5.5E NPCs #4: Monastery of the Jade Dragon

This monastery is found in the Kenshai Uplands and attracts many who seek peace of mind and spiritual discipline more than monetary wealth or prestige. A wide range of species are welcome, and the monks here focus on internal qualities rather than outward appearance. The monastery is very old and was founded to keep an eye on the sporadic demonic and monstrous incursions from Karzoth’s Castle to the east of the monastery. These days as well as monks there are various adventurers based here who investigate Karzoth’s Castle and confront any monstrous threats emerging from those ruins. There is a particular network of adventurers called The Fiendbane Watchers who take this duty very seriously and although they have other places to gather , the Monastery of the Jade Dragon is one of their regular bases. 

Abbess Batharia

Medium humanoid (Dragonborn (bronze) female), Lawful Good
Based on 12th level Monk (Warrior of Mercy), hermit background
AC 18, HP 60, Speed 50ft, Init +3, Profic Bonus +4
Str 13 (+1), Dex 17 (+3), Con 10 (0), Int 12 (+1), Wis 16 (+3), Cha 11 (0)
Saving Throw Profic: Str (+5), Dex (+7) (see Evasion below)
Skill Profic: Insight (+7), Acrobatics (+7), Medicine (+5), Religion (+5)
Damage Resistance: Lightning
Languages: Common, Draconic
Senses: Darkvision 60ft, Passive Perc: 13
Actions:
Unarmed Strike (2 attacks per turn): melee attack at +5 to hit for 1d10+1 bludgeoning or force damage. Also you can spend a Focus Point to deal 1d10+3 necrotic damage + poisoned condition for 1 turn
Unarmed Shove: Target must make Str or Dex saving throw vs DC 13 or have the prone condition or be moved 5ft away from the monk
Hand of Healing: Expend 1 focus point to touch a creature and restore 1d10+3 hp and remove one of the following conditions: Blinded, Deafened, Paralysed, Poisoned or Stunned
Breath Weapon: Breathe lightning in 30ft line (5ft wide) causing 3d10 lightning damage , Dex save vs DC 12 for half damage.
Bonus Action:
Patient Defence: Expend a Focus point to take both Disengage and Dodge as bonus action and also gain 2d10 temporary hit points.
Flurry of Blows: Expend a focus point to make 3 unarmed strikes as a bonus action
Reaction:
Deflect Attacks. When an attack does bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage, you may use a reaction to reduce the damage done by 1d10+15 points.
Evasion: When making a saving throw to take half damage, you take no damage if you succeed and only half damage if you fail the saving throw
Monks Focus: Has 12 Focus points per day to spend.
Uncanny Metabolism: Once per day regain 1d10+12 hp and regain expended focus points.
Self Restoration: At the end of your turn you may remove one of the following conditions from yourself: Charmed, Frightened or Poisoned

Equipment: Ring of Protection +2

Description: As the leader of the monastery, Batharia oversees its running and also its defences against the various monsters and evil forces that might threaten it. She is particularly aware of renewed activity in and around Karzoth’s Castle. Batharia was part of the Dragonborn enclave in the city of Mendopolis and she learned the basics of being a monk in Mendopolis where the Order of the Iron Hand, a group of monks aligned to the government, are based. But she left after becoming disillusioned with the overly strict laws and oppression and ended up in the Monastery of the Jade Dragon where she has risen through the ranks over the years. She misses her fellow dragonborn, as they are few and far between in this region and she occasionally returns to Mendopolis to visit here family.  She tolerates the Fiendbane Watchers as long as they do not cause trouble in her place. 

Gengori

Medium humanoid (Aasimar female), Neutral Good 

Based on 7th level Cleric (Light Domain) Acolyte background

AC 17, HP 30, Move 30ft, Init 0, Profic Bonus +3

Str 9 (-1), Dex 10 (0), Con 12 (+1), Int 14 (+2), Wis 17 (+3), Cha 12 (+1)

Save Profics: Wis +6, Cha +4

Celestial Resistance: Resistance to necrotic and radiant damage

Senses: Darkvision 60ft, passive perc 13

Languages: Common, Celestial

Skill profics: Insight (+6), Religion (+5)

SpellCasting at 7th level using Wisdom. Spells to hit at +6, Spell save DC 14

Actions

Scimitar, melee attack at +4 for 1d6+2 slashing

Healing Hands: As magic action you can touch a creature and heal it for 3d4hp, usable 1/day

Heavenly Wings: Spectral wings sprout from your back and for 1 min you can fly at 30ft/rnd, usable 1/day

Spellcasting, using Wisdom. Spell to hit at +6, Save DC 14

Cantrip: Light (Aasimar ability), Guidance, Word of Radiance, Mending

1st level (4 slots/day): Bless, Cure Wounds, Sanctuary, Guiding Bolt, Burning Hands, Faerie Fire

2nd level (3 slots/day): Hold Person, Protection from Poison, Silence, See Invisibility

3rd level (3 slots/day): Create Food & Water, Remove Curse, Daylight, Fireball 

4th level (1 slot/day): Banishment, Arcane Eye

Equipment: Half Plate Armour, Shield +2, Scimitar +1 +2 vs Fiends, Holy Symbol

Description: Gengori is responsible in the monastery for hospitality as well as healing and curing. As such she is often found in the monks’ infirmary. Nonetheless she has also sometimes become more proactive in combating evil and has been known to join expeditions investigating Karzoth’s Castle. She has become a member of the Fiendbane Watchers and is sometimes quite zealous, proclaiming it is her divine duty to protect mortals from the fiends and undead that occasionally emerge from Karzoth’s Castle. At one stage she was eagerly recruiting adventurers to investigate and clear out the evil stronghold but when several adventuring bands disappeared completely, presumably killed, she became remorseful, guilt-ridden and far more cautious. 

Veladoon 

Medium Humanoid (Goliath (stone giant) male), Lawful Neutral

Based on 8th level Paladin (Oath of Vengeance),  Guard background

AC 19, HP 52, Move 35ft, Init +0, Profic Bonus +3 

Str 18 (+4), Dex 10 (0), Con 14 (+2), Int 10 (0), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 13 (+1)

Save Profic: Wis +5, Cha +4

Skill Profic: Insight (+5), Athletics (+7), Perception (+5), 

Senses: Passive Perc 10

Languages: Common, Giant

Spellcasting, using Charisma. Spell to hit at +4, Save DC 12

Cantrips: Guidance, Resistance

1st Level (4 slots): Cure Wounds, Detect Evil & Good, Shield of Faith, Thunderous Smite, Divine Smite, Bane, Hunters Mark

2nd Level (3 slots): Zone of Truth, Warding Bond, Lesser Restoration, Hold Person, Misty Step

Actions: 

Greataxe melee attack at +9 to hit for 1d12+6 slashing damage (reroll any 1 or2 on damage dice) + Cleave

Lay on Hands:  Heal up to 40hp per day, or remove Poisoned Condition

Channel Divinity (2/day): Divine Sense: Detect celestials, fiends & undead within 60ft

Vow of Emnity: You get advantage to hit against a single creature you can see within 30ft for 1 min 

Bonus Action:

Large Form: Become Large size and get advantage on Strength checks and movement increases by 10ft

Reactions:

Stones Endurance: 3/day when you take damage, roll 1d12 and subtract that from damage taken. 

Equipment: Plate Armour +1, Greataxe +2

Veladoon is a towering and imposing warrior who believes it is his duty to fight the chaotic demons of Karzoth’s Castle. While some folks see this conflict in terms of Good versus Evil, Veladoon sees it as Law versus Chaos, and the monastery is a bulwark against the lawlessness, havoc and disorder that the demons bring. Veladoon can be quite gruff and unsympathetic , and does not suffer fools gladly. Nonetheless he is extremely brave and loyal to the monastery. He sometimes leads combat patrols to keep the area around the monastery free from monsters. He has become an occasional member of the Fiendbane Watchers but is careful not to commit too much. 

Estalli Shadowshine

Medium Humanoid (Orc female), Chaotic Good

Based on 6th level Warlock (Celestial Patron)

AC 12, HP 38, Move 30ft, Init +1, Profic Bonus +3

Str 8 (-1), Dex 12 (+1), Con 13 (+1), Int 13 (+1), Wis 10 (0), Cha 17 (+3)

Damage Resistance: Radiant

Save Profic: Wis (+3), Cha (+6)

Skill Profic: Investigation +4, Religion +4

Senses: Darkvision 60ft, Passive Perc 10

Languages: Common, Orc, Celestial 

Spellcasting using Charisma, spell to hit at +6, spell save DC 14

Eldritch Invocations (5): Otherworldly Leap, Repelling Blast (Eldritch Blast pushes targets back 10ft), Armor of Shadows, Mask of Many Faces, Eldritch Spear (Eldritch Blast, +180ft range)

3 Cantrips: Eldritch Blast, Friends, Blade Ward

2 Spell Slots up to 3rd level

Spells prepared (7): Speak With Animals, Spider Climb, Hold Person, Counterspell, Mind Spike, Aid, Cure Wounds, Guiding Bolt, Lesser Restoration, Light, Sacrd Flame, Daylight, Revivify

Healing Light: Can heal 1d6hp with touch up to 7 times/day

Actions: Dagger, melee attack at +4 to hit for 1d4+1 piercing

Equipment: Leather Armour, Dagger +1

Description: Estalli is an orphan outcast from her orc tribe who was rescued by a benevolent cleric and brought to the monastery. Here she has grown up and found herself in the service of a Planetar angel who has become her warlock patron. She is liked and respected in the monastery but is well aware that orcs do not have a great reputation in the region. As such she has taken it upon herself to be an ambassador of sorts, showing that not all orcs are savage raiders. Estalli has a mischievous sense of humour but she is aware that not everybody appreciates it. She keeps a distance from Veladoon who she considers to be rather dour and humourless. Estalli is not particularly interested in the Fiendbane Watchers and generally won’t join in expeditions to Karzoth’s Castle. 

Nastrallam Keenith

Small Humanoid (Gnome male), Neutral Good

Based on 6th level Bard (College of Lore), Sage background

Str 10 (0), Dex 16 (+3), Con 13 (+1), Int 15 (+2), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 15 (+2) 

AC 10, HP 29, Move 30ft, Init +3, Profic Bonus +3

Saving Throw profics: Dex (+6) and Cha (+5) & Gnomish Cunning (advantage to Int, Wis & Cha saving throws)

Skill Profic: Arcana +5 (Expertise), History +5, Religion +5, Investigation +5 (Expertise), Perception +4, Acrobatics +6

Senses: Passive Perc 15, Darkvision 60ft

Spellcasting using Charisma, spell to hit at +5, Save DC 13

Cantrips: Mending, Prestidigitation, Vicious Mockery, Minor Illusion, Dancing Lights

1st level (4 slots): Cure Wounds, Detect Magic, Identify, Comprehend Languages, Protection from Good & Evil 

2nd level (3 slots): Enthrall, Zone of Truth, Mirror Image, Knock

3rd level (3 slots): Tongues, Speak With Dead, Dispel Magic

Bardic inspiration, 2x per day using d8

Actions: hand axe, melee attack at +3 to hit for 1d6 slashing

Shortbow, ranged (80/320ft), at +5 to hit for 1d6 piercing 

Equipment: Studded Leather Armour, Hand Axe, Shortbow + quiver of 20 arrows, 

Description: Nastrallam is an investigator of ruins, an archaeologist of sorts. Although some use this as an excuse to plunder ruins for lost treasure, Nastrallam is genuinely interested in history and ancient cultures. He is getting quite good at exploring ruins around the monastery in the Kenshai Uplands and has even gone into the upper structures of Karzoth’s Castle but he does not get involved in the fighting against the demons and other forces of evil that emerge from the bowels of that castle. Similarly he has declined offers to join the Fiendbane Watchers. However, he is happy to advise and offer knowledge where he feels appropriate. 

Jungle Elves of Davania

source

Physical description: 

Jungle elves are darker skinned than elves of Brun and a bit shorter. Their hair is naturally black or dark brown but they sometimes either dye or bleach it. They tend to wear deep green leather and cotton as camouflage while hunting but can wear bright colours while relaxing or for ceremonies. Their equipment is nearly always made from materials found in the forest, so metal items are few and treasured.

Characters: 

Jungle Elf NPCs are mostly elven rangers (60%), some are spellswords (30%), and more elven druids than in Brun (10%) since jungle elves don’t have many metal items so forsaking metal equipment for druid spells is less of a sacrifice. 

The spellswords (standard elf class from B/X rules) are more like sorcerers than wizards - their magic seems more intuitive than learned and their spell preparation involves ritualistic chanting. 

Language is basically the same elvish as used in Brun but with an accent and some new words for things in the jungle. There are no game-rules changes between jungle elves and elves from other lands. 

Villages and Society

Jungle Elves often dwell in the extensive boughs and canopies of massive jungle trees where it is safer than on the ground. Such tree houses need to be at least 30ft up, away from the reach of the tallest dinosaurs. Their villages will typically consist of several large treehouses  connected by rope bridges. Village populations typically range from 50 to 200 elves. 

Villages known to the Thyatians in Cittinova include

• Macaw Roost
• Verdant Horizon
• Gray Moon
• Raptor Watch
• Hollow Trunk
• Mahogany Fort
• Ivory Bow

The jungle elves of the Davanian jungle do not form a coherent nation but more of a network of villages, a loose coalition, with large stretches of harsh rainforests separating them. Conflict between elven villages is very rare - most of the time they are aware that other elves are the least of their problems and although contact between villages is infrequent, they also realise that other jungle elves are their most reliable allies. 

Source

 Jungle elves have a Neutral attitude towards foreigners including humans, perhaps a bit better towards foreign elves. They are wary of rakastas but most of the time they leave each other alone. Jungle elves are hostile towards minotaurs, bugbears and araneas who have always treated the elves as at best competition and at worst as food. 

Economy

Food is either hunted or gathered from the canopy - Davania does not lend itself to conventional agriculture. Nonetheless there are often favoured fruit trees that each village will guard, and since different jungle trees produce fruit or nuts at different times of the year, a range of selected trees should provide a village with enough food year round. Hunted animals are usually the smaller vertebrates such as iguanas, babirusa (treat as wild boar) and small deer (herd animals, 1HD). However, every now and then the elves will take on a more dangerous prey such as the large herbivorous dinosaurs such as stegosaurus or brontosaurus (see X1: Isle of Dread for stats). Such a kill can feed a village for a week, unless the elves are driven off from the carcass by a large scavenging dinosaur such as an Allosaurus or a pack of Deinonychuses. 

Trading is generally a matter of barter. Trade between elven villages is infrequent usually because of the dangers of travelling through the jungle from one village to another, but some trades are worth the risk. Recently the elves around the Thyatian settlements have started trade with the humans there. Again they generally barter and often are not interested in silver or gold. The elves provide jungle fruits, high quality longbows, dinosaur hide and other goods gathered from the forest, and in return they enjoy the range of fabrics and clothing the Thyatians offer, and also metal weapons which are more durable and stay sharper than the bone and hardwood weapons made by the elves. 

 

A Journey from Karameikos to Ylaruam

Cartography by Mark Howard (source)

Revisiting the Rules for Overland Travel

It is possible to hand-wave journeys from one nation to another, and DMs are entitled to do so. One session the PCs are finishing their adventures around Castellan Keep and the Caves of Chaos, and the next session they have arrived at Cinsa-Men-Noo.  However, in many epic quests in legend, film and literature the journey is the bulk of the adventure. The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, the Odyssey, King Solomon’s Mines, Apocalypse Now and others have travel to a destination as most of the story. These are good for world-building and verisimilitude - making the campaign world seem more real, with geography, inhabitants and events going on around the PCs.  

Traditionally the idea is that Basic adventures (levels 1-3) happen around the dungeon, while Expert adventures (levels 4-13) involve venturing out into the wilderness. The X-series of modules (X1: The Isle of Dread etc) often have large sections of wilderness with dungeons often taking a secondary role. And so wilderness travel is principally addressed in the Expert rulebook. 

If the PCs stick to roads, I don’t bother with chances of getting lost and journey time is improved, as well as the reduced likelihood of hostile encounters.  If they decide to go off the beaten path , then things become more difficult and risky, and the rules for checking if the PCs get lost will apply. 

This particular journey from Karameikos to Ylaruam is more of an example than a concrete event that must happen. It is my way of considering how such expeditions might take place and how the DM can approach them. 

Motive & Hooks

The meta-reason for getting PCs from Karameikos is because I have envisioned Karameikos hosting low-level, Basic adventures - once the PCs reach 4th level or more they can venture further afield, either south into the Sea of Dread (which inevitably involves ship journeys) or staying on land they can travel to Darokin or Ylaruam. If the DM is happy with a true sandbox campaign, the PCs can venture anywhere they want, if they have the means and the motivation, but as a DM I find it better to prepare adventures in geographical clusters (e.g. northern Ylaruam or north coast of Norwold’s Great Bay) and to guide PCs towards that area if not towards a specific adventure. But of course trying to explain this to players might break the mood - why would their PCs, brave adventures in search of fame and fortune, want to travel to a far-off land like the Emirates of Ylaruam?  

• Treasure: Gnarl Vorggonson from far-off Ostland talks to the PCs in a tavern about the Emirates of Ylaruam. There are great pyramidal tombs filled with the burial treasures of the ancients. Whatever the risks of whatever guards it, the rewards are certainly worth while. The following morning Gnarl is found dead with a Ylari dagger in his back. The Holy Killers of the Eternal Secret have struck again. 
• Employment: A new notice is pinned on a wall of the inn at Castellan Keep: “ Caravan Guards wanted for journey northwards. Some combat experience preferable, payment is reasonable. See Beldorphix the Dwarf Merchant at the Griffon Shield Inn in Penhaligon”. 
• Magic Items: Zashell of the Magician’s Guild in Specularum has come across old papyrus scrolls inscribed with spells not seen in centuries. After investigating their provenance, she is sure there are more such scrolls in the ancient ruins of northern Ylaruam and she is willing to pay well for them if brought to her intact.   
• Academic Study: Ganahellion, an elf associated with Specularum College of Sages, wants to investigate the stories of ancient civilizations that once dominated northern Ylaruam. But he needs bodyguards as he has heard the land can be quite dangerous. 
• Entrepreneurial Trade: The garrison at Duke’s Road Keep has run out of oil for both lighting and for pouring on besiegers (after a recent and brutal battle). Anyone who brings five large barrels from Tel Al Kebir will be well paid. 
• Religion and Philosophy: Sister Alpadina, a junior cleric in the Order of the Griffon, has been asked by her superiors in Kelvin to see if there are suitable allies against the forces of Chaos in other lands. The Order has heard of the Eternal Truth and its followers but don’t know much about it. They know even less about the mysterious dervishes that inhabit the deserts of Ylaruam but Sister Alpadina wants to investigate, though she cannot do it alone. 
• Pursuit of Justice: The chaotic priest who has infiltrated Castellan Keep has fled after adventurers find evidence implicating him on his colleague in the Caves of Chaos. Will he take a riskier route into the wilderness or will he flee by safer though more circuitous roads and trails? PCs who pursue him may need to investigate and ask questions at the various settlements he might have passed through. 

Route and Distances

Here the hex maps I have used in these blog posts become really useful. The one at the top of this post was chosen because it shows the entirety of the journey as I expect it, with Karameikos in the southwest quarter and the Emirates of Ylaruam in the northeast quarter, with Cinsa-Men-Noo near the northern edge of the map. At 8 miles per hex it is simply a matter of counting the number of hexes between points and multiplying by 8 to get the distance in miles. It could be argued that the town, castle or village featured in a hex actually only takes up a small proportion of what is inside a hex (an 8 mile hex is actually 55 square miles in area) and thus distance may not be an exact multiple of 8, but I don't feel the need to be that accurate. 

My suggestion for this would be:

• Penhaligon to Duke's Road Keep: 7 hexes or 56 miles by road
• Duke's Road Keep to Reedle: 4 hexes or 32 miles by road
• Reedle to Selenica: 5 hexes or 40 miles by road
• Selenica to Parsa: 15 hexes or 120 miles by road
• Parsa to Sulba: 8 hexes or 64 miles by trail
• Sulba to Ylaruam City: 7 hexes or 56 miles by trail
• Ylaruam City to Cinsa-Men-Noo: 9 hexes or 72 miles by road

This gives a grand total of 55 hexes or 440 miles if the PCs stick to the main roads and trails. Whether or not the PCs stop at the various locations for rest and resupply is up to them. Generally speaking a travellers' inn, even a poor quality one, is better and safer than camping out on the side of the trail. These locations could well have their own adventures, side treks and NPC schemes going on as the PCs pass through. 

Speed of Travel

This one is explained in the Expert Rulebook and is the group's slowest traveler's movement per turn divided by five as miles per day. This is then further modified by what terrain they are travelling through although trails and roads cancel out any hinderance from terrain. I understand that this results in a daily distance that is only rarely divisible by 8, so it won't be a convenient matter of treating hexes as simple discrete stepping stones - we will be dealing in fractions of hexes (although probably not fractions of miles). 

If the slowest member of the party is travelling at 60ft/turn in a dungeon then they are travelling at 12 miles per day in the wilderness, assuming they are on relatively open and easy terrain, including trails. In fact if on roads the speed is increased by 3/2, so that character can travel at 18 miles per day on road. Such a character could therefore theoretically complete the route given above in  28 days (320 miles by road / 18 miles per day on roads = 17.8) + (120 miles by trail / 12 miles per day = 10 days).  Even a party riding mules will travel twice as fast as that (mules have a base speed of 120ft/turn) and could ideally complete the journey in 14 days. 

Random Encounters

I'm okay with random encounters as long as DM discretion applies both with regard to challenging the party and also whether it makes sense within the campaign world. Also remember that encounters need not be violent - either side may wish to parlay or avoid the other altogether. For some civilised encounters they are simply passing each other on their respective ways. Page X57 in the Cook rules gives guidelines for how often for each type of terrain random encounters are met. The number of checks per day is not entirely clear but I would suggest 2 - one during the day (presumably while travelling) and again at night (while camped) but I understand if the DM would rather keep it to just once per day. 

If the DM has enough time and motivation then custom random encounter tables are a great way to keep PCs on their toes - otherwise the encounter tables in the Expert Rulebook should be fine, especially with a bit of DM discretion. 

Weather

Weather is not actually addressed in the Expert rulebook but DMs can still make rulings about it. Harsh weather including hailstorms, downpours, blizzards and sandstorms can all hamper a party's movement and possibly get them lost if they insist on pushing on along a poorly marked trail. If already off-road, it is very difficult to navigate when the sun and stars are obscured by storm clouds. Actually damaging  weather such as lightning storms, tornadoes and the like should be rare and perhaps not random (i.e. only occuring when the DM needs the PCs to take shelter).  

The seasons will be important as well: winter travel in subarctic climes (such as Norwold) is not to be taken lightly. Similarly in hot deserts (such as Ylaruam and the Great Waste) the summer months can be unbearable.  

Provisions

Assuming the PCs have no magical way of creating food and drink, they will have to bring their own. Travelling along a river at least provides plenty of water and in temperate climes water should not be too scarce but in deserts such as Ylaruam it is a precious commodity. Since the B/X rules do not have classes dedicated to the wilderness, foraging is difficult and by no means reliable (although if using expanded rules, druids and elven rangers could be useful in this regard). Food and water for mounts may be necessary as well, especially in deserts and barren lands. The Rules Cyclopedia does offer guidelines on foraging in p89. 

Interestingly neither Moldvay Basic nor Cook Expert rules give the encumbrance for normal or iron rations. It's all lumped together with other miscellaneous equipment as 80cn/8lb. However, the Rules Cyclopedia is much more specific - a pack of one week's normal rations is 200cn and a week's iron rations are 70cn. A full waterskin (a quart) is 30cn and is probably going to last a day of travelling, two days if strictly rationed. 

As far as B/X rules are concerned there are no specific consequences for hunger, thirst or exhaustion. I would suggest for every 2 days without food or half day without water each PC suffers -1 to Str and Con (temporary - lost point are restored at 2 points per day once the character can eat and drink). If either score drops below 3 they are incapacitated (cannot move or fight and are barely conscious), and if either score drops to 0 they die. Clearly this is not scientifically accurate - most humans cannot survive more than 3 days without water to drink, even less in hot deserts - but I think it is sufficient for my purposes. If you prefer to work out your own rules for hunger and thirst, go for it. There is a brief section on p32 of Gaz2 Emirates of Ylaruam about heat exhaustion, but this is not really the same as dehydration. 

Left brain/Right brain gaming

There are a wide range of gaming styles and gamers out there. One particular way I tend to categorise games is how emotional or how logical is the approach.  This ties in to the old idea (maybe with scientific validity) of the right side of the brain being involved in emotion, intuition and social interaction, and the left side of the brain being used for logic, analyis and spatial awareness. 

The old school were definitely veering towards the left side. They came from wargamers where there was no social interaction on the battlefield, only tactics, troop statistics and resource managment. This carried on into the dungeon where a lot of the action was focused on resource management - rations, torches, arrows, memorised spells, hit points, time itself, treasure (the whole point of the exercise and the main way one gained XP and therefore levels) were all expected to be tracked carefully. 

You didn't get too attached to your character, at least not to start with, as their life expectancy was short. Character quirks and background were often ignored. You only bothered with that sort of stuff after a few levels of play, and it was often emergent, ideas about one's character coming as a result of interaction in game. 

Mapping was a major part of dungeon exploration which partially explains the slightly weird designs of some early dungeons such as B1: In Search of the Unknown. Without VTTs, dungeons were verbally described by the DM and the players would try to map their way - vital if the adventurers needed to exit the dungeon in a hurry. 

But as D&D grew more popular the possibilities opened up. Although many would cite the Hickmans with both their Ravenloft and Dragonlance modules as a shift in AD&D in the early 80s, it could be argued that Gary Gygax also took a more right-brained approach in D1-3 (I watched a rather good video about this on Daddy Rolled a 1 on Youtube). In those modules the adventurers' interactions with both the Kuo-Toa and the various drow houses in D2 & D3 are not expected to be hack and slash. 

Of course, I1 Ravenloft with its plot-based structure and its charismatic and interactive villain who was more than just combat stats was a landmark in adventure design and approaching play. These days purely map-based dungeon-crawls and hex-crawls are relatively rare: there is nearly always some plot or storyline the PCs are expected to follow. I think one big sign of the changes is how XP is given out. It used to be it was almost all about the treasure, with monster xp a small side dish. Now XP awards are for completing goals which may have nothing to do with monsters or treasure, or even better, XP is ignored in favour of levelling up when the DM (or adventure author) feels like it. One less resource to keep track of! 

These days I feel a lot of folks who would have got into the left-side logical analytical side of RPGs find their fix in computer games where a lot of the maths is automated. The Diablo series really has translated the hack and slash approach into a computer game, while World of Warcraft is a little more interactive - having a lot of other players in the same gaming environment encourages at least conversations and connections between players, particularly within guilds. Min-maxing becomes a lot more clear when dealing with computer rules rather than printed rules. 

I wouldn't say current D&D has completely switched over to the right side of the brain and become a Ren-fair soap opera - the 5E and 5.5E games I've been running still have plenty of combat, navigation and problem solving. But also since the 2000s WotC has realised that they need to offer a table-top experience that computer games currently struggle to convey - that means the human element, the non-game-mechanical interactions. I do wonder whether AI will be able to run NPCs as effectively as a human DM - just look at the constant development of chatbots. And this is more likely to be in an MMORPG environment than a virtual tabletop. 

Where Am I in all of this?

I definitely lean toward the left hand of this scale, though not at the far end. Looking through my blog articles, a lot of them are monsters, spells and map-based (rather than plot-based) adventures. There are relatively few stories and the NPCs I introduce are generally not particularly deep in terms of personality and motivations. I am sometimes baffled by some of the D&D posts on Tumblr about anime-inspired OCs (Original Characters) who are often dressed more for a stroll along a Victorian promenade than into the Temple of Elemental Evil. And the idea that a player's character ought to follow a particular arc seems to clash with my ideas of emergent stories from game play. If you have already decided what is going to happen to your character, write a book rather than expecting the rest of a gaming group to go along with your preconceived story. I think it’s interesting (at least to myself) that the one time I tried writing a blog post from a character’s point of view,  Tilphon’s Journal of the Shadowdeep, was intended to be a series. I have not posted the second one - not because I can’t write about the Shadowdeep, but because I find it difficult writing from a character’s point of view. 

This fits in with my preferences outside of TTRPGs. I've always preferred documentaries to dramas on TV, and in film I am far more interested in action and science fiction than romance. I have interests in dinosaurs, computing, space exploration and military tactics and equipment. I am not interested in celebrity gossip. I have never watched an episode of Love Island. I'm not even particularly good at distinguishing good acting from bad acting. I suspect there might be a bit of neuro-divergence going on there. 

However, I do not tell anybody they are doing it wrong. This is purely a matter of taste and personality, not correctness. Finding the fellow gamers and the right DM who are where you at in this matter is a factor in whether you are enjoying your D&D. I might not get what other folks are doing in D&D but I don't feel the need to tell them (except perhaps in this blog post...). 

 

An Updated Map of Karameikos

Based on original cartography by Thorfinn Tait, source

Since I restarted this blog in 2021, I have added various locations to Mystara. Many of these are in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos. I have also taken the liberty of placing some official adventure modules there as well, sometimes in a different place to where other members of the Mystara community believe they should be. As I have said before, this is my own version of Mystara, and I do not feel obliged to stick to fanon or even canon. Nonetheless, a lot of Karameikos is as described in Gazetteer #1. 

The official modules in Karameikos include

• B1: In Search of the Unknown - Quasqeton is approximately the same place as indicated in Mentzer Expert set
• B2: The Keep on the Borderlands- the Caves of Chaos are approximately same place as indicated in Mentzer Expert set, just outside Castellan Keep, I have expanded on Castellan Valley, the surrounding area. 
• B3: Palace of the Silver Princess [this one could be set in Glantri but I'm keeping it in the official location in Karameikos] is in Haven, north of Rugalov. 
• B5: Horror on the Hill - now north of Penhaligon along with Guido's Fort
• B6: The Veiled Society is still set in Specularum
• B7: Rahasia and Kota-Hutan - now west of Rifllian
• B9: Castle Caldwell is now near Guido's Fort , just off the Duke's Keep Road 
• B9: Elwynn's Sanctuary is to the west of Riflian and Verge

I have also created a number of civilised settlements

• Vurparnu Mansion
• Tower of Aelarda Starria
• Grulven's Prospect
• The Reclusium of Serenity
• Arragescu Keep (Order of the Griffon)

And here are the dungeons I have added:

• The Hunting Lodge  (intended level 1)
• Lair of the Twisted Summoner (intended levels 1-2)
• Kamroth's Cairn (intended levels 4-5)
• Tomb of the Frost Shamans (not detailed but probably levels 9-12)
• Tarrag Duun (not detailed but probably levels 2-10)
• Vlastag Silver Mine (intended levels 1-3)
• The Siege Weapon Depot (intended levels 2-4)

Honourable mentions of official locations

• Luln has been the subject of several blog posts
• Overview of Luln
• Noteworthy Inhabitants of Luln
• My Map of Luln
• Koriszegy Keep is given a bit more information
• Sulescu Village is the setting of the scenario Slave Raiders
• Penhaligon is given a post expanding it a bit
• Fort Doom is mentioned in Chaos in the Black Eagle Barony

Scenario #15: Destroy the Siege Weapons!

 

Introduction

This is a short adventure using the B/X rules for characters of levels 2-4, set in Karameikos in the Known World. 

Scouts in the town of Penhaligon have told their captain they have spied hobgoblins and other humanoids constructing siege weapons in the hills near town. Given that Penhaligon is the only clear target for miles around and also news about the assault on Duke's Road Keep, Lady Penhaligon and her advisors have decided to deal with this preemptively, before the seige weapons get anywhere near the town walls. The PCs are asked to deal with this situation and destroy the siege weapons, and perhaps make things difficult for the enemy to build more of them. The PCs are of course entitled to any treasure they find. 

The hobgoblins have set up base in an abandoned dwarf hall that has a courtyard and perimeter wall outside the underground chambers. They are assisted by human members of the Cult of Chaos who want to see Penhaligon fall. 

Key to the Map

1) The Courtyard. This is surrounded by a wall 20ft high with a walkable parapet and four towers about 25ft high each. The towers are solid, not hollow, so are really just stone platforms with battlements around the top and an external staircase for each one. The guards manning each one are as follows:

1a) 2 hobgoblin crossbowers, 1 hobgoblin

1b) 2 hobgoblins, 1 hobgoblin crossbower

1c) 2 hobgoblin crossbowers, 1 hobgoblin Sergeant. 

1d) 2 hobgoblins, 1 hobgoblin crossbower. 

Note that the hobgoblins in 1b and 1c man the front gate. Any hobgoblin has a 40% chance of being asleep. However, if not asleep then a hobgoblin will notice combat or intruders going on in any adjacent tower. Also a hobgoblin can alert their comrades in an adjacent tower with a loud shout (this can be done at the same time as combat or movement) . This is not intended to be an easy encounter and if the PCs are not clever or careful they may find themselves being mobbed by 11 hobgoblins. Getting through the main gate is not easy as it is barred from the inside with a big wooden beam. Thieves can easily scale the walls - the stonework is rough enough that those trained at climbing need not make a check. Non-thieves will need to make a dex check when trying to climb either the walls or a tower - failure means falling to the ground and taking 1d6 damage. Ropes or ladders may help in this case. Disguises, bluffing and magical charming might work, getting the hobgoblins to open up the gate voluntarily as the hobgoblins have seen human cultists of chaos come and go. 

2) Dining room. There are 4 hobgoblins + 2 hobgoblin crossbowers here as well as 2 tables with 4 chairs each. In a corner is a metal stove with a pot of some sort of stew and  five dead rabbits hanging from hooks waiting to be butchered. There is also a cupboard containing earthenware crockery, metal pots and crude iron cutlery. 

3) The Armoury. This room has racks holding 8 sets of hobgoblin-sized leather armour, 5 shields, 4 hand axes, 5 spears, 4 crossbows and 110 crossbow bolts. 

4) The Dorm. This room has 6 bunk beds and currently has 4 hobgoblins, unarmoured and asleep. They will take 1 turn to don their armour if woken, or if attacked while unprepared they will fight without armour (AC 9). 

5) 2 hobgoblin sergeants are here. Similar to those in room 4 they are unarmoured and asleep unless given prior warning - they will be woken by fighting in room 4 and will prepare themselves in 1 turn before rushing to aid the regular troops. There are 3 beds here and chests containing the sergeants' personal belongings. Sitting on a table is a silver candelabra worth 200gp. 

6) The well. This is 20ft diameter and although the water surface is fairly close to the floor level, the water is very deep (40ft). Although drawing water from the surface is relatively safe, anyone swimming or sinking deeper than 20ft into the well will find the well shaft widens out into a large water-filled chamber and there are inhabitants near the bottom, 3 giant pirhanas. If these are defeated and the PCs don't drown, 40ft below the surface the skeletal remains of a dwarf still wears a gold medallion worth 600gp might be found. 

Giant Pirhana: AC 6, Move 150ft swim, HD 3+3, hp 13, 14, 17, THAC0 16, Att 1 bite for 1d8, Save F2, Ml 7, XP 50

7) Hobgoblin Captain: Here is the leader of the hobgoblins, Shugguthol a tough veteran, and 2 hobgoblin sergeants as his pals and bodyguards. He has a key around his neck that unlocks the treasure chest in this room. It contains 4300sp, 540gp and 4 gems worth 50gp each (a quartet of banded agates). Note that the chest also contains correspondence (in hobgoblinish) from a hobgoblin king based north of Penhaligon who is currently launching attacks against a village called Guido's Fort. 

Shugguthol, hobgoblin captain: AC 3, Move 60ft, HD 4+4, hp 26, THAC0 15, Att 1 sword for 1d8+2, Save F4, Ml 10, Align Chaotic, XP 125, equipment: Chain Mail, Shield +1, Sword +1, dagger

8) Gaerron the Engineer. This room is the quarters of a human military engineer who has turned to Chaos and with a deep hatred of the rulers of Penhaligon who exiled him. His room has a bed, a chest with personal belongings and also a table with pens, paper and lots of drawings and designs for various siege engines and other large mechanical devices. Although unhinged and some of the designs are ridiculous, other designs are ingenious and would be of interest to other engineers. Think of Leonardo da Vinci meets Rube Goldberg. The whole bundle of designs is worth about 100gp if the right buyer can be found. He also has a bookshelf of engineering and mathematical textbooks, as well as some books describing magi-tech as practiced by gnome tinkers. The whole collection of books is worth another 150gp though there are 25 books, each weighing 1lb/10cn. He also has a small bag of 230gp & 24pp. 

Gaerron:  AC 4, Move 90ft, HD F4, hp 23, THAC0 16, Att 1 halberd for 1d10+1, Save F4, Ml 9, Align Chaotic, XP 125, equipment: Chain Mail +1, Halberd, Dagger

9) Ogre Guards: These two ogres stands guard over the quarters of the chaos cultists and are loyal to them. There is a bell hanging off the wall to one side and if the ogres feel threatened or need help they will ring the bell to alert the two cultists in rooms 10 (Naellissa) and 11 (Jorrath).

Ogre: AC 5, Move 90ft, HD 4+1, hp 16, 20, THAC0 16, Att 1 club for 1d10, Save F4, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 125, equipment: crude hide armour, oversized club, shortsword, 60gp each

10) Naellissa , Chaos priestess. In her quarters she has two chests: one contains her personal belongings - the other is a rather dangerous gift from a senior cleric of Chaos: 7 crawling claws. Naellissa cannot actually control them; they will not attack her, but they will scurry out and attack anyone else in the vicinity. She has found trying to get them back in the chest is very difficult and usually involves trapping each one with an up-turned bucket. However, if she feels threatened she will open this chest and unleash the crawling claws.  Naellissa is a fervent true believer and wants to see the siege machines here knock down the walls of Penhaligon, and will do what it takes to see it done. The chest containing the crawling claws has a false bottom - opening it reveals 200pp and a jade gem worth 400gp, as well as a letter of commendation from a mysterious cleric of Chaos called The Rahib in the Temple of the Gray Mountain, near the elven village of Kota-Hutan. 

Chaos Priestess: AC 4,Move 90ft, HD C3, hp 11, THAC0 17, Att 1 mace for 1d6 or 1 spell, Save C3, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 75, equipment: Chain mail, shield, mace, unholy symbol; spells: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Magic 

Crawling Claw: AC 8, Move 60ft, HD 1/2, hp 2, THAC0 20, Att 1 claw for 1d3, Save NM, Ml 12, XP 5  

11) Jorrath the Chaos Mage & Gark. Jorrath is the overseer of this whole location, and can command Naellissa, Shuggothol and Gaerron if necessary. However, he is a wily fox and if things look bad he may try to surrender to the PCs, claiming that he is just an underling and he has valuable information and he was never really convinced by the Cult of Chaos anyway. He is accompanied by a gark, a magical goblin-giant hybrid whom Jorrath rescued from cruel slavery, and now owes Jorrath his life.  Underneath his bed is a loose flagstone. Under the flagstone is Jorrath's sack of treasure: 1700gp, 100pp and a bejewelled silver goblet worth 600gp. 

Chaos Mage: AC 7, Move 120ft, HD MU4, hp 11, THAC0 17, Att 1 dagger for 1d4+1 or 1 spell, Save MU4, Ml 7, align Chaotic, XP 200, equipment: Dagger +1, Spellbook, Potion of Healing, Ring of Protection +1; spells: Magic Missile, Charm Person, Mirror Image, Caustic Bolt (also in his spellbook but not prepared are: Read Magic, Detect Magic, Locate Object, Phantasmal Force)

Gark: AC 4, Move 90ft, HD 4+4, hp 26, THAC0 15, Att 1 battleaxe for 1d8+2, Save F4, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 125, equipemnt: chain mail, battleaxe, gold chain worth 75gp wrapped around wrist. 

12) Goblin worker quarters. In here are 5 goblin workers relaxing between shifts. The floor is dotted with straw mattresses and there is a water barrel and a box of rather stale bread in one corner. 

Goblin workers: AC 7, Move 60ft, HD 1-1, hp 4, THAC0 19, Att 1 tool for 1d4, Save NM, Ml 6, Align Chaotic, XP 10, equipment: leather work apron, tool (carpentry hammer, adze, saw, chisel), 5sp each

13) Store room: This place has boxes of nails, screws, planks of timber, sheet metal and coils of rope, the raw materials from which the siege weapons are crafted. 

14) The workshop. Here are 3 hobgoblins, a hobgoblin sergeant and 10 goblin workers. The goblins are wielding crafting tools, not proper weapons and are not carrying shields, though their leather work aprons function as leather armour. The hobgoblins are here to supervise the goblins, and will occasionally kick or slap one to make sure it keeps working. There are numerous parts of siege machinery, including a giant bow that will become part of a ballista, 3 ballista bolts, a ram head and several crude heavy wheels, as well as anvils, work benches and saw horses. 

Goblin workers: AC 7, Move 60ft, HD 1-1, hp 4, THAC0 19, Att 1 tool for 1d4, Save NM, Ml 6, Align Chaotic, XP 10, equipment: leather work apron, tool (carpentry hammer, adze, saw, chisel), 5sp each

15) The hall of siege weapons. Here are a catapult, a ballista and a battering ram. They are constructed out of combinations of metal, timber, rope and leather, and are best destroyed by fire. The large double doors leading from here into the courtyard are barred on this side, so entering into here from the courtyard is very difficult if not impossible without magical means. 

Common Monster Stats

Hobgoblin: AC 6, Move 90ft, HD 1+1, hp 6, THAC0 19, Att 1 hand axe for 1d6, Save F1, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 15, equipment: leather armour, shield, hand axe, 10sp

Hobgoblin Crossbower: AC 7, Move 90ft, HD 1+1, hp 5, THAC0 19, Att 1 hand axe for 1d6 or 1 crossbow bolt for 1d6 (range 80ft/160ft/240ft), Save F1, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 15, equipment: leather armour, hand axe, crossbow, 10 bolts + quiver, 10sp

Hobgoblin Sergeant: AC 6, Move 90ft, HD 2+2, hp 10, THAC0 18, Att 1 sword for 1d8 , Save F2, Ml 9, Align Chaotic, XP 25, equipment: scale mail, shield, sword, dagger, 5gp

Druids? In Mystara?

Source

In most editions of D&D, from 1st Edition AD&D, there have been druids - priests of nature who are similar to but not the same as clerics that follow more personal deities. In Moldvay Basic and Cook/Marsh Expert druids do not exist. By all means have a neutral cleric that worships nature, but they still function as clerics. 

This changes in the Mentzer Companion Set where druids are introduced as an option for 9th level neutral clerics. This means that according to BECMI all druids are 9th level or higher. This may be a deliberate design decision, or it might simply be a result of introducing druids in the Companion Set that focuses on characters of 14th-25th level. 

My proposal is simple. Take the BECMI druid but make it an option at 1st level. The down-side is that druids are restricted to non-metal weapons and armour (clubs, staves, slings, leather armour, wooden shields). The upside is they can choose a druid spell instead of a clerical spell for any given spell slot. As per BECMI they use the same saving throws and attack tables as clerics. Druids cannot turn undead. 

I admit this is not exactly balanced - with substandard equipment and no spells at 1st level, the druid will be distinctly squishy, only a little better in combat than a 1st level magic user who has already expended their one spell. On the other hand it does explain why druids are so rare - there is a survival of the fittest that seems appropriate for a follower of nature. I see druids as more of an NPC class than a PC class for adventuring. Also culturally the druid is much more likely to be found in cultures that are still very close to nature and the elements, such as Traladarans and Atruaghin clans. 

Elven Druids

Many druids are human, but there are elven druids. They must abide by the same restrictions on weapons and armour as their human druid counterparts and also have to use the XP progression for elves, which is a lot slower than clerics and human druids. However, they have one major advantage: elven druids retain the ability to cast magic-user spells as normal elves alongside their clerical/druidic spells. They use the spells per day of an elf, but each slot can be used for a magic-user, druid or cleric spell, thus greatly broadening their magical repertoire .  They use the attack tables and saving throws of elves and also have the racial traits of elves  - improved detection of secret doors, immunity to ghoul paralysis and 60ft infravision. 

I know a few months ago I wrote a post about character class options for elves. Right now I am considering replacing the Elven Mystic (poor choice of name given the Rules Cyclopedia) with the Elven Druid. I see them having a similar role in society, but slightly simpler to run. 

New spells and magic items

There are many new druid spells that can be brought in from other editions, starting with 1st edition AD&D. However, these are subject to the DM’s approval. Similarly there are magic items suitable for druids that can be found elsewhere. 

A few years ago I wrote a post about unusual materials for magic items. Ent-heart wood and crocodile hide are both suitable for druids, being non-metallic. Imaginative DMs might also add new items crafted from other natural materials such as ivory or antler, or even weirder stuff such as the chitinous carapaces of giant insects. 

Other Subclasses?

I have recently watched a Youtube video about assassins and monks. The Mentzer BECMI rules, particularly the Rules Cyclopedia, has the Mystic class, while the Headsman NPC is the BECMI equivalent of the assassin. I haven’t yet included in my Mystara world building but they are there ready to appear,

This opens up a lot of possibilities  regarding subclasses. Although not described as subclasses, the Paladin and Avenger described in the Companion rules are variants of the fighter that are nearly as different from the basic fighter as the druid is from the cleric. Am I going to include them? And how does the Avenger fit in alongside the other chaotic fighter subclass, the Chaos Warrior?

Subclasses and World-Building

One thing I’ve realised is that choosing which subclasses appear is a big part of world-building - it shows what sort of folks inhabit your campaign world (in this case my variant of Mystara). Subclasses link into culture and also themes and moods. Paladins tend to indicate heroism and chivalry, assassins tend to indicate cynicism and brutality, monks & mystics tend to indicate exotic cultures beyond faux-Europe, druids tend to indicate times and traditions from long before the high medieval default assumptions. Samurai, ninja and Sohei are all cultural variants of the base classes suitable for the flavour of Japan, or in this blog’s case the Pearl Islands, my Japan-inspired culture in Mystara. Chaos warriors and Twisted Summoners are not so much cultural so much as tying in with my campaign’s themes of the forces of Chaos and its ability to seduce and recruit the power-hungry and selfish humans. Gnome tinkerers are this campaign’s main practicers of magi-tech which, though not central to my campaign’s themes, is nonetheless present. 

The demihuman classes I have introduced are all indicative that demihumans are not just one-class cultures, and that all demihuman cultures have more than one set of abilities that can be used to go adventuring. 

The bottom line is that I am not going to open the floodgates and allow any and all possible subclasses into this campaign. It is unlikely that this blog will see AD&D-style rangers, paladins, illusionists, bards or the like. However, I will allow them as and when they seem appropriate. Some subclasses are rare and this is absolutely fine. Some editions of D&D (particularly 3E and later) treat all classes as being as equal in power and ease of getting started in, and apparently equal in distribution among PCs and NPCs. I do not see subclasses like this - they are much more specialised, more specific than the very broad and common core classes of Cleric, Fighter, Magic User Thief. Subclasses are definitely not core: They are optional and the DM should treat them as such. 

The Monastery of Odin

 

source

Just five miles north of Whiteheart there is a monastery on the banks of the  Otofjord river. This is run by the clerics of Odin, with 30 actual clerics, 20 men-at-arms and 20 non-combatant lay servants.  The monastery is a centre of clerical training and the clerics are spread across a wide range of levels from acolytes to two Patriarchs. 

Part of the monastery's purpose is to act as the headquarters of the church of Odin in southern Soderfjord, and the monastery advises and supports clerics in nearby villages and towns. The monastery is also known to send squads of clerics to places where they are urgently needed to maintain the ways of Odin and Asgard. The monastery can also offer healing and other clerical services (even Raise Dead) though always at a price. If the recipients do not have enough gold and silver then serivces in lieu may be accepted. 

However, there is an unspoken purpose, one that only the senior clerics know: It is there to keep the lid on a malevolent force of chaos deep beneath the monastery. 

The Cult of Nidhogg was a nihilistic, destructive cult of Chaos that worshipped Nidhogg, a serpentine dragon-like entity of primal chaos that supposedly gnaws on the roots of Ygdrassil, the world tree of Norse cosmology. Furthermore they worshipped a massive green-glowing crystal in a chamber deep in a dungeon beneath where the monastery now sits. The cultists were vicious enemies of Thor, Odin, Frey and Heimdall, but were defeated in a battle over 200 years ago. The dungeons were sealed up and the monastery of Odin was established, with the most senior clerics of Odin being aware of their secret directive - make sure the cult of Nidhogg does not revive. Some might be surprised that clerics of a neutral immortal are getting involved in the conflict between Law and Chaos. They are supposed to be neutral in such matters aren’t they? Normally yes, but the cult of Nidhogg is everybody’s enemy. It is so destructive and corrupting that even normally neutral people and immortals have to confront it.   

The green crystal is similar in nature to the eldritch crystals of the Arvorians, and it is both a source of magical power and also corruption and mutation. There are no normal humans living in the chaos-warped tunnels beneath the monastery but there are creatures kept alive by the crystal's abnormal influence. The cultists of Nidhogg called it The Fang of Nidhogg, and although they did not believe it to be literally a piece of their patron, they did believe it to be sent to them. When the monastery was first being built the clerics in charge ordered that the bottom floor of basement be lined with sheets of metallic lead. This protects the clerics on the surface from the Fang's malign influence radiating from below. There is a lead trapdoor that leads from the basement down a shaft to the dungeons. The clerics of Odin are forbidden to go down there. It is locked by the patriarch, partly to stop people from going down but also (unbeknown to most folks) to stop things from coming up from the dungeon into the monastery. 

The cult of Nidhogg has followers on the surface, particularly a band calling themselves The Gnawers of the Earth. To most folks this is a rather odd name for bandits and thugs led by a lunatic cleric, but those who know of Nidhogg may well make the connection and understand the band's true allegience. The band wants access into to the dungeon but can currently only do so via the monastery. Thus the leaders are considering how to either infiltrate or destroy the monastery. The Gnawers of the Earth have tattoos of a snake or long thin dragon coiled into a spiral,with the head in the centre and the tail on the outside and their banner has the same symbol, albeit a black serpent on a green background. Their latest project is to establish a camp near the monastery and dig their way into the dungeon, bypassing the monastery. 

What is actually in the dungeons is not clear, nor is the size and extent of the dungeon. When the clerics of Odin defeated the cult 200 years ago they attempted to clear the dungeon but the radiation from the Fang of Nidhogg caused such sickness, madness and mutation that they were driven back before they could destroy all their cultist foes. But it is clear that whoever ventures down there should be prepared for many dangers, not all of them monstrous. 

NPCs of the Monastery

Hrallmir Ravenspeaker - Patriarch of Odin for southern Soderfjord

13th level cleric, human male, align Neutral

Str12, Int 13, Wis 18, Dex 8, Con 15, Cha 14

Hrallmir is the most senior cleric in the monastery and takes a broad overview of the situation, including dealing with other senior clerics of Odin in Sodefjord City, Ostland and Vestland. He is ultimately responsible for keeping the forces of Nidhogg contained down below, though it is not his top priority, as he is more focused on proselytising the faith of Odin both among Soderfjorders and foreigners. After all, Odin is a great immortal and if everybody followed him then the world would be much better.  

Grimnir Garrallsonn - Deacon of Odin

10th level cleric, human male, alignment Neutral

Str 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Dex 11, Con 10, Cha 13

As Deacon of this monastery, Grimnir is responsible for the day-today running of the establishment and also its defences against both outside attack and also the unspoken threat from below. Grimnir is something of a brawler, and has been in numerous battles and skirmishes. Grimnir knows something of the  Fang of Nidhogg and the dungeon below but does not pay much attention to it, considering it safely contained. He focuses more on immediate problems such as bandits roving around the monastery (including a gang calling themselves The Gnawers of the Earth), and ensuring that folks at the monastery are doing their respective jobs.  

Aesbiornn Oystercracker - Chief Cook for the Monastery

5th level cleric, human male, alignment Neutral

Str 10, Int 13, Wis 15, Dex 10, Con 14, Cha 10

Aesbiornn is the cook for the monastery, and as such regularly enters the cellars where provisions are stored. However, recently he has opened up the lead trapdoor leading to the dungeon. This was mainly out of curiosity though there was also the hope of finding treasure. He is now reluctant to expose his torso as greenish reptilian scales have started to form on his midrift and back, a mutation caused by the accursed aura of the Fang of Nidhogg. Of course, Aesbiornn is not going to tell anybody about this as he might get into trouble. 

Mjorlloth Jurtensonn - Trainer of recruits, Dean of the Monastery

8th level cleric, human male, alignment Neutral

Str 9, Int 14, Wis 15, Dex 10, Con 10, Cha 15

Mjorlloth is responsible for turning teenage aspirants into acolytes and adepts ready to go out into the wider world and serve Odin. 

Svanhild Fairtress - Deaconess of the Monastery

11th level cleric, human female, alignment Neutral 

Str 13, Int 12, Wis 17, Dex 10, Con 13, Cha 11

Svanhild is joint deacon with Grimnir, and she looks after both the lay staff and also the females in the monastery. Technically she is Mathilda’s superior though the two treat each other with mutual respect . She does not quite share Mathilda’s worries but acknowledges the threat below must be contained. She doesn’t get too suspicious about her staff, and she knows that not everybody adheres to the monastic traditions, but there’s something odd about that new scullery maid. 

Mathilda Oswaldottir - Monastery Librarian

10th level cleric, human female, alignment Neutral

Str 8, Int 16, Wis 16, Dex 10, Con 8, Cha 10

Although physically not much, Mathilda is the most knowledgable person in the monastery. She looks after all forms of knowledge, both mundane and esoteric. She also has the powers of rune casting and can teach this to those who she deems worthy. She is the most informed about the Cult of Nidhogg and what lies beneath the monastery, having studied the records of past generations . As such she is also the most concerned, and while other senior clerics consider keeping the forces of Nidhogg contained as a duty, she considers it of vital importance and defending both the monastery and the wider world from an existential threat. Some (such as Grimnir) think she is being overly nervous and a bit obsessive. 

Driffa Hjortdottir - Scullery Maid

2nd level fighter, human female, alignment Chaotic

Str 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Cha 9

Driffa keeps a low profile and generally just does the washing up in the monastery kitchen. She is on good terms with Aesbiornn and will often talk to him. Sometimes they speculate about what’s below that lead trapdoor in the cellar. Driffa is in fact a mole, an agent of Chaos who has infiltrated the monastery. She has links to both the Gnawers of the Earth and also the wider Cult of Chaos across Mystara. She is not brave or foolish enough to go down into the dungeons herself but she will happily encourage others (such as Aesbiornn) to investigate. After all, the cult of Nidhogg must have acquired a lot of treasure before it was overthrown.  

The Shadowdeep and the Underdark

Out of the Abyss

 After my last gaming group ceased I am now gathering a new band of adventurers and hoping to start a new campaign at our local boardgames cafe. This time rather than Descent into Avernus, I am going to run Out of the Abyss, another 5E hardback book for a campaign that should take the PCs from level 1 all the way up to high level (enough to take on demon lords at the end). This adventure combines two well-known aspects of D&D - the Underdark and demons. 

Out of the Abyss starts with the characters as prisoners of the drow, along with a motley crew of fellow prisoner NPCs with their own backgrounds and motives. The first half of the adventure is about escaping the drow and the underdark and making it back to the surface while realising that demon lords are being summoned to the underdark and wreaking havoc. A bit like Descent into Avernus, I get the impression that the book contains the framework and major plot points of the adventure, but as the DM I will probably be fleshing out a lot of the encounters and obstacles along the way. I might be posting some of my homebrew stuff for Out of the Abyss in a similar way to my Descent into Avernus posts: we'll see how things turn out. 

The Underdark 

Although man-made dungeons (or at least humanoid-made) have been part of D&D since its inception, and smaller natural caves and caverns likewise, the idea of the Underdark, a sprawling network of natural caves miles deep beneath the surface containing races and monsters that have never seen the light of the sun really started with D1: Descent into the Depths of the Earth, written by Gary Gygax and set in Greyhawk. That series of modules introduced the kuo-toa, the svirfneblin and drow (technically making their first appearance in G3: Hall of the Fire Giant King but really making their presence known in D1). The authors of the Forgotten Realms picked up that idea and ran with it, particularly R. A. Salvatore and his novels about Drizzt Do'Urden (I remember reading and enjoying the Dark Elf series, especially Homeland, which gives Salvatore's dark and gothic view of drow society in Menzoberranzen). Since then it has been a regular feature of D&D through the years. 

There have been numerous products that have looked at the underdark. Off the top of my head and from my own bookshelf, I would list

• 1st Edition AD&D D1: Descent into the Depths of the Earth
• 1st Edition AD&D D2: Shrine of the Kuo-Toa
• 1st Edition AD&D D3: Vault of the Drow
• 1st Edition AD&D The Dungeoneer's Survival Guide
• 2nd Edition AD&D The Night Below (boxed adventure)
• 2nd Edition AD&D Drizz't Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark
• 2nd Edition AD&D Menzoberranzen boxed set
• 2nd Edition AD&D The Drow of the Underdark (FR sourcebook) 
• 3rd Edition D&D The Underdark (FR sourcebook)
• 3rd Edition D&D City of the Spider Queen

And of course there are plenty of fan projects and products

I may be speculating here, but I think it scratches a particular itch for exploration in a truly alien and dangerous environment. Real world caves are still a dangerous place to go if you are inexperienced and unprepared. And they do have ecosystems of sorts, from bats and bears near the surface to blind fish and albino insects much deeper. The ancient civilizations (Greeks, Meso-Americans and others) knew of these caves and thus began the idea of the mythic underworld, leading to the realm of Hades. It is no coincidence that many depictions of Hell from the real world place it deep underground. 

The D&D Underdark is a mythic underworld of sorts, albeit codified and statted out for game rules. In a way it is the ultimate megadungeon - no party can hope to clear it out or even explore it entirely. For the most part the PCs will be away from safety, supplies and other benefits of towns and cities. It requires an expeditionary mind-set with preparation, plenty of supplies and an awareness of the challenges. Light is almost entirely absent, navigation is very difficult, food is hard to find and sometimes even the air one breathes cannot be taken for granted. Combine that with the psychological effects of isolation, claustrophobia, the threat of underground hazards such as cave-ins and chasms and it becomes clear why the Underdark takes on a reputation of being one of the most hostile environments a D&D adventurer can enter. 

Mystara's Shadowdeep

Does Mystara have an underdark like Oerth or Toril? Yes, although it is generally refered to as the Shadowdeep. A while ago I posted Tilphon's Journal of the Shadowdeep, the account of an Alphatian explorer starting his journey in the Shadowdeep beneath Brun. It has not yet received a part 2, but I think that is more because I am not used to the in-world journal style that I had a go at with that post rather than the environment being explored - I nearly always write from a DM's point of view not that of a character.

Nonetheless, in my version of Mystara the Shadowdeep is there, albeit one of the least explored aspects. One of the things I have drawn upon is issue #14 of Threshold Magazine. Threshold is an amateur magazine put together by members of the Vaults of Pandius and its associated Mystara forum on The Piazza. 

Another important source has been the Gazetteer books, particularly Gaz13: The Shadow Elves. There are hints of underground realms in Gaz2: Emirates of Ylaruam, Gaz7: The Northern Reaches, Gaz4: The Dwarves of Rockhome  and quite a lot in Gaz10: Orcs of Thar. Nonetheless, the Shadowdeep is a lot less developed than Faerun’s Underdark, probably because Mystara and B/X D&D has a vastly smaller audience than the Forgotten Realms and whatever the current edition of D&D is. The bad news is that this means more work for DMs wanting to run Shadowdeep adventures and campaigns. Good news is that the DM has a much more free hand in what they want to put there. And of course just because something in the gazetteers is canon, it doesn’t mean the DM has to stick to it in their campaign. If they want to replace shadow elves with drow or have drow as rivals to the shadow elves, that’s really up to them.

Having said that, I feel it is a good thing to keep the Shadowdeep distinct from the Underdark. I do not intend to bring drow, mindflayers, duergar, svirfneblin and the like to Mystara in this blog - the Shadowdeep is its own thing. To be honest I have mentioned kuo-toa in a post involving fish-folk. Although amusing at the time, I am not sure if it was sensible in the long run. A long time ago I did  a similar post about my homebrew world of Kaelaross and its possible underdark, but I really didn’t come up with anything concrete or playable. And it is a big topic (and geographical volume) to explore and develop. 

My current view is that it is something I can work on in various blog posts. I have a tendency to flit between realms and topics on this blog - Karameikos one week, Norwold another, then new spells, then a homebrew mini-adventure. So I’m not going to make a grand commitment to produce a new quasi-gazetteer, but I’m leaving the Shadowdeep open for me to visit in later blog posts. 

Spells of the Necro-Priests

art by Jeon Tae Kang source

This is a collection of spells for chaotic clerics of a necromantic bent, and although there is a common theme of bones and skeletons these spells should be usable by a wide range of villains, from Eldritch Crusaders among the Arvorians of Norwold to the Cult of Chaos Divided in Alphatia, to the mummified priests of ancient Nithia, to the Hagiocracy of Hule. Note that many of these spells use skeletal parts of deceased humanoids and that these components disintegrate after the spell ends. 

Create Crawling Claw

• Spell Level: 2
• Range: Touch
• Duration: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: 1 skeletal hand 
• Description: This spell requires the skeletal hand of a humanoid creature. When cast, this skeletal hand turns into a crawling claw, a primitive form of animated undead. Unlike Animate Dead, the necromantic animating force does not last for long, and after the spell duration the skeletal hand reverts back to its inanimate state if not destroyed during its activity. 
• Crawling Claw stats:
• AC: 8
• HD: 1/2 (1d4hp)
• Move: 60ft
• THAC0: 20
• Att: 1 claw
• Dam: 1d3
• Save: NM 
• Ml: 12
• Align: Chaotic
• XP: 5

Ribcage Breastplate

• Spell Level: 3
• Range: Self
• Duration: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: Self 
• Description: Casting this spell while holding a skeletal ribcage of a deceased humanoid turns the ribcage into a much more robust breastplate, albeit made of bone rather than steel. If the cleric already wears armour the Ribcage Breastplate will give +3 bonus to current AC. If not wearing other armour, the Ribcage Breastplate will give base AC 4 (Dex and shield bonuses can apply). After the casting the ribcage is destroyed. 

Femur Mace

• Spell Level: 4
• Range: touch
• Duration: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: 1 skull 
• Description: This spell requires the femur (upper leg bone) of a humanoid - when cast the femur is transformed into a boney mace-like club with knobbly protrusions. The caster can wield this as a normal weapon and it gives +2 to hit and does 1d6+2 bludgeoning damage and 1d6 necrotic damage per hit plus any strength modifiers the caster may have.  The Femur Mace may be passed to or picked up by another, though the caster can end the spell at will if the femur mace is picked up by another creature enemy. 

Spinal Whip

• Spell Level: 4
• Range: Caster
• Duration: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: 1 spinal column  
• Description: To cast this spell the cleric must be holding a humanoid spinal column. Upon casting the spinal column magically extends to the length of a bullwhip and the cleric can wield it as such in one hand. The spinal whip has a reach of 20ft from the caster. The caster may either make a normal lashing attack with the whip  at +2 to hit, doing 2d4 damage per hit, or else the caster can make a grappling attack with the whip, again at +2 to hit. But instead of doing damage, the target is immobilised as the spinal whip coils around them pinning their arms to their sides. The caster can maintain this grip on a target each round but cannot use the spinal whip for anything else. After the casting the spinal column disintegrates.

Bone Digit Missile

• Spell Level: 5
• Range: 60ft
• Duration: Instant
• Area of Effect: 5 targets within range 
• Description: This spell requires a skeletal humanoid hand with the bones of all 5 digits. On casting these finger bones shoot out towards targets:  the caster can aim each digit missile at either the same target or 5 different targets within 60ft. Each digit missile requires a roll to hit with the cleric’s dex modifier. On a successful hit the digit does 1d6 piercing damage + 1 per level of the caster (10th level caster will cause 1d6+10 damage per hitting digit). 

Screaming Skull

• Spell Level: 5
• Range: 60ft
• Duration: 1 round
• Area of Effect: 1 skull + 20ft radius from skull
• Description: This spell requires the cleric to hold a humanoid skull while casting. When cast, the cleric hurls the skull in the direction of the enemy, up to 60ft away. Where the enchanted skull lands it starts screaming. Any creature capable of feeling fear within 20ft of the skull must make a save vs spells or be overcome with fear and try to flee for 2d6 rounds. Speech and hearing each other over the noise also becomes difficult (Intelligence check needed to hear somebody talking).  Those unable to flee will cower, unable to move or take offensive action. After the casting the skull is destroyed.