Savage Tide Adventure Ideas
I’m attempting to adapt the Savage Tide Adventure Path to my own world and home campaign. I have tons of ideas but I can always use suggestions. I must admit that while I found the Shackled City and the Age of Worms paths to be incredible designs it is the Savage Tide path that speaks to me. This is something that will fit well in my world with minimal fuss. And with POTC 2 and 3 I have let my passion for all things pirate run wild! I know I am not alone.
First I have decided to place Sasserine on an island chain much like the Florida Keys on the edge of the shores of “The New World(s)”. Sasserine holds a fine place in the chain merited by her location and the shipping lanes. Further up the chain is the location of “The Styes” on a yet unnamed island. The city of Styes will feature in future side track adventures and will come right from the pages of past issues of Dungeon Magazine. My concept with Styes is that early colonists brought large numbers of swine to this island to feed themselves as they clear cut the island of lumber. The city developed as a natural trade hub of both lumber and meat (hence the name). As time progressed the unchecked activities of the colonists and the new and abundant Alchemy business drove the city to ruin. Ultimately I’d like to run the Dungeon Adventure “Urban Decay” first in the Styes before shipping the party off to the richer, cleaner, Sasserine. Of course they will return.
Next I need to switch out the Grayhawk Pantheon since I don’t play in that setting. Most of my home brew world has adapted a monotheistic religious view but a few follow “The Old Gods”. These are the founders of Sasserine. This will let me introduce some of the polytheistic ideas I have based upon the HBO series ROME into the campaign and throw in a few Puritan Clerics preaching the sins of Sasserine on street comers.
My time line for this place on my world involves a period of discovery (the location of the islands and the New World(s)) followed by a colonial expansion into the area by multiple nations. It has been at least 50 years since the boom time of colonial growth and now a period of war has entered the realm. Various pirate factions have fought a war over not only the plunder of the new colonies but as privateers for the expansionist powers. It is this war that has left it’s mark on Sasserine. 3 factions still remain. The Pirate King, a Falstaffian NPC who has emerged from the wars with a large group of supporters and the backing of a strong nation. This group is a more gentrified group of pirates but make no mistake they extort a good amount of coin from all who pass through their domains. I’m still looking for a name for this group and if you have ideas I’d love to hear them. Next is a group of independent pirates who refuse to swear fealty to the Pirate King. These are the pirates of Krakens Cove that appear in the Bullywugs Gambit. This group can’t operate in the open for fear of the Pirate King but instead rely of smuggling and hit and run tactics. The last group of pirates is rather mythical and vile. A group who appears out of nowhere, sinks a ship taking strange and minimal cargo, and then disappearing. These may be pirates already dammed by the Black Pearl or just a legend to throw off the party.
I’d love to discuss any and all suggestions you might have. What are you doing to adapt the Tide to fit your game?
Oh! Heres an idea. As well as simply discovering the New world, they could actually find gateways to different planes. Of course, this would change later adventures, instead of finding the planar engine or whatnot, you could have maps to these new worlds be found. Sigil could become a sort of Tortuga, rollicking fun beyond even the laws of magic.
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Along those lines,...there could be a jungle civilization with legends of exotic gods from eons past. And a gate to "paradise" that leads to Sigil, and a quest to find these ancient gods. Turns out these ancient gods are merely long-lived outsider natives of Sigil who, for their own personal entertainment and in the spirit of "The Man Who Would Be King,"
enjoy going to prime material worlds and passing themselves off as deities.
I've also considered throwing in an "Oriental" twist. With all those names like 'Lotus Dragons' and 'Jade Ravens' I thought it might work.
Lotus Dragons
Jade Ravens
Scarlet Brotherhood
Oh, and a monk in the party... yeah, I can totally see a bit of an oriental bent to it. Of course we did just add in our first Privateer into the party. ;)
Perhaps a 'side-trek' to encounter the original leader behind the Lotus Dragons... a Yakusa or Tong leader who is interested in expanding?
Could be a nice way to tie in the fact the PCs need magic weapons. Purchased/ stolen/ treasure from the defeated?
I'd also like to place a description of the native population of Sasserine. What they look like, how they dress, what food and drink is common. Any ideas or suggestions?