This week, my players are going to be treking across a coastal marshland. I'm planning on having them encounter a small force of Boggards (using bullywugs for boggards stunted by living in a brackish environment, since my PCs are only 4th level.) but I could use a bit of help for what to do if the PCs get lost in the marsh or decide to stick around them for a while, checking out old ruins or diplomatizing the toad-men. Does anyone know where I can find a good random encounter table for warm marshlands? I'm thinking Everglades-esque, perhaps.
I imagine one of the Adventure Path books must have one in them by now, but I can't recall for certain.
Other suggestions of what to do to- er, with my PCs are welcome as well. ^-^
Director of Brand Strategy
|
This week, my players are going to be treking across a coastal marshland. I'm planning on having them encounter a small force of Boggards (using bullywugs for boggards stunted by living in a brackish environment, since my PCs are only 4th level.) but I could use a bit of help for what to do if the PCs get lost in the marsh or decide to stick around them for a while, checking out old ruins or diplomatizing the toad-men. Does anyone know where I can find a good random encounter table for warm marshlands? I'm thinking Everglades-esque, perhaps.
I imagine one of the Adventure Path books must have one in them by now, but I can't recall for certain.
Other suggestions of what to do to- er, with my PCs are welcome as well. ^-^
Pathfinder 3: The Hook Mountain Massacre includes a random encounter table for Varisia (page 71) with a swamp environment column. The APL for that adventure is 7-9, but if you reduce the number of creatures they face instead of rolling the random dice, you should be able to make it work. Pathfinder 12: Crown of Fangs includes a random encounter table for the Mushfens on page 81. It has some pretty high CR encounters there, but also some as low as CR 2. Between these two tables, I imagine you can make something work.
Are you just looking for monster bashing goodness? Humanoids can be encountered in nearly any environment for a variety of reasons.
Oh look, another band of adventurers between dungeons.
What is an Elven Princess like you, doing in a place like this?
As Spirit of the Century says, send in the ninjas…or…in this case…bandits.
Excuse me, sir. Could you help me find Fluffy? Sure, kid. What does Fluffy look like? Well…he's an alligator.
Are you just looking for monster bashing goodness?
It's a good question. For a bit of background, the party just barely escaped from a devestating urban ambush with rather more Dark Creepers than I should have used against them. They're skipping town before the Creeper gang strike again (to get something the PCs have.) They've been humbled, which I suppose isn't inherently a bad thing in PCs, but they could stand a solid fight or two they can handle to get their confidence back up.
Humanoids can be encountered in nearly any environment for a variety of reasons.
Oh look, another band of adventurers between dungeons.
Actually, I might have just the NPC party for this situation.... hmmm... the question is what level to set them for... and how likely it should be that either a fight or parleyance will be involved.
If you want to boost your PC’s morale, I would set the level lower. Whether or not they fight or not is really up to you. If you do not want them to fight, then the NPC group is just passing through. Perhaps they have some interesting information to pass on to the PCs. Maybe they request aid if the PC’s have a Cleric.
If you want a fight, then the Dark Creepers hired the band to try and get the item from the PCs.
If you really want to get twisted, one of the NPCs in the other group is a doppelganger who killed one of the NPC’s group and took his place. One of your PCs figures this out. Does he try to tell the other group? Do they believe him?
First of all, Dungeon magazine #114 has some cool flavor ideas for swamp and #126 has some cool swamp dangers. If you can get a hold of either you should take a look especially at #126.
Also for a few ideas;
--An area of swamp where ancient worked stones, shattered walkways, statues and maybe small structures lie in ruins sticking up out the muck. (Maybe even throw in a magical fountain protected by low CR of incorpreal undead)
--A particularly foul area of weed chocked water near solid road. A wagon that slid off the road during particulary bad weather could have a very noticeable treasure chest still barely above the water. Then use the stats for stirges for incredibly large mosquitos disturbed by any getting in the weeds...
--A hunting shack owned by a low level ranger sits on posts mostly out over the water. (The shack is for use by anyone passing through the area.) Have a nice map done up of the actually failry sturdy structure.. and the boggards attack during the night.
If the players some how realize they'll be attacked in the night you could give them the day to fortify.
|
Pathfinder 12: Crown of Fangs includes a random encounter table for the Mushfens on page 81. It has some pretty high CR encounters there, but also some as low as CR 2. Between these two tables
I would use this as is... but remember, just because you roll it doesn't mean they see it... just like a hunter might find deer droppings and antler scraping instead of the actual deer that he is hunting.... if you roll a Eder Black Pudding or Dracolisk, or dragon.. maybe they find a scale or bone...maybe they watch a dragon fly overhead.. or hear of the stories of the dracolisk from a retreating trapper... and run to save his friend, only finding some bone fragments and a head (or something). these non-combat encounters can be good filler adventures if yor PCs miss some XP later and need more to face off against the boss... give them some downtime and have them hear rumors of the awoken dracolisk reaking havoc.