TEXT: ©2012 Faster Monkey Games™
  FM124MR
  In the Shadow of
  Mount Rotten
  b y  J o e l  S p a    k s
  
  G o b l i n 
  K n o b
  M o u n t 
  R o t t e n
  I c e  P i n e s
  R I V E R W O O D
  T R O U B L E
  P A S S
  C l o u d b o t h e r  M t s .
  G R E Y R A K E S
  K a s t e e l  R .
  T A R N  O F 
  D E A T H
  D R A S T I C 
  S T E P P E
  D O G H E A D 
  P E A K S
  N
  Desolate
  THE ROTLANDS
  One hex = 10 miles
  B O R D E R L A N D S
  S W E E T 
  P L A I N S
  G O B   S T R E T C H
  S O U T H L A N D S
  S O U T H L A N D S
  D W A R F 
  H I L L S
  M O R
  F O R T 
  N O R B E R T
  L E S S E R T O N
  W O L F O R D
  R E N N E T O N
  G R E A T
  S T O N E
  S K U L L
  I r o n f l o o d  R .
  R O T M O O T
  S E L K I R K
  T O  K A S T E L L I C  K I N G D O M S 
  ( H U M A N S )
  T O  F R E E  B A R O N I E S  ( H U M A N S )
  T O  V A L N W A L L  ( H U M A N S )
  Rotlands border
  Region border
  TERRAIN QUALITY:
  Sparse
  Prime
  Harsh
  T O  T H E  I C E  L A N D S  ( G I A N T S )
  R U S H I N G  V A L L E Y
  
  In the Shadow of
  Mount Rotten
  b y  J o e l  S p a    k s
  
  In the Shadow of Mount Rotten
  ©2012 Faster Monkey Games™
  Author: Joel Sparks
  With Jeff Sparks
  Editor: Shelley Harlan
  Cover and original art by Mark Allen, ©2011 Mark Allen/Marjasall Productions: www.marjasall.com
  Thanks to Dean Norman for reality checking the rules on hunting and skinning.
  Additional proofreading by Stephanie Halloran
  Playtesters: Shelley Harlan, Chosh Navar, Ethan Handelman
  Inheritance font by Valeran Lothaniel, released as freeware.
  Some artwork from Fantasy Filler Art copyright Rick Hershey, All Rights Reserved.
  Some artwork copyright Paul Daly, used with permission.
  Some artwork by V. Shane, Arcane Press.
  Adam Gopnik quote from “Dog Story,” in The New Yorker, August 8, 2011.
  Lesserton & Mor © 2011, Faster Monkey Games™
  Labyrinth Lord™ is copyright 2007-2011, Daniel Proctor. Labyrinth Lord™ and Advanced 
  Labyrinth Lord™ are trademarks of Daniel Proctor. These trademarks are used under the 
  Labyrinth Lord™ Trademark License 1.2, available at www.goblinoidgames.com.
  Designation of Product Identity and Open Gaming License appear on the inside back cover.
  Faster Monkey Games
  www.fastermonkeygames.com
  
  T A B L E  O F  C O N T E N T S
  I  ~  I N T R O D U C T I O N
  Life in the Rotlands
  Myth & History ................................................................................................5
  Primitivism & Prejudice .................................................................................5
  The Spirit World ..............................................................................................6
  Gender Roles ....................................................................................................6
  Rules Systems, Scale, and the Known Lands ...............................................6
  Southron Races ................................................................................................6
  I I  ~  C H A R A C T E R S
  Being & Belonging
  Reputation ........................................................................................................7
  Ransom .............................................................................................................8
  Honor in the Rotlands ..................................................................................10
   
  Honor, Money, Negotiation .................................................................10
   
   
  Warriors and Rotmoot ................................................................10
  Player Character Races
  Variant Scores ................................................................................................11
  Variant Encumbrance ...................................................................................11
  Goblins ............................................................................................................12
  Hobgoblins (Hobs) ........................................................................................12
  Orcs  .................................................................................................................13
   
  Orkin ......................................................................................................13
  Other races: NPCs and monsters ................................................................13
  Relative Sizes of Rotlander Races ................................................................14
  Languages .......................................................................................................14
   
  Literacy ...................................................................................................14
  Player Character Classes
  Warriors ..........................................................................................................15
  Shamans ..........................................................................................................16
   
  Shaman Spell List ..................................................................................18
  Mongers ..........................................................................................................19
  NPC Classes ...................................................................................................20
  Personal Names .............................................................................................20
  I I I  ~  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  Tribe Size & Population ................................................................................21
  Quality of Land ..............................................................................................21
  Lifestyle of the Tribe ......................................................................................21
  Who Lives Where ..........................................................................................21
  Tribe Types
  Locals: Occupants of a Hex by Terrain & Region .....................................22 
  Foot Goblins ...................................................................................................23
   
  Forest Goblins .......................................................................................23
  Ogre Lashers (Orcs) ......................................................................................23
  Troll Drivers (Orcs) .......................................................................................24
  Goblin Eaters (Hobs) ....................................................................................24
  Hearth Orcs ....................................................................................................25
  Warg Riders (Goblins) ..................................................................................26
  Free Hobs ........................................................................................................27
  Saltjack Clan (Orkin) ....................................................................................27
  The Mooter Tribe ...........................................................................................28
   
  Race & Gender of Mooters ..................................................................28
  Monstrous Peoples ........................................................................................28
   
  Ogre Clan ...............................................................................................28
   
  Gnoll Pack..............................................................................................29
  Tribe Names ...................................................................................................30
  Herds, Slaves, & Dogs
  Herds ...............................................................................................................31
  Slaves ...............................................................................................................32
  Scrapper Dogs ................................................................................................33
  Settlements
  Foot Goblin Settlement.................................................................................33
  Monster Orc Camp .......................................................................................34
  Hearth Orc Town ...........................................................................................35
  Warg Rider Camp ..........................................................................................35
  The Rotlands
  Regions............................................................................................................36
  Points of Interest ............................................................................................37
   
  Goblin Knob ..........................................................................................37
   
  Mount Rotten ........................................................................................37
   
  The Tarn of Death .................................................................................38
  Rotmoot ..........................................................................................................38
  In the Mountain’s Shadow ............................................................................40
   
  Selkirk.....................................................................................................40
  Around Goblin Knob ....................................................................................41
   
  Hellmouth (Dristyakul) .......................................................................41
  Caves ...............................................................................................................42
   
  Sample Caves .........................................................................................44
   
   
  Small Hollow / Monster Orc Redoubt ......................................44
   
   
  Limestone Flow / Foot Goblin Cave ..........................................45
  Ruins ...............................................................................................................46
  Oddities ..........................................................................................................46
  A  s c a m  t h a t  g o e s  o n  l o n g  e n o u g h ,  a n d  w o r k s  m o r e  o r 
  l e s s  t o  e v e r y o n e’s  b e n e f i t ,  i s  s i m p l y  c a l l e d  a  c u l t u r e .
   
  —  A d a m  G o p n i k
  
  I V  ~  A D V E N T U R E S
  What Befalls the Tribe ..................................................................................48
  Campaign Types ............................................................................................50
  Travel & Survival
  Crossland Travel ............................................................................................51
  Weather ...........................................................................................................51
   
  Conditions & Precipitation by Terrain & Season .............................51
   
  Wind .......................................................................................................51
   
  Severity ...................................................................................................52
   
  Cold and Exposure ...............................................................................52
  Wildfire ...........................................................................................................52
   
  Spread of Wildfire .................................................................................52
  Dehydration &  Starvation ...........................................................................53
  Drought & Famine ........................................................................................53
  Foraging ..........................................................................................................53
  Hunting for Meat ...........................................................................................54
   
  Hides.......................................................................................................55
  Random Encounters
  Survivability ...................................................................................................56
  Encounter Explanations ...............................................................................56
  Chance of Encounter by Terrain Quality ...................................................57
  Random Encounters by Region: Day ..........................................................57
  Random Encounters by Region: Night .......................................................58
  Spirit Encounters ...........................................................................................59
   
  Shamans & Spirit Encounters .............................................................59
   
  Spirit Encounter Types .........................................................................59
  V  ~  S T U F F
  Possessions
  “Gimme That!:” Orcs and Loot ....................................................................62
  Hobgoblins and the Cult of Weapons .........................................................62
  Goblins and Sneak-Thievery ........................................................................62
  Barter ...............................................................................................................63
  Money .............................................................................................................63
   
  Exchange ................................................................................................64
   
  Coins of the Soft Folk ...........................................................................64
   
  Regional Value of Salt ...........................................................................64
  Gear & Goods Lists
  Availability ......................................................................................................65
   
  Buying? ...................................................................................................65
   
  Seasonality .............................................................................................65
  Common Goods ............................................................................................65
  General Goods ...............................................................................................66
   
  Goods Descriptions ..............................................................................66
  Metallurgy ......................................................................................................66
  Specialty Goods:  Southron Luxuries..........................................................67
  Specialty Goods: Trade Goods .....................................................................68
  Specialty Goods: Arms & Armor ................................................................70
   
  Southron Arms & Armor ....................................................................71
   
   
  Combat Modifiers ........................................................................71
  Specialty Goods: Slaves .................................................................................72
  Specialty Goods: Ornaments .......................................................................73
  Caravans
  Mooter Caravans ...........................................................................................74
   
  Movement ..............................................................................................74
   
  The Things They Carry ........................................................................74
  Human Caravans ...........................................................................................77
   
  Complement ..........................................................................................77
   
  Cargo ......................................................................................................77
  M A P S ,  C H A R T S ,  +  T A B L E S
  Map: The Rotlands ............................................................. Inside front cover
  Reputation & Ransom Reference Tables ......................................................9
  Encumbrances and Movement by Strength (and race) ............................11
  Relative Sizes of Rotlander Races ................................................................14
  Warrior ranks .................................................................................................15
  Shaman ranks .................................................................................................17
  Shaman spell list ............................................................................................18
  Monger ranks .................................................................................................19
  Tribe Size & Population ................................................................................21
  Locals: Occupants of a Hex by Terrain & Region .....................................22
  Race & Gender of Mooters ...........................................................................28
  Typical Herd Animal by Terrain Aspect .....................................................31
  Slaver Tribes; Prisoners of War in Non-Slaver Tribes ...............................32
  Map: Regions of the Rotlands ......................................................................37
  Visitors at Moot .............................................................................................39
  Map: In the Mountain’s Shadow ..................................................................40
  Map: Around Goblin Knob ..........................................................................41
  Types of Cave .................................................................................................42
  Mineral Resources .........................................................................................43
  Ruins Type ......................................................................................................46
  Oddities ..........................................................................................................46
  What Befalls the Tribe ..................................................................................48
  Crossland Travel Rates in Hexes per Night ................................................51
  Conditions and Precipitation by Terrain & Season ..................................51
  Severity (precipitation) .................................................................................52
  Cold & Exposure ...........................................................................................52
  Spread of Wildfire ..........................................................................................52
  Productivity of Foraging by Terrain ............................................................53
  Approximate Yield by Carcass Type (hunting)..........................................54
  Rotlands Animals with Worthwhile Hides ................................................55
  Chance of Encounter by Terrain and Season .............................................57
  Random Encounters by Region, Day ..........................................................57
  Random Encounters by Region, Night .......................................................58
  Spirit Encounter Types .................................................................................59
  Barter Rolls .....................................................................................................63
  Exchange (money) .........................................................................................64
   
  Regional Value of Salt ...........................................................................64
  Common Items ..............................................................................................65
  General Goods ...............................................................................................67
  Speciality Goods: Southron Luxuries .........................................................67
  Speciality Goods: Trade Goods ...................................................................69
  Speciality Goods: Arms & Armor ...............................................................70
   
  Southron Arms & Armor ....................................................................71
   
  Combat Modifiers (Southron vs. Rotlander gear) ............................71
  Speciality Goods: Slaves ................................................................................72
  Speciality Goods: Ornaments ......................................................................73
   
  Totem Figurine shapes .........................................................................73
  Caravan Goods ..............................................................................................75
  Index ...............................................................................................................78
  
  L I F E  I N  T H E  R O T L A N D S
  Stretching for hundreds of miles to the north and east of the last 
  human towns of Eastern Valnwall, the cold, dry territory known as the 
  Rotlands is home to dozens of tribes of orcs and goblinoids, each fighting 
  to survive and grow. The hard winters, the poor soil, the sparse rainfall, 
  and the competition of countless other tribes of various races make every 
  day a challenge and every year a race against extinction.
  The player characters are Rotlanders: members of a tribe of goblins, 
  hobgoblins, or orcs, setting out to earn the respect of their elders by 
  serving the tribe in its ongoing struggle. Protecting the tribal population, 
  defeating its enemies, exploring new resources, and facing down the 
  threats of nature and the spirit world earn not only traditional experience 
  points, but also Reputation, a measure of each character’s standing within 
  his or her tribe.
  All PCs come from the same tribe. Their Chieftain, other military 
  superiors, and the Senior Shaman give the group missions to accomplish. 
  Success brings praise and advancement. Those who fail suffer harm to 
  their Reputations. If they continue to fail, they might even get drummed 
  out of the tribe, and no one survives long in the Rotlands alone.
  Rotlander PCs don’t use the usual character classes. Instead, they 
  choose from Warrior, Shaman, and Monger. They also must do without 
  the plentiful cash and advanced gear available in other campaigns, at least 
  to start. Money and gear lists are positioned farther back in this book than 
  in most RPG supplements, because what matters is your tribe, your wits, 
  and your determination—not your stuff.
  M y t h  +  H i s t o r y
  Before History: Goblins Between Worlds
  According to goblin mythology, below the earth lies the true paradise, 
  Ayadristyakrak, the “hot and dark place.” The surface world is Yidyakrak, 
  the “mixed place”: sometimes too bright, sometimes dark enough, 
  sometimes warm, usually too cold. Originally, states the tradition, elves 
  and giants were the only occupants of Yidyakrak. One day, a hole opened 
  in the sky, and a frigid mist floated down, carrying with it a new race of 
  weaklings called humans. 
  Previously, humans had infested Sastakoyakrak, the “cold and bright 
  place” above the sky. The unknown dominant race up there, possibly 
  gods, rounded them all up and flushed them down a drain, from which 
  they fell into Yidyakrak. The elves quickly enslaved the humans and drove 
  them against the giants as expendable troops. Goblins still consider much 
  “civilized” human behavior, like playing music or wearing uncomfortable 
  fancy clothes, to be hilariously “elfy”: a pathetic imitation of their former 
  enslavers, from a past that humans claim never happened.
  The story goes on that the elf-mastered humans began 
  intruding 
  into 
  the 
  caves 
  of 
  Ayadristyakrak 
  and 
  attacking  
  innocent goblin-folk. On the surface they labored at great clumsy 
  constructions that shook the roof of the underworld, caused frequent 
  cave-ins, and made far too much noise. Annoyed, the Goblin gods sent 
  the very best race of Ayadristyakrak to drive out the surface folk and put 
  a stop to their annoying ways, preferably by extermination. Naturally the 
  clever goblins were chosen for this mission, with the brutishly strong 
  hobgoblins to assist them. (Hobgoblins tell this part of the tale somewhat 
  in reverse.) Dwarfs, being inferior, were not trusted with the great cause. 
  To punish them for copying the noisy works of the surface folk, the gods 
  held the dwarfs back, and they still rarely come to the surface.
  The goblinoids trooped up into Yidyakrak through the great tunnel 
  Dristyakul, not to return until their great mission came to its foreordained 
  end. Dristyakul emerges from the low mountain now called Goblin Knob. 
  When all the humans, the halflings (who are clearly just a type of human), 
  and the supremely evil elves are dead, the gods will build a new ceiling 
  of earth and stone, blocking the sky away and making a hot, dark world 
  below. Ayadristyakrak will absorb Yidyakrak and an age of prosperity and 
  dominance will come for all goblinkind.
  Orcs do not so much disagree with this legend as they simply prefer 
  to ignore history altogether. Some goblins consider orcs a kind of human, 
  or a hybrid of human and hobgoblin; most say they probably came along 
  from Ayadristyakrak as slaves but proved too intractable for the work.
  Recent History
  By most reckonings, over seven centuries have elapsed since the 
  Rotlands went, united, to war. Based on Mount Rotten, the so-called 
  Half-Orc Lord built a short-lived empire. With slave troops, he enforced a 
  monopoly on the red salt, then co-opted the hobgoblin tribes, then forced 
  orcs and goblins into service, finally laying siege to any settlements that 
  resisted his rule. He brought in giants from the frozen north and strange 
  creatures from parts unknown. He made no laws but only exacted tribute 
  of soldiers and arms, all to forge the huge army that crashed down into 
  the Southlands and assaulted Great Mor, mightiest of human cities. The 
  invasion ended in magical catastrophe. His forces scattered, the Half-Orc 
  Lord vanished, and the Rotlands fell into countless separate tribes again, 
  weakened and impoverished by the great spasm of war. Refugees and 
  soldiers shamed by fleeing battle formed knots of wandering outcasts.
  Since those days, many generations have passed. Influenced, 
  perhaps, by the brush with centralization, the Monger class emerged, 
  and with it Rotmoot, a neutral ground for all tribes to meet and trade. 
  Wandering groups settled there to become the Mooter tribe. The Saltjacks 
  of Mount Rotten still labor under exploitative conditions to provide 
  Rotlanders with the red salt they need; each competes against the others 
  for the parsimonious attentions of the Selkirk houses. Since Mor fell, 
  the Southrons make no concerted incursions into the dry, chilly zones 
  claimed by Rotland tribes. Orcs and goblinoids fight each other, instead, 
  and even more so the harsh environment that always threatens the tribes 
  with starvation and doom.
  I  ~  I N T R O D U C T I O N
  5
  P r i m i t i v i s m  +  P r e j u d i c e
  In the Shadow of Mount Rotten describes the traditions and interaction 
  of many types of communities of imaginary creatures in conditions of 
  long-term scarcity, warfare, and no access to modern institutions. The 
  Rotlanders are people trying to survive in difficult circumstances, as the 
  vast majority of real-world humans have had to do, and at the same time 
  purely fictional fantasy tropes, with infravision, magic spells, and other 
  impossibilities. It should go without saying that the author intends no 
  comment on any actual culture or ethnicity, past or present. Furthermore, 
  the racial tension between these fantasy beings is presented as believable, 
  even likely, but not particularly laudable. See also Gender Roles, below.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  6
  T h e  S p i r i t  W o r l d
  According to Rotlander Shamans, the visible world is only the 
  surface of reality, a reflection on a deep lake. Unseen influences and 
  significances permeate everything. Consciousness is not exclusive to 
  bipeds and other animals: the sky, the water, the very stones of the earth 
  watch the living with dull regard. The dead are not gone: ancestors remain 
  among the living, critically judging right action from wrong, intervening 
  with inhuman spirits on behalf of their tribe so long as the tribe adheres 
  faithfully to the old ways. Shamans can feel themselves dwelling among 
  the countless intangible awarenesses, from the tiny thoughts of a butterfly 
  to huge, often malicious, often idiotic influences that persist from a time 
  before the physical world was formed. Reading omens, seeking visions, 
  and communing with the invisible dead, Shamans protect their people 
  from wrong actions and malign forces alike.
  The Spirit World and the physical world lie close together in the 
  Rotlands. A lone traveler is almost as likely to encounter a ghost as a wolf, 
  or so people believe. Tribes who make camp without regard to the signs 
  and omens may find their new home cursed with bad luck, or haunted by 
  evil dreams, or tormented by a poltergeist. Shamans work hard to appease 
  the departed, watch for malicious beings, and keep benign influences 
  wrapped around their tribes’ territory and actions. Sometimes, physical 
  manifestations break through from the Spirit World, or worse places, and 
  only brave Warriors armed with the best Shamanistic preparations can 
  defeat the vile intruders from beyond. Whether the spiritual permeability 
  of the Rotlands comes from the proximity of the hellmouth Dristyakul, or 
  from some forgotten cataclysm, or from the very sensitivity of the Shamans 
  and the spiritual beliefs of the tribes, no one knows.
  A land so saturated with supernatural danger makes an unstable 
  base for civilization. Beliefs that other peoples might call superstition are 
  simply true in the Rotlands, and false superstitions flourish alongside. 
  Blights can fall on a struggling tribe not only from weather, disease, 
  and war, but from another world, and in fact all the mundane troubles 
  are linked to spirit influences in an endless web of cause, effect, and 
  association. Races with the good fortune to live elsewhere avoid the 
  strange and frightening Rotlands, leaving it to the tribes.
  Referees using the planar cosmology outlined in “advanced” fantasy 
  games can consider the Spirit World to be a name for the Ethereal Plane, 
  the domain of ghosts. Creatures from other planes can find their way to 
  the Material Plane through this realm, and appear in the Rotlands more 
  commonly than in other parts of the physical world.
  G e n d e r  R o l e s
  Rotlanders follow ancient, illiberal traditions. By default, only males 
  can be Warriors, and most females are Tribemembers who watch the 
  homes, crops, and children. However, the role of a player character, or the 
  practice of the PCs’ home tribe, may differ depending on the campaign 
  preferences of the players and referee.
  Gender Role Options
  Traditional: Warriors rule the tribe, and only males are Warriors. A 
  female PC who wants to fight must adopt a male name and persona, and 
  the tribe treats her as a male. Ambitious female fighters sometimes leave 
  to join the Mooters, where gender is no obstacle; see p28.
  Balanced and limited: As Traditional, and only females can be 
  Shamans. Males who insist must adopt female personae.
  Hard sledding: Females can buck tradition, but the tribe 
  doesn’t like it. Female Warriors start with half the usual Reputation,  
  rounded down. Future awards are at the normal rate.
  Free-for-all: Gender places no obstacle to class choice, at least in 
  the home tribe. Perhaps the Chieftain is a female Warrior who succeeded 
  despite the odds and now encourages others.
  Topsy-turvy: One of the above scenarios with the genders reversed.
  S o u t h r o n  R a c e s
  In the Shadow of Mount Rotten assumes a background world 
  dominated by humans, with halflings as a kind of sidekick race. For 
  Rotlanders, dwarfs and elves exist on the edge of myth: possibly living 
  only far away, or existing only in the past, or never real at all. For example, 
  the “Dwarf Hills” are said to contain many diggings, but no actual dwarfs 
  have been seen in living memory. Naturally the referee can change the 
  outside world as he sees fit; Rotlanders would react to the old races with 
  great surprise and instant hostility.
  R u l e s  S y s t e m s ,  S c a l e , 
  a n d  t h e  K n o w n  L a n d s
  The primary system for writing and playtesting In the Shadow of 
  Mount Rotten was Labyrinth Lord™, the excellent interpretation of TSR’s 
  1981 Basic/Expert D&D, available in print or as a free download from 
  Goblinoid Games (www.goblinoidgames.com). Nonetheless, the rules 
  herein should work easily with any classic, six-score, d20 system with 
  only minor adjustments. Spells and monsters referred to appear in almost 
  every such rulebook.
  Campaigns that use the Known Lands open setting map from the 
  Labyrinth Lord book will find that the Rotlands match up to the northeast 
  corner. However, Rotlands maps double the suggested scale, giving more 
  realistic distances between settlements and climates.
  Referees and players need not consider the math unduly. Territory 
  sizes and overland travel rates are simply given in hexes. PCs lack good 
  maps and measure travel in nights of walking. If the campaign requires 
  matching the size of the original Known Lands map exactly, the referee 
  can consider each hex to be 5 miles across instead of 10.
  
  7
  B E I N G  +  B E L O N G I N G
  All Rotlanders PCs in a party are members of the same tribe, which 
  serves as the home base of the campaign. They work together to benefit 
  their fellows and improve their personal Reputation. PCs advance in 
  power by helping their tribe and may eventually come to lead it. By 
  default, the player characters are goblins. See Player Character Races, p11, 
  and Campaign Types, p50.
  The tribal populations given in Chapter III specify exactly how 
  many of each class belong to each tribe. As exceptional people, and likely 
  troublemakers, player characters are in addition to these numbers.
  R e p u t a t i o n
  Every PC strives to add lustre to his name among his home tribe. In 
  the game, this is measured by Reputation Points, or Rep. Each character 
  starts with Rep Points equal to CHA. Additional points are earned for 
  accomplishing missions, and for certain admirable behaviors that vary by 
  race and class. First-level NPC Rep can be estimated at 9.
  To gain rank within the tribe, and to gain a class level, requires a 
  certain amount of Rep. See Chart I, p9. The Chieftain has a huge amount 
  of Rep and can only be displaced by someone with more. A challenger who 
  kills the Chieftain in a fair fight might gain much Rep, depending on the 
  race and culture of the tribe, but if the result is still not enough to supplant 
  the late leader, the people don’t obey the usurper.
  When tribal elders require PCs to complete a certain mission 
  in order to gain rank in the tribe, the characters cannot receive the 
  minimum Rep for the next level until the elders are satisfied. Success in 
  the tribe is the only success that matters; a shamed Warrior stuck at Rep 
  19 for his failures can never gain his new level until he clears his name, 
  even if it takes years. If the character brings shame on himself or his tribe, 
  his Reputation actually goes down, and so can his level. See Reputation 
  Awards, below.
  A character whose Rep falls below the minimum for his experience 
  level loses his rank, social privileges, and even the character class abilities 
  of the higher level. Hit points and XP never go down.
  Races and Reputation
  No matter what class a character is, his race informs what behaviors 
  his fellows find laudable.
  Goblins get extra Reputation from elaborate pranks, sneaky traps, 
  and devious tricks, especially when they redound to the harm of the 
  tribe’s enemies. It’s also admired to trick a fellow goblin who’s been acting 
  a bit full of himself.
  Hobgoblins respect obedience to orders in the face of danger, even 
  for non-Warriors. Hobs also gain Rep by killing intelligent beings of other 
  races, and then eating them.
  Orcs gain extra Reputation from dealing out beatings, or at least put-
  downs, on anyone lower in the pecking order. If the order isn’t clear in 
  their chaotic society, a fistfight can settle the issue, transferring Rep to the 
  winner. Note that this means that orcs fight mostly among themselves, 
  while hobgoblins mostly band together to attack other races.
  Classes and Reputation
  Warriors are forbidden to trade or negotiate, and can lose Rep just 
  for counting too much. They earn extra Rep for taking trophies and 
  leading victorious attacks.
  Shamans earn extra Rep for addressing threats from the spirit world 
  and guiding Warriors to act in ways that protect the tribe’s future.
  Mongers earn extra Rep for profitable transactions and becoming 
  known as a shrewd but honest dealer.
  Reputation Awards and Penalties
  Far more than experience points, Reputation point awards are 
  arbitrary. A good maximum is 1 per hour of play time in the real world; a 
  good minimum is 1 per session, although the RP aren’t awarded until the 
  PCs return to their tribe and report their successes and failures.
  RP can easily vary from character to character over a campaign. The 
  referee should balance out the variety of tasks so that all PCs come out 
  more or less even over time, but in a given session, one or more characters 
  might earn a single bonus RP for handling challenges appropriate to their 
  class.
  Example: Four players adventure for four hours of real-world 
  time. They defeat some enemies and gather some information, but do 
  not complete their mission. The referee makes a note that the session’s 
  progress is worth 2 RP each, but a particular Shaman who negotiated 
  the group’s way out of a deadly ambush gets 3 RP instead. None of these 
  points will be awarded until the PCs report back home.
  Penalties fall in the same range. For minor embarrassments, reducing 
  the RP award by 1 will suffice. A major violation of character could reduce 
  the award to 0, while actions that betray the clan will result in a negative 
  award: a net result of perhaps –2 or –3 RP for doing something stupid that 
  endangers tribemembers, and –5 or more for serious, culpable dereliction 
  of duty.
  Loss of the minimum RP needed for an experience level causes the 
  character to lose all rank, privileges, and class abilities of that level. In his 
  shame, he even fights and makes saving throws at the lower level. Only XP 
  and hit points are never lost.
  Outright betrayal of the tribe, if discovered, automatically costs the 
  character a level. His RP becomes the minimum for the new, reduced 
  level, and is of no use at all with his home tribe, who will do their best to 
  kill him, preferably by torture. If he avoids that fate, he has to start again 
  somewhere else, at the lower rank, if he can convince another tribe to 
  take him.
  An unlucky character whose Rep falls below 0 is likewise disqualified 
  from practicing any PC class. The tribe doesn’t kill him just for being 
  considered useless or unreliable, but he is dismissed from all duties other 
  than manual labor as a Tribemember. He will have to earn back at least his 
  Charisma in positive RP to resume his old place.
  In addition to saving Reputation for gaining rank, a PC can spend 
  Rep Points. Spent RP are gone for good, although the PC can naturally 
  earn new Rep by further actions. Options:
  •	
  Spending one RP allows the player to re-make a new reaction 
  roll from a member of the character’s tribe, of any rank.
  •	
  Spending one or more RP increases the likelihood that the tribe 
  will pay the character’s ransom when he is captured. See below.
  I I  ~  C H A R A C T E R S
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  8
  R a n s o m
  Rotlanders take prisoners all the time. If not used as labor or cuisine, 
  a captive becomes just another mouth to feed. Tribes sometimes seek 
  to profit from prisoners by arranging ransom. To preserve their own 
  strength, the tribe of the captive usually agrees. The size of the ransom 
  depends on the captive’s Reputation, adjusted by negotiating between 
  Shamans. Payment seldom takes the form of cash; instead, tribes make a 
  prisoner exchange or pay in goods, especially livestock.
  After a battle, opposing Shamans meet and arrange immediate 
  prisoner exchange. First-level characters involved in this need make no 
  special rolls so long as the amnesty is general, or the balance of captives 
  favors his side. Other prisoners instead get hauled back to the enemy base 
  and have a harder time of it.
  The head-price of a captive varies, but can be estimated as goods 
  or concessions worth his level squared, times Reputation, times 10, in 
  iron pieces (ip). Exchange of hostages also roughly depends on rank. See 
  Chart II.
  A successful rescue, once the erstwhile captive and his saviours elude 
  the initial pursuit, is considered a fully legitimate ransom without loss of 
  honor to either side. After all, the prisoner was important enough to fight 
  for and the captors did their best to stop the escape.
  Ransoming Player Characters
  For prisoners not immediately exchanged, the captor tribe waits for 
  an offer from the prisoner’s home tribe.
    For a PC, the player must decide how much Reputation to stake on 
  the result, with a minimum of 1. The character knows nothing of this; it 
  is the player’s chance to affect the decision-making process of the tribal 
  leaders.
  The player makes a Reaction Roll on Chart III: Home Tribe Attitude. 
  Low is good, so the character’s level and the Rep he stakes on the roll 
  reduce the total. Any reaction modifier for Charisma also applies.
  The referee then makes a similar 2d6 roll on Chart IV for the captors, 
  to see how they feel about the prisoner and how they respond to the home 
  tribe’s attitude. Only Charisma affects this roll. The results range from 
  generous to deadly.
  Whatever the outcome, staked RP is lost.
  Results from Chart IV
  Released with gift: The captors find their captive an admirable person, 
  make friends, and send him home in style. A Barter Roll (p63), based on 
  the value of the ransom offered, can estimate the value of the gifts given.
  Counter: The envoy is sent back to demand a better offer, at least the 
  standard ransom suggested. A High counter asks for 50% over that amount; 
  a Very High counter asks for 1d3+1 times normal. The player must make 
  another reaction roll for home tribe’s attitude, at a +1 penalty for each 
  multiple or fraction over normal ransom. Thus +50% or +100% gives +1; 
  200% gives +2; etc. Reputation formerly staked is gone, but the player may 
  commit new RP to affect the roll.
  Enslaved: The captors decide to keep the hostage for now. A female of 
  the same race as her captors, if they do not keep a mixed slave population 
  (p32), has a chance to join the tribe as a new Tribemember with a 
  Reputation of 0. Otherwise, the captive becomes a working slave. The 
  player has until the end of the current play session to use the character’s 
  class abilities. After that he is too downtrodden: zero level for purposes of 
  saving throws, combat, and other rolls. The other PCs can stage a daring 
  raid to free their companion. At the referee’s option, the captors might try 
  a single new response roll on Chart IV after one month: possibly deciding 
  to ransom their slave, for example, or possibly deciding to eat him. 
  Disposed of: The captors get rid of their burden. He is either bound 
  together with 1d4 other captives to be taken to a slave market, or marked 
  for the stew-pot, depending on the races involved and the distance to the 
  slave markets at Selkirk or Rotmoot (p72).
  Executed: The captors kill their prisoner. The ordinary ruck have their 
  throats cut at once. For a character of higher than 1st level, the captors 
  delay until the tribe can be called together for a ritual execution. This may 
  give other PCs a chance to charge to the rescue.
  Tortured to death: The captive meets a grisly end, possibly over the course 
  of days. An ordinary captive is kept tied up, starved, and tormented by 
  passing Warriors as they have time. A character of 2nd level or higher 
  is ritually maimed and tortured in a long public ritual. If convenient, 
  the tribe may send the mutilated head back to the captive’s home as a 
  memento. A character rescued during this period has permanent injuries 
  such as a random score reduced by 1d4, maximum hit points lowered by 
  1-2 per level, or move rate reduced by one category (p11, p51).
  
  C H A R A C T E R S
  9
  III. Home Tribe Attitude toward Captive Player Character (Reaction Roll)
  – PC level
  – Reputation staked
  ± CHA modifier
   
  2d6± 
  Attitude
   
  ≤2 
  Eager to ransom the character; makes rapid or generous offer
   
  3–5 
  Willing to ransom; makes standard offer in reasonable time, usually prisoner exchange
   
  6–8 
  Skimpy offer, perhaps delayed
   
  9–11 
  No response
   
  ≥12 
  Mockery (message daring captors to do their worst, or absurd offer such as a wrinkled onion painted with a rude face)
  II. Approximate Ransom Value by Level or Hit Dice 
   Level/HD 
  Approximate Value 
  Minimum 
  Hostage Exchange
   
  1 
  Reputation x 10 ip 
  10 ip 
  One 1st level or two Tribemembers (T1)
   
  2 
  Reputation x 40 ip 
  800 ip 
  Four 1st level, one 2nd, or eight T1
   
  3 
  Reputation x 90 ip 
  4,050 ip 
  Four 2nd level or one 3rd
   
  4 
  Reputation x 160 ip 
  12,800 ip 
  Fourth level or higher only
   
  5 
  Reputation x 250 ip 
  31,250 ip 
  Fourth level or higher only
   
  n 
  Reputation x n2 x 10 ip 
  n4 x 50 ip 
  Fourth level or higher only
  IV. Captor Tribe Response to Home Tribe Attitude (±CHA mod of captive)
  I. Minimum Reputation and Experience Points to Achieve Character Level
   
  Level 
   Min Rep 
  NPC Rep 
  Warrior/Shaman 
  Monger/Tribemember
   
  1 
   
  1 
  CHA or 3d6 
  0 xp 
  0 xp
   
  2 
   
  20 
  (d4 + 1) x 10 
  1,566 xp 
  1,251 xp
   
  3 
   
  45 
  (d4 + 4) x 10 
  3,126 xp 
  2,501 xp
   
  4 
   
  80 
  (d4 + 7) x 10 
  6,251 xp 
  5,001 xp
   
  5 
   
  125 
  (d6 + 12) x 10 
  12,501 xp 
  10,001 xp
   
  n 
   
  n2 x 5 
  Min + (d10 x n) 
  (2n–2 x 1,562.5) + 1 xp 
  (2n–2 x 1,250) + 1 xp
  R e p u t a t i o n  +  R a n s o m  R e f e r e n c e  T a b l e s
  2d6±
  Rapid/generous offer
  Standard offer
  Skimpy offer
  No response
  Mockery
  ≤2
  Released with gift
  Accepted
  Accepted
  Counter, standard
  Counter, high
  3–5
  Accepted
  Accepted
  Counter, standard
  Counter, high
  Enslaved
  6–8
  Accepted
  Counter, high
  Counter, high
  Enslaved
  Disposed of
  9–11
  Counter, high
  Counter, very high
  Enslaved
  Disposed of
  Executed
  ≥12
  Counter, very high
  Enslaved
  Disposed of
  Executed
  Tortured to death
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  10
  H o n o r  i n  t h e  R o t l a n d s
  Savage though they are, Rotlanders live for the respect of their tribes, 
  and they have their standards. For Warriors in particular, the honor code 
  directly affects a character’s Reputation. Warriors dominate most tribes 
  and the actions of every tribe member are judged in the light of honor, but 
  only actual Warriors are expected to adhere strictly to their martial code.
  In addition to variation by class, each race has its own ideals, from 
  the victory-by-stealth preference of the goblins to the brute assault 
  favored by orcs.
  Honor, Money, Negotiation
  Using money, or indeed counting it, is considered effete. A Warrior 
  is supposed to take what he wants by force, or else accept it from his 
  tribal superiors as a reward for fighting well. Even barter lies beyond 
  the Warrior’s ideal of behavior. Out among the tribes, Mongers handle 
  trade. Shamans, being of either gender and otherwise outside the 
  Warrior’s code, can also make deals, but in practice the male Shamans 
  do so only rarely, such as when negotiating a treaty with another tribe. 
  Indeed making peace is an important Shamanistic role, as the war 
  leaders of the tribes find the whole idea degrading. The typical truce 
  is worked out by the senior Shaman from each side, each stating how 
  his Chieftain’s righteous rage is barely held in check and only the 
  Shaman’s best persuasion holds off the resumption of hostilities. In the 
  field, the senior Warrior has the responsibility to make any on-the-spot 
  negotiations, and his fortitude under this potentially humiliating duty 
  is, perversely, much admired.
  Warriors receive no training in even simple math and would 
  consider it enervating to attempt. Should a Warrior have an actual 
  important purchase or sale to make, he entrusts the matter to his mate, 
  or his mother, or his oldest sister, or perhaps a Monger friend. The 
  Warrior won’t know the price of the item, nor will he want to know, so 
  long as he gets what he wants. He can never make a Barter Roll (p63) 
  without damage to his Reputation.
  When a Warrior finds cash on an enemy, he confiscates it as part of 
  his rightful booty, but doesn’t count it. It’s a trophy, not a resource. If one 
  of his non-Warrior associates asks him for money, even for the Warrior’s 
  own needs, he waves them to his pile of loot and tells them to take what’s 
  needed and leave him out of the details.
  See Possessions, p62.
  Warriors and Rotmoot
  At Moot, rules relax somewhat. Under the Mootpeace, the Warriors 
  cannot fight, so they take a holiday and spend freely on eating, drinking, 
  gambling on rat fights, buying exotic pets, bedazzling themselves with 
  cheap trinkets, and otherwise wasting what little money their friends 
  or mates give them for the event. The Warriors treat all the spending 
  as a great joke, the way some other cultures might view a traditional 
  holiday parade in which the men wear women’s clothes. Mooters cheat 
  the Warriors wildly, and nobody expects otherwise. On the other hand, 
  anyone who extends credit to a Warrior is a fool, for they don’t consider 
  money debts relevant to honor and such amounts are never repaid. At 
  Moot, if a Warrior makes his own significant purchase, he pays 2d4 x 50% 
  of normal price. If he sells something, he receives 2d4 x 5% of normal sale 
  value, instead of using a Barter Roll (p63).
  See details about Rotmoot on p38.
  I r o n  P i e c e s  ( i p )
  The basic unit of currency in the Rotlands is the iron piece, 
  abbreviated “ip” throughout these rules. One ip is worth much less than 
  the standard gold piece of classic fantasy, but there is no definite rate of 
  exchange. Complete details on money in the Rotlands appear on p63.
  
  C H A R A C T E R S
  11
  Any score not specified is rolled on 3d6 as normal. Of course, the 
  referee may choose to ignore these rules and use 3d6 for all scores, for less 
  variety but more similarity to other campaigns.
  Should it become relevant, a character’s own weight can be estimated 
  by adding his Strength and Constitutiom and multiplying the total by 2.5 
  lbs for goblins, by 5 lbs for hobgoblins, or by 7.5 lbs for orcs.
  Standard PC scores: For a quick start, or when the referee wants 
  stats for a significant NPC, each class-race combination gives slightly 
  above-normal scores representing a viable character.
  PCs receive maximum hit points on their 1st level hit die, modified 
  by CON as usual.
  V a r i a n t  E n c u m b r a n c e
  Goblins suffer in the matter of carrying capacity because of 
  their small size. The Strength rating of any character influences his 
  encumbrance levels as well. Since goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs also have 
  different move rates, each race has its own chart below. Average Strength 
  for the race is highlighted.
  Travel rates over land (p51) are based on these encumbrance levels 
  and resultant move rates.
  P L A Y E R 
  C H A R A C T E R 
  R A C E S
  Three races participate in Rotlander culture: Goblins, hobgoblins, 
  and orcs. The cross-breeds known as orkin mingle in with orc populations.
  The default Rotlands campaign uses goblin PCs, emphasizing the 
  strangeness and difficulty of life as a forty inch tall, forty pound creature 
  in a world of low resources and large threats. Some players and referees 
  may prefer the other options. See Campaign Types, p50.
  V a r i a n t  S c o r e s
  To reflect the relative size and toughness of the Rotlander folk, 
  compared to each other and to more traditional PC races, goblins and 
  hobgoblins have non-standard score ranges. Rotlander PCs rolled with 
  the variant scores ranges have average scores with effects equivalent to 
  their stats as  monsters. For example, treated as monsters, goblins have 
  1–1 HD, while hobgoblins have 1+1. With the variant rolls,  the average 
  CON of 8 for goblins gives –1 hp per die, while the CON 13 average for 
  hobs gives +1 hp per die: the same effect. Likewise, “standard” goblins 
  receive an AC bonus for small stature and nimbleness, and the variant 
  DEX roll emulates this.
  Encumbrance and Movement by Strength
  STR
  8
  9–12
  13–15
  16–17
  18
  Unencumbered (Mv 30')
  30 lbs
  40 lbs
  50 lbs
  60 lbs
  70 lbs
  Light (Mv 25')
  50 lbs
  60 lbs
  70 lbs
  80 lbs
  90 lbs
  Heavy (Mv 15')
  70 lbs
  80 lbs
  90 lbs
  100 lbs
  110 lbs
  Max (Mv 10')
  140 lbs
  160 lbs
  180 lbs
  200 lbs
  220 lbs
  GOBLIN
  Scores:
  Strength 2d6+1
  Dexterity 2d6+6
  Constitution 2d6+1
  ORC, ORKIN, 
  HUMAN
  Scores: All 3d6
  HOBGOBLIN
  Scores:
  Strength 2d6+6
  Constitution 2d6+6
  Intelligence 2d6+1
  Encumbrance and Movement by Strength
  STR
  3
  4–5
  6–8
  9–12
  13
  Unenc. (Mv 20')
  10 lbs
  15 lbs
  20 lbs
  25 lbs
  30 lbs
  Light (Mv 15')
  15 lbs
  25 lbs
  30 lbs
  35 lbs
  40 lbs
  Heavy (Mv 10')
  25 lbs
  35 lbs
  40 lbs
  45 lbs
  50 lbs
  Max (Mv 5')
  50 lbs
  70 lbs
  80 lbs
  90 lbs
  100 lbs
  Encumbrance and Movement by Strength
  STR
  3
  4–5
  6–8
  9–12
  13–15
  16–17
  18
  Unenc. (Mv 40')
  10 lbs
  20 lbs
  30 lbs
  40 lbs
  50 lbs
  60 lbs
  70 lbs
  Light (Mv 30')
  30 lbs
  40 lbs
  50 lbs
  60 lbs
  70 lbs
  80 lbs
  90 lbs
  Heavy (Mv 20')
  50 lbs
  60 lbs
  70 lbs
  80 lbs
  90 lbs
  100 lbs
  110 lbs
  Max (Mv 10')
  100 lbs
  120 lbs
  140 lbs
  160 lbs
  180 lbs
  200 lbs
  220 lbs
  Shaded italics indicate 
  the average Strength for 
  the race, and thus the 
  default value for NPCs.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  12
  G o b l i n s
  Move: 60' (20')
  Strength: 2d6+1
  Dexterity: 2d6+6 (Warriors +5% XP for 16–17, +10% for 18)
  Constitution: 2d6+1 
  Cave Eyes: 90' infravision, –1 to hit in bright sunlight
  Alignment: Neutral (evil)
  Morale: 7; +1 in large groups; +1 more in home base
  Note: Reduced encumbrance levels (p11)
  Rotlander goblins have rough skin in the dull orange tones of local 
  rock and clay. Older specimens turn darker red on the back, especially 
  males. Adult females average three feet tall, with males reaching three and a 
  half feet. They weigh thirty to forty pounds. Goblins’ huge, deep-set eyes are 
  red and they have tiny, sharp canines and long pointed ears. They equally 
  hate and fear the other races, and often find themselves enslaved by bigger 
  folk. Goblins cannot stand against orcs or hobgoblins in face-to-face battle, 
  and survive through trickery, surprise, laying traps, hiding, and running 
  away. Goblin Warrior pride comes from victory by any means. Especially 
  among Foot Goblins, rank and age receive much less respect than with other 
  Rotlanders. The Chieftain or “Goblin King” is called tarkasrako in Gritch: 
  “director of battle.” He has no authority over the daily lives of the others, 
  only the placement of traps and the movement of warriors. The Senior 
  Shaman, or tkullasrak, usually an aged female, directs all negotiations and 
  peaceful interactions outside the tribe. Individual behavior is governed by 
  a balance between enforcing convention on others and defying it with brio.
  Like all Rotlanders, goblins are mammals, though they lack 
  significant hair. They mature at around 15 years of age, and many tribes 
  perform adulthood rituals including tribal scarring or tattoos. Gobbos 
  don’t form pair-bonds but mate in random, temporary groups. Females 
  give live birth after six months of gestation, usually bearing two fraternal 
  infants. Fatherhood is unknown and considered irrelevant; all males 
  protect all young. The newborns cannot bear to open their eyes except in 
  complete darkness for several days. Goblins who survive can live as long 
  as 60 years.
  No goblin is large enough to use two-handed weapons such as 
  spears, but the Warriors can become proficient with shortbows or light 
  crossbows when available. They use javelins with a throwing stick or 
  strap. Without such aid, the short-armed folk can throw the javelin only 
  half as far as the taller races (range 10'/20'/30').
  Goblins look on all efforts to survive, succeed, and prosper as 
  essentially useless. They find this very funny. Traditional goblin disdain 
  for nearly everything informs their dark sense of humor, which manifests 
  in stupid puns, mordant tricks, traps that fool and mock the victims, and 
  a near-hysterical enjoyment of anyone’s failure and suffering, including 
  their own. Their racial zest for survival comes from the joy of watching 
  others lose: while ultimate hope is pointless, a moment of victory is real. 
  Some goblin tribes feast on the rank flesh of hobgoblins with unseemly 
  glee, absorbing the strength of their brutish cousins and asserting a 
  fleeting victory of pure goblinkind.
  H o b g o b l i n s  ( H o b s )
  Move: 90' (30')
  Strength: 2d6+6 (Warriors +5% XP for 16–17, +10% for 18)
  Constitution: 2d6+6
  Intelligence: 2d6+1
  Twilight Eyes: 60' infravision, no daylight penalty
  Alignment: Lawful (evil)
  Morale: 8; +1 under command; +1 more in home base
  Bigger, stronger, less clever goblins, the Rotlander hobs have brick-
  red skin and bulging, blood-red eyes that seldom blink. They stand four 
  and a half to five feet tall, but stronger than humans with their long, 
  ape-like arms and bowed, powerful legs. All their teeth are fangs; the 
  top and bottom canines protrude, but not so much as orcish tusks. Ears 
  are pointed but proportionately smaller than on goblins. Hobgoblins are 
  strict carnivores, which greatly restricts their ability to survive in large 
  populations. They often end up in other people’s armies just to get fed. 
  Always seeking meat, hobs never hesitate to eat captives and victims, 
  preferably of other races. See Dehydration & Starvation, p53, and Hunting 
  for Meat, p54.
  Hobgoblin culture and nature both emphasize discipline and a rigid 
  hierarchy; every hob instinctively knows his or her status and change 
  is rare. While naturally aggressive, they lack the blinding bloodlust of 
  orcs, and turn their energies to military conquest rather than infighting. 
  Warrior pride comes from fearless obedience to orders and never turning 
  one’s back on the enemy. Mongers play a respected role as the equivalents 
  of quartermasters or supply sergeants.
  Hobs use little craft but take quickly to all weapons, employing 
  captured arms whenever possible. The hobs practice a Cult of Weapons, 
  taking painstaking care of every looted armament. The tribe owns all war 
  gear as common heirlooms, and the Chieftain awards the arms of a fallen 
  hob to a deserving new owner. See Possessions, p62.
  Hobs have a similar life cycle to goblins, but are less fertile, gestating 
  for eight months and never producing more than one cub. Females 
  require a great deal of raw meat during pregnancy, which serves as a 
  natural population control when food runs scarce. Hobs of low status are 
  not permitted to mate, while high-status males accumulate harems. Male 
  and female alike are loveless creatures, taking mates mostly as a duty and 
  a source of status. They are mature at 16 and can live perhaps 70 years.
  Some speculate that hobgoblins were long ago deliberately bred 
  from goblins as a soldier race. Regardless, the two types are now fully 
  speciated and hate each other well.
  
  C H A R A C T E R S
  13
  O r c s
  Move: 120' (40')
  All scores: 3d6 (Prime Req: +5% XP for 13, +10% XP for 16)
  Night Eyes: 60' infravision, –1 to hit in bright sunlight
  Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
  Morale: 6; +2 under command
  Rotlander orcs are more closely related to humans than to goblinoids. 
  Pallid cave-creatures by nature, they start life with skin of a grublike white 
  tinged oddly green, due perhaps to a peculiarity in the way their bodies 
  process trace copper in their diet. The green tone becomes darker and 
  more pronounced with age, and with exposure to sun, so that a rare 
  ancient orc sometimes looks as greenish-black as a fir tree. The orcish 
  nasal process has a smashed appearance, with large nostrils, often causing 
  other races to caricature orcs as pig-headed humans. While omnivorous, 
  orcs greatly prefer meat, and they have large pointed canine teeth, the 
  lower pair growing into splendid tusks if not worn down or broken. 
  Many an adult orc has not fully closed his mouth in years, and drooling 
  is common. Orc ears are square-tipped, lying close to the skull. Their eyes 
  are red-black and reflect redly in firelight.
  Orcs reach adulthood at 18 and can live 90 years, but don’t. More 
  than other Rotlander races, they have a powerful thirst for conflict, males 
  especially being unable to back down from a fight and always looking for 
  trouble. The “red rage” that comes over an orc male at any provocation has 
  kept them from making a civilization to equal that of humans, whom they 
  otherwise resemble in all but cosmetic matters. Orc Warrior pride comes 
  from striking first, hitting hardest, never surrendering, and throwing 
  oneself entirely into every fray without cavil or pause for thought. They 
  garner additional pleasure and status from cruel treatment of captives, 
  animals, social inferiors, or anyone else at a disadvantage. More than 
  other races, orcs look down on Mongers, thinking of them as failed 
  Warriors who might be tolerated, but never as equals.
  Female orcs fight among themselves as fiercely as the males. Pair 
  matings tend to last for a season, being broken up by rivalries. Males get 
  violently jealous, but are not willing to actually help raise the “grubs,” as 
  infants are known. Children receive more blows than affection and learn 
  to fight each other even when still crawling.
  By preference, orcs do not regularly eat other Rotlanders, but if 
  nothing better is at hand, they go ahead and fill the stew pot with captives 
  or other convenient corpses.
  O r k i n
  Move: 120' (40')
  All scores: 3d6 (Prime Req: +5% XP for 13, +10% XP for 16)
  Twilight Eyes: 60' infravision, no daylight penalty
  Alignment: Any (evil)
  Morale: 6; +2 under command
  Any orc tribe might include a number of these cross-breeds. Orkin 
  show a varied mix of orc traits but can pass more easily among tolerant 
  Southron communities such as Lesserton and Mor. Horses and horselike 
  animals find many orkin tolerable, while they can’t stand the presence of 
  pure orcs or goblinoids. All PC orkin can handle and use equines. See 
  Shank’s Mare, p31.
  The mining clans of Mount Rotten are entirely orkin; players might 
  also choose to create orkin characters from a Hearth Orc, Troll Driver, 
  or Ogre Lasher tribe (p23 et seq). Every orc tribe child suffers abuse for 
  something, or nothing, but some orkin take the mockery of their different 
  looks to heart and become the most gung-ho of adventurers, both to avoid 
  normal tribal life and to prove themselves. An orkin character in an orc 
  tribe suffers an automatic –1 penalty to starting Reputation.
  Scores and other details are the same as for orcs.
  O t h e r  r a c e s ~ 
  N P C s  a n d  m o n s t e r s
  Gnolls roam the dry hills, always slavering after meat. Many small 
  caves hold clans of ogres who will happily club to death anyone they 
  come across. Lone trolls appear from time to time. Below the western 
  mountains, dwarfs may still have their halls and delvings, but Rotlanders 
  avoid their territory. See Random Encounters on p56.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  14
  L A N G U A G E S
  Most Rotlanders speak either Ork or Gritch. Characters can know 
  an additional language from the list below for each point of positive INT 
  modifier. For example, a goblin with INT 13 (+1 mod) can know both 
  Gritch, his native tongue, and, say, Ork. If not selected at start of play, 
  extra languages have to be learned over the course of months of study, at 
  the referee’s discretion. The Monger class can learn new languages with 
  increasing experience levels, regardless of INT modifier; see p19.
  ORK (“Orcish”): The tongue of the orcs, Ork is a direct but flexible 
  language adapted from the language of goblins. Ork serves as the common 
  language of the Rotlands. It is known as the Red Tongue. The written form 
  is a set of phonetic letters called the Red Runes.
  GRITCH (“Goblinish”): The closest relative to the lost ur-goblinoid 
  tongue that predates written history, Gritch is spat out in rapid, sometimes 
  shrill polysyllables, full of ironic idiom. Goblins love puns and make them 
  freely; they are responsible for many place names and slang terms in the 
  Rotlands, such as “Moot Point” for the spur of land closest to Rotmoot. 
  Gritch is a direct ancestor language to Ork, and speakers of the two 
  languages can sometimes get basic ideas across with a lot of repetition 
  and gesturing. Gritch is also the language of Hobgoblins, but they speak it 
  slowly, with a harsh accent and little humor. Written Gritch uses the Red 
  Runes with slightly different conventions than Ork.
  MAN (“Common”): The common tongue of the “soft folk” to the 
  south. Also known as South Speak. Mooters often learn enough Man to 
  get by in trade with the orkin clans of Mor and human visitors to Rotmoot. 
  Humans have their own writing systems.
  OEGAL (“Giantish”): The more intelligent breeds of giant speak this 
  ancient, sophisticated language. Few in the Rotlands ever hear it. Certain 
  highly stylized pictographic inscriptions are believed to be Oegal writing, 
  partly because the carvings are very large.
  OGGA (“Ogrish”): This debased form of giant’s speech is full of 
  grunts and pointing. The ogres who use it have no concept of literacy. 
  Sometimes they make cave paintings. Clans of hill giants may speak 
  Oegal, Ogga, or Man.
  PIDGIN: Any character can learn this very simple mish-mash of 
  words by spending enough time with Mooters or at Rotmoot, regardless 
  of class or Intelligence. It takes five months, plus or minus INT modifier, 
  to become as fluent as this limited, spoken-only tongue allows. See p28.
  YIK-YAK (“Gnollish”): The speech of the gnolls bears no relation to 
  any other language. It consists of whines, growls, yaps, snarls, whimpers, 
  drooling, licking of chops, and the occasional howl. Context and emotional 
  inflection come from body language, including laying back of the ears, 
  raising of hackles on the back, and thrashing, lowering, or fluffing out 
  of the tail. Thus very few non-gnolls have ever gained competence with 
  Yik-yak, and none are known to have mastered it. An ambitious linguist 
  may wear a leafy branch as a tail and hold his fingers up like dog ears. The 
  tongue has no written form.
  L i t e r a c y
  Any PC with a positive INT modifier starts play literate in the 
  languages he knows. One with no INT mod is semi-literate: he has 
  squinted at writing often enough to recognize a few words and possibly 
  puzzle out a pronunciation given plenty of time. A PC with a negative 
  INT modifier is fully illiterate.
  Any NPC Shaman or Monger is assumed to be literate. An NPC 
  Warrior is assumed to be illiterate, although perhaps familiar with the 
  rune that stands for his name.
  A character who learns a new language during play is able to represent 
  that language in any writing system he already knows. For example, an 
  orc Shaman who learns Man can then write it out phonetically in the 
  Red Runes, but she won’t know the common script of the Southlands. To 
  learn a new alphabet is a separate language, requiring time and a point of 
  positive INT modifier. A Monger can learn an alphabet with a level-up.
  The Red Runes
  This phonetic alphabet was meant for writing with a finger dipped in 
  blood. The letters have very broad strokes and curved forms. Basic letters: 
  ack, eek, uck, ick, oak, yuh, kud, gud, bud, thud, lug, pug, zug, lak, rr, ngik.
           G O B L I N                    O R C                   H O B G O B L I N
  5 feet
  R e l a t i v e  S i z e s  o f  R o t l a n d e r  R a c e s
  [ H U M A N ]
  
  C H A R A C T E R S
  15
  P L A Y E R 
  C H A R A C T E R 
  C L A S S E S
  W a r r i o r s
  Requirements: None
  Prime requisite: Dexterity for goblins, Strength for others
  Hit dice: d8 (PCs: 8 hp at 1st level ± CON mod)
  Saves and attacks: As Fighter
  Armor permitted: Padded, hides, leather, studded leather/brigandine, 
  shield. Others proficiencies as acquired later.
  Weapons permitted: Javelin, club, hand axe, short sword, flail, light pick, 
  spear*, sling, maul*, warhammer*, light hammer. Other proficiencies as 
  acquired later. 
  * Too large for goblin use.
  Every male Rotlander is expected to fight for his tribe, and most 
  eagerly embrace the role. (See Gender Roles, p6.) Each race has its own 
  ideas of honor, but every good Warrior values his reputation above his 
  life. What the Rotlanders call “honor” would seem base villainy to some 
  perfumed knight of the soft folk, but to a Warrior, his standing in the eyes 
  of his fellows means all. See Honor in the Rotlands, p10.
  Some tribes bestow the title Chieftain on their Warrior leader, 
  regardless of his level. Other military titles, such as Captain, likewise do 
  not bear an exact correspondence with experience level.
  Abilities
  Acquired proficiencies: At each level, the Warrior can learn to use 
  a new weapon or armor type, or to ride a mount, or to use a fighting 
  animal in battle, such as a warg mount or scrapper dog. He must have the 
  appropriate gear or beast on hand. Note that only orkin can use horses or 
  similar equines.
  Warg Rider goblins do not have a choice about their first two 
  acquired proficiencies. They automatically learn to ride a warg at second 
  level; either the warg or the rider attacks in a round but not both. At third 
  level, the rider acquires the proficiency of simultaneous attack.
  Command: Starting at second level, a Warrior may sometimes be 
  given command of a number of lower-ranking fighters. Leaders decide 
  whether the troops accompany a PC on each particular mission. Typical 
  commands vary by tribe type (p23 et seq).
  Command Summary by Tribe Type
  •	
  Foot Goblin: A Meat Shield commands five Chumps.
  •	
  Ogre Lasher / Troll Driver: A Meat Shield commands six 
  Chumps.
  •	
  Hearth Orc: A Meat Shield commands five Chumps.
  •	
  Goblin Eaters: No assigned subordinates until 4th level, when a 
  Scuffler commands two Chumps.
  •	
  Warg Riders: A Meat Shield commands his own Warg and four 
  Chump infantry. A Foe-Taunter commands his Warg and two 
  mounted Meat Shields, each in charge of four infantry.
  •	
  Free Hobs: No command until 4th level, when the Scuffler can 
  command six hob Chumps.
  W a r r i o r  R a n k s
  Level
  Title
  XP
  Rep
  Abilities
  1
  Chump
  0
  0–19
  Starting proficiencies
  2
  Meat Shield
  1,566
  20–44
  Acquired proficiencies; Command
  3
  Foe-Taunter
  3,126
  45–79
  4
  Scuffler
  6,251
  80–124
  5
  Warrior
  12,501
  125–179
  H O B G O B L I N 
  W A R R I O R
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  16
  Reputation
  Bonus Reputation: A Warrior’s reputation is synonymous with his 
  honor, as defined by his particular race and tribe. Admirable feats always 
  include: 
  •	
  Valor in battle.
  •	
  Defeating a foe with higher reputation.
  •	
  Capturing an impressive trophy, especially an important foe’s 
  weapons or armor.
  •	
  Returning from a battle where you were left for dead.
  •	
  Additional concerns by race.
  Reputation penalties:
  •	
  Hanging back conspicuously from battle.
  •	
  Surrendering.
  •	
  Negotiating with an enemy.
  •	
  Losing to a foe considered clearly lesser than yourself.
  •	
  Engaging in buying or selling, or paying unseemly attention to 
  barter, coins, and the trade value of loot.
  •	
  Additional concerns by race.
  Starting Package
  Starting gear and standard PC scores for Warriors vary by race. See 
  more about gear in Chapter V.
  Goblin Warriors start play with a hide tunic (AC 8, 15 lbs), a flint-
  tipped javelin (2 lbs), a spear-throwing stick or strap (1 lb), and a flint 
  knife or hatchet. Total: 18 lbs.
  Standard PC scores: 
  STR 9 INT 9 WIS 9 DEX 16 CON 9 CHA 9; 8 hp, AC 6
  Orc Warriors start with leather armor (AC 8, 20 lbs), a hide shield 
  (10 lbs), an iron-tipped spear (6 lbs), a flint-tipped javelin (2 lbs), and a 
  short sword or hand axe of iron (2 lbs). Total: 40 lbs.
  Standard PC scores: 
  STR 13 INT 9 WIS 9 DEX 13 CON 13 CHA 8; 9 hp, AC 7
  Hobgoblin Warriors start play with brigandine armor (AC 6, 40 lbs, 
  including a bronze or iron helm), a wooden shield with iron bosses or rim 
  (10 lbs), a flint spear (6 lbs), a sudis (10 lbs, p66), and an iron handaxe (2 
  lbs). Total: 68 lbs (Move reduced to 25' unless STR 18.)
  Standard PC scores: 
  STR 16 INT 8 WIS 8 DEX 11 CON 16 CHA 8; 10 hp, AC 6
  S h a m a n s
  Requirements: Wisdom 9
  Prime Requisite: Wisdom
  Hit dice: d6 (PCs: 6 hp at 1st level ± CON mod)
  Saves and attacks: As Cleric
  Magic item use: As Cleric, Druid, or Elf
  Armor permitted: Padded, hides, or leather only
  Weapons: club, dagger, or staff* only
  * A goblin’s staff is effectively a club, doing 1d4 damage.
  Without these sensitive folk to guide them, no tribe could survive 
  long in this land haunted by countless spirits. A Shaman combines the 
  respect of the tribe with freedom from a Warrior’s strict code of aggression, 
  and can negotiate with enemies when necessary. The senior Shaman can 
  even advise her Chieftain to refrain from attacking, move the tribe’s home 
  base, or otherwise take practical steps, presenting her suggestion in the 
  form of interpretations of omens or visions from the spirit world.
  Many tribes bestow the title “Senior Shaman” on the highest ranking 
  Shaman, regardless of experience level. The other Shamans in the tribe 
  regard this respected elder as mentor.
  O R C 
   S H A M A N
  
  C H A R A C T E R S
  17
  * Plus any bonus spells for Wisdom, if used.
  Abilities
  Spells: Shamans have many spells available that resemble, in name 
  and effect, standard entries from core fantasy rules. In most cases they 
  function exactly the same, but for Shamans, spellcasting always involves 
  chanting, invocation of spirits or ancestors, and ritual presentation or 
  combination of natural elements such as fire, blood, or dung; colored 
  sand and clay; teeth, bones, horns, and other dried animal parts; masks, 
  face paint, and tiny dolls; beads, rattles, carved totem figurines, and ashes. 
  Rather than detail dozens of properly shamanistic rituals, these rules 
  leave it to the players and the referee to imagine, and perhaps play out, 
  spellcasting rites and materials with the proper flavor. The descriptions of 
  new spells, below, may be used as examples.
  Negotiation: A Shaman, while always thinking of her own tribe 
  first, is expected to put long-term interests ahead of immediate glory. 
  When Rotlanders fight, the senior Shaman on a side can call for parley. 
  The referee determines the response, usually with a monster reaction 
  roll. If there is a Shaman on the other side, a result of Neutral (8 or 
  lower) means cessation of hostilities. If the leaders of the other side are 
  exclusively civilians or Mongers, a 5 or lower is needed to cause them to 
  stop and listen. Warriors scorn negotiation, and where they are alone, 
  any result above 2 means that they continue to fight, possibly trying to 
  attack a parleying Shaman by surprise if their ideas of honor so allow. 
  The referee modifies the chances of parley, or chooses the result, based 
  on the circumstances and the Shaman player’s approach. Even a high-
  ranking Warrior might compromise if the alternative is clearly disaster 
  for his tribe.
  Rebuke Spirit: An experienced Shaman can attempt to drive away 
  otherworldly spirits by shouted invocation. Generally the referee can 
  treat this as an attempt to Turn Undead like a Cleric, but the affected 
  targets differ. Both Shamans and Clerics can repel incorporeal undead, 
  like ghosts. However, unintelligent, magically-animated skeletons and 
  zombies ignore Shaman imprecations, while interdimensional beings, 
  thought-echoes, and inchoate clouds of alien malice are subject to Rebuke 
  Spirit though unaffected by Turn Undead. See also Shamans & Spirit 
  Encounters, p59.
  Reputation
  A Shaman earns additional reputation for 
  defeating spiritual threats, such as banishing 
  or destroying otherworldly creatures, laying 
  ghosts, or closing dangerous gateways.
  Bonus Reputation: 
  •	 Concluding a successful negotiation.
  •	 Correctly interpreting a vision.
  •	 Consistently refusing to reveal the secrets 
  of your magic to any but your mentor.
  •	 Increasing the status of Shamans in general.
  •	 Completing a mission you were expected 
  to fail.
  •	 Additional concerns by race.
  Reputation penalties:
  •	
  Foolishly risking your life in ordinary combat, as if you were a 
  Warrior.
  •	
  Allowing your gift to be used in a base or mechanistic way by 
  others.
  •	
  Failing a mission you were expected to handle with ease.
  •	
  Proving over-talkative, impulsive, or foolish, especially if it kills 
  a deal or harms your mentor’s status.
  •	
  Additional concerns by race.
  Starting Package
  Goblin Shamans start play with a thin cloak, a short staff (club), a 
  copper dagger, a bone amulet, and a pouch of colored muds and sand. 
  Standard PC scores: 
  STR 8 INT 11 WIS 13 DEX 13 CON 8 CHA 11; 5 hp, AC 8
  Orc Shamans begin play with a mystical face tattoo, a bronze dagger, 
  a staff, and the hides (AC 8), dried blood, and skull of a totem animal 
  killed during initiation.
  Standard PC scores: 
  STR 9 INT 13 WIS 13 DEX 9 CON 9 CHA 11; 6 hp, AC 8
  Hobgoblin Shamans begin with an iron club (mace equivalent), a 
  ceremonial helm, and a breastplate made of many bones strung on thongs 
  (AC 8, 10 lbs).
  Standard PC scores: 
  STR 13 INT 8 WIS 13 DEX 9 CON 13 CHA 11; 7 hp, AC 8
  S h a m a n  R a n k s
  Spells*
  Level
  Title
  XP
  Rep
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  Abilities
  1
  Gopher
  0
  0–19
  2
  Negotiation
  2
  Experiment
  1,566
  20–44
  2
  1
  Rebuke Spirit
  3
  Devil-Bait
  3,126
  45–79
  3
  2
  1
  4
  Smoke-Eater
  6,251
  80–124
  3
  2
  2
  5
  Shaman
  12,501
  125–179
  4
  3
  2
  6
  Shaman
  25,001
  180–244
  4
  3
  2
  1
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  18
  The reference after each spell indicates the equivalent in advanced 
  old-school fantasy rules: C = Cleric, D = Druid, I = Illusionist, MU = 
  Magic User, followed by spell level.
  N e w  S p e l l s
  Spirit Sight
  Level: 1
  Casting time: 1 round
  Duration: 2 turns
  Range: 60'
  By daubing her eyelids with an unguent of ancestral bones and the 
  mud of holy ground, the Shaman becomes able to see into the Spirit World 
  (p6). The referee determines what is revealed, but typically the Shaman 
  can see any ghosts or spirits in the area, “soft places” that make it easy for 
  creatures and objects to slip between planes, and the aura of enchantment 
  accompanying spells and magic items. She can distinguish between an 
  ordinary animal and one bound as a fetch to another Shaman. A creature 
  revealed to the Shaman can sense her as well. Compare detect magic, C1.
  Spirit Walk
  Level: 3
  Casting time: 1 hour or 1d6 minutes
  Duration: Special
  Range: Self
  With the help of totems, herbal smokes, chanting, and exhausting 
  dance, the caster wills herself into a state of unconsciousness. If she has fasted 
  for 24 hours, or inflicts 1d3 hp damage on herself in ritual scarification, she 
  can enter the trance in 1d6 minutes; otherwise it takes an hour. Once her 
  body falls somnolent, her spirit stands forth onto the Spirit Plane, and the 
  Shaman may travel great distances, encounter spirits, or receive visions. Her 
  spirit form appears as she pictures herself in her heart; thus lacking all but 
  the most sacred possessions, and healed of most physical frailties. From the 
  Spirit Plane, the Shaman can see into the material world; anyone material 
  using spirit sight can see her as well. If she so desires, her movement on the 
  Spirit Plane corresponds to approximately ten times as far in the material 
  world, meaning that she can go see what is happening far from her body. 
  She can will herself to awake by concentrating for one round and making 
  a successful saving throw against spells. If she does so when out of sight 
  of his body, or if the spirit form is killed or dispelled, the Shaman awakes 
  with a shock, and must make a saving throw against death or be reduced to 
  1 hp per hit die. If her body dies, she becomes a wandering spirit forever. 
  Compare astral spell, C7.
  Spirit Ward
  Level: 1
  Casting time: 5 rounds
  Duration: 6 turns + 1 turn per level
  Range: Touch
  The Shaman marks the skin of the recipient, whether herself or a 
  companion, with ochre, dyes, and animal blood. While the symbols 
  endure, the target cannot be physically touched by creatures from the 
  Spirit World, and receives a bonus of +1 to saving throws and –1 to AC 
  against other attacks from such beings. These benefits apply against 
  ghosts, incorporeal creatures, and most Spirit Encounters (p59), but not 
  against material undead like zombies. Compare protection from evil, C1.
  Totem Markers
  Level: 3
  Casting time: 1 turn or more
  Duration: 6 hours + 1 hour per level
  Range: Special
  The Shaman deploys totem markers defining a closed curve, such as 
  a circle, on the ground outdoors. Totem figurines (p73) work well, or the 
  caster can take time to prepare marker stakes of bone or wood, decorated 
  with skulls, feathers, stones, or other holy material. No immaterial spirit 
  or extraplanar creature can cross the marked perimeter, in or out: the 
  same sorts affected by spirit ward. The basic area of effect is a circle of 
  10' radius, or other shape with a perimeter of 60'. Multiple Shamans can 
  work together to enclose large areas; each contributes 60' of perimeter, and 
  duration comes from their total level. When the spell expires, the Shaman 
  must take time to freshen the wards with new materials before casting 
  again. Compare protection from evil 10' radius, C4.
  Level I
  Augury (C2)
  Bless (C2)
  Delay Poison (C2)
  Divine Weather (D1)
  Fetch (Animal Companion, D1)
  Find Plant (D2)
  Hypnotism (I1)
  Locate Creature (D1)
  Manipulate Fire (MU1)
  Message (MU1)
  Spirit Sight (New)
  Spirit Ward (New)
   
  Level II 
  Cure Light Wounds (C1)
  Detect Snares and Pits (D1)
  Heat Metal (D2)
  Pass Without Trace (D1)
  Produce Flame (D2)
  Purify Food & Drink (C1)
  Resist Fire (C2) 
  Reveal Charm (C2)
  Sleep (MU1)
  Speak with Animal (D1)
  Level III 
  Charm Person or Mammal (D2) 
  Cure/Cause Disease (C3)
  Gust of Wind (MU4)
  Hold Animal (D3)
  Prayer (C3)
  Pyrotechnics (D3)
  Remove Curse (C3)
  Speak with Dead (C3)
  Spirit Walk (New)
  Totem Markers (New)
   
  Level IV 
  Clairvoyance (MU3)
  Cure Serious Wounds (C4)
  Dispel Magic (C3)
  Divination (C4)
  Exorcise (C4)
  Neutralize Poison (C4)
  Speak with Plants (D4)
  Summon Animals I (D4)
  Tongues (C4)
  S h a m a n  S p e l l  L i s t
  
  C H A R A C T E R S
  19
  M o n g e r s
  Requirements: Intelligence 9
  Prime Requisite: Charisma
  HD: d4 (PCs: 4 hp at 1st level ± CON mod)
  Saves and attacks: As Thief
  Magic item use: As Thief
  Armor permitted: Padded only
  Weapons permitted: club, dagger, javelin, or sling
  These folk start out as the small, clever ones in the tribe, learning 
  early to make deals, scare up necessities and luxuries to trade for favors, 
  and keep track of things like stored supplies and valuable resources. 
  Fascinated by numbers and behavior, they pursue a different path 
  from most. Such folk from different tribes find ways to get along and 
  form a network of contacts, ultimately connecting back to the Monger-
  dominated tribe that runs Rotmoot: the Mooters. Even Warriors can 
  come to appreciate someone who can walk away with a couple of cows 
  and bring back a longbow, or vice-versa.
  Abilities
  Green hands: This slang term, meaning “someone who handles 
  bronze,” indicates that a Monger can deal with money, barter, and non-
  military negotiations without loss of prestige. Of course, in many tribes 
  the low-level Monger has little enough prestige to begin with.
  Ciphering: The Monger can do simple math. The referee might allow 
  the player to make an INT check to have the character find a workable 
  solution to a numerical problem without the player, or referee, having to 
  actually calculate it.
  Languages: If a Monger associates with someone who can teach 
  him a language, he can be competent at that language the next time he 
  levels up, regardless of INT modifier. See p14 for common languages in 
  the Rotlands.
  Bulk rights: If he has the resources, a proven Monger can trade and 
  purchase bulk goods at Moot. See p68.
  Evaluation: On an INT check, 
  the Monger can estimate the market 
  value of a piece of goods, from a torn 
  basket to a jeweled sword. He can also 
  use this ability to recognize rare objects 
  or substances that most Rotlanders find 
  unfamiliar. The referee might impose 
  penalties for unusual items or a bonus 
  of up to +4 for common goods and a 
  local market.
  Borrowing: The Monger can borrow cash or goods, to be paid back 
  plus gifts, from a Monger of at least 4th level, generally found at Moot. 
  See Lending, below.
  Lending: The Monger can make loans of cash or goods. Once a year at 
  Harvest Revel, debts are to be cleared, and the Mooters will shun the tribe of 
  any who default on large, formal loans. Warriors, of course, refuse to consider 
  this and make poor credit risks. Interest usually takes the form of gifts to the 
  lender, not cash percentages. For example, a Monger might borrow 500 lbs of 
  coal to help his tribe through the winter, then pay back the equivalent trade 
  value in raw wool by the next fall, plus a pair of strong bison geldings as a gift. 
  (Trade values of goods appear on p69.) Giving good gifts increases a Monger’s 
  Reputation; being known for giving less than you get is cause for shame.
  Establishment: The Monger can found his own merchant house 
  or come into leadership of an existing house. He can choose to set up a 
  permanent business at Moot, in effect becoming a respected leader of the 
  Mooter tribe.
  G O B L I N 
  M O N G E R
  M o n g e r  R a n k s
  Level
  Title
  Rep
  XP
  Abilities
  1
  Scrounger
  0–19
  0
  Green hands; Ciphering; Languages 
  2
  Observer
  20–44
  1,251
  Bulk rights, Evaluation
  3
  Distracter
  45–79
  2,501
  Borrowing
  4
  Bean Counter
  80–124
  5,001
  Lending
  5
  Master Monger
  125–179
  10,001
  Establishment
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  20
  Reputation
  Bonus Reputation: A Monger gains reputation from profitable 
  transactions, including selling items for more than their standard worth 
  or turning a challenge into an opportunity. In particular, trades that 
  benefit the Monger’s home tribe improve his Reputation far more than 
  just filling his own money-gourds. Giving generous gifts when repaying 
  loans improves Rep. Also, there is a fine line between sharp bargaining 
  and outright falsehood, and you gain reputation by walking it closely. 
  Right doing is to make profit by seeing opportunity and exploiting it 
  cleverly; a profit that comes purely by chance garners little repute, at least 
  unless the Monger seizes the chance with admirable speed and exploits it 
  well. Additional concerns by race.
  Reputation penalties:
  •	
  Losing value, or being fooled, on a major transaction.
  •	
  Becoming known as an outright thief.
  •	
  Giving poor gifts.
  •	
  Breaking the terms of any bargain; failure to pay back a loan 
  from another Monger is very bad for your reputation.
  •	
  A Monger who turns a cash profit to the detriment of his tribe 
  shames himself.
  •	
  Additional concerns by race.
  Starting Package
  Mongers, and only Mongers, can shop from the General Goods 
  chart on p67 before play.
  Goblin Mongers start with a number of iron pieces equal to 
  Charisma, a money-gourd, and a comfortable smock. They are subject to 
  mockery, but then, everyone in goblin society mocks everyone else.
  Standard PC scores: 
  STR 8 INT 13 WIS 11 DEX 13 CON 8 CHA 13; 3 hp, AC 8
  Orc Mongers start play with a number of bronze coins equal to 
  Charisma, a money-gourd, a tunic, and a shiny rock, clay bead, or other 
  conspicuous ornament worth perhaps 1 ip. A male Monger always 
  displays some physical defect such as missing fingers, a blind eye, a limp, a 
  wheezing breath, or the scar from a hideous injury. Without such a mark, 
  the Warriors would not tolerate a fellow male who did not fight at their 
  sides. Male Mongers take care to display and even exaggerate their mark 
  of inability. Females are looked down on by the Warriors regardless and 
  need not be crippled; still, female Mongers display or simulate some pox, 
  palsy, or sign of infirmity by tradition, and to exempt them from being 
  approached as potential mates by every overconfident Warrior. 
  Standard PC scores: 
  STR 8 INT 16 WIS 11 DEX 11 CON 9 CHA 13; 4 hp, AC 9
  Hobgoblin Mongers start with a purple tattoo on the back of one 
  hand, three salt tallies (±CHA modifier), a brass earring (15 ip value), 
  an apron, and a small sack on a rope. So long as their efforts support the 
  tribe’s military ambitions, Mongers receive a grudging respect.
  Standard PC scores: 
  STR 11 INT 13 WIS 11 DEX 11 CON 13 CHA 13; 5  hp, AC 9
  P e r s o n a l  N a m e s
  In the Rotlands, a child can expect little direct address besides “Hey you!” and “Move it, grub.” Young Rotlanders don’t get names until they 
  earn them. Mostly, this occurs naturally and the individual has little choice about the moniker settled on him by his tribe. A player can choose his 
  character’s name: a literal meaning, such as Big Ears or Axe-lover; a clutch of barbarous syllables like Grak Gor or Drindastap; or a combination such 
  as Ruk Grindstone. The tribe does not give grandiloquent names to inexperienced members, and trying to take on an ambitious sobriquet leads to 
  mockery and abuse. It’s better to start life as just Thokkod and wait until gaining some Reputation and levels before styling oneself Thokkod Foe-
  Biter or Thokkod Blades-Like-The-Wind.
  Foot Goblin Names: Foot Goblin names are often ironic, exaggerated, obscure, joking, or otherwise intended to disguise the recipient’s true 
  nature. The way many cultures call a strong, tall individual “Tiny,” Goblins might also call a keen-eyed scout Blind Gak; a clever Monger, Slowpoke; or 
  a beauteous Shaman, Wartwattles. A gobbo with a couple of sparse red hairs on his head might be called Shaggy; one with a slight potbelly could be Big 
  Fat Chim, while his truly obese friend (a rare affliction) gets called Waste-Away Dritts or just Bony. See Foot Goblins, p23.
  N P C  C l a s s e s
  Tribemembers: Many Rotlanders pursue only the profession of survival and Reputation within the tribe. Females in particular are usually 
  consigned to this fate, except for extraordinary individuals who become Shamans or insist on the right to practice as Warriors (see Gender Roles, 
  p6). Tribemembers are an NPC class with a d8 hit die, experience levels like a Monger, and attacks and saving throws like a Thief. As shown on 
  p9, Tribemembers accumulate Reputation just as PC classes do, and players would do well to keep their relative Rep in mind when dealing anyone 
  regardless of class. A high-Rep Tribemember outranks a Chump, for example, even though not in his chain of command.
  Non-entities: Slaves, youth, and infants have no Reputation and no ability to gain in level. They fight and save as 0-level humans. Slaves have a 
  single d8 for hit points, modified by racial average CON. The hit points of the young are defined by race and tribe type, typically 1, 2, or 1d4.
  
  21
  21
  T r i b e  S i z e  +  P o p u l a t i o n
  Each Rotlander tribe is defined both as an aggregate number of Hit 
  Dice and as an absolute count of persons. The HD count informs how 
  much terrain it takes to support the populace through hunting, gathering, 
  herding, or planting. A goblin child with 1 hp, for example, needs much 
  less support than a huge 4 HD ogre, or a big-bellied, 5th level hobgoblin 
  Chieftain who demands only the best.
  The total population number includes all tribe members, from 
  infants to elders. For example, the 302 goblins of all ages in a typical Foot 
  Goblin tribe have a total of 169 HD.
  Herds add 85 to 114 HD for the land to support, depending on tribe 
  type. Slaves add 16 to 48 HD, as determined on p32. Neither counts into 
  the population total above. Servile monsters—wargs, ogres, and trolls—are 
  included in the tribal HD total but not the population count. For Goblin 
  Eater Hobs, both population and HD include their subjugated goblins.
  Unlike slaves, monsters, and herds, pigs, chickens, and scrapper dogs 
  live on discards and do not count into the supported HD total.
  Territory is measured in hexes. The number of hexes needed to 
  support each tribe depends on the total hit dice, the quality of the land, 
  and the lifestyle of the tribe.
  Quality of Land
  Each of the eight regions has one of four quality levels.
  •	
  Prime terrain is green plains, green hills or green forest.
  •	
  Sparse terrain has one disadvantage: it is mountainous, or dry, 
  or cold.
  •	
  Harsh terrain has two disadvantages: dry and cold, or dry and 
  mountainous, or mountainous and cold.
  •	
  Desolate terrain is mountainous, dry, and cold: the Doghead 
  Peaks.
  Dry terrain influences weather (p51), water supplies for travelers 
  (p53), and the incidence of mud or water in caves (p42).
  Cold terrain influences weather and the dangers of exposure (p52).
  Lifestyle of the Tribe
  •	
  Hunter-gatherers range over a wide territory, allowing them to 
  support about 20 hit dice per hex.
  •	
  Raiders who prey on other tribes as well as game support 100 
  HD per hex.
  •	
  Settled folk who practice herding and agriculture can support 
  200 HD per hex, using the rather primitive methods of the 
  Rotland tribes.
  For comparison, more arable lands with more rain, in a society 
  where farmers are respected specialists, protected by a standing army, 
  using steel plows, horses, and other quality tools, can support up to 2,000 
  HD per hex. The resulting food surplus allows development of large cities, 
  scholarship, specialized workers, lively import/export, and a dominant 
  merchant class: all things that distinguish the Southrons from Rotlanders.
  Who Lives Where
  Each referee can define his own version of the Rotlands and populate 
  it, by hand or dice, with the various types of humanoid tribes that eke out 
  their lives here in lands the civilized folk scorn. The full-color map of the 
  Rotlands appears on the inside cover.
  To determine who lives in an unknown hex, the referee can roll 1d20, 
  consult the Locals chart by region, and mark the parenthetical number 
  of hexes occupied. For example, a result of Hearth Orcs (3) indicates a 
  Hearth Orc town in the hex, plus two adjacent hexes claimed by them as 
  hunting and gathering grounds. The referee chooses which three hexes to 
  fill, then picks a new, empty hex and continues the process.
  Oddities may prevent anyone from trying to live in that hex, 
  depending on details from pp46–47. Saltjack Clans live only on Mount 
  Rotten.
  I I I  ~  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  Tribe Type
  Pop.
  HD
  hd w/
  herd
  hd w/
  slaves
  hd w/
  both
  Foot Goblins
  302
  169
  254
  –
  –
  Ogre Lasher Orcs
  232
  180
  –
  196–228
  –
  Troll Driver Orcs
  232
  179
  –
  –
  –
  Goblin Eater Hobs
  296
  193
  –
  193
  289
  Hearth Orcs
  304
  228
  342
  244–276
  358–390
  Warg Rider Goblins
  239
  295
  –
  –
  –
  Free Hobs
  82
  87
  –
  –
  –
  Saltjack Clan (Orkin)
  55
  39
  –
  –
  –
  Ogre Clan
  39
  120
  –
  –
  –
  Gnoll Pack
  105
  81
  –
  –
  –
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  22
  22
  L o c a l s :  O c c u p a n t s  o f  a  H e x  b y  T e r r a i n  +  R e g i o n
  P R I M E
  S P A R S E
  H A R S H
  D E S O ~ 
  L A T E
  Borderlands Riverwood
  Gob Stretch
  Rushing 
  River Valley
  Sweet Plains
  Drastic 
  Steppe
  Greyrakes
  Dogheads
  d20
  Green plains
  Green forest
  Cold plains
  Green mts.
  Dry plains
  Cold, dry plains
  Dry mountains
  Cold, dry mts.
  1
  Foot Goblins (1) Forest 
  Goblins (1)
  Foot Goblins 
  (2)
  Foot Goblins 
  (2)
  Foot Goblins (2) Foot Goblins 
  with Cave (3)
  Foot Goblins (3) Free Hobs (19)
  2
  Foot Goblins 
  with Cave (2)
  Foot Goblins 
  with Cave (2)
  Foot Goblin 
  Shepherds (4)
  Foot Goblins 
  with Cave (3)
  Gnoll Pack (38)
  3
  Foot Goblin 
  Emu Herders (2)
  Foot Goblin 
  Emu Herders (2)
  Free Hobs (12)
  Foot Goblin 
  Goat Herders 
  (4)
  4
  Foot Goblins 
  with Caves (1)
  Forest Goblins 
  with Cave (1)
  Foot Goblins 
  with Cave (2)
  Foot Goblin 
  Goat Herders (2)
  Foot Goblin 
  Emu Herders 
  with Cave (2)
  Foot Goblin 
  Goat Herders 
  with Cave (4)
  5
  Foot Goblins 
  Emu Herders 
  with Caves (2)
  Free Hobs (8)
  Free Hobs (12)
  6
  Free Hobs (4)
  Foot Goblin 
  Reindeer 
  Herders (2)
  Foot Goblin 
  Goat Herders 
  with Cave (2)
  Goblin Eater 
  Hobs (3)
  Goblin Eater 
  Hobs (6)
  7
  Goblin Eater 
  Hobs (2)
  Hearth Orcs (2)
  Goblin Eater 
  Hobs with 
  Cave (6)
  8
  Goblin Eater 
  Hobs with 
  Caves (2)
  Free Hobs (4)
  Foot Goblin 
  Reindeer 
  Herders with 
  Cave (2)
  Goblin Eater 
  Hobs with 
  Cave (3)
  Hearth 
  Orc Bison 
  Herders (2)
  Goblin Eater 
  Hobs (6)
  Goblin 
  Eater Goat 
  Herders (8)
  9
  Hearth Orcs (1) Goblin Eater 
  Hobs (2)
  Free Hobs (8)
  Goblin Eater 
  Goat Herders 
  with Cave (3)
  Goblin Eater 
  Shepherds (8)
  Goblin Eater 
  Goat Herders 
  with Cave (8)
  10
  Goblin Eater 
  Hobs with 
  Cave (2)
  Goblin Eater 
  Hobs (3)
  Hearth 
  Orc Goat 
  Herders (2)
  Hearth 
  Orc Emu 
  Herders (2)
  Hearth Orc 
  Slavers (4)
  Hearth 
  Orc Goat 
  Herders (6)
  11
  Hearth 
  Orcs Bison 
  Herders (2)
  Hearth Orcs (2) Goblin Eater 
  Hobs with 
  Cave (3)
  Hearth Orc 
  Goat Herder 
  Slavers (3)
  Hearth Orc 
  Shepherds (2)
  12
  Hearth Orc 
  Slavers (2)
  Hearth Orc 
  Slavers (3)
  Ogre Lasher 
  Orcs (4)
  Hearth Orc 
  Slavers (3)
  Hearth Orc 
  Shepherd 
  Slavers (7)
  Hearth Orc 
  Goat Herder 
  Slavers (7)
  13
  Hearth Orc 
  Slavers (2)
  Ogre Lasher 
  Orcs (2)
  Hearth Orc 
  Reindeer Herder 
  Slavers (3)
  Ogre Lasher 
  Slavers (5)
  Hearth Orc 
  Bison Herder 
  Slavers (3)
  Ogre Lasher 
  Slavers (6)
  Ogre Lasher 
  Orcs (5)
  14
  Hearth Orc 
  Bison Herder 
  Slavers (2)
  Ogre Lasher 
  Slavers (2)
  Ogre Lasher 
  Slavers (5)
  Troll Driver 
  Orcs (4)
  Hearth Orc 
  Shepherd 
  Slavers (3)
  Ogre Lasher 
  Slavers (7)
  15
  Ogre Lasher 
  Orcs (2)
  Troll Driver 
  Orcs (2)
  Troll Driver 
  Slavers (5)
  Troll Driver 
  Slavers (5)
  Ogre Lasher 
  Orcs (4)
  Troll Driver 
  Slavers (6)
  Troll Driver 
  Orcs (5)
  16
  Troll Driver 
  Orcs (2)
  Troll Driver 
  Slavers (2)
  Warg Rider 
  Goblins (6)
  Warg Rider 
  Goblins (6)
  Ogre Lasher 
  Slavers (5)
  Troll Driver 
  Slavers (7)
  17
  Warg Rider 
  Goblins (3)
  Ogres in 
  Cave (2)
  Troll Driver 
  Orcs (4)
  Warg Rider 
  Goblins (9)
  Warg Rider 
  Goblins (9)
  18
  Ogres in 
  Cave (2)
  Ogres in 
  Cave (3)
  Ogres in 
  Cave (3)
  Troll Driver 
  Slavers (5)
  Ogres in 
  Cave (4)
  Gnoll bachelor 
  pack (1)
  19
  Ogres in 
  Ruins (2)
  Ogres in 
  Ruins (2)
  Ogres in 
  Ruins (3)
  Ogres in Cave 
  or Ruins (3)
  Ogres in 
  Ruins (4)
  Ogres in 
  Cave (4)
  Ogres in 
  Cave (6)
  20
  Oddity
  Oddity
  Oddity
  Oddity
  Oddity
  Oddity
  Oddity
  Oddity
  Shaded columns indicate cold terrain.
  Italics indicate dry terrain.
  (Parentheses) show the number of hexes this tribe requires to survive in 
  that terrain type, including support for any slaves or herds.
  Caves: See p42. 
  Ruins: See p46. 
  Oddities: See p46.
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  23
  T R I B E  T Y P E S
  The three races pursue a variety of lifestyles, resulting in seven main 
  kinds of tribes, plus the mountain-bound Saltjacks, barbarous groups of 
  ogres and gnolls, and the unique hybrid tribe called the Mooters.
  F o o t  G o b l i n s
  Tribe size: 169 HD (302 goblins)
  May keep herds: +85 HD
  Fearing the larger races, these gobbos try to maintain a low profile, 
  settling on defensible hilltops or mountain outcroppings with access 
  to water. When possible, they prefer to build above natural caves. 
  They maintain palisade walls made from rocks and small tree trunks. 
  Tribemembers work in sight of the hilltop, scrabbling up crops like 
  cabbage, turnips, and beans, and keep pigs or chickens penned inside 
  the palisade wall. In green hills or plains, they tend herds of goats and 
  develop an appetite for raw cheese. Caves, even when available, seldom 
  hold more than a fraction of the populace. Homes are shallow dugouts 
  roofed with sod or brush. Dirt tunnels are common for escape and 
  storage, and in times of emergency the young are shoved into every 
  available underground space. The community rests in daylight and works 
  by night; daytime patrols often carry parasols or wear straw sun visors. 
  The crafty goblins install alarms, pits, deadfalls, and other traps in their 
  tunnels, on obvious approaches to the home base, and on nearby paths. 
  Still, some Foot Goblins are forced to pay tribute, in food and females, to 
  Warg Rider tribes. Many Foot Goblins long for a better home base, and 
  may attack other tribes. A favorite ambition is to dig a secret tunnel and 
  enter another tribe’s settlement from within the hill, killing by surprise 
  and driving the locals out with fire and smoke into carefully concealed 
  outdoor traps.
  By default, player characters are members of a Foot Goblin tribe.
  60 Chumps (W1) = 48 HD
  12 Meat Shields (W2) = 19 HD
  One Chieftain (W3) = 3 HD
  One Gopher (S1) = 1 HD
  One Shaman (S3) = 3 HD
  One Scrounger (M1) = 1 HD
  One Observer (M2) = 1 HD
  75 Tribemembers (T1) = 60 HD
  150 young (1 hp) = 33 HD
  Total population: 302
  Scrapper dogs, domesticated:
  •	
  Without herd, 18 adult males, 14 bitches, 12 pups.
  •	
  With herd, 24 adult males, 18 bitches, 18 pups.
  Patrol (12): 5 goblin Chumps, 1 Meat Shield captain, scrapper dog
  Work group (6): 12 Tribemembers with one Patrol. If the tribe 
  keeps a herd, one work group attends it by daylight, with two extra 
  scrapper dogs.
  Home base: Four daytime Patrols. By night, six patrols in the fields 
  with the Tribemembers, four in the palisade with the Chieftain.
  Language: Gritch. Chieftain, Shaman, Gopher, and 50% of captains also 
  speak Ork.
  Technology: Leatherworking, woodworking, stone knapping, weaving 
  grass rope and nets; cold reshaping of bronze and iron. See typical 
  armament of goblin Warriors, p16.
  For details of a Foot Goblin Settlement, see p33.
  For a sample Foot Goblin cave, see p45.
  O g r e  L a s h e r s  ( O r c s )
  Tribe size: 180 HD (232 orcs, two Ogres)
  May keep slaves or prisoners. Never keep herds.
  Only the most aggressive orc tribes bother with the inconvenience of 
  enslaving stupid giant-kin. These Warriors treat their ogres with an odd 
  mixture of mockery, pride, and emulation, and the creatures learn to obey. 
  Their handlers walk them around on leash-chains attached to riveted iron 
  collars. The main occupation of Ogre Lasher males is war. They raid other 
  tribes for slaves and food, sometimes incorporating captured orc or orkin 
  females and youth into the tribe. Dead orcish enemies are left on the field. 
  Warriors can join a new tribe but will only do so if the old Chieftain is 
  killed. The tribe lives in crude dugouts, lean-tos, and hide tents, always 
  centered around a defensible redoubt. Cave systems are considered the 
  best, when available, but most tribes mound up earthworks in a large ring 
  and fix a heavy gate across the entryway. If wood is plentiful they may top 
  the ring with a palisade. The tribe sleeps away the brightest part of the day, 
  but always keeps one patrol atop the earthworks and another patrolling 
  the area. At night the Chieftain may order the patrols to accompany the 
  Tribemembers in their gathering of fish, fruit, nuts, roots, and small 
  game, or he may decide to assemble his strike teams and march to the 
  attack someplace, leaving two to four patrols to protect the works. The 
  Chieftain lives underground, even if just in an earthen excavation, and 
  any loot is buried. Ogre Lashers sometimes make fleeting alliance with 
  Troll Drivers to attack a common victim, but otherwise do not seek peace. 
  Males refuse to herd and will only hunt large predators or dangerous prey. 
  On conquering a tribe that keeps animals, the Ogre Lashers slaughter the 
  entire herd for an enormous victory feast, wasting much meat. Ambitious 
  Shamans try to capture a female ogre so as to create a supply of future 
  shock troops, but getting the brutes to breed in captivity, then raising the 
  young, presents many challenges.
  Ogre Lashers and Troll Drivers are collectively known as “Monster 
  Orc tribes.” See Monster Orc Camp, p34, and typical Monster Orc cave 
  redoubt on p44.
  23
  f o r e s t  g o b l i n s
  These Foot Goblins dwell in Riverwood. They exactly resemble their 
  fellows, but with skin of an orc-like green. They prefer green clothes, 
  identify with fey races, and enjoy tricking larger folk, often to death.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  24
  50 Chumps (W1) = 50 HD
  8 Meat Shields (W2, 8 hp) = 16 HD
  2 Ogre Wranglers (W2) = 4 HD
  One Chieftain (W4) = 4 HD
  One Gopher (S1) = 1 HD
  One Shaman (S3) = 3 HD
  One Scrounger (M1) = 1 HD
  60 Tribemembers (T1) = 60 HD
  42 young (2 hp) = 18 HD
  66 infants (1 hp) = 15 HD
  Two ogres (4+1 HD) = 8 HD
  Total population: 232 orcs plus two ogres
  Patrols (6): 6 orc Chumps, one Meat Shield captain.
  Strike Teams (2): 8 orc Chumps, one Meat Shield 
  captain, one Ogre Wrangler, one Ogre.
  Gatherer Bands (4): 12 Tribemembers. 
  Protected by a Patrol when far afield.
  Home base: 1d6 Patrols, 1d2 Strike Teams, plus 
  Chieftain and 8 Chump bodyguards
  Language: Ork. Ogre Wranglers also speak Ogga; the Chieftain and the 
  Shaman are 50% likely to speak it.
  Technology: Ogre Lashers cure leather, knapp stone, do woodwork, and 
  make grass rope. They do not mine, but can do ironwork and will re-
  forge any captured metal into swords or other advanced gear. See typical 
  armament of orc Warriors, p16.
  T r o l l  D r i v e r s  ( O r c s )
  Tribe size: 179 HD (232 orcs, one troll)
  Never keep herds or slaves. May keep prisoners.
  Similar to Ogre Lashers in most ways, Troll Drivers pride themselves 
  on having the most vicious, mindless mascot possible. Strong enemy 
  Warriors are fed to the troll, which rages in a cage most of the time. When 
  anticipating a battle, the orcs starve the troll for a few days, roll its cage 
  into the front line, and let it go. If the troll is seriously injured by fire or 
  acid, a Shaman might try to divide it into two pieces, hoping that at least 
  one will grow into a healthy new troll.
  50 Chumps (W1) = 50 HD
  8 Meat Shields (W2) = 16 HD
  2 Troll Wranglers (W2) = 4 HD
  One Chieftain (W4) = 4 HD
  One Gopher (S1) = 1 HD
  One Devil-Bait “Senior Shaman” (S3) = 3 HD
  One Scrounger (M1) = 1 HD
  60 Tribemembers (T1) = 60 HD
  66 infants (1 hp) = 15 HD
  42 young (2 hp) = 18 HD
  One troll (6+3 HD) = 7 HD
  Total population: 232 plus troll
  Patrol (8): 6 Chumps, one Meat Shield captain.
  Gatherer Band (4): 12 Tribemembers. Protected by a Patrol when 
  far afield.
  Warband (1): Chieftain, troll, 2 Troll-Wranglers, 6 captains, 48 
  Chumps. Two captains and two Chumps hide the populace.
  Home base: 1d6 Patrols, 1d4 Gatherer Bands, one Troll-Wrangler, 
  two Chumps, one Meat Shield bodyguard, the troll, the Gopher, the 
  Shaman, and the Chieftain.
  Language: Ork. The Scrounger also speaks Gritch.
  Technology: These orcs cure leather, knapp stone, do woodwork, and 
  make grass rope. They do not mine, but can do ironwork and will re-
  forge any captured metal into swords or other advanced gear. See typical 
  armament of orc Warriors, p16.
  G o b l i n  E a t e r s  ( H o b s )
  Tribe size: 193 HD (116 hobgoblins, 180 goblins)
  May keep herds: +96 HD
  Always keep slaves.
  Hobgoblins are only truly happy when commanding others, and 
  these hobs have achieved the pinnacle of ambition: successfully defeating 
  a Foot Goblin tribe and taking over their settlement. After killing and 
  eating the Goblin leaders, and enough others to get the message across, 
  the hobs enslave the remaining short folk, who labor producing food and 
  enlarging the diggings. The goblin young are crowded into the grub-hole, 
  a well-guarded cavern or fort, where they serve as hostages against the 
  good behavior of the adult workers. The “grubs” learn to behave, and the 
  disciplined hobs seldom eat one without provocation. Goblin females 
  sleep in the grub-hole during the day, but no goblin male is allowed in 
  any tunnels or caves where the hobs live. The male slaves instead occupy 
  cramped dugouts within the settlement’s palisade. At night, slave gangs 
  are taken outside to work. Any who rebel or try to flee go on the hobs’ 
  menu; if any goblins escape, many grubs are put to death as punishment. 
  The slaves raise goats, sheep, chickens, and pigs to forestall the hob 
  appetite for meat, plus a few cabbages, turnips, and beans for themselves 
  and the animals. Every Goblin Eater Chieftain hopes to capture more 
  slaves in raids on Foot Goblins and battles with Warg Riders, while other 
  goblins may attack to liberate their kin and Free Hobs may try to take over 
  the Goblin Eater base.
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  25
  Hobgoblins: 104 HD
  24 Chumps (W1 / HD 1+1) = 30 HD
  One Slavemaster (W2) = 2 HD
  Four Scufflers (W4) = 16 HD
  One Chieftain (W5) = 5 HD
  One Gopher (S1) = 1 HD
  One Shaman (S3) = 3 HD
  Four Scroungers (M1) = 3 HD
  32 Tribemembers (1 HD) = 32 HD
  20 youths (2 hp) = 6 HD
  28 infants (1 hp) = 6 HD
  Goblin Slaves: 89 HD (six subjugated clans)
  48 males (HD 1–1) = 39 HD
  42 females (HD 1–1) = 32 HD
  90 young (1 hp) = 18 HD
  Total population: 296
  Slave gangs (8): Six male and four female goblins, 
  guarded by two Chumps. One or two females carry 
  nursing infants strapped to their chests.
  Herders, if any: One slave gang, working by daylight.
  Home guard, day: Two Scuffler captains, four 
  Chumps, Gopher, two Scroungers.
  Home guard, night: Two Scuffler captains, four 
  Chumps, Shaman, two Scroungers.
  Command tent or cave: Chieftain; Slavemaster
  Grub-hole: 8 female goblins, 80 young 
  goblins, 2 female hobgoblin guards.
  Language: Gritch. The Shaman also speaks Ork. Two Scroungers speak 
  Ork and two speak Man. 
  Technology: Goblin slaves perform work with leather, wood, grass fibers, 
  stone, iron, and bronze. The hobgoblin masters reserve all armament 
  repair and maintenance to themselves, in keeping with their Cult of 
  Weapons.
  H e a r t h  O r c s
  Tribe size: 228 HD (304 orcs)
  May keep herds: +114 HD
  May keep slaves or prisoners
  Hearth Orcs construct actual villages, cruder than human work but 
  far more substantial than the palisades of the Foot Goblins. They make high 
  walls of wood and stones and particularly love to build massive, impressive-
  looking gates that are very hard to open and close. They dig wells and make 
  individual one- or two-story buildings inside the walls. Males range out to 
  hunt animals of all kinds and attack bordering humanoids, dreaming of 
  turning their little townlet into the capital of an empire. Tribemembers tend 
  to fields of yams, onions, gourds, and turnips, and feed great pens of pigs on 
  the village garbage. Resentment at having to do any hard work, ever, runs deep 
  in the orcish spirit, and their agricultural success is spotty, so periodically 
  the whole populace must be driven out to gather food in the wild: trapping 
  migrating birds, picking the bushes clean when the berries come out, 
  wading into fish runs, and so on. Hearth Orcs, even non-Mongers, have a 
  concept of the usefulness of money. Leaders compete for shiny adornments, 
  and leaders arrange for trade with other tribes or caravans (p74). When food 
  surplus or excellent weather permits, the Hearth Orcs gleefully throw down 
  their hoes and pick up spears, charging out across the Rotlands to besiege 
  other villages or inflict revenge on any Ogre Lashers or Troll Drivers who 
  dared inconvenience them in the past. Particularly successful tribes build 
  catapults or ballistae to defend their town walls and may even establish scout 
  towers to watch the borders of the tribal lands.
  60 Chumps (W1) = 60 HD
  12 Meat Shields (W2) = 24 HD
  One Chieftain (W4) = 4 HD
  One Experiment “Apprentice” (S2) = 2 HD
  One Devil-Bait “Senior Shaman” (S3) = 3 HD
  Three Scroungers (M1) = 3 HD
  One Observer (M2) = 2 HD
  75 Tribemembers (T1) = 75 HD
  90 infants (1 hp) = 20 HD
  60 youths (2 hp) = 35 HD
  Total population: 303
   Scrapper dogs, domesticated:
  •	
  Without herd, 20 adult males, 16 bitches, 16 pups.
  •	
  With herd, 32 adult males, 24 bitches, 20 pups.
  Patrols (12): 5 Chumps, 1 Meat Shield captain, scrapper dog
  Work Group (9): Six Tribemembers. Protected by one Patrol when 
  far afield.
  Herders: If the tribe keeps herds, some must attend them during 
  daylight. One Patrol protects the herders and animals, which are 
  driven back to pens outside the town walls at night. 
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  26
  Make up of Hearth Orc herder group depends on tribal lifestyle:
  •	
  Herder Groups, non-slavers (2): One Work Group, one Patrol, 
  and two extra scrapper dogs. The two Herder Groups take shifts
  •	
  Herder Group, slavers (1): One slave gang (p32), one Patrol, 
  and one extra dog. The single gang works all day.
  Home base: 2d6 patrols plus Chieftain and Shamans.
  Languages: Ork. Chieftain and 50% of Meat Shields also speak Man. 
  The Senior Shaman and the Observer speak Ork, Man, and Gritch. The 
  Experiment speaks Ork, Man, and is 50% likely to speak Gritch. Each 
  Scrounger has one language in addition to Ork.
  Technology: In the Rotlands, Hearth Orcs have the best chance to perfect 
  craft techniques. Each village has a smithy able to work iron and bronze, 
  and the tribe can sometimes acquire ore through trade. Any steel must 
  be captured. Tribemembers work heavy wooden looms to make felted 
  broadcloth from wool. The village also performs competent leatherwork, 
  carpentry, pottery, and rope and basket making.
  For details of a Hearth Orc town, see p35.
  For the Hearth Orc town of Selkirk, see p40.
  W a r g  R i d e r s  ( G o b l i n s )
  Tribe size: 298 HD (239 goblins, 59 wargs)
  Never keep herds, slaves, or prisoners.
  These aggressive goblin tribes use their hand-reared dire wolf 
  mounts to hunt wild animals, raid livestock, capture Foot Goblin females, 
  and even attack Hearth Orcs from time to time. The Gatherer Bands tend 
  to roam far afield by night, gathering anything edible: digging jackrabbits 
  out of their dens, stripping edible leaves from plants, cracking snails, and 
  pulling up roots. A special treat is a fat spider wrapped in its own web and 
  eaten live. Even so, with their ravenous mounts to support, Warg Riders 
  require a great deal of territory and can keep no herds. During the day 
  they gather in a disorganized camp; even when using the same site for 
  years, they set up nothing more permanent than tents and stockades. The 
  wargs and their riders sleep by day, each Warrior with his wolf, leaving one 
  or two raiding units to keep watch without their mounts or Foe-Taunter 
  leader. By night, the raiding units take turns escorting gatherers, which is 
  viewed as a chore, or running off to hunt and maybe find a fight, which is 
  greatly preferred. Everyone marches, including children, who are pressed 
  to help gather food as soon as they can walk. No one stays at the camp site 
  unless gravely ill. At war, one unit remains with the Tribemembers and 
  young in hiding, usually as punishment, while the rest form into a War 
  Pack of 40 infantry and 16 cavalry led by the Chieftain.
  About 1 in 20 wargs is born with all-white fur and red eyes. It may 
  or may not be true that such wargs possess unusual power, but if a white-
  furred male comes along, the Chieftain claims it.
  48 Chumps (W1 / HD 1–1) = 39 HD
  12 Meat Shields (W2 / 2d6 hp) = 19 HD
  Six Foe-Taunters (W3) = 15 HD
  One Chieftain (W4) = 4 HD
  One Experiment (S2) = 2 HD
  One Shaman (S3) = 3 HD
  Two Scroungers (M1) = 1 HD
  60 Tribemembers (T1) = 48 HD
  108 young (1 hp) =  24 HD
  Warg pack:
   
  19 Wargs (4+1 HD) = 80 HD
   
  20 Warg bitches (2 HD) = 40 HD
   
  20 Warg pups (1 HD) = 20 HD
  Total population: 239 goblins plus 59 wargs
  Raiding Units (5): Eight Chumps, two mounted Meat 
  Shields, one mounted Foe-Taunter captain with lance.
  Gatherer Bands (3): 16 Tribemembers and 24 young, protected by 
  a Raiding Unit.
  Home base: By day, goblins sleeping in hide tents and shallow 
  dugouts, with one Raiding Unit on patrol. By night, a collection of 
  smelly holes holding a dozen Tribemembers eating, talking, and 
  watching 36 infant goblins. Any excess food is buried someplace 
  nearby.
  Language: Gritch. The Shaman and Experiment also speak Ork; the 
  Chieftain and the Foe-Taunters are each 50% likely to speak Ork as well.
  Technology: Warg Riders spend little time making what they can instead 
  steal. Warriors know how to maintain their leather tack and saddle.
  For details of Warg Rider camps, see p35.
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  27
  F r e e  H o b s
  Tribe size: 87 HD (82 hobgoblins)
  Never keep herds or slaves. May keep prisoners.
  These Rotland hobs have it rough. Their appetite for flesh keeps them 
  from growing in numbers, as each adult requires a great deal of raw meat 
  every day to maintain good health. They can digest uncooked vegetables if 
  necessary, but a hob without meat becomes gassy, irritable, and weak, and 
  suffers even more in pride (see Dehydration & Starvation, p53). Free Hobs 
  compete for game with the much fiercer gnoll tribes, and every skirmish is a 
  dangerous contest of the superior weapons of the hobs versus the animalistic 
  fury of the dog-heads. Both races hunt by daylight while the big-eyed 
  goblins and orcs are hiding from the sun. When a warlord starts to gather 
  tribes into an army, the hobgoblins are always first to sign up, so long as 
  there’s plenty of meat in the commissary. A hobgoblin Chieftain establishes 
  a home base, such as a shallow cave or the broken-down remnants of a 
  destroyed Hearth Orc village. Failing that, the tribe may be forced to live 
  in a simple ditch with a dirt berm in front and a few hides overhead. They 
  always seek a better base, while lacking the skill or willingness to construct 
  buildings or walls. If the Chieftain cannot house his people somehow, he 
  loses his right to rule. One of his own Scufflers may kill him and declare 
  himself Chieftain; if he has sufficient Reputation, he can lead the people 
  on a new search for a home. Every Chieftain dreams of taking over the 
  palisaded base of a tribe of Foot Goblins, becoming a Goblin Eater tribe, 
  and so every Foot Goblin tribe can expect periodic attacks by hopeful hobs. 
  Usually the traps and superior numbers of the goblins drive off their would-
  be ousters. See Hungry Hobs campaign type, p50.
  24 Chumps (W1) = 29 HD
  Four Scufflers (W4) = 19 HD
  One Chieftain (W5) = 6 HD
  One Shaman (S1) = 1 HD
  Two Scroungers (M1) = 2 HD
  20 Tribemembers (T1) = 20 HD
  12 youth (2 hp) = 6 HD
  18 infants (1 hp) = 4 HD
  Total population: 82
  Patrol Units (4): Six Chumps plus one Scuffler captain.
  Home base: 1d4 Patrol Units, Chieftain, and Shaman.
  Language: Gritch. The Shaman and the Scroungers also speak Ork.
  Technology: Hobgoblins tan animal hides, badly, and make stone-tipped 
  implements. They capture better weapons and armor from foes when 
  possible, and treat these items with great reverence, passing them down 
  as heirlooms and keeping them in good shape for many years.
  S a l t j a c k  C l a n  ( O r k i n )
  Tribe size: 39 HD (55 orkin)
  Never keep herds or slaves
  These extended families work long hours in the dangerous salt mines 
  of Mount Rotten as soon as they can walk. The members are orkin: orc 
  crossbreeds of uncertain heritage (see p13). Each Saltjack clan claims one 
  or more tunnels as its own private mining site, and turf battles between 
  clans are viciously contested. Their home base is a collection of hide tents, 
  pitched near the current mine.
  The size and shape of each salt mine can be determined as for a 
  Complex, Ramiform Warren on p42.
  Since the jacks are, in effect, mining money, they should be rich, 
  but in practice they suffer exploitation by an old system. A clan’s Mining 
  Crew, with youths doing sorting and packing, extract an average of 250 
  pounds of rock salt per week. See more about mining on p43. The jacks 
  trade salt to the Monger Houses of Selkirk at 10 ip worth of goods per 
  pound: a fraction of the salt’s value elsewhere in the Rotlands. Just to 
  survive the clan needs about 900 lbs of food per month, so they live on 
  dried roots, onions, and fermented sheep’s milk, with never a taste of 
  meat. They even pay for water. The clans don’t dare rebel, for there are a 
  dozen or more clans on the mountain, and the Factors of Selkirk might 
  simply cease dealing with a recalcitrant group.
  Young adults sometimes get leave to make a one-time journey to 
  Rotmoot for Harvest Revel (p38), to trade away as much salt as they can 
  carry and return with mates. Failing that, they must seek pairings with 
  other Saltjack clans, often the cause of an uneasy peace.
  10 Chumps (W1) = 10 HD
  2 Meat Shields (W2) = 4 HD
  One Chieftain (W3) = 3 HD
  2 Scroungers (female) (M1) = 2 HD
  12 Tribemembers (T1) = 12 HD
  18 infants (1 hp) = 4 HD
  10 youths (2 hp) = 4 HD
  Total population: 55
  Plus scrapper dogs: 4 adult males, 4 bitches, 8 pups.
  Mining Crew: 10 Chumps, 1 Meat Shield Crew Chief, 5 youths in 
  tunnel; 5 Tribemembers, 5 youths at minehead.
  Home base: 2 Scroungers, 1 Meat Shield, Chieftain, 7 Tribemembers, 
  18 infants.
  Language: Ork
  Technology:  The Saltjacks save up to buy iron tools and other supplies 
  from Selkirk, or take loans.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  28
  T h e  M o o t e r  T r i b e
  See p38 for more about this unique, relatively tolerant community.
  Tribe size, total: 885 HD (849 Mooters + 36 slaves)
  During Revel: + Visitors averaging 483 HD
  At Moot Year Round: 482 HD (593 Mooters) + visitors averaging 52 HD
  At Moot Year 
  Round
  In Caravans
  Scroungers (M1)
  16
  32
  Observers (M2)
  16
  16
  Distracters (M3)
  4
  8
  Bean Counters (M4)
  4
  4
  Master Mongers (M5)
  5
  –
  Chumps (W1)
  48
  64
  Meat Shields (W2)
  24
  32
  Foe-Taunters (W3)
  6
  8
  Gophers (S1)
  9
  16
  Experiments (S2)
  6
  4
  Devil-Bait (S3)
  4
  2
  Smoke-Eaters (S4)
  2
  –
  Senior Shaman (S5)
  1
  –
  Tribemembers (T1)
  64
  70
  Youth
  180
  –
  Infants
  204
  –
  Slaves
  –
  36
  Random visitor groups appear on p39.
  Language: All Mooters speak Ork. Newcomers without the ability to 
  learn the language become versed in a pidgin tongue, with a very limited 
  vocabulary mixed from Ork, Gritch, and Man. In play this comes across 
  as the stereotypical monosyllabic, grammar-poor speech ascribed to 
  fictional savages, e.g., “Me eat food now. You no take thing.” See p14.
  M O N S T R O U S 
  P E O P L E S
  Two sorts of large bipeds live in the Rotlands, form tribe-like groups, 
  and lay claim to territory, but are considered monsters instead of true 
  Rotlanders. They do not have character classes, only hit dice, and none 
  have shaman abilities. Ogres raid from caves or ruins, constructing 
  nothing themselves. Gnolls have no permanent domicile, but raven across 
  the landscape, ever-hungry.
  O g r e  C l a n
  Clan size: 120 HD (39 Ogres)
  These “small giants” resemble human ancestors and may 
  demonstrate a missing link lifestyle between apes and humanoids. They 
  build no shelter but aggressively seek out a secure base, such as a cave or 
  a large structure made by others. The ogres kill and eat anything living in 
  their shelter of choice and move in. According to their instincts, only the 
  most powerful male is permitted to mate openly with any of the females. 
  This lucky ogre (33 hp) otherwise exactly resembles his fellows, fighting 
  no better than they do and exercising no leadership, and his harem 
  privileges are routinely flouted whenever he leaves to hunt. All males 
  take turns roaming for large game, while the others protect the females 
  and young. Females fan out near the shelter to gather fruit, leaves, and 
  anything else that cannot outrun their great grasping hands, for the ogres 
  are omnivores of great appetite. The hunting group of 1d6 males seeks 
  large animals, which includes other humanoids, and returns to the shelter 
  every night bearing whatever they felled and could not eat on the spot. By 
  instinct they retrieve anything they don’t understand, in case the females 
  can make food out of it; sometimes this includes valuable loot. However, 
  unlike possible cousins in human-dominated lands, Rotlander ogres 
  carry no bags of coin. Instead, when encountered, each is 20% likely to 
  carry a carcass, or 5% an uprooted berry bush, vine of gourds, or small 
  fruit tree. When conditions allow, females store up surplus food in the 
  R a c e  +  G e n d e r 
  o f  M o o t e r s
  The referee can assume whatever mix he 
  likes, or roll on this chart.
  MG = male goblin
  FG = female goblin
  MO = male orc
  FO = female orc
  Mo = male orkin
  Fo = female orkin
  MH = male hobgoblin
  FH = female hobgoblin
  d20
  Monger
  Warrior
  Shaman
  Tribemember
  Slave/Porter
  1
  MG
  MG
  MG
  MG
  Mo
  2
  MG
  MO
  FG
  FG
  Mo
  3
  MG
  MO
  FG
  FG
  Mo
  4
  MG
  MO
  FG
  FG
  Mo
  5
  MG
  MO
  FG
  FG
  Mo
  6
  MG
  FO
  FG
  FG
  Mo
  7
  FG
  FO
  MO
  MO
  Mo
  8
  FG
  FO
  FO
  FO
  MH
  9
  FG
  Mo
  FO
  FO
  MH
  10
  FG
  Mo
  FO
  FO
  MH
  11
  MO
  Mo
  FO
  FO
  MH
  12
  MO
  Fo
  FO
  FO
  MH
  13
  MO
  MH
  FO
  Mo
  MH
  14
  FO
  MH
  FO
  Fo
  MH
  15
  FO
  MH
  Mo
  Fo
  MH
  16
  Mo
  MH
  Fo
  Fo
  MH
  17
  Mo
  MH
  Fo
  MH
  MH
  18
  Fo
  MH
  Fo
  FH
  MH
  19
  MH
  FH
  FH
  FH
  MH
  20
  FH
  FH
  FH
  FH
  MH
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  29
  shelter, hanging meat to dry and piling up edible vegetation. Ogres live a 
  long time and a successful tribe will fission into two allied clans every 20 
  years or so. If mature males ever outnumber females, the youngest adult 
  males are driven out of the shelter; some become loners and some are 
  captured by Ogre Lasher orc clans, where the ogre’s instinctive respect for 
  strength soon conditions it to obey its cruel masters. As females are never 
  driven out, the Ogre Lashers can seldom catch them.
  12 males (4+1 HD) = 51 HD
  12 females (4 HD) = 48 HD
  6 youths (2 HD) = 12 HD
  9 infants (1 HD) = 9 HD
  Total population: 39
  Hunting Party (1): 1d6 males.
  Home base: During the day, youths and 1d6+5 females foraging, 
  1d6+5 males on watch (any not in hunting party). Remaining 
  females and infants in shelter. At night, entire tribe in shelter. No 
  formal watches.
  Language: Ogga.
  Technology:  Tree-trunk clubs, rough hides, thrown rocks.
  G n o l l  P a c k
  Pack size: 81 HD (105 Gnolls)
  Gnolls are strict carnivores, preferring even rotting meat to any 
  vegetation. Rotlander gnolls are true cynocephaloids, with the heads of 
  mastiffs, giving an obvious name to the Doghead Peaks where they live. 
  The gnolls maintain no fixed abode, but run in a pack, with hunting groups 
  roving and returning all day. The leader and at least six other males stay 
  with the females and the vast, swarming group of young, who alternate 
  between running on all fours and on two legs. The cubs root out grubs 
  and worms and eat beetles, caterpillars, or other slow-moving bugs. When 
  the pack comes to trees, long grass, loose stones, or other cover, the cubs 
  tumble through it yapping and flush out anything living, from birds to 
  snakes to field mice to grasshoppers. The inexperienced cubs make 
  occasional kills, but the adult females catch most of such game and eat it, 
  nursing the smaller whelps with their half-dozen nipples, while the larger 
  cubs bother them for scraps. The adult males look on in disdain, their pride 
  preventing them from eating anything that doesn’t fight back. Males sport 
  torn ears and scarred faces and necks from fighting among themselves. It’s 
  a great day for them to encounter other humanoids, especially those from 
  whom they can salvage weapons and armor, as gnolls practice no craft 
  themselves beyond snapping off a branch to serve as a club. Each bitch 
  gives birth to a single litter of 1d4+1 whelps per season, many of whom do 
  not survive. At night, the whole pack flops down, each turning in circles to 
  wear out a sleeping spot; they post no guard, but their keen senses usually 
  prevent surprise.
  Four such large packs roam the Doghead Peaks, and they fight when 
  they meet. All hunt in adjacent regions, attack patrols of other races, and 
  raid herds of animals, but they do not assault defended settlements.
  When food is scarce, gnolls suffer mange and other canine complaints; 
  in summer, fleas infest the whole pack. In a famine, the females produce no 
  milk and infants starve, while adults steal food from the young and even eat 
  the dead. In such conditions, or when too many male cubs mature for the 
  original tribe to support, the most resilient young males break away and 
  seek survival elsewhere, existing as a “bachelor pack” of a half-dozen 1 HD 
  juveniles. Bachelors hunt together until they come of age (2 HD) and first 
  scent a female in heat. Then they search out the tribe with the females and 
  fight to earn membership.
  One Alpha Male (3 HD) = 3 HD
  18 males (2 HD) = 36 HD
  One Alpha Bitch (2 HD) = 2 HD
  19 bitches (1 HD) = 19 HD
  30 cubs (2 hp) = 17 HD
  36 whelps (1 hp) = 4 HD
  Total population: 105
  Hunting group (3): Six males.
  Language: Yik-yak. Alphas are 25% likely to also speak Ork.
  Technology: None. Any arms and armor must be captured from others.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  30
  T R I B E  N A M E S
  The referee should let the players choose the name of their home 
  tribe, within reason. More examples appear on the maps on pp40–41.
  Sample Foot Goblin Tribe Names
  Like their personal names, Foot Goblin tribe names strive for cleverness, 
  often through irony.  It delights the gobbos when their talk causes 
  confusion for other races.
  Sample Hearth Orc Tribe Names
  Hearth Orcs glorify their own tenacity, their craftsmanship, and the 
  permanence of their towns.
  Deepwells
  Footholders
  Greatlanders
  Impregnables
  Keenviews
  Loomfelters
  Stonecutters
  Stoutwalls
  Strongfasts
  Tallbuilders
  Woodcutters
  Sample Monster Orc Tribe Names
  These raiders name themselves with crude reference to war.
  Blood-axes
  Blood-blades
  Blood-eyes
  Brute Bruisers (Ogre Lashers)
  Bull Chargers
  Deadly Masters (slavers)
  Flamebrands
  Gatesmashers
  Green-teeth (Troll Drivers)
  Shield Biters
  Sample Hobgoblin Tribe Names
  Hobs go by an identifying characteristic of their tribe’s best-known 
  Chieftain, often the current leader.
  Big Drooler
  Bitten Ear
  Broken Tusk
  Fat Chewer
  Quick Clubber
  Scar Face
  Slow Stepper
  Sly Stabber
  Squeak Voice
  Swag Belly
  White Eye
  Sample Warg Rider Tribe Names
  The goblins identify with their ferocious mounts.
  Bloodfangs
  Fire-eyes
  Flintclaws
  Ice Howlers
  Leaping Doomers
  Moonglares
  Neck-whippers
  Quickfoots
  Shadowhides
  Blanket Thieves
  Sheep herding tribe
  Bricklayers
  Clay or mud plentiful
  Dappleskins
  Forest goblins
  Dust Eaters
  Riverside settlement
  Egg Suckers
  Emu herding tribe
  Feathernests
  Emu herding tribe
  Flatpockets
  Tribe controls rich iron deposits
  Loose Weavers
  Expert basket-makers of the grasslands
  Originals
  Occupants of ruined buildings
  Mighty Swimmers
  Extremely dry terrain
  Root Munchers
  Tribe keeps many pigs
  Silent Stones
  Buffalo herding tribe
  Sorefoots
  Settlement in same place for many years
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  31
  H E R D S ,  S L A V E S ,  +  D O G S
  Some tribes keep sizeable herds of animals for meat, milk, or wool. 
  Some keep gangs or populations of slaves. Many settlements are attended 
  by a pack of mongrel scrapper dogs. Slaves and herds must be fed off the 
  land, and thus increase the effective Hit Dice total of the tribe and the size 
  of the territory it requires. Scrapper dogs, or small groups of temporary 
  prisoners, do not affect tribe size.
  H e r d s
  By keeping a herd of livestock, such as sheep, goats, or bison, a 
  tribe adds variety to its diet and may acquire tradeable surplus. In Sparse 
  terrain, the animals eat coarse grasses, shrubs, and reindeer moss unfit 
  for humanoid consumption, making more efficient use of the land. The 
  territory sizes on the Locals chart, p22, reflect this. In other terrain types, 
  herding is less effiicient, but many tribes do it anyway for the milk, meat, 
  or wool.
  Herders have livestock sufficient to add 50% to the tribe’s total Hit 
  Dice. For example, a typical herding tribe of Hearth Orcs (228 HD) 
  maintains 114 HD in herd animals. In any herd of mammals, roughly 5% 
  of animals are adult males, 50% adult females, and 45% young. Females 
  provide milk, and wool from sheep; young males are gelded and later 
  slaughtered for meat and hides, except the most promising breeders. With 
  emu, the sexes are kept alive in more equal numbers.
  The strongest members of a herd are the adult male goats (bucks, 
  1 HD), the adult male sheep (rams, 1 HD), the adult female emu (hens, 
  2 HD), the adult male reindeer (bucks, 3 HD), and the adult male bison 
  (bulls, 4 HD). Other herd members step down from those levels, as 
  detailed below.
  Note that only certain combinations appear on the Locals chart. 
  The other numbers below can be used by the referee in creating his own 
  custom communities.
  Foot Goblins’ Herd (85 HD)
  Theft or death of 35 HD threatens livelihood of tribe.
  Goats (in mountains) or sheep: 12 bucks or rams @ 1 HD, 106 does 
  or ewes @ ½ HD, 90 kids or lambs @ 1 hp = 208 head
  Emu: 22 hens @ 2 HD, 26 cocks @ 1 HD, 30 chicks  
  @ ½ HD = 78 birds
  Reindeer: Four bulls @ 3 HD, 24 cows @ 2 HD, 25 calves  
  @ 1 HD = 53 head
  Bison: One bull @ 4 HD, 27 cows @ 2 HD, 27 calves  
  @ 1 HD = 55 head
  Goblin Eaters’ Herd (96 HD)
  The hobs require their thralls to build up herd size in service of their 
  appetite for meat. Theft or death of 39 HD threatens livelihood of tribe.
  Goats (in mountains) or sheep: 14 bucks or rams @ 1 HD, 120 does 
  or ewes @ ½ HD, 100 kids or lambs @ 1 hp = 234 head
  Emu: 25 hens @ 2 HD, 28 cocks @ 1 HD, 36 chicks  
  @ ½ HD = 89 birds
  Reindeer: Five bulls @ 3 HD, 26 cows @ 2 HD, 29 calves  
  @ 1 HD = 60 head
  Bison: Two bulls @ 4 HD, 29 cows @ 2 HD, 30 calves  
  @ 1 HD = 61 head
  Hearth Orcs’ Herd (114 HD)
  Theft or death of 45 HD threatens livelihood of tribe.
  Goats (in mountains) or sheep: 16 bucks or rams @ 1 HD, 144 does 
  or ewes @ ½ HD, 118 kids or lambs @ 1 hp = 278 head
  Emu: 30 hens @ 2 HD, 34 cocks @ 1 HD, 40 chicks  
  @ ½ HD = 104 birds
  Reindeer: Six bulls @ 3 HD, 31 cows @ 2 HD, 34 calves  
  @ 1 HD = 71 head
  Bison: Three bulls @ 4 HD, 33 cows @ 2 HD, 36 calves  
  @ 1 HD = 72 head
  Wild Herd (216 HD)
  Goats (in mountains) or sheep: 118 bucks or rams @ 1 HD, 144 
  does or ewes @ ½ HD, 118 kids or lambs @ 1 hp = 380 head
  Emu: 56 hens @ 2 HD, 66 cocks @ 1 HD, 100 chicks  
  @ ½ HD = 222 birds
  Reindeer: 34 bulls @ 3 HD, 36 cows @ 2 HD, 42 calves  
  @ 1 HD = 112 head
  Bison: 27 bulls @ 4 HD, 33 cows @ 2 HD, 42 calves  
  @ 1 HD = 102 head
  T y p i c a l  H e r d  A n i m a l 
  b y  T e r r a i n  A s p e c t
  Plains 
  Bison or Emu
  Hills 
  Sheep
  Forest 
  Reindeer
  Mountains 
  Goats
   S h a n k ’ s  M a r e : 
   A  N o t e  o n  H o r s e s
  Most unfortunately for the denizens of the Rotlands, horses cannot 
  abide the smell of orcs, giants, and goblinoids. Even mules and asses rebel, 
  fleeing if possible, attacking if cornered, and panicking if forced to remain 
  in proximity. An individual orkin or half-orc NPC is roughly 50% likely 
  to have the same effect; all orkin PCs are assumed to be inoffensive to 
  equines. No Rotlands community has all-purpose domesticated work 
  animals. Bison can be made to plow or draw a wagon, but not ridden. 
  Warg Rider goblins know that wolves make poor herding animals and 
  will not pull plows. Barring the occasional orc riding on the shoulders of 
  a tame ogre, Rotlanders know no other mounts. When they encounter 
  horses, they put them in the stew pot, and many consider the flesh a treat.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  32
  S l a v e s
  Rotlanders love taking captives, particularly from other races. Some 
  tribes keep slaves regularly; others use captives for hostage exchange 
  or ransom (p8), sale at slave markets (p72), or fresh meat (p54). Only 
  specialized orc clans keep trolls or ogres, but hobgoblins, orcs, and 
  especially goblins often end up under the yoke.
  Goblins, as the smallest locals, are used to enslavement and bear up 
  well, except that occasionally they turn out to have been patiently plotting 
  an elaborate revenge and escape for months or years. Orcs have to be 
  roped or chained together, or beaten constantly. Goblins can’t handle 
  them, but other orcs and hobgoblins sometimes use orc slaves.
  Hobgoblins rebel fiercely at first, but their inherent preference for 
  a clear pecking order makes them accept their lot, particularly when the 
  slavers are of their own race. They will never allow goblins to enslave them. 
  With orcs they go along but watch for a chance to kill their enslavers.
  When food runs short, slaves get substandard fare (p53) and suffer 
  penalties accordingly. No slave counts as a character class, being denied 
  every opportunity to practice any skills or use any class gear. They count 
  as 0 level for all rolls. Only months of freedom would restore class abilities.
  Slaves are of two types: All-male laborers (Gangs) and subjugated 
  populations (Clans). Hearth Orc and Ogre Lasher tribes who make a 
  practice of keeping large numbers of slaves are identified as Slavers on the 
  Locals chart (p22).
  Gangs (Laborers): +8 HD per gang
  To use labor gangs, the enslaving tribe collects only strong males of 
  the enslaved race, replacing them through raiding as needed. No leader 
  types appear, as any who show initiative are quickly killed and generally 
  eaten. Slaves are the first to go when food runs short.
  When slave gangs exceed about 10% of the hit dice of the enslaving 
  population, the threat of a violent uprising starts to grow. Experienced 
  slavers keep numbers lower, or subjugated mixed populations instead.
  Goblin Slave Gang: Ten males @ 1–1 HD
  Orc Slave Gang: Eight males @ 1 HD
  Hobgoblin Slave Gang: Six males @ 1+1 HD
  Clans (Subjugated Populations): + 16 HD per clan
  A numerous or powerful tribe may capture a population of slaves of 
  mixed gender, thus acquiring a labor force that can replicate itself. The 
  most common example is Goblin Eater tribes of hobgoblins, but others 
  occur. Being expected to live out a complete life cycle, subjugated slaves 
  receive slightly better treatment than labor gangs.
  Should the total hit dice of subjugated people exceed 25% of their 
  enslavers, the risk of dangerous rebellion becomes great. Goblin Eater 
  hobgoblins hold sway over many more slaves than this, typically half a 
  dozen goblin slave clans. The hobs count on their established, disciplined 
  hostage system to keep the peace.
  Goblin Slave Clan
   
  Eight gobbos (1–1 HD) = 7 HD
   
  Seven females (1–1 HD) = 6 HD
   
  Fifteen young (1 hp) = 3 HD
  Hobgoblin Slave Clan
   
  Six males hobs (1+1 HD) = 8 HD
   
  Six female hobs (1 HD) = 6 HD
   
  Two youth (2 hp) = 1 HD
   
  Four infants (1 hp) = 1 HD
  Orc Slave Clan (or orkin)
   
  Seven orcs (1 HD) = 7 HD
   
  Six females (1 HD) = 6 HD
   
  Four youths (2 hp) = 2 HD
   
  Six infants (1 hp) = 1 HD
  Slaver Tribes
  Goblin Eater Hobgoblins keep six goblin slave clans, totaling 89 HD. 
  Orc tribes designated as Slavers keep a permanent population as rolled 
  below:
   
  d20 
  Slaves 
  Number
   
  1–8 
  Goblin Slave Gangs 
  Three gangs [24 HD]
   
  9–11 
  Hobgoblin Slave Gangs 
  Two gangs [16 HD]
   
  12 
  Orc Slave Gangs 
  Two gangs [16 HD]
   
  13–17 
  Goblin Slave Clans 
  Three clans [48 HD]
   
  18–19 
  Hobgoblin Slave Clans 
  Two clans [32 HD]
   
  20 
  Orkin Slave Clans 
  Two clans [32 HD]
  Prisoners of War in Non-Slaver Tribes
  Other Hearth Orc, Ogre Lasher, Troll Driver, and Free Hob tribes 
  may keep a small number of temporary war prisoners at times, which 
  does not affect the size of their territory. Depending on the risk of escape, 
  prisoners may be put to hard labor or kept tied up. Usually the captors are 
  open to offers of ransom from the home tribe (p8).
  Should it become relevant during play, the number of prisoners at a 
  tribe’s home base can be rolled below.
   
  d12 
  Current prisoners
   
  1–5 
  None
   
  6–9 
  1d8 goblin laborers
   
  10–11 
  1d6 hobgoblin laborers
   
  12 
  1d6 orc laborers
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  33
  Slave Markets
  A steady market for slaves exists at Rotmoot, and to a lesser extent at 
  Selkirk; see p72 for details. Out in the Rotlands, a slave might be traded 
  for livestock or goods equal to the values on p72 modifed by a Barter Roll. 
  Player characters may find themselves on the block due to failed ransom 
  attempts.
  Escaping Slavery
  In the Rotlands, possession is ten tenths of the law, and that includes 
  ownership of personal freedom. No general military or law enforcement 
  exists to drag escaped slaves back to their former owners. A former slave 
  is just as free as anyone else.
  S c r a p p e r  D o g s
  Every Foot Goblin or Hearth Orc tribe supports a pack of these half-
  wild canines, who feed on garbage and don’t count as Hit Dice supported 
  by the tribe. Trained from feral dog stock, these helpmeets are not as burly 
  as Southron war dogs, but fight viciously for those who feed them. AC: 
  7, 1+1 HD, move 50', bite 1d4, Morale 9. The referee can assume as many 
  adult dogs under tribal control as 10% of the tribe’s size in HD, including 
  herd animals. Other run wild nearby, and PCs might wish to capture and 
  train them.
  Any member of a dog’s home tribe knows how to give it very basic 
  commands: “Stay,” “Come,” “Shut up,” and “Get ’em!,” an attack command 
  that does not work on members of the tribe. In herder tribes, the dogs 
  also learn “Stop ’em!,” which means getting in front of a larger animal 
  and barking and nipping without doing actual damage. Dogs from other 
  communities know different command tones and don’t comply, instead 
  putting up an insane barking when they meet someone who doesn’t smell 
  like home.
  Hobgoblins, Monster Orcs, and Warg Rider goblins do not keep 
  dogs. On taking over a Foot Goblin lair, Goblin Eater hobs roast and eat 
  the scrapper dogs, raising a mighty stink of singed dog hair.
  S E T T L E M E N T S
  F o o t  G o b l i n  S e t t l e m e n t
  A Foot Goblin tribe lays claim to a defensible hill and the valleys 
  visible from its summit. They undermine and collapse the backs of other 
  hills nearby, to make it hard for enemies to climb up and overlook the 
  goblin turf. The gobbos find the easiest approach through the valleys and 
  set multiple rock-falls and pit traps along the way, while they come and go 
  on less obvious paths.
  The valleys nurture stony fields of gourds, cabbage, and root 
  vegetables. A tribe in a grassy area usually runs a herd of milk-goats on the 
  hillsides. Close to the home hill, a welter of stake fences forms pens for pigs 
  and chickens, also serving to impede movement of any large forces on foot.
  Patrol units circle the area at all times, checking on field workers by 
  night, protecting herders by day, and watching for enemies. Their strategy 
  is to alert the settlement of any intruders first, and engage only to distract 
  and harass. Each patrol has at least one scrapper dog that can put up a 
  mighty howl of alarm.
  On the lower slopes of the main hill, hide tents and shallow diggings 
  house much of the populace. Sometimes the tribe excavates a false cave-
  entrance, leading to a deadly cul-de-sac of murder-holes and collapsing 
  ceiling stones. They also like to construct wide, convenient staircases up 
  the hill, which crash down as landslides of rubble when the gobbos knock 
  out key underground supports.
  The higher hillside is made steep and kept uncluttered. On the 
  very top, a fence of stones and stakes encircles the central encampment, 
  including the tents and tunnels occupied by the Chieftain, the Shamans, 
  and the young.
  Goblins access important areas through the typical goblin-sized 
  tunnels called “wormholes.” These diggings run 12" to 18" in diameter and 
  go through sharp turns; no human-shaped figure taller than four feet can 
  pass, nor those with rigid armor or heavy gear. These adits lead to ambush 
  points, hidey-holes for the young, escape routes, treasuries, and armories. 
  Sometimes, a tunnel starts out wider, then narrows to a wormhole in a 
  spot where goblins can stab javelins through murder-holes at large foes 
  who get stuck.
  A tribe lucky enough to have a real cave makes an entrance to it from 
  within the central zone, digging as deeply as necessary and broadly enough 
  to accommodate groups on the run. The cave’s most obvious entrance, and 
  many other areas within, receive even more trap-making attention than 
  the outdoors. See sample cave on p45.
  Goblin patrols or travelers far from home take care to return via an 
  indirect route. After an encounter with strangers, they never depart in 
  the direction of home. When possible, they lay a trail toward a distinctive 
  or salient local feature, to draw the eye of any trackers. They watch for 
  streams, rocky ground, or other areas to pass through without leaving 
  tracks, or travel in loops for a while. The goblins use the old term tcho-para 
  for such misdirection, meaning “hook-walking.”
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  34
  M o n s t e r  O r c  C a m p
  The illustration shows a typical settlement style used by Ogre Lasher 
  and Troll Driver orcs. A great berm of packed earth, thirty feet thick, rises 
  behind a ditch that bristles with sharp stakes. A crude palisade fence runs 
  along the berm’s flattened top, where orcs patrol day and night. The berm 
  throws out an arm to enclose the broad entrance road, giving this style the 
  name “spiral orc camp.” To access the camp, folk must cross a plank bridge 
  across a deep pit filled with filth and sharpened stakes, walk between 
  the two raised and guarded berms, and request entry through the huge, 
  unwieldy main gate.
  Inside, the tribe dwells on a packed earth floor about 170' in diameter. 
  The surface is crowned—higher toward the middle—so that rain and slops 
  drain to the edges, where they form a kind of moat: a ring ditch full of 
  foul-smelling mud. Inside the gate, another plank bridge reaches across 
  the moat to a cleared entry space, where specialist wrangler orcs keep the 
  tribe’s totem monsters: a troll or a pair of ogres.
  Adult male orcs live in the half of camp closest to the gate. A clear 
  gap across the middle serves as a common area for cooking and gathering, 
  with the Chieftain’s tent in the center. Females and children live in the 
  “back half,” along with food storage and the camp’s well. In three spots 
  away from the main gate, ladder-stairs reach up to the top of the berm.
  “ S P I R A L  C A M P ”  T Y P I C A L  O F  M O N S T E R  O R C S 
  ( O G R E  L A S H E R S  + 
  T R O L L  D R I V E R S )
  Partial cutaway view showing ditch, berm, palisade, moat, and ladder
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  35
  In an attack, the orcs pull back or destroy the plank bridges, swarm 
  onto the berm top, and rain javelins and stones down on their besiegers. 
  The many stakes point outward, making the berm difficult to climb but 
  allowing a sally to charge downhill if needed. The pet monsters go to the 
  worst of the fighting. Should intruders force the main gate, non-combatants 
  can evacuate over the berm, pulling the ladder-stairs up behind them.
  H e a r t h  O r c  T o w n
  No tribe can call themselves Hearth Orcs until they live behind a wall. 
  The typical arrangement is a simple rectangular enclosure, perhaps 200' on 
  a side, of stone rubble built up above head height. On top, the orcs arrange 
  a kind of fence made from a huge number of spears, as many as they can 
  construct. A staked-up web of thongs and grass ropes serves to keep the 
  spears leaning outward, their butts set in the rubble wall-top. Defenders can 
  grab spears from the fence at will to throw or fend off foes. Stone wall and 
  spear-fence together reach 10' high, and a surrounding ditch increases the 
  distance from the ground by another few feet.
  At the corners of the wall, ten-foot towers topped with more spears 
  stand guard. Each has an interior space with eyelets looking back along the 
  walls and out at the terrain. One tower contains the town’s main gate, a 
  cramped stone tunnel pierced with murder-holes. Heavy gates block both 
  ends, so heavy that they stand open most of the time. A secondary gate 
  exits through the tower in the opposite corner. The guards  keep its smaller 
  portals closed. 
  The life of the tribe spills out beyond the walls, in a sprawl of pig pens, 
  hen coops, vegetable patches, thornbush hedges, stacks of lumber, cisterns 
  and cesspools, work areas and threshing yards, homeless males sleeping 
  under tarps all day, and a well-used campsite for caravans. Scrapper dogs 
  run everywhere.
  Inside the walls, dirt lanes run between haphazard structures of rubble, 
  wood, hides, and thatched brush. Each house is the domain of a mother, 
  often with younger females under her rule. The group raises children, stores 
  and prepares food, and maintains the social fabric of the tribe. Adult males 
  visit the household as paramours, sometimes briefly, sometimes dwelling 
  there for years. Sons and brothers return to help their mother and sisters 
  with manual labor around the house but never to stay. Once a male child 
  reaches adulthood, he cannot stay with his mother without serious damage 
  to his Reputation. He camps out, finds a mate to stay with, or spends time 
  in the Warrior’s Hall. Female children can live under the senior mother 
  indefinitely, even after taking mates, or may strike out to form their own 
  households.
  Against the stone walls stand the workshops: smithies for iron and 
  bronze, armories, woodshops, and stoneworkers. Young males come to the 
  walls, hang around the workplaces, and gradually learn crucial craft skills. 
  The town consumes much wood and coal, generally acquired through trade 
  with Mooter caravans (p74).
  Two large buildings dominate the center of town: the long, peak-
  roofed Warrior’s Hall and the clay-domed Mother’s Hall. Between the two, 
  a clearing with a large central fire pit serves for major tribal rituals.
  Only males who have come of age may enter the Warrior’s Hall: no 
  females or children. The Chieftain resides there full-time. Whenever 
  resources permit, the tribe’s adult males feast and drink in the hall, roasting 
  carcasses in the great stone fireplaces and swilling until the brew is gone. 
  They bring in their favorite scrapper dogs and make them fight over 
  bones, or feed them tidbits and brew with blubbering affection. Fisticuffs 
  are expected; stabbing is frowned upon. In principle only the Chieftain 
  can sleep in the hall, but numerous young Warriors with no household to 
  return to regularly pass out on the floor in the semi-fresh straw. When the 
  number of occupants gets excessive, the Chieftain may drive them out, or 
  simply spend more time than usual at the household of his current consort 
  during the somnolent daylight hours.
  The Mother’s Hall also serves as malt-house. A low fire of dung always 
  burns in a great central clay oven, and shallow trays of threshed grass-seeds 
  cover the floor, germinating into the sprouted grain needed to make brew 
  and panbread. The females do all the brewing and maintain the best yeast 
  strains for generations, by stirring every batch with their same “lucky” 
  unwashed wooden spoons. The Mother’s Hall is warm year-round, and 
  females move in when close to giving birth. New mothers and infants reside 
  in the Mother’s Hall until the child is considered hardy enough to venture 
  outdoors, perhaps 20 days after birth. The rare orc who lives to be a crone 
  will be made comfortable in the malt house for her last days. The town’s 
  other females take turns visiting the hall to tend the pregnant and aged 
  ones, rake the grains over, make brew and bread, weave rope and baskets, 
  and conduct an ongoing web of gossip. No adult male may set foot in the 
  Mother’s Hall, but the women sometimes allow children to come and go on 
  errands. Each sex considers the other’s Hall a den of sloth and luxury.
  Selkirk, a unique Hearth Orc town, is detailed on p40.
  W a r g  R i d e r  C a m p
  The wolf-keeping goblins spare little time for home-making. In the 
  warm seasons, they wander for moons at a time, searching for food. Each 
  tribe knows its territory and the time to arrive in each part to find the best 
  game and forage. When the eye-stabber sun begins to appear, the whole 
  tribe crawls in among rocks, bushes, or other cover, scraping out sleep-
  holes as needed and throwing animal skins and blankets over their heads 
  to sleep away the brightest hours. Individuals of status have hide tents, 
  with lackeys to set them up and festoon them with camouflaging branches 
  or grass.
  Eight Chumps and two mounted Meat Shields are designated to 
  protect the sleeping camp. At any given time during daylight, four Chumps 
  patrol the nearby hilltops or prairie, while four more and the officers doze 
  with weapons at hand. When the light fades at evening, everyone rouses, 
  and the able-bodied once again start to roam: the Warriors hunting with 
  the wolves, the Tribemembers pursuing vegetation and small game in 
  another direction. Only very young infants and a few caretakers remain 
  behind, waiting for the hunters and gatherers to return near dawn.
  A good campsite gets used again and again, even if only once a year. 
  The tribe may stay in place for ten or twenty days, hunting and foraging. 
  Any nearby Foot Goblin tribes susceptible to extortion also receive a visit. 
  When local resources start to run thin, the Warg Riders move on. 
  The tribe also maintains a winter camp. In this spot, chosen for access 
  to water and shelter from the winds, they maintain barricades of stones 
  and wood. As nights turn cold, the goblins return to the place they have 
  probably not seen since spring. They repair the walls and clear brush. 
  Dried meat and other food gets piled into stone-lined storage pits, and 
  the wanderers return to familiar shallow tunnels, killing and eating any 
  vermin who have moved in over the warm days. Tents are erected more 
  permanently over earthen dugouts, with wooden frames propping up the 
  hide walls. When weather permits, most of the tribe goes out to forage 
  just as with any campsite. In storms and extreme cold, the populace stays 
  indoors, living on dry rations and snowmelt. The raiders patrol alertly, eight 
  at a time, and take turns hunting by night with their ferocious mounts.
  In Harsh terrain, a Warg Rider tribe might have two winter camps far 
  apart, retreating to the nearest in case of a sudden onset of cold weather. 
  See the territory of the Fangs of Destiny tribe, Around Goblin Knob, p41.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  36
  36
  T H E  R O T L A N D S
  R e g i o n s
  As indicated on the map, the Rotlands is divided by rough borders 
  into eight regions, each with its own characteristics. The rough population 
  estimates are based on the Locals chart.
  The Borderlands
  Where the Rotlands proper fade into the fertile lands of the Southron 
  folk, the border is vague and porous, ensuring frequent conflict and a 
  reluctance on the tribes’ part to settle. The first human villages mark 
  definite Southron turf, but north of that, pesky humans roam in search of 
  game, food, lumber, and sometimes battle. The Free Baronies of humans 
  lie a few days’ travel south.
  Size: 106 hexes, mostly Prime (green plains)
  Rough population: 15 Foot Goblin tribes, 3 Free Hob 
  bands, 6 Goblin Eater tribes, 18 Hearth Orc towns, 6 
  Monster Orc camps, 3 Warg Rider tribes, 6 Ogre Clans.
  Riverwood
  Among the kindest terrain of the Rotlands, the green hills and mixed 
  forest around the Kasteel River collect all the rain that snubs the Sweet 
  Plains or comes from the south. The Forest Goblins and other Rotlanders 
  who dwell in the Riverwood must share the area with mysterious 
  influences: paths that change or vanish overnight, lights and shapes always 
  fleeing, invisible spirits of mischief, and tales of walking trees with cruel 
  appetites. Stories of armored leprechaun cavalry on trained emu mounts 
  are almost certainly false. Beyond the river, stretching to the ocean coast, 
  lie the Kastellic Kingdoms of humans.
  Size: 108 hexes, almost entirely Prime green forest
  Rough population: 23 Forest Goblin tribes, 3 Free 
  Hob bands, 6 Goblin Eater tribes, 6 Hearth Orc 
  towns, 13 Monster Orc camps, 10 Ogre Clans.
  Gob Stretch
  Goblins occupy most of this northwestern area, although other 
  races can be found. Some tribes use the very edges of the Ice Pines Forest, 
  not daring to go too far lest they meet giants. Near the great holy site of 
  Goblin Knob, only goblin tribes dwell. See Around Goblin Knob, p41.
  Size: 258+ hexes, mostly Sparse (cold plains)
  Rough population: 32 Foot Goblin tribes, 4 Free Hob bands,  
  8 Goblin Eater tribes, 8 Hearth Orc towns, 8 Monster Orc 
  camps (with goblin slaves), 8 Warg Rider tribes, 8 Ogre Clans.
  The Rushing River Valley
  The cold, rapid torrent of the Rushing River flows from mountain 
  snows in the Cloudbother range, jetting down a narrow channel among 
  stony peaks, through Trouble Pass into human lands, to join the Ironflood. 
  The Pass is a traditional site for battles between humans and goblinoids. 
  Currently, humans watch the Pass from below. Their old stronghold, 
  Fort Norbert, stands at the confluence, with cavalry and infantry ready 
  to respond to any incursion from the north. Above the Pass, caves pock 
  the steep mountainsides, some leading to abandoned mines and derelict 
  dwarf halls. Rotlander tribes treasure the underground dwelling space, 
  but must control large hunting grounds and river access to survive. Ogres 
  and trolls roam the peaks, preying on mountain goats and incautious 
  tribesfolk.
  Size: 50 hexes of Sparse terrain (green mountains)
  Rough population: 6 Foot Goblin tribes, 2 Goblin 
  Eater tribes, 2 Hearth Orc towns, 4 Monster Orc 
  camps, 2 Warg Rider tribes, 2 Ogre Clans.
  Sweet Plains
  Earning their name only in comparison to other Rotlands zones, 
  these plains support herders and agriculture. Orcs predominate, especially 
  near Mount Rotten. See In the Mountain’s Shadow, p40.
  Size: 308 hexes, mostly Sparse (dry plains)
  Rough population: 21 Foot Goblin tribes, 5 Free 
  Hob bands, 5 Goblin Eater tribes, 42 Hearth Orc 
  towns, 21 Monster Orc camps, 5 Ogre Clans.
  Drastic Steppe
  Just as dry as the nearby Dogheads, but warmer with lower elevation, 
  the Drastic Steppe is home to various Rotlander tribes, including many 
  nomadic Free Hobs.
  Size: 154+ hexes, mostly Harsh (cold, dry plains)
  Rough population: 2 Foot Goblin tribes, 6 Free Hob 
  bands, 2 Goblin Eater tribes, 3 Hearth Orc towns, 4 
  Monster Orc camps, 1 Warg Rider tribe, 2 Ogre Clans.
  The Greyrakes Range
  In the mountainous middle of the Rotlands, rain never falls often 
  enough, but pines, goats, and tribes scratch up sustenance from the slopes 
  and valleys. The Greyrake Mountains claw at every stray cloud, shredding 
  it for its meager load of moisture.
  Size: 139 hexes, mostly Harsh (dry mountains)
  Rough population:  5 Foot Goblin tribes, 1 Free Hob 
  band, 4 Goblin Eater tribes, 3 Hearth Orc towns, 5 
  Monster Orc camps, 2 Warg Rider tribes, 1 Ogre Clan.
  The Doghead Peaks
  Least hospitable of all Rotlands terrain, the Doghead Peaks lack 
  plentiful water, warm air, or fertile soil. Packs of the mastiff-headed 
  Rotlander gnolls rove wildly, hunting anything that moves. Driven by 
  hunger, they raid into the rest of the Rotlands.
  Size: 187 hexes, mostly Desolate (cold, dry mountains)
  Rough population: 1 Free Hob band, 1 Ogre 
  Clan, 4 Gnoll Packs, 1 gnoll bachelor pack.
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  37
  P o i n t s  o f  I n t e r e s t
  Goblin Knob
  Goblinoids believe that their races entered the world from the 
  huge cave entrance in this miles-long, lumpy rise of land (see Myth & 
  History, p5.) Goblins and hobgoblins hold Goblin Knob sacred, especially 
  its fathomless tunnel Dristyakul, the “Way into Darkness,” which other 
  races name Hellmouth. Within, crypts of great goblinoid leaders line the 
  tunnel farther into the earth than any now living dare to go, lest ancient 
  spirits consume their souls. Shamans find that the veil between worlds 
  stretches very thin indeed at Goblin Knob; at times, visions, ghosts, and 
  even creatures may slip through the fabric. No Rotlander tribes live on the 
  Knob itself, but many make pilgrimages, and some who dwell nearby set 
  up to charge tolls from those who wish to pass. Close to Dristyakul, only 
  goblin settlements exist. See Around Goblin Knob, p41.
  Orcs are less reverent toward the Knob. They disdain goblins as 
  superstitious, impractical, and worst of all weak. Still, orc tribes would 
  take any human invasion of Goblin Knob as a personal affront to be 
  answered in blood.
  Mount Rotten
  The center of the Rotlands, in the minds of the tribes more than 
  geographically, Mount Rotten juts above the other mountains like a 
  blood-filmed fang. Its conical shape rises more than a mile from base to 
  peak, dry slopes laced with scree upon scree of reddish dust and stone, 
  the peak cased in snow. Mount Rotten gives its name to the Rotlands; the 
  original term meant “red,” not decaying, but Rotlanders and Southrons 
  alike embrace the latter implication.
  The mountain lies solidly in orc territory; see In the Mountain’s 
  Shadow, p40. Other creatures dwell in secret in the many caves, tunnels, 
  and steep shafts that pierce Mount Rotten through and through. For 
  centuries before written human history, the mountain was mined for salt 
  and iron by beings unknown. Today, orc crossbreeds work the old seams, 
  and the distinctive reddish crystals of Mount Rotten salt serve as the 
  Rotland’s closest approach to a universal medium of exchange. Without 
  seawater to evaporate, all Rotlanders rely on mined salt to preserve food 
  for the long, nasty winter, and the complex substance provides many 
  nutrients otherwise lacking in their monotonous diets. A block of salt 
  might be traded for a five-pound sack of flour; half a pound, for a coat or 
  a copper knife; a pound, for two nights’ rations. See Money, p63.
  The orcish crossbreeds called orkin work the salt mines in the 
  family groups known as Saltjack Clans (p27). The miners have to seek 
  new diggings periodically, often conflicting with rival mining clans, and 
  sometimes disturbing dangerous creatures who dwell in the mountain.
  G O B  S T R E T C H
  G R E Y R A K E S
  B O R D E R L A N D S
  R I V E R W O O D
  RUSHING R. VALLEY
  D O G H E A D 
  P E A K S
  D R A S T I C 
  S T E P P E
  S W E E T 
  P L A I N S
  M t . 
  R o t t e n
  Ta r n  o f 
  D e a t h
  Rotmoot
  Selkirk
  Mor
  G o b l i n 
  K n o b
  One hex = 10 miles
  R E G I O N S 
  O F  T H E 
  R O T L A N D S
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  38
  Selkirk: The fortified Hearth Orc town Selkirk nestles close to the 
  northwest base of the mountain, at its most accessible face. The town 
  thrives as a depot and clearinghouse for salt and iron, providing supplies 
  to the Saltjack clans upslope. Mooter caravans come from Rotmoot to sell 
  goods for the freshly-mined rock salt, but Southron caravans do not dare 
  so far north. Details of Selkirk appear on p40.
  The  Tarn of Death
  Rotlanders regard this huge lake, source of the Kasteel River, with 
  superstitious dread. As to why, the innumerable stories contradict and 
  change. The true nature of the place is left entirely to the individual referee 
  to define for his own campaign. The list below can generate rumors (1d12) 
  or provide inspiration for the truth, as desired.
  1 
  Geothermally-warmed waters host a swarm of black dragons.
  2 
  “Tarn of Death” is the misremembered name of a place once sacred 
  to the nature goddess Dayath.
  3 
  This artificial lake was dammed by dwarfs to flood their own city, 
  killing the orcish conquerors and making a watery tomb. Treasure 
  and angry ghosts may still lie below.
  4 
  Small whirlpools come and go; they seem to hunt down boats and 
  aquatic creatures.
  5 
  The bottomless lake is a gateway to sunless rivers in underground 
  realms.
  6 
  Golden fish draw foolhardy fishers. If released, a fish can grant a 
  wish, but if the fisher’s intent is corrupt, the wish always turns sour.
  7 
  The strange-tasting water bears a curse. Any who drink it must 
  have it every day or die.
  8 
  Poison seeps from the lake, killing ordinary life and nurturing the 
  unnatural all around.
  9 
  Strong essences in the water cause a drinker to have violent spasms; 
  if he lives, he may recall a vision, or he may become sensitive to 
  spirits, slowly fading into their world over time.
  10 
  Sudden fogs enclose the area; those caught within find themselves 
  on a lake or shore in another world.
  11 
  The waters come from the tears of one million ghosts, renewed 
  every night. The weeping spirits always seek to recruit new souls 
  to their number; one day their tears will overflow the mountains 
  themselves.
  12 
  Bubbles of slime rise from the bottom and form into trolls, which 
  go out to terrify the world.
  R o t m o o t
  From an old term meaning “Red Meeting Place,” Rotmoot is more 
  commonly just called “the Moot.” This odd community occupies a cultural 
  cusp between Rotlander barbarity and civilized trade. Built in a zone of 
  ridges, hills, and solid rock, the Moot is the Rotland’s closest thing to a 
  city: a rambling collection of shacks, tents of all sizes, low walls of rubble, 
  and garish pavilions.
  The permanent occupants are known as the Mooters, a population of 
  mixed race. Comprised originally of outcast and dispossessed Rotlanders 
  and some orkin from the ruins of Mor, this unlikely group discovered it 
  had two invaluable assets: They were equally despised by all other groups, 
  and they had a tenuous connection with traders in the Southron lands. 
  With the help of a few great Shaman leaders, the group established their 
  infertile turf as a neutral ground, a place where any tribes could meet in 
  peace. Over decades, the Moot became established in Rotlander culture, 
  and the Mooters became a prosperous mongrel tribe of their own.
  The Moot swells in size during the annual Harvest Revel, a cross-
  tribe celebration when debts come due, feuds end in Shaman-led peace 
  agreements, and a great many young Rotlanders find mates from other 
  tribes. Mongers have their own calendar using the Revel as year’s end; 
  much of the bulk business at Moot relies on loans of goods which must 
  be repaid by Revel.
  Southron humans know of the Moot as “Goblin Market,” and tell 
  tales of fantastic treasures to be found there amid fantastic dangers. Few 
  dare to visit. Instead, a complicated chain connects the general Southlands 
  to Lesserton, to orkins in Mor, thence north to Rotmoot. A human who 
  makes the round trip garners much admiration from his fellows. See 
  Human Caravans, p77.
  The Mooters
  This untraditional tribe contains members of every Rotlander race. 
  Many travel with caravans all summer and only return to Rotmoot when 
  the weather turns foul. Others run businesses at Moot, dealing in bulk 
  with other Mooters or in small sales to visiting tribespeople. The Mooters 
  honor only ability and fair dealing, without reference to race or gender, 
  at least in theory. In practice, males have a slight edge among Mongers, 
  a strong majority as Warriors, and only minor representation among 
  Shamans. Hobgoblins don’t rise high as Mongers but predominate the 
  Warrior class, while goblins seldom become Warriors. See The Mooter 
  Tribe and Race & Gender of Mooters, p28.
  Many Mooters spend the warm months circling the Rotlands in 
  the caravans, gathering wealth and spreading the sneaky philosophy of 
  negotiation over bloodshed. When the weather starts to threaten, all the 
  rovers return who can. Typically one or two of the 16 wagons fail to return 
  each year, odds that young, ambitious Mooters are happy to take.
  Harvest Revel
  For a period of ten days or so in late fall, hundreds of Rotlanders 
  stream into town, surrounding it with camps and impromptu shelter, for 
  the end of year Harvest Revel. All the caravans return, laden with cash and 
  food. The visitors bring a bounty of grain, vegetables, and meat animals 
  to trade for their accommodation and entertainment, and the Mooters 
  assiduously pile up supplies for the winter. Deals and ripoffs, new loves 
  and flaring rivalries, peace treaties and sudden brawls, and a constant 
  flow of alcoholic brew and overpriced meals flood the town. Crowds and 
  mayhem build to a night when no one sleeps and the full moon gazes 
  down in fascinated horror at the unbridled celebration: a free mingling 
  of tribes and races in the singular, liminal moment when there is no war.
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  39
  Revel is also the crucial time when all debts for the year must be 
  settled. While Tribemembers find new mates and settle old scores, every 
  Monger claims his Reputation for the past year’s dealings and prepares his 
  plans for the year to come.
  Wintering Over
  After Revel, tribal trade groups cease to appear, and the Mooters 
  burrow in for three moons of icy winds and long nights. No gentle snows 
  make it past the mountains to the west, but high black clouds often spit 
  down violent hailstorms. The overwinter population of Rotmoot exceeds 
  800 people. Despite a year’s planning, firewood, coal, and food often run 
  short by winter’s end, and the younger Mooters yearn to be away on the 
  wagons once more.
  The most senior Mongers of the tribe possess too much prestige, and 
  too many years, to be expected to travel. These revered individuals own 
  the businesses that others run and dwell in coarse luxury at Rotmoot the 
  year ’round.
  Mootpeace
  Even the most bitter enemies know not to fight at Moot. Shamans 
  instruct the Warriors that violating the Mootpeace could lead directly to 
  never trading again, and thus not having new iron spear-points, kegs of 
  brew, or salt pork to eat. Usually they remember, and treat a visit to Moot 
  as a holiday. Punches fly at times, and drunken males wrestle and curse, 
  but it takes great provocation to cause anyone to draw a blade. Fear of 
  exclusion from all trade motivates the other Tribemembers to restrain 
  their fighters, often by parking them in a place like the Drownèd Elf, where 
  they can drink and yell and no one cares. See Honor in the Rotlands, p10.
  Sample Locations at Rotmoot
  Markets
  The town offers a dozen shopping zones, including the large Goblin 
  General Store, clusters of stalls, roving carts, and certain streets lined 
  with goods spread on blankets. Shoppers can try to find anything on 
  the General Goods chart on pp67–68, checking Availability once a day. 
  Optionally, everything on the Common Goods chart (p65) is always 
  available, but at a price determined by a Barter Roll (p63) at a +1 penalty.
  Coineries
  Three of the best-constructed buildings in Rotmoot are the stone 
  houses of the money-changers. Each buys any Southron coinage that 
  turns up, ships it south via caravan, and hopes to profit by selling it to 
  orkin in Lesserton and Mor. The three coineries give much the same rates, 
  as detailed on p64; their current proprietors are Distracters (M3): two 
  goblins named Kambio and Wexel and the orkin known as Alter Boy.
  The Drownèd Elf
  Perhaps the most popular brew-hole in the Moot, this large, open-
  sided tent always has a hot dung fire going under the central smoke flap. 
  Crude tables and benches accommodate up to 100 guests, some under the 
  tent, some out in the open. Servers fill mugs by dipping them into barrels 
  of brew by the fire. Chief barkeep is a massive red-haired orkin named 
  Ffej. He becomes irked when new patrons mispronounce his name.
  The pride of the Elf is its sign: an inverted skeleton hanging with its 
  skull in a bucket. Bits of tattered cloth and skin still cling here and there to 
  the bones. The story is that the Mooters caught an elf and hung him by his 
  ankles with his head in a bucket of urine until he drowned. After the body 
  fell apart, the Mooters wired the bones together and hung it in front of the 
  drinking tent as a draw for customers. The bucket always brims over, as 
  patrons delight in refilling it on their way out.
  Junko’s
  There’s no one named Junko, but for those who speak Man, the name 
  fits. This open-air market, watched by 1d6 Chumps and a Scrounger or 
  two, sells overage from larger trades at discounted prices. On any given 
  night, the long tables might hold piles of rusted scrap iron, fungus-laden 
  firewood, moth-eaten wool caps, chewed thongs, cracked stone knives, 
  and hidden quest items. Junko’s also offers 1d4 lots of goods from the 
  Bulk Caravan Goods chart on pp75–76, for sale individually at wholesale 
  prices, modified by Barter Rolls. Patient shoppers may eventually find 
  what they seek here.
  Psmytheries
  Half a dozen stone sheds with furnaces offer to smelt ore into metal, 
  or forge metal into tools and arms. Securing either service requires a 
  reaction roll of 7 or better, with a delay in days equal to the final reaction 
  roll minus 2. They will not deal with quantities under 100 lbs of ore or 10 
  lbs of metal.
  •	
  Smelting ore into talents: Each psymthery can smelt 100 lbs 
  of ore in a day, at a cost equal to the ore’s raw trade value (p43).
  •	
  Forging tools or weapons: Forging takes one day per 10 lbs of 
  metal, at a cost equal to the metal’s trade value (p69).
  •	
  Arms: Psmytheries also sell Rotlander weapons at the 
  Availability and prices on p70.
  Tanneries
  In addition to leather goods and furs, the two malodorous tannery 
  yards sell armor at the Availability and prices on p70.
  V i s i t o r s  a t  M o o t
  When PCs wander Rotmoot, the referee can assume whatever cast 
  of non-Mooters seems interesting. For random results, 1d6 tribal groups 
  from the Visitors chart are present at any point during the summer 
  trading season. At least 30 such groups show up at Revel.
   
  d20 
  Visitors
   
   1–4 
  Foot Goblins, 15 (5 W1, 1 W2, 1 S1, 2 M1, 6 T1)
   
   5–7 
  Monster Orcs, 14 (6 W1, 1 W2, 1 S1, 6 T1)
    8–14  Hearth Orcs, 16 (5 W1, 1 W2, 1 M1, 1 M2, 2 S1, 6 T1)
   
    15 
  Free Hobs, 8 (6 W1, 1 W4, 1 M1)
   16–19 Goblin Eater Hobs, 16 (3 W1, 1 W4, 2 M1; 10 goblin slaves)
    
   20 
  Warg Rider Goblins, 13 (4 W1, 1 W2, 1 W3, 1 S2, 1 M1, + 1 W2, 
  4 W1 guard camp w/ 3 wargs)
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  40
  Sprouting Claw Orcs
  (Troll Drivers)
  Skinlasher Orcs
  (Ogre Lasher Slavers)
  Coarsehide Orcs
  (Ogre Lashers)
  Pinions
  (Hearth Orc 
  Emu Herders)
  Gatesmiths 
  (Hearth Orc 
  Herder/Slavers)
  Sharphoofs 
  (Hearth Orc 
  Bison Herders)
  Dungkickers 
  (Hearth Orc 
  Bison Herders)
  Robe Folk 
  (Hearth Orc 
  Bison Herders)
  Jerky
  Eaters
  (Hearth Orc 
  Bison Herders)
  Selkirk fields
  SELKIRK
  MOUNT 
  ROTTEN
  Tower Raisers 
  (Hearth Orc 
  Herder/Slavers)
  Default scale: 
  One small hex = 2 miles 
  One large hex = 10 miles 
  Map features not to scale.
  Only orcs dwell in the immediate 
  vicinity of Mount Rotten, depicted on the map as the 30 hexes surrounding 
  the mountain. Eleven orc tribes make their homes in this area. The herder 
  and agricultural Hearth Orc tribes help supply Selkirk town and the 
  Saltjacks of the mountainsides. The Sprouting Claw Troll Drivers and the 
  Ogre Lasher tribes hunt their own territories, and happily attack anyone 
  who wanders into those lands, but direct their organized raiding outside 
  the mountain’s shadow area, for they too hold Mount Rotten in sacred 
  awe.
  The Sprouting Claws, Skinlashers, and Coarsehides raid west into 
  the Sweet Plains and north into the Greyrakes for slaves, trading excess 
  captives in Selkirk for ransom and supplies. The Skinlasher Orcs keep two 
  orc slave gangs. The Gatesmith and Tower Raiser tribes each keep two 
  complete orc slave clans. See more about slaves on p32.
  Selkirk 
  Town size: 241 HD 
  (316 orcs and orkin)
   Often literally in Mount 
  Rotten’s 
  shadow, 
  the 
  walled town of Selkirk serves 
  as consolidator and distributor 
  of the salt wealth mined from the 
  ancient seams. See p35 for details 
  of Hearth Orc town construction. 
  Three Monger Houses compete, with 
  much collusion, to trade necessities to the 
  Saltjack Clans at ruinous exchange. The head of each House (M3) 
  is known as the Factor, and the Mayor of Selkirk (M4) is always 
  a former Factor. When the Houses lose confidence in the current 
  office holder, perhaps because his decisions favor his old house to 
  unfair excess, they hold a vote. If all three Factors agree on a new 
  candidate from among themselves, that person rises to become Mayor 
  and is replaced in his House, either by promotion from within or by the 
  former Mayor, if it is his house, who retains his higher level and 80+ Rep 
  and might well hold office again.
  The Mayor works closely with the Commander of the Watch; one 
  qualification for the latter job is a sense of balancing an orc Warrior’s 
  pride with the fact that Mongers make this town live. Unlike other orcs, 
  even other Hearth Orcs, the Selkirkers emphasize trade over war, almost 
  like Mooters. The Warriors are organized into a Watch that protects 
  the town and the field workers instead of pursuing prey and enemies. 
  Mongers in Selkirk dye the skin around their mouths red, a symbolic 
  form of the disfigurement required among more ordinary orc tribes. The 
  Senior Shaman, currently an elderly female, plays peacemaker between 
  the Factors and the Watch when necessary.
  I n  t h e  M o u n t a i n ’ s  S h a d o w
  Settlement
  Walled town
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  41
  Settlement
  Campsite
  Cave
  FANGS OF DESTINY 
  (Warg Riders)
  GOBLIN 
  KNOB
  Tineheads 
  (Reindeer Herders 
  with Cave)
  Moss-munchers 
  (Reindeer 
  Herders 
  with Cave)
  Antler Polishers 
  (Reindeer Herders)
  Snowdrinkers 
  (Reindeer 
  Herders)
  Sunburn Tribe 
  (Cave dwellers)
  Snowbathers 
  (Cave dwellers)
  Close Shavers
  Mole Chasers
  Wind Thieves
  Starshooters 
  (Cave dwellers)
  GHOST 
  HILLS
  A r o u n d  G o b l i n  K n o b
  Only goblins live close to Goblin Knob. Those on the mossy outskirts 
  of the Ice Pines raise reindeer for milk, meat, and hides. Others keep 
  long-haired pigs and scrabble up hardy crops from the cold soil. 
  All surround their homes with traps, false trails, and alarms. In the 
  particularly rainless stretches south of the Knob, an ancient Warg 
  Rider tribe roams, calling themselves the Fangs of Destiny. These 
  hunters claim to be divinely appointed 
  defenders of Goblin Knob from 
  attack by any other races. In this 
  role they also feel free to demand 
  any amount of tribute from other 
  goblins, whenever the need or 
  opportunity should occur.
  No tribe claims 
  the Ghost Hills, where 
  every chill mist seems to 
  form a wailing face and 
  the living wade through 
  waves of sourceless fear. 
  This haunted hex is a 
  Ghostland (p47).
  Hellmouth 
  (Dristyakul)
  The huge cave opening in 
  Goblin Knob dates back beyond 
  history as a focus of reverence 
  and dread. At the base of the hill, with 
  the yawning black hole looming over everything like the socket 
  of an all-seeing eye, a cluster of tents and shacks houses a rotating 
  population of goblin pilgrims. Nightly rituals venerate the great cave 
  from which, legend states, all goblinkind issued into this world of 
  trials. A handful of goblin Shaman priests guide the faithful and 
  dwell here year-round, subsisting on tithes of food and supplies 
  brought by pilgrims. See Mouth Guard Campaign Type, p50.
  “Dristyakul” means “the way into darkness,” which to goblins sounds 
  like paradise. Most visitors never climb the hillside to the gigantic cave 
  mouth itself, that ground being both too holy and too dangerous for the 
  laity. The Shamans enter Hellmouth only to inter holy goblins: members 
  of their own little community or great Shamans brought here in state by 
  their own tribes. Funerary processions include at least two living Shamans 
  and twice as many goblin Warriors, all dressed in sacred black and under 
  the effect of various protective magics. The priests fully expect ghosts and 
  other supernatural manifestations to attend the ceremony, chanting to hold 
  the hungrier spirits at bay until the deceased Shaman joins centuries of her 
  fellows in a niche in the ancient stone walls.
  Less prepared expeditions into Dristyakul are unlikely to survive. 
  Should PCs ever make the attempt, the referee can divide the tunnel into 
  three zones: Near the mouth, in the upper tunnel, and down in the lower 
  tunnel.
  Mouth: The single entry to Dristyakul gapes a hundred feet in 
  diameter, its floor worn smooth by innumerable passing creatures. 
  Grave-niches line the walls; recent scaffolding climbs to those high up, 
  and the priests use ladders and hoists. Many graves have old booby-traps 
  or patches of yellow mold on them. Each turn in the mouth, or within a 
  hundred yards or so inside, there is a 1 in 6 chance of a Spirit Encounter 
  (p59).
  Upper Tunnel: For perhaps a mile, the great tunnel runs at a gentle 
  slope into the earth, lessening to 40' in diameter. Every turn, there is a 2 in 
  6 chance of encountering 2d6 goblin skeletons, a goblin ghost, or a Spirit 
  Encounter.
  Lower Tunnel: In the depths, all bets are off and legend takes over. 
  Does the Hellmouth really reach another plane, or a subterranean goblin 
  paradise, or a realm of dark elves? Does it descend forever? Do the hungry 
  spirits cluster ever denser, or can intrepid explorers win past the haunted 
  space into something new? Only the referee can decide.
  Default scale: 
  One small hex = 2 miles 
  One large hex = 10 miles 
  Map features not to scale.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  42
  C a v e s
  Many Rotlanders dwell in caves, as reflected on the Locals chart 
  (p22). Caves range from barely-sheltered cracks in the rock to vast 
  underground domains. Most caves are small, and the tribes use them 
  for only the most important functions: quarters for the Chieftain, hiding 
  young away from enemies, and storing crucial supplies. Large caves are 
  much sought after and sometimes the subject of battle.
  In addition, each hex may contain an undiscovered cave: at the 
  referee’s option, or one chance in 20. Only the PCs can discover the cave, 
  stumbling on it during exploration, construction, or adventure. Unless 
  totally sealed before discovery, all caves serve as home to creatures of 
  some kind.
  Defaults: If the referee prefers not to randomize, the default for a 
  Rotland tribe with caves is the Small Hollow, with a convenient entrance, 
  containing Trickles of water (except in Dry terrain), and offering no 
  mineral resource other than stone and perhaps clay.
  After sketching the map of the cave, the referee might choose to add 
  areas where the inhabitants have increased the size of chambers or dug 
  new passages. A cave that has ever been occupied, which is always the 
  case unless the referee is staging a primeval discovery, has its floor cleared 
  and smoothed enough for walking.
  Water in Cave
  Except for trickles, water is found in the lowest parts of the cave. 
  In complexes, each Small Hollow has its own random water content. In 
  Deep Caverns, every third chamber has possible water content, which 
  may overflow into lower chambers. In a Long Cave, each connected cave 
  has its own chance of water.
  During winter in cold terrain, water near the surface may freeze, 
  making an ice cave.
    3d6 
  Water
   
  3–9 
  None [default in dry terrain]
   10–13 Trickles [default in non-dry terrain]
   
  14 
  Pool 
   
  15 
  Pools, 1d3+1
   
  16 
  Stream. Runs like a Lava Tube, mostly with no airspace.
   
  17 
  Deep lake. Size of a chamber in a Deep Cavern.
   
  18 
  River. Flows like a Long Cave, mostly with no airspace.
  Chamber Features
  Roll 1d3–1 times per chamber or as desired.
   
  d20 
  Feature
   
  1–2 
  Accumulated gravel on floor
   
  3 
  All surfaces blotched with blood-red stains in the stone
   
  4–5 
  All surfaces reflect light in bright sparkles (flakes of mica or 
  spar)
   
  6–7 
  Boulders provide convenient seats and tables
   
  8 
  Clusters of long, slender tubes growing from ceiling
   
  9 
  Countless tiny bones
   
  10 
  Dangerous crack in floor (as Tiny Crack); 1 in 4 chance to lead 
  down to another cave
   11–13 Many small stalactites in ceiling
   
  14 
  One wall shiny-white and rippled like a silk curtain
   
  15 
  Open pit, 1d3x5' by 1d3x5' by 3d20' deep; roll on Water in Cave 
  chart for what lies below, treating “None” as a pit that goes 
  nowhere and “Trickles” as a random Cave Type
   16–17 Thick columns, d4+1' in diameter, 2d10' apart, as space allows
   18–19 Walls caked with white mineral slime or dust
   
  20 
  Walls streaked with bright yellow
  T Y P E S  O F  C A V E
   
  3d6 
  Cave Type
   
  3–4 
  Tiny Crack: Fissure in rocky cliff or hillside (or other cave’s 
  wall): 1d4+1' wide, 3d6' long, and 2d6+2' high.
   
  5–7 
  Limestone Flow (solutional): 2d4 sloped tunnels, each 
  2d20+50' long, 2d6+3' wide, 1d6+6' high. Breaches connect 
  tunnels every 2d20’; the end of the new tunnel is 1d20+10' away 
  from the first breach. Entrance is at the top of the slope; roll 
  1d6: 1–3, a sloping scree-cave 3d6+20' deep and long, 3d6+10' 
  wide, 2 in 6 to have a gentle 30° slope, else 50°; 4–5: a vertical 
  chimney 2d6+15' deep (50%); or 6: a scree-cave leading to a 
  chimney.
   8–10 Small Hollow (erosional) [default cave type]: 1d3 rooms, 
  each 2d4x5' wide, 2d4x5' long, and 1d4x5' high. Each has a 
  tunnel 1d2x5' in diameter and 1d3x5' long, leading either to the 
  next room or to a dead end where the tunnel breaks up into 
  impassable crevices. Entrance is a vertical shaft 3d10' down to 
  the first chamber’s roof (50%), or a convenient semi-circular 
  opening easy to walk into (50%).
   11–13 Lava Tube (primary): Large, rounded, smooth-sided passage, 
  2d6+5' diameter, gradually sloping down. Entrance is a 
  convenient circular opening. When moving down-slope, the 
  tunnel forks after 3d6x20' into two tunnels, each about half the 
  diameter of the original (for example, 7' and 8' if the original 
  was 15' diameter). Eventually the tube becomes impassable. 
  Slope of each new tunnel (1d6): 1–3 down; 4–5: steeply down; 
  6: level.
   
  14 
  Complex, Ramiform Flow [or salt mine]: 1d3 Small Hollows 
  connected to a Limestone Flow.
   
  15 
  Complex, Ramiform Warren: 1d3+1 Small Hollows connected 
  by a Lava Tube.
   
  16 
  Complex, Spongiform: 2d6 Small Hollows connected.
   
  17 
  Deep Caverns: Roll again for surface cave type, with 1d3 
  tunnels leading down 1d6x50' deep to 3d6 very large chambers, 
  each 2d100+50' long, d100+20' wide, and 2d20+15' high. Each 
  chamber has 1d3 adits, sloping down, 2d6x5' long and 1d3x5' in 
  diameter, leading another chamber or becoming impassable.
   
  18 
  Long Cave: Roll again for surface cave type that leads to a 
  single winding tunnel, 3d4x1,000' long and averaging 2d6+10' 
  wide and 2d6+10' tall. Every 1d6x1,000’, roll on this chart for a 
  connected cave form with its own chance for water and mineral 
  resources.
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  43
  Mineral Resources
  Many caves can serve as mines, for building stone if nothing else. 
  Tribes who control diggings may choose not exploit a mineral resource 
  on a regular basis, preferring activities that contribute more directly to 
  not starving. Should they explore the option, the charts below describe 
  the type and richness of resource available. The society best suited to this 
  is hobgoblins driving slaves to do the mining. However, any tribe might 
  stumble on valuable ore and attempt to turn it to use or profit.
  In any mining tribe, Mongers become important, trading the excess 
  minerals to other tribes for the food that the miners no longer have time 
  to grow. No tribe has the resources to support herds and active mining at 
  the same time.
  A referee who prefers not to get involved with mineral markets 
  could, of course, forgo these rules altogether, or use them only for newly-
  discovered, unexploited caves.
  Mineral Resource in Cave
   
  3d6 
  Resource  
  Value/Unit
   
  3–7 
  Stone 
   
  25 ip/100 lbs* 
  [Default]
   
    8–11 
  Clay† 
   
  50 ip/100 lbs
   
  12–14 
  Flints 
   
  250 ip/10 lbs
   
  15–16 
  Coal 
   
  200 ip/10 lbs
   
  17 
  Precious ore 
  var.
   
  18 
  Crystals  
  var.
  * Stone, the default resource for any cave, is heavy and common and 
  seldom finds a market for trade.
  † In a cave with no water, treat this result as Stone instead.
  To limit the value of random resources, the referee might choose to roll on 
  the 2d6 columns below instead of 3d6.
  Precious Ore Types
   
  (3d6) 
  Ore type 
  Value/Unit 
  (2d6)
   
  3 
  Jade ore 
  200 ip/lb
   
  4 
  Obsidian ore 
  25 ip/lb
   
   5–11 
  Iron ore* 
  10 ip/lb 
   2–10
   
  12–14 
  Bronze ore* 
  40 ip/lb 
  11
   
  15–16 
  Copper ore* 
  50 ip/lb 
  12
   
  17 
  Silver ore* 
  100 ip/lb
   
  18 
  Gold ore* 
  150 ip/lb 
  * Refined at Moot and Selkirk. See Metallurgy, p66.
  Crystal Types
   
  (3d6) 
  Crystal type 
  Value/Unit 
  (2d6)
   
  3–9 
  Calcite 
  0.5 ip/lb 
  2–6
   
  10–12 
  Quartz 
  2.5 ip/lb 
  7–9
   
  13 
  Hematites 
  5 ip/oz 
  10
   
  14 
  Tiger’s eyes 
  25 ip/oz 
  11
   
  15 
  Rose quartz 
  50 ip/oz 
  12
   
  16 
  Garnets, red 
  250 ip/oz
   
  17 
  Heliodors 
  500 ip/oz
   
  18 
  Salt 
  100 ip/1 lb
  Crystals, other than salt, become worth five times as much when cut 
  and polished by an expert jeweler, of whom there are none among the 
  tribes and possibly not even at Moot, as the referee prefers.
  Salt occurs rarely except on Mount Rotten, where the yield triples 
  and the price drops steeply. Saltjacks (p27) extract units of 300 ip/30 lbs. 
  Cleaned of excess soil and rocks, and cut into standard 1/10 lb Salt Tallies 
  (p63), salt has a currency value of 200 ip/1 lb. See Money, p63.
  For values of minerals when turned into trinkets, see Ornaments, p73.
  Resource Units and Mining Crews
  The basic unit of mine production is the average Strength of the 
  exploiting race times the unit weight of the resource: 10 to 100 pounds for 
  most resources; ounces for certain valuable crystals. For example, goblins 
  (avg STR 8) mining coal (200 ip/10 lb) generate a standard unit of (8 x 
  10 lbs =) 80 lbs. Hobgoblins (avg STR 13) mining quartz (2.5 ip/lb) haul 
  out 13 pounds of rough gems per unit, doubtless among a great deal of 
  smashed rock with no crystals.
  Each Mining Crew recovers a number of resource units per week, 
  based on the mine’s richness and production.  A Mining Crew consists 
  of 15 adults, usually 10 male miners and 5 female sorters, plus 5 youth 
  as runners and assistants. Any tribe not currently in Famine or other 
  disaster can support up to 10% of adult population in Mining Crews. 
  Every 20% reduces the size of military Patrols by one Warrior, e.g. 40% of 
  adults mining means two fewer soldiers per Patrol. Each 10% beyond the 
  first gives a 1 in 10 chance per month for the tribe to fail at sufficient food 
  production. If the mine’s output cannot be traded for sufficient supplies to 
  make up the difference, the tribe suffers a month of Famine (p53).
  Richness and Production
  The productivity of the mine for each Mining Crew depends on the 
  current richness of the mine.
   
  2d6 
  Richness of Mine
   
  2 
  Breakthrough: Fresh discovery. Each Mining Crew removes 
  1d6 units per week. 1 in 6 chance per week to run out of easily 
  accessed minerals and move to Slow Exploitation.
   
  3–8 
  Slow Exploitation: Steady work in progress. Each Mining 
  Crew remove 1d4 units per week. One in 20 chance per month 
  for the mine to become Almost Tapped.
    9–11 Almost Tapped: Workers pick at former veins in spare time. 
  Each Mining Crew finds one unit per week. 1 in 4 chance per 
  month to become a Dead Mine.
   
  12 
  Dead Mine: No obvious resources left. When using the What 
  Befalls the Tribe (p48), a diamond face card means that one unit of 
  resource is discovered by accident, up to once a month.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  44
  S a m p l e  C a v e s
  Generated randomly from the descriptions on p42.
  Small Hollow
  Entrance: Vertical shaft
  First chamber: 15' wide, 30' long, 20' tall
   
  Tunnel: 10' diameter, 5' long 
  Second chamber: 15' wide, 35' long, 25' tall
   
  Tunnel: 4' diameter, 10' long
  Third chamber: 30' wide, 30' long, 10' tall
   
  Tunnel: 5' diameter, 10' long (dead end)
  Notes:
  •	
  The dimensions are rough maximums.
  •	
  The use of hexes lends a naturalistic, uneven contour to walls 
  and ceilings.
  •	
  The floor gradually gets lower in each chamber.
  •	
  The final adit breaks up into a pit of impassable cracks.
  As a Monster Orc Redoubt:
  Surface: The spiral orc camp (p34) is built so that the cave entrance 
  lies convenient to the central Chieftain’s tent.
  I: Cache. A rickety ladder leads down to a cave full of salted carcasses: 
  bison, reindeer, sheep, goat, birds, and possibly bear, dog, or wolf. Brackish 
  water is stored in barrels or a dugout cistern. Piles of root vegetables and 
  gourds accumulate during raiding season and are depleted during winter. 
  Other supplies include extra spears and hide armor for the Warriors, flint 
  waiting to be weaponized, and miscellany that can be randomized as 2d4 
  rolls on the Bulk Caravan Goods chart, p75.
  II. Chieftain’s Chamber. When the Chieftain occupies his tent on 
  the surface, any tribe member with decent Reputation can approach him. 
  When he retires to this cave, his time is his own, perhaps along with a 
  mate or two. Comfortable piles of furs lie on a stretch of wool blankets that 
  covers the floor, and a few torches provide the dim illumination preferred 
  by orcish eyes. A chest holds the best victual available, such as cured pork, 
  pickles, boiled eggs, and fresh panbread. A broached gallon of brew sits by 
  a well-made wooden chair stolen from some wealthy Hearth Orc town, 
  perhaps generations back. Gold coins from the Southlands, hammered flat 
  and nailed to the chair, lend pomp to the rare audience granted in this 
  inner sanctum.
  III. Shrine. Here 
  the Senior Shaman 
  performs her most 
  secret rituals. 
  When she roams 
  the Spirit World, 
  her assistants stand 
  vigil over her inert 
  body. Arranged 
  on shelves and 
  walls, sacred relics, 
  stores of magical 
  ingredients, 
  and the skins of 
  powerful enemies 
  contribute their 
  mana to the 
  tribe. The leaders 
  immure important 
  prisoners 
  and potential 
  sacrifices in the 
  dead-end pit.
  T o p  V i e w
  Surface
  I
  III
  II
  One hex = 5 feet
  I
  III
  II
  S I D E  V i e w
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  45
  Limestone Flow
  Entrance: Opening in ground to scree cave, 
  10' wide, 25' long, at a 50° slope
  Tubes: Seven tunnels of 5' to 10' diameter, connected 
  by breaches five to forty feet apart.
  Note: Smooth-sided tunnels don’t conform to hexes.
  As a Foot Goblin Cave:
  I. Hopping Stones. Amid the slope of loose scree, nine or ten large 
  black boulders provide stable footing. Every tribe member old enough to 
  walk knows which stones to jump to when entering or exiting the cave. 
  Others, including the most convenient footholds for bipeds over four 
  feet tall, appear secure but sit in precarious balance, ready to precipitate 
  intruders to the bottom in a noisy, battering landslide.
  II. Moat of Illusion. Here the goblins have excavated a trench the 
  width of the tunnel, 2' deep and 15' across. Carefully scorching the bottom 
  black with fire and adding 18" of water, they’ve made it look very deep by 
  torch or lantern light, while infravision cannot penetrate the cold water 
  at all. An unreliable-looking rope bridge crosses, and chewed bones and 
  skulls on the edges imply dangerous creatures in the water. Two buckets 
  on 30' ropes lie near the bridge. Along the inner side of the trench runs 
  a 2' tall wall of rubble, over which defending gobbos can launch javelins. 
  Being practical, the goblins use this defense as a water cistern as needed, 
  and refill it after rain. Youths caught urinating in the moat earn a solid 
  beating.
  III. Sleep Chambers. Nests of animal skins and scraps of wool 
  blankets clutter these tunnels, where goblins can retreat to rest during 
  daylight or mate in groups. They keep no food here, as it attracts vermin.
  IV. Choke Points. At these five places, stone blocks wall up the 
  tunnel. A tiny “wormhole” near the floor, about 14" wide and 10" high, 
  provides the only access. Defenders can thrust javelins through eyelets 
  about 3' off the ground.
  V. Storage. Skins of water, dried food, and extra armaments. 
  VI. Cache. Foul-looking mold covers a high stack of sacks, old 
  panbread, and rancid mystery-meat at the corridor’s apparent end. Behind, 
  the tribe stores its precious goods, digging them out only when needed for 
  major trades by Mongers. Typical cache: 2d100 lbs salt, 1d100 lbs iron, 
  2d20 lbs. bronze, and 2d6 rolls on the Ornaments chart, p73.
  VII. Bolthole. In an emergency, the tribe crams its children into this 
  space with a few adult Tribemembers to watch over them. Niches dug in 
  the walls hold mud-sealed hollow gourds containing smoked pork, salted 
  eggs, and water sufficient to support 150 youth and 25 adults for 3 days: 
  500 lbs of food and 75 gallons of water. These supplies may be depleted in 
  winter and restocked in summer.
  VIII. Escape Tunnel. This tube ends in a rock formation like a 
  shiny, rippled curtain, where centuries of mineral-bearing water once 
  flowed. The goblins have carved out a wormhole in the side of the curtain, 
  disguising it with a natural-looking pile of gravel. From here, a narrow 
  tunnel winds its way nearly to the surface, where scrub bushes grow over 
  a shallow layer of soil roof.
  See also Foot Goblin Settlement, p33.
  I
  II
  III
  III
  III
  IVc
  IVd
  VIII
  VII
  IVa
  IVb
  V
  VI
  IVe
  T o p  V i e w
  One hex = 5 feet
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  46
  R u i n s
  Whether the hardy remnants of structures made by unknown beings 
  in the lost past, or a run-down settlement whose former occupants met 
  a grim fate, ruins dot the Rotlands. The referee can choose or roll on the 
  chart below.
   
  d20 
  Ruin Type
   
  1–2 
  Temple
   
   3–10 
  Scattered Ruins [default]
   
  11–13 
  Vanquished Hearth Orc Town
   
  14–17 
  Vanquished Monster Orc Camp
   
  18–19 
  Watch Tower
   
  20 
  Wizard Tower
  Temple. Ten-foot walls enclose a broad plaza (1d6x50' by 1d6x50') 
  of hexagonal pavers. Everything is made of hard black stone and mostly 
  intact. A six-sided pyramid stands near the plaza center, 35' across and 
  35' tall; the carvings on it show disturbing, inhuman forms, especially 
  by moonlight. At times, strange lights and noises issue from the peak. 
  Shaman magic cast in the temple area works more easily, but with less 
  predictable results. The referee might require the player to roll 1d20 plus 
  spell level:
   
  d20+lvl 
  Spell result
   
  1–5 
  Spell fails and is lost from memory
   
   6–14 
  Normal effect
   
  15–17 
  Effect of spell is maximized
   
  18–19 
  Normal effect but the spell remains in memory
   
  20 
  Maximum effect and the spell remains in memory
   
  21+ 
  As 20 and the magic draws the attention of an 
  awareness from the Spirit Plane: a Spirit Encounter 
  (p59), an omen (as 8 e or a Joker, pp48–49), or a 
  Monster (as Monster Turf, p47).
   
  Scattered Ruins. Blocks and columns of hard black stone litter the 
  earth; more turn up every time the locals plow or dig. Some pieces may 
  bear strange symbols. The local tribe uses these materials to improve 
  buildings and fortifications.
  Vanquished Hearth Orc Town. See p35. Fire, rot, and violence 
  have reduced this former civilized outpost to a mess of ash, mud or dust, 
  and loose stones. The bones of the builders and their animals, scorched, 
  cracked, and gnawed, poke up everywhere. The former walls have become 
  long heaps of rubble, flattened in places and overgrown with weeds but 
  still serving to roughly define and defend the area.
  Vanquished Monster Orc Camp. See p34. The spiral ditch and 
  berm have merged into an uneven slope; the drawbridge-pit is filled with 
  rubble and the chewed-up bones of the former occupants. Whoever lives 
  here now has cleared the tumbled stones from the opening of the well, 
  although it is partly collapsed and draws scant, impure water.
  Watch Tower. This ordinary, slender tower shows cracks and signs of 
  age. It once stood 2d6 x 10' tall, but the upper (1d6–2) x 10' are missing: 
  either fallen stones or a wooden top that has burned away. If the top is 
  intact, it includes light battlements for defense. The tower is square; at 
  the base, each side is one-third the original height in length. Each floor 
  has one arrow-slit through the walls every 10’. Most likely, something that 
  values shelter lives here.
  Wizard Tower. Dating from before current knowledge, this lone, 
  round spire stands 1d4+2 x 10' tall and about half that diameter at base. 
  Whether pure black, sparkling white, or ordinary in appearance (d3), the 
  stone of the structure has supernaturally resisted decay. Architectural 
  details run to skulls and demonic faces, incomprehensible inscriptions, or 
  a stark and severe plainness (d3). The top may have astronomical marker 
  stones arranged along the edge, or display a mosaic design like a pentacle. 
  Beyond doubt a labyrinth lies below the tower: usually a Spongiform 
  Complex (p42) containing oddness like an Ancient Cave Dwelling, below. 
  If the current occupants are intelligent, they have discovered the entrance 
  to the labyrinth and occupied as much as possible. If not, the labyrinth is 
  a dungeon with traps and monsters.
  O d d i t i e s
  The Locals chart (p22) gives a 1 in 20 chance for any given hex to 
  contain something unusual. Eight general categories appear below. Some 
  oddities prevent any tribe from living in the hex. For others, a second roll 
  on the Locals chart determines who shares the hex, or it might be another 
  oddity. As usual the referee may choose from this list, roll at random, or 
  take inspiration.
   
  d8 
  Oddity
   
  1 
  Ancient Cave Dwelling. A cave of random type (p42) contains 
  evidence of past occupation. Roll again for occupancy of this 
  hex; the resulting tribe may or may not choose to live in the 
  cave. The referee can invent mysterious evidence or roll 1d6:
   
  1 
  The best tunnels hold crude yet vibrant paintings 
  from an unknown race and era.
   
  2 
  Carved runes, symbols, or faces of unknowns 
  meaning line the cave walls.
   
  3 
  A ancient stone altar stands before the complete 
  skeleton of a cave bear. Shamans sense an eerie aura 
  that might affect magic as a Temple.
   
  4 
  A series of gigantic, well-carved steps descend into 
  the deepest part of the cave, where there may or may 
  not be water.
   
  5 
  The largest chamber contains several crumbling mud 
  huts around a one-time fire pit or well.
   
  6 
  1d4 x 25% of the cave is off limits due to frequent 
  deaths, blamed on cave-ins, ancient booby traps, or 
  the presence of something cruel and undying.
  
  T R I B E S  +  T E R R I T O R Y
  47
  47
   
  [d8] 
  [Oddity]
   
  2 
  Boneyard. Even the most casual digging in this area turns up 
  countless ancient bones and fragments, as if the whole hex 
  was the site of a huge cemetery or mass battle. If PCs pursue 
  extensive excavation, some bodies may have jewels, some may 
  be cursed or diseased. Communicating with the dead happens 
  more easily here, whether deliberate or not. Roll again for 
  occupancy of the hex.
   
  3 
  Ghostland. No tribe will occupy this hex. Mists, will-o-wisps, 
  screams and laughter, and odd sounds occur frequently. Instead 
  of the usual random encounters, there is a 1 in 6 chance per day 
  and a 2 in 6 chance per night of a Spirit Encounter (p59).
   
  4 
  Monster Turf. Something terrifying lives in this hex, or at least 
  it used to. No tribe dwells here. Some possible monsters, real or 
  rumored:
   
  1 
  Evil Trees: Strange, stunted plant life twitches its 
  warped branches at the edges of vision. At night, 
  the trees and bushes uproot and move themselves. 
  They seek to entrap animal life, including tribesfolk, 
  and choke them to death, letting the rotting corpses 
  enrich the soil. 
   
  2 
  Ice Cave: A Lava Tube (p42) entirely coated with 
  ice, occupied by 1d3 frost salamanders or other 
  magical icy beings. The cave may lead to an eternally 
  frozen part of the Spirit World, haunted by heat-
  draining demons and the ghosts of those who froze 
  to death.
   
  3 
  Guardian Spirit: An invisible stalker continues 
  its geas to defend a ruined Wizard Tower (p46), long 
  after its sorcerous master is gone. Or perhaps it’s 
  actually a wind walker, djinni, poltergeist, or other 
  invisible servant.
   
  4 
  Troll-wood: Thick, thorny copses hide 1d4+4 
  undying, sexless, green bipeds that consume anything 
  they can catch.
   
  5 
  Witch-moor: In a strange hut dwells an ancient crone 
  with mysterious powers: a female ogre mage, a 
  night-hag, or a Shaman (S7) whose tribe died out 
  or exiled her for sinister practices. The crone greets 
  travelers in a friendly way, at first. It’s even possible 
  for strong, careful folk to make a deal with her. Her 
  appearance, and the look and location of the hut, may 
  change frequently.
   
  6 
  Worm-land: 1d6–2 purple worms and 1d3 gray 
  worms, or other burrowing horrors, churn through 
  this area constantly, engulfing whatever moves on the 
  surface.
   
  [d8] 
  [Oddity]
   
  5 
  Mystery Lake. A large, placid lake of sweet water appears at the 
  center of this hex—sometimes. Each night the body of water 
  has a 1 in 6 chance of vanishing, or reappearing if not present. 
  Anyone on the lake when it goes never returns. Roll again for 
  occupancy of the hex; the tribe might use the lake for ritual 
  burial.
   
  6 
  Ruins. Structures stand here but their creators are long gone. 
  Types of ruins appear on p46. Roll again on p22 for occupancy 
  of the hex.
   
  7 
  Tectonics. Cracks in the ground in this area issue periodic 
  wafts of hot, unbreathable gas. The surface is warm to the touch 
  and nothing grows but a little dry grass. No tribe settles in this 
  hex and there are no random encounters. Every day has a 1 in 6 
  chance for a temblor to shake the ground. Roll 2d6 for intensity:
   
  2d6 
  Temblor intensity 
   
  2 
  Animals act nervous. Intelligent beings notice the 
  slight vibration on a WIS roll.
   
  3–5 
  Audible rumbling noise. Dust rises and grasses sway. 
  Animals seek shelter.
   
  6–8 
  1d6 x 10 seconds of low rumbling and quivering. 
  Small objects moved by vibrations.
   
  9–10 
  Shaking for 1d4 minutes. Animals panic unless 
  successfully wrangled. People standing must make 
  a DEX roll each round to walk, or each minute to 
  remain upright in place. Anything loose falls.
   
  11 
  Rough shaking lasts 2d4 minutes. Temporary 
  structures, like tents, collapse, possibly risking fire. 
  Livestock panics and stampedes. Bipeds fall over and 
  cannot stand.
   
  12 
  Earthquake and aftershocks for 3d6 minutes. As 
  above, plus any palisades and wooden buildings fall; 
  stone walls shift and lose rocks; masonry cracks; each 
  animal or person in the area takes 1d4–1 damage. 
  In the mountains, an avalanche sweeps clear an area 
  1d6 x 100 yards on each side, burying everything in 
  rubble or snow. In hills or plains, new cracks open in 
  the earth and spit fire. See Wildfire, p52.
   
  8 
  Vacant. The hex is empty of occupants. No one is sure why. 
  Nobody wants to be the first to find out. In the PCs’ tribe, the 
  elders either tell of people who lived there and vanished (50%), 
  or consider the area cursed due to repeated omens (50%). 
  Random encounters that indicate locals result in no encounter.
  
  W h a t  B e f a l l s  t h e  T r i b e
  Using a standard poker deck of 54 cards including two Jokers, the 
  referee can draw a card in planning each play session to see what’s going 
  on in the life of the player characters’ tribe. The point of the events is 
  to give the PCs something specific to accomplish, or oppose, or cope 
  with, in play, that matters to their entire tribe. Whenever possible the 
  referee should interpret the result to put the party members on the spot, 
  rather than allowing non-player tribal leaders to cope with the problem. 
  Successfully handling one of these challenges improves each character’s 
  Reputation. See Reputation Awards and Penalties, p7.
  Face cards invoke boons. Number cards from 10 through 6 represent 
  common events ranging from the mildly beneficial to the mildly 
  disadvantageous. Cards of 5 through 2 indicate unfortunate happenstance 
  that can threaten the tribe’s prosperity if not handled quickly.
  For campaigns where the PCs are not based in a tribal settlement, 
  the referee must interpret certain to results to fit, or substitute his own. 
  See Campaign Types, p50.
  	q	FIGHTS: Spades control warfare. Most results assume that the 
  tribe has one or more habitual enemies, either among the other 
  Rotlander races, or else rival tribes of the same race. Tribes in 
  the Borderlands may have a human settlement as their devoted 
  foe, while those on Drastic Steppe may skirmish with human 
  nomads.
   A q 
  PCs are first  into an enemy camp or settlement, 
  with a chance to take them by complete surprise.
   K q 
  Enemy leader killed; foes temporarily in disorder. 
  PCs can sneak through occupied turf or stage raids 
  while defense is disorganized.
   Q q 
  A spy reports that an enemy leader or heir is 
  traveling under light guard; PCs may be able to 
  make an easy capture.
   
  J q 
  The PCs meet the foe in the field, with a slight 
  tactical advantage such as height or cover.
   10 q 
  The tribe claims an unoccupied hex, and the PCs 
  must set up the new defenses.
   9 q 
  The PCs lead a long-range patrol into a hex claimed 
  by another tribe, or by no one.
   8 q 
  Foes begin patrolling a nearby unoccupied hex 
  heavily, preventing exploration or expansion.
   7 q 
  Enemy hit-and-run raids along the edges of the 
  tribe’s turf. PCs must stop them.
   6 q 
  Enemies attempt to poison a water source, or burn 
  crops, or stampede herds.
   5 q 
  Enemy magic summons attacking creatures, bad 
  storms, or a curse.
   4 q 
  PC patrol ambushed.
   3 q 
  Enemy forces attack the tribe’s home turf by surprise.
   2 q 
  Enemy assassins make an attempt on a leader’s life 
  while the PCs are on guard.
  	r	FOLK: Hearts affect the health and numbers of the populace.
   A r 
  A new group asks to join the tribe, either wanderers 
  or refugees from a troubled community. The PCs 
  are to teach them the ways of the tribe, and keep an 
  eye on them.
   K r 
  A leader proves himself in battle, giving his 
  subordinates a chance to increase in rank.
   Q r 
  The PCs lead a raid on another tribe of the same 
  race to capture females.
   
  J r 
  A diseased leader, PC family member, or group 
  recovers.
   10 r  A PC has a child or gains an apprentice or squire.
   
  9 r  Several healthy children are born.
   
  8 r  A new cohort of youth comes of age, including new 
  Warriors, Shamans, or Mongers.
   
  7 r  The PCs must protect a group of gatherers, farmers, 
  or herders from slavers.
   
  6 r  One or more older tribe members die.
   
  5 r  A member of a PC’s family falls ill, or dies if already 
  ill.
   
  4 r  Several tribe members catch a disease, or die if 
  already ill.
   
  3 r  Several infants are in poor health, or die if already 
  ill.
   
  2 r  A tribal leader is crippled by injury, poison, disease, 
  or enemy magic, or dies if already ill.
   
   JOKER (Black or tm): Through spies or a Shamanistic vision or 
  ancient traditional lore, the tribal leaders learn of a 
  mighty boon: a magic weapon, or holy site, or tomb 
  of a hero, or a way to please the ancestors and gain a 
  powerful blessing. Guess who gets the job of finding 
  the boon and securing it for the benefit of the tribe.
   JOKER (Red): Through spies or a Shamanistic vision or 
  ancient traditional lore, the tribal leaders learn of a 
  mighty threat: a prophesied disaster, a haunting or 
  curse on the land, or a mighty weapon or holy site in 
  the hands of enemies. Guess who must find out how 
  to destroy or avert the problem.
  
  W h a t  B e f a l l s  t h e  T r i b e
  	e	FATE: Diamonds indicate unusual events of miscellaneous 
  kinds.
   A e 
  A relic of a mighty tribal ancestor is found and is 
  hailed as a good omen for the tribe. It should be 
  displayed to all tribe members, yet kept secure.
   K e 
  A group of Warriors arrive, either wanderers or 
  quitting another tribe. They offer to swear fealty to 
  the chieftain if a PC can defeat their champion (of 
  the same level) in ritual combat.
   Q e 
  Forgotten battlefield. The tribe discovers a trove of 
  weapons and armor, left from some past skirmish. 
  PCs lead the effort to dig up the goods and protect 
  the loot from rivals. Spirits often haunt battlefields 
  as well.
   
  J e 
  On patrol, the PCs discover a new cave (p42).
   10 e 
  A stretch of beautiful weather makes everything go 
  easier for a while, including travel, exploration, and 
  the usual business of survival. How will the PCs use 
  the luxury of time?
   
  9 e 
  The PCs are unexpectedly praised or given some 
  token of esteem by the chieftain. Perhaps new 
  responsibilities will follow?
   
  8 e 
  Omens in the sky: Shooting stars, or an eclipse, or a 
  rainbow. The referee chooses or randomizes the 
  Senior Shaman’s interpretation: either bad, meaning 
  a period of penance for the tribe, or good, meaning 
  a celebration and a chance for PCs to make social 
  advancement.
   
  7 e 
  Wild storms prevent travel and may panic livestock 
  or wash out crops. Roll for Severity on p52 at +5.
   
  6 e 
  Earthquakes damage shelter and threaten to panic 
  the populace. See Tectonics, p47.
   
  5 e 
  Locusts! They must be fought with fire or magic. If 
  caught properly they can become food.
   
  4 e 
  Drought. Water levels fall to 2d4 x 10% of the 
  amount necessary to sustain the tribe and its plants 
  and animals.
   
  3 e 
  Floods. In Dry terrain, this is 50% likely to be 
  Drought instead.
   
  2 e 
  Wildfire, possibly set by foes. Can be fought with 
  plowing, counter-fire, or magic. See p52.
   
  	wFOOD: Clubs affect the all-important food and water supplies. 
  See Drought and Famine, p53, for the effects of shortages.
   Aw 
  The occupants of a nearby hex are killed off or move 
  away. The PCs’ tribe has a chance to settle the area. 
  The tribe gets the opportunity settle a stretch of 
  newly accessible, open, or arable turf. PCs who take 
  charge can gain status. 
   Kw 
  Game run. It is time for a food animal to migrate or 
  swarm, and the tribe is readying for bountiful hunts. 
  Examples include wild bison, geese, grasshoppers, 
  fish, or bats. PCs lay traps, drive the prey, and watch 
  out for rival hunters. Preserving the catch will 
  require plenty of salt, firewood, and time.
   Qw 
  Fresh water. The tribe discovers a new spring in 
  their territory or successfully sinks a new well. 
  Other things may be attracted to the water, or 
  already live in it.
   Jw 
  Choice raiding. The tribe managed to capture an 
  especially large amount of herd animals or food 
  from a rival tribe. The PCs escort the booty back 
  home.
   10w 
  The PCs lead a drive to capture wild animals. 
  Success increases herd size.
   9w 
  Successful breeding season. Herds grow by 1d4 x 
  10% or game becomes plentiful, allowing the tribe 
  to expand in size if the PCs can secure additional 
  territory.
   8w 
  Successful harvest. Celebration. PCs can make 
  social advancement and can earn Reputation by 
  giving good gifts.
   7w  The tribe needs a new water source. The PCs are in 
  charge of finding it and arranging for any necessary 
  security and irrigation diggings.
   6w 
  Tired soil. The PCs must organize a mass effort to 
  uproot the dying plants and plant a new variety 
  before the season gets too old.
   5w 
  Animals in the crops. PCs to drive them out and 
  arrange a way to keep them out.
   4w 
  Predators among the herds or game runs. PCs must 
  fight them off, then either eliminate them from the 
  nearby wild or find a means to keep them away.
   3w 
  Malnutrition. The tribe must find an alternate food 
  source or risk disease.
   2w 
  Blight on crops, herd, or local plants or game. The 
  hex drops in quality by one category: Prime to 
  Sparse, or Sparse to Harsh. The tribe must find an 
  alternate food source or risk Famine.
  
  50
  C A M P A I G N  T Y P E S
  Any of the tribe types from Chapter III can form the basis of a 
  campaign, depending on the preferences of the group. Those who wish to 
  emphasize warfare can play Monster Orcs, ambushing patrols from other 
  tribes and occasionally clashing in large numbers. Among Warg Riders, 
  each Warrior gets his own animal at second level, a great inducement, 
  although Mongers will find less to do. The cases below offer more specific 
  options for the identity of the PCs and their home.
  New Kids (default)
  In the basic campaign scenario, player characters have recently come 
  of age and assumed responsibilities in the lowest ranks of the tribe. By 
  default the PCs are in a Foot Goblin tribe, but it could instead be Hearth 
  Orcs. Warriors are basic infantry Chumps; Shamans are lowly Gophers; 
  Mongers are barely-tolerated Scroungers. Each adventure starts with 
  a mission from tribal superiors, possibly drawing inspiration from the 
  What Befalls the Tribe charts (p48). Success at the assigned task earns XP 
  and Reputation, leading in time to the possibility of advancement in rank. 
  Over a long campaign, PCs could become the leaders of the entire tribe.
  Moot Monkeys
  In a picaresque style, the player characters travel with a Mooter 
  caravan, never knowing what the next night will bring. Warriors and 
  Shamans serve as guards, dealing with encounters along the road; 
  Mongers are Mooters in training, with much to do during the frequent 
  stops to trade. Uniquely, PCs need not be of the same race, and females 
  can openly practice as Warriors; the Mooters care for little except results. 
  See more about the Mooters on p28 and caravans on p74 et seq. Over 
  time, as characters rise in rank, they could come to control a caravan 
  of their own. Reputation matters as much as ever, but with the Mooters 
  rather than with the characters’ tribes of origin.
  Hungry Hobs
  The characters are Free Hobs. Their tribe lives in squalor, and 
  the Chieftain has his eyes on a large, well-defended settlement of Foot 
  Goblins, just crying out for enslavement. Starting with raids on herds and 
  work groups, and building up to one or more full-out assaults, the PCs 
  participate in a sustained campaign to conquer the goblins or destroy 
  their own tribe trying. Alternately, the PCs can be Foot Goblins on the 
  other side of this scenario, defending their settlement against increasingly 
  aggressive tactics from the keen and disciplined hobs.
  Ghost Hunters
  The characters serve a Senior Shaman of their own race (S5) who 
  has undertaken a sacred quest to appease the spirits of ancient ancestors. 
  The group travels from settlement to settlement, following the Shaman’s 
  visions of where the next spirit must be laid to rest. In addition to the 
  Shaman and the players, a few low-level NPCs may tag along, if only as 
  possible replacement characters for when PCs die. The group encounters 
  the dangers of travel, the suspicion of new communities, and the 
  challenge of fulfilling the idiosyncratic and mystical requirements of each 
  new aggrieved ancestor. Some ideas for spirit quests appear on p61. The 
  referee can run this kind of campaign with a serious tone, or in a wiseacre 
  way, where at least half the ghosts turn out to be fakes perpetrated by 
  NPCs for reasons of greed and revenge. Truly light-hearted play groups 
  can add an NPC gnoll slave to the party: a bumbling, cowardly, loyal, and 
  perpetually hungry creature who stumbles on an important clue any time 
  the players get too frustrated with the latest mystery.
  The North Shall Rise Again
  A charismatic hobgoblin Chieftain (W7) seeks to forge a great army 
  from many tribes. The PCs form the personal staff of the War Lord’s 
  Emissary (W4), an advance recruiter who visits tribes to prepare them 
  for the War Lord’s coming. Word of his growing host usually precedes 
  them, preventing responses of total derision or violence, but no Chieftain 
  really wants to join the army. Even if persuaded by promises of loot, each 
  rightly fears that if he sends his Warriors away before his neighbors do, 
  his populace and territory will become vulnerable. The locals resist with 
  guile and stubbornness. A group may send assassins after the Emissary 
  or the War Lord himself. Some gird for a siege, hoping that the War Lord 
  won’t care to spend the time and effort to wear them down. Some try 
  to buy an exemption with tribute. Some may try to make the Emissary’s 
  entourage disappear, planning to claim ignorance. The Emissary is both 
  self-absorbed and prone to making blunt, absolute pronouncements, 
  so the subtleties of undermining local resistance and bringing about a 
  successful joining of forces fall to the players. In time PCs can come to the 
  War Lord’s attention and gain new responsibilities.
  Mouth Guard
  The players take the roles of Foot Goblin retainers to the small 
  community of Shamans who dwell at Goblin Knob. The current Senior 
  Shaman (S4) emerges from her mud-walled hut as seldom as possible, 
  leaving everything to subordinates. The little village also includes a hut 
  for assistant Shamans (one S3, one S2, and any PC Shamans), a two-story 
  watch tower for Warriors (one W3, one W2, and any PC Warriors), a 
  long house for visiting tribe folk, and a storage hut with kitchen (home 
  to any PC Mongers). A central clearing for rituals looks up the steep 
  slope to the giant black opening of the Hellmouth of Dristyakul. During 
  winter, the PCs must defend the Shamans from starvation and monsters. 
  During travel months, groups of pilgrims arrive regularly, each providing 
  its own cast of characters with agendas hidden and overt. Many bring 
  dead Shamans to be interred in Dristyakul, which requires the PCs to 
  accompany the funeral procession and fend off any restless dead. Others 
  seek the blessing of the Senior Shaman, and perhaps spellcasting if their 
  own tribe has lost its Shamans above 2nd level. If the PCs enable a major 
  triumph of some kind, the Senrio Shaman can rise to S5, giving the party 
  access to 3rd level spells.
  Monster Mash
  For a change of pace, the characters belong to a group of ogres, living 
  in a Small Hollow cave. PCs are 2 HD youths. One day an earthquake 
  collapses their cave and kills the chief ogre and many adults. The PCs join 
  the survivors on a quest for a new home, ultimately besieging a Hearth 
  Orc town or similar settlement. Gaining a third hit die requires 2,001 XP, 
  Rep 45, and the passage of a year. The fourth HD comes at 6,001 XP and 
  Rep 80 after at least one additional year. Alternatively, the PCs could be 
  a bachelor pack of 2 HD gnolls (p29), resulting in a campaign of nothing 
  but combat. Capture of weapons becomes a major goal.
  I V  ~  A D V E N T U R E S
  
  51
  51
  51
  A D V E N T U R E S
  51
  51
  51
  T R A V E L  +   S U R V I V A L
  C r o s s l a n d  T r a v e l
  The chart shows the number of hexes a group can cross in a night’s 
  travel under normal conditions. The same rates apply to those who travel 
  by day instead. 
  Clear terrain is smooth, even ground where others have walked before.
  Difficult terrain is somehow choked or blocked. Any obstacle makes the 
  hex difficult to cross, such as deep snow, falling rain, muddy ground, or 
  recent flooding or earthquakes.
  Groups with a rate of ½ take two nights to cross one hex; those 
  moving at ⅓ take three nights. Groups with a rate of 0 cannot make 
  progress across that sort of hex at all. Thus a band of fortunate goblin 
  raiders, each struggling under 50 lbs of loot (Move rate 5'), has no hope 
  of climbing any mountains. With burdens lessened to about 40 lbs each 
  (Move rate 10'), they can make half a hex of progress along clear mountain 
  paths in a night, but not if the mountain is covered with snow. So it goes.
  Note that hobgoblin Warriors (p16) in full starting gear are 
  encumbered, having a move rate of 25'.
  Forced March: Pushing through into daylight hours extends the 
  reach of a night’s travel by ½ hex. It also requires 50% more food and 
  water, or the marchers suffer penalties (p53). The night after a forced 
  march,  the group is too exhausted to travel and suffers –1 to hit and –1 
  damage in any fights.
  Scale: These rates are deliberately presented in hexes, not miles. See 
  Rules Systems, Scale, and the Known Lands, p6.
  W e a t h e r
  Weather consists of three factors: the general conditions or 
  temperature, any precipitation, and the presence of high winds. Conditions 
  are warm, cool, cold, or freezing. Precipitation or high winds cool 
  conditions by one level; freezing conditions become deathly. See Cold and 
  Exposure.
  Rain falls rarely in much of the Rotlands, and sometimes that has 
  an impact on play. Extremes such as drought or flooding appear in 
  What Befalls the Tribe, p48. Incidence of precipitation matters in cases 
  of dehydration, drought, and wildfire. The referee can also use the rules 
  below to provide flavor or tactical considerations on a night-to-night 
  basis.
  When the party is traveling, the weather can be determined 
  separately for each hex. Sometimes this means finding an area of mud 
  where it rained earlier, affecting travel rates, or seeing storm clouds on the 
  horizon hours before coming under them.
  Wind
  The winds in the Rotlands usually come from the west or southwest. 
  Each night has a 1 in 6 chance to experience high winds, or 1 in 4 during 
  winter. High winds can affect travel, hunting, and construction, and 
  encourage the spread of wildfire. High winds and precipitation together 
  cause driving snow or rain, turn rain to sleet in cool conditions, and reduce 
  visibility and travel speeds to near zero.
  C o n d i t i o n s  a n d  P r e c i p i t a t i o n  b y  T e r r a i n  a n d  S e a s o n
  Spring
  Summer
  Fall
  Winter
  Prime Terrain
  Cool. 
  Rain, 1 day in 4
  Warm. 
  Rainstorm, 1 day in 6
  Cool. 
  Rainstorm, 1 day in 6
  Cold. 
  Snow, 1 day in 6
  Cold Terrain
  Cold. 
  Rain, 1 day in 6
  Cool. 
  Rainstorm, 1 day in 8
  Cold. 
  Snow, 1 day in 6
  Freezing. 
  Snow, 1 day in 6
  Dry Terrain
  Cool. 
  Rain, 1 day in 8
  Warm. 
  Rain, 1 day in 10
  Cool. 
  Rain, 1 day in 10
  Cold. 
  Snow, 1 day in 8
  Cold, Dry Terrain
  Cold. 
  Rain, 1 day in 8
  Cool. 
  Rain, 1 day in 10
  Cold. 
  Snow, 1 day in 10
  Freezing. 
  Snow, 1 day in 8
  C r o s s l a n d  T r a v e l  R a t e s  i n  H e x e s  p e r  N i g h t
  Move Rate, Encounter
  Plains
  Hills or Forest
  Mountains
  Clear
  Difficult
  Clear
  Difficult
  Clear
  Difficult
  5' (Slowest rate allowing travel)
  ½
  ⅓
  ⅓
  0
  0
  0
  10'–15' (Encumbered goblins)
  1
  ½
  1
  ⅓
  ½
  0
  20'–25' (Goblins, encumbered 
  hobs, caravans, gnoll packs)
  2
  1 ½
  1 ½
  1
  1
  ⅓
  30'–35' (Hobgoblins, ogres, gnoll 
  hunters, encumbered orcs)
  3
  2
  2
  1
  1
  ½
  40' (Orcs, humans, hill giants)
  4
  2 ½
  2 ½
  2
  2
  1
  50' (Wargs, Warg Riders)
  5
  3
  3
  2 ½
  2 ½
  1 
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  52
  52
  Severity
  Optionally, the referee can roll 1d20 for severity..
   
  d20 
  Severity of Precipitation
   
  1 
  Lasts only 3d6 minutes
   
  2–5 
  Lasts 2d4 turns
   
  6–9 
  Lasts 1d6 hours
   
  10–13 
  Lasts 2d6 hours
   
  14–16 
  Lasts 4d6 hours
   
  17–19 
  Lasts 24 hours, plus roll again for continuation
   
  20 
  Disastrous. Rain becomes hail and dangerous 
  high winds. A storm spawns 1d4 tornadoes. Snow 
  becomes a white-out blizzard, dumping an inch of 
  snow every hour. Roll again on this chart for how 
  long the storm lasts before returning to the previous 
  state, then roll to see how long that persists.
  Cold and Exposure
  The dangers of cold must be improvised somewhat by the referee, lest 
  he instead have to track exact temperatures. As a simple option, a character’s 
  CON determines the number of hours he can operate outdoors without 
  risk. All values are rounded up.  When the time of exposure exceeds the 
  limit, the character must save vs. petrify each hour or take 1 hp damage. 
  The referee can use the threat of these dangers to motivate players to seek 
  shelter or suspend travel, without being bound by the exact calculations 
  given.
  Keeping a cold character moving, even just jogging in place and 
  slapping his own shoulders, moves him to the Active column. 
  Conditions
  Active
  Inactive
  Warm
  Unlimited
  Unlimited
  Cool
  Unlimited
  CON x 2 hrs
  Cold
  CON hrs
  CON / 2 hrs
  Freezing
  CON/2 hrs
  CON / 4 hrs
  Deathly
  CON/4 hrs
  CON / 6 hrs
  •	
  Cool conditions are safe except for very weak creatures left 
  exposed and unable to keep active, such as infants, the injured, 
  the ill, and the aged.
  •	
  Deathly conditions combine winter cold with precipitation or 
  high winds. With both, there is also a blizzard and very poor 
  visibility, causing those outdoors to easily become lost and 
  freeze to death.
  For exposure, conditions are modified by Immersion or Shelter.
  Immersion: When a character gets thoroughly wet, through 
  precipitation or accident, he experiences the cold at one worse level. 
  Cool becomes cold, cold turns freezing, and freezing conditions become 
  deathly. To end the effect of immersion, characters require a complete 
  change of clothes and an hour at a hot fire.
  Shelter: Improvised shelter, such as the lee of a cliff, a lean-to, or snow 
  digging, improves conditions by only one category. Reasonable shelter, 
  such as a well-made tent or wooden building, improves matters by two. 
  Caves or stone buildings improve conditions by three categories. A fire 
  improves matters by one additional category, within a range dependent 
  on its size and type of fuel. A character with heavy blankets, such as a 
  bison robe, enjoys one more improvement of conditions. Note that it is 
  seldom possible to remain active while in shelter. Examples: A character 
  soaked to the skin in freezing winds may die even after getting into a tent, 
  while solid shelter with a fire prevents danger even in a blizzard.
  W i l d f i r e
  Whether caused by lightning, incautious tribefolk, enemy action, or 
  tectonics, fire can spread quickly through parched grasses and shrubs. 
  Once flames escape control, they burn through hexes at a rate and 
  probability determined by local conditions. Any precipitation puts out 
  the fire in that hex.
  Without magical protection, no one can survive in a wildfire. It 
  leaves only blackened stones, melted metal, and scorched earth. There 
  is a 1 in 3 chance for a single significant area, chosen by the players, to 
  come through with less than total damage. Examples include a particular 
  holy icon, small building, or garden-plot sized area. The exception can 
  also apply to an important NPC with referee approval, and of course the 
  referee can choose to spare someone or something for his own purposes.
  Spread of Wildfire
  Spread is checked for each hex, and is more likely to downwind 
  hexes, typically to the northeast and east. Results after a slash are in effect 
  during high winds; for example, it takes an hour to burn across a hex of 
  green trees, or only 40 minutes if the winds are high.
  Terrain:
  Time to 
  cross a hex
  Chance of Igniting Adjacent Hex
  Downwind
  Other
  Green trees
  1 hour / 40 min
  1 in 4 / 1 in 3
  1 in 6 / 1 in 4
  Green grass 
  or dry trees
  45 min / 30 min
  1 in 3 / 1 in 2
  1 in 4 / 1 in 3
  Dry grass
  30 min / 20 min
  1 in 2 / 2 in 3
  1 in 3 / 1 in 2
  T E N DE N C Y O F  F I R E  T O  SPR E AD 
  E AST- N O R T H E AST  W I T H  T H E  W I N D
  N
  
  53
  53
  53
  A D V E N T U R E S
  D e h y d r a t i o n  +  
   S t a r v a t i o n
  The effects of insufficient food and drink on individual Rotlanders 
  can be cruel. Of the two, clean, adequate water is the more important 
  for immediate survival. The amounts described below are the minimum 
  for subsistence. If the referee chooses to impose the indicated penalties, 
  each –1 applies to all d20 rolls made by the suffering character: –1 to 
  hit, –1 on saving throws, –5% on any percentile skills, and so on. For 
  attribute rolls, the effective score is reduced by 1. The referee may also 
  reduce the character’s movement category by one when penalties reach 
  –4, and forbid running when they reach –6.
  Water
  A goblin needs two quarts of water per night, and when traveling, 
  must carry a one-quart waterskin or gourd, refilling it once. Other races 
  need four quarts and two containers. So equipped, travelers can find 
  enough water to get by, except that in Dry terrain there is no guaranteed 
  chance to refill containers. See Regions, p36. A traveler who does not 
  bring enough water with him will suffer a –2 penalty for each night after 
  the first, and cannot function normally for more than three nights, plus or 
  minus CON modifier. On the night after that, the character is reduced to 
  delirium and immobility; on the next, he dies. The rare rainstorm can be 
  a lifesaver to the ill-prepared wanderer; see Weather, p51.
  In hot weather, subsistence amounts increase by 50%.
  Alcoholic drinks dehydrate. A character who gets enough water can 
  freely drink “brew” or the like in addition. If subsisting only on alcohol, 
  small beer or watered wine can be treated as water, although consumption 
  may result in penalties due to intoxication. Ale or straight wine requires 
  25% more fluid than pure water: more than enough to affect behavior. 
  Distilled liquors cannot be used for hydration and attempts end in disaster. 
  Rotlanders don’t make such substances but often indulge freely when they 
  capture powerful Southron tipple. If desired, detailed rules on the effects 
  of alcohol appear in LESSERTON & MOR from Faster Monkey Games.
  Food
  A goblin needs two pounds of food each night, of mixed variety. An 
  orc needs four pounds mixed. Hobgoblins require four pounds per day: 
  either all fresh meat, or two pounds of dried meat and an extra quart of 
  water. Characters can survive with no food at all for a number of nights 
  equal to CON, but can expect a penalty of –1 per night after the first. This 
  is in addition to any penalty for lack of sufficient potable water.
  If forced to supplement with vegetables, hobs suffer. The referee can 
  impose a penalty of –1 on a hob who has eaten something besides meat 
  that day; if he eats no meat at all, the penalty rises to –2.
  Rations: Typical trail rations include dried mystery meat, roots, 
  tubers, and cakes of insect paste, provided by tribal superiors or acquired 
  by the pound through barter or purchase. For standard trail ratios, see 
  General Goods, p 67. At home, the tribe often boils up whatever’s handy 
  with salted rainwater, or builds big fires to cook game. 
  Warg Riders give their mounts about three pounds a night of gristle 
  and bones. Such a minimal diet keeps them ornery, and the beasts hunt 
  when possible. Scrapper dogs must eat what others throw aside.
  Substandard fare
  Individuals who get any food and water do not die from thirst or 
  hunger. However, if it is less than their usual requirements, or of unsuitable 
  substances, they suffer penalties.
  Substandard quality or insufficient quantity of provisions have the 
  same effect. Characters forced to these circumstances suffer penalties 
  every other night, to a maximum of –6.
  Substandard quality fare includes turned meat, spoiled rations, 
  scraps instead of good meat, or drinking urine or stagnant water.
  Getting less than half the needed food and water, of any quality, 
  affects the character like total starvation, except that he does not die. 
  Penalties cap at –10.
  D r o u g h t  +  F a m i n e
  When supplies run short for everyone, not just a few wanderers, 
  the situation becomes serious. In any month when supplies of water or 
  food are insufficient to support the population, a tribe suffers a month 
  of Famine. Any ill tribe members die, as do 10% of infants. Normal tribe 
  members are penalized –6 on all d20 rolls, as for Substandard Fare.
  Leaders of 2nd level or 2 HD and above command sufficient fare 
  to avoid penalties, but in winter, aged folk of any rank must save versus 
  poison or fall ill. A second month of Famine will kill them.
  PCs have the opportunity to gain serious Reputation if they can find 
  a way to save the tribe from these effects, such as by trading or raiding to 
  get more food or discovering a new water source. Even small scores are 
  appreciated, if enough to save one tribe member.
  F o r a g i n g
  Omnivorous Rotlanders can sometimes live off the land, carrying 
  rations only for extreme circumstances. Availability of forage varies 
  by terrain type. Productivity given assumes no more than six travelers 
  scouring the same area; for seven to a dozen, the hex counts as one worse.
  Each hex also drops one level in productivity during winter.
  Hobgoblins and gnolls must hunt instead, or carry preserved meat. 
  See Hunting for Meat.
  P r o d u c t i v i t y  o f  F o r a g i n g 
  b y  T e r r a i n
  Prime terrain: Foraging always successful the first day in the hex. Does 
  not affect travel rate.
  Sparse terrain: It takes a day to gather forage that will last 1d6 days. 
  Groups must spread out to search.
  Harsh terrain: To live off the land, every other day must be spent spread 
  out and foraging.
  Desolate terrain: No significant foraging available.
  Party’s home hex: The home hex can be scavenged as if one terrain type 
  better, once a month.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  54
  54
  H u n t i n g  f o r  M e a t
  An animal carcass yields good meat equal to about 20% of its weight 
  while alive. Another 20% is unappetizing organs, tendons, and other 
  semi-edible parts. Hide, depending on skin type, makes up 5% to 15% in 
  a wet, uncured state. Blood is 10%; bones, up to 40%. Thus a 100-pound 
  animal yields 20 lbs of meat suitable for any palate and 20 lbs of scraps. 
  Scraps suffice for canines, including gnolls, but don’t count as good 
  provender for PC races; see Substandard Fare, p53. Boiled, salted, and 
  dried, scraps can at least become mystery meat jerky. If carefully caught, 
  blood can be used for sausages.
  Weights given are for adult male animals. Young animals have 
  roughly ¼ the weight, and adult females have ¾, but the referee can 
  ignore this for simplicity and assume all prey are bulls.
  To harvest the meat, the animal must be hung up and bled, which 
  takes rope, handy trees or poles, a sharp weapon, and about ten minutes 
  per 10 lbs of meat yield. Butchering requires a similar amount of time in 
  addition. Thus thoroughly cutting up a bison bull with 400 lbs of meat 
  takes two people about three and a half hours.
  Mongers will buy decent meat, not obviously cut from carnivores or 
  sapients, on an Availability roll (2d6, p65) of 7 or less in the Rotlands and 
  9 or less in Selkirk or at Moot. For a non-Monger seller, prices below are 
  subject to a Barter Roll (p63), and demand caps at 1d100 lbs.
  Fresh meat is bled and butchered. Meat turns rapidly bad unless 
  preserved: by the end of the next night in cool weather, or the night after 
  that when it’s very cold. In hot weather, rare in the Rotlands, it turns in 
  a matter of hours. Mongers buy fresh meat for 7 ip per pound, but not if 
  it’s about to turn.
  Brining meat takes a pint of cleanish water and an ounce of salt (7 
  ip value) per pound of meat. It must soak one hour per pound. Brined 
  meat can be kept from spoiling for two weeks. Cost to preserve: 7 ip per 
  original pound. Weight increases by 50%, for which Mongers pay about 
  10 ip per pound. They then salt, smoke, or jerky it before market.
  Blood sausage: The sausager mixes the blood with convenient filler 
  such as onions, grains, panbread flour, stale crumbs, or edible leaves. 
  The mixture is stuffed into cleaned intestine casings and boiled until it 
  solidifies, whereupon it will last for 1d6 months if kept dry. Each pound of 
  sausage requires a quart of blood (2 lbs) and 10 ip worth of salt and filler, 
  and an experienced sausager with complete gear can stuff and boil 20 lbs 
  a night. Mongers buy the sausage for 20 ip per pound. 
  Salting meat requires half a pound of salt (100 ip value) for each 
  10 lbs of meat. Thoroughly salting down the meat takes an hour for each 
  10 lbs. Salt meat lasts for four months over the winter or two months 
  in summer. Cost to preserve: 10 ip per pound of original weight. Final 
  weight drops to half, for which Mongers pay up to 40 ip per pound. Salt 
  meat should be thoroughly rinsed before eating.
  Smoking meat requires a low fire, a careful setup to funnel the 
  smoke past the meat, and some provision against thieving scavengers. The 
  smoke keeps insects away as the meet dries and incidentally adds flavor. 
  Maintaining the fire for 24 hours requires 100 ip worth of fuel, e.g. 20 lbs of 
  seasoned hardwood, 100 lbs of brush, or some combination, for 50 pounds 
  of meat. After a week in the smoke, the  dried meat lasts for three months. 
  Cost to preserve: 14 ip per pound of original weight. Dried weight is 1/3 
  original, saleable for 75 ip per pound.
  Jerkying, a combination of salting, smoking, and drying, produces 
  jerky, tough meat strips which retain their quality for six months or more. 
  Cost to preserve: 24 ip per pound of original weight. Jerkied weight is 1/4 
  original; each dry pound can be sold for 150 ip. Jerky must be soaked or 
  boiled, or eaten with a good deal of water to drink.
  Approximate Yield by Carcass Type
  Carcass
  Meat
  Scraps
  Bones
  Badger
  5 lbs
  5 lbs
  3 lbs
  Bear, black
  60
  60
  75
  Bear, cave*
  200
  200
  250
  Bird, normal
  0.5
  0.5
  0.25
  Bison
  400
  400
  600
  Boar
  25
  25
  25
  Chicken
  2
  1
  1 
  Dog, scrapper or wild
  7
  7
  5
  Emu
  16
  16
  16
  Ferret, giant* (3' long)
  12
  12
  12
  Frog, giant (2' long)
  10
  10
  10
  Gnoll*
  32
  32
  32
  Goat
  15
  15
  12
  Goblin
  10
  10
  8
  Hawk, giant (5' tall)
  15
  15
  10
  Hill Giant (12' tall)
  280
  280
  350
  Hobgoblin*
  28
  28
  25
  Human (6' tall)
  36
  36
  36
  Leprechaun
  5
  5
  3
  Mountain lion*
  30
  30
  25
  Ogre (8' tall)
  85
  85
  100
  Orc / Orkin (6' tall)
  36
  36
  36
  Panther*
  24
  24
  20
  Pig, full grown, domestic
  60
  60
  60
  Pig, full grown, wild
  45
  45
  45
  Rabbit
  1
  1
  1
  Reindeer
  50
  50
  50
  Sheep
  30
  30
  25
  Snake, pit viper (5')
  4
  4
  3
  Snake, giant python (20')
  65
  50
  35
  Spider, giant*
  10
  10
  –
  Warg*
  30
  30
  30
  Weasel, giant* (9' long)
  90
  90
  100
  Wolf*
  16
  16
  12
  Wolverine*
  8
  8
  10
  Yeti* (9' tall)
  120
  120
  150
  Other, per HD†
  10
  10
  10
  * The flesh of these carnivores is particularly rank and unpleasant to eat.
  Italics indicate a sapient creature; eating such prey violates many people’s 
  ideas of morality and aesthetics.
  † For quick estimation only.
  
  55
  55
  55
  A D V E N T U R E S
  Hides
  PCs who bother to track, kill, and dress prey may wish to know the 
  use or value of the creature’s hide. Mongers and Mooters can employ these 
  details in trade.
  Skinning
  So long as flint knives or better tools are to hand, carefully removing 
  an animal’s skin takes about five minutes per pound of hide. In a rush, or 
  with improvised tools, a DEX roll is needed to prevent tearing the skin. Wet 
  skins rot quickly, drawing predators and insect swarms, so collectors must 
  do at least a field dressing, scraping off excess flesh and gore, which takes 
  as long as the skinning did. The object is now a pelt, and can be transported 
  for up to a week without rotting. If rubbed in a great deal of salt, the pelt 
  will last indefinitely, but requires laborious soaking and rinsing before 
  further use. Tanners pay about 1 ip per pound for uncured pelts.
  Curing
  Every bit of flesh and fat must be scraped off the hide. Then it is 
  stretched out to dry in a place safe from scavengers and rain. Again, 
  unprofessional efforts can easily tear the hide. Thorough drying takes a 
  day for each 10 lbs of the pelt. Then it becomes rawhide. It has hair or fur 
  on one side and dry, stiff hide on the other. In this state it can be worn as 
  coarse clothing or used in craft. Rawhide has about half the original skin 
  weight, or ⅔ if it has luxuriant fur. To further refine the hide requires 
  tanning. Tanners buy rawhide for about 3 ip per pound.
  Tanning
  Rawhide can be processed into two final forms: leather or furs. For 
  leather, all the hair must be removed, first by a good soak in urine and 
  then by rubbing the hair off with a blunt tool such as a reindeer antler.
  To soften the hide, whether furred or dehaired, the tanner stretches 
  it again and thoroughly massages it with greasy substances like scrapper 
  dog dung and livestock brains. It takes a day for each hide to absorb this 
  treatment. For skins with the hair left on, the treatment is applied only to 
  the skin side, followed by stretching and drying for a week. The result is 
  a fur, suitable for lining boots and clothes, or use as a rug if large enough. 
  It weighs about half the original skin weight. Mooters buy furs for about 
  20 ip per pound.
  For leather, the hairless, greased-up skin spends another week 
  alternating between soaks in a pickling solution of oak bark and more 
  stretching. The result is pliable leather with a brown stain, having only ¼ 
  of the original skin’s weight. Three to four pounds makes a square yard of 
  good leather, for which Mooters will pay a tanner about 35 ip. Torn bits, 
  scraps, and strings go for 5 ip per pound.
  Rotlands Animals with Worthwhile Hides
  1. Pelts
  Pelt
  Weight
  Buying?
  Price
  Badger
  3 lbs
  6
  2.5 ip
  Bear, black
  30 lbs
  8
  30 ip
  Bear, cave
  100 lbs
  9
  100 ip
  Bison
  250 lbs
  10
  250 ip
  Ferret, giant
  6 lbs
  7
  5 ip
  Mountain lion
  15 lbs
  5
  15 ip
  Panther
  12 lbs
  5
  12 ip
  Panther, all-black
  12 lbs
  8
  15 ip
  Reindeer
  25 lbs
  9
  25 ip
  Sheep
  18 lbs
  11
  25 ip
  Snake, pit viper
  1.5 lbs
  5
  1 ip
  Snake, giant python
  30 lbs
  6
  30 ip
  Warg
  17 lbs
  10
  18 ip
  Warg, all-white
  17 lbs
  12
  24 ip
  Weasel, giant
  45 lbs
  8
  45 ip
  Wolf
  9 lbs
  9
  10 ip
  Wolverine
  4 lbs
  5
  4 ip
  2. Rawhide
  Hide
  Weight
  Buying?
  Price
  Badger
  1.5 lbs
  6
  4.5 ip
  Bear, black
  18 lbs
  8
  54 ip
  Bear, cave
  55 lbs
  9
  165 ip
  Bison
  150 lbs
  10
  450 ip
  Ferret, giant
  4 lbs
  7
  12 ip
  Mountain lion
  7 lbs
  5
  20 ip
  Panther
  6 lbs
  5
  15 ip
  Panther, all-black
  6 lbs
  8
  24 ip
  Reindeer
  15 lbs
  9
  45 ip
  Sheep
  14 lbs
  11
  45 ip
  Warg
  12 lbs
  10
  36 ip
  Warg, all-white
  12 lbs
  12
  48 ip
  Weasel, giant
  45 lbs
  8
  75 ip
  Wolf
  6 lbs
  9
  18 ip
  Wolverine
  1.5 lbs
  5
  4.5 ip
  3. Furs
  Fur
  Weight
  Buying?
  Price
  Bearskin, black
  12 lb
  8
  120 ip
  Bearskin, cave
  35 lb
  9
  350 ip
  Bison robe
  100 lb
  10
  1,000 ip
  Sheepskin, wooly
  12 lb
  11
  120 ip
  Warg fur
  10 lb
  10
  100 ip
  Warg, all-white fur
  10 lb
  12
  130 ip
  Wolfskin
  5 lb
  9
  50 ip
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  56
  56
  R A N D O M  E N C O U N T E R S
  Each region of the Rotlands has its own distinct population of 
  animals, people, and monsters. The chart below gives random examples 
  of potentially exciting encounters that PCs might have when exploring.
  “Local” always refer to the tribe that claims the hex. To adjudicate 
  encounters properly, it is best if the referee knows who occupies the 
  current hex, and therefore counts as a “local,” randomizing on p22 if 
  necessary. Some Oddity results will affect what encounters can occur. 
  “Intruders” are Rotlanders from other tribes, randomized on p22 as well, 
  and probably up to no good.
  Odds of an encounter are rolled once per day and once per night on 
  1d6, with the chances varying by lushness of the terrain. In winter, only 
  one check is needed, with a 50% chance each to occur by day or night.
  If an encounter occurs, the referee might choose to roll again for a 
  possible second encounter occurring 2d6–2 hours after the first, with zero 
  indicating near simultaneity.
  S u r v i v a b i l i t y
  Most encounters should include possibilities other than an 
  immediate fight to the death. A Monster Reaction Roll can suggest how 
  the encountered creatures react to the PC group, but the referee must still 
  make a judgment call. Gnoll hunters are always hungry; spotting a large 
  group, they may stalk for a time looking for a chance to pick off stragglers, 
  but surely won’t just walk away. Rotlander Warriors always wish to attack 
  rival tribes, but each group has its own approach: Foot Goblins value 
  discretion, while hobgoblins use tactics and may send messengers back to 
  their tribe, and orcs can’t really restrain themselves from frontal assault.
  Noticing and Distance
  Herds on the move, merchant caravans, gnoll packs, and entire 
  Hearth Orc tribes on a food drive are all easily spotted from far away. 
  Patrols and predators, however, may very well spot the party first; an 
  unseen foe who decides not to attack might never come the party’s 
  attention at all.
  Example
  A random encounter indicates ogre hunters. Rather than set an 
  encounter range and start rolling initiative, the referee lets the PCs spot 
  the monsters from a distance and decide what to do: Hide, attack, flee? 
  Run to warn the tribe? The ogres are passing through looking for easy 
  meat, and unless a PC does something rash and attention-getting, they 
  represent a hazard, not an immediate and probably one-sided fight.
  Exception: No Rest for the Wicked
  Just as in any interesting place, life in the Rotlands is not fair. 
  Characters who suffer extreme Reputation penalties, such as by betraying 
  or abandoning their home tribe, tend to have bad luck. The mystical 
  protection of generations of Shamans is withdrawn from them, and the 
  referee is justified in playing out every encounter at full nastiness without 
  regard for survivability.
  E n c o u n t e r  E x p l a n a t i o n s
  Boar sounder: A pack of wild boars, resting.
  Camps include the same number of creatures as a waking encounter. 
  Hobgoblins, Mooters, and humans camp by night with sentries, a banked 
  watch-fire, and a supply of torches. Hill giants snore in a heap by night. 
  Orcs and goblins camp by day. Hearth Orc patrols include a scrapper dog 
  who will wake very easily and bark an alarm. Foot Goblin patrols also 
  have a dog, and set snares around the camp. Warg Riders count on their 
  mounts to awaken them.
  Caravans, Human and Mooter, are large, armed, cautious groups. Details 
  appear on p74 et seq.
  Free Hob patrol: The hobgoblins roam far afield and brave the daylight 
  when others hide.
  Gnolls: See p29.
  Gnoll bachelor pack: Six immature males.
  Gnolls, hunters: Six adult males.
  Hill giants come into the Rotlands to raid.
  Human raiders are bands of lawless brigands with Southron arms (p71). 
  They look to kill, loot, and steal livestock, either in imagined revenge 
  against Rotlanders or for simple profit. A typical group is eight 1st level 
  Fighters (AC: 7, 7 hp, leather armor and shield, shortsword, short bow) 
  with a 2nd level leader (AC: 4, 18 hp, brigandine and shield, longsword, 
  long bow, lance, warhorse, +1 to hit and damage).
  Insect swarms appear in a large cloud around a nest or food source, and 
  will not attack unless disturbed. A character who stumbles into one can 
  easily be bitten to death. Alert parties may have to leave the trail and work 
  around the infested area.
  Intruder Patrol: Warriors of a tribe hostile to the locals. Type can be 
  randomized on p22 or taken from a known nearby tribe.
  Local gatherers: A Work Group or Gatherer Band from the local tribe.
  Local herders: The local tribe sends their herders to tend the animals 
  during the day. 
  Local patrol: In the case of hobgoblin locals, a nighttime encounter is 
  with a guarded camp.
  Spirit Encounters: See below.
  Storms and gusts: These weather anomalies come out of nowhere, 
  regardless of season, and end just as suddenly. Severity can be rolled on 
  p52, using 1d6 instead of 1d20.
  Troll: Only one appears. So feared are these monsters that a tribe will 
  send dozens of warriors with pitch and torches to kill one.
  Wild herd animals are untended, but nearby tribesfolk may claim them 
  as an exclusive larder. There is a 1 in 6 chance that a predator or local 
  patrol comes around to kill a few animals. Emu at night are nesting with 
  2d20 well-defended eggs, a valuable food.
  
  57
  57
  57
  A D V E N T U R E S
  R a n d o m  E n c o u n t e r s  b y  R e g i o n  ~  D a y
  d20
  Borderlands
  Riverwood
  Gob Stretch
  Rushing 
  River Valley
  Sweet Plains
  Drastic 
  Steppe
  Greyrakes
  Doghead 
  Peaks
  1
  Bison, wild
  Black bear
  Clouds form 
  faces, skulls, 
  or pattern
  Black bear
  Bison, wild
  Emu, wild
  Black bear
  Free Hob 
  patrol
  2
  Boars
  Giant hawk
  Free Hob 
  patrol
  Free Hob 
  patrol
  Giant Hawk
  3
  Deadfall 
  across path
  Grizzly bear
  Dust storm
  Giant hawk
  Free Hob 
  patrol
  Gnoll bachelor 
  pack
  4
  Burst of wind 
  ripples grass 
  for miles
  Dryad
  Hill giants
  Freshet
  Emu, wild
  Gnoll hunters
  Freshet
  Gnoll pack, 
  asleep
  5
  Fog, sudden
  Free Hob 
  patrol
  Giant hawk
  Goats, wild
  6
  Emu, wild
  Free Hob 
  patrol
  Ghostly 
  shapes in a 
  sudden mist
  Giant shrew
  Free Hob 
  patrol
  Goats, wild
  7
  Giant black 
  widows
  Local herders
  Goats, wild
  Hot spring
  Hail storm
  8
  Free Hob 
  patrol
  Giant frog
  Insect swarm, 
  1d3 HD
  Hill giants
  9
  Human 
  merchants
  Giant python
  Local gatherers 
  river fishing
  Local herders
  Hyenas
  Hill giants
  10
  Insect swarm, 
  1d4 HD
  Local herders
  Local herders
  11
  Human raiders
  Leprechaun
  Local herders
  Gnolls, hunters
  12
  Insect swarm, 
  1d3 HD
  Marshy ground
  Ogres, hunters
  Goats, wild
  13
  Local herders
  Pixies
  Reindeer, wild
  14
  Pool, stagnant, 
  odd-smelling
  15
  Squirrels (?) 
  throwing nuts
  Mooter 
  caravan
  Mooter 
  caravan
  Ogres, hunters
  Hill giants
  16
  Mooter 
  caravan
  Statue, old
  Ogres, hunters
  Ogres, hunters
  Sandstorm
  Ogres, hunters
  Rockslide
  17
  Ogres, hunting
  Stirges
  Wolverine
  River jammed 
  with logs 
  or stones
  Pit vipers
  Sheep, wild
  Path wiped out
  Snow crust 
  ahead, possibly 
  hollow
  18
  Pit vipers
  Thorn bushes 
  block path
  Wolves
  Rockslide
  Sheep, wild
  Rockslide
  Winter wolves
  19
  Wild dogs
  Treant
  Spirit 
  Encounter
  Stirges
  Vultures
  Troll
  Wolves
  20
  Wolverine
  Spirit 
  Encounter
  Troll
  Wild dogs
  Wild dogs
  Wolves
  Yeti
  C h a n c e  o f  E n c o u n t e r 
  b y  T e r r a i n  Q u a l i t y
  Prime terrain: 3 in 6
  Sparse terrain: 2 in 6
  Harsh terrain: 2 in 6
  Desolate terrain: 1 in 6
  Roll once per day and once per night, or only one in winter.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  58
  58
  R a n d o m  E n c o u n t e r s  b y  R e g i o n  ~  N i g h t
  d20
  Borderlands
  Riverwood
  Gob Stretch
  Rushing 
  River Valley
  Sweet Plains
  Drastic 
  Steppe
  Greyrakes
  Doghead 
  Peaks
  1
  Badger
  Boar sounder
  Cave bear
  Cave bear
  Bison, wild, 
  asleep
  Caravan, long 
  dead and dry
  Cold stream
  Gnoll bachelor 
  pack
  2
  Bison, wild, 
  asleep
  Cave bear
  Face-like stain 
  on moon
  Giant owl
  Cave bear
  Emu, wild, 
  asleep
  Cliffside path 
  unstable
  Gnoll pack
  3
  Deadfall 
  across path
  Giant owl
  Goats, wild, 
  asleep
  Emu, wild, 
  asleep
  Giant weasel
  Dead, thorny 
  brush blocks 
  path
  4
  Cave bear
  Giant ferret
  Gnolls, hunters
  Giant weasel
  Gnolls, hunters
  Gnolls, hunters
  5
  Emu, wild, 
  asleep
  Glowing 
  fungus on 
  ground shows 
  party’s tracks
  Hill giant camp
  Intruder patrol
  Intruder patrol
  Goats, wild, 
  asleep
  6
  Giant ferret
  Gust of 
  laughter blows 
  out torches
  Intruder patrol
  Local gatherers
  Goats, wild, 
  asleep
  Hill giant camp
  7
  Human 
  merchant camp
  Intruder patrol
  Local gatherers
  Hill giant camp
  Intruder patrol
  8
  Human 
  signal fires in 
  the south
  Local gatherers
  Local gatherers
  Intruder patrol
  Local gatherers
  Gnolls, hunters
  9
  Intruder patrol
  Local gatherers
  10
  Goats, wild, 
  asleep
  11
  Local gatherers
  Local patrol
  Local patrol
  Local patrol
  12
  Local patrol
  Hill giant camp
  13
  Marshy ground
  Mooter camp
  Local patrol
  Local patrol
  Mountain lion
  14
  Old webs 
  choke the area
  Mountain lion
  Lone tree with 
  hundreds 
  of crows
  15
  Local patrol
  Panther
  Panther
  Path washed 
  out
  Mooter camp
  Mountain lion
  Rockslide
  16
  Treant
  Reindeer, 
  wild, asleep
  Rockslide
  Mountain lion
  Oasis
  Mountain lion
  Sudden bolt 
  of lightning
  17
  Millions of 
  insects emit 
  rhythmic 
  buzzes or lights
  Troll
  Troll
  Sheep, wild, 
  asleep
  Sheep, wild, 
  asleep
  Wargs
  Winter wolves
  18
  Mooter camp
  Will-O-Wisp
  Troll
  Wargs
  Wild dogs, 
  asleep
  Troll
  Wolves
  Wolves
  19
  Wolves
  Wargs
  Wolves
  Wolves
  Wolves
  Wild dogs, 
  asleep
  Spirit 
  Encounter
  20
  Spirit 
  Encounter
  Spirit 
  Encounter
  Spirit 
  Encounter
  Spirit 
  Encounter
  Spirit 
  Encounter
  Spirit 
  Encounter
  Spirit 
  Encounter
  
  59
  59
  59
  A D V E N T U R E S
  S p i r i t  E n c o u n t e r s
  Far more varied and potentially frightening than just a list of undead 
  monsters, the frequent spiritual manifestations in the Rotlands make life 
  even more difficult than the harsh terrain would alone, and likewise serve 
  to discourage more powerful races from settling here.
  Each spirit lingers, diffused, over a large area—large enough to 
  enclose most groups. If needed, the area can be estimated at 3d6 x 10' in 
  diameter. The encounter occurs when the group enters the area affected. 
  All characters, NPCs, and animals feel uneasiness: A chill runs up every 
  spine; those with hair on their necks feel it rise; beasts whine unhappily. 
  Typically, the spirit manifests the next round.
  Some spirits affect everyone in the area; others focus on a single 
  target. If the spirit affects only one individual, every PC makes a WIS 
  roll: 1d20 plus Wisdom score. Whoever has the lowest total suffers the 
  effect of the spirit. Ties fall to the lowest Wisdom, or else require a quick 
  roll-off. The referee can roll randomly for a target instead, or assume that 
  the spirit’s curse affects an important NPC, so that the players must try 
  to find a cure.
  Agony: A being suffered great torments of the body in this area, and 
  its tortured soul lingers. From its own inescapable memories, the free-
  floating Agony inflicts horrible, wracking pains on every living thing in the 
  area. Each victim must make a saving throw vs. paralysis. Those who save 
  can stand and move at a walk, although at –4 to hit and –2 DEX for the 
  duration. Those who fail the save fall to the ground, writhing, unable to act. 
  The pains persist for 3d6 minutes, and every five full minutes inflicts 1 hp 
  of damage. 
  Barrow: Here, the angry dead still cling to the bodies they used in 
  life. If a Shaman is leading a group of travelers, scouting ahead, he can 
  make an INT roll to detect the signs of old funeral mounds or markings, 
  and thus avoid the barrow. Otherwise, the group stumbles onto the burial 
  ground, and the undead make a Reaction Roll modified by the Charisma 
  of the person leading the group. On a result of 5 or less, the dead stay 
  quiet, allowing the group to pass, although not without the usual eerie 
  feelings caused by any spirit encounter. On a 6–8, ghostly shapes rise 
  from the earth. The referee rolls the number of bodies, below, but they 
  represent as a single spirit with their total HD. Any Shaman present who 
  has a chance to affect such a spirit gets a chance to Rebuke them, in which 
  case they return to their rest. If the Rebuke fails, or if the initial Reaction 
  is 9 or higher, the spirits fade and the bodies themselves burst out and 
  attack. Due to pulling themselves out of the soil, the undead have no 
  chance to surprise, but they roll for initiative normally.
   
  2d6 
  Bodies in Barrow
   
  2–5 
  3d6 goblin skeletons (½ HD, AC 6, hp 3, claw 1d3)
   
  6–8 
  3d4 orc skeletons or goblin zombies (1 HD, AC 7, hp 4, claw 1d4)
   
  9 
  2d6 hobgoblin skeletons (1+1 HD, AC 7, hp 5,  claw 1d6)
   
  10 
  2d4 orc zombies (2 HD, AC 8, hp 8, claw 1d8)
   
  11 
  1d6 hobgoblin zombies (2+2 HD, AC 8, hp 11, claw 1d8)
   
  12 
  1d6 orc ghouls (2 HD, save as F3, AC 6, hp 9, claw/claw/bite @ 
  1d3 plus save or paralyzed 2d4 turns; slain victims eaten, or else 
  rise as ghouls the next night). There is a 1 in 8 chance that a huge 
  ghoul leads the rest; it has 16 hp, a bronze helm, and a bronze 
  short sword +1 (one claw and one sword attack per round).
  Each group of bodies is 50% likely to bear bronze burial ornaments 
  worth 2d6 x 5 ip per individual.
   
  Coalescence: Something malicious presses against the fabric of the 
  world in this place, struggling to achieve physical form. To do so, it must 
  liberate the tissues, bones, and fluids of living things, warping them into 
  the matrix of its own desire. The coalescence first appears as a flickering 
  shape; the referee rolls or chooses its form below, but describes it only 
  vaguely, as a pattern of glows and shadows. Animals flee, but the shape 
  exerts a fascination affect on every intelligent being in the area. All PCs 
  save vs. spells; those who fail walk toward the shape at their usual pace. 
  NPCs without levels head for it automatically. The first person to reach 
  the shape, if no one stops him, steps into the glowing form and suffers 
  a shock of energy. A 0-level NPC dies; anyone else suffers 2d8 damage. 
  Each round, a surviving victim can try a new saving throw to escape the 
  fascination; otherwise he stays in the light, which inflicts another 2d8 
  shock. When someone dies within the shape, the form brightens its glow 
  at once, and begins sucking the very blood and flesh and bones into itself 
  in a nasty, hissing mist. Each round it gains 1 HD from the victim until all 
  are gone. After sucking life, the coalescence is more solid. If encountered 
  in future, saves against its fascination power are at –1 per HD it has 
  absorbed. When it reaches 6 HD total, it becomes fully real, and sets out 
  to destroy as many living things as it can. Whether all creatures of these 
  types come from coalescing, extraplanar incursions, none can say.
  S h a m a n s  +   S p i r i t  E n c o u n t e r s
  On first encountering any spirit manifestation, a Shaman can attempt 
  to quell the unnatural consciousness by loudly invoking certain words of 
  power. This Rebuke attempt is treated as a Cleric turning undead, but 
  without the need to roll for number affected. Each spirit encounter listed 
  below includes its effective “hit dice” for purposes of Rebuking; almost 
  all require a Shaman of at least 4th level to Rebuke. A successful Rebuke 
  quiets the spirit for 1d6 turns. A result of “T” (automatic turning) quells 
  the spirit for 24 hours, while a result of “D” (destroyed) banishes the spirit 
  permanently. A banished spirit might, however, recur if circumstances 
  invite it; for example, a bloody battle might revive a War-cloud previously 
  known to haunt the area.
  A Shaman who Rebukes a particular spirit cannot do so again until 
  the sun has risen and set. A Shaman who fails cannot try again on that 
  spirit until he goes up in level.
  The exorcise spell can also banish a spirit. Each turn that the exorcism 
  is unsuccessful, the caster must save vs. spells or trigger the full usual 
  effect of the spirit encounter.
   S p i r i t  E n c o u n t e r  T y p e s
   
  d20 
  Spirit Encounter 
  Affects 
  HD
   
  1–3 
  Agony 
  All 
  8
   
  4–7 
  Barrow 
  Special 
  var
   
  8–9 
  Coalescence 
  All/Special 
  6
   
   10 
  Hate Elemental 
  Special 
  6
   
  11–12 
  Imp of the Perverse 
  All 
  8
   
  13 
  Night-mare 
  Individual 
  7
   
  14–17 
  Restless Soul 
  Individual 
  9
   
  18 
  Spirit of the Void 
  Individual 
  9
   
  19–20 
  War-cloud 
  All 
  8
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  60
  60
   
  d8 
  Coalescence Form
   
  1 
  Basilisk
   
  2 
  Hell Hound
   
  3 
  Nightmare
   
  4 
  Ogre Mage
   
  5 
  Otyugh
   
  6 
  Phase Tiger
   
  7 
  Troll
   
  8 
  Wind Walker
  Hate Elemental: When it manifests, this spirit of insensate evil 
  soaks into every inanimate object in the area, bringing them to unnatural 
  life in a fashion similar to the animate objects spell. Even objects loosely 
  carried on a person, such as a scabbarded sword, are affected, though not 
  magical objects or those tightly gripped, sealed in a container, or worn 
  as clothing or armor. Most objects can’t fly, so they fall to the ground 
  and crawl or writhe toward all living creatures present, attempting to 
  beat them to death. The referee must decide, based on the number and 
  type of items present, how effective the objects are. Swarms of rocks roll 
  and bounce, and each person in the area suffers one attack per round 
  as a 6 HD monster, doing 1d4 damage on a hit. In addition, weapons 
  that squirm free from their scabbards bend unnaturally to strike at their 
  former possessors, inflicting 1d6 damage per hit.
  The animation lasts 2d6 minutes. The first object of significant size to 
  leave the area, generally the most dangerous one, becomes permanently 
  animated, and will pursue those who disturbed it until destroyed, Rebuked 
  by a Shaman, or subjected to a successful dispel magic against an 11th-
  level caster. A large stone has AC 5, 16 hp. A weapon has AC 1 if steel, 
  AC 3 if bronze or iron, AC 5 if stone, or AC 7 if wooden, and hp equal to 
  its normal maximum damage. Should a Hate Elemental get the chance 
  to possess a statue or a dead body, it may become a monster such as a 
  skeleton or zombie, an animated stone statue, or even a gargoyle.
  Few know this, but it was Hate Elementals, summoned by the Baron 
  to defend the city, that demolished Great Mor.
  Imp of the Perverse: An inhuman spirit of chaos tickles the hidden 
  minds of all present, loosing notions usually kept down by rational 
  thought. Every PC makes a WIS roll: 1d20 + Wisdom score, with these 
  results:
   d20+WIS 
  Perversity
   
  <10 
  Referee takes control of the character for 3d4 rounds and 
  makes him do something counter to his usual behavior, 
  preferably in a way that represents repressed thoughts 
  coming out. For example, a gruff Warrior might embrace 
  his fellow fighter, weeping and saying how much he loves 
  him; a Shaman might start an argument or attempt to find 
  and drink every bit of alcohol in the party; a Monger might 
  succumb for once to the temptation to just wantonly waste 
  or use up some important resource; any character might 
  suddenly lie down for a nap, or strip naked and strut about, 
  or start screaming out barely-rhyming insults and sing-
  song obscenities while grinning in huge enjoyment. The 
  referee might allow the players to choose the character’s 
  action, if they can be trusted to milk it, as for result 10–20.
   
  10–20 
  Similar to above, but the player invents an uncharacteristic 
  action for the character to undertake. The funnier it is, the 
  more XP the referee might choose to award the party for 
  living through this encounter.
   
  ≥21 
  The character is unaffected, except perhaps for an 
  irrational spasm of giggling, anger, or fear.
  NPCs and animals act as the referee dictates. Male animals often try 
  to hump something.
  Night-mare: The affected individual feels a snort of hot breath on 
  his neck, and hears a malicious death-whinny. He may find that he has 
  stumbled over the print of an unshod hoof, sunk into solid rock or burned 
  into the soil. Nothing further happens until the next time he falls asleep. 
  Then, no matter where he may be, a night-mare appears: a huge black she-
  horse with eyes of fire. The beast attacks with a bite as a 7 HD monster. 
  When it hits, instead of doing damage, it tosses the victim onto its back 
  and instantly rides into the Spirit World. The night-mare gallops through 
  foggy unreality at insane speed, while the rider sees the rapidly-shifting 
  landscape of the physical world. His awful mount charges at mountains 
  and monsters, only to pass straight through; speeds into scenes of fire and 
  bloodshed; leaps off cliffs; passes among ghosts and malevolent spirits, 
  and otherwise terrorizes its hapless victim. If the passenger lets go of the 
  creature’s mane for even a moment, he spills from its back and tumbles into 
  the void, permanently trapped in the Spirit World (possibly to become a 
  Restless Soul; see below). If he hangs on, the beast returns him to his 
  starting point after ten horrifying hours, then vanishes. The victim gets 
  no rest, no natural healing, and no chance to memorize spells. He takes 
  1 hp damage that will not heal until he gets a full night’s sleep. The night-
  mare returns the next time, and every time, the character falls asleep, until 
  someone kills it, he receives a remove curse or exorcise successful against 
  6th level, he dies, or the hell-beast is somehow prevented from reaching 
  him for an entire night. Certain rituals might surround the character 
  with magical wards, which the night-mare is sure to test to their limits. A 
  Shaman of at least 5th level can also try to Rebuke the thing, but success 
  only gives 1d6 turns of respite. If the PCs are involved in an interesting 
  quest to solve the night-mare’s curse, the referee might allow the victim 
  to benefit from 1 hp of healing magic per day if he makes a saving throw 
  vs. death. If fought, the night-mare has AC 0, HD 7, 56 hp, 3 attacks (bites 
  for 1d6 plus two kicks for 1d6+4), saves F6, Morale 10, Move 50'/Fly 120'. 
  It flees to the Spirit World if seriously threatened, to return again for its 
  victim the next day.
  
  61
  61
  61
  A D V E N T U R E S
  Restless Soul: A former mortal hovers in the spirit realm, unable 
  to let go of some concern from its life. It attempts to place its curse on 
  each PC who enters the area, choosing those of its own race by preference 
  (1d6: 1–3 goblin, 4–5 orc, 6 hobgoblin; random gender). When someone 
  falls victim, a vaporous form appears. In a whispery voice, which the 
  victim can hear clearly no matter what, the soul says, “By the bitterness 
  of my death I compel you … you must complete my earthly task or suffer 
  a blight upon your soul.” The victim suffers from the equivalent of the 
  quest spell. The soul is not reasonable and lacks the presence to answer 
  questions beyond the basic information. Every time a full day passes 
  during which the victim has not at least tried to make progress on his 
  quest, the spirit tortures him with pains and quivers. He must make a 
  save vs. spells each night; the first time he fails, one of his physical scores 
  drops by half. 1d6: 1–2 Strength; 3–4 Dexterity; 5–6 Constitution. Only 
  one score loss happens, but it is permanent until the quest is completed, 
  or the compulsion is removed by a Shaman successfully casting exorcise as 
  against a 9th-level caster. The referee can invent a quest, using it to force 
  the players in the direction he desires, or use this table for random quests 
  and inspiration.
   
  d4 
  Quest
   
  1 
  “Slay the monster that killed me.” A monster of some kind still 
  lurks nearby, and the soul cannot rest until it is slain. 1d6: 1–4, 
  Cave Bear in a Small Hollow (p42); 5, Troll in a Small Hollow; 
  6, Barrow encounter, as above, plus a Wight.
   
  2 
  “Deliver my final words.” The soul died bearing an important 
  message for a recipient of its own race, 2d6 hexes distant. The 
  information is 1d12 years out of date, at least. The quester must 
  nonetheless recite it to its intended hearer, and if that person is 
  dead, must address it to their physical remains, or to their spirit 
  at the site of death. The referee can make up a message or roll 
  1d8: 1, “The enemy will come at the dark of the moon.” 2, “The 
  enemy will come by the high pass.” 3, “The cave is ours.” 4, “The 
  captain betrayed us and took his troops to the other side.” 5, 
  “Vaxxor is not your child.” 6, “Tullis had his revenge.” 7, “The 
  magic word is pigbreath.” 8, “The money is under the big rock.”
   
  3 
  “Take up my weapon and swear an oath of vengeance!” The 
  quester must dig up the soul’s former body, take its main 
  weapon, and use it to slay ten of the soul’s enemies: a random 
  group from p22 located 1d4 hexes from the encounter. Instead 
  of the usual risk of score loss, this quest carries a special 
  curse: As soon as the quest is given, the victim has –1 to hit 
  and damage with any other weapon, including fists; penalties 
  persist until the killings are done. If the quester kills all 10 
  within one month, the weapon may, at the referee’s option, 
  become magical. Type of weapon can be rolled on 1d6, with the 
  second possibility applying if the dead was a goblin: 1–3 spear 
  or javelin; 4–5 battle axe or hand axe; 6 sword, long or short.
   
  4 
  “Restore my resting place.” The dead soul’s physical remains 
  lie uneasy, for its grave site has been defiled or destroyed. The 
  grave is within 60' of the original encounter, but may be hard to 
  identify.  The victim may have had a previous burial, or simply 
  fallen dead in his tracks. Grave and quest type rolled below.
   d8 Grave type
   1–2 Body fallen in place, covered over by time
   
  3 
  Body fallen in place along with 1d20 other creatures, 
  their bones intermingled
   4–6 Buried under the sod
   
  7 
  Burned to ash and bone fragments; mixed with soil
   
  8 
  Barrow, as above on p59
   d6 Quest actions required at grave
   1–4 Clear thorny brush and debris, cover grave with new 
  sod or a cairn, and raise a marker.
   
  5 
  Locate, then destroy or remove, a curse-anchor 
  placed by enemies, such as a stone marked with runes 
  of torment or a twisted tree with roots reaching the 
  remains. At the referee’s option, the curse-anchor 
  might be defended with a mechanical trap or magic 
  similar to a fire trap spell doing 1d4+7 damage.
   
  6 
  Dig up the bones and give the soul proper last rites, 
  such as an all-night bonfire with mourners, dawn 
  prayers to the four directions, and a formal burial 
  with attractive ornaments and headstone. After 
  completing the re-burial, the quester attempts a 
  Reaction Roll, modified by CHA and by the referee’s 
  opinion of the sincerity and impressiveness of the 
  rites. On a result of 9 or more, the soul rejects the 
  ritual as inadequate and the quester must try again, 
  with increased pomp and circumstance.
  Spirit of the Void: The victim’s mind is displaced by the spirit, 
  which is but an idiot shell of consciousness (INT 3). The body functions 
  normally but recalls nothing of the victim’s life, personality, professional 
  skills, or allegiances. The new mind may speak a few words and can be 
  taught more, slowly. Spellcasting is impossible and the body fights as a 
  0-level civilian, although with the victim’s usual saving throws and hit 
  points. Referees might particularly enjoy inflicting this effect on an NPC 
  guide or mentor, who has valuable things to tell the PCs if they can get his 
  mind back. The mind of the victim hovers, silent and invisible, in the spirit 
  realm, following its body around. Shamans can see the displaced mind 
  with spirit sight.  An exorcise spell that succeeds against a 9th-level caster 
  will expel the spirit and allow the proper mind back into its corporeal 
  home. Other methods, if any, must be discovered or devised by the PCs.
  War-cloud: The echoes of vicious battle still haunt this area. Every 
  intelligent being must save vs. spells or be possessed by martial hatred. 
  Those who succumb divide at random into two sides, as equal in numbers 
  as possible, and must immediately fight their hardest. When a combatant 
  drops, everyone on the other side experiences a rush of triumph that heals 
  1 hp and grants 10 xp. When everyone on one side is down, those who are 
  conscious can make new saving throws. Any who fail divide into two new 
  teams and fight again. An affected character also gets a new save when 
  he leaves the area of effect. If only one person is possessed, he attacks 
  anyone nearby, such as those who made their saving throws. A combatant 
  all alone rages around looking for someone to hit; he gets a saving throw 
  each round to end the effect.
  
  M A T E R I A L S  + 
  T E C H N O L O G Y
  The Rotlands are not part of civilization, or at least not the same 
  civilization enjoyed by humans, elves, and their relatives in the more 
  temperate climes. Players must get used to certain notions of scarcity. 
  In general, nothing in the Rotlands is made of gold, silver, or platinum; 
  steel, marble, or glass; cotton, silk, or canvas. Common materials include 
  flint and natural boulders, grass fibers, pine wood, birch wood and bark, 
  animal hide, wool yarn and felted wool broadcloth, copper, bronze, and 
  iron. Buildings are framed up with wooden pegs, or perhaps iron bands, 
  hung with hides to keep out the wind, and seldom exceed one level. Most 
  have rooves of sticks or straw. Grass ropes and strings of grass, or thin 
  hide strips, bind things together. Rare oak from Riverwood appears in 
  important or fancy structures. The people eat pumpkins and gourds, 
  roots, berries, and onions, and lots of mushrooms, but not apples or 
  peaches. They use the seeds of wild grasses as grain, but don’t cultivate 
  wheat or corn. Many raise bison, sheep, goats, or herds of emu. Many 
  keep pigs and chickens. Others hunt boar, bison, and deer. More often 
  than any big animals, the tribes eat birds, eggs, rabbits, small wild rodents, 
  and pastes made from grubs and locusts. Rotlanders can achieve comfort 
  and even luxury, but not in the same terms as the Southron folk.
  P O S S E S S I O N S
  Rotlands society is not built on a cash economy, but on an economy 
  of Reputation. Numbers as measures of the value objects and services 
  pass only between Mongers, as a kind of secret language. Tribemembers 
  and Shamans engage in barter, but without establishing anything like 
  consistent prices; all such deals are subject to interpersonal considerations 
  represented by a Barter Roll. Warriors, of course, consider negotiation 
  and bargaining of any kind to be demeaning, unworthy behavior.
  Warriors ideally have only two sorts of possessions: Gear issued by 
  the tribe, and trophies taken from enemies. A higher-ranking Warrior 
  might take the former away; see below. The latter help with Reputation: 
  a good new trophy might be worth a Rep point, or two if spectacular. 
  Objects looted from foes killed by someone else carry little or no Rep 
  value.
  Mongers, wary of theft, keep a running balance of trade in their 
  heads. They also encourage a superstitious fear among other classes: many 
  folk believe that interfering with Monger activities will cause the tribe to 
  become unlucky and probably starve. Mooters back this up simply by not 
  trading in places that allow tribe members to attack or rob traders. Tribes 
  respond by offering peaceful welcomes when traders visit, but sending 
  their patrols afield to attack caravans far from home. 
  Leaders of any class garner Reputation from giving gifts, primarily 
  as rewards to subordinates. Gifts to superiors are less common, since they 
  might appear as currying favor. PCs can receive gifts whenever the referee 
  wants to strengthen the players’ connection with a particular NPC, 
  reward the players, or introduce a particular weapon or treasure into play.
  “Gimme That!:” Orcs and Loot
  Among orcs, possession is particularly fragile. Any tribe member of 
  higher rank can simply claim anything he or she wants from an underling, 
  with a shove and a curse. Class doesn’t matter: a 2nd-level Shaman can 
  rip an ornament from a Chump Warrior’s smock and dare him to do 
  anything about it.
  Furthermore, a tribe member can make a grab for anything held by 
  someone of the same class and rank, but with a lower Reputation total. 
  The victim is free to fight back, and no response but violence has any 
  effect. If he beats the would-be thief, he keeps his precious object, one 
  Rep point transfers from loser to winner, and no one else of the same 
  rank will challenge him for that object again. Of course, a higher-ranked 
  orc can still step in, buffet both combatants about the head, and claim the 
  thing for his own.
  Objecting verbally to the behavior of superiors earns an immediate 
  punch. Objecting physically can get you in real trouble. Characters who 
  attack higher-ranked orcs, even to fight back, are taking a mighty risk. If 
  the wronged inferior manages to thoroughly beat his superior, one Rep 
  point is transferred as usual. The victor gains an additional point if he 
  can convince a watching crowd, or an even higher-ranked orc, that his 
  cause is just. The orc who attempted to preempt the object can lose an 
  additional Rep if he suffered a particularly humiliating defeat. When all is 
  said and done, however, if the underling’s new Rep does not at least equal 
  that of the superior whom he attacked, he is still judged in the wrong and 
  punished for insolence. Tearing off an ear is a typical penalty (–2 Rep, –1 
  CHA). A mild offense might earn only a few stripes with a whip (no stat 
  change), while an outrageous act merits vicious cuts on the face, rubbed 
  with filth to make permanent scars (–4 Rep, –2 CHA).
  Hobgoblins and the Cult of Weapons
  Hobgoblins do not have these problems. Disobedience to a higher-
  ranked official is unthinkable, and abuse toward a lower-ranking 
  individual is an offense to his commander. Of course, those directly 
  under a hob’s supervision must do whatever he says. Hobs care little for 
  possessions other than armaments, and all armor or weapons belong to 
  the tribe. A Warrior who won them from an enemy is usually granted 
  the right to use the trophies for now, and gains Rep for their splendor. 
  Arms simply found, and other types of loot, get passed up the chain of 
  command for disposition.
  Goblins and Sneak-Thievery
  Among goblins, higher-ranked tribe members have the right to 
  confiscate the gear and loot of inferiors. Warg Riders emulate orcs in this 
  regard.
  Foot Goblin leaders, in contrast, only claim unusual items that 
  tribal superiors will want to investigate and use to advantage. Superiors 
  step into squabbles about possessions to decide who gets what, not to 
  take everything for personal glory. Theft by sneaking occurs, but no one 
  intervenes when the former possessor attacks the wrongful acquirer. 
  A confirmed thief can lose Reputation, depending on circumstances. 
  Taking something because the thief needs it to survive is understandable. 
  Taking something the victim earned through cleverness risks 1 Rep point 
  if caught. Stealing an award given by tribal superiors angers them and 
  risks 2 points or more. Sneaking food for immediate consumption seems 
  most justifiable, leaves minimal evidence, and is considered pretty funny.
  62
  V  ~   S T U F F
  
  63
  63
  63
  S T U F F
  B A R T E R
  Most trades do not involve money. The players can use values on 
  the General Goods list (p66) to see rough equivalence. Unless the referee 
  prefers to simply assume that trades occur between sessions without 
  incident, the PC attempts a Barter Roll to see if he can make the trade he 
  wants. The Barter Roll is a special reaction roll.
  M O N E Y
  When not strictly barter, Rotland trading uses three standard 
  currencies: Iron, bronze, and salt. Pictures show the actual size, although 
  salt tallies vary in shape.
  Feral (Iron Piece)
  Nickname: Rusties
  Symbol: ip
  Weight: 50 per pound
  Value: 1 ip
  Pound of iron: 50 ip
  The ip is the standard measure of price used by Mongers. In coin 
  form, these black iron discs are stamped on one side with a stylized wolf’s 
  head. If you can see the points of both ears and the muzzle, it’s a sign that 
  the coin hasn’t been shaved too much. Those made at Moot have a wolf’s 
  head on each side, inverted, and are preferred. Ferals can easily turn to 
  rust if left in damp conditions, so Rotlanders carry them in tight-capped 
  money gourds containing dry sand.
  Gong (Bronze Piece)
  Nickname: Four-bangers, stars
  Symbol: bp
  Weight: 50 per pound
  Value: 4 ip
  Pound of bronze: 200 ip
  These greenish-gold coins are stamped with a four-pointed star, of 
  which all four points should be visible. Those made at Moot have stars on 
  both sides, offset by an eighth-turn.
  Tally (Salt Block)
  Nickname: Savories, 
  licks, boullion
  Symbol: st
  Weight: 10 per pound
  Value: 20 ip
  Pound of salt: 200 ip
  Chiseled out of the salt mines of Mount Rotten, these pinkish-red 
  chunks of salt are roughly cubical and about an inch on a side. Because 
  shape varies, Mongers and Mooters use scales to verify weight for large 
  transactions. Rotlanders keep tallies dry in money-gourds, like iron.
  B a r t e r  R o l l s
  Player rolls 2d6. Low is better.
  Modifiers:
  CHA modifier: –3 to +3
  PC is a Monger: –1
  PC is a Warrior: +2 (and possible damage to Reputation)
  NPC is a Monger: +1
  NPC is a Mooter: +1 additional 
  Selling to NPC
   
  2d6± 
  Best offer from NPC
   
  <2 
  100% of normal value, plus player’s choice: +(1d4 x 
  5)% value, or a nice gift, or a favor owed for later
   
  2 
  100% of normal value, plus a small gift
   
  3–5 
  100% of normal value
   
  6–8 
  75% of normal value; PC can offer a gift or favor to 
  re-roll at +1 penalty
   
   9–11 
  50% of normal value, take it or leave it
   
  12 
  No dealing
   
  >12 
  Angry response
  Buying from NPC
    
  2d6± 
  PC must pay
   
  <2 
  75% of normal price, and get a small gift
   
  2 
  75% of normal price
   
  3–5 
  100% of normal price
   
  6–8 
  125% of normal price; PC can offer a gift or favor to 
  re-roll at +1 penalty
   
   9–11 
  150% of normal price, take it or leave it
   
  12 
  No dealing
   
  >12 
  NPC has angry response
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  64
  64
  E x c h a n g e
  1 bp = 4 ip
  1 st = 5 bp = 20 ip
  These are the standard rates of exchange. No set exchange rates exist 
  with standard gold, silver, and other coins. See Coins of the Soft Folk.
  C o i n s  o f  t h e  S o f t  F o l k
  Sometimes, the money of the Southrons appears in the Rotlands, as 
  loot or heirloom or uncovered trove. However, coins of gold, silver, and 
  platinum are not accepted as money in the Rotlands. The Southron coins 
  are larger and shinier, but they make poor tools and weapons, and life 
  in the Rotlands puts the emphasis on the practical. Locals particularly 
  dislike platinum. Copper has its uses, and copper coins of good purity are 
  sometimes accepted as equivalent to bronze pieces.
  More often the proud new owner of coin has to trade it away for an 
  uncertain handful of iron, or save it for Moot and take it to an established 
  money-changer. True Warriors, of course, never bother to count the coins 
  they take as booty, let alone stoop to making calculated exchange.
  Selling Southron Currency at Moot
  A few money-changers work at Rotmoot (p39). They actively buy any 
  Southron currency for use in trade with Mor and the outside world. They 
  don’t sell coins to anyone local, except possibly other Mooter merchants. 
  A normal reaction roll of 8 or better gets these standard rates:
  For…
  Money-changer pays…
  1 cp (Copper piece)
  3 ip
  1 sp (Silver piece)
  5 ip
  1 ep (Electrum piece)
  25 ip
  1 gp (Gold piece)
  50 ip
  1 pp (Platinum piece)
  10 st (1 lb salt, worth 200 ip)
  If PCs or raiders begin bringing in a great deal of Southron coin, 
  the amounts offered will go down by 10% to 33%. If the money-changers 
  hear of anyone else buying Southron coin in any quantity, they unite to 
  have the newcomer violently discouraged. If that fails, they welcome him 
  to their ranks.
  When trading the Southron money to the orkin of Mor or other 
  outlanders, the money-changers typically get about twice in trade or 
  Rotlander coin as what they offer at Moot. For example, a full-time 
  merchant bringing a gold coin out of the Rotlands might get 100 iron 
  pieces from an orkin clan. Amateurs who attempt this get much less.
  Trading Southron Currency in the Rotlands
  A non-Warrior PC can trade certain coins away for their value 
  as ornaments. Copper, silver, and gold coins fetch goods equal to the 
  money-changer rates above, adjusted by a Barter Roll. See also prices for 
  ornaments on p73.
  R e g i o n a l  V a l u e  o f  S a l t 
  ( O p t i o n a l )
  The referee might consider salt to be worth much less close to the 
  Mount Rotten mines, and more out where it is rare. See Saltjack Clans, 
  p27, for their own unfortunate exchange rates.
  On the Mountain: 1 st = 10 ip
  In the Mountain’s Shadow (p40): 1 st = 12 ip
  Rotlands in general, and at Moot: 1 st = 20 ip
  Far reaches: 1 st = 24 ip
  Items containing much salt, such as preserved meat, also cost more 
  further from the mountain. Affected items are marked in Chapter V. 
  Approximate changes:
  On the Mountain (bought by Saltjacks): Price x 1
  In the Mountain’s Shadow: Price x 0.9
  Rotlands in general, and at Moot: x 1
  Far reaches: Price x 1.25
  
  65
  65
  65
  S T U F F
  G E A R  +  G O O D S  L I S T S
  As described in Player Character Classes, p15 et seq, PCs start 
  with standard gear provided by their tribe, different for each class. Only 
  Mongers start with any money. When characters have a little loot to trade, 
  the charts below provide trade values. Prices appear in iron pieces (ip), 
  but “purchases” are most likely to be barter, and these prices are only a 
  starting point for negotiations and Barter Rolls (p63).
  A v a i l a b i l i t y
  Availability is rolled on 2d6 during play whenever a PC seeks to buy 
  something. The dice must come in at the Availability number or lower. 
  Thus an item with a total Availability of 12 or higher can always be found. 
  Charisma modifiers usually affect the roll, and a Monger can add his level 
  to the Availability number before rolling. 
  Most items are found more easily and for less money at Moot. In 
  the case of some basic, natural products, easily made in villages, the 
  trend reverses. Optionally, the referee can allow a +1 to Availability when 
  shopping in Selkirk town (p40), compared with the Rotlands.
  A successful check means one item can be bartered for; some items 
  instead appear in larger units such as a dozen or 1d6 items, as indicated. 
  Availability can be immediately rolled again to see if a second item is on 
  hand, and so on until the roll fails. Once an item is unavailable, it can’t be 
  rerolled for a set period of time. Characters who look will be told to come 
  back later.
  Buying?
  Sometimes PCs want to sell or trade away specific loot to professional 
  Mongers who specialize in such goods. In this case, the referee rolls 2d6 
  just as for Availability, but the “Buying?” number represents the chance 
  that the Monger is interested in such goods at the time.
  Items listed without a Buying? column, such as Common and 
  General Goods, can’t normally be sold by amateurs. No one wants to 
  trade for, say, a single pair of used boots that a PC pulled from the feet of 
  a corpse, or a stained weapon whose owner, or the owner’s brother, might 
  come looking for it. An NPC with a particular need determined by the 
  referee might enter into a one-time deal based on a Barter Roll.
  Seasonality
  Caravan travel and resupply come to a halt during winter. The referee 
  could choose to reduce Availability numbers steadily, by –2 per month 
  for three months. Once an item fails its Availability roll, it is unavailable 
  in that location until trade resumes in spring. The usual delay for a new 
  Availability check determines how far into trading season the item may 
  first appear.
  Optionally, the referee can impose other seasonal restrictions. For 
  example, young animals are more available in spring, but adult animals 
  and fresh food are hard to find. All food is plentiful in fall, but most 
  animals are full-grown by then. The tribes run out of seasoned wood by 
  spring but lay in a good supply by fall. The referee can decide what is 
  available by fiat, or roll Availability with modifiers of ±4.
  C o m m o n  G o o d s
  Certain items occur frequently both in tribal supplies and in player 
  character wish lists. If desired, for these common items, the referee may 
  simply let players shop at will from the chart below without requiring an 
  Availability roll, although only Mongers may do so at character creation 
  before start of play. Players should always keep in mind that Warriors 
  don’t deal with barter or cash.
  Common Item
  Price
  Animal feed, 1 day (10 lbs of hay)
  80 ip
  Animal feed, wolf, 1 day (3 lbs scraps and bones)
  100 ip
  Basket, 1 gallon
  8 ip
  Belt, leather
  22 ip
  Belt, rope
  6 ip
  Blanket, wool
  32 ip
  Boots, hide
  120 ip
  Boots, hide, goblin size
  95 ip
  Bottle, clay (1 pint)
  4 ip
  Brew, gallon
  7 ip
  Brew, pint
  1 ip
  Bucket, 1 gallon
  20 ip
  Cap, hide
  3 ip
  Coat, hide
  110 ip
  Coat, hide, goblin size
  90 ip
  Coat, wool
  270 ip
  Coat, wool, goblin size
  215 ip
  Cup, clay (1 pint)
  2 ip
  Egg, chicken
  3 ip
  Fire-making kit
  35 ip
  Hat, straw
  4 ip
  Hat, wool
  40 ip
  Knife, small, flint
  12 ip
  Loincloth, hide
  15 ip
  Meat, mystery jerky, ½ lb
  75 ip
  Money-gourd
  12 ip
  Panbread, ½ lb. cake
  4 ip
  Panbread, ½ lb cake, stale
  2 ip
  Pot, clay (1 gallon)
  8 ip
  Rations, goblin standard, 1 day (2 lbs)
  100 ip
  Rations, orc standard, 1 day (4 lbs)
  200 ip
  Rations, hobgoblin standard, 1 day (4 lbs)
  250 ip
  Rope, 50 feet
  60 ip
  Sack, large (60 lb. capacity)
  30 ip
  Salt, ½ lb *
  100 ip
  Torch
  5 ip
  Vegetables, roots and tubers, 1 lb
  2 ip
  Water gourd, quart
  35 ip
  Water skin, quart
  60 ip
  *Affected by optional regional value of salt, p64.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  66
  66
  G e n e r a l  G o o d s
  This list includes much more than the commonly available items, 
  but offers only a chance of each item’s being found for sale or trade. 
  Availability may be checked every 1d6 days in the Rotlands, or once a 
  day at Moot.
  Goods Descriptions
  Animal feed: A grown goat or sheep requires 10 lbs of hay per 
  day if it can’t graze. A young animal needs half as much, while the very 
  young require milk. Reindeer and bison cannot be stabled for long, but 
  if conditions demand it, reindeer eat three times as much as sheep and 
  bison four times. Emu should range for seeds and insects, but can be 
  maintained with great quantities of stale panbread crumbs: up to 20 lbs 
  a day for each hen, less for others. For wargs, the three pounds of bones 
  and gristly, none-too-fresh meat barely suffice for an adult when it can’t 
  hunt; pregnant females need at least twice as much, and breeders make 
  sure they get it even if the males must go short. Warg cubs need milk at 
  first, then two pounds of bones and meat a day. All animals require access 
  to plentiful water as well, or they sicken.
  Basket: The most common container in the Rotlands. Tightly woven 
  of dried grasses, but not watertight. Smaller baskets hold a quart of 
  volume; larger ones, three gallons.
  Brew: More or less beer-like result of water, boiled grains, and herbs, 
  treated with ancient yeast cultures.
  Bucket: Commonly made from hides, not wood.
  Coal and charcoal: Communities need a supply of at least one of 
  these fuel sources. Charcoal is made from wood, while coal comes from 
  mines. Only coal gets hot enough to forge metal, and it burns twice as 
  long as the same weight of charcoal. Absent these resources, Rotlander 
  burn dried bison dung, which is just hot enough to heat food and warm 
  an enclosed space with plenty of smoke.
  Cooking grate: Handy for not burning food, the grate weighs 8 lbs.
  Cooking pot: This fat-bellied pot has stubby legs on the bottom and 
  two small hoops on top to facilitate picking it up with sticks. It weighs 10 
  lbs. A lid weighing 5 lbs can be found for an additional 500 ip.
  Emu eggs are dark green and pebbly.
  Hat, straw: These broad, cone-shaped hats ease the pain of sunlight 
  for races with Cave Eyes or Night Eyes. At the referee’s option, a good 
  eyeshade of this kind might prevent the –1 to hit when using missile 
  weapons. See illustration on p34.
  Insect paste: Rotlanders commonly collect droves of grasshoppers, 
  beetles, and other bugs, roast them, and pound them with salt into a 
  nutritious paste. It keeps well in closed containers. Hobgoblins hate the 
  stuff but it does count as meat for sustaining them.
  Knife: Not intended as a weapon, this tool does 1 hp damage if used 
  to cut someone (plus STR modifier).
  Loom kit: The looms used to weave wool into broadcloth are 
  enormous constructions and not portable. This kit has all the necessary 
  wooden framing, pedals, shuttle, and other parts, to be assembled on the 
  spot by someone knowledgeable. Total weight is around 300 lbs. 
  Meat, smoked and dried (jerky): Tough, leathery scraps cured with 
  plenty of red salt, these strips of concentrated protein last six months or 
  more. However, a traveler who runs out of water finds it impossible to 
  choke them down dry.
  Money-gourd: Small, hollow, dried gourd with a tight-fitting lid and 
  a thong loop for carrying. Rotlanders keep coins in these gourds along 
  with a handful of coarse sand to keep iron money from rusting and salt 
  tallies dry (see Money, p63). Holds up to five pounds of metal coins or half 
  that weight in salt tallies. Goblins sometimes refer to a full money-gourd 
  as a “ball-o-cash.”
  Panbread: This staple food is made from powdered gourds, ground-
  up seeds, water, and brew, then twice-baked hard in a pan or on a stone. 
  After two days it becomes musty and stale, but it remains edible for a week.
  Parasol, straw: Like the straw hat, a parasol held in one hand shields 
  sensitive Rotlander eyes from the full glare of the sun, with the same effects.
  Rations, standard: For ease of use, these abstract standard units 
  represent trail rations portioned for each race.
  Rope: Plaited from a variety of long grasses, this rope will hold 
  roughly 300 lbs. If asked to support more than two hobgoblins or seven 
  goblins, it may have a chance of breaking each round.
  Scrapper dogs: The small but vicious Rotland pets. See p33.
  Scale, large: This heavy construction of wood, rope, and stones 
  stands eight feet tall and must be firmly planted in the ground. The large 
  scale can measure up to 300 lbs of weight, accurate to the nearest pound. If 
  poorly installed, accuracy may suffer. The typical Rotland tribal settlement 
  has one such scale for common use.
  Scale, Monger’s: These valuable hand-held devices consist of a 
  counterweighted pointer, a slender frame, and a hook. A Monger’s scale 
  fits in a pocket and weighs only half a pound. It can measure up to 1 lb of 
  weight, accurate to the nearest fiftieth of a pound. Any bending or banging 
  ruins the device. See picture on p19.
  Scale, Mooter’s: This tabletop balance for a shop or merchant wagon 
  has a wooden frame, a large pan, and a smooth-working pivot. It comes 
  with lead weights to measure up to 10 lbs. With additional metal weights, 
  the scale can measure up to 50 lbs; the weights cost 250 ip per extra 10 
  lbs. Using found rocks instead, the scale can handle up to 20 lbs total. The 
  scale is accurate to the tenth-pound for up to 5 lbs, or to the half-pound for 
  heavier loads. The Mooter’s scale has to be zeroed out after placement on a 
  level surface; the scale alone weighs 10 lbs.
  Sudis: This standard wooden stake has many uses. Hobgoblins in 
  particular train their soldiers to make and carry one or two sudes each 
  in the field. A six-foot log, usually pine, is square-cut to about 4" thick at 
  the maximum, tapering to a point at each end. A grip 2" thick and 6" long 
  is cut out of the center. Pounded into the ground at staggered intervals, 
  multiple sudes can make a spear line to oppose cavalry. A line of sudes set 
  vertically together, then bound with rope or plastered with mud, makes 
  a quick palisade wall 4' tall. After pounding, the top points are easily re-
  sharpened with a knife or axe. Clusters of sudes fixed together make many-
  pointed field obstacles, or an individual soldier can set his sudis against a 
  charge and hope for the best. Sudes are not tempered weapons and last for 
  only one or two uses. A sudis weighs 10 lbs and is too large for a goblin to 
  handle alone.
  M e t a l l u r g y
  The referee and players need not spend much time thinking about 
  the details of Rotlander technology. However, some Monger PCs may 
  wish to get involved in the metal trade. Suffice it to say that orcs are the 
  smiths. Some goblins even say that the word “ore” used to mean “orc-
  stuff.” Extraction of metals from ore occurs at Selkirk and the Moot, using 
  quantities of coal and the magical assistance of dedicated Shamans who 
  channel fire energy through spells like heat metal. Forging the metal into 
  useful tools happens in Hearth Orc towns as well as at Selkirk and Moot. 
  Monster Orcs and Foot Goblins can accomplish simple repairs. Trade 
  values of raw ore and metal ingots appear in the Trade Goods list (p69).
  
  67
  67
  67
  S T U F F
  General Goods
  In the Rotlands
  At Moot
  Avail.
  Price
  Avail.
  Price
  Animal: Bison, bull
  5
  3,000 ip
  8
  2,500 ip
  Animal: Bison, cow
  7
  2,400 ip
  10
  2,000 ip
  Animal: Bison, calf
  6
  1,200 ip
  8
  1,000 ip
  Animal: Chick
  9
  4 ip
  10
  5 ip
  Animal: Chicken (2 lbs)
  11
  55 ip
  12
  50 ip
  Animal: Goat, adult
  11
  550 ip
  12
  500 ip
  Animal: Goat, kid
  8
  360 ip
  10
  300 ip
  Animal: Scrapper 
  dog, trained
  5
  1,250 ip
  8
  1,000 ip
  Animal: Scrapper dog pup
  7
  200 ip
  10
  150 ip
  Animal: Sheep, lamb
  7
  650 ip
  9
  550 ip
  Animal: Pig
  9
  2,000 ip
  10
  1,800 ip
  Animal: Piglet
  8
  200 ip
  9
  180 ip
  Animal: Rooster
  6
  150 ip
  10
  90 ip
  Animal: Sheep
  9
  1,100 ip
  10
  1,000 ip
  Animal: Warg cub
  2
  1,800 ip
  4
  1,800 ip
  Animal feed, 10 lbs hay
  11
  80 ip
  12
  75 ip
  Animal feed, wolf, 3 lbs 
  scraps and bones
  9
  100 ip
  11
  90 ip
  Apron, woolen, with 
  pockets
  7
  75 ip
  12
  30 ip
  Barrel, empty, 60 gallons  
  (120 lbs)
  7
  1,000 ip
  10
  960 ip
  Basket, 1 quart
  8
  4 ip
  10
  5 ip
  Basket, 1 gallon
  10
  8 ip
  12
  10 ip
  Basket, 3 gallon
  9
  20 ip
  11
  25 ip
  Belt, leather
  9
  22 ip
  11
  18 ip
  Belt, rope
  10
  6 ip
  11
  5 ip
  Blanket, wool
  9
  30 ip
  11
  24 ip
  Blood sausage, ½ lb
  10
  35 ip
  12
  30 ip
  Boots, fur
  4
  300 ip
  9
  200 ip
  Boots, fur, goblin size
  4
  240 ip
  8
  160 ip
  Boots, hide
  8
  120 ip
  11
  100 ip
  Boots, hide, goblin size
  8
  95 ip
  10
  80 ip
  Bottle, clay (1 pint)
  10
  3 ip
  12
  4 ip
  Brew, gallon
  7
  7 ip
  11
  15 ip
  Brew, pint
  10
  1 ip
  12
  2 ip
  Bucket (1 gallon)
  7
  20 ip
  11
  16 ip
  Button, ivory
  6
  10 ip
  10
  10 ip
  Cap, hide
  7
  3 ip
  11
  4 ip
  Charcoal, 1 lb
  6
  12 ip
  10
  15 ip
  Coal, 1 lb
  4
  50 ip
  8
  45 ip
  Cheese curds, ½ lb
  8
  2 ip
  12
  3 ip
  Cloth, felted broad, per yd
  5
  43 ip
  9
  24 ip
  Coat, fur
  2
  450 ip
  6
  300 ip
  Coat, fur, goblin size
  3
  360 ip
  5
  240 ip
  Coat, hide
  9
  110 ip
  12
  150 ip
  * Affected by optional regional value of salt, p64.
   S p e c i a l t y  G o o d s  ~ 
   S o u t h r o n  L u x u r i e s
  Southron Item
  At Moot only
  Avail.
  Price
  Cloth, cotton, red, 40 yds
  3
  6,000 ip
  Cloth, silk, 10 yds
  2
  10,000 ip
  Farm tool, steel-tipped
  5
  1,000 ip
  Honey, 1 gallon jar
  4
  3,200 ip
  Knife, small, steel
  5
  250 ip
  Loupe (eye-lens)
  2
  2,000 ip
  Manacles, iron
  4
  400 ip
  Mirror, large, tin-backed
  5
  1,500 ip
  Paint, red, 1 gallon
  4
  2,000 ip
  Rope, silk, 50 ft
  5
  1,000 ip
  Slate, small, and piece of chalk
  3
  250 ip
  Wine, 1 pint jar
  6
  150 ip
  Mysterious potion
  2
  10,000 ip
  No one can tell what a mysterious potion might do. After 
  a character drinks it, the referee can choose, roll d12, or let 
  the player roll:
   
  1–5 
  Healing (1d6+1 hp)
   
  6 
  Extra-Healing (3d6+3 hp)
   
  7 
  ESP
   
  8 
  Humanoid Control
   
  9 
  Invisibility
   
  10 
  Treasure Finding
   
  11 
  Magic Poison, save or permanent 1 hp loss
   
  12 
  Magic Poison, save or die
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  68
  68
  General Goods
  In the Rotlands
  At Moot
  Avail.
  Price
  Avail.
  Price
  Pole, 10'
  6
  36 ip
  9
  30 ip
  Pot, clay, 1 gallon
  10
  8 ip
  11
  8 ip
  Pouch (5 lb. capacity)
  6
  50 ip
  10
  30 ip
  Rope, 50 feet
  7
  60 ip
  11
  40 ip
  Sack, large (60 lb. capacity)
  8
  30 ip
  11
  25 ip
  Salt, 1 lb *
  11
  200 ip
  12
  200 ip
  Scale, large
  9
  750 ip
  9
  500 ip
  Scale, Monger’s
  4
  1,000 ip
  10
  440 ip
  Scale, Mooter’s
  6
  800 ip
  11
  320 ip 
  Shovel, iron
  3
  120 ip
  7
  80 ip
  Sudis, 6-foot
  5
  10 ip
  10
  6 ip
  Torch
  8
  5 ip
  12
  3 ip
  Tunic, felt
  6
  100 ip
  10
  80 ip
  Tunic, felt, goblin size
  4
  80 ip
  8
  65 ip
  Vegetables, pickled, 1 lb *
  6
  15 ip
  10
  9 ip
  Vegetables: Gourds, 5 lbs
  11
  8 ip
  11
  10 ip
  Vegetables: Onions, 1 lb
  9
  3 ip
  11
  4 ip
  Vegetables: Roots and 
  tubers, 5 lbs
  11
  8 ip
  12
  10 ip
  Water, fresh, pint
  11
  –
  12
  1 ip
  Water gourd, quart
  10
  35 ip
  12
  30 ip
  Water skin, quart
  7
  60 ip
  11
  40 ip
  * Affected by optional regional value of salt, p64.
  General Goods
  In the Rotlands
  At Moot
  Avail.
  Price
  Avail.
  Price
  Coat, hide, goblin size
  9
  90 ip
  11
  120 ip
  Coat, wool
  7
  270 ip
  10
  200 ip
  Coat, wool, goblin size
  6
  215 ip
  9
  160 ip
  Cooking grate, iron
  4
  750 ip
  8
  600 ip
  Cooking pot, iron 
  (1 gallon)
  3
  1,250 ip
  7
  1,000 ip
  Cup or mug, clay, 1 pint
  8
  2 ip
  11
  2 ip
  Cup or mug, hide
  6
  3 ip
  11
  3 ip
  Cup or mug, wood
  4
  7 ip
  10
  5 ip
  Eggs, chicken, fresh, 
  4 (1 lb)
  11
  8 ip
  10
  7 ip
  Eggs, chicken, salted, 3  
  (½ lb) *
  6
  20 ip
  8
  18 ip
  Egg, emu, fresh (1 lb)
  8
  25 ip
  9
  25 ip
  Egg, emu, salted (1.5 lbs) *
  5
  60 ip
  7
  50 ip
  Fire-making kit
  9
  35 ip
  10
  30 ip
  Fish, salt, ½ lb
  4
  35 ip
  8
  30 ip
  Glue, 1 lb block
  9
  10 ip
  11
  8 ip
  Hat, straw
  7
  4 ip
  11
  3 ip
  Hat, wool
  9
  40 ip
  10
  36 ip
  Insect paste, 1 lb *
  10
  48 ip
  9
  44 ip
  Jar, clay (3 gallons)
  11
  32 ip
  12
  32 ip
  Keg, 10 gallon, empty 
  (20 lbs)
  6
  220 ip
  12
  200 ip
  Knife, small, copper
  6
  108 ip
  11
  60 ip
  Knife, small, flint
  10
  12 ip
  12
  15 ip
  Lamp, clay
  4
  15 ip
  10
  12 ip
  Loincloth, woolen
  5
  50 ip
  10
  40 ip
  Loincloth, hide
  9
  15 ip
  12
  20 ip
  Loom kit
  4
  3,000 ip
  6
  2,500 ip
  Meat, salt pork, 1 lb *
  7
  95 ip
  11
  60 ip
  Meat, mystery jerky, ½ lb *
  9
  80 ip
  12
  75 ip
  Meat, reindeer jerky, ½ lb *
  8
  125 ip
  11
  100 ip
  Meat, raw chicken, 3 lbs
  10
  85 ip
  12
  75 ip
  Meat, raw goat kid, 1 lb
  4
  50 ip
  9
  45 ip
  Meat, raw goat, 1 lb
  5
  35 ip
  11
  30 ip
  Meat, raw lamb, 1 lb
  3
  55 ip
  9
  50 ip
  Meat, raw mutton, 1 lb
  5
  40 ip
  11
  35 ip
  Meat, raw pork, 1 lb
  9
  45 ip
  11
  40 ip
  Milk, goat’s, 1 quart
  7
  9 ip
  10
  12 ip
  Money-gourd
  9
  12 ip
  12
  9 ip
  Oil, seed, 1 pint
  3
  60 ip
  7
  25 ip
  Panbread flour, 5 lbs
  10
  20 ip
  11
  24 ip
  Panbread, 1 lb
  11
  8 ip
  11
  8 ip
  Panbread, stale, 1 lb
  11
  4 ip
  12
  4 ip
  Parasol, straw
  5
  4 ip
  11
  5 ip
  Pickaxe, iron
  2
  350 ip
  6
  180 ip
  * Affected by optional regional value of salt, p64.
   S p e c i a l t y  G o o d s  ~  
   T r a d e  G o o d s
  Only Mongers can acquire and exchange these bulk and wholesale 
  items, trading one for the other and using cash only to make up any 
  small differences in value. Even single items, such as large animals, trade 
  between Mongers at a lower price than a retail buyer would pay. 
  Relative values appear in iron pieces (ip) for ease of comparison. 
  NPC Mooters can make these trades at Moot without difficulty. PC 
  Mongers of sufficient level, or Mooters out in the hinterlands, can do so 
  by making a Barter Roll for each trade. 
  Goods acquired as a bundle of items can then be sold individually 
  at retail prices; this is called “breaking bale.” A Mooter who sets up shop 
  full-time at Moot can break bale and sell individual items at any time, 
  receiving cash or trade as he prefers. A wandering Monger, like most 
  adventurers, must make a separate bargain in play for each sale. For 
  example, a Monger who acquires a batch of 100 chicken eggs packed in 
  straw (100 ip value) can pull some out to sell for 2 ip each in a settlement. 
  Potentially he doubles his money, but it may prove difficult to sell them all 
  before they spoil, or before his debts come due at Harvest Revel.
  K Value of kegged items include a charge of 160 ip, of which 
  140 is paid back on return of the clean, usable keg.
  B Value of barreled items include 960 ip for the 
  barrel, of which 840 can be refunded.
  
  69
  69
  69
  S T U F F
  Trade Goods
  Bale size
  Trade value
  Animal: Bison, bull
  One adult male
  1,250 ip
  Animal: Bison, calf
  One calf
  500 ip
  Animal: Bison, cow
  One adult female
  1,000 ip
  Animal: Chicken
  Half a dozen chickens
  150 ip
  Animal: Chicks
  12 chicks
  30 ip
  Animal: Goat
  One adult goat
  250 ip
  Animal: Goat, young
  One kid
  150 ip
  Animal: Scrapper dog, bitch
  One adult female
  750 ip
  Animal: Scrapper dog, 
  trained guard
  One adult male
  800 ip
  Animal: Scrapper dogs, young Litter of six pups
  600 ip
  Animal: Pig
  One adult pig
  900 ip
  Animal: Pigs, young
  Two piglets
  180 ip
  Animal: Reindeer, buck
  One adult male
  1,000 ip
  Animal: Reindeer, doe
  One adult female
  800 ip
  Animal: Rooster
  One rooster
  45 ip
  Animal: Sheep
  One adult sheep
  500 ip
  Animal: Sheep, young
  One lamb
  275 ip
  Animal: Wargs, young
  Litter of four cubs
  3,600 ip
  Bark, oak
  Bundle, 25 lbs
  50 ip
  Barrels, unassembled
  Oak and hoops for 
  5 bbl (600 lbs)
  3,600 ip
  Baskets
  12 medium, 8 large, 
  or 16 small
  60 ip
  Blankets, wool
  16 blankets (50 lbs)
  144 ip
  Blood sausages
  String, 5 lbs
  140 ip
  Bones
  50 lbs
  25 ip
  Brew
  Keg of 10 gallons K
  450 ip
  Brushwood
  Bundles, 25 lbs
  25 ip
  Charcoal
  10 lbs
  100 ip
  Clay, soft
  50 lbs
  100 ip
  Coal
  10 lbs
  300 ip
  Dung, dried
  10 lbs
  10 ip
  Dye, black or brown
  1 gallon jar (10 lbs)
  100 ip
  Dye, blue, green, or yellow
  1 gallon jar (10 lbs)
  200 ip
  Dye, red
  1 gallon jar (10 lbs)
  400 ip
  Eggs, chicken, fresh
  100 eggs in straw (30 lbs)
  100 ip
  Eggs, chicken, salt
  60 eggs in clay (15 lbs)
  160 ip
  Eggs, emu, fresh
  10 eggs in straw (20 lbs)
  200 ip
  Eggs, emu, salt
  8 eggs in clay (12 lbs)
  300 ip
  Fish, salt
  10 lbs
  330 ip
  Furs, coarse
  50 lbs [about 4 HD]
  500 ip
  Furs, soft
  50 lbs [about 5 HD]
  750 ip
  Furs, soft, all-white 
  or all-black
  50 lbs [about 5 HD]
  1,000 ip
  Glue, animal
  10 lbs
  40 ip
  Gourds, hollowed and dried
  12 medium, 8 large, 
  or 16 small
  180 ip
  Hats, straw
  40 hats
  60 ip
  Hay
  Bale, 60 lbs
  180 ip
  Hides
  10 lbs
  100 ip
  Insect paste *
  1 gallon jar (10 lbs)
  400 ip
  Trade Goods
  Bale size
  Trade value
  Ivory
  10 lbs
  2,000 ip
  Ivory, intact mammoth tusks
  100 lbs
  20,000 ip
  Kegs, unassembled
  Oak and hoops for 
  5 kegs (100 lbs)
  600 ip
  Leather, scraps and strings
  10 lbs
  100 ip
  Leather, sheets
  Bolt, 40 yds (140 lbs)
  2,800 ip
  Meat, cured pork
  5 lbs
  1,500 ip
  Meat, mystery jerky *
  10 lbs
  750 ip
  Metal: Bronze
  Talent (10 lbs)
  2,000 ip
  Metal: Copper
  Talent (10 lbs)
  2,400 ip
  Metal: Iron
  Talent (10 lbs)
  500 ip
  Metal: Lead
  Talent (10 lbs)
  250 ip
  Metal: Tin
  Talent (10 lbs)
  600 ip
  Ore: Bronze-bearing
  10 lbs
  400 ip
  Ore: Copper-bearing
  10 lbs
  480 ip
  Ore: Iron-bearing
  10 lbs
  100 ip
  Ore: Lead-bearing
  10 lbs
  50 ip
  Ore: Tin-bearing
  10 lbs
  120 ip
  Oil, seed
  Keg of 10 gallons 
  (50 lbs) K
  1,085 ip 
  Panbread flour
  50 lb sack
  50 ip
  Parasols, straw
  Bundle of 12 parasols
  30 ip
  Pitch, hard (flammable 
  pine resin)
  10 lbs
  10 ip
  Pots and jars, clay
  12 medium, 8 large, 
  or 16 small
  48 ip
  Rope
  500 ft (100 lbs)
  100 ip
  Salt, Mt. Rotten red *
  1 lb
  200 ip
  Stone: Flint
  10 lbs
  250 ip
  Stone: Jade
  1 lb
  1,000 ip
  Stone: Obsidian
  1 lb
  125 ip
  Straw
  Bale, 25 lbs
  35 ip
  Vegetables, gourds
  50 lbs
  50 ip
  Vegetables, onions
  10 lbs
  20 ip
  Vegetables, pickled
  1 gallon jar (10 lbs)
  44 ip
  Vegetables, roots or tubers
  50 lbs
  50 ip
  Wagon, Mooter-style (p74)
  Large, enclosed wagon
  20,000 ip
  Wagon, Southron-style (p77) Less adaptable wagon
  16,000 ip
  Water, fresh
  Barrel of 60 gallons 
  (600 lbs) B
  1,240 ip
  Wood: 10' poles (usually 
  seasoned pine)
  Bundle of 12 (100 lbs)
  200 ip
  Wood: Hardwood, green 
  (e.g. birch, cottonwood)
  Face cord (3,000 lbs)
  6,000 ip
  Wood: Hardwood, seasoned
  Face cord (1,750 lbs)
  5,250 ip
  Wood: Hardwood, seasoned, 
  Riverwood oak
  Face cord (1,750 lbs)
  7,000 ip
  Wood: Softwood, green 
  (e.g. pine)
  Face cord (2,000 lbs)
  2,000 ip
  Wood: Softwood, seasoned
  Face cord (1,250 lbs)
  2,500 ip
  Wood: Sudes (green pine)
  Bundle of 12 (120 lbs)
  250 ip
  Wool, raw
  Bale, 150 lbs
  500 ip
  Wool, felted broadcloth
  Bolt, 40 yds (70 lbs)
  233 ip
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  70
  70
  Weapon
  In the Rotlands
  At Moot
  Avail.
  Price
  Avail.
  Price
  Axe, battle, iron *‡
  5
  320 ip
  9
  300 ip
  Axe, battle, stone *‡
  5
  170 ip
  9
  240 ip
  Axe, hand, iron
  7
  110 ip
  11
  100 ip
  Axe, hand, stone
  7
  50 ip
  11
  40 ip
  Club, hardwood
  10
  18 ip
  12
  20 ip
  Dagger, bronze
  5
  500 ip
  9
  480 ip
  Dagger, flint
  7
  50 ip
  11
  48 ip
  Dagger, iron
  7
  125 ip
  11
  120 ip
  Dagger, obsidian
  3
  250 ip
  5
  240 ip
  Javelin, flint-tipped
  7
  60 ip
  11
  56 ip
  Javelin, iron-tipped
  5
  110 ip
  10
  100 ip
    Javelin-thrower
  6
  70 ip
  10
  60 ip
  Maul, hardwood *‡
  8
  30 ip
  9
  27 ip
  Sling
  10
  80 ip
  12
  80 ip
    Sling bullets, lead, 10 (5 lbs)
  6
  275 ip
  9
  250 ip
  Spear, flint-tipped *‡
  7
  120 ip
  11
  120 ip
  Spear, iron-tipped *‡
  4
  230 ip
  9
  224 ip
  Staff, hardwood *‡
  9
  30 ip
  11
  24 ip
  Sword, bastard, bronze *
  2
  3,000 ip
  3
  2,400 ip
  Sword, bastard, iron *
  3
  750 ip
  4
  600 ip
  Sword, great, bronze *‡
  3
  7,500 ip
  5
  6,000 ip
  Sword, great, iron *‡
  4
  2,000 ip
  6
  1,500 ip
  Sword, long, bronze *
  4
  2,000 ip
  7
  1,600 ip
  Sword, long, iron *
  5
  500 ip
  8
  400 ip
  Sword, short, bronze
  5
  1,000 ip
  9
  800 ip
  Sword, short, iron
  6
  250 ip
  10
  200 ip
  Armor
  Armor 
  Class
  Weight
  In the Rotlands
  At Moot
  Avail.
  Price
  Avail.
  Price
  Armor, brigandine, large *
  AC 6
  40 lbs
  3
  2,750 ip
  6
  2,200 ip
  Armor, boiled, goblin size
  AC 7
  15 lbs
  3
  1,125 ip
  7
  900 ip 
  Armor, boiled, large *
  AC 7
  20 lbs
  4
  1,500 ip
  8
  1,200 ip
  Armor, hide, goblin size
  AC 8
  15 lbs
  6
  150 ip
  10
  120 ip
  Armor, hide, large *
  AC 8
  20 lbs
  10
  200 ip
  12
  160 ip
  Shield, hide, goblin size °
  –1 AC
  5 lbs
  4
  375 ip
  8
  300 ip
  Shield, hide, large *
  –1 AC
  10 lbs
  6
  500 ip
  10
  400 ip
  * Too large for goblins to use.
  ‡ Roughly human-sized creatures need two hands, but a humanoid of ogre size or larger can use 
  this weapon in one hand.
  ° A shield sized for a goblin gives no AC benefit to a larger creature.
  S p e c i a l t y  G o o d s  ~ 
  A r m s  +  A r m o r
  Availability for these items can be checked every 3d6 days in 
  the Rotlands, or every 1d6 days at Moot.
  Bronze, iron, and stone
  For game purposes, all weapon materials have the same 
  statistics. However, warriors take pride in using more glamorous 
  weapons, especially when wrested from an enemy. The referee 
  might also consider the material for narrative purposes. For 
  example, iron weapons rust unless cared for properly, and 
  become brittle in the cold. If treating a natural to-hit roll of 1 as a 
  fumble, the referee might rule that a weapon flies loose and hits 
  a wall: a stone weapon splinters to pieces, a crack appears in an 
  iron blade, a bronze weapon is dulled until a smith can restore its 
  edge, and a steel weapon simply falls to the ground unharmed. 
  Also, Shamans prefer obsidian daggers, especially for ritual use; 
  these weapons are viciously sharp but shatter easily if used to hit 
  anything hard, like a shield.
  Weapons
  Javelin thrower: A notched stick or special strap. Without 
  one, a goblin can only throw a javelin with range 10'/20'/30'.
  Sling bullets, lead: Used with these instead of stones for 
  ammo, a sling does 1d4+1 damage with range 30'/60'/90'.
  Armor
  Boiled armor (AC 7): A suit of hides bent into a wearable 
  shape and held with bronze rivets, then boiled until it turns stiff 
  and hard.
  Brigandine armor (AC 6): Taking the place often occupied 
  by “studded leather” in the fantasy armor hierarchy, brigandine 
  consists of thin metal plates sandwiched between an outer layer 
  of leather and an inner layer of leather or cloth. Rivets pierce the 
  layers to hold the plates in place. This is the best armor made by 
  Rotlanders.
  Hide armor (AC 8): Thick rawhide (p55) 
  hung about the body and held with straps of leather 
  or rope. The most common Rotlands armor type.
  Helms: An ugly, functional cap comes with 
  any suit of armor. Fancier headgear must be 
  acquired separately.
  
  71
  71
  71
  S T U F F
  S o u t h r o n  A r m s  +  A r m o r
  These rare armaments, made by humans and their allies, look, endure, and perform better than their Rotlands-made counterparts. However, a 
  Warrior might feel ashamed to use such an item unless he had personally taken it from an enemy. Availability of these items may be checked every 
  2d10+20 days. They appear for sale only at Moot, but Mooters in a caravan encountered anywhere have the same chance to want to buy such things. As 
  usual, these prices are the starting point for bargaining and barter.
  Most characters can never competently use unfamiliar armaments such as bows and chainmail. Warriors can become familiar with new gear types 
  as Acquired Proficiencies. At the referee’s option, an NPC Warrior above 1st level has a 1% chance per level to possess, and know how to use, a random 
  Southron weapon and the same chance to have random Southron armor.
  Southron Armor
  Armor 
  Class
  Weight
  Moot only
  Moot or caravan
  Avail.
  Sold for
  Buying?
  Bought for
  Armor, plated chain, human size *
  AC 4
  35 lbs
  –
  25,000 ip
  12
  10,000 ip
  Armor, chain mail, human size *
  AC 5
  30 lbs
  2
  12,500 ip
  12
  3,500 ip
  Armor, brigandine, human size *
  AC 6
  40 lbs
  3
  8,400 ip
  11
  1,680 ip
  Armor, cuir boili, halfling size
  AC 7
  15 lbs
  4
  2,250 ip
  9
  450 ip
  Armor, cuir boili, human size *
  AC 7
  20 lbs
  5
  3,000 ip
  10
  600 ip
  Armor, padded, halfling size
  AC 8
  15 lbs
  5
  300 ip
  8
  60 ip
  Armor, padded, human size *
  AC 8
  20 lbs
  6
  400 ip
  9
  80 ip
  Shield, wooden, halfling size °
  –1 AC
  5 lbs
  5
  750 ip
  8
  150 ip
  Shield, wooden, human size *
  –1 AC
  10 lbs
  5
  1,000 ip
  10
  200 ip
  Southron Weapon
  Moot only
  Moot or caravan
  Avail.
  Sold for
  Buying?
  Bought for
  Axe, battle, steel *‡
  5
  2,400 ip
  10
  480 ip
  Axe, hand, steel
  6
  1,600 ip
  9
  400 ip
  Bow, short †
  4
  10,000 ip
  10
  2,000 ip
  Bow, long *†
  3
  16,000 ip
  11
  3,200 ip
  Arrows, 5
  5
  500 ip
  9
  125 ip
  Crossbow, light †
  3
  6,400 ip
  10
  1,280 ip
  Bolts, light, 5
  4
  300 ip
  8
  90 ip
  Crossbow, heavy *†
  2
  10,000 ip
  9
  2,500 ip
  Bolts, heavy, 5
  3
  600 ip
  7
  150 ip
  Dagger, steel
  6
  800 ip
  9
  200 ip
  Hammer, steel
  5
  800 ip
  10
  200 ip
  Mace, steel 
  5
  1,600 ip
  10
  400 ip
  Javelin, steel-tipped
  6
  800 ip
  9
  160 ip
  Sling, reinforced
  9
  800 ip
  11
  200 ip
  Spear, steel-tipped *‡
  6
  1,600 ip
  9
  320 ip
  Sword, bastard, steel *
  2
  4,800 ip
  9
  960 ip
  Sword, great, steel *‡
  3
  12,000 ip
  11
  2,400 ip
  Sword, long, steel *
  4
  3,200 ip
  11
  800 ip
  Sword, short, steel
  5
  1,600 ip
  10
  400 ip
  War hammer, steel *‡
  4
   2,400 ip
  11
  480 ip
  C o m b a t  M o d i f i e r s 
  ( O p t i o n a l )
  Like everything else, local armor and weapons lag 
  behind Southron technology. Any weapon purchased or 
  made in the Rotlands is presumed to be bone, horn, wood, 
  flint, iron, or bronze. Armor starts out as hides; the plates 
  in brigandine are iron or bronze. Even leather and padded 
  armor, shields, arrows, and non-steel weapons are better 
  made in the south, so superiority is determined solely by 
  which culture made the arms, regardless of material. When 
  a Rotlander with local equipment faces a foe with superior 
  Southron gear, these modifiers can be used:
  •	
  Southron weapons cut through Rotlander armor, 
  getting +1 to hit.
  •	
  Rotlander weapons get –1 to hit against the 
  tougher Southron armor.
  •	
  Rotlander vs. Rotlander gear, or Southron vs. 
  Southron, uses no modifiers.
  A suit of Southron armor includes a leather helm, a coif for chainmail, or a coif and helm for plated chain.
  Plated chain includes overlapping steel plates on the breast, vambraces, skirt, and greaves. It only appears when placed by the referee.
  * Too large for halflings or goblins to use.
  † Requires two hands.
  ‡ Roughly human-sized creatures need two hands, but a humanoid of ogre size or larger can use in one hand.
  ° A shield sized for a halfling gives no AC benefit to a larger creature.
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  72
  72
  S p e c i a l t y  G o o d s  ~ 
  S l a v e s
  A Rotlander whose tribe does not ransom him, but who is unwanted 
  as labor or meat, often ends up on the block. The Slave Factors purchase 
  these sentient chattel from their captors, keep them in squalid cells eating 
  scraps and drinking bilge (Substandard Fare, p53), and put them up for 
  sale as soon as possible.
  See Slaves, p32, for more on the role of slavery among the tribes.
  Sold @: For sales of individual adults, considerable peering at teeth 
  and prodding of muscles occurs, making the price vary by the number of 
  hit points rolled for the slave: 1d8–1 for goblins, 1d8+1 for hobs, 1d8 for 
  orcs and orkin.
  Buying?: Rolling this number or less on 2d6 indicates a desire on 
  the part of the Slave Factors to buy 1d6 slaves of this kind. The referee 
  can then continue rolling for demand until a roll fails. Demand changes 
  once a week.
  Gangs: If enough slaves are available, the Slave Factors group males 
  into labor gangs for bulk sale. The price is discounted, but fixed, and hit 
  points aren’t rolled until after sale.
  Youths: Some masters buy youths to train early, or to supplement 
  the population of an indentured clan.
  Slave Market at Rotmoot
  Availability: A roll of this number or less on 2d6 indicates the 
  presence of 1d6 slaves of this type up for sale this week. The referee can 
  continue rolling for additional slaves until a roll fails.
  Slave Market at Selkirk Town
  Certain orc tribes occasionally bring prisoners to Selkirk; see p40. 
  Availability, chance that someone is buying, and prices work just as for 
  Rotmoot, except that each success indicates only one slave instead of 1d6. 
  Labor gangs thus become far less likely.
  Restraining Slaves
  Rotlanders can’t afford iron manacles. When putting a slave up for 
  sale, a seller uses short grass ropes to bind the wrists together and connect 
  the ankles, hobbling the victim. Gangs are bound together for even more 
  awkward movement. The ropes are not very durable, but a slave found 
  working his way loose will instead have one foot maimed to prevent 
  flight. This handicap reduces the worth of the slave by 25%, except in the 
  case of adult females meant for breeding in an Indentured Population. A 
  character with a maimed foot has one worse movement category (as if 
  encumbered, p11) and suffers a penalty of 1 on initiative rolls.
  Slaves
  Availability 
  (& roll again)
  Sold @
  Buying? 
  (& roll again)
  Bought @
  Goblin, male adult
  9
  450 ip + 50/hp (625 avg)
  7
  200 ip
   
  Gang of eight
  4,500
  8
  2,000 ip
  Goblin, female adult
  7
  400 ip + 50/hp (575 avg)
  6
  200 ip
  Goblin, youth
  5
  200
  3
  50 ip
  Hobgoblin, male adult
  7
  2,000 ip + 200/hp (3,100 avg)
  7
  1,000 ip
   
  Gang of six
  17,000
  9
  7,000 ip
  Hobgoblin, female adult
  5
  1,600 ip + 200/hp (2,700 avg)
  4
  800 ip
  Hobgoblin, youth
  3
  800
  3
   250 ip
  Orc, male adult
  8
  1,000 ip + 100/hp (1,450 avg)
  7
  500 ip
   
  Gang of seven
  9,000
  9
  4,500 ip
  Orc, female adult
  6
  800 ip + 100/hp (1,250 avg)
  5
  400 ip
  Orc, youth
  4
  400
  4
  125 ip
  Orkin, male adult
  6
  900 ip + 100/hp (1,350 avg)
  5
  450 ip
   
  Gang of seven
  8,500
  7
  4,000 ip
  Orkin, female adult
  5
  720 ip + 100/hp (1,170 avg)
  3
  350 ip
  Orkin, youth
  3
  360
  3
  100 ip
  
  73
  73
  73
  S T U F F
  S p e c i a l t y  G o o d s  ~ 
  O r n a m e n t s
  While only Mongers habitually think in terms of cash, every 
  Rotlander feels exquisitely the pride and pains of status. A judicious use 
  of ornaments can communicate the level of one’s Reputation to even 
  complete strangers.
  Like a pompous name, of course, sporting such finery above one’s 
  station is cause for immediate abuse by one’s fellows, doubtless followed 
  by a higher-ranking tribe member confiscating the offending pretties to 
  adorn his own raiment (p62).
  The d100 column is provided for random generation of treasures 
  worn by a high-ranking Rotlander, or perhaps in a secret cache.
  Availability and Buying? numbers apply when dealing with Mooters, 
  whether at Moot or in a caravan. The referee might allow an ornaments 
  market in Selkirk at –1 on Availability and Buying numbers.
  Totem figurines have the shapes of spirit animals, each connoting 
  some particular virtue. Any Rotlander can bear any totems, although 
  Shamans especially favor them and each has her favorite. They are useful 
  in spellcasting, as in the examples on p18.
   d20 
  Totem shape
   
  1 
  Badger
   2–4 
  Bear
   5–6 
  Bison
   
  7 
  Boar
   
  8 
  Emu
   
  9 
  Frog
   10 
  Goat, with horns
   11 
  Hawk
   12 
  Locust
   13 
  Mountain lion
   14–15 
  Humanoid, voluptuous female
   16 
  Humanoid, priapic male
   17 
  Reindeer
   18 
  Sheep
   19 
  Snake
   20 
  Wolf
  d100
  Ornament
  Avail.
  Sold 
  for
  Buying?
  Bought 
  for
  01–03
  Armband, bronze
  6
  200 ip
  9
  80 ip
  04–07
  Armband, iron
  8
  50 ip
  10
  20 ip
  08
  Armband, steel
  2
  300 ip
  12
  100 ip
  09
  Gem, large heliodor
  2
  400 ip
  10
  200 ip
  10–14
  Gem, large quartz
  7
  2 ip
  7
  ½ ip
  15–16
  Gem, large red garnet
  3
  200 ip
  9
  100 ip
  17–20
  Gem, large rose quartz
  5
  40 ip
  8
  20 ip
  21–22
  Gem, large tiger’s eye
  6
  20 ip
  8
  10 ip
  23–25
  Medallion, beaten copper or bronze coin
  8
  12 ip
  9
  2 ip
  26
  Medallion, beaten gold coin
  4
  100 ip
  11
  40 ip
  27–28
  Medallion, beaten silver coin
  6
  10 ip
  10
  4 ip
  29
  Necklace, Southron, colored glass beads
  4
  150 ip
  10
  60 ip
  30–31
  Pendant, jade droplet
  6
  25 ip
  10
  12 ip
  32–35
  Pendant, obsidian
  8
  4 ip
  8
  2 ip
  36–43
  Pendant, quartz
  10
  1 ip
  9
  ½ ip
  44–46
  Pendant, rose quartz
  7
  20 ip
  10
  10 ip
  47–51
  Ring, bronze
  9
  12 ip
  10
  6 ip
  52–53
  Ring, bronze, with heliodor
  3
  25 ip
  11
  12 ip
  54–57
  Ring, bronze, with tiger’s eye
  8
  20 ip
  10
  10 ip
  58–64
  Ring, iron
  10
  2 ip
  8
  1 ip
  65–69
  Ring, iron, with hematite
  7
   4 ip
  9
  2 ip
  70–73
  Ring, iron, with obsidian
  9
  6 ip
  8
  3 ip
  74–75
  Ring, iron, with red garnet
  4
  100 ip
  11
  50 ip
  76–78
  Ring, iron, with red rock-salt stone
  8
  12 ip
  7
  6 ip
  79–80
  Ring, jade
  4
  60 ip
  9
  30 ip
  81
  Ring, steel
  2
  20 ip
  12
  10 ip
  82–87
  Totem figurine, white (carved calcite)
  7
  1 ip
  5
  ½ ip
  88
  Totem figurine, green (carved jade)
  5
  48 ip
  10
  24 ip
  89–92
  Totem figurine, black (carved obsidian)
  8
  6 ip
  9
  3 ip
  93–95
  Totem figurine, red (carved rock-salt)
  8
  16 ip
  9
  8 ip
  96–00
  Totem figurine, sparkling grey (carved mica rock)
  8
  ½ ip
  4
  ¼ ip
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  74
  74
  C A R A V A N S
  A concentrated group of Monger-types carrying a huge amount 
  of goods makes a tempting target for any tribe. Therefore these groups 
  proceed with great caution and discipline, and enough guards to defeat 
  an ordinary single patrol. Against warbands, the chief Mooters usually 
  negotiate with the Shaman for peaceable payment of tribute. These 
  occasions can sometimes be turned into profitable contacts.
  Sometimes human or orkin caravans from the Southlands venture to 
  Moot and back. They use even heavier guard teams.
  M o o t e r  C a r a v a n s
  Mooters travel in numbers, and have the vexing habit of torching 
  their goods rather than letting raiders get them. Still, even a Scrounger 
  knows better than to die defending a bundle of poles.
  The crew of a single wagon consists of 17 people, various dogs, 
  and two gelded bison in harness. Because these are Mooters and not 
  tribespeople, females can play leadership roles of any kind. See p28 for 
  race and gender probabilities.
  Caravan Wagon (16)
  The Mooter tribe, as detailed on p28, keeps 16 wagons on the move 
  during travel months.
  A Mooter-style wagon can carry up to 3,500 lbs of weight.
  One wagon and crew = 30 HD
  Two Scroungers (M1) = 2 HD
  One Observer (M2) = 2 HD
  Four Chumps (W1) = 4 HD
  Two Meat Shields (W2) = 4 HD
  Eight Porters (T1) or one Slave Gang = 8 HD
  Four scrapper dogs (@ 1 HD) = 4 HD
  Two bison geldings (@ 3 HD) = 6 HD
  A randomly encountered Mooter caravan contains 1d4 wagons. For 
  each two wagons, the groups add two more people:
  One Foe-Taunter captain (W3) = +3 HD
  One Distracter (M3) = +3HD
  When four wagons join, they have a total of two Foe-Taunters and 
  two Distracters, plus one more person:
  One Bean Counter (M4) = +4 HD
  Personal Gear
  Warriors: One salt tally (st) and 2d6 ip, per level.
  Chumps and Meat Shields: Hide armor and shield (AC 7), two javelins, 
  short sword.
  Foe-Taunter: Brigandine and iron-rimmed shield (AC 3), steel sword, 
  short bow.
  Mongers: Padded armor and bronze dagger, plus 3d6+12 ip per level. 
  Those of 2nd or higher level also have a Monger’s scale, 2d6 bp per level, 
  and a 1 in 6 chance per level to have an ornament from p73.
  Employed porters carry a flint knife and 1d4–2 ip. Slaves carry no 
  personal possessions.
  Movement
  Caravans move only two hexes a day in ideal conditions, or one hex 
  per day in forest, wet conditions, or passable mountains. See p51. About 
  one day in six the group stops for a rest day. The caravan can’t possibly 
  carry enough food for everyone, so it depends on trading for food along 
  the way, finding water, and sending Warriors out to hunt. In rough terrain, 
  the Scroungers spend a day to disassemble the wagons and remake each 
  into a pair of sledges, each pulled by one bison. If the landscape is too 
  rough even for sledges, the merchants set up a camp and send runners 
  to inform nearby tribes of the chance to trade. At rivers, they convert the 
  wagons into rafts. In any form, the wagon’s sides are lined with projecting 
  javelins, for easy access by Mooter Warriors and to prevent over-eager 
  locals from climbing aboard.
  In combat, the Mongers move at full speed, while the Warriors suffer 
  a level of encumbrance due to gear, and the porters can hardly keep up a 
  walk unless they drop their heavy, lashed-on burdens. See p11.
  The Things They Carry
  In a caravan of multiple wagons, the first always carries a random 
  amount of everything on the Sundry Caravan Goods chart: for example, 
  3d6 baskets, 2d6 belts, and so on. Each additional wagon is 50% likely to 
  instead be a specialty wagon, carrying 1d4 types of goods rolled randomly 
  on the Bulk Caravan Goods chart below.
  A solo wagon instead has 1d3 items of Bulk Goods, plus Sundry 
  Caravan Goods in quantities rolled with one less die (thus, 2d6 of an item 
  with usual quantity of 3d6, and none of an item usually rolled on only 
  one die).
  Buying bulk goods from a caravan is not as cheap as the wholesale 
  trading values between Mooters at Rotmoot, but it can save a little money 
  over the one-at-a-time cost of smaller quantities. Somewhere between 
  wholesale and retail, this level of pricing is offered as a favor to preferred 
  clients; among themselves, Mongers call it “wholetail,” because you don’t 
  get the whole fish, but you get the whole tail.
  
  75
  75
  75
  S T U F F
  Sundry Caravan Goods (Unit)
  Price per unit
  Number 
  of units
  Animal feed (20 lbs of hay)
  125 ip
  1d6–1
  Basket (1 gallon)
  8 ip
  3d6
  Belt, leather
  22 ip
  2d6
  Blanket, wool
  32 ip
  1d6
  Boots, hide
  120 ip
  1d4
  Brew, gallon
  50 ip
  3d6
  Bucket, 1 gallon
  20 ip
  2d6
  Cap, hide
  3 ip
  4d6
  Coat, hide
  110 ip
  1d6–1
  Coat, wool
  270 ip
  1d6–2
  Cup, clay (1 pint)
  2 ip
  3d6+6
  Eggs, chicken, salted (½ dozen) *
  16 ip
  3d6
  Egg, emu, salted (1) *
  40 ip
  1d6
  Fire-making kit
  35 ip
  1d6
  Glue, 1 lb block
  10 ip
  2d6
  d100
  Bulk Caravan Goods
  Number of Units @ Price per Unit
  01
  Animal: Scrapper puppies
  1d6 puppies @ 200 ip
  02
  Animal: Warg, young
  One cub @ 1,800 ip
  03
  Barrels, unassembled
  Oak and hoops for 1d6 barrels @ 120 lbs, 960 ip
  04–07
  Baskets
  1d6 packs @ 24 lbs, 120 ip
  08–11
  Blankets, wool
  4d6 blankets @ 3 lbs, 17 ip
  12–14
  Brew
  1d6 10 gallon kegs @ 50 lbs, 600 ip
  15–17
  Charcoal
  2d6 x 10 lbs, 150 ip
  18–19
  Clay, soft
  1d6 x 10 lbs, 40 ip
  20
  Coal
  2d6 x 5 lbs, 225 ip
  21–22
  Dye, black or brown
  2d6 x 1 gallon jars @ 10 lbs, 250 ip
  23
  Dye, blue, green, or yellow
  1d6 x 1 gallon jars @ 10 lbs, 400 ip
  24–25
  Dye, red
  1d6 x 1 gallon jars @ 10 lbs, 800 ip
  26–27
  Eggs, chicken, salted *
  3d6 x dozen, 3 lbs, 64 ip
  28
  Eggs, emu, salted *
  1d6 x 8 eggs in clay, 15 lbs, 600 ip
  29–30
  Furs, coarse
  1d6 x 10 lbs, 200 ip
  31
  Furs, soft
  1d6 x 10 lbs, 300 ip
  32
  Furs, soft, all-white or all-black
  1d6 x 10 lbs, 400 ip
  33
  Gourds, hollowed and dried
  1d6 packs @ 24 lbs, 360 ip
  34–37
  Hats, straw
  4d6 hats @ ½ lb, 3 ip
  38–42
  Hides (rawhide)
  1d6 x 10 lbs, 100 ip
  43–45
  Insect paste *
  1d6 x 1 gallon jars @ 10 lbs, 800 ip
  46
  Ivory
  4d6 buttons @ 10 ip
  47
  Kegs, unassembled
  Oak and hoops for 1d6 kegs @ 20 lbs, 160 ip
  48–49
  Leather, scraps and strings
  2d6 x 1 lb bundles @ 20 ip
  50–51
  Leather, sheets of hide
  1d6 x 10 yds, 1,400 ip, 35 lbs
  52–53
  Meat, cured pork *
  3d6 lbs @ 300 ip
  54–57
  Meat, mystery jerky *
  2d6 x 5 lbs, 375 ip
  58
  Metal: Copper
  3d6 ornaments @ 10 ip
  (Unit)
  Price per unit
  Number 
  of units
  Hat, wool
  40 ip
  1d6
  Knife, small, flint
  12 ip
  2d6
  Loincloth, hide
  15 ip
  2d6
  Meat, mystery jerky, 1 lb *
  150 ip
  3d6
  Money-gourd
  12 ip
  1d6
  Panbread flour, 5 lbs.
  20 ip
  1d6
  Pot, clay (1 gallon)
  8 ip
  3d6
  Rope, 10 feet
  13 ip
  3d6
  Sack, large (60 lb. capacity)
  30 ip
  1d6
  Salt, ½ lb *
  100 ip
  2d6 lbs
  Torch, bundle of 4
  20 ip
  2d6
  Vegetables: gourds, roots, 
  or tubers, 5 lbs
  10 ip
  2d6
  Water gourd, quart
  35 ip
  2d6
  Water skin, quart
  60 ip
  1d6
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  76
  76
  d100
  Bulk Caravan Goods
  Number of Units @ Price per Unit
  59
  Metal: Iron
  3d6 lbs @ 50 ip
  60
  Metal: Lead
  2d6 lbs @ 25 ip
  61
  Metal: Tin
  2d6 lbs @ 60 ip
  62–64
  Oil, seed
  1d6 x 10 gallon kegs @ 50 lbs, 220 ip
  65
  Parasols, straw
  1d6 @ 1 lb, 5 ip
  66–68
  Pitch, hard (pine resin)
  1d6 x 10 lbs, 20 ip
  69–72
  Pots and jars, clay
  1d6 packs @ 50 lbs, 100 ip
  73–75
  Rope
  1d6 x 50 ft @ 40 ip
  76–77
  Stone: Flint
  2d6 lbs @ 50 ip
  78
  Stone: Obsidian
  1d6 lbs @ 250 ip
  79–80
  Vegetables, gourds
  1d6 x 50 lbs, 100 ip
  81–84
  Vegetables, onions
  2d6 x 10 lbs, 40 ip
  85–88
  Vegetables, pickled *
  2d6 x 1 gallon, 10 lbs, 250 ip
  89–90
  Vegetables, roots or tubers
  1d6 x 50 lbs, 100 ip
  91
  Wood: 10' poles (seasoned pine)
  2d6 poles @ 8 lbs, 35 ip
  92
  Wood: Seasoned Birch
  3d6 x 50 lbs, 300 ip
  93
  Wood: Seasoned Riverwood Oak
  3d6 x 50 lbs, 400 ip
  94
  Wood: Seasoned Pine
  3d6 x 100 lbs, 400 ip
  95–97
  Wool, felted broadcloth
  1d6 x 10 yds, 115 ip, 18 lbs
  98–99
  Wool, raw
  3d6 spools @ 15 lbs, 100 ip
  00
  Ornaments, 2d6
  See p73.
  * Affected by optional regional value of salt, p64. Carrying salt items out to the hinterlands, where they sell for more, often 
  earns profits for Mooters.
  Units and Pricing: The unit of trade may be more than one item, or a certain weight. For example, for “Wool, felted 
  broadcloth,” a roll of 4 on the d6 indicates 40 yards of cloth. Each 10 yards is worth 115 ip, so the bundle is worth 460 ip 
  (and weighs 72 lbs). For goods counted by weight, the number of pounds given is the unit. For example, for “Vegetables, 
  onions,” with a unit size of 10 lbs, a 2d6 roll of 5 indicates 50 lbs, worth 200 ip total.
  
  77
  77
  77
  S T U F F
  H u m a n  C a r a v a n s
  The humans carry luxury Southron goods north, and return with 
  loads of iron, bronze, and Mt. Rotten salt.  For policy reasons they do 
  not sell arms. These folk enter the Rotlands rarely, warily, and in force: 
  eight wagons per caravan, 104 people, and 56 animals. Half the time, the 
  crew includes 12 orkin among the Guards, in which case these men get 
  night watch because of their infravision. The accustomed draft and riding 
  horses can tolerate the smell of locals as long as the Rotlanders don’t get 
  too close, while warhorses channel their hatred into violence if necessary.
  The standard caravan has two supply wagons and six merchant 
  wagons, each pulled by two oxen. The supply wagons contain wine (to be 
  watered), trail rations, bedrolls, and general survival gear. Their wagons 
  are heavier than Mooter wagons, and can’t convert into sledges or rafts.
  At night the wagons are circled and several fires built. After dinner, 
  one Lieutenant has command until about midnight, and the other from 
  then until dawn. Each commands two Sergeants and six Guards: orkin if 
  available. Watches double up for half an hour around dawn and sundown.
   A human-style wagon can carry up to 3,000 lbs of freight.
  Complement
  All speak Man. Armaments are all of Southron make (p71). Merchants 
  have riding horses, padded armor (AC 8), and dagger. Optionally, one 
  merchant in 10 is a halfling (AC 7, –2 on hp total).
  12 Journeymen (1 HD, 8 hp) with figuring slate, chalk, small knife, 
  roll of twine. Handle animals. 
  Six Merchants (2 HD, 13 hp) with loupe; speak Ork.
  Two Master Merchants (3 HD, 17 hp) with loupe, potion of healing. 
  Speak Ork and Gritch.
  One Guildmaster (4 HD, 27 hp) with two random potions from this 
  list (d6): ESP, extra-healing, humanoid control, invisibility, poison, treasure 
  finding. Speaks Ork and Gritch.
  One Prestidigitator (MU1, AC 9, 3 hp) with sleep memorized and 
  two scrolls of detect magic. Spellbook also has charm person, read magic. 
  Speaks Ork or Gritch. Riding horse.
  One Functionary of the Coin God (C1, AC 6, 8 hp) with brigandine, 
  shield, sling, mace, and two cure light wounds spells. Riding horse.
  Guard Captain (F5, AC 3, 37 hp) with warhorse, plate & chain (AC 
  4), helm, lance, longsword, shortbow, horn; all scores 13 (+1 to hit and 
  damage in melee; +1 initiative), potion of extra-healing. Speaks Ork.
  Two Lieutenants (F3, AC 4, 23 hp) with warhorses, banded armor 
  (AC 4), lance, longsword, shortbow, STR 16 (+2 to hit and damage in 
  melee).
  Six Sergeants (F2, AC 4, 16 hp) with chainmail, shield (AC 4), 
  longsword, two daggers, sap, manacles.
  72 Guards (F1, AC 6, 8 hp) with brigandine armor, shield, two 
  javelins, longsword.
  12 war dogs (@ 2 HD).
  18 oxen (@ 4 HD)
  Cargo
  Each merchant wagon typically carries one bulk load of three barrels, 
  weighing 1,500 to 2,000 lbs, plus one sundry load of small items totaling 
  200 lbs and locked in a chest.
  Bulk load
   
  d6 
  Cargo, three barrels
   
  1–2 
  Wine @ 650 lbs, 3,400 ip  
  (10,200 ip total)
   
  3–4 
  Fish, salt @ 480 lbs, 12,000 ip  
  (36,000 ip total)
   
  5  
  Whale oil @ 550 lbs, 2,000 ip  
  (6,000 ip total)
   
  6 
  Coal @ 700 lbs, 14,000 ip  
  (42,000 ip total)
  Sundry load
   
  d8 
  Cargo in chest
   
  1 
  Steel rods, four bundles @ 50 lbs, 15,000 ip  
  (60,000 ip total)
   
  2 
  Silk rope, 20 lengths of 100' @ 10 lbs, 1,000 ip  
  (20,000 ip total)
   
  3 
  Steel-tipped farming instruments, 40 @ 5 lbs, 750 ip  
  (30,000 ip total)
   
  4 
  Large tin-backed mirrors, 24 @ 8 lbs, 750 ip  
  (18,000 ip total)
   
  5 
  Cotton cloth, red, five bolts of 40 yds @ 40 lbs, 3,000 ip 
  (15,000 ip total)
   
  6 
  Honey, 10 one-gallon jars @ 20 lbs, 1,600 ip  
  (16,000 ip total)
   
  7 
  Necklaces of colored glass beads, 200 @ 1 lb, 100 ip 
  (20,000 ip total)
   
  8 
  Red paint, 14 gallons @ 14 lbs, 1,000 ip 
  (14,000 ip total)
  Returning from Moot, each human caravan wagon carries three 
  barrels of salt and a locked chest holding 200 pounds of Rotland coins 
  (d100 lbs of bronze, the rest iron). The caravan also has 1d20 rolls on the 
  Ornaments chart, p73.
  
  78
  78
  I N D E X
  “advanced” fantasy rules 2, 6
  anthropophagy 12–13, 23, 32, 54
  arms and armor 15, 70
   
  arms and armor, Southron 71
  astral spell 18
  Availability (goods) 39, 54, 65, 66, 70, 71, 72, 73
  bachelor packs (gnolls) 29, 36, 57t, 58t
  barter 63, 65
   
  Barter Roll 63
  Borderlands (region) 22t, 36, 37m, 57t, 58t
   
  encounters 22t, 57t, 58t
  Borrowing (Monger ability) 19
  bronze 
   
  as goods 69t
   
  as money (bp) 63, 64
   
  in ornaments 73t
   
  mining 43
   
  weapon material 69t, 70
  Bulk Rights (Monger ability) 19
  Buying? (goods) 55t, 65, 71t, 72, 73t
  campaign types 50
  camps 56
   
  caravan 56, 57t, 58t
   
  hill giant 56
   
  Free Hob 
   
  Monster Orc 34
   
  Warg Rider 35, 41m
  cannibalism: see anthropophagy 
  captives, treatment of 8, 9t, 32, 40, 72
  caravans 28, 38, 51t, 65, 74
   
  as purchasers of specialty items 74, 75t-76t
   
  camps 56, 57t, 58t
   
  human caravans 77
   
  Mooter caravans 74
  cards, poker deck (What Befalls the Tribe) 48
  carnivores
   
  gnolls 29, 54
   
  hobgoblins 12, 54
   
  meat of 54
  caves 42
   
  Dristyakul (Hellmouth) 5, 6, 37, 41
   
  Ice Cave (Oddity) 47
   
  ice caves (seasonal) 42
   
  Around Goblin Knob 41m
   
  sample Foot Goblin cave 45m
   
  sample Monster Orc redoubt 44m
   
  undiscovered caves 42, 49
  character classes, NPC 20
  character classes, PC 15
   
  Mongers 19
   
  Shamans 16
   
  Warriors 15
  charcoal 66, 67t, 69t, 75t
  Chieftain (tribal title) 15
  Ciphering (Monger ability) 19
  clans: see also tribe types 
   
  Ogre Clans 21t, 22t, 28, 57t
   
  Saltjack Clans 21t, 27, 37
   
  Slave Clans (subjugated populations) 32
  coal 19, 35, 39
   
  and charcoal 66
   
  as goods 67t, 69t, 75t, 77t
   
  mining 43
  Cold terrain 21, 22t, 42, 51t, 52
  Command (Warrior ability) 15
  copper 
   
  as goods 69t, 75t
   
  in ornaments 73
   
  mining 43
   
  partial acceptability as money 64
  curing 
   
  hides 55
   
  meat 54
  crystals 
   
  as ornaments 43, 73t
   
  mining 43
  debt 
   
  and gifts 19, 20
   
  and Harvest Revel 38
   
  and Mongers 19, 20, 38, 39
   
  and Warriors 10, 38
  dehydration (hazard) 53
  detect magic (spell) 18
  dire wolves: see wargs 
  Doghead Peaks (region) 22t, 36, 37m, 57t, 58t
   
  and gnolls 29
   
  encounters 22t, 57t, 58t
  Drastic Steppe (region) 22t, 36, 37m, 57t, 58t
   
  encounters 22t, 57t, 58t
  Dristyakul (Hellmouth)  5, 6, 37, 41
  drought 
   
  and Dry terrain 49
   
  hazard 51, 53
   
  in What Befalls the Tribe 49
  Dry terrain 21, 22t, 51t, 53
  dwarfs 13
   
  in mythology 5
   
  under Dwarf Hills 6
  earthquakes: see tectonics 
  elves, supremely evil 5
  encounters 
   
  random 56, 57-58t
   
  Spirit Encounters 59
   
  survivability 56
  encumbrance, variant 11
  equines: see horses 
  equipment: see goods 
  Establishment (Monger ability) 19
  Evaluation (Monger ability) 19
  Factors 
      of the Houses of Selkirk 40
      slave masters 72
  Famine 43, 53
  ferals (iron pieces) 63
  fetch (name for animal companion spell) 18
  field dressing prey 54
  flint 
   
  as goods 69t, 76t
   
  mining 43
   
  weapon material 65, 68t, 70, 75t
  floods in What Befalls the Tribe 49
  fnord 23
  food 
   
  individual requirements 53
   
  meat and hobgoblins 12, 53
   
  Clubs suit, in What Befalls the Tribe 49
   
  starvation (hazard) 53
   
  substandard fare 53
   
  typical rations 53, 67
  Foot Goblins (tribe type) 22t, 23, 30, 31, 36, 39
   
  as default PC tribe type 23, 50
   
  paying tribute to Warg Riders 23
   
  enslaved by Goblin Eater hobs 24
   
  Foot Goblin settlements 25, 33
   
  sample Foot Goblin cave 45
  Forest Goblins (tribe type) 22t, 23, 36
  Fort Norbert 36
  Free Hobs (tribe type) 27, 30, 36, 39
   
  Hungry Hobs campaign type 50
  furs 39, 55, 67t, 69t, 75t
  gems: see crystals 
  gender 
   
  among Hearth Orcs 35
   
  among Monster Orcs 34
   
  among Mooters 28t, 38
   
  gender roles (campaign options) 6
   
  Random race and gender of Mooters 28t, 38
  Ghost Hunters (campaign type) 50
  giants 5, 14, 36, 51t, 54t, 56, 57t, 58t
  gifts 8, 19, 20, 62, 63t
  gnolls 13, 29f, 51t, 53
   
  and the Doghead Peaks 29, 36
   
  as carnivores 29, 54
   
  Gnoll Packs 29, 36, 57t, 58t
   
   bachelor packs 29, 36, 56, 57t, 58t
   
  silly slave in Ghost Hunters campaign type 50
   
  Yik-yak (language) 14
  Gob Stretch (region) 36, 37m
   
  encounters 22t, 57t, 58t
  Goblin Eaters (tribe type) 22t, 24, 31, 32, 36, 39
  Goblin Knob (landmark) 37, 37m, 41m
   
  Around Goblin Knob 41
   
  Dristyakul (Hellmouth) 5, 6, 37, 41
   
  sacred character 5, 37
   
  in mythology 5
  Goblinoid Games
   
  Known Lands open setting 6
   
  Labyrinth Lord™ 6
   
  license 2
  goblins 5, 12, 14f 
   
  as default PC race 7, 11
   
  enslaved 2432
   
  food requirements 53
   
  Foot Goblins (tribe type) 23, 24, 27
   
   names, personal 20
   
   names, tribal 30, 41m
   
  Forest Goblins 23
   
  Gritch words 5, 12, 33
   
  humor 7, 12, 14, 20, 30, 41m
   
  mythology 5
   
  size restriction on armor 70
   
  size restriction on weapons 15, 70
   
   use of javelins with throwing stick or strap 12, 70
   
  sneak-thievery 12, 62
   
  travel rates 51
   
  variant encumbrance 11
   
  variant scores 11
   
  Warg Riders (tribe type) 26
  gold 
   
  in ornaments 73t
   
  mining 43
   
  unacceptability as money 64
  gongs (bronze pieces, bp) 63
  goods 65
   
  Availability 65, 66
   
  Buying? 55t, 65, 71t, 72, 73t
   
  Common Goods 65
   
  General Goods 66
   
  caravan goods 74-77
   
  seasonality 55
   
  Specialty Goods 67-73
   
   Arms & Armor 70
   
    Southron Arms & Armor 71
   
   Ornaments 73
   
   Slaves 72
   
   Southron Luxuries 67
   
   Trade Goods 67-69
  Great Mor: see Mor 
  Green hands (Monger ability) 19
  Greyrakes (region) 36, 37m, 40
   
  encounters 22t, 57t, 58t 
  Gritch (language) 12, 14
  Half-Orc Lord 5
  halflings 
   
  as a breed of humans 5, 6
   
  halfling-sized Southron arms and armor 71
  Harsh terrain 21, 22t, 35, 53, 57
  Harvest Revel 38
   
  and debts 19, 38
   
  and mating 27, 38
  Hearth Orcs (tribe type) 25, 30, 31, 32, 36, 39
   
  Hearth Orc towns 35
   
   Selkirk 40
  Hellmouth (Dristyakul) 5, 41
  herds 31, 40m, 41m, 43, 56
   
  and territory size 21, 31
   
  as affected by What Befalls the Tribe 49
   
  herder and herd animal encounters 22t, 57t, 58t
  
  79
  I N D E X
  79
  79
  79
   
  herd animals by terrain aspect 31
  hexes (see also maps) 
   
  HD per hex 21
   
  vs. miles 6, 51
   
  territory in hexes 21, 22t
  hides 55, 65t, 67t, 68t, 69, 75t 
   
  hide armor 70t
  hill giants 51t, 54t, 56, 57t, 58t
   
  languages 14
  hobgoblins 12, 14f, 30, 36, 51t
   
  among Mooters 28, 38
   
  and Reputation 7
   
  as carnivores 12, 53, 54
   
  as slavers 32, 72
   
  Cult of Weapons 12, 62
   
  Free Hobs (tribe type) 27
   
  Goblin Eaters (tribe type) 23
   
  Gritch language 14
   
  mythology 5, 12
  honor 8, 10
   
  and money 10
   
  and Reputation 10
   
  and Warriors 10, 15, 39
   
  at Rotmoot 10, 38
  horses and similar equines 31
   
  and orkin 13, 15, 31
   
  training of, for human caravans 77
  hostage exchange 8, 9t, 32
  Houses of Selkirk: see Selkirk
  humans 51t, 54t, 56
   
  and the Borderlands 6, 36, 48
   
  as enemies 5, 48, 50
   
  as trade partners 64, 74, 77
   
  caravans, human 7, 38, 57t, 58t, 77
   
  in goblin mythology 5
   
  language of  14
   
  Lesserton & Mor 13, 38, 39, 60, 64
   
  raiders 57t
   
  Southron arms & armor 71
   
  technology 62, 70
   
  Trouble Pass and Fort Norbert 36
  humor, goblin 7, 12, 14, 20, 30, 41m
  hunting for meat 54
  Hungry Hobs (campaign type) 50
  Ice Cave (Oddity) 47
  ice caves, seasonal 42
  Ice Pines (landmark) 41
  iron 
   
  and rust 63, 70
   
  as goods 69t, 76t
   
  as money (ferals, ip) 10, 63, 64
   
  in ornaments 73t
   
  mining 43
   
  smelting and forging 35, 39, 66
   
  weapon material 70
  jade 
   
  as goods 69t
   
  in ornaments 73
   
  mining 43
  jerky 54, 65t, 66, 68t, 69t, 75t
  Kasteel River (landmark) 36, 37m, 38
  Known Lands 6
  Labyrinth Lord™ (game) 2, 6
  languages 14
   
  literacy 14
   
  Mongers and 19, 28
   
  pidgin at Rotmoot 28
  lead 
   
  as goods 69t, 76t
   
  mining 43
  leather 39, 55, 65t, 67t, 69t, 75t
   
  as armor 70
   
  making leather 55
  Lending (Monger ability) 19
  Lesserton (human town) 13, 38, 39
  literacy 14
  locals (occupants of a hex) 22t, 56
  luxury goods, Southron 67
  Man (language) 14
  Maps 
   
  about the “Known Lands” map 6
   
  Around Goblin Knob 41
   
  In the Mountain’s Shadow 40
   
  sample cave: limestone flow 45
   
  sample cave: small hollow 44
   
  spiral camp typical of Monster Orcs 34
   
  the Rotlands (color) Inside front cover
   
  the Rotlands (regions) 37
  mating 
   
  among hobgoblins 12
   
  finding mates at Harvest Revel 27, 38-39
   
  gnoll bachelor packs 29
   
  goblin group mating 12
   
  instability of pairings among orcs 13
   
  privileges among ogres 28
  meat
   
  as goods 65t, 68t, 69t, 75t
   
  hunting and preserving 54
  men: see humans 
  metallurgy 66
  miles, vs. hexes 6, 51
  mining 43
   
  and Saltjack Clans 27, 37
   
  and tribal names 30
  money 63
   
  coins from the Southlands 64
   
   as ornaments 64, 73t
   
   lack of exchange rate 64
  money changers (coineries) 39, 64
  money-gourds 63, 65t, 66, 68t, 75t
  Mongers 19, 19f
   
  and bulk trade 19, 68
   
  and honor 7, 9t, 10, 20, 39
   
  and languages 14, 19, 28
   
  and specialty goods 68
   
  in Mooter caravans 74
   
  in Selkirk 40
   
  at Rotmoot 38, 68
   
  PCs shopping before play 20, 65
   
  role in tribes 10, 12, 13
  Monster Orcs (tribe types) 
   
  Ogre Lashers (tribe type) 23
   
   and bachelor ogres  29
   
  Troll Drivers (tribe type) 24
   
  sample cave redoubt 44
   
  typical spiral camp 34
  Monster Mash (campaign type) 50
  Monstrous Peoples 28, 50
  Mouth Guard (campaign type) 50
  Moot: see Rotmoot 
  Moot Monkeys (campaign type) 48
  Mooters (Mooter Tribe) 28, 38
   
  and gender and race 6, 28t, 38
   
  and languages 28
   
  and trade goods 68
   
  caravans 38, 56, 57t, 58t, 74
   
  high-level Mongers becoming 19
   
  origins 5
   
  seasonal population at Rotmoot 28, 39
  Mootpeace 10, 39
  Mor 13, 14, 37m
   
  in history 5, 60
   
  in trade with Rotmoot 38, 39, 64
  Mount Rotten (landmark) 37m, 40m
   
  and salt 43, 63
   
  and Saltjack Clans 27
   
  and Selkirk 38, 40
   
  as headquarters of the Half-Orc Lord 5
   
  In the Mountain’s Shadow 40
  movement 
   
  and encumbrance 11, 74
   
  in Spirit World (Spirit Walk spell) 18
   
  overland 51, 74
  mules: see horses 
  mysterious potion 67
  mystery meat 53, 54, 65t, 68t, 69t, 75t
  names 
   
  personal 20
   
  tribe 30, 40, 41
  negotiation 8, 10, 17, 19, 38, 62, 65
  New Kids (campaign type) 50
  new spells 18
  The North Will Rise Again (campaign type) 50
  NPCs 
   
  classes 20
   
  Reputation 7, 9t
   
  literacy 14
   
  scores 11
  obsidian 
   
  as goods 69t, 76t
   
  in ornaments 73t
   
  mining 43
   
  weapon material 70
  occupants of a hex 22t
  Oddities (characteristics of a hex) 22t, 46
  Oegal (giantish language) 14
  Ogga (ogre language) 14
  Ogre Lashers (tribe type); see also Monster Orcs
   
  23, 29, 30, 32, 36, 39, 40
   
  and bachelor ogres  29
  ogres 13, 14, 22t, 28, 31, 34f, 36, 51t, 54t, 57t
   
  Ogre Clans 28
  Open Game License: inside back cover
  optional rules 
      combat modifiers, Southron vs. Rotlands gear 71
      regional value of salt 43, 64
  orcs 13, 14, 22t, 34f, 51t, 66
   
  among Mooters 28, 39
   
  and possessions 62
   
  as slaves 32, 72
   
  Hearth Orcs (tribe type) 25
   
  honor and Reputation 7, 10, 13
   
  language 14
   
  Monster Orcs 23, 34f, 44
   
   Ogre Lashers (tribe type) 23
   
   Troll Drivers (tribe type) 24
   
  possessions and 62
   
  red rage 12, 13
   
  similarity to humans 13
  ore 39, 43, 66, 69t, 75t
  Ork (language) 14
   
  and Rotmoot 28
  orkin 13
   
  among human caravans 74, 77
   
  among Mooters 28, 38
   
  and horses 13, 15, 31
   
  and Mor 13, 38, 39, 64
   
  as slaves 32, 72
   
  in Selkirk 40
   
  Saltjack Clans 
  ornaments 73, 76t
   
  and Reputation 62
   
  random ornaments 73t
  paternity, unknown among goblins 12
  PCs 
   
  and maximum hp at first level 11
   
  as focus of events in What Befalls the Tribe 48
   
  character classes 15-20
   
  character races 11-13
   
  ransoming a PC 8, 9t
   
  standard PC scores 11, 16, 17, 20
  pelts 55
  Pidgin (language) 14, 28
  population 21, 22t, 23-29
   
  by region 36
   
  Hearts suit in What Befalls the Tribe 48
  
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  80
  80
  I N  T H E  S H A D O W  O F  M O U N T  R O T T E N
  possessions 62
  Prime terrain 21, 22t, 51, 53, 57
  prisoners 
   
  and ransom 8, 32
   
  as food 8, 12, 13
   
  as laborers 8, 32
   
  prisoner exchange 8, 9t
   
  vs. slaves 32
  Product Identity inside back cover
  protection from evil (spell) 18
  races (see also goblin, hobgoblin, orc, orkin) 
   
  random race and gender of Mooters by class 28
   
  sizes, relative 14f
   
  travel rates 51t
   
  variant encumbrance 11
   
  variant scores 11
  ransom 8, 9t, 32, 33
  rations, typical by race 53
  rawhide 55, 70, 75t
  Rebuke Spirit (Shaman ability) 17, 59, 60
  Red Runes 14
  regions 36, 37m
  Reputation 7, 56, 73
   
  and reaction rolls 7
   
  classes and 16, 17, 20, 39
   
  honor and 10
   
  NPC 9
   
  opportunities in What Befalls the Tribe 48
   
  possessions, security of, and 62, 73
   
  races and 7, 62
   
  ransom and 8
  Revel: see Harvest Revel 
  rituals 
   
  as Shaman spellcasting 17, 18, 60
   
  tribal 8, 12, 35, 41
  Riverwood (region) 36, 37m
   
  encounters 22t, 57t, 58t
   
  Forest Goblins 23
   
  Riverwood oak 69t, 76t
  Rotmoot (landmark) 37m, 38
   
  and human caravans 38
   
  as “Goblin Market” 38
   
  as destination for tribal groups 27, 38
   
  as liminoid space 10
   
  foundation 5
   
  Harvest Revel 19, 27, 38, 68
   
  Moot Monkeys (campaign type) 50
   
  Mooter tribe 28, 38
   
  Mootpeace and Warriors 10, 39
   
  seasonal population 28, 39
   
  slave market 8, 33, 72
   
  trade with Mor 38, 64
   
  visitors 10, 28, 39
  ruins 46
  Rushing River (landmark) 36, 37m
  Rushing River Valley (region) 36, 37m
   
  encounters 22t, 57t, 58t
   
  Trouble Pass and Fort Norbert 36
  salt 
   
  and food 
   
   in insect paste 66
   
   in meat preservation 54
   
   nutritive value 37
   
  and Mount Rotten 37, 43
   
  as goods 65t, 68t, 69t
   
  as money (salt tallies, st) 37, 63
   
  in hide preservation 55
   
  in ornaments 73t
   
  redness 63
   
  regional value 43, 64
  Saltjack Clans (tribe type) 5, 27, 37, 64
   
  and regional value of salt 43, 64
   
  exploitation 5, 27, 37, 40
  sausage, blood 54, 67t, 69t
  scale (maps and territory) 6, 51
  scrapper dogs 33, 54t, 66, 67t, 69t, 75t
  Selkirk (landmark) 35, 38, 40m, 65, 66
   
  and Saltjack Clans 38, 40
   
  Houses of Selkirk 40
   
  slave market 33, 72
  Senior Shaman (tribal title) 16
  settlements 33
  sex: see gender or mating 
  Shamans 16, 16f
   
  and negotiation 17
   
  and Reputation 7, 9t, 17
   
  and Spirit Encounters 59
   
  and the Spirit World 6, 16-18, 37, 41
   
  and totem figurines 18, 73
   
  and obsidian daggers 70
   
  Rebuke Spirit ability 17
   
  spellcasting 17
   
   spell list 18
   
    new spells 18
  slaver tribes 21, 23, 24, 25
  slavery 8, 20, 32, 72
   
  and character class 20
   
  indentured populations 32, 72
   
  random race of slaves with Mooter caravans 28
   
  slave gangs (laborers) 32, 72
   
  slave markets 8, 33, 72
   
  substandard fare 53
   
  vs. prisoners 32
  Southlands 5, 6, 14, 38, 64, 67t, 71, 77
  Sparse terrain 21, 22t, 31, 53, 57
  spells: see Shamans 
  Spirit Encounters 59
  spirit sight (new spell) 18, 61
  spirit walk (new spell) 18
  spirit ward (new spell) 18
  Spirit World 6, 16, 18, 60
  spirits 
   
  and Rebuke Spirit (Shaman ability) 17, 59
   
  Rotlands as haunted country 66, 16, 36, 37, 41, 59
  starvation (hazard) 53
  steel 
   
  as goods 77t
   
  in ornaments 73t
   
  in Southron arms and armor 71
   
  scarcity 26, 62
   
  weapon material 70
  stone 
   
  flint 69t, 76t
   
  in ornaments 73t
   
  jade 73t, 76t
   
  mining 43
   
  obsidian 69t, 73t, 76t
   
  weapon material 70
  survivability of encounters 56
  survival 51
  Sweet Plains (region) 36, 37m
   
  encounters 22t, 57t, 58t
  tanning (hides) 55
  Tarn of Death (landmark) 38
  tcho-para (Gritch term) 33
  technology 62
   
  by tribe type 23-29
   
  in arms and armor 70, 71
  tectonics 47
   
  and wildfire 52
  terrain 
   
  and locals 22t
   
  by region 36
   
  terrain aspect 21
   
   and travel rates 51, 74
   
   and herds 31t
   
  terrain quality  21
   
   and availability of water 42, 53
   
   and encounters 56, 57t, 58t
   
   and foraging 53
   
   and weather 51, 52
  territory 21
  tin 
   
  as goods 69t, 76t
   
  in mirrors 77t
   
  mining 43
  totem markers (new spell) 18
  totem figurines 18, 73
  towns 
   
  Hearth Orc towns 35
   
   In the Mountain’s Shadow 40m
   
   Selkirk 37m, 38, 40m, 40
   
  Human towns 
   
   settlements by the Borderlands 36, 57t
   
   Lesserton 13, 38, 39
   
  Rotmoot 38
  treasure: see ornaments
  Tribemembers (NPC class) 20, 23-29
  tribe types 23-29
  Troll Drivers (tribe type); see also Monster Orcs
   
  22t, 24, 30, 32, 34f, 36, 39
  trolls 13, 36, 38, 56, 57t, 58t
  Trouble Pass (landmark) 36
  Turn Undead (Cleric ability) 17, 59
   
  undead 
   
  and Rebuke Spirit 17, 59
   
  Barrow encounter 59
   
  vs. spirits 17
  war 
   
  and negotiation 10, 38
   
  between tribes 12-13, 23, 24, 26, 27
   
  of the Half-Orc Lord 5
   
  prisoners of 32
   
  Spades suit in What Befalls the Tribe 48
  Warg Riders (goblin tribe type) 22t, 26, 30, 36, 62
   
  and tribute from Foot Goblins 23, 41, 51t
   
  at Rotmoot 39
   
  camps 35, 56
   
  Fangs of Destiny (Around Goblin Knob) 41
   
  feeding wargs 53, 66
   
  Warrior’s acquired proficiencies and 15
  wargs (dire wolves) 26f, 53, 58t, 66, 67t, 69t, 75t
   
  and Warg Riders 15, 26
   
  as game 54t, 55t
   
  all-white fur 26, 69t, 75t
  Warriors 15, 15f, 21f
   
  and Reputation 16
   
  as Mooters 28, 38
   
  as traditionally dominating the tribes 6
   
  as visitors to Rotmoot 10, 39
   
  disdain for counting and trade 7, 10, 16, 62
   
  females as 6, 28t, 38
   
  honor, money, negotiation 10, 16, 62
   
  the Watch in Selkirk 40
  water 
   
  and Dry terrain 53
   
  dehydration (hazard) 53
   
  drought (hazard) 51, 53
   
  drought and floods in What Befalls the Tribe 49
   
  individual requirements 53
   
  occurrence in caves 42
   
  strange, in the Tarn of Death 38
  weather 51, 56
   
  and travel rates 51t
  What Befalls the Tribe 48-49
  wildfire 49, 52
  wind 51, 52
  wolves, dire: see wargs 
  Yik-yak (language) 14
  f :  F i g u r e
  m :  M a p
  t :  Ta b l e
  
  DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY
  Designated Product Identity of Faster Monkey Games™ includes, but is not limited to, the fol-
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  presentation, wording, electronic and written communications, and web design and presence 
  are Product Identity. With the exception of game mechanics, methods, procedures, processes 
  and routines designated as Open Game Content by, or Product Identity of, Wizards of the 
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  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
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  any version of this License.
  10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every
  copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
  11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game
  Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission
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  12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms
  of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to
  statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any
  Open Game Material so affected.
  13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply
  with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming
  aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.
  14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such
  provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.
  15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors
  Jonathon Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E.
  Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.;
  Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins,
  David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid,
  James Wyatt, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002-2004, Wizards of the
  Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, Eric
  Cagle, David Noonan, Stan!, Christopher Perkins, Rodney Thompson, and JD
  Wiker, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams,
  Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and
  JD Wiker.
  END OF LICENSE
  COPYRIGHT NOTICE: “In the Shadow of Mount Rotten” Copyright 2012, Faster Monkey 
  Games™; Author: Joel Sparks. Color cover art: Mark Allen ©2011 Mark Allen/Marjasall Pro-
  ductions: www.marjasall.com. Some artwork from Fantasy Filler Art copyright Rick Hershey, 
  All Rights Reserved. Some artwork copyright Paul Daly, used with permission. Labyrinth 
  Lord™ is copyright 2007-2011, Daniel Proctor. Labyrinth Lord™ and Advanced Labyrinth 
  Lord™ are trademarks of Daniel Proctor. These trademarks are used under the Labyrinth 
  Lord™ Trademark License 1.2, available at www.goblinoidgames.com.
  
  A crafty Foot Goblin, maybe, or a vicious Warg Rider. Or a town-building Hearth Orc or a Troll Driver or a 
  lowly Saltjack or a Goblin Eater Hob, or one of the many other Rotlander folk, striving to survive and bring 
  glory to your home tribe in a land too harsh for humans to claim.
  With three new character classes, nine different tribe types, and hundreds of hexes of dangerous territory to 
  explore, In the Shadow of Mount Rotten gives you everything you need for adventures of a very different kind. 
  This all-in-one sourcebook includes:
   
  w
  New PC classes: Warriors, bound by martial honor and forbidden to negotiate; Shamans, sensitive 
  to the many hauntings and spirits that lurk just behind the surface of things; and Mongers, scraping 
  together the means of tribal survival while dodging the blows of the haughty Warriors.
   
  w
  New spells and spellcasting for Shamans.
   
  w
  Reputation: You can’t level up unless you earn the tribe’s respect!
   
  w
  Ransom: What are you worth to the tribe? Plus the grim results if demands aren’t met. 
   
  w
  Warrior’s Honor and how it varies by race and home tribe.
   
  w
  Tribal lifestyles: Settlements, hierarchies, hunting and gathering, herding and enslaving, mating and 
  child rearing, and habits of war.
   
  w
  Slave gangs and indentured populations.
   
  w
  Scrapper dogs, gnoll packs, ogre clans, and cannibalism.
   
  w
  Hunting for meat and hides; curing and selling carcasses, skins, and furs.
   
  w
  What Befalls the Tribe: A hit from a poker deck determines what boon or threat comes to the tribe to challenge the PCs.
   
  w
  Gold is no good here! A simple economy based on barter, salt, iron, and bronze. 
   
  w
  Complete gear lists for people on the edge of the Bronze Age. New equipment, loot trade-in, regional pricing, and what 
  happens when Rotlander gear clashes with superior Southron arms.
   
  w
  Adventure locations like the tradetown Rotmoot, salt-rich Selkirk, and the Hellmouth of Goblin Knob.
   
  w
  Who lives where, and how much turf each tribe needs to feed itself.
   
  w
  Encounters charts for eight distinct regions, plus Oddities and the dangerous Spirit Encounters that mark the Rotlands as 
  a haunted place.
   
  w
  Caves and mining, with nine real types of cave, underground lakes and rivers, and mining possibilities from clay to gold.
   
  w
  Caravans: wagons, cargos, crew, and guards.
   
  w
  Bulk trade goods and contact with human realms and the orkin of Mor.
   
  w
  A full-color map that stands alone or fits with the Known Realms open setting from Goblinoid Games™.
  The latest jam-packed sourcebook for old school fantasy from FASTER MONKEY GAMES !
  Compatible with any classic fantasy ruleset.
  fastermonkeygames.com
  A Goblin Is You
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Labyrinth Lord (osr)/Adventures & Settings/LL - In the Shadow of Mount Rotten.pdf