Island Hopping!

[Nifft]

I need some original islands!

The only constraints are:

• Must be able to defend itself from well-organized hobgoblin raiders.
  
• Geography is identical to Caribbean Sea.
  
• Cuba and Hati are already spoken for -- see http://klimt.cns.nyu.edu/~fishman/DnD/bloodsea.shtml if you're interested in more campaign-specific background.

Things I'm interested in knowing:

• What's the ruling power, and how does it stay that way?
  
• How does having this specific ruling power affect the island's society?
  
• What unique features exist?
  
• What kind of evil things can happen to my players there?

Thanks, -- Nifft

 

[thullgrim]

Xenophobic Magocracy

This island is rules a council of mages, life on the island is good for thsoe who live there but they are kept isolated from the outside world. The mages fear outside influence on their little domain and capture or kill all who land there. The island is shrouded in myth and legend, people say the mages are up to something. The truth is up to you, but I would say having an island full of living dupes is an invitation to a massive sacrifice should the mages be up to somthing sinister....trying to free a dark god from imprisonment, human experimentation, your choce. Basically the party lands, is blown ahsore, etc and sees the bliss on the island then discovers the darker secret beneath. They are faced with several choices: (1) take down the magocracy (then what do you do with an island full of codependent inhabitants who have had everything handed to them for several centuries) (2) incite a revolt by showing the wonders of the outside world...(yeah try and make me believe the outside world is better than my utopia)....etc

Hope it helps

Thull

 

[Gez]

Port-Bronze is a large island, named after its foremost city.

• What's the ruling power, and how does it stay that way?
  Port-Bronze owe its name to its ruler, a bronze dragon. Actually, a bronze dragon dynasty, but given the lifespan of dragons, dynasty or not matters not for humans. Its palace is located in the bay where the port is built, with a wide immersed part.
  The current leader is Queen Senitee, an ancient bronze dragon.
• How does having this specific ruling power affect the island's society?
  Being leaded by a bronze dragon has some distinct advantage. First and foremost, although not all people really understand it, is that the leader is uncorruptibly good. Then, the other asset are a great political stability, a government with good foresight and immense cunning, and in time of war, a devastating weapon.
• What unique features exist?
  Senitee's sons and daughters (a half-dozen of dragons between young adult and mature adult) as well as, it is said, the ghost of her late husband, slain two centuries ago by foul magic, stay near the island and are always ready to protect it. It is rumored Senitee has struck a deal with some dragon-turtles, who are supposed to haul warships around. Port-Bronze's fleet does have an unmatched mobility, able to move long distances even without wind. Finally, Senitee fosters an order of paladins.
• What kind of evil things can happen to my players there?
  Although Port-Bronze may seems an idyllic place given the wisdom, might, and goodness of its leader, this isn't true. Several gangs of thugs, and some weird sects, are plotting toward the downfall of the city. They are especially subtles, otherwise they don't stay active long, and always plot their nefarious deeds so that the blame fall on those shady strangers that call themselves "adventurers", who are the bestscapegoat ever. These secret organizations are frequently puppets for a personal enemy of Senitee's family, a terrible red wyrm who has studied actively sorcery and learned dreadul necromantic magic. He's already killed the previous king, sacrificing only an astral projection of himself, disguised as a human warmage, in the process. He'll try to start a war between Port-Bronze and another forces, so as to pull that same trick once more, once the Queen would escape the safety of her palace to join the battlefront.
  His hatred toward the bronze dragons is primarily motivated by the fact they ousted him of the island, which was previously his lair, and destroyed his laboratory and much of his experiments, before compelling humans to settle the island so as to make the place utterly unsuitable as a lair for an evil necromantic dragon.

Death's Coil
That name, and others equally ominous, describe a volcanic isle, recovered by a festering jungle. The island is a big volcanic crater, with a side that landslided into the ocean, forming a sort of big "C" on a map. On both sides of the "walls", a toxic wildlife prosper. In the submerged crater, the waters of the ocean are troubled by sulfur and other volcanic products that gives it an eerily beautiful color, but also a not-that-eerily awful stench.

• What's the ruling power, and how does it stay that way?
  The only humanoids inhabitants of the island are a tribe of particularly evil and degenerate orcs. They are demoncultists following Orcus, and have all sorts of perverse rituals involving diseases and necromancy. In a way, Orcus is the ruler there.
• How does having this specific ruling power affect the island's society?
  The demon-prince's corrupt influence, as well as the foul magic of the orcs, have also mutated vegetation and wildlife with evil disposition, negative energy and sinister plague-carrier. When tresspasser enters the island, they are first weakened by toxic vines, shadowy stalking felines, plague-ridden carnivorous apes, swarms of nauseating undead flies, and undead corrupted treants. Then, the orcs attack. They eat the flesh, damn the soul, and raise the bones of their victims.
• What unique features exist?
  Lots of negative-energy-infused creatures, even among the living. Festering plagues everywhere, including diseases turning you into vampires or zombies. The sulfurous waters in the lagoon are said to hold a gate to the River Styx, a gate that is opened by certain unknown, maybe astrological, conditions.
• What kind of evil things can happen to my players there?
  Cannibal demon-worshipping orcs, evil supernatural diseases, and twisted version of the worst man-eating feral beasts a green hell may hold.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Pon - Controlled by Elven Sea Loads, while family is important being a successful captain is even more important. The ruler is elected every 30 years from the ship captains and you have to have made a name for yourself.

The island is guarded by the Statues, golems all, facing the sea, all made from stone to be called on to fight foes. The statues are made by the families as part of the election of a new leader.

Trade, raiding, piracy have all been part of Pon's background. Families feud are common but some rules never are broken...
> Come to the aid of other Sea Lords before outsiders

With the growing power of other sea faring races Pon has to truned more to trading but still wants to be a major power in the seas. The families are seeing more and more of their trade lanes being lost and this has increased issues.

The island that it best looks like Martinique.

 

[Nifft]

*poke, poke*

The above are great!

Any more?

Thanks, -- Nifft

 

[fusangite]

You should obtain a copy of the St. Brendan legends; they're a great amalgam of a Catholic saint's life and the old pre-Christian legends of the islands the Celts believed dotted the ocean for miles west of Ireland.

 

[Tonguez]

(an Island from my campaign)

Paumako is a volcanic island with a still active crater and various geothermal springs and gysers. it is the home to goblin clansas well as a family of Ogres. Amongst these ogres a new and powerful ruler has emmerged, Nifoafi has the power the Volcano within him, he is a Half-paraelemental (Magma) Ogre able to cause earthquakes and control magma even causing his own body to burst into flame.
Cruel and cunning Nifoafi has crushed all opposition and imposed his authority overall. He now looks out across the waves his hunger for power as yet unsatisfied

What's the ruling power, and how does it stay that way?
Nifoafi is more interlligent than the average Ogre and with a mixture of cunning and cruelty rules the Island with a burning fist. His Family (normal ogres) gain great prestige by association but nonetheless they fear their uniquely powered brother.
The goblins worship Nifoafi as a god - the emobodiment of the Volcano itself

How does having this specific ruling power affect the island's society?
Nifoafi beleives his own hype that he is a god in mortal flesh! The Islanders live in dread of their cruel overlord, the goblins worship him and many are those who have been sacrificed to satisfy the cannibal appetites of Nifoafi!

The neighbouring Islands a fearful and a mny of the normal ogres of Paumako are resentful of Nifoafi's power and dominance.

What unique features exist?
Nifoafi is the single most significant unusual feature of the Island and he is young and growing in power each day. The Active volcano and geothermal activity has potential to play apart in development of the island as the entire landscape can be resculpted and changed in a single fiery instant.

The question of how Nifoafi gained his unique traits is also open - is he a god? Does some great spirit dwell within the Volcano? When will he strike out against the other Islands?


What kind of evil things can happen to my players there?

1. Nifoafi is a 'cannibal' and any prisoners captured are likely to be sacrificed and eaten
2. The Volcano is erupting RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!
3. Those resentful Ogres and rebellious goblins who still oppose Nifoafi may try to use the PCs to bring about Nifoafis defeat
4. Similarily a neighbouring Island might try a preemptive strike against Nifoafi catching the PCs literally between the devil and the deep blue sea

Editing of Redundant Tautology of a question being in question

 

[Argent Silvermage]

I used a concept in a game once that I would love to see used again. The premise was that the Dwarves had found this island many centuries ago and adopted the local customes of Humanoid sacrifice and slavery (plus a bit of canabalism) The Dwarves were based on a combination of Aztec and headhunter culture.

Envision the huge Zigurats with an Anvil on the top where blood sacrifices are made to the sun god. the anvil drenched in the blood of the native elves. The sun beating down on the adventurers as they await thier turn to die for the Sun's glory.

 

[RangerWickett]

Not that this is really on topic, but in regards to you mentioning a volcanic eruption and running from the lava, you'll find a sample race that is just what you mentioned in Tournaments, Fairs, & Taverns, on sale in pdf form at RPGNow.com, or in print edition at your friendly local gaming store.