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So I was reading some of the 101 things that happen at camp or in town threads and realized that once your off the Wormwood most situations are external to the ship. When I watch Star Trek, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica some threats or problems should come from the ship. Yes I know those are all sci fi but there is some overlap. The setting changes but the plot remains the same. Here are few things that I thought would make for some fun.
1. Aretta Banison is a former prostitute since moving over to the new ship she has realized that with regular pay there is a steady stream of those who have money to spend. Several sailors come down with the clap.
2. One of the female members of the crew is showing signs of sickness particularly in the morning. Sure enough she's pregnant. More than one crew members are on the list of possible fathers.
3. Crimson Cogward (if he lived) has started an evening fight club. Not only is this causing injuries it has started to raise bad feelings and its possible that there will be more than just a fist fight if things are left unattended.
4. A small group of new PC's seem to be forming a clique and actively influencing other crew against the bosun and the 1st mate. (Yes that should be familiar the PCs did this to Harrigan).
5. One of the NPC crew is wanted and has a bounty on their head. One of the other crew tipped off a bounty hunter or the authorities. The ship is tied up at port having to deal with the issue.
6. All ships have rats . . . Not everyone gets a wererat. It really only takes one. Depending on the level of the PC's they better hope they are near port.
7. A new crew member that joined at the last port lost a friend in a bar fight with other NPC crew that were so drunk they do not recognize the new crew member. After a few days at sea accidents start to happen.
8.Scurvy! The PCs need to get some limes/lemons fast to help ward off this malady.
8.Scurvy! The PCs need to get some limes/lemons fast to help ward off this malady.
Awesome!
Excellent ideas! Yes, I hear you on the parallels with other notorious vessels.
9. Disable Device rash - Old/new enemies, not brave enough to face the PCs, sneak aboard their ship at port while the PCs are away. The next time they are out at sea, things start falling apart: sails tear, ropes snap, rudder does not respond. May strand the ship. Maybe other sea-faring opportunists have been tipped off to the possibility of easy pickings...
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10. At port a seed trader sells on of the crew a cute little ball of fur reportedly from the continent of Acadia. The little buggers reproduce at an incredible rate. They also have voracious appetites and are not above chewing wood. Problem: THE SHIP IS MADE OF WOOD. Incidentally they are calm and often purr when almost any race pets them they however screech horrifically around orcs.
10. At port a seed trader sells on of the crew a cute little ball of fur reportedly from the continent of Acadia. The little buggers reproduce at an incredible rate. They also have voracious appetites and are not above chewing wood. Problem: THE SHIP IS MADE OF WOOD. Incidentally they are calm and often purr when almost any race pets them they however screech horrifically around orcs.
You are an evil, EVIL man.
What an absolutely marvelous idea!
When my players start howling for blood I'm going to point them in your direction.... ;D
11. While in port one of the crew was killed an replaced by a doppleganger, but who?
12. Conchobar Shortstone is a flirtatious womanizer. While harmless enough, not all women are forgiving, and being a pirate to boot could cause nigh deadly complications. Conchobar's life is put in peril.
13. It's not the cannonballs that kill crew members. It's the infection from the wooden splinters. After a particularly dangerous ship battle, many crew members suffer from infections (Probably best to do this at early levels before they have remove disease).
14. Dead winds are a serious problem. There could be a time when the wind dies out for days, even a couple of weeks. Food could be scarce, water could dry up.
15. A crewman from a rival pirate joins the ship and begins sabotaging the ship's weapons, food, and water.
16. The ship gets an infestation of termites or fungus that starts eating away at it. Attempts to remove it only stall the progress.
17. If the ship has gunpowder in it, an accident could spark a blast that could blow a big hole on the ship.
18. Rotten barrels : foodstuff is commonly enclosed in barrels - but some stupid git banded impromperly sealed barrelhoops. Loud bursting from the bilges as the barrels expand (explosively) possibly setting up a chain reaction.
19. Slide me sideways : In the after-battle celebrations some of the heavier booty was improperly stored and stowed (some knots not up to snuff ?). Come the next storm, the plunder starts sliding to lee, threatening to topple the ship. Who is man enough to haul the five tons of cargo to windward and properly tie it down ? Broken bones and bruises are a must.
20. Bilge pump broken : The chain pump from the bilge suffers from mechanical breakdown. At best, in a storm, when the cranking and yawing ship is springing seams anyway, and water from above is seeping through cracks in the deck, nevermind the hatches. Go and repair it while the ship is slowly taking on water
21. Anchoring cable (a 3" hawser) suffers from rot after years of lacklustre maintenance (it's a very dirty job) , and needs to be re-spliced... right ? A few hundred man hours of work, before the ship can drop her anchor... or risk loosing the heavy implement to the next bank of corrals.
22. We are way of North : someone or something mistreated the compass ( placed a loadstone nearby, or simply put a chest of iron some feet away ?) and the compass shows the wrong course. Possibly for days and in bad weather where astronomical observation is off and one has to guesstimate the position. Superior navigation rolls to realize the danger... which is either of hitting a reef, the wrong coast, the Empty Trackless Seas or accidentally sailing into the Chelish fleet (or the Eye )... nevemind trying to reset the compass... on the open seas !
23. The grog has turned me blind : buying or stealing inferior distilled rum (or other strong spirits) , has led to the crew guzzling methanol enriched Brandy. Suddenly parts of the crew go blind... so what's to do ?
24. Windlass breaks : The one essential working tool aboard suffers from mechanical breakdown or even destructive failure. No more lowering the boats (which weigh near a ton ), no more hauling anchor, even moving the mainsails may turn very difficult on certain ships. Sabotage ? Old Ship ? Bad Maintenance ?
25. "oh my god, it's full of worms !": One of the barrels plundered from the last ship is full of magggots... (let's hope you did not get sold this stuff in the last harbour !) no it is Rot Grubs, even enough for a swarm !... Happy hunting below-decks, with fire being absolutely out of the question !
26. Irate Pirates: Rosie Cusswell has gotten into a verbal shouting match with another, equally crude crew member. They are just about ready to go at each other's throats.
27. For the Loot: Sometimes greed can't be sated. A group of pirates, discontent with their share of the loot, begin stealing from the officers. The problem is they are distributing some of the wealth to the rest of the crew and gaining some supporters as a result.
28. Possessed Plunder: Some pretty bauble you acquired is actually haunted. One of the crew members wore or touched it and is now possessed. It'd be easy enough to kill him, but that would not get rid of the spirit.
29. The Man's Revenge: The blood of the Rahaudumi who died on The Man's Promise still soaks the depths of the wood. Coming back for vengeance, several shadows pop up on the ship, wanting to eliminate those who ended their lives and took their vessel for their own.
30. The Captain's Daughter: A cat-o'-nine-tails is a feared tool of pirate punishment. A particularly sadistic crew member has been ambushing his fellows and lashing them for fun. Who is the perpetrator?
31. Blasphemy of the Bilges: The bilge is full of the very worst from both the sea and the ship. Over time, this has accumulated into spontaneously creating an ooze of some kind.
32. Oh, Barnacles: The underside of the ship has become encrusted with a corrosive kind of barnacle that is beginning to eat away at it. The shore is a day away, but it may be too late by then.
33. Siren Song: The crew fishes up a treasure chest that secretly records the sweet, enthralling voice of a siren. As a cursed item, the music box entraps anyone who listens to it for a full day and night if they fail the will save. To make matters worse, the victims will not even realize they've been standing idle save by the sudden ache, hunger, thirst, and fatigue they will feel.
34. A rich merchant approaches some of your crew while at port looking to hire a ship. In addition to himself he is joined by a boy named named Timothy Falcinson and a Dr. friend of the boy's family. They are trying to keep mum on their purpose but the merchant is a bit of a babbler and is talking treasure. Some of the other crew taken on board in the same port seem less than loyal.
(For those not paying attention yes that is the basic plot of Treasure Island).
dot
35. The ship is stalked by a large shadow under the water. The crew is growing very nervous about what it might be and wish to get away from it as fast as possible. What creature it may be and its intent is left to the devices of the DM.
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35a Wake me up : something is following the ship, its darker shadow being visible mostly at night in the luminiescence of the ship's wake.... Was that glance at tentcle or barbed fins ? Are those perhaps huge and luminscient eyes reflecting the light from the taffrail lanterns ?
Unfortunately...now something has happened to the lower pintel/pinnion of the rudder. So who is going to volunteer and check from below the surface ?
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Where do I have to move to be at your table Vikingson.
Where do I have to move to be at your table Vikingson.
Evil little man, isn't he? ;D
Where do I have to move to be at your table Vikingson.
Probably 20 years back in time and kill one of the current people/players ?
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I love it one of my players called me up today and suggests.
"You should have some events taking place on the ship for us officers to deal with crew problems mechanical break down and so."
I just smiled and said REALLY.
I saw these somewhere, but can't remember the source. Second one doesn't really count, since it isn't exactly on-ship
36. One or several of the pirates frequently trick one of the PCs. "Land ho! Island off the port bow!" But there's nothing there. Alternatively, the island is only visible to one PC and none of the crew. What is actually going on is up to the DM.
X. The PCs spot a ship and approach. When they get close, they find out it is exactly identical to their own, complete with identical crew members wearing the same clothing. If they approach, the crew just wants to talk to them, asking questions and talking, fleeing at the first sign of violence. Investigation, perception checks, diving underwater, etc. reveal that the fake ship is a doppleganger hive thingy, and the fake crew are its young children, practicing their mimicry as they grow up.
I am definitely copying all these to a document. I just restarted my game after a 2 month break due to schedule conflicts.
38. Riceboat : after the last battle and possibly a sub-surface hit (or a reef, sabotage or collison with a semi-sunken object), the bilge stays oddly dry..
...which is due to the ever expanding load of rice (which might be a nice "wholesome" bit of plunder from a local trader) , threatening to burst the ships hold, spars and planking. Nevermind the ship slowly taking on water and becoming ever more sluggish and dipping towards the bow/stern. Get rid of the swelling rice fast (if you realize what is happening ) or ground the ship on a nearby beach for repairs.
[ stolen straight from the Hornblower series, but has happened in reality ]
39. Gnomish powder : Useful only if cannons are being used - the last patch of gunpowder was either a "big mistake" (which might explain the bargain price you got for it) or simply meant for something else. The fireworks are wonderful, but what about the pink and cloudy smoke ? or the screeching noise when it burns off ?
Then again, the powder may be stronger than expected possibly bursting the cannon barrels.... It also might reflect badly on the reputation, being known as the captain of the "pink broadsides".
(stolen from some historical naval fiction, this actually seems to have happened according to the author)
40. Lightning Strikes ! : In the midst of a sudden squall, lightning strikes the top of the mainmast, electrifying everything on it and possibly toppling some crew out of it, possibly into the churning waves. Afterwards, the mast chains are creaking as the deadbolts they are anchored to, have burned through the surrounding wood and are shaking lose.
Heave over or lose the mast, which again might crash into the ship's side and smash at least the gunwhale. But wait aren't those chains on the other bow not burned as well ?
Time for the master carpenter to show his/her skills to keep the ship together. Nevermind caring for every soul who was in the mast when the lightning struck (burned or drowning) and sailing the ship with a diminished crew.
(taken from RL experience. Also take note that lightning rods are a very recent innovation and only entered naval outfittib in the later 19th century)
41. Cannonballs : yes, these are pretty round and awfully heavy. So please store them carefully ( Pirates are well known to be careful, right^^), or they might start rolling through the ship in heavy seas. Now imagine what a couple of bowlingball-weight but definitely smaller objects can smash ? Anything on the decks will be "fair game" - including player legs, equipment, seachests, barrels or even fragile cargo (like those wonderful TianXan Ming Vases you stole of the last merchant...). Or imagine a 12 pound cannonball suddenly drop down one or two decks through a hatch during rough seas ? This of course can be topped by an improperly towed cannon (which weighs everal hundreds or thousands of pounds ) [ myplayers actually nailed buckets to the decks to store the cannonballs ]
42. Snakes on a Ship : Your last harbour stop provided you with some unexpected animal guests, having climbed up your mooring cable or the hawsers binding you to the docks...who are now lurking in the dark places like the keel-up dinghies and come out to hunt at night. Yes there are rats (or the ship's cat, or Beezlebub ) to munch on. Good luck looking for them, as nobody seems keen to get poisoned. Say it is awfully comfortable to stow away in a soft coat or garment... or tack of sail, or behind the kitchen's firewood... Now doesn't that rope-end look suspicious ?
43. Fumigation : something has burned in the kitchen (or even worse, an Alchemists lab) and suddenly everything below decks is filled by acrid smoke and possibly dangerous flames. Fried calamari or mussles are a wonderful source for this...
.. on the other hand fumigation might be necessary because the ship has become infected with fleas, ticks or really wicked lice.
44. Heave over : works best on a schooner, brig or other ship with a large fore-and-aft sail, and a lower supporting beam ( not the gaff, the beam !). Someone shirked on the lanyard, and as the heave over commence, the mainsail beam swings over the deck down low like a titansized scythe or a great wyrm's tail. Everyone roll for reflex saves or be struck down/dumb and/or beheaded. Also your steering wheel might be in the way of the massive beam
(PS happens all the time, if people are careless)
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Number 43 in particular is a serious danger to my players. Between the goblin rogue brewing poisons, the alchemist mixing up potions, and the gunslinger loading cartridges with black powder, at least one lab accident is a given.
Given a sudden storm, a broken bottle or two in each lab, and a common destination for spills, something really dangerous could be brewing in the bilge...
45. Jealous Cronchobar- Recently our crew hired a bevy of prostitutes to get access to a ship. One of the female crew members who has been shacking up with Cronchobar participated in the "distraction." So the reward or my group without bloodshed sneaking aboard a ship occupying and successfully sneaking into bowels of the ship to learn some info and leave without incident will be an enraged dandy gnome.
46. Sandara's Reprimand - The PC or the crew have done something to greatly displease the resident cleric of Besmara on the ship, either by showing themselves to be too soft and giving or too ruthless and cruel for her tastes. In any case, Sandara (or any other NPC cleric, if she has met an untimely demise) refused to provide her aid to the party beyond basic ship duties, claiming Besmara's displeasure with them until they mend the situation somehow.
47. Bounty Hunter: Assassin - Cheliax (or some other group) has placed a sizable bounty on the PCs after they sacked one of their ships (possibly the Dominator), attracting the attention of a variety of bounty hunters. This mercenary poses as members of the crew before attempting to kill the officers in their sleep when the opportunity arises. He or she will be charming and engaging, perhaps even romantically involving him or herself with a PC to better get a chance for the kill.
48. Bounty Hunter: Guerrilla - Forget assassination. Blow em' up to smithereens! This bounty hunter approaches cautiously in the dark, only letting his or her presence known when they launch fire into the ship and disappearing into the night. This would most likely happen close to a thick jungle where they can hide. The PCs will have to deal with the fire and quite possibly be harassed by these elusive guerrillas.
49. Bounty Hunter: Saboteur - A saboteur has infiltrated the ship, befriending the crew and allowing himself access to the bowels of the ship, where he can tear it apart piece by piece. The saboteur would also plant evidence to blame another crew member. If the crew hates the officers, they might even throw their lot in with the bounty hunter, making especially disgruntled crew members a major issue. In this case, not only does the damage have to be repaired when they are days away from the nearest port but they might have to deal with treason on the ship.
50. Talking Smackerel - An upstart group of pirates, perhaps even disguised, has been taking credit for the PC's achievements or besmirching them as imposters. While most don't believe him, enough do that their infamy becomes tarnished. Word says they're in a nearby port and have grown egotistical enough to challenge the original crew to see who has the better ship. Killing them might be easy, but won't bring back the damage to the PC's esteem and may even worsen it.
Vendor - Fantasiapelit Tampere
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51. After a shore leave, two of the crew members are missing. Turns out that they were having a bit of a fight last night, and are now facing the gallows. What to do? This works best when in port outside of Shackles, we did this in Senghor and Conchobar and Rosie were to be hanged :D
Dot.
53. The cook discovers that rats have eaten the coffee beans. No more brown nectar of the gods until you sail to a port where you can buy some. Or capture a ship that has some on board. Or survive the cook's attempts to create substitute coffee...
54. In the last treasure haul, a lustrous black pearl approximately 4 inches in diameter was recovered. Unfortunately, the person who picked it up (when looting or reorganising plunder later) was wounded and got some of their blood on the pearl. The pearl starts sizzling and flashing with green light. Heaven help the PCs if the person holding it drops it!
55. In the dead of night, a member of the crew who has recently suffered some bad luck (either in gambling, romance, or otherwise), says “to hell with it” and sells his soul to a devil for power or vengeance. This could lead to that person gaining new powers that they could then use either to exact vengeance on those who wronged them (a PC or another member of the crew), or else they could rise the ranks in the crew and distinguish themselves as prime officer material. Even if their Faustian pact does not lead to them trying to kill the PCs, though, the fact remains that Hell’s emissaries want the soul they have bought, and so take actions to kill the person who sold their soul, not caring that the PCs are innocent luckless victims in this. Could open a quest to redeem the crew member, or else kill them and have done with it.
56. There’s a stowaway on board. Are they an enemy seeking revenge, a spy for a rival, or merely a doppelganger crook looking for passage to the next port full of marks? The doppelganger is a conman rather than a murderer, so the PCs should eventually notice one of their topmen climbing the rigging only minutes after he went belowdeck.
57. The PCs’ latest plunder is wild and dangerous monsters being exported for sale to hunters/conservationists/zoologists etc. It’s a shame that they locked the rust monster’s cage with an iron padlock, or forgot that (smell created from PC alchemist’s experiments) causes rhagodessas to go into a cage-breaking rage.
58. While becalmed, the ship is approached by an enormous sea serpent that bites a chunk out of one of the rails. A knowledgeable PC might realise that this is a juvenile/vegetarian sea monster that is merely biting things out curiosity, and if they were to dangle a box of ship’s biscuits in front of its nose while lassoing its tale, they could use it to haul them to safety.
59. For Wormwood Mutiny: After gunnery training the previous day, a merchantman hoves into view. Little does Harrigan know that it is actually the freshly squibbed ship of his bitter rival – Shipbreaker Stevens. Stevens knows Harrigan’s crew is under strength and hides with most of his men belowdecks. His plan is to present an inviting target, surrender, and then overwhelm Harrigan and his crew when they attempt to board. To induce the “merchant” to strike its colours, Harrigan orders the crew to put a shot across the castle. Plugg/Scourge give that order to the PCs and go belowdecks. Asking stupid questions like “what castle?”, results in a rope bash for insubordination (as much as anything because Plugg and Scourge are unsure as to whether Captain Harrigan meant the forecastle or stern castle). The PCs or Plugg might suggest firing in the middle of the ship to ensure they go between the two castles.
When the PCs fire, they accidentally hit the other ship on the waterline and cause it to sink! This could be because they roll very badly (and thus hit when they meant to miss), they roll very well (and score too good of a hit), or because the admonishments of Plugg and Scourge cause such a penalty that the result is lower than they thought. Scourge and Plugg drag them up to the main deck for the whipping of a lifetime for losing such a treasure, only for Captain Harrigan (who sees his rival and a surprisingly large number of enemy crew clinging to the wreckage) to congratulate the PCs for seeing through his rival’s disguise. He mentions Shipbreaker Stevens must have had his ship “squibbed” so even Harrigan couldn’t recognise it, thus implanting the idea of the utility of squibbing in the PCs’ minds.
60. During a storm one night, one of the PCs is swept overboard (preferably without the others noticing) and washes onto a tiny spit of a desert island dominated by a large rock. The next morning, the PC is woken up by (or hears the snoring of) Barnabas Harrigan! Harrigan was caught up in the same storm and washed onto the same island. Rather than immediately killing the PC, Harrigan can be sweet talked, lied to etc. and becomes friendly with the PCs (perhaps reminiscing with them about their time on the Wormwood or subsequent run ins). Later that day, a ship is sighted coming to the rescue. It’s the Wormwood, and Harrigan’s attitude changes when its skiff comes to collect him. He “mercifully” decides to maroon the PC rather than killing him for mutiny before returning to his ship with his laughing crew as they sail into the distance. When the other PCs arrive a short time later, they might remark on their shipmate’s luck to have landed on the island marked on a treasure map they have!
61. Barrels marked “brandy” in the plunder of a ship taken by the PCs actually contain Red Mantis Assassins. Why are they there? They could have been hired to assassinate the PCs in an elaborate trap by presenting too tempting a target. They could have been hired to assassinate the captain of the prize ship but the PCs did their job before they had a chance. Maybe they were on a mission to be smuggled into a port to kill a target – perhaps a pirate lord. In any event, whether the PCs are their objective, a complication, or merely in the wrong place at the wrong time, the assassins may come for them that night. However, if a clever PC notices the ruse and nails them in the barrels (after loudly telling somebody else they were going to nail down a few loose planks in the deck), then the PCs can turn the tables on the assassins. Alternatively, the assassins could just slip away, leaving empty barrels and a paranoid crew.
62. A new member of the crew has come aboard to exact revenge on the PCs for some heinous crime. The one problem is that the PCs didn’t actually commit that crime: it’s a case of mistaken identity! Do the PCs help the person fulfil their vendetta?
63. It’s the birthday of one of the PCs, and somebody has made a beautiful cake for them. Captain Harrigan? No, it can’t have been him. I mean he was in the last port we went to, but why would he send a cake to somebody he hated? Especially one with such a lovely sparkling candle on it! Can anybody else smell gunpowder?
64. The crew are bored and getting ineffective after a long voyage. Maybe a variety show will entertain them?
65. Either all of the balding men in the crew have turned into werewolves, or somebody has sold them an overly effective potion of hair restoration.
66. A wyvern has taken a liking to the ship’s figurehead or bell, and every night, it tries to steal it.
67. What’s worse than a wasp? A half-fiendish hellwasp with SR19. It won’t kill anyone, but its sting hurts and it could be about to lay eggs if we can’t catch it.
68. Has somebody spiked the rum?
69. A crooked merchant, perhaps trying to swindle the PCs, or maybe his insurance broker, claims that a magic item that a PC purchased from him was in fact stolen, and now the authorities are coming to try and claim it.
70. Two of the crewmen turn out to have history together? Violent? Romantic? Criminal? All three? Perhaps you need to keep them apart, help them reconcile, or set one of them ashore. It’s a shame that you only found out about this 5 days out of port.