Monday 19 October 2015

Underworld Fortresses

This is a prototype for New Troy. It is an underworld location. As with Yoon-Suin, I am taking a tool-kit approach: there will be pieces of blank dungeon maps which the DM can position and fill-in as he or she likes. Each piece or template can then have its nature randomly generated.

For some reason blogger isn't displaying the table correctly when I preview it. You get the idea.

Great Fortress

Eldjotnar and hrimthursar rule the deepest parts of the underworld in their great fortresses of stone. Their struggles are unending. In summer the eldjotnar reign in flames and heat and the hrimthursar hide in isolated places. In winter the frost and cold of the hrimthursar has dominion and the eldjotnars’ power diminishes to nothing. In between there is constant war. Each stronghold changes hands, back and forth, with the passing of the seasons – the only constancy being the thickness and strength of the great stone walls, and the temporary nature of the allegiance of the thralls, which shifts like a sapling in the wind.

A Great Fortress is ruled by d3 giants (eldjotnar in summer; hrimthursar in winter; roll to determine in spring/autumn), who may be lovers, family members, comrades, or rivals. There are 1d100 loyal niflungar or rjufendr per giant. The fortress also has a population of thralls (in d3 groups), whose allegiance changes depending on who controls it.    

Use a Great Fortress template to plot out its layout, or create your own.


Dice
Thralls (1d3)
Summer/Winter Event
Spring/Autumn Event
1
Landvaettir (1d30x3)
The giants are reinforcing their fortress and the thralls are extra-vigilant (never surprised)
The rulers have all been killed in battle, leaving the fortress in anarchy
2
Lindworms (1d12)
The giants are away at war or hunting
The fortress has struck by an earthquake, flooding areas with lava
3
Dvergar (1d30x3)
A false sense of security prevails and the thralls are complacent (always surprised)
Large sections of the fortress have been reduced to rubble
4
Berzerkers (1d30x3)
A group of captives have arrived from a raid on the upper world
The fortress has been taken over by a dragon in its weakness
5
Trolls (1d12)
The fortress is plagued by a shadow walker
One of the groups of thralls is plotting rebellion
6
Hamingja (1d30x3)
A great feast is being held
The fortress has been flooded by melting ice
7
Saehrimnir (1d12)
The giants are plotting an attack on the upper world
The fortress is under siege by the opposite side
8
Ettins (1d30x3)
The fortress is at peace and rich in treasure (roll twice when determining treasure)
Enemy patrols in the area are seeking to employ spies or assassins
9
Thurse (1d12)
One of the giants has come under the sway of a Dis, who is now the real ruler
The fortress is divided equally between eldjotnar and hrimthursar
10
Roll again, double population
A group of einherjar have come from the glorious afterlife to do battle
There is civil war amongst the rulers (roll again if only one ruler)



Treasure Types: A, L, M, N, O

2 comments:

  1. Hi David. Your new project looks as cool as the last. I'm a Yoon-Suin fan and also a designer who does freelance work in the small-press RPG world. If you need any layout help on any of your new projects, let's chat. (Sorry for the interruption -- I didn't know a better way to contact you.)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Matt. Email me if you like - jean DOT delumeau AT gmail.

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