A Pirates Curse

[Ivor_The_Mad]

Hey GitP. I'm currently working on an open world dungeon based in a different setting. Its based in a ocean full of islands. The place is a demiplane with set perimeters (the edge of the world) The whole dungeon is based off of pirate lore where the PCs have a ship and they sail to the islands in search of treasure, evading curses, and fighting to keep your treasure safe. This is meant to be a low magic to no magic campaign. Only a few people use magic and very few believes it exists. It's partly based off of the lore shown in Pirates of the Caribbean. Like Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman and the Kraken. One of the things i'm looking for is riddles or clues that I can use to lead the PCs to treasure. I also would like some advice on how I can make this better or keep it fun for the party. Thanks.

[N810]

... a magic compass ?
... a map that can only be read in a full moons light.
... an immortal cursed monkey ?
... vague prophesies form a sea hag ?
... relentlessly being perused by a ghost ship/sea monster ?

[ErHo]

Forgetting where exactly on Oak Island you buried the treasure

[Ivor_The_Mad]

Forgetting where exactly on Oak Island you buried the treasure

I know it was under an oak tree...

[Madfellow]

I would advise doing a little research. Go back and watch your favorite Pirates movies and your favorite adaptation of Treasure Island. Robinson Crusoe, the Swiss Family Robinson, Gulliver's Travels, King Kong, Moby ****, Peter Pan, 20,000 Leagues, The King's Indian, Lord of the Flies, etc. Edgar Allen Poe wrote a short story or two that literally invented the cursed treasure hunt trope. And Magic: the Gathering is just wrapping up a series of stories set in a world called Ixalan, which is similar to what you're describing.

Flip through the monster manual and the DMG. Jot down as many fun tropes as you can and go wild.

[N810]

Actually they just released an D&D adaption of Ixalan over on the WotC site today.

[Ivor_The_Mad]

Actually they just released an D&D adaption of Ixalan over on the WotC site today.

theirs a post about it somewhere. Thanks Madfellow ill look int to those thing

[Vogie]

You could make the sole available source of magic being tied to the sea. Sea Sorcerers, Coast Druids and a Warlock patron that is based on Davy Jones' Locker or Calypso.

If I was building Calypso, I'd take pieces from the Fiend, Hexblade, Seeker, Raven Queen and GOO patrons with an emphasis on that IP.

For example:

Pact of the Crew:
At 3rd level, a character dedicated to the Calypso or forced on to the crew of the Dutchman can select this option instead of one of the warlock’s existing Pact Boon options. Their body is adapted to an aquatic environment, sprouting gills able to breathe underwater and gains a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
They grow fangs, spines, tentacles or a different aquatic-based natural weapon of choice. Their unarmed strikes deal 1d6 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, as appropriate to the natural weapon chosen, and are proficient with your unarmed strikes. Finally, the natural weapon is magic and they have a +1 bonus to the attack and damage rolls made using it.

The Black Spot
Starting at 1st level, you gain the ability to place a baleful curse on an enemy. As a bonus action, touch a creature within melee range. The target is cursed for 1 hour. Until the curse ends, you gain the following benefits:
◾ You gain a bonus to damage rolls against the cursed target. The bonus equals your proficiency bonus.
◾ Any attack roll you make against the cursed target is a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.
◾ You have advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check you make to find it.
The range of this effect is increased by an additional 30ft when you reach 5th, 11th, and 17th level. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Liar's Dice
At 6th level, you learn to magically ward yourself against attack and to turn an enemy's failed strike into good luck for yourself. When a creature makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that roll. If the attack misses you, your next attack roll against the creature has advantage if you make it before the end of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest

Living a Ghost Story
At 10th level, Calypso grants you a protective blessing. You gain advantage on death saving throws, immunity to the frightened condition, and resistance to cold damage.

Release the Kraken
Starting at 14th level, when you hit a creature with an attack, you can use this feature to instantly transport the a kraken through the lower depths to under your location. Squirming tentacles erupt in a 20-foot square from ground that you can see within range for up to 1 minute. For the duration, these tentacles turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain. When a creature enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, the creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 5d10 bludgeoning damage and be restrained by the tentacles until the spell ends. A creature, structure or vehicle that starts its turn in the area and is already restrained by the tentacles takes 5d10 bludgeoning damage. If a vehicle or structure drops to 0 hit points, it collapses. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

That's Hexblade's curse for 1 (mixed with a little hunter's mark), Entropic Ward for 6, Raven's Shield for 10, and Hurl through Hell (but mixed with Evan's Black tentacles, slightly nerfed because psychic damage is way better than bludgeoning, and deals damage to boats as well) for 14. The pact is just a lesser, non-concentration alter self. If you're doing a low-magic campaign, the later ones won't matter.

[N810]

Oh, you could throw in a casual mini game of Liars dice in the local tavern and maybe again later for much higher stakes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liar%27s_dice (I found the rules)

[Ivor_The_Mad]

Oh, you could throw in a casual mini game of Liars dice in the local tavern and maybe again later for much higher stakes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liar%27s_dice (I found the rules)

Thats perfect I love this idea thanks guys.

[Biggstick]

The ship needs to feel large. I'd assume it's where you plan on a majority of the campaign coming from, and it needs to be described as being sizeable fixture in your campaign. Don't skimp on the details of walking from one place to the next here. Build up unique stories for those who are on the ship, as the roles being served on the ship are important. Their personalities need to feel fleshed out, as does the home in which these personalities live (the ship).

A problem I've seen with ship-borne campaigns, is that a Player ends up being captain of the ship. This is fine, eventually. However, I don't think it should start that way. Start the campaign with an NPC Captain, and an NPC first mate. Have a mutiny be staged over something, it doesn't matter what, but it's something based on a decision the captain made. Do whatever you feel is appropriate for pirates to do to their former captain. Have the former first mate take over as captain of the ship.

What this does is establish that while it's nice to be in power, those onboard the ship can overthrow you should enough of them not like the way you're doing things as captain. You'll also have a new captain that is potentially ready for new challenges to their command. You've really set the stage for Players to "climb" in this pirate organization while demonstrating what happens to those who fail. If it can happen to the former captain, it can happen to the PC's.

As others have advised, watch movies with pirates in them. Find what you like from those stories and shamelessly use it in your game. Tweak it to your liking, and subtle changes will make it feel unique. Don't be afraid to oversell the ships in which a majority of this campaign takes place on. Really spend time developing the personalities and stories of those on the ship, as those are the NPC's who will be "generating activity" for you and your Players as they're out and about on the high seas.

[ErHo]

Liars dice!!!

IRL its a blast too, but we used cards

[Arcangel4774]

Reading this title made me think what kind of curse would a pirate hate... reverse midas curse. All gold or jewels touched tourns to mundane stone

[Ivor_The_Mad]

Reading this title made me think what kind of curse would a pirate hate... reverse midas curse. All gold or jewels touched tourns to mundane stone

I think that that would be quite funny to watch. Can I use this idea in my campaign?

[Vogie]

Reading this title made me think what kind of curse would a pirate hate... reverse midas curse. All gold or jewels touched tourns to mundane stone

Any fresh water they touch turns into rum.

They either drink themselves to death, or start drinking saltwater and autodehydrating.

[Arcangel4774]

I think that that would be quite funny to watch. Can I use this idea in my campaign?
As long as you share tbe hilarity that insues lol

[Ivor_The_Mad]

As long as you share tbe hilarity that insues lol

Of course. I would be glad to.