Bad-Guy Outlaws and Pirates

If it's a "bad guy" campaign, the DM and players will have to define the campaign goal. It may be nothing more than the acquisition of treasure over years of outlawry. It may be considerably more specific, such as the finding of a treasure buried by a famous long-dead pirate, or the execution of a brilliant robbery plan.

The bad-guy campaign is mostly suitable to characters of neutral or evil orientation, and to players who just want to play in a nasty fashion for a while. Their characters don't have the dainty ethics of the good-guy pirates and outlaws. No, they rob everyone, from other villains to virtuous maidens to pious clergymen. Prisoners in their hands won't know what to expect; they may get not-too-uncomfortable imprisonment for ransoming purposes, or brutal mistreatment, or death, or worse than death, however the player-characters feel. Further, the PCs' feelings, and their treatment of prisoners, may change from day to day.

This is a dangerous environment and campaign. Since the PCs are as scummy as their worst enemies, there probably won't be any DM sympathy to help keep them alive in bad situations. The PCs will be competing on equal terms with the nastiest of villains, and you can expect a high body count among PCs and NPCs alike.

On the other hand, when you're in a destructive mood, it can be a lot of fun.

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