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[Let's Read] Why Slay Dragons When You Could Be FISHING?
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<blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 9456596" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><p style="text-align: center"><strong>Environments, Part 2</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/qhvNbGd.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></p><p></p><p>The <strong>Arctic</strong> is a frigid, deadly environment, and the lack of farmable land means that civilizations living so far north find alternative means of sustenance. The freezing temperatures mean that many bodies of water are frozen over, giving rise to specialized equipment to cut through the ice. The scarcity of resources means that anglers guard their hunting grounds with their lives, as the food obtained there can mean the difference between living another day or starving to death.</p><p></p><p>The two NPC anglers are Grille, a tiefling who possesses unique ice-related magic and is far older than he appears, and Quarin the lich, who lives in a lonely tower where she sells magical items and some fishing equipment adapted to the environment. The only quest in this section is helping a Pebble Penguin recover its psionic pebble that got stolen by a larger, meaner pebble penguin. Helping the penguin out will earn them as a companion, letting the angler auto-succeed at a Fishing Check once per day as they dive into the water to catch the fish.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/BoXt0ZS.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></p><p></p><p>The <strong>Desert</strong> sounds like one of the worst places to find fishing spots, but beyond oases one can learn to fish beneath the sands themselves. Quicksand is home to creatures that adapted to live in such deadly environments, and various burrowing animals move through dunes. Beyond the extreme environment, deserts hold many dangers such as predators desperate to find their next meal, buried ruins that contain magic and monsters, and fiends eager to prey upon desperate locals willing to make deals with literal devils if it means survival.</p><p></p><p>The two NPC anglers include the satyr Ali Crow, who lives in a small town and is valued for their ability to brew medicine. They run a local shop selling healing potions and water-related magic items. The other NPC is a gunslinging prospector by the name of Ferdinand Silverstorm, leading a mercenary group engaging in fracking to unearth subterranean valuables. One of the sidequests involves the town hiring the PCs to put a stop to Ferdinand’s fracking, but another quest involves Ferdinand hiring the PCs to covertly retrieve items from the town to repair his equipment. The other shop besides Ali Crow’s clinic is a machinist kobold who talks rapidfire like an auctioneer and sells various mounts and vehicles. </p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/mQYtUdT.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Underground</strong> is one of the most iconic places for adventurers to explore, so it goes without saying that PCs will be interested in seeing what kinds of fish they can retrieve from subterranean rivers and lakes. The lack of weather and vegetation often means that still bodies of water look crystal-clear, and are common sources of limestone, sediment, and crystalline formations made of minerals. The dangers of subterranean fishing include all the typical hazards that come from dungeon and fantasy RPG cliches, as well as cave-ins, difficult three-dimensional navigation, and caverns filled with poisonous and/or explosive gasses.</p><p></p><p>The two local anglers include the dwarf Bismuth Hookinhand who runs a tackle shop and recently came to good terms with their family after becoming a druid and finding a new and improved way to fish (they prefer the traditional hook and line over magic). The other NPC is the rock gnome Mauhan, who speaks in sign language and keeps to themself. The two quests involve slowly gaining Mauhan’s trust, which can happen over a period of several fishing Activities and will have Mauhan give the party some items and random Junk as a reward. The other involves retrieving a Decorative Hook as a Junk item obtained from fishing, which if given to the Hookinhand family will have the party be rewarded with different kinds of items depending on which family member it’s given to. The other shop besides Hookinhand Tackle is a halfling who sells light sources and healing potions, located next to an animated idol known as Ghoti who can be fed fish to answer questions about the surrounding region.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/lugXMw3.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></p><p></p><p>The <strong>Ocean</strong> covers the majority of the planet’s surface in most Material Plane settings, far beyond the coasts and continental shelves. These seemingly endless voids of water are home to sea creatures of all sizes, sunken ships and civilizations alike, and countless islands that can hold all kinds of terrain. The dangers of the sea are countless, from titanic leviathans and pirates to whirlpools and storms that can destroy ships and send them adrift. As a unique template representing creatures tainted by Lovecraftian energies from the ocean floor, the Eldritch Fish Trait increases the Catch DC by 5 but also the Market Value and Weight of such fish by 50%. If they’d be a Combat Catch, they have temporary hit points and +1 to their Proficiency Bonus.</p><p></p><p>The two NPC anglers include the goblin Djoon, who is a teller of tall tales and possesses some rather potent Wizard spells for a being of their otherwise humble stature, and the other one is the weresquid Edart Moslin who is a recluse due to his curse. The first quest involves Djoon coming alongside the party’s fishing trip, and during a combat encounter will make use of their magic to aid the party. They will reveal their backstory of being a soldier in a far-off navy, where an arcane mishap teleported Djoon and allowed them to start a new life. The other sidequest involves Edart hiring the PCs to find and capture any Eldritch Fish as part of some undefined research that the DM is encouraged to flesh out themselves. The only shop is Sheep’s Ships which sells various kinds of sea vessels, ranging from sailboats all the way up to warships.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/gR31W0N.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></p><p></p><p>The <strong>Deep Ocean</strong> represents the lightless depths of the bottom reaches of the sea, from the vast stretches of abyssal plains* to trenches cutting through the earth’s crust. Such remote realms are weirder and creepier in a fantasy setting, home to eldritch forces that existed before the first civilizations and wicked beings who fashion nightmares from darkness. The skeletal remains of whales and sunken ships add to the sense of unbelonging, and foreign creatures must possess great magic or state-of-the-art suits in order to survive in the crushing depths.</p><p></p><p>*The marine term, not the planar.</p><p></p><p>The NPCs, shop, and quests all revolve around a submarine known as the Death Whistle and its inhabitants. Captain Chig Wire is the cavis captain of the vehicle, working for an undefined military organization conducting exploration missions of the ocean floor. Palas Takk is a raccling quartermaster with a fondness for gambling who is rather cagey about their past. Takk sells equipment specialized for the Deep Ocean, such as the Autoswimmer suit and Harpoon Guns. The first sidequest involves high-stakes gambling with Palas, and in addition to gold the PCs may win a one-use Lucky Deck from Takk that can make an upcoming d20 roll a natural 20. The other sidequest involves helping Captain Chig’s crew plug up a Lovecraftian portal with explosives at the bottom of a trench, and involves fighting a Phobos, a CR 20 Aberration that is heavily centered around fear-based debuffs and force damage . The final sidequest involves finding Captain Chives’ now-bony lost limbs that were taken while he was fighting monsters. The cavis will give the party magic items, gold, and bait suitable for the Deep Ocean in exchange for returning them.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/ANFRyjL.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></p><p></p><p>The <strong>Hells</strong> is our only extraplanar terrain type in the book, which is basically a stand-in for Baator or whatever fiery realm that devils come from in the DM’s setting. There is fishing to be had here, not in watery lakes and streams but in lava rivers, howling crags holding pools of phantasmal fish, and soul pits that are literal whirlwinds of captured spirits. The dangers of Hell go without saying, from the extreme environments to the devils who are either hostile and xenophobic towards outsiders or suspiciously ingratiating in finding yet more mortal marks ripe for contracts.</p><p></p><p>The two NPC anglers include Valester, a devil who works as an attorney who specializes in persecuting other devils who violate contracts and Hell’s laws, and Kam Ordos the satyr who lives in a forest grove. As to why such a being would in Hell, Kam claims that they were a former archfey who became a devil as the result of a bargain that worked against their favor. The two quests include helping out Valester fabricate evidence against another devil that involves taking the blood of said devil and blood from a rare fish only caught in the Hells, and the other quest involves helping Kam find fish in order to perform ritual that will destroy a cancerous organic growth sprouting from the landscape that is making the area increasingly unrecognizable. The only shop is a shack owned by a round floating devil named Barboz, who sells equipment designed for fishing in magma and lava as well as healing potions and a Mail of Hooked Chains.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts So Far:</strong> I am fond of the weird and unconventional locations and characters in these sections, from the deep-sea submarine to the idol that answers questions in exchange for fish. I’m not as fond of the Ocean, thematically speaking, as it hinges closer to the eldritch horror side of things. While that can work for certain campaigns, I would’ve preferred an emphasis on the more prominent monsters and aspects of oceanic creatures in default D&D. Merfolk, sahuagin, storm giants, and locathah would certainly be living in this terrain and have their own methods of fishing, which I would’ve liked to see. I was expecting to see a mention of the River Styx for the Hells, as it’s both open source and also a prominent fixture of the Lower Planes in several D&D settings.</p><p></p><p><strong>Final Thoughts:</strong> Why Slay Dragons When You Could Be Fishing is a strong first entry for Io Publishing, and the mini-game looks appealing and rewarding enough to adopt into a 5e campaign without much change. Providing additional character options, along with various locations and side quests, makes it valuable to both players and Dungeon Masters alike. The interweaving of various game elements, from the Market Value of fishes and Carving valuable Parts to the crafting system and sample shops, make the otherwise disparate contents of the book well-connected. While the book does have some low points, they aren’t enough to bring the positives down, so I heartily recommend WSDWYCBD to those on the lookout for interesting and engaging mini-games.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Libertad, post: 9456596, member: 6750502"] [center][b]Environments, Part 2[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/qhvNbGd.png[/img][/center] The [b]Arctic[/b] is a frigid, deadly environment, and the lack of farmable land means that civilizations living so far north find alternative means of sustenance. The freezing temperatures mean that many bodies of water are frozen over, giving rise to specialized equipment to cut through the ice. The scarcity of resources means that anglers guard their hunting grounds with their lives, as the food obtained there can mean the difference between living another day or starving to death. The two NPC anglers are Grille, a tiefling who possesses unique ice-related magic and is far older than he appears, and Quarin the lich, who lives in a lonely tower where she sells magical items and some fishing equipment adapted to the environment. The only quest in this section is helping a Pebble Penguin recover its psionic pebble that got stolen by a larger, meaner pebble penguin. Helping the penguin out will earn them as a companion, letting the angler auto-succeed at a Fishing Check once per day as they dive into the water to catch the fish. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/BoXt0ZS.png[/img][/center] The [b]Desert[/b] sounds like one of the worst places to find fishing spots, but beyond oases one can learn to fish beneath the sands themselves. Quicksand is home to creatures that adapted to live in such deadly environments, and various burrowing animals move through dunes. Beyond the extreme environment, deserts hold many dangers such as predators desperate to find their next meal, buried ruins that contain magic and monsters, and fiends eager to prey upon desperate locals willing to make deals with literal devils if it means survival. The two NPC anglers include the satyr Ali Crow, who lives in a small town and is valued for their ability to brew medicine. They run a local shop selling healing potions and water-related magic items. The other NPC is a gunslinging prospector by the name of Ferdinand Silverstorm, leading a mercenary group engaging in fracking to unearth subterranean valuables. One of the sidequests involves the town hiring the PCs to put a stop to Ferdinand’s fracking, but another quest involves Ferdinand hiring the PCs to covertly retrieve items from the town to repair his equipment. The other shop besides Ali Crow’s clinic is a machinist kobold who talks rapidfire like an auctioneer and sells various mounts and vehicles. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mQYtUdT.png[/img][/center] [b]Underground[/b] is one of the most iconic places for adventurers to explore, so it goes without saying that PCs will be interested in seeing what kinds of fish they can retrieve from subterranean rivers and lakes. The lack of weather and vegetation often means that still bodies of water look crystal-clear, and are common sources of limestone, sediment, and crystalline formations made of minerals. The dangers of subterranean fishing include all the typical hazards that come from dungeon and fantasy RPG cliches, as well as cave-ins, difficult three-dimensional navigation, and caverns filled with poisonous and/or explosive gasses. The two local anglers include the dwarf Bismuth Hookinhand who runs a tackle shop and recently came to good terms with their family after becoming a druid and finding a new and improved way to fish (they prefer the traditional hook and line over magic). The other NPC is the rock gnome Mauhan, who speaks in sign language and keeps to themself. The two quests involve slowly gaining Mauhan’s trust, which can happen over a period of several fishing Activities and will have Mauhan give the party some items and random Junk as a reward. The other involves retrieving a Decorative Hook as a Junk item obtained from fishing, which if given to the Hookinhand family will have the party be rewarded with different kinds of items depending on which family member it’s given to. The other shop besides Hookinhand Tackle is a halfling who sells light sources and healing potions, located next to an animated idol known as Ghoti who can be fed fish to answer questions about the surrounding region. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/lugXMw3.png[/img][/center] The [b]Ocean[/b] covers the majority of the planet’s surface in most Material Plane settings, far beyond the coasts and continental shelves. These seemingly endless voids of water are home to sea creatures of all sizes, sunken ships and civilizations alike, and countless islands that can hold all kinds of terrain. The dangers of the sea are countless, from titanic leviathans and pirates to whirlpools and storms that can destroy ships and send them adrift. As a unique template representing creatures tainted by Lovecraftian energies from the ocean floor, the Eldritch Fish Trait increases the Catch DC by 5 but also the Market Value and Weight of such fish by 50%. If they’d be a Combat Catch, they have temporary hit points and +1 to their Proficiency Bonus. The two NPC anglers include the goblin Djoon, who is a teller of tall tales and possesses some rather potent Wizard spells for a being of their otherwise humble stature, and the other one is the weresquid Edart Moslin who is a recluse due to his curse. The first quest involves Djoon coming alongside the party’s fishing trip, and during a combat encounter will make use of their magic to aid the party. They will reveal their backstory of being a soldier in a far-off navy, where an arcane mishap teleported Djoon and allowed them to start a new life. The other sidequest involves Edart hiring the PCs to find and capture any Eldritch Fish as part of some undefined research that the DM is encouraged to flesh out themselves. The only shop is Sheep’s Ships which sells various kinds of sea vessels, ranging from sailboats all the way up to warships. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/gR31W0N.png[/img][/center] The [b]Deep Ocean[/b] represents the lightless depths of the bottom reaches of the sea, from the vast stretches of abyssal plains* to trenches cutting through the earth’s crust. Such remote realms are weirder and creepier in a fantasy setting, home to eldritch forces that existed before the first civilizations and wicked beings who fashion nightmares from darkness. The skeletal remains of whales and sunken ships add to the sense of unbelonging, and foreign creatures must possess great magic or state-of-the-art suits in order to survive in the crushing depths. *The marine term, not the planar. The NPCs, shop, and quests all revolve around a submarine known as the Death Whistle and its inhabitants. Captain Chig Wire is the cavis captain of the vehicle, working for an undefined military organization conducting exploration missions of the ocean floor. Palas Takk is a raccling quartermaster with a fondness for gambling who is rather cagey about their past. Takk sells equipment specialized for the Deep Ocean, such as the Autoswimmer suit and Harpoon Guns. The first sidequest involves high-stakes gambling with Palas, and in addition to gold the PCs may win a one-use Lucky Deck from Takk that can make an upcoming d20 roll a natural 20. The other sidequest involves helping Captain Chig’s crew plug up a Lovecraftian portal with explosives at the bottom of a trench, and involves fighting a Phobos, a CR 20 Aberration that is heavily centered around fear-based debuffs and force damage . The final sidequest involves finding Captain Chives’ now-bony lost limbs that were taken while he was fighting monsters. The cavis will give the party magic items, gold, and bait suitable for the Deep Ocean in exchange for returning them. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ANFRyjL.png[/img][/center] The [b]Hells[/b] is our only extraplanar terrain type in the book, which is basically a stand-in for Baator or whatever fiery realm that devils come from in the DM’s setting. There is fishing to be had here, not in watery lakes and streams but in lava rivers, howling crags holding pools of phantasmal fish, and soul pits that are literal whirlwinds of captured spirits. The dangers of Hell go without saying, from the extreme environments to the devils who are either hostile and xenophobic towards outsiders or suspiciously ingratiating in finding yet more mortal marks ripe for contracts. The two NPC anglers include Valester, a devil who works as an attorney who specializes in persecuting other devils who violate contracts and Hell’s laws, and Kam Ordos the satyr who lives in a forest grove. As to why such a being would in Hell, Kam claims that they were a former archfey who became a devil as the result of a bargain that worked against their favor. The two quests include helping out Valester fabricate evidence against another devil that involves taking the blood of said devil and blood from a rare fish only caught in the Hells, and the other quest involves helping Kam find fish in order to perform ritual that will destroy a cancerous organic growth sprouting from the landscape that is making the area increasingly unrecognizable. The only shop is a shack owned by a round floating devil named Barboz, who sells equipment designed for fishing in magma and lava as well as healing potions and a Mail of Hooked Chains. [b]Thoughts So Far:[/b] I am fond of the weird and unconventional locations and characters in these sections, from the deep-sea submarine to the idol that answers questions in exchange for fish. I’m not as fond of the Ocean, thematically speaking, as it hinges closer to the eldritch horror side of things. While that can work for certain campaigns, I would’ve preferred an emphasis on the more prominent monsters and aspects of oceanic creatures in default D&D. Merfolk, sahuagin, storm giants, and locathah would certainly be living in this terrain and have their own methods of fishing, which I would’ve liked to see. I was expecting to see a mention of the River Styx for the Hells, as it’s both open source and also a prominent fixture of the Lower Planes in several D&D settings. [b]Final Thoughts:[/b] Why Slay Dragons When You Could Be Fishing is a strong first entry for Io Publishing, and the mini-game looks appealing and rewarding enough to adopt into a 5e campaign without much change. Providing additional character options, along with various locations and side quests, makes it valuable to both players and Dungeon Masters alike. The interweaving of various game elements, from the Market Value of fishes and Carving valuable Parts to the crafting system and sample shops, make the otherwise disparate contents of the book well-connected. While the book does have some low points, they aren’t enough to bring the positives down, so I heartily recommend WSDWYCBD to those on the lookout for interesting and engaging mini-games. [/QUOTE]
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