Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 super_rats Sep 30, 2009 13:12:21	In one of my player's backgrounds, his character comes from an elven monastery of combat monks. Think something more like monks from a kung-fu movie than the kind that chant. The monastery sits on top of a hill and there's forest around it where the monks go to train and commune with nature. The patron of the monastery is Melora. As part of the campaign, they've returned to the monastary, Montserrat (based on a real place in Spain). They need to investigate the forest area below the monastery to find the source of corrupting energy that's driving the monks insane. This energy is mutating the landscape and killing off all the wildlife. On top of that, this corruption energy seems to be drawing creatures never seen in the forest to it. One of the signs of the corrupted area is a dark bloodred ooze, but this is more of a by-product, rather than the source. Bullywugs climb out of the ooze and start wrecking the forest area, converting the forest into a marsh area where the ooze can fester. I'm looking for some ideas I can use for locations in the forest that would be points of interest, so that it's not just Clearing A, Clearing B, etc. I've already got an outdoor area that serves as a place to commune with Melora. I'd ask the player for some of this, but right now he's legitimately very short on time. If you've seen Mearle's ruling skill challenge series, I'm trying to pattern the investigation around the wilderness skill challenge he describes there and have a handful of areas where the players want to go there. The party is 6th level (avenger of melora, druid, shaman, sorceror, warden).
#2 Shiftkitty Sep 30, 2009 14:27:09	To hell with the clearings. A stand of old-growth trees that have seen ages pass, fires, armies marching through, but have withstood the centuries can be a great spot for arcane energy to either get twisted or to stand resilient. Perhaps the spirits of these ancient "standing people" (to use a native American phrase) cry out in pain as the corruption seeps into their very roots. Waterfalls have long been thought to house spirits, and we once had a great combat scene at the top of a waterfall. Many people think of forests as just trees interspersed with clearings now and then, but look at some pics of Yosemite National Park and Big Trees National Park. Also see what lurks in Yellowstone. Let the party encounter a geyser or any of the acidic springs. Things we encountered in the 26 acres of forest we bought in Maine included very swampy ground that threatened to suck our boots off of our feet. There were thickets of trees so dark as to seem pitch-black in the noonday sun. They looked absolutley forboding. We even found the ruins of an early 19th century homestead. I'm terrible at designing skill challenges, but i thought it might help if you could break the "generic forest" mold by seeing some truly spectacular forests from the RW.
#3 super_rats Sep 30, 2009 16:40:14	Thanks for the nudge to imagine it a little further, and get me out of worrying that I wouldn't have anything interesting. I was just thinking of trees and clearings, so not seeing the forest from the trees or something like that. The ancient grove idea is good. I think I can come up with an interesting hook for that area.
#4 Shiftkitty Sep 30, 2009 16:56:47	Cool. You should probably still get a look at Big Trees even if only for your own amusement. Think Endor. I still can't get over the size of those things! And if you're ever in the northern part of California, definitely go there. Just be prepared to do a bit of hiking. Worth every step, though!