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On Wednesday I'll be kicking off a new campaign. I want the game to start on an exciting note. I've built the following encounter to jump right in and begin the session. I'd like a bit of help fine-tuning it. The party will be starting at level 1 and for non-combat encounters I plan on giving out XP for a CR equal to APL. Any suggestions on enhancing/improving/tweaking the encounter as well as comments on its relative difficulty/unforseen issues would be welcome.
This event occurs 21 days after the Autumn Wind has sailed out of Port Godless. about a day and a half out from Blackwind Port. Despite skirting the Eye of Abendego the sky and sea have been calm, and though the gulf is usually rife with piracy no threats have presented themselves.
It is late evening on your 21st day at sea. The stars hide behind, low dark clouds, which rumble with tell-tale thunder, and the chill wind picks up, pelting you with seaspray and causing the deck-lanterns to dance wildly and cast ominous shadows. A spiderweb of lightning crackles through the sky for the briefest moment illuminating the concern on the stern captain’s weathered face as she grips the helm. A wave crashes into the ship, nearly knocking you from your feet. “Ready yourselves, lads,”[b] the dwarf, Rolin, who serves as the ship’s first mate comments. [b]“Gozreh won’t let us skirt the eye with ease.”
This encounter takes place over the course of 10 rounds, during which 6 problems arise. The PCs must effectively handle 5 of the 6 issues to spare the ship from sinking. If the PCs are successful, they will sail into Port late the next afternoon, none worse for the wear, with the crew’s gratitude. If the PCs fail to save the vessel, they wash up on the beach in 2 morning’s time, nearly dead. During the encounter there is a thunderstorm in effect. This imposes a -8 penalty on Perception checks, a -4 penalty on ranged weapon attacks, and checks Small characters. All exposed flames are automatically extinguished and there is a 50% chance each round that any protected flame is extinguished. If all light sources are extinguished then dim light conditions prevail (the lightning is providing some illumination). A DC 12 Acrobatics check is needed for characters attempting to move at greater than half of their normal speed upon the wet, storm-tossed deck. The storm and the crew all act on initiative 10. each round. The crew generally have positions and jobs (such as fixing leaks or bailing water) and will not deviate barring extreme circumstances. Each round there is a cumulative 10% chance that a strong wave pushes or pulls everyone on deck in a random direction. This is treated as a bull rush maneuver with an effective CMB or +4. Characters pushed over a rail may attempt a DC 15 Reflex save to avoid going overboard. After each wave the chance is reset.
Round 1: The crew, having mostly just awoken by the sudden storm, and half-dressed and groggy, and very disorganized. They clumsily scramble about aimlessly, causing more harm than good as many of them file up on deck. The captain is keeping a tight grip on the helm and her shouts to command her team are being drowned out by the high winds and peels of thunder.
A DC 15 Diplomacy check or a DC 12 Intimidate check is sufficient to get the crew into proper order.
Round 2: A particularly strong gust of wind causes the mast to groan and the rigging to snap! It flails about in the high winds damaging the boat and injuring all who come in its path.
The rigging attacks a random PC each round with a +1 to hit, dealing 1d6 damage on a successful attack. Any attacked PC can attempt a DC 15 Reflex save to grab the rope and may tie it off to an object with a standard action. Each round that the rigging is held by a player the player must make a DC 10 Strength check or let go of the rope, allowing it to strike at another target.
Round 3: A slew of curses is heard near the helm where the wheel seems to have locked up. The captain struggles with all of her might as the ship steadily tips to its side, unable to right the Autumn Wind.
A DC 15 Disable Device or Strength check made as a standard action is sufficient to fix unlock the helm.
Round 4: A bolt of lightning explodes by the bow of the ship, narrowly missing Elyrn, the cabin boy, who is trying to coax his pet hound , fang, from where it cowers. Flames instantly ignite about him, sealing the duo from the rest of the ship. He screams with fright and hollers for help.
2 things need to occur to solve this problem. The fire needs to be extinguished and the boy and his dog need to be saved. The fire can be put out by smothering it, or dousing it in water; it may even go out on its own. Each round the ship may attempt a DC 20 Reflex save per flaming 5-foot-square. It gets a +2 circumstance bonus from the rain. If smothered or doused with water it gets an additional +4 circumstance bonus for each such attempt during the previous round. If the fire is not put out it spreads to another 5-foot-square in a random direction. If asked, 1d4 of the nearest sailors will instantly stop what they are doing to aid in the attempt to put out the flames. After the fire is put out the dog must be coaxed to safety, either with a DC 12 Handle Animal check, or by grappling it and moving it.
Round 5: The mast snaps under the pressure of a tremendous gale! It swings down at a 90-degree angle, barely attached dropping beams and debris to the deck below. A screech is heard from Adreaf; he hangs by his fingertips from the tipped over crows nest 20 feet over the deck!
A PC interested in saving Adreaf must climb the rigging 20 feet vertically with a DC 10 climb check and then brachiate 10 feet horizontally with a DC 15 Climb check to reach the imperiled crewman, spending a standard action aiding him.
Round 6: One of the beams from the broken mast tumbles down upon Rolin with a sickening crack! He lays limp under the heavy beam and blood begins to flow into the rain.
Lifting the beam requires a DC 15 Strength check, after which the dwarf must be stabilized via magical healing or a DC 15 Heal check.
I obviously don't know your group at all but I feel like most people wouldn't automatically know to do some of these things. Ordering the crew around for example. Or if some of your players aren't familiar with what rigging is they might just say "I guess I'll just hold on to this" instead of tying it off like you want them to. I doubt any of them will actually try to coax the dog out from its hiding spot (wherever that is), especially with all the other things going on. Having him hiding actually seems preferable to having him run about on deck. I'd also be curious to know what would cause the ship to sink if they guy in the crow's nest died and the dog and boy burn (but the fire is put out eventually). You didn't mention what Ralin does but it must be very important if his death could cause the ship to sink.
Looks fun but based on the checks required a typical 1st level party will likely be washing up on shore. This is well thought out but a first level party is a bunch of blundering idiots for the most part.
You obviously know the party better than I do but my 1st level players would fail this 9 out of 10 times.
I'd also be curious to know what would cause the ship to sink if they guy in the crow's nest died and the dog and boy burn (but the fire is put out eventually). You didn't mention what Ralin does but it must be very important if his death could cause the ship to sink.
The sinking or not is an abstraction really. Basically if they party does well the important crewmembers are able to focus their efforts on saving the ship and do so, or are simply lucky enough not to sink. If they do poorly, the ship goes under. I left out who the people were from this encounter because that information is in the Player's Guide to the campaign and it wouldn't have any particular bearing on the encounter itself as far as this thread is concerned (focused mostly on mechanics).
Looks fun but based on the checks required a typical 1st level party will likely be washing up on shore. This is well thought out but a first level party is a bunch of blundering idiots for the most part.
You obviously know the party better than I do but my 1st level players would fail this 9 out of 10 times.
That was one of the reasons I brought this here. I wasn't sure how difficult the encounter was going to end up and how many successes I should expect to have for the PCs to succeed in saving the ship (the adventure continues either way, but the ship sinking could lose the PCs valuble future allies). I'm looking for the PCs to have a good 75% chance of success.
The party of 5 contains a gunslinger, a ranger, a rogue, a barbarian, and a summoner.
Also consider that with the ways to succeed that you listed that not everyone will be able to meaningfully contribute. Your 7 str wizard who happens to be the guy to run up to the helm will be next to useless trying to make a str check and probably has no ranks in disable device.
This party won't contain a wizard; but the encounter is more of a guideline. A wizard might have another way of aiding (summoning something stronger, casting grease might fly, etc.).
@ Matt2VK: Our games haven't generally been taken place near aquatic environments, so the sinking ship theme won't have been over used by our group. However, if the party fails I the first encounter and the ship is going to sink I may use your idea as a follow up.
First off, just have to say that I love the detailed non-combat encounter! I once had a real-life version happen to me while sailing with a friend, and it is an adventure worthy situation!
Here are some disorganized thoughts I had:
My players generally complain when things get started before I give them a chance to act. Before this all begins, it might be good to decide who is where on the ship, and give all players on deck a chance to spot (perception) the storm coming. Knowledge nature, or profession sailor could also give players a chance to know that something serious is about to happen. Even a DC 21 wisdom check could let players "feel it in their bones" that a storm is brewing...
Speaking of ability checks, keep in mind that an ability check is likely to be 20% or more difficult to make then a skill check. AC check penalty could change this, but I would try to keep ability checks in the DC 5-15 range, and skill checks in the 10-20 range (note if AC check penalty applies use the ability check range).
Perhaps this encounter could start with the captain trying to outrun the storm, or try to get to a safer area. The crew scrambles to get the ship pointed down-wind, and the ship starts going VERY fast. Suddenly stuff starts breaking, and the crew has to get the sails down and the ship turned into the wind. This could stretch things out a little more, allow the danger to build, and provide more options for different action types.
Be very careful how you describe some of the aspects of the storm, the ship moving, and damage occurring. For example, I could see a player thinking that beam in part six would be way too heavy to lift. Or after seeing the waves crashing on deck deciding that it is just too dangerous to try and move anywhere (especially small creatures). Perhaps having some of the crew attempt some of these things but not quite succeed would let the players know what is possible.