Losing my Religion

Clerics in DnD imply pantheons of higher beings to believe in, beings which provide the gift of miracles to their most fervent champions, all through the power of faith.  A vast array of deities also means a vast array of temples and tombs to raid or defend, or at least visit and try to cajole healing from.  Such temples and tombs are a staple of most fantasy rpgs.

Erol Otus, cover of Deities & Demigods, 1980

The quick and easy fix is to use the default pantheons from Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk, both leaning heavily into purely fictional gods, although at least a few Forgotten Realms deities started life as members of real world belief systems.  

An easier fix is to use real world pantheons, likely cribbed in part from Deities and Demigods (with or without the Chthulu Mythos) or GodChecker.  I'll admit that Deities and Demigods certainly expanded my knowledge of other faiths, and not just because of the awesome art that made up much of the book.

Jeff Dee, Bast, Deities and Demigods, 1980 - a titillating image, indeed!

After about 50 years of fantasy rpgs, there are collections of deities available, statted up for your favorite DnD ruleset.  Some are heavily tied to the setting, like those of the Scarred Lands, while others like the Book of the Righteous and Petty Gods (link goes to legitimate free pdf) are just collections of deities looking for believers anywhere.

At some point, DMs and GMs decide to craft their own pantheons, either by mixing and matching the above or through some dedicated creation out of whole cloth.  I've tried the latter, I really have, and Lord, is it a waste of time for how little actual use it sees at the table.  Never again.

My new world is fully accepting of the fact that it is a game for the players.  This isn't to say that it is full of 5th-wall-breaking nonsense, merely that background events will exist for the benefits of the players as much as for the PCs.

This includes the new religions, modeled after US College and University Football Teams.

I'll just hand this picture to prospective Cleric players and say, 'pick yer deity.'

Before rolling your eyes in disdain, consider that each team has its own colors, own slogans and symbols, and its own top coaches and players, as well as a colorful inhuman mascot.  They even host holy days and have their own ring- and cup-based artifacts.

Really, those are all the trappings a fantasy religion needs.  

High priest, chief paladin, or superfan?

Picture clerics draped in crimson and hounds tooth, praying to an elephant man statue, invoking the names of St. Saban and St. Bryant, punctuating their prayers with the phrases 'roll tide roll' and 'rammer, jammer, yellowhammer!' while holding aloft an oversized rhinestone-encrusted stylized A.  It could be a college football game or it could be the faithful at a typical DnD-style temple - it just depends on the context.

Townsfolk at a DnD temple or fans at a football game?  Who's to say?

I haven't decided yet if specific mascot-deities provide access to unique spells or if they are more like RAW clerics, where if its on the list, it can be prayed for.  Clerics are such powerhouses because RAW they have access to too many spells, and should DMs play the role of the deity and provide only what is deserved by the Cleric or decided upon by the deity, players are likely to be .... upset.

All that said, a gameworld where the worship of Avrae, Goddess of Chance and Ikea, Goddess of Creation is common is a tempting one.  It's just that I cannot think of any more clever references AND I lost the list I crowdsourced in one of the DnD FB groups.  While I will likely try for a second list, I think that I will stick with college football faiths for the foreseeable future.  

After all, college football IS the state religion of Alabama, and several other of the United States, besides.

EDIT: I began the FB crowdsource - it will need to be its own post.  Off to collect ideas into a word document for later.

Mold in the Dungeon

Mold.  

The only threatening mold we players deal with tends to be what grows in the kitchen and always-wet walls. 

PCs in DnD (and other rpgs), on the other hand, have multiple molds to contend with.

Stock photo of yellow mold

If I had to guess, the inclusion of molds as hazards in DnD stems from one specific book.  Those aware of the venerable Appendix N: Inspirational and Educational Reading have likely read Margaret St. Clair's 'Sign of the Labrys.'  For those who haven't (or have fading memories - it was published in 1963), the key takeaways from it are that it is basically a megadungeon and that there is a prevalence of molds and fungal growths that do bad things to people, notably wiping out 9/10s of the Earth.  It is a fun read.

(So are several books on that list.  Others not so much, either due to not aging well or simply being terrible books.  Appendix N Bookclub addresses them all, or will eventually.  A great podcast. (Sign of the Labrys, Shadow People)).

Reading lists aside, molds and slimes and fungi as threats have been in our game since its inception, or at least since Moldvay Basic, the earliest ruleset I own.  And 1981 is pretty close in time to OD&D.

Sometimes they have been found alongside traditional monsters, with Yellow Mold between Wolf and Zombie in B/X and in the middle of the M's in AD&D.  After all, they are technically alive and will kill a PC.

Other times, these trap-monsters can be found perhaps more appropriately under their own heading, typically something like Hazards (5e) or Dungeon Hazards (maybe 3x - my books are long gone).  

Which makes sense, because they are hazards.  Unfortunately, since they are not in the newer monster manuals, but in the DMGs, such things don't appear nearly as often in adventures as they should. Molds (brown, russet, yellow) all have their purpose, which is to make treasure recovery more difficult while presenting different challenges than 'hit it with sword or spell.' 

Brown Mold feeds and grows on warmth, and makes recovering a treasure that it has grown on a challenge, given that warm-blooded beings give off enough heat to make it grow.  Fireball it from a distance and see what happens.  I dare you.  

Brown Mold also turns the 'kill it with fire' paradigm on its head, a method that works for other molds.  

Russet Mold turns humanoids into Vegepygmies and quadrupeds into Thornies.  Permanently, as S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks teaches us.  I imagine a properly-worded Wish might bring a PC back to normal, but little else.  At least the PC's gear survives to be picked up by the next adventuring party that passes through.

Erol Otus, from S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, 1980

Yellow Mold is the classic threat mold, found on plates to make them appear golden, growing on skeletons to make melee with them a danger again, and on sacks of grain in abandoned storerooms because it kinda makes sense for it to be there.  Yellow mold basically exists to punish careless PCs (and players as PCs succumb and die) for doing what they do - looting, fighting, and searching.  

I like Yellow Mold because it grows on anything, so can and will be found on anything nonliving.  Adding it to constructs and undead is a nasty trick (ooh... a Yellow Mold breath weapon?), that can be telegraphed visually (another strike against colorblind darkvision) if the DM is kind or the PCs ask.

Mostly, though, Yellow Mold punishes folks for not carrying lit torches.  Between Yellow Mold and Green Slime (and maybe spider webs and Rot Grubs), PCs (especially in 5e) heeding the clarion call of "I have darkvision" are at an extra disadvantage because not having a ready fire source means time lost and that means PCs die.  Decisions, decisions...

Now, Molds are a type of plant life, which means some druids can communicate with and otherwise affect them.  What this looks like in game, I don't know, but am excited to find out.

I write all this because, yes, my megadungeon features all these molds, and more besides.  For those needing/wanting more inspiration (and a nifty table) in this regard, d4 Caltrops has it covered (pun intended).  Built By Gods Long Forgotten has a remix of slimes and molds, as well (among other critters), as does this thread at EnWorld.

Hexcrawling the Blogosphere

Hexcrawling can be loads of fun, but the initial setting up of a hexcrawl, well... not so much.  I mean, it IS fun, but is time-consuming and can become a chore.  Still, once complete, discovering the connections between hexes makes for pleasant surprises, both for players and GMs.  

All told, I have little new to add, so instead offer a compilation of what is out there regarding hexcrawling.  Others have provided similar compilations in the past, such as this one at Ars Phantasia, but it is dated (still good though - you'll recognize several of the links in that post, and they are all worth clicking).  If nothing else, this lets be more efficient in my Facebook responses - I merely link this post rather than a half-dozen or more sites. Other search terms useful for those seeking additional resources on hexcrawls are: sandbox, West Marches, and pointcrawl.

There are a few solid introductions to Hexcrawls, both at the Alexandrian (also a separate 5e version) and a large series (at least 20 installments) on Hexcrawls at Trollsmyth.  Melan at Beyond Fomalhaut also addresses hexcrawling, providing a simple method for doing so. There is also this discussion on three types of hexcrawl at Augury Ignored.

Once you have the rough idea of hexcrawls and the process of building one, you need the resources to build your own.  First among them is the blog d4 Caltrops and this lovely document.  Note that the blog contains several more Forest and Mountain hexes not yet in the document, so do a thorough search.  These are wonderful because each entry can result in several different options.  There is even some minor linking between the entries.

Edward P Beard, Mt. Fuji, not the most expensive basic mountain in MtG, but in the top five.

One tool for world-building and hexcrawling is the Random Encounter chart.  This article from Papers and Pencils on Structuring Encounter Tables is worth the read and application.  Even if you aren't jamming Wizards and Dragons on your tables, you should have a procedures for random encounters.  Retired Adventurer provides a different take here.  Whose Measure God Could Not Take addresses biome-related encounter tables in an excellent fashion.  

 (But you should be jamming Wizards and Dragons on at least some of those encounter tables).

Papers and Pencils also provides a nice how-to with How Do You Hexcrawl. Whose Measure writes about their process, as well.

Encounters in a hexcrawl are an odd creature.  Welshpiper addresses them here - note the additional hexcrawling articles on the side.  Welshpiper also has a solid downloadable hexcrawl template for drawing up a detailed hex.  Another template can be found here.

Related to encounters is the loot left behind.  Adding history to said loot lets you build your world and the connections between hexes, as Ars Ludi addresses here.  

Mike Ploog, Nottingham Forest

Hexcrawling suggests the PCs will spend many nights around a campfire.  Those tables wanting something more for those evenings should consider what is being burnt.  The post from The Goatman's Goblet explores indepth the matter of firewood.  It is worth reading.  Truth be told, all the entries there under the heading Hexploration are worth reading.

There is much overlap between hexcrawling and the West Marches campaign.  KentheDM hosts a repository of useful West Marches information that leads indirectly to Izirion's Enchiridion of the West Marches, which can be mined for hexcrawls.  

My Terrible Sorcery is Without Equal in the West is a mouthful, but worth the click.  The post is ostensibly about keying a specific hexcrawl, but the links therein are a goldmine.

If you're in a hurry for a hexcrawl or simply seeking examples of some, look no further than Save vs. Total Party Kill's Grab Bag, where you'll find almost a dozen such hexcrawls calling out for adventure. If an urban hexcrawl is what you're seeking, then Wizard City from Goodberry Monthly is regularly updated with additional content; it might be fun to mix and match with the Strixhaven book WotC is releasing.

Another source for a readymade hexcrawl is found at Coins and Scrolls, with the Community Hexcrawl.  Coins and Scrolls has also been running a short series on how to build the hexes of a wavecrawl or islandcrawl by going through established sources.  Its a fun how-to read.

Against the Wicked City has been steadily turning the Pathfinder Adventure Paths into hexcrawls, jamming the current ones together here.  If you like the idea of Adventure Paths, but hate the bloat that is Pathfinder, here is the current master list of current AP-turned-hexcrawls, referred to as Condensation-in-Action.  While at this blog, look at The White Tower and drop it into your next hexcrawl - you won't be sorry.  Also read through this post, and see how others' items can be ported into your homebrew world.

The Land of NOD produces an irregular hexcrawl zine, among other game-related materials.  There are two free issues available for download, and the others can be found on Lulu and Drivethrurpg.  At least try out the freebies.

Mike Ploog, Scottish Highlands

Third Kingdom Games keeps producing quality hexcrawl materials.  Technically, it is for the OSE ruleset, but the meat is what is important.  Being able to buy them as print-on-demand allows for me to swell my bookshelf admirably.  Their titles Filling in the Blanks and Into the Wild are ideal for crafting your own hexcrawl

The Alexandrian never fails to provide well-written advice on various gaming topics.  Here we have some cheatsheets useful to hexcrawling. If you note the links therein, you get lots of meat from this link alone.

Over at Alone in the Labyrinth, you can find some randomly generated hexes: Swamp, Volcano, Tundra, Wetland, Taiga.  More are promised. There is also a fine article on genius loci, or spirits of place, worth reading and incorporating, at least into some hexes. Some more recent ones include: Sparse Taiga, Hills, Mountains, Upland Taiga, and Tropical Plains.

Now that you have all sorts of ideas to populate your hexes, and have maybe drawn up some hexes, you want to automate.  Hexmapper is a free bit of software that does this. I've recently had Worldographer pointed out to me by Giuseppe of Axian Spice.

He is also the creator of Lands of Legends, five useful hexcrawling resources flavored by type of game they work best with: Mundane, Grim, Holy, Primeval, and Fairy (link runs to DTRPG pdfs).  

A new addition is the Patreon Instant Encounters.  Terrain-themed short encounters to expand your hexes with or seed a new adventures.  Another solid Patreon choice is Dyson Logos maps (although his free maps and adventures are enough for many).

Sometimes, interesting and more importantly, different, encounters are wanted.  This list of 10 related encounters from I Don't Remember That Move certainly fit the bill.  In turn, they call to mind this list of 6 Dungeon Merchants (most are easily portable to the great outdoors) from Goblin Punch.  

New Big Dragon Games provides several wonderful supplements, but the one best for this post is the d30 Sandbox Companion (in the middle of the linked company page).

Beyond the Wall by Flatland Games is technically its own system, but in the end, it is a fantasy game that lends itself well to hexcrawl set up.  Retired Adventurer reviews the main books here.

Zzarchov Kowolski published Lost in the Wilderness, a 'collection of seed table encounter generators' invaluable in crafting your own hexes. Review here.  

Three more resources I've been introduced to are 92 Tables, intended for the Black Hack 2e but system neutral, and FlexTale Environmental Encounters and Into the Wyrd and Wild, which are both system agnostic. 

Initially mentioned in the comments below, Salty Goo is an awesome hexcrawl generating aid.  It makes me want to bust out some hexpaper and start mapping immediately!  Speaking of hexpaper, I finally found some numbered hexes here at Quickly, Quietly, Carefully (which is now Devilghost).

I found another excellent resource over at Rand Roll, this time aimed at 5e, but easily portable to other rulesets.  This link goes to the Deserts, but it in turn quickly links to other terrains.  Speaking of specific terrain types, Elfmaids & Octopi has a collection of mountain-related lists and ideas.

Jed McClure has a free PDF for those wanting to work on their hexcrawls offline.  If you prefer a more random, online approach, there is Hexer from Blog of Holding.

YouTube videos on hexcrawling got a post of their own; it too is incomplete.

If you prefer to listen over watch, then HexTalk is for you.  This podcast is all about hexcrawling.

Reddit has its own thread dedicated to hexcrawl resources.  There is substantial overlap between there and here, but if Reddit is your thing, you should know.

There you have it: a large, slowly growing, but still incomplete, collection of resources intended for hexcrawling, but easily used for any adventure that takes place in the wilderness. 

Ben Thompson, the White Cliffs of Dover

A note on the art selections: Magic the Gathering basic lands make me realize how much I enjoy a well-painted landscape.  The selections above come from various Euro and APAC land cards - I own some, but kick myself for not snapping up many APACs at $5 apiece when I was stationed in Korea and had that young single junior officer money burning a hole in my pocket.  It went to beer instead....

Still, if you enjoy showing players the landscape over telling them, Magic land cards can be a huge boon, either to pass around the table or to share the image in your Discord channel.

Most Recent Edit: 2/10/22