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Port

Environments Designed by tudy • Art by Ed Chee, S.Yong, Stephen

At a glance

Tier
1
Type
Social
Difficulty
11
Impulses
Transship wares and people Tantalize with exotic lands and opportunities

Environment overview

The gate of most larger cities in the Hundred Islands. Captains and crew find each other, cargo is unloaded and expeditions readied, patrons hire ships for passage, transport, or discreet services.

Potential adversaries

Sailor (use Pirate Tough) Captain (use Pirate Captain) Guards (Bladed Guard, Head Guard) Merchant Sellsword Petty Noble Jagged Knive Bandits (Hexer, Kneebreaker, Lackey, Lieutenant, Shadow, Sniper) Masked Thief (scale to Tier 1)

Features

Passives

passive
  • Sailor's Yarn

    Every sailor has more stories to tell than journeys made. A PC can make a Presence Roll to listen to the tales and maybe learn something that is true. The PC rolls with advantage, if they spend a handful of gold to buy the sailor's trust. What they learn depends on the outcome of the roll:

    • Critical Success: Learn about two maojr events, both relevant to the PC's background and at least one of them being true and the other containing a kernel of truth at least.

    • Success with Hope: Learn about two events relevant to the PC's background and at least one of them close to being true.

    • Success with Fear: Learn about an alarming event related to the PC's background, which is close to being true.

    • Any Failure: The sailors have their fun with the PC and spin their yarn. The PC marks a Stress, one of the stories could possibly have a pinch of truth in it or more.

    Questions
    • What news do the PCs have to trade for the sailors' stories?
    • How will the sailors react if they are not taken seriously by the PCs?

Actions

action
  • Unlikely Encounter

    Many people come through the port and you never know who you run into. The PC meets a person they know, but did not expect to be here.

    Questions
    • What is your connection to this person?
    • Do you approach the person that you have spotted?
  • No Safe Harbor

    The rules in the port are complicated. The PCs raise the attention of the portmaster's subordinates, who are constantly on the lookout for collecting tolls and tariffs.

    Questions
    • Who of you carries secrets or illegal items?
    • What will it take to have the subordinate look the other way?

Reactions

reaction
  • Hidden Dealings
    Fear 1

    When the PCs are finding themselves alone you can spend a Fear to have them run into a group of smugglers, who are not amused to be seen. The smugglers are at Close range of a chosen PC and include a Jagged Knife Kneebreaker, as many Jagged Knife Lackeys as there are PCs, and a Jagged Knife Lieutenant. For a larger party add a Hexer or Sniper.

    Questions
    • What forbidden wares do they smuggle?
    • What details about them gives a hint of the lands they are from?

About this environment

An enironment for the city of Spires in my Hundred Island campaign. Can be used for any larger port.

Scaling of Masked Thief to Tier 1:
Difficulty 11 | Thresholds: 4/8 | HP: 3 | Stress: 3
ATK: +2 | Backsword: Melee | 1d8+2 phy
Experience: Acrobatics +2
Damage in the Quick Hands Action is reduced to 1d6+2
Difficulties in the Escape Plan Action are reduced to 10.

Port

Tier 1 Social

The gate of most larger cities in the Hundred Islands. Captains and crew find each other, cargo is unloaded and expeditions readied, patrons hire ships for passage, transport, or discreet services.

Impulses: Transship wares and people, Tantalize with exotic lands and opportunities

Difficulty: 11

Potential Adversaries: Sailor (use Pirate Tough), Captain (use Pirate Captain), Guards (Bladed Guard, Head Guard), Merchant, Sellsword, Petty Noble, Jagged Knive Bandits (Hexer, Kneebreaker, Lackey, Lieutenant, Shadow, Sniper), Masked Thief (scale to Tier 1)

Features

Sailor's Yarn - Passive: Every sailor has more stories to tell than journeys made. A PC can make a Presence Roll to listen to the tales and maybe learn something that is true. The PC rolls with advantage, if they spend a handful of gold to buy the sailor's trust. What they learn depends on the outcome of the roll:

  • Critical Success: Learn about two maojr events, both relevant to the PC's background and at least one of them being true and the other containing a kernel of truth at least.

  • Success with Hope: Learn about two events relevant to the PC's background and at least one of them close to being true.

  • Success with Fear: Learn about an alarming event related to the PC's background, which is close to being true.

  • Any Failure: The sailors have their fun with the PC and spin their yarn. The PC marks a Stress, one of the stories could possibly have a pinch of truth in it or more.

  1. What news do the PCs have to trade for the sailors' stories?
  2. How will the sailors react if they are not taken seriously by the PCs?
Unlikely Encounter - Action: Many people come through the port and you never know who you run into. The PC meets a person they know, but did not expect to be here.
  1. What is your connection to this person?
  2. Do you approach the person that you have spotted?
No Safe Harbor - Action: The rules in the port are complicated. The PCs raise the attention of the portmaster's subordinates, who are constantly on the lookout for collecting tolls and tariffs.
  1. Who of you carries secrets or illegal items?
  2. What will it take to have the subordinate look the other way?
Hidden Dealings - Reaction: When the PCs are finding themselves alone you can spend a Fear to have them run into a group of smugglers, who are not amused to be seen. The smugglers are at Close range of a chosen PC and include a Jagged Knife Kneebreaker, as many Jagged Knife Lackeys as there are PCs, and a Jagged Knife Lieutenant. For a larger party add a Hexer or Sniper.
  1. What forbidden wares do they smuggle?
  2. What details about them gives a hint of the lands they are from?

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