TEXT: The New World Campaign Primer 
  Role Playing Public Radio
  The New World Campaign Primer
  Campaign setting compatible with 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons
  Created by Role Playing Public Radio
  
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  The New World Campaign Primer 
  Role Playing Public Radio
  The New World Primer
  Created by Role Playing Public Radio
  http://www.slangdesign.com/rppr
  Main text copyright 2009 Ross Payton
  Colony law copyright 2009 Patrick Seth Williams
  Adventure hooks copyright 2009 Tom Church and Cody Walker
  Backgrounds copyright 2009 Cody Walker.
  All text used with the permission of its author. 
  Cover, Goblin Hulk and Grippli King copyright 2009 Ean Moody.
  http://www.moodyillustrator.com
  Raven Mocker and Grippli Hunter copyright 2009 Josh Hunter.
  Water Spirit and Water Spirit Idol copyright 2009 Vincent Daniels.
  http://vincious.deviantart.com 
  New World Map and page corners copyright 2009 Alex Romero.
  http://www.mazegraphics.com
  All art used with the permission of its artist. 
  Dungeons & Dragons and D&D are trademarks of Wizards of the 
  Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc.
  Special thanks to the 
  following contributors 
  who helped make the 
  primer possible. 
  Rhys Bovie
  Thor Diantral
  Chris “bigznak” Zank
  Peter Nielsen
  
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  The New World Campaign Primer 
  Role Playing Public Radio
  Table of Contents
  The New World Awaits 
  4
  Tabula Rasa 
  6
  The Colony’s First Year
  8
  History of the New World
  10
  Colonial Law
  12
  Factions
  16
  Tribes of the New World
  24
  Nature Spirits
  27
  Backgrounds
  29
  Adventure Hooks
  31
  The Grippli
  40
  New Monsters
  42
  New Rituals
  50
  New Feats
  52
  Adventure: The Lost Totem 
  54
  
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  The New World Campaign Primer 
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  The New World Awaits   
  News of the discovery spreads like wildfire. Ambitious lords, zealous 
  high priests and enterprising merchants draw their plans fervently. 
  The docks of the cities blaze with activity, as ships are outfitted for 
  long journeys and word goes out at every village square and tavern 
  throughout the kingdom. The New World has been found and the rush 
  to claim and colonize it has begun!
  A brave group of adventurers joins the first expedition to make landfall 
  in the New World. They will have to overcome unique challenges and 
  threats unheard of in the known world. Their greatest enemy is not an 
  evil adversary or corrupt king. It is the unknown. The unknown land 
  that stretches endlessly past the horizon: the unknown inhabitants 
  of the New World and most importantly the unknown decisions that 
  will ensure the safety and prosperity of the fledgling colony.  There are 
  many possible futures for the adventurers and the colony but most 
  paths end in failure and death. The adventurers must choose wisely or 
  they will not survive the first winter. 
  Saria – The Forest of Tombs
  The region around the colony is known by the natives as Saria, which 
  translates to ‘The Forest of Tombs”. This name came about from the 
  frequent battles between the Gray Fang and Black Raven tribes over 
  the last fifty years in the forests. So many warriors have fallen that 
  the trees now serve as tombstones for them. Furthermore, the raven 
  mockers that stalk the forest for dead and dying creatures give the 
  region a gruesome reputation among the native tribes. 
  Climate: Temperate but with extreme variations. Summers are very 
  hot and humid, almost tropical. However, winters are very cold and 
  snowy. 
  Flora: Heavily forested, with some grasslands scattered about the 
  region. 
  Fauna: Temperate range animals such as wolves, ravens, deer, elk, 
  rabbits, and cougars are common. The Lemurian ruins host a wide 
  variety of monsters and several young dragons lair in the region. A 
  hydra lives in the Scaly Swamp. 
  Population: The Gray Fang and Black Raven Tribes are the most 
  numerous tribes of the region but several small tribes live in the 
  region.
  •Gnolls – three small nomadic tribes exist, each with about 50-60 active 
  adults. 
  •Lizardfolk – a tribe of about 450 lives in the Scaly Swamp. Several 
  other nomadic tribes visit them on a regular basis, which can double 
  or even triple the population. 
  
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  The New World Campaign Primer 
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  Map Key
  1. The colony
  2. Grippli Island
  3. Scaly Swamp
  4. Lemurian Ruins
  •Orcs and goblins are not common in the New World and none live in 
  Saria. 
  •Ogres – Many clans live in the southern part of Saria, near the 
  foothills. 
  •Giants – Families of hill giants and stone giants live in the foothills. 
  •Elves– a tribe of elves (44 in all) lives deep in the forests of Saria. They 
  only deal with the Gray Fang Tribe and fear outsiders. 
  •Dwarves – none are native to Saria, although there are dwarven tribes 
  in the New World. 
  •Kobolds – Over a thousand kobolds live in Saria, but they dwell deep 
  within the Lemurian ruins and seldom venture out into the wilderness. 
  They guard the ruins fiercely and expand by digging further down. 
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  The New World Campaign Primer 
  Role Playing Public Radio
  Setting the New World 
  in your campaign
  This 
  campaign 
  setting 
  is 
  meant to be easily integrated 
  into most campaign worlds. 
  Only the region around the 
  colony’s landing is described 
  in detail. The exact shape 
  and nature of the rest of the 
  New World is left for you to 
  fill as the campaign requires. 
  The only assumptions this 
  campaign 
  makes 
  are 
  the 
  following:
  •The New World is a newly 
  discovered continent in the 
  existing campaign world.
  •The players are members of 
  the first expedition to explore 
  and colonize the New World. 
  •The expedition travels by 
  ship to the New World and 
  the journey takes months. 
  •The expedition is mostly on 
  its own for the first year. Help 
  may come from the known 
  world, but only sporadically 
  and with a heavy price. 
  •Little to nothing is known 
  initially of the New World. 
  •The known world colonists 
  use the campaign standard 
  magic and technology. 
  Tabula Rasa 
  The most important theme of the New World is the tabula rasa, Latin 
  for “blank slate”. While the New World has its own history, native tribes 
  and more, to the first colonists, it is a blank slate waiting to be changed 
  by their efforts. The player characters play a pivotal role, as their actions 
  will shape the colony and greatly affect the New World. 
  The New World has a different dynamic than many fantasy adventures. 
  Typically, the world is relatively stable until the villain upsets the balance 
  and the heroes must stop the villain before the world is irrevocably 
  changed. Here, the player characters are the agents of change. They 
  upset the balance of the world by colonizing a new continent. They 
  determine what this new era will look like through their actions. Selfless 
  heroes who sacrifice and suffer can lay the foundations for a pious and 
  noble colony while merciless opportunists carve out a breeding ground 
  for cutthroats and wretched scum. 
  Planning the campaign
  The New World campaign works best as a clean slate. Each player 
  should make a new level 1 character. Furthermore, don’t rely too much 
  on the politics of the known world. While the existing nations will exert 
  their influence on the fledgling colony, the emphasis of the campaign 
  should be focused on how the actions of the party affects the New 
  World, not what a distant king demands of the colony. 
  Before the first session, you should pick a number of reoccurring themes 
  for the campaign based on the interests of the group. For example, a 
  combat focused group should be given chances protect the colony from 
  invaders by fending off marauding monsters and waging war against 
  hostile native tribes. A roleplaying heavy group could focus on diplomacy 
  and negotiate with the tribes to make peace or help the grippli become 
  civilized. There are countless opportunities for adventure in the New 
  World, so choose the best themes for your group. You can’t cover every 
  aspect of the colony’s struggle so only put a spotlight on the themes 
  that matter to you. 
  The following themes should give you an idea of where to get started. 
  This list is by no means conclusive, so feel free to use whatever themes 
  appeal to you. Try to only focus on a few themes in your campaign 
  though. If you use too many, your players may get confused and the 
  campaign will seem haphazard and unplanned. 
  Tactical military: The players are an elite squad in the colony’s militia. 
  They are called in when all things fail and deal with the greatest threats, 
  from rampaging monsters to hordes of goblin raiders. The tactical 
  military theme focuses solely on the battlefield. The characters become 
  warriors of renown but leave the political and strategic decisions to 
  others. 
  Strategic military: The players are important decision makers when it 
  comes to military issues. They may be officers in the colony’s militia or 
  
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  The New World Campaign Primer 
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  Tactical military 
  adventure hooks
  •A 
  tribe 
  of 
  gnolls 
  has 
  kidnapped 
  a 
  group 
  of 
  colonists. The players must 
  find the tribe, get the colonists 
  back and teach the gnolls not 
  to mess with the colony. 
  •The execution of a political 
  dissident 
  sparks 
  a 
  riot. 
  The players must quell the 
  rebellion without too much 
  bloodshed and protect the 
  innocent.
  •The scouts have found a 
  stronghold of an enemy tribe 
  or the thieves guild. The 
  players must infiltrate it and 
  take out the leader. 
  Strategic military 
  adventure hooks
  •Rumors of a massive goblin 
  invasion spread like wildfire. 
  The players must rally the 
  troops with a show of force, 
  either by recruiting native 
  tribal warriors or by killing 
  one of the goblin chieftains. 
  •An 
  aristocrat 
  has 
  hired 
  many of the militia as private 
  guards, leaving the colony 
  vulnerable. The players must 
  either convince the aristocrat 
  to contribute to the colony’s 
  defense or find more soldiers 
  to make up the gap. 
  •Scouts have found the ruins 
  of a massive citadel nearby. 
  The stones could be used to 
  make fortifications for the 
  colony but a dragon lives in 
  the ruins. The players must 
  convince the dragon to let 
  them use the stones or drive 
  it away. 
  independent heroes that are trusted to make the right decisions when 
  it comes to the defense of the colony. The characters are not expected to 
  fight every battle. Rather, they must decide how best to use the scarce 
  resources of the colony to protect it from harm. Do they train colonists 
  as militia, hire mercenaries or build fortifications? Adventures typically 
  revolve around keeping morale up, acquiring vital supplies, gathering 
  intelligence and making battle plans. 
  Politics: While the governor of the colony technically has total control 
  over the colony, in reality he must get the cooperation of the different 
  factions in the colony just like anyone else. If the players want to have 
  any say in how the colony operates, they will need to join the game 
  of politics. Political games tend to focus on currying favor with other 
  factions, sabotaging political rivals and raising support for the party’s 
  agenda. 
  Religion: Faith is an integral aspect of the colony. Only a few brave 
  missionaries and priests travel with the first expedition. These priests 
  will become an important part of the colony, tending to the many needs 
  of the settlers and some will attempt to convert the native tribes to their 
  faith. The players may be allies or possibly enemies to the colony’s 
  priests. 
  Exploration: Ambitious players might want to explore the vast unknown 
  wilderness of the New World rather than deal with the day to day issues 
  of the colony. As a result, they can load up on supplies and march 
  bravely into the depths of the wilderness. Their discoveries will still 
  affect the colony though. Parties that recklessly unearth tombs and 
  disturb the natural world in the pursuit of profit may cause problems 
  for the colony, while parties that respect the natives and the land may 
  not get the resources the colony desperately needs. The challenge is to 
  harvest the bounty of the New World wisely, without excessive greed or 
  meekness. 
  Diplomacy: Two powerful tribes live near the colony: the Gray Fangs 
  and the Black Ravens. They oppose each other but both are neutral 
  to the colony…for now. No one in the colony is willing to try to talk to 
  either tribe, leaving the players a free hand to attempt diplomacy with 
  them. 
  Commerce: Gold makes the world turn round and business is just as 
  vital in the New World as it is the known world. The players will have 
  many chances to start their company, although that will result in its own 
  problems. The biggest problem is drawing the line between ethical and 
  unethical business practices. Furthermore, player characters who tend 
  to a business instead of traipsing along in dusty tombs or murdering 
  various local fauna find that they earn exactly the same amount of gold 
  as their more violently inclined colleagues. (In other words, if the players 
  own a business and all of their adventures revolve around supporting 
  that business, give them the same amount of treasure as you would 
  otherwise. They just happen to earn it from their business.) 
  Adventuring: Of course, the player characters are brave adventurers 
  who have great destinies ahead of them, whether they like it or not. 
  
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  The New World Campaign Primer 
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  There’s probably an ancient Lemurian tablet buried in the ruins that 
  prophesize of the player characters saving the world from evil. Or only 
  the player characters can save the grippli from extinction. Or…You get 
  the point. 
  The Colony’s First Year
  The first year is the most crucial year in the colony’s existence. The 
  expedition lands in early spring. If it cannot get a firm foothold in the 
  New World before winter falls, then the colony will probably collapse. 
  Thus, the party has their work out for them if they want to prosper. 
  Remember that there is nothing but the untamed wilderness when the 
  expedition arrives. Furthermore, the food and water brought by the 
  expedition will eventually run out. Time is of the essence. 
  Of course, as this is a game of adventuring and heroics, the players 
  probably aren’t too interested in managing the logistics of the colony 
  or drafting the first legal charter. Instead, use the needs of the colony 
  as a springboard for adventures in the colony and allow the players 
  to determine what aspect of the colony most interests them. Using a 
  few of the themes listed in the previous section, describe what kind of 
  problems the colonists are having and ask what the players want to do 
  about it. Then, build your adventures around the plans of the party. 
  The party serves the colony best as troubleshooters that fix whatever 
  otherwise intractable problems may arise in the first year. 
  Assume that the colonists are capable of building the colony in whatever 
  areas the players don’t focus on. If your group is interested in clearing 
  the nearby wilderness of threatening monsters (the tactical military 
  theme) and becoming a powerful faction within the colony (politics), 
  then don’t worry about the water supply (commerce) or negotiating 
  with the local tribes (diplomacy). 
  The following is a list of colony milestones in the first year. There 
  are no dates attached to them because they should be met when it 
  is appropriate for the campaign. In the RPPR New World campaign, I 
  simply used the number of sessions played so far as a guideline for when 
  certain milestones were met, as well as dramatic necessity and rewards 
  for players completing certain quests. You may use these milestones 
  out of order as well. However, the first three milestones should come 
  regardless, as they are the absolute basic necessities for the colony.
  Milestone 1: Initial colony ground cleared. Construction of first 
  buildings and walls begins. 
  Milestone 2: First fortifications built – wooden walls, guard towers, 
  gates. 
  Milestone 3: Water supply secured either by taking it by force from the 
  Black Ravens or by negotiating a treaty with the tribe. 
  Milestone 4: First buildings finished – town hall, militia barracks, 
  temple and secure storage of supplies and food. 
  Milestone 5: First legal charter of the colony passed. 
  Milestone 6: First supply ship arrives. New colonists and first 
  merchants arrive.
  Political adventure 
  hooks
  •A merchants wants to build 
  a massive set of docks so 
  he can export timber to the 
  known world for profit. This 
  would drain vital resources 
  needed 
  to 
  build 
  housing 
  for the poor colonists. The 
  players must convince the 
  other factions that the docks 
  are not needed. 
  •The governor has allowed 
  slavers to conduct business 
  within the colony, which would 
  allow them to enslave natives 
  and the grippli. The players 
  must convince the governor 
  to ban slavery outright or at 
  least grant protection to the 
  natives or the colony will be 
  attacked by the natives. 
  •In order to win favor with 
  a faction leader, the players 
  must 
  find 
  something 
  of 
  unparalleled beauty (a bird 
  of paradise, an exotic gem, 
  a Lemurian artifact) so the 
  leader can give it as a gift to a 
  woman he is courting. 
  Religious adventure 
  hooks
  •A missionary has ventured 
  alone into the wilderness to 
  preach to the native tribes. 
  However, he is needed by the 
  colony and the players must 
  track him down and convince 
  him to return to the colony. 
  •Many colonists have had 
  visions of doom, but they 
  are vague. The players must 
  figure out what is the cause of 
  the visions and stop it before 
  it destroys the colony.
  •An evil cult starts up in the 
  colony, kidnapping drunks 
  off the streets at night and 
  sacrificing 
  them 
  to 
  their 
  demonic master. The players 
  need to stop them before they 
  summon a being of great evil. 
  
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  The New World Campaign Primer 
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  Milestone 7: Buildings finished for less critical uses – individual 
  residences, the first tavern, merchant stores etc. 
  Milestone 8: First map of the Saria region completed. 
  Milestone 9: Contact with Gray Fangs and Black Raven tribe made. 
  Assumed to be peaceful unless players angered one or both tribes. 
  Milestone 10: First Lemurian ruins found. 
  Milestone 11: Grippli discovered. 
  Milestone 12: First crops planted. Primary source of food is now locally 
  produced as the expedition’s stored food is now too low to support the 
  colony.
  Milestone 13: Second supply ship includes children and families of the 
  first colonists. Colony now resembles a village from the known world.
  Milestone 14: Docks completed. Cargo ships can now load and unload 
  quickly and efficiently. Regular trade with the known world begins, 
  with a high volume of imports and exports. 
  Milestone 15: Winter arrives and slows all activity to a crawl. Food 
  supplies dwindle, depending on the actions of the players. Parties who 
  helped the colony with many tasks will find that the colony will survive 
  the harsh winter while selfish or lazy parties will see famine and despair 
  overtake the colony.    
  Exploration adventure 
  hooks:
  •Gold! The party finds a rich 
  vein of gold in the hills near 
  the colony. If the party cashes 
  in, word will get out and a gold 
  rush will disrupt the colony in 
  many ways. However, if they 
  keep the discovery secret, 
  what use is the gold to them?
  •A tribe of lizardfolk guard a 
  forest with valuable timber 
  and other resources. The 
  colony wants the players to 
  get rid of the lizardfolk and 
  the lizardfolk want to stay. 
  Should the players try to find 
  an alternate source of timber 
  or simply drive the lizardfolk 
  out?
  •The party finds a half-buried 
  stone colossus in a canyon. 
  They find that it is hollow and 
  can be explored. Once they 
  enter, they learn that the 
  colossus can be reactivated if 
  three components are found. 
  Such a weapon could change 
  the balance of power in the 
  entire world and no one else 
  knows of it. What will the 
  player do with such potential 
  power?
  Diplomatic adventure 
  hooks
  •A faction leader in the colony 
  suggests that the players 
  back one of the tribes and 
  then provoke a war between 
  the two tribes. Once one tribe 
  is eliminated, the colony can 
  sweep in to destroy the other, 
  leaving the colonists sole 
  control of the region around 
  the colony. If the players do 
  not agree to this, the faction 
  leader will hate the players.  
  Goblin Hulk by Ean 
  Moody
  
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  History of Lemuria and the New 
  World
  Many thousands of years ago, the greatest civilization ever known 
  flourished, Lemuria. The people of Lemuria built great monuments 
  to their own glory, including a continental network of teleportation 
  chambers, linking every major city, temple, university and bazaar. Their 
  scholars and sages uncovered the secrets of the universe, harnessing 
  the power of the cosmos for their own purposes. The gods smiled upon 
  Lemuria for despite their progress, remained pious and faithful. Yet 
  this golden age would come to an end. 
  The greatest Lemurian savant, whose name has been lost to history, 
  built a machine of such power that even the gods could not foresee 
  what would happen once it was activated. The gods would not allow 
  themselves to be blinded in this way nor could they allow Lemuria 
  to exist. Even if they simply struck down the savant, Lemuria would 
  produce another talented inventor sooner or later. The entire pantheon 
  decided that Lemuria had to be brought down before the Lemurians 
  became too powerful. A dark entity of great power –  some believe it was 
  a god of chaos while others think it was a demon lord of nearly deific 
  power – was given leave to destroy Lemuria. The entity raised a horde 
  of demons and utterly annihilated the Lemurian civilization, leaving 
  only the remnants of its edifices and monuments behind. The gods 
  then entrapped the dark entity in a massive ziggurat in a barren desert 
  in the center of the continent. Nature reclaimed the land and after a 
  century, few traces of the demonic horde remained behind. It was as 
  though the cataclysm had never happened. 
  Eventually, nomadic tribes crossed the oceans and rediscovered the 
  New World. They spread and prospered in the New World and their 
  patron nature spirits – almost as powerful as the gods – soon adapted 
  to the New World. One spirit, Coyote, was intrigued by the Lemurian 
  ruins and soon figured out what had happened. Miraculously, the 
  savant’s machine still existed (it was an artifact and indestructible as 
  a result), although its central components had been scattered around 
  the continent. Coyote, ever the trickster, desperately wanted to activate 
  the machine to spite the gods who thought themselves as superior to 
  the nature spirits. Of course, Coyote could not activate the machine 
  himself, as the gods would destroy him in an instant if he attempted to 
  do so. Thus, Coyote first tricked the gods out of their memories of the 
  machine through an elaborate series of cons that would take an epic 
  saga to retell. Then, Coyote began to search for mortals who would be 
  willing to reassemble the machine. Today, the gods believe that they 
  destroyed Lemuria because they had blasphemed against them. Every 
  tribe of the New World has a different legend about the fall of Lemuria, 
  but none of them know the truth. Only Coyote knows of the savant’s 
  machine. 
  The nomadic tribes spread across the entire continent and splintered 
  into many different tribes. They stay clear of the Lemurian ruins for 
  Diplomatic adventure 
  hooks
  •The Gray Fangs are angered 
  by 
  the 
  colonists’ 
  wanton 
  destruction of the forest. They 
  plan to ask the Air spirit to 
  destroy the colony in a great 
  storm. At least that’s what 
  the emissary from the Black 
  Ravens has told the party. 
  •The governor of the colony 
  wants the players to get 
  the Black Ravens to sign a 
  nonaggression treaty so they 
  can draw water from the 
  river they control. The Black 
  Ravens want assurances that 
  the priests of the colony won’t 
  attack their undead servants. 
  The priests are going to be 
  hard to convince. 
  Commercial adventure 
  hooks
  •The Water Barons! Just as 
  in the actual RPPR campaign, 
  the colony needs a source 
  of fresh water in order to 
  guarantee its survival and 
  the player characters are 
  just the people to deliver it. 
  For a price. The players can 
  undergo a test by the Water 
  Spirit in order learn the 
  Conjure Water ritual or they 
  can divert water from the 
  river controlled by the Black 
  Raven tribe. Either method is 
  an adventure in of itself. 
  •A new species of song bird, 
  the bird of paradise, produces 
  plumage 
  of 
  unimaginable 
  beauty. Aristocrats will pay 
  handsomely for such exotic 
  feathers.  If the players over 
  hunt the birds too much, 
  either the Gray Fang tribe 
  will attack them for upsetting 
  the natural balance or the 
  absence of the bird allows 
  a plague of mosquitoes to 
  grow, which in turns causes 
  an outbreak of malaria in the 
  colony. 
  
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  the most part; content to scavenge metal weapons and tools from the 
  edges of the ruins. However, several tribes are aware of the dark entity 
  imprisoned beneath the ziggurat. Shamans and druids have foreseen 
  that the entity will eventually escape and wreck havoc across the New 
  World once again. Some tribes have devoted themselves to preparing for 
  that fateful day, while others believe it will not happen for thousands of 
  years. Only time will tell when the entity escapes…
  The Dark Entity
  While the identity of the dark entity has been revealed in the New World 
  actual play, for the purposes of this primer, I will leave it unnamed. Use 
  it to throw it whatever evil god/demon lord/Great Old One you see fit 
  for your campaign. Its only relevant traits are:
  •It is capable of destroying an advanced civilization
  •It is a divine or near divine being 
  •It is imprisoned beneath an ancient ziggurat 
  •It will one day awaken and continue to destroy
  •The colony is unaware of the Dark Entity
  •It hascultists and monsters slowly but surely working to release it
  The last point bears some clarification. What big bad evil guy worth its 
  salt doesn’t have a cult doing its bidding? The Dark Entity in the New 
  World has one. While the players haven’t interacted much with the 
  cult, feel free to use them as antagonists in your campaign. 
  When the campaign starts, the players and the colony will be unaware 
  of the Dark Entity. However, sooner or later, the players should learn 
  about it. Perhaps the natives tell them legends about how Lemuria fell 
  or the players receive divine visions warning of the Dark Entity. Once 
  they learn of the Dark Entity, they must decide to either keep it secret 
  or warn the colony. If they warn the colony, Mordecai will tell his church 
  that in turn will send a group of crusaders to investigate the Dark 
  Entity. Furthermore, the average citizen will become more distrustful 
  of outsiders making it harder to grant citizenship or protection to the 
  native tribes or the grippli. But if the players keep news of the Dark 
  Entity to themselves, the cult of the Dark Entity will find it easier to 
  infiltrate the colony. 
  •The players take possession 
  of the only tavern in the 
  colony after the tavern owner 
  gives it to them for saving 
  his family’s life (or through 
  a bet or something else). 
  Now the players have to hire 
  trustworthy and competent 
  employees, supply the liquor 
  and all the other mundane 
  tasks of running a business. 
  Of course, the players are 
  brave adventurers, so it’s 
  only a matter of time before 
  a crooked bureaucrat tries to 
  extort bribe money from them 
  or an ogre warband decides 
  to take up residence in the 
  tavern or a ghost of a man 
  murdered in the tavern begins 
  to haunt the customers. 
  Generic adventure hooks
  •A Lemurian lich awakens 
  and sees that the players may 
  save the world from the great 
  evil that destroyed Lemuria. 
  He sends them an agent to 
  train and prepare the group 
  for their fate. The players 
  learn of the trickery far too 
  soon for the lich’s liking and 
  the players have to figure out 
  how to deal with this.
  •A powerful nature spirit 
  demands that the players 
  destroy a gate to a dark plane 
  or it will destroy the colony. 
  •Five sages of the native 
  tribes want to learn about 
  the colony. To ignore them 
  or let them be harmed by 
  distrustful colonists would 
  be very dangerous to the 
  colony. The players have to 
  protect the sages while trying 
  to teach them about the ways 
  of civilization. If they are 
  successful, the sages will give 
  great gifts to the colony. 
  
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  The Rule of Thumb
  Be as draconian as possible. 
  Punishments in colonial legal 
  system tend to be harsh for 
  practical reasons. The building 
  of a new colony requires the 
  complete participation of all 
  members involved. Indolence 
  is unacceptable because it 
  puts the entire colony at risk. 
  Such acts must be dealt with 
  swiftly. 
  Punishments
  Though D&D offers a wide 
  varied of magical and divine 
  punishments, 
  you 
  should 
  not 
  overlook 
  mundane 
  punishments when developing 
  your colony’s law and legal 
  system. Below are some of the 
  most common punishments 
  associated with colonial legal 
  systems.
  Make your players police 
  themselves and others. One 
  thing to keep in mind is that 
  colonial legal systems do not 
  have to operate on a police 
  state model in enforcing their 
  laws. One way colonial legal 
  systems get around the use of 
  a police force is by creating a 
  surveillance society in which 
  colonist 
  police 
  themselves 
  and one another. One effect 
  of such a surveillance society 
  is an active paranoia among 
  colonists, which could easily 
  be worked into encounters in 
  your game.
  Whipping
  Whipping is the most common 
  punishment in colonial legal 
  systems. Whippings vary in 
  the number of lashes with 
  the severity of the crime 
  being punished. Whippings 
  can either be performed in 
  public or in private. Public 
  whippings typically serve as 
  a type of moral lesson to the 
  community at large. 
  Colonial Law
  Overview
  The following section describes the legal systems of various colonies 
  throughout history. Of course, the New World is in a universe quite 
  different than reality, so feel free to use none, any or all of the information 
  in this section. It is presented to give you generalized guidelines that 
  you may adapt as you see fit. 
  This section will discuss different forms of colonial law. Including law 
  and legal systems in your game will give you a much more dynamic 
  game. 
  Colonial legal systems typically consist of two parts. The first part is the 
  laws of the parent country and the second part is the laws of the colony. 
  The laws of the parent country must not be violated by the laws of the 
  colony. Any violations could bring reprimands by the parent country. 
  As you plan your colony’s laws and legal systems, it is important to 
  keep this two part structure in mind. Remember your colonists are not 
  just dealing with indigenous tribes, hostile terrains, and the constant 
  searching for food and supplies, they are dealing with a parent country 
  that may be antagonistic to the colonists’ plans. Often interventions by 
  the parent country will be based on the violations of colony law.
  Below are examples of a few different types of colonial law and legal 
  systems on which you can base the laws and legal system of your own 
  colony. This list is nowhere near exhaustive as there are many different 
  types of colonial legal systems and combinations of them.
  Laws of the Parent Country
  Copying the laws of the parent country directly is an easy way to 
  avoid attention from the parent country because on paper the laws 
  are identical. Although this is the ultimate way to prevent violations 
  of the laws of the parent country by colonial law, there are several 
  unforeseen difficulties in trying to maintain such laws and legal 
  systems. Remember the laws of the parent country have developed over 
  hundreds, if not thousands, of years and have been specifically adapted 
  to the conditions of the parent country. Colony leaders and colonists do 
  not have the advantage of a fully developed social system as they are 
  literally building it from the ground up. What could result are different 
  types of social and moral dilemmas than one would typically expect.
  Encounter: Recently, the indigenous population introduced an herb 
  to the colonists that when smoked produces hallucinogenic effects. 
  Many colonists have taken to smoking so much of this herb that they 
  have neglected their work, including planting and harvesting food for 
  themselves and other colonists. The laws of the parent country place 
  high regard on individual rights and do not forbid smoking on any 
  grounds. Furthermore, the laws of the parent country state that if 
  a citizen cannot feed themselves for any reason, then they must be 
  
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  Whipping Post
  Closely associated with the 
  pillory, the whipping post is a 
  pole planted into the ground 
  where a criminal is whipped. 
  The criminal has their hands 
  bound above their head on 
  the whipping post so that they 
  cannot slump over without 
  taking his or her body’s weight 
  on their wrists. Whipping 
  posts become sites of public 
  humiliation for criminals.
  Stocks
  Similarly to the whipping 
  post, the stocks are closely 
  associated with the pillory. 
  The stocks are a board with 
  at least two holes drilled 
  in it that has been set into 
  the ground. The criminal’s 
  legs and hands are placed 
  through the holes in the 
  board and then manacled 
  so that the criminal must 
  remain in a fixed position. The 
  stocks become sites of public 
  humiliation for criminals.
  Pillory
  Whereas with the stocks a 
  criminal sits on the ground 
  and has their hands and 
  feet bound, in the pillory the 
  criminal stands. The pillory is 
  a board that has been placed 
  several feet above the ground 
  with three holes drilled in 
  it. 
  The 
  criminal’s 
  hands 
  and head are fed through 
  the holes and the criminal’s 
  hands are then manacled so 
  that the criminal must remain 
  in a fixed, standing position. 
  The pillory can double as a 
  whipping post in this way 
  because the criminal’s back is 
  exposed. The pillory becomes 
  a site of public humiliation of 
  criminals.
  Scaffold
  The 
  scaffold 
  is 
  a 
  raised 
  platform where criminals are 
  hanged and announcements 
  are made to the crowds. 
  For 
  hanging 
  criminals, a 
  supported by the state. Colony leaders have requested that your players 
  intervene, which is a violation of the colony’s and parent country’s laws. 
  What do your players do?
  Military Code
  The military code is the simplest of the colonial law and legal systems 
  listed here. Military codes are based on an explicit contract outlined 
  within the code itself. Because of the adherence to this contract, military 
  codes emphasize order and discipline utilizing reveille, curfews, and 
  strict duties toward labor. To main order and discipline, military codes 
  use harsh punishments when dealing with transgressors. 
  Despite the implicit limitations to the military code, it does not attract 
  much attention from the parent country. Also, military codes can easily 
  be modified to meet new scenarios and even easily replaced by another 
  legal system once it has outlived its usefulness. It is best to think about 
  having a military code when your colony is first developing unless your 
  colony has been founded on a specific set of religious principles (see 
  Religious Laws). 
  Encounter: One of the carpenters working on the construction of the 
  fort has been caught drunk on the job. The military commander orders 
  him to be lashed fifty times, a punishment he demands one of your 
  players carries out. How do your players react?
  Religious Laws
  “THE USE OF THE LAW IN UNREGENERATE PERSONS is three fold. The 
  first is to lay open sin and make it known. The second use is accidentally 
  to effect and augment sin by reason of the flesh, which causeth man to 
  decline from that which is commanded and ever to incline to that which 
  is prohibited. … The third use is to denounce eternal damnation for the 
  least disobedience, without offering any hope of pardon. This sentence 
  the law pronounceth against offenders, and by it, partly by threatening, 
  partly by terrifying, it reigneth and ruleth over man. The end why sin 
  resigned in man is to urge sinners to fly unto Christ.” 
  – William Perkins, A Golden Chain
  Religious laws are the most complex of the colonial law and legal 
  systems listed here. Religious laws rely on specific religious tenets to 
  justify their definitions of criminal acts and punishments for those acts. 
  Under religious law, crimes are viewed as transgressions against the 
  god of the religion and not just transgressions against the state. Each 
  punishment also serves the purpose of religious moral instruction and 
  should be treated as such. In this regard, punishments should take 
  place in the public square and colonists should be required to attend 
  the “punishment day.” 
  Religious laws and legal systems can attract the attention of the parent 
  country when the religious law calls for religiously justified punishments 
  that violate the parent country’s law. However, interventions by the 
  parent country can also stir up religious fervor and animosity toward 
  the parent country within the colony’s faithful. If you plan on using 
  religious laws as the basis of your colonial law and legal system, you 
  
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  trap door would be set in 
  the scaffold and a gallows 
  placed above the trap door. 
  A criminal would be stood 
  on the trap door and a noose 
  placed around the criminal’s 
  neck then the trap door would 
  be 
  opened. 
  Other 
  minor 
  public punishments, such as 
  branding, marking clothes, 
  or tongue piercing, are also 
  often performed on scaffolds 
  so that the crowd can witness 
  the punishments.
  Branding
  Branding 
  involves 
  placing 
  a hot iron shaped with a 
  specific 
  symbol 
  or 
  letter 
  against a criminal’s bare 
  skin thus leaving them with 
  a permanent imprint of that 
  symbol or letter. Different 
  symbols or letters signify 
  different things – a “B” could 
  signify burglar, a “D” could 
  represent drunkard, and so 
  on. Because it is a permanent 
  mark, branding should be 
  used in cases where a judge 
  wants to forever humiliate a 
  criminal without necessarily 
  killing the criminal.
  Marking Clothes
  Similar to branding, marking 
  clothes involves making a 
  criminal wear a particular 
  letter on their clothing at 
  all 
  times. 
  Because 
  this 
  does not permanently scar 
  the 
  criminal, 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  considered 
  the 
  more 
  preferable method of dealing 
  with crimes that would require 
  such a punishment. Once a 
  criminal has been required to 
  wear a letter on their clothes, 
  however, other colonists may 
  begin to police their actions 
  more frequently.
  Tongue Piercing
  Tongue 
  piercing 
  involves 
  driving a hot iron bar through 
  a criminals tongue. 
  should use them from the outset and use them consistently. Although 
  this will require much more preparation work, it can make for some 
  interesting scenarios.
  Encounter: One of the colonists has been caught blaspheming the god 
  of colony’s religious law and slandering the name of the colony leader. 
  For her transgressions, the colonist is to have her tongue pierced. Your 
  players are forced to witness her punishment with the other colonists.
  Radical Alternatives
  Radical alternative laws and legal systems offer a complete break from 
  the parent country’s laws and legal system. Radical alternatives can 
  exist in any many different forms including combinations of military 
  codes and religious laws. While radical alternatives give you a way of 
  socially uniting your colonists, they will always attract attention and 
  possible intervention by the parent country and even by competing 
  colonies. You should consider this while planning out whatever utopia 
  you imagine your colonists attempting to form.
  Property
  Land is the most important commodity in a new colony, but there are 
  different ways of parceling the land only two of which will be discussed 
  here. The first way assumes that all land in the colony is the property 
  of the government of the parent country and private citizens directly 
  purchase this land from the government. The second way assumes 
  that all land in the colony is the property of a land trust or joint stock 
  company that has purchased the land from government of the parent 
  country. The land trust or joint stock company can then parcel the land 
  out to members of the company or to private citizens who purchase 
  the land from the company. Any discovered land that exists outside 
  of the designated colony’s boundaries is disputable. The ownership of 
  such discovered land must be negotiated through the government of 
  the parent country, especially if the dispute involves a citizen and the 
  land trust or joint stock company that owns the surrounding lands.
  Encounter: While exploring, your players find a dungeon that 
  cartographically lies outside the colony’s borders. Despite not owning 
  the land where the dungeon has been found, the leader of the colony 
  has laid claim to the dungeon. 
  Trade Restrictions
  One aspect of colonial law and legal systems that you do not want 
  to overlook is how the parent country reacts to the importation and 
  exportation of trade goods between the colony and the parent country and 
  also between colonies. Parent countries may suspend the exportation 
  of exotic plants from the colony to the parent country for any number 
  of reasons (see the encounter under the Laws of the Parent Country 
  as an example). Also, parent countries may place restrictions on the 
  importation of goods or raw materials to the colony as punishment for 
  violating the parent country’s laws. Trade restrictions are a good way 
  of developing tensions in your game because they place the colony at 
  certain disadvantages that players must figure out ways to overcome. 
  
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  Cropping Ears
  Cropping 
  ears 
  involves 
  completely 
  cutting 
  a 
  criminal’s ears from the 
  head. 
  Other 
  alternative 
  punishments involving the 
  ears to consider would be 
  nailing one of the criminal’s 
  ears to the pillory as the 
  criminal is whipped. 
  Encounter: The parent country of the colony has recently restricted the 
  importation of iron into the colony as a punitive measure. Without iron, 
  construction in the colony has come to a standstill. The colony’s leader 
  has received unconfirmed reports of iron in a nearby mountain chain 
  and has requested the players confirm these rumors. The mountain 
  chain, however, is controlled by a hostile indigenous tribe. 
  “Whereas We, out of the dislike we had of the Use of Tobacco, tending 
  to a generall and new Corruption both of Men’s Bodies and Manners, 
  and yet nevertheless houlding it of the two, more tolerable that the same 
  should be ymported amongst many other Vanities and Superfluities 
  which came beyond the Seas, then permitted to be planted here within 
  this Realm, thereby to abuse the misimploy of the Soile of this fruitfull 
  Kindome; did, by our Proclamation, dated the thirtieth Day of December 
  nowe last past, straightly charg and command, all, and euerie Person 
  and Persons, of what Degree or Condition soever, that they, or any of 
  them, by themselves their Servantes, Workmen or Laborers, should not, 
  from and after the Second Day of February then next following, presume 
  to sowe, set, or plant, or cause to be sowen, set, or planted, within this 
  our Realme of England, and the Dominion of Wales, any Sort or Kinde of 
  Tobacco whatsoever, and that they, or any of them, should not maintaine 
  or conteynue any old Stockes or Plantes of Tobacco formerly sowen or 
  planted, but should forthwith utterly destroy and roote up the same.” 
  “A Proclamation for the Restraint 
  of the Disordered Trading of Tobacco”, 1620
  Indigenous Peoples and Citizenship
  You will want to establish early on how indigenous peoples are treated 
  under colonial law. As your colony progresses and more contact is 
  made between colonists and indigenous peoples, the more chances are 
  that a colonist will do something to break a tribal custom of one of the 
  indigenous peoples or a member of one of the indigenous tribes will 
  do something to break one of the laws of the colony. Most likely one of 
  your players will be the first to perform such an action. Because these 
  actions can often enter a legal grey area, they allow for opportunities to 
  explore moral choices by colony leaders and by the players. 
  Encounter 1: While exploring, your players are attacked (or attack) a 
  party from one of the indigenous tribes. The tribe comes to the colony 
  leader demanding that the leader hand over the players or provide 
  adequate restitution. How do your players respond since their actions 
  were perfectly legal by colony standards? 
  Encounter 2: A member of an indigenous tribe kills a colonist who 
  was trying to cheat him in a trade. The member of the tribe claims 
  he is completely justified by his tribe’s customs, which strictly forbid 
  cheating another person for fear of the punishment of death. The local 
  magistrate has imprisoned the member of the tribe and wants to try 
  him under colonial law; an action your players are sure will lead to a 
  swift “guilty” verdict and execution. Meanwhile, the tribe has begun 
  making war preparations if the member of the tribe is not released, 
  which will mean several deaths on both sides. 
  
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  Achieving Goals with the 
  help of Factions 
  Once the players help the 
  faction, they will in turn gain 
  the support of the faction. But 
  what use is it to gain the help 
  of the factions? Below are 
  some possible political goals 
  that can only be achieved 
  through their help. 
  Minor political goals: only 
  one colonial faction’s support 
  is needed.
  •Host a public event such as a 
  wedding, religious ceremony, 
  or speech to persuade the 
  colonists. 
  •Provide medical and food aid 
  to a native tribe or grippli. 
  •Build a headquarters for the 
  PC’s party. 
  •Defend a person in court 
  from minor offenses. 
  Moderate political goals: At 
  least two colonial factions’ 
  support is needed. 
  •Grant legal protection to the 
  natives or grippli. 
  •Provide military aid to a 
  native or grippli.
  •Declare a holiday in honor of 
  an event.
  •Request help from the known 
  world. 
  •Grant 
  citizenship 
  to 
  a 
  single grippli or native tribe 
  member. 
  •Defend a person in court 
  from major charges, such as 
  murder or sedition. 
  Major 
  political 
  goals: 
  A 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  colonial 
  factions must support the 
  goal. 
  •Declare war on a native 
  tribe
  •Outlaw a faction – this 
  destroys the faction. 
  •Grant citizenship to the 
  grippli or members of a native 
  tribe. 
  •Change a major law of the 
  colony.
  Factions
  Politics come into play whenever people group together for a common 
  purpose and the colony is no different. From the first day, the colonists 
  will form different factions and pursue their own agendas, regardless of 
  the possible consequences. If the player characters want to decide how 
  things are done in the colony, they must build up support among the 
  factions. This requires undertaking missions or giving up resources to 
  benefit the faction. 
  Each faction has its own agenda, enemies and unique resources. 
  Remember that the players don’t have to get involved with politics, but 
  they might want to get at least one faction to help them out at some 
  point or another. 
  A faction is destroyed when one of the following events happen:
  •The faction leader is killed.
  •The faction is outlawed by the colony.
  •The faction fails to complete at least one goal of its agenda by the end 
  of the first year. 
  •It becomes impossible for the faction to achieve any of its agenda by 
  the end of the first year.  
  •The player characters undertake a mission to destroy the faction and 
  succeed. 
  Merchants
  There are two options for this faction. You can either group all of 
  the merchants into one faction or create a separate faction for each 
  merchant lord. If you are running a politically oriented game, then use 
  the separate merchant lords. But if you don’t wish to spend that much 
  time on the merchants, use the consolidated faction entry. 
  Option One
  The Merchants (consolidated) - colonial
  Overview: The merchants want to exploit the New World’s vast resources 
  to become rich and powerful. They are not evil though as they are 
  strong supporters of a lawful government that protects their wealth 
  from raiders and thieves. They will seek to maximize their wealth by 
  working inside the existing colonial system and will not do business 
  with obviously evil or chaotic groups. 
  Agenda: Find new business opportunities and maximize profit. Players 
  who help them find new opportunities will gain their support. 
  Enemies: The Thieves Guild. 
  Unique Resources: Wealth. The merchants have the largest treasury of 
  any faction and can foot the bill for nearly anything if it has a suitable 
  payoff. They count as two factions when it comes to achieving political 
  goals. 
  
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  •Make slavery illegal in the 
  colony. 
  •Grant legal immunity to 
  a person on any charged 
  crimes. 
  Revolutionary 
  political 
  goals: 
  All 
  factions 
  must 
  support this goal.
  •Declare independence from 
  the known world. This goes 
  beyond the scope of this 
  primer, 
  but 
  revolutionary 
  minded 
  characters 
  might 
  want to forge a new nation. 
  In this case, they must gain 
  the support of all factions or 
  outlaw any factions who do 
  not support them. 
  Option Two
  The Eight Merchant Lords 
  All merchant lords are colonial factions
  Thelonious the Merchant Prince – male human
  Overview: A merchant prince from the known world, Thelonious 
  views himself the equal to any king or head priest. Unlike the other 
  merchants, he is willing to do business with anyone or anything that 
  can further his agenda, and is willing to expand into any trade if it 
  means a hefty profit. He is richer than any of the other merchant lords 
  but his ambition (some say arrogance) means that he will take on all 
  of them at once. 
  Agenda: Take over the colony by any means and make it a new fiefdom 
  in his growing empire. Destroy all other factions. Players who want his 
  support need to take out his enemies or help him gain political power.
   
  Enemies: Technically, all other factions. However, no one knows his 
  agenda and thus only the other merchant lords oppose him, simply 
  because he will compete with all of them at once. 
  Unique Resources: Unlimited wealth. Thelonious is richer than the 
  other seven combined. He can outspend them if necessary. He is not a 
  fool and won’t waste money unless he thinks it will mean victory. 
  Axgore the Slave Trader – male half-ogre
  Overview: A cunning half-ogre who has picked up enough business 
  skills to become the world’s greatest slave trader. Axgore knows that 
  the hard and brutal work necessary to build the colony and slaves are 
  the cheapest way of getting that work done. The governor will allow 
  slavery in the colony unless the players make it illegal. 
  Agenda: Expand slaving business by importing slaves to sell to the 
  factions of the colony. Enslave native tribes and grippli for export. 
  Players who want his support must help him with these tasks. Any 
  player who helps Axgore must be evil. Good and unaligned characters 
  will not participate in such a vile trade. 
  Enemies: The Church is Axgore’s greatest enemy. Mordecai is an idealist 
  who hates slavery and preaches openly against it.
   
  Unique Resources: Slaves. Axgore can provide skilled servants or even 
  slave warriors to help the players. 
  Falstaff – Plantation Owner – male human
  Overview: A retired adventuring rogue turned entrepreneur, Falstaff 
  wants to establish the first great plantation of the New World, raising 
  crops to feed the growing populace of the colony. He is a larger than life 
  figure, boastful and charming. He lights up any room he enters and few 
  can say no to him. His stubbornness and passion are only balanced 
  by the deep fits of rage that overtake him on occasion. His greatest ally 
  and enemy is himself. 
  
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  Agenda: Build the Falstaff plantation. Find new profitable crops in the 
  New World. Enjoy life to its fullest. 
  Enemies: Lo-Koth is his greatest business rival. He wants to show up 
  that arrogant cleric more than anything. 
  Unique Resources: Magical item arsenal. As a retired adventurer, 
  Falstaff has a large arsenal of magical items that may loan to the player 
  characters for a limited time or may sell to them. 
  Lo-Koth – Plantation Owner – female human
  Overview: A retired cleric of the Egyptian sun god Ra (or similar deity in 
  your campaign) who retained her magical abilities, Lo-Koth has come 
  to the New World to build a better life for herself and her family. As she 
  views herself the equal to any noble, Lo-Koth has imported a massive 
  work force of slaves and indentured servants to raise crops and do 
  her bidding. Lo-Koth no longer actively works to spread the word of 
  her god, but would like to build a temple to Ra and bring in several 
  younger priests to proselytize. She has a husband, two daughters and 
  three sons.
  Agenda: Beat Falstaff in business. Build a temple to Ra. Raise her 
  family’s social status. Get her daughters married to important men in 
  the colony. Find her sons powerful positions in the colony.  Players can 
  convert to Ra or help her defeat Falstaff by acquiring the best land or 
  help her daughters find husbands or her sons good jobs if they want to 
  gain her support. Note that she does not want her daughters to marry 
  adventurers as they have very short life spans in her experience. 
  Enemies: Falstaff as a business rival. Mordecai the priest because of 
  her opposing faith. 
  Unique Resource: Clerical powers. Lo-Koth can raise the dead and heal 
  the sick. She uses this power to heal her own family, servants and 
  slaves for the most part but will use it if the players help her out, even 
  if they do not worship Ra. 
  Luxion the Blacksmith – male warforged 
  Overview: An orderly metalworker who believes in hard work and having 
  a strong military. Luxion is blunt to the point of rudeness. He speaks 
  his mind and negotiates a hard bargain. However, once his loyalty is 
  earned, he will never betray his allies unless they betray him first. 
  Luxion despises weakness, softness, criminals, and slavers for their 
  practices and low honor. 
  Agenda: Find new sources of ore in the New World, become the sole 
  contractor for the colony’s military. Drive out criminals from the 
  colony. 
  Enemies: The Thieves Guild. Axgore is almost an enemy but Luxion 
  will only oppose him openly if the players ask for his support against 
  the slaver. 
  
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  Unique Resources: Master Smith. Luxion’s skills at the forge are 
  renowned. He can build or upgrade any magical metal item for the 
  players and can build custom items as well. He will only upgrade or 
  create magical weapons or armor for trusted allies, as he does not want 
  his work to be misused.  
   
  Wulf the Naturalist – male half-elf
  Overview: An experienced ranger with a mind for commerce, Wulf sees 
  the New World as a cornucopia of new herbs to harvest, animals to 
  hunt and trap, and flowers to collect to export back to the known world 
  for a handsome profit. While he spends most of his time in the colony 
  conducting business, he still loves to head out into the wild. While he 
  respects nature, he believes that its bounties are there to be exploited 
  for the good of mankind. 
  Agenda: Find new and exotic plants and animals with commercial value 
  and harvest them. Drive up demand for New World flora and fauna to 
  increase sales. Players who find new herbs or animals with value or 
  convince the nobility that they must get Wulf’s latest find in order to 
  be fashionable will earn his support. Find new components suitable for 
  ritual spell casters. 
  Enemies: Gribble-Lock the caravan trader frequently poaches Wulf’s 
  aristocratic customers. 
  Unique Resources: Wulf has a good supply of rare ingredients used for 
  magic and can provide ritual spell casters with all the components they 
  need for their spells. 
  Gribble-Lock the Caravan Trader – female halfling
  Overview: An eccentric world-traveler who has traded and dealt with 
  practically every civilization and culture in the world, Gribble-lock loves 
  to meet new people and swindle them out of their money. She isn’t a 
  thief exactly but she’s always on the lookout for a quick gold coin and 
  loves to overstate the value of her merchandise. She trades whatever 
  she thinks has the greatest payoff. One month, she’ll stock up on wine 
  and incense, then next swords and ink. She is the most chaotic of all 
  of the merchant lords. 
  Agenda: Find a big pay day. In the New World, she’ll be the first to sell 
  to the native tribes and any player who introduces her to the tribes will 
  win her favor. 
  Enemies: Wulf despises her for stealing customers. The Thieves Guild 
  dislikes her for her skill at gambling. She’s won thousands of gold coins 
  from them over the years. They suspect she cheats but can’t prove it. 
  Unique Resources: Gribble-lock has a vast network of contacts and 
  informants to keep her apprised of the latest news all over the world. 
  She can introduce the players to practically anyone in the world or 
  learn nearly any secret…for a price. 
  
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  Loric the Lumber Magnate – male human
  Overview: A rough man, Loric is as brutish as the lumberjacks who 
  work for him. He sees the forests of the New World only as lumber to 
  be chopped down and sold. However, he takes great care to ingratiate 
  himself with the government and other merchant lords by hosting 
  lavish drinking parties. He is quite insecure about his position and 
  tends to punish those who betray him or may betray him in the future 
  by having some of his men ambush the unfortunate. 
  Agenda: Secure lumber rights for the forests surrounding the colony. 
  Get rid of any potential obstacles to getting that lumber. Players who 
  want to earn his favor can take care of the natives who stand in his 
  way.
  Enemies: Both the Black Raven and Gray Fang Tribes do not want 
  Loric’s men to wantonly harvest the trees of the local forests. 
  Unique Resources: Loric maintains a personal goon squad to threaten, 
  harass and blackmail his enemies. If the players have befriended Loric 
  and have problems with another faction in the colony, Loric will sic the 
  squad after them and either dig up dirt or force them to leave the players 
  alone. The goon squad won’t be effective against militant or violent 
  factions like the crusaders or the thieves guild but will be persuasive 
  against the other factions. 
  The Church – Colonial Faction
  Leader: Mordecai the Priest – male human cleric
  Overview: The church of a dominant good aligned deity sends Mordecai, 
  a few acolytes and a handful of church warriors to accompany the 
  expedition. During the long journey, Mordecai converts many colonists 
  and reinforces the faith of others so that by the time the expedition 
  makes landfall, the church is a powerful faction within the colony. 
  Mordecai is a talented cleric, a charismatic speaker, experienced 
  administrator and natural leader. He is also an idealist who believes in 
  peace and his god. The church hierarchy knows the New World will be 
  a vital territory in the years to come, so they sent one of their best to 
  lay the foundations of its first diocese. 
  Agenda: Mordecai wants to establish the first diocese of his church 
  in the New World. Ideally, he wants to convert all of the colonists to 
  his faith and make all of the laws reflect the tenets of his religion. Of 
  course, he knows that will be highly impractical. He would be content 
  to win the hearts and minds of as many people as possible. Players who 
  help spread the faith will win his favor. 
  Enemies: The thieves guild and Axgore hate him for his sermons that 
  denounce their practices. Lo-Koth worships a rival god and has great 
  wealth and power. 
  Unique Resources: Mordecai is a powerful cleric able to raise the dead, 
  remove curses and heal the sick. Furthermore, he has access to the 
  vast accumulated lore of his church. If he doesn’t know the answer to 
  
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  a question, he can request scholarly aid from the known world. He will 
  only provide this aid to the faithful. 
  The Crusaders – Colonial Faction – special 
  Leader: Sebastian the Templar – male dwarf paladin
  Overview: The militant arm of Mordecai’s church. The crusaders will 
  only establish a presence in the New World if word of the Dark Entity 
  reaches Mordecai. Once Mordecai learns of the Dark Entity, he will 
  send a request for help from the central church and the crusaders will 
  soon arrive. 
  Agenda: Investigate the Dark Entity and stop it, at all costs. Root 
  out demons, undead and other evil creatures. Raise an army in the 
  New World. Players who provide lore about the Dark Entity or destroy 
  evil monsters in the name of the church will become allies of the 
  crusaders. 
  Enemies: The thieves guild, the cult of the Dark Entity, all native tribes, 
  Axgore, Lo-Koth. The colonial government and governor dislike the 
  crusaders because they weaken the sovereignty of the government. 
  Unique Resources: The Crusaders can call upon angelic warriors to 
  fight great evil if necessary. They will only do so as a last resort. They 
  also have many zealous warriors, a large arsenal of holy weapons and 
  armor and several experienced clerics to raise the dead
  Thieves Guild – Special – Secret faction
  Leader: Sigmund the faceless – doppelganger rogue 
  Overview: Normally, the thieves guild wouldn’t be interested in a poor 
  and remote colony, far from the riches of the known world. However, a 
  rival nation from the known world wants to take over the colony. They 
  have paid the thieves guild to either usurp control of the colony or 
  destroy it altogether. The guild members pose as pirates and bandits to 
  cover their true identity. The players will only learn about the thieves 
  guild if they capture a member and interrogate them or intercept a 
  message from the known world. 
  Agenda: Weaken the colony. Stir up conflict within the colony and try 
  to get one faction to attempt a coup or take it over by force themselves. 
  Rob the colonists of all of their wealth. Find any other profitable 
  opportunities in the New World. Characters can only gain the support 
  of the guild by helping them take it over. 
  Enemies: All other factions but in particular the colony government 
  Unique Resources: The guild is highly skilled at espionage, ambushes, 
  assassination and general skullduggery. They can effectively take out 
  three factions by themselves. If the colony is reduced to three factions 
  or less, the thieves guild can take over the colony in a final assault. 
  
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  The Goblin hulk – Special 
  Leader: None! Five goblin chieftains collectively control the goblin 
  hulk but the goblins are an unorganized mob. The faction can only be 
  destroyed if all five chieftains are slain or the goblin hulk is destroyed. 
  Overview: A horde of goblins in a massive jury-rigged ship, a hulk, may 
  or may not make it across the ocean. If the goblins show up, they will 
  try to exploit the resources of the New World as best they can. They 
  are incredibly greedy and have no sense of moderation. In a year, they 
  will utterly devastate Saria. However, as the incredible cowards they 
  are, they will not fight or openly oppose the colony. In fact, they agree 
  to work for whoever pays them. Given the limited number of colonists, 
  they will be useful to the colony but what if more of them show up?
  Agenda: Get rich, get food and shelter, and invite more goblins to join 
  them. Players can easily gain the support of the faction with a few well 
  placed bribes. 
  Enemies: The native tribes and grippli. 
  Unique Resources: The goblins are surprisingly effective as manual 
  laborers. If the players need a lot of work done quickly and without 
  complaint, the goblins are the faction to call. 
  Colonial Government – Colonial Faction
  Leader: Governor Wyatt – male human fighter
  Overview: Captain of the expedition and governor of the colony, Wyatt 
  is the sole source of legitimate governmental authority in the colony. 
  He is a harsh man but also an experienced hand in politics. He is 
  pragmatic leader above all and is willing to make any reasonable deal 
  to assure the colony’s safety. 
  Agenda: Ensure the survival of the colony by any means necessary. 
  Defeat all threats to the colony. Players who help with either goal will 
  earn his favor. 
  Enemies: The thieves guild. 
  Unique Resources: Governor Wyatt is the law of the colony. He can 
  pardon any crime, imprison anyone, grant citizenship or change laws. 
  Normally, he will only do so if the other factions in the colony agree to 
  it, as he needs their help as well but if a vital mission calls for it, Wyatt 
  will not hesitate to act. 
  Pontifex the Lich – Secret
  History: Little is known about Pontifex’s background, but he was there 
  when the first nomadic tribes discovered the New World. He is thought 
  by some tribal elders to be the only Lemurian in existence and the only 
  one who survived the destruction of the ancient civilization. 
  
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  Many tribes tell the story of the Blood Dogs tribe. They were a dark 
  and violent tribe who admired Pontifex’s strength. To please him, they 
  enslaved a smaller tribe and sacrificed all of them in Pontifex’s honor 
  and their mystics summoned demons to help conquer the world in his 
  name. The lich arrived one night and killed every adult in the Blood 
  Dogs tribe. He then ordered the nearby tribes to raise the remaining 
  children as their own but never explained why the Blood Dogs angered 
  him. To this day, adults tell the story of the Blood Dogs to terrify their 
  children around the nightly campfires. 
  Overview: Known as ‘Grandfather’ to every tribe of the New World, 
  Pontifex is the oldest being on the continent and one of its most powerful. 
  Even the nature spirits respect Pontifex’s arcane skills. Despite his 
  strength, the tribes do not fear Pontifex per se. Rather they view him 
  in the same way they view storms, forest fires and other events beyond 
  their control. They stay out of his way for the most part and obey him 
  if he asks them to do something for him. Even the tribes who hate 
  undead and necromancy do not hate Pontifex, as the lich has protected 
  the land from demonic incursions and other disasters several times 
  over the centuries. Of course as a lich, Pontifex rarely interacts with 
  mortals, preferring to spend most of his time hidden away, researching 
  and meditating. 
  Agenda: Pontifex wishes to destroy the Dark Entity, by any means 
  necessary. He does not care how many die to achieve this goal, but he 
  does not use unnecessary brutality either. He has effectively banned the 
  worship of demons among the tribes of the New World, as he fears that 
  their presence might awaken the Dark Entity. As a practical matter, he 
  will oppose any colonial faction that hunt undead, although he prefers 
  to subvert them rather than destroy them outright. Pontifex takes the 
  long view, preferring to spend however long it takes to carry out his 
  plans.  
  Currently, he is investigating legends of a subterranean cult of the 
  Dark Entity, headquartered somewhere below the Saria region. He will 
  study the colony with great interest and may attempt to recruit one or 
  more of the player characters as his agents, promising the knowledge 
  to accomplish their goals.  
  Enemies: The Dark Entity’s minions. Any anti-undead faction. Those 
  who oppose his will. 
  Unique Resources: Pontifex is a mastermind who can provide brilliant 
  advice on virtually any topic, from politics to parenting, believe it or 
  not. He has thousands of years of experience and has studied every 
  topic in order to explore every possible option in defeating the Dark 
  Entity. 
  
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  The Tribes of the New World
  Many tribes of sapient humanoids live in the New World. The largest 
  and most powerful tribes are usually human or elven but there are 
  exceptions. All of these tribes descend from the same ancestors, a few 
  nomadic hunting tribes that found the New World over a thousand years 
  ago. Since then, the tribes splintered into different groups primarily 
  over differences in belief. 
  When it comes to understanding the tribes, it is best to learn the 
  foundation of every tribe’s ideology which stems from two central 
  concepts: how they reacted to Lemurian ruins and destruction of 
  Lemuria and how they interact with the nature spirits of the New 
  World. 
  The vast scale of Lemuria’s ruins and the implicit knowledge that 
  something of unimaginable power destroyed the Lemurians virtually 
  overnight has profoundly affected the natives of the New World. Every 
  tribe wonders what happened and whether it could happen again. As a 
  result, every tribe has a unique myth of the Lemuria. This myth always 
  justifies the core ideology of the tribe and forms the foundation of the 
  tribe’s outlook on life. 
  The shamans, medicine men, druids and other tribal mystics eventually 
  learned of the Dark Entity and its ziggurat prison within the Plains of 
  Sorrow – a near-mythic wasteland deep inside the New World. They told 
  their tribesmen and the Dark Entity has become a figure of universal 
  evil among the tribes. Each tribe has a theory as to the Entity’s origin 
  and agenda but none know for certain. 
  The Gray Fangs Tribe
  Leader: Agantha the elder druid – male half-elf
  Common races: Human, elf and half-elf
  History: The Gray Fangs are one of the oldest tribes in the New World. 
  They were the first to learn the secrets of druidic magic from the nature 
  spirits. They passed their knowledge to other tribes in exchange for 
  peace treaties and as a result, few tribes would raid the Gray Fangs. 
  Their name derives from an event early in their history.
  The first druid of the Gray Fangs was once chased by a demon, a 
  wandering minion of the Dark Entity. The druid fell near a cliff and 
  grabbed a rock to defend himself. To his surprise, the gray rock was 
  shaped like a dragon’s fang and its sharp edge easily pierced the 
  demon’s heart. The druid saw this as a sign from the Earth spirit that 
  his tribes were the Gray Fangs of the world – stoic defenders against 
  the Dark Entity and all other unnatural evils. 
  Beliefs: The destructions of the Lemurians and their proud cities prove 
  that mortals were not meant to alter the landscape in such a dramatic 
  fashion. Instead, mortals should live in harmony with nature, harvesting 
  only what they need. The Dark Entity is the ultimate predator and it 
  Water Spirit Idol by 
  Vincent Daniels 
  
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  Tribal Territoral Map
  The Gray Fangs control the 
  northern green area while the 
  Black Ravens control the red 
  southern territory. 
  The colony’s land (and all 
  the water sources next to the 
  colony) officially falls in the 
  Black Raven’s territory so 
  the colonists will have to deal 
  with them first. 
  will awaken once again when the mortal races become numerous and 
  advanced enough to arouse the Entity’s appetite. This is inevitable, but 
  by taking a different path than the Lemurians and allying themselves 
  closely with powerful nature spirits, the Gray Fangs believe that they 
  will be able to stop or at least survive the Dark Entity’s next attack. 
  Pragmatism and endurance are chief virtues in the tribe. Mortals are 
  subject to the whims of the nature spirits and they have no choice but 
  to make the best of it. To the other tribes, the Gray Fangs are known 
  as expert negotiators and hagglers, who prefer to talk instead of taking 
  action. The only way to rouse them to action is to either threaten them 
  directly or poison the land with dark magic. The Black Ravens did both 
  when they began to raise an army of the undead. 
  The Colony: Once the Gray Fangs learn of the colony, they will approach 
  it carefully. As long as the colony treats them peacefully, they will 
  leave it alone. However, if the colonists blatantly exploit the wilderness 
  without any sense of moderation or if they take hostile action against 
  the Gray Fangs, the tribe will declare war on the colony. Fortunately, 
  the Gray Fangs prefer to talk over resorting to violence. 
  The actions of the colony will remind the Gray Fangs of the Lemurians, 
  particularly how they are building a permanent city with stone 
  structures. However, they believe it is too early to judge them. Perhaps, 
  in the years to come, they will rethink their position on the colony. 
  Agenda: Serve the will of the nature spirits. Protect the land from evil 
  magic. Live peacefully with all except the Black Ravens Tribe. Players 
  who negotiate a peace treaty with them and the colony will become 
  friends of the tribe. 
  Enemies: The Black Ravens Tribe. 
  Unique Resources: The Gray Fangs can contact any nature spirit, 
  allowing the players to directly communicate with any of the majors 
  spirits. 
  The Black Raven Tribe
  Leader: Croesis female human wizard (tribal necromancer)
  Races: Human, elf, half-elf, gnoll
  History: The Black Ravens began as a mystic society within the Gray 
  Fangs so named because ravens were thought to know all secrets of 
  the world. They were keenly interested in learning how to fight the 
  Dark Entity and its many minions. By plumbing the depths of some 
  Lemurian ruins, a Black Raven named Croesis discovered the secrets 
  of a powerful style of necromancy. This style of necromancy empowered 
  any creature raised by it with incredible powers when fighting demons 
  and devils. Croesis told the others in the Black Ravens and they began 
  to experiment with raising their own undead army. Croesis reasoned 
  that they could eventually raise an army capable of destroying the Dark 
  Entity. After all, their undead servants never aged. Furthermore, these 
  undead would be immune to the Dark Entity’s corruption. 
  
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  Croesis confronted the Gray Fangs leaders and told them of her bold 
  plan to destroy the Dark Entity. The elders were horrified by her 
  actions and exiled her from the tribe. Many went with her and they 
  formed a new tribe and even took in a clan of gnolls to complement 
  their numbers. For the first several years, there was an uneasy peace 
  between the two tribes but the Black Ravens quickly built a large army 
  of undead warriors. Some in the Gray Fangs worried that the Black 
  Ravens would test their army on them. The breaking point happened 
  when a Black Raven shaman found the corpse of a scorpion demi-god 
  in a remote desert. The mammoth corpse was over a mile long and the 
  Black Ravens soon formed a coalition with several like minded tribes to 
  raise it as an unstoppable undead siege engine. Once the Gray Fangs 
  learned of their plan, they demanded that they stopped. The Black 
  Ravens refused and the tribes went to war. 
  While the Black Ravens had a huge army of undead, they found that 
  they could not maneuver well with such a ponderous force. The Gray 
  Fangs summoned elemental beings to complement their numbers and 
  called down great storms. The tribes seldom met in huge numbers, but 
  their battles were bloody and frequent. The Black Ravens learned how 
  to fight alongside their undead servants while the Gray Fangs pioneered 
  new forms of elemental magic. After several decades of open conflict, 
  the pace of the war has slowed down considerably. Now, each tribe is 
  content to just raid the other, with border skirmishes happening nearly 
  every week. The Black Ravens set aside a certain percentage of the 
  undead they raise and set them to harass the Gray Fangs without any 
  instruction from a living tribal warrior or necromancer. The Gray Fangs 
  have set many traps near their territory to ward off the Black Ravens. 
  It’s become a stalemate. 
  Beliefs: The Black Ravens believe that necromancy and undead are not 
  inherently evil, but are tools molded by their wielder. Thus, an army 
  of immortal, untiring warriors who are immune to the Dark Entity’s 
  corrupting nature are the ultimate weapon against it. They believe it 
  is immoral to not use every weapon available to fight the Dark Entity. 
  However, they also believe that building permanent stone structures is 
  arrogant and too reminiscent of the Lemurians for comfort. 
  Note that the Black Ravens are not evil. While they use undead and 
  necromancy, they believe it is the best way to save the world from the 
  Dark Entity. 
  Reaction to the Colony: The Black Ravens will be worried about the 
  presence of the colony. They fear that it might ally with the Gray Fangs 
  or simply declare war on them for their necromantic practices. Thus, 
  they will be eager to strike up a deal with the colony. They control the 
  river close to the colony and will grant access in exchange for peace. 
  Unique Resources: The magic users of the Black Ravens are skilled 
  necromancers, able to raise, control or destroy most undead. Only 
  Grandfather (Pontifex the Lich) exceeds the Black Raven elders in 
  necromantic power.  They can exorcise spirits, grant necromantic lore 
  or provide powerful undead servants to the players. 
  
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  Nature Spirits
  The nature spirits are beings of great cosmic power, nearly as strong as 
  the gods themselves. Unlike the gods, the nature spirits do not demand 
  organized worship nor do they particularly favor the mortal races over 
  lesser animals and beasts. However, each spirit demands respect 
  from those who make use of its domain and the sprits do make use of 
  dedicated mortals. They love to empower warlocks, druids and shamans 
  to carry out their agenda. Nature spirits can even grant clerical powers 
  to mortals but only do so to gifted and ambitious mortals who would 
  fulfill the wishes of the spirit.  Every major animal, plant and element 
  has a nature spirit. The following list is by no means complete.
  Water – Unpredictable and prone to streaks of cruelty, Water enjoys to 
  see mortals fight for their lives. In particular, she loves pitting moral 
  dilemmas to mortals who ask for her favor. She is endlessly fascinated 
  by the drama generated by such angst. She wants to keep all bodies of 
  water clean and free from over-fishing. 
  Coyote – A trickster nature spirit, Coyote wants nothing more than to 
  prove that he is the cleverest of all beings in the universe. To that end, 
  he wants to activate the Lemurian machine but he needs the help of 
  a band of adventurers to reassemble it. He also tends to help other 
  tricksters out if they want to pull off an ambitious con. Of course, 
  nothing is funnier than tricking the trickster so a mortal who receives 
  Coyote’s help should be very cautious about it. 
  Ant -  The great builder. Ant is keenly interested in civilization and wants 
  all mortals to behave more orderly and reasonably as he finds chaos 
  very disconcerting. Individual suffering and free will mean nothing to 
  Ant, only the greater good of the community. Anyone who promises to 
  bring order where there is chaos will gain Ant’s interest. 
  Wolf – Wolf respects hunters and despises unnatural monsters that 
  upset the balance. Demons, undead and aberrations that kill for sport 
  are common targets for his wrath. Those who follow Wolf are loners who 
  seldom interact with others but on occasion, they will join a group in 
  order to take down a larger prey. Wolf is loyal to a fault to his followers, 
  even if they stray far from his path. 
  Deer – In the New World, Deer imparts wisdom to shamans, warning 
  them of supernatural dangers. She does not mind if his children are 
  hunted but is angered when hunters fail to respect their sacrifice by 
  praying to her after they kill a deer. 
  Air – Nearly as unpredictable as his sister, Water, Air enjoys brewing 
  storms and causing trouble among the mortals. He favors those who 
  fight with wild abandon and use magic to wreck havoc. He dislikes 
  buildings that shield mortals from his fury and will not help anyone 
  who lives in such a structure. Passionate mortals who stand for their 
  beliefs despite great odds impress him. 
  
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  Fire – A dark being fueled by rage, Fire is feared almost as much as 
  the Dark Entity. Mortals cannot befriend him. Instead they must face 
  him and show absolute bravery in order to wrest some of his power 
  away from him. Mortals who show such tenacity can use his power 
  to whatever end they desire. Fire secretly longs to marry Water but 
  cannot see how such a match could be made. 
  Earth – Earth spends most of his time slumbering. Shamans who call 
  on him simply enter his dreams to gain his favor. He is impressed 
  with shows of politeness and calmness in the face of danger. Mortals 
  who destroy the festering evils that lurk underground, such as undead 
  or aberrations may be rewarded with gems. It is nearly impossible to 
  rouse his anger but when Earth acts, it is with apocalyptic rage. 
  The Water spirit by 
  Vincent Daniels 
  
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  The role of the adventurer 
  in the colony
  So what kind of social position 
  do the players have in the 
  colony? Initially, they are 
  included in the expedition as 
  cannon fodder, to be blunt. 
  Disposable muscle that can 
  fight off local monsters or 
  hostile natives. The average 
  colonist views adventurers as 
  selfish mercenaries who fight 
  for personal glory and gold 
  and who couldn’t perform an 
  honest day’s work. 
  Of course, the reputation 
  of 
  an 
  adventuring 
  party 
  soars after they accomplish 
  heroic deeds. Once the party 
  completes some mission of 
  crucial importance to the 
  colony, the citizens will view 
  them as members of the upper 
  classes, similar to the nobility 
  or wealthy merchants. 
  Furthermore, it is common 
  knowledge in the colony that 
  adventurers are incredibly 
  dangerous to their enemies 
  and many times their allies. 
  Legendary 
  monsters 
  fall 
  beneath their blades and 
  spells. Armies flee at the sight 
  of an adventuring party armed 
  to the teeth with magical 
  weapons and loaded to bear. 
  But the tales of adventurers 
  who neglected to protect their 
  friends and allies are told 
  frequently by the settlers. The 
  average settler might praise a 
  heroic adventurer but will still 
  keep a respectful distance 
  from them, as they fear being 
  collateral damage. 
  Backgrounds
  Slave – You were once a member of your community in the known world, 
  but you made a mistake and it has now cost you your freedom. With the 
  prisons in the known world full, and the New World in desperate need 
  of some indentured servants to work the land, you’ve been shipped out 
  to the colony. Once there, Axgore recognizes your potential as a killing 
  machine, so he begins to hire you out to adventurers in need of an 
  extra hand.
        Some things to consider: What was your crime?  
        Can you atone for your sins? How? 
        What have you lost due to your crime?
  Associated Skills: athletics, streetwise 
  Church Follower – The Church has established itself as a very 
  powerful force in the new colony. Though there are other deities that 
  are represented here in the New World, none of them have the might 
  and power that the Church has. As a follower, you are partially a cop, 
  partially an adventurer and completely devoted to spreading light to 
  the darkness of the world. There is plenty of darkness here too. With 
  each discovery of a new tribe, come more pagans to be converted to the 
  ideals of kindness, mercy and compassion – by any means necessary. 
        Some things to consider: How will you deal with the Black Raven 
  tribe considering their ideals are so different than yours? 
        There is so much room for advancement here in the New World 
  that many faithful might become corrupted by power, how will you 
  overcome this?
  Associate Skills: history, religion 
  Grey Fang Outcast – Every member of the Grey Fang tribe is allowed to 
  leave the tribe on their own to better understand their relationship with 
  the world around them. After a sufficient amount of time has passed, the 
  Grey Fang can return to the tribe or may continue traveling the world 
  searching for their purpose. If the Grey Fang chooses to leave the tribe, 
  they will be considered to be the lowest form of life. You are journeying 
  away from your people when you come across the colony and you can’t 
  help but be fascinated by it. Who are these strange people?
        Some things to consider: What will happen if the people of the 
  colony realize you are an outsider? 
        These outsiders seem to be harming the environment to build their 
  farms. What will you do about it?  
        Will you return home?
  Associated Skills: Nature, Endurance 
  
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  Cartographer – This New World is absolutely a cartographer’s dream – 
  a whole new continent to explore and map out so the known world can 
  marvel at your accomplishments. Why, you could be the first to discover 
  a valuable mine of gems and name it for yourself! You could become 
  very rich in this endeavor, but you’ll have to get working because you 
  aren’t the only one in a hurry to make discoveries. Find yourself some 
  adventurers to help you out and get going!
        Some things to consider: What is your relationship to the other 
  cartographers in the New World?
        Being a cartographer can be quite dangerous, how will you convince 
  others to follow you?
  Associated Skills: Dungeoneering, Perception 
  Thieves’ Guild Member – A colony has to have people and where there 
  are people, there is an opportunity to commit crimes. Crime is fun and 
  all, but you know that crime going unchecked is just chaos. You love 
  your crime nice and organized and that is why you’re part of the Guild. 
  It doesn’t matter what race or class you are. It doesn’t matter what 
  deity you worship or what profession you have. The only thing that 
  matters is that you are in the Guild and everyone in the Guild protects 
  their own. You are a power player here in the New World and yet, no 
  one knows it because you manipulate everyone from the shadows.
        Some things to consider: Some pesky adventurers are picking off 
  Guild members and no one messes with the Guild. What will you do? 
        You always have a backup plan for everything, so how do you build 
  all of that power? 
        How did you get into the Guild? 
        Perhaps you are tired of the old ways. The New World is a chance 
  for a fresh start, so how do you make the Guild legitimate?
  Associated Skills: Streetwise, Bluff 
  Naturalist – Oh what a world and such wonders in it! This new land 
  has all sorts of creatures and plants that you have never seen before! 
  You wish to catalog them all while there is still time to stake a claim on 
  these things. New plants are interesting, but this new race of frog-like 
  men, the grippli, seems particularly puzzling.
        Some things to consider: What are you looking for specifically in 
  this New World? What is your focus? Plants, animals, new races?
        You’re fascinated by the grippli, but why? Why are so many others 
  fascinated by them? What is their physiology like?
  Associated Skills: Nature, Heal 
  
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  Adventure Hooks 
  Mutiny
  Opening:  The colony is still in its early stages.  Supplies are still being 
  unloaded, and only the barest of essentials are available.  One morning 
  during this time, a small dinghy from one of the ships rows ashore, 
  bearing a small group of sailors who are bloodied and exhausted.  Once 
  ashore, they report that a mutiny has occurred on their ship.  The 
  first mate and a large number of the crew seized the ship during the 
  night and imprisoned the captain and some of the other crewmen who 
  remained loyal.  The first mate plans to set sail back for the known 
  world and sell the supplies to another nation, using the captain and the 
  others as hostages to ensure their escape.  The ship contains supplies 
  vital to the survival of the colony, and its loss could be devastating to 
  the colonists.
  The Plot:  Unwilling to lose the ship, the captain has ordered volunteers 
  to form a raiding party to partake in a night mission to row out to the 
  ship and retake it.  The survivors of the mutiny report that some of the 
  rigging was damaged in the fighting, so the players have some time 
  to formulate a plan.  To sneak up on the ship would require a small 
  group and only one boat.  Any larger a force would run the risk of being 
  detected.  Even though the captain is in charge, it will be largely up 
  to the players to decide how many should go, how the attack should 
  be planned, and decide what supplies will be needed to accomplish 
  the mission.  While supplies are limited, the captain makes available 
  whatever he can.
  Complications:  The approach to the ship is one of the more difficult 
  problems to work out.  The mutineers are well aware that reprisals are 
  possible, but remain confident that any effort to retake the ship will 
  not be ready before the rigging is repaired and they can get underway. 
  Nevertheless, they will have lookouts posted to watch for any attacking 
  party.  If the players have befriended the Grippli, they could provide 
  a huge advantage for any amphibious assault.  Once the ship is 
  boarded, it’s a matter of subduing the mutineers before they can kill 
  their hostages.  Most of the mutineers are simple sailors with crude 
  weapons, but the First Mate and a few others are seasoned fighters.  If 
  things go very wrong, the mutineers may even try to scuttle the ship.
  Resolution:  The single goal of the mission is to retake the ship intact 
  and preserve the supplies it carries.  If the players accomplish this, 
  then the mission is considered a success.  Extra rewards should be 
  given if the players also manage to save the captain and most of the 
  captives.  If the ship should be lost, or the supplies destroyed, then 
  the colony is in for some very difficult times.  Food stores will be lost, 
  and a large number of irreplaceable tools will vanish as well.  While the 
  colony may not be doomed, it will require some dedicated effort (from 
  the PCs) to make sure the colonists have a chance to survive.
  
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  A peaceful outcome may be possible, but it will take some serious effort 
  on the part of the PCs.  The mutineers are well aware that they have 
  committed a capital offense, and nothing short of a promise of safe 
  passage with the ship will suffice.  They will be open to surrendering the 
  captives as well as most of the vital supplies, so long as they are allowed 
  enough provisions to make it back to the known world.  Of course, to the 
  captain, the mutineers deserve nothing less than summary execution. 
  He will not be happy with the players if they allow the mutineers to 
  leave with the ship, captives and supplies notwithstanding.
  Ill-Gotten Gains
  Opening:  One day, from out of the blue, a band of tribal hunters 
  approaches the camp, bearing a freshly killed dinosaur-like creature. 
  They announce they wish to trade the meat for some things they do not 
  possess, such as metal tools, books, and so forth.  Their terms are quite 
  favorable to the colony.  In fact, the rate of exchange they are offering 
  makes little sense to anyone skilled in bartering and trade.  Still, fresh 
  food is something the colony needs, so the exchanges are made and the 
  tribals head back off into the wilderness.
  The Plot:  Those who worried about the overly-generous terms of the 
  trade turn out to be correct.  Hours later, a large band of lizardfolk 
  hunters emerge from the woods, demanding the return of their property. 
  It turns out that the tribals had stolen the kill from the lizardfolk and 
  were desperate to get rid of it when the lizardfolk found out and gave 
  pursuit.  They don’t care in the slightest if they are told that the colony 
  didn’t know the meat was stolen when they traded for it.  The lizardfolk 
  want their kill back, and are prepared to attack the colony en masse if 
  it is not returned.  
  Complications:  The players (and indeed, everyone in the colony) have 
  a serious problem.  The lizardfolk are not simple tribesman, but rather 
  seasoned hunters and warriors.  Their numbers are sufficient to make 
  any fight a desperate one.  While the colony could very well hold of the 
  attack, it is guaranteed that they would take many casualties in the 
  process.  Giving the meat back is an option, but that would mean that 
  the colony would have given away valuable tools for no return.
  Resolution:  If events take the violent route, it is likely that the colony 
  will emerge the victor, but it will be drained of manpower, and left 
  vulnerable if another attack comes.  Also, the colony will have the 
  bitter enmity of the lizardfolk, who will not forget the incident and may 
  well hound the colony for years to come.  If they return the meat, the 
  lizardfolk leave without another word, and the colony will be short of 
  supplies.  The lizardfolk will also remember that the colony is weak, 
  and will be back to make more demands in the future.  
  The lizardfolk are not averse to negotiating, however.  They recognize 
  that the colony has future potential and may, given enough convincing, 
  offer to let the colony keep the meat if the entire colony agrees to grant 
  the lizardfolk a single favor at a later date.  This will end the possibility 
  of an attack and let the colony keep the meat it traded for.  This will 
  
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  also mean that the colony is indebted to a tribe of predatory lizardfolk, 
  who may come to cash in that favor in the future.  That favor is not 
  likely to be a pleasant one.
  Protection
  Opening:  At some point during the building of the colony, the number 
  of able-bodied individuals capable of defending the stockades dwindles. 
  Perhaps some of the men are ill, or perhaps they are needed to mount 
  repairs after a storm.  Whatever the case, the colony is left poorly 
  defended, and with threats mounting outside the walls, people are on 
  a razors edge.  At the height of this fear, a group of gnolls approach the 
  camp under a sign of truce.  They announce that they are refugees from 
  a distant tribe and are looking for a place to call home.  The gnolls say 
  they have several trained warriors who will swear loyalty to the colony 
  and help defend it if they are allowed asylum.  They even go so far as to 
  offer to convert to the worship of the Church to show their sincerity.
  The Plot:  In most circumstances, this offer would seem completely 
  insane, even to the most foolish of people.  But the colony is in desperate 
  times, and such times call for desperate measures.  The gnolls are 
  tentatively allowed in, under the conditions that they immediately 
  agree to all of the claims they made.  And they all seem to do so.  The 
  entire group which consists of six warriors, five adult gnolls, and 
  eight children, all swear loyalty to the colony.  They all submit to the 
  priesthood and convert to the Church, and go about doing what they 
  can to aid the colony.
  Complications:  Everything is just fine, right?  Not in the slightest.  No 
  one in the colony is happy about the agreement, and the colony guards 
  are especially irate.  Who knows what these creatures are planning? 
  They might be plotting to raid the colony from within, or make offer the 
  people as sacrifices to some dark god.  Or, for all anyone knows, they 
  could be planning to make a meal out of every colonist in the camp. 
  The captain of the guard comes to the PCs with a plan to eliminate the 
  gnolls once and for all.  It consists of killing the six warriors first, then 
  turning their attention to the remaining adults.  The gnoll young could 
  then be disposed of at the guard’s leisure.
  Resolution:  Should the players side with the guards, the plan is a fairly 
  successful one.  Even though the gnoll warriors are quite fearsome 
  opponents, they are heavily outnumbered.  A few guards may die, but 
  the gnolls will quickly be subdued.  Of course, the players will have to 
  contend with the slaughter of eight gnoll children after the battle.  Or, 
  the players could inform the captain of the plot.  He will put a stop to 
  it, though the guards and many of the colonists will lose faith in the 
  players for siding with monsters rather than their own people.
  The truth is, the gnolls truly are refugees, and their numbers dwindled 
  from over a hundred to just the few that are left.  Should the players 
  stop the plot to kill them, they will be forever indebted to the PCs.  They 
  will also fiercely defend the colony from any aggressor.  This might give 
  them a chance to earn the trust of the rest of the colony.
  
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  High Treason
  Opening:  One of the officials who serves under the captain has been 
  making his ill opinions of the administration of the colony known. 
  This man claims that the colony should be much farther along than it 
  currently stands, and believes that some fundamental changes need to 
  be made.  The captain, however, is quite certain of success, and quick 
  to remind anyone who expresses concerns that the crown has made 
  him the leader of this voyage.  Dissenting views are welcome, but the 
  captain’s orders must be obeyed.
  The Plot:  The colonial official, completely unconvinced of the captain’s 
  ability to govern the colony, decides to take action.  He begins to seek 
  supporters among the colony’s senior officials, and then approaches the 
  players with his plans.  He will not make his offer to any PC who has 
  shown great loyalty to the captain, but will talk to those that remain 
  neutral or who have spoken ill of the colony leadership.  He tells them of 
  his plan to arrest the captain and declare himself the new leader of the 
  colony.  He speculates that by the time that news of the coup reaches 
  the known world, he will have had plenty of time to establish himself 
  as the new leader and have the colony well on its way to success.  He 
  promises to greatly reward any who assist him in the coup.
  Complications:  What the rebellious official doesn’t seem to realize is 
  that he is a terrible leader and a disastrous organizer.  He is, however, 
  quite charismatic and adept at getting people to believe his claims.  
  He has the ability to convince some of his claim to leadership, but he 
  has no idea that the colony guards are loyal to the crown first, and 
  the captain second.  They will never stand with the rebels, nor will the 
  majority of the colonists.
  Resolution:  No matter how much confidence the official has, his plan 
  is most likely doomed to fail.  He may convince a few to join him in the 
  plot, but it will probably end the moment he confronts the captain.  If 
  the players have joined him however, things may turn out differently, 
  especially if the PCs have made a name for themselves.  It will still come 
  down to a fight between the captain and his guards versus the official 
  and those who stand with him.
  If the probable happens and the captain is victorious, then the official 
  will be executed for treason, along with some of the others who joined 
  him.  The rest will be exiled from the colony, sent to their fates in the 
  wilderness.  If the PCs backed the captain, then he praises them for 
  restoring order, perhaps rewarding them with promotions to fill the 
  colony positions the rebels once had.  If the PCs backed the rebels, 
  then they will probably be exiled along with the rest.
  If, by chance, the rebellious official should actually succeed (not likely) 
  then the colony is in for some truly terrible times under his completely 
  ineffectual leadership.
  
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  For Ransom
  Opening:  A small work detail leaves the colony one morning, heading 
  out to gather food and other resources.  By the end of the day, they still 
  haven’t returned many in the colony fear the worst.  Just as plans are 
  being made to organize search parties, a single goblin comes into the 
  camp bearing a list of demands.  It seems that they ran in to a sizable 
  group of goblins and were promptly taken hostage.  The goblins demand 
  a huge ransom for the safe return of the colonists.  They warn that if 
  the ransom isn’t paid within one day, the hostages will be killed.
  The Plot:  The ransom the goblins are demanding is ridiculous, roughly 
  ten to twenty times the value of everything in the colony.  If the players 
  tell the goblin messenger this, he will respond with disbelief, saying 
  something like “Just use some of the gold you are going to pave your 
  roads with.”  The goblins believe the colony is fabulously wealthy and 
  can’t be convinced otherwise.  The only course of action the colony can 
  think of is forming a party to rescue the hostages.  If the players think 
  to ask the goblin to take them to the hostages, he will do so gladly if 
  he is told that the group is going to “negotiate”.  Even a large, heavily 
  armed group will be taken, as the messenger isn’t the sharpest knife 
  in the drawer.
  Complications:  When the group reaches the hostages, it becomes 
  obvious that the goblin in charge of keeping watch over them is not 
  as foolish as the messenger.  It will become obvious that over twenty 
  goblins are watching the hostages, which are being held in a makeshift 
  stockade.  A few of the goblins seem overly eager for violence, and 
  anyone with a decent insight will be able to tell that they are itching to 
  kill some of the hostages.  The goblin leader is hopeful for ransom, but 
  won’t hesitate to order the killing of the hostages if things go badly.
  Resolution:  If the players go there to actually negotiate, it becomes 
  obvious how bad the goblins are at bargaining.  At first, they will 
  demand the original, astronomical ransom.  If any of the players are 
  skilled at diplomacy or bluff, they find that the goblins start lowering 
  that number.  It is possible that the players could lower that ransom to 
  a few magical items or a couple thousand gold.  If the players bargain 
  them down to that level and pay them the greatly reduced ransom, the 
  hostages are released.
  If the players decide to go the violent route, the hostages are assuredly 
  in dire peril.  The goblin leader will focus on fighting the players for 
  a few rounds, but if the he sees the fight turn against them, he will 
  order the hostages killed.  Indeed, it may be a challenge to keep the 
  overzealous goblins from killing the hostages before the order is given. 
  If half the goblins are killed, they will surrender.
  The primary goal is to get the hostages back alive.  The colony will 
  prefer to have the goblins killed or subdued, but they will be fine with 
  the players lowering the ransom to a tolerable level.  Of course, if any 
  ransom is paid, the goblins will be encouraged to try taking hostages 
  again.
  
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  Deluge
  Opening:  The colony is experiencing a severe water shortage.  The 
  one source of water has been contaminated, and the water the colony 
  brought with them is rapidly being used up.  Rationing is ordered for 
  the whole colony, but it is believed that will only be a few more days 
  before the colony is completely out of water.  Things seem bleak until 
  a wizard claims to have found a ritual to summon rain from a nearby 
  ruin.  The wizard is given the resources he needs to complete the ritual, 
  and a rainstorm rolls in almost immediately.  There is jubilation as the 
  colonists begin refilling all of the water barrels.  However, three days 
  later, the rain still hasn’t stopped.
  The Plot:  What started as a drought is now turning into a never-ending 
  monsoon.  The water is rising and threatening to wash away the entire 
  colony.  The wizard who performed the ritual has been working day and 
  night, but can’t find any way to stop the rain.  Eventually, the wizard 
  realizes that the only way to stop the ritual is likely buried in the same 
  ruins he found.  He agrees to take a small party to the ruins and show 
  them where he found the ritual.  Hopefully, a way to stop it can be 
  found.
  Complications:  Getting to the ruins will be an ordeal, considering 
  the rain and storm.  After getting to the ruins, the players find a very 
  different situation than the wizard did.  The underground ruins are 
  now partially flooded, and the direct route the wizard took below 
  the ruins is impassable.  The players will have to find an alternate 
  route through a flooded ruin, avoiding drowning hazards, and some 
  dangerous creatures that have been washed underground.
  Resolution:  Should the players fail to find the ritual to stop the rain, 
  the colony will be washed away.  It’s as simple as that.  Finding the 
  reversal ritual is the only goal, but once it is found, the players have 
  a powerful force to help the colony.  The original ritual can be used to 
  summon rain when the colony needs it, and the other to stop it before 
  it floods everything out.  Of course, the captain may decide that the 
  rituals are too unstable and order them never to be used.  Of course, 
  once a ritual is learned, it can’t be un-learned.  It is possible that the 
  rains may appear again to trouble the colony.
  Iron Guardian
  Opening:  A scavenger has recently come back to the colony with what 
  can only be described as the mother lode.  He claims to have found an 
  old ruin that was filled with gold, gems, and other priceless artifacts.  
  The first load he has brought back easily makes him the wealthiest 
  person in the colony.  He has already made a deal with the captain to 
  reveal the location of the ruin and turn control of it over to the colony 
  as long as he is allowed to keep the first load he brought back, and get 
  a small percentage of anything else found at the site.  This stands to 
  make him a very powerful person in the colony.
  
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  The Plot:  While everyone in the colony is looking forward to looting 
  this discovery, reports start filtering in about strange disturbances in 
  the wilderness.  Animals are running scared, and the tribes are going 
  into hiding.  The mystery is finally solved when a scout team sent to 
  secure the ruin come fleeing back to the colony, reporting that a thirty 
  foot statue of iron is slowly making its way to the colony.  It seems that 
  when the scavenger found the ruin and started looting it, he released 
  the ruin’s guardian; a huge iron golem.
  Complications:  Realizing that there is no way to fight the golem head-
  on, a bit of research leads the scholars of the colony to deduce that 
  only the return of everything taken from the ruin will call off the golem. 
  The players are entrusted with taking all of the stolen treasure back to 
  the ruin before the golem smashes the entire colony.  It’s better than 
  trying to fight off the golem, but it also means that the players will 
  be escorting a wagon loaded with valuable treasure through miles of 
  wilderness full of raiders that would love nothing more than to claim 
  the treasure for themselves.  And the colony isn’t even sure if returning 
  the treasure will cause the golem to leave.
  Resolution:  Should the players get back to the ruin and return the 
  treasure, then the golem does indeed turn around and return leave 
  the colony be.  Since the players probably don’t have any chance of 
  destroying the golem, this should be the one logical course of action. 
  However, when the group arrives, anyone with a skill in linguistics will 
  be able to see that a warning about the golem is carved onto the door 
  of the ruins.  It warns that the guardian shall rise and hunt down the 
  thieves, destroying them and any that harbor them.  This means that 
  while the colony will likely be destroyed, the players could technically 
  take the treasure for themselves without the golem hunting them down. 
  After all, its vengeance will be satisfied with the death of the actual 
  thief, and the colony that protected him.
   Mining the Dead
  Opening:  After a long time of simply building the basics of the colony 
  so everyone can simply survive, good news finally comes with the news 
  of a newly discovered mine with a bonanza of gold, silver, iron, and 
  a host of other valuable minerals.  This is especially good news for 
  the captain, as it means the colony will finally be profitable.  Work 
  details are organized, and in a manner of days, the first cartload of ore 
  is removed from the mine.  For weeks, load after load is taken, each 
  one a bit more valuable than the last.  Feelings are very optimistic 
  for the colony’s future, until one of the mine details vanishes.  When 
  another team is sent in to investigate, they find that the previous mine 
  crew broke through on a large chamber.  Inside were dozens, maybe 
  hundreds of zombies and other undead.  
  The Plot:  Scores of undead are now infesting a very profitable mine in 
  very close proximity to the colony itself.  While none have yet emerged 
  from the mine, it is only a matter of time before they do so. The undead 
  very likely outnumber the colonial guard at least five to one.  If the 
  horde emerges from the mine, the colony will have a very desperate 
  
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  fight on its hands.
  Complications:  Several courses of action are possible, but all carry 
  a significant risk.  The players, along with members of the colonial 
  militia, could go into the mine and fight off the undead.  But while the 
  undead are not dangerous individually, there numbers are potentially 
  overwhelming.  On the other hand, there are lots of narrow passages 
  and bottlenecks in the mine, and a disciplined group could lure the 
  undead into organized killzones.  Another option put forth is to simply 
  collapse the entrance to the mine, sealing the undead inside.
  Resolution:  While eliminating the undead is the most dangerous and 
  time-consuming of the options, the rewards of doing so are great.  With 
  the undead removed, the mine can resume operation.  If the players 
  were integral to the success of the battle, they may be rewarded with a 
  percentage of the mine’s future profits.  Should the mine be sealed, the 
  undead are trapped inside and unable to threaten the colony.  However, 
  this means that a valuable resource for the colony has been rendered 
  useless, and many will not be pleased with the result.
  There is, of course, the matter of how the undead got in the mine in the 
  first place.  And there is no guarantee that chamber was the only one 
  in the mine that contained a dark secret.  There’s always the possibility 
  of uncovering something even worse.
  Plowshares to Swords
  The first boats have arrived in the New World and the colonists get to 
  work. They clear land for their shelters and for places to plant their 
  crops when they hit a snag. Actually, quite a few snags:
  The woods are teeming with monsters that aren’t really thrilled with 
  their homes being destroyed, so they are more than willing to give these 
  strange visitors a taste of their power. 
  Once some of the land has been cleared and farms and being established, 
  the colonists realize that the crops they have brought from the known 
  world just won’t grow in this New World. Without the ability to grow 
  crops, the colony will starve to death.
  Grey Fang scouts have found the colony and they aren’t pleased that the 
  land is being torn apart for new people who have nothing to offer. The 
  Grey Fangs retaliate by disrupting the farming. They perform rituals to 
  wither the plants on the newly farmed land thereby disrupting all the 
  work that has already been done.
  Even if enough land is cleared off to begin the farming process, there 
  is still the little problem of maintaining the land. There aren’t enough 
  colonists to protect the colony, adventure into the new land and farm. 
  Then again, there happens to be a slave trader by the name of Axgore 
  who could be useful in providing help to maintain the farms.
  
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  The Dark Entity
  Everyone knows the Church quite well. They protect the colony, they 
  adventure out into the wilderness and they genuinely want the light of 
  their deity to spread to all of the heathens of the world. Some adventurers 
  find them to be annoying due to their sense of self-righteousness while 
  others find comfort in their god’s light. There are two sides to every 
  coin though and while some priests fall prey to the sins of the flesh or 
  slightly lust for power, absolutely none of them are nearly as corrupt as 
  those that follow the Dark Entity. 
  The Dark Entity’s cultists are the exact opposite of the brash, shining 
  beacon of hope that the Church represents. While the Church has 
  come to shine their light on the world, the Dark Entity seeks to destroy 
  the New World. Of course, being that they worship a god as evil as the 
  Dark Entity, the cultists must meet in secret, but mostly, they worship 
  their god in private.
  The cult’s priests used powerful magic to place some sleeper agents 
  into the colony. The sleepers are powerful but they have no knowledge 
  of the cult’s plans. They await the signal to awaken and the conquest 
  of the colony will officially begin.
  The Dark Entity’s agents have tempted the goblins of the known world 
  and a fleet of goblin hulks could arrive at any moment. 
  Revenge of the Fire Spirit
  Long ago, a power-hungry member of the Black Raven tribe sought 
  power to rule over his people. Using ancient rituals, he was able to 
  summon the Fire Spirit as his ancestors before him had done. Fire is a 
  powerful destroyer, but it is relatively easy to wield, such is the case with 
  the Fire Spirit. The tribesman made a deal with the spirit: in exchange 
  for the Fire Spirit’s destructive power, the tribesman would give up his 
  firstborn child. The spirit agreed and soon, the tribesman became a 
  Black Raven chieftain. Once his child was born, the Fire Spirit came to 
  collect its quarry, but the Black Raven chieftain was clever. He gave his 
  newborn daughter to the Fire Spirit and she immediately turned into 
  a raven and flew away. The Fire Spirit was enraged, but a deal was a 
  deal, and the Fire Spirit disappeared without further comment. Coyote 
  laughed and thanked the Black Raven Chieftain because, he said with 
  a laugh, “that will enrage the Fire Spirit for centuries! “
  Centuries pass and adventurers enter into the realm of the Fire Spirit. 
  Still sick from being spurned by the chieftain, the Fire Spirit makes a 
  deal: if the adventurers can somehow find the raven that escaped him 
  so long ago, or if they can find the ancestor of the Black Raven chieftain 
  who tricked him, or if they can somehow trap Coyote and bring him to 
  the Fire Spirit, then they will be granted one wish.
  
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  The Grippli – new player race
  Average Height 3’ to 4’ 
  Average Weight 50-65 pounds
  Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution
  Size: Small
  Speed: 6 squares
  Vision: Normal 
  Languages: Common, Elven
  Skills Bonuses: +2 to Athletics +2 to Endurance 
  The grippli are an emerging race in the New World. Endlessly energetic, 
  they desire nothing more than to establish their place as one of the 
  major races. They do not seek to rule the world, merely to assert their 
  rightful position as a dominant species. After all, what other mortal 
  race can jump as high as a grippli or swim as fast? They are a race of 
  optimists, confident that they will become as important as the humans, 
  elves and dwarves that seem to run the world. How can they be so 
  confident about this? Why, they’re grippli and everyone knows that the 
  grippli are great!
  Adhesive Grasp: When climbing, the grippli do not suffer any modifiers 
  to the climbing DC from slippery or unusually smooth surfaces. They 
  gain a +2 modifier to grapple other characters in combat. This bonus 
  does not apply to escaping a grapple. 
  Color-Shifting: Grippli can change the color of their skin to a minor 
  degree. For example, a green Grippli could change his skin from a 
  bright green to a dark olive green but could not become blue or red. 
  This ability gives them a +4 to Stealth checks made in an environment 
  matching their natural coloration. 
  Amphibious: Grippli do need to breathe air but they can hold their 
  breath for 20 rounds before an Endurance check is necessary. They 
  can move their full speed when swimming and do not need to make 
  Athletics checks. 
  Powerful Leaping
  At-Will
  Move Action Personal
  Effect: You may jump up to your full move speed either horizontally or 
  vertically, but not both in the same jump. You ignore difficult terrain 
  while jumping. If you jump horizontally, the height of your jump is 
  equal to one quarter of the horizontal distance you travel. No athletics 
  check is necessary to use this ability. You are still subject to attacks of 
  opportunities from enemies when moving with this ability.
  Play a Grippli if you want…
  •to be an outgoing and rambunctious adventurer out to see the world.
  •to be an underdog who rises up from humble beginnings. 
  •to be a member of a race that favors the ranger, rogue and warlock. 
  Grippli King by Ean 
  Moody
  
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  Playing a Grippli
  Grippli Characteristics: Cheerful, determined, energetic, kind, tolerant, 
  optimistic, easy-going, confident, respectful. 
  Male Names: Sea-Moss, Fly-Catcher, Red-Spots, Spirit-Watcher, 
  Jagged-Coral, Day-Racer, Highest-Climber. 
  Female Names: Lilly-Pad, Jungle-Flower, Rainbow-Blade, Refreshing-
  Mists, Rain-Drop. 
  Grippli Adventurers  
  The grippli are highly curious about the outside world so some of the 
  hunters and mystics take up adventuring, at least for a time. The 
  grippli encourage this practice, as the adventurers who make it back 
  alive bring with them new wealth and knowledge. 
  Jagged-Coral, a grippli ranger, never fit in with grippli society. He 
  preferred to remain silent when others chattered on for hours on end. 
  He thought nothing of spending hours waiting for prey to pass by, so he 
  could drop it with a single bow shot. Finally, he admired the stoicism 
  of the humans, who fought tirelessly for glory and honor. Since then, 
  he has befriended several colonists in order to learn their ways and to 
  gain glory for himself in battle. 
  Refreshing-Mists, a fey pact warlock, made a pact with the Water Spirit 
  to carry out her will in exchange for power. The Water Spirit is interested 
  in the mysteries of Lemuria, so Refreshing-Mists has agreed to join a 
  band of adventurers who plan to explore the ruins.
  Sea-Moss, a trickster rogue, spent several months learning the ways of 
  the rogue from a thief who washed up on the shores of Grippli Island. 
  Sea-Moss nursed the man back to health in exchange for his knowledge 
  of traps and stealth and for his stories of treasure hoards and adventure. 
  Sea-Moss has told these stories to a few of his friends and together they 
  aim to become the greatest heroes of the New World. 
  Grippli Island
  Grippli island, about 12 miles north of the colony, is home to one of the 
  largest grippli populations in the New World. Once imprisoned by the 
  Water Spirit, they have recently been loosed upon the world for reasons 
  known only to the Water Spirit. The majority of the island is taken up 
  by a large stone enclosure that encircles the central bay. Numerous 
  caves line the sides of the enclosure that make up the homes of the 
  grippli. The enclosure has an opening in the ceiling, forming a skylight 
  in the center of the bay. Despite their relatively peaceful nature, dozens 
  of grippli hunters and mystics guard the island, keeping an eye out for 
  raiders. 
  
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  Lemurian Skeleton  
  Level 1 Soldier
  Medium natural animate 
  (undead)
  EXP 100
  Initiative: +3
  Senses: +1 Perception; Darkvision
  HP: 32; Bloodied: 16
  AC: 17 Fortitude: 14 Reflex: 13 Will: 13
  Resist necrotic 5; Vulnerable radiant 5
  Immune” disease, poison
  Speed 6
  M Gladius (Standard; at-will) ♦ Weapon
  +8 vs. AC; 1d6+3 damage.
  m Riposte (Immediate Reaction; at-will) ♦ Weapon
  If an enemy misses a melee attack against the Lemurian 
  Skeleton, the Lemurian Skeleton may make a basic melee 
  attack against the attacker.
  m Numbing Strike (Standard; encounter) ♦ Necrotic
  +6 vs. Fort; 2d6+3 necrotic damage and the target is dazed 
  (save ends).
  Alignment Chaotic Evil
  Equipment: gladius, breastplate. 
  Str: 16 (+3)          Dex: 15 (+2) 
  Wis: 13 (+1)
  Con: 16 (+3) 
  Int: 3 (-4)          Cha: 3 (-4)
  New Monsters
  Lemurian Skeleton
  The remains of long dead Lemurian citizens are charged 
  with necromantic energy and many of them spontaneously 
  rise as undead to wander and destroy all living creatures 
  in their path. The most common Lemurian undead found 
  is the common foot soldier, still equipped for battle.
  Lemurian Skeleton Tactics
  Unless controlled by a necromancer, Lemurian skeletons 
  attack the first foe they see, attacking relentlessly. They 
  use Numbing Strike to slow down melee attackers so they 
  can move by and strike softer targets such as spell casters. 
  
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  Raven Mocker
  A magical being that collects necrotic energies and undead 
  servants for the Black Raven Tribe, created when a necro-
  mancer imbues a normal raven with necromantic energy 
  in a ritual known only to the Black Ravens. It searches for 
  the dead and undead of the New World. When it finds a 
  recent corpse, the raven mocker harvests its latent necrotic 
  energies and stores them so a Black Raven necromancer 
  can later retrieve it. Should the Raven Mocker find one of 
  the many wandering mindless undead of the New World, it 
  charms them into servitude. Normally it will lead them to 
  the Black Raven tribe where the undead join the army of 
  the Black Raven. However, many times the raven mocker 
  will simply keep a small entourage of undead servants to 
  protect it while it scavenges for the Black Ravens. 
  Raven Mocker by Josh 
  Hunter
  
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  Raven Mocker
  Level 3 Lurker
  Medium shadow beast
  EXP 150
  Initiative: +7
  Senses: +3 Perception; Darkvision
  Weakening Aura (Necrotic) aura 5; All enemies suffer a -1 
  penalty to their Fortitude. 
  HP: 41; Bloodied: 20
  AC: 17 Fortitude: 16 Reflex: 15 Will: 15
  Resist necrotic 5; Vulnerable radiant 5
  Speed 2 Fly 8 (clumsy)
  M Deathly Strike (standard; at will) ♦ Necrotic
  +8 vs. AC; 1d10+3 necrotic damage.
  Gather Necrotic Energies (immediate reaction; whenever a 
  living creature dies; at will)
  The Raven Mocker heals 20 hit points and all undead 
  allies within line of sight gain 10 temporary hit points. 
  This also creates an amount of Grave Ash equal to the 
  creature’s Exp value. The ash is stored in a pouch tied to 
  the raven mocker’s leg.
  m Flying Charge (standard; encounter) ♦ Necrotic
  The raven mocker makes a charge attack. +10 vs. AC: 
  2d10+6 necrotic damage. 
  r Deathly Influence (standard; at will) ♦ Necrotic
  20 range +6 vs. Fortitude. Target gains Necrotic 
  vulnerability 5 (save ends). 
  Alignment Chaotic Evil
  Str: 16 (+3)          Dex: 15 (+2) 
  Wis: 13 (+1)
  Con: 16 (+3) 
  Int: 13 (+1)          Cha: 13 (+1)
  Raven Mocker Tactics
  The raven mocker prefers to first use deathly influence on 
  his prey, using undead like Lemurian skeletons to keep 
  attackers away from him. Once he has succeeded with 
  deathly influence, he charges in with flying charge and then 
  continues to attack his foe until it dies. Then it either flees 
  or uses deathly influence on his next target. 
  Raven Mocker Encounter Level 1 - 450 XP
  Raven Mocker
  3 Lemurian Skeletons
  
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  Yekyua
  Yekyua are minor servants for druids, shamans and other mystical 
  leaders throughout the tribes of the New World. They are normal 
  animals, typically a small one such as a macaque, song bird, or squirrel 
  although lizards, rabbits, and even turtles have been used as well. The 
  Yekyua is identical in appearance except for a small golden necklace or 
  bracelet found somewhere on the animal. This jewelry is the focus of 
  the bond between the master and Yekyua. 
  Unlike traditional familiars, a single person can have many Yekyua 
  as servants and some powerful druids have dozens. Even the kings of 
  the grippli often have a few Yekyua. The Yekyua are not as powerful as 
  a normal familiar but can still be useful servants and an extra set of 
  eyes. They do not gain intelligence or become stronger as the master 
  grows in power. 
  The Yekyua’s master can do the following:
  Command the Yekyua to perform simple tasks and tricks.
  Send simple telepathic messages (one word or mental image) to the 
  master – 10 mile range.
  Have the Yekyua aid the master with a ranged attack – See guide the 
  attack. 
  Have the Yekyua watch over the master while he rests, waking him if 
  danger approaches.
  Yekyua
  Level 1 minion
  Tiny Natural Beast
  EXP 25
  Initiative: +1
  Senses: +1 Perception
  HP: 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
  AC: 15 Fortitude: 14 Reflex: 13 Will: 13
  Speed 5
  M Natural attack (standard; at will)
  +6 vs. AC; 3 damage
  Aid the Master (standard; encounter)
  Grant a +2 bonus to the master’s next ranged attack roll. 
  Alignment Unaligned
  Str: 4 (-3)          Dex: 16 (+3) 
  Wis: 10 (0)
  Con: 10 (0)          Int: 4 (-3)          Cha: 10 (0)
  
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  Grippli Hunter 
  Grippli society is primarily based around hunting and 
  gathering and so the hunters make up the backbone of each 
  tribe. They fight off raiders and supply the other grippli with 
  vitally needed food. Hunters are often bravados by nature 
  and are quite eager to prove their courage, especially to 
  other races. 
  Grippli Hunter Tactics
  Grippli hunters prefer to stay away from their enemies, 
  using their leaping and climbing abilities to get out of reach. 
  Grippli hunters tend to focus on one foe until it drops, using 
  jump shot to do additional damage. If possible, grippli prefer 
  to fight in environments matching their coloration so they 
  can use stealth more effectively. 
  Grippli Hunter by Josh 
  Hunter
  
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  Grippli Hunter
  Level 1 Skirmisher
  Small natural humanoid 
  (aquatic)
  EXP 100
  Initiative: +5
  Senses: +1 Perception
  HP: 32; Bloodied: 16
  AC: 17 Fortitude: 14 Reflex: 15 Will: 13
  Speed 6 swim 6
  M Spear (standard; at will) ♦ Weapon
  +6 vs. AC; 1d8 damage.
  r Short bow (standard; at will) ♦ Weapon
  Range 10/20 +6 vs. AC; 1d6 damage. 
  r Jump Shot (standard; recharge 5 6) ♦ Weapon
  Range 10.20 +7 vs. AC; 3d6 damage. The grippli leaps 
  high in the air and fires an arrow at the target, aiming at 
  vulnerable spots at the top of their foe’s head.
  Powerful Leaping (Move; At-Will)
  The grippli hunter jumps up to its full move speed either 
  horizontally or vertically, but not both in the same jump. 
  It ignores difficult terrain while jumping. If it jumps 
  horizontally, the height of the jump is equal to one quarter 
  of the horizontal distance it travels. It is still subject to 
  attacks of opportunities from enemies when moving with 
  this ability.
  Color-Shifting
  Grippli can change the color of their skin to a minor degree. 
  For example, a green grippli could change his skin from a 
  bright green to a dark olive green but could not become blue 
  or red. This ability gives them a +4 to Stealth checks made 
  in an environment matching their natural coloration. 
  Adhesive Grasp
  When climbing, the grippli do not suffer any modifiers to the 
  climbing DC from slippery or unusually smooth surfaces. 
  They gain a +2 modifier to grapple other characters in 
  combat. This bonus does not apply to escaping a grapple. 
  Equipment: Leather harness, spear, short bow, 20 
  arrows. 
  Alignment Unaligned
  Languages: Common, Elven
  Skills: Athletics +10, Acrobatics +10, Stealth +8
  Str: 10 (0)          Dex: 16 (+3) 
  Wis: 10 (0)
  Con: 16 (+3) 
  Int: 10 (0)          Cha: 10 (0)
  
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  Grippli king 
  The leader caste of the grippli. Each grippli tribe has only 
  one king, but several other chieftains and hunting party 
  leaders are virtually identical to the king, ready to take his 
  place if the king falls in battle. Kings are proud, boastful 
  leaders who are more interested in appearing strong to the 
  tribe than any other practical considerations. 
  Grippli King Tactics
  In battle, the king will focus on supporting the other grippli 
  by blinding spell-casters and ranged attackers first. If 
  attacked in melee, the king uses battle croak to stun his 
  attacker. The king uses inspiring croak once the hunters 
  have all used jump shot. 
  Grippli Encounter Level 1 - 500 XP
  Grippli King
  3 Grippli Hunters
  2 Yekyua 
  
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  Grippli King
  Level 3 Controller 
  Small natural humanoid 
  (aquatic)
  EXP 150
  Initiative: +3
  Senses: +5 Perception
  HP: 32; Bloodied: 16
  AC: 17 Fortitude: 14 Reflex: 15 Will: 13
  Speed 6 swim 6
  M Staff (standard; at will) ♦ Weapon
  +8 vs. AC; 1d8+4 damage.
  r Toxic Spittle (standard; at will) ♦ Poison
  Range 5/10 +7 vs. Reflex, 1d6+4 damage and the target is 
  blinded (save ends). 
  c Battle Croak (standard; recharge 5 6) 
  Close burst 2 +7 vs. Fort: target is stunned until the end of 
  the Grippli King’s next turn. 
  c Inspiring Croak (minor, encounter)
  Close burst 10; Grippli allies recover one spent encounter 
  or recharge power. 
  Powerful Leaping (Move; At-Will)
  The grippli king jumps up to its full move speed either 
  horizontally or vertically, but not both in the same jump. 
  It ignores difficult terrain while jumping. If it jumps 
  horizontally, the height of the jump is equal to one quarter 
  of the horizontal distance it travels. It is still subject to 
  attacks of opportunities from enemies when moving with 
  this ability.
  Color-Shifting
  Grippli can change the color of their skin to a minor degree. 
  For example, a green grippli could change his skin from a 
  bright green to a dark olive green but could not become blue 
  or red. This ability gives them a +4 to Stealth checks made 
  in an environment matching their natural coloration. 
  Adhesive Grasp
  When climbing, the grippli do not suffer any modifiers to the 
  climbing DC from slippery or unusually smooth surfaces. 
  They gain a +2 modifier to grapple other characters in 
  combat. This bonus does not apply to escaping a grapple. 
  Equipment: Staff, crown. 
  Alignment Unaligned
  Str: 18 (+4)          Dex: 15 (+2) 
  Wis: 13 (+1)
  Con: 16 (+3) 
  Int: 13 (+1)          Cha: 13 (+1)
  
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  New Rituals
  Conjure Water
  You call upon the Water spirit to provide a bounty of fresh, pure water, 
  spontaneously conjuring enough water to satisfy one hundred people. 
  Level: 1
  Category: Creation
  Time: 10 minutes
  Duration: 3 days or until used. 
  Component Cost: Free - special
  Market Price:  N/A
  Key Skill: Arcana, Religion or Nature 
  The ritual conjures approximately 100 galloons of water per casting. 
  The ritual caster can perform as many times as possible but any 
  conjured water disappears in 3 days if it is not used. This ritual has no 
  component cost because the Water Spirit’s divine power replaces the 
  need for components. However, this ritual can only be taught by the 
  Water Spirit, who grants only to mortals who entertain her. 
  Create Raven Mocker – Black Raven only
  You take a normal raven and infuse with powerful necrotic energies, 
  transforming it into a raven mocker. 
  Level: 10
  Category: Binding 
  Time: 12 hours to create the raven mocker or 10 minutes to summon 
  one. 
  Duration: Instantaneous   
  Component Cost: 1,000 GP to create a raven mocker, 100 GP to 
  summon one.
  Market Price: N/A 
  Key Skill: Religion 
  Taught only by the necromancers of the Black Raven tribe, this ritual 
  transforms a normal raven into a raven mocker. The newly created 
  monster will follow the caster’s directions, although some raven mockers 
  may later develop free will. Once the raven mocker has been created, 
  the caster can summon the entity back by casting the ritual a second 
  time. The caster can only summon raven mockers it has created. This 
  ritual is only known by the Black Raven tribe and they only impart 
  knowledge of it to full members of the tribe or allies who have gone 
  above and beyond to prove their loyalty. 
  Gather Necrotic Energy – Black Raven only
  The caster harvests the latent energies of a corpse for later use. 
  Level: 8
  Category: Binding 
  Time: 10 minutes 
  Duration: Instantaneous   
  Component Cost: 50 GP 
  Market Price:  N/A
  Key Skill: Religion
  The ritual caster draws forth the necrotic energies of a corpse no older 
  
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  than a year and creates Grave Ash, a powerful magical substance. The 
  caster creates an amount in gold coin value equal to the experience point 
  value of the dead creature. Grave Ash can be used as the components 
  of any Black Raven only ritual. This ritual cannot be performed on 
  undead, constructs or plants. 
  Call Lemurian Skeletons – Black Raven only 
  Beckon one of the countless wandering skeletons of the New World to 
  serve you for a day, before it disappears back into the wilderness. 
  Level: 5
  Category: Binding
  Time: 10 minutes 
  Duration: 24 hours
  Component Cost: 50 GP 
  Market Price:  N/A
  Key Skill: Religion 
  The ritual caster calls forth a Lemurian Skeleton from the wilderness 
  who will serve the caster faithfully for 24 hours. The skeleton appears 
  in 1d6 minutes and can only obey simple commands, such as attack, 
  guard, or carry but understands all languages. Once the duration 
  expires, the skeleton simply wanders off into the wilderness. This ritual 
  only works in the wilderness of the New World. 
  Bind Yekyua 
  Establish a link between you and a simple animal to act as your servant 
  and spy. 
  Level: 2
  Category: Binding
  Time: 10 minutes 
  Duration: 1 week or permanent
  Component Cost: 200 GP 
  Market Price: N/A – only taught by Gray Fang or Black Raven tribe
  Key Skill: Nature
  The ritual caster takes a small golden necklace or bracelet, places it 
  on a small animal and forms a simple bond between the animal and 
  caster. The caster can order the Yekyua to do the following
  •Command the Yekyua to perform simple tasks and tricks.
  •Send simple telepathic messages (one word or mental image) to the 
  master – 10 mile range.
  •Have the Yekyua watch over the master while he rests, waking him if 
  danger approaches.
  •Use of the encounter power, guided aim. See the Yekyua entry for 
  more information. 
  Unlike a familiar, the Yekyua retains animal intelligence and can only 
  follow simple instructions. Furthermore, the caster does not suffer any 
  penalties if the Yekyua dies. Unless the caster has the feat Yekyua 
  Master, the Yekyua bond fades away in a week. 
  
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  Allying with a tribe 
  To qualify for the Black Raven 
  Acolyte or Gray Fang Disciple 
  feat, a character must prove 
  that they are trustworthy 
  allies of the tribe in question. 
  There is no set formula to win 
  the favor of one of the tribes 
  but in general, the character 
  should at least support the 
  tribe’s way of life. The Black 
  Ravens practice necromancy 
  and the Gray Fangs are 
  druids. The character should 
  defend 
  them 
  against 
  the 
  appropriate colonial faction. 
  For example, the church takes 
  a dim view of necromancy 
  and 
  the 
  merchants 
  will 
  seek to exploit the natural 
  resources, angering the Gray 
  Fang druids. To take the 
  side of a native tribe against 
  any colonial faction will be 
  a difficult challenge for any 
  character. 
  Furthermore, 
  characters may have to fight 
  or quest on behalf of their 
  respective tribe. 
  New Heroic Tier Feats
  Yekyua Master
  Prerequisite: Wisdom 13, Ritual Caster Feat, Trained in Nature
  Benefit: If the character casts the Bind Yekyua ritual, the character 
  permanently binds the animal as a Yekyua. The character can bind a 
  total of 1 Yekyua for every 5 character levels. 
  Black Raven Acolyte
  Perquisite: Ally of the Black Raven tribe – see allying with a tribe
  Benefit: The character has proven his loyalty to the Black Raven tribe. 
  He gains a +2 circumstance bonus to all social skill checks made 
  against Black Raven tribe members and a -2 penalty to all Gray Fang 
  tribe members.  Raven mockers and all undead under the control of the 
  Black Raven tribe will not attack the character, unless attacked first. 
  The character gains a +4 bonus on all knowledge checks made about 
  undead monsters. The character can also learn Black Raven rituals, 
  although the character may be required to complete special missions 
  before being allowed to learn certain rituals.  
  Gray Fang Disciple 
  Prerequisite: Ally of the Gray Fang tribe – see allying with a tribe
  Benefit: The character has proven his loyalty to the Gray Fang tribe. He 
  gains a +2 circumstance bonus to all social skill checks made against 
  Gray Fang tribe members and a -2 penalty to all Black Raven tribe 
  members. The character gains a +1 bonus to all Nature skill checks 
  and +1 to all attack rolls against undead creatures. The character can 
  learn Gray Fang tribal rituals although the character may be required 
  to special missions before being allowed to learn certain rituals. 
  Artisan 
  Benefit: The character is a skilled craftsman able to build or supervise 
  the construction of most mundane tools, weapons, and buildings. 
  Normally this is beneath heroic adventurers, but in the New World, 
  there are few artisans and fewer shops. Players might have to wait 
  months for a new weapon unless they can make do with their own 
  skills. 
  No roll is necessary to build normal objects if the character has the 
  appropriate tools and time. Otherwise the character must make an 
  Intelligence check to build the item up to standards. A failure indicates 
  the character was not able to build the item but the materials can be 
  re-used.   The cost to build the item is ½ the market cost. 
  Craft base checks (use Intelligence)
  Modification of a normal item (silver a blade’s edge, hidden compartment 
  in a container) DC 10
  Non-standard item (item not listed in the equipment tables) DC 15
  Supervise a standard construction project (a one story wooden building) 
  DC 10
  
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  Supervise a complex construction project (multi-story buildings, 
  wooden military structures) DC 20
  Supervise a major construction project (Stone keep, monument, etc) 
  DC 25
  Build an item without proper tools +5 DC
  Rush Job (halve construction time) +10 DC
  Artisans in the New World 
  So why include crafting rules in the New World at all? The player 
  characters are supposed to be adventuring heroes who slay monsters, 
  loot dungeons and save the day from evil. Building cabins and crafting 
  equipment is far too boring. Normally, this is true but in the colony, 
  an artisan is a very handy person to have around and can get a lot of 
  leverage with his skills. An adventurer with the artisan feat can use 
  his skills to gain favor with colonial factions or become a man of the 
  people. 
  Use these examples as guidelines to provide characters with bonuses 
  based on how they use the Artisan feat.  
  •Win the favor of a faction by supervising a complex or major construction 
  project, such as building a temple for the church or a fortress for 
  the governor. This is an adventure in of itself, as the character must 
  keep the laborers working, acquire supplies and ward off dangerous 
  monsters. 
  •Gain a +2 circumstance bonus to one Charisma based skill check with 
  a faction leader by working for them for one day. 
  •Gain a +4 circumstance bonus to all Charisma based skills checks 
  with the unaffiliated citizens of the colony by working for the good of 
  the colony for one day. This bonus lasts for a week. 
  •Gain a +2 to +6 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks to all 
  members of a New World tribe by teaching them how to build various 
  tools or weapons. 
  
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  Railroading 
  Some players may not want 
  to touch the totem, thus 
  preventing 
  the 
  adventure 
  from starting properly. If the 
  players are not interested 
  in the totem, then do not 
  force the adventure on them. 
  However, even if they do not 
  touch the totem it could still 
  trigger. Any determined effort 
  to move, alter, or research 
  the 
  totem 
  awakens 
  the 
  Guardian Spirit and starts 
  the adventure. 
  The Lost Totem  
  a short adventure for level 1 characters
  Adventure Summary
  The players discover a totem of the Earth Spirit, which has been lost 
  for generations. Both the Gray Fang and Black Raven tribes desire the 
  totem, as the owner of the totem is said to gain the Earth Spirit’s favor. 
  Unfortunately, once the players examine the totem closely, it awakens 
  the guardian spirit of the totem and alerts both tribes to the location 
  of the totem. After dealing with the guardian, the players must decide 
  what to do with the totem. They can use it to become allies with one of 
  the tribes, give it to the grippli, claim it for the colony or return it to the 
  Earth Spirit. 
  Background
  Many years before the Black Ravens and Gray Fangs splintered into 
  two tribes, a great hero of their people defeated a vile demon hiding 
  in a sprawling cave deep in the wilderness. The cave was a sacred site 
  to the Earth Spirit and rewarded the hero by blessing his tribe. The 
  hero carved the Earth Totem and placed it in the center of the tribe’s 
  territory. The totem brought the tribe good luck and protection from 
  many natural disasters. However, when the tribe fractured, the totem 
  was swallowed up by the earth and thought lost forever. 
  With the arrival of the expedition, the Earth Totem has unearthed itself, 
  waiting for a colonist to find it. Eventually, the player characters will 
  stumble upon it.
  Getting the players involved
  The Lost Totem adventure triggers when the players examine the 
  totem in detail. They can find the Totem’s sanctuary anywhere in the 
  wilderness of the New World. Alternatively, a logger or other citizen of 
  the colony can find the Totem’s sanctuary and tell the player characters 
  about it.
  As soon as a colonist touches the totem, it awakens the Earth Totem 
  Guardian and sends a telepathic alert to the shamans of both the Gray 
  Fang and Black Raven tribes. If the players do not touch the totem, 
  they will not trigger the adventure. 
  Introduction
  Read or paraphrase the following to the players
  As your group marches through the forested wilderness of the New 
  World, you come across several joined hedgerows that form a rectangle. 
  The hedgerow parts in the middle on one side to reveal what appears to 
  be a garden inside. 
  A Nature check (DC 10) reveals that this hedgerow garden is clearly not 
  a natural occurrence. 
  
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  A Perception check (DC 15) indicates that this area is a recent change. 
  Trees near the hedgerows have been uprooted and the dirt has shifted 
  around recently. It seems as though the area was pushed up from 
  beneath the ground. 
  Inside the Totem Sanctuary
  Read or paraphrase the following
  Inside the hedgerows, you find what appears to be a lightly wooded 
  garden, with a dirt foot path leading towards a small stone bridge over a 
  creek that cuts through the center of the garden. Past the bridge, the path 
  continues until it ends next to a circle of flat stones lying on the ground. 
  In the center of the stones, the earth is dark and barren of plant life, 
  except for a petrified tree trunk lying in the center of the circle. 
  1
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  Area 1 on the map indicates the entrance to the Sanctuary and Area 2 
  marks the location of the totem. While dormant, it appears as a petrified 
  tree trunk. 
  Once the characters approach the totem, read or paraphrase the 
  following text
  The tree trunk appears to be of solid stone. Petrified, you think. How long 
  did it take for this tree to come to this state? A thin layer of dirt covers 
  most of the trunk, obscuring its finer details. 
  A Perception DC 12 check allows the character to notice tribal markings 
  on the tree trunk but they are unreadable until the dirt is brushed 
  off. 
  As soon as a single party member interacts with the tree trunk in any 
  significant way, the Guardian Spirit of the Earth Totem awakens. 
  Read or paraphrase the following
  The earth trembles as mystic energy flows from the ground into the tree 
  trunk. Stone turns to wood as it comes to life. Arms and legs form and 
  soon the stone-tree creature stands up. Tribal markings cover its body, 
  signifying that it was once a totem pole.
  A voice low and deep as the earth rumbles from the totem creature “Who 
  are you, who calls the Guardian of the Earth Totem?”
  Dealing with the Guardian
  The Guardian wants to assess the characters, to see if they are worthy of 
  being allowed to live in the New World. First, the Guardian explains the 
  history of the Earth Totem and that the Earth Spirit is interested in the 
  expedition. The Guardian is to judge the characters as representatives 
  of the colony. They are to be given three tests: honor, strength and 
  wisdom. If they succeed in all three tests, the Earth Spirit allows the 
  colony to exist. Furthermore, the Earth Spirit will reward the heroes 
  with the bounty of the Earth – gold and gemstones. If they fail, the 
  Earth Spirit will curse the colony, causing great misfortune. 
  The Guardian cannot be dissuaded from his duty. The Earth Spirit is 
  a harsh being who cares little for the individual desires of the mortals 
  who dwell upon his body. If the party refuses to go through with the 
  tests, the Guardian informs that the Gray Fang and Black Raven tribes 
  are on their way here and they will then decide the fate of the colony. 
  The First Test: Honor 
  The first test is relatively simple. The characters need only swear an 
  oath to honor the Earth that they dwell upon. Mortals frequently tear 
  up and desecrate the earth by mining it, or building great dungeons 
  and lairs within it, housing vile creatures. Unnatural creatures such as 
  demons, undead and aberrations that live in underground dungeons 
  
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  pain the Earth Spirit, like fleas or ticks festering on a great beast. 
  The Guardian repeats the oath and asks the characters to swear by it. 
  No rolls are required, only their agreement. 
  •To respect the Earth Spirit with prayers of thanks.
  •To protect the Earth by destroying all demonic, aberrant and undead 
  parasites that hide within the earth. 
  •To honor the Earth by making sacrifices should the characters use the 
  materials of earth for their own use. 
  The Second Test: Strength
  The Guardian announces that the Second Test is a test of strength in 
  battle. Then it promptly attacks the characters, slamming its hammer-
  shaped fists into the nearest closest one. 
  Guardian of the Earth Totem
  Level 1 Solo Brute
  Large elemental magical beast 
  (earth)
  EXP 500
  Initiative: +1
  Senses: +2 Perception; Darkvision
  HP: 128; Bloodied: 64
  AC: 15 Fortitude: 16 Reflex: 13 Will: 15
  Speed 5
  M Hammering Punch (standard; at will) 
  Reach 1 +4 vs. AC; 1d10+4 damage.
  c Sweeping Backslap (standard; at will) 
  Close Blast 2 ; +4 vs. AC; 1d10+1 damage
  m One-Two combo (standard; at will) 
  Reach 1; +4 vs. AC; the Guardian makes two Hammering 
  Punch attacks.
  c Shape Earth (minor; at will)
  Area Burst 1 within 10; the Guardian can transform the 
  terrain into one of the following:
  Transform normal terrain into difficult terrain or vice 
  versa
  Transform difficult terrain into spiky terrain. Does 2 
  damage to anyone who walks over a square. The Guardian 
  is unaffected by spiky terrain. 
  Alignment Unaligned
  Languages: Common
  Str: 18 (+4)          Dex: 13 (+1) 
  Wis: 13 (+1)
  Con: 16 (+3) 
  Int: 13 (+1)          Cha: 13 (+1)
  
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  Tactics
  The Guardian lashes out indiscriminately, using the Shape Earth power 
  to slow down flankers and harass ranged attackers. It prefers to attack 
  unarmored targets such as spell casters and the like but it will gladly 
  attack a fighter as well. 
  Concluding the Fight
  Should the characters defeat the Guardian, it steps back and transforms 
  into the totem pole once again. However, if the characters fight bravely 
  but lose, the Guardian spares them and lets them recover so they may 
  proceed to the final test.  The only way the party can lose is by running 
  away from the Guardian.
  The Final Test: Wisdom
  The Guardian explains that he has contacted both the Gray Fang and 
  Black Raven tribe and soon representatives of both tribes will arrive, 
  wanting to claim the totem. The characters must decide what to do 
  with it.  
  The Black Ravens send a raven mocker and three Lemurian skeletons 
  first, as they happened to be the closest to the Totem. The raven mocker 
  flies in and lands on a nearby tree. Once it surveys the scene, the 
  raven mocker announces that the Black Ravens will richly reward the 
  characters if they give them the totem. 
  If the characters immediately agree to this, they will earn the respect 
  of the Black Ravens and become eligible for the Black Raven acolyte 
  feat. The Gray Fangs shows up, a group of rangers and warlocks, 
  only a minute later and they will attack the characters for giving the 
  totem to the Black Ravens. Otherwise they will attempt to persuade 
  the characters that the totem belongs with the Gray Fangs. If that isn’t 
  enough, a grippli hunting party led by a grippli king stumbles upon the 
  sanctuary a short time later. The king, foolish and naïve, decides that 
  the totem would make a fine addition to the grippli treasury. All three 
  groups want the totem and each is willing to fight for it. 
  The dynamics of the situation will mean a fight if the party hands the 
  totem to any of the three factions. The party will have to fight one of the 
  groups while their new allies will fight the other group. For example, 
  if the players give the totem to the grippli, the Black Ravens and Gray 
  Fangs will attack. The grippli will fight one of the tribal groups while 
  the players will fight the other group. This fight can be run in one of 
  two ways: either simply remove the allied group and one of the enemy 
  groups from the battle, ruling that their actions will negate each other 
  and run a straight battle against the other enemy group and the players 
  or simply run a massive battle with all four groups. Allow the players 
  to run their allies. 
  If the party wants to keep the totem, they must convince the three 
  
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  factions that the colony deserves it more than any other faction. The 
  grippli are easy to reason with, as the king only wanted it as a whim. A 
  single Bluff or Diplomacy check of DC 13 will convince them that they 
  don’t really want the totem. As for the two tribes, the characters can 
  either threaten them with retaliation from the colony, which requires a 
  DC 17 Intimidation check for both groups or convince them that they 
  are not worthy of the totem anymore. This requires a DC 15 Diplomacy 
  check for each tribal group. If the players fail to persuade one or two of 
  the groups, they will back off and swear to get even with the characters 
  at a later time, but they will not attack. If the players fail to persuade 
  any of the groups, they will all attack the players and each other. The 
  players should flee at this point, as it is doubtful they could survive a 
  four way battle. 
  Finally, the players could decide that no one deserves the totem and 
  ask that the Earth Spirit take it back.  Without a word, the totem sinks 
  back into the earth along with the sanctuary that has formed around 
  it. A pile of gold and gems appears in its place, equal to two treasure 
  parcels, a reward for the characters resolving the issue in a fair and 
  peaceful matter. 
  The Tribal Groups
  Black Ravens
  Raven Mocker
  3 Lemurian Skeletons
  Gray Fangs
  3 tribal rangers - see page 60
  2 tribal warlocks - see page 61
  Grippli
  Grippli King
  3 Grippli Hunters
  2 Yekyua
  Rewards
  Whatever faction has possession of the totem at the end of the day gains 
  subtle but important benefits from the Earth Spirit. Faction members 
  find valuable resources, such as ore or gold, literally lying on the 
  ground. Dangerous monsters stop intruding on the faction’s territory 
  and so on. However, the other factions will become envious and could 
  attempt to steal the totem or worse. As for the characters, the other 
  factions who didn’t get the totem will dislike the characters from now 
  on and any attempts at diplomacy with those factions will suffer a -2 
  penalty until the characters make amends for their actions. 
  If the characters return the totem to the Earth Spirit, the characters 
  gain a +1 bonus to all Diplomacy checks made with New World tribal 
  members, as they have gained a reputation for wisdom. 
  
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  Tribal Ranger 
  Level 1 Skirmisher
  Medium humanoid 
  EXP 100
  Initiative: +4
  Senses: +6 Perception
  HP 28; Bloodied 14
  AC 17; Fortitude 14, Reflex 16, Will 12
  Saving Throws +1
  Speed 6
  M Longsword (standard; at will) ♦ Weapon
  +5 vs. AC; 1d8 + 2 damage
  r Longbow(standard; at will)  ♦ Weapon
  Ranged 20/40; +6 vs. AC; 1d10 + 4 damage.
  m War Club (standard; at will) ♦ Weapon
  +5 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage.
  m Twin Strike (standard; at will) ♦ Weapon
  Two attacks on one or two creatures.
      Longsword/war club: +5/+5 vs. AC; 1d8/1d6 damage 
  r Nimble Strike (standard; at will)  ♦ Weapon
  The ranger can shift 1 square before or after the attack. 
  Ranged 20/40; +6 vs. AC; 1d10 + 4 damage
  m r Evasive Strike (standard; encounter)  ♦ Weapon
  The ranger can shift 2 squares either before or after the 
  attack.
      Longsword: +5 vs. AC; 2d8 + 2 damage.
      Longbow: Ranged 20/40; +6 vs. AC; 2d10 + 4 damage.
  r Split the Tree (standard; encounter)  ♦ Weapon
      Ranged 20/40; targets two creatures within 3 squares of 
  each other; +6 vs. AC; 2d10 + 4 damage. Make two attack 
  rolls, take the higher result, and apply it to both targets.
  Hunter’s Quarry (minor)
      The ranger can designate the nearest visible enemy as the 
  ranger’s quarry. Once per round when hitting this quarry, the 
  ranger can deal an extra 1d6 damage. This effect remains active 
  until the end of the encounter or until the ranger designates a 
  different target as the quarry. The ranger can only designate 
  one enemy as quarry at a time. 
  Defensive Mobility
  The ranger gains a +2 bonus to AC vs. opportunity attacks.
  Skills Nature +6, Perception +6, Stealth +8
  Equipment hide armor, longsword, war club, longbow
  Alignment Unaligned
  Languages: Common, Elven
  Str: 14 (+2)        Dex: 18 (+4) Wis: 13 (+1)
  Con: 12 (+1)       Int: 10 (0) 
  Cha: 11 (0)
  
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  Tribal Fey Pact Warlock 
  Level 1 Skirmisher
  Medium humanoid 
  EXP 100
  Initiative: +0
  Senses: +1 Perception
  HP 29; Bloodied 14
  AC 14; Fortitude 12, Reflex 14, Will 16
  Saving Throws +1
  Speed 6
  M Spear (standard; at will) ♦ Weapon
  +2 vs. AC; 1d8 damage
  r Eldritch Blast (standard; at will)  
  Ranged 10; +4 vs. Reflex; 1d10 + 4 damage.
  r Eyebite (standard; at will) ♦ Charm, Psychic
  Ranged 10; +4 vs. Will; 1d6 + 4 psychic damage, and the warlock 
  is invisible to the target until the start of the warlock’s next 
  turn. 
  r Dire Radiance (standard; encounter ) ♦ Fear, Radiant
  Ranged 10; +1 vs. Fortitude; 1d6 + 1 radiant damage. If the 
  target moves nearer to the human warlock on its next turn, it 
  takes an extra 1d6 + 1 damage. 
  r Witchfire (standard; encounter)  ♦ Fire
  Ranged 10; +4 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 4 fire damage, and the target 
  takes a –4 penalty to attack rolls until the end of the human 
  warlock’s next turn. 
  r Curse of the Dark Dream (standard; encounter) ♦ Charm, 
  Psychic
    Ranged 10; +4 vs. Will; 3d8 + 4 psychic damage, and the 
  target slides 3 squares. Hit or Miss, Sustain Minor: Slide the 
  target 1 square (save ends). 
  Misty Step (free)
  When a cursed enemy is reduced to 0 hit points or less.
  The warlock can immediately teleport 3 squares.
  Warlock’s Curse (minor)
  The warlock places a Warlock’s Curse on the nearest visible 
  enemy. Once per round when hitting a cursed enemy, the 
  warlock can deal an extra 1d6 damage. The Warlock’s Curse 
  remains in effect until the end of the encounter or until the 
  cursed enemy drops to 0 hit points or fewer. The warlock can 
  only curse one target per turn. 
  Skills Arcana +7, Bluff +9, Insight +6
  Equipment leather armor, spear
  Alignment Unaligned
  Languages: Common, Elven
  Str: 10 (0)       Dex: 11 (0) 
  Wis: 12 (+1)
  Con: 13 (+1)       Int: 14 (+2)       Cha: 18 (+4)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Party/4th Edition/Role Playing Public Radio/The New World Campaign Primer.pdf