Podcast Summary

Podcast: Critical Role & Sagas of Sundry
Episode: Part 1: All Hands on Deck | Starter Kit – 7th Sea Edition
Host: geekandsundry
Date: September 22, 2025
Game Master: John Wick (Creator of 7th Sea)

Episode Overview

This episode is the first of a special Starter Kit miniseries where guest players learn to play the swashbuckling tabletop RPG 7th Sea. John Wick, the game’s creator, serves as Game Master, while Jason Charles Miller participates as a player. The main focus is on character creation for a pirate-themed adventure, introducing new players to 7th Sea's unique mechanics and flavor. The cast collaboratively builds their characters, forms a crew, and prepares to set sail in a world of adventure, magic, and intrigue.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction to 7th Sea and Episode Purpose

• John Wick introduces 7th Sea as a game inspired by "Errol Flynn, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Princess Bride, all that kind of swashbuckly action stuff." (02:00)
• The game emphasizes bold, cinematic action, where significant feats can be accomplished with a single dice roll:

  "I wanted players to make one roll of the dice and be able to jump on the table, grab the chandelier, swing across the room, kick the bad guy and drink the beer, all with one roll." – John Wick (02:04)

2. Setting and Worldbuilding

• The world, Theia, is a fictional analog to 17th-century Europe, allowing for both familiar touchpoints and imaginative freedom:

  "It's like Alexandre Dumas's France, the France of the Three Musketeers, as opposed to the France of history." – John Wick (02:27)

• Major nations of Theia are loosely modeled on historical European powers, but with fantastical twists, e.g., Avalon (Britain), Montaigne (France), Castile (Spain), and the pirate freeholds.

3. Character Creation Process

Key Mechanics:

• Traits: Each character starts with five core traits: Brawn, Finesse, Resolve, Wits, Panache.
• Nations: Where a character is from modifies these traits and shapes their abilities.
• Backgrounds: Function like RPG classes, but more flexible and story-driven.
• Virtues and Hubris: Instead of traditional alignments or flaws, players draw fate cards that give powerful, story-altering abilities (Virtues) and compelling flaws (Hubris).

Player Spotlight: Amy (Essie Dunaine, Explorer)

• Loves blue dice and a tartan character design.
• Background: Explorer from the Highland Marches, motivated by discovery over loot.
• Skill and trait selection is guided by both player interest and narrative logic.
• Virtue: Moonless Night – "When you act behind the scenes... every die counts as a raise." (13:10)
• Hubris: The Thrones – "You are stubborn. You receive a hero point when your hero refuses to change her mind in the face of evidence." (13:03)
• Relishes customizing her explorer’s skillset, leaning into hiding and scholarship.

Player Spotlight: Steve (Romero, Performer Bard)

• Seeks to translate a D&D 'dwarf bard' idea into the 7th Sea world.
• Nation: Castile (Spanish analog), chooses to be a street performer, not church-trained.
• Virtue: The Reunion – "Activate your virtue and choose another hero... you get to pool all of your dice together." (26:34)
• Hubris: The Glyph – "You're superstitious. You receive a hero point when you refuse to solve a problem using sorcery..." (26:10)
• Adds humor (worries about spiders in dice bags) and a flair for performance and empathy.

Player Spotlight: Andrea (Back from the dead Red, Buccaneer)

• Brand new to tabletop RPGs, but experienced in strategy board games.
• Hails from Jaragua (Jamaica/Haiti analog), former slave colony overthrown by its people.
• Background: Provocateur – skillset built around empathy, subterfuge, and knowing people.
• Virtue: The Hanged Man – "If something bad happens to any character, you can spend a hero point and it happens to you instead." (34:12)
• Hubris: Coin – "Relentless. You receive a hero point when you refuse to leave well enough alone." (34:44)
• Focus on strategy, mind games, and avoiding "getting messy with blood."

Player Spotlight: Jason Charles Miller (Benedict Royston, Disgraced Noble)

• Disgraced noble from Avalon, seeking to escape his past on the high seas.
• Background: Courtier – leverages charm and social maneuvering to navigate danger.
• Virtue: The Magician – "Willful. Activate your virtue against a villain: neither side can spend hero or danger points for the rest of the scene." (40:26)
• Hubris: The Prophet – "Overzealous. You receive a hero point when your hero strongly defends one of her opinions when the time or place is inappropriate." (42:28)

4. Group Dynamic and Shipbuilding

• Character Role Assignment:
  • Red becomes captain by group vote.
  • Essie is the ship’s doctor.
  • Romero, the shanty man.
  • Benedict, quartermaster.
• Ship Naming: Contenders include The Undertow, Black Razor, Roaming Banshee, and Gilded Peasant.
  • The group chooses the Black Razor (46:54).
• Pirate Allegiance: Deciding between Freebooters, Privateers, and the Republic of Pirates (Brotherhood of the Coast).

  "I like the Republic of Pirates... keeps a nice big group of pirates that have our back if we are ever in trouble." – Steve/Romero (48:06)

• The crew settles on the Republic of Pirates, agreeing to its code (no attacking first except against slavers, take prisoners when possible, etc.) (49:46).

5. Game Mechanics & Design Philosophy

John Wick emphasizes a departure from class-based, level-grind RPGs:

"There are no character classes, but the nation your character comes from influences almost every choice you make when making a character." (02:58)

He also demonstrates how the game pushes narrative agency and heroic drama rather than simulationist tactics, making player choices, background, and personality as critical as stats.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• John on Swashbuckling Adventure:

  "This is not just pirates, it's also the musketeers and all that kind of stuff. Like, so the whole world." (03:50)

• Amy (Essie) on Skill Choices:

  "If you use brawn, you're just going to bash down the wall. Finesse is leaping between the flames and jumping out the window..." (05:15)

• John, encouraging drama through flaws:

  "When you use your hubris, when your character does his hubris, I'm gonna give you a hero point." (25:35)

• Group on Captain Election:

  "You’re the only actual pirate!" – Amy/Crew, to Red (44:59)
  "I do not want to be the captain. Do not vote for me. This is my first day as a pirate." – Jason/Benedict (43:29)

• On Ship Naming:

  "I suggested Undertow…not a massive thing, but something that creeps along and when unexpected, you'll be taken under." – Andrea/Red (45:52)

• On Joining the Republic of Pirates:

  "It’s the right amount of independence and allegiance, and we’re going to run into some trouble anyway…" – Andrea/Red (49:30)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [00:54] - Jason Charles Miller intros the episode and hands over to John Wick
• [01:48] - John Wick introduces 7th Sea and explains game philosophy
• [02:27] - John details the world of Theia
• [03:35] - Character creation with Amy (Essie begins)
• [13:43] - Essie’s character completed, summary of background/quirks
• [14:00] - Steve (Romero) begins character creation
• [24:00] - Romero finalizes skills and chooses fate cards
• [27:22] - Andrea (Red) starts character building
• [34:44] - Red finishes, picks virtue/hubris
• [36:49] - Jason (Benedict) builds his character
• [38:25] - Courtier background and quirks explained
• [40:23] - Benedict draws fate cards
• [42:53] - Prophet hubris explained
• [43:13] - Crew meets as a group, elects ship officers
• [45:52] - Ship naming
• [47:11] - Republic of Pirates vs. other allegiances discussed
• [50:36] - Episode closes, crew sets sail into their first adventure

Takeaways for Newcomers

• 7th Sea emphasizes dramatic, cinematic storytelling and encourages character-driven choices over mechanical optimization.
• Character creation is collaborative and focuses on what makes each hero unique, both in skill and personality.
• The campaign starts with a well-defined crew ready to sail the high seas as part of the Republic of Pirates, setting up an adventure full of intrigue and heroism.

For Next Time

The crew of the Black Razor, under Captain Red, is about to embark on their first adventure as a legal brotherhood of pirates, primed for action, drama, and the unexpected on the high seas!

In summary:
This episode is a delightful, in-depth initiation into 7th Sea's unique approach to RPGs, highlighting rich character creation, memorable player contributions, and collaborative storytelling, all under the expert guidance of John Wick.