Southland: Cape York Swamp

THE SOUTHLAND

A Fantasy Core Setting

© Jerry Harris 2014

Published here as Open Game Content.

(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Index.)

Southland Index

Humanoid Lands Index

Cape York Swamp

Seven Sisters Myth: The Sisters fled into a swamp and were captured by savage monsters there.  While the monsters fought amongst themselves over how to divide the Sisters for their next meal, the girls took a leaf and put their magic into it.  The fragrant smell of the leaf distracted the monsters and drove them mad with desire.  They offered to let the Sisters go if they would show them where the plant was.  The Sisters created the Eucalyptus tree and showed it to the monsters.  They would have eaten the girls anyway, but were too enraptured from eating the leaves to do so.

Doesn’t this look pleasant?  What dangerous creatures could possibly be hiding in such a serene looking natural environment. 

[For Ref’s who like environmental effects, this is for you.  Otherwise, just ignore this.]  For characters not acclimatized to the swamp (at least a month), they must make a DC 12 Fort Sv each day they are active (traveling for example).  Failing that Save, they can still function, but all of their Bonuses and Skills go to 0.  A day’s rest will cure this condition.  Without that rest, DC 18 Fort Sv the next day.  Success means you’re still in the same condition.  Failing it, you’re incapacitated and must rest two days to fully recover.  Also, traveling in metal armor automatically zero’s out your Bonuses within an hour and forces the DC 18 incapacitation save.  So, just put your armor on right before combat.

Lizardmen

HD 2d8+2, Hp 11, AC 15 (Natural)

Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +0

Melee: Club +2 to hit 1d6+1

Ranged: Javelin +1 to hit 1d6

Stealth +4

Fairly aggressive in hunting and defending their territory, but they otherwise avoid contact with humans and other Humanoids. 

The Lizardmen experiment never really panned out for the Ancients.  They can only function in swamps and jungles.  Worse, they’re also too stupid to follow complex orders, being just barely a step above a complete animal.  While they have plenty of food to suit their carnivorous lifestyle in the swamp, the area where they live is marginal in magical fallout.  The Lizardmen’s reproduction is dropping precipitously as it fades (roughly once every six months, with one month maturation).  Unfortunately, they are too adapted to their environment to be able to leave it.  Within about 20 years, there will be no more Lizardmen here.   

Their lair areas are nearly inaccessible, and Lizardmen can virtually disappear into the swamps in any case.  Lizardmen actually generate eggs to replicate which are held in incubation chambers in their lairs.  Cape York is filled with eucalyptus trees.  The Lizardmen are all addicted to the leaves (part of the reason that they’re not very smart).  They are aggressively territory about it as well, not allowing other Humanoids access to it without a fight, much less human harvesting.

Troglodyte

HD 2+4, Hp 20, AC 15 (Natural)

Fort +5, Ref –1, Will +0

Melee: Club +1 to hit 1d6

Ranged: Javelin +1 to hit 1d6

Stench: DC 12 Fort Sv or sickened 1 turn, all bonuses go to 0, 30’ radius

This smell will also attract more Lizardmen and generally drive them into a frenzy.  They will be immune to fear attacks and morale checks for the encounter.  The death or retreat of the Troglodyte will automatically cause the Lizardmen to flee.

Natural born leaders of the Lizardmen.  Usually somewhat bloated and fat, they’re not even as good a warrior as the typical Lizardman.  They’re still not smart, but have a small amount of cunning.