Hello, I am building a campaign where the adventurers live on an island-continent rich in minerals and whose primary source of income is trade of these minerals. After a while, trade ships and their escorts begin to go missing and it is revealed that an ancient, lost race of seafaring folk have returned after a long absence. The problem is, I don't know how to build a new race and can't think of a good race to use in this instance. Anyone have any ideas??
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I went over to Kobold Fight Club and plugged in Aquatic (or coastal if you prefer) environment type and hit search. There's a nice long list of potential monsters all arranged by CR for the picking.
(Put in a sea hag and some lacedons) Everyone loves water ghouls.
Aboleth/Kraken leading an immense tribe of Kuo-Ta who worship them as gods. Or possibly the fish men have surfaced because of one of those powerful beings and they're terrified of them, trying to keep out of their reach a bit.
Obviously I can't tell you how you should run your campaign. So instead, I'll tell you what your description makes me think of and maybe in turn some of this may spark some inspiration as it relates to your own campaign.
Why is this island so rich in minerals? What does it have that other places don't have and that makes so many of them want to journey to get it? Perhaps the increased trade is causing the mining of these minerals to expand and dig into an old chamber where an ancient being has long been sleeping below the waves. There's a nice mix of the mines of Moria with a Cthulhu. That's a great combination. lots of places you can go with that. As TheCivilizedGoblin points out, you have good options for a Kraken, Aboleth, or something of that scope to use as you big bad antagonist. Also, this "Great Old One" just happens to be a popular patron for the warlock class, so it would be an easy jump to include a cult of warlocks who have worshiped him for aeons (yeah, I used the Lovecraft spelling there). Since the creature's slumber has been disturbed, it is speaking to its worshipers more frequently an in more detail.
If you want to use a race of seafaring folk that already exist, then Vedexent has the right of it by suggesting the Sahuagin as low CR enemies to use en masse because they seem to fit the bill perfectly. And if you like what i'm saying above about a great creature from the depths, it's a great opportunity to use Sea Spawn as its mutated minions--maybe even some of the cultists who get turned into these creatures. Sea Spawn are a little tougher than Sahuagin, but still only CR1. Kuo-toa are even weaker at CR 1/4. They are normally underdark creatures, but again if the mining of this mineral opened an old flooded chamber, it could definitely cross over into your story. They have sunlight sensitivity, so they are best suited for attacking trading ships at night. The nice thing about Kuo-toa is that you can have them absolutely overrun a ship and your players can just mow through them... until the party runs into the CR3 Kuo-toa monitor who is leading the raid.
When it's time to pick it up a notch to CR2, you have your aforementioned Sea Hag and the merrow which are fun because they are large and physically imposing. At CR3, you have that Kuo-toa monitor I mentioned earlier and also the shape-changing Deep Scion. If you passed on the Sea Hag at CR2, you could opt for the CR4 Sea Hag Coven instead. Another great CR4 monster is the Chuul. When you get to CR5, you're firmly in mini-boss territory with the Sahuagin Baron, the Kraken Priest, and the good old Water Elemental That's enough to get you well on your way, and like with any campaign, once you get your basics worked out and start adventuring, the party will quickly begin to forge their own path and the story will start to write itself.
My own campaign just had the players acquiring a ship and I'm expanding the scope of their adventures to include some nautical stuff. Even if you don't use this, I think I may work it into my own story. Keep us posted on what you decide. I'd love to drawn on some of your own inspiration once you find your path.
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
What about a race of sea elves, who have been corrupted by a life away from civilization? It’s not quite ancient, but you have a lot of room for customization.
If you want to use something your players won't expect try this:
Strange Ships of unusual design appear on the horizon. Any ship sent to investigate these strange vessels are chased down and destroyed by the newcomers leaving no survivors. A few Coastal settlements go dark, they have been razed with no one living left in the towns. Really play up the mystery and dread. Look up the early Viking raids of Ireland and the Sea People of the late Bronze age for inspiration. Then a war ship, shockingly fast and able to travel even up relatively shallow rivers, beaches itself where ever you want the encounter to take place. War drums beat from inside the ship, and finally a great horde spills from the ship. Halflings!
Halflings make a great maritime race, their small size means they can fit more crew and cargo into a ship. Imagine oar-powered, torpedo-shaped warships design for ramming and sinking enemy ships. In ancient Mediterranean combat, the ship with the most oars was generally the more powerful, but those big ships had the disadvantage of being less nimble and bigger targets. Because they are small Halflings could have more oars, more men at oars, and still have quick small ships. They would rule the seas.
Maybe they are savage shamanistic worshipers of the Elements. They worship "Father Sky who fills the sails", "Mother Sea who cradles the vessels", but fear "The Hungry Fire that consumes the timbers", and "The Hidden Stone that breeches the hulls".
Don't fall into the trap of making them comedic, an army of barbarians, druids, and Storm sorcerers don't have to be tall to be deadly serious.
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Hello, I am building a campaign where the adventurers live on an island-continent rich in minerals and whose primary source of income is trade of these minerals. After a while, trade ships and their escorts begin to go missing and it is revealed that an ancient, lost race of seafaring folk have returned after a long absence. The problem is, I don't know how to build a new race and can't think of a good race to use in this instance. Anyone have any ideas??
Is there any reason you can't just use straight ( or re-skinned ) Merfolk, Merrow or Sahuagin ?
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
I went over to Kobold Fight Club and plugged in Aquatic (or coastal if you prefer) environment type and hit search. There's a nice long list of potential monsters all arranged by CR for the picking.
(Put in a sea hag and some lacedons) Everyone loves water ghouls.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Aboleth/Kraken leading an immense tribe of Kuo-Ta who worship them as gods. Or possibly the fish men have surfaced because of one of those powerful beings and they're terrified of them, trying to keep out of their reach a bit.
Obviously I can't tell you how you should run your campaign. So instead, I'll tell you what your description makes me think of and maybe in turn some of this may spark some inspiration as it relates to your own campaign.
Why is this island so rich in minerals? What does it have that other places don't have and that makes so many of them want to journey to get it? Perhaps the increased trade is causing the mining of these minerals to expand and dig into an old chamber where an ancient being has long been sleeping below the waves. There's a nice mix of the mines of Moria with a Cthulhu. That's a great combination. lots of places you can go with that. As TheCivilizedGoblin points out, you have good options for a Kraken, Aboleth, or something of that scope to use as you big bad antagonist. Also, this "Great Old One" just happens to be a popular patron for the warlock class, so it would be an easy jump to include a cult of warlocks who have worshiped him for aeons (yeah, I used the Lovecraft spelling there). Since the creature's slumber has been disturbed, it is speaking to its worshipers more frequently an in more detail.
If you want to use a race of seafaring folk that already exist, then Vedexent has the right of it by suggesting the Sahuagin as low CR enemies to use en masse because they seem to fit the bill perfectly. And if you like what i'm saying above about a great creature from the depths, it's a great opportunity to use Sea Spawn as its mutated minions--maybe even some of the cultists who get turned into these creatures. Sea Spawn are a little tougher than Sahuagin, but still only CR1. Kuo-toa are even weaker at CR 1/4. They are normally underdark creatures, but again if the mining of this mineral opened an old flooded chamber, it could definitely cross over into your story. They have sunlight sensitivity, so they are best suited for attacking trading ships at night. The nice thing about Kuo-toa is that you can have them absolutely overrun a ship and your players can just mow through them... until the party runs into the CR3 Kuo-toa monitor who is leading the raid.
When it's time to pick it up a notch to CR2, you have your aforementioned Sea Hag and the merrow which are fun because they are large and physically imposing. At CR3, you have that Kuo-toa monitor I mentioned earlier and also the shape-changing Deep Scion. If you passed on the Sea Hag at CR2, you could opt for the CR4 Sea Hag Coven instead. Another great CR4 monster is the Chuul. When you get to CR5, you're firmly in mini-boss territory with the Sahuagin Baron, the Kraken Priest, and the good old Water Elemental That's enough to get you well on your way, and like with any campaign, once you get your basics worked out and start adventuring, the party will quickly begin to forge their own path and the story will start to write itself.
My own campaign just had the players acquiring a ship and I'm expanding the scope of their adventures to include some nautical stuff. Even if you don't use this, I think I may work it into my own story. Keep us posted on what you decide. I'd love to drawn on some of your own inspiration once you find your path.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
That's an old, but R'lyeh-able trope ;)
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
Ah, nice. I haven't played any of the Cthulu games.
What about a race of sea elves, who have been corrupted by a life away from civilization? It’s not quite ancient, but you have a lot of room for customization.
If you want to use something your players won't expect try this:
Strange Ships of unusual design appear on the horizon. Any ship sent to investigate these strange vessels are chased down and destroyed by the newcomers leaving no survivors. A few Coastal settlements go dark, they have been razed with no one living left in the towns. Really play up the mystery and dread. Look up the early Viking raids of Ireland and the Sea People of the late Bronze age for inspiration. Then a war ship, shockingly fast and able to travel even up relatively shallow rivers, beaches itself where ever you want the encounter to take place. War drums beat from inside the ship, and finally a great horde spills from the ship. Halflings!
Halflings make a great maritime race, their small size means they can fit more crew and cargo into a ship. Imagine oar-powered, torpedo-shaped warships design for ramming and sinking enemy ships. In ancient Mediterranean combat, the ship with the most oars was generally the more powerful, but those big ships had the disadvantage of being less nimble and bigger targets. Because they are small Halflings could have more oars, more men at oars, and still have quick small ships. They would rule the seas.
Maybe they are savage shamanistic worshipers of the Elements. They worship "Father Sky who fills the sails", "Mother Sea who cradles the vessels", but fear "The Hungry Fire that consumes the timbers", and "The Hidden Stone that breeches the hulls".
Don't fall into the trap of making them comedic, an army of barbarians, druids, and Storm sorcerers don't have to be tall to be deadly serious.