Pirate bar on a shipwreck

[torstan]

sketch.jpg

I wanted to do a pirate bar at some point (yes, still on a pirate ship kick), but I really didn't want it to be yet another fantasy bar. So this idea is for a bar built on the wrecks of two ships. The backstory is roughly that one ship rammed the other, they got entangled and couldn't extricate themselves, and ran aground on some rocks. The hulks survived and a local entrepreneur braced the wrecks and turned them into a bar. Now there's a dock for the brave and foolhardy to berth their boats to come aboard and sample the finest rum in the land.

This sketch has some of my working process - it was originally going to be a ship that had run aground into a bar - but then I was struggling to make that work. Then two ships side by side, and finally the two locked together like this.

I want this to have all the terrain needed for swashbuckling bar fights. So far I'm thinking:
• a plank (or two) that can be walked.
• cannons or ballistae on the prows for 'crowd control'
• Rigging for swinging
• Lots of multiple levels for jumping and tumbling
• Below decks strong rooms for pirate/mafia boss/illegal bootleg rum - and a cell for keeping rowdy guests who've got too rowdy
• platform for performances.

What other things should a pirate bar on a pair of wrecked ships contain?

[Bogie]

"What other things should a pirate bar on a pair of wrecked ships contain?"

Something nasty in a cage. During a fight it could get knocked over, releasing an enraged "______"

Great idea, excellent start with the sketch.

[Simon33600]

Some kind of arena for gladiatorial/ animal fights?

Gambling/pass-the knife tables?


I agree with Bogie; great idea!

[anomiecoalition]

Not sure what the laws/morality of the city in which this bar is located in is...but...perhaps hanging cages that hold slaves to be sold? Or...to hold those that got out of line to serve as an example to others that might cross the gang that owns the ship. Or..if not hanging cages, perhaps cages that are tethered to the side of the ship in the water kept afloat by a barrel or something.

Also - not sure if this can really be depicted - but perhaps an escape hatch in the lower levels so the owners could swim away if the heat was on...or if there is a hole in the ship, maybe a little dock that can only be accessed by pushing a small boat under water and up into the hole.

[ravells]

- You could have some manacles in the bilges where miscreants get shackled if they cause too much trouble (a hook for a rescue?).
- A sign on a porthole saying something like 'vomit here'. (a bit of local technicolour)
- Rats and cats.
- If you want to get a bit silly, one of the figureheads rigged up in the middle of the bar like one of those bucking broncos, with ropes attached to it so people can pull it around to topple the rider.

[Bogie]

How about a mechanical bucking Dolphin!

Dolphin-Saddle_kpl_bg.png

[Simon33600]

That's... equally specific and awesome...

[rdanhenry]

Mermaid prostitutes
Exotic pet sales (monkeys, parrots, anything that seems like a good idea when you've drunk enough)
Tattoo artists
Shark wrestling
Since it won't be sailing anywhere, the masts need to be made useful somehow. Servers getting around through modified rigging to avoid the crowd on the deck?

[ravells]

The first one sounds like an exercise in frustration!

Tattoo artists! Of course!!

[Cunning Cartographer]

And we all know there's only one way to let your patrons know it's closing time... set off the canon.

As for features that aren't just fluff, or for making this more of an encounter map, what if some of the crew didn't quite die all the way and below deck there is an old zombie captain so in the event there are unruly patrons "Throw him to Grey Pete, he'll make a meal of him", nice little one on one encounter

Also if you changed the positioning of the entrance and people came in through the front of one of the ships then you could have the ships figurehead to be enchanted and acts as the bouncer, instant diplomacy skill checks or combat checks to get past the large wooden armed golem-esq critter.