Any ideas about sea adventures? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Any ideas about sea adventures? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Xronos
03-26-04, 11:52 AM I´m thinking of having my players on a sea adventure as a crew of a ship (maybe pirates). Possibly at the sea of sorrows at Ravenloft. They are after a treasure island and they are going to fight other pirates as well. Any rules/suggestions about ship fights?
Any uncommon ideas?
beavis123
03-26-04, 12:01 PM start small. a few minor battles, weather conditions, ports to replinish supplies, odd encounter.

Main thing is variety. Keep them on the move.
Sucineri
03-26-04, 03:03 PM Maybe one port town they dock at is mostly burned down..there are the typical women and children crying, and the men lifting charred beams off their comrades..then you have to figure out who did it (should be a couple people in town that know who did it and not just "it was a ship that was red and had people on it!" which is what the normal people would say)..possibly have one of the men that was part of the BBEgroup be stored away in a jail cell or something so you can interrogate him for info on where his buddies are stationed at. There are even a bunch of movies out there that have all kinds of weird plots dealing with pirates, islands, and all that stuff. There are even a few games that deal with it (baldur's gate 2 -island where the asylum is, monkey island -whole effin series, etc.)

It really isn't that hard to create intrigue, suspense, drama, action, and all kinds of stuff on the water..atleast when you aren't in the middle of the ocean..cuz you really shouldn't be seeing more than 1 ship out there if even that many :D
Mumbling Rogue
03-26-04, 03:07 PM Make sure to not keep them on the ship for a long, long time, or else they will feel restricted and bored. Port stops, mystical islands, pirate coves, all that kind of stuff could add tons of fun. I think I might even try this out now, it really would be a whole different game than the usual overland travel.
Sucineri
03-26-04, 03:09 PM Totally forgot about the expansion pack to the first baldur's gate..island with a crashed ship..and there are werewolves battling wolfweres..but yeah, you can do all kinds of wicked craap on one of them piratey adventures.
jtgalt
03-26-04, 05:47 PM Pick up a copy of "Freeport: The city of Adventure" for a nice starting city. I don't remember who published it, but I really liked it for a basis.
Thomar_of_Uointer
03-26-04, 05:54 PM In a large-scale battle, remember to NEVER roll out the battle. Predetermine what is going to happen, and figure out what happens when the PCs mess with what should have happened.

Remember to make the ship "special" in some way.
krichaiushii
03-26-04, 05:59 PM Green Ronin publishes Freeport and all of its adventures and expansions. Very nice stuff.

Depending on the PCs level, sea monsters can be fun - Dragon Turtles, aquatic dragons, zaratans, sahaugin, and kraken can be encountered.

Sea elves, titans, merpeople, locatha(sp?), sea/reef giants may pose a diplomatic challenge.

Perhaps the party encounters an abandoned ship, and all evidence points to everyone aboard just disappearing in midmeal. The PCs get to determine what happened to them.

Pirates have already been mentioned, but what about a pirate-hunter who suspects the PCs of being pirates?

The PCs come across a battle in progress and have to decide whom to help, if anyone at all. Make it very confusing - lots of smoke and magic use on both sides - maybe undersea races are involved, too.

A graveyard of half-submerged ships provides both a unique dungeon setting, as well as undead (lacedons and drowned zombies RULE!) AND perhaps the threat of getting their ship trapped in the graveyard.

Flying creatures - this generally works best if land is within flying distance - perhaps masked by illusion, but within distance nonetheless.

For more ideas, look up sargasso sea and the bermuda triangle on google.
Sucineri
03-26-04, 06:00 PM As far as large battles go..I agree that you should determine what is going to happen in the beginning..but what if..just "what if"..the PCs (and the army on their side) are losing and are supposed to lose..but then the DM forgot about the "wand of unlimited fast-casting fireballs" that he gave to the level 6 rogue when he helped someone and was allowed a wish? Then all hell breaks loose, the other side is wiped out..and your plan to have the PCs lose and be captured just won't work anymore..and you can't just BS your way out of it by saying "oh..um they are all immune to fire"
Xronos
03-26-04, 06:47 PM Thanks a lot. The main plot is that they lose a very difficult battle on purpose(still on land) and they found themselves slaves on a pirate ship. Then a pirate offers them their freedom if they help him become the captain. The problem starts here. Is there any player willing to play with a captain to give him orders?Do this and do that. Another problem noone knows to swim or anything about sea skills. Will they make it?
Thanks again.
Sucineri
03-27-04, 02:37 AM Well, a lot of real pirates didn't know anything about swimming either..cuz if you were thrown overboard by the crew, you wouldn't want to float there day after day and starve slowly..you would rather sink and die as fast as you could. So that much is "normal" for your group being pirates.
Xronos
03-27-04, 06:08 AM Any idea how many people were needed for crew? 10,50,100?
Sucineri
03-27-04, 06:59 AM minimum of 2 people if it is a ship (and I mean a ship, not a rowboat)..so maybe around 20 or so would be okay..again, look at pirate movies.
Relic
03-27-04, 03:24 PM Pick up the book, 'Slaves of Fate' by Chaosium Inc. It is an adventure that starts the PCs collared slaves on a pirate ship. The PCs, in the adventure, can end up joining the pirates or walking the plank to end up on an island that is a secret pirate haven.

In this adventure are details of two different ships along with each ship's crews, a Slaver class or prestige class (I forget which), and details on how to run an ocean campaign (swimming rules, climbing the rigging, fighting on a rolling deck, etc).

I picked it up just for the information in the book and it has been useful.
StoryTellerSJEM
03-27-04, 06:53 PM 2E D&D wrote up a soft cover titled: OF SHIPS AND THE SEA

It covers all of the above questions/concerns and more. Great for sea battles, factoring in the type of ships, underwater combat, etc.
ubermacht
03-27-04, 08:27 PM First of all get the Seafairs handbook by Fantisy Flight games. It will have rules for have rules for ship combat and rulse for making ships and crewing them. Also see I you can pickup the new dragon mag on pirates it is very useful.

Second here is a list of random encounters for use while at sea:
(By Rasmus... Edited by me):

Events:
1-3: Sudden change of weather. Consult the random weather chart again.

4-6: Ship ahoy! Another vessel is encountered. Roll again (1d12) on the random ship chart.

7-8: Land ahoy! The ship has come a little of course or has come upon an uncharted island. Roll a d4

9: Spoiled! The freshwater or food has spoiled, been infested with rats, vermin or otherwise been destroyed (1-3water/4-6 food). There is a threat of disease, starvation or dehydration if another source of food or water cannot be found.

10-11: Attack! The ship is attacked by hostile undersea creatures. Roll on the small monster table

12: Monster! The ship is attacked or threatened by some sort of sea monster or flying creature. Roll again on the random sea monster table (1d20).

13: Sea battle! Two or more ships are engaging in a naval battle for some reason, could be between rival nations, merchants, pirates or something else entirely. One or more ships could also be battling a monster.

14: Unnatural environment. The ship has run into an area of special environmental conditions. It could be a spill over from the elemental plane of water or the astral plane. It could be a giant whirlpool, a magical storm, an undersea volcanic eruption, a mirage, a supernatural battle in the sky etc.

15: Survivors. The ship encounters shipwrecked crew members, marooned sailors signaling for help, a boat with a mutinous crew or a captain whose crew mutinied etc.

16-17: Trouble with the crew. Something has happened or will happen with one or more crew members. They might mutiny, one might steal food from the galley, one of the crewmen is murdered, there is a big brawl, the crew gets scared of something (real or imagined) etc.

18-19: Accident! There is some kind of accident on board. A sail might split, a fire erupts, a crewman gets injured or dies, a crewman falls overboard, the rudder gets stuck etc.

20: Disease! Someone gets sick on board, possibly from an infectious disease.

Land Ahoy table
1: Small uninhabited island.
2: Small island inhabited by uncivilized humanoids.
3: Small island with civilized settlement.
4: Small island with exotic inhabitant(s) (magical beasts, dinosaurs, dragon, undead etc.)

Ship table
1: A merchant ship.
2: A corsair or pirate.
3: A merchant ship with problems (damaged, fleeing, in need of supplies etc.).
4: An orc corsair.
5: A derelict vessel.
6: A slaver.
7: A ghost ship.
8: A submersible.
9: A flying vessel.
10: An exotic vessel (1-3 friendly/4-7 neutral/8-10 hostile).
11: A military vessel.
12: A working vessel (whaler, fisher etc.).

Large Monster table
1: Giant Squid
2: Dragon (1-2 good, 3-4 neutral, 5-6 evil).
3: Kraken
4: Megalodon
5: Tempest
6: Ocean Giant
7: Water Elemental (1-2 large, 3-4 huge, 5-6 greater, 7-8 elder).
8: Elamosaurus
9: Dire Shark
10: Roc
11: Chaos Roc
12: Ocean Strider
13: Quetzalcoatlus
14: Arrowhawk (1-2; (juvenile clutch 2-4) 3-4; (Adult solitary) 5-6; (Adult clutch 2-4) 7-8; (elder solitary).
15: Air Elemental (1-2 large, 3-4 huge, 5-6 greater, 7-8 elder).
18: Wyvern
19: Ah, it was just a floating log!
20: Leviathan.

Small Monster table
1: Merfolk (4-24 warriors, one leader 4th lvl. warrior or cleric).
2-3: Sauhagin (1-3; (band of 5-8) or 4-6; (patrol of 11-20 + 3rd lvl. Lieutenant and two sharks)).
4: Skum (1-3; brood (2-5) or 4-6; pack (6-15)).
5-6: Kuo-toa (1-3; patrol (2-4 plus one 3rd lvl. whip) or 4-6; squad; (6-11 plus 1-2 3rd lvl whips, 1-2 4th lvl. monitors, and 1 8th lvl. fighter)).
7: Sea Hag
8: Drowned dead (1-3; squad (6-10) or 4-6; mob (11-20)).
9: Kapoacith ( 1-3 pair or 4-6 wing (5-16)).10: Kopru (1-3; solitary 4-6 ;pair 7-8; patrol (3-5)).

Edit: Gave justice where justice was due
Edymnion
03-27-04, 09:18 PM Scenario/Campaign Setting:
A strange new monster has been spotted on the high seas, appearing to be a large slick of tar floating across the water. However, anyone or anything that gets close to it is suddenly engulfed by black tenticals that drag it down into the tar, dissolving it.

This "dark water" has a source, a crack in the earth deep at the bottom of the sea, from which it is oozing out, almost like a living thing. The only way to stop it is to seal the opening in the earth. Normal means are completely inneffective. To succeed, they must sail the high seas, seeking out 13 magical artifacts, which have of course been scattered on small islands and entrusted/stolen by various powerful people "for their protection". The "dark water" fears these artifacts, and will instinctivly flee from their direct touch, as they burn the tar like creature, turning it into clean, fresh water. To aid them in their quest, you give them a magical compass that always points to the next closest artifact. Once all 13 artifacts are collected and placed in a special temple overlooking the sea, the dark water will be driven back into the earth, and the crack sealed.

At their backs is a powerful pirate captain that wishes to obtain the artifacts for himself, so that he might control the dark water and make himself ruler of all he surveys. And, unbeknownst to both the party and the BBEG pirate captain is an intelligent, mallevolent creature in the crack that is directing the mindless dark water into covering the entire world.

Suggested party:
1 Fighter Noble
1 Swashbuckler Rogue
1 Druid with Winged Monkey animal companion.

Major kudos if you know where I "borrowed" this setting from :D
beavis123
03-27-04, 09:43 PM sounds like something out of H P Lovecraft.

Sounds like a great story!!
kreik
04-01-04, 08:59 AM It's from the pirates of dark water! :D
I really liked that series!

I'm running a ship-based campaign at the moment, so if you have any more tips, that would be great.
Rasmus
04-01-04, 11:17 AM Its my random encounter table. Thanks for the editing :).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Xronos 03-26-04, 11:52 AM	I´m thinking of having my players on a sea adventure as a crew of a ship (maybe pirates). Possibly at the sea of sorrows at Ravenloft. They are after a treasure island and they are going to fight other pirates as well. Any rules/suggestions about ship fights? Any uncommon ideas?
beavis123 03-26-04, 12:01 PM	start small. a few minor battles, weather conditions, ports to replinish supplies, odd encounter. Main thing is variety. Keep them on the move.
Sucineri 03-26-04, 03:03 PM	Maybe one port town they dock at is mostly burned down..there are the typical women and children crying, and the men lifting charred beams off their comrades..then you have to figure out who did it (should be a couple people in town that know who did it and not just "it was a ship that was red and had people on it!" which is what the normal people would say)..possibly have one of the men that was part of the BBEgroup be stored away in a jail cell or something so you can interrogate him for info on where his buddies are stationed at. There are even a bunch of movies out there that have all kinds of weird plots dealing with pirates, islands, and all that stuff. There are even a few games that deal with it (baldur's gate 2 -island where the asylum is, monkey island -whole effin series, etc.) It really isn't that hard to create intrigue, suspense, drama, action, and all kinds of stuff on the water..atleast when you aren't in the middle of the ocean..cuz you really shouldn't be seeing more than 1 ship out there if even that many :D
Mumbling Rogue 03-26-04, 03:07 PM	Make sure to not keep them on the ship for a long, long time, or else they will feel restricted and bored. Port stops, mystical islands, pirate coves, all that kind of stuff could add tons of fun. I think I might even try this out now, it really would be a whole different game than the usual overland travel.
Sucineri 03-26-04, 03:09 PM	Totally forgot about the expansion pack to the first baldur's gate..island with a crashed ship..and there are werewolves battling wolfweres..but yeah, you can do all kinds of wicked craap on one of them piratey adventures.
jtgalt 03-26-04, 05:47 PM	Pick up a copy of "Freeport: The city of Adventure" for a nice starting city. I don't remember who published it, but I really liked it for a basis.
Thomar_of_Uointer 03-26-04, 05:54 PM	In a large-scale battle, remember to NEVER roll out the battle. Predetermine what is going to happen, and figure out what happens when the PCs mess with what should have happened. Remember to make the ship "special" in some way.
krichaiushii 03-26-04, 05:59 PM	Green Ronin publishes Freeport and all of its adventures and expansions. Very nice stuff. Depending on the PCs level, sea monsters can be fun - Dragon Turtles, aquatic dragons, zaratans, sahaugin, and kraken can be encountered. Sea elves, titans, merpeople, locatha(sp?), sea/reef giants may pose a diplomatic challenge. Perhaps the party encounters an abandoned ship, and all evidence points to everyone aboard just disappearing in midmeal. The PCs get to determine what happened to them. Pirates have already been mentioned, but what about a pirate-hunter who suspects the PCs of being pirates? The PCs come across a battle in progress and have to decide whom to help, if anyone at all. Make it very confusing - lots of smoke and magic use on both sides - maybe undersea races are involved, too. A graveyard of half-submerged ships provides both a unique dungeon setting, as well as undead (lacedons and drowned zombies RULE!) AND perhaps the threat of getting their ship trapped in the graveyard. Flying creatures - this generally works best if land is within flying distance - perhaps masked by illusion, but within distance nonetheless. For more ideas, look up sargasso sea and the bermuda triangle on google.
Sucineri 03-26-04, 06:00 PM	As far as large battles go..I agree that you should determine what is going to happen in the beginning..but what if..just "what if"..the PCs (and the army on their side) are losing and are supposed to lose..but then the DM forgot about the "wand of unlimited fast-casting fireballs" that he gave to the level 6 rogue when he helped someone and was allowed a wish? Then all hell breaks loose, the other side is wiped out..and your plan to have the PCs lose and be captured just won't work anymore..and you can't just BS your way out of it by saying "oh..um they are all immune to fire"
Xronos 03-26-04, 06:47 PM	Thanks a lot. The main plot is that they lose a very difficult battle on purpose(still on land) and they found themselves slaves on a pirate ship. Then a pirate offers them their freedom if they help him become the captain. The problem starts here. Is there any player willing to play with a captain to give him orders?Do this and do that. Another problem noone knows to swim or anything about sea skills. Will they make it? Thanks again.
Sucineri 03-27-04, 02:37 AM	Well, a lot of real pirates didn't know anything about swimming either..cuz if you were thrown overboard by the crew, you wouldn't want to float there day after day and starve slowly..you would rather sink and die as fast as you could. So that much is "normal" for your group being pirates.
Xronos 03-27-04, 06:08 AM	Any idea how many people were needed for crew? 10,50,100?
Sucineri 03-27-04, 06:59 AM	minimum of 2 people if it is a ship (and I mean a ship, not a rowboat)..so maybe around 20 or so would be okay..again, look at pirate movies.
Relic 03-27-04, 03:24 PM	Pick up the book, 'Slaves of Fate' by Chaosium Inc. It is an adventure that starts the PCs collared slaves on a pirate ship. The PCs, in the adventure, can end up joining the pirates or walking the plank to end up on an island that is a secret pirate haven. In this adventure are details of two different ships along with each ship's crews, a Slaver class or prestige class (I forget which), and details on how to run an ocean campaign (swimming rules, climbing the rigging, fighting on a rolling deck, etc). I picked it up just for the information in the book and it has been useful.
StoryTellerSJEM 03-27-04, 06:53 PM	2E D&D wrote up a soft cover titled: OF SHIPS AND THE SEA It covers all of the above questions/concerns and more. Great for sea battles, factoring in the type of ships, underwater combat, etc.
ubermacht 03-27-04, 08:27 PM	First of all get the Seafairs handbook by Fantisy Flight games. It will have rules for have rules for ship combat and rulse for making ships and crewing them. Also see I you can pickup the new dragon mag on pirates it is very useful. Second here is a list of random encounters for use while at sea: (By Rasmus... Edited by me): Events: 1-3: Sudden change of weather. Consult the random weather chart again. 4-6: Ship ahoy! Another vessel is encountered. Roll again (1d12) on the random ship chart. 7-8: Land ahoy! The ship has come a little of course or has come upon an uncharted island. Roll a d4 9: Spoiled! The freshwater or food has spoiled, been infested with rats, vermin or otherwise been destroyed (1-3water/4-6 food). There is a threat of disease, starvation or dehydration if another source of food or water cannot be found. 10-11: Attack! The ship is attacked by hostile undersea creatures. Roll on the small monster table 12: Monster! The ship is attacked or threatened by some sort of sea monster or flying creature. Roll again on the random sea monster table (1d20). 13: Sea battle! Two or more ships are engaging in a naval battle for some reason, could be between rival nations, merchants, pirates or something else entirely. One or more ships could also be battling a monster. 14: Unnatural environment. The ship has run into an area of special environmental conditions. It could be a spill over from the elemental plane of water or the astral plane. It could be a giant whirlpool, a magical storm, an undersea volcanic eruption, a mirage, a supernatural battle in the sky etc. 15: Survivors. The ship encounters shipwrecked crew members, marooned sailors signaling for help, a boat with a mutinous crew or a captain whose crew mutinied etc. 16-17: Trouble with the crew. Something has happened or will happen with one or more crew members. They might mutiny, one might steal food from the galley, one of the crewmen is murdered, there is a big brawl, the crew gets scared of something (real or imagined) etc. 18-19: Accident! There is some kind of accident on board. A sail might split, a fire erupts, a crewman gets injured or dies, a crewman falls overboard, the rudder gets stuck etc. 20: Disease! Someone gets sick on board, possibly from an infectious disease. Land Ahoy table 1: Small uninhabited island. 2: Small island inhabited by uncivilized humanoids. 3: Small island with civilized settlement. 4: Small island with exotic inhabitant(s) (magical beasts, dinosaurs, dragon, undead etc.) Ship table 1: A merchant ship. 2: A corsair or pirate. 3: A merchant ship with problems (damaged, fleeing, in need of supplies etc.). 4: An orc corsair. 5: A derelict vessel. 6: A slaver. 7: A ghost ship. 8: A submersible. 9: A flying vessel. 10: An exotic vessel (1-3 friendly/4-7 neutral/8-10 hostile). 11: A military vessel. 12: A working vessel (whaler, fisher etc.). Large Monster table 1: Giant Squid 2: Dragon (1-2 good, 3-4 neutral, 5-6 evil). 3: Kraken 4: Megalodon 5: Tempest 6: Ocean Giant 7: Water Elemental (1-2 large, 3-4 huge, 5-6 greater, 7-8 elder). 8: Elamosaurus 9: Dire Shark 10: Roc 11: Chaos Roc 12: Ocean Strider 13: Quetzalcoatlus 14: Arrowhawk (1-2; (juvenile clutch 2-4) 3-4; (Adult solitary) 5-6; (Adult clutch 2-4) 7-8; (elder solitary). 15: Air Elemental (1-2 large, 3-4 huge, 5-6 greater, 7-8 elder). 18: Wyvern 19: Ah, it was just a floating log! 20: Leviathan. Small Monster table 1: Merfolk (4-24 warriors, one leader 4th lvl. warrior or cleric). 2-3: Sauhagin (1-3; (band of 5-8) or 4-6; (patrol of 11-20 + 3rd lvl. Lieutenant and two sharks)). 4: Skum (1-3; brood (2-5) or 4-6; pack (6-15)). 5-6: Kuo-toa (1-3; patrol (2-4 plus one 3rd lvl. whip) or 4-6; squad; (6-11 plus 1-2 3rd lvl whips, 1-2 4th lvl. monitors, and 1 8th lvl. fighter)). 7: Sea Hag 8: Drowned dead (1-3; squad (6-10) or 4-6; mob (11-20)). 9: Kapoacith ( 1-3 pair or 4-6 wing (5-16)).10: Kopru (1-3; solitary 4-6 ;pair 7-8; patrol (3-5)). Edit: Gave justice where justice was due
Edymnion 03-27-04, 09:18 PM	Scenario/Campaign Setting: A strange new monster has been spotted on the high seas, appearing to be a large slick of tar floating across the water. However, anyone or anything that gets close to it is suddenly engulfed by black tenticals that drag it down into the tar, dissolving it. This "dark water" has a source, a crack in the earth deep at the bottom of the sea, from which it is oozing out, almost like a living thing. The only way to stop it is to seal the opening in the earth. Normal means are completely inneffective. To succeed, they must sail the high seas, seeking out 13 magical artifacts, which have of course been scattered on small islands and entrusted/stolen by various powerful people "for their protection". The "dark water" fears these artifacts, and will instinctivly flee from their direct touch, as they burn the tar like creature, turning it into clean, fresh water. To aid them in their quest, you give them a magical compass that always points to the next closest artifact. Once all 13 artifacts are collected and placed in a special temple overlooking the sea, the dark water will be driven back into the earth, and the crack sealed. At their backs is a powerful pirate captain that wishes to obtain the artifacts for himself, so that he might control the dark water and make himself ruler of all he surveys. And, unbeknownst to both the party and the BBEG pirate captain is an intelligent, mallevolent creature in the crack that is directing the mindless dark water into covering the entire world. Suggested party: 1 Fighter Noble 1 Swashbuckler Rogue 1 Druid with Winged Monkey animal companion. Major kudos if you know where I "borrowed" this setting from :D
beavis123 03-27-04, 09:43 PM	sounds like something out of H P Lovecraft. Sounds like a great story!!
kreik 04-01-04, 08:59 AM	It's from the pirates of dark water! :D I really liked that series! I'm running a ship-based campaign at the moment, so if you have any more tips, that would be great.
Rasmus 04-01-04, 11:17 AM	Its my random encounter table. Thanks for the editing :).