The Fae Wood a Wooded Area Full of Rolling Hills and Wooded Groves

FRONTIER

A sandbox setting

1 For my friends

2 Table of contents

Pg1. Title Pg4. Fae Woods Pg7. Red Hills Pg11. Bullfrog Marshes

3 The Fae wood A wooded area full of rolling hills and wooded groves. Streams flow through the quiet woods and birds flutter about. The peace is almost deceptive of what lurks deeper in the depths of the woods

Leafton: Leafton is a small town in the center of the fae wood only reachable via airships that come monthly. It has access to the basic necessities: a blacksmith, a cleric, an apothecary, an inn, and a general store. Its citizens are apathetic and wary of danger.

- Property is for sale at 4,000 GP for a small building

Factions of the Fae Wood

Skulldrinker clan - short in stature and bearing banners of red and orange, covered head to toe in war paint and tattoos. The goblins in the fae wood enjoy ambushing opponents and outnumbering them, they stalk their prey and strike while the iron is hot. They are led by hobgoblins occupying a keep to the north of leafton. Their faction is often seen at odds with the orcs stationed at the old tower in the east. The Orcs of the Red hills often send reinforcements to their guard post at the tower and it is commonplace to find their troops slaughtered by goblin raiding parties. However, the orcs are more concerned with their lizardman foes back in their homeland of the red hills so incursions to the fae wood are few and far between.

Encounters in the Fae Wood

The Fae wood is often patrolled by kobold scouting parties and the rare hobgoblin leading a pack of kobolds.

When travelling, roll a d20 every three turns to determine if the party encounters any monsters. The following table shows the outcome of each roll

1-9 The party does not encounter any monsters

10 The party encounters 1 hobgoblin accompanied by 1d6 kobolds

11-15 1d4 orcs have wandered over from the red hills to scout and encounter the players.

16-19 The party encounters 1d6 kobolds

20 Encounter from the list below

4 roll 1d6

1- the corner of a chest is found poking from the ground 2- body of a first level adventurer is found 3- 4 goblins found gambling in the woods, invite players to join 4-traveling bar is parked in a clearing 5- Three sleeping travelers on side of the road 6- magical item salesman

Notable Locations

Goblin cave - A small cave running about 10 feet into a hill. A group of rogue goblins lives there and robs travelers, recently raided by adventurers

Hobgoblin camp - Two hobgoblins sit discussing how they narrowly escaped from the hobgoblin keep in the north when they had a disagreement in morals with the higher ups

Skulldrinker clan fort - A small wooden fort with a central building. Contains a small garrison of 5 hobgoblins and 20 kobolds. The leader of the Skulldrinker clan, Firehammer, also resides at the fort.

[Firehammer]

Hit dice: 2d8 (15)

AC:5

+1 to hit against elves weapons: forge blade (1d8): on hit roll a d20 and on an 18+ opponent is set on fire for 1d4 rounds dealing 1 damage per round

Special: can blow a horn summoning the hobgoblins of the fort to his location. horn is strapped to his waist and can be destroyed

upon Firehammer's death, forge blade and a mysterious key are gained (key to the door at the research lab)

Ghost blacksmith - A ghostly blacksmith stands in an abandoned forge in the woods. Players may make their weapon +1 for the cost of 1 max hp.

Potion stand - In the woods, a lone shop stands. A burly man with a big beard offers the players potions.

Potion of healing (3hp) - 20 GP Polymorph potion - 90 GP

Research Lab - 1st room explored and 2 kobolds killed, other 2 rooms not explored

Room 2 holds a +1 greatsword and contains small tents and remains of some meals, as well as 4 kobolds. Room three has a bag of holding and the bodies of a few adventurers, runes are carved in the wall that if deciphered give the coordinates of a buried treasure containing 100 gp, the treasure is 2 miles south of the standing stones. Guarding the third room are 4 more kobolds. final room has a door that requires a key to open it, the runes above the door read "Vernacius' lab" beyond the door is a room filled with documents and some treasures including: one spell for each magic user 400 GP and a set of sentient chainmail it is guarded by 3 goblins and 2 hobgoblins

Ruined tower - A ruined watchtower to the East of Leafton. The orcs of the red hills use it as a watchtower still and usually post a few guards at the base of it. 3 Orcs with great axes and one orc with a bow guards the tower from intruders. It is surrounded by alarm bells, when players enter the hex roll 1d20, on a 10 plus the alarm is sounded and orcs ambush the players. The orcs have 400 GP and a horse.

Standing Stones - Three 8ft tall stones covered runes, grant a +1 to hit for one day if touched

On the 10nth day of the campaign a ritual takes place at the stones that summons a demon with the following stats:

[Summoned demon] HP: 3d12 AC: 4

Attacks: Demonic blade (2d6)

Special abilities:

6 Hellfire: set fire to a 6x6 area of ground instantly, no saving throws. Once per day

The demon will stalk the land at random after murdering the hobgoblins who summoned it and attempt to take up residence in the hobgoblins keep, and if successful it will rule over them.

The Red Hills The grass and leaves are all red, at night fungi and bugs glow with neon purples and blues. Black streams run through the landscape, only drinkable by the lizard men and local fauna of giant reptiles.

Factions of the Red Hills

The ‘Aoi no shi” - The orcs of the Red hills are a group of samurai orcs who live to conquer. They are led by their clan head, Grimhoof. They wield katanas with extreme precision and wear wooden samurai armor of blue and grey. They are currently at odds with the lizard men of the caves to the south of their keep. Skirmishes often break out near landmarks and on routes between sites in the red hills. They are currently having trouble due to the frequent robberies of their trade routes by the lizardmen.

-officially called the 'aoi no shi' or blue death (in contrast to their red surroundings)

-leader is the 'Oni'

Lizardman clans - The lizard men of the red hills are organized into bands of warriors. They have no single leader but form a large collection of groups who at large are against the orcs to the north of them. They subsist off of raids on the orcs and robbing and murdering travelers. Their strongest warrior goes by the name no scales. He is a strange lizard man with a smooth metallic skin and no scales. He dual wields daggers and is extremely dangerous. The only person who is known to be able to face him is the rival leader of the red hill orcs.

Encounters in the Red Hills

7 The Orc samurai and lizard bandits prowl the hills in search of both intruders on their lands and for each other. They are extremely hostile and will not hesitate to cut first and ask questions later.

Roll a d20 every three turns and consult the table below for the result:

1-5 Safe travel

6-10 Encounter table

11-14 1d4 orcs ambush the players with at least one wielding a bow

15-18 1d6 players ambush the players, attempting to steal and then run

19-20 1d4 lizardmen and 1d4 orcs are encountered in the midst of a fight.

Encounter Table

1-2 1 small lethal giant centipede

3-4 Giant fish drags a party member into the festering black water

5-6 A wandering ogre attacks the party

7-8 Ogre mage seeking the orc shamans is surprised and attacks the party

9-10 Warband of orcs approaches the party and asks what their business in the Red hills is

11-12 Party finds an owlbear sleeping in its den, players will not awaken it unless they approach

13-14 A giant tick hidden on a tree attempts to latch on to a party member

15-16 An orc trader approaches the players, attempting to sell them strange goods

17-18 The players find a patch of 1d20 strange mushrooms, which if identified, prove to be a rare kind worth 4 GP a piece.

19-20 The players find an abandoned campsite

Notable Locations

Kumahoro - A large orc town consisting of a large market district, several japanese style inns and onsens, a large government hall in the style of a japanese castle and a famous shrine to the fox god of the orcs. They are known

8 for their excellent sake and takoyaki. The roads are unpaved and traders and citizens alike walk the roads in traditional japanese garb and rice hats. The famous school of swordsmanship, responsible for the three blades style, is located in the center of town. The players will be denied entry and threatened unless they pay a sum of 200 GP to enter or present a relic important to the Orcs.

- Players may learn the three blades style if they pay 500 GP to the master of the school. The three blades style increases AC by 4, but allows a player to triple their damage output or split damage three ways. - Property is for sale at 6,000 for a small building, 7,000 for a medium, and 8,000 for a large

Ancient Temple - A large, japanese style temple sits alone in a clearing. It is painted red and black and its age shows through. It is abandoned and ancient, the wood creaks in the wind. Inside on the floor someone has carved, "roku". Unlit paper lanterns hang from the ceiling and signs of use show through on the woods floor and paper walls. In the far end of the hall there is a marble statue of a fox deity.

In the floor there is a hatch that can be opened if pressed down or stepped on, when entering the temple, roll 1d20 for each player, if a 20 is rolled the hatch was accidentally stepped on and a staircase downwards is revealed. If someone casts detect magic the armors location below will also be revealed. Below an ancient set of samurai armor, painted gold and white sits in perfect condition. It Has the same stats as plate but is virtually weightless.

Yokai Shrine - A small wooden shrine containing a paper lantern a simple offering will grant a yokais protection over the player from the following list, depending on the roll of a d6:

1 a water yokai will cure any poisoning the player receives until they leave the region

2 a fire yokai prevents the player from catching fire

3 a spirit of an ancient warrior instructs them and they receive a +1 to hit bonus until leaving the region

4 A yokai defend the player from evil, zombies and undead flee from player

5 a yokai points the player away from danger until they leave the region.

6 A yokai shows the party to the temple and how to open the hidden staircase

Samurai Graveyard - Rows and Rows of black rectangular tombstones line a field. It seems infinite in length. In front of some graves, swords rest, incense burns, or flowers sit wilting. If a player prays in front of a grave they will instantly be healed to maximum hp.

Lizard Man caves - A series of tunnels connecting several lizardman hideouts. overall 20 rooms connect underground each contains 1d6 lizardmen and some mundane loot such as random trinkets and potions, food and supplies.

The 20th room will contain the smooth metal lizard 'no scales' whose hide can be crafted into a rare armor that allows its wearer to turn invisible for an hour each day. He also drops two daggers with an emerald embedded into each blade. Daggers stolen from a tomb of the orcs and were once owned by the most respected martial artist of the orcs. Returning these daggers to orcs will make them non hostile to the players.

[No scales]

Hp:25

Ac:3

Attacks:

Slash: 1d6

Double slash: -2 to hit, 2d6 damage

Ancient samurai crypt - Outside is a crumbling earthen mound with a wooden entrance that descends underground. The entrance reads “family grave” in the orc language.

The first room contains 2 zombies and 4 gp on each zombie.

The second room contains a strange glowing fungus and is occupied by a giant centipede (20 feet) that has taken up residence in the crypt after tunneling in by mistake. In the corner is a chest containing the amulet of an ancient prince as well as a blue katana that if shown to or seen by the Orcs of red hill will drastically increase their hatred towards the owner. However, returning it to them and telling of your deeds will make them friendly and even willing to trade unique looking armor and weapons.

[Blue katana]

Sukeru no bureka or ?????????? (breaker of scales) a blue katana buried with the first chieftain of the red hill orcs, named after its usage in battle by the chieftain to kill 45 lizardmen. deals 1d8+1 damage and any opponent that survives its cut will be inflicted a strange blue scar where the blade cut

Bullfrog Marshes A dimly lit swampland covered in water and mangroves with sick twisted trunks resembling the faces of tortured souls. Infamous for its mosquitoes and massive fish that lurk beneath the muddy waters.

Factions of the Bullfrog Marshes

Ap’tuman frog people - A race of frog people that live in small groupings of huts on stilts above the water. Often seen wielding blowpipes and daggers while stalking travelers from beneath the water of the swamps. They are hard to find and one of the more cunning enemies a traveler may face. They specialize in a rare type of poison that is capable of incapacitating foes due to extreme pain all over.

Encounters in the Bullfrog marshes

The swamp is full of many interesting, strange, and terrifying creatures. It is also home to its fair share of characters and traders that players may encounter.

Every three turns roll a d20 and consult the table below for encounters.

11 1-10 Safe travel

11-15 Ambushed by 1d4 frogmen wielding daggers and blowpipes

16-20 Roll 1d10 and Consult misc encounter table below

Encounters

1-2 A Giant leech attacks the party from beneath the water

3-4 A Giant fish attacks the party from beneath the water

5-6 A strange frogman shaman is seen rowing his raft on the water in the distance

7-8 The party finds a fisherman's hut selling meals and beds

9-10 1d6 zombies of drowned adventurers emerge from the mud

Notable locations

Warlocks hut - a small wooden hut in the middle of the swamp. The shaman wants a rare mushroom found in the red hills for a special potion he will not tell the players about. He promises a reward (100 GP and a charm) if they retrieve a mushroom for him

Sunken Pyramid - The entrance to a pyramid pokes out of the water. The entrance descends into a large pyramid constructed long ago.

1st floor

Room 1

The entrance is trapped with a spike pit, DC 15 to avoid falling in. Two frogmen patrol the room. It is covered in mold and bones of adventurers. Smells damp and metallic.

Room 2

A burial chamber. A frogman and an ogre shaman are seen investigating an inscription on the wall.

Room 3

12 4 frogmen sit in the froom sharpening their daggers and making darts for their blowpipes. The walls are covered in the skulls of monsters and humans alike. There is a staircase down behind them

2nd floor

1st room

2 frogmen are seen attempting to disarm an axe trap before they are promptly cut in half by said trap.

2nd room

2 bugbears order 4 frogmen to keep mining into the wall at the far end of the room. If the players break through the wall the frogmen were mining into, they will enter the tomb of an ancient vampire and he will awaken. If he is defeated they will find a staff of stillness, capable of holding its place wherever it is when a button is clicked on it, even mid air. They will also find 200 GP and 1d6 rubies worth 90 GP.

[Vampire]

HP: 7d8

AC:2

Attacks: bite (1d6)

Regen three hit points every round, may transform into mist or a giant bat. If a player is bitten they are drained of two levels and turned into a vampire.

Ancient Snake Shrine - A stone statue of a snake sits on a small island in the middle of the swamp. If a player prays to it, they are granted night vision for two days.

Frog god cult’s temple - A large stone structure can be seen on a large island in the midst of the swamp. The outside is locked and inside 1d12 frog cultists pray to a massive bronze statue of a frog wielding a sword in one hand and a human baby with a spike through its head in the other. If the players manage to get in, there is a chest containing the holy treasure of the cult. A monocle that allows its user to detect magic, called the arcane eye of the frog.

Poison bog - a bog which the frogs gather their special poison from. The poison is created from a natural mixture of chemicals the bog has surfaced from the ground, combined with the venomous animals that have died in the bog over the centuries. If players fall in they are immediately poisoned and paralyzed. The frogs main city is in the center of the bog. The city is constructed of many shacks on stilts, linked together by bridges over the bog.

Wizards vault - The vault of a wizard who died long ago. Was once used to store valuable ingredients and items that the wizard possessed. A stone entrance descends into the ground into a large hall with an iron vault door at the end. The door is guarded by two clay golems.

If the players defeat the golems they must either succeed a DC 20 lockpicking check or a DC 25 strength check to unlock the door. Otherwise they must find another method to open the door.

Behind the door is a horde 0f 700 GP and 1d12 Gems. There is a cloak called the dragons cloak which prevents the user from being attacked from behind as it is as hard as metal and cannot be penetrated by physical attacks. There is also a sentient longsword known as ‘wightcrusher’ that does +2 damage to undead and will not allow itself to be wielded by anyone with unlawful intentions. There are 10 scrolls on a shelf with random spells on them.