Scenario idea wanted

[Shader]

I'm thinking of running a long-term play-by-mail or play-by-forum/email scenario, based around a sea voyage to a distant continent. I'm looking for ideas of published adventures, if any of you have done such before, please.

Cheers!

 

[Ed_Laprade]

You realize, of course, that everyone is going to know what to expect? Pirates, sea monsters, terrible storm and shipwreck stranding the PCs on an island no one's ever heard of... I absolutely refuse to allow any of my characters to set foot on a ship anymore because its alway the same d@mn thing. Not that you have to worry about that since they (should) know what they'll be getting into ahead of time.

Oh yeah, and all those melee types? Forget about buying armor. You either won't have it long or it'll kill you.

 

[xnosipjpqmhd]

Well, there's always the Savage Tide adventure path...

 

[Shader]

You realize, of course, that everyone is going to know what to expect? Pirates, sea monsters, terrible storm and shipwreck stranding the PCs on an island no one's ever heard of... I absolutely refuse to allow any of my characters to set foot on a ship anymore because its alway the same d@mn thing. Not that you have to worry about that since they (should) know what they'll be getting into ahead of time.

Oh yeah, and all those melee types? Forget about buying armor. You either won't have it long or it'll kill you.

I totally disagree. You can have as much of a politically charged situation and room for roleplay and non-standard locations in as confined a space as a ship-bound voyage as you can in a city, in fact perhaps more so.

You have the machinations of the crew, power struggles, the desire to be free of the captivity of such a confined space, the bickering, the arguments... And that's without even seeing the need for outside influence.

If I wanted to run "Bog Standard Adventure #71" then I'd just have to roll on the "Sea: Random Encounters table" or something

I was just wondering if there was something out there, that's all.

 

[Shader]

Well, there's always the Savage Tide adventure path...

I don't know that one, I'll have to take a look, thanks. Can you personally recommend it?

 

[Whisper72]

Well, what is the background / reason for the voyage?

Maybe the continent the PC's and the NPC''s came from is destroyed / wracked by war. The PC's are not just travelling on a single ship, but a vast armada, from warships and large trading cogs to smaller vessels, anything that floats, is escaping the devastation and trying to reach new land. Plenty of adventure ideas:

- power struggles by military / priests / merchants / nobles on who is in charge of this chaotic operation
- with so many people, old feuds can be an issue: think murders
- food will be an issue; people will be stealing from eachother to stay alive
- expeditions need to be sent off to check where the new continent is
- the usual (pirates, sea monsters, storms etc.)
- some religious nutcase starts a new religion based on the flight, he blames one powergroup for all the problems and tries to set up the rest of the people against them
- along with 'people' many monsters also flee, some in disguise (polymorphed dragons, dopplegangers etc.), others in their own vessels (ships filled with goblinoids and other moenstrous humanoids) which may lead to clashes

the list goes on....

 

[Shader]

Well, what is the background / reason for the voyage?

Maybe the continent the PC's and the NPC''s came from is destroyed / wracked by war. The PC's are not just travelling on a single ship, but a vast armada, from warships and large trading cogs to smaller vessels, anything that floats, is escaping the devastation and trying to reach new land. Plenty of adventure ideas:

- power struggles by military / priests / merchants / nobles on who is in charge of this chaotic operation
- with so many people, old feuds can be an issue: think murders
- food will be an issue; people will be stealing from eachother to stay alive
- expeditions need to be sent off to check where the new continent is
- the usual (pirates, sea monsters, storms etc.)
- some religious nutcase starts a new religion based on the flight, he blames one powergroup for all the problems and tries to set up the rest of the people against them
- along with 'people' many monsters also flee, some in disguise (polymorphed dragons, dopplegangers etc.), others in their own vessels (ships filled with goblinoids and other moenstrous humanoids) which may lead to clashes

the list goes on....

Yeah... I like those ideas, thanks.

Currently, the idea is just in my head to have a sea voyage adventure, probably something political, but I'm not slotting it into a campaign as such.

I like those ideas though, thanks!

Keep 'em coming

 

[Aeric]

I recommend looking at films like Master and Commander and The Bounty for some good--if more mundane--ideas of adventure on the high seas.

 

[Shader]

I recommend looking at films like Master and Commander and The Bounty for some good--if more mundane--ideas of adventure on the high seas.

Thanks, but I'm not entirely sure I want to go to a military campaign.

The more I think about it the more I think my opening question was more like asking "how long is a piece of string?"

I guess I'm now thinking along the lines of a political contingent to offer a truce or diplomatic relations to an overseas country, maybe a former enemy...

 

[Gregor]

I don't know that one, I'll have to take a look, thanks. Can you personally recommend it?

I am currently running the Savage Tide AP and I can personally recommend it. Its full of pirates, demons, dinosaurs, etc. Its a lot of fun. You can check it out in Dungeon magazine (the last dungeon issue will have the final adventure - so if you buy the last 12 issues, you'll have the whole AP).

However, if you just want an adventure or two that is based on a nautical theme, maybe just use the first three adventures: There is No Honour, The Bullywug Gambit, and the Sea Wyvern's Wake. The last adventure is a whole sea voyage with side adventures along the way (plus the issue comes with a full colour grid map of the caravel the party will sail on: the Sea Wyvern).