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Hey all,
I'm still running SCAP, and I've deviated significantly from the published version. Not only have I set it on the Wizards' Reach in the Forgotten Realms, I've liberally switched bad guys for Red Wizards, Spell Weavers for Nilshai and their Githyanki slaves, Cagewrights with cultists trying to free Levistus in the Nine Hells, and Wee Jasian clerics with a conspiracy by Jergalites in the Kelemvor church. I've pretty much rewritten the last 3-4 adventures to fit my campaign goals.
So, I’m looking STAP and getting excited, but I’m looking to follow up a sequel to the SCAP, and tie up my loose ends. So my version of the STAP will be *very* different than the published version. Here are some thoughts I’ve had. I’d love some more rough ideas.
1) Sasserine will become Escalant in the Wizards’ Reach. Done. I imagine I’ll put the Isle of Dread off of Chult or Tashalar somewhere. The Isle of Shadows. Are there any established islands near there?
2) Would it make sense to have a trading outpost or settlement off of Chult?
3) Rather than face down Demogorgon, because there is a possibility that they may face down Levistus in the SCAP, one evil outsider big guy is enough. I think I’ll make the big bad guy at the end Jergal – more likely a suprise major divine servant of Jergal. Maybe the King of the Ghouls? Dendar the Night Serpent?
4) What do I do with the Shadow Pearl? Have it turn people into undead, maybe? Infuse them with Shadow plane goo? Could get creepy.
5) So, no Demogorgon, no Abyss. Maybe I’ll use the Plane of Shadows. Hey! Maybe I can use a distorted version of The White Kingdom on the Plane of Shadows, like a bastion of the Realm of the Dead. So lots of undead and shadows. Creepy.
6) Chultan dinosaurs are good and can stay. Pirates are good, but might get toned down a bit, since I'll be running with a "Sinbad the Sailor" style campaign that'll quickly become a "Jurassic Park" style campaign ... :)
Anyone have any speculative ideas that would build on this? I’ve got a while before I have enough of the STAP adventures to make a solid plan, but I’d love some rampant, blind speculation/brainstorming…
Thanks!
Okay - so I really like the idea of dealing more with the plane of Shadow more - so why not make the baddies the Shades, the ones that live in Anauroch... the Isle of Dread could have some permanent link to the Plane of Shadow.
Perhaps the Shadow pearl is a method by which Shades can "recruit" more of their own.
If you're going with the Plane of Shadow, then might I recommend the malaugrym...I've found them little-used in general...gives players quite a shock, esp. when they've figured out the shapeshifting bit but think their just dealing with dopplegangers.
I've replaced the Zulkir of Illusion with a powerful malaugrym (i.e. "preparing to challenge the Shadowmaster of the malaugrym for rule of all their race" powerful). With shapeshifting, plus illusions, and significant divination powers, Mythrellaa (the zulkir) is a major power, though hidden. She is actually THE zulkir of illusion, having held the position since the founding of Thay. She simply uses her considerable powers to replace herself from time to time. She's fine with letting Szass Tam think he's the most powerful zulkir...for now.
For a major plot device, I'm having Mythrellaa attempt to pull a large chunk of Faerun into conjunction with Shadow, giving the malaugrym free reign to move between the planes. The pearls could be the focal points of an Epic spell that will link all of them together and force this conjunction on any part of Faerun within their area.
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I'm not big on the Shades or the Malaugrym. But they are neat ideas! I do like the idea of maybe having the shadow pearls converge the material plane with the plane of shadow, and thus tainting people a la savage tide.
But I do like the idea of creepy shadow zombies. Real scary movie zombies that eat your brains, not shuffle along and get whacked zombies. Maybe I'll use ghouls and gravetouched ghouls.
And of course, instead of going to the Abyss, they'd have to venture on to the Plane of Shadow, and maybe meet up with a major baddie working for Jergal, who wants to speed up the death quota on Faerun in some inscrutiable way.
I don't know enough about the Isle of Dread, but I like the idea of the Kopru making the Shadow Pearls, and I kept that in my SCAP during Flood Season. After all, they're alien and buglike, much like Jergal. Maybe have a connection?
Does anyone see any other obvious ties to the Shackled City campaign? Any other thoughts?
1) Sasserine will become Escalant in the Wizards’ Reach. Done. I imagine I’ll put the Isle of Dread off of Chult or Tashalar somewhere. The Isle of Shadows. Are there any established islands near there?
There is the Mother-of-Mists, just off the NW corner of the Jungles of Chult, which might work for you. Don't forget that you can't actually sail from the Sea of Fallen Stars to the Shining Sea by conventional means. Your PCs will have to get there another way.
--Eric
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I forgot those bodies of water didn't connect.
Depending on how close I want to adhere to the published adventure, I'll either have them land at Unthalass, do a land trek, and commission a ship in Innarlith, or I'll put a watery portal somewhere in the sea ...
Or, another idea hit me - have the ship and the outpost be in the Gulthmere Forest, and then have them stumble through a portal to Chult.
Bother. All this trouble to keep dinosaurs in play. :)
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I forgot those bodies of water didn't connect.
Depending on how close I want to adhere to the published adventure, I'll either have them land at Unthalass, do a land trek, and commission a ship in Innarlith, or I'll put a watery portal somewhere in the sea ...
Or, another idea hit me - have the ship and the outpost be in the Gulthmere Forest, and then have them stumble through a portal to Chult.
Bother. All this trouble to keep dinosaurs in play. :)
Actually, I was always thinking they should make a canal somewhere with earth elementals.
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I just got #140! Whoo!
I'm looking at the savage template, and I think I can do a nightmare template - it turns creatures into twisted shadowy reflections of themselves, that hunger for the flesh of this world (creepy!). Their death throes would be black fog engulfing others for damage, and their bite and disease will make them like horrible movie zombies, with just a shred of their former selves (creepy!)
Also thinking about it, I could use the Plane of Shadows to make the PCs fight twisted reflections of themselves, or people they care about.
So, next question -- what are good critters native to the plane of shadows? I need to make a list by CR so I can sub them in as appropriate ...
Here are some creatures one might find in the Plane of Shadows:
Bat (MM)
Beacon Moth (Dragon #322)
Canomorph, Shadarakul (FF)
Cloaker (MM)
Dark Ones (FF)
Darkness Pseudo-Elemental (Dragon #322)
Darkweaver (FF)
Demon, Shadow (BoVD)
Dragon, Shadow (Draconomnicon)
Ephemera, Duskbeast (MotP)
Ephemera, Ecalypse (MotP)
Ephemera, Umbral Banyan (MotP)
Ghirrash (Miniatures Handbook)
Gloaming (Underdark)
Gloom (ELH)
Giant, Shadow (FF)
Golem, Shadesteel (MMIII)
Half-Shadow Dragon (Dragon #322)
Illumian (Races of Destiny)
Khumat (Minatures Handbook)
Nightshade, Nightwing (MM)
Nightshade, Nightwalker (MM)
Nightshade, Nightcrawler (MM)
Raven (MM)
Shade (Dragon #322)
Shadow (MM)
Shadow Asp (FF)
Shadow Creature (MotP, Dragon #322)
Shadow Jelly (Planar Handbook)
Shadow Mastiff (MM)
Shadow Spider (MMII)
Shadowswyft (Planar Handbook)
Shifting Horror (AGttPt)
Slow Shadow (Dungeon #112)
Thaskor (Miniatures Handbook)
Umbral Creature (Dragon #322, Libris Mortis)
Veserab (Dragon #299)
Darkness Spawn (Creatures of Rokugan)
Kukanchi no Kansen (Creatures of Rokugan)
Shadow Beast (Creatures of Rokugan)
Shadow Wight (Beastiary of Krynn)
Don't forget that you can make a shadow / dark version of anything, though. The beauty of templates...
Oh, and I think I forgot ye 'ol shadar-kai (FF).
But I do like the idea of creepy shadow zombies. Real scary movie zombies that eat your brains, not shuffle along and get whacked zombies. Maybe I'll use ghouls and gravetouched ghouls.
Don't forget the Ravenous template from the Dragon Compendium!
Ummm...eel fishing? Cod fishing. Dragon baiting! Err...umm...spice trading? Shellfish gathering (for cloth dyes)?
Pearl diving would be cool. Reminds me of a story I once read.
The problem with substituting anything too "civilized" is that Sasserine was supposed to be hidden for a long time. Whaling takes people away from civilization, so it's something the Sea Princes would encourage. Whatever you substitute, keep that in mind.
You could always say there "was" a whaling industry before Sasserine's fall, that the old whaling ghetto is on the mend... take out the whaling stuff and plop in The Styes (or The Stink).
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Pearl diving doesn't require boats, does it? What else could they do with boats? Escalant is Wizards' Reach, which would be like a mediterranean/greek/middle eastern environment.
I'm going for less Cap'n Jack pirates, and more Sinbad pirates.
I don't think there are too many whales in the Alamber Sea ... Dragon Turtles, maybe ...
Pearl diving doesn't require boats, does it? What else could they do with boats? Escalant is Wizards' Reach, which would be like a mediterranean/greek/middle eastern environment.
Pearl diving usually requires boats, as it makes it easier to get to the oyster beds that way.
I'm going for less Cap'n Jack pirates, and more Sinbad pirates.
Most pirates from that area/era were heavily into seizing cloth, gems, jewels, gold, and spices. Luxury items have a more intrinsic value than their weight in gold, usually, and you could get a tidy profit from it, particularly if the items are rare or difficult to make.