I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's. I will not reason and compare: my business is to create.

- William Blake

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Nautical adventures (+Ghosts of Saltmarsh)

So, apparently D&D's next book is Ghosts of Saltmarsh. The name is from the classic module The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, which is contained in the book in some shape or form.


When I described my four favorite meta-settings, I ended the post with " I always wanted to play a nautical campaign, going from one exotic island to another, but never managed to do it. [...]"

I really like the idea of nautical adventures, "The Seven Voyages of Sindbad" style. There are several reasons for that (other than the fact that I've loved to read the stories as a kid...).

First, you can go through old classics and new stuff, things like Isle of the Unknown, Isle of the Ape, Hot Springs Island and Tomb of Annihilation, just to mention a few. Qelong also fits, since you start from a boat IIRC, and might be a chance to use Freeport and some pirate stuff (out of Fighting Fantasy, for example).

You can insert something that would fit the bermuda triangle or Lost, or maybe even Earthsea. Plenty of good, epic stuff to mine from greek classics. Also At the Mountains of Madness (and all of the old gods and fish-people trapped under the sea), Dr. Moreau, King Kong... The possibilities are endless.

The idea of "strange lands beyond the sea" is more believable and exciting for me than that "Yawning Portal" stuff.

There is some continuity in the crew - and also a possibly of replacing characters. But there is also the constant discovery of new lands.

You can destroy an island without destroying the entire world, which seems cool. You can lose or retire half of your crew and go back for replacements. You can even leave some people healing during a certain expedition, only to go back into adventure in the next one.

Anyway, a great idea from WotC.

BTW, I also mentioned Ravnica in that (2017) post... Does that mean we could get Dark Sun next? One can only hope! ;)

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