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Paj
Seeker
United Kingdom
56 Posts |
 Posted - 30 Dec 2012 : 13:55:11
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So, I'm running a 4e campaign set in 1375DR and my players have arrived at Baldurs Gate and are wanting to purchase a ship and sail the Sea of Swords looking for adventure.
I've been reading the DM Experience blog on the WOTC site and really like Chris Perkins idea of the Sea Kings. So have shamelessly stolen the premise!
I'm having some trouble fleshing out some of these Sea Kings. So I'm after a bit of crazy scribe-induced mayhem. Any help would be appreciated. I've written what I've come up with so far below:
The Sea Kings of the Sea of Swords
The leaders of trade consortiums and owners of fleets of ships, the self styled ‘Sea Kings of the Sea of Swords’ account for almost 80% of all ocean trade in the western heartlands. From Luskan in the north to the Amnish port of Murann in the south, one in every 7 ships is a Sea King vessel.
While ostensibly a group of law-abiding, peaceful people. Most know that the Sea Kings methods and goals are vastly different. The 7 Sea Kings have a constantly shifting set of truces, alliances and hostilities between them, and these change with each tide.
The true names of the Sea Kings aren’t known, only a moniker attached to each flag.
The 7 Sea Kings are:
Sea King Impstinger
Sea King Xan’toth
Sea King Kais
Sea King Elementor
Sea King Deepstaff
Sea King Stonewave
Sea King Baator
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Out of all of the Sea Kings, I've made a start of Deepstaff. He's going to be a Ancient Lich from a long-sunken city somewhere under the Sea of Moving Ice.
I was thinking of a Beholder for one and maybe some form of ancient genie for another but have run out of ideas.
Any thoughts?
- Paj
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MisterX
Learned Scribe
Germany
118 Posts |
Posted - 30 Dec 2012 : 17:43:32
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Any Seaking could be a…
- Merman
- Sahuagin
- Water-Elf
- Dragon
- Human
- Aboleth
- Demon
- Devil (Baator is one of the nine hells, if i remember correctly
Have fun! |
I've lost track of recent realmslore, since my campaigns are still in the 1370ies. :-)
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When talking about rules (and related stuff) I always refer to 3.5e unless explicitly noted. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 30 Dec 2012 : 19:24:15
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80% of all sea Trade = 1 in 7 ships? 
You must also be using Chris Perkins Guide to Continuity. 
Anyhow, the 'Sea Kings' idea sounds lifted right from Greyhawk. They have both the 'Sea princes' and the 'Sea Barons'. You could always go there for ideas (as he obviously did). It also doesn't sound all that different then what was going on in Luskan before, except now they've grown.
Sea King Concept: A miserly gnome who rides around in a harness on the back of an Ogre who is even stupider then usual. He basically uses the poor brute as a mount, and use a riding-crop on him when he makes a mistake (which happens often). Picture a midget Scrooge riding Sloth (from Goonies). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 31 Dec 2012 : 14:40:18
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| You just reminded me, the PotC had 'Pirate Lords' and even elected a Pirate King as well. They had a nice, ethnically-mixed gathering - you could get some inspiration from there as well. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1847 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jan 2013 : 03:49:01
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quote:
Sea King Concept: A miserly gnome who rides around in a harness on the back of an Ogre who is even stupider then usual. He basically uses the poor brute as a mount, and use a riding-crop on him when he makes a mistake (which happens often). Picture a midget Scrooge riding Sloth (from Goonies).
Um, you sure we shouldnt be thinking of Beyond Thunderdome instead?  |
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jan 2013 : 07:18:19
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| Wait, 1 in 7... 14.28%...... how'd they control 80% of shipping without sending the work elsewhere? |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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BlackAce
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
358 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jan 2013 : 09:49:01
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| Does sound a bit Manticore in reverse doesn't it? X amount of the cargoes hauled but only Y amount of the ships they travel in. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jan 2013 : 14:38:17
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Too many captains are made non-human just for the shock value (like that hill giant pirate that throws goblins). I'm thinking stay human for most of them, but use some templates (lycanthrope, undead, etc).
A treant would be truly bizarre, if you were into that sort of thing - maybe a willow or cypress (both water-loving species). Maybe good for a captain, but not so much for a 'Sea king'. Perhaps he fell in love with some seaweed when he was just a sapling....
quote:
Originally posted by The Arcanamach
quote:
Sea King Concept: A miserly gnome who rides around in a harness on the back of an Ogre who is even stupider then usual. He basically uses the poor brute as a mount, and use a riding-crop on him when he makes a mistake (which happens often). Picture a midget Scrooge riding Sloth (from Goonies).
Um, you sure we shouldnt be thinking of Beyond Thunderdome instead?
Never saw that movie - I only saw the first one. I just googled it and found a pic... funny. 
I was actually thinking about a group of folk that appeared briefly in a Dying Earth story. They not only rode around on ginats as mounts, they ate them as well (they were the only 'livestock' those people kept).
So NO, not original, but also not from the source you pointed out (although I like that pic a lot.) |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 02 Jan 2013 14:39:42 |
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Help me flesh out the 'Sea Kings' trading costers
