Stryhor 

Woods
 
 3
Safe Haven ................................................................................. 3
Quests ...................................................................................... 3
Locations .................................................................................... 3
Events .......................................................................................3
Hooks ...........................................................................................3
Travel ........................................................................................... 3
Encounters ..............................................................................3
Discoveries ..............................................................................3
 4
 ............................................................................4
 .............................................................................. 6
Crystal Cave ............................................................................... 6
Forgotten Temple ......................................................................6
Gnoll Hideout .............................................................................7
Griffon Ruins ..............................................................................8
Logging Camp ........................................................................... 9
Magistrate's Tower ................................................................. 10
Spider's Nest ........................................................................... 11
 ......................................................................................13
Missing Daughter ................................................................... 13
Unruly Hyenas .........................................................................13
Webbed Terrors .......................................................................13
 ........................................................................14
 ........................................................................ 15
 16
Xi'ri Jael .....................................................................................16
Thora Burne ............................................................................ 16
 17
Crystal Basilisk ....................................................................... 17
Crystal Basilisk, Young ..........................................................17
Giant Crystal Bat .................................................................... 18
Gnoll Runt ................................................................................18
Griffon Baby .............................................................................19
Poacher .....................................................................................19
Spider Queen .......................................................................... 20
Wolf Pups ................................................................................. 20
 21
 23

The following pages describe an adventuring region for
low-level adventurers in any Dungeons & Dragons 5th
edition setting. You can implement the whole document or
parts of it into your own worlds or you can use this content
to introduce a completely new world.
There will be tips and hints given across the pages on
how to alter and run your adventures to grant you and your
players an exciting experience.
Before we begin, we will introduce all the important
aspects you will see in the document.

An adventuring region will highly depend on some kind of
safe haven. This might be a village at the foothills of a
mountain, an outpost in the dangerous wilderness or the
entrance to a large dungeon spanning miles and miles
underground.
The safe haven described for this adventuring region will
be a small hamlet at the edge of the Stryhor Woods called
Lestead inhabited by simple farmers and hunters.

Some locations of the safe haven contain quests to get your
players interested in what's happening out in the
wilderness and provide reasons to venture forth. Each
quest is associated with some kind of problem or location
and includes a starting point to ease newer players into the
process of taking fate into their own hands and becoming
adventurers.

Locations are specific places inside the adventuring region
prepared in advance. Each location has at least one
encounter and a story that ties it to the region and makes
the location interesting for your players to explore.
An example of a location in the Stryhor Woods is the
Spider's Nest where a large spider queen lurks in the
shadows and has captured a young priestess.

Over the course of your game the region will change
depending on your players' actions. However, even without
the interference of your players the region is dynamic and
will change to keep it interesting for you and your players.
Events will provide your players with new opportunities
and challenges. For example, a tribe of goblins taking an
ancient ruin from a fey creature who defended the
sanctuary for hundreds of years. Now instead of finding a
place where they are able to rest and befriend a good-
hearted dryad, the adventurers will find cruel looters that
defile the holy place by planting their banner in the ground.
Each location will have a set of events associated with
the current story unfolding there. For a general overview of
all events happening in the Stryhor Woods, see Appendix C
on page 21.

If you are starting a new adventure or campaign, you will
need a first hook for your players to follow. Hooks are
quests that provide a good starting point and drop your
players right into the world and - depending on the hook -
right into the action. There are hooks provided that start off
your session with a first expedition and send your players
on their way to a location inside the region.
Hooks might overlap with the quests provided in the safe
haven as they are typically just quests with added starting
conditions, rewards and a premise you can directly start
your session on. Feel free to create your own hooks from
the quests provided in the safe haven or invent completely
new ones.
One of the hooks given for the Stryhor Woods is
associated with the gnoll infestation. Your players have
been tasked by the captain of the guard to hunt down and
destroy the gnolls' base of operations for a handsome
reward. The session starts at the edge of the trees where
the adventurers found a fresh trail leading to the hideout.

In order to make travel interesting and incorporate random
encounters into the main adventure, there is a series of
travel rules different from those provided in the official
sources. These rules differentiate between encounters -
meetings with a variety of different creatures - and
discoveries - smaller locations found inside the region that
provide dangers, rewards and interesting interactions.
You can find these rules in Appendix D on page 23.

Depending on your preference you might want to spice up
your sessions and create new adventures for your players
to experience through random encounters. The
adventuring region will contain a table with random
encounters appropriate to the region. These encounters
provide conflict and challenge and can be expanded to act
as new hooks for your players to follow.
In the Stryhor Woods these conflicts are largely
associated with the local wildlife and the impact of the
gnoll infestation currently tormenting the lands.

Discoveries are smaller locations in your regions that your
players will stumble upon. They will provide some kind of
conflict or reward and - most of the time - will prolong the
player's journey to their original goal. It is important to note
that these discoveries might be more interesting to your
players than initially planned so feel free to weave stories
around them and have your players come back and explore
more.
3
 
On the following pages you will find various tools to
randomize, describe and bring to life a woodland region
which is known as the Stryhor Woods.
While most forests harbor some kind of danger, the
Stryhor Woods are an especially dangerous region filled
with old trees, thick brush and steep cliffs. Most of the
woodland is covered by foliage and just one old road leads
through the forest.
Characteristics
Encounter 3
Navigation DC 15
Resources DC 10
Discovery 2 seen one of the majestic creatures but the ruins of their
Characteristics
The characteristics mentioned above are
associated with the travel rules found in
Appendix D. If your adventure does not use these
rules you can ignore the table and use the rules
for travel provided in the Player's Handbook.

When venturing through the Stryhor Woods, the
adventurers encounter the small hamlet of Lestead where
they may tend to their wounds and recover from their most
recent expedition into the dangerous wilds.

Near the Stryhor Woods lies a small hamlet of loggers,
hunters and farmers, their lives mostly unaffected by the
greater problems and threats of the outside world. The
community is friendly towards outsiders and helps them
recover from wounds and injuries, restocks their food and
general supplies and helps the adventurers as long as it
won't put any of their own in danger.

The Squirrel's Pocket is a small tavern located inside a
two-story building made of wood. Besides the main
building and connected by a simple door lies an open
stable for up to six horses or other riding animals.
The first floor of the tavern features a room for guests to
sit, drink and share their latest adventures. It is furnished
with a long counter, multiple tables and seats as well as an
adjoining kitchen and a storage place in the back. Above
the main tavern, accessible by a set of stairs from the bar
and the kitchen, are three rooms, one befitting a group of
guests and the others at most two or three people. Each of
the rooms is furnished plainly but with enough space to
feel at home.
4
An aged halfling by the name of Robern runs the tavern
and serves homemade food and drinks for his guests. He
obviously likes his work and seems to be skilled in it as
well, visible by the big smile he always keeps on his face
while dealing with customers. His muddled up hair has an
auburn color and he always looks to his guests with
cheerful green eyes.
Rumors. Spending your time in the tavern not only helps
recover from the wounds of an expedition but yields
information. Even though their reliability depends heavily
on the source, there are always stories to be heard.
Ancient Knights. An ancient order of noble warriors
allegedly guarded the land from the outpost that is now
known as the Griffon Ruins. For generations no one has
home remain to this day.
Deadly Foliage. While even the children of Lestead
know the Stryhor Woods to be a dangerous place,
rumors tell of a particular danger deep among the trees.
Under the moon and stars, the plants come to life and
attack anyone who ventures inside the forest.
Ghost Stories. One of the tavern's regulars tells a story
about the magistrate that used to live in the Stryhor
Woods. He was supposedly killed by bandits a couple of
years ago and his ghost still haunts the Magistrate's
Tower three days away from the village.
Ogre Sighting. A lone lumberjack claims to have
encountered an ogre in the woods. Supposedly he
barely escaped with his life as the monstrous beast
chased him through the trees with a giant axe.
Precious Gemstones. An old woman sits in the tavern
selling a map drawn by her late husband. Supposedly,
he found a cave sprawling with valuable gemstones
before being killed by the gnolls. She demands ten gold
pieces for the map to survive the next winter.
Rumors
Typically there are two types of rumors: those
that inform the players of interesting goals to
pursue and those that inform the players of
dangers or interesting developments.
The above rumor Deadly Foliage informs the
players there might be some strange plant
creatures roaming around the Stryhor Woods.
They may want to research possible enemies to
know their weaknesses or prepare appropriate
spells to deal with these threats when venturing
into the woods.

Named after the clan of its owner, the Griffonheart Arsenal
is run by a grim dwarf named Dindain and is one of the
oldest buildings in town. Dindain seems to be a rather
young dwarf, approximately 30 years of age, with balding
blond hair and a dense long beard of a little darker color.
Despite appearing a bit grim, he has a sincere personality
always looking out for his own, especially his kind.
The building's main room is made from dark wood. Three
counters with neighboring storage areas provide room for
traders and travelers interested in selling their goods. The
most prominent of which is run by Dindain himself selling
everything an adventurer might need to travel and survive
the Stryhor Woods. Several windows reinforced with thick,
milky glass prevent anyone from peeking inside or outside
the arsenal as well as conveying wealth.
Quest: Lost Supplies. Dindain informs the adventurers
of the loggers driven out of their encampment by the
spiders (see Hooks: Webbed Terrors on page 13). He asks
the adventurers to venture into the forest to return the
supplies he sold the woodworkers for a generous reward of
10 gold pieces per crate and a bonus of another 10 gold
pieces for all of his three creates.

At the edge of town stands a tent built from cloth and
leather. The sweet fragrance of berries, fresh herbs and
tinctures escapes from the inside. Some of these aromas
are known from the local flora others more exotic hinting
at far away lands. A large carpet covers the interior of the
tent made from dark fabric filling the entirety of the floor.
The interior is supported by two thick wooden logs and
illuminated by the light of several dimly lit candles and
strange lanterns resulting in a rather mysterious
atmosphere. Cushions and covers lie in the far corner of
the combination of living and working space where Falla,
the establishment's owner, seems to sleep. The front area
of the alchemist's tent is dressed with several chairs, tables
filled with strange appliances and cabinets containing glass
vials, herbs and other ingredients.
Quest: Ghostly Residual. Since Falla reached a dead
end with her research of the gnoll infestation, she asks the
adventurers for a very dangerous favor: she needs the
residual of an undead like a ghoul, a skeleton or a zombie.
Since the other townsfolk might be worried about
experiments with necromancy, the alchemist hopes for the
adventurers' silence in the matter and promises to provide
them with two potions of healing.

An ancient shrine is located on the edge of town visited
sparsely by the villagers. Dedicated to the god of traveling,
hunting and community, the shrine features the holy
symbol of its deity carved as an old rune into the stone.
Even though the shrine consists of just a standing stone
with the marking at the top and a small silver bowl for the
townsfolk to leave offerings, it looks quite impressive and
well cared for.

Even though Lestead is a rather small hamlet at the edge of
civilization, guard presence is higher than in most towns of
its size. Due to the neighboring Stryhor Woods and the
dangers lurking within, the keepers of peace deemed it
necessary to protect Lestead from nearby dangers. This
lead to the construction of the local guardpost, a stone
building featuring two rooms for the guards, a kitchen
including a refectory and one room designated for the
captain of the guard, a middle-aged man by the name of
Erdar Richpike.
The guard itself consists of two soldiers as well as a
designated cook and their captain, a force that's barely
enough for a hamlet like Lestead. In case of problems in
the nearby Stryhor Woods, captain Erdar usually hires
local adventurers to investigate instead of putting his own
men in danger or risking the safety of the town due to the
numbers of wardens dwindling further.
Quest: Gnoll Ears. Captain Erdar is reluctant to hire
adventurers to deal with the gnoll infestation. He fears the
revenge of the fiendish creatures should the mercenaries
fail. If he is convinced the adventurers can be trusted to rid
Lestead of the problem once and for all, he offers a bounty
of two silver pieces per gnoll ear they are able to bring
him.

At the southern edge of town stands a farmhouse with
several acres surrounding the building. Depending on the
season, wheat might grow on the fields and the family
running the farm might be occupied with the yearly
harvest.
Pegren Burne, the father of the family is a weathered
man in this fifties working the fields. His wife Salwa helps
to the best of her abilities but mostly stays inside the house
to cook and sew. They have three children, the twins
Kharer and Tetez, two boys helping their father with the
farm, and a daughter Thora, hellbent on becoming an
adventurer some day. The twins are in their twenties,
collected and mostly realistic about their future as farmers.
Thora on the other hand frequently tries to sneak away
from her responsibilities to train for her future as a famous
traveler.
Quest: Missing Cow. This quest is only available after
the third event on day 15 of the Griffon Ruins.
Pegren asks the adventurers to find his precious missing
cow. He will reward them with 20 gold pieces for returning
the animal alive. After leaving, Thora will approach the
group. She knows the cow was taken by the griffon
residing in the Griffon Ruins but volunteers her
information only when promised she may accompany the
party (for more information about Thora, see Appendix A
on page 16). Alternatively, the adventurers can get the
information from a village drunk at the Squirrel's Pocket or
investigate the field and find a large feather hinting at the
griffon.
5


Apart from many smaller locations, the adventurers will
come across at least one of the more spectacular and
dangerous locales of the Stryhor Woods. Below you will
find a table with each specific location and its associated
travel time from the safe haven.
Specific Locations
Location Travel Time
Crystal Cave 3 days
Forgotten Temple 3 days
Gnoll Hideout 2 days
Griffon Ruins 4 days
Logging Camp 1 day
Magistrate's Tower 3 days
Spider's Nest 2 days

Deep in the wilderness at the bottom of a stone cliff lies the
entrance to the cave. The tunnel leading inside is small and
provides just enough space for one adventurer at a time.
The cave walls are covered in crystals hinting at the crystal
basilisk living inside. After some feet the shaft splits into a
right and left passage.
Just below the rocky outline of a stone cliff, you discover
the narrow entrance to a cave inside the rocks. An ominous
shimmer of faint violet light brightens the inside emitted by
the white crystal formations growing at the edges of the
tunnel. As you enter, the air immediately becomes humid
and weighs heavy on your skins.

Following the right passage leads to an open cavern bigger
than the tunnels, inhabited by three giant bats. At night
they roam the wilderness hunting for smaller animals but if
disturbed at daytime they will attack and try to defend their
home.
Leaving the crossway to the right you feel the passage
leading down, further into the darkness. After some minutes
the tunnel opens into a greater cavern. As you make your
first step inside you hear the soft sounds of fur rubbing
against the stone walls and suddenly feel the yellow eyes of
several creatures resting on your shoulders.

The left passage leads to the lair of the crystal basilisk
(see Appendix D). Signs of the creature start to appear in
the form of crystallized animals and more robust crystal
formations. A several feet long narrow cavern opens up at
the end of the tunnel with a dimly lit underground lake on
the far side where the basilisk lives. The territorial creature
will hide inside the water but attack as soon as one of the
adventurers steps too far into the cave.
Just a few steps inside the left passage you notice the
crystals grow bigger, more jagged, leaving less space to
6
navigate the tunnel. You feel the sharp edges pricking and
stabbing at your skin as can see faint glimpses of forest
creatures encased in both bigger and more robust
formations. Then suddenly the tunnel gives way to a narrow
cavern several feet long. On the far side you can see
glimmers of a watery surface from which a small stalagmite
rises almost to the ceiling.
You hear the faint sounds of water droplets hitting the
surface but there seems to be something else you can't
quite put your finger on.
After slaying the monstrosity, the adventurers find its nest
sitting at the bottom of the lake. There are three crystal
eggs inside, each as large and heavy as a small creature
and surprisingly sturdy. A collector or an alchemist might
be interested to buy them for a small fortune of about 50
gold pieces per egg.
Crystal Cave Events
Time Event
A group of three gnolls explores the cavern
and gets crystalized by the basilik, their
shapes still standing in the left passage
Day 6 leading to the underground pond. One of
the gnolls scribbled the words free and
blood onto the walls in his own strange
language.
One of the basilisk's eggs hatches. The small
young crystal basilisk (see Appendix D) poses
Day 10 little challenge to the adventurers if found
alone but will become a greater problem if
left to mature.
The basilisk expands its territory into the
adjacent cave to accommodate its young.
Day 13 The giant bats try to repel the attacker but
after loosing one of their own, they
reluctantly let the creature stay.
More crystals begin to sprout all over the
cave. The young crystal basilisk (see Appendix
D) begins to roam the tunnels and may be
Day 17 encountered anywhere within. The two
remaining giant bats get infested with the
growing crystals and become giant crystal
bats (see Appendix D).

On a small clearing lies a small cobbled building from a
time long past. A solid door made from stone blocks the
way inside without any visible mechanism to open the
entrance. An old inscription in Celestial - the language of
angels and gods - is written above stating "rest forever
beneath the stars". There are no windows or other
entrances visible all around the building.
As you leave the thick brush of the forest into a small
clearing, you discover an old building among the trees and
stones, partly covered in moss and vines. The building looks
old and untouched for quite some time with a double door
that does not seem to have a visible handle. Above the
entrance you see an inscription written in an ancient
language spoken only by the holiest of men.
The door cannot be pushed open by strength or magic.
However, when the sun is down and the stars are visible in
the sky, a light nudge is enough for the entrance to open up.

The inside of the old temple is covered in dust and dried
blood. It looks like there was a fight in this place a long
time ago. Some bones are scattered across the floor which
features an old gray rug with horrible scratch marks. Two
standing sarcophagi were placed on each side of the carpet
across from each other.
The doors crack open with a scraping sound of dirt against
stone. A foul stench escapes the inside with a gust of wind
whirling around you and drifting away outside.
One of the four sarcophagi is broken open at the top with
the remains of a humanoid creature almost falling out.
Investigating the sarcophagus makes it clear that each of
the four people was buried with their most precious
belongings: a potion of healing, a golden necklace, a
silver ring and a rusty longsword. When the sarcophagi
are opened all of these treasures are found as well as three
of the humanoid remains with one of them missing.
An old gray rug covers most of the floor inside the temple­
like structure that has four standing sarcophagi prominently
on the sides. A great candle holder made from metal stands
across the entrance with the candle all but burnt down.
Everything is covered in dust with the ground additionally
coated in dried blood and bones scattered across it.

Creatures dying in the proximity of the temple rise as
undead several days later. This can be prevented by laying
the corpses found inside to rest, either by burying them,
repairing the sarcophagi or another method that pleases
the gods of death and eternal rest.
Forgotten Temple Events
Time Event
Attracted by the broken tomb, a colony of
Day 4 rats consisting of 2 giant rats and 1 swarm of
rats finds their way inside the temple.
A group of grave robbers discover the tomb,
causing the rats to attack and kill one of
Day 8 them while trying to open the door. His
rope, a shovel, two torches and 1d4+4 gold
pieces are still on his half­eaten body.
The stench of death and decay causes local
wildlife to avoid the area around the temple.
Day 11
A swarm of ravens seem to be the only
creatures brave enough to settle there.
After days of rotting at the entrance, a dark
aura emanating from the temple causes the
Day 16 corpse of the grave robber to rise as a ghoul.
During the night it stalks its prey in the
nearby areas.
The dark aura begins to stretch further until
the remaining bodies in the crypt are put to
Day 20 rest by a cleric or priest. When travelers
approach the entrance, 1d4+1 skeletons
begin to rise from the ground.
Missing Corpse
Using the missing corpse you can further the
plot of the old temple if your party of
adventurers seems interested in what happened
here. Placing these kinds of clues will ensure that
you are able to pick up on plots and adventures
your players want to follow.
Maybe the missing creature was doomed to a
life of undeath and roams the lands outside with
the adventurers able to pick up the trail? Maybe
it was found by someone a long time ago and
buried in the woods away from the possible
danger of grave robbers discovering their
corpse?

Hidden in the deep parts of the woods lies the hideout of
the ferocious gnolls. Two tents were built near a small
stream located at the bottom of a cliff to prevent the camp
being surrounded by attackers. At night the gnolls put up a
campfire and gamble or fight among themselves near the
light while one of them reluctantly keeps watch. In the
morning they venture into the wilderness in search for prey,
killing anything they find and dragging it back to their
hideout.
While the gnolls are good hunters and trackers, they
themselves leave tracks behind which a skilled tracker may
be able to pick up from anywhere within the Stryhor
Woods. When nearing the camp in the evening,
adventurers will be able to hear the gnolls bellowing and
growling from afar.
You hear faint but aggressive barking in the distance. As you
approach, you can see tents, crudely crafted from tattered
animal hides and pelts. A large fireplace stands in the middle
with a cliff protecting the camp's backside.
The two tents are inhabited by three gnolls while one gnoll
runt (see Appendix D) has to sleep outside at all times,
rejected by the rest of the hunting party. While mostly loyal
to his hunting party, the runt may be convinced to betray
his kind if intimidated convincingly or made a generous
offer.
The inside of the tents is filled with bones and half-
devoured corpses of previous prey. Adventurers may find
some hides, pelts and coins to salvage in the remains.
As you open the tent's entrance, a foul stench of decay
enters your nose and leaves an uncomfortable taste in your
mouth. You discover the scattered remains of creatures
whose species is hard to determine after being half­
devoured by the gnolls.
Even though most of the inside is sullied beyond any
humane standard, you are able to salvage some hides, pelts
and coins to keep as a reward for your troubles.
7
 
The corruption of the gnolls is like a disease they bring
with them wherever they go. Slaying the fiendish creatures
will be enough to prevent the infestation to spread further
but will not cleanse the forest of the darkness already
unleashed. A ritual performed by a servant of the gods or a
creature with a deep connection to the natural world is
needed to rid the Stryhor Woods of the corruption forever.
When the corruption is healed, creatures in the woods
will become less aggressive, their unnatural hunger
quenched.
Varied Loot
Sometimes you might want to leave the loot your
players find vague in order to have an event­
based reward. As you can see from the events
below, the gnolls will become harder to deal with
the longer the players ignore the threat.
However, a change regarding the loot is not
stated in the events themselves. Instead, you may
want to adjust the loot described in the initial
paragraph for the encampment to represent the
change of circumstances.
For example you might want to add an extra
pelt for the capture of the dire wolf event on day
2. If the adventurers enter the camp on the 13th
day, they might find additional coins because the
gnolls grew bold and have been plundering more
greedily.
If you want your world to be particularly dark
and authentic, you can punish your players for
waiting too long by subtracting some of the loot.
For example the pelts are unusable because of
the corruption of the 21st day.
Gnoll Hideout Events
Time Event
The gnolls bring back a huge dire wolf and
Day 4 hang it between a pair of sticks. One of the
gnolls died in the dangerous battle.
The remaining hunting party tried and
succeeded in capturing and mostly
Day 9 domesticating a wild wolf. The creature is
restrained by a rope which the gnolls will cut
when attacked.
Having found a suitable hunting ground, the
gnolls constructed a wooden stockade with
one small door around the encampment for
Day 13
further protection. The stockade is covered
in spikes and spears to keep animals and
humans outside.
After one of them was killed on the second
day, a third gnoll joins the ranks equipped
Day 16 with a longbow. He was attracted by the
growing corruption and stands watch at
night looking for danger.
The corruption of the dark gnolls begins to
spread, leaving the grass and trees around
Day 21 the camp blighted and dark. While fighting
in the near vicinity, the gnolls have
resistance to radiant damage.
8
Time Event
With the corruption spreading, the murk
around the camp spread further. Until
Day 25
cleansed, the area is filled with darkness akin
to the deepest of nights and the radius of
light sources like torches or lanterns is
reduced by half.

Located atop a hill in the less dense areas of the Stryhor
Woods lies an ancient ruined outpost made of moss-
covered stones consisting of a main building and a tower
built on top. A wooden bridge of about 30 feet length above
a deep chasm connects the gate of the ruins to the outside
terrain. The cliffs surrounding the hill are steep and sharp-
edged, too dangerous for most travelers to climb.
The tower itself and the surrounding ruins are the
nesting place of a griffon, that hunts in the evening well
into the night and sleeps during the day. The creature is
fiercely territorial, trying to scare away strangers and
attacks anyone approaching its domain.
Through the howling wind you notice the sound of wood
creaking as an ancient wooden bridge comes into view,
leading over a deep ravine. On the other side stands a brittle
old gate with two rusty iron handles on its double doors.
Beyond the gate you can see the top of a stone building and
a tower looming above the cliffs. The walls of the top floor
are open for lookouts to observe the lands beneath.

Behind the entrance is the small courtyard with some
bushes, trees and a narrow pathway leading to the door of
the crumbling hold. A griffon feather can be seen lying on
the ground hinting at the griffon living in the tower. The
rare feather is worth some gold pieces to a leatherworker
or a collector.
As you open the gate accompanied by the loud groan of the
wood, you enter a small courtyard overgrown with tall grass,
bushes and trees. The wilds seem to have taken back this
part of civilization. On the far side of the yard stands the
stone building you saw from the outside with vines clawing
their way to the tower that was built on top.

The inside of the building is decorated with dressers,
shelves and crates all of which seem to have been
abandoned centuries ago. A makeshift bed can be found in
the corner of the room. On the far side of the room lies a
door that leads into the stairwell and up the tower.
Scraping at the dust and sand that gathered over the years,
the door swings open and reveals a barren room. Some
dressers stand at the wall, two shelves beside them. A stack
of crates lies in the corner with rusty and beaten iron
reinforcements. A makeshift bed stands in the corner
consisting of a hay filled linen shirt and a scratched blanket.
The door on the far side looks weathered with several holes
in the wooden surface and a heavy broken iron handle.
A stack of scrolls can be found in the dressers hinting at
the location of the Forgotten Temple. The documents state
that an ancient order of peaceful priests worshiping the
goddess of the stars once built the mausoleum to bury a
group of adventurers and maintained the place ever since.
Apparently they only traveled there in the night, lighting
their way with divine light.

Going up the stairs onto the second floor leads to an old
chamber filled with bookshelves, a table and a chair.
Besides the table stands an elegant bed with a lock box
hidden underneath. Straight ahead the stairs continue to
the next floor of the tower.
Dust trickles from the wooden beams as your steps coax
loud groans out of the stairs leading up to the second floor.
The chamber is filled with bookshelves, a wooden table and
a chair made from the same material. An elegant bed stands
besides the table with rugged silken bedding and a mattress
worthy of a noble. The light of the sun shines through the
lock of the door and the slit underneath, detailing the dust
dancing in the thick air.
Searching the room unearths the chest under the bed filled
with some goldpieces and an ancient golden necklace
with a silvery griffon head attached to the chains. The
books on the shelves are mostly filled with old accounting
reports but two spell scrolls can be found between the
pages of an ancient tome detailing the history of the people
that guarded this place in times past and the griffons living
in the hills.

The stairs lead to the top of the tower overlooking the
vicinity of the hill and the forest beneath. The edges of the
tower are built with stone columns supporting the roof. All
four sides open to the sky showing the Magistrate's Tower
in the distance as well as the thick gray cobwebs of the
Spider's Nest.
A broken table lies in the corner with three chairs
scattered nearby and a leather pouch containing some gold
coins. On the north-west column dangles a signaling horn
on a leather cord nailed into the stonework. The floor is
littered with hay, large branches and leafs resulting in
muffled footsteps. A large gray griffon egg with small dark
spots lies in the nest.
A soft wind blows into your face as you approach the top of
the tower. The immediate countryside lies at the your feet:
grasslands, hills, forests, all visible through the open sides of
the tower's peak. You notice the broken table and the chairs
scattered across the ground and the hay, leafs and large
branches that litter the floor. Finally the large gray egg
catches your eye, sitting in the corner wrapped in what
seems to be a giant nest.
Expanding the Story
Some parts of the backstories and locations are
deliberately left vague. You can add your own
ideas depending on whether your players are
interested in exploring the hinted at possibilities.
For example, the makeshift bed located in the
Barracks might belong to someone who found
the ruins recently and was driven away by the
griffon.
Griffon Ruins Events
Time Event
A group of four gnoll poachers raids the
ruins but are forced to retreat with two of
them dying to the griffon. Their remains lie
Day 9 in the courtyard with their belongings
including a battered spear and a heavy
crossbow. During the battle, the bridge
collapsed leaving behind just a gaping hole.
The young griffon baby (see Appendix D)
hatches. It stays inside the nest waiting for
Day 12
its mother to deliver food but can be heard
cawing around the ruins.
In order to feed the growing appetite of its
offspring, the griffon has to travel farther
Day 15 and comes across Lestead, grabbing a cow
from the Burne family and delivers it to the
ruins.
The griffon baby (see Appendix D) starts to
Day 19
explore the ruins on foot. It may be
encountered anywhere within the ruins,
already fiercely territorial and aggressive.

Some miles into the Styhor Woods stands a man-made
clearing with tree stumps scattered across the forest floor.
A shredded tent lies on the ground covered in webs.
Besides the tent sit three supply crates belonging to
Dindain marked with the griffon symbol of his trading post.
Investigating the camp leads to the discovery of two axes
left behind by the lumberjacks. The axes are not build for
combat requiring too much strength to wield effectively.
Logging Camp Events
Time Event
Four goblins (Ibs, Plel, Qozza, Zreeks)
stumble upon the camp and steal the crates.
They leave behind an obvious trail dragging
the heavy supplies across the forest floor.
The tracks lead to a small cave where the
Day 5
goblins live.
When confronted the goblins will try to sell
the crates for 15 gold pieces each. They are
spineless scavengers who would rather run
than risk their lives.
9
 
Between the tall trees of the Stryhor Woods stands the
Magistrate's Tower. Even though the tower looks still intact,
only ruins remain of the building adjacent to it. Once it was
the home of a noble and his illegitimate daughter he hid
from the outside world. After both of them died in an
assault by bandits and all the valuable belongings were
stolen, the authorities lost interest in the backwoods
location.
Rumors speak of an angry ghost haunting the place in
the form of a little girl that screams and attacks travelers
who approach the premise uninvited. While a ghost does
live in the tower, the spirit of Ilona, the former magistrate's
daughter, is neither angry nor aggressive. At night the
ghostly aura of Ilona can be spotted from the distance,
filling the windows of the tower with a faint blue light.
From far away you can spot a bright roof of a round tower
mirroring the sunlight. As you travel the remaining distance,
more and more details of the surrounding area come into
view. The entrance to the tower appears to be a wooden
door reinforced with delicate iron ornaments. Besides the
tower stands one remaining wall overgrown with vines.
Approaching the building reveals a set of stairs at the side of
the walls leading to another wooden door below the surface.
This entrance appears to be less sturdy opening into the
cellar of the former structure.

The ground floor of the tower is slightly smaller than the
rest, containing the former meeting room of the magistrate.
A large desk almost fills the room with two chairs across
from each other and bookshelves all around the walls. In
the middle of the room stands a narrow spiral staircase
leading all the way to the highest floor.
On the desk lies an empty stack of scrolls as well as a
bottle of dried ink and several pretty feathers used as ink
pens. A merchant's scale nailed to the boards sits in the
bookshelf behind the desk besides a wooden jar filled with
sealing wax.
Surprisingly, the door to the tower opens without a sound
revealing a well equipped study. The walls are filled with dark
wooden bookshelves and the floor is covered by an
expensive rug. Across from the door, behind a spiral
staircase forged of iron leading upwards, stands a pompous
desk bestrewn with old documents, a comfortable chair on
the far side and a smaller chair in front of it.
Investigating the old documents and books brings to light
mostly reports, several years out of date. However, one
report detailing a meeting of the magistrate with a bizarre
stranger attracts the attention of the reader. Supposedly, a
person by the name of Daxor was investigating the
connection of the Stryhor Woods to the world of the fey
and asked to purchase a plot of land within the forest. His
appeal was denied due to the request of the priests
worshiping the goddess of the stars.
The place Daxor wished to purchase coincides with the
location of the lair of the spider queen. Someone skilled in
the art of map making or with good knowledge of the land
will be able to pinpoint the location to the Spider's Nest.
10

The second floor features the library of the tower where
Ilona used to spend her time reading stories about far away
lands. Her spirit still lingers within these walls as a ghost
reading the same tomes time and again.
While most of the books contained in the library are just
stories her father gathered to occupy the young girl, one
particular tome stands out. Its binding is made from
expensive reddish leather and a strong silk ribbon acts a
seal. When asked about the tome, Ilona will tell the
adventurers that it is forbidden by her father and should
not be read. When they insist, she will begin screaming and
attack if they attempt to open the tome regardless.
The tome is an ancient wizard spellbook containing the
following spells: comprehend languages, identify, illusory
script, sleep, arcane lock and see invisibility.
For details about Ilona and how to roleplay her, see the
segment Lonely Ghost below.

The top floor contains the laboratory of the magistrate. It is
considerably smaller than the lower levels with some
shelves fitted to the angled walls. Two tables are located
beneath the single window where the magistrate used to
brew simple potions. Some vials and herbs are still left to
be salvaged as well as an antitoxin and a potion of
healing.
As you ascend to the third floor, the stairs stop and leave
you in a tight room just big enough for two members of
your group. The strange smell of burnt spices and old liquid
lingers in the air and your eyes catch the alchemical
equipment located underneath the window covered in
cobwebs.

The cellar is an old storage area filled with shelves housing
old rations inside thick milky glass jars. Some empty
scrolls as well as unused books can be salvaged from the
remaining reserves. In one of the shelves sits a delicate
hourglass missed by the looters.
The iron hinges of the door creak silently as you push the
door open and old dust swirls through the air. A cold feeling
creeps across your spine as your eyes adjust to the darkness
and perceive the almost empty shelves of an old storage.
On the far side lies a simple bedding where the
magistrate's daughter was told to hide and sleep when her
father received important guests. The bones of Ilona lie
scattered on the scratched sheets and her little straw doll
sits on the pillow waiting for her owner who will never
answer again.
You notice a scrap of linen hidden behind some stacked
crates on the far side of the room. As you approach the
crates you see a crudely made, simple bedding out of hay
and a formerly white linen clothing filled with dried blood.
The red beady eyes of a little straw doll wearing a faded blue
dress look at you from below sitting on the pillow amidst
the scattered remains of a small human child.
Magistrate's Tower Events As you venture deeper into the forest, the air becomes
Time Event thicker, the trees and brushwork covered with heavy
webbing. Every step you take nature itself seems to hold its
A wolf mother and her wolf pups (see
Appendix D) settle in the cellar of the ruins. breath. You have the nagging feeling of being watched as
Day 7
One of the pups finds the straw doll, the webs reach higher into the trees and you begin to notice
carrying it wherever he goes. sacks of cobwebs the size of a human dangling from the
While exploring the nearby forest on its high branches.
own, the wolf pup carrying the doll gets
taken by human poachers. The doll's head as
well as a trace of footprints leading to the 
poachers camp can be found just outside The queen of the spiders (see Appendix D) occupies a
the tower. The tracks will be visible for foer central position within the spider's nest. She has
Day 14 days before fading away. constructed her web several feet above the ground
At the poachers' camp, the wolf pup was put connecting a central shrubbery with the neighboring trunks
in a cage with other pelts hanging besides covered in heavy silk. From above she lurks, waiting for
the tent. When confronted by the prey foolish enough to venture too far into her domain. If
adventurers the three poachers (see something touches her nets inside this terrain, she will
Appendix D) react wary and will attack when
provoked.
know and attack immediately.
The tracks leading to the poachers' camp The world gets darker as you draw closer to the center of
Day 18
fade away and the poachers move on.
the spider's web. You can see the heavy silk in the trees
A cleric arrives at the tower sent to above and every crack starts to sound increasingly
investigate the rumors about a ghost. He is
menacing. It feels like you are being watched from
accidentally killed by Ilona leaving her utterly
terrified. Finally realizing her undead nature, everywhere around you, as if a multitude of eyes are
Day 22 she begins to slowly turn becoming hostile watching your every step.
within the next two days.
The withered corpse of the holy man can be
found in the study hinting at the terrible In the treetops, high above the ground, hang three cocoons,
story that unfolded in the tower. vaguely shaped like humanoids. One of the them contains
Xi'ri Jael, the tiefling priestess captured by the spiders

after she traveled into the woods. She is alive but
unconscious, paralyzed and blinded until the queen needs
The ghost of the magistrate's illegitimate daughter, Ilona, to feast again (for more information about Xi'ri, see
haunts the old tower. She is a clever but strange girl bound Appendix A on page 16).
to the tall building where she spent most of her childhood One more humanoid is held captive, a gnoll that died of
unable to leave. Despite the rumors, she is sincere and starvation some days ago. He still holds his short sword in
cheerful in the company of others but feels lonely most of one hand and a potion of healing in the other. The last
the time missing the straw doll she named Yona. Her cocoon is filled with a swarm of spiders, that seems to
ghostly figure is transparent and shimmers in a faint blue have eaten whatever was restrained here.
color. Touching her floating form inflicts the Withering
Touch action of a ghost to the target.
Ilona is oblivious of her death and will ignore any
attempts to explain her situation. Instead, she insists that
her father told her to stay inside the tower and should be
back in a few days. When the adventurers are persistent,
she will begin to cry accusing them of being mean just like
the people that visited her father.
The curse upon the little girl can be lifted either by
destroying her ghostly form with radiant energy or burning
the object holding her spirit in this plane (the straw doll
found in the cellar where she was killed). These options
will be apparent to any servant of the gods and to anyone in
tune with nature. Burning the doll is the merciful option
where Ilona's spirit moves on.

Deep inside the forest where the ground is darkened by the
thick treetops, live the great spiders, silent hunters and
terror of wanderers. Every trunk and bush is covered in
heavy webbing too dense to recognize what lies below.

The lair of the spider queen is surrounded by smaller
colonies. Adventurers must fight or avoid these in order to
reach her hive. Each colony consist of up to three giant
wolf spiders preying silently from above.
11

Spider's Nest Events
Time Event
The spider population has grown so dense,
that anyone resting within the vicinity is
guaranteed to be bitten by at least a smaller
Day 7 arachnid. Whenever the adventurers take a
short or long rest, they must make a DC 9
Constitution saving throw or take 2 (1d4)
poison damage at the end of their rest.
An ettercap with a fondness for arachnids
has settled in the darkness of the spider's
Day 10 nest. It preys upon intruders and may be
encountered whenever traveling through the
nest with a 25% chance.
The young tiefling priestess Xi'ri Jael gets
eaten by the spiders, leaving behind only a
small golden bracelet hinting at her recent
Day 15
demise. The bracelet is engraved with the
name Jael, proving that Xi'ri indeed died at
the hands of the spiders.
The warlock named Daxor stumbles upon
the spider's nest. Through the dark powers
granted to him, he establishes a connection
Day 21
with the spider queen and becomes a
devout cultist (add 3. Daxor's Hideout
described below to the location).
In Lestead, spiders are seen to leave the
village and travel into the Stryhor Woods.
Day 26 They are drawn towards the dark ritual and
can be tracked to the edge of the Spider's
Nest.
Daxor finishes his dark ritual, summoning a
green hag into the material plane resulting in
a magical light emanating in the night sky
painting the clouds sickly green anywhere in
the region for the next day. From now on
she stalks the Stryhor Woods, hunting
Day 30
travelers by fooling them into thinking she is
a helpless girl fleeing the spiders, begging to
be escorted to safety.
As long as the hag lives any random
encounter has a chance of 10% to be an
encounter with the hag instead.
Inside the cave lies a plain sleeping bag and a chest filled
with Daxor's belongings. When the chest is unlocked, the
adventurers will find a spell scroll as well as two doses of
simple poison.
Inside the dry cave, a faint glow of dark green and violet
shimmers through the heavy webbing spun all around the
walls. As your eyes adjust to the darkness, you spot an
ominous figure kneeling at a circle drawn with the black
blood of the spider queen. You hear the hissing and
crackling of the spiders looming in the shadows before you
see the gleam in their eyes. Suddenly, the kneeling figure
turns and seems to look into your soul as it mutters a
threatening word, akin to the nightmarish sound of the
arachnids.
Designing Locations
While the above examples for locations are
designed with descriptions written out in
advance, most locations do not need this kind of
detail. When designing your own locations just
think of two or three distinct style points you
want the location to have. Human senses are a
good starting point to get across a specific style.
For example a humid atmosphere inside a cave
or the smell of decay coming from a half­rotten
corpse inside the den of a dire wolf.
When you have figured out the style of your
location you will need some kind of encounter.
This may be a combat encounter but skill or
exploration encounters are viable and interesting
options as well. Think of what your location's
backstory might be in just one or two words and
design the encounter in this way. The den of the
dire wolf will most likely be home to a pack of
such wolves or one particularly large creature. On
the other hand an ancient ruin might not even let
the adventurers enter before they solve a riddle
written on an old stone tablet given in a language
spoken several hundred years before.


The strange cultist Daxor (LE male human cultist) has
built a small hideout in one of the caverns of the spider's
nest adjacent to the queen's lair. Despite him being a
human, the spiders accepted his presence and even flock to
him. He is a warlock of the dark fey tricked into
summoning his mistress who grants him the ability to talk
to the arachnids.
As you explore the queen's lair you notice the entrance to a
cavern beneath the thick webs. Strange whispers in a
language only spoken by madmen or those who dedicated
their life to darker powers whistle in the wind. The hair at
the back of your neck rises and you get the strange feeling
you should not be here any longer than you have to.

Daxor can be encountered at any time of the day with four

giant wolf spiders at his side. He is preoccupied with a
dark ritual and barely notices any intruders until they enter
his cave.

12
 While retreating as fast as they could, the woodworkers
 left behind the logging camp and refuse to venture back
The following list contains examples for hooks that will into the wilderness as long as the spiders roam free. Now,
lead a group of adventurers into the Stryhor Woods. Each the help of adventurers is needed to investigate those
one is linked to a specific location inside the wilderness supposedly unnaturally huge spiders, maybe find their nest
that the players will discover. and burn it before they hatch more creatures and become
an even greater threat. The lumberjacks even managed to
Each hook described here will feature a way to start the scrape up a reward of 25 gold pieces for the deed.
players' adventure. Feel free to alter the setting or the Starting at the logging camp looking for clues, the
reward to your liking but keep in mind that your players adventurers will encounter two giant wolf spiders
need to know the location or at least the general direction sneaking up on them. Their tracks will lead the
they need to take in order for their first quest to start. Most adventurers to the Spider's Nest located deeper into the
of the time the non-player character who issued the quest forest.
will have a general idea where the adventurers need to go
in order to fulfill their task and find what they are looking
for.
Quest Brief Description
Missing daughter of a nearby
Missing Daughter
aristocratic family.
Unruly Hyenas Gnoll presence.
Webbed Terrors Giant spiders in the treetops.


The surrogate daughter of a local noble, Lord Jael, has gone
missing in the Stryhor Woods. Nobody knows why the
young woman decided to venture into the dangerous forest
but the adventurers were tasked to return her unharmed.
The noble promised a reward of 50 gold pieces for the
return of his daughter.
Surprisingly, Lady Xi'ri Jael was described as a pretty
tiefling with white skin and deep purple eyes. With these
special circumstances it should prove an easy task to follow
her tracks and identify the woman on sight.
The adventurers begin their journey following the cleric's
footsteps on her way to the Forgotten Temple. However,
after two days of travel the tracks end at the edge of the
Spider's Nest where Xi'ri was captured by the arachnids.

For some time now the local gnoll tribes have been a
plague to the farmlands and villages surrounding the
Stryhor Woods. Recently they found the courage to venture
farther out of the trees and attack travelers, robbing or
murdering them in cold blood.
Following these recent events, Erdar Richpike, the
captain of the guard has deduced that the gnolls must
operate out of a nearby outpost. He asked the adventurers
to travel into the forest to find and destroy the gnolls' base
of operations promising a reward of 40 gold pieces.
The group will start their journey at the edge of the trees
on the way to the Gnoll Hideout after finding a fresh trail in
the shape of a paw leading into the thick brush.

Not long ago a group of loggers working in an encampment
located just one day's travel into the Stryhor Woods
returned injured and in mental disarray. They spoke of
gigantic spiders crawling through the trees, snarling
strangely and attacking them unprovoked.

13
 
The encounters listed on the table can be used for both
daytime and nighttime. They give you a general idea what
creatures are lurking behind the next corner and what they
are here to accomplish. Keep in mind that not all of these
encounters are equally - or at all - dangerous.
Encounters
Result Encounter (2d12)
Bored Ogre. An ogre (Brakazug) hails from the
nearby hills or mountains. He sits in a clearing
near a strange smelling pot nearly double the
2 14­15 hyenas. When he notices the adventurers, he
size of a human adventurer. Even though he is
aggressive and hungry, he is also dumb and
may be parleyed with.
Corrupted Plants. The corruption of the
devilish gnoll creatures seems to spread to the
local plantlife. 1d4+1 aggressive twig blights
3 attack the adventurers without warning.
If the gnoll corruption has been cleansed,
replace this Encounter with the discovery
Field of Moonflowers (see below).
Lonely Hunter. The adventurers stumble upon
an owlbear wandering its territory and hunting
for small wildlife. As long as the travelers
4 approach cautiously the creature will be
mostly passive and a bit curious but when the
adventurers attack it or invade its territory it
will attack with wild vigor.
Gnoll Hunting Party. A group of 1d3 gnolls are
very aggressive and on the hunt for food and
5­7 people to kill. They will instantly turn on the
travelers and only when obviously beaten will
they try to turn and run.
Hungry Wolves. A pack of 1d4 wolves travels
through the forest looking for prey. While they
are aggressive on their hunt they do not attack
the adventurers immediately but cautiously
8­9 assess the situation and danger they pose.
19­20
With a chance of 50% they will then attack
and try to hunt down the travelers.
If the gnoll corruption has been cleansed, the
wolves only attack when provoked.
Preying Arachnids. 1d4 giant wolf spiders lurk in
the low thicket or the high treetops.
Cautiously they wait for the ideal time and
10 place to attack their targets from above or
below, preferably after their prey have
stumbled into one of their various well hidden
webs.
Proud Forest Dwellers. A group of 1d4 elks
(75%) or 1 giant elk (25%) wander through
the woods mostly unhindered and
unchallenged. While most of them stand at
the height of a human, some elks reach
11
gigantic heights of up to 10 feet. From the
lack of natural predators, these creatures are
calm and collected, attacking only when
provoked and ignoring the tiny humans when
possible.
14
Poachers. The three poachers (see Appendix
D) from the encampment found randomly in
2
the woods are on the hunt for game. They are
12 ruthless bandits that shy away from
confrontation with other people but when
provoked or angered will defend themselves
or even attack.
Voracious Rats. Through the rustling thickets
appears a swarm of rats followed by a group of
13
1d4 giant rats. They smelled the rations of the
group and try to drag them away to their lair.
Gnoll Hyena Master. A gnoll sneaks through the
shadows of the night with his pack of 1d4
will try to sneak up on them and dispatch the
group to take their belongings and their hides.
Lost Traveler. A human traveler (Khedan) with a
huge backpack comes walking out of the
16 brush. He is lost and asks for the way to the
nearest town, rewarding the group with
2d10+5 copper pieces for the information.
Thieving Goblin. A young goblin (Lurk) is
hurrying through the woods with a couple of
owl eggs in a make­shift basket and chased by
the angry flock. He will quickly run past the
17
group, handing them the covered basket. After
one round the flock of 1d3+1 giant owls will
descend upon whoever currently holds the
basket containing their eggs.
Nightly Hunters. The group camps near the
entrance to a cave with its inhabitants ­ a
swarm of bats and 1d4+2 bats ­ gathering in
the evening to go hunting. Usually, the bats
18
are not aggressive and will just disturb the
party a little before flying on. They will,
however, try to defend their home and attack
if the group does not move away.
Nocturnal Flyers. The forest owls hunt in the
depth of night. While a smaller owl (85%)
might attack a small animal traveling with the
party like a wizard's familiar or a pet rabbit, a
giant owl (15%) could even go for larger prey
like a ranger's companion or a small mount.
Curious Woodland Spirits. Three pixie sisters
(Dawn, Shyla, Tempest) dart through the
treetops and glance upon the travelers in their
forest. They are mostly neutral or friendly but
21 shy and when discovered try to flee or toy
with the adventurers. When not noticed or
ignored for a while they may come closer and
try to pilfer some of the party's rations or
other glittering possessions.
Lost Mule. A mule wanders through the
woods, stumbling upon the travelers. It
immediately goes for the parties food and
22
carries an old backpack containing an
explorer's pack missing three days of rations
and a bedroll.
Master of the Skies. The griffon located in the
old griffon ruins (see Griffon Ruins on page 8)
roams the woodlands in the evening and near
23 night time for prey. If the adventurers travel
through its domain near the ruins, the creature
becomes aggressive and tries to chase
intruders away.

Rolling the highest possible result yields two more rolls
resulting in a multiple party encounter. For example first
rolling a 24 on the encounters table followed by a 2 and a
12 will result in a random encounter where both an ogre
and a party of poachers will be present. The poachers
could have stumbled onto the clearing where the ogre lives
resulting in a fight between the parties when the
adventurers arrive. Maybe the poachers are already
captured on arrival and plead for the adventurers to help
them. Most of these results will depend on your creativity
as a dungeon master but they will most likely be especially
interesting for the players.

It is possible to specifically search for some of the above
encounters if your players have an idea where to look. For
example, after encountering the owlbear during their
travels and getting chased away, your players want to come
back and slay the beast. Knowing it is fiercely territorial,
they venture to the place where they last encountered it
and should meet the creature again.
Another possibility is hearing about a creature living in
the forest like the ogre mentioned in the rumors of the safe
heaven. Your players might try to hunt the dangerous giant
and should be able to find it when looking for tracks near
the area where the logger was chased away.

While some of the following discoveries have obvious tells
that may be seen from far away, others are not so simple to
perceive. Make sure that your players know they will lose
some traveling time when they decide to explore these
locations.
Discoveries
Result Discovery (1d6)
Burned Forest. This part of the forest is burned
beyond recognition. The fire seems to have
raged a maximum of two days ago and gnoll
footprints lead into the unspoilt parts of the
woods. Following the footprints the
adventurers discover either a camp of three
1­2
gnolls (25%) or a small hunting party of two
gnolls (75%).
The gnolls were successful in their last hunt
and killed a giant elk with a magnificent gray
pelt and large antlers. Both of which can be
sold for 30 gold pieces.
Poachers Camp. At the edge of a clearing
besides a group of trees and in the shadow of
a small cliff lies the camp of some poachers
hunting the woods for dangerous game and
3 valuable trophies. The camp consists of a tent
large enough for two humans, a leather
canopy secured at the stones of the above
cliff and a fireplace between the two sleeping
places.
Wolves' Den. A dark hole hidden behind the
brush and trees on the side of a small cliff
leads into the den of some particularly
4 aggressive wolves. Exploring the inside, the
adventurers find three wolves that look starved
and beaten. They hiss aggressively and attack
shortly after.
Trapdoor. Hidden under branches of trees lies
a wooden trapdoor deep inside the forest. The
door is locked and looks like it has not been
opened in days. When opened the stench of
5 old, rotten food escapes the dark, cave­like
room below. Climbing down the worn out
ladder to the bottom reveals an old hunter's
hideout with a small dresser, a bedroll and
some lost rations.
Field of Moonflowers. When the sun goes
down, the group realizes they made camp near
a field of moonflowers, shimmering in the
6
white light of the stars. Tea made from the
leafs of a moonflower by a skilled herbalist will
grant darkvision for up to 1d4+2 hours.
Designing Random Encounter
Tables
After having used the encounters above you may
want to start designing your own encounters and
locations to put into your random tables or even
generate a completely new table.
The first thing you will want to keep in mind is
the rough challenge rating of your region. While
it can be cool and exciting to have a dragon
show up in your low­level adventures, you are not
giving your party a very interesting encounter as
their only choices will be to hide or try to
persuade the creatures not to eat them. Of
course you may deviate from this rule a bit but
mostly it is a good rule of thumb to place
encounters in the range of +­2 or 3 of your
party's current average level.
Furthermore, you will want to keep in mind
that a certain structure for your random tables
will be pleasant for your players as they come to
expect certain outcomes from your or their rolls
­ depending on who rolls for the random
encounters. Looking at the above random
encounter tables you will see that most of the
more dangerous or high­level encounters were
placed at low or high results. This means the
players can expect to get more dangerous
encounters at the outer spectrum of the rolls,
reinforcing the idea of especially high or low rolls
yielding more extreme encounters in general.
Random Encounter Chances
When designing your own encounters keep in
mind the probability of the dice rolls. The more
dice you roll the more complicated it might get
and while rolling one die results in the same
probability for every number to be generated,
rolling two dice means you will have a higher
chance for the numbers in the middle of the
spectrum to be generated.
You can use this to your advantage and for
example place some less likely encounters at the
top and bottom end of the table. These
encounters might even be a little more
dangerous than your typical encounters as they
are less likely to occur.
15
 
This section contains stat blocks and short descriptions for
NPCs mentioned in the above Quests and Locations. As
with most of the content in this document, these stats are
suggestions and may be changed by the game master to
make sense in the adventure and sessions played.

Medium humanoid (tiefling), neutral good
Armor Class 10
Hit Points 6 (1d8 + 1)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 9 (­1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1)
Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +3
Skills Religion +1, Insight +5
Damage Resistance fire
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Infernal
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Healing Light. As an action Xi'ri chooses a creature
she can see within 30 feet. The target gains
1d8+3 hitpoints. Xi'ri can't use this feature again
until she finishes a long rest.
Actions
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5
ft., one target. Hit 4 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.
Sacred Flame. Xi'ri chooses a creature she can see
within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a DC
11 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 radiant
damage. The target gains no benefit from cover
for this saving throw.

The young tiefling Xi'ri of House Jael is a strange creature
in herself, featuring white skin, a long tail and curved horns
growing from her forehead. Xi'ri spent most of her life
hidden from the prying eyes of the people inside her
fathers mansion, where she read about the various
religions and history of the world she now lives in.
Unbeknownst to her father, she took an oath to one of
the greater gods of the realm, trying to show to others and
herself just how different she was from other creatures of
her kind. Now she has mastered some of the divine magic
given by her deity in the form of sparks of flame and light
which she uses to defend herself.
16
Even though she stems from one of the most frightening
people of the world, Xi'ri herself is a shy and bashful person
avoiding unnecessary attention or long conversations. She
is kind, helpful and even cheerful at times and tries to help
wherever she is able to but also has kind of a temper. When
spoken back to or left out of important decisions she will
get sulky and let the party know this instantly, shutting
down conversations and taking a defensive position until
the adventurers apologize.

Some days ago, Xi'ri received a message from her patron to
find the old temple located inside the Stryhor Woods. The
plague of undeath would be upon the land if no one was
brave enough to venture forth and bless the lost souls
buried there. Out of fear for being deemed a lunatic and
dangerous - she is a tiefling after all - she decided to go on
this adventure alone only to get lost and captured by the
spiders.
If the adventurers locate and rescue Xi'ri, she begs them
to help her find the temple. She promises a handsome
reward of 25 gold pieces per person as well as telling her
father of the adventurers' good deeds.

Small humanoid (human), chaotic good
Armor Class 13 (tattered leather)
Hit Points 10 (2d6 + 2)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
7 (­2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 13 (+1)
Skills Acrobatics +4, Stealth +4
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages Common
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Lucky. Once per round, Thora can reroll any Ability
Check, Attack Roll or Saving Throw.
Actions
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5
ft., one target. Hit 5 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Sling. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 30
ft./120 ft., one target. Hit 5 (1d4 + 2)
bludgeoning damage.

Thora is the stubborn daughter of the Burne family.
Despite growing up on a farm, she always dreamed of
becoming a famous adventurer traveling the lands and
helping people in need. She has an opinion on everything,
talking like a waterfall.
In combat, Thora will try to stay out of harms way
attacking from a safe distance.

In this section you will find any creature or monster
referenced that is not part of the official SRD documents.

The crystal basilisk living in the Crystal Cave of the Stryhor
Woods prefers damp, dark places as its lair. It hides in the
darkness and waits for its prey, completely motionless and
attacks when the first target gets into range of its
crystalizing gaze.

Medium monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 56 (8d8+16)
Speed 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 8 (­1) 15 (+2) 2 (­4) 8 (­1) 7 (­2)
Skills Stealth +3
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Crystalizing Gaze. If a creature starts its turn within
30 ft. of the crystal basilisk and the two of them
can see each other, the crystal basilisk can force
the creature to make a DC 12 Constitution saving
throw if the crystal basilisk isn't Incapacitated. On
a failed save, the creature magically begins to turn
to stone and is Restrained. It must repeat the
saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a
success, the effect ends. On a failure, the creature
is Petrified until freed by the Greater Restoration
spell or other magic.
A creature that isn't surprised can avert its eyes to
avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If it
does so, it can't see the crystal basilisk until the
start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes
again. If it looks at the crystal basilisk in the
meantime, it must immediately make the save.
If the crystal basilisk sees its reflection within 30
ft. of it in bright light, it mistakes itself for a rival
and Targets itself with its gaze.
Lair Camouflage. The crystal basilisk has advantage
on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in its
underground lair.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage
plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.
Dark Blood. A creature turned to crystalized form remains
so until freed by powerful magic or completely immersed in
the black blood of a crystal basilisk. Alternatively, a skilled
alchemist might be able to create a potion from a sample of
crystals gathered in the hive of the creature and a few
drops of basilisk blood.


Small monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
Hit Points 30 (6d6+6)
Speed 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 2 (­4) 13 (+1) 5 (­3)
Skills Stealth +3
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Crystalizing Gaze. If a creature starts its turn within
20 ft. of the crystal basilisk and the two of them
can see each other, the young crystal basilisk can
force the creature to make a DC 10 Constitution
saving throw if the young crystal basilisk isn't
Incapacitated. On a failed save, the creature
magically begins to turn to stone and is
Restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the
end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends.
On a failure, the creature is Petrified until freed by
the Greater Restoration spell or other magic.
A creature that isn't surprised can avert its eyes to
avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If it
does so, it can't see the young crystal basilisk until
the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes
again. If it looks at the young crystal basilisk in the
meantime, it must immediately make the save.
If the young crystal basilisk sees its reflection
within 20 ft. of it in bright light, it mistakes itself
for a rival and Targets itself with its gaze.
Lair Camouflage. The young crystal basilisk has
advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to
hide in its underground lair.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage plus
3 (1d4) poison damage.
Young Hunter. Like their parents, the young crystal
basilisks are cunning hunters. They do not need to be
taught how to trick their prey but instinctively stay still,
waiting and hiding when another creature approaches just
to immediately attack when in close proximity.
17
 
Living in the domain of a crystal basilisk turned the giant
bat into an infested monstrosity.

Large monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 28 (4d10+4)
Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 2 (­2) 12 (+1) 6 (­2)
Senses Blindsight 60 ft., Passive Perception 11
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Echolocation. The bat can't use its blindsight while
deafened.
Keen Hearing. The bat has advantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on hearing.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one creature. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage,
and the target must make a DC 9 Constitution
saving throw. If the target fails the saving throw, it
is restrained until the end of its next turn as
crystals begin to form on its body.
Crystal Infesation. The skin of a crystal bat is harder than
that of its natural counterparts due to the opaque,
crystaline layer covering it. In turn, its maneuverability is
reduced drastically making it an easier target to pin down.
The bite of a crystal bat is contagious, resulting in
accumulations of gem-like structures to form on a
creatures skin.
18

The runt of the gnoll pack roaming the Stryhor Woods is of
smaller and more slender stature compared to its kind.
Whereas the other members of its pack are armed more
heavily, the gnoll runt only carries a dagger at its belt and is
clothed in thick, filthy rags.

Small humanoid, chaotic evil
Armor Class 14 (hide armor)
Hit Points 20 (4d8)
Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 6 (­2) 10 (+0) 7 (­2)
Skills Stealth +4
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10
Languages Gnoll, Common (scrappy)
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Cowardice. When the gnoll runt is reduced half its
hit points or less, it can take a reaction to move
up to 30 ft. and can't be the target of opportunity
attacks until the end of its next turn.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one creature. Hit: 3 (1d4) piercing damage
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to
hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20 ft./60 ft., one creature.
Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage
Coward. The bloodlust and rampage most of its species
demonstrate does not seem to afflict this weaker creature.
It mostly tries to avoid direct confrontation, sneaking
around travelers and immediately darting out of danger
when attacked or charged. When harmed, it tries to flee
into the dense brush of the woods. If there seems to be no
escape or the gnoll runt is captured, it will bargain for its
life, betraying its kind happily and without a second
thought.
While most gnolls do not speak a word of Common, the
gnoll runt picked up some words of the more civilized
language, able to communicate simple ideas or pleading for
its own life.

While older griffons tend to be viewed as majestic
creatures, they are also considered extremely dangerous
and territorial. The offspring of a griffon might be less
dangerous, downright cute, but also aggressive, curious
and fierce.

Medium monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 38 (6d10 + 8)
Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 17 (+3) 15 (+2) 2 (­4) 14 (+2) 8 (­1)
Skills Perception +6, Stealth +7
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 16
Languages ­
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Keen Sight. The griffon baby has advantage on
Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Actions
Multiattack. The griffon baby makes two attacks:
one with its beak and one with its claws.
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 11 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage.
Dangerously Curious. The griffon baby will watch and
stalk its prey in the form of rats and other small animals
mostly staying at ground level. It is curious and full of life,
approaching creatures with little to no fear. If provoked or
met with sudden movements, it will immediately attack and
try to take down its attacker.

The poachers stalking the Stryhor Woods are cruel people
hunting for sport and trophies. While most hunters tend to
aim for the perfect shot, killing their target the most
humane way possible, the poachers are not bound by their
humanity. They set traps for their prey using barbed wires
and bolts hindering its movement and leaving bloody tracks
for them to follow. After slaying their prey, they skin and
loot it for pelts, teeth and other trophies they will be able to
sell for profits leaving the bare carcass behind.

Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil
Armor Class 12 (leather armor)
Hit Points 12 (2d8+2)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
11 (+0) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 9 (­1)
Skills Survival +2
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Common
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Actions
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to
hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20 ft./60 ft., one target.
Hit: 4 (1d4+1) piercing damage.
Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit,
range 80 ft./320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1)
piercing damage.
Barbed Bolt. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit,
range 80 ft./320 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1)
piercing damage. If the target is a creature, its
speed is reduced by 10 ft. until the end of its next
turn.
Confrontation. When confronted by humans the poachers
tend to avoid conflict only attacking if provoked or
assaulted themselves. They are not loyal, fleeing if the
situation looks dire leaving their comrades behind to save
their own skin. However, they might return to the woods
with reinforcements to get revenge for the humiliation of
being chased away from their hunting grounds.
19
 
The spider queen living in the dangerous nest of giant
arachnids is a monstrosity the size of at least two horses.
Even though her legs are strong and thick, she barely
makes a sound prowling the webbing of her hive.

Large monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 42 (6d10+6)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 2 (­4) 11 (+0) 4 (­3)
Skills Stealth +7
Senses Blindsight 20 ft., Darkvision 60 ft., Passive
Perception 10
Languages ­
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Spider Climb. The spider can climb difficult
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings,
without needing to make an ability check.
Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the
spider knows the exact location of any other
creature in contact with the same web.
Web Walker. The spider ignores movement
restrictions caused by webbing.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage,
and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution
saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) poison damage on a
failed save, or half as much damage on a
successful one. If the poison damage reduces the
target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but
poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit
points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this
way.
Web (Recharge 5–6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +5
to hit, range 30/60 ft., one creature. Hit: The
target is restrained by webbing. As an action, the
restrained target can make a DC 12 Strength
check, bursting the webbing on a success. The
webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC
10; hp 5; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity
to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage).
Legendary Actions
The spider queen can take 1 legendary action,
choosing from the options below. Only one
legendary action option can be used at a time and
only at the end of another creature's turn. The
spider queen regains spent legendary actions at
the start of its turn.
Bite. The spider queen makes one bite attack. The
bites' poison does not take effect when used in
this way.
20

The young wolves form a little pack of their own within the
community of the older members. The stay together,
playing, hunting and looking out for each other.

Medium swarm of small beasts, unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 24 (4d8+4)
Speed 35 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
6 (­2) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 3 (­4) 12 (+1) 6 (­2)
Skills Perception +3
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened,
grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained,
stunned
Senses passive Perception 13
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's
space and vice versa, and the swarm can move
through any opening large enough for a small wolf
pup. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain
temporary hit points.
Actions
Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 8 (2d4+2) piercing damage, or 5
(1d4+2) piercing damage if the swarm has half of
its hit points or fewer. If the swarm has more than
half its hit points and the target is a creature, it
must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw
or be knocked prone.
Tactical Pack. Having learned the basics of hunting in a
pack, the band of offspring try to overwhelm their target
with numbers and approaches from different angles. While
one of the pups confronts the target head-on, another one
will try to circle around the prey trying to find a better
angle.
Like their older counterparts, the wolf pups aim to
snatch their target off their feet to get an advantage,
swarming in for the kill immediately after.

In this section you will find a time table with all events happening over the course of the next 20 days in various locations
around the Stryhor Woods. You can mark the time progress in the left column for each day the adventurers travel or decide to
take a days rest.
Time Table
Day Events
Forgotten Temple. Attracted by the broken tomb, a colony of rats consisting of 2 giant rats and 1 swarm of rats
finds their way inside the temple.
4
Gnoll Hideout. The gnolls bring back a huge dire wolf and hang it between a pair of sticks. One of the gnolls
died in the dangerous battle.
Logging Camp. Four goblins (Ibs, Plel, Qozza, Zreeks) stumble upon the camp and steal the crates. They leave
behind an obvious trail dragging the heavy supplies across the forest floor. The tracks lead to a small cave
5 where the goblins live.
When confronted the goblins will try to sell the crates for 15 gold pieces each. They are spineless scavengers
who would rather run than risk their lives.
Crystal Cave. A group of three gnolls explores the cavern and gets crystalized by the basilik, their shapes still
standing in the left passage leading to the underground pond. One of the gnolls scribbled the words free and
blood onto the walls in his own strange language.
6
Spider's Nest. The spider population has grown so dense, that anyone resting within the vicinity is guaranteed
to be bitten by at least a smaller arachnid. Whenever the adventurers take a short or long rest, they must make
a DC 9 Constitution saving throw or take 2 (1d4) poison damage at the end of their rest.
Magistrate's Tower. A wolf mother and her wolf pups (see Appendix D) settle in the cellar of the ruins. One of
7
the pups finds the straw doll, carrying it wherever he goes.
Forgotten Temple. A group of grave robbers discover the tomb, causing the rats to attack and kill one of them
8 while trying to open the door. His rope, a shovel, two torches and 1d4+4 gold pieces are still on his half­eaten
body.
Gnoll Hideout. The remaining hunting party tried and succeeded in capturing and mostly domesticating a wild
wolf. The creature is restrained by a rope which the gnolls will cut when attacked.
9 Griffon Ruins. A group of four gnoll poachers raids the ruins but are forced to retreat with two of them dying to
the griffon. Their remains lie in the courtyard with their belongings including a battered spear and a heavy
crossbow. During the battle, the bridge collapsed leaving behind just a gaping hole.
Crystal Cave. One of the basilisk's eggs hatches. The small young crystal basilisk (see Appendix D) poses little
challenge to the adventurers if found alone but will become a greater problem if left to mature.
10
Spider's Nest. An ettercap with a fondness for arachnids has settled in the darkness of the spider's nest. It preys
upon intruders and may be encountered whenever traveling through the nest with a 25% chance.
Forgotten Temple. The stench of death and decay causes local wildlife to avoid the area around the temple. A
11
swarm of ravens seem to be the only creatures brave enough to settle there.
Griffon Ruins. The young griffon baby (see Appendix D) hatches. It stays inside the nest waiting for its mother
12
to deliver food but can be heard cawing around the ruins.
Crystal Cave. The basilisk expands its territory into the adjacent cave to accommodate its young. The giant bats
try to repel the attacker but after loosing one of their own, they reluctantly let the creature stay.
13 Gnoll Hideout. Having found a suitable hunting ground, the gnolls constructed a wooden stockade with one
small door around the encampment for further protection. The stockade is covered in spikes and spears to
keep animals and humans outside.
Magistrate's Tower. While exploring the nearby forest on its own, the wolf pup carrying the doll gets taken by
human poachers. The doll's head as well as a trace of footprints leading to the poachers camp can be found
14 just outside the tower. The tracks will be visible for four days before fading away.
At the poachers' camp, the wolf pup was put in a cage with other pelts hanging besides the tent. When
confronted by the adventurers the three poachers (see Appendix D) react wary and will attack when provoked.
Griffon Ruins. In order to feed the growing appetite of its offspring, the griffon has to travel farther and comes
across Lestead, grabbing a cow from the Burne family and delivers it to the ruins.
15 Spider's Nest. The young tiefling priestess Xi'ri Jael gets eaten by the spiders, leaving behind only a small golden
bracelet hinting at her recent demise. The bracelet is engraved with the name Jael, proving that Xi'ri indeed
died at the hands of the spiders.

21
 Time Table Continued
Day Events
Forgotten Temple. After days of rotting at the entrance, a dark aura emanating from the temple causes the
corpse of the grave robber to rise as a ghoul. During the night it stalks its prey in the nearby areas.
16
Gnoll Hideout. After one of them was killed on the second day, a third gnoll joins the ranks equipped with a
longbow. He was attracted by the growing corruption and stands watch at night looking for danger.
Crystal Cave. More crystals begin to sprout all over the cave. The young crystal basilisk (see Appendix D) begins
17 to roam the tunnels and may be encountered anywhere within. The two remaining giant bats get infested with
the growing crystals and become giant crystal bats (see Appendix D).
18 Magistrate's Tower. The tracks leading to the poachers' camp fade away and the poachers move on.
Griffon Ruins. The griffon baby (see Appendix D) starts to explore the ruins on foot. It may be encountered
19
anywhere within the ruins, already fiercely territorial and aggressive.
Forgotten Temple. The dark aura begins to stretch further until the remaining bodies in the crypt are put to rest
20
by a cleric or priest. When travelers near the entrance, 1d4+1 skeletons begin to rise from the ground.
Gnoll Hideout. The corruption of the dark gnolls begins to spread, leaving the grass and trees around the camp
blighted and dark. While fighting in the near vicinity, the gnolls have resistance to radiant damage.
21 Spider's Nest. The warlock named Daxor stumbles upon the spider's nest. Through the dark powers granted to
him, he establishes a connection with the spider queen and becomes a devout cultist (add 3. Daxor's Hideout
described below to the location).
Magistrate's Tower. A cleric arrives at the tower sent to investigate the rumors about a ghost. He is accidentally
killed by Ilona leaving her utterly terrified. Finally realizing her undead nature, she begins to slowly turn
22 becoming hostile within the next two days.
The withered corpse of the holy man can be found in the study hinting at the terrible story that unfolded in the
tower.
23 ­
24 ­
Gnoll Hideout. With the corruption spreading, the murk around the camp spread further. Until cleansed, the
25 area is filled with darkness akin to the deepest of nights and the radius of light sources like torches or lanterns
is reduced by half.
Spider's Nest. In Lestead, spiders are seen to leave the village and travel into the Stryhor Woods. They are
26
drawn towards the dark ritual and can be tracked to the edge of the Spider's Nest.
27 ­
28 ­
29 ­
Spider's Nest. Daxor finishes his dark ritual, summoning a green hag into the material plane resulting in a
magical light emanating in the night sky painting the clouds sickly green anywhere in the region for the next
30 day. From now on she stalks the Stryhor Woods, hunting travelers by fooling them into thinking she is a
helpless girl fleeing the spiders, begging to be escorted to safety.
As long as the hag lives any random encounter has a chance of 10% to be an encounter with the hag instead.

22

The following rules represent guidelines for making travel Additionally the dungeon master will roll one d6 and
through an adventuring region interesting and exciting as check whether this roll is smaller or equal to the discovery
well as providing a decent amount of danger. They are an rating of the region. If the party makes a discovery, they will
adoption of the rules provided by The Angry DM. notice something that will take approximately half a day to
explore.

Each region is designed with different characteristics in 
mind. These traits are encounters, navigation, resources At the end of each day one party member - usually the one
and discovery. with the highest score to navigate the given region - will
Encounter measures the overall risk for the adventurers make an appropriate navigation check depending on the
to travel through the given region on a scale from 1-5. A region to see if the party got lost during the day. If the
higher rating represents a more dangerous region with a character succeeds, one day of travel will be completed. If
higher chance for random encounters. she succeeds by 10 or more, one and a half days of travel
Navigation measures the difficulty to navigate through will be completed as she found a more suiting route for the
the region represented by a difficulty class (DC) on a scale party. If she fails the roll by 5 or more, no progress will be
of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25. Depending on the region itself, different made, otherwise the party only progresses half a day to
skills might be appropriate to navigate a region. Survival their destination.
(Wisdom) is an appropriate skill for wilderness travel or If the party made a discovery during the day, subtract half
Insight (Wisdom) for urban travel. Failing a navigation a day of progress from the progress made this day.
check does not mean you get lost and spend days of In addition to navigation, each member of the party will
precious adventuring time to find your way again. Instead, make an appropriate skill check to determine whether or
your progress per day will be limited leaving you with a not she could gather enough food for the day. If she
higher chance for random encounters and more resources succeeds the check by 10 or more, she could gather
spent along the way. enough food for an additional party member. Each party
Resources measures the availability of food and drink member that does not succeed on the check needs to strike
within a region represented by a difficulty class (DC) on a out one ration from their inventory or suffer one level of
scale of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25. Again depending on the region the exhaustion. If any one party member succeeds on the
skill appropriate to gather food and drink may vary. check, enough water will be gathered for the whole party
Discovery measures the chance for your party to make a during the day. If every character fails the resources check,
random discovery granting boons, experience points, loot water will be low and the waterskins empty, causing the
and a certain risk to prolong travel time but gain a reward. whole party to suffer one level of exhaustion. However, only
Discoveries are rated on a scale from 1-5 with a higher one level of exhaustion may be gained due to a failed
rating representing a higher chance for a random resources check. If the party brings any animal
discovery. companions, those creatures need to be fed by the party as
well. In this case, one party members makes her resources
 check with disadvantage. In case of a failure, the additional
rations will be drained from a willing party member.
At the start of an expedition or longer journey, the
adventurers choose a route to their goal. This can be very
specific or vague depending on the circumstances. Maybe
they have a map which enables them to journey from one
landmark to the next or they will just pick a direction in
which to go. Each location in a given region will have a
travel time in days associated with it which tells you how
long it will take to travel to this location from the nearest
safe haven. Slight adjustments may be made depending on
where exactly the destination is located and where the
adventurers begin their journey. Use your own judgment to
determine whether or not it takes a day longer to reach the
ancient temple from the standing stones but try to be
consistent.

The distance traveled will be measured in days. For each
day you roll two separate d6. One represents the possibility
of an encounter at daytime and the second at nighttime. If
the number on a dice is less or equal to the encounter trait
of the current region, an encounter might occur depending
on whether or not the party and the creatures notice each
other. For a nighttime encounter the dungeon master rolls
which member of the party currently takes watch assuming
for simplicity each member will take part in it.

23
 Copyright
All other original material in this work is

Credits
copyright [2018] by [Ingo Könemann] and
published under the Community Content
Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

This document was created using GM Binder.

The adventuring region has currently not
undergone extended periods of playtesting.
Please feel free to submit feedback regarding
balance issues, flavor critique or wording
mistakes to SnizzleLive.

Special Thanks
My thanks go to the various blogs I read on the
internet that inspire my work and help myself
and other creators come up with ideas and
content. I would like to send special thanks to
The Angry DM who unknowingly helped me
with the idea of creating a region meant for
interesting traveling and dungeoneering. Check
out his blog!

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This work contains material that is copyright
Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors.
Such material is used with permission under
the Community Content Agreement for
Dungeon Masters Guild.