Hello. This is my first post in the messageboards. I have been reading them for quite a while and find them very useful for my campaign.
I am DM-ing Savage Tide and last week my players arrived at Kraken's cove and witnessed the carnage there. Now I have been wondering about the savage fever. Even if the PC's kill every infected creature in the Cove, there are bound to be some birds and fish that escape. This means the disease is still around.
I am toying with the idea of letting it evolve slowly into an epidemic. I think this has the advantages that the PC's will be more focused on the plot, that there will be more tension and danger, and that I can add savage creatures later in the campaign.
I want the plot of the epidemic to remain in the background as a constant threat, so nothing drastic like the total destruction of Sasserine. The PC's can stop the epidemic by removing Demogorgon's influence from the Isle of Dread (e.g. by defeating Khala).
Did anyone do anything like this? How did it work? What are the things to watch out for?
Does anyone have good suggestions for small adventures featuring a remote, secluded location infected with disease? I would like to add one or more of them during SWW.
Thanks for your reactions and suggestions.
G'Day and Welcome Luna,
I too felt the savage creatures needed more time, so on the way back from the cove to the city they ran into more savage critters. The empty fort in SWW was full of green dust and acid craters. Oh and some savage lizard folk. Toward the beginning of the STAP there is a three part adventure that deals with oozes in a remote local. Check all the dungeons within STAP and you will find some of the other low-level adventures useing similar (something afoot in remote local) themes. Of course last years free RPG Day adventure from Paizo: Hollows Last hope.
Somewhere in these boards are savage sharks, starfish, barracuda, etc. So take a minute and search the archives.
Thanks for the reactions.
I am not yet sure how the PC's will find out about stopping the epidemic. However, they are very inquisitive and when they have arrived at that level they will probably use several powerful divination spells. They always do. They even have a cleric with the knowledge domain who specializes in investigation and functions as a sort of supernatural detective.
I was going to include Tammeraut's fate in SWW, since I noticed the reference in BWG. But I have already tied it in to another story line. But I might still change it.
I will check out Hollow's last hope. I downloaded it last week, but have not read it yet.
We played yesterday evening and it was wonderful and exciting. They fought lots of savage creatures, taking enormous risks. Luckily they had bought a wand of cure light wounds in Sasserine. They used it up!
They met captain Javell and tried to out-curse and out-tumble her, taking such risks they easily won her respect. (A diplomacy check 32 helped a lot there too!)
Not sure why the epidemic would be needed. Plenty of reason to go after Khala already. If you want more savage creatures, then just have more savage pearls activated - test firings if you will.
A boat of savage pirates trapped in the sargasso during Sea Wyvern's Wake
Savage monsters during Here There Be Monsters
A savage creature or two during the Tides of Dread prep
A boat of savage pirates trapped in the sargasso during Sea Wyvern's Wake
Oooh! Yoink!
That one is really nasty! :-) I was going to add the pirate ship from Stormwrack (with the goblins and the wererat). Perhaps I should add it to the sargasso and make them all savage.
I wanted to use the epidemic to create a sense of urgency. A threat to civilization in the background, suggesting: "If you do not hurry up, there is no safe place anymore to sell and buy treasure, etc." Just to keep them motivated. And to remind them of the ever present threat of the savage tide.
So just to create atmosphere actually.