Foreword
The basic premise of this campaign is simple. A second ship, the Blue Marlin, is sent to learn the fate of the Waverider by following the trail she left across the world. The players command that search. Along the way they will fall into new troubles, uncover old ones, and meet friends and enemies who once crossed paths with the Waverider. In the end they will find her crew.
Just as important, though less visible, is for the Blue Marlin crew to find themselves. They are all, in different ways, damaged by life. As much as seeking the Waverider, they are finding themselves, finding ways to repair past damage.
Each nation or location contains dedicated adventure for the campaign. The players can pursue these in almost any order. In the location descriptions these adventures are placed under a campaign link. They are meant to guide, not dictate. Every group is different. Adapt, twist, or replace the material as needed. Follow the players' curiosity and let their choices set the course.
The campaign is not detailed down to the nuts and bolts. Instead, it builds upon descriptions of settings, events, people and flavor stories, and expects you to fill out details as needed. The goal has been much adventure, not detailed adventure. The flavor texts are not meant to be read to the players, they are simply meant to describe how something could go, in a more alive way than cold descriptive text.
The Blue Marlin
The ship they sail is the Blue Marlin.
The players can use the premade crew as written or replace any of them with their own characters who fill similar roles. Keeping everyone human is recommended because it keeps the crew coherent and avoids complications with local prejudices.
This crew setup also ensures the ship can function if some characters die. Spare crew members double as backup characters or can be used when new players join.
If the group agrees they can also run away teams. This allows players to switch characters depending on who is sent ashore. It keeps things more believable and gives every crewmember a chance to matter.
The Blue Marlin also carries about thirty sailors who handle the day to day running of the ship. They are described only briefly. For most practical purposes they are treated as part of the ship itself and not available for adventuring.
Recommended Crew
To have a good mix of characters, it's is recommended that at least Captain Scarnax, Diplomat Ayesha and either First Officer Nasheem or one of the Marines are player characters.
If there are more players, Boatswain Caelin, more Marines or Medical Officer Junia are good alternatives, but any character could be used.
Campaign Assumptions
Here are some practical assumptions that should be communicated to the players. These exist to keep the campaign smooth and avoid needless friction.
- Assume the ship can take care of itself. If the party leaves the ship the sailors guard it, repair it, or sail it to meet the players if they take a long overland route.
- Assume the crew handles routine trading. Unless the party vanishes into the wilderness for a very long time, they have the food and supplies they need.
- Assume the party has enough funds for normal expenses. If they want to spend far more they can, but they must work to earn it. They can still be robbed or stranded, but money is not meant to be a constant obstacle.
- Several members of the crew have backgrounds that make them fiercely opposed to slavery. The rest of the crew shares at least some level of this attitude.
- As the story advances the party may pick up more NPC specialists. These can become player characters if needed and there is always room for them on the ship.
- If a player cannot attend a session their character is safe and occupied with ship duties.
- Real sailing had issues like scurvy and lice. The medical officer handles this. The campaign does not revolve around disease.
- The Blue Marlin is fast enough to outrun other ships. Unless ambushed there is no need for naval battles.
- It helps if one player preferably the captain or navigator keeps a simple log. Only basic notes are needed but it strengthens the feeling of a long voyage. Plotting the travels on the map can also help establishing the mood.
A short summary: The point is exploration and adventure, not the micromanagement of a ship.
Other assumptions:
- While many characters have reasons to hate slavery, slavery is a fact of life in the Heroica world. They can not go in all guns blazing every time they see a slave, they'll have to choose their battles and react against the worst atrocities. It is like how you might dislike, say, having to work in today's society, but you'll still have to accept that, for now, that's how it works.
- The purpose is to explore the world while searching for the Waverider, not to get stuck in one place. Don't force the trip, but don't drag it out either. The road is the goal.
- Things move at the speed of plot. If there is an urgency, if the players don't dawdle, they'll get there as needed. There is no need to find the absolutely fastest route.
Game Master Tips
Descriptions Versus Flavor Stories
The flavor stories are not bonus material. They are tools. Use them as emotional carriers when the mood matters more than the mechanics. Straight descriptions give you structure when you need clarity. Flavor stories give you tone, phrasing and imagery you can lift directly into play. They let you show instead of tell, helping you communicate fear, awe, cruelty or wonder without lecturing the players. Treat them as a palette of sensations and impressions, guiding you toward the atmosphere each scene is meant to create.
Note-Taking
Keep a personal copy of the world map and the Waverider’s port-of-call list. Use these to record where the players have been, where they received information, and what details they uncovered.
Many adventures simply state that the players learn “where the Waverider went next” or “where it came from.” When this happens, choose a location the players have not yet visited, one that fits the geography and nudges the campaign in a direction you want. This keeps the world coherent without forcing them down a single path. Place interesting things where you want them to go, rather than dragging them there.
Maintain a list of unresolved hooks. Whenever opportunity arises, bring one back into play.
If the players head somewhere unexpected, pick an unresolved hook, an NPC flaw, or a Waverider rumor and place it there.
Clue Management
Always maintain at least four types of clues:
- One pointing forward
- One pointing sideways
- One pointing back
- One leading nowhere
If the party gets stuck, hand them new clues, but at a cost. Perhaps someone attacks them. Perhaps a crew member is kidnapped by someone with answers. Perhaps the only source of information demands a difficult or distasteful task. Even so, the players should rarely become fully stuck, since they always have the list of visited ports to fall back on.
Many vague clues are better than a few crystal-clear ones. Plant clues that may pay off far down the line, and encourage players to take notes. Let the larger picture emerge slowly.
Drop clues which may not move the investigation forwards, but will drop hints about the distant lands not yet visited, as a foreshadowing.
Occasionally restate older clues or NPC details so nothing essential fades from memory.
Since ship's stocks are handled by the NPC crew, if you want the ship to make a certain stop, you always have the option of stating "You don't have the range to do that with current supplies, you'll need to make a stop along the way to restock."
For the reference of the game master, here is a list of places where the Waverider visited.
Use clues to guide the players to them in any order you see fit. Sometimes, give them enough clues to have options.
Using Character Backgrounds
Every major character in this campaign carries a heavy personal history. Many are damaged people who rebuilt themselves in strange ways. These backgrounds are rich with emotional hooks and roleplaying opportunities. Read them carefully, and bring at least one character’s past into focus each session. Small reminders, recurring motifs, or a callback to a moment from their history can make the world feel inhabited and personal.
Do not overuse this. Not everyone needs a spotlight every session. One or two meaningful beats per session is enough.
This is a dark world, and characters come from dark places, but the Blue Marlin should remain a place of warmth and safety. Include light moments, friendships, jokes, small celebrations, so the Blue Marlin feels like a mental anchor for both NPCs and players.
Crew Additions
This is not meant to be a “collect them all” campaign. A few new crew members will join over time, but not many. Make each addition memorable, and make their arrival matter.
The World
Before the crew reaches any location, review the description. When they arrive, lean into the unique details of that place. Give every landfall its own tone and texture. The players should constantly feel, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.”
Side Stories
Many locations will have side stories. These are minor sidetracks the players can explore, opportunities to drop in minor clues or foreshadowing, ways to put specific characters in the spotlight and so on. They are optional distractions to put flavor to locations and to make the world fuller.
Recurring NPCs
These are memorable NPCs you can drop into the campaign as you see fit. Some helpful, some funny, some annoying, some problematic, and some all of it.
These add a sense of world persistence to a campaign which moves all over the world. Try to keep them alive, even the enemies.
Player Agency
Always remember the golden rule: The world is incomplete until the players touch it.
World building is collaboration.
As a Game Master, think of player additions as plausibility tests rather than disruptions. When a player introduces a detail that has not been established, you are not being asked to surrender control of the world, but to quickly judge whether that detail fits the place, moment and tone. If the group is walking through a busy street, a player tossing a coin to a street bard makes the world richer and costs nothing, so the bard exists. If the same action happens in an abandoned ruin or a frozen wilderness, you simply say there is no bard here. Saying yes when it makes sense and no when it does not preserves coherence while still inviting players to help build the world, and that balance is what keeps agency and tone aligned.
General
- If the players care about what happens, you are doing it right.
- If they feel lost, add a clue.
- If they feel railroaded, add a choice.
- If they feel too safe, shake things up.
Content Warning
This campaign contains adult and frightening themes. Heroica is a dark world and terrible things happen in it. Speak openly with your players before you begin. Make it clear that anyone can signal discomfort at any time and that the game will pause when needed.
If something becomes too much there are two common ways to handle it. You can fade out by acknowledging that something bad happened without describing it. Or you can avoid naming the event entirely and simply state that a someone has endured terrible experiences and leave it there.
With trust and flexibility the crew of the Blue Marlin will take the players on a journey worth remembering.