Trinite |
Every GM knows of the dangers of the Total Party Kill. But this particular Adventure Path seems to introduce an odd new wrinkle that could be even more disastrous: the Total Boat Kill.
To wit: As a GM, you can replace PCs even if they all die. Actually, it would be even easier to do in this adventure path than in most: the surviving ship crew finds some marooned sailors on a desert island or adrift in a lifeboat, or they just put into Bloodcove and do some recruiting.
But what happens if the ship sinks?
There's definitely situations that could result in this. The ship-to-ship battles could result in sinking, especially against foes that aren't concerned about capturing treasure. And some of the other encounters could lead to fatal damage to the ship as well.
So what can be done? Plenty, actually. But it will take some serious GM improvisation. Don't be afraid. This is your chance to really shine!
If the PCs survive the disaster, there are several possibilities.
They could be back in a situation similar to the start of The Wormwood Mutiny: prisoners needing to take over a new ship from the inside. This could be a pretty long process -- or they could simply be offered jobs by a pragmatic captain who sees their value. Then it's just a matter of proving their worth, and maybe then arranging some little *accidents* for the captain and any other senior officers.
Or maybe they're marooned, and have to survive until they either build their own raft, or get rescued. Perhaps you could take some cues from Skulls for Smuggler's Shiv (from the Serpent's Skull AP) -- or just go hog wild and insert that whole chapter!
Or they're adrift in a lifeboat and have to brave the perils of the open ocean as they desperately make for land. Break out those random nautical encounter charts! And maybe the starvation rules...
No matter the situation, they're going to be pirates without a ship. So after survival and a return to civilization, Job #1 will be to get a new ship -- no mean feat with nothing but their gear on their backs.
Perhaps they can convince someone to hire them on and then make their move, Treasure Island-style. Or maybe they'd rather be like Captain Jack Sparrow and steal the fastest ship in the sea out from under its owner's nose. Or if they're high level, they could just find a boat full of low level chumps and massacre them all (Easy? Sure. Fun? Eh...)
So a surviving party can recover from a lost ship. It won't be easy, but it could be quite exciting.
But even worse, what if the ship goes down with with all hands? A TRUE Total Boat Kill. With no surviving PCs, no crew, and no ship, that's pretty well The End. Right?
Well, maybe. It could be a time to cut to a new scene in a dark pirate tavern. One or two crewmembers of the lost ship miraculously survived (on floating wreckage or the like), and tells their tale to a new group of adventurous pirates sitting around a table. This new party just happens to have a ship remarkably similar to the one that sank, and an inclination to follow the adventure they just heard recounted...
Or perhaps the PCs awaken to find themselves in a submarine cavern. They've been saved...but how? And why? What's that strange enormous fish coming toward them? Could it be an Aboleth, by any chance? And this Aboleth just so happens to know where they can find an abandoned ship! They can return to their pirating careers in short order, in return for just a couple of small favors...
So, in conclusion: While this AP heavily assumes that the PCs can keep their ship afloat, it's definitely possible to recover from a TBK. It might take a lot of work for the GM, but you can keep the adventure going. And if you play it right, it could be a whole ton of fun!