So I'm planning a future "chapter" of my campaign with some nautical adventures, and I'm considering the dynamics between the coast's adult bronze dragon protector and the fire genasi pirates that menace ships in the area, plundering and kidnapping victims for the adult red dragon they serve.
I'm trying to figure out how the pirates can even function under the vigilance of a dragon that hates them so much. How are they able to elude him, and frustrate his efforts to neutralize their goals? What balance could be struck between the pirates' active crimes and the bronze's efforts to stop them (and which the players can come in and upset)?
I welcome any ideas to help me flesh out this tricky component of my campaign. Thanks!
This sounds like a Draconic "Cold" War, neither dragon can act directly without engaging the other and so they use proxies to do the fighting, the Red Dragon has its Pirates, maybe the Brass Dragon has Pirate Hunters. Both Dragons have their area's of protection with no mans land/sea in between where their proxies skirmish but ultimately neither side is able to gain the upper hand until the adventurers arrive and tip the balance.
If using Pirates you could also use a Dragon Turtle instead of a Red Dragon. As Brass Dragons cannot breathe underwater this would give the Dragon Turtle a very big advantage at sea but a considerable weakness with regards to land/air encounters and give another way of both being kept in check.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
* Need a character idea? Search for "Rob76's Unused" in the Story and Lore section.
I like that! The red dragon has her pirate armada to bring her plunder and victims (or end up eaten themselves), so numerous and widespread that they frustrate the bronze dragon's efforts to stop them, so he's trained a navy of coastal citizens to help patrol the seas.
I love the idea of the dragon turtle, but rather than "instead of", I'll go with "also". The red dragon pirates have bribed it to side with them, and while the bronze dragon (who CAN breathe underwater) has tried to parley with it, his own code and gold fever prevent him from outbidding the pirates.
Enter the heroes...
How does that sound? Any adjustments or additions I should make to really ramp up the tension/drama?
Well, the addition of the dragon turtle should really tip the balance of this draconic cold war. Naval ships might be somewhat helpless in its wake and captains and crew desperate for any help they can get. Some captains may recognize that the brass dragon's duty is to largely keep the red dragon at bay, but others may be angry that their dragon isn't doing enough to drive off the new threat of the dragon turtle or pay its bribe. There may be in-fighting amongst the crews at the local ports as ale and opinions flow, causing a rise in strife from the local port guards. Maybe a third independent faction or coalition is forming around the dragon turtle, as it has its own designs for the region.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
Ooh, I love that! How do you think people will feel when they all discover the dragon turtle wash ashore, dead, with evidence of a mighty struggle with something large and tentacled?
Another option....Koa Toa. A group of Koa Toa, possibly a 3rd faction, have started to worship one of the dragons and believe it to be a god. If their continued devotion goes unchecked then they will indeed manifest a new deity as is their rather odd ability. Picture them acting in a way to a "cargo cult" of the real world, a group of Koa Toa on an isoltated island are visited one day by a Dragon or a gourp of pirates who hide some treasure and the Koa Toa build a shrine around the site and offer up prayers and worship to the strange new benefactor. Over time the dragon or pirates revisit and hide more treasure and are welcomed by the Koa Toa, the Dragon seen as a God and the pirates as it's divine messengers. The pirates keep returning as its a safe harbour and a place to restock on supplies and the Dragon may be just curious about them and wants to check up on them or may grow to love the adoration it recieves as it feeds their ego.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
* Need a character idea? Search for "Rob76's Unused" in the Story and Lore section.
I currently have a cult of merfolk working with the remnants of a sahuagin army to summon a kraken from the depths (maybe elemental plane of water) in order to inflict it on the land-dwellers. How might the kuo-toa factor into that? Could the merfolk be feeding legends of a long-gone kraken to the kuo-toa in the hopes that their god-making abilities will recreate it as a god? Perhaps the sahuagin are hoping to toss some traits of Sekolah into the mix?
I currently have a cult of merfolk working with the remnants of a sahuagin army to summon a kraken from the depths (maybe elemental plane of water) in order to inflict it on the land-dwellers. How might the kuo-toa factor into that? Could the merfolk be feeding legends of a long-gone kraken to the kuo-toa in the hopes that their god-making abilities will recreate it as a god? Perhaps the sahuagin are hoping to toss some traits of Sekolah into the mix?
Maybe tweak the Koa Toa ability so that it acts as Gate Spell. If enough Koa Toa believe the Kraken is a diety then a Gate or Rift open to the Plane of Water or where-ever the Kraken happens to be trapped and out comes said Kraken. This next bit might be step too convoluted but what if...the Merfolk/Sahuagin/Koa Toa alliance is wrong or lying to their allies and its not a Kraken they are summoning? What if it is Dagon, the Demon Lord from the 89th layer of the Abyss? Link to Dagon wiki here: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Dagon
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
* Need a character idea? Search for "Rob76's Unused" in the Story and Lore section.
Yeah, that's kind of where my thinking is going: a Dagon-like uber-kraken. Perhaps there is some trickery involved, which might make the alliance crumble, but at that stage, there's an uber-kraken on the scene!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
So I'm planning a future "chapter" of my campaign with some nautical adventures, and I'm considering the dynamics between the coast's adult bronze dragon protector and the fire genasi pirates that menace ships in the area, plundering and kidnapping victims for the adult red dragon they serve.
I'm trying to figure out how the pirates can even function under the vigilance of a dragon that hates them so much. How are they able to elude him, and frustrate his efforts to neutralize their goals? What balance could be struck between the pirates' active crimes and the bronze's efforts to stop them (and which the players can come in and upset)?
I welcome any ideas to help me flesh out this tricky component of my campaign. Thanks!
This sounds like a Draconic "Cold" War, neither dragon can act directly without engaging the other and so they use proxies to do the fighting, the Red Dragon has its Pirates, maybe the Brass Dragon has Pirate Hunters. Both Dragons have their area's of protection with no mans land/sea in between where their proxies skirmish but ultimately neither side is able to gain the upper hand until the adventurers arrive and tip the balance.
If using Pirates you could also use a Dragon Turtle instead of a Red Dragon. As Brass Dragons cannot breathe underwater this would give the Dragon Turtle a very big advantage at sea but a considerable weakness with regards to land/air encounters and give another way of both being kept in check.
I like that! The red dragon has her pirate armada to bring her plunder and victims (or end up eaten themselves), so numerous and widespread that they frustrate the bronze dragon's efforts to stop them, so he's trained a navy of coastal citizens to help patrol the seas.
I love the idea of the dragon turtle, but rather than "instead of", I'll go with "also". The red dragon pirates have bribed it to side with them, and while the bronze dragon (who CAN breathe underwater) has tried to parley with it, his own code and gold fever prevent him from outbidding the pirates.
Enter the heroes...
How does that sound? Any adjustments or additions I should make to really ramp up the tension/drama?
Well, the addition of the dragon turtle should really tip the balance of this draconic cold war. Naval ships might be somewhat helpless in its wake and captains and crew desperate for any help they can get. Some captains may recognize that the brass dragon's duty is to largely keep the red dragon at bay, but others may be angry that their dragon isn't doing enough to drive off the new threat of the dragon turtle or pay its bribe. There may be in-fighting amongst the crews at the local ports as ale and opinions flow, causing a rise in strife from the local port guards. Maybe a third independent faction or coalition is forming around the dragon turtle, as it has its own designs for the region.
Ooh, I love that! How do you think people will feel when they all discover the dragon turtle wash ashore, dead, with evidence of a mighty struggle with something large and tentacled?
Another option....Koa Toa. A group of Koa Toa, possibly a 3rd faction, have started to worship one of the dragons and believe it to be a god. If their continued devotion goes unchecked then they will indeed manifest a new deity as is their rather odd ability. Picture them acting in a way to a "cargo cult" of the real world, a group of Koa Toa on an isoltated island are visited one day by a Dragon or a gourp of pirates who hide some treasure and the Koa Toa build a shrine around the site and offer up prayers and worship to the strange new benefactor. Over time the dragon or pirates revisit and hide more treasure and are welcomed by the Koa Toa, the Dragon seen as a God and the pirates as it's divine messengers. The pirates keep returning as its a safe harbour and a place to restock on supplies and the Dragon may be just curious about them and wants to check up on them or may grow to love the adoration it recieves as it feeds their ego.
I currently have a cult of merfolk working with the remnants of a sahuagin army to summon a kraken from the depths (maybe elemental plane of water) in order to inflict it on the land-dwellers. How might the kuo-toa factor into that? Could the merfolk be feeding legends of a long-gone kraken to the kuo-toa in the hopes that their god-making abilities will recreate it as a god? Perhaps the sahuagin are hoping to toss some traits of Sekolah into the mix?
Maybe tweak the Koa Toa ability so that it acts as Gate Spell. If enough Koa Toa believe the Kraken is a diety then a Gate or Rift open to the Plane of Water or where-ever the Kraken happens to be trapped and out comes said Kraken. This next bit might be step too convoluted but what if...the Merfolk/Sahuagin/Koa Toa alliance is wrong or lying to their allies and its not a Kraken they are summoning? What if it is Dagon, the Demon Lord from the 89th layer of the Abyss? Link to Dagon wiki here: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Dagon
Yeah, that's kind of where my thinking is going: a Dagon-like uber-kraken. Perhaps there is some trickery involved, which might make the alliance crumble, but at that stage, there's an uber-kraken on the scene!