Nautical Campaigns (Forked From: How did you play. . .)

[jdrakeh]

In the "How did you play back in the day?" thread, I posted that my first AD&D 1e campaign was neither a mega-dungeon, nor really a series of linked modules, or even an overland/wilderness campaign — indeed, it was primarily a nautical campaign.

Our PCs were, in effect, pirates who sailed the seas looking for strange, new, lands to plunder and loot. There was a little more to it than that, but not much. We stole a ship, commandeered its crew, and ended up raiding port cities, Empire ships (the Empire was, of course, evil), and searching for fabled pirate treasures!

It was a great deal of fun, but it struck me (when posting in the other thread) that it may have been a bit of an oddity. Maybe this is because AD&D 1e lacks any developed rules for naval combat (I think our DM created his own). Maybe we were just mutant freaks.

Have you ever played a predominantly nautical campaign in AD&D (any edition)? If so, what was it like?

 

[kitsune9]

In the "How did you play back in the day?" thread, I posted that my first AD&D 1e campaign was neither a mega-dungeon, nor really a series of linked modules, or even an overland/wilderness campaign — indeed, it was primarily a nautical campaign.

Our PCs were, in effect, pirates who sailed the seas looking for strange, new, lands to plunder and loot. There was a little more to it than that, but not much. We stole a ship, commandeered its crew, and ended up raiding port cities, Empire ships (the Empire was, of course, evil), and searching for fabled pirate treasures!

It was a great deal of fun, but it struck me (when posting in the other thread) that it may have been a bit of an oddity. Maybe this is because AD&D 1e lacks any developed rules for naval combat (I think our DM created his own). Maybe we were just mutant freaks.

Have you ever played a predominantly nautical campaign in AD&D (any edition)? If so, what was it like?

For some strange reason, nautical campaigns just never appealed to me. From a story standpoint, I think it would be awesome, but from a mechanical standpoint, I think it would be a hassle and really don't know why I have that gut feeling for that mode of thinking. Maybe I should force myself to run a nautical adventure.

 

[Azgulor]

No, but the itch has been growing rapidly in recent years. I'm going to have to pull the trigger at some point - i f not with my current group, then perhaps a new one or an online game.

 

[Aeolius]

So long as "nautical" also includes underwater, I'm in.

My current campaign, "Heirs of Turucambi" is an undersea chat-based game set in the Oljatt Sea of Oerth, the World of Greyhawk. The campaign began in 2007. Prior to that I ran "Beneath the Pinnacles of Azor'alq" a subaqueous play-by-post game set beneath the surface of the Dramidj Ocean.

As for what it's like...hrmmm.... watch Discovery's "Blue Planet" series on DVD, visit your local aquarium or fish store, or visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium website.

Envision the world of liquid space where foes may approach from above or below. You have entered a realm where typical potions are all but impossible to imbibe, paper scrolls will quickly disintegrate, and typical metal items are subject to corrosion. Undersea races may find the occasional doubloon to be curiosity, but it is the rare cowry shell or red pearl that is truly valuable.

The call of the Sea is a most powerful lure....

 

[jdrakeh]

So long as "nautical" also includes underwater, I'm in.

Not so much. I'm referring to "nautical' in the literal sense of a campaign relating to, or associated with seamen, navigation, or ships (per the dicitionary definition of the word).

 

[Azgulor]

That's what I was thinking of as well. While an undersea adventure would be interesting as a one-shot, I don't think I could sustain it as a campaign.

 

[jdrakeh]

I don't think I could sustain it as a campaign.

I think that I probably could, but what Aeolius describes sounds like the default D&D paradigm, simply with different cosmetics. I also think it sounds crazy cool, but it's not really what I had in mind when I said "nautical" (I was thinking specifically of seafaring adventures in the vein of Captain's Courageous, Treasure Island, Typee, Moby Dick, Yankee Ships in Pirate Waters, etc).

 

[mikegillnz]

I was in a campaign along those a lines a couple of years ago. It started out as a ship-based one where we sailed between the islands of an archipelago having adventures on each island and often on the way between them.

Over time, or rather as we leveled, it kind of expanded into the same thing but with a plane hopping ship. It was pretty fun, although I developed a deeply abiding hatred of 3ed underwater fighting mechanics thanks to my tendency to get pushed off ships by sahuagin and end up surrounded by sharks. Cursed scimitar, I should have exchanged you for a rapier.

But overall I'd say it was a pretty positive experience. I liked the freedom it provided for choosing where to go, not to mention the safe(ish) base we could run to when whatever island we were on got too hot. I can't count the number of times we raced off to the ship with cultists of a dark god chasing after us as we tried to make off with their idol.

 

[jdrakeh]

I liked the freedom it provided for choosing where to go, not to mention the safe(ish) base we could run to when whatever island we were on got too hot.

Yeah, we flew plague flag over our ship to ward off too many curious parties. . . which was great until we actually became a plague ship.

 

[MichaelK]

Do games where the PCs have a flying ship count?

Because a strangely large proportion of the game's I've played in have ended up going there.

I don't think we've ever done a proper sailing ship, nautical game in AD&D or other D&D systems. We have done one in Exalted though.