10 GM Tips for Running a Pirate Campaign (D&D, Pirate Borg, and More!)

[@michaelbenoit1086]

I don’t know why I’m so surprised that the Pirate TTRPG guy does a perfect Mr. Krabs voice.

[@benreynolds8928]

"Go big now" is great. I always worry about the "perfect" time to use ideas

[@mattpace1026]

Don't buy it. It doesn't work as well as this guy wants to pretend it does. This is coming from someone who's tried it multiple times.

[@Sp0o0kymulder]

Works great for Pirate Borg imo. Doing that in 5e can get a little hairy

[@christopherregan8870]

​@mattpace1026 well, that's wrong. Are your players always bored?

[@trafalgarlaw8373]

@@christopherregan8870 Inevitably, a basic part of stories is that things escelate. You dont start with the pinnacle. An exciting beginning is great of course, but if you need to use your biggest idea for that, youre probably just low on good ideas. A big part of the biggest scenes and moments in stories, whether books, anime, movies or DND, is that the hype comes from build-up and anticipation. A great war isnt as exciting without the times of build-up, suspense and smaller battles before. Similarly, starting with a massive raid with great riches is a lot for a start, and also sets an inconvenient standard for the campaign.

[@christopherregan8870]

@trafalgarlaw8373 did you listen to what he actually said? Given the nature of playing in a group, with people coming and going and canceling, use your best ideas when you can! It may be your last chance! Plus it's good to hook players in.

[@jamesjenningsix]

Pirate Borg is by far one of my favorite RPGs. Thank you!

[@mattricks21]

Gotta love that Rules 1-6 and 10 are just general GMing advice that doesn't apply to pirate games only. I clicked this video despite not planning to run a pirate campaign anytime soon, and I don't regret it.

[@antigrav6004]

I'm three sessions into running Pirate borg with the Hot Springs island setting where they got shipwrecked. We've barely had any combat because they're having a great time exploring the place.

[@JosephHeller-el8zo]

That sounds amazing.

[@eldritchhistory]

Man I never thought to have domain level play for Pirate Borg, that dounds fantastic.

[@Dantrag01]

My son and I are LOVING this game!

[@limithron]

Huzzah! Happy to hear it!

[@shaner90]

Arrrrr! Stoked for The Dark Caribbean!!!!!

[@hailhydra91]

Got to play Pirate Borg at Origins 2024 and I absolutely loved it, so I bought it. I haven't tried to run a game in years, but I'm hoping that some of my friends will want to try this game.

[@cybermerlyn2]

I love ALL Limithron videos!

[@DustySquitoNM]

This is all fantastic advice. I think a lot of people get hung up on the idea that they have this amazing epic story to tell and forget that they are running a game for their friends and everybody should be allowed to have a good time

[@johnmagowan6393]

Amazing video! Watched because one of my players has been asking for ships, and ended up watching one of the best and most succinct videos on GMing in general!

[@EurojuegosBsAs]

You DM style is pretty alligned with OSR one-shot improv style. Just forget balance and make the dice do the ruling part. They are merciless. Most times the DM will be just trying to keep the players alive. 😂

[@jasonnewell7036]

Loved the snippet of Tim Curry.

[@remixsolo]

Thanks for posting this! I've been having a hell of a time brainstorming ideas for a pirate based game, even though I've collected tons of peripheral stuff for one for years now.

[@NemoOhd20]

Love me some Pirate Borg. Can't wait for the new Kickstarter.

[@JosephHeller-el8zo]

I have watched this video at least six times already. The advice is gold!

[@simen4613]

Hey man, thanks for a great and easily digested video. Really love the "go big now" and "dont hide information behind rolls" !

[@simontemplar3359]

Oh man... I've been hooked since I became aware of this game! The table about what you did last night is legendary. I don't play most of the Borg games because the satanic imagery bothers me. I know it's a game, but invert a cross and I'm out. Pirate Borg, however is just fantastic. And brutal.

[@dmeep]

One of the desicples (Peter? Paul? ) i forget witch one was crucified upside down on his own request, to prove that his faith was strong he would suffer more then jesus. So its originally a christian expression of the strength of your faith i can agree that it has been apropriated as a symbol of protest against the church or god depending. There are text only pdfs on their page i believe that is free of the symbols you object to.

[@simontemplar3359]

@@dmeepFair point. That's good to know. Thanks for letting me know. And I do know the story you mean. It's Peter who was supposed to have been crucified upside down. I'm not sure that's historically accurate. Paul was beheaded in Rome. That is historically attested to. Anyway, I appreciate the civil demeanor and thoughts. The interwebs can sometimes get rough, so thanks. Cheers!

[@deadboy1979]

Great video, Luke!

[@briancourtemanche8065]

Pirate Borg is simply wonderful! Highly recommended for all gamers!

[@willturnbull4796]

I wish this video was around years ago when I started my sea faring dnd game in a dark setting. The best idea I would like to share is a session 1.5 thing I did where the players got a chance to join different crews that had their own style of story and game. There was a chaotic pirate crew for a pirate game, a merchant mercancy crew with morals that trade and take good natured jobs, it's also good to have an option that's a crew that wants to steal back a ship they can claim with the players as their own

[@josephkrausz9557]

Pirate Borg is great stuff. And as a former Coloradan, I'm happy to support folks from back home.

[@Ancient_West]

I'm beginning to love anything Pirate Borg related. This has become one of my all time favorite RPG's.

[@SharonBCheng]

Going to play Pirate Borg at PAX Unplugged! I loved a one-shot at a local con and need more parrots and eye patches in my RPGs

[@limithron]

Excellent! Excited to have you.

[@Northwolf911]

Such a great video

[@TimBannock]

This is great general advice, not just pirate campaign advice. Good stuff!

[@niklase8175]

Thx for the video and Go Big now is really a good call

[@VZ95]

This video was a godsend. I've been thinking about running my first RPG campaign and I wanted to be a silly dumb story about pirates and robots.

[@limithron]

Glad you liked it!

[@EmpressTiffanyOfBrittany]

Me and my friends as little nerdy teenagers once ran a ridiculous OP monster campaign where we each played a different kind of monster that were ridiculously powerful, and in turn we fought ridiculous odds. The setting was tropical in nature, in Al-Qadim, specifically on the islands and we were helping what were essentially Barbary pirates in a republic fight off both the Sultan and an underwater empire of Kuo-Toas. I played a female Reef Giant, my friends played a Genie, a Fairy Dragon, and an Aarakocra respectively. It was fun but boy did we ignore a lot of rolls lmao.

[@jamescasey6387]

Ran the starter sandbox adventure. Most fun my players have had in years!

[@chromeego7903]

THIS is how to do it. May your generosity be rewarded thrice times three.

[@chromeego7903]

Come to think of it, three times three times free is actually nothing.... But you know what I mean.

[@judemiller]

I second Black Sails. If you fancy GoT-style political intrigue in a pirate setting, nothing else comes close.

[@DevilsRockContract]

I just bought it. This really looks interesting. Thx for creativity 😃

[@chrisragner3882]

Just got Ghostfire games pirate setting on the Astral Plane, “The Aetherial Expanse”. Instead of 5e I think I prefer to try Pirate Borg! This should be fun!!!

[@limithron]

Oh that is a great book too! A lot of great things can be used from it in Pirate Borg.

[@doomhippie6673]

Pirates! Everything is better with pirates. Ordered your rules for naval combat.

[@ixis]

Absolutely 1000% great advice

[@BillPaine]

Go BIG is so important! last time I DMed a pirate themed weekend, I tried so hard to tie my adventure with what happened in the previous session, it ended up feeling dull and anti-climactic. The instinct I should have followed was the beginning of the adventure in the Pirate Borg core book - just crash a flippin ghost ship in and throw zombies at them!!! So much fun! Next time, I’ll listen to those zombie voices in my head! Thanks, Limithron! (Are there extensive stats for the +3 Bazooka of Dismemberment in the Pirate Borg Advanced Weapons 3 Supplement?) 🙄

[@xThrottleGeek]

I love ALL Limithron videos!

[@ReadingAde]

Love Pirate Borg. The Limithron ppl I met at Pax were great

[@mightyeroc7284]

Looking forward to Dark Caribbean!!

[@cybermerlyn2]

I would love to see a collaboration of Pirate Borg and Shadowdark. These are by far my two favorite d20 games atm.

[@alexroman6424]

I own both (played Shadowdark, didn't play Pirate Borg yet). There's almost no conversion needed between the two systems, so feel free to just run that campaign. I'd play in it!

[@limithron]

I would ALSO like to see this! I love Shadowdark.

[@willnoyes7019]

All of the things you said in the first four minutes describe my campaign perfectly unfair gameplay all of the warnings which is kind of funny

[@willnoyes7019]

Crazy cool love the video really good information and as a very big DM I’ve been working on this for three years I love this video is giving me a lot of good ideas and is very useful

[@limithron]

So glad you enjoyed it! Your campaign sound rad.

[@koonfasa]

Nice notes, go big, use fleets, steal stuff. So do I want Rapscallion from Magpie Games or Sundered Isles from Ironsworn?

[@itsmealexanderv]

Love me some Pirate Borg! 🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

[@cassidydale1120]

More videos, please!

[@hunterfox6230]

Looking good!

[@Mr.Bassman]

Is there a particular system you'd recommend for soloing this game?

[@CorsairCityCO]

Aye admiral! 🏴‍☠️

[@MonsieurBooyah]

i constantly have players that will go though their character sheet trying to find a way to do something, and i have to interrupt them and ask "what do you WANT to try and do here?" then we figure out how to turn it into rolls

[@limithron]

YES. Love this.

[@jeremyachinko3406]

I ran a pirate borg one shot, and let my players randomly role for 3 shanties they knew, the first two aren't important but the last one let them summon a kraken

[@limithron]

Any time the Kraken shows up...it's a good time.

[@PixPunxel]

Dude we need roll20 character sheet !

[@JesseScottDotCom]

Um, there is a penalty for difficult terrain. It's on p31

[@MemphiStig]

When do we get to see pirates versus their natural enemies: ninjas?!

[@victorjones8699]

fucking sick, thanks!

[@popcrazyfishProductions]

Pirates actually weren't as murderous as you might believe, they were far more likely to try and recruit you

[@limithron]

100%, much more cost effective to have people surrender then to fight.

[@Chomp-Rock]

A little comment down here.

[@KenLives333]

+1

[@cadenceclearwater4340]

Aharrrr ☠️

[@Frederic_S]

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! 🦜

[@Billchu13]

"You guys might not be the good guys but you're also not the bad guys" Had an awkward time at ECCC when our game nearly derailed after a miscommunication... gotta stop presenting new players with moral quandries

[@willamgroling7471]

:)

[@romanabanin2216]

Random af video. The guys is actually an author of Pirate Börg and Dark Caribbeans lol. What a coincidence

[@scepticskeptic3794]

Um... Hate to break it to you. This is virtually all just generic RPG advice which we've seen a bazillion times before. Love Pirate Borg, but expected far more relevant info. :(

[@mattpace1026]

"Rulings Over Rules" is such a terrible philosophy. Letting the GM have unlimited control over how the mechanics work is asking for a terrible game where they're the only one having fun.

[@bobhill-ol7wp]

Sounds like a bad GM, skill issue

[@mattpace1026]

@@bobhill-ol7wp And encouraging lack of skill is exactly what that mindset does. No one handles lack of accountability well for long, if at all. Just think about what that would lead to in practice. When you play by the rules, the players have something to rely on and they know what to expect. When you don't, they don't know what you're basing you're rulings on. Recipe for disaster. And I know that people always try to justify it by saying that rulings just need to be consistent, but no human being is 100% fair 100% of the time. As for the possibility of "unexpected situations" and "creative ideas," those things really don't happen nearly as often as the people who write the books and make obnoxious videos like to pretend it does. Believe it or not, when anyone with more than two brain cells doesn't know how to handle an idea, they aren't going to go forward with that idea.

[@jeannefrenken3284]

Just bought Assassins Creed manual based on your video, top tip! Thank you very much!

[@JohnMarron]

Excellent video, Luke!