Creating a New Regional Sandbox for B2: The Keep on the Borderlands

Over on Bluesky, I recently finished up my readthrough of Dungeon Module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands - actually, by the time this post sees the light of day it will have been over a month ago since I finished it!

One thing that struck me about B2 is the regional map, which looks like this:

Not included in the image above is the scale of the map, which is 100 yards per square. Nothing wrong with that, except:

Huh. It takes an hour to walk 300 yards. That doesn't sound right. A commenter on my thread pointed out that this is probably an error:

That certainly makes more sense, but I actually kind of like the larger scale produced by the error. If we just count squares and determine how long it takes to get from place to place using the originally printed guidelines we get the following travel times (assuming 8-hour travel days):

• ~1 hour and 40 minutes from the fork in the road to the Keep
• ~16 hours (2 days' travel) from the Keep to Area 1, the Mound of the Lizard Men
• ~32 hours (4 days) from the Keep to Area 2, the Spiders' Lair
• ~10 hours (1.25 days) from the Keep to Area 3, the Raider Camp
• ~6.5 hours (.8 days days) from the Keep to Area 4, the Mad Hermit's lair
• ~16 hours (2 days) from the Keep to the Caves of the Unknown
• ~16 hours (2 days) from the Keep to the Caves of Chaos

Maybe it was intended for the player characters to be able to walk from the Keep to the Caves of Chaos in 2 hours and 40 minutes, but I like my players to have to work just a little bit more to get to their destination. It gives them a chance at having random encounters which produce interesting and unexpected results and complications, and I want that to happen. I like the larger scale.

I don't however, like the map. I don't like counting squares. So I made a new map:

This map more or less yields the same travel times as those above, and I'll show my work.

The scale is 6 miles per hex. Plains hexes take 1 hour to enter and 2 hours to cross (same with roads if the player characters are on one, but in this case it doesn't matter because the only roads go through plains hexes). Forest hexes take 2 hours to enter and 4 hours to cross. Heavy forest hexes take 4 hours to enter and 8 hours to cross. Forested hill hexes take 3 hours to enter and 6 hours to cross. Forested mountain hexes take 4 hours to enter and 8 hours to cross. Fen hexes and wetland forest hexes take 8 hours to enter and 16 hours to cross. Rivers take 1 hour to cross.

So:

• From the crossroads to the Keep is 2 hours
• From the Keep to the Mound of the Lizard Men is 16 hours (6 hours on the road, 1 hour off road, 1 hour to cross the river, and 8 hours to enter the fen)
• From the Keep to the Giant Spiders' lair is 15 hours (2 hours on the road, 1 hour off road, 1 hour to cross the river, 4 hours across the plains, 1 hour to cross the other river, 4 hours across the plains again, and 2 hours into the forest) instead of 16
• From the Keep to the Raider Camp is 11 hours (2 hours on the road, 1 hour offroad, 1 hour to cross the river, 4 hours across the plains, and 3 hours into the forested hills) instead of 10
• From the Keep to the Mad Hermit's lair is 6 hours (3 hours across the plains and 3 hours into the forested hills) instead of 6.5
• From the Keep to the Caves of the Unknown is 13 hours (10 hours on the road, 1 hour offroad, and 2 hours into the forest) instead of 16
• From the Keep to the Caves of Chaos is 15 hours (12 hours on the road, 1 hour offroad, and 2 hours into the forest) instead of 16

I had to make some concessions due to the self-imposed restraint of using hexes as a measurement tool and placing the locations of interest perfectly in the center of the hexes, but most of these travels times are just an hour off from the numbers I originally calculated. The exception is the Caves of the Unknown, which are pretty close to the Caves of Chaos in the original module. At this scale, I can't properly recreate the intended distances (I'd probably have to include them both in the same hex, which I don't want to do).

Now, I think the Mound of the Lizard Men, the Giant Spiders' lair, and the Raider Camp are a little anemic as presented in the original module, so I want to juice them up a little to make them feel like proper AD&D monster lairs using that edition's numbers, since that's probably how I'd run this module. 

My version of the Mound of the Lizard Men contains 40 (!) lizard men (the original contains 7 males, 3 females who fight similarly to males, and 8 young who do not fight - AD&D does not make this distinction, so all 40 of mine are simply fighting lizard people). I would flesh out the lair to make it a muddy warren of burrows and dens, forcing the players to actually get in there and try to use the space to their advantage. My lizard men do not simply come parading out to be killed. I imagine this environment would play similarly to the Caves of Chaos themselves, with tight corridors and lots of united enemies which can quickly be mobilized to respond together to threats.

I'm okay with leaving the spiders basically as is, but I would change them to AD&D's giant spiders (the module uses black widow spiders, which aren't explicitly a monster type in AD&D). AD&D's giant spiders have a bit more hit dice, better AC, and do less damage. Otherwise they're basically the same.

B2's Raider Camp contains a dozen chaotic fighters - hardly enough to pose any real threat to the Keep. To make them a more proper and dangerous faction in the sandbox, I'm going to treat them as brigands (Chaotic Evil bandits). My Raider Camp has 100 brigands led by five 3rd level fighters, three 4th level fighters, two 5th level fighters, two 6th level fighters, a 7th level lieutenant, and a 9th level leader with six 2nd level guards. They have nine important prisoners and 30 camp followers and slaves.

I want to bring this region more in line with the wilderness stocking described in AD&D's Appendix B. I have 49 hexes total, and 16% of them should contain either a settlement, stronghold, or ruin - that's seven or eight hexes. I already have the Keep and the Caves of the Unknown, which I'm going to classify as a dungeon/ruin, since that's more or less how it's described in the text. I'm classifying all other locations, including the Caves of Chaos, as monster lairs. That leaves me with five or six areas of inhabitation to add.

Let's go with six. I rolled up two single dwellings, a village, two more strongholds (a deserted keep with a monster and a totally deserted tower), and another ruin (a tomb). Let's add those to the map:

I cluster the settlements around the Keep along the river. The ruined strongholds are off to the east, near the caves. These areas may have once been cleared of forest, but since the strongholds fell into ruin, the forest has reclaimed them. The ruined keep (now inhabited by a will-o-wisp) is the one farther to the east. The ruined tomb is to the northwest of the Keep on the Borderlands. Roads still lead to all three ruins, and the Keep probably charges a toll to use them.

Next I want to determine if I should add any more monster lairs. My rule of thumb is that 10% of plains hexes, 20% of forest and hill hexes, 30% of deep forest and mountain hexes, and 40% of wetland hexes should have monster lairs. As of now I have six empty plains hexes, eight empty forest hexes, five empty hill hexes, one empty deep forest hex, two empty mountain hexes, and nine empty wetland hexes. 

I roll and determine that I need one monster on the plains, one in the forest, one in the hills, and four in the wetlands. I place these and get the following:

Here is my final key:

• 01.01: Brownies
• 01.02: Tomb Ruins
• 01.05: Dwelling
• 01.07: Raider Camp
• 02.01: The Mad Hermit
• 02.03: The Keep on the Borderlands
• 02.04: Village
• 03.05: Dwelling
• 03.06: Ghouls
• 04.06: Giant Weasels
• 05.03: Deserted Tower
• 05.05: The Mound of the Lizard Men
• 05.07: Giant Spiders
• 06.02: The Caves of the Unknown
• 06.07: Tribesmen
• 07.01: Green Dragons
• 07.02: The Caves of Chaos
• 07.04: Deserted Keep (will-o-wisp)
• 07.05: Wolves
• 07.07: Beholder

01.01 Brownie Burrow: This forested hillside burrow is the lair of 11 brownies, chief among them Leongath. They are friendly towards adventurers and particularly helpful to those that are Lawful Good, offering to make or repair mundane items. They were friends of the Mad Hermit (02.01) - before he went mad - and can guide the party to his lair. 

If made aware of the settlements south of the Keep on the Borderlands (02.03), the brownies will eventually migrate there, settling in the surrounding farmlands (01.05, 02.04, and 03.05) before eventually taking up residence in various homesteads.

01.02 Tomb of the Druids: A dungeon for 1st level characters. This forested ruin is little more than a burial mound surrounded by ancient standing stones. Here the druids of the area were entombed. Many died of natural causes, but many more were slain in their conflict with the Cult of Evil Chaos. The dungeon is inhabited by undead and cursed vermin, and the sacred burial grove deep within is guarded by Balaesus, a former druid reanimated as a ghoul out of his desire for revenge. He is hostile to all intruders, suspecting them of being tomb robbers or cultists. 

If the Mad Hermit (02.01) is killed and brought here for interment, Balaesus will become friendly (he assumes that the Cult of Chaos is responsible). He is somewhat knowledgeable about the Cult and knows about their shrine within the Caves of Chaos (07.02).

01.05 Hale Homestead: A peaceful farm tended by Edrin and Mara Hale. They mind their business and are unfriendly towards adventurers, mistaking them for potential brigands. Their son, Tamsin, was captured by brigands and taken to the Raider Camp (01.07) while wandering the fields across the river (02.05).

01.07 Raider Camp: See Dungeon Module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, but use brigands. There are 100 normal brigands with five 3rd level fighters, three 4th level fighters, two 5th level fighters, and two 6th level fighters. They are led by Sobek (lieutenant) and Geppert. Geppert is protected by six 2nd level guards. The brigands have 30 camp followers and slaves tending to their camp.

The brigands have seven light horses and three medium horses. Groups of ten mounted riders will venture forth into the plains (02.05 and 02.06) daily to snatch up villagers and homesteaders who wander across the river. They have acquired nine prisoners in this way and use them to demand a ransom from the Keep on the Borderlands (02.03).

• Geppert: 9th level fighter. He is neutral towards adventurers and is willing to entertain them on the off-chance that they will be useful in raiding the Keep and its surrounding lands, or as middle men in securing and delivering a ransom from the Keep.
• Sobek: 7th level fighter. He is unfriendly towards adventurers, suspicious that they will reveal the camp's location to the garrison at the Keep.
• Prisoners: Nine in total, includes Tamsin Hale of Hale Homestead (01.05) and several villagers from Southron Village (02.04).

02.01 The Mad Hermit: See Dungeon Module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands. The hermit is a former druid, captured, tortured, and driven mad by the Cult of Evil Chaos in their conflict. He has encountered Gungroyeth of Wyrmwood Cave (07.01) at a distance in the forest east of his lair (03.01 and 03.02) and believes the dragon is a demon conjured by the Cult to devour his soul.

02.03 The Keep on the Borderlands: See Dungeon Module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands. The Keep controls a number of settlements to the south (01.05, 02.04, and 03.05). Several villagers have been captured and taken to the Raider Camp (01.07) and are being ransomed. The Castellan would rather pay adventurers to root out the raiders than pay the ransom. 

Patrols have spotted Gungroyeth of Wyrmwood Cave (07.01) in the forest to the east (03.03) and have heard reports that he flies over the eastern road (05.04, 06.03, and 07.03). The dragon is viewed as a threat to the Keep's survival, and adventurers are encouraged to seek out its lair and slay it.

(I would also make the Castellan at least 9th level, since that's the level at which fighters in AD&D can have strongholds.)

02.04 Southron Village: A peaceful village within the domain of the Keep on the Borderlands (02.03). It has a mixed population of about 900 and is ruled by Lady Althaea, a half-elf aligned with the Keep's Castellan. The village is a gathering place where homesteaders from the surrounding lands grind wheat, bake bread, and trade for goods. The village controls the road leading north to the Keep.

Sir Garrick commands the village militia (about 90 can be mustered in times of urgency) and leads patrols across the river, clashing with brigands from the Raider Camp (01.07). Several of Southron's homesteaders have been captured by the brigands and are being held for ransom. Lady Althaea would prefer to pay the ransom to ensure the safe return of the villagers, but the Castellan will not allow it.

NPCs and their henchmen:

• Delmare: NG human fighter 1. She can be recruited as a henchman by a non-Evil character.
• Reynrielle Smugbottom: N dwarf fighter 1/thief 2. She and Hurlbert dream of getting access to the Keep's inner bailey and stealing everything that isn't nailed down.
• Hurlbert: CN human thief 1
• Vanelis Silentsmile: CE elf fighter 1/magic-user 1/thief 2. He is a secret agent sent by the Cult of Evil Chaos to spy on Southron.
• Shaeris Summerpot: LG halfling fighter 2. She is friendly and can be convinced to aid the party on a sufficiently good-intentioned quest, such as freeing prisoners from the raiders.
• Damiane: LE human fighter 3. She and Xiomara will fight as mercenaries against the raiders if the price is right.
• Xiomara: NE human fighter 1
• Lady Althaea: NG half-elf fighter 8/thief 11. Loyally serves the Castellan, but will recruit adventurers to free prisoners from the Raider Camp.
• Sir Garrick: LG human fighter 7. Wants to make a name for himself in battle with the raiders.
• Squire Padgett: NG human fighter 3
• Magus Awarnach: LN human magic-user 3

03.05 Vetch Homestead: An unassuming homestead on the edge of the swamp. Harlan, Ilyra, and Corvin Vetch live here, eking out an existence at the edge of the lands controlled by the Keep on the Borderlands (02.03). They are friendly towards adventurers, offering hospitality to those on their way northeast or into the swamp.

Corvin is a restless teenager and will want to accompany adventurers on the road as far as the fork leading to the ruined tower. It is difficult to convince his mother and father to allow this, since lizard men (05.05) and wolves (07.05) prey upon travelers on the road, and a dragon (07.01) has been spotted flying over the area.

03.06 Blackfen Hollow: The lair of three ghouls - priests of the Cult of Evil Chaos who were captured and executed by the Castellan of the Keep on the Borderlands (02.03) and dumped here without a burial. They prey upon any who wander into the fens, and have already devoured Ilyra of Vetch Homestead (03.05).

04.06 Blackfen Den: The lair of five giant weasels - two adults and three young (50% grown). The adults' pelts will fetch 2,000 gold pieces each if brought to the Trader in the Keep on the Borderlands (02.03). The young are not yet totally wild and can be trained as hunting animals or guards if taken from their parents. If gifted to the Castellan of the Keep, the Castellan will grant access to the Keep's inner bailey.

05.03 Aramis's Tower: A dungeon for 7th level characters, This ruined tower was once the stronghold of Aramis, a cruel and evil human magic-user concerned principally with strange experiments and arcane power. Aramis lived and died long before the Keep on the Borderlands (02.03) was built, and the forest has since grown to reclaim his ruin. While the tower has collapsed, the mazelike dungeon beneath, where Aramis conducted most of his experiments, is largely intact. 

A pair of umber hulks has moved in, drawn by the strange lingering magical energies. They lair in Aramis's vault in the dungeon's deepest level.

05.05 The Mound of the Lizard Men: See Dungeon Module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands. There are 40 lizard men here. The lizard men prey upon those straying from the road to the north (04.04 and 05.04), lurking in the river to snatch them and carry them back to their lair. They are aware of the ghouls of Blackfen Hollow (03.06), but avoid the place.

05.07 Giant Spiders: See Dungeon Module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, but use giant spiders instead of black widows.

06.02 The Caves of the Unknown: See Dungeon Module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands. In the spirit of the original module, this area is left undetailed so that the DM can fill it in themselves!

Okay, fine. Let's say it's a dungeon for 1st level characters. My Caves of the Unknown were a dumping ground for Aramis's experiments. Throw in a secret passage or collapsed tunnel leading to Aramis's Tower (05.03), perhaps. The most powerful creature here is an ochre jelly which has been festering in some kind of alchemical sump. There's all sorts of other weird stuff here. Happy?

06.07 Poison Needles Tribe: This tribe are the original inhabitants of the grasslands surrounding the Keep on the Borderlands (02.03). When the Keep was being constructed, they clashed with the garrison and were ultimately forced off their land. To avoid the Keep's frequent patrols, they retreated across the southernmost river. When they came under attack from the Raider Camp (01.07), the tribe fled east into the fens, where they now live in their village.

There are 100 fighting men and women in the village, plus a mix of about 100 noncombatants and children. There is an additional 1st level druid, ten 3rd level fighters, ten 4th level druids, four 4th level subchiefs, and three 6th level druids. They are led by the head druid, Killian, and their chief, Ronan.

• Killian: N human druid 8. Suspects adventurers of being raiders or hired soldiers from the Keep. If convinced otherwise, he will be helpful. He wants the raiders to be driven out, but believes in peaceful coexistence with the Keep if the Castellan will agree to leave the tribe alone.
• Ronan: N human fighter 5. Advises Killian to be suspicious of armed adventurers and other fortune-seekers. He favors an isolationist approach to outsiders.

Giant spiders sometimes wander into the tribe's fens from 05.07. The tribe hunts them and harvests their venom, which the tribe's fighters use on their weapons (save versus poison or be killed). 

07.01 Wyrmwood Cave: This forested cave beneath the roots of a great tree is the den of a mated pair of very old dragons, Gungroyeth and Rustathultox, and their very young offspring, Zergosh. Zergosh is well fed and is in a deep sleep within the lair, while his parents are awake and active, alert to threats from the Caves of Chaos (07.02), the Lawful inhabitants of which often bring the dragons tribute to avoid their wrath.

• Gungroyeth: Large, powerful, and deceptively stealthy. He is of average intelligence and does not speak, but goes out into the forest to hunt for food to bring back to his child and mate.
• Rustathultox: Sleek and regal in appearance. She is very intelligent and capable of speech. In addition to the language of dragons, she speaks the common tongue and the languages of goblins and kobolds. She is the schemer of the pair, remaining in the lair to guard and educate Zergosh. She keeps detailed records of gifts given by the clans of the Caves of Chaos. 
• Zergosh: A disproportioned and overfed very young dragon. Due to his healthy diet, he is often asleep. When awake, he is tutored in the ways of "domain management" by his mother. He is not yet capable of speech.

When hunting, Gungroyeth ranges as far west as the forest east of the Mad Hermit (02.01) and the Keep on the Borderlands (02.03), and as far south as Fenside Cave (07.05). The dragons are largely indifferent towards adventurers, so long as the adventurers do not try to harm the dragons or steal their treasure. They desire the treasures of the Keep, Aramis's Tower (05.03), and Gerwald's Folly (07.04), and wish to drive the Chaotic creatures (who do not bring them tribute) from the Caves of Chaos.

Gungroyeth and Rustathultox each have 8 hit dice and 56 hit points. Zergosh has 7 hit dice and 7 hit points. Like all dragons, they can be subdued and sold. Zergosh, being young, small, and unintelligent, can be sold for just 1,400 gold pieces. Gungroyeth, being larger but unintelligent, is worth 28,000 gold pieces. Rustatholtox, being the only dragon capable of speech, is worth 33,600 gold pieces.

Zergosh is the most likely to remain subdued, followed by Gungroyeth, then by Rustathultox. They are unlikely to serve a Good master for long - for example, if sold to the Castellan of the Keep, they are likely to break free and unleash havoc on everyone inside. Rustathultox, being intelligent, is likely to usurp her master rather than remain subdued - for example, if sold to the Raider Camp (01.07) or the Cult of Evil Chaos, she is likely to overthrow Geppert or the Evil High Priest and rule in their stead.

07.02 The Caves of Chaos: See Dungeon Module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands. The Lawful inhabitants of the Caves (kobolds, orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins) peacefully gather once a month to contribute to a tithe which is then delivered to the dragons of Wyrmwood Cave (07.01) so as to avoid their wrath. The Chaotic inhabitants (bugbears, gnolls, and cultists) do not contribute, which has put the whole valley at risk and heightened tensions among the monster clans.

07.04 Gerwald's Folly: A dungeon for 7th level characters. This ruined keep was built by the magic-user Gerwald to rival Aramis's Tower (05.03). In his attempts to surpass Aramis, Gerwald summoned Barachiel Vex, a pit fiend which eventually slipped its bonds and slew Gerwald. Vex has remained here, studying Gerwald's research to conceive of a way to open a gate to bring his infernal legions to the mortal realm.

Since Gerwald's demise, the ruin has been reclaimed by the forest, and a lonely spirit (a will-o-wisp) now haunts the surface ruins. It is the soul of Gerwald, bound to this world by hatred of Vex. It is friendly towards adventurers, though still very much Chaotic Evil. It attempts to lure adventurers down into the subterranean ruins to confront the fiend, often leading adventurers directly into danger, more so out of blind determination than a desire to see the adventurers perish.

Gerwald's spirit will not aid adventurers in combat except against Vex, though it still understands the languages Gerwald knew in life and may be convinced to help.

07.05 Fenside Cave: This riverside cavern is the home of a pack of seven wolves and their eight cubs. They are desperately hungry and attack any travelers which seem weak. 

They range as far west as the outskirts of Vetch Homestead (03.05), but mainly attack travelers on the road at 05.04 and 06.03. They can be found near Aramis's Tower (05.03), the Caves of the Unknown (06.02), and Gerwald's Folly (07.04). They are occasionally preyed upon by lizard men from the Mound of the Lizard Men (05.05) when ranging into the latter's hunting grounds.

The cubs are not yet totally wild and can be trained as war dogs or hunting beasts if taken from their parents. If gifted to the Castellan of the Keep on the Borderlands (02.03), the Castellan will grant access to the Keep's inner bailey.

07.07 Bogwatcher Warrens: This mazelike marshy crater and its warrens are home to Mirexath the Bogwatcher, a beholder more ancient than any creature in the region. It is hateful and aggressive and will attack any it encounters without listening to reason, though it doesn't travel far from its lair. Despite its lengthy residence in the area, it knows little of what goes on in the region.

Here's a final updated map with some of the monster lair icons changed:

This updated and expanded sandbox definitely distorts some of the intention of the original module. The purpose of the wilderness encounters in the original is to simply provide additional points of interest for the players to investigate. None of them are larger, more complex, or more dangerous than the Caves of Chaos. By beefing up the number of raiders and lizard men in their respective lairs, I'm only reducing the number of viable low level adventure sites in the region.

On the other hand, I've codified the Caves of the Unknown as a 1st level adventure site and have added an additional dungeon for 1st level characters (the Tomb of the Druids). I've also added two 7th level dungeons (Aramis's Tower and Gerwald's Folly). Here is also a breakdown of monster lairs (and the Keep) organized by the level of the most powerful monster found therein:

• Level III: Brownie Burrow, Blackfen Hollow, Blackfen Den, Mound of the Lizard Men, Fenside Cave
• Level IV: Mad Hermit (mountain lion)
• Level V: Giant Spiders
• Level VII: Raider Camp (Geppert), Keep on the Borderlands (Castellan), Poison Needles Tribe (Killian)
• Level VIII: Wyrmwood Cave
• Level X: Bogwatcher's Warren

If we also take for granted the module's suggestion that the Caves of Chaos are fit for 1st to 3rd level characters, than the progression through adventure sites in the region would look something like this: 

Tomb of the Druids/Caves of the Unknown/Caves of Chaos > Brownie Burrow/Blackfen Hollow/Blackfen Den/Mound of the Lizard Men/Fenside Cave > Mad Hermit > Giant Spiders > Raider Camp/Keep on the Borderlands (if the players wanted to say, kill the Castellan)/Aramis's Tower/Poison Needles Tribe/Gerwald's Folly > Wyrmwood Cave > Bogwatcher's Warren.

That's a solid amount of stuff for levels 1 to 3 and level 7. Getting from level 3 to 7 might be a bit challenging, as will getting from level 7 to 10. However, that isn't to say that characters must be of a certain level to confront the corresponding monsters. Level III monsters can appear on the 1st level of the dungeon, level IV and V monsters on the 2nd or 3rd level, level VII monsters on the 5th level, level VIII monsters on the 6th level, and level X monsters on the 7th level. Thus is might be appropriate to say that this sandbox is fit for characters level 1 through 7.

I'm pretty satisfied with this. It's scope creep, but a good kind, where the play area contains a variety of play environments with different levels of challenges, allowing the player characters to grow within it. If I run Keep on the Borderlands at some point, I'll be using this - my Keep on the Borderlands.