So, there has been too much hateful rubbish in the discussions I have been reading lately (not necessarily here), and I'd like to clear my head with something wholesome. Therefore, this thread is about posting random interesting entries from your personal hex-crawl settings. Any genre or system goes, as long as
- it is related to a hex-crawl or similar non-linear wilderness structure;
- and you wrote it.
- If it's possible, don't embellish except to render the text understandable on a basic level. Let's see the raw stuff of adventure, even if it does not make immediate sense.
Beyond basic curiosity, I am interested in what kind of concrete information people incorporate into their wilderness encounters. I have been reading more of
Isle of the Unknown lately, and it is super-dense, sometimes with highly specific, and sometimes utterly general hex descriptions. I lean towards the former, but obviously, authorial intent differs. Let's see more takes on the subject.
To start out, here are some random hexes from various regions of my two Fomalhaut campaigns (spoilered in case Premier or someone else from my group is reading this thread):
Spoiler
1402 Ruined pyramid-temple. Crumbling stairs lead to the ritual chamber where 9 ghouls in torn, dusty finery hold camp. 8*40 gp in silver bars, 7*350 gp in gold bars. The idol is a formless stone colossus worn smooth with age; before it lies a shallow basin full of soot and ashes. If a sacrifice is performed, the idol speaks in inarticulate, imbecile roars; Will save or flee from the temple. When its cries are finished, a sliding stone slab reveals a cavity filled with hardened, brownish, transparent balm, within which slumbers a motionless cadaver, the vampire-priest. It can communicate with telepathy and offer one-use spells in exchange for a priest's blood. Otherwise, it attacks mentally with its dominate ability.
1403 Small decorative garden surrounded with tall walls, long abandoned. The broken stump of a statue, decaying mosaics praising Thaxander, the architect of the ruined city of Vermath. A peacocktrice lurks among the plants and flowers.
1503 Lair of 5 giant lizards in the reeds next to the seacoast. They attack from concealment, or underwater.
1507 VELKOS VEL, stone fortress (talan) of the Talaiote barbarians. Erected from massive stones over a narrow and steep gorge, its gates are flanked with two enormous stone amphorae: anyone who would enter must first deposit a generous gift. Sub-tector Krod Skernd, with the characteristic rough features of the half-cavemen, and Gal Erroch, priest of Tarsis. 130 slingers, 130 non-combatants.
1604 Koshabar, an old man, living his last days in a dismal hut, spending his time caring for his "sons", 9 moss-covered statues. If any ill befalls him, the statues animate, and if they must, they will pursue the offenders to the end of the world.
1612 The Isle of Kothab: a veritable paradise on earth, exotic fruit trees and pleasant brooks. Kothab, an elderly priest retired from the city of Dusal Dagodli, lives in a galass pavilion in the company of chattering birds and served by dextrous little monkeys. He knows several juicy rumours about the city, all of them fifteen years or more out of date.
2203 Fishing boat, Captain Djamil Kabeer and 35 men, all from the city of Yol. They have recently fished out a a large, rusted mechanical crab. He has good knowledge about the nearby lands, including the legend of the tomb at 2208.
2301 Ruins buried deep in the jungle; slick, mossy walls. The shell of a spherical structure, collected brackish water, algae and plants. A crazed hermit crying like a child, stirring the stuff with a huge wooden ladle. "It is inside! It is inside!" and "It boils! Nooooo! It will boil!" The cracked eggshell of a giant bird, and within it, the rotting cadaver of its hatchling.
2406 The Villa of Hyél Singh. Terracotta-and-ceramic villa under a great glass dome; also an energy well into geothermal depths. Only entrance through the Underworld, a magnetic railway terminal linked to The City of Vultures. Short above-ground track segment, ruined concrete structure of a rest stop. **ADARKURSHID** The villa's defences are heat-focusing paraboloid mirrors, effective through the glass. Hyél Singh, 8+2 level Fighter, a high-ranking follower of Jeng.
2602 The Temple of the Consumed Gods. Shoals rising from the sea, the whole extent above waterline during low tide. Ruined, sand-filled rooms with walls depicting strange shapes of bulbous sacs and many teeth; wormlike entities peering from obscure hiding places. The priesthood, 29 sea zombies, guard their abandoned sanctum faithfully. The high priest is a golden skeleton sheathed in a netlike sack, filled with wormlike brass chains that are its intestines. Full value 3000 gp, 6000 gp if recovered fully intact.
0308 Saplings grow from the cracks of an enormous crumbling stone head, half-buried. Wamanka, the sunburnt, tough-as-leather woman of the wastes dances around it. She is selling magical charms of bark and a "serpent ring", containing the leading impulses to the shrine of the goddess Vannaglakka dwelling deep beneath the City of Vultures.
0401 The Isle of Shaker Vira: Seventy-three steps lead up from the jungle to a distended plantation. The rooms of the tiger-adorned central building are closed mini-worlds; each ruled by a lady, or a tiger. In the centremost room, a pedestal holds the skulls of 6 tigers and one lady (gemstone teeth 900 gp); horrid blood-drinkers even in death.
0606 An abandoned tower rising from the sea. 15 zombies prowl the lower levels in the wet darkness; 17 more and 5 juju zombies above. All lead by Kosha Kasem, 5th level Cleric of Ozolba, the Charnel God. Lamps and candles, a mirror which shows the living as the dead (and vice versa), idol: choking hands, sacred oil sprinkled on it brings forth monsters as summon monster III.
Your turn.
Great thread, will post later.
Quote from: DestroyYouAlot;537533Great thread, will post later.
Yes, idem.
These are kinda old, and pretty bare-bones:
Spoiler
GULLUVIA (V0.1)
0103 Thorp (Dwarven), Steelroar
0108 Ruins (Shrine, Orc) Ruins of Groshnak Vorroz (Groshnak's burial ground)
0204 Ruins (Tomb) Fjorg's Tomb – the ruined hillside tomb of a werewolf jarl
0212 Ruins (Village, Human, Neutral) Smeldorf's Notch – abandoned farming village, now being reclaimed by the forest
0301 (Single Dwelling) Gnoll Camp
0306 Ruins (Tomb, Goblin) Hinak's Tomb
0501 Single Dwelling (Dwarf) Copperdelve
0506 Ruins (Single Dwelling, Human, Chaotic) Hunting Lodge
0507 Single Dwelling (Gnome) Bumponalog
0510 Castle
0513 Thorp
0605 Castle (Medium, Type B, Neutral Cleric 10th, Demeter) Abbey of the Bountiful Sheaf – monastery presided over by a semi-retired high-level adventuring cleric of Demeter - 2 ballistae, 2 light catapults, 5 oil cauldrons
0608 Village (Human, Lawful) N'Sau
0612 Hamlet (Human, Neutral) Farnum – farming hamlet, presided over by a local wizard (whose presence keeps Gulluvian soldiers out in most cases)
0704 Thorp (Kobold) Birnip
0806 Village (Human, Chaotic) Thorold
0813 Single Dwelling (Dwarf, Chaotic) Ingish's Camp – follower of Loki
0912 Single Dwelling (Dwarf 7th, Chaotic) Urist's Burrow – Ingish's (0813) master
0914 Village (Human, Neutral) Dead Mule
1105 Thorp (Gnome) Filge
1111 Castle (Deserted) Castle Greendeath – abandoned castle that once belonged to a troll king - Medium Type B, Large Keep, 1 ballista, 1 light catapult, 2 oil cauldrons
1115 Single Dwelling (Human, Druid 15th) Bertor's Grove
1207 Hamlet
1209 Thorp
1301 Single Dwelling
1302 Ruins (Village)
1304 Single Dwelling
1305 City
1309 Single Dwelling
1406 Thorp
1412 City (Human, Chaotic) Gulluvia
1413 Hamlet
1502 Town
You can see where I've developed, and where I've just generated settlement sizes. (This is for my version of B3, based on the wilderness map in the orange cover version, designed to fit in the Known World.)
Here's my key for my game right now. The map is on the blog I use as a player reference point:
http://www.serpentmarch.blogspot.com/
Any of my players who lurk here ought to stay out, of course.
Spoiler
0000: Limestone Cave containing 3 Mongbats
0001: A Stone Circle surrounds an ancient altar upon a barren heath. Cultists from Stumpy's Point gather here by the greenish light of the moon to cavort with strange demons. Their orgies are led by a 4th level Diablolist who wears an ivory mask.
0003: Limestone Cave containing 9 Smugglers
0004: Village of Stumpy's Point pop. 90 Market
0005: Limestone Cave containing a Giant Slug
0006: Limestone Cave containing a Giant Spider
0007: Geothermal Vent containing 6 Mongbats
0008: 10 Zombies
0009: 9 Skeletons
0100: Limestone Cavern containing a Giant Spider
0101: Ruin of a Hut. It contains nothing of value save for an old mirror covered in a moth eaten blanket.
0102: Limestone Cave containing a Hydra
0103: Ruin of the Sinking Tower. A lich lives at the bottom and remembers nothing of his former life.
0104: Flumph
0105: Limestone Cavern containing a Minotaur. Scattered amongst its treasure lies the Rib of Theobald.
0106: Disease. Those who pass through this hex must make a save vs. poison or contract Blight from mosquito bites.
0107: Village of Grita Heath pop. 155 Market
0108: Stream Cut Cave containing a Troll
0109: Stream Cut Cave containing a Giant Slug
0200: Abandoned Mine containing a Giant Spider
0201: Limestone Cavern containing 4 Smugglers
0202: Village of Wolfstone pop. 400 Mercury
0203: A shining figure may be seen walking upon the waters of the swamp here. If followed, it appears to be a beautiful woman clothed only in a gauzy, shawl like covering. She will beckon alluringly. Those who follow her will be led to a cavern on a small, mist shrouded island. Within one will find a random magical sword.
0204: Talus Cave containing 14 Stirges
0205: Ruin of Nothelfer Abbey
0206: Limestone Cave containing a Giant Spider
0207: Abandoned Mine containing an Owlbear
0208: Sea Cave containing Ogre
0209: Sea Cave containing 5 Gypsies
0300: Ruin of a Large Village (23 cottages) & ditch & palisade & moat
0301: A savage 7th level magic user (GGB) makes his domain here. He is aided by three creatures, an Owlbear, a Giant Crab, and a Babbler. He is soul-bound to these creatures, and all damage that would be done to him is instead divided up between them.
0302: Ruin of an Oracle's Sacred Place. There is a Shadowgate to another dimension here. It is guarded by a Barbed Devil. The devil possesses an evil ring. Passing through the Shadowgate will take the PCs to another realm.
Bone Devil- AC: -50, HP 21, 90% to hit, Claw/Claw/Tail for 2d4/2d4/3d4, Magic Resistance 35%, Striking causes Save vs. Fear, Pyrotechnics, Produce Flame, Hold Person, 30% chance of summoning another Barbed Devil.
0303: 4 Zombies
0304: Village of Charnock pop. 230 Market
0305: Limestone Cave containing 7 Mongbats
0306: Quicksand
0307: Ruin of a Keep & 4 Towers. The ghost of a king wanders about, bemoaning his lost kingdom. If attacked, he weeps and disappears.
0308: Poison Water
0309: Ruin of a City (70 Houses)
0400: Quicksand
0401: Abandoned Mine containing 8 Mongbats
0402: Limestone Cave containing 2 Ogres
0403: Sea Cave containing a Wyvern
0404: 1 Skeleton
0405: Limestone Cavern containing an Ogre
0406: At the bottom of the river Yath lies the remains of a rowboat containing a locked chest. Within the chest is a level 5 treasure. Also there lie the bones of a thief. Swimming around the treasure is a giant gar.
0407: 2 Skeletons
0408: Village of Oakenbridge pop. 318 Market
0409: Exploder Spores
0500: Abandoned Mine containing Grimlocks
0501: 3 Zombies
0502: Ruins of the Tabernacle of Worms, a foul place devoted to the demigod Kyuss. Two Sons of Kyuss will burst up from the churchyard and attack any who draw near. Within the tabernacle is a minor artifact of evil, the Skull of Orm.
0503: Wormingford pop. 1500
0504: 1 Skeleton
0505: A chalcedony statue of an angel is half buried in the ground here. One of its wings has been broken off. One who touches the statue will fail their next saving throw vs. death.
0506: Ruin of a Hall. 3,000 gp, 4 pieces of jewelry- Belt with Platinum Buckle and Ruby (12,000 gp,) Gold Clasp (1300 gp,) Gold Chalice studded with pearls and topazes (6,000 gp) Ivory Statuette (900 gp.) Each Grimlock has 3d6 silver, 2d6 electrum, and 2d4 gold
0507: The thief Emetrix barely escaped Wormingford with his life. He is living out in the marshes in a lean-to, and he steals from outlying buildings of Oakenbridge to scrape by. He broke into Wizard Berkeley's house and stole a chest containing three potions- one of which was a prototype restore hair potion. It has turned Emetrix into a Werewolf. Within his lean-to he has one of the other potions and some treasure: 4,000 copper
Emetrix- AC: -25 HP: 15 To-Hit: 75% Attacks: Bite 2d4 damage Special Defense: Silver or +1 or better magic items are needed to hit. If someone loses more than 50% of their hit points to this bite, they are infected by lycanthropy.
Human Form: AC: -20 HP: 18 To-Hit: 50% Attacks: Short Sword d6+1 Damage Special: Thief Abilities 4th level
0508: 9 Skeletons
0509: Stream Cut Cave containing 11 Grimlocks
0600: Ruins of a City with 52 houses and a wall.
0601: Limestone Cavern containing 6 Mongbats
0602: Quicksand
0603: Limestone Cavern with 7 Mongbats
0604: 11 Skeletons
0605: Ruin of a Village with 16 cottages and a ditch
0606: Limestone Cavern containing 13 Bandits
0607: Dead Magic Zone
0608: Exploder Spores
0609: Limestone Cavern containing a Giant Spider
0700: Sea Cave containing a Minotaur
0701: 1 Zombie
0702: Buried in the peat here are preserved human corpses over 1,000 years old. An anatomist would pay handsomely for a look at one. 10% wear valuable jewelry.
0703: Ruin of a Hut. In a small heartwood box within is the skull of Theobald.
0704: Talus Cave containing a Troll
0705: Limestone Cavern containing a Giant Spider
0706: Limestone Cavern containing a Giant Spider
0707: Zarthstone 416 Market
0708: 2 Skeletons
0709: Limestone Cavern containing a Troll
0800: Ruins of a Village with 24 cottages
0801: Village of Serpent Little pop. 136 Market
0802: Sea Cave, once the lair of a giant spider.
0803: Geothermal Vent containing an Ogre
0804- Swarin's Cairn pop. 156 Fish
0805: Limestone Cavern containing 10 Stirges
0806: 3 Zombies
0807: Limestone Cavern containing 18 Bandits- Treasure: Flawed Azurite (5 gp), Sapphire (1,000 gp), Blue Quarts (10 gp), Cut Emerald (1,600 gp), Amber (100 gp), Coral (100 gp), Hematite Shard (2 gp), Jet (100 gp), Malachite (8 gp), Moss Agate (14 gp)
0808: Abandoned Mine containing a Wyvern
0809: Limestone Cavern containing Berserkers
0901: Talus Cave containing 11 Cultists
0902: Abandoned Mine containing 4 Mongbats
0903: Abandoned Mine containing 9 Bandits
0904: Stream Cut Cave containing 7 Mongbats
0905: Flumph
0906: The skeleton of an ancient black wyrm fell here long ago.
0907: Talus Cave containing 13 Lizard Men
0908: There is a glade here which seems perfectly safe.
0909: Ruin of a Castle with a Keep & Pallisade with a Moat, Manor, and 4 Towers. Below lies the Dungeons of Mordeth, and woe unto any who delve there.
Here's a set of samples from my OD&D Thracian Hexcrawl, ranging in detail from the "single point of interest" to "reference an adventure I own" to "lair" to "mini-dungeon with key".
For hexcrawls I always key locations, never creatures. Of course, some locations contain creatures. But my hex keys never include stuff like "there are 12 goblins eating a deer". (Creatures are handled through the random encounter tables.)
A3 Orluk Totem[/u]
A giant statue, worn by weather. Depicting an elephantine beast of prey with black and yellow striped fur. (An orluk.) The yellow and black stone is not painted, but rather two different types of colored granite which have been quarried and then shaped to take advantage of the quarried strata.
E3 Tar Pits[/u] (Trolls Will Be Trolls, One Page Dungeon 2010)
- Vast depression about three hundred feet deep, about 3 miles wide, and filled with boiling tar. There are troll caverns in the northern wall of the pit.
A4 Pyramid Tomb of the Vampire Duke[/u]
- Featureless pyramid of dull black stone.
- Entrance is 500 feet to the northeast beneath a disc of tarnished brass which has been partially exposed due to a gulley that floods during rains. (Ancient Thracian: Let the dead remain with Thanatos.)
- Vampire Duke Ashal (HD 9, AC 2)
- 21 zombies. (several hundred more lie as desiccated failures)
TREASURE: 8 golden discs (6 feet across, worth 1000 gp each) depicting the duke's achievements, culminating in his conversion to the Thanatosian death cult and the mass sacrifice of 1000 subjects.
DEVELOPMENT: Duke Ashal might head to Anubian villages or Maernath if allowed to escape in gaseous form.
E11 Thanatosian Cultist Outpost (hidden)
- Keeping an eye on the Temple of Elemental Evil (E12).
- AREA 2: 10 level 0 types camping out.
- AREA 3: 8 1st level fighters live to the east. AC 3 (plate), hp 3 (x2), 8 (x3), 6 (x2), 7.
o Two 4th level clerics live in the complex of rooms south of this area 25% chance of either being here. AC 7 (leather), hp 15, 20; spells: cure light wounds (x2), hold person
- AREA 4: Patriarch of the Dark One, 8th level cleric, AC 5 (chain), 36 hp, spells: protection from good, cause light wounds, hold person, silence 15' radius, cure serious wounds, sticks to snakes, dispel good, animate dead, speak with dead, finger of death
- AREA 5: Non-functioning doors of the dead, as per Caverns of Thracia. (Rituals in this area failed decades ago.)
- AREA 6 – TREASURE: 15,000 sp, 7,000 gp
(http://www.thealexandrian.net/temp/cultist-outpost.jpg) (http://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/one-hour-dungeon-map/)
Interesting how hex maps can have a strong emphasis on a specific encounter type, like mine on ruins, DestroyYouAlot's on villages and strongholds and Aporon's on lairs. I wonder what that signifies - different game styles, or just different ways of presenting campaign information?
For example, my wilderness key is a mixture of self-contained encounters or short summaries which can serve as springboards for improvisation, but it is not a full key - it does not contain, or only "links to" larger adventure sites and cities, which have their own keyed maps. Actually, my current campaign folder - which is the tool I use to organise and run my games - contains a bunch of small modules, including (spoilers again)
Spoiler
- "The Conspiracy": a master document of the main players, mysteries and structures of the campaign, and a brief writeup of the centrepiece - the City of Vultures with its sites, factions, traditions and gods.
- A handful of modules outlining different organisations within the setting, which are the focus points of non-linear social exploration. NPCs and locations.
- Areas of the Underworld beneath the city. These are linked, but the individual sectors are fairly well isolated from each other, and some layers have very low accessibility.
- The wilderness, treated in a hex-crawl format.
- Smaller city states (one so far), map, player map and key.
- Adventure sites with more detail (two so far, but bound to increase steadily).
- A collection of one- or two-page mini-adventures/mini-locales for the city.
- ...and two supplements with city encounters (one an abridged translation/adaptation of City Encounters, the Swords&Wizardry supplement; the other its companion for nocturnal encounters).
Here is one of the two wilderness segments which have been detailed so far. X marks ruins, Ls mark lairs, black triangles in circles are strongholds and white triangles in circles are ruined strongholds; unnamed dots are villages of fishermen and/or dirt farmers (i.e. "non-relevant scenery"), but I have not placed all of them yet when I scanned the map.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Melan/Thasan_NWQuadrant.jpg)
WRT the wilderness key, if an encounter area is meatier, it goes into a separate document (and small entries can be promoted into larger modules). Like Justin, I only include monsters if they are more interesting than "20 bandits"; but often, monsters generated on encounter charts become a permanent fixture of the area - if the bandits remain undefeated in the encounter, the characters may later receive news of them raiding a nearby village or extracting tribute.
In general, my method is increasing complexity through play - at the beginning of play, the wilderness will mostly hold unconnected "dots", but after a few sessions, the dots will start to organise into networks and generate more possibilities of conflict and interaction. For example, in our last session,
Spoiler
the characters disturbed the stronghold of Sohrab Khan, a vampire nobleman who was still defending a mountain pass long after he was ordered to retreat. To save themselves, they told him an army of nomads had conquered Birtham, the outpost he was supposed to be defending, and that an army from the city would be along shortly to lend help. Sohrab Khan, convinced by a ring a player had previously stolen from a city noble, immediately raised his army of the dead to liberate Birtham, and, with some deceit (gaseous form comes handy in opening the gates from inside), succeeded - in massacring a garrison that was actually on his side. Meanwhile, the characters looted his crypt, including a glass case with the skulls of his revered ancestors.
What that all means is that from now on, a formerly passive NPC will become an active player in the campaign environment, with far-reaching consequences for both the PCs and the power balance of the region (including the City of Vultures, obsessed with tradition and nobility - they will almost certainly recognise Sohrab Khan's right to act like he did, since he is part of the aristocracy; the nearby nomad raiders, who gained a potent foe compared to the idle and corrupt garrison; the minor city state of Arfel, ruled by a reclusive death-cult who might see Sohrab Khan as an ally; the dervishes of the wastelands Sohrab Khan was protecting the mountain pass from; and potentially the agents and forces of a hostile southern empire at war with the City of Vultures).
BTW, Aporon, I am curious: the village names on your Serpent Marches map (http://www.serpentmarch.blogspot.com/2012/03/hex-map-for-serpent-marches.html) come from the Wilderlands, but from all over the City State map. Is there a hidden meaning behind that, or just coincidence?
Great stuff!
I've been thinking of tracking down, or improvising, a hex map for WFRP's Old World, and doing a hexcrawl-type game between each installment of Paths of the Damned (not a fan of "your journey was uneventful" here).
I'll post some ideas later.
Quote from: Melan;537982Interesting how hex maps can have a strong emphasis on a specific encounter type, like mine on ruins, DestroyYouAlot's on villages and strongholds and Aporon's on lairs. I wonder what that signifies - different game styles, or just different ways of presenting campaign information?
I think it boils down to procedural generation - unless you have the intestinal fortitude to just spin out that many hexes off the top of your head, most folks will fall back on some random generation method. In my example, it's largely untouched, as that campaign didn't see a lot of wilderness play, so most of what you have is me rolling settlement types out of the 1e DMG. (I might have been using CDD#4 Old School Encounters, I don't know.) I made use of a list of random ruins from the JG Ravaged Ruins table, but they were mostly unplaced (I had "ruin" as a wandering encounter type, so they'd get keyed as the party encountered them). Nowadays, my entries look different, since I'm placing more stuff beforehand (and more stuff in a hex, thus my development tends to be more concentrated around the base town and dungeons).
Quote from: Melan;537982Interesting how hex maps can have a strong emphasis on a specific encounter type, like mine on ruins, DestroyYouAlot's on villages and strongholds and Aporon's on lairs. I wonder what that signifies - different game styles, or just different ways of presenting campaign information?
For my part, it was that I stocked the map (after initially placing towns) by rolling on this chart I wrote:
1-12: Monster
13-15: Hazard
16-17: Ruin
18-19: Mysterious
20: Quest Item
I'd run a hex crawl before, but with encounter charts and very few set encounters on the map, and I wanted to try something different. The profusion of lairs is because I loved the lair charts in the Wilderlands a great deal. I used such a chart because I wanted to avoid a feeling of artificiality, like things had been placed exactly where they needed to be. I wanted emergent gameplay.
Quote from: Melan;537982BTW, Aporon, I am curious: the village names on your Serpent Marches map (http://www.serpentmarch.blogspot.com/2012/03/hex-map-for-serpent-marches.html) come from the Wilderlands, but from all over the City State map. Is there a hidden meaning behind that, or just coincidence?
No hidden meaning, I just culled the various town listings for names I liked and used those. I love the Wilderlands as a toolkit but I'm not interested in running it on its own.
Organization of campaign material is always an interesting topic for me, and I don't think there's enough discussion of actual, practical methods. (As opposed to the theoretical stuff you usually see published in advice books.)
For my OD&D hexcrawl, I maintain four "documents":
1. The hex map. This is 16 hexes by 16 hexes, for a total of 256 hexes.
2. A binder which contains the "campaign key". This includes 2 pages of background information (current civilizations, chaos factions, and historical epochs), 8 pages of random encounter tables (for six different "regions"), and the 100 page hex key (which includes entries for all 256 hexes and multiples for some of them).
3. A large folder containing any "adventure sites". These include any location with a key that takes up more than a single page and/or any location which requires a status update (because PCs have visited it and shifted the status quo).
4. The campaign status sheet. This is updated each session and includes current events, a list of empty complexes (which I reference when I make a once per session check to see if they've been reinhabited), the current rumor table, and the master loyalty/morale table for PC hirelings.
My random encounter tables include, for each creature type:
- A reference to known lairs/locations in the region that they might be originating from.
- % Lair chance.
- % Tracks chance.
The latter two essentially generate new adventure locations for me on the fly. (All tracks either originate at or lead back to a lair.)
My general method of prep is to originate everything in a state of "status quo" until a PC touches it. Once that happens, though, the ripples can start spreading very fast and very far.
(Note that that status quo method generally only works if you have robust, default structures for delivering scenario hooks. In this case, I do: Both the rumor table and the hexcrawl structure itself.)
Quote from: Melan;537504So, there has been too much hateful rubbish in the discussions I have been reading lately (not necessarily here), and I'd like to clear my head with something wholesome. Therefore, this thread is about posting random interesting entries from your personal hex-crawl settings. Any genre or system goes, as long as
- it is related to a hex-crawl or similar non-linear wilderness structure;
- and you wrote it.
- If it's possible, don't embellish except to render the text understandable on a basic level. Let's see the raw stuff of adventure, even if it does not make immediate sense.
Beyond basic curiosity, I am interested in what kind of concrete information people incorporate into their wilderness encounters. I have been reading more of Isle of the Unknown lately, and it is super-dense, sometimes with highly specific, and sometimes utterly general hex descriptions. I lean towards the former, but obviously, authorial intent differs. Let's see more takes on the subject.
To start out, here are some random hexes from various regions of my two Fomalhaut campaigns (spoilered in case Premier or someone else from my group is reading this thread):
Spoiler
1402 Ruined pyramid-temple. Crumbling stairs lead to the ritual chamber where 9 ghouls in torn, dusty finery hold camp. 8*40 gp in silver bars, 7*350 gp in gold bars. The idol is a formless stone colossus worn smooth with age; before it lies a shallow basin full of soot and ashes. If a sacrifice is performed, the idol speaks in inarticulate, imbecile roars; Will save or flee from the temple. When its cries are finished, a sliding stone slab reveals a cavity filled with hardened, brownish, transparent balm, within which slumbers a motionless cadaver, the vampire-priest. It can communicate with telepathy and offer one-use spells in exchange for a priest's blood. Otherwise, it attacks mentally with its dominate ability.
1403 Small decorative garden surrounded with tall walls, long abandoned. The broken stump of a statue, decaying mosaics praising Thaxander, the architect of the ruined city of Vermath. A peacocktrice lurks among the plants and flowers.
1503 Lair of 5 giant lizards in the reeds next to the seacoast. They attack from concealment, or underwater.
1507 VELKOS VEL, stone fortress (talan) of the Talaiote barbarians. Erected from massive stones over a narrow and steep gorge, its gates are flanked with two enormous stone amphorae: anyone who would enter must first deposit a generous gift. Sub-tector Krod Skernd, with the characteristic rough features of the half-cavemen, and Gal Erroch, priest of Tarsis. 130 slingers, 130 non-combatants.
1604 Koshabar, an old man, living his last days in a dismal hut, spending his time caring for his "sons", 9 moss-covered statues. If any ill befalls him, the statues animate, and if they must, they will pursue the offenders to the end of the world.
1612 The Isle of Kothab: a veritable paradise on earth, exotic fruit trees and pleasant brooks. Kothab, an elderly priest retired from the city of Dusal Dagodli, lives in a galass pavilion in the company of chattering birds and served by dextrous little monkeys. He knows several juicy rumours about the city, all of them fifteen years or more out of date.
2203 Fishing boat, Captain Djamil Kabeer and 35 men, all from the city of Yol. They have recently fished out a a large, rusted mechanical crab. He has good knowledge about the nearby lands, including the legend of the tomb at 2208.
2301 Ruins buried deep in the jungle; slick, mossy walls. The shell of a spherical structure, collected brackish water, algae and plants. A crazed hermit crying like a child, stirring the stuff with a huge wooden ladle. "It is inside! It is inside!" and "It boils! Nooooo! It will boil!" The cracked eggshell of a giant bird, and within it, the rotting cadaver of its hatchling.
2406 The Villa of Hyél Singh. Terracotta-and-ceramic villa under a great glass dome; also an energy well into geothermal depths. Only entrance through the Underworld, a magnetic railway terminal linked to The City of Vultures. Short above-ground track segment, ruined concrete structure of a rest stop. **ADARKURSHID** The villa's defences are heat-focusing paraboloid mirrors, effective through the glass. Hyél Singh, 8+2 level Fighter, a high-ranking follower of Jeng.
2602 The Temple of the Consumed Gods. Shoals rising from the sea, the whole extent above waterline during low tide. Ruined, sand-filled rooms with walls depicting strange shapes of bulbous sacs and many teeth; wormlike entities peering from obscure hiding places. The priesthood, 29 sea zombies, guard their abandoned sanctum faithfully. The high priest is a golden skeleton sheathed in a netlike sack, filled with wormlike brass chains that are its intestines. Full value 3000 gp, 6000 gp if recovered fully intact.
0308 Saplings grow from the cracks of an enormous crumbling stone head, half-buried. Wamanka, the sunburnt, tough-as-leather woman of the wastes dances around it. She is selling magical charms of bark and a "serpent ring", containing the leading impulses to the shrine of the goddess Vannaglakka dwelling deep beneath the City of Vultures.
0401 The Isle of Shaker Vira: Seventy-three steps lead up from the jungle to a distended plantation. The rooms of the tiger-adorned central building are closed mini-worlds; each ruled by a lady, or a tiger. In the centremost room, a pedestal holds the skulls of 6 tigers and one lady (gemstone teeth 900 gp); horrid blood-drinkers even in death.
0606 An abandoned tower rising from the sea. 15 zombies prowl the lower levels in the wet darkness; 17 more and 5 juju zombies above. All lead by Kosha Kasem, 5th level Cleric of Ozolba, the Charnel God. Lamps and candles, a mirror which shows the living as the dead (and vice versa), idol: choking hands, sacred oil sprinkled on it brings forth monsters as summon monster III.
Love your entries, Melan. You've got a genuine talent for hex-filling.
This is a very interesting thread! I do seem to recall that we did something like this before, though, didn't we? Or did I dream it?
RPGPundit
It's the shame this thread only lasted one and a half pages. I'm going to bump it with some stuff I remembered I had from a few years ago. I tried to stock an entire 25x15 hex map with interesting stuff and burned out. Here it is, in hopes that bumping this thread will get some more posters in it.
Spoiler
0101- Cave with 25 Neanderthals.
0102- A concealed wizard's laboratory is here. He will offer people a chance to undergo a process which changes their skin to brass, reducing all damage against them by 1d8. They can no longer heal by normal or magical means and must undergo a painful smithing process.
0103- Lying in a ditch is a stone cube which is veined with glowing lines. It is a meteorite which fell long, long ago and is a mana battery with capacity 5.
0104- Town of Fass, population 1,009. Lycanthropy is a problem here.
0105- A murderous scarecrow attacks travelers at night.
0106- Giant bees which have learned the use of metal viciously defend their nests.
0107- Here yawns the Maw of Morngash, a gaping abyss into the very bowels of the earth. It is said the dwarfs came forth from this place.
0108- A fortress here is manned by many 0-level warriors and a 6th level fighter captain.
0109- A wicked siren sings upon the rocks.
0110- A great reef here harbors many strange life forms.
0111- The shipwreck described by the seagulls in 0211
0112- At low tide, scavengers search the tidal flats for items washed up from other lands.
0113- A mirage of a beautiful city can sometimes be glimpsed on the horizon. Legend has it that such mirages inspired Iram, the City of Pillars far to the West.
0114- Buried in the desert sand is a granite bottle containing an evil djinn.
0115- A band of Erg Raiders (treat as dervishes) attacks travelers.
0201- Fields of red flowers, as far as the eye can see.
0202- Barren, windswept nothingness. No encounters take place here.
0203- A circle of standing stones lies in the middle of the waste. Odd creatures resembling flaming spiders skitter around clumsily. Sometimes a flaming humanoid shape manifest here and howls in fury, attacking all it crosses. It always returns to the stone circle to dissipate. AC 8, Thac0 12, 2 fire punches, 1d4+1d6 damage each, HP 40.
0204- Vampire bats fly around at night.
0205- Unwary travelers may fall into a hidden ditch with a cave entrance. Within the cave are Cave Folk paintings and tools.
0206- Village of Flandy, population 301. The villagers seem stuck in the past, wearing old styles of clothing and using archaic words or terms of speech. They seem unaware of the rumored impending end of the world.
0207- Fortified town of Veldrane, population 2,176. This is the home and dominion of the vampire Duke, Lord Bartok Gallowbraid. The Duke is a growing power in Lotair, as people are willing to flock to him in hopes of avoiding the worst of the coming eternal night. The church despises Gallowbraid, and would like nothing better than to destroy the rogue Duke.
0208- The great bleached skeleton of a giant with a ship strapped to his back sits in the midst of the plains.
0209- The remains of a fire on the beach contain human bones.
0210- A hippocampus frolics here.
0211- If one can decipher the mournful songs of the seagulls here, they tell of a shipwreck not far off the coast. Supposedly, within the wreck one may find the body of a sailor, and upon his neck a pendant given him by his lover.
0212- The tidal pools here on the beach contain unexpected and unexplained trinkets and treasures.
0213- Settlement of Jodar, population 215. It is the gateway to the Silver Erg. Sometimes people go mad and sleepwalk into the desert, never to be seen again.
0214- Pottery buried beneath the sand contains ancient scrolls.
0215- A sheik warrior riding a red, fire breathing bizzarian travels alone.
0301- A chimera hunts these plains.
0302- Rocks rain from the sky here at infrequent intervals. Anyone caught outside during one of these storms without cover takes 10d10 damage.
0303- City of Estalach, where the skull of Zahl is kept.
0304- A miles wide, perfectly smooth bowl shaped depression is here. Getting out can be tough. Old bones lie in the very middle. Protracted rainstorms turn this into a temporary lake.
0305- A windswept moor features occasional entrances into the Subterranean Realms.
0306- A bizarrian ranch run by an eccentric wizard-noble.
0307- Miles of empty plains.
0308- Village of Dior. There is a lion's-head fountain in the center of town which grants long life to those who drink of it. No one in the town knows this.
0309- The cursed chateau of Milon de Rais.
0310- A farmstead where a farmer and his three sons take in travelers for the night, then murder them in their sleep and take their possessions.
0311- A remote chapel in the wilderness where a lone cleric lives, willing to heal any injuries.
0312- Prosperous port village of Hett, population 781. Many young men are taken by Sirens, many young women are taken by Fymyr.
0313- In a wrecked fishing vessel at the bottom of the bay is a waterproof bag stamped with a strange symbol. Inside is a skull, a scroll, and a corkscrew.
0314- A rotting structure in the swamp is home to a band of marauding Fymyr.
0315- A half-drowned sailor has washed up on the beach. He has a fantastic story to tell that no one will believe.
0401- A herd of wild horses roams these plains. They are descendants of beasts bred by a wizard long ago, and are large, aggressive, and have metallic growths which act as barding. They also spit lightning.
0402- Gibbets line the road to Estalach.
0403- A blind beggar wanders the waste, seeking aid. He was once a paladin, but fell from grace when he murdered his unfaithful wife. He seeks to undertake a quest for penitence and atonement.
0404- Castle Ettinheim, the rotting abode of a noble family who were cursed and turned into foul ettins, stands here.
0405- There is an ancient tree here which has been carved with thousands of runes.
0406- Tanis, the black unicorn, may be encountered here. God help anyone caught in his path.
0407- The Tabernacle of Worms, a temple devoted to Kyuss. A pair of Spawn of Kyuss rise from the churchyard and attack any who dare profane this unholy place.
0408- The village of Noth, population 366. People here worship the Elder Land Wyrm, and perform odd rituals at the solstices.
0409- When it rains, flowers bloom here, and die as soon as the water dries up.
0410- City of Zahlheim, where the left hand of Zahl is kept.
0411- The Silverflow wends its way through craggy rifts in the hard earth. There is a bridge here, under which lives a troll.
0412- Large, predatory seabirds sometimes fly far inland in search of prey.
0413- Miles of wetlands here rife with cypress and Spanish moss. Large bat-like creatures who live here are friendly and attracted to music.
0414- Giant crabs walk along the sea-bottom, treading amongst the ruins of a sunken city.
0415- The island fish Jasconi is currently resting here. The men of the lands south of the Silver Erg believe him to be an incarnation of their water god, Bahamut.
0701- In a small cottage, miles from anywhere, a lone man fights against two savage wolf demons with 2 HD each, AC 7, 1d4/1d4/1d6 damage.
0704- An ancient ring of standing stones lies here, nearly overgrown by the forest. Worshipers of the Horned Mother or the Convocation of the Elder Land Wyrm sometimes gather here.
0706- Castle Eryx, domain of the ancient Lich.
0710- Keep of Lord Wose, a 9th level fighter.
0808- Mount Duvan, site of the hidden fane of the Duvan'Ku. See Death, Frost, Doom. The village of Strothmire is at the base of this mountain.
0812- Tresserhorn Keep. Ruler is Otto von Tresserhorn, 12th level paladin. He is served by a one-eyed magic-user named Ursula of 5th spell level.
0901- In the midst of a great sun-drenched plain there stands an immaculate stone altar. True heroes may be whisked up to the Celestine Realms here, to be tested by the gods.
0902- Only the flagstones of a nameless and long lost settlement remain.
0903- At the heart of this mountain is a sphere of annihilation.
0904- Deep in a cave is a secret fastness of the Brotherhood of St. Iocustus. They have stored much food and water and plan to survive the end of the world here.
0905- Four cantankerous treeants meet here in a pine barren once a century to decide matters of forest-wide importance. They are currently debating the possible coming eternal night, and what to do about it.
0906- Inside of a large living tree lives a sagely elf druid/magic-user of maximum level.
0907- Giant bees make their home here. They produce a honey which can be amazingly invigorating, mimicking the qualities of a potion of heroism or potion of super-heroism in the case of royal jelly.
0908- On moonlit nights, a black castle appears here. Its ruler is a 9th level anti-Paladin.
0909- A band of forest Cave Folk makes their home here. They are led by a 1st level druid called "The Eyes of the Earth."
0910- Cottage of the wizard Alchor, a 7th level magic-user who desires the Skull of Orm from the Duvan'ku temple in hex 0808. He will gift PCs with appropriate magical items to complete the task, but will dispatch 1d4+1 gargoyles to hunt them down if they double cross him.
0911- The village of Maeven, former population 304. Anyone approaching the village will be immediately attacked by giant spiders. Webs cover everything.
0912- An intelligent ghoul wanders the countryside, feasting on corpses and gaining their knowledge. It has already gained the abilities of a 3rd level thief and 2nd level fighter.
0913- A paladin and his cohorts are burning a large pyre piled high with Cave Folk corpses. "Between us there can be no understanding- only slaughter."
0914- The village of Lovis, population 216. The village is disappearing as people leave, as the stillbirth rate here is near 100%. A black-eyed girl was recently born healthy. She never cries.
0915- This site was a battlefield long ago. A helm of flight still languishes here.
1001- A windswept plateau where pegasi gather by moonlight stands here.
1002- Foggy lowlands which are home to an ancient fymyr witch and her three wicked sons.
1003- Hidden hot springs draw all kinds of odd beasts and visitors.
1004- A tribe of merfolk dwells in icy mountain streams.
1005- Here lies Echo's Deep, a series of twisting caverns and vaults filled with monsters and strange wonders. A wicked magic-user is said to have descended into the depths years ago to conceal a treasure he won.
1101- In a hidden vale there is a sacred pool. Paladins may receive a vision of this place if they must travel here to gain a holy sword, find their sacred mount, or atone for sins.
1102- Three hills surround a flat stone slab inscribed with dire runes. Beneath lies something imprisoned long ago.
1103- There is a large burned field here where a star fell from heaven a fortnight ago. The star takes the form of a fire elemental. If slain, its heart is a flawless 10,000 g.p. ruby.
1104- A tribe of Neanderthals inhabits an ancient cairn where they worship a xoat.
1105- A blind, tatooed minotaur, his horns scrimshawed with ancient prayer runes, walks through twisted passageways singing an ancient dirge.
1106- The temple of flame stands here atop a high peak. The keeper of this place is a crimson manticore. One who bears Flametongue may be allowed entry to the inner sanctum.
1107- Limestone cavern with three lithians and countless stone frogs.
1108- Elves frolic through the woods in the shadow of the mountains. They slay those who intrude on their revelry.
1109- This entire area is perpetually shrouded in thick fog.
1110- The remains of a battleground where elves and men fought. Bones poke up through the moss and ghosts walk through silent glades.
1111- A pack of woad using goblin raiders makes its camp here. Their leader is Bugger, a 3rd level goblin fighter who wields a magical battle axe which is +2 against humans. Their symbol is a blue crescent moon.
1112- Town of Norritt, population 752. Packs of feral dogs roam the streets at night, tearing to pieces anyone they can catch.
1113- A pair of ogre brothers like to ambush unwary travelers. Among their possessions is a sapphire amulet which acts as a mana battery with a storage capacity of 3.
1114- A chalcedony statue of an angel is half buried in the ground here. One of its wings has been broken off.
1115- A small halfling village here has four burrows and is home to about 203 proper halflings, each one a member of the Oatburr, Gubbins, Brownbottle, or Snrub clan. They want nothing to do with any adventurers.
1201- Scrubland, with occasional patches of wild pumpkins.
1202- A mad old shepherd may attack or aid (do not use Charisma modifiers to reaction rolls) those he meets. He is a 3rd level druid with 18 Constitution.
1203- A trio of evil gnome illusionists play wicked wicked tricks on passersby.
1204- A yawning cave mouth leads down to a subterranean village of surprisingly friendly and cosmopolitan orcs eager to show off their advanced society to strangers. Their culture apes that of men while retaining certain crude and shocking practices.
1205- Cloudhorn, mightiest of the Karakas Peaks. Upon its crown is the lair of a red dragon.
1206- An ancient fane of the Horned Mother is here. On the third level is a sacred fountain which has been contaminated by a blindheim and his gang of bullywugs.
1207- A forlorn, grey-cloaked boatman plies waters of the Silverflow, offering to carry passengers to the other side.
1208- In a leaf-strewn forest pool lives a green hag. She loves visitors.
1209- A two-headed troll inhabits a tumbledown castle ruin.
1210- A mated pair of owlbears hunts these forest. Their young have recently hatched.
1211- The infamous magsman Gregor Ives is hiding out in a cave. He recently pulled of the heist of a very important treasure in Centromere and rightly fears for his life.
1212- A single, beautiful red apple grows from a withered tree.
1213- City of Centromere, where the ribs and legs of Zahl are kept. The city is divided into the Blood, Iron, Silk, and Fire quarters, all surrounding the cathedral of Zahl. The cathedral's roof incorporates the dead god's ribs into its architecture. The Iron quarter is devoted to industry, the Blood quarter to housing and diversion for the poor, the Silk quarter to the rich, and the Fire quarter to magic.
1214- A witch (first level magic-user) lives beyond the walls of Centromere and sells potions of dubious quality at fantastically low prices.
1215- In a ditch there lies a discarded, apparently leaky cauldron of some cheap metal. Water boiled in it becomes molten lead.
1301- On a largely dirt plain there stands an obelisk made of deep blue stone. Touching the obelisk brings rain. With practice, one may direct the position and magnitude of storms.
1302- A majestic lake which is eternally frozen over. On an island in the middle stands the Castle of the Ice Princess.
1303- Deep pine forest with luminescent moss growing upon the trees. A jabberwock haunts the night.
1304- There are four abandoned hunting cottages here.
1305- The Hall of Mist is nestled on a precipice.
1306- High passes overlook mist-shrouded crags. Deep caves lead to orc warrens.
1307- The source of both the Silverflow and Bitter rivers.
1308- There is a statue of a girl, she is standing near a well with a bucket bare and dry. Anyone who looks her in the eye turns to sand. The well leads to the Underworld.
1309- A giant tortoise has been snoozing in the mire here for 500 years. It has a 5% chance of being totally enraged if awakened.
1310- A beast made of moss prowls a glade with a circle of ice blue stones. A druid, a magic-user, and a cleric can together perform a ritual here to open a gate to the Sidereal Plain.
1311- The brambles here are animate and make every attempt to impede travel.
1312- The town of Mullen, population 2,134. The largest Inn is the Green Fairy, the basement of which is actually a multi-level dungeon. The innkeeper will lure adventurers into the basement on the premise of having them take care of a giant rat infestation, then trap them by means of an iron door.
1313- An abandoned tent city stands here. Strong winds occasionally blow debris across the waste.
1314- In a crag amidst a group of rocky hills, there is a cave which leads into the sewers of Centromere.
1315- The blight has spread through the land. The grass is brown, and the trees give no fruit or leaves.
1401- On a high plain covered in flowers, people sometimes glimpse a figure in shining robes walking in the distance. This figure disappears if approached.
1402- In an uninhabited valley there is a small church. On the altar is a book which contains the Testament of Palladius. One who disturbs it hears wolves calling in the distance. The White Wolves come.
1402- A barbarous satyr challenges passersby to drinking contests. He flays losers alive and nails their skin to trees.
1403- Three skeletons hang from a tree branch. At night, they animate and attack.
1404- An insane berserker from the dark lands to the north has self-styled himself a "druid" and homes in a hollow and evil old oak tree. See Vile Worm of the Eldritch Oak.
1405- A hidden waterfall where nymphs frolic.
1406- The town of Canaan, population 4,138. A mining town which is plagued by persistent acid rain which pits and erodes stone, metal and wood left out in the open. A heavily eroded statue of an angel stands at the gate.
1407- A giant owl makes its nest here. Hobbits beware.
1408- All that can be seen of the former town of Meletus here is the church spire rising above the stagnant water. Various other buildings are more or less intact, and some are still inhabited.
1409- Swamp gas here can be dangerous, inflicting -4 STR on those who fail a saving throw vs. poison.
1410- A vast graveyard contains many strange sights. A cyclops with a giant hammer guards a magic-user who has been turned to stone.
1411- Town of Midbury, population 917. Every attic in the town is full of mischievous gremlins.
1412- A group of pilgrims bound for Centromere consists of a cleric, two yeomen, a scholar, a magic-user, and an undercover assassin.
1413- Anyone riding horses will be attacked by a griffin.
1414- An elven fighter/magic-user of maximum level who wields Storm Seeker rides east. He is haughty in the extreme and insulting to anyone who is not an elf.
1415- A remote farm has been abandoned. There are rusty torture implements in the barn.
1501- A band of barbarians intent on plunder. Treat as berserkers, except for their leader, who is a 3rd level barbarian.
1502- A barbarian trading post. A few stony buildings on a rocky hill, this place is one of the few areas one will find orcs and humans living in close proximity.
1503- A strange humanoid of no known race lurks amongst the trees. Its face has never been seen, and it is not friendly to strangers.
1504- A dire wombat which is rabid makes its home here.
1505- Hanging from a tree is a large, jade cocoon guarded by three pixies. In one month, it will shake and crack, and a wondrous creature will emerge. This may be (d6) a: Pheldagriff, Winged Goblin Druid, a Lamia Noble, a Fairy Dragon, or a Sylph.
1506- There is a grove of hollow trees cached with elven gold here. 10,000 g.p. worth.
1507- There is a small ring of mushrooms in which deep shadows seem to roil. The ring grows yearly, and will eventually cover much of the surrounding countryside. Anyone who steps inside is put into enchanted sleep, and later awakens as a slave to darkness.
1508- By the river are seven dead men and another wounded man who slew the others. He is a fighter of fifth level and will die of his injuries unless cared for.
1509- A strange, chitinous symbiote is attached to a tree here. It will leap off and latch onto a passing humanoid, embedding its tendrils into his or her body. The symbiote will feed harmlessly off of the humanoid's nutrients while providing the equivalent AC of plate mail. No other armor may be worn, and any armor currently worn is shorn if metal or dissolved if leather by the symbiote.
1510- Village of Draff, population 542. All the children of this town have magical powers which vanish when they hit puberty.
1511- A siege engine lies rusting and crumbling in the middle of a field.
1512- Town of Galilee, population 1,899. An angel will soon arrive and slay each person in the town for their perceived sins, then retire to the stone tower in the center of the town to weep. The Flametongue is for sale in a curiosity shoppe here.
1513- An abandoned abbey contains many useful scrolls.
1514- A freestanding arch covered in ivy will teleport anyone who passes through it to a random hex.
1604- A carnivorous plant dwells here. 4 HD, AC 9, 1 bite for 2d8 damage.
1611- On a plain, pitched battle is about to occur between an army composed of the Church of Zahl and the Convocation of the Elder Land Wyrm, led by the 10th level Paladin Lord Aubric Tercey. Their forces are composed of some light cavalry, several units of pike men, archers, foot soldiers, and a dedicated unit of combat medics. Opposing them is an army of the Order of the Ebon Eye, led by a warlock named Sable, an ageless, genderless entity of great evil powers. The Order's forces are composed of corrupted Neanderthals, skeletons, witches, mercenaries, and several covens of horn maidens. The PCs may join either side, and will likely be dedicated as a strike force sent behind enemy lines to kill the leader. Sable has 150 hit points, AC 9, Thac0 9, and gets d4 actions each turn. His powers are Magic Missile as a 9th level magic-user, Re-animator, by which he can raise any corpse as a zombie hit dice equal to the level of the deceased (but no ability scores, class features, or spells), Acid Web, which functions as a web spell but does 1d4 acid damage as well, Drain Touch, which allows Sable to drain d8+1 hit points from a foe and heal himself a like amount, but he must succeed on a "to-hit" roll. Sable may also attack with a +4 dagger. Lord Aubrec has 74 hit points, AC 2 (Plate Mail + Shield,) Thac0 12, and double specialization with a long sword, and possesses a +2 long sword.
1701- The domain of the fearsome orc warlord Bluetooth. He is insane and often seems to be talking to someone who isn't there.
1702- A stronghold of the Order of the Ebon Eye is here. Thralls are bred in their dungeons.
1703- Strange mushrooms have random effects when eaten.
1704- Village of Solem, population 430. A priest of the Ebon Eye holds sway over these people, who give up their children for sacrifices when asked.
1705- Giant ravens circle high above.
1706- A warband of Thralls bred by the Order of the Ebon Eye is on the warpath. These beings are twisted mutants made of undead and living flesh united by foulest sorcery. They are led by a 5th level cleric of the Ebon Eye.
1809- An abandoned mill has become a fastness for an evil cult. The cultists worship Nolchor as "The Lord of the Outer Darkness" and wear white robes with pointed hoods which cover their faces. They favor battle axes and ice magic in combat.
1907- The town of Viron, population of 5,000. Surrounds a large lake.
1913-City of Drath Orn, where the right hand of Zahl is kept.
2203- A crusty old troll lives in a ramshackle hut overlooking a sea-cliff. He would prefer to be left alone, and will only eat people if they won't stop bothering him.
2207- Caves on the beach contain crude paintings.
2208- An old man stares at the sea. He has forgotten the wish spell.
2210- A bottle has washed up on the beach. It contains a message written in a language no one understands.
2302- A beached whale corpse is severely rotted and has the skeleton of a man in its belly.
2305- Sea caves contain over 100 sahuagin.
2306- Port city of Jelling, gateway to the isles of Kish-Tong.
2401- The cliffs here produce odd acoustic effects.
2402- Seagulls swarm over the bloated, floating corpse of a large marine creature.
2403- Sailors have reported sighting giant manta rays here.
2404- A water elemental likes to form whirlpools here.
2405- Three shipwrecks lay on the sea floor. Each has treasure. One is infested with sharks, another has become the abode of a giant octopus, and third is being investigated by a trio of curious merfolk.
2406- Sea lions sun themselves on the rocks. The smell is indescribable.
2407- The Ghost Ship Hyperion sometimes appears here. It has a crew of the damned consisting of 50 skeletons, 23 zombies, two skeleton warriors, an imp, a margoyle, a charonodaemon captain, and various passengers. Those willing to pay for passage can be taken to the Underworld via this ship.
2408- A flock of razorbills inhabits the cliffs.
2409- The remains of a trade ship lie on the beach here. It is devoid of treasure.
2410- A giant albatross is sighted periodically. Old sailors call him Colonel Ironsides, and disagree vociferously on whether his sighting is an auspicious or dire omen.
2411- Deep sea beds of giant oysters may yield enormous, highly sought after pearls for the adventurous.
2412- The pirate ship Lovely Lucy, Captained by the mercurial Barnabas Magoon, plies these waters. The ship has a figurehead fashioned after the likeness of Magoon's ex-wife, after whom the ship is also named. Lucy is alive and well in Jelling, and lives off of plunder gifted to her by Magoon, who is still rather deferential to her.
2413- Portuguese Man 'o War float along in these waters.
2414- A sea serpent has been known to crush ships here.
2415- Friendly dolphins will carry shipwrecked sailors to shore.
2501- A barren rocky island here is the home of the illusionist Verina. She has used her powers to make the place seem a tropical paradise.
2502- The trade ship Luther is bound for Kish-Tong.
2503- A whirlpool leads to the underground realm of Po, abode of the sea elves, where everyone can breathe water and troubles can be forgotten. Time passes differently here.
2504- A tiny, wave-tossed coracle carries an ancient druid cradling a babe in his arms.
2505- Thick fog obscures this entire area, making travel by ship perilous.
2506- Here lie the sunken ruins of the Thormish Occultium, a wicked school of magic which trained many terrible wizards, including the dread lich Eryx. It is a gathering place for giant sharks now, though who can say what treasures still lie within those silent halls?
2507- The leviathan slumbers here. Awaken it, and it will seek out the kraken and do battle.
2508- A community of merfolk lies deep beneath the sea. Their god is the Leviathan in hex 2507.
2509- A kraken dwells here and may pull ships under.
2510- A beautiful woman who appears to be a mermaid will approach ships, hail, and ask if Palladius of Estalach still rules upon land. Anyone with any historical background will know that Palladius lived and died many hundreds of years ago. Telling the woman this with cause her to transform into a gorgonic monstrosity and attack the ship, seeking to slay everyone on board. In gorgon form, the woman has 10 HD, Claw/Claw/Bite for 2d8/2d8/1d10, and poisonous fog breath which deals 3d8 damage, save vs. poison for half.
2511- A colony of giant starfish is curiously aggressive. Chopping them up only makes them divide into more.
2512- A freak iceberg floats along. Deep inside is Frostbrand.
2513- A nasty storm is brewing.
2514- A tribe of merfolk mutants who resemble hammerhead sharks make their home here in a deep sea trench. Their leader, "The Ocean of Blood" possesses a powerful magical trident.
2515- Electric eels can be dangerous opponents, but some wizards will pay great sums for the bio-electric humours and organs of these creatures.
Great thread, which I shall bump again. I haven't used hexes in a while but I'm looking at them anew after seing some of the entries here. Usually if travelling there's a theme to encounters, and if exploring I just mark stuff off as it suits the flow of the game by time on the map, so I'd write these up as encounters in advance and roll based on region.
This
Quotethe characters disturbed the stronghold of Sohrab Khan, a vampire nobleman who was still defending a mountain pass long after he was ordered to retreat. To save themselves, they told him an army of nomads had conquered Birtham, the outpost he was supposed to be defending, and that an army from the city would be along shortly to lend help. Sohrab Khan, convinced by a ring a player had previously stolen from a city noble, immediately raised his army of the dead to liberate Birtham, and, with some deceit (gaseous form comes handy in opening the gates from inside), succeeded - in massacring a garrison that was actually on his side. Meanwhile, the characters looted his crypt, including a glass case with the skulls of his revered ancestors.
What that all means is that from now on, a formerly passive NPC will become an active player in the campaign environment, with far-reaching consequences for both the PCs and the power balance of the region (including the City of Vultures, obsessed with tradition and nobility - they will almost certainly recognise Sohrab Khan's right to act like he did, since he is part of the aristocracy; the nearby nomad raiders, who gained a potent foe compared to the idle and corrupt garrison; the minor city state of Arfel, ruled by a reclusive death-cult who might see Sohrab Khan as an ally; the dervishes of the wastelands Sohrab Khan was protecting the mountain pass from; and potentially the agents and forces of a hostile southern empire at war with the City of Vultures).
is how games should develop.
Everyone should check this thread out. (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=3129)
And then there is this (http://www.mediafire.com/?sb80w7tlh7yxc7u) which I entered in an OPD contest a few years ago.
Edit: A gentleman by the name of Alex Schroeder actually went through and did stats of the monsters (http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2012-05-15_The_Forgotten_Depths) for the forgotten depths.
Quote from: The Butcher;538002Great stuff!
I've been thinking of tracking down, or improvising, a hex map for WFRP's Old World, and doing a hexcrawl-type game between each installment of Paths of the Damned (not a fan of "your journey was uneventful" here).
I'll post some ideas later.
Don't know if you've seen'em, but the adventures in the Enemy Within campaign mostly have hexmaps of the Reikland/Middenland area. (Not sure about the later installments.) They're pretty well-done (and visually pleasing to boot).
Quote from: RPGPundit;538530This is a very interesting thread! I do seem to recall that we did something like this before, though, didn't we? Or did I dream it?
RPGPundit
I started something very similar over on TBP a while back.
It went as well as you would expect with open participation :)
The thread (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?453831-Let-s-make-A-campaign-map-hex-by-hex!)
and
The wiki with completed map (http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Hex_by_Hex)
Quote from: DestroyYouAlot;626579Don't know if you've seen'em, but the adventures in the Enemy Within campaign mostly have hexmaps of the Reikland/Middenland area. (Not sure about the later installments.) They're pretty well-done (and visually pleasing to boot).
Yup, found 'em. :) Thanks for the heads-up anyway. Pity no one did a "proper", keyed and hexcrawl-ready map of the Old World, ever.
Ok, here's a few of mine from my current Savage Frontier FR campaign. These are from two different hexmaps (I've been converting Diesel's FR maps into Wilderlands-style hexmaps, half a page of FR map makes one 6-mile hexmap).
Spoiler
0301 Castle (medium walled castle, deserted, 600 yds SW off road in swamp) – inhabitants slaughtered by 4 ice toads
0501 Selpir Creek crossing
An Artifact Used as an Entertainment Device (Intensifying) – heavy copper crown w/ mica panels
Lying on a Rocky Slope, In a Disfigured & Defaced State – marred with tooth marks, causes temporary insanity. Guarded by Dragon Class (Dilophosaurus, 20' long, twin head crest)
The Skeletons of a Dwarf
Charred & Burnt, In a Crumbled & Decayed State
Guarded by Insects
0502 The Remnants of a Tunnel (SW of road)
Lying on a Rocky Slope, In a Dangerously Operational State
Guarded by Trap
Hamlet (100) Finley's Rest (150yds off road road to N) (hetman Finley, eldest sons Darg & Nagle)
Eberhard stays here
0602 Ruins of a Citadel, consisting of Great Keep
Partially Covered in Vines, In a Moldy & Contaminated State
Guarded by Undead Types
Camp (7)
0703 Signpost/boulder labeled "to Secomber" in common along trail
An Antique 5 Foot tall Metal Idol (180 yds off road to W)
Lying on a Rocky Slope, In a Disfigured & Defaced State (dedicated to Yeenoghu, alternating ghoul and gnoll heads on a tin totem pole)
Guarded by Giant Types (gnolls)
0803 Refuse Consisting of Slop
Lying Beneath an Overhang, In a Corroded & Eroded State
Guarded by Nothing
Campsite N of road
Castle (medium walled castle, on cliff to N of road, totally deserted)
0904 Refuse Consisting of Papyrus Scraps
Partially Covered in Earth, In a Partially Operational State
Guarded by True Giants
Stony crevice fords a brook crossing the road
Ruins (Hamlet, 200) (on road in crook of trail to the north), inhabited by giant insects (bombardier beetles)
Stone w/ elven runes ("To Elorfindar's Hold") in crook of path/road to N
1004 An Artifact Used as an Offensive Device (Eye)
Lying Beneath an Overhang (140 yds NE of road), In a Crumbled & Decayed State
Guarded by True Giants (cave frequented by Verbeeg from Fallen Kingdom 0403)
Thorp (30) Tagen's Hold (5 buildings inside timber stockade, undressed stone with sod roofs) on road to N) Tagen (Human male fighter
Spoiler
0128 An Artifact Used as a Weapon (Battleaxe)
Lying Beneath an Overhang, In a Disfigured & Defaced State
Guarded by Undead Types
Castle (Zundbridge)
Taxes: 2cp on each animal, 1 for each wheel (for bridge), 3% on goods (payable here or on entry to the city) trade stamps / wax seals affixed
Paladin: Dieter of Tyr, human paladin 6 (Tall, blonde, offensively handsome, bastard sword)
0228 The Vestiges of a 4' Square, Closed Sewer (dungeon sheet)
Lying In a Crevice, In a Wormeaten State
Guarded by Trap – culvert has collapsed in a sinkhole, grate to the N, dark culvert to the S
Castle (Medium walled castle, monster lair, nonhuman), 2 miles to the northeast, barely visible off road
0229 The Vestiges of a Treasure Mound
Lying Above Ground, In a Crumbled & Decayed State
Guarded by Trap
0330 An Ancient Relic of a Pick
Lying on a Rocky Slope, In a Fully Operational State
Guarded by Mechanical Device
Brooklet (4, 27" wide) bridged by a washed out road, culvert plugged up, badger den NE up creek;
0430 The Wreckage of a Springal (siege engine)
Lying Inside a Cave, 300yds off road to N, up a run of clearing towards the top of a hill, In a Disfigured & Defaced State. Guarded by True Giants (2 verbeeg, clubs + spears, 1 w/ 18/91 Str +5 dam/range, 80sp, 40ep, 25gp 1 w/ 18/76 +4 dam/range, 70sp, 35ep, 10gp)
Hamlet, 3 Rocks (100) (off road to S 300 yds, hunters + trappers) runt by hetman Kraus
Soooo, you can see pretty clearly that most of the wilderness dressing is straight out of the Ravaged Ruins table (automated through Tablesmith). I've detailed the ones that players have interacted with on the fly - this is a living document that I have open while we play. (Hexcrawls are the thing that finally got me bringing my laptop to the table - hidden behind the screen, of course. Makes cuing up the music easier, in any case.) Settlements are generated from the table in the DMG, only modifed for 6-mile hexes (as opposed to the 1-mile hex it was designed for - happily, if you roll it on a 20 as opposed to a percentile, the math lines right up).
I roll a modified encounter roll whenever PCs pass through a hex (along with the normal time-based ones based on terrain type) - in addition to monsters on a "1", this includes things like game animals, "scenic" enounters, and extra Ravaged Ruins results. This has the effect that hexes traveled often end up with more detail (going along with the assumption presented in JG material that any given hex is going to have tons of Relics). I roll for sighting when PCs pass through, different dice depending on the size/visibility (don't really have a hard and fast system for this, say maybe 1 on a d6 for a village in a scrub hex, 1 on 20 for a discarded weapon in a trackless hill hex, etc.), although if it's on a road or well-travelled path, they'll almost certainly spot whatever it is.
Quote from: Piestrio;626581I started something very similar over on TBP a while back.
It went as well as you would expect with open participation :)
The thread (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?453831-Let-s-make-A-campaign-map-hex-by-hex!)
and
The wiki with completed map (http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Hex_by_Hex)
Maybe that's it, but I swear we had something similar to this here on this forum...
//www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=3129
Maybe you're thinking of the thread above?
Quote from: JamesV;627033//www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=3129
Maybe you're thinking of the thread above?
Yup. That was the one. I guess it was a lot less recent than I remembered.
RPGPundit
From a blog entry a few months ago...
I generated these hex descriptions by starting with Ramanan Sivaranjan's Carcosa Hex Generator, then filling using the "find/replace" feature on a word processor to change the Carcosa-specific factions and monsters to fantasy ones. I then filled out details of each hex (including the names) with automatically generated stuff from Abulafia, adding in a few connections here and there. It took about an hour and a half altogether.
Because of the effort put into each one, these don't really make sense as a hex-by-hex description, they are more "the 20 most interesting hexes in the area" unless the hexes themselves are very big (big enough very different kinds of cities to be in nearly adjacent hexes). They could be distributed into a less eventful hexmap/
When there's something that would be visible from a distance, it's marked with the word "landmark".
01
A humanoid golem (AC 16, MV 90', HD 4, insane) guards the remains of a crashed ship. He is armed with a sword and a crossbow. His 3 large eyes rotate about his head. He can not be surprised and will react with hostility to all who approach. The boat is The Dracolisk A stylish but unexceptional vessel. 3d4 crew live. Two mad lords--straightjacketed--are among the cargo. They're being returned to their family in hex 13 for a considerable bounty but will offer the PCs thousands for their freedom.
Landmark:
Undying Court of Order--a walled city known for its beautiful statues and grotesque buildings--containing white elves ruled by "The Presence of Lords," a insane 9th-level paladin. The librarians in hex 11 know the code word for the gate.
02
A large bird of prey stalks the players. After 1-3 hours it will turn and fly off into the distance. The bird does not attempt to hide its presence. It serves a demon (AC 19, MV 180 [swimming only], HD 6, insane): an orange annelidoid with a suckered mouth.
03
Plain of spongy, olive green moss infested with snakes. The Princess of Six Sorrows, a female contortionist (Str: 4 Dex: 17 Int: 8 Wis: 13 Con: 6 Cha: 12) hunts them for food.
04
Landmark:
Kyr-xoth, a settlement of 243 were-rats ruled by a insane 9th-level ranger. Home to sand sharks, a living idol, an exiled madman, and the Caliph of The Unshriven Light a 13th level cleric. At war with a fortress of 291 gnolls ruled by "the Lawgiver by Whom All See," a rational 2nd-level barbarian. In the first city, a clever hunter seeks The Dagger of Burning Day. Unfortunately, it was last seen in the possession of an eccentric virgin who is now dead. It is now in the belly of the arachnid demon in Hex 18.
05
Landmark:
A mountaintop monastery of 68 jackalmen led by "the Queen of Benedictions," a rational 5th-level wizard. Outside, two goblins lay dead on the ground. One is holding a cursed crossbow with 10 bolts left. There is a 1 in 6 chance the crossbow will curse the shooter when discharged. The other has a sack filled with dry putrid gorgonzola goat's Milk Cheese
06
3 Polar Worms.
Landmark:
The Shrine of the Faithless Light a settlement of 338 white elves ruled by "The Commander of War," a 4th-level wizard who believes that, to keep the sun in the sky, everyone in the area should be hypnotized by his servant, The Seer of Nameless Science.
Also contains:
Inn: Hostel of the Wren, famous for its Charbroiled Goose
Inn: The Sign of the Goblet and Lotus, famous for its Tender Squab
The Chapel of the Serpent Athrakk is a place where only the rich are welcome to worship.
07
17 of an irrational undead army lead by an Eye of Fear and Flame herd a group of 15 librarians into a small stone bunker. The room is mostly bare, except for a defaced and broken holy symbol on the floor near the east wall of the room. A pool of what must be corpses near the northwest corner of the room causes a strong odor here. Spots of bright green mold dot the room.
Inside there is a trap: a sturdy cage ready to close on whatever steps inside - clouds of steam are produced, lightly obscuring vision.
A snow leopard stalks the area.
08
Landmark:
Bastion of Ruin--fortress of 280 vampires ruled by a insane 5th-level undead wizard.
Beneath: A forest. The trees are burned black, polished to a gloss, and the branches tapering to spikes. Countless armies are impaled here, including their horses and dogs. At least half these soldiers and their beasts are undying and struggling to kill everything in reach, especially the soldiers of differing armies. A disfigured two-headed mutant man lays face down in the ground. His body is half purple & half blue. Characters who investigate the body must make a save each turn or suffer a random mutation.
09
Landmark:
Mountain peak. The bodies of countless white elves spill out of a door set into the side of a mountain and completely fill the 10' wide shaft leading into the underground. Obscured by the bodies are ancient Librarians runes describing 2-8 random sorcerous rituals. All require the wizard to participate in single combat against a wild beast, burn an effigy, and spend a night howling at the moon.
The underground complex contains...
These traps: acid inside cleverly hidden pits - one obvious way of disarming the trap is itself a trap, gaping steel jaws ready to close on whatever steps inside - one obvious way of disarming the trap is itself a trap, scorpions inside cleverly hidden pits.
These creatures: a minotaur, a jackal-headed warrior (9th level), five salamanders.
10
Myr-Nast, settlement of 256 snow leopard men ruled by "the Baron of All Excellences," an insane 3rd-level ranger. He seeks adventurers to free his sibling, a female half-elf empress. This will require traveling to the temple in Hex 14.
Landmark:
A massive snake shaped citadel coils around the peaks of a craggy mountain containing 25 jackalmen led by "the Empress of Invincibility," a clairvoyant and time-controlling demon.
11
Demon (AC 19, MV 150, HD 6, rational [unintelligent]): a Bone octopoid with a feathered hide, multiple/insectile eyes, and a circular gaping maw. Surprised only on a 1. Harmed only by fire.
4 Librarians attempt to repair an artifact. The Librarians and their magic are incomprehensible to characters with an intelligence score less than 18. They can the password to enter the walled city in Hex 1. A female page, possessor of a magical onyx & possessing an important book (Selected Works Pertaining to the Church of Gilean, by Count Nilott) accompanies them.
12
A beastman (AC 14, MV 160', HD 4, insane) dressed in furs hunts a band of mutant men through spiky rock formations, 5-20 feet tall.. He is armed with a whip and accompanied by 2-12 giant beasts and dinosaurs; these creatures are under his complete control. An abandoned outpost is now home to a group of 23 priests of Vorn. Amongst their possessions is a map of the first level of the dungeon in Hex 13.
Nearby there is a goblin selling something to a crocodile
13
Landmark:
Citadel of 20 jackalmen led by an 13th-level wizard--at first, the PCs will see ten towers. Each has 1 defender visible (there are actually five times that number total) and about 4 will arrive per round in the case of an alarm. The outer walls are 27 feet tall and the towers extend 17 feet above them.
*Due to the condition of the walls, climb checks are at minus five.
*The lowest windows are 30 feet up.
*The initial volley from the towers in case of an unexpected attack will be crossbow fire. The second volley in case of a siege, an anticipated attack, or a small but persistent raiding party (like a bunch of PCs) will consist of thrown snakes with hands for heads and eyes embedded in their palms.
*Additional security measures include:
A gatehouse with inner portcullises that cut off the gatehouse at both ends.
*Also:
The fortress garrison is being attacked by a local faction when PCs arrive.
Contains an entrance to the hidden underground lair of 43 goblin zealots led by a 10th-level goblin alchemist.
14
Ex-garden, now overgrown. Strange flora. The mutilated bodies of two human children lay next to the dead body of a White wizard. On the wizard's person is a book outlining how to cast The Accursed Sounding of the Void. The garden surrounds the scarred and huddled temple of an unyielding creed based on the worship of a god with power over stars and a priesthood with tattooed and flayed skins in. It is protected by an obviously egregiously valuable gold thingamabobber on a pedestal near front door. Touching it activates a trap and/or it's coated in poison. (Thingie's actually worthless.)
15
A giant gloomwing moth.
Landmark:
The Dread Source, a city known for its brooding and malign public games as well as its rusting cathedral. 57 priests of Vorn overseen by "The Worm Enthroned," an insane 10th-level cleric mystically joined to the ettin in Hex 20.
16
Landmark:
A fortress of 156 lizardmen cultists carrying whips ruled by "The Small Dragon," a 14th-level human witch. The witch's research have left her disfigured: she has the scales and tail of a lizard, and is cold blooded.
25% of the lizardmen are berserk warrior-types with 2hd more than the rest and +2 damage. (These may also carry 2-handed weapons.) and their witch raises dead to fight with the host as zombies when they fall.
17
4 librarians camp along a dirt road. They are under the control of a demilich, which they are transporting to Hex 19.
Settlement of 281 gnolls ruled by "the Death of All Graces," a insane 11th-level necromancer. Therein 12 southern elves (drow) led by a putrid smelling wizard (AC 18, MV 120', HD 3, insane) are in the middle of casting Manifestation of the Putrescent Stench. The wizard is armed with a bastard sword and wears a bright orange robe.
Landmark:
In the center of the settlement lies the wizard's tower:
The Cyclopean Spire of Amar, who is primarily concerned with Necromancy. The main entrance is shaped like a demon's maw. Generally constructed in Cthulhoid, tentacular style, the tower contains the following levels: Three Levels: the wizards private chambers and the library, plus Igor's chambers – manacles, rough clothes, foulness.
Features:
-Fey creatures speaking riddles and illusory images with phantom sounds.
-Exploding objects.
-Oh no, you knocked that one thing over and now a secret door has opened.
-At least one room is full of striped objects.
-Abortive Experiment: Half-ettercap, half-drider (spiderman).
-In the Dustbin: Empty bottles of perfume.
18
A water hex: Globes of light move beneath the surface of the water.
Landmark:
The Drifting Isle. A Were-rat hangs limp from a tree. He is pierced head to toe by spikes. Two pikes lay near his lifeless body beneath a castle containing 65 snow leopard men led by "the Claw of Nine Winters," a rational 9th-level Fighter. He controls a demon (AC 18, MV 120, HD 13, insane): a blue arachnoid with two red eyes and a toothed mouth. A magic dagger can be found in its belly.
The castle contains the following rooms: waiting room, map room, closet, robing room, solar crematorium, weird alien birthing chamber, amphitheater, and a gallery.
19
5 Frost Giants hunting.
A mystic circle in an ancient amphitheatre, covered in bloodcolored mold.
20
This area is plagued by a horde of goblins They are ruled by The Invoker of the Wolves an ettin, one of whose heads is schooled in the mystical arts and mystically joined to the ettin in Hex 15. They are headquartered in a ruined monastery. Most carry a net of some kind.
_____
The following Abulafia generators were used to make this stuff:
3d6 In Order NPC
Arabian Nights-Ish Scenario Generator
Cheeses
Creepy Fantasy Villain
Dungeon Area Name
Dungeon Overview
Dungeon Room
Exotic Landscape
Fantasy Adventure Locations
Fantasy Assignment
Fantasy Mansion Domestic Security Measures
Fantasy Person Of Interest
Fantasy Town (Simpler)
Generic Dungeon Key
Hex Map Key
NPC Relationships
Poetic Destinations
Pulp Fantasy Nation
Random Fortress
Random Humanoid Horde
Rituals
Situation Generator
Today At Sea
Weird Fantasy Monster
Whats Up With This Palace
Wizard Tower