D&D 5E Make a pirate island come alive (Forgotten Realms)

[Matthew P.]

I need help to make a pirate island come alive. It is named "Shipwreck Island" and is made of derelict ships bound together. It floats around in The Sea of Swords and can only be found by a magic pirate doubloon that vibrates more intensely when you're getting near. Shipwreck Island is run by a pirate queen and her orc bodyguard.

I need help with ideas on cool taverns, shops, locales, and interesting people who inhabit the island (not too high fantasy!). Thanks!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Play the Pirate's of the Caribbean theme in the background and the players' imaginations will do the rest.

 

[Leatherhead]

Well it's not a person per say, but I did make a set of items to help out with a pirate theme.

As for a location:
The Hookline. A half sunken tavern-ship that hosts a partially submerged bar where meetings between aquatic and air-breathing folk are frequently arranged, due to it being equitably hospitable (if slightly uncomfortable) to both parties.

 

[Matthew P.]

The Hookline. A half sunken tavern-ship that hosts a partially submerged bar where meetings between aquatic and air-breathing folk are frequently arranged, due to it being equitably hospitable (if slightly uncomfortable) to both parties.

That's perfect! Thanks!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The pirate queen has a hidden rival vying for control of Shipwreck Island, but at this point, not even she knows who this shadowy figure is. She knows he exists only because her agents have encountered and captured mind-controlled thralls who speak of The Lord Below before killing themselves.

While many interpret this to mean the rival stays belowdecks, in reality, the Lord Below is a powerful aquatic creature who hopes to use Shipwreck Island as a beachhead for spreading its influence over the surface world.

Also, check the links in my sig for Aquatic Adventures and Campaign Ideas.

 

[Matthew P.]

The pirate queen has a hidden rival vying for control of Shipwreck Island, but at this point, not even she knows who this shadowy figure is. She knows he exists only because her agents have encountered and captured mind-controlled thralls who speak of The Lord Below before killing themselves.

While many interpret this to mean the rival stays belowdecks, in reality, the Lord Below is a powerful aquatic creature who hopes to use Shipwreck Island as a beachhead for spreading its influence over the surface world.

Nice! Thanks!

 

[Coroc]

I need help to make a pirate island come alive. ....

Yea you know there are those giant turtles, big as island. Sometimes they stay in the same spot in the ocean for very long times. and the wind brings sand and soil and palm trees grow on the shell of the turtle. Sometimes pirates settle on that island and build their huts.
And everything works out fine until that day the pirate decided to make a campfire at the wrong location, and suddenly the pirate island comes alive.

You fall prone. You stand up. You got initiative. Roll to hit AC45, btw hit hard! your opponent has 1500000 HP. The giant turtle dives. Make a swim check DC18. DM rolls. The giant turtle attacks You Teenage mutant ninja hobbit pirate! The turtle uses its bite attack with +20 to hit. The turtle does 5 d100 damage DM rolls 437, you are swallowed whole. Make a constitution save DC ... What was that you are dead? Death save? nope. You see there is that massive damage rule and the turtles constrictive digestion attack in the next round would have autohit you and it does acid damage too .....

 

[Quartz]

THere's a 2E Dungeon Magazine adventure set on a pirate isle. It includes a gauntlet.

 

[delphonso]

The Seachest-
A small shop in what used to be a bunk room. The hammock bunks are full of a chaotic mix of junk, jewelry, and gear. Everything seems to have just been tossed there, but the owner insists there's an organization underlying it all. She and an aquatic friend gather stuff from derelicts and wrecks and sell it here. Probably a few magic items in there if you look hard enough. If you want something, it must be worth quite a bit.

Squid's Galley-
A long ship strung up between a few broken masts. It creaks and wobbles a bit, but is home to Squid - the best damn cook on the sea. He serves up any sort of seafood you can imagine - perhaps even a few sentient ones. He's served on countless ships, and survived a few sinkings. Good for advice, either how to fend off scurvy, or how to get information out of someone in particular.

 

[Undrave]

Well I don’t think I’ll get a chance to use them anytime soon so I might as well mention my own idea for a groupe of pirates I had in mind at one point :



The Plunderers are a crew of Kobolds that operate three very fast longboats. Their boats are low on the water and much smaller than their pray, and the top deck is protected by the ribcages of whales, making it so only a small creature can board without having to squeeze between ribs.

They work for a lazy dragon known only as the Loot Lord who has an obsession with EATING gold, jewels and magical items. No one knows what color the Loot Lord was, as the gold coin he has eaten have started to color his scale gold (complete with gold coins embedded amidst them) while magical weapons added iron patches and jewels have even began to push through his skins at places, the mutation due to all the magical items he’s eaten over the years. The magical forces have caused a mutation that makes his breath weapon random.

The Kobolds are allowed to keep silver and copper coins as well as anything non-magical they could sell, so they’re always busy trading art pieces and linen and food and medicine for silver coins. The highest ranking members of the Plunderers wear scale mail made by stringing silver coins together as well as wielding silvered weapons, and their leader has a very precious symbol of the Loot Lord’s gratitude: a single gold coin that he has mounted on his eyepatch!