Keying the Badlands Wilderness Map

Previously, I described the methodology for developing my hexcrawl map of the Badlands. In this post, I will lay out the different types of terrain hexes on the map, and provide descriptions of the important adventuring locations to be found within the campaign area.

The Hexcrawl Map

The original area map is around 17.5 x 17.5 inches, which strains the blog's capabilities to display a detailed image, making some of the keying numbers difficult to make out. I increased the font sizes of some labels and changed the color to black to increase readability. A full-sized, fully-legible version of the map may be found here.

 

Terrain Types 

There are six types of terrain represented on the map, each of which has an effect on rate of travel, visibility, and the chance for wandering encounters. Normally, a wandering encounter check is rolled every four hours of an adventuring day (even while camping). One extra encounter check is made each time the party transitions from one terrain type to another.

For example, if the party travels through canyons for four hours, only one encounter check is rolled. If, during that four hours of travel, the party passes through two hexes of pine thicket, an extra encounter roll is rolled when they enter the new terrain type and a second check is rolled when they re-emerge into the canyons.

An additional check is made whenever the players pass close to a keyed area (see below) to determine whether or not the party encounters one or more of the creatures that inhabit the location (if applicable). If multiple hexes along the party's path meet that criterion, a separate check is made for each hex. I'll discuss wandering encounters further in a (near-)future post.

Canyons: These hexes are where the party will likely spend most of its time exploring. The canyons are rocky and uneven, strewn with boulders, scree, and outcroppings. In some areas, the canyons are hundreds of feet wide, while in others they narrow to tight defiles just a few dozen yards across. In addition to being difficult terrain, canyons impose a -10 penalty to base Speed for characters with less than 15 Dexterity. Dwarves and creatures native to the region can also ignore this penalty. Due to the various gullies and rises, direct line-of-sight is limited to roughly (2d3)x10 yards, with abundant cover. Wandering encounters occur on 18-20 (day) or 16-20 (night). 

Ridges: These hexes can only be traversed by climbing, or via hidden passes through the ridgelines discovered in certain spots. The ridges rise from the canyon floor as a series of fractured, crumbling terraces which become craggy cliffs that ascend (2d3)x100 ft. high. Climbing into the ridges requires a group DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check for every 30 ft. of vertical movement (dwarves and natives only have a DC 12 check). Using climbing tools such as ropes and pitons gives advantage to the rolls. A failed group climbing roll requires the character with the lowest roll to make an immediate Dexterity save (at the same DC) or fall. Climbing tools prevent a fatal plunge, but the character still takes 1d6 damage for every 20 ft. (or less) of arrested fall when they slam into the cliff.

Moving through the ridges via a pass or trail requires no climbing roll, but carries a -20 penalty to base Speed for characters with less than 15 Dexterity, a -15 penalty to base Speed for any creatures with 15+ Dexterity, or a -10 penalty for dwarves and creatures native to the region (in addition to being difficult terrain). Visibility atop the ridges is around five miles, after which the constant heat haze blurs any usable details. Wandering encounters occur on 19-20 (day or night). 

Pine Thickets: The Badlands are not barren of vegetation; rather, the flora that exists here is largely scrub and succulents such as cacti, aloe, and crassula. Groves of scraggly pine trees also grow in many parts of the canyons, typically in the narrower gorges where the intensity of the sunlight is diminished. The thickets are fed by underground sources of water or from streams that trickle down from the ridgelines. The pine trees grow in clusters and can become quite dense, particularly with thorny brambles that grow from the pine needle mulch covering the ground. In addition to being difficult terrain, pine thickets impose a penalty of -10 to base Speed, and reduce line-of-sight visibility to (2d6)x10 feet. Wandering encounters occur on 17-20 (day) or 15-20 (night).

Bogs: In certain deep gorges, water has either seeped up from an underground reservoir and/or down from the ridgelines, causing the ground to become sodden. Here, wide expanses of cattails and stiff sawgrass—often as tall or taller than a man—grow amidst standing pools of fetid water, typically from a few inches deep to a foot or more, and often covered by dun-colored algae. The water is saline and filled with heavy minerals, but is potable if boiled. Meager catches of fish and crawdads can be foraged here. Biting flies are ever-present and crocodiles are a common threat. In addition to being difficult terrain, bogs impose a penalty of -20 to base Speed. Due to the height of the foliage, line-of-sight visibility is only (2d6)x10 feet. In the mornings, bogs are shrouded in mist that further reduces visibility by half. Wandering encounters occur on 17-20 (day) or 15-20 (night).

Grasslands (Plains): To the north of Irongate Keep are the Plains of Yorum, a vast, rolling prairie that extends for hundreds of miles. It is unlikely that characters will travel here, except on their journey to the Keep at the start of the campaign. Plains hexes carry no penalty to Speed, but do count as difficult terrain unless characters are traveling on the only road that connects the Keep to the city of Remedios far to the north. Visibility on the prairie is approximately 4-5 miles. Wandering encounters occur on 19-20 (day) or 18-20 (night).

Grasslands (Savannas): To the west of Irongate Keep are the Horse Plains, dry, grassy steppe lands that sprawl southward, eventually melting into the jungles of Gondwana. This region is home to herds of wild horses, as well as nomadic tribes of centaurs and bands of bugbears who hunt them. Other than a noticeable shift to a hotter and more arid climate, these hexes are mechanically the same as Plains hexes. Like those hexes, the characters are unlikely to travel here during the campaign except, perhaps, at the very eastern fringes of the region.

Getting Lost

The canyons and ridges make it easy to stay on track because any changes in terrain and direction are fairly obvious. If the party is guided by a druid, ranger, or hired guide, no check to get lost is necessary. If not, then the unguided party must roll a group DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check once every 4 hours of travel (at advantage if the party has a map). If failed, the party “gets disoriented” for (2d6)x20 minutes of travel before realizing they are moving in the wrong direction. In addition to the time lost following the wrong route, the party must backtrack the same amount of time before resuming the correct path.

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AREA KEY

I seeded the campaign map with a variety of encounter areas to get things started. As the players do their thing, I'll flesh out whatever dungeons or lairs are needed, but these descriptions at least tell me where the major sources of adventure are in the region and give me a head-start to prep future sessions when I see which directions the party decides to explore.

The adventuring locations found within the Badlands are divided into "Major" and "Minor" encounter areas, and I sprinkled the rest with adventure kernels—small creature lairs, points of interest, etc.—that I call "Lurid Lairs" as an homage to the old Judges Guild Wilderlands of High Fantasy. These are just raw ideas that can be developed further if the players ever explore the particular hex in which they are located (and, in fact, one of them has become a Major Encounter area in the course of campaign play). 

The following keyed location descriptions are spoilers for the campaign, so if any of my Roll20 players (Ban, Smitty, Dexter, Bjorn, Thero, or Thurandar) are reading this, please avoid going any further.

Major Encounter Areas

These lettered areas represent the locations of significant adventure or importance in the campaign (i.e., proper "dungeons"). The centerpiece dungeon is my adaptation of B2. As for the rest, I'm adapting adventures from my other campaigns in some cases; in others, I have a basic concept (and possibly some sketches), but I will only bother fleshing out the full dungeon if/when the player-characters ever make their way toward the location.

A) Irongate Keep
This sturdy stone keep is filled with human soldiers. It will serve as the players’ base camp. A well-traveled path wends southward to area 1. During the day, soldiers of the Watch patrol the area immediately surrounding the Keep. Because of the patrols, a wandering encounter only occurs on a '20' within three miles of the fort (or to the nearest ridgeline, whichever is more appropriate). There is a 1-in-6 chance that 1d3+3 soldiers and a corporal will investigate nearby sounds of combat, arriving at 400 ft. distance.

B) Bugbear Caves
On the western edge of the Badlands, where the broken ridges meet the grassy savanna of the Horse Plains, an isolated canyon meanders deep into the hills. In a fortified spur of the main canyon, a massive crack in the cliff face yawns opens. Within is an extensive warren of tunnels and caves—the lair of a tribe of ferocious bugbears who hunt centaurs on the plains (the subject of Badlands rumor #11).

The "hairy-men" have allied with the chaos cultists, and work with them to excavate a secret tunnel through the ridgelines, which will give the tribe greater access to the region's interior. Within five miles of their lair, roll an additional check each hour to encounter 3d4 bugbear raiders moving through the canyon.

C) Caves of Chaos
The ledges of this box canyon are riddled with "caves"—crumbling entrances into the ruins of a vast, underground temple of evil. The cult of Khoss has established a base of operations in this ancient complex, where the cult leaders amass an army of evil humanoids under their hypnotic thrall. From this base, the cultists plot to bring the entire region under their control once more (the subject of Badlands rumor #9).

Within five miles of the Caves of Chaos, roll an additional check each hour for the party to encounter a band of humanoid thralls (as Wandering Encounter). There is a 1-in-6 chance that 2d3 cultists accompany each group of 10 or more humanoids.

D) Dragon's Cave
The terraces of this dead-end canyon ascend high into the ridges, where a line of strangely symmetrical and evenly-spaced caves overlook the canyon floor. The caves lead into the lair of a tribe of blue kobolds who serve their slumbering master—a vicious, two-headed blue dragon named Ohmu (the subject of Badlands rumor #10). The kobolds are not allied with the cult of Khoss, but many tribe members have been captured by cultists and enthralled to their evil cause.

The dragon has been asleep on its treasure pile for many years, since long before the Keep was built. The Castellan's forces dismiss the "legends" of a dragon and are completely unaware this threat actually exists. Hopefully no one awakens it, but if they do, the dragon is likely to first take its wrath out upon the cultists who are poaching its minions, before turning its attention to all those delicious humans hiding in their pitiful fortress.

E) Hidden Temple of Thera
This ancient ruin sits atop a high ridge, concealed from view to those on the ground. It is reached by crossing a secret pass over a nearby ridgeline into a dangerous canyon filled with thunder-lizards. Traversing the canyon, the party will find itself at the base of a cascading waterfall, where a secret stair climbs the high cliff next to it. The plateau above is shrouded by a pine thicket and then a bog—the remnants of once-lush temple gardens that have now fallen into decrepitude. Past the gardens, wide steps rise to the temple's entrance. The ruins are said to be inhabited by a wise and powerful oracle who guards a great secret (the subject of Badlands rumor #20).

This temple to the Earth Goddess was corrupted centuries ago through a betrayal by the temple's Second-Priestess, who allowed Khoss cultists into the grounds. The cultists threw down the temple's relics, and slew the First-Priestess and many of her faithful followers. Through this evil act, the Second-Priestess was transformed into a fearsome naga, while her minions were turned into serpent-people. Their cursed forms now slither through the tangled gardens and ruined halls of the old temple. The oracle—a gynosphinx—is imprisoned deep within the temple's vaults. If the serpent-people are slain and the oracle released, the temple may be cleansed once more.

F) Orc Warlord's Tomb
A war-band of red orcs recently discovered the long-lost tomb of a famous chieftain of yore. The orcs have been searching for this crypt for some time (alluded to in Badlands rumor #19), because buried with the chieftain is a legendary weapon of great interest to their kind…and of great concern to the "wild" elves who still live in this part of the world.

G) Hill Giant’s Camp
This canyon leads further east to the (current) location of the war-camp of “Lord Grod”—a hill giant warrior. Grod was banished from the Giant Hills to the northeast after losing in battle to his two brothers (alluded to in Badlands rumor #5). His army of evil humanoids consists mostly of goblins and hobgoblins, mixed with orogs, ogrillons, ogres, and mountain orc mercenaries. Packs of gnolls also follow his army to devour the carrion. 

This unruly horde roams the eastern Badlands looking for enemies to kill. When pickings get thin, they strike camp and venture farther out in search of food and plunder. The Khoss cultists have been pilfering the giant's forces by ambushing patrols who stray too far westward, and then enthralling the captured humanoids to their evil cause. Eventually, the giant will discover what is happening and march west to recover his missing troops.

Within 10 miles of the hill giant’s camp, roll an additional check each hour to encounter a mixed war-band of goblins and hobgoblins (as Wandering Encounter). The war-band will be closely trailed by 2d4 gnolls for every 10 humanoids encountered. Groups of 24 or more humanoids might (1-in-3) also include 1d3 ogres and/or ogrillons, one of whom bears the hill giant’s banner, which inspires the entire war-band and gives them +1 to all Attack rolls. Any other ogres/ogrillons beat huge drums to keep the forces moving. Groups of 30 or more might (1-in-6) include Lord Grod himself. If so, the hill giant rides an armored triceratops into battle.

T) Shelter Caves
There are several of these magical caves sprinkled throughout the Badlands, the hidden entrances to which are marked with the sigil of Thera (the subject of Badlands rumor #4). Inside is a simple chamber, roughly 40-ft. in diameter. On a stone altar in the center rests a shallow, 3-ft. diameter stone bowl filled with the ashes of previous fires.

If a fire is lit in the bowl, the cave fills with comforting warmth and an illusion conceals the entrance. Any non-evil being may find sanctuary inside, enabling them to gain the full benefits of a Long Rest (instead of the typical Camp Rest taken while traveling). Evil beings who enter the cave have disadvantage on all saving throws, and take an additional 1d6 radiant damage per successful attack made against them by a good- or neutral-aligned creature while within the cave's threshold.

Good beings are not obligated to leave an offering of coins, food, goods, etc. to the shrine, but the Theran faithful should leave one. A particular shelter cave’s benefit will only occur once for an individual if no offering is left. If an offering is left, then that person will receive the resting benefit the next time they shelter in this particular cave.

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Minor Encounter Areas

These numbered locations represent noteworthy sites of limited adventure, typically a unique encounter, a modest-sized lair, or a small "dungeon" setting.

1) Signpost
Rickety signs nailed to a wooden post point to the southwest and east. Sun-bleached humanoid skulls are piled around the base of the tall post, atop which a vulture sits menacingly. The first sign points southwest and reads: “Stay south; west is dead-” (a section that reads “-end” has broken off and lies hidden in the nearby grass). A second placard also points southwest and is carved with the sign of a pick (indicating the path to Carlos’ Mine). The third sign points east and says: “Keep to the north through the pines.” Anyone disturbing the skulls angers a coiled viper hiding in the pile.

2) The Mad Hermit
A faint and rarely-traveled path leads from the canyons into a cloistered valley atop this ridgeline. A solitary hermit haunts this hidden valley, and over the years, he has become progressively wilder and crazier—and more dangerous (the subject of Badlands rumor #3).

At the valley's south end where the path enters the area is a small marsh area and muddy pond filled with frogs, crawdads, and many fish. On the eastern bank of the pond is a small vegetable garden fenced in with branches. At the north end of the valley is a pine thicket, where thousands of grotesque little fetishes made of scraps of carved wood, leather, and pine straw festoon the tree limbs. Within the thicket is a well-camouflaged shelter made of pine branches and scrub. Inside are a mound of leaves and crude furniture made of pieces of wood, along with a hand-made wooden cup and plate. Buried under a few inches of dirt beneath the “bed” is a box containing 31 guilders and 164 bits.

The hermit wears tattered hides that count as leather armor and a +1 ring of protection. Beneath his garments he conceals a +1 dagger (coated with paralyzing poison; DC 15 Constitution save to resist being paralyzed for 10 minutes) and a potion of invisibility. He carries no other loot. His homicidal mania gives him +2 to-hit and damage. The hermit is the traitor and spy, Gregor Munn, who is wanted for crimes against the crown (500 guilders dead or 1,000 alive). Distinguishing marks include a tattoo of a dagger on his upper right arm and a long scar across right eye. He has been in hiding for nearly 10 years.

When the party comes into his valley, the hermit is... [roll 1d6]: 1-3 = in his shelter; 4-5 = wandering the valley; 6 = fishing at the pond/toiling in the garden. Wherever he is, his “pet” mountain lion lurks hidden nearby, ready to spring upon an unwary intruder. The lion follows the hermit everywhere and will come to his aid if he is attacked.

The hermit’s awareness of the party's presence in his ridge-top redoubt and/or how they approach him will determine the hermit's strategy for dealing with these interlopers.

• If the party surprises him but acts friendly, then he claims to be a holy man seeking to commune with nature (he actually believes that at times). He will turn on the group when the best opportunity presents itself, stabbing an unsuspecting victim from behind and calling the lion to his aid.

• If the party surprises him and attacks, then he calls his pet and runs away during the diversion (using his potion of invisibility if necessary). When the hermit has escaped, the lion breaks off its attack and flees as well. The two will then shadow the party and try to pick them off.

• If the hermit becomes aware of the party, but they don’t see him, then he will shadow them to determine what the intruders want and then try to kill them.

The hermit is actually Gregori Munn, a notorious criminal wanted in Remedios (and the subject of Badlands Rumor #3). He has gone quite insane from hiding out in this remote wilderness for nearly 10 years. If the party captures him and takes him to the Keep, he is thrown in the dungeon and the party receives a handsome reward and renown with the Castellan (catching this spy will bolster Lord Helmund's standing with the lord of Remedios).

3) Dergan’s Pass
Hunters and certain locals know about this concealed switchback trail winding into the ridgeline (the subject of Badlands rumor #7). Alert party members might spot it (DC 15) if they search carefully while traveling through the canyons. At the top of the ridgeline is a large cave that is permanently occupied by a camp of eight scouts plus their leader, a veteran scout named Dergan. He allows other hunters to use the path and camp for free, but charges anyone else a toll to pass through (2 guilders each, or the equivalent in trade).

Dergan is an older man with a white mohawk and beard. He wears studded leather and wields a hand axe and dagger. He also uses a +1 longbow and has a quiver of (12) arrows, six of which are magical and double the bow's range limits (but provide no bonus to Attack or damage rolls). Dergan is a ruthless survivalist, shrewd and calculating. He is not evil, however, merely opportunistic. He doesn’t like the Keep or the Castellan’s rules, but he occasionally visits the fort to stock up on supplies.

His band of skilled hunters are mostly human commoners who are proficient with longbows, axes, and knives. They wear beast skins, muddy their faces, and have the distinct odor of animal musk about them. Their names (and nationalities) are: Erek (Remediosi); Kosimo (Remidiosi); Dugalu (Gondwanan); Jehn (Remediosi), Oothor (Remediosi), Poris (Meridian), Kehvan (Remediosi), and Fundin (a dwarf hunter from Vorge).

If the party asks about humanoids, the hunters direct them southward (“The hills down there are thick with goblins, orcs, and worse.”) They've started avoiding the area (“We don't go past Carlos' place anymore…”), but they can give the party directions to Carlos’ Mine.

4) Spider Woods
Newly-painted signs are staked along a scant footpath through this pine thicket. The signs are emblazoned with a skull and the word: “Caution!” in red, and bear the livery of Irongate Keep. Every (2d3)x10 minutes that the party remains in one of these pine thicket hexes, they might encounter [roll 1d6]: 1-4 = 2d3 huge spiders; 5-6 = 1d3 giant spiders. In the northern pine thicket hexes, the chance for a spider encounter is 15-20; in the southern thicket hex, the party automatically encounters spiders.

In the southern portion of this thicket stands a cluster of pine trees covered in a dense shroud of webbing where hundreds of milky-white cocoons hang among the sticky strands. Most bundles are small and contain empty husks of animals. A dozen are larger and contain humanoid bones along with weapons and gear. If the party cuts open ALL the large bundles, they find:

• A collection of poor- to average-quality gear (much of it goblinish): armor pieces, standard weapons, belts, etc. If they take the entire lot back to the Keep, they can sell the gear to the Provisioner for 50 guilders total.

• The desiccated corpse of an elf (the subject of Badlands rumor #2). His fine clothing and gear is ruined, save for a pouch with 50 guilders and a filthy shield which appears worthless (but is actually a +1 shield).

• As they prepare to cut the last large bundle open, it wiggles slightly and moans. Inside is a barely-conscious man who wears the uniform of a Keep soldier named Jord (the subject of Badlands rumor #6). He is severely poisoned and can only mutter, “…help…” before losing consciousness again. If healing is applied, he stabilizes but remains unconscious from exhaustion. If returned safely, he makes a full recovery in two weeks. The party members earn renown with the Keep for the man’s rescue and can count the soldier as a “good friend.”

Lurking in the heart of this webbed lair is the spider-matriarch—a great brooding ettercap, intelligent and evil. She recently hatched many spider-younglings (the huge and giant spiders), which are responsible for the recent upsurge in attacks.

5) Haunted Hill
In a clearing in this isolated pine thicket is a tall burial mound covered with hundreds of standing stones—the entrance to a mysterious crypt occupied by skeletons, ghouls, and mummies.

6) Ettin’s Pass
A clearly-visible path lined with skull-capped stakes winds through a rocky gully and up into the ridgeline (the subject of Badlands rumor #8, although the rumor misidentifies the creature as an "ogre"). At the midpoint of the ridge, a rickety bridge built of pine tree limbs spans an 80-ft. deep gorge. On the east side of the gorge is a foreboding cave, its patio carpeted with gnawed and stomped bones. Several rock slabs are spattered with dried blood and viscera. Flocks of jackdaws and vultures perch in the crags around the cave.

The birds begin to squawk and take wing as the party starts to cross the bridge. The racket draws out a huge ettin named Drak (head 1) and Lew (head 2), who guards the bridge. Roaring, the ettin hurls rocks at party members and then attacks anyone reaching the far side of the bridge with his great maul. The ettin's cave is a filthy den covered in greasy skins and furs, and reeking of piss and sweat. A dark niche in the far corner is concealed by a heavy stone, behind which is the ettin’s treasure hoard.

7) Lizardman Mound
Several streams trickle down from the ridges here, forming a shallow fen of tall, razor-sharp grass. The fen is the home of a small tribe of exceptionally evil lizardmen. The reptilian humanoids are nocturnal and will generally not bother anyone moving about the area during the day unless they set foot on the muddy mound, under which the tribe’s burrows and dens are found. In that case, six males emerge from the mound's submerged entrance to repel trespassers.

If all the males are killed, the remainder of the tribe—(1) older male and (3) females—hides in the lair. With them is their matriarch, an aged female who wears a gold necklace with rubies (worth 1,100 guilders). She protects (8) young lizardmen (1 hp ea.; no attack) and (6) eggs. Under the nest is a bag containing 112 pennies, 186 bits, a gold ingot worth 90 guilders, a healing potion, and a poison potion.

8) Carlos’ Mine
The sounds of labor can be heard echoing from a jagged cleft in the ridgeline here, where a narrow path ascends the craggy terraces. Makeshift signs at the base of the path read: “Carlos’ Mine … Hiring diggurs … Good wage for honest work. Thiefs will be beat bloody and kill't!” 

At the top of the path is a small camp clustered around the opening of a mineshaft. The camp is surrounded by a sturdy picket fence made of pine logs. This modest but profitable operation is run by a grizzled miner named Carlos the Dwarf. Carlos is clad in a brightly-colored poncho with a wide-brimmed hat. He wears studded leather armor beneath the poncho, and slings a dwarf blunderbuss over his shoulder. Always nearby is his trusty battleaxe and shield. 

His operation recently struck a large gold deposit, so he is wary of strangers and can be intentionally rude, emphasizing his warnings with the blackened iron barrel of his gun. He gives elves and halflings the stink-eye, but is friendly with dwarves and humans. He oversees a crew of six dwarf miners (AC 10; 10 hp; picks, mattocks, and hammers) and three human miners (all commoners) who camp in a sheltered cave at the west end of the cleft. Each miner carries a few coins and a bag of stone chips with a rune mark on them (“pay stubs”).

If the party gains Carlos' trust, he might provide some helpful information:

• He cautions them that the hills are crawling with different groups of humanoids (“...odd to see them living that close together”), and that a presence gathers to the south (“...across those ridgelines…something evil.”)

• He shows them a hidden pass at the back of the cleft that passes through the ridgeline, and will allow the party to use it to quickly cross between canyons. He also warns them to “...watch out for the bog hag to the north” on the other side.

•  If a cleric or paladin of a good-aligned faith is present, Carlos tells them a story about encountering the ghost of a holy warrior in the hills to the southwest (see L8).

NOTE: If the party comes here on behalf of the Jewel Merchant from the Keep, Carlos gives them a sealed leather satchel filled with silver nuggets and a bag of unpolished precious stones (worth a total of 1,500 guilders) to return to the merchant.

9) Bog Hag's Hut

This muddy bog is choked with bramble thickets. Hidden among the thorns at the center of the bog is a rickety hut on stilts, surrounded by a profusion of hideously-carved wooden totem poles that emerge from the muck. This is the home of an ancient and murderous green hag named Yanna. 

If the party passes through the area, they hear a woman’s screams which are cut short, followed by the sounds of a baby crying. This is the bog hag using her mimicry ability to draw the group into a trap. If the party investigates, they “locate” the spot from which the sound seemed to come, but find nothing. Suddenly, they hear the baby’s cries again a little ways off (as though someone is carrying it away).

If the party follows again, they come upon an 80-ft. diameter stand of pine trees in the bog. A young woman flails in the mud near the center, clutching a swaddled bundle to her bosom. A pair of hissing crocodiles have surrounded her and are moving in for the kill. She cries to the party members to save them. If the characters approach, they walk into a trapped area…

The ground is covered with pine needles that conceal a 25-ft. wide trench of thick mud ringing the central area, a 30-ft. diam. circle of solid ground. Treat the mud as difficult terrain; attempting to move across it requires a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check or the character becomes stuck (Speed becomes 0 until the start of their next turn). As the characters are slowed by the mud, the woman begins to cackle, tossing the bundle aside and revealing herself as the hag. She commands her two pet crocodiles to attack. Another four crocodiles emerge from the watery bog surrounding the pine stand to attack the party's rear ranks.

To make matters worse, the solid ground on the interior edge of the mud trench is lined with with many snares (DC 13 to spot). If failed, anyone emerging from the mud into the central area might (2-in-6 chance) trigger a snare trap that grabs them by the ankles and flings them 30 ft. high into the pine trees. The thick vines binding the trapped character's ankles are tough to cut through (AC 11; 15 hp), and then the victim must contend with a 30 ft. fall to the soft ground for 2d6 bludgeoning (reduced damage due to the cushioned landing).

The hag uses her spells to harry any characters who are not snared or engaged with the crocodiles. Neither the crocodiles nor the hag are affected by the snares or mud. If a party member gets too close, she casts invisibility and flees into the trees, where she continues to cast spells.

When her victims are defeated, she butchers the dead, but leaves any ensnared characters to hang for a bit until they go unconscious (DC 10 CON save every 10 min.; +1 DC at each interval). She will then lower them to the ground one-by-one and slit their throats. If the party manages to gain the upper hand on her, however, she turns invisible once more and flees to her hut to prepare her revenge.

10) Valley of the Roc
Several canyons merge here to form a wide, boulder-strewn valley. Stands of pine dot the valley, and at its western end, a cluster of craggy ridges rises from the valley floor like jagged pillars. This entire valley is the territory of a "young" (CR 8) roc, who scans the region with its keen eyes from a nest at the top of the ridges (see L19).

Roll an encounter check for every hex of the valley through which the party passes. Characters who stick close to the outer edges of the valley near the ridgelines only trigger a roc encounter on 19-20. Anyone moving through an open hex has a 16-20 chance to trigger an encounter with the great raptor. 

Typically, the roc will go for beasts of burden or other large creatures, but might snatch up a character who attacks it first. Whatever prey the roc grapples is flown immediately back up to its nest lair to be devoured. The roc cannot attack creatures that are within a pine thicket.

11) Raider Camp
In this section of canyon, the party comes upon the remains of an ancient road—a 40-ft. wide avenue of massive, cyclopean pavestones. Tall stone obelisks that once lined the road now lie toppled along the route. After several miles, the avenue passes through the foundations of an ancient town (clusters of low, ruined walls and obvious streets).

On the eastern outskirts of the ruins is a crumbling tower which is mostly intact and being used by a group of 20 raiders (as bandits) from the Red Desert. If the party approaches in a non-hostile manner, the raiders might be willing to trade with them. Any aggressive or disrespectful behavior from the party causes the proud men of the desert to attack. Secured within the tower is a small fortune in stolen trade goods, coins, and other valuables, in addition to a dozen domesticated camels penned outside.

12) Cultist Pass
A hidden path (DC 20 to spot) is used by the cultists to shave several hours off the travel time to the Caves of Chaos. They can also use it to cut off the escape of any intruders. At the top of the path is a guardpost carved into the rock face. Another path on the opposite (west) side of the ridgeline descends from the guardpost into the pine thicket below. 

The guardpost is occupied by 12 mountain orcs who keep watch on the canyon to the east. Normally, one orc takes a turn keeping watch while the others lounge around their litter-filled camp, drinking and biding time. The guard orc gets an automatic Perception check to spot the party as they pass through the hex to the east of the path.

If the party does not discover the path and are spotted, one of the orcs runs to the Caves of Chaos to warn the cult of intruders, while the others descend the east path to the canyon, coming up behind the party to attack their rear. If the party discovers the path and assaults the guardpost, the orcs will defend the camp as best they can, while one attempts to flee down the west path and alert the Caves of Chaos.

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Lurid Lairs

These individual encounter areas are found throughout the region. Beast and monster lairs trigger an additional encounter check if the party passes within one hex of the marked lair. If they enter the exact lair hex, they may encounter the creature roaming (1-5) or run across the lair itself (6). Some lurid lairs are locations of particular note, rather than an encounter. In these cases, the party only finds it if they travel through the hex.

L1) Dozens of rock cairns among the pine trees spawn the ancient skeletons of slain warriors that rise from the dead to attack. One has a +1 weapon.

L2) A golden bracelet (worth 100 guilders) glints off skeletal remains at the bottom of a sloping pit in the sand—the lair of a giant ant lion.

L3) 2d3 giant frogs lurk just below the surface of a shallow pool (DC15 to spot).

L4) The ruins of an ancient watchtower are now inhabited by one of the hill giant’s war bands—a group of 12 goblins, eight hobgoblins, and an ogrillon.

L5) A nest of 12 giant buzzards sits high up on the cliff. The birds are aggressive and attack passers-by.

L6) A treasure chest containing a fortune in gold is buried down a trapped shaft beneath a suspicious-looking tree. Something else is down there as well.

L7) Giant lizards sun themselves on the rocks here. A total of nine lizards live in this area, but only 3d3 are encountered at any time.

L8) A huge mountain lion lives in a cave high along the ridge and stalks the surrounding hexes.

L9) Four vile harpies nest in the ridgeline here. In addition to their clutch of eggs, a valuable treasure is kept in the largest nest.

L10) A weird, rune-carved stone table within a menhir circle sits atop a high plateau. This ancient artifact is an old druid altar. Messing with the runes can change the weather.

L11) This pine grove is haunted by decrepit old ghouls who lurk in the hollows of dead trees and prey on unfortunate travelers who camp in the thicket.

L12) A gang of seven deadly thieves ("The Dire Knives") have a hideout here. They pretend to be prospectors but will rob and kill interlopers. There is a bounty at the keep for them, dead or alive.

L13) The run-down shack of a paranoid old human prospector squats here. He is actually a treacherous doppelganger.

L14) A clan of 20 gnolls—unaffiliated with either the cultists or the hill giant camp—lair in a crowded cave complex in the ridgeline. They may respond to activities in the pine grove to the north (area 5).

L15) The hidden campsite of a diligent wood elf druid named Alil (pron. AHL-eel) sits atop the ridgeline here. She monitors the movements of the hill giant’s troops.

L16) A camp of 10 mountain orc deserters from the hill giant's camp live here in a hard-to-reach cave. They often forage in the marsh to the south, which is the remnants of the long-abandoned gardens of the temple of Thera (area E).

L17) A dozen shambling mounds lurk in this deep bog, protecting a huge bulb that spawns them. On the western edge, the party can spot the stairs ascending to the shrine of Thera (area E) in the cliffs above.

L18) A collapsed embankment reveals a stone sarcophagus. Opening it releases the mummy of a long-dead cultist wearing an unholy symbol (an evil creature wearing it has advantage on all saving throws).

L19) A young roc (CR 8) nests atop a high bluff here (see area 10), along with its six fledglings (treat as giant eagles with no flying speed).

L20) A stony niche holds the skeleton of a paladin of Solis named Marvyn. Dead more than a century, he once quested to find the Caves of Chaos and put an end to their evil—but failed. His armor and shield are corroded and useless, but his +1 holy sword (+2 vs. undead and fiends) is still highly polished and razor-sharp. Marvyn’s spirit inhabits the blade and can speak to the wielder. Whenever battling undead creatures, fiends, or cultist forces, the sword casts bless on the wielder (using the wielder’s bonus action) and can also use the wielder’s reaction to cast cure wounds at a spell level equal to the wielder's experience level / 3. It can use each spell once per Long Rest.

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Next Up — Wandering encounters and the "evil forces" lurking in the Badlands.