Encounter: Bridges

I like making fights interesting by making them take place in odd spots. Fighting on a bridge is one of those things that seems so very mundane, but can have so many interesting consequences. Credit for the image to Reddit user TopdeBotton.


Environment: Forests, Rivers
Theme: Restricted movement, Dangerous boundaries

Characteristics:

• Narrow path to the other side
• Easily blocked off
• Edges are open, people can be knocked off into the water
• Bodies pile up

Uses:

• Choke point for a critical area
• Many mooks block off the bridge, preventing passage
• Aquatic monsters jump on and off the sides

Info:
Fighting on a bridge isn't the same as having an open area, or even a corridor of a dungeon. Falling off is a very real possibility, and potentially a lethal one if the bridge is up high enough. In other cases, falling off would slow someone down immensely, allowing them to be shot with arrows or gutted with spears. 
The main problem with fighting on a bridge is how narrow it is. Like a dungeon corridor, it's easy for one or two monsters to completely block it off, forcing a party to engage in combat. That combat is going to be different from a more open area, and even different from a dungeon. In a dungeon, monsters in the next room are blocked by a wall. With a bridge, that is not the case. Ranged attacks from the other side onto the party are still an option, and the PCs don't have too much they can do about it. There will be a melee combat occurring where the two sides meet somewhere on the bridge, and the PCs will have to consider whether or not they even want to risk shooting bows and spells into it.
Aquatic monsters can add another level of intensity to the fight. If tentacles writhe beneath the party and begin attacking while they're stuck on the bridge, they will be forced to use unusual tactics to survive. If other monsters leap up out of the water and engage in melee combat on the edges of the bridge, only to then jump back in and reappear the next round, then the combat becomes that much more hectic. Non-aquatic monsters may still hang out underneath the bridge, and should be focused on ways to grapple people and drag them off the side.

Encounter: Infected Mushrooms

I had a completely different idea for what to post today, but I couldn't pass up this image. It was just too perfect for The Black Forest. The image is from an album cover for Infected Mushrooms, but it was made into a wallpaper by Reddit user binjinpurj. 

Name: Infected Mushrooms

Environment: Magical Forests

Type: Plant

Description:

The mushrooms vary in size from smaller than your finger to the size of a small house. They all have pulsing fibers and a wooden texture. They also have large, dead eyes and a gaping mouth in a permanent image of rage and bloodlust.

Characteristics:

• Stationary
• Aggressive
• Melee
• Reach
• Spores
• Aura of Fear

Tactics:

• Lie in wait for an ambush
• Use spores to disable enemies
• Fibers are tentacles that can grasp

Info:

The Infected Mushrooms are stationary trap-creatures. They sit still waiting for prey to come near, and then attack with spores. Once the enemy is disabled, they are grabbed by the mushroom's tendrils and eaten. If the prey manages to avoid being disabled, the mushrooms still continue to attack. They are inherently evil and driven to violence. 

The mushrooms are very patient, but sometimes have a hard time hiding. Their giant and terrifying face gives them away very readily. In dark places, they can sometimes go unnoticed until it is too late. They tend to grow in large groups, so any combat would involve several different spores and attacks. They do wait until their prey is too far into their group before attacking, unless they are detected. 

The goal here is to have avoidable but deadly encounters. The mushrooms are easy to sneak around, as their faces are only on one side. They are also stationary, though their tendrils can have impressive reach. Stealth and awareness would be rewarded, as they could be avoided entirely after one or two chance confrontations. They would also be present at larger fights, namely the final boss. The idea I have is that the mushrooms would make up the ring of the arena, and would attack anyone who strayed too far from the fight. That would introduce an element of restriction and danger, as well as having different areas affected by the different spores.

Encounter: Putrid Flowers

A continuation on The Black Forest posts. This is also my first post about traps, to more fully flesh out the ideas I had for the mutated flowers. I'm going to make another post about the reanimated creatures and plants, including what I mean when I say that the plants themselves have become undead. There is actually no image this time, so it's not that I forgot one. 


Type: Trap, Environmental Hazard
Theme: Magical, Evil

Description:
The different flowers are arranged haphazardly around the forest. They are all different colors, though each has the distinctive tinge of rotting color. Their petals writhe and grasp anything near them. You can feel different magical auras around the flowers, and have the suspicion that they are trying to kill you.

Dangers:

• Fire Flowers
• Cone of fire emitted towards a living creature
• Immune to fire
• Incapable of movement
• Located on trees, bright red in coloration. Easy to detect.
• Undead Flowers
• Drain life force of anything that it touches
• Weak to positive energy
• Empowered by negative energy
• Located on ground, dark in coloration. Difficult to detect.
• Grasping Flowers
• Shake petals slowly, brushing against everything near it.
• Anything alive that it touches is immediately latched onto with large vines that are hidden among it's roots. They are grappled and slowly eaten by nearby flowers.
• Tall and located on ground, pale in coloration. Moderate to detect.
• Spores
• Sleep, Paralysis, Poison, Mind-control spores
• Bright blue, yellow, green, and purple in coloration, respectively. Very easy to detect.
• Float around in the air, emitted by corrupted trees and mushrooms.
• Each require a Fortitude save to resist the effects.
• Reanimators 
• Kill small insects and reanimate them as undead
• Also poisons and brings trees as undead plants
• The undead insects are a nuisance and swarm large creatures
• Mostly harmless to larger creatures, but can make them sick
• Grows as moss, grey in coloration. Difficult to detect.

Info:
The various plants in the Black Forest are the real danger. They have been so mutated by evil magic that they are no longer natural, and have many different effects. The plants have effectively taken over the forest, and are now a system of traps upon traps. Mostly the plants have no impact on each other, though if they burn an area, those plants may be destroyed. 
The main danger is that some of the flowers are indistinguishable from the non-corrupted plant life. The coloration can be detected after a few encounters with the different types of plants, but the traps until then are very difficult to see. They are very dangerous, and seek out living creatures to kill and consume. They are strictly evil in nature - pun fully intended - and are also considered undead. 
The plants are persistent throughout the entire forest. They become more densely populated deeper into the forest, but as the PCs learn to detect and avoid them, most confrontations can be completely evaded. Around certain areas, different flowers are dominant due to the mutating magic that is present, and it's chaotic nature. The villains that created them have intentionally planted them in specific patterns around their stronghold, to make it almost impossible to avoid them on entry. They also fortified other key areas with the plants.

Encounter: Forest Fire

I took yesterday off to be patriotic. I briefly considered making a post for some sort of epic-level bald eagle spirit, but decided against it. Today's post is something different: a skills challenge! A disclaimer here is that since I never bought fourth edition, the only knowledge I have of how skills challenges are "supposed" to go comes from the Critical Hit podcast. So this post is more of an idea for a skills challenge rather than how to completely run it, since it will vary wildly based on what adventure you choose to tie it in to. Credit for the image to Reddit user vxqz.


Type: Skills Challenge
Theme: Survival, Escape, Rescue
Goals:

• Survive
• Complete other objective tied to the adventure

Outcomes:

• Succeed: Survive unscathed
• Succeed: Confront whomever set the fire
• Failure: Be injured
• Failure: Be captured
• Failure: Lose any NPCs stuck inside the fire

Description:
Leaves and wood burn all around you. The air is hot and dry, and the smoke begins to choke you. Everything is bright and disorienting, and you have a hard time navigating as the world spins in a raging inferno.

Info:
This skills challenge involves the players being in the middle of a forest fire. There are a number of environmental hazards at play here. First and foremost, the PCs need to avoid burning to death. Secondly, they need to avoid choking on the smoke. Thirdly, trees and branches are falling as a result of the fire, blocking their way and possibly trapping them. Fourthly, native animals in the forest are panicking and trying to escape. In order to survive, the players need to either find a way to escape, build a suitable fire break, or use magic to shelter themselves.
The skills challenge can involve several different things other than the PCs only having to survive. For instance, how did the fire start? I personally am not one to make the PCs just randomly have to survive a forest fire. This would be part of an actual adventure, where a villain or scripted natural occurrence started the fire to begin with. As such, the PCs will have other goals. Something that would be very easy to include would be to have a number of villagers be in the forest at the time of the fire. The PCs will need to enter the forest, rescue the villagers, and get them back out. Furthermore, the perpetrator of the fire may need to be apprehended, which could lead into a combat within the forest fire. 
Depending on the circumstances, the skills challenge could have multiple different results. If the PCs are incapacitated upon failing the challenge, they could be recovered by locals after the fire has subsided. They would be badly hurt, and probably failed to rescue anyone from within the forest. Additionally, they would have failed to pursue whomever set the fire to begin with. I personally don't like to destroy items that players have, and this result would fit a narrative more smoothly. Alternatively, the villains could use the fire and the PC's failure to capture them. Should the PCs succeed, there could also be a number of different outcomes. They could confront the villain within the forest, and the challenge would segue into a combat. Or, if they just need to escape the forest, that would be the success. 

Location: The Creeping Forest

This is another theme of adventure that I particularly like. This has the potential to lead a party into a much larger story arc, or it could be left as an inconsequential side quest. Both options are completely possible, and each has their own merits based on whatever's already going on in the story. Credit for the picture to Reddit user Proteon.

                                                               Description:
What used to be a thriving forest stretches before you. The trees are withered and white, their empty branches grasping towards the sky. The ground is bare of life, and the air is dry. Deeper in, you can see remnants of trees, burned black and twisted.

Associated Knowledges:
Nature:

• Most natural life has left this forest.
• Parts of the forest have been burned completely. 
• No nature spirits still live here.

Arcana:

• There is a suspicious lack of magic in the area.
• The burned trees may have been burned magically.
• You can detect very small hints of necromancy around the area.

Geography:

• There are a lot of forests in this area.
• There is a distinct lack of settlements around this forest.
• You have seen some signs of people living here, but they are long gone.

DM Info:
The Creeping Forest was the site of a large forest fire that was started by a group of humans living in the area. They wanted to drive out the local population of centaurs, who were protected by the native treants. Their plan worked, and it destroyed the entire forest. The nature spirits who were harmed by this destruction cursed the entire area, making sure that nothing natural would ever live there again. They also reanimated the treants, but they are now burnt beyond recognition. The humans that lived here either starved to death or were killed by the unnatural guardians.
The forest still remains barren, and most of the spirits have left. The curse remains fully intact, and the treants still wander about, looking for more interlopers. The centaur have also left, and have become nomadic. The treants are different from how they were in life. They are slow because of their burned bodies, but have also become attuned to the fire that killed them. They are inherently evil and bear an undying hatred for any living who would come to their forest. 
Another group of fey don't believe that the forest should be kept barren. It was once a place of power for their people, even though it was damaged by the humans. They are unable to break the curse over the forest themselves, though they have begun a diplomatic conflict with the other spirits that cast the curse. The nature - pun fully intended - of the fey is that they do not take direct action against each other, but rather manipulate events and people to bring down their enemies. They are literally incapable of breaking the curse themselves, though they are fully capable of empowering others to do it for them. This faction is looking for outside help, such as a group of adventurers that could break the curse with the assistance of the fey. 
The goal of the Creeping Forest is to lead into a potential story arc involving a conflict between the groups of fey. It also has the potential to be little more than a one-off adventure, where the PCs go in and kill the evil fey, cleanse the forest, and move on. I personally like to have these types of adventures seeded throughout gameplay. If any one of five or six resonate with the party, then that is the thread of the story that they jump on and take to it's conclusion. The Creeping Forest could also lead to some minor allies and antagonists - if the PCs slight the evil fey by rupturing the curse, they might aid the PCs main enemies in the future. Or the fey that the PCs assisted might owe the party a favor, to be cashed in at the climax of another story arc.

Location: Jungle Palace

This one is very, very small. I feel like I do way too many posts about "Impending Doooooom" and "Evil Bad Destroy World Boom!" locations and characters. So I decided to do a basic template for an inconsequential adventure that would still fit inside the setting. This is another image that I forgot to copy the credit for. There were actually a lot of these that I found back in May. I remembered to start keeping track of those around June. Sorry.


Description:
The stone walls stand strong in the jungle. Plant life twines around the columns, but is unable to completely take over the structure. The windows hang dark, and the sounds of nature are all around.

Associated Knowledges:
History:

• Elves used to live here.
• The elves were driven out about a century ago.
• A cabal of druids were angered by the elves building this place, and drove them out to preserve the jungle.

Geography:

• No established kingdoms are anywhere near here.
• Some small tribes of elves sometimes pass through this jungle.
• The only permanent inhabitants are a cabal of druids.

DM Info:
The Jungle Palace was a structure built by a group of elves that tried to have a permanent foothold in the jungle. They were driven out by a group of angry druids, since the palace was an affront to the powers of nature. The palace is now uninhabited, and that group of elves have long since left. The druids keep a constant vigil around it, and have turned it into a monument to the evils of civilization. 
The elves left behind a considerable amount of their power in the palace, and were driven out before they could reclaim it. Magical enchantments were being cast over the palace, though few of them were finished. Works of elvish craftsmanship are strewn about, as the druids have no interest in such things. The powers of nature have not reclaimed the palace, as the druids now keep it as a constant reminder of the dangers of outsiders.
Wild animals do live within the palace, though they are few in number. The druids have put in place a number of animated plants and magical beasts outside of the palace to defend it, should anyone try to reclaim the place. If anyone were to attempt to enter the palace, they would bring the wrath of the druids down upon themselves. Animals, plants, and nature magic would be thrown at them. 
The intention here is to have a relatively minor quest to explore and loot the palace. Rumors of elven treasure, and minimal defenses would be sure to draw in a party of adventurers. The only real "twist" would be that the druids would meet the PCs only with violence. There wouldn't be too much of a follow-up plot or anything really complicated about it, except for fights involving lots of inconsequential minions.

Location: Eternal Shores

This is a smaller post for a relatively minor location. This is one that I feel is mostly a template, because there's a lot of room to alter the basic idea depending on the circumstances. As such, it's more of an example of how I envision planes working in my setting. Again, I forgot to copy down the contributor's name of this picture.

Description:
The stones of the shore feel loose beneath your feet, but you never seem to slip or fall. The columns of stone pile up into hills and lower into valleys, as far as you can see. You can taste the ocean in the air, and see very little vegetation growing between the stones. 

Associated Knowledges:
Planes:

• You are not in the Material plane.
• There are elements - pun fully intended - of earth and water here.
• You are trapped in a juncture between the elemental planes of Earth and Water, in a limbo of sorts.

Nature:

• The powers of nature run strongly here.
• You feel more attuned to Earth and Water.
• The strength of Earth and Water here may influence magic of other types.

DM Info:
The Eternal Shores are a bridge between the elemental planes of Earth and Water. It represents a limbo between the two. Space has no real meaning there, and it is effectively infinite in the three-dimensional plane. Stone forms an endless path, while saltwater extends infinitely out. The clouds in the sky are very distant, and are in a constant state of flux. The sun is in a permanent sunset at all times. Because this plane is not fully attuned to any one element, plant life of the Material plane is able to grow there, albeit barely. 
This demi-plane is commonly traversed by powerful elemental beings. Mostly they don't have any interaction with the pathway made of earth or the ocean, but pass through it in more of a spiritual way. Creatures of the Material Plane, however, are able to get stuck there, and most times die from lack of resources. The crossing between the two elemental planes gave way to many smaller creatures being formed out of pure energy. Earth and Water elementals wander aimlessly, unable to comprehend where they are. This demi-plane is as alien to them as it is to creatures of the Material plane. Odd combinations of Earth and Water also form here - from mud elementals to creatures made of Water with Earth floating in them, to giant krakens made purely of Earth that can command the ocean. 
Some beings use this demi-plane as a hiding place. Since nobody of any importance pays it any mind, many elemental beings outcast by their superiors take refuge in the infinite expanse of the Eternal Shores. They may use it as a permanent residence, carving out their own kingdom in limbo, or as a temporary layover as they plan their next home. This leads to many elaborate lairs of evil, good, or even neutral beings that have been expelled by the elemental lords, all trying to enact their own planes. Most are unaware of the others. 
This place is mostly going to be another RP challenge for PCs. The only way a mortal can get out is by bargaining with an elemental of sufficient power to take them away. That could lead to all sorts of sell-your-soul deals being made. The environment is dangerous enough between monsters and exposure that they'd be all but forced to make a deal with something. There's enough room for different elementals with completely different goals that there will be at least one lesser evil to choose from, and enough room to work in interesting combat encounters or puzzles. 

Location: Mount Roraima

I decided to do another location today from the "23 Unbelievable Places" set. I'll work through the whole thing...eventually. It's taking me a long time to go through all of those character images, and I've come up with stuff that I at least consider interesting! More of that to come.


Description: The mountaintop lies before you, rising above the clouds. It extends as far back as you can see, never dipping below the boundaries of the sky. The wind howls and blows all around you, and the landscape is barren of any shelter. The clouds stretch infinitely around you, well beneath the top of the mountain. The air here is surprisingly breathable despite being so high up, and the temperature fluctuates greatly during both day and night. You think you can make out some slight hints of civilization deeper into the center of the mountain, but it's difficult to tell from so far away.

Associated Knowledges:
Geography:

• This mountain range spans several hundred miles.
• The mountains are in a central area, and span many different climates.
• The weather at these altitudes is highly erratic.

History:

• The mountains have long been rich in mineral wealth.
• Expeditions into the mountain have mostly been into the depths, not up towards the surface.
• There have been vague references to powerful beings on the top of the mountains, but they are mostly considered the stuff of myth.

Nature:

• The mountaintops appear natural.
• You can see clear signs of life, though it is difficult to tell what.
• You can tell that things live not only on the mountaintop, but also underneath the crust, and possibly in nests along the sides of the mountain.

DM Info:
  Mount Roraima is actually a very long mountain range that emulates a sort of "overworld" above the clouds. This in particular is all so far up that there is no interaction between the surface world and the overworld. Weather at such a high altitude can be erratic, so feel free to go nuts with that. I can see a lot of potential for encounters involving just trying not to fall off the mountain being of particular interest, but that can wait until later. The mountain itself is not magical or attuned to any plane. It is a mountain like any other, but is obscenely tall and spans a very large area. Towards the base of the mountain, many different factions fight over the abundant mineral wealth inside the mountain range, but none of them have ever had too much interest in scaling it to the top. 
  On the top of the mountain, many creatures and factions have formed. The biggest potential I see with this would be entire nations of giants or Titans. These different groups fight each other just like anywhere else on the planet, warring over their own territory. An interesting twist I am leaning towards would be for the overworlders to actually fear what they consider the "underworld" below their home. The PCs would be seen as the harbingers of great doom, and may be targeted by everyone atop the great mountain. I imagine the faction breakdown being something similar to this:

• A group that resembles the Barbarians from the Diablo universe. The mountain range itself is holy, positioned so far above the clouds, and they will die to protect it. These would naturally be the primary antagonists to the PCs, who may be seen as trying to desecrate this place.
• A large group of factions that are all under different Giant jarls or Titans. They may be collectivized or resemble some sort of warlord political system, where they all fight each other but are otherwise similar. These groups would dominate most of the territory.
• A group of beings from below the mountain who scaled it just to see what was there. Some sort of Explorer's Guild, perhaps?

     Most of the points of conflict are going to be with the disconnect between the PCs and the denizens of the overworld. Either cultural misunderstandings, language barrier, or the belief that the PCs are there to destroy their way of life. Whether or not the PCs actually are there to destroy their way of life is, of course, going to be up to you. Creatures live both on the mountaintop, and in the crust beneath. It's far enough up that they won't have any interaction between the same creatures that plague miners down below.

  I should mention that this picture also reminds me of an entire campaign setting that I read of. The basic setting was that islands like this were surrounded by a sea of clouds, and they only got around by usage of airships. The lower world is composed of a dark and dangerous jungle, that nobody has ever come back from alive. I really liked the idea behind that setting, since it lent itself to a steampunk theme. More importantly, air pirates.

Adventure Hooks:

• The Explorer's Guild is leading an expedition to the top of their mountain home and want an escort in case they encounter anything dangerous.
• A powerful wizard has detected great magic coming from the top of the mountain, and wants the PCs to investigate. It turns out that an evil Titan is preparing a magical strike on the "underworld" and will attack soon.
• A local bard wants to write a ballad dedicated to his own adventures, and so wants to be the first to climb to the top of the mountain and "face" it's dangers. He is actually incompetent but will take all the credit.

Location: Mendenhall Ice Caves

Back to the "23 Unbelievable Places" set.


Description: The ice forms a massive cavern. Everything in your vision is tinted an eerily pale blue, and the light plays off the ice formations. The air is frigid, and all the warmth from your body is sapped out just by being here. You can hear the faint sounds of the water surrounding the cavern, muffled through the thick walls of ice. You slip slightly while you walk, your feet unable to find sure purchase on the floors of the ice. The caves twist and turn about, sometimes seeming random and natural, but other times appearing as though constructed by an architect. The ice bubbles out in some places, with smooth and even shells, and at other points is jagged and rough. 

Associated Knowledges:
Nature:

• These caves are only possible due to the freezing temperatures far beneath the sea.
• The caves were formed naturally, at least in part.
• The caves are home to many creatures who thrive in these temperatures.

Arcana:

• A faint magical aura permeates the caves entirely.
• Parts of the cave were shaped by magical means long ago.
• The caves have been enchanted to be ever-growing deeper into the ocean.

Planes:

• The upper levels of the caves are grounded in the Material Plane.
• The caves seem to bend towards the Elemental Plane of Ice.
• The caves are a connection between the Material Plane and the Elemental Plane of Ice, and a skilled magician could open a gate between the two from the depths of the cave.

DM Info:
  The Mendenhall Ice Caves are an ancient ice structure beneath the sea. Long ago they were formed naturally, but were discovered by a group of wizards who wanted to study the Elemental Plane of Ice. The caves became their place of research, and were shaped by the wizards so they could perform experiments. Over time, the caves have been inhabited by numerous other creatures, mostly frost giants or other denizens of the Elemental Plane of Ice. Arctic Druids have also taken up residence in the halls at least once, feeling that it was especially close to nature. Mindless creatures have also lived there, either deep-sea fish or other entities. Demons and devils have also lived in the caves, as they don't really care about the environment and it provided a good spot to hide away from those that would do them harm.
  The caves are, for the most part, not terribly dangerous in and of themselves. The only difficulties the PCs should have from the caves are the slippery floors and cold temperatures. Some areas of the caves may have been enchanted so as to be more habitable by some of the people who have lived here before, but that magic could have worn off over time. The caves were constructed mostly naturally, and so emulate a more natural pattern in the tunnels. Generally, they grow mostly in a downward direction, and the attunement to the Elemental Plane of Ice gets stronger the deeper it goes. This is mostly harmless to the PCs, but more powerful creatures would be more likely to live in those deeper areas. 
  Encounters inside the caves should almost definitely include copious amounts of difficult terrain. The ice was never really meant for combat to take place inside of it, and the PCs are likely to be the only things in there that aren't naturally adapted to this environment. The slippery ice I would imagine would act as though a Grease spell had been cast on that area, in addition to other difficult terrain just from the formation of the floor. If the fighting is too rough, sections of the caves could also collapse, causing temporary floods. This would make fights in the cave far more brutal, but also allow for a dramatic escape sequence from the collapsing and flooding caves. 
  Even just getting to the Mendenhall Ice Caves should not be easy. They are, after all, far underwater. Different parties may have different approaches to entering the caves. For instance, a party with a Druid would have an easier time casting spells that would make the party able to access the caves. A party with an Artificer might construct a makeshift submarine. Go nuts.
  The caves can be as large or as small as you want. The way I envision them is to actually have them be constantly growing downwards and outwards. The upper "floors" would be fairly narrow, while the lower the PCs descend, the wider and more complex the levels will become. Perhaps even to the point that an entire ice city could be present very far down, or that warring factions could exist between the different levels. A possible breakdown that I am considering:

• The upper floors would be nearly uninhabited, and the PCs would only contend with the natural challenges of the caves themselves.
• After a few levels down, the PCs may encounter some random wildlife. Winter Wolves, Wargs, small elementals.
• Towards the intermediate levels, the PCs find that a group of Frost Goblins have made their home spanning a few levels. Their boss is on the bottom level (of course), and they are forced to fight their way through.
• Lower down, there are three massive levels to the ice caves, each one essentially constituting it's own fortress. On each level are warring factions.
• A Frost Giant jarl has mustered his tribesmen from the Elemental Plane of Ice and wants to control the caves. He doesn't know that the surface world isn't as cold as he'd like.
• An Ice Devil wants this place as his own personal lair to begin the conquest of the Material Plane. He has summoned a number of smaller devils, and bound a number of Frost Goblins to his will.
• A group of Aboleth are enslaving anything and everything they can find, and also hope to own the caves. They actually have a number of Skum in addition to enslaved members of the other warring factions. 
• A Mind Flayer is also trying to take control. He is the only one not entirely suited to the climate, but appreciates the caves for the security as a lair. He is summoning armies of aberrations.
• Even lower still, the PCs can possibly be outright transported to the Elemental Plane of Ice, or move between the planes fluidly.

Adventure Hooks:

• A wizard knows that long ago, other magi used the caverns for their research. He wishes to continue this research, and employs the PCs to help him find and secure the caves for his own purposes.
• People in the fishing villages are going missing. The PCs investigate to find that they are being taken by merfolk slavers into the caves.
• The mysterious ice caverns suddenly emerge from the depths up to the surface. The PCs investigate.

Location: Pouderin Keep

I decided to do another picture today. This time, though, the image is from Reddit user Pouderpuff. Since he didn't name the picture, I dubbed it "Pouderin Keep" in honor of him. Also, I decided that I would only post on weekdays. This is already of low quality as it is, and I'd like to spend at least a little more time on each post than I have been.

Description: The castle sits atop a small island in the ocean. The sun gleams off the white stone in a majestic fashion, nearly blinding you as you approach. The air is salty from the sea, and the wind blows perpetually. The nearby area is nothing but cliffs and jagged stone. The keep itself is made from a white stone, and shows the wear from the sea over the course of the years. The keep tunnels down into the rock it is located on, and it seems to you that it must even go underwater. You have a slight sense of claustrophobia inside the cramped halls.

Associated Knowledges:
History:

• This keep was built many centuries ago, and has always been owned by the same dwarves.
• The Bilder clan of dwarves crafted this keep, and it has always been owned by one of their patriarchs.
• The dwarves use this fortress as a secure point to fall back in case of war. This has happened many times during their history, and the keep is virtually unassailable.

Geography:

• The location of the keep makes it very secluded.
• The difficult terrain surrounding the keep prevents easy travel, even to the dwarves that live nearby and inside the keep.
• The keep itself is made of a stone that is not found in this region.

Dungeoneering:

• The keep appears to be built solidly. You can't identify any faults in the inside structure.
• The keep is made out of a porous stone that would resist any sort of siege weapons.
• You can tell that the keep extends far beneath the waterline.

DM Info:
  Pouderin Keep is an ancient dwarven fortress. The Bilder clan of dwarves regards it as the one location that they will definitively keep - pun fully intended - forever. In times of crisis, they have retreated to Pouderin Keep to hold out against invading armies. Every time, they have repelled the attackers without issue. It is built in such an unassailable location, and is made of a stone that is nearly impossible to breach. The material is similar to coquina, but is an actual stone. Siege weapons basically have little to no effect on the keep's walls. What is interesting is that this stone is found nowhere near the keep. In fact, it's not located anywhere in territory that the Bilder clan has every controlled. The Bilder dwarves have actually found a way to fabricate the stone, and do so in secret. It is very difficult to do so, which is why they only built the one keep. Most of the Bilder dwarves are obsessed with finding ways of making the process easier, to give them an advantage against invaders.
  The keep is inhabited mostly by dwarves and a small number of gnomes. This keep is to the south of the Bilder territory, and only has a few defenders. A minor patriarch is given control of the keep, almost as a token measure. However, in times of invasion the keep becomes a major strategic lynchpin to the dwarves, and that patriarch's status is elevated. This is, I feel, the biggest plot point that the keep can offer. The patriarch plans to start a war with another nearby clan, so that the Bilders will be forced to rely on his keep. This will make him a valuable member of the clan, and allow him to advance out of the Pouderin Keep. 
  Inside, the keep resembles most dwarven homes. Narrow tunnels, deep shafts, and underground mining. The keep extends far below the waterline, and has hit the earth below the relatively shallow sea. They are free to extend their operations as deep as they please without threatening the integrity of the keep. However, due to the small number of dwarves and gnomes that live there permanently, the operation is slow and inefficient. Mostly they spend their time readying the battlements in case of invasion. The tunnels, however, do still have a number of underground creatures living in them. The dwarves are oftentimes overwhelmed by the sheer number of monsters that inhabit their home, and are unable to do anything but slowly weed them out. Sometimes they will hire mercenaries to do it for them, but this is seen as highly insulting to the patriarch's honor, and is only done in times of great need.
  There is little trade to Pouderin Keep. Shipments of food and supplies come every now and then from the Bilder clan, but little else makes it's way there. No merchant is willing to risk the dangerous terrain for the little business they might drum up in the keep. Especially since dwarves are notoriously territorial, and may take offense to such actions. Luxury goods are very rare in the keep because of this. The dwarves that live there keep their lives fairly minimalistic. They keep to their tunnels, mining away slowly, and readying for a war that may never come. They keep their tradition highly insulated, and rarely see newcomers to the keep. 

Adventure Hooks:

• The tunnels are overwhelmed by monsters. The dwarven patriarch puts out a call for adventurers to help them reclaim their home.
• The patriarch is weary from boredom. He is scheming to start a war to elevate his position, but needs the PCs to help him.
• A merchant is willing to make the trip, provided that he has an escort.

Location: Hang Son Doong

Another post from the "23 Unbelievable Places" series, with credit to Reddit user Boatakk. I think this will be the last one from that album for a little while, though I do intend to finish it out.


Description:
The cavern is immense, and seems to continue downward forever. The walls stretch at least 100 feet high, and the stone slopes and bends all throughout the cave system. As you descend deeper and deeper, the light from the entrance wanes, and is slowly replaced only by the phosphorescent fungi that live in the depths. The air is damp and cold, and this intensifies as you go deeper. Massive stalagmites interrupt the descent every now and then, and you can just make out the faintest sounds of life as you approach. 

Associated Knowledges:
Nature:

• This cavern, or at least part of it, was carved out by water flowing for centuries until an opening formed on the surface.
• Even by just glancing at the first entrance you see, you can know that this cave system must span miles of the surface, but you can't tell how deep it goes.
• Something about this cave is definitely not natural, and this feeling intensifies as you go deeper.

Dungeoneering:

• The entrance to the cave is sloping steadily downward.
• The entrance to the cave appears to be made of natural stone.
• This cave goes deeper than any you have ever heard of - but you can not tell just how deep that may be.

Planes:

• The entrance to the cave appears to be anchored readily in the material plane.
• You can detect a faint aura of planeshifting that gets stronger the deeper you go.
• The cave appears to be a passageway between the material plane and the Underdark.

DM Info:
  Hang Son Doong is an entrance into the Underdark from the material plane. Depending on what level the PCs are, this could be completely undiscovered from the denizens of the Underdark, or could be used as a major route for invaders. In either case, the cave should be incredibly dangerous the deeper one goes. The cave itself was formed completely naturally, and has been growing steadily for thousands of years. However, as it got deeper, the cave actually formed it's own rift into the Underdark, seamlessly joining the two planes together. The cave itself is massive, and covers some few hundred square miles of territory on the surface. The entrances to the cave are somewhat randomly scattered. They all are interconnected, but not necessarily directly - some tunnels might be a straight drop into the Underdark, others may be a gentle slope, and others still could be some combination of the two. The cavern is so massive that an entire army could feasibly move through it, assuming they could deal with the difficult terrain. This will, of course, play a significant role.
  The cave itself is not that interesting, aside from being very large. It is a cave, with stalagmites, stalactites, random pits, and made of stone. It is natural, and so has no rational structure. It generally always slopes downward, but there could be some spots where it's more of a random scatter, or could be more or less level. The cave itself doesn't necessarily have structured "floors," but you could certainly have the PCs go down some sort of tiered pathway if you so desired. It is effectively a mega-dungeon that never ends. It directly leads into the Underdark, which in and of itself is a massive dungeon of sorts. 
  The deeper the PCs go, the more magically attuned the cave becomes. Fey and Nature magic will become more evil-aligned just due to the "nature" of the Underdark, pun fully intended. Different parts of the cave don't necessarily resonate with any particular type of magic, although the system itself is random enough that there certainly could be one or two areas that coincidentally did so. Perhaps there would even be some sort of crystal formation growing there, as a natural response to the magic, as an indicator to the PCs that it's important. Actually, I like that idea, so there are some areas of the cave that resonate with magic and will have weird crystal formations to indicate that. 
  The wildlife of the cave varies depending on how deep you are. On the surface, the cave has very normal cave-dwelling creatures. Goblins, Kobolds, bears, etc. The deeper you go, however, the more dangerous and magical the creatures can become. Carnivorous plants, fiendish bats, giant spiders. Deeper still you will find Drow who might not know of the cavern's importance. Even more scary would be Drow that DO know of the cavern's importance, and intend to use it for their own benefit. 
I like this idea because the cavern presents a very easy plot device. The players might discover the horrible nature of Hang Son Doong, and attempt to cover it up. Or perhaps they never investigated that weird cave, and all of a sudden the Drow are staging a massive invasion of the surface world. Also, it's a giant cave, which more than one monster or adventurer has probably attempted to hide their loot in, only for it to be lost. 

Adventure Hooks:

• A number of bandit raids are coming from an area that has a lot of caves. The PCs then discover that all the caves are interconnected.
• Rumors have spread that long ago, the caves were actually a nest for the Formians, and they had treasure buried deep below.
• A powerful Drow warlord has "surfaced" - pun again fully intended - and is using the caverns as a base of operations to stage his invasion of the surface world. The PCs are tasked with closing this gateway forever.

Location: Bamboo Forest

Another post from the "23 Unbelievable Places" series, with credit to Reddit user Boatakk.


Description:
The Bamboo Forest exists in the Feywild, or some plane with an equivalent theme. The stalks of bamboo stretch up to unnatural heights. An almost solid wall of green surrounds the worn path, inflexible and uncompromising. The air is humid, but despite the moisture the plants stand almost perfectly upright. You can hear the noise of life all around you, but can only see a few insects buzzing about your head. The forest seems to stretch for an eternity, with the sun hanging perfectly overhead at all times. The path somehow looks both worn and smooth, and winds through the forest seemingly without end. It branches off, but seems to have no immediate destination. You feel as though you are always watched here, but can not make anything definite out of it.

Knowledges:

Nature:

• The forces of nature are strong in this place.
• Most sources of food here are inedible to life of the material plane, but some can be found.
• Nearly everything here is not just alive, but sentient to varying degrees. Even the bamboo stalks could be described more as plant-based tentacles of some larger creatures.

Arcana:

• Natural magic flows easily here.
• Some schools of magic may have unpredictable effects, bending to the nature bias in the forest.
• Many creatures here are inherently magical - making this check will allow the player to determine some base powers of different creatures, plants, or environments.

Planes:

• The Feywild is a nature plane, dominated mostly by fairies and plant life.
• Magic in this plane can sometimes be altered to the attunement of the plane itself.
• Nearly everything in the Feywild is magical in nature - making this check will allow the player to determine some base powers of different creatures, plants, or environments.

DM Info:
  This plane of existence has a very heavy nature theme. The way I actually envision this area is not necessarily in the Feywild, but rather just very heavily in touch with it. Some faerie lord could have made this place his domain, or perhaps a coven of druids have set this up to be their territory. This is supposed to be another sort of puzzle area for the players - the path winds them through the forest, but doesn't actually go anywhere. Sounds indicate there is danger, but it's mostly artificial unless the players attempt to stray from the path, in which case the bamboo forest will actively turn against them. This is very hard, as the bamboo stalks form a nearly impassable wall.
  The bamboo stalks are actually all part of a very large creature. It could be either some subterranean entity that has bamboo spikes shooting - pun fully intended - up, or a very large plant creature like in "The Swamp" from Avatar: The Last Airbender. In either case, it is fully aware of the player's presence and simply watches them. If they attempt to attack, it responds in turn until they return to the path. The way to leave can change depending on different circumstances, but I imagine it will involve appeasing whoever's in charge of the forest.
  Magic works weirdly in here. This can either be randomly generated or systematic differences. Nature-based magic should be amplified, but not always in a beneficial way! For instance, if a Druid were to use Summon Nature's Ally, that ally may not appreciate being summoned like that, and is now strong enough to rebel. Depending on the circumstances, different forms of magic can be altered. For instance, if a group of Good druids own the forest, then violent or evil magic may be turned against the user. Evil ones may twist magic into being even more destructive. Faerie lords may turn playful, and just randomly twist magic. Almost all of it will take on a more nature-y theme, but may not impact the actual effects of the spells beyond a quick re-flavoring. 
  The environment is not entirely inhospitable. There is some food available, but much more of it is inedible to most people. The sun remains in the exactly same position at all times, directly overhead, no matter how far or for how long the players walk along the path. When they decide to camp, they will also wake to the sun being in the same spot. They won't be able to find any shelter for their camp, and may turn to trying to harvest some bamboo for a makeshift shelter. This will trigger a violent response from the stalks. The stalks will stop attacking as soon as the players stop trying to cut them down, otherwise they will attack without end. 
  Different encounters can occur when the players stop to rest. Faeries may come to riddle with them, or angry druids may confront them. Alternatively, nothing at all could happen, until the players solve some sort of puzzle. Things should change whenever they stop for the night, however - either the time of day will be different for the entire next day, the path will be slightly different, the clouds will change, whatever. The entire area is shrouded in some sort of time lapse, and the weather is frozen in place. Encounters should happen, otherwise walking along a path can become quite boring. 
  Possible enemies are either the bamboo stalks themselves, which I imagine will have basic slam attacks, but be otherwise stationary. Mud elementals, faeries, and magical beasts are other creatures I can imagine here. If you want to go a less magical route, the setting could also lend itself to elven attacks, or possibly faerie-ninjas of some description. 

Adventure Hooks:

• The players are en route to some other location, and accidentally wander into this secluded area. Once they exit, time will have either completely not passed since they entered, passed very rapidly while they were inside such that they spent months in there when it only felt like days, or passed at a normal rate.
• Someone was lost in the wilderness, and the players are tasked with finding them. Turns out they were lost in the Bamboo Forest.
• Mischievous faeries are plaguing local druids, and they ask for assistance. They were kicked out of their own domain, and the forest itself is being enslaved by the faeries.

Location: Black Forest

Another post for the "23 Unbelievable Places" series, with credit to Reddit user Boatakk. This is a case where I couldn't really think of too much to say about the setting, but I really liked the ideas that I had. 


Description:
The forest is dark and surreal. The trees are bent and irregular, and are crusted with black, twisted bark. A faint blue fog permeates the entire forest, and seemingly clings to your body as you move. Putrid yellow flowers grow in random spots, their petals apparently covered in a sickly ichor. The air is cold and moist, and the grass is spongy beneath your feet. This place is almost a swamp, and you can smell death in the air.

Associated Knowledges:
Nature:

• The plants in this place don't seem entirely natural.
• The flowers are poisonous, and seem to be choking out the life from the rest of the forest.
• The flowers are actually some sort of undead plant, and the trees are the withered husks that remain after being preyed upon. 

Arcana:

• Magic permeates the forest.
• The same sort of magic seems to emanate from the flowers.
• The magic is a mixture of natural and arcane, and radiates evil.

DM Info:
  The Black Forest is a den of evil. The exact kind of evil can vary depending on your needs - my basic ideas were a clan of satyrs, an evil necromancer, or a witch of some sort. In either case, the forest is highly unnatural. Spooky yellow flowers grow all around the place, but are actually a special type of undead plant. They have basically eaten all the life out of the other plants around here and turned them into more undead plants. The flowers themselves are poisonous. The way I'm imagining this is that the flowers are an experiment by whoever has made this forest their domain: a blend of natural magic and necromancy. All of the plants are, to some extent, the minions of the forest's master. He can either see directly through them, control them, or at least have a general sense of what is going on at all times within the forest. The flowers are especially connected to the master of the forest, and perhaps are sentient themselves. 
  Encounters in the forest should involve heavy usage of the flowers. They have a few special powers, such as being able to emit a cloud of poison, or sapping energy when they're touched. Since they're experimental in nature - pun intended - they should have different powers in different areas of the forest. The trees, then, should also have different characteristics depending on which flowers "killed" them. Examples I can think of:

• The "standard" flowers simply drain life out of anything they touch. The trees around them are wooden carcasses, and emanate negative energy.
• Another group of flowers actively puts out poison gas. The trees in that area have poisonous bark, and look more sickly than others.
• A different type of flower moves very slightly, with small tendrils grabbing insects in addition to killing the surrounding trees. It's victims are also reanimated, and the tree branches sway slightly, trying to push prey into the flowers. 

  Keep in mind that before this evil force arrived, the forest was still very much forestlike. Other groups of creatures such as fae, elves, or treants have been either driven off or killed since then. The ghosts or reanimated bodies of these creatures or plants could still be present in the forest. Perhaps even with infighting - the ghosts of those slain creatures are trying to reclaim or destroy their now corrupted bodies. Alternatively, their spirits are bound by the same evil masters of the forest for further experimentation. There's a lot of room for different weird and evil stuff to be happening with all of this. 
  The forest itself is larger than The Black Forest, which refers only to this place of evil. In the larger, more normal forest, the climate is more what you would expect in a forest, and all seems relatively normal. The closer the players get to this part, the colder and damper it gets, and the blue mist forms. The yellow flowers can not survive without that sort of climate, so it is magically maintained. However, the masters of The Black Forest are slowly trying to expand their territory, for further experimentation. Also because they're evil.
  The lair itself will just be a small grove in the center of the area. It will be surrounded by the standard sort of yellow flowers, as they are the most well-developed and were created first. It should be pretty small, I was thinking either a cave or an open grove of trees. Since the masters are likely spellcasters, they should have minions to protect them. 

Adventure Hooks:

• Local fae have been driven from their home, and have asked the players to help them.
• A great evil has been detected from the forest. The players have been tasked with destroying it.
• Necromantic minions are venturing further than they should be. The players investigate and come to this part of the forest.