The Dalesman's page

The Dalesman wrote:

Now I wonder if I should have Rowyn show up after the events at the Taxidermist's Hall to offer her help in the PCs' investigation and search of the place. Hmmm........

If you did, I would do it with a purpose. Not wanting them to bring harm to Guttugger, she would lead them away from a felldrake and more towards maybe Lizard Men or a snake of some sort.

Indeed - more red herrings to throw them off would have been good, but I decided to drop that idea. Rowyn is still not on their list for the identity of the 'Lady Lotus' - they think it is either Heldrath Kellani or Arwyn Arabani (the mother of one of the PCs). So rather than potentially tip them off with a conspicuous arrival, I'm watching them wrestle with what to do if it is Arwyn - and I'm loving every minute of it :)

They have cleaned out the guild, with the exception of the rooms off of the Training Hall, where Rowyn is waiting for them. Maybe I should have Rowyn disguise herself as Arwyn. With all of the disguising she will do in 'Sea Wyvern's Wake' it could set a good precedent...

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Spoilers.............

At the end of the of the Sea Wyverns wake, the Boat crashes... is it totally out of comission for the rest of the campaign, or does the plot include it (repaired) in further adventurers? Just wondering cause I bought a massive cardstock miniature boat...and Im not gonna put it together for just one adventure.

According to a post from JJ in the thread 'The Blue Nixie and the Sea Wyvern: Both or just one? (Spoilers)', the Sea Wyvern will be salvaged and repaired in the fourth or fifth adventure I believe.

I had wondered about the life expectancy of the Sea Wyvern myself because my party will most likely try to 'trick it out' with upgrades, and I didn't want to take all of that investment and creativity away from them if I could avoid it.

So go ahead and get that boat assembled - it should see enough use to warrant it, and your party will love it :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

The Obituaries need some competition methinks. Here's my humble entry (sorry if it's a bit wordy, but I'm gushing with pride for my party right now)

Adventure: There Is No Honor
Location of Glory: Lotus Dragon Guildhall
Summary: Move over Bacon, now there's something Meatier

Through good planning, keen-eyed recon and darn good dice rolls, the heroes manage to actually 'ambush the ambushers' and get the drop on a group of Lotus Dragons guarding the area around Dead Dog Alley. They take one alive and successfully convince him to do the right thing and help them out.

Armed with a rough map of most of the guild (and dragging their prisoner along to make sure he told the truth), the party invaded the guild through one of the old abandoned buildings off of Dead Dog Alley. Because the guards topside were all dealt with, the guild was not on alert, and unaware of the approaching danger.

The party first infiltrated the Taxidermist's guildhall from the inside and got the drop on Nemien (one well placed acid sling bullet from the party thief dropped him to negatives before he could even act. Sigh...)

They return below and manage to sneak into the barracks, where half of the remaining guild is sleeping. Being upstanding folk, they close off the doors quietly and subdue the sleeping thieves, gagging them and tying them down to their bunks (that -10 penalty to Listen checks while sleeping worked well for them).

They stealthily move on to the training room, but their luck turns as they do not dispatch the thieves there before the alarm is raised (but they dispatched them a round later). The drunk thieves in the mess hall are no challenge, but one does run off and get Kersh and Cruncher. They actually slow down the party for several rounds, but they too fall to the might of Sasserine's new heroes.

The party has free reign of the place for the moment, and they frantically start their search for the Lady Lotus. What they find are the Rhagodessas....

Through what can be described as some of the worst die rolls I have made as the DM of this adventure to date, nobody in the party got touched once by the Rhagodessas, and the party was able to use their mindlessness to their advantage and finish them off in only a few rounds.

Only two things now stand between them and a near-flawless victory: Rowyn Kellani and Gut-Tugger....

Perhaps it is a bit premature to congratulate them, but I swear I haven't seen a party just OWN the opposiition like this in a long time. Part of me hates it, but I still salute their bravery, cunning and good fortune. I can't wait to see how it ends tonight! :)

Long Live the Heroes!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

I haven't received 141 yet, but is it safe to assume from the above posts that there is already an NPC crew generated for the Wyvern? If so, that would be cool, because I was thinking of sitting down and statting one up myself. A pre-made crew would sure save time and probably be composed of better thought out NPC's than what I could come up with. Can someone confirm? Or should I just wait for the pony express to mosey on down here with my mag?

I just received 141 on Saturday. While I haven't had much time to read it yet (my PCs just started the invasion of the Lotus Dragon guldhall in TINH), it looks like the NPCs are a mix of crew and fellow passengers. The writeups (and pictures) look good, so they will definitely be helpful!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Half of my party didn't want to leave well enough alone when hearing about Keltar Islaran's murder in TINH, and decided to go all 'CSI' on me and sneak into Keltar's bedroom in the middle of the night to do some snooping...

To their credit (and my amazement) they pulled it off. Now they have some more clues that will point to the Lotus Dragons when the final confrontation goes down.

There are times when I think about walling off Left Field, but then I realize that I'd miss out on so much good stuff! :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Well, I don't have an update yet on the confrontation with Rowyn, but some interesting developments have occurred:

When my party found out about Keltar Islaran's death, the rogue (who happens to be a Tibbit) snuck off to try and get into the crime scene and dig up some clues in the middle of the night. I will skip the story involved with that to save space - suffice it to say that it was ingenious and risky (and good dice rolls were on the PC's side).

She gets in and manages to evade detection, eventually gaining entrance to Keltar's room. It is still a gory mess, and has been looked over by the Azure Watch already. She clambers around carefully (avoiding leaving tracks in all the blood) and manages to find some clues.

Now I just had to reward her hard work and great stealth skills, so I let her find a broken tooth in the bloody sheets, and a claw mark on the back of the headboard with a scale embedded therein. (My take on the murder was that the Kellanis had several members of the Islaran staff/guards in their pockets, allowing Rowyn to sneak in with Gut-Tugger and let him use old Keltar as a chew-toy).

They then spent the following morning asking a sage in Nobles District, exotic animal merchants in the East Market of Azure District, and some of the big game "procurers" for the Arena in Champions District about their evidence. They have been informed that the items are from either a small green dragon or perhaps a felldrake of some kind.

Their next move is to head over to the Taxidermist's Guildhall to check out the lead in Penkus' note and get another opinion on the scale and tooth.

Now I wonder if I should have Rowyn show up after the events at the Taxidermist's Hall to offer her help in the PCs' investigation and search of the place. Hmmm........

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

- Women on board a ship make the sea angry, but a naked woman on board will calm the sea (this is the reason for naked figureheads).

This may have been a real superstition, but you'll have to think carefully whether to keep it in a fantasy world where there are some women sailors. Since Lavinia sails with the Blue Nixie in the third adventure, and I doubt she'll be able to hide her sex (as well-known citizen and ship's owner) or consent to walking around naked, this could either be a source of mutinous talk among the sailors or a problem for your game, depending. I've got two female PCs in my party--this could make for some interesting roleplaying or a serious distraction from the main business at hand, depending on how I handle it.

Yeah - I probably should have explained why I included that superstition, Peruhain.

I did so because I personally did not know about the tie-in to figureheads until I read the article. I thought it would be an interesting bit of trivia for those of us not well-versed in nautical ways.

I agree with you that this superstition wouldn't really work in most fantasy campaigns (and definitely not in mine). Besides, if Captain Jerrel in Bullywug Gambit ever heard such nonsense, I'm sure she would have some colorful things to say about it :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

I've only seen a few sailors' superstitions listed on the boards, so I thought I would look around for some other colorful ones to give to my players (and share here, of course).

I found these at the following website:
http://pacificoffshorerigging.com/nautical_superstitions.htm

- A stolen piece of wood mortised into the keel will make a ship sail faster.
- A silver coin placed under the masthead ensures a successful voyage.
- Disaster will follow if you step onto a boat with your left foot first.
- Pouring wine on the deck will bring good luck on a long voyage.
- Throwing stones into the sea will cause great waves and storms.
- A stone thrown over a vessel that is putting out to sea ensures she will never return.
- Flowers are unlucky onboard a ship.
- Don't look back once your ship has left port as this can bring bad luck.
- A dog seen near fishing tackle is bad luck.
- Black cats are considered good luck and will bring a sailor home from the sea.
- Swallows seen at sea are a good sign.
- Sighting a curlew (a wading bird) at sea is considered bad luck.
- A comorant sighted at sea is bad luck.
- Dolphins swimming with the ship are a sign of good luck.
- It is unlucky to kill an albatross.
- It is unlucky to kill a gull (they contain the sould of sailors lost at sea).
- Handing a flag through the rungs of a ladder is bad luck.
- Losing a mop or bucket overboard is a sign of bad luck.
- Cutting your hair or nails at sea is bad luck.
- Church bells heard at sea mean someone on the ship will die.
- St. Elmo's Fire around a sailor's head means he will die within a day.
- When the clothes of a dead sailor are worn by another sailor during the same voyage, misfortune will befall the entire ship.
- If the rim of a glass rings, stop it quickly or there will be a shipwreck.
- Never say the word 'drowned' at sea.
- A ship's bell will always ring when it is wrecked.
- A shark following a ship is a sign of inevitable death.
- Avoid red-haired people when going to a ship to begin a journey (it brings bad luck to the ship, which can be averted by speaking to the red-head before they speak to you).
- Avoid flat-footed people when beginning a trip (they also bring bad luck to the ship, which can also be averted by speaking to them before they speak to you).
- Women on board a ship make the sea angry, but a naked woman on board will calm the sea (this is the reason for naked figureheads).

Feel free to add to the list (and make any corrections where needed - apologies in advance if I got any wrong).

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Probably the easiest way to have a near iron-clad out is for one of those tooth capsules hold a Potion of Gaseous Form. She's about ready to tank, cracks down on the capsule and dissolves into mist, rolling down a small pipe or hole drilled into the base of the wall that empties outside of the complex. She keeps her gear that she has on/is holding and keeps an incredible mad-on for the group. She still knows the town inside and out and can find a place to hold-up and heal for a few days while stoking her revenge.

Good point. Rowyn is already listed in TINH as having a potion of gaseous form and a potion of cure moderate wounds, so I've turned those into the potion capsules for my encounter. I'm hoping that simple change will be enough to guarantee her escape without having to pull out anything cheesy (like her mother getting her body back and paying for a raise dead spell, or something like that).

My only other concern (which just hit me now) is if her getting away will really kill the PCs victory. Vanthus will already be gone - does yanking Rowyn away too just steal all the sense of accomplishment, or will the party appreciate the feat of breaking the back of the Lotus and saving the harbor? Oh bother....

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Oopsy - I forgot to mention the one other yummy bit of intrigue going on (apologies all):

The fight I described between Arwyn Arabani and the daughter PC has now put the idea into the PC's head that Arwyn might be one of the nobles involved in the Lotus Dragons. The daughter is now affiliated with the Dawn Council as well, so this could be an interesting fireworks show...

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

I'd rather not start a new thread, and this is in the spirit of my origional post, so hopefully, it'll take:

Will the Sea Wyvern last? IE Should I allow my players to invest a lot of time, energy, and emotion into the Sea Wyvern, knowing that it will be around for a while with them? By a while, I mean through the entire campaign, as opposed to just one arc.

The preview in issue 138 made it seem that the Sea Wyvern will be destroyed towards the end of arc 3 or begining of arc 4. Am I interpreting that wrong?

Basically, would I be setting my players up for a "rug-from-under-the-feet" by allowing them to invest in the boat itself? Enchantments, personalizations, and the like.

Well - JJ did say that the Sea Wyvern would be reclaimed soon after the climax of 'Sea Wyvern's Wake' earlier in this post, and that the ship would be as much of a recurring character as Lavinia will be. That seems to indicate this ship is intended to carry our heroes through most of the AP - maybe even into the Abyss itself in the end.

I do share your worries though, Black Bard. One of my party members is a sailor, and I know that guy wants his own ship. I'd hate to see a huge investment in it just go to waste, especially if my party really 'tricks' it out...

(Sigh) Now I REALLY want to see the map of the Sea Wyvern ;)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Love the layout of these Mando - everything a DM needs, and plenty of room to scribble changes too :)

Thanks again from all of us!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Thanks guys! I really wanted to make at least one villain in TINH that the party would hate to hate :)

Gavgoyle brings up a good point that I'm wrestling with even now. In order for this to have any sense of completion, I feel like I have to ensure Rowyn's escape at the end of TINH so there can be a rematch later.

I've changed her two potions out for potion tooth capsules (ala Complete Warrior) to give her a better chance of escaping, but I'm still trying to finalize an ironclad plan that will allow her to escape. I really want her to be more than a 'one shot wonder' now that I've gone down this path. If anyone has ideas on this, I am all ears.

And Steve - I will indeed let you know what happens when that shoe drops sir. My party may not think the intrigue tastes good, but I know we do ;P

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Here's the scene:
My STAP party just finished the Parrot Island encounter, it is the night after old Keltar Islaran met his grisly end, and they have gathered some preliminary info on the Lotus Dragons.

Now - one of the PCs is the daughter of Arwyn Arabani, representative for Merchant District (the player sold me on a cool idea involving this family, so we changed some info from the Player's Guide).

This PC has just had a knock-down, drag-out fight with her mother about the information suggesting noble involvement in the crimes/accidents that have hit Sasserine in the last month (mom thinks the other characters are trying to build a conspiracy to undermine the Dawn Council basically). The PC storms out of the manor in the middle of the night to take a walk along the shore and clear her head (yes, by herself).

She is walking through an alley when tanglefoot bags fall and block both ends, effectively trapping her. On top of the two buildings are three junior Lotus Dragons, who had orders to deliver the 'warning letter', but who thought to have some 'fun' with her first.

As this is going on, a good Samaritan was walking by this alley when the tanglefoot bags were dropped. Hearing the conversation (and the hooligans' intentions), she proceeds to render aid as the PC uses her magic to blind the baddies. Two of the three are slain outright by the Samaritan, while the third ran away.

The PC was grateful to her savior, and took her to the Rusty Pirate for drinks and some good conversation about how Sasserine is going to heck in a handbasket and needs some young, action-oriented people to take the reins and get things under control. They head back to their respective homes after several hours, a fast-friendship already built.

And who is the good Samaritan, you ask? One Rowyn Kellani....

She had sent these three to deliver the message because they were flunkies who weren't good for much else (they're so low in the organization they haven't even met her yet). When she saw them disobeying orders, she seized on the opportunity to "take out some trash" and to get in the good graces of one of the adventurers investigating the Lotus.

The plan went off perfectly. The one thief who got away will be eliminated upon his return for 'botching up the mission', and the PC is none the wiser. The only possible twist is that Rowyn does like this PC, which is why she will try to recruit her (and the others) into the Lotus when they finally storm the guildhall.

Sorry that was so long-winded, but this idea just came to me yesterday, and was played out last night in game. Does anyone think this idea is workable, or is it maybe stretching a bit too far?

I'll take all the counsel and feedback I can get on this one. Thanks!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Well, I know it's not quite as cool as black dragons swimming into the harbor to scuttle ships (I just love that idea Heathansson), but after seeing Gut Tugger, I'm planning on adding some more Felldrakes to my campaign. There is a sea elf settlement near my version of Sasserine, and I thought it would be neat to add some Crested Felldrakes with the amphibious template. My party has a druid from that community, and there is a ranger in the group as well - I may allow one to become a non-traditional animal companion (will probably make up a feat for that when I have time).

I'm not sure if I want to make Gut Tugger into this variant or just leave him be - I don't think it will impact the encounter with him and Rowyn either way.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

I think my favorite NPC villain in 3.0/3.5 is from "The Razing of Redshore" in Dungeon #92. She was a beautiful halfling with black-stained hands....

James - I can't put into words the hatred and fear my players had for that halfling you created. Needless to say, she always brought a smile to my face.

Heh heh heh - good times :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Mail sent to all before this message.

Let me know if you didnt receive it.

Could you send the files to me again, Mando? I don't know what's happening, but the attachments won't download at all. The address is: daehith@msn.com (or you could try daehith@hotmail.com too).

Thanks again!!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Mando wrote:

Putting these docs on the web seems unfair use of the copyright, so let's say we're friends, and now we can exchange this privately by email. (in fact, I feel I have a lot of things in common with you all AP3 DMS :p)

For those who might be interested, just let an email here and I will send you the files (.rtf and .pdf).

i am up for that... my email is: wrath_thecommish@hotmail.com

I'll second that motion, Mando :)

My email is: daehith@msn.com

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

It occurred to me this evening that Teraknian's Arch is as much a symbol of Sasserine as anything you could find. It is a constant reminder of the conflicts they have endured, and their years under the yoke of the Sea Princes. It is also, however, a symbol of the rend in the city’s soul – the rift between the two founding churches. Look at the map. The bridge, were it to be whole, would connect Champion’s and the Noble Districts. It might be said that, until the city can heal the wounds on its soul – until its two founding spirits can be reconciled – the city will never be at peace. Some might think that rebuilding the bridge would be a first (or maybe celebratory last) step along that road of reconciliation.

Anyway, just a nifty thought that might inspire someone…

Inspiration indeed - that would make for a nice side-story arc while the AP continues. Depending on how the second adventure concludes in Sasserine, that could be a good point to lay the groundwork for such a project. It would give the players another substantial investment in the city, and an even more personal reason to stop the Savage Tide.

Hmmmm... :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

My STAP has heard the siren's call of gestalt as well... :)

Milton - if you are concerned with the XP that three party members are getting, then it might be worth adding an NPC - with the understanding that said NPC gets an equal cut of the XP and treasure for their services. This gives them the arcane punch you think they need, but the party has to pay for that privilege.

Otherwise I agree with cthulhu_waits - three well-made gestalt PCs should be able to handle things for now.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

The Dalesman wrote:

Thanks for the links to Hypertext d20, erian. I never even knew about that resource until now - pure good stuff there :)

Yep, there's not a day goes by I don't hit that site for something! It's got the Epic

The Dalesman wrote:

If I may ask, how much difficulty (if any) did you have converting all of the monsters/NPCs over to the optional rules? Have you made any modifications to treasure to reflect the lesser role of armor in your campaign (i.e. - changing some armor out for protective items, putting armor bonuses on masterwork clothing, etc.)?

No real conversion difficulties so far concerning AC, but I'm using an entirely variant d20 system and already put considerable effort into game prep anyway, so my perspective may be skewed in that regard. For this, I've focused on fully adapting only key opponents (Soller Vark, Rowyn, the Huecuva) and for the others (thugs, Lotus Dragon rogues, etc.) just consider their AC "close enough" for game purposes. I'm not one to get bogged down in rules mid-game anyway...

For the treasure, I've left everything as-is, since armor is still useful under this system and simply serves a different purpose.

Gotcha. Well, if it was no big hassle to convert then it might be worthwhile after all. I know my aquatic PCs will be happy to hear it :)

Fake Healer wrote:

How does the Defense Bonus system work in regards to being flatfooted? Does it still stay in place? I like the way this rule looks and would like to use it but it didn't specify if you lose or retain the bonus while flatfooted.

FH

It's not addressed. I treat it similar to the Active Defense in Iron Heroes--it is effective against Touch Attacks (making this spellcaster "trick" much less useful) but does not apply when the character is flat-footed or otherwise would lose a Dexterity bonus to AC.

Thanks for the links to Hypertext d20, erian. I never even knew about that resource until now - pure good stuff there :)

If I may ask, how much difficulty (if any) did you have converting all of the monsters/NPCs over to the optional rules? Have you made any modifications to treasure to reflect the lesser role of armor in your campaign (i.e. - changing some armor out for protective items, putting armor bonuses on masterwork clothing, etc.)?

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

I've got a question for James, Eric and anyone else who owns a copy of Unearthed Arcana: Is anyone going to use the Defense Bonus optional rule from Unearthed Arcana?

I ask because after reading about the overall theme of the Savage Tide (swashbuckling, "piratey" high adventure) and the climate of the locations, it seems hard to picture anyone clanking around in armor (well, not for very long anyway).

The article on Sasserine in Dungeon 139 even mentions that, due to the local climate, "less is more" - regardless of social class. I know that the article is referring to dress style, but as armor is (usually) less comfortable to wear than clothing, it made me wonder.

I noted that the armor has all been light in TINH, but I just wanted to know if anyone else has thought of using the Defense Bonus rule, or if it would be too much of a headache to convert over. Thanks for your thoughts all!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Hey everyone,

My group is gearing up to start the Savage Tide, with me as DM. I'm still waiting for the adventure to arrive and don't have a firm idea about where the adventure is heading.

Does it make sense to buy stormwrack for this campaign? How much of it will be spent at sea? From what it sounds like, there is a lot of combat on land and in the abyss, so I don't know whether it would be worthwhile.

Just trying to get a sense of how much I would use the book. I won't buy it if I only need it for a chapter (and I don't "collect" D&D books, only the ones I really need).

Thanks!

Greetings Pivot,

Depending on how much you want your players to have access to, Stormwrack can still be a very good book to own. Most of the AP will be above the waterline, but these points might still be worth looking at:

- There are several new races (and aquatic variations on the "core" races) that can make the campaign interesting. Also, the inclusion of a zero-ECL "Amphibious" template allows you to make an aquatic version of almost any creature or race, and still be able to function on dry land just fine.

- The various prestige classes definetely would add flair to a pirate & swashbuckling style campaign like Savage Tide. The spells and magic items run along this vein as well.

- There are rules for "cinematic" ship battles, designed to keep the theme of being on the open seas, but not bogging down the combat rules overly much.

I hope that helps out a little bit. Ideally, borrowning a copy from someone who already owns it would give you the best chance to make an informed decision, but I'm sure you'll get enough good comment on this thread to help! :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

I just finished rereading Honor for the third time prepping for my group and was amazed by how much gold there was. A group with questionable ethics and good diplomacy could easily end up with 25,000 or so gold worth of treasure by the end. Thats not even including the magic items. That seems high for an adventure for 1st and 2nd level.

I know I can cut it back a bit easy enough, I was just suprised. Anyone else amazed by that?

Edit: Woops - looks like I am echoing the esteemed Fake Healer's thoughts on this one :)

I think this was explained in a previous thread as the compensation for TINH being more challenging than most 1st level adventures. That has been a standard for all of the Adventure Paths, from what I understand.

Since so much of this AP will take place in 'wilderness' environs, opportunities to purchase magic items/equipment on short notice will be quite limited. This extra money would allow the party to stockpile on necessary support items (potions, wands, travel gear, etc.) to survive their journeys.

If you are concerned that your party will not spend the money wisely, you could always substitute a portion of it for said support items. They then have what they need, with a little extra for their troubles (but not so much that they can go crazy with it).

Just my two coppers worth - hope that helps a little :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Since I'm the "architect" who designed the map turnovers for Saltmarsh and Sasserine... I suppose your answer is yes. I use Campaign Cartographer to map out cities, which has a lot of pre-rendered symbols for buildings. In building maps, I've more or less got in my mind whcih ones to use for temples, which ones for garrisons, and so on, so you'll note that in every map that features a location for something I've written or had a hand in... those buildings will look the same (check out the maps for Redshore in Dungeon #92, Scuttlecove in #95, Alhaster in #131, Saltmarsh, Sasserine, and so on). Maps that I designed turnovers for without using Campaign Cartographer (such as the Styes) I draw up by hand, and therefore don't feature these archetectual similarities quite as much.

In game, though... I'd ignore it. If a player's observant enough to notice a similarity, just shrug it off. Saying that one Primal Architect designed all the cities of the world is a bit much...

Thanks for the information James - I was wondering if you were using one favored piece of software for the maps. And since I've been thinking about getting CC myself, that works out as a good testimonial too!

I just thought it would be nice to use the interior maps of the garrison since they structurally fit the ones in Sasserine. I so hate seeing a good map go to waste :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Would STAP support an aquatic animal companion. Rarely get to see these critters and would be great. See a couple uses for one in the 1st adventure but how about the rest of the campaign?

Shade325

I don't know if this might help you or not Shade, but when JJ answered a post of mine about having an aquatic PC in my party, he "strongly advised" against a fully aquatic character, since most of the AP does take place in air-breathing environs (though amphibious PCs would be fine). My player now has an amphibious aquatic elf druid (she's got some surface elf blood in her), and I'm now wondering the same thing you are about an animal companion.

I would think the same suggestion holds true for any familiars/animal companions as well as for the PCs. A fully aquatic creature might very well be stuck on the sidelines until the adventure heads back to the seas, which wouldn't be much fun after the first few times.

That being said, I'd love to bounce some other ideas around and come up with something unique...

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

For James (and anyone else who has the Player's Handbook II)-

Is it just me, or did the architect who designed the Sasserine garrisons also built the garrison for the city of Saltmarsh? The footprint of the buildings look almost identical.

Would the size of the Saltmarsh Garrison be workable with the intended size of the Saserine garrisons, or would anything need to be modified to use the map for it in PHB II?

Not that I'm intending to put my party in lockup or anything. Perish the thought.....(smiles innocently) :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

It seems that a lot of players are creating an "aventi something"...

Where can I find everything about that race ???

The Aventi are detailed in the book Stormwrack, which has quite a few things that would work nicely in this AP. Well worth adding to your library if you don't already have it. :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Or that they cancelled 'Firefly'.

(Raises his mug to Browncoats everywhere)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

I have seen very little in the Greyhawk literature on where the different aquatic humanoid groups have their strongholds. I'd just tell your player there is a mostly submerged coral reef about 30 miles offshore that houses a sizeable aquatic elf community. Let the player make up the rest about this community and plop it into Greyhawk. Greyhawk is really written with lots of space for these kinds of maneuvers, and you shouldn't feel as if you're violating canon by doing so.

Thanks for the advice Peruhain. My greatest fear was overlooking any canon material that was just too good to pass up.

Since the field is wide open, I'll take your geographical advice and then let my player flesh out her home. I have a feeling I won't be disappointed with the possible story hooks...

Thanks again for the help - I now have one less detail to worry about! :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

I am in need of counsel from those out there who are more knowledegable than myself in all things Greyhawk, as I plan on running my STAP 'as-is'.

My question is:
Does anyone know of any aquatic elf communities in the waters near Sasserine? One of my party members is going to be an aquatic elf, and wants to be from Sasserine (or at least nearby). As I said, my knowledge of Oerth is very limited, so I don't know if this area has had any prior treatment before in D&D to use as a reference.

Any and all ideas would be greatly appreciated - thanks in advance for your help!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

bandwidth so bad i cant download the savage tide players guide without it dropping after 1% downloaded..

Yuck!

I'm right there with you. Give it just a little bit more time - the first wave (pardon the pun) should be over soon.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Lilith wrote:

Heathansson wrote:

What is thy bidding, Master.

Go forth and proclaim thy new title for all to see. Go forth, my apprentice, and share thy candid canine conversations with all! Beware, for my other Disciple, Fake Healer, shall be watching most carefully for the abuse of core-class spellings.

You saw her public acension here first, folks:

Empress Lilith - 'tis got a nice ring to it actually...

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Ahem - that would be "ascension" rather than "acension".

(Just wanted to correct that typo myself before Fake Healer decides to cast his net a bit wider on "spelling indiscretions".
:)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Heathansson wrote:

What is thy bidding, Master.

Go forth and proclaim thy new title for all to see. Go forth, my apprentice, and share thy candid canine conversations with all! Beware, for my other Disciple, Fake Healer, shall be watching most carefully for the abuse of core-class spellings.

You saw her public acension here first, folks:

Empress Lilith - 'tis got a nice ring to it actually...

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Heathansson wrote:

Don't do it! They're fig newtons! Not worth it at all!

So not true! They're double-fudge-macadamia-peanut-butter-choco-chip cookies!

You had us at Double Fudge, Lilith! :P

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

R-type wrote:

Heathansson wrote:

Is that all?...

(I should talk)

And then of course theres all those random monsters, rules, class acts articles and ideas that I'm bound to see in Dragon and Dungeon that I simply have to use... ;)

Dragon Magic is out and I might get that on friday...

:O

I can hear me mum from me childhood now: "don't you have enough of thos books yet?!?"

Blasphemy - you can never have enough gaming books!!!

(Or magazines, or documents, or software, or fashion accessories, or dice, or..... )

;)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

My list is almost identical to R-Type's, just exchange the Eberron books and Complete Psionic for Unearthed Arcana and Savage Species.

Methinks I need to invest in a stout library cart.... :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Hmmm - mine was sent out on August 29, and it still has not arrived (but it has started appearing in bookstores in my area). This worries me a bit....

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

The Dalesman wrote:

Anywhoo - here's the group I will be running (created using the Gestalt optional rule from UA)

You gestalted too, eh?

Yeppers - call me crazy for wanting more workload as a DM, but I do like that character option.

I love the quotes for your party members - it sounds like fun will be had by all at your game table :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

It looks like my party roster has been assembled. The only minor modifications left to do are pending the arrival of my Savage Tide Player's Guide and my subscription issue of Dragon (which shipped August 29 and still hasn't gotten here - I'm getting concerned...)

Anywhoo - here's the group I will be running (created using the Gestalt optional rule from UA):

- Half-Orc Fighter/Wereshark (going into Barbarian after savage progression is complete). Probably will have a pirate background - may take Dread Pirate later on;

- Tibbit (from Dragon Compendium) Thief/Fighter. He will be taking a custom-built Paragon Tibbit class before taking Fighter to enhance his scent ability and speed up his shapechanging;

- Halfling Wizard/Monk. He will be progressing through the Winged template before becoming a Monk (this guy frightens me);

- Surrian (sp?; from Mythic Races at any rate - a four-armed human basically) Cleric (Fharlanghn)/Quickling template (from Advanced Bestiary). This character's lifespan is 1/4 normal due to the template - part of our campaign will involve the rest of the party dealing with this character literally growing old before their eyes, and will (hopefully)spawn a side-adventure to prolong his life.

- Aquatic Elf (Amphibious template from Stormwrack) Druid/Beguiler. This character will be the child of an aquatic elf and a surface elf (thus the amphibious template). She will be the party leader and the "face" of the party - a diplomat between nature and civilization, the land and the seas.

Now all I have to do is start "Gestalt"-ing the main baddies in TINH - what to do, what to do? (insert Evil Grin here)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

DM, what is best in life?

"To crush the characters, to see their sheets pile before you, and to hear the lamentations of the players."

And just so the players have their own mantra to make them feel better when rolling up a replacement PC (with love and sincere apologies to Frank Herbert):

"It is by caffeine alone that I set my mind in motion.
It is by the juice of Red Bull that my thoughts acquire speed,
My lips acquire a stain,
The stain becomes a warning.
It is by caffeine alone that I set my mind in motion."

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

I forgot to mention why I switched to the older D&D rules for the Aquarendi being out of water...the Stormwrack rule of "X hours per Con out before starting to suffocate" struck me as odd. The character is walking around fine for hours (maybe even days), then suddenly starts to suffocate? The older rules to me reflected the character gradually "drying out" and thus suffering the consequences over time. Oh, and I forgot to mention another impact is a -2 to Con for every 24 hours out. If Con reaches 0 the character starts to suffocate and will die unless placed in water quickly. I've been thinking too about the nasty side effects of dehydration-related magic...

Of course, the player is already thinking about a portable hole full of water to allow long-distance trips...

Another good fashion accessory would be a Decanter of Endless (Sea)water. In a campaign I played in a few years ago, we had an aquatic elf character literally wear it as a hat to stay alive in a desert. Needless to say, the natives loved her. "All hail Nymrael, the Walking Oasis!"...

...We gamers are a unique bunch - I love it :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Damn again! For some strange reason I thought Sea elves could breathe air and simply had a +1 level adjustment as a powerful race like a Water Genasi. In actuality, the Sea (or aquatic) elves detailed in both Stormwrack and Races of Faerun can only survive on land for one hour per constitution bonus!

There is a handy feat Landwaker in both books that allows them to go for three hours per point of constitution but its unlikely my players elf could have that great a bonus to Con, as a Dragon Shaman he will be dependant quite a number of his ability scores and would more than likely have a high Cha if anything.

Possibly the Moon elf race is a better way to go after all.

I seem to recall that in 2E Forgotten Realms, there was an entry somewhere for half-elves of aquatic elf ancestry. I think they had a percentage chance of having functional gills in addition to their lungs, which allowed them to function on land or water equally well (though aquatic elves could still survive at greater depths).

In keeping with that idea, maybe a compromise would be to allow a half-elf character with the amphibious template from Stormwrack? The template itself says that those who have it have some aquatic blood in their lineage - that's easy enough to explain if the elf parent was aquatic.

If the player is dead-set on playing a full-blooded elf, though.....I suppose they could have been captured by yuan-ti and experimented on (or some other race known for tinkering with "eugenics").

Just my humble two coppers' worth - gad that was a long rant, apologies for that :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

While there are some encounters in Savage Tide that'll be less dangerous or easier if the party includes an amphibious PC, it won't break the game. In fact, Savage Tide is a pretty great campaign to include an aquatic elf or something along those lines in, simply because it's got such strong aquatic themes. I'd strongly advise against a fully aquatic PC, thoguh, since the majority of the campaign DOES take place in the air.

As I'm sure many have said before me - thanks for the swift reply!

This news eases my fears greatly. I just wasn't sure if a fully aquatic PC would be viable, but now I feel comfortable allowing an Aventi or some other standard race with the amphibious template (Stormwrack = goodness)

Thanks again for the help, and for yet another AP we can all get excited about!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"

Well - since this is my first post on the Messageboards, I guess I should say "Well Met, all!"

I've been pouring over this board for a few days now, and the ideas and suggestions here are worth their weight in gold - My Savage Tide campaign will only get better for it.

I could use some feedback and suggestions on one thing though. I've seen several party rosters that included aquatic or amphibious characters. I was wondering whether or not such characters would be unbalancing to this kind of campaign, or has this already been factored into the adventures?

Thanks in advance for everyone's help!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Feeding Big D**N Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR!"