Dratgash Hills

The Dratgash Hills are a group of undulating hills, in a taiga-based region, surrounding the Hobgoblin lair, Grimstone Hollow. This is part of the world in the Self-play Tutorial series.

1st day. Arliss and Bertrand travel more than a mile from the Hollow and settle down to eat. Bertrand, who has the power to lay hands, grants hit points to Arliss, since there's little possibility of their resting a day someplace and healing.

With the sun well past it's zenith, Arliss suggests that they should spend the afternoon trying to orient themselves. "We have enough food for now, though we should be on the lookout, and I don't see running off in a random direction; we could end up running deeper into the forest rather than getting out of it. I suggest we try to find some sort of landmark." Bertrand, who has little experience at all with a real forest, agrees. Bertrand is free to do this each day.

While travelling along, happenstance causes them to stumble upon an animal trail, to their great luck. They clap each other on the back at their good fortune, as this promises to improve their chances of orienting themselves, finding food, and perhaps following the trail to a stream or river. "We should put off finding a landmark and follow this, to see where it takes us." Once again, Bertrand nods his assent. The animal trail gives them a +10% bonus to find that landmark, but they don't do it; but the trail takes them to a natural spring, and there, as darkness settles over the forest, they fill their waterskins gratefully. No creatures or animals bother them as they removed their armour, pack their meagre goods around them, not building a fire and hugging each other to keep warm as the temperature falls to where it's very chilly.

Note: my error in not giving the characters a waterskin at the outset, so I'm going to retcon that. The characters eat 6 lbs. of food each throughout the day, to compensate for the battles they fought.

2nd Day. As the day starts, the weather is brisk and the sky clear. The characters must eat 4 lb. of food today as they search the wilderness, which accounts for some of their water; Arliss' daily water intake, over and above the food they'll eat, is 42½ fl.oz; Bertrand, 61½. As their first agency choice for the day, they've agreed to search for a waterway; they're going to continue following the animal trail, which increases their chances of finding the waterway to 49%. They head off, and while searching, no happenstance occurs.

As chance would have it, the animal trail leads them to a shelter, a large rock overhang. Here the trail ends, but the characters also succeed in finding the waterway they were looking for, a stream. This has been immensely good luck. "We can follow the stream out of the wilderness, and perhaps find a civilised hex," says Bertrand. "Should we make haste and see where it takes us?"

"We can find the stream again whenever we want," answers Arliss. "I'm worried about our food; we'll only have 10 lbs. left when today ends. We have no hooks to fish with; but, yes, we can hunt for food anytime. Let's follow the river and see." Essentially, they agree to spend their second agency choice seeking the "next hex." But they don't succeed (though of course they wouldn't actually know that). Still in the Dratgash Hills, they settle in for the night, undisturbed, with the bright stars overhead and chilly.

3rd Day. The morning improves quickly towards a genial briskness, with a single cloud in the sky. The characters agree again to seek the next hex, meta-aware from the DM that they're not in it. I have my doubts that the chance should be the same; reasonably, I think, a +10% bonus per day is appropriate for finding the next hex, which is inevitable, after all. With a 61% chance, and no happenstance occurring yet, Arliss and Bertrand succeed in finding the next hex downriver.

Note: I'm unfamiliar with the system for calculating a new hex, so I'll talk myself through it here. It starts with a d100 roll on the terrain relief table, in this case with a +8 modifier for the stream. It's very likely to be more undulating hills. I roll an adjusted "45," so the terrain is unchanged. Vegetation is not re-rolled. Under the next hex table on the taiga page, the applicable modifiers are as follows: -10 for the Grimstone Hollow dungeon; +5 for the fishing pond; -10 for the relief being 2 variations above flat; +10 for the stream. That's -5 overall. I roll an adjusted "34" and so its still more wilderness.

Rustling Wood

As the adventurers continue, it still being the 3rd day, after eating 2 lb. they agree not to eat any more food that day, being permitted skip a ½-day per experience level without penalty, once per week. They note the pine needle carpeting has become thick and dry, causing their feet to "rustle" as they walk. Bertrand suggests that they should search for "forage" and Arliss agrees. Unfortunately, they have not bad luck throughout the day (Arliss locates 2 lb), and as they settle in to camp that night, there being just a few clouds in the sky. "I hope we find a better shelter before it rains sometime," says Arliss.

With the happenstance roll coming that night (on the table just made), the result is "all quiet."

4th day, May 4th. Waking up hungry, they agree not to fast until they absolutely have to, as this would lower their constitution and dexterity. Eating a pound of food each for breakfast (16 total lb. of food left). The temperature brisk, they continue looking for forage. Happenstance that morning has them find a little brook which flows towards the river that they've kept on their left, which they haven't been following. As noon passes, they continue to search all day for forage, but the best they do is that Arliss finds another 2 lb. that day. They eat three each (18 total minus 6) and as they go to rest that night, they have 12 lb. of food left. "Our luck has to improve," remarks Bertrand. He's grateful that Drusus has been able to catch a few squirrels for sustenance.

May 5th. Around midnight, a warm breeze begins to blow from the west, so that while it was chilly as night fell, as the stars wheeled overhead the air turned brisk and then cool, and as the sun rose it was nearly pleasant, unexpectly so. Together, Arliss and Bertrand agree they must get out of these hills, deciding to follow the river and, for the present, surrender the hopes of finding proper forage. No happenstance comes upon them and, as chance would have it, they find the next hex. With an adjusted "96," they find the next hex, and discover that the relief changes to "rolling hills." There's no adjustment on the civilisation table, yet low and behold, they roll a "74" — discovering, to their great relief, an occupied, isolated house adjacent to a cultivated field. The time of day is early afternoon.

Enter Timberveil