Overknight at the Inn

Just as Villages are often glossed over, so are the inns that adventurers often stay in during their travels.  Still, there are times when a little detail can be useful, both for the inn itself and for whatever other NPC's are staying the night there as well.

First, the name of the Inn in question.  Roll d4 twice to get started (if you roll a 4 on the first roll, use a d3 for the second roll instead) to see what type of words forms the name of the Inn.

1. Person
2. Object
3. Creature
4. Adjective

If there is an Adjective, it always comes first.  A Person will come first, unless there is also an Adjective.  A Creature will always come last.  If there is no Adjective, then there will be an '&' between the two names.  Add 'Inn' at the end of it, and there you go.

PERSON (roll d20)

1. Archer
2. Angel
3. Bandit
4. Baron
5. Count
6. Dancer
7. Duke
8. Friar
9. Hangman
10. Hunter
11. Hag
12. Imp
13. King
14. Knave
15. Knight
16. Nymph
17. Prince
18. Queen
19. Squire
20. Wench

OBJECT (roll d30)

1. Arrow
2. Banner
3. Barrel
4. Boot
5. Bridge
6. Brook
7. Bugle
8. Bush
9. Cart
10. Cask
11. Crown
12. Cup
13. Dagger
14. Fiddle
15. Flagon
16. Flask
17. Glass
18. Glove
19. Goblet
20. Helm
21. Horn
22. Quiver
23. Rose
24. Shield
25. Spear
26. Staff
27. Sword
28. Vine
29. Whistle
30. Willow

CREATURE (roll d6,d6)

1,1 Boar
1,2 Bear
1,3 Cow
1,4 Cock
1,5 Crow
1,6 Deer

2,1 Dragon
2,2 Duck
2,3 Eagle
2,4 Elk
2,5 Falcon
2,6 Fox

3,1 Fowl
3,2 Frog
3,3 Goat
3,4 Goose
3,5 Griffin
3,6 Hare

4,1 Hart
4,2 Harpy
4,3 Hawk
4,4 Hog
4,5 Horse
4,6 Hound

5,1 Kestrel
5,2 Owl
5,3 Pheasant
5,4 Pig
5,5 Rabbit
5,6 Ram

6,1 Sheep
6,2 Sparrow
6,3 Stag
6,4 Swan
6,5 Toad
6,6 Wolf

ADJECTIVE (roll d30)

1. Bald
2. Big
3. Bonny
4. Burly
5. Burning
6. Buxom
7. Crowing
8. Dancing
9. Dirty
10. Flying
11. Giddy
12. Happy
13. Howling
14. Jolly
15. Leaping
16. Little
17. Lone
18. Long
19. Lucky
20. Merry
21. Noble
22. Roaring
23. Royal
24. Singing
25. Sleeping
26. Ye Olde
27. (number)
28. (color)
29. (metal/jewel)
30. (roll twice on this table)

For Number, roll d8+1, giving a range of adjectives from Two to Nine (anything following should be plural, or course).  For either Color or Metal/Jewel, roll on the subtables below:

COLOR SUBTABLE (roll d8)

1. Black
2. Blue
3. Brown
4. Green
5. Grey
6. Red
7. Scarlet
8. White

METAL/JEWEL SUBTABLE (roll d8)

1. Brass
2. Bronze
3. Copper
4. Golden
5. Iron
6. Ivory
7. Jade
8. Silver

As for the inn itself, if it is situated in a village, it will have 2d4+2 rooms that it rents out, in addition to the common room.  If it has 8+ rooms, there is a 1-in-6 chance the building has two stories, otherwise it is an one-story structure.  If in a town or city, the inn will have 3d6+2 rooms for rent (plus common room); assume any such structure with 11+ rooms is automatically a two-story building  Most rooms can hold two human-sized travelers for the night with minimum fuss.  There is a 2-in-6 chance of there being a stable nearby for the horses (or really poor travelers).  There will be 1-2 primary owners (if two, even odds of it being a married couple), with a number of servers and other help equal to 1d3 + (number of rooms for rent/5, +1 if there is also a stable), most of them probably related to the owner(s). There is a 1-in-20 chance of the Innkeeper(s) being Eeeeeeevil (i.e. spy for foreign power, dangerous cultist, or just killing travelers via secret doors into the rooms so they can steal their gold and make meat pies from their bodies). 

Of course, there's no guarantee that there are going to be enough rooms for all of the PC's to sleep in.  That depends, after all, on what other travelers are staying overnight there.  Roll three times on the Common Travelers table below if in a village, four times if in a town or city; roll an extra time if there is a fair or religious festival going on in the area at the time.

COMMON TRAVELERS (roll d8)

1. 2d3 common craftsmen (i.e. potters, masons, etc) traveling between towns, probably staying in the common room.
2. 2d4 criminals - could be local members of the thieves' guild, bandits, slavers, etc.  Might be staying in the common room, or might be renting rooms (two per room).  Probably won't attack while in the inn, but may ambush the PC's if they don't look strong enough.  Most will be 1st level, but the leader will be 1d4+1 level.
3. 2d4 fighters, possibly either traveling guardsmen, or mercenaries for hire.  Even odds whether they are renting rooms or sleeping in the common room.  1st level, with a leader 1d4+1 level.
4. 1d3 locals, probably sleeping in the common room because they don't want to go home this particular night.  If more than one, they might be getting together for some secret meeting (conspirators, sexual tryst, etc.), in which case they will have rented a room.
5. 1d2 merchants, renting rooms (possibly a room each).  Will have 2d3 1st level fighters as guards with them, who may or may not be sleeping in the common room, and 1d3-1 apprentices, who will definately be sleeping in the common room.
6. 1 lesser member of nobility, who will (of course) have a room to themselves.  They will have 1d3 guards (1d4 level fighters) and 1d2 servants with them, who will also be sleeping two to a room.
7. 2d4 pilgrims, all sleeping in the common room.  There is a 1-in-10 chance that one of the pilgrims is actually an adventurer or former adventurer (roll as per Uncommon Traveler, below).  There is a 1-in-6 chance there is a Cleric with them (1d6 level), probably renting a room for themselves.
8. roll on the Uncommon Travelers table below

UNCOMMON TRAVELERS (roll d12)

(assume that there is only one of each, unless otherwise mentioned, 2d4 level, and will definitely have a room to themselves, 3-in-10 chance is actually a demi-human)

1. Assassin
2. Barbarian
3. Bard
4. Cleric (even odds 1d6 acolytes are with them, either two to a room or sleeping in the common room, 1-in-20 chance is a Druid instead)
5. Fighter
6. Knight (4-in-6 chance has a 1st level squire with them, in their own room)
7. Magician (1-in-10 chance is an Illusionist instead)
8. Paladin
9. Ranger
10. Thief
11. Adventurers (2d3+1 in number, 2d3 level each, reroll d10 on this table to determine class for each)
12. roll on the Special Travelers table below

SPECIAL TRAVELERS (roll d6)

(all except the last option will, of course, be shapeshifted to appear human (or at least humanoid), all will be alone unless noted, and all will have rooms to themselves except where noted)

1. Demon (probably a Succubus)
2. Doppleganger
3. Dragon (either Silver or Gold)
4. Rakshasa
5. Lycanthropes (either 1d3 werewolves or 1d4 wererats, either sharing rooms or sleeping in the common room)
6. Ghost (not actually renting a room, of course... the inn is haunted!)

Monster Monday: Broo

Something I'm going to try every now and then, posting C&C stats for various monsters, either adapted from various games or media, or original creatures.

Broo

No. Enc.: 2-6, 6-36
Size: Variable, usually Medium
HD: 2 (d8) + 2 HP (but see below)
Move: 30 ft (but see below)
AC: 13 (see below)
Attacks: Weapon (usually 1d6) or Head Butt (1d4)
Special: Chaos Features, Disease, Mixed Heritage, Poison Immunity, Track
Saves: P
INT: Average
Align: Chaotic Evil
Type: Humanoid
TR: 2
XP: 25 + 2 per HP (+5 per beneficial chaos ability)

Broo are chaos-spawned humanoid creatures that usually look somewhat similar to humans or other humanoid creatures, but with a goat-like head (or occasionally some other horned creature, such as deer or antelope).  They are vile creatures, given to depraved practices, and even other evil humanoids will usually shun them, in large part because they are also virulent disease spreaders.  They worship gods of chaos and disease.  9 in 10 broo are male, and they kidnap other humanoids and animals to mate with.  They are most common in wastelands, wilderness, swamps, and mountain areas, and will usually make their home in either caves or ruins.

Their skin is naturally tough (AC 13), but they often wear scavenged leather and/or piecemeal armor (AC 14), and about half of them will have shields, as well (AC 15).  Of those not carrying shields, 1 in 6 will have some sort of missile weapon.  They will carry a variety of weapons, with spears being common.  When a smaller group/patrol (2d3 in number) of broo is encountered, if there are 5+ in the group there will also be a sub-leader (3HD+3) present. There is also a chance (roll d8 equal to or less than the number present) that there will be a shaman with them (treat as 2nd level cleric).  In a broo nest, there will be 6d6 'normal' broo, along with 1d3+1 sub-leaders and a 4HD+4 chieftain (who will be +1 to hit and damage in melee combat due to higher STR), as well as 1d4+1 shamans, one of which can cast and fight as a 3rd level cleric.  There will also be 1d10 slaves and/or breeding creatures held captive, as well.

In areas where broo are not uncommon, farmers will shun having goats as livestock.

Combat: Broo are raiders, stealing both wealth and captives, the latter for their degraded rites as well as to impregnate to create new broo.  They enjoy the fact that their attacks will also spread disease among their victims.  They usually do not fight to the end (unless defending their nest), and will usually flee after losing half their number during a given combat.

Chaos Feature: Any given broo will have a 2-in-6 chance of having some unusual chaos feature (sub-leaders, chieftains, and shamans have a 3-in-6 chance).  Roll a d30 on the table below for each individual broo:

1 - Has two heads, gets two saving throws verses any magical effects that are mental in nature (i.e. charm, illusions, etc.), and only half normal chance of surprise
2 - Has only one eye (like a cyclops), -2 to any missile attacks
3 - Four arms, gets to make two melee attacks per round
4 - 1d3+1 tentacles instead of arms, can weild weapons or attack for 1d4 damage, gives extended melee range for attacks
5 - +1d4 to all magical saving throws
6 - +1d3 modifier to STR, probably has a larger (1d8) melee weapon
7 - +1d3 modifier to DEX, will also carry missile weapons
8 - +1d3 modifier to CON, +1 HP per HD
9 - Spits acid, 1d8 damage 1d3 times per day, 15 feet range, DEX save to avoid, armor and gear will be damaged if not quickly removed
10 - Regenerates 1 HP per round until dead
11 - +1d4 to natural AC
12 - +10" to move
13 - Immune to magical scrying/detection
14 - Electrical touch, 1d6 damage 1d3 times per day, can be conducted through metal weapons
15 - Claws, 1d4 damage, can also secrete type III poison 1d3 times per day
16 - Can cast spells as per a 1st level Wizard
17 - Wisdom Drain, as per Lamia abilty, 1d6 times per day
18 - Prehensile tail that can fire 1d3 spikes per round, doing 1d6 damage per spike, as per the Manticore ability, maximum 2d6 spikes per day, 40 ft range
19 - Innate sense of direction, as per the Minotaur Natural Cunning ability
20 - Rust metal items 1d3 times per day, as per a Rust Monster
21 - Immune to all fire-based attacks
22 - Create vile stench that nauseates non-broo, 1d4 times per day, as per the Troglodyte ability
23 - Can adhere to and climb any wall or surface, like a spider
24 - Can detect magic, 30' range, automatically
25 - Create silence, 15' radius around self, 1d3 times per day
26 - Upon death, explodes in 3d6 fireball, 10' range, DEX save for half damage
27 - Can become invisible for 1d4 rounds, 1d3 times per day
28 - Read thoughts, 50' range, last 1d10 minutes, 1d3 times per day
29 - Speaks and understands all languages
30 - Chaos loves you, roll twice on this chart

Disease: Broo are not only completely immune to disease, but are virulent transmitters of disease, as well.  Any successful attack by a broo has a 3-in-6 chance of forcing a CON save vs disease.  Failing this save reduces the victim's movement range by 1/2, inflicts a -2 penalty to attacks, AC, and saving throws, and does 1d6 damage (that will not heal from non-magical means until the disease has run its course).  Each week after the initial infection, another CON save is required; failure means another 1d6 damage, and the penalties to movement and other actions still applies for yet another week, after which the victim must save again.  Once a saving throw is made, damage suffered will start to heal normally, and penalties will end after 1d3 days.

Mixed Heritage: Broo are a race of mongrels, and their individual heritage can vary wildly. Roll 1d100 for each individual broo on the table below:

01-04 antelope (move 40', head butt 1d6)
05-08 bugbear (darkvision 30')
09-12 cattle (+1d3 STR modifier, +1 HD)
13-14 centaur (darkvision 30', move 50', 2 hoof attacks 1d6 damage, +2 to track)
15-18 deer (move 40')
19-22 dog (d6 HD, +4 to track)
23      dryad (charm person once per day)
24-31 dwarf (deepvision 60', +2 save vs arcane magic, +1 save vs fear, move 20')
32-39 elf (+1 to hearing checks, twilight vision, +1 move silently, +5 save vs sleep/charm)
40-44 gnoll (darkvision 30')
45-47 gnome (darkvision 30', +2 to hearing checks, move 20')
48-54 goblin (d6 HD, darkvision 30', move 20')
55-63 halfling (d6 HD, duskvision, move 20', +1 to hide and move silently)
64-68 hobgoblin (darkvision 30')
69-72 horse (move 40', kick atack for 1d4 damage)
73-83 human
84-88 kobold (d6 HD, darkvision 30')
89-90 ogre (+1d3 STR modifier, +1 HD, darkvision 30')
91-96 orc (darkvision 30', detect smell withing 30', +1 to track)
97-00 sheep

Poison Immunity:  Broo are immune to all non-magical poisons.

Track: Broo are excellent trackers, and can do so as per the Ranger ability.

Source: Runequest (original Chaosium version, Mongoose version), Hero Wars 

Random Village Generation

Most faux-medieval fantasy worlds are littered with various settlements too small, and too numerous, to be worth detailing too much in advance.  Most fantasy maps won't bother showing anything smaller than the various towns and cities of a given country, unless the map scale is fairly small.  Usually this isn't an issue, and most overland travel by adventurers will gloss over passing through such smaller areas, but it can occasionally be useful to give a little detail to such areas.  If the GM/DM doesn't have anything prepared, a few random rolls can flesh out a few needed details, giving the name and size of the village, as well as notes on what businesses and areas of possible interest might be around (specifically, what would be of interest to the PC's, because 99.99% of the time they're not going to give a rat's ass about how many bootmakers or coppersmiths reside in the area).

(note: for these purposes, a village is any settlement of 1,000 or less)

VILLAGE NAME PREFIX (roll d8,d10)

1,1 Aber
1,2 Ach
1,3 Adder
1,4 Ald
1,5 Amber
1,6 Apple
1,7 Arrow
1,8 Ash
1,9 Auch
1,0 Bal

2,1 Barrow
2,2 Bear
2,3 Bell
2,4 Berry
2,5 Birch
2,6 Black
2,7 Bow
2,8 Brown
2,9 Brad
2,0 Buck

3,1 Bull
3,2 Bur
3,3 Caer
3,4 Carn
3,5 Corn
3,6 Crow
3,7 Cul
3,8 Darth
3,9 Deer
3,0 Drum

4,1 Duck
4,2 Dun
4,3 Elm
4,4 Ever
4,5 Fair
4,6 Fox
4,7 Free
4,8 Goat
4,9 Green
4,0 Grey

5,1 Hast
5,2 High
5,3 Hog
5,4 Hook
5,5 Horn
5,6 Key
5,7 Kings
5,8 Lang
5,9 Long
5,0 Maple

6,1 Marble
6,2 Mid
6,3 Mor
6,4 Nor
6,5 Oak
6,6 Ox
6,7 Pad
6,8 Pax
6,9 Pen
6,0 Pine

7,1 Queens
7,2 Ram
7,3 Red
7,4 Rest
7,5 Rose
7,6 Salt
7,7 Small
7,8 Smoke
7,9 Stock
7,0 Sun

8,1 Swan
8,2 Twin
8,3 Way
8,4 Well
8,5 White
8,6 Wolf
8,7 Wood
8,8 York
8,9 (directional prefix)
8,0 (geographic prefix)

Directional prefixes (north/south/east/west) are usually determined by the village's relationship to the center of the nation as it existed when the village was first founded (the borders may have since changed, of course).  Or you could just roll a d4 to randomly pick one.

Geographical prefixes are names such as Cliff, Glen, Hill, Lake, Mount, Sand, and Sea, dependent on the local terrain.

VILLAGE NAME SUFFIX (roll d6,d10)

1,1 axe
1,2 bole
1,3 bury
1,4 combe
1,5 coor
1,6 court
1,7 cott
1,8 dale
1,9 dell
1,0 edge

2,1 firth
2,2 green
2,3 hall
2,4 ham
2,5 heath
2,6 hart
2,7 hold
2,8 holm
2,9 hook
2,0 hurst

3,1 ing
3,2 land
3,3 leaf
3,4 lund
3,5 ly
3,6 mead
3,7 mont
3,8 mouth
3,9 nock
3,0 pool

4,1 rach
4,2 rook
4,3 root
4,4 scar
4,5 shaw
4,6 shield
4,7 shire
4,8 side
4,9 stead
4,0 thorn

5,1 thorpe
5,2 ton
5,3 vale
5,4 view
5,5 ville
5,6 way
5,7 well
5,8 wich
5,9 wick
5,0 worth

6, x (geographic suffix)

Geographical suffixes can include the following - bank, bridge, brook, bush, creek, field, ford, glen, hill, knoll, lake, moor, pass, port, ridge, shore, tree, valley, wood

Not all prefix/suffix combinations will work, and those that obviously don't should be re-rolled.  Some can work with a little tweaking (Restcourt might sound better as Restencourt, for example), and a few might work better as two names instead of one (Bull's Green instead of Bullgreen).

VILLAGE SIZE GENERATOR (2d4)

2-    Tiny
3     Small
4     Medium
5-6  Large
7+   Very Large

-1 to the roll if the area has only been settled in the last century or so, +1 to the roll if the land has been settled for several centuries without any major calamities, such as plagues or apocalyptic wars.

Tiny villages will number a hundred or less in terms of populace (3d6x5 + 1d10 works fine for my purposes), and will have little of interest to them.  Most villages will have about one building per 6 people or so.

Small villages range from 101-300 people.  They will have a temple (or a sacred grove, if druidic/nature worship is more common in the area), and a 3-in-6 chance of having a tavern, as well.  There will be 1-2 low-level men-at-arms types who might be available for hire as mercenaries or henchmen.

Medium villages range from 301-600 people.  They will have both a temple and a tavern, as well as a 2-in-6 chance (each) for the sort of craftsman that a PC might want to hire to help fix their damaged non-magical gear (i.e. blacksmith, leathermaker, bowyer/fletcher, etc.). There will be 1-3 men-at-arms types available for potential hire.

Large villages will number around 601-800 people.  There will be 1-2 temples, and 1-2 taverns.  There is a 3-in-6 chance each of the aforementioned craftsmen, as well as a 1-in-6 chance of there being an inn.  There will be 1-4 men-at-arms types available for potential hire.

Very Large villages will top out at around 801-1000 people.  They will have 1-2 temples, 2 taverns, a 4-in-6 chance each of the aforementioned craftsmen, and a 3-in-6 chance of there being an inn.  There is also a 1-in-6 chance of there being a small brothel on the edge of the village, as well as a 1-in-6 chance of there being a low-level arcane spellcaster in the area who serves as the local hedge wizard/wise woman/village witch/etc. 1-6 men-at-arms types will be available for potential hire.

1-in-20 villages will be Eeeeeeevil, probably in service of some sinister cult.  If not, 1-in-12 villages will still have some sort of secret that they wish to keep from the outside world, such as worshiping some forbidden/outlawed deity, or engaging in some sort of social practices so far from the norm that even jaded adventurers might be shocked by them.

Photodump Friday 3/1

Twenty questions

A continuation from here, twenty questions (and answers), the format ripped off from Jeff's Gameblog, with information about the nation of Gheron, specific to the city of Blacksand (where the PC's currently are) and Amaltha (the nation's capital).

1. What is the deal with my cleric's religion?

The worship of Sarus is one of the few things that can be said to unify Gheron with its immediate neighbors.  Sarus is a demi-god who ascended to divinity several hundred years ago after stealing the hidden sources of power from each of the Elder Gods (who were worshiped during the early days of the Kahmish Empire - their faiths are now publicly outlawed) and then defeating them in combat.  Her priests say that she was a mortal reincarnation of the original creation goddess Aru.

There are also the Druids, who are said to channel the last remnants of Aru's essence, as well as call upon various animal and elemental spirits.  The Druidic faith is relatively strong in Gheron, but far less so in the other neighboring nations.

2. Where can we go to buy standard equipment?

In Blacksand, you want to go to Jillith's Tradery, at the Marketplace.  Pretty much anything that isn't armor, weaponry, or transport, you can probably get from her (and if she doesn't have it, you'll need to hunt down a specialist craftsman, most likely).  She also buys used gear - some say she will also buy and fence stolen materials, but then, some people will say anything, won't they?

3. Where can we go to get platemail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended?

The best armorer in the land would be the dwarf Korrin in Amaltha, but he works primarily for King Thomas, so good luck being able to get him to work for you.  In Blacksand, the city's best armorer would be  Robert the Redbeard, but he is said to be rather particular about who he works for.  The city's second-best armorer, the half-orc Larst, is said to be much less choosy about such matters.

4. Who is the mightiest wizard in the land?

Without a doubt, that would be Brisen, confidante and adviser to King Thomas. In Blacksand, Thomas' younger sister Princess Yasmin is said to be the greatest magician of that city.  If you want to actually hire a wizard's services while in Blacksand, the man known as Morgath is probably your best bet.

5. Who is the greatest warrior in the land?

Most will say that King Thomas, no chessboard ruler, is the mightiest warrior of the realm... he did essentially unify what us now Gheron through the armies he led in battle.  Only one of his knights, Sir Logan, was said to be a greater swordsman, but Logan was killed by the King after the knight was revealed to be having an affair with Thomas's second wife, Katherine.

6. Who is the richest person in the land?

Besides the King, you mean?  Marguerite of House Starling controls the largest mercantile operation in all of Amaltha, and indeed in all of Gheron.  However, in Blacksand it is House Frehald, led by Davros Frehald, that controls the largest slice of the city's economic pie.

7. Where can we go to get some magical healing?

Why, the temple(s) of Sarus, of course!  You do attend regular services, yes?  You have been making regular donations, one hopes?  Ahh... well, you can make a suitable donation to the temple's coffers, hopefully?

The Druids will also heal those who participate in their rites, of course.  They might heal outsiders, but gold is less likely to sway them - rather , certain 'favors' (to be determined by the Druids) would be required... either at time of payment, or as a marker to be called at a later time when the Druids deem it necessary.

8. Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?

All but the smallest of towns will usually have a cleric of Sarus who can cure disease (including lycanthropy, but only within the first 28 days of infection) and remove curses. Larger towns will have clerics who are also capable of neutralizing poison or restoring lost levels due to level drain.  Only in the cities of Amaltha and Blacksand are there clerics who can reverse involuntary alignment change or raise the dead.  In Blacksand, Sister Pegmull is the one you would try to reach for the greatest of healing magics.  In Amaltha, Sister Flybold is the one you want.

Most major Druidic circles will have someone who can negate poison and cure disease (including lycanthropy, as above).  Only the greatest of Druids can negate an involuntary alignment change, or reincarnate your dead body into another form.

The greatest of clerics and druids can also probably reverse you having been polymorphed, but a wizard of equivalent skill could also pull of such a feat, as well.

9. Is there a magic guild my MU belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?

No such order exists within Gheron, where arcane spellcasters are somewhat rare.  They have to find any new spells on their own, although sometimes wizards will trade spells with each other if they feel that they can trust the other party (and vice versa).  Some young apprentice wizards will try to stick with a master for as long as possible so they can have access to their master's spell library.

10. Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC?

In Blacksand, both Varlass the alchemist and Keorwyn the half-elven sage have residences that straddle between the Marketplace and the upper-class residential area.  Other such experts? You'll need to ask around, probably spending some coin in the process.

11. Where can I hire mercenaries?

Certain seedy taverns, such as the Saucy Sphinx in Blacksand, might be a good place to start. If you've got lots of money, you might be able to purchase some of the gladiator-slaves from the arena area.  And finally, while the city's leaders wouldn't appreciate you poaching in their domain, if you buy some of the guardsmen from the local barracks a few drinks, they might tell you who would be will to go the sell-sword route.

12. Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from Johnny Law?

Weaponry being restricted is more a matter of certain specific buildings within a city or town (no bearing arms in the temple or within the royal palace, obviously), or by individual social status (serfs won't be allowed to own a sword, but rather expected to use more common weaponry if needed, such as spears), than overall geographical limitations thereof. As for magic, it isn't outlawed, and the cities are more open about that sort of thing... but arcane magic isn't exactly popular either, so many people will be quick to assume the worst about a traveling wizard staying overnight in their village or town.

13. Which way to the nearest tavern?

Point a finger in a random direction, and start walking, you shouldn't have to go very far.  In Blacksand, the Saucy Sphinx is favored by adventurers and other low-lifes, the sort of dive where you can drink yourself into enough of a stupor that the idea of risking death and dismemberment in hopes of acquiring gold and glory sounds entirely reasonable.  In a better part of town you can find the Silver Sylph, where by comparison to the Saucy Sphinx the risk of getting your throat slit in an evening bar brawl is significantly lower.  If you need a place to sleep overnight, the Green Dragon Inn* just off of Marketplace isn't a bad bet  (only half the chance of getting bedbugs while you sleep, compared to other similarly priced inns... such a deal!).

14. What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?

Well, there's that Red Dragon that is said to live in the Deadwood.  Then there are the giants of the Ikol hills, who occasionally make raids into the nearby villages.  Oh, and there's also that Night Hag who is said to ride from village to village on a Nightmare steed.  Hey, good luck with any of those, okay?

15. Are there any wars brewing I could go fight?

No actual wars at the moment - the last proper war was with the nation of Theros, about 15 years ago - there's been an uneasy peace ever since.  That said, there is an uptick in monstrous activity stemming from the borderlands to the West, and military garrisons along the borderlands are trying to recruit extra men-at-arms to help keep Gheron's borders safe.

16. How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes?

Slavery is still legal in Gheron (as well as Gheron's nearby neighbors), a carryover from the days of the Kahmish Empire, so both the cities of Amaltha and Blacksand have gladiator arenas where slaves are forced to fight - free men may also volunteer to join these contests, in the hopes of winning gold and glory.  The various towns don't have arenas proper, but they will usually have walled and/or pit areas where such fighting can occur.

17. Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?

If you knew about them, they wouldn't be very secret, now would they?  That said, there are rumblings of discontent against the King and his rule, and there may well be an organized faction (or factions) plotting against him.

18. What is there to eat around here?

Lots of fish and other seafood along the coastline and waterways, of course.  When the non-wealthy eat any other meat, it's usually either pork or chicken.  Eggs and cheese are fairly common, as are potatoes, onions and carrots.  The porridge and gruel common to the lower classes are usually derived from barley, oats and rye, and bread tends to be of the dark (rye) variety.   Stews and potages are fairly common, especially in the colder months.  Wine is rare and has to be imported, but beers, ales, and ciders are all quite common.

19. Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for?

There's a huge dungeon said to exist at the southeastern foot of the Kron Hills, a few miles east of the town of Oakhill, that is said to contain all sorts of fabulous treasures.  Also, in the forests of the western borderlands are said to be lost cities that were one part of the Kahmish Empire, now abandoned... what treasures and wonders might they still contain?

20. Where is the nearest dragon or other monster with Type H treasure?

Besides the aforementioned Red Dragon that is said to live in the Deadwood, there's also a Green Dragon - supposedly the same one that killed King Thomas's first wife, the half-elf Salanthala, along with their son - that still supposedly resides in the Buckwood near Amaltha.  It's also rumored that there is a Black Dragon residing somewhere in the marshes just south of the Grandwood.  If dragons aren't your thing, there is said to be a Guardian Naga at the lowest levels of the aforementioned dungeon near the Kron Hills.



*all fantasy universes have a Green Dragon inn or tavern - it's actually part of a multiversal chain

Music Monday: "Gimme Shelter"

In the eternal debate of Stones vs Beatles, I have to give the nod to the Rolling Stones, simply because there is something about their music that seems to inspire other artists to make some truly excellent covers of their tunes.  As an example, here is rock/blues/gospel singer Ashley Cleveland giving us a smokin' cover of "Gimme Shelter".

Gheron

(not dead, just lazy)

Here's some background for the setting of my C&C campaign, should I ever get the chance to run it again...

Gheron is a fairly small country - at about 7,855 sq. miles, it is somewhere between Connecticut and New Jersey in terms of overall land mass.  It is a land of mild summers and harsh winters.  The terrain is varied -  there are no mountains, but there are several rolling hills, as well as several lakes and multiple interconnecting rivers.  There are also several scattered forests, as well as the occasional marsh or moor, and there are several stretches of area that can best be described as shrubland.  For all that, about roughly 55% of Gheron is arable farmland, a far higher percentage than any of its immediate neighbors (most 'clear' hexes will have a village in it, somewhere between 100 and 1,000 people, usually averaging around 600 or so - 1 in 12 such hexes will instead have a thorp, with somewhere between 20 and 100 residents).  Gheron has two cities - the capital city of Amaltha, and the port city Blacksand (also occasionally referred to as Highport, an older name for the coastal city) - as well as ten towns of varying size.  Its overall population is somewhere around 778,000.

(click to enlarge, of course - larger red hexes = 12 miles, smaller black hexes = 2 miles)

Along with its neighbors, it was once part of the Northeastern Marches of the Great Empire of Kahm.  The Kahmish empire lasted for a little over six centuries, but eventually disintegrated under a combination of plague and internal dissent.  The plague destroyed most of what could be called civilization, with only a few city-states here and there keeping the proverbial torch lit against the darkness for the better part of a century.  A holdover of the Empire's legacy is that Gheron, like all the other current nations that are descended from what was once the Empire's domain, still speak the Kahman Tongue.*

About 40 years ago, one of the many petty barons in the area, Thomas of Amaltha, began expanding his realm, consolidating the other nearby lands under his expansionistic rule.  He unified what is now called the nation of Gheron, only being stopped by the borderlands to the west, and the also-expanding nations of Theros to the Northeast and Arradonia to the Southeast.  These days, some quietly refer to King Thomas as "the Cursed"; he has had four wives during his rule, but all are now dead, and he has no living heirs.  His younger sister, Princess Yasmin, in next in line for the throne. 

That vast majority of the population of Gheron is human.  About 3% of the overall populace is halfling - more so in the villages, somewhat less so in the towns and cities, although the town of Lillton is notable for actually having a majority population of halflings.  The various other demi-humans (dwarves, elves, gnomes, half-elves and half-orcs) combined consist of about half of one percent of the nation's populace.

The worship of Sarus is the main faith within the land of Gheron (as well as the other nearby nations).  In more rural areas, the Druidic faith is fairly strong (in the early days of consolidating power, Thomas made an alliance with the Druids to help strengthen his power base).  Because of the political power the Druids have, Gheron is not able to fully utilize the forests within its lands, a sore point for some of Gheron's nobility and military personnel.  Relations between the priests of Sarus and the Druids are cordial enough, if somewhat cool and distant. 

Recently, there has been an increase in monstrous activity coming from the borderlands.  As a result, the King has recently raised taxes throughout the land, in hopes of increasing the military presence along the borderlands.  As one might expect, this has not went over well with all of Gheron's citizens.

(same map, minus the smaller hex lines - makes it easier to make out the various rivers)

To the Southeast, Arradonia is about twice as large as Gheron, but due to less overall arable land, has only about half-again the population.  There are huge forests within Arradonia's borders, and unlike Gheron the Druids have little political sway here, so the rulers of Arradonia can utilize those forests more effectively - among other things, Arradonia has the largest and finest navy in the area.  South of Arradonia the land mainly consists of hard plains and deserts, and the various horse nomad tribes that dwell in said lands occasionally raid into Arradonia's nearby villages and towns.

Northeast of Gheron is Theros, a mountainous land that is about three times as large as Gheron, but due to a dearth of arable land, its population is about halfway inbetween that of Gheron and Arradonia.  The mountains of Theros host a wealth of various precious metals, such as silver and gold, as well as no small amount of iron ores.  As a result, the armies of Theros are very, very well armed - even the lowly commoner footsoldier will often wear metal armor as they march into battle.  To the frigid north of Theros' borders, Viking-style barbarians live, occasionally raiding into the nearby settlements, despite the martial prowess of Theros' citizens.

Gheron has pacts with both Arradonia and Theros.  Both of the neighboring countries would love to conquer Gheron and claim the rich farmlands found within, but both nations also know that any invasion on their part would trigger a response of war from Gheron's other neighbor-country.  The last actual war in the area ended 15 years ago, the forces of Gheron and Theros clashing to a relative standstill.  There has been an uneasy peace ever since.

About a hundred or so miles East of Gheron (not shown on the map) is the island nation of Shalza, which is about 2/3 the overall size of Gheron, and has about 1/3 of the latter's population.  Shalza is heavily dependent on trade with its nearby neighbors, which is aided by the wealth of valuable gems that can be mined on the island.  As with Gheron, both Arradonia and Theros would love to conquer and claim the island nation as their own, both for its wealth and its strategic value due to its location.   Like Gheron, Shalza has pacts drawn up with the two larger nations, designed to keep them both at bay.



*yes, I'm shameless