Some Savage Tide Mystara variants
by Andrew TheisenI'm running the Savage Tide in Mystara and getting towards the point where yuan-ti start appearing.
I've never felt them particularly mystara-esque, although I could see them as carnifex-servitor race and suitable adoptees of demogorgon along with the kopru. But before I go down that route, I wondered if anyone had suggestions for more mystara-canon alternative creatures to use instead of yuan-ti as allies of the crimson fleet? Another angle is I'm using the crimson fleet as the Savage Coast pirates, being sponsored by Hule to explore these eastern seas. So any Savage Coast races as alternatives could also work
Hmm. I only have one or two adventures of the Savage Tide, so I may not be that helpful in helping find suitable alternates, but some ideas you might want to pursue that occur to me:
For Yuan-Ti
The Aranea of Herath - they have a long history on the SC, and are known to infiltrate human societies. Perhaps you could even create some hybrid Aranea that might fill some of the more caste-like roles of the Purebloods, Abominations, etc. of the Yuan-Ti.
The Kopru - a bit more difficult to work in, perhaps, due to their geographic requirements (aquatic, hot environments), but they are very Mystaran creatures and manipulate other races to work for them with their mind control abilities.
Sokhtars/Manscorpions - Like the Herathians, they have a long history in the SC. Again, perhaps they have some more humanoid hybrid servitor races/subcastes that could fill the niche of some of the Yuan-ti subspecies.
Wurmlings - Perhaps not as suitable, since they don't really work well as groups functioning together, but another option would be to use a wurmling (or wurmlings) as the masterminds behind a different sort of organization, such as lizardmen or something, to fill the role of the Yuan-Ti.
The Crimson Fleet
These guys come into the plot in parts I don't own, so my familiarity with their modus operandi is not good. But there are many, many different possible piratical/naval groups in the SC to choose from.
Hulean Reavers - A group with perhaps more direct ties to Hule than just regular pirates (these are from the Poor Wizard's Almanacs).
Texeirans and Vilaverdans - The most navally oriented of the Savage Baronies, both of them have widespread colonies with varying degrees of fealty to their homelands. Of the two, the Vilaverdans are the most likely to be pirates.
City-States - Hojah seems to be good at dissuading piracy in the region, but I could easily see pirates operating in and around some of the little islands and atolls in the eastern Gulf of Hule.
Furthermore, the name "Crimson Fleet" seems a good fit for the Savage Coast region and its Red Curse; perhaps they are tied in with the Inheritors or the Curse itself somehow?