D&D: SEVEN ADVENTURING LOCATIONS

For Players and DMs.

Fantastical settings for all D&D campaigns and play styles! DM Tips on Creating Adventures! NEW , Treasures, Magic Items and Customised game rules!

by DAVID BELMONTE Sample file

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. D&D SEVEN LOCATIONS i CREDITS

Writing and Editing: David Belmonte.

Cover Illustrator: WotC.

Special Thanks: The Classic Dungeons & Dragons game (BD&D): Basic to Expert boxed sets (1983) and the D&D Rules Cyclopedia (1991) by , TSR, Inc. E. 's suggestions for swashbuckler abilities (private correspondence, 2003).

Copyright © 2020 David Belmonte.

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Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. D&D SEVEN LOCATIONS ii Table of Contents Introduction 6 Adapting the Details 6 A Template 6 What will happen if Players Drive the Game 6 Swashbucklers 9 Personalities 9 NPC Swashbuckler Attitude towards PCs 9 Relations with other Inhabitants or Entities 9 Magic Items for Sale and Purchase 9 Player Fame and Wealth 10 12 (monster) 12 Gargantua, Gargoyle (new monster) 13 Player Character Level and Gargoyle Encounters (Lairs) 14 Player Character Level and Gargantuan Gargoyle Encounter 14 Gargoyle Lair Treasure 15 Gargantuan Lair Treasure 15 Locale, Geography and History 15 Vampire Pirates 16 Vampire Pirate (new monster) 16 Vampire Pirate Captain (new monster) 18 Vampire Pirate Sailing Vessels 19 Special Characteristics of Vampire Pirates 19 Factions 19 Appearance and Nature of Pirates 19 Pirate Activities and Reactions 20 Pirate Treasure 21 More Treasure 21 Selling the Pirate Ship 21 Optional Downtime Activity: Mercantile Trade 22 Monsters Inhabiting Vampire Pirate Areas 24 Phantom, Apparition (new monster) 25 Phantom, Shade (new monster) 25 Phantom, Vision (new monster) 26 Revener (new monster) 27 Undead Monster Organisation and the PCs 28 Sample file

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. D&D SEVEN LOCATIONS iii Table of Contents Prehistoric Area 29 Gypsy (new monster) 29 Fighting on a Flying Mount 30 Witch Character Class (new class) 30 Bonus! Suggested Prehistoric Wilderness Encounters 37 Fire Island Location 42 Lava Ooze (new monster) 42 Phoenix, Greater (new monster) 43 Bonus! Suggested Fire Location Wilderness Encounters 43 Outpost 48 Militia 48 Strength of Militia Relative to Vampire Pirates 48 Interactions with Militia 48 Adventuring Opportunities 49 Sunken Magical City 50 Recommended Character Level 51 Starting at Higher Experience Levels 51 NPC Adventurers 52 Accounting for Adventures at Low Levels 53 Reasons for Departing Town 53 Useful Information for PCs 54 Friendly NPCs who give the Heroes Magical Items 54 Roleplaying and PC Goals 54 Heroic Inspiration Points 55 Strongholds 56 Appendix 57

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Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. D&D SEVEN LOCATIONS iv Alphabetical Listing of Tables Table I: Magical items for Sale 10 Table II: Chance of NPC Assassin 11 Table III: Identity of NPC Assassin 11 Table IV: Gargoyles (4) -- Medium/Hard Challenge 14 Table V: Facing the Gargoyle Leader 14 Table VI: Characteristics of Vampire Pirates, CR 1-3 17 Table VII: Min. Required Level of Four PCs against 9 NPC Pirates and 1 Captain 22 Table VIII: Complications of Mercantile Sea Trade Journeys 22 Table IX: Summoning Equine Beings 30 Table X: Speed of Flying Mounts 30 Table XI: Prehistoric Island Wilderness Encounters 37 Subtable XIA: Monsters of Prehistoric Island 41 Table XII: Fire Island Wilderness Encounters 45 Subtable XIIA: Monsters of Fire Island 47 Table XIII: Chance of Encountering Patrolling Militia 49 Table XIV: Recommended Character Level by Encounter Area 51 Table XV: Suggested Starting Wealth and Magic Items -- per Character 51 Table XVI: Magic Items Bestowed by Friendly and Allied NPCs 54 Table XVII: Monthly Income by Island 56

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Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. D&D SEVEN LOCATIONS v groups/Monsters act towards each other?" D&D: Seven This will give a basis for which group goes Adventuring Locations where, likely outcomes, hostilities, friendships and so forth. Hence, the area is now firmly

established in your mind. This requires work Introduction but can be rewarding; it all depends on the

tastes of the group. Seven individual, unique locations are presented. These locations are highly A third method is just to use some material adaptable to any campaign -- and together and only one or two locations. These are can form a `realm' conceived of as an merely things that you introduce to your own archipelago of seven islands or seven already established D&D campaign. You will locations on land if you are not playing a be highly selective as to what to implement, piratical, sea campaign.. Player characters using only that which matches your own are free to roam about as they see fit, interact milieu. You will change some or most of the with NPC communities, which could become details to fit your campaign. Later, as you allies or hostile, and in the course of continue playing D&D, there will be other adventure, fight monsters. Each location is things in this work that you will use in a future based upon a specific terrain type and campaign. associated monster(s), and some monsters described are new. Scenarios best suit heroic adventure of discovery and or treasure. There need be no hooks, `story' or motivation, just a Adapting the Details background of the area (provided already) If you love a particular idea but it seems like it and the PCs. Very little work is needed by the does not fit your campaign, you may follow Dungeon Master, except to sketch a basic the following suggestions. Let us take the map showing where each area is located. You Vampire Pirate. This is really easy to adapt, can simply grab a generic dungeon if PCs go just by changing the name! No need for this underground. character to sail on ships or be on the seas: it is simply a humanoid that attacks and can bite, A second method is to tie everything into a now suitable for any urban or wilderness area, sensible, inter-connected whole, whereby the so keep the monster statistics unchanged. Dungeon Master asks, "over a prolonged Another example: a swashbuckler community periodSample of time, how would these NPC file

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. D&D SEVEN LOCATIONS 6 does not need to be associated with water, is done -- and what it looks like. In very few keep all stats the same, and let this be a pages you actually have a complete mini- neutral-aligned NPC group remotely setting, because all of the important details connected to the city or town. The group could are given. Later, when you create your own even be a secret society, cult, or hidden guild. player-driven campaign, you can use this Gypsies of the forest are fairly straightforward; product to decide what kind of things should they are not inhabiting an island but just in be included. As a start consider for example-- any forest of a mainland you choose!  Terrain type. Gargoyle Island is actually the remotest area  Monster Type; (the primary kind of of your realm, where rather than being monster, which is the toughest). surrounded by water, is surrounded by  Numbers of this monster type present. mountains or isolated in a vast desert or even  How the monster behaves. a sparsely inhabited area! Alternatively, the  Treasures of the monster. Gargoyles -- as constructs -- are in the most  Allied or other monsters/NPCs present magical area. in this location -- and why they are there. Thus, to get the most value, without changing  Natural terrain traps and or adding anything, simply imagine how the miscellaneous hostile dangers. NPC characters or monsters, treasures and  A list (or table) of possible encounters, magic items could fit your game. That way, happenings, with associated rules, PC you can use everything in this product gains and outcomes. whether or not your game is set on the water or in an archipelago. But it is probably easier to grasp and use your

own system by reading the details of the A Template locations that follow.

Some readers might find the most valuable New Monsters! This product has a number of part of this product actually comes from the new D&D monsters, most revised from presentation. This is because another Classic D&D and updated for 5th Edition. For important function of this work is to serve as a ALL new monsters, see Classic D&D guideline of how a "go where you want to go, Monsters do want you want to do" adventure/campaign Sample file

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. D&D SEVEN LOCATIONS 7 What will Happen if limits. Thus, what will happen if players drive the game, is true adventure. But the point is Players Drive the Game mainly to provide options, because that is where the fun comes from. One cannot begin If the players drive the game, the DM needs to saying, "okay guys, explore wherever you be ready to respond by (a) knowing the game want!" Look at the PCs' goals, and establish a rules extremely well, (b) having a good grasp starting point. Decide on something the PCs of various monsters in a general sense (no will be able to do in the first adventure. Allow need to memorise anything), and (c) have a them to become aware of the surroundings consummate understanding of the campaign beyond their present location. Drop hints and background. Most importantly, the DM needs clues in the first adventure of what lies beyond, to keep the game moving no matter what. compelling PCs to investigate. As PCs Play must flow. The background provides the develop enemies or friends, the real basis for the DM's response to PC's actions, substance of interaction takes place, and that thus: as players indicate their intention to is when the DM, assuming the role of non- explore a locale, you might develop a players, simply has to react (or act!) as those dungeon before the session, or be ready to NPCs and monsters would act. This is the roll on the associated Table to see what PCs essence of Dungeons & Dragons. But, there encounter each day. The background is no "right" way to play, except for what's determines what is going to be there. As a most fun, so use what you want from this result, the DM is always ready for anything, product, and hopefully it can inspire you to and the players' characters become centre play and to create more incredible locales and stage. There is nothing to guide them forward adventuring opportunities beyond what was down a predetermined path where, "we take thought possible. route X because we have to". But this style of play also requires highly motivated players.

And these players' characters must have specific goals, which you accommodate in the setting. Now, as a result of the interaction between NPCs/Monsters and PCs we have a "story" --- and that story is precisely what the PCs end up doing in the campaign! . . . This is a very different style of play to a classic adventureSample game module, where there are file

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. D&D SEVEN LOCATIONS 8