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Pirates of the Emerald Coast (3.5)
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<blockquote data-quote="Imaculata" data-source="post: 6702140" data-attributes="member: 6801286"><p><strong>Weather, ships and sea monsters</strong></p><p> </p><p> Once per day I roll to see what kind of random weather comes up, and from which angle the wind comes. Storm Wrack has some very useful tables for this, which have become a very important element in our campaigns. I also randomly roll for the movements of legendary creatures (in secret), and various important vessels. This means that the players can actually run into other ships and creatures in a way that is completely fair, and makes sense. I also keep track of the phases of the moon (although this hasn't really mattered yet).</p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Deep sea exploration</strong></p><p></p><p> An element that is now slowly creeping into the campaign, is diving for ancient ship wrecks. So I've created new equipment lists with diving suits, diving bells, bathyspheres, and dozens of upgrades. This allows the players to dive to nearly any depth. I've tried to ground the rules in some realism.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Atmosphere (ATA)</strong></p><p> Every 33ft. is roughly 1 ATA (Atmosphere) of pressure. Diving suits, bells and bathyspheres need to have the required ATA protection in order to dive to greater depths, along with a longer hoist to lower the craft to that depth. Beyond 660 ft. there is limited light. In my equipment lists, I list how many ATA each vehicle or suit can handle. The players can upgrade these items to increase the depth slightly.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Ocean depth</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Near continents and islands</strong></p><p> 200 ft. – 650 ft. (1d6 x 100 ft.)</p><p> 7-20 ATA</p><p> Epipelagic zone (The Sunlight Zone)</p><p> Pressure damage beyond 100 ft.</p><p> Diving Bells and simple Diving Suits can't dive beyond 500 ft.</p><p></p><p><strong>Ridge or plateau</strong></p><p> 650 ft. – 3,300 ft. (3d100 x 1,000 ft.)</p><p> 20-100 ATA</p><p> Mesopelagic zone (The Twilight Zone)</p><p> At 660 ft. is the max range for surface light needed for plant growth.</p><p> Bathysphere's and Atmospheric Diving Suits can't dive beyond 3,000 ft.</p><p></p><p><strong>Open ocean</strong></p><p> 3,300 ft. – 13,000 ft. (2d10 x 500 ft.)</p><p> 100-394 ATA</p><p> Bathypelagic zone (The Midnight Zone)</p><p> Low light conditions. At 5,900 ft. no light at all.</p><p></p><p><strong>Deep ocean</strong></p><p> 13,000 ft. – 30,000 ft. (3d10 x 1,000 ft.)</p><p> 394-909 ATA</p><p> Abyssopelagic zone (The Abyss)</p><p> No light</p><p></p><p><strong>Deepest trench</strong></p><p> 36,000 ft. (30,000 ft. + 1d6 x 1,000 ft.)</p><p> 1,091 ATA</p><p> Hadopelagic zone (The Trenches)</p><p> No light, hypothermia.</p><p></p><p> <strong>Some technical info</strong></p><p> 100 ft. is the depth at which pressure becomes a problem. Water deals 1d6 dmg every minute for every 100ft. a character is underwater. Creatures can see 4d8x10 ft. in clear water and 1d8x10 feet in murky water. 200 ft. - 500 ft. is the maximum diving depth using a Diving Bell. 1,043 ft. is the world’s deepest scuba dive. 1,000 ft. - 3,000 ft. is the maximum depth for an Advanced Atmospheric Diving Suit. The average whale can dive to a depth of 7,382 ft. At 19,700 ft. do continents rise from the ocean floor.</p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Here's a sample of some of the equipment:</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Diving Bell</strong></p><p> A sturdy weighted chamber of wood and iron. Can hold up to two medium creatures, and can only move up and down at a speed of 10ft. per round. It has a hatch at the bottom which can be opened to swim out. With the hatch open, it can only descend down to 100 ft. The maximum depth is 200ft., or up to 500ft. if fully upgraded. It takes 2 crew members to operate the air pumps and 4 crew members to operate the hoist. It has 4 attachment points for air hoses, to allow crew in diving suits to operate outside the Diving Bell.</p><p></p><p></p><p> <table style='width: 100%'><tr><td> <strong>Medium vehicle; Seaworthiness +0; Shiphandling: --; Speed: --; Overall AC 5; Hull hp 80 (hardness 6); Ram: --; Mounts: --; Space: 5ft. by 5 ft.; Height: 0 ft. (draft 5 ft.); Watch: 1; Complement: 2; Cargo: 200 pnds; </strong><br /> <br /> <strong>Max Depth: 200 ft. – 500 ft.; Pressure resistance: 6 ATA / 15 ATA. Takes up 10 ft. space and uses a heavy mount.</strong><br /> </td></tr></table><p> <strong></strong></p><p><strong>Bathysphere</strong></p><p> An advanced metal submersible with a large glass observation window. The Bathysphere can descend to much greater depths than the Diving Bell, has more crew capacity, more cargo capacity, and has limited horizontal movement capability. Normally the Bathysphere is completely closed, but it can be upgraded with an airlock, to allow divers in Diving Suits to leave the submersible. The Bathysphere descends with a speed of 10ft. per round. It’s maximum diving depth is 1,000 ft. or 3,000 ft. if fully upgraded. It takes 2 crew members to operate the air pumps and 4 crew members to operate the hoist. It has 4 attachment points for air hoses, to allow crew in diving suits to operate outside the Bathysphere.</p><p></p><p> <table style='width: 100%'><tr><td> <strong>Large vehicle; Seaworthiness +2; Shiphandling: +2; Speed: 10ft. (poor); Overall AC 3; Hull hp 90 (hardness 8); Ram: 2d6; Mounts: --; Space: 10ft. by 10 ft.; Height: 0 ft. (draft 10 ft.); Watch: 1; Complement: 4; Cargo: 1 ton.; </strong><br /> <br /> <strong>Max Depth: 1,000 ft. – 3,000 ft.; Pressure resistance: 30 ATA / 91 ATA. Takes up 10 ft. space and uses a heavy mount.</strong><br /> </td></tr></table><p> <strong></strong></p><p><strong>Repairing damage to a submersible</strong></p><p> The number of crew working on repairing a damaged section of a vehicle must equal the hardness of the material. Only one member of the repair crew need actually be a skilled workman, and succeed at a Craft check of DC 10 at the end of 1 minute of uninterrupted work. For every point that the check exceeds 9, 1 hp is restored to the damaged section. A vehicle’s repair cost equals: <strong>Number of destroyed sections / Total number of sections x half the vehicle cost</strong></p><p> A repair crew can repair 125gp worth of damage per day. A typical dock, wheelwright’s shop or other well equipped facility can repair 250gp worth of damage per day. A dry-dock can repair 500gp damage per day. Rigging can also be repaired, or replaced if it was destroyed, at the cost of 20gp per hp of destroyed rigging.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Submersibles and pressure damage</strong></p><p> Water deals 1d6 dmg every minute for every 100ft. a submersible is below its intended depth range. Due to the hardness of the vehicle, this allows submersibles to endure greater depths for a while. But as the depth adds up, so does the pressure damage.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Crew and allies</strong></p><p> </p><p> Each ship has it's own compliment, and requires a certain number of people to work. Npc's and followers are excellent for this, since you can keep them on the ship most of the time, and allow the players to play out their movements. I let the players recruit new crew from all over the Emerald Coast, and from many diverse cultures. But I do make sure that each npc has it's own personality and backstory. I've noticed that interactions with the npc's on board the ship can regularly fill entire sessions, without it ever becoming boring. As a DM, I cannot stress enough just how important it is to work out your npc's, and to not just make them backdrop props. Involve them in the story. Let them get into trouble, and provide new quest hooks. For example, one of the npc sailors is a notorious drunk, and got into trouble with a local rich merchant, after he found out that he was messing around with his daughter. So soon the players saw the npc being chased through town by a fat merchant with a loaded rifle, and of course they had to intervene without getting themselves arrested by local authorities. Npc's can have their own sub plots, have romances, or plots that simply lead to hilarious situations. Humor is important, just like suspense is.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Miniatures</strong></p><p> </p><p> We try to do most of the encounters without miniatures. But for ship to ship combat, and for various strategic fights, miniatures are almost a necessity. We use dungeon tiles to set up important encounters in advance, and sometimes also miniature furniture to make it all look better.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH]70296[/ATTACH][ATTACH]70297[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Example of the first and second floor of a tavern in the slums, outside Vertesaux. An infection was spreading among the very poor, and the party suspected evil magic was at work. They soon found themselves surrounded by enemies. This is a good example where Dungeon Tiles provided a great way to illustrate the terrain, and provide extra immersion. It also was important for tactical reasons. We used pre-painted miniatures for the players and monsters.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH]70298[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p></p><p>We also use miniature ships to play out battles at sea, or other strategic ship movements. In this case, a horrid combination of a random weather type from Storm Wrack came up, along with another random exotic event from my random tables. The ship of the players was hurled onto the rocks of the grinning coast, and it took several days for the ship to be repaired. It could have been worse.</p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Music and sound</strong></p><p> </p><p> I have a vast playlist with D&D music for all occasions, that I combine with ambient sounds. For example, if the players are at sea, I play ocean sounds and adventure music. If they are in the jungle, I play jungle sound effects and tribal music with lots of drums. For cities I have the sound of Turkish markets, and for dungeons I have a vast library of creepy dungeon sounds. I try to stay clear from music from well known movies, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, because that is way too familiar. Fortunately there is a lot of royalty free music out there. And sites such as Freesound.org provide a wealth of sound effects. Simply have a program like Winamp play the sound effects at random, and have Mediaplayer play random music at the same time. It works perfectly to set the right mood.</p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>No railroading!</strong></p><p> </p><p> I hate being railroaded along a predetermined plot. That will never happen in this campaign. If you want to use the same setting, then I highly encourage to just have a vague idea where you roughly want the campaign to go. But allow the players to pick their own route, and don't force quests on them. The players will make their own story, and they just need you to occasionally drop in a twist, or provide some vague clues. The rules of the game can also be expanded as needed. For example, now that the players want to build their own pirate stronghold, I've started looking into the Stronghold Builders Guidebook, and made my own lists for building costs. I've also recently created my own rules for deep sea exploration. I consider the official books just a simple basis to expand on. If something isn't in the book, make up your own home brew rules. I now find myself sharing many of my rules with other DM's.</p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Soft DM'ing</strong></p><p> </p><p> I try to always be fair, and provide a none-hostile playing environment, in which the players do not feel that the DM is constantly out to kill them. This allows the players to trust npc's occasionally, and they know the DM is not going to screw them over with some trivial skill check. Monsters are generally all of the same CR as the level of the players, or one above that. So an encounter will always be challenging, but never a slaughter. As a general rule, I'm not out to kill the players, but I'm not holding their hands either. I'm totally fine with a player being reduced to 0 hit points, and slowly bleeding to death. Just as long as it isn't the entire party, plus they should have means to come to each others aid. If an encounter is too easy, I generally add a few extra hit points to a boss in secret, or have him summon more minions, but I never cheat on the dice rolls, unless it feels unfair to the players (for example, a critical hit that would outright murder a player can be changed to something less bad behind the DM's screen). If I feel a player is being hurt too much by a boss, I might have him switch to a different target, just to spare the player, and to provide an exciting fight. It is okay to cheat occasionally to make a fight more fun, or less unfair, but the players should never feel like you are cheating against them and ruining their fun.</p><p></p><p> As a DM, I don't want the players to die. I would like for the story to continue. But I also realize that the players should never feel too safe, or combat would no longer be exciting. So by all means, down a few players, but don't outright force them to make new characters.</p><p></p><p></p><p>In my campaign there aren't any clear objectives, or Mc Guffins. I'm always very careful to keep my stories free of magical artefacts, triforces, hole grails, or any special items. At the moment, defeating Hydra is a long distance goal, and it is not even clear IF Hydra can be destroyed at all. The next place that the party will most likely visit, is the island of Salt. Yesterday I worked out a great deal about what Salt looks like, and its history.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Salt</strong></p><p> Home to the Sisters of Mor. This holy sisterhood consists of priestesses who have dedicated their lives to the calming of storms. They take upon them the sins and crimes of sailors, and wash them away with salt. They must live their lives in sorrow, as atonement for the God of Storms. Salt is a tall barren rock with only one square towering temple. It is also a place of healing for many travelers. In the temple of Mor one can often find sailors who became lost in the storm. The sisterhood provides travelling sailors with fresh water from their boundless supplies. The priestesses believe that the local pirates are tools of Mor, and are instruments of his will.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>The temple of Mor</strong></p><p> </p><p> The temple looks like a massive square gray tower (almost like a giant obelisk, with a lens at the top), partially built into the rock of the island. Four giant statues of the god Mor have been built along the side of the tower, with each statue having one arm stretched out. The arm hold massive chains, that can lift a gargantuan cage , big enough to carry a ship. This is the one and only way to access the tower, to be lifted into the tower along with your ship. The arms are hollow, and act as access tunnels to the temple itself. The statues look in all four directions, much like the temple itself. The temple is always surrounded by white gusts of wind, that swirl around the tower, and are made of pure salt. This is the salt that is extracted from the sea water, and is poured down from the mouths of the statues. The statues themselves hold a thunderbolt in one hand, while the cage is supposed to resemble the net that contains Mor’s storm. It is believed Mor literally empties his net, to release the storm upon the seas.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Mor's Eye</strong></p><p> </p><p> At the top of the temple is a huge adjustable mirror, called <strong>Mor’s Eye</strong>, which uses concentrated sunlight to evaporate water. This is how the priestesses separate the salt from the sea water. Central to this system is the <strong>chamber of tears</strong>. A large cave, with a slanted glass ceiling. The ceiling is higher towards the middle, causing water to condense underneath it, and flow off towards the sides. At the bottom of this room is a large basin of water, with an empty trench surrounding it. High above the glass ceiling is a mirror, called Mor’s Eye, which can be adjusted to aim the sunlight into the chamber below. The sun heats the ceiling, which evaporates the water, leaving behind the salt in the middle basin. The water then condenses along the colder rock wall of the temple, and leaks down into the trenches along the outside. The middle basin with salt is then emptied through the statues on the outside of the temple. The massive mirror at the top of the temple can be lifted up and down using cogs, and it can be tilted to aim for the sun at any time of day. It could potentially also be used as a secret weapon against approaching ships. The chamber has small windows to look inside. While the basin can become quite hot, the chambers surrounding the cave are actually quite cool.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>The stoneoar and Beler the Blessed</strong></p><p> </p><p> The temple also acts as a watchtower, and a weather center. It predicts incoming storms, and has a massive warning horn that can be heard all the way from Stoneoar. It is no secret that the Stoneoar helped construct this technical marvel, and that they rely on their fresh water supplies from Salt. Mor’s Eye was created by a brilliant Oarsmen architect called <strong>Beler the Blessed</strong>. Currently Captain <strong>Birus the Travele</strong>r is his successor on Stoneoar, and is trying to create a permanent underwater transport system between Salt and Stoneoar. He has however met with some resistance from other captains. The current high priestess of the Sisters of Mor suspects that much like his predecessor, Birus has a hidden agenda. And his fellow captains probably suspect as much, and thus have not given him their support.</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p> Some of the groundwork was already done by Beler himself. Salt has a room called the <strong>Underhaven</strong>, where a possible underwater connection could be created. It was however never finished, and Beler died under mysterious circumstances (the reason why the Stoneoar left the tower under custody of the sisters). Beler is buried in an honorable tomb on Salt itself, instead of on Stoneoar. Above his tomb is the <strong>tablet of the foundation</strong> (a stone plate), which seals away the original building agreement signed by the sisterhood and the Stoneoar. It contains all the legal agreements, edged into a plate of solid gold, that lead to the construction of the tower. No one but the high priestess have ever read the original text. Supposedly it is written both in ancient Barulean (the Oarsmen language) and common.</p><p> </p><p> Beler’s symbol is a double sided square key, with the handle in the middle. This symbol is found throughout the temple, on his tomb, on many walls and several doors. The doors that contain this symbol are sealed, and only the high priestess possesses the key that opens them. It is rumored that Beler constructed many secret passages, that only his key gives access to.</p><p> </p><p> Even more obscure, is the knowledge that Beler constructed the tower to resemble a larger version of the mystical obelisks in the Eternal Depths, and that the temple can be seen across the two realities. Beler knew of the Netherworld, and constructed this tower as a weapon against Hydra. The lens can not only be used to scorch ships, but to shine sunlight into the Netherworld itself. The light of Avenna scorches Hydra, and is a powerful weapon again it, and its minions. The obelisks are also creations of Beler’s design, an attempt by Beler to provide landmarks that cross the boundaries of the dimensions.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>The people of the Emerald Coast</strong></p><p> My campaign is defined by the various pirate cultures that inhabit it. These are the most important factions:</p><p> </p><p> <strong>The Kooghans, from the island Abyscus</strong></p><p> The island on the edge of the abyss. This island is filled with jagged rocks and dense jungle. It’s native population are the Kooghans, brilliant navigators, weapon smiths, and a tribe of pirates that is very shamanistic, and superstitious. The Kooghans believe in a prophecy that the seas will swallow the world of stone, and bring upon a new world of the Deep. They are very fearful of this prophecy, and of its harbinger, The Harrowing. All Kooghans are dark of skin tone, and wear elaborate outfits made of wood and reed. These make for excellent armors that are light, and also float in water. Both their armors and ships are often decorated with horns, tusks and claws of great beasts.</p><p> The Kooghans are very frightened of drowning (since they fear the Eternal Depths, which is the realm of Hydra). The Kooghans also believe their island is on the edge of two realms, that of the mortal realm, and that of the Netherworld. The Kooghans have a lot of shamans, and consider the Cult of the Hydra as their mortal enemy. The Kooghans practice a good kind of voodoo, make totems for good luck, and are excellent at making light armors and vessels. Their ships are known for being the lightest and the fastest in all of the Emerald Coast. Kooghans develop a lot of experimental firearms, including new kinds of devastating cannons and siege equipment. All Kooghans believe deeply in oral traditions, and thus every Kooghan pirate is well schooled. They know a lot about the world, and about the Netherworld. It is often said that only a Kooghan knows how to sail out of the Netherworld. The Kooghans can trace their lineage back to primitive island cultures, whose ruins still litter the many islands along the Emerald Coast. They are an important part of the areas history. Kooghan culture is deeply rooted in warfare, which is why they are at the fore front of firearm, and cannon development.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>The Oarsmen, from the island of Stone Oar</strong></p><p> Stone oar is home to a group of dwarven pirates, known as the Oarsmen. The Oarsmen are all dwarves that seek riches beneath the waves. They are amazing swimmers and divers, and have very unique boats and equipment. Oarsmen make for excellent trustworthy crew. They are always true to their word, and never commit mutiny. The island known as Stone Oar, looks like a massive basalt city, that has mines that descend deep down into the murky depths. The Oarsmen are brilliant craftsmen, who build ramming boats, and submarines. They are also the only source of diving equipment. The Stone Oar seek great riches, but their pirate lord has a darker agenda. He seeks access to the Netherworld, which he believes to be beneath the ocean floor. Often employing the help of the Oarsmen requires a valuable gift to their pirate lord. The Oarsmen do not equip their boats with cannons, but with rams, heavy bombards (that fire stone projectiles) and bombs. They can litter a strait with mines, or assault a ship from underwater. Oarsmen do not like being called "dwarves".</p><p> </p><p> <strong>The Gongya An, on Fú Kong the floating city</strong></p><p> Fú Kong, home to the eastern pirates of Gongya An (the Blackwaters). A gigantic floating city on top of a giant dragon turtle. Only the top of its shell is visible above water. The pirates of the Blackwaters travel around, and have a culture that specializes in fishing and hunting great marine creatures. They are excellent craftsmen that facilitate a lot of anti-sea monster equipment, as well as defensive gear for ships, such as sails that are flame resistant. Since the pirates of the Blackwaters are nomadic, a lot of their technology is behind on that of their original homeland. A lot of their equipment is a mix of home brew items and scavenged equipment. They fled Gongya An when it came under a new oppressive rule, and have been sailing the seas ever since. They also are the main producers of gunpowder. They manufacture giant harpoon guns, anti-sea serpent spears and spikes that can be mounted on the side of ships to scare off sea monsters.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>The Speakers of the Dead, on the island of Witchclaw</strong></p><p> A crescent shaped island covered in a large stone fortress, inhabited by spell casting pirates called the Speakers of the Dead. They believe that their women are in direct contact with the gods, and regard all of them as priestesses. Unlike other sailors, pirates from the Witch Islands believe it is actually bad luck not to have women onboard. They also believe that satisfying their women with love making and gifts keeps the gods of the sea at peace. As a result, Witch Claw is dominated by mostly a female population. Witch Islanders dress in dark tattered clothing, and wear jewelry made of bones, feathers and other animal parts. They are frightening to behold, due to their darkened eyes and blackened teeth. Their vessels are also black, with black sails, and are mostly equipped with catapults (which they load with volatile chemicals). Witch Islanders are also known to practice necromancy. Many pirates of these islands seek out riches to satisfy the women, or they seek a way into the Netherworld. Witch Islanders do not fear death. In fact, they revere it. They are renowned for their magic, alchemy and power over the seas. They also use poisons on their blades, and have invented something they call liquid fire. They do not use firearms. It is rumored that the Witch Islanders once assisted the Marquis in taking down the dreaded pirate lord Black William, by making the mountain collapse on the ship called the Grim Torrent. The Speakers of the Dead are also responsible for the living island Damnaur. The Kooghans once asked for their help to open a gateway to the Netherworld, and defeat Hydra. But as the sea of the dead came flooding in, it corrupted part of the island now known as Witch Claw. The land came alive like a crawling pile of flesh, and took off on its own. It has been moving about ever since, slowly increasing in size. This is why currently the island of Witchclaw has a crescent shape, and looks like a giant piece of it is missing.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>The Speakers of the Dead name their people after their profession:</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Apprentice</strong> – Anyone still serving under an Artisan, and learning their craft.</p><p> <strong>Artisan</strong> – A craftsman or woman, who is the best at his/her chosen field.</p><p> <strong>Bladedancer</strong> – A warrior, guard or man at arms.</p><p> <strong>Dactyl</strong> – Healer, priestess, alchemist and wise woman. Rarely a man.</p><p> <strong>Interpreter</strong> – A clairvoyant and decipherer of scripture. Oversees ancient volumes of text.</p><p> <strong>Singer</strong> – Spiritual servants, undead, who do nothing but sing for spiritual processions and occasions.</p><p> <strong>Skua</strong> – Spell caster, mage or witch. Practices dark magic and necromancy. Always a woman.</p><p> <strong>Kua’nille </strong>– Student caster, mage or witch. Still in the process of becoming a Skua.</p><p> <strong>Watcher</strong> – Someone who welcomes people, and oversees a spiritual place.</p><p> </p><p> Entire paragraphs can be dedicated to some of the other islands as well.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Imaculata, post: 6702140, member: 6801286"] [B]Weather, ships and sea monsters[/B] Once per day I roll to see what kind of random weather comes up, and from which angle the wind comes. Storm Wrack has some very useful tables for this, which have become a very important element in our campaigns. I also randomly roll for the movements of legendary creatures (in secret), and various important vessels. This means that the players can actually run into other ships and creatures in a way that is completely fair, and makes sense. I also keep track of the phases of the moon (although this hasn't really mattered yet). [B]Deep sea exploration[/B] An element that is now slowly creeping into the campaign, is diving for ancient ship wrecks. So I've created new equipment lists with diving suits, diving bells, bathyspheres, and dozens of upgrades. This allows the players to dive to nearly any depth. I've tried to ground the rules in some realism. [B]Atmosphere (ATA)[/B] Every 33ft. is roughly 1 ATA (Atmosphere) of pressure. Diving suits, bells and bathyspheres need to have the required ATA protection in order to dive to greater depths, along with a longer hoist to lower the craft to that depth. Beyond 660 ft. there is limited light. In my equipment lists, I list how many ATA each vehicle or suit can handle. The players can upgrade these items to increase the depth slightly. [B]Ocean depth[/B] [B]Near continents and islands[/B] 200 ft. – 650 ft. (1d6 x 100 ft.) 7-20 ATA Epipelagic zone (The Sunlight Zone) Pressure damage beyond 100 ft. Diving Bells and simple Diving Suits can't dive beyond 500 ft. [B]Ridge or plateau[/B] 650 ft. – 3,300 ft. (3d100 x 1,000 ft.) 20-100 ATA Mesopelagic zone (The Twilight Zone) At 660 ft. is the max range for surface light needed for plant growth. Bathysphere's and Atmospheric Diving Suits can't dive beyond 3,000 ft. [B]Open ocean[/B] 3,300 ft. – 13,000 ft. (2d10 x 500 ft.) 100-394 ATA Bathypelagic zone (The Midnight Zone) Low light conditions. At 5,900 ft. no light at all. [B]Deep ocean[/B] 13,000 ft. – 30,000 ft. (3d10 x 1,000 ft.) 394-909 ATA Abyssopelagic zone (The Abyss) No light [B]Deepest trench[/B] 36,000 ft. (30,000 ft. + 1d6 x 1,000 ft.) 1,091 ATA Hadopelagic zone (The Trenches) No light, hypothermia. [B]Some technical info[/B] 100 ft. is the depth at which pressure becomes a problem. Water deals 1d6 dmg every minute for every 100ft. a character is underwater. Creatures can see 4d8x10 ft. in clear water and 1d8x10 feet in murky water. 200 ft. - 500 ft. is the maximum diving depth using a Diving Bell. 1,043 ft. is the world’s deepest scuba dive. 1,000 ft. - 3,000 ft. is the maximum depth for an Advanced Atmospheric Diving Suit. The average whale can dive to a depth of 7,382 ft. At 19,700 ft. do continents rise from the ocean floor. [B]Here's a sample of some of the equipment:[/B] [B]Diving Bell[/B] A sturdy weighted chamber of wood and iron. Can hold up to two medium creatures, and can only move up and down at a speed of 10ft. per round. It has a hatch at the bottom which can be opened to swim out. With the hatch open, it can only descend down to 100 ft. The maximum depth is 200ft., or up to 500ft. if fully upgraded. It takes 2 crew members to operate the air pumps and 4 crew members to operate the hoist. It has 4 attachment points for air hoses, to allow crew in diving suits to operate outside the Diving Bell. [TABLE="class: grid, width: 500"] [TR] [TD] [B]Medium vehicle; Seaworthiness +0; Shiphandling: --; Speed: --; Overall AC 5; Hull hp 80 (hardness 6); Ram: --; Mounts: --; Space: 5ft. by 5 ft.; Height: 0 ft. (draft 5 ft.); Watch: 1; Complement: 2; Cargo: 200 pnds; [/B] [B]Max Depth: 200 ft. – 500 ft.; Pressure resistance: 6 ATA / 15 ATA. Takes up 10 ft. space and uses a heavy mount.[/B] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [B] Bathysphere[/B] An advanced metal submersible with a large glass observation window. The Bathysphere can descend to much greater depths than the Diving Bell, has more crew capacity, more cargo capacity, and has limited horizontal movement capability. Normally the Bathysphere is completely closed, but it can be upgraded with an airlock, to allow divers in Diving Suits to leave the submersible. The Bathysphere descends with a speed of 10ft. per round. It’s maximum diving depth is 1,000 ft. or 3,000 ft. if fully upgraded. It takes 2 crew members to operate the air pumps and 4 crew members to operate the hoist. It has 4 attachment points for air hoses, to allow crew in diving suits to operate outside the Bathysphere. [TABLE="class: grid, width: 500"] [TR] [TD] [B]Large vehicle; Seaworthiness +2; Shiphandling: +2; Speed: 10ft. (poor); Overall AC 3; Hull hp 90 (hardness 8); Ram: 2d6; Mounts: --; Space: 10ft. by 10 ft.; Height: 0 ft. (draft 10 ft.); Watch: 1; Complement: 4; Cargo: 1 ton.; [/B] [B]Max Depth: 1,000 ft. – 3,000 ft.; Pressure resistance: 30 ATA / 91 ATA. Takes up 10 ft. space and uses a heavy mount.[/B] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [B] Repairing damage to a submersible[/B] The number of crew working on repairing a damaged section of a vehicle must equal the hardness of the material. Only one member of the repair crew need actually be a skilled workman, and succeed at a Craft check of DC 10 at the end of 1 minute of uninterrupted work. For every point that the check exceeds 9, 1 hp is restored to the damaged section. A vehicle’s repair cost equals: [B]Number of destroyed sections / Total number of sections x half the vehicle cost[/B] A repair crew can repair 125gp worth of damage per day. A typical dock, wheelwright’s shop or other well equipped facility can repair 250gp worth of damage per day. A dry-dock can repair 500gp damage per day. Rigging can also be repaired, or replaced if it was destroyed, at the cost of 20gp per hp of destroyed rigging. [B]Submersibles and pressure damage[/B] Water deals 1d6 dmg every minute for every 100ft. a submersible is below its intended depth range. Due to the hardness of the vehicle, this allows submersibles to endure greater depths for a while. But as the depth adds up, so does the pressure damage. [B]Crew and allies[/B] Each ship has it's own compliment, and requires a certain number of people to work. Npc's and followers are excellent for this, since you can keep them on the ship most of the time, and allow the players to play out their movements. I let the players recruit new crew from all over the Emerald Coast, and from many diverse cultures. But I do make sure that each npc has it's own personality and backstory. I've noticed that interactions with the npc's on board the ship can regularly fill entire sessions, without it ever becoming boring. As a DM, I cannot stress enough just how important it is to work out your npc's, and to not just make them backdrop props. Involve them in the story. Let them get into trouble, and provide new quest hooks. For example, one of the npc sailors is a notorious drunk, and got into trouble with a local rich merchant, after he found out that he was messing around with his daughter. So soon the players saw the npc being chased through town by a fat merchant with a loaded rifle, and of course they had to intervene without getting themselves arrested by local authorities. Npc's can have their own sub plots, have romances, or plots that simply lead to hilarious situations. Humor is important, just like suspense is. [B]Miniatures[/B] We try to do most of the encounters without miniatures. But for ship to ship combat, and for various strategic fights, miniatures are almost a necessity. We use dungeon tiles to set up important encounters in advance, and sometimes also miniature furniture to make it all look better. [ATTACH=CONFIG]70296._xfImport[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]70297._xfImport[/ATTACH] Example of the first and second floor of a tavern in the slums, outside Vertesaux. An infection was spreading among the very poor, and the party suspected evil magic was at work. They soon found themselves surrounded by enemies. This is a good example where Dungeon Tiles provided a great way to illustrate the terrain, and provide extra immersion. It also was important for tactical reasons. We used pre-painted miniatures for the players and monsters. [ATTACH=CONFIG]70298._xfImport[/ATTACH] We also use miniature ships to play out battles at sea, or other strategic ship movements. In this case, a horrid combination of a random weather type from Storm Wrack came up, along with another random exotic event from my random tables. The ship of the players was hurled onto the rocks of the grinning coast, and it took several days for the ship to be repaired. It could have been worse. [B]Music and sound[/B] I have a vast playlist with D&D music for all occasions, that I combine with ambient sounds. For example, if the players are at sea, I play ocean sounds and adventure music. If they are in the jungle, I play jungle sound effects and tribal music with lots of drums. For cities I have the sound of Turkish markets, and for dungeons I have a vast library of creepy dungeon sounds. I try to stay clear from music from well known movies, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, because that is way too familiar. Fortunately there is a lot of royalty free music out there. And sites such as Freesound.org provide a wealth of sound effects. Simply have a program like Winamp play the sound effects at random, and have Mediaplayer play random music at the same time. It works perfectly to set the right mood. [B]No railroading![/B] I hate being railroaded along a predetermined plot. That will never happen in this campaign. If you want to use the same setting, then I highly encourage to just have a vague idea where you roughly want the campaign to go. But allow the players to pick their own route, and don't force quests on them. The players will make their own story, and they just need you to occasionally drop in a twist, or provide some vague clues. The rules of the game can also be expanded as needed. For example, now that the players want to build their own pirate stronghold, I've started looking into the Stronghold Builders Guidebook, and made my own lists for building costs. I've also recently created my own rules for deep sea exploration. I consider the official books just a simple basis to expand on. If something isn't in the book, make up your own home brew rules. I now find myself sharing many of my rules with other DM's. [B]Soft DM'ing[/B] I try to always be fair, and provide a none-hostile playing environment, in which the players do not feel that the DM is constantly out to kill them. This allows the players to trust npc's occasionally, and they know the DM is not going to screw them over with some trivial skill check. Monsters are generally all of the same CR as the level of the players, or one above that. So an encounter will always be challenging, but never a slaughter. As a general rule, I'm not out to kill the players, but I'm not holding their hands either. I'm totally fine with a player being reduced to 0 hit points, and slowly bleeding to death. Just as long as it isn't the entire party, plus they should have means to come to each others aid. If an encounter is too easy, I generally add a few extra hit points to a boss in secret, or have him summon more minions, but I never cheat on the dice rolls, unless it feels unfair to the players (for example, a critical hit that would outright murder a player can be changed to something less bad behind the DM's screen). If I feel a player is being hurt too much by a boss, I might have him switch to a different target, just to spare the player, and to provide an exciting fight. It is okay to cheat occasionally to make a fight more fun, or less unfair, but the players should never feel like you are cheating against them and ruining their fun. As a DM, I don't want the players to die. I would like for the story to continue. But I also realize that the players should never feel too safe, or combat would no longer be exciting. So by all means, down a few players, but don't outright force them to make new characters. In my campaign there aren't any clear objectives, or Mc Guffins. I'm always very careful to keep my stories free of magical artefacts, triforces, hole grails, or any special items. At the moment, defeating Hydra is a long distance goal, and it is not even clear IF Hydra can be destroyed at all. The next place that the party will most likely visit, is the island of Salt. Yesterday I worked out a great deal about what Salt looks like, and its history. [B]Salt[/B] Home to the Sisters of Mor. This holy sisterhood consists of priestesses who have dedicated their lives to the calming of storms. They take upon them the sins and crimes of sailors, and wash them away with salt. They must live their lives in sorrow, as atonement for the God of Storms. Salt is a tall barren rock with only one square towering temple. It is also a place of healing for many travelers. In the temple of Mor one can often find sailors who became lost in the storm. The sisterhood provides travelling sailors with fresh water from their boundless supplies. The priestesses believe that the local pirates are tools of Mor, and are instruments of his will. [B]The temple of Mor[/B] The temple looks like a massive square gray tower (almost like a giant obelisk, with a lens at the top), partially built into the rock of the island. Four giant statues of the god Mor have been built along the side of the tower, with each statue having one arm stretched out. The arm hold massive chains, that can lift a gargantuan cage , big enough to carry a ship. This is the one and only way to access the tower, to be lifted into the tower along with your ship. The arms are hollow, and act as access tunnels to the temple itself. The statues look in all four directions, much like the temple itself. The temple is always surrounded by white gusts of wind, that swirl around the tower, and are made of pure salt. This is the salt that is extracted from the sea water, and is poured down from the mouths of the statues. The statues themselves hold a thunderbolt in one hand, while the cage is supposed to resemble the net that contains Mor’s storm. It is believed Mor literally empties his net, to release the storm upon the seas. [B]Mor's Eye[/B] At the top of the temple is a huge adjustable mirror, called [B]Mor’s Eye[/B], which uses concentrated sunlight to evaporate water. This is how the priestesses separate the salt from the sea water. Central to this system is the [B]chamber of tears[/B]. A large cave, with a slanted glass ceiling. The ceiling is higher towards the middle, causing water to condense underneath it, and flow off towards the sides. At the bottom of this room is a large basin of water, with an empty trench surrounding it. High above the glass ceiling is a mirror, called Mor’s Eye, which can be adjusted to aim the sunlight into the chamber below. The sun heats the ceiling, which evaporates the water, leaving behind the salt in the middle basin. The water then condenses along the colder rock wall of the temple, and leaks down into the trenches along the outside. The middle basin with salt is then emptied through the statues on the outside of the temple. The massive mirror at the top of the temple can be lifted up and down using cogs, and it can be tilted to aim for the sun at any time of day. It could potentially also be used as a secret weapon against approaching ships. The chamber has small windows to look inside. While the basin can become quite hot, the chambers surrounding the cave are actually quite cool. [B]The stoneoar and Beler the Blessed[/B] The temple also acts as a watchtower, and a weather center. It predicts incoming storms, and has a massive warning horn that can be heard all the way from Stoneoar. It is no secret that the Stoneoar helped construct this technical marvel, and that they rely on their fresh water supplies from Salt. Mor’s Eye was created by a brilliant Oarsmen architect called [B]Beler the Blessed[/B]. Currently Captain [B]Birus the Travele[/B]r is his successor on Stoneoar, and is trying to create a permanent underwater transport system between Salt and Stoneoar. He has however met with some resistance from other captains. The current high priestess of the Sisters of Mor suspects that much like his predecessor, Birus has a hidden agenda. And his fellow captains probably suspect as much, and thus have not given him their support. Some of the groundwork was already done by Beler himself. Salt has a room called the [B]Underhaven[/B], where a possible underwater connection could be created. It was however never finished, and Beler died under mysterious circumstances (the reason why the Stoneoar left the tower under custody of the sisters). Beler is buried in an honorable tomb on Salt itself, instead of on Stoneoar. Above his tomb is the [B]tablet of the foundation[/B] (a stone plate), which seals away the original building agreement signed by the sisterhood and the Stoneoar. It contains all the legal agreements, edged into a plate of solid gold, that lead to the construction of the tower. No one but the high priestess have ever read the original text. Supposedly it is written both in ancient Barulean (the Oarsmen language) and common. Beler’s symbol is a double sided square key, with the handle in the middle. This symbol is found throughout the temple, on his tomb, on many walls and several doors. The doors that contain this symbol are sealed, and only the high priestess possesses the key that opens them. It is rumored that Beler constructed many secret passages, that only his key gives access to. Even more obscure, is the knowledge that Beler constructed the tower to resemble a larger version of the mystical obelisks in the Eternal Depths, and that the temple can be seen across the two realities. Beler knew of the Netherworld, and constructed this tower as a weapon against Hydra. The lens can not only be used to scorch ships, but to shine sunlight into the Netherworld itself. The light of Avenna scorches Hydra, and is a powerful weapon again it, and its minions. The obelisks are also creations of Beler’s design, an attempt by Beler to provide landmarks that cross the boundaries of the dimensions. [B]The people of the Emerald Coast[/B] My campaign is defined by the various pirate cultures that inhabit it. These are the most important factions: [B]The Kooghans, from the island Abyscus[/B] The island on the edge of the abyss. This island is filled with jagged rocks and dense jungle. It’s native population are the Kooghans, brilliant navigators, weapon smiths, and a tribe of pirates that is very shamanistic, and superstitious. The Kooghans believe in a prophecy that the seas will swallow the world of stone, and bring upon a new world of the Deep. They are very fearful of this prophecy, and of its harbinger, The Harrowing. All Kooghans are dark of skin tone, and wear elaborate outfits made of wood and reed. These make for excellent armors that are light, and also float in water. Both their armors and ships are often decorated with horns, tusks and claws of great beasts. The Kooghans are very frightened of drowning (since they fear the Eternal Depths, which is the realm of Hydra). The Kooghans also believe their island is on the edge of two realms, that of the mortal realm, and that of the Netherworld. The Kooghans have a lot of shamans, and consider the Cult of the Hydra as their mortal enemy. The Kooghans practice a good kind of voodoo, make totems for good luck, and are excellent at making light armors and vessels. Their ships are known for being the lightest and the fastest in all of the Emerald Coast. Kooghans develop a lot of experimental firearms, including new kinds of devastating cannons and siege equipment. All Kooghans believe deeply in oral traditions, and thus every Kooghan pirate is well schooled. They know a lot about the world, and about the Netherworld. It is often said that only a Kooghan knows how to sail out of the Netherworld. The Kooghans can trace their lineage back to primitive island cultures, whose ruins still litter the many islands along the Emerald Coast. They are an important part of the areas history. Kooghan culture is deeply rooted in warfare, which is why they are at the fore front of firearm, and cannon development. [B]The Oarsmen, from the island of Stone Oar[/B] Stone oar is home to a group of dwarven pirates, known as the Oarsmen. The Oarsmen are all dwarves that seek riches beneath the waves. They are amazing swimmers and divers, and have very unique boats and equipment. Oarsmen make for excellent trustworthy crew. They are always true to their word, and never commit mutiny. The island known as Stone Oar, looks like a massive basalt city, that has mines that descend deep down into the murky depths. The Oarsmen are brilliant craftsmen, who build ramming boats, and submarines. They are also the only source of diving equipment. The Stone Oar seek great riches, but their pirate lord has a darker agenda. He seeks access to the Netherworld, which he believes to be beneath the ocean floor. Often employing the help of the Oarsmen requires a valuable gift to their pirate lord. The Oarsmen do not equip their boats with cannons, but with rams, heavy bombards (that fire stone projectiles) and bombs. They can litter a strait with mines, or assault a ship from underwater. Oarsmen do not like being called "dwarves". [B]The Gongya An, on Fú Kong the floating city[/B] Fú Kong, home to the eastern pirates of Gongya An (the Blackwaters). A gigantic floating city on top of a giant dragon turtle. Only the top of its shell is visible above water. The pirates of the Blackwaters travel around, and have a culture that specializes in fishing and hunting great marine creatures. They are excellent craftsmen that facilitate a lot of anti-sea monster equipment, as well as defensive gear for ships, such as sails that are flame resistant. Since the pirates of the Blackwaters are nomadic, a lot of their technology is behind on that of their original homeland. A lot of their equipment is a mix of home brew items and scavenged equipment. They fled Gongya An when it came under a new oppressive rule, and have been sailing the seas ever since. They also are the main producers of gunpowder. They manufacture giant harpoon guns, anti-sea serpent spears and spikes that can be mounted on the side of ships to scare off sea monsters. [B]The Speakers of the Dead, on the island of Witchclaw[/B] A crescent shaped island covered in a large stone fortress, inhabited by spell casting pirates called the Speakers of the Dead. They believe that their women are in direct contact with the gods, and regard all of them as priestesses. Unlike other sailors, pirates from the Witch Islands believe it is actually bad luck not to have women onboard. They also believe that satisfying their women with love making and gifts keeps the gods of the sea at peace. As a result, Witch Claw is dominated by mostly a female population. Witch Islanders dress in dark tattered clothing, and wear jewelry made of bones, feathers and other animal parts. They are frightening to behold, due to their darkened eyes and blackened teeth. Their vessels are also black, with black sails, and are mostly equipped with catapults (which they load with volatile chemicals). Witch Islanders are also known to practice necromancy. Many pirates of these islands seek out riches to satisfy the women, or they seek a way into the Netherworld. Witch Islanders do not fear death. In fact, they revere it. They are renowned for their magic, alchemy and power over the seas. They also use poisons on their blades, and have invented something they call liquid fire. They do not use firearms. It is rumored that the Witch Islanders once assisted the Marquis in taking down the dreaded pirate lord Black William, by making the mountain collapse on the ship called the Grim Torrent. The Speakers of the Dead are also responsible for the living island Damnaur. The Kooghans once asked for their help to open a gateway to the Netherworld, and defeat Hydra. But as the sea of the dead came flooding in, it corrupted part of the island now known as Witch Claw. The land came alive like a crawling pile of flesh, and took off on its own. It has been moving about ever since, slowly increasing in size. This is why currently the island of Witchclaw has a crescent shape, and looks like a giant piece of it is missing. [B]The Speakers of the Dead name their people after their profession:[/B] [B]Apprentice[/B] – Anyone still serving under an Artisan, and learning their craft. [B]Artisan[/B] – A craftsman or woman, who is the best at his/her chosen field. [B]Bladedancer[/B] – A warrior, guard or man at arms. [B]Dactyl[/B] – Healer, priestess, alchemist and wise woman. Rarely a man. [B]Interpreter[/B] – A clairvoyant and decipherer of scripture. Oversees ancient volumes of text. [B]Singer[/B] – Spiritual servants, undead, who do nothing but sing for spiritual processions and occasions. [B]Skua[/B] – Spell caster, mage or witch. Practices dark magic and necromancy. Always a woman. [B]Kua’nille [/B]– Student caster, mage or witch. Still in the process of becoming a Skua. [B]Watcher[/B] – Someone who welcomes people, and oversees a spiritual place. Entire paragraphs can be dedicated to some of the other islands as well. [/QUOTE]
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