On transportation, how about dreams? There's precedent in PF for transport via dreams, and maybe falling asleep on one island will transport you to another. This avoids having islands actually moving for at least one link.
Maybe the sleep transport only works that way if you do so in the fog, or after eating the fruit on the island, or in a particular ruin or when some other condition is fulfilled if you want to limit it.
avr- i'm interested in the precedent, could you please cite it? That said, its a cool mode of travel. May need a powerful witch with the slumber hex and ability focus to quietly put all members of the party to sleep.
Well there is the option you mentioned. Also the Dream Travel spell. Along with if there was a rift to the Dimension of Dreams then sleeping near it might have it happen. Along with curses in a location could do it too. There is the safer spell Dream Voyage though that is a 9th level spell. Occult rituals can let that happen. Though it all does not have to lead to the Dimension of Dreams
On a different note I will share something I have been thinking of on the roving locations. The fields of sorrow. I am thinking a field or marshes that lead to a swamp type location. Nothing living is here, no animals or even bugs. I am wanting it to move around. Not the location but the essence of the place. It is tied to a creature though I am not so sure on what I want it to be. Either some kind of undead, demon, or devil. It picks a location and remains there until it has caused everything to kill itself in so many miles. Once it has done so it will move on. Perhaps a vampire druid.
On the frozen island I am going to have it have a rift to the First world. In the tropical southern region there is a frigid gale that races across the surface of the water. The water turns icy and there is a massive island covered in ice and snow. The whole island is the home of a icy linnorm and the place has transformed to suit the creature. It came over during the age of darkness. There are icy dryads, frosty pixies, artic owlbears, ect.
The books list a few interesting vaguely fleshed out locations. One that i like is a museum, might be underwater at this point or maybe not. It talks about constructs that have rotted and no longer work along with a ghostly janitor that still wonder the halls. There is a lovely module called the Gallery of Evil in this one many of the fights are the creatures of paintings. Sadly I have yet to run this one but I love the idea. So I want to steal this. I want the maintenance constructs to have warped. The painting have come to life but what else would I put in there.
Also any ideas for some fun hag encounters?
And with all of these rifts I feel I should be prepared my group wanting to close the rifts. How would something like that happen. I assume there might be rituals they could learn to close them but I have spent months thinking on it and have not come up with anything.
Hags. They're sadistic magical creatures who make very little sense unless you assume that evil is an element or similar, IMO. Not a creature type I devote a lot of thought to usually. They do come up in character optimisation because hag covens and their hangers-on can result in very high caster levels.
Accursed sorcerers and/or witches could benefit from these very high CLs, perhaps for hard-to-break curses placed to extort their victims. Tracking back the origin of such curses the PCs could find a classic evil forest where every giant spider reports back to the hags. When they get to the dark heart of the forest the hags will be ready, along with webs ready to fall on PCs even if they're flying.
Fey from the First World might well know rift-closing rituals if you need a source for such. So might hag covens but good luck getting their help, and you might find their rituals too icky to use yourself. Or are you asking for help making up such a ritual in mechanics?
The hags came up for me for three reasons. The dream element brought the dreamthief Hag. The Night Hag from wanting to use them in my last campaign and finding them interesting. And lastly because the AP has an encounter with them though at lower levels and I am gonna change that. So the Cyclops of the Ghol-Gan Empire tended towards prophesy and the hag the AP has is rather opposed with it to. She has one in captivity for that purpose.
I like hags but I can see the lack of appeal to them. I more so like the lore and the higher caster levels are not a big fear with me using the mythic rules and having so many casters in the group. Plus if they do not fear dying then I have failed. This place is super dangerous and they all liked that idea.
I will claim the idea of the Fey having that knowledge. I love the Fey! If you have thoughts on how the mechanics might work that would be lovely and greatly appreciated. I know I want it be some kind of ritual they would have to preform but I am struggling on the fluffy parts of it. If I can figure out either the mechanics or the things they have to do fluff wise then the other can dictate. Mechanics can lead to fluff or fluff can lead to mechanics for me. I tend to figure one out and that leads to the other. But I am freaking lost on how to close any of the rifts or if it would be something different for each one.
Taking a look at existing occult rituals there's these two to compare to: ethereal rip which creates a momentary rift to the ethereal plane, and call the darkness which creates a permanent rift to the shadow plane. This suggests that you'd need a different ritual to close each type of rift. They might well follow similar patterns though.
I think a ritual to close a rift would be easier than a ritual to create one. Breaking things is usually easier than making them. Still, it seems like a major effect to me, maybe 6-7th level. Assuming 7th, and taking these modifiers:
Restricted casting (Only on the phase of the moon which the fey who created the ritual is most attuned to, with the moon visible) -4
Expensive material component (5 000 gp value; something opposed/anathema to the plane which the rift links to) -2
Duration (permanent) +6
Backlash (a temporary negative level, affecting secondary casters too) -3
You get a DC of (28 + 7 - 4 - 2 + 6 - 3 = 32) for the ritual skill checks. Since it's a fey ritual you'll need know (nature), since the ritual's about planes you'll need know (planes), and know (geography) seems like it might be necessary since both the rituals creating rifts use it. Add in one different skill check for each different rift closure perhaps, and make each of the knowledges 2 rolls and the extra skill check 1 roll; note that succeeding on at least 4 of these 7 checks means the ritual will succeed. Maybe call each ritual Sealing the Rift to {Plane}. Threes are important to fey, so a minimum 2, maximum 8 secondary casters works for me.
It should be very possible to min-max the skill checks to succeed, the interesting part is when enemies try to interfere with the ritual.
A lot of the above modifiers is IMO of course, the duration might arguably be instantaneous for no modifier, or on the other hand you might need a positive modifier to cover a large area. The system for occult rituals isn't nailed down firmly.
On a different note I will share something I have been thinking of on the roving locations. The fields of sorrow. I am thinking a field or marshes that lead to a swamp type location. Nothing living is here, no animals or even bugs. I am wanting it to move around. Not the location but the essence of the place. It is tied to a creature though I am not so sure on what I want it to be. Either some kind of undead, demon, or devil. It picks a location and remains there until it has caused everything to kill itself in so many miles. Once it has done so it will move on. Perhaps a vampire druid.
There is a powerful undead roaming the islands. Through its wanderings, its been idly using this spell-like ability. And its not even doing it maliciously, its just bored. I figure this could be a lich that's become disenchanted with its unlife. The arrival of the PC's does wonders for its mood, as it now has something to challenge it. Previously it was just letting the roaming isles move it from isle to isle, trailing a swath of death.
On the frozen island I am going to have it have a rift to the First world. In the tropical southern region there is a frigid gale that races across the surface of the water. The water turns icy and there is a massive island covered in ice and snow. The whole island is the home of a icy linnorm and the place has transformed to suit the creature. It came over during the age of darkness. There are icy dryads, frosty pixies (called Winter-Touched in the Reign of Winter AP), artic owlbears, ect.
don't know if you've ever read Jim Butchers' "Dresden Files". Fantastic series. Taught me a lot about the Fey Courts of Summer & Winter, which i use to date as canon in my games. I think a good story line would be the PC's running into the Summer Courts entourage on the Cold-Snap Isle, who are trying to reclaim the isle from the Winter Court. The Summer Courts entourage mistakes the PC's as representatives of the Winter Court, and battle ensues. Eventually drawn by the sounds of combat the icy Linnorm rampages in and... [scene].
The books list a few interesting vaguely fleshed out locations. One that i like is a museum, might be underwater at this point or maybe not. It talks about constructs that have rotted and no longer work along with a ghostly janitor that still wonder the halls. There is a lovely module called the Gallery of Evil in this one many of the fights are the creatures of paintings. Sadly I have yet to run this one but I love the idea. So I want to steal this. I want the maintenance constructs to have warped. The painting have come to life but what else would I put in there.
you should see; Trompe L'oeil, & id portrait. They should thoroughly confuse your PC's
Also any ideas for some fun hag encounters?
i may have mentioned a powerful witch with the slumber hex and ability focus to quietly put all members of the party to sleep on the Dreaming Islands.
And with all of these rifts I feel I should be prepared my group wanting to close the rifts. How would something like that happen. I assume there might be rituals they could learn to close them but I have spent months thinking on it and have not come up with anything.
Phase Spider webbing/silk and a ghost-touched needle would be my first attempt, + the ritual avr has outlined. Personally i would use Pixie Nails (Petrified Pixies, they come in lots of 13 nails per Rift, 4500gp. with the ghost-touched hammer sold separately, 1200gp). It should be noted that the use of which should sour any Fey Court relationship.
avr You are a delightful person! I have been slowly going though the occult rituals and working on getting a better understanding of how they work. That seems reasonable is has been saved to my notes. Thank you!
I am Nemesis I love that spell even though I have never had a party on level to use it. But it fits. And the undead who have grown bored are gonna be a thing. Between the Azlanti who tried to survive Earthfall, vampires who came over, and anything that may have come though rifts, ect I can do that.
People have recommend those books and they are on my list to eventually pick up.
I am familiar with the id portrait and I love it. Trompe l’oeil is really cool and is added to the notes for the museum.
And the slumber hex has been on my list. The witch was, at least in my opinion, built to be evil. I mean they smell children. So that is something I wanna go for at some point with them.
Sewing up a rift is a simple, hilarious, and interesting option. That is also added to my notes.
ok, i've tried to list each story-line in the order it was brought up, with a edited synopsis. please let me know if you have an alternate idea or more/better detailed version of the story line, or just help me fill in the blanks.
Story Lines:
1. Wild Magic --
2. Dead Magic --
3. Living Metal Island -- w/Shabti
4. Mirror Isle -- w/ mirror of opposition/doppleganger -- has little, hard to notice mirrors floating around. So that at times they will see part of themselves reflected in the air. There may be a rift to the Shadow plane or the Dimension of Dreams here. But the main predator here are going to be a kind of doppelganger, one that make a closer copy. As in copying class features. But it loses a point or more of con per day so long as the original lives.
5. Rift to Shadow Plane --
6. Rift to Dimension of Dreams -- the Dream Travel spell. Along with if there was a rift to the Dimension of Dreams then sleeping near it might have it happen. Along with curses in a location could do it too. There is the safer spell Dream Voyage. Occult rituals can let that happen. Though it all does not have to lead to the Dimension of Dreams
7. Crystal Isle -- w/ Golems of Glass -- the people of that era populating the isle were instantaneously turned to full color crystal statues, some broken, with a very few still mobile and carrying out the tasks they were taking when the deep impact occurred
8. Cold-Snap Isle -- it is frozen due to an icy linnorn gradually affecting the area they live in. this one has been there for thousands of years and it came over though a rift to the First World. I am going to have it have a rift to the First world. In the tropical southern region there is a frigid gale that races across the surface of the water. The water turns icy and there is a massive island covered in ice and snow. The home of an icy linnorm and the place has transformed to suit the creature. It came over during the age of darkness. There are icy dryads, frosty pixies, artic owlbears, etc. good story line would be the PC's running into the Summer Courts entourage on the Cold-Snap Isle, who are trying to reclaim the isle from the Winter Court. The Summer Courts entourage mistakes the PC's as representatives of the Winter Court, and battle ensues. Eventually drawn by the sounds of combat the icy Linnorm rampages in and... [Scene].
9. Moonscar Prison --
10. Shipwreck Trading Post -- for the people exploring the isles. While they all provide their services for a price, there are occasions where they may trade for knowledge and stories of the PC's adventures
Captain Grumby- the Retired Rogue Pirate; knows the waters in the area and can provide rough maps to certain islands or water hazards.
First mate Willie, the Swashbuckler; the guy to go to for a lead on interesting events and bizarre occurrences. His stories sometimes lead to rare prizes.
Nobleman Sir Thurston the Hunter and provider of provender for his friends.
His wife Lovey, the Cleric and healer of the PC's woes.
Beautiful Ginger, the Bard; highly knowledgeable on all matters Azlanti.
Hinckley, the Wizard crafter; specializing in creating wondrous items, rings, wands and upgrading weapons & armor.
Virtuous Summer, the Alchemist- purveyor of all things alchemical.
11. Isle of Eternal Night -- w/ blind humanoid lizard-like predators that hunt by sound and scent
12. Cyclops Graveyard -- Cyclopes' and the fact that they eventually descended into blood-thirsty, cannibalistic barbarity, the Graveyard idea took a decidedly different turn in my eyes. Is someone/something eating giant-sized cyclopes'? Are those cyclops-sized teeth marks on those cyclops bones?
((Are you looking up right now, just noticing that big cloud that's not moving with the wind? In fact, it's not moving at all.))
Just to pound home that point, another partially intact cyclopean skeleton slams into the ground around them.
13. Cloud Mountain -- w/ Cannibal Cyclops, Undead,
14. Abyssal Realm of Nesh w/ Zura the Demon Lord -- Zura now calls the mountainous Abyssal realm of Nesh her home. Nesh has a large number of villages inhabited by captured humanoids harvested from the Material Plane. They are, for the most part, unaware that they dwell deep in the Abyss, except the leaders, who are rewarded by Zura's minions to keep the truth hidden. Zura magically plane shifts one of the Mountains of Nesh to the material plane on/with some form of cloud magic. She then uses her Cloud Mountain to harvest humanoids to transport back to Nesh to populate the villages she uses for feeding. Some (most) of her minions are undead; quite a few Ghoul Cyclopes that get her leavings and discard the bones through a garbage chute. Some of her victims are harvested from Cyclops villages in Nesh. The reason people have discovered the Graveyard is the size of the bones but a search of the surrounding area would find very few smaller skeletons since giant ghouls tend to eat smaller corpses whole. Zura has gone undetected for millennia because her Cloud Mountain stays on the material plane at most days at a time every decade or so to replenish the villages back in the Abyssal realm of Nesh. If & when your players are at a sufficient level and they just happen to detect the immobile Cloud and explore it they may just get caught up in the return trip to Nesh.
15. Heart of Fire Island -- w/gate to an Infernal Plane -- A volcanic island has a gate within driving its volcanism. Not to the plane of elemental fire, no; this one leads to somewhere far worse deep in the Hells. Thankfully only the smallest creatures can come through but seeds of infernal vegetation have sprouted in places, and the wasps may gather into hellwasp swarms if humanoids dally too long on the island.
16. Smallest Continent -- Everything living here is smaller than usual, use the young template. Deeper within they're even smaller, you can look down on forests of ancient trees no taller than your knees. At the very center there's a stone which will shrink anyone touching it to match the nearby ankle-height forests. A quick identify or similar will suggest that this will be permanent if the characters don't leave within 24 hours.
17. Desert Isle -- /w Kasatha Tribes/Mummy’s/Ancient Ruins/Sand Dunes -- sand dune covered desert island, sparsely populated by tribes of the Kasatha having trouble with an Azlanti Mummy. The tribe of Kasatha recently tried to loot a Tomb of some forgotten Mystic-come-Queen. The Mummy is tirelessly pursuing them because of an item (your choice) they'd taken. Who knows, maybe after the mummy is dealt with the tribe will take them to the tomb that's ripe for looting (and probably has more mummies and other stuff guarding it).
18. Desert Isle #2 Sand Traps leading to an Under Ocean w/Munavri & the Urdefhan -- Topography looks like a desert island, complete with sand dunes, maybe a couple of weathered and eroded structures. All over the isle are several sand traps that suck the PC's down. Let the PC’s think they’re drowning in sand. In reality they are being sucked down a sand chute into a MASSIVE underground cavern! Right into a lightless naval battle between the MUNAVRI & the horrific URDEFHAN.
While the PC's are treading water after their big splash into an under-ocean, give them details on the look of the violet-sailed, intricately carved ivory ship doing battle with a semi-transparent undead whale? Maybe after befriending the Munavri they earn the right/privilege to sail one of the ivory ships, and eventually/accidentally find a gate that takes them back to the surface ocean or the Plane of Water...
19. Sightless Sea to Elemental Plane of Water -- As to underwater the campaign will take them under water for a little while. Beyond that they will be on a boat quite a bit so they will end up in the water. And if they peruse the Aboleth plot line later they may spend a lot of the campaign underwater and in the Underdark. In the Sightless Sea and a few other places. But beyond that I have plans to take them to the Plane of Water. But for locations under water I want to have some Merfolk, Undine, and Gillman settlements. There will be some sunken cities in a few spots and if they want to there are lots of ship graveyards.
20. “The Ghostship -- stories have been floating around forever about ghostships encountered in every corner of the seas. Why, in my day, I was sailing along the Arcadian Ocean, when up in air for all to see, an enormous ship sailing some 200 leagues above me. Why I had such a start, I know my tongue plain dried up! Now I was mighty uncomfortable wit' it smack dab right above me but then a saw a second ship IN-THE-AIR! An' it was tacking straight for us! I mean them, them fellers' above me, so I turned port an' picked up a few knots. An' the ships above me turned an' matched my course an' speed! I was struck dumber than my first mate, Willie. I would've changed course again but I knew it was too late, an the second ship, why it was as transparent as colored glass! I thought they would collide above me and rain so much debris around me I’d be sunk fer sure. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. That second ship, the smaller ship, hit the bigger ship in the aft, an' done sucked up that bigger ship, masts and all…
partial decree of the august bodies of Such & Such; "...are of the opinion that the second ship, the, er, Ghostship was in fact an extra-dimensional vessel that served as a gateway to another plane, based on the stars and moons lunar alignment, the Plane of Air..."
21. Elemental Plane of Air & the Airship Graveyard -- the furious wind currents pushed all of the airships together into the eye of a ginormous tornado, where the airships have collided and collected for eons, leaving a slowly (comparatively) spinning tower of airships. and with enough searching and climbing or jury-rigging one might be able to find a working Airship
22. The Humble Association of Fishers of the Blue Cliffs -- If there's one thing vampires will want in an archipelago it's reliable transport across the water. The Fishers were suborned and controlled long ago to this end. Any of their boats or ships carrying six or more crew will include a vampire spawn among their number, and any leaders in the association must be supported by one of the Revered - full vampires. Besides simple fishing the Fishers transport goods and people between islands and some of them have engaged in piracy, with the help of their Revered
23. Island of the Clock Tower -- island itself is home to only a rather out-of-place baroque tower, which is filled to the brim with ticking clocks of all shapes and sizes. Next to each clock is a placard with a name engraved on it.
24. Titanic Demon Larder --
25. Walled-Off Island -- This island is completely walled-off by wall of coral so tall it boggles the mind. There is evidence of other explorer’s abandoned climbing gear. There is even evidence of bodies/bones stuck in the wall, some impaled on jags of coral, others seemingly partially absorbed by the wall. If seen from the air, the wall appears to be 50' paces thick and at least 250' paces high. The inside of the wall is filled with water so clear you can see nearly 150' down, filled with all sorts of water flora & fauna.
26. Ash Island -- Thick layers of ash and soot coat this isle. Occasional plumes of fire and thick black smoke obscure the sight of large powerfully built wolf headed humanoids the size of a large draft horse, with ebony fur and burning, fiery red eyes. They seem to be wearing fire scorched chain-mail. On this isle there are scores of caves and dens covering the landscape as well as hundreds of thick trunked fire resistant trees.
27. Island Thunderstruck -- There is such a cacophony of noise on this island that casters experience a 25% chance of miscasting spells with verbal components. The reason for the thunderous noise is obvious; there is a spar of highly metallic ore attracting continuous lightning strikes to the area. Occasionally the electricity grounds out to the path of least resistance, say for instance, a raised sword or axe, dealing 3d6 points of damage to the wielder and force a DC15 Reflex save to hold onto the weapon. Suits of plate-mail have been known to attract bolts too, forcing a DC17 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round.
28. Isle of the Beautiful Lights -- On this island there's a colony of miniature dragons which tales say will bond with the first person they see after hatching. The tales aren't wrong, and who doesn't want a minidragon of their own? They're incomplete however. When the hatchlings grow up (after a couple of years assuming plenty of food) they transform into their adult shape, a will o' wisp, which has no attachment to their former bond/owner. If they die from violence and the body isn't entirely destroyed they rise as a will o' wisp with the young template 1d4 rounds later, same deal. Treat the hatchlings as pyraustas with the aberration type (but no stat changes from that), knowing whatever language was most spoken around their egg. Possibly a couple of languages in a household or adventuring party with mixed use of languages. If the tales wouldn't be enough to attract your PCs they might follow an offer to buy the eggs, or be investigating the mysterious death of a girl and the disappearance of her minidragon.
29. Head-Hunter's Divide -- this isolated island is heavily populated by many jungle indigenous species. Ahool, Anhana, Arboreal Grappler, Banderlog, Biloko,canopy creeper, Cephalophore, Charau-Ka, Chemosit, Cyclops, Decapus, Derhii, Drake- Jungle, Giant- Jungle, Girallon, Jaculi, Kech, Kongamato, Lizardfolk, Margay, Miengu, Mngwa, Moonflower, Mosquito Swarm Bloodhaze, Naga- guardian, Ngoga, Nirento, Sabosan, Serpentfolk- Degenerate, Tabaxi, Tiberolith,Treant, and the head-hunting tribes of the Xothotak to name a few. Then there are the ancient, overgrown ruins in the depths of the jungle, belonging to Azlanti, Cyclopean and Serpentfolk alike. So even if one were to ignore the lines of spiked heads and survive the island dwellers, what traps lie unsprung?
30. Aesocar’s Bastion -- The settlement here is based around a tradition of healers and defenders of all that is good. I think Iomedae is Aroden's successor in such things? Golarion lore isn't my strong point. Anyway, while they provide healing and protection to stray adventurers and other travelers they've seen few such, and they generally don't leave their island since their people tend not to come back. Unknown to them they have an enemy. A cult of Asmodeus has laid long and slow plans which have guided traders away from their island to isolate them, assassinated their people who left, and made at least one traitor on the Bastion. Their final stroke may arrive soon; will your band of adventurers thwart the slavers coming?
31. Reptile Isle -- is populated almost exclusively by Lizardfolk and Dinosaurs. The expansion of other humanoid races and changing climate has pushed them into the margins of the world over the past few millennia. Not a warlike race, they often find themselves pitted against land-hungry humans and the violent xill, especially now, with the resurgence of explorers invading the swamps and marshlands of this particular island. They only wish to be left alone but the appearance of another race is making the situation untenable. The viciously evil Serpentfolk coming up from the depths of sunken structures.
32. Roaming Island -- Basrakal is a delightfully strange location in the Maelstrom.
33. Roaming Island -- The Ocean Above to the Sightless Sea
34. Roaming Island -- Cryo-Prison Transport Isle- multiple locations -- now for this there is a roaming isle that stores inmates until transport to the Moonscar. There is also a rotation and a long line of "parolee's" who were supposed to be released at least millennia ago. there's even a lever marked "Today" that will free 5 at a time, with all of their possessions! cryogenic storage of people starting from D&D magic I might build off meld with stone. It wouldn't necessarily require ongoing power the way cryogenics would, and it could have similar visuals if the device doing it merged people into glass or crystal. If it was intended to be something unpleasant for prisoner’s maybe instead make it work like the time Han Solo was embedded in carbonite.
35. Roaming Island --
36. Roaming Island --
37. VS. the Cheliaxian Navy --
38. VS. a mass of slumbering Aboleths and Veiled Masters
39. The Fields of Sorrow -- Nothing living is here, no animals or even bugs. I am wanting it to move around. Not the location but the essence of the place. It is tied to a creature though I am not so sure on what I want it to be. Either some kind of undead, demon, or devil. It picks a location and remains there until it has caused everything to kill itself in so many miles. Once it has done so it will move on. Perhaps a vampire druid. There is a powerful undead roaming the islands. Through its wanderings, it’s been idly using circle of death spell-like ability. And it’s not even doing it maliciously, it’s just bored. I figure this could be a lich that's become disenchanted with its unlife. The arrival of the PC's does wonders for its mood, as it now has something to challenge it. Previously it was just letting the roaming isles move it from isle to isle, trailing a swath of death.
40. Museum -- portions might be underwater at this point or maybe not. It talks about constructs that have rotted and no longer work along with a ghostly janitor that still wonder the halls. There is a lovely module called the Gallery of Evil in this one many of the fights are the creatures of paintings. I want the maintenance constructs to have warped. The painting have come to life but what else would I put in there. Trompe L'oeil, & id portrait.
41. Hag’s Coven -- The hags came up for me for three reasons. The dream element brought the dreamthief Hag. The Night Hag from wanting to use them in my last campaign and finding them interesting. And lastly because the AP has an encounter with them though at lower levels and I am gonna change that. So the Cyclops of the Ghol-Gan Empire tended towards prophesy and the hag the AP has is rather opposed with it to. She has one in captivity for that purpose. witch with the slumber hex and ability focus to quietly put all members of the party to sleep on the Dreaming Islands.
42.
Wow that is a long list. Thank you more making it. And there are so many delightful ideas!
So at the heart of the Shattered Continent is the biggest land mass in a almost circle that takes up about 700 miles from edge to edge. The opening leads to a massive bay about three hundred miles across from beach to beach. Most of the other islands are much smaller in the 100 to 200 miles area, at least the ones worth drawing. There are a lot of really small ones. The only other one that might compete is size is the furthest island to the west and it is maybe 100 to 150 miles wide and 1000 miles long. I am starting them on the eastern side and a little north of the middle.
So according to the lore the elves of the Mordant Spire protect the Shattered Continent even though the Mordant Spire is a few hundred miles for Azlant. But they alone cannot protect the whole island so I many of the locals work with them. And now Andoran with the colony the PC’s belong to are going to do the same. And the area they are colonizing is one of the fronts that they protect. Aesocar’s Bastion is going to be one of those such places. Some places will have natives from the Elemental planes guarding some bordering islands. Most of the danger is past the bordering islands. And many of the various settlements are to keep things from going in and from getting out.
And now comes the massive wall of text
1. Wild Magic – These are mostly going to be random areas. Some will be obvious and others will simply not be.
2. Dead Magic – Just like the wild magic
3. Living Metal Island -- w/Shabti The ground, the coral, all flora and fauna. This place might have a rift to the Plane of Earth.
4. Mirror Isle -- w/ mirror of opposition/doppleganger -- has little, hard to notice mirrors floating around. So that at times they will see part of themselves reflected in the air. There may be a rift to the Shadow plane or the Dimension of Dreams here. But the main predator here are going to be a kind of doppelganger, one that make a closer copy. As in copying class features. But it loses a point or more of con per day so long as the original lives. I love all of this!
5. Rift to Shadow Plane – See number 11 for a possible option. Other options are rifts in dark places like caves.
6. Rift to Dimension of Dreams -- the Dream Travel spell. Along with if there was a rift to the Dimension of Dreams then sleeping near it might have it happen. Along with curses in a location could do it too. There is the safer spell Dream Voyage. Occult can let that happen. Though it all does not have to lead to the Dimension of Dreams The Dimension of Dreams is vaguely described and going to be a lot of fun and even more work.
7. Crystal Isle -- w/ Golems of Glass -- the people of that era populating the isle were instantaneously turned to full color crystal statues, some broken, with a very few still mobile and carrying out the tasks they were taking when the deep impact occurred. I have really jagged island in the lower center of my map that I think I will be putting this one on. And I am going to love describing this place. I am borrowing from a book I read for this place. It was one of the Guild Wars books, Ghosts of Ascalon. When I read that chapter on the fields of glass I knew I wanted something like that in a game. The visuals were amazing.
8. Cold-Snap Isle -- it is frozen due to an icy linnorn gradually affecting the area they live in. this one has been there for thousands of years and it came over though a rift to the First World. I am going to have it have a rift to the First world. In the tropical southern region there is a frigid gale that races across the surface of the water. The water turns icy and there is a massive island covered in ice and snow. The home of an icy linnorm and the place has transformed to suit the creature. It came over during the age of darkness. There are icy dryads, frosty pixies, artic owlbears, etc. good story line would be the PC's running into the Summer Courts entourage on the Cold-Snap Isle, who are trying to reclaim the isle from the Winter Court. The Summer Courts entourage mistakes the PC's as representatives of the Winter Court, and battle ensues. Eventually drawn by the sounds of combat the icy Linnorm rampages in and... [Scene]. I am gonna need to brush up on the Fey Courts.
9. Moonscar Prison -- So I will be borrowing from the Moonscar module. In that I will use the maps they have an probably the sucubi that are kidnapping people. Along with the idea of the prison the Azlanti used it for originally for.
10. Shipwreck Trading Post -- for the people exploring the isles. While they all provide their services for a price, there are occasions where they may trade for knowledge and stories of the PC's adventures
Captain Grumby- the Retired Rogue Pirate; knows the waters in the area and can provide rough maps to certain islands or water hazards.
First mate Willie, the Swashbuckler; the guy to go to for a lead on interesting events and bizarre occurrences. His stories sometimes lead to rare prizes.
Nobleman Sir Thurston the Hunter and provider of provender for his friends.
His wife Lovey, the Cleric and healer of the PC's woes.
Beautiful Ginger, the Bard; highly knowledgeable on all matters Azlanti.
Hinckley, the Wizard crafter; specializing in creating wondrous items, rings, wands and upgrading weapons & armor.
Virtuous Summer, the Alchemist- purveyor of all things alchemical. Insta NPC’s!
11. Isle of Eternal Night -- w/ blind humanoid lizard-like predators that hunt by sound and scent. Possible rift to the planes of shadow. But I have had a few other ideas and I list them below in 14 and 22. I am thinking this will be one of the islands that move. And it will move around a lot. It is the link to basically Vampire Nirvana. And they have to earn it by not only finding the island but surviving long enough to find the rift.
12. Cyclops Graveyard -- Cyclopes' and the fact that they eventually descended into blood-thirsty, cannibalistic barbarity, the Graveyard idea took a decidedly different turn in my eyes. Is someone/something eating giant-sized cyclopes'? Are those cyclops-sized teeth marks on those cyclops bones?
((Are you looking up right now, just noticing that big cloud that's not moving with the wind? In fact, it's not moving at all.))
Just to pound home that point, another partially intact cyclopean skeleton slams into the ground around them. I rather love the graveyard thing.
13. Cloud Mountain -- w/ Cannibal Cyclops, Undead, hehehe
14. Abyssal Realm of Nesh w/ Zura the Demon Lord -- Zura now calls the mountainous Abyssal realm of Nesh her home. Nesh has a large number of villages inhabited by captured humanoids harvested from the Material Plane. They are, for the most part, unaware that they dwell deep in the Abyss, except the leaders, who are rewarded by Zura's minions to keep the truth hidden. Zura magically plane shifts one of the Mountains of Nesh to the material plane on/with some form of cloud magic. She then uses her Cloud Mountain to harvest humanoids to transport back to Nesh to populate the villages she uses for feeding. Some (most) of her minions are undead; quite a few Ghoul Cyclopes that get her leavings and discard the bones through a garbage chute. Some of her victims are harvested from Cyclops villages in Nesh. The reason people have discovered the Graveyard is the size of the bones but a search of the surrounding area would find very few smaller skeletons since giant ghouls tend to eat smaller corpses whole. Zura has gone undetected for millennia because her Cloud Mountain stays on the material plane at most days at a time every decade or so to replenish the villages back in the Abyssal realm of Nesh. If & when your players are at a sufficient level and they just happen to detect the immobile Cloud and explore it they may just get caught up in the return trip to Nesh. Yes I know this is one of the things you really like and I am growing rather partial to it as well. Great way to bring in the vapmires and take a trip to Abyss. I may have the Isle of Eternal Night have a rift to Nesh all on its own. This could be the place Vampires are bring drawn to.
15. Heart of Fire Island -- w/gate to an Infernal Plane -- A volcanic island has a gate within driving its volcanism. Not to the plane of elemental fire, no; this one leads to somewhere far worse deep in the Hells. Thankfully only the smallest creatures can come through but seeds of infernal vegetation have sprouted in places, and the wasps may gather into hellwasp swarms if humanoids dally too long on the island. This can be a lower level one or a higher level one. And I love it!
16. Smallest Continent -- Everything living here is smaller than usual, use the young template. Deeper within they're even smaller, you can look down on forests of ancient trees no taller than your knees. At the very center there's a stone which will shrink anyone touching it to match the nearby ankle-height forests. A quick identify or similar will suggest that this will be permanent if the characters don't leave within 24 hours. Delightful Alice in Wonderland themes. I am thinking this will be one of the much smaller islands.
17. Desert Isle -- /w Kasatha Tribes/Mummy’s/Ancient Ruins/Sand Dunes -- sand dune covered desert island, sparsely populated by tribes of the Kasatha having trouble with an Azlanti Mummy. The tribe of Kasatha recently tried to loot a Tomb of some forgotten Mystic-come-Queen. The Mummy is tirelessly pursuing them because of an item (your choice) they'd taken. Who knows, maybe after the mummy is dealt with the tribe will take them to the tomb that's ripe for looting (and probably has more mummies and other stuff guarding it).
18. Desert Isle #2 Sand Traps leading to an Under Ocean w/Munavri & the Urdefhan -- Topography looks like a desert island, complete with sand dunes, maybe a couple of weathered and eroded structures. All over the isle are several sand traps that suck the PC's down. Let the PC’s think they’re drowning in sand. In reality they are being sucked down a sand chute into a MASSIVE underground cavern! Right into a lightless naval battle between the MUNAVRI & the horrific URDEFHAN.
While the PC's are treading water after their big splash into an under-ocean, give them details on the look of the violet-sailed, intricately carved ivory ship doing battle with a semi-transparent undead whale? Maybe after befriending the Munavri they earn the right/privilege to sail one of the ivory ships, and eventually/accidentally find a gate that takes them back to the surface ocean or the Plane of Water... I am both super excited for this encounter and dreading building it.
19. Sightless Sea to Elemental Plane of Water -- As to underwater the campaign will take them under water for a little while. Beyond that they will be on a boat quite a bit so they will end up in the water. And if they peruse the Aboleth plot line later they may spend a lot of the campaign underwater and in the Underdark. In the Sightless Sea and a few other places. But beyond that I have plans to take them to the Plane of Water. But for locations under water I want to have some Merfolk, Undine, and Gillman settlements. There will be some sunken cities in a few spots and if they want to there are lots of ship graveyards. This one calls for a lot more research on my end that might amount to nothing but that is what being a GM is all about :D
20. “The Ghostship -- stories have been floating around forever about ghostships encountered in every corner of the seas. Why, in my day, I was sailing along the Arcadian Ocean, when up in air for all to see, an enormous ship sailing some 200 leagues above me. Why I had such a start, I know my tongue plain dried up! Now I was mighty uncomfortable wit' it smack dab right above me but then a saw a second ship IN-THE-AIR! An' it was tacking straight for us! I mean them, them fellers' above me, so I turned port an' picked up a few knots. An' the ships above me turned an' matched my course an' speed! I was struck dumber than my first mate, Willie. I would've changed course again but I knew it was too late, an the second ship, why it was as transparent as colored glass! I thought they would collide above me and rain so much debris around me I’d be sunk fer sure. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. That second ship, the smaller ship, hit the bigger ship in the aft, an' done sucked up that bigger ship, masts and all…
partial decree of the august bodies of Such & Such; "...are of the opinion that the second ship, the, er, Ghostship was in fact an extra-dimensional vessel that served as a gateway to another plane, based on the stars and moons lunar alignment, the Plane of Air..." Took me a while to figure out why something like this sounded familiar. May I present the Silver Maiden. This is goals for most players.
21. Elemental Plane of Air & the Airship Graveyard -- the furious wind currents pushed all of the airships together into the eye of a ginormous tornado, where the airships have collided and collected for eons, leaving a slowly (comparatively) spinning tower of airships. and with enough searching and climbing or jury-rigging one might be able to find a working Airship. I am going to love watching them figure this one out!
22. The Humble Association of Fishers of the Blue Cliffs -- If there's one thing vampires will want in an archipelago it's reliable transport across the water. The Fishers were suborned and controlled long ago to this end. Any of their boats or ships carrying six or more crew will include a vampire spawn among their number, and any leaders in the association must be supported by one of the Revered - full vampires. Besides simple fishing the Fishers transport goods and people between islands and some of them have engaged in piracy, with the help of their Revered I am thinking this will be a smaller island thing. And may have ties to the Isle of Eternal Night.
23. Island of the Clock Tower -- island itself is home to only a rather out-of-place baroque tower, which is filled to the brim with ticking clocks of all shapes and sizes. Next to each clock is a placard with a name engraved on it. I am not sure where to put this one yet but I really like the visuals of it.
24. Titanic Demon Larder -- Comical but not sure about it.
25. Walled-Off Island -- This island is completely walled-off by wall of coral so tall it boggles the mind. There is evidence of other explorer’s abandoned climbing gear. There is even evidence of bodies/bones stuck in the wall, some impaled on jags of coral, others seemingly partially absorbed by the wall. If seen from the air, the wall appears to be 50' paces thick and at least 250' paces high. The inside of the wall is filled with water so clear you can see nearly 150' down, filled with all sorts of water flora & fauna. The ability to fly is one way they can try to get up over it but I am thinking the winds should be super strong to make that just as dangerous. Other than the visuals of the isolated ecosystem I am not sure what to here beside the rift to the plane of water or a rift to the Maelstorm and the coral is the way it was contained. Wit it leading the to the Maelstorm it would be a goal for the devotes of pirates with it being Besmara’s home.
26. Ash Island -- Thick layers of ash and soot coat this isle. Occasional plumes of fire and thick black smoke obscure the sight of large powerfully built wolf headed humanoids the size of a large draft horse, with ebony fur and burning, fiery red eyes. They seem to be wearing fire scorched chain-mail. On this isle there are scores of caves and dens covering the landscape as well as hundreds of thick trunked fire resistant trees. Here is my obvious rift to either the Plane of Fire, Hell, or the Abyss
27. Island Thunderstruck -- There is such a cacophony of noise on this island that casters experience a 25% chance of miscasting spells with verbal components. The reason for the thunderous noise is obvious; there is a spar of highly metallic ore attracting continuous lightning strikes to the area. Occasionally the electricity grounds out to the path of least resistance, say for instance, a raised sword or axe, dealing 3d6 points of damage to the wielder and force a DC15 Reflex save to hold onto the weapon. Suits of plate-mail have been known to attract bolts too, forcing a DC17 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round. The best and most evil of skill challenges.
28. Isle of the Beautiful Lights -- On this island there's a colony of miniature dragons which tales say will bond with the first person they see after hatching. The tales aren't wrong, and who doesn't want a minidragon of their own? They're incomplete however. When the hatchlings grow up (after a couple of years assuming plenty of food) they transform into their adult shape, a will o' wisp, which has no attachment to their former bond/owner. If they die from violence and the body isn't entirely destroyed they rise as a will o' wisp with the young template 1d4 rounds later, same deal. Treat the hatchlings as pyraustas with the aberration type (but no stat changes from that), knowing whatever language was most spoken around their egg. Possibly a couple of languages in a household or adventuring party with mixed use of languages. If the tales wouldn't be enough to attract your PCs they might follow an offer to buy the eggs, or be investigating the mysterious death of a girl and the disappearance of her minidragon. Now to beside to keep it the same or turn this into Pern because dragons are awesone!
29. Head-Hunter's Divide -- this isolated island is heavily populated by many jungle indigenous species. Ahool, Anhana, Arboreal Grappler, Banderlog, Biloko,canopy creeper, Cephalophore, Charau-Ka, Chemosit, Cyclops, Decapus, Derhii, Drake- Jungle, Giant- Jungle, Girallon, Jaculi, Kech, Kongamato, Lizardfolk, Margay, Miengu, Mngwa, Moonflower, Mosquito Swarm Bloodhaze, Naga- guardian, Ngoga, Nirento, Sabosan, Serpentfolk- Degenerate, Tabaxi, Tiberolith,Treant, and the head-hunting tribes of the Xothotak to name a few. Then there are the ancient, overgrown ruins in the depths of the jungle, belonging to Azlanti, Cyclopean and Serpentfolk alike. So even if one were to ignore the lines of spiked heads and survive the island dwellers, what traps lie unsprung? I have all the monsters I will need for a traditional jungle adventure. And I can always borrow from the tribes in the Mwangi Expanse. Many of whom worship Demon Lords, such as Zura. She seems to be coming up a lot :D
30. Aesocar’s Bastion -- The settlement here is based around a tradition of healers and defenders of all that is good. I think Iomedae is Aroden's successor in such things? Golarion lore isn't my strong point. Anyway, while they provide healing and protection to stray adventurers and other travelers they've seen few such, and they generally don't leave their island since their people tend not to come back. Unknown to them they have an enemy. A cult of Asmodeus has laid long and slow plans which have guided traders away from their island to isolate them, assassinated their people who left, and made at least one traitor on the Bastion. Their final stroke may arrive soon; will your band of adventurers thwart the slavers coming? Pretty sure I know where I am putting this and it is a while away for them but it could be a great ally for them to have later on it the game.
31. Reptile Isle -- is populated almost exclusively by Lizardfolk and Dinosaurs. The expansion of other humanoid races and changing climate has pushed them into the margins of the world over the past few millennia. Not a warlike race, they often find themselves pitted against land-hungry humans and the violent xill, especially now, with the resurgence of explorers invading the swamps and marshlands of this particular island. They only wish to be left alone but the appearance of another race is making the situation untenable. The viciously evil Serpentfolk coming up from the depths of sunken structures. I love dinos so I dino island is gonna happen. On that note I found the Reptoid I won’t be using the lore listed but I am thinking they are a better version of kobolds. Kind of how the Serpentfolk have changed these creatures have changed as well.
32. Roaming Island -- Basrakal is a delightfully strange location in the Maelstrom. The island itself is, I think, going to be a really peaceful and calm place with just weird scenery.
33. Roaming Island -- The Ocean Above to the Sightless Sea
34. Roaming Island -- Cryo-Prison Transport Isle- multiple locations -- now for this there is a roaming isle that stores inmates until transport to the Moonscar. There is also a rotation and a long line of "parolee's" who were supposed to be released at least millennia ago. there's even a lever marked "Today" that will free 5 at a time, with all of their possessions! cryogenic storage of people starting from D&D magic I might build off meld with stone. It wouldn't necessarily require ongoing power the way cryogenics would, and it could have similar visuals if the device doing it merged people into glass or crystal. If it was intended to be something unpleasant for prisoner’s maybe instead make it work like the time Han Solo was embedded in carbonite. I play with nerds and will really have to put some thought into how to have a reanimated Azlanti come about. I love the idea of it but there needs to be some planning.
35. Roaming Island --
36. Roaming Island --
37. VS. the Cheliaxian Navy – This is a possible ending and a campaign in and of its self. I may have a few glimpses of it but I think I will leave it for a follow up campaign should they prove able to settle in Azlant and want to play something like this.
38. VS. a mass of slumbering Aboleths and Veiled Masters And if this is not the route they follow this will be in the Cheliaxian Navy thing as well.
39. The Fields of Sorrow -- Nothing living is here, no animals or even bugs. I am wanting it to move around. Not the location but the essence of the place. It is tied to a creature though I am not so sure on what I want it to be. Either some kind of undead, demon, or devil. It picks a location and remains there until it has caused everything to kill itself in so many miles. Once it has done so it will move on. Perhaps a vampire druid. There is a powerful undead roaming the islands. Through its wanderings, it’s been idly using circle of death spell-like ability. And it’s not even doing it maliciously, it’s just bored. I figure this could be a lich that's become disenchanted with its unlife. The arrival of the PC's does wonders for its mood, as it now has something to challenge it. Previously it was just letting the roaming isles move it from isle to isle, trailing a swath of death. I am loving this option. No clue if I want a Lich, a vampire, or a wraith of some sort. But there can be area’s that it has traveled though the party could encounter and then if they get hooked into the idea of following it then maybe they can put an end to it. The big downside to a vampire is the water issue and I want it to rove all over the area so the lich is looking a little more appealing. Plus without the destruction of the phylactery it cannot truly be killed. But what to make the phylactery so that the lich would not have simply destroyed it so that it could finally die?
40. Museum -- portions might be underwater at this point or maybe not. It talks about constructs that have rotted and no longer work along with a ghostly janitor that still wonder the halls. There is a lovely module called the Gallery of Evil in this one many of the fights are the creatures of paintings. I want the maintenance constructs to have warped. The painting have come to life but what else would I put in there. Trompe L'oeil, & id portrait. I just have to figure out where to put this. I love the suggested critters. I am thinking magic kept this place very much as it was. The AP has a few locations deeper into Azlant vaguely described. One of which is the city of Bilith-Vel. This place was once a holy site of Acavan, the moon goddess. It also says it was home to a sisterhood of influincal witches called the Inward Eye. There were banking consortiums, and home to the empires second largest armada. Acavan’s battle mount, an ancient lunar dragon by the name of Rezallian, now guards this place and is a creature wracked with grief at the loss of her mistress. Much of this city is going to be still standing and I want the museum to be here. And there will be a actual ship graveyard here as well. Along with numerous temples. Plus the dragon but what else can I put in this city or the roughly 100ish mile island it is on. This place is in the lower parts of the Shattered continent.
41. Hag’s Coven -- The hags came up for me for three reasons. The dream element brought the dreamthief Hag. The Night Hag from wanting to use them in my last campaign and finding them interesting. And lastly because the AP has an encounter with them though at lower levels and I am gonna change that. So the Cyclops of the Ghol-Gan Empire tended towards prophesy and the hag the AP has is rather opposed with it to. She has one in captivity for that purpose. witch with the slumber hex and ability focus to quietly put all members of the party to sleep on the Dreaming Islands.
So my books were misplaced for a while plus this is a lot to type up but the AP gave a few interesting locations and here they are.
Acrolan, the City of Broken Glass. It is one of the Seven Secret Cities, this being the one on Azlant. This place is an easy option to get them to the Ethereal Plane or at least have a chance of getting there. Plus all the fun lore they could learn if they get there. To earn that right though there are a series of psychic tests they have to pass and I have no clue at the moment what those would be.
43. I am wanting a few ruined locations to be stuck in a loop, constantly reliving the Earthfall. This could give the party a good view of Azlanti life and also a first eye view of the Earthfall. It is like a haunt of epic proportions. But I don’t want to instantly kill the party and it don’t want it to be like a cut scene from a video game. Should I let them interact with the settlement, not even realizing that it is gonna fall. Everything feels real until the meteors come down. Or should nothing seem to even notice they are there? It would take days or weeks for the event to ‘respawn’ as it were. Should I let them see it into the Age of Darkness of let it end with the Earthfall incident?
Aroden’s Rock is on the eastern periphery on a mountain the Azlanti named Merthuretz, which as a heavily forested mountain and is now one of the tallest locations on the Shattered Continent. This mountain had legends about it that predate the Azlanti people. And this was where the then mortal Aroden lead as many people to hopeful safety during Earthfall. It did give a name to Aroden’s weapon, the Azlanti Diamond which was a crystalline sword he forged as a badge of office for the next emperor. So Aroden was a crafter. He and the people he was leading, and they are listed as Azlanti and some of their former enemies, hewed as many trees as they could for boats to sail away in. All the while they had to battle twisted Fey that had made this mountain their home. The fay were twisted due to a creature, a forgotten god called Ugruskkogg, that had supposedly according to the Fey “been a part of Azlant since its highest mountains had been but an unsullied plain upon the floor of an ancient ocean.”
Deep in the mountains of a then ancient cave was an enormous petrified ammonite the size of a castle door. The place was littered with sacrifice to the fossilized god. And its shell was a swirl of maddening patterns that dug into the minds of those that saw it leaving only madness behind. It still lived but was trapped in its stone form. From accounts Aroden left in Absolom after he became a God there where no blows struck or spells cast in that cave. Many tales and legends suggest a deal was struck. Probably not a good one as Aroden and the people he was with remained on that island for half a decade before sailing away. The forests of Merurtertz’s are still inhabited with murderous fey. The foundations of the shipyards and the crude builds the refugees lived in are still there. And sleeping while in those peaks lead to dreams that call you to have an audience with that ancient entity, that the book labels ‘as old as the planet itself.’ So suggestions on what to happen there would be great or what Ugruskkogg would want would be delightful.
The City of Golden Gates, which was the capital apparently. And the target of the Earthfall. In the Manual of City-Building, which is one of the religious texts of Abadar, this city is described as the closest to perfection. Outshined only by the examples in Abadar’s Vault, which contain the perfect versions of so many things. The city was said to be built on a massive 500ft tall hill that was surrounded by verdant forests. At the summit of the hill were the emperors personal residence and gardens which had a well in the center of ever flowing water that flowed in four directions and fell in cascades into a moat like canal that kept the imperial grounds separate from the rest of the city. “From this deep canal, four channels led the water though the four quarters of that level of the city to cascades that in turn supplied another encircling canal.” Ultimately there were four rings that separated the city by class.
This place was on the eastern side of the country. And the throne was called ‘the throne of glass’. This city suffered a direct hit during Earthfall. There are said to dragons, savage and cannibalistic morlocks, and even more fun are the devils, demons, and it says worse without saying what worse is that are still bound to this location by long dead rituals or that linger after being freed. Many of them battling for the throne. And apparently there are priest of Abadar that make pilgrimages to this city and a small community has grown there in the lower rings. Intent on keeping the fires burning for the right person to bring safety and glory back to this once perfect city.
So that is the part that is still above water. With the city suffering a direct hit half of it is now a cliff and much of the land around it is sunken to create a shallowish bay. Nereids, merfolk, sahuagin, and water elements are apparently in abundance in this area. That well has created an aquatic war zone outside city limits. And deep under the city, where that glorious water comes from are two alghollthus and a rift to the Inverted Sea.
Along with all of that I have never actually ran a dragon fight and I have on with the Linnorm, possibly with the Lunar Dragon, and doubtless a few other options.
Before my last campaign fell apart due to issues with all of us I had a Green Dragon but they did not fight it. Instead it gave them a mission to bring back the corpses of the people who killed her babies.
So I have never ran a dragon fight. People say always keep them in the air, never let them be cornered, have minions, ect. I love the 5e lair effects so that will be a part of many fights beyond dragons. But if you have suggestions on that route I would appreciate it.
Ugruskkogg is apparently old enough that it thinks of dinosaurs as Johnny-come-latelies. What does it want? Probably for things to stop changing, if it was willing to be bound to one spot like that. It might want some things changed back to the way they were a decade, a century, a millennium or an eon ago, depending on when it liked that thing best. If it was OK with Aroden's folk living there for years it might even want replacements living there, in ways as much like Aroden's folk as possible.
2. Dead Magic -- The Final Exhale -- Bubbles of dead magic frozen in the water, like air bubbles floating to the surface except not that easy to see, the final exhale of a dying god. If the PC's figure out a way to follow these "bubbles of dead magic" to their source, the coral-ed over body of said dead (your choice of) god. Inside the coral, a massive cavern with remnants of old magic, so potent and pure, a place where crafted items can become especially powerful. Known and spoken of by very, very, few, this last up-swell of magic is heavily protected by sea elves, merfolk, undine, gillmen, Aboleths and others.
47. Earthfall -- The Colosseum -- The day of Earthfall keeps repeating in the Colosseum; and the PC's can effect the outcome of the gladiatorial games by participating in them. Now how they come to be connected to the games is by the ingenious intervention of one Koernelis Plynt. This enterprising tiefling actually shipwrecked on this relatively small section of isles a few years ago and quite accidentally discovered he could influence the events of the games by introducing new participants to the games master. Since then he's slowly been building up a nest egg by fixing the matches with new participants and convincing them the matches are not to the death. An irredeemable gambler, Plynt is constantly betting and losing his nest egg.
Deaths Adorable Apprentice wrote:
25. Walled-Off Island -- This island is completely walled-off by wall of coral so tall it boggles the mind. There is evidence of other explorer’s abandoned climbing gear. There is even evidence of bodies/bones stuck in the wall, some impaled on jags of coral, others seemingly partially absorbed by the wall. If seen from the air, the wall appears to be 50' paces thick and at least 250' paces high. The inside of the wall is filled with water so clear you can see nearly 150' down, filled with all sorts of water flora & fauna.
The ability to fly is one way they can try to get up over it but I am thinking the winds should be super strong to make that just as dangerous. Other than the visuals of the isolated ecosystem I am not sure what to here beside the rift to the plane of water or a rift to the Maelstorm and the coral is the way it was contained. Wit it leading the to the Maelstorm it would be a goal for the devotes of pirates with it being Besmara’s home.
what better place for pirates buried treasure? ALSO; it could be a way BACK FROM THE PLANE OF WATER. Who know's, maybe this 'Coral Cauldron' empties and fills with the ebb and flow of the Maelstrom?
No, not like a toilet.
34. Roaming Island -- Cryo-Prison Transport Isle-- multiple locations -- now for this there is a roaming isle that stores inmates until transport to the Moonscar. There is also a rotation and a long line of "parolee's" who were supposed to be released at least millennia ago. there's even a lever marked "Today" that will free 5 at a time, with all of their possessions!
cryogenic storage of people starting from D&D magic I might build off meld with stone. It wouldn't necessarily require ongoing power the way cryogenics would, and it could have similar visuals if the device doing it merged people into glass or crystal. If it was intended to be something unpleasant for prisoner’s maybe instead make it work like the time Han Solo was embedded in carbonite.
I play with nerds and will really have to put some thought into how to have a reanimated Azlanti come about. I love the idea of it but there needs to be some planning.
keep in mind, the creatures released don't necessarily survive being 'thawed' and if not dead could have become undead. If there are surviving "parolee's" they may be a ways up the line of releasee's and it could be that not all detainee's were guilty of the crimes they were accused of.
39. Roaming Island -- The Fields of Sorrow -- Nothing living is here, no animals or even bugs. I am wanting it to move around. Not the location but the essence of the place. It is tied to a creature though I am not so sure on what I want it to be. Either some kind of undead, demon, or devil. It picks a location and remains there until it has caused everything to kill itself in so many miles. Once it has done so it will move on. Perhaps a vampire druid.
There is a powerful undead roaming the islands. Through its wanderings, it’s been idly using circle of death spell-like ability. And it’s not even doing it maliciously, it’s just bored. I figure this could be a lich that's become disenchanted with its unlife. The arrival of the PC's does wonders for its mood, as it now has something to challenge it. Previously it was just letting the roaming isles move it from isle to isle, trailing a swath of death.
I am loving this option. No clue if I want a Lich, a vampire, or a wraith of some sort. But there can be area’s that it has traveled though the party could encounter and then if they get hooked into the idea of following it then maybe they can put an end to it. The big downside to a vampire is the water issue and I want it to rove all over the area so the lich is looking a little more appealing. Plus without the destruction of the phylactery it cannot truly be killed. But what to make the phylactery so that the lich would not have simply destroyed it so that it could finally die?
Eureka! The Phylactery is an item the PC's are already carrying. Potent enough that the player's wouldn't just sell it outright. I'd make this either weapon or armor.
For a twist you could make it so the path of destruction is following the PC's path after they picked up the item. That might make it too obvious as to what the phylactery is.
40. Museum -- portions might be underwater at this point or maybe not. It talks about constructs that have rotted and no longer work along with a ghostly janitor that still wonder the halls. There is a lovely module called the Gallery of Evil in this one many of the fights are the creatures of paintings. I want the maintenance constructs to have warped. The painting have come to life but what else would I put in there.
Trompe L'oeil, & id portrait.
I just have to figure out where to put this. I love the suggested critters. I am thinking magic kept this place very much as it was. The AP has a few locations deeper into Azlant vaguely described. One of which is the city of Bilith-Vel. This place was once a holy site of Acavan, the moon goddess. It also says it was home to a sisterhood of influential witches called the Inward Eye. There were banking consortium's, and home to the empires second largest armada. Acavan’s battle mount, an ancient lunar dragon by the name of Rezallian, now guards this place and is a creature wracked with grief at the loss of her mistress. Much of this city is going to be still standing and I want the museum to be here. And there will be a actual ship graveyard here as well. Along with numerous temples. Plus the dragon but what else can I put in this city or the roughly 100ish mile island it is on.
i recommend a rival group of adventuring tomb raiders. and make it so they are recurring rivals that always have ready a means of escape from the PC's. In fact, introduce a likable, useful NPC to the party that convinces them to let him/her travel with them for a time (a few levels worth at least). The NPC turns out to be a mole that feeds information to the rival tomb raiders about the PC's pursuits.
keep in mind this was a museum, with items that were old and priceless before the Earthfall. I see $$$!
43. -- Earthfall -- I am wanting a few ruined locations to be stuck in a loop, constantly reliving the Earthfall. This could give the party a good view of Azlanti life and also a first eye view of the Earthfall. It is like a haunt of epic proportions. But I don’t want to instantly kill the party and it don’t want it to be like a cut scene from a video game.
let them interact with the settlement, make purchases, gather information, no one knows that Earthfall is about to happen, not even the player's. Everything feels real until the meteors come down. let it end with the Earthfall incident. Give it a few days for everything to reset/restart. But those purchases they made, are they real or lost to the cataclysm? do they still have the change from those purchases? Real, Very Rare, Azlanti Coin? what might that be worth to a collector?
Sorry it took me so long to reply. The last few days have been really hectic.
avr: I do tend to get caught up in the bad stuff. The idea that it would want something peaceful had not really occurred to me. I will have plenty of time to think on it. I know I am wanting a twist of some kind and having it want settlers could be a good starting point.
I am Nemesis
The Final Exhale: that is an interesting option.
The Colosseum: More ship wrecked people! This would need some thought and planning to use.
I like the Coral Cauldron for a name. And a ways back and forth is a thing.
I like the phylactery being something they have and it being something they would wanna keep.
Always down for reoccurring villains and yeah there will be a few other adventurers / tomb raiders / pirates that they will run into. And yeah this path is money assuming they can get the items and be able to move them.
I like this idea with them not knowing Earthfall is coming. It would have to be a fairly small settlement, I think, but I rather like it. But to throw a wrench in things I have a party who likes to try to do the right thing and might try to save people. So what would I do in the event that someone gets away with the party. Teleportation is a big thing.
I like the Coral Cauldron for a name. yeah, i'd already changed it in my notes
I like this idea with them not knowing Earthfall is coming. It would have to be a fairly small settlement, I think, but I rather like it. But to throw a wrench in things I have a party who likes to try to do the right thing and might try to save people. So what would I do in the event that someone gets away with the party. Teleportation is a big thing.
There are a few ways of dealing with saving imaginary people,
if this is a haunt of epic proportions; teleporting or just going out of range should take care of the issue. UNLESS...
this is a haunt of epic proportions; meaning the haunt is actually haunting the PC's (or an object they're carrying) and can follow them, as the rescued person.
You have a hero complex yourself and WANT them to save someone(s). In this case consider this; guilt. If you save someone(s) and not the whole family and their loved ones, the survivor(s) may feel incredible guilt at leaving them behind. That said, you now have 10 lb problem in a 5 lb bag. You've got a person(s) who is totally green to their new environment. This means for the player's a lot of hand holding their charge, possibly needing to provide for them for some time. For you, it means coming up with day-to-day problems and tantrums from your survivor(s). It really depends on the relationship you want the PC's to have with the survivor(s). You my want to consider how may you want to cultivate the NPC(s).
The AP has some info and running an actual Azlanti, brought out from one of the cryo things. And I have been waffling back and forth on that idea since I read it just because of how weird it could get. But the haunt is lovely. And if they do try to save people I think I will go with the idea that the person either fades away or simply doesn't teleport.
48. The Silent Brotherhood of Asmodeus -- This island is surrounded by a fixed ring of silence extending outward 150’. Once one gets past this area of silence anyone can hear the sonorous hum of a continuous chant (maintaining the silenced area). The Brotherhood are all devotees of Asmodeus based in a tradition of assassination and pack hunting down the members and allies of Aesocar’s Bastion in a steady war of attrition. The Brotherhood goes to great lengths to keep its presence on its island secret and there are Hunting Packs of assassin teams training on the isle to kill any and all interlopers. Aside from extreme secrecy, those who do know of the Silent Brotherhood know that they are known for ability to eliminate their targets in dead silence. Recently, the Brotherhood has pulled back almost all of its agents to the isle for the final death stroke on the populous of Aesocar’s Bastion.
49. The Order of Azrael -- This exclusively female order of warriors and casters specialize in hunting evil outsiders. The primary goal of the Order is not unlike the Mendev Crusaders, to destroy demons. While the Mendev Crusaders organize in literal demon slaying crusades, the Order of Azrael accomplish by stealth and cunning. They travel the world and the planes in anonymity, prepared at all times to strike should an evil outsider surface. They're main secret headquarters is located in Kenabres near the Worldwound.
Also called 'Angels of Death', they usually hunt in quads of four, and it has been documented that a single quad decimated three score demons on their home plane in a matter of hours. They have been known to hunt goodly outsiders for the right incentive. They tend to use holy bane weapons such as crossbows and a wide assortment of daggers.
The Order of Azrael are virtually unheard of away from the city called Kenabres and its demon infested environment. This outpost in the shattered islands is perhaps an aberration, as the area is not known for the demonic presence of Mendev's Worldwound.
The Silent Brotherhood of Asmodeus: This is delightful. I lement that I have to build them but I am loving the idea of a siege Aesocar’s Bastion. I have never had the chance to run a siege and once the Bastion place came up I have been thinking of some kind of attack on the whole city. And this is the lovely other side of things. I am so looking forward to the city of healers and the devil worshipers who want them dead.
The Order of Azrael. I may use this. I love the lore aspect and that it ties into the Mendev Crusaders
The Silent Brotherhood of Asmodeus: This is delightful. I lement that I have to build them but I am loving the idea of a siege Aesocar’s Bastion. I have never had the chance to run a siege and once the Bastion place came up I have been thinking of some kind of attack on the whole city. And this is the lovely other side of things. I am so looking forward to the city of healers and the devil worshipers who want them dead.
The Order of Azrael. I may use this. I love the lore aspect and that it ties into the Mendev Crusaders
I figured enough time went by without avr writing anything more about the Bastions' rivals that i thought i'd give it a shot.
As for the Order of Azrael, i was binge watching the tv show "Lucifer" and an episode inspired me to create the 'Angels of Death'. The show implied Azrael, the angel of death, was a sister to Lucifer, so i decided to make the Order an all girl affair. I think w/ all of the rifts to multiple planes, many of which lead abyssal and infernal dimensions, it was a logical leap that there might be a force fighting off demon incursions. the PC's are not the only (possibly) goodly group in the shattered continent.
inspiration can come for the oddest places.
50. The Caldera Cannibal Cliff Dwellings: Inhabited by primitive humanoids clutching spears in hand. Their skin tone seems to change colors shifting to match their surroundings. The Xothotak are a savage race of head-hunting cannibals that make their homes deep the dense jungle of this island. This particular tribe numbers in the thousands and has adapted to the caldera and have built cliff-dwellings using the skulls they collect in the walls. These cannibals conduct raids into civilized settlements when food, women and sacrifices are scarce. Captured men, women and children are beaten, bound and forced into slavery for a period of time, before being sacrificed to one of the xothotak's dark gods by being thrown into the deepest steam pits of the caldera or served as a meal at a xothotak banquet. As primitve as they are, the xothotak probably have the best grasp of the currents and routes to many of the isles in the shattered continent, which in turn aids in the success of their raids. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) yummy!
The Azreal thing made me think of Gotham :D and I steal ideas from TV and books all the time. And I plan to have plenty of 'goodly people' here as well.
The AP has Strix and I rather love what they did with them. Arcadia is where the Strix originally came from and the ones that went on to Avistan have all the nasty assumptions about them. They are treated with suspicion and have become suspicious in return. But the ones that stayed on Azlant are more friendly. They are very tribal and tend towards being artists, poets, and musicians. They have never had to deal with the bigotry the Strix of Avistan.
Along with numerous aquatic groups like the merfolk and the locathah. I plan to use the ones listed along with some various elemental races, the mordant spire elves, a druid grove, ect
The Caldera Cannibal Cliff Dwellings: That is an interesting route. My party would want to get rid of all of them :D and wont that be fun.
Sanguine Night : This is a small round island that is found in a thick mist that drifts across the waves. And the fog is the only thing visible at water level, from in the air, or even under the waves. Noting but a thick fog for miles. Most of the locals know to avoid it if they are unlucky enough to see it. Death waits in fog that moves like that. Just drifting slowly though the ocean
As you enter the mist it grows thicker until you barely see a foot in-front of you and a light source only gives about another foot or two in which to see shapes in. The thick fog is about half a mile long and will require quiet a few checks to not get lost in it. (there are boats that litter the sea floor and a few that house lost spirits that might be encountered) once you have made your way though the thickest part of the fog it begins to rapidly clear up, slowly if you are back on the ocean side.
But if you make it though regardless of what time of day it was when you entered the fog it is dark. But you cannot see the stars, only a thick haze above you. You can see an island not that far ahead of you, maybe 100 feet from the edge of the dissipating for to the dark shores. But the waters are smooth and easy as you row your way to the shore. Pitch black sand covers the coastline all around the island. And the beach is anywhere from 10 to 20 ft in some area’s to 100ft in others. But regardless of the length of the black beach there is a dense forest looming. Not so dense that you have to hack your way though.
And after the heroes have battled their way to through the dangers of the forest they find themselves at the heart of the island. A massive moss covered hill which has a rift in reality at its peak.
The creature that guard the rift to Nesh is going to be an enhanced
Doombat most likely with some levels in cleric and some mythic abilities. I will be mixing it with the Dread Vampire template and the Eternal template. The only way it can be given a permanent death is to seal the rift. The only way through the rift is to kill the creature or bargain with it and it is far less likely to bargain if you have a pulse. The area the rift is in is a massive clearing at the heart of the island and the whole area is raised up on a big hill mad of the crushed bones of those that failed to enter the rift. A big moss covered bone hill filled with tantalizing treasures that if the victorious get distracted looking for the rift guardian will rise again.
I only assume they will make it to this lovely place if they pursue the Vampire plot line. And if they don’t there is always the option of a second campaign set years in the future. Teleportation magic, in or out, will always drop you in the thickest part of the fog, and this time without a boat.
51. Sanguine Night -- This is a small round island that is found in a thick mist that drifts across the waves. And the fog is the only thing visible at water level, from the air, or even under the waves. Nothing but a thick fog for miles. Most of the locals know to avoid it if they are unlucky enough to see it. Death waits in fog that moves like that, just drifting slowly though the ocean. As you enter the mist it grows thicker until you barely see a foot in-front of you and a light source only gives about another foot or two in which to see shapes in. The thick fog is about half a mile long and will require quite a few checks to not get lost in it (there are boats that litter the sea floor and a few that house lost spirits that might be encountered). Once you have made your way through the thickest part of the fog it begins to rapidly clear up, slowly if you are back on the ocean side.
But if you make it through regardless of what time of day it was when you entered the fog it is dark. But you cannot see the stars, only a thick haze above you. You can see an island not that far ahead of you, maybe 100 feet from the edge of the dissipating for to the dark shores. But the waters are smooth and easy as you row your way to the shore. Pitch black sand covers the coastline all around the island. And the beach is anywhere from 10 to 20 ft. in some area’s to 100ft in others. But regardless of the length of the black beach there is a dense forest looming. Not so dense that you have to hack your way through. There are at least three Gallows Tree’s in this forest. Many of the other dangers on the island are crimson deaths, Blood Pudding , Vampiric Mist , any of the blood themed plants bloody bones, and some of the incorporeal undead like geists or groaning spirits. And after the heroes have battled their way to through the dangers of the forest they find themselves at the heart of the island. A massive moss covered hill which has a rift in reality at its peak.
The creature that guards the rift to Nesh is going to be an enhanced Doombat most likely with some levels in cleric and some mythic abilities. I will be mixing it with the Dread Vampire template and the Eternal template. The only way it can be given a permanent death is to seal the rift. The only way through the rift is to kill the creature or bargain with it and it is far less likely to bargain if you have a pulse. The area the rift is in is a massive clearing at the heart of the island and the whole area is raised up on a big hill made of the crushed bones of those that failed to enter the rift. A big moss covered bone hill filled with tantalizing treasures that if the victorious get distracted looking for the rift guardian will rise again.
I only assume they will make it to this lovely place if they pursue the Vampire plot line. And if they don’t there is always the option of a second campaign set years in the future. Teleportation magic, in or out, will always drop you in the thickest part of the fog, and this time without a boat.
"Most of the locals know to avoid it if they are unlucky enough to see it. Death waits in fog that moves like that, just drifting slowly though the ocean."
i am under the assumption this is one of the Roaming Islands? if so it might be difficult for the sunken boats on the sea floor to follow the island
(unless A: the island teleports itself and its surroundings, or
B: The island floats around in random directions trailing a path of broken vessels. Or
C: its not a Roaming Island, just a regular stationary isle infested with vampires).
I ask only to know how to categorize it in the main list.
Apparently part of my edit was eaten. It is one of the roaming islands. I am not sure about the boats on the sea floor now that I have slept. But it does take the waters and sea floor around with it.
52. Island of Portals -- This island is a nexus of all the islands of the shattered continent, from the moment of Earthfall. There are obvious portals to every isle in the area and these appear to be one-way portals away from this nexus. On the island is a little old human man named Dor. Dor is uniquely able to find any portal in the network via some unknown affinity to the portals. If there is someone seeking a way to a given Island, a sample of the soil or water from the isle in question is all he needs to find the corresponding portal. Taking a portal designated Dor, always leads to the right island, even if that isle has since moved from its last known location. Finding the right island via mere description is more chancy. According to Dor, this island ‘touches’ every island, but is ‘untouchable’. This means it cannot be used as a memorized location to teleport to. In fact, attempting to do so automatically teleports those making the attempt randomly to one of the other shattered continent isles. Anyone attempting to touch or harm Dor is effected as though they went through a portal of Dor’s choice.
53. Abaddon -- On this ruined and debris strewn island is a creature called the demon king, Basileiva, the angel of the abyss, the angel of the bottomless pit. Basileiva is using an ancient demonic summoning circle deep in the bowels of this island. Each day he can call forth 1d4 demons to the summoning circle causing the island to ripple and fold on itself, changing the debris field each time. At this point the demons are confined to the isle, but the magic of the circle is expanding slowly and exponentially. If the demons are not sent back through this circle of magic or killed, this rift could potentially burst, releasing a horde of demonic creatures, possibly creating a second Worldwound.
The AP has Strix and I rather love what they did with them. Arcadia is where the Strix originally came from and the ones that went on to Avistan have all the nasty assumptions about them. They are treated with suspicion and have become suspicious in return. But the ones that stayed on Azlant are more friendly. They are very tribal and tend towards being artists, poets, and musicians. They have never had to deal with the bigotry the Strix of Avistan.
54. The Lone Skyscraper -- This structure was more than 70 levels high, but the upper portions were sheared away in the Earthfall. Each level above the first appears to be cut from the same mold and are virtually identical to each other. There are a row of six airshafts connected to every level as well as metallic ropes or cables piled down on the first few levels. There are two stair wells that also connect to each level. The windows of each level are clouded by weather, filth and debris. Each level has four strange ports and more than a few have some kind of conveyance or carriages parked in the ports. Many of the lower levels show signs of recent habitation, but there appears to be no one here now. As for the greater heights, the top 15 levels or so are inhabited several tribes of Strix, the greatest heights reserved for the strongest tribe and the leaders of the tribes nesting here.
Now you’ll probably note I’ve been somewhat vague and primitive in the description of the skyscraper and the stories belonging to the building. This is on purpose but I’ll try to clarify here. I tried to describe things the way someone new to the sight might see them. I described some cookie cutter office space, airshafts that are really elevator shafts and cables. The four strange ports at each level are parking places for air-cars, none of which function as all of the fuel cells are depleted or degraded.
55. Sunken Tower - - This structure is nearly identical to the Lone Skyscraper save that the building materials of the past have basically mineralized via osmosis with the darklands environment. The structure has penetrated 67 stories into the marsh, leaving the last 7 stories above ground. While some levels have filled with mud and water, others mineralized, there are spaces that have been excavated by darklands indigenous races, such as drow and duergar on the shallower levels, serpentfolk and derro in the mid-depths and aboleths and Veiled Masters in the deepest levels. There are near constant wars between these races and others over the levels of this sunken skyscraper but none of the surface worlders have discovered why. The few surfacers that have delved the depths for answers have never returned with answers, only with madness.
Sorry for the slow delay. The last few days have been hectic in my house with a lot of bickering and my live game this was yesterday. So I was in a mad scrabble to get ready for that. Assuming I needed to familiarize myself with the first island. Instead I had to creature strange animals and plants for them to discover. Tracks one person failed to find. A green and purple bird about the size of a blue jay with an extended colorful tail. Pheasant like ground birds that are dark brown and green to blend into the moss. Spiky poison dart frogs. Then there was the foraging. Platform dark brown mushrooms that grew on trees and white clusters of mushrooms that eat insects so mushroom honey is a thing now. And hanging fruit that is brown and fuzzy like a kiwi but segmented on the inside like an orange, with a big seed inside, oh and it is bitter. That was all on the fly cause I totally spaced that idea. Cause I am smart. Foraging is a thing.
So I have two twins in the party a tiefling barbarian and an aasimar oracle. These two are Varisian's who while traveling found some ruins. The barbarian found a scythe that has existed since Earthfall. No that she knows that. It will become sentient later on. And the she has low impulse control. While the oracle found an orb. The oracle remembers nothing after that until she was sighing the contract for the trip to Azlant. She is a seer so I get to have fun with that option. She had pressed the orb into her forehead and from then on she was an oracle and something took over, convinced the other twin to come with and to sigh up. She has no idea how she convinced the people paying to this colony to let not only her go but her sister and the nine year old her sister had adopted all go.
There are cousins consisting of a tiefling spiritualist Haunted archetype masquerading as a human who ran away from his noble family. His technical name as host and a number. His phantom is an ancestor who is taking over a new host every other generation to kind of live forever. The other cousin is a third son to a well to do family with deep ties to the church of Iomeade. He is the cleric of the group and an aasimar. He came to help keep his cousin safe and only just learned about the phantom
A ifrit cavalier, who does not know she is an ifrit and thinks she is human. She is a former grey maiden who had been enslaved and found sanctuary in Andoran. This trip is to be a new clean start away from the nightmare of her past.
Then there is the conjuration wizard aasimar. She is the only daughter of one of the two banking families backing this venture. She also rolled insect wings, glowing skin, and a unicorn horn for the random physical stats. We kept those and she is a bugacorn. An a ported over Alienist from 3.5
So a two sessions ago the barbarian met an NPC. Tall, muscular, bold, and boisterous ulfenman And her first words were 'dibs'. He accepted the dibs. But I had not realized what would happen.
Last night the oracle, who is played by my very awkward and shy friend who still blushes if you say boobies, met another NPC. This guy is an animal trainer and I made him really awkward around people. But he is lean, blond, quiet, and has blue eyes. She decided he was to be hers. She asked his boss, a horse merchant, about his employ's love life and waited around for the guy to show up. Then asked him if he was single and was interested in anyone. He said no. So her answer was 'well I am interested'. He panicked and used the dogs and puppies he had brought over as an excuse to flee. She freaking chased after him, all day. I checked. The poor man was hiding in the church.
So the cleric, who likes to stir the pot apparently, offered him whisky and tried to set him on the shy wizard. As an out from the oracle who was chasing him. And this was after he spent the bulk of the previous day, though the night, and part of the morning exploring with a very friendly NPC who is a naturalist. They got to know each other and all the other players where saying that they 'ship it'
My game has turned into a dating simulator. Though I would share.
Abaddon is another lovely location that can feed into a possible end game plot hook and something I rather like. I love the idea of summoning circle and the major threat option. Dread building it but love the idea.
The Lone Skyscraper is interesting. I plan of have small pockets of the Strik's throughout Azlant and the massive tower is a cool location for one group. Azlant is littered with ioun towers, basically a tower that amplifies the abilities of ioun stones, either making the abilities stronger or giving a massive radius to them. This could be a version of that or something else entirely
Sunken Tower is fun. I have so many options for partially or fully sunken locations.
This group of silent and stealthy mothmen keeps watch over the shattered fate of Azlant. They stand in silent vigils along the shores of an island of black sand, perched on massive obsidian towers simply known as the Fulcrums. Sometimes, they're seen flying off to some unknown location or turning inwards as if focusing on something at the center of the island.
Mothmen are known to manipulate fate and change the courses of causality. Perhaps these ones are trying to reverse Azlant's destruction, or even harness the power of Earthfall to induce an apocalypse in the present day? Their true goals are inscrutable but surely far-reaching.
Azlant existed in an age of myth, after all. Such a powerful fate draws mothmen to it like... well, moths to a light.
Sorry for the slow delay. The last few days have been hectic in my house with a lot of bickering and my live game this was yesterday.
Plans rarely survive the first engagement with the enemy (the PC's).
So a tiefling barbarian, an aasimar oracle, a tiefling spiritualist Haunted archetype, an aasimar Cleric, an ifrit cavalier, & a conjuration wizard aasimar walk into a bar ... and cause the whole campaign to go sideways. ;-)
TheGreatWot wrote:
56. Black Cabal - - This group of silent and stealthy mothmen keeps watch over the shattered fate of Azlant. They stand in silent vigils along the shores of an island of black sand, perched on massive obsidian towers simply known as the Fulcrums. Sometimes, they're seen flying off to some unknown location or turning inwards as if focusing on something at the center of the island.
Mothmen are known to manipulate fate and change the courses of causality. Perhaps these ones are trying to reverse Azlant's destruction, or even harness the power of Earthfall to induce an apocalypse in the present day? Their true goals are inscrutable but surely far-reaching.
Azlant existed in an age of myth, after all. Such a powerful fate draws mothmen to it like... well, moths to a light.
gotta say i like the mothmen, kinda supernatural Watchers. Mysterious strangers that flit away after taking a single action to change the course of a combat, potentially saving a life.
57. Riddled Isle - - Riddled with caves and tunnels the stony isle appears to be a great chunk of holey cheese. Some caves lead to tunnels that lead to caves that lead to submerged tunnels that lead to the darklands or the surface. The isle is also infested with purple worms near the surface, testifying to the degree that the stone has been compromised. A veritable maze, some tunnels lead deep into the stone, all the way to the darklands. The shallow surface of this particular isle is home to warring tribes of kobolds & goblins. If the PC’s can rid one or the other of the wrathful little humanoids, they may gain ready guides to the darklands, for a short while. They might even find their way to a sphinx and its riddles.
58. Port Mercy - - This Port Town is named after Mr. Edna Mercy Cross, who owns much of the town, including the Tavern, Mercy's Mooring. Now Mercy is NEVER, EVER called Edna. The only people that call him Edna are the Noob’s that get tricked into calling him by his real first name. The various patrons actually run a pool to see who, and how long they’ve been on the island before they foul up and say his true name. Mercy will well and truly deck the snot out of the offender without warning. If the fool wishes to take offence at the rebuttal, Mercy simply asks if they want blood or satisfaction. If they say blood, Mercy will do his level best to not kill the fool, but accidents happen, even in a fair fight. If they say satisfaction, one of the many women in the bar will offer to satisfy them and then some. If the PC takes the offer then everyone relaxes. If the PC doesn’t get the hint, Mercy tells the PC to step outside and find a goat to satisfy him. At this point Mercy will hear no more and offer to kick the fools arse, and he really will try to kill him.
This port-town is actually a smugglers port frequented by pirates and smugglers as well as regular merchant vessels. The real trick is Mercy’s Mooring. Any vessel tied to this magical Mooring shrinks the boat and cargo in all its dimensions to 1 foot in diameter. The boat will stay this way until it comes into contact with enough water for it to float in. The smugglers of the Port pay a hefty fee based on cargo to use Mercy’s Mooring. Mercy has a modest collection of ships on the shelves of his taproom, and no one knows how he got them or if they came from his magical mooring.
TheGreatWot: That is an interesting option and I rather love the idea. However weird things could go. I love the fate changing idea. And welcome! Plus thank you!
I am Nemesis: I know they disrupt the campaign. Herding cats is a thing and I embrace it. But they made it a romance simulators thing and that wasn't something I had not considered but I did not think it would happen so soon. And it was amusing.
Riddled Isle I have always wanted to run a purple worm. And entering a war is fun. My last game never got the sphinx that would let them into Gallowspire to fight Tar-Baphon. But sphinx's have always been interesting. Though I have plans to have a sphinx somewhere and this is a possible location
Port Mercy: I love pirates and really love the shrinking ships. I am thinking I want Mr. Edna Mercy Cross to have found a way to hide and control one of the rifts, not sure which one but the astral or air is high on list. People come here to travel the planes.
I was actually working on another entry but this was in my head awhile ago and seems to fit the current theme. Figured you may need to start somewhere with NPC pirates since the characters are spending a lot of time on a boat.
59. Cervantes’ Warhawk - - Pirate Ship - - This ship is a three-masted sailing ship, 100 feet long from stem to stern, and 30 feet wide amidships. The ship needs a minimum crew of 20, current crew is 50. Interior walls on the ship are of wood, 2 inches thick (hardness 5, hp 20, Break DC 20). Doors are of good wooden construction (hardness 5, hp 15, Break DC 18). Interior rooms are unlit during the day (except for those with windows or portholes), and usually have a single hooded lantern for light at night, providing either normal or dim light (open flames are dangerous on a ship). Many doors and chests are trapped to keep them off-limits to swabs and common sailors.
*She is Captained by Cervantes Alba, a notorious pirate Free Captain of the Shackles who has long plagued Chelish merchant shipping in the Inner Sea and Arcadian Ocean. Compact but fierce, Alba has more muscles than most his crew, he's known for carrying 5 single shot pistols and fighting in close with twin blades.
*The Warhawk has a secret. It’s also an airship capable of calling forth a gate to the plane of air. One of Warhawks main tactics is to travel in the clouds to stay out of sight for as long as possible. Swooping in from on-high to ram the target ship, usually crippling the other vessel, and making her the next mark in the Warhawk’s list of trophies. Alba is not known to leave survivors, but recycles taken ships to add to his pirate fleet.
60. Crystal Reef Isle - - The waters around Crystal Reef Isle are crystal clear (visibility 320 feet), but the island is surrounded by unique clear crystal coral reefs, which lie between 5 and 25 feet beneath the surface and imposes a -5 circumstance penalty on Perception checks made to detect the crystalline reefs. Despite the beauty, however, the tides around the island are vicious, particularly along the western shore. Even on calm days, the DC of Swim checks is the same as in rough water (DC 15), and creatures that fail a Swim check by 5 or more are dragged farther out to sea at a rate of 30 feet per round by the strong currents.
*The real danger is in both the waters and the jungle of the isle. There are perhaps hundreds of crystal oozes inhabiting the area, but their presence may be what has caused the clear crystal coral growths. Seemingly innocuous glistening water strikes out with a terrible pseudopod, reaching for the unsuspecting PC's.
*The majority of the isle is covered in thick jungle- considered dense forest with heavy undergrowth. Unless they are using one of the few narrow paths traversing the jungle, characters traveling through the jungle must make DC 16 Survival checks to avoid becoming lost.
61. On the Tide Tonight (CR 5or adjust CR to taste) This event occurs shortly after the PCs have departed an island. The encounter should occur when the PC's ship is in the open ocean shortly before eight bells, the end of the late-night watch and the beginning of the morning watch (about 4 a.m.).
Creatures: Three sahuagin, members of the tribe that dwells in one of numerous coves, have been sent to reconnoiter the area and to prey upon lone ships that can be surprised. They clamber onto deck and attempt to silently murder any sailors on watch before slipping back overboard with their victims in tow. If the PCs are on watch, allow Perception checks to detect the sahuagin’s stealthy boarding party before they attack. Otherwise, or unless the PCs have posted more than two sailors on watch or taken other unusual precautions, assume that the raid is successful and goes unnoticed until the next watch comes on deck and finds only a few bloodstains. A DC 17 Survival check reveals a few wet prints in the shape of a webbed and clawed humanoid foot, which PCs who succeed at a DC 15 Knowledge (nature) can identify as the tracks of sahuagin. If the PC's stay in the general area, the sahuagin return in greater numbers a week later.
Morale: If two sahuagin are killed, the survivor leaps overboard and flees. If a sahuagin is in danger of being captured alive, it swallows a puffer fish spine hidden in its mouth, causing it to choke to death on the toxin and preventing it from revealing anything about its tribe
Treasure: One of the sahuagin wears a necklace of golden coral and strange, silvery metal with blue-black whorls worth 1,500 gp. The silvery metal is a platinum alloy known as “deep platinum”.
DEEP PLATINUM . . . courtsey of SKULLS & SHACKLES: Raiders of the Fever Sea
This rare platinum alloy is characterized by blue-black whorls of an almost disturbing aspect, and is virtually unknown to those living above the surface of the sea. It is actually mined from platinum deposits in the deepest ocean trenches, where it is tainted by exposure to poisonous deep sea vents called “black smokers.” Only aboleths, krakens, or even stranger creatures of the ocean depths can recover this metal from these fathomless trenches. On land, deep platinum has the same value as normal platinum, but it is of inestimable value to undersea races such as the sahuagin, who often ascribe religious or magical qualities to the rare metal.
Cervantes’ Warhawk is delightful. 5 pistols feel like a lot and I rather like that. I played with someone in a Robotech game who had like a dozen guns on her at any given moments, I had an energy bow, one gun, and a knife. I having saved this and I have vague ideas floating in my mind and I will share when they have solidified.
Crystal Reef Isle: I love ooze's! I have only ever run a single gelatinous ooze and I ran it right out of the module I was running while cutting my teeth on GMing. Sappire ooze's are my favorite ones and I plan to use them at some point. They just wanna be heroes
The crystal oozes are a wonderful reason for the crystal like coral. I love the visual.
On the Tide Tonight should be a fun encounter. And we never made it to deep platinum in the Skulls and Shackles game, the GM did not want to keep running it.
Cervantes’ Warhawk is delightful. 5 pistols feel like a lot and I rather like that. I played with someone in a Robotech game who had like a dozen guns on her at any given moments, I had an energy bow, one gun, and a knife. I having saved this and I have vague ideas floating in my mind and I will share when they have solidified.
and that's just the impression i wanted to give, lots of guns, running out of places to put 'em!
Crystal Reef Isle: I love ooze's! I have only ever run a single gelatinous ooze and I ran it right out of the module I was running while cutting my teeth on GMing. Sappire ooze's are my favorite ones and I plan to use them at some point. They just wanna be heroes
hhmmm. I had a isle in the back of my mind called the Sapphire Isle but don't have a clear protagonist pictured yet. I'll try not to over-think it. EDIT:: WHOA! just read the Sapphire ooze! Sapphire Isle here we come!
The crystal oozes are a wonderful reason for the crystal like coral. I love the visual.
Thanks, i'm kind partial to it myself. occasionally i have a good idea.
On the Tide Tonight should be a fun encounter. And we never made it to deep platinum in the Skulls and Shackles game, the GM did not want to keep running it.
oh now that is a shame! i've played SKULLS & SHACKLES to the end, and learned sooooo much i'd love to play it again, hell, even running it would be fun.
35. Roaming Island - - Sapphire Isle- multiple locations - - This isle is inhabited by an Azata, a Ghaele to be precise, summoned to a cold iron circle every night, from dusk til dawn. Now Ghaeles are strong hunters, courtly and knightly, and pursue great foes. For centuries Gluciar has been forcibly summoned to this circle and restricted to this lush green island, he has hunted down every predator on the island and is quite bored. If introduced to warrior-hunter types he is interested in hearing about their greatest challenges. Eventually he comes up with a way to ease his boredom, asking the PC’s to repopulate the verdant island with new predator types, in mated pairs if they can manage it. If they can’t he asks if they could manage summoning him to a locale where he can pursue dragons or fiends. In return he offers a special reward to them, a special Sapphire Ooze. This ooze he has been wearing as armor for millennia. This particular ooze appears to be made of glittering sapphire crystals and provides protection as if it were a +5 mithral breastplate. This isle is also home to this oozes offspring, while not as potent as the parent sapphire ooze, they still provide protection as if they were a mithral breastplate.
Unknown to Gluciar, if he can slay a dragon or a fiend, the curse summoning him to the isle will end. If this happens, Gluciar credits the PC’s with breaking the curse and is in their debt. He will agree to 3 future summonings with a specific task.
62. Pirate Ship - - Devastation - - CR 9 Chelish man-o’-war (sailing ship)
DEFENSE: AC 19, touch 2; Hardness 7, hp 1,620 (sails 960), Save +14
OFFENSE: Ranged 20 light ballistae +3 (3d8/19–20), 2 standard catapults +7 (6d6), CMB +25; CMD 35, Ramming Damage 10d8
CREW: Captain Paracount Sebastian Von Strom (LE male human fighter 10; Profession [sailor] +20; +1 on sailing checks to gain the upper hand)
Commander Kera Toomes (LE female human cavalier 6), 14 ship’s officers (LE human aristocrat 2/expert 3), 120 Chelish pirates (LE human fighter 2), 60 sailors (minimum 20)
EQUIPMENT: 20 light ballistae with 400 bolts (port and starboard), 2 standard catapults with 50 stones (fore and aft), broad rudder, extended keel, magically treated sails, ram, rapid deploy sails, silk sails, sturdy hull, 120 squares of sails (four masts), Cargo 6 points of plunder (ship’s arsenal and stores)
Sebastian Von Strom is a Chelish Paracount turned pirate, stealing a man-o’-war pirate hunter, one of several powerful ships sent by Cheliax to patrol the western coasts of the Inner Sea region and occasionally scout along the edges of the Shackles. It was easy for him to trick the Chelish Naval captain into turning over command of the vessel to him and he gradually recruited and replaced the crew with pirates and sailors loyal to him. By replace, Captain Sebastian killed them quietly, or at least well away from the rest of the crews prying ears. Despite his Nobel beginnings he is perhaps the most feared Free Captain on the water, and not just because of his impressive ship, Devastation. He is blood thirsty and vicious, capable of the most heinous murders imaginable.
Now you might recall we talked about how to close a rift, welp, here's where to find the phase spiders. Good luck to your player's finding the right kind of spider web on an island full of giant spiders!! ;-)
36. Roaming Island - - Spider Island - - On this island we have numerous varieties of spiders, spider-swarms, giant black widow spiders, scarlet-spiders, phase-spiders, ogre-spiders and many more. In fact there are so many spiders it’s hard to see how they might survive without sufficient sustenance. Perhaps they prey on each other. And they do, to a certain extent. But they also have another food source. There is a gate on the island that leads to the realm of Achaekek, He Who Walks in Blood, god of assassins, the Mantis God. On occasion a giant mantis passes through the gate and there is a feast on Spider Island. And then there are the Red Mantis assassins; sometimes it’s an errant follower falling through the gate, other times it’s a test of Achaekek’s followers, to see if their belief is enough to get them off the island alive.
I love the Sapphire island. And I look forward to how the party, with the two tieflings in the party, talk with Gluciar. I would assume one spell that at least temporarily frees them would be the planar binding spells but at either sun up or sun down Gluciar would be pulled back to the island.
I need to flesh out the reason Gluciar was bound their. If they agreed to aid some Azlanti and the Earthfall happened, if they were cursed, or if they were unwillingly summoned and bound. Gotta figure out a little about who or what bound them.
Devastation is lovely. And Azlant is a great place to hideout if you can survive there.
Spider island is lovely and I wish my sister in law played cause she is terrified of spiders.
I love the Sapphire island. And I look forward to how the party, with the two tieflings in the party, talk with Gluciar. I would assume one spell that at least temporarily frees them would be the planar binding spells but at either sun up or sun down Gluciar would be pulled back to the island.
I need to flesh out the reason Gluciar was bound their. If they agreed to aid some Azlanti and the Earthfall happened, if they were cursed, or if they were unwillingly summoned and bound. Gotta figure out a little about who or what bound them.
Devastation is lovely. And Azlant is a great place to hideout if you can survive there. . . . Spider island is lovely and I wish my sister in law played cause she is terrified of spiders.
Great minds think alike. I figure Gluciar might consider the tieflings as hunt-worthy, depending on how the conversation goes.
As for the reason the Azata is being summoned, i left that open so that you might tie it and other story elements together in your game.
Just gotta flesh it out a little but I have time as they are only level 2 and we are a ways away from the sandbox that is Azlant
On another note I found this. The Cervantes’ Warhawk got me thinking about the Plane of Air. So it is limitless sky with very little ground to live on. There are a few cities held aloft but magic, a few floating islands, sheets of floating ice, solidified clouds, strange metal spheres, and of course the airships. The big conflicts are over living space if you are not something that can fly or float forever.
Then I saw that lovely image. And even if the party does not battle these people I want this thing to be there. My best guess is that these shark islands were animated by magic long ago. Possibly brought over from another plane or created by the bits of land found there.
The graveyards are in storms which will be mixes of airships, broken cities, bits of land masses, ect. Basically anything that has been floating around the Air Plane.
Cervantes’ Warhawk bounces back and forth between the Material and Air plane. To prey on either side and is very likely to be how the party will end up in the plane of air.
And yeah if the party isn't quick enough then the two tieflings are definitely hunt worthy.
On another note I had found this lovely image. It is a horrifying ship animal hybrid with a massive mouth and all the teeth. I am curious if you have any ideas for it sense you seem to be good with pirates. I figure someone crazy is manning this vessel.
