Dear Editors,
I have a humble suggestion to make for the upcoming AP3. Could you do a backdrop article that, instead of detailing a land-based urban site, details a variety of ships and their crews that might be encountered sailing the waters that will be haunted by the PCs?
I'm thinking not so much the special encounters, but an article that provides some basics for the DM to have a certain merchant ship anchor in the harbor, or to have a notorious pirate's ship appear on the horizon, or to pull in to a coastal cove and witness a slave ship onloading its cargo, that sort of thing. (Of course it might be fun to throw in a few more extraordinary vessels as well--the ship of a notorious sea witch or that of a druid who defends a particular patch of sea from the depredations of whalers, etc.
The idea would not be to provide fully fleshed out combat encounters, but roleplaying opportunities and brief but effective descriptions of the kinds of seafarers and ships or boats the party might encounter, to make the campaign richer and increase verisimilitude. If the DM wants to pass along a rumor about the latest doings of an important NPC, perhaps the slaver captain invites the PCs aboard for a drink when they pull in to the cove he's using, dropping the rumor in the course of conversation. As I envision it the article would not be providing detailed deck plans, but enough description so that the DMs don't have to think it all up themselves if they want to drop a random ship into the adventures somewhere. Instead it would focus on what the ship looks like, the motives of the captain and the traits and situation of the crew, and a brief mention of any other noteworthy NPCs.
Come to think of it, I should have a little free time this summer to work on such a project. Should I put in a formal proposal? (No, I don't have a track record of publishing in the industry, but since I'll be done writing a Ph.D. dissertation in a few weeks, I do have an idea of the basics of good writing, plus a good knowledge of maritime history and naval operations (8 yrs in the Navy, taught these subjects as an ROTC instructor), plus a newly purchased copy of Stormwrack to help with making it fit standard D&D supplemental rules for these things.)
I think an article detailing "Ships at Port" would be great, as well as a selection of standard cargoes in them. It would be a great addition for any port city.
There is a wealth of information out there in popular culture (the crimson pirate, pirates of the caribbean etc, etc) and indeed in the history books... how cool would it be to be rubbing shoulds with the likes of Henry Morgan, Francis Drake or Captain Kidd! i know these fellas appeared in a later age than most campaigns are set but i'm sure you get the idea.
if i remember correctly there are some generic deck plans in stormwrack that should be enough to get any DM's creative juices flowing.
I do agree though, a backdrop article would be a fantastic addition to the new AP, but for all we know there are some things like this already in the offing.
Roll on issue #137
We solicit all of the adventures and support articles for the Adventure Paths. That said, we're certainly open to additional articles that tie in to themes in the Adventure Path; I'd go ahead and send in a formal proposal to Dragon if I were you and see where that goes.
Thanks, James. If I can trouble you for more guidance, would it be better to propose it as a short "campaign workbook" article, or a full-blown backdrop article for Dungeon, or as something more generically related to the Stormwrack-type campaign theme to publish in Dragon? (I.e. where would it be more likely to be seriously considered, or would it be better to do proposals for all three and let the committee decide which version it likes best?) Edit--whoops, I need to read more carefully--I see you've already answered my question. OK, I'll get cracking as soon as I get this pile of term papers off my desk!
I think Pandamonium games put out a supplement in the early 1980's that detailed an Ocean campaign with all kinds of ships and Islands.
I will have to go haunt the used book store I saw it at and see if it is still there.
Information on different ships seems like a great idea. But I still would like the background info on Sasserine. I'm really looking forward to that.
As for the info on ships, I think it would be useful to have details on a handful of ships, and a list of ideas for other ships that could be encountered with just a brief description for each. For the more detailed ship descriptions, it would be good to have an overview paragraph on the ship and crew, the race/class/level info (not necessarily full stats) for the crew, and full stats for the captain and maybe one other NPC member of the crew or passenger.
Some ideas for ships I envision in this region: at least a couple of pirate ships, including one or two viscious cutthroat pirate captains and crews (including one with an orc or half-orc captain and crew of humanoids and ogres or similar) and a more "honorable" swashbuckler type captain and crew; a Scarlet Brotherhood ship on a secret mission; an Olman ship; a slaver ship; a patrol ship from the nearest sea-going country; a merchant ship from Greyhawk City with on-board traveling shop of magic items and wonders from around the world; an ship with its own rival adventuring band on board; a submersible magic ship; and of course a ghost ship!
Information on different ships seems like a great idea. But I still would like the background info on Sasserine. I'm really looking forward to that.
As for the info on ships, I think it would be useful to have details on a handful of ships, and a list of ideas for other ships that could be encountered with just a brief description for each. For the more detailed ship descriptions, it would be good to have an overview paragraph on the ship and crew, the race/class/level info (not necessarily full stats) for the crew, and full stats for the captain and maybe one other NPC member of the crew or passenger.
Some ideas for ships I envision in this region: at least a couple of pirate ships, including one or two viscious cutthroat pirate captains and crews (including one with an orc or half-orc captain and crew of humanoids and ogres or similar) and a more "honorable" swashbuckler type captain and crew; a Scarlet Brotherhood ship on a secret mission; an Olman ship; a slaver ship; a patrol ship from the nearest sea-going country; a merchant ship from Greyhawk City with on-board traveling shop of magic items and wonders from around the world; an ship with its own rival adventuring band on board; a submersible magic ship; and of course a ghost ship!
Thanks for the ideas, Zoroaster. I assume you won't mind if I borrow freely and develop some of these ideas for my query?
Anyone else have anything cool they would like to see in such an article?
"Unusual ships" - an underwater vessel from the aquatic elves/sahuagin/locathah, for example, and various ship-related magic items (ship rams, sails, flags & banners, oars, lanterns etc). Typical harbor defenses, "law and order on the high seas" (crime & punishments for piracy/privateering)...just some thoughts. :-D
On a side note, does anyone remember the cartoon series "Pirates of Darkwater"? It was really intriguing with its focus on the ocean. Maybe also ship and harbor hazards?
I remember some fool in the SCA told me that piracy wasn't period (for you non-SCA types, that means pre-1600). I responded with "Whenever there has been an opportunity for profit, there has been piracy."
"Unusual ships" - an underwater vessel from the aquatic elves/sahuagin/locathah, for example, and various ship-related magic items (ship rams, sails, flags & banners, oars, lanterns etc). Typical harbor defenses, "law and order on the high seas" (crime & punishments for piracy/privateering)...just some thoughts. :-D
On a side note, does anyone remember the cartoon series "Pirates of Darkwater"? It was really intriguing with its focus on the ocean. Maybe also ship and harbor hazards?
I remember some fool in the SCA told me that piracy wasn't period (for you non-SCA types, that means pre-1600). I responded with "Whenever there has been an opportunity for profit, there has been piracy."
i can see it now... i'm getting flashbacks of old episodes of Stingray... not too sure if you chaps stateside had that particular Gerry Anderson show over there here is a view of the Titan Terror Fish.
there are a wealth of oppotunities for individually creative gamers and DM's to come up with various things for themselves although owning a ship too early might offset the wealth/level balance if it happens too early... there is of course the old 'how many captains can a ship have' quandry.
i have some files stowed away that i will try to dig out and post on nautical stuff, terminology and stuff like that.
Kendrik
On a side note, does anyone remember the cartoon series "Pirates of Darkwater"? It was really intriguing with its focus on the ocean. Maybe also ship and harbor hazards?
Awesome! I LOVED that series. It's one of my top 5 cartoons of all time. Now that you mention it, whenever I think of Eberron, I have a lot of the PoD imagery in my mind.
(Edit: I /always wanted to be Ioz, but I was always a little leery of someone named so closely to the Old One.)
I remember some fool in the SCA told me that piracy wasn't period (for you non-SCA types, that means pre-1600). I responded with "Whenever there has been an opportunity for profit, there has been piracy."
Ugh. More period wars, eh? It's probably one of those idiots who also says that you can't portray Asiatics, or Africans - only Vikings, Celts, French, Elizabethan, Burgundians and Italians here please! *snort*
People like that simultaneously crack me up and irritate me. How do you explain that it's /just a bit of fun/ to people when they take it too seriously?
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I remember some fool in the SCA told me that piracy wasn't period (for you non-SCA types, that means pre-1600). I responded with "Whenever there has been an opportunity for profit, there has been piracy."
Darr, keelhorl th' daft lubber, sizz oye.
Actually, considering the 1600 cutoff, and that Elizabeth the I lived from 1533-1603, and that her entire navy that saved britannia from the spanish armada was made up of privateers, esp. Sir Frances Drake, they seem pretty period to me.
Darr, keelhorl th' daft lubber, sizz oye.
Actually, considering the 1600 cutoff, and that Elizabeth the I lived from 1533-1603, and that her entire navy that saved britannia from the spanish armada was made up of privateers, esp. Sir Frances Drake, they seem pretty period to me.
Yep, that's what I said too. I also brought up the point that Julius Caesar had some issues with piracy way back when and if it weren't for a few sailors, many who probably descended from Viking stock, the Normans wouldn't have made it across the Channel.
Gwydion, the "Period Wars" continue no matter where you're at, I think. I don't like those who say you can or can't be a particular ethnic persona in the SCA - that's just dumb.
Perhaps if they insisted that you can't dress up in a circa 1700 costume with tricorne and periwig, like Dustin Hoffman's Capt. Hook in "Hook," they'd have somewhat of a point. But besides Drake and Hawkins, they've left out the infamous 16th century Irishwoman Grace O'Malley. Piracy actually has (as you might imagine) a history that is as old as the history of sea-trade. The earliest pirates in the Mediterranean date back as far as 1100 BCE (based on Cyprus). And if the vikings weren't pirates, what were they? People should read a little more before they get snippity with their historical re-enactments!
Perhaps if they insisted that you can't dress up in a circa 1700 costume with tricorne and periwig, like Dustin Hoffman's Capt. Hook in "Hook," they'd have somewhat of a point. But besides Drake and Hawkins, they've left out the infamous 16th century Irishwoman Grace O'Malley. Piracy actually has (as you might imagine) a history that is as old as the history of sea-trade. The earliest pirates in the Mediterranean date back as far as 1100 BCE (based on Cyprus). And if the vikings weren't pirates, what were they? People should read a little more before they get snippity with their historical re-enactments!
What he said.
Too often "pirate" gets mixed up with the Captain Hook/Pirates of the Caribbean era.
Don't forget, it's Loot, Pillage, then Burn. :-D
Don't forget, it's Loot, Pillage, then Burn. :-D
I always get that out of order. It makes for interesting stories. ;)
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I'd love to see an article on ships and port encounters and such. Personally, I've always wanted to run a campaign heavy on nautical themes, though I myself know next to nothing about anything regarding the sea. I just love the "feel" of ship- and port-based adventures.
I'm hoping to combine what little I know about Greyhawk (especially about Sasserine, the Amedio Jungle, et al.) with all the fun stuff of the Age of Exploration, piracy, and the Colonial era. I'm working on some fun stuff involving Scarlet Brotherhood tobacco plantations in the back of my mind, though it's all unformed mind-goo right now.
Just a thought- while the "wierd" stuff (ghost ships, pirate vessels crewed by monsters, etc.) is good, some "normal" encounters should be included as well. A regular merchant ship would be good, as well as the usual dock stuff- you know the dock district is full of great encounters and NPCs.
Unfortunately, the problem with speculating about an AP that hasn't even been written yet is that we don't know what has been/will be made, so asking you to write up something on Sasserine's navy or the import/exports of the area might prove contradictory (and since I don't own any old Greyhawk stuff, possibly already covered), so I'm going to hold off on any requests or ideas until I've got an idea about what will be included in, say, the Sasserine Backdrop article.
Side note- I know they covered a bit of the Amedio Jungle and all that in an old GH book (Scarlet Brotherhood? I think?), but again, I don't own it. Any suggestions from you Greyhawk alumni on where to look into some of that information? I wish I had that info myself, but my old 2nd Edition gaming days were all Forgotten Realms and Planescape, and I hate to admit it, but I missed the Greyhawk boat entirely.
Thanks in advance, and Peruhain, I eagerly await anything you happen to whip up, published officially or not!
I don't mind if anyone uses ideas I mentioned in a proposal to the magazines. I'd love to see any such ideas fleshed out by someone who devotes the time to write an article with ideas along these lines or similar lines.
Just a thought- while the "wierd" stuff (ghost ships, pirate vessels crewed by monsters, etc.) is good, some "normal" encounters should be included as well. A regular merchant ship would be good, as well as the usual dock stuff- you know the dock district is full of great encounters and NPCs.
Sounds like two separate articles to me. Maybe I'll have to do two queries.
Unfortunately, the problem with speculating about an AP that hasn't even been written yet is that we don't know what has been/will be made, so asking you to write up something on Sasserine's navy or the import/exports of the area might prove contradictory (and since I don't own any old Greyhawk stuff, possibly already covered), so I'm going to hold off on any requests or ideas until I've got an idea about what will be included in, say, the Sasserine Backdrop article.
James Jacobs implied in his response to my feelers that anything I put in would not be considered for a regular backdrop article in Dungeon, but would be considered for Dragon on the basis of complementing the material in the AP. So I'm going to forge ahead with a generic "ships and crews" article (and maybe a "wharf district encounters" article, and not worry too much about the campaign specifics--just use what I know about it to put as much stuff of potential use to AP3 DMs as possible.
Side note- I know they covered a bit of the Amedio Jungle and all that in an old GH book (Scarlet Brotherhood? I think?), but again, I don't own it.
"Scarlet Brotherhood" is indeed the best source for Amedio jungle (at least that I'm aware of). There's also a good article in Oerth Journal (don't have the site handy, but you can access it from Cannonfire), which I'm using to do up a side trek between AGOW and SOLS in AP2. "Scarlet Brotherhood" can be downloaded from Paizo for $4.00, so it's not a bad bargain.
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I have (and love) issue #114 of Dungeon (Isle of Dread) and am looking forward to the next AP in part because it features some things that I think will be fun (perhaps even more fun than the last couple APs).
But, I was wondering if the staff knew how they were going to do a backdrop for the Isle of Dread. I certainly wouldn't mind more information, but I don't want to see pages and pages of material I already have. Of course, I can see someone just subscribing for the current AP needing that information.
So, how are you going to handle detailing an area that has already been detailed (and recently to boot)?
Thanks.
There are times when the planes of the Great Wheel collide and fuse for a short time with the Material Plane. When the Rivers Lethe and Styx join in such a fashion with the waters of the Material Plane, their poisonous effects taint all the water around them and carry their passengers into the Material Plane...
That being said...I would love to see some things like the aforementioned ship of tieflings, WANT TO SEE YUGOLOTH (especially the ferryman-type) and other strange ships of the lower planes...
I have (and love) issue #114 of Dungeon (Isle of Dread) and am looking forward to the next AP in part because it features some things that I think will be fun (perhaps even more fun than the last couple APs).
But, I was wondering if the staff knew how they were going to do a backdrop for the Isle of Dread. I certainly wouldn't mind more information, but I don't want to see pages and pages of material I already have. Of course, I can see someone just subscribing for the current AP needing that information.
So, how are you going to handle detailing an area that has already been detailed (and recently to boot)?
Thanks.
James just answered this in another thread.
WANT TO SEE YUGOLOTH (especially the ferryman-type) and other strange ships of the lower planes...
Ooh! Good idea! I'll see what I can do!
Dare we ask the editorial staff whether the aquatic theme will carry over significantly to the planar phase of the AP?
Creative Director
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WANT TO SEE YUGOLOTH (especially the ferryman-type) and other strange ships of the lower planes...Ooh! Good idea! I'll see what I can do!
Dare we ask the editorial staff whether the aquatic theme will carry over significantly to the planar phase of the AP?
Yes; the aquatic/nautical theme does indeed carry over to the outer plane adventures in the final third of this adventure path.
Yes; the aquatic/nautical theme does indeed carry over to the outer plane adventures in the final third of this adventure path.
Woo-hoo!! Pirates of the Lower Planes! Way cooler than being a pirate in the Caribbean...
"Avast there! Lower yer flags and yer plank!!!"
"Um, Cap'n, you do realize that it's a SHIP FULL OF DEMONS?!?!?!"
"..." *long string of expletives designed to turn the air blue*
Yes; the aquatic/nautical theme does indeed carry over to the outer plane adventures in the final third of this adventure path.
Awesome! Thanks, James!
