I’ve really been digging on Knave 2e lately, by
of Questing Beast fame. I don’t have a lot of time to prep games and its abundance of tables, simplicity of play, and rapid character creation will allow me to run a West Marches style game really easily. Somehow or another, though, I got it in my head to do what I’ve calling a Seacrawl - a West Marches style campaign on the open seas.So, I grabbed my copy of Lilliputian: Adventure on the Open Seas, Veneranda Isle, Eldermist Shores, Dark of Hot Springs Island, and (of course) X1: Isle of Dread. I figure I’ll grab a sheet of hex paper, do a die drop to determine what is where, and go from there. Now, I just need to design a hub for the campaign.
Naturally, my mind goes to the original wretched hive of scum and villainy, Port Royale. Now, not only was Port Royale a rugged, lawless place (it was called the “Wickedest City on Earth” in its time), but it also literally sank into the sea in the wake of a natural disaster. So, that give me an idea. What if, at the end of every session of play, I rolled 1d20 and on a 1 my wretched sea-side shanty town actually was destroyed and the PCs were left without a hub?
Suddenly the stakes of a West Marches campaign are altered radically. I think that’s a great idea and will make the campaign very interesting. Now, the question is what do I call this place and what tools do I use to generate it?
I've often fancied the idea of a seacrawl, however I've never been quite sure how to handle the "needing a ship to get about" aspect of it, as opposed to just being able to travel anywhere in foot. Maybe I'm overthinking it? 🤔
I appreciate the mentioning of the tools used. Sounds like the makings of a lively campaign.