Since splitting the fantasy environments into six sections, it's time to cover each one in a bit more detail!
This is first version so will cycle back to update it!
Seas Basics
Fantasy seas are places of pirates and swashbuckling adventure, storms, shipwrecks, exploration, islands, sea monsters and endless ocean.
Many people like the idea of a sea-based campaign, but they aren't always easy to run!
Within the sea itself you have most people envisaging something on board a ship. But there's also under the water, and the busy docks, in a fishing village, on a beach, in a storm, on islands or cliffs.
Adventurers with access to a ship and maybe a crew have the freedom to go many places, and a sense of control.
RPGs include 7th Sea (2nd Edition) from Chaosium and the Daydreamer Solo RPG: Pirates of Low Waters.
Sea Resources on Rand Roll
On Rand Roll there's...
- A number of random tables and articles for Fantasy Sea, along with the related categories of Coastal and Underwater.
- There is a guide to Random Tools Guide for Sea, Ships and Pirates
- Another guide for PDF and Book Titles for Fantasy Sea.
- an article on Map Tools for Fantasy Seas
Media, Books, Films
For five fantasy books with a naval theme try...(goodreads links)
- Liveship Traders series by Robin Hobb, with serpents, pirates and living ships.
- Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch (book 2 of the Gentlemen Bastards) with a thievery theme
- Voyage of the Dawn Treader for an older book from the Chronicles of Narnia
- Albreshin Compass by Juliette E McKenna, set on an island archipelago
- Daughter of the Pirate King Series by Tricia Levensteller. Appear to be ones you either love or hate.
Films and Series (IMDB links). Other contenders included Godzilla, Moby Dick and Little Mermaid
- Finding Nemo (2003), the ultimate in underwater adventures. About a fish trying to rescue their son. Also the sequel Finding Dory,
- Black Sails (2014-2017), a TV series which is a prequel to Treasure Island
- Life of Pi (2012), a bengali swept away to sea with a tiger in a boat.
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). Pirates and swashbuckling, part of a series of films
- Vikings (2013-2020), TV Series about those sea raiders from long ago,
Published Adventures
For published adventures and settings there's...
- Ghosts of Saltmarsh (2019) from Wizards of the Coast for 5E and 3rd party titles for these on DM's Guild.
- The original Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh (1981) for AD&D 1st Edition, first in a trilogy of sea-themed adventures.
- Tales of Freeport, an anthology of adventures from Green Ronin for the Freeport setting.
- Then there's 7th Seas (1st Ed) and 7th Sea (2nd Ed) from Chaosium, settings of pirates and swashbuckling.
Finishing Up
If you liked these there are Generators at Chaos Gen and a monthly random tools Newsletter. Or find us on the Rand Roll Discord or an instagram of Random Tables.
