The DEARTHWOOD: A Fantasy Forest Adventure

(a D&D module 1st edition)

                                        The Dearthwood: the One Realm Campaign

  The Dearthwood (120' sq miles) One of the world's largest forests, it extends 50 N, 20 S & 60 W of the CS. Home of the Wild Orcs of the Purple Claw. 8 Orc tribes dwell in the forest and worship a white Amazon queen!
  History: Dearthwood is untamed, unexplored and savage though it's outside the City Walls. The Wild Orcs are unbeatable in the Dearthwood, so the Overlord maintains forts around its parameter to guard all against attack!
  Crossed by: Old South Road, and many unexplored rivers. Rumored to exist cursed manors, castles, a lost city.
  Bordered by: Conquerors River, River Roglaroon, Elf burn hills,
  Towns around its perimeter: Woe, Bier, City State, Adderwood, Modron,
  Castles, Keeps, Citadels: Listed below the known ones.
- Fort Valor Bardol the Mystic Mu 7^th NE 30 crossbowmen; loyal to Overlord-  all travelers welcome. Shell keep with courtyard and catapult plus mansard walls. Keep has 30 rooms ; 4 stories. If only no pesky orcs.
   - Castle Sauvage Lord Gulgow Ftr 10^th lvl, LN 60 men at arms, catapults, ballistae. Protects the Caravan Crossing. City State is 25 m NW. Bier is 2 miles S away across the Roglaroon. Is under constant Orc attack.

Notes:  For Both Road and Cross-country travel through a forest or wooded area, sight is limited to 60’ in woods or 120’ on a wooded road due to dense vegetation. At night travel is at ¼ speed and vision is ¼  - unless characters have ‘dark vision’. Wild Orcs and other humanoids see perfectly in the dark and suffer no penalties.
- Elves, Half Elves and Gnomes also move normally and can also hide (90%) in the natural surroundings.

 The only road through the Deathwood is the Old South Road. It runs 20 miles through the extreme SW of the forest; from Castle Sauvage to the Gate of the Gods in the City State. Fort Valor stands halfway. It takes an entire day for merchant caravans to get CS. Orcs always lay in wait along this road (60%), so most Caravans take refuge At Fort Valor.  Only rangers, foresters and woodmen go into the forest otherwise. They follow game trails and rugged foot paths. But be warned-  these are nearly impossible to move rapidly - slowing movement to a 5 miles a day. Travel on Old S. Road is 10 miles a day. (95%) being lost if one goes off the path. Roll daily.

Dearthwood Forest Encounters:
1 Very Rare                2 Rare          3 -6 Uncommon   7-10 Cmmn                                    

1 Baluchitherium       Carnivorous Ape      Giant Boar      Giant Insects

2 Brownies                Bugbears*                 Brown Bear         Black Bear / Wild Boar

3 Centaurs                 Green Dragon           Elven Archers    Giant Snake

4 Treant                     Leprechauns       Kobolds*              Wild Orcs*

5  Weretiger*             Werebear*               Werewolf*            Wild Orcs*                     

6  Owlbears               Wight*                    Barbarians             Foresters

7  Pixies                   Ogres/Trolls             Berserkers               Bandit Gang

8   Unicorn               Satyr                       Geased Knight         Wolf Pack/ Lions

9   Jabberwock        Bandersnatch          Jub Jub Bird            Stirges

10  Vampire*           Wyvern                       Ghouls*                       Gnomes             

  ~  * Indicates a Nocturnal encounter only. They will emerge from a cave, a forgotten tomb or other lair nearby.

~ Giant Insects include: 1 Stag Beetles, 2 Giant Ants 3 Giant Spiders 4 Huge Spiders, 5 Giant Wasps 6 Giant Ticks that mindlessly attack. But they may be avoided if they are not provoked.  Druids will not attack them.

~ Flying Encounters- small flocks of deadly things that will swoop down from trees and attack -surprise 1-5.

~ Humanoid encounters (Trolls, Hobgoblins, Bugbears, Kobolds, Ogres and Wild Orcs) are unfriendly to all travelers and can not be traded with. They love to take slaves, loot parties and kill people. They hate All Demihumans, and think nothing of cutting trees down and setting forest fires. Woodland beings hate them.

~ Woodland encounters (Centaurs, Elven Scouts, Fairies, Gnomes, Treants, Unicorns) may run away, hide or otherwise avoid contact with other beings. They are neutral and secretive. However, They will appear if they feel the forest is threatened somehow- and though they may be good- they will think nothing of handing out punishments and torments to transgressors who violate the woodlands. They will help fight against humanoids.

 - New Monsters: specific to the forests of the One Realm, inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll. See notes

NEXT: FOREST ENCOUNTERS in detail…