Adventuring In Sundaland: 14 Ideas To Get Started

I thought it would be good to provide some ideas on how to actually start playing in this setting. How are adventures or interesting scenarios instigated for new players unfamiliar with Sundaland or Bronze to Classical Age settings?

Here I'll present 14 adventure seeds and a discussion of the frame and context I'm creating around them.

I understand that at the end of the day players just want to fight bad-guys and monsters, or uncover the  plot of the rival priest caste. But how do we present that without following medieval and fantasy tropes and instead invoke a different feeling? You can't get the players to meet at an inn, because those probably don't exist (substitute the market or port).

The first and easiest option, one that fits perfectly with the setting, is to remember the relationship between individuals and their society in ancient times. People were less individualistic than today and had a very strong bond with their family, home and culture. There wasn't really a choice in the matter. You were either part of society or you were out in the wilderness on your own. And there's a reason why banishment was such a serious punishment back then. Whether voluntarily or not, you had to contribute in order to continue to get the benefits of civilisation.

For new players the instigator of scenarios can be any authority in their society. Simply put, the queen of your city state or one of her subordinates tells you what to do. If your game starts with low powered characters this is a fairly safe way to introduce them to the setting, bring them together and give them a chance to distinguish themselves.

Examples:

1. Forced Labour: The characters are rounded up as labour for some public work such as digging irrigation canals, building city walls or a big monument (see the Random Sundaland Culture Generator for ideas). Perhaps the work is interrupted by raiders from a rival city or is deliberately sabotaged?
2. Extra Pair of Hands: The king wants to send an envoy to a nearby city-state and the caravan or boat needs an extra pair of hands. The envoy is attacked by a local tribe or perhaps find themselves lost?
3. War: An aggressive culture has declared war on your kingdom and you've all been called up to help defend it. You're each given a spear and a basic helmet and thrust into battle against a mixture of similarly inexperienced fighters and elite professional warriors.
4. Scout: The King's army is passing through your area and has asked for locals to aid as scouts for an upcoming battle. Your job is to find the enemy and report back without being noticed, or lead the army through treacherous territory.
5. Ritual Battle: You were born into the warrior caste and have been trained for battle from a young age. An annual ritualised battle is set to take place, the first you'll actively participate in. Ideally you'll capture an enemy fighter and prove yourself to your caste members.
6. Beast Hunt: Something is killing the animals or dragging villagers out of their homes at night. It's time to go out with the other able-bodied men and women and put a stop to it.
7. Investigation: You and your companions are priests, scholars or bureaucrats. It seems that someone is stealing from the royal store rooms. You are tasked with finding out who is responsible and what their motive is.

That's what I would call a mission-based guided way of brining people into the setting. But what if we want to open up the options and even provide a sandbox game?

When creating a setting there is sometimes tension between the requirements for making the world feel internally consistent, real and immersive versus making it a fun place to play in. My understanding is that on the whole personal freedom was limited for people in ancient societies. The lot of your life was largely dependent on the circumstances of your birth and improving them was usually only possible during times of upheaval or at great personal risk. The freedom to be a wandering adventurer, to do what you please, is stuff of legends and a mindset perhaps afforded to us by the luxury of our modern lives. Perhaps I'm overstating that, I'm not sure.

In any case, while the tone of my version of Sundaland isn't at the level of high or heroic-fantasy, I still want to inject some personal autonomy and freedom. I think the best way to give players that personal freedom is to have them involved in some way with trade and exploration.

From my research on Bronze Age economies there certainly seems to be evidence of independently operating merchants and traders, not just official envoys, travelling far and wide to trade for products and goods to bring back home. I'll cover the economics of Sundaland in a future article.

In this context players can act as explorers, merchants, guides and guards. Adventures can include navigating unknown territories and seas, encountering wild animals and beasts, interacting with new cultures, fighting off bandits and uncivilised tribes and dealing with the obstacles of the natural environment.

Remember there are no horses in Sundaland, which means that most transport is either on foot, with elephants (perhaps water buffalo) or on boats on the numerous rivers throughout the land. (Get an idea of the intricate river system from the map in this article: Transport in Sundaland). In my opinion difficulty in getting around adds to a sense of wonder about the environment.

Here are some ideas for scenarios where characters can be more self-directed, setting the scene for exploration on their own terms and possibly a sandbox game.

1. Escape: The characters are enslaved. They might be working in a salt mine or rowers on a boat. Can they plan their escape or make the most of a window of opportunity? Perhaps there's a flood at the mine or their boat is cast upon rock and everyone must swim for their lives?
2. Explore: Investigate an unexplored area for resources, exotic plants or animals and anything else of value. Characters might stumble upon ancient ruins, hidden tribes, rare beasts and mega-fauna as they head off into the unknown.
3. Negotiation: A member of the elite was captured during the last battle with a nearby city. Their family is promising a reward for anyone who can negotiate for his safe return.
4. Rescue: Alternatively the characters might try rescuing the hostage so the ransom can be returned. Could they get away with keeping it for themselves?
5. Faction: The characters join or work against a faction. This can be done in several different ways. Violence, intrigue and politics are just some of the methods to be used depending on the context of the situation. If the characters become powerful or influential enough they may be able to start their own faction. I have an article about creating factions coming soon.
6. Trade: There's a demand for a particular product or resource and you want to acquire some to trade for a good profit. First you'll have to research on where to find it. The you'll have to travel there, deal with any obstacles on the way or at the end destination (rival traders, uncooperative suppliers etc.) and finally bring the bounty home safely.
7. Endless War: Your city has been involved in a low level war for generations. Raiding, stealing, hostage taking or simply initiating combat for the sake of it are all options that will increase your standing amongst your people. How much risk are you willing to take for personal glory and without escalating the conflict beyond what it is now?

I'm not going to pretend these adventure seeds are original. But hopefully I've given you a bit of insight into how I'm trying to convey the setting through context and framing. And as mentioned earlier, I'm working on a way to create factions which will give you the ability to quickly create the context for all kinds of adventuring scenarios.