Taiga (RWG)
Taiga-based environments are vast wooded landscapes that blanket the northern regions of the world, distinguished by a dense canopy of coniferous trees. Beneath the trees lies a somewhat barren undergrowth consisting of a thick layer of decomposing pine needles and leaves. Amidst this carpet are some low-lying bushes and ferns that provide less forage than is typical. The taiga experiences harsh weather conditions, including cold winters with heavy snowfall. Navigating through deep snowdrifts can be physically demanding and exhausting. Additionally, the weather can change rapidly, increasing the risk of exposure to the elements. Winters are long and brutally cold, with sometime temperatures that amount to polar conditions as cold as the heart of Antarctica.
| result | terrain relief | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| flat | low hills | middle hills | low mts. | high mts. | |
| animal sign | 01-06 | 01-08 | 01-07 | 01-03 | 01-02 |
| animal trail | 07-11 | 09-13 | 08-10 | 04 | — |
| bog | 12-17 | 14-16 | 11-12 | 05 | — |
| dungeon | 18 | 17 | 13-14 | 06-07 | 03-05 |
| encampment | 19 | 18 | 15 | — | — |
| fishing | 20-25 | 19-23 | 16-18 | 08 | — |
| footpath | 26-27 | 24 | — | — | — |
| forage | 28-37 | 25-29 | 19-20 | 09 | — |
| fresh water | 38-40 | 30-34 | 21-23 | 10-11 | 06-07 |
| friend | 41-42 | 35 | 24 | 12 | — |
| game | 43-45 | 36-38 | 25-28 | 13-15 | 08 |
| grazer | 46-55 | 39-43 | 29 | 16 | — |
| hazard | 56-57 | 44-48 | 30-35 | 17-25 | 09-25 |
| monster | 58 | 49-51 | 36-39 | 26-30 | 26-29 |
| next hex | 59-66 | 52-63 | 40-52 | 31-53 | 30-57 |
| orientation | 67-74 | 64-73 | 53-76 | 54-83 | 58-91 |
| predator | 75-79 | 74-80 | 77-85 | 84-89 | 92 |
| sacred place | 80 | 81 | 86 | — | — |
| shelter | — | 82-83 | 87-88 | 90-92 | 93-96 |
| tool use | 81-84 | 84-86 | 89-91 | 93-94 | 97 |
| waterway | 85-99 | 87-99 | 92-99 | 95-99 | 98-00 |
| wildfire | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | — |
Wilderness
Characters who find themselves in the taiga's wilderness, where no formal infrastructure exists, would do best to have certain skills such as foraging, hunting, pathfinding and catch fishing in their arsenal, for the distances between civilised parts are quite far. The isolation and emptiness of untamed taiga mean that any journey requires careful preparation and a keen sense of the right things to do and in what order. Before stumbling across an actual community or even a lone trapper, it's more likely the players might find themselves in a "hinterland," a transition zone between a true wilderness and a marginally settled area.
Happenstance
Regardless of what the characters may wish to accomplish, they must submit to a random roll upon the happenstance table shown, which dictates that the characters must be evaluating their immediate surroundings, within about 800 yards, even if they've chosen to stay put. Results may threaten or provide benefits for the characters, including the possibility of their getting lost or killed by various means. Some degree of interpretation must be employed by the dungeon master, as the world is complex and in some cases, it may not be easy to explain why a particular creature, place or thing has appeared for the players at this moment. Guidelines to help with this are provided below.
Animal sign. This is evidence of a natural-animal presence, including indicators such as tracks, droppings, nests, burrows, claw marks on trees, feeding marks on plants, fur caught on or the distant sound of the animal. The specific animal can be rolled for on those tables provided below, but unless the characters have knowledge of that animal, it would be impossible for them to definitely identify it from its tracks. Those skilled in tracking can make use of this skill, while hunters receive a +6% bonus if trying to locate (see "agency," below).
Animal trail. This is a path or track created and frequently used by animals as they move through the environment. These trails can be identified by worn-down vegetation, a clear path through underbrush, or repeated footprints in the soil or snow. Animal trails often lead to sources of forage, fresh water or shelter. Following such a trail may produce one, two or three of these within a half-day (roll an even for each source to occur before the trail ends). Additionally, following a trail provides a +10% bonus in seeking a spot for fishing, a friend, game, grazers, the next hex, orientation, a predator or a waterway.
Bog. These are waterlogged areas covered with stunted trees, shrubs and moss. Navigating a bog is treacherous and unpredicatble, with the possibility of sinking into soft, unstable ground, risking becoming stuck or trapped; such terrain requires considerable effort, physical strength and familiarity with the landscape, often making it a slow and arduous process. The water is not suitable for drinking. Attempting to either cross a bog or circumvent one causes a loss of one agency action that day, but this loss can only occur once per investigated hex (for afterwards the characters are aware of it). More than one bog may occur per hex, however.
Dungeon. Roll on the random dungeon generator table, to identify the entrance and what sort of underground environment it leads to.
