I'm wondering how much effort would be needed to adapt random seagoing adventures to the Dark Sun world.
Back in the 2e days in Balic, there were skimmer like vessels that used Psionicist to make the vessel "float" on the silt. I haven't seen that in 4e but it is possible to recreate. However each vessel would need several Psions to keep it afloat because you'd need another Psion when one exhausts his power.
Those are the only known forms of travel I know of through the Sea of Silt. They're not very common, and they're not very practicle which is why the Sea of Silt is largely undiscovered.
But yes, most "boats" are not actually boats. They are more like wagons. They have boat shaped hulls (so that they can better cut through the silt, and make better time), but they also have wheels. Going too deep into the silt sea without a psionic silt skimmer is impossible, as regular silt "vessels" don't "float" on the silt.
I've read somewhere that giants often go through the sea of silt and that they carry travelers that pay well (or look tasty)
I could walk on top of the silt or i'll go down like quicksand?
I've read somewhere that giants often go through the sea of silt and that they carry travelers that pay well (or look tasty)
You go down like you would if you tried to walk on powder. Giants can cross some parts of the silt simply because they are much taller (2e DS giants were close to 30' tall). They simply wade through it.
THE NATURE OF THE SILT
The Sea of Silt is a curious phenomenon. Once an ocean, it is now filled with fine gray powder as dry as sun-parched bone. No one can explain why the silt persists instead of blowing away or slowly compacting into a firm gray plain—it’s not natural for dust to behave in such a manner. Many Athasians assume that some dreadful magic transformed the seas to dust long ago, and they’re not far from the mark. The Sea of Silt is a vast elemental intrusion into Athas, a region in which a great elemental power has subtly altered natural law, balancing air, earth, and water in a deviant fashion. In the Sea of Silt, dust coalesces and refuses to compact under its own weight. It remains light enough to rise in a wind-whipped haze that can cover nearby lands with fine gray grit, yet it trickles back down intime to rejoin the larger sea. Even if the silt blows into dust sinks many miles away, it retains these strange properties.
Are there vessels that regularly travel over it? Sailors? Pirates? Long distance passenger travel?
I'm wondering how much effort would be needed to adapt random seagoing adventures to the Dark Sun world.
Others have well-established the general properties of the silt.
Because of the way in works, transportation over it is risky and tends to hug the "coast." Psionic vessels are rare, making travel to eastern islands unlikely except for special puposes.
You might have pirates, but only very close to shore. It's just as dangerous for them out there, and battle on the open silt will probably attract any number of terrible monsters. It's also unwise to wait in the silt for a passing vessel; a standing object like that would probably be interesting to silt creatures. I'd guess the best attack for pirates would be to have two vessels some distance apart, where the coast is rocky, or cliffs. They sit on the land and both attack together once the target lies between them. The target vessel can try to fight, sail past one pirate craft (bringing it dangerously close), or flee into the silt (probably much more dangerous, risking sinking and monsters).
Long distance travel for passengers is not going to occur with frequency. Only merchants and a few nobles or templars might have a reason to travel in this way. Because of Balic's dominance in silt travel, it's not easy to imagine other cities wanting to travel this way. Balican's might, but I suspect others travel over land if feasible.
Given Balic's classical Greek theme, I always pictured the Forked Tounge Estuary as having more of a Mediterranean feel from the Odyssey or Jason and the Argonauts. Blakcbeard styled pirates never felt quite right there to me.
Maybe some adventures with flying craft will do.
In regard to vehicles that would have the ability to truly roam the Sea of Silt, my mind keeps going back to Eberron's bound-elemental vehicles.
It's up to each DM how they feel this would fit, what the implications to the setting would be, is it even possible in DS, etc... but a craft with a bound earth elemental or air elemental, for example, might be able to traverse the Sea of Silt.
This is just an idea. I'm not even sure if I'll ever use it. If I do, I'll likely make such a craft unique, or extremely uncommon, and thus very difficult for PCs to obtain and keep. If such devices existed, especially in any numbers, one would expect Balic to have a fleet of them, and the Sea of Silt would lose much of its flavor and impact, in my opinion.
Ultimately, this might be one of those "not really suitable for DS" type items. Athas has no "Easy buttons".
In regard to vehicles that would have the ability to truly roam the Sea of Silt, my mind keeps going back to Eberron's bound-elemental vehicles.
It's up to each DM how they feel this would fit, what the implications to the setting would be, is it even possible in DS, etc... but a craft with a bound earth elemental or air elemental, for example, might be able to traverse the Sea of Silt.
This is just an idea. I'm not even sure if I'll ever use it. If I do, I'll likely make such a craft unique, or extremely uncommon, and thus very difficult for PCs to obtain and keep. If such devices existed, especially in any numbers, one would expect Balic to have a fleet of them, and the Sea of Silt would lose much of its flavor and impact, in my opinion.
Ultimately, this might be one of those "not really suitable for DS" type items. Athas has no "Easy buttons".
Instead of elements I would say Primal Spirits. The Primal Spirits are tortured and bound by a powerful templar or arcanist and piloted by a specialized psionic navigator. This would allow the flavor of 2e's Silt vessels, while keeping the 4e flavor. These would be rare, obviously owned only by the rich and templars of Balic.
Instead of elements I would say Primal Spirits. The Primal Spirits are tortured and bound by a powerful templar or arcanist and piloted by a specialized psionic navigator.
Wow. Now it just went from "my Primal PC would likely take exception" to "my Primal PC would go berserk".
This would allow the flavor of 2e's Silt vessels, while keeping the 4e flavor.
I assume you mean 4E's Primal Spirits angle in lieu of 2E's focus on elementals? I think 4E has room for both. I don't think the removal of elemental clerics has to mean that elemental themes have to play a small role in the setting.
I'll sblock my brief tanget.
Primal v. Elemental
For instance, the Elemental Priest theme and the Primal Guardian theme represent different types of characters. You may find each in a Tablelands tribe, or you may not. I tend to connect elementals (and the associated belief systems) with the raw natural power in the world. With Primal Spirits, I tend to think of the living world, whether we are talking about literally living things, or the spirits of Athas itself that may dwell in the hills, wind or whatnot. Obviously, there's a ton of room for overlap.
Playing a Primal PC as my first character, I guess I gave this a lot of thought. I never played the original DS, and I'm familiar with it only through online research in preparation for this new launch. That being the case, I may be a bit off in some of my assumptions about 2E "Elementalism".
We almost had a Animist Shaman as our party's leader, but the player is not a big fan of the Shaman class, and decided to go in another direction. That PC would've been from the same tribe as my Primal PC. It makes sense that such a tribe would have ties to any and every type of creature and/or spirit that might keep the tribe alive.
Okay. I'm done. This could really be it's own thread, so I won't derail this one.
For instance, the Elemental Priest theme and the Primal Guardian theme represent different types of characters. You may find each in a Tablelands tribe, or you may not. I tend to connect elementals (and the associated belief systems) with the raw natural power in the world. With Primal Spirits, I tend to think of the living world, whether we are talking about literally living things, or the spirits of Athas itself that may dwell in the hills, wind or whatnot. Obviously, there's a ton of room for overlap.
Playing a Primal PC as my first character, I guess I gave this a lot of thought. I never played the original DS, and I'm familiar with it only through online research in preparation for this new launch. That being the case, I may be a bit off in some of my assumptions about 2E "Elementalism".
We almost had a Animist Shaman as our party's leader, but the player is not a big fan of the Shaman class, and decided to go in another direction. That PC would've been from the same tribe as my Primal PC. It makes sense that such a tribe would have ties to any and every type of creature and/or spirit that might keep the tribe alive.
Okay. I'm done. This could really be it's own thread, so I won't derail this one.
Can someone with the body equilibrium wild talent cantrip be able to walk on the Sea of Silt? I need this clarified because the power description says one can move on brittle terrain such as silt without sinking. Of course, the drawback is that you have to keep moving to maintain this effect.
Huh. I just reread the power, and it seems I'd assumed limits that aren't actually written into the power. I'd assumed you would need to start and finish your move on a solid surface, as with the Silt Sandals item.
The power does specify "During the move..." you do not sink. Does the effect end when the move ends? Can a player continue to string together move actions and prolong the effect?
Now I'm curious how others would rule this. I would likely have ruled its effect ends when your move ends, but I can see the argument that a chain of move actions would keep the effect going. Allowing it to continue is likely a bit more powerful than was intended, but it is logical that as long as a person kept moving s/he would not sink. It's not like the more generous interpretation is likely to be game-breaking.
As an aside, I enjoy the vidcap in your sig each and every time I see it.
As an aside, I enjoy the vidcap in your sig each and every time I see it.
Haha. Thanks.
