1d10 Halflings and their 1d4 Dogs

My goblin post was fun, and it gave me a hankering to do something similar with halflings. Why halflings? Well, mostly because I like that in AD&D, every halfling has 1d4 dogs:

I have long been fascinated with halflings' penchant for having lots of dogs. In AD&D, a halfling lair has 30-300 adult combatants, the same number of adult noncombatants, and 60% as many noncombatant children. Depending on how you interpret the above, a halfling village will have from 30 to 3,120 dogs (average either ~412 to ~1,072 dogs). That's a lot of dogs!

My sandbox for Dungeon Module B3: Palace of the Silver Princess describes Mere, a halfling village of some 300 halflings with a like number of dogs (the famous Dogs of Mere) who serve as scouts, trackers, sentries, pack animals, messengers, and mounts, and are integral to the village's role in the anti-Gulluvian resistance network. The halfling dogs are essential companions to the halfling lifestyle!

Typically, these dogs are only found in the halflings' lair (their shire or whatever), but I don't see why a pair of halflings wandering the wilderness couldn't also be accompanied by their six dogs. And since these dogs are so important to the halfling way of life, I see no reason not to give them a little loving detail as well.

Now, the Monster Manual says that all halfling dogs have the statistics of a "wild dog", suggesting lean, workmanlike mutts, but this seems a bit boring to me, so my halfling dogs are going to have a bit more variety.

Something I did differently this time was to roll to determine whether a halfling was an adult combatant, an adult noncombatant, or a child. Per the AD&D Monster Manual:

Now, this does say "in their lair", suggesting halfling children never leave the place, but I personally feel that there should be a chance of encountering a halfling child wandering the countryside with their dogs in tow. I also interpreted the Gygaxian "females" (the implication being that they are not warriors) to instead mean "noncombatant adults", because I'm woke.

For each halfling, I rolled d100. A result of 01 to 38 would be an adult warrior, 39 to 76 would be a noncombatant adult, and 77 to 100 would be a child. Include more children in your games! That's one of many things that Gygax was really thorough about doing, even if the implication of their inclusion in Gygaxian AD&D is rather grim. It's especially funny when the children are Evil.

I also rolled for the relative age of each adult halfling (01 to 65: Young adult, 66-85: Middle-aged, 86-95: Old, and 96-100: Venerable) and for "subrace" (according to this 75% are Hairfoot, 15% are Stout, and 10% are Tallfellow), although this doesn't add much except to make them more like Elves or more like Dwarves and to change up their preferred weaponry a bit.

I eased up a bit on randomizing mechanical elements like movement rate, but continued to randomize alignment, intelligence, and morale as those are meatier statistics that give the individual halflings more unique personalities.

Without further adieu, here are 1d10 halflings and their 1d4 dogs:

1. Corin Thistlethorn (LE): 3 hp. A male Hairfoot child (AC 9). Thin and sharp-featured, with dark brown curls and keen grey eyes. His clothes are surprisingly tidy for a child. Although young, he is more intelligent than the average halfling (Int 14). He quietly observes conversations before joining in, and adults sometimes find his questions uncomfortably perceptive. He is selfish and manipulative and enjoys bending rules, knowing secrets, keeping score of favors, and figuring out how to gain advantages over his peers. He is tight-lipped around strangers, evaluating them carefully before deciding whether they are allies or people to avoid (neutral). Treasure: A carefully organized collection of bird feathers, insects, and unusual stones, a slate tablet and chalk used for keeping lists, small wooden tokens representing debts and favors owed by other children, and a pocketknife (no value). Corin has 2 dogs:
1. Bracken: A tan rabbit hound. Curious about everything, he has a habit of bringing interesting trinkets to Corin. Terrified by storms.
2. Soot: A black terrier with mismatched eyes. He distrusts strangers and watches them with the same suspicious scrutiny as his master.
2. Della Copperpot (LN): 3 hp. A middle-aged female Stout. Sturdy and broad-hipped, with weathered tan skin and dark auburn hair streaked with gray. Thick eyebrows and deep-set brown eyes. Simple, durable clothing with no armor (AC 9). Wields a hammer and short bow (+3 to hit). She will defend herself and the village if need be, but is more prone to flight than the average halfling, preferring to retreat and regroup rather than stand her ground (Morale 8). Believes strongly in duty, tradition, and minding one's business. Direct. Dislikes unnecessary chatter. Judges by actions rather than first impressions (neutral). Treasure: A leather roll of woodworking tools (3 sp), a carved wooden mallet (1 sp), a tin box containing spare bowstrings, wax, and fletching supplies (2 sp), and a belt pouch containing 2 silver pieces. Della has 4 dogs:
1. Copper: Black and white farm dog with a crooked tail. Very excitable and has to be leashed at all times.
2. Flintlock: A gray sheepdog. Normally calm and dependable, but becomes anxious and seeks company when storms approach.
3. Nettles: A brown terrier who barks constantly, announcing every visitor, squirrel, passing wagon, and fallen leaf.
4. Pansy: A white spaniel, always covered in mud. Loves swimming to wash it off, then rolls in the muddy banks once she's finished.
3. Hilda Ironkettle (LE): 2 hp. A young adult female Stout. Compact and broad-shouldered, with dark chestnut hair worn in braids. Square-jawed with a small scar beneath her chin. Studded leather and shield (AC 5), morning star, and short bow (+3 to hit). Believes in order, discipline, and looking after her own interests. Not as quick as most halflings (Int 10), but extraordinarily difficult to intimidate or discourage (Morale 16). Greets strangers with a firm handshake and direct questions, quickly determining whether she can use them to her advantage (friendly). Treasure: A whetstone and weapon maintenance kit (3 sp), a sturdy iron lock and key (3 sp), a brass whistle (1 sp), a pair of rabbit fur gloves (2 sp), and a belt pouch containing 3 silver pieces. Hilda has 1 dog:
1. Flint: A large and muscular black and tan mastiff with a deep growl. Shadows Hilda constantly and is big enough for her to ride.
4. Marigold Brambletoe (LG): 5 hp. A young adult female Hairfoot. Lean and athletic with tan skin. She wears practical country clothing and keeps her curly brown hair tied back with a strip of green cloth. Shield (AC 8), hand axe, and short bow (+3 to hit). A shepherd and rabbit hunter who will defend herself and the village if needed, but prefers avoiding danger (Morale 10). Polite but cautious. She prefers to observe a stranger's actions before judging their character (neutral). Treasure: A leather pouch containing 30 silver sling bullets (3 sp), a rabbit fur-lined waterskin strap decorated with smooth and shiny river stones (2 sp), a carved wooden whistle (1 sp), a 20' length of hempen rope (2 sp), and a belt pouch containing 3 silver pieces. Marigold has 4 dogs:
1. Cricket: A fearless brown terrier missing an ear. Will charge barking at animals several times his size. 
2. Digger: A stubborn tan farm dog who refuses to relinquish a bone and often buries them to save for later, quickly forgetting where he put them.
3. Fern: A black and white sheepdog with an adept understanding of whistles and hand signals.
4. Willow: An excessively friendly white spaniel who is quick to show her belly to strangers.
5. Milo Greenbottle (LG): 1 hp. A young adult male Hairfoot. Broad-shouldered and sunburned. Dark brown hair cropped short. Leather armor (AC 7) and hand axe. A part-time woodsman and trapper who will defend himself and the village if needed. He readily offers directions, local gossip, or a meal to adventurers (friendly). Treasure: A well-maintained sharpening stone in a leather pouch (3 sp), a set of three iron rabbit snares (4 sp), a carved wooden militia badge (2 sp), and a small belt pouch containing 4 silver pieces. Milo has 2 dogs:
1. Patch: A clever black and white sheepdog. Loves wagon rides. Fiercely protective of Milo.
2. Thistle: A tan rabbit hound that eagerly follows scents but is easily distracted by squirrels. Howls at the full moon.
6. Myrtle Goodbarrel (LG): 5 hp. An old adult female Hairfoot noncombatant (AC 9). Short and round-faced, with a mass of white curls bursting from her bonnet. Kindly but unfocused blue eyes. Laugh lines and rough hands. She has a habit of forgetting what she was saying halfway through a conversation, forgetting names, and repeating stories. and is confused by complicated explanation of unfamiliar ideas (Int 5). She has a warm heart and generous spirit and is eager to help and quick to trust those who behave kindly (helpful). Treasure: A hand-knitted wool shawl with simple floral patterns (3 sp), a wll-used silver cooking spoon (2 sp), a basket containing several jars of berry preserves (3 sp), and a cloth purse containing 3 silver pieces. Myrtle has 1 dog:
1. Buttercup: A brown lap dog that greets nearly everyone as though they were a long-lost friend. Blind and always underfoot.
7. Neddo Burrows (N): 2 hp. A male Hairfoot child (AC 9). Small and wiry with unruly chestnut hair and a scatter of freckles. Grass stains on clothing. Curious and adventurous around friends, he becomes shy, suspicious, and rude in the presence of strangers (unfriendly). He may hide behind a fence or in bushes, refuse to answer questions, or insist on being left alone. Treasure: A homemade wooden toy boat, a toy sling, and a collection of interesting stones and bird feathers (no value). Neddo has 1 dog:
1. Snap: A scruffy black terrier pup that barks constantly at strangers and chases anything that moves. More noisy than useful. Digs holes constantly - a source of frustration for Neddo's parents.
8. Odo Tealeaf (N): 5 hp. A middle-aged male Hairfoot noncombatant (AC 9). Stocky and weathered, with a broad nose, rosy cheeks, and a thick mop of curly black hair graying at the temples. Wears a comfortable faded green vest, loose linen shirt, and sturdy trousers with patches. Gathers herbs, mushrooms, and berries to sell in nearby settlements. He enjoys meeting new people and is usually willing to share gossip, directions, or advice (friendly). Treasure: A wicker basket containing bundles of dried herbs (3 sp), a well-made knife with a curved iron blade (3 sp), a small jar of blackberry preserves (2 sp), and a leather pouch containing 4 silver pieces. Odo has 4 dogs:
1. Old Bran: A gray farm dog with arthritis. Moves slowly on cold mornings and walks with a limp.
2. Poppy: A brown and white spaniel that investigates every unfamiliar scent, object, and visitor. No concept of personal space.
3. Rascal: A black terrier that begs constantly and is prone to stealing food.
4. Tumble: A tan rabbit hound unable to distinguish cats from dogs.
9. Rosie Hayfoot (LG): 3 hp. A middle-aged female Hairfoot noncombatant (AC 9). Plump and cheerful, with graying auburn curls in a loose braid. Wears a patched dress beneath a sturdy apron with pockets for sewing supplies, dog treats, and other odds and ends. Known for raising dogs, mending clothing, and helping travelers in need of food or directions. She gladly shares local information and offers any hospitality she can (helpful). Treasure: A basket of fine sewing supplies (3 sp), a hand-carved wooden dog comb decorated with simple floral patterns (2 sp), a small tin box containing dried medicinal herbs (2 sp), and a leather purse containing 3 silver pieces. Rosie has 4 dogs:
1. Button: A gray lap dog which fetches dropped items and warns Rosie of visitors. Seems to understand far more speech than most dogs.
2. Cloud: A white farm dog which spends most of its day napping in the sun, requiring considerable encouragement to move.
3. Hazel: A brown spaniel that accompanies Rosie on walks and fetches sticks from ponds. Happily tolerates having her ears pulled, and often follows along with halfling youngsters.
4. Tinker: A sharp black and tan terrier that keeps vermin out of Rosie's pantry and woodshed. Chases squirrels obsessively.
10. Tobin Underbough (LG): 4 hp. A highly intelligent (Int 13) young adult male Hairfoot noncombatant (AC 9). Slim, with sandy-brown curls, hazel eyes, and a thoughtful expression. Dressed in a neat brown waistcoat with pockets for notebooks and pencils. Ink- and soil-stained hands. Enjoys reading almanacs, keeping careful records of planting dates, and breeding dogs. Politely cautious towards adventurers until proven trustworthy (neutral). Cowardly (Morale 5). Treasure: A well-used leather-bound planting journal filled with notes on crop rotations and weather observations (4 sp), a carved wooden whistle (2 sp), a brass-rimmed magnifying lens (3 sp), and a wool coin purse contain 2 silver pieces. Tobin has 3 dogs:
1. Brindle: A black and tan spaniel who always has a stick in his mouth. Greets guests with the stick, eager for them to throw it.
2. Moss: A tan mixed-breed farm dog, quiet and watchful. Sleeps belly-up.
3. Pip: A brown and white terrier trained to keep rats and mice away from granaries. Missing the tip of one ear from an encounter with a particularly fearsome barn rat. Distrusts strangers, barking furiously until Tobin assures him they're welcome.

1d10 Randomized Goblins

If you've been following along with the play reports for my B1 campaign, you probably know all about the goblins of Quasqueton with which the player characters have allied themselves. They were, until recently, led by Grilk, their tight-lipped leader, who traded information and bare minimum friendship in exchange for goods and services. Grilk's squire is Viss. The ratcatcher is Narka, the cook is Rekk, and the scout is Tobb.

There are also the goblins which fell under the sway of the Stonespeaker clan of orcs - Pigmug, the sentry captured and brought back to Grilk, Numbnuts, the cowardly mapmaker, Lumpknuckles, who is good at listening, and Slug, who is good at counting.

In a recent session, the party united with their goblin allies to fend off an attack from the orcs into goblin territory. During the battle, one of their goblin allies was slain. Normally, that would be the extent of information known about the loss. One less goblin. However, since I had named each goblin and was keeping track of which goblin was where and who was taking wounds, I knew that it was Grilk, the goblins' leader, who had fallen. 

In addition, Narka was seriously wounded. Rekk distinguished himself with his deadly meat tenderizer mace. Lumpknuckles, who had killed the party's mage, Malkara, was killed in revenge. Numbnuts, who was a known coward, was offered the opportunity to surrender. In the following session, it was Grilk's squire, Viss, who first agreed to join the party in their counterattack, echoing their battle cry "For Grilk!"

Because each of them has a name, the individual goblins have begun to develop personalities and reputations, which will come into play when they hold a Goblins' Moot to determine who their next leader will be. Because they have names, it's actually meaningful when one of them takes a wound or falls in battle. Instead of five goblins inhabiting a few rooms in the dungeon, it feels like a community. They're NPCs, not just monsters. It's really enriched the play experience.

Because of that, I started thinking about how else to distinguish a handful of goblins. I looked at the AD&D Monster Manual entry for goblins, which looks like this:

Here's what I did: For each of Armor Class, Move, weapon, Intelligence, Size, and Morale I rolled 2d6. A result of 6 to 8 indicates that the individual goblin has the values typical of a goblin. A result of 4 to 5 or 9 to 10 means they have slightly below or above average values, and a result of 2 to 3 or 11 to 12 means they have significantly below or above average values. That is, they have better or worse armor or weapon quality than normal, they move faster or slower, they are more or less intelligent, and so on.

Hit points and individual treasure are determined as usual. For alignment, roll 2d20. A result of 18, 19, or 20 means the goblin has the opposite alignment (Chaotic or Good). Then roll 2d4. A 1 changes Lawful or Good to Neutral, and a 4 changes Chaotic or Evil to Neutral. 

I also made a reaction roll for each to determine their attitude towards the party (+1 if they are Lawful, -1 if they are Chaotic, +2 if they are Good, and -2 if they are Evil - so the typical Lawful Evil goblin has a -1 modifier to the reaction roll).

Then, try to make sense of the results.

Here are my ten randomized goblins:

1. Brukket (LE): 1 hp. Stocky with ash-gray skin and a perpetually runny nose. Snot-crusted padded armor and a wooden shield painted with a black handprint (AC 6). Dagger with a horn grip (1d4 damage). Hip injury and an abundance of caution (MV 3). Believes that everyone should know their place. Merciless but dependable. Does not panic easily (Morale 12). Reaction: Adventurers have proved to be staunch allies in the past. Perhaps these are the same (friendly). Quote: "Brukket has met worse people than you." Treasure: In a leather tobacco pouch inside his gambeson, 5 silver coins, a silver needle (1 sp), a silver buckle from a child's shoe (2 sp), a pair of silver cuff fasteners (2 sp), and a tiny silver saint's token (1 sp).
2. Gorrik (LG): 4 hp. Three and a half feet tall. Broad-faced, with russet-brown skin and a twice-broken nose. Quiet confidence makes him seem larger than he is. Quilted suit of padded armor stitched with red thread, no shield (AC 7). Injured his leg defending younglings from a cave bear (MV 4). Shortened halberd reinforced with copper bands (1d10 damage). Prefers resolving disputes through compromise. Little patience for bullies. Does not abandon allies lightly and places himself at risk (Morale 12). Reaction: Readily offers directions, assistance, and warnings (helpful). Quote: "Gorrik will stand in the front!" Treasure: In a patched satchel, 2 silver coins, a silver whistle (2 sp), a pair of silver boot buckles (3 sp), and a small silver acorn charm (1 sp).
3. Grikka (CE): 2 hp. Mottled green-gray, scarred, gaunt, stooped, and mangy, with a mouth full of jagged, uneven teeth. Battered wooden shield with crude red handprints, no armor (AC 8). Cleaver-like hand axe (1d6 damage). Nervous, jerky movements (MV 8). Impatient, with difficulty planning or grasping consequences beyond the immediate future (low intelligence). Resent authority, enjoys causing fear, and indulges her impulses whenever possible. Steals from allies, ignores instructions she dislikes, and delights in petty cruelty. Reaction: Sees strangers as opportunities for violence. Insults, threatens, and accuses, regardless of whether it makes sense (hostile). Quote: "Nobody tells Grikka what to do!" Treasure: Stuffed in a stinky, grimy pouch, 4 silver coins, a bent silver spoon with bite marks (2 sp), a tiny silver bell (1 sp), and a silver button engraved with a flowering vine (1 sp).
4. Nizbit (LE): 1 hp. Scarcely three feet tall. Perpetually tangled hair. Bright eyes that miss little. Childhood illness left her with a tremor and limp (MV 3). Patched leather, no shield (AC 7). A small knife for cutting purses (1d4 damage). Very intelligent and capable of reading and writing. Corrects others' mistakes under her breath. Honors chains of command and written agreements. Aware of her own fragility and among the first to abandon a hopeless situation (Morale 7). Reaction: Adventurers are disruptive forces that complicated arranged plans (unfriendly). Quote: "What does Nizbit stand to gain?" Treasure: Carefully concealed within clothing, 3 silver coins, am engraved silver thimble (4 sp), a small silver letter opener with ivory grip (3 sp), a tarnished silver ink pot (2 sp), and a pair of mismatched silver cuff links (3 sp).
5. Sazhka (NE): 2 hp. Four and a quarter feet tall, whip-thin, with sharp cheekbones and copper-colored eyes. Fitted padded armor beneath a dark wool cloak, no shield (AC 7). Broad-bladed short sword, grip wrapped in dyed leather (1d6 damage). Never hurries into melee (MV 4). Very intelligent, remembering names, debts, and slights, but only shows it after others have underestimated her. An excellent conversationalist, though she always learns more than she reveals. Her foremost loyalty is to herself. Determined, composed, and calculating even in dire circumstances (Morale 14). Reaction: Does not assume goodwill, but neither does she seek conflict without reason (neutral). Quote: "Sazhka has no quarrel with you. Let's keep it that way." Treasure: In a hidden pocket sewn into her cloak, 6 silver coins, a silver signet ring (4 sp), a pair of silver feather hairpins (3 sp), and a small silver vial stopper on a fine chain (2 sp).
6. Skritch (CN): 7 hp. Mottled gray-green skin and a greasy smile. A crooked left leg forces him to limp (MV 4). Ill-fitting scraps of leather, no shield (AC 7). Warped short spear with a rust-speckled head (1d4 damage). Insists it is "perfectly balanced" and becomes defensive if anyone suggests otherwise. An individualist uninterested in politics. Unreliable. Collects candle wax and kneads it together into a single lumpy mass. Reaction: Regards adventurers as he would a stray dog - a friend, a foe, or food (neutral). Quote: *shrug* "Not Skritch's problem." Treasure: A fist-sized gob of wax formed around 5 silver coins, a flattened silver thimble (3 sp), and two silver-plated cufflinks (4 sp).
7. Tazren (NG): 1 hp. A little over four feet tall and lanky, with a fox-like face. Moves quickly on his long legs (MV 9). Dull iron and bronze scale mail, no shield (AC 5). Short sword (1d6 damage). Very intelligent, with an interest in maps, languages, and other cultures. Enjoys solving problems through planning rather than force. Wishes to make the world a little better, and tries to lead by example. Reaction: Cautious curiosity. Actions speak louder than words (neutral). Quote: "Tazren will judge you by your deeds, not your words." Treasure: Wrapped in waxcloth beneath his armor, 4 silver coins, a silver compass case (3 sp), an engraved silver spoon (2 sp), a pair of silver collar studs (2 sp), and a silver fishhook (1 sp).
8. Vezra (CE): 6 hp. Lean. Deep charcoal skin and large amber eyes. Black hair braided into thin cords with beads of bone, shell, and stone. Quilted padded armor and hide-covered shield (AC 6). Notch-edged short sword (1d6 damage). Very intelligent and adept at identifying and manipulating others' insecurities. Resists rules, traditions, and attempts at control in favor of personal power, amusement, and self-interest. Courage depends heavily on circumstance (Morale 7). Reaction: Adventurers threaten her independence and power. Lashes out with sarcasm, intimidation, and provocation (hostile). Quote: "Careful, Vezra bites back." Treasure: In a leather purse stitched inside her armor, 2 silver coins, a silver ring engraved with crude lightning bolts (2 sp), a silver cloak clasp shaped like a bat (1 sp), and a silver whistle (1 sp).
9. Vrizka (LE): 3 hp. At nearly five feet tall, she towers above most goblins. Carries herself with confidence, shoulders back and chin lifted. Dark hair braided tightly against her scalp. Chain mail, no shield (AC 5). Hand axe (1d6 damage). Very intelligent - notices inconsistencies in stories and is a skilled negotiator. Prioritizes the strength and prosperity of the group, especially if she benefits. Reaction: Adventurers are neither enemies nor allies until circumstances dictate otherwise (neutral). Quote: "So Vrizka is understood, then?" Treasure: Carefully wrapped in cloth, 4 silver coins, a silver-handled sewing needle (3 sp), a pair of engraved silver rings (4 sp), and a polished silver brooch missing its pin (3 sp).
10. Zharka (LE): 2 hp. Wiry. Sharp features. Doesn't blink enough. Sickly olive skin with roughly cropped hair. Moves with an awkward stiffness and limp (MV 4). Reacts poorly to comments about it or offers of assistance. Studded leather and shield (AC 5). Nicked short sword (1d6 damage). Obeys those strong enough to deserve it.  Reaction: Adventurers are thieves, murderers, and conquerors. Advocates violence and watches constantly for betrayal (hostile). Quote: "Zharka doesn't like you!" Treasure: A tightly knotted belt pouch containing 6 silver coins, an engraved silver needle (3 sp), and a pair of silver earrings missing their clasps (2 sp).

Here's a simplified list:

1. Brukket: LE. 1 hp. Padded armor and shield (AC 6). Dagger (1d4). MV 3. Int 10. Morale 12. Friendly. 11 sp.
2. Gorrik: LG. 4 hp. Padded armor (AC 7). Halberd (1d10). MV 4. Int 8. Morale 12. Helpful. 8 sp.
3. Grikka: CE. 2 hp. Shield (AC 8). Hand axe (1d6). MV 8. Int 6. Morale 8. Hostile. 8 sp.
4. Nizbit: LE. 1 hp. Leather armor (AC 7). Knife (1d4). MV 3. Int 12. Morale 7. Unfriendly. 15 sp.
5. Sazhka: NE. 2 hp. Padded armor (AC 7). Short sword (1d6). MV 4. Int 8. Morale 14. Neutral. 15 sp.
6. Skritch: CN. 7 hp. Leather armor (AC 7). Short spear (1d4). MV 4. Int 8. Morale 9. Neutral. 12 sp.
7. Tazren: NG. 1 hp. Scale mail (AC 5). Short sword (1d6). MV 9. Int 11. Morale 10. Neutral. 12 sp.
8. Vezra: CE. 6 hp. Padded armor and shield (AC 6). Short sword (1d6). MV 6. Int 11. Morale 7. Hostile. 6 sp.
9. Vrizka: LE. 3 hp. Chain mail (AC 5). Hand axe (1d6). MV 6. Int 11. Morale 10. Neutral. 14 sp.
10. Zharka: LE. 2 hp. Studded leather and shield (AC 5). Short sword (1d6). MV 4. Int 9. Morale 9. Hostile. 11 sp.

Now, this is a lot to keep track of. It's hard enough on a DM to keep track of ten goblins at a time, let alone their individual personalities, values, motivations, intellects, and - when combat is joined - who has what AC and which weapon, how fast they move, and how brave they are. It's not exactly practical, and it's for this reason that monsters have standardized stat arrays. Ten individual goblins tend to quickly become a blob of ten goblins when the DM is using their processing power on other things, and that's okay.

There are degrees of complexity to engage with, and you can pick the one that works best for you. If you have a room with 10 goblins in it, maybe you don't want to write a paragraph for each one, and that's fine. You could just flesh out their leader and leave the rest non-descript until you need to breathe more life into them at the table. The leader speaks for them all, and their reaction is colored by their leader's.

If the goblins control more territory than just a single room, you can spread them out a bit, so that just a few are encountered at a time. That gives you more room to individually describe them in your key. At bare minimum, you could give each of them a name and one distinguishing feature. This could be how they look, a personality trait, something that they're doing, or a mechanical exception. This goblin is a liar. That goblin is a chef. The other one has an overbite. That one moves quickly. This is what I did with the goblins in Quasqueton, and it has paid dividends for my game.

Too often, "faceless" monsters are the default. The goblins are just goblins. D&D is often criticized for making its humanoid monsters "people-like" but not fully realized people, and that is largely because doing so is hard. The point of this post is to show that these monsters are what the DM makes of them.

A Treasure Map Could Be Your Next Adventure Hook

Let's do some quick dungeon math. According to the AD&D DMG, 4 in 20 (or 1 in 5) dungeon rooms contain treasure (three guarded by monsters and one unguarded):

When determining exactly what treasure is in a room, you roll on this table once for unguarded treasure and twice for treasure guarded by monsters, adding 10% to the roll in the latter case:

There is a 3% chance of an unguarded treasure room containing magic items and a 26% chance of a treasure room guarded by monsters containing magic items (13% chance because of the +10% to the roll, times two because we're rolling twice). 

Again, 1 in 20 (5%) of rooms will contain unguarded treasure, and 3 in 20 (15%) of rooms will contain treasure guarded by monsters. Thus, 0.15% of all rooms will contain unguarded magic items and 3.9% of all rooms will contain guarded magic items. 4.05% of total rooms will have treasure containing magic items - roughly 4 in 100 or 1 in 25. Interestingly, while all other treasure types scale with dungeon level, number of magic items does not.

Here's what I'm interested in - 10% of magic items are actually maps. What kind of maps? Treasure maps, of course:

"But wait!" you might say, "This excerpt says 'This system can be used for monsters you place on the outdoor map as well as for monsters randomly encountered by a party exploring the wilderness.' It doesn't say anything about dungeons. And TABLE V.G. above even says to 'Roll once on Magic Items Table' - nothing about maps!"

And you would be right. The MAP OR MAGIC DETERMINATION table likely refers to the rightmost column on the treasure table in the Monster Manual:

These treasure types are typically found only in wilderness monster lairs. Some are found as "individual treasure" (i.e. coinage carried in the pockets of goblins and such), but none of those types have a chance to contain maps.

So there you have it - no treasure maps in dungeons. Except:

This seems to indicate that treasures maps can be found in dungeons. Presumably, when the term "monster's lair" is used in the previous excerpt, it is meant not only to apply to wilderness lairs but also dungeon rooms in which monsters are guarding treasure.

Note that "A map should never list its treasure, only show its location." There will be some guidance later as to where and what kind of treasure the map leads to, but no guidance is provided as to how to actually create a treasure map for your game, "for how can it be possible to direct each DM properly considering the infinite possibilities under which the map will be located?" If you want gameable examples, Phlox has some good ones.

Taking a step back, we know that 3% of unguarded treasure rooms and 26% of guarded treasure rooms contain magic items. Of the guarded treasure rooms containing magic items, 98.31% will contain one magic item and 1.69% will contain two magic items. Considering that 10% of magic items will actually be treasure maps, 0.3% of unguarded treasure rooms containing magic items and 10.169% of guarded treasure rooms containing magic items will contain maps (10% of guarded treasure rooms containing one magic item = 9.831% + 20% of guarded treasure rooms containing two magic items = .338%).

Again, 5% of total rooms contain unguarded treasure and 15% of total rooms contain guarded treasure. 0.015% of total rooms contain unguarded treasure maps and 1.52535% of total rooms contain guarded treasure maps - 1.5255% of total dungeon rooms contain treasure maps. That's 1 in every 66 rooms. If your dungeon is big enough (and particularly if you're aspiring for anything of the "megadungeon" classification), there will probably be a treasure map in there somewhere. I hope I did my math right! I am happy to be corrected.

Note that tricks found in dungeons might also release maps, as found in APPENDIX H: TRICKS:

Treasure maps found in dungeons usually point the way to treasure inside that very dungeon, but might point to "another lost dungeon" or somewhere "along the course of a long underground river."

Let's dig into those wilderness lair treasure types (associated monster types are sourced from here):

• Type A and F hoards (e.g. humans, centaurs, vampires, basilisks, medusae, shadows, rakshasa, rhemoraz, salamanders, leprechauns, and chimeras) have a 9% chance of containing a map
• Type C hoards (e.g. minotaurs, gargoyles, lycanthropes, gnomes, and pixies) have a 2% chance
• Type D hoards (e.g. orcs, hobgoblins, gnolls, mummies, dryads, griffins, chimeras, manticores, and purple worms) have a 3% chance
• Type E hoards (e.g. giants, wraiths, gorgons, and wyverns) have a 7.5% chance
• Type G hoards (e.g. dwarves) have a 14% chance
• Type H hoards (e.g. dragons) have a 6% chance
• Type I hoards (e.g. rocs) have a 1.5% chance
• Type W hoards (e.g. buccaneers) have a flat 55% chance of having a map
• Type Z hoards (e.g. demigods and demon lords) have a 15% chance

Buccaneers, of course, have the greatest chance of possessing a treasure map. There are plenty of genre tropes to draw upon in this case. Demigods and demon lords are next in line. Do the maps in their possession point towards their own secreted away hoards? Dwarves are next, and it's easy enough to imagine why if you're familiar with The Hobbit. But what of the others? Whose treasure maps do these monsters possess, and how did they come to acquire them?

Here's what the DMG says about maps found in wilderness lairs:

Treasure maps found in wilderness lairs can themselves lead elsewhere within the lair (an underground "labyrinth of caves") or to some other location 5 to 500 miles away, which may be buried and unguarded (in the classic way that pirates bury treasure), hidden in water, guarded in another monster's lair, in ruins or a crypt (presumably themselves dungeons), or even "secreted in a town".

In rare cases, the player character might also obtain a treasure map by drawing the Key card from a deck of many things:

Note that treasure maps are written in a cypher. Like a spell scroll, a read magic spell must be employed to decipher one:

This means that treasure maps are also subject to all kinds of trickery on the part of the DM, like curses and traps triggered by reading their contents - explosive runes and magic symbols the like. The text states that "a map will appear magical until the proper spell is used" (emphasis mine), suggesting that the map itself is not necessarily magical.

You can also get your highly-intelligent sword to read the map for you:

Treasure maps come in four types: false maps (which presumably lead to nothing at all), those leading to monetary treasure, those leading to magic treasure, and those leading to "combined hoards" of both money and magic items. Note again that a treasure map should never indicate what it leads to. 

MONETARY TREASURE "is weighted towards large quantities of coins which will require a train to remove - or must be left entirely if foreplanning is not observed":

If not carried away immediately, the DM is encouraged to set a percentage chance that the treasure will be stolen by someone or something else. This is more likely if the treasure was guarded by some other monster, not unlike the Five Armies showing up to claim Smaug's treasure after he was slain. This meshes nicely with my post about treasure as a source of challenge in AD&D, in which the comparison to The Hobbit is made explicit.

Less of an inconvenience will be MAGIC TREASURE, which can be easily carried away:

This table is weighted towards potions, scrolls, armor, and weapons, "so as to prevent imbalance in the game" and to "Keep potent magic items rare." The DM is encouraged to "Increase scarcity by destroying or stealing what is found!"

One might wonder whether the "Any [X amount of magic] items" results might in turn yield another treasure map. I don't think this is intended to be the case, as this possibility is made explicit in the COMBINED HOARD table:

With a result of 81 or higher, you will find the best possible monetary or magic treasure plus a map to either a separate magic treasure or a separate monetary treasure, respectively. Since these are the most valuable hoards, the DM is encouraged to hide them far away and to guard them with traps and monsters. There's something very funny about completing a long and arduous adventure following one of these maps only to immediately come into possession of another.

So what's the point of treasure maps? Well, they're built in adventure hooks! When found in dungeons, they point the players towards some destination within the dungeon or to another dungeon entirely. When found in the wilderness, they can point the players towards some other location in your sandbox or somewhere beyond the current area of play entirely. 

Want the players to go deeper into the dungeon? Give them a treasure map. Want them to visit a different dungeon? Give them a treasure map. Want them to trek out into the wilderness, venture underwater, track down a monster's wilderness lair, or get mixed up in the deadly social fabric of urban gameplay? Give them a treasure map.

If you're flying by the seat of your pants, rolling for treasure as the players find it, a treasure map gives you the chance to detail a new location in which to house the hoard - a fun little surprise for you. It's quantum treasure - even you don't know it exists until it comes into play. Unfortunately, you can't do much with something you don't know about.

If on the other hand you're prepping everything ahead of the campaign's start - including rolling for treasure in dungeons and lairs - then rolling up a treasure map somewhere gives you the chance to hide the hoard from the very beginning. You know there's a massive hoard of treasure buried in an inconspicuous location right beneath the starting town, but the players don't, and they won't know unless they find that map. 

Maybe the treasure hoard is the stuff of legend, and your setting's factions and NPCs are all after it, but no one knows where the map is. Rumor has it that it was lost deep within the dungeon, or that the ancient red dragon counts it among its hoard. The legendary Dread Pirate is rumored to have hidden his plundered goods on one of those steamy jungle isles off the southern coast, but the map was lost when his flagship sunk a decade ago.

Another possibility is that whoever or whatever possesses the map is actively trying to find the treasure. Maybe the evil wizard who rules the town has the map already, but is seeking the means to acquire the hoard their self. A clan of dwarves seeks a burglar to help them reclaim their lost gold. The buccaneers are scouring the coast for something, plundering as they go. What are they looking for? Perhaps the orcs, hobgoblins, or gnolls are harassing human civilization because they know there's treasure buried beneath one of those towns. Perhaps a dragon with a treasure map is responsible for martialing that host to acquire the treasure on its behalf.

Once the player characters have the map, the adventure is only just beginning. They have to plan an expedition into the dungeon, the wilderness, or out to sea. They might have to recruit a caravan of drovers and porters to help them haul the hoard away when they find it. They have to contend with all the usual dangers of the environment its found in, any monsters that guard it, and any traps laid upon it. 

They have to do all of this while somehow keeping it a secret from those same factions and NPCs who are after it, even as the logistics may require recruiting dozens of hirelings or hauling the treasure out in the middle of town right under those same NPCs' noses. Hopefully it isn't a false map. That would be most unfortunate.

Please excuse the pun, but that is a veritable treasure trove of juicy gameplay implications. Go on. What are you waiting for? Put a treasure map in your game right now. 

The Player-Drawn Dungeon Map is a Fast Travel Hack

This post is part of the Prismatic Wasteland blog bandwagon on the topic of maps.

The first mention of mapping by players in the AD&D PHB is on page 101, in the section titled THE ADVENTURE, specifically Dungeon Expeditions:

Here it is explicitly stated that the purpose of the player-drawn dungeon map is to help the party "find [their] way out [of the dungeon] and return for yet more adventuring." There is a tradeoff for mapping the dungeon, which is that movement through the dungeon will be slow. Presumably, this will result in more torches burned, more rations eaten, and more wandering monsters encountered during mapping expeditions.

Just after this, on page 102, we are told that movement through the dungeon is faster when following a map:

Dungeon movement is five times faster when following a previously mapped route. Mapping the dungeon not only allows the players to discern the route back to the surface, but also allows them to move expeditiously along that route (thus reducing the chance of encountering wandering monsters and the use of torches and rations as they retreat).

Page 102 also tells us that mapping is not possible while moving quickly, "such as when pursued or pursuing." Additionally, "light must be available to make or read a map" (infravision doesn't cut it). Marking the walls of the dungeon (as with chalk) or leaving a trail of dropped items or string is "typically useless...as they will be obliterated, moved, or destroyed by passing creatures." The monsters are onto your dirty tricks, and they're here to ensure you end up trapped in the dungeon with them.

The section on MAPPING (page 106) recommends that two players make maps to improve the success of the expedition. It also warns players to "Never become concerned if your map is not exact...As long as it gives your party an idea as to where they are and how to get back, it is serving its purpose."

This coincides neatly with A Knight at the Opera's post on Navigation Games, in which the author argues that an abstracted flowchart-style map which foregoes precise spatial dimensions in favor of relativistic relationships between rooms is the ideal form of mapping in dungeon exploration games.

The most comprehensive remarks on mapping are found in this paragraph under SUCCESSFUL ADVENTURES (page 109):

Here is the crux of the issue: a map ensures that the party will be able to return to the surface. Again it is stated that "Minor mistakes are not very important...so long as the chart allows the group to find its way out!" I will note that the use of the word "chart" calls to mind not a meticulously drafted schematic on graph paper, but something like the flowchart-style map advocated for in A Knight at the Opera's post.

Again it is recommended that two maps be kept in case one is "destroyed by mishap or monster." This is offered alongside sound advice like "In mazes always follow one wall or the other" and things I would never even consider like "[when pursued], always go in a set escape pattern if possible" so your steps can be easily retraced, and "If transported or otherwise lost, begin mapping on a fresh sheet of paper."

That last point brings to mind a room in Dungeon Module B1: In Search of the Unknown in which the party steps into a room and is teleported to another identical room without any indication that they've been transported. I can only imagine the frustration of the hyper-precise graph paper cartographer encountering this room and making a mess of their meticulously measured and sketched map. With a less precise flowchart-style map, the mapper could instead simply add a bubble labeled "teleporting rooms" and connect it to the rest of their chart as they would any other.

In the next paragraph, the value of the map in avoiding encounters with wandering monsters is made explicit:

The map serves another purpose, which is detailed in the following paragraph:

The party is assumed to have an objective, and should not stray from it. "A good referee" will try to distract them from this objective. While it is the party's job to ignore these diversions as much as possible, it is the mapper's job to record their locations so that future expeditions can investigate them. 

The mapper is in many ways the party's memory - they record the dungeon's layout not just so that the party knows where they are and how to quickly escape, but so they know what to come back to. The information they record is instrumental in setting future expedition goals. And, since the party can travel faster through the dungeon along mapped routes, they will be able to quickly make their way back to those diversions on future delves.

Of course, not every one of the DM's nefarious tools can be thwarted by simply ignoring them. The section on TRAPS, TRICKS, AND ENCOUNTERS (page 103) describes traps which confine, channel, injure, or kill characters. Most important to this subject are channeling traps, which include shifting walls and one-way doors. Mapping is suggested as a solution to these traps, as a good map allows the party to find their way back after ending up on the wrong end of one:

The following section on tricks also describes dungeon features which specifically "foul maps", similar to the teleporting rooms in B1:

Let's jump over to the DMG, where the first mention of player mapping is in the section on EXPERT HIRELINGS (page 33):

Specialist scribes (or cartographers) can be hired on a monthly basis to make or copy maps. They demand ten times the fee of a normal scribe, which is 15 gold pieces per month (150 gold pieces per month for a cartographer). Gygax tends to recommend that NPCs charge more to travel somewhere or to provide their services in a dangerous environment, so I imagine that this would be even more expensive if the cartographer is meant to join the party in the dungeon (perhaps five to ten times the usual cost, so 750 to 1,500 gold pieces per month). 

Still, this is well worth the cost if the party can afford it, as they are essentially relieved of the burden of mapping themselves. Instead, I imagine the DM would provide them with a map as they go which, since a well-paid specialist is making it by way of the DM, is probably quite accurate. Of course, a particularly cruel DM is at liberty to take advantage of this by making the cartographer unreliable in some way or by using monsters to target the party's expensive civilian escort.

Note that charmed creatures will not draw maps, per page 43:

If the party wants a dungeon map, they will either have to make it themselves or pay an expensive hireling to do it (and protect said hireling in the process). If they cannot or choose not to circumvent the challenge by paying an NPC, they will themselves have to deal with threats such as traps which channel them into unintended areas and tricks which meddle in their attempts to map. 

We have also been dancing around the issue of time, which imposes the threat of wandering monsters and resource expenditure. So how long does it take to map? The section on THE FIRST DUNGEON ADVENTURE (page 96) gives us some details. This first paragraph suggests that mapping a room or chamber takes 10 minutes:

The next paragraph suggests that each turn, the party can map a length of corridor equal to the party's base movement rate times ten:

Simple enough. However, the first paragraph is contradicted by this next one, which suggests that it takes one turn to map only a 20' x 20' area:

Or perhaps the correct way to read this is that mapping any room or chamber takes one turn, which is the same amount of time it takes to casually examine a 20' x 20' area. I'm not entirely sure.

I tend to let players map one room or chamber per turn. Obviously, this requires stopping in the room or chamber for one turn, so the mapper might update the map while the rest of the party searches the room, checks for secret doors and traps, picks a lock on a door, or whatever. I do kind of like the rule for mapping hallways as I'm never quite sure how to handle those, so maybe I'll keep that one.

There's actually a third way for the players to obtain a map of the dungeon, and that's if they find one. The sample dungeon included in this section of the DMG provides the opportunity for the player characters to find an incomplete map of the dungeon in just the second room:

The importance of this incomplete map is made apparent in the example of play which follows:

The partial map indicates to the players where there might be areas to explore (in this case, they go to Area 3). Since they know that there is an area south of this room, yet there are no exits, they suspect that there must be secret door leading south, and indeed there is.

This, of course, allows the DM to set up an evil trap involving some ghouls:

So maybe if the DM gives you a map of the dungeon in only the second room, be a little wary of where that map might lead!

While there are many benefits and perils when it comes to mapping the dungeon, ultimately the one we must come back to is this: the map helps the party move expeditiously throughout the dungeon. It not only aids the players in remembering the way out of the dungeon, but it hastens them in their egress. The map doesn't just help the players remember things to come back to later, but allows them to return to those side passages more quickly.

Regarding the former - for a player-made dungeon map to yield its true value, getting out of the dungeon without one needs to be every bit as hazardous as making progress into it. This danger is essential to D&D's resource attrition game, which must work as intended in order for the game to remain challenging without relying too heavily on cheap tricks like traps and monsters which can instantly kill the player character. 

One of the most common complaints about D&D's gameplay loop (particularly in post-TSR editions of the game in which all resources are recovered on a single night's sleep) is that the game's attrition-based challenges are too easily circumvented by abusing rests - i.e., the 15-minute adventuring day. This effect is worsened when the DM provides the players with perfect information about the areas of the dungeon they've already explored, such as if the DM draws the map for them as they go, or uses a VTT and leaves previously explored areas of the dungeon displayed on screen after the characters have left them. To rest and recover all their resources, players need only go back the way they came, which is plainly laid out for them by the DM.

If the players have to actually make the map themselves, there's a chance of them doing a poor job. Those who map poorly (or foolishly choose not to map at all) run the risk of getting lost. If they're lost, they can't leave whenever they want to recover lost resources. They may find themselves low on hit points and spells, wandering aimlessly, and easy marks for the dungeons depredations.

The players are rewarded for their efforts not only with hastened escape from the dungeon, but also with expedited travel back into it to tie up those many diversions seeded by the DM on prior expeditions. This allows them to avoid needless encounters with wandering monsters on subsequent delves, making it more likely that returns to the dungeon will be successful and ensuring that the party maintains its momentum throughout the campaign. This doesn't mesh well with modern D&D's dungeons which are seemingly designed to be cleared out in one go, but is essential for making progress in old school D&D's more megalithic underworlds.

The point of the players making the map is to make movement through the dungeon faster, but they have to make it themselves. As argued in A Knight at the Opera's post, mastering the layout of an environment like the dungeon is a perfect example of a challenge of player skill. The map is a powerful tool that must be earned. Don't give it away for free. Or, if you do, be sure to use it to lure the party into an ambush by some ghouls. That'll teach 'em.

'Tis the Season (for a Sandbox): Into the Jinglebell Barrens

This post is a part of Prismatic Wasteland's Hexmas Blog Bandwagon. The intention was for participants to make a single holiday-themed hex with connections to other participants' holiday-themed hexes, but I'm a sandbox sicko, and I really wanted to make a whole miniature sandbox of my own. In keeping with the format, let's say the whole sandbox is contained within one hex (0601). 

Here is state of the sandbox on the date of this post's publishing:

Connections:

• North: ???
• Northeast: The Peppermint Wood (0701)
• Southeast: Talking Wishing Well (0702)
• South: Sadtown (0602)
• Southwest: Snomes (0502)
• Northwest: Rankin/Bass Pro Shop (0501)

Presenting the Jinglebell Barrens:

Key:

• 01.01: Yuletide's End
• 02.03: Frostyford
• 02.04: Rednose Rest
• 03.01: Silver Sleigh Caravan Camp
• 03.04: Tower of Noel
• 05.03: Solstice Doomhall
• 05.05: Carolcrag Cave

The Jinglebell Barrens are a vast expanse of icy sand desert which gleams bright in the sun and glitters under the light of the moon. When the wind blows across the flats, the grains of sand tinkle like tiny bells. On stormy nights, great gusts from the cliffs to the east and southeast whip the sand into a frenzy, rattling the land with a deafening metallic clatter. Unless traveling on a road, it takes 2 hours on foot to enter a barrens hex, and it takes 4 hours to cross one.

The Barrens are bordered to the east and southeast by the Carolcliffs, a towering escarpment of jagged blue-white ice which encase the bleak gray mountain peaks known as the Carolcrags. Wind howls through the ice like organ pipes, creating eerie music known to locals as Cliff-Carols. Hidden paths and passes snake through the cliffs, leading to ancient ruins captured in ice, and into the mountains where monsters dwell. Unless traveling on a road, it takes 3 hours on foot to enter a cliffs hex, and it takes 6 hours to cross one. It takes 4 hours to enter a mountain hex, and it takes 8 hours to cross one.

To the southwest lies the Tinselgrass Steppe, a land of long, thin grasses that glitter gold and red at sunrise and sunset. Silvery elk graze and winter wolves hide among the tallest, wildest grasses. It takes 1 hour on foot to enter a steppe hex, and it takes 2 hours to cross one.

01.01 Yuletide's End: Once a thriving city of artisans and traders, Yuletide is remembered as the Merriest City that Ever Was. It was a festival city, and learned scholars of the region say that every day was a "Holly Day". The city was full of looming towers which housed great silver bells, rung at dawn and dusk each day.

But Yuletide was not as merry as it seemed. It was ruled by the Bellwrights, a theocracy which worshipped the mysterious Saint Nikodemus - a merry god of festivals to the faithful and a capricious demon of revelry to others. The Bellwrights worked enchantments upon the city's bells, closely monitored Yuletide's citizens, and spoke to Nikodemus directly. 

Through the Bellwrights, Nikodemus passed down a pair of lists - one Naughty and one Nice. Those on the Nice list were invited to live on Hearth Hill among the belltowers, enriched with gifts from the city's greatest artisans and kept warm by the glow of roaring fires, while those on the Naughty list were consigned to the Coal Warrens, where fire was forbidden, forced to mine and haul the fuel-stones which powered Yuletide's industry.

Yuletide is said to have met its end when the Bellwrights conspired to assign to the Naughty list - and thus confiscate the material wealth of - Magister Skruj, master of the city's most powerful mercantile enterprise. Skruj was alerted to the plot by Thoralf, High Priest of Revels and Skruj's agent within the clergy. On the eve of Demus Mass, Yuletide's most sacred Holly Day, Skruj consorted with the Defrocked - former Bellwrights themselves condemned to the Naughty list and the Coal Warrens - to slaughter the high priests in their White Chapel on Hearth Hill.

The chapel was stained red with the blood of Nikodemus's favored. Yuletide was cursed to never know joy again. The following dawn, the Great Bell rang out from the White Chapel - and shattered. The hearths died, no matter how much fuel they were fed. The city froze. The bells did not ring out at dusk on Demus Mass, and never did again. 

Until recently. The bells have mysteriously begun to ring out again across the Barrens. The usual treasure hunters - a superstitious lot - have begun to avoid the place, but a different breed of adventurers has replaced them, venturing to the region to investigate the strange phenomenon.

Yuletide's End contains five neighborhoods, each with its own dungeon:

• Peddler's Village: The road into Yuletide's End leads here. It was once a middle class neighborhood where artisans and traders gathered to sell their wares. Many of the city's inns for travelers were found here. Now the markets stalls are empty and the inns cold. Some snomes have come here to explore and cause trouble.
• Skruj's Manor: A dungeon for 5th-level characters. Magister Skruj lives here. For his greed, he was turned into a humbug - an insectoid creature cursed to hoard all the wealth it can acquire while deriving no joy from it (use xorn). He has accumulated all the wealth of Peddler's Village and jealously guards it here. He is always hungry for more, and craves treasure from the other districts - graves goods from festival square, religious artifacts from Hearth Hill, diamonds from the Coal Warrens, and silver from the Foundry. He is friendly towards those who bring him gifts.
• Connections: Festival Square (N), Hearth Hill (NW)
• Festival Square: Once a middle class neighborhood where residents and visitors gathered to celebrate Yuletide's Holly Days. It is now filled with frozen fountains, crumbling statues, empty halls, stinking breweries, and other remnants of revels past.
• Revel's End: A dungeon for 3rd-level characters. It is a tomb for the Bellwrights. Many revels were held within the tomb itself so that the spirits of the dead could join in the festivities. Thoralf, being the Master of Revels, was charged with maintaining the place. For the crime of betraying his fellow Bellwrights, he was turned into a garland snake - a giant serpent covered in braids of leaves and flowers - and charged with guarding the tomb against predations. The serpent has a bite which injects the victim with powerful alcohol, causing severe intoxication and even death (use giant poisonous snake). Thoralf wants to atone for his sins and believes that the wealth of Skruj, if delivered to the White Chapel in Hearth Hill, will restore the city to its former glory. He is friendly towards those who offer to help.
• Connections: Peddler's Village (S), Hearth Hill (SW)
• Hearth Hill: Once an upper class neighborhood, home to Yuletide's belltowers, Nice-listers, and the Bellwrights themselves. The bells ring out from their towers at dawn and dusk each day, though the tops of the towers remain encased in ice. It is especially cold due to its elevation and winds blowing between the ancient towers and tightly-packed buildings.
• The White Chapel: A dungeon for 6th-level characters. Once the seat of power for the Bellwrights, the temple was shuttered for good when the clergy was murdered on Demus Mass Eve. It is now haunted by corporeal and incorporeal undead alike. Chief among them is a trio of spirits calling themselves the Ghosts of Yuletide Past, Present, and Future (three will-o-wisps). They have been awakened by a vision of Yuletide's future in which its streets are filled with revelry again. They have begun the ringing of the bells to summon revelers to Festival Square. They are friendly to those who bring gifts of treasure, food, or alcohol.
• Connections: Festival Square (NE), Peddler's Village (SE), The Foundry (SW), Coal Warrens (NW)
• Coal Warrens: Once a lower class neighborhood designated for Naughty-listers. It is filled with crumbling tenement buildings, dark alleys covered in soot, and disease-carrying filth and vermin.
• The Coal Mines: A dungeon for 1st-level characters. This is where Naughty-listers were put to work as slaves, mining coal to fuel Hearth Hill and the Foundry's great fires. The mines are now controlled by a gang of five coal rats - the cursed Defrocked who once employed their swords in the killing of the Bellwrights (use wererats). They are led by the Rat King. They are harmed only by silver, and slain instantly by silver weapons forged in Yuletide's Foundry and blessed by the Bellwrights (only the Ghosts of Yuletide Past, Present, and Future, or Thoralf, can bless such weapons now, unless a cleric learns the appropriate 1st level spell in the White Chapel). They are driven mad by the ringing of the bells and are friendly to those who offer to help.
• Connections: Hearth Hill (SE), the Foundry (S)
• The Foundry: Once a middle class neighborhood where Yuletide's best artisans crafted its silver bells and weapons with the aid of the Bellwrights' enchantments. The forges have all gone cold and quiet.
• The Forge: A dungeon for 2nd-level characters. It is a mazelike collection of storerooms, workshops, and smelting chambers, connected by a labyrinth of access tunnels and catwalks. The Krampus, a monstrous silvered automaton of fearsome demonic aspect, has perfect knowledge of the structure and prowls its passages for intruders (use minotaur). It captures those it deems naughty (Chaotic or Evil creatures, or those who have earned the enmity of the Ghosts of Yuletide Past, Present, and Future), stuffs them in its sack, and delivers them to the White Chapel. It ignores those bearing the holy symbol of Nikodemus (a sprig of mistletoe worn around the wrist).
• Connections: Coal Warrens (N), Hearth Hill (NE)

The ringing of the bells is an illusion fabricated by the Ghosts of Yuletide Past, Present, and Future. Lifting the curse on Yuletide's End is difficult:

• The Forge must be reignited. This can be done via a spell cast by the Ghosts or by a cleric capable of casting 3rd level spells who learns the proper spell in the White Chapel. The spell consumes a 5,000 g.p. diamond from the Coal Mines, which must be obtained by convincing the Rat King to surrender it willingly. Once the diamond is gifted, the curse on the Defrocked can be lifted by a remove curse spell if they are willing.
• The Forge must be used to craft a new Great Bell. This must be brought to the White Chapel to be enchanted by the Ghosts, then hung in the Great Belltower to replace the old one. 
• The curse on Thoralf must be lifted. This can be done by a remove curse spell only after a new Great Bell is hung, and only if Thoralf is willing.
• Skruj must learn the true meaning of Demus Mass. He must be brought a truly thoughtful gift (something with little to no monetary value). He will only listen if Thoralf is present. If he is willing, the curse on him can then be lifted by a remove curse.
• Skruj himself must use a flame from the Forge to reignite the Great Hearth in the White Chapel. This will magically light the other hearths throughout the city, which melts the ice encasing the city's many belltowers.
• A party must be held in Festival Square. The party must convince enough people to attend such that the Ghosts are satisfied that Holly Day cheer has returned to the city. They, Skruj, Thoralf, and the Defrocked are able to pass peacefully on to the next life. The hearths go cold again, the bells stop ringing, and Yuletide's End is still once again, ready to be repurposed or to fade into memory according to the wishes of those in the region.

Of course, there is no requirement that the players lift the curse on Yuletide's End. They might simply slay all the monsters and take their treasure, or align with one faction or another and establish them as the de facto "rulers" of the ruin, but it seemed worthwhile to define exactly how the "good" ending might be achieved.

If the curse is lifted over Yuletide's End, the Krampus will wander the city streets, eventually heading to the Rankin/Bass Pro Shop. It longs to become real and punish the naughty creatures of the world.

02.03 Frostyford: A thorp of about 30 people within the domain of the Tower of Noel (03.04). The thorp gets its name from its river crossing, a bridge of solid ice created by the ice witch named Rimehilda. 

Noel's agent in the thorp is his henchman Ridley, a human fighter. Ridley has been tasked with overseeing the construction of a stronghold here to control the crossing into the Barrens. Ridley commands a retinue of eight men-at-arms. Usually, four guard Ridley and await his commands while four others man the toll booth at the southern end of the river crossing. They charge 5 gold pieces per head, hoof, or wheel to those traveling north or entering the thorp from that direction.

Since the bells began ringing in Yuletide's End (01.01), the workers have become superstitious, and progress on Ridley's hold has crawled to almost a halt. Ridley recruits adventurers to travel to Yuletide's End to silence the bells.

Rimehilda traveled to Solstice Doomhall (05.03) to learn the magic of the frost giants, but never returned. Ridley will recruit adventurers to go in search of her, believing that her return could bolster his own position.

• Ridley: LE human fighter 8. A forceful, imposing, serious man of middle age. His taciturn nature has earned him few friends. He knows that he is not Noel's favored henchman and that he will likely be replaced once the stronghold is finished. He enjoys ice fishing and can sometimes be found at the river's edge with only two men-at-arms as guards.

02.04 Rednose Rest: A hamlet of about 300 people within the domain of the Tower of Noel (03.04). The hamlet gets its name from Noel's slaying of the Red-nosed Beast, a particularly ornery and intelligent reindeer which once rallied its kind against the hamlet's people. The Beast's nose is housed in a beacon tower in the hamlet's square. It still glows with unearthly red light, which guides travelers towards the hamlet when snowstorms kick up.  

The cleric Lothar is Noel's agent here, but he has gone rogue and is collecting tithes to send to Yuletide's End (01.01) - instead of the Tower - to appease the spirits there. He will attempt to recruit adventurers to travel to the ancient city to deliver the hamlet's tribute (2,100 silver pieces) to the White Chapel.

• Idina: CG human fighter 1. A strong young woman dressed in a dirty tabard. She is looking for work as a henchman and will join non-Lawful non-Evil characters, but they must pay for her food, lodging, and equipment, and offer her a proportionate share of treasure.
• Karlotta: LG human magic-user 1. A highly intelligent and agile young woman dressed foppishly. She is gullible and frail, her analytical nature is often off putting, and her unyielding curiosity sometimes gives the impression of mental instability. She is compelled by her curiosity to investigate the tower of the snomes.
• Elphira: CN half-elf fighter 2/magic-user 2. An intelligent young half-elf woman with a rustic, unkempt unkempt appearance. She is trusting and diplomatic, but due to her elvish blood she can sometimes come across as haughty and insensitive, which rubs some people the wrong way. She has learned from refugees of the plight of Sadtown and wishes to liberate the people there.
• Lothar: LE human cleric 2. A discerning, somewhat intelligent young man dressed in immaculate priestly vestments. His religious fervor, neurotic doomsaying, and contrarian nature is unpleasant to some. While he does not identify as a Bellwright or follow their religious practices (he worships some non-descript unforgiving God of Winter - perhaps some vestige of Saint Nikodemus passed down through the generations), he recognizes their influence on the region, and believes strongly that the ghosts of Yuletide's End must be appeased with gifts, and does not fear that he might be punished by Noel for usurping his authority.

03.01 Silver Sleigh Caravan Camp: A large encampment atop a tall plateau of packed snow and gravel. The camp houses 15 merchants - led by Miloslav - 15 drovers, and the Painted Battalion - 120 mercenaries in brightly colored military dress (think nutcracker dolls). A magic-user, Blazenka, also camps here.

The caravan has stopped here to provision adventurers heading to Yuletide's End (01.01) - and to buy any treasure they might pull out. Here they are conveniently out of reach of the Tower of Noel (03.04) and Noel's underlings in Frostyford (02.03) and Rednose Rest (02.04).

The total value of merchandise in the camp is 10,000 gold pieces. The merchants have 20 oxen and two sled wagons, their runners shod with bright silvery steel.

• Blazenka: NG human magic-user 6. A very intelligent middle aged woman. She lives in a richly appointed tent, wears fine jewelry, is well spoken and cheerful, and genuinely well-liked by the entire camp. She will lend her aid in spellcasting services to adventurers (for a price), but won't accompany them in their travels. She is interested in information about the ice witch Rimehilda, whom she hopes to stop, should she ever resurface.
• Miloslav: NG human merchant. He is a loquacious young man and a scrupulous trader. He sharply questions all adventurers who come to his camp, suspicious that Noel might send agents to infiltrate and rob them.
• Pay chest: Hidden in Miloslav's tent. It contains 3,000 gold pieces, 300 platinum pieces, and ten 100 gold piece gems.
• The Painted Battalion: Brightly-dressed mercenary soldiers in tall hats. They are led by Yosefine and her lieutenant, Freya. Yosefine and Freya share a retinue of 12 2nd level guards (all in addition to the 120 regular soldiers). They employ a mix of arms and have 60 war elk: 12 light, 36 medium, and 12 heavy. Each heavy war elk belongs to a 1st level fighter who rides it into battle.
• Yosefine: N human fighter 10. An imposing, strong young woman. She is arrogant but honorable. A few of the Battalion chafe under her command.
• Freya: LG human fighter 8. A somewhat gullible middle aged woman. She is very righteous and does not drink. While she can be a bit overbearing, she is better regarded than Yosefine, and some in the Battalion wouldn't mind her taking charge.

The camp houses 15 swift riding elk for use by the merchants. If the caravan is attacked or robbed, the merchants will mount up and ride swiftly to the north to acquire more mercenaries, then return to hunt down the thieves or murderers.

03.04 The Tower of Noel: A six-story tower ruled by Noel, a cruel human fighter who controls Frostyford (02.03) and Rednose Rest (02.04). Noel is cautious of new adventurers arriving in his realm. If adventurers encounter a patrol from the tower, it will be led by Clotilde (see below). She is unfriendly, and will attempt to round up any trespassers to bring to Noel for judgement.

The tower is garrisoned by 10 heavy elk cavalry, 9 light elk cavalry, and 24 men-at-arms, led by two 3rd level fighters and two 4th level fighters.

Noel cares little for Yuletide's End (01.01) though he is interested in its treasures and religious artifacts, and in obtaining one of the city's famous silver swords. He covets the wealth of the Silver Sleigh Caravan Camp (03.01), but doesn't possess the means to take it himself. He would be willing to deal with enterprising individuals who might help him obtain it. His scouts have encountered the Silent Knights of Carolcrag Cave (05.05) in the cliffs to the southeast, much to their dismay.

• Noel: NE human fighter 12. A well spoken, haughty young man with an immaculate appearance. His mood swings, paranoia, unforgiving nature, dishonesty, and penny-pinching have earned him no favor from his subjects, or even his followers. He has a keen interested in the ancient religion of the region, and it is for this reason only that he entertains Lothar's insubordination. His chambers are decorated with a robust collection of swords. He favors Clotilde, tolerates Mistique, and is suspicious of Nasjenka's loyalties. He trusts Ridley (see 02.03), but only to the extent that he might use him to further his own ends.
• Clotilde: CN human fighter 8. A very strong, intelligent, hardy young woman dressed in ragged furs and leather. She is violent, antagonistic, and harsh. She is Noel's lover, and is a zealot for whatever his current religious fixation or curiosity is. She enjoys hunting, and often leads the patrols out of the tower. Her patrols have encountered the Silent Knights, and she is particularly invested in rooting them out of their cave. She does not get along well with Mistique or Nasjenka.
• Mistique: LN human cleric 8. A highly observant but feeble young woman in modest religious garb. She is saintly in her collection of holy books and scrolls, and always driven to acquire more, which she maintains in the tower's chapel. She is pessimistic, cold, and craven, which has caused Noel to distance himself somewhat. She is jealous of Clotilde's relationship with Noel. She is helpful towards adventurers, and will attempt to recruit them to travel to Yuletide's End to retrieve religious artifacts, which she hopes to gift to Noel in exchange for his favor.
• Nasjenka: LN human fighter 8. A strong, intelligent, hardy middle aged woman in ragged armor. In battle she is brave and energetic, but also hot-tempered, which occasionally leads to careless mistakes. She has charge of the tower's garrison due to her greater battle experience, but is otherwise solitary and secretive, interacting with the tower's inhabitants rarely, and lying to them about her activities when questioned. She is greedy and easily bribed, and has a large collection of daggers secreted away in her chambers. She does her best to steer clear of visitors to the tower.

05.03 Solstice Doomhall: An ancient, crumbling, enormous castle, frozen by icy winds. It was once the forward outpost for an empire of giants who embodied winter itself, before festival and ritual took hold in the minds of men. Long ago, the Bellwrights of Yuletide's End (01.01) would travel here at the solstice and again at the equinox, bearing gifts for the giants. A feast was held and, if the gifts pleased the giants, they would permit a mild winter and an early arrival of spring. To the Bellwrights, the giants were known as the Arbiters of Winter.

Before they were slain, the Bellwrights met with the Arbiters at the solstice to ensure a mild winter. They never met again - spring never came, the winter became harsher with each passing solstice, and Solstice Doomhall was abandoned and fell into ruin. The road from Yuletide to the Doomhall was buried in icy sand. With the ringing of the bells, the giants have returned and prepared a solstice feast for the Bellrights, who never arrived. 

Instead, they hosted Rimehilda of Frostyford (02.03). Rather than a mild winter, Rimehilda negotiated for something else - a child, to be fathered not by the giants but by the spirits of winter itself. The giants agreed, and the child was immaculately conceived in a profane ritual in the fortress's temple. Now, Rimehilda feasts with the giants until the solstice passes and the child is born (21 days).

The "child" Rimehilda carries is in fact Cryonax, Prince of Evil Cold Creatures. If born, he will summon white dragons, frost giants, and yetis to plague the region, laying waste to strongholds and settlements before eventually taking his seat as Lord of Winter in the White Chapel in Yuletide's End, with Rimehilda as his regent mother and true power behind the throne. 

If the curse is lifted over Yuletide before then, the city will be warded against Cryonax's intrusion, and he will wander off into the northern wastes to claim some other seat. Winters will continue to be harsh in the region unless the Arbiters are appeased each year, bought off with a considerable one-time sum of treasure, or slain.

• The Arbiters of Winter: A clan of frost giants consisting of four males, two females (use stone giant), and a young child (4 hit points, 1-2 damage/attack).
• Hrothvar: The Arbiters' chieftain. He is a young giant, dressed in fine furs and hides. He is of average intellect, and Rimehilda has his ear so that he will be suspicious of adventurers, though he is even tempered when assessing threats. He is not one to back down from a challenge to his authority, and he is extremely vengeful should anyone harm Rimehilda or his clan. He is smitten with Rimehilda and chafes under his mother's chastisement.
• Hailveig: Hrothvar's mother. She is old, but imposing, well-spoken, and intelligent. She wears a cloak of white dragon skin from a dragon she claims to have slain herself. She is harsh on her own son for his boyish infatuation with Rimehilda. She is a devotee of Cryonax and puts up with Rimehilda's cruelty out of mutual purpose. Like Hrothvar and Rimehilda, she is suspicious of adventurers' intentions.
• Kolvi: Hrothvar's only son. He is the frost giant equivalent of a toddler - as large as an ogre, but doughy and badly proportioned. He is always accompanied and protected by his pet winter wolf, Hoarfang. He is lazy and cowardly, has a child's temper and petulance, and wants nothing more than to see adventurers slain, roasted, and served up at a feast. He hates both his father and grandmother, but adores Rimehilda. He will run to her and make up any lie about adventurers which might get them into trouble. One adventurer, before being killed and eaten, spoke of a talking wishing well. Kolvi begs Rimehilda to take him there so that he might wish for all adventurers to be killed and eaten by him.
• Rimehilda: CE human magic-user 10. A highly intelligent, maniacal, and malevolent old woman dressed in silver-stitched robes lined with winter wolf fur. She is cold, hard, and utterly without moral scruples. She eats ravenously - all to feed the "child" gestating within her. She is obsequious towards Hrothvar but cruel to Hailveig. She is unfriendly towards adventurers, suspecting that they have come to murder her and her child.

If a fight breaks out here, the giants will defend Rimehilda with their lives (or until their morale breaks). Hrothvar and Hailveig will both fight to the death for her. If all of her protectors are slain, flee, or surrender, Rimehilda will teleport herself to the Doomhall Dragonpit's treasure vault (with which she is very familiar due to her insistence that Hrothvar show her it multiple times). The vault is well-provisioned with ample food and drink so that Rimehilda can bring her child to term there if needed.

• Doomhall Dragonpit: A dungeon for 7th level characters. The dungeons of Solstice Doomhall were excavated long ago by the giants to expand the interior area of the castle above, hold prisoners, and guard treasure accumulated from the Bellwrights' biannual gifts. The dungeons are also home to a subdued ancient white dragon, Hrímkaldr, charged with guarding the entrance to the dungeons' vault. The dungeon has a secret entrance from the Peppermint Wood. The dragon has managed to survive and grow to incredible size by venturing out into the wood to feed on licorice eels, reindeer, elves, and syrup. It is currently in a state of deep sleep and is dimwitted if awakened, so it is possible to sneak past it if intruders are silent or clever.

05.05: Carolcrag Cave: This icy mountain cavern is home to the Silent Knights - or what's left of them. Originally an order of 25 knights charged with protecting the Bellwrights of Yuletide's End (01.01), they were cursed when they failed to do so on that fateful Demus Mass Eve. Their commander, Lady Walburga, broke her vow of silence to express concerns about the Bellwrights' plans to Thoralf, who then warned Magister Skruj. The Knights accepted gifts from Skruj and agreed to partake in the evening's festivities, rather than protect their charges.

For breaking the vow of silence, the Knights were cursed to never utter a sound again. For allowing their masters to be slain, and for the hearths of Yuletide to go forever cold, they were cursed to experience only pain from the warmth of fire. After the slayings, they exiled themselves to the Carolcrags, dwelling forever in this cave. 

With time, they became beastly monsters - 300 pounds, covered in white fur, with pale blue eyes and ivory white claws and teeth (use yeti). Only two of them remain - Lady Walburga herself and Sir Inglebert, her second-in-command. They have outgrown their armor and have entirely forgotten their knightly ways - namely chivalry and swordsmanship. Only snarling beasts remain. They don't call themselves anything, but locals refer to them as Mr. and Mrs. Claws.

Carolcrag Cave is deathly silent - not even the sound of Cliff-Carols can penetrate its icy depths. Any noise inside will alert the beasts to the presence of intruders. The beasts are hostile towards intrusion and use their ability to blend into their surroundings to lie in wait for the moment to strike. 

While unable to speak, they can be reasoned with, but only briefly, and they only half remember the common tongue. If they can be convinced to return to the White Chapel in Yuletide's End, the Ghosts of Yuletide Past, Present, and Future will release them from their oaths, allowing the curse to be lifted via remove curse.

And that is the Jinglebell Barrens! This was a lot more work than I thought I'd be doing on this, and its much more detailed than sandboxes I've drawn up for this blog in the past, but once I got started I just couldn't stop. It was too fun tying things together and giving everything a kind of grimdark Christmas vibe. 

I think you could have a pretty wild seasonal adventure here. We've got a couple of very manageable settlements with some political intrigue (all contained within one faction), a stronghold that exerts control over a large chunk of the region, a ruined city with five (!) dungeons and almost as many factions, a friendly merchant camp to trade with (or plunder for its riches), a frost giant lair in a ruined castle with an ice witch brewing up an Elemental Prince of Evil, another dungeon beneath complete with a dragon, and the lair of a pair of fearsome yetis. Curses abound, and they all have thematic means of being lifted.

Hopefully, this is a welcome gift to you, dear reader. If you're feeling generous yourself, you can give me the gift of sharing this post wherever you want, or commenting down below with your favorite parts, constructive criticisms, or whatever. 

As you celebrate the season in whichever way you're inclined to do, remember that there are always d100 creatures encysted beneath the surface of the earth, wishing you glad tidings this year and next!