Greetings pirates of the seas,
Looking back on past updates, I believe it is due time for an update to the sandbox of PvP. The last addition to the sandbox would be the very niche Ashen Winds Skull. While I do appreciate the fun of a flamethrower in a pirate game, I think the application of the item only dropping from events and the high sell price makes it closer to a Chest of Legends than a Stronghold Keg. I believe a similar item of more prevalence would put more emphasis on the “fun” in “funeral”, while also using some other niche aspects of the game. That item, in my mind, would be Barrels of Cursed Grog.
Firstly, I must put some disclaimers. I was a year-one player on the SoT, and vividly remember the horror of solo-slooping with the newly released Cursed Cannonballs before they were nerfed. Dancing for a full minute while your ship gets pelted over and over does not seem very appealing to me and, hopefully, no one else on the seas. I hope to see a fun, goofy, but still somewhat effective way for PvP to change for the better on both sides of a clash. Furthermore, I am also not some avid PvPer myself, but can and will hold my own in a fight, so those in “higher levels” of pirate fighting, or anyone else for that matter, feel free to criticize and nitpick to your hearts’ content!
In terms of design, these barrels would be similar in size and shape of the Gunpowder Kegs, but would ditch the red color and fuse for an easier time setting them apart from the already loved Kegs already present. The fuse itself would be replaced with a tap, much like the Chest of 1000 Grogs. To find these barrels, one could obtain maps from the Bilge Rate to dig up, buy them for a very pretty penny from the tavern, or find them rarely washed up on beaches. Staying on track, like the Chest of 1000 Grogs, this barrel can refill your tankard with the finest sludge on the seas: Cursed Grog! For added variety and taste, multiple types of these barrels are present in the world, and drinking a full cup of the slop will start a “special effect”, depending on what type of grog was just downed. Each effects will basically cause the pirate to fight in a new way, with each having its own pros and cons, making pirates think about when and where to use said “effects”. Like the Ashen Winds Skull, the barrel can be sold, but only to the true alcoholics of the sea, the Bilge Rats, for an impressive gold haul. That is, depending on how much of the stock you and your crew have used! Each barrel will hold a limited amount of refills, most likely somewhere from 5-10, for balancing, of course.
Personally, I’ve only come up with a few ideas for these “effects” that seem pretty solid, as not to dilute the market, but feel free to make suggestions! I also have some ideas that promote both team play and solo play. For balancing reasons, one must down their entire tankard before effect can take place, the whole animation of drinking down to the bottom is quicker, and only one effect can be active at one time on any given pirate. The ideas will be organized by their name and color, basic synopsis of how they work, their upsides, and finally their downsides.
Barrel of Sweeping Sickness (Green)
Downing this Grog will cause any pirate, no matter how strong of a stomach they have, will cause them to lose their lunch in seconds! However, the Cursed Grog is so potent, the sick thrown from the mouth will launch like a fire hydrant (if it’s hard to visualize exactly what I’m thinking of, refer to the movie, The Exorcist)! The user’s sick can be used to blind opponents to cause chaos, quickly extinguish large amounts of fire, and push back foes!
PROS
-really funny, please do this to your crew mates as well as your enemies
-small delay after drinking allows for an early proc that can catch enemies on the offensive and defensive off guard
-can help on the support side of a ship battle
-pushback and blind allow for easy ladder guarding
-decent range can keep swords and blunderbusses off of you
CONS
-can be killed during initial delay to stop effect
-small movement and sensitivity handicap, much like the Ashen Winds skulls
-unable to use weapons while effect is active
-works on both friends and foes
-kinda gross
Barrel of Spontaneous Combustion (Yellow)
The Cursed Grog of Spontaneous Combustion is a spicy blend. It is so spicy, that after a couple seconds, steam starts to erupt from a drinker’s ears! A couple more seconds, and the heat is cranked up to eleven! That is until, BOOM! someone’s just become a human keg.
PROS
-allows for pirates to practically have a Gunpowder Keg in their back pocket, minus the fire
- no restrictions on movement or equipment
-what more can I say?
CONS
-no matter the health, the drinker will always die
-10s fuse for boom-boom
-can be defused if killed before the pirate explodes
-no fire after effect
-damages crew mates
-loud af
Barrel of Iron Skin (White)
The Cursed Grog of Iron Skin is metallic in taste, and immediately after finishing your tankard, you notice your skin is shining, literally! The bog water you just drank may be cursed, but you’ve just become the juggernaut of The Sea of Thieves!
PROS
-flat damage reduction (50% off all forms)
-fireproof
-look like a cool statue if you strike a pose
CONS
-slower movement and shorter jumping (-20% and -33%)
-being in water raises handicaps (-30% and -50%)
Barrel of Sneaky Shadows (Purple)
This drink once finished shrouds the drinker in a veil of invisibility, hiding all who drink it in the shadows. However, the veil is fragile, so one must be carful not to alert shipmates of the vessel you’ve hidden on...
PROS
-easy initial tucking and sneaky business
-cause confusion amongst your enemies
-makes for an easy getaway
-hides your nameplate too btw
-can manually break the veil, allowing for surprise attacks
CONS
-people still have ears
-unable to use any weapons or equipment
-any damage will stop the effect
-will only last for 1-2 minutes before an small, but still noticeable audio cue plays when reappearing
These are just a few ideas, but I feel like these could really turn up the fun factor for SoT PvP, as well as PvE or even RP. A goofy addition like this to the sandbox will be an extremely deep investment to the longevity of the game that I’ve come to love. Please respond with any feedback at all, and if you’ve read this far, thank you for your time!
