Building Brigands Beyond

 If you are looking for a unique adventure location for your next session, take a look at the Hovering Island Generator, or check out the Abandoned Temple Generator instead. 

Building Brigands Beyond:

Utilizing the Brigand to its Fullest Extent as a Campaign Adversary.

When wracking my brain the other day for a worthy adversary to throw at my party of doughty adventurers, I opened up my copy of the OSE Referee’s Tome and quickly stumbled upon the entry for the brigand. Now, like some of you, I probably flipped past this entry a bunch of times without giving it much thought. After all, in a game where your players can find themselves in combat with dragons, demons, and monsters from our wildest nightmares, the humble brigand seems a minor consideration. In the low magic worlds of the old-school renaissance, however, a host of brigands can be a formidable foe indeed! Under the entry for the brigand, their number appearing is given as 1d4 x 10, meaning that you could encounter anywhere form 10-40 armed brigands in a random encounter.

For a higher-level party, ten brigands isn’t much, but 40? That can become a challenge, especially when you consider that half of any given band of brigands is wielding short bows while the other half is charging PCs on horseback. Add that all up, and the idea of your PCs easily steamrolling the brigands starts to seem like less of a forgone conclusion. While the numbers appearing are given for aid in making random encounter tables, we see at the end of the brigand entry that they can sometimes combine into camps that range from 60-300 brigands. This is the sort of size we’re talking about now! 300 brigands isn’t just one or two small encounters, but a true campaign-level threat.

Let’s explore this “army of brigands” idea and see what we can make of them! Below, you’ll find some tables and advice to help you flesh out how a brigand warband comes to be, why they pose a menace to your campaign world, and what sort of tactics and strategies they may employ to push them from an occasional road menace into a full-blown army at your PC’s doorstep!

 

Why are they gathering?

Though usually led by a charismatic leader, be that a respected former officer of an army, a wealthy noble, or even a politically savvy warrior with a taste for the good life, masses of men don’t gather in the wilderness to risk their lives for nothing. Use the table below to flesh out your brigand army’s reasons for assembling.

1	The brigands are from a hostile nation and mean to disrupt the local region prior to a planned invasion. Though they are being paid well, they have also been guaranteed land in the area once the invaded nation has been pacified.
2	The brigands have been hired by a rival noble house who are trying to destabilize the region for the benefit of their lord. They are being paid extravagantly and plied with alcohol and companionship.
3	The brigands are zealots of an evil god and wish to spread their faith through violence and subjugation. They wish to gain the favor of their god and be granted magical and temporal power.
4	The brigands are being clandestinely employed by a local lord as cover for his own evil plan. (1. Sacrifice the town’s folk for arcane power. 2. Sacrifice the town’s folk to his dark god. 3. Kill a rival and his household. 4. Sacrifice the town for immortality). They are being paid well and suspect nothing of the lord’s true plans.
5	The brigands are under the influence of a powerful fey creature who wants to use them to clear out the region and claim it for itself. They are under the sway of the fey creature and believe they are building a better world.
6	The brigands view themselves as an oppressed underclass and want to overthrow the local lords and institute a system of communal land ownership and democratic rule. They are motivated by deep political convictions and feel like they have expended every remaining resource they have save violence.

 

Where are they gathering?

A brigand’s stronghold must be well protected and well hidden if the brigands wish to succeed. They will often pick an already fortified location or a location that can be easily fortified after the fact. To aid in maintaining their freedom, the stronghold is often located in the wilderness no more than a day or two’s ride from a well-traveled road. Use the table below to decide where the brigand’s stronghold can be located and what sort of defenses may be present.

1	A former watch fort atop a hill, surrounded by a field of boulders and brush. Fortified walls. Towers. A secret sally port. scalding sand poured down from the walls.
2	The ruins of a long-abandoned human city. Makeshift deadfall traps. Pits. Watch towers. Toppling stones down on top of PC’s heads.
3	A wilderness camp deep in the woods, protected on one side by a massive boulder. Watchmen in the trees. Pit traps. Trip lines. A roaming pack of wolves.
4	A cave complex behind a waterfall. Hidden lookouts. Alarm traps. Treebound sentries. Drowning in the pool below the waterfall.
5	The derelict chateau of a now dissolved noble house. Guard dogs in the overgrown vineyards. Sentries atop the roof. Trenches. A gated entrance. Half-walls that surround the compound.
6	A wasteland waystation built by a long-ago empire. The deleterious magical effects of the wasteland itself. Walls. Towers. Catapults. Scorpions.

 

Tactics and Strategies

Brigand bands of 40 or less are usually too small to do much other than rob travelers on the highway. They may get lucky and snag themselves a noble, and then they can hold them hostage until a ransom is paid. Otherwise, a group of 40 or less won’t stand much of a chance against an organized military force. Most try not to trouble the powerful too much lest they incur the wrath of a regional overlord and are dispersed forcibly. It is not until small bands start banding together into true bandit armies with forces upwards of 300 fighting folk that they start to become a true danger to the countryside.

A force of 200-300 armed and trained men assisted by magic both arcane and divine can bring much danger and destruction to a kingdom. There have been more than a few kingdoms over the centuries that have been created and destroyed by dynasties of bandit kings and their pretenders. The marchlands are replete with petty chiefdoms and principalities built on the strength of arms of a bold brigand leader and his loyal army. Below you’ll find a few tactics and strategies that you can apply to your bandit armies to provide a challenge and properly motivate your players to rise up and stop them. If players continue to ignore the threat posed by the brigands, try escalating the current strategy or adding another to the brigand’s repertoire.

1	War parties from the bandit camp have been breaking into local temples and absconding with the wealth and (more importantly) the religious idols of the temple gods.

June: Week Two

Apologies sagacious searchers, the realities of daily life had to intrude on my schedule. I hope you'll find the wait was worth it. Today I bring you seven rooms of subterranean splendor and malicious mystery! Read on to discover rooms of faded beauty, resplendent treasure, and billowing fire! If you enjoy what you see, take a look at last week's dungeon, or start back at the beginning. 

Week Two

6/11: The Statue Room

This finely carved rectilinear chamber is 30’ long and 35’ wide with 15’ tall ceilings. There are four statues that occupy the room, two on either side of each entrance. The two statues on the north entrance are carved of marble and are painted in bright colors. They depict matching wolf hounds, their faces fixed in rictus snarls, forever staring southward. The two statues on the southern door are made of polished tan sandstone and depict a set of kneeling, half-naked elves wearing slave collars, their heads bowed.

• North: The entrance to this room from the vaulted hallway to the north is through a wooden door and then down a 25’ long hallway.
• South: the southern end of the room has a wooden door separating this chamber from the corridor to the south.

6/12: The Hidden Vault

This well-dressed stone chamber is 40’ long by 30’ wide with 15’ tall ceilings. The room is filled with piles of gold. The contents of the piles is mostly gold coins, but there are also a large portion of golden dishware, serving vessels, goblets, and jewelry. The air smells clean here.

• North: There is a secret entrance to this chamber from the northern hallway that passes it at a right angle. On the wall at the end of the north-running part of the hallway is a small niche with lots of scuff marks on the floor in front of it. If a weight of over a pound is placed in the niche, the secret door in the wall will slide open to reveal the chamber.
• South: The southern entrance to this room is also through a secret door. An inspection of the walls of the chamber will reveal a loose stone on the southern wall. If the stone is pulled out of the wall, a pressure plate is revealed. Pressing the pressure plate will open the secret door, revealing the natural stone tunnel beyond.
• The Gold: There is 40,000 gp total in gold coins and other gold objects present in the room.

6/13: The Ballroom

This dressed stone room is massive. It runs 75’ by 40’ and has 30’ tall ceilings. The ceiling is painted as though it is wreathed in colorful garlands and the walls are covered in paintings of all manner of flowers. The large room echoes with even the slightest sound. Two very faded and dilapidated chez lounges, one red and one blue, occupy one side of the room next to a small table with a candelabra of half-burned of candles in it. Behind the lounges are a series of silk brocade privacy screens blocking the western end of the room from view. A small burnt patch in the middle of the floor indicates a fire was once kindled here. Otherwise, the room is empty.

• North: There is a brass door though a small entrance corridor that separates this room from the vaulted hallway to the north.
• South: Behind the privacy screens in the southwestern corner of the ballroom is a locked brass door that leads to a corridor to the south that will eventually connect to cavern 6/14.

6/14: Cave of the Hook Beasts

This irregularly shaped limestone cave is roughly 75’ at its longest point and 55’ at its widest, with ceilings stretching over 30’ tall. The edges of the cavern are spiked with small stalagmites, and a natural pillar of joined stalactites and stalagmites takes up the center of the room, blocking sight. An animal musk-like scent hangs in the air here and the sound of clicking can be heard throughout.

• North: A 35’ long hallway connects this cavern to room 6/13 through a locked brass door.
• South: A natural limestone tunnel in the south of the cavern leads to a T-section that runs roughly east/west.
• East: On the eastern end of the cave is a brass door similar to the one at the entrance to the north. This door, however, has been so badly broken that the lock doesn’t work, and the door is barely hanging on by its hinges.
• The Hook Beasts: In the south of the have are 2d6 Hook Beasts who are quietly clicking away to each other in their odd language. The Hook Beasts are bipedal monsters with vulture-like beaks, hardened carapaces, and long hooks for appendages. The beasts are curious by nature and also quite territorial, making them dangerous to most dungeon adventurers.

6/15: The Pillars of Fire

This cut stone room is 50’ long. About half the length of the room is only 15’ wide, opening halfway through to a wider 25’. The ceilings in this room are 15’ high. The southern half of the room is dominated by eight thin pillars made of carnelian, carved to look like writhing flames. The walls of the entire chamber have been painted, although it is starting to peel in places. The walls display scenes of tiger-headed humanoids riding war chariots pulled by horses made of living flame as an army of elves, mantis people, and humans flee before them.

• North: The entrance to this room from the north is through an open doorway that separates this room from the vaulted hallway to the north that runs east/west.
• South: The wall on the southern end of the room has been carved into an arched doorway. Set in the doorway is a polished sandstone door with a brass handle. Beyond the hallway is a long corridor that runs for about 75’ south before it ends at a similar sandstone door.
• The Pillars: These pillars are exquisitely carved from pure red-orange carnelian. If one was to be taken from here, it would be worth 6,000 gp and weigh about 450 pounds. If at least two pillars are taken from a single side, the ceiling will groan loudly. If more than three pillars on a single side are removed, the room will collapse! All those inside the room when this happens must save vs. breath weapons. Those who fail take 3d10 damage from falling debris, and those who succeed take half.

6/16: The Flaming Chamber

This dressed stone chamber is 40’ long by 35’ wide with 10’ tall ceilings. A gigantic jet of flame from the center of the room assaults the senses with heat, light, noise, and choaking flames. There is a five-foot-wide lip around the edge of the room that is clear of fire. It’s not clear initially what is issuing the flame. The wind in this room is loud and powerful, and any loose items hanging off of characters is in danger of blowing away and catching on fire.

• North: There is a door on the northern wall that leads to a long corridor that eventually connects this room with room 6/15. The door is made of polished sandstone and the brass handle is warm to the touch.
• East: The dressed stone of the southeastern corner opens up into a natural limestone tunnel that runs east to a T-section that leads to either room 6/14 or 6/17.
• West: A five-foot-wide dressed stone tunnel leads west, further into the mountain.
• The Giant Jet of Flame: The entire massive conflagration that occupies the center of the chamber is actually a powerful illusion. It is so powerful that only by directly interacting with the illusory flames can one discern that they are in fact not real. Players will take 1d6 damage from the “heat” for every minute they spend in the chamber. Only by interacting directly with the flames (like being pushed into them) will a character be granted a Spell Save to determine if they can realize it’s an illusion. Those who are not successful will receive 1d6 damage every round they are in contact with the flame, though like all illusions, the damage is only perceived, not real. If a character would take enough damage this way to kill them, they will fall unconscious instead and appear dead to those still under the illusion’s sway.

6/17: The Forgotten Dead

This irregular limestone cavern is roughly 75’ long and anywhere from 30’-40’ wide with 15’ tall ceilings with small stalactites hanging down from them. Large parts of this cavern are covered in a spikey yellow mold that stinks of musty, rotting death. In the southern end of the cave, a small pile of bones and cloth scraps is heaped. The chamber has a waiting silence about it.

• North: In the northeastern corner of the chamber is a cleverly hidden wall of stone, fashioned to appear as a natural part of the wall. A careful search of the walls here will reveal the wall’s presence. It is easy enough to break through the wall, if a not more than a little loud. On the other side of the wall, a small natural tunnel runs north. The secret corridor leads north to the other side of one of the secret doors to room 6/12 and right past a stairway that leads back up to the third floor.
• West: A natural tunnel through the limestone connects the northwest corner of this cavern back north and west to a T-section that splits off to either room 6/14 or room 6/16. The sides of the tunnel approaching this cavern are covered in the same Yellow Mold as the chamber itself.
• The Mold: The spikey, lichen-like Yellow Mold is rather toxic if disturbed. Skilled adventurers should have no trouble identifying the dungeon hazard. There is roughly 200 square feet of mold growing on the chamber walls.
• The Heap of Bones: The heap of bones and cloth in the corner is the remains of a poor soul who died here many ages ago. Among their remains is a black steel dagger with a wire-wrapped handle. If the body is disturbed, a Wraith, the cursed soul of the poor person who died here, will materialize and begin attacking the party until they flee the area. The wraith has enough intelligence left over to use the Yellow Mold against a group its attacking. The dagger is a Black Dagger +2, and wounds from this dagger can only be healed by magic.

June: Week One

Hello daring dungeon dwellers! Welcome back to my Dungeon 23 mega-dungeon, The Crucible Of Oxyus. This week we enter June and the first seven rooms of a new dungeon level. Below you'll uncover a luxury bathing complex used by the dungeon's ancient inhabitants, encounter a group of technologically advanced lizardmen, and narrowly escape the stinking horrors of a cavern full of carcass crawlers! Read on to discover more! If you like what you've seen you can always check out the beginning of the dungeon, or try out one of my location generators for more weird OSR goodness. 

Week One

A: There is a staircase that leads up all the way to level 3 here. 

6/4: The Sauna

This humid stone chamber has been carved out of straight bedrock. It measures 20’ wide by 30’ long with 15’ ceilings. The walls are lined with long, half rotting benches, and an iron stove with lava rocks set on top sits in the corner, lonely and cold. The smell of sweat and steam permeates everything here, and the floors are slick with condensation. 

• West: There is a door between this room and a hallway that runs east/west. The door is a banded wooden door with old but still intact yellow paint on it.
• South: On the southern wall is a banded wooden door similar in size to the western door. The difference is that this door has been painted blue. Beyond the door is a short hallway that leads directly to room 6/5.
• The Stove: The stove has been cold for a long time. If the ashes are searched, characters will find a small golden bracelet (worth 100 gp), a thumb-sized iridescent pearl (Pearl of Wisdom), and a set of delicate crystal lenses affixed to a frame for aid in seeing (Eyes of Miniscule Sight).

6/5: Water Control

This 20’ square room has 15’ tall ceilings and is cut into the mountain itself. The southern half of the room is dominated by four upright pipes that extend from out of the ceiling and into the floor, surrounded by another set of pipes that have been bent to run parallel to the floor. This pipe is fixed with a series of control wheels. The air here is strong with the smell of mildew and rusted metal. A thin film of mold grows over most exposed surfaces here, and there is an odd broken wooden shaft with a metal and glass bauble attached to it like spearhead lying on the floor. 

• North: There is a small hallway that leads back to the door into room 6/4 on the northern wall of the room.
• The Controls: The various wheels and switches that make up the control panel in this room adjust water level and temperature in the baths (6/6) and sauna (6/4). The busted bauble on the end of the broken shaft can be used as an improvised mace but is otherwise inoperable.

6/6: The Bath House

This rectangularly-carved stone room is 30’ wide by 40’ long with a 25’ tall, vaulted ceiling painted like a forest canopy. There are two long benches on the northern wall (similar to the ones in room 6/4), and the rest of the room is dominated by a cold pool of water about 3 feet deep. A lip of stone runs around the edge of the pool, although the western edge of the lip is quite degraded. The walls are painted in moldy and faded scenes of a forest glade dappled in sunlight. The painting depicts satyrs and pixies with faces fixed in terror, fleeing from three tiger-headed humanoids with backwards facing hands wielding wicked looking barbed scimitars who are painted on the western wall. 

• East: On the northern end of the eastern wall is a banded wooden door that has been painted yellow. This door leads to an east/west corridor across from room 6/4. A perpendicular hallway in the middle of the cross corridor leads south to area A and eventually a long 10’ vaulted grand hall that runs west further into the earth.
• West: Against the pool on the western wall where the tiger-headed humanoids are painted is a secret door. The outline of the lead-most warrior cleverly conceals a door. If the warrior’s sword is pressed, the door will recede into a pocket on the wall, revealing room 6/7.

6/7: The Explorers

This natural limestone cave is roughly 40-45’ in diameter with 20’ tall ceilings pierced with many small stalactites hanging down. Two thick natural pillars dominate the room, their flowing forms covered in a tiny carpet of little amber-colored crystals that seem to glow with a warm inner light. Standing among the beautiful crystal-covered pillars of the cavern are 6 green skinned lizardmen wearing odd glass goggles and wielding long glowing staffs with quietly strobing baubles of metal and glass affixed to their tops like spearheads. A thin copper wire runs from the bauble at the top of the staff into odd clay boxes the lizardmen are wearing on their backs.

• South: The cave is attached to a long 10’ vaulted hallway that runs east to west on the southern end by a short corridor. A banded wooden door that separates the cave from the hallway has swollen shut.
• East: A short corridor on the eastern end of the cave leads to the secret door to room 6/6. There is a small handle on the wall on this side that can be pulled to open or close the door from this side.
• West: The western end of the cave splits into two separate tunnels, one leading to cave 6/8 and one to cave 6/9.
• The Crystals: Those knowledgeable in geology, alchemy, or scrying magic will know these crystals are a kind of mineral known as lemberite. Lemberite is special because it reacts with the ambient magical energies found under the earth. The crystals grow faster in the presence of more powerful magical fields, but they also have a side effect of obscuring the areas they grow in from scrying and other extra sensory magics.
• The Lizardmen: These lizardmen are part of a technologically advanced underground society located further to the west. They are exploring the caves after having found anomalies in the area’s ambient magical fields due to the presence of the lemberite crystals. The exploring lizardmen have already been to rooms 6/4, 6/5, and 6/6. The lizardmen are led by lead explorer Locgral. 
• Mien: The lizardmen are all wearing some manner of heavy cloth jumpsuits with leather kneepads, elbow pads, and belt. As well, they all have a set of leather and glass goggles. Locgral can be identified by his high leather collar and the steel triangle he wears as a badge of rank. Three of the other lizardmen are wielding the odd hafted baubles, and two more have small rock picks and clay jars for collecting specimens.
• Demeanor: Locgral and the rest of his explorers are Lawful. He is generally reasonable, if a bit cautious. He won’t begin hostilities if he thinks a more peaceful solution is still tenable. Locgral and his band speak to each other in a heavily accented form of Draconic, but he does know Undercommon and Goblin too. If Locgral and the others can be convinced that the party has no ill intentions, they will warn them of the Carcass Crawlers who nest in cave 6/10.
• Means: The staffs with odd baubles at the end are actually detection devices the lizardmen are using to collect data about the crystals before they chip off samples. When used in conjunction with the special goggles the lizardmen all have, one can see magical fields as a rainbow of different colors. The colors vary depending on what kinds of magic are present and to what concentration they are. The lizardmen also wield electro batons if they have to (1d8 and save or become paralyzed till the end of your next round). The lizardmen have access to all kinds of technological wonders back in their city.
• Desires: The lizardmen are from a technologically advanced society to the west, across an underground sea. They seek to understand their underground world but have only just started to explore the caverns on this side of the sea. The lizardmen seek knowledge on any parts of the dungeon that players have previously explored. They are curious also about the surface world, having dwelt under the earth for so long that they now view the surface world as more than a little mythological.

6/8: The Bedroom

This natural limestone cave is 50’ long and only 25’ wide with a ceiling roughly 10’ tall. A large post bed made out of exquisitely carved mahogany with a crimson, orange, and green silk canopy dominates the room. The bed is the sort one sees in inns, large enough to sleep four comfortably at least. Next to the bed is a side table, and across from them is a wooden wardrobe with water lilies carved on the doors. The cavern smells slightly of cinnamon with the coppery scent of the deep earth overlaying all else. 

• East: A narrow tunnel leads out of this room to room 6/7.
• The Bed and Wardrobe: The bedding seems like it was laid out recently and is very soft. Under the right pillow is a Dagger +2, Biter. The wardrobe smells of cedarwood and contains many fine gentlemen’s clothes including a colorful silk smoking jacket and an embroidered fez with the letter O on it in gold thread. Though the clothes are exquisite, they are all sized for a halfling or a child.

6/9: The Echoing Chamber

This limestone cave is approximately 20’ in diameter with a 20’ tall ceiling. There are bones on the ground here in the corners of the cave and a most pungent and horrific smell is emanating down the tunnel from cavern 6/10. The walls of this chamber are smooth and reflect sound extremely well, creating a cacophony of echoes when all but the stealthiest try and pass through.

• East: A short 20’ long tunnel on this wall connects this cave to cave 6/7.
• West: The tunnel on the western wall connects this cave to cave 6/10. The terrible stench of death wafts from down the tunnel.
• The Echoes: The echoing is so bad in this chamber that characters must immediately make an encounter check when they enter the chamber. If characters fail, the carcass crawlers in room 6/10 will be altered to their presence and come to investigate.

6/10: The Lair of the Carcass Crawlers

This large limestone cavern is roughly 60’ long and 25’ wide with a ceiling stretching up to 30’ high.  A cluster of three natural pillars mark where the cave’s stalagmites and stalactites have knit themselves together over the eons through the slow processes of accretion. Nestled about the cavern are a handful of frightening carcass crawlers who have made this place their lair. The stench of the corpse-eating monstrosities is almost enough to stun a person. 

• East: The eastern end of the cave is connected to cave 6/9 through a narrow tunnel.
• West: The southwestern end of the cave is composed of a tunnel that splits as it exits the chamber. One leg of the tunnel turns south and connects with the vaulted hallway that runs east/west. The other leg of the tunnel proceeds west into the mountain.
• The Crawlers: The crawlers here have made this cavern their home for a long time. There are 1d3+2 carcass crawlers present when the cave is first explored. At least two will be hiding on the ceiling and nestled in with the pillars. The crawlers are territorial about this cave and will try and push invading characters out of the cave and collapse a tunnel to block further intrusions.
• The Stench: The stench of the dead and rotting corpses of the various monsters eaten by the carcass crawlers that lie scattered about the cave is overwhelming. The stench is truly wretched, forcing characters who do not take precautions before they engage the monsters to succeed on a poison saving throw before they can take an action. Those who fail take a -2 penalty to attack rolls till the beginning of their turn next turn. Those who succeed do not suffer the penalty.

Hovering Island Generator

If you like what you see, check out the Abandoned Temple Generator, or the Wizard's Tower Generator too.

                                    

Mysterious and odd, the sight of an island of stone slowly floating through the breeze a hundred feet above the ground fills the mind with questions. Who built it? Why? What purpose does it serve? What treasures must lie upon the hovering boulder? An oddity like a hovering island slowly bobbing past a party of adventurers can serve as a fantastic location for a session or two of play. Use the tables below to create your floating oddity and populate it with danger and mystery.

Size and Shape:

A hovering island of stone can be almost any shape or size. For the purposes of this generator, you will be creating islands anywhere from roughly 8 to 31 square miles. That works out to between one to four 3-mile hexes, perfect for a session or two of fun. Use the table below create your hex map layout.

2D6	Size & Configuration
1
2-3
4-5
6-8
9-10
11-12

How do you get on that thing?

Of the many hovering island recorded by the sages, there doesn’t seem to be specific trend towards islands that merely hover above the ground or those that float with the winds. Below you’ll find a table for determining if your island is stationary or on the move. You will also see a table that lists a few ways PCs can make their way to these wonderous places.

D6	Will we be able to catch that thing?
1	It seems to just bob up and down. It dips from ten feet above the ground all the way up to 400 feet above the ground and back again over the course of half an hour.
2	It's only 20 feet above the ground and moving three miles an hour in the direction of the wind.
3	It's perfectly still, 100 feet above us.
4	It seems to bob about no more than 15 feet above the ground at a quick 20 miles an hour in a random direction.
5	The island moves from one edge of the valley to the other over the course of the day, staying 20' above ground at all times.
6	It is stopped five feet above the waters of the nearest lake.

D6	How do we get onto it anyway?
1	Hidden within a copse of trees near the island is a crumbling teleportation circle that transports characters to a similar circle on top of the hovering island.
2	Great rusted chains hang down the sides of the island, stopping mere feet above the ground.
3	An anchor the size of a house, attached to the island by a thick cable, dangles over the side of the island, scraping along the ground as it goes.
4	A decrepit but still functional magical floating platform nearby can be piloted to the island before it ceases to work and powers down.
5	Vines and the long, thick roots of trees hang down to the ground from the underside of the floating island.
6	The island is followed along by floating carriage-sized jellyfish-like midnight blue creatures that can be persuaded through friendly interaction to allow characters to ride inside their bells up to the island.

The Central Point of Interest

The central point of interest on a hovering island is usually the most visible part of the island. Whether that’s a ruined tower or a glowing fungal brain, the central point of interest is going to be the first thing that draws characters to your island and lets them know that there’s more here than meets the eye. It is best to decide which hex the point of interest is in at the beginning of this process. Use the table below to flesh out your central point of interest.

D20	Point of Interest
1	A great fungal bloom the size of an oak tree shaped like a brain. This is the fruiting body of the great fungal intelligence Molanz, the Everknown. The creature exists simultaneously in multiple planes at once, granting him knowledge of the great mysteries of the universe. Molanz is willing to entreat with those who do not wish him ill will and have eaten of his flesh. Those who consume Molanz’s flesh are wracked with horrible stomach pain and vomiting. Once this has passed, the booming emotionless voice of the hyperintelligent fungus can be heard inside one’s head. By allowing others to eat of his flesh, Molanz gains the ability to talk with them. In exchange for knowledge and wisdom, Molanz requests seemingly outlandish or nonsensical items be cast into his fungal flesh, such rare animal organs, long-forgotten foodstuffs, or a specific child’s favorite toy.
2	A decrepit tower in the style of a long defunct empire. There are two intact floors and a basement. Everything Is old and covered in dust. The tower is 1) inhabited by ghosts! 2) warded against divine magic. 3) the focus of an endless time loop for the inhabitants. 4) Full of traps.
3	A bronze and copper observatory with a glowing blue glass dome. Magical machinery within the structure allows it to rotate. The interior of the dome tracks the currents and flow of magic throughout the universe, and odd psychic control panels studded with glowing crystals are used to operate the observatory structure.
4	A three-story tall statue of an elf in battle armor holding the hilt of a broken sword. The statue is carved of a single piece of bright green jade and has a spiral staircase in one leg that allows access to a chamber within the statue. The chamber is always 80 degrees Fahrenheit and humid. It is furnished with bizarre animals from the plane of Faerie that have been taxidermized into couches and tables. A seven-hosed hukkah as tall as a man has been left out with 1d4 lumps of charcoal, tongs, and 1d10 uses of magical pipe leaf in a box. When smoked, the leaf will engender feelings of calm and tranquility. As well, while the effects last, the imbiber will gain the ability to Detect Magic, like the spell. Due to the mind-altering nature of the smoke, smokers receive a -2 penalty to tasks that involve agility or mental acuity. The effects of the hukkah last 1d6 x10 minutes.
5	A temple to a defunct god. This crumbling structure is covered in carvings depicting worship practices at the temple. A spark of the god’s divine nature still persists within the temple’s innermost section which contains 1) an eternal flame. 2) an endlessly flowing fountain. 3) an endlessly flowing trickle of sand (like an hourglass). 4) a multihued shaft of light. Those who quietly meditate for at least one hour there will be able to communicate with the god. The god will answer a single question posed to it per day in this manner.
6	A massive alabaster pyramid with a giant golden point at the top. This structure is a geomantic resonator, a magical device that harnesses the energy of ley lines to lift the island and power its equipment. There are control panel-like devices throughout the island that operate different embedded machines; machines like hologram projectors displaying nature scenes, music machines, mechanical servants, and telepathic libraries. The panel to control the island's movement is hidden in a secret chamber underneath the pyramid.
7	A field of purple glowing crystals the size of houses. The crystals attract creatures from the Ethereal Plane that phase in and out of reality and feed off the crystal’s magical energies. These creatures can be dangerous if provoked. The field of crystals also pulses and throbs with odd oscillations that can cause characters to see and hear things that are not there.
8	The large barrel of a 20’ long iron cannon that hangs out over the island’s edge. The cannon is part of a large brick firing platform that the gun is attached to. With two large wheels, the gun can be raised, lowered, or rotated from side to side. There are five stone casks full of what was once soggy gunpowder and a long ramrod for cleaning the breach-loading weapon. On the ground nearby is a large brick sculpture of an unknown landscape like a large, three-dimensional map of a country. Dangerous antlered perytons nest inside the barrel and fly about the gun’s exterior.
9	A circle of blue basalt standing stones. The stones are carved with ancient arcane runes that glow in the presence of Lawful creatures. The stones are the corrupted remnants of a druidic ritual circle. They are infused with Chaotic magic and will suppress any spell cast by a Lawful character within the circle. Due to the propensity of latent Chaos magic in the air, summoning spells will likely draw creatures from the infernal realms instead of their intended targets. All saves against the magical effects of fear spells are made at a -2 penalty while inside the circle as well.
10	A 60’ tall obelisk of carved obsidian. Black lightning cascades off of the obelisk periodically, creating a coppery taste in the air. The obelisk is carved in abstract spiral patterns that seem to writhe and twist when seen through the corner of the eye. The structure allows creatures and objects from the dream plane to become physically real while on the island. Nightmares and fantasies are draped over the landscape like lurid shadows.
11	A ruined dwarven fortress. This ancient edifice bears the robust construction of the dwarves, with dwarven runic glyphs etched into the walls and a sturdy gatehouse with a lowered portcullis. The structure is three stories tall with a small basement. The interior has been engineered with moving hallways and staircases and arc lamps fixed to walls for lighting. Mechanical beasts of burden and an elevator complete the technological wonders found here.
12	A completely intact and abandoned village. There are no people to be found here, and the village looks as if it was just emptied. There are fires in the fireplaces and food on some of the tables that is still warm, but no people. This village is an exact replica of a character’s hometown, but all the houses have been painted differently. When characters leave rooms, they will often reenter them later to find that things have been moved about as though someone had been in there.
13	Jets of flame erupt from geysers on the island every 20 minutes like clockwork. The jets of fire are part of a pressure release system tied to the mechanical operation of the hovering island. Deep within the island is a series of machine rooms filled with odd mechanical contraptions that collect and burn gas to keep the island aloft. The heart of the island is a containment chamber that holds both a fire elemental and an air elemental in a perpetual state of conflict. Their magical attempts to destroy each other produce the magic necessary to keep the island hovering.
14	A monastery dedicated to the god of the sky. Tall thin towers of stone stretch 200 or more feet in the air. The ancient monks here were stylites who used to occupy the narrow tops of the towers, standing for years on end whilst hoping to experience a religious revelation. The tinkling of sacred windchimes can be heard drifting across the island from the central temple. There are libraries and monk cells scattered throughout the island alongside the empty rookeries filled with Roc feathers.
15	A large bronze cage the size of a fortress. This massive bronze cage has been expertly crafted out of a single humongous mold. There is no sign of what creature the cage might have once trapped. The space between the bars of the cage is large enough for a human-sized character to squeeze through without much worry. Those inside the vacant cage will immediately hear and see blue-skinned giants outside the cage battering on it to enter. These creatures only exist to individuals on the inside of the cage, and cease to exist if one exits the cage. To those inside the cage, they will rage and bellow and pound night and day without rest.
16	A two-story tall statue of a cat with three eyes posed as if waking from a nap. The statue is made of a massive boulder of amethyst that has been polished completely smooth. The small bones of rodents are heaped in piles at its feet. Quietly meditating in front of the statue for at least an hour will allow one to commune with Tikil, The God of Cats, for whom the statue is a shrine. Tikil is willing to grant wisdom and favor to those who worship it, as long as they are willing to make a pact with it. The pact involves killing a mouse or other small rodent and leaving it at the statue’s feet while swearing an oath to Tikil to kill any wererat that they come across. Tikil’s boon grants those who make the pact a +2 to their Dexterity and the ability to track wererodents by scent. (3-in-6 chance of success)
17	A massive telescope made of iron, brass, and glass roughly 30 feet long. This ancient telescope has been rusted into its current position for quite some time. Lying around the device are four horse-sized copper armillary spheres that have corroded and fallen into the grass. Individuals who look into the view finder will find themselves glimpsing the surface of another world. The telescope reveals purple fields and hills with green canals that cut across the countryside. What look like great bands of fish-headed humanoids can be seen herding fluffy yellow pigs and farming oddly shaped red melons.
18	Gigantic old-growth redwood trees filled with the iridescent glow of sprites and pixies. The trees tower up to 300 feet tall, and small faery houses can be seen far up in the fragrant branches. The fey creatures are skittish but will warm up to those who share food and treat them well. These beings have inhabited the trees since time immemorial and are knowledgeable about many things that are now lost. Odd eddies of fey magic wend their way through the island and can lead to unpredictable magical results.
19	A tower made entirely out of large animal bones, capped with an ancient dragon’s skull. This is the abode of a lich who styles herself the Lady of Bone. When she is not researching the ancient secrets of the universe to acquire more power, she collects rare animal bones and specimens. She uses spare bones to create bone servants that roam the grounds searching for intruders. In her throne room atop the tower she keeps a collection of animated skulls that she consults when she’s lonely.
20	A tall carillon tower with brass bells chiming away in song as it floats by. The massive 40-bell carillon is magically automated to continuously play music for eternity. Many of the tunes are older versions of popular folk songs. A keyboard and control system can be found underneath the bell tower. From there, the songs can be turned on or off, or a tune may be played on the island/instrument from the keyboard. Many of the doors and traps found on this island are musical in nature, often requiring specific melodies to be sung or hummed to activate them.

Other Points of Interest

While they might not capture the eye from below like the central point of interest, the interest points detailed below are a great way of filling your island with interesting things to explore, interact with, and possibly exploit. The following table can be used to flesh out the other, less central points of interest on your hovering island. I recommend placing at least one other point of interest per hex to keep the island fun and full of oddness and new exploration challenges.

2D20	Additional Points of Interest
2	Reflecting pool with a perfect mirror surface. The pool is tiled with repeating black, red, and white tesserae. The reflection makes a perfect replacement for a mirror in scrying rituals.
3	Large crystals of green, blue, and purple that resonate in harmonic frequencies when brought into proximity. The effect is very soothing and may lull animals into a stupor.
4	A small waterfall whose dancing waters endlessly transform between all the colors of the rainbow and back again.
5	Drooping fruit trees with green-blue leaves growing reddish-orange fruit the size of a thumb. The fruit will provide 2d6 fresh rations and taste peppery-sweet and grassy. The leaves may be dried and smoked, engendering lethargy and ease in its imbibers as well as granting a +2 bonus to Wisdom for the next 2d4 hours.
6	Three rusted poles fashioned with wicked-looking barbs. Bodies of humans have been impaled on the spikes; their bones still cling to some. Half-rotten carrion is scattered about as well, mixed in with foot-long bird feathers.
7	Piles of elf skulls. There must be at least a thousand skulls heaped into piles.
8	A solitary water nymph who inhabits a fountain. She is lonely and wishes to be adored and worshiped again. If she is worshiped to her liking, she will grant a character a boon of a decanter of endless waters and a kiss.
9	A beehive the size of a house buzzing with giant bees. The bees will generally leave characters alone as long as their young are not being disturbed. They make magic honey that grants a +2 bonus to saving throws against spells.
10	The pelts of giant purple and green lizards staked out in the sun to dry. They look fresh within the last three days or so, but there is no sign as to who did this. The pelts, if properly cured, are worth 500 gp a piece. There are 1d4+1 pelts staked out.
11	A chest intricately carved with vines and grape bunches containing 1,000 gold coins stamped with the face of a mythic emperor on one side and a rampant dragon on the back.
12	Patches of spikey blue melons that float on the vine with the lighter-than-air gas they contain. as long as the rind of the melons isn’t pierced, they will retain their gas and float. The gas is flammable. If the gas inside is lit the melon will explode, dealing 1d8 damage to any creature within five feet of it.
13	An empty shrine with a bare plinth in the middle. The plinth contains a secret compartment that houses a silver holy symbol in the shape of a pair of spread wings studded with pink agate, worth 55 gp.
14	A rusted suit of full platemail built for a giant.
15	A small ball court with a clay hoop set up at one end. A dark brown stain of old blood covers half the court.
16	Prayer wheels on wooden posts that have been pushed over on their side. The prayers are written in an ancient dialect of Draconic. If they are placed upright again and made to spin in the wind, they grant a +1 bonus to the next saving throw of the helpful characters who fixed the wheels.
17	Glass sculptures of dwarves, elves, humans, and halflings turning away from something with looks of horror on their faces. Some of the statues have shattered and are now nothing more than heaps of broken glass and sand.
18	Painted cutouts of human and elven adventurers posed in scenes of mutual slaughter. The painted characters’ faces are fixed in deranged smiles as they carry out their murders.
19	A glowing translucent dwarf hovering above the ground in meditation. The dwarf does not seem to be able to sense other characters and remains locked in meditation. Though he seems solid, a hand or other object will pass through the form of the dwarf without resistance.
20	An illusory carnival barker touting an exciting exhibition of entertainment and magic. Whatever remained of the actual carnival is now lost, leaving only the endlessly repeating cry of the barker harkening folks to partake of a carnival that no longer exists. If the area is searched for at least half an hour, characters will discover dirty and motheaten clown costumes, a half-buried dumbbell, and dry whip.
21	Polished metal trees with steel-grey bark and beaten copper leaves. The trees appear to be natural insomuch as they bear no tool marks. The copper of the leaves can easily be collected up to 10,000 copper coins worth.
22	A mirrored illusion of the characters suddenly appears around a corner. They can perfectly copy the movements and facial expression of the original characters, but cannot speak. The illusion will continue to mirror the characters as long as they stay in the vicinity. If the area is searched, a one-foot-long cube of translucent blue crystal is easily discovered. This magical relic is the source of the illusion. It mirrors biological creatures only, not mechanical things like golems or automata, and works within a radius of 50 feet.
23	A field of red and yellow daisies that grow almost two feet tall. If the blossoms are dried and steeped into a tea, they will grant a +2 bonus to Constitution-based rolls for the next 24 hours. There are 1d8 uses worth of daises growing here.
24	Toadstools that stand waist high, with wrinkled maroon tops and verdant green gills. One can make a powdered poison out of the dried caps of the mushrooms. There is a 3-in-6 chance to detect the poison before ingesting it in a beverage or food due to its distinct metallic smell. The poison takes effect after 1d4 rounds. Characters that save against the poison become paralyzed for 2d4 minutes, until the poison wears off. Characters who fail to save take 2d8 damage and become paralyzed for 2d4 hours.
25	A cloud of odd, floating jellyfish-like creatures that make quiet farting noises when they jet about. These wrinkly hovering creatures are benign and show no fear of anything. They tend to cluster near to sources of magic and will curiously fart along after creatures that don’t mean them harm.
26	Specimen jars the size of a hut containing the remains of three human adventurers. The tops of the jars have jagged holes wide enough to stick an arm through punched into them. One of the adventurers is carrying a scroll Invisibility on them.
27	A creek overflowing with gentle talking frogs. The frogs are a simple folk who relish the natural beauty of their home. They are friendly but will be unwilling to materially help characters they’ve just met, preferring to stay out of conflicts. The frogs sing and frolic most of the day in prayer to their rainbow god.
28	Three derelict gliders made of some kind of lightweight bird bones and stretched fabric. With minor repairs, these craft can be flown off the island. They are gliders, however, and are not self-powered.
29	Glowing crystal staffs that swirl and pulse with light. The light is very soothing and can aid in the quality of a character’s sleep if they keep it uncovered in their presence for at least an hour a day.
30	A small mechanical servant named Wembli with a dwarven accent that will prepare meals for you. Wembli is partially damaged and so does not remember his original masters. He is friendly and knowledgeable about anything culinary. He needs no food, drink, air, or sleep, and can carry up to 100 pounds of weight.
31	A friendly colony of giant bats. The large flying mammals are as smart as dogs and have pleasant and curious dispositions. If properly treated and befriended, a bat will allow a character to ride on its back, though it would be a dangerous journey no doubt.
32	Large boulders covered in humming yellow, red, and orange lichen. The lichen makes a spicy and sour tea if brewed and leaves one feeling energized.
33	A large chess board with child-sized pieces. If the board is set up for play, the pieces will transform back into servants and guards of a now long-gone kingdom. They were the servants of the king but were all cursed by a witch and transformed into chess pieces. They are distraught to know how far in the future they have been revived and mourn their lost king.
34	A heaping pile of stag skulls, all with massive racks of antlers. The bones are covered in a soft carpet of green moss except the antlers, which remain pristine. This is the remains of a sacrifice to the Stag God, a forest god of immense age. If the skulls are returned to the forest and buried, the characters responsible would be granted a boon from the enigmatic forest being itself.
35	A field entirely covered in purple-red roses. These flowers are in fact a magical variety known as Dreaming Killers. If the flowers are smelled for too long, characters must succeed in a saving throw against the magical effects of the flowers or fall asleep for 24 hours.
36	A life-sized gold statue of a legendary hero. Worth 20,000 gp, very heavy.
37	A half-collapsed wall with an intact stain glass window in it clearly depicting a party member. The details are exquisite, down to the clothes and boots. The window has clearly been a part of the ancient and decrepit wall for at least as long as it had stood.
38	Modest stone hovels with sod roofs, surrounding a glowing glass sphere the size of a horse. The huts are very old and very empty. They surround the large glowing glass sphere as a metallic vapor swirls about inside. If characters sleep in the huts or nearby, they will dream they hear pleas for help emanating from inside the sphere.
39	A free-standing mirror polished to perfection. The mirror is a portal to a pocket mirror dimension of the island. It is a recursive space, so one couldn’t leave the island within the mirror, or they would find themselves back at the mirror portal. It is possible that by manipulating objects within the mirror, secrets of the island could be revealed in the real world. There is no color within the mirror dimension Everything is a stark black and white.
40	A copse of apple trees with ripe golden-skinned apples hanging off the branches of the trees. The apples taste delicious, and an entire one fills the stomach as much as a full meal would. These apples can be used as fresh rations. The apples also grant those who eat them two additional hit points in healing due to their magical quality and flavor.

Inhabitants

Although it is feasible that a hovering island would be encountered free of regular inhabitants, it’s far less fun, I think. Let’s give our players some fun friends to interact with or fight. Use the table below to get an idea of who or what might still live on your floating mystery rock. Feel free to use one or all of the suggested creatures in the table below to craft your weird and wonderful hovering island.

D10	Island Inhabitants
1	Dog men and their leader, a sentient crystal inside a rusted automata body. Gigantic neon roaches. Evil palm trees.
2	Miniature humanoids with green skin and blue hair. A disfigured count in exile. Blue and yellow gliding monkeys with webbing between their arms. Living statues.
3	Hobgoblins with a hot air balloon. Living hedge sculptures. Centipede people. Psychic cats.
4	Mud folk. A society of doll people. Dinosaurs. Mute tattooed dwarven priests.
5	Green pigmy rhinoceroses. Gigantic horned monitor lizards. Sentient bushes. Stone golems.
6	Crystal golems. Heron folk. Manticores. A lost explorer who’s been stranded for over a year.
7	Clockwork humanoids. Fire dogs. Giant spiders with human hands. A cargo cult.
8	Talking birds. Living shadows. A permanently invisible illusionist. Psychic mold.
9	Elven wind riders. Pygmy wyverns. Headless men with faces in their chests. Sentient color.
10	A demon cult. Flail snails. Satyrs with magical panpipes. An ancient dragon.