Shattered Sea Player's Guide
What's new?
The Gunslinger and all associated class archetypes are available! Guns are still a rare commodity and only the skilled or lucky can safely wield the clumsy flintlocks of this new age. For more on fire arms rules look here. In particular, take note that guns are expensive and hard to use without training; an untrained individual who loads a firearm takes a -4 to hit and increases the misfire value by 4. (source) A new feat is here for gun weilders to embrace the wild life of the gun-toting freebooter. Check out the Brace of Pistols and refresh yourself on our other home-brewed feats here Two new/improved deities are taking center stage in our illustrious pantheon: Alcithena, goddess of sailors and maritime trade, and Besmara, goddess or piracy and plunder. There is a brand new suite of character traits in this guide which can tie your character to The Shattered Seas. Check them out at the end of this guide.Highlights and Expectations
This is a campaign set in The Shattered Seas so naval travel will be a mainstay early on. I would like to try our collective hand at naval combat and give you, the players, a boat. You have always had a traveling base; the Cardis, Rym and the cart; Earl's funky pavilion. I very much want you to fall in love with the boat and make it your roaming base of operation for this campaign. This campaign will be a return to the sandbox. I learned a lot from Curse of the Crimson Throne and I think you all want to get back to a setting that you can explore. There will be some bounds to help me prepare material but The Shattered Seas are vast; feel free to go where your whims take you! Crafting and Downtime will be a focus. I heard the complaints from the last campaign and have taken them seriously. I promise to allow you, the players, and your characters time to breathe between major arcs and will give you the time to craft most things. You will not have infinite time, but I will strive to not paint every quest as an immediate threat or a short deadline. This campaign will be deadly, though there will be less combat overall. After the Curse of the Crimson Throne, I think that we have all come to agree that the amount of combat in a pre-built adventure path is too much. Resource draining encounters for the sake of combat are boring and do not progress external or internal plots. I will strive to make this campaign have less meaningless combats and to make those combats more deadly. I encourage you to build a well rounded party. I would like to explore more social encounter realms. I teased at a party scenario last campaign which you all seemed to like the idea of. If you are interested I will add more structured and/or pivotal social encounters which will require the party to navigate with social skills and abilities.Character Creation
Hometowns
For this campaign I encourage you to select or create a hometown for your character that ties them to The Shattered Seas. If you feel inclined to create a locale, please feel free. If you would instead like to select a location which already exists, I have created a number of settlements that have some importance to The Shattered Seas. They are presented here with an elevator pitch description but the link will take you to a full settlement article.
Sargava, on the Mwangi Coast, is a haven for adventurers trading in exotic flora, rare hardwoods, and creature components from the perilous Interior. Once a lost colony, it reemerged as an independent bastion of commerce. At its southern edge, River's Vigil Hall stands as a solemn gathering place for adventurers, where stoic Rivermen prepare those daring to face the unforgiving Interior, its walls lined with trophies and warnings of what awaits.
Imeall's Hope
Nestled in the shadow of the distant cliffs of the Storval Rise, Imeall's Hope, a youthful settlement on Quarren's Southwestern shores, thrives on newfound trade. Merchant ships traveling the Quarren Straight bring coveted Utasan beadwork and Astralvyn high-altitude wines, enticing collectors with dreams of legendary Utasan trinkets. Relations with Utasu and Astralvyn cultures flourish, with Imeall's Hope serving as a hub for exotic goods. This new influx of trade brings wealthy travelers to the town while newly discovered Ghul-Gani ruins up-river draw the intrepid explorers towards The Interior seeking riches and knowledge.
Handryf
Handryf is a bustling port found just north of where the Quarren Straight spills into the Quarren Sea Gulf. Here, Utasans, driven by cultural imperative to seek stories, converge to book passage away from Southern Quarren. Merchants engage in trades catering to the needs of Utasans and exchange goods with nearby Astralvyn communities, who bring rare ores and luxurious, high-altitude wine. The town thrives on reselling these goods, positioned as a natural stop for ships entering or exiting the Quarren Straight. Atop the nearby island, the Starward Beacon, a marvel crafted by skilled Astralvyn artisans, gathers and reflects starlight no matter the weather and lights the approach to the cities docks
In the notorious town of Port Hawe, sailors seeking respite from the tumultuous Quarric Ocean can lose themselves in a pit of hedonistic indulgence. Visitors can find hearty food, potent drinks, and the services of brothels, all under the watchful eyes of the cities powerful Vudran families like Clan Arkona. Founded as a haven for sea-weary sailors, the town quickly gained its reputation with a proliferation of establishments catering to vice. However, beyond the allure of indulgence lie inherent dangers, both to one's health and to one's cargo. In the cities many establishementsm like the notorious Captain Scarlet's Den of Avarice, fortunes change hands in the blink of an eye and a toss of the dice.
Havenport
Nestled amidst the azure expanse of the Quarric Ocean, Havenport stands as a tropical haven and crucial resupply hub between Tourgase and Quarren. The town thrives on exports of succulent fruits, dried fish, and the prized pearls harvested from the surrounding seas – coveted treasures sought by sailors and traders alike. While the island itself lacks noteworthy geographical features, its natural beauty lies in the abundance of wildlife, with rare species of birds soaring through the skies and elusive sea snakes gliding through the crystalline waters. Havenport's economy is centered around resupply activities, complemented by a thriving community of fishermen who ensure the locals are well-fed. At the Serenity Pearl Beds, skilled divers delicately harvest luminescent pearls from the depths, which have become an article of high fashion in some Terra Carten societies. The port's idyllic nature is reflected in its inhabitants' laid-back lifestyle, as they adhere to lax schedules, creating a tranquil atmosphere that sets Havenport apart as a paradise away from the bustling docks.
Hell's Harbor was once a haven for pirates and exiles on Devil's Arches but in recent days it has ben transformed into an iron fisted semblance of decorum and finery. Ruled by disgraced DeShattue officer Arronax Endymion, the port town bears unexpected refinement in a fusion of DeShattue aesthetics and rugged charm of privateer life. However, the charm is somewhat spoiled by two things: the recurring passage of Gwenhael's Eye over Devil's Arches and the nuisance of imps thought to spawn in the arches and surrounding ruins, giving the island and the town their namesakes.
Imeallstad
Imeallstad is an ancient port of Dwarven origin. Once a simple fishing town, the docks there became popular with ships emerging from or entering the island-studded Bairne Straight. However, despite the frequent berth of ships, Imeallstad has remained frozen in time, growing little in the centuries since it's founding. it's cobbled streets and aged architecture feel like a window into the past as trade passes by the town for the richer docks of Port Fortune or the farther coasts of Terra Carte.
New Loistavas
New Loistavas is a modern marvel of engineering to rival even the triumphs of its namesake. Built on the rim of the submerged crater where Loistavas once lay, the new city is a masterwork of marbled buildings shot through with waterways. Stretching into the larger islands north and west, New Loistavas is a wonder to behold and a vibrant port teeming with opportunity and riches. The northern stretches of the massive city act as wind breaks and bulwarks dispersing all but the worst wrath of Gwenhael's Eye while the structures around the rim of the Loistavan_Sea host the cities artisans and pioneers. Frequent salvage expeditions, anthropological digs, and treasure hunts are launched into the Loistavan_Sea but it remains a dangerous area teeming with territorial wildlife and even more aggresive constructs left over from the Old City.
Valin'Bhaint
The picturesque city of Valin'Bhaint is one of the The Shattered Seas's greatest timber suppliers and has prospered greatly as maritime trade blossoms. Nestled in a protected bay well away from the rough waters of the ocean, heavy barges dock to take on shipments of timber and stone and offload the wealth of a dozen shipyards. The expansive Tiodhlac Forest stretches away north and east along the mountains providing ample natural resources while the river feeding the town flows direct from the mountains carrying shipments of valuable ores and minerals making Valin'Bhaint a pinnacle of commerce and craftsmen.
The port city of Valin'Cuain is much like it's sister city Valin'Bhaint, nestled in a small bay and surrounded by forest though Valin'Cuain is considerably smaller and not so much the industrial powerhouse. Located due north of New Loistavas, the city is a popular stop over for ships making their way up to Port Fame and beyond to Amaris and recieves its fair share of merchants offloading wares after traversing the Bairne Straight. Locals and visators alike scoff at the growing edfice that Steward Deònaidh MacCathbharra calls the Aero Mooring; the steward claims that within the decade ships that ply the air will dock here and bring trade from far off lands to the town.
The metropolis of Port Alvai is among the largest settlements in Tourgase, rivaling Valin'nor to the southwest and New Loistavas to the northeast. Her docks teem with vessels making their way up and down the coast of Tourgase while all manner of workshops, mills, and smiths spread away from her waters. Port Alvai is said to be the birthplhace of gunpowder weapons as well as a number of other technological advancements. Rumors even abound that the highest towers are home to a new breed of ship that would ply the very air and not be bound to the waves.
At the undisputed heart of The Shattered Seas lies it's greatest treasure, Port Fortune. The city is a sprawling mega-dock in the protected gulf of Stormshroud Island hosting hundreds of ships at a time and sheltering them from Gwenhael's Eye. Any ship plying the waters between Tourgase, Terra Carte, and Amaris will most likely make berth here during the voyage and many a captain has been known to plot a longer course to include the port in their route. The city welcomes ships of every make and nationality and is considered one of the safest places in The Shattered Seas. In the Trade Tide Square, built on the cities original docks, goods of all manner can be found while ships of every cut and size can be found at Full Hull Heritage Harbor.
Peureux
The trade port of Peureux is a bustling hub of economic frenzy and imported grandeur. As one of the closest Terra Carten ports to Port Fortune, the city has benefited from immense merchant traffic especially those bringing goods from the far off Mwangi Coast. The city is most well known for its Silken Garden where herbalists and horticulturists labor to curate the largest collection of plants from the twin continents of Quarren.
Port DeVide
Port DeVide is without question the single largest port city and shipyard this side of Terra Carte. Occupying a narrow bay at the end of the Balteau Gulf, Port DeVide hosts an impressive shipyard were dozens of ships can be repaired or built at a time. The harbor and shipyards, collectively known as Fleetwatch, now serves as the greatest naval station in the fledgling DeShattue Les Ressemblant while the smaller Tidepoint Market caters to the small commerce the city receives. Runnng through it all is a reminder of the DeShattue legacy of old; a massive stone foundation of a colossal pier juts from the shore out into the water casting a stark outline against the bustling shipyards.
Lac Masion
East beyond the shallow ruins and cluttered bogs of the Sundered Coast lies the seat of DeShattue governance, Lac Masion. From humble beginnings as a cluster of farms and refugee camps, the city has grown over the many centuries into a modern metropolis. Inland trade to The Grasslands and ties to the powerful ports of Maisancienne and DeVide have made Lac Masion strong. Now, Les Ressemblant des Dukes Au DeShattue gather under the High Duke Ambroisin Beaumanoir in his ancestral home and fortress, Les Chaiseux DePovoir.
North of the Sundered Coast in Gulf Grifon lies the port town of Maisancienne. Straddling a wide river flowing from rich mountains, the town is a center for trade and construction. While the shipyards there are not so grand compared to Port DeVide, they are none-the-less impressive and can host a full dozen frigates at once. Many of the valuable ores and timber gathered upstream are sold here to wealthy merchants or to Les Ressemblant des Dukes Au DeShattue to fuel the production of vessels, however, taxes on goods imposed by Ávoile stymie the economic growth of the city.
Ávoile
Standing as a counterpart to the industrious Maisancienne, Ávoile is a city of pomp, pretention, and power. Ávoile was a powerful military duchy further east in Gulf Grifon with some of the few remaining ships of the old DeShattue empire. The rulers there leveraged their position and power to protect the gulf and charge traders and vessels to pass into the inland waters. In stark contrast from the practical and efficient cities of commerce, Ávoile has grown into a glittering jewel of opulence and affluence where the city's elite vie for power over the naval rights of the gulf.
Rech
Rech is a Northen town of Terra Carte, home to opportunity for those with eyes bent on Amaris. Advenurers, explorers, and merchants alike gather at the Expeditionary Bazar to purchase cold-weather gear and supplies or to offload treasures and trinkets. The town's docks are a testament to the will of commerce, having been rebuilt 7 times in the two centuries since the town has founded; persistent ice builds up then thaws erroding most forms of structures while clumsy ships piloted by cold sailors do it no favors.
Port Fame
Halfway up the world between Port Fortune and Amaris lies the island of Dhak's Skull and on it Port Fame, a true rival to the great city of Port Fortune. If a ship departs for Amaris and it does not leave from Rech, that ship must top in Port Fame, the last resupply point before braving the northen storms and rocky coasts of the Frozen Continent. The city was founded as just that, a resuply stop for ships making the journey north; but it soon blossomed into an economic power with trade of valuable components and treasures flowing out of the North.
Rievhome
Arguably the oldest colony on the continent, Rievhome stands in stark contrast to the frigid conditions, thriving on brisk trade with the nomadic Kulkodar and hosting the Omgrári Observatory. The observatory makes Rievhome a popular destination for students of astrology and divination alike with it's peculiar properties and recent discoveries of Bunosccian Matter deposits in the mountains north draw merchants and miners alike.
Sovfroid
Rooted in DeShattue culture, Sovfroid has weathered the harsh conditions, though much of the honor and civility has been bled away in the face of the stark cold and dangers of the north. The survival of the city hinges on perilous expeditions into the frozen expanse and trade with the nomadic Kulkodar tribes. As more and more trade is diverted to Rievhome, the city of Sovfroid struggles, making trade of valuable components and goods cut-throat and deadly.
Port Peril
Hidden somewhere in The Shattered Seas is a den of villainy and vice where any manner of ill-gotten good can be found and the hardest sailors gather. This place is known as Port Peril and is one of the greatest secrets this side of Quarren. Only the trusted few Free Captains know the way and all others are made to forget the path by powerful enchantments said to be weaved by Besmara herself.
Class/Archetype Recommendations
Obviously I recommend the Gunslinger as they are new to the world. But there are plenty of other options that can suit the setting. Given the nature of the region, the Ranger can shine with their favored terrains and enemies more readily accessible while classes that rely on less bulky armor will limit the risk of drowning in all that heavy platemail. In additional to these suggestions, I have curated a collection of archetypes which I believe are particularly suited to the setting. Those archetypes marked with an asterisk (*) gain a battered firearm like the Gunslinger and/or have firearm proficiencies.
| Class | Archetypes |
|---|---|
| Alchemist | Aquachymist, Gun Chemist* |
| Arcanist | Aeromancer |
| Barbarian | Sea Reaver, Savage Technologist |
| Bard | Buccaneer, Daredevil, Sea Singer |
| Cleric | Crashing Wave |
| Cavalier | Musketeer*, Wave rider, Dune Drifter* |
| Druid | Aquatic Druid, Shark Shaman, Storm Druid, Tempest Druid |
| Fighter | Aquanaut, Cad, Corsair |
| Hunter | Aquatic Beastmaster, Flood Flourisher |
| Inquisitor | Keeper of the Current |
| Investigator | Steel Hound* |
| Paladin (Champion) | Pearl Seeker, Holy Gun* |
| Ranger | Deep Diver, Freebooter |
| Rogue | Gun Smuggler*, Pirate, Rake, Smuggler, Swashbuckler, Thug |
| Shaman | Deep Shaman |
| Slayer | Toxic Sniper* |
| Sorceror | WildBlooded(Seaborn) |
| Swashbuckler | Corsair, Musketeer*, Picaroon* |
| Witch | Sea Witch |
| Wizard | Siege Mage, Water Elmentalist, Spellslinger* |
Bloodlines: The elemental (water), aquatic, or stormborn bloodline are good choices for sorcerors and bloodragers.
Domains: Good domain choices include Charm, Liberation, Luck, Travel, Trickery, Water, and Weather, and useful subdomains include Curse, Deception, Oceans, Revolution, Storms, and Thievery. In addition, druids might be interested in the aquatic terrain domain. Gods for Clerics, Inquisitors, Paladins and such: Besmara — goddess of piracy, strife, and sea monsters — would make an excellent diety for a pirate or privateer while her sister Alcithena — goddess of sailors, trade winds, and shipwrights — is more suited to the more morally inclined adventurer. Favored Enemies and Terrains: Good favored enemy choices include aberration, animal, humanoid (giant), monstrous humanoid, and magical beast. For favored terrains, water would be the obvious choice. Flavorful Oracle Curses and Mysteries:- Mysteries: Elemental (water), Waves, Wind.
- Curses: Aboleth, Covetous, Deep One, Lame (peg Leg anyone?)
Skills that may be handy
In this campaign, naval travel and the skills associated with it will be important. Perception, Climb, and Proffession(sailor) can all come into play. like wise, trade and craft can be very lucrative; Appraise, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, and the Craft skills can come in handy. If you want to maintain or improve your ship a wide range of Craft or Knowledge skills can come into play.
Character Traits
The traits presented here are designed to give your character a little more connection to The Shattered Seas. Some of them are a little generic and give broader bonuses while others are tied to particular aspects of the setting and give more specific benefits and, in some cases, penalties. Ancient ExplorerYou grew up hearing of ancient civilizations or recently discovered the mystery of the Ghul-Gani ruins scattered around The Shattered Seas. It may be a hobby or a devoted passion, but som part of you is drawn to the enigma of their disappearence and the wonders these ruins may hold
- You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge(History) and (Geography). These bonuses are doubled when the subject is related to the Ghul-Gani. You may select one of those skills to be a class skill.
- You add Aquan, Cyclops, and Giant to your list of bonus languages available from your culture. For each of these languages you know, you add a +2 trait bonus on Lingustics checks made to decipher Ghul-Gani script or pictographs and to create or detect forgeries of such works.
- You gain a +1 trait bonus to initiative and damage during surprise rounds.
- You gain a +1 trait bonus on damage with brass knucles, unarmed strikes, and improvised weapons
- You gain a +1 trait bonus on Appraise and Sense Motive skill checks. You may select one of these skills to be a class skill.
- Once per week you may roll an Intimidation, Diplomacy, or Deception check to reduce the cost of suspect goods by a percentage equal to the result of your roll (maximum 50%)
- You gain a +2 trait bonus on Craft(carpentry) and Knowledge(engineering) skill checks pertaining to ships.
- You gain a +1 trait bonus on Heal checks and heal is a class skill
- You gain a +1 trait bonus on swim checks and swim is a class skill.
- Reduce the underwater attack penalty by 1
- You gain a +1 trait bonus on Profession(sailor) checks and it is a class skill.
- You gain a +2 trait bonus on your choice of Sense Motive or Diplomacy checks when dealing with pirates, privateers, and freebooters. The choice is made at character creation.
- Once per day, may take 10 on a Knowledge check pertaining to Port Peril.
- You gain a +1 trait bonus on Profession(sailor) and Perception checks. One of these skills may be a class skill.
- Once per day you may add a d4 to a Profession(sailor) check after the die is rolled but before the result is revealed.
- You gain a +1 trait bonus on Intimidate and Profession(sailor) checks.
- You may select two skills from the among Acrobatics, Intimidate, Appraise, Escape Artist, or Profession(sailor) and make them class skills.
- You gain a +2 trait bonus to your choice of Profession(sailor), Profession(soldier), or Ride. You gain another of these skills as a class skill.
- You gain a +2 trait bonus on Diplomacy and Knowledge checks pertaining to the DeShattue .
- You gain a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge(geography), (local), and (nature) checks when the subject is aquatic.
- You gain a +1 trait bonus on your choice of Diplomacy or Sleight of Hand checks.
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