A hexcrawl adventure for The Black Hack 2e.
Something strange seems to have happened to the Silkfall River and it’s waters are imbued with unusual magic properties. Anyone who bathes in or drinks from the river are subject to incredible magical effects – some granted super human abilities and others cursed with debilitating diseases.
Starter hooks:
- The Wizard, Uma Trowtax has sent the party to collect water from the river’s source having heard rumours of its properties. She wishes to study the water.
- Noted artifact collector, Iye Softmaw has sent the party to scavenge Oddities from the Silksands in the hope of something valuable to add to an upcoming auction. It’s only when one of the party takes a drink from the river water that they realise it’s magical effects. Start the adventure by rolling on the River water table.
- The party have come to the Silksands after hearing a rumour of the effects from a Frogfolk named Hav’tuy.
- The party arrives on the Silksands after travelling by sea. Aeve immediately rushes over to them asking for their help as their friend is under the effects of the water.
- The peaceful village of Inge on the edge of the Silkfall Forest has called for assistance as they rely on the river for not only their drinking water, but for fishing and trade as well. The village elders ask the party to travel upstream to discover and hopefully alleviate whatever is causing these strange effects.
1. The Silksands
A vast expanse of sandy beach and dunes. The river estuary winds it’s way among them and evidence of strange things lie on the shore. Fish which have grown limbs and died while walking onto the sand, plant life which has grown exponentially, driftwood which glistens as though made of gold.
| D6 | Beach encounters |
|---|---|
| 1 | Salt-gater attempts to make lunch from the party. |
| 2 | An oddity lies in the sand. |
| 3 | A sandstorm whips up and engulfs the party. |
| 4 | The rotten Hull of a shipwreck, haunted by an old spirit. |
| 5 | A Frogfolk who is under the spell of a magical oddity and pacing in circles on the beach occasionally leaping into the air and catching flies with their tongue. |
| 6 | A burned out fire pit. A full cooking pot contains a now cold and congealed stew. Various belongings are scattered around, looks like whoever sat here left in a hurry. |
2. Inge
A small fishing village on the edge of the forest.
Timber houses on stilts centred around a communal pagoda filled with bench seats and a fire pit.
Population of around 100 people.
Simple trade, no militia, governed by a group of elders.
Notable NPCs:
Other villagers: Ben, Elias, Finn, Julia, Lena, Lukas, Noah
3. The River Trail and surrounding forest
A dirt trail winds through the forest, following the river, through its gullies and ravines. Occasionally crossing the river to reach surer ground via simple timber bridges.
Birds chirping, river burbling over rocks and into side pools. Ground damp and mossy in places. Areas away from the path are thick with ferns and brambles. Smells of wild garlic and spring flowers.
| D6 | Trail encounters |
|---|---|
| 1 | A Frogfolk travelling between the beach and their village, carrying oddities they’ve found on the shore. Unlikely to be hostile unless the party tries to take their new treasures. |
| 2 | An Owl which has been affected by the river water and wishes to speak with the party. |
| 3 | Vines of a plant whose roots drape into the river reach out and grapple the party. |
| 4 | A Water Elemental climbs out of the river ahead of the party. |
| 5 | A stag sprints across the path, chased by a Dire Wolf. |
| 6 | A ruined hut just off the path. Successful INT or WIS check to investigate finds a beautiful mosaic floor beneath the covering of dry leaves. |
| D6 | Forest encounters |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1d4+2 Frogfolk Warriors patrol the forest. |
| 2 | Bevyn, a villager from Inge who has gone mad and wandered off into the forest after drinking the river water and their friend, Kemey, who is trying to get them to come home. |
| 3 | A character brushes against a plant which causes an allergic reaction. CON check or be poisoned till a cure is found. |
| 4 | Lesley the Druid crouches at an old stone circle, examining dark stains on the stones. |
| 5 | A Mossy Mound writhes around in a small gully, making occasional creaking groans. Will attack if approached and otherwise continues with whatever it’s doing. |
| 6 | A Treant up-roots itself as the party walk past it. |
4. The Midnight Clearing
A long house of timber, mud and thatch within a forest clearing alongside the huge, hollowed out trunk of a dead tree.
A breakaway stream leads from the river to here, ending at the base of the tree. Droplets float upwards from the stream to join a hovering circle of water which undulates around the tree.
During the full moon, druids from all over the land travel here to carry out rituals or do whatever it is druids do.
Permanently inhabited by Jerup Nidling, head Druid of imbibition.
Spending the night in the clearing restores health and energy and grants a D4 to be added to an ability check during the following day.
Notable NPC:
5. Temple of River’s Rise
At the pool which marks the river’s source is a hulking ancient stone temple, set into the hillside. A torrent of water cascades down its stone steps into the pool at the base, as though a second source of the river lies within the temple.
The inside of the temple is a single room, unadorned except for an altar of blackened stone in the centre. Water bubbles up from the floor, forming a puddle in front of the altar. From here, little streams of water flow in all directions, defying gravity – up the walls; along the ceiling; converging on the entrance way to form the river which flows down the steps.
Characters who stand in the puddle beside the altar will be engulfed by a jet of water and transported to Osuad’s Prison beneath the temple.
Osuad’s Prison
A small cave which serves as a prison to Osuad, a water genie who has been summoned and trapped here after a ritual by the nearby tribe of Frogfolk.
A narrow and winding passageway leads from the cave to an entrance in the hillside. It’s nearly impossible to see the entrance from outside.
Water Genie – HD 12
Tidal Wave – DEX (3 Nearby) 10 dmg
- Shape water – The water genie can control water, manipulate its flow, increase or diminish its volume and confer magical effects onto it.
- Spellcaster! – As an action, cast any spell. All spells have Ud4.
6. Frogfolk village
A tribe of Frogfolk live in relative seclusion deep in the forest, not far from the Temple of Rivers Rise. For the most part, a peaceful clan of self-sufficient frog families who only really travel out of the village to fish on the beach. Have an amicable agreement of ‘live and let live’ with the people of Inge.
Members of the tribe’s priesthood regularly travel to the Temple to make sacrifices to their gods and further afield to meet with priests from other tribes. In their trips away from the village, they have learned more of the outside world and have grown greedy.
Notable NPC:
Bol’Bau never travels anywhere without at least 2 Frogfolk Champions. Will never enter into a fight himself.
Other Frogfolk: Cin’caa, Dil’jay, Ele’ems, Gae’rye, Gur’sac, Pam’nar, Wes’lor
Random Tables:
| 2d6 | River Water Effects – Roll whenever a character drinks river water. |
|---|---|
| 2 | The water multiplies in volume once drunk, drowning the drinker in around 3 minutes unless stopped. |
| 3 | A thick and oily liquid flows out over the top of your shoes and makes the ground around you slippery to walk on. You must make a DEX check to avoid falling over every time you move for Ud6 hours. This effect only affects other creatures which enter your space as the puddle dries as soon as you move away from a space. |
| 4 | Water form – become entirely made of water for Ud6 hours. Minus 1d4 to DEX checks, penalty to STR and CON checks. (+2 Bonus) |
| 5 | Float upwards unless tethered until the next dawn. |
| 6 | Painful and ugly boils appear all over your body. Plus 1d4 to Charisma checks until you can find a cure. (-2 Penalty) |
| 7 | The water is sweet, tasty and nourishing, you do not require food for 1 day. |
| 8 | Fighting Fit – Minus 1d4 to all STR checks for Ud6 hours. (+2 Bonus) |
| 9 | Heightened senses – minus 1d4 to all WIS checks for Ud6 hours. (+2 Bonus) |
| 10 | Double in size for Ud4 hours. |
| 11 | Heals all wounds, illnesses, curses and other negative physical effects. Restores HP to maximum. |
| 12 | Liquid Courage – Gain d6 HP at the start of each turn for Ud6 minutes. |
| 13+ | Can teleport to the elemental plane of water or back again as an action for Ud4 hours. |
| D12 | Beach Oddities |
|---|---|
| 1 | A vase containing flowers which never die. |
| 2 | A fine wooden bagatelle board complete with 6 ball bearings. The owner will never score less than maximum points. |
| 3 | Wooden toy soldiers which reposition themselves when no one is looking. |
| 4 | A ragged painted canvas without its frame. It depicts a scene which changes with the time of day, or current weather. |
| 5 | An empty book, when wet the pages reveal what is written on them. |
| 6 | A handheld mirror which reflects not the present, but the past. |
| 7 | A four foot long hunting horn. Blowing the horn summons nearby birds. |
| 8 | A map of an island covered in indecipherable names. If translated, it givens the location of an ancient treasure. |
| 9 | A bent and rusted umbrella which has completely lost it’s canopy but shields the user from the rain nonetheless. |
| 10 | A small perfume bottle containing unknown liquid. |
| 11 | An old lute embossed with a mother of pearl butterfly. Playing the correct tune will cause the butterfly to fly away. |
| 12 | A very battered wand of control water. |
Monsters:
Frogfolk Champion – HD6
Spear – STR/ DEX (1 Close or Nearby) 6 dmg
- Tougher skin. Frogfolk champions have AV2.
- Giant Leap! Once per fight a stilt walker can Move to a Distant place.
Frogfolk Warrior – HD2
Pike – STR (1 Close) 2 dmg
- Venom. When hit by an attack, succeed a CON Test or take Ongoing Damage.
Mossy Mound – HD 5
Tendrils – STR (1 Close) 8 dmg
- Engulf! Creatures hit are Stuck and Blind until they succeed a STR Test as an Action.
Semi-intelligent plant life which travels through forests devouring anything in it’s path. Lashes out at targets with it’s vine like arms, grappling and dragging them into it’s vegetous body.
Salt-gater – HD 3
Snap – STR (1 Close) 6 dmg
- Reptillian hide. Takes half damage from all but critical hits.
Treant – HD 7
Branch Slam – STR (1 Nearby) 8 dmg
- Regrowth. Each turn, the Treant regains 2d6 HP.
Design by HarryTheGM
Artwork by @ThomasANovosel
Harry The GM 