Sailors on the River of Worlds- Update

[Pyske]

First, bear in mind that some of the repeating NPCs can be people that they take with them on the ship. This won't work for EEVIL types, but a variety of people who occasionally get the PCs in trouble or embroiled in local plots might be do-able.

While travelling the planes sounds like an interesting premise, you'll probably want a long-term conflict as well as the short-term episodic stuff. Perhaps the PCs are bounty hunters trying to capture a powerful spirit of the river, which "leaps" along the river from one villain to the next (but cannot possess anyone who does not come in contact with the river). The person gains a spirit familiar and a bunch of new power, upsetting the existing balances of power and causing chaos, which the PCs try to put right while capturing the spirit.

The spirit essentially teleports along the river, while the PCs have to sail. This means that there is often a warm welcome waiting for them and the spirit has had time to begin disrupting things and setting plans in motion before they arrive. The spirit shouldn't be too terribly clever on its own, but may occasionally team up with clever or devious villains.

If you go with this idea, you may want to give the PCs a way other than direct confrontation to force the spirit out and on to the next episode. Something so that if the spirit is working with an evil tyrant the PCs can't get close to, or some such, they still have options.

Anyway, just a couple thoughts off the top of my head for ways to give continuity to the game while keeping the episodic and plane-spanning nature.

. . . . . . . -- Eric

 

[Psion]

For some consistency, perhaps there is a central ground where travellers on this river meet/trade and fix their special ships? If the minor deity/powerful ruler strictly enforces non violent behaviour there, then it would be interesting to see how players react to a place where mind flayers and beholders roam about, rubbing shoulders with celestials and god knows what else?

Sounds like a cross between Tanelorn and Sigil.

As far as an overall plot goes... my best stab is: some group trying to connect the pathways with 'hell' and allow the unstopable demon hordes to devour all creation. That would be quite unpleasant and it makes for quite a variety of nasty opponents. Perhaps the remains of a once universe spanning Yuan-Ti empire feel it's a way they could regain power, or at least get back at the people who deposed them.

Heh... I already have the seeds for that one planted if I want to go that way. See my "genesis of a new world" thread:

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=32667

The basis for the Yuan Ti empire there is that it spanned multiple worlds at one time and then fell. And that world is one of 7 worlds linked to my current game world.

 

[Psion]

First, bear in mind that some of the repeating NPCs can be people that they take with them on the ship.

Good call. I have been contemplating giving NPCs a bit more luster in my campaigns; this is a good place to start.

This won't work for EEVIL types, but a variety of people who occasionally get the PCs in trouble or embroiled in local plots might be do-able.

Hmmm. I might need some specific personality types to drive these sorts of plots. Perhaps:

• The "overly curious" type who sticks his nose in where it doesn't belong and pays for it.
• The "maiden in every port" type.
• The "brusque" type who is bound to trip over some local custom and enrage the natives.
• PC look-alike
• Quartermaster
• Misfit looking for a new home
• Lost character: character who is stranded away from his home that is in some unidentified place on the river of worlds.

Any other ideas?

(River spirit idea snipped)

Cool. I don't know if I'll use it as the main linking plot or merely a recurring villain, but that sounds like a nice idea. I'll use that thanks.

The first thought for implementing such a spirit would be to modify the Jahi from MM2, though that might be above the PC's power level in the beginning.

Thanks everyone and keep 'em coming!

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I had a read of that thread. Sounds like a most interesting world!

I like presenting veteran players with setups they won't be familiar with. The Yuan-Ti/Oni connection would certainly fit the bill for most I've met. The Celtic civilisation for the players is a great one - not something I've seen much of.

The Yuan-Ti empire is a really interesting opportunity. I think that if the survivors are 'up to something evil' for revenge on these ancient enemies, then it's far more interesting and '3D' than evil for the sake of it...


The river spirit idea is really cool. Hopping from body to body and raising havoc for the players to sort out... Although it could also be workable if it is extremely cunning. It could have some overall aim in mind beyond mere troublemaking. If it decided that it wished to use/manipulate the players rather than killing them, then the overpowering nature of the Jahi would not be a problem. At least until the players get powerful enough to deal with it

Perhaps it could drag them into the 'chaos' it's causing to further its own plans in ways that it can't. For example - setting up a situation where the players end up persuading the lawful good paladin/ruler in some city to take a certain course of action - something it could not possibly do by itself...

 

[Pyske]

I certainly agree that you could make the spirit work if it was brilliant. My concern was that this would limit the episodic situations you could put the PCs in. If it's smart, and you put it in a port controlled by powerful evil forces, the PCs are probably dead. OTOH, if you make it more instinctive, you can still have clever plans when you want them by having its host be clever.

Psion: I'll see if I can come up with any further ideas for personality types and ways NPCs get the PCs in trouble and post a bit later today. One classic is the PC look-alike. Another is the quartermaster character, who needs supplies X, Y, and Z that the PCs have to retreive. What about an idealist who wants to find a new home, and gets his hopes up and tries to fit in at each new port? Eh, more later.

. . . . . . . -- Eric

 

[Psion]

Psion: I'll see if I can come up with any further ideas for personality types and ways NPCs get the PCs in trouble and post a bit later today. One classic is the PC look-alike. Another is the quartermaster character, who needs supplies X, Y, and Z that the PCs have to retreive. What about an idealist who wants to find a new home, and gets his hopes up and tries to fit in at each new port? Eh, more later.

Cool.

What precisely do you mean by the "PC look-alike". Someone who gets in trouble because he looks like a PC with a rep, or does something that comes back to haunt the PC? Or, do you mean in game terms, a character stuctured similar to the PC and/or has similar background?

The idealist trying to fit in gave me another idea, perhaps someone who is lost far away from his homeworld and is always looking for a way back.

 

[Pyske]

What precisely do you mean by the "PC look-alike". Someone who gets in trouble because he looks like a PC with a rep, or does something that comes back to haunt the PC? Or, do you mean in game terms, a character stuctured similar to the PC and/or has similar background?

Well, no new inspirations so far, I'm afraid. As far as the look-alike, I was talking about someone who looks enough like one of the PCs to be mistaken for him. Mis-delivered messages, items, kidnapping the wrong person, and other such confusion seem to be frequently used in episodic shows of the sort you mentioned.

. . . . . . . -- Eric

 

[Tuerny]

Psion, how good is Planes and Portals?

I have been thinking about it, but have held off on getting it thus far.

As for your campaign idea.....


How are you planning on integrating the River into these worlds? Is it going to be a regular water way that you can sail down to move between worlds or is it something that works only in special circumstances? Also does following the river always lead to the same sort of locations or is it sort of like travelling through Limbo in that where you end up is random, unless you are specifically seeking a particular location?

 

[Psion]

Psion, how good is Planes and Portals?

I rather like it. Lots of neat ideas (like this one), lots of usable material. The character elements chapter is sort of light, but I think we have just about enough character element books, don't you? Slots in neatly alongside material from MotP.

I have a longer overview here:
http://www.realmsofevil.net/cgi-bin/forums/YaBB.cgi?board=planescape;action=display;num=1069429711

How are you planning on integrating the River into these worlds? Is it going to be a regular water way that you can sail down to move between worlds or is it something that works only in special circumstances? Also does following the river always lead to the same sort of locations or is it sort of like travelling through Limbo in that where you end up is random, unless you are specifically seeking a particular location?

Okay, quick overview of the river of worlds: It's not like the outer planes in the Great Wheel; going the same way twice will usually get you to the same place.

Once on the River of Worlds, it pretty much always works as advertised. Getting to or from it may be a different matter. Floating in the river of worlds are a variety of world islands and world spheres. World islands are usually (but not always) easy to get to, and are pockets of elemental matter. World spheres, on the other hand, are representations on normal material worlds or universes. In the river of worlds, they only are about a few hundred miles across, but you have to enter them though portals on their surface. Portals can have a dizzying array of properties, at the DMs whim. It may take special conditions to use a portal, and a portal may impose conditions on the transit. Like you might pop back to the portal after 24 hours, or the portal might transform you into something that can survive the local environment.

Likewise, the path to the River of World from the world spheres might be complicated and require a portal. I intend on using a specific sort of portal described in the book called a "mingling". In essence, a mingling is a portal that is composed of an "overlap" between planes and is activated only when you take a specific path.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I see you refer to it as a river, not a sea (1). This to me means you have a begining and an ending; which means you can map points between, the question is will you have other rivers feeding your main, creating a vast system.

I see your river as a neutral thing, the feeder rivers could lead to elemental planes, demon planes, inner and outer worlds. Like a short story by Zelanzy (I think it was called the Exit on the Forever Highway), it can have stops on the way that travellers meet and discuss what is happening and going on on the next leg, sell maps, and trade goods.







(1) As in Moorcock's Sailor on the Sea of Fate.