OED Expanded

 I have talked about how Delta has been a major influence to my gaming over the past decade or so.

He recently published a more fleshed out version of his Original Edition Delta house rules.

https://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2022/09/oed-expanded-edition.html

Why Don't Dragons Run Everything?

 More musings on my "default" D&D world.  

Dragons, they live for millennia (if not immortal), mighty, and they are of great intelligence and magical power.  In addition, they are portrayed as being in possession of massive amounts of wealth and magical items.  So why are they not the major movers and shakers?

Well, many settings have played with this idea.  Dragons are behind a lot of politics, banking, nations, etc.  While I think those are interesting ideas and twists to play with as a DM; they don't reeeeeally fit into the default presentation in classic D&D and the media from which it is derived.

If we accept that as being the case, then what forces keep draconic power in check?

First; Dragons, while mighty, need a LOT of sleep.  I think of them like cats in that respect.  They will sleep for years and years if circumstances permit, especially when it comes time to move up an age category.  This keeps them separated from the goings on of the lesser beings.

Second; Most other races are too short lived.  Most cultures they may try to influence through direct means simply change too quickly from the point of view a dragon.  You make a political or financial arrangement with a Human King, and the next time you visit, his grandson has no idea what you are talking about.  Then out of frustration or vengeance, the dragon goes on a rampage; next thing you know, heroes are called in to deal with it.

Dwarves just lock themselves in a mountain until you go away.  Elves, they suffer a lot of the same headaches trying to deal with the short lived races.

Its not much, but it is just enough to hang a lampshade on...

 

My Appendix C: Part 3, Wilderness

 Design the Wilderness

Now that you have an adventuring location and a home base, it is time to fill in the areas around them. 

The first step is to draw out the wilderness; this is done on a series of hexagons that represent 6 miles each.  Hexagons are a useful way to abstract terrain and measure distances, by having a uniform distance between center points.  Specifically a 6-mile hex is advantageous because it has a 7-mile “diagonal”, and 3 mile “radius” which equates to the sightline distance for a human sized character to the horizon.  Finally, it serves to break the travelling day into manageable segments.

 To begin laying out your wilderness start with a “Plains” hex, “P”, in the center of your space (marked with a 0 in the image.)  Working your way around, using the center hex as your reference terrain, roll 2d6 on the table below.  The result will be the terrain type of the new hex.  When generating additional terrain, always work out from the existing terrain type in the “middle” of the new area.  This will create natural “clumps” of terrain like forests.

2d6	Terrain		2d6	Terrain
2	Dry “D”		6	Forest/Trees “T”
3	Wetland “W”		7-10	Same as Reference Hex
4-5	Plains “P”		11-12	Hills “H”

Remember, this is only the main type of terrain in the hex, a plains hex will have small wooded areas, a dry hex will have small ponds, a forested hex can also be hilly or have a bog, etc.

You may notice that mountains and water (lakes, oceans) are not included on this list.  Those are treated as hard boundaries and should be placed intentionally by the Judge.  (Keep in mind, mountain peaks can be seen from up to 120 miles/20 hexes away).  The Judge may also choose to adjust the terrain descriptions based on the climate (a forest becomes a jungle, plains becomes tundra, etc.)

In the very beginning, you only need a hex to put your settlement in, one for your dungeon, and enough to surround them both.  Over time, you can generate more terrain, enough to cover a few “day trips” from their base of operations (about a 6 hex radius). 

Depending on the size of the wilderness you create, you may wish to number the hexes.

The final steps are to place your starting settlement in the original plains hex, and then place your starting dungeon in an adjacent or nearby hex.  That is enough to get started.  When you are ready, you can populate the other hexes with content.

The World Beyond

It would take tremendous work to define an entire region or continent via Hex generation.  As you move beyond your starting region, it is suggested that you instead sketch out the major geographical features at that scale (mountain ranges, coasts, etc.) and zoom back in with hexes on any area in which play settles. 

Populate the Hexes

Now that you have your starting terrain, a settlement, and a dungeon, it is time to place major features in the remaining hexes.

There is a 1 in 20 chance that a hex has a major occupant, with a 2 in 6 chance for each of the below

                1-2: Major Dungeon (Multiple levels and areas as described above)

                3-4: Large Settlement (Town or larger as described above)

                5-6: Stronghold (See below)

Remember, at this scale, we are mainly concerned with showing major features.  These hexes can be riddled with villages, monster lairs, bandit camps, etc. The Judge should feel free to drop in 2 other small settlements nearby and more features (such as additional dungeons) as needed. 

Additional Features

Hills and Peaks: If a Hill hex is likewise surrounded by other Hill hexes, consider making the middle hex a (lonely) Mountain hex or prominent peak.

Mountains: In Mountain hexes, there is a 10% chance for a pass, and 1% chance for a volcano.

Barriers: In a given hex there is a 20% chance of a ravine, river, or other moderate barrier.

Rivers: Only the largest of rivers would be visible at this scale.  Something the side of the Colorado would be a thin line, and only one as vast as the Mississippi would be notable. The Judge should assume that any settlement or stronghold is likely near a river or body of water, and thoughtfully place any such major rivers, flowing from highlands to wetlands or the coast.

Roads:  Much like rivers, only the most major of highways would be marked on such a map.  The Judge should be free to presume that any settlements or strongholds have road connecting them, barring some obstacle such as hills, mountains, or monster infested lands.

Strongholds

A Stronghold is a special kind of settlement, typically established by high level NPCs.  It can be a Warrior’s Keep, a Wizard’s Tower, an Outlaw’s Hideout, etc.  Like Towns, they secure they Hex in which they are located.  A stronghold is defined by its occupant(s), which are generated using the rules for NPCs of level 9+1d6 (or use the quick list below)

d6	Stronghold Occupant
1	Fighter 11: S 18 D 10  C 13  I 8  W 11  X 10; HP 82; Iron Will, Great Fortitude; Chain +1 Sword +2, Bow +1
2	Wizard 12: S 8 D 11 C 12  I 18  W 11  X 10; HP 37; Spells; Wand of Fear, Broom of Flying, Wand of Lightning
3	Thief 15: S 10  D 18 C 10  I 10  W 11 X 10; HP 51; Backstab x5; Leather +2, Sword +2, Ring of Protection; Elven Boots
4	Fighter 14: S 21 D 10  C 13  I 8  W 11  X 10; AC  HP 97; Iron Will, Grt Fort, Ex Str; Plate +2 Sword +2, Bow +1
5	Wizard 15: S 8 D 11 C 12  I 18  W 11  X 10; HP 40; Spells; Ring of Protection, Wand of Fireball, Staff of Power
6	Thief 10: S 10  D 18 C 10  I 10  W 11 X 10; HP 41; Backstab x4; Leather +1, Sword +2, Ring of Protection

·         Thieves: On a d6, 1-3 is a Human, 4 is a Dwarf, 5 is a Halfling, and 6 is an Elf (Wizard level of 1d6)

·         Alignment: 1 (Lawful), 3-5 (Neutral), 6 (Chaotic-Hidden)

·         Strongholds will also an apprentice, or guardian beast of EHD equal to ½ the owner’s level.

·         Strongholds will be protected by 3d6x10 1HD warriors armed, half outfitted with Crossbows and Light Armor, and the rest with Heavy Armor and Polearms.  For every 30 soldiers there is an additional sergeant of 4th level

Wilderness Encounters

The process for stocking wilderness is similar to that of the dungeon.  You can create a single table for the whole region or have a table for the forest, the hills, etc. 

First, determine the threat rank of the area.  You can presume that any “civilized” hex (one that is settled or controlled) is equivalent to “level 1” of a dungeon.  For each hex beyond that, increase the level.  For areas that cover multiple hexes, you can take the lowest or the average, the threat rank tables have overlap built in (the wilderness in unpredictable!).

To determine the creature encountered, roll a d6 and consult the result against the number of hexes from civilization.  This will give you the “Threat” rank (I – VI) of the creature.

Threat Rank	Monster (Equivalent) Hit Dice
I	1 HD
II	2 HD
III	3-4 HD
IV	5-7 HD
V	8-10 HD
VI	11+ HD

 

Hexes from Civilization	d6 Result*
1	1-4	5	6
2	1-2	3-4	5	6
3-4	1	2	3-4	5	6
5-7		1	2	3-4	5	6
8-10			1	2	3-4	5-6
11+				1	2	3-6
Threat Rank	I	II	III	IV	V	VI

Next, determine the type of creature encountered.  This is done with a d6 as shown below:

                1: Animal Type                  2-3: Humanoid Type       4-6: Monster Type

Finally, once you know the general category of monster and the (Equivalent) Hit Die range, select or otherwise determine the creature you wish to use (see appendix A of Vol II), and add it to your encounter table, taking care to note the” number appearing” and “percent in lair” values.

You will repeat the process until you have a filled out encounter chart (typically 6 entries to start).  You may wish to pick creatures along a theme, allowing that first determination to set the tone for the region.  You may also want to keep one entry for pitfalls, mantraps, or other tricks/phenomena.

Number Appearing and % in Lair

When stocking a wilderness, use the number appearing and guidelines in volume 2 or Appendix A above.  The numbers of creatures appearing in the wilds are not constrained by the limits of dungeon corridors. 

The “% in lair” statistic is rolled when the encounter comes up.  This will indicate that the party has encountered the lair of such creatures (camp, hut, cave, etc.)  Note on the map for future development.

Adjustment and Final Touches

As with designing a dungeon, you should feel free to ignore, reroll, or just change anything along the way that does not fit, or to make room for a better idea.  Want a forest near your dungeon?  Just add it.

Want your Stronghold ruled by an Elf Lord, Orc Bandit King, Vampire Queen, etc?. The sky is the limit.

Hex Paper:  If you don’t have hex paper you can use squares/graph paper.  Assume a 5mi square with a 7 mile diagonal, “averaging out” to 6 miles; allowing you to use the procedures above (give or take).

Wilderness Exploration

Trips to explore or travel through the wilderness can be abstracted using the below procedures.

Movement

Movement across the wilderness is measured in move points per day.  A creature has a number of move points equal to their current movement rate divided by 20 (3 hexes per day for a movement rate of 60’).  Groups of 100+ suffer a -1 penalty; groups of 1000+ a -2 penalty to their base move points.

This abstraction assumes a full daylight period of travel along with occasional breaks, foraging, investigation, and trailblazing.

Travel

Each terrain type and features cost a number of move point to traverse as shown below

Terrain                   Move Point Cost

Dry                          2

Forest                     2

Hill                          3

Plains                      1

Wetland                 4

·         Any major river, ravine, or other obstacle will add +1 to the cost.

·         If traveling along a major highway, subtract 1 from the cost.   

·         Night travel costs double, unless a full moon with clear skies and open terrain

·         When encountering a Mountain hex, there is a 1 in 6 chance to make progress in a given day.

Procedure

As the party passes through a hex take the below steps

Describe/Map: As the party explores beyond the bounds of the immediate area, the Judge should inform them of the new terrain type and features they encounter so they can learn and record the lay of the land on their map.

Encounter Check: Once per hex, or 15 minutes of game time there is a chance for a random encounter based on the terrain type as show below.  If an encounter comes up, refer to encounter tables you made above.  Parties outdoors have a chance to spot one another at a distance of 4d6x10 yards, using the same procedures as in a dungeon.

                Terrain                   Encounter Chance

Dry                          1 in 6

Forest                     2 in 6

Hill/Mountain       2 in 6

Plains                      1 in 6

Wetland                 3 in 6

·         There is a +1 chance for an encounter if traveling at night

Evasion: The Judge may choose to roll morale for pursuing creatures if the party has fled their territory.

Lost Check:  A party navigating without roads or visible horizon markers has a chance to become lost based on terrain type as shown below.  When the party becomes lost, the Judge rolls a 1d6 to determine which hex they actually end up in, with a 1 being their intended direction.

Terrain                   Encounter Chance

Dry                          1 in 6

Forest                     2 in 6

Hill/Mountain       2 in 6

Plains                      1 in 6

Wetland                 3 in 6

·         There is a +2 chance to become lost, unless a full moon on a clear night in open terrain

Weather

A tried and true way to determine the weather at any given time in game is to look out the window and use the prevailing conditions you see.  Or you can use the below 2d6 table.          

             2d6         Weather Result and Effects

  2              Storms and -1 to next roll. (No Missile Attacks, Movement Costs Doubled)

                3-5          Precipitation (Missile Attacks at -4 to hit)

                6-7          Same as Previous Day

                8-10        Mixed Skies (Orcs, Goblins, etc. suffer daylight penalties)

                11-12     Pleasant and +1 to next roll (Orcs, Goblins, etc. suffer daylight penalties)

For added variety, the Judge can opt to have a 1 in 6 chance of a storm / break in storm to come through in a given morning, afternoon, evening, or night.

Night/Darkness

At night, chance of encounters increase by 1 pip if traveling.

Creatures suffers the same penalties they do in darkness (movment, attack, morale); unless it is one of the nights of the full moon, with clear skies, and open terrain.

Castle Construction

When the time comes for a PC or party to establish their own stronghold, they can construct a basic keep that is able to control 1 hex worth of territory for a cost of 80,000 silver.  Such a Keep requires 282

weeks (5.4 years) to build.  The PC can up quadruple the price to reduce the time by the same factor. 

For basic gameplay, the Judge can presume that such a Keep can sustain itself so far as staff, and basic soldiers under most circumstances.  If the PCs with to explore the hiring of specialists or other economic actives, there is a list of specialists, siege weaponry, etc. in Volume III. (and perhaps a future expansion to this document)

If other sorts of construction are desired, one can take the square root of the price found in Vol III (or the historical price in shillings x3) as the number of weeks to build.  Each multiplied cost factor divides time by a like amount, up to quadruple cost/speed.