There’s a lot more than Zulu spears!
And my favorite: a totally badass throwing knife:
Fantasy
The Merchant Princes of Port Nyanzaru (revamped)
Even in my Chult campaign, exploration-oriented as it is, I want politics and intrigue to play a part. At the very least, even if my players decide not to care, it will provide some interesting side-quests. The main quest-givers, the « Merchant Princes », as described in Tomb of Annihilation, are more like simple shopkeepers than powerful merchant rulers.
They all are filthy rich and apparently, in Port Nyanzaru, it’s all it takes. How they managed to obtain so much wealth, despite their city being under Amnian (fantasy spanish) control only nine years ago is superfluous I guess. What we know is that they each have a monopoly on something that is supposed to bring them a really high income.
So let’s see how fares Port Nyanzaru’s economy as decribed in ToA (of course we can homebrew away any of this!):
- Port Nyanzaru is a small city.
- There’s a Dragon Turtle demanding a « tax » from passing boats
- Pirates plague the Seas
- There’s virtually no one in Chult to trade with
- And, you know, undead and dinosaurs aplenty
As for the monopolies of the Merchant Princes:
- Ex-gladiator Ekene-Afa got very rich, we’re to believe, selling spears, leather shields and travelling gears. That’s shopkeeper level, really.
- Ifan Talro’a deals in dinosaurs and dinosaur training. Okay, why not.
- Jessamine deals in plants, poison and assassination. And she got rich, somehow.
- Jobal deals in (lousy) guides and (deathwishing) sellswords. We do know he came out of the jungle alone with treasure, so there’s that (that’s actually interesting, I can work with that).
- Kwayothé sells fruits, wine, tej, ale, perfume and insect repellent (!).
- Wakanga deals in magic and, uh, lore? Yeah… A magic shop, how cute…
- Zhanti deals in gems, jewelry, clothes and armors. I mean, gems and jewelry, that’s fine. Clothes and armors? Less so.
The whole concept of richest guys in town are ruling doesn’t hold water. Why would the people tolerate the monopolies of the Merchant Princes? This would have to be by strength of arms but they don’t seem to have any. In fact, we know they can’t even chase a few dozens unimpressive Flaming Fist mercenaries that are encroaching in Chultan territory.
Okay, let’s reframe this a little with realpolitik in mind:
As I see it, the Merchant Princes achieved preeminence because they played a major role, together, each contributing their own assets, in overthrowing the Amnians. They did not relinquish their position of power in the aftermath, some because they aspired to it in the first place, some for fear of what would happen if they stepped away.
Each have a sphere of influence and none, at the moment, can hope to rule without cooperating with some of the others. They exchange favors all the time in order to have the votes of their peers when it counts.
Ekene-Afa
Already popular when she was a gladiator, she became the de facto leader of the rebels when Port Nyanzaru shook off the Amnians. She would have the support of the people if she made a bid to rule the city by herself, but she doesn’t have that kind of ambition.
Commercial Assets:
- taxes from Inner City’s merchants, in exchange her labor force clear the rivers’ channels
- fishing trade, she had another life before becoming gladiator and rebel leader
Political Influence:
- city watch (captain Soshen is her son)
- beloved by the people
Goals:
- Prevent Tyranny
- Extend safety to all parts of Port Nyanzaru, not only Walled City
Ifan Talro’a
Once a mere supervisor Talro’a betrayed his Amnian masters, and profited greatly from it. He now has some kind of alliance with the Flaming Fist mercenaries. A man of great ambition, a populist too, he won’t stop at anything to amass more power.
Commercial Assets:
- meat market
- dinosaur herding
- ivory trade
Political Influence:
- allied with Flaming Fist for a split of the profit they do exploiting the ressources of Chult
- his personal guard, the Redhooks (butchers turned enforcers)
- took over the Grand Coliseum games (plenty of spectacles where crowd-pleasing adventurers can earn some gold)
Goals:
- Become King of Chult
Jessamine
The least avant-scène of the Princes, Jessamine’s influence is felt more in hushed tones than in clamorous displays. Her extensive spy network ensures that she doesn’t miss much in Port Nyanzaru.
Commercial Assets:
- pottery trade, valuable, handmade craft by the gripplis/grungs
- dye trade
- spice trade
- kola nuts
Political Influence:
- The Purple Hand (dye-workers turned assassins)
- Spy Network
Goals:
- Prevent strong rule from happening in Port Nyanzaru
- Eliminate underworld rival Jobal
Jobal
Since he got out of the jungle alone, with considerable treasure in his possession, Jobal proceeded to buy the allegiance of one of Old City’s gang of thugs. He soon ruled over almost all the other gangs of Old City and Malar’s Throat.
Commercial Assets:
- local extortion
- moneylending
Influence:
- The Gauntlet (informal justice)
- Gangs (Malar’s Throat and Old City): Sons of Malar, Bridgerunners, the Dirty Talons
Goals:
- Advance the agenda of his hidden benefactors (he did not get out of the jungles with treasure so much as he we was « released » under specific conditions…)
Kwayoté
Kwayothé was barely a teen when she catched the eye of a rich foreigner. She endured many humiliations before she finally freed herself of her master’s yoke. Now a rich merchant herself (having taken much of her former master’s wealth for herself), she strives so that nobody would gain dominance over her ever again.
Commercial Assets:
- gems mining around Port Nyanzaru, to expand she would be in direct competition with Baldur’s Gate Flaming Fist (I see them as East Indian Company-type, ruthless beyond belief)
- metalcasting
Political Influence:
- She’s a higher-up of the Temple of Kossuth the Everburning (associated with artisanal metalcasting, volcanoes, rebirth, made stronger with pain, fire rituals of purification, etc), a religion persecuted under the Amian but now on the ascent in Port Nyanzaru in my version
Goals:
- Topple Chultan aristocracy (she’s no friend with Zhanti)
- Diminish the presence of foreign, continental religion
- Drive away or kill the Flaming Fist mercenaries
- Chase off other encroaching northerners (like the greedy Dwarves of the Pick&Axe co or meddling adventurers perhaps)
Wakanga O’tamu
A moderate in all things, except maybe in his passion for women, Wakanga helped the rebellion only because Amn persecuted magic-users such as him. A powerful wizard, he comes from a long tradition that teaches that magic must be restricted to a few who pledged to use it with strict rules.
Commercial Assets:
- cloth manufacturing (the bright clothes of Port Nyanzaru are renowned worldwide)
Political Influence:
- He’s well-travelled and a wise (if a bit fickle) and powerful wizard, many seek his counsel
Goals:
- Prevent Tyranny.
- He wants to know what his the source of the strange magic afoot in the Old City. Dark and ancient, yet hidden from his scrying attempts.
Zhanti
A rich merchant with royal blood, Zhanti is the consummate diplomat. Her long-term plans are ambitious but she knows she’s not getting any younger.
Commercial Assets:
- salt making
- leatherworking
Political Influence:
- Harbor, extensive commerce abroad
- Prestigious family
- contacts within foreign interests
Goals:
- Civilize a large chunk of Chult
- Put her son Shago as single ruler of Port Nyanzaru (Shago is captain of a ship in my version, not a flaming fist flunky)
- Help bring back the Chultan diaspora
- Transform the city into true regional power
Demon of the Flower, Flower-Women Vampires and Pterodactyl Sorcerers
I’ve read some of Clark Ashton Smith recently to see if could steal some ideas for my D&D Ruins of Chult campaign. I don’t know if I’ll be using any of it but here’s some cool stuff nonetheless:
The Voorqual
The demon flower sprang from a bulb so encrusted with the growth of ages that it resembled a stone urn. Above this there rose the gnarled and mighty stalk that had displayed in earlier times the bifurcation of a mandrake, but whose halves had now grown together into a scaly, furrowed thing like the tail of some mythic sea-monster. The stalk was variegated with hues of greening bronze, of antique copper, with the livid blues and purples of fleshly corruption. It ended in a crown of stiff, blackish leaves, banded and spotted with poisonous, metallic white, and edged with sharp serrations as of savage weapons. From below the crown issued a long, sinuous arm, scaled like the main stem, and serpentining downward and outward to terminate in the huge upright bowl of a bizarre blossom — as if the arm, in sardonic fashion, should hold out a hellish beggar’s cup.
The Demon of the Flower by Clark Ashton Smith
An immortal demon-possessed plant/flower, the Voorqual has its own priesthood tasked of bringing it human sacrifices. Killing a Voorqual is seemingly impossible, the only way is with a rare poison and even then, the demon-spirit inhabiting the plant can jump on another being that, in time, will be transformed in another Voorqual (in the meanwhile a possessed human looks like a corrupted dryad, isn’t that cool?).
D&D use: A high level Boss fight. And the poison, necessary to have any kind of hope of defeating it, is a quest in itself, of course.
The Flower-Women
Maal Dweb approached the flower-women with a certain caution; for he knew that they were vampires. Their arms ended in long tendrils, pale as ivory, swifter and more supple than the coils of darting serpents, with which they were wont to secure the unwary victims drawn by their singing. Of course, knowing in his wisdom the inexorable laws of nature, he felt no disapproval of such vampirism; but, on the other hand, he did not care to be its object.
The Flower-Women by Clark Ashton Smith
A strange mix of siren, plant and vampire, the Flower-Women, interestingly, are victims in the tale that presents them. Indeed, the pterodactylesque Ispazars capture and mash the poor bloodsucking Flower-Women to use as ingredients for their fell sorcery.
D&D use: They have a lurid song as the harpies but stronger (even the very powerful Maal Dweb has a tough time resisting it), they can grapple and they should have regenerate but they’re not very mobile and have the other usual plant vulnerabilities (fire at least, perhaps necrotic).
Pterodactyl Sorcerers
The depredators were certain reptilian beings, colossal in size and winged like pterodactyls, who came down from their new-built citadel among the mountains at the valley’s upper extreme. These beings, known as the Ispazars, seven in number, had become formidable sorcerers and had developed an intellection beyond that of their kind, together with many esoteric faculties. Preserving the cold and evilly cryptic nature of reptiles, they had made themselves the masters of an abhuman science.
The Flower-Women by Clark Ashton Smith
I wish WotC had used some of that for Tomb of Annihilation…
They came toward him among the crowded vessels, walking erect in the fashion of men on their short lizard legs, their ribbed and sabled wings retracted behind them, and their eyes glaring redly in the gloom. Two of them were armed with long, sinuous-bladed knives; and others were equipped with enormous adamantine pestles, to be employed, no doubt, in bruising the flesh of the floral vampire.
The Flower-Women by Clark Ashton Smith
D&D use: Yes! Some of the pterafolks of Chult will be admantine-pestles-brandishing magic-users…
Session 3 – Along the Coast
This time was a rare 10+ hours session, with players going in and out along the way. It served also as an introduction for a good friend and his 10 y-o son who’s just beginning tabletop gaming. Ah, the innocence!
Characters
- Flyzus, Wood Elf Ranger (hunter), Outlander; sole survivor of his tribe after an orc invasion
- Varis, Drow Rogue (scout), Far traveller; exiled scion of a noble family on the losing side of a feud
- Droidoc, Halfling Druid, Outlander; was there when Camp Righteous fell, lost his mind, he’s a loony
- Lucky, Half-Elf Cleric of Tymora, Street Urchin; the lowly will be exalted
- Phileas, Half-Elf Bard, Archeologist; “it’s not tomb-robbing if you do it respectfully”
- Shin, Tabaxi Fighter (arcane archer), Outlander; big-game hunter, has no patience for weakness
Smuggler’s Cove
- (Flyzuz, Varis)
Flyzus and Varis had to secure some illegal stash hidden inside a cave not far from where they had beached. They could see some giant crabs that fortunately didn’t look too aggressive but the axe beak nearby was another matter. Coming out of the trees it made short work of one the crustacean. F and V did a bit of climbing to evade the large bird. A few minutes and a dead poisonous snake later and F and V arrived at the entrance of the cave. Flyzus spotted some carnivorous vines dangling in front but a simple oil fire solved the problem. Inside the cave they could see a pond and, understandably, that aroused their suspicion. Varis threw the dead snake near it and a long tentacle quickly snatched it. F and V decided to feed something bulkier to the aquatic thing so it would be busy eating whilst they did what they were there for. So a few arrows and crossbow bolts later, a freshly slain axe beak joined the snake in the water. The plan worked. Further in the cave, a darkened leather hid a passage leading to another area, with a little light coming from a natural chimney above and further, to the smuggler’s stash of goods. There was also a swarm of bats that they chased off, not without receiving a few painful bites.
Back in town, they enlist at the Coliseum:
Arena: The Mercenaries vs the Skeletal Horde
- Flyzus, Varis, Droidoc and Shin
6 skeletons with rusty spears. The PCs barely survived. There’s a long way to go before they’re called heroes!
Arena: The Mercenaries vs the Gladiator
- Flyzus, Varis, Droidoc ans Shin
The PCs were offered to replace a gladiator who was sick. Hum, he had severe diarrhea okay? They didn’t have to win, just show up against his opponent, a hardened veteran of the Grand Coliseum. They indeed did not win, but it was a close call…
Along the coast
- Flyzus, Varis, Droidoc ans Shin
Shin had a proposition for his battered new friends. His employer offered 250 gp for cleaning a newly acquired mine from its critters. They accepted and paid a fisherman to drop them 30 miles northward. They had a few more miles to walk along the rocky beaches and high cliffs. As they progressed, they began to hear singing, the lure of harpies! Fortunately, none of them succumbed and Shin let loose an arrow from 300′ and hit! The two harpies, noticing that their song had no effect, took to the air and closed the distance on the PCs. Only one came close but was put down easily.
The Mine
- Flyzus, Varis, Phileas, Lucky and Shin
Having found the mine, the PCs saw that giant wasps seemed to inhabit the place as they saw them come and go constantly. They also noticed that one of the giant wasp was strangely infected by some sort of fungus. The PCs decided to smoke the wasps, collecting all the wood pieces they could before sunset and then they made a fire. A few groggy wasps tried to get out but were easily dispatched. After the smoke had cleared, the PCs entered the mine. They found quite a few dead wasps near the entrance and, also, the rotten carcass of a crocodilian a little further. Something ran off before they could see it clearly.
They went deeper and that’s when the real fun began…
The Tabaxi was in front, and was the target of a thrown rock, hurting him lightly. The next few rounds were surprisingly testing for the PCs as they received a LOT of rocks from the angry vegepygmies while a thorny kept them tied in melee from the other side. They were downright anxious when they found out that the little fungi men could regenerate and did not stay down. Finally, they managed to prevail, using oil and torches to burn the vegepygmies but one of them escaped and the PCs badly needed a rest. That’s what they did before going into the deepest level of the mine.
The first trouble below was an encounter with the surviving giant wasp queen which succeeded in stinging the young cleric of Tymora. The poison nearly did him but once the queen was dead he healed himself with his goddess’ magic.
Soon after, the final battle was against the vegepygmy that had escaped earlier and his chief who was busy absorbing… nutrients? in a pit, with some tendrils jutting from his arms.
The peak of the battle was when the vegepygmy chief released his spores, poisoning Flyzus and Varis. Lucky saved Varis’ life with a merciful spare the dying and did the same a moment later when Phileas was grievously wounded by claw attacks.
Shin found a few gems carefully placed on a rock, with a delicate mushroom in the middle. He didn’t take the mushroom.
Arena: The Mercenaries vs Mr Sticky and his Darling
- Flyzus, Varis, Phileas, Lucky and Shin
Back in Port Nyanzaru, the PCs received their reward for clearing the mine and after a well-earned rest they were back in the arena! This time they were against something of an infamous gladiator: Mr Sticky the Ettercap.
Mr Sticky had a large cloak on when he entered the arena and while he moved to meet the PCs in battle, he removed it releasing his pet giant spider Darling that was hidden under. He then restrained Lucky with a web. Phileas played tricks on the ettercap’s mind with a dissonant whisper- Mr Sticky was convinced by the spell that the crowd was booing him– forcing him to flee in shame while Flyzus, Varis and Shin killed Darling. The ettercap was rather mad at this point as he came back but the combined attacks of the PCs proved too much for him, he surrendered.
DM notes
- The group of PCs was missing frontliners badly. Most of them are good at range but they had problems when it was time to engage in melee.
- The vegepygmies, with their skirmish tactics were way harder than I tought they would be.
- This session was really heavy on combat, perhaps a bit too much.
- The vegepygmies could have been persuaded to leave the mine if diplomacy had been tried. The players were a little freaked out with some of my descriptions by the time they met them. I think that’s why it didn’t occur to them.
- Arena battles are a little silly but we’re having a lot of fun doing them.
Session 2- Gambling & Fighting in P-N
The ToA’s sidequests are all pretty much pointless and boring so I had to invent my own (except chasing pirates, that’s perfectly fine to me). Not only that but if you’re actually following the main plot of ToA (unlike me), doing the sidequests is actually detrimental to accomplishing the main quest! Talk about bad design… I did run the dinosaur race (but that was already an idea in the Jungles of Chult supplement (1993)).
Characters:
- Shin, Tabaxi Fighter, Outlander; Big-game hunter
- Lucky, Half-Elf Cleric of Tymora, Street Urchin; the lowly will be exalted
- Pocor, Human Druid, Outlander; Traveller of chultan descent
- Phileas, Half-Elf Bard, Archeologist; “it’s not tomb-robbing if you do it respectfully”
- Corpos, Forest Gnome Wizard, Archeologist; antiquary, strange fixation on the undead
And now what’s the plan?
The PCs disembarked in Port Nyanzaru at dusk and their first move was, unsurprisingly, to find shelter for the night. They opted for Kaya’s House of Repose, a cozy inn located inside the walls feeling confident that their meagre funds would soon be replenished. Puzzled by the lack of other customers they asked around and learned that everybody (except the staff) went to see an unusual sight: a Halruaan airship had landed in town! Joining the crowd in the plaza, the soon-to-be explorers could only marvel at this efficient way of locomotion. Young Lucky, accustomed to city life, quickly became aware that wily pickpockets were taking full advantage of the diversion. Fortunately, targeted Pocor was vigilant enough to evade theft.
With so much people around, the PCs heard some interesting rumors they could benefit from.
Let’s talk money
In their first couple of days in Chult, the PCs have found out of a few ways to earn some gps before leaving Port Nyanzaru for their dangerous jungle expeditions:
- Arena Fun: The Mercenaries vs the Velociraptors
- Arena Fun: The Mercenaries vs the Skeletal Horde!
- Middleman Mboka have a job: Cleaning a Mine from critters (coast, two days away)
- Captain Shago have a job: find a certain M’panzu thought to be in league with the pirates and bring him to the captain.
Arena Fun
Shin, Corpos and Phileas happily enlisted, whilst Pocor and Lucky had some mischievous plans of their own.
Mercenaries VS Velociraptors!
From his spectator seat, Pocor cast an entangle spell at one of the two porticullis where were kept the raptors, effectively blocking it. Two raptors entered the arena from the other side and advanced rapidly to the center of the arena, where Phileas and Corpos were ready for action. As for the Tabaxi, he climbed with celerity on one of the spike jutting from the encircling wall, intent on using his bow on the beasts.
Corpos’ mage hand threw sand in the eyes of one raptor and Phileas attempted to skewer the other with a fancy move of his rapier but only lightly wounded it. The savage bite and claw attack against him nearly put an end to his barely-started adventuring career, but for the help of Pocor’s healing powers.
As Corpos, Phileas and Shin finished the two raptors, yet another magical intervention from Pocor triggered an angry reaction from two young hooligans seated nearby. If he was so intent on helping the « mercenaries » they told him, he might as well join them in the arena below! A short scuffle ensued and Pocor got the upper hand (but not without losing his concentration on his entangle spell).
Below the two remaining raptors were finally free and Phileas, quite the crowd-pleaser, made a loud cracking noise with his whip that sent a magical Thunderwave, killing one raptor and wounding the other. A flame bolt from Corpos finished the poor beast.
(Shin’s player wasn’t too lucky with his dice throughout the combat. I think he hit once with an arrow?)
Meanwhile, Lucky tried to gain money another way. Feigning intoxication, he attempted to pickpocket a richly attired Chultan but got his greedy hand stung and was poisoned. He felt ill for an hour or so for his troubles. The locals aren’t the easiest of targets it seems.
Dinosaur Racing!
A dinosaur race was announced for the evening. Two contenders: the ill-tempered allosaurus Bonecruncher was a 2:1 betting favorite against the young ankylosaurus Grung Stomper!
Of course it occurred almost immediately to Phileas to mess with the race and try to win against the odds! Corpos and Lucky were both convinced by the bard’s greedy enthusiasm and put a sum on Grung Stomper.
Phileas’ plan was to wait somewhere further on the circuit and play tricks on the allosaurus’ mind with a well placed Dissonant Whisper spell. And oh my! How it worked! The ill-tempered Bonecruncher failed spectacularly (rolled a 1! botches do count in my game) to resist the mind intrusion and went berzerk, losing precious time before his handler managed to steer him back on track. The race was still close but it was enough so Grung Stomper won!
DM notes:
- With Pocor’s player agreement, I’ve decided that his character’s ancestors were from Chult.
- I did some foreshadowing for the Halruaan airship before it become, huh, a jungle location?
- This session was rather short with 3 hours of play. I had thought that a lot more would be accomplished but it’s ok, the players have learned a lot of stuff about the setting and had some ideas how to tackle it.
- Last campaign finished with lvl 20 characters, beginning anew at lvl 1 is so different!
- Phileas’ player loves when his PC shines and has fame! That’s certainly a good way to keep his interest in the campaign.
- Both in the Arena and dinosaurs race, the players cheated their way to victory. That was a lot of fun. But hey, they are not the only crooks in town! I have to keep this in mind…
Session 1- Set Sail!
Here’s the start of the new campaign set in Chult that I’m calling « Ruins of Chult ». It’s homebrew, open hexcrawl exploration-focused and without time constraint. I’m using a little of the Tomb of Annihilation module; the Merchant Princes for sure and a few good locations. Certainly not the plot, it doesn’t make any sense IMO.
Edit: Anyway, this first session was lacking in many ways, I admit readily, it would be much better if we re-runned it but that’s almost always how it goes doesn’t it? I find my groove around the third or fourth session I think.
Characters:
- Shin, Tabaxi Fighter, Outlander; Big-game hunter
- Lucky, Half-Elf Cleric of Tymora, Street Urchin; the lowly will be exalted
- Procor, Human Druid, Outlander; comes from a far away place
- Pheleas, Half-Elf Bard, Archeologist; « it’s not tomb-robbing if you do it respectfully »
- Corpos, Forest Gnome Wizard, Archeologist; antiquary, somewhat sinister for a gnome.
Fun fact: Both players with archeologists characters were, some years ago, real-life archeologists themselves! (Now one is an accountant and the other a government bureaucrat, so much for an exciting life, ugh!)
En route
Lured by the promises of riches the PCs are leaving the city of Baldur’s Gate aboard the Amnian Fop, a fast schooner headed for the Chultan Peninsula. Amongst the would-be adventurers, Procor looks likes he’s already an experimented seaman and have some successful fishing along the way. Pheleas didn’t fare so well in his aquatic journey and will be a few pounds lighter at arrival.
The Pink Reef
The ship’s captain had planned a quick stop about halfway to their destination. He had some business to conduct at the Pink Reef, a place where merfolks traders gather. Young Lucky accepts an offer to invest his meager funds, buying a pearl and making some profit later on. Captain Shago left on a rowboat with two sailors to meet the merfolks. Meanwhile First Mate Blimponia scanned the horizon with her spyglass looking for pirates, vulnerable as they were anchored at the atoll.
Aside: I’ve refurbished NPC Shago from ToA as a free-willed captain, rather than a Flaming Fist flunky…
Unexpectedly, the attack came from below. A sudden, unnatural wave brought creatures aboard! Five Sea Spawns crashed clamsily (get it? GET IT? err) on the ship’ s deck. The sailors and PCs immediately tried to fend off the invaders. Two sailors were grievously wounded in the ensuing battle and Procor was grabbed by a tentacle at some point, but the superior number of the defenders proved to be more than enough. Procor and Pheleas used magic to heal two grievously injured sailors (Bayiz and Kid Shago) earning even more gratitude. Searching the dead creatures, Shin found a wristband made of seashells and shark teeth.
Unwanted escort
Leaving the Pink Reef behind, the crew observed with some unease that they were pursued by sharks. LOTS of sharks. A day later the swarm did not relent in the least. The following windless night, the sharks circled the ship hungrily and something else could be seen swimming amongst them: a sahuagin! The sahuagin talked to the crew in aquaan (the captain translated), said it wanted an object: the Sea spawn’s wristband, or else…The sahuagin was in fact hunting the Sea spawns before they got killed! The PCs decided, after a quick discussion, to give up the wristband rather than risk a fight and the satisfied sahuagin simply left.
Target practice
A few uneventful days later, not so far from Chult’s coast, they spotted something in the sky. A look through the spyglass revealed an unusual sight: a harpy harassed by some pteranodons, desperately fleeing. Wounded by many cruel bites, the harpy was flying toward the boat. And was shot dead. An arrow from Shin’s longbow and a seashell shot from Lucky’ sling put a brutal end to her flight.
The curious pteranodons approached the ship but paid dearly as they were met with a volley of projectiles, killing three in no time. The dead-eye Tabaxi shot the last fleeing pteranodon more than 200′ away.
Land ho!
Before the landing, the Captain, aware of his passengers’ foolish desire to explore Chult, gave them a high quality (if partial) map, as a reward for their help in defending his ship.
DM’s notes:
Well, to be honest, I can’t say that my campaign’s prelude was that exciting. Sea travel isn’t easy to convey, for sure. We were all a bit rusty roleplay-wise. But one big mistake I made as the DM is leaving the PCs aboard the ship at the Pink Reef by default, more meaningful interactions would have been welcomed for sure. Doing this again, I would put some things going on on the atoll for the players to mess with.
A boat to Chult: the Amnian Fop
Another advantage of throwing away the dumb main plot of ToA is letting go of the time constraint (with the death curse and all). This allows me a proper introduction to the campaign, which was totally lacking.
Also, NPC Shago has another role entirely. He’s no longer a Flaming Fist flunky.
Getting to Chult
Teleporting? Nope.
The PCs are going to Chult the long way: by boat.
Welcome aboard The Amnian Fop
It’s a popular saying among the Chultans now (after their uprising) that nothing runs faster, no deinonychus, no antelope, than a rich Amnian fleeing for his life. This boat is fast, hence the name.
The crew of the Amnian Fop will be the first characters the PCs will be able to interact with. Here they are:
Captain Shago, Human (Chultan): the adventurous son of prince-merchant Zhanti is the proud captain of this schooner. His mother would like him to act as ambassador of Port Nyangaru but politics doesn’t interest him much. He does share one goal with her though: get rid of all these pesky pirates that plagues chultan waters.
First Mate « Blimp » Blimponia Stargazer, rock gnome: she’s got a badass harpoon-launcher. She made it. With luv. She calls her captain « Prince Shago » sometimes. It annoys the shit out of him.
Sailor « Mute » Walix, sun elf: He’s not mute but few could say. He’s got a useful little trick that mends the ship’s wear and tear.
Sailor Olgata, Human (Chultan): Mute’s girlfriend. She speaks to the Sea. Or more precisely, to the Seas’ moody mistress, the Goddess Umberlee. It seems to help, a bit.
Sailor Bayiz , fire genasi (Calimshite): Who said that a fire genasi could not become a sailor? Yeah… There’s something fishy about that.
Sailor « Handsome » Hasan, Human (Chultan): Half his face is just scar tissue. A dinosaur did this. Don’t mess with dinosaurs.
Sailor Kid Shago, Human (Chultan): A street urchin a year back, he would have turned bad if not of a chance encounter with Older Shago. Joyfully mops the deck of the ship.
Sailor Nondescript, not at all a replacement for a possible PC casualty.
Taverns, dives, pubs & cabarets of S&T
The Crooked Fingers
Owned by Old Mindy’s Crew
Fencer in the backroom.
Lechers & Liquors Club
Owned by Maffeo’s Unrepentants
Disreputable, even by Disgrace Ward standard.
The Blackened Teeth
Owned by the Sons of Arson
The most impressive fireplace in town.
Poporo’s Bordello
Live girls (and some dead ones)
Owned by independent, pay tax to Bonemongers
Poporo the Necro-Pimp owns this nefarious joint.
The Fleeing Beauty Boardinghouse
Owned by independent, pays « tax » to Sons of Arson and Fetid Brigade
Rent rooms on second and third floor. Fourth floor is off-limit.
The Pierced Barrel Pub
Owned by the Broken Wheel Syndicate
Best halfling brandy in town.
The Stray Bullet
Owned by the Broken Wheel Syndicate
Changed hands a couple of months ago. Ex-owner forcefully ousted.
The Red Orphan
Owned by the Furniture Mishandling Club
Expect mimics.
The Turtle Shell
Owned by independant, doesn’t seem to pay taxes to anyone
Inside the shell of a dragon turtle (big specimen). Neutral. Don’t wear gang colors.
A Pair of Bludgeons
Owned by Golden Râ, higher-up of the Church of Sempiternal Deprecation
Members only. Fat, greedy merchants talk business.
The Domain
Owned by the 77 Red Dragons
Non-ghouls will feel some unease. At the very least.
Up the Ladder
« Watch your step »
Owned by independent, doesn’t seem to pay anyone
Drunk clients are often lowered by rope so they don’t break their neck falling from the 90 steps ladder.
Busy Wheelbarrow
Owned by independent, pays tax to the Northwall Creepers
Offers a service of « transportation » back home. Efficient if not very comfortable.
The Hidden Atrium
Owned by the Hidden Atrium Masks
Hidden. Really.
The Hourglass Cabaret
Owned by the Hidden Atrium Masks
Managed by charming Madame Colombina. The most haut-de-gamme you can find in the district.
The Passage’s Hole
Owned by the Passage’s Middlemen
Surprisingly spacious once you’re in.
Dart & Dime Cafe
Owned by Fate’s Favorites
Have gambling tables. No cheating.
The Dryad’s Bosom
Owned by Fate’s Favorites
Good food, try the needlefish.
The Winning Cockatrice
Owned by the Marfark Street Mumblers
Fighting pit. All kind of fights. Floor is one big red stain. Bloodthirsty crowd.
Isaac’s adventures – I
I started something with my 5 years old son a couple of months ago. Each morning I walk him to school and we have a really good time together, chatting and all. And so, somewhere along the way I began telling him stories. Fantasy stuff. And oh boy! that’s the fun part, he fully goes at it and tell parts of his own. He’s amazingly good at it too. Now he asks for it every day and- I’m stuck with it not always in the mood- but he likes it sooooo very much!
Of course, he’s a bit young and he doesn’t quite grasp what are the hmm… proper conventions of the genre… That leads to some funny bits.
- Me: There’s a stair, made of stone, covered in dust. It’s going down and we can’t see very far, it’s very dark. What are we gonna do?
- My son: I have a flashlight!
- Me: The thief is going away with the labyrinth’s trophy! He’s very nimble and fast. How do we catch him?
- My son: We take the car, we’ll be faster!
- Me:`Oh! We have a car!
- My son: Yes. And a driving license.
- Me: Ha! We need a driving license?
- My son: Yes daddy. If we want to drive the car we need a driving license.
- Me: Uh ok! Makes sense.
We’re talking about what else to add to our grand castle:
- Me: We need a large banquet room. So we can invite a lot of people and serve them a lot of good food.
- My son: Yes. And also there’s a mcdonald right next to the castle!
- Me: There’s a door, with a message scribbled on it. It says: beware trespassers, great dangers awaits you ahead.
- My son: …
- Me: Probably traps and monsters, huh?
- My son: It’s too dangerous daddy, let’s go elsewhere.
Here’s a list of unusual friends we have made while adventuring:
- giant spiders, ensnare our foes with their webs
- a giant, intelligent lobster
- a three-headed dragon
- ogres, they were bad guys at first but we helped them out and became friends
If I had Infinite Time: Cargo Cult Adventures setting
Cargo Cult Adventures
Here’s how it goes.
First, Cargo Cults is something from real life: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult, and not so surprisingly, it’s weirder than most fantasy stuff we can find.
So Cargo Cults, in short, turns around a myth device invented by insular and low-tech societies that believe that foreign goods (strange and magical as thay appear to be) really should be theirs to own and, in fact, would be theirs if only they’d demonstrate the proper behavior to earn it. That means adopting the same « rituals » that seem to work so well for the foreigners, which includes building planes, airport strips, having military parades and such, but, huh, using wood and hay instead of anything else.
So based on that weird premise, how about adventures? What if the cargo cults weren’t that delusional? What if planes are indeed sent purposefully by the gods every now and then to bring otherwise unavailable goods to the faithful? The gods are generous indeed, but you know, maybe a little bit fickle? So inconveniently the gifts from the sky are bound to land miles away in the dangerous jungle…
It starts with a myth-dream
Of course it does.
The nutjob- I mean- the Seer of your small jungle village had another vision: « Behold, a holy gift from the sky from the Great Douglas C47A! I’ve seen it falling slowly, like a feather, and landing somewhere err, near a high cascade! and… I’ve seen a cave too, dark and deep, and… ugh! scaly, fierce monsters… But don’t you worry, the ancestors will help you on this quest. You youngsters, must find the shipment! Go! And don’t you dare come back empty-handed… »
There you go for the MacGuffin. Explore, fight some nasties and find the treasures. Should work well on a hexcrawl too, methink.
Also, rival tribes compete to find the precious shipments and violence isn’t out of the equation.
Strange shipment
Could be anything, from the seemingly useless, to powerful high-tech/magical stuff. But even the prior would bring prestige to a tribe that manage to bring it home.
Streets & Spores 