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Desert Plots

August 10th, 2010

Joshua Zaback

Grave Plots Archive


            Hello everyone and welcome back to another exciting Grave Plots, where we bring you new plot hooks and adventure ideas each and every week.  This week, as you all know, is Desert Week, and so I will be covering just a few plots taking place in those extreme climates.

 
 Hot Deserts
            This is what most people think of when they hear the word desert: hot, dry, and full of sand.  Adventuring in hot deserts typically means empires reminiscent of ancient Egypt, using camels instead of horses, and using efreet instead of demons for your evil outsiders.  All of these things can be a lot of fun and don’t let me discourage you from doing them, but is that really all there is to adventures in hot deserts? Let’s have a look.

Components of an exciting hot desert adventure

Environment

            Probably the most important part of any desert adventure is the environment and land features.  In a hot desert the first things to consider are the survival challenges, namely the weather and inhabitability of the land in question.  Hot deserts are… well, hot, uncomfortably so, and you should be sure not to underestimate the impact of heat on a group of desert travelers.  Fatigue and subdual damage are good starts, but you should also consider hallucinations (commonly known as mirages) and irritability as other markers for the extreme heat.  Remember that in conditions such as this water consumption is an important survival factor.   Finding food and water in a hot desert is very difficult and so Survival rolls to do so should be markedly harder, or even impossible, depending on the exact circumstances.  Remember that hot deserts actually get pretty cold at night and that players should feel the difference in temperature in a meaningful way.
In addition to survival challenges, your deserts need to have features, for while it can be an interesting movie scene to wander endlessly through a featureless sea of sand, it makes for bad adventures.  Hot deserts are just as often rocky as sandy, and describing the general appearance of your desert can go a long way towards setting the mood.  It is also important to remember that hot deserts have many features: rock outcroppings, sparse plant life, sand dunes, oases, and ancient ruins are just some examples, and including such things in your desert adventure both provides an excellent series of places to put your encounters and really spices things up and gives form to your deserts. 

Plot

            The adventure should probably make use of the fact that you’re adventuring in a desert, even if you choose to not make the desert central to the adventure.  For example, a defeated enemy might retreat to a desert stronghold because it’s harder for a large army to follow him or her there, or a group of vampire hunters might make their home base in the heart of a desert due to its exposure to the harsh glare of the sun.

            Another important thing to remember about adventures in hot deserts is that your adventures don’t have to be themed after those found in One Thousand and One Arabian Nights (though that is a great place to drum up some good ideas!) or be modeled on Egyptian mythology.  Your desert is a unique place with its own unique dangers and treasures, and features that differ from the norm can go a long way towards making your desert more memorable.

Monsters and Other Desert Dwellers

            What to include in your desert?  Well, the traditional choices are not actually bad ones: genies and jackals are good desert monsters.  But you should also consider large burrowing monsters that would likely thrive in such climates, such as purple worms and ankhegs.  Other good choices include saurian creatures who need little water, as well as anything that doesn’t need food or water at all, such as elementals, constructs, and undead.  Remember also to include friendlies, like desert nomads walking from oasis to oasis or religious pilgrims off to visit some site in the desert, as well as some neutrals, like wizards who just don’t want to be disturbed.

Example: Phases of the moon

            Great sand dunes make up the Arwami desert, a vast hot desert, bordering the nation of Arwah.  The Arwami desert once contained the ancient and notable Nebalg civilization, and their ruins still dot the dunes and plains of the Arwami.  Recently a religious group known as the Fist of Urage has been exiled from Arwah for undesirable religious beliefs, and they have sworn revenge.  They intend to use the Rites of Urage, a month-long ceremony that must be conducted in full view of the moon at each of its phases.  These rites will summon a horde of demons, and the Fist means to use this horde to crush the Arwah people.  The group fled to the Arwami desert and took residence in the Nebalg ruins to conduct their ritual.  The desert was the ideal choice since the lack of precipitation means a lack of cloud cover (to more ensure a full view of the moon), and because the Fist of Urage has long held an alliance with the native storm giant tribes.  These giants have agreed to keep the enemies of the Fist away from the cultists while they perform the rites.

            The ministers of Arwah have learned of the Fist’s plan and have hired the PCs to put a stop to them. The PCs must face a grueling 5-day journey through a wurm-infested desert, battle the cultist-storm giant alliance, and finally, perform a counter ritual to prevent the demons from being summoned.  Unfortunately, frequent sandstorms and magical wards throw the PCs off-track, and they are forced to join forces with the Noacta, a radical group of outlaw crusaders from the far north with questionable moral views, in order to reach their goal in time. 

Temperate Deserts

            There are two different definitions for temperate deserts; the first defines a temperate desert as another name for a cold desert, and the second defines it as any desert with temperatures that vary strongly based on the changing of seasons.  The use of these definitions for a temperate desert in your D&D should thusly redirect you either the cold or hot desert sections, and so you might be wondering why I have created a new section for adventuring in temperate deserts.  The answer is simply that in a game set in a world full of the fantastic and magical, the above definitions fail to encompass all the possible temperate deserts, in this case a desert whose temperature would be described as moderate, or even mild, while still receiving very little precipitation.  Such regions, as far I know, do not exist in nature, and so can only exist in worlds where fantastic elements can act to create them.  Let’s examine adventures in these unlikely places more closely.

Components of an exciting temperate desert adventure

Environment

            As temperate deserts do not exist in nature, the exact environmental features can only be speculated but one might imagine such a place as very dry, with little to no flora or fauna.  The terrain might be craggy hills, or smooth stone plains, but could just as easily be sandy dunes or even be boring, barren brown dirt packed into the ground by the weight of passersby.  Perhaps the terrain isn’t natural at all; for these kinds of deserts a solid steel dome or glass mountain might just be appropriate.  As above, the desert should not be plain or featureless without a good reason, but for this sort of desert the various terrain features can run the gamut a little more than the simple hot desert, as your terrain features can be anything from traditional rock outcroppings to unexplainable crystal spires containing liquid lightning.  For temperate deserts, the sky is the limit on your terrain, so feel free to use your imagination and create the most interesting features you can think up.         

            With regard to the survival hazards PCs might have to contend with, again we can only speculate, though it seems likely that some common desert hazards would apply here.  Obviously the temperature wont be a serious problem, but the PCs may have to face down frequent windstorms, deal with a complete lack of natural food and water sources, and overcome the dangers presented by unusual terrain features like spike fields, gaping chasms, and airborne poisons.  Since heat or cold will not be serious factors, it may be a good idea to increase the dangers presented by other elements in order to mach the challenge of more traditional deserts.   

Causes

            One of the most important things to a good adventure in a temperate desert is explaining the temperate desert.  Even if the cause of the temperate desert won’t be a central theme of your adventure, it can still be an important background element which will lend a great deal of flavor and help you when deciding the details of your desert and the adventures set there.  This explanation could very well be just about anything you can dream up – for example, a god of desolation might have cursed once fertile land.  The desert-like conditions could also be caused by a magical artifact buried underground, fallout from an ancient war, or the explanation may just be as simple as “a wizard did it” (in which case you should probably decide on why, when, and how).  Whatever you choose, you should keep it in mind as you design the rest of your desert.  

Plot

            The PCs might be in this temperate desert for any number of reasons depending exactly on what kind of features are here, and how you populated it.  If you want your adventure to be about the desert, though, and not simply happening in it, the adventure should probably have something to do with your cause.  For example, if you chose the above example of the curse of a god of desolation, the PCs could be working toward breaking the curse by seeking ancient knowledge, conducting interviews with the divine, and accomplishing a series of quests to end the desert-like effects.  Or, they could be attempting to establish a base of operations in the area and have to contend with the wrath of said deity, angry at mortals for defying his will and trying to live on the land.

            Additionally, this would be a good place for a frontier-style game where the PCs struggle to survive in a rugged and inhospitable land, manage resources and deal with strange and unusual problems, while they slowly learn more about their new land.  If this is the case, the cause will likely come into play several times as the PCs slowly gain knowledge of it.

Monsters and Other Desert Dwellers

            Due to the harsh conditions and unusual landscape, the monsters and wildlife found in your temperate deserts should all be rather well adapted to life in that climate.  Personally I think rhe native creatures should be mostly things with a great deal of range – flying beasts and burrowers who have greater options for finding food.  If there is sparse vegetation in your temperate desert, then include a reasonable amount of small animals.  Non-native creatures might include constructs, undead, and various kinds of outsider.  Your cause can help you customize the inhabitants more effectively.

            This kind of desert is probably the most likely to be supporting some kind of civilized life.  Depending on your cause, you might find cities, towns, and other settlements struggling against the environment, or you might find no life in the desert whatsoever.    

Example: The Land of Erga

            50 years ago, Mephilos, the wizard king of Erga, decided to increase his control over the citizenry of Erga, and so he used long forgotten magic to turn his nation into a desert.  At the same time he tightened border control, establishing a massive iron wall surrounding the entire border of Erga, and manning the gates with powerful iron golem servants with orders not allow anyone to leave Erga without the express permission of Mephilos himself.  With the end of rains in Erga the farmlands stopped producing, and within 2 years the once green hills of Erga became barren.  The rivers that once flowed through the lands of Erga have dried up, leaving dry river beds crisscrossing the land.  The city of Erga has since swelled to nearly twice its original size as citizens from outlying farms were forced to abandon their fields to the encroaching desert.  The city itself is a cramped collection of homes and storefronts crowded around narrow streets, built in the shadow of the massive castle Erga, since renamed castle Mephilos. 

            Erga produces no food or drinking water of its own, and so all food is distributed by the king (who, unknown to the townspeople, is receiving supplies from a foreign nation via teleportation circles), who carefully controls the rationing to ensure the loyalty of the populace, and uses this food distribution to discourage disloyalty to the throne.  To seal his control over the population Mephilos has made an alliance with a group of blue dragons, exchanging the lands outside the city for regular patrols of potential escape routes. 

            A secret group of dissidents called the Children of Erga has been quietly opposing Mephilos’ rule for years now, and at great personal risk their leader Zemara has gotten a message to the PCs, asking for their help and offering them a great deal of gold in exchange for their services.  At further risk to her person Zemara has arranged secure transport into the city if they agree to help her in her cause.  Once in the Children’s stronghold, Zemara explains the situation and asks the PCs to help the Children defeat Mephilos and free the Ergan people.  She explains that there are a few things the PCs can do to help, and that if they can accomplish one or more she would be greatly appreciative.  Firstly, they could end Mephilos’ alliance with the blue dragons through diplomacy or main strength, so that the Children can more easily travel to the outside world; secondly, if the PCs could destroy the golems guarding the border, the Children could get supplies smuggled in; thirdly, if the PCs can cut off Mephilos’ food connections, then Zemara is confident that the people will rise up in general rebellion before too long; finally, if the PCs can kill Mephilos and/or find a way to reverse the desert effects, the people could be free within the month.  The PCs are promised handsome rewards for their efforts and then cut loose to start solving problems.

            After dealing with the various threats presented by Mephilos and his minions (not to mention the desert itself), the PCs lead a successful rebellion, defeat Mephilos, and reverse his spell, becoming heroes of the people as well as wealthy men.             

Cold Deserts

            These are some of the most fascinating deserts known to exist.  Cold deserts are often thought of as exotic and mysterious and so make for good adventuring.  Using cold deserts in your game typically means a struggle against harsh environment and a handful of exotic monsters while on their way to a specific goal.  The main difficulty in the use of a cold desert is in making the adventure different from any other adventure in freezing climates.  Lets look at a few ways to do this.

Components of an exciting adventure in a cold desert

Environment

            Cold deserts arguably have the most extreme environmental conditions of anywhere, with freezing temperatures, howling winds, and worse.  It doesn’t help that such deserts tend to be vast and mountainous.  The typical terrain for a cold desert includes patches of thick glacial ice, years of frozen snow, permafrost, semi--frozen stone, and exposed earth in areas where the climate is literally too harsh for ice and snow.  Add rapid changes in elevation, long frozen briny waterways and glacial walls and you have a reasonable representation of a typical cold desert.  Since you’re looking to have an exciting desert rather than a typical one, in addition to the standard terrain add some exciting features: ice bridges, bottomless caverns, partially exposed ruins, and massive animal bones are just a few examples. 

            Cold deserts will force PCs to deal with very difficult survival situations, as they are confronted by extreme cold (around 0° F or lower), hurricane force winds (or faster), and an almost complete lack of food or water sources (survival roles to find food and water in a cold desert should be made with a severe penalty).  In addition to the effects above, most of the time PCs will probably be dealing with ice effects, hallucinations brought on by hypothermia, and the various hazards brought on by different terrain features.         

Plots

            Cold deserts offer one of the world’s harshest climates and that should probably factor into plots taking place in one. Their harsh environmental conditions mean cold deserts, along with the ocean depths, are some of the world’s most isolated areas, making them ideal locations for the exotic, mysterious, and forbidden.  For example, PCs might head into a cold desert to discover lost treasures or knowledge, or because the last snow elf high mage is imprisoned within a rune-carved dome of pure silver in the center of a vast cold desert.  They may even be in the cold desert to satisfy their curiosity: for instance, the PCs might spot a grove of cyclopean trees which couldn’t possibly survive in that climate and go to investigate the location.

            It is worth noting that cold deserts often attract adventure for the same reasons as hot deserts, and most of the plot information under that section could be used here.    

Monsters and Other Desert Dwellers

            The only creatures that can really survive in cold desert are those that are either cold-adapted (immune to cold, or at least having a high resistance) or those that can escape the cold, like burrowers or ethereal creatures such as the ethereal marauder.  Some good example creatures include the frost worm, an ice mephit, and an ice linnorm.
Civilized life probably won’t thrive in cold deserts, as even cold-adapted life would prefer lands with a more readily available food source, though it is possible that an isolationist race of hardy, cold-immune creatures could maintain a civilization in an ice desert.  It is also possible that a civilization once thrived in your cold desert and they may have left behind more than just ruins.

Example: Beneath the Ice

            The Order of the Lantern has recently discovered evidence that something is stirring in Lake Pygros, a black saline lake sealed beneath a 20-yard thick sheet of completely transparent ice.  The lake is located deep within the Magentell desert, a vast cold desert in the far north.  The Order claims that their oldest prophecies reveal the stirring seen in Lake Pygros is actually the awakening of an evil spirit, imprisoned within the lake at the dawn of time by the founders of their order.  The Order hires the PCs to escort them to the lake in order to perform a ritual to reseal the awakening evil.

            The PCs must cross the Magentelli ice plains, a relatively flat area of thick ice shelf well-known for sudden onsets of violent windstorms.  The plains are also home to a large white dragon population, whose fiercely territorial nature can cause the PCs serious problems during this leg of their journey.  After traveling the ice flats the PCs reach the mountainous region surrounding Lake Pygros; here they must scale harshly jagged and frozen peaks while fighting off the remorhazes and ice linnorms who make that region their own.  Massive chasms partially filled with ice force PCs to either find a creative solution or go miles out of their way, increasing the likelihood of having to deal with sudden and devastating windstorms.  Scattered ruins, the remains of partially exposed cyclopean structures from days long past, provide shelter from the storms; unfortunately for the PCs, ancient gargantuan stone and iron golems still guard the ruins from intruders.

            If the PCs and the Order members survive the mountain range, they arrive in the Valley of Pygros, which contains the frozen lake and a small patch of frozen rocky terrain.  The Order members then move around the lake and begin chanting their invocation.  Watching the black lake, the PCs can notice a great deal of stirring beneath the surface, and strangely, this stirring seems to be increasing as the invocation continues.  At the end of the chanting, an immensely powerful and dangerous creature breaks free of the ice, emerging from a briny black goo.  This creature should be appropriately impressive for your game’s current power level, whether this means an advanced ice linorm, a great wyrm white dragon, a shoggoth, or even the tarrasque itself.  It kills the order members (who either forgot a key ritual component, or were secretly working towards summoning the creature the whole time) and then turns to the PCs who should be given just enough time to decide whether to get away or fight against the terror from beyond time.