I know this has been discussed before, but I am wanting to expand on the idea of running the old Porphyry House adventure from Dungeon 95 as a prequel to my Savage Tide campaign (which will start in the Spring). I have been rewriting portions of the adventure, expanding it, and trying to rework the intro. As a general warning, the descriptions will be mature, not quite torture-porn though, like Nick writes. I hope not anyhow.
I am having the players start on the dark side as it were, with 10th level characters, all N, CN, NE, LE, CE in alignment (I can keep doing this at least until 4E kills alignment, eh folks?).
Here is the intro that I have put together:
Scene1 -
Location – The Vohoun Ocean (within the Densac Gulf) with the characters aboard the ship Josephine's Doom. There are all sorts of reasons for them being aboard the ship.
Josephine’s Doom – Type: Junk, Cargo: 160 tons, Sailing from Sasserine
Crew: Captain Luim, Human, Male N, (4th Bard/4th Expert/4th Rogue)
+2 Chain Shirt, +1 Buckler, +1 Keen Longsword, Ring of Swimming
Lieutenant T’ces 1st mate, Human, Female, CN, (8th Druid)
+2 Shark Hide (+10 swim), +1 Short Spear of Wounding
Worthy Seaman (10) – 5 Human, 3 Half-Orc, 2 Elf (CN, N, NE),
3rd Rogue or Experts -
Studded Leather, Shortsword, Dagger, Light Crossbow
Common Seaman (35) – 20 Human, 12 Half-Orc, 3 Elf (CN, N, NE),
1st Commoner or Experts – Dagger
Attacked by Captain Ustk of the Crimson Fleet.
Beasts,Humans, Half-Orcs, Tieflings, Minotaurs, Orcs, Ogres,
Bugbears, Lizardfolk, Locanth.
40 - 1st level Pirates (1st Warriors)
10 - 2nd level Pirates (2nd Rogues)
5 - 4th level Pirates (4th Rangers)
3 – 8th level Pirates (8th Rogues)
3 – 8th level Pirates (8th Rangers)
1 – 10th level Pirate (10th Wizard)
1 – 10th level Pirate (10th Druid)
Luts’k, the 1st Mate – Ogre 8th level Barbarian
Captain Ustk – Lemorian ½ Fiend, 8th Fighter/4th Legendary Cap.
Introduction:
The waters of the Vohoun Ocean are choppy yet warm. The brisk May breeze, of a southerly bent, forcing the crew to tack into the wind, yet progress is being made. Captain Luim has set the junk on a smooth course since passing through the straights of the Olman Islands. The cargo hold, full of supplies to be traded with the monks and druids of Fort Greenrock. Trade goods from Sasserine, destined for far distant ports of the Auxual Islands and supposedly even more distant lands, on the far shores of the Pearl Sea, weigh down the vessel, it’s keel cutting deep into the pale blue waters. The crew, a mix of humans, half-orcs, and elves, sing various tunes, both common and exotic as they tack the sails, scrub the decks, and make the minor repairs needed as much to keep the ship shape as to keep the crew busy. Few ships ply these waters, fewer still venture far from the shore. Every day or two, a pair of lashed canoes makes it’s way from the endless impenetrable jungle, destined to trade fresh fruits, strange game meats, and tales for iron knives, an old axe head, or even a dented steel shield. The Southern Olman peoples are tougher than their Northern Cousins, more feral. Their canoes are decorated with the skulls of their enemies, not all of the unfamiliar. Their bodies are wiry and tight with muscle, their skin tattooed with strange patterns disconcerting to the eye. Few upon the ship can speak their tongue, although the swarthy skinned lieutenant T’ces, seems to be fluent enough for trade and tale at least, her countenance stern and bargaining fierce. Eventually these trades wane as you approach within a day of Fort Greenrock, their trade funneled and focused upon the jungle fort.
Scene 1 Pirates!!:
It is with the first morning watch, during a muggy hot foggy rain, that the cry goes out, an hour before the dawn. “Ship, fast and stout, closing from the shore. She bloodywell appeared out of nowhere, walking out of the very shores of the jungle. Ah, Saint Cuthbert preserve us, she flies the Crimson sails. To arms! To arms!”
Josephine’s Doom currently is traveling no more than 500ft from the shore, and there barreling down upon the ship is a large blood vessel, painted black with great red gashed upon it’s side, like some sort of wounded beast. Filled with blasted arcane winds, the blood red sails draw the pirate ship to you as a fly to s%&#. Upon it’s twisted decks, dozens of men and beasts swarm, filling the wrigging, making it seems as if the black beast is infested.
Josephine’s Doom suddenly bursts into a furious chaos of activity and apathy. Sailors urine wets the deck, others run, some scream, the watch captain roars for daggers and axes to be found, the captain, still belting his cutlass, roars for his men to stand fast and fight the devils.
Roll for Initiative.
Tactics – A group of the pirates have snuck up to the vessel while invisible, namely the Captain, the druid, and the 5, 8th level rogues. They all have invisibility cast upon them, and have rowed out upon an small invisible raft. They will board at the stern, and try to take the stern castle, the poopdeck. The events will follow as noted, unless players intervene.
Surprise Round – Ships at 400ft Distance
Captain Ustk and his crew mount the poopdeck still invisible. DC 25
listen check to hear them over the commotion on deck. DC 25 spot check to notice the watery footprints they left upon the deck.
Round 1 – Ships at 300ft distance.
On the Poopdeck – Captain Luim, Lieutenant T’Ces, 5 worthy Seamen
Captain Ustk, the pirate Druid, and 5 8th level rogue pirates.
Captain Ustk - surprise Attacks Captain Luim. 12 dam.
2 - 8th level Rogues – Flank and backstab Captain Luim – 35 damage
1 – 8th level Rogue – Backstabs Lieutenant T’Ces – 17 damage
2 – 8th level Rogues – Backstab Worthy Seamen – 17 damage
Pirate Druid – Casts Wall of Fire (non-lethal damage) to separate the
poopdeck from the rest of the ship.
Pirate Wizard – Casts Fireball from the deck of the far ship (30 non
lethal damage) focused on the mid-deck. All worthy Seamen within
the blast are knocked unconscious by this attack.
Round 2 – Ships at 200ft distance
Captain Ustk kills Captain Luim
Rogues backstab Lieutenant T’Ces, killing her
Rogues kill Worthy Seamen
Pirate Druid – Casts Ice Storm (15 non-lethal damage) covering the
Forecastle, knocking unconscious half the Worthy Seamen there.
Pirate Wizard – Casts Lightning Bolt (10d6 non-lethal) targeting
strong warriors (the PCs) on the deck of the ship.
Round 3 – Ships at 100ft distance
Captain Ustk and the Rogues take the Poopdeck, beheading Captain Luim and drinking the blood dripping from his severed neck.
Rogues slay the rest of the worthy Seamen, tossing their corpses
onto the stairs, blocking passage up to the poopdeck.
Pirate Druid – Casts Call Lightning Storm (5d10 non-lethal damage)
targeting powerful people on the deck of the ship.
Pirate Wizard – Casts Lightning Bolt (10d6 non-lethal) targeting
strong warriors on the deck of the ship.
Round 4 – Boarding distance
Captain Ustk Calls for the crew to surrender, battles against the
PCs, backed up by his rogues.
Pirate Druid – Casts Call Lightning Storm (5d10 non-lethal damage)
targeting powerful people on the deck of the ship.
Pirate Wizard – Casts Waves of Fatigue at the largest bunch of
sailors on the Junk.
Luts’k the 1st Pirate Mate – Leads the boarding of the vessel from
the mid section. – Knocks unconscious the first worthy seaman
who he encounters.
30 – 1st level Pirates – Board with Luts’k
8 – 2nd level Pirates (8 Rogues) – Board with Luts’k
4 - 4th level Pirates (4 Rangers) - Board with Luts'k
2 - 8th level Pirates (2 Rangers) - Board with Luts'k
Round 5 - Joined
Captain Ustk, his rogues, and Luts’k battle against the PCs
Pirate Druid – Continues to target major persons with lightning
Pirate Wizard – Casts Cone of Cold (10d6 nonlethal) or Feeblemind.
The others battle against the leftover Worthy Seamen mostly using
Saps, unless brought below 1/2 hp, then resorting to daggers.
Luts’k, the 1st Mate – Ogre 8th level Barbarian
HP:118/118, AC:22, +2 Greatclub +23/+18/+13 2d8+12 (str 31 rage),
Fort+14, Reflex +4, Will +4, Damage Reduce 2, Initiative +0
Captain Ustk – Lemorian ½ Fiend, 8th Fighter/4th Legendary Captain Initiative+7 HP:106, AC:28, +2 Falchion - +20/+15/+10, 2d4+7,
Fort+10, Reflex+7, Will+5
10th Level Druid Pirate – Human
HP:58, AC:21, +1Scimitar +11/+6 1d6+1 damage
Fort+8, Reflex+5, Will+10 - Spells
Druids Spells Already Cast:
Control Winds, Air Walk, Summon Nature’s Ally III, Summon Nature’s Ally IV, Resist Energy (Fire, 30pts), Resist Energy (Electricity,
30pts), Flaming Sphere, Bear’s Endurance, Summon Nature’s Ally I (x3)
Druid casts –
1st (3) – Jump, Goodberry
2nd (1) – Summon Swarm, Warp Wood,
3rd (4) – Sleet Storm, Call Lightning (3d10 dam, DC19), Quench,
4th (2) – Ice Storm (3d6 bludgeoning, 2d6 cold, Long Range)
5th (2) - Call Lightning Storm (5d10 dam, DC 21), Wall of Fire
10th Level Wizard Pirate
HP:37, AC:15, Mtwk Dagger +8 1d4 damage
Fort+4, Reflex+5, Will+8 - Spells
Wizard's Spells Already Cast:
Enlarge Person Mass, Greater Invisibility, Hallucinatory Terrain,
Haste, Spider Climb, Bull’s Strength, Bear’s Endurance, Cat’s Grace,
Shield, Protection vs. Good, Protection vs. Law, (all on Captain),
Wizard Casts:
1st (3) – Magic Missile (5d4+5) x2, Color Spray
2nd (1) – Flaming Sphere (2d6)
3rd (3) – Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Dispel Magic
4th (2) – Shout (5d6 + Deaf), Evard’s Black Tentacles,
5th (3) – Waves of Fatigue, Cone of Cold (10d6, DC 22), Feeblemind
(DC 22/26)
8th Level Rogue Pirates - Human
HP:38, AC:17, +1 Dagger +9/+4 1d4+1+4d6 sneak
Fort+3, Reflex+9, Will+2
Captain Luim, Human, Male N, (4th Bard/4th Expert/4th Rogue)
HP:56, AC:17, +1 Longsword +10/+5 Damage 1d8+1
Fort+5, Reflex+9, Will+7, + Spells
+2 Chain Shirt, +1 Buckler, +1 Keen Longsword, Ring of Swimming
Lieutenant T’ces 1st mate, Human, Female, CN, (8th Druid), Initiative+2
+2 Shark Hide (+10 swim), +1 Short Spear of Wounding
HP:49/49, AC:19, Spear +7/+2, 1d6+1 damage, Bow +9/+4 1d8 damage
Fort+7, Reflex+4, Will+9, Spells 6/5/4/4/2
Worthy Seamen – Half-Orcs, 3rd Rogue
HP:20, AC:16, mwk Short Sword +6 1d6+2 Damage
Fort+2, Reflex+4, Will-1
Denouement:
The pirates begin punching, kicking, biting, and spitting upon the crew and passengers of Josephine’s Doom. You hear a woman’s scream disappear into the hold, even as a slime ridden foot smashes down upon your face, and all goes black.
Scene 2 - Scuttlecove:
You squint. Your mouth is parched, and your arms and shoulders burn in pain, screaming out to you.. You lips are cracked in a thousand places and bruises cover you body almost as much as the salt spray. The sun burns into your eyes, and you close them, opening them again with a deep goan. You look out upon the sea it’s surface descend and then ascend again, rocking with the movement of the ship across the waves. It is then that you realize that it is your bloodied heels that are making the hollow knocking sounds. You are bound by your shoulder and arms to the railing of Josephine’s Doom, facing outward to the sea, legs and body dangling over the drink. As you begin to turn to investigate the piercing screams, pulpy, and fleshy sounds from behind you on the deck, a fist smashes into your eye socket, turning all again to black.
For three days this is your lot. The pirates shove mouthfuls of bilge water down your throats as the sun sets each day, the foulness of it making you retch, yet your thirst pleading to swallow more.
You awake hours later to hear the moans and screams of your fellow bound passengers, your arms and shoulders having long since grown numb, you body wracked and twisted in pain, each wound soaked in the salt spray, your skin blistered from the sun.
“Oh Gods no…oh gods no! By the grace of Pelor no!! Not Scuttlecove!! NO!!!!!!!!!” The man hanging two down from you begins ranting and screaming, staring out into towards sea to the fore. Following his gaze you see that the ship is approaching a massive island, covered with thick jungle, imposing cliffs, whose air hangs with a dull miasma of smoke and grease. The image is gone as the ship tacks to catch the breeze, then returns with a starboard turn.
A fleshy thumb is heard, with a soft crack, a slight spray of wetness splatters your cheeks, as a fist silences the man, you think forever. The inmate next to you, covered with bits of the far man’s teeth and blood, reaches out his parched tongue, and licks his sanguine face.
You can clearly make out the crimson sails of the pirate ship leading a mile ahead, silhouetted against the isle. And beyond the ship, stretching to either side is a port, an opening in the jungle, a mass of jumbled buildings and rough, buckling fortifications. Only a few structures seem to rise above the chaotic mass, what appears to be an arena of some sort to the West, it’s wall rising high yet not smooth. In the center some sort of rough pyramid of wood and metal and other unidentifiable materials rises glistening and glittering in the midday sun. Near the Western walls of the city an elegant structure of stone rests, made from dark purple porphyry with four minarets rising from it’s corners, it stands at a contrast to it’s surroundings. And finally on the hill overlooking this foul pustule of a coastal inhabitation, is a blacked husk of a fortress, impenetrable as it’s form is untenable to the sane mind, the Palace from which the mad rule the foulest of capitals, the epicenter of horrors, the port-city of Scuttlecove.
The shanghaied ship maneuvers it’s way fitfully through a maze of passages, winding between the perilous wrecks that litter the mouth of Scuttlecove. The waters of the bay are generally calm, partially because of these unnatural reefs, and thus are full of the filth and mire that the city produces. A thick slick of grease, bits of hair, and unmentionable flotsam cover the bay’s waters.
The smell of the waters is almost refreshing compared to the miasma that wafts from the city itself, carrying with it the smells of a thousand filths, strange chemicals, and rot, both plant and animal. Your stomach begins to turn, even as you overhear pirates comment on the good smell of home, their speech barely rising above the dry retches of your fellow prisoners. Flies, mosquitoes, and other disdainful insects begin to fill the air, sometime congregating around a corpse floating in the waters, yet enough of them gaining interest in your vessel for you wounds to begin filling with swarms of bloodsuckers and egg layers. The buzzing they make crescendos as it merges with the sounds of the city to create a cacophony of terror. Screams, clanging of metal, cries of mercy, the creak of ships against docks, flesh yielding to steel, dull moans, this is the symphony of Scuttlecove. Your final destination.
The pirates, expert seamen, maneuver the ship into position and dock it along the bayfront. The docks themselves seem to be in relatively good repair especially when compared to the collapsing ruins that are the cities finest homes. The nimble youths jump from the rails unto the docks, catching the ropes and tying off the vessel, then aiding the original Crimson Fleet ship to dock to the aft. The pirate officers confer for a few moments, fingers pointed, bodies, off loaded from both ships are dumped into a cart a wheeled off, after the man leading the cart pays a few gold coins to the tall Ogre pirate leading this venture.
Finally manacles are brought forth, and the slow process of cutting loose the prisoners, you and your compatriots, begins. As each slave is untied, they are manacled to a gang line, each line linked by a thick, ancient chain, thus tying together 10 men. As each group is completed, they are led off by a group of 10 pirates towards a wooden platform, as tall as a man, made from sagging boards, found upon the beach. It seems that there a slave auction of sorts is being held.
You are all in the second group to be untied. Each one of you is untied one at a time.
5 – 1st level Pirates, 2 – 4th level Rangers, 2 – 8th level Rogues
Your muscles scream at you in terrible pain, forcing you to double over, your legs failing to hold your weight, even as the slap the manacles upon you. Three well built sailors are at the front of you group, yet following you are a group of men beaten and wasting away, all of which carry at least one broken limb.
Thats all I have written so far. I have the rest mapped out. They will be sold to a slaver, held in his pit's to prepare them to be shipped out to his plantation island. Within the pits, they will have to bareknucle fight for survival, then will be saved by Tyralandi, that is if they will sign a pact with Graatz to bring down the Porphyry House of Whor..err..Horrors.
What do folks think?
Sounds very gritty as a beginning. I have also used this, it is a good prequel for sure. Are you going to run the same characters through the Savage Tide as well though? that could be complicated but fun.
Too answer both of your questions or comments there, this is the setup for a prequel adventure for my, to be later run, Savage Tide Campaign.
So the 10th level N, CN, NE, CE, LE characters they are making for the Porphyry House of Horrors, will be just one shot characters, and after this one adventure, will reappear here and there throughout the Savage Tide Campaign (set 5 years later) by the same players, with new, 1st level characters. So one 10th level Rogue, might be a rising power in the Sea Barons, another 10th level Swashbuckler may have joined the Crimson Pirates. Another 10th level wizard, may be vying for power in Scuttlecove when the characters arrive there in the actual campaign.
Basically I am looking for this one shot to set the scene for my later full campaign, introduce some characters the players know intimately that they will later become involved with in NPC capacities, and make them fear the heck out of Scuttlecove, so that when they hear, midway through the campaign that they have to travel to the pirate city they will know true fear, and I will hear satisfying groans and moans from around the gaming table.
I too, tend to shy away from the heavy handed railroad tactic of taking my players prisoner, although it can be fun sometimes (I ran the Prison Break adventure a while back, with the monks and all, it was great). But in this case, it is just for a one-shot, with characters the players will not use as characters again.
I will try and post more of my intro, as I am rather verbose, when I get it written up.
I think my addendum's and additions to my recently finished Age of Worms campaign added up to something like 200 pages, so we will see if Savage Tide reaches the same levels of verbosity.
I'd prefer not, from a DM perspective, to 'set the players up' to be taken prisoner as part of an adventure plot line unless: (1) it is the first adventure with those characters, and just for the sake of 'background' they're prepared to play through how they got taken prisoner.
(2) the players have taken the decision to be 'taken prisoner' during an adventure as part of plans of their own devising to infiltrate a location or organisaton.
A lot players in my experience aren't terribly fond of losing their characters, and unless they are specifically expecting to be taken prisoner will assume that all fights are to the death- with the consequence that if things are going 'bad' they fall back around the party mage for that teleport to get them out of a situation gone bad.
But if PC's are regularly taken prisoner in your game then good work; it's full of... 'salty' flavour.
Also the Pirates are all( or mostly anyhow) using subdual damage. A live prisoner can be sold as slave labor. A dead prisoner can be sold as cheap food. Kinda the teach a man to fish, give a man a fish thing. But Scuttlecove style.
Expanding on the description:
The Slave Market of Scuttlecove
Your muscles scream at you in terrible pain, forcing you to double over, your legs failing to hold your weight, even as the slap the manacles upon you. Three well built sailors are at the front of you group, yet following you are a group of men beaten and wasting away, all of which carry at least one broken limb.
You are led along the dirty sands, baked hot from the sun, covered in places with old rusty blood, bits of flesh and cloth, and other organic matter. As the group upon the platform is led away by a group of hungry looking ogres and half-orcs, You are hauled up atop the sagging stage. There a man dressed in long richly embroidered silk robes that hide little of his green tinged body smiles at you, showing his filled double rows of needle like teeth. “Ahhhh, more fleshhhh for the bllloooock.” He grabs at your jaw and turns your head, pulling at your gums with his talons, tasting the blood from your gums. “Ahhhh, Goood shhhhhape thhhhhhessse ones are in. Thhhey will sssell quickly.”
He turns towards the audience, a group of a dozen men, orcs, fiends, and even an half-elven man of a more distinguished age and rotund state. “For the lot of 10, sssshhhall we sssstart bidding at 250?” A scandoulously dressed woman, lounging on a finely wrought palanquin, two massive ogres standing behind her, raises her hand. “Ah Madame Nazare is the first bidder. 350?” The Half-Elf raises a finger slightly. “Duke Nyeblock, ssssees you bid. 500?” The Madame nods her head, staring intently at you (the character with the highest Cha). “700?” The half-elf noble, dressed in layers of black silk and gold jewelry, his four Bugbear enforcers covered with scars and arms, backing him up, tilts his head slightly. “1000?” The Madame holds her poise very still…considering yet holding. “1000?” No movement amongst the crowd. “700 once, 700 twice, sold 700 gold sovereigns to Duke Nyeblock. If you willl remove the detritus from the platform good duke, we shall bring out the next lot.” Two of the Bugbears come forward and drag you quickly off the wooden stage, towards the foul cities streets.
The pirates move forward and speak at some length with the Duke, obviously selling him a lot of goods taken from the passengers on your ship. Eventually the duke agrees to a price and hands over three small velvet pouches, as the bugbears load the gear onto a rough wooden cart.
The duke moves towards you, while gesturing at a group of men, who had been lounging on the rancid beach. 5 of them, all armed with saps move forward and begin grabbing you by the arms, smashing their clubs into your shins, neck, and face if you don’t move quick enough. They lead you past the duke, now surrounded by his bugbears, while another 5 armed men position themselves two in front and three in back of you line. The fleshy half-elf inspects each of you as you file past him, feeling the softness of your hands, the muscle of your stomach, checking your gums and teeth. The first slave who tries to talk to him is quickly and viscously smashed by the roughneck handlers, till blood covers much of his face, and the one in front of him must drag him along.
As the last of you ten chained slaves passes him, the duke hands a silk bag of coin to the auctioneer and a larger velvet sack to the pirate captain. A whip is produced and you are told to march or face the lash.
The streets of Scuttlecove are out of some demon’s nightmare. The buildings are dilapidated, rotting, and sunken. Here and there bones are left out in the lane with refuse from man, beast, and fouler thing, allowed to mix into the mud, creating the ground upon which you march.
You turn you head and view into the space between two collapsing homes to see the horrid sight of a group of four starving diseased youths, kicking and clawing, biting and bleeding, fighting over the half rotten corpse of a rat. Three powerfully built men, all armed with daggers and swaggeringly drunk, kick down the door to a house as you approach the scene, the lead one knifing the owner even as he goes for his sword, while the other two grab his wife and shut the door. The road, if you were to call it that, meet with another, equally wretched path of filth, and there in the square, are a group of six monks, all dressed in dark purple robes with red and gold trim, their heads shaved, and their bodies covered, every inch, with tattoos, brandings, scarifications, and piercings each one more horrid than the one before. While two of their number stand silent guard, sternly surveying those passing bye with their unyielding yet feral eyes, the other four are crouched like animals over a man screaming and thrashing on the ground, as they tear chunks of flesh from his body with their teeth, having staked him to the ground with ropes and irons. A trio of passing pirates mutter about the “order of the Dire Hunger”.
The guards at the head of the entourage sigh as they approach the building on the North-East corner of this square. “Home, home again, and in one piece.”
It is a low stout building made from massive dusty crimson blocks of stone. Covering every square inch of the structure are small inscribed runes of some ancient script. Each one has been carefully marred or defaced in such as way that they are rendered illegible even to mystic means. The two guards in front stop before the iron portcullis and sturdy oak doors, as the five toughs pull on your chains, forcing you to stop not two paces from the voracious monks. The guards call out, and rusty gears and turned, as the iron gates rise, the stout doors part, and you are led into the cool, dark interior.