Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="SHARK" data-source="post: 4651140" data-attributes="member: 1131">Greetings!How do you use mystic forests in your games? Have you used any special supplements for them? I often like some quick, thought-provoking tables or ideas that can inspire a scene or brief scenario on the fly in mere moments. What kinds of ideas and elements in the classic magical, mysterious forest do you find inspiring and intriguing?Semper Fidelis,SHARKMystic ForestsThe mystic forest is a standard of many kinds of stories, from historical mythology to fantasy, and of course, in various game campaigns. I am always fascinated by the imagery that the mystical forest evokes, and have developed some elements to make use of mystic forests in my campaigns oftentimes quickly, and with very little preparation. Mystic Forests are usually densely populated with great trees, of usually oaks or pines--and idyllic meadows and pristine glades, as well as rushing, sparkling rivers and shimmering, mysterious lakes. The mystical forest is often shrouded in dense fog and strange mists, especially in the early mornings, and later on in the late afternoons towards sundown, and of course, at nighttime, from nightfall to the deep night. It is then, that the meadows and vales of the mystic forest become illuminated by the bright starlight from the heavens, or bathed in silvery-radiant moonlight that contrasts so sharply with the black, velvet night.Sights and Sounds In The Mystical Forest01-05%: Banks of cool, dense fog roll in and obscure virtually everything beyond 5-ft in around the characters.06-10%: Massive, black stromclouds roll in overhead, and fill the sky with a pressing sense of cold darkness, and of icy rain to come.11-15%: The skies are a dreary, flat dark grey, with a cold wind blowing, and occasional brief sprinkles of rain.16-20%: The sky is bursting with clear blue wonder, puffy white clouds lazily floating in the distance, and warm, radiant sunshine streaming everywhere.21-25%: The forest is dark, and cool, shrouded in banks of mist seemingly everythwhere, though occasionally a beautiful meadow bathed in sparkling sunshine appears, or a shaft of golden warmth breaks through the clouds and treeline overhead to illuminate a pathway.26-30%: A small, broken dirt trail is visible along the sloping ridgeline, ckoked by plants and fallen branches and leaves.31-35%: A small, swift-flowing creek races by in a narrow bed, filling the surrounding forest with the clear, sparkling sounds of the fast-moving water.36-40%: Shimmering in the sunlight, a majestic waterfall cascades from a high clifftop and into the mist-shrouded depths of a great and wondrous lake.41-45%: Through the fallen leaves and branches, gradually a strange road can be seen to emerge from the layers of dirt and leaves. The strange road seems to be crafted from some smooth, beautiful white stone, with silvery-streaks and patches glimmering suddenly in the flashing sunlight.46-50%: A great swath of rich, green grass runs seemingly forever in a vast greenery, before gradually being hemmed in and swallowed by the dark, ancient forest. 51-55%: The sloping gully to one side, partially screened by a dense row of trees, suddenly reveals a clustered line of great, moss-covered rocks and boulders. 56-60%: The ancient forest is thick and dense, forcing travel to the left, as the copses of trees become ever more tangled and dense, with great knots of gnarled, grasping roots breaking through the dark soil and leaves packing the ground below the green canopy above. 61-65%: The ancient forest is thick and dense, forcing travel to the right, as the copses of trees become ever more tangled and dense, with great knots of gnarled, grasping roots breaking through the dark soil and leaves packing the ground below the green canopy above. 66-70%: The forested clearing gradually becomes denser, and up ahead, a massive line of huge moss-covered boulders and higher banks of sheer gullies and ravine-sides channel movement to a sharp left direction, moving along a downward sloping greenery. 71-75%: The forested clearing gradually becomes denser, and up ahead, a massive line of huge moss-covered boulders and higher banks of sheer gullies and ravine-sides channel movement to a sharp right direction, moving along a downward sloping greenery. 76-80%: A sparkling white stone roadway leads swiftly to a great, ancient enclosed bridge, crossing a great river.81-85%: A sparkling white stone roadway leads swiftly to a great, ancient open-railed bridge, crossing a great river.86-90%: The grey, shimmering fog gradually parts way, to reveal a great sloping greenery ahead, leading into a beautiful meadow.91-95%: Suddenly, a flash of lightning strikes in the edge of vision, and a distant echo of thunder rolls across the skies as a gentle rain begins to fall throughout the area.96-00%: The treeline breaks suddenly, and before the trees is a sloping gully of dense plants and roots, and the lapping banks of a vast, shimmering lake.Locations In The Mystical Forest01-05%: A Single Cave06-10%: A Cluster of Caverns11-15%: A Vast Labyrinth of Caves and Lairs16-20%: A Mist-Shrouded Lake21-25%: An Ancient Bridge26-30%: A Strange, Isolated Cottage31-35%: A Mysterious, Rustic Cabin36-40%: A Beautiful Meadow41-45%: An Ancient Glade46-50%: A Shimmering Waterfall51-55%: A Steep, Rocky Gorge 56-60%: A Dark, Plunging Chasm 61-65%: A Fog-Shrouded, Cold Marsh 66-70%: A Great Forested Cliff 71-75%: A Steep Riverbank 76-80%: A Mysterious Island81-85%: A Distant, High Mountain 86-90%: A Dense Treelined Riverbank, Choked with Giant Roots and Moss-Covered Boulders 91-95%: Signs of a Great and Ancient Civilization96-00%: SpecialGreat and Ancient Civilization01-10% Civilization: A Great, Ancient Mound11-20% Civilization: A Great Road21-30% Civilization: A Great Circle of Standing Stones31-40% Civilization: A Great Stone Stairway41-50% Civilization: An Ancient, Vast Amphitheater51-60% Civilization: An Ancient Monolith61-70% Civilization: A Giant, Mysterious Statue71-80% Civilization: A Moss-Covered Temple81-90% Civilization: A Moss and Ivy-Choked Tower91-00% Civilization: Great Center of Habitation (A village or town; a full city; a small harbor; a castle, etc.) Mystical Forest Encounter Table I01-05%: Adventurers06-15%: Elves16-17%: Halflings18-28%: Fey Creatures (Check Subtable II below)29-30%: Undead (Check Subtable III below)31-35%: Humanoids (Check Subtable IV below)36-38%: Lycanthrope (Check Subtable V below)39-40%: Owlbear41-46%: Magical Animal47-56%: Herd Beast57-60%: Predator Animal (Wolf, Dire Wolf, Bear, Dire Bear, etc.)61-64%: Centaurs65-68%: Humans--Barbarians, Native Inhabitants69-72%: Humans--Barbarians, Foreigners73-77%: Strange Hermit or Wandering Woman78-82%: Minotaur83-84%: Giant85-86%: Treant87-88%: Unicorn89-90%: Linnorm Dragon91-00%: Special (Great Deer, Mythical White Hart, a special Knight, something very unusual)Mystical Forest Encounters: Fey Creatures Subtable IIFey Creatures01-10% Nixies11-20% Pixies21-30% Sprites31-50% Brownies51-70% Satyrs71-80% Dryads81-90% Nymphs91-00% Joyful PavillionMystical Forest Encounters: Undead Creatures Subtable III01-20%: A Gang or Patrol of Skeleton Warriors 2d621-40%: A Gang of Savage Ghouls 2d641-60%: Chilling, Terrifying Wraith; or a group of powerful wraiths 1d6+261-80%: A Ghost; single, group, or a bizarre family of ghosts.81-90%: A squad of Skeleton Knights, led by a Wraith Captain, galloping along on Spectral Horses, into the mists. 2d6+4 Skeleton Warriors, plus 1 Wraith Captain.91-00%: A Vampire and a pack of vampire minions, lesser vampires, etc. Stalk the nighttime forest. 1 Vampire, plus 2d6+4 Minions, lesser Vampires.Mystic Forest Humanoid Encounter Table IV01-30% Gnolls31-50% Ogres51-70% Trolls71-90% Hags91-00% SpecialMystic Forest Lycanthrope Encounter Table V01-20% Lycanthrope: Were-Wolf21-40% Lycanthrope: Were-Boar41-60% Lycanthrope: Were-Rat61-80% Lycanthrope: Were-Bear81-00% Lycanthrope: Special</blockquote>

Verification