Orcish Lowlands - Petrified Forest

Long ago, immense trees covered the landscape that is now a high, barren, windswept plateau.  In the millions of intervening years, all traces of these trees have been obliterated... except in one valley that rises from the lowlands up into the nameless mountains to the west.  When an ice dam burst and released a torrential flood from underneath the ice caps above the valley, the giant trees were buried in a slurry of silt and slowly petrified.  As the climate of the world changed and the ice caps receded from the mountains above the valley, the silt filling the valley was gradually washed away by ages of glacial run-off.  


The end result is an eerily beautiful sight: an old growth forest, skeletal giants sedately spaced and reaching leafless branches futilely out toward the sun, stands as a mute reminder of a very different time.  Many of these trees were knocked over in the flood, making it difficult to traverse the valley on foot.  Agatization of the trees is quite common, and if some method could be devised to cut the trunks (which reach up to 40' in diameter!) and transport sections away they would be exceedingly valuable.  

end-on view of a broken-off agatized branch

The valley today is eerily quiet.  This is a result of the gargoyles that perch high in the trees, their stony bodies blending in perfectly against the massive trunks.  The gargoyles may be escaped shock-troops from the wars that ravaged the lowlands, or they may be a naturally occurring result of an environmental magic source in the middle of a petrified forest.  In any case, they are vicious predators that kill anything that moves.  They prefer to let intruders work their way far into the valley before making their presence known, as the gargoyles love the thrill of chasing victims through the difficult terrain.  In a grotesque parody of flesh and blood carnivores, they tear their kills to shreds with their sharp beaks as if they were eating them.  

Orcish Lowlands - Sword or Blood Grass

Circular patches of strong, tall grass pop up like unexpected tufts of hair from a mole, dotting the landscape here and there with a bright green that stands in vivid contrast to the muted grays and oranges of the thornbushes and lichen.

Known as Sword or Blood Grass, this plant is endemic to the lowlands and only grows in nutrient rich areas that were fertilized by a massacre in the past.  The roots of this grass grow into the decaying bodies, converting them into soil patches in rapid order.  The roots then grow inside the bones that are left behind, secreting resins which bond with the surface of the bone to effectively petrify it.  For all intents and purposes, the skeletons upon which the newly colonized bunch of blood grass alighted will last forever.  Protected inside the bones, special bulbous water storing rhizomes form.  Air trapped between the resin coated outer and inner layers of the bones acts as an effective insulator, keeping the roots safe from the coldest winter weather.

These plants are of note to adventurers for two reasons:

First, if the petrified bones can be cracked open the rhizomes are an excellent source of fresh drinking water.

Secondly, the grass always marks the site of an ancient battlefield, and there is sometimes treasure to be found scattered among the preserved skeletons.

Roll once per turn spent searching (1d12):
1-4: 1d6 rusty spear points and 2d4 rusty arrowheads - still serviceable if fitted to hafts, but until they are sharpened, they do 1 less damage than normal.  At the DM's option, they may also have a small chance of inflicting tetanus (or a similar fantasy disease if such real life diseases do not exist)
5-6: 1d4 badly pitted and rusted longswords (the leather wrapping around the handles has long since disappeared, causing a -1 to hit until replaced due to the poor grip - the blades also do 1 less damage than normal until sanded down and sharpened)
7: 1d4 damaged suits of chainmail (1 less AC protection than normal)
8:  and 1 suit of rusty platemail (unusable until sanded down and re-oiled because the plates and joints are stuck)
9: 2d10 gold coins with a hammer embossed on the front and an anvil on the back (these coins are larger than modern gold coins and worth 2 GP each due to their weight, but may be worth more to a collector of ancient coins)
10: An emerald set into a jade ring sparkles on the finger of a skeletal arm that pokes out from underneath a tuft of grass.  The emerald is worth 65 GP, and the entire ring (which is carved in the form of a serpent with a head instead of tail; both heads have gaping jaws which the emerald rests in) is worth 200 GP for its fine craftsmanship.
11: The blade of a great battle-axe is firmly stuck inside the skull that it cleaved in two (plant resin has since glued it in place).  It is in remarkably good condition, displaying no rust or any other sign of the centuries which rotted away its haft.  The axe head has no decorations but is obviously of superior craftsmanship (it is actually the head of a battle-axe +2)
12:  A horse skeleton with a dainty boned, tall rider protrudes partway out of the ground.  The rider's boots have somehow survived in miraculous condition; the leather is still soft and supple, and the green dye has not faded one whit (these elven boots grant their wearer the ability to move completely silently across any terrain, and they will alter their shape to fit the feet of any wearer up between 3' and 12' tall).

Encounters in the Grass (a 1 on a d6 results in an encounter, check once per turn):  Animated skeletons and ghouls are common denizens of Blood Grass patches.  Ghouls hide in the clumps of grass, leaping out at unsuspecting victims that draw too close.  Skeletons are often animated by the intense magical energies that linger in the aftermath of a large battle, and if the skeleton was first coated in the resinous secretions of the grass, it gains one extra HD and an AC that is two classes better than normal.  More rarely, ghosts, specters and wraiths can be found haunting the sight of their death.

Orcish Lowlands - Giant Horned Lizard

The Giant Horned Lizard, despite its impressive appearance, is mostly insectivorous and uses its long sticky tongue to pull the large beetles and flies that swarm around the hot sulfur pools in the lowlands into its small mouth.  It is roughly the same body mass as an American Bison (buffalo) but stands taller on its long legs.

If threatened, it will aggressively respond by charging and head butting its opponent with its vicious spikes, then bludgeon with its spiked tail and attempt to finish off the unfortunate victim with a trample attack.

The Giant Horned Lizard is the favored mount of the Grey Orcs.  Only the elite soldiers of the Grey Orc hordes receive the necessary training to control the spiky mount, but those that have mastered the art can ride across the lowlands without fearing the everpresent Ochoka bushes (which bounce harmlessly off the spiky hide of the lizards).

Speed: 40' (movement: 160')
HD:5d8+15
AC:17 (2)
Head Butt or Tail Swipe= 1d10+6 damage (if charging, the head butt does triple damage on an attack roll of a natural 19 or 20)
Trample= 1d12+6 damage
All at +6 to hit (or using the 7 HD monster attack chart)

It has a powerful bite but its small mouth only allows it to use this form of attack on creatures that are small (Hobbit sized, say, or smaller) - Bite: 2d8+6, and tongue has a 15' reach and can pull victims in for an automatic bite if the tongue hits (tongue attacks at +8, or an additional +2 to hit on top of the 7 HD monster chart)

Awesome Hill Orc Illustration - thanks Eli!

A great illustration of blogging synergy:  I recently posted a snippet of my old 3.5 campaign as part of my ongoing Orcish Lowlands series - the Hill Orc. This post has since inspired my friend (and Labyrinth Lord of the kick-ass Labyrinth Lord game that I am a player in) Carter (of "Carter's Cartopia") to stat up Hill Orcs for Labyrinth Lord.  His post, in turn, led Eli Arndt (of "I See Lead People", back to my original post.  He was inspired by the Hill Orcs and drew a kick ass illustration of one!  As anyone who has run into a Hill Orc would know, they wear floppy wide-brimmed hats and striped kilts and fight with wicked polearms.  Eli has captured this perfectly:

As my original illustration was of the "for the DM's eyes only" variety that I often whip out in a few seconds to remind myself of key points at a glance, I am very glad to have this much more detailed illustration of my concept.

Thanks Eli!

And thanks to Carter as well, for the Labyrinth Lord stats and the link back to my original post!

Ain't this blogging thing grand?

Orcish Lowlands - Hill Orcs

Much less common than the grey-skinned, stocky orcs that multiply in the great warrens of the lowlands, the nomadic hill orcs are taller, lanky, green-skinned and (don't say this to one's face) possibly related to the hill giants of the highlands.  They can be easily recognized by the floppy wide-brimmed hats they wear to shield their eyes from the daylight, and the striped kilts emblazoned with their clan colors.  Hill Orc warriors share a special bond with the giant dogs that serve as mount and companion; as a young hill orc draws closer to the initiation ceremony that will mark his entrance into the warrior fraternities, a puppy is selected for him by the shaman. For the next year, the young orc must spend all of his time with his dog, training it and building a bond of mutual love and trust strong enough to survive the rigors of battle.

All orcs of an age set are initiated into orchood at the same time, and after the secret ceremony they are sent off naked and unarmed on the backs of their dogs into the lowlands, not to come back until they have survived for one moon on their own.  Some do not make it back, but those who do have forged an unbreakable connection with each other.  Each age set acts as a unit in combat, and it is this organization that makes the hill orcs so effective on the battlefield even though they are not tirelessly drilled and regimented like the grey orcs.

Here is a sheet I used for a hill orc encounter in the orcish lowlands - I statted the orcs up as barbarians (using my super light version of 3.5) and sketched a quick drawing illustrating the characteristic floppy brimmed hat, kilt, polearm and shield that all hill orcs carry.  These orcs are travelling on foot, which is a rarity.

EDIT:

Thanks Eli Arndt for the awesome drawing of a hill orc!

Orcish Lowlands - an introduction

A bit of a misnomer, the Orcish Lowlands from my 3e campaign were actually a high plateau that gently sloped up from south to north and from west to east.  They were called the lowlands because of the hilly highlands that rose above them and gradually turned into the jagged northern mountains.  I developed quite a lot of material for the lowlands as I ran two of my players through an extended journey across them.  This is a general introduction to traveling through the area, and future posts will detail specific sites, monsters, plants and encounters to be found in the lowlands.

First Impressions:  Gnarly twisted pines struggle to reach even 10' in height on the high, windswept plateau.  Every tree is bent to the south, mute evidence of the prevailing north winds that knife off the highlands, carrying the true cold of the north country along with them.  Tough, springy heather and colorful yellow and orange lichens fill the spaces between the choking scrubby bushes which abound like a scattering of thorn covered, four-foot throw pillows.  High overhead, the raucous caws of carrion birds remind travelers that should they meet their untimely demise in these harsh environs, their bodies will not have to sit long in decomposition before they rejoin the food chain.

The birds:  Large solid black vultures with bright blue heads and 9' wingspans.  They circle for hours over any large mammals they see, figuring chances are excellent that something will kill them before the day is out.  They are a more or less constant presence; even if not directly overhead, a few are always visible soaring the thermals on the horizon.  Clusters of them denote battles and carrion, and they gather from miles around to form great congregations (6d6 in number).  They will not attack anything that is still moving.

The Weather:  Roll 1d6 to determine predominant wind direction and weather once daily (there are almost always mixed clouds to solid clouds overhead, depending on the wind strength - strong winds scatter the oppressive cloud cover somewhat):
1-3: North wind, bitterly cold, 2d20+3 MPH, 25% chance of snow, 5% chance of rain, temperature: 3d4x4 degrees Fahrenheit, minus 2 degrees windchill per MPH of wind.  If it is raining and below freezing, the rain is freezing rain that coats everything on the ground in ice and makes traveling dangerous and miserable.
4: Westerly wind, 1d12 MPH, 5% chance of snow, 10% chance of rain, 25% chance of fog (1d10x10' visibility), temperature: 7d6+8 degrees Fahrenheit, minus 1 degree windchill per MPH of wind.
5:  Easterly wind, 1d12+4 MPH, 10% chance of snow, 10% chance of rain, temperature: 3d4x4 degrees Fahrenheit, minus 1 degree windchill per MPH of wind.
6: South wind, 1d20 MPH, 20% chance of rain, 20% chance of fog (1d10x10' visibility), 25% chance sunny (!), temperature: 4d6+30 degrees Fahrenheit

Trails:  Many twisting trails cross the landscape, most narrow paths worn down by animals with the occasional well worn orc road, 3' wide and 2-3' deep ruts that wind their way between entrances to the underground warrens.
Roll 1d20 every hour to determine if another trail or animal tracks cross the travelers path; if the results indicate tracks, roll 1d4 to determine direction traveled (1: North, 2: South, 3: East, 4: West) and 1d20 to determine how old the tracks or animal signs are (in days).
1d20 Trail and Track Chart:
1-2: Nothing
3: Deer tracks and droppings
4: Wolf tracks
5: Rabbit signs (droppings and fur tufts)
6: Hill giant trail
7: large reptile tracks
8: Bear trail
9: Large cat tracks (puma sized)
10: bear scat, bent and scratched tree
11: wild boar trail
12: four legged humanoid tracks (wolfen - a sort of were-wolf like creature that only has a man-wolf form)
13-14: Nothing
15-16: Deer trail (regularly traveled by large groups of deer)
17: Dallen (a centaur like creature with a mountain goat body) signs (white fur caught on ochoka bushes, fused-hoof print)
18: Rabbit sign
19-20: Orc trail

Animal trails and tracks normally lead between caves that serve as shelters from the vampire bats that swarm the plateau at night and grazing or hunting grounds that the animals frequent during the day.

Ochoka bushes and Movement Rates:  Resembling a tumbleweed with nasty thorns, travelers soon discover (whenever the wind blows) that a bouncing ochoka bush is not a pleasant mouthful.  Movement is at half normal rate (1/4 when the wind is blowing more than 10 MPH) unless the traveler wishes to take an automatic 6 hits per hour from the thorns of the ever present and painful ochoka bushes (well established and regularly used trails are normally clear of this threat and can be traveled at regular movement rates, 1/2 when the wind is blowing more than 10 MPH).  The thorns are needle thin, about an inch long and detach only if the barb which sits 1/3 of the way up the thorn finds a home to sink into.  Six thorn hits = 1 damage, but each thorn also delivers a minute dose of hallucinogenic poison.  At 6, 12, 18, etc. doses of accumulated poison in the system (it stays in the system for months as it is stored in fat cells), a fortitude save (save vs. poison) is required at DC 12, 15, 18, etc (or at -0, -3, -6, etc. if using Save vs. Poison rules).  When activated by a failed save, the effects of the poison last for 1d6 rounds per point that the save was missed by.  The poison acts to dull the senses, inducing a powerful fatigue and also an overwhelming urge to embrace the ochoka bush.  While under the influence, the ochoka bush is a soft and fuzzy pillow which radiates a soothing light and warmth, while the rest of the landscape seems alien, dark and frightening.  The poison affects balance and movement, making it hard to move away from the bush but extremely easy to move toward it.  Every three rounds that a PC is within 15' of a bush under the influence, a Will save DC20 (or a Wisdom check with a -4 penalty) is required to avoid stumbling into a bush (2d6 thorns attach).  When a victim dies on top of an ochoka bush, their blood triggers the bush to flower.  Within a day, brilliant pink and white blossoms bloom, emitting a sweet scent.  Pods soon emerge where the flowers shrivel away, bursting to shower the body with tiny seeds - new ochoka bushes sprout off the corpse like needles from a pin cushion, growing rapidly as they consume the nutrients in the body until a new generation of ochoka bushes rolls free across the landscape.  Note - the toxins in the bodies of ochoka victims are deadly to the carrion vultures, so they leave the bodies alone while the bush reproduces.