Editing Astral Sea Freebooters

This page is devoted toward the development of a D&D 4th Edition campaign, to be played via the Maptool virtual tabletop.


== Campaign Overview ==
The Campaign is set in the Astral Sea aboard a Spelljammer ship.  The characters are Freebooters -- treasure-hunters, explorers, heretics, swashbucklers, outlaws, mercenaries, renegade arcanists, and pirates.  At the start of the campaign, the characters have just "liberated" a Varian Confederation (see below) penal ship, and have gone from being "honored guests" en route to a Astral Prison Island to becoming full blown Pirates.

== Campaign Themes ==

=== Monster of the Week ===
The campaign involves travelling to many exotic settings.  Many of these places will have their own antagonists, mysteries, and conflicts that can be resolved and left behind.

=== Recurring Villains ===
The campaign features several recurring villains, agents of the four great Astral-going Civilizations:
*The Illithid Empire: This mighty empire's influence stretches into the Astral Sea from Mnemos, a dark planet just beyond the border to the Far Realms.  They control countless "worlds", and can call upon thralls of every race to serve them.
*The Slithering:  An ancient primordial force known as the Leviathan has awakened on a tropical swamp "world".  Serpentfolk riding great scaled behemoths have ventured forth into the Astral Sea, to bring other "worlds" the blessings of the Leviathan.
*The Hegemony: Dark spider-shaped ships raid peaceful "worlds", enslaving the populations into service to the drow elf Matriarch.
*The Varian Confederation:  A human-led coalition of allied "worlds".  The Varian Confederation consists mainly of player races.  The ships of the Varian Confederation seek to bring justice and order to the Astral Sea, and see any who snub their generous offers of alliance as "part of the problem."  The Varian Confederation has strict laws controlling the study and practice of magic, and considers spellcasters of all sorts as 'dangerous weapons'.

=== Horror ===
Twisted bio-tech tentacles horrors, ancient primordial forces beyond our ken, the undead, cursed lycanthropes, even Hell itself can be found in the Astral Sea and its islands.  The characters will undoubtedly encounter many Things Man Was Not Meant To Know.
*Game Mechanic Note:  There will be hazards included in Horror-based encounters that will inflict various conditions on the players to simulate the pure horror of the situation.  These will likely target your Will defense.

=== Intrigue ===
The Four Great Civilizations are often engaged in intrigue against one another, and often choose areas friendly to Freebooters as neutral ground suitable for their espionage.  It is likely that the characters will find themselves caught in the middle of this shadow war.
*Game Mechanic Note:  If you're into intrigue, then Streetwise, Diplomacy, Bluff, and Insight are good skills for you -- they will be used a lot in intrigue-based Skill challenges.

=== Swashbuckling ===
Pirates on the Astral Sea, salvaging derelict shipwrecks, and following maps to hidden treasures.  Time will spent not only in dungeon and wilderness areas, but also in rowdy ports, governor's palaces, and of course the open Astral Sea.
*Game Mechanic Note:  The DM will be somewhat lenient on Acrobatic stunts, enabling you to swing from ropes and do other acts of athletic derring-do.  Being trained in Acrobatics will be useful if you're into that sort of thing.

=== Swords and Sorcery === 
Magic is a sinister and dangerous force, often in the hands of the enemy, and those who abuse their mystic arts are often deserving a proper, old-school beat down.  Characters tend to be a bit gritty in outlook, and mercenary in motivation.
*Game Mechanic Note:  In order to (slightly) encourage the sword and sorcery feel (for people to play Humans, and Martial characters), Humans may choose a second bonus trained skill from their class list, and Martial classed characters gain +1 healing surge.  Also, you gain a one time bonus of 500 gold pieces if your character is Unaligned.

== Character Creation ==
In general the following books are allowed:  PHB; PHB2; Martial, Divine, and Arcane Powers; Adventurer's Vault, Manual of the Planes.

=== Level ===
Characters will start at level 11.

=== Races ===
Any player races from the PHB or PHB2.  Humans may choose a second bonus trained skill from their class list.

=== Class ===
Any classes or builds from the PHB or PHB2, Manual of the Planes, and the Martial, Divine, or Arcane Powers books..   Characters whose primary class is Martial gain +1 healing surge.

=== Ability Scores ===
You'll have to use the Standard Array: 16, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10.  Yeah, I know it sucks.  You'll get over it.

=== Skills ===
Choose these as normal.

=== Feats ===
Any feats from the PHB or PHB2 or the Martial, Divine, and Arcane Powers books.  Please indicate which book the feat is from so that I can look it up if necessary.

=== Powers ===
Any powers from the PHB or PHB2 or the Martial, Divine, or Arcane Powers books.  Again, please specify which book the power is from so that I can look it up if necessary.

=== Equipment ===
You may choose one item of level 10, one item of level 11, and one item of level 12, which may be selected from any of the allowed books.  You also start with 5000 gold pieces that you can spend on any gear from the allowed books.  Unaligned characters gain a bonus 500 gold pieces (for a total of 5500 gp).  Please indicate which book the item is from so that I can look it up if necessary.

=== Character Details ===
Characters should all have a background that would lead toward incarceration at the hands of a lawful inter-planar government.  Backgrounds include (but are not limited to) the following:  Mercenary, political dissident, religious heretic, unregistered arcanist, pirate, thief, con-artist, smuggler, or spy.  Characters may be any non-evil alignment.

== Setting ==

<center>http://home.earthlink.net/~wingsofdarkness/astralsea/astralmap.png</center>



The Astral Sea is a vibrant place, a misty ocean that stretches from the Elemental Chaos to the Far Realm.  Countless worlds, big and small, mundane and fantastic, drift like islands in the Astral Sea.  Majestic vessels, constructed by the great Astral-going civilizations, ply their trade from world to world, sometimes bringing commerce and wealth, and other times bringing slavery and death.

As the campaign starts out, the player characters have just overcome their captors and freed themselves from their bonds aboard a Varian Confederation prison ship, the Varian Confederation Spelljammer (V.C.S) Relentless.  Now in command of the ship, they must determine their own course for adventure!

The average journey time aboard a Planar Dromond between close worlds is two months -- half that time aboard an Astral Skiff or Spelljammer.  Utilizing a Sextant of the Planes enables much more rapid travel, at the price of a small fortune of arcane material components.

=== The V.C.S. Relentless ===

Formerly a prison ship of the Varian Confederation, this newly liberated ship is in the hands of the players, along with its former Navigator's very valuable Sextant of the Planes.

=== Carceri ===

This prison plane was crafted by the gods themselves, and is used by all the Astral-going civilizations as a place to imprison their worst criminals.   With the relatively free access of Raise Dead rituals, the best way to assure you'll never see an enemy again is to usher him to the gates of Carceri and place him in the care of the powerful angels who vigilantly guard the gates to this realm.

This was the planned destination for the player characters, and the Relentless is within sight of the red color veil of Carceri at the start of the campaign.

=== Freeport ===

This world plane is relatively small, and is dominated by an Astral Port (also helpfully named Freeport) located on its only sea, and serviced by a river that leads inland to Freeport's lush and fertile farmland.  Any magic items of the Heroic and Paragon tier are available for purchase at the Astral Port, though if you wish to purchase items above your character level you'll need to engage in a Skill Challenge to locate them.  Inland, however, only items of the Heroic tier can be found, as most folk are suspicious of magic and other worlds, and of the city folk from the Astral Port, many of whom are off-worlders.

The astral port is a haven for freebooters, renegades, heretics and mercenaries.  The city is run by a de facto "Pirate King" -- Astrid Velhagen, a former Varian captain who lost one of her hands when she was accused of thievery by a Varian planar governor (which one she won't say), and lost one of her eyes during her time spent in Carceri.  Somehow, she escaped from that prison plane (an epic feat, to say the least).  Her reputation alone is enough to keep a veneer of order in the rowdy astral port of Freeport.

Freeport has an astral satellite, a mountain sized moon named Cove Rock, upon which docking facilities and a teleportation circle is located.

=== The Institute ===

The Institute is a small world plane, inhabited by a dull heroic-tier civilization dominated by humans.  The plane, however, is named after the plane's most exalted university, which is, many consider, the finest learning facility in all of the known multiverse -- simply known as "The Institute".  

The Institute brings people from all across the Astral Sea, and thus has spawned an Astral Port of vibrant trade and commerce.  The Institute is governed by Provost Henrik Plume, who is answerable only to an advisory council of Chancellors.  The Provost administers the Institute with an eye for detail and a hunger for academic freedom.

The vast libraries of the Institute are thought to contain a copy of every book, every ritual, and every scap of information that is available anywhere in the Astral Sea.  The libraries are so vast, however, that most visitors are forced to hire a professional guide to find whatever it is they are looking for.  Many a guideless student, hoping to save a few coins, has vanished in the darkest corners of the library, never to be seen again.

The Institute is served by Charter House, an astral fortress orbiting just outside the color veil.  Charter House has docking facilities and a Teleportation Circle.

=== Archipelego ===

This normal sized world plane is a flat water world, filled with countless islands and independent city states.   A unique feature of this world is that, if one can navigate the storm-wracked edges of the plane, one can sail straight off Archipelego and into the Astral Sea, and vice versa.

There are no outstanding rulers on Archipelego.  It is its lack of unity and order that makes it of interest to Freebooters, and many Freebooters have a favorite island or port on Archipelego that they use as a personal headquarters, or find beaches to bury their treasure.

=== Starview ===

This normal sized world plane is home to many kingdoms, and many races.  The various peoples have been attacked countless times by Illithid and Hegemony slavers and Freebooter pirates.  Having had enough of these attacks, a group of heroes from Starview constructed a Fortress in the Astral Sea, just beyond their plane's color veil.  Starview Fortress is a massive, city-sized fortress, served by a teleportation circle and defended by a fleet of dangerously maneuverable Astral Skiffs (along with heavy Galleon support).  

Ironically, Starview Fortress has become a cross-world trading post, and Freebooters now see it as part of their shared community.  However, the surface folk of Starview are currently in negotiation with the Varian Confederation about become a member planet, much to the chagrin of the Governor of Starview Fortress, and his administrators, merchants, and mercenaries, all of whom have benefitted greatly from Starview Fortress' position.

Starview Fortress is administrated by Governor Alexianus Corinello, a Half-Elf of exceptional diplomatic skill, and open-mindedness.

=== Skyfall ===

Skyfall is a large world plane, with an interesting history.  It was once a barren world, devoid of life.  A huge battle between Freebooters took place in the Astral Sea, just outside its color veil.  Several ships were disabled and drifted out of control through the color veil, only to crash on the surface.

The survivors salvaged what they could from the fallen vessels and were pushed to the extremes the first few years of life on the surface of Skyfall, but eventually they were able to make homes, grow food, and even have families.

Many years later, contact was made with their friends in the Astral Sea, and Skyfall City, an astral port on the edge of a great sea of dust, was founded.  It seems that the barren planet holds many secrets.  Ruins of ancient civilizations, lost temples to primordials, and more.

A fleet of derelict wrecks, the remnants of that immense Astral Sea naval battle, have been lashed together and form the "Armada of Skyfall", a port of call just beyond Skyfall's color veil.  A teleportation circle has been constructed aboard the Armada.

=== Skull Island ===

Skull island is a small water world, dominated by a huge vine-covered island in the shape of a skull, upon which a notorious pirate port has been founded.  The port was founded by the notorious Eladrin pirate Captain "Silver-Eyes" Estrander, who now goes by the title "Goblin King".  Skull island is a notorious port, friendly to the more dangerous and unruly types -- Goblins, Gnolls, and their unpleasant monstrous ilk.

There are few laws and regulations on Skull Island, and murder, mayhem, and worse are every day activities.  The only rule is to stay out of the Goblin King's way, and to not interfere with his business.

=== Earth ===

This normal sized world is typical in almost every respect.  It has nearly all races and species represented.  Many scholars believe that this plane is the "Prime Material Plane" from which all the creatures in the Astral Sea originated.

The civilizations on Earth are almost archetypical.  There are several continents, many of which have elven forests, dwarven mountains, and lizardfolk in the swamps.  Most of the civilization is thoroughly based in the heroic tier, but there are a handful of paragon heroes, and even a few living epic legends.

Because of Earth's special history, the Varian Confederation has placed it under their protection.  Varian agents keep a close eye on this plane, neutralizing dangerous spellcasters when they arise to threaten the peace of the plane, and interdicting when another planar civilization attempts to interfere with Earth's natural progression.

== Special Rules ==

The Astral Sea is obviously a little different than the one described in the Manual of the Planes.  The main difference is that it is very much more spread out (the planes are months of travel apart from one another) and the high quantity of "World" planes.

As such, magical travel is going to work differently in this game.  

The Linked Portal and True Portal rituals only work to travel between points on the same World Plane or Domain Plane.  They do not function in the Astral Sea beyond a range of 100 miles.  

The Planar Portal ritual will only reach up to 100 miles into the Astral Sea from the edge of the color veil from the World Plane, Astral Domain, or Elemental Chaos.  The Planar Portal spell will not reach between World Planes or Astral Domains.  Furthermore, the Planar Portal ritual will only reach a World Plane, Astral Domain, or Elemental Chaos from within 100 miles of the corresponding color veil.

However, the Plane Shift spell, when used on a vehicle with the Navigation Focus quality, will enable a vehicle to travel up to 100 miles into the Astral Sea from the edge of the color veil from a World Plane, Astral Domain, or Elemental Chaos.  Also, when used in the Astral Sea, it will instantaneously take the vehicle to the edge of the color veil of the desired plane (with some variance, depending on the corresponding Arcana skill check). 

Examples:

*Bill the Bard is on the surface of Freeport, and has upset the Smuggler's Syndicate.  Bill decides he'll meet his party on Cove Rock, Freeport's asteroid-sized moon.  Cove Rock has a Teleportation Circle, and is within 100 miles of the edge of Freeport's color veil.   Bill performs the Planar Portal ritual, using an appropriate amount of material components, and creates a portal to Cove Rock.

*Walter the Wizard is on the surface of Freeport, aboard the V.C.S. Relentless.  Rufus the Rogue has just told him that the word on the street is that the Smuggler's Syndicate is going to send some goons down to attack the party, in the hopes of drawin Bill the Bard out of hiding.  Walter, assuming that the Smuggler's Syndicate is watching the Relentless, decides use the Sextant of the Planes to cast the Plane Shift ritual, rather than showing his hand by prepping the ship for launch from the dock.  After spending ritual components, and rolling Arcana (he scored a 24), the Relentless vanishes in a rainbow flash, appearing instantly in the Astral Sea.  The course Walter had set was for Cove Rock (which was within 100 miles of Freeport's color veil), but a 24 on his skill check means he arrived 50 miles off course.  After determining their position, Walter and his crew hoist the sails and sail for Cove Rock.  At an overland flight speed 15 squares (7.5 miles per hour), it will take the Relentless 6 hours and 40 minutes to reach Cove Rock.

*After regrouping aboard the Relentless, Bill the Bard has convinced the crew to help him deliver some scrolls to Pincer's Island on Archipelego.  Walter the Wizard sets another course, expending ritual components for the Plane Shift ritual, and rolls a 30 on his Arcana check.  The Relentless vanishes in another streak of rainbow light, and appears just 10 miles from Pincer Island's color veil, corresponding to the point directly "above" Pincer's Island.  Not wanting to spend more ritual components, Walter decides to fly the Relentless down through the color veil.  After a little more than an hour, the Relentless pierces the color veil and then begins to fly the 5 mile journey down from the edge of the color veil to the watery surface of Archipelego.

== Party Members ==

=== Chaedi Aeriel Ausilia (Elf, Avenger, Unaligned) ===
The elven woman, a rare sight mixed in with the other "Honored Guests" aboard the Relentless - a fair-skinned and mildly attractive specimen with green eyes and lavender hair.  Her features sometimes favor the more pallid and wan than those of some of the more common varieties of elf found throughout the plains - and whether this is typical of her people - or whether it is particular to some other affliction, it is difficult to say.

She is graceful.  Even though her slender frame seemed coiled at all times - as if she is always ready to strike - she never looks on edge.  Her eyes do not dart frantically around the room, she seems to take everything in with long gazing stares that seem to analyze every little thing about whatever she is examining.  

Her voice is often more matter of fact and precise than most would be comfortable with.  She rarely makes a serious statement without careful consideration - and almost never speaks in anger.  Even in the midst of combat, when she is covered with her own blood and the hot blood of her foes, she maintains a composure that borders on the unnerving - to friend and foe alike.

She has a difficulty in making close friends.  Her past actions haunt her - though it is her great wish to demonstrate that she has moved beyond her own past - a subject which she has not much talked about - save to make clear that her foe is the Illithid Empire, and she has sworn her life to its destruction.