Page 25 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

Outer Fringe. The outermost reaches of the Dread-
d20 Outer Fringe Middle R eaches Dreaded Deeps
wood are as lightly wooded as those of any other forest
16 2d4 kobolds ld3 wraiths ld3 night hags
and extend five to ten miles into the woods. This part of
17 1 unicorn ld3 gorgons 2d4 shambling
the forest is as safe as any other woodland, thanks to
frequent ranger and elf patrols that keep the denizens mounds
of the deeper forest at bay if they try co encroach here. 18 1 troll ld3 mummies ld4 oni
Owlbears, wolves, and a few bandit gangs that elude 19 2d6 hobgoblins 1 d4 + 1 shadows 1 adult green
the notice of the patrols represent the most common dragon
threats to explorers or travelers. 20 ld3 ogres l vampire l death knight
Middle Reaches. Inside the outer fringe, the forest
takes on an increasingly sinister character. Even on the DROWNED FOREST
brightest days, the thick canopy of greenery threatens to Perched at the edge of the Hool Marshes, the Drowned
devour the sunlight. Throughout this middle area, bright Forest was once a verdant region. A few decades ago.
light extends no more than 20 feet from any source of the marsh began to encroach on this area. As the wa-
illumination, with the normal area of bright light beyond ter level rose, the forest was transformed into a more
that range reduced to dim light and dim light turned to foreboding place. Shambling mounds and blights
darkness. Those who travel without a source of light appeared in the forest in increasing numbers while the
during the day find that the thick canopy casts every- water rotted away the trees themselves. In time, strange
thing in dim light, and in some areas the growth over- mushrooms and fungus sprouted throughout the woods.
head is so thick that the area below is dark. Today, the Drowned Forest is perhaps the most dan-
Dreaded Deeps. In the heart of the forest, natural gerous location in the region. The trees remain stand-
light is unknown. Each step a traveler takes when mov- ing, but they long ago lost their foliage and are little
ing through the middle reaches toward the center seems more than dead, rotting timbers projecting out of the
to dim the sun's light a little more. until one enters the mud. Mushrooms and other fungi sprout everywhere. A
dreaded deeps, where the forest growth is so heavy that thick cloud of spores fills the air and blots out the sun.
it blots out the sky. Sources of bright light shine out to allowing the unnatural growths to fiourish.
only a JO.foot radius. with any normally bright illumina- Abyssal Incursion. The Drowned Forest is the site
tion beyond that turned to dim light and dim light made of an ongoing Abyssal assault. Years ago. a group of
dark. Even darkvision suffers. since it functions here at cultists dedicated to Zuggtmoy shambled into the for-
a maximum range of 30 feet. est. They had long ago succumbed to the fungal spores
Dark Dreams. Taking a long rest anywhere in the that made them into thralls. and Zuggtmoy had a plan
Dreadwood carries with it the risk of drawing Granny in mind for them. The cultists possessed a twisted de-
Nightshade's attention. Each resting character must canter of endless water that tapped into the seas of the
roll a d20. On a roll of 1. the character suffers horrible Abyss. By shattering the vessel. they created an unstable
dreams that leave them marked by the forest. Creatures portal to that awful realm. Luckily for the folk of the
of the Dreadwood gain advantage on all attacks against region, Zuggtmoy was imprisoned in the ruins of the
them for the next day and know the character's name Temple of Elemental Evil before her plan was complete.
and personal details, calling to them to journey deeper Without their mistress's direction, the cultists fell to
into the forest and serve beside their mistress. infighting. Today, Abyssal portals still sometimes draw
Random Encounters. The Dreadwood Random En- demons to the world, and the fungal spores spread by
counters table provides ideas for the sort of encounters the cult have transformed the forest into a deadly realm.
that can take place here. Check for an encounter once Fungal Spores. The air in the forest is thick with
per day by rolling a d20. On an 18 or higher, the charac- sickly-colored fungal spores that make breathing diffi-
ters have an encounter at some point during the day or cult at times. Characters who expend Hit Dice while in
night (equal chance of each). The nature of the encoun- the forest regain only half their normal hit points, and
ter depends on which region of the forest the characters after each long rest a character's maximum hit points
are located in. decrease by 1 per Hit Die. This reduction ends the
next time a character completes a long rest outside the
DREADWOOD RANDOM ENCOUNTERS Drowned Forest.
d20 Outer Fringe Middle Reaches Dreaded Deeps Malevolent Fungi. A variety of strange, twisted fungi
grow among the rotting trees of this region. If a fight
1-3 2d6 goblins 2d6 skeletons 4d6 skeletons
breaks out, roll a d20. On a 15 or higher. ld6 violet
4-5 2d6 elf veterans ldlO zombies 3d10 zombies
fungi erupt from where they are hidden around the area
6-7 3d6 bandits 2d6 hobgoblins 3d4 ghouls
among debris and mundane plants and mushrooms.
8- 9 2d4 jackalweres ld6 bugbears 2d6 specters
The perpetually soggy fungi tend to attack the loudest
10 3d6 stirges 2d4 ghouls 2d4 wights
interlopers.
11 ld3 vine blights l d6 specters ld6 vampire Shriekers' Call. it's difficult to travel unnoticed in this
spawn place because of shriekers that are found throughout
12 2d4 hobgoblins ld4 green hags ld6 wraiths the forest. Rather than check for random encounters as
13 ld3 dire wolves l banshee 2d6 mummies normal. once per day have each character make their
14 1 d4 green hags 1 night hag 2d4 + 2 shadows choice of a Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Nature)
15 1 d3 treants l lamia ld3 vampires check. If any character's check total is 20 or higher, the
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