# Undersea Adventures (PLAYERS, PLEASE RESPOND)



## Aeolius (Sep 9, 2004)

My undersea campaign, "Beneath the Pinnacles of Azor'alq" is back from hiatus and looking for new recruits.

   The campaign, which uses the “core rules of 3e, select supplements from 2e, and the heart of 1e”, is designed for those interested in participating in a work of coauthored interactive fiction; i.e. communal evolution of the story-line and role-playing are encouraged, rather than statistics and adherence to rules.

   The campaign is a 3e D&D World of Greyhawk message-based game (Play-by-Post) set beneath the surface of the Dramidj Ocean. The current level of play is between 5 to 7. New players are welcome to create characters ranging from levels 4 through 6.

   For more information, visit http://www.lobi.com/bpaa and look over the New Player and Background links.

Aeolius


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## Ashy (Sep 9, 2004)

Sign me up!!!  I've been waiting on this one!


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## Steve Gorak (Sep 9, 2004)

If you have a spare spot, I'll gladly join.

Cheers,

SG


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## Brother Shatterstone (Sep 9, 2004)

Aeolius, I'll let the wife know.


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## Guest 11456 (Sep 9, 2004)

I'll bite!

Tailspinner


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## Lady Shatterstone (Sep 10, 2004)

Sounds neat.  I was telling the hubby that it would be cool to play in an underwater game... so if you have spot, I would like in as well.

~Lady Shatterstone


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## Aeolius (Sep 10, 2004)

About the Party:
 - Cilvia: a tiefling mermaid, formerly a human who bonded with the essence of a mermaid
 - NeeKaa: an oceanid, daughter of a salt hag and triton
 - The skool: a sea haggle, a fine damselfish hivemind (swarm, aquatic) 
 - Rimus: a human from a forgotten era, formerly placed in stasis after being bonded to fish hag grafts and a sea hag symbiote
 - Saphier: a half-dragon succubus (using SS monster levels) 
 - Xmador: a triton prince
 - Alkanon: a sea elf
 - Teal: a half-sea elf (seawolf lycanthrope?) 

About the Hiatus:
   BPAA came to a sputtering halt some time after the birth of my third child. Now that she is 8 months old, I am starting to get things back in order. Add to the list my recent acquisition of 20 acres and numerous interviews with architects and builders. Life offline has not been entirely unproductive.   

   When I finish the beginning of Chapter 118 this weekend (Spoiler alert, my players keep out) 



Spoiler



the campaign will skip ahead a few years, though the players will have only aged a few months


 (it's...complicated). Most of the players of the characters listed above will be returning, but there are a few that may not.


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## Ashy (Sep 10, 2004)

So, are we all in?


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## Aeolius (Sep 11, 2004)

Ashy said:
			
		

> So, are we all in?




   Did you have a character concept in mind, or would you prefer I begin with some suggestions?


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## Guest 11456 (Sep 11, 2004)

Aeolius said:
			
		

> Did you have a character concept in mind, or would you prefer I begin with some suggestions?




From Fantasy Fight Games' Seafarere's Handbook: Half-Merrow


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## Aeolius (Sep 11, 2004)

I have something similar in my games, using the half-ogre template. Or, take it a step further, my kresh are an aquatic trogre, or troll-ogre, being either a half-troll ogre or a half-ogre troll. Ever considered a merrow mage (aquatic ogre magi)?


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## Guest 11456 (Sep 11, 2004)

Aeolius said:
			
		

> I have something similar in my games, using the half-ogre template. Or, take it a step further, my kresh are an aquatic trogre, or troll-ogre, being either a half-troll ogre or a half-ogre troll. Ever considered a merrow mage (aquatic ogre magi)?




Hmmm. Merrow Mage sounds good.


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## Lady Shatterstone (Sep 12, 2004)

On second thought I am not going to have time for this game.  Sorry for any trouble and Thanks for your time.  Happy gaming everyone!

~L.S.


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## Ashy (Sep 12, 2004)

Aeolius,

Do have the FFG book, Mythic Races?  If so, I'd like to play an Ooloi (pg. 86)...  Let me know!    I'd probably play a Cleric/Fighter (or whatever class the party needed)....


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## Aeolius (Sep 12, 2004)

Ashy said:
			
		

> Do have the FFG book, Mythic Races?  If so, I'd like to play an Ooloi (pg. 86)...




   I do in fact have Mythic Races. So, is this Ooloi (almost as many vowels as Aeolius...kewl) a literal alien to the oceans of Oerth, or are we assuming an ooloi population has always existed there? As an easy out, I made the smaller moon Celene a Dyson sphere; i.e. a hollow sphere with an ocean clinging to its inner surface. The PCs have already encountered one Spelljamming vessel, though they were unaware of its potential.



			
				Lady Shatterstone said:
			
		

> On second thought I am not going to have time for this game.




   Trust me, I know how overworked a schedule can become  BPAA will be here, if you find that time allows, as I know you had previously written "... it would be cool to play in an underwater game..."



			
				Tailspinner said:
			
		

> Hmmm. Merrow Mage sounds good.




   As a starting point, this is in the campaign background:  " The Janasibs are a cluster of five islands, the largest of which is home to a dormant volcano. Within its crater rests a landlocked lake of salt. Numerous pirates have taken shelter along the shores of the Janasibs, wary of the sea hags in the shallows and sylvan creatures which inhabit the plush forests. Aware of their alliance with local merfolk, the Wardens of the Janasibs have sought council with the Matriarchy of Komal. Many of the merrow which inhabit these waters have, of late, displayed magical powers. Though typically encountered in freshwater, these oceangoing creatures have become known as merrow mages. "


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## Ashy (Sep 12, 2004)

Aeolius said:
			
		

> I do in fact have Mythic Races. So, is this Ooloi (almost as many vowels as Aeolius...kewl) a literal alien to the oceans of Oerth, or are we assuming an ooloi population has always existed there? As an easy out, I made the smaller moon Celene a Dyson sphere; i.e. a hollow sphere with an ocean clinging to its inner surface. The PCs have already encountered one Spelljamming vessel, though they were unaware of its potential.




Now THAT would be mondo COOL!  Perhaps this Ooloi could be sent to scout out the area for possible colonization?  Or maybe he just hitched a ride and is a true explorer at heart!  I am pretty much cool with whatever backstory is required, but I say that coming from Celene is a really nifty idea!


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## Aeolius (Sep 12, 2004)

So far we have:

Ashy - Ooloi
Steve Gorak - ???
Tailspinner - merrow mage

 I'll be finishing up Chapter 118 tonight. If you want to know a bit about the campaign, I'd recommend looking over the campaign background.

For added inspiration, visit your local public aquarium or a pet store that carries saltwater fish. Find a fish (or crab, starfish, etc) that suits your fancy and then watch it for as long as you can stand. Alternately, look over online fish dealers such as http://www.liveaquaria.com/

If you have cable/satellite, take look through the Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, and similar stations, for episodes about ocean life. Their corresponding websites have useful information, as well.


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## Ashy (Sep 12, 2004)

What classes are needed??


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## Steve Gorak (Sep 12, 2004)

Aeolius said:
			
		

> So far we have:
> Ashy - Ooloi
> Steve Gorak - ???
> Tailspinner - merrow mage




How does a half-dragon (blue) half scrag sound?
BTW, what's the LA for scrag?
Does this sound good?

I'd like the character to be a napoleonic type, wishing to create his own underwater empire. With the support of sometype of power (possibly an elemental power, or some powerful outsider), he'd take cleric or possibly druid levels, as the DM deems appropriate.

Of course, this is an uber-character (+14 to str score), but this will be reflected in his larger than life objectives.

Does this sound good?

Cheers,

SG


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## Ferrix (Sep 13, 2004)

is there space still?


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## Aeolius (Sep 13, 2004)

Ferrix said:
			
		

> is there space still?




absolutely


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## Ashy (Sep 14, 2004)

*Note: http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=100808*


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## Guest 11456 (Sep 15, 2004)

Aeolius said:
			
		

> As a starting point, this is in the campaign background:  " The Janasibs are a cluster of five islands, the largest of which is home to a dormant volcano. Within its crater rests a landlocked lake of salt. Numerous pirates have taken shelter along the shores of the Janasibs, wary of the sea hags in the shallows and sylvan creatures which inhabit the plush forests. Aware of their alliance with local merfolk, the Wardens of the Janasibs have sought council with the Matriarchy of Komal. Many of the merrow which inhabit these waters have, of late, displayed magical powers. Though typically encountered in freshwater, these oceangoing creatures have become known as merrow mages. "




OK! What do you need from me?


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## Ashy (Sep 18, 2004)

I'm back!


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## Dragon-Slayer (Sep 18, 2004)

Have you the room for one more player?


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## Aeolius (Sep 18, 2004)

Steve Gorak said:
			
		

> How does a half-dragon (blue) half scrag sound? BTW, what's the LA for scrag? Does this sound good?




   The easiest way to do this would be to create a half-dragon scrag, otherwise the combination of two templates would leave no "base" creature. Granted, one could always create a unique creature instead of using templates. 

   Simply using the Monster Manual, one discovers that a scrag has a Level Adjustment of +5 and a half-dragon has LA: +3, thus a L8 character right out of the box may be a bit extreme, compared to the other PCs.

   You could use Savage Species for a half-dragon scrag. Using troll "monster levels" (pg. 199), and the half-dragon template (LA: +3), you could easily create a L3 scrag and apply the half-dragon template. If you went the other route, to create a half-scrag blue dragon, you'd need Fiend Folio, the Draconomicon, and a great deal of space.


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## Ashy (Sep 18, 2004)

Aeolius, you never told me what classes were needed...


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## Aeolius (Sep 18, 2004)

Tailspinner said:
			
		

> OK! What do you need from me?




Another instance where Savage Species would come in handy. The ogre mage description on pg. 189 would allow you to create a L4-6 ogre mage (and use the merrow info on pg. 189 as well), as opposed to using the MM entry with its LA: +7.


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## Aeolius (Sep 18, 2004)

Dragon-Slayer said:
			
		

> Have you the room for one more player?




The more the merrier...open swim!


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## Aeolius (Sep 18, 2004)

Ashy said:
			
		

> Aeolius, you never told me what classes were needed...




I'm fairly flexible, here. Create a character you'd enjoy playing, and I can tailor the adventure accordingly.


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## Ashy (Sep 18, 2004)

Gotcha....


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## Dragon-Slayer (Sep 19, 2004)

Is there a place to post characters? A thread in the Rogue's gallery that I am not seeing? I was thinking of trying an awakened octopus with either a rogue or psionic background (along the lines of the blue ring octopus from a 2E era Dragon magazine issue). If the expanded psionics handbook is not a select book, maybe a few levels of druid or sorcerer instead.


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## Aeolius (Sep 24, 2004)

Apologies for the delay. Chapter 118 will be posted this evening, returning BPAA to active play.

   The scene will be set in the northeastern region of the Pinnacles of Azor'alq, upon a sunken fragment of the isle of Almat now known as Hagstone, so named for the large chasm which spans its center. The region is home to an assemblage of sea elves, locathah, and merfolk who protect the lair of the Wyrding Witch, an elemental water weird sybil. The party was heading there, to find the Talisman of Al'Akbar, reportedly held by the water weird, when they encountered a region of tainted evil where a sea hag lich became a demi-lich and a slain sea hag returned to life as a blood magus. 

   Spoilers on...my current players be warned... 



Spoiler



The party has been restored to life, after three years separated from their souls. The creation of the tainted waters filled the PCs with evil. Their benefactor, a spectral hag, used a variation on a spell, incinerating their bodies while trapping their souls in gems. A cult following of sorts has developed, around the "Children of the Hag Queen", a.k.a. existing party members, whose likenesses are presented as statues.





			
				Dragon-Slayer said:
			
		

> I was thinking of trying an awakened octopus with either a rogue or psionic background...




  At this point, we have just been throwing general character concepts around. An aquatic PC topic over in the Rogue's Gallery is a darned good idea, though. An awakened psionic octopus is a feasible option, though perhaps not a blue-ring, as they are extremely poisonous.


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## Ashy (Sep 24, 2004)

Along the lines of a psionic octopus, ya might want to check out the ceptu, from Bastion Press' Oathbound setting:

Brief write-up:
These large, telekinetic jellyfish consider themselves morally, intellectually, and spritually superior to all other races and strive to lead 'lesser' species to enlightenment (normally under ceptu rulership).

There's a pic of one in the top left hand corner here: http://www.bastionpress.com/images/Wallpaper/Oathbound2_800x600.jpg

Link to a painted mini:
http://www.bastionpress.com/images/Figs/ceptupaint.jpg

Link to the OGC for the ceptu:
http://hub.mortality.net/OGC/Races.htm#Ceptu


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## Aeolius (Sep 24, 2004)

The next Chapter of BPAA has finally been posted online. 

So now the recruiting gains my full attention...

Ashy - Ooloi
Steve Gorak - half-dragon scrag
Tailspinner - merrow mage
Ferrix - ???
Dragon-Slayer - awakened psionic octopus


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## Aeolius (Sep 26, 2004)

If you have had a chance to look over Chapter 118 (and the past few Chapters, if you'd prefer) to get a feel for the story, and the campaign background, to get a sense of the setting's history, do you have any questions?

   As always, you can find links to the game boards and campaign background, as well as my contact information, at www.lobi.com/bpaa. Feel free to look for me on AIM/iChat.


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## Aeolius (Sep 28, 2004)

As EN World's e-mail function is "disabled by the administrator", can the list of interested players please e-mail me at aeolius@lobi.com? You can send prospective character sheets/concepts to the same address.


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## Ashy (Oct 1, 2004)

Note:

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=102568

I'll send you an email ASAP.


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## Aeolius (Oct 3, 2004)

Chapter 119 has been posted. I still need e-mail addys from everyone except Ashy


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## Ashy (Oct 12, 2004)

So what is the status, Aeolius???


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## Aeolius (Oct 17, 2004)

Ashy said:
			
		

> So what is the status, Aeolius???




   I'm still waiting on updates from most of the folks who have expressed interest in the game. Ashy, as we have agreed on your character concept, feel free to post. We'll deal wih the details later  

   I am working on Chapter 121 even now.


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## Ashy (Oct 19, 2004)

Maybe I'm missing something - do I not need a character sheet to post?  Also, don't I post on a site seperate from this one?  Forgive me - it's been a while and a lot of grey matter has passed under the bridge since this first began...


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## Ashy (Oct 21, 2004)

Note:

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=104448


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