The war to the west (against a former imperial regency fallen under horrors from the Far Realm) has taken its toll on the imperial fleet, and the goblins of Sanghor are seizing advantage of the situation. I created the side trek to remind my players (and their characters) that there’s far more going on in the world of Iomandra than “the quest at hand.” The goblin ship’s ability to slip past Dragovar patrols tells the heroes something meaningful about the world-that the Dragovar navy has lost control of the Dragon Sea. R easons for the Encounter This goblin ship encounter was meant to provide context for the larger campaign world. What ensues is a rollicking shipboard battle against an enemy the heroes never expected to fight at their level. The noble heroes decide to storm the ship and rescue the caged prisoner. Second, the ship is openly plying the trade lanes and is clearly a threat to passing tradeships. Within the cage, he sees a prisoner struggling to stay above water. First, the party’s ranger spots a cage being dragged alongside the goblin ship at sea level. D e c e m b e r 2 011 | D U N G E O N 1 9 7 1 The Dungeon Master Experience: Surprise! Epic Goblins! Our heroes would’ve been inclined to leave goblin ship alone but for two reasons. Clearly this blood-sailed vessel belongs to the Kingdom of Sanghor, a savage island nation of goblins far to the west. The adventurers confronted a ship like this once long before, during the heroic tier, when goblins raided their island home. Corpses are lashed to the other ship’s hull, and its sails are stained crimson with blood. En route, the adventurers catch sight of a lone vessel heading in the opposite direction. Having weathered that storm, the Maelstrom has resumed its westward trek toward the party’s ultimate objective. (You might recall that the same thing happened to Captain Picard in the ST:TNG episode, Chain of Command.) Three days ago, the Maelstrom survived a run-in with three enemy ships sent by a rival Sea King. One of the adventurers, a genasi swordmage, was recently relieved as captain of the Maelstrom so that he could lead a special ops mission for his mentor and benefactor, Sea King Valkroi. The Maelstrom is a swift vessel powered by an elemental ring of water (an idea pilfered from the Eberron campaign setting). The adventurers are 22nd level, and crewing a ship heading west across the Dragon Sea. On Monday and Wednesday nights, he runs a D&D® campaign for two different groups of players set in his homegrown world of Iomandra. Today, he’s the senior producer for the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game and leads the team of designers, developers, and editors who produce D&D RPG products. Dungeon Master for Life, Chris Perkins Christopher Perkins Christopher Perkins joined Wizards of the Coast in 1997 as the editor of Dungeon® magazine. If you’re interested in learning more about the world of Iomandra, check out the wiki. Hopefully this series of articles will give you inspiration, ideas, and awesome new ways to menace your players in your home campaigns. Even though the campaign uses the 4th Edition rules, the topics covered here often transcend editions. Here I share my experiences as a DM through the lens of Iomandra, my Dungeons & Dragons® campaign world. Antisocial Dwarfing - Extra Attacks and Extra Damage only fire for Champions not adjacent to Binwin, but his damage is increased by 400%.The Dungeon Master Experience: Surprise! Epic Goblins! The Dungeon Master Experience This regular column is for Dungeon Masters who like to build worlds and campaigns as much as I do.More Minions - Extra Attacks and Extra Damage also fire for Champions 2 slots away from Binwin.Lingering Damage – For every hit that Binwin does that doesn't kill an enemy, 25% of his Extra Damage bonus from that attack is preserved for his next attack (up to 100%).Tallest in Faerûn – Increases Binwin's Damage by 100% for every Dwarf, Kobold, Halfling, or Gnome in the formation.Crash and Smash – Binwin does 2 hits to enemies with Hit- and Armor-based health.Each kill contributes 50% damage (kills stack additively). Extra Damage – Binwin gains extra Damage when Champions adjacent to him kill enemies before Binwin's next attack.Each Extra Attack does 25% more damage (multiplicatively). Extra Attacks – Binwin gains extra attacks when Champions adjacent to him do a certain number of attacks before Binwin's next attack.When he reaches the targeted enemy, the barrel explodes, dealing AOE damage and slowing all affected enemies. Binwin hops onto a sturdy wooden barrel and rides toward a single enemy, dealing damage along the way.
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