Talon's Height: Cabbage Country Overview and Random Encounters

Cabbage Country is one of the five main "zones" of the Talon's Height setting, along with Talon's Height town, Puddleton, the Brightwood, and the Long Moor. I include below both a general overview of the area, a plain list of the locations by hex, and the random encounter table. Obviously this doesn't render it completely usable for you yet; however, hopefully it might provide some ideas.

OVERVIEW

Population: Around 550 between smaller villages and hamlets and many individual farms

Game Function: Cabbage Country does not host any of the major factions of the setting, but there is an endemic problem with the undead due to the the influence of Orcus, Demon Prince of Undeath. Some locations connect directly to this – the Gatehouse, Bulwer's Mount, and the Count's House, as well as two random encounters. Key clues to the activity of the Torrynton Compact may be discovered in Cabbage Country, via the Patzers' raids on Waylter's farm and Torrynton's country house, and there is unusual elemental activity on the Random Encounter table due to the growing strength of the Prince Most Magnificent in Shimmering Smoke. The area is one full of strangeness and mysteries: the strange autumn equinox at East Wellbury (and poor Pumpkinhead, a man trapped in scarecrow form), the disappearances near Bulwer's Mount (connected to a cult of Orcus), gateways to other Planes and to the Underdark, as well as the agricultural troubles Waylter and Mannix are experiencing.

Description: Fields of cabbage and grain spread for miles south of the Trade Road, as far as the eye can see. The Dancing River and the River Puddle amble through the fields, and copses of trees, little hamlets, and mysterious ruins punctuate the landscape. This is Mystic Arable, with a scent of mystery in every corner – not quite crop circles, but everything else.

LIST OF LOCATIONS (LOW DETAIL)

Hex 7-1: The Gatehouse: half-ruined fort with Underdark access below, with Drow, Kuo-Toa, Fane of Orcus, and deeper down, Olm and a Trilobite Knight. potential Stronghold

Hex 7-3: Seedhome: gigantic hollow acorn inhabited by Pixies and Sprites, with a planar portal to the Feywild

Hex 8-7: Circle Y Ranch: Forest Gnome Illusion Cleric/Rancher who thinks he's great and kinda is needs help with disappearing cows

Hex 7-10: Waylter's Farm: retired Paladin is being raided by neighbouring farmers who are part of Torrynton Compact

Hex 8-5: The Count's House: ruined and haunted giant's steading, with portals to other parts of the Prime Material Plane (default being Slumbering Ursine Dunes, the Rock of Bral, and Tyr on Athas)

Hex 9-4: East Wellbury: hamlet with autumn equinox harvest festival where celebrants become avatars of fruit and vegetables

Hex 9-6: Bulwer's Mount: friendly village which also sacrifices people to Orcus on the Winter Solstice

Hex 9-9: Rock's Truth: commune of Earth Genasi

Hex 10-1: Low Spittington: inbred yokels with good food

Hex 10-10: Gruumsh's Trough: badlands with Giant Ants, Bullywugs, and a mad Druid who lives with termites

CABBAGE COUNTRY ENCOUNTER CHART

d12 each hex, on an 12 roll again:

d20

1: Tibi the Tinker

The adventurers meet Tibi the Tinker (Halfling Commoner with Intelligence 15 and Wisdom 15, Insight +6). He drives a cart pulled by a Giant Goat called Sir Turnipton, who is very protective of his friend. At any one time he has 1d8 Trinkets available, which he will sell for between 5sp and 1gp each, as well as 1 random Common Minor Magic Item. He has a dull silver key which he consider a Trinket, but is in fact the Memory Key (see New Magic Items section).

2: Ankheg Attack (repeatable)

An ankheg bursts from the ground and attacks the travellers. If it loses half its hitpoints, it will seek to escape.

3: Broken-Down Cart

The adventurers come upon a cart that has thrown a wheel. The driver, Helmut, has been thrown off, breaking his leg. He will pay for help or healing (he can gather 12sp), and can give limited information about the local area (including locations of larger villages such as Bulwer's Mount, East Wellbury, Low Spittington).

4: Mineshaft Collapse

The ground collapses into the shaft of an old chalk drift-mine. Adventurers must succeed at a DC17 Dexterity Saving Throw to avoid falling 20 feet down, taking 1d8 damage. Inside the shaft is a chest with a DC12 lock, containing an intact Explorer's Pack, a Horn of Hearing (see New Magic Items section), and an entirely unmagical lucky rabbit's foot.

5: Pumpkinhead

The adventurers encounter a walking pumpkin-headed scarecrow (stats of a Human Commoner); it is silent, and not aggressive. If they are friendly it follows them, if they are not, sooner or later it will leave – sooner if attacked! It can communicate telepathically if contacted (e.g. using Rapport Spores or Sending). It is in fact a local farmer who was trapped in this form as a freak side effect of the Autumn Equinox festival at East Wellbury years ago. He can be restored using Greater Restoration. His wife has remarried, thinking he has abandoned her.

6: Bandit Attack (repeatable)

1d4+3 Bandits and a Bandit Leader block the way of the party and demand a 50gp “toll” (Morale 14, Bandit Leader). They are dirty and desperate; they have come from the south, beyond the Lordship, where several harvests have failed.

7: Standing Stones (mark hex)

The adventurers come upon a circle of standing stones. Whilst standing inside, the sun is shining and the air still, no matter the weather outside.

8: Hungry Goblins

The adventurers come across a Goblin campsite. There are 1 x Goblin Boss, 4 x Goblins, and 3 x Wolves present (Morale 12, Goblin Boss). The Goblins are members of the Broken Pot Gang, and serve Nimthur – unenthusiastically. They have wandered into Cabbage Country when sent by the Blue Dragon to scavenge, and are struggling to find much but cabbages. This has left them hungry. They will switch allegiance for “bed and board”, and may tell employers about their familial situation. Alternatively, if they detect the presence of the adventurers and believe that they are weak, they will attack.

9: Darter the Sprite

The adventurers meet Darter, a Sprite from Seedhome, who will happily pass time with them (and offer them berries from his pack). He has little information to offer, but freely offers any small detail about the local area he might know. If the adventurers seem trustworthy he will tell them to visit Seedhome, and he will ask them if they have seen Orien, an Elf friend of his who went missing last autumn.

10: Regrowth in Cabbage Country (mark hex)

The Adventurers pass a burial ground between hamlets as 8 x Zombies (Unbreakable) are in the process of rising from their graves. They have been unlife by Orcus' latent power in Cabbage Country – the Zombies visibly tear themselves out from the earth, shedding skin as they do so. There is a faint trace of magic in the background if Detect Magic is cast, but with no source.

11: Family Tragedy (mark hex)

An old woman in a nameless hamlet asks the adventurers to bury her young grandchild with his mother (her daughter), up near the High Lake – the child's father (who grew up near the High Lake) went silent when she died, took her to the Lake, buried her, came home and said what he'd done before leaving. Now her grandchild has died, too. She cannot pay except in water and bread and vegetables.

12: Comforting Sunrise

If it is the first hex travelled on this travel day, the sun crests the horizon in the east, with the light falling gently on the vast fields, seeming to turn everything to glowing gold and verdigris. All characters gain a d4 Inspiration die. If it is later in the day, replace this with Random Encounter 11 or 13 as desired.

13: Ghosts of the Past (mark hex)

In the ruin of a farmhouse, the adventurers find a desecrated shrine to Lathander. If they arrive late in the day or at night, the adventurers are set upon by 2 x Spectres (Unbreakable), former inhabitants of the house who cannot rest whilst the shrine remains desecrated. If destroyed and the shrine remains desecrated, they return the next dusk.

14: Earth Genasi Wanderer

A wanderer from Rock's Truth encounters the adventurers. He speaks slowly and sparsely, but asks them for news. He will share news of the world beyond Talon's Height, or wisdom about the Elemental Chaos. He will give hungry people bread. He will tell other Genasi where Rock's Truth is located.

15: Creepy Cabbages (repeatable)

The adventurers pass through an area of cabbages which give off a mild, life-sapping hallucinogen. Each adventurer rolls two Constitution saving throws (DC 12); a failure costs them d4+1 HP, and they begin to believe the cabbages are moving around them or talking to them. They must have been out of the square-mile area for over an hour before the symptoms wear off. There is a faint sense of magic in the background, without a source (as with Random Encounter 10). The power has been infused by Orcus. The cabbages do not taste good, though they are not poisonous.

16: Deserted Farmhouse

The adventurers come upon a deserted farmhouse, with food set at the table and just cooling, horse tacked to a cart in the barn with a case of clothes and money in the cart itself, and strange sketches of human-like figures in a child's bedroom.

17: The New Hot Springs (mark hex)

7 x Steam Mephits (Morale 13) have taken over a local spring – the adventurers may come across it or be asked by a farmer they meet on the way. The spring is now perpetually hot. The Mephits are disinclined to communicate with those who come to their home, and will attack any who get too close. They are very low-level extensions of the Prince Most Magnificent of Shimmering Smoke's power.

18: Hermit's House (mark hex)

The adventurers come upon the tumbledown hut of a grumpy hermit, Axel. He will reluctantly offer visitors food and water. He can tell visitors about the historic power of Orcus in Cabbage Country, as he knows a little about the history of the Gatehouse and has encountered the walking dead before.

19: Giant Ant Foragers (repeatable)

1d4+1 Giant Ant Workers (Morale 13) are foraging in this area. They will take an interest in any passers-by, but are not automatically aggressive and can be followed back to their home in Gruumsh's Trough.

20: Drow Slavers

1d6+3 Drow (plus an Elite Drow Warrior if there are 7 or more normal Drow) attempt to ambush the adventurers (plus an Elite Drow Warrior if there are 6 or more normal Drow); as they spring their trap, ask each character to roll Perception (DC15). Those who fail are surprised. The Drow will not kill adventurers, but instead take them as slaves – first to the Gatehouse, and then to Velkynvelve in the Underdark.

Literary Adventures I – Turjan of Miir by Jack Vance

I've seen a few attempts at turning classic fantasy stories into D&D adventures. This won't be that, though it is a fascinating exercise – some stories really do lend themselves to conversion (and many more are ripe for idea-pillaging for your campaign). What I want to do is look at classic fantasy stories, consider their “adventure structure” (including the ways a D&D adventure would handle this), and then consider the type of influence these stories might have on both our games and the wider tradition.

Suffice to say, spoilers ahead.

The Dying Earth: Turjan of Miir by Jack Vance

The World: The setting is our Earth in the far future as our sun slowly cools and flickers to its end. Magic has an uneasy, unclear relationship with science, but functions by memorizing the specific syllables of almost-living spells, which are uneasily bound into spellbooks. There are “civilizations” left – indeed, there is even some wealth left – but those civilizations are decadent and await the end, whilst other, stranger things dwell in the world.

The Hero: Turjan is a mage of some ability, but not yet a master. He experiments with genetic engineering – seeking to grow beings in special vats – and also memorizes spells. He can, it seems, memorize four spells at a time (perhaps per day).

The Hook: Turjan wants to improve his knowledge of vat-growing intelligent beings. He remembers “the Sage” once telling him that, in a world of lost knowledge, the mysterious Pandelume knew all magical and scientific discoveries, but that Pandelume drove hard bargains for his knowledge. Turjan decides to visit Pandelume to gain knowledge of vat-breeding. [IN GAME: This is a character-driven plot hook – the player/character wishes to accomplish something, the DM gives her a way to accomplish it. It will involve a quest.]

The Adventure:

Turjan prepares four spells from his spellbook (presumably his limit), varied so as to prepare for all events: the Call to the Violent Cloud, the Excellent Prismatic Spray, Phandaal's Mantle of Stealth, and the Spell of the Slow Hour. He puts on an amulet with Lacodel's Rune on it. He uses Call to the Violent Cloud to transport him to the plane or planet Pandelume inhabits (it is not the Dying Earth). The spell then leaves his mind. [IN GAME: Player selects a utility selection of spells – the transportation spell, two tricksy spells, one combat spell. They equip a magic item with a spell-like effect. They then use one to travel to the plane they need to visit.]

In Pandelume's world, he meets a strange woman who is irrationally aggressive on the basis that all existence is evil. This woman, T'sais, wishes to kill Turjan. Turjan subdues her, and intimidates her into revealing Pandelume's location. [IN GAME: A social encounter with a weird and fascinating NPC – a cogent and attractive character who nonetheless hates the PC, for a reason that makes perfect sense to her but to no-one else. Turjan chooses a course of action to de-escalate the situation – he thinks to himself he doesn't want to kill her – and also gain necessary information.]

Turjan is called by a voice into Pandelume's dwelling, but told not to look at the great master. He asks Pandelume for aid in creating humans; Pandelume agrees, on the proviso that Turjan undertakes to get a powerful amulet for him. Turjan accedes to this. It turns out the target is Prince Kandive the Golden – a dangerous target. Pandelume then transports Turjan to the city of Ascolais, home of Prince Kandive, giving him a crystal which he must crush when he wants to return. [IN GAME: Another social encounter where each party has a motivation and they negotiate a deal.]

Turjan refreshes himself in Ascolais before heading to Kandive's tower. He casts Phandaal's Mantle of Stealth before entering, and wanders round the tower looking for Kandive. When he finds Kandive's bedchamber and the Prince there, he is somehow detected – by magic or intuition. Kandive brings out his amulet and casts a spell which makes Turjan visible again. After a brief exchange of threats, Kandive casts another spell – the Omnipotent Sphere – which offers him protection from attack. He does not know of Turjan's amulet with Lacodel's Rune on it, however, which disrupts other magic. Turjan walks through the Sphere and warns Kandive again. Kandive casts his own version of the Excellent Prismatic Spray, which is also dispelled by Lacodel's Rune. Kandive finally hands over his own magical amulet to Turjan, but then seems to have Turjan trapped – he is standing on a trapdoor, and Kandive is by the lever. Turjan briefly pretends to surrender, then advances on Kandive, and is apparently dropped into the pit – but Kandive does not find his body afterwards. [IN GAME: Combat and social interaction. Turjan uses a spell to stealth his way round the tower, there is then some magic and counter-magic, before finally Kandive is lulled into thinking he has won.]

Turjan returns to Embelyon – presumably having crushed the crystal given him by Pandelume. After utilising the stolen amulet to assist Pandelume against some unseen danger, Turjan is taught the art of Mathematics and its use in bioengineering. Eventually, he asks for help in creating a twin to T'sais, but without the flaw that makes her hate beauty. Pandelume accedes, and Turjan creates T'sain, who he educates and then promises to take back to Earth. Before they leave, though, T'sain encounters her twin T'sais, who initially threatens her. However, T'sain reasons with her about the value of beauty, and then tells T'sais she loves her. This gives unexpected pleasure to T'sais, who promises to kill no more. Turjan then arrives and prepares to kill T'sais to protect T'sain, but T'sain intervenes and speaks on her sister's behalf. The story ends with T'sais preparing to travel to Earth to discover more of beauty, and Turjan promising T'sain a horse just like that of her sister. [IN GAME: The return to Pandelume is part-skill-challenge and part-roleplaying, with a little action with the expulsion of the attacker. The scene with T'sain and T'sais can be resolved either via social interaction, as in the story, or with combat.

Reflection and Influence: This is the first Dying Earth story, and the first appearance of the magical system Gary Gygax credits with inspiring D&D's own magic system. Spells are almost-living motes of power which must be memorized, and disappear from one's mind when used. There are magic items. Turjan's motivation is essentially about the acquisition of power; he does not, however, display any particular cruelty in pursuit of it, though he does seem quite amoral. He can be touched by love, and the love of T'sain for T'sais leads to a species of salvation (figured here, movingly, as the pursuit of beauty).

The genre is, in our terms, a hybrid (hardly so to Vance) – this is a high magic world (albeit with Maths as magic, too!), but it is a sad place doomed to futility. Broadly, then, it is high fantasy, but with a distinctive, non-heroic flavour (as I've said before with D&D, setting /=/ playstyle!). The sense of pending doom has echoes in certain types of dystopic and science fiction. The uncaring world is echoed in sword & sorcery fantasy. Mages vat-breeding intelligent creatures is a little bit weird fantasy.

Aside from the vital influence of Vancean magic upon D&D, we can also see here a clear link to types of adventure module published throughout the game's history. The hero(es) wants something from a powerful mage; that mage sets a quest in lieu of payment, which includes finding a magic item. There is a side-story (with T'sais and T'sain) which, in game terms, would be emergent depending on the actions of the players. This story is almost an exact blueprint for the sort of games we often run today, and the sort of products published by TSR and the others over the years.