Shark World Inc
- Thread starter Crothian
- Start date
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
The Iron Mark said:
Okay my campaign is set in Mythic Polynesia and although not quite as extensive as Shark World or Pinnacles of Azor'alq does have a lot of Underwater and Ship based adventuring - in otherwords we do have something of a model to follow by looking at the maritime cultures of the pacific.
What is important to remember is that for maritime cultures the waves are a natural extension of the land and their ships (80ft doublehull vaka) are essential floating islands.
It is also important to remember that the Surface of the sea does have its own geography made up of deep water swells, prevailing winds, wave deflection, reefs, sinks, doldrums and variations in salinity, temperature, water colour and average wave height in various areas which their navigators (Sea Ranger/Cleric) would know intimately
With this in mind it doesn't actually matter what each individual island is like (High volcanic, continental outcrop or low atol) in that all you need to know is how fertile the group of islands occupied by the Islanders are, what resources are available and how safe/easy it is to travel between them - for instance the people of Manahiki-Rakahanga (Cook Is) would travel between the two islands on a regular circuit harvesting one whilst the other regenerated - there use to be regular contact between Tahiti and Rarotonga (hence Tangiia a prince of Rarotonga was raised by the King of Tahiti) - however the valleys of Nuku Hiva were of limits to outsiders. Also luckily most of the High Islands in the pacific are quite fertile so feeding people wasn't too difficult)
In Shark World the lives of Islanders might be more dangerous so populations are probably smaller (nothing like Giant Sharks and Sahuagin to enforce population controls!)
Weapons
Materials readily available include shell, shark teeth, bone, stone obsidian and jade, ironwood and any appropriate monster bits (giant ocotopus beak, tenacle and claw etcetc. You could use the stats straight from the core books (since everything is made of these same materials) and count ALL metal weapons as Masterwork
Another interesting type of armour is that of Kiribati which included woven armour and the barantauti (helmets made from inflated porcupine fish skin)
* Woven armour (Thick hide?) is very effective against weapons made from sharks teeth etc as it entangles the teeth)
Currency
Most trade in the pacific was done through ritual gift exchange (a barter system) however certain items did exsist which were generally usable a currency. Shells (and shell necklaces) could be used, as could red feathers (natural occurance of the colour red is very rare in the Pacific and so red feathers were greatly treasured). Fine mats (woven and hemmed with red feathers)were often given as gifts and were essentially tradeable commodities. There are also the famous Yap stone money (stone rings whose ownership could was transferable). A fantasy would could use things like dragon scales or giant squid shell perhaps
Damn you know for a Joke thread this has become a serious setting with heaps of potential (and yes I will be yoinking)
Crothian
First Post
Tonguez said:
Don't I know it. I figured a few people might stop by and the thread would die. I mean it is in this forum which no one visits. Threads by me usually don't last long. But the ideas here are really good. I'll eventually sit down and type a lot of this stuff up, flesh it out. And maybe, just maybe, Drowdude will do that Leviathon.
I like the idea of the Barter system. To keep it strong we can have one of the few remaining gods be a god of Barter. That's four living gods so far.
I imagine a common type weapon would be clubs lined with sharpened shells and teeth. Simple to make and easy to use.
Crothian
First Post
drowdude said:
HEY! I'll have you know that I am working on that right now!
In between making notes for the *4* campaigns I am running right now... 5 actually, if you count the one I am playing in
Excuses, excuses. I don't see how people run so many campaigns, though. How many on line? I'm lucky to get to play in the one. I'm not sure how I'd fit in any others. Except if they were on line, those are easier to be in and do. But I did that and that was enough of that. Give me a good table top game.
But on with Shark World, just wish I had a good idea to post
drowdude
First Post
Crothian said:
Lets see one online that I just got started last week... one that I am still working on for when I finally get to game with my group again on Friday nights... one solo game that I DM for my wife... and two solo games that I alternate DMing for with one of my friends (Mulkhoran on the boards).
And then there is the one Mulk DMs for me solo. In which I play a fairly high level rogue-sorcerer-arcane trickster.
I feel ya on the online games though... I took a loooong break from them. But an old friend begged me to start it back up since that was the only way he can find the time to roleplay...
I am enjoying this new game though, and it helps that I have a few really stable online players I suppose.
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The Iron Mark
First Post
Hmmm, looking at my list, I think Cloud Giants actually could be cool. You gotta remember all the stuff the weather does to the ocean ya know? Maybe we could turn them into the equivalent of Drow. Completely evil, in a place that is hard for the other races to get to and hard for them to get to the other races. And they could have Half-Brass Dragon Shocker Lizards as pets and Dragon Turtles as steeds when they take to the water. Watcha think?
Crothian
First Post
The Iron Mark said:
Evil Cloud giants could be fun. I'm not sure what place we could place them though. Perhaps in one of the unoccupied zones. THese are the places near where the three celestrial bodies hit the planet. Each has greatly altered the world, especially near it.
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