This section provides a variety of encounters for the heroes whilst they are at sea. They may be used to provide valuable information to the heroes or to guide them in the right direction on their quest. Many of these encounters need not end in bloodshed.

Roll a 1d20 for each day spent at sea in the Cerulean Gulf (chapter 2) or the Forgotten Sea (chapter 3). On a result of 11 or higher, the party encounters something. Then roll 1d100 and consult the Random Sea Encounters table. Alternatively, you may choose something that seems

to fit the party’s situation. Many of the encounters here can be avoided by offering up a sacrifice to the gods or to the encountered creature itself. The size of the sacrifice is dependent on the power of the creature facing the heroes.

Dolphins#

Your day is marked by a sign of good fortune. A pod of dolphins swims alongside your ship, clicking happily and playing in the waves at the prow.

The Dolphins playfully swim with the ship for an hour, keeping just ahead of it. If the players can use magic to speak to the dolphins, they can ask about nearby islands. The dolphins know the area and can give a cursory description of each nearby island.

Falling Star#

It is a clear night and the heavens are ablaze with stars and constellations, beautiful to look upon. The peace is broken when you catch sight of a falling star. Instead of streaking quickly across the sky, it grows larger and larger until the flaming ball seems like it might hit the ship. As it passes overhead, you can feel its heat. Some distance away, it crashes into the sea.

After the star hits the water, its bright glow remains visible beneath the waves. The heroes can sail toward where the falling star fell:

Although now cooled by the seawater, the fallen star continues to give off an eerie light, making its resting place easy to spot beneath the waves.

The heroes can go underwater to explore the star, but they will need some sort of water breathing ability or spell in order to swim down to the seabed. The fallen star is a meteorite made of a silvery ore. It can be recovered from

the ocean with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. This Orb of Star Metal can be used in the construction of magic items at the Mithral Forge.

Gargantuan Waves#

The horizon changes, and seems to rise up. A huge wave is approaching your ship. Your crew scrambles to prepare, but it soon becomes apparent that this wave is caused by something massive that moves beneath the water. The wave towers above your ship, blotting out the sun. Your ship begins to ride up the swell …

  • Kentimane (appendix B) walks through the oceans of Thylea, and this wave passes before him. He is hunting for trespassing ships from the outer world. Luckily, the party’s ship is a Thylean vessel and therefore not his target. The only way to avoid the wave is through magic. Spells such as Gust of Wind, Wind Wall, or a conjured

  • Air Elemental will allow the Ultros to speed away from the wave. Without magic, they will have to ride it out. As they reach a point half-way up the wave, the distorted shadow of Kentimane appears inside the water:

As your ship climbs the monumental wave, the shadow of a gargantuan creature can be seen darkening the water. It appears to be a titanic humanoid with dozens of writhing arms and heads. Whatever this giant may be, it seems unaware of your vessel. Eventually, your ship rides back down the wave, and the ocean calms.

Kentimane will ignore the Ultros and the heroes should be able to continue on their way unharmed. If they are suicidal enough to attack Kentimane, his statistics can be found in appendix B.

Harpies#

The peaceful stillness of the sea around you is interrupted by panicked bleating from the skies above. A sheep is being tossed around by a flock of “birds” with the heads and torsos of women. Two of the creatures tear apart the still-living sheep in a dispute over its meat. As blood and gore rain down upon the deck, the foul creatures begin to sing with a bewitching voices.

A flock of 2d6 Harpies descends upon the heroes’ ship. They drop what’s left of the unfortunate sheep into the sea, chumming the water to attract sharks. They then circle the ship and use their Luring Song to convince victims to leap into the ocean to reach them. Three rounds after they arrive, fins can be seen cutting through the water as 1d4 Hunter Sharks arrive. The sharks attack anyone who swims in the water, using stealth to strike from below. The harpies intend to scavenge chunks of meat from the heroes after the sharks tear them to shreds. The harpies will fly away if half their number are killed or wounded. Any harpy reduced to half its Hit Points will fall into the sea and become a target for the sharks.

Hurricane#

Winds pull at your clothes and tug at the ship’s sail and ropes as the skies begin to darken. On the horizon, a massive storm roils towards your ship with alarming speed. As it draws closer, the ocean grows violent. Soon, your vessel is pitched about by powerful gales and crashing waves.

The heroes can sail into the hurricane or try to outrun it, but magic is required to outrun this storm. Spells such as Gust of Wind, Wind Wall or a conjured Air Elemental will allow the Ultros to skirt the worst of the hurricane. If the party decides to ride out the storm, one of the heroes must stay above decks to steer the ship.

Navigating the Storm. The ship is in the hurricane for 1d4+1 hours. Each hour in the storm, the hero piloting the ship must make a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check. On a failure, they must make a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check or be swept overboard. If someone is assisting the pilot, then both characters must make this check.

Surviving the Hurricane. Being swept overboard is almost certain death by drowning. However, you have the option of having the drowning hero be rescued by mermaids. They will appear after the storm has passed, carrying the unconscious hero. They will expect some recompense in the form of jewelry or gems. If the heroes refuse to pay, then the mermaids drag the ship, cutting its speed in half for a full day, as a form of petty revenge.

The Eye of the Storm. If the heroes steer the ship into the storm, they will reach the eye of the storm after an hour. At the center of the hurricane is Goloron (CE

  • Young Hyperion, appendix B), one of Sydon’s children. He is talking and cackling to himself, and he is largely unaware of the storm that he has created. He has been sent by his father to survey the oceans. He ignores the heroes, unless they disturb him. If disturbed, Goloron will furiously question the heroes and demand that they kneel before him. However, he will not attack unless provoked.

Island Turtle#

You spot an island on the horizon, but it’s nowhere to be found on any of your maps. Vibrant greenery grows atop the brown, scale-like rocks of the landmass. A solitary building hangs over a cliff by the shoreline, and several small ships are anchored at a nearby dock. A massive stone outcropping juts up from the end of the island nearest your ship.

The small building is a trading post run by a guild of aquatic creatures. The trading post is managed by Shazum (CN Marid) and a tribe of twelve sea elves (Merfolk

  • Skirmishers). The sea elves look unlike anything else in Thylea, and they claim to be from other worlds than this one. Each of the sea elves may hail from a different fantasy world of your choice. Trading Post. The sea elves’ trading stock is quite

impressive, and they sell all common equipment from the 5th Edition Player’s Book. All of the weapons and armor have an exotic look, and the sea elves claim that they were imported from many different worlds. The marid has a stock of magical potions for sale as shown on the Trading Post Inventory table below.

Currently, a couple of small ships from Aresia are docked here. Twelve Aresian Monks are browsing the wares. Their captain (LN Monk Master) has no desire for trouble. Both stat blocks can be found in appendix B.

The World Turtle. This nomadic island is actually a huge creature known as “the world turtle.” It is thought to be an elemental being from the dawn of time that swims through the deepest oceans of many worlds. The turtle is also thought to be the mother of all dragon turtles, as parts of its shell are said to break off and become fully grown dragon turtles. The world turtle will only stay in the heroes’ world for 1d4 hours before resuming its eternal journey through all the oceans of the multiverse. When the turtle departs, it fades into a heavy fog, and the heroes are forced to swim back to their ship. If the heroes remain here for more than one hour, they will notice a half-dozen smaller islands nearby where there were none before. Read the following:

Looking out to sea, you notice six small islands where there were none before. Each appears to be a smaller replica of the main island, hewn from the same brown rock. A tiny hut, built from various type of pink coral, stands at the center of one of the islands.

The secondary islands are actually Dragon Turtles come to pay respects to their mother before they head back into the depths of the ocean. All the dragon turtles ignore the heroes. One of them has a coral outcropping that looks like a dwelling, but it is entirely natural. Buried within it is a Trident of Fish Command; the coral has grown up around it over several decades. If the party investigates the “hut,” they have ten rounds to get the treasure before the dragon turtle dives under water.

Escaping the Turtle. If characters are on the back of the small turtle when it dives, they will be swept into a strong ocean current. They can swim out of the current with a successful DC15 Strength (Athletics) check. If they fail, they are swept away with the turtles and lose consciousness (unless they can breathe water). The lost hero awakens after 1 hour, on the shore of the closest island. One of the dragon turtles has gently grabbed the hero in its mouth and taken him or her to safety.

Kraken#

The clear blue skies darken with black storm clouds, and a strong wind buffets your ship. The waters before you begin to churn, and waves crash against the ship’s prow from what appears to be a nascent maelstrom. A set of whip-like tentacles, each the size of a small boat, emerge from the choppy waters followed by a huge reptilian head. The creature’s yellow eyes look upon you with a fiendish intelligence and malign curiosity.

The heroes have sailed into the domain of a Kraken. It will not strike first, but its tentacles will crawl over the ship, investigating every inch by touch. The beast is Sydon’s enemy and, once it learns that the heroes are also Sydon’s enemies, it will end its apparent hostility.

If attacked, the Kraken uses the Control Weather spell through its Sea and Storms Regional Effect to summon a storm. It then rises out of the water and uses its

Lightning Strike action. It uses its tentacle and fling actions to attack, but it will not swallow any of the heroes or crew. While attacking, it communicates telepathically, demanding to know why the heroes have trespassed in its realm. It will quickly become clear to the Kraken that the heroes are enemies of Sydon. Once it has learned this, it will sink back into the depths. If the heroes never mention Sydon, it will stop attacking after three rounds. The heroes can also offer a sacrifice worth 1,000 GP to appease the Kraken.

Manticores#

The screeches of six monstrous flying creatures above your ship interrupt an otherwise peaceful day. Great feline beasts circle overhead on scaly reptilian wings. Uncanny, human-like faces protrude from wild manes edged with barbed quills. When they see that you have noticed them, their howls morph into malicious insults, delivered in perfect common speech.

The six Manticores will stay at least 200 feet away from the ship and taunt anyone they can see. They will then demand a living sacrifice to Sydon. Any large animal will do, but they don’t explain that detail: don’t correct players thinking that a human sacrifice is required if they leap to that conclusion. If no sacrifice is offered, the manticores will choose someone on the deck (most likely a popular NPC) and use their tail spikes to incapacitate them. One manticore will fly in to pick up the victim as the necessary sacrifice. The manticores will retreat as soon as one of their number has been killed, promising to exact brutal vengeance on the heroes. It is at your discretion whether they ever return to take their vengeance.

Pirate Ship#

An imposing ship sails in your direction, flying a bloody red flag emblazoned with a ram’s skull. As the ship draws closer, you can see a motley crew on its deck. The crew includes heavily-tattooed humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings brandishing steel weapons.

These are barbarians from Indigo Island, and they are searching for plunder. They are commanded by a Berserker with 3d12 Bandits and 1d4 Druids under his command. They will draw alongside and attack, showing little fear as they leap aboard the party’s ship. However, if their captain is killed, they will attempt to withdraw to their own ship and flee.

Reef#

A scraping noise can be heard coming from the port side of your ship, and the ship heels over and turns sharply to port. It seems that you’ve hit a coral reef and run aground. None of the sailors saw any indication that the reef was there. Fortunately, the coral has not pierced the ship’s hull—but you appear to be stuck.

The only way to get the ship unstuck is to use magic or to push the ship until it is free of the reef. It takes a combined Strength of 40 to push the ship off of the reef. It takes 10 rounds to push the ship free. Each round, those pushing the ship must make DC 15 Strength saving throws or slip on the sharp coral. Anyone who slips takes 1 point of Piercing damage, but more importantly, they start bleeding into the water.

Shark Attack. One round after someone bleeds into the water, fins can be seen breaking the waves: sharks! There will be one Reef Shark per bleeding character. Fortunately, the sharks are too big to swim into the shallow waters of the reef. However, five rounds later, a tribe of six

  • Merrow attack. The merrow use their harpoons to drag any character they strike into deeper water where the reef sharks can reach them. There is one reef shark for each character dragged from the reef. The merrow attacks continue until they have succeeded in killing one character, or for three rounds after the ship is freed.

Roc#

A distant speck appears in the sky above the horizon. You recognize the silhouette of a flying bird, but this one appears to be enormous in size. As it draws closer, your entire ship is cast into shadow. The gargantuan creature begins circling the ship as it slowly descends. The powerful downdraft from its massive wings makes it challenging to stand upright on the deck.

The Roc is from Aerie of the Roc in the Forgotten Sea. It is hunting for food for its young. It swoops down and tries to snatch up a character from the deck. It will make three attempts before giving up. Leaving any large sacrificial animal on deck as a target will attract its attention, and it will gladly take such a sacrifice. If it does manage to grapple one of the crew, it will carry the victim back to its nest to feed its chicks. The victim has three attempts to escape the grapple, requiring a successful DC 15 Strength saving throw. The victim takes 2d6 Falling damage from falling into the sea.

The Roc’s Nest. Any character who is taken back to the nest will be dumped in front of the roc’s three chicks. The roc will fly off, leaving the victim for its chicks to tear apart and devour. The chicks have the statistics of Giant

  • Vultures with no Fly Speed.

Sirens (Sea Hags)#

A small, half-wrecked boat approaches your ship. Three voluptuous, barely-clothed young women stand in the boat, their features obscured by long, luminous hair. Upon noticing your party, they begin to sing an entrancing song—an invitation to join them.

These creatures are actually a coven of Sea Hags. They use magic to take the form of whatever creature is most alluring to your players—for example, they might be handsome men instead of voluptuous women.

The hags’ Coven Magic has a different list of spells from that of a normal coven: Ray of Sickness, Shield, Hold Person, Locate Object, Bestow Curse, Counterspell, Lightning Bolt, Phantasmal Killer, Polymorph, Contact Other Plane, Scrying, Mass Suggestion.

The hags cast their Mass Suggestion spell in the form of a song. It urges all sailors to swim over to them to enjoy their company. As those affected swim closer, they quickly realize that the creatures aren’t quite as beautiful as they initially seemed. They have shapely bodies, but their faces have warts, their hair is greasy and thin, and their fingernails are caked in dirt.

The hags Polymorph their victims into crabs and stuff them into bags. Then they swim over to the ship and climb aboard while resuming their true forms, so as to horrify anyone on deck with their horrific appearance. They then use their Death Glare and attempt to slaughter everyone aboard the ship.

Sea of Gore#

Your ship sails into a patch of deep crimson water that stretches on as far as the eye can see. Gory chunks of sea creatures, as well as the occasional humanoid corpse, float in the waves. Worse than the sight of all the carnage is the pervasive stench of rotting flesh, and the coppery tang of blood.

The gore-filled bloody water is a patch of sea about a mile across. There are half-eaten whales, sharks, dolphins, and

even merfolk. Anyone sailing towards the middle of the area will find that the water becomes increasingly shallow, and the sea bottom is only about 20 feet down. This central lump in the seabed is the nesting ground of a dreadful Hydra. It eventually rises to the surface and attacks everyone who is on deck. This hydra is far bigger than most, with seven heads and maximum Hit Points. It can be distracted for 1 round by feeding it a sacrificial animal, but three full rounds are required to escape from the creature.

Shallow Sea#

Your ship sails into waters that are curiously transparent, and the white sand of the seabed is clearly visible. As you sail on, the sea grows shallower and you notice what appears to be a dense coral forest. However, a closer look reveals that the colorful forest below your keel is an undersea village of some kind. Merfolk wave up at your ship in welcome.

The merfolk (Merfolk Skirmishers) are very curious about the party and their crew. Some of them swim to the surface to greet the party and invite them down into their village.

All of the merfolk have the amphibious trait and Swim Speed of 40 ft. A mermaid named Iolaah (CG merfolk

  • Druid) asks questions about the party’s origins and purpose in this part of the ocean. If the heroes reveal their quest, Iolaah will become very interested and will want to take them to meet her father, Hywin. Hywin (NG merfolk Archmage) resides in a beautiful translucent coral sphere. He is an enemy of Sydon, and he is willing to help anyone who opposes the Titan. He knows the entire history of Sydon and Lutheria and is willing to tell the tale. Afterwards, he breaks off a piece of coral for each character that has come to see him. These simultaneously act as Potions of Waterbreathing and Heroism on anyone who swallows them. He wishes the party well on their quest. Iolaah wishes to accompany the characters, but Hywin

forbids it. He tells the characters that Iolaah is impetuous and young and not ready for such an adventure. An hour after the ship sails away from the merfolk, a single dolphin swims alongside the ship. It transforms into Iolaah. She climbs aboard the ship and asks to accompany the heroes on their quest.

a noble who financed the failed exploration.

These castaways are looking to reach safe land as soon as possible. These characters can be useful to ramp up the threat level of another ocean encounter. For example, if the roc attacks, it might grab one of the castaways and devour them, or the harpies could use their song to lure one of them into shark infested waters.

Storm and Kraken Battle#

A violent storm brews on the horizon, and lightning flashes in the sky. However, rather than striking down from the heavens, the lightning crackles along the surface of the sea. As rain lashes down and the waves beat against your hull, the source of this the storm comes into view. A gargantuan, scaled monstrosity has wrapped itself around an equally enormous giant that stands knee-deep in the waves. The two creatures appear to be locked in mortal combat!

The heroes are witnessing a battle between Hergeron (LE

  • Young Hyperion, appendix B) and the Kraken. Hergeron has been sent by his father, Sydon, to search out the Kraken and report back, but the creature ambushed him. Neither combatant pays any attention to the party

unless they mount some kind of attack or otherwise interfere. Hergeron will disengage and escape after three rounds of combat, and the Kraken will sink beneath the waves. If the heroes attempt to interfere, the Kraken will rise from the deep after a moment or two and attack for 1 round before sinking out of sight again. This attack is intended as a warning and a demonstration of its power.

If the party refuses, she will be disappointed and she returns home safely. Otherwise, she joins the party on their quest. Iolaah is extraordinarily reckless in battle and unlikely to survive for very long. If she dies during the quest, Hywin will hold the party responsible. He may seek vengeance upon the heroes later.

Shipwrecked Sailors#

The sea is relatively calm, but there is something floating on the ocean ahead. As you approach, you realize that it is the wreckage of a sailing ship from the world beyond Thylea. Only broken pieces of its hull, oars, and spars are bobbing in the water. But a closer look shows that there are survivors clinging to the wreckage: two men, a woman, and a dwarf. They are clearly exhausted and close to the point of death.

These few survivors are explorers from the outer world, hired by the ruler of a mighty nation to find Thylea, and unlucky enough to have their ship destroyed by Sydon. The nation in question can be any that fits your overall campaign structure and world. Although weak, they can describe the powers Sydon used to smash their ship, and all of them are deeply grateful to be rescued. The four are:

  • Dengran. (CN human Bandit Captain) Reckless, handsome, and an annoying know-it-all.

  • Heliope. (NG human Mage) Thoughtful, introspective, and always asking questions about Thylea.

  • Rutger. (LN dwarf Warrior Veteran) Dour, keeps to himself, and careful to avoid conflicts which might get out of hand.

  • Quinn. (LN human Noble) Complains about everything. He has assumed leadership of the four, even though the other three think he’s a privileged idiot. He is the son of

Whale Pod#

You feel a low rumble around the ship. Moments later, a group of large whales breach the surface of the water. The whales have razor-sharp teeth, and one of the creatures has the corpse of a colossal squid in its jaws. Despite their ferocious appearance, the creatures show little interest in your ship.

The whales are no threat to the party. After breathing on the surface for a few moments, they dive back down into the depths and continue on their way. Any attempt to attack them simply drives them away immediately.

Whale Corpse#

Your nose is suddenly assaulted by the smell of what might be thousands of rotting fish. Searching the area, you discover the floating remains of the largest whale you have ever seen. Sharks circle and gnaw at the carcass, looking like minnows in comparison to their enormous meal. The whale’s gullet is torn open, and something metallic gleams from inside it.

There are six Hunter Sharks in the water, one of which is an extra-large giant shark with maximum Hit Points, and it always does maximum damage with its bite attacks. It circles in the darkness below and has Advantage on Hide checks. It attacks anyone who comes into the water.

The glimmering object inside the way appears to be a human corpse wearing a magical breastplate, the equivalent of mariner’s armor. One of the sharks ripping into the whale shifts the “corpse” so that it is no longer visible. If someone swims over to the whale carcass to search for the corpse they will find that it isn’t a corpse, but an old man named Aegis (LN Veteran). He claims to have been living inside the whale for years. If the party is willing to take him onboard, he will fight alongside them. Aegis tells all sorts of tall tales about Thylea, most of which are of his own invention.

Whirlpool#

This is Charybdis, the legendary whirlpool. Somehow, the heroes have wandered off course and into the most dangerous part of the Forgotten Sea. Refer to the section on Charybdis in chapter 4 for details.

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