RAGING SWAN PRESS GM’S MISCELLANY: WILDERNESS DRESSING A SYSTEM-NEUTRAL RESOURCE

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UPPORT AGING WAN ON S R S PATREON, AND I WON’T EAT YOU…PROMISE

Sample file GM’S MISCELLANY: WILDERNESS DRESSING

Tired of glossing over the details of your PCs’ overland journey (except for the inevitable, violent random encounters)? Want to add in minor features of interest to their journeys? Want to make re their journeys seem mo “real”? Then GM’s Miscellany: Wilderness Dressing is for you! A compilation of the Wilderness Dressing line, each instalment focuses on a different type of wilderness or a feature therein and gives the harried GM the tools to bring such features to life with interesting and cool noteworthy features.

GM’s Miscellany: Wilderness Dressing presents loads of great features and details to enliven your PCs’ travel both overland and by sea. Designed to be used both during preparation or actual play, GM’s Miscellany: Wilderness Dressing is an invaluable addition to any GM's armoury!

Design: John Bennett, Creighton Broadhurst, Seamus Conneely, Product Identity: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper Brian Gregory, Eric Hindley, Greg Marks, Brian Wiborg names (characters, deities, artefacts, places and so on), dialogue, Mønster, David Posener, Josh Vogt and Mike Welham plots, storylines, language, incidents, locations, characters, Development: C reighton Broadhurst artwork and trade dress are product identity as defined in the Editing: Creighton Broadhurst and Aaron T. Huss Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e) and are not Open Cover Design: Creighton Broadhurst Content. Layout: Creighton Broadhurst Interior Art: John Batten, Herbert Cole, Walter Crane, Paul Daly, Open Content: Except material designated as Product Identity, Pawet Dobosz (The Forge , Studios) Gary Dupuis, Rich the contents of GM’s Miscellany: Wilderness Dressing are Open Hershey, Earl Geier, Garth Jones, William McAusland, Game Content as defined in the Open Gaming License version Bradley K. McDevitt, Brittany Michel, Matt Morrow, Claudio 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the Pozas, Arthur Rackham, Marc Radle, V Shane, Sylwia Siwiec material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced (The Forge Studios), Frank Walls, Jae Young and Maciej in any form without written permission. The moral right of John Zagorski (The Forge Studios) and the Book of War. Some Bennett, Creighton Broadhurst, Seamus Conneely, Brian artwork copyright Paul Daly, used with permission. Rick Gregory, Eric Hindley, Greg Marks, Brian Wiborg Mønster, David Hershey, Standard Stock Art: Issue 1 by Small Niche Games. Posener, Josh Vogt, Mike Welham to be identified as the authors Some artwork copyright William McAusland, used with of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright permission. Some artwork copyright Claudio Pozas, used Designs and Patents Act 1988. ©Raging 4 Swan Press 201 . with permission. Frank Walls Standard Stock Art: Issue 1 by Empty Room Studios Publishing. Some artwork © 2014 Earl Geier, used with permission. All rights reserved.

Thank you for purchasing GM’s Miscellany: Wilderness Dressing; we hope you enjoy it and that you check out our other fine print and PDF products.

Published by Raging Swan Press September 2015

ragingswan.com [email protected] file C ONTENTS

Contents ...... 2 Desert: Dressing ...... 56 About The Designers ...... 4 Farmland: Minor Events ...... 58 Farmland: Farmland Dressing ...... 60 F EATURES & E V ENTS Forests & Woodlands: Minor Events...... 62 Campsite: Minor Events ...... 8 Forests & Woodlands: Dressing ...... 66 Campsite: Features ...... 10 Forest(Primal): Minor Events ...... 70 Small Castles ...... 12 Forest (Primal): Dressing ...... 73 Large Castles ...... 14 Frozen Lands: Minor Events ...... 75 Castle Dressing ...... 16 Frozen Lands: Dressing ...... 78 Castle Names ...... 18 Hills: Minor Events ...... 80 Castle Hooks, Complications & Opportunities ...... 19 Hills: Dressing ...... 82 Lord of the Castle ...... 19 Mountains: Minor Events ...... 84 Small Ruins ...... 20 Mountains: Dressing ...... 86 Large Ruins ...... 22 Plains: Minor Events ...... 88 Ruins Dressing ...... 24 Plains: Dressing ...... 90 Small Caves ...... 26 Swamps & Marshes: Minor Events...... 92 Small Cave Dressing ...... 28 Swamps & Marshes: Dressing ...... 94 Extreme Weather: Rainstorms ...... 30 Y EA Extreme Weather: Snowstorms ...... 32 B S Extreme Weather: Windstorms ...... 34 Coast: Minor Events ...... 98 Coast: Coastal Dressing ...... 102 F OLK Sea Voyages: Shipboard Events...... 106 Bandit Rank & File ...... 38 Sea Voyages: Omens ...... 108 Bandit Leaders ...... 39 Sea Voyages: Minor Encounters ...... 109 Bandit Hooks, Complications & Opportunities ...... 40 Shipwrecks: The Wreck ...... 110 Travellers: Peddlers, Merchants & Traders ...... 42 Shipwrecks: Shipwreck Dressing ...... 112 Travellers: Bards, Minstrels & Troubadours ...... 44 Pirate Ships: Designing A Pirate Ship ...... 114 Travellers: Mercenaries, Sellswords & Freebooters ...... 46 Pirate Ships: Ship’s Name (Subject) ...... 116 Pirate Ships: Ship’s Name (Descriptor) ...... 117 B Y L AND Pirate Ships: Knowledge ...... 118 Borderlands: Minor Events ...... 50 Pirate Ships: Flags and Figureheads ...... 120 Borderlands: Dressing ...... 52

Desert: Minor Events ...... 54

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3 A BOUT T HE D ESIGNERS

John Bennett makes his lair in -­‐ the tree cloaked hills of New GM he has taken up the mission to add writer and designer to Hampshire. He enjoys heavy metal, beer and cigars as much his list of credits. With a passion for setting the scene so that he enjoys playing RPGs. John has been writing since the age of 6 others may tell the story, he has sought out ways for GMs to add when he would narrate stories about dinosaurs and robots to his flavour and texture to their settings. mother. He has a degree in film production and a pile of reject New to publication and being a freelancer he is started his letters to go with his scripts. Currently, he is pursuing his long journey. He brings with him 25 years of running and playing Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. He is also striving role-­‐playing games of various genres. A former professional chef, to achieve at least one skill rank in Perform (guitar) but too little he turns his ability to mix up various ingredients into a recipe for avail. Coerced into playing 1st edition D&D by an older (and fun and creativity. Whether on the fly or in a planned session his bigger) kid in the neighbourhood at the age of 8, he would like to goal is to make developing the inspirational details more take a moment to thank his friend, Danny, for introducing him to accessible. Brian lives in Saint Louis, Missouri and is grateful to the world of gaming many long years ago. While his friends and have the four wonderful seasons. His home is shared by his cat, players know what he is talking about, John has been which still cannot help pay the bills. Known for producing good unsuccessful in explaining what bugbears are to his family and food and brewing good beer; he loves sharing his passion for life co-­‐workers, the latter fleeing his office when he begins rambling. and fun with new people. Creighton Broadhurst lives in y, Torqua England where, Eric Hindley is a proud weaver of many paths and an expert apparently, the palm trees are plastic and the weather is warm. in every field (or at least a jack of all trades). He began his RPG He shares a ramshackle old mansion with his two children career in the early 1990s, badgering his friends to let him have (“Genghis” and “Khan”) and his patient wife. Famed for his the 17 Cha he needed to play 2nd edition paladins at every unending love affair with booze and pizza he is an enduring chance. He migrated to 3rd 00 edition in 20 because the book GREYHAWK fan. was shiny and new out front of a Coles bookstore on some kind An Ennie Award winning designer (Madness At Gardmore of cardboard display. Pathfinder caught his interest almost Abbey) Creighton has worked with Expeditious Retreat Press, immediately after being announced, and he has been a firm Paizo and Wizards of the Coast. He believes in the Open Gaming believer ever since. License and is dedicated to making his games as fun and easy to He began GMing primarily to force other people to play with enjoy as possible for all participants. Reducing or removing entry him while at university in Toronto. After honing his skills picking barriers, simplifying pre-­‐game prep and easing the GM's off characters in -­‐ the far flung town of Banff, Alberta, Canada, he workload are the key underpinning principles of the products he is currently exploring new campaign worlds with a variety of now releases through Raging Swan Press. You can read his groups. Most of the rest of his time is spent painting toy soldiers thoughts on game design at creightonbroadhurst.com. for Warhammer (both fantasy and 40k) and Warmachine, Seamus Conneely picked up his first dice and character working in the entertainment industry as a technician or sheet on a whim, having no idea at the time that over the years tormenting an assortment of cats (and occasionally his wife, he would amass a horde of characters and a library of stories. Kalyna). Eric was a competitor in Paizo’s star RPG Super Having spent time both playing and running a variety of games competition in 2010 and 2011, and won Open Design’s Tin using various systems and a diverse lot of settings, he's now Crown in 2012. turned his hand towards a more design-­‐focused side of the Greg Marks is an evil mastermind directing his criminal army hobby. He has play-­‐tested material for Kobold Press’s “Midgard of precocious felines from the birthplace of gaming: Lake Bestiary 4th Edition” and Beer Star Games’s Pulp! the , RPG Geneva, Wisconsin. He and his cat minions have contributed to recently wrote “Scentia Besieged From Within and Without” for products for multiple editions of Dungeons and Dragons Beer Star’s Pulp! Fantasy line of roleplaying adventures, and has including Complete Scoundrel, City of Stormreach, Dragon written several articles for the Gamer Security Agency under the Magic, and Dungeon Delve. They have written numerous moniker Cannibal Halfling. These days he can be found near adventures for the RPGA along with administering many of their Boston, rolling dice and telling stories with as many groups as he organized play campaigns with Living Forgotten Realms being can manage. the most recent. Greg and his cats have also contributed Brian Gregory is an old school gamer returned from the repeatedly to all incarnations of Dragon and Dungeon Magazine, wasteland of real life with a passion to play games and meet and co-­‐authored several products for Fantasy Flight Games' people. After looking on while others wrote for publication; he’s Midnight setting including: Star and Shadow, Hammer and finally Sample gotten off the sideline. As a model builder, painter and Shadow, Legends of Shadow and Honour file and Shadow.

4 Brian Wiborg Mønster hails from Denmark the ancient kind-­‐hearted souls, he was convinced a trap should aim to kill or Viking kingdom, where he lives with his overbearing wife and at least seriously maim, because why else would you bother two young sons, whom he trains to be wizards, using the trap to protect your precious dungeon? This idea was although it seems that a bard and a barbarian is sparked by his exposure to Grimtooth the Troll and his most likely result of his manipulation. magnificent traps. He has been called an evil GM but he usually He has played RPGs since 1990 and has tried a just replies, “I am a realistic GM, and you take 65 points of variety from AD&D, Call of Cthulhu, TMNT and damage, so roll up a new character!” Apart from rpgs he also Star Wars, the old D6 version mind you, not the enjoys everything Sword and Sorcery be it books, comics, RPGs, modern D20. Today it is Pathfinder in which he or movies, especially Conan. mainly plys his evil trade. He started gm’ing mainly David Posener started gaming with the book Grey Star the because he thought the dungeons he Wizard, circa 1985, back when we eschewed that dice business explored were built by and goddamn STABBED out random numbers. The next year, he received the D&D Basic Set red box as a birthday present and has been gaming ever since. His GMing style has been likened to a horrible Frankenstein combination of historical epic, gritty survival horror and Flight of the Concords-­‐style song-­‐filled whimsy. He is yet to live down naming a NPC “The Crimea Reaver”. David adores his long-­‐suffering wife and two sons who, frankly, have no idea what he’s talking about most of the time. David is based in Sydney, and his work as a Logistics Consultant, much to his disappointment, contains fewer undead-­‐filled warehouses and demon-­‐possessed forklifts than he was led to believe. Mike Welham has been gaming -­‐ off and-­‐on for over 30 years. While he has played using numerous game systems, he has always had a fondness for Dungeons & Dragons and its offshoots. The third edition of Dungeons & Dragons renewed a flagging interest in roleplaying games, but the introduction of Pathfinder sparked -­‐ a long dormant desire to write for roleplaying games. Mike has written for Clockwork Gnome Publishing, Open Design, Paizo, and Rite Publishing, and (much to his surprise) he won Paizo’s RPG Superstar contest in 2012. He is quite happy with the prospect of his first publication with Raging Swan Press. Mike lives in Kernersville, North Carolina, -­‐ with his ever patient wife, two roleplaying game-­‐savvy children (one has started his university career, however), a puggle, three cats and a turtle. He believes the solution to the impending empty nest syndrome will be to allow more creatures of his imagination to make themselves at home. Josh Vogt is a full-­‐time freelance writer and editor, Josh Vogt works with a variety of RPG developers and publishers, and has also sold his fiction to Paizo's Pathfinder Tales, Grey Matter Press, Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, Shimmer, and Leading Edge, among others. When not working on a fantasy novel, he's rotating through an array of odd hobbies to Samplestave off existential despair file until he can get back into a story. You can find him at JRVogt.com or Twitter @JRVogthttps://twitter.com/JRVogt. He is made out of meat.

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EVENTS & FEATURES

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7 C AMPSITE: M INOR E VENTS

Adventurers often amp c in the wilderness. When they do, they A scrap of parchment, covered in weathered and 25 typically either have a peaceful night’s sleep or are attacked. The illegible writing, blows through the camp. One of the party’s tents partially collapses when PCs rarely suffer minor events that may disturb them, but that 26 do not result in a full-­‐blown encounter. Use the table below to several of their guide ropes snap. generate such minor events, modifying entries as required to 27 A light mist blankets the area. Heavy clouds scud across the sky and blot out take account of the surrounding terrain, time of year and so on. 28 the stars and the moon. A (non-­‐venomous, essentially harmless) snake D% 29 slithers through the camp searching for prey. Bushes near the campsite rustle suggestively. Toward dawn, the wind picks up blowing small, 1 After a few minutes, a badger, accompanied by 30 unattended items around. its young, emerges and wanders off. Strong wind whistles through the camp, 2 A sudden drizzle deluges the camp. 31 extinguishing small unprotected flames. An owl swoops low overhead, barely missing the 3 32 A heavy mist blankets the area. guard’s head. The distinct sound of two large animals fighting The sounds of wildlife in the surrounding area 33 nearby reaches the . camp 4 inexplicably (and suddenly) cease. After 20 A single pair of large, unblinking red eyes minutes, they slowly resume. 34 watches the campsite from cover nearby. After a A wolf howls far off in the distance. Subsequent 5 few minutes, the creature departs. howls may aw dr nearer or grow fainter. The sounds of birds calling to one another breaks The campfire burns low. Unless the guard 6 35 the silence. Basic knowledge of nature reveals gathers more wood, it may go out. the birds in question are not nocturnal. 7 A fox sneaks through the camp. 36 A small sinkhole opens in the ground. 8 A sudden wind plucks at the sentry’s cloak. The bloodied body of a deer falls from the sky The guard gets increasingly tired and is struggling 37 9 during the night, with a loud thump. to stay awake, dozing off in regular . intervals A faint light starts glowing some distance away The stars seem to shimmer and shift for a 10 38 from the camp. It could be another campfire, a moment before returning to normal. will-­‐o’-­‐wisp and so on. A gentle breeze rustles the surrounding trees’ The birds in the surrounding trees start singing 11 branches. Casually listening to it reveals the faint 39 an hour before dawn, waking the slumbering hint of a whisper upon the breeze. adventurers. Sounds of two small animals fighting in the At dawn, the sun crests the horizon and shines 40 12 undergrowth reaches the guard’s ears. After a into the guard’s eyes, temporarily blinding him. few minutes, the sounds cease. Faint snatches of ethereal, otherworldly music The next morning, a small, mundane item is 41 13 reach the guard’s ears. missing from the campsite. 42 A thick dews soaks blankets, tents and clothes. A sudden burst of heavy rain deluges the camp, 14 A sudden gust of wind blows a mass of rustling extinguishing the campfire. 43 leaves into the camp. The guard suddenly gets a feeling of being A long shadow darkens the campsite. There is no 15 watched. After a few minutes, the feeling passes 44 sign of what causes the shadow. but may return later in the night. 45 Clouds obscure the moon and it gets very dark. A burning log rolls out of the campfire and may Shadows seem to gather under a tree or bush. 16 set nearby grass or bushes on fire unless the 46 The effect is simply a trick of the light and the guard shoves it back into the fire. guard’s fatigue. 17 A rodent tries to steal a small item of food. 47 A flying bird splatters the guard with excrement. Something large and winged passes in front of 18 The wind suddenly picks up; its moan is the moon. 48 reminiscent of the walking dead. 19 One of the guard’s companions snores loudly. The sound of something heavy falling through 20 One of the guard’s companions sleepwalks. 49 tree branches echoes through the camp. One of the adventurers has a bad dream or 21 The wind suddenly shifts and blows smoke from nightmare and wakes up screaming. 50 the campfire into the guard’s eyes. 22 A owl hoots loudly from a nearby tree. Lightning flashes in the distance, but no thunder Two pairs of small, red glowing eyes observe the 51 23Sample reaches the campsite. file camp from a nearby bush, before disappearing. Something small and furry darts through the 52 24 A branch suddenly falls from a nearby tree. camp, not pausing for anything.

8 The moon grows steadily brighter while the stars Growling noises surround the camp. When 53 seem to fade in equal measure, before returning 80 something in the distance roars, the growls turn to normal after several hours. to whines and quickly fade away. A travelling merchant stops and asks to share the The sound of pleasant music reaches the 81 54 fire. If allowed, he stays the night and leaves on campsite but fades away as dawn approaches. his own in the ng. morni Ghostly figures appear near the camp, gesturing 82 Laughter reaches the guard’s ears, coming from into the distance before disappearing. 55 multiple directions but with no apparent source. Something snaps a twig on the ground just A freak thunderstorm sweeps through the camp, 83 outside the fire’s light. The sound of something 56 soaking it and waking everyone. rushing off into the distance quickly follows. A bird swoops down upon a sleeping Clouds sweep overhead and thunder echoes, but 57 84 adventurer’s pack and starts pecking at it. no lightning is seen and no rain falls. The next morning a small, mundane item has A raccoon waddles through camp, seemingly 58 85 been added to someone’s pack. indifferent to the occupants. Fog rolls in, obscuring the area and leaving the Insects descend upon a sleeping adventurer, 59 86 guard with a chill. waking him with their biting. A dull roar echoes through the night, waking In the morning, a small rodent bursts from an 60 anyone sleeping. 87 adventurer’s pack when they lift it, trying to flee A deer runs past the campsite at the edge of the with the rations it hasn’t already eaten. 61 firelight, pursued by a pack of howling wolves. Another group of travellers stop and ask to share A sudden gust of wind tears the blanket off of a the fire. If allowed to stay, one plays cards with 62 88 sleeping adventurer. the guard to pass the night, and they provide An insect bites the guard’s neck, causing an breakfast in the morning. 63 annoying itch for the rest of the night. Dancing orbs of lights move through the One by one the stars turn red, remaining that campsite, settling on one adventurer after 64 89 way the entire night. another with no apparent effect before moving 65 A meteor shower crosses the sky. off. A swarm of fireflies rises from the grass, blinking The next morning footprints matching f none o 66 their way around the entire campsite. 90 the group are found throughout the campsite An owl swoops down and snatches a rodent despite the guard seeing nothing. 67 hiding in the grass . nearby The sound of something jumping from tree to An unexpected lunar eclipse occurs. Its cause is 91 tree reaches the camp; eventually it moves 68 unknown. away. Something in the trees is eating nuts or fruit; A sudden burst of wind scatters embers from the 92 69 fire across the campsite, threatening to start pieces keep falling on the guard. more fires unless extinguished. The guard hears the voice of a small child Sounds of battle reach the campsite with no 93 begging them to leave the camp and help the 70 apparent source. A knowledge check reveals the child. Investigating reveals no source. The rotten log the guard is sitting on suddenly battle cries belong -­‐ to long dead kingdoms. 94 A wild, but friendly, dog approaches the collapses. 71 campsite and begs for scraps. If indulged, he The fire inexplicably surges for several moments, might follow the group in the morning. 95 the flames towering over the campsite before 72 One of the PCs talks in his sleep. settling back to normal. Glowing runes appear on stones around the A sleeping adventurer rolls over, the edge of 73 camp, fading without trace by morning. 96 their blanket landing in the fire pit. They’ll get a Several booming noises, recognizable as wizards rude awakening if the guard doesn’t act. 74 The leaves of the nearby glow trees seem to with at battle, echo from miles away. 97 Lightning strikes a nearby tree without warning, an ethereal light from dusk until dawn. 75 The moon and stars glow unusually bright, setting it aflame. 98 A low-­‐hanging mist moves in across the area, providing enough light to see clearly for miles. 76 Despite the sun having set, twilight persists from obscuring anything below waist height. 99 A swarm of bats emerge from a nearby cave and dusk until dawn. 77 fly over the camp, screeching. Whistling noises are heard xchanged being e The sound of something scratching its claws 100 throughout the night, as if something or 78 against a nearby tree reaches the guard’s ears. someone was communicating. SampleA mole pops through the earth in the campsite file 79 for a few seconds before returning underground.

9 C AMPSITE: F EATURES

Adventurers often find themselves camping in the wilderness, A still smouldering campfire sits within a crude 23 but sadly the actual campsite normally gets very little design ring of blackened stones. A weathered and -­‐ half collapsed tent stands time (and if it does ailed have a det description the PCs know 24 something is going to happen that night!) Use the table below to under a l smal stand of trees. generate minor points of interest for a campsite, but take into Many large trees throw their boughs over the 25 campsite. Consequently, the site is in perpetual account the surrounding terrain, time of year and so on, and shadow, but is protected from bad weather. modify the entries as needed. Felled branches have been arranged in a crude 26 wall around the campsite. D% Tracks (suitable to the terrain) crisscross the A small pool of fresh water lies in a protected 27 1 ground. Some are very fresh. hollow. Reeds grow thickly about it. This sheltered dell boasts a stream and thick, The remains of a tumbled stone wall – perhaps 28 2 verdant vegetation. of a cottage – forms one side of the campsite. The ruin of an ancient watchtower adorn this A cold fire pit bares mute testimony to previous 29 3 high, craggy hill. visitors to the area. A bog of low-­‐lying mud forms one edge of the A large ants’ nest is hidden nearby. At night, the 30 4 camp, ndering hi movement in that direction. ants emerge and infest the PCs’ blankets. Two boulders – one perched precariously atop 31 5 A large, lightning-­‐blackened tree stands nearby. another – stand nearby. The ground is saturated; if it rains while the PCs A large boulder has illegible, timeworn carvings 6 32 are here, the area quickly becomes boggy. upon it. Three large badger sets pierce a wooded bank; at Several stones stand about the campsite, 7 33 night, the occupants emerge. seemingly marking its bounds. Inspection reveals that a shallow grave lies The rtially pa buried skeleton of a deer (or other 8 34 hidden beneath dense undergrowth. animal) lie amid the undergrowth. A thick ring of thorn bushes ring the campsite; This small, rounded hill is actually a burial 9 35 there is but one way through. mound. A 20 ft. deep cave pierces a hillside. Rubble 10 36 A large wasps’ nest hangs from a nearby tree. covers the ground in front of the entrance. The land slopes away in -­‐sided a series steep A pile of neatly stacked wood stands under a 37 11 terraces each about 0 1 ft. wide. tarpaulin. A sodden heap of wood and thatch marks the A winding pathway leads away from the 38 12 location of a ruined hut. campsite to a bluff overlooking the local area. Two large trees have grown so huge their trunks Thick, tall grass covers the area. It must be 39 13 have seemingly merged. stamped down before tents may be pitched. 40 Large rocks are scattered throughout the area. A sinkhole pierces the ground; a small cavern lies Rubbish – the detritus left behind by other 14 41 below the campsite. explorers – is scattered about the area. A tall bluff along one end of the campsite An old latrine pit lurks behind a thick bush. The 15 42 provides shelter from the wind. area surrounding it is pungent. A small, steep-­‐banked stream runs through the 16 43 Tall cliffs overlook the campsite. campsite. The area is unnaturally cold; in the morning a Undergrowth hides many rabbit burrows; 44 17 localised frost has formed. unwary adventurers may twist their ankles. High cliffs or hills on three sides provide a A single gigantic oak tree stands atop a low hill, 18 45 sheltered campsite, but sounds travel strangely providing a good view for many miles. in the area. A stone, vine-­‐covered statue stands amid a thick 46 Many wind chimes hang from a tall tree. 19 patch of weeds. The statue was once well A cliff or steep-­‐sided hill provides a sheltering 47 fashioned and depicts a king of old. overhang to keep the weather at bay. Several game trails cross the campsite. The PCs 48 Rusting tripwires surround the campsite. 20 may be awoken during the night by badgers, Forming a narrow, torturous passageway, a 49 rabbits and so on. stream flows into a nearby hillside. A low burial cairn of heaped stone marks the A tall, upright stone stands across a stream from 21 50 Sampleresting place of a fallen traveller. the campsite. The file stone is ancient, and lopsided. A fallen tree is wreathed in moss and half-­‐sunk Several patches of wildflowers ound surr the 22 51 into the ground; it makes an effective barrier. campsite

10 A set of footprints lead to a boulder, then vanish. Two walls of a log earby. cabin stand n The 52 There is no sign of a door, arcane or otherwise. 79 others, and the ceiling, have collapsed and are An old wells sits at the edge of the campsite, rotting away. 53 leftover from some homestead. It still has a rope A hunter’s lean-­‐to, a bedroll still underneath it, 80 and bucket. stands near a copse of trees. 54 A rusted sword uts j from a mound of earth. A ring of tiny mushrooms extends around the 81 A wooden post has signs nailed to it, detailing entire campsite. 55 distance and direction to several settlements. 82 A fallen tree is rotting away, filled with insects. Bear traps are scattered through the A fox burrow is nearby. The group sometimes 56 83 undergrowth. spots its inhabitants coming and going. An old fire pit is dug next to a smoke-­‐blackened A small shrine to some unknown spirit or deity is 57 84 boulder. resting in the hollow of a tree. An abandoned traveller’s pack lies in the bushes. Fallen branches lie all about the camp, providing 58 85 The rations inside are still fresh. plentiful firewood. 59 A nearby tree is covered in large claw marks. Small, well-­‐rounded stones have been set in little 86 An owl nest is in a nearby tree. At night the owl piles all about the area. 60 awakens and flies over the campsite. The nearby marsh plays host to all sorts of 87 A rose bush, clearly well maintained, adorns the annoying insects. 61 campsite. There is no trace of the gardener. A hawk’s nest rests in a nearby tree. The group 88 A rotting deer carcass, a wolf kill, has attracted see the occupant hunting from time to time. 62 flies to the area. An old stone statue is missing its face. The 89 A woodsman’s axe is embedded in a tree stump, damage is clearly deliberate. 63 next to a pile of cut firewood. An abandoned tower, collapsed on one side, 90 A tarp is stretched between several trees, overlooks the campsite. 64 providing cover from the rain. An old helm has been left upon a boulder, Fresh flowers adorn an -­‐ ancient looking 91 seemingly forgotten rather than marking 65 gravestone. anything. A carved wooden statute stands under a giant A battleaxe is embedded in a tree which bears 66 92 oak tree, portraying a nature deity. markings of many such attacks. The campsite is at the top of a bluff, giving The area is strangely barren, with little 67 good view of the terrain ahead. 93 vegetation growing and scarce sign of any living Several humanoid skeletons are overgrown with creature. 68 ivy. A small pool of startlingly clear water lies at the Several rows of runes in an unknown tongue 94 base of a tree. as It h no obvious source and is 69 cover stones placed around the campsite. very refreshing. The air is unnaturally dry, the grass dead and the A number of pickaxes litter the ground near the 70 ground cracked. 95 base of a small cliff, which carry clear signs of Names, past travellers recording their passing, digging efforts. 71 are carved into the trunk of a nearby tree. Some A small cave pierces a hill. At the very back, 96 also have dates, while others do not. covered in stones, is the grave of an explorer. An old target hangs from a nearby tree. Both the A crude map of the surrounding region has been 97 72 target and the tree have several arrows carved into a nearby tree. embedded in them. The grass around the campsite -­‐ is nearly chest Sharp stones litter the area, making for 98 height, providing good concealment but poor 73 treacherous passage into and out of the camp. visibility for guards. A boulder has inexplicably cracked in half, one The remains of a farm, its crops having gone wild 99 74 piece tumbling down the hill to lie next to the and spread, stands near the campsite. camp. A songbird’s nest lies among the branches of a 100 A small bag of gold lies buried underneath a nearby tree. 75 large tree covered in some sort of faded markings. A rope, tied into a noose, hangs from a nearby 76 tree. 77 A nest of bees hangs from a nearby tree. A series of cut logs have been placed as benches 78Sample around a circle of stones; the ash of several fires file lies within.

11 S MALL C ASTLES

Many small castles and other fortifications dot the countryside. This elaborate ion mans looks to be made Use this table to determine what the PCs discover. completely of ice; it is cold to the touch, but 37-­‐38 shows no sign of melting, even in places that D% taper to delicate points. A stone tower with an ironclad door keeps watch The half-­‐buried carapace of an enormous crab 01-­‐02 over fields of wheat. A few windows show a 39-­‐40 has been hollowed out to form the bulk of this spiral staircase circles the interior. seaside keep. A fortified wooden wall surrounds a rather The skull of a massive creature provides the basis 03-­‐04 ordinary-­‐looking farmhouse which is the only 41-­‐42 for the armature of the keep for this small indication this serves as a defensible position. fortress; its massive fangs acting as pillars. The shattered remnants of a wall surround a An enormous dragon skeleton with wings 05-­‐06 small, but sturdy, keep; rust coats its ironworks. 43-­‐44 outstretched provides a roof over the porch of A portcullis and drawbridge over a moat deny this decadent, fortified inn. 07-­‐08 access to this otherwise innocuous, though Criss-­‐crossing roads terminate at an extravagant massive, stone windmill. 45-­‐46 watchtower; the upper level hovers about 50 A precarious wooden tower, tilted at an obscene feet above where it ought to stand. 09-­‐10 angle, reaches improbably high into the sky. A small round door and a miniature chimney are This shell keep, with a crenulated widow’s walk 47-­‐48 the only visible parts of -­‐ this maze like warren of 11-­‐12 surrounding the upper floor, is in good condition. underground tunnels. Heavily reinforced walls with ornately sculpted The walls of this stone keep are covered in friezes depicting a band of local heroes 13-­‐14 buttresses protect this otherwise innocent 49-­‐50 looking barn. overcoming a variety of challenges while saving A solid gatehouse flanked with towers stands at the world from an ancient threat. An enormous hollowed out mushroom 15-­‐16 each end of this massive oaken bridge, daring 51-­‐52 travellers to approach. comprises the body of this bizarre tower. A reinforced gateway straddles a road leading Woven tree trunks provide an -­‐ almost nest like 17-­‐18 53-­‐54 through a densely wooded region. small outpost. A stout stone wall surrounds this small but well-­‐ The walls of this large house are made from kept chapel, devoted to a local god of protection. 55-­‐56 finely painted canvas stretched over wooden 19-­‐20 Its bell tower provides an unimpeded view of the frames. Any damage seals itself instantly. surrounds. A wall of shields has been bolted together to A solidly built tree house nestles in the bows of 57-­‐58 provide reinforcement for the walls of this lonely 21-­‐22 an ancient elm; no means of entry are visible, manor house. though its walls are riddled with arrow slits. This large, round stone building rests at the A single lonely spire made of black stone rises to 59-­‐60 mouth of a large river, providing a defensible 23-­‐24 form a solitary tower. No windows or entrances lookout against any invaders. Magical fires burn at ex the ap of this tall, slender are visible from the outside. 61-­‐62 The battlements of this small castle are crumbled tower. The tower itself is of smooth, black stone. 25-­‐26 and broken in places and have been replaced Heaped skulls slathered in mortar form a low wall around this ominous black tower. At with wooden hoardings. 63-­‐64 A wooden keep built to resemble a horse with midnight, a bell tolls menacingly, though no signs 27-­‐28 articulated legs stands immobile. A small of movement are visible. trapdoor provides access from the rear. The ditch surrounding this run-­‐down wooden Four gibbets hang from the battlements of this 65-­‐66 fortress is filled with the skeletons of vicious 29-­‐30 squat tower keep. From each hangs a aquatic life. decomposing body. At the centre of this small lake, a magnificent manor house carved from coral thrusts above This small but solid-­‐looking building sits at the 67-­‐68 31-­‐32 heart of a deep crater, looking almost as though the water, although more obviously lies beneath it had been dropped there from a great height. the waves. The walls of this fortified manor th are riddled wi Armoured towers provide defensive positions on 33-­‐34 pockmarks, as though it had been the subject of 69-­‐70 either side of the aquatic gateway to this a siege – or particularly nasty weather. secluded harbour. SampleThis fortress has been raised up on stilts as if to An enormous file iron sentinel statue is actually 35-­‐36 keep it safe from flooding, though the ground 71-­‐72 hollow, with an observatory in its head providing below looks to be solid and dry. a clear view for miles.

12 A ssive ma natural stone shard has been Brass trim frames the black and crimson walls of 73-­‐74 hollowed out to provide the core of an fortress this ugly, squat building. Wrought-­‐iron fences 89-­‐90 that also extends underground. topped with sharp pikes are adorned with the A squat sphinx-­‐like monument straddles the heads of a variety of humanoid creatures. 75-­‐76 paved path on the entrance to this desert region, Vibrant colours daubed in dazzling patterns on a brass gate swings between its fore legs. 91-­‐92 the walls of this large house make it look more A series of catwalks connect tree-­‐borne fighting like a dance hall than a defensive structure. platforms in this swamp fortress. Retractable This abandoned prison has been retrofitted to 77-­‐78 rope ladders provide access to otherwise difficult make it a more amenable position -­‐ for long term 93-­‐94 to access levels. habitation. Its walls and barred doors and The roof of each level -­‐ of this many layered, star-­‐ windows are in excellent condition. shaped fortress comes to a rising point at each of The stonework of this small, squat keep is 79-­‐80 its vertices. Elaborate dragon and tiger carvings scorched and blackened as if it has been exposed 95-­‐96 on decorative trim break up otherwise solid to a great fire. The ground about the fortification white walls. is similarly scorched. The entire structure of this fortress has been This large, round tower seems like it might once formed from carefully, possibly magically, have been part of a larger structure, though all 81-­‐82 97-­‐98 cultivated trees and bushes, providing a natural that remains of any other buildings are a few camouflage in its forest environment. heaps of rubble. What appears at first to simply be a large This towering stone lighthouse provides the only 83-­‐84 pavilion tent is actually canvas nailed over solid 99-­‐100 landmark within miles, though there is no body wooden walls to form this deceptive checkpoint. of water nearby. Huge slabs of grey stone have been crudely 85-­‐86 stacked to form a series of small buildings and walls. This incredibly elaborate cathedral dedicated to

a local saint provides a refuge. Its walls and 87-­‐88 windows depict the saint vanquishing a variety of monsters and villains.

Sample file

13 L ARGE C ASTLES

Large castles stand at strategic sites across the countryside. Use The angles of the keep and towers of this castle this table to determine what the PCs come across. taper inward toward a point some distance 33-­‐34 above it, as if it was built to match a perspective D% drawing. Crenulated walls punctuated with solid towers at A deceptively primitive wall of sharpened stakes 01-­‐02 the corners surround this large, square stone 35-­‐36 surrounds an incredibly elaborate keep with keep. automated doors and other cunning defences. An unusual octagonal-­‐shaped keep stands inside The steel walls of a massive fortress show no signs of tooling or fastening, displaying a level of 03-­‐04 walls with tall slender towers at each of their 37-­‐38 eight points. workmanship that seems beyond any available This enormous, sprawling castle seems to be on this world. 05-­‐06 made of glass or crystal, though remains as solid This vast castle looks to have been built for creatures much larger than human, though the as stone against any attacks. 39-­‐40 A massive stone castle is seamlessly built into doorknobs and accoutrements are oddly human 07-­‐08 the face of a s cliff, a though hewn from the living sized. stone itself. This castle sits perched atop a rise of rock that This black stone castle is surrounded by what 41-­‐42 seems to float above the ground. A precarious appears to be a moat of fire. A glass drawbridge, winding path weaves a sole route of entry. 09-­‐10 providing the only egress, arches elegantly over An oversized gatehouse and curtain wall suggests this keep may have been built by a the flames. 43-­‐44 A huge gothic mausoleum stands where the keep different sized race than the current occupants. 11-­‐12 should be in the walled courtyard of this grand It is obviously very old. castle-­‐graveyard. Each tower top and the facade of the keep Stained glass in quatrefoil windows depicts the 45-­‐46 this cliffside castle have been sculpted to 13-­‐14 heroic deeds of a saint in this fortified fortress-­‐ resemble vicious birds of prey. cathedral. The beachside castle before you seems The curtain wall of this castle is made of huge 47-­‐48 impossible, finely crafted from sand; a child’s 15-­‐16 stones roughly arranged as if placed by giant, sandcastle blown up to actual size. clumsy hands. The castle’s walls are covered in tiles creating Forcing entry through its open mouth, the front 49-­‐50 mosaics depicting a vast array — of monsters 17-­‐18 gate of this imposing castle is carved to resemble both real and imaginary. an enormous skull. Heaped corpses make up the outer wall of this Golden-­‐coloured onion domes decorate the fortress, some kind of lingering necromancy 19-­‐20 51-­‐52 tower tops of this predominantly brass fortress. causes them to twitch and writhe in an A half-­‐sized castle seems almost like a model, unsettling manner. complex machinery makes the automated The buildings and wall of this castle seem to be 21-­‐22 operation of gates and portcullises appear 53-­‐54 formed of molten lava cascading down from a almost magical. central core of volcanic rock. White walls with silver tracery cause this A grey stone castle with solid oaken entries 23-­‐24 sprawling stone complex to gleam visibly from 55-­‐56 looms ominously on a nearby -­‐ hilltop; well armed miles away. towers guard its corners. The gates in the concentric walls around this The curtain wall of this castle slopes disturbingly 25-­‐26 bailey all lock from the outside, as though it were 57-­‐58 outward, making it an excellent vantage point designed to keep something in. from which to repel any besieging forces. The layers of defence in this towering castle are This heavy -­‐ stone walled brewery has an array of vents that can release beer steam at any 27-­‐28 separated by deep chasms, and all doors are a 59-­‐60 hundred feet above the ground. attackers. Its walls are thick and the smell of Even the crenulations on the battlements of this hops hangs heavily in the air. forbiddingly chain-­‐ and spike-­‐covered castle are Tall towers wrapped in coils of wire crackle with 29-­‐30 razor sharp. The castle squats atop a hill like a 61-­‐62 electric energy that brightens the night sky about malevolent beast. this otherwise mundane hilltop castle. This enormous stone castle has been sculpted so A grandiose castle with soaring towers seems to be torn from a children’s storybook and placed that its keep is a huge stone head, its curtain 63-­‐64 31Sample-­‐32 at the mouth file of this river. A nearby waterfall walls enormous arms and the gates giant hands, funnelling visitors into its gaping maw. even provides mist at dawn.

14 Enormous visible gears and springs e inside th Though it appears to be little more than tumble-­‐ walls of this castle grind slowly, providing the down ruin, this castle is actually designed to be 81-­‐82 65-­‐66 means of operation for a series of slowly turning inconspicuous, piles of “rubble” are actually walkways that allow access from the outer hollowed out to act as buildings and hallways. courtyard to the inner reaches. A grand pyramid serves as the keep for this odd An army of stone soldiers, each 10-­‐foot tall, castle. Though no visible walls exist, a series of 83-­‐84 stand shoulder to shoulder to form the outer monoliths rain fire down on anyone who dares 67-­‐68 wall of this castle. In stark contrast, the buildings to cross their threshold. inside are plain, but sturdy. Polished silver coats every surface of this Staked to the outer walls of this massive castle 85-­‐86 magnificent castle, reflecting sunlight to act as a are the bodies of countless marauding monsters beacon for miles. 69-­‐70 in various states of decay – some are still fresh Red brick with white mortar has been used in the whiles others have long since turned skeletal. construction of this unorthodox castle, in stark 87-­‐88 Flowering ivy has grown so dense on the walls contrast with the usual grey stone that and buildings of this castle that it is nearly permeates the region. 71-­‐72 impossible to tell if there is actually anything Powerful illusionary walls made of gold repel underneath, never mind if it’s wood or stone. 89-­‐90 invaders from this castle as well as any Something in the angles of construction of this conventional defences could. massive fortress seem to — defy logic staring at At the confluence of two rivers stands a castle 73-­‐74 its architecture for longer than a minute or so that sprawls over and around the entirety of the tends to give the viewer headaches. 91-­‐92 waterways; cunningly constructed walls A latticework of walkways connect haphazardly providing shelter for -­‐ water wheel powered placed towers to create a castle that actually buildings within. 75-­‐76 appears to be more air than solid material, held Fire spouts from the towers of this grandiose in place by cunning design that defies mortal 93-­‐94 brass citadel, which seems like it might be logic. displaced from the elemental plane of fire. The buildings of this castle interlock like puzzle The graceful, sweeping architecture of this castle pieces, though this is only obvious when viewed belies its true strength— a web-­‐like latticework 77-­‐78 from above. Narrow alleyways run between the 95-­‐96 woven into its walls force energy to be dispersed tightly intertwined buildings. in a way that makes the walls stronger than they A large dome tops the central keep of this castle; look. while spire-­‐topped towers supported by flying This seaside castle appears to be made of sand, 79-­‐80 buttresses crest each corner of its outer wall. A 97-­‐98 though it shows no sign of weathering despite its crenulated walkway provides access all around. odd construction material. This large stone castle seems to be of normal 99-­‐100 construction, t bu a thick mist hides the fact that it is hovering about a foot off the ground.

Sample file

15 C ASTLE D RESSING

Castles have many minor features of interest. Use this table to The gates of this castle have been painted with 27 generate such features. black and orange tiger stripes. A black tar-­‐like substance seems to be slowly 28 D% spreading across the faces sur of this castle. The bones of hundreds of humanoids litter the A bird-­‐dropping-­‐coated statue depicts the 1 29 fields surrounding this castle. founder of this defensive site. Eldritch glyphs have been painted in crimson on A tiny shrine provides the cornerstone of the 2 30 every surface of this castle. foundation for this keep. Dozens of crows’ nest atop the castle’s main 3 A massive hole pierces one wall of this castle. 31 A stone tied to the end of a tree trunk, grows in gateway. 4 Most of the ard courty is filled with brightly the centre of the castle’s courtyard. 32 A tangle of briars has been carefully cultivated to coloured butterflies. 5 The foundation of a stout tower with a staircase grow over the walls. 33 6 The entire keep has been painted bright blue. has been built nearby. The roof has been shingled in -­‐ copper that long An enormous stone, probably hurled by catapult 7 34 ago oxidized to a brilliant green. or giant, is embedded in the castle’s wall. Rows of decaying bodies have been staked A vast assortment of brightly coloured shields 8 35 outside the s. gate hangs from a large tree outside this castle. The keep is made from an unusual stone, which A golden statue of the castle’s founder stands 9 36 is not available locally. proudly in the central courtyard. Intricately sculpted caryatid columns support the Petrified birds are scattered throughout the 10 37 entrance to the keep. courtyard, as if they dropped from the sky. Topiary monsters decorate an elaborate An orange grove dominates much of the area 11 38 courtyard garden. around the castle. A vast array of various nations’ flags flutter atop Exquisite tapestries depict the founding of the 12 39 the castle. castle as an almost legendary event. Long abandoned, but still mostly intact, siege All of the doors of this castle are made of 13 40 equipment lays scattered nearby. magically reinforced glass. Rows of abandoned pavises stand facing the A pair of stuffed and magically preserved 14 41 walls of the castle. owlbears flank the entrance to the keep. A crucified skeleton stands outside the walls, a A recently sprung pit-­‐trap stands open outside 15 42 sign around its neck reads “Heretic.” the castle’s gateway. Ornately decorated flying buttresses depict a Thick clouds of swirling blue smoke surround the 16 43 variety of terrifying monsters. castle. A rainbow pours out of one of the upper window A sculpted name over the entrance has been 44 17 hastily scraped away; a new name is daubed and pools at the castle’s base. Massive ballistae sit ready at each of the castle’s overtop in fresh paint. 45 The tallest tower has become the nesting place towers. 18 A rusty portcullis sits discarded beside the of a storm of semi-­‐domesticated stirges. 46 19 A dried up moat surrounds the castle. castle’s main gate. A massive bas relief of a grim reaper has been 20 A circle of standing stones surrounds the castle. 47 A series of statues, cast in perfect glass, adorn carved above every door in the castle. 21 The skeleton of a a hydr lays impaled on a lance the walls. 48 Scrawled graffiti covers every e surface of th in the courtyard. 22 A strange mausoleum, bearing the name of an castle with blasphemies. 49 A variety of rare birds’ bodies have been nailed ancient hero, stands unopened nearby. 23 to every wall. A deep pit has been dug just outside the castle A menagerie of inanimate gargoyles provide 50 walls. It is old and is now partially full of rubbish 24 perfect cover for their monstrous living cousins and detritus. Columns made of delicate-­‐looking marble hold atop the castle’s walls. 51 A wall burned and damaged by lightning has up the ceiling of the castle’s great hall. 25 Ornate leafy faces have been carved into the never been repaired. 52 SampleA set of large drums allows for communications keystones of every file archway. 26 Coloured tiles form a red and white within the castle. 53 checkerboard pattern on the gatehouse.

16 All of the statuary of the castle seem to slowly Thousands of discarded arrowheads litter the 54 80 change position over time. ground around the castle. Hundreds of lanterns hang from every An enormous crater complete with glowing 55 conceivable position within the castle walls. 81 stone meteorite mars the castle’s otherwise 56 Semi-­‐tame peacocks wander the castle grounds. pristine condition. An ornate bell crowns the central tower of the Scorch marks attest to the fact that at some 57 keep. 82 point an attempt to burn down the castle was Despite the climate, a sandy garden complete made. 58 with palm trees is growing within the courtyard. The castle stands upon an island in the centre of 83 Delicately painted details cover the ceilings an artificial lake. 59 inside the keep and chapel. A complete dragon’s skeleton has been wired in 84 A massive chandelier is suspended in mid-­‐air a rearing pose over the castle’ gates. 60 within the castle with no visible means of The hoof prints of hundreds of horses mar the 85 support. dust around the castle. All of the buildings in this castle have transparent One of the castle’s towers collapses every night 61 86 glass roofs. at dusk, only to be reformed by dawn’s first light. This castle has a rarity — cleverly fashioned A carpet of red poppies dominates the fields 62 87 running water and plumbing. surrounding this castle. Buried crypts from an older building exist under The dried out husk of a giant octopus is wrapped 63 88 the castle. around one of the castle’s towers. Gorgeous sted twi columns denote the main All of the doors in this castle have been closed 64 89 entry to the keep. with massive chains and padlocks. 65 Fist-­‐sized worthless gems litter the courtyard. All of the glass from the windows of this keep 90 A well-­‐maintained herb garden provides a focus have been blown out. 66 for the inner court. A rope circle on the ground forms an ad-­‐hoc Suits of gleaming armour stand vigil at every 91 fighting area in this castle’s courtyard, but 67 doorway of this -­‐ well defended castle. whether it is for humans or animals is unknown. The walls of the castle are streaked with bird A troupe of performers puts on a ghastly dark 68 92 excrement. comedy outside the walls of this castle. A large telescope in the tower serves as an All of the windows of this castle have heavy bars 69 observatory. 93 across them that can swing open, though many Broken glass, as though from bottles hurled from are rusted shut. 70 a window, lie at the base of the gatehouse’s A pristine guillotine is prominently displayed in 94 towers. the courtyard. Terrifying shrieks emerge from deep beneath the A pit full of skulls has been dug next to the gates 71 95 castle. of this castle. The stench of decay fills the air of the courtyard; 96 Wild cats patrol the walls of the castle. 72 its source is indeterminate, however. Brightly coloured exotic feathers tumble through Darkness, seemingly a physical thing that fills the 97 the air around this castle, discarded from a high 73 air, pours from the windows of the castle. aerie. Phosphorous moss grows on the castle, A statue fashioned from what seems like a single 74 illuminating it at night. 98 enormous diamond depicts a bird in flight over Thick clouds cling to the upper reaches of the the main gates. 75 castle’s towers. The castle’s gates stand open and at first glance 99 The doors of this castle are mirrors that ripple the place seems abandoned. 76 like water when passed through. The castle walls and towers have been Vats of acid are mostly buried in the courtyard; 100 whitewashed; in the sun they reflect the light 77 the remains of small animals lie nearby. and the castle literally glows as a result. Thick black smoke pours from a chimney in the 78 central keep, filling the air with the acrid smell of burnt flesh. Poisonous fruit-­‐bearing vines grow on the sides 79 Sampleof the castle. file

17 C ASTLE N AMES

Use this table to determine the name of the castle the PCs find. 50 Gryphon Keep 51 Protean’s mble Ga D% 52 The Final Testament 1 Stonehaven Keep 53 Saint’s Respite 2 Castle Invictus 54 The Cleft Tower 3 The Black Spires 55 The Skykeep 4 Fort Hilhurst The Grande Estates of the Great Baron Armonde, 56 5 Iron Widow Protector of the Worthy 6 Castle Redbrykk 57 Humble Beginnings 7 Gravehurst Manor 58 Victorius Imperialus 8 Schloss Frinzene 59 Lonely Tower 9 Chateau Lyon-­‐Sur-­‐Lac 60 Lastskull Manor 10 Palace of Fallen Leaves 61 Whitebrick Castle 11 Manticore Keep 62 The Slain Dragon The Legacy of Sir Guillaume, Defender of the 63 Den of the Last True Lion 12 Land 64 Feragar Point 13 Canderburre 65 Survival’s Hope 14 Castle of the Seven Gates 66 River’s Edge Keep 15 Heaven’s Barrier 67 Golden Valley Manor 16 Crossroads Castle 68 The Walls of Eternity 17 The Keep 69 Savage Keep of -­‐ the Man Lizards 18 The Victor’s Circle 70 Hericho’s Walls 19 Barimus’ Regret 71 Forestwall Castle 20 Palace of the Six Broken Hearts 72 Blackchasm Keep 21 The Sleeping Phoenix 73 Ilthuryn Fortress 22 Crumbledown Keep 74 The Thrice-­‐Fated Keep of the Lord of Atherbury 23 The Falling Fortress 75 The Solitary Tower of the Bandit King 24 Obsidian Armageddon 76 Fort Brjekivk 25 Hangman’s Tribute 77 Blackstone House 26 Keep of the Red 78 The Black Lord’s Castle 27 Flight of Fancy 79 Refuge from Darkness 28 Brookside Manor 80 Sea Devil’s Bane 29 Tower on the Coast 81 The Wall the at Edge of the World 30 Imperious 82 Holdout Against Savagery 31 Caer Syllan 83 Castle Morraine 32 The Safe House 84 The Gates at River Blood 33 Everac 85 The Stone Hold of Clan Jorgundragrmir 34 Unassailable 86 The Midnight Palisade 35 Castle Neverfallen 87 The Old Stones of Marlborough Forest 36 Morgrymor Keep 88 Castle Kranquist 37 Al Rahaj’s Revenge 89 Peacock Keep 38 The Deadly Keep of Doctor raak Morimus Von D 90 The Legendary Fortress of the Iron Tsar 39 Hell’s Gate 91 Bluethrush Hold 40 The Spires at Sindaloo 92 Thorton Stronghold 41 Duke’s Folly 93 The Iron Walls of the Brass Sultan 42 Asylum 94 Briaredge Fortress 43 Gryndalore-­‐on-­‐Meridus 95 Eagle’s Eye Tower 44 Slumbering Castle 96 Grim Abbey 45 Forsaken House 97 Fortress of the Last Stand 46 Warlord’s Vigil 98 Royal Keep of the Silver Prince 47 Solace-­‐in-­‐Turmoil 99 Sapphire Hold 48Sample Fortress Black 100 Chateau Miserable file 49 Castle Renadau

18 C ASTLE H OOKS, C OMPLICATIONS & O PPORTUNITIES

D12 The castle is having building or repair work done. When the PCs arrive at the castle, they find it Scaffolding festoons certain parts of the abandoned. Investigating, they discover signs of 6 structure and labourers are busy at work. Dust obvious battle, although no corpses remain. coats everything and the folk therein are very 1 Almost everything of value has been looted, but busy and have little time for adventurers. inspection uncovers a -­‐ level appropriate amount A large flying creature such as a dragon, or of overlooked treasure. 7 perhaps a small flock of lesser beasts such as A member of the castle’s garrison has been wyverns or manticores, are attacking the castle. found guilty of treason – perhaps he was stealing The inhabitants of the castle are celebrating a local festival or an event of significance such as a from the lord, had seduced the lord’s daughter 8 2 or was working with l loca bandits or marauders. wedding or birth. The party are welcomed and When the PCs arrive, the garrison are preparing encouraged to enjoy the festivities. for this execution; a gibbet hangs out from a high The lord of the castle loves hearing the tales of tower and single, doleful drum is sounding. brave adventurers. When the party arrive he The lord of the castle is out hunting; as the PCs 9 quickly hears of it and invites them to dinner in approach the fortification his hunting party the great hall. They are expected to regale the emerges from a nearby wood and approach the assembled diners with tales of their heroics. 3 party at a gallop. He reins in and questions them The castle is on fire; perhaps an accident in the kitchen caused the conflagration or alternatively, extensively about the reason for their presence 10 near to his home. it could be the result of sabotage or deliberate The castle gates are shut and the party cannot attack. gain admittance. Possible reasons for this include The castle has just been attacked. The defenders the lord’s bizarre command, fear of infected repelled the attack and the bodies of the fallen 4 travellers and so on. Alternatively, a plague or 11 lie scattered about its walls. The defenders are other disease may be savaging the castle busy tending to their wounded and so on and are garrison and they are trying to contain it within. suspicious of the party. The castle’s lord has a problem and the party’s As the party approach the castle, an alarm bell arrival is serendipitous. It transpires a large rings and the main gates swing shut. Defenders group of humanoids or bandits has been seen in 12 are seen massing on the nspires walls. It tra the 5 the locality – they have not yet attacked the PCs resemble a band of evil marauders that castle, but the lord is desperate for news of their recently attacked the castle. lair and intentions.

L ORD OF THE C ASTLE

This table lists the basic details of 20 lords and ladies. The rest of 6 Coel Frewer (male human fighter) their details are left for the GM to improvise – after all it is 7 Daela Orrick (male human ranger/rogue) unlikely (hopefully) the party will get into combat with the 8 Eadith Montier (female human cleric) castle’s lord. The GM should improvise such details as the lord’s 9 Eriulf the Scourge(male human fighter) personality and exact title (although lords dwelling in the 10 Etana Agade (male human cleric/paladin) borderland areas favoured by adventurers are often minor 11 Gislin Fosi (male human bard/fighter) 12 Gunda Manimi (female human fighter) members of the nobility). 13 Holg the Destroyer (male half-­‐orc fighter) §. Minor Titles: Lord, Lady, Baron, Baroness, Warden, Protector, 14 Irja Outila (female human sorcerer) Marshall. 15 Lothair Omer (male human wizard) 16 Osswith Burch (female human fighter) D20 17 Perork the Pitiless (female half-­‐orc fighter) 18 Rhea the Swift (female human fighter/rogue) 1 Aaro Laitnen (male human fighter) 19 Sauli Purho (male human barbarian) 2 Agis the Good (male human fighter/cleric) 20 Willithar Friisond (female -­‐ half elf wizard/rogue) 3 Ati Buto (female human paladin) Sample4 Azakial Myloneir (male half-­‐elf wizard) file 5 Baki Lahum (male human monk)

19 S MALL R UINS

Many small ruins dot the countryside. Use this table to A worn brick domed house now serves as the determine what the PCs stumble upon. 27-­‐28 home of a predator. There is a 50% it is out hunting. D% A faded gravestone stands in an unused sheep A neglected 10 ft. by 10 ft. shrine sits by the side 29-­‐30 pen. The dirt around the grave appears to be of the road, its interior choked with weeds. A 3 recently disturbed. 01-­‐02 ft. tall statue rests in an alcove in the far end, its A boulder rests in the smashed top floor of a features too weathered to identify. three-­‐storey stout, stone watchtower. A nearby A series of short, crumbling stone walls stretch rotting catapult appears to be the culprit. The east to west. They are evenly spaced as if 31-­‐32 remains of a thick, reinforced wooden door lie 03-­‐04 denoting property lines. Rocks and bits of rotted scattered on the wide, stone eading steps l up to wood fill a hole between the walls in what was the entrance. Bits of broken weapons and once the cellar of a small farmhouse. armour litter the otherwise intact interior. A mud hut, its mouldy thatch roof caved in, sags Hieroglyphs decorate a 12 ft. tall sandstone 05-­‐06 forlornly near a collapsed cow barn. Dense archway. Bits of sandstone scattered about cobwebs stretch between the hut and barn. 33-­‐34 suggest the archway was once part of a massive The charred beam and pillar framework of this wall. Vultures squat on the top of the wall, former inn stand like a blackened skeleton. Soot eyeing travellers hungrily. 07-­‐08 and ash cover the ground and not even weeds Noxious fumes still emanate from a two-­‐storey find purchase in the ashen soil. 35-­‐36 fire-­‐gutted tower. Bits of glass and various Cracked stone steps ascend to a small circular alchemical instruments lie among the debris. platform beneath a series of worn, broken The bell of an empty chapel has crashed through 09-­‐10 the roof leaving a large, gaping hole. Wood pillars. Broken mosaic tiles on the platform 37-­‐38 depict a demonic face. boards cover the chapel’s large windows. An octagonal wooden fence, missing most of its Swarms of bats inhabit the lofty interior. planks, encloses ground empty except for a small A rickety wooden fence meanders for 50 ft. 11-­‐12 stone plinth. A deep furrow runs from the plinth 39-­‐40 Every 5 ft. the skull of a small animal adorns the to a broken down section of fence as if top of a post something large and heavy was dragged away. Four 0 2 ft. tall obsidian pillars lean at impossible angles as if about to fall over. Arcane symbols Debris surrounds a tumbled brick chimney set in 41-­‐42 the jagged remains of a stone wall. Burnt table crawl along their cracked lengths. Large claw and 13-­‐14 legs and a decayed blanket rest in the chimney’s bite marks scar the tops of the pillars. open mouth. A wooden cottage sits half-­‐sunk in the ground. The shattered remains of a farmhouse lie in a Inspection reveals a stairway leading into a small 15-­‐16 small hole. It appears the farmhouse was 43-­‐44 dirt basement supported by rotting beams. A uprooted and then dropped viciously on its roof. badly scrawled summoning circle is traced in the A dusty streambed runs past an ancient but still dirt floor. 17-­‐18 sturdy-­‐looking wood and stone mill. Only One side of a former wood and stone church cobwebs and ivy call the empty interior home. slumps into a small adjoining cemetery, crushing Wind whistles through gaping holes in a wooden 45-­‐46 most of the stones. grave The door to a nearby 19-­‐20 barn leaning haphazardly to one side. A rickety mausoleum stands ominously open, its interior wooden ladder leads up to a rotten upper floor. shrouded in darkness. Three copper mash st tuns ru in an exposed stone A scaffold looms over a crossroads next to an 21-­‐22 basement; a faint smell of malt fills the air. A abandoned hut. A humanoid skeleton grins from family of raccoons sleeps in one of the tuns. 47-­‐48 a rusty cage dangling from the scaffold. Another Pieces of stone denote the foundations of a cage lies broken on the nearby ground, its small manor house. A well rests nearby, its skeletal occupant scattered in pieces. 23-­‐24 interior pushed outward and distorted as if A series of fire-­‐scorched stone archways, 10 ft. high are all that remains of a former manor something huge slithered out. 49-­‐50 A collection of large, rectangular moss covered house. A few recently unearthed skulls -­‐ grin, half stones form a 40 ft. diameter circle. Inspection buried in the ground. reveals the stones were once caravan wagons. The oken br stubs of marble pillars surround a 3 25-­‐26 ft. deep pool of a former bathhouse. Cracked Brightly coloured birds nest in the petrified 51-­‐52 Samplemosaics on the file pool bottom, covered in sludge, interiors. Magical inspection may notice that the stones have been magically transmuted. depict fantastical sea creatures.

20 A large, flat rock sits surrounded by eight Fluted pillars, entangled in ivy, support the polished stone pillars 10 ft. high, alternating cracked and sagging roof of a small, rectangular 53-­‐54 between pale granite and obsidian, in a small 79-­‐80 shrine. A vacant pedestal rests in the middle. circle. Nature symbols decorate the pillars. Faded, moth eaten tapestries depict a hero’s rise A circular, three-­‐storey high tower is all that to fame. remains of a former keep ringed by only a few This farmhouse looks fine at a distance but as 55-­‐56 boulders. The ivy choked tower appears to be in soon as someone gets close, he notices it relatively good shape. 81-­‐82 appears to have been split vertically in two as if This small farmhouse is strangely deserted. struck by a massive axe or sword. The cut is Plates of mouldy food lie on a table and rotting perfect, like a hot knife through butter. clothes are strung out on a nearby laundry line. The half-­‐collapsed remains of a smithy lie next to 57-­‐58 No sign of a struggle can be found. Either the the skeletal remains of a burned out building. A 83-­‐84 former inhabitants fled in a hurry or they few wisps of smoke and smouldering spots in the vanished. building infer that there was a recent fire. Two jagged stone walls meet, rising 15 ft. in Debris lls fi the broken shell of an ancient stone height. A gaping arched hole in each wall 5 ft. up watchtower. Careful inspection over 10 minutes 59-­‐60 85-­‐86 suggests they once held windows. A few large of digging reveals a trapdoor under the rubble chunks of masonry litter the nearby area. leading to an intact basement. Wooden boards cover the windows of a small A tall, weathered bell tower stands alone above cottage with a smashed front door. Closer low, crumbling stone walls. ing, A creak unstable 61-­‐62 examination reveals deep claw marks in the 87-­‐88 staircase leads up to a large, yet serviceable wooden boards. Inspection reveals the marks metal bell. If sounded, the bell lets out a belong to a dire animal (GM’s choice). plaintive peal. A small aqueduct, slick with slime, arches over a A rotting cattle barn stands half submerged in mostly empty riverbed except for a small trickle the muck. Water from a recent rainstorm lies a 63-­‐64 of foul, brown water. Anyone drinking the water 89-­‐90 couple of inches deep in ior the inter where small may contract filth fever. slimes and oozes slither about brightly coloured The wood frame of a large barn groans mushrooms. 65-­‐66 ominously in the wind. Abandoned, rusted tools Weathered brick steps lead to a small domed lie in one corner next to a pile of unused lumber. crypt. Inside, the skeletons of humanoids lie 91-­‐92 A few low lls stone wa trace the outline of a fused in the walls. A large, ornate sarcophagus former small church. A single tall humanoid rests at the far end, its lid tilted slightly open. 67-­‐68 statue stands on a pedestal in the middle of the The roof sags on a small hunter’s cottage. Musty ruins, its features smoothed by the rain. and mouldering animal skins and heads decorate Wind whistles through a small circular structure 93-­‐94 the interior. Its wooden floorboards creak built from giant bones. A skull, with most of its alarmingly, making silent movement much 69-­‐70 teeth knocked out, serves as the entrance. harder. Inside, thousands of burnt bones, mostly The water wheel of a tumbled mill dams a small humanoid, are piled around a black stone altar. stream. A door hanging on its hinges opens into 95-­‐96 A high, crenulated wall surrounds a small the mill’s interior, revealing a small room; rubble cemetery. Tombstones lie in open graves blocks the rest of the interior. 71-­‐72 amongst the splintered remains of the coffins. The carcass of a large beast fills the interior of a Graffiti decorates the interior of its one small hut. Its putrid scent attracts carrion birds 97-­‐98 mausoleum. and characters within the hut must have a strong A fence built from skeletal arms zigs and zags stomach to avoid retching. erratically. Grinning humanoid skulls, stacked Brick walls support a partially collapsed wooden 73-­‐74 atop each other, appear every 5 ft. in the wall. roof of a former inn. Mould and mildew cover a Smaller hanging bones rattle in the wind. large bar area. Water leaks from somewhere 99-­‐100 A roadside inn shows heavy damage from an onto rotting straw beds. ale Casks of st wine and attack. Scorch marks mar the walls while beer fill a storage room next to maggot infested 75-­‐76 numerous arrowheads litter the ground. Dried food stores. blood stains nearly every surface of its interior. Symbols, painted in blood, decorate the outside walls of a small, simple wooden chapel. The 77-­‐78 skeletal remains of the clergy lie within the

desecrated interior. Sample file

21 L ARGE R UINS

Many large ruins dot the countryside. Use this table to A massive gaping hole in a stone wall leads to a determine what the PCs stumble upon. 25-­‐26 courtyard cluttered with bones and the fire scorched skeleton of a castle keep. D% A smashed iron portcullis rests in a giant Massive stone archways lean haphazardly over 27-­‐28 gatehouse set in a circular wall around a leaning 01-­‐02 weed choked stone boulevards and plazas. Only sandstone tower the colour of dried blood. Crumbling stone walls form the shells of halfling-­‐ a few crumbling walls denote former houses. 29-­‐30 A crumbling moat tower, overgrown with ivy, sized buildings arrayed like spokes in a wheel. protects a castle, half sunk into the ground, its Jagged stone walls rise between the ribs of a 03-­‐04 interior exposed to the elements. Broken towers 31-­‐32 dragon’s skeleton. Hundreds of arrowheads fill lean against the castle’s keep. deep claw gouges in the cracked marble floors. Three massive stone pyramids sit in a line, steep A noisome green mist flows from the open steeps leading to large fire pits carved into their 33-­‐34 windows of a forlorn looking cathedral. The mist 05-­‐06 flat tops. A single door at the base of each leads originates from a desecrated altar in the interior. into a labyrinthine interior. A giant-­‐sized, massive marble stair spirals 150 ft. into the air before ending in a large, broken The burned out husks of wood and thatch long 35-­‐36 07-­‐08 houses clutter around a single stone well filled platform that miraculously stays aloft. Arcane with debris. The smell of death lingers in the air. runes decorate the stairs and the platform. Four great towers rise 50 ft. into the air, their A series of 25 ft. tall gothic archways form a tops shattered. Thin, cracked stone bridges criss-­‐ 37-­‐38 cross pattern. Collapsing walls link a few of the cross between the towers. Broken staircases archways but grass covers the ground now. 09-­‐10 spiral the insides of the hollow towers, jutting Wind whistling from the mouth of a 100 ft. tall bits of stone evidence of former rooms and pitted, copper lion roars over the surrounding floors. 39-­‐40 landscape. Rungs t se in one of its rear legs leads Broken statues line a stone pathway up to a up to hatch set in the statue’s belly that opens large marble pillared building. Water floods the into the darkened interior. 11-­‐12 interior from an exposed underground spring Ivory, gold cupolaed buildings 20 ft. in height that has broken through the floor at the form orderly rows. Narrow, darkened doors and building’s centre. 41-­‐42 windows grace the circular buildings. Large Ivy and moss cover nearly every surface of a cracks leave some of the interiors open. Bits of stout stone keep. Mould and mildew coat the ancient pottery lie scattered about. 13-­‐14 keep’s interior which is home to rats, bats and Three concentric crenulated walls, each one very large spiders. successively higher and with their own A collection of rotting ships, some as large 43-­‐44 gatehouse, enclose the exposed basement of a galleys, lie upturned next to large slabs of stone former keep. A second intact basement level lies 15-­‐16 set in the ground, the former remains of what beneath the first. appears to be a wharf, now almost totally Narrow, rusting metal pillars twist and turn, creating a menagerie of fantastic creatures in a buried. 45-­‐46 Scattered blocks of obsidian, inscribed with the 200 ft. area encircled by a high wall of magically iconography of an evil deity, surround the hardened wood. foundations of a once proud temple. A few Stones denote the remains a former church 17-­‐18 surrounded by many towering mausoleums in outlying buildings remain relatively intact. At 47-­‐48 night, a mist arises bringing with it a foul various states of decay. Most have been looted presence. but a few remain locked by magical means. Wind and rain eroded archways frame the ruins Twin fortresses guard a long, grand stone bridge of a once grand building, most of its roof now rising over a dried riverbed. One fortress appears 19-­‐20 caved in. A few main rooms re intact, crowded 49-­‐50 unharmed while its twin has suffered massive with fungus and a strange, silver glowing moss. damage to its walls from an ancient assault. An A collapsed tower guards the entrance to a stone unnatural darkness fills the unharmed fortress. 21-­‐22 keep. One side of the keep is open to the A cracked dome of glass encloses the crumbling elements but its interior floors remain stable. remains of stone houses clustered together. The glass has been magically treated to be as strong Marble and stone intertwine into slender pillars 51-­‐52 surrounding a sprawling, overgrown building. as iron. A wide entrance at the base of the doom 23Sample-­‐24 serves as entry file to the collection of empty, Statues of a forgotten humanoid deity sit in alcoves throughout the complex. abandoned buildings.

22 These two three-­‐storey crooked towers are all Giant, gray stone slabs 30 ft. in height thrust out that remains of a once grand keep. Ivy covers of the ground 10 ft. apart over a 200 ft. wide 53-­‐54 everything and water collects in shallow pools 77-­‐78 area, forming a -­‐giant eight pointed star. A within the interior. Narrow, slippery stone steps weathered altar still bears faint traces of dried lead to the top of the towers. blood. Two concentric rings of fluted pillars stand in The fire blackened remains of siege engines litter various states of disrepair around a tall, lean the area around the debris of a once formidable 79-­‐80 55-­‐56 tower missing its top half. A recent fire cleared stone wall guarding a keep that is no more than out the tower’s interior, so its floors, stairs and a scattered pile of rubble. walls are now unstable and prone to collapse. Broken marble statues litter a broad stone Overgrown shrubbery spills onto a cracked, causeway leading to four crumbling arcades 81-­‐82 stone courtyard in front of a burnt down manor surrounding a large, low stone building whose 57-­‐58 house. A nearby slightly charred carriage house roof through which has burst a massive tree. stands intact and houses a rotting carriage. Abandoned tents and digging equipment cluster A high stone wall, sections of it collapsed in near a group of grassy hillocks. The earth has several places, encircles four tumbled wooden 83-­‐84 been cleared away from one, revealing a stone 59-­‐60 barracks and a pile of rubble that was once a archway leading into a buried structure running small tower. under the hillocks. The low foundations of numerous former stone Partial stone walls of several homes stretch out buildings radiate outwards for thousands of feet. before the broken remains of a three-­‐storey Covered mostly by tall grass, bits of ancient 85-­‐86 manor house, its western wing in complete ruin. 61-­‐62 pottery hide in the soil. An occasional ruined Its eastern wing still stands, but its western wall wall, no more than 4 ft. high peeks up out of the has collapsed. grass, here and there. A steep-­‐sided, sandstone pyramid sits half buried The top storey of a massive black edifice, almost in the und. gro Bas reliefs of fantastical creatures 87-­‐88 a mile in length and width, rises out of the slither and fly along its surface. Rubble lies at its ground into which it has sunk. Open windows base near a small hole leading into the interior. 63-­‐64 lead into a huge interior of cavernous A smooth granite wall reaches 50 ft. in height boulevards, arcades, chambers and winding and stretches thousands of feet in either 89-­‐90 stairways and hallways. direction. tial Par remains of attached watch Six domed buildings attach to a larger domed towers are spaced every 500 ft. structure, forming a hexagon. Most of the domes The top half of a gigantic statue of an armoured are cracked, the interiors supporting a vibrant warrior lies face down next to its 75 ft. tall lower 65-­‐66 91-­‐92 ecosystem of animals, fish and plants. The half. Casual inspection finds an entrance into the broken remains of an astronomer’s lab lies in the statue’s body hidden behind overhanging vines. central dome. Wide, arched bridges, mostly broken now, feebly The stone remains of a colossal stone arena attempt to connect a series of five towers of dominate the landscape. Collapsed sections of differing heights seemingly laid out at random. 93-­‐94 67-­‐68 the walls spill onto the arena’s grass covered Each tower’s entrance is at a different height; floor. The hypogeum below the arena floor is the shortest tower is the only one to have a free of debris and shows signs of habitation. ground-­‐level entrance. Half of a wide stone bridge spans a dried moat. This four-­‐storey stone keep sports a gaping hole Beyond its jagged remains, a rusted portcullis 95-­‐96 through its front, as if punched by an impossibly 69-­‐70 bars entry to a shadow haunted keep crouched large fist. Otherwise, it appears undamaged. behind high, ivy covered crumbling walls. Geysers of steam erupt from the ground through Two four-­‐storey spiralling obsidian towers flank a the blackened remains of a former temple. single seven-­‐storey pure white marble tower. 97-­‐98 Statues of a good aligned deity still stand in 71-­‐72 Cracks run the length of the towers and ooze a alcoves in the few remaining walls, but they bear translucent slime. The only entrance appears to horrifying claw marks across their countenances. be a window five stories up on the central tower. The yellowed bones of a colossal dragon form a Moss covered boulders lie under the skeletal bridge leading into its skull which once served as arches of a once grand cathedral. A few rooms an entrance into a fortress that is now nothing 73-­‐74 99-­‐100 near the interior remain intact, their doors but a tumbled pile of boulders. A few rocks have recently repaired and barred from within. been recently cleared away to reveal a staircase Mouldy thatch covers these mud brick huts leading into a sprawling basement complex. crowded behind a low wooden palisade. A single 75Sample-­‐76 file one-­‐storey stone building sits in the middle of the forlorn huts, its windows boarded over.

23 R UINS D RESSING

Ruins have many minor features of interest. Use this table to Moulds and fungi grow in abundance 25 generate such features, as appropriate. everywhere. Small red eyes glare from the dark corners but 26 D% disappear when anyone approaches. The walls glow with a strange luminescence, Ghostly balls of light, like will-­‐o’-­‐wisps, follow 1 27 shedding light in a 5 ft. radius. explorers around. Thick cobwebs clog the ruins, making each The wind echoing through the ruins creates a 2 28 square of movement count as difficult terrain. constant cacophonous din. In a ered shelt part of the ruins, the embers still Rotting scaffolding surrounds the ruins as if 3 29 burn from a recent campfire. someone attempted to rebuild but gave up. An unnatural keening moan fills the ruins, Abandoned makeshift shelters crowd parts of 4 30 making audible means of perception unreliable. the ruins. A thick layer of soot covers everything, which The sound of roaring flames can still be heard, 5 31 counts as soft ground for tracking. enhancing fire-­‐based magic. The air is charged with arcane energy, allowing Humanoid faces stare forlornly from within the 6 32 magic users to more easily penetrate defences. walls of the ruins. An ivy with a sick, yellow appearance covers the Every now and then, a mad cackle drifts through 7 33 ruins. the air, always from a different spot. A large number of small animal bones litter the Rats crawl from seemingly everywhere, creating 8 34 ruins. nonaggressive swarms of rats. Some of the ruin’s features c.) (walls, floor, et Biting insects swarm the ruins, requiring a 9 warp and bend at unnatural angles. 35 concentration check to cast any spells as if Local humanoids from an indigenous tribe have casting defensively. 10 daubed graffiti crude drawings on the walls. 36 The sound of running water can be heard. A message, written in day’s old blood, warns 37 Dark brown spots stain the ruins floors and walls. 11 The holy symbol of an evil deity is carved into a people to stay away or befall a dire fate. 38 A rotted wooden spear impales a skeleton in floor or wall of the ruins. Broken statues, appearing as people going about 12 rusted ceremonial armour at the centre of the 39 ruins. their day to day business, decorate the ruins. Loose bits of debris occasionally come loose, A broken lamp lies next to the bloody, limbless 13 40 tumbling down with a clatter. torso of a recently dead humanoid. A sudden cry of pain echoes through the ruins, At night, when the stars are out, casual 41 14 inspection reveals they are in the wrong abruptly cut short. Laughter follows the cry. The interior of the ruins is entirely swept free of positions. 42 15 Twilight seems to last an extra hour in the ruins. dust, debris and cobwebs. Bits of ancient, broken armour and weapons lie A blanket lies stretched on the floor with enough 16 43 scattered about. water and food laid out for the party. Experts in magical lore may determine that large 44 Features of the ruins crumble at the touch. cracks in the ruin’s walls form words of magical A viscous, but harmless, black slime covers 17 45 power. Arcane spells cast within the ruins everything and exudes a foul stench. function at an increased potency. Flowering clumps of gorse fill the ruins, An unusual number of fireflies flit about the 46 rendering each square of movement difficult 18 ruins, providing a dim source of light. terrain. Hundreds of small, non-­‐poisonous snakes slither Casual inspection finds a crumpled piece of 47 19 parchment under a rock that contains a rough about the ruins. sketch of the ruins. The walls feature perfectly small holes bored 48 Thick fog fills the ruins, obscuring anything into them seemingly at random. 20 further than 5 ft. away. The burnt remains of many forbidden books lie The ruins have a half melted appearance as if piled in the centre of the ruins. One hour spent 21 49 bathed in acid. scavenging through the books finds remnants of The smashed, yellowed skeleton of some dark, necromantic lore. (GM’s choice) 22 gargantuan beast lies on the floor. Peeling blue paint covers the interior walls of the ruins. Casual inspection reveals the paint covers SampleAn unnatural darkness clings to the ruins, 50 file 23 reducing nonmagical flames to a dim light. many ancient, evil symbols that even current day 24 The ruins sway and creak alarmingly. necromancers rarely dare . to use

24 Cultists conducted foul rites here. An evil In the corners of the ruins rests roughly carved 76 51 outsider of the same strength as the party stone statuettes of an evil deity. inhabits these ruins Magical lights within the ruins flare up when 77 A layer of ice, resistant to nonmagical fire, coats creatures enter certain sections. 52 the ruins. Four empty, torn and -­‐ blood covered bedrolls lie 78 Anyone exploring the ruins sees ghostly figures in the centre of the ruins. 53 out of the corner of his eyes. An aura of electricity thrums in the air. A natural spring creates a pool of water six 79 Electricity-­‐based magical effects are slightly 54 inches deep throughout the ruins. amplified. Every hour, the ruins violently shake as if by an The sound of large footsteps follows anyone 80 55 earthquake. Characters must take heed or fall exploring the ruins. prone. A damaged painting or tapestry of a great hero 81 Veins of a strange red substance flow and hangs askew wall. on a 56 pulsate within the walls of the ruins. Dried skin of many humanoids hangs from the 82 A small armoury lies within the ruins, containing walls and carpets the floor. mostly brittle weapons and rotted armour. 83 The walls of the ruins continuously weep water. 57 However, a suit of masterwork armour and a Nonmagical light sources brought into the ruins 84 masterwork weapon (GM’s choice) still remain. suddenly wink out and refuse to be relit. 58 Swathes of fungus cover the floor of the ruins. A tracker may finds the recent tracks of a 85 The half-­‐eaten remains of various animals lie particularly large creature (GM’s choice). 59 scattered about the ruins. A steady wind blows, causing the ruins to groan 86 Thousands of tiny insects buzz around the ruins, alarmingly. 60 distracting anyone on the lookout. A severed head sits atop a wooden sign advising 87 Parts of the ruins are dden prone to su collapse. against trespassing in crudely written Common. 61 Good reflexes are required to avoid debris and A broken marble statue lies on its side. Its eye 88 unstable floors.. sockets, once containing gemstones, are empty. 62 Night in the ruins lasts twice as long as normal. The interior dimensions of the ruins appear twice 89 The ghostly sound of raging fire is heard. Fire as large as from the outside. 63 magic is greatly hampered within the ruin's Hundreds of sickly looking rats scurry about, 90 confines. avoiding any light source. Faded tapestries depicting a long ago important Unusual humanlike shadows crawl across the 64 91 but forgotten event hang on the walls. walls and floors but are harmless. Small pools of hissing acid dot the floors of the A large circle with arcane runes has been 65 ruins, presenting a significant hazard for the engraved into one of the floors. Creatures 92 careless. summoned forth within have a chance of turning Closely listening characters may hear ghostly upon their conjurors. 66 voices crying n out i fear and pain. Broken bits of pottery and smashed furniture 93 Hundreds of brightly coloured butterflies flit crowd the interior of the ruins. 67 about the ruins but do not leave its confines. A ghostly voice randomly calls out the name of 94 Bent and chipped copper coins surround the one of the creatures exploring the ruins. 68 obsidian statue of a truly alien looking creature. An altar hidden in the ruins serves as a font of 95 A skeleton of a former explorer ushed lies cr evil, casting an unholy pall over the whole ruins. 69 underneath rubble. 96 Humanoid skulls rest in niches on the walls. Careful inspection finds an old diary in the ruins Small, harmless oozes slither about on the walls, 70 97 detailing its last days. floors and ceilings. A trophy collection of the skeletal heads of In one section of the ruins, a pair of closed 71 98 magical beasts adorns one section of the ruins. sarcophagi rests. An unnatural chill fills the ruins, making life-­‐ 99 Fresh blood smears the entrance into the ruins. 72 draining magic harder to resist. The stench of blood ecay and d lingers strongly 100 Five giant misshapen humanoid skeletons lie on the air. 73 throughout the interior of the ruins. Vines sprouting an unknown vivid red flower 74 cover the walls.

Claw marks score the features of the ruins, 75 Sampleleaving deep gouges in the walls and floors. file

25 S MALL C AVES

As well as full-­‐blown cave systems, adventurers travelling A small cavern lurks at the base of a rocky 23 through the wilderness often encounter much smaller caves. crevasse. Such locations can be used as a campsite, as a place to wait out 24 A jagged cave mouth leads to a small chamber. Earth has washed out from under a large slab of inclement weather r o as somewhere to hide. Others can be used 25 as an animal or monster’s den. Still others might contain rock. A tall oak grows over the opening. 26 Narrow gaps open at the base of a tall bluff. forgotten, hidden treasures. Use the caves detailed here to Concealed by three twisted pines an earthy describe such locales. 27 hollow opens among the trees’ roots. Limestone ledges line the walls of a river-­‐cut D% 28 vault in the rock wall. A boulder has fallen from the cliff face exposing This cave mouth faces into the rising sun of the 1 29 a five-­‐foot hollow. early morning. A zigzag cleft pierces the rock bluff all the way to A sloping overhang of limestone shelters this 2 30 its top. twenty-­‐foot long area of flat earth. A long diagonal crack provides shelter but no Small holes in the rock allow for an easy climb to 3 31 level surface for lying down. a cave ledge ten feet above the ground. Slabs of rock have broken away from the walls of A two-­‐foot wide footpath leads up to a narrow 4 32 this crevasse to form a peaked roof. ledge cave. The roots of a large pine tree have split the rock, A small, shallow chamber pierces the bank of a 5 33 exposing a large fissure beneath. turgid stream. A now dead fir-­‐tree lies near a cliff; when it fell Arching chambers pierce pumice bluffs 6 34 its roots gouged a large hole in the earth. pockmarked by wind and water. 7 Massive layers of rock form jutting overhangs. The hollow half bowl shape of stone forms a A change in the river has left a dry shallow cave 35 8 natural cup in the rock. carved in a rock bluff. Octagonal columns of tight-­‐fitting stone topped This tall rock face extends outwards providing a 36 9 by volcanic pumice form a short colonnade. curved crease for shelter at its base. A short downward-­‐sloped man-­‐sized tunnel An angular jutting rock formation forms a low 37 10 opens into an abandoned bear den. roof atop an outwash of rubble. Woven tree roots form ropes leading to an Water erosion has formed several sheltered 38 11 opening 25 feet down a steep hill slope. shallow caves slick with moisture. Clumps of sticky red and grey clay have fallen At the base of this large rock , sheet is a shallow 39 12 leaving a deep, and slick sheltered hollow. naturally arched shallow cave. Wedged under a -­‐ forty foot slab of limestone, a A shallow opening under two low hanging ewe 40 13 smaller six-­‐foot tall boulder forms a rock shelter. bushes provides shelter and shade. A dry sandy nook has formed below a limestone A split in the cliff top has opened a downward-­‐ 41 14 outcropping. sloped ramp that leads to a small chamber. Sharp fragments of granite line the s floor of thi Staggered layers of rock overhang a shallow flat 42 15 low chamber. ledge. A narrow sinkhole has breached a small, natural 43 Rocky slabs stacked neatly into a tall crack in the cavern dominated by a small pool of water. 16 bluff form a covered entrance leading to a A half-­‐conical crack spirals into the rock face 44 cavern large enough four for people to lie down. giving the impression of being inside a snail-­‐shell. The jagged edge of a rocky outcrop provides This ten-­‐foot tall sandstone cave lies at the end 17 45 deep overhangs protected by tumbled stones. of a low crawl space. Several cracks form layered fissures in the rock A wall cattered of s rock provides shelter at the 18 face; Small and larger creatures can just squeeze 46 base of a cliff. Moss and small shrubs grow about inside. and in the wall. Rushing water has cut several ledges and small The sculpted form of two intertwined serpents 19 47 chambers in a sluice-­‐like crack in the limestone. ring the mouth of a polished smooth overhang. Though steeply sloped, a cylindrical curve of rock An uneven, natural 20-­‐foot long stairway leads 20 48 forms a tall cave opening. up to a shallow limestone cave. Four arch-­‐shaped chambers pierce the shore of a The walls of this small cave have been faced with 21 49 Samplesmall lake. now rotten wood file panelling. Rising fifteen feet up the rock face a chimney Limestone pillars form the supports for a jutting 22 50 crack forms a narrow sheltered vault. limestone slab eight feet off the ground.

26 This shallow crevasse has a “V” shaped mouth Arching over a three-­‐foot freshwater spring; the 51 80 that narrows quickly into a rising crack. cave extends only a few feet back into the rock. The cave mouth faces into the setting sun and Strips of coloured cloth tied to dangling roots 52 81 has sweeping views of the surrounds. mark the location of this small cave. An eroded, ancient lava flow is pierced by many Twenty-­‐foot up the cliff face is a horizontal slit 53 82 scattered shallow chambers. leading to a dry, shallow cave. This solitary, monstrous rock has a low, rounded Vines and thorn bushes conceal a narrow fissure 54 83 tunnel at its base. large enough for three -­‐ human sized creatures. This rocky ledge drops -­‐ into a six foot deep hole A towering hawthorn’s roots hug a stone rimmed 55 84 which curves into a small, sheltered hollow. muddy opening that descends about fifteen feet. An ancient lava flow drapes over a cliff to form This low ovoid opening descends into an 56 85 curtained alcoves. abandoned wolf den. A single moss-­‐covered limestone boulder covers A pockmarked basalt formation of hollow 57 a shallow partially exposed pit. 86 bubbles and overhangs provides a tangled This low passage slowly slopes down -­‐ to a fifteen shelter. 58 foot wide low cavern. A water-­‐eroded smooth hole lies behind the 87 A narrow gap between two sixty-­‐foot tall course of a now dry waterfall. 59 boulders provides enough space to lie down. 88 Thick vines cover this steeply floored fissure. The ramp ching approa this -­‐ five foot wide This shallow cave mouth is carved in the form of 60 opening is covered in rubble. 89 a yawing demon mouth; dried blood covers the Smooth, wave-­‐like rock ramps have shallow floor. 61 ledges below them. Arching only eight feet at its highest point, a long Five interconnected narrow cracks form a 90 35-­‐foot vault of curved limestone forms a 62 shallow cave complex. shallow hollow. 63 The cave mouth faces towards the northern star. The wide mouth of this shallow chamber pierces 91 A low rock wall, obviously of hand-­‐stacked the hillside between tall pine trees. 64 stones, protects this cave mouth. Two flat leafs of rock three feet thick fan out 92 Large flat slabs have tumbled down to form a from the cliff side. 65 roof over a small six-­‐foot deep clay pit. An octagonal opening leads to a large open air 93 This triangular-­‐shaped short hall extends for only hollow covered in moss and low grass. 66 nine feet. Halfway up a steep slope, a large slab of rock A deep crystal clear pool of rain water has 94 protrudes over the path; a small chamber pierces 67 formed in front of a small cave. the hill. At the base of a deep hollow, shadow cloaks this The roof of this short, twisted hall of sandstone 68 cave mouth covered in a thin layer of ice. 95 has a hole through which light enters the Stacks of broken blocks lies outside an obviously chamber. 69 Stratified layers of shale and -­‐ soil form a wave abandoned quarry. 96 This natural amphitheatre nly of rock o extends like wall; its undulations provide shelter. 70 ten-­‐foot into the rock wall. A jagged hole in the rock pierces the cliff fifteen 97 A two-­‐person half-­‐dome chamber has formed feet from the main trail. 71 amid pitted pumice stone. Filled with water, another passage extends 98 Concealed by tall clump grass and deep weeds a below its surface to a small hidden chamber. 72 muddy pool protects this shallow cave. A natural stair leads up a narrow chimney in the This cave lies amid a tangled briar of thorns and 99 rock, which connects with a long, low and dry 73 brambles. chamber. Near the cavern ceiling the gills of small During heavy rain, this cave quickly floods as 74 mushrooms emit a light green glow. 100 water inundates the cavern through many small A smooth tunnel runs straight down into the holes piercing its lofty ceiling. 75 rock; it ends in a blank wall. Thick vines hang down over this chamber’s 76 entrance. At the bottom of a deep-­‐sloped hollow lies a 77 roughly spherical hand-­‐carved cave. This cave mouth is partly protected by a curtain 78 of hanging moss. SampleThe slow-­‐moving fresh spring exiting this small file 79 cave is home to an abundance of crayfish.

27 S MALL C AVE D RESSING

The cavern in which the PCs shelter should not be devoid of A series of overlapping circles with arcane sigils 23 interesting minor features. Use this table to generate such at their edges decorate the walls. A stagnant pool in the chamber's floor is the features as desired, possibly using them to add detail to a party’s 24 campsite. breeding ground for hundreds of insects. Dozens of crushed and broken four-­‐inch tall clay 25 D% effigies of bears lie scattered on the floor. Scattered on the floor are the blackened bones Jagged rocks hang dangerously from the ceiling, 1 26 like rotten teeth. of three humanoid creatures. Randomly made piles of edible tree nuts fill A crushed wooden chest, a few green coloured 27 2 copper coins left ies within, l corroding in the several niches in the cavern’s walls. Cave crickets’ songs echo throughout this small moist earth. 28 chamber. A crudely carved stature of a cross-­‐legged figure 3 A narrow tunnel eight inches wide forms a in meditation lies on the ground. 29 Snake skins completely cover the floor -­‐ in a semi natural chimney against the eastern wall. 4 The loose earth and piled rock near the centre of transparent paper-­‐like mass. 30 the cave floor marks a burial site. Rough depictions of a hunting party fighting a 5 massive winged creature with reptile like A trail of black ants bustles back and forth features decorate the cave walls. 31 between three earth-­‐filled crack in the wall and a In the thin roof of the cave a hole frames the dead wolf . 6 Piles of seashells placed at cardinal compass lunar eclipse at various times of the year. 32 The back of this cave has collapsed completely points decorate the cave floor. 7 A slick ledge leads behind a towering waterfall to and is impassable. 33 a sheltered undercut. 8 The cave is damp, muddy and humid. The shallow -­‐ root filled cave is the breeding A crack in the roof frames the solar equinox at 9 34 ground of dozens of (harmless) spiders. the proper time. The dried and desiccated remains of a campsite The cave is stuffed full with broken wood planks, 10 35 cracked barrels, furniture and other building long abandoned lie in the cave. debris. Partly covered in dust and dirt a brass locket lies 11 near the vern ca entrance. A slow trickle of fresh water runs out of one wall, 36 then into a long crack in the floor near the A chain curtain in the pattern of a spider web 12 entrance. blocks access to the cave. Wooden supports hold up the cracked ceiling of The floor rises up in natural stairs to a dais-­‐like 37 13 this cavern. formation at the back of the cave. Chipmunks have made their homes in the Three large feathers, the length of a grown man 38 14 tumbled rocks lining the chamber walls. litters the floor. The fossilised remains of seashells and strange Carved into the wall is the near formless effigy of 39 15 fish decorate the walls and ceiling of the cave. an unidentifiable deity. The mummified remains of four human bodies in Tufts of musky hair fill a narrow cleft in the cave 40 a crouching position lean against the back wall. 16 wall -­‐ they may be identified easily as wolverine fur A wide crack in the floor has four wooden 41 platforms tied together with vines and crude The caver is dry, dusty and filled with old 17 ropes across its width. cobwebs. 42 A long abandoned charcoal pit pierces the floor. A swirling pattern covers the floor in a whirl Filled with dried leaves and blown vegetation the 18 pool-­‐like pattern terminating in the centre of the 43 chamber. cave smells of th. dry ear The cave smells of wet dog (or possibly wolf). Chiselled stone arrow and spearheads litter the 19 44 Gnawed bones cover the floor. floor. Etched shapes of migrating bison cover one wall A shallow pit in the dirt floor holds the remains 45 20 from floor to ceiling. of a recent re. campfi Carved into the rocks just outside the cave The cave mouth has an uprooted oak tree 46 21 stuffed into it; broken branches and dried leaves mouth are dire warnings in Goblin not to enter. Bundles of tied canvas are piled in the cave. They are scattered everywhere. 47 SampleDark brown cave salamanders scurry into the contain dried grass file and tiny humanoid skeletons. 22 A dusty collection of old useless weapons, cracks in the walls when approached. 48 armour and shields fills the cave.

28 The cave is dry and comfortable. The floor is of A small series of copper tablets, with arcane 49 soft sand. 75 writing bound with iron rings, lie amid a rubble A small cave pond in which blind white cave fish pile. 50 gather near a fresh spring fills much of the cave. A shredded backpack containing mouldering 76 Six bowl-­‐shaped indents pierce a rock shelf; food lie forgotten amid dust and rubble. 51 smooth round stones rest in two of them. A palm-­‐sized brown cave spider is covering a 77 Cut alcoves in the walls contain Coptic jars filled large white moth in cobwebs. 52 with desiccated bodily remains. Scattered half eaten carcasses of rabbits, 78 A skeleton left in a kneeling position, sword squirrels and moles cover the floor. 53 through its midsection and head cut off leans The legs of a humanoid skeleton protrude from a 79 against one wall. narrow crack between the wall . and floor In the centre of the floor -­‐ lies a fist sized lead cast Three dusty straw mats cover piles of dried 54 80 of a spider crouched on the floor. leaves near the back of the chamber. Soot stains the cave ceiling above s the remain of Slow drips of water fall from the ceiling making 55 81 a campfire. the cave floor slick. Two crumbling leather bags holding several Musty air blows through cracks in the back of 82 56 stamped clay tokens, crumble to powder when cave in a slow stale draft. picked up. The e cav is barren except for a single carved 83 The cave is abnormally cold; a thin layer of stone slab bench. 57 hoarfrost forms on its features every morning. Hundreds of animal skulls stacked in neat 84 Half-­‐way into the cave its narrow opening is pyramids line every wall. 58 partly blocked by stacked stones Just three feet inside, this shallow cave is 85 An eerily realistic sculpture of a female half-­‐elf blocked by thick, rusty iron bars. 59 protrudes as if partially trapped from one cave A single melon-­‐sized broken egg lies in the 86 wall. cavern entrance. A series of red ochre splashes outline handprints When lit by fire the cave walls crawl with ghostly 60 87 over the walls. shadows. The interior of the a cave is contortion "S" of Shards of broken clay tablets litter the floor; 61 88 curves; ledges line every wall. empty broken pots stand against the west wall. The low cavern ceiling has been blackened and Six carved green jade disks of curled dragons are 62 89 cracked by many previous campfires. imbedded in avern the c walls. Rusty manacles dangle from an iron spike driven One entire wall is covered by the primitive 63 90 into the ceiling. depiction of a village being sacked. The walls turn from dusty orange to sandy yellow A leather scroll case and sheets of mouldy paper 91 64 stone then to milky quartz studded brown lie partly buried amid the cave’s earthen floor. ceiling. Hand tools, the scattered remnant of mining, lie 92 Thick black dust covers the carved furniture on the floor as if abandoned in a hurry. 65 sculpted from the cave’s walls and floor. The smell of rotten and decaying meat emanate 93 Old cave birds’ nests and droppings cover the from a narrow twisting crack in the basalt rock. 66 cavern floor. The floor is covered in loose dirt; tiny red 94 67 Millipedes feast on two dead small bats. earthworms dwell within. The broken statue of a maiden lies scattered on A pyramid of skulls sits opposite the cave mouth. 68 95 the cave floor. They seem to grin at all who enter. 2d10 pear-­‐shaped rocks of smooth granite have The walls and floor are streaked with bat guano; 69 96 the etching of a small flower upon their surface. cockroaches scurry about the floor. A decomposing corpse of a dwarf lies near the The cave mouth is lined with quartz rock that 70 97 back of the cave; gaping wounds ts pierce i back. glows in light. Clay jars containing dried ochre are set beneath The leafy detritus crackles with movement from 71 98 an unfinished image of a large reptile. a large cave snail’s slow migration. Hundreds of broken nut and seed shells litter the The decomposing carcass of a fox is covered in 72 99 floor. mould and insects. Four carven empty stone basins each capable of Mummified animal heads tied to exposed roots 73 100 holding two gallons pierce the floor. dangle from the ceiling. The sparkling chamber walls are crisscrossed 74 with mica formations. Sample file

29 E XTREME W EATHER: R AINSTORMS

Rainstorms range from gentle and short summer rains to brutal This storm produces occasional sheets of rain; squalls that produce several inches of rain in an hour, generate 18 thunder booms without any preceding lightning powerful strokes of lightning, drop fist-­‐sized (or larger) strikes. hailstones and spawn incredible tornadoes. A rainstorm can The storm’s rain creates a drumming sound as it 19 strikes the ground or structures; a rare flash of make for an exciting encounter in its own right, or it can provide lightning precedes a burst of thunder. a new dimension of danger to a combat encounter. A large flock of birds travels in -­‐ front of a fast 20 moving, powerful storm; the flock creates a thick R AINSTORM D ESCRIPTION cloud of its own. D20 The storm starts as a gentle rain, slowly builds to R AINSTORM E VENTS 1 a steady downpour and then gradually returns to D20 a drizzle. The storm’s clouds have a green hue, and they Lightning strikes a tree and causes it to topple; 2 swirl in a clockwise direction. 1 the tree falls e on on or more of the PCs with deadly force. Beyond the storm’s edge trails an enormous 3 rainbow with wide bands of individual colours. While the PCs battle their opponents beneath an 2 overcast sky, the clouds finally release their Sheets of lightning rage at the storm’s centre; watery burden. 4 less than a second later, the ground shakes with the sound of thunder. Lightning cascades overhead and spells out an 3 ominous warning—or runes that match those The entire storm front comprises sheets of rain, the party later encounters. 5 significantly hampering sight, but the rain settles to a normal downpour after 1 minute. The storm produces a foot of water which has its own eddies and currents (and causes the terrain Heavy rain gives way to a downpour of tiny bits 6 of hail that carpet the ground an inch thick. 4 to become difficult terrain); a kitten (or other helpless animal) cries plaintively for help as it A massive thunderhead builds over the course of drifts by on a bit of flotsam. the afternoon; it reaches two miles from top to Unusually large chunks of hail fall from the sky; 7 bottom, and the PCs can see lightning within the 5 for five rounds, each PC must take shelter or risk enormous cloud—lightning that does not strike the ground at the moment. a painful, potentially lethal pummelling. The rain from this storm strikes hot ground, Ominous black clouds suddenly gather and spit 8 6 creating a fog that further reduces , visibility stinging rain in the area they cover. making it hard to ly proper hit targets. This storm has light rain at its edges; the rain As the party cross a bridge during a storm, the 9 intensifies towards the storm’s centre, -­‐ a 20 foot diameter column of nigh impenetrable rain. 7 rain-­‐swollen river surges and threatens to knock them into the river with massive force. Multi-­‐coloured lightning streaks along the 10 A swarm of rats erupts from its underground lair storm’s edges and illuminates the rain. in an attempt to escape flooding; the swarm A miles-­‐wide storm has dozens of funnel clouds 8 attacks any PCs in their path, but only if the party 11 scattered throughout it; several funnels touch actively detains the swarm. down and unleash destruction. A cascade of lightning forms in front of the PCs This single 100-­‐foot-­‐diameter cloud produces a 12 and persists for a couple of seconds -­‐ anyone considerable amount of rain. 9 foolish enough to enter is struck for massive Two storm clouds collide with each other; where 13 damage. the clouds meet, the rain and wind intensifies. While the PCs p, cam a udden s rainstorm arises; The sunset illuminates the bottom of the storm 14 outdoorsmen in the party have three rounds to clouds, giving them an eerie red glow. 10 prepare before the storm develops into a The sun shines brightly during a cloudburst thunderstorm. 15 produced by a single storm cloud; several more Lightning strikes near one of the mounts (or an clouds drench the in land scattered patches. animal companion), dealing no damage but A thundercloud rests over a large body of water, 11 threatening to spook the , animal requiring skill from which moisture visibly fills the cloud; 16 to bring the animal back under control. several minutes later a gust of wind pushes the The storm produces a steady rain, except with Samplerain-­‐burdened cloud in the PCs’ direction. file 12 respect to one PC, who experiences a downpour The tall clouds bearing down y on the part are 17 that follows the PC. reminiscent of angry, shouting faces.

30 A powerful gust of wind at ground level pushes A territorial battle between an air elemental and the storm’s rainfall in a horizontal direction; PCs a water elemental generates a terrible storm 13 9 who do not close their eyes must take care to that threatens everything in a randomly moving avoid being temporarily fazed by the flashes. 100-­‐foot radius (while the battle rages). A mother duck and her flock of ducklings paddle A strong storm delays the party’s transportation 14 around in large puddles formed by the storm. out of town (via caravan, boat, etc.); the PCs 10 The rain from this storm falls on parched land, must convince the person who holds up their 15 which absorbs the moisture and leaves no travel to brave the storm. evidence of the precipitation. The current deluge of rain along a mountain During a thunderstorm, the wind and rain die 11 range’s windward side creates a mudslide that down, indicating to novice outdoorsmen that a threatens villages at the mountain’s base. 16 tornado is forming above the PCs; two rounds While the party tracks an escaped foe, a sudden later the funnel touches down. storm strikes and obliterates all trace of the 12 A bolt of lightning strikes an area 10 feet from a opponent’s travel, which forces them to find 17 PC; Careful inspection notes that soon later another means to regain the trail. another bolt strikes the . same spot. The party arrives at a village suffering under a Frogs rain from the clouds, dealing no damage to long-­‐lasting rainstorm; some villagers quietly 18 the PCs; a nearby tornado picked up the animals 13 approach the PCs to ask them to stop the storm, and hurled them in the direction. party’s but the village elder contends the storm must The storm reduces the ground to mud, creating a continue for an undetermined period. 19 sticky field for the PCs. Enough rain has fallen that a nearby river has Lightning strikes multiple locations, setting swollen and threatens a town situated along its 14 20 flammable material alight; the fire threatens to bank; town residents have built a number of spread despite the rain. impromptu levees to contain the river. Thieves steal a vital document or other treasure under the cover of a driving rainstorm; evidence H OOKS & C OMPLICATIONS 15 points to one of their number possessing the D20 ability to manipulate the weather. After a powerful rainstorm, the eroded ground A storm causes flooding in a localized area but also completely fills a deep pit with water, 1 reveals access to a previously undiscovered 16 underground area. waking an aquatic horror that had previously A long-­‐lasting, stationary rainstorm results from hibernated in the mud at the bottom of the pit. a curse; the afflicted residents implore the PCs to A woman travels from town to town claiming she 2 end the curse before their homes and livelihoods can bring rain to end their drought; after gaining are washed away. 17 most of the town’s wealth, she keeps her The party must conduct -­‐ an hour long ritual to promise, but the rain never stops and gradually 3 bring welcome rain to a desert area, but the PCs increases in intensity. must stay under the rainstorm during the ritual. Steady downpours disrupt the completion of a highway vital to a kingdom at war; without the One of the PCs overhears snippets of discussion 18 4 about a planned raid timed to occur during a highway, the kingdom expects week-­‐long delays rainstorm three days hence. in troop and supply delivery. A contact the PCs expect to meet becomes Flooding odes er ground that previously concealed a collection of mausoleums; rumours spooked by a sudden rainstorm and runs off (or 19 5 rides away) into the storm. The PCs must catch suggest undead creatures have emerged from and calm their contact to gain the information he their newly uncovered crypts. carries. An angry storm giant threatens a town with A days-­‐long rainstorm ompts pr superstitious 20 severe rainstorms until one of the townspeople 6 villagers to construct an ark on which they plan returns something he stole from the giant. to reside until the storm abates. During a particularly violent storm, lightning sets fire to a safe house or storage location belonging 7 to one of the PCs; they are nearby when this occurs. A string of unnatural and deadly storms strikes several villages along a predictable path; the 8 Sampleparty may learn of the pattern as they travel file through the devastated communities.

31 E XTREME W EATHER: S NOWSTORMS

A snowstorm can feature gently, steadily falling snow, or wind Ominously dark clouds roll in and unload snow, can accompany the storm, reducing visibility and stinging 16 which falls lightly at first, but soon turns into a exposed eyes and skin. While many think of snow as beautiful, veritable downpour of snow that lasts for hours. PCs confronted with inches or feet of snow that they must A series of clouds unloads snow on the area, 17 each for an hour before the sun emerges and trudge through may beg to differ with that assessment. reflects off the fallen snow without melting it. Snow falls heavily on the upper parts of a NOWSTORM ESCRIPTION S D 18 mountain range, and the snow cascades down D20 the mountains into the valleys below. Leaden clouds dump a steady stream of tiny Sleet mixes with the snow and stings exposed 1 snowflakes that melt when they hit the ground. 19 flesh when it lands; while this causes some Soon the resultant ers mud hamp movement. discomfort, it deals no damage. The snow pours down in large flakes that splatter A distant snowstorm moving in the PCs’ direction 2 on hard surfaces when they hit; the flakes cling 20 looks like a white sheet extending from high up to the PCs’ clothing. in the sky to the ground. The sun cuts through gaps in the clouds while it 3 snows; sunlight catches on individual flakes, S NOWSTORM E VENTS giving them a firefly-­‐like appearance. Steady, strong winds blow falling snow such that D20 they catch the snow and push it in a nearly Casual inspection notes that a lynx emerges from 4 horizontal direction; this makes sight less 1 the swirling snow and regards the PCs before reliable.. leaping away from them. The snow falls in heavy flakes, which make a Snow has melted and refrozen on the ground, 5 while fresh snow covers the slippery area; whispering sound as they fall to the ground. 2 Wind gusts pick up the snow and swirl it around anyone passing through the area must make a 6 in tiny funnels which quickly break apart. take care to avoid falling. An occasional flash of lightning and the rumble As one of the PCs passes under or next to a tree 7 of thunder accompany the steady snowfall. 3 laden with snow, the snow falls on her; if the PC As the snow falls on warm ground, it melts is not agile enough, painful amounts of snow hit. 8 quickly and generates fog that only reaches four The snowfall conceals a stream; a PC or mount weighing more than 150 pounds falls through feet above ground level before dissipating. 4 Dry snow falls and barely sticks to the surfaces it the snow and must take care to avoid falling into 9 hits; the wind pushes ribbons of snow across the stream. smooth surfaces. A drove of snowshoe hares bound along the Rather than snow, the storm produces a steady 5 fallen snow’s surface and divert their paths to stream of freezing rain; icicles form immediately avoid the party. 10 on trees and overhangs, and, after an hour, the Children playfully throw snowballs at each other longest measure one foot. 6 and at passing PCs; they “attack” the PCs with Snow falls at night, illuminated by a full moon surprising accuracy. 11 that penetrates the cloud cover the scene has an A large snowflake grabs the attention of one ethereal quality. 7 the PCs and leads him to an important clue he A driving snow renders everything white; at may have missed in the storm. A dagger-­‐like icicle breaks free and plummets 12 short distances, a PC can make out dark shapes 8 representing trees and structures. toward a . PC Wolves howl n i the distance as they hunt their The storm has passed, but the wind carries dry 9 snow so that it seems like the storm continues; quarry in the snowstorm. 13 sunlight reflects off the windblown snow making While looking for shelter from a snowstorm, the visibility worse than even . before 10 PCs find a cave that seems to offer protection The snowflakes from this storm are large enough from the storm. 14 that an observer can discern the snowflakes’ A snowy owl surprises the PCs (keen eyes individual crystalline shapes. 11 required to spot before) as it silently swoops by Due to some pollutant in the air, the snow in this and snatches a vole struggling in the snow. storm is grey in colour rather than its normal The weight of ice and snow proves too much for 15Sample file colour; the discoloured snow has no apparent 12 a tree’s largest branch, which breaks and falls a adverse effect. few feet from the PCs.

32 Someone has built a snowman during the storm, A gnome offers the party a small treasure for complete with tree limbs for arms, a carrot for a 7 procuring a pair of snowflakes based on his 13 nose, black buttons for eyes and a top hat; specifications. muffled sound emerges from within. In a blizzard-­‐beset village, a child goes missing; 8 A black bear, annoyed by the falling snow, passes frantic villagers beg the party to find her. within yards of the PC and growls menacingly; Snow delays an army battalion preparing to 14 however the animal does not attack except in 9 launch an offensive the next morning; the self-­‐defence. commander asks the party to help clear the way. The PCs encounter a ranger traversing the snow Tunnels honeycomb a large area of drifted snow; 15 on snowshoes; she offers to sell them and the tunnels are large enough for a Small creature 10 another pair she owns to the PCs. to move comfortably, and ice formations A gust of wind blows snow directly into the PCs’ buttress the tunnels to prevent their collapse. 16 faces; those who fail to close their eyes in time During a pitched battle under dark clouds, the are blinded a for few seconds. 11 clouds unload their snowy burden, drastically The snow-­‐blanketed land’s silence is broken changing the battlefield for both sides. 17 when icicles caught in a breeze strike one Under the cover of an intense blizzard, inmates another, sounding like wind chimes. escape an otherwise inescapable prison; the 12 In an area covered by three to four feet of snow, party may encounter escapees or the warden 18 the party spots a depression, which outlines a pit may ask the party to track them down. or an underground area’s entrance. In anticipation of an approaching major During a storm, the temperature suddenly 13 snowstorm, a town’s markets increase prices on increases, transforming the falling snow into vital perishables and supplies threefold. 19 rain; additionally, snow on the ground melts, Rumours persist the heart of a blizzard that has creating a muddy mess. 14 raged for several days leads to an extraplanar After an hour of steady snow, the sky clears and realm populated by evil creatures. gives the PCs hort a s respite from the storm; a Recent and continuing snowfall renders a 20 Trackers note that another group of clouds will previously dangerous or impassable area safer 15 arrive in a half hour. and easier to cross, provided the PCs can stay atop the fallen snow. H OOKS & C OMPLICATIONS A lumber company asks the party to help rescue a team of loggers stranded by a late autumn 16 D20 snowstorm in a stand of trees several miles away A surprise late spring snowstorm closes the pass from civilization. the PCs needed to travel through, requiring them A mysterious elderly man approaches the PCs 1 to wait or discover another means to cross to the and asks they provide light for him as he delivers 17 other side of the mountains. a number of packages to what he considers A recent blizzard piled six feet -­‐ of snow in a two deserving recipients. mile-­‐square patch of land; the accumulated Something has poisoned the water comprising 2 snow blocks the entrance to a dungeon the PCs the snowfall, which poses no problem for those 18 planned to explore. affected by the snow...until it melts; survival An NPC the PCs had been tracking escaped experts determine that the snow is poisoned. during a heavy snowstorm; while the snow A barge finishing its p last tri upriver before the 3 obscured the NPC’s initial set of tracks, the PCs crew retires for the winter becomes stranded as 19 easily pick up the NPC’s trail later. However, as a sudden snowstorm ices over the river and the party sets out, the storm intensifies. makes it impassable for the boat. The party finds itself far from any settlement An annual dog sledding competition has when a sudden snowstorm arrives; solid increased difficulty due to a recent blizzard that 4 20 survivalist knowledge allows the PCs an hour to struck the area; the organizers refuse to set up shelter. reschedule the gruelling, multi-­‐week event. The PCs meet a lone druid who warns them of an impending snowstorm that threatens to dump a 5 foot of snow in the region. The druid knows of a cave in which they can shelter and if the PCs are

respectful he shows them its location.

In a southern area, the PCs’ arrival precedes an unexpected snowstorm; a primitive tribe regards Sample6 file them as gods or demons that herald wintry destruction.

33 E XTREME W EATHER: W INDSTORMS

Windstorms can accompany -­‐ rain or snowstorms or they can be Gritty clouds that rival the tallest thunderheads events in their own right. In the desert, wind very rarely occurs 14 billow up from the ground as the wind strikes the with precipitation and instead creates massive sheets of sand sand and whips it into ominous shapes. that devastate travellers. A thunderstorm can spawn a tornado As the hurricane’s eye passes, calm descends on 15 the scene; however, the oncoming maelstrom more powerful than any creature the PCs have fought. Finally, in mirrors the one just experienced. coastal areas during the summer, hurricanes bring sustained A mighty surge of wind picks up dirt and debris winds and rain that render adventuring virtually impossible. 16 that creates a towering grey wall, through which glints of sunlight pass. W INDSTORM D ESCRIPTION A gust of wind catches a flock of geese in its D20 17 path; the birds tumble out of control in the wind and some plummet to the ground. A straight-­‐line wind at the edge of a line of black 1 Wind accompanying a storm sweeps through a clouds bends trees and throws stinging debris. 18 grove of trees and shears the tops off all the A funnel cloud drops from the dark sky, followed trees except for one. 2 by an additional funnel every 30 seconds, until Wind blows through tall grasses, flattening most five of them touch down. 19 of them and uprooting the rest; when the wind The wind does not reach all the way to stops gusting, the grass remains flat. 3 ground, so it picks up nothing; however, the air A powerful windstorm picks up thousands of visibly ripples with the gusts. 20 loose pebbles and creates a moving wall of A 400-­‐foot-­‐tall tan wall erupts from the surface 4 churning stone in its wake. as powerful winds blast desert sands.

White clouds streaked with grey take on the 5 shape of a hand fan and undulate gently such W INDSTORM E VENTS that they appear to generate the wind. D20 Millions of flying insects comprise the yellow, red The powerful wind turns a handful of branches 6 and black forefront of this windstorm; one can 1 into deadly weapons that attack each PC with hear their droning over the winds’ howling. extreme accuracy. Black clouds blot out the sun, and screaming As the wind strengthens, it spooks one or more winds eliminate all non-­‐magical light, turning day 2 of the PCs’ mounts, requiring some skill to get 7 into night; no sound penetrates the screeching the animal back under control. winds, which seems to come from every An infant’s cry barely pierces the screaming direction at once. 3 tempest surrounding the PCs. The wind seems stratified hat such t the most A surge of wind picks up loose soil and blasts the severe wind blows at ground level, and up to 100 8 4 PCs with it; PCs failing to close their eyes in time feet above, and gradually diminishes every are blinded for a few seconds. couple hundred feet. Lightning strikes the ground and starts a fire just A mile-­‐wide funnel cloud descends on a village, 5 as gusts of wind pick up embers and scatter churning up the ground and throwing splintered them about threatening to create an inferno. 9 wood, other debris, livestock and unfortunates caught in the funnel’s path hundreds of feet in After one-­‐inch-­‐diameter hailstones fall from the sky, a gale picks them up and sprays them in all every direction. 6 directions; fortunately, this does not deal any A hurricane makes landfall at night blocking out damage to those in range. the full moon’s light, with the exception of the 10 hurricane’s eye; the moonlight filters through As gusts blow around the party, they hear the eye’s wall in a crimson colour. 7 unmistakable sounds of anguish, despair and rage from the gusts. The wind suddenly calms as the clouds turn a 11 The wind catches an enormous ure flying creat sickly green and begin to rotate clockwise. 8 and flings it to the ground 200 yards away from As the wind blows across a lake’s surface, it picks the party. up several gallons of water from the lake and 12 sprays it up to a mile ahead, creating a de facto The windstorm sweeps up a colony of ants into the party’s path; agitated, the ants attack all PCs rainstorm. 9 in a 10-­‐by-­‐10 space and cause distraction as a In an apparent trick of light, the sandstorm swarm. Sampleblasting across the desert takes the shape of a file 13 screaming face with glowing red eyes, while a sand geyser shoots from its “mouth.”

34 A pole with a standard attached lands A natural feature of a deep canyon, frequent precariously close to one of the PCs; windstorms prevent much travel along the 10 5 standard comes from a tribe whose territory is canyon’s floor, but the PCs must retrieve dozens of miles away. something from the canyon. A tornado suddenly touches down, and, in the A dust storm piles several feet of sand over a scramble to find low ground in which to escape structure the PCs needed to enter; they must dig 6 11 the spout, the PCs find a 20-­‐foot-­‐deep ravine; a through the sand or find another entrance to the PC trying to scale the ravine without falling building. needs to be moderately competent at climbing. A windstorm threatens a midsummer festival; Casual inspection spots a person floating on the those in attendance insist on keeping the 7 strong winds using a billowing cape; the figure decorations, tents and other items from blowing 12 drops below the tree line after travelling half a away without regard for their own safety. mile. Rumours tell of a tornado that recurs daily in a A sudden burst of wind strikes while the PCs wasteland roughly two day’s travel from the 8 13 climb a cliff face or other structure; the wind nearest settlement; the tornado could lead to makes climbing very difficult. other realms or to one’s doom. As the PCs push against a sudden storm, the A village has a run of bad luck with its crops, as 14 wind uproots a tree, which falls on some of the 9 an annual windstorm wipes out three-­‐fourths of PCs for significant damage. the plants prior just to harvesting. A powerful gust strikes the outer wall of the A recent windstorm uprooted a settlement’s building the PCs currently inhabit; it collapses in 10 sacred tree, but the local druid believes the tree 15 two rounds, dealing massive damage to those will survive if replanted within 24 hours. trapped within. Engineers and inspection notices A rider approaches one of the PCs to inform him this beforehand. or her a hurricane devastated the PC’s home 11 A cow and several chickens drop from the sky, location; the rider has no word regarding 16 unharmed; the PCs recognize the livestock from surviving friends or family. a farm they passed an hour previously. A wizard claims to have imprisoned a powerful A woman on horseback bursts from a thicket and air elemental and intends to release it to inflict 12 17 charges at the wind with a lance, but the gale devastating windstorms unless his ransom merely knocks her off her horse. demands are met. Powerful winds knock down several branches A windstorm scours ages-­‐old dirt from a cliff 18 13 that shower the for party minor damage.. face, revealing ancient glyphs. The wind picks up a dilapidated shack and flings A tornado has destroyed a bridge that spanned a 19 it 50 feet, and the shack crumples into a pile of 14 turbulent river; the nearest ford is two day’s rotting wood at the terminus. travel away. A strong wind gust takes the party by surprise A scroll inscribed with an unusual ritual flutters 20 and catapults each PC forward as they reach the into party’s possession sult as a re of a nearby 15 top of a steep slope. windstorm; the scroll’s owner searches for the scroll and tracks the party to regain it. H OOKS & C OMPLICATIONS A windstorm diverted a messenger pigeon 16 bearing vital information from its course (or D20 killed the bird). A tornado blasts open a hole in the earth a mile A seemingly sentient wall of wind has scoured 1 away from a town and reveals a previously 17 the land for days and does not stop until undiscovered underground complex. someone convinces it to do so. During a particularly strong storm, a gust of wind One PC has a dream about a three-­‐tailed black slaps a piece of paper over a PCs’ face; the paper 18 cat; the dream portends a devastating trio of 2 is a wanted poster from an unknown country tornadoes. showing a portrait of one of the PCs. According to rumour, a hurricane’s eye holds a 19 As the PCs pursue a thief who stole one of their fabulous treasure for those braving the storm. items or an object of equal importance, the thief A tornado that devastated a town also exposed a 20 3 heads straight for an oncoming storm, which vein of precious ore. spawns a tornado; the tornado throws the man in a random direction a mile away. An oncoming hurricane threatens to stop a fleet

Sample4 of ships necessary for the delivery of important file items to a neighbouring land.

35 Sample file

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FOLK

Sample file

37 B ANDITS

Bandit gangs comprise many diverse folk. Use the individuals on Eadith Gorze is a genuinely nice person forced the tables below to quickly generate a onas few pers in a bandit into a life of banditry by circumstances of birth. group. Also included are four stat blocks a GM can use to She is heavily pregnant o and could g into labour represent rank and file bandits either during negotiations or 10 during the encounter. She desperately wants to change her life for the better and takes any combat. opportunity presenting itself. She is loyal to her friends and never forgets a favour (or slight). H UMAN B ANDITS

Use these NPC bios to portray the human bandits the PCs ALF LF ANDIT encounter. H -E B Half-­‐elves are often outcasts, doomed to be ostracised and D10 scorned as nothing more than mongrels. Such individuals Eohric Frewer was aceful a pe woodsman until frequently drift into a life of banditry, finding acceptance among goblins burned down his house. Left with society’s flotsam. Use these NPC bios to -­‐ portray half elf bandits 1 nothing, he has turned to banditry to feed his the PCs encounter. family. Wracked by guilt, he apologises while collecting travellers’ tolls. D4 Osred Burch is well-­‐used to scavenging and Dulannis Aldarrae is a troubled young man, thievery. A thug-­‐for-­‐hire until recently, he fled a thrown out of his sylvan home after being found 2 nearby town to escape (true) accusations of 1 torturing birds and other small woodland murder. He is an odious individual. He wears his animals. black hair cut extremely short. Ilasual Evdrearn was abandoned as an infant and Avel the Jolly is an immensely fat individual. He is – remarkably – was taken in by a goblin tribe. a coward and flees combat if injured. Avel is an 3 2 This spiteful youth learnt much from his adoptive excellent cook and wears food-­‐splattered brethren and yet has friends among them. They clothing. in turn use him as a spy. Kaia the Proud is -­‐ a middle aged woman who Naillae Sehiateir has long pale golden hair and possesses an iron will. Forced from her home by overly large luminescent eyes. She has known no 4 a petty, wealth-­‐obsessed landlord she exacts her 3 other life than banditry and is comfortable in the revenge on any travellers of means crossing her wilderness. path. Expletives riddle her speech. Tahlys Aralivar is an emotional wreck. Her Akana Khmun is a young, impulsive woman who mother recently told her she regretted having a dreams of becoming an adventurer. When she 4 half-­‐elven baby. Since then, she has been taking 5 meets the PCs, she makes a snap decision to join greater and greater risks. them. She tries to act as a mediator between her fellow bandits and the party, to avoid bloodshed. Adjo was forced to take to the woods after he was caught gutting a deer he had slain. He is 6 dirty and coarse. Personal hygiene is a mystery to Adjo. He wears a patchwork rabbit skin cloak. Ibba was a man-­‐at-­‐arms who fell catastrophically out of favour after his liege discovered him 7 dallying with his lady. Forced to flee, he took to the woods. Ibba is a romantic and handsome in a rough and ready sort of way. Adalvert Dol is unimaginative and lazy. Convinced he is special and the world owes him 8 a living, he delights in terrorising travellers. Adalvert is a bully, and quickly backs down from confrontations with adventurers and the like. Kebi Edfu believes she should lead the bandit group and constantly works to undermine the Sample9 current leader. She makes snide comments and file rarely acts for the good of the group. She is blind to her own faults and has few friends.

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