TEXT: issue number 8  |  winter 2018
  featuring witches • fungal monsters 
  camping in dolmenwood
  
  8
  
  volume 1   number 8
  winter 2018
  by
  Gavin Norman
  layout & visual design
  Matt Hildebrand
  the DOLMENWOOD zine
  illustrations
  Kyle Latino,  
  Emma Lazauski,  
  Thomas Novosel and  
  Rory Walker 
  necrotic-gnome-productions.blogspot.com
  
  The Sisters of the Chalice and the Moon 
  2 
  by Gavin Norman
  Camping in Dolmenwood   
  14 
  by Gavin Norman
  Strange Waters    
  24 
  by Gavin Norman
  Monsters of the Wood  
  28 
  by Gavin Norman 
  All articles copyright 2018, the author(s) noted above.
  Illustrations on pages 3 and 9, copyright 2018, Kyle Latino. 
  Illustrations on pages 5 and 23, copyright 2018, Thomas Novosel.
  Illustrations on pages 7 and 20, copyright 2018, Rory Walker.
  Illustrations starting on pages 28 through 37, copyright 2018, Emma Lazauski.
  Thanks to Tim Brannan for witch consultation.
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  Dolmenwood and Wormskin are trademarks of Gavin Norman & Greg Gorgonmilk
  
  1
  Wormskin — Issue Eight
  introduction
  Welcome to the eighth issue of the world’s most acclaimed Dolmenwood zine! 
  In this issue, we dive headlong into the secrets of one of the wood’s heretofore 
  most enigmatic factions: the witches. The origins, organisation, supernatural 
  powers, and goals of this sisterhood are unveiled, along with a selection of 
  snippets from the tales of common folk in which the witches are discussed.
  Subsequently, you will find two articles related to wilderness exploration in 
  Dolmenwood: firstly, some optional rules and charts to add flavour to camping 
  out in the wilds, among the bracken and toadstools; secondly, a d30 generator 
  (in the time honoured Wormskin fashion) for odd and mysterious pools and 
  other kinds of water features infused with the weird energies of Dolmenwood. 
  (This latter table ties in with the rules for hex-crawling presented in Wormskin 
  issue five, but may of course also be used alone.)
  Finally, the issue is rounded out with a selection of fungal monsters that roam 
  the forest, especially in the regions (to be discussed in a future publication) 
  where trees and green plants have been replaced by moulds and fungi of all kinds.
  — Gavin Norman (moss master and Dolmenwood editor in chief)
  credits
  writing & development
  Gavin Norman
  layout & visual design
  Matt Hildebrand
  original setting conception
  Gavin Norman & Greg Gorgonmilk
  illustrations
  Kyle Latino 
  shedwarf.com
  Emma Lazauski 
  emmalazauski.com
  Thomas Novosel 
  thomas-novosel.com
  Rory Walker 
  roryroryrory.com
  Dolmenwood community on Google+
  
  2
  THE SISTERS OF THE  
  CHALICE AND THE MOON
  Presented in this article are the secret history and lore of the sisterhood that 
  has carried the practices of witchcraft in Dolmenwood down from ancient 
  times. The information in this article, save for the last section, Rumours, is 
  not common knowledge. It should thus be guarded by the referee and only 
  revealed according to the players’ explorations in Dolmenwood.
  I. Origins
  Mortal men and women first stepped under the hoary eaves of 
  Dolmenwood some 2,000 years past. At that time, the forest was the 
  sole domain of fairies (as discussed in Wormskin issue three), whose 
  reaction to the mortal immigrants was various: grudging disdain, gleeful 
  welcome, cruel domination. In addition to contact with the fairy rulers of 
  the forest, however, certain mortals of especially sensitive nature became 
  aware of the presence of older and more powerful entities lurking, semi-
  dormant, on the peripheries of the wood, long ignored by the elf lords in 
  their vanity. Contact with these ancient entities occurred, at first, purely by 
  happenstance: a wanderer in untouched glades would enter into a fleeting 
  communion with a mind vastly potent, wholly alien, and yet intrinsically 
  a part of the forest. Menfolk who had such encounters always reported 
  them as horrific — a brush with monstrous powers inimical to man — but 
  some women (especially those of Drune blood) perceived instead a sensual 
  beauty and sought a deeper contact with these entities.
  These early seekers awoke the ancient, sleepy spirits of the wood — known 
  as gwyrigons or wood-gods — and came to know and love them, establishing 
  an esoteric symbiosis between god and mortal. This was the foundation of 
  witchcraft in Dolmenwood.
  
  3
  II. Establishment in Dolmenwood
  The first women to commune with the gwyrigons were alone in their 
  discovery. Their contact with the Other changed them, making them 
  unlike their fellow wood-folk, who came to fear them. These early witches 
  were then shunned, cast out from their woodland villages into the wild 
  woods. For the average mortal, such an exile would, in those times, have 
  been a death sentence — no one could survive alone in the untamed wilds 
  of Dolmenwood. These women, however, beloved of the wood-gods, 
  prospered in the eldritch tangle of the forest, dwelling as hermits and 
  spending their days in ever deeper communion with their Otherwoldly 
  companion.
  In time, as these isolated proto-witches encountered one another in the 
  depths of the wood, a secret tradition of communion with the gwyrigons 
  evolved. By the time the Brackenwolders arrived in Dolmenwood, the 
  practice of witchcraft was well-established, though it always remained a 
  mystery tradition into which only a chosen few were initiated.
  
  4
  III. The Gwyrigons
  The gods of the witches are entities that have dwelt on the astral fringes of 
  Dolmenwood since the dawn of time. They are seemingly a manifestation 
  of the spirit of the forest itself (or, seen the other way around, the forest is 
  perhaps a physical manifestation of the gwyrigons). Though it is impossible 
  to truly comprehend the motivations of such entities, they in some way 
  feed off of the connection that witches establish with them.
  The witches count seven extant gwyrigons, seven who have passed away1, 
  and one with whom contact has been lost (see Schemes and Goals). Among 
  the seven who live, three are primary:
   
  •  Ertta the Devouring Mother: A sleepy power who has dominion 
  over ageing, death, and decay. Ertta is associated with the sky and the 
  winds and is most easily contacted on stormy days. Ertta’s primary 
  locus is in hex 0505, where the towers of the ancient fairy ruin pierce 
  the canopy of the forest.
   
  •  Hasturiel Thrice-Crowned: Also known as “she from beyond”. 
  Hasturiel has dominion over metamorphosis, vision, and speech and 
  is associated with fire. Hasturiel’s primary locus is in the gargantuan 
  granite pylon in hex 1404.
   
  •  Limwdd the Quiet Brother: Has dominion over stasis, growth, 
  and rejuvenation. Limwdd is associated with seeds and the depths 
  of the earth. Witches bound to this wood-god can feel the pulse of 
  its energy in the ground when walking barefoot. Limwdd’s primary 
  locus is in hex 1006 (see Wormskin issue 6).
  It should be noted that the gwyrigons are neither good nor evil. Also, 
  despite the allusions in the names that mortals give to them, they are 
  neither male nor female. As powerful entities of the Otherwold, they are 
  transcendent of such dualities.
  1   It is not clear, even in the lore of the witches, what it means for a wood-god to pass away. 
  It is surmised that the lost gwyrigons are not actually deceased, but rather have drifted off 
  into the Otherwold, perhaps like a seed from a tree may float on the wind to distant regions.
  
  5
  IV. Initiation and Seeding
  A witch’s initiation into the sisterhood 
  takes place upon her first encounter with 
  one of the gwyrigons. As mentioned 
  before, this may occur by happenstance, 
  but, in modern times, is far more likely to 
  happen as part of an intentional initiation 
  ritual. Once contact has been established, 
  a period of 13 lunar cycles follows, during 
  which wood-god and woman come to 
  know each other intimately, communing 
  in dream and vision. During this period, 
  the woman is regarded as an initiate, 
  not yet a true witch. Upon the night of 
  the full moon marking the end of the 
  woman’s initiation, she will be formally 
  accepted into the sisterhood as part of a 
  coven. This final initiation rite is known 
  as “the seeding” and reveals to the novice 
  the primary secret of the sisterhood.
  The secret is this: that each witch is impregnated with the essence of 
  the wood-god to which she is bound. This is the beginning of the true 
  symbiosis of mortal woman and gwyrigon, as the two become bound on 
  a biological level. Henceforth, the wood-god is a constant presence in the 
  witch’s mind and body. The connection is akin to marriage (the witch is 
  entitled a “bride” of the gwyrigon), but also to motherhood and also to 
  childhood2. This is no normal impregnation, though, and does not bear 
  fruit in the birth of a child (see Schemes and Goals, however.)
  Through the seeding, the gwyrigon gains direct access to the dream-stuff, 
  sexual energy, and menstrual blood of the witch, upon which it feeds. The 
  witch, in return, gains supernatural powers associated with the bound 
  wood-god.
  2    Witches are perhaps unique among mortals in experiencing the curious sentiment of being 
  the mother of one’s own mother, who is also one’s husband.
  
  6
  V. Tenets
  As companions, guardians, and lovers of the wood-gods, witches live by a 
  unique ethos:
   
  •  The communion of an individual witch and her bound gwyrigon is 
  sacred above all.
   
  •  A witch may never reveal the gwyrigons to non-witches. It is even 
  preferable, if pressed, to confess to devil-worship.
   
  •  A witch may never speak to others of her dreams, these being the 
  sole domain of the gwyrigon.3
   
  •  Except upon the night of the summer solstice, when the witches 
  cavort with avatars of the gwyrigons and other spirits of the 
  Otherwold, sexual contact with males is strictly forbidden. Outside 
  of the one sanctioned night, such behaviour would imperil the witch’s 
  connection to the gwyrigon.4
  Additional tenets have evolved around the practice of witchcraft that, 
  while not essential to the craft, are upheld by all witches:
   
  •  A mortal woman who crosses a witch must be brought before her 
  coven and exposed to the presence of a gwyrigon. If the woman 
  survives with her sanity intact, she is accepted into the sisterhood. 
  (Witches who are initiated in this way are known as grey sisters.)
   
  •  One who steals the secrets of a witch is condemned to death.
   
  •  An unspoken pact of non-harm exists between all witches.
  3  Witches also shy away from discussion of others’ dreams, regarding it as gauche.
  4   Sexual contact with non-males is not forbidden, but is seldom sought. A witch’s need for 
  intimate contact is fulfilled by dream-communion with the gwyrigon to which she is bound. 
  Some rare coven rituals contain elements of sex-magick, whereby rising sexual energy is 
  used to stimulate the gwyrigon to manifest some great power.
  
  7
  VI. Symbolism
  The witches secretly use the 
  symbol of a crescent moon 
  descending upon a silver chalice. 
  The symbolism of this mark is as 
  follows:
  •  The moon represents the
  night and the association
  of the gwyrigons with the
  dreamworld of mortals.
  •  The moon also carries the association of the menstrual cycle, upon
  which the gwyrigons feed.
  •  The chalice represents a mortal woman as an earthly vessel for the
  Otherwoldly gwyrigon.
  VII. Lifestyle and Organisation
  In modern times, the lifestyles of individual witches varies greatly. No longer 
  are all witches recluses outcast from the towns of men. Many witches dwell 
  among other mortals, practicing their craft in secret5. However, whatever 
  her lifestyle, a witch may never marry or have children.
  The primary means of organisation among witches is the coven: a group 
  of up to thirteen (aka a “witch’s dozen”) witches in a local area, loosely 
  governed by a Priestess who determines the dates and conditions of their 
  gatherings. All of the covens of Dolmenwood are at least nominally under 
  the command of the High Coven, which consists of three High Priestesses. 
  Witches also speak of a Queen of all Witches who commands the High 
  Coven, though the veracity of her existence is unknown.
  5   It is even said that a streak of witchcraft runs in the nobles of Castle Brackenwold and that 
  the castle contains secret libraries of witch lore.
  
  8
  VIII. Occult Powers
  All things considered, witches occupy a position somewhere in-between 
  traditional clerics and magic-users. On the one hand, they practice 
  spellcraft, like magic-users, and a body of spells are passed among 
  members of the sisterhood. On the other hand, as mortals who wield the 
  power of an external entity, witches are somewhat akin to clerics. Being in 
  symbiosis with a gwyrigon, however, their relationship with the external 
  power is quite different from that of the typical religious devotee and his 
  or her deity.
  The primary forms of magic practiced by witches are as follows:
   
  •  Spellcraft in a manner similar to magic-users: the memorization 
  of written formulae that bring about magical effects when uttered. 
  Witches’ spells mostly take the form of charms and curses.
   
  •  Innate powers derived from union with a wood-god. These powers 
  vary depending on the wood-god with which the woman is bound. 
  (See Monsters of the Wood, in Wormskin issue 7, for examples of the 
  powers of witches bound with Errta, Hasturiel, and Limwdd.)
   
  •  Life extension and age reversal through contact with the gwyrigons.
   
  •  The crafting of potions, talismans, and charms.
   
  •  Ritual magic of divination, healing, and dispelling malign influence. 
  This involves the use of potions and psychedelics6 to enter into a trance 
  state wherein communion with external entities is possible. Usually 
  this is a gwyrigon, but witches also deal with other entities in the 
  Otherwold. In modern times, witches have come into contact with 
  beings whom they name daemon nobles — entities of questionable 
  provenance that lurk in the Otherwold, seemingly drawn to the 
  presence of the gwyrigons. They are amenable to responding to ritual 
  invocation and (perhaps the main pro of dealing with them) remain 
  contactable beyond the bounds of Dolmenwood.
   
  •  The summoning of familiars and animating of servitors. The latter 
  often take the form of corn-dolls, stuffed animals, or wooden manikins.
  6   Witches are known for their expertise with and heavy use of the psychedelics of 
  Dolmenwood. See Wormskin issue two for more details on these substances.
  
  9
  As can be seen, many of the powers wielded by a witch are derived from 
  external forces in the Otherwold around Dolmenwood. Her power is thus 
  greatly diminished, should she venture far from the forest.
  
  10
  IX. Relationships with Other Factions
  Generally speaking, the witches of Dolmenwood remain enigmatic and 
  aloof and do not form alliances with other powers. The current state of 
  their relationship with others in the forest is as follows.
   
  •  Elf Lords (including the Cold Prince, see Wormskin issue three): 
  The elf lords of the forest view themselves as its natural lieges, to 
  whom all mortals must pay fealty. The witches’ communion with 
  the daemon nobles of the Otherwold is thus viewed as discourteous 
  and even treacherous, leading to a general distrust of witches among 
  fairy-kind. This is elevated to a sentiment of outright disgust, among 
  the elf nobility. The witches have adopted a similar attitude in return, 
  claiming all fairies to be fundamentally selfish and false.
   
  •  The Duchy of Brackenwold and the Barony of the High Wold: 
  The aristocracy of the region pays little heed to the huge volume of 
  ambiguous and wildly varying folk tales that surrounds the witches. 
  The two factions regard each other as largely irrelevant to their own 
  power plays. The Dukes’ awareness of the vein of witchcraft that 
  runs through their women-folk reinforces this attitude of neutrality 
  and unspoken tolerance.
   
  •  The Church of the One True God: The witches have an essentially 
  neutral attitude toward the Church, regarding the One True God 
  whom they worship as largely irrelevant within Dolmenwood. The 
  Church’s push, over the last decades, to reestablish their power base in 
  the forest has led to conflict, however, with witches sometimes falling 
  into the utterly unsympathetic hands of zealots and inquisitors. Still, 
  the general attitude of witches is one of avoiding and thwarting the 
  Church, not of outright hostility.
   
  •  Goatmen: The wild goatmen of the north are a constant pest to 
  the witches and are exterminated wherever possible. The goat-lords 
  of the High Wold, like the human aristocracy, play no role in the 
  struggles of the witches.
  
  11
   
  •  Atanuwe, King of the Wood: To the witches, Atanuwe is an 
  imposter and his servants a plague upon the forest. The High Coven 
  regard the creeping influence of the Nag-Lord as the principal threat 
  to their power in Dolmenwood and seek to confine him to his 
  dominion in the North. This has led to a recent pact of collaboration 
  between the High Coven and the Drune aegis, as both factions wish 
  to depose the Nag-Lord (though for different reasons).
   
  •  Ygraine the Sorceress: Among witches, Ygraine is regarded as a 
  traitor, for she was once (long ago) one of their number. It is said 
  that she was corrupted by contact with fairies and absconded with 
  a witch-artefact called the crown of the forrogryn. Ever and anon do 
  young witches of bold temperament undertake to retrieve the crown 
  from the sorceress, but ever are their actions thwarted.
   
  •  Drune (see Wormskin issue five): Though the Drune covet the power 
  of the wood-gods, ancient pacts deter them from interfering with the 
  activities of witches. Likewise, Witchkind gives Drune men a wide 
  berth while actively seeking to subvert and enlist young braithmaids 
  into their covens. This is a practice reluctantly tolerated by the aegis. 
  Collaborations between the Drune and the Witches are historically 
  somewhat rare, but not unheard of (see relationship with Atanuwe, 
  above).
   
  •  Adventurers: Due to their limited numbers and sparse distribution, 
  witches sometimes require assistance in achieving their aims. 
  This means that they do, upon occasion, enlist the aid of bands of 
  adventurers and mercenaries. Payment is often given in the form 
  of charms, talismans, or dweomers. Indeed, it is known among 
  adventurers in Dolmenwood that consultation with a witch is the 
  simplest way of acquiring services such as a casting of remove curse 
  (that is if a witch can be located, of course). Witches also sometimes 
  trade psychedelic substances with adventurers. In all such cases, the 
  true aims of the witch will remain carefully occluded.
  
  12
  X. Schemes and Goals
  The primary aim of the witches is to pass their craft  on to future generations, 
  ensuring that communion with the wood-gods continues. This leads to an 
  attitude of protectionism, whereby their teachings and lore are to be kept 
  safe from outsiders’ eyes and influence and the wood-gods themselves are 
  to be guarded against external attack or tampering.
  The High Coven has two additional schemes that some witches are 
  involved in pursuing:
   
  •  The quest for the birth of a half-human, half-gwyrigon child, known 
  as a hoaghryn. The possibility of such a birth has been whispered of 
  in witch lore since the beginnings of the sect. Witches who subscribe 
  to this ideal use divination to locate the most auspicious girl-children 
  to bring before the gwyrigons. Some profess this hypothetical being 
  as a messiah of sorts and see this quest as the true aim of witchcraft.
   
  •  The re-establishment of communion with the lost gwyrigon known 
  as Embala of the Husk. Obscure branches of witch lore refer to this 
  gwyrigon as the lord of its kind, in ancient times — the mighty ruler 
  of all Dolmenwood. A myth tells that Embala could only be directly 
  contacted by the use of a set of three crystal mirrors of otherworldly 
  beauty. One of these mirrors is said to be in the possession of the 
  Queen of the Witches, but the other two are lost.
  XI. Rumours
  Witches feature heavily in local folklore, appearing in many different guises 
  in the tales of simple folk. The following are some examples of the folklore 
  and superstition surrounding witches:
   
  1.  Upon nights of the full moon and at the corners of the year’s turning, 
  the witches gather to work their magic and cavort with spirits. 
  [Basically true.]
   
  2.  A witch will transform a man with whom she falls in love into a 
  maiden, drawing him into her sisterhood. [Not generally true, but has 
  occurred in order to circumvent the witches’ taboos around men.]
  
  13
   
  3.  Any man who falls in love with a witch is spurned and required 
  to give her his hand — literally. The drug known as “witch dust” is 
  produced by witches from the ground bones of the hands of such 
  foolish men. [Utterly false. See Wormskin issue two for details on the 
  drug witch dust.]
   
  4.  The witches are servants of a Witch Queen who lives in a crystal 
  palace hidden in deep caverns. In ancient times, the Queen ruled 
  the whole of Dolmenwood, but her magic mirror was stolen by a 
  fairy prince, diminishing her powers. She seeks ever for the mirror 
  and pays those who aid her in her quest generously. [Largely false, 
  though the talk of the Witch Queen and her mirror may be based on 
  some fragment of witch lore.]
   
  5.  Those who inherit the craft from their family keep the skulls of their 
  ancestors, anointed with fragrant resins, as totems of power. [True.]
   
  6.  The witches’ secret sign is an owl in flight, with pentagram eyes. 
  [False. This is the drune-sign.]
   
  7.  All witches have an unsightly birthmark somewhere on their body. 
  [False.]
   
  8.  Witches are the mortal slaves and concubines of demon princes, 
  to whom they have sold themselves in exchange for occult power. 
  [False. Though there is perhaps a grain of truth in connection with the 
  daemon nobles that some witches make pacts with.]
   
  9.  All witches are eternally young and beautiful and bathe in secret, 
  moonlit pools. [False. Though many witches do remain youthful beyond 
  their years.]
   
  10.  Witches know the secret of distilling a brew from pure moonlight. 
  They consume this elixir during their secret ceremonies. [True.]
   
  11.  Witches possess powerful means of dispelling enchantments, 
  curses, and beguilements. [True.]
   
  12.  A woman who crosses a coven of witches, whether knowingly or 
  not, is subject to a wicked curse whereby her mind is devoured 
  by the disembodied spirits of the witches’ familiars. [Mostly false, 
  though based on a grain of truth. See Tenets.]
  
  14
  As the region encompassed by the Dolmenwood campaign map is — for 
  the most part — composed of uncivilised woodland, adventures within its 
  bounds will often involve wilderness travel and wild camping. Procedures 
  for overland travel in Dolmenwood were provided in Wormskin issue five. 
  This article now presents a set of optional procedures that the referee may 
  use to add a little extra spice and detail to the day-to-day activity of camping 
  rough in the forest. The procedures may be applied or ignored based on the 
  pacing needs of the game and the tastes of the group. Sometimes, it suffices 
  to simply declare that the party has rested for a night and move on with the 
  game; at other times, a little more detail is desired. The procedures can be 
  mixed and matched as required.
  The article also presents rules for getting a good night’s rest. This is affected 
  by various factors, which are summarised in the final section.
  Finding a Campsite
  The first step in camping for the night is to find a suitable location — 
  ideally one with even ground of a not-too-hard consistency, enough space 
  for the whole party to recline, and a relatively low density of brambles and 
  other botanical nuisances. Depending on the terrain being traversed, this 
  may not be trivial.
  Searching for a decent site takes one hour, which is assumed to be a standard 
  part of the evening phase (see Hex Crawling in Dolmenwood, in Wormskin 
  issue five), when the party is beginning to settle down to rest. This search 
  CAMPING IN 
  DOLMENWOOD
  
  15
  may yield one, two, or no reasonable locations for campsites, with the 
  degree of success determined by the bushcraft skill of the members of the 
  party. The basic mechanic is a 2d6 roll, with results as follows:
   
  2-5: No decent site*.
   
  6-8: One decent site.
   
  9-12: Two decent sites; party may choose between them.
  * The party may opt to settle with an unsuitable location among fallen 
  branches and pointy rocks. This incurs a rest penalty, see later.
  A bonus should be applied to the roll if one of the following types of 
  character are present in the party (if multiple different types are present, 
  only the highest modifier is used — the bonuses are not cumulative):
   
  •  Friar, wayfarer: +1
   
  •  Woodsman, hunter: +2
   
  •  Ranger, druid: +3
  The roll may be penalised by environmental conditions, as follows (these 
  penalties are cumulative, if multiple apply):
   
  •  Heavy rain: -1
   
  •  Mist: -1
   
  •  Fog: -2
   
  •  Darkness (search by torch or lantern light only*): -2
   
  •  Difficult terrain: -2
  * searching in complete darkness is fruitless and always fails.
  The details of the discovered site or sites should be determined by rolling 
  2d30 and consulting the Forest Campsite Table (see page 21). If the player 
  characters are unsatisfied with the result, they may decide to start searching 
  anew, entailing another hour of searching. Each repeat attempt incurs a 
  cumulative -1 rest modifier (see Sleep, page 18), when the party eventually 
  get to sleep, due to the extra time spent exploring.
  
  16
  Setting Camp
  Characters may engage in various different activities to help with setting 
  up a campsite. The following are typical.
  Fetching firewood: It is always possible to find wood with little suitability 
  to building a fire (damp, rotting, frozen, etc). Finding decent wood is more 
  difficult and depends especially on the weather. Each character who goes 
  gathering wood can collect enough to keep a campfire burning for 1d6 
  hours, modified as follows for conditions:
   
  • City folk: -1
   
  • Damp, mist: -1
  • Rain, snow: -2
  • Heavy rain: -4
  Fetching water: Is assumed to be successful, in a damp, forest 
  environment. The referee may optionally declare a 1-in-10 chance of the 
  character discovering a source of Strange Waters (see page 24).
  Fire building: Given a means of producing flame (e.g. a tinderbox or 
  cantrip) and a stash of wood (either gathered from the forest by other 
  characters, as described above, or carried in packs), a character may 
  attempt to build a fire. Under favourable conditions, with decent wood 
  and a relatively dry campsite, fire building is assumed to be successful; the 
  campfire may be kept burning for as long as there is wood available to feed 
  it. In more troublesome circumstances, the basic chance of successfully 
  getting a fire going is 4-in-6, modified as follows:
   
  • Extreme cold: -1-in-6
   
  • Wet: -2-in-6
  • Poor quality firewood: -2-in-6
  • Hunter or woodsman: +1-in-6
  Foraging, hunting, or fishing at dusk: These activities may be undertaken 
  as normal during the hours while the camp is being set. The chance of 
  finding anything is reduced by two thirds (due to the limited time available 
  and the gathering darkness). A -1 rest penalty also optionally applies.
  Resting: A character who lends no help to setting camp optionally gains 
  a +2 rest bonus.
  
  17
  Effects of a Campfire
  A fire which is kept burning 
  through the night, in addition 
  to the obvious effects of 
  providing 
  warmth 
  and 
  comfort, also influences the 
  kind of creatures that may be 
  encountered during the hours 
  of darkness. Fire has the effect 
  of warding off woodland 
  animals, but may, on the 
  contrary, prove attractive to 
  more intelligent denizens of 
  the woods. When a campfire 
  is burning and a nighttime 
  encounter with an animal is 
  rolled, re-roll the encounter 
  result once (i.e. if the second 
  roll also indicates an animal, 
  do not continue re-rolling).
  Evening Activities
  Once the campsite is established, more 
  restful activities may be undertaken 
  before the party beds down for the night.
  Camaraderie: Time spent around the 
  fireside with one's companions may, given 
  the correct conditions, lift the spirits and 
  induce restful sleep. A character may 
  attempt to entertain his comrades with 
  music, song, stirring tales, jokes, and so 
  forth. The referee may handle this with 
  a simple CHA check, or may require the 
  player to actually entertain the group. 
  Success indicates that good cheer has 
  been inspired in the party, whereas failure 
  may fall flat or even, in the case of very 
  poor (i.e. high) rolls, lead to ridicule, 
  argument, and discord.
  Cooking: Given a fire, cooking utensils, 
  and ingredients, someone may cook a meal. A successful WIS check 
  indicates that a palatable dish is produced, granting a rest bonus to those 
  who eat it. A failed cooking check indicates that the meal is edible but 
  distasteful. A natural 20 denotes a ruined meal (burned, spilled, etc) 
  that is utterly inedible. Modifiers may apply to the check based on the 
  quality and variety of the ingredients available, as well as the character 
  background of the cook.
  Planning: The party may use the evening hours to discuss plans for the 
  following day. Generally this requires no checks and has no effect on 
  resting, though if arguments occur, the referee may stipulate a rest penalty 
  due to discord.
  
  18
  Sleep
  The campsite set and any evening 
  camaraderie come to an end, the party 
  settles down to sleep. Bedding down 
  among the roots and bracken of the forest 
  brings no guarantee of comfort or decent 
  sleep, however. After any nighttime events 
  have been resolved, each character must 
  make a CON check, modified by the 
  various factors listed below, to determine 
  whether a good night's rest was achieved.
  Failure of the rest check has the following effects:
   
  •  Difficulty memorising spells. The character may attempt to 
  memorise new spells, with a successful WIS check, per spell, 
  indicating success at memorisation.
   
  •  Hit point recovery halved. If any rules state that a character gains 
  hit points by resting overnight, the total gained is halved.
   
  •  -1 penalty to saving throws and ability checks, until a decent night's 
  rest (or at least a two-hour nap) is had.
  Optionally, the referee may rule that characters who do get a good night’s 
  rest recover one hit point.
  Location
   
  •  Sleeping in an unsuitable site (i.e. the roll to locate a decent campsite 
  failed): -4
   
  •  Location modifier: Varies (see table of forest campsites)
  Season and weather:
   
  •  Autumn or spring, no 
  campfire: -2
   
  •  Winter, with campfire: -2
  •  Winter, no campfire: -4
  •  Rain or snow: -2
  Equipment:
   
  •  Bedroll: +2
   
  •  Tent: +2
   
  •  Sleeping in light armour: -4
   
  •  Sleeping in medium armour: -10
   
  •  Sleeping in heavy armour: 
  Automatic failure
  Sleeping in the 
  Daytime
  A party may choose to travel 
  at night and sleep during the 
  day. This incurs a -3 penalty 
  to rest, unless the characters 
  are 
  accustomed 
  to 
  this 
  routine (have been following 
  it for at least a fortnight).
  
  19
  Sleeping in the Road
  A party travelling along one 
  of the main roads noted 
  on the campaign map may 
  decide to forgo the search 
  for a campsite and simply 
  set up camp in the middle 
  of the road. In this case, the 
  normal camping random 
  events check is made, but 
  an encounter is additionally 
  indicated on a roll of 1 or 2.
  Advanced Rest Modifiers
  Referees with a taste for more detailed, 
  complex rules systems may wish to also 
  apply the following modifiers.
  Activity:
   
  •  For every extra hour spent searching 
  for a campsite: -1
   
  •  Foraging, hunting, or fishing at 
  dusk: -1
   
  •  Resting while others establish 
  camp: +2
   
  •  Not participating in a watch shift: 
  +2
   
  •  Awakening during the night (per 
  occurrence, not including watch shifts): -1
   
  •  Encounter during the night: -3
  Environment:
   
  •  Disturbing sounds (e.g. howling wind, thunder, or babbling spirits): -1
   
  •  Soothing sounds (e.g. a waterfall or bubbling stream): +1
  Mood and food:
   
  •  Good cheer: +2
   
  •  Discord (arguing, grudges, 
  etc): -1
   
  •  Hearty fare: +2
  •  Meagre rations (includes dried 
  trail rations): -1
  •  No supper: -2
  Condition:
   
  •  Sickness or poison: -2
   
  •  Wounded or fatigued (less 
  than half hit points): -1
  •  Drunk: +2
  •  Soporific drugs: +4
  Race:
   
  •  True fairy (e.g. elves, grimalkin; require less rest): +4
   
  •  Halfling (lazy): -2
  (Character personality traits such as "sensitive disposition" or "can sleep 
  through anything" are generally indicated by the CON score, but the 
  referee may apply additional modifiers if deemed appropriate.)
  
  20
  Watches
  It is common for characters camping in the wilderness to establish a series 
  of watches through the night, with at least one character remaining awake 
  at all times. The following rules may be used to handle this.
  Falling asleep on watch: There is a basic 1-in-10 chance of this happening. 
  (Note that if one character falls asleep on watch, this may throw off the 
  whole sequence of watches, as the character does not remember to wake 
  the next person in line, and so on.) Characters with CON above 14 
  have only a 1-in-20 chance of falling asleep, while characters with CON 
  below 7 have a 1-in-6 chance. The referee may apply other modifiers as 
  appropriate.
  Sleeping characters: If an encounter occurs, all characters who are asleep 
  are automatically surprised. (This may mean that some characters in the 
  party are surprised while others are not.)
  
  21
  d30
  Site
  Features
  1
  Clearing ringed with eerie, 
  looming trees with spooky, 
  twisted branches. -2 rest 
  modifier.
  Spoor of a random creature is present. (In the 
  case of intelligent creatures, this may indicate 
  signs of a campsite.) If an encounter occurs, it 
  is 50% likely to be with the creature indicated. 
  Its lair may be nearby.
  2
  Dank, mossy clearing. Soft 
  ground grants a +1 rest 
  modifier, but dampness 
  makes fire building 
  difficult.
  Long beards of moss hang from the trees.
  3
  Fern-filled dale. +1 rest 
  modifier.
  Concealed by dense thickets. On a roll of 11 on 
  the random event table (Wormskin issue five), a 
  creature passes nearby but does not encounter 
  the party.
  4
  Small glade close to a fetid 
  bog. -1 rest modifier due to 
  the stench.
  Nest of ants or hornets. 2-in-6 chance of the 
  party being attacked in the night.
  5
  Stretch of bracken and 
  heather.
  Burrows of small animals (rats, badgers, moles, 
  rabbits).
  6
  Wide, treeless ditch; party 
  must sleep in a line.
  Beneath a rocky overhang. Complete 
  protection from rain.
  7
  Clearing among fallen trees, 
  covered with lichen and 
  moss.
  An unusual stone stands here. Roll on the table 
  of lesser stones (see Wormskin issue four).
  8
  Clearing overgrown with 
  brambles. -1 rest modifier 
  due to discomfort.
  The corpse of a random creature. (1. freshly 
  killed, 2. decaying, 3. bones.)
  9
  Clearing with domed roof 
  of interwoven branches, 
  concealing the sky.
  Hidden between large rocks. On a roll of 11 on 
  the random event table (Wormskin issue five), a 
  creature passes nearby but does not encounter 
  the party.
  10
  Disturbed earth where a 
  large tree has fallen.
  Plants here grow zealously and in unnatural, 
  twisted formations.
  11
  Clearing criss-crossed 
  with gnarly roots. -1 rest 
  modifier.
  Atop a rocky outcropping. Encounter distance 
  is doubled.
  Forest Campsites
  continued overleaf
  
  22
  d30
  Site
  Features
  12
  Opening with soft, even 
  earth. +1 rest modifier.
  Beside a pathway. A roll of 1 or 2 on the random 
  event table (Wormskin issue five) indicates an 
  encounter.
  13
  Clearing carpeted with 
  thick, springy grass. +2 
  rest modifier.
  Wide open. Encounter distance is doubled 
  and a roll of 1 or 2 on the random event table 
  (Wormskin issue five) indicates an encounter.
  14
  On a narrow ledge. -1 rest 
  modifier due to fear of 
  rolling off the edge.
  Mushroom-riddled. Roll on the fungi table 
  (Wormskin issue one) to determine their 
  qualities.
  15
  Soft, sandy depression. +1 
  rest modifier.
  Cramped, only sufficient space for 1d4+1 
  humans to sleep comfortably.
  16
  Small clearing, filled with 
  sweet-smelling woodland 
  flowers. +1 rest modifier.
  Surrounded by thick brambles. When entering 
  or leaving, those wearing light or no armour 
  must save versus death or suffer one point of 
  damage (cannot be fatal). Clothing may be 
  ruined.
  17
  Glade permeated by an 
  indefinite sense of well-
  being. +2 rest modifier.
  An unusual colouration pervades the area's 
  plants or soil (1. violet, 2. black, 3. silver, 4. 
  aquamarine, 5. ochre, 6. transparent).
  18
  Ring of trees, all of the 
  same species.
  Prominent sound. 50% pleasant (+1 rest 
  modifier; 1. a waterfall or river, 2. distant 
  chimes, 3. beautiful birdsong), 50% disturbing  
  (-1 rest modifier; 1. cawing birds, 2. screeching 
  insects, 3. disembodied wailing, 4. grinding 
  stones).
  19
  Barren area razed by fire.
  A large, noteworthy tree stands here, alone. 
  (33% chance of the tree having some special 
  feature).
  20
  Large tree with cosy nooks 
  between its roots. +1 rest 
  modifier.
  Markings on rocks or trees (1. gnawing, 2. 
  clawing, 3. burning, 4. warning, 5. sigil, 6. 
  direction, 7. graffiti, 8. odd word).
  21
  Glade littered with 
  numerous small, sharp 
  stones. -2 rest modifier.
  A small, randomly determined trinket is found.
  22
  Muddy glade. -1 rest 
  modifier due to dampness.
  Ringed with toadstools. Any random 
  encounters will be with fairies.
  23
  Cosy dell.
  Felled trees in the area.
  
  23
  d30
  Site
  Features
  24
  Calm woodland meadow.
  Atop a small hillock. Encounter distance is 
  doubled.
  25
  Dingy clearing.
  Crossed by many small paths. A roll of 1 or 2 
  on the random event table (Wormskin issue 
  five) indicates an encounter.
  26
  Clearing littered with 
  fallen trees. -1 rest modifier 
  due to the inconvenient 
  trunks.
  Ground and trees covered in bird droppings.
  27
  Treeless area with 
  flat, stone slabs. -1 rest 
  modifier.
  Beside a small brook or spring.
  28
  Deep piles of leaves 
  accumulated beneath tall 
  trees. +1 rest modifier.
  A pool or stream is nearby. There is a 1 in 4 
  chance of the pool possessing special qualities 
  (roll on the table of strange waters).
  29
  Verdant clearing.
  Signs of ancient habitation (pile of rocks, 
  remnants of old wall, etc).
  30
  Leafy glade.
  Low-growing branches restrict headroom 
  (d3+4').
  
  24
  STRANGE WATERS
  Dolmenwood is a place infused with magic of many different kinds: ley-
  lines criss-cross the forest, their fizzing Otherwoldly energies bending the 
  rule of nature; wood-gods sleep inside hills and pools, whispering to those 
  who can hear; standing stones mark sites of occult potency, cultivated by 
  sorcerers who tap the flow; paths and doors to Fairy allow the mortal and 
  immortal realms to mingle. As a result of this melange of supernatural 
  influences, the waters of Dolmenwood are weird: sipping from a charming 
  brook may result in more than just quenched thirst.
  Referees may use the following chart to quickly generate encounters with 
  unutual water sources. Like all the generator charts in Wormskin, a single 
  d30 roll produces a ready-to-use result, while rolling separately on each 
  column produces a wider variety of possible results.
  d30
  Form
  Appearance 
  of Water
  Taste
  Effect if Waters 
  Consumed
  1
  Large puddle
  Fizzy
  Rusty
  An insatiably 
  lascivious urge to 
  remove clothing
  2
  Bubbling stream 
  crossing a path
  Bubbly
  Bile
  No need to eat for 
  7 days
  3
  Vigorous spring gushing 
  from the base of a cliff
  Frothy
  Bitter
  Expands in the 
  stomach, causing 
  1d6 damage and 
  excruciating pain 
  and vomiting for 1 
  turn (-2 to attacks 
  and saves)
  
  25
  d30
  Form
  Appearance 
  of Water
  Taste
  Effect if Waters 
  Consumed
  4
  Pool gathered in a 
  hollow tree trunk
  Murky
  Blossom 
  scented
  The pool's sentient trout 
  guardian is angered
  5
  Stone basin, carved 
  with lions' heads
  Crystal clear
  Woody
  Loses the ability to digest 
  meat; prefers to subsist 
  on wood or fungus
  6
  Great marble slab, 
  engraved with 
  geomantic sigils, a 
  basin at its centre 
  Shimmering 
  with dappled 
  light, even if 
  no natural 
  light falls 
  upon it
  Acerbic
  Cursed! Lips seal shut
  7
  Puddle at the feet 
  of a melting ice 
  statue of a horned 
  goddess
  Perfect 
  mirror
  Clean, very 
  cold
  Blessed; +1 to attacks 
  and saving throws for 24 
  hours
  8
  Marble statue of 
  a lady bearing a 
  bowl, filled with 
  water
  Purest, 
  midnight 
  black
  Delightfully 
  fresh
  Skin turns transparent 
  at night
  9
  Pool fed by liquid 
  dripping from the 
  trees above
  Thick like 
  honey
  Nectar
  A random bodily organ 
  swells permanently to 
  double size
  10
  Pond choked with 
  rushes
  Teeming 
  with small, 
  silver fish
  Yeasty
  Cursed! Function of 
  lungs dwindles, replaced 
  by gills
  11
  Thick fog that 
  condenses on 
  anything it 
  touches, forming 
  drops and rivulets
  Pale violet
  Sour
  Cures common ailments
  12
  Floating sphere of 
  liquid
  Unnatural 
  cyan
  Nectarine 
  liqueur
  Liquid floats in the 
  stomach, pulling the 
  character aloft to drift on 
  the wind
  continued overleaf
  
  26
  d30
  Form
  Appearance 
  of Water
  Taste
  Effect if Waters 
  Consumed
  13
  Well with bucket 
  and windlass
  Silver sludge
  Bitter 
  medicinal 
  herbs
  CON check or vomit it 
  straight back up. Anyone 
  who can hold it down 
  grows a coat of silver fur 
  over the next three days
  14
  Rivulet in a steep-
  sided ditch
  Sparkling
  Mouldy
  Two random ability scores 
  swapped
  15
  Deep cistern in a 
  rocky cleft
  Milky white
  Spirituous 
  and 
  evaporating
  Heals 1d4 hit points and 
  grants +1 WIS for 24 
  hours
  16
  Pond buzzing 
  with mosquitoes
  Shifting 
  slowly from 
  lime green to 
  violet
  Fresh
  Raging drunkenness 
  coming on within 2d6 
  minutes
  17
  Pissing gargoyle 
  or cherub, poised 
  atop a boulder
  Refracting 
  rainbow 
  light
  Salty like 
  blood
  Libido becomes entirely 
  focused on statuary
  18
  Basin formed of 
  giant stone hands
  Swarming 
  with insect 
  larvae
  Salty like 
  the ocean
  Tongue throbs and turns 
  blue
  19
  Pond overhung 
  with willows
  Fresh and 
  clear
  Orangey
  Shed skin like a snake; 
  beneath are silvery scales
  20
  Muddy puddles 
  in a glade where it 
  perpetually rains
  Vibrating
  Cucumber
  Next urination produces 
  an uncharacteristically 
  charming water weird
  21
  Small waterfall, 
  cascading from a 
  steep cliff above
  Emits a 
  dull yellow 
  radiance
  Roast pork
  Pungent body odour 
  attracts hungry animals. 
  The referee should roll 
  twice for encounters in 
  each period where a roll is 
  stipulated
  22
  Elegant, marble 
  fountain upon a 
  stepped dais
  Turbulent; 
  face-like 
  forms 
  emerge 
  Earthy
  Increases a random ability 
  score by one point. Only 
  the first person to drink 
  the water is blessed so
  23
  Small pool, 
  surrounded by 
  animal tracks
  Steaming 
  Perfumed
  Urine carries incredibly 
  potent pheremones for the 
  next week
  
  27
  d30
  Form
  Appearance 
  of Water
  Taste
  Effect if Waters 
  Consumed
  24
  The freshly 
  decapitated head 
  of a giant, cranium 
  opened and brain 
  removed to form 
  a receptacle. Small 
  ladders and ropes 
  provide access to the 
  waters within
  Stirred up 
  mud
  Greasy
  Cures a magical 
  condition such as a 
  curse, energy drain 
  (one level), or ability 
  score loss
  25
  Granite statue of a 
  fat animal with its 
  mouth wide open 
  and filled with water
  Pearlescent
  Minty
  Haunted by 
  nightmares of 
  drowning in a the 
  mouth of a gargantuan 
  beast. Unable to get 
  decent rest for 7 days
  26
  Shallow, muddy pool, 
  inhabited by lilies and 
  amphibians
  Glistening 
  ice crystals
  Like bread
  Voice decreases or 
  increases in pitch 
  and/or volume, 
  permanently
  27
  Well shaft, stone 
  surround long 
  crumbled to rubble
  Swirling 
  with 
  coloured 
  sand
  Acidic
  Infected with 
  parasites! Each day, 
  make a CON check or 
  lose 1hp
  28
  Mouth in the earth, 
  rimmed with teeth, 
  appears dead or 
  dormant. The gullet 
  is filled with water
  Flecked with 
  gold
  Faintly 
  aromatic
  Heals 1d6 hit points
  29
  Pool bubbling up 
  from a subterranean 
  source, the water 
  dripping upwards 
  into the sky
  Orange oil 
  on surface
  Sulphurous
  Grants the ability to 
  levitate for 1d6 hours
  30
  Font from a church, 
  standing intact 
  among rubble
  Blood red
  Like wine
  Epiphany
  
  28
  MONSTERS OF THE WOOD
  This issue presents the first of a two part monster folio describing some 
  of the sentient fungi and fungal monstrosities that lurk in the deeps of 
  Dolmenwood.
  Bright orange, semi-sentient, carnivorous 
  bracket fungi which lurk high upon tree 
  trunks during the day, waiting for night to 
  fall. When darkness prevails, the presence of 
  warm-blooded creatures sleeping below lures 
  brainconks to creep down to ground level. 
  They pounce upon sleeping victims, aiming for 
  the head and the juicy brains on which they 
  subsist. After eating the brains of a victim, the 
  brainconks migrate back to the tree tops to 
  digest, usually moving to a different glade, so 
  that the corpse of their victim does not hint at 
  their presence.
  HD: 1+1 **
  AC: 6
  Attacks: 1 × claws (1d3)
  Move: 90’ (30’) — climbing or 
  creeping
  Morale: 7
  Number Appearing: Abroad 
  (1d8); no lair
  Alignment: N
  Intelligence: Mischievous
  Size: T (1’)
  XP: 27
  Languages: Sylvan (basic 
  understanding) 
  Possessions: None
  Hoard: None
  Brainconk
  Traits
  1.  Keens and purrs when 
  attacking.
  2.  Tiny human faces (of 
  victims) on upper side.
  3.  Giggles when spotted.
  4.  Upper side striated 
  black.
  5.  Several mouths with 
  tiny, shiny teeth.
  6.  Covered in symbiotic, 
  purple mould.
  
  29
  From beneath, immobile brainconks are impossible to distinguish from 
  mundane bracket fungi. Characters with a keen sense of smell may (2-in-
  6) detect their scent: a waft of sulphur.
  Creepy: When creeping along tree trunks, brainconks move almost 
  completely silently. They surprise on a 1-4. (Sleeping characters are always 
  surprised.)
  Brain slurp: Upon a successful attack roll dealing 3 damage against a 
  character not wearing a helmet1, the brainconk has latched onto the scalp 
  of the victim and starts sucking out the brain. In subsequent rounds, the 
  victim suffers automatic damage and a permanent loss of 1 INT or WIS 
  (select at random each round).
  1   It is assumed that a sleeping character is not wearing a helmet, unless the player specifically 
  states otherwise.
  
  30
  Ancient, 
  brown-fleshed, 
  humanoid 
  mushrooms with great, wobbly caps and 
  inscrutable pits for eyes. Jack-o'-lanterns are 
  rare and reclusive, dwelling in secret grottoes 
  in the trackless depths of the forest. Despite 
  being infrequently encountered, jack-o’-
  lanterns are well-known in folklore, being 
  famed as guardians of obscure knowledge 
  and long lost secrets and infamous as wicked 
  slavers who delight in capturing mortal folk. 
  Both these reputations are true.
  Jack-o’-lanterns love riddles and word games 
  and always favour parley over violence. When 
  encountering other intelligent beings, they 
  attempt to enter into conversation and offer 
  to reveal deep secrets of the wood via their 
  communion ability.
  The flesh of a jack-o’-lantern can be distilled 
  down by an alchemist to produce a potion of diminution.
  Strobing gaze: In combat or when otherwise threatened, jack-o’-lanterns’ 
  eyes emit a sickening green/blue strobe that dazzles other beings within 30’. 
  At the start of each round, targets must save versus paralysis or be stunned, 
  unable to act for the round. Those who make the save may act normally, but 
  suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls and Armour Class. 
  HD: 3 **
  AC: 8
  Attacks: 1 × thumping (1d3) + 
  strobing gaze
  Move: 90’ (30’)
  Morale: 7
  Number Appearing: 1-7: abroad 
  (1d8), 8: lair (2d6)
  Alignment: N (E)
  Intelligence: Alien
  Size: M (4')
  XP: 80
  Languages: Telepathic projection
  Possessions: None
  Hoard: I/XIV (eerie)
  Jack-o'-Lantern
  Traits
  1.  Cap peaked like a 
  wizard’s hat.
  2.  Twisted, talon-like 
  fingers.
  3.  Eyes pulse purple 
  and pink when 
  communicating.
  4.  Blubbering, oozing, 
  black maw.
  5.  Semi-transparent 
  flesh reveals an inner 
  illumination (green).
  6.  Cap crawling with 
  delicate, magenta 
  worms.
  
  31
  Communion: Jack-o’-lanterns have the ability to trigger a hypnotic state 
  (lasting 1d4 hours) in willing humanoids via a gently pulsing green glow 
  emitted from their eyes and cap. Hypnotised subjects are immobilised for 
  the duration and experience a phantasmagoric sequence of visions. A WIS 
  check is required. Success indicates that the answer to a riddle or puzzle 
  is revealed, as deep secrets are dredged up from the collective memory of 
  mushroom-kind. Failure indicates that the subject has come under the 
  mushroom’s thrall, shrinking to 1” tall. Such victims are scooped up by the 
  mushroom and carried to its lair, where they are imprisoned in miniature 
  towns or other dioramas.
  
  32
  Hulking, semi-humanoid mounds of white 
  fungal flesh, covered with webs, networks, 
  and lattices of ochre slime and bristling with 
  spore-laden stalks. Ochre slime-hulks are 
  rapacious hunters of indiscriminate brutality 
  that seek out animal life (including sentients) 
  whose corpses form a nutrient substrate for 
  the monster’s spores. Slime-hulks frequent 
  the deepest, dankest regions of Dolmenwood, 
  where their gestative form — pools of oozing, 
  dripping yellow slime — are found festooned 
  over dead trees and gathered in natural 
  depressions. When a slime pool has grown to 
  sufficient size (approximately 10’ diameter) and is exposed to heat, light, or 
  flooding, a slime-hulk will begin to form, emerging 12 hours later.
  Damage reduction: Damage from mundane weapons is reduced by half.
  Acid spores: When a slime-hulk takes damage (except by fire), it releases a 
  cloud of spores. All within 10’ must save versus poison or suffer 1d4 damage 
  for the next three rounds, as the acidic spores burn away at skin and lungs.
  HD: 7**
  AC: 7
  Attacks: 2 × claws (2d4)
  Move: 120’ (40’)
  Morale: 10
  Number Appearing: Solitary, no 
  lair
  Alignment: N
  Intelligence: Instinctive
  Size: L (8’)
  XP: 1,140
  Languages: None
  Possessions: None
  Hoard: None
  Ochre Slime-Hulk
  Traits
  1. Skull-like face.
  2. Dripping with slime.
  3. Acidic, citrus reek.
  4.  Spore-stalks are hand-
  like and eye-like.
  5.  Hollow lattice at centre 
  of torso; contains a 
  humanoid skeleton.
  6. No discernable head.
  
  33
  Corpse consumption: If left in peace with a fresh corpse, a slime-hulk will 
  release a cloud of spores that will engulf the body, processing it into a pool 
  of yellow slime (the gestative form of the organism, as described above) 
  within 1d6 minutes. This process prevents magical restoration of life via 
  raise dead.
  Flammable: Fire inflicts double damage on a slime-hulk.
  
  34
  Tiny, humanoid mushrooms with creamy-
  white trunks and crinkled, spongy, yellow caps. 
  Pook morels frequent well-trodden tracts of 
  woodland, lying in wait to accost passersby. 
  Despite their tiny size, pook morels are able to 
  cause great mischief with their ability to project 
  psychic horrors, causing victims to drop their 
  possessions. Items discarded in this way will 
  be quickly scooped up and whisked off to the 
  pook morels’ lair (typically a burrow in the bole 
  of a tree).
  Hide in woods: Pook morels are able to 
  disappear with ease into forest underbrush. 
  They have a 4-in-6 of surprising others and 
  a 3-in-6 chance (per round) of escaping any 
  pursuit by larger creatures.
  Psychic horror: A pook morel may target a creature within 20’ with its 
  psychic attack. The target experiences a brief, unsettling hallucination 
  wherein an item on its person appears to come alive — sprouting wriggling, 
  insectoid limbs and gnashing mandibles. The target must save versus spells 
  or instinctively throw the item to the ground in horror.
  St Horace and the Pook Morel — A Popular Dolmenwood Folktale
  As a young (and ample-bellied) friar, St Horace wandered the paths of 
  Dolmenwood, bringing the light of the One True God to isolated hamlets, 
  in addition to the delights of his sackfull of mushrooms, caerfully foraged 
  HD: 1d3 hit points
  AC: 3 (tiny)
  Attacks: 1 × psychic horror
  Move: 90’ (30’)
  Morale: 7
  Number Appearing: 1-6: abroad 
  (2d10), 7-8: lair (4d20)
  Alignment: N
  Intelligence: Mischievous
  Size: T (6”)
  XP: 7
  Languages: Sylvan (basic)
  Possessions: 25% chance of Q/II, 
  25% chance of a trinket
  Hoard: V/VII, 1d6 trinkets
  Pook Morel
  Traits
  1.  Formations on cap that 
  resemble human faces.
  2.  Cap oozes nectar that 
  attracts ants and wasps.
  3.  Dressed in a stolen silk 
  glove.
  4.  Wears a lady’s purse, 
  adapted into a 
  backpack.
  5.  Feathery cap; lifted up 
  by breezes.
  6.  Wears thimbles as 
  shoes.
  
  35
  along his way. (Indeed, in those days, the future saint was known as 
  "Brother Windbag", due to his curious taste for windcap mushrooms.)
  One evening, as Horace said his bedtime prayers, a pook morel jumped out 
  from behind a mossy log. With a squeak of "cymmly malongly lantty thwoup!", 
  the pook caused the friar's rosary to turn into a wriggling centipede, before 
  his very eyes. As is natural, he recoiled in horror, dropping the insect into 
  the grasp of the giggling pook. The mushroom's delight was short-lived, 
  however. As it fled into a thicket of elder, Horace prayed for retribution. 
  The rosary transformed once more: this time into a hissing adder, which 
  grabbed the pook in its fangs and brought it to the friar's feet. After a night 
  of penance within Horace's mushroom sack, the pook morel was released, 
  under the condition that it would spread the word of the One True God 
  Of All Creatures among its kind. It is said that, since that day, pook morels, 
  though they cannot change their nature, will not steal from friars.
  
  36
  Humanoid toadstools with white bodies and 
  red/white speckled caps. Wronguncle spores 
  take root in the corpses of mortals laying in the 
  vicinity of a ley line. The Otherwoldly energy 
  of the ley triggers a rapid growth of the giant 
  fungus and imprints its primitive sentience 
  with the deceased person’s memories. Thus, 
  when fully grown, wronguncles take on the 
  (somewhat garbled) mental semblance, voice, 
  and habits of the person whose corpse they fed 
  on.
  A yearning for home (i.e. the home of their 
  deceased host) compels these toadstools to 
  wander, picking up basic travelling gear where 
  they can find it and seeking the companionship 
  of other travellers along the way. If a 
  wronguncle succeeds in finding its way back 
  home, it is compelled to murder its former 
  loved ones. This last, tragic deed accomplished, 
  the toadstool explodes in a cloud of spores that 
  drift along on the winds until they settle on a 
  new host.
  Turnable: As an odd form of symbiosis between fungal growth and 
  revenant spirit, wronguncles may be turned — as 5 HD monsters — by 
  clerics. A successful turning results in the expulsion of the mental energies 
  imprinted in the toadstool, causing it to lose its sentience and become a 
  normal, immobile, giant mushroom.
  HD: 2
  AC: 8
  Attacks: 1 × staff or cudgel (1d6)
  Move: 120’ (40’)
  Morale: 7
  Number Appearing: Solitary, no 
  lair
  Alignment: N
  Intelligence: Befuddled
  Size: M (5’ tall)
  XP: 20
  Languages: Woldish
  Possessions: Trinkets
  Hoard: None
  Wronguncle
  Traits
  1.  Desperate to get its old 
  hat back; wears a dead 
  squirrel instead, in the 
  meantime.
  2.  Sings jolly songs of its 
  hometown.
  3.  Asks everyone it meets 
  if they know Matilda 
  (or another name of a 
  loved one).
  4.  Wretchedly weeps and 
  sniffles.
  5.  Endlessly repeats 
  its name, rank, and 
  hometown.
  6.  Two souls in one; the 
  toadstool switches 
  personalities at 
  intervals.
  
  37
  Home
  The following chart may be used to determine the goal of a wronguncle’s travels:
  1. Castle Brackenwold (1508)
  2. Dreg (1110)
  3. Drigbolton (0702)
  4. Fort Vulgar (0604)
  5. Lankshorn (0710)
  6. Meagre’s Reach (1703)
  7. Odd (1403)
  8. Prigwort (1106)
  9. Woodcutter’s encampment (1109)
  10.  Servant at: 1. Bogwitt Manse (1210), 2. Hall of Sleep (1304), 3. Harrowmoor Keep 
  (1105), 4. Nodding Castle (0210).
  11. Homeless wanderer
  12. Beyond Dolmenwood
  
  38
  
  39
  
  “Thrice the brinded cat hath mew’d.
  Thrice and once, the hedge-pig whin’d. 
  Harpier cries: — ’tis time! ’tis time!”
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Old-School Essentials BX Essentials/OSE-BXE Dolmenwood Wormskin/Wormskin/Wormskin #008 v1 (BXE).pdf