This table is written for use with Cairn by Yochai Gal, but can be used with almost any OSR or NSR game. Check out the first article on the forest of Boax if you want to start at the beginning. If you liked this article, take a look at my hovering island generator.
A Return to the Forest
Designed by rawpixel.com / Freepik
This week we return to the forest of Boax with a mega-sized encounter list for your forest roaming needs. This D66 table is replete with tree covered encounters for your players to explore while roaming the hills and dales of the forest realm. There is much danger and much wonder hidden among the primordial forest's boughs, All it takes is a little time under the canopy of Boax's massive old growth forest to uncover exciting danger and fantastical treasure.
Roll two D6s, use one for the "ones" place and the other as the "tens" place.
11. Remains of a fieldstone farmhouse. Only three walls remain. The ceiling has collapsed and scorch marks are visible on two of the three walls. (1. 2d4 bandits still occupy the place. 2. The ghost of a woman who died in a fire haunts the ruins. 3. Every twelve hours, any items or stones from the farmhouse that have been disturbed will revert back to their original placement. 4. The entire farmhouse is a gigantic mimic.)
12. Three five-sided pyramids roughly four
meters tall, carved with ancient arcane runes of necromantic power. The space
between them is dyed a dark red from all the blood spilled here over the years.
(1. Any blood spilled on the
monuments summons 1d4 blood demons who attack the party. 2. Any scars the PC
previously had start to open up and bleed within 10 feet of the pyramids. 3. A
gift of blood (d4 Str) smeared upon one of the pyramids will clear a sacrificer’s
Fatigue from their inventory. 4. An odd humming within 100 feet of the pyramids
gets louder when living creatures get nearer to it.)
13. A spiraling pattern of vivid purple and
blue toadstools roughly 10 meters across with a weathered stone plinth at its
center.
14. Two burned and wrecked wagons strewn
about with broken barrels, chests, and ripped clothes. Within the wreckage is a
writ granting the bearer ownership of the forest lodge of Ogan Hall.
15. A young forest drake sits before a
large group of forest goblins who seem to be worshiping it and giving it gifts
of bronze ingots and gems.
16. A small forest of mushrooms as tall as
trees and ranging in color from purple to red to bright green and yellow dot
the landscape for half a mile.
21. An ancient and weathered statue of a
woman stands on a small hillock. The statue is twice as tall as a human. It weeps tears of
glowing blue liquid.
22. A clearing of fuchsia wildflowers
spreads out before you for 50 meters or so. Thumb-sized bumble bees lazily
drift from flower to flower. Once entered, the field of flowers vanishes, leaving
behind a wet, sucking bog.
23. An image of a snake eating its own tail
has been carved into a gigantic old growth pine tree. The carving is almost 10
feet in diameter.
24. A massive oak tree dressed with
beautiful blue and green streamers stands before a large wooden table in a
small clearing. Chairs of all kinds and sizes dot the area around the table. A
massive bounty of fruit and vegetables is laid out as if someone were just
about to sit down to eat.
25. The ruined remains of an amphitheater
cut into a hillside is before you. The weathered stones are now overgrown and
crumbling.
26. A small copse of trees is woven
together to form a wall of impenetrable leaves and brambles two meters tall. It
guards a stone well. Three Boaxian woodfolk can be found inside trading songs
and stories as they take their leisure.
Woman with Spider’s Web Between Bare Trees -Caspar David Friedrich
31. A woman sits on the ground, huffing and
out of breath. She is chained by the leg to a large stone skull that has been
overgrown by an ancient oak tree. She begs the PCs to free her, saying she has
been cursed by an evil wizard. If they do free her, she flees into the woods
and a minor demon arrives and threatens them for it.
32. A sinister-looking chest the size of a
horse with iron bands wrapped around it and a massive lock. Demonic runes are
etched into the dark metal. (definitely
trapped)
33. Two giants sit with a bald-headed Boaxian
woodfolk hunter, discussing philosophy and drinking tea out of comically small
cups.
34. A small stone platform in a large
clearing looks out over the landscape. Two huge braziers sit atop it. Anyone
who lights a fire in the braziers summons a fire elemental who will answer one
question per day before it vanishes in a puff of smoke.
35. An intricately carved stone arch lays
in the lee of a hill, its surface decorated with stone vines and flowers. (When the moon is full, a portal opens and
Faeries come out to dance about and hunt for mortal flesh.)
36. 1D6 bandits have made camp around a
small covered well. They kick around an inflated sheep’s bladder and tell bawdy
jokes to pass the time.
41. A statue of a hand lies half buried. It
is at least 10 meters across, with its palm open. Various charms and idols have
been hung from its upturned fingers.
42. The woodland around you is strewn with half-buried
corpses and skeletons of fallen warriors, their arms and armor still on them.
In the center of the tableau, sitting in a tree, is a corpse dressed in
intricate armor. His mighty spear is
embedded in the chest of another well-adorned warrior, whose own sword is
sticking out of the other’s throat.
43. 1D10 priests with silver censors are carrying
a palanquin-shaped iron box with a caged demon inside to a distant temple. The
demon taunts them and spits at them, but they seem unfazed by its wrath.
44. 1D6 Beastmen sitting with a bald-headed
Boaxian woodfolk hunter, laughing and telling jokes while they drink ale from
comically large flagons.
45. The ruins of an old stone temple nestled
amongst a copse of linden trees. Its walls have been weathered down to hip
height over the years, and only a few pillars remain. In a hole in the temple,
three giant leopard serpents dwell. They guard an ancient hidden treasure
hoard.
46. A ruined watchtower, its stones moldering
and old. Inside is carved a plea to a specific PC: “Please come and save me
from the mirror world! I’m trapped here and can’t get out!” It is signed by a
family member.
51. Meter-wide stone basins sit atop small
pillars. Water flows up from one into the other, the process endlessly
repeating in defiance of gravity.
The Flight into Egypt, from the Life of the Virgin -Albrecht Dürer
52. A group of Sedgelings stands in the
center of a stone circle. They are locked arm in arm, and in their center a
demon writhes and screams in pain. If they are interrupted, the demon escapes
and kills some of them before fleeing into the hills.
53. The massive skull of a giant lies half-buried
in a sandy hillock. Something glitters in its eye sockets.
54. The underbrush before you is dotted
with bunches of yellow flowers. Anyone who gets near enough to pick or smell
the flowers must make a Wil save against the pollen in the flowers or fall
asleep for 1D6 hours.
55. A large cottage with a thatched roof
can be seen through the trees. When the PCs come closer, they realize it’s even
larger than they thought, with doors 6 meters tall and furniture to scale. It
looks inhabited, but not currently occupied. A fire smolders in the hearth, and
fresh, massive loaves of bread sit on the huge table.
56. A party of oddly dressed men in leather
jumpsuits can be seen in the sky, lashed to large kites made of animal hides
and wood. They are friendly but can’t talk long as they are on a mission for
their Thane.
61. A blue-green forest goblin floats in
front of 2D6 other goblins. He is watching as they search a small, ruined
building. He wears an ornate ivory crown, not of forest goblin make.
62. A broken, half-buried boat lies far
away from any water source large enough for it to sail. It is a merchant cog,
and a small treasure of goods can be found in its hold. There is no sign of any
crew, but it doesn’t look like it’s been there long.
63. A stone table lies at the center of
four tall plinths carved to look like massive snakes with their mouths agape.
Four hooded figures chant in some ancient tongue as they attempt to sacrifice a
crying child.
64. A lone traveler is making camp. If he
spies the PCs (3-in-6 chance), he will invite them to
join him. He is jovial and sings and trades riddles with them. If they answer
most of his riddles correctly, he vanishes while they sleep, but leaves some
much needed equipment and food for them.
65. The PCs encounter a party of Lord Wend’s
men who tell them that they have been searching for a randomly chosen PC. Wend’s
men claim that the PC committed a crime in a neighboring province and insists
that he go with them and face justice. If asked, they produce a piece of paper
with the PC’s face drawn on it. (1.
Murder. 2. Horse thievery. 3. Necrophilia. 4. Unlicensed Haberdashery.)
66. A ruined building fashioned to look like a massive
toadstool. When looking out from within through the windows, the PCs see a
landscape of rolling purple hills with bright blue trees and a yellow-orange
sky outside. The windows are not big enough to pass through.
Landscape with a Farmhouse, from Four Small Landscapes -Hendrick Goltzius
Monsters Mentioned In This Article:
Bandits
3 HP, 2 Armor, 10 Str, 12 Dex, 8 Wil,
Crude spear or club (d6)
-Rude and dangerous outsiders who have fled to
the wood to avoid the law.
-Bandits like to use traps and ambushes to
even their odds.
-Some bandits do wield slings (d4, ranged).
Ghosts
6 HP, 3 Armor, 8 Str, 13 Dex, 14 Wil,
Icy grasp (d4 Str)
-Those who die with important business still
unresolved will rise as immortal ghosts and haunt the places of their death.
-All non-magical attacks against Ghosts are Impaired.
-A Ghost doesn’t die if they are reduced to 0 Str.
Instead, they discorporate for d4 hours.
Giant House Mimic
8 HP, 3 Armor, 14 Str, 4 Dex, 3 Wil,
Massive bite (d10), Detachment
-This is a mimic of epic proportions. The
creature itself resembles a ruined farmhouse.
-Giant House Mimics will remain still for
months or years at a time, only to clamp down on unsuspecting creatures who wander
too far inside.
-Critical Damage: The target is spat out d4
yards away, covered in saliva.
Forest Giants
7 HP, 18 Str, 9 Dex, 8 Wil,
Groping fist (d8)
-These simple but mighty giantfolk grow up to twelve
feet tall and can usually be found wearing red deer hides for clothes.
-Forest Giants are not very bright, but they
do pack a punch.
-Critical Damage: The giant grabs and crushes
the target, dealing d6 Str.
Forest Goblins
5 HP, 2 Armor, 10 Str, 14 Dex, 9 Wil,
Copper dagger (d4)
-The goblins that inhabit Boax are short - only
four feet at most. They have mottled green and grey skin that helps them blend
into the forest.
-Forest goblins generally hate humans and have
been known to attack travelers in the forest.
-Sometimes a blue-green forest goblin is born
with special mental powers, a mind attack that deals d6 Wil, and the ability to
hover above the ground.
Forest Drakes
6 HP, 3 Armor, 16 Str, 14 Dec, 6 Wil,
Gnashing teeth and claws (d8)
-Forest drakes are large wingless bipedal lizards
related to Wyrms and Dragons.
-Forest drakes are the size of horses and have
been known to attack lone farmsteads for food.
Designed by rawpixel.com / Freepik
Wyrms
8 HP, 3 Armor, 16 Str, 10 Dex, 16 Wil,
Sword-like Claws (d8)
-Wyrms are long sinuous reptilian monsters who
can breath fire when roused to anger.
-Wyrms do not fly like their Dragon cousins but they do still have vestigial wings.
-Critical Damage: The Wyrm breaths fire (d6)
in a wide arc in front of it, trying to attack as many foes as possible.
Minor Forest Demons
8 HP, 1 Armor, 10 Str, 16 Dex, 14 Wil,
Fire scourge (d8)
-The minor demons of the Forest of Boax resemble
humanoids made of gnarled and sickened wood. They have bat-like wings and glowing
red eyes.
-Forest demons are hostile and dangerous, but
they are bound by the ancient laws of hospitality. Those who know such laws can
trick them into service.
-Critical Damage: The target is overcome with
terror and flees the fight in a random direction for d6 rounds.
Beastmen
6 HP, 2 Armor, 14 Str, 12 Dex, 8 Wil,
Bronze sword (d6)
-This cursed race of monsters resembles bestial
humanoids with faces that appear to contain a mix of pig, bear, ram, and wolf
features.
-Beastmen were the footmen of the Chaos Gods
who came to these lands in eons past to wage war.
-Beastmen often use poisons to slow their enemies and
gain an advantage.
