Nature of a Dead Island (looking for pseudo-science)..

[WhatGravitas]

This was a place where a god of life or healing died a long time ago, thus marking this place. PC's take one hit point per day and cannot heal naturally.

One hit point per day? This would basically mean, that the 'average human' (commoner) would die after 2.5 days (average of d4 hit points). This means bacteria, most insects, and stuff are dying very quickly.

This really looks like the Eberron Mournlands. However, some ideas/questions:

-> How do undead react to it? If the effect only affects living stuff, I could see some undead lingering around.
-> The same for constructs.
-> The shores should be full of dead wood, and stuff. Everything getting to the shores would die soon, and while it isn't realistic, I think an embankment of dead wood, shells, and some bones around the island would be very... flavourful. And would make water something hard to get.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

All good stuff. I think it would become a destination vacation spot for undead. Seriously. (I know you're thinking a lich in a Hawaiian shirt.) The undead would come looking for this place to study it, to wander about in it, perhaps even to live, especially if there's any form of elevated or enhanced negative energy.

 

[Three_Haligonians]

I should've mentioned..

I do plan on having an "ongoing" factor that keeps the island from repopulating itself over time..

This was a place where a god of life or healing died a long time ago, thus marking this place. PC's take one hit point per day and cannot heal naturally.

This is close, but my plan is to deliver 1 negative level per hour. Since the PCs in question are all 30th level or so, this gives them more than one day on the island. (It's an Epic Level Challenge, so I'm going the distance here, I know).

I also have a cause, though it isn't totally fleshed out yet; essentially, this is the culmination of a pirate story - the ghost is the spirit of the one guy they killed and left behind to guard the treasure. Before dying, he cursed the place - thus giving it its unique quality. Probably along the lines of "if I'm being killed to stay here, then only the dead can live here.." or some such.

Thanks a bunch for the answers, they're interesting and very useful.. a good springboard for me to start from.

J from Three Haligonians

 

[Nellisir]

Basically, things are going to lie where they fell. Assuming -some- natural processes still work, anything alive will desiccate, becoming dry and withered, but otherwise unchanged. Meat will still be edible (albeit much like jerky or boot leather); stews will be the way to go. Without any kind of magical activity, you're pretty much out of agents of change - the place will essentially be a diaorama behind glass.

 

[Tewligan]

You say that everything died suddenly at some point in time. What you need to say is if whatever did the killing is still in effect. If so, the characters die. End of adventure.

PC's: "Okay, we'll find a beach where we can moor our boat and disembark."
DM: "Okay...you all die."
PC's: "..."
DM: (closes books): "Good game, guys - we'll roll up your new characters next week!"

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

PC's: "Okay, we'll find a beach where we can moor our boat and disembark."
DM: "Okay...you all die."
PC's: "..."
DM: (closes books): "Good game, guys - we'll roll up your new characters next week!"

Sounds like the Gunzota incident
DM: Are you sure you want to step across the line of demarcation onto the landscape of gems? Don't even want to investigate first?
PCs: No we've all got resistance to Wyld charms running, it has to be a wyld effect.
DM: You all turn to statues.
PCs: WTF?
DM: Well that was quick, time to build new characters. We'll reboot next week in Lookshy.