Pages From The Upcoming Nautical D&D Book!

These screencaps were posted by GM Leigh (of Mage Productions) on Twitter after being showed on WotC's Twitch stream, presented by Kate Welch and Nathan Stewart. Note the old Saltmarsh trilogy references!

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

My experience might be different than yours, but I've found a few issues with large numbers of opponents in 5E. The creatures usually pose no threat and go down in a single strike and can't reasonably hurt the party. Or they completely overwhelm the party with their numbers. In either case, the combat turns into a slog.

It definitely helps to use some of the optional rules in the DMG, such as Cleaving Through Creatures (p. 272) and Handling Mobs (p. 250). This lets you have the hordes of gobbos without too much slowdown. 5E doesn't have swarm or pack rules beyond what's in Handling Mobs, but I think a good way to represent a big horde of archers or a swarm is as a saving throw, for instance, requiring all targets in an area to make a Dexterity save or take some amount of piercing damage when faced with a barrage of fairly low end archers.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The U1-3 series was published a few years after the 1E PHB was released. The date on U1 is 1981. The PHB is from 1978.

Yeah, that's what I was saying. Illusionists don't exist from the very start of the game -- they weren't in OD&D, but appeared in The Dragon thereafter -- but have been in the rulebooks since the 1E PHB era.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yeah, that's what I was saying. Illusionists don't exist from the very start of the game -- they weren't in OD&D, but appeared in The Dragon thereafter -- but have been in the rulebooks since the 1E PHB era.

U1-3 were designed and marketed for for 1st edition AD&D. Illusionists have been present since the start of 1st edition AD&D. I don't see how the existence of a "zeroth edition" is relevant, since U1-3 was never designed or marketed for that edition?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

U1-3 were designed and marketed for for 1st edition AD&D. Illusionists have been present since the start of 1st edition AD&D. I don't see how the existence of a "zeroth edition" is relevant, since U1-3 was never designed or marketed for that edition?

You're going to have to go back and re-read my original post to see what I was trying to say, or just stop worrying about it.

 

[oreofox]

I like sahuagin. Even have an entire undersea sahuagin empire in my homebrew setting. I just hope the ones in this book don't look as stupid and fugly as those in the Monster Manual.

While I am not a fan of premade adventures, I am intrigued by this nautical one. There aren't many that are made.

 

[orial]

Another Tales from the Yawning Portal, at least: since the text is from U3, at least the whole U series seems likely.

Indeed, the text on the preview page is the same as the text in U3.
" There are 20 sahuagin warriors in here, all off duty but

disinterested in the activities going on in the arena. They are

talking, checking their equipment, sharpening their weapons

or simply swimming lazily around. Most of their weapons have

been laid aside, though easily within reach. Twelve are armed

with trident, net and dagger, while the other eight have a heavy

crossbow, six bolts and a dagger each, The warriors each

have 2-12sp in a pouch."

 

[Paul Farquhar]

We renamed sahuagin "unpronounceable shark people".

 

[Queer Venger]

You know whats going to go perfect with this adventure? My new Wizkids Falling Star ship miniature!!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Given the apparent inclusion of U3, and maybe all of the Saltmarsh Trilogy, I suspect the word "Salt" will be in the book's title, when it's finally officially announced.

 

[Parmandur]

Haven't had a chance to listen yet, but Perkins discusses Sahuagin in today's Dragon Talk episode. A few episodes ago, as I recall, he went into detail about obscure 1E aquatic Monsters, specifically the Velya and the Koalinth.