Kobold were-shark barbarian pirates and a dire jellyfish ship.

[blargney the second]

I sprang a fun little ambush on my PCs the other day

A doppelganger impersonating the captain of their mercenary band came aboard while the real captain was out getting supplies. He brought a lizardman passenger on board with him, then ordered them to set sail. (Leaving the real slim shady behind.)

A few days up the coast, he ordered four of the mercs to undertake a mission a day's march inland. The players happily walked off, got to the destination, only to find out that there was nothing there.

Meanwhile, back on the ship... (At this point, I had the players pick up the character sheets for the other four characters left on the boat. Much dismay!)

The halfling scout on lookout duty spotted four enormous translucent tentacles clamber up the sides of the ship. He hollered a warning just as four kobolds came spewing out of the tubes onto the deck. The gnome druid and her riding dog reacted quickly, dropping one of the kobolds with a well-placed sneak attack. (She rolled high enough to go through its 18 hit points in one round!)

Smelling blood, the other kobolds went into a feeding frenzy, changing into hybrid were-sharks and entering a fit of rage. (Did I mention they were barbarians? ) The players had a round of attacks.
Player: "I do 12 damage."
Me: "You piss it off."
Player: "What? They're *kobolds*!"
Me: "Amongst other things..."

The lizardman cast Produce Flame on himself, leaving the PCs in doubt as to whether he was an enemy or an ally. A massive merrow then came up through a tube and landed on deck. Next round on his turn, the lizardman blasted the gnome druid, almost ruining the summon spell she was casting.
Me to druid's player: "Do you expect the lizardman to shoot you?"
Player: "WHAT?!?"
Me: "Yay, you're surprised! What's your flat-footed Touch AC?"

The real fun came when the "captain" came out of his quarters beside one of the PCs.
Me to player: "Do you expect the captain to punch you?"
Him: "WHAT?!?"
Me: "Yay, you're surprised! I get to do sneak attack damage!"
(This player is the other DM for this campaign. Earlier that day I'd asked him to stat up a captain 5 levels higher than the PCs. At this point, he went to get his migraine medicine. He eventually twigged that his captain didn't DO sneak attack damage.)


The dire jellyfish submarine ship was actually my Mom's idea. We were on the airplane, and she asked what I was doing...

Good times!
-blarg

 

[demiurge1138]

So, were the kobolds actually barbarian weresharks? Did they rage and alternate form, thus freaking the players out even more, possibly infecting someone with lycanthropy?

Because the whole situation sounds awesome. And actually, a while ago, I did have a lizardfolk captain of a mercenary vessel turn out to be a doppelganger. Interesting coincidence, that. And yeah, sometimes parents are a good font of ideas. Just proves that you've always got to be on the lookout for inspiration.

Demiurge out.

 

[domino]

Did you actually tell the players that they turned into hybrid were-sharks? Because from the dialog you've posted, it seems to me, that they looked like plain old kobolds, and all you said was that they were kobolds "among other things."

Something like turning into a half shark seems to be something obvious enough that they players should see, at least after they've changed. It doesn't seem very kosher to do that to players without giving them SOME idea what's going on.

If you told them, and just didn't post that part here, that's different, and thus this post is unnecessary.

 

[Turanil]

I would be glad to know why a doppleganger allied with a lizardman and kobolds were-sharks to attack half of the PC party while the other half has gone on an errand...

 

[warlord]

Where did you find stats for a wereshark?

 

[Nifft]

Where did you find stats for a wereshark?

I'd guess Monsters of Faerûn.

-- N

 

[blargney the second]

So, were the kobolds actually barbarian weresharks? Did they rage and alternate form, thus freaking the players out even more, possibly infecting someone with lycanthropy?

Yep to all of the above except infecting them - they were afflicted were-sharks. The natural lycanthrope is back at the base waiting for the PCs

I told the players what they saw when when the kobolds went to hybrid form. I had the PCs make Knowledge(Nature) checks to figure out what they were. I was just being a little lazy when writing it up here

I would be glad to know why a doppleganger allied with a lizardman and kobolds were-sharks to attack half of the PC party while the other half has gone on an errand...

Cuz it's piratey fun! They were all in cahoots to try to take a cargo the mercs are transporting in their ship.

Where did you find stats for a wereshark?

I made 'em. The 3.5 MM (& SRD) has rules for making any lycanthrope you want. I took a kobold, dropped the Warrior level and gave it Barb 1 instead. Then I took a medium shark, reduced it to small size and 1 HD, then multiclassed the kobold barbarian with that following the lycanthrope rules. And gave them Improved Natural Attack(Bite) just for fun!

-blarg

 

[the Jester]

Very cool! Sounds like a really fun game!