The world is 99% ocean

[just__al]

I am planning on running a campaign where the world is 99% ocean. Anybody got some cool ideas? I am already figuring on gnomes being a BIG race since they can cast predistigation as a racial ability and that should be good enough to turn sea water into fresh.

Obviously Aquatic Elves and various other aquatic races should be fairly common but I'm still thinking about what changes I need to take into consideration. Any good maritime suppliments I might want to check out?

 

[BiggusGeekus]

OK....


1) it's sci-fi but check out Blue Planet. The guy who wrote it was big into geology and earth science so you'll find some kick-butt world building. I don't really like the mechanics (at least the version one rules) but the world and ecology is excellent.

2) If you skip on #1, then stick to a couple of easy & plausible world making tips: toss in an extra moon and underwater volcanoes. Water worlds tend to freeze in "reality"

3) I ran a water game and, sadly, it didn't go over well. Having all the combats on ships essentially added a "save or die" effect as the players had a chance to fall over and perhaps drown in every combat. Sure, they could always tread water or swim, but falling in the water means that they were effectively "out" for the remanider of the combat. I'm not trying to ... er ... dampen your spirits ... I just want to give you a bit of a heads up to handle a problem that I didn't foresee in the game.

4) I found "Seas of Blood" to be a good, generic seafaring ruleset. I haven't picked up the "Seafarer's Handbook" but my understanding it's also good but adds in some campaign info (ie it isn't completely generic).

 

[alsih2o]

depending on your skillset it may take soem serious effort but i would look into creating or stealing a totally airborne race.

something albatrossian. gliding air currents. have them pitted against cloud riding cloud giants and you have a major power struggle going for some tension.

figure out your fuel source. in a world that is 1% land, burning peat or wood for fuel is probably discouraged.

that can vary too though, if the world is only 1% land, that isn't too big a deal if the planet is 25 times our size and all the land is near each other.

i think this last approach works best. it still allows for oyu to have all the cool ocean bits going on but leaves enough land area for a viable system or balance of powers.

and 1 last thing- orcish war canneries. giant floating platforms built for the capture and proccess of fish. and war.

they various terrible diseases, parasites and such from all the chum could be amamzing, and if the vessel is big enugh it is practically a dungeon. lots of levels above and below the waterline, blood and fish guts to your ankles, and a battle on a goant flaming raft the size of a big mall sounds too exciting to pass up.

good luck

 

[Richards]

James Wyatt has an aquatic-themed homebrew campaign called "Aquela" over at his website, HERE.

Johnathan

 

[just__al]

depending on your skillset it may take soem serious effort but i would look into creating or stealing a totally airborne race.

something albatrossian. gliding air currents. have them pitted against cloud riding cloud giants and you have a major power struggle going for some tension.

figure out your fuel source. in a world that is 1% land, burning peat or wood for fuel is probably discouraged.

that can vary too though, if the world is only 1% land, that isn't too big a deal if the planet is 25 times our size and all the land is near each other.

i think this last approach works best. it still allows for oyu to have all the cool ocean bits going on but leaves enough land area for a viable system or balance of powers.

and 1 last thing- orcish war canneries. giant floating platforms built for the capture and proccess of fish. and war.

they various terrible diseases, parasites and such from all the chum could be amamzing, and if the vessel is big enugh it is practically a dungeon. lots of levels above and below the waterline, blood and fish guts to your ankles, and a battle on a goant flaming raft the size of a big mall sounds too exciting to pass up.

good luck

Oh a world map can be found at http://www.heardfamily.net/images/theworld.jpg

 

[Cedric]

I am planning on running a campaign where the world is 99% ocean.

I ran one of these once. I setup several Island Kingdoms with one island you could consider a continent (about the size of Australia).

I also created an Island Kingdom with a long tradition of female spell casters that were hired out to other nations armies and merchants. I can't remember which name I referred to them as...but it wasn't too badly ripped off from the Athen`Mier(sp?) (from the Wheel of Time series).

Basically they specialized in wind magics to help ships move faster. Now, when I did this, we were using the Hero System. So you'd have to alter it dramatically for D&D.

I would think make them clerics and assign them domain powers for special domains, Wind and Sea. You might have to make some new spells for them.

Of course, the ocean's were replete with Pirate's, Sea Monsters, Sentient Races (aquatic elves, mermen, etc).

It was good fun...

Cedric

 

[Tonguez]

IMC set on a vast World of Islands (probabaly more 90/10 than 99/1 I have navigators be a Cleric PrC (Wind, Sea and Travel). I also have Sea rangers (combination Navigator, Fisherman and Marine) and a Whale Rider PrC

Low draft Catamarans are the main means of transport so if anyone falls into the water it simply takes a DC 15 climb check to get back on board

Sahuagin take the place of Orcs as the main antagonist race

Adventures take place on the islands, on the water and under the water too

their is a huge raft island inhabited by Elf Mariners moving across the ocean (somewhere)

An Aquatic Template gets applied to most anything (lots of Aquatic Abberations IMC)

Celestial Merrow-Magi are also fun...

 

[Aeolius]

Feel free to take a gander at my undersea campaign (link below) for ideas. Also, be on the lookout for "The Deep" by Mystic Eye Games.

 

[Silver Moon]

I did something similar once, where only around 3% was land. The world had three social classes: The wealthly upper class land-dwellers who resided on the land; the middle class sea merchants who traded with both the land dweller and undersea dwellers, providing each with what the other had; and the lower class everybody else and comprised around 80% of the world's population.

 

[Xeriar]

Oh a world map can be found at http://www.heardfamily.net/images/theworld.jpg

Interesting.

It has the look of two, very, very large meteor strikes making all the land.

Before those there probably wouldn't be much, if any.