Well my PCs have done a few things to throw me off track. They actually captured one of the ships from the pirate blockade which they promptly named the Exploding Butterfly and they managed to charm/animal handle the masher (don't ask me how they just did). Now I have them talking about plans to fix their ships (The renamed Sea Wyvern and the Exploding Butterfly) which I crashed into the masher's reef. Now do you think with the materials at hand (the 10 tons of supplies for repairs) and a druid that can cast Wood Shape that a party would be able to fix the ship or ships? Of course there would be a long time frame included in the repairs.
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Well, I do know this from history: Columbus crashed one of his ships on a reef when he got to the New World. He had the full support of a tribe of EXTREMELY FRIENDLY natives, whose kindness he repaid with treachery.
Now, with all of those passengers eating supplies and busking to get back to the journey, as well as who knows what is awaiting in that primal jungle, I'd say that yes they probably could repair that ship with a carpenter to oversee repairs, but the time frame would be dangerous for all involved.
A raid by a tribe of 200 kobolds, for example, probably wouldn't doom the adventuring party, but whatever hapless passengers are aboard would be in trouble. Then there's the next encounter, and the next; because it's going to take a while to effect repairs.
Creative Director
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Repairing a busted ship requires Craft (carpentry) checks and days of work. The use of spells like wood shape and similar spells can certainly speed along the process of repairing a ship, but you still need to know HOW to repair the ship; they don't replace the need for the skill check. As detailed in "Tides of Dread" (when the adventrue path sends the PCs back to repair the ship), nine of the Sea Wyvern's hull sections and all three of her rigging sections are demolished. It's a DC 20 Craft (carpentry) check to fix one section, and up to three sections can be worked on in a day. The repairs are far more extensive than a single wood shape spell can fix quickly, and the size of the ship prevents the spell from being any use at all for larger sections of ruin. Remember also, one casting of wood shape only lets you affect one piece of wood. The damaged ship sections are comprised of dozens if not hundreds of pieces of wood.
Complicating matters, of course, are the surviving NPCs. While some of them (particularly Amella Venkalie) will be all for staying behind and working on fixing the ship, most won't be, especially after the wandering monsters start to investigate. The adventure has the castaways being attacked by a tyrannosaurus and a flock of terror birds. If the PCs remain on the beach, feel free to have other creatures attack as well. While the PCs might not care about these creatures, the NPCs certainly will, and eventually they'll try to make their own way overland to Farshore (and likely end up being eaten).
One thing you should do, though, is impress upon the PCs the fact that the Sea Wyvern CAN be repaired. It'll just requrie more time, resources, and physical aid than the PCs can front right now.
Of course, all that said, if the PCs insist on rebuildig the ship themselves, and if they have the skills and resources to do so successfully, by all means let them! You'll need to adjust the next adventure a little bit, of coruse; the sidebar on page 45 of Dungeon #142 has some advice in this regard. You can certainly make the exploration of Dark Mountain Pass and taking out Fogmire a mini-quest in "Tides of Dread."
Just as an example, Stormwrack has "magical assistance" in shipbuilding provide a +5 bonus to the required skill checks, and "major magical assistance" (spellcaster capable of casting 4th-level or higher spells) granting +10. You could apply similar rules to ship repairs.
Repairing a busted ship requires Craft (carpentry) checks and days of work. The use of spells like wood shape and similar spells can certainly speed along the process of repairing a ship, but you still need to know HOW to repair the ship; they don't replace the need for the skill check. As detailed in "Tides of Dread" (when the adventrue path sends the PCs back to repair the ship), nine of the Sea Wyvern's hull sections and all three of her rigging sections are demolished. It's a DC 20 Craft (carpentry) check to fix one section, and up to three sections can be worked on in a day. The repairs are far more extensive than a single wood shape spell can fix quickly, and the size of the ship prevents the spell from being any use at all for larger sections of ruin. Remember also, one casting of wood shape only lets you affect one piece of wood. The damaged ship sections are comprised of dozens if not hundreds of pieces of wood.
Complicating matters, of course, are the surviving NPCs. While some of them (particularly Amella Venkalie) will be all for staying behind and working on fixing the ship, most won't be, especially after the wandering monsters start to investigate. The adventure has the castaways being attacked by a tyrannosaurus and a flock of terror birds. If the PCs remain on the beach, feel free to have other creatures attack as well. While the PCs might not care about these creatures, the NPCs certainly will, and eventually they'll try to make their own way overland to Farshore (and likely end up being eaten).
One thing you should do, though, is impress upon the PCs the fact that the Sea Wyvern CAN be repaired. It'll just requrie more time, resources, and physical aid than the PCs can front right now.
Of course, all that said, if the PCs insist on rebuildig the ship themselves, and if they have the skills and resources to do so successfully, by all means let them! You'll need to adjust the next adventure a little bit, of coruse; the sidebar on page 45 of Dungeon #142...
Thanks for the insight. I did inform them that they would need craft carpentry to be able to fix the boat but they do know that it will take some time so I'm sure they'll be happy either way (waiting for the boat to be finished/taking the over land route).
Just as an example, Stormwrack has "magical assistance" in shipbuilding provide a +5 bonus to the required skill checks, and "major magical assistance" (spellcaster capable of casting 4th-level or higher spells) granting +10. You could apply similar rules to ship repairs.
I'll have to check that. Don't remember seeing that.
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The adventure has the castaways being attacked by a tyrannosaurus and a flock of terror birds. If the PCs remain on the beach, feel free to have other creatures attack as well. While the PCs might not care about these creatures, the NPCs certainly will, and eventually they'll try to make their own way overland to Farshore (and likely end up being eaten).
And when there is the carcass of a Tyrannosaurus lieing on the beach stinking to high heaven, the Mesozoic versions of hyenas, jackals, and vultures start coming out of the woodwork.
Sounds like a good time to skeedaddle.
Just as an example, Stormwrack has "magical assistance" in shipbuilding provide a +5 bonus to the required skill checks, and "major magical assistance" (spellcaster capable of casting 4th-level or higher spells) granting +10. You could apply similar rules to ship repairs.I'll have to check that. Don't remember seeing that.
Shipbuilding is covered under Knowledge (architecture and engineering) in the Skills section, starting on page 85.
Repairs are covered on page 32. That section doesn't describe magical assistance, but it seems logical that similar bonuses could be applied.
And when there is the carcass of a Tyrannosaurus lieing on the beach stinking to high heaven, the Mesozoic versions of hyenas, jackals, and vultures start coming out of the woodwork.
Sounds like a good time to skeedaddle.
Atleast that one team that handled the masher, will love to handle & train their own t-rex.. maybe even train it to work, how to fell trees and carry them to the ship..
"fetch tree!" -Roarrr!!
and 200 kobolds.. i dare not think the thought.
What other creature works double shifts as a standard option, while breeding super-fast...?
An agreement quickly reached by offering that gnome as sacrifice, and promising to bring a dragon to them..
Atleast that one team that handled the masher, will love to handle & train their own t-rex.. maybe even train it to work, how to fell trees and carry them to the ship..
"fetch tree!" -Roarrr!!
Please no! I have too much to deal with them. Hahaha.
Please no! I have too much to deal with them. Hahaha.Atleast that one team that handled the masher, will love to handle & train their own t-rex.. maybe even train it to work, how to fell trees and carry them to the ship..
"fetch tree!" -Roarrr!!
Well you cannot hide all the dinos on the island.. LOL!
Chances are theyll go out at on a point or another to fetch a few.. if only to eat invading pirates ;)
Well you cannot hide all the dinos on the island.. LOL! Chances are theyll go out at on a point or another to fetch a few.. if only to eat invading pirates ;)
Good point. I guess a dinosaur might not be too bad. They're slaughtering everything as it is. I'm having trouble making my monsters survive longer than 2 rounds.