The Rumble in the Waves
over 2 years ago – Tue, Jul 27, 2021 at 05:40:11 AM

In the deep of night, it happened. Two new horrors clawed their way into our realm, without even asking our permission first. It took them a lot of time and effort to get here, but we're looking forward to running into them.

The next two are relatively easier to reach, only 2k each.  The next on the line, more items! I'll reach out, find a new writer, and let them dream up some interesting items for us. These items will be primed for all three systems for use. I may have the writer do one system and translate to the other two, not every designer is fluent with all three at once.

This is an effort we're all a part of. Thank you for helping make it a reality! Tell your friends, your uncle, your uncle's friends! Keep the word spreading so we can reach the sea floor in victory.

Grabbing his Sword,

David

Update for sensitivity purposes
over 2 years ago – Tue, Jul 27, 2021 at 04:51:05 AM

Greetings adventurers, this is Jade Thomas providing a hasty update to one of her settlements as she similarly got hasty feedback from a Maori sensitivity reader on the use of language in the game. all references to their language have been removed in this settlement (and will be removed from my further contributions to the game)

It is my sincerest apologies that I got careless from a place of well meaning, without further ado, here's the updated version of the settlement. I hope this doesn't affect your willingness to take a plunge into the depths with me.

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An Introduction to Mareila Fort

Greetings, Travelers. Since you don’t look like agents of The Old One, I, Captain Makana, hereby welcome you to Mareila fort.

Normally Concorans are not too welcoming of strangers, but me and Quartermaster Marlis are working to change that slowly but surely. As long as you follow our rules and customs, you’ll be able to avoid a violent misunderstanding. For example, don’t touch our slimy bodies without invitation, and similarly, avoid getting them messy with food, that’s what happened to the last Captain for disrespecting boundaries that we don’t cross under any circumstances. While we’re at it just keep the tables clear of your bags, headgear, and pillows. Food contains a blessing of sorts to remove the restrictions of that tapu, and eating bad food, which doesn’t have that is also a bad idea. You might think this is complicated, but really it’s just like the earth pony’s concepts of hygiene and conservation, just a different tradition and culture, “cleanliness is next to godliness” as the surface dwellers say.

But that’s enough about our rules. So long as you follow those, you’ll find we’re a very fun bunch, the kind who you can always rely on to tell it like it is, cutting loose when telling the truth is something we value, especially our local Twin Merlings. I recommend checking them out whenever you got the chance. Depending on the time of day you visit, you can find a wide variety of services, for all matters permitted available by the Quartermaster and Captain alike. If you have any urgent inquiries, you can always find me or the quartermaster at our respective Merlings

Description

Mareila Fort is a beautiful large town. Built on top of a coral reef on Everglow’s western seaboard, it has been fortified and protected well against the horrors of the depths. It is this security from threats that allows the Concorans residing here to be more accepting than most.

While not typically considered as such, Mareila Fort is, chronologically speaking, one of the oldest known settlement on Everglow. Being able to hold out through all 3 eras because the Concorans really learned to look after their land fiercely. While they can’t mask what their presence has impacted, there is no denying both how pristine and how defensible it is. The two Merlings especially are highly respected hubs of a bustling community.

Notable Places

Mareila Merling

Established by the first Captain and Quartermaster of the Fort who swam lengthy miles in search of a defensible home. They found a reef that had plenty of fish and other food available, and most of all the view was stunning enough to start a home there and enough to start a training ground to help train those who would protect the Mana of the land, and help those fighting back against the horrors with knowing just where to strike against them

The beautiful land around the Merling was declared Sancrosanct to preserve its beauty, but the interior doesn’t have the same restrictions. It was built long ago when Coral the Navigator led his first voyage here alongside Toora. Coral’s shell is said to be buried deep inside in a kind of crypt that no one dares to disturb without a very good reason, but unlike the neighboring Marlis Merling, it does have it’s own weapon forging and enchanting services as to ensure grieving families are able to make weapons and armor to protect their future generations. The main level of the Merling serves as a meeting point for local adventurers from the Fort.

As long as you do nothing to disturb the surrounding land with so much as litter or try to break into the crypt of Coral the Navigator without official sanctioning from the present captain who has Mana, The Concorans here are more than willing to let others use it. In the event some kind of speech is going on and you must enter, it is expected you minimize your bodily presence as much as possible out of respect.

Marlis Merling

Established by the first Quartermaster of the Fort, Toora. When Coral the Navigator was mapping out the land, Toora stayed at home to learn and then instruct how to best preserve the fertile food sources for generations to come, making this an ideal gathering place to acquire rations and other survival supplies, as well as a place to crash for the night.

Constructed in two floors. The top floor is a dining hall by day and an inn at night to conserve as much space as possible, while the bottom room contains a food pit deep enough to feed the entire fort for a week, in addition to a wide set of catacombs to preserve the shells of those who chose to have their final shell be a shrine. Similar to Mareila Merling, land surrounding it is off-limits to preserve the beauty.

Anyone is welcome to sleep and eat here for a very inexpensive sum, unfortunately they can only do so at certain times of day. The Quartermaster needs to be informed if you intend to enter the catacombs so they can arrange an escort in order to make sure altars are not disturbed which would cause anger among the local residents

Broke 7K
almost 3 years ago – Sun, Jul 25, 2021 at 08:29:40 AM

We are about 800 off from the next stretch, and I'm quite excited about that! Thank you all. Feels like a good time for a preview! How about a settlement this time.

Ocean and Beach Locations

An Introduction to Makana Pā

Kia Ora, Travelers. Since you don’t look like agents of The Old One, I, Captain Makana, hereby welcome you to Makana Pā.

Normally Concorans are not too welcoming of strangers, but me and Quartermaster Manaia are working to change that slowly but surely. As long as you follow our Tikanga, our rules and etiquette, you’ll be able to avoid a violent misunderstanding. For example, don’t touch our slimy bodies without invitation, and similarly, avoid getting them messy with with food, that’s what happened to the last Captain for disrespecting tapu, boundaries that we don’t cross under any circumstances. While we’re at it just keep the tables clear of your bags, headgear, and pillows. Food’s a source of Noa, a blessing of sorts to remove the restrictions of sanctity, and eating food that is not Noa. You might think this is complicated, but really it’s just like the earth pony’s concepts of hygiene and conservation, just a different tradition and culture, “cleanliness is next to godliness” as the surface dwellers say.

But that’s enough about our rules. So long as you follow those, you’ll find we’re a very fun bunch, the kind who you can always rely on to tell it like it is, cutting loose when telling the truth is something we value, especially some of our local Marae. I recommend checking it out whenever you got the chance. Depending on the time of day you visit, you can find a wide variety of services, for all matters permitted available by the Quartermaster and Captain alike. If you have any urgent inquiries, you can always find me or the quartermaster in at the local Marae.

Description

Makana Pā is a beautiful large town. Built on top of a coral reef on Everglow’s western seaboard, it has been fortified and protected well against the horrors of the depths. It is this security from threats that allows the Concorans residing here to be more accepting than most.

While not typically considered as such, Makana Pā is, chronologically speaking, one of the oldest known settlement on Everglow. Being able to hold out through all 3 eras because the Concorans really learned to look after their land fiercely. While they can’t mask what their presence has impacted, there is no denying both how pristine and how defensible it is. The two Marae especially are highly respected hubs of a bustling community.

Notable Places

Makana Marae

Established by the first Captain and Quartermaster of the Pā who swam lengthy miles in search of a defensible home. They found a reef that had plenty of fish and other food available, and most of all the view was stunning enough to start a home there and enough to start a training ground to help train those who would protect the Mana of the land, and help those fighting back against the horrors with knowing just where to strike against them

The beautiful land around the Marae was declared Tapu to preserve its beauty, but the interior doesn’t have the same restrictions. It was built long ago when Coral the Navigator led his first voyage here alongside Toora. Coral’s shell is said to be buried deep inside in a kind of crypt that no one dares to disturb without a very good reason, but unlike the neighboring Manaia Marae, it does have it’s own weapon forging and enchanting services as to ensure grieving families are able to make weapons and armor to protect their future generations. The main level of the marae serves as a meeting point for local adventurers from the Pā.

As long as you do nothing to disturb the surrounding land with so much as litter or try to break into the crypt of Coral the Navigator without official sanctioning from the present captain who has Mana, The Concorans here are more than willing to let others use it. In the event some kind of speech is going on and you must enter, it is expected you minimize your bodily presence as much as possible out of respect.

Manaia Marae

Established by the first Quartermaster of the Pā, Toora. When Coral the Navigator was mapping out the land, Toora stayed at home to learn and then instruct how to best preserve the fertile food sources for generations to come, making this an ideal gathering place to acquire rations and other survival supplies, as well as a place to crash for the night.

Constructed in two floors. The top floor is a dining hall by day and an inn at night to conserve as much space as possible, while the bottom room contains a food pit deep enough to feed the entire pā for a week, in addition to a wide set of catacombs to preserve the shells of those who chose to have their final shell be a shrine. Similar to Makana Marae, land surrounding it is off limits to preserve the beauty.

Anyone is welcome to sleep and eat here for a very inexpensive sum, unfortunately they can only do so at certain times of day. The Quartermaster needs to be informed if you intend to enter the catacombs so they can arrange an escort in order to make sure altars are not disturbed which would cause anger among the local residents.

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Welcome to the ocean! The water's fine and we're glad to share it with you. If you haven't already, do share the Kickstarter around. We want to reach that sea floor and we can't do it without your help!

Going to School,

David

Sliding Towards You
almost 3 years ago – Wed, Jul 21, 2021 at 11:57:26 PM

You remember these guys? Say hello to the Shimmershells. They come in three varieties, and I'll share a little about them here.

New Race: Shimmershell Ponies

Shimmershell Ponies are a race of aquatic ponies native to the seas of Everglow. They are soft bodied mollusk-like creatures with a penchant for magic, art, and creation. They have two features that are true to all Shimmershell Ponies. Each has a soft body with a hard shell for protection.

The body of a Shimmershell Pony resembles the flexible body of a sea snail, but with a sleek pony head. Trailing down their heads are long flowing manes of tendrils, tipped with faintly glowing lights. The bodies are brightly colored in vibrant hues with a pale shade for the underbelly. On land, they are able to secret a thick viscous fluid to coat their bodies and keep them from drying out. This is also used to communicate and send messages, as the scent of the fluid can be detected by other Shimmershell Ponies to add a deeper layer of emotion when they converse underwater.

Each Shimmershell Pony also has a large shell on their backs. While the shape and size of this shell differs between subspecies, they all serve the same general purpose, protection. These shells have a shimmering opalescent sheen and are also used to store air, allowing them to control their movement underwater. These shells are innately magical and humm faintly when in the presence of arcane magic. Some are round and smooth cones like a trumpet snail, others are thick and spiny like a conch, and some are smaller and spiraled like a nautilus. Each of these shell types denotes whether a Shimmershell Pony is a Whelkie, a Concoran, or an Ammonie.

New Pony Subraces: Shimmershell Ponies (5e)

The Shimmershells are an aquatic race of Ponykind. To create a shimmershell, you select Ponykind as your race and apply one of the following options as your subrace.

Whelkie

Whelkies are the most adventurous of the Shimmershell ponies. They live near the coast and forage for colorful treasures such as pearls, sunken treasures, shells, and bright corals. They are fond of new experiences and try to find the joys in life.

Ability Score increase: Your Charisma Score Increases +1

Slow and Steady: You have a base land speed of 20 and a swim speed of 30.

Oceanborn: You may breathe underwater. You are happier and healthier when you have more water than the usual land dweller. Be sure to water your snails often.

Unique Destiny: Your Spirit Tribe must be Unique Destiny.

Shimmering Shell: You start with a heavy shell that protects your body from harm. You increase your Armor Class by +1. By spending an hour with a suit of armor that you are proficient with, you can absorb the minerals and properties of the armor into your Shimmering Shell, even taking magical properties and incorporating them into arcane sigils. This destroys the armor and replaces and pre-existing armor benefits that you had from this feature. However, your shell gains the properties and abilities of the chosen armor, including the AC bonus of the armor.

Withdraw: A shimmershell pony may fully withdraw into their shell as an action. Until you emerge, you have an AC of 18, and you have advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws. While in your shell  your speed is 0 and can't increase, you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws, you can't take reactions, and the only action you can take is a bonus action to emerge from your shell.

Rainbow Shell:  Your shell can draw out your fey nature, allowing you to slip from one place to another in a moment’s notice. You may cast Misty Step as a bonus action even if you are using Withdraw. Once this ability is used, it can’t be used until you complete a short or long rest.

Languages: You may read, speak, understand, and write Sylvan.

Shimmershell Heritages (PF2)

These heritages are ponykind heritages, selectable by ponykind.

Whelkie

Whelkies are the most adventurous of the Shimmershell ponies. They live near the coast and forage for colorful treasures such as pearls, lost jewels, shells, and bright corals. They are fond of new experiences and try to find the joys in life.

• They can breathe water.
  
• They have a swim Speed of 25 feet and a land Speed of 20 feet.
  
• They gain access to the Shell Duck action. While withdrawn, you have +2 circumstance bonus to saving throws against magical effects.
  
• Your destiny and purpose is unknown and must be uncovered through experience and discovery. You may not take any Spirit Tribe Feats except for Unique Destiny.
  

Ability Boosts: Constitution, Charisma, Free. Ability Flaw: Strength

New Physical Tribes: Shimmershells PF1

There are three types of shimmershell ponies that may be selected at character creation. If the qualities of your Physical Tribe are in conflict with the base statistics of Ponykind, your Physical Tribe takes precedence.

Whelkie

Ability Scores: +2 Constitution +2, Charisma, -2 Strength

Base Speed: Shimmershell Poonies have a base speed of 20 feet and a swim speed of 30 feet.

Unique Destiny: You do not receive a bonus feat at first level and you may not select a Spirit Tribe.

Oceanborn: You may breathe underwater. You are happier and healthier when you have more water than the usual land dweller. Be sure to water your snail often.

Shimmering Shell: You have a thick shell that covers a significant portion of your body. The armor you start with, if any, is this shell. Given a day, you can assimilate the minerals in new armor to change and upgrade your shell. Your shell can be engraved with runes, a fond artistic venture of Shimmer shells. Once assimilated, your Shimmering Shell gains the properties of the armor you have invested, including the properties of special materials or magical effects. This removes any previous traits your Shimmering Shell possessed. The armor is destroyed in this process.

Shell Shield: You may withdraw into your shell as an action. While you are inside your shell, you have cover, your speed is reduced to zero, enemies have cover from you. You may end this on your turn as a swift action.

Charming Voice: You have spent time interacting with the people of the surface and the sea. You gain +2 on Charisma based skill checks in peaceful situations.

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We have feats for all three editions ready to go, to say nothing of the two other varieties of shimmershells waiting to make a splash landing at your table!

While we're here, we did add a few new tiers for people to choose from if you're just getting the core book and want to up your ante a little.

Offering up exciting options is what we're here to do, with all of these leaving your mark on the book. You can always re-pledge to adjust your tier level. Any questions, on that, or the shimmershells? Hit us up!

Swim Safe,

David

Take a Breather
almost 3 years ago – Mon, Jul 19, 2021 at 12:19:15 AM

A fine day for a preview, I say.

Rebreather ITEM 1

Price 10 gp

Usage worn over face; Bulk 1

This contraption slides over the user's face, blocking their mouth. While wearing it, their breath is cleaned as best can be done, allowing one breath to last for far longer(four times as long) without fresh air being available, though they immediately begin to hold their breath. Exposed to fresh air, the item is ready for use again after ten minutes. The user can speak, if a little muffedly. Talking, receiving a critical hit or casting spells does not modify the time you can hold your breath while this is worn. Gasses that would only affect creatures that breathe do not affect you while wearing this.

Rebreather, Advanced ITEM 3

Price 50 gp

Usage worn over face; Bulk 1

As per the rebreather, save that it functions for as long as it is worn.

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Some PF2 items(already translated to 5e and pf1) for dipping your head underwater at low levels. They don't help you swim though, but at least drowning is avoided, which is a strong plus in my book!

Like? Have your own idea bubbling you want us to peer at? Now's a fine time to share. It's also a good time to share the link to the Kickstarter! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/silvergamesllc/ponyfinder-seas-of-everglow 

Let's reach the bottom of the sea!

David