-Nate
Fortune & Glory
This scenario is Part 13 of the
Come Hell and High Water campaign, an adventure series for the
Skull & Bones historical
setting, for use with the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game version 3.5. It is intended for a party of
eighth-level characters. Although it is intended as part of an
ongoing collection of scenarios, it can also be run as a stand-alone
adventure with a bit of modification.
Background
This adventure is meant to take place immediately following the
events of the scenario “The Eye of the Storm.” During that time,
the PC's discovered a plot by a demon-possessed Edward Chapman to
lure the fleets of various Mediterranean powers, along with them,
into a pitched battle and the maw of a witch-summoned maelstrom.
Chapman was not so foolish as to carry his treasure cache into
battle, however. The valuable he left hidden on Grand Cayman Island
before departing for the Mediterranean, as a fail-safe in case of
problems. It is buried on the beach there, with a series of cryptic
markers indicating its position. What is more, he left behind a group
of guardians, savage warriors who wear the skins of crocodiles. They
lurk in the jungle of that island, ready to dissuade anyone who comes
too close to the treasure.
Indeed, these warriors have are about to have a run-in with some of
the pirates who use the island to careen. Two captains are currently
careening their vessels there—Annabell “Banshee” O'Bannon and
her brother, Michael “Cannon” O'Bannon. The presence of these two
pirates, along with their crews, is going to complicate things
considerably.
Introduction
As mentioned above, this adventure is intended to follow naturally
from the events of “The Eye of the Storm.” Perhaps the PC's
managed to release Edward Chapman from his demonic possession, in
which case he has no memory of where he buried the legendary Templar
treasure. They might also have been forced to kill him, in which case
he is doubly unhelpful. Whatever the case, there is only the one clue
to the location of the cache.
On the other hand, the GM may wish to use this scenario as a
one-shot adventure. If that is the case, they could come into
possession of the clue in any number of different ways.
- It might be part of another treasure cache, or perhaps on the person of an enemy that they defeat.
- They might stumble across an unfortunate person who is being robbed, with the clue being the item the thieves are seeking.
- A patron could seek out the PC's in hopes of revealing the clue's secret meaning.
However it is that the PC's come into contact with the item, they can
begin trying to decipher it once they have done so.
Encounter 1—The First
Clue
The item in question is a small pouch that Chapman wears around his
neck. Inside it is a large pinch of sand, along with a tooth. That is
all. If the PC's want some more information about it, they need to do
some thinking.
A DC 15 Knowledge: nature or Survival check reveals the source of
the tooth. It belonged to a caiman, a reptile akin to crocodiles and
alligators, and a big one at that. Hopefully this is enough to make
the PC's think of Grand Cayman Island, back in the Caribbean Sea. If
that doesn't happen right away, Chapman himself might be able to
provide some hints. It seems logical to hide the treasure before
going into battle, perhaps even before crossing the Atlantic en route
to the Mediterranean. Given that, the players might want tot look at
the map of the Caribbean on page 163 of the Skull & Bones
rulebook for some inspiration. Failing that, one might even allow a
DC 20 Knowledge: navigation or sea lore check to recognize the
implication.
As long as that location does come to mind, PC's who make Knowledge:
sea lore or Profession: sailor checks can recall some information
about the Cayman Islands. For the DC's listed below, the lower number
is for the prior skill, while the higher one is for the latter.
DC—Information
Gained
5/10—The Cayman Islands are English territory, overseen from
Jamaica.
10/15—They are sparsely settled, but a noted place for pirates to
careen their ships.
15/20—There are legends of crocodiles on the islands who walk
upright and have attacked people who make landfall there.
20/25—In the northeast corner of Grand Cayman is a location known
as Sandy Beach (see map).
Refer
to page 166 of Skull &
Bones for a map of, and
more details regarding, these islands.
Homeward Bound
For PC's who've participated in other adventures from this series, a
trip back to the Caribbean should be a homecoming of sorts. The
Atlantic crossing is not something to be taken too lightly, however,
and could all sorts of encounters for the party. A few of the
possibilities are detailed here.
- Foul weather could make for a challenge, such as in the interlude “The Storm.”
- Chance encounters might occur, such as in “The Shipwreck,” “The Pygmies” or “The Healer.”
- There might be shenanigans aboard ship, as detailed in “The Stowaway,” “The Menagerie” or “The Competition 2.”
- Monsters, as seen in “The Sirens,” “The Serpent” or “The Ship-Wrecker,” could make an appearance.
Whether the voyage is relatively uneventful or fraught with peril,
once they've completed it, the PC's can go about finding their
treasure.
Encounter 2—Conflicting
Interests
As they approach the island, have the PC's make Spot or Search checks
opposed to those for key members of Banshee and Mad Dog's crews; keep
in mind bonuses for such factors as being in the crow's nest or using
a spyglass. The character with the highest result is first to notice
the other ship(s), something that could have important effects later
in the adventure. The other pirates have careened their vessels on
Sandy Beach in the northwest corner of the island, the very place
that seems to be indicated as the location of Chapman's cache.
This situation should present the PC's with an interesting
challenge. How can they go about looking for the treasure, without
making it obvious that they're seeking valuables? After all, the two
other pirate crews have set up a rough camp in the middle of the
sandy beach, with many of their number relaxing while others work (in
no kind of hurry) at scraping down the hulls of their ships. Unless
the PC's are content to wait out the situation for a long time, they
need to devise a means of continuing the hunt in a subtle manner.
Here the GM needs to be flexible in adjudicating matters, and
hopefully the PD's find inventive ways to use their skills and other
resources in accomplishing this task.
For one thing, allow Cannon, Banshee and their crew members to make
Sense Motive checks opposed by the Player Characters' Bluff efforts
at times when they're trying to seem nonchalant. While failure on the
part of the PC's doesn't necessarily reveal what they're really
doing, it does indicate that they're up to something. That in turn
could lead to difficult questions, prompting some good roleplaying
opportunities.
In that same vein, this situation provides ample possibilities for
other entertaining interactions. Good-natured rivalry between the
crews could lead to wrestling matches, shooting contests, drinking
bouts and tale-swapping—events that some of the PC's could use as a
distraction while others are busy participating. Refer to the
appendix to find stat blocks for Cannon, Banshee and the other
members of their crews.
There's also the presence of Llewellyn on the island. PC's who
participated in the scenario “The Mermaid's Tale” should remember
him, and might not think too fondly of the shantyman. If the PC's
treated him decently during those events, he might be content to let
bygones be bygones. On the other hand, if he has any reason to hate
the PC's, Llewellyn could go out of his way to seek revenge.
Encounter 3—The
Second Clue
As long as the PC's do manage to look around the island a bit, they
could find their next clues. A DC 20 Search check reveals that
various trees surrounding the beach have had slashes cut into their
bark, including the following patterns:
XIII VII IX VIII XII X XI XIII
Hopefully it doesn't take a Knowledge check to identify them as Roman
numerals. Even so, careful observation should reveal that they are
the numbers from seven to thirteen, and that thirteen appears twice.
The key to solving the puzzle is to remember that Sir Edward had
recovered the treasure of the lost Templar Fleet, which set sail from
La Rochelle after that organization was suppressed by Pope Clement IV
and King Philip V of France. These two men gave the infamous order
calling for the arrest of all Templars in their territory on Friday,
13 October 1307. The trick here is to visualize lines connecting the
first XIII to the X (for October 13th), and then from VII
to the second XIII (for 1307). As long as these lines are straight,
the point where they cross reveals the location of the cache. At the
GM's discretion, the PC's could make a DC 15 Knowledge: history check
to recall the date in question, and perhaps a DC 20 Knowledge:
navigation check to recognize the importance of plotting the
positions.
As mentioned above, however, the PC's need to be careful how they go
about this search. After all, the Captains O'Bannon have been sitting
right on top of the treasure, and thus could claim to have found it
first. (Never mind the fact that they didn't actually know it was
there in the first place.) Settling any disputes that might arise can
be handled with use of the Diplomacy skill, DC 25, with modifiers for
good roleplaying and any negotiation that might occur. One option for
the PC's is to recruit the O'Bannons as part of their pirate fleet,
since by now they should have established their reputations
throughout the region.
The treasure includes three chests filled with various old coins,
worth a total of 10,000 doubloons; a set of ancient scrolls
containing the divine spells (written in Hebrew) greater dispel
magic and hallow; a set of masterwork navigational tools,
including a beautifully crafted compass and square; the original
Jolly Roger, along with a wooden case (reliquary) containing a skull
and two femurs; the item holding Nneka's gros bon ange; and a
golden idol depicting the head of a demon (Baphomet). The latter item
is worth at least 1,000 doubloons to a collector, but possibly more.
Encounter 4—Death
Comes in the Night
To complicate matters even further, there is also the matter of the
savages that Chapman left behind to guard his treasure. They can
strike at any time, especially once the PC's come close to claiming
their prize, but they especially prefer to attack under the cover of
darkness and with the element of surprise. For that reason, it is
probably best to have them emerge from the shadows of the night in
the aftermath of some grand celebration, when many of the pirates are
drunk, fatigued and possibly injured, as well. (Refer to the article
“Of Rum and Drunkenness” in the Buccaneers & Bokor
e-zine, issue 5, for more information about the debilitating effects
of alcohol.)
When they do strike, the Cayman warriors prefer hand-to-hand combat,
where their ability to grapple gives them a distinct advantage. Note
that they possess the Improved Unarmed Combat feat, so they don't
provoke attacks of opportunity when closing to melee.
Conclusion and Epilogue
Once they've defeated the Cayman warriors and recovered Chapman's
treasure, the PC's have completed a major story arc in the Come
Hell and High Water campaign. Given that they should be around
level 8 or 9, they have established themselves as major players in
the Caribbean and beyond. Because of this, they could use a little
downtime to spend their new wealth. This might include celebrating
victories, outfitting ships and the like. In the terms of a campaign,
the players can take some time to decide what their characters are
doing next, in order to set the scene for further adventures.
Further
Adventures
A few of the possibilities for continuing the story are detailed
below.
- Given their newfound influence, the PC's could set sail in search of more lucrative prizes.
- If they managed to offend either of the O'Bannons (or anyone else, for that matter), that person might try to take revenge against them.
- Considering the importance of some of the items in the treasure haul, the PC's could run into other people interested in them.
- If any of the PC's had other unresolved business, as part of their background stories or otherwise, this could be a good chance to deal with those issues.
Appendix 1—Dramatis
Personae
Sea Dog 4/Sea Officer 3; CR 7; Size
medium; HD 7d10; hp 43; Init +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd
30 ft.; AC 14 (+3 Dex, +1 dueling jacket); Atk +10 (2d4, pistol) or
+6 (1d6, buccaneer knife); SQ Superstitious, Close Quarters +1,
Dodge, 1st Favored Ship, Mobility, Skill Expert +2,
Command (Morale Bonus); AL N; SV: Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +3; Str 10,
Dex 16, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16.
Background: Sea Devil (Profession:
sailor and Survival).
Skills: Diplomacy +13, Hide +10,
Knowledge: navigation +9, Move Silently +10, Profession: sailor +9,
Survival +4, Use Rope +10.
Feats: Improved Initiative, Point
Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quick Draw.
Fortunes: Superstitious.
Equipment: Dueling jacket, buccaneer
knife, six pistols.
Annabell O'Bannon has the fiery temper and proud Irish heritage that
her nickname implies. Indeed, she sees herself as a spiritual
successor to the great Grace O'Malley, a pirate queen who dealt on
equal terms with Queen Elizabeth herself. The Banshee can be quick to
anger, but she is also fiercely loyal to those who earn her respect.
She craves the thrill of adventure more than the spoils that it can
bring, and thus is drawn to those who share her love of danger and
challenges. Annabell has red hair pulled back in a ponytail, and cold
blue eyes. She dresses in men's clothing, including a dueling jacket
and an impressive number of pistols.
Shantyman 6; CR 6; Size medium; HD 6d8;
hp 30; Init +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 13
(+2 Dex, +1 dueling jacket); Atk +6 (1d6, rapier) or +6 (1d4,
stiletto); SQ Bardic music, bardic knowledge, vaporing, fame tale; AL
CN; SV: Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 14, Wis
10, Cha 17.
Background: Gentleman-Adventurer.
Skills: Appraise +11, Bluff +12,
Diplomacy +7, Disguise +12, Gather Information +12, Knowledge (local)
+11, Knowledge (sea lore) +11, Perform (fiddle) +12.
Feats: Improved Initiative, Point
Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Finesse (rapier).
Fortunes: Booty, Wastrel.
Equipment: Rapier, stiletto, dueling
jacket, fiddle, pouch containing 100 doubloons.
Llewellyn is a consummate performer who loves the attention of a
crowd. He is inspired by tales of thrilling heroics, but he himself
is something of a coward. For that reason he likes to surround
himself with adoring fans, something he accomplishes through adequate
performance and the easy spending of his money.
Buccaneer 4/ Sea Officer 3; CR 7; Size
medium ; HD 4d8+3d10+14; hp 53; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 13
(+1 Dex, +2 buff coat); Atk +9 (1d6+3, cutlass) or +7 (2d6, short
musket); SQ Bonus Feat, Expert Pilot +2, Survivor, Resilient, Skill
Expert +2, Command (Morale Bonus); AL N; SV: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will
+4; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Background: Sea Devil (Profession:
sailor and Survival).
Skills: Appraise +3, Climb +13, Heal
+2, Hide +8, Intimidate +10, Jump +10, Move Silently +8, Profession:
sailor +10; Survival +9, Swim +10.
Feats: Cleave, Power Attack,
Self-Sufficient, Versatile, Weapon Focus (cutlass).
Fortunes: Details.
Equipment: Masterwork cutlass, buff
coat, two short muskets, buccaneer knife.
Where his sister is prone to strong and occasionally destructive
emotions, Michael O'Bannon is a laid-back, fun-loving person. It's
true that he enjoys nothing more than a good fight, but for him it's
never personal. Indeed, he's been known to sit down over a mug of ale
with old foes, regardless of the history between them. The Cannon has
curly black hair and brown eyes.
Typical Crew Member
Warrior 1; CR 1/2; Size medium; HD 1d8+2; hp 10; Init +1 (+1 Dex);
Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (+1 Dex); Atk +3 (1d6+2, belaying pin or gaff hook)
or +2 (ranged); SQ details; AL LN; SV: Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1; Str
15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10.
Background: Seaman.
Skills: Climb +6, Knowledge (sea lore) +3, Profession (sailor) +5.
Feats: Power Attack, Seagoing.
Fortunes: Superstitious.
Equipment: Sailor's clothing, gaff hook or belaying pin,
miscellaneous possessions.
Fighter 6; CR 6; Size medium; HD
6d10+12; hp 45; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+1 Dex, +4 hide
armor); Atk +10/+5 (1d3+3, unarmed) or +7 (ranged); AL CN; SV: Fort
+7, Ref +3, Will +3; Str 16, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
Background: Native (Heal, Move
Silently).
Skills: Climb +10, Heal +5, Hide +5,
Jump +10, Move Silently +10.
Feats: Cleave, Dodge, Improved
Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack, Self-Sufficient,
Weapon Focus (unarmed), Weapon Specialization (unarmed).
Fortunes: Doll's Eyes.
Equipment: Hide armor made from the
skins of caymans.
These grim combatants have been corrupted by demonic influences. They
wear the skins of caymans crafted into hide armor, and live only to
shed the blood of those who invade their island.
