Setting Information
Rising Seas is a magic fantasy setting. The sea rises dramatically every few hundred years, last rising was seventeen years ago. The Empire is beginning to recover from this event, and everyday life has gone back to normal in many places. During the campaign the players will explore both land and sea, the coastlines have changed dramatically and there are many new things to discover. New menaces prowl the seas and coasts, attacking ships and coastal settlements alike, the latest threat brought with the last Rising.
Climate
Set in the tropics, the climate is warm and humid. There is a rainy season and a dry season, with seasonal storms. The average temperature is 25 degrees celcius, with highs of 32 and lows of 15.
Political landscape
The Empire is one of the more stable regions in the world currently. While there is the inevitable jostling for power amongst nobles, and petty squabbles amongst local regions, there are no major internal conflicts. The overall feeling towards the Imperial court is favourable, most folk believe the Empire reacted to the disaster quite well. There are regions that the Empire has neglected and here sentiments might not be as favourable, there are some areas that downright hate the Imperial Court.
Travel
Travel on main roads between major cities is considered to be reasonabley safe. The roads are patrolled and usually quite busy, so there is very little banditry, though lone travellers and small groups have been known to be targeted by bold brigands and creatures. Within the rest of the Empire travel has become more dangerous, there are more bandits and cases of animal and creature attacks are becoming more frequent. Some regions are safer than others as some local rulers have set up their own patrols, or local volunteers will also patrol the roads around their towns and villages.
Travel by sea is far more dangerous affair. Pirates, sea monsters, unpredicatble storms, changing sea currents and submerged landmasses, make sailing a perillous undertaking. However, there are many who still can not resist the pull of the open sea. Many a ship has been lost at sea since the last Rising, and those who take to the seas are either: stupid and soon to be dead, brave and probably soon to be dead, or skilled sailors who accept the risk that they may soon be dead.
Law and Crime
Since the last rising, the Empire has instituted a raft of salvaging laws. Salvaging has been made a legal profession, and all salvage companies and individual contractors must adhere to the new regulations. When a salvage crew takes on a job they must must obtain an Imperial salvage writ, which must be presented upon request by any Imperial official. Anyone caught salvaging without the proper writ will face the full consequences of the law.
Player Characters
Creation
Point buy
All official classes and sub-classes are allowed, as are the supplemental rules from Tasha's cauldron.
All races from the player's handbook are allowed, as are the aquatic races from The Great Gm's Nautical adventures book (I will provide further details on these), other races from other official publications can be discussed, and if setting appropriate then will be allowed.
Any background from the major published official books is allowed, setting and adventure specific backgrounds may not be suitable for the campaign setting but we will address those if they come up.
Backgrounds
Characters will begin the game as part of a ship's company about to embark on an exploration mission. Characters can be:
Members of the ship's crew: sailor, doctor, ship mage, etc.
A member of the Imperial Society of Exploration and Cartography: scribe, cartographer, scout etc.
An independent member of the crew: translator, local guide, hired guards etc.
Player suggestions will be considered, and if they make sense to the setting, most likely allowed.
Additional Information
During session zero we will create relationships between the characters, personal motivations and goals, and ties to the world. I also would like for each player to think about: someone who is important to you, someone who is a foe / competitor / rival / childhood enemy etc, and an object or heirloom that has sentimental value to you
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