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The Smugglers War

The Smugglers War

Campaign: The Smugglers War

Location: The Sunken Undermart & The Broad Swells Level Range: 5-15

Campaign Overview & Themes

  • The Core Conflict: The independent smuggling cartels of the Broad Swells are tearing each other apart. A ruthless new syndicate known as the Gilded Claw, backed by unknown benefactors, has declared all-out war on the established families. The Gilded Claw isn't just killing rivals; they are stealing the secret maps of the "Shadow-Shunts"—ancient, magical oceanic portals that allow instantaneous travel across the Swells. The players are thrust into the middle of this bloody mob war, forced to build their own empire, unite the fractured cartels, and stop the Gilded Claw from controlling the very fabric of oceanic travel.
  • Tone & Tropes: Mob-war in a fantasy setting, brutal turf wars, shifting alliances, underwater shootouts, economic warfare, securing supply lines, and uncovering a massive conspiracy. Think The Godfather meets Pirates of the Caribbean.

The Sandbox / Regional Guide

  • Base of Operations: The Sunken Undermart, a massive, watertight airship that crashed into a shallow reef centuries ago. It has been converted into a sprawling, multi-level black market, accessible via submarine or diving bells. The players are gifted a run-down tavern inside the Undermart, which they can upgrade into a legitimate casino or a front for their own operations.
  • Key Locations:
    • The Shadow-Shunts: Invisible, magical whirlpools scattered across the ocean. When navigated correctly with a special compass, a ship is teleported hundreds of miles. They are highly contested territory.
    • The Leviathan's Ribs: A colossal skeleton of an ancient sea beast jutting from the ocean. It serves as a neutral meeting ground for cartel bosses, heavily guarded by snipers.
    • Port Blacksand: A heavily fortified pirate haven on the surface. It is lawless, violent, and currently under siege by the Gilded Claw's blockades.
    • The Gilded Vault: A decommissioned draconic vault built into a sheer cliff face over the sea. It serves as the impenetrable fortress for the Gilded Claw's leader.

Factions & Reputations

  • The Independent Cartels: A loose alliance of the old-guard smugglers (including Madame Vespera's crew). They are rich but complacent. Allying with them provides steady income and political clout, but draws the immediate ire of the Gilded Claw.
  • The Gilded Claw: The aggressive newcomers. They use brutal tactics, experimental Aether-weaponry, and deep pockets to buy loyalty. Players can pretend to join them, acting as double agents, but discovery means a grisly death.
  • The Deep-Strand Sentinels: Merfolk mercenaries who patrol the deep ocean. They sell their services to the highest bidder. Earning their loyalty guarantees safe passage beneath the waves, but they demand exorbitant prices in raw gold.
  • The "Clean" Merchants: Legitimate traders who are caught in the crossfire. Protecting them earns "clean" money and goodwill, which is vital for laundering the players' ill-gotten gains.

The Villains & Lieutenants

  • The Big Bad: Vax the Vile. A brilliant, scarred Rakshasa masquerading as a pirate lord. Vax doesn't just want to control the smuggling routes; he wants to monopolize the Shadow-Shunts to facilitate a massive invasion of fiends from the Lower Planes into Aethervale.
  • The Timeline of Doom:
    • Month 3: The Gilded Claw assassinates three major cartel bosses at the Leviathan's Ribs, plunging the Undermart into chaos. Prices of Aether-crystals skyrocket.
    • Month 6: Vax decrypts the Shadow-Shunt manifest, allowing his ships to ambush anyone, anywhere. Port Blacksand falls to his forces.
    • Month 12: Vax uses the synchronized power of the Shadow-Shunts to tear open a massive portal in the center of the Broad Swells, summoning a demonic armada.
  • Lieutenants:
    • Captain "Sinker" Sal: A half-orc demolitions expert who commands the Gilded Claw's submarine fleet. He delights in sinking ships from below.
    • Lady Ophelia: A manipulative enchanter and Vax's spymaster. She operates out of a luxurious floating casino and uses blackmail to turn the players' allies against them.

The 5-Act Structure

  • Act I: The Inciting Incident (Levels 5-6): The players are hired for security at the Undermart when the Gilded Claw launches a devastating lightning raid. The attackers steal a critical ledger containing half the Shadow-Shunt coordinates. The players inherit their deceased boss's tavern and their cartel debts.
  • Act II: The Sandbox (Levels 7-9): The Turf War. The players must expand their territory, intercept Gilded Claw shipments, and negotiate with the Deep-Strand Sentinels. They participate in high-speed ship chases through the Shadow-Shunts, attempting to map them before Vax does. They uncover Lady Ophelia's blackmail ring.
  • Act III: The Turning Point (Levels 10-11): The Parley at the Leviathan's Ribs. The players arrange a peace summit between the remaining independent cartels. Vax ambushes the summit with a fleet of magically enhanced submarines. The players must survive a massive shootout, rescue the cartel bosses, and realize that Vax is a fiend.
  • Act IV: The Escalation & Assault (Levels 12-13): The counter-offensive. The players lead an assault to liberate Port Blacksand from Captain Sal's blockade. They engage in a massive naval battle featuring submarine warfare, depth charges, and boarding actions. They secure the remaining half of the Shadow-Shunt coordinates.
  • Act V: The Climax (Levels 14-15): Siege of the Gilded Vault. The players launch an all-out assault on Vax's fortress just as he begins the ritual to open the fiendish portal. They must navigate a trap-filled draconic vault, disrupt the Aether-ritual, and defeat the Rakshasa in a reality-bending battle across multiple active portals.

Dungeons & Set Pieces

  1. The Shadow-Shunt Chase: Not a traditional dungeon, but an extended skill-challenge and combat encounter. The players must pilot their ship through a collapsing magical portal while being pursued by Gilded Claw interceptors. The laws of physics break down: gravity shifts, the water turns to glass, and spatial anomalies require quick thinking and precise spellcasting to survive.
  2. The Floating Casino Casino (Lady Ophelia's Lair): A social infiltration dungeon. The players must attend a high-stakes gala aboard a luxurious airship/yacht. They cannot bring heavy weapons or armor. They must use stealth, charm, and sleight of hand to steal the blackmail ledger, poison guards, and assassinate Ophelia before she alerts the fleet.
  3. The Gilded Vault: A decommissioned draconic lair converted into a fortress. It features brutal, mechanical traps powered by captive elementals. The layout is designed to funnel intruders into kill-zones. The gimmick: Certain rooms have anti-magic fields that rotate on a timer, forcing spellcasters and martials to constantly coordinate their positioning.

Evolving Loot & Vestiges

  • The Cartel Coin: A magically minted platinum coin that vibrates when danger is near.
    • Dormant (Level 5-8): Grants advantage on Insight checks to determine if someone is lying about money. You can flip the coin to cast Augury once per day.
    • Awakened (Level 9-12): The coin can be pressed against any locked door or chest to cast Knock. You gain advantage on Initiative rolls.
    • Exalted (Level 13-15): Once per week, you can spend an action to flip the coin and summon 2d4 veteran mercenaries (using the Veteran stat block) who arrive via a miniature Shadow-Shunt, fighting for you for 1 hour.
  • The Portal-Breaker Hand Cannon: A heavy pistol salvaged from a ruined Shunt. When fired at a magical effect (like a Wall of Force), it has a chance to instantly dispel it (acts as Dispel Magic at 5th level).