Hi, I'm about to start a campaign. The premise is that the party are all (pretty bad) pirates and they go around doing jobs for a sort of pirate leader. I really need more ideas for unique island as there are a lot of them and I want them all to be some what interesting. Any ideas are welcome as I don't think my players are the serious type.
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(Stormknight):
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Hi, I'm about to start a campaign that is mostly seafaring. I'm struggling to come up with ideas for islands they can visit. My players aren't exactly the serious type so anything is okay.
(They're ship is called The Rubber Duck if that gives any indication to how they are)
You can do pretty much anything. If you want realism, most islands would be very similar. Perhaps an island has ruins from a lost civilization, perhaps one has a hidden smuggling operation. Maybe they look through a spyglass and see a bunch of trolls just dancing and having fun.
A possible idea, if you have ever played assassin's creed 4 you could possibly draw some inspiration from it? I'm sorry if this isn't a valid option in creating the islands for your campaign. It is based in the real world area of the gulf of Mexico, and could really assist in general layout of how smaller islands relate to larger islands, plus its setting could possibly give you ideas for major port cities that you might be able to use in your setting. I'll include a link to a map from the game.
One island that’s populated hasn’t had any merchant ships visit for several months and they usually have a couple stop by a month. Why?
They discover an island that’s used by smugglers, pirates, and the like as a meeting place. It can either have a permanent town or be uninhabited but have a pier for tying up ships. Your decision if there are any ships or people there when the party finds it.
One island is ruled by a tyrant who is waging war on neighboring islands and conquering them. Great opportunity for ship to ship battle and boarding actions where they board a ship and fight their way to the captain.
What about a sunken island that has a magical bubble of air surrounding it? Do it’s inhabitants know about the world above the waves? Or are they isolated? Maybe they’re trapped there and the mystery for the PCs to solve is how to remove the curse that sunk the island under the waves and now that the PCs are on the island they’re trapped too.
An island populated by dumb Giants who are politically controlled by a small minority of very tiny fey;
An island known for a Fountain of Youth but will half the time only function as a Fountain of Extreme Old Age. An elderly resort has now sprung up who sells tickets for access and an active gambling service betting on if a risk taker will get young or old
Just FYI, there's a section in one of the appendices of ghosts of saltmarsh on this exact topic, the rest of that appendix would also be useful as it's entirely about ships and seafaring.
Something I have on my campaign is a island that phases in and out between the planes. Totally random when it phases. Hours, weeks, months. It's a long part of the story the players have not gotten to yet.
I did an island adventure based on Gilligan's Island where the Gilligan character was secretly a wraith and all the other islanders were specters under his control, as he tries to manipulate the players either into letting him off the island (where he's been bound), or to drive them mad as they investigate "suspicious activity" of one of the other castaways.
One of the islands can have massive waterfalls of beer. It's slightly skunky and not the best taste, but, hey, free beer right? And now the fish in the rivers are very easy to catch
This may not be for your adventurers as it's more serious, but if whenever you may want to expose them to it there is a one-shot on the DM's guild called Be seen by Nobody and it basically entails you crashing on an island inhabited by a cursed king who happens to be the only human left on the island. He's also a one eyed giant. You can find the link here if you want: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/283940/Be-seen-by-Nobody. The best part, it's absolutely free.
Something I have on my campaign is a island that phases in and out between the planes. Totally random when it phases. Hours, weeks, months. It's a long part of the story the players have not gotten to yet.
Sounds like a Morkoth lair to me...
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Hi, I'm about to start a campaign. The premise is that the party are all (pretty bad) pirates and they go around doing jobs for a sort of pirate leader. I really need more ideas for unique island as there are a lot of them and I want them all to be some what interesting. Any ideas are welcome as I don't think my players are the serious type.
Hi, I'm about to start a campaign that is mostly seafaring. I'm struggling to come up with ideas for islands they can visit. My players aren't exactly the serious type so anything is okay.
(They're ship is called The Rubber Duck if that gives any indication to how they are)
You can do pretty much anything. If you want realism, most islands would be very similar. Perhaps an island has ruins from a lost civilization, perhaps one has a hidden smuggling operation. Maybe they look through a spyglass and see a bunch of trolls just dancing and having fun.
A possible idea, if you have ever played assassin's creed 4 you could possibly draw some inspiration from it? I'm sorry if this isn't a valid option in creating the islands for your campaign. It is based in the real world area of the gulf of Mexico, and could really assist in general layout of how smaller islands relate to larger islands, plus its setting could possibly give you ideas for major port cities that you might be able to use in your setting. I'll include a link to a map from the game.
https://guides.gamepressure.com/assassinscreediv/guide.asp?ID=22858
One island that’s populated hasn’t had any merchant ships visit for several months and they usually have a couple stop by a month. Why?
They discover an island that’s used by smugglers, pirates, and the like as a meeting place. It can either have a permanent town or be uninhabited but have a pier for tying up ships. Your decision if there are any ships or people there when the party finds it.
One island is ruled by a tyrant who is waging war on neighboring islands and conquering them. Great opportunity for ship to ship battle and boarding actions where they board a ship and fight their way to the captain.
What about a sunken island that has a magical bubble of air surrounding it? Do it’s inhabitants know about the world above the waves? Or are they isolated? Maybe they’re trapped there and the mystery for the PCs to solve is how to remove the curse that sunk the island under the waves and now that the PCs are on the island they’re trapped too.
Professional computer geek
An island populated by dumb Giants who are politically controlled by a small minority of very tiny fey;
An island known for a Fountain of Youth but will half the time only function as a Fountain of Extreme Old Age. An elderly resort has now sprung up who sells tickets for access and an active gambling service betting on if a risk taker will get young or old
Boldly go
That is brilliant! I love it!
Professional computer geek
Just FYI, there's a section in one of the appendices of ghosts of saltmarsh on this exact topic, the rest of that appendix would also be useful as it's entirely about ships and seafaring.
Something I have on my campaign is a island that phases in and out between the planes. Totally random when it phases. Hours, weeks, months. It's a long part of the story the players have not gotten to yet.
I did an island adventure based on Gilligan's Island where the Gilligan character was secretly a wraith and all the other islanders were specters under his control, as he tries to manipulate the players either into letting him off the island (where he's been bound), or to drive them mad as they investigate "suspicious activity" of one of the other castaways.
Yeah, I'll definitely get Ghosts of Saltmarsh. I just don't have much money at the moment. /:
Thank you that's really helpful!
One of the islands can have massive waterfalls of beer. It's slightly skunky and not the best taste, but, hey, free beer right? And now the fish in the rivers are very easy to catch
Boldly go
This may not be for your adventurers as it's more serious, but if whenever you may want to expose them to it there is a one-shot on the DM's guild called Be seen by Nobody and it basically entails you crashing on an island inhabited by a cursed king who happens to be the only human left on the island. He's also a one eyed giant. You can find the link here if you want: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/283940/Be-seen-by-Nobody. The best part, it's absolutely free.
Sounds like a Morkoth lair to me...