Help with a LONG sea voyage (TEWLIGAN - stay out)

[Fathead]

After having been immersed in the politics of an underdark smuggling port for the past couple of years, the group took the initiative and decided to depart...for someplace far away. They weren't particular, they just wanted to adventure to unknown parts (the gaming campaign has been run on my existing maps for the past 12 years or so). So, the group is now planning to purchase a ship and travel to a distant city.

Here is where I'd like some suggestions:

1. What supplements have you found to be particularly helpful in running seafaring campaigns?

2. Do you have any suggestions for events that can happen while they are travelling aboard their ship? I want to stray away from the cliche "giant octopus attacks ship" adventure. Any ideas?

 

[SeaWolf]

While I can't think of a supplement of the top of my head that can help you out, I do have a suggestion, but since I am not sure what level your PC's are at, and assuming the PC's will be hiring some NPC's to run the ship, it may not be helpful. ::shrugs::

One or more of the crew happen to be Wererats, and are trying to get the ship for themselves and whomever they can infect and follow them. The leader at one time WAS a captain of a pirate ship that had been sunk and he is looking for a new boat and crew for his "trade"

Hope it helps ya

Sea

 

[Fathead]

The average character level is around 9-10.

 

[Fathead]

The first adventure will probably deal with finding and purchasing a ship, and scrounging together a crew willing to be a sea for many months. They will travel to a pirate port called Underway, where they will attempt to acquire a magic item (a bound water elemental...with whom I plan to have plenty of roleplaying opportunities, since he'll be surly and will attempt to contort his orders).

Travelling to other locations I can handle, but I need some ideas for ship encounters to help break the monotony.

 

[alsih2o]

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=71233

 

[Fathead]

alsih2o,

Thanks for the link. I've printed off a couple of the articles for reference during the game tonight.

I'm still looking for some ideas for my sea voyage! Any other takers? Consider this a gratuitous bump!

 

[Ruined]

Off the top of me head:

Ship gets snagged on something, might could continue on but risks foundering. Able bodied crew must go underwater to free the ship. But the creatures below don’t make it that easy. If you want underwater combat.

The tried and true pirate vessel trying to chase down and plunder the ship. A harrowing chase where mages try to use winds to their advantage could be cool. Also, if they pull aside one another, you can get the swashbuckling combat between two ships.

Odd calming effects on the water and wind that leave the ship dead (think Bermuda Triangle). PCs must investigate the phenomenon, else their trip could take x3 the time (and wreak havoc on supplies).

 

[ErichDragon]

Mysterious Islands are great, as are sudden storms that damage the ship and force the PC's to land on said mysterious Island. It might seem like railroading, but in reality a ship at sea is completely at the mercy of the wind and the sea and as the DM they are yours to control.

Their was an adventure about a light-house on the WOTC boards a while ago. I think it was about the right level, or close to it at least.

Sahuagin could attack the ship (as they are wont to do) and retreat under the waves with an important item or person (the ship's captain or navigator perhaps??), thus leading to an underwater foray by the PCs to get it/him/her back.

You could have the realms across the sea be Asian/Oriental (whichever is more PC, I'm not sure) in flavor, thus leading to many RP opportunities (Think Shogun - book or movie have good ideas).

I once played in a campaign where the characters were from an Island kingdom like Japan and there was a large and evil Empire from the mainland that was always trying to invade. They developed flying ships and the players had to foil their plans time and time again.

Anyway, I hope my brainstorming helps.

 

[Bob Aberton]

How about a mutiny?

A whole bunch of people from all different walks of life (seamen, officers, "idlers," etc.), and sometimes very different personalities crammed into one tiny ship for months on end makes for a tense atmosphere. Add problems with supplies, persistent calms/headwinds, maybe a suspicion of a "Jonah" (person/object which brings bad luck to a ship - sometimes even the ship itself was considered a Jonah), and you have a veritable "BOUNTY" of an adventure (apologies for terrible pun).

Then again, expanding on the "mysterious island" theme, perhaps its a paradise island, like the Island of the Lotus Eaters. Only catch is, no one ever wants to leave. Perhaps the players must uncover its secret before they fall under its spell.

Wreckers are another good minor enemy to add in; they plant false beacons (or extinguish existing beacons) on dangerous shores in order to steal the cargo from wrecked ships. Perhaps it fall to the PCs to curtail these murderous activities.

A ghost ship, perhaps? This would be a very good random encounter - in the middle of a storm (or a calm), a ship sails alongside. Perhaps they want to put mail on board the PC's ship (the old legend stated that if you accepted letters from the FLYING DUTCHMAN, your ship was doomed to shipwreck soon after).

On the subject of random encounters, a Really Big Storm (you really, really don't want to fail your Balance check!) always makes things interesting.

As for supplements, I must recommend Broadsides! by Living Imagination. IMHO, the best all-around seafaring supplement there is. It goes a bit heavy on the detail, though (of course, I'm a naval history buff, so detail is a good thing for me).

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Two seagoing adventures I did....

1. Three dopplegangers (one polymorphed into a little dog) book passage on the same ship as the PCs. In their trunk they have a map leading to an island filled with whatever goodies you want to place on it. Their plan is to sneak into the captains cabin late one night, once they are near the island. They are going to throw the captain overboard and replace him with the doppleganger that was polymorphed into the dog. Then the new "captain" will direct the ship to the island the dopplegangers want to get to for whatever nefarious reasons they have. In my game it was because they were mind controlled into delivering a message for the main bad guys (Yuan-Ti) to the Kopru hiding in the middle of the volcano on the island.

2. A ghost on board the ship makes it a habit of stealing expensive or important items and stashing them in the gross water at the bottom of the bilge. While the PCs are aboard some of their stuff goes missing. Its easy to set up an "innocent" third party to look suspicious and provide a red herring as to the actual cause of the missing items. Not really a whole adventure, just a side trek.

Also, having gamed with Tewligan before, I had good success with demonic goats. Perhaps the hold is full of them.

DS