Big spoilers for the plattsburgh campaign. Don't read it.
Yes, I know, some people wonder "Why would you want this campaign to be MORE complex?" the real reason is that I didn't feel like it foreshadowed enough of the plot with the low level opponents.
Ok. So here's my quick summary.
Vanthus's story is going to stay mostly the same. I did, however, change the crimson fleet to a branch of the navy of the evil Empire that dominates my campaign world. Sassarine is a colony of these, and the lotus wished to change that.
I am, however, adding two new piratey vilians. Their story to follow.
Captain Domiel. Captain Domiel was the original captain of the Sea Wyvern. When his corpse was thrown overboard, he begged and pleaded with the nightmare lady of death, Latrodectus (orcus), and regained his life. He is bound and chained to the ship, but he is able to leave. (his chains are very long.) While he remains on the Phantom Wyvern, he is effectively a pseudonatural marlith, although he appears far different. When he leaves the ship, he regains the stats that he had as a mortal. Domiel has shown up in the SWW, and I plan on having him catch up with the players on Farshore and again at scuttlecove, as well as EoME and PoD, although to what capacity I'm unsure. However, he dislikes Vanthus much more than he dislikes the players, and so with some convincing the players will be able to set the powerful pirate against the crimson fleet. I will, of course, expand the fleet a bit if I let the phantom wyvern attack. His largest limitation is that the Phantom Wyvern can only sail at night. During the day the ship is dragged back to the plane of shadow. He stands against the savage tide. He will also be Latrodectus's messenger for the war council, and his ship will likely stand against Akatun in the Phantom Wyvern.
The second captain is a bit different. As a not, I am changing the aspect of Obonox-ob to Moth-igura, exiled from the world before this one. This change is to give Moth-igura a prescence in my campaign.
Captain Goran. Captain Goran was once a respected scholar in the Merchant states. Indeed, he did not need magic, he had money to pay people to do that for him. However, one day he discovered an ancient text. One that his translators refused to translate, and his mages refused to look at. Goran, however wanted to read it. So he pieced together the first chapter from fragments of translated text. After that, the entire book got a lot easier. He read it every night. He kept it under his pillow. The book was the tale of how the first world was created, and what spells where used to populate it. The knowledge of these spells cracked Goran's mind. He saw visions of the three mouthed one, Moth-igura. He knew that he needed to do something. To find something. And that something was in the sea.
Goran has learned about the savage tide, and indeed a large amount of his crew is infected with this disease. He believes that the large amount of madness in the world will cause it to revert to the last world. In LD he will be speaking with the Aboleths, they who have been here since the last world. They will learn about the impetus, who may or may not be the party sorcerer.
He may not be wrong.
I plan on using him in SWW, LD, EoME, and PoD.
Any suggestions on how best to use these guys? I'm planning on having Goran and his crew be a real threat to infecting places, and using Domiel as a kind of sheepdog, but using him sparingly and logically.
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Big spoilers for the plattsburgh campaign. Don't read it.
Yes, I know, some people wonder "Why would you want this campaign to be MORE complex?" the real reason is that I didn't feel like it foreshadowed enough of the plot with the low level opponents.
...
Great ideas.
I'm planning on throwing in some good prophecies in either the first few adventures or a prequel. Since I know how it ends, I can write lots of archaic language about evil monkeys and pearly drops of pure night or whatever. At the very least I plan to have the instructions about destroying the Master Pearl in an ancient tome vice a DC40 Knowledge check.
I'm planning on throwing in some good prophecies in either the first few adventures or a prequel. Since I know how it ends, I can write lots of archaic language about evil monkeys and pearly drops of pure night or whatever. At the very least I plan to have the instructions about destroying the Master Pearl in an ancient tome vice a DC40 Knowledge check.
I am lucky enough that my players have given me some ability to do both the prequel and continuing 'hints'. And both were based on the players backstories that they developed for themselves (I only tweaked a bit to provide continuity with ST)
The wizard came to Sasserine following a vision, which I provided details for that hints at the desctruction of Thanaclan and ties to Vanthus and Rowyn and an "ebony orb". The visions will likely continue and I can do alot of foreshadowing with that much freedom.
The Olman barbarian has fortune cards that he 'reads' (we actually named them and he defined their interpretations) that I may be able to use to provide hints. He also was around for Vanthus' exile and suspects Vanthus was involved in the destruction of his Clan, tho he hasn't got any solid evidence yet (it was destroyed by a 'Monkey Demon' summoned by an acquaintence that Vanthus made. part of what turned V to the dark side.)
Back to the OP: I think the STAP is plenty complicated without additions but that doesn't mean I won't be looking for ideas to do just that. This forum abounds with great ideas to enhance the path.
Cheers!
One thing I'd never entirely liked was Lord Manthalay as the main intrigue in Farshore. Not that I dislike him as a character, but in a way he is actually a voice of reason. Captain Domiel adds a little more depth to the community, as an actual salt and leather explorer type who has a grim purpose of his own. It makes the colony seem less an effort now run by dilletantes and more of a serious venture that people have staked life and reputation on. That alone will be valuable.
Captain Goran on the other hand tightens the adventures on the isle in their pure Poe/Lovecraft sense--the mad cursed captain who is no fool in fact but whose madness speaks the truth. There's something more creepy about him than those troglodytes. In fact i'd be inclined to have him replace the trog guide, or at least add to that whole factor. He might also be a potential deus ex machina if you want one for the initial ambush in "City of Broken Idols" who could come along after the fight or during it to help but with his own strange agenda...