Deep Chantry: March 2016

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Hex 23

23. Stones of the Fallen Kings (North and Center Hex)

Huge boulders dot the rolling fields here. Legends speak of these stones as the ancient grave markers of giant kings. Unknown runes mark some (random) boulders and, while the locals have no idea what they truly mean, that does not stop them from wildly speculating on what the runes might mean.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Hex 18

18. Creator’s Stone (Southeastern Hex)

An oddly shaped boulder balances here. Legend says that the Creator, when the world was new, set this stone on these two pedestals, and when this stone falls, the world will end. The region has been through numerous earthquakes that have shaken the stone and toppled mountains, but Creator’s Stone has remained steadfast.

It is also called the Farseer Stone because, again as legend tells, on nights of full moon, those who climb to the top of the Creator’s Stone and meditate for the whole night can receive visions of the future.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Hex 16

16. St. Albaran’s Hunting Lodge

A large, round thatch-roofed structure stands here, with an open air roofed area on one side. Three Cloistered Brothers and nine Lay Brothers from the Monastery of St. Albaran (see Hex 28A) use this building as a base from which they stage hunting parties into the mountains to the north for mountain goats or into the forest to the west for deer and small game to stock the larder for the monastery.

16.1. Animal Cleaning Area: This area smells of blood and offal, even though the monks are careful to clean it daily. Nightly, coyotes scavenge the area (4-16).

16.2. Offal Burial: A pit has been dug here and the unusable portions of the animals are tossed into the pit daily. It also functions as the monks’ toilet. This area stinks horribly. Coyotes scavenge here nightly (4-16).

16.3. Meat Smoker: This stone structure is where the monks smoke the meat to cure it for transport and storage.

16.4. Wood Storage: Wood is piled 10’ high here, running the length of the wall.

16.5. Corral: Eight mules are tethered here. The small structure here contains grain and hay for the animals.

16.6. Firepit: Outdoor cooking area.

16.7. Dining Area

16.8. Sleeping Area

16.9. Chapel: A small altar table is set here with two brass candle holders (worth 2 sp each) and a small statue of St. Albaran (carved limestone, worth 3 gp). Before the table are 16 prayer rugs, slightly blood-stained.

TO FINISH: Map, populate with monks

Monday, March 28, 2016

Hex 14

14. Hall of the Gnome King (Eastern Hex, in the ridge)

On the eastern face of a low mountain is a forgotten door. Few of the locals know about this place, and those few who do know this place shun it for being haunted by evil creatures. Occasionally some weary traveler will find his way to the door, seeking shelter from a storm or wolves or some other danger. Those people always disappear. Around the door are a variety of footprints (belonging to the denizens of the Hall of the Gnome King, as well as his most recent victims, if any - see below) that can be clearly seen. The ground immediately around the Lonely Door is fairly barren so there is little cover under which to approach the location by stealth. However, the greater area is rather overgrown, so there is plenty of cover from which to observe the door. There is a cumulative 2% chance per hour of observation that a group of 4 Long Arms and 2 Chitterers (See Appendix – New Monsters) will emerge from the door.

The lintel over the door appears smooth but on close inspection, it is well weathered stone that was once carved in some kind of runes. It might be possible to discern something of what was once written there (in ancient gnomish script, “The Hall of the King Under the Mountain”).

The door itself is a smooth stone slab on which is carved an ancient gnomish rune for happiness or pleasure or enjoyment. There is no obvious means of opening the door.

There are two ways to open the door, which is immune to physical (and magical) damage.. When the door opens, faint music can be heard from below. The door can be forced open with a combined 46 Strength, though there is room for no more than 3 people to push on the door inward. Forcing the door open functions exactly the same as if the door is unlocked (that is, it will remain open for three rounds, then close and not open again for the same person(s) for 48 hours). To unlock the door, a person must trace the rune with their finger, and the door will open inward and remain open for three rounds, after which it will close and not open again for the same person for 48 hours. Inside, stairs lead down into the darkness and faint music drifts upward. Once the door closes, from the inside, it becomes solid stone wall. The rune to open the door from the inside is in the chamber below.

NOTE: The Hall is a "Highlands Location" that is fully detailed (about 20 locations, a handful of new monsters and magic items)

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Hex 9

9. Boat Ruins (South Hex)

A small riverboat hangs in a tree here, a smuggler’s boat having been piloted by a novice, caught during a deluge which caused flash flooding.

Beneath the broken deck is rotted cargo (mostly grain and salted meat in broken kegs and casks). The boat has a secret hold beneath the piles of ruin which contains the smuggler’s real cargo: 8 rotting corpses (all chained to an iron ring mounted to one of the ribs of the boat), a case of Holy Wine from the Western Empire (6 bottles, one smashed, one the seal is broken, good bottles worth 100 gp each) and now rusted weapons – dozens of swords, daggers and helmets. The weapons and helmets bear the mark of the Hamlish Empire.

Friday, March 25, 2016

Hex 12

12. Witch of the Wilderness

Hag of the Deepgrove (Southern Hex):

Deep in the forest here is the Green Hag’s lair, a cave cut into the heart of a small hill. The antechamber is cramped and the walls are decorated, floor to ceiling, with hundreds of skulls of dozens of different kinds of creatures (including more than a few human, demi-human and humanoid skulls). The hag hides things in the skulls. Use the table below for the contents if the skulls are searched. The only other things of note in this room are a worn broom, a small wooden table and three rickety wooden chairs and the faint outlines of what appears to be some kind of magical circle on the floor.

A door made of the leg bones of large animals (and more than one person) opens into the inner chamber. The Green Hag’s lair is a filthy hole filled with rotted bits of flesh, bone, entrails. It reeks of death and rot. Among the gore could be found 764 gp, 28pp, 11 Darts of the Hornet (see new items), a Potion of Acid Resistance, a rusted file and carving knife, and a bit of driftwood partially whittled, a signal-horn stamped with the seal of Faller Village, a small glass phial of mercury labeled with an alchemical symbol, a rawhide pouch containing greasy fish bones and skins, and a 5-pound sack of coal.

GREEN HAG: AC -2; MV 120’/120’; HD 9; hp 46; THAC0 12; #AT 2; D 7-8/7-8; SA Spells; SD Move silently, Surprised only 1 in 20; SZ M; Int Very; AL NE; XP 2152

Roll	Tiny Skull	Medium Skull	Large Skull
2	Seeds 1d10 seeds 1. Wheat 2. Grape 3. Coffee 4. Magical (dragon’s teeth, Beanstalk seeds, etc)	Folded skin Tanned 1.Human 2. Goblin 3. Elf or Dwarf 4. Human, tattooed (1. Map, 2. Magical writings, 3. Portrait of Hag, 4. Level 1 Mage Spell)	Dragon Seed* 1.Black 2. Blue 3. Brass 4. Silver *See Appendix New Items for Information
3	Goo 1 oz. 1. Inert Green Slime 2. Snail Slime 3. Owlbear pus 4. Pate (1. Goose, 2. Chicken, 3. Moose, 4. Dragon)	Sprig of… 1.Wolvesbane 2. Belladona 3. Mistletoe 4. One of each	Instrument 1. Glass Flute 2. Wooden Whistle 3. 1d4 Harp Strings 4. Bone Flute (1. Human, 2. Elf, 3. Dwarf, 4. Owlbear)
4	Dragon snot 1 oz. 1. Black 2. Red 3. Blue 4. Gold	Incense Sticks 1d6, cause for 1d4 rounds 1. Deep meditation 2. Happiness 3. Sadness 4. Visions	Flask 1.Empty 2. Wine 3. Water 4. Thinned Dragon Snot (see table entry 4 under tiny skull to left)
5	Metal shavings 1 oz. 1. Steel 2. Iron 3. Gold 4. Brass	Cheese Half pound of 1.Hard cheddar 2. Moldy cheddar 3. Delicious cheddar 4. Stinky Cheese	Food 1.1d6 Sausages 2. Dried Meat (1. Moose, 2. Owlbear, 3. Goblin, 4. Human) 3. 2d6 Dried Apples 4. Blood Pudding
6	Ball of thread 3d6 inches long 1. White stained red 2. Black 3. Silver 4. Magical (1. Repairs any cloth 2. For magical symbols 3. Sews flesh restoring 1d4 hp 4. Traces path in magic tapestry	Bones 1d4 1. Human fingers 2. Goblin toes 3. Rat skeleton 4. Bird skeleton	Tool 1.Hacksaw 2. Wooden mallet and wooden spikes 3. Tiny Silver Hammer 4. Tinder box
7-11	Empty	Empty	Empty
12	Prayer Bead 1d3 beads 1. Evil god 2. Good god 3. Desecrated 4. Magical (1. When thrown 6d6 fireball, 2. Prayers confer bless per spell for 1d4 hours, 3. Being answers one yes-or-no question, 4. One hour of prayer confers immediate 2 rounds Trueseeing)	Wire 1d20 feet of… 1.Copper 2. Steel 3. Silver coated copper 4. Copper coated steel	Pouch Containing… 1.1d3 Garlic Buds 2. 1 Lucky Coin 3. 1d3 Vials Holy Water 4. Hair (1. Human, 2. Horse, 3. Ki-Rin, 4. Kelpie)
13	Pinches of spice 1d4+1 pinches 1.Nutmeg 2. Cinnamon 3. Coriander 4. Poison	Pipeweed 1 pouch of 1.Famous Pipeweed 2. Rotted Pipeweed 3. Average Pipeweed 4. Dangerous Pipeweed (Causes 1. Hallucinations, 2. Nausea, 3. Insatiable Hunger, 4. Catatonic State)	Eclectic 1.Deerskin Gloves and 3 Acorns 2. Crystal Prism and 1d4 Wax Candles 3. Crystal Bottle of Perfume and 25’ of String 4. 100 Owl Feathers and 2d12 Iron Nails
14	Tooth 1. Human 2. Goblin 3. Elf or Dwarf 4. Cursed Human tooth (food repulses the bearer of the tooth, unable to eat until remove curse is cast)	Oil 1d4 vials of… 1.Lamp oil 2. Moose oil 3. Goblin fat oil 4. Magical (1. Slipperiness, 2. Etherealness, 3. Fiery Burning, 4. Elemental Invulnerablity)	Small Items 1.Small Silver Mirror 2. Comb and Brush 3. Silver Bell 4. Gold Ring
15	Eye of Newt 1. Normal 2. Pickled 3. Rotten 4. Spell Imbued (if eaten, for 1 turn gain a point of 1. Strength, 2. Intelligence, 3. Wisdom, 4. Constitution, 5. Charisma)	Green Liquid 1d4 vials of… 1.Algae 2. Green water 3. Green Slime 4. Magical Potion (1. Healing, 2. Giant Control, 3. Delusion, 4. Speed)	Coins 1.1d20 cp 2. 1d10 gp 3. 2d8 sp 4. One Platinum Piece (cursed, bearer becomes greedy, demanding all coins, until remove curse is cast)
16	Parchment Scrap containing 1. Name (1. Geryon the Druid, 2. Ancient King, 3. Nearby Noble, 4. A random PC) 2. Nothing 3. The words “Oak” “Bottle” and “String” each with a checkmark beside 4. Drawing (1. The hag, 2. Stick figures, 3. Eversnow Mt. 4. Symbol of Pain)	Alcohol 1d4 vials worth of… 1.Beer 2. Whiskey 3. Mead 4. Wine	Scroll 1.Love letter 2. Mundane Map 3. Treasure Map 4. Spell Scroll (1d4 spells 1. Level 1 MU, 2. Level 3 MU, 3. Level 5 MU, 4. Special)

I know they're fiddly, but I LOVE nested tables...

TO FINISH: Detail Hag (Witch of the Wilderness/Hag of the Deepwood) - NOTE one of the Coven of Five...

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Special Encounters Part 2 - 12-21

General Encounter Chart

1-8 NPC
9-16 Mundane Encounter
17-19 Dangerous Encounter
20 Special Encounter

Special Encounters Part 2 (12-21)

I may add stats for the creatures encountered, or I may simply add them to the Appendix: New Creatures. None of the Spectres who appear as Special Encounters are associated with the Spectre who haunts the Mountains or the Spectre of King Hargeth.

Roll 3d10

12. Old Whitebeard

A gruff voice muttering curses and self-loathing is heard some distance away. After a 2-5 rounds, a small man with the longest, most tangled white beard ever seen limpes into view. The small man wears a pointed green hat and carries a long staff.

This is Old Whitebeard, a faerie creature who occasionally roams the Highlands. He challenges the most powerful looking warrior to an single combat with staves. The stakes are simple: the loser must serve the winner for one day. The rules are simple, the loser is the one who is knocked down three times.

The problem is also simple, Old Whitebeard cheats. He uses magic to imbalance his opponents when he fights them. For purposes of the contest, Old Whitebeard fights as a 10th level fighter, but every round his opponent must make a Dexterity check (Dex or lower on 4d6) to remain balanced. Imbalanced opponents attack at a 3 point penalty and suffer a 2 point penalty to Armor Class.

If Old Whitebeard loses the contest, he will be true to his word and will serve the vicor for exactly 24 hours, disappearing at that exact moment with an echoing laugh and "Thou art worthy."

If Old Whitebeard wins the contest, he will first demand his bested opponent comb his beard. After several rounds of enjoying the humiliation of his opponent, he will clap his hands together and laugh with glee. Jumping up he will say, "I know! I want you to get the Eye of the Moon from the King Under the Water! Bring me the Eye of the Moon!" Old Whitebeard can give the bested opponent directions to the King Under the Water and can describe the Eye of the Moon, he can even teleport the opponent to the gate of the King Under the Water (and the opponent's friends, if asked before he teleports the bested opponent), but he will not otherwise aid the task. If the PC is already in possession of the Eye of the Moon or if the bested opponent is able to gain the Eye from the King Under the Water, Old Whitebeard will look despondent for a moment, but then try to snatch it away and disappear. Once Old Whitebeard has the Eye of the Moon, he will release his opponent from any further service. If the Eye is not surrendered, Old Whitebeard will throw a fit and disappear, but the opponent will suffer the same effects as if he or she refused to serve Old Whitebeard.

Old Whitebeard has no actual power to compel a creature to serve him. However, if he bests a warrior in the contest and the loser refuses to serve Old Whitebeard, the little man will sneer at the bested opponent for a moment and then disappear, placing a curse on the unwilling servant - save vs. spells or be cursed with bad luck until remove curse is cast. (In game terms, bad luck means that anytime the player has to roll dice, he or she rolls two dice, or two sets of dice, and takes the least advantageous of those rolls).

An opponent who willingly serves Old Whitebeard until released will receive a wink and a thanks from the little man and a blessing of good luck. (In game terms, good luck means that anytime the plaer has to roll dice, he or she rolls two dice or two sets of dice, and takes the most advantageous of those rolls).

13. The Fairy Box

This encounter begins with a tiny girl (about 4" tall) in a green felt hat and a red dress waving to make her presence known. If addressed, she will make her plea: her sisters, sprites all, are trapped in this area, far away from home (their home in the Faerie Realm, she will reveal if asked). The way back home is locked in a box that none of her sisters can open. Could anyone help them get back home?

The tiny girl, who has no name but will identify herself as Sprite if pressed, leads any who are willing to help to a stone chest resting among the weeds at the base of a tree. The chest is indeed locked, and trapped (it is also magical, if detected). The obvious lock on the front of the lid is a false lock, and the trigger for the first trap which, if triggered, shoots out a small, barbed brass hook that catches the hand of the one manipulating the false lock for 1 hp damage (save vs. paralysis to avoid). If the trap is successfully sprung, the locking mechanism of the box clicks and the chest is now unlocked (the "key" to unlock the box is a drop of mortal blood). If the chest opened, it appears empty. Immediately, 107 tiny women will swarm out of hiding and begin leaping into the box.

Anything placed in the box for the first 30 minutes after it is opened immedately disappears (including the tiny women). If a drop of mortal blood unlocks the box, it becomes a gate to the Dark Faerie Realm, teleporting anything placed therein to the Court of the Night Queen.

The tiny women are not sprites, but are Night Fairies, selfish and often malevolent spirits who faithfully serve the Night Queen.

If the box is destroyed, if the tiny woman is ignored or attacked, if she is offended in any way, all 108 Night Fairies will swarm the offender. They attack as 1 HD creatures and do 1 hp damage, as well as special magical abilities.

14. Hooded Wanderer

When encountered, this creature always tries to stay in shadeor shadows. Whenever locals have encoutnered her, they always have a sense of dread. She appears as a little girl wearing a deep blue velvet hooded cloak. Every time the Hooded Wanderer appears, she looks slightly different, though always with the blue velvet cloak (hair, eye and skin color varies widely in the stories). The most disturbing feature of the Hooded Wanderer is that her legs face the wrong way, or her head is on backwards. No one has ever seen her arms.

The Hooded Wanderer moves in and out of this reality on her quest to serve justice. She seeks out the worst criminals (murderers, rapists, etc) and will follow them around, loudly weeping and sobbing. If confronted by a criminal, the true nature of this creature becomes immediately apparent: she opens the hooded cloak and within is a monstrous appearance - teeth and tentacles which viciously attack the criminal and eat him or her.

If encountered randomly, the Hooded Wanderer is searching for a murderer named "Alaric." She will ask (from deep inside the hood, hiding her appearance), "I seek Alaric of Newtown. Can you show him to me?"

If anyone encountered is actually a terrible criminal (murderer, etc), she will try to draw close to that person and then attack.

15. Wandering Jack
A middle-aged bearded man heavily laden with packs and bags, wearing a sword and carrying a staff, Wandering Jack is well known to and well loved by the local people. Jack is a champion of the helpless and the downtrodden. When encountered, there is a 30% chance that he is hurredly moving to someone's rescue (a peasant hunter being attacked by a wild boar). Otherwise, he is jovial, open, and friendly, welcoming strangers to the region.

Wandering Jack is a font of information about the region: he knows all the common knowledge, has a 70% chance to know whether a rumor is true or not, he knows where nearly all of the important locations are in the region and many of the unimportant locations as well. He may accompany the party for a time, but because of his chaotic nature, he will not remain long, and he will always help someone in dire straits.

16. Dorcan The Man Collector

Every six months (give or take a few weeks) this Giant Ogre appears in the region and terrorizes the people of the region for about a week before mysteriously disappearing again.

Dorcan is bearing four dead peasants (woodsmen) on his spear and is walking back to his camp when encountered. He has never been bested in the Highlands, so he is over-confident in his ability to collect the bodies of those encountered.

Dorcan wears a moose skin tunic and a billowing leather cape. He fights with his great spear which is currently laden with his kills. His first action in combat will be to fling teh corpses draped across his spear at anyone who is unarmored, knowing that a flying body hurled from his spear has been enough to kill the average peasant. Treat corpse missiles as a ballista shot at point blank range (adding Dorcan's Hill Giant equvalent strength bonuses). Though the Giant Ogre is not terribly intelligent, he is very clever. He can be outsmarted, but he will not fall for obvious traps or tricks. He will use anything he can to his advantage (he will kick dirt into the face of an opponent, for example, and use the very long reach of his spear to every advantage). If brought to less than half his hit points, he will try to flee in disgrace, leaving the region altogether. However, he will return after two weeks with his two brothers, Galbron and Kirant, searching for those who humiliated him to exact his revenge. The three brothers will attempt to set up an ambush, possibly pushing their prey toward one of the other encounter areas (for example, they might be encountered outside of the Gnome King's Hall, hoping their quary will entrap themselves in that place as they flee the three brothers' attack, or they might be encountered near the Ettercaps' lair).

17. Ugly Karras

This hunchbacked man has been outcast from his village and clan because he has done wicked things. Ugly Karras denies any wrongdoing, in fact his story is one of long being misunderstood because of his deformities and his slurred speech. His story is, however, completely false (though he absolutely believes it himself). He is deformed because he made a pact with a demon and tried to manipulate that agreement in a way that angered the demon. If discovered, he will say he was sold into bondage to the demon and will beg to be released from the curse (see below).

Karras carries a book with him at all times, usually in his satchel though he takes it out from time to time to admire it. He knows that it is magical, but he has no idea what it might be. He would be willing to trade the book (a Manual of Quickness of Action).

Karras is a man who has been imbued with two special abilities (which have come with a price). The first is he can read people's minds (ESP) as long as he is looking into their eyes. The second special ability is the ability to pass through walls (as per the spell passwall). He desired these abilities to enhance his own abilties as a thief. The price was high to begin with, he must cause a gallon of human or demihuman blood to be spilled onto the bare ground every year. When he sought to cheat the demon by gutting a corpse every week and spilling the blood of the already dead, the demon cursed him with these deformities and demanded that Karras spill a gallon of living human or demihuman blood every week. Since, Karras has been seeking to be released from his agreement. He will do almost anything, say almost anything to be released. To be released, he has to have the following spells cast on him: bless, remover curse, restoration. Doing so has a 5% cumulative chance per spell to attract the attention of the Type 5 demon who currently owns Karras' soul. Releasing him from his bondage will not release him from his won selfish and wicked ways, however.

Once encountered, Ugly Karras should show up every so often, begging to be released, offering to serve, anything to stave off the torment of the demon. He guards his special abilities, but might slip up and use them if he believes he can get away with it.

Karras generally only carries a knife with which he is very proficient.

Ugly Karras: T6, hp 19, #ATT 1 knife (dagger), Special: thief abilities, ESP, passwall, AL NE.

18. Pitch Wanderer

This undead creature is the animated corpse of a girl who was murdered by drowning her in one of the Tar Pits in area ______. The Pitch Wanderer is a tormented soul, seeking revenge on all men for the injustice done to her in life. Everywhere she goes, she leaves a trail of tarry footprints and globs of smoking pitch (the trail disappears after 6 hours).

The Pitch Wanderer violently attacks men on sight, hurling balls of flaming pitch at them, or grabbing them with her hands (also flaming pitch). She will not fight women. If attacked by a woman she will pause in whatever she is doing, look quizzically at the woman, then continue on with whatever she was doing, as if the attack from the woman never happened. No matter how many times she is attacked by a woman, she will not respond in kind. However, for every hit landed by a woman, there is a 10% cumulative chance that the Pitch Wanderer will flee. She fights men to the death.

19. Finn the Tiny

A spirit from the Faerie realms, Finn the Tiny is a benevolent spirit known and beloved by the people of the Highlands. He is only about 3 inches tall, so he is easily overlooked. When Finn encounters good or neutral aligned beings, he is friendly and welcoming. Evil beings are best avoided in Finn's opinion, but his natural curiosity sometimes draws him to see what even the most wicked of creatures is doing.

Finn's favorite pasttime is hunting dragonflies which he cooks and eats. He knows a great deal about the highlands and can be a source of information about many of the major encounters found in this region.

Finn is very unpredicable, flitting from one interest to another without warning. He might spend an hour fascinated by a rock, then chase after a butterfly for ten seconds then be mesmerized by a cloud. The only thing that is guaranteed to hold his attention are dragonflies. His big dream is to hunt and kill a giant dragonfly.

20. Fritz and His Friends

Fritz is considered a crazy man by the people of the Highlands. He travels around the highlands with quite a menagerie: a donkey (Asson), a brown bear (Cubby) and a mouse (Dan). He talks to his three friends as if they are people and the animals are very tame in his presence. The animals are also very protective of Fritz if he is threatened.

When encountered, Fritz has discovered a wooden box bound in iron bands (floating on a stream or river if one is nearby, otherwise, simply on the ground). He will be talking to Dan (the mouse) about how to open the box as Asson and Cubby sit watching. Fritz speaks in a halting way as if language doesn't come easy (his laugh should sound like a donkey's bray) and moves in an awkward way, if frightened he will drop to all fours and kick hard with his feet.

Fritz and his friends are not exactly what they seem to be. Three men were beating their donkey when the Witch of the West Wind came to investigate, took pity on the donkey, and polymorphed the whole lot of them. Fritz into a human, the three men into each of the animals. As part of the curse, none of them can remember being anything other than what they are, though the animals all have uncanny intelligence for their kind.

The box Fritz is puzzling over is locked with an iron lock. Inside are traveling clothes of a distant nobleman (worth about 100 gp total).

21. Bearskin

Bearskin is a gruff and unpleasant man. When encountered in his human form, he will be standoffish and unkind. In his bear form, Bearskin is actually friendly and gentle when appraoched in a non-hostile way.

Bearskin is a Werebear. He prowls the region as a protector and friend of the forest. He is well acquainted with the Brothers Five (Treants in hex _________) and the Forestmaster (hex____). If anyone says his name three times, there is a 50% chance he will appear within a minute. If summoned, the summoner had better have a good reason for calling him, or be in dire need, or Bearskin will react in a hostile, possibly violent, way.

Once encountered, Bearskin will keep tabs on those who have encountered him. If they prove to be friends of the forest, he may come to their aid at a particularly important moment. If they prove to be destructive to the forest or creatures therein, he will send dangerous animals after them. Every animal encounter will be with a dangerous animal (see Mundane Encounters, Animal Table, Potential Dangerous Animals Subtable).

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Hex 11

11. Mountain Stream (Eastern Hex): There is a 50% chance that 1-4 Cave Bears are fishing in this mountain stream. If approached within 100’, they will attack aggressively and pursue relentlessly. The bears’ caves are in the Western part of the hex.

11. Cave Bear Caves (Western Hex): A dozen and a half small and medium-sized caves dot the mountain side here. There is a 50% chance that 1-4 Cave Bears are in some of these caves. The other caves are mostly empty.

Cave Bear (total of 9 Cave Bears in the area): AC 6; MV 120’; HD 6+6; hp 37 each; THAC0 13; #AT 3; D 1-8/1-8/1-12; SA Hug (2-16); SZ L; Int Semi; AL N; XP 771 each. (MM)

One of the bear caves has 2 gp and 6 sp among the bones and bits of carcass. High above the bear caves, one of the uninhabited caves is actually a grave, containing the mummified body of some ancient and long-forgotten hermit or ascetic. In his dried-out hand he clutches a parchment on which is drawn a map and a long paragraph is written in a long dead language. The DM is free to use this as he or she sees fit.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Hex 10

10. Chapel In the Woods

This hex is very wild, the undergrowth is dense and the trees are overgrown with moss. Travel in this hex is reduced to ¼ normal rate. The chance of encounters here is also cut in half. 100 yards west of where the stream meets the river in this hex is a small shrine that the locals, with hushed voices and uncertain looks, call the Chapel in the Woods. Few locals have ever been to the Chapel in the Woods and almost no one living has ever been inside, but it is known and somewhat legendary among the people of the region as the source of both the greatest evil and the greatest good.

The chapel itself seems a fairly small structure, though very ornamented. Made of white marble, it is covered in grime and moss and vines.

The doorway to the chapel is obvious – what is not obvious is how to open the smooth marble door. There is no mechanism, no lock, no runes. At the foot of the door is a tiny ornamental doorway (about 8” high) and in front of that is a slight depression in the floor. The depression is discolored somewhat. If blood (at least a cupful) is poured into the depression (it doesn’t matter where the blood comes from), rumbling sounds will be heard from within the Chapel, then very loud growls. The ground will shake slightly and the tiny ornamental door will appear to open (illusion, can be disbelieved) and out will pour dozens of tiny, horrific misshapen spectral creatures (appearing to be a cross between zombie rats and bloated pigs with vaguely humanish heads – the creatures are not an illusion) which swarm over one another, lap up the blood, swarm back into the door which appears to close behind them. The tiny creatures are have 2 hp each, AC 9, they do not attack and if killed, they will simply vanish. Two rounds later, after the blood is consumed and the spectral creatures disappear, the smooth marble door silently swings inward. Inside, the door has an iron bar and what appears to be a marble handles to open and lock the portal from the inside.

Inside, the Chapel is very small, just 10’ across. Opposite the door is a small altar table fixed to the wall on which is laid fresh fruit, a dagger and two golden candlesticks. In the right alcove is a marble statue of a young boy, looking sad, reaching out toward the center of the room. In the left alcove is a marble statue of an old man, looking upward as if in pain, reaching both hands up as if reaching for something. The ceiling is painted as a sky filled with dark, winged – possibly demonic – creatures.

The altar table is magical. Anything laid on the table will be preserved forever (functions to permanently stop time for everything that touches the table). A dead body, for example, laid on the table will never decay, wood will never rot, food (obviously) will never spoil. The fruit lying on the table has been here for 154 years. The dagger is not magical, but is extremely sharp (and will remain so forever) and well balanced (worth 20 gp). The candlesticks are gold plated brass and only worth 100 sp for the pair.

The statues are magical. The statue of the young man bestows a one-time per person blessing of complete healing (restoring all hit points, cure disease, remove curse, regenerate lost limbs, etc.) simply at a touch, without any request or desire on the part of the recipient. The statue of the old man bestows a withering curse, reducing hit points to 5% of total, causing disease in the person, twisting a random limb (roll d4) to become useless, reducing DEX by 1-3 (save vs. spells to reduce all effects by half – that is reducing to half hit points, no disease, twisted limb reducing DEX by 1) simply at touch. Again, this could easily happen simply exploring the room. The magic of the statue of the old man is unlimited, can affect the same person multiple times.

The magic of the statues and the altar is tied to the Chapel and if removed from the Chapel, the magic will be destroyed.

The Chapel is dedicated to the Old Gods. The monks of St. Albaran’s monastery would be happy to see the Chapel destroyed (as the Way of the Master does not approve of the Old Gods) and the abbot might be willing to offer a reward for evidence of its destruction.

TO FINISH: Image, map?

Monday, March 21, 2016

Hex 13

13. Garis Man (Central Hex)

A 90’ tall, vaguely (headless) human-shaped stone stands not far from the edge of the forest here. A troop of goblins is camped around the base of the stone.

27 goblins and two bugbears are camped at the base of the Garis Stone led by a goblin sub-chief (of the Shaman faction).

Goblins (27): AC 6, MV 60'; HD 1-1; hp 4 each; THAC0 20; #AT 1; D 1-6 or by wpn; SZ S; Int Low~Avg; AL LE; XP 14 each (MM)

Bugbears (2): AC 5; MV 90’; HD 3+1; hp 16, 19; THAC0 16; #AT 1; D 2-8 or by wpn; SA surprise on a 1-3; SD Darkvision 60’; SZ M; Int Low~Avg; AL CE; XP 149, 161. (MM)

Goblin Sub-chief: AC 5, MV 60'; HD 1+1; hp 8; THAC0 18; #AT 1; D 1-8 or by wpn; SZ S; Int Low~Avg; AL LE; XP 36 (MM)

Every time a thunder storm passes through the area, lightning strikes the Garis Man once or twice without seeming to damage the stone itself. The goblin shaman has discovered that these lightning strikes are not simply a random freak of nature but they are magical in nature. Wands, staves and rods placed on the top of Garis Man and struck by lightning gain 0-3 (d4-1) charges per “natural” lightning strike (that is, magically created or summoned lightning will not recharge such items. Additionally, there is a 5% chance that each strike will neutralize the items, rendering them useless forever.

The goblin sub-chief has been dispatched by the shaman from the Chantry (Hex 42) to recharge a Wand of Earth and Stone (which is rechargeable if a storm comes through) and a Rod of Smiting (which is spent and unable to be recharged). These are the only items of worth the goblins and their allies have. They have not yet figured out a way to climb to the top of Garis Man, though they have hundreds of feet of rope and some grappling hooks and are standing around arguing how to get to the top. The sub-chief will not climb, but he doesn’t really trust any of the others with the valuable magic items, either.

TO FINISH: Which Sub-chief? Image

Friday, March 18, 2016

Hex 41

41. Wisdom Falls (Northern Hex)

The Whitewater River, which begins in the mountains to the north, falls precipitously 120’ here to a deep pool before roaring downstream toward the forest to the west. The place is frequented by shaggy mountain goats and occasionally the Griffons who dwell in hex 26 hunt here.

While the falls are very difficult to access, Shiralla (from Hope Cross to the West), Geryon (Hex 7, before he became ensorcelled) and the Abbot of the Monastery of St. Albaran (Hex 28) occasionally make a pilgrimage to the pool of the falls to seek out answers to deep, perplexing questions.

The “magic” of Wisdom Falls works thusly: on the night before a new moon, one must come to the pool and make a suitable sacrifice. The sacrifice simply has to be valuable to the petitioner (monetary value is secondary). The sacrifice is thrown into the pool at the base of the waterfall. The petitioner waits vigil through that night and throughout the next night (the new moon). Sometime during the night of the new moon, Pylarian (see below) will slip into the pool and retrieve the sacrifice/offering.

Pylarian, a Fristborn Exile (see new creatures for full description) is able to answer questions per Contact Higher Plane spell based on the value he perceives in the offering/sacrifice made (DM discretion) or he may choose to not answer at all. The answers, if any, come as a haunting voice that howls across the pool at dawn the morning after the new moon.

Behind the waterfall, 80’ above the pool, is a deep cave where Pylarian lairs. Like most of the Firstborn, long ago Pylarian withdrew from the world, entered into a state of eternal slumber in his hidden water palace. When Hargeth attempted to settle this region, however, his court wizard stumbled upon Pylarian’s lair and attempted to enslave the Firstborn to draw on his power. Part of the plan worked, in that Pylarian was greatly weakened by the mage, blinding him (permanently) and impeding a number of his other abilities. Even in such a weakened state, however, Pylarian easily dispatched the mage which, in a very real way, sealed the doom of Hargeth’s fledgling kingdom as the mage could not help defend the kingdom against the ravages of the goblin invasion. Pylarian feels that he cost the lives of thousands of innocent people in the goblin invasion that decimated Hargeth’s kingdom and uses his wisdom and knowledge and ability to “see far” to make eternal atonement for his failure in the past.

41.1 Entry: Two Caryatid Columns guard the entrance to Pylarian’s lair who will attack anyone not accompanied by the Firstborn, even invisible creatures. The 12’ tall door is locked and Wizard Locked (dispel at 14th level), the password for the Wizard Lock is Kuzmarian. The 12” thick doors are bronze and depict in bas relief angelic beings locked in struggle with demonic beings on nine separate panels, and at the top (which is arched) is a stylized sun.

41.2 Grand Hall: The doors from the entry swing inward to a balcony overlooking a huge hall, 200’ in length, 80’ in width. Mortal beings who step through the doors have to save vs. spells (bonus +1 per WIS over 12) or be awed by the sight of the Grand Hall. Awed characters will stand dumbfounded, staring, eternally unless forced out of the room.

The ceiling rises 20’ above, the floor drops 30’ below with steps spiraling downward from the balcony to the floor below. The walls are covered in long, luxurious tapestries depicting the same eternal angelic/demonic struggle as the panels of the door. The ceiling appears to be painted (if daytime) as a sky with a bright sun in the center (or if nighttime) as a star-filled sky with a full moon in the center. The floor is carpeted, though there is little furniture scattered about, mostly soft chairs and couches, but so little that the floor really looks empty. The far wall has a smaller door at each corner and a large double door at the center atop a raised dais.

There is only a 10% chance that Pylarian will be in the Grand Hall.

The ceiling here is not painted, but is actually the sky above the Water Palace (without depicting the weather, however) whatever time of day a person enters the Grand Hall. The carpets, tapestries and furniture in this hall are ancient and invaluable; however they are under an enchantment that has preserved them for the past 3,500 years. Removing them from the Water Palace will hasten their demise, causing them to begin to rot within hours of their removal and within one month of their removal from the Water Palace they will become worthless piles of moldered fibers.

Those who step on the carpets unaccompanied by Pylarian find the carpet transforms into a carpet version of quicksand after traveling 20’ from the spiral staircases. Characters caught by the carpet quicksand must make a DEX check (dexterity of lower on d20) each round or sink 1’ into the carpet. Those who make their save do not sink, but cannot rise higher without assistance from off the carpet somehow (flying characters, somehow grappling the balcony, grasping furniture perhaps). Once submerged, characters lose 1d8 CON points per round. When CON reaches 0, they die. Triggering the carpet quicksand is 70% likely to draw Pylarian to the chamber. With a word Pylarian can command the carpet in every way – to pause, to sink faster, to return to carpet instantly.

The smaller doors at the corners of the room are not locked and open easily. The central double doors atop the dais are locked and Wizard Locked at 14th level (the password for the Wizard Lock is Kuzmalian). The dais contains three overstuffed chairs and a plain wooden chair. If Pylarian “holds court” in this room, he will indicate that three of his guests should sit in the overstuffed chairs and he will sit in the plain wooden chair.

41.3 Pylarian’s Chamber: The simple wooden door swings outward revealing a small bed chamber filled with a random collection of items. Pylarian is 90% likely to be in this chamber at any given time (and if not in the Grand Hall, he will be here). Pylarian keeps the sacrifices that people make to him here in this chamber, occasionally holding them, reliving the petitioner’s need.

The room contains very little furniture: a small cot, a three legged table, a wooden chair and a small chest. But shelves line the walls and the shelves are heavy with a motley assortment of items including: A scroll case holding ship captain's navigational charts cluttered with hand-written notes, a water-damaged sheet of parchment inscribed with the name and address of a hostel in Daamasport, a bow richly engraved with a motif of ravens and bare branches, the pointed half of a broken knife, a tiny (2’ long) oak coffin, thankfully empty, an ages-old 8-by-12-foot tapestry depicting the burial of St. Garalias, and likely of some value (300 sp), a golden key marked with odd magister's symbols, an ancient axe with a pommel in the shape of a wolf's head, a bit of bone inscribed with the image of a sword and shield, a bronze talisman marked with the image of Halasham the Righteous, a 4-foot iron torch staff with a fistful of charcoal in the cage, a human skull wrapped in pigskin strips onto which have been inscribed, in exacting hand, passages from 'The Book of the Righteous Pilgrim’, a quarter staff wrapped with leather into which a collection of wolves' and bears' teeth have been embedded, 13 sp stuck to the bottom of a filthy rawhide pouch, a massive, uncut ruby on a hemp cord necklace. It must be exceedingly valuable (worth 5,000 gp), an unreliable map of the Old World in a waterproof bone scroll tube, a wooden reliquary box holding the skull of Gallian the Fair, who defended his village's shrine against a clan of 60 goblins and almost succeeded. The box has a worn leather handle for ease of carrying, a broadsword and scabbard, a soldier's identification papers in a bronze tube, a half-pound jar etched with the image of a raven, full of beeswax, a white wool shirt with a fashionable wide buttoned-back collar, a small golden box richly engraved with a motif of skulls and roses (worth 40 sp) inside, set in deep red velvet, are several sticks of gold sealing wax, a pouch of gold dust (worth 10 sp), and a gold signet ring bearing the seal of none other than the King of Hamlin himself (worth 100 sp for the gold, but invaluable to the Kingdom of Hamlin and worth thousands to forgers and other less scrupulous people), a lead pot, a 10-gallon cask with a pig’s head painted in red on the side full of good ale, a folded page of parchment on which is written a notice that all freight and personal trappings will be thoroughly inspected at the gates which is inscribed with the Caranta city seal (this parchment, however, is twenty years old), a leather sack containing a hunter's bow, leather wrist-guards, a flask of wood oils and bowstrings, and a quiver with 20 arrows, including a pouch of extra feathers and needle and thread for repairing arrows, a serrated dagger engraved with a sacred oath in a leather sheath, an officer's sword etched with the Kingdom of Hamlin coat of arms, with a fine pigskin scabbard festooned with blessed prayer ribbons, a rusty iron key embossed with the Harrian city seal, a quarter staff festooned with colorful ribbons, a warm, wolf-hide cloak, and a set of oak cooking utensils, a longsword (Gyrashian, a sword +3 which legends say was once used by the king of the Netherworld to assail the Heavens in his bid to sit on the Throne of Life – it bears runes of Cause Light Wounds 2x/day and Confusion 2x/day and is usable by Chaotic beings – when grasped the first time, save vs. spells or become evil), a plumed helmet (the Visor of the Heavens – a helmet that allows the wearer to see in darkness as if in full sunlight, also cast Light 2x/day).

41.4 Empty Chamber: The wooden right door is unlocked and opens into a dusty, empty room. A single candle perpetually burns on a small shelf here.

41.5 False Treasure Chamber: The locked central doors open to a long hallway. The hallway stretches back 80’ and opens to a large room beyond and smells of carrion. The room beyond is filled with illusory treasure: gold and gems piled to the ceiling. 40’ down the corridor, the floor is illusory. The first character stepping on the “floor” falls 100’, to a small natural cave littered with bones and the bloated bodies of a dozen goblins who got caught in the quicksand carpet a week ago. Falling into the pit breaks the illusion of the floor. The gap in the floor is 35’.

Entering the “treasure chamber” (crossing the threshold of the room) destroys the illusion of the treasure and causes a massive stone block to fall and block the corridor, sealing it off.

Pylarian (the Blind Seer)
STATS?

TO FINISH: Map, Image