Hey! It turns out the original thread was lost, so I'm picking where I left off with Savage Tide Player's Guide Conversions. Mebbe if the original post is ever found, I'll merge everything into one easy to read thread.
Savage Tide Player’s Guide Conversion
Okay…more than a few days late, but here’s the next step- the conversion of the Player’s Guide.
In Pyrespace, Azure District is not merely the gateway to the rest of the world- it is the city’s main Spelljamming hub. The Islarns have lost interest in Quelya moreso than in Sasserine, having left the planet for greener pastures. Keltar is eagerly awaiting the return of one of his younger children or older grandchildren to become the new harbormaster. Furthermore, the exotic pets available through the black market are decidedly more amphibious- the vipers are instead anacondas, the dire bat becomes a dire sea turtle, and the leopard is instead a sea lion.
In Greyspace, Captain Shadwik knows that some of the ships that dock in Sasserine to trade at the behest of the Vanderborens are “queer”- made of a thick wood that can handle the rigors of the void- but he knows nothing of spelljamming.
The Water Rat feat is unchanged.
Pyrespace Champion’s District sports more lithe retiari and beastari than muscle bound bastard sword wielding butchers. There is no Scarlet Brotherhood here, although a group of deranged fanatics who believe themselves the heirs of Arcane can be used in their stead- especially if they worship Wee Jas.
In Greyspace, the Scarlet Brotherhood has known of Spelljamming for quite some time, but the Sasserine chapter has not has much luck in procuring a helm. They would be quite interested in any information on the worlds beyond, and are not afraid of using violence to obtain this information although it would be a last resort- they do not wish to discredit the Scarlet Embassy.
In both settings, the latter part of the Arena Blood feat (+2 bonus on grapple checks, sunder attempts, trip attempts, bull rush attempts and disarm attempts) only activates on a spelljamming (or mundane) vessel if the character who has it is a captain fighting in front of their crew. The Steadfast Loyalty feat is also shared amongst crew members if a captain has it and is within sight of his crew.
In Pyrespace, the suspicion people have in Cudgel District only applies to offworlders or known spelljammers- they are more tolerant of those who explore Quelya. The Greyspace version is also unchanged, although any characters who become known spelljammers (or to associate with known spelljammers) are likely to be run out of the district. The Church of the Whirling Fury will keep a VERY close eye on them so long as they are in Sasserine, and may even manipulate events to have them arrested on trumped-up charges, although not necessarily killed.
The Suspicious Eye feat is unchanged.
Merchant’s District is the Vanderborens home in either setting and changes the least as a result. In Pyrespace, Lady Anwyn Aralani is obsessed with mythical aquatic elves as opposed to drow. In Greyspace, the setting is unchanged. In both settings, the benefits of the Merchant’s Tongue feat can rise as high as 20% when selling Sasserine items off-world or vice versa.
Noble District in Pyrespace is largely unchanged, save that Kira Willlowtop also sells space charts in addition to their aquatic counterparts, and Zebula Meravanchi imports exotica from off-world. The House of the Dragon takes a dim view of spelljamming which is encouraged by elements in Cudgel District, although the black sheep evokers and transmuters of the college often find employment on a Spelljamming vessel quite readily.
The Greyspace Noble District is unchanged, save that Kira and Zebula would pay through the nose for space charts and flora and fauna from other worlds respectively.
The Academy Graduate feat is unchanged, although it must be stressed that in possessing the Knack for Magic feat in Greyspace is not enough to propel a spelljamming vessel- one still needs to be a spellcaster in order to do so.
Shadowshore is more than it seems in either setting. In Pyrespace, few spelljammers advertise their occupation in the district unless they are in the employ of Vico Bevenin (or to a lesser extent, Emil Drackus). The novice Lotus Dragons occasionally serve as muscle for these powerful men, and easily find legitimate work as hands on vessels in their employ.
In Greyspace, Shadowshore is as presented, save Vico Bevenin has recently discovered that has recently discovered that the Vanderborens are former spelljammers, but is at a loss as to what to do with this information since he lacks a helm. He has hired enterprising members of the Lotus Dragons to get close to Vanthus to learn something of the family secret. He does not know of the Scarlet Embassy/Brotherhood’s interest in spelljamming.
The Child of the Shadow feat works both on- and off-world, and the combat applications apply in the tight quarters of a spelljamming or seafaring vessel.
Finally, Sunrise District. As I have recently procured Dragon #348, I will address the affiliations in the next post. The district itself changes little, save that in Pyrespace the plantation owners have their plantations off-world as far as Verdura, and Aniphastus Knowlern knows that certain elements amongst the nobility of Verdura conspired to have the Vanderborens assassinated.
In Greyspace, the plantations are obviously on Oerth, and Knowlern knows that the Vanderborens were once spelljammers, although he is not one himself nor is he associated with the Imperial Elven Navy.
The +2 bonus provided by the Student of Nature feat applies to attacks from creatures of the aquatic subtype in Pyrespace. It is unchanged in Greyspace.
And now…The Savage Tiding Conversions. Again, I’m more than a few days late- but hey, no one’s posting, so I’m guessing no one’s worried. I’m just going to cover the affiliations and the benefits they offer- I don’t want to give away too much to people planning to purchase the issue.
Church of the Whirling Fury
In Greyspace, the group functions as presented, but should it come to the guild’s knowledge that one of their own is a Spelljammer planning to take to their word to the stars, they enjoy a +1 bonus to their affiliation score and a potion of protection from evil even if they don’t qualify for one (or an extra one if they do). Furthermore, the special abilities affect all crew members of the ship- even if they aren’t particularly pious- although evil members of the crew are excluded from these benefits.
In Pyrespace, Gwynharwyf is the physical embodiment of a star used for navigation on Quelya much like our own north star. The special abilities offered at affiliation scores of 21 and above affect the ship (and *only* the ship) if the member in question is captain. For example: A ship captained by a Fury Knight enters combat with a gargantuan fiendish void kraken. All attack and damage rolls made for the ship’s cannons receive a +1 bonus. During this fight, a quasit who has actually been living on the kraken as a parasite sneaks aboard the ship and attacks the crew. While anyone can attack the foul little beast, only the captain and any other Fury Knights who partake in the battle enjoy the bonus to attack and damage.
In both campaign settings, a member of the organization can have a caryatid column installed into one of the masts for 80% of the construction cost. The caryatid column will attack any threats to the ship within its reach.
Dawn Council
In Greyspace, the Dawn Council is confined to Oerth, although this may change through the course of the adventure. If this happens, the bonuses enjoyed at an affiliation score of 11 or higher may apply even if the character in question is no longer on Oerth(DM’s discretion).
In Pyrespace, the aforementioned benefits apply so long as the character or characters who are members of the Dawn Council are acting on Sasserine’s behalf. These bonuses are halved when the character comes into conflict with those the DM considers enemies of the planet Quelya itself. Furthermore, the villa or plantation gained at an affiliation score of 30 or higher may not be on Quelya, but on one of its moons or another planet entirely.
The Scarlet Brotherhood
The Scarlet Brotherhood in Greyspace wants to spelljam, and if it comes to their attention that one of their members is in possession of a helm, they are elated. Said member’s affiliation score goes up by one rank, but assassins will be dispatched if the member in question does not report back to the Brotherhood at least once a month. Assassins will also be dispatched if three reports go by with no new information. Players may think they are getting away with murder, but the number of assassins never decreases, and future reports do not make up for ones missed in the past. Should this happen, it may be preferable for the character
While the Scarlet Brotherhood does not exist in Pyrespace, a group of people who believe themselves the heirs to the planet of Ashen and follows ideals similar to the Scarlet Brotherhood could be used in their stead. In this case, the benefits and reprisals of the organization match the ones presented for the Scarlet Brotherhood, save that the cousins, honor guard, and assassins should have bard, wizard, and sorcerer levels thrown in respectively.
The Seekers
The differences between the two version of the Seekers are circumstantial- in Greyspace they are composed mostly of Oerik-bound explorers and a smattering of true spelljammers who simply want to explore (and make money), while the Pyrespace Seekers are composed of Spelljammers and a smattering of Quelyan explorers who simply want to explore (and make money). In either case, they are enemies of the Scarlet Brotherhood (or its Pyrian facsimile).
In Greyspace, should a seeker come out to his fellows as a spelljammer, his affiliation score goes up by one rank, and the 6th level expert is instead a 6th level adept. Should they run afoul of a member of the Scarlet Brotherhood, they are expected to do everything they can to keep spelljamming knowledge out of their hands- failure to do so immediately reduces their affiliation score by TWO ranks.
In Pyrespace, the Seekers are instead enemies of the Ashen adherents described above, and eagerly keep them from exploiting secrets of that ruined world. The bonus to knowledge checks offered at the Master Seeker level is doubled if the character in question is researching the history, flora, fauna, or architecture of Ashen, and the wondrous item that can be borrowed at the Grand Master level should have something to do with the ruined planet.
(Ashen Brotherhood: Hand over the relic! Seeker: It belongs in a museum!)
The Witchwardens
The Witchwardens are similar to the Church of the Whirling Fury save that they have a more powerful patron deity. In Greyspace, members of this group receive a +3 bonus to their affiliation score if they are open with the organization about their spelljamming, which increases to +5 if they are a priest of Wee Jas.
In Pyrespace, Wee Jas’ and her portfolio are physically represented by the stars and eternal night of the void, so druids of the void share in the bonus as if they were clerics.
In both campaign settings, the crew of the ship can enjoy benefits of membership if their captain is a member of the Witchwardens.
Zelkarune’s Horns
A member of Z’s horns would grow quite famous in Greyspace if they could bring back something exotic to fight in the arena. They receive a bonus to their affiliation scare equal to 1/3 of the CR of the most powerful creature they bring back to Sasserine from the depths of the void. This bonus increases to ½ if they defeat the creature in the arena, but they cannot call upon said creature later at the Arena Champion level- it is quite living impaired. Rangers receive a +1 bonus to their affiliation score, which increases to +2 if they are the captain of a vessel that seeks to poach creatures to exploit in the arena.
In Pyrespace, Zelkarune’s Horns are known for handling exotic creatures- in fact they are somewhat expected to do so. The organization has quite the menagerie of creatures, so a crew that has a member of Zelkarune’s Horns as a member (not necessarily as captain) and as an Arena Champion can take a caged monster of CR 6 or less on an expedition to them for up to 1 week. This is in addition to the creature the Arena Champion can requisition.
I've finally turned my attention to the adventures themselves. Hope to have more up soon!
Greyspace:
There Is No Honor Adventure Background
This is the first adventure, so there are few changes here. Most people probably don’t remember the teaser I gave for this adventure taking place in Greyspace, so I’m going to drop the vast majority of it and just go with a few basics for those who may not be familiar with Greyspace. In Greyhawk, spelljamming is all but unknown to a select few potent wizards and people aligned with organizations that include powerful wizards (see The Seekers above). The elder Vanderborens were spelljammers who originated from one of few asteroid cities that exist in space, and settled in anonymity on Oerth although they kept a few contacts from their piratical days among the stars. They were among Oerth’s most successful traders, mainly due to exotics they imported from beyond. Vanthus Vanderboren had some inkling that his family had some kind of otherworldly wealth, and thus the adventure begins.
Part One: A Noble in Need
A DC 20 Knowledge (nobility and royalty) check is enough to clue the PCs in on strange tales of the Vanderborens trading objects of unknown origin; these tales have never borne any fruit for the Vanderborens were too generous with their gifts and favor currying to allow anyone of means to investigate them. Should the PC’s question Lavinia about this (as in Talking to Lavinia), she confesses ignorance of this, somewhat lightheartedly if they have not yet asked her what happened to her parents, and rather crisply if they already have. She does not think there is the slightest whiff of truth to these rumors, and she will not entertain the notion that her parents were involved in anything odd or illegal. Further inquiries along this line will cost the PC’s money- fully half of the money she offers them if they fail a DC 20 Diplomacy check.
Part Two: Trouble on the Blue Nixie
Should the PC’s encounter Keltar Islaran (see above) or one of his employees in their quest to have the Blue Nixie investigated on official channels, they find that most of these people find the ship to be odd at the very least. A number of minor alterations have been made to the ship to make it suitable for spelljamming, and while these do not detract from the seaworthiness of the vessel, it does stand out and the superstitious may even refuse to set foot on it(but of course, this hasn’t kept the pirates from taking over the ship). I’ve only made one alteration here- the rhagodessa is not a creature of Oerthian origin (the PCs can discover this on a DC 30 Knowledge (nature) check, increased from 20 due to the fact that it is trying to kill them), but from the depths of wildspace that the elder Vanderborens imported (not from the Lotus Dragons at all). The other animals are all quite normal.
Part Three: The Vanderboren Vault
The pictures of exotic creatures found in the vault are not of Oerthian origin, and the PCs can discover this on a DC 20 Knowledge (Nature) check.
Part Four: Peril Under Parrot Island
No changes here.
Part Five: The Lotus and the Dragon
Not many changes, save that the rhagodessas encountered later on are gifts from Vanthus to Rowyn, not from Soller Vark. The PCs should get another check to see if they realize these creatures are not from around here.
And that’s it for the first adventure in Greyspace! Now, for…
Pyrespace
There Is No Honor Adventure Background
Once again, this is the first adventure, so there isn’t much to change. It actually runs very similar to the Greyspace adventure, with only the following alterations...
Part One: A Noble In Need
If the PCs should inquire as to Lavinia’s parents, she replies that they were lost in the depths of the void, not at sea.
Part Two: Trouble on the Blue Nixie
The rhagodessa is not of Quelyan origin- it hails from the strange world of Ashen (which I think I mistakenly called Arcane above). The DC to determine that it is not from around here is the same as it was in the Greyspace path, although a DC 20 Knowledge (Ashen) check reveals that this a creature from that forgotten planet. Also, 1d4 of the pirates should have pistols(1d10, x3, 50 ft, piercing weapon) instead of crossbows, and Soller Vark carries a flamegun (1d6 fire damage) with one shot that he will use in an attempt to set the ship ablaze and aid his escape(even though another one of the pirates attempts to set a fire in another part of the ship).
Part Three: The Vanderboren Vault
Farshore is actually a colony on Ashen that is somewhat livable. The Vanderboren signet ring is a lesser crown of the stars that only functions for blood members of the Vanderboren family. This information is found inside the vault along with the Farshore information.
Part Four: Peril Under Parrot Island
No changes, but the PCs should be careful to keep their powder dry.
Part Five: The Lotus and the Dragon
Fully half of the Lotus Dragon Thieves encountered should have pistols, and Rowyn Kellani should have a masterwork pistol instead of a hand crossbow.
Rather scant, huh? Soon I’ll be back with the second adventure- The Bullywug Gambit. Chances are there’ll be a lot of changes there.
Sorry for making everyone wait- I'll have the conversions for Bullywug Gambit and Savage Tidings from the next most recent issue of Dragon tonight.
Okay, I’m back with The Bullywug Gambit.
Greyspace:
This adventure assumes that the PCs have some inkling that the Vanderborens are trafficking in exotica not of Oerthian origin, that they have all but eradicated the Lotus Dragons, and thereby remain in the employ of Lavinia Vanderboren. This is probably the last “normal” adventure the PCs are going to have for a long, long time- they should enjoy it rather than endure it as a stepping-stone to “the spelljamming part”. There are no changes to the adventure itself- it is the downtime leading into the next adventure that requires special attention.
The Isle of Dread exists nowhere on Oerth, residing instead in the depths of wildspace. Lavinia (once she is rescued) informs the PCs of her desire to go to Farshore continue her family’s work, and that she will need another ship to make the exodus. The PCs should have at least one ship on hand- The Sea Wyvern. She has been investigating her mother’s journals, and has discovered that the PCs will need a helm to make the Wyvern space worthy. She gives the PCs the plans for creating a minor helm, and suggests that they find a magic user to get information on how one might be created. Should the PCs balk at the 20,000 gp price tag (and who wouldn’t?) there are other ways to procure one.
If any PCs are a member of the Seekers will be approached by a superior who confides in them that Master Seekers know and approve of Mme. Vanderboren’s enterprise. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time that a Seeker took to the stars. They tell the PC(s) where one can be found at a reduced price- stolen from Scarlet Brotherhood zealots who are coming perilously close to creation one of their own. This should be treated as a side adventure (or side story) that takes the PCs beyond Sasserine- see below for details.
If any PCs are a member of the Scarlet Brotherhood, the organization actually gives them a helm gratis- but it scries everything that happens on the main deck of the ship where it is installed. Should any PC’s offer conflicting stories as to what happens on the ship (see above, in the Player’s Guide to Savage Tide section), an assassin will be dispatched to deal with the possibly traitorous PC.
Any PCs that are a member of the Witchwardens can have the helm created for them at 80% of the cost.
PCs who are unable to do any of these things can always return to Lavinia with the information and she will cover the cost. However, she will be part owner of the Sea Wyvern, and she will want a say (probably the final one, since she just dropped around 20 K on the helm) on who captains the vessel (if a PC doesn’t step forward, that is), who crews it, what colors it gets painted, etc. A Diplomacy check can sway her on most issues, however- she prides herself on her fairness. Once the PCs have a helm (or two, should they have more than one ship in their possession) they are ready to start the next adventure- The Sea Wyvern’s Wake.
Pyrespace:
Once again, this adventure synopsis assumes that the PCs are working for Lavinia and have taken out the Lotus Dragons. Changes occur as follows.
Part One: To Kraken’s Cove
The travel times by sea are the same as in the standard adventure path, although random encounter checks should be made for encounters with dire sharks and other aquatic hazards. Walking to Kraken’s Cove is doubly dangerous, as overland travel is extraordinarily rare on Quelya. Random Encounters checks should double in frequency. Should the PCs go for an actual Spelljamming vessel to take them to Kraken’s Cove, there are no encounters, and it only takes 6 hours to get there- but it costs 25 gp per character, and 15 gp per day for the vessel to wait for the PCs.
Part Two: Kraken’s Cove
The PCs can attempt to save the burning ships, but as in the Greyspace path it is up the the DM to determine how successful they are. The frigate handles as if it was a hammership, the caravels handles as if they were tradesmen, while the schooner and long barge handle as if they were gnomish wreckships.
There should be a pair of pistols with a dozen shots for each in the storage area (K10).
In the encounter with Captain Harliss Javell (in K14- Javell’s Standoff), PCs with firearms may grow bit cocky and be eager to settle things through fisticuffs- kind DMs may want to remind them that reloading a pistol is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
Part Three: The Wormfall Festival
No changes.
Part Four: Frogs in the House
There should be a spittergun instead of a repeating crossbow in the training hall (V19).
After Lavinia has been rescued, the adventure is over, but the fun may just be starting. Depending on how many ships the PCs saved, they may have the makings of a fleet on their hands. In this version, the Sea Wyvern and the two-masted caravel are already tradesmen, but the other ships will need their own helms. A PC who is a member of any of the organizations available in this campaign setting can have a minor helm created for them on a DC 30 Diplomacy check, or turn to Lavinia for help in this undertaking on a DC 20 Diplomacy check. She will be just as much an equal partner in the enterprise as she is in the Greyspace version, and will want a say in everything. Once the PC’s ships are space-worthy, they are ready to start the next adventure: The Sea Wyvern’s Wake.
Savage Tidings: Beyond Sasserine
Greyspace:
In Greyhawk, the wilds beyond Sasserine are just as presented, but the PCs may have to explore them in order to procure a helm- or they may simply be taking the long way to Blood Bay. Those who seek the helm at the ‘generosity’ of the Scarlet Brotherhood will need to explore Mashwan, as they have established a base there under the cover of historians seeking to unravel the Olman mysteries of the area. Parties that are unable or unwilling to undertake this adventure may want to invade Hookface’s Lair- particularly if they know or are related to the adventurers of the Shackled City Adventure Path. Of course there are other adventures to be found here- metagaming players may want to procure treasures to sell in wildspace. To this end, the Spire of Long Shadows and Beroarak’s Maw may have trinkets that are interesting to those who do not visit Greyhawk much. The Dungeon of Rust and Fire, Fiddler’s Cave, and Chekitewan are a little harder to fit into a Spelljammer campaign, but it can be done- The Dungeon of Rush and Fire in particular may hold a clockwork horror that has been in stasis for years that may suddenly come back online when aboard a spelljamming vessel…and start eating it.
Pyrespace:
In Pyrespace, once again, the areas outside of Sasserine are quite different. The only changes to the map should be the dramatic increase of the width of the rivers that flow through the area- effectively turning it into a series of large islands. Amedio Jungle, Carver’s Pit, Blood Bay, Fiddler’s Cave, The Dungeon of Rust and Fire, the Crab, Hungry Fish, Emerald and Skyfroth Rivers are as presented, but Kraken’s Cove has fewer scuttled ships, and Thunder River is a hotbed of violence between logging companies due to the rarity of dry wood on Quelya. Tiger River may be useful to druid and ranger PCs who are looking for an animal companion(see above for some animal companions, although the PCs may not be high enough level to enjoy such powerful allies).
Amedio Highway does not exist in Pyrespace, as overland travel is so rare on Quelya. Traffic in the area is in the form of lizardfolk, bullywugs, and occasional sahaugin- the Blisterwall and Castle Rakin act as a bulwark against these dangers. The Hellfurnace is a non-volcanic and smaller mountain chain, and the hippogriffs that can be found there are unique to Quelya in that they are not aquatic creatures. Hookface’s Lair holds a black dragon instead of a red one and while Margalave is still a hotbed of fighting between lizardfolk and bullywugs, the sahaugin have claimed Beroarak’s Maw as their own.