D&D 3E/3.5 [Kulan] The Lands of Harqual (Updated: Feb 3/2022)


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Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
I recently began the process of re-revising my Lands of Harqual overview map in Hexographer. I wasn't 100% happy with how it looked as I tried to create child maps from it, so I delved back into the map in the program and went nuts. I had only put icons of the most important cities and castles on the overview becuase I was concerned that the program wouldn't be able to handle me adding hundreds of icons. Well, there was one day I was sure it was going to crap out on me, yet I manged to get it to work. After that one day, it worked better. (I don't know why.) It is now done as best I can (fingers crossed), and I'm restarting the process of making child maps from it.

Since the main map is at 60 miles per hex, I wanted to see if I could "easily" trace an underlay map at 24 miles per hex. It was way easier that I thought it would be... of course, it helps that 60 divided by 24 is 2.5. That made it a simple thing to expand the underlay to 250% in Hexographer. (I use the free version.). The attached map (no icon names added yet) was my first test case. It shows the main pirate island that acts as sort of dividing line between the northern Sea of the Sun and the southern Karmine Sea. It is known as Blackhound Island and this is the first time I've ever mapped the island (plus its neighbors) out completely.

To say that Blackhound is infamous in the waters surrounding the Lands of Harqual is an understatement. Even though it is somewhat developed, there is little law on the island except the Pirate Code. It's "fight with your shipmates, but if it goes against you, cut line and haul anchor. If someone gets left behind, that's their problem." It makes Blackhound and its only real city, Thunderport, a dangerous place to live and love. It's important to note that Thunderport doesn't rule over the rest of the island (although sometimes they think they do). It is simply the strongest pirate enclave. There are four main enclaves and the "so-called" rulers of these aligned communities change yearly (sometimes monthly).

Note the areas of dead forest. There are dangerous things on the island that no one dares try to control or lord over. The worse of the these is the undead green dragon of the large southern deadwood. The island was named for him and the pirates of the island know better than to risk Blackhound's Wrath. Blackhound is said to have a nose for treasure and often demands tribute from Thunderport or one of the other communities, if he feels they need to be taken down a "peg" or two. Arr!

Blackhound Island
Blackhound Island.jpg
 
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Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
Hmm, it seems this old thread ended up in the Pathfinder & Starfinder forum. It would be great if I could get it moved to the D&D Forum.
 

Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
Harqualian centaurs live in the forests and plains of the Northlands (north beyond both the Great Forest and the Greystone Mountains) and are steadfast allies of the humans known as Northlanders living in Harqual’s arctic lands. For as long as those peoples have lived on Harqual there have been Harqualian centaurs living alongside them, or at least that’s what both the Northlanders and the centaurs say when asked about their shared heritage.

All Harqualian centaurs have thicker hair than centaurs of other lands (and worlds) and the human torso part of their body is covered with hair front and back. Males often have thick beards, which are usually kept braided and their long manes are always tied up in a ponytail. Females do not have facial hair and their manes are left loose to blow in the frigid winds of the Northlands.

Centaurs speak their own racial language and the Northlandic tongue.

 

Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
@Tellerian Hawke, here the map you asked for of The Northlands and the Ragik Peninsula. This has turned into a bit of a project for me, so expect to see an updated version with more details soon. I'll be adding all the names for the icons and maybe some more place names.

The most important thing for you to note is that the Ragik Peninsula encompasses everything up to and including the area around Lake Ragik while The Northlands is everything north and west of of the Greystone Mountains. The Kingdom of Ahamudia is the region south of the Rilous Mountains on the Ragik Peninsula. If you're wondering where the Strandlands are in comparison to this map, it is south of this map and along Harqual's eastern coast.

While the hexes are currently set as 60 miles each, I have to doublecheck my math. If it needs to be changed, it won't be by much.
 

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Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
TABAXI
Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Feline)
Hit Dice:
2d8+6 (15 hp)
Initiative: +7 (Dex, Improved Initiative)
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft.
AC: 14 (+3 Dex, +1 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+4
Attack: Claw +4 melee (1d6+2) or flail +4 melee (1d8+2) or javelin +5 ranged (1d6+2)
Full Attack: 2 claws +4 melee (1d6+2) and bite +2 melee (1d8+1) or flail +4 melee (1d8+2) or javelin +5 ranged (1d6+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Pounce, improved grab
Special Qualities: Tabaxi traits, darkvision 60 ft., scent, intolerance
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +5
Abilities: Str 15 (+2), Dex 17 (+3), Con 17 (+3), Int 11 (+0), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 10 (+0)
Skills: Balance +8, Hide +9*, Listen +5, Move Silently +9, Spot +3, Swim +4
Feats: Improved Initiative (B), Multiattack

Continent/Region: Harqual/Storm Peninsula
Environment: Temperate forests, marshes, hills, and mountains
Organization: Solitary, pair, patrol (5–20), or tribe (30–300 plus 50% noncombatants plus one 1st-level sergeant per 20 adults, three 3rd-level clerics, five 5th-level lieutenants, one 7th-level noble tabaxi war-chief and one 9th-level noble tabaxi high-priest)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Often lawful evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +4

Tabaxi are a race of tiger-like humanoids who have just recently reappeared on Harqual after 1,001 years of banishment.

Tabaxi have the same color patterns as tigers although minor variations are possible (i.e. spots vs. stripes). Tabaxi have dexterous, clawed hands, sharp yellow teeth, and cat’s eyes that are typically yellow or green. They stand roughly 6 feet in height and weigh as much as humans.

Tabaxi dress in savage looking clothing and tabaxi warriors often wear ornamental headdresses made out of animal heads, fur and feathers. Tabaxi clerics usually wear very little instead covering their bodies in ritual tattoos and scars. Many of these markings are divine in nature and often give armor, strength or magical boons to the cleric for his devotion.

Tabaxi speak their own racial language and can speak Harqualian but rarely do so.

Combat
Tabaxi give no quarter to their opponents, nor do they expect any in return. Anger and resentment towards the North Gods drives them to attack those they perceive as their enemies without hesitation.

Pounce (Ex): If a tabaxi leaps upon a foe during the first round of combat, it can make a full attack even if it has already taken a move action.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a tabaxi must hit with a claw or bite attack.

Intolerance: While most tabaxi aren't truly racist, tabaxi society teaches tabaxi to have an over-inflated view of their race and look down upon other races. Tabaxi have a -3 penalty to all Charisma-based checks when dealing with other races, regardless of the situation. Tabaxi cannot buy off this disadvantage completely, but they may reduce it to -1 by spending 4 skill points any time after gaining 5 character levels. (Tabaxi raised outside of their culture do not have this trait.)

Scent (Ex): A tabaxi can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Range is 30 ft. If upwind, the range increases to 60 ft.; if downwind, it drops to 15 ft.

Tabaxi Society
Of all the races of Harqual, only the human barbarians of the Northlands, the rakasta of the Far South, and the tabaxi were originally native to the continent. In ancient times, the tabaxi's tried to dominate the rakasta and paid for their aggressive nature when they and their god were banished from Harqual by the All-Mother, Mirella.

This was done at the request of the barbarian god Cronn that this occurred and Tu, the Lord of the Tabaxi, didn't take his banishment well. Unable to take his vengeance out upon the Lord of the North he turned on his people – inflicting awful suffering on them. Only when another tabaxi, Sa the Tolerant, ascended to divine status during the banishment did Tu realize he would lose everything unless he learned to care for his people the way the barbarian gods did their people. And while Tu remained evil he learned patience and even learned to share his people with Sa. However, the two gods don't like each other and really only tolerate each other for the good of the tabaxi.

Thus, it is hard for other races to truly understand what the tabaxi have gone through and why they are the way they are. Tabaxi are vicious and warlike showing no mercy to those they consider their enemies, and yet they protect each other, never betraying one another unless the survival of the whole is at stake. Very few of the tabaxi take the teaching of Sa to heart, as most have learned to tolerate Tu's dark, evil ways. After all it was him who gave them sentience.

Since the Return, the faithful of Tu have been on the offensive taking the fight to the southern kingdoms of the North. They have yet to attack across the Great Expanse into the South but it is only a matter of time before they also seek vengeance on the rakasta.

Where the tabaxi were banished to remains a mystery. The tabaxi won't talk about it and the faithful of Mirella don't even know where the goddess sent the cat people.
 
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Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
The Tabaxi as Characters
Tabaxi favor the cleric class. Tabaxi clerics of Tu can choose any two of the following domains: Evil, Feline, Retribution, Strength, and War. Tabaxi clerics of Sa can choose any two of the following domains: Community, Knowledge, Law, and Protection.

Tabaxi Traits
Tabaxi benefit from a number of racial traits:
• +2 to Strength, +4 to Dexterity, +2 to Constitution, +2 to Wisdom. Tabaxi are muscular, swift, and have excellent endurance. Their devotion to their savage gods gives them a strong sense of spirit, as well.
• Medium-size. As Medium-size creatures, tabaxi have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Monstrous Humanoid: Tabaxi are monstrous humanoids, and are therefore immune to spells that only affect humanoids, such as charm person.
• A tabaxi’s base land speed is 30 ft. Tabaxi can also climb at a speed of 20 feet.
• Tabaxi have darkvision out to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and tabaxi can function just fine with no light at all.
• Racial Hit Dice: A tabaxi begins with two levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +3.
• Racial Skills: A tabaxi's monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 5 x (2 + Int Modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Balance, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Swim. Tabaxi receive a +4 racial bonus to Balance, Hide, and Move Silently checks. *In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus improves to +8.
• Racial Feats: A tabaxi's monstrous humanoid levels give it one feat. A tabaxi receives Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.
• +1 natural bonus to armor class.
• Natural Attacks: Tabaxi may attack with two claws (1d6) and bite (1d8) and are always treated as being armed when using their natural attacks.
• Special Attacks (see above): Pounce, improved grab.
• Special Qualities (see above): Scent, intolerance.
• Automatic Languages: Harqualian and Tabaxi. Bonus Languages: Elven, Giant, Gnome, Halfling, Kitt, Orc, and Sylvan.
• Favored Class: Cleric. A multiclass tabaxi's cleric class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
 
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Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
I'm in the middle of revising some of the racial origins for the Lands of Harqual. Right now I'm mainly working on demographic details for the various peoples brought to Kulan from Maran during the magical event known as The Transformation. That work is being posted on The Piazza, but I figured I should delve into the native Harqual racial origins as well. I'm figuring out a new "short" format for these origin in contrast to the long format I've been doing for the dwarves and elves, so far. I'm starting with the goblinfolk of Harqual. I prefer not to use the term goblinoid any more.


KRUG MISCREANT (CR 1)
Male Krug Rogue 1
CN Small Humanoid (Goblinfolk, Harqualian)
Init +3; Senses Darkvision (60 ft.), Listen +4, Spot +4
Languages Goblin, Harqualian
AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 13, Dodge
hp 7 (1HD)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +1
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Ranged small hand crossbow +4 (1d3/19-20)
Melee small short sword +2 (1d4+1/19-20)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +0; Grp -3
Special Actions Sneak Attack +1d6
______________________________________________________________________________________
Abilities Str 12 (+1), Dex 17 (+3), Con 13 (+1), Int 10 (+0), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 8 (-1)
Special Qualities Darkvision, Trapfinding
Feats Dodge
Skills Balance +3, Bluff -1, Climb +3, Concentration +1, Craft (trapmaking) +4, Disable Device +4, Disguise -1, Escape Artist +4, Gather Information -1, Heal +1, Hide +11, Intimidate -1, Jump +3, Listen +4, Move Silently +9, Open Lock +7, Ride +5, Sense Motive +1, Spot +4, Survival +1, Swim +2, Use Rope +3
Gear short sword (small); leather armour (small); traveller’s outfit (small); hand crossbow (small); quiver w/20 bolts (small)
______________________________________________________________________________________
Darkvision (Ex) Darkvision is the extraordinary ability to see with no light source at all. Darkvision is black and white only (colours cannot be discerned). It does not allow a krug miscreant to see anything that they could not see otherwise — invisible objects are still invisible, and illusions are still visible as what they seem to be. Likewise, darkvision subjects a miscreant to gaze attacks normally. The presence of light does not spoil darkvision.
Skills A krug miscreant has a +2 racial bonus on Move Silently and Ride checks.
Sneak Attack (Ex) A krug miscreant’s attacks deals extra damage any time their target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when a miscreant flanks their target. Should a miscreant score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.
Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.
With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, a krug miscreant can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. A miscreant cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual -4 penalty.
A krug miscreant can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies — undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. A miscreant must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A miscreant cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.
Trapfinding (Ex) As a rogue, a krug miscreant can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a non-magical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.
A krug miscreant can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.
A krug miscreant who beats a trap's DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with their party) without disarming it.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Environment Temperate and warm plains or marsh
Organization Gang (2–6), band (5–50 plus 50% noncombatants plus one 2nd-level sergeant per 25 adults and one leader of 3rd–5th level), warband (5–12 with worg mounts and one goblin orc leader of 4th–6th level), or tribe (20–200 plus 50% noncombatants plus one 2nd-level sergeant per 25 adults, one lieutenant of 3rd or 4th level, one leader of 5th–7th level, 5–12 dire wolves, and 1 or 2 bearhounds)
Treasure Standard
Suggested Alignment Often chaotic neutral
Advancement By character class

The rarest of the goblinfolk are the small humanoids known as krugs. They are considered very rare as a species in the Lands of Harqual, as they have trouble competing with gnolls, orcs, and bugbears. Krugs are sometimes referred to as ‘goblins’ by humans, but it is a name they hate. Krugs tend to be taller and more lithe than goblins found elsewhere on Kulan (mainly on Kanpur). Krugs typically stand 3-½ to 4 feet in height and weigh 45 to 50 pounds.

Krugs typically have eye colours that range from red to yellow, but black and violet eyes are considered uncommon. Krugs tend to have unusual skin tones that range from burnt orange to deep crimson red, but they can also have skin that is mottled with browns, greens, and yellows. Krugs with any sort of hair tend to have dark green or black body hair and only krug females have hair on their heads. Males and females can grow facial hair but rarely do so when living in warm environments.

Krugs who wear clothing (and not all do) tend to wear tanned leathers and clothing that allows them to blend in with their home environments.

Krug Miscreants
Krugs prefer not to get into fights with other peoples, if it can be avoided. There are so few of them left in the world, so they prefer to keep to themselves and try to survive on the fringes of the societies of other peoples or in their isolated tribes or villages. However, when pressed to defend themselves, it is the krug miscreants who take the lead in any fight. They prefer to use guerrilla tactics against larger foes, but will fight toe-to-toe against enemies of the same size as them (typically kobolds or rockwood gnomes).

When not fighting to protect their people from incursions into their limited territories, krug miscreants tend to spend their time sneaking through the streets of (primarily) human communities taking whatever they can to help their people survive.

Organization and Society
Krugs aren’t cowardly, but they are cautious. Centuries of warfare and strife in the Lands of Harqual has been extremely hard on their people. They have been bullied by large races for centuries with goblin orcs, Gorgoth bugbears, and humanity being the worst offenders. For generations, many krugs languished as slaves as part of the Empire of Swords. Even now, the Ragik Peninsula is a dangerous place for them. In other places in the northern lands, they are often belittled or run out of communities due to this past connection. They are more accepted in the southern lands of Harqual, but they are considerably rarer in those lands.

When left on their own, krugs tend to keep to themselves and try not to interact with larger peoples (when possible). They do have a wild streak, however, so they sometimes get into trouble with their neighbours over the concept of property. Krugs are high communal, and they tend to share everything equally (unless bullied into behaving differently), so they find other peoples’ rules about property and theft to be strange. If a human farmer has cows, pigs, or other animals, he should share them with his neighbours when times are tough. (And for krugs, times are almost always tough.) Krugs don’t see stealing as crime, which really irritates dwarves and humans.

Krugs primarily organize themselves into tribes (or sometimes villages) of around 30 to 300 individuals with around 10 to 100 of those being noncombatants. Their leaders tend to be high-level miscreants, but krug adepts or warriors aren’t uncommon as leaders. True krug clerics or fighters are quite rare, and they to lead krugs down a dark path, especially clerics devoted to Vriokviel. Krugs will organize into gangs of thieves, roving bands of hunters, or even warbands that are usually led by a goblin orc who has taken over leadership of the krugs. Such warbands are considered very dangerous not only by other peoples but also by other krugs.

Krugs have a fondness for wolves and other wolf-like animals. They often keep dire wolves as pets or to use as mounts and they will sometimes have a few bearhounds that their leaders ride. They prefer not to have worgs around but do respect and fear their strength. Krug warbands under the command of a goblin orc or bugbear will always ride worgs, however.

Krug females are rarely encountered outside of their tribes or communities. This has more to do with protecting the future of their people than any restriction on gender. There are so few of them left on Harqual that their leaders teach their young females to try to remain hidden from the world, as much as possible. Krug leaders fear that human slavers from the Old Sword Lands will find and take away their women to be used in breeding programs to create savage krugs loyal only to the rulers of those lands. (The Empire of Swords did this in the past, so the fear is real.) Krug leaders can be both male or female with females being slightly more common. Such matriarchs tend to be adepts or shamans. A female krug druid is highly prized as a leader by any krug tribe.

Krug Traits
  • +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength. While krugs are quick on their feet, they sacrifice muscle mass for agility.
  • Krug are considered humanoids with the Goblinfolk and Harqualian subtypes.
  • Small. Krugs have a +1 bonus to AC, +1 bonus on attack rolls, and +4 bonus on Hide checks. However, krugs have a -4 penalty on grapple checks, and their lifting and carrying limits are ¾ of those of Medium characters.
  • A krug’s base land speed is 30 feet.
  • Darkvision out to 60 feet.
  • +2 racial bonus on Move Silently checks and Ride checks.
  • Campaign Restriction: The odds of a krug PC is 10% (a roll of a 1 to 2 on a d20).
  • Automatic Languages: Goblin. Bonus Languages: Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Halfling, Harqualian (or Suar), Orc, or Tabaxi.
  • Favoured Class: Rogue.
  • Level Adjustment: +0.
 
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