Ord Rakkir

>

Digger's Mountains of Madness campaign is set in Ord Rakkir

Ord Rakkir is a troubled world and is in dire need of heroes to stem the tide of evil and free the oppressed treasures of half-dragon overlords and vile necromancers.

Gorthal

Capitol: Gorthal

Population: 20,000 humans, 15,000 half-ogres, 70,000 slaves of various races, 500 tieflings

Government: Magocracy

Religions: Asmodeus, Alseta, Ptah

Export: Slaves, mainly ogres and gladiators, olive oil, several types of wine, and masterwork spiked half-plate.

Import: Luxury goods (furs, precious metals, incense, gems, spices), cloth and foodstuffs not produced locally.

Alignment: Lawful Evil, Lawful Neutral, Neutral

Language(s): Infernal, Common, Giant

Heroes From Here Are: Multi-classed Wizards

Favored Weapons: Armored Fist and Iron Shod Boot

Armor: Spiked Half-Plate

Cultural Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) is always a class skill

Cultural Feats: Exotic Weapon Pro or Sword Fighter (if you can Flurry)

Additional Gear: One free weapon of choice and brooch with a symbol from one of the five colleges on it (worth 1gp).

A half-ogre and human city-state ruled by a council of 10 wizards from each of its five colleges. The city-state is divided into five quarters each run by one of the colleges, and the human population is a mixed bag with no common features, only dress and manner distinguish slave from master. The economy is based on slavery and slave-markets, wizards accompany half-ogre soldiers on slave raids on land and sea. Most slaves work in the college owned salt and iron mines as well as the large estates of council members tending goats, cattle and wheat fields, olive groves, and fruit orchards. Gladiatorial games are very popular here and the cities arena is the largest structure in Gorthal, each college also maintains smaller private arenas. The population outside the city walls live on large slave plantations or one of the walled mining towns. Adventurers from Gorthal are ex-gladiators and start out at second level (so if you wanna be a wizard or whatever, you're at first level, but have one level of a fighting class as well).

Horse Tribes

Capitol: None

Population: 50,000 half elves

Government: Tribal Matriarchies

Religions: Sun Wukong, Gozreh, Ketephys

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, Neutral, Chaotic Good

Language(s): Elvish, Sylvan

Heroes from here are: Rangers and Druids

Favored Weapons: Short Bows

Armor: Hide

Cultural Skills: Ride & Survival

Cultural Feats: Mounted Archery

Additional Gear: Light war horse

Nomadic tribes of xenophobic half elves, they raid the Goblin Tribes and believe all visitors are agents of the Goblin Tribes.

Goblin Tribes

Capitol: None

Population: 45,000 goblins, 10,000 bugbears, 3,000 gnolls, 1,500 ogres, unknown number of dopplegangers, 120 ogre mages

Government: Federation of Tribal Leaders

Religions: Maglubiyet, Nerull, Hextor, Khurgorbaeyag, Bargrivyek, Erythnul, Grankhul

Alignment: Neutral Evil, Chaotic Evil, Lawful Evil

Language(s): Goblin, Gnoll, Giant

Heroes from here are: Fighters, Rangers, and Druids

Favored Weapons: Scimitar

Armor: Studded Leather Armor

Cultural Skills: Survival and Stealth

Cultural Feats: Track

Additional Gear: Studded Leather Armor

The forest itself is ancient and corrupted and dark twisted trees are said to move about at night and strangle the unwary. Strangers soon find themselves hopelessly lost, meeting one of the tribes, or worse.

Ilbar

Capitol: Ilbar

Population: 30,000 half-elves, 5,000 gnomes, 1,000 aasimars

Government: Magocracy

Religions: Desna

Alignment: Chaotic Good, Neutral Good, Lawful Good

Language(s): Elvish, Common, Celestial

Heroes from here are: Fighters, Rangers, Clerics, Druids, Rogues, Bards

Favored Weapons: Bows

Armor: None

Cultural Skills: Knowledge (Arcana), Survival

Cultural Feats: Weapon Focus (Bow)

Additional Gear: Adventurers from Ilbar are given an amulet if they are of good alignment that grants a +2 luck bonus to all saving throws.

A half-elven chaotic good city-state ruled by a council of sages, lore masters and dreamers. The population outside the city walls live in semi-nomadic family bands of 10-30 that build temporary structures during the winter months.

WesterMarch

Capitol: WesterMarch

Population: 42,000 half-orcs, 25,000 humans, 5,000 slaves of various races, 1,000 tieflings

Government: Monarchy

Religions: Ilneval & Shargaas

Alignment: Lawful Evil, Lawful Neutral, Neutral

Language(s): Orc, Common, Infernal

Heroes from here are: Fighters, Clerics or Monks (Ninjas and Rogues are from Kherim only)

Cultural Feats: Endurance or Improved Initiative

Additional Gear: None

A half-orc and human lawful evil city-state ruled by a king and has a strong priesthood of fighting clerics and monks whose faith is tested in the arena against each other and slave gladiators. Adventurers from WesterMarch are humans or half-orcs and are monks, ex-gladiators or clerics and get a bonus feat of endurance or improved initiative (players choice). WesterMarch hosts an annual week long gladiatorial competition open to any brave enough to enter it.

Kherim is a human lawful evil city ruled by the king of WesterMarch known for its dancing girls and assassins...

Theocracy of Rothga

Capitol: Rothga

Population: 280,000 humans, 2,000 yuan-ti, 300 constrictor nagas

Government: Theocracy

Export: Lots and lots of Grain, Slaves and act as middlemen for goods they make from Nis and Klesh raw materials

Import: Luxury Goods from all around the Kessan Sea and Rare Woods, Spices and Plants from Nis and Klesh

Religion: Set

Alignment: Lawful Evil, Lawful Neutral, Neutral Evil

Language(s): Common, Infernal, Yuan-Ti

Classes Available: Cleric (of Set), Fighter, Wizard, Rogue, Ninja, Monk

Favored Weapons: Poison

Cultural Skills: Knowledge (Religion), Profession (Sailor, Fisher or Farmer)

Cultural Feats: Improved Initiative

Additional Gear: Vial of cobra venom

Rothga is a human city-state and capitol of the Theocracy ruled by the decadent priesthood of Set, where giant constrictors freely roam the cobblestone streets between the mud brick huts at night. Visitors are allowed only in the port districts of West Port and South Fort, past these areas there is no return. Most of the population (70%) are slaves of various human races and toil endlessly in vast government owned fields of grain, a few hundred are craftsmen and sailors. When slaves die they are animated and put to work in stone quarries to the south. The rest of the population(25%) have light brown skin, straight black hair and are poor fishermen who's mud brick hovels line the rivers and coast. The priesthood (5% of the population) rules through terror and the use of nightmarish creatures (giant fiendish snakes of all sorts) and on the hard work of their slaves, most adventurers from here never return, especially since unless they were clerics they weren't allowed to leave in the first place. Wizards of Rothga can freely cross class as monks and clerics of Set are not suitable as PCs.

South Fort and West Port are human cities under the Theocracy of Rothga. Both places have small but powerful merchant families in place of Priests of Set and are to afraid to dispute their rule. The penalty of any crime is slavery and most of the slaves that are destined for trade are from these places, still a much better fate than if in the capitol of Rothga. West Port has skilled ship wrights who build large black galleys with 6 banks of oars that fly a green snake biting its tail on a white field on its top mast when trading on the the Kessan Sea. South Fort is known for its addicting blend of strong grain alcohol and the lotus flower producing effects ranging from euphoria to eternal nightmare filled sleep.

Theocracy of Flame

Capitol: Melgor

Population: 50,000 humans, 15,000 fire genasi, 100 efreet

Government: Theocracy

Religions: Ymeri and the Efreet Sultan in the City of Brass

Alignment: Lawful Evil, Neutral, Lawful Neutral

Language(s): Ignan, Common, Infernal

Classes Available: Fighter, Cleric, Rogue

Favored Weapons: Curved Swords & Knives

Armor: None

Cultural Skills: Knowledge (Religion) & Perform (Dance)

Cultural Feats: Iron Will

Additional Gear: Amulet bearing the face of the Sultan on one side and a flame on the other

Melgor is a human lawful evil city-state ruled by an efreeti priest-king and capital of the Theocracy of Flame, they do not tolerate priests of other religions in their area. Most lesser crimes are punishable by branding or burning at the stake and visitors are rare. Once a month sacred dances are held around huge bonfires and fanatics leap through as a show of faith. People from the Theocracy of Flame can tolerate higher levels of heat and take two less points of damage from fire or heat. All of the efreet and fire genasi live in the capital city Melgor.

Darphia

Capitol: Darphia

Population: 35,000 half-elves, 1,500 aasimars, 400 half celestial elves

Government: Monarchy

Religions: Shelyn & Hathor

Alignment: Neutral Good, Chaotic Good

Language(s): Common, Elvish, Celestial

Classes Available: Fighter, Cleric, Bard, Wizard, Ranger, Druid

Favored Weapons: Bows

Armor: Elven Chainmail

Cultural Skills: Perform (Singing and Play Instrument)

Cultural Feats: Bardic Knack (cast two 0 level bard spells)

Additional Gear: Characters get a musical instrument of choice in addition to normal starting equipment.

A half-elven neutral good city-state ruled by a king and queen, known for its healing music. The population outside the city walls live in semi-nomadic family bands of 10-30 that build temporary structures during the winter months. Adventurers from here get a +2 bonus to singing & play instrument skill, those who are bards get the heal spell as a sixth level spell (at 16th level you can use it, wow!! what a boon). Hmm if anybody can think of something else feel free to tell me.

Brymedia

Capitol: Brymedia

Population: 50,000 aasimars, 23,000 humans, 5,700 half celestial humans, 1,050 halflings

Government: Monarchy

Religions: Heironeous, Yondalla, Pelor

Alignment: Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, Neutral Good

Language(s): Common, Celestial, Draconic

Classes Available: Paladin, Fighter, Cleric, Bard, Wizard, Sorceror

Favored Weapons: Broad Sword and Throwing Axe

Armor: Half-Plate

Cultural Skills: Knowledge (Religion) & Diplomacy

Cultural Feats: Iron Will

Additional Gear: Those who are paladins start out with a suit of half plate in addition to normal starting equipment. And at fourth level can return to the city-state for a light warhorse after an elaborate ritual.

An aasimar lawful good city-state ruled by a hereditary king, known for its half-celestial paladin lords and the large celestial human priesthood. The humans of Brymedia have a mixed heritage and accept lawful good strangers into the fold with no questions, there is no typical looking Brymedian. Human adventurers from Brymedia have a bit of celestial blood in them and have darkvision with a range of 10'.

Mithral City

TrogBane 

and 

DarkWall

Population: 10,000 half-elves, 5,000 humans, 500 fiendish gray elves, 100 elves, 100 tieflings   

Government: Empire

Religions: Asmodeus, Dispater, Achaekek  

Export: Diamonds, jewelry, wine, fruit, silver, lumber 

Import: Slaves, gold, copper, iron, olive oil 

Alignment: Lawful Evil, Lawful Neutral, Neutral  

Languages: Elven, Common, Infernal     

Classes Available: Fighter, Rogue, Sorcerer, Wizard      

Cultural Feats: Run and Toughness (humans only)

Additional Gear: handful of small uncut diamonds (half-elves only)

Mithral City, TrogBane and DarkWall are half-elven lawful evil city-states ruled by elves. All the elves are part of the nobility and maintain a harem of human slaves, their half breed male children are raised as slave soldiers in Mithral City. Female offspring are sold to slavers at an early age or given to loyal slave soldiers as reward for faithful service, their children suffer the same fate as their parents. Male human slaves are used for labor in the mithral, silver and diamond mines and estate farms of the elven nobility.

Elves from outside are scorned but not enslaved, they are allowed to be merchants and craftsmen and are considered above the half-elf and human slaves, they form a very small but rich middle class.

Typical elf nobles and their families keep 100 human slaves in addition to the harem to work on their plantations.

Half-Elf adventurers from one of these city-states are the children of elven mothers who arranged their escape, they start out with the clothes on their back, a bad attitude towards elves and a handful of small uncut diamonds (1,000 g.p. value total).

Other adventurers from here are outcasts, deserters or escaped slaves, all very rare and very hunted.

The military is organized into 2,000 man (half-elf) legions, divided into a sword wing and a shield wing, 100 man companies and 10 man squads. Each company is commanded by a half-elf eldritch knight and each wing and legion by an elf eldritch knight.

The 1st Legion is equipped with studded leather armor, shield, spear and shortsword and are used mainly for guarding slaves.

Members of the 2nd Legion ride light warhorses and are equipped with chain shirts, shields, lances and longswords and are used for slave recovery and patrols.

The Golden Legion and the Silver Legion are equipped with light warhorses, chain shirts, shortbow, rapier and dagger.

The Mithral Legion is equipped with ornate half-plate and great swords and used as palace guards as well as normal heavy infantry duties.

The Legion of the Damned is comprised of only 50 members, all of whom are assassins that have been sentenced to death. They serve the emperor directly and their execution is temporarily on hold while they serve him.

I have harnessed the shadows that stride from world to world to sow death and madness.

H. P. LOVECRAFT

Disnath

Population: 16,000 dran, 8,000 duergar, 4,000 necropolitans, 3,000 mongrelfolk, 3,000 half-orcs, 2,000 humans, 1,000 skulks, 1,000 half-ogres, 1,000 tieflings, 1,000 underfolk 

Government: Plutocracy 

Religions: Droskar, Zon-Kuthon, Pazuzu and Dagon 

Export: Golden lotus wine, masterwork weapons and armor, spidersilk clothes and armor, gold, rare wood, grafts 

Import: Foodstuffs, luxury items, slaves

Alignment: Chaotic Evil, Neutral Evil, Lawful Evil 

Languages: Undercommon, Dwarf, Common, Orc   

Classes Available: All    

Cultural Feats: Choice of two from Deceitful, Deft Hands, Fleet or Stealthy   

Disnath is a dark, under populated soot-covered industrial city, the population of the ruined temple district were turned into shadows and necropolitans long ago and cannibalistic skulks and packs of ghouls prowl the streets at night. A Master of Flies (Savage Species prestige class) and his awakened giant spiders spin webs in dark alleys and abandoned buildings selling silk and the urchins they don't eat to slavers. In the undercity rat swarms carry the Zombie Plague and duergar forges belch black smoke into the city above as tireless golems hammer away in unison beneath the streets, giving the city a pulse.

Powerful merchant guilds run the city and vie for control of the weapon, spider silk, graft and slave trade, prophets of a mad dreaming god and cults of Pazuzu and Dagon are rampant among the poor. The city's nobles are decadent vampire spawn who idle away the night hours in an unending sanguinary grand ball. Ronin half-flesh golems, renegade swordsages and outlaw shadowdancers make a living snatching the best craftsmen for rival guildlords, rounding up jungle aberrations and ghouls for the fleshwarper shops and smuggling golden lotus wine into the city or smuggling spidersilk out.

Disnath is a city-state of many races but the city officials and city guard are made up entirely of dran who are not members of the ruling merchant houses. Those who are not dran can be artisans, craftsmen or shop owners, but 90% of the other races are slaves to one of the ruling merchant houses. Slaves work the cities farms, mines (iron, gold, and copper), rowing galleys, or as slave soldiers and gladiators.

Adventurers from Disnath are not looked highly upon by the outside world. DC 11 Knowledge (local) to know the backstabbing bastard reputation of Disnath (gives PC a -2 on all social checks from then on).

Far Realm Fae - The twisted trees in the encroaching corrupted jungle surrounding the city resemble a cross of wet mottled purple fungus and wood. They grow unnaturally fast and when cut, slowly writhe for a few moments leaking sickly yellow sap and releasing spores that leave irritating red whelps. Fae creatures burst into masses of writhing tentacles when attacked and the dark sidhe brew an addictive golden lotus wine that causes vivid dreams and nightmares, slowly eating away the addicts sanity.

Dark Sidhe - Fey elves corrupted by the far realm sacrifice intruders to an awakened fiendish dire ape they worship as a god. They start life as shark toothed Petals for a 100 or so years then form a red veined, black, pulsing, oozing cocoon. The vile ooze is one of the ingredients in the golden lotus wine

Wise men have interpreted dreams, and the gods have laughed.

H. P. LOVECRAFT 

Isle of Dreams 

Population: 12,000 humans, 100 half-elves 

Government: Magocracy 

Religions: Asmodeus, Sivhana   

Import: Wine, slaves 

Alignment: Lawful Evil, Neutral 

Languages: Common, Elf   

Classes Available: Bard, Psion, Psychic Warrior, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Soul Knife, Wilder, Wizard       

Cultural Feats: Magical Aptitude

Additional Gear: Double starting wealth, a +1 weapon and if a wizard with all PHB 1st level spells in their spellbooks.

The Isle of Dreams is ruled by 42 ageless wizards, everyone else is a slave or family member. There were 100 but over the centuries some have fallen prey to backstabbing rivals, adventurers, slave revolts, raiding half ogre bands, poison, insanity, or lost on other planes. This land is dotted by jade towers guarded by two stone golems on the outside and who knows what on the inside. Vast slave farms surround the jade towers of a dozen wizards who still deal with the outside world, twenty keep only a handful of personal slaves, 10 live alone with undead or constructs to serve them.

Each wizard has an artifact amulet that stops all aging, grants immunity to psionics, causes the wearer to sleep 20 hours of each day (5 hours sleep for every hour awake) and changes the wearers alignment one step towards lawful evil each day it is worn.

All amulets have other powers than those listed above, some of the known powers are as follows

Three of them are known to grant +6 to the wearers armor class (+2 luck, +2 natural, +2 profane).

Two of them permanently drain the wearers strength by six points and add two to intelligence each time the amulet is put on.

Five of them turn the wearers skin a light blue color, the ability to breathe water and the wearer must drink a gallon of salt water each day or temporarily lose two points of intelligence.

Adventurers from the Isle of Dreams are human or half-elf children or grand children of an ageless wizard and they are geased to secrecy about their ageless parent and forbidden to return to the isle.

Naveria

Population: 6,000 humans, 6,000 half-elves, 4,000 dwarves, 1,000 halflings, 1,000 elves, 1,000 gnomes 

Government: Republic 

Religions: Irori, Abadar, Erastil 

Export: Cattle, wool, wine, foodstuffs, ornate clothes 

Import: Iron, gold

Alignment: Lawful Neutral, Neutral, Lawful Good 

Languages: Common, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, Gnome   

Classes Available: All except Barbarian and Hunter 

Cultural Feats: Athletic, Great Fortitude

Naveria is a city-state of many races ruled by a council and a figure head king selected every ten years by gladiatorial combat. The people of Naveria take great pride in the fact that their gladiators are the best in the world and they are free. Every citizen is a member of the militia and the city watch is comprised of cleric/monks from 10 different temples.

Monks from Naveria can freely cross class as a Cleric.

Xoltic 

Population: 3,000 underfolk, 2,000 humans, 2,000 mongrelfolk, 1,000 skulks  

Religions: Sarenrae, The Green Faith, Groetus  

Export: Potions, giant lizards, pet snakes and old books  

Import: Foodstuffs  

Alignment: Neutral Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil  

Languages: Common, Nurian   

Classes Available: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Monk, Psion, Psychic Warrior, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Soul Knife, Wilder, Wizard  

Favored Weapons: Scimitar

Cultural Skills: Linguistics and Handle Animal

Cultural Trait: Nightsighted (for those that have darkvision)

Cultural Feat: Wild Talent

Additional Gear: Pet snake (tiny constrictor)  

This desert kingdom once had many prosperous cities but now all that remain are subterranean mazes of twisting passages beneath the sand. Some of these tunnels are home to the descendants of the kingdoms slaves. They raise rats and other fungi for food, they also tame giant lizards and snakes and brew magical potions for export. Deeper tunnels are rumored to connect to underground kingdoms and creatures not used to the light of day.

Attempts to resettle or build upon coastal or river side ruins are short lived with all traces of the settlers dragged into the sea on the first moonless night by fierce bands of sahuagin.

Adventurers from Xoltic have Nurian as an additional automatic language.

Ull

Population: 15,000 (30% human, 30% cuetzpalin, 10% saurian, 10% serpentfolk, 10% naga, 10% other)  

Government: Theocracy  

Religion: Dagon  

Export: Lots of fish, odd looking gold jewelry, weapons, boots  

Import: Giant lizards, grain, wine, slaves  

Alignment: Neutral, Chaotic Evil  

Languages: Draconic, Nurian, Common    

Classes Available: Ranger, Rogue  

Cultural Feat: Stealthy   

Ull is an old city built of green limestone by older reptilian races on the shore of a large lake.

Suppossedly ruled by a huge half toad/half lizard demi-god and his clerics. The merchant guilds actually run the day to day affairs of the city, collecting taxes, levying fines and punishing criminals. The priesthood use an ancient draconian tongue called Nurian and is only concerned with greeting the rising sun and appeasing their god. No clerics of other religions are allowed in the city. Huge, lazy lizards imported from the deserts of Xlotic are the beasts of burden.

Their lizardfolk cousins from the surrounding marsh come to town to trade crocodile hides, rare plants and captives for better weapons, the safest way to get to the city is by boat.

Cuetzpalin CR 6

N Large monstrous humanoid (giant, reptilian)

Init +5; Senses low-light vision, 60' darkvision, scent; Perception +15

 DEFENSES

AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +8 natural, –1 size)

hp 68 (7d10+28)

Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +7

 OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.

Melee bite +9 (2d6+5), tail +4 (1d8+2)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

 STATISTICS

Str 21, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 12

Base Atk +5; CMB +11; CMD 22

Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Perception)

Skills Craft (stonemasonry) +10, Perception +15, Stealth +11, Swim +15; Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth

 ECOLOGY

Environment near rivers and lakes in warm forests, plains, or hills

Adult cuetzpalin stand 9 to 10 feet tall with mottled gray and brown scales and weigh 600 to 650 pounds and its tail is used for balance and is 6 to 8 feet long. They like to stand really still in the sunlight for the first few hours of each day, they get along with their lizardfolk cousins well.

Saurians

   +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence. Saurians are hardy and personable creatures, but a bit dull when it comes to new ideas.

    Medium: Saurians are Medium creatures, and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

    Normal Speed: Saurians have a base speed of 30 feet.

    Natural Armor: Saurians get a +2 natural armor bonus due to their tough, scaly skin.

    Noble Bearing: Saurians get a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks.

    Fearless: Saurians get a +2 racial bonus on saves against fear.

    Languages: Saurians begin play speaking Common and Draconic (of which saurish is a dialect). Saurian with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the following: dwarven, elven, giant, or infernal.

    Random Starting Age: (30 years) Bard, Rogue, Sorcerer +3d6 Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger +5d6 Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard +6d6

    Aging Effects: Middle Age 75 Old 125 Venerable 175 Maximum 175+2d20

    Height and Weight: Male Height 5’0 Weight 140 Modifier 2d10 Weight Multiplier x6; Female Height 4’8 Weight 100 Modifier 2d10 Weight Multiplier x6

Khoroth

Capitol: Khoroth 

Population: 20,000 humans, 2,000 dwarves, 2,000 halflings 

Government: Plutocracy 

Religions: Gozreh, Shelyn, Calistria   

Export: Fish, pearls, finished metal goods 

Import: Grain, foodstuffs not produced locally, cloth, luxury items 

Alignment: Neutral, Neutral Good, Chaotic Neutral 

Language(s): Common, Aquan, Thieves Cant (Khoroth)   

Classes Available: Assassin, Bard, Psion, Psychic Warrior, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Soul Knife, Swashbuckler, Thug, Wilder, Wizard 

Favored Weapons: Trident   

Cultural Skills: Swim

Cultural Feats: Skill Focus (swim) or Deft Hands  

Khoroth is an island and city-state ruled by merchant princes known to be allied with local mer-people tribes and trade worked metal goods for pearls and rare fish. Unknown to outsiders each merchant prince heads a thieves guild, visitors without a travel pass from one of the princes invariably leave penniless.

Toronia 

Capitol: Toronia 

Population: 10,000 humans, 10,000 half-elves, 3,000 nerra, 1,000 mongrelfolk 

Government: Magocracy 

Religion: Sivhana 

Export: Wool, oranges, books 

Import: Lumber, foodstuffs not produced locally, luxury items

Alignment: Neutral Good, Neutral Evil, Neutral 

Language(s): Common, Elf   

Classes Available: Bard, Cleric, Psion, Rogue, Sorcerer, Swashbuckler, Wizard    

Cultural Skills: Knowledge (planes) 

Cultural Feats: Spell Mastery (wizards only)

Additional Gear: Wizard adventurers from Toronia start out with double the normal first level spells in their spellbooks (must be chosen from the PHB).

Toronia is a city-state ruled by a council of sages and scholars famed for its wizard college. Wizard adventurers from Toronia have a double from the Plane of Mirrors that trains with them during their time at the wizard college. If the double does better the original is cast into the mirror-verse at the end of the apprenticeship.

Pirate Isles

Population: 4,000 humans, 3,000 half-elves, 2,000 mongrelfolk, 1,000 dran  

Government: Confederacy 

Religion: Besmara 

Export: Everything but alcohol 

Import: All they can steal 

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil, Neutral 

Languages: Common, Elf, Undercommon   

Classes Available: Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Swashbuckler, Thug 

Favored Weapons: Rapier and kukri   

Cultural Skills: Acrobatic, Profession (sailor), Swim

Cultural Feats: Athletic, Skill Focus (swim) 

The Pirate Isles is a loosely allied confederacy of 13 Legendary Captains and Scarlet Corsairs who prey upon all those who sail the Kessan Sea.

A maze of jagged reefs and well fed sea beasties make their shores all but unapproachable.

Two odd laws here are that no one is allowed to keep slaves, and no one is allowed to kill a halfling. There is a reason the sea monsters are well fed and no halflings live here.

The social hierarchy consists of ship captains followed by their first mates and then everyone else is considered equal. All their ships fly a flag with a field of red that has blue crossbones with thirteen white stars on the bones.

Klesh 

Klesh is a vast tropical jungle and marshes, north of the two rivers is dominated by an ancient spirit naga known as Sansu, she rules many lizardfolk tribes and dwells in a hidden city called Xol-Toth with her serpentfolk nobles. The southeastern jungle along the mountains is dominated by tribes of humans led by sorcerers, southwestern Klesh by primitive tribes of bullywugs, tasloi, muck dwellers and dragonkin.

The marshes of southern Klesh are dominated by tribes of lizardfolk led by half-dragon/lizardfolk chieftains who serve a family of black dragons.

Human and Lizardfolk adventurers from Klesh start out as barbarians, druids. rangers or if human they can be sorcerers.

Lizardfolk

    +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence. Lizardfolk are strong, sturdy and simple.

    Medium: Lizardfolk are Medium creatures, and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

    Normal Speed: Lizardfolk have a base speed of 30 feet.

    Swimming: Lizardfolk have a swim speed of 15 feet. A lizardfolk has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. A lizardfolk can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. A lizardfolk can use the run action while swimming, provided he swims in a straight line.

    Hold Breath: A lizardfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

    Natural Weapons: Lizardfolk possess natural claw attacks that inflict 1d4 points of damage on a successful hit. This is a primary or secondary attack if the lizardfolk wields a manufactured weapon.

    Well-Balanced: Lizardfolk receive a +4 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks.

    Languages: Lizardfolk begin play speaking Draconic. Lizardfolk with high Intelligence can choose bonus languages from the following: Aquan, Common, Goblin, Gnoll, or Orc.

Lizardfolk Feats

Hardened Scales

Your scaly hide provides you with protection.

Prerequisite: lizardfolk.

Benefit: You gain a +2 natural armor bonus to your Armor Class.

Ferocious Bite

You can make an attack with your razor-sharp teeth.

Prerequisite: Character level 5th, lizardfolk.

Benefit: You gain a bite natural attack that inflicts 1d4 points of damage on a hit. This is a primary attack, or a secondary attack if you wield a manufactured weapon. Your bite attack damage is multiplied by 3 on a critical hit.

Monstrous Strength

You develop powerful muscles.

Prerequisite: Character level 7th, lizardfolk.

Benefit: You gain a +2 racial bonus to your Strength score.

Vale of Shadows 

This land is protected by giant eagle riding elves who guard their land fiercely, those of good alignment who are not openly hostile will be given a single warning to never return, those that hesitate are slain. The giant eagle patrols number 10 strong and can call upon 2-5 more patrols for back up within 5 minutes, the riders are all arcane archers.

Adventurers from the Vale are outcasts and cannot return (without a groovy DM plot line anyway).

North Guard 

and 

Stone Holm 

are dwarven cities ruled by hereditary kings.

Stone Holm mines iron, rubies, and silver and trades raw materials, alcoholic beverages and finished goods with Mithral City for foodstuffs, wood, finished goods, gold and mithral, a small number of dwarves also work in TrogBane's and DarkWall's mines.

North Guard mines iron, emeralds, copper, and opals and trades ornate masterwork weapons, armor and jewelry with Melgor for cloth, beer, bread, pearls and wine.

The mountain dwarves of Stone Holm and the fireblood dwarves of North Guard (Dragon Magic) do not like each other, but there is no open hostility beyond the occasional barroom brawl, just jokes about the poor mining and shoddy craftsmanship of the other.

Dwarven adventurers from these cities start out with a masterwork weapon or armor in addition to normal starting gear.

Something was creeping and creeping and waiting to be seen and felt and heard.

                                                                                                                  H. P. LOVECRAFT 

Nis 

Nis is a place of lush tropical jungle filled with exotic magical and or dangerous plants, giant snakes, brightly colored birds, a seemingly infinite number of insects, and below crumbling ruins dwell degenerate serpentfolk. Written on some of the ancient monoliths in the Nurian tongue are spells of conjuration, invocation and divination schools of magery. 

Deep Rainforest

Mile high trees where the light of day never reaches the black water below. Each of the five layers: the overstory, the canopy, the understory, the shrub layer, and the flooded forest floor are home to different races.

The overstory is the hunting ground for all manner of flying predators. It is also home to tiny ravenous fey creatures that after a few years form cocoons and emerge with brightly colored wings. They change from chaotic evil to chaotic good with no memories of what or who they ate when they get their wings.

In the upper half of the canopy dwell primitive humans, not dumb, just tech challenged due to the lack of metal. Verdant Bloodline Sorcerers are very common.

In the lower half of the canopy there are psionic Elf-like plant creatures that grow like peas in a pod from a two mile long tangle of 10' diameter vine. Those "born" in the same pod are considered sisters, those from the same vine are a tribe. They can commune with the vine through its flowers. They all look like female elves with skin the same color as the flowers on the vine. And of course the only thing they hate more than other species are the other tribes of elves.

In the understory are the fungal orcs, spores that grow out of the dead bodies of elves. They look like white, bloated male orcs with mushrooms sprouting out of them. The bodies of other races infested with these same spores are not as hardy. Fey become shriveled and goblin-like, humans resemble rotting hobgoblin zombies.

The last glimpse of light in the shrub layer is the dismal home to a miserable race of arboreal ogres that are hosts for several creatures and diseases. Limatiks (parasitic stirge-like creatures) infest and control almost every adult arboreal ogre. They spend most of their adult life clinging to an ogres back with its proboscis jammed in the ogre's head. Within a month they meld into the ogres spines becoming an inseparable discolored hump and its wings growing until the hideous abomination can fly. The creatures refer to themselves as Maraks.

Also at this level are the disgusting troglodyte/shrieker amalgams that expel deafening farts when frightened.

At the bottom there are endless varieties of nightmarish creatures including huge fungus covered, aquatic, reptillian beasts. They lurk amidst the roots of the sky trees, feeding on the rotting vegetation.

Glow Sticks (size small treant saplings that have been mummified by the tannic acid in the black water, and are covered in phosphorescent fungus) wander up from here at night.

A copious quantity of various oozes.

Arboreal Ogre CR 4

CE Large humanoid (giant)

Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +9

DEFENSE

AC 14, touch 8, flat-footed 17 (+5 natural, –1 size)

hp 26 (4d8+8)

Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +1

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., 40 ft. climb (brachiation)

Melee greatclub +8 (2d8+8)

Ranged javelin +2 (1d8+6)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

STATISTICS

Str 23, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 7

Base Atk +3; CMB +10; CMD 20

Feats Stealthy, Nightstalker

Skills Acrobatics +15, Climb +16 (can take 10), Stealth +8, Survival +4

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Brachiation (Ex), Tree Leap (Ex)

Languages Giant

ECOLOGY

Environment warm jungles

Organization solitary, pair, gang (3–4), or family (5–16)

Treasure standard (greatclub, 4 javelins, other treasure)

Marak

CE Large aberration (psionic, giant)

Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +9

DEFENSE

AC 12, touch 8, flat-footed 17 (+3 natural, –1 size)

hp 26 (4d8+8)

Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +2

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., 40 ft. climb (brachiation), fly 40 ft. (average)

Melee greatclub +8 (2d8+8) or touch +8 (attach hollow tongue)

Ranged javelin +2 (1d8+6)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks blood drain

STATISTICS

Str 23, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 7

Base Atk +3; CMB +10; CMD 20

Feats Stealthy, Nightstalker, Wild Talent

Skills Acrobatics +15, Climb +16 (can take 10), Stealth +15, Survival +10

SQ diseased

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Attach (Ex), Blood Drain (Ex), Brachiation (Ex), Tree Leap (Ex)

Psionic: Maraks gain the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat. If a marak has levels in a psionic class, he instead gains the Psionic Talent feat.

Psionics: Maraks gain the following spell-like ability: 1/day—burst and can detect psionics at will.

Languages Giant

ECOLOGY

Environment warm jungles

Organization solitary, nest (2–4), flock (5–8), or tribe (9–14, plus a chief and 1-2 shamans).

Treasure standard (greatclub, 4 javelins, other treasure)

Limatik

N Tiny magical beast (psionic)

Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +1

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+4 Dex, +2 size)

hp 5 (1d10)

Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +1

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)

Melee touch +7 (attach)

Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks blood drain

STATISTICS

Str 3, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 6

Base Atk +1; CMB +3 (+11 grapple when attached); CMD 9 (17 vs. trip)

Feats Weapon Finesse, Wild Talent

Skills Fly +8, Stealth +16

SQ diseased

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Attach (Ex), Blood Drain (Ex), Diseased (Ex)

Psionics: Limatiks gain the following spell-like ability: 1/day—burst.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm flooded jungles

Organization solitary, colony (2–4), flock (5–8), storm (9–14), or swarm (15–40)

Treasure none

Here, There Be Dragons

Trogs are kingdoms of troglodytes with a dragon or family of dragons ruling them. Not much is known about them except that outsiders are welcome additions to the menu and cause of celebration, and bands of two to three hundred occasionally raid small outposts or villages, seemingly at random.

Adventurers from here are half dragon/half troglodyte outcasts or heroes on a special quest and probably suitable only for higher level games.

Great Wood 

Great Wood is the oldest forest and its rumored that the trees whisper to each other. Known inhabitants include dryads, werebears, dire wolverines, and satyrs. The council of ancient awakened oaks tolerates some fey inhabitants and are allied with a clan of werebears.

FEAT: Druid Training [Regional] In your homeland, all who show a calling to faith may receive druidic training. Thus, many characters know something of the ways of the druid. Benefit: You can activate spell trigger magic items as if you had 1 level of Druid. Druid also becomes a favored class for you in addition to any other favored class you select. Special: You may select this feat only as a 1st level character. You may have only one regional feat.

Lake of Tears 

The Lake of Tears is inhabited by halflings who build their houses on floating platforms of reeds. They tie them together into hamlets that they call 'rafts', each raft is ruled by the eldest couple and minor disputes are settled by unarmed combat and the victor claims a braid which they tie to a fishing spear for all to see. They come to shore once a month to gather more reeds and to trade. Living in many of the rafts are dire otters, some halflings bond with these otters from childhood and can ride them.

Adventurers from here are halfling rogues who have been cast out, they start out with a shaved head, their clothes, a small knife, a fishing spear, the improved unarmed strike feat for free and a +4 bonus to the swimming skill.

The trees grew too thickly, and their trunks were too big for any healthy wood. 

There was too much silence in the dim alleys between them. 

                                                                                               H. P. LOVECRAFT 

Bleak Wood 

Bleak Wood is home to wizened elders (MM IV), bugbears and a race of forest giants (MM II) expert at moving their considerable bulk completely silently and disappearing into the shadowed woods with unnerving skill.

Bleak Wood Bugbear, 3rd level Ranger (CR 4)

Str 19

Dex 16

Con 15

Int 12

Wis 10

Cha 6

AC 19 (+3 Dex, +3 natural, +2 leather armor, +1 light wooden shield), touch 13, flat-footed 16

HP 30

Initiative: +3 (+4 in forests)

Saves: Fort +5 Ref +6 Will +1

Morningstar +7 to hit, 1d8+4 damage

Composite Longbow (strength bow) +6 to hit, 1d8+4 damage (+1 to each within 30')

Feats and Class abilities: Track, Favored Enemy: Elves, Wild Empathy, Favored Terrain: Forest (+2 to some skill checks), Endurance, Point Blank Shot, Run, Skill Focus (Stealth)

Skills Climb 10, Craft (leather worker) 7, Knowledge (geography) 7, Knowledge (nature) 7, Perception 6, Stealth 16, Survival 11.

Languages: Common, Goblin and Elven

Bleak Wood Bugbears hate elves and never take them prisoner or keep them as slaves.

Made with the elite array of ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 15, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8.

Bleak Wood Bugbears As Characters

Bleak Wood Bugbear characters possess the following racial traits.

    * +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.

    * Medium size.

    * A bugbear’s base land speed is 30 feet.

    * Racial Hit Dice: An adult Bleak Wood Bugbear begins with three levels of ranger, which provide 3d10 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +3, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +3, Ref +3, and Will +1.

    * +3 natural armor bonus.

    * +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks.

    * Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., scent.

    * Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Orc.

    * Favored Class: Ranger.

    * Level adjustment +2.

Ogre Lands 

A place filled with its namesake, dire animals and several hill giant families. A small band of gnomish miner/adventurers known to trade fist sized opals for large quantities of ale have been tracked going into these hills.

Plains of Bast Home to vast numbers of herd animals, prides of dire lions, packs of dire wolves, wemics and hybisils. Nomadic human tribesmen ride axebeaks (or use Terror Birds from the Fiend Folio) and follow the herds, they worship the dire lions as avatars of Bast. Merchants of an advanced tribe of hobgoblins from the southern forest have built a temple to Bast as a cover for a trading post. The nomadic tribes trade large quantities of furs for metal goods.

Hobgoblin PCs from here can be fighters, warblades (Book of Nine Swords) or samurais (Complete Warrior), humans can be savage bards, simple variant barbarians (both are in Unearthed Arcana), druids or rangers.

Burning Sands 

Habitat of sand dragons and the marruspawn (Sandstorm).

Kessan Sea 

Home to all sorts of fish, aquatic mammals, sea serpents and plesiosaurs (Stormwrack). Sauhagin cities lie off the coast of Xoltic and the Burning Sands destroying any who would settle the coasts. They enjoy such fun past times as sinking ships on moonless nights and warring with each other.

More wonderful than the lore of old men and the lore of books is the secret lore of the ocean. Blue, green, grey, white, or black; smooth, ruffled, or mountainous; that ocean is not silent. All my days I have watched it and listened to it, and I know it well. At first it told to me only the plain little tales of calm beaches and near ports, but with the years it grew more friendly and spoke of other things; of things more strange and more distant in space and time.

                                                                                                                             H. P. LOVECRAFT 

Green Lake 

A large almost stagnant lake filled with large lazy fish and aquatic lizards ranging from a few inches in size up to 50'. Also home to a deranged aboleth cleric of Dagon (Hordes of the Abyss and Dragon issue 349) and his kuo-toan followers who have corrupted several small villages of fishermen along the coast.

Characters from one of the small coastal villages have the Aberration Blood feat (Lords of Madness) for FREE!

Barzai Nomads

Population: 10,000 humans, 10,000 gnolls, 2,000 half-elves, 2,000 scorpionfolk 

Government: Tribal Chiefs

Religions: Gorum, Lamashtu, The Green Faith

Export: Mercenaries (light calvary), light horses and iron

Import: Weapons, wine

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil, Neutral

Language(s): Barzai (no written form), Gnoll, Common

Classes Available: Barbarian, Druid, Fighter

Favored Weapons: Short composite bow  

Cultural Skill: Ride

Cultural Feat: Skill Focus (Ride)

Additional Gear: Light horse, riding saddle, saddlebags and bedroll.

Land of the famed Barzai horsemen, they often hire themselves out as mercenary skirmishers and trade their excellent steeds for large sums. The tribes of humans and gnolls constantly raid each other and their own kind, all they know is war. The sparsely populated grassland is dotted with the ruins of forgotten kingdoms. Heavily fortified iron and copper mines are scattered along the mountains to the east.

Digger's Arctic Area

Capitol:  None

Population:  9,000 humans, 1,000 arctic elves, 600 arctic half-elves, 2,000 arctic orcs, 1200 arctic half-orcs

Government:  varies by town; largest is a Theocracy of Eskimo Barbarians (devoted to Vatun)

Religions:  Vatun, Corellon Larethian, Bahgtru, Selene

Export:  Oliphant tusks, seal blubber, caribou antlers, freshwater fish, furs

Import:  Lumber, Wine, Slaves (orcish society only)

Alignment:  Chaotic Good, Neutral Good, Neutral

Language(s):  Common, Elven, Orcish, Tribal (Eskimo) 

Classes Available:  Fighter, Barbarian, Bard, Rogue, Cleric, Wizard, Sorcerer, Ranger

Favored Weapons:  Spear, Harpoon

Armor:  Leather, Elven Chain, Hide

Cultural Skills:  Knowledge (Nature), Survival

Cultural Feats:  Arctic Endurance (in addition to Endurance, bonus +3 to endure arctic elements), Skill Focus (survival) 

Additional Gear:  Arctic Survival Kit (snowshoes, spiked snow boots, 2 winter blankets, pitons, extra layer of clothes and winter coat, hand spikes for climbing, arctic tent)

Brown Bear Hills A bitterly cold, remote area with only tribes of Eskimos choosing to inhabit it. The foot of the hills are inhabited sporadically by winter wolves & oliphants. The hill tops are rumored to be home to small groups of ice trolls, yeti & a retired (well, semi-retired if approached) frost giant couple.

Glokken Glacier Few forms of life are able to endure the harsh, arctic conditions of this large block of ice, & only the insane (or VERY intense adventurers) consider approaching it. Extraordinarily strong cold weather survival skills are required to not die from the elements (wind chill often minus 100 to minus 200). The inner sanctums of the glacier are largely unknown, even by the locals. Inside, a strange area of steamy warm springs & shambling mounds has been immortalized locally with an amazingly melancholy song by the beloved bard Ariel StormWind, mourning the loss of his dear familiar Barney the snow owl & still redefining new depths of sorrow in his hometown of Cabnal.

Wintzum A very small village of approximately 100 people along the always frozen river coming down from Glokken Glacier into the Great Seal Lake. Close-knit & strong-willed describe anyone growing up in or calling this remote, brutally cold village home. Very little commerce is done due to nearly all items being used & needed for survival.

Kemnuck A small village of approximately 200 people with a great deal of interaction with the local Eskimos due to its proximity to the Great Seal Lake & Brown Bear Hills. Very few tradesmen are to be found here with most of the commerce relagated to seal products. Several times in Kemnuck's history, herds of very well-organized oliphants have trampled large sections of the village, seemingly running in a modified wedge formation.

Cabnal The home of Midnight and Ariel StormWind, two bards of great renown, slayers of arctic oliphants, winter wolves and yeti. Approximately 600 people call this incredibly harsh northern town their home. There is a somewhat talented, older leather worker & tanner, specializing in of course wolves. He is respected by the entire town & is responsible for training quite a few of the youth, including Ariel StormWind. A very small jeweler's shop (run by a below average but somewhat in demand faceter) is in the corner of Cabnal as well.

Great Seal Lake Almost always frozen solid, this lake has (as expected) a large number of seals calling it home. Oliphants & winter wolves frequently inhabit its shores as well. Popular for seal hunting by not only the many eskimo villages surrouding the lake but also the locals from Kemnuck, Cabnal & Wintzum.

Mountains of Madness

Home to some scattered tribes of Goliaths and a few mining villages of humans, dwarves and gnomes.

We must recognise the essential underlaying savagery in the animal called man, and return to older and sounder principles of national life and defense. We must realise that man's nature will remain the same so long as he remains man; that civilisation is but a slight coverlet beneath which the dominant beast sleeps lightly and ever ready to awake.

                                    H. P. LOVECRAFT 

Dragon Hearts

An old favorite back in first edition days was our house rule that whoever ate the heart of a dragon had to make a saving throw vs death and if successful was immune to that type dragon's breath weapon. Invariably the characters who got carried away with that sort of thing died eating his fifth or sixth dragon heart, but they had fun while it lasted.

So for 3.5 have the eater of an adult dragons heart make a DC 20 Fortitude save, failure results in death but if successful...

Eating a dragon's heart (roll 1d12)

1-7 dragon

8-11 stat adjustment

12 odd

Dragon (roll 1d12)

1 Thick scales replace skin (+5 to natural AC, -2 to charisma, -10 to base speed)

2 Grows dragon wings, each equal to the characters height in length (when unarmored and not encumbered can fly(poor) at base speed equal to double his land speed)

3-10 DR 10 versus the breath weapon type of energy

11Dragon mind (understands the draconic language, immune to sleep and paralysis)

12 Dragon eyes (sees x4 as well as human in lowlight, x2 in normal and 120 ft darkvision, -2 to charisma)

Stat adjustment (roll 1d10)

1 +4 to strength

2 +2 to strength

3 -2 to strength

4 +4 to constitution

5 +2 to constitution

6 -2 to constitution

7 +4 to charisma

8 +2 to charisma

9 -2 to charisma

10 +2 to wisdom

Odd (roll 1d10)

1 add 1d6 ft to height

2 double weight (-4 to dex, +2 to con)

3 tongue becomes forked (+10 to all bluff checks)

4 webbed fingers and toes (+10 to all swim checks)

5 skin turns the color of dragon

6 clawed fingers and toes (+5 to climb)

7 legs and lower torso become a 7 ft serpents tail (base speed is halved on land, doubled swimming)

8 trog stench (when angry or excited DC 13 fort save within 30 ft or nausea and lose 1d6 str for 10 rounds)

9 huge cat eyes (triple normal size, blind in sunlight, low light vision is x4, -2 charisma)

10 mutate into a lizard folk

Ok so you've checked out the charts, is it too random for you? Just use the dragon chart or maybe eating a dragons heart just attracts 1d20 large flies, its all good.