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Baleen, Living Whale Island

Environments Designed by tudy • Art by Khalid Al-muharraqi
Tier
2
Type
Exploration
Difficulty
14
Impulses
Give sunlight to plant-symbiots Consume zooplankton Dive into safety

Environment overview

On the back of these leviathans grow incredibly rare plants

Potential adversaries

Shark Siren Electric Eels

Features

Passives

passive
  • Floating Island

    This environment is actually one or more peaceful whale-like creatures, which drift at sea-surface to feast on a diet of small fish and zooplankton. They have knowledge of the oceans, but do not speak the languages of humanoids.

    Questions
    • How does their skin look and feel like?
    • Is the island comprised of a whole family or of a single large individual?
  • Mystical Plants

    On the Baleen Island grow exotic and unique plants that live symbiotically with their host. With a succesful Agility Roll on the slippery surface a PC can harvest some.

    Questions
    • What kind of plants are growing on these creatures?
    • Which potent properties do these plants have?

Actions

action
  • The Wrong Song
    Fear 1

    Spend a Fear to have a pack of Sirens approach the Baleen Island. They know to find prey at the Baleen Islands and thus follow them. Spawn in far range 1 Siren per PC. Add for

    • 1-3 PCs: 1 Horde of Electric Eels per PC,

    • 4 PCs: 1 Shark,

    • 5-6 PCs: 1 Shark, 1 Horde of Electric Eels,

    • 7+ PCs: 1 Shark per 3 PCs.

    Questions
    • What remains of a previous victim is entangled on the leviathan's back?

Reactions

reaction
  • Escape into the Deep
    Fear 1

    If the island feels threatened, you can spend a Fear to start a Countdown (4) that ticks down on future rolls with Fear. At its end, the island submerges and dives surprisingly fast into the depths of the ocean. Every PC observing these majestic creatures flee marks a Stress and loses a Hope. Anyone or anything holding onto the leviathans while they dive will soon have to deal with the massive water pressure (see below).

    Questions
    • As the Baleen Island flees which hope or dream of you does it take forever with it?
    • According to legend, where do the leviatahans go when they disappear in the very deep?

About this environment

A living island on the back of a whale-like creature. Part of my Hundred Islands campaign.

The table in The Wrong Song roughly creates a balanced encounter by the Battle Points system. If you don’t want a full out battle spawn just the Sirens. Keep also in mind that in a battle situation the whales are likely easily alerted and Escape into the Deep will trigger, which will make an ongoing battle usually much harder.

Water Pressure:
Each turn a PC holds onto a whale when they dive the PC marks 1D4 Stress for each turn they have hold on (i.e., 1D4 in the first turn, 2D4 in the second turn, and so on). This is in addition to any Stress or HP being marked for holding breath.

Image Source:
https://www.zbrushcentral.com/t/myth-of-the-floating-islands/204958

Baleen, Living Whale Island

Tier 2 Exploration

On the back of these leviathans grow incredibly rare plants

Impulses: Give sunlight to plant-symbiots, Consume zooplankton, Dive into safety

Difficulty: 14

Potential Adversaries: Shark, Siren, Electric Eels

Features

Floating Island - Passive: This environment is actually one or more peaceful whale-like creatures, which drift at sea-surface to feast on a diet of small fish and zooplankton. They have knowledge of the oceans, but do not speak the languages of humanoids.
  • How does their skin look and feel like?
  • Is the island comprised of a whole family or of a single large individual?
Mystical Plants - Passive: On the Baleen Island grow exotic and unique plants that live symbiotically with their host. With a succesful Agility Roll on the slippery surface a PC can harvest some.
  • What kind of plants are growing on these creatures?
  • Which potent properties do these plants have?
The Wrong Song - Action: Spend a Fear to have a pack of Sirens approach the Baleen Island. They know to find prey at the Baleen Islands and thus follow them. Spawn in far range 1 Siren per PC. Add for

  • 1-3 PCs: 1 Horde of Electric Eels per PC,

  • 4 PCs: 1 Shark,

  • 5-6 PCs: 1 Shark, 1 Horde of Electric Eels,

  • 7+ PCs: 1 Shark per 3 PCs.

  • What remains of a previous victim is entangled on the leviathan's back?
Escape into the Deep - Reaction: If the island feels threatened, you can spend a Fear to start a Countdown (4) that ticks down on future rolls with Fear. At its end, the island submerges and dives surprisingly fast into the depths of the ocean. Every PC observing these majestic creatures flee marks a Stress and loses a Hope. Anyone or anything holding onto the leviathans while they dive will soon have to deal with the massive water pressure (see below).
  • As the Baleen Island flees which hope or dream of you does it take forever with it?
  • According to legend, where do the leviatahans go when they disappear in the very deep?

Discussion

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