A plea for assistance [Archive] - Wizards Community

A plea for assistance [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ghodamitt
05-21-04, 08:23 AM I have just been informed by my gaming group that I have been chosen to run a seafaring/exploration type campaign for the summer...with the first game being this evening. They will start out at 3rd level and will be part of the crew on a ship.

I have 2 immediate problems:
1. I have no resource books with me
2. Even if I did, I will be at work until about 20 minutes before the game starts.

So this is my call to all game masters out there to help out a fellow game master caught in a pinch. I am looking for any ideas, suggestions, links to maps or ship diagrams, etc.

I will be able to try and work on it during my lunch break, but that wont give me very much time to put together anything more than a few rough ideas and sketches (unless the muse of gaming blesses me sometime today with a monster of an idea).

So please, take a spare moment out of your day for someone who has few of his own.

Thanks in advance.
Shapedoctor
05-21-04, 08:42 AM I'm overdue for getting some sleep so this is quickie: you say you have no resource books. If you can get online you've got the SRD.

Furthermore, it sounds like this was kind of dumped on you at the last minute. Take the first half hour of your session tonight to polish off whatever you come up with today. They owe you that much, and maybe you can even figure out a way they could help, or make them work on character backgrounds or something.
ghodamitt
05-21-04, 08:57 AM Ah, the SRD. That I would have, but I'm off to work now and wont be able to access it. The players are all working on backgrounds today. I know it will be a little rushed later, and I'm just running short on imagination at the moment (it has been a VERY long week...all told, i'll have put in 90 hours since monday!).
Mojave Rattler
05-21-04, 09:17 AM I run a Seafaring/exploration type game called 50 Fathoms, it's not D20, but it requires very little prep. Basically reading the setting book. Might be some ideas within you can garner for your game.

However, as far as immediate assistance, why don't you try having them start shipwrecked on some island filled with savages and dark magic?

Have another vessel on the beach which they can use to escape, with some repair, like a damaged skifff or pleasurecraft.
kardock
05-21-04, 09:23 AM i've had a situation like that once and to be honest, i just improvised all of the first session, and then after that i write my story on what happened that night.

if you have some experience as a DM, and i think you do, this should not be to difficult.

wasn't so hard on me, and i'm not very experienced.

i had a basic idea, and i improvised all the way, and it was very fun that night, everybody was happy.

good luck!
Mythmere
05-21-04, 09:59 AM Making a stat block for a first level pirate fighter is your optimal use of time. You can probably even pull workable stats off the net somewhere for first level pirates.

Then you can use the pirates on shore or afloat, wherever circumstances take you; it's a totally versatile piece of work.

I hate exploration campaigns, so I won't post any campaign ideas; they'd all be ways of avoiding true exploration.

Best of luck!
astute1
05-21-04, 10:02 AM Pretty easy, just run fights the whole evening.

Start off with the ship at sea, moving towards the Port of X with Cargo of Y. A few days left to go, and at noon, black sails are spotted on the horizon (or... some other pirate-y thing) Anyway, the cargo ship the players are on is nowhere near as fast or maneuverable as the pirate vessels. The pirates engage them in ship to ship combat. Run the pirates and the rest of the ship's crew as 1st level warriors, armed with longspears and crossbows (no armor) The pirates can be led by a group of higher level rogues and fighters. To quickly and easily generate these, I suggest the following random generator:
http://www.aarg.net/~minam/npc2.cgi

And, there you have it, a seafaring adventure. Plenty of spin-off stuff, too. If the players defeat the pirates, they could find a letter on one of the leader's corpses, targeting this ship. Perhaps the ship holds expensive cargo destined for a lord in the city they're sailing to, and the pirates have been hired to steal it by a rival lord. Anyway, there's also the possibility that the players are captured, and there's another adventure right there!

You might also want to pick up some Rum and the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack on the way to the game. Helps set the mood, you know.:cool:
CrippleMrOnion
05-21-04, 10:38 AM This may be too far out there for you, but I once started a campaign in a similar fashion. However, the campaign actually started after the ship sank, on a lifeboat. Let your players think that they're starting like you said, but once the game begins explain that the ship sank and that they were the only ones to survive the tragedy. They've been stuck on a lifeboat for days and have survived by (whatever... if there's a divine caster, they can at least create water). Finally, on the morning of the (whatever numbered) day, they see something. A city. Floating (a la Waterworld). This will at least give them a jumping off point for the campaign. Give them a little mystery to solve (the dolphins used as pack animals are all getting sick) or a bit of combat (a recent rash of raids have occurred on the atoll). This will give them plenty to do while you organize your thoughts and ideas about the adventure.
Of all of my campaigns (not that there were that many, only 3), this was my favorite. The beginning shocked the players; the floating city created a very spectacular opening setting that lent later to myths and so forth that I added to the campaign world; the people of the atoll were strange and added lots of good potential NPCs (some of which I fully fleshed out later).
This of course is all to be taken worth a grain of salt, as of course I love my own campaigns...
Luminous Crayon
05-21-04, 10:45 AM Wow, that's a tough situation. Sounds like you need to have a talk with your group, as they've apparently decided, without your input, that you have a lot of preparation to do in a very short amount of time. If you ask me, it'd be totally appropriate to put off the first game session until you're prepared, regardless of what time they've decided you'll run it. Have them spend tonight's time generating characters, and save the playing for next week.
WhtKnt
05-21-04, 10:50 AM Island of the Damned (http://www.greenronin.com/files/IOTD.pdf) is a pirate-adventure for Green Ronin's Skull & Bones, which is a semi-historical treatment of pirates. It's d20, though it uses some variant rules, but it could still serve to give you some ideas and with a little conversion work, might even be used as your adventure.

This site (http://www.tsm-elissa.org/elissa-glossary_a-l.htm#barque) has a seafaring glossary that might add a little realism to your game, but isn't much help beyond that.

A very simplified cross-section of a typical pirate vessel can be found here (http://www.piratesinfo.com/detail/detail.php?article_id=46). This one (http://www.kipar.org/society/author/pirates-history/pirate-ships.html) is much better. Here's (http://blindkat.hegewisch.net/pirates/manowar.jpg) yet another.

This site (http://www.geocities.com/captcutlass/Ship.html) is full of great info on pirates and includes some ship pictures.

For a few dozen more sites, just go to http://www.google.com and enter "pirates, ships" (without the quotes).
Bomba
05-21-04, 10:58 AM start them in a port city and have them get into some trouble with the locals. then gie them an easy escape by stowing away on a ship. you can then have them get caught as stowaways and before tehy are thrown overboard the ship is attacked by a seamonster/pirate ship/ ghost ship whatever. damage the ship beyond repairs have them limp to an island or some other unknow ocal where they need to look for sutable trees the area should mostly be plam trees and things not suitabel for ships. so they will have to explore far from the natural harbor that they left the ship. kill off hal f the crew in the attack on the ship where they were damaged initially so you can put yoru players into important rolls where they can use there skills and magic and the NPCs look up to them. if i think of anything else i'll posti t later i'm at work also

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ghodamitt 05-21-04, 08:23 AM	I have just been informed by my gaming group that I have been chosen to run a seafaring/exploration type campaign for the summer...with the first game being this evening. They will start out at 3rd level and will be part of the crew on a ship. I have 2 immediate problems: 1. I have no resource books with me 2. Even if I did, I will be at work until about 20 minutes before the game starts. So this is my call to all game masters out there to help out a fellow game master caught in a pinch. I am looking for any ideas, suggestions, links to maps or ship diagrams, etc. I will be able to try and work on it during my lunch break, but that wont give me very much time to put together anything more than a few rough ideas and sketches (unless the muse of gaming blesses me sometime today with a monster of an idea). So please, take a spare moment out of your day for someone who has few of his own. Thanks in advance.
Shapedoctor 05-21-04, 08:42 AM	I'm overdue for getting some sleep so this is quickie: you say you have no resource books. If you can get online you've got the SRD. Furthermore, it sounds like this was kind of dumped on you at the last minute. Take the first half hour of your session tonight to polish off whatever you come up with today. They owe you that much, and maybe you can even figure out a way they could help, or make them work on character backgrounds or something.
ghodamitt 05-21-04, 08:57 AM	Ah, the SRD. That I would have, but I'm off to work now and wont be able to access it. The players are all working on backgrounds today. I know it will be a little rushed later, and I'm just running short on imagination at the moment (it has been a VERY long week...all told, i'll have put in 90 hours since monday!).
Mojave Rattler 05-21-04, 09:17 AM	I run a Seafaring/exploration type game called 50 Fathoms, it's not D20, but it requires very little prep. Basically reading the setting book. Might be some ideas within you can garner for your game. However, as far as immediate assistance, why don't you try having them start shipwrecked on some island filled with savages and dark magic? Have another vessel on the beach which they can use to escape, with some repair, like a damaged skifff or pleasurecraft.
kardock 05-21-04, 09:23 AM	i've had a situation like that once and to be honest, i just improvised all of the first session, and then after that i write my story on what happened that night. if you have some experience as a DM, and i think you do, this should not be to difficult. wasn't so hard on me, and i'm not very experienced. i had a basic idea, and i improvised all the way, and it was very fun that night, everybody was happy. good luck!
Mythmere 05-21-04, 09:59 AM	Making a stat block for a first level pirate fighter is your optimal use of time. You can probably even pull workable stats off the net somewhere for first level pirates. Then you can use the pirates on shore or afloat, wherever circumstances take you; it's a totally versatile piece of work. I hate exploration campaigns, so I won't post any campaign ideas; they'd all be ways of avoiding true exploration. Best of luck!
astute1 05-21-04, 10:02 AM	Pretty easy, just run fights the whole evening. Start off with the ship at sea, moving towards the Port of X with Cargo of Y. A few days left to go, and at noon, black sails are spotted on the horizon (or... some other pirate-y thing) Anyway, the cargo ship the players are on is nowhere near as fast or maneuverable as the pirate vessels. The pirates engage them in ship to ship combat. Run the pirates and the rest of the ship's crew as 1st level warriors, armed with longspears and crossbows (no armor) The pirates can be led by a group of higher level rogues and fighters. To quickly and easily generate these, I suggest the following random generator: http://www.aarg.net/~minam/npc2.cgi And, there you have it, a seafaring adventure. Plenty of spin-off stuff, too. If the players defeat the pirates, they could find a letter on one of the leader's corpses, targeting this ship. Perhaps the ship holds expensive cargo destined for a lord in the city they're sailing to, and the pirates have been hired to steal it by a rival lord. Anyway, there's also the possibility that the players are captured, and there's another adventure right there! You might also want to pick up some Rum and the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack on the way to the game. Helps set the mood, you know.:cool:
CrippleMrOnion 05-21-04, 10:38 AM	This may be too far out there for you, but I once started a campaign in a similar fashion. However, the campaign actually started after the ship sank, on a lifeboat. Let your players think that they're starting like you said, but once the game begins explain that the ship sank and that they were the only ones to survive the tragedy. They've been stuck on a lifeboat for days and have survived by (whatever... if there's a divine caster, they can at least create water). Finally, on the morning of the (whatever numbered) day, they see something. A city. Floating (a la Waterworld). This will at least give them a jumping off point for the campaign. Give them a little mystery to solve (the dolphins used as pack animals are all getting sick) or a bit of combat (a recent rash of raids have occurred on the atoll). This will give them plenty to do while you organize your thoughts and ideas about the adventure. Of all of my campaigns (not that there were that many, only 3), this was my favorite. The beginning shocked the players; the floating city created a very spectacular opening setting that lent later to myths and so forth that I added to the campaign world; the people of the atoll were strange and added lots of good potential NPCs (some of which I fully fleshed out later). This of course is all to be taken worth a grain of salt, as of course I love my own campaigns...
Luminous Crayon 05-21-04, 10:45 AM	Wow, that's a tough situation. Sounds like you need to have a talk with your group, as they've apparently decided, without your input, that you have a lot of preparation to do in a very short amount of time. If you ask me, it'd be totally appropriate to put off the first game session until you're prepared, regardless of what time they've decided you'll run it. Have them spend tonight's time generating characters, and save the playing for next week.
WhtKnt 05-21-04, 10:50 AM	Island of the Damned (http://www.greenronin.com/files/IOTD.pdf) is a pirate-adventure for Green Ronin's Skull & Bones, which is a semi-historical treatment of pirates. It's d20, though it uses some variant rules, but it could still serve to give you some ideas and with a little conversion work, might even be used as your adventure. This site (http://www.tsm-elissa.org/elissa-glossary_a-l.htm#barque) has a seafaring glossary that might add a little realism to your game, but isn't much help beyond that. A very simplified cross-section of a typical pirate vessel can be found here (http://www.piratesinfo.com/detail/detail.php?article_id=46). This one (http://www.kipar.org/society/author/pirates-history/pirate-ships.html) is much better. Here's (http://blindkat.hegewisch.net/pirates/manowar.jpg) yet another. This site (http://www.geocities.com/captcutlass/Ship.html) is full of great info on pirates and includes some ship pictures. For a few dozen more sites, just go to http://www.google.com and enter "pirates, ships" (without the quotes).
Bomba 05-21-04, 10:58 AM	start them in a port city and have them get into some trouble with the locals. then gie them an easy escape by stowing away on a ship. you can then have them get caught as stowaways and before tehy are thrown overboard the ship is attacked by a seamonster/pirate ship/ ghost ship whatever. damage the ship beyond repairs have them limp to an island or some other unknow ocal where they need to look for sutable trees the area should mostly be plam trees and things not suitabel for ships. so they will have to explore far from the natural harbor that they left the ship. kill off hal f the crew in the attack on the ship where they were damaged initially so you can put yoru players into important rolls where they can use there skills and magic and the NPCs look up to them. if i think of anything else i'll posti t later i'm at work also