Adrift at sea

While floating upon the waves in my watery world, I refer to a couple of charters to help keep the journey interesting. First there is the random debris chart found in the Pathfinder Game Master handbook that helps keep the adventurers entertained besides having a ton of random encounters.  For example, they found a lifeboat full of hundreds of wigs, an abandoned fishing boat with a pair of wings made from the feathers of Rocs, and a lute inscribed with the words, "Let the Heavens Weep."  These random items really helped the players flesh out their characters and interact with one another, as some were interested in trying the new toys out (such as a full-plated cleric strapping on the wings and trying to "fly" off the boat!). So that table was very useful in keeping the group entertained.

Another major factor that the group had to deal with is weather and sailing, also randomly rolled from a chart.  Since the largest ship in my world is only a 15 man crew, the group had to either have someone who sailed or hire a sailor/captain to keep them on course.  The characters had to make checks to sail whenever the weather changed (two times a day and one at night) and the checks were harder or easier depending on the weather.  If the check was failed the party did not move or moved in the wrong directions depending on the direction of the waves and wind. To go along with the sailing, provisions are also a factor depending on the character classes and the levels of the group. Our druid liked to fish and the bard dragged a net behind the boat (picking up a couple of lobsters in the process) so this was also something different for the group to enjoy.

Finally there were random encounters.  I wrote up a list of encounters and if I rolled within a certain percentile I would then roll on the chart to see what encounters they happened upon.  On the night they played they encountered a sea hag, a scouting group of merfolk, a couple of small water elementals, sea cats, sharks and a giant ship mimic (full of treasure that the group chose to ignore, their loss!).  These encounters might have been a little too easy for the group normally, but the rules for fighting from ship to water can be very tricky at first so it was probably a good thing to have something that eased the characters into the world.  I did have harder encounters on there as well, but sadly those creatures were never called to the surface due because my dice hate me. 

Finally, there is flavor places that on certain fun roles the characters happen across, such as ghost ships, islands and other ships.  My group did not have a chance to encounter such things this time, but when they clear out the college of the drowned mage they will have to break the surface once more and explore surface of the vast Western Wash.

He wanders the halls

of this place that now harbors only ghosts, his feet splashing every couple of steps in the puddles that frequent the ground.  The soft dripping is the only noise that answers the steps, its rhythmic speech the pace in which his feet absently-minded fall.  He was not always been in the deep alone, once long ago voices of his fellow students and teacher echoed these halls and sunlight streamed through the windows to bathe the halls with the sun's fresh rays.  The salty sea air wafted through the breezeways and grass grew in every place the stone could not cover; it was a place of learning, growth and life. 

If he was thinking about such times now, sadness would overwhelm him and he would be left pondering the reasons behind his existence, but as he is consumed by a book, this one about the creation of potions he just uncovered in a sealed room, he does not consider such heavy things today.  In the deep darkness of the sea there is only his books, his pets and every once in awhile a sailor who somehow makes his way into the sunken ruins of the college.  Here he waits; whether it is for the day he will die and be reunited with his fellow students, or until the day he learns the right spells to raise the college to the surface again he does not rightly know.  All his feels is the need to learn as much as he can, protect this place from outsiders, and pace around the salt-stained halls in his robes until the day why is answered. 

The Coast

The coast is one of the most interesting places to plan, as this is the place where the earth, sky, and sea all meet and is therefore ripe with potential. 

Because my coast is in a shared world, the land that comes betweem whatever the other gm's have set up and the shoreline is going to be miles of flat green grasslands, with little cover, but rich grazing grounds for shepherds and their herds.  The wind continiously blows the high-reaching grass, the smell of the sea is heavy on air, little rivers and creeks frequent the area, and the temperature is mild. There is the potential of drastic weather changes quickly but for the most part this land is very beautiful and easy to cross (depending on how many wandering monster encounters the gm sets up). No one really lives there perminately, by I am sure lords would lay claim to "owning" parts of the coastal plains if there were asked.

On the acutal coast or nestled right by the sea little settlements dot the span with their with their own unique flavors and cultures.  I personally have one village that is addicted to the blood of a tropical fish they must have at all costs, another town living in fear of a sea hag nearby, a floating village living on the reef that drifts when they pull up their weights, and another village in the cliffs. They are all small in population and wealth and not meant to be places the adventures can replenish their supplies beyond the mundane and low level magcial items.  They do allow for plot hooks, flavor, and interesting character interactions along the way though.

 Beyond that, the sea tosses up a variety of debris and the possiblity of wandering upon something interesting is high.  Some examples of what I am including: sea cave, hidden cove, shipwrecks, waterlogged items, carcasses, smashed settlements, washed-up sailor, mermaid, etc. The coast has the most varied types of encounters, and is possibly the most interesting random encounter tables I have rolled up yet. Hopefully the party will feel the same way when they come across the things that have washed up upon the shore