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 Sea of Fallens Stars seamonsters?
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Snotlord
Senior Scribe

Norway
476 Posts

Posted - 26 Feb 2006 :  11:35:48  Show Profile  Visit Snotlord's Homepage Send Snotlord a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Hello,

I'm thinking about running "Razing of Redshore", from Dungeon 92 in Cormyr, and need a suitable seamonster as a substitute for the killer whale. Any ideas?

The Sea of Fallens Stars is freshwater, right?

Thanks!

Kajehase
Great Reader

Sweden
2104 Posts

Posted - 26 Feb 2006 :  12:16:53  Show Profile Send Kajehase a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The Sea of Fallen Stars is not freshwater - it has Sahuagin, and according to the beginning of the second book in the Threat From the Sea-trilogy, the Sea Devils does not function well in freshwater. (With reservations for me misunderstanding the passage in question, of course).

As for a suitable seamonster, how about a Dire Shark?

There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett
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Lady Kazandra
Senior Scribe

Australia
921 Posts

Posted - 26 Feb 2006 :  14:18:19  Show Profile  Visit Lady Kazandra's Homepage Send Lady Kazandra a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Sea of Fallen Stars notes that most of the Inner Sea is indeed saltwater. Though there is also said to be freshwater west of Arrabar.

"Once upon a time the plural of 'wizard' was 'war'." -- The Last Continent, by Terry Pratchett
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Kajehase
Great Reader

Sweden
2104 Posts

Posted - 26 Feb 2006 :  17:51:02  Show Profile Send Kajehase a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Would that be actual freshwater, or brackish water (like the Baltic, which, as we Western Swedes never tire of pointing out, isn't even salt)?

There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer

USA
2066 Posts

Posted - 26 Feb 2006 :  20:09:37  Show Profile  Visit ericlboyd's Homepage Send ericlboyd a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase

Would that be actual freshwater, or brackish water (like the Baltic, which, as we Western Swedes never tire of pointing out, isn't even salt)?



The Sea of Fallen Stars is saltwater. The Moonsea is freshwater. The Lake of Dragons and the Vilhon Reach are brackish. Don't recall what's stated for the Wizard's Reach, but I think it's "just saltwater".

--Eric

--
http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/
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Snotlord
Senior Scribe

Norway
476 Posts

Posted - 26 Feb 2006 :  20:28:52  Show Profile  Visit Snotlord's Homepage Send Snotlord a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thank you all for clearing that up This topic sound very familiar, I bet it has been covered elsewhere. (If so, sorry about that)

Now... the seamonster issue. How is whaling in the Sea of Fallen Stars? Somehow a giant whale seems wrong (but I could be mistanken). A dire shark is a good idea (preferably a gargantuan), but I'm worried it is not intimidating enough for the adventure I have in mind. A surfaced Leviathan (from Underdark) could work, but I am open for suggestions.

Edited by - Snotlord on 26 Feb 2006 20:53:27
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer

USA
2066 Posts

Posted - 26 Feb 2006 :  21:11:27  Show Profile  Visit ericlboyd's Homepage Send ericlboyd a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Snotlord

Thank you all for clearing that up This topic sound very familiar, I bet it has been covered elsewhere. (If so, sorry about that)

Now... the seamonster issue. How is whaling in the Sea of Fallen Stars? Somehow a giant whale seems wrong (but I could be mistanken). A dire shark is a good idea (preferably a gargantuan), but I'm worried it is not intimidating enough for the adventure I have in mind. A surfaced Leviathan (from Underdark) could work, but I am open for suggestions.



What CR are you looking for?

--Eric

--
http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/
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Kajehase
Great Reader

Sweden
2104 Posts

Posted - 26 Feb 2006 :  22:37:49  Show Profile Send Kajehase a Private Message  Reply with Quote
You know, they could come across a "frickin 'uge" kraken guarding a fallen city of Netheril, not sure where I got that idea

There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett
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Lady Kazandra
Senior Scribe

Australia
921 Posts

Posted - 27 Feb 2006 :  01:26:50  Show Profile  Visit Lady Kazandra's Homepage Send Lady Kazandra a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd

The Lake of Dragons and the Vilhon Reach are brackish.
While I do agree, I'll note that SoFS does specifically say freshwater west of Arrabar in the Vilhon.

Perhaps it indicates that the waters there were once less salty and resembling something more like freshwater.

"Once upon a time the plural of 'wizard' was 'war'." -- The Last Continent, by Terry Pratchett
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Snotlord
Senior Scribe

Norway
476 Posts

Posted - 27 Feb 2006 :  06:33:45  Show Profile  Visit Snotlord's Homepage Send Snotlord a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd

What CR are you looking for?



CR 18 to CR 20. "Razing of Redshore" was the introduction to "epic"-levels i Dungeon.
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Volo
Seeker

Canada
58 Posts

Posted - 27 Feb 2006 :  10:37:54  Show Profile  Visit Volo's Homepage Send Volo a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hmm. You know, I think Iakhovas woke up a couple of rather ancient Kraken when he went galavanting across Seros a few years back. Those could be what you're looking for.

Although, if you don't have it, I'd STRONGLY suggest the Sea of Fallen Stars sourcebook from very late 2nd ed. It's got ALL the undersea information about that giant sea you could possibly need.

Volo's misunderstood. He's not an idiot. He's a FLAMING idiot!
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Iliphar1
Learned Scribe

Austria
133 Posts

Posted - 27 Feb 2006 :  11:59:51  Show Profile  Visit Iliphar1's Homepage Send Iliphar1 a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
You know, they could come across a "frickin 'uge" kraken guarding a fallen city of Netheril, not sure where I got that idea


Erevis Cale Trilogy, third part "Midnight's Maks" covers the craken

anyway if you are looking for Monsters, I would strongly recommend the Sahuagin. The "Devils of the Sea" Scource Book covers them to a great and lenghtly detail!

'You see dead bones? ... I see an army!' Ezechiel 37
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Kajehase
Great Reader

Sweden
2104 Posts

Posted - 27 Feb 2006 :  16:27:01  Show Profile Send Kajehase a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Yes, that's why I quoted Paul's description of its size...

And the problem with usinh a sahuagin would be that they'd require some extra work of adding class levels in order to reach CR 18-20.
Of course, finding a seamonster with that high a CR without tweaking it is tough. The closest I found in the Monster Manual and Stormwrack was an aboleth mage with a CR of 17.

There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett

Edited by - Kajehase on 27 Feb 2006 16:33:08
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31701 Posts

Posted - 27 Feb 2006 :  16:49:49  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd

Don't recall what's stated for the Wizard's Reach, but I think it's "just saltwater".
I'd go with that -- there aren't any sources of freshwater near it to suggest the Wizard's Reach has brackish qualities.

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Iliphar1
Learned Scribe

Austria
133 Posts

Posted - 27 Feb 2006 :  19:20:55  Show Profile  Visit Iliphar1's Homepage Send Iliphar1 a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Try a Sahuagin King
4 arms, Mouth, Tail = 6 Attacks per Round standard
insane HD & strenght
should be quite a challenge, especially if accompanied with priests and other Sahuagins

'You see dead bones? ... I see an army!' Ezechiel 37
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Fletcher
Learned Scribe

USA
299 Posts

Posted - 27 Feb 2006 :  23:27:20  Show Profile  Visit Fletcher's Homepage Send Fletcher a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Try something truly frustrating yet low powered...water mephits using their acid breath to destroy the bottom of the vessel. Nobody will notice until the ship springs a leak, and then everyone is in real trouble.

How about a dozen scrag rangers that have the PC's as favored enemy's.

Combine the two, the scrags scramble onto the ship, while the mephits sink it. Have a Mephit Sorc level 6 Summon a few monsters, and roll a flaming sphere about the ship and the party is busy as they could ever want, and all caused by 2-5 CR creatures.

Or how about a floating islands full of scary monsters.

Or if you really want to have a higher CR encounter, have an aquatic construct make their lives miserable...imune to magic, terribly strong, and single minded about destroying them...Why did it attack them? Perhaps it was protecting some secret location beneath the sea...

Run faster! The Kobolds are catching up!
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer

USA
2066 Posts

Posted - 27 Feb 2006 :  23:33:03  Show Profile  Visit ericlboyd's Homepage Send ericlboyd a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Snotlord

Hello,

I'm thinking about running "Razing of Redshore", from Dungeon 92 in Cormyr, and need a suitable seamonster as a substitute for the killer whale. Any ideas?

The Sea of Fallens Stars is freshwater, right?

Thanks!



So, I think your query is answered by the answer "the water is salty [or brackish]", correct? Now that I've reviewed the module, I do think the whale is particularly appropriate, as he is supposed to be an ally of druids.

That said, I did note one cool monster in Stormwrack ... the scyllan. I think it could easily be raised to a CR 18-20 monster with a few bonus HD and maybe a template. You could make the former guardians of the pool pretty evil themselves (maybe the Shadar Pool was formed by the blood leaking from the corpse of the fallen archdevil Scylla?).

--Eric


--
http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/
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Lady Kazandra
Senior Scribe

Australia
921 Posts

Posted - 28 Feb 2006 :  00:40:06  Show Profile  Visit Lady Kazandra's Homepage Send Lady Kazandra a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd

Don't recall what's stated for the Wizard's Reach, but I think it's "just saltwater".
I'd go with that -- there aren't any sources of freshwater near it to suggest the Wizard's Reach has brackish qualities.


Aren't there Sahuagin in the Wizard's Reach Sage?

"Once upon a time the plural of 'wizard' was 'war'." -- The Last Continent, by Terry Pratchett
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Volo
Seeker

Canada
58 Posts

Posted - 28 Feb 2006 :  01:16:54  Show Profile  Visit Volo's Homepage Send Volo a Private Message  Reply with Quote
There aren't, if memory serves, but there are certainly locathah there. And they're a saltwater species, too. Again, I can't recommend Sea of Fallen Stars highly enough, especially since that's where you're running this campaign in the first place!

Volo's misunderstood. He's not an idiot. He's a FLAMING idiot!
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31701 Posts

Posted - 28 Feb 2006 :  04:54:11  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Volo

There aren't, if memory serves, but there are certainly locathah there. And they're a saltwater species, too. Again, I can't recommend Sea of Fallen Stars highly enough, especially since that's where you're running this campaign in the first place!

There are sahuagin in the Wizard's Reach in fact -- Unapproachable East notes that as such. And thus, likely suggests that the waters there are saltwater as Eric said above.

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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

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"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood

Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage

Edited by - The Sage on 28 Feb 2006 04:55:24
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Snotlord
Senior Scribe

Norway
476 Posts

Posted - 01 Mar 2006 :  16:11:32  Show Profile  Visit Snotlord's Homepage Send Snotlord a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thank you everybody for your replies. I am sorry about launching a topic, and then go all absent minded on you, but real life has made demands the last couple of days.

I am somewhat surprised that a whale is approproate for the Sea of Fallen Stars. I remember thinking "bah... I never need that one" when I saw the SoFS sourcebook, and here I am . I obviously have some reading to do, and I hope Paizo has a electronic copy.

As for the monster, it should be an animal (with the druid thing and all), and it should be huge or gargantuan to bring some scope to the story. So a whale is perfect storywise.

So again, thank you, and please keep posting if anyone has any more ideas.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 01 Mar 2006 :  17:23:39  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Snotlord

I am somewhat surprised that a whale is approproate for the Sea of Fallen Stars. I remember thinking "bah... I never need that one" when I saw the SoFS sourcebook, and here I am . I obviously have some reading to do, and I hope Paizo has a electronic copy.


Indeed they do. I have that pdf myself.

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Steven Schend
Forgotten Realms Designer & Author

USA
1707 Posts

Posted - 06 Mar 2006 :  19:01:46  Show Profile  Visit Steven Schend's Homepage Send Steven Schend a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Snotlord

Thank you all for clearing that up This topic sound very familiar, I bet it has been covered elsewhere. (If so, sorry about that)

Now... the seamonster issue. How is whaling in the Sea of Fallen Stars? Somehow a giant whale seems wrong (but I could be mistanken).


Um, dangerous?

Can't recall if I'd put the idea into play or not, but one thing that would make whaling very dangerous is the idea that whalesong can be translated into bardish type spells...or perhaps even druidic type spells associated with whales and water.

If you want something more easily handled by the rules, I'd suggest that storm giants ride along with whale pods as friends to protect them in waters where whalers are known to hunt. After losing more than two ships to tridents and fists staving in the hull bottoms, whalers are likely to think it's too costly to hunt certain pods or certain places.....

Hope that idea helps....

Steven
Who's short on time and ideas this week....

For current projects and general natter, see www.steveneschend.com
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Snotlord
Senior Scribe

Norway
476 Posts

Posted - 06 Mar 2006 :  22:08:15  Show Profile  Visit Snotlord's Homepage Send Snotlord a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
If you want something more easily handled by the rules...



Nah, liked the first one better The fun thing about FR (well, one of many fun things actually), is that FR magic feels like and organic, ever-changing thing, and not as static as standard D&D magic. I don't have this strange urge to codify and explain everything.
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EytanBernstein
Forgotten Realms Designer

USA
704 Posts

Posted - 06 Mar 2006 :  22:18:11  Show Profile  Visit EytanBernstein's Homepage Send EytanBernstein a Private Message  Reply with Quote
You've got some choices in the MM3. You could have some dragon eels. A greater Siege Crab is really nasty and CR 18. You could always add the spellwarped template (also MM3) to make it worse.

http://eytanbernstein.com - the official website of Eytan Bernstein
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