I wanted to share this incident with you, since it was so enormously funny.
I elaborated a bit on the 8th Olman village. I situated it near the location of an old Olman harbor from the times of Thanaclan. There had been a naval battle once and several enemy ships had been sunk by the Olman and rested on the bottom of the bay.
I made an encounter with monsters from Tome of Horrors: a ghost ship with a draug, brine zombies and lacedons. The draug is intelligent and can manipulate the ship, and even make it fly, and he can call up a storm.
At first the appearance of the ship and the storm really freaked out the players, and the PCs were intent on fleeing. Then they decided to give it a try. This led to an epic battle which lasted about half of the playing session. It ended in one of the PCs using his whip in order to haul himself up on the ship's ladder, and climbing on deck of the ghost ship. Since he was a rogue, I expected him to sneak up on the draug, who had to stay at the rudder to manipulate the ship, and attack and kill him.
But he did not. Actually he used a diplomacy check.
The check was so high that the group has now convinced the captain of the ghost ship to help them against the Crimson Fleet in exchange for a) a lot of victims and b) if he wishes, eternal rest.
So I have a flying ship to contend with in this battle. That is an ally I never expected.
(But of course the residents of Farshore will probably not like it.)
Consider this stolen.
With your permission of course.
I wanted to share this incident with you, since it was so enormously funny.
I elaborated a bit on the 8th Olman village. I situated it near the location of an old Olman harbor from the times of Thanaclan. There had been a naval battle once and several enemy ships had been sunk by the Olman and rested on the bottom of the bay.
I made an encounter with monsters from Tome of Horrors: a ghost ship with a draug, brine zombies and lacedons. The draug is intelligent and can manipulate the ship, and even make it fly, and he can call up a storm.
At first the appearance of the ship and the storm really freaked out the players, and the PCs were intent on fleeing. Then they decided to give it a try. This led to an epic battle which lasted about half of the playing session. It ended in one of the PCs using his whip in order to haul himself up on the ship's ladder, and climbing on deck of the ghost ship. Since he was a rogue, I expected him to sneak up on the draug, who had to stay at the rudder to manipulate the ship, and attack and kill him.
But he did not. Actually he used a diplomacy check.
The check was so high that the group has now convinced the captain of the ghost ship to help them against the Crimson Fleet in exchange for a) a lot of victims and b) if he wishes, eternal rest.
So I have a flying ship to contend with in this battle. That is an ally I never expected.
(But of course the residents of Farshore will probably not like it.)
The draug can always swap sides if things are going to easy for the PC's.
He can also demand additional payment ie more victims or he will haunt and harass Farshore. Especially if he advances in power after the battle.
Please use this, Laurellien. And whoever else wants to use it. And have fun with it.
Of course the encounter offers all kinds of possibilities. The draug can betray them. But I am also thinking of adding an extra cleric on the side of the Crimson Fleet, hoping this will result in an undead-controlling duel between the two clerics. Might be fun.
I am also considering the possibility that other parties (the Crimson Fleet or the Scarlet Brotherhood) find the draug ship and conclude their own deals. Or the Olman might be angry, because the PCs struck a deal with undead, bypassing the zombie masters and the cult of the walking dead.
Hi Luna,
I'm pinching your idea, but mixing it with the bit about upgrading Farshore in the same Dungeon as ToD.
I'm having the Kawibusa as more war like, having had battles with various pirates in the past, like you said, having a number of wrecks in the bay by the village.
Then I've put that the tribesmen brought back a magnificent obsidian idol (two headed and monkey like, of course) and put it in the centre of the village. As it was cursed, it caused the undead to rise from the ships, slaughter the tribe and return (with idol) below the waves.
The PCs can deal with the undead menace (like you, a draug, lacedons and brine zombies) and then reclaim the pirates booty... but also the Idol.
Now I need a suitable curse for the idol to provide... any suggestions? :)
TBA
Savage fever?? Lemorian template?? Vile rigidity??
There are examples enough in the campaign.
There also was a drug-like plant on the Isle of Dread, I have forgotten the name. I think it caused a rage effect. You can make the idol not magical at all (your PCs will probably investigate it with spells), but filled with plant spores slowly drifting out of it in the air.
Thanks Luna, going to have a few effects caused by the idol, primarily due to it being linked to Demogorgon.
Firstly, affects any anyone who see's it to covet it. Standard willpower save to resist it
Secondly, at midnight every night, it attempts to give the Lemorian template to any living corporeal creature (with Int of 4 or more) within 10 feet. This will occur in stages, in an effort to give the PC's a chance to stop it before the transformation is complete
Thirdly, this effect at midnight causes all undead within a mile radius to attempt to claim the idol (this is a compulsion effect, and linked to Orcus's hatred of Demogorgon). This caused the original destruction of the 8th village.
And finally, as the party oracle now is 'linked' to Demo/Gaping Maw (due to her having a very odd turn when in Fogmire, meaning that her clouded vision curse is suppressed when in locations or near objects linked to the abyss), it will have a few odd effects on her as well.
I'm going to go to town with this idol, having it as a link to Demo in the material plane. It's going to be an artifact, and I'm going to have fun if the group plan on destroying it. If they do, then I can use it to add negative levels to Demo in PoD. :)
Sounds cool and mysterious! I am curious to hear how it plays out. The only thing that is left, is a way to destroy the artifact. With the wand of Orcus perhaps? Or by some special kind of undead?
You can nicely link this to Orcus plot in EOME.