One is described in the Darkness and Light DL book.
http://people.wiesbaden.netsurf.de/~engler/dl_prelude1.html
Kind of a silly story.. except near the end when the heroes find themselves stranded on a seemingly deserted ship on the ocean. What they discover in its hold is really the kind of horror story you'll want to use on your players.
Alternatively, something similar can be found in this (2e) module
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1375&
Both describe a ship lost at sea which hides more than anyone would expect. The second would be especially appropriate if the PC later went ashore in Lamordia, country of mad scientists :evillaugh
The trick to get the PC aboard is simply to make their own ship sink and have them find the other ship after floating a few hours on the ocean (hinting at the presence of sea predators to motivate them to board the ship is usually a good idea)
The trick to get the PC aboard is simply to make their own ship sink and have them find the other ship after floating a few hours on the ocean (hinting at the presence of sea predators to motivate them to board the ship is usually a good idea)
:evillaugh Hehe I bet I could combine some of those ideas together... They board a ship bause they are afraid of sharks, but when they get on it... it's a ghost ship... 
For their part, the crew of the ship - being accustomed to this lifestyle - seem to be handling the tedium well, if in a somewhat automated way. Making the rounds, covering the responsibilities of sailors aboard a ship, eating their bland food, and repeating the cycle again tomorrow is all they seem to do. Their stories and jokes are told, as are yours: You and they have nothing further of interest to even talk about.
(etc, etc, etc. Monotony, monotony, monotony.)
(insert here your version of the revelation that the Black Pearl is a ship operated by the undead. A mist rolls in, the moon brightens, and under its blue-white glow, the PCs observe the flesh of the crew wither, blacken, and slough off until the ship itself is entirely under the sway of an undead crew. They're too busy sailing the ship to attack, but perhaps at some point, they're able to break away from their appointed duties and come shuffling and slumping up for a meal of brrraaaaaaiiiinnnnnnnsssssss. The moon, of course, never again sets, the sun never again rises, and your PCs are now riding along on a prison-barge run by scavenging guards {that know the riggings and layout of the ship MUCH better than do the PCs, by the way.})
Have fun!
http://www.goodman-games.com/JackWebEnhancement.pdf
Want a dastardly (corporeal) undead pirate? Try this one..
http://www.goodman-games.com/JackWebEnhancement.pdf
Wow... that's awesome thanks.
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=2501&
Then, you'll need this too
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=381&products_id=2501&
It says it can't find the product?
Hmm.. they seem to have changed the subdirectory's name. There, I corrected it in my previous post. If you try it now it should work.
Hmm.. those come to mind:
- Caveat Emptor (Dungeon #58)
- The Styes (Dungeon #121)
- The Cedar Chest (RR2 Book of Crypts)
- The Forgotten Ones (Children of the Night - Werebeasts)
- Neither Man Nor Beast
These aren't all 3.5e but they can be adapted (& found) easily enough.
Or, if you're really in a nasty mood, just have their ship end up in Saragoss...
Have you considered the possibility of a false-hopes escape from the boat? The PCs notice a moon-drenched island off the starboard bow; it's not close, but it's possible if they cast off their armor - give `em 5 minutes real-time to decide if they're jumping ship and in what equipment condition - then carefully calculate weights and Swim checks, follow the rules to an absolute T, and let the survivors get on shore. (Hopefully the casters don't have enough instances of Water Breathing to get everyone to shore without effort.)
Once there, give them the Planet of the Apes treatment, only the Apes are Yuan-Ti Abominations, or some other truly, absolutely, mercilessly terrifying creatures. The island is small; the PCs can only likely hide for so long. The creatures have vast stores of human slaves underground, farming mushrooms, performing slave labor, and providing a self-replenishing food supply. Just when the situation seems its most bleak - the creatures are on to them, and are chasing them across the island - the PCs notice sails in the distance. The ghost ship they jumped off of has thoughtfully stopped and waited for them, or is maybe running another pass.
"Climb aboard, meaties (yes, I said meaties)!! YARRR!!"
This is, all in all, not a bad campaign arc we're masterminding here.
Have you considered the possibility of a false-hopes escape from the boat? The PCs notice a moon-drenched island off the starboard bow; it's not close, but it's possible if they cast off their armor - give `em 5 minutes real-time to decide if they're jumping ship and in what equipment condition - then carefully calculate weights and Swim checks, follow the rules to an absolute T, and let the survivors get on shore. (Hopefully the casters don't have enough instances of Water Breathing to get everyone to shore without effort.)
Once there, give them the Planet of the Apes treatment, only the Apes are Yuan-Ti Abominations, or some other truly, absolutely, mercilessly terrifying creatures. The island is small; the PCs can only likely hide for so long. The creatures have vast stores of human slaves underground, farming mushrooms, performing slave labor, and providing a self-replenishing food supply. Just when the situation seems its most bleak - the creatures are on to them, and are chasing them across the island - the PCs notice sails in the distance. The ghost ship they jumped off of has thoughtfully stopped and waited for them, or is maybe running another pass.
"Climb aboard, meaties (yes, I said meaties)!! YARRR!!"
That's an awesome idea! Except I'll use Lycanthropes because it makes more sense for my campaign (the reason they are going to Ravenloft is because they chased a werewolf onto the ship) and it's less likely to kill them (they're a lower level party). Just imagine all of the evil things lycanthropes could be doing to humanoid prisoners
:evillaugh . I wonder what they'll do then. I just have to think of a way to make them jump off. "To the plank ye!" Thanks for the idea!Sending wave after wave of horrible critters against players is a trap many RL DM fall for, with the only result being that the players become jaded after a while.
Plus, lycanthropic slave-masters strike me as difficult to implement. It works in, say, Verbrek, because the werewolves don't take an active role in how the human "cattle" live, waiting for them to come out of their fortified villages (which they have to in order to find food, wood, etc...)
The problem being that a lycanthropic overseer couldn't use the threat of physical pain given that wounding a slave could make a lycanthrope out of him (unless each punishment ended in death but then slaves wouldn't last very long).
In that regard, the old (2e) Neither Man Nor Beast module works fine. There are horrible (though not too powerful) creatures on the island but at first the players evade them and, later, can be forced to cooperate just in order to survive (when they discover who the "real" bad guy is). Of course, anyone having read The Island of Dr. Moreau is going to be very suspicious from the start but it should only heighten the horror of it all.
Plus, imagine the werewolf they chased onboard the ship getting on an island filled with half-man beasts. He could be tempted to infect them to gain followers... :evillaugh
True, a good idea, except that I think it's a bit brutal as a first RL inland encounter. Remember, the less monsters you throw at them, the more fear you get out of them when it finally happens.
I generally agree with the "less is more" philosophy in RL. The question here is, are you planning a long-running campaign, or a brief jaunt?
For me, the island - contained, limited in scope, and (hopefully) only a 1 or 2 session excursion - fuels a player's preconceived notions that monsters are monstrous. Scales, fur, eating humans, unchecked aggression... the monsters are barbaric. In the back of the player's mind, he's making the distinction that you can read a Monster Manual by its cover.
Following the island, then, in my way of thinking, the characters' next landfall happens in Lamordia. The place isn't technologically out of control, but is (on the surface) certainly more civilized and peaceful than they're accustomed to. Medical treatment is available to patch up the wounded, and is provided by a kind, thoughtful Doctor. Again, the humans are clearly, visibly good-natured and helpful; there just isn't a monstrous presence. Evil is in its decline.
Make the suckers comfortable and complacent.
The medical treatment provided - free of charge - by the generous and benevolent Dr. Mordenheim, of course, has replaced internal organs with constructed ones, or blood with a synthetic. Either way, we've now shifted from the pointless brutality of the animalistic monsters to the calculated, subtle horror of canny humans, and just when it seems all is lost - the shifting-to-constructed nature of the PCs is provoking the natives against them, as well - who should come to save the day and rescue the PCs but the terrifying and bestial, but noble, Adam.
For me (and for most of the players I've DM'ed for over the years), fear - REAL fear - comes mainly from the building, then shattering, of preconceptions. After a certain number of lies, eventually nothing is quite as scary as the cold, hateful truth.
Yes, indeed, that would work very well, especially with Lamordia afterwards.
Very good idea
You see werewolves are a HUGE part of this campaign. It's kind of a long story. One the characters is a descendent of a character that one of my other players played in my previous world, and he was attacked by a werewolf. He "met" a mercenary who is sworn against lycanthropes after his wife was turned into one. So they chased it to the boat, and now they are going to Rl. So werewolves are a really part of this campaign, and I planned on having the character who is the ancestor of the character in this world sort of be the cause of Rl having a big connection to the Material Plane. So it's rather complicated and I've only explained it in the least amount of detail really.
I do agree that less is more in Rl. Don't get me wrong. I will probably have some time where there is nothing there, but they have a strong feeling they are being watched. However, at some point the lycanthropes have to become the hunters and killers. Also they will be wondering why the werewolf attacked the character in the first place.
Finally, making them go from one of the most advanced domains to one of the most barbaric (Verbrek) will allow you to underscore a gradual change of scenery, not to mention the point of view of natives (going from very logic-minded in Lamordia to very superstitious in Verbrek).
On the contrary, Lamordia is perfect. It's on the Western shore so you're already on the correct side of the Core. Plus, natives don't put much faith in magic, so PC won't have easy access to clerics/wizards for help (especially if one of them is infected with lycanthropy).
Finally, making them go from one of the most advanced domains to one of the most barbaric (Verbrek) will allow you to underscore a gradual change of scenery, not to mention the point of view of natives (going from very logic-minded in Lamordia to very superstitious in Verbrek).
True it is in the west, but I was talking about getting them south. I guess the werewolves could draw them south, but I don't want ALL of the adventures to be about werewolves. The undead are such a big part of Rl. I like the idea of not having much access to healing of Lycanthropy, but I thought it was nearly impossible to cure Lycanthropy in Rl even WITH magic? Whatever I guess. Sending them south is definately going to be my goal since that's where the lycanthropes are.
True it is in the west, but I was talking about getting them south. I guess the werewolves could draw them south, but I don't want ALL of the adventures to be about werewolves. The undead are such a big part of RL.
And they don't have to be. Other campaigns set in RL (look for those on the FoS website) opposed the PC to a specific enemy which they had to track all over the Core.
Do the same with your werewolf. Once ashore in Lamordia, for instance, that lycanthrope could easily run afoul of the local "free" golems and escape south with his tail between his legs. If your PC are truly itching to find & kill him, they'll have no choice but to pursue.
As they slowly progress south, they'll run into other people & monsters. Some may help them, others hinder them.
One could reveal info about the werewolf if they first help him solve a "little problem", and so forth...
And they don't have to be. Other campaigns set in RL (look for those on the FoS website) opposed the PC to a specific enemy which they had to track all over the Core.
Do the same with your werewolf. Once ashore in Lamordia, for instance, that lycanthrope could easily run afoul of the local "free" golems and escape south with his tail between his legs. If your PC are truly itching to find & kill him, they'll have no choice but to pursue.
As they slowly progress south, they'll run into other people & monsters. Some may help them, others hinder them.
One could reveal info about the werewolf if they first help him solve a "little problem", and so forth...
Yeah, especially the Vistani could help. I haven't done a reading in a while. Also I love playing vampires. They are so fun to role play. I have other adventures in mind about one of the character's wife, whos a werewolf. The best part is he HATES lycanthropes and he made a pact with another character to protect him. So I'm going to have some fun with that. Oh and does anyone know if there is a specific place where say... the Islands of Terror are. I've been looking at all sorts of maps for them but they don't seem to be in any one place. Do you guys know where they are, or is left to the DM to decide? And what do you mean by "local 'free' golems?" (sorry if I missed something obvious)
Oh and does anyone know if there is a specific place where say... the Islands of Terror are. I've been looking at all sorts of maps for them but they don't seem to be in any one place. Do you guys know where they are, or is left to the DM to decide? And what do you mean by "local 'free' golems?" (sorry if I missed something obvious)
Well, both the Sea of Sorrows and the Nocturnal Sea have islands whose location is well-documented but these count as part of the Core. The "true" Islands of Terror are lost somewhere in the mists. Some of them can be reached from the Core through the Mistways described on page 127 of the RLPHB (3.5). Since they're "floating" in the mists, one cannot pinpoint their location. Just enter the mists, cross your fingers, and hope for the best.
By "free golems", I meant the members of the Seekers of the Spark (GazII, p.83) which were also called "Adam's Children" in the Cryptic Allegiances book found in the (2e) Forbidden Lore boxed set.
Btw, if the PC land in Lamordia, don't forget to make good use of the Dakj Fe'nunft (GazII, p.73), the Syndicate of Enlightened Citizens (GazII, p.79) and the dreaded Wolves of the Sea (GazII, p.80). I would write more about them but copyright and all that...
It's always been really important to me that my players realize events are taking place outside their perception, so as your PCs pursue their quarry through the Core, remember that she's also making friends and enemies as she travels. She terrorizes a village for a night or two; the locals will tell the PCs anything they know, though the accuracy of their reports might be compromised by superstition and fear. She crosses the path of an adventuring band who are assaulting a crypt in the wilds, and kills the adventurers: the spirit inhabiting that crypt may act to protect the lycanthrope in return, while any surviving members of the band may think the werewolf is traveling with the ghost, since they worked together. Heck, even the wildlife might be of use: Druids and rangers can speak with animals. What do little fuzzy bunny rabbits have to say about a massive, unnatural wolf stalking their woods?
How many infected lycanthropic villagers is she leaving behind on her way?
Where is she ultimately trying to go, and who's telling her how to get there?
What's her reason for going to Point B as opposed to Point C? Yeah, she's running from the PCs, but why is she running in the direction she is, as opposed to the direction she isn't?
Just a couple more nuggets for you there...
Essentially, DMaster, what this all comes down to is a number of options. First, when concerned about where your characters land and how they get from A to B, every domain is - whether tangibly or intangibly - ringed by the Mists. If your PCs leave Lamordia hot on the trail of a werewolf (possibly even with the overt assistance and guidance of Adam's Children), they may end up anywhere you want them to go, though I would be hesitant to give them information from the Children and have it go haywire. Through the power of the DPs, every domain borders every other domain - especially when the traveler is driven by a DP-recognized compulsion like revenge.
It's always been really important to me that my players realize events are taking place outside their perception, so as your PCs pursue their quarry through the Core, remember that she's also making friends and enemies as she travels. She terrorizes a village for a night or two; the locals will tell the PCs anything they know, though the accuracy of their reports might be compromised by superstition and fear. She crosses the path of an adventuring band who are assaulting a crypt in the wilds, and kills the adventurers: the spirit inhabiting that crypt may act to protect the lycanthrope in return, while any surviving members of the band may think the werewolf is traveling with the ghost, since they worked together. Heck, even the wildlife might be of use: Druids and rangers can speak with animals. What do little fuzzy bunny rabbits have to say about a massive, unnatural wolf stalking their woods?
How many infected lycanthropic villagers is she leaving behind on her way?
Where is she ultimately trying to go, and who's telling her how to get there?
What's her reason for going to Point B as opposed to Point C? Yeah, she's running from the PCs, but why is she running in the direction she is, as opposed to the direction she isn't?
Just a couple more nuggets for you there...
True, very true. The werewolf will make many enemies and many friends. Also, I can use the werewolf to easily transform the hunters (The PCs) into the hunted. No doubt the werewolves will have befriended some worgs, wolves, and possibly winter wolves. Oh it has a reason all right... :evillaugh
Also, I need a reason why the werewolves went to all the trouble of bringing them into Rl. I have a couple, but I would like to see some of yours, if you have any, just to see if mine is a good enough reason.
Also, as a side note, I'd like to bring in the deep-seated hatred between Lycanthropes and Vampires if possible. A possible ally for the PCs?
Notably, there isn't *really* such an emnity written up in Ravenloft (sounds like you're an Underworld fan); if you really want to confuse your players, try using the wolfweres (wolves who can change into men and see lycanthropes as parvenu or wannabes)-- there IS a Ravenloft tradition of those two hating each other...
Notably, there isn't *really* such an emnity written up in Ravenloft (sounds like you're an Underworld fan); if you really want to confuse your players, try using the wolfweres (wolves who can change into men and see lycanthropes as parvenu or wannabes)-- there IS a Ravenloft tradition of those two hating each other...
Yes, I am an Underworld fan. That sounds like a good idea. That would really confuse them. I have a question though. Can wolfweres have class levels?
Can wolfweres have class levels?
Aye, both Wolfweres and Greater Wolfweres. Bard is their favored class (as evidenced by the profession of the wolfwere darklord of the Core...)
Possible reasons for a werewolf to "drag" the PC all the way to RL:
- special sacrifice to the Wolf god of Verbrek
- order from Verbrek's darklord
- a prophecy about "offworlders" being needed for something
- an item the PC carry (an Undead-bane weapon for instance)
- revenge against someone (one of the PC) of the bloodline of a person who escaped from RL generations ago
Possible reasons for a werewolf to "drag" the PC all the way to RL:
- special sacrifice to the Wolf god of Verbrek
- order from Verbrek's darklord
- a prophecy about "offworlders" being needed for something
- an item the PC carry (an Undead-bane weapon for instance)
- revenge against someone (one of the PC) of the bloodline of a person who escaped from RL generations ago
Nice ideas. Actually, all of them, except two, are a part of my idea. I was thinking that the ancestor of one of the PCs "accidently" opened the portal to Ravenloft much more than it should have been and then left it open for the mists and monsters to swallow up the nation of the world that he despised (He was extremely epic level. I know because he was a character in my previous campaign). The werewolves and wolfweres were some of the first to enter the world. They had been waging war against each other for centuries in Ravenloft, and now they were fighting over the land called Draharthea. The same man led the werewolves and a force of undead against Draharthea, destroying the country. This lead to even more combat between the two races, and eventually a group of wolfweres ambushed the man and slew him. However, a powerful Vistani prophecized that a son of this man would end the conflict between the two races. That's why the Darklord of Verbrek sent his werewolf friends to find him and bring him to Verbrek. They've half succeeded as of now. They have A son, but is it THE one... Any comments?
... They have A son, but is it THE one... Any comments?
Oh, what fun this creates... The blood of the son they have starts to work, and to all initial testing, he is the right one, but in the final stages of the operation, it turns out that things aren't as they thought, and the sacrifice of the wrong son only serves to heighten the curse... Before long, the sacrificed son rises as a Wolfwere of Legend, a feral, slavering, bloodthirsty fiend whose only opiate is the blood of the werewolves who captured and sacrificed him... and how, pray tell, do the PCs react to this newer, tougher, yet altogether heartily and gleefully evil version of their old pal?
They've half succeeded as of now. They have A son, but is it THE one... Any comments?
Eh, now this really reminds me of Underworld
Oh, what fun this creates... The blood of the son they have starts to work, and to all initial testing, he is the right one, but in the final stages of the operation, it turns out that things aren't as they thought, and the sacrifice of the wrong son only serves to heighten the curse... Before long, the sacrificed son rises as a Wolfwere of Legend, a feral, slavering, bloodthirsty fiend whose only opiate is the blood of the werewolves who captured and sacrificed him... and how, pray tell, do the PCs react to this newer, tougher, yet altogether heartily and gleefully evil version of their old pal?
Yes, my thoughts exactly. Of course, I would make his character an NPC (I wouldn't want him to spoil all of my fun). It would be even more fun if his new character was the RIGHT brother. Maybe they sacrifice him to the Wolf God, and he sends him on a mission to find the right one as a werewolf lord.
Eh, now this really reminds me of Underworld
Yeah, maybe a little, but what you have to understand is the devotion this character has toward this ancestor. He worships him like a god. Everything he did was a good idea, and he's an extremist about advertising his his ancestor's ideas, thoughts, and actions. Imagine his reaction to bringing the monsters and mists of Ravenloft upon the world. He would either praise the action, or it would tear him apart to find out that his ancestor was a VERY evil man. I think he's going to have a twin. An alter ego. A military fanatic, oposite this character's diplomatic outlook. The werewolves and wolfweres are looking for a great warrior and military general. HA! What they're getting at first is a pathetic Noble (from the Dragonlance Campain Setting Book). That should confuse them.