Bedda the curde, also known as Beda, was a notorious pirate who is believed to have sailed during the 16th century. Very little is known about his early life or his origins, but it is believed that he hailed from a European country. Beda was known for his brutal and barbaric nature. He was infamous for his violent attacks on merchant ships, often leaving no survivors. He commanded a fleet of pirate ships, which were equipped with heavy artillery and cannons. His ships were known for their speed, allowing him to catch unsuspecting vessels off guard.
This wiki contains spoilers for all stories of Critical Role. This includes the story for unaired episodes of The Legend of Vox Machina, as it's based on the first campaign of Critical Role from 2015-2017.
In D D, short of magic resistance which itself is quite different than the magic resistance in NetHack , it was usually impossible for a magic missile to miss. It s not like she is going to be running around one-shotting everything they come across with a 9th level magic missile, and it is a great opportunity to have an enemy spellcaster use shield against her.
His ships were known for their speed, allowing him to catch unsuspecting vessels off guard. One of Beda's most well-known exploits was the plundering of a merchant fleet off the coast of Africa. He was able to amass a significant amount of wealth, which he used to expand his pirate crew and acquire more powerful ships.
The 8000gp Wand of Magic Missiles
TLDR at bottom, and thanks for indulging me and reading my short story.
So I just started DMing for a group of 3 players, 2 of which have never played before (now a sorcerer and a druid). After a short two-shot (The Eldritch Farm, which was great, thanks to u/phonz1851) I have decided to run Waterdeep: Dragon Heist for this group.
First session of DH, and I am explaining to these brand new players about how Waterdeep is huge, unlike the small village they just helped out, and that there would be opportunities to buy magic items and such. The sorceress asks what kind of magic items are available that would be good for her (I was very proud of this question, they grow up so fast). So I told her that there would be wands that would allow her to cast certain spells, like magic missile (which is one of her known spells), without using a spell slot. She seemed intrigued and asked some passerby NPCs about where she would be able to find a wand shop.
So they guided her to a shop. She enters and asks about buying a Wand of Magic Missiles. I did a quick google to find out the price (I hadn't anticipated this before the session) and the very first hit says that it would be 8000gp. I felt like an idiot telling her that because she had done such a good job of role-playing to that point, only to be told that it was 80x the amount of gold she currently has. I felt like this also made me look like a tool. "Oh yeah, use some time to go buy some cool stuff! Sike! You won't have that much gold for a long time." So, she settled on a broken Wand of Magic Missiles (which the shopkeep just so happened to have) that has 6 charges, but won't regain charges ever, for 70gp.
I did more research later and found out that this price was off of a list that was a "community made" list. The following is a link to a PDF with magic item prices etc. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8XAiXpOfz9cMWt1RTBicmpmUDg/view?usp=sharing
The DM guide on page 135 has the "Magic Item Rarity" table, and it says that uncommon magic items should/can be given to players who are higher than level 1 (which my players are) and should cost between 101-500gp.
So, why in the world would a Wand of Magic Missiles cost so much? I understand that this is an amazing resource for a sorcerer, given how few spells they can learn, and is great for spell slot management. Is it a good magic item for a 2nd level sorcerer? Definitely. Is it 8000gp good? I don't feel like it is. It's not like she is going to be running around one-shotting everything they come across with a 9th level magic missile, and it is a great opportunity to have an enemy spellcaster use shield against her.
I fully understand that there is nothing forcing me use this PDF for magic item prices, and I will likely retcon the whole scenario, I just wanted to gather some ideas as to why such a relatively lowly magic item would cost so much. I would put it closer to the 500gp range.
tldr: why would a Wand of Magic Missiles cost 8000gp (as decided by "the community," which includes this sub), when the DM guide says magic items of that rarity/power should cost between 101-500gp?
TLDR at bottom, and thanks for indulging me and reading my short story.
His success on this raid further cemented his reputation as one of the fiercest and most feared pirates of his time. Beda's cruelty was notorious even among other pirates. It is said that he would torture and kill prisoners in front of their crewmates, in order to instill fear and compliance. He was known to have a particular fondness for using fire as a method of torture, often setting his victims ablaze. Despite his horrific actions, Beda the curde was a strategic and cunning leader. He was able to navigate treacherous waters and evade capture for many years. His success as a pirate was not only due to his ruthless nature, but also his ability to plan and execute elaborate raids. Beda's reign of terror eventually came to an end when he was captured by a rival pirate crew. He was brought to justice and executed for his crimes. His capture and demise marked the end of an era of piracy, as other pirates were deterred by his brutal fate. Although Beda the curde was a criminal and a monster by many accounts, his name lives on in infamy. His story is a reminder of the dark and ruthless nature of piracy during the 16th century, and serves as a cautionary tale of the consequences that await those who choose a life of crime and violence..
Reviews for "The Curde Whisperer: Bedda's Unique Ability to Communicate"
1. John - 1 star - I found "Bedda the curde" to be incredibly boring and uninteresting. The plot was disjointed and the characters were one-dimensional, making it hard for me to connect with the story. The writing style was also very dry and lacked any sort of depth or emotion. Overall, I was extremely disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to anyone.
2. Sarah - 2 stars - "Bedda the curde" had a promising premise, but it failed to deliver for me. The pacing was incredibly slow, and I found myself losing interest halfway through. The characters were also poorly developed, and their motivations felt unclear. The lack of strong dialogue made it difficult to engage with the story. While the writing was decent, the overall execution left much to be desired.
3. David - 1.5 stars - I struggled to finish "Bedda the curde" due to its convoluted plot and lackluster writing. The story jumped around too much and failed to provide a coherent narrative. The characters were forgettable and their actions often felt forced. The prose was also uninspiring, making it hard for me to stay engaged. Overall, this was a disappointing read that I wouldn't recommend to others.
4. Emily - 2 stars - While "Bedda the curde" had an interesting concept, I found the execution to be lacking. The pacing was slow and the story dragged on, making it difficult for me to stay interested. The characters felt underdeveloped and their actions often seemed illogical. Additionally, I felt that the ending was unsatisfying and left too many loose ends. I was disappointed by this book and wouldn't consider it a favorite.