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Anyone GMed Atlantis? I'm having difficulty wrapping my mind around this one.

It's a land of slavery and oppression, but one where people are free to go from anywhere in the Megaverse to trade.

Read up on the cities, as they differ greatly in culture and appearance.. I have had players travel to Splynn, Ki-Talan and Dragcona. Player characters will have a prohibitively difficult time traveling through any of the other major cities. Even in those listed they will need to keep their wits about them and be on their best behavior.

Some things to keep in mind:

-Regardless of class or level, the players are not the big kids on the block in Atlantis.
-They are not even second class citizens. Perhaps third or fourth class, if they are powerful non-humanoids.
-The law is decisively stacked against them. They will not be given the benefit of the doubt and the repercussions for bad behavior (whether real of imagined) will be swift and cruel.
-The easiest path to safety is the protection of a well respected citizen of Atlantis. Unfortunately, most well respected citizens of Atlantis are evil monsters.
-Most creatures there see humans and D-bees as food or slaves, and will attempt to manipulate any situation to see one of those outcomes come about.
-Atlantis is not a fun place to adventure for most groups, unless a party is specifically made to operate there or they enjoy being treated like excrement all of the time. It is generally a mission-oriented trip. Get in and get out.

One member of the party is a dragon, so that should make things interesting. I find Atlantis overwhelming because there are so many high powered npcs and the life around. Much surveillance and etc.

I'm not sure how to go about making this even remotely interesting; the place is such a complex web.

I always use it as a shopping mall. It depends on what the players are playing and doing... I mean, they could be hired to go and recapture slaves, or help slaves escape and then they have to deal with the craziness of the island and the Splugorth squads that patrol and even if they escape to the other side, then what? Or, they could just hang in the cities and be evil and do evil or political things involving different groups. I mean, it's kind of limitless and I think we need more info from you on the type of game it's going to be...

They're just showin' up, via a Shifter's Rift.

The Shifter had been there before as a slave -written in the character's background.

yea just enforce the fact the pc's are lapdogs given the ability to travel at their masters will. i mean an adventure were you have to capture living slaves is quite fun or a random assassination that must look like an accident etc. lots of free reign gming in this setting. But remember the pc's are lapdogs enforce that.

cyberdon wrote:They're just showin' up, via a Shifter's Rift.

The Shifter had been there before as a slave -written in the character's background.

Has the slave been freed somehow or is he an escapee?
If he is an escapee, he won't be much longer and if the others openly associate with him, they are probably going to be getting comfortable in their new pens too.

Cool guys.

I actually started reading Splynn Dimensional Market last night and the setting is making much more sense to me now.

Players need powerful back up, or learn to operate when Atlantis sleeps, and have a hiding place for the rest of the time. Learn ways to blend in, pretending to be the property of someone powerful in Atlantis could work. Being a follower of the dragonwright religion or being a worshipper of Splynncrytth and being a pilgrammage to Atlantis as your reason for being there is another possible option.

If Rifts Atlantis is the core, then Splynn Dimensional Market is the user guide imo.