Tomb of Annihilation

OSR Conversion Notes for a Piratical Wavecrawl

By Skerples

Painting in Flanders is done primarily to reproduce deceptively the external appearance of things, mostly objects that arouse our enthusiastic approval or are beyond reproach such as saints or prophets. But as a rule, they paint a landscape with many figures in it. And though the eye is pleased by all this, there is in reality, neither art nor reason in it, no “symmetria,” no proportions, no choice, no greatness. Put simply, this painting is without power or splendor; it intends to perfectly reproduce many things simultaneously when a single one of these things would merit enough importance for the painter to devote all his powers to it.

-Michaelangelo Introduction Major Changes Tomb of Annihilation is an exploration-based 1. There’s no cross-continent trek to complete a module for D&D 5th Edition. Some reviewers quest. This adaptation uses Chult as a living have described it as a new take on an old-school location, not the setting for an adventure. Things hexcrawl. Players explore the wild continent of are happening, but they aren’t contingent on the Chult to stop an apocalyptic plot. actions of the PCs. There are no “adventurers”.

As written, the module doesn’t really work for 2. This adaptation is designed to enable sea- OSR games. The continent is huge – hundreds based exploration and piracy. It assumes the and hundreds of 10-mile hexes – but factions and party has their own ship. Trips inland are locations are widely scattered. There are plenty excursions or raids. of Good people who need the party’s help and plenty of Evil people who need a good kicking, 2. Some locations have been moved, mostly to and not much assistance for colouring outside the coast. Some have been added to the the lines. Random Encounter Table.

But for all its faults, the book is full of easily 3. Everyone is people. Every sentient race– adapted and salvaged material. Here’s what I’ve pterafolk, grungs, firenewts – is a potential ally. made of it. They have goals, politics, borders, traditions, and schemes. What’s an “OSR”? OSR stands for “Old School Revival” or “Old 4. Factions and locations outside of Chult from School Renaissance”. the Forgotten Realms setting have been adjusted to generic equivalents. Morals have been shaded D&D 5th Edition is designed to tell a story. grey. There are no easy answers, no good guys, Characters have backstories and lots of cool no bad guys. It’s people all the way down. abilities. They usually save the world. They are archetypical heroes. All mechanics, modules, and 5. Magic has generally been toned down. You choices are built around this assumption. could run the module in a more-or-less magic- free setting. Supernatural, yes, but not mundane. In old-school games, the story happens during play. Characters don’t get backstories. They earn A Sense of Wonder them. Success is not assumed. There are no If supernatural or spectacular elements are milestones, no story objectives, no goals. introduced immediately, there’s no sense of Traditionally, it’s a game about dying in a tomb for wonder. If everything is strange, nothing is gold. The game I built this PDF for is about strange. In many areas, I’ve suggested reducing piracy, trade, and diplomacy. casual magic and offered potential replacements. Magic is neither common nor easily explained. This Hack Gods are distant. Miracles happen in books or Is not official. All trademarks, Wizards of the could be simple coincidences. Coast, etc, etc. It’s my notes, typed up and put in a format I can use. There are gaps and errors Like in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, there and mistakes. Don’t let the file fool you; it’s just a are still supernatural events, locations, and looseleaf folder and a stack of post-it notes with creatures, but they have been given a dark some formatting. folkloric twist wherever possible.

Hopefully, it will give you some insight into how I mangle modules for piratical wavecrawls.

1 Chult The New World Powers A new world, but not brand new. For over a Sailors whisper of flying demons who rule the century, expeditions from the Old World have Mistcliff, sinking ships and dragging victims from landed on the white sand beaches of Chult. A few the sea. To the south, buildings are sometimes forts and villages have endured. The jungle has visible on the slopes of the great volcanoes. In claimed the rest. The interior is a vast unknown, the jungle, a fallen empire lurks in ruin and decay. the source of a thousand wild tales and fevered dreams of gold and empire. Pterafolk (“Terror Folk”) Flying pterosaur-people. They live in caves and The Old World Powers towers along the mist-shrouded western cliffs of Two empires fight for control of northern Chult, Chult. Few sailors will remain in the rigging while while a pirate outpost on the western shore passing along the coast, for fear of being menaces shipping and trade in the wider ocean. snatched by these mythical creatures.

Tarracon Isolated and proud, the pterafolk disdain all non- Controls, on paper, everything east of the Mistcliff flying races, though they are curious about the and north of the ruins of Mezro, along with the large ships that sometimes sail past their homes. great city of Port Nyanzaru. In practice, their control is very limited. Kingdom of the Fire Newts The most organized kingdom in Chult. They have The Tarraconese are called, by their enemies: no wish to expand beyond their volcanic homes, hot-blooded, insipidly religious, cruel, and greedy. but they rarely tolerate explorers or diplomats.

By their allies, they are called: honourable, pious, Yuan-Ti disciplined, and expert traders. Half-snake, half-human, the Yuan-Ti were a civilization on the verge of collapse when the first Wexland explorers arrived from across the seas. Their With the loss of Port Nyanzaru, the Wexlish are ancient cities fell to natural disasters; ruins dot now reduced to a single inland fort along the the jungle, but only the grand city of Omu River Soshenstar. From there, they aim to remains in their hands. To the eyes of the Old explore the heart of the mysterious continent. World powers, the Yuan-Ti are a civilization worth treating with, if only their fabulous lost city – The Wexlish are called, by their enemies: dull, paved in gold, roofed in gems - could be located. perfidious, slovenly, lustful, and pompous. Slight Powers and Halluci-Nations By their allies, they are called: sober-minded, The thousand nebulous nations of Chult fade in cunning, practical, romantic, and dignified. and out of view. Some have been conquered and more-or-less enslaved by the Old World powers, The Pirates of Jahaka but most remain on the fringes, wary of Rebels, idealists, privateers out of work now that rumoured invaders from another land. Wexland and Tarracon are at peace, and general scum. Their great pirate port is a collection of Some Chultans wear the skins of beasts, some driftwood and salvage, but they control the seas hunt with poison darts, some build cities and for miles in every direction. some wear no clothes at all. There are rumours of stranger things in the jungle too; forest spirits, The Pirates of Jahaka are called, by their lobsters that speak like men, and the living dead. enemies: a bunch of filthy pirates.

By their allies, they are called: a bunch of filthy pirates. 2

Races of Chult The Merchant Princes ToA pp.11-14 ToA pp. 25-27

Not already mentioned specifically: There are certainly wealthy merchants in the city, Chultans -> as-is, except not in power. but true power lies with the ruling nobles. They Aarkocra -> change to Chultans with feathered eat together regularly, exchanges witticisms, and clothes and long spears for random encounters, try to maintain all the comforts of home in their Wexlish monks in Kir Sabal. isolated and mosquito-infested corner of the Batri (Goblins) -> as-is, but rare and elusive. world. They rarely Too disorganized to make long-term alliances. Could be pygmies instead. Ekene-Afa -> Lady Ekenafa Dwarves -> not present Diplomat’s wife, widowed thirty years. Sells Frost Giants -> not present muskets, rifles, and even cannons from the Grungs -> Chultans who use poison frog darts Tarraconese navy stores to anyone with heaps of Tabaxi -> not present gold. Never stands, never moves from her home. Undead -> not present Weretigers -> not present Ifan Talro’a -> Governor Juan Talroa Loves horses. Trades in anything that can be Port Nyanzaru bled, sheared, milked, or harnessed, human and ToA pp. 15-25 cattle alike. Out riding most of the day.

Unlike in the module, Port Nyanzaru is firmly Jessamine under the control of a foreign nation; Tarracon. Former lady-in-waiting of the royal court, now the There are no dinosaur races. The city simply isn’t eyes and ears and, occasionally, blade of the relaxed enough to allow for grand sports, and Crown in Nyanzaru. dinosaurs have yet to make their way from the unknown interior of Chult to the well-explored Jobal -> Lord Jobal northern coast. “Governor of the Interior” on the charts, the bold and scarred Lord Jobal theoretically controls the Replace the merchant princes with Tarraconese area between the rivers Soshenstar and Tiryki. nobles. Some are idealists, some are madmen, He “rules” his paper domain from a comfortable and some are bitter exiles from their homeland. mansion on the coast. The port is still a major trading city, but shrink the scale of everything. The mood is not joyful and Kwaothe -> Lady Chayones carefree; the Tarraconese enforce their laws with The beautiful and utterly dissipated daughter of the noose, the whip, and the iron shackles. Eight Governor Talroa. Famously unmarried. painted gallows stand in the Grand Souk, and Infamously cruel to suitors and other nobles. eight more stand in the Jewel Market, ready to hang thieves from the mines. Wakanga O’Tamu -> Lord Marana Otamo Exiled to the colony for an unspecified The temples are to the gods of the Tarraconese, indiscretion at court. Finds it all dreadful. Likes a painted white and newly raised, full of light and good scandal, a saucy rebel, and a fine wine. song but empty of miracles. Zhanthi -> Lady Chanthi There is no statue in the harbour, no emblem of Ancient cousin to royalty. Famously survived two Chultan pride. No harbour chains. Two frigates, Wexlish attacks while at sea. Probably the only the St. Anna and the St. Vincent, protect the person in the port able to soothe the Governor’s harbour, and sixteen guns along the shore rages and moderate his policies. promise to rain death on any would-be pirates.

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Factions in the Port Ytepka Society ToA pp. 29-31 Doesn’t exist yet. It – or something like it – could be created if the hold of the Tarraconese was Emerald Enclave -> The Emerald League broken in Port Nyanzaru. A society of chartered explorers, granted warrants to found colonies in the jungle, build Zhentarim -> The Inquisition of Tarracon mines, burn villages, and generally raise the flag Black robes, shaved heads, keen eyes. Literate of Tarracon. They are privateers on land. priests and lawyers. They are here to ensure religious uniformity among their own people and Flaming Fist -> The Royal Army of Tarracon anyone else in Tarraconese territory. In bright red and orange cloth, with steel helmets shining, the armies of Tarracon cut roads through Guides the unmapped jungle. Their ranks are thinned by ToA pp. 33-35 disease, desertion, and the weather. Entire expeditions vanish without a trace. Commanders Unlikely to be useful in a piratical campaign. that return sometimes carry hundreds of pounds of gold, retiring to high titles and rich lands in A Note on Content and Context Tarracon across the sea. For all its faults, Tomb of Annihilation mostly avoids the “exoticism” of older D&D modules. Harpers -> The Rebels Chult is nuanced place. Its people are not A society without a name, a creed, or a leader. A caricatures. But the “adventurism” of 5th Edition dream of slaves and broken soldiers. An escaped makes the setting into a primary-colour world of slave, Artus Climber -> Atur K’elwothe (ToA pg. high adventure. People are Good and Evil. Moral 212) found a silver ring in a mine. Now he choices are clear. The world is stable, even if it is dreams of snow and ice. (ToA pg. 208) occasionally threatened by apocalyptic plans. All the interesting niches have already been filled. Lord’s Alliance -> Tarracon By imposing a sort of generic piratical colonialism Order of the Gauntlet -> Wexland on Chult, I’ve tried to create opportunities for No undead, just Chultans, malaria, rot, greed, players to change the world in unintended, and poor supply lines. Without a base on the unheroic ways. They can tip the balance of coast, Wexlish ships have to slowly make their power, sabotage a colony or save it, raise a way upriver, then portage supplies from waterfall rebellion, set up a non-colonial power to to waterfall, cliff to cliff. Their foothold in Chult is challenge the Old World, or just muck about and slowly slipping. steal anything not nailed down. And if you want an evil to fight, slavery seems far more insidious Red Wizards of Thay -> The Ranstead League than zombies in the jungle. The scattered representatives of another Old World nation. The eccentric emissaries of the Everyone is people. Describe things based on Ranstead League are searching for the wedge to the PCs’ perspectives. The same ruler could be a crack the continent wide open. They lack the king, a headman, a war-chief, and a high priest to perseverance of the Wexlish or the strength of four different people. Describe, don’t name. Give the Tarraconese, but they learn local languages, everyone human motivations. travel light, and never hesitate to use pirates and mercenaries. Makes sure every situation has at least 3 sides, including the PCs. It keeps things interesting. Add as many factions as you feel you can maintain. People betray each other. Wars break out across the sea; vital people die from casual accidents at the worst possible times. 5

Locations in Chult Camp Righteous (ToA pp. 43-46) ToA pp. 41-90 Abandoned Wexlish fort beneath a titanic statue. Chultans watch from the jungle. Aldani Basin (ToA pg. 41) The only place dinosaurs can be found in Chult. Camp Vengeance (ToA pp. 47-48) Unmapped. A race of men cursed with hideous Collapsing Wexlish fort on the edge of mutiny crustacean flesh hide here. They offended and chaos. Very Heart of Darkness. Lots of Aremag the Vigilant by claiming mastery of the lounging, malaria, and bizarre church services seas, and so were banished to a trackless held in the pouring rain. Fatalistic pride. swamp far from their beloved waves and shores. The curse can be lifted by awakening Aremag the The Cauldron (ToA pg. 49) Vigilant in the Bay of Chult (ToA pg. 42). Makes navigating the south coast of Chult almost impossible. Ataaz Kahakla (ToA pg. 41) The most defensible location along the River Dungrunglung (ToA pp.49-52) Tath. The stone is easily quarried. Moved to the Random Encounter Table (pg. 12). It’s an Emperor’s New Clothes scenario: the king Ataaz Muhaha (ToA pg. 41) knows he’s being fooled by a fake goddess but The only bridge for forty miles in both directions. he can’t say anything, the people know but they dare not speak out, etc. The real monster is Ataaz Yklwazi (ToA pg. 42) deceit. The maze is not magical. There is no dragon here; no need for one. Firefinger (ToA pp. 52-54) Bay of Chult (ToA pg. 42-43) Moved to the northern coast. An ancient Aremag the Vigilant sleeps at the bottom of the lighthouse, lit by natural gas and sulphur. bay, his gigantic bulk visible as a submerged and Unreachable from the sea (no anchorages). The muck-covered island on clear days. The Chultans religious capital of the Terror Folk inhabited by of the bay offer sacrifices to their sunken god. their elders. Best place to make an alliance or propose a deal. He can be awoken by anyone able to walk along the sea floor and speak Chultan, or by finding the Fort Belurian (ToA pp. 54-58) Amulet of Aremag. He owes one favour to Tarraconese fortress. Major Luis Portero in anyone who wakes him, but he will not leave his command. Attempting to carve a new city from bay. He’s a treacherous bastard. He can: the jungle. Failing. Will sign letters of marque to -ravage Port Nyanzaru allow raids on Wexlish shipping (or anyone else), -patrol and sink any ships flying the wrong flag and also charters to claim territory in Chult in the -patrol and protect any ships flying the right flag name of the King of Tarracon. Desperately needs -reveal secrets to find mines or other rich sites. -reverse his curse on the Aldani lobster-people (ToA pg. 41) Heart of Ubtao (ToA pp. 58-60) Moved to the Random Encounter Table (pg. 12). Once awake, Aremag lurks in the bay, Carries its own clouds, very difficult to find occasionally sinking ships for fun. The weather in without supernatural aid.. Legendary site. the bay grows foggy and cold. His existence will Contains the Amulet of Aremag, used to awaken still be a rumour. the sleeping turtle in the Bay of Chult. No lich, but undead defenders trapped by the Amulet’s power.

Hisari (ToA pg. 60) As is. 6

Hrakhamar (ToA pg. 60-64) Lake Luo (ToA pp. 72) Layout is the same, but no albino dwarves. This As is. is just the most visible outpost of the Fire Newts, not their capital. The Fire Newts will trade Land of Ash and Smoke (ToA pg. 72) unworked iron at rates nobody else – not the Natural territory of the Fire Newts. Nobody else Tarraconese, not even the Old World mines – can wants it. match. In exchange, they want slaves, heat-proof luxuries, and guns. They can’t expand into areas Mbala (ToA pg. 72-74) without intense heat, but they could rule a Moved to the Mistcliff. Well above the surface of volcanic empire given time. the water. A meagre anchorage, stone steps. She wants the Terror Folk village nearby destroyed to Hvalspyd (ToA pg. 64) provoke the Terror Folk into bolder raids on Removed. passing ships, that she might lure rich vessels to her anchorage. It’s not a brilliant plan but she Ishau (ToA pg. 64) does love to stir up trouble. The sea hag Omarola can speak to fish. Pledge your soul to her to learn secrets, walk under the Mezro (ToA pg. 74) waves, or gain other folkloric benefits. On death, As is. she will take your soul, put it into a fish, and set it free in the sunken ruins of Ishau. Try to avoid the Mistcliff (ToA pg. 74) sharks. Very deadly to shipping. Difficult to navigate by the sun and stars. Isle of Barzon: See Knockspell #2 Nangalore (ToA pg. 74-80) Jahaka Anchorage (ToA pp. 64-68) Mostly as-is, surprisingly. Zalkore is a drug- Ruled by the three pirate captains in joint addled immortal medusa. A dangerous ally committee, as elected by their crews. Can run up requires a very long journey inland. She can flags to pretend to be a Wexlish or Tarraconese provide visions, ancient secrets, and general settlement if required. Captains as written (but supernatural aid. de-supernatural-ized). Needle’s Bones (ToA pg. 80) Jahaka Bay (ToA pp. 68) Removed. As is. Nisi Wastes (ToA pg. 80) Kir Sabal (ToA pp. 68-72) Removed Moved to the coast. Monastery built by ambitious Wexlish religious dissenters. Small cliff-top farms, Omu (ToA pg. 80) bells, chanting, and a simple life. It’s not paradise Less overtly supernatural. Snake people are not but it’s not hell either. They leave the Chultans to be trusted. alone and the Chultans leave them alone. Pirate rumours say the monastery is full of gold (it isn’t). Orolunga (ToA pg. 80) The Tarraconese Inquisition wouldn’t mind seeing There’s no helpful hints. The pirates of Jahaka it burned. It could make a decent fortress. Royal and some Chultans know the ritual and princess of a Chultan bloodline lives there as a sometimes use it to get valuable information. The maid; could be the spark to ignite a rebellion. ritual works once per person per lifetime.

Kitcher’s Inlet (ToA pg. 72) Port Castigliar (ToA pg. 82) On paper, could support a great city. In practice, Former Tarraconese port knocked flat by a seasonal hurricanes rushing up the coast level hurricane and picked clean by the Chultans. structures and alter beaches every year. 7

Refuge Bay (ToA pg. 82) Terrain Enhancement Safe place to make landfall, but sailors say not to Roll whenever you need to set a scene. stand more than knee-deep in the water, and not Improvise as required. to leave the ship on moonless nights. No settlement survives long on the pristine sands. Random Encounters Rivers Olung, Soshenstar, Tath Tiryki (ToA Port Nyanzaru: ToA pg. 193 pg. 82): As is. Inside Chult: pg. 12

Shilku (ToA pp. 82-83) Ancient Chultan ruins. Could become a Misc. Useful Tables beachhead against the Fire Newts or a trading Corpses: ToA pg. 198 port on their territory. Treasure: ToA pg. 197

Snapping Turtle Bay (ToA pg. 83) Books You May Want To Look Into Could be the site of a massive city. Cyclopean Knockspell #2 ruins: walls, lighthouses, docks, and a few lost Hot Springs Island cyclopes. Easily allied, easily angered.

Snout of Omgar (ToA pg. 83) Not yet discovered or mapped.

Valley of Dread (ToA pg. 83) As is. Replace lizard people with Chultans in lizard skins.

Valley of Embers (ToA pg. 83) As is.

Valley of Lost Honor (ToA pg. 83) The true heartland of the Fire Newt kingdom.

Vorn (ToA pp. 83-84) Removed.

Wreck of the Narwhal (ToA pg. 84) Moved to the Random Encounter Table (pg. 12). Vegepygmies only present at night, might very well be mistaken for Chultan pygmies.

Wreck of the Star Goddess (ToA pp. 84-85) Removed.

Wyrmheart Mine (ToA pp. 85-89) Another Fire Newt stronghold. Newly opened, still being developed.

Yellyark (ToA pp. 89-90) Moved to the Random Encounter Table (pg. 12)

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Terrain Enhancement Tables

1d20 Beaches Beaches 1 White sand, cold despite the sun’s heat. Tufts of grey grass and smooth blue-grey boulders. 2 Grey sand, dull and clotted with clumps of dirt and rotting wood. 3 Fortified beach. One rusted cannon, half a dozen swords, a few bones, and a lot of soaked logs. 4 Pebble beach. Full of scuttling red crabs. 5 Pale tan sand, long green grass. Piles of driftwood. 6 Graveyard beach. Stone cairns with faded wooden markers. 7 Rock shore. A low slab, worn into tidepools and pits. Good for breaking ankles. 8 False beach. Long marsh behind a sandbar. Full of flies, cranes, toads, and sucking mud. 9 Red sand. A bad omen to some. Has a crunch to it, like broken glass. 10 Brown-green sand, choked with drying seaweed. High and vicious tides. 11 Old shipwreck. Sand dotted with rust spots from nails, bleached bones, bits of gold and wood. 12 Saffron sand, soft as silk. Strange tall trees near the 13 Silver sand, grey polished to a sheen. Blinding at the wrong time of day. 14 Black sand from an ancient volcanic burst. Sizzling hot. Every grain is sharp. 15 Clay beach. Cracked plates like a lizard’s skin. Wading birds hopping around shrieking. 16 Boulder beach, difficult to spot from a distance. Very hard stone, marbled black and white. 17 Stone idols along the shore, worn into almost featureless stumps. 18 Powder sand. Pale and glistening. Any strong breeze fills the air with blinding dust. 19 Claimed beach. Wooden spikes with skulls on them, close and dense trees. 20 Fishing beach. Very small wooden boat, fish drying on racks. Flies buzzing.

1d10 Jungle Moods 1 Vibrant bloodthirsty fecundity. Everything is murderfucking. Watch out for the spray. 2 Dead silence. The sun makes a metallic ringing sound. Like a migraine or a mirage. 3 Gunshot bursts of birds and feathers, detonating from tree to tree like feathered fireworks. 4 Miserable greasy rain, filtered through a 100’ of leaves and vines. Tastes a bit like blood. 5 Heat and humidity and a distinct fecal reek. Slippery clay underfoot, buzz of insects. 6 Primordial refuse. Stone pillars that could have formed yesterday. Ferns and slime but no rot. 7 Mists and whirling winds. The occasional roar of something large, mean, and lost. 8 Gemstone flurry. Orchids in every shade, beetles with prismatic shells. A stained glass whirlwind. 9 Angry rain, drumming and pounding like a mob at the door. Can’t see for the high-impact spray. 10 Jungle orchestra tuning. Shrieking birds, screaming mammals, click-boom-clatter of insects. Where They Find You Tables

1d20 Where They Find You In The Jungle Beaches 1 On a narrow track. Packed earth, plants on either side, leaves above. A green tunnel. 2 Crossing a shallow stream. Good line of sight up and down, banks to scramble up. 3 Trying to hack through a dense section. Insects buzz, sap flows. No way forward. 4 In the mud. Up to your knees in places. In an open field, a few spots of high ground. 5 In a clearing. Thick trees, short ferns, and buried roots. 6 Crossing a deep river. Muddy water up to your shoulders. Slow current, lots of fish. 7 In a field of tall grass. Constant rustle and flare. 8 On a steep rocky slope heading towards a plateau. Thin trickles of water. 9 In an abandoned village. Mostly reclaimed by vines. A few buildings still stand. 10 Crossing a narrow gorge on a tree bridge. Tree is not particularly stable. 11 In the outer fields of a village. Rows and heaps, piles of leaf litter. Wooden fences, startled farmers. 12 In an overgrown camp. Fallen tents, a faint trace of a campfire and sudden violence. 13 Next to a steep bank and a rushing river. Jungle on one side, a drop and a splash on the other. 14 Climbing a hill. Switchbacks, eroded sections. 15 On the side of a cliff. Moving hand over hand sideways on an 8” ledge. 16 Around the bases of giant trees. Rotting mulch, scuttling insects. 17 On a plain. Trees along the edge, but a wide expanse of grass and rocky outcrops ahead. 18 Near a waterfall. Narrow path upwards, river to one side. Constant spray. Cold. 19 On a rope bridge over an improbably deep gorge. Flimsy. 20 On top of an overgrown pyramid. Four sides, steep steps, ancient altar on top.

1d10 Where They Find You On The River 1 Portaging around a difficult section. Everyone encumbered. 2 Wide flat section. Lizards on the bank. Shallow beaches. 3 Narrowing canyon, rushing water. Quite fast, but no safe places to pull out. 4 Crocodile territory. Shining eyes in the water, clay streaks leading to the water. 5 Between two cliffs. Clusters of overhanging vines. 6 At the bottom of a waterfall. 7 In the reeds. Slow water. Lots of flies. 8 Near a village. Collection of wooden buildings, grass roofs, very surprised Chultans. 9 Next to ancient docks, sunk into the water. Vine-covered statues. 10 Next to active docks. Three slim river-boats. Market day on the docks. Random Encounter Table: Chultan Kingdoms

1d10 Omen Encounter

Heads on wooden stakes, narrow Chultan cannibals hunting the party. Spears, war paint, 1 trails, pit traps. remarkably accurate archery. Want to drive the PCs off. Buzzing flies, partially overgrown Small wooden village claimed by disease or war. Rotting 2 paths. buildings, bodies in the streets. Click of stone on stone, clouds of Village without significant buildings. Cooking fires, nearly 3 smoke, winding trails. nude people, very annoyed look. Thin wisp of smoke, quiet Small wooden village. Cooking fires, busy people. Glowering 4 conversation, narrow trails. but worried ruler with a gold necklace and a toothless priest. Music, chatter, large trails, animal Market town. Larger wooden buildings, stone markers, 5 dung, empty fields. crowds. General panic if violence occurs. Cleared sightlines, trenches full of Wooden fortress, fully occupied. Expecting a raid; might not 6 spikes, pit traps, skulls. be expecting the PCs. Suspicious. Cleared paths, carved stone markers Great city. Grand architecture, huge stone blocks, new 7 cleared of vines. pyramids. Feuding nobles in feathered cloaks and dyed hats.

Quiet music, thin stone paths, Separate palace or retreat. Hot springs, gold, guards, 8 banners on a hillside. columns, and a slightly paranoid ruler.

Stone roads in straight lines along Temple complex, carved into a mesa or a cliff. Huge semi- 9 the cardinal directions, faint music. abstract statues. Intermittently occupied. Stone statues with scowling skull Necropolis. Ancient tombs, recent dead. Everything from flies 10 faces, bones, ash, bright flowers. to giant lizards comes here to die if possible.

1d10 Trade Goods and Valuable Things 1 Gold. Not high quality but they have a lot of it. 2 Spices. Some you know, some entirely new. 3 Fruit. Enticingly strange, often delicious. 4 Medicines. Dubious or effective, they are exotic enough to command high prices. 5 Gems. Not well cut, but they know where to mine them. 6 Ceramics, Pottery, and Glassworks. In a peculiar style or made with strange materials. 7 Slaves. Very efficient system already in place for local needs. Could be adapted. 8 Fur. Rare pelts, bones, claws, teeth, or leather. 9 Roll again twice. 10 Nothing.

11 Random Encounter Table: Inside Chult

1d20 Omen Encounter

Drums, flooded fields, clay buildings, 1 Dungrunglung (pg. 6, ToA pp.49-52), with all its problems. a towering palace in the distance. Clouds moving against the wind, the 2 Heart of Ubtao (pg. 6, ToA pp. 58-60) hairs on your neck stand up. Creak of rigging, scraps of sail, rust 3 Wreck of the Narwhal (pg. 8, ToA pg. 84) spots on leaves. Suspicious eyes glaring from the 4 Yellyark (pg. 8, ToA pp. 89-90) foliage, twang of a tripwire. 5 Hooting, crash of branches. 2d4 Apes eating fruit. Not hostile, just hungry. 1d6 Assassin Vines, 2 corpses (ToA pg. 198). 25% chance of 1 6 Slither, reek of decay, ancient bones. Jungle Dryad. 7 Squawk, screech, and rattle. 3d6 stampeding Axe Beaks. Might attack a small group. Rush of river water, deep splash. 1d4 Crocodiles. Big, ancient, and territorial. Can tip a boat 8 Glint of eyes. easily enough. Shouted orders in Tarraconese, 1d6 Emerald League explorers, 2d6 Chultan slaves and 9 slashing swords. porters. 25% chance of an outpost. Friendly but eccentric. 10 Marching, clatter of armour. 1d10x1d10 Tarraconese soldiers, cutting a route or patrolling. Earth-shaking thump, faint smell of 11 Dinosaurs! Use whatever table you prefer (see ToA pg. 194) bird shit and blood. 12 Burst of feathers. 1d6 extremely rare brightly coloured birds. 13 Grunting, crunch of bushes. 2d6 Wild Boars. Skittish but hard to kill. 14 Buzz of insects, a bloom of colour. 1 Rare Plant (ToA pg. 201). 1 man-eating Tiger. Smarter than most PCs, more vengeful 15 Rustle of grass. than most gods. Chittering, scrape of weapons being 2d100 Vegepygmies (or regular Chultan pygmies) on the way 16 readied. to a war or a festival. 17 Faint hiss, movement of vines. 1 Jaculi (camouflaged giant snake) stalking the party. 18 Signs of a trail, a few broken leaves. 2d6 Chultans from a nearby kingdom (pg. ##). 19 Saffron smell, masking rotting flesh. 2d6 Yellow Musk zombies + 1 Yellow Musk plant. 20 - Hot Springs Island encounter table (HSI pg. 20)

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