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.

Happenstance Table

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 pond	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 sign	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.

"Flat" relief speaks for itself. "Low hills" applies to rolling and undulating hills. "Middle hills" describes foothills and rugged hills. "Low mts." includes rounded mts. and mountains. "High mts." designates craggy peaks and alpen environments.

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. Adjustments that give aid in locating specific findings are cumulative, with each finding granting the bonus only within that hex.

Up to 10 happenstance results can occur, one for each day, whereupon the hex is considered to be tacitly "explored," though there is yet a chance for the party to search for those things, using their agency, that have not yet been discounted or counted as found. See ongoing rolls, 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 fishing pond, 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. Characters who fail their dexterity check (+4 bonus) each half day must be rescued or sink out of sight unless saved (requires any other nearby character to make strength check). The water is not suitable for drinking, ranging from queer to putrid. 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.

Encampment. This seasonal site is set up by hunters to take advantage of the summer abundance of game. These encampments have, at the minimum, a large flat stone used for slaughtering and skinning, fire pits surrounded by stones, and holes cut into both rock and clay for the placement of tents and drying racks. Usually abandoned, there is a 50% chance of 5-15 hunters being present, with tents and equipment, during the months of July and August. Such an encampment defines the hex as a "hinterland" and includes a footpath (see below) that inevitably leads to a civilised hex.

Fishing pond. Usually indicates a tiny body of water, less than 1 acre in size. Roll a d100 to see if there is a large pond (01-04), pool (05-07), small lake (08-09) or large lake (10); rolls of 11-00 indicate only the small pond, as before. Large ponds are 2-20 acres; pools are 30-120 acres; small lakes are one ½ to 1½ sq.m, with large lakes being 2-7 sq.m. The likelihood of a larger lake may occur, but the chances would be scant, with exceptions existing for some parts of the world. Access for fishing exists at many points, allowing for varied catches while maintaining the pond's natural balance. There is a sufficient fish population to allow daily fishing for up to 30 days without diminishment. Local species may vary. Pools and larger bodies of water provide a +6% bonus to orientation; and also a +18% chance of locating a waterway, which may be a brook or creek emerging from one end of the pond. Water quality varies between peculiar and pleasant.

Footpath. An uneven, narrow route beaten upon a hard clay surface, wide enough for a horse to be ridden along; seasonally cut back and attended to. Surfaces are covered with roots and scrub, with brooks and rivulets that must be jumped. The presence of a footpath defines the hex as a "hinterland," with the path inevitably leading to a civilised hex; however, it cannot be certain which is the right direction along which the path needs to be travelled in order to find a civilised hex. Roll a 50% chance that the path comes to an end when the "next hex" is entered (see below).

Forage. A fortunate find for travellers, though available only within the months of May to September. Presents what may be a bee hive that can be reached for its honey or a patch of berry bushes, with blueberries, cranberries and lingonberries thriving in the acidic soil. Enables every character to "forage" as though possessed of the sage ability for 1-3 days, while foragers gather at three times their usual success. Thereafter, the patch is depleted.

Fresh water. Locates clean, drinkable water that's pure and unusually fresh, from a variety of sources. This may include rainwater collected in natural depressions or rock basins since the last rainfall, cascading brooks or streams that are fed by melting snow and rainfall (within the months of April to June) or natural springs, where groundwater emerges from the earth. Springs are often found at the base of hills or in rocky areas and can provide a consistent and pure supply of water. Beaver ponds, created by the damming activities of beavers, can also be a source of fresh water, though it tends to be odd tasting or agreeable. Finding fresh water gives a +18% chance of locating a waterway.

Friend. This has a 50% chance of being 1-3 non-levelled woodcutters or other labourers, whose presence defines the hex as a "hinterland;" in exchange for news and the character's observations of what they've seen, they'll be happy to lead the characters out of the forest to civilisation. If not such persons, the encountered friend is a lone adventurer, who believes the hex is true wilderness (though additional findings may correct this). He or she will promptly join the party as a member. The adventurer is somewhat lost, though they provide a +20% chance of finding the "next hex," or so they believe. If the character has pathfinding, however, then he or she will be able to directly lead the party to a civilised hex.

Game. Describes the location of smaller animals that serve as a reliable source of meat: hares, grouse, ptarmigan, squirrels and a wide variety of fur-bearing animals. Obtaining this result randomly enables a hunter to obtain 2-5 lbs. of meat without needing to spend time hunting for it.

Grazer. Receiving this result randomly indicates that the party a light (1-13) or heavy (14-20) herd animal or herbivore has approached within long range of the party (25-47 hexes). If there is a hunter in the party, then he or she is assumed to keep the other party members quiet while automatically gaining initiative. If no party member is present, then initiative must be rolled, which must be won for any non-hunters to get a shot — however, without the ability to track or somehow locate the animal if it's hurt, there is very little chance of finding the animal. The best chance that a non-hunter has of killing the animal is to wound it.

Hazard. Indicates an obstacle barring the party's way that would be dangerous to enter or cross. One such hazard is the presence of dense underbrush and fallen trees, which can create difficult and obstructed pathways, increasing the risk of tripping or getting lost. Hazards are assumed to be 4 to 7 sq.m. in area. The presence of rocky outcrops, steep slopes and hidden crevices pose a constant risk of slips, falls and twisted ankles. In colder seasons, deep snow or accumulated ice are treacherous, hide obstacles and uneven ground, making surfaces extremely slippery, leading to falls and injuries. The size of such areas are assumed to require one-half to a full day to cross. Entering these areas requires a dexterity check for each half-day spent, with a failure requiring a roll upon the malady table, re-rolling any results that do not apply. Attempting to circumvent a hazard requires two full days and causes a loss of one agency action each day. Hazards that occur randomly are judged to block access to the specific next hex where the players wish to go. Multiple hazards may occur per hex.

Monster. Indicates a random encounter with a non-natural creature known to inhabit this range. See the monster encounter table.

Next hex. Indicates that the characters have passed over the threshold from one hex to the next. This resets all bonuses gained from the previous hex while again renewing the full ten random happenstance rolls each unexplored hex receives. Obviously, no line exists on the ground to indicate the players have passed over, but as there will be new things to see and run across, they may reasonable guess at the situation whether or not they're told — especially if they've been able to orient themselves within their environment. I recommend simply telling the characters as a way of expressing the headway they're making, treating is a meta-gaming simplification that makes managing the game easier, while allowing the players to make more effective choices with their agency.

Orientation. When occurring randomly, the characters are counted as having successfully gained some form of orientation without intending to do so. One of three factors is made known: seeing either the sunset or sunrise, are able to identify east from west, and thus north from south (1-10); a large natural landmark is located, most likely a predominant hill but possibly an unnaturally large tree (11-17); a viewpoint is encountered, allowing the characters to see between 1 and 3 adjacent hexes they are not in (18-20). Landmarks and viewpoints can be relocated from inside the hex, once the characters know where they are; if the characters leave the hex, they must relocate that hex to relocate the landmark or viewpoint.

Predator. Indicates a random encounter with a natural, aggressive animal known to inhabit this range. See the predator encounter table.

Sacred place. This indicates the existence of a hallowed site that has been consecrated at some point throughout the many millenia of history, perhaps even before humanity's neolithic period, and certainly not necessarily by a known humanoid creature. Such places include shrines, glades, crypts and sanctuaries, though 2 in 3 such places are likely to have been defiled, decimated or otherwise bereft of their natural magical effect. Thus, finding an active sacred place is of great consequence. A brief description can be found here, covering the lack of detail provided by pages that remain unmade on the wiki.

Shelter. There are several types of shelter that may occur: a large rock overhang (1-4); a dense thicket of shrubs and low trees (5-9); an uprooted tree with a large, exposed root system and surrounding depression (10-11); a large, thick-branched conifer that provides a roof (12-18); or a cave large enough to enter, with a cleft entrance varying from 3-12 ft. in width (19-20). Each of these, excepting the cave, improves the ambient weather conditions by one grade, while the cave improves it by three grades. The rock overhang, thick-branched conifer or cave provides a dry place, though a fire cannot safely be lit under the conifer. The uprooted tree provides defense on one side; the dense thicket on all sides; and the cave nearly so, though the mouth may be entered. Knowledge of how to construct a bivouac and provide considerable benefit to each of these possibilities.

Tool sign. Indicates evidence that there is an intelligent, humanoid presence in the area, such as trail markings, tree carvings, abandoned tools, existing shelters, notches ... even the distant sight of a campfire across a valley at night. The last indicates that there are creatures nearby, in the present, while the others may be evidently days, months or even years old. Roll a die to indicate the number of days that might pass before coming face-to-face, judging from the evidence the players have found: within the day (1), within 2-5 days (2-9), within 1 to 2 weeks (10-16), within 1 to 2 months (17-19), perhaps never (20). A dungeon master may obviously choose to adjust the result to that which makes the most sense, given the already revealed presence of a dungeon or some other previously encountered sign.

Waterway. A blanket term for any example of moving water in the hex, including brooks (narrow and shallow, dry in late summer), creeks (thigh deep and too wide to jump), streams (shoulder deep but places where it can be waded across, up to 30 feet wide) and rivers (deep enough to require swimming, more than 30 ft. wide). Easier to locate in hills, their course can be followed downstream, increasing the likelihood of finding flat land and therefore a civilised hex. Chilling cold throughout the year, with fish swimming above flat country only within the months of July and August.

Wildfire. A dramatic and dangerous event, announcing itself with the faint smell of smoke, followed by a haze that begins to obscure the sky. Wildlife becomes active and agitated, with birds taking flight and animals moving rapidly away from the direction of the fire, giving an indication of which direction the party should go. As the fire grows closer, the smoke quickens, causing the sky to turn an eerie shade of orange or red. Roll 1d4 to determine if the fire began here or up to three hexes away; there is a 1 in 3 chance on each day that it will burn itself out, while always moving along the path provided by the wind. Assume the fire will consume a hex every half-day, demanding that the players succeed in locating the "next hex" with their agency (+25% bonus). Failure to do so may yet allow the players to seek shelter within a bog or hazardous rock-scape, which produces other problems.