Crimson Tide

Handling the Raid

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This is a full-scale raid. Combat is happening everywhere, but the goal is to keep the players moving. If they try to fight every enemy, they will be overwhelmed. Shifting objectives maintain momentum and sahuagin are a constant threat.   Encounters. Squads of 3x sahuagin & 1x sahuagin priestess attack. Keep at least 1x Squad present as a threat at all times. There are too many sahuagin to stop. They will only retreat when their ship is destroyed or they have their fill.  

Additional Events. See Event Table on the Reference Page.

  Special Lair Actions. Both the GM and players have extra actions impacting the combat through external means. Players may choose together, or rotate the decision each round. Have players narrate their actions and take part just as the GM does.  

Lair Actions (GM, Initiative 20)
Cannon Fire. All characters must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage from flying debris. Success: Half damage.   Person in Trouble. A civilian is trapped or is under attack, slowing the characters down. Commoner stats.   Reinforcements Arrive. The Civil Legion arrives to aid, shoring up necessary locations and backup. Guard stats.

Lair Actions (Players, Initiative 10)
Civil Legion Aid. Safely Disengage from combat.   Save a Civilian. An innocent person escapes.   Target Assigned. Eliminate 1x non-boss enemy.

Port Authority to the Docks

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The characters must cover approximately 100 ft. to reach the docks. They are searching for Dock Envoy Myles Prawer, a human male, described as “Fox Faced.” Highlight immediate threats and key targets, and let the chaos of the surroundings show the overwhelming scale.     Limited Visibility. While on the ground vision is limited to 30 ft. due to smoke, crowds of people, and scattered debris.

Dock Master & the Harbor Chain Key

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Destroyed ships and dead citizens are all over near the docks.     Encounter. 1x sahuagin baron is flanked by 1x squad of sahuagin and has torn through the defenders. Myles is dead.   The Baron. The baron is a boss and immune to lair actions.  

DC 14 Investigation or Perception. Dock Master Myles’ body is mostly eaten, found near the baron. The Harbor Chain Key is on the ground, requiring a second ability check to find.

Back to the Port Authority

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Return with the key, covering the hazardous 100 ft. once again.  

Note: Stop all lair actions after reaching the Port Authority.

  Encounter. 2x bandits from first group targeting Jagger are left, and have been locked outside. These two Crimson Corsairs are meant as easy targets. Once inside, the chain may be raised.     Alma and Aerin Estuary. The twins run the city in normal circumstances. They are young and this is above their skillset.   Jagger/Stitch. “Jagger” is actually an apprentice in disguise. Stitch is terrified and will happily reveal himself and the plan.  

• Jagger is going to hit the sahuagin ship with cannons.
• Jagger made Stitch do this to buy time and set everything up.

Extra’s Names
A few other citizens managed to get inside during the raid, including a badly injured Knight who defended the twins.   Names: Sir Kaitlyn Troft, Knight of the Tritos Dominion. (citizens) Charles, Dennis, Deandra, Francis, and MacDonald.

Pause & Parlay

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Once the chain is raised there is a brief pause in the raid. Tilda will attempt to parlay. She wants Jagger and nothing else.   Encounter. Tilda Crawford (assassin) and as many bandits as desired. Tilda is impressed by the character’s resilience and will only deal with them. The Estuary twins are fine with giving up Jagger. Characters may take a Short Rest during the parlay.  

• Demands. Hand over Jagger or they will bring the full fleet.
• Factors. Once the parlay ends, the sahuagin will resume their bloodshed. The Corsairs are powerless to stop them.
• Resolution. If refused, Tilda and the bandits are another obstacle. If appeased, the Crimson Corsair will leave now.

Jagger’s Shipyard

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Jagger has been preparing for this day as best he can. Outside his shipyard, he has cannons readied but needs help using them.   Encounter. Jagger (bandit) is fending off 1x sahuagin when the characters arrive. Two cannons, filled with enough explosive powder to destroy a ship are ready to fire at the closest target.

Rewards

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City Payment. Due to reconstruction efforts, payment is low. Pirates and sahuagin loot are all normal gear.   Tilda Loot. A decanter of endless water and assassin gear.   Renown. Characters who aid in the city’s defense gain a considerable increase in renown with Bastor and the Dominion.

NPCs

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Jagger
N/E Male, Gnome Shipwright   Once a fearsome pirate affiliated with the Guilds of Naga Cove, the man called Jagger earned a notorious reputation as a ruthless slaver, leading a crew of equally merciless scoundrels. The stories say that during a raid, he unexpectedly fell in love.   Contrary to his crew’s wishes, Captain Jagger halted the assault and ordered the release of captives. His crew rebelled, killed his newfound love, and marooned Jagger at sea.   Miraculously the gnome washed up on Bastor’s shores. Jagger has used his skills to purchase the local shipyard and now focuses on his career. He has kept his past a secret.

Roleplaying Jagger
Personality Trait. “My true loves are women and wine.”
Ideal. “Shameless. I don’t dwell on past mistakes; as far as I'm concerned, I've never made any.”
Bond. “My ties to the guilds of Naga Cove are inescapable.”
Flaw. “The fear of my past adversaries is ever-present.”

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The Estuary Twins
L/G Female & Male, Human Leaders   The Estuary Twins are the youngest children of Baron Druceff, local ruler of the Southern Tritos Dominion. Most recently they have been appointed as Dockmasters of the Port Authority of Bastor. Neither of them have interest in their current position.

Roleplaying Alma
Personality Trait. “I am my own person!”
Ideal. “Obligation. I am the responsible one to be trusted.”
Bond. “I would have struck out on my own if not for Aerin.”
Flaw. “I long for romance and adventure, but feel trapped by my current position, making me far too apathetic.”

Roleplaying Aerin
Personality Trait. “I am my own person!”
Ideal. “Dutiful. I do what's asked of me even if I drag my feet.”
Bond. "Family is the most important thing. They are all that’s left when the rest of the world has become gloom."
Flaw. "I don’t like being here. I'm not going to try very hard.”

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Tilda Crawford
N/E Female Triton Assassin   An assassin of the Crimson Corsairs, Tilda has served under her Captain for three years. She is an adept negotiator, preferring to outwit her opponents rather than engage in face-to-face combat. She believes in Captain Marsh and supports his revenge.   Roleplaying Tilda
Personality Trait. “I will always seek the upper hand.”
Ideal. “Art of the Steal. I’ll never agree to a bad deal.”
Bond. “The Crimson Corsairs will take me to the top.”
Flaw. “My ambition outweighs what little conscious I have.”

The Crimson Corsairs

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Elroy Marsh was born and raised as a slave among the pirate crew of Captain Jagger. Elroy was separated from his parents when he was ten, and lived the next five years passed from crew to crew. Every day a black stain grew on his heart that would never heal, festering with the desire to kill Jagger.   When Elroy turned sixteen, he sailed into the docks of Naga Cove alone, accompanied by nothing but the dead. The Rippers investigated, finding Elroy a heartless killer, demanding the head of Captain Jagger. The Rippers passed the judgment onto their leader, Captain Caly Wakewalker, who found Elroy innocent. In the years that followed Caly promoted Elroy’s ambition, elevating him to captain the same ship he had arrived in.   In the fifteen years since, Captain Marsh and the Crimson Corsairs have become the most notorious slavers and thieves of the modern era. Every day Elroy has sailed, raided, and pillaged, and every night he is consumed with a vengeance that has refused to leave his heart. He has risen to leadership within the Guilds of Naga Cove and is considered quite influential.

Event Table

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If looking to change things up, choose an Event or Roll 1d6 .  

1d6	Event
1	Elemental Wave. A druid on a nearby street summons a wave from the ocean. DC 13 STR save or knocked Prone.
2	Sahuagin Love. A group of sahuagin have had their share of food and are simply lounging nearby in sated bliss.
3	Structure Collapse. The path is blocked, find a new way or go over. Acrobatics/Athletics to get by without losing time.
4	Citizen Armada. A group of citizens moves the enemies.
5	Unattended Wealth. A storefront is sitting wide open.
6	Unexpected Rival. A rival from a character’s past catches up to them at the worst possible time – the middle of a raid.

 

GM Advice

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This adventure is one long encounter. It is not actually a job, but a test of survival and morals. It is designed to induce panic and instill a sense of heroism. Lives depend on every action. Once the chain is raised, switch momentum in favor of the city. The Corsairs may return another day.   The twins and rulers of Bastor are nepotism hires. The intention is annoyance and the feeling that anyone else could do better. Jagger is a horrible person who has started a new life. Handing him over is entirely up to the characters.