A dv en t ur e a nd Per il in Fa iry ta le Wo od s

Game Preview
dolmenwood.com
 Game Preview
Version September 23, 2024

Writing: Gavin Norman. Additional writing: Amelia Luke (some breggle trinkets), Frances Northcutt Green (hex 1608),
Andrew Walter (hex 1309—with Gavin Norman). Game design consultant: James Spahn. Editing: Noah Green, Gavin
Norman, Caleb Stokes, Brandes Stoddard, Rabbit Stoddard. Layout: Gavin Norman. Visual design: Vasili Kaliman, Gavin
Norman. Art: Aaron Howdle, Andrew Walter, Arlin Ortiz, Chris Huth, Theren Lazauski, Jana Heidersdorf, Jethro Lentle,
Kyle Patterson, Mish Scott, Pauliina Hannuniemi, Rachel Quinlan, Tom Kilian, Ulla Thynell. Dolmenwood player’s map:
Jonathan Newell, coloured by Zach Kallas. Dolmenwood referee’s map: Glynn Seal. Dolmenwood logo: Tim Hastings.
Setting conception: Dolmenwood was originally conceived by Gavin Norman and Greg Gorgonmilk in 2013. It was partially
developed in the Wormskin zine (2015–2018), before being fully realised in the Dolmenwood Player’s Book, Dolmenwood
Campaign Book, and Dolmenwood Monster Book.
Text and design © 2023 Necrotic Gnome. Dolmenwood®, Old-School Essentials™, and all related characters and elements are © 2023 Necrotic Gnome. All Rights
Reserved. Brown fill-in illustrations by Aaron Howdle (© 2023 Necrotic Gnome). Art credits by page: 27 © 2023 Andrew Walter; 57 © 2023 Arlin Ortiz; 1, 4, 13,
24, 35, 42, 51, 68 © 2023 Chris Huth; 54 (lower), 55, 70 Chris Huth (© 2023 Necrotic Gnome); 6 © 2023 Emma Lazauski; 22, 23, 29 © 2023 Jana Heidersdorf; 72
© 2023 Jethro Lentle; 15, 26, 73 Kyle Patterson (© 2023 Necrotic Gnome); 17, 33, 36–37, 38 (upper), 65 © 2023 Mish Scott; 2, 4–5, 8, 12, 24–25, 30, 34, 42–43,
50, 58, 68–69 © 2023 Pauliina Hannuniemi; 53 © 2023 Rachel Quinlan; 19, 71 © 2023 Tom Kilian; cover, 3 © 2023 Ulla Thynell.

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/
resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creative-
commons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
 Table of Contents
4 Welcome to Dolmenwood 42 Adventuring

About Dolmenwood 6 Preparing for an Adventure 44

The Journey Begins 8 Encumbrance 46
Folk and Factions 9 Travel 48
Player’s Map of Dolmenwood 10
51 Secrets of Dolmenwood
13 Characters
Longhorn Nobility 52
Character Statistics 14 Lankshorn 56
Breggle 16 Lair of the Cheese-Fiend 60
Cleric 20 The Giant Egg 61
Enchanter 22 Thirligrewe’s Orchard 62
The Bad Apples 63
24 Magic Encounters 64
Magic Weapons 66
Fairy Magic 26
Glamours 28 68 Monsters
Holy Magic 30
Rank 1 Holy Spells 32 Gargoyle 70
Goblin 71
35 Equipment, Services, and Root Thing 72
Animals Yickerwill 73

Hounds 36
Pipeleaf 38
Retainers 40
Inspirational Media ▶ On Fairy-Stories—J.R.R. Tolkien
The following books, films, and television series inspired ▶ Smith of Wootton Major—J.R.R. Tolkien
the creation of Dolmenwood. They are recommended as ▶ Stardust—Neil Gaiman
imagination fodder for all players. ▶ The White People—Arthur Machen

Books
Films
▶ The Charwoman’s Shadow­—Lord Dunsany
▶ The Green Knight—David Lowery
▶ The Fellowship of the Ring (Book 1)—J.R.R. Tolkien
▶ Labyrinth—Jim Henson
▶ Goblin Market—Christina Rossetti
▶ Legend—Ridley Scott
▶ Gormenghast—Mervyn Peake
▶ Princess Mononoke—Hayao Miyazaki
▶ Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell—Susanna Clarke
▶ Spirited Away—Hayao Miyazaki
▶ The King of Elfland’s Daughter—Lord Dunsany
▶ The Wicker Man—Robin Hardy
▶ Krabat—Ottfried Preußler
▶ The Ladies of Grace Adieu—Susanna Clarke
Television Series
▶ Lud-in-the-Mist—Hope Mirrlees
▶ Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell—BBC series
▶ Lyonesse trilogy—Jack Vance
▶ Over the Garden Wall—Patrick McHale
▶ Mio My Son—Astrid Lindgren
▶ Twin Peaks—Mark Frost and David Lynch
Part One
Welcome to
Dolmenwood
D
olmenwood encompasses a swathe of tangled woods,
fungus-encrusted glades, and foetid marsh on the
wild borders of civilisation. In this beguiling realm,
the magical and otherworldly are always close at hand.
Standing stones loom in hallowed glades, graven with sigils
of deep magic. Ley lines pulse within the earth, their potent
arcane energy tapped by greedy sorcerers. Secret doorways
allow passage to perilous fairy roads, for those charmed or
blessed by the lords of Fairy.
Step then, bold and foolhardy adventurer, into the hoary
forest realm of Dolmenwood and beware, for little here is as
it seems.
 Part One | Welcome to Dolmenwood

About Dolmenwood
Introducing the Dolmenwood tabletop role-playing game.

D
olmenwood is a fantasy adventure game set in
a lavishly detailed world inspired by the fairy
tales and eerie folklore of the British Isles. Like
traditional fairy tales, Dolmenwood blends the dark and
whimsical, the wondrous and weird.
Players journey through tangled woods and mossy bowers,
forage for magical mushrooms and herbs, discover rune-
carved standing stones and hidden fairy roads, venture
into fungal grottoes and forsaken ruins, battle oozing
monstrosities, haggle with goblin merchants, and drink
tea with fairies.
Streamlined rules and helpful introductory materi-
als guide novice players, while unique new magic and
monsters bring a fresh sense of the unknown to veteran
role-players.

The Books
We’re Kickstarting the three Dolmenwood core books, plus
a range of extras. The Dolmenwood Player’s Book contains
the complete game rules plus all character options. The
Dolmenwood Campaign Book and Dolmenwood Monster
Book present a detailed campaign setting and bestiary,
ready for years of adventure.

Characters
Players may be a proud, goat-headed breggle, a starry-eyed
elf stepped straight from Fairy, a tricksome grimalkin
cat-fairy, a worldly or hapless human, a fungus-riddled
mossling, or a capricious, bat-faced woodgrue.
Choose from nine classes: the charming bard, ardent Familiar, Streamlined Rules
cleric, wilful enchanter, dashing fighter, jolly friar, stealthy Dolmenwood uses the acclaimed Old-School Essentials
hunter, haughty knight, enigmatic magician, or wily thief. rules system, streamlined, customised, and expanded for
the setting. Anyone who’s played a game with six ability
Open Sandbox World scores, classes, hit points, armour class, and saving throws
Simple, flavourful rules for travel, exploration, and camp- can pick up Dolmenwood in no time.
ing lead characters on adventures across the tangled
expanse of the Dolmenwood map. Players can explore Designed for Play
200 map hexes, visit 12 detailed settlements, meet over 280 Modern formatting and layout make the game easy to
NPCs, and meddle with the schemes of 7 major factions: the learn and a breeze to reference during play. Clear proce-
Cold Prince, the Drune, the Human Nobility, the Longhorn dures for travel, camping, settlements, dungeons, encoun-
Nobility, the Pluritine Church, and the Witches. ters, and combat make running the game smooth and
easy. PDFs are enhanced with clickable hex maps and text
hyperlinks for instant navigation.

Back the Kickstarter!

kickstarter.com/projects/exaltedfuneral/dolmenwood-tabletop-rpg

6
 Part One | Welcome to Dolmenwood

In this Preview PDF Book Title Acronyms

This PDF contains a sample of material from each of the The following acronyms are sometimes used when
three Dolmenwood core books: the Dolmenwood Player’s referring to the Dolmenwood core books.
Book, the Dolmenwood Campaign Book, and the Dolmen-
DPB: The Dolmenwood Player’s Book.
wood Monster Book.
DCB: The Dolmenwood Campaign Book.
Part 1: Welcome to Dolmenwood DMB: The Dolmenwood Monster Book.
A quick introduction to the flavour, folk, and factions of
Dolmenwood, along with a player’s map of the Wood,
Part 5: Adventuring
showing commonly known locations of fact and folklore.
Adventuring advice for players, along with the full rules
for encumbrance and travel in the wilds.
Part 2: Characters
The complete game features full rules and procedures for
An example playable Kindred—the goat-headed breggle—
exploring the wilds, dungeons, and settlements, includ-
and two example Classes—the cleric and the enchanter.
ing rules for hazards and challenges, stealth, encounters,
The complete game features 6 Kindreds and 9 Classes, combat, foraging, hunting, and camping wild.
along with 300 names, 160 backgrounds, 300 trinkets, and
576 quirky characteristics. Kindred-Class archetypes are
Part 6: Secrets of Dolmenwood
also provided, for players who prefer to simply play an elf,
for example, rather than an elf thief or elf magician. For Referees’ eyes only! An overview of one of the major
factions in Dolmenwood—the breggle nobility, an excerpt
from one of the 12 settlements, 4 example hex descriptions,
Part 3: Magic Dolmenwood encounter tables, and a selection of magic
The full rules for fairy and holy magic, along with a selec- weapons—including special powers and curses.
tion of fairy glamours and Rank 1 holy spells.
The complete game features the complete setting lore,
The complete game features 4 types of magic (arcane refereeing advice, guidelines for adventure creation, an
magic, fairy magic, holy magic, and mossling knacks), with introductory dungeon adventure, 7 major factions, 12
a total of 168 spells and magical effects. settlements, over 280 NPCs, 200 hexes, over 200 magic
items, and 260 rumours to drive adventure and hijinks.
Part 4: Equipment, Services,
and Animals Part 7: Monsters
The complete selection of hounds and pipeleafs, along with For Referees’ eyes only! Four example monsters—the zeal-
the full rules for hiring and running retainers—NPCs that ous gargoyle, the tricksome goblin, the terrifying root
accompany players on their adventures into the unknown. thing, and the eerie yickerwill.
The complete game features 65 items of adventuring gear, The complete game features 87 fully detailed monsters, 47
20 weapons, 6 types of armour, 6 types of horses, 8 vehi- normal and giant animals, 28 NPC stat blocks, 348 monster
cles, 8 types of dogs, lodgings of 3 quality levels, 40 tavern rumours, and 580 encounter seeds, along with guidelines
dishes, 30 beverages, 20 pipeleafs, 20 herbs and fungi, and for creating new monsters.
a range of specialist services—all dripping with Dolmen-
wood flavour.

Dolmenwood Player’s Book Dolmenwood Campaign Book Dolmenwood Monster Book

192 pages approx. 464 pages approx. 128 pages approx.

7
 Part One | Welcome to Dolmenwood

The Journey Begins

A wanderer’s first steps into the perilous realm Dolmenwood.

R
ife with intrigue, secrets, and magic, Dolmenwood Strike against Chaos, defending civilisation from the
draws travellers of adventurous spirit, daring encroaching forces of the wicked, half-unicorn Nag-Lord
them to venture within. who lurks in the corrupted northern woods.
Explore the wild places of the Wood, travelling through Unravel secrets of deep magic, charting the obelisks,
bramble-choked dells, fungus-encrusted glades, and foetid dolmens, and ley lines littered throughout Dolmenwood—
marshes, bedding down among root and bracken amid the but beware the sinister Drune cult that wards them.
nocturnal babbling of strange beasts. Seek the counsel of witches or the sinister Hag, wielders
Unearth treasure hoards in forgotten ruins, haunted fairy of magic that can heal, hex, or divine the future.
manors, dripping caverns, crystal grottoes, unhallowed Meddle in the affairs of nobility, allying with a noble
barrow mounds, and abandoned delvings. house in its intrigues and power plays in the courts of
Confront fell beasts, roving fungal monstrosities, terrible High-Hankle and Castle Brackenwold.
wyrms, tricksome fairies, and restless spirits of the long Journey along fairy roads, ancient magical paths border-
deceased. ing on the ageless world of Fairy that allow travel through-
Recover saintly relics and shrines lost in the befuddling out Dolmenwood—and perchance to realms beyond.
tangle of the Wood, gaining the favour of the Church by Return to the homely hearth to share tales of peril with
returning them to civilisation. quaint locals over a mug of ale and a well-stoked pipe.
Forage for weird fungi and herbs in the untrod depths of
the woods, many with useful magical powers—and many
that can be sold for profit.

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 Part One | Welcome to Dolmenwood

Folk and Factions

Introducing the folk of Dolmenwood and the factions that vie for control.

Sentient Folk The Cold Prince

While humans dominate the settled reaches of Dolmen- Where mortals now reign, great fairy nobles once held
wood, they are not the only folk to call the place home. court. The entirety of Dolmenwood was once the domain
of a cruel elf lord known as the Cold Prince, lord of winter
Breggles eternal, who ruled from the palace of Hoarblight Keep
overlooking the great Lake Longmere. When humans
The High Wold region of south-western Dolmenwood has
began to settle the wild glades a great war between fairy
been ruled since ancient times by the goat-headed breg-
and mortal ensued. Mortals eventually prevailed and the
gles. Breggles divide themselves into two castes, distin-
Cold Prince was banished to his domain in Fairy. Fearful
guished by the length of their horns—the aristocratic
tales of his return to Dolmenwood and his icy wrath weave
longhorns and the commoner shorthorns.
a common thread through the folklore of those who dwell
within his erstwhile domain.
Mosslings
The dank, fungal-infested lowlands of Mulchgrove, in the The Nag-Lord
eastern woods, are home to a shy and stunted folk called
A wicked, trickster figure of local folklore, said to keep
mosslings, part mortal flesh and part plant or fungus.
unholy court in the twisted northern woods, where his
armies of corrupted breggles and other creatures of Chaos
Fairies and Demi-Fey lair. The Nag-Lord is known in folktales as the “King of the
Among the myriad peoples of Fairy, a number venture Wood,” and is portrayed as being part man, part unicorn,
into Dolmenwood and mingle with mortal folk: elves, with nine legs (nine being regarded as an especially
otherworldly and beautiful, the little cat-folk known accursed number).
as grimalkins, and bat-faced woodgrues are the most
commonly encountered.
The Drune
A cabal of sorcerers who roam the Wood, cloaked in black.
Other Sentient Beings They claim the magical energies of Dolmenwood and what
If one ventures off the beaten track in Dolmenwood, gods they worship is a matter of conjecture, for they guard
innumerable creatures await discovery. Goblin tricksters their secrets with their lives. In the eyes of the Church they
peddle fairy fruits and other questionable wares; scrabies are heathens to be eradicated, for it is said they deal in
emerge from their network of tunnels, eager to explore; devil worship and human sacrifice. Kidnap by the Drune
even a bird or animal may surprise travellers by greeting is among the greatest fears of the simple folk of Dolmen-
them from the wayside, spinning a riddle, or cursing their wood, who refer to the cult as “the Hooded Men,” fearing
trespass. to speak the word “Drune.”

Factions and Powers The Witches

Mortal women who worship ancient deities in the forbid-
The Duchy of Brackenwold den depths of Dolmenwood. Their aims are obscure, but
Ruling from the supposedly impregnable Castle Bracken- it is known that they gather beneath the moon to work
wold on the south-eastern verge of the forest, the Dukes magic. In folklore, witches are variously portrayed as
of Brackenwold trace their line back to the earliest settlers depraved practitioners of human sacrifice, treacherous
in the region. All mortal folk within the Wood—from the wielders of hex and illusion, and ministers of potent cures
humblest beggar to the highest lord—pay fealty to the and charms.
duke. The whole forest is his property.
Ygraine the Sorceress
The Pluritine Church A reclusive figure said to be the most powerful magi-
The monotheistic Pluritine Church dominates throughout cian in Dolmenwood, Ygraine dwells in the many-tiered
Dolmenwood and beyond. While it holds much political Chateau Mauvesse, overlooking the black waters of the
clout, the Church is of late diminished in Dolmenwood. Dark Mirror. It is rumoured that her explorations of other-
Many shrines and chapels that once saw regular worship worldly realms have brought her into contact with the
have fallen into ruin and been reclaimed by the forest. Cold Prince and that she now works her magic to release
Some within the Church seek to rediscover and re-sanctify him from exile.
these lost shrines.

9
 Part One | Welcome to Dolmenwood

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Part One | Welcome to Dolmenwood

11
 Part Two
Characters

A
dventurers are defined by a Kindred, a Class, and
a set of statistics, some randomly determined and
others chosen.
Six Kindreds—breggles, elves, grimalkins, humans,
mosslings, and woodgrues—are described in detail, along
with a set of tables for generating fun, quirky characteristics
of individuals of each Kindred.
Nine Classes of adventurer are presented, representing
common character archetypes within Dolmenwood: charm-
ing bards, ardent clerics, wilful enchanters, dashing fighters,
jolly friars, stealthy hunters, haughty knights, enigmatic
magicians, and wily thieves.
 P a r t Tw o | C h a r a c t e r s

Character Statistics
The basic game statistics that describe an adventurer.

P
layer Characters are described by a set of statistics Experience Points (XP)
defining their capabilities, strengths, and weak- A character’s advancement in the game is tracked by the
nesses in the game world. accumulation of experience points. Experience Points
are awarded by the Referee after a successful adventure.
Ability Scores When a character has accumulated a certain number of
The ratings of an adventurer’s defining physical and Experience Points, their Level increases. Each Class speci-
mental attributes. There are 6 Abilities: Strength, Intelli- fies the number of Experience Points required to achieve
gence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma. See each Level.
Ability Scores, DPB. Ability Scores are recorded as numbers
between 3–18, with 3 being the worst score possible and 18 Prime Abilities
the best. The Ability (or Abilities) most important to a character’s
Class. A character with high scores in their Prime Abilities
Kindred may gain a bonus to Experience Points awarded by the
A character may be human or one of a number of types of Referee. Conversely, a character with a low score in a Prime
fantastic intelligent creatures that live in Dolmenwood. Ability may suffer a penalty to awarded Experience Points.
Each Kindred has a number of special traits, from fairy See Prime Abilities, DPB.
magic to bonuses in combat. The Kindreds players may
choose from are: breggle, elf, grimalkin, human, mossling, Hit Points (HP)
woodgrue. See Part Three: Kindreds, DPB. A character’s ability to avoid dying. A character has a maxi-
Size: A character’s Kindred determines their size: either mum Hit Point total and a current Hit Point total, which
human-sized (Medium) or smaller than human-sized are tracked separately.
(Small). Rolling Hit Points: A character’s Hit Points are rolled with
Creature type: A character’s Kindred determines their a die type determined by their Class (for example, fighters
creature type as demi-fey, fairy, or mortal. roll 1d8 and magicians roll 1d4). When play begins, current
Native languages: A character’s Kindred determines their Hit Points and maximum Hit Points have the same value.
native languages. Damage: When a character is harmed, their current Hit
Point total is reduced. If this number reaches 0, the char-
Class acter dies. See DPB.
A character’s role or profession as an adventurer. Each Healing: Rest or healing can restore lost Hit Points up to
Class has a number of special traits, from combat talents the character’s maximum Hit Points. See DPB.
to spell-casting. The Classes players may choose from are: Gaining Levels: When a character gains a Level, a die is
bard, cleric, enchanter, fighter, friar, hunter, knight, magi- rolled and the result added to their maximum Hit Points.
cian, thief. See Part Four: Classes, DPB. The type of die rolled is determined by the character’s
Weapons and armour: A character’s Class determines Class. As Hit Points increase, characters are able to combat
which kinds of weapons and armour they can use. more dangerous foes and face greater adversity.

Level Armour Class (AC)

A character’s expertise as an adventurer is denoted by their A character’s ability to avoid damage in combat. Armour
Level. Characters typically start play at Level 1 (the lowest Class is determined by the character’s armour and their
Level of adventurer) and can increase in Level through Dexterity score.
successful adventuring. As a character goes up in Level, Default Armour Class: An unarmoured character with
they gain more powerful capabilities, as defined by their average Dexterity has AC 10.
Class. This book contains rules for characters up to Level 15.

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 P a r t Tw o | C h a r a c t e r s

Combat Aptitude Monster Statistics

A character’s aptitude in combat is classified as martial,
While this book does not contain a full bestiary, game
semi-martial, or non-martial, determined by their Class.
statistics for a small number of monsters and animals
For example, fighter is a martial Class and magician a
are present (e.g. for mounts which can be purchased or
non-martial Class. Combat Aptitude determines how
creatures that can be summoned by magic). Monsters,
quickly a character’s Attack and Save Targets advance.
animals, and NPCs are described with a simplified set
of statistics listing the main stats required for combat.
Attack Monster statistics are mostly the same as those used for
A character’s ability to hit foes in combat, determined by characters, but the following points are worth noting.
their Class and Level. A character’s Attack is a bonus added Size: Human-sized (Medium), smaller than human-
to Attack Rolls. See Attack Rolls, DPB. sized (Small), or larger than human-sized (Large).
Gaining Levels: As characters advance in Levels, their Type: Animal, bug, construct, demi-fey, dragon, fairy,
Attack gets higher, increasing their chance of hitting oppo- fungus, monstrosity, mortal, ooze, plant, or undead.
nents in combat.
Intelligence: Mindless, Animal Intelligence, Semi-In-
telligent, Sentient, or Genius.
Save Targets
HP: The dice rolled to determine a monster’s Hit Points,
A character’s ability to avoid certain dangerous or detri-
with the average value noted in parentheses.
mental effects, determined by their Class and Level. Save
Targets are the numbers to match or exceed for a success- Saves: The monster’s Save Targets, listed using the
ful Saving Throw. There are five Saving Throw categories, following initials: D(oom), R(ay), H(old), B(last), S(pell).
each representing a common type of effect: Doom, Ray, Att: The attacks the monster can make each Round,
Hold, Blast, Spell. See Saving Throws, DPB. with the Attack bonus and damage in parentheses.
Gaining Levels: As characters advance in Levels, their Morale: The monster’s courage, ferocity, and persis-
Save Targets get lower, improving their chance of avoid- tence in battle. See Morale, DPB.
ing detrimental effects. XP: The XP award for defeating the monster.

Magic Resistance Example: Prigwort Prancer

A modifier applied to Saving Throws against effects of Large Animal—Animal Intelligence—Neutral
magical origin, determined by a character’s Wisdom and Level 2 AC 12 HP 2d8 (9) Saves D12 R13 H14 B15 S16
Kindred. This may include saves against magical effects Att 2 hooves (+1, 1d4) Speed 80 Morale 7 XP 20
in any Saving Throw category, though does not normally
apply to saves against breath attacks, such as wyrm breath.

Speed
The speed at which a character can move when exploring,
travelling, or during combat. See Time and Movement,
DPB.
Default Speed: The default Speed for characters is 40. This
may be adjusted by the amount of gear and treasure a char-
acter is carrying. See Encumbrance, DPB.

Skills
Skills represent specific competencies useful in adventur-
ing. As professional adventurers, all characters have basic
competence with certain common activities—listening,
searching, and wilderness survival. Some Classes grant the
use of additional, specialised skills. See Skill Checks, DPB.

Alignment
Characters (and all other creatures) are classified as Lawful,
Neutral, or Chaotic. Alignment determines how certain
magic influences a character and should be used by the
player as a guideline for role-playing. See Alignment, DPB.

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 P a r t Tw o | C h a r a c t e r s

Breggle
Goat-headed folk whose horn length indicates their social standing.

Kindred Type Mortal Kindred Relations

Level 1 PC Age 15 + 2d10 years Breggles are on friendly terms with mortal and demi-fey
Lifespan 50 + 2d20 years Kindreds. Most non-adventuring breggles have never met
Height 5’4” + 2d6” (Medium) a fairy and regard them with awe, wonder, and caution.
Weight 120 + 6d10 lbs Breggle folklore is filled with tales of the ancient nobility
of fairies, as well as their tricksome magic.
Native Languages Woldish, Gaffe, Caprice
In human settlements within the High Wold, breggles are

T
he proud and stubborn breggles—sometimes a commonplace sight, many living alongside humans.
called goatfolk (or hregl, in their own tongues)— Further afield, humans tend to treat them with respect
have inhabited the High Wold since antiquity. and caution, as the power of the longhorn noble houses is
Once the sole masters of that fertile region of hills, mead- known and feared.
ows, and tangled woods, the ancient breggle noble houses
now rule alongside humans, swearing fealty to the Dukes
of Brackenwold. Breggles live much as humans do, dwell- Names
ing in hamlets, farmsteads, and castles. In the larger towns A small number of breggle surnames are shared by humans
of the High Wold, breggles live side by side with humans. native to the High Wold, the two Kindreds having lived side
by side for many centuries.
Shorthorns and Longhorns Naming a character: Either choose a first name and
Breggles divide themselves into two castes, differentiated surname from the table below, roll for each, or invent
by horn length: shorthorns (the working class) and long- something in a similar vein.
horns (the noble class). Despite this division, shorthorns
and longhorns are in fact the same species. The horns of a
shorthorn who earns wealth and renown will grow, even-
BREGGLE NAMES
tually reaching longhorn proportions (4″ or more). True d20 Male Female Unisex Surname
acceptance in the ruling class is, however, another matter. 1 Aele Aedel Addle Blathergripe
2 Braembel Berrild Andred Bluegouge
3 Broob Bredhr Blocke Bockbrugh
Intermarriage With Humans
4 Crump Draed Clover Bockstump
Humans and breggles occasionally marry and have chil-
5 Drerdl Fannigrew Crewwin Elbowgen
dren. Socially, characters of half-breggle, half-human
6 Frennig Frandorup Curlip Forlocke
parentage are seen as belonging to both Kindreds. They
7 Grerg Grendilore Eleye Hwodlow
tend to take strongly after one of their parents and, for
8 Gripe Grendl Ellip Lankshorn
mechanical purposes, should be treated as either human
9 Llerg Grewigg Frannidore Lockehorn
or breggle.
10 Llrod Hildrup Ghrend Longbeard
11 Lope Hraigl Grennigore Longshanks
Crookhorns 12 Mashker Hwendl Gwendl Shankwold
Among the armies of the wicked Nag-Lord are a multi- 13 Olledg Maybel Hrannick Smallbuck
tude of corrupted breggles known as crookhorns, twisted 14 Rheg Myrkle Hwoldrup Snicklebock
in mind and body by the evil magic of their master. The 15 Shadgore Nannigrew Lindor Snidebleat
breggles of the High Wold regard crookhorns as wretched 16 Shadwell Pettigrew Merrild Snoode
abominations, to be eradicated at any opportunity. 17 Shadwicke Rrhimbr Smenthard Underbleat
18 Shandor Shord Snerg Underbuck
Religion and Ancestor Worship 19 Shank Smethra Wendlow Wolder
As subjects of the duke, breggles are nominally adher- 20 Snerd Wheld Windor Woldleap
ents of the Pluritine Church. True devotion to the Church
is, however, rare among breggles, who prefer to offer up
prayers to esteemed ancestors from their long history—see Extra Details
Aud frengd Hlerr, DPB. The tables on the following pages may be used to add extra
details to breggle Player Characters. Roll on as many tables
as desired, or use them as inspiration for crafting addi-
tional character details.

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 P a r t Tw o | C h a r a c t e r s

Choosing a Class Horns

Breggle adventurers are most commonly fighters, knights, Breggles may make a melee attack with their horns instead
or magicians. They seldom seek membership of the Pluri- of a weapon. The damage inflicted increases with Level, as
tine Church as clerics or friars, and only rare individu- indicated in the Breggle Advancement table.
als have enough of a connection with Fairy to become
enchanters. Horn Length and Social Standing
A breggle character begins play as a commoner of the
Fur shorthorn caste, aspiring to improve their lot in life. As
they advance in Level, gaining experience, wealth, and
A breggle character’s thick, woolly fur grants them +1 AC
renown, their horns grow (see the Breggle Advancement
when unarmoured or wearing Light armour.
table).

Gaze Longhorn Status

Upon attaining longhorn status (from Level 4), a breggle Upon reaching Level 4, a breggle character’s horns have
character can use their gaze to charm humans and short- grown to the point that the character is recognised as a
horns into obeisance. longhorn.
Activating: The longhorn must gaze intently at an individ-
ual human or shorthorn.
Effect: If the target fails a Save Versus Spell, they are
BREGGLE ADVANCEMENT
charmed to view the longhorn character with awe and Horns
respect. While charmed, the target is unable to harm the Level Length Damage Gaze
longhorn, either directly or indirectly. 1 1″ 1d4 –
2 2″ 1d4 –
Duration: Until next sunrise.
3 3″ 1d4 + 1 –
Resisting: The holy spell Protection from Evil counters a 4 4″ 1d4 + 1 1 / day
longhorn’s gaze.
5 6″ 1d4 + 1 1 / day
Usage frequency: A longhorn may use their gaze a limited 6 8″ 1d6 2 / day
number of times per day, depending on their Level—see 7 10″ 1d6 2 / day
the Breggle Advancement table. The gaze may be used on 8 12″ 1d6 3 / day
a specific subject at most once a day. 9 14″ 1d6 + 1 3 / day
10+ 16″ 1d6 + 2 4 / day

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 P a r t Tw o | C h a r a c t e r s

BREGGLE BACKGROUNDS
d20 Background d20 Background
1 Alchemist’s assistant 11 Onion farmer
2 Angler 12 Page
3 Beekeeper 13 Pig farmer
4 Blacksmith 14 Servant
5 Brewer 15 Smuggler
6 Chandler 16 Sorcerer’s assistant
7 Devil goat handler 17 Standard-bearer
8 Gambler 18 Thatcher
9 Grave digger 19 Turnip farmer
10 Merchant 20 Vagrant
Devil goats: Known as Augfrlad in Caprice. Large, carnivorous goats bred by certain breggle nobles for use as fiercely loyal guardi-
ans or ceremonial mounts.

BREGGLE TRINKETS
d100 Trinket d100 Trinket
01–02 A bag of divination stones that always answer “Panic” 45–46 A necklace of miscellaneous humanoid teeth.
to any question. 47–48 A petrified turnip.
03–04 A bloodstained jester’s hat. 49–50 A pig heart that oozes ichor when squeezed.
05–06 A bloody knife that cannot be cleaned. 51–52 A pouch which feels heavy (as if full of pebbles) even
07–08 A blue velvet jacket with a hidden pocket which when empty.
moves when you’re not looking. Every time you want 53–54 A rusty scalpel that once belonged to Lord Malbleat.
to retrieve something from the pocket, it takes a 55–56 A sack of tasty fried chicken legs.
minute of searching to find it. 57–58 A scale said to be from a breggle with a fishtail
09–10 A book of poetry that consists primarily of bleating. instead of legs.
11–12 A bottle of noxious perfume. When sprayed, it can be 59–60 A scroll containing a prophetic warning from an
smelt up to half a mile away. esteemed ancestor. Age has made it almost indeci-
13–14 A brass owl statue with eerie black eyes. pherable.
15–16 A broken fishing rod that still displays teeth marks 61–62 A sheet of parchment with a charcoal sketch of your
from an enormous fish. long lost love.
17–18 A circular ceramic amulet which displays the current 63–64 A short length of silver cord and a delicate hook, said
moon phase. to be able to catch fairy fish in puddles.
19–20 A clay pot labelled “Frog Paste,” containing what 65–66 A shovel stained with the dirt of a thousand graves.
appears to be frog paste. 67–68 A stuffed vole dressed in a charming waistcoat.
21–22 A clump of writhing, black moss that you scraped off 69–70 A thigh-bone flute.
a looming monolith one lonely night. 71–72 A tin whistle whose tones drive cats wild.
23–24 A collection of papers with scrawled notes detailing 73–74 A tiny book of nonsense poetry, bound in purple
your life story. The odd thing is that you found these leather.
notes on the corpse of a stranger, drowned in a ditch.
75–76 A tiny painting of a four-horned goat.
25–26 A curious mossling wind instrument carved out of a
77–78 A well-loved walking stick with a goat’s head handle.
gourd. You can’t figure out which hole to blow in.
79–80 A wooden Chapes (holy symbol of the Pluritine
27–28 A diorama of two stuffed mice riding stuffed squir-
Church) studded with nails.
rels, jousting.
81–82 An empty notebook. Anything written in it disap-
29–30 A dried mushroom with a face.
pears at sunrise.
31–32 A folio of pressed sprite-wings.
83–84 An ornate pie pan, pilfered from a noble’s kitchen.
33–34 A gnarled root shaped like a mossling.
85–86 Black stone dice with white skulls for pips.
35–36 A letter warning that several unnamed but high-
87–88 Expensive-looking (but worthless) jewellery,
ranked longhorns are secretly crookhorns in
designed for breggle horns.
disguise.
89–90 String from the bow of a legendary hunter.
37–38 A locket with a portrait of a fluffy cat wearing a crown
91–92 The board pieces for fairy chess. You have no idea
with the inscription “For the love of King Pusskin.”
what the rules are (or even if it’s a real game).
39–40 A long-nosed masquerade mask.
93–94 The cured skin of a whole deer.
41–42 A moleskin wristband, anointed with exotic fairy
95–96 The horn of an ancestor, hung from a necklace.
perfume.
97–98 The key to the prison cell you escaped from.
43–44 A mossling pipe that blows rainbow-coloured smoke
rings. 99–00 Your grandmother’s creepy glass eye. You sometimes
feel her presence watching you.
Encumbrance: Small trinkets weigh 10 coins. The Referee
should judge the weight of larger items.

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 P a r t Tw o | C h a r a c t e r s

HEAD DEMEANOUR DESIRES

d12 Head d12 Demeanour d12 Desires
1 Dented helm with coat of arms 1 Ale-addled 1 Eradicate the Drune
2 Ears pierced with nails or rings 2 Cool-headed pragmatist 2 Escape justice for past crime
3 Long, curly locks 3 Cultivated aristocratic air 3 Found a crime syndicate
4 Long, floppy ears 4 Dour, pessimistic 4 Free the common folk
5 Narrow, pointed ears 5 Earnest, loyal 5 Imprison all crookhorns
6 One bent horn, one straight 6 Endlessly scheming 6 Marry into nobility
7 One horn broken off 7 Flighty, mercurial 7 Outrageous wealth and luxury
8 Silver stripe in hair 8 Jocular with violent outbursts 8 Popularise turnip ale
9 Slick, oiled hair 9 Mellow, unflappable 9 Recover ancient breggle lore
10 Spiky ginger hair 10 Single-minded, stubborn 10 Restore High Wold to Ramius
11 Thin neck, hefty head 11 Wild hedonist 11 Swindle Lord Murkin’s wealth
12 Third nub horn on forehead 12 Wryly philosophical 12 Travel and discovery

FACE DRESS BELIEFS

d12 Face d12 Dress d12 Beliefs
1 Black eyes, silver pupils 1 Doublet and frilly shirt 1 Ancestors demand sacrifices
2 Buck teeth 2 Greasy woollens 2 Breggles made standing stones
3 Bushy brows 3 Grimy apron 3 Breggles originate in Fairy
4 Golden eyes 4 Huge, hairy overcoat 4 Church hides breggle saints
5 Lank forelock droops over eyes 5 Long skirts and cloak 5 Daily garlic wards fairy hexes
6 Long, wispy chin-beard 6 Patched leather, many pockets 6 Descendant of a mighty wizard
7 Milky white eyes, blue flecks 7 Rabbit and squirrel fur 7 Duke is thrall of the Drune
8 Missing teeth 8 Servant’s livery 8 Fairy is purely mythical
9 Prominent scar 9 Thigh boots and waistcoat 9 Malbleat serves the Nag-Lord
10 Shaggy chin-beard 10 Thong and dashing cape 10 Malbleat will rule High Wold
11 Small eyes, close set 11 Tweed and deerstalker 11 Nag-Lord is breggle messiah
12 Wide, drooling mouth 12 Wide, armless frock 12 The end is nigh

FUR
d12 Fur
1 Black, flecked with silver
2 Black, glossy
3 Ginger, curly
4 Ginger, rough
5 Grey, greasy
6 Grey, lustrous
7 Russet, spiky
8 Russet, wavy
9 Tan, coarse
10 Tan, shaggy
11 White, dirty
12 White, fluffy

SPEECH
d12 Speech
1 Cackling
2 Circuitous
3 Coarse
4 Gurgling
5 High-pitched
6 Lackadaisical
7 Mumbling
8 Rumbling
9 Staccato
10 Throaty
11 Warbling
12 Whining

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 P a r t Tw o | C h a r a c t e r s

Cleric
Holy warriors in the service of the Pluritine Church.

Prime Abilities Wisdom Cleric Tenets

Hit Points 1d6 per Level, +1 after Level 10
See DPB for more details on the Pluritine Church.
Combat Aptitude Semi-martial
Armour Any, including shields (except Evangelism: Non-believers are to be brought into the
arcane or fairy magic armour) fold and converted.
Weapons Any (except arcane or fairy magic Hierarchy: The hierarchy of the Church is to be upheld.
weapons) Those of lesser rank must obey their superiors.
Monotheism: Only One True God exists, and His name

C
lerics are members of an order of holy warriors is ineffable. Other religions worship personifications of
sworn to the service of the Pluritine Church. They divine aspects of God or the anointed saints.
are organised in a strict religious hierarchy, under
Sanctity of life: Sentient life is sacred. Clerics must
the command of higher-ranking Church officials. Player
protect the innocent with all means available.
Character clerics are typically granted a writ of self-deter-
mination, allowing them to roam freely and carry out the
will of God as they see fit.
Holy Magic
See Holy Magic, DPB for full details on holy magic, includ-
Restrictions
ing praying for spells and the list of spells that clerics can
Alignment: As servants of the Church, clerics must be
cast.
Lawful or Neutral.
Holy symbol: A cleric must carry a holy symbol (DPB).
Falling from grace: Clerics must be faithful to the tenets
of their order (see Cleric Tenets). A cleric who transgresses Spell casting: Once a cleric has proven their devotion (from
or becomes Chaotic falls from grace and loses the ability Level 2), the character may pray to the host of saints to
to pray for spells. The Referee may allow the character to receive their blessings in the form of holy spells. The Cleric
perform a quest of atonement in order to regain favour. Spells Per Day table shows the number of spells a cleric may
receive, determined by the character’s Level. For example,
Kindred: Only mortals are trained as clerics—fairies and
a Level 3 cleric may have the blessing to cast at most two
demi-fey have no spiritual connection with the deities of
Rank 1 spells.
mortals.
Using magic items: Clerics can use magic items exclusive
Magic armaments: Clerics are forbidden to use magic
to holy spell-casters (for example, magic rods or scrolls of
weapons, armour, and shields of arcane or fairy origin.
holy spells).
They may only use holy magic armaments.

Starting Equipment CLERIC SPELLS PER DAY

Armour (roll 1d6): 1. Leather. 2. Leather + shield. 3. Chain- Spell Rank
mail. 4. Chainmail + shield. 5. Plate mail. 6. Plate mail + Level 1 2 3 4 5
shield. 1 – – – – –
Weapons (roll 1d6 twice): 1. Dagger. 2. Longsword. 3. Mace. 2 1 – – – –
4. Shortbow + 20 arrows. 5. Shortsword. 6. Warhammer. 3 2 – – – –
Class items: Wooden holy symbol. 4 2 1 – – –
5 2 2 – – –

Detect Holy Magic Items 6

7
2
3
2
2
1
2
–
–
–
–
A cleric can detect whether an item is enchanted with holy 8 3 2 2 – –
magic. 9 3 3 2 1 –
Requirements: The cleric must touch the object and 10 3 3 2 2 –
concentrate without distraction. 11 4 3 3 2 –
Time: Detecting holy magic takes 1 Turn. 12 4 3 3 2 1
13 4 4 3 2 2
14 4 4 3 3 2
15 5 4 4 3 2

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 P a r t Tw o | C h a r a c t e r s

CLERIC ADVANCEMENT
Save Targets
Level XP Hit Points Attack Doom Ray Hold Blast Spell
1 0 1d6 +0 11 12 13 16 14
2 1,500 +1d6 +0 11 12 13 16 14
3 3,000 +1d6 +1 10 11 12 15 13
4 6,000 +1d6 +1 10 11 12 15 13
5 12,000 +1d6 +2 9 10 11 14 12
6 24,000 +1d6 +2 9 10 11 14 12
7 48,000 +1d6 +3 8 9 10 13 11
8 96,000 +1d6 +3 8 9 10 13 11
9 190,000 +1d6 +4 7 8 9 12 10
10 290,000 +1d6 +4 7 8 9 12 10
11 390,000 +1 +5 6 7 8 11 9
12 490,000 +1 +5 6 7 8 11 9
13 590,000 +1 +6 5 6 7 10 8
14 690,000 +1 +6 5 6 7 10 8
15 790,000 +1 +7 4 5 6 9 7

Holy Order Turning the Undead

Upon reaching Level 2, a cleric is initiated into one of the A cleric may attempt to drive off undead monsters by
following holy orders, selected by the player. Clerics of presenting their holy symbol and invoking the might of
each order gain a special power and bear the order’s holy the One True God.
symbol. Range: The undead must be within 30′. Concealed undead
(e.g. behind doors or in coffers) are unaffected.
The Order of St Faxis Turning roll: When a cleric attempts to turn the undead,
The order of seekers; clerics who follow an edict to root out roll 2d6 to determine the result (modifiers listed below):
practitioners of dark magic—those who truck with devils ▶ 4 or lower: The undead are unaffected.
or deal in necromancy.
▶ 5–6: 2d4 undead are stunned for 1 Round, unable to act.
Arcane antipathy: A cleric of St Faxis gains a +2 bonus to ▶ 7–12: 2d4 undead flee from the cleric for 1 Turn.
Saving Throws against arcane magic. Arcane spell-casters
▶ 13 or higher: 2d4 undead are permanently destroyed.
suffer a –2 penalty to Saving Throws against spells cast by
a cleric of St Faxis. Lower Level undead: If the undead are lower Level than the
Holy symbol: Three crossed swords. cleric, the turning roll is modified by +2 per Level difference
(maximum +6). For example, a Level 5 cleric turning Level
The Order of St Sedge 3 undead would gain a +4 bonus.
The defenders of the Church; clerics who protect the lands Higher Level undead: If the undead are higher Level than
of the Church from invaders. the cleric, the turning roll is modified by –2 per Level differ-
ence (maximum –6). For example, a Level 3 cleric turning
Laying on hands: A cleric of St Sedge can heal by laying
Level 6 undead would suffer a –6 penalty.
their hands on wounded characters. Once a day, the cleric
can heal a total of up to 1 Hit Point per Level. Mixed groups: In encounters with multiple types of
undead, those of lowest Level are affected first. On a
Holy symbol: A hand with two fingers raised.
successful turning roll, the cleric may make another roll
the following Round, affecting the next lowest Level type
The Order of St Signis of undead present. This process may be repeated until all
The order of Lichwards; clerics who watch over the dead types of undead have been affected or a turning roll fails.
and hunt those which rise again as undead. Usage frequency: One attempt per Turn.
Undead slayer: A cleric of St Signis gains a +1 Attack bonus
against undead monsters. Their attacks harm undead
monsters that can normally only be harmed by magical Cleric Holy Symbols
or silver weapons, even when not wielding a weapon of
Clerics in Dolmenwood usually carry a Chapes (DPB),
the appropriate type.
a pendant with an effigy of St Clewyd (holding the rod
Holy symbol: A human skull crowned with ivy. of mercy and quill of justice), or the symbol of their
Holy Order.
Languages
In addition to their native languages, clerics speak Liturgic,
the language of Church scripture.

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 P a r t Tw o | C h a r a c t e r s

Enchanter
Wanderers who wield the magic of Fairy, currying favour with fairy nobles.

Prime Abilities Charisma and Intelligence

Hit Points 1d6 per Level, +1 after Level 10
Combat Aptitude Semi-martial
Armour Light and Medium, no shields
Weapons Small and Medium

I
ndividuals whose contact with Fairy has imbued
them with innate magic known as glamours.
Enchanters are also blessed with the use of the
fairy runes, guarded by the lords of Fairy, though such gifts
are not always without cost.

Restrictions
Kindred: Typically only fairies and demi-fey (elves,
grimalkins, and woodgrues) are enchanters. Occasion-
ally a mortal with a strong connection to Fairy may also
be an enchanter—for example, a human with mixed elfish
ancestry, an individual kidnapped by fairies in childhood,
or someone who wandered lost in Fairy for many years.

Starting Equipment
Armour (roll 1d6): 1–2. None. 3–4. Leather armour. 5–6.
Chainmail.
Weapons (roll 1d6 twice): 1. Club. 2. Dagger. 3. Longsword.
4. Shortbow + 20 arrows. 5. Spear. 6. Staff.

Enchanter Skills
Enchanters have one additional, specialised skill. The
Enchanter Skill Targets table lists the character’s Skill
Targets as they advance in level.

Detect Magic
An enchanter can attempt to detect the subtle resonances
woven into an enchanted object, place, or creature. If the
attempt succeeds, the enchanter knows if the object, place,
or creature in question is magical—i.e. enchanted, affected Downtime: Given an hour of solitude in a safe location,
by a spell, or possessed of innate magic of some kind. an enchanter automatically detects magic on an object,
Requirements: The enchanter must touch the object, place, or creature.
place, or creature to be analysed and concentrate without
distraction.
ENCHANTER SKILL TARGETS
Time: Each attempt to detect magic requires 1 Turn.
Level Detect Magic Level Detect Magic
Retrying: The enchanter may retry failed attempts as often 1 5 6 4
as they wish, each attempt requiring an additional 1 Turn. 2 5 7 3
Referee rolls: The Referee rolls all Detect Magic Checks, 3 5 8 3
so that players do not know if the roll failed or if there is 4 5 9 2
no magic present. 5 4 10+ 2

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 P a r t Tw o | C h a r a c t e r s

ENCHANTER ADVANCEMENT
Save Targets
Level XP Hit Points Attack Glamours Doom Ray Hold Blast Spell
1 0 1d6 +0 1 11 12 13 16 14
2 1,750 +1d6 +0 2 11 12 13 16 14
3 3,500 +1d6 +1 3 10 11 12 15 13
4 7,000 +1d6 +1 3 10 11 12 15 13
5 14,000 +1d6 +2 4 9 10 11 14 12
6 28,000 +1d6 +2 5 9 10 11 14 12
7 56,000 +1d6 +3 6 8 9 10 13 11
8 112,000 +1d6 +3 6 8 9 10 13 11
9 220,000 +1d6 +4 7 7 8 9 12 10
10 340,000 +1d6 +4 7 7 8 9 12 10
11 460,000 +1 +5 8 6 7 8 11 9
12 580,000 +1 +5 8 6 7 8 11 9
13 700,000 +1 +6 9 5 6 7 10 8
14 820,000 +1 +6 9 5 6 7 10 8
15 940,000 +1 +7 10 4 5 6 9 7

Fairy Runes
Enchanters are granted the use of fairy runes—the secret,
magical sigils guarded by the rulers of Fairy. As a charac-
ter advances, fairy nobles may drawn by the enchanter’s
great deeds and grant new runes. See Fairy Magic, DPB for
details on the fairy runes.
At Level 1: An enchanter knows one randomly selected
rune of lesser magnitude.
Subsequent Levels: Each time the character gains a Level,
the player should roll for the chance of acquiring a new
rune. See Learning Runes, DPB.

Glamours
Enchanters possess minor magical talents known as glam-
ours (see DPB). The number of glamours known is deter-
mined by the character’s level as shown in the Enchanter
Advancement table. Known glamours are determined
randomly.
Kindred glamours: Some Kindreds (e.g. elf, grimalkin)
gain glamours as a result of their ancestry. Such glamours
are in addition to glamours gained by this Class. For exam-
ple, a Level 1 human enchanter knows 1 glamour, whereas
a Level 1 elf enchanter knows 2 glamours—one from their
Kindred and one from their Class.

Magic Items
The enchanter’s natural affinities allow the use of magical
items exclusive to arcane spell-casters (for example, magic
wands or scrolls of arcane spells).

Resistance to Divine Aid

The saints of the Pluritine Church are loath to aid those
allied with the godless world of Fairy. If an enchanter is the
subject of a beneficial holy spell, there is a 2-in-6 chance it
has no effect.

23
Part Three
Magic
M
any creatures in Dolmenwood—mortal, monstrous,
and fey—wield magic of one kind or another.
Among the common folk of the Wood, all magic is
considered fearsome and capricious. For fairies, with magic
woven into their very being, using magic is as natural as
breathing, speaking, or singing.
This section discusses the kinds of magic that Player Charac-
ters may be able to use, from the humble knacks of mosslings
to the mighty workings of magicians.
 Part Thr ee | Magic

Fairy Magic
Magic originating in the Timeless World, where all is woven with enchantment.

F
airy magic takes two forms—the glamours innate
to folk touched by Fairy and the runes guarded by Cumulative Effects
the fearsome fairy nobles. If multiple spells (or runes or glamours) increasing
the same statistic (e.g. bonuses to Attack, AC, damage,
Saving Throws, etc.) are cast on a single subject, only
Glamours the most powerful has effect.
Glamours are innately possessed by natives of Fairy and by
other folk touched by the magic that weaves throughout
that world. Though mortals regard glamours as magic, Runes
for fairies they are as natural as breathing, speaking, or The fairy runes are among the deepest magical secrets of
singing. fairy-kind. Discovered by mighty elf sorcerers in aeons
long past, the runes tap into the magical fundament of
Learning Glamours Fairy itself. Their usage is thus governed by ancient and
The number of glamours known by a character is deter- immutable laws of Fairy. Fairy nobles guard the knowledge
mined by their Kindred, Class, and Level. of the runes, and only they may bestow their use upon
individuals of lesser rank.

Using Glamours Intangibility: Runes are intangible; they are not physical
objects and thus cannot be stolen, lost, or given to another.
Glamours are activated by thought alone, without the need
for gesture or incantation. Magnitude: Runes are divided into three levels of magni-
tude: lesser runes, greater runes, and mighty runes.
Glamour usage frequency: Unless noted otherwise in
its description, there is no limit to the number of times a
glamour may be used per day. Learning Runes
The acquisition of runes is governed by the mercurial
In combat: Using a glamour counts as the character’s
whims of the fairy nobles. Whenever a character (due to
action in a Round. Unless noted otherwise in a glamour’s
their Class) has the chance of acquiring a new rune, the
description, the character may move in the same Round.
player must roll 2d6 and consult the Rune Granted table.
Using a glamour is not treated as casting a spell, and glam-
ours cannot be disrupted (see Combat, DPB). Level modifier: Characters of Level 3–5 gain a +1 bonus to
the 2d6 roll, characters of Level 6–9 gain a +2 bonus, and
characters of Level 10 or above gain a +3 bonus.
Other modifiers: The Referee may optionally apply addi-
tional modifiers (bonuses or penalties, usually from –2 to
+2) to the 2d6 roll, based on the character’s relationship
with the fairy nobles. For example, a character who has
thwarted an important scheme of a fairy noble may suffer
a –2 penalty.
Granted runes: New runes are typically granted by means
of a dream or vision in which the character visits the
noble’s court.
Duplicates: If a rune is granted which the character already
knows, the number of times it may be used is doubled.
Quest: At the Referee’s option, the fairy noble may require
the character to perform some deed or quest in return for
the granting of the rune.

RUNE GRANTED
2d6 Rune Granted
2 or less Fickle displeasure—no rune
3–7 1 lesser rune (randomly selected)
8–11 1 greater rune (randomly selected)
12 or more 1 mighty rune (randomly selected)

26
 Part Thr ee | Magic

Using Runes Quests in Fairy (Optional Rule)

Runes may be activated by thought alone, without the need
If the Referee wishes, a character may be required to
for gesture or incantation.
journey to a noble’s court in Fairy to receive a new rune,
Rune usage frequency: The magical laws governing the rather than receiving it in a dream or vision. This jour-
fairy runes place strict limits on the number of times a ney may be narrated as a downtime event between
rune may be used. This depends on the magnitude of the adventures or played out as a full adventure, depending
rune (lesser, greater, or mighty) and the current Level of the on the preferences of the group.
character (i.e. not the character’s Level when the rune was
Entering Fairy: The character receives a special invita-
granted). See the Rune Usage Frequency table.
tion from a fairy noble, allowing entrance to Fairy for a
In combat: Activating a rune takes 1 Round of concentra- short period via a special portal.
tion. The character may not move in the same Round as
Passing of time: While the character journeys in Fairy,
using a rune. Using a rune is treated as casting a spell, and
2d20 days pass in the mortal world.
if the character is harmed before their initiative, the rune
is disrupted (see Combat, DPB).

RUNE USAGE FREQUENCY

Caster’s Current Level
Type 1–4 5–9 10+
Lesser Once per day Twice per day Thrice per day
Greater Once per Level Once per week Once per day
Mighty Once ever Once ever Once per year
Once per Level: Once this rune is cast, the character may not
cast it again until they have gained a Level.
Once ever: Once this rune is cast, the character may never cast
it again unless it is once more granted by a fairy noble.

GLAMOURS
# Glamour # Glamour # Glamour
1 Awe 8 Fairy Dust 15 Seeming
2 Beguilement 9 Flame Charm 16 Silver Tongue
3 Breath of the Wind 10 Fool’s Gold 17 Subtle Sight
4 Cloak of Darkness 11 Forgetting 18 Through the Keyhole
5 Conjure Treats 12 Masquerade 19 Vanishing
6 Dancing Flame 13 Mirth and Malice 20 Walk in Shadows
7 Disguise Object 14 Moon Sight

LESSER RUNES GREATER RUNES MIGHTY RUNES

# Rune # Rune # Rune
1 Deathly Blossom 1 Arcane Unbinding 1 Dream Ship
2 Fog Cloud 2 Fairy Gold 2 Eternal Slumber
3 Gust of Wind 3 Fairy Steed 3 Rune of Death
4 Proof Against Deadly Harm 4 Ice Storm 4 Rune of Wishing
5 Rune of Vanishing 5 Rune of Invisibility 5 Summon Wild Hunt
6 Sway the Mortal Mind 6 Sway the Mind 6 Unravel Death

27
 Part Thr ee | Magic

Glamours
The innate powers of those touched by Fairy, which mortals regard as magic.

Awe Conjure treats

Duration: Instant Duration: Permanent
Range: 30′ Range: Appears in the caster’s hand
The caster’s dramatic gesture and otherworldly presence With a flourishing gesture, the caster conjures a mortal’s
unnerve a group of mortals or animals (or a mixed group), or animal’s favourite treat (e.g. sweets, pastries, sizzling
triggering a Morale Check. sausages, apples, etc.) out of thin air.
If the Morale Check fails: Creatures whose Levels total Offering to the subject: If the treat is offered to the mortal
up to the caster’s Level are awestruck and flee the caster’s or animal, their disposition toward the caster is improved.
presence. Creatures of the lowest Level are affected first. Sustenance: The treats are real (not illusionary), but do not
For example, if a Level 6 caster targets a group of four Level provide genuine sustenance.
1 and five Level 2 creatures, all four Level 1 creatures and
Usage frequency: Once per day per subject.
one of the Level 2 creatures are affected (a total of 6 Levels).
Usage frequency: Once per Turn.
Dancing flame
Beguilement Duration: Concentration (up to 2d6 Rounds)
Range: 60′
Duration: 1d4 Rounds
The caster commands a small flame (e.g. a torch, lantern,
Range: 30′
or candle) burning within range to disconnect from its
The caster’s words have great power over mortal minds. source and float through the air.
A single mortal addressed by the caster must Save Versus
Movement: The flame moves up to 10′ per Round.
Spell or believe the caster’s words for a brief period.
Concentration: The caster must concentrate while using
Language: The target must understand the caster’s words.
this glamour. They may move, but they cannot perform
After the duration ends: It is immediately obvious that a other actions.
magical deception has occurred.
When the duration ends: The flame dies out.
Usage frequency: Once per day per subject.

Breath of the wind Disguise object

Duration: Until touched by another
Duration: 1d4 Rounds Range: Object touched
Range: 30′
An object touched is made to appear as something else of
An enchanted flurry of wind causes dust to billow, leaves similar dimensions.
to rustle, and so forth.
Duration: The glamour lasts until the object is touched
Stealth: While the wind blows, the caster moves in by another being or until the caster uses this glamour on
complete silence, unnoticed by any listeners within range. another object.
Usage frequency: Once per Turn. Usage limit: The caster may disguise only one object at a
time with this glamour.
Cloak of darkness
Duration: Concentration / 1 Round Fairy Dust
Range: The caster Duration: 1 Round
The caster conjures an area of gloom and shadow, hiding Range: 30′
themselves from mundane sight. Motes of glittering dust fill the air around the caster,
Concentration: The Cloak of Darkness lasts as long as the momentarily revealing invisible objects and creatures.
caster remains motionless and does not perform any other Attacking: Invisible creatures revealed can be attacked
actions. with a only –1 Attack penalty for the next Round.
Moving: Once the caster moves or performs another Usage frequency: Once per day.
action, the Cloak of Darkness lasts for 1 Round.
Usage frequency: Once per Turn.

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 Part Thr ee | Magic

Flame charm
Duration: Concentration / Instant
Range: The caster / 10′
The caster can conjure and extinguish flame.
Conjuring flame: The caster’s fingertip is wreathed in
colourful fire, which may be used to ignite flammable
materials or to cast light in a 10′ radius. The flame remains
as long as the caster concentrates—they may move, but
they cannot perform other actions.
Extinguishing flame: With a snap of their fingers, the
caster causes a non-magical flame (up to the size of a
candle or table lamp) within 10′ to be instantaneously
extinguished. If a flame is held by a creature, they may
Save Versus Spell to prevent the flame from being extin-
guished.

Fool’s gold
Duration: 1d6 minutes
Range: Coins touched
The caster makes copper coins appear as gold to gullible
mortals.
Saving Throw: Each mortal who views the glamoured
coins may Save Versus Spell to see the fairy trick for what
it is.
Usage frequency: The caster may disguise up to 20 coins
per Level per day with this glamour.

Mirth and Malice

Forgetting Duration: 1 Turn
Duration: Instant Range: 30′
Range: 30′ When speaking to a group of mortals, the caster can impart
With a twinkle of the eye, the caster causes a single mortal a subtle sense of shared cheer or creeping discord.
or animal to forget what they just witnessed a moment Language: The targets must understand the caster’s words.
before (the previous Round).
Minimum time speaking: The caster must speak to the
Saving Throw: The subject must Save Versus Spell to resist group of mortals for at least 1 Turn. After this time, the
the glamour. glamour takes effect.
Usage frequency: Once per day per subject. Effect: Up to one mortal per Level of the caster must Save
Versus Spell. Those who fail are strongly affected, either
Masquerade expressing great affection or anger. The caster has no
control over how these feelings are directed or expressed.
Duration: Instant
When the caster stops speaking: The imparted emotion
Range: The caster
dissipates within 1 Turn.
The caster disguises and alters their facial features with a
Usage frequency: Once per day per group.
minor illusion.
Subtle features: May be switched in a moment (e.g. eye
colour, hair colour). Moon sight
More dramatic changes: Take 1 Turn of concentration. Duration: Permanent (always active)
Duplicating another: It is not possible to duplicate a Range: The caster
specific individual using this glamour. The caster can see in darkness up to 60′, viewing the world
as though it glows in faint moonlight.
Fine detail: (e.g. writing) cannot be perceived.

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 Part Thr ee | Magic

Holy Magic
The spells bestowed upon devoted adherents of the Pluritine Church.

H Spell Ranks
oly spells take the form of blessings bestowed
upon characters by the grace of the saints of the
Spells are categorised by Rank, from Rank 1 (the least
Pluritine Church. When a spell is cast, the bless-
powerful) to Rank 5 (the most powerful). A holy spell-cast-
ing expires until it is bestowed again.
er’s Level determines which Rank of spells they are able
Major and minor saints: Among the one hundred saints to cast.
venerated in Dolmenwood, thirty-four are primary and
have the power to bestow blessings upon those who pray
to them, each being associated with a specific spell. Certain Praying For spells
minor saints only bestow a blessing on those who pray A holy spell-caster may pray to the saints once per day,
at their dedicated shrines, granting less common spells receiving their blessings in the form of spells. Once
outside of the standard holy spell list. bestowed, a blessing remains with the character until the
Saintly legends and patronages: The primary legend of spell is cast.
each saint is recounted beside the associated spell, along Rest: A character can only pray for spells following a
with a list of the saint’s areas of patronage (minor patron- night’s rest.
ages listed in parentheses).
Time: Praying for spells requires 1 hour of quiet prayer.
Number of spells: The maximum number of spells that
can be bestowed on a holy spell-caster at one time depends
on their Class and Level.
Spell selection: When praying for spells, a holy spell-caster
may choose any holy spell of appropriate Rank listed in
this book.
Duplicate spells: Characters capable of casting more than
one spell of a given Rank may pray for multiple copies of
the same spell.

Praying at Shrines
Shrines dedicated to specific saints are scattered through-
out Dolmenwood. A holy spell-caster who prays for 1 hour
at such a shrine earns the blessing of the saint in the form
of an additional spell. Once bestowed, a blessing remains
with the character until the spell is cast. The DCB has full
details on praying at shrines.

Casting Spells
A bestowed spell may be cast by reciting a prayer in the
Liturgic tongue. When a spell is cast, the saint’s blessing
expires until it is bestowed again.
Speech: The character must be able to speak. A holy spell-
caster cannot cast spells if gagged or in an area of magical
silence.
In combat: Casting a spell takes 1 Round of concentration.
The character may not move in the same Round as casting
a spell. If the character is harmed before their initiative,
the spell is disrupted (see Combat, DPB).
Cumulative effects: If multiple spells increasing the
same statistic (e.g. bonuses to Attack, AC, damage, Saving
Throws, etc.) are cast on a single subject, only the most
powerful has effect.

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RANK 1 HOLY SPELLS

# Spell Associated Saint Name of Prayer
1 Detect Evil St Whittery St Whittery’s Vision
2 Detect Magic St Thorm Wisdom of St Thorm
3 Frost Ward St Abthius St Abthius’ Rebuke
4 Lesser Healing St Lillibeth Breath of St Lillibeth
5 Light St Foggarty St Foggarty’s Benediction
6 Protection From Evil St Benester St Benester’s Word
7 Purify Food and Drink St Gretchen St Gretchen’s Sublimation
8 Rally St Jorrael St Jorrael’s Counsel

RANK 2 HOLY SPELLS

# Spell Associated Saint Name of Prayer
1 Bless St Gondyw Righteousness of St Gondyw
2 Charm Serpents St Dank St Dank’s Plea
3 Find Traps St Gripe Path of St Gripe
4 Flame Ward St Hollyhock Boldness of St Hollyhock
5 Hold Person St Waylaine St Waylaine’s Reproof
6 Reveal Alignment St Willofrith St Willofrith’s Warning
7 Silence St Signis Abjuration of St Signis
8 Speak With Animals St Hamfast Speech of St Hamfast

RANK 3 HOLY SPELLS

# Spell Associated Saint Name of Prayer
1 Animal Growth St Vinicus Mercy of St Vinicus
2 Bless Weapon St Sedge Courage of St Sedge
3 Cure Affliction St Pastery St Pastery’s Blessing
4 Holy Light St Eggort Devotion of St Eggort
5 Locate Object St Keye St Keye’s Revelation
6 Remove Curse St Primula St Primula’s Grace

RANK 4 HOLY SPELLS

# Spell Associated Saint Name of Prayer
1 Circle of Protection From Evil St Faxis St Faxis’ Abjuration
2 Create Water St Quister St Quister’s Defence
3 Greater Healing St Wick Steadfastness of St Wick
4 Remove Poison St Torphia St Torphia’s Respite
5 Speak With Plants St Wort Salvation of St Wort
6 Serpent Transformation St Horace St Horace’s Requital

RANK 5 HOLY SPELLS

# Spell Associated Saint Name of Prayer
1 Communion St Elsa St Elsa’s Visitation
2 Create Food St Ponch St Ponch’s Feast
3 Dispel Evil St Goodenough St Goodenough’s Rebuke
4 Holy Quest St Galaunt Righteousness of St Galaunt
5 Insect Plague St Cornice Amity of St Cornice
6 Raise Dead St Clewyd Mercy of St Clewyd

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 Part Thr ee | Magic

Rank 1 Holy Spells

Minor saintly blessings bestowed upon the worthy.

Detect Evil Frost Ward

Prayer name: St Whittery’s Vision Prayer name: St Abthius’ Rebuke
Duration: 6 Turns Duration: 6 Turns
Range: 120′ Range: 30′
The caster perceives a faint halo of wicked, grinning spirits A soothing warmth comes upon all allies within range,
flickering around objects under an evil enchantment and rebuking the malicious effects of cold and frost.
living beings with evil intentions. Normal cold: Subjects are untroubled by non-magical
Intent only: The caster cannot read the thoughts of crea- freezing temperatures.
tures with evil intent. Save bonus: Subjects gain a +2 bonus to Saving Throws
Definition of evil: The Referee must judge what is classified versus cold-based effects (e.g. magic or breath attacks).
as evil. Beings of Chaotic Alignment do not always have Cold-based damage: Reduce cold damage by 1 per damage
evil intent. Traps and poisons, while potentially harmful, die rolled. (For example, 4d6 damage is reduced by 4.)
are not evil.
The miracle of St Abthius, Ever-Lustrous: Abthius came to
The miracle of St Whittery of the Woods: The son of a woods- Dolmenwood at the command of King Thaldred II of Bracken-
man, Whittery was raised in a small village deep in western wold. The Cold Prince had newly returned his frigid gaze to the
Dolmenwood. A group of noble travellers, merry and fair of mortal world, and Abthius—renowned for his fiery sermons—
face, stopped at the village inn one eve, to the delight of the served as ambassador of the King. Gaining an audience with
locals. Reciting his evening prayers at the village chapel, the the fairy court, the saint proceeded to preach the virtues of
young Whittery was visited by a horrific vision of bloodshed the One True God and the host of angels. The fairies responded
at the hands of the noble guests. He reported his vision to only with mocking laughter, and their liege pointed his crystal
the vicar, who informed the village elders. The nobles were wand at the saint, casting a spell of ice about him. The saint’s
confronted and revealed to be fairy shape-shifters who had radiant beauty melted the fey frost, and he turned his back on
planned to slay everyone in the village and roast their innards. the Prince, damning the fairy to be vaporised in the flames of
(As fate would have it, many years later, after Whittery had perdition. Patronages: Ambassadors, righteous vengeance,
moved to study at a distant monastery, the village was visited (courtly dances), (seamstresses), (springtime).
once more by evil fairies, who stole the place away to Fairy,
never to be seen again by mortal eyes.) Patronages: Visions,
premonitions, (warding against fairies), (lost souls).
Lesser Healing
Prayer name: Breath of St Lillibeth
Detect Magic Duration: Instant
Range: The caster or a living creature touched
Prayer name: Wisdom of St Thorm
Duration: 2 Turns The fluttering of doves’ wings and the sweet scent of blos-
Range: 60′ som manifest as the caster recites this prayer. A living
subject receives one of the following ministrations:
Enchanted objects, areas, or creatures within range of the
caster are wreathed in a shimmering, golden glow. Both 1. Healing: Restores 1d6+1 Hit Points. This cannot raise
permanent and temporary enchantments are revealed. the subject’s Hit Points above the normal maximum.
2. Curing paralysis: Paralysing effects are negated.
The miracle of St Thorm, Faith-Smith: Wandering in Dolmen-
wood as a pilgrim, Thorm was captured by elves for daring to The miracle of St Lillibeth of the Sugared Breath: Lillibeth
trespass close to a magical door to Fairy. The young pilgrim was lived as a hermit in the deep woods, with only the company of
cast into the dungeons of the cruel fairy Prince Mallowheart, doves. She was slain when her cottage was attacked by maraud-
where he was to rot away to bones. When Mallowheart visited ing crookhorns, but with her last breaths, she gave ministra-
the prisoner to gloat over his suffering, Thorm challenged the tion to six doves which had been wounded. The birds were
fairy lord to a game of cards. The saint’s holy eyes saw through miraculously cured, flew hence to the chapel at Wayforough,
the magical treachery which inevitably ensued (Mallowheart and told the curate of their mistress’s pious deeds. Patronages:
being notoriously unsportsmanlike) and defeated the prince, Doves, fowl, (virgins), (messengers).
thus assuring his release. Patronages: Gamblers, prisoners,
(blacksmiths).

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 Part Thr ee | Magic

Light Purify Food and Drink

Prayer name: St Foggarty’s Benediction Prayer name: St Gretchen’s Sublimation
Duration: 12 Turns Duration: Permanent
Range: 120′ Range: Touch
A bobbing wisp of light floats from the caster’s palm and The sound of distant goat bells echoes and a quantity of
manifests one of the following effects: poisoned, rotten, spoiled, or contaminated food and drink
1. Golden radiance: Casts holy light in a 15′ radius. The is purified.
light is sufficient for reading, but is not as bright as Quantity: Up to 12 portions of food and drink, in any
daylight. The spell may be cast upon an object, in which combination. 1 ration counts as a portion of food and 1
case the golden light moves with the object. pint counts as a portion of drink.
2. Blinding a creature: A flash of divine light blinds a
Chaotic creature for the duration. The target may Save The miracle of St Gretchen the Maiden: Witnessing the after-
Versus Spell to resist. (See Darkness and Blindness, math of a battle and the wretched gasps of the wounded, St
DPB.) Gretchen enlisted a band of goat-herds to gather water from
3. Cancelling magical darkness: St Foggarty’s Benediction a nearby bog. The water was black and putrid, but when the
may cancel a 15′ radius area of magical darkness. saint passed her hallowed hands above it, it became as pure as
spring rain and soothed the woes of the wounded. Patronages:
Victims of battle, (goat-herds).
The miracle of St Foggarty of the Cup: Foggarty spent his
dotage ministrating to an isolated community of peat-cutters.
When a party of pilgrims lost their way in the peat bogs one
night, Foggarty commanded the marsh lights to lead them to Rally
safety. Patronages: Lost travellers, (peat-cutters).
Prayer name: St Jorrael’s Counsel
Duration: 2 Turns
Range: The caster or a creature touched
Protection From Evil The subject is calmed and purged of fear by the embold-
Prayer name: St Benester’s Word ening words of this prayer reverberating in their mind.
Duration: 12 Turns
Magically induced fear: Make a Save Versus Spell with a
Range: The caster +1 bonus per Level of the caster to counter magical terror.
Invoking the name of an archangel, the caster is warded This applies to effects active when St Jorrael’s Counsel is cast
from attacks by evil or enchanted creatures. and subsequent effects during the duration.
Affected creatures: Chaotic creatures as well as creatures
created or summoned by magic. The miracle of St Jorrael, God-Friend: As a wandering mendi-
cant, Jorrael came upon a village under the tyrannical rule of
AC and Saving Throw bonus: The caster gains a +1 Armour a baron and his cruel knights. Preaching at a village council,
Class and Saving Throw bonus against attacks and special the saint’s words emboldened the downtrodden villagers, who
powers of affected creatures. subsequently rose up against the despot baron and brought
Created or summoned creatures: The prayer addition- him and his lackeys to justice. Patronages: The downtrodden,
ally prevents such creatures from making melee attacks (beggars), (anglers).
against the caster, though they may still make ranged
attacks. If the caster engages such a creature in melee,
this protection is broken (though the caster still gains
the Armour Class and Saving Throw bonuses mentioned
above).

The miracle of St Benester the Right-Believing: On a seven

night fast in the wilderness, Benester was assailed by the
demonic servitors of an evil sorcerer who counted the region
as his domain. Undeterred, the saint invoked the name of the
seventeen archangels and continued his prayers amid the wail-
ing and caterwauling of the monsters. Patronages: Hermits,
fasting, (choirboys)

33
 Part Four
Equipment, Services,
and Animals

A
n exhaustive catalogue of tools, gear, arms, mounts,
vehicles, hounds, medicines, and tonics essential to
adventuring within Dolmenwood.
Extensive options for lodgings, vittles, ales, wines, spirits,
and pipeleafs provide respite to weary adventurers from the
travails of the road.
Finally, the services of mercenaries, sages, and various other
specialists are elucidated, along with guidelines for hiring
retainers to accompany characters into the perilous wilds.
 Pa r t Four | Equipmen t, Serv ices , a nd A nim a l s

Hounds
Loyal companions for the traveller on lonely roads.

HOUNDS 3. Dolmen Pincher

Hound Cost (gp) Type Sleek, muscular hunting hounds with black fur and a rusty
Bloodhound 25 Tracking muzzle. Employed especially for hunting large beasts.
Dapper 60 Companion Medium Animal—Animal Intelligence—Neutral
Dolmen pincher 30 Hunting
Level 2 AC 12 HP 2d8 (9) Saves D12 R13 H14 B15 S16
Lankston mastiff 50 Guard dog
Att Bite (+1, 1d6 + bring down prey) Speed 50 Morale 9
Lichhound 150 Undead ward XP 35
Pisker 75 Fairy ward
Bring down prey: If a dolmen pincher successfully attacks
Seelie dog 60 Companion
a target of Level 4 or less and rolls 4 or higher for damage,
Spookhound 120 Undead ward
it drags down the target. In the following round, the target
may not move and suffers a –1 penalty to Armour Class
ACCESSORIES and Attack.
Item Cost (gp) Weight
Dog armour (+2 AC) 25 200 4. Lankston Mastiff
Feed (1 day) 1 20 Huge, bulky beasts with thick, shaggy fur and a volatile,
vicious temperament. Mastiffs make excellent and diligent
guard dogs, but they are notoriously difficult to train.
Hounds Medium Animal—Animal Intelligence—Neutral

1. Bloodhound Level 3 AC 12 HP 3d8 (13) Saves D11 R12 H13 B14 S15
Att Bite (+2, 1d6+1) Speed 40 Morale 9 XP 40
Medium hounds with sleek, rusty fur and blood red eyes.
Bred for their excellent tracking skills. Common working Failed Morale Checks: If a Lankston mastiff fails a Morale
dogs found in every woodland village in Dolmenwood. Check, there is a 2-in-6 chance that it will go wild, attack-
ing anyone who comes near to it (including its owner or
Medium Animal—Animal Intelligence—Neutral
trainer). This state is permanent.
Level 2 AC 13 HP 2d8 (9) Saves D12 R13 H14 B15 S16
Att Bite (+1, 1d6) Speed 50 Morale 7 XP 20
Tracking: Excellent scent-trackers. Once a bloodhound is
on the trail, it is exceedingly difficult to thwart.

2. Dapper
Curly-furred dogs with huge, floppy ears and great fringes
that obscure their eyes. Dappers are favoured by the noble
classes for their curious love of dressing in preposterous
outfits and performing amusing dances.
Small Animal—Animal Intelligence—Neutral
Level 2 AC 13 HP 2d8 (9) Saves D12 R13 H14 B15 S16
Att Bite (+1, 1d4) Speed 50 Morale 7 XP 20
Language: Dappers are able to mimic speech. Each dog can
be trained to mimic up to 10 words, though they have no
inkling of their meaning.

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 Pa r t Four | Equipmen t, Serv ices , a nd A nim a l s

5. Lichhound 7. Seelie Dog

Stocky, grey, wiry-furred hounds with upright, pointed Tall, silver-furred hounds with the delicate bone struc-
ears and narrow, yellow eyes. Lichhounds are bred by the ture and long legs suited for running. Seelie dogs’ eyes are
Church as companions for graveyard wardens and clerics bright pink, and they are said to be of fairy ancestry.
of the order of Saint Signis. Small Animal—Semi-Intelligent—Neutral
Small Animal—Animal Intelligence—Neutral Level 1 AC 13 HP 1d8 (4) Saves D12 R13 H14 B15 S16
Level 1 AC 12 HP 1d8 (4) Saves D12 R13 H14 B15 S16 Att Bite (+0, 1d4) Speed 60 Morale 7 XP 10
Att Bite (+0, 1d4) or 1 turning bark Speed 40 Morale 8 Language: Cannot speak, but have a basic understanding
XP 10 of language (typically Woldish and Sylvan).
Fear no undead: Do not check Morale when in combat with Loyalty: Seelies are notoriously picky about their compan-
undead monsters. ions—there is only a 2-in-6 chance of a seelie dog taking
Turning bark (once a day): A lichhound may emit a baying to a mortal owner. If the dog dislikes the owner, it will be
that is terrifying to the undead. On a 2d6 roll of 7 or more, utterly obstinate. If it likes the owner, it will be unfailingly
Level 1 undead monsters are turned, and on a roll of 9 or loyal.
more, Level 2 monster are turned. If the baying succeeds,
2d4 undead monsters flee from the hound for 1 Turn. 8. Spookhound
Slender, short-haired hounds of gentle demeanour, recog-
6. Pisker nisable for their white/grey coats, fluffy tails, and buggy
Stocky, short-legged dogs with lustrous reddish fur, loll- eyes. The spookhound was bred for the ability to detect
ing tongues, and soft, pudgy bellies. Known for their the presence of the undead.
frisky, boisterous temperament and obnoxious yapping. Small Animal—Animal Intelligence—Neutral
Commonly kept by the people of Prigwort, who fear the
presence of fairies. Level 1 AC 12 HP 1d8 (4) Saves D12 R13 H14 B15 S16
Att Bite (+0, 1d4) Speed 40 Morale 6 XP 10
Small Animal—Animal Intelligence—Neutral
Smell undead: Spookhounds are able to smell undead
Level 2 AC 11 HP 2d8 (9) Saves D12 R13 H14 B15 S16 monsters (both corporeal and incorporeal) within 60′.
Att Bite (+1, 1d6) Speed 40 Morale 8 XP 20 They are typically trained to bark in response to this scent.
Detect fairies: All animals exhibit an uneasiness in the
presence of fairies. In piskers, however, this instinct is
honed to perfection. A pisker (even when sleeping) can Accessories
detect fairies within 20′ and will make their presence Dog armour: Light leather armour with a spiked collar.
known by incessantly yelping for 1 Turn. Grants a +2 bonus to Armour Class.
Feed: Fresh meat scraps and bones to gnaw. Dogs may also
be fed on rations of freshly caught game (see Finding Food
in the Wild, DPB).

37
 Pa r t Four | Equipmen t, Serv ices , a nd A nim a l s

Pipeleaf
According to many a seasoned wayfarer, smoking a soothing leaf is
second to none at easing the troubles of the road.

PIPES Availability
Item Cost (gp) Lists the chance that an item is available in a settlement
Bog-oak pipe 15 when sought. Leaf may be purchased from tavernkeeps or
Cherry-wood pipe 5 wandering pedlars specialising in the trade.
Clay pipe 1
Gourd pipe (mossling style)
Encumbrance: Pipes weigh 10 coins.
2
Pipeleaf
1. Barley Blend: Finely chopped, golden-brown leaf with
malty undertones and a smooth, sweet taste. A cheap leaf,
PIPELEAF (COST PER SMOKE) favoured by farmers and ploughmen. Effect: Aids digestion
Type Cost Availability after a heavy meal.
Barley Blend 4 cp Always 2. Burglar’s Blend: A stringy, rough-cut mix of black and
Burglar’s Blend 3 cp 3-in-6 chestnut brown leaves. Its coarse, bonfire aroma makes
Crofter’s Daughter 5 cp Always it an acquired taste. Effect: Keeps one awake in the dead
Dusty Abbot 2 sp 1-in-6 of night.
Fatty Lumper 7 cp 3-in-6
3. Crofter’s Daughter: A soft, auburn-hued leaf. Its smooth
Flufftop 1 sp 3-in-6
aroma carries a note of citrus. A homely leaf, beloved of
Gamgy Weed 5 cp Always
townsfolk. Effect: Makes one feel happy with one’s lot.
The Gibbet’s Gift 7 cp 3-in-6
Green Jenny 8 cp 3-in-6 4. Dusty Abbot: An ultra-fine dust (can also be taken as
Lanksbottom Leaf 6 cp Always a snuff) of purplish-brown hue. Produces a cool, refined
Mogglemoss 18 cp 3-in-6 smoke with the odour of rosewood and the taste of cherry.
Mummer’s Farce 8 cp Always Favoured by the noble classes. Effect: Elicits a state of jovial
Old Doby 6 cp Always
eloquence.
Pedlar Puff 7 cp Always 5. Fatty Lumper: Uncut leaves, crumbled roughly. Tastes
Shaggy Pony 7 cp Always sweet and nutty, smells of elderberries. Effect: Brings on
Special Shag 3 sp 3-in-6 a ravenous appetite.
Speckled Wyrm 25 cp 3-in-6 6. Flufftop: A soft, furry, golden leaf, roughly cut, glistening
Wayside Wisp 25 cp 1-in-6 with fragments of crystalline pollen. Produces a thick,
Westling’s Weed 2 sp 1-in-6 greenish smoke with a heady aroma of spice. Favoured by
Witch’s Shag 8 cp 3-in-6 Grimalkin. Some say this leaf originated in Catland. Effect:
Encumbrance: One smoke of pipeleaf weighs 1 coin. Brings on a state of light-hearted whimsy.
7. Gamgy Weed: Slivered, semi-dried leaf of brown-green
Pipes hue. The pungent aroma has an off-putting edge of ammo-
1. Bog-oak pipe: A hard, black pipe carved from wood nia, but the smoke is smooth and floral. Effect: Causes a
dredged out of a peat bog. The sombre faces of ancient heavy sleepiness.
bog-denizens can be spied drifting in the smoke. Said to 8. The Gibbet’s Gift: Ashen white dust. Produces an excep-
be the favoured pipe of wizards of all kinds. tionally thin, penetrating smoke that seeps across the
2. Cherry-wood pipe: A fine pipe of carved cherry, produc- ground. The smoke is almost odourless, but tastes strongly
ing a smooth, aromatic smoke. of gravy. Effect: Smoking this pipeleaf aids one in following
through with unpleasant decisions.
3. Clay pipe: A common pipe of fired clay, often inscribed
with motifs, symbols, or script. 9. Green Jenny: Raw, rolled leaves of a variety that will
burn undried. The smoke is thin and astringent, but the
4. Gourd pipe: A curiously shaped, colourful gourd with
taste is sublime, with notes of apple and walnut. Effect:
a curved stem and a plump bowl. Favoured by mosslings,
Smoking this leaf in excessive quantities causes one’s
who craft gourd pipes in their hidden communities.
vision to take on a green tinge.

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 Pa r t Four | Equipmen t, Serv ices , a nd A nim a l s

Smoking (Optional Rule)

The many pipeleafs listed in this section are assumed
to simply add flavour to the campaign world, without
having any specific mechanical effect. Groups that wish
the smoking of pipeleaf to take on a more functional
(and therefore perhaps more prominent) role in the
campaign may use the following rule.

Quiet Contemplation
When vexed by a problem, a character may sit down,
get out their pipe, and spend an hour smoking in quiet
contemplation or in debate with companions.
If the hour passes undisturbed, the player may make
an Intelligence Check. If several characters smoke and
debate together, the most intelligent character makes
the check, with a +1 bonus per 2 companions (maxi-
mum of +2). If the check succeeds, the Referee gives the
player a clue about the problem being contemplated.

What is Pipeleaf?
The origin and nature of pipeleaf are left to the Referee’s
discretion. In some campaigns, pipeleaf may be tobacco
as we know it in the real world. In others, it may be an
entirely different plant, native to the Dolmenwood
region.

10. Lanksbottom Leaf: Chopped almost to dust, this 16. Special Shag: Rich, moist, finely-cut leaf of dark,
common pipeleaf is near black in colour and has a robust, reddish-brown hue. The refined aroma carries notes of
chocolate aroma. Grown in the warm valleys of the south- plum blossom. Bears the Ducal seal of approval. Effect:
ern High Wold. The favoured smoke of lower class breggles. Enhances good judgement in trying times.
Effect: Brings on a state of merry arrogance. 17. Speckled Wyrm: A blend of greyish, rough-cut leaf with
11. Mogglemoss: Rich, green curls that produce a smoul- strands of silver. The taste is hoppy; the smoke is woody
dering, emerald smoke. The aroma is of springtime, the and is speckled with glittering, silver motes. Effect: Brings
taste of cheese and onion. Favoured by woodgrues, scra- about a state of intent concentration.
bies, and (rumour has it) the Drune. Effect: Causes an intro- 18. Wayside Wisp: A fine, supple leaf of silvery hue.
spective state in which the obscure may become clear. Produces coils and spirals of violet smoke, smelling of
12. Mummer’s Farce: A finely shredded, oak-brown leaf lavender. This rare and refined leaf is said to be cultivated
with fibrous hairs. Favoured by gamblers, its pungent, in Fairy. Effect: Smoking it brings on a state of wonder
nutmeg aroma lingers in the taverns of Dreg. Effect: and glee.
Inspires jollity and hijinks. 19. Westling’s Weed: Dense, fibrous leaf of copper-red
13. Old Doby: Sumptuous, velvety, red-brown leaf with hue. Imported from the distant west. Produces a heavy,
an aroma reminiscent of the woods in autumn. Old Doby dark smoke with the odour of smoked fish. Effect: Inspires
is regarded by many as the forefather of all varieties of dreams of travel and adventure.
pipeleaf. A common but well-loved leaf. Effect: Calms the 20. Witch’s Shag: A blend of yellow and purplish leaves,
nerves and lightens the spirit. finely cut. The smoke is smooth and fruity. Effect: Inspires
14. Pedlar Puff: A rich, densely packed, sticky leaf, lustrous a pleasant dizziness.
near-black in colour. The smoke is thick and cloying, the
aroma like that of summer rain. Effect: Smoking this pipe-
leaf enhances the determination of foot-travellers whose
destination still lies far away.
15. Shaggy Pony: A stringy, oat-brown leaf that smells of
horse. The smoke is sweet (and also horsey) and tastes of
baked tomato. Effect: Aids deep and restful sleep.

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 Pa r t Four | Equipmen t, Serv ices , a nd A nim a l s

Retainers
Stalwart companions for journeys into places drear.

A Applicants
dventurers often require extra assistance
when journeying into the unknown, whether a
When a search for potential retainers succeeds, roll on the
doughty fighter to guard the rear or an extra pair
Applicants by Settlement Size table.
of hands to hold a torch against the dark. Such characters
are classified as retainers—NPCs hired to accompany char-
acters on their adventures.
APPLICANTS BY SETTLEMENT SIZE
Limit per PC: Each retainer is in the employ of a specific Settlement Townsfolk Adventurers
PC, acting under their orders. The maximum number of Hamlet 1d2 –
retainers that will work for a PC at any one time is 4 + the
Village 1d4 1
character’s Charisma Modifier.
Small Town 1d6 1d3
Large Town 2d4 1d4
Locating Potential City 2d6 1d6

Retainers Townsfolk
Potential retainers may be located by frequenting inns and
Everyday folk (without a Class) willing to join an adventur-
pubs or by paying to post notices of help wanted.
ing party. Often used as torch-bearers or porters.
Frequenting inns and pubs: Spending a night buying
Stats: See Townsfolk Stats, below.
rounds and greasing palms in drinking establishments
costs 50gp. Per attempt, there is a 3-in-6 chance of success- Starting equipment: None.
fully locating applicants (see Applicants).
Posting notices of help wanted: Spending a day posting Townsfolk Stats
notices in public places costs 25gp. Per attempt, there is a
Medium Mortal—Sentient—Any Alignment
2-in-6 chance of successfully locating applicants (see Appli-
cants). They apply at the specified location 1d4 days later. Level 1 AC 10 HP 1d4 (2) Saves D12 R13 H14 B15 S16
Att 1 weapon (–1) Speed 40 Morale 6 XP 10
Repeated searches: Each method of locating applicants
may only be tried periodically, depending on the size of
settlement: in hamlets and villages, each method may be
used once a month; in small towns, once a week; in large Adventurers
towns, twice a week; in cities, once a day. Independent, Level 1 adventurers of a specific Class.
Kindred: Most (4-in-6) applicants are of the dominant
Kindred in the settlement (i.e. generally humans). For
other applicants, the Referee may optionally roll on the
Adventurer Kindred table.
Class: Roll 1d20 on the Adventurer Class by Kindred table.
Stats: When an adventurer is successfully hired, their
basic game statistics (e.g. Hit Points, Armour Class, Speed)
ADVENTURER KINDRED (OPTIONAL) should be established. Retainers who serve PCs for a longer
duration may be fleshed out as full characters, using the
d12 Kindred d12 Kindred
standard character creation procedure (DPB).
1–3 Breggle 6–9 Human
4 Elf 10–11 Mossling Starting equipment: Basic adventuring gear, weapons, and
5 Grimalkin 12 Woodgrue armour appropriate to Class.

ADVENTURER CLASS BY KINDRED

Kindred Bard Cleric Enchanter Fighter Friar Hunter Knight Magician Thief
Breggle 1 2 3 4–8 9 10–11 12–15 16–18 19–20
Elf 1–2 – 3–8 9–12 – 13–15 – 16–17 18–20
Grimalkin 1–4 – 5–8 9–10 – 11–14 – 15–16 17–20
Human 1–2 3–5 6 7–10 11–12 13–14 15–16 17–18 19–20
Mossling 1–3 – 4 5–10 – 11–16 – 17 18–20
Woodgrue 1–5 – 6–8 9–10 – 11–14 – 15–16 17–20

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 Pa r t Four | Equipmen t, Serv ices , a nd A nim a l s

Offering Wages Shares of Treasure

Once an applicant has been located, the hiring PC must Fractional shares of treasure are calculated by dividing
explain what the job entails and offer a certain wage. the treasure by the total number of shares. For exam-
Townsfolk expect a daily rate of pay, while adventurers ple, a party consisting of 5 PCs (full shares) plus one
ask for a share of any treasure recovered. retainer (paid a half share) discover 2,750gp of treas-
ure. The total is divided by 5.5 (five full shares plus one
half share): 500gp. Thus, each PC gains 500gp and the
TYPICAL WAGES retainer gains 250gp.
Offer Reaction Townsfolk Adventurer
Generosity Modifier Daily Rate Loot Share
Mean
Poor
–2
–1
2sp
5sp
1/4 share
1/3 share
Retainer Loyalty
A retainer’s Loyalty rating reflects their willingness to stick
Standard – 1gp 1/2 share by PCs in the face of danger. Loyalty is initially equal to 7
Decent +1 5gp 2/3 share + the hiring character’s Charisma Modifier, but it may be
Lavish +2 10gp Full share adjusted as follows.
Bonuses: Saving a retainer from danger or granting gener-
Applicant Reaction
ous treasure rewards may increase Loyalty.
The applicant’s reaction to the offer is determined by roll-
Penalties: Ill-treatment of a retainer or lack of treasure
ing on the Hiring Reactions table, modified as follows.
may decrease Loyalty.
Charisma: The hiring PC’s Charisma Modifier is applied to
the Hiring Reactions roll.
Loyalty Checks
Reputation: A penalty of –1 or –2 may be applied, if the Circumstances arise that test a retainer’s loyalty to their
hiring PC has a bad reputation in the local area. employer. For example, an enemy may try to bribe a
Generosity: Above or below standard wages incur a modi- retainer to betray their employer, or a retainer may be
fier to the roll, as listed in the Typical Wages table. tempted to flee from a situation of great peril.
Bonus payments: Offering to buy equipment for the appli- Rolling a Loyalty check: In such situations, the Referee
cant or give them a sum of money up front may increase should roll 2d6. If the roll is lower than or equal to the
the generosity modifier by 1 (up to a maximum +2 gener- retainer’s Loyalty, the check succeeds and the retainer
osity bonus). remains true to the hiring PC.

HIRING REACTIONS Unsuccessful Adventures

Optionally, the Referee may also make Loyalty checks
2d6 Reaction
following unsuccessful adventures. If such a check fails,
2 or lessAngry refusal. Hiring reaction rolls for other
the retainer decides to leave the PC’s employ and seek their
applicants present suffer a –1 penalty
fortune elsewhere.
3–5 Refusal
6–8 Uncertain. Will accept an improved offer
9–11 Acceptance
12 or more Keen acceptance. +1 bonus to Loyalty
Retainer Advancement
Townsfolk
As non-adventurers without a Class, townsfolk do not earn
Role-Playing Retainers Experience Points and do not gain Levels. The Referee may
sometimes “promote” long-serving townsfolk to a suitable
While retainers are individuals with their own person-
adventuring Class.
alities, desires, and goals, it can be cumbersome to role-
play them in detail. This is especially acute when a party
contains multiple retainers. Adventurers
A common approach is for the player of the hiring char- Adventurers earn Experience Points and advance in Level
acter to describe retainers’ actions, essentially running in the same way as Player Characters (see Advancement,
them as secondary Player Characters. The Referee may DPB), but all XP a retainer earns is halved. This is because
occasionally interject, if they wish to add role-playing retainers generally follow instructions from PCs, rather
elements or feel the described actions do not fit the than being directly involved in decision making.
retainer’s personality. Gaining Levels: When a retainer advances in Level and
reaches equal or greater Level than the hiring PC, they typi-
Retainers as Replacement PCs cally leave employment to go on adventures of their own.
If a Player Character perishes during an adventure, a
retainer may optionally be promoted to a full PC. This
can provide instant replacements even during the
course of an adventure.

41
Part Five
Adventuring
P
rocedures, rules, advice, and guidelines for running
adventures in the wilds of Dolmenwood—and the
weird subterranean realms beneath.
The most frequently used rules—skill checks, ability checks,
saving throws, and attack rolls—are described, along with
guidelines for handling common adventuring hazards and
challenges.
Easy-to-follow procedures for travel, camping, dungeon
exploration, downtime in settlements, encounters, and
combat round out the game’s rules.
 P a r t F i v e | Ad v e n t u r i n g

Preparing for an
Adventure
Advice for players on successful adventuring.

B Player Roles
efore leaving the comfort of the fireside and head-
ing into the wilds, certain preparatory steps are
To ensure the game runs smoothly, it can be helpful to
essential for successful adventuring.
assign certain important roles to individual players. Player
roles may be assigned on a permanent basis, if players
The Adventuring Party wish, or may be rotated between sessions.
The first and most fundamental requirement for going
adventuring is the gathering of a group of like-minded Caller
companions willing to venture forth into the unknown. The Caller serves as group spokesperson, responsible for
Typically, a party consists of one character per player, but informing the Referee about the actions and movements
the following points should also be borne in mind. of the party as a whole. Delegating this role to one player—
Size: The ideal size of a group is around 6 characters—large rather than having each player informing the Referee
enough to confront the challenges of an adventure, while about their PC’s individual actions—can speed up play,
not so large as to become disorganised. If not enough PCs especially with large groups.
are present, the players may wish to hire retainers (see Party leader: The caller’s character usually takes on
DPB). The Referee may also allow experienced players to the role of party leader. Ideally, they should have high
run two Player Characters at once. Charisma and be located near to the front of the party.
Classes: It is wise for a party to consist of a mix of char- Switching caller: The designation of caller can change
acters of different adventuring Classes. Combat-focused during play. For example, the character addressing
characters are essential for protecting the group from monsters in an encounter may become the caller.
danger, while Classes blessed with magic or special skills
excel in other aspects vital to a life of adventure. Chronicler
Level: As new PCs join play, the Levels of the characters The Chronicler makes notes on the party’s adventures,
in the party may diverge. It is recommended that char- including monsters and NPCs encountered, battles
acters more than 4 Levels apart adventure separately, as fought, clues discovered, and mysteries to be unravelled.
challenges and rewards suitable to characters of greatly The chronicle is an invaluable tool for recalling previous
differing Levels do not match. events, especially when some time has passed between
sessions. In longer campaigns, chroniclers record the
collective memory of the party’s epic adventures.
Splitting the Party
It is usually wise for characters to stick together when Mapper
adventuring, as there is strength in numbers. At times,
The party Mapper creates maps of the areas explored based
certain characters may wish to separate off from the
on the Referee’s descriptions. Details such as monsters or
main party. For example, one or two stealthy characters
traps encountered, clues to puzzles, or interesting unex-
may wish to scout ahead of the main group.
plored areas may be noted on the map as it is drawn.
When this happens, each group should be treated by
Lost maps: Maps may be treated as in-game items, created
the Referee as a separate party, with separate Surprise
by and in the possession of a specific character (who must
Rolls, wandering monster checks, etc.
have a quill, ink, and paper). In this case, maps must be
treated with great care, in order to prevent loss or damage
in case harm should come to the character carrying them.

Quartermaster
The Quartermaster keeps track of the party’s accounts,
tracking shared provisions, light sources, and treasure.

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 P a r t F i v e | Ad v e n t u r i n g

Planning For Adventure ADVENTURING ADVICE

Before starting an adventure, it is wise for players to think Following are some basic words of advice on how play-
through various aspects of their planned expedition. The ers can maximise their enjoyment of the game and the
following are especially worthy of consideration. chances of their characters surviving and thriving.

Adventure Objective Work As a Team

While it is perfectly possible for the party to set off on the Above all, cooperate with other players to ensure the
road out of town and simply wander at random, it is usually survival of the group and success in adventuring. While
preferable to have a specific adventuring objective in mind. characters may not always see eye to eye and players may
For example, players may decide to follow up on a rumour disagree on the best course of action, only those who work
heard in a settlement, investigate a mysterious feature together find success. This is especially important when
encountered on a previous adventure, try to defeat a previ- characters are low Level, as individual characters are
ously encountered monster, or locate a certain region or unlikely to survive the dangers of the wilds alone.
dungeon.
Think Outside the Box
Resources Kindreds and Classes grant a number of special capabilities
Once an objective has been established, consider whether useful during adventures. However, more often than not,
any special resources are required. hazards, challenges, and foes cannot be overcome simply
Equipment: Additional equipment should be purchased by using traits and powers listed on the character sheet.
in advance, as needed. For example, characters may need Careful investigation of the environment, creative use of
to stock up on rations for a journey into the wilds, or may equipment, clever plans, and harebrained schemes can
need additional torches or lantern oil for an expedition be equally effective. See also Narrative Interaction, DPB.
into a dungeon.
Retainers: If the party is small or lacks characters of Use Time Wisely
certain Classes important to the adventure, consider seek- Every moment that passes during an adventure presents a
ing retainers (see DPB). chance of the party being noticed by malignant monsters
Spells: Spell-casting characters should consider the needs (see Wandering Monsters, DPB). Resources such as rations
of the adventure when selecting which spells to memorise and light sources dwindle. Party members tire and suffer
or pray for. injuries. Wise players do not waste time when adventuring.

Cooperation: To avoid carrying redundant equipment and

ensure a balanced selection of spells, make preparation Avoid Unnecessary Combat
decisions together as a group. There is an element of risk any time a character’s fate is
determined by a roll of the dice. This is especially acute
Marching Order during combat, where a die roll can make the difference
between life and death. Players are advised to avoid
Determine the normal arrangement of characters when
direct confrontations where possible. If combat cannot
exploring, known as the party’s marching order. For
be avoided, players should use reconnaissance, planning,
example, players may decide to move in a two-column
and tactics to tip the chances in their favour.
formation, with well-armoured characters in front, weaker
characters in the middle, and a rear guard. The group may
define different standard marching orders for common Know When to Back Out
situations (e.g. standard exploration, combat, opening Keep a careful eye on the party’s strength and resources.
doors, searching, etc.). If these dwindle too far, a retreat to safety is advisable, to
recuperate and restock. Likewise, if combat turns against
Dividing Treasure the party, do not be afraid to flee. A tarnished pride is
preferable to an ignoble death in the maw of a ravening
Before the adventure begins, agree on how to divide
monster.
treasure amongst surviving characters. The following is
a suggested approach.
Non-magical treasure: Player Characters evenly divide
coins and other monetary treasure. Retainers (see DPB)
may be allocated a reduced share, as agreed during hiring.
Magic items: Items are allocated to the characters who can
best use them or who do not already have similar magic
items. Die rolls are used to break ties.

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 P a r t F i v e | Ad v e n t u r i n g

Encumbrance
Rules governing how much gear and treasure adventurers can haul around.

I
n the perilous wilds, an adventurer’s equipment
makes the difference between life and death. A Basic Weight Encumbrance (Optional Rule)
rope can prevent falling into a deathly chasm, This option may be used by groups who prefer a simpler
a burning torch can fend off wild beasts, and a humble encumbrance system based on weight carried.
fishing rod can provide a meal to fill hungry bellies. Char- Equipment: The weight of armour, weapons, and
acters must carefully consider the equipment they take adventuring gear is not tracked and does not count
with them when adventuring, as each person is only able towards a character’s maximum load.
to carry so much. Each item carried is at once a burden and
Treasure: The weight of treasure carried is tracked to
a potential lifesaver in times of peril.
make sure that the character’s maximum load is not
Two approaches to determine how much characters can exceeded. See Weight of Common Treasures.
carry are presented here: one based on tracking the total
Maximum load: The maximum load of treasure any
weight of items carried, the other based on tracking the
character can carry is 1,600 coins of weight. Characters
number of items carried. The Referee should decide which
carrying more than this cannot move.
to use, and it should be applied to all characters.
Determining Speed
Weight Encumbrance A character’s Speed is determined by the type of
This encumbrance system is based on tracking the indi- armour they are wearing and whether they are carry-
vidual weights of items carried, giving a detailed and fairly ing a significant amount of treasure (as judged by the
realistic overview of each character’s load. Referee). See the Basic Encumbrance table.

Carrying Capacity
BASIC ENCUMBRANCE
The total weight of the character’s gear is tracked. As coins
Speed Without Speed With
are the most common form of treasure found by adven- Armour Bulk
Treasure Treasure
turers, all weights are measured in coins. Ten coins equal
None 40 30
one pound.
Light 30 20
Equipment: The equipment lists note the weight of all Medium or Heavy 20 10
weapons, armour, and items of adventuring gear. Groups
wishing to simplify tracking may treat a character’s miscel-
laneous gear (e.g. backpacks, ropes, torches, etc.)—exclud-
ing weapons and armour—as a total of 100 coins of weight.
Treasure: The weight of treasure carried by a character is
tracked. See Weight of Common Treasures.
Maximum load: The maximum load any character can
carry is 1,600 coins of weight. Characters carrying more
than this cannot move.
Weight of Common Treasures
The encumbrance of common items of treasure is listed
Determining Speed
below. The Referee should decide the weight of other
A character’s Speed is determined by the total weight they
forms of treasure.
carry. See the Weight Encumbrance table.

TREASURE WEIGHT
WEIGHT ENCUMBRANCE Item Weight
Total Weight Speed
Coin (any type) 1
Up to 400 coins 40
Gem 1
Up to 600 coins 30
Jewellery (1 piece) 10
Up to 800 coins 20
Potion 10
Up to 1,600 coins 10
Rod 20
Scroll 1
Horses and Vehicles Staff 40
The carrying capacity of mounts and vehicles is listed in Wand 10
coins under Horses and Vehicles, DPB.

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Slot Encumbrance Items in Gear Slots

This encumbrance system is based on gear slots, giving The Item Gear Slots table lists the number of gear slots
a simple and abstract overview of each character’s load. occupied by different kinds of items.
Each item carried occupies 0–3 gear slots—see Items in
General items: Unless noted otherwise, each object a
Gear Slots. Characters become slower and more burdened
character carries occupies 1 gear slot.
depending on the number of gear slots occupied.
Tiny items: Some very small items only occupy a
gear slot if carried in large numbers (as judged by the
Equipped Items: 10 Slots Referee).
Characters have 10 slots for equipped items, that is anything
Bundled items: Some items are purchased and carried
the character is wearing, holding, actively using, or has
in bundles. A bundle occupies 1 gear slot.
ready to use at short notice: armour worn, shields or weap-
ons held, sheathed weapons, items in a belt pouch. Containers: Containers (e.g. backpacks, sacks) only
count as an item when not in use.
Maximum load: A character cannot carry more than 10
slots of equipped items. Bulky items: Large or heavy objects that require
two hands to carry occupy 2 gear slots and cannot be
stowed. Very heavy or bulky objects may occupy 3 or
Stowed Items: 10 Slots / Container more gear slots, as judged by the Referee.
Sacks and backpacks each have 10 slots for stowed items,
Clothing and armour: Clothing does not occupy a gear
that is items packed away in the container.
slot. Light armour occupies 1 slot, Medium armour 2,
Maximum load: A character cannot carry more than a and Heavy armour 3. A shield occupies 1 slot.
total of 16 slots of stowed items.
Maximum containers: A character can wear one back-
pack and can carry up to two sacks, each of occupying one ITEM GEAR SLOTS
hand. When carrying a sack, the character cannot carry a Adventuring Gear Slots
weapon, shield, lantern, or other object in that hand. General item 1
Retrieving: In combat, retrieving a stowed item takes 1 Clothing 0
Round. Tiny item: e.g. bell (miniature), fungi / 0
herbs, holy symbol, paper or parchment,
pipeleaf, quill, whistle
Determining Speed Bundled item: e.g. candles (10), torches (3), 1 per bundle
A character’s Speed is determined by the number of occu- caltrops (20), chalk (10), iron spikes (12),
pied gear slots, shown in the Slot Encumbrance table. Track marbles (20)
the number of equipped and stowed items separately, look Container: e.g. backpack, belt pouch, sack 0 when in use
up both in the table, and use the slowest Speed listed. Bulky item: e.g. barrel, casket, chest, pole 2
(10′ long)
Coins or gems (up to 100) 1
SLOT ENCUMBRANCE
Occupied Slots Weapons Slots
Melee weapon, one-handed 1
Equipped Stowed Speed
Melee weapon, two-handed 2
0–3 0–10 40
Missile weapon 1
4–5 11–12 30
Ammunition (up to 20 pieces in container) 1
6–7 13–14 20
8–10 15–16 10 Armour Slots
Light armour 1
Example: A fighter wearing plate mail (3 equipped slots) and Medium armour 2
carrying a shield and longsword (2 equipped slots) has Speed
Heavy armour 3
30 (5 equipped slots total). They are also carrying a backpack
Shield 1
containing a tinder box, 3 flasks of oil, a lantern, a rope, and
a waterskin (7 stowed items). The 7 stowed items do not alter
their Speed. If, later in an adventure, they fill a sack with 600gp
(6 stowed items, for a total of 13 stowed items), their Speed Dropping Items
would be reduced to 20. When characters discover large treasure hoards, they
may have to drop items, abandoning adventuring gear
in order to stuff their sacks with gold.
Horses and Vehicles In desperate circumstances, such as when fleeing
The number of items that mounts and vehicles can carry enemies, characters may choose to drop items to
is calculated by dividing their coin capacity by 100 (see lighten their load. Weapons, shields, and even stuffed
Horses and Vehicles, DPB). The distinction between sacks or backpacks may be dropped to increase a char-
equipped and stowed items does not apply to horses and acter’s Speed.
vehicles.

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Travel
The basic procedures for travelling and exploring in the wilds of Dolmenwood.

Travel Procedure Per Day Movement

1. Weather: The Referee determines the day’s weather, Rather than tracking the exact time spent travelling or
using the tables in the Dolmenwood Campaign Book. the precise distances traversed, travel in Dolmenwood
is abstracted into a simple system of daily Travel Points,
2. Decide course: The players decide on their course of
representing the time taken for various travel actions.
travel for the day.
3. Losing direction: The Referee determines whether
the party gets lost, depending on the terrain. Travel Points
4. Wandering monsters: The Referee makes a check for A party has Travel Points each day equal to its Speed
a daytime random encounter. divided by 5, as shown in the Travel Points Per Day table.
Any excess Travel Points not used by the end of the day
5. Description: The Referee describes the terrain
are lost.
passed through and any sites of interest that the
party comes across, asking players for their actions
as required. If monsters are encountered, follow the TRAVEL POINTS PER DAY
procedure described in Encounters, DPB.
Travel Points Per Day
6. End of day: If still in the wilds, the party sets camp
Party’s Speed Normal Travel Forced March
(see Camping, DPB). The Referee updates time
40 8 12
records, with special attention to rations, spell dura-
30 6 9
tions, and the party’s need to rest.
20 4 6
10 2 3

Time Mounted: A mounted party has Speed 40.

Vehicles: A party travelling with a cart or wagon has Speed 30.
When travelling overland through Dolmenwood, game
time is tracked in days. Normal Travel
A normal day of travel (whether on roads, tracks, or in the
Roads, Tracks, and wild) is assumed to last 12 hours, with 8 hours spent trav-
elling and 4 hours spent resting, preparing meals, eating,
Travelling Wild setting up and taking down camp, and so forth.
Adventurers may at times follow useful pathways connect-
ing settlements, but they often find themselves travelling Forced March
in the wild woods.
A party may push itself to travel extra distance in a day,
Roads: Actively maintained roads. Parties following a road gaining a 50% increase in Travel Points (see the Travel
travel quickly and have no risk of getting lost. Points Per Day table). This requires a 16 hour travel day,
Tracks: Smaller paths which are seldom frequented and including 12 solid hours of travel.
sporadically maintained. Parties following a track travel Exhaustion: Following a forced march, characters must
quickly but have a small risk of getting lost. rest for a full day or become exhausted (see Exhaustion,
Travelling wild: All travel off tracks and roads is classified DPB).
as travelling wild. The speed of travel and chance of getting
lost are determined by the type of terrain. Travelling on Roads and Tracks
The Referee tracks the party’s position along roads or
Map Hexes tracks as they travel.
The Referee’s map of Dolmenwood (provided in the Travel Point cost: 6 miles costs 2 Travel Points, unaffected
Dolmenwood Campaign Book) is based on a hex grid, with by the type of terrain or the number of hexes passed
each hex being 6 miles across. When characters travel through. On the Referee’s hex map (DCB), roads and tracks
through the Wood, the Referee tracks their progress on are annotated with 6 mile marker points.
the hex map. Hex features: The party may explore any features along
Players may also wish to keep a map of their own, making the roadside in hexes they pass through. Features further
notes on hexes as they explore. A blank hex map of from the road are missed.
Dolmenwood that players can fill in as they explore can
be downloaded from dolmenwood.com.

48
 P a r t F i v e | Ad v e n t u r i n g

TERRAIN TYPES
Light Terrain Moderate Terrain Difficult Terrain
Farmland Tilled fields and lanes Bog Treeless mire Boggy forest Wet, muddy woods
Fungal forest Giant fungi, few trees Hilly forest Undulating woods Craggy forest Broken terrain, cliffs
Hills Undulating grassland Tangled forest Dense, gloomy woods Swamp Wetland, sparse trees
Meadow Flat grassland Thorny forest Dense thorn thickets
Open forest Light, airy woods

Travel Points to enter/search: 2 Travel Points to enter/search: 3 Travel Points to enter/search: 4

Lost/encounters: 1-in-6 Lost/encounters: 2-in-6 Lost/encounters: 3-in-6
Mounts and vehicles may enter Mounts must be led, no vehicles No mounts or vehicles

Travelling Wild
The Referee tracks the party’s position on the hex map,
Searching Hexes
Some hexes on the Dolmenwood campaign map contain
noting the current hex they are in. hidden features which stay unnoticed by a party simply
Travel Point cost: The Terrain Types table lists the cost to wandering through the area. Hidden features can be found
enter an adjacent hex, based on its terrain type. by searching a hex, requiring extra time and Travel Points.
Hex features: Once the party has paid the Travel Point cost Travel Point cost: The Terrain Types table lists the cost to
to enter a hex, they may explore any non-hidden features search a hex, based on its terrain type.
in that hex without further expenditure of Travel Points. Hidden features: Searching may reveal hidden features in
End of day: If the party does not have sufficient Travel a hex, if any are present. Once a hidden feature has been
Points to enter an adjacent hex, the Referee should note located, it can be found again without searching.
how many Travel Points they have expended and how
many must be expended the next day to enter the hex.
Losing Direction
Example: A party with 2 Travel Points remaining is travelling See Losing Direction, DPB for more information.
from a farmland hex toward an adjacent hex consisting of bog Checks: One roll for getting lost is made each day. The
(3 Travel Points to enter). The party spends the 2 Travel Points
Referee makes this roll at the start of the travel day. If the
it has, nearing the edge of the bog hex but unable to enter it
party is travelling along a road (no chance of getting lost),
today due to being 1 Travel Point short. The party makes camp
in the farmland hex. The following day the party need only the roll for getting lost is made when they leave the road.
spend 1 further Travel Point to enter the bog hex. Travelling wild: The chance of getting lost depends on
the terrain being explored—see the Terrain Types table.
Following a road: There is no chance of getting lost.
Mounts and Vehicles Following a track: There is a 1-in-6 chance of getting lost.
Mounts and land vehicles provide convenient means of Visibility: In conditions of reduced visibility, such as fog
travelling with heavy loads, but they become inconvenient or blizzards, the chance of getting lost increases by 1 (e.g.
when characters are travelling wild. 2-in-6 becomes 3-in-6), and in darkness by 2.
Effects of getting lost: The effects of getting lost are
Speed and Travel Points described in the Dolmenwood Campaign Book.
Mounts: A mounted party has Speed 40 (8 Travel Points per
day). While some mounts have Speed faster than 40, they
can only move at this rate for short bursts. Wandering Monsters
See Wandering Monsters, DPB for more information.
Land vehicles: A party travelling with a cart or wagon has
Speed 30 (6 Travel Points per day). Checks: One check for wandering monsters is made each
day. The Referee may make this roll at any point in the day
Terrain Restrictions they wish, for example in the first hex the party enters or
searches.
Mounts and land vehicles can travel freely along roads
and tracks, but travelling wild is limited by certain terrain Chance: The chance of an encounter depends on the type
types. The Terrain Types table lists which types of terrain of terrain being travelled through—see the Terrain Types
mounts and vehicles may enter, with mounts only able to table.
be led (i.e. not ridden) in certain types of terrain. Creature: The Dolmenwood Campaign Book includes tables
to determine the type of creatures encountered.

Resting Distance: Wandering monsters are encountered 2d6 × 30′

away. If either side is surprised (see Encounters, DPB), this
Characters must rest for 1 day per week of travel (i.e. 6 days is reduced to 1d4 × 30′.
of travel, 1 day of rest) or become exhausted (see Exhaus-
tion, DPB).

49
 Part Six
Secrets of
Dolmenwood

Referees only—players turn back!

A
small sampling of content from the epic tome of
referee’s lore—the Dolmenwood Campaign Book.
One of the seven major factions—the longhorn
nobility—is presented in full, along with three detailed NPCs.
An excerpt from one of the 12 settlements—the town of
Lankshorn, ruled by the wicked Lord Malbleat—is provided,
including descriptions of six locations and four NPCs.
Four of the Dolmenwood Campaign Book’s 200 hexes are
presented, as an example of the weird, fantastic locations
that Dolmenwood is packed with.
Finally, the full Dolmenwood encounter tables and a selec-
tion of magic weapons are revealed.
 Part Six | Secr ets of Dolmenwood

Longhorn Nobility
The breggle noble houses which have ruled the High Wold since ancient times.

Faction Overview Lord Murkin’s Aggressions

Lord Murkin has eyes on the lands of his southerly neigh-
Houses Ramius, Murkin, and Malbleat bour—the human House Nodlock—and is amassing troops
Three breggle nobles currently rule over large portions of near the border. Only the protection of Lord Ramius (whom
the High Wold: the powerful and respected Lord Ramius, Lord Nodlock is a lackey of) prevents outright war.
the belligerent Lord Murkin, and the sadistic Lord Malbleat.
House Ramius Divided
Earliest Mortals in Dolmenwood Twenty-two years ago, unearthed genealogical documents
The origins of breggles are lost in antiquity. They have lived purportedly revealed Lord Malbleat as the rightful head of
in the environs of Dolmenwood for as long as any records House Ramius, through the line of his mother, Lady Shank-
show, and were the first mortal Kindred to dwell under the hollow. Lord Ramius’ interpretation of the documents
forest’s frost-rimed boughs, in ancient days when the Cold naturally differed, and a feud ensued, growing quickly to
Prince ruled supreme. violence. Baron Hogwarsh (then a mere youth) intervened,
ruling that the lands of House Ramius should be divided.
Malbleat was granted the eastern portion and Ramius the
Ancient Nobility western.
The longhorns hold their distant forebears to be those
bold few breggles who ventured into the ice-clad courts
of the Cold Prince and pledged him their fealty, desiring The Longhorn Nobility’s
the elevation of their own kind. These early days among
the high-born of Fairy instilled in the longhorns a love of
Schemes
all that is noble, a proclivity which drives them to this day. Vanquish Rival Longhorn Houses
The longhorn nobles are greatly occupied with bitter
Sorcerous Blood in-fighting, with petty familial rivalries amplified to
In addition to their political might, longhorns possess blood-feud and vendetta. Each noble wishes to achieve
a degree of sorcerous power, derived from their ancient dominance over his kin, whether by political subjuga-
dealings with the Cold Prince. The gaze of the longhorns tion, warfare, or sorcery. The longhorn nobles’ scheming
is greatly feared among the ranks of human aristocracy. to outdo one another largely hinders the advancement of
Petty human lords often enlist sorcerous aid when attend- their shared goals.
ing the court of a longhorn.
Maintain Lordship of the High Wold
Age-Old Enemies of the Drune At many points in history has an imperious human noble
Following the betrayal of the Drune by the longhorn of one kind or another emerged to challenge the long-
woman Hraigl, some 1,500 years ago (see History, DCB), a horns’ right to dominion in the High Wold. Always have
bitter hatred between Drune and breggles has smouldered. the tenacious longhorns prevailed, but the risk of outside
meddling in breggle rulership of the region remains.
In the Service of the Duchy
The longhorn aristocrats are counted among the noble Extend Breggle-Country Southwards
houses loyal to the Duke of Brackenwold, ruling the High Collectively, but primarily as individuals, the longhorns
Wold side by side with humans. Intermarriage of breggle seek to reverse the trend of the gradual human domination
and human nobles is commonplace. of the High Wold and extend their rule further south. Each
of the nobles has his eye on the courts of High-Hankle and
Nominally Follow the Pluritine Church the throne of the foolish Baron Hogwarsh.
The longhorn nobles and their subjects are nominally
aligned with the Church, though their loyalty is born out Destroy the Drune
of political convenience, rather than devotion. It is some- The longhorns hate the Drune for their power, arrogance,
times noted that the feeling may be mutual—no breggle and long-standing vendetta against all breggle-kind. They
saints exist within the host of the blessed. seek to eradicate the Drune from the High Wold and bring
the lands of Dwelmfurgh under longhorn rule.

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 Part Six | Secr ets of Dolmenwood

Domain of
Lord Murkin

Kolstoke Keep
Domain of Lord
Shagsend Malbleat
Garnack’s
Tower Redwraith Manor
Galblight Lankshorn
Dreg
Castle Everdusk Enclaves of
the Longhorn
Domain of
Lord Ramius
Nobility

Enclaves of the Longhorn Nobility

Castle Everdusk (0410): Home of Lord Ramius, most Kolstoke Keep (0208): Seat of Lord Murkin, a half-breggle,
powerful of the longhorn nobles. half-human driven by his hatred of Lords Ramius and
Dreg, Village (1110): A fishing village and trading port at Malbleat.
the far eastern extent of Lord Malbleat’s domain. It is an Lankshorn, Town (0710): A market town located a few
accepted reality in Dreg that Madame Shantywood (ruler miles to the south of Redwraith Manor. Lankshorn is
of the independent Shantywood Isle) has more political firmly under the control of Lord Malbleat, who makes
clout here than Lord Malbleat or his representative, the frequent visits.
Berkmaster. Redwraith Manor (0709): Home of Ramius’ half-brother,
Galblight, Hamlet (0409): A community of shorthorns, Lord Malbleat, who rules over the eastern reach of the
ruled over by Cabruc Lockehorn, servant of Lord Ramius. High Wold, as far as Dreg.
Garnack’s Tower (0309): Home of Garnack the Horse, a Shagsend, Hamlet (0708): A fortified community of
longhorn hedge knight who hires out his services to the shorthorns, ruled over by Hoblewort the sorcerer, serv-
highest bidder. ant of Lord Malbleat.

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 Part Six | Secr ets of Dolmenwood

Members and NOBLE BREGGLE NAMES

Organisation d20 Male
1 Amshred
Female
Aedel
Unisex
Aegll
Surname
Barbicant
Breggle Nobles 2 Craglow Berryld Andred Canticreed
3 Eriggwen Bethla Bllennith Cllern
The rulers of the noble houses: Lords Malbleat and
4 Fennig Crandragrew Crewwin Cornicus
Ramius—longhorns of ancient stock, proud and arrogant—
5 Frannidore Dweldra Drangwen Furroughby
and the upstart, half-breggle, half-human Lord Murkin.
6 Ghrend Fannigrew Grennigore Hoblewort
7 Gryphius Fredreth Gwendl Houndswort
Longhorn Elite 8 Gwellith Grendilore Hgwennith Hraiglent
The breggle elite, consisting of the longhorn courtiers and 9 Hgrlleld Hlleth Hmenidore Llhraigl
knights under the command of the nobles. 10 Hmardrus Howand Hwandilore Lockehorn
11 Hwardlow Hraigl Llaind Lockelope
Shorthorns 12 Hwoldwen Hrannilde Merrild Malbleat
Members of the breggle serving class fill the roles of house- 13 Llandred Lindra Pllandred Murkin
hold servants, cooks, messengers, groundskeepers, hunt- 14 Maindr Llemberith Pwenth Overlocke
ers, guards, and soldiers. 15 Nodlore Llemmeth Shennithold Pellicorn
16 Olligore Mmereth Smenthard Ramius
17 Shadgore Mregginor Snerg Shankhollow
18 Smerigore Pettigrew Thannidreth Snidebleat
19 Snide Pwettig Wendlow Wealdleap
20 Wllannoth Wendliore Windor Wealdlore

Lord Gryphius
Malbleat
A mature longhorn man of noble, philosophi-
cal air. Malbleat is tall (almost 7′), graceful, slen-
der, and has black fur with a silver nose. Dresses
in refined silks, with a fashionable neck ruff. Renowned
for his love of poetry and his elegance in the ballroom.
Dabbles in matters occult.
Demeanour (Chaotic): Refined aesthete, sadist. Delights
in humiliating those of lower rank. Has as habit of smiling
at uncomfortably inappropriate junctures.
Speech: Silver-tongued, eminently reasonable. Woldish,
Caprice, Gaffe, Old Woldish.
Desires: To depose Lord Ramius, whom he envies and
connives against. To continue cultivating the favour
of Baron Hogwarsh. To unlock the arcane secrets of his
semi-mythical, sorcerous ancestor Lord Gnarlgruff.
Possessions: A Ring of Vanishing (DCB). An extensive
occult library, including a tome, bound in human skin,
which contains the trapped soul of a necromancer (worth
12,000gp). One who gains a familiarity with the tome can Servants: A coterie of alchemists and minor sorcerers. Two
command the spirit to cast a Geas spell once a week. great black hounds. Groundsmen, cooks, butlers, etc. A
Family: Seven wives (two longhorns and five humans— small soldiery of shorthorns. Malbleat has the ear of Father
including Bronywyn Baldricke, daughter of Berkmaster Dobey, the vicar of Lankshorn (DCB).
Baldricke—DCB). Malbleat is the younger half-brother (to Location: Redwraith Manor (hex 0709).
different mothers) of Lord Ramius. Combat stats: Longhorn (DMB). Malbleat is a magician of
some small talent, and has Glyph of Sealing and Vapours
of Dream memorised.

54
 Part Six | Secr ets of Dolmenwood

Lord Simeone
Murkin
A half-breggle, half-human man in his 50s,
the only child of the former Lord Murkin
(deceased), who fell in love with a human woman.
Murkin is auburn-haired, squat, and pot-bellied. He is of
human appearance but for his prodigious chin-locks, a
rudimentary horn nub, and one goat-like eye. Habitually
clad in ill-fitting armour and billowing silk neckerchiefs.
Demeanour (Chaotic): Pompously regal. Cruel temper.
Speech: Nasal and condescending. Woldish, Caprice, Gaffe.
Desires: To erase the embarrasingly temperate legacy of
his father and gain House Murkin the power and respect
it deserves. To imprison those behind the revolt brewing
in his domain (see hex 0108). To conquer House Nodlock
and take Nodding Castle for himself. To undermine Lord
Malbleat and Lord Ramius, bring about their painful and
excruciating deaths, and rule the High Wold.
Possessions: The Sword of Kolstoke—an Arcane Two-
Handed Sword (Fairy Bane, DCB) whose hilt is inlaid with
black opals. The sword is an heirloom of House Murkin, Servants: A retinue of 12 longhorn knights known as “the
said to have been used in the wars against the Cold Prince. Horns of Kolstoke.” A small but strengthening body of
troops (in hex 0109). Groundsmen, cooks, butlers, etc.
Family: Murkin’s mother, now in her seventies, is impris-
oned in the dungeons of Kolstoke Keep, after contradicting Location: Kolstoke Keep (hex 0208).
her son’s word one time too many. His cousin, Lady Borrid, Combat stats: Level 3 knight (DMB).
maintains a hunting lodge in hex 0109.

Lord Shadgore
Ramius
A venerable longhorn nobleman with snow-
white fur, yellow eyes with red pupils, and a
curly beard down to his ample belly. Ramius
dresses in thickly layered regal robes embroidered with
thorny roses.
Demeanour (Neutral): Cold, shrewd. Disdainful of social
mores. Brilliant strategist and a wise ruler. Red pupils
enlarge and contract when he is displeased.
Speech: Sweet, rasping, well-considered. Woldish, Caprice,
Gaffe, Old Woldish, basic Sylvan.
Desires: To keep Lord Malbleat in check by playing the
Drune against him. To cultivate the trust of the Duke of
Brackenwold and be granted the barony of the High Wold,
supplanting the reckless Baron Hogwarsh. Failing that,
to wed his daughter Berryld to the baron. To enslave the
monster known as the Bicorne (hex 0510) and use it as a
beast of war.
Possessions: The Thorned Eye—a gold medallion whose
curious shape is featured on the Ramius coat-of-arms Servants: A standing army of shorthorns and humans,
(worth 8,000gp). One who wears the medallion can conjure commanded by his sons (longhorn knights). Groundsmen,
a 15′ radius area of magical darkness for 6 Turns thrice a day cooks, butlers, etc.
and can harm mortals by striking at their shadows (AC 10). Location: Castle Everdusk (hex 0410)—ancestral home of
Family: Widower with three sons and four daughters House Ramius (and of Lord Malbleat).
(including his heir, Lady Berryld, DCB). Ramius is the elder Combat stats: Longhorn (DMB).
half-brother (to different mothers) of Lord Malbleat.

55
 Part Six | Secr ets of Dolmenwood

Lankshorn
0710—High
0710 —High Wold market town on the edge of the tangled, breggle-ruled woods.

A
bustling town of well-kept, stonebuilt houses, Breggle Blood
clustered around a tall-steepled church and a Over many generations, the humans and breggles of Lank-
cobbled market square. At the rear of the town, a shorn have partially intermixed. Most Lankshorners show
slope rises towards Dolmenwood, which looms ominously, no evidence of this mixed heritage, but the occasional goat-
a reminder of Lankshorn’s position on the verge of the like feature can be noted among the human townsfolk.
wild.
Inhabitants (1,100—small town): Mostly consisting of
local, curly-haired folk of High Woldish origin who have THE LANKSHORN LOOK
made their livings in the town for many generations. A d6 Goatish Aspect
number of breggles also dwell in Lankshorn. 1 Goatee beard (also sometimes found on old women).
Ruler: Lord Malbleat (DCB) and Berkmaster Baldricke 2 Goat eyes (sometimes a single eye only).
(DCB)—Malbleat’s representative in the town (a mayor 3 Goat’s hoof in place of a foot.
of sorts). 4 Goat’s hoof in place of a hand.
Religion: As the old and well-loved church of Saint 5 Horn-like nubs on the forehead.
Pastery—located proudly in the town centre—attests, the 6 Rudimentary tail ending in a tuft of coarse hair.
people of Lankshorn are devout followers of the Pluritine
Church. Lankshorners, however, proudly follow a body of A Superstitious Folk
local superstitions, in addition to the tenets of the Church. In Lankshorn, ancient Gwyrae beliefs blend with the stric-
Rumours: See Rumours in Lankshorn, DCB. tures of the Pluritine Church, forming an idiosyncratic
mass of folk belief and superstition. Some example super-
Threshold to Dolmenwood stitions that adventurers may come across are listed below,
but many more exist. PCs who transgress these edicts
The northernmost settlement in the High Wold, Lank-
encounter an incredulous or frosty reception from locals.
shorn lies within a bowshot of the forest’s border, acting
as one of the two main “thresholds” into Dolmenwood (the
other being Castle Brackenwold, in the east).
LANKSHORN SUPERSTITIONS
d6 Superstition
Wrested From Lord Ramius’ Domain 1 It is disrespectful to travel south along the Swallop
Twenty-two years ago, a feud among the nobles of House Road without carrying a little fresh milk. (This relates
Ramius led to an abrupt reshaping of traditional domain to the shrine to King Pusskin in hex 0711.)
boundaries in the High Wold (see House Ramius Divided, 2 Draining one’s glass completely brings ill luck. A sip
DCB). It was thus that Lankshorn was wrested overnight should always be left for the house bogle.
from the domain of Lord Ramius and became part of the 3 Stepping over a threshold without knocking on the
newly established domain of Lord Malbleat. door first (even if the door is open!) brings ill fortune.
4 Bringing a sword into a dwelling without first dous-
The Cruelty of Lord Malbleat ing the blade with water invites misfortune upon the
household.
Lankshorners take great pride in the ancient breggle
5 It is advisable to tiptoe up stairs, so as not to disturb the
noble houses which have ruled over their town since time cob-knockers who make their homes under the boards.
immemorial. However, the current ruler, Lord Malbleat, 6 Wiping one’s plate clean with a fresh handkerchief
is unloved. Townsfolk fear his frequent visits, demanding brings good luck.
that folk cater to his every whim. He metes out swift and
cruel justice on any who resist, falter, or so much as cast
their glance unwanted in his direction. Equipment Availability
Mounts and hounds are usually only available at the
Unrest Brewing market on Moot (see DCB).
Malbleat’s increasingly brazen cruelty is leading to unrest
in Lankshorn. Some folk speak of petitioning the Baron
Hogwarsh to intervene and replace Malbleat or restore
Lankshorn to the domain of Lord Ramius. Others note
that it was Hogwarsh who was responsible for Malbleat’s
appointment as lord of Lankshorn in the first place.

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 Part Six | Secr ets of Dolmenwood

11

13 2

5
10 8
10

6
7

3
4
12

Map Key 7. The Bladesmith LANKSHORN ENCOUNTERS—DAY

1. Church of St Pastery 8. The Man of Gold d6 Encounter
2. Market Square Apothecary 1 3d6 shorthorn (DMB) soldiers bringing a caged captive
3. Vicarage 9. The Nuncle-Stones to Redwraith Manor for trial before Lord Malbleat.
4. Graveyard 10. The Ditchway 2 A company of 2d6 merchants (plus their guards—
11. Manor Road DMB) from Castle Brackenwold.
5. The Hornstoat’s Rest
12. Swallop Road 3 A funeral procession of 3d6 townsfolk wearing
(Inn)
wooden goat masks, led by Father Dobey (DCB).
6. Harper’s Hall 13. Bogway’s (Tavern and
4 Berkmaster Baldricke (DCB) ordering folk around.
Stables)
5 Lord Malbleat (DCB) and 2d4 longhorn (DMB) guards
demanding impromptu taxes (10% of carried wealth).
6 Sydewich Maldwort (DCB) haggling with a loud
The Lankshorn Constabulary
foreign pedlar over the price of Memory Dust (DCB).
Clad in smart red leather armour with goat-horned
helmets, the guards of the constabulary are semi-pro-
fessionals drafted from the ranks of townsfolk of eligi- LANKSHORN ENCOUNTERS—NIGHT
ble age. d6 Encounter
Arrival on the scene: If word of a crime is called out in 1 1d4 masked townsfolk furtively daubing “MALBLEAT
the town, 1d3 guards arrive within 1d10 minutes (1d3 OUT!” on walls.
Turns at night). A further 1d3 guards arrive 10 minutes 2 2d6 ruffians (Level 1 thieves—DMB), looking for trouble.
later (1d3 Turns later at night), if reinforcements are 3 3d6 sprites (DMB) causing mischief.
called for. 4 Father Dobey (DCB) sneaking into the woods, via the
Combat stats: Level 1 fighter (DMB)—Lawful. secret passage in the church, to meet with a minion of
Lord Malbleat.
5 Lord Malbleat (DCB), 2d4 shorthorn (DMB) guards, and
1d4 longhorn (DMB) nobles driving in a fancy carriage
to the Hornstoat’s Rest to demand food and entertain-
ment.
6 Margerie Stallowmade (DCB) gossiping with a barrow-
bogey (DMB) from hex 0810.

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 Part Six | Secr ets of Dolmenwood

1. Church of St Pastery Father Eggwin Dobey—Vicar of Lankshorn

An antique, stone church with a strikingly pointy stee- The vicar of Lankshorn is a scrawny, stooped human
ple and a riot of carvings depicting gargoyles and angels man of advanced years with a wispy pate and flimsy
battling. spectacles. Dobey is a corrupt priest who cares little
Entrance: An archway lined with white marble carvings for the Church. He serves Lord Malbleat (DCB) and is
of a friar (St Pastery) laying hands beneficently on hordes complicit in several of his wicked schemes.
of cattle. Demeanour (Chaotic): A sharp and conniving mind,
Interior: In contrast with the church’s grand exterior, the despite the doddery impression he presents. Has a habit
interior is simple and rustic: lacquered wooden pews, a of wagging his finger admonishingly.
stone block altar, and a 5′-high wooden statue of St Pastery Speech: Feeble, wavering. Woldish, Liturgic, Old Wold-
(patron saint of butchers and well-borers) holding a meat ish.
cleaver and a shovel. Desires: To aid Lord Malbleat in defeating his half-
Populace: Solemn mourners and supplicants, cheery brother Lord Ramius (DCB) and consolidating his rule
choirs. The local vicar, Father Eggwin Dobey, surrepti- over all of the High Wold. To be instated as the Archdea-
tiously surveying visitors from a balcony. On Sunning con of High-Hankle.
mornings, most of the townsfolk attend the sermon. Possessions: A golden Chapes, studded with rubies
Prayer: Characters praying may receive the blessing of St (2,500gp)—a gift from Lord Malbleat.
Pastery: the ability to cast Cure Affliction. See Shrines, DCB.
Secret passage to the woods: A trapdoor is concealed
beneath a stone font. Beneath, a short flight of stairs leads 3. Vicarage
down to a damp tunnel that passes beneath Lankshorn and A small, thatched cottage located to the south-east of the
emerges in the woods in hex 0709, close to the Manor Road. town proper, accessed by a track that winds through sheep-
Father Dobey uses this tunnel to come and go between grazed pastures.
Lankshorn and Redwraith Manor.
Inhabitants: The local vicar, Father Dobey, along with his
maidservant, Mabble.
2. Market Square
A cobbled market square at the centre of the town. Markets
are held here twice a week:
4. Graveyard
To the rear of the vicarage lies the village’s graveyard,
Moot: Food, drink, and livestock market. Stalls hawk- bounded by imposing, ivy-clad walls.
ing local produce, freshly brewed cider, and a vast array
Entrance: Cast iron gates engraved with Liturgic script. The
of cheeses. Horses and hounds of all kinds may also be
writing is a traditional plea to Saint Signis the Silent that
purchased on Moot.
the interred dead may slumber in rest eternal. To anyone
Sunning: General market with a mixture of stalls. familiar with religious practices within Dolmenwood, it
is clear that the graveyard is under the protection of the
order of Lichwards.
Gravestones: Outsiders may note the presence of goats’
heads carved atop many of the gravestones.

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 Part Six | Secr ets of Dolmenwood

5. The Hornstoat’s Rest Farnham Ribblemead—Sage

(Inn) An elderly human gentleman of gangly frame, with long
white hair, hawkish nose, wide mouth, and stretched,
A high-gabled, wooden building of overhanging eaves and
many-hued, lacquered panels. A wide, round door topped angular cheeks. Wears shabby leather traveller’s garb
with a goat’s skull welcomes travellers and merrymakers. and a pair of half-moon spectacles balanced on his nose.

Sign: A white stoat with prominent red horns reclining on Demeanour (Lawful): Jocular, high-brow, bumbling.
a luxurious purple couch. (This creature is a hornstoat—a Speech: Lethargic drawl. Woldish, Old Woldish, Liturgic,
fairy of local legend, said to live in the hearts of great oak Caprice, Gaffe, Old Drunic, Sylvan, Drunic.
trees and mock the foolish toiling of humans.) Desires: Obscure scripts. Access to Malbleat’s library,
Common room: A cramped room with high stools said to contain a large body of texts in Old Caprice.
crammed against the walls and a cluster of three small Knowledge: Specialises in ancient languages and
tables in the centre. Guests are served by the landlady, scripts. Apply the standard rules for hiring a sage (DPB).
Margerie Stallowmade, her three sons, and her twelve-
year-old daughter Willow (who has a goat’s hoof in place
of her left hand). 6. Harper’s Hall
In the late evenings: The tables are often pushed together A tall, lime-white manor beside a shallow lake ringed with
in the centre of the common room and used as an impro- storm-wracked elms.
vised stage for raucous dances or musical performances. Function: Harper’s Hall serves a dual purpose. First and
Guests: Local folk, pedlars, travellers, and merchants. foremost, it is the town residence of Lord Malbleat, though
There is a 2-in-6 chance per evening of a beloved Lankshorn he seldom inhabits it for longer than a night each month.
resident—the sage Farnham Ribblemead (who rents the Secondly, one of its side-wings houses the Berkmaster and
inn’s attic suite on a permanent basis)—quietly sharing a his family.
glass of Aspintheon with the landlady. Inhabitants: The current Berkmaster (installed by
The attic suite: A heavy, locked door in the inn’s upper floor Malbleat when he assumed lordship of the town) is Clewyd
leads, via a steep, creaky stairway, to a plush attic suite— Baldricke (“His Lordship”), who lives here with his wife
the home of the sage Farnham Ribblemead. Almerie and four adolescent children.
Hidden fugitive: The Berkmaster harbours his grand-
Services at the Hornstoat’s Rest son—a rebellious young half-human, half-breggle boy
Lodgings and food: Of common quality (DPB). named Billy—who stumbled out of the Wood some months
ago. The boy fled from Redwraith Manor after his govern-
Aspintheon: The preferred tipple of the proprietor, Purple
ess fed him a dangerous mandrake brew as punishment.
Aspintheon (DPB) is always in stock. Favoured guests may
The brew afflicted the boy with a curse, causing him to
also be offered a glass of the rarer and more infamous
mutate into different forms and personalities. Wary of
Green Aspintheon (DCB).
revealing the boy’s presence, the Berkmaster has enlisted
the aid of the hermit-magician Merridwyn Scymes (hex
0808) to discover a means of curing his grandson.

Margerie Stallowmade—Hornstoat’s Rest Berkmaster Clewyd Baldricke

Landlady A tall, plump human man of around 50 years, with
A human woman of some fifty years, with twinkling densely curled, auburn hair on his head, face, and chest.
eyes, a broad grin, copper hoops in her ears, and a figure He dresses in voluptuous purple velvet and wears the
plump with decades of pie-eating. Since the death of her silver boar’s head medallion hereditary to his station.
husband and two eldest sons in a pointless war a decade Many townsfolk privately mock the Berkmaster as a
ago, Margerie has taken to wandering in Dolmenwood, self-important puppet of Lord Malbleat.
fascinated by its strange secrets. Demeanour (Neutral): Brusque, pompous, incredulous
Demeanour (Lawful): Presents herself to strangers as at any who would question his word.
a harmless bumpkin, but has a keen ear and a sharp Speech: Exaggerated booming. Woldish.
memory. Constantly polishes surfaces, mugs, and
Desires: The respect of all in Lankshorn. To cure his
guests while chatting.
grandson Billy of his curse. To temper the wickedness of
Speech: Incessant, rustic banter. Woldish. Lord Malbleat. (Privately worries that his lord’s growing
Desires: To meet a real witch or wizard. To visit Fairy. cruelty will lead to rebellion.)
To taste the legendary Golden Aspintheon. Family: Eldest daughter, Bronywyn, was married
Knowledge: She is acquainted with the fairy Thrat- to Lord Malbleat a decade ago and seldom leaves
tlewhit (hex 0810), with whom she shares foraged Redwraith Manor.
blackberries and silly stories of comings and goings in Servants: The local constabulary. Several informants
Lankshorn. She knows the location of the fairy’s lair, and rumour-mongers in the town report to the Berk-
but does not share it lightly. master of anything untoward.

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0405 Lair of the Cheese-Fiend

Dense, gloomy, moss-carpeted woods of birch, yew, and elm. Stagnant puddles abound.

Terrain: Craggy forest (4), Dwelmfurgh

Lost/encounters: 3-in-6
Within the Ring of Chell (DCB): True fairies are
afflicted with a spiritual malaise; teleportation and
summoning are ineffectual; magic of illusion or charm
has a 2-in-6 chance of failure.

Blood-Cheese Sacs
Wanderers in this hex may come across a region where the
skins of various large creatures—including breggles and
humans—hang among the trees.
Inside the skins: The skins are carefully sealed into sacs,
bloated and distended with their strange contents: a
reddish black, cheese-like substance made from blood
rather than milk. The stuff has many forms (slimy, runny,
stringy, hard), but smells and tastes like cheese.
Caretaker: If players spend time investigating the skins,
there is a 2-in-6 chance of the cheese-fiend wandering
nearby, checking the state of the skins.

Giant Hut
In the centre of the cluster of blood-cheese sacs stands a The Cheese-Fiend
ramshackle hut of giant proportions (15′ high), cobbled A giant woman of obese, lumpy form, 10′ tall, formed
together from stone, thatch, and branch. entirely of different kinds of cheese: eyes oozing,
Windows: Small, odd-shaped windows allow a peek inside. rubbery, bouncy flesh, hairy regions of fuzzy mould,
a Swiss-cheese air-pocket mouth.
Door: 10′ high, of roughly nailed planks, eminently creaky.
Demeanour (Chaotic): Lumbering. Hungry. Views
Smell: An acrid stench of strong cheese emanates from the
intruders as potential prey.
hut, to a near vomit-inducing potency.
Speech: Booming vibrato. Basic, stammering Woldish.
Inside the Hut Desires: Driven only by the urge to hunt and gorge
herself on cheese. Treasures real cheese or milk (only
The hut consists of a single room, unlit.
has access to the blood-cheese that she produces).
Inhabitant: There is a 4-in-6 chance of the cheese-fiend
Large Monstrosity—Semi-Intelligent—Chaotic
being present in the hut, either dozing or skinning a corpse.
Level 9 AC 12 HP 50 Saves D7 R8 H9 B10 S11
Awful stench: The odour of strong cheese is overwhelm-
Att 2 fists (+7, 2d6) or molten cheese vomit (4d6)
ing here; characters must Save Versus Doom or suffer a –1
Speed 60 Morale 9 XP 1,350
penalty to Attack Rolls for 1d4 Rounds.
Immunities: Bludgeoning weapons bounce off the
Corpses and skins: Dangling from the rafters is a grisly
cheese-fiend’s rubbery flesh, inflicting half damage.
collection of fresh corpses and drying skins.
Molten cheese vomit (thrice a day): Affects all char-
Rusty metal tank: In a corner, filled with guts and bones.
acters in a 10′ radius area in front of the fiend’s mouth.
Furnishings: A great, oaken worktable and cleavers. A bed Save Versus Blast for half damage.
of dried leaves.
Treasure: The creature’s body, if sliced into reasonably
Searching: A pouch with twelve opals (150gp each) lies sized portions (ideally without obviously humanoid
forgotten in a dark corner. One of the hanging corpses still characteristics) could be sold to a discerning chee-
wears a copper, knot-work engraved bracelet (200gp) and semonger for up to 2,000gp.
matching ring (a Ring of Water Walking—DCB).

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The Giant Egg 1104

The wide, central region of the Valley of Wise Beasts. Woodland glades dotted with little Cobbin farms.

Terrain: Tangled forest (3), Valley of Wise Beasts

Lost/encounters: 2-in-6. Encounters are 2-in-6 likely
to be with a patrol of 2d6 crookhorns (DMB) from the
garrison at the Baron’s tower (hex 1004). They patrol
down into the Valley from the tower, meting out terri-
ble and anarchic justice. They will certainly attempt
to arrest outsiders and bring them before the Baron.

The Village of Cobton-on-the-Shiver

Beside a bend in the River Shiver sits a quaint, idyllic-seem-
ing village of little, painted wooden houses, half human
size. The village is populated by Cobbins (DMB) of many
different species, industriously going about their business
and scuttering from house to house.
Larger, stone buildings: Of full human size can be seen in
the village square.
Crookhorn soldiers: Surly crookhorns swagger around the
village, cackling and bullying the Cobbins.
Full settlement description: See DCB.

The Giant Egg

A curious farm is located in a broad glade a mile west Chumbra Burrowflop—Cobbin (Badger)
of Cobton. Much of the glade is partitioned into fenced A youthful female badger with an unusual red stripe
animal pens, where geese, domesticated quails, and minia- on her nose. Wears a frayed, checked dress with a wide-
ture pigs honk and squeal. At one side stands a Cobbin- brimmed straw hat and copper hoop earrings.
sized cottage with a giant egg perched atop its thatched Demeanour (Lawful): Frolicsome, excitable.
roof, propped up with poles.
Speech: Shrill growling. Woldish, Gaffe.
The egg: 7’ wide, creamy white with speckles of blue. It
Desires: Baron Fragglehorn’s praise for her devoted
first appeared 10 years ago, the size of a duck’s egg, and
raising of the giant egg. Magical means of peering
has grown progressively since. Unbeknown to those who
inside the giant egg.
observe it, the egg is now close to hatching. In 1d6 days, a
giant black cygnet—Chrysaïs—will emerge.
Chrysaïs—Giant Cygnet
Inhabitants: A family of badger Cobbins: Chumbra
Burrowflop, her husband Mollow, and their 5 cubs. The A giant black cygnet, 10’ tall, with eyes and wing tips of
Cobbins believe they are blessed by the Nag-Lord and that bronze. Claims to be a prophet of the One True God sent
a wondrous serpent-unicorn grows inside the egg. to battle the forces of Chaos in Dolmenwood.
Crookhorn patrols: There is a 3-in-6 chance of 1d6 crook- Demeanour (Lawful): Gentle, beatific, otherworldly.
horns (DMB) being present, eyeing the giant egg suspi- Speech: Melodious, noble. Woldish, Liturgic.
ciously. Baron Fragglehorn (DCB) takes great interest in Desires: To root out corruption, bring justice to the
the egg, presuming it to be either a weapon or treasure of downtrodden, and vanquish the forces of Chaos.
some kind. They do not tamper with it, for the time being.
Combat stats: Giant hawk (DMB). Will continue to grow,
Visitors: Are welcomed by the Cobbins, encouraged to in time reaching truly gargantuan proportions (Level
view the marvellous egg, then hurried away before they 24, with 24d8 HP).
are spotted by crookhorns.

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1309 Thirligrewe’s Orchard

Bucolic woods decked with artfully trailing ivy. Sheep and swine happily browse the glades.

Terrain: Open forest (2), Aldweald

Lost/encounters: 1-in-6

Thirligrewe’s Orchard
At the forest’s edge, in a clearing surrounded by a waist-
high stone wall, there sits a tiny orchard. A humble two-sto-
rey cottage, leaning alarmingly sideways, adjoins it.
Strange apples: A row of gnarled crab apple trees bearing
curious mauve fruits stands at the rear of the orchard.
Cider brewed from the crab apples functions as Sandor’s
Phantasmal Elixir (DCB). (One dose per pint consumed.)
Orchard tender: The orchard is tended and protected by
Thirligrewe Hangman, who serves Castle Brackenwold;
the orchard and cottage are the castle’s property. Her most
significant duty is the provision of crab apples, which she
delivers to The Roost, a nearby inn, for onward transit to
the castle. Should she catch PCs attempting to pilfer any,
she runs to the Roost for help from the staff there.
Weighty tomes: A passionate reader, Thirligrewe has
amassed a sizeable book collection whose sheer weight
causes the cottage to lean toward the side dedicated to Zoemina Ladle—The Roost Proprietor
her study. Searching the collection for an hour yields four
A strapping, energetic woman in her late thirties, with
arcane scrolls, tucked inside a horticulture manual: Deci-
plaited red hair and freckled complexion. Dresses in
pher, Floating Disc, Mind Crystal, and Perceive the Invisible.
green gowns embroidered with ivy leaf motifs.
Demeanour (Neutral): Bold, spirited, gregarious. Flits
The Roost (Inn)
between groups, seldom finishing conversations.
Half a mile from the orchard, in an open glade beside Camp
Road, a fantastic treehouse inn is nestled in the boughs Speech: Strident, almost operatic. Woldish.
of a trio of old beeches. The atmosphere of serenity that Desires: The company of talented musicians. To
permeates the place is enhanced by the gentle cooing of convince her lover, Thirligrewe Hangman, to fake her
the flocks of tame doves that perch among the inn’s gables own death, escape her inherited obligation to Bracken-
and the surrounding branches. wold, and come to live at the inn in secret.
Sign (at the roadside): A dove contentedly nibbling hazel-
nuts from an open hand. Thirligrewe Hangman—Orchard Tender
Entrance: A sweeping, wooden stairway that winds around A quiet, mousy woman of late youth with wispy hair
the largest trunk or—for the audacious—a pair of rope and a penchant for berets. She works for the dukes
ladders that dangle to the forest floor. of Brackenwold, tending the orchard as a result of a
Common room: Tables and chairs densely clustered hereditary family punishment that passes to the eldest
around a sweeping, circular bar. The landlady, Zoemina woman in the extended family. The nature of the crime
Ladle, serves with a gang of barmaids. On warm nights, that her ancestor committed—named pettymongery—
doors are drawn back, joining the common room and the is long since forgotten.
outside balcony. Genial flute music wafts. Demeanour (Lawful): Rustic intellectual.
Guests: Travellers, merchants, and guards. Adventurers Speech: Halting, sarcastic. Woldish, Old Woldish.
and nobles of romantic spirit sometimes sojourn here,
taken by the fanciful notion of living in a treehouse. Desires: To continue her quiet job, which gives her time
to read from her extensive library. To learn the ulti-
mate destination of her apples; all she has been able to
ascertain is that they are spirited by courier to Castle
Services at the Roost
Brackenwold, where they are said to be used to create
Lodgings and food: Of common quality (DPB). small but regular quantities of cider for consumption
Attic suites: Private suites, each including a small by someone within.
dining room, can be rented for 5gp per night.
Stabling: Excellent stables are located (at ground level)
in the woods behind the inn.

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The Bad Apples 1608

Windmills, wheat fields, coppiced lanes, and duckponds.

Terrain: Farmland (2), Tithelands

Lost/encounters: 1-in-6

Cidery Road
A side-road branches from King’s Road to the south-
east. Next to it is a sign of weather-beaten wood, read-
ing: “CIDERY ROAD—Home to the Famed and Esteemed
Titheland Cider”.
Following the road: Cidery Road wends its way for several
miles past apple orchards and farmhouses.
Apple orchards: Low, closely planted trees in sinuous rows
wade in mounds of rotting apples. No workers can be seen.
Eating an apple: The apples are small, oxblood-red, and
syrupy sweet. Mortals must Save Versus Doom—those
who fail die at dawn after sweet dreams; those who succeed
suffer an evening of nightmares.
Smoke column and odour: After 2 miles, the party sees
a column of smoke rising in the distance, and smells a
sweet, apple-scented odour. The smoke and the odour both
emanate from the Titheland Cidery, ahead.
Demozel Hazel—Elf Courtier
Titheland Cidery Tall and plump, with long silver hair and a prominent
The road ends at a two-storey cidery of stone and thick chin. Wears a necklace of pigs’ teeth, given as gifts by
timber. Before it is the source of the smoke: piles of burn- the pigs themselves. She wears it to please the pigs, of
ing apples, stoked and fed by listless, dejected workers. whom she is quite fond.
Alongside are several pens of pigs, feeding on apple scraps. Demeanour (Neutral): Upright posture, tends to point.
Speaking to the workers: They relate that last year, most Speech: Precise, forceful, and erudite. Woldish, Sylvan,
of the orchard workers who sampled the inaugural batch High Elfish.
of Titheland Cider (DPB) suffered screaming nightmares, Desires: To enjoy the scent of nightmares on a brisk
while a few enjoyed pleasant dreams before dying at dawn. night. To discuss philosophy with local pigs.
The workers now burn their orchards’ yields, hoping to
Possessions: A pink ruby ring (500gp).
purge the trees of the blight that seems to infect them.
Reward: The cidermasters offer 1,000gp to adventurers
who can discover and eliminate the cause of the blight. Demozel Olive—Elf Courtier
Examining the pig pens: The pigs become increasingly Tall and slender, with short golden curls. Wears a coro-
agitated as the day gets later. net of human teeth, extracted from local graves. She
wears it to put any humans she may encounter at ease.
At Night Demeanour (Neutral): Charming, warm, kindly.
After the workers depart, the pigs leap from their pens, one Speech: Tsks and tuts. Woldish, Sylvan, High Elfish.
after another, to merrily trot about the orchards. Desires: Kindly disposed towards humans, her chief
Following the pigs: Ultimately leads to a clearing that desire is to put them out of their misery, poor dears,
glitters with fairy-light. There, the pigs gather around elf and into a nice dark grave.
courtier (DMB) Demozel Hazel, who holds court solemnly. Possessions: A pearl necklace (350gp).
Speaking with Hazel: She explains that she and her
younger sister, Demozel Olive, are former ladies-in-wait-
Speaking with Olive: She patiently explains that when
ing to the Lady of Spring Unending (DCB), and are now at
her sister isn’t looking, she removes the magical horror
liberty and seeking diversion; last summer, they took up
from the apples and replaces it with deadly poison. She is
residence here. She admits to instilling the apples with
genuinely shocked that anyone would object to this.
a magical horror, but is genuinely shocked if told of the
deaths. If asked, she can direct PCs to Olive’s location. Evicting the elf sisters: They can only be evicted by force,
or by providing them with very convincing, specific knowl-
Hazel’s directions: Lead to a grove where Demozel Olive
edge of better fun that can be had elsewhere. If either sister
(elf courtier, DMB) reclines serenely on a bed of fallen,
is attacked, the other comes to her aid immediately.
rotten apples.

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Encounters
The beasts, horrors, fairies, and mortal folk one may encounter in the wilds.

Rolling an Encounter ENCOUNTER TYPE

1. Encounter type: Roll 1d8 on the Encounter Type table. Daytime Nighttime
The result indicates which sub-table to consult. d8 Road/Track Wild Fire No Fire
▶ Aquatic encounters: For encounters on rivers or 1 Animal Animal Monster Animal
lakes, roll directly on the Aquatic regional encoun- 2 Monster Monster Monster Animal
3 Mortal Mortal Mortal Monster
ter table. Land-dwelling sentients encountered are 4 Mortal Sentient Mortal Monster
either on boats or the shore. 5 Sentient Regional Sentient Monster
6 Sentient Regional Sentient Regional
2. Creature: Roll 1d20 on the indicated sub-table. 7 Regional Regional Regional Regional
▶ Asterisk (*): See Animals—DMB. 8 Regional Regional Regional Regional
▶ Dagger (†): See Adventurers—DMB. Typically Level
1 characters are encountered.
▶ Double dagger (‡): See Everyday Mortals—DMB.

3. Wandering or in lair (optional): The DMB lists the

chance of encountering creatures in their lair (as
opposed to wandering abroad). Other creatures have
a 30% chance to be encountered in their lair. COMMON ENCOUNTERS
4. Number encountered: The dice to roll are listed after d20 Animal Monster
the creature’s name in the encounter tables. 1 Bat, Giant* (1d10) Ant, Giant* (3d4)
2 Bear* (1d4) Centaur—Bestial (1)
▶ Lair encounters: Up to 5 times as many individu- 3 Boar* (1d6) Cockatrice (1d4)
als may be encountered in the creatures’ lair. 4 Burrowing Beetle* (2d4) Ghoul (2d4)
5 Carrion Worm* (1d3) Griffon* (2d8)
5. Surprise: Each side rolls 1d6, and are surprised on 1–2. 6 Centipede, Giant* (1d8) Headless Rider (1d4)
6. Encounter distance: 2d6 × 30′ (or 1d4 × 30′ if both 7 False Unicorn* (3d4) Mogglewomp (1)
8 Fire Beetle, Giant* (2d6) Mugwudge (1d4)
sides are surprised). 9 Fly, Giant* (2d6) Ogre (1d6)
7. Reaction: If the creatures’ potential reaction to PCs 10 Insect Swarm* (1d3) Owlbear* (1d4)
is unclear, optionally make a Reaction Roll—see 11 Rapacious Beetle* (2d4) Root Thing (1d4)
Encounters, DPB. 12 Rat, Giant* (3d6) Snail, Giant—Mutant (1d3)
13 Red Deer* (3d10) Spinning Spider, Giant* (1d3)
14 Shaggy Mammoth* (2d8) Stirge* (2d6)
Activity (Optional) 15 Snake—Adder* (1d8) Treowere (1d8)
16 Stirge* (2d6) Werewolf (1d6)
Roll 1d20 to spark a quick idea about what the creature 17 Toad, Giant* (1d4) Wolf, Dire* (2d4)
is doing when encountered. 18 Weasel, Giant* (1d6) Wyrm—Black Bile (1)
19 Wolf* (3d6) Wyrm—Blood (1)
CREATURE ACTIVITY 20 Yegril* (3d8) Yickerwill (1d6)

d20 Activity d20 Activity d20 Mortal Sentient

1 Celebrating 11 Lost / exploring 1 Adventuring Party Barrowbogey (2d6)
2 Chasing ? 12 Marking territory 2 Cleric† (1d20) Breggle—Shorthorn (3d10)
3 Constructing 13 Mating / courting 3 Crier‡ (1d6) Crookhorn (3d10)
4 Defecating 14 Negotiating with ? 4 Drune—Cottager (1d4) Deorling—Stag (1d6)
5 Dying / wounded 15 Patrolling / guarding 5 Fighter† (2d6) Elf—Courtier or Knight (1d4)
6 Fleeing from ? 16 Resting / camping 6 Fortune-Teller‡ (1d3) Elf—Wanderer (1d6)
7 Hallucinating 17 Ritual / magic 7 Friar† (1d6) Goblin (2d6)
8 Hunting / foraging 18 Sleeping 8 Hunter† (3d6) Grimalkin (1d4)
9 In combat with ? 19 Trapped / imprisoned 9 Knight† (2d6) Mossling (2d8)
10 Journey / pilgrimage 20 Washing 10 Lost Soul‡ (1d4) Nutcap (2d6)
Question mark (?): Roll another encounter to determine 11 Magician† (1d4) Redcap (2d6)
the other creature involved. 12 Merchant‡ (1d20) Scarecrow (1d4)
13 Pedlar‡ (1d4) Scrabey (1d6)
14 Pedlar‡ (1d4) Shape-Stealer (1d6)
15 Pilgrim‡ (4d8) Sprite (3d6)
16 Priest‡ (1d6) Talking Animal (1d4)
17 Thief (Bandit)† (3d10) Treowere (1d8)
18 Thief (Bandit)† (3d10) Troll (1d3)
19 Villager‡ (2d10) Wodewose (1d6)
20 Witch (1d6) Woodgrue (3d6)

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REGIONAL ENCOUNTERS
d20 Aldweald Aquatic Dwelmfurgh Fever Marsh
1 Antler Wraith (2d4) Adventuring Party Antler Wraith (2d4) Bat, Vampire* (1d10)
2 Breggle—Shorthorn (3d10) Angler‡ (2d4) Basilisk (1d6) Black Tentacles (1d4)
3 Centaur—Sylvan (2d6) Boggin (1d6) Brambling (1d4) Bog Salamander (1d3)
4 Deorling—Doe (4d4) Catfish, Giant* (1d2) Centipede, Giant* (1d8) Centaur—Bestial (1)
5 Elf—Knight (1d4) Crab, Giant* (1d6) Crookhorn (3d10) Crookhorn (3d10)
6 Elf—Wanderer (1d6) Fly, Giant* (2d6) Drune—Audrune (1) Fly, Giant* (2d6)
7 Gelatinous Hulk (1d4) Insect Swarm* (1d3) Drune—Braithmaid (1d4) Galosher (2d6)
8 Gloam (1) Kelpie (1) Drune—Cottager (1d4) Gelatinous Hulk (1d4)
9 Goblin (2d6) Killer Bee* (2d6) Drune—Cottager (2d6) Harridan (1d3)
10 Grimalkin (1d4) Leech, Giant* (1d4) Drune—Drunewife (1) Insect Swarm* (1d3)
11 Headless Rider (1d4) Madtom (1d12) Lost Soul‡ (1d4) Jack-o’-Lantern (1d8)
12 Pedlar‡ (1d4) Merchant‡ (1d20) Shadow (1d8) Leech, Giant* (1d4)
13 Redcap (2d6) Merfaun (2d6) Skeleton (3d6) Madtom (1d12)
14 Snail, Giant—Psionic (1) Pedlar‡ (1d4) Spinning Spider, Giant* (1d3) Marsh Lantern (1d12)
15 Sprite (3d6) Pike, Giant* (1d4) Sprite (3d6) Mugwudge (1d4)
16 Thief (Bandit)† (3d10) Stirge* (2d6) Thief (Bandit)† (3d10) Redcap (2d6)
17 Unicorn—Blessed (1d6) Thief (Pirate)† (3d10) Wicker Giant (1) Shadow (1d8)
18 Wild Hunt (see DCB) Toad, Giant* (1d4) Wight (1d6) Toad, Giant* (1d4)
19 Witch (1d6) Water Termite, Giant* (1d3) Witch (1d6) Troll (1d3)
20 Woodgrue (3d6) Wyrm—Phlegm (1) Wyrm—Yellow Bile (1) Wyrm—Phlegm (1)

d20 Hag’s Addle High Wold Mulchgrove Nagwood

1 Banshee (1) Barrowbogey (2d6) Bat, Vampire* (1d10) Atanuwë (see DCB)
2 Bat, Giant* (1d10) Breggle—Longhorn (2d4) Bog Corpse (2d4) Bat, Vampire* (1d10)
3 Black Tentacles (1d4) Breggle—Shorthorn (3d10) Bog Salamander (1d3) Bog Corpse (2d4)
4 Bog Corpse (2d4) Breggle—Shorthorn (3d10) Brainconk (1d8) Centaur—Bestial (1)
5 Bog Salamander (1d3) Crier‡ (1d6) Gelatinous Hulk (1d4) Crookhorn (3d10)
6 Boggin (1d6) Devil Goat (1d4) Jack-o’-Lantern (1d8) Crookhorn (3d10)
7 Galosher (2d6) Drune—Braithmaid (1d4) Mossling (2d8) Crookhorn (6d10)
8 Ghoul (2d4) Drune—Cottager (1d4) Mossling (2d8) Harpy (2d4)
9 Gloam (1) Elf—Knight (1d4) Mossling (2d8) Harridan (1d3)
10 Leech, Giant* (1d4) Goblin (2d6) Mossling (4d8) Manticore (1d4)
11 Marsh Lantern (1d12) Grimalkin (1d4) Mould Oracle (1d3) Ochre Slime-Hulk (1)
12 Mugwudge (1d4) Knight† (2d6) Ochre Slime-Hulk (1) Ogre (1d6)
13 Shadow (1d8) Merchant‡ (1d20) Ochre Slime-Hulk (1) Ogre (1d6)
14 Swamp Sloth* (1d6) Pedlar‡ (1d4) Onyx Blob (1) Owlbear* (1d4)
15 Swamp Spider, Giant* (1d3) Priest‡ (1d6) Pook Morel (2d10) Snail, Giant—Mutant (1d3)
16 The Hag (see DCB) Scrabey (1d6) Pook Morel (2d10) Spinning Spider, Giant (1d4)
17 Toad, Giant* (1d4) Thief (Bandit)† (3d10) Redslob (1d4) Treowere (Chaotic) (1d8)
18 Troll (1d3) Witch (1d6) Redslob (1d4) Unicorn—Corrupt (1d6)
19 Unicorn—Corrupt (1d6) Witch Owl (1d6) Wodewose (1d6) Wolf, Dire* (2d4)
20 Wronguncle (1) Woodgrue (3d6) Wronguncle (1) Wyrm—Black Bile (1)

d20 Northern Scratch Table Downs Tithelands Valley of Wise Beasts

1 Banshee (1) Banshee (1) Breggle—Shorthorn (3d10) Cobbin (1d4)
2 Bat, Vampire* (1d10) Crookhorn (3d10) Cleric† (1d20) Cobbin (1d4)
3 Black Tentacles (1d4) Deorling—Doe (4d4) Elf—Wanderer (1d6) Cobbin (1d4)
4 Bog Corpse (2d4) Drune—Cottager (1d4) Fighter† (2d6) Cobbin (3d8)
5 Bog Salamander (1d3) Elf—Wanderer (1d6) Friar† (1d6) Crookhorn (3d10)
6 Deorling—Stag (1d6) Fly, Giant* (2d6) Gloam (1) Crookhorn (3d10)
7 Fomorian (1d3) Ghoul (2d4) Goblin (2d6) Crookhorn (3d10)
8 Galosher (2d6) Gloam (1) Griffon (2d8) Deorling—Stag (1d6)
9 Gloam (1) Harpy (2d4) Grimalkin (1d4) Goblin (2d6)
10 Harridan (1d3) Headless Rider (1d4) Killer Bee* (2d6) Grimalkin (1d4)
11 Leech, Giant* (1d4) Lost Soul‡ (1d4) Knight† (2d6) Lost Soul‡ (1d4)
12 Madtom (1d12) Peryton (2d4) Merchant‡ (1d20) Mossling (2d8)
13 Marsh Lantern (1d12) Peryton (2d4) Mossling (2d8) Ochre Slime-Hulk (1)
14 Mugwudge (1d4) Shadow (1d8) Pilgrim‡ (4d8) Ogre (1d6)
15 Redcap (2d6) Shape-Stealer (1d6) Pook Morel (2d10) Owlbear* (1d4)
16 Scarecrow (1d4) Skeleton (3d6) Scrabey (1d6) Redslob (1d4)
17 Shadow (1d8) Spectre (1d4) Sprite (3d6) Sprite (3d6)
18 Spectre (1d4) Wight (1d6) Villager‡ (2d10) Troll (1d3)
19 Wight (1d6) Witch (1d6) Witch (1d6) Wodewose (1d6)
20 Witch Owl (1d6) Woodgrue (3d6) Woodgrue (3d6) Woodgrue (3d6)

65
 Part Six | Secr ets of Dolmenwood

Magic Weapons
Swords and other weapons, imbued with arcane, fairy, or holy magic.

WEAPON TYPE ODDITIES

d100 Weapon Value (gp) d8 Arcane Fairy Holy
01–08 Arrows (2d6) 300 each 1 Arrogant Ageing Devoted
09–11 Battle axe 4,000 2 Bloodthirsty Arrogant Devoted
12 Club 1,500 3 Bloodthirsty Chaotic aligned Hallowed
13–14 Crossbow 2,500 4 Doomed (cursed) Covetous Lawful aligned
15–20 Dagger 1,500 5 Lying Lying Questing (cursed)
21–22 Hand axe 3,500 6 Neutral aligned Mirthful Truthful
23 Lance 3,500 7 Treacherous (crs.) Possessed (crs.) * Unyielding
24–25 Longbow 2,500 8 Truthful Slumbering Unyielding
26–43 Longsword 4,000 *: Re-roll for missile weapons and ammunition.
44–48 Mace 2,500 Fairy oddities: Fairies are unaffected by oddities on fairy
49 Polearm 6,000 weapons.
50–56 Quarrels (2d6) 300 each
57–59 Shortbow 2,500 Magic Weapons
60–71 Shortsword 2,500 Enchantment: All magic weapons grant the wielder a +2
72–75 Sling 1,500 bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls and are effective against
76–79 Sling stones (2d6) 300 each monsters that can only be harmed by magic.
80–83 Spear 3,500 Magic missiles: Lose their enchantment once fired.
84 Staff 1,500
Magic missile weapons: If a magic missile is fired from a
85–96 Two-handed sword 6,000
magic weapon, both enchantments apply. For example,
97–00 War hammer 2,500
firing a magic arrow from a magic bow grants a +4 bonus
Curses and special powers: Cursed weapons are valued at 50%
to the Attack and Damage Rolls.
less than listed. Weapons with a special power are valued at
50% higher than listed. Weapons of special metals: For metal weapons, there is an
optional 1-in-6 chance of the weapon being made of either
cold iron or silver.
ENCHANTMENT
Cursed weapons: Following the weapon’s first use in
Enchantment Chance of Chance of
d6 battle, the wielder comes under its curse and is unwilling
Type Special Power Oddity
to relinquish it or use any other weapon. Curses can only
1–2 Arcane 2-in-6 2-in-6
be removed by magic (e.g. Remove Curse, Hex Weaving).
3–4 Fairy 2-in-6 4-in-6
5–6 Holy 3-in-6 3-in-6
Types of Enchantment
Arcane: Constructed by mighty magicians. Engraved with
SPECIAL POWERS eldritch runes or constructed of unusual materials (e.g.
d12 Arcane Fairy Holy star-metal, iridescent crystal).
1 Accelerating † Accelerating † Chaos bane Fairy: Constructed by great fairy smiths or wrought from
2 Disintegrating * Elf friend † Defender *† wondrous materials originating in Fairy. Eerie or other-
3 Dragon bane Flaming † Eldritch bane worldly appearance (e.g. wreathed in shadow, rimed with
4 Flaming † Flying † Fairy bane frost).
5 Flying *† Frost-rimed † Holy radiance † Holy: Anointed in a sacred spring, blessed by a holy person,
6 Frost-rimed † Guileful † Light bringer † or formerly wielded by a saint. Decorated with Liturgic
7 Giant bane Law bane Marshall † script or holy symbols.
8 Growing *† Moon sight † Succouring †
9 Impact Mortal bane Undead bane
10 Vampiric Shrinking Venger *†
11 Vanishing † Vanishing † Were bane
12 Venger *† Wasting Wizard bane
*: Re-roll for missile weapons.
†: Re-roll for ammunition.

66
 Part Six | Secr ets of Dolmenwood

Special Powers Oddities

Accelerating: Once a day may be commanded to warp time Ageing: The wielder ages 1d6 years after each combat in
around the wielder, enabling them to make 1 additional which the weapon is used.
attack per Round for 1d4 Rounds. Aligned: Strongly enchanted with a particular Alignment.
Bane: Enchanted to vanquish creatures of a specific type. Creatures of opposite Alignment that touch the weapon
When used against creatures of the listed type, the weap- suffer 1d6 damage. (Neutral-aligned weapons harm both
on’s damage bonus increases to +4. (Eldritch bane: crea- Lawful and Chaotic creatures.) Following the weapon’s
tures created or summoned by magic. Giant bane: Large first use in battle, the wielder permanently changes to the
humanoids. Were bane: werewolves. Wizard bane: arcane same Alignment.
spell-casters.) Arrogant: When the weapon is used in battle, the wielder
Defender: Each Round of combat, the wielder may choose is compelled to seek out and attack the largest foe in melee.
to apply the weapon’s +2 bonus to AC instead of Attack. Bloodthirsty: Once drawn, the weapon cannot be
Disintegrating: Victims slain by the weapon are utterly discarded or sheathed without drawing blood.
annihilated, leaving no physical remains. Covetous: The wielder is horribly possessive of the weapon,
Elf friend: Grants the wielder the ability to understand loathe for others to touch or even behold it.
(but not speak) High Elfish.
Devoted: The wearer becomes obsessed with honouring
Flaming: Once a day may be commanded to burst into a specific saint (see DCB), questing for shrines, relics, and
flames for 1d6 Rounds, casting light in a 20′ radius and so on.
inflicting an additional 1d6 damage per hit.
Doomed (cursed): Incurs a –2 penalty to Attack and Damage
Flying: Once a day may be commanded to fly from the Rolls, instead of the normal +2 enchantment bonus.
wielder’s grasp and independently attack a foe up to
Hallowed: The wielder becomes obsessed with giving crea-
30′ distant (using the wielder’s Attack bonus). After 1d4
tures slain with the weapon a proper burial.
Rounds, the weapon returns to the wielder.
Lying: The wielder is unable to speak entirely truthfully.
Frost-rimed: Once a day may be commanded to produce
Their speech is veiled in lies and half truths.
an aura of cold for 1d6 Rounds, inflicting an additional 1d6
damage per hit. Mirthful: The wielder is prone to levity, laughter, and
whimsy, even in the face of grave circumstances.
Growing: Once a day may be commanded to double in
length for 1d6 Rounds, allowing the wielder to attack foes Possessed (cursed): When used in battle, the wielder must
up to 10′ distant. Save Versus Spell or come under the control of the venge-
Guileful: Once a day the wielder may cause their appear- ful fairy spirit that inhabits the weapon. The spirit forces
ance to become completely nondescript for 1 Turn. This the wielder into a battle frenzy for 1 Turn, wildly attacking
allows them to escape notice by any who seek them. the closest creature (be it friend or foe), until it is slain, then
moving onto attack the next nearest creature.
Holy radiance: Once a day may be commanded to manifest
glorious light in a 30′ radius for 1d4 Rounds. Undead within Questing (cursed): The wielder comes under a holy quest
the radiance must Save Versus Hold or be paralysed for the of the Referee’s choosing, conveyed via prophetic dreams.
duration of the light. Should the wielder refuse to undertake the quest, they
suffer a –2 penalty to Attack Rolls and Saving Throws.
Impact: In addition to suffering damage, victims must
Save Versus Hold or be flung 1d3 × 10′ back. Slumbering: The wielder suffers a –4 penalty to Saving
Throws versus sleep-inducing magic. Furthermore, each
Light bringer: Once a day may be commanded to conjure
time they sleep, there is a 1-in-6 chance of falling into an
silvery light in a 15′ radius for 1 hour.
enchanted slumber lasting 1d6 days, from which they
Marshall: Once a day may be raised aloft to counteract fear cannot be awoken.
in allies within 20′. Those afflicted with magical fear may
Treacherous (cursed): On a natural 1 Attack Roll, bends to
Save Versus Doom to regain their courage.
strike the wielder, inflicting normal damage.
Moon sight: Grants the wielder the ability to see in moon-
Truthful: The wielder is instilled with utter honesty. They
light as if at full noon.
are unable to lie or veil the truth.
Shrinking: May be commanded to shrink to miniature
size (2–3 inches) and to return to normal size. Unyielding: When in combat with undead or supernatural
creatures of Chaotic Alignment, the wielder is compelled
Succouring: Once a day may heal 1d6+1 Hit Points to a
to continue fighting until all such creatures within 60′ are
subject touched.
vanquished.
Vampiric: The wielder heals 1 Hit Point on each successful
hit with the weapon.
Vanishing: Once a day the wielder may disappear from
sight for 1d4 Rounds. The wielder gains +4 Attack against
foes that cannot detect invisible.
Venger: When the wielder is damaged in melee, they may
instantly make a return attack with the weapon.
Wasting: Causes the target to age 1d6 years per hit.

67
Part Seven
Monsters
Referees only—players turn back!

A
small sampling of the menagerie of weird fairies,
fungal monstrosities, sorcerers, magical constructs,
restless spirits, pests, and odd animals found in the
Dolmenwood Monster Book.
The gargoyle and goblin present Dolmenwood-specific takes
on classic creatures of folklore and fantasy. The root thing
and yickerwill provide a glimpse into the myriad brand new
monsters that lurk in the wild places of Dolmenwood.
 Part Seven | Monster s

Gargoyle
Grotesque, winged religious statues of roughly human stature (4-6′ tall), animated to guard
treasures or holy sites. Older gargoyles become crotchety and idiosyncratic as they tire of duty.

Medium Construct—Sentient—Any Alignment

Level 4 AC 14 HP 4d8 (18) Saves D8 R9 H10 B11 S12
Attacks 2 claws (+3, 1d3) and bite (+3, 1d6)
Speed 30 Fly 50 Morale 11 XP 130

Encounters 1d6 (always in lair)

Behaviour Cunning, single-minded
Speech Gravelly snapping. Woldish, Liturgic
Possessions None Hoard C3 + R3 + M3

Surprise: When a gargoyle stands motionless and stat-

ue-like, opposing side has a 4-in-6 chance of being
surprised.
Construct: Immune to biological effects (e.g. disease,
poison) and mind-affecting spells (e.g. Vapours of Dream,
Paralysation, Dominate).
Dark sight: Can see normally without light.
Immunities: Only harmed by magic or magic weapons.
Alignment: Gargoyles created to protect a holy site are
usually Lawful or Neutral and may parley with intruders.
Gargoyles are also occasionally created by happenstance,
when magic (e.g. fluctuating ley energy) animates a reli-
gious statue. Such individuals may be Chaotic, delighting
in dismembering any who approach them.
Appearance: Gargoyles are constructed in many forms,
often shaped like heraldic beasts, chimerae, or devils. See
the Body Shape and Head Shape tables.

BODY SHAPE TRAITS

1 Coiled serpent. 7 Long-limbed lion. 1 Covered in ivy.
2 Eagle. 8 Obese human. 2 Patched with moss and lichen.
3 Emaciated human. 9 Pudgy child. 3 Damaged: missing limb, nose, claw, etc.
4 Four-armed human. 10 Scaled, legless dragon. 4 Carved from elegant, veined marble.
5 Goat-hoofed human. 11 Spiky hound. 5 Decorates itself with necklaces and trinkets.
6 Lion with hawk talons. 12 Squat-limbed human. 6 Rolling eyes, lashing tongue, and slavering maw.

HEAD SHAPE LAIRS

1 Beady-eyed eagle. 7 Grinning cat. 1 The ruined remnants of a small chapel and scriptural
2 Beaked dragon. 8 Howling lunatic. library. Lawful gargoyles pore over the rotting tomes.
3 Bug-eyed dog. 9 Jolly friar. 2 A walled graveyard, long forgotten. Lawful gargoyles tend
4 Cackling devil. 10 Leaf-ringed Green Man. to the graves, bedecking them with woodland flowers.
5 Curly-maned unicorn. 11 Petulant cherub. 3 The ruined shell of a once great church, now overrun by
6 Goat horns and beard. 12 Ram-horned cyclops. nature. Neutral gargoyles—recently awakened—furi-
ously labour to free the place from lichen and creeper
4 Gold glitters amid the tumbled stones of a ruined shrine.
Chaotic gargoyles hide among the statuary, waiting to
ambush intruders.

70 Names: Typically named after a saint, see Pluritine Church faction, DCB.
 Part Seven | Monster s

Goblin
Blue-skinned fairy merchants and charlatans who ferry odd goods from Fairy to trade in
Dolmenwood. Have a deep love of material wealth (except silver), rivalling that of humans.

Small Fairy—Sentient—Any Alignment

Level 2 AC 12 HP 2d8 (9) Saves D12 R13 H14 B15 S16
Attacks Weapon (+1)
Speed 40 Morale 7 XP 35

Encounters 2d6 (no lairs in the mortal world)

Behaviour Sly, tricksy, craven, whimsical
Speech Animated banter. Woldish, Sylvan
Possessions Carried by group: 2d100gp + R1
+ fairy trade goods (DCB) Hoard None

Cold iron: As fairies, goblins suffer 1 extra point of damage

when hit with cold iron weapons.
Weapons: Goblins favour clubs (1d4), shortswords (1d6),
and staves (1d4).
Illusory goods: Goblins sometimes sell illusory goods that
evaporate into mist after 1 hour. Such ruses can be revealed
by Detect Magic and similar.
Theft (once per target): A goblin may attempt to magi-
cally purloin valuable items in a mortal’s possession. If
the victim fails a Save Versus Hold, the item is whisked
away into the goblin’s pack and replaced with an illusory
replica which has a 2-in-6 chance of evaporating into mist
each time it is touched. If the save succeeds, the victim
feels a momentary tug on the object (which remains in
their possession).
Code of hospitality: If a goblin is invited into a place by
way of handwritten invitation or swearing an oath of good
behaviour, they are bound by ancient rites of hospitality
and are unable to use their magical abilities while within TRAITS
the place. 1 Grinning, feline face with wiry whiskers.
Appearance: There are many kinds of goblins in Fairy, 2 Bristly, boar-like face with protruding tusks.
but by human standards they are uniformly ugly and 3 Wispy beard of thistledown. Speaks in rhyme.
ungainly. All are humanoid (21/2′–41/2′ tall), but they vary 4 Long, mouse-like nose, constantly twitching and sniffing.
widely in form. See the Body Shape table. 5 Pointed ears and nose. Mouth of wicked, needle fangs.
6 Goggle-eyed. Whisking cat’s tail.

BODY SHAPE ENCOUNTERS

1 Crawls on all fours. 7 Rotund. 1 Crowded around a golden haired maiden in a glade, prof-
2 Gangly. 8 Slight. fering syrupy Fairy Fruits (DCB) upon bronze platters. Her
3 Huge pot belly. 9 Small body, massive head. sister peeks out from behind a nearby boulder, fearful of
4 Hunched. 10 Spherical, stumpy limbs. approaching the fairies.
5 Lolling head. 11 Stocky frame, tiny head. 2 Arguing with 1d6 scrabies over the value of the sack of
Sclubber’s Twist (DCB—10 portions) the scrabies have for
6 Long-limbed. 12 Waifish.
sale. The goblins wish to trade it for a trio of dewy peaches
(Fairy Fruits—DCB).
3 Hastening away from an old woman whom they have
duped with illusory trinkets of fairy silver.
4 Prancing around a dell to jaunty pipe music, playfully
tossing a human baby into the air.

Names: 1. Bringle-Brangle, 2. Grimble-Grot, 3. Hither-Thither, 4. Idle-Down, 5. Moon-Mumble, 6. Scantalot. 71

 Part Seven | Monster s

Root Thing
Humanoid root vegetables (4′–10′ tall) that pull themselves up from the soil to hunt hapless
mortals. Root things are eyeless and hunt by scent, with a horrid, rasping sniffing.

Small-to-Large Plant—Animal Int.—Neutral

Level 3 AC 13 HP 3d8 (13) Saves D11 R12 H13 B14 S15
Attacks 2 claws (+2, 1d4 + entangle)
Speed 30 Morale 9 XP 65

Encounters 1d4 (no lair)

Behaviour Cunning, bestial, ruthless lust to feed
Speech None
Possessions None Hoard None

Entangle: If both claw attacks hit in the same Round, the

victim becomes entangled in the monster’s rooty grasp.
An entangled victim automatically suffers 1d4 damage per
Round and cannot attack. A Save Versus Hold is allowed,
once per Round, to escape.
Bury / unearth: Root things are able to bury and unearth
themselves completely in the space of 1d4 Rounds. An
entangled victim who is dragged beneath the earth suffo-
cates after a further 1d4 Rounds.
Root type: As many different kinds of root things exist as
kinds of root vegetables are cultivated by mortals. See Root
Type for some examples.
Digestion: Root things do not have a mouth, instead
consuming victims by dragging them beneath the earth, to
be digested over the following months, entwined in roots.
Accursed flesh: The flesh of a root thing is hearty and deli-
cious (treat as 2d6 fresh rations per slain root thing), but
inspires murder. Any who consume the flesh must Save
Versus Doom or be compelled to attack the next person TRAITS
they encounter. 1 Long, grasping fingers.
2 Eye-like whorls on body. (Maybe they really are eyes?)
3 Mass of floppy foliage.
4 Gaping, mouth-like orifice which moans and belches.
5 Covered in grotesque nodules and limp, stunted arms.
6 Long, pointy nose.

ENCOUNTERS ROOT TYPE

1 Being set upon by 1d4 woodsmen (Level 1 hunters), bludg- 1 Beetroot. Bulbous, squat, deep maroon hue. (Medium)
eoning the root thing with the shovels they have just used 2 Burdock. 10′ tall, spindly, bleeds sticky, white sap. (Large)
to unearth it. 3 Carrot. Bright orange, bifurcated limbs. (Medium)
2 Burrowing into the earth, dragging a screaming child. 4 Potato. A cluster of nodules. (Medium)
3 Sniffing around the camp-site of a reclining friar. 5 Radish. Cute button-body, cheery red hue. (Small)
4 Hanging from a tree branch, trapped in a cage woven 6 Turnip. 8′ diameter, rotund and massive. (Large)
from thick, thorny bramble-wood. The root thing has
been here for some time and has fallen into a semi-con-
scious state, wherein shoots and strange nodules have
begun to grow from its head. The person who has trapped
it may be nearby.

72
 Part Seven | Monster s

Yickerwill
Flying demi-fey monsters, 6′ tall, with legs like bendy caterpillars, goggling moth-like faces,
feathered bellies, and icy, fluttering wings. Murder sentients to consume their clothing.

Medium Demi-Fey—Semi-Intelligent—Neutral
Level 4 AC 13 HP 4d8 (18) Saves D10 R11 H12 B13
S14
Attacks 2 claws (+3, 1d6) or breath (frost)
Speed 20 Fly 60 Morale 7 XP 180

Encounters 1d6 (day 90% in lair, night 10% in lair)

Behaviour Flighty, greedy, mercurial
Speech Chittering whispers. Snatches of Sylvan
Possessions None Hoard C4 + R4 + M1

Cold iron: As demi-fey, yickerwills suffer 1 extra point of

damage when hit with cold iron weapons.
Absorb magical light: With a click of its fingers, a yicker-
will can absorb light spells (e.g. Firelight, Holy Light) within
30′, permanently cancelling the magic. The fairy heals 1d4
Hit Points per Rank of the spell absorbed.
Frosty breath (thrice a day): A yickerwill can exhale a
whirling blast of frost, filling a cone 30′ long and 20′ wide
at the end. All within the cone must Save Versus Blast or
suffer 2d6 damage. All flames within the cone are extin-
guished.
Flammable: Suffer double damage from fire.
Antennae: Detect invisibility and magic without fail.
Nocturnal: –1 penalty to Attack Rolls and Saving Throws
in the daytime.
Killed victims: Yickerwills make fast work of devouring
victims’ clothing, and sometimes (2-in-6) lay eggs in the TRAITS
corpse. Such corpses are devoured by larvae in 2 weeks. 1 Wings and body emit a smouldering smoke.
Origin: Yickerwills are the devolved descendants of the 2 Long, spiralling tongue folds in and out.
Cold Prince’s moth-faced wardrobe guards, a small number 3 Rows of tiny, insectoid legs along chest.
of whom lingered in Dolmenwood following his banish- 4 Eye patterns on wings.
ment into Fairy. 5 Ruff of iridescent, peacock-like feathers.
6 Icicles hanging from wings.

ENCOUNTERS LAIRS
1 Gleefully feasting on the goods of a clothes merchant, 1 A steep, rocky gully lined with silk cocoons in which the
pulling great armfuls of garments from his caravan. The yickerwills slumber.
merchant and 3 guards lie slaughtered nearby. 2 A storm-wracked elm festooned with cast iron lanterns
2 Attacking a hive of killer bees in the treetops, wishing to formed like leering visages. While the yickerwills dream
steal their honey. among the branches, eerie fires flicker on an off in the
3 Being attacked by a desperate company of 4d6 nutcaps, lanterns.
attempting to drive the yickerwills away from their 3 A network of grottoes formed where a stream trickles
colony in the treetops nearby. The nutcaps will reward underground. The yickerwills slumber atop mounds of
any who aid them with 3 small garnets (100gp each). crushed bone in their larder cave, draped with pristine
4 Creeping up on a group of 2d6 villagers bathing tipsily sheets of silk and linen.
in a bubbling brook. The yickerwills have eyes for the 4 The ruins of an old manor house, its windows smashed
humans’ clothing, strewn on rocks nearby. and its interior overgrown with brambles. The yicker-
wills roost in ancient, decrepit wardrobes in the manor’s
former bedchambers.

73
 A dv en t ur e a nd Per il in Fa iry ta le Wo od s

D W
olmenwood is a fantasy adventure game set in e’re launching the 3 Dolmenwood core books,
a lavishly detailed world inspired by the fairy plus a range of extras. The Dolmenwood Play-
tales and eerie folklore of the British Isles. Like er’s Book contains the complete game rules
traditional fairy tales, Dolmenwood blends the dark and plus all character options. The Dolmenwood Campaign
whimsical, the wondrous and weird. Book and Dolmenwood Monster Book present a detailed
Players journey through tangled woods and mossy bowers, campaign setting and bestiary, ready for years of play.
forage for magical mushrooms and herbs, discover rune- In addition to the core books, we will be publishing a range
carved standing stones and hidden fairy roads, venture of extras, including:
into fungal grottoes and forsaken ruins, haggle with goblin ▶ Four adventures set in Dolmenwood: The Fungus That
merchants, and drink tea with fairies. Came to Blackeswell, The Ruined Abbey of St Clewyd, Emel-
Streamlined rules and helpful introductory materi- da’s Song, Winter’s Daughter.
als guide novice players, while unique new magic and ▶ A set of 11 resin player character miniatures, including
monsters bring a fresh sense of the unknown to veteran the unique new Dolmenwood kindreds and classes.
role-players. ▶ A Dolmenwood referee’s screen, featuring beautiful
4-panel art by Pauliina Hannuniemi.
▶ Cloth and poster maps of Dolmenwood, including a
referee’s map and a player-friendly map.
▶ More extras to be announced during the Kickstarter.

Back the Kickstarter!

kickstarter.com/projects/exaltedfuneral/dolmenwood-tabletop-rpg

Dolmenwood Player’s Book Dolmenwood Campaign Book Dolmenwood Monster Book

192 pages approx. 464 pages approx. 128 pages approx.

dolmenwood.com