SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one.
Technically this post is not just an update on planning, but also some research notes for the campaign in general.
It was whilst doing this research that I stumbled across a D&D Beyond Encounter of the week that is exactly what I am planning on doing in part of the first adventure. This is going to save me a lot of work in researching nautical terms and what they mean when it comes to doing stuff on the boat to prepare for the storm. The post has a nice table (illegally copied below) you can print out and hand to players. But more importantly it’s a skill challenge. Which is something I wanted to have in this opening adventure.
Table source: D&D Beyond Encounter of the Week: Sharkfin Shipwreck
(There is also a follow up adventure they did, which I can also use. I hadn’t planned anything for the planned skill challenge and if they failed. But this makes an interesting alternative to my planned adventure. D&D Beyond Encounter of the Week: Coral Colosseum)
One of the things I’m struggling to get my head round is the whole breathing underwater thing.Which is the driving factor behind the research that inspired this post.
On the D&D Beyond forums I found this snippet that’s related to my quest for information. I like this suggestion, anything that can add variety so I’m not using the same old tropes over and over again.
Post source: D&D Beyond Underwater Combat and Drowning
There is also a very nice quote by C.S. Lewis on another discussion thread, once again on D&D Beyond. This makes great advice for when it comes to planning underwater adventures.
Post source: D&D Beyond Help with Underwater Campaign
But still no answer to my question about breathing underwater. I can’t remember which source book it is (probably GoS) that has tables for damage to equipment due to water pressure etc. Which implies that equipment of some can be used.
Then as I was writing this post I thought “there must be a magic spell that allows players to breathe underwater?” And there is. Why I didn’t think of this to start with?
It gets worse. I found this post on a forum giving some suggestions for magical items that can also be used.
Post source: an online forum
Now I’ve found this out, it all seems so obvious. I really should read the resources I have. Or at least not skip sections.
But now I no longer live in bewilderment and confusion. I feel like I have enough info now at hand to drop an underwater encounter into an adventure anytime I like. I have ideas for magical equipment that the party can maybe purchase or find.
On a post (forgot to keep the link) about underwater adventures there was a recommendation to read Mel Odom’s Threat from the Sea.
Luckily the trilogy is available as audio books on Audible. I happen to have 3 unused credits, so I have something new to listen to on my way to UKGE this coming week.