Introduction

I’ve never thought of myself as creative until I stopped and looked at

what I have done. I cannot draw, sing, or dance, but what I can do is
create props, minis, stickers, and other technical things I never saw as art,
thus not creative. Once I redefined the word I was excited to try my
hands at a zine, thus Nuggets #1. After It was assembled I found what
needed to be improved, focus, word count, and art. Making the leap
(however small) into layout too the most time for me to adjust, but
looking back was easier than I thought it would be. By asking questions
and listening to advice I have come farther than I could have on my own.
If this zine proves anything it’s that you too can do whatever you want if
you try, ask, and do.

Acknowledgments
Made possible by patrons at www.patreon.com/jerry247

Thanks in general to the OSR Anchorites who have encouraged me in

making this. Special thanks to Aron Clark, Collin “Spikepit” Green,
Donald McCarthy, John Riccardi, Larry Hamilton, Logan Howard, Ray
Otus (who did the picture on page 6) and Rob C. who all read, gave
advice or made a nice comment.

Thanks to my gaming group, who test my weird ideas. Alex Gentile,

Alysia Middagh, Christopher Merrill, darshan Siegman, Jeff Diaz, Jordan
Lance, Landon Sepulveda, Lucielle Belle, Reverend Quinton T. McCain,
Tom Wiegienda, Tristan, and Will Flores.

And my wife, who encourages me to do the crazy things I do.

Sorry if I missed anyone.

 Table of Contents
Hexcrawling System .......................................................................................... 2
Hex Travel Table ......................................................................................... 2
Area 2 ................................................................................................................... 3
Encounter tables.......................................................................................... 3
Map of the area ............................................................................................... 4
General Description........................................................................................ 5
Rumors Table .............................................................................................. 5
14.12 - Keraptious’ Lair .................................................................................. 6
14.13 - Haunted Mine ..................................................................................... 7
15.11 - Stinging Winds Gulch ........................................................................ 8
15.12 - The Sword Maus’ Lair ....................................................................... 9
15.13 - Lake of the Ancients......................................................................... 10
16.12 - Garden of Monox ............................................................................. 11
16.13 - Grotto of the Lion ............................................................................. 12
Dungeon – Dragon’s Home ............................................................................ 13
Dungeon - Haunted Diamond Mine .............................................................. 14
Magic Items ....................................................................................................... 16
Ghost Rune .................................................................................................... 16
Mysterious Medic Periapt ........................................................................... 16
Covillian Ring of Casting ............................................................................ 17
Talia’s Ring of Casting ................................................................................. 18
Torch of Seeing.............................................................................................. 19
Vandrin’s Greatsword of the Dead ............................................................ 19
Credits ................................................................................................................ 21

Rich Fraser 1 Nuggets #2

 Hexcrawling System
Crossing or moving through a six
mile hex will be our standard of
movement. Using a movement
rate that assumes twenty-four
miles in eight hours breaks down
to three miles per hour, making a
flat, plains like hex two hours to
traverse. Going through a hex
with a different terrain will cause
travel to be slower, simulating a
varied path through the terrain.
Making a few quick divisions I
came up with Flat / Plains,
Heavy Forest, Swap / Hills, and
Mountain / Desert. Each step
increasing the time it takes to
move through the hex by twenty-
five percent.
Hex Travel Table
Hours per
Hex Terrain 24 Mile Hex
Flat/Pains 24
Heavy Forest 32
Swamp/Hills 48
Mountain/Desert 96
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Roads can make travel easier
through rough terrain, so they
will decrease the time by one
step. Horses, on the other hand
would make travel more difficult
without a road and increase the
travel time by one step. Searching
for something will take twice the
(unmodified by horses or roads)
time to search.
Now that I’ve come up with a
system, we can organize it into
something usable at the table.
Extrapolating that out to the sub-
hex system I use (24-6-1) we get
this table.
Hours per Hours per
6 Mile Hex 1 Mile Hex
6 1
8 1:20
12 2
24 3
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 Area 2
Encounter tables
d4+d6 Encounter
2 Spooked miners (2)
3 Explorers (d4+6)
4 Lizard Folk Warriors
(2d6)
5 Lizard Folk hunters
(d4+4)
6 Lizard Folk Families
(2d6)
7 Local Wildlife (3d6)
8 Bandits (2d6)
9 Treasure Hunters
(d6+4)
10 Dragon (1)
2. Spooked miners - two (of 12)
miners occupying the mine at
14.13. If asked about the mine, they
will mention the ghosts. They are
transporting 1000gp in gems to a
business partner.
3. Explorers - a group of people
from a neighboring area come to
find (1-3) the fey in the grotto, (4-5)
the ancient gem mine, or (6) meet
the miners for an exchange.
4. Lizardfolk Warriors - A group of
warriors with a 25% chance of a
shaman among them. Either
investigating something suspicious
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(that the players are involved in) or
making rounds.
5. Lizardfolk Hunters - Either they
will be traveling to a hunting spot,
lunching, or returning home. There
is a 60% chance of fishermen, and
returning hunters will have an
average haul (50%), great haul
(30%), or no haul (20%).
6. Lizardfolk Families - 80% are
adults, the rest are children. They
are wandering about (1-2) fetching
water, (3-4) gathering herbs, (5)
having family time, or (6) lost.
7. Local Wildlife - based on
number appearing. (3-4) bear, giant
spider, or mountain lion, (5-10)
boar, wolf, or giant badger, (11-18)
ravens, rats or centipedes.
8. Bandits - 30% chance of a leader
among them. If they outnumber the
party they may attack, otherwise
will parley as fellow adventures.
9. Treasure Hunters - They will
offer to buy supplies from the
characters. (1-2) light, (3-4)
bedding, (5-6) food, (7-8) tools.
10. Dragon - 80% chance will be
encountered flying. The dragon is
friendly and will parley as a neutral
party.
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 Map of the area

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 General Description
This rolling grassland area that looks out toward the mountains of the
north is inhabited by mostly small lizardfolk tribes roam the area. They
converge around the lake and ruined church in 15.13. There is a dragon
who lives in 14.12 who keeps watch on the explorers and adventurers that
roam through. There are many reason one might come to these hexes
detailed in the rumor table on the next page.

Rumors Table

d6 Rumor

1 A haunted mine lies in the hills (somewhat true).

2 An ancient tribe with great treasure were rumored to live in the clouds
and came down bearing gold to people in ancient times (false).

3 A fey living in Lion’s Grotto know the location of a great treasure (false).

4 The dragon here is looking for friends to entertain (true).

5 An evil gang has a hideout somewhere in the grasslands (true).

6 The church used to be a place of great, good power (true).

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 14.12 - Keraptious’ Lair
A rocky peak juts out of the
surrounding grasslands like a lone
jagged tooth, the last remains of a
long dead, giant beast. The area
around the tor is flat with low
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shrubs and makes the lair within
easily defendable.
Young bronze dragon, Keraptious,
lives on top of the tall peak jutting
out of the grassland. See Dragon’s
Home page 13. She can be
encountered flying around the
larger area. She guards a key to
an unknown lock as well as her
treasure horde. Her excursions
are generally to keep watch on
the local lizardfolk tribe.
There is a copse of trees in the
area that lizardfolk revere.
They tell a story of their
ancestors coming here to
challenge one another in tests
of skill and intelligence to settle
disputes. They now come to
play games of skill and chance;
sometimes for fun and
sometimes for the right to
sacrifice. This is a place sacred
to their people and they will
draw no blood here.
The competitions are with not
only the tribe, but with those
they capture and deem strong
enough to win. Those that enter
a challenge hope to be set free
as the lizardfolk say, but to the
lizardfolk to be set free means
something different.
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 14.13 - Haunted Mine
The rocky hills here have cracked,
opening up a passage to the deep
dark. Inside of this cave, a mining
operation has sprung up and is
kept hidden by a group of six
miners masquerading as ghosts.
Finding the mine requires
searching the hex. The mine goes
deep before disclosing its secrets, a
xorn lurks in the depths eating
silver from the vein here and
saving the diamonds for the
miners, if pressed they may defend
their mine with personal violence.
The ghosts leave footprints and a
tar smell after they are gone. The
footprints lead to what at first looks
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miners. There are two mages
involved in the mine who help with
illusions and communication with
the xorn.
The miners keep vigilant watch
over the entrance to the mine and
try to scare away any intruders
with costumes and minor illusions.
Before anyone goes too deep they
will attack with low level spells and
thrown
like a rock slide, but if investigated
closely, a passage can be found by
squeezing between the rocks.
See Haunted Diamond Mine page
14.
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 15.11 - Stinging Winds Gulch
A gulch is dividing the forest to the
North West and the hills here, all
that remains of a once fast moving
river. A creek flows through here
into a small pond. Switchback go
from the top to bottom in several
areas, making it easier to traverse
than it would appear.
The bottom of the gulch is used as
a fishing spot and can be seen easily
from the top on either side. Local
lizardfolk come to fish and a few
are always in an outcropping of
rock, hiding from onlookers and
watching for trouble. There is a
secret area locked away her at the
end of the gulch.
The river that used to cut through
the stone and flow underground,
all that remains of a great waterfall
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is a 200 foot trickle of water coming
from the creek. This cave can be
used to enter the deep dark
underground of the area.
Many curious explorers have
ventured forth, but most never
return. The ones that do speak of
great flying insects using the
hollow inside as a hive. The insects
will ignore those who venture into
the underground without
disturbing the hive.
Deep in the hive the contents of
many failed expeditions lie, one of
the unlucky’s bag contains a book
of magical knowledge. It’s contents
can be used as scrolls. It contains
one scroll each of friendship,
sending and sleep.
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 15.12 - The Sword Maus’ Lair
A small rock A cart is parked outside, covered
shelter with tarps colored to camouflage it
leads from onlookers. They use the cart
to a to transport goods and people in
cave hidden compartments. They are
dug into the very well armed, keep a secure
treasure vault containing their
spoils.

They have a cage with three

prisoners from a nearby
village. They have extracted
ground. It is information about a party at a
here where an manor not far to the north.
active bandit The plan is to impersonate
group, The Sword the prisoners and rob the
Maus, lairs. The place during the party
bandits are organized after everyone is
and crafty. Led by a inebriated.
rakshasa in disguise, the
bandits terrorize the
surrounding areas and
keep to themselves around
their home. They know of
the mine and let the
miners control it, finding
greater riches from the
explorers and small
dwellings farther away.

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 15.13 - Lake of the Ancients
A lake stands here with no
connected rivers. It is filled from a
combination of the rain and the
water table below. The hole was
created by an unknown ancient
impact. The center of the lake is a
small island with the ruins of a
small church. Under that island
dwells a fallen angel, on an ancient
mission to recruit warriors for the
celestial wars.
Her memory fades in and out, but
she is focused on the mission. The
lizardfolk bring her sacrifices each
full moon, the strongest they can
muster, from their own or from
those they capture. The angel cares
not race or species, only strength of
those surrendered.
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The creature is an ancient angel
who is recruiting bodies for war.
The angel thinks that fighting is the
key to beating back the legions of
fiends in the lower planes.
The local lizardfolk believe that the
angel will destroy the area if a
sacrifice is not made every full
moon. All investigation leads to the
angel's disguise (illusion) and
natural disasters connected to
sacrifices missed.
There is a book in the ruin below
that describes one of the first to see
the creature and the conversation
they had about the sacrifices.
The lizardfolk tribe has set up a
village around the shores of the
lake.
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 16.12 - Garden of Monox
The mists in this cloud forest hide taken away from him. This keeps
more than just the trees, Monox, an Monox aggressively attacking any
intelligent insect, keep its home who roam near his home.
and garden deep in this forest.
Recently, a false rumor has led
Finding the flower garden requires
many to come here seeking great
the party to search the hex.
treasure and finding only death.
Monox eats the nectar of the
Monox meets with a neighboring
flowers in his garden to keep his
fey on occasion who helps to tend
sentience. Monox fears that if the
the garden in exchange for some of
flowers are found and its
the leaves.
properties discovered they will be

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 16.13 - Grotto of the Lion
A grotto lies near
the center of this
hex over which
looms a rock that
looks like the bust
of a lion. Local
hunters have
targeted the water
fey, Lewin, who
lives here for his
knowledge of a
nearby treasure.
The fey knows not
of a great treasure
(unless Monox’s
garden counts),
but in fact is
hiding the burial
site of his former
lover.

To keep his lover’s

soul from falling
into the hands of
the unseelie he
must perform a
tea ritual every full moon. The Obtaining the items is simple,
ritual requires one each of blue although there is a forty percent
quartz, turquoise, and lapis lazuli chance that hunters have stolen his
gemstones, musk of a skunk, a rare gemstones. Lewin needs a lookout
egg from a bird that nests high in to protect him so he can perform
the trees of the cloud forest, and the ritual uninterrupted.
leaves from Monox’s plant.

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 Dungeon – Dragon’s Home
The entrance door will open only if
the password (dragon's home) is
uttered in draconic. The door is
immune to non-magical attacks
and has 100 hp. There is a fireball
glyph inscribed on the door that
will go off it the door is attacked.
A difficult hedge maze occupies the
lower level of this lair. The ceiling
is forty feet tall, the hedge walls are
thirty feet apart and have a two foot
gap at the ceiling. To navigate, pick
a direction and make a survival or
navigation roll, four successful
checks get the party out of the maze
and into one of the four sections
around the maze. The entrance is in
the south, to the west is an indoor
garden kept up by the fey minions,
to the north is the stairs to the
second level and to the east is the
barracks where the fey cook, eat,
and sleep. One encounter with
minions (pixies and sprites) for
each failed check. Each failure
removes one success. If navigating
the maze a second time, whether
exiting the lair or falling back into
it, rolls are made with advantage.
There are a total of sixty pixies and
sprites (thirty of each) in the lower
area. There are fifteen in the
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garden, twenty in the the barracks
and five groups of five on patrol in
the maze. If the players encounter
more than five groups in the maze,
replace any new encounters from
the barracks and then the garden.
After traversing the maze, the
second floor is littered with well-
hidden pit traps. The pit traps are
difficult to see and require four
successful search rolls or some
other means of detection (tapping
the floor, hands and knees, etc.). A
successful saving throw will allow
a character to catch onto the edge
before falling. The pit traps drop
the players forty feet to the maze
below.
The third level is a huge audience
chamber and where the dragon is
unless she is not home. The dragon
will offer congratulations to the
party for making it this far and ask
what their intentions are. If they
attack, the dragon will defend her
home until her hit points are
knocked down to twenty-five
percent, then she will fly out the
top, recuperate and hunt the
players down. There is a secret
door here that leads to her treasure
chamber.
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 Dungeon - Haunted Diamond Mine
The miners keep vigilant watch
over the entrance to the mine and
try to scare away any intruders
with costumes and minor illusions.
There are twelve miners in total,
two usually out selling gems, seven
at the mines, and three foraging in
the area around the mine. Three are
mages, all are dressed in dirty
clothes, have dirty hands and faces,
and squint in the sunlight.
The entrance is guarded by a ward
that casts an illusion of ghosts
moving around inside the cave and
going through walls. Before
anyone goes too deep they will
attack with low level spells and
thrown weapons, if pressed they
may defend their mine with
personal violence.
They leave footprints that lead past
the mine cart and into a rock slide
wall and the faint smell of tar
behind.
Their last line of defense is a mine
cart rigged with explosives if
ridden to the end of the line. The
mine cart turns to a side passage
and the explosives trap or injure
those inside.
The footprints lead to what at first
looks like a rock slide near the back
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of the mine, but if investigated
closely, a passage can be found by
squeezing between the rocks.
If the players squeeze through the
rock slide wall for twenty feet they
will emerge in a small room with
food, used candles, liquor, cards,
costumes, raw diamonds and lamp
oil that smells of tar when it burns;
investigation shows all these items
are recently used.
Upon leaving the small room and
returning to the main area, players
are attacked by three of the miners
(one of them a mage).
Pressing forward, beyond the
hidden room, leads to the real
mine. The tunnels carved here look
like they were scratched out by
claws. There is a room off of the
main passage that functions as a
sleeping area for the miners. There
are eight beds, seven look recently
used. Unless all the miner have
been defeated three miners (one of
them a mage) are here with their
two pet dogs.
The passage leads deeper into the
earth and opens into a chamber
with the glittering of ore. This ore is
worthless; fool’s gold, but may
have some interest to an illusionist,
14 Nuggets #2
boosting the duration of their spells
by half. There is enough to mine
out ten uses, each use taking an
hour and weighing one quarter of a
pound.
The next chamber is the location of
the crisscrossing silver and
diamond veins. The corn is here
with a mage. They will attack, but
may be convinced to surrender.
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With the miners defeated, the
players are free to take over the
mine, the xorn will negotiate for the
silver and save the gemstones for
the players. Hours or days later, the
remaining miners may return with
mercenaries and try to retake the
mine by first killing the xorn and
then the players.
15 Nuggets #2
 Magic Items
Ghost Rune
Wondrous item, uncommon

The ghost rune can be transferred to a non-magical suit of armor or

weapon. If attached to a weapon, the weapon can instead do cold or
necrotic damage. If a creature is immune to cold damage, it is reduced to
resistance for this attack; if it is resistant it is reduced to normal damage. If
the creature does not have a resistance or immunity to cold damage and
cold is chosen, critical hits do three times the normal effect.

Mysterious Medic Periapt

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by cleric)

Preparation lie not only with armor and weapons we carry, but what we
carry in our hearts. Today we not only prepare to fight, but also prepare to
heal in the name of our deity.” –Codym, combat cleric, servant of Asclepius

You always have cure wounds and healing word prepared, and they do
not count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.

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 Covillian Ring of Casting
Ring, rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)

When casting a spell with a level greater than one apply the following
effects depending on the damage type. Saving throws use the caster’s spell
save DC. Roll d12 + d2-1 or pick one.

1. Acid: splashes onto another target within 5’

2. Bludgeoning: strength saving throw or be knocked prone

3. Cold: con save or 0 movement

4. Fire: continues to burn, doing half damage next round unless target uses
its action to put out the fire

5. Force: advantage on next attack on tearget due to searing pain

6. Lightning: jumps to additional target within 10’

7. Necrotic: gain temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt, cannot be
greater than your current hit point total.

8. Piercing: bleed doing d4 damage for 3 rounds unless bandaged

9. Poison: constitution saving throw or lose next turn vomiting

10. Psychic: intelligence saving throw or gain a temporary madness

11. Radiant: wisdom saving throw or become blind for one round

12. Slashing: armor malfunction, disadvantage on attacks until next round

13. Thunder: constitution saving throw or deafened for one round

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 Talia’s Ring of Casting
Ring, very rare (requires attunement)

“One should be careful when wearing any item created by a wild mage,
chaotic magic can create chaotic items.” – From the notes of Vantax the mage,
missing since last month

While wearing this ring, you gain +1 to your Spell Save DC and Spell
Attack Modifier. Also, while casting any spell that does damage roll 3d6
and add or subtract the corresponding number of dice on the chart below.

Damage Dice Modifier Table

3d6 Result
3 -1
4 -2
5–6 -3
7 – 13 +0
14 – 15 +1
16 – 17 +2
18 +3

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 Torch of Seeing
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

“The torchbearer claimed he only needed one torch. The one he brought
cleared away the fog and burned the entire duration of our journey.” –
Tagart Greataxe, dwarven adventurer

As long as you possess the torch and it is lit, you can see through heavily
obscured areas as if they were lightly obscured. You can spend a hit die to
extend this benefit to another creature who stays within 120' of the torch.
This effect ends when you regain hit dice or the creature moves farther that
120' from the torch.

Vandrin’s Greatsword of the Dead

Weapon (greatsword), uncommon (requires attunement)

A famous lich changed his loyal ally into a special revenant, capable of
directing his vengeance on the enemies of his regent. This sword was
created for him, to smite the living where they stand. Woe to any who
possess it, for surely he will seek it out.

You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic
weapon. If the creature being attacked is a beast, giant, or humanoid the
bonus is +3.

Proficiency with a greatsword allows you to add your proficiency bonus

to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.
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 Credits
Cover image- Marc Radle

Page 6 image – Ray Otus

Cockatrice Nuggets logo by Carter Sepulveda

Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0

International Public License available at:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode

www.slackernerds.com

©2019 rich fraser productions