Monday, 29 January 2018

A Road on a Hill; A Forest in a Valley

A road passes by on the side of a hill. Below, in a valley, thick trees form a dense, dark forest.

Wandering Encounters on the Road

(roll 2d4 if the forest spirit is at peace, 1d8 if something is amiss)

Roll
Encounter
Notes
1
An ogre mage
In disguise by day.
2
1d4 marauding bandits

3
A griffon
Passing above by day, resting in a nearby nest at night (with 1d4 eggs in spring).
4
A friendly traveller

5
Nothing

6
A salesman
Greasy old guy. Has rations, camping gear, a few simple tools and one half-decent magic item.
7
A lovestruck loon
Enchanted by the forest witch, they mean to seek her out but are scared of the woods.
8
A monk
They venture into the forest regularly to meditate and tend to the shrine there.

Wandering Encounters in the Forest

Allow careful or observant players the opportunity to notice tell-tale signs of an encounter before coming across it (e.g. a stagnant pond of trollspawn, a dusting of pixie moth powder on leaves).

(roll 2d6 if the forest spirit is at peace, 1d12 if something is amiss)

Roll
Encounter
Notes
1
An avatar of the forest spirit, enraged
Roll 1d8 thrice (1: antlers; 2: fur; 3: claws; 4: tusks; 5: hooves; 6: scales; 7: mane; 8: feathers).
2
1d4+1 poachers
After deer, or whatever’s in season (see entry 9).
3
A troll
Nearby are 1d4 padtrolls in summer or autumn, or trollspawn in spring.
4
Pixie moths
Resting by day, active at night. They spread a phosphorescent powder that causes sleep and hallucinations.
5
The forest witch
Out collecting herbs. She is friendly and invites travellers to her cabin for tea. She is a jorogumo (stat as a drider).
6
Awakened shrub, edible
Fruit in spring or summer, roots in autumn or winter.
7
1d4 deer
With young in spring, courtship in autumn.
8
Birds/bats
Birds by day, or bats by night. They harangue intruders if the forest spirit is angry.
9
Animals
Rabbits or game birds in spring and autumn, boars in summer, wolves in winter.
10
Capricious fey
Dryads in spring, satyrs in autumn.
11
Old stone golem
Flattens undergrowth as it lumbers around, overgrown with lichen and bereft of motivation.
12
Skeleton of a long-dead explorer
Their ghost still haunts their bones, visible only at night.



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As you may have noticed, the Guide now has a new mascot! Say hello to the Graverobber. Many thanks to Nicoletta Migaldi for coming up with the design.

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