Need ideas for ship cargo, please

[DonEsteban]

Hi, I'm planning a D&D-adventure on a ship and I'm looking for ideas what the ship's cargo might be. The ship is going to get stranded and attacked and I want something that might make things more interesting. I was was thinking of something living. It shouldn't be central to the adventure (so no sleeping T-Rex), but it should add some spice (chicken won't do). Party is level 3. Any suggestions?

[hymer]

What sort of world are we talking here? Fantasy? Real world?

How about flour? It could affect fights if it gets out of its containers.

[DonEsteban]

Oh, it's D&D.

[hymer]

Then how about a chaotically charged magical orb, which comes to life whenever a fight breaks out, causing random effects and chaos? Every round initiative reaches 0, you can roll on a table and get an effect. Here's one I've used for a 5e campaign:

1: Magical darkness for 1 round
2: Magical silence for 1 round
3: 25% chance each combatant becomes invisible for 1 round or until breaking
4: One random combatant becomes invisible for 1 round or until breaking
5: All must make DC 10 wisdom save or be blinded 1 round
6: All must make DC 10 dexterity save or be knocked prone
7: Everyone receives 1d6 temporary hp
8: Any magical healing effect in the next round is maximized
9: Anyone rolling a 13 on an attack roll in the next round recovers 1d6 hp
10: All saving throws vs. magic have disadvantage in the next round
11: All saving throws vs. magic have advantage in the next round
12: Reroll initiative

[Fri]

It shouldn't be central to the adventure (so no sleeping T-Rex), but it should add some spice (chicken won't do). Party is level 3. Any suggestions?

Frick, imagine having to catch 5,000 chickens alive before the tide rises and the ship must depart. while being attacked by orcs.

[hifidelity2]

How about

A prize live Bull – being shipped from A – B. Its in a pen on the desk and will break loose when the fight starts and will charge anyone it sees – that way if the fight is going to easily you can have it attack the party and if its going to hard for them it can attack the enemy. At 3rd level a charging Bull (horn and trample) will do some damage

The ship is transporting families – once the fight starts they start running around like headless chickens generally getting in the way, putting themselves in danger etc – and again one or two might know one end of a club from another and be able to help if the DM needs them to

[Storm_Of_Snow]

Cattle might be transported, and could well panic if they get loose.

Alternatively, what about something like normal snakes that are being transported to an alchemist to be milked for their venom? And the PCs can't just kill them because the captain would be on the hook for their value if they were killed.

And the first player to imitate Samuel L Jackson has their character fall overboard. :smallwink:

There's also bulk goods like cloth, wood and so on that can potentially be flammable, and a ship's one of the last places you want a fire. And while flour got mentioned as something that can affect fights, powders like that (including coal dust and sawdust which might accumulate in hard to reach areas if the ship's been hauling coal or wood for a long time) can potentially be explosive.

[kraftcheese]

Maybe oil? Olive oil, whale oil, etc.

It's flammable.

[hymer]

Maybe oil? Olive oil, whale oil, etc.

It's flammable.

On that note, certain nuts are quite hazardous and can become explosive: Here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucrnxkJE-Qc).

[eru001]

Livestock of any kind are potentially hilarious. I'm partial to cattle but sheep or goats are also fun for shipboard animal escape shenanigains.

A cargo full of something highly flammible or explosive (coal, flour, alchemical ingrediants)

A cargo of passengers both has the civilians on the battlefield and also whatever random/eccentric items are in their luggage

a shipment of weapons for troops at x destination could also be entertaining

a shipment of top quality fertilizer, (manure) flammible, possibly explosive, smelly, disgusting if it gets spilled out of it's containers.

BEES

[DonEsteban]

The more I think about it, the more entertaining the chicken idea becomes, actually!


BEES
This is also not bad. They are stored in bee-holders, of course. :smallbiggrin:


Then how about a chaotically charged magical orb
Also nice. It might even transmute the chickens. Or set them ablaze.


Thanks everyone!

[Malimar]

Giant hamsters.

[GungHo]

Crate of tribbles

[SethoMarkus]

Crate of tribbles

If a sleeping T-Rex is too big of a game-changer, I think tribbles would be downright disastrous :smalltongue:

[Noje]

It doesn't really matter what the cargo is if you make it very secretive. The only one who knows what they are shipping is the captain, and he won't tell a soul. the entire crew is kept in the dark but not willing to cross their captain to satiate this curiosity. The captain and crew will make sure there's hell to pay if one of the players gets too curious and opens the crate.

[Mitth'raw'nuruo]

Passengers: One Priest. One doctor. One under cover cop. One Cargo. One ambassador. On the same mission, also
Elvin Lembas bread. "One of those will feed a family for a month. Longer if they don't like their kids too well."

Medical supplies. That they must first steal. Only people actually need them.
Salvage. Only their is a mad surviver. Twist. The Navy shows up, and blames them.
Cattle
Ceramics
Medical Supplies. That they must first steal.
Wobbly-headed dolls
A Lassiter Rod.
Human organs

[Jay R]

Living cargo for a medieval ship? The first thing that comes to mind is slaves.