Arcadia 6 Reactions

 

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Arcadia 6–very psionic themed cover from Nephelomancer. The intro letter from James Introcaso focuses on how this issues provides lots of interesting villains. Developing villains so that the party has a named and real adversary to oppose over several sessions or more is one particular aspect of Gaming that I want to develop further in myself. Hopefully this will be a helpful issue on that front.

The first article is from perhaps my personal favorite RPG creator and author, Mike Shea, or Sly Flourish. In this article, Mike outlines the Grim Accord, a party of rival, villainous adventurers to oppose a player party. These NPCs are all CR 4, making them optimal for use against a level seven or eight party. The article even includes a brief description of a lair and various mini plots for the Grim Accord. Finally it includes a sheet showing the group as an NPC domain for use with Kingdoms & Warfare. To my knowledge, except for the unit cards in the Talent product, this is the only additional MCDM product support for the domains portion of that book. Which frankly is a darn shame.

The next article is the Armor of Zevellon, by Gabe Hicks. It outlines a unique set of magic items with an interesting plot hooks—essentially an elf warlord sought to become a god, achieving demigod status. Before death they transferred their life force into the titular armor. I really dig the story, and actually think it would be really easy to convert into a relic of Valeresh, the head of the Midgard elven gods, in my Empire of the Ghouls game.

The armor is extremely powerful individually and a bit bonkers together. The catch is you can’t remove it once worn. It also compels you to “seek out the remaining pieces at all cost.” There’s also a nice adventure included to introduce the item—this is a great touch, as the largest difficulty of adding an interesting item into your narrative is taken care of.

The final article is Spelunking! by H.H. Carlan. The maps included in this longer adventure are beautifully done if simple in structure and provide some interesting encounters. Overall, the adventure isn’t totally to my taste. The main plot is rescuing a group of kids from the haunted caves near a small town. Reminds me of Scooby-Doo rather than the usual heavier vibe I go for in my RPG products. However, it is a well written and developed scenario worth taking a look at, particularly as a scenario for kids or teenagers playing 5e.

That’s it for Arcadia 6!

Arcadia Reactions Page

South-Western Marches of the Blood Kingdom Random Encounter/Tool Tables

These encounters are designed to be used in conjunction with the keyed hex map for the South-Western Marches of the Blood Kingdom used in my Empire of the Ghouls campaign. These encounters are optimized for Tier 2-3 play.

Cartography by Faxfire

These are random tables I created to support the hex map and key detailed in last week's post. This was a really interesting and helpful exercise, and also got me deep in my monster and setting books. Some of the tables basically don't end on nice, easy, regular dice numbers—so instead use this die roller from Sly Flourish to input a custom end number. For monster stats, all from the Monstrous Menagerie are released by EN Publishing under a Creative Commons License. The monsters from the various Kobold Press books are for the most part release under the OGL and can be found at Open 5e. For monsters from WOTC, you’ll need to pick up the referenced source or omit them. 

Factions List

1 Band of the Twice Damned

2 Krakovar Rebels - Loyal to Queen in Kariessen

3 Spearmaidens of Sif (Order of the Spear)

4 Dwarves of Grisal/Black Fortress

5 Grand Duchy of Dornig

6 Ghoul Imperium

7 Night Cauldron of Chernobog

8 Followers of Lady Illmalad

9 Red Sisters

10 Roll twice more and combine the results

Deities

1 Marena

2 The Hunter

3 Chernobog

4 Valeresh

5 Khors

6 Thor/Perun (Donar in Dornig)

7 Mavros

8 Vardesain

9 Volund (Veyland to Elves, also the Armorer of Valeresh)

10 Holda

11 Heid or Gullveig in North (Sarastra)

12 Hod (Charun)

13 Anu-Akma 

14 Loki

15 Sif (Grajava to Dwarves)

16 Jormungandr (Ouroboros in the Crossroads)

17 Boreas

18 St Whiteskull of Bratislor (Midgard Worldbook, pg 388)

19 Goat of the Woods

20 Mammon 

21 Chemosh, Demon Lord of Conquest (Creature Codex, pg 75)

22 Chttr’k’k, Demon Lord of Rats (Creature Codex, pg 76)

23 Rangda, Demon Queen of Witches (Creature Codex, pg 78)

Haunted Lands Encounters (1d140)

1 Soldier Squad

2  2 or 3 griffons (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 255)

3 Owlbear

4 Zombie Knight

5 Zombie Horde

6 Ghast

7 Ghoul

8 Skeleton Horde

9 Specter

10 Band of the Twice Damned Member

11  2 Ettins; or ettin with 1 or 2 Ogres; or ettin with 1d4 death dogs (Monsterous Menagerie, pg 197)

12 Banshee (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 29)

13 Flesh Guardian 

14 1d10 + 10 Grimlocks (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 257) 

15 Ogre Mage

16 Red Sister

17 Spirit Naga (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 342)

18 Werewolf 

19 Bandit Captain with 1d10 + 5 bandits (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 470)

20 Revenant

21 Night Hag

22 Rot Grubs

23 Blackguard riding griffon, nightmare, warhorse, or winter wolf; or blackguard with 1d5 + 5 soldiers, skeletons, or zombies (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 475)

24 Troll

25 Dread Troll

26 Zombie Dragon

27 Warrior Band (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 499)

28 Ogrekin

29 Knight (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 476)

30 Shadow

31 3-5 Ettercaps (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 195)

32 Cutthroat (Monstrous Menagerie, pg. 468)

33 Hill Giant

34 Basilisk and 1d4 + 1 cockatrices (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 31, 54)

35 Wereboar

36 Wyvern

37 Dead Man's Fingers (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 211)

38 Fomorian

39 Malcubus

40 Guard Squad (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 493)

41 Scarecrow

42 Holy Knight - Roll on deities table (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 476)

43  1-2 Wraiths (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 427)

44 Rakshasa

45 Cyclops

46 Chimera

47 Bulette

48 Ogre Flesh Heap (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 436)

49 Bodytaker Plant (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 227)

50 Boneless (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 228)

51  1-2 Carrion Stalkers (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 230)

52  Death’s Heads Tree - an awakened tree with 2d6 death’s heads dangling from it (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 232)

53  1-2 Hellwardens (Book of Fiends, pg 163)

54  1-2 Soulsniffers (Book of Fiends, pg 177)

55 Dullahan riding a nightmare; maybe be accompanied by 1d4 + 3 skeletons (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 233)

56 Gallows Speaker (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 234)

57 Gremishka (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 235)

58 Jiangshi (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 236)

59 Loup Garou (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 237)

60 Relentless Killer and 1d4 guards (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 242)

61  1-2 Strigoi with 1d4 stirges (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 246)

62 1d8 corpses containing 1d4 swarms of maggots (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 247)

63 Inquisitor of the Red Goddess with 1d4 acolytes - reskin Ulmist Inquisitors as followers of Marena - 1d3 to determine type (Inquistor of the Mind Fire, Inquisitor of the Sword, Inquisitor of the Tome) (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 248-249)

64 Wereraven (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 253)

65 Unspeakable Horror (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 250)

66  1d8 Swarms of Zombie Limbs (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 254)

67 Zombie Clot (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 255)

68 1-2 Zombie plague spreaders (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 255)

69 Arborcyte (Creature Codex, pg 40)

70  2-3 Bloody Bones (Creature Codex, pg 54)

71 Boot Grabber (Creature Codex, pg 56)

72 Chuhaister (Creature Codex, pg 62)

73  1d8 + 3 Chupacabra (Creature Codex, pg 63)

74 Corpse Thief (Creature Codex, pg 66)

75 Crimson Mist (Creature Codex, pg 67)

76 Dark Father (Creature Codex, pg 71)

77 Dark Folk - Roll 1d3 to determine type (1-2 Dark Eye, 1d4 + 2 Dark Servants, or Dark Voice) (Creature Codex, pg 72-73)

78 Neophron demon (Creature Codex, pg 86)

79 Alnaar demon (Creature Codex, pg 82)

80  1d4 + 2 Bilwis (Creature Codex, pg 53)

81  1d4 Giant Vampire Bats (Creature Codex, pg 50)

82  1-2 Pishacha demon (Creature Codex, pg 88)

83  1-3 Plaresh demon 1-2 Pishacha demon (Creature Codex, pg 89)

84 Spree demon (Creature Codex, pg 91)

85 Vellso demon (Creature Codex, pg 92)

86  1-3 Yek demon; or 1 Alpha Yek (Creature Codex, pg 95)

87 1d4 dhampir (Creature Codex, pg 106)

88 Dhampir commander with 1d4 + 2 guards (Creature Codex, pg 90)

89 Skull drake (Creature Codex, pg 132)

90 Dream Wraith (Creature Codex, pg 135)

91  1-2 Blood Elemental (Creature Codex, pg 138)

92  1-2 Elophar (Creature Codex, pg 149)

93  1d4 Fear Liath - only in mountainous regions (Creature Codex, pg 152)

94 Fey Lady Berchta (Creature Codex, pg 153)

95 Flame-Scourged Scion (Creature Codex, pg 159)

96  1d8 + 4 Flesh Reaver (Creature Codex, pg 160)

97  1-3 Ghost Boar; or 1 Elder Ghost Boar (Creature Codex, pg 169)

98 Ghost Dragon (Creature Codex, pg 170)

99 Ghost Dwarf and 1d4 zombies (Creature Codex, pg 171)

100 Darakhul Shadowmancer; maybe on a Ghoulsteed (Creature Codex, pg 173, 177)

101 Darakhul High Priestess; maybe on a Ghoulsteed (Creature Codex, pg 172, 177)

102 Necrophage Ghast Ghoul; maybe on a Ghoulsteed (Creature Codex, pg 175, 177)

103  1-2 Tar Ghoul (Creature Codex, pg 176)

104 Haunted Giant (Creature Codex, pg 183)

105 1-2 Bone Golem (Creature Codex, pg 195)

106 Goliath Longlegs (Creature Codex, pg 206)

107 1d10 + 6 Goreling - 50% chance they are rotten gorleings (Creature Codex, pg 207)

108 Grave Behemoth (Creature Codex, pg 208)

109 Gumienniki 1d10 + 6 Goreling (Creature Codex, pg 213)

110 Gaki Hungry Ghost (Creature Codex, pg 222)

111 Ijiraq (Creature Codex, pg 225)

112 Karakura (Creature Codex, pg 235)

113 Lady in White (Creature Codex, pg 246)

114 Living Shade - one per character (Creature Codex, pg 255)

115 Mandriano and 1d6 + 2 zombies; or ancient Mandriano (Creature Codex, pg 261)

116 Moon Nymph (Creature Codex, pg 269)

117 Nachzehrer (Creature Codex, pg 272)

118 Nalusa Falaya (Creature Codex, pg 274)

119  1d4 zombies with necrotic ticks (Creature Codex, pg 275)

120 Blood Ooze (Creature Codex, pg 282)

121  2-3 Shadow Oozes (Creature Codex, pg 287)

122  1d4 suppurating oozes (Creature Codex, pg 288)

123 Phantom (Creature Codex, pg 296)

124 Devil Bough (Creature Codex, pg 302)

125 Shadow Blight (Creature Codex, pg 326)

126 Skull Lantern (Creature Codex, pg 343)

127 Sleipnir (Creature Codex, pg 344)

128 Spawn of Chernobog (Creature Codex, pg 346)

129  1d6 + 1 Crypt Spider (Creature Codex, pg 348)

130 Spirit Lamp (Creature Codex, pg 349)

131  2d4 + 2 Terror Bird (Creature Codex, pg 352)

132 Tulpa (Creature Codex, pg 358)

133 Tveirherjar (Creature Codex, pg 359)

134 Undead Phoenix (Creature Codex, pg 361)

135 Vampire Patrician (Creature Codex, pg 365)

136 Vampire Priestess (Creature Codex, pg 367)

137 Vampire Knight (Creature Codex, pg 369)

138 Vines of Nemthyr (Creature Codex, pg 371)

139 Albino Death Weasel (Creature Codex, pg 374)

140 Wendigo (Creature Codex, pg 377)

Swamps (1d29)

1 Black Pudding

2 Guardian Naga (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 341)

3 Otyugh

4 Dead Man's Fingers (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 211)

5 Night Hag

6  3-5 Ettercaps (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 195)

7 Constrictor Snake

8 Swarm of Insects

9 Swarm of Poisonous Snakes

10 Dryad

11 Shambling Mound

12 Revenant

13 Ghost

14 Ghoul

15 Ogre

16 Boggard sovereign with 1d10 + 4 boggards (Monstrous Menagerie, pg. 35)

17 Giant Toad (Monstrous Menagerie, pg 450)

18 Cipactli demon (Creature Codex, pg 83)

19 Wind demon (Creature Codex, pg 93)

20 Kryt (Creature Codex, pg 243)

21 Kulmking (Creature Codex, pg 244)

22 Lou Carcolh (Creature Codex, pg 257)

23 Mandriano and 1d6 + 2 zombies; or ancient Mandriano  (Creature Codex, pg 261)

24 Foxfire Ooze (Creature Codex, pg 283)

25  2-3 Shadow Oozes (Creature Codex, pg 287)

26 Devil Bough (Creature Codex, pg 302)

27 1d8 + 4 Execrable Shrub (Creature Codex, pg 304)

28 Shadow River Lord (Creature Codex, pg 327)

29 Venom Maw Hydra (Creature Codex, pg 370)

South-Western Marches of the Blood Kingdom Hex Key

Cartography by Faxfire

I created the map above for my Empire of the Ghouls campaign portion which has turned into a Homebrew deep dive into fighting the Blood Kingdom and Ghoul Imperium. While there are labeled locations, I also want to have interesting locations keyed to each hex in case they attempt to explore and I need to break out hex crawl procedures. This is represents my best attempt at following Justin Alexander's advice on keying every single hex in a map for a hexcrawl. While I came no where close to that, the exercise left we with a significant amount of interesting material, most of which I can reuse, even with a different map or setting.

Also check out this article with a random encounter table for this hex map.

Key:

A1: Perhaps a great statue once stood here. All that remains is a crumbling stone hand, covered in moss which provides some shelter from the incessant wind.

A2: Haunted Battlefield: The moldering remnants of a battle between Blood Kingdom and Krakovan forces lie here. The battlefield is haunted by ghasts, unsettled spirits, and other monsters that are attracted to sites of mass violence.

A3: A mysterious circle of crumbling standing stones suggests some long forgotten significance to this place.

B5: Rebel Camp: A secret camp of Krakovar rebels is located in this portion of the swamp. They are led by two Spearmaiden of Sif named Yavkanka Ravengrove and Elya Gajou. There are perhaps thirty rebels total. They seek to defeat the Band of the Twice Damned, aid the people of Jatow, and also frustrate Lady Illmalad’s designs.

B7: Castle Bloodvale: Stronghold of the Lady Illmalad.

B10: Gybick, the former City of Scribes, is now a hallowed out shell of its former glory. Its fabled great library is plundered, and its great printing houses destroyed. 

C1: The burned remains of a farm are the only sign of humanoid life in this area.

C2: Griffon’s Tower: A ruin of ancient origins. It was built in the time of the Eagle Emperor, Valeresh, but this knowledge is long forgotten. It has now been used variously by brigands, warriors of Dornig and Krakovar, along with the occasional group of paladins of Grisal on a raid. Now it is the current headquarters and stronghold of the Band of the Twice Damned.

Cartography by Dyson Logos

C4: A crypt complex in the marshlands lies here, holding secrets of the Elector Kingdom of Krakovar. 

C5: The town of Jatow, which with its bridge is the best crossing of the Yoshtula for miles around. Jatow has suffered greatly under the predations of the Band of the Twice Damned and their company of mercenaries. The main camp of the Twice Damned's company is near Jatow.

C8: Town of Dimwick.

D4: Lesser traveled ford across the Yoshtula River. At times menaced by an angry water elemental.

D5: Werewolf’s Lair: The cave of a werewolf lies in these hills. The werewolf walks among the people of Jatow when not transformed into their true form.

D8: Hermit Priest’s hut: See adventure Keevial’s Rage in MCDM’s Arcadia Magazine, Issue 6, pg. 19. 

E3: Ruins of the town of Skalanta: Skalanta was made an example several years ago by the Blood Kingdom. The town was massacred and the survivors marched off as food for the ghoul soldiers of the Darakhul Empire. Monsters include various undead, carrionettes (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 231). Also contains a tavern called the Burning Skull. Skeletons of the former denizens mimic life, but are harmless unless provocated. The barkeep is a crippled dhampir named Stump who took up residence after the fall of the town. Secretly, Stump is the unwanted and abandoned son of Lady Illmalad. He knows that the town was betrayed and destroyed by Lord Tytus Boczar in exchange for undeath and membership in the Ghost Knights. Boczar is currently Lady Illmalad's consort. Stump knows all this and that Boczar's final death is the only thing that will bring peace to the cursed town. Stump is standoffish and gruff, but opens up to adventurers who are nonhostile and treat him with kindness, which has been a rare experience in his life.

E4: An ancient Barrow Mound lies amongst the hills of this area (see the Orden Barrow Mound in Dungeon Delvers Guide, pg 203). It is an ancient burial site for the Deathsworn, the terrible warriors of Valeresh.

E8: A mine worked by the inhabitants of Brevic for generations has been the site of recent upheaval. Strange new gems and stones have appeared. The ghouls have also begun harassing the miners (see the Old Number Ten Mine in the Dungeon Delver’s Guide, pg 200).

E10: Devil’s Cave: See adventure Keevial’s Rage in MCDM’s Arcadia Magazine, Issue 6, pg. 19.

F5: Shadow Gate: At the site of a cross roads, and the convergence of a ley line, there is a ruined portal. It was once two standing stones with a cross piece of stone bridging them. Now the left standing stone is fallen, and the bridge stone leans against the right stone, creating a triangle large enough for one creature to pass through. At dawn and dusk, while the light still shines but before the sun peeks over the horizon, the gate opens. It is guarded by a Shadow Fey Knight of the Road (Creature Codex, pg 146) named Lady Sagra.

F8: Town of Brevic.

G9: A hidden cave here holds a secret entrance into the Ghoul Imperium. 

H3: Secret cave lair of the Night Cauldron of Chernobog. Lady Illmalad’s dhampir son, Fane, is a leader of the cult in this region and often is here with the other cultists. Spawn of Chernobog, Dark Folk, and other monsters.

H6: An ancient stela stands here. Script in a dead language is weathered and written upon it. It is a monument dedicated to Mavros. Offerings of broken and decaying weapons lie in front of it. 

H8: Contains a dungeon of worked stone that is the lair of a Nihileth trapped in deep slumber since the primordial age (right wing of dungeon). The mysterious sigils are inlaid with gems, and when attempts are made to remove the treasures the creatures awakened. In the crypts (on the left side), funerary boxes mysteriously covered in ice are visible through a glass window in each door. Carved on the sarcophagi are strange aberrant humanoids with tentacles on their faces. They appear to be in deep freeze for an unknown purpose. Opening any of the doors causes the chambers to begin to thaw and a strange whirring noise begins to eminate from the boxes until they eventually open.

Cartography by Dysonlogos

I6: Contains a forgotten crypt housing a Necrichor (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 238).

J4: Location of Papa Toadleg’s abandoned camp. Remnants of fire pit and rough lean-to are in grove of trees near the road.

J9: The lair of a Loup Garou (Von Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, pg 237) is hidden in the forest. This powerful werewolf is the sire of the infected werewolf in D5.

J10: Papa Toadlegs’ new lair. It is a remote cave with magical wards to hide the old red hag from the Mavka hunting him. It contains the Cauldron of Blood.

K1: Contains a small outpost of dwarven soldiers from the Black Fortress commanding a ruined watchtower. They are led by a grizzled paladin of Khors, Holdna Brightshield. There are about twenty to thirty dwarves manning the outpost at a time, usually working in squads of four led by a graveslayer sergeant.