Haarculaneaum
2006-10-01, 11:10 AM
Admiral Geoffrey Quickbeam & The Scarlet Shard
What makes this contest so much fun is that this is the character I played with all last year. Brought him up from a lowly Sorcerer 1/Swashbuckler 4, I did, back when he was just good old Captain Quickbeam.
Admiral Geoffrey Quickbeam is the Master and Commander of The Scarlet Shard, the Everfull Fleet, and the Prince of the Pirates’ Archipelago. He began his career in the Royal Navy, fleeing before he could be court martialed for leading a mutiny against his villainous Captain Grim. Quickbeam fled with his fellow ship’s officers: Kassious, a Drow mage-hunter and Ghost-faced Killer; Black Claw, a shape-changing druid of the sea; Grievous, a vicious thri-kreen swordmaster; Ship’s Surgeon Samuel Martek; and Devereaux, an elemental lightning-mage.
Quickbeam and his crew fled to the Pirate’s Archipelago in search for Quickbeam’s father, an outcast Royal Engineer. Dr. Quickbeam had been researching alternate methods of propulsion, both for speed and ease of use. Quickbeam and his men were unable to find his father. But they were able to find his father’s ship, The Scarlet Shard.
The Scarlet Shard was being captained by its artificer, Malor the Dwarf. Malor had been the best friend of Dr. Quickbeam and together they created The Scarlet Shard’s unique method of propulsion. They trapped a fire elemental within a crystalline prison. This now-superheated item was attached to two heat-conductive rods that flash-boiled water collected on either side of the ship. This steam was then used as a propellant, cutting The Scarlet Shard through the water as fast as any Elven ship had ever gone.
Malor and his crew told a story of the Vampire Pirate-King Prince Morin and his Ship-of-Bones. Prince Morin, in an attempt to steal the technology of The Scarlet Shard, killed Dr. Quickbeam and more than half of the ship’s crew. Luckily, Malor was able to finally drive off Prince Morin by reading a Daylight scroll before the vampire could garner any information.
Malor, an artificer, then spent the next year rebuilding the crew, who were all sentient Ironwood constructs. Malor and his crew then roamed the Pirate’s Archipelago, seeking information to avenge the death of their friend and captain.
When Geoffrey Quickbeam and his crew made contact with Malor and the crew of The Scarlet Shard, Quickbeam knew at once that he must take up the mantle of Captain and avenge his father’s death. Malor turned over ownership and the helm to Quickbeam, in accordance with his father’s wishes. Malor also gave Geoffrey his father’s most prized possession, worth nearly more than The Scarlet Shard itself, an Admiral’s Bicorne.
Armed with a loyal new crew, Captain Quickbeam went in search of Prince Morin, plundering pirates and criminals along the way. Along this search, he ran afoul of Prince(ss) Meeka, a female pirate queen of the Archipelago. After he settled the score with Morin, Meeka would be next.
Quickbeam and his crew discovered the Ship of Bones. They also discovered that they were no match for its power – the ship seemed unsinkable. What was clear, however, was that “Prince Moron” and his lich mage were no match in hand-to-hand combat for the crew of The Scarlet Shard. Kassious, Ship’s Officer and Mage Slayer became so adept at destroying the body of the lich that he earned the nickname Ghost-Killer.
The Psion nation then contacted Captain Quickbeam and offered him the chance to hunt down and destroy the famed artifact the Null Point. Skeptical at first, he couldn’t refuse when offered the following in payment:
The rights to attack and kill Prince Meeka and take control of her lands
The schematics for the Ship of Bones
300,000 gold
After much backstabbing, the revelation of the treachery of the Psion emissary sent to accompany the crew on its mission, the crafting of adamantine-tipped ballista bolts, an encounter with the legendary Prince Lyrick, elf-pirate-lord, and the destruction of the previously-indestructible Ship of Bones, Captain Quickbeam and the crew of The Scarlet Shard found and destroyed the Null Point. Captain Quickbeam then purchased five caravels and three skiffs each with full sets of Everfull sails and outfitted them with fanatically loyal sailors. Now Admiral Quickbeam is sailing to the Pirate’s Archipelago, intent on killing Prince Meeka, ruling over the Archipelago, and using its power to wreak vengeance on the nation of Psions whose treachery almost destroyed the world.
Captain Geoffrey Quickbeam
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Sorcerer 1/Swashbuckler 6/Legendary Captain 10
Hit Dice/Points: 17 (121)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft
Armor Class: (27) touch: [17] flatfooted: {24}
Base Attack: +13/+8/+3
Full Attack: +19/+14+9
Saves:
Fort: +15
Ref: +12
Will: +15
Abilities:
Str: 13/+1
Int: 14/+2
Wis: 13/+1
Dex: 16/+3
Con: 11/+0
Cha: 30/+15 [22/+6 natural]
Class Features:
Grace +1
Insightful Strike
Luck of the Winds 2/day
Mislead
Splice the Main Brace
Rake
Feats:
Weapon Finesse
Improved Initiative
Weapon Focus: Rapier
Leadership [47]
Great Captain
Scourge of the Seas
Improved Critical: Rapier
Persuasive
Fleet Admiral
Negotiator
Skills: Mod./Ability Mod./Ranks/Misc. Mod.
Balance: +5/3/2
Bluff: +27/15/20/2
Concentration: +3/0/3
Diplomacy: +43/15/20/8
Escape Artist: +7/3/4
Intimidate: +39/15/20/4
Jump: +3/1/2
Knowledge Arcana: +4/2/2
Knowledge Geography: +8/2/6
Knowledge Nobles: +7/2/5
Profession Sailor: +26/1/20/5
Sense Motive: +23/1+20+2
Spellcraft: +7/2/5
Swim: +4/1/3
Tumble: +4/1/3
Use Rope: +6/3/3
Possessions:
The Scarlet Shard (Theurgeme, described below)
5 Caravels (described below)
3 Catamaran Skiffs
Admiral’s Bicorne
Cloak of Charisma +4
Rod of Splendor
Rod of Rulership
Ring of Protection +4
Ring of Evasion
Rapier of Puncturing
The Spiteful Imp
Vest of Resistance +4
2 Bags of Holding (Type I & II)
Dagger +2
Rapier +2, Reptilian Humanoids Bane
Crystal Ball (Standard)
Everlasting Torch
Deck of Illusions
Portable Hole
Wand of Silence (20 charges remaining)
Mage Hand Necklace
Gold/etc.:
37,390 gp
9 Deep Red Rubies, 700gp each
500lb Mithril Ore (can be processed to about 200lb Mithril)
Alignment: True Neutral
Size/Type: M
Spells per Day: 5/7
Spells Prepared/Known:
0th: Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Ghost Sound
1st: True Strike, Magic Missile
Quote: “Mutineers will be hanged!”
“So, Moron, we meet again.”
The Crew of the Scarlet Shard: (ECL-class)
Master and Commander: Right Lord Admiral Geoffrey Quickbeam (17-sor/swash/legC)
Ship’s Officer: Captain Kassious (15-drow-rog/g-f-killer)
Windsinger: Black Claw (17-human-druid)
Master-at-Arms: Captain Grievous (17-thri-kreen-fighter)
Ship’s Mage: Devereaux (17-human-wizard/elemental savant)
Ship’s Surgeon: Captain Samuel Martek (17-cleric)
Ship’s Engineer: Malor (14-artificer – Quickbeam’s Cohort)
Pilot: Starry Jim (6-expert)
Helmsman: Ironshanks (6-rogue)
Bo’sun: Bloody Bill (6-rogue)
Deckhands:
Ensign Bald William (6-rogue)
Cabin Boy Young Tom (3-wizard)
Liverspit Lucy (4-rogue)
One-Eyed Joe (4-rogue)
Old Tom (4-rogue)
John Carpface (4-rogue)
Slit-Your-Throat Carol (4-rogue)
The Virgin Mary (4-rogue)
Big Chief Orksmash (4-rogue)
Cook Poppy (4-expert)
Marines:
Sergeant John Dagger (6-ranger)
Corporal Kill (6-ranger)
Woodblade William (5-ranger)
Floatin’ Fred (5-ranger)
Willowstick Walt (5-ranger)
The Big Sequoia (5-ranger)
Deadly Dan (5-ranger)
Killya Dan (5-ranger)
Eatya Dan (5-ranger)
The Scarlet Shard is 110’ by 91’ (at its widest point). This includes the two fire-elemental propulsion engines. The ship itself is 46’ wide. It has two sails in case of failure of the fire-elemental system. Under its main system of power, The Scarlet Shard has a sea worthiness of +5, handing of +3, Overall AC of -2, 28 90hp hull sections with AC 4 (sink 8 sections), a ram of 6d6, cargo space of 60x20, 90 tons of cargo capacity, 4 light and 2 heavy mounts, a compliment of 35 and a watch of 7, and an amazing 90ft perfect speed.
The five Everfull-sail equipped Caravels are standard for their type and serve as compliments to Admiral Quickbeam’s flagship, The Scarlet Shard. They often surround single-vessels in combat and allow Admiral Quickbeam’s flotilla to attack small (up to 10 ship) fleets without serious danger.
The three Everfull-sail equipped Catamaran Skiffs are used by the marines as landing and boarding craft. The come full with corvus-equipped ladders and grappling gear and are modified to carry 15 marines each, who cling to everything from the masts to the catamarans.
If you encounters Admiral Quickbeam and the crew of The Scarlet Shard on the high seas the encounter will end in one of three ways: the surrender of your ship, the sinking of your ship, or the death of your captain and ship’s officers (and possibly you, as well). First, the Admiral uses his Scourge of the Seas feat to intimidate your captain into surrendering. If that fails, and your ship is not worth taking, the crew fires four of the six ballista of The Scarlet Shard at your ship with deadly accuracy. If your ship is to be taken, the Admiral, his officers, and marines board your ship. Captain Kassious engages your ship’s mage, making it impossible for the mage to cast. Admiral Quickbeam calls out your captain in single combat, using a combination of true strike, his Rapier of Puncturing, and his Spiteful Imp shield to drain your captain’s Constitution 3d6 points in the first three rounds of combat (YOU survive 3d6 points of Con drain). All the while, Captain Grievous is mowing down the crew and Mage Devereaux and Windsinger Black Claw are destroying your ship’s ability to sail. It is much better to surrender.
What makes this contest so much fun is that this is the character I played with all last year. Brought him up from a lowly Sorcerer 1/Swashbuckler 4, I did, back when he was just good old Captain Quickbeam.
Admiral Geoffrey Quickbeam is the Master and Commander of The Scarlet Shard, the Everfull Fleet, and the Prince of the Pirates’ Archipelago. He began his career in the Royal Navy, fleeing before he could be court martialed for leading a mutiny against his villainous Captain Grim. Quickbeam fled with his fellow ship’s officers: Kassious, a Drow mage-hunter and Ghost-faced Killer; Black Claw, a shape-changing druid of the sea; Grievous, a vicious thri-kreen swordmaster; Ship’s Surgeon Samuel Martek; and Devereaux, an elemental lightning-mage.
Quickbeam and his crew fled to the Pirate’s Archipelago in search for Quickbeam’s father, an outcast Royal Engineer. Dr. Quickbeam had been researching alternate methods of propulsion, both for speed and ease of use. Quickbeam and his men were unable to find his father. But they were able to find his father’s ship, The Scarlet Shard.
The Scarlet Shard was being captained by its artificer, Malor the Dwarf. Malor had been the best friend of Dr. Quickbeam and together they created The Scarlet Shard’s unique method of propulsion. They trapped a fire elemental within a crystalline prison. This now-superheated item was attached to two heat-conductive rods that flash-boiled water collected on either side of the ship. This steam was then used as a propellant, cutting The Scarlet Shard through the water as fast as any Elven ship had ever gone.
Malor and his crew told a story of the Vampire Pirate-King Prince Morin and his Ship-of-Bones. Prince Morin, in an attempt to steal the technology of The Scarlet Shard, killed Dr. Quickbeam and more than half of the ship’s crew. Luckily, Malor was able to finally drive off Prince Morin by reading a Daylight scroll before the vampire could garner any information.
Malor, an artificer, then spent the next year rebuilding the crew, who were all sentient Ironwood constructs. Malor and his crew then roamed the Pirate’s Archipelago, seeking information to avenge the death of their friend and captain.
When Geoffrey Quickbeam and his crew made contact with Malor and the crew of The Scarlet Shard, Quickbeam knew at once that he must take up the mantle of Captain and avenge his father’s death. Malor turned over ownership and the helm to Quickbeam, in accordance with his father’s wishes. Malor also gave Geoffrey his father’s most prized possession, worth nearly more than The Scarlet Shard itself, an Admiral’s Bicorne.
Armed with a loyal new crew, Captain Quickbeam went in search of Prince Morin, plundering pirates and criminals along the way. Along this search, he ran afoul of Prince(ss) Meeka, a female pirate queen of the Archipelago. After he settled the score with Morin, Meeka would be next.
Quickbeam and his crew discovered the Ship of Bones. They also discovered that they were no match for its power – the ship seemed unsinkable. What was clear, however, was that “Prince Moron” and his lich mage were no match in hand-to-hand combat for the crew of The Scarlet Shard. Kassious, Ship’s Officer and Mage Slayer became so adept at destroying the body of the lich that he earned the nickname Ghost-Killer.
The Psion nation then contacted Captain Quickbeam and offered him the chance to hunt down and destroy the famed artifact the Null Point. Skeptical at first, he couldn’t refuse when offered the following in payment:
The rights to attack and kill Prince Meeka and take control of her lands
The schematics for the Ship of Bones
300,000 gold
After much backstabbing, the revelation of the treachery of the Psion emissary sent to accompany the crew on its mission, the crafting of adamantine-tipped ballista bolts, an encounter with the legendary Prince Lyrick, elf-pirate-lord, and the destruction of the previously-indestructible Ship of Bones, Captain Quickbeam and the crew of The Scarlet Shard found and destroyed the Null Point. Captain Quickbeam then purchased five caravels and three skiffs each with full sets of Everfull sails and outfitted them with fanatically loyal sailors. Now Admiral Quickbeam is sailing to the Pirate’s Archipelago, intent on killing Prince Meeka, ruling over the Archipelago, and using its power to wreak vengeance on the nation of Psions whose treachery almost destroyed the world.
Captain Geoffrey Quickbeam
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Sorcerer 1/Swashbuckler 6/Legendary Captain 10
Hit Dice/Points: 17 (121)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft
Armor Class: (27) touch: [17] flatfooted: {24}
Base Attack: +13/+8/+3
Full Attack: +19/+14+9
Saves:
Fort: +15
Ref: +12
Will: +15
Abilities:
Str: 13/+1
Int: 14/+2
Wis: 13/+1
Dex: 16/+3
Con: 11/+0
Cha: 30/+15 [22/+6 natural]
Class Features:
Grace +1
Insightful Strike
Luck of the Winds 2/day
Mislead
Splice the Main Brace
Rake
Feats:
Weapon Finesse
Improved Initiative
Weapon Focus: Rapier
Leadership [47]
Great Captain
Scourge of the Seas
Improved Critical: Rapier
Persuasive
Fleet Admiral
Negotiator
Skills: Mod./Ability Mod./Ranks/Misc. Mod.
Balance: +5/3/2
Bluff: +27/15/20/2
Concentration: +3/0/3
Diplomacy: +43/15/20/8
Escape Artist: +7/3/4
Intimidate: +39/15/20/4
Jump: +3/1/2
Knowledge Arcana: +4/2/2
Knowledge Geography: +8/2/6
Knowledge Nobles: +7/2/5
Profession Sailor: +26/1/20/5
Sense Motive: +23/1+20+2
Spellcraft: +7/2/5
Swim: +4/1/3
Tumble: +4/1/3
Use Rope: +6/3/3
Possessions:
The Scarlet Shard (Theurgeme, described below)
5 Caravels (described below)
3 Catamaran Skiffs
Admiral’s Bicorne
Cloak of Charisma +4
Rod of Splendor
Rod of Rulership
Ring of Protection +4
Ring of Evasion
Rapier of Puncturing
The Spiteful Imp
Vest of Resistance +4
2 Bags of Holding (Type I & II)
Dagger +2
Rapier +2, Reptilian Humanoids Bane
Crystal Ball (Standard)
Everlasting Torch
Deck of Illusions
Portable Hole
Wand of Silence (20 charges remaining)
Mage Hand Necklace
Gold/etc.:
37,390 gp
9 Deep Red Rubies, 700gp each
500lb Mithril Ore (can be processed to about 200lb Mithril)
Alignment: True Neutral
Size/Type: M
Spells per Day: 5/7
Spells Prepared/Known:
0th: Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Ghost Sound
1st: True Strike, Magic Missile
Quote: “Mutineers will be hanged!”
“So, Moron, we meet again.”
The Crew of the Scarlet Shard: (ECL-class)
Master and Commander: Right Lord Admiral Geoffrey Quickbeam (17-sor/swash/legC)
Ship’s Officer: Captain Kassious (15-drow-rog/g-f-killer)
Windsinger: Black Claw (17-human-druid)
Master-at-Arms: Captain Grievous (17-thri-kreen-fighter)
Ship’s Mage: Devereaux (17-human-wizard/elemental savant)
Ship’s Surgeon: Captain Samuel Martek (17-cleric)
Ship’s Engineer: Malor (14-artificer – Quickbeam’s Cohort)
Pilot: Starry Jim (6-expert)
Helmsman: Ironshanks (6-rogue)
Bo’sun: Bloody Bill (6-rogue)
Deckhands:
Ensign Bald William (6-rogue)
Cabin Boy Young Tom (3-wizard)
Liverspit Lucy (4-rogue)
One-Eyed Joe (4-rogue)
Old Tom (4-rogue)
John Carpface (4-rogue)
Slit-Your-Throat Carol (4-rogue)
The Virgin Mary (4-rogue)
Big Chief Orksmash (4-rogue)
Cook Poppy (4-expert)
Marines:
Sergeant John Dagger (6-ranger)
Corporal Kill (6-ranger)
Woodblade William (5-ranger)
Floatin’ Fred (5-ranger)
Willowstick Walt (5-ranger)
The Big Sequoia (5-ranger)
Deadly Dan (5-ranger)
Killya Dan (5-ranger)
Eatya Dan (5-ranger)
The Scarlet Shard is 110’ by 91’ (at its widest point). This includes the two fire-elemental propulsion engines. The ship itself is 46’ wide. It has two sails in case of failure of the fire-elemental system. Under its main system of power, The Scarlet Shard has a sea worthiness of +5, handing of +3, Overall AC of -2, 28 90hp hull sections with AC 4 (sink 8 sections), a ram of 6d6, cargo space of 60x20, 90 tons of cargo capacity, 4 light and 2 heavy mounts, a compliment of 35 and a watch of 7, and an amazing 90ft perfect speed.
The five Everfull-sail equipped Caravels are standard for their type and serve as compliments to Admiral Quickbeam’s flagship, The Scarlet Shard. They often surround single-vessels in combat and allow Admiral Quickbeam’s flotilla to attack small (up to 10 ship) fleets without serious danger.
The three Everfull-sail equipped Catamaran Skiffs are used by the marines as landing and boarding craft. The come full with corvus-equipped ladders and grappling gear and are modified to carry 15 marines each, who cling to everything from the masts to the catamarans.
If you encounters Admiral Quickbeam and the crew of The Scarlet Shard on the high seas the encounter will end in one of three ways: the surrender of your ship, the sinking of your ship, or the death of your captain and ship’s officers (and possibly you, as well). First, the Admiral uses his Scourge of the Seas feat to intimidate your captain into surrendering. If that fails, and your ship is not worth taking, the crew fires four of the six ballista of The Scarlet Shard at your ship with deadly accuracy. If your ship is to be taken, the Admiral, his officers, and marines board your ship. Captain Kassious engages your ship’s mage, making it impossible for the mage to cast. Admiral Quickbeam calls out your captain in single combat, using a combination of true strike, his Rapier of Puncturing, and his Spiteful Imp shield to drain your captain’s Constitution 3d6 points in the first three rounds of combat (YOU survive 3d6 points of Con drain). All the while, Captain Grievous is mowing down the crew and Mage Devereaux and Windsinger Black Claw are destroying your ship’s ability to sail. It is much better to surrender.