Ideas for an Underwater Campaign Setting

[Benthicus]

Have you considered making sea which clings to the inner surface of a hollow world/Dyson Sphere? I'm going that route with Oerth's lesser moon Celene.

It's funny that you mention that actually. Something I haven't brought up yet is cosmology. Since I'm big on planar adventures, I decided to change things up a little bit and add another plane for Pelagia called Annu, the Lost Sea. Annu is a spiritual reflection of the planet's natural world when it was in it's purest state, it's the plane for druids and those who worship the natural forces of the Prime Material Plane. It appears as a prehistoric ocean, complete with dinosaurs, trilobites, colossal kelp forests, and tribes of stone-age sea folk. Annu (to get back to your original idea) takes on the form of a hollow-earth ocean, a sphere of water turning around a bright sun, which darkens for night.

It would be separate from the other planes, coterminous only with the Prime. I guess it's similar to the Beastlands in some ways, but it has more to do thematically with nature, not with the beliefs of mortals.

 

[Benthicus]

Now for the Crabfolk! I'm a bit worried these guys are overpowered for a +1 level adjustment, let me know what you think.

Crabfolk
- Medium Monstrous Humanoid (aquatic)
- +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma: Crabfolk have very strong, adaptable bodies, and keen insight, but they are often clumsy and slow, and their strange demeanor puts them at a social disadvantage.
- Swim Speed 30 ft. (40 without negative buoyancy), land 20 ft.
- Monstrous Humanoid: Crabfolk are not subject to spells or effects that target humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
- Darkvision 60 ft.
- Natural Armor +4
- Pressure Resistance 600 ft.
- Natural Weapons - 2 claws, 1d4+2, 2 unarmed attacks 1d3+2
- Multiple Limbs: Crabfolk may take the Multi-attack Fighting feat and the Multi-Weapon Fighting Feat, but they may not equip weapons to their two front claws.
- Limited Regeneration - Crabfolk can re-grow lost body parts as part of their natural healing ability. If a Crabman loses a limb or an eyestalk, the lost part re-grows as soon as the damage is healed by any means.
- Crabfolk are unable to wear armor crafted for aquatic humanoids, unless it is Living Armor that has the ability to fit the wearer. A Crabman must pay extra shells to have armor crafted for him.
- Negative Buoyancy 10: Crabfolk sink at a rate of 10 feet per round, and this comes out of their normal movement. If they are swimming along the sea floor, they can move at 40 ft. per round. Crabfolk must have a solid surface to rest on when they sleep.
-Automatic Languages: Yurian and Aquan
- Level Adjustment +1

The Crabfolk are the true wilderness people in this world. They've been around since prehistoric times, and their society hasn't changed much in all that time. They gather together in small nomadic tribes, and they scavenge for food and interesting bits of salvage. Crabfolk have a simple belief system that is tied to their life cycle. They all go through physical and spiritual "molts", and each molt has a purpose. They hatch from their eggs as free-swimming nymphs, and the nymph simply explores and learns to understand the hazards of the undersea environment. When a Crabman grows his first shell, this is when he learns the basics of caring for his family and his community. The next molt of the shell is a full passage into adulthood, and this shell lasts for decades. The Crabfolk in this stage of their lives are encouraged to leave the tribe and wander the oceans seeking wisdom and experience, so they might better lead the tribe as an elder when they return. It is from this molt of youthful wandering that most Crabfolk adventurers come.

When they go through two more molts, they are compelled to find their tribe again and lead their people as elders. The final "molt" comes after death, when the spirit of a Crab-man joins with the force of nature itself. Crabfolk druids believe that their powers come from their ancestors, which may or may not be true.

Crabfolk are almost always found wandering in the wild reaches of the ocean. They don't really see the point of settled communities, and find it odd that intelligent creatures would live together in cramped environments just for easy access to food. Other races also find them frustrating for their complete lack of understanding for religion and city culture. They have been very set in their ways for millions of years, their way of life is instinctual. Seeing any variation on that way of life seems illogical and confusing for them.

 

[Benthicus]

And while I'm at it, why not do the Tritons too. I decided to go with the old D&D interpretation of Tritons being alien outsiders with a rigid sense of justice and superiority. Yet, while old-school Tritons were defenders of the multiverse's oceans, these guys are more like explorers, settlers, and evangelists. They may not make the best PC's in their current form, let me know what you think.

Tritons
- Medium Humanoid (aquatic)
- +2 Wisdom, - 2 Charisma: Tritons are calm, serene, and very insightful, but their cold demeanor and seeming arrogance can be off-putting.
- Swim Speed 50 ft., Land 5 ft. (dragging)
- +2 Natural Armor
- Darkvision 60 ft.
- +4 bonus to Knowledge (the planes)
- Weapon Familiarity: All Tritons receive some kind of training with the Tapal when they are younger. It is treated as a martial weapon rather than an exotic weapon for Tritons.
- Spell-like abilities - At will/ Endure Elements, 1/day, True Strike
- Pressure Resistance 600 ft.
- Automatic Languages: Aquan, Nereid
- Level Adjustment +1

(The Tapal is a weapon I took from Sea of Fallen Stars, it's kind of like those Klingon sword thingies from Star Trek. I don't know what they're called, I actually don't watch much of that show)

The Tritons are the children of Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea and the Great Builder of the Depths. While most gods and goddesses of the sea advocate the protection of the environment and living in harmony with other sea creatures, Nereus urges his followers to impose the order of civilization on all forms of chaos, including nature. Other races live among magically shaped coral and kelp forests, the Tritons live in stone monasteries, sealed off from the outside world. They arrived on Pelagia recently (in the grand scheme of things) only a few centuries ago, coming from the Elemental Plane of Water. They have built monasteries and gate-towns on many worlds, and their purpose is always the same. To convert non-Tritons to the Church of Nereus, to explore new worlds and gather knowledge, and to bring structure and the light of civilization to the oceans of the Prime Material Plane (and beyond).

Tritons are driven to adventure for many reasons. Many are interested in scholarly or scientific pursuits, seeking to learn all they can about the world they inhabit. Others are looking to win the hearts and minds of the locals (all the better to win them over to the faith), so they do their share of good deeds and public service work. A few rare Tritons "go native", and seek to distance themselves from the highly regimented society of their people. These Tritons adventure simply to seek a new path in life that is not guided by their uncompromising god.

Personality-wise, Tritons can seem aloof, arrogant, and lacking a basic sense of humor. They are also a passionate, driven, and very curious people. They often seem to have ulterior motives when dealing with other races, but they truly believe they are helping those who were not fortunate enough to be born into Nereus's great family, and would not wish harm on those poor folk.

 

[Aeolius]

All Tritons receive some kind of training with the Tapal when they are younger... (The Tapal is a weapon I took from Sea of Fallen Stars, it's kind of like those Klingon sword thingies from Star Trek. I don't know what they're called, I actually don't watch much of that show)

bat'leth

Here's an idea... for an added sense of the bizarre, perhaps the tritons "grow" their own tapal, in the manner of an argonaut growing its shell.

with and end result like:

 

[Emberion]

Alluria Publishing has a 290 page undersea sourcebook (and aquatic campaign setting) that covers everything from aquatic PC races, aquatic classes, weapons, combat rules, spells, feats, 90 new monsters, ...everything you need for an undersea campaign. It is for the 3.5 d20 and Pathfinder RPG.

You can find it here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=86538

 

[Aeolius]

Alluria Publishing has a 290 page undersea sourcebook...

In addition to this thread here at EN World, and the one you already commented on over at rpg.net , I also posted similar threads at Giants in the Playground , wizards.com , Pen and Paper Games , and Canonfire . Happy hunting.

 

[Aeolius]

It appears as a prehistoric ocean, complete with dinosaurs, trilobites, colossal kelp forests, and tribes of stone-age sea folk. Annu (to get back to your original idea) takes on the form of a hollow-earth ocean, a sphere of water turning around a bright sun, which darkens for night.

A topical link about an inner sea within Pluto.

 

[Benthicus]

.

Alluria Publishing has a 290 page undersea sourcebook (and aquatic campaign setting) that covers everything from aquatic PC races, aquatic classes, weapons, combat rules, spells, feats, 90 new monsters, ...everything you need for an undersea campaign. It is for the 3.5 d20 and Pathfinder RPG.

Sweet Nelly! How long has this been out for!? This is definitely going to change a few things for my setting rules-wise, I'll have to check it out.

Also, I like your ideas for the Tapal Aeolius. In general, I'm attached to the idea of the Tritons being a more technologically advanced race, within reason. I think they would grow a lot of their magical stuff from crystal beds.

 

[Aeolius]

I think they would grow a lot of their magical stuff from crystal beds.

That sounds like my deep-dwelling water dwarves; using hydrothermal vents as forges to create calciferous weapons and armor, and mining explosive crystals they call "frozen thunder" (methane hydrate).

 

[Benthicus]

I would first like to say to the folks at Alluria Publishing, curse you for making me buy your awesome book when I am poor and destitute.

I would also like to say, thank you for keeping the torch burning for undersea adventuring for all these years. This book looks incredible, and I will most definitely be using it for some of my future games.