Wilderness Stocking - Expanded

Here is the Outdoor Companion for my Dungeon Stocking – Expanded Resource that provides similar Links and Prompts to assist with Overland Hex Stocking. As I’ve mentioned before, I often utilize the traditional B/X Stocking Table (slightly reskinned) for inspiration when I’m working on Hex Features:

But I wanted to try and leverage the same “wasted” Treasure/Resource Roll for this as well to come up with 36 potential combinations that might be used for a bit of Inspiration when placing them.

Under normal circumstances, I prefer placing a handful of these in each Hex (some Obvious, but others might be Hidden or require Exploration/Rumor to uncover.) The goal is genereally to interject more decision points and choices within Travel, because those are usually what makes those Journeys through Wild Places more memorable.

I still have a few more ideas for some additional Resources I might add to this in the future (probably in the form of more d100 Tables, though I was surprised at just how many I found under that [wilderness tier] label already!), but the current version is below:

d100 – Wilderness Woes & Hinterland Hazards

Journeys through those Wilder Places can sometimes be Challenging and Dangerous in addition to being full of Wonder and Discovery. When Stocking Hexes one of the results from my “repurposed” Dungeon Overland Stocking Table is something I’ve come to refer to as a “Hazard.”

The Hazard is a Hex Feature that might create problems for a Party that is traversing an area. These are usually more static features than your typical Encounters or Lairs, and their primary purpose is to create more of those wonderful Choices and Decision Points that make Overland Travel more memorable. These may deplete Supplies, impact other Resources such as Time (by creating Delays or Detours), or even just be downright Deadly. Just as with Traps tenderly placed in a Dungeon Room, the more Dangerous or Impactful something is, the more attentive I would be to Telegraph it in some way. I find that ensuring that your Local Rumor Tables have a few entries dedicated to a nearby Hazard are also incredibly useful for this.

d100 - Wilderness Landmarks & d100 Overland Discoveries

Here are a few tables I have been working on that reached a point where I wanted to share their initial stages. Someday this list will likely meander its way to a thousand or some other ridiculous number, but until then, I decided to get these posted so I can move onto a few other tempting tables that are vying for my attention.

Wilderness Exploration is my favorite Tier of Play, so I try to sprinkle in some Landmarks or Features throughout. These Landmarks/Discoveries are useful for orientation and can make any mapping during Wilderness Adventuring (mental or otherwise) much easier. They can also make Overland Journeys more memorable by injecting Choice, a bit of Mystery, or even just some simple embellishment applied to the Shared Imagined Space that constitutes a Campsite or a place the Players decide their Characters need to Rest.

Landmarks/Discoveries are simply a mostly static feature within a Hex relative to another Feature/Encounter. These could easily work in conjunction with Hazards, Resources, or even Monster Lairs/Entrances to Site Based Adventures (the other categories I tend to create when stocking a map) or simply serve as Decorative Waypoints during Journeys. It stands to reason that within a given Hex (especially within the ubiquitous six-mile), there would likely be several of these memorable features, but sometimes a Referee might find themselves at a loss for something specific. Here are two hundred to hopefully help with that process.

d100 - Events for Camping or Overland Rests & Repose

My recent post on Haven Happenings spawned a sibling of sorts in the form of this table to cover something a little similar, but instead geared more toward those Times when Overland Travel comes to a stop (Camping, Resting, etc.). Over the weekend, I had the fortune of starting a fire and socializing with some friends outdoors. Quite a bit of food for thought and inspiration in that experience.

I’ve tried to shy away from dictating too much by way of Terrains or directly engaging Procedures with these (Encounters can still be handled through your standard preferred mechanisms after all), but some have probably stealthily crept in. Definitely a chance I might revisit this with more specificity down the road for some Seasonality/Environmental tailoring. I also tried to vary things up a little bit: Some with weal, others woe, but usually rather inconsequential or minor in nature (this might dovetail with later Tables that use a Reaction Roll I do love those bell curves after all, or even by Overloading some existing rolls). A few of my favorites are the more Neutral Campfire Story ones where Players get asked about things. Entries more focused in this direction might need to end up on their own little table eventually now that I think about it, because I love how those types of Questions interface with character development in play. 😊

Seasonal Weather (d20, d100, or Choose)

Around these parts (and in a shockingly large number of other areas), the saying “If you don’t like the Weather wait five minutes and it’ll change” is a common saying (insert another time as applicable). I sometimes find that the focus on Weather sometimes veers away from the flavorful and more of a tad to the mechanical in terms of how it’s implemented at tables. If we’re very fortunate, we might get a word or so of description (Rain, Snow, Sunny, etc.), while most of the wordcount is dedicated to various negative impacts they have on Travel and the Player Characters.

I feel that Good Weather should be as good as Bad Weather is bad, and don’t like to pass up an opportunity to toss in some additional descriptors. Rather than just creating more penalties/bonuses to track, I usually have Weather interface with procedures. Encounter Distance/Visibility is a big one, but so is Foraging/Hunting (resources), and even Travel Times themselves. The Weather can make folks grumpy or even more predisposed to parley (Reaction Rolls). Awful Weather can ding Morale/Loyalty of certain Monsters and soldiery as well, just as auspicious skies might have the opposite effect. And of course, there’s always the narrative considerations of a puddle-strewn battlefield or sodden or wonderfully dry firewood as well. I could Talk About The Weather for ages.

So here are a hundred ways to embellish the meteorological goings on in your worlds. These tables can be utilized by Season with a d20 or randomized completely with a d100. There are even twenty especially strange ones that might crop up from time to time and spice things up even more.

Naturally, I may find myself revisiting this a bit. I’d like to finish about 16 more entries for each, so that I can map it to the d66, and then allow these tables to leveraged with my standard “Reaction Roll with the Sky” that I tend to start a Travel Day with (reading the 2d6 as “tens” and “ones” for that delicious double-duty. This will probably work in a similar way to my Wilderness Vignettes 😊.

More Mountain Hexes IV

It is Friday! Here are five more Mountain Hexes! (part of my Wilderness Hexes project). We have made it to 40, so I might take a detour into the Swamps for a chance of scenery.

Browse the hexes tag on this blog for more.

More Mountain Hexes III

Five more Mountain Hexes! (part of my Wilderness Hexes project)

Browse the hexes tag on this blog for more.

Return of the Mountain Hexes II

Decided to dust off my Wilderness Hexes project and continue climbing towards 100 for each Terrain-type. Here are five more Mountain Hexes!

Here's a brief breakdown of what's in this draft:

• An Intriguing Religious Ruin
• A Well-Earned Scenic Vista
• Blanched, Barrow-Like Crags
• A Humongous Hermit
• A Meeting of Massive Waterfalls

Browse the hexes tag on this blog for more.

Return Of The Mountain Hexes I

I decided to take a bit of a breather from the foliage of the Forests for some fresh Mountain Air. Alpine terrains are always interesting to me and were even the first terrain I tried tackling with this project, so it’s wonderful to return to these stony slopes.

Here's a brief breakdown of the contents of this draft:

• Help for Hikers: An ancient stone walkway
• A Mountain Lake, devoid of life
• A Scenic Way-Shrine
• Some distinctive, finger-like Formations
• Rabidly foaming Rapids

I’ll have to brainstorm on some supporting generators for Mountains (akin to all the material I’ve whipped up for Trees/Plants/Herbs), maybe a Mountain Range/Prominent Peak name generator would be useful. As always I welcome any ideas for these in addition to feedback!

These Mountain Hexes as part of my ongoing Wilderness Hexes project (browse the hexes tag on this blog for more).

Finally Fifty: Five More Forest Hexes for Your Friday

Finally reached the half-century mark!

These Forest Hexes as part of my ongoing Wilderness Hexes project (browse the hexes tag on this blog for more).

This time we have:

• A small stream that needs crossing
• A Green Grotto chock-full of surprises
• Treant Adolescents!
• The Forest's very own Genius Loci
• And a treacherous wooden bridge!

Fifty is a great milestone to finally hit, and I can't believe I've managed to stick with it this long given my easily distracted nature :)

As always, I welcome any feedback or stories about how these work out for your table! Might celebrate by researching some POD options (cue trumpets & tuckets), so I'd love any information or options anyone is willing to share about that whole can of worms!

Friday Five (More Forest Hexes)

Happy Friday!

Here are five more Forest Hexes as part of my ongoing Wilderness Hexes project that I'm working on in idle moments.
(browse the hexes tag on this blog for more)

This time we have:

• An orchard overtaken by the wilds
• A bearded boulder hill with a mysterious past
• Ancient aqueducts
• The biggest Bear
• The previously portended Serpent Plinth.

Hope they bring you some fun and inspiration for your overland crawls! I can't believe I'm almost at Fifty for this terrain type :).

Five More Forest Hexes

Here we have five more Forest Hexes (almost halfway to one hundred for just this terrain). (See prior posts here and here for more.)

This time we have a Forest Fire, a tempting target for tomb-raiders, some unusual and intriguing formations, the time-honored Wizard's Tower, and some Sylvan Ruins.

Leave no hexagon idle and empty :). As always, I'd love to hear how these work out for you if you find them useful or if there's a type of feature you'd like to see.

See The Forest For The Trees

Here's another handy-dandy table for adding some more botanical flavor to your fantasy wildernesses.

Again, my focus is still on Forests for the time being, but Trees tend to be present in most terrains₁:

Generate uncommon names for real-world trees, or graft-together completely new arboreal creations. I find that arming myself with 3-4 types per large woodland is generally sufficient, but I'll produce a new one when the terrain starts to change or I want to telegraph a shift in the overall hex biome.

I like to make a quick note when I make a new one, just for verisimilitude's sake if they ever come back through an area. As the title of the post says though, don't get too bogged down in details. Tables like this are intended to help provide inspiration and gingerly sprinkle on some flavor here and there. Even just a single distinctive tree can serve as a useful waypoint/landmark (“Meet up by that old Rotcoat Willow”).

Some quick results from the table seem to pass the "sniff test" so to speak:

• ❧ Yellow Briar Privet
• ❧ Cat Blister Laurel
• ❧ Gnomeblind Beech
• ❧ Towerleaf Paw-Paw
• ❧ Elf Shield Yew
• ❧ Stinkbark Hickory
• ❧ Queen Flower Tallow
• ❧ Graveknot Gum
• ❧ Sweetpetal Hemlock
• ❧ Tombseed Pine
• ❧ Deer Pip Cherry
• ❧ Priestburn Cypress

Might experiment with weighing results by Precipitation/Climate/Terrain somehow, or even placing more "common" trees lower on the table so that smaller die can be rolled to make them more prevalent. Ideally, I'd start by breaking out Broad-leaf and Conifer trees in some way, because that can go a long way to informing climate.

1. Save maybe Deserts (although one could remix this as Cacti/Succulents], Oceans [Weird Kelp/Coral?], and Polar environments.

Even More Wilderness Hexes - Forests

Work is gradually progressing on my ambitious Wilderness Hexes project. Attempting to get each Terrain up to one hundred entries apiece is proving to be a challenge, but the final product will hopefully be rewarding!

As a tantalizer of things to come, here are fifteen (15) additional Forest Hexes:

These are still in the early days/rough draft form, and I'll most certainly be revising them with an eye for more interrelationships and layout once I've settled on a full final list for the Terrain.

As always, I'm open to suggestions and ideas for other types of interesting landmarks/locations, especially at this early stage in the process. The demise of G+ has sadly scattered a lot of my previous sources of invaluable feedback to the winds. If you end up finding them useful, I'd love to hear about it, and how these end up working at the table with your group. If they help at least one flustered or prep-starved GM entertain their players for a session, then I consider them to be time well spent.

Wilderness Hexes - Version 1.0

One Hundred Wilderness Hexes, all linked in a single compiled document [direct link]:




Current Terrains include: Forest, Mountain, Desert, Swamp and Ocean.

EDIT: Looks like some of the jump links don't really work too well in the embedded version above or when the PDF is opened in certain web browsers. They appear to work in a stand-alone PDF reader though, just make sure to check back for updates!

Drop me a line here if you spot anything odd/misspelled, broken links, or other issues. I'd also love to hear about how this works out at your table if you find it useful or any suggestions! Still contemplating a Printer-Friendly/POD version.

(file under maybe someday: 100 entries for each Terrain type...sitting pretty on a few dozen more Forest/Mountain hexes and I already have a few new Terrain Ideas)

Spending, Clerics: Third Level Shrines

Third Level Shrines

o   Primary Benefit: Level 3 Cleric/Druid Spells

o   Activate: Turning Check vs Vampire

o   Area of Influence: 1 Hex

Level Three Shrines are generally impressive and elaborate structures, sometimes easily exceeding 50 square feet in area. Almost always featuring a building of some sort (get your Stronghold Building Rules handy) or simply massive in scale (think Stonehenge).

o   Level Three Shrine Components:

In addition to requiring an Altar valued at least 2,000 gold pieces (usually metal and etched/decorated, but expensive/imported stone is acceptable for Druids), and at least 5,000 gold pieces invested in statuary/stonework (as Level Two Shrines), they nearly always also include at least one or more of the following very expensive features:

Components	Cost (in gold pieces)
Finely Carved Stone Columns, religiously significant number	5,000 each
Stained Glass of breathtaking beauty:	2,500 per window
Bronze/Metal Statuary	triple price of the 2nd Level Shrine Prices
Brobdingnagian Statuary/Menhir/Dolmen	ten times the 2nd Level Shrine Prices
Add-Ons	Cost (in gold pieces)
Apply gilding	+500 gold pieces per square foot of surface area
Inlay with Gems or Precious Stones:	+50 gold pieces each (does not include price of gemstones, which add value/count as money spent)
Attract Treant Attendant (can animate other trees in defense of the Shrine)	+10,000 gold pieces and a major adventure
Embed sentient Undead (up to Vampire)	Go find one. Fee is negotiable and typically quite dear.

The exorbitant prices are intentional. The ramifications of “free” Cure Disease, Remove Curse, and Call Lightning Spells bear careful consideration. 

Level Three Shrines take at least a week to construct per 1,000 gold pieces used in their construction, and as with all Shrines must be thrice-Blessed Daily (only first and last Blessing need be provided by the Character). The extensive amount of time and manpower required to construct a Level Three shrine can create something akin to a tiny hamlet near the Site during construction, with all the associated and mouths to feed and inevitable threats to face down.

o   Third Level  Shrine Offerings:

In addition to the typical offerings above for Shrine Levels 1 and 2 (which are required to be worth at least 10 gold pieces and 20 gold pieces respectively, and are not optional), the following sample Offering types are appropriate for a Level Three Shrine:

Typical Level Three Offerings (value by type)

Silver, Gold or Electrum Religious Crafts (should be valued at least 30 gold pieces)

Livestock (at least 30 gold pieces in value, at least 3 HD worth)

Sacrifice/Bloodshed (1HD, or at least 3d6 HPs worth of self-inflicted bloodshed)

To Cast or Benefit from the Spell:  Make a Turning Check versus 8 HD (as Vampire) with a bonus of +1 per 30 gold pieces/3 HD/3d6 HP spent on Votive Offerings (they are burnt/destroyed/consumed in the process). If successful, the altar grants the prayer. This ability can be activated once per month period for every 1,000 gold pieces spent in the construction of the Shrine (minimum one, and 30,000+ gold pieces investment will make it a daily Shrine).

     

Optional Secondary Benefit: As long as the Cleric is within one hex of a given Shrine that they’ve created they also enjoy a +3 to Reaction Rolls (as long as Alignment is at least a single step away).

Optional Tertiary Benefit: In addition pick one of these options when the shrine is constructed (these benefits also only function within one hex of the Shrine, and only if an offering was made to the shrine within 24 hours):

• All of Turning Checks versus Undead made by your faith are made with 2d12 instead of 2d6.
• All “naturally occurring” and animated undead are turned as 3 category higher.
• You are no longer subject to Surprise.

o   Third Level Shrine Influence:

Level Three Shrines of opposing faiths/pantheons cannot be constructed within one hex of each other. Any lower level Shrines of Opposing faiths within a hex cease to function as long as the value of their construction is exceeded by this one.

Shrines of this Level also begin passively attracting Pilgrims and Permanent Attendants and can even be used a source of income (Oh drat, more money to spend!) for the more unscrupulous types. Pilgrimage is another Player money-spending scheme I’ll try to cover in a future post, but until then:

Chance To Attract Pilgrims: cumulative 5% each time the shrine is activated, I’d just use Rules Cyclopedia Nomads (Page 193). This resets every season.

Chance to Attract an Attendant: cumulative 1% each time Shrine is activated. This resets if the attendant is driven off or slain. Typical Attendants are Clerics of the Shrine’s faith, of a minimal level of six.

This is also when Shrines typically start garnering attention from Petty Gods. Add one to the Random Encounter Table for this hex/area.

Third Level Shrines very often also become part of the Reliquary/Relic Circuit (to be covered in Pilgrimage).

Level Three Shrines with attendants that have attracted Pilgrims have a tendency to accumulate Treasure as Type U in the form of donations, melted slag metal from offerings, etc. Check once a month. This money is typically funneled back into offerings and upkeep for the Shrine, but many a spendthrift Cleric has had to raid their Shrine’s coffers in desperation.

Spending, Clerics: Second Level Shrines

Second Level Shrines

o   Primary Benefit: Level 2 Cleric/Druid Spells

o   Activate: Turning Check vs Mummy

o   Area of Influence: 1 Mile

At Each Level, Shrines generally become larger and more impressive than their lower level counterparts. Second Level Shrines generally consist of an area of at least ten feet square and sometimes even include a small building or other structure.

o   Second Level Shrine Components:

Shrines of this magnitude nearly always display something with more permanence than their First level counterparts. Altars for Level Two Shrines are generally larger (double price), and wood is unacceptable as a material for the altar itself.

Typically of some kind of statuary or stonework (be it a bust, mosaic, or bas-relief) or arboreal feature is incorporated into a Level Two Shrine, samples below:

Basic Components	Cost (in gold pieces)
Stone Bas-Relief, middling quality	500
Stone Bas-Relief, exceptional quality	1,000
Tri-Color Mosaic with unsophisticated subject matter	350
Impressively Intricate Mosaic, dozens of colors	900
Sculpted Bust, sparse detail	200
Sculpted Bust, lifelike in resemblance	600
Stone Font, Simple and Dry	100
Stone Font, Suitable for Holy Water Consecration, Dry	200
Scrying Pool, Dry	600
Simple Statue, single seated figure	1,000
Simple Statue, free-standing	3,000
Trees	free if planted (must be Blessed)
Add-Ons	Cost (in gold pieces)
Connecting to a Spring or natural Water Source (if present):	+500
Magical Water Source	+5,000
Statuary Improvement:
Fair Quality	+1,000
Unremarkable, but talentedly arranged	+2,400
Exceptional Quality	+6,000
Masterpiece	+10,000
Magic-Mouthing Benedictions/Maledictions	+5,000
Grove Improvement:
Reagents for the Song of Rapid Growth	+100 per foot of desired trunk diameter
Special Soils that cause fruit to act as Goodberry	+2,000 each plant
Axebane Enchantment (bark becomes as Iron)	+5,000 per tree
Firebane Enchantment	+2,500 per plant
Attract Centaur Tribe/Dryad Shrine Attendant(s)	+8,000 gold pieces and a minor quest/adventure
Undead
Embed non-sentient Undead (Skeletons/Zombies)	+500 per HD & Animate Dead Spell
Embed Ghouls	as above, plus source of Food (nearby graveyard)

         

Transport costs and even hiring caravans of wagons to move the construction material are almost certainly going to further increase costs.

o   Second Level Shrine Construction:

A Level Two Shrine takes at least 1 day per 500 gold pieces spent. It must still be Blessed thrice daily (although only the initial and final Blessing need be provided by the Character creating the Shrine) so this may also have associated costs with hiring/overseeing the process.

o   Second Level Shrine Benefits:

To cast or become the recipient of the spell, offerings are placed on the altar. In addition to one of the typical offerings of a Level One Shrine (which are required to be worth at least 10 gold pieces, and are not optional), the following sample Offering types are appropriate for a Level Two Shrine:

Typical Level Two Offerings (should be valued at least 20 gold pieces)

Waxen, Clay, or Wooden Religious Crafts

Grain or Trade Goods (Common Spices, Bolts of Fabric, Salt)

Holy Water

To Cast or Benefit from the Spell: Make a Turning Check versus 6 HD (as Mummy) with a bonus of +1 per 20 gold pieces spent on Votive Offerings (they are burnt/destroyed/consumed in the process). If successful, the altar grants the prayer. This ability can be activated once per week period for every 1,000 gold pieces spent in the construction of the Shrine (minimum one, and 7,000+ gold pieces investment will make it a daily Shrine).

Optional Secondary Benefit: 

As long as the Cleric is within one mile of a given Shrine that they’ve created they also enjoy a +2 to Reaction Rolls (as long as Alignment is at least a single step away).

Optional Tertiary Benefit: 

Pick one of these options when the shrine is constructed (these benefits also only function within 1 mile of the Shrine, and only if an offering was made to the shrine within 24 hours):

·        All of Turning Checks versus Undead made by your faith are made with 2d8 instead of 2d6.

·        All “naturally occurring” and animated undead are turned as 1 category higher.

·        Upon preparing to sleep, choose a specific entity. You will dream of, and be aware of their rough location within the current hex, or if they enter the hex within 24 hours.

o   Second Level Shrine Influence:

Level Two Shrines of opposing faiths/pantheons cannot be constructed within one mile of each other. Any Level One Shrines of Opposing faiths within a mile cease to function as long as the value of their construction is exceeded by this one.