Hello Gamer Nation!

Inspired by Paizo's Skull and Shackles adventure path I'm thinking about kicking off a pirate themed campaign by having the PCs being forcibly press-ganged into the crew of a pirate ship. The question I pose to you is: how does this impact starting Obligation?

I've run a few sessions of Edge and I think I under-used Obligation, but as I understand it when properly used Obligation can really drive narrative similar to Aspects in FATE. I like this a lot, BUT starting characters with Obligation means they have lots of pre-existing, external, character specific story hooks which will pull them away from the pirate-theme of the campaign rather than reinforcing it. So what I was thinking is that they characters would start with no Obligations and would develop them in play.

For example, they could develop Obligation as they make enemies and allies in the pirate crew, and they would certainly earn Obligation based on their actions as pirates.

Does this make sense? Any hidden pitfalls to starting characters with zero Obligation? Anyone have any input or ideas?

-NB

I wouldn't start them with zero, I would just have all their Obligations be tied to crew members, favors and money and what not they owe people on the ship, and as they play as part of the crew they can work off those Obligations.

Thanks for the quick response.

I'm thinking that the campaign literally starts with them waking up on the pirate ship after being drugged and/or beaten unconscious. How would they have Obligation to people on the ship? Would they all have a single large Obligation to the captain of the ship?

What I was imagining is that they would develop small to medium Obligations to various crew members through play. So maybe everyone would have a 5pt Obligation to the Master-of-Arms who is in charge of whipping them into shape, and the PC who draws special hate would earn a 10pt Obligation. Maybe someone would befriend the cook and earn a 5pt Obligation related to that relationship.

-NB

Well if you were thinking you were under utilizing Obligation before, I don't think you're going to over utilize it if you start them with zero. Have them pick or assign them some Obligations, then narrate the waking up part and explain Player A, someone tries to knife you and take your ring and the big Wookie in the hold decks that guy, you owe him a favor. Player B you have a nasty head wound and you wake up to another person using some med supplies on you, you owe them money. Player C etc and so forth.

I wonder if a different mechanism might be more suited to the pirate ship. This makes me think of the Traveller adventure I just finished reading, Prison Planet, where the reputation of the PCs plays a part in their interactions with prisoners (other slaves), guards (guards), the warden (ship's captain), etc. Might be worth a read.

I view Obligation as a bigger picture thing, something to do with their past that causes trouble or influence over multiple sessions, not as a day-to-day currency of favours and debts. You could certainly tweak it that way for their term of servitude, but once they escape it will be harder to adjust back.

I think that new obligations can and should develop during play, but I would definitely not start them off at 0. Even in servitude, they probably have *something* from their previously life that they are motivated by or that is hunting for them.

The PCs might be insulated from it, but once they're no longer slaves, that 'protection' will start to dwindle as they interact with the larger galaxy.

You could have it and I admit this is a cliche but princess bride them. Their ship is attacked but due to something the captain sees in them (either while fighting off the pirates or after capture) he gives them a choice death or life of a pirate. He even promises to help ease their burdens if they do good work. Such as a character with the betrayal obligation who eventually gets his revenge when they attack his betrayer/s ship. Or the fact one of them has family as their obligation and they go after any slaver ships looking for that person's family or the slaver that sold the member off. This way their obligations can popp in game and u can have the captain come to the player and be like so we come across [your obligation] we can go after it now or as punishment the captain can deny that player causing the strain. Just something off the top of my head.