Nautical Adventuring (OSS)

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: Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent myself from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off-then I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.
:-Herman Melville, Moby Dick
"To get to sea." As far back as the dawn of recorded time, humanity has experienced this primal impulse. The wave-tossed surface of the ocean promises mystery; it pulls relentlessly at some inner chord. Scientists tell us that life sprang from the sea. Perhaps this explains our fascination with all things nautical-it is a kind of homecoming, a returning to the source. Whatever the reason, sea travel holds an important place in our history, mythology, and literature. Historically, mankind has sailed the seas for adventure, exploration, and the less noble goal of conquest-including war, colonization, and exploitation. Sailing, then, represents a kind of victory-the triumph of intellect over matter. It also offers challenges, hardships, and the possibility of death.
The human imagination responds to these stimuli. Jason and his journey on the Argos, Odysseus' wave-tossed wanderings at the angry hand of Poseidon, and the work of writers such as Jack London, Lovecraft, Melville, and H.G. Wells all demonstrate the excitement, terror, and adventure generated by tales of the sea and the mighty heroes who sail upon it.
Nautical adventures and campaigns, then, are one way that Dungeon Masters can excite and inspire their players. The promise of exploration and adventure on the high seas offers players new ways to experience their characters and the fantasy setting around them. After all, what could be more stimulating than traveling in a world where the phrase "Here there be Dragons" hastily scribbled on the edge of an old sea-dog's map signals a very real danger.