Let’s Play D&D In ‘Our Flag Means Death’
Dungeons and Dragons is the perfect setting for stealing treasure and hearts, so this week we’re playing with Our Flag Means Death.
Courtesy of HBO Max
I was expecting to like Our Flag Means Death. I was expecting it to be good and for the super-entity of the internet to enjoy it. It’s a Taika project, after all. But I don’t think any of us were expecting it to be as good, thoughtful, funny, or sweet as it was, and definitely not the borderline rabid fan response online. If a second season isn’t announced soon, we’re taking to the sea. But until you know where these characters would be surprisingly at home? That’s right, our next D&D campaign.
Ed Teach / Blackbeard
Courtesy of HBO Max
When you get right down to it, these characters are practically made for D&D. Their skills and abilities match so well with picks from the game, and their goofiness is sort of perfect for how seriously the average player takes their adventure. Yes yes, it’s literally life or death, but I’ve got this bad joke for you.
Blackbeard is the pirate’s pirate, so a Rogue Swashbuckler was the only choice for him. Give him a pirate’s background and just start pulling from the Player’s Handbook.
via HBOMax
I opted to give him a few feats instead of ability score improvements. Tough is ideal for somebody who brags about how good they are at getting stabbed. And Menacing works with somebody with a reputation as terrifying as Blackbeard’s.
Unfortunately (or fortunately), most of what makes Ed Ed is his personality. So if you want to play an Ed-inspired swashbuckler at the table, there’s a lot of personality to explore. Luckily, this sounds like it would be a ton of fun.
Stede Bonnet
Stede, in pretty stark comparison, wants very much to be a swashbuckler. But he just isn’t. Maybe he’ll get the opportunity to duel class in a few levels, but for right now that just isn’t where his skills are. Stede is good at talking people up, spinning a good yarn, and making inexplicable friends of people who should want to kill him. Stede Bonnet is a Bard.
He’s a pretty low-level Bard right now, but unlike Blackbeard, The Gentleman Pirate has only been in this line of work for a little while and he’s not that good at it yet.
I was between a few of the Bard Colleges for a bit. But in the end I decided on College of Eloquence because Stede too thinks that speaking and persuasion are a “high art.” He’s been in high society long enough to know what a “well-spoken argument” sounds like, and how to ‘blend logical and theatrical wordplay to win over skeptics.’ And between unknowingly convincing his crew not to throw a mutiny and winning over the most feared pirate on the sea, he’s quite good at it. Even if he would rather be pirating in a more traditional manner.
Courtesy of HBO Max
How would you make the Our Flag Means Death characters for a D&D setting? Which character would you rather play? What movie, show, comic, or game should I make sheets from next time? Let us know in the comments!
Happy Adventuring!
