And we're going to get there how?

[Miles Pilitus]

My players have got a very interesting situation that they are trying to deal with. They've been hired to clean out an abandoned wizard's tower. But the Tower is around 1400 miles away across a crowed archipelago that puts anything in our world to shame. They're only 3rd, so I don't think I can have them obtain a folding boat, so I think their best choice is to purchase a launch (500gp) and carry it when they need to move over land.

But the highest strength in the party is probably their healer, Str 13. I'm trying to come with some potential solutions to their island-hopping, but I also just had to share the sillyness of the situation, a bunch of weaklings trying to lug a 15' foot through the islands.

 

[Turjan]

If it's an archipelago, why do they need to carry the launch anywhere? Can't they just sail around the island?

Alternatively, can't you just let them get a folding boat as treasure or gift in a small side adventure?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Hire on as part of the crew of a boat going that way. This is just a variant of the old "we'll sign up as caravan guards to go in the direction we were going anyway" issue.

 

[hong]

This is awesome! 1400 miles of random encounters and XP!

 

[Cergorach]

This is awesome! 1400 miles of random encounters and XP!

They'll be Epic by the time they get there...

 

[Vorput]

Not sure how you'd work it in, but there's always teleport... assuming they can raise the capital and/or find a friendly wizard.

 

[MarkB]

So why can't they just charter passage on existing boats? Are they church-mouse poor?

If the person giving them this commission wants the job done, a sufficient advance payment to take them there should have been included in the deal.

 

[Miles Pilitus]

It sounds like they plan to take a ship for as far as it will take them, and then try and navigate the remaining distance themselves. There are few human settlements in the area, the area ranges from neutral to unfriendly towards humanity, so they can't jump from port to port.

I'm not sure what they plan yet, but the path they were outlining last session had them crossing some islands to get to their destination.

Teleport won't work, they don't have enough capital. The people commissioning this expedition are willing to give an advance to help see that the job is done properly, but they aren't well connected enough to get that kind of advance or know that kind of Wizard.

That aside, Hong you're absolutely right, that's one of the reasons I chose this distance for the adventure, the campaign is supposed to be about exploring this setting and I thought a trip like this would make a good first tour. (Or get them chased off every other island by angry natives.)

 

[hong]

You know, that's sorta like the kind of game I'd like to run one day. Have a big hex map. You start on one side. Your mission is to get to the other side. Every hex, there's an adventure or at least an encounter.

Now I'm talking myself into getting the Wilderlands boxed set....

 

[Miles Pilitus]

I'm using squares on my map, but that's the set-up.