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I am about to start a Savage Tide adventure with some friends over the internet. I read in someones campaign blog (sorry I can't quote who it is) that they started on a ship bound for Sasserine. I loved the idea so I am shamefully stealing it. However, I wanted to throw in a "minor" combat at sea for a few reasons:
1) I want the ship to be the Blue Nixie, returning from ports North at the behest of Lavinia's parents for a new assignment. In this way, the "minor" combat serves as a way for the ships captain to inform the Vandeborens of the Heroes mettle and courage in saving the ship and its cargo. This helps tie in Lavinia's personal request for the characters.
2) Some of the Players are "very rusty" if not out-right noobs. Nothing like a combat at session 1 to learn the mechanics.
3) I want a way for Malcanthet to "take notice" of the heroes as well.
With this in mind, I need a ship-born encounter, featuring a servant of Malcanthet, that both conjures a sense of immediate doom (the ship might sink if we do nothing) as well as being "lightweight" enough for noobs.
I was thinking of a Crimson Fleet pirate ship. Since they are after the cargo, they refrain from destroying the ship and prepare for boarding. A bunch of cutlass wielding, no armor, warrior 1, pirates lead by a female cleric of malcanthet might be easy enough, especially if the Crew of the Nixie pitch in. The boarding could be prefaced by a conjurer summoning numerous Manes demons.
The Captain yells at the party to "Buy me some time" as he dissappears into his cabin. So basically the combat lasts, say 5 rounds, when the Captain returns with an elemental gem, summoning a water elemental to pound the Pirate ship. The Pirates retreat and the Blue Nixie slips away.
If the party manages to kill the Cleric, Malcanthet will know, if they fail, the cleric will curse them in her prayers, so malcanthet will know. I know its probably not necessary, but I know some of players will be very intrigued by a cleric of malcanthet and it will stew in their minds for quite some time.
Anyway...Compelling? Too much? I have statted up the encounter, so please take the above with a grain of salt. I do not want to kill everyone, just make it look like I am going to.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
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Nothing starts a new campaign like the DM's first words being "Roll for initiative"!
Starting on a ship is fun, and getting Malcanthet in there can't be bad either. I wouldn't tell the players who the cleric worships though. I'd hand them a printout with the symbol on it and then bite my lip for about four months before dropping it again round about level 9 - maybe in the Shrine of Zotzilaha - I think James said the fang was supposed to be wrapped in a cloth bearing the symbol of Malcanthet.
Nothing like letting your players admire your patience :)
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That would be me whose idea you are stealing, and if I didn't want it to be used by others, I wouldn't have posted it. So enjoy. :)
I also had an encounter on the first night, but as I didn't know enough at that time about future adventure stuff, there was not MUCH of an ominous tie-in (see below). It was a band of Sahuagin, with the assistance of a large shark who bit a hole in the bottom of the ship for some of the sahuagin to enter through.
Much like your idea, one of my main goals was to damage the boat so the PC's had to limp back to Sasserine, and so their captain would retire from his little merchant run, thereby leaving the PC's in search of new employment.
The tie-in I DID make was that the Sahuagin were hired by the Rundeen, unbeknownst to the PC's (We play in the Realms, and I subbed in the Rundeen for the Scarlet Brotherhood as per Conversion notes). The Rundeen had allowed the captain of the "Ravaged Pride" (The PC's ship) to travel their route between Sasserine and the city whose name I have since forgotten, since it was a small, private vessel.
They did so, however, on the condition that he never traffic arms or magic items, only standard trade goods like hemp, rope, rum, etc etc. Well, on the last run, he smuggled a few arms aboard ship as a favor to a friend in desperate need, unbeknownst to all but one of the PC's (the mercantile quartermaster type) and the Rundeen somehow got word of it.
The Sahuagin were hired by the Rundeen to both damage the ship and attack the crew, which they did, and they were chosen so that the connection wouldn't be obvious. The captain, and old dwarf called Captain Argus, rightly guessed that he was being warned, and thus decided now would be a good time to sell off his ship and retire in Sasserine.
It worked well for me because it provided a good reason to have the PC's all together and know each other, (I HATE the cliche'd "your characters are all sitting at an inn" schtick) it gave them all a need for employment at just the right time, and it set the tone for the campaign. I promised the boys a seafaring campaign, it wouldn't have been any fun to spend the first month on land without ANY sea adventure.
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Hehehe got carried away with my story, and forgot to give my advice on yours. What you have is good, but I worry about making the characters start out with a battle they are assumed to be unable to win. But that's a minor quibble, I think a nice big pirate ship boarding event would be a great way to start the campaign. :)
Also, the tie-in making it the Blue Nixie is also clever. Again, I have a minor quibble with that though, that might be nothing and then might not. I had my PC's start on "The Ravaged Pride" (name stolen from Paizo), which was an old, soggy, rusty, creaky, beat up pinnace that had definitely seen better days. When they "commandeered" the Sea Wyvern from Kraken's Cove, they felt like they had really hit the jackpot! The Nixie, being a superior ship to the Wyvern, might give the opposite impression. Everything is relative. :)
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...What you have is good, but I worry about making the characters start out with a battle they are assumed to be unable to win.
They are assumed TO WIN actually. I'll design the adventure such that they could defeat a few manes and pirates (EL 3-4. Remember the Sailors on the Blue Nixie will help as well) but I want to give the impression of "OH Sh**T!" without it actually being that. It'll be tough without the sailors or the captain, but I can have the captain come back sooner or have the some sailors do well or drop a yard arm on a bunch of pirates if they need more of a hand.
Also, the tie-in making it the Blue Nixie is also clever. Again, I have a minor quibble with that though, that might be nothing and then might not.
I hear you there. I've actually was leaning towards NOT for the exact same reason. However, I rationalized that Lavinia is the "Rich Noble Patron" who should play the part. I'll describe the Wyvern as more suitable as a warship than a cargo ship, simple in design but effective, whereas the Blue Nixie is fast cargo ship. I think that will get them salivating. I may even allow them some minor upgrades in Sasserine if they can afford it. In this way, the Wyvern not only is carrying cargo bound for Farshore, but is also the "protector" of the Nixie.
Thanks for the response, *sniff* it's nice to know someone cares.
I also started my players on board a ship bound for Sasserine. I had everyone playing three dragon ante as a way for my players to get to know each other and it seemed like something idle folk with a few more days at sea would use to pass some time. Halfway through the game I had the Captain of the ship yelling for all hands make ready to repel boarders. This got the players interest.
I made the Pirate ship a Crimson Fleet vessel and since one of the PC's was supposed to be from Sasserine I allowed him a local knowledge check for info on the Pirates. He advised his fellow passengers that not only were the Crimson Fleet pirates but cannibals as well. I engineered the engagement with the ship the players were on being more maneuverable than the Crimson Fleet ship. There was a brief exchange of missile fire, both crossbows by the players and ballista by the crew. A few of the ships crew were killed and a few pirates died as well. The Pirate ship was unable to get close enough to board and decided to try an easier target instead.
The ship was a trading vessel owned the Vanderboren family of course and upon hearing how the PC's helped defend her vessel Lavinia offered them a job a few days after they had made it to town.
I think James said the fang was supposed to be wrapped in a cloth bearing the symbol of Malcanthet.
James actually said it would be the symbol of Ahazu, to give savvy players a clue to figuring out the right pattern for the floor in Wells of Darkness. Instead the person in possession of the tooth now gets an overwhelming urge to make the pattern when he sees the floor, if I remember correctly.