Oh cool, a Treasure Island thread.
Majin Gojira wrote: ↑2019-04-09 07:34pmThe short of this "Vs" scenario is that instead of the crew of the Hispaniola are off seeking treasure, but instead of the rock they go to in the novel, the treasure is in a far more dangerous place. Skull Island.
What did the crew of the Hispaniola ever do to you? But seriously, that makes Flint even more bad ass than his canonical reputation, if he buried his treasure on freaking Skull Island and lived to make a map about it.
Also, which version of
Treasure Island? From the contents of your post, I'm guessing book version, though in that case there are some continuity errors. For Skull Island... basically the '33 film but with more realistic fauna, with the dinosaurs being based on the Hell Creek formation specimens? Is that correct?
Incidentally, a list of Hell Creek species can be read here, for anyone who's interested:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_Cree ... #Dinosaurs
Forces Arraid:
Hispaniola:
The Hispaniola is a Shooner. It is a fully operational, solid ship and has solid enough cannons to defend herself from other ships. They are also well stocked with black powder and muskets (British make, as befits the 17th century time period of the novel), as well as pistols, cutlasses, and daggers.
The musket in question would be a Brown Bess. A smoothbore that fires a .75 inch caliber shot. 3 to 4 shots a minute could be fired from this weapon with training.
From recollection, the book version had only a single big canon (exactly how big I can't recall). And lots of muskets, pistols, and cutlasses, yeah.
They have a map of the Island and a general warning of the hazards. Primarily, the crevasses, swamps, native village, and accessways to the island (they know a way through the sheer cliffs that largely surround the island and do not have to use the peninsula to get aboard). The map does not warn them about the wildlife.
They're going to freak the hell out the first time they see a dinosaur, much less Kong himself. Especially since
Treasure Island is set in a period predating the scientific discovery of the Dinosauria.
Its crew consists of:
Captain Alexander Smollett - A savvy and experienced naval officer. Rigid and rule-bound.
Dr. David Livesey - A competent doctor (for his time), knowing the dangers of disease transmuting insects. Is more than a fair hand with a gun and a sword.
Canonically, Livesey was a British army veteran who had fought at the Battle of Fontenoy.
Jim Hawkins - Cabin Boy, stealthy, smart, and pretty strong willed (eventually).
Squire John Trelawney - Far too trusting and honest. Somewhat of a twit, but a deadly shot.
Long John Silver - One legged, iron-willed, harder than any other man aboard. Has a talking parrot that is pretty intelligent by itself. Were it not for his missing leg, he would be quite a terror. Even without, he still is.
Piratical Crew - 17 or so crewmen who know of the treasure and want it badly. One is an expert cannoneer. Deadly cutthroats.
19 counting Silver, I think, though I might be wrong. Also not sure if that tally was before or after Grey defected back to the loyal crew.
Honest Crew - 2 men who were hired before Long John was hired.
Squire Trelawney's servants - 3 men who came with the squire to aid on this quest.
Billy Bones - A survivor who has lived on the island since being marooned there. Still alive, despite the change in location!
That's Ben Gunn, of course. Billy Bones was the old (now deceased) pirate at the inn that they got the map from in the first place.
Also, good Lord, how did that crazy old man survive on an island with Dakotaraptors and Tyranosaurs? The canon one didn't have to contend with anything more deadly than goats, and the possibility of disease.
Skull Island:
For those that don't know, there are two points to enter Skull Island. One is on the beach peninsula, the other is further along the ridge in a hidden cliff area. This is near where the treasure is hidden, but behind a brick wall.
Natives - Several hundred people, a culture with hide shields, but iron tipped spears. They do not take kindly to visitors. But they can be scared off with gunfire.
I wouldn't undersell the capabilities of the natives here. The canon film crew on Skull Island had 20th. Century firearms. Several hundred men with spears might very well overwhelm thirty-odd men with nothing more powerful than (fairly inaccurate) muskets that must be reloaded after every shot.
Dangerous Animals - There are a LOT of iterations of Kong and Skull Island to go through. We'll stick with the '33 version for the most part, with Son of Kong and things left on the cutting room floor for both it and 'Creation.' If you feel that isn't enough of an obstacle, throw in 30-sih versions of the Hell Creek formation fauna and a Therizinosaur. That means Dakotaraptor (basically, JP Velociraptor sized dromaeosaur).
If you want a full animal breakdown, just ask.
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The Crew's objective is to get the treasure and get out alive. The key questions are as follows:
1) Can they make it through with only encounter a few (1-3) of these dangerous animals?
2) How will their 1700s mindsets interpret these creatures?
3) How does this affect Silver's mutinous Pans?
4) Would Ben Gun, driven mad from his time there and having a hatred for SIlver and those who left him stranded, try and lure one of the brutes to any camp the pirates make and really wreck things for everyone?
Have at it!
They're fucked, unless they can land on the beach right near the treasure and go straight for it. Even then, the mutineers in the book were so overeager that they'll probably jump the gun and start the mutiny before they get the treasure (Silver was barely able to keep them under control at all in the book). They'll most likely win in this version, as there is no Stockade on Skull Island for the loyal crew to evacuate to, but the defenders are capable enough that the mutineers will probably take heavy casualties unless they manage a near-perfect surprise. Which potentially leaves Silver with a handful of rebellious pirates, no treasure to placate them or manpower to go get it or man the ship, and all the competent people dead. Best chance is for Smollet to send most of the crew ashore, as in canon, then hope the local fauna or natives deal with them, or try and seize the ship from whoever's left behind and haul anchor (this screws Ben Gunn, and Jim if he goes ashore this time, but the needs of the many...).
The creatures... some of the more ignorant or superstitious crew would like see them as monsters or dragons. Livesey and Trelawney will probably try to interpret them through a more scientific lense, I think.
Yeah, I can see Ben Gunn trying to lure a dinosaur into the muntineers' camp.
Now I really want to see Ben Gunn: Dinosaur Rider.
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