Making a combat on the docks "interesting"?

I am starting to brainstorm a combat that occurs on the docks of a small city.

In a nutshell, BAD GUYS A are going to sneak BAD GUYS B into the city. Bad guys A are going to cause a distraction on the wharf allowing BAD GUYS B to go get the mcguffin.

I am looking for some interesting ideas to make the dock combat special. As of right now I have:


LAIR EFFECT type action with waves crashing against the docks possibly knocking players or NPC's into the water.

PERCEPTION CHECKS to see if they see BAD GUYS B sneaking around.

INSIGHT CHECKS to see if they notice the leaders of the distraction looking for the BAD GUYS B to come back.

LARGE GIANT TYPE CREATURE throwing rocks onto the docks to break them and have someone fall through.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Pelicans. Vicious nasty fish stealing pelicans that cause the fishermen and fishmongers to riot.

You could reskin a kenku.

trentonjoe said:

LAIR EFFECT type action with waves crashing against the docks possibly knocking players or NPC's into

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Seems unlikely unless there's a big storm going on. But you could have slime-slippery slipway with DEX save/Acrobatics check or fall in.

In general I think falling in the water should be a big deal, bull rushes, repelling blasts etc. And you could have seaweed, carnivorous fish or gators, or entangling nets, rusty broken spars etc under
the water to make it really unhealthy.

Two or more parallel jetties, with some boats docked. Allows for ranged fighting and swinging off masts and ropes without easy melee (it's something different than the open square or the narrow dungeons).

Also, obviously a water elemental lives in the harbor. Or a dragon turtle.

I would expect cargo to be a hazard. Imagine a big crane lifting heavy crates that the bad guys can swing towards the players, or use to drop the cargo on their heads.

Also, I would expect the bad guys to use a small sloop to sneak their men into the city via the canals as backup, with some extra firepower. The fight on the docks would simply be a distraction while the sloop is the main target. Such a sloop would be harder to spot under cover of darkness (especially if the men are hiding underneath a cloth or sail), and would have the advantage of being hard to engage in close combat, unless you go for a swim, or leap onto it from a bridge.

There could also be a nearby lighthouse that blinds players looking in that direction every few rounds, making ranged combat a bit more interesting.

There could be a storm that makes the docks difficult terrain, forcing players to make checks to keep their balance, or risk falling off.

There could also be environmental details that the players can use to their advantage. Think of powder kegs, a canon, a tower, ropes (for swinging towards where the bad guys are).

Ships could also be used as elevated terrain, giving the bad guys a clear shot on the players and any city guards, while making them harder to spot.

Maybe there are things that could be set on fire by the bad guys with a well aimed toss of a lantern, causing a ship to go up in flames. The inferno would make visibility more difficult, plus if any of the masts collapse, that could be a hazard too.

""Also, obviously a water elemental lives in the harbor. Or a dragon turtle. "


yeah, obvi

Drunken military sailors on shore-leave emerging from wharfside bar get accidentally drawn into the decoy fight, turning minor skirmish into full-blown brawl.

The distraction could- in whole or in part- involve releasing of a shipment exotic creatures being brought into the docks on a cargo ship- they were intended for sale to the wealthy.

I once wrote (and never used) a scenario with aquatic enemies under an old dock, shoving spears up through the cracks to attack the PCs from below. I still think this could be really exciting as part of a bigger battle, but be sure there are lots of barrels, piers and crates for the characters to climb up on

Giant crabs can cause a distraction without giving away the bad guys. This summons the PCs plus guards from the city after a few rounds. You can also have bystanders see something later on for the PCs to follow if they fail to notice anything while the fight is going on. This lets them question the locals and discover information that becomes useful to continue the mission.

An impromptu musical number?