading it.
So is that the plan? Not everyone has to agree, but I'm just checking there's some other support for it.