NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="occam" data-source="post: 6428556" data-attributes="member: 39815">That's weird. I've just been planning a sea-based campaign, and the night before this thread was started, hit upon the idea for the starting adventure: PCs defend a settlement from pirates in a ship that became separated from its fleet, after which they have a ship they can use to leave their islands….A lot of the ideas I've been playing with have already been mentioned, including the Isle of Dread and Dwellers of the Forbidden City, merrows, a kraken, etc. I've also added a few ideas from this thread, so thanks!Other inspirations include The Odyssey and Star Trek, as well as serialized television in the style of Joss Whedon, and Chris Perkins' Iomandra campaign (which drew on similar elements).On the serialized television angle, build up large threats gradually. For instance, after acquiring their pirate ship, they set out and have an adventure or two that are (at least seemingly) unrelated, although they may acquire allies or items or information that will come in useful later. Then they encounter a detachment from the main pirate fleet which introduces them to the larger danger, foreshadows the coming threat to civilized societies in the region, provides hints of the nature of the pirate leader (the demon-captain idea from this thread works well for this), and lets the PCs know that there's an interest in the ship they acquired. Maybe something important is hidden on their own ship that they haven't yet discovered. Later they spy the pirate fleet on the horizon, or sail into a port that has recently been laid to waste in a pirate attack. The players should feel increasing tension as they build to a climactic confrontation.That's just one possible thread. Maybe the pirates are actually the B thread, or the demon-captain is part of a longer-term plot of infernal invasion.Some other random ideas:- Not all pirates are bad. Some are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. If the PCs need crew, pirates who had been press-ganged into service could make long-term loyal companions with useful intelligence about pirate methods and goals (although one will probably end up betraying them down the line).- Submerged ruins- Dragon attack at sea!</blockquote>

Verification