I'm going to be running Tides of Dread soon, and at the beginnig it says that some documents are recovered from the Hellfish saying that the Crimson Fleet is coming to Farshore. However the module doesn't give any details of exactly what information the documents provide. Can some one give me some thoughts on just what information might be included in these documents? I'm sure my players will want to examine them, so I'd like to be able to give some details.
I'm going to be running Tides of Dread soon, and at the beginnig it says that some documents are recovered from the Hellfish saying that the Crimson Fleet is coming to Farshore. However the module doesn't give any details of exactly what information the documents provide. Can some one give me some thoughts on just what information might be included in these documents? I'm sure my players will want to examine them, so I'd like to be able to give some details.
The gist is that A) Hellfish was merely a scouting vessel, and B) the main attack is coming in 2 months. It's not necessary to get real specific other than those two facts.
If you want to create your own bits of flavor, you could always type up some bits of a pirate's journal talking about the boredom of serving the Crimson Fleet as spies and scouts based out of Rat's End. You could also describe some of the awful things they have done. This could also allow you to foreshadow later events with references to the Pirate Isles and the Crimson Fleet base, as well as Cold Captain Withers (?). Type it in a cool Old English font, crumple it up, and pour coffee on it and let it dry. Gives a cool old parchment look. Give it to the players as a handout.
I'm a big fan of handouts. I typed out the journal page from the Rage, printed it in a cool font (the "If only I had..." sentence lined up perfectly with the bottom of the page!), tore the margins off to give it the rough look of early paper-making technology, and brought it to the game.
When the party reached the Rage, I got up and got a glass of water, hiding it behind my DM screen. I slid the note into the glass so only the top 1" was above the water. Then I dipped my green wet-erase marker into the glass to give it a cool sargasso tint.
When the scout (a ninja/swordsage) went into the cabin to retrieve the journal, I described the loose board and the journal tipping into the hole. The player exclaimed for a reflex save to dive forward and catch it. I had him roll. He rolled a 24, so I told him the DC was 25. Everyone groaned, but then I said "you dive but the book slips through your fingers. You land and see the journal has landed in a mat of muck and is quickly sinking. On your belly leaning over the edge, you make one last snatch and come away with a single soggy page." Then I put the glass on the table. Everyone laughed; it was great.
I enjoy the handouts for Savage Tide; I only wish they were available for download, complete with cool font and ready to go. Searching for fonts (Mocha is a good one; google "pirate font" or "vampire font" for more) and typing out the handouts is worth it, but kind of a chore.
Thanks, for the suggestions. It's nice when you can get feedback/clarifications from the writers of an adventure. That's one of the best things about these boards.