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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 9456003" data-attributes="member: 6750502">Environments, Part 1The remainder of WSDWYCBF is dedicated to covering twelve general terrain types. Eight of them conveniently map up to favored terrain for the Ranger, with the other four covering Urban, Ocean, Deep Ocean (the lightless depths of the sea), and the Hells which represents Lawful Evil lower planes and not fiendish realms in general. Each terrain follows a formula in covering common geography, dangers, and seasons whose weather can alter Fishing Table Rolls and Fishing Checks for the very worst kinds of weather,* as well as a Weather Table to determine the current climate, Fishing Tables based on where the angler is fishing such as in a pond or stream, and Local Anglers, Shops, and Quest Hooks (and rewards!) for populating the terrain with interesting characters and locations. One thing I’d also like to note is that in regards to NPCs, there’s a higher than usual number of non-binary characters. It mostly comes across via listed pronouns as opposed to backstory and subplot stuff.*In the event that players are crazy enough to fish in the middle of a tornado or blizzard.One thing I take a little issue with is that the terrain types listed hew closely to specific Tiers or level ranges. Plains, Forest, and Urban are all within Tier 1 (level 1 to 4), and Coast, Mountains, and Wetlands are within Tier 2 (5 to 10). Arctic, Desert, Underground, and Ocean are well above most published adventures and campaigns at Tier 3 (11 to 16), with Deep Ocean and Hells at Tier 4 (level 17+). While I understand that the Epic Tier environments are the kinds of places most low-level adventurers aren’t going to be visiting in most campaigns, the level ranges (and thus average Catch DC of local fish) means that the book as it stands may not line up well for adventures in said environments that fall outside these ranges. Starting your campaign in an Arabian Nights-style desert realm with port cities as the major population centers? Well your Tier 1 PCs are going to have a bad time finding ideal fishing spots unless they hang out in town all the time!<img src="https://i.imgur.com/dVdBN2F.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Plains are favored climates for civilization, with land perfect for farming. Bodies of water can be either artificially-made or natural rivers and lakes cutting through the plains. Local dangers to fishers often take the form of competing wildlife, such as predators laying in wait at watering holes and vermin and other small animals attracted to containers full of bait. Spring is the ideal season for fishing, as summer droughts and chilly winters cause fish to recede into the depths away from the sweltering sunlight or conserve their energy in a torpor state during the coldest days.Two NPCs of note include the druid Regina Starr who is well-liked in the nearby hometown, and the wizened old raccling Jembone Jenkins who runs a fishing and tackle shop out of his shack. The three Quest Hooks include finding Jembone’s old fishing hook he lost in the nearby lake during his childhood years, a friendly fishing competition with Regina, and returning two halves of a Broken Boomerang (can be found on a junk table) to Fredirico at the local fish stand.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/MFaB4d6.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Forests are filled with life everywhere you look, and the preponderance of fey spirits suffuses the creeks, brooks, and rivers just as much as the burrows and treetops. Forest rivers are home to many bottom feeders that roam the muddy river beds, and ponds are overgrown with all manner of vegetation. Local dangers include your typical hostile plants and animals as well as mischievous fey and their many magical traps. Spring and summer are ideal times for fishing, as the water levels are highest, albeit unexpected flooding can be a risk for would-be anglers.The sample NPCs include the half-elf scholar Endiel Sa’Val who has a positive relationship with local spirits, and the dryad Ainsley Tangleroot who has lived for untold generations in the forest and makes for a friendly conversation partner to passersby. The local shops include a gnome selling Living Aquariums and an elf who sells special Vine Tackles (part of the Vine Advanced Fishing Style) and other plant-based fishing supplies. The two side quests involve Ainsley hiring the PCs to hunt down and deal with a magical eel-like fish known as the Turagi that is causing damage to the ecosystem (better rewards if transported alive), and finding an abandoned shrine which can grant favorable weather on Weather Table results if a Moonchaser Carp (magical ethereal fish) is offered to the shrine.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/EOCO2rh.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Urban population centers are traditionally built near bodies of water, from coastal ports to farming towns based along rivers. Aqueducts, canals, and sewers have an impact on local wildlife, with aquatic creatures adapting over time to live there. The book recommends combining Urban results with other environments in this book based on local climate, but everything in this section can be used in a self-contained manner. The most frequent dangers to fishers is the human(oid) element of civilization itself, from restrictive rules and regulations on fishing, polluting workshops and magical labs, and political tensions and xenophobia that often pick traveling anglers as perfect targets for scapegoating.The sample NPCs include Erd, an amnesiac gnoll who dresses in a childlike shark onesie who knows a lot about castoff alchemical experiments in the sewers, and a goblin child named Rifkin who is protected by a ghostly friend by the name of Dew. The side quests involve Rifkin requesting the party to rescue a sapient fish held prisoner in the aquarium of a local noble, finding the ingredients for a memory-restoring recipe for Erd that is at risk of killing them if the PCs don’t find a non-lethal means, and the city placing a bounty on an Eyeless Bilge Hunter that attacked and ate some sewer workers. The two shops include an alchemy-themed curio shop, and a tiefling who can install different kinds of fancy fountains. The latter will buy rare fish off PCs to populate aquariums.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/cX4anBM.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Coasts are the dividing line between two worlds, the well-known terrestrial kingdoms of land and the vast expanse of undersea realms. Coastlines are hotbeds of activity, from tourists relishing sunny climates with cool ocean breezes to ports that see ships come and go to far-off lands. Aquatic life can be found everywhere, from swimming among coral reefs, getting trapped in coves that fill and empty to the rhythm of the tides, and hiding within masses of seaweed, sand, and shells. Local dangers include pirates and brigands, oceanic monsters who come ashore to hunt and raid, and seagulls who aren’t typically life-threatening but an ever-present annoying thief eager to steal an angler’s honest catch. While seasonal changes affect coastal fish to a lesser extent than in other environments, stormy monsoons and other storms are a major hindrance (if not outright danger) to would-be anglers.The two sample NPCs include Cyrus Clum, a white dragon disguised as a dragonborn who sells frozen foods known as Chillcones (a consumable Food covered earlier in this book), and the cavis Dyna Might whose past activities in using explosives for fishing put her on poor relations with the town guard. Dyna runs one of the two shops in this section, selling Elemental Bombs and SeaCentaur Mines that are actually beneficial in removing toxic elements from bodies of water. The other shop is a bait and tackle business that sells a variety of mundane gear and some specialty items such as gear for Stilt and Surf Fishing Styles and a Frost Rod. The three sample quests include helping Cyrus find a unique gem known as the Dazzling Diamond to pay off his father’s loans; a local fishing tournament that has three separate rewards for heaviest fish, tiniest fish, and highest-level fish; and helping Dyna make amends for accidentally destroying a well-guarded coral reef by placing a SeaCentaur Mine in its center.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/J79OWsW.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Mountains have bodies of water that are remote, from rivers that come down from the permafrost peaks to scenic lakes and hot springs. While the innate temperature of hot springs means that few creatures can live in them in the real world, in the fantasy realms of D&D fish with magical biology can easily adapt to such hostile environments. Mountain lakes are home to larger than usual fish on account that they need to be big and strong in order to swim upstream. Local dangers include the terrain itself as well as the remoteness from most population centers, and caves are often home to dragons and other vicious monsters. Wild magic has been known to run through the sky, twisting wildlife.Local NPC anglers include the lizardfolk Redthroat who took up a peaceful life of fishing after sustaining heavy injures during their warrior days, and the good-aligned yet shy mimic known as Pole who’s garnered a bit of a reputation as a mysterious fisher. Local villagers are hoping to find and befriend Pole. The only shop in this section is a general goods store run by a kobold who sells a variety of adventuring gear. The three side quests include finding ways to get Pole to open up and attend a local festival; persuade a dragonborn to let visitors into a local hot spring, as he is convinced that a Phoenixfish living in it (and that he can’t catch) will help save his failing restaurant; and proving the existence of a Redblue Bass Lunker, a fish whose color looks different to every viewer.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/4LpRqq7.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Wetlands are unsurprisingly filled with fish. But they aren’t the friendliest of places for anglers on account of overgrowth, difficult terrain, and hostile wildlife, thus the higher Tier than usual. Wetlands can come in different varieties, from your stereotypical marshes to shrub swamps. Local dangers include disease-bearing insects, camouflaged terrain that looks solid, and all kinds of predators from venomous snakes to alligators and supernatural creatures such as undead lurking beneath the waters. The seasons greatly affect the potential for fishing, with winter and spring raising water levels and serving as spawning season for many animals, while warmer weather sees water levels drop which makes for better hunting for predators due to less mobility for fish. While fog is a limiter on sight, it can also provide shade that encourages fish to come to the surface and ironically makes them easier to catch.Sample NPCs include the dragonborn Ol’ Granny Ridgeback who is a bit of a famous figure at a local tavern/restaurant, and the suspicious-looking Fitz who is actually a serial killer that sacrifices victims to an eldritch entity known as “the Hunger.” The first sidequest involves giving Granny Ridgeback her first prosthetic hook that can be found as Junk, allowing her to share a story of the beast that took her hand along with a material reward. The second sidequest involves Fitz, who can grant them access to a fishing spot with huge bonuses on Fishing Table Rolls that inevitably runs out, forcing the party to rely on him in finding other spots. Eventually they will hook the Hunger that will try to grapple and drag an angler down, but the entity is willing to parley in exchange for things like all of the angler’s captured fish, a limb, or a sacrifice in their stead. The only shop in this section is a general store that sells all sorts of mundane equipment but has various kinds of specialized magical gear for fishing.Thoughts So Far: I like how the terrain types go into detail on environment and climate and how it affects the wildlife, and it sounds plausible enough from a real-world perspective that I presume the author drew on scientific resources for this. The sample NPCs, shops, and quests are welcome additions that work nicely with making said regions feel more alive. My main points of criticism are that some quests rely on random chance to complete, like managing to get the right result for Junk in order to find something for an NPC. I’ve also talked about the level-locking terrain, and how it limits WSDWYCBF’s applicability for a lot of campaigns unless the DM reduces Catch DCs (and thus gold and experience points) for local fish across the board.Join us next time as we finish up this book with the remaining terrain types!</blockquote>

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