HYPERBOREA / Hyperborean Encounter Tables!

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/08/2017 5:32 pm

DAY 7

6 AM, SUNRISE: No encounter. Party sets out.
8 AM: No encounter.
10 AM: No encounter.
NOON: No encounter.
2 PM: No encounter.
4 PM: Encounter. Geyser! One PC takes 12 points of damage unless a save is successful. Party makes camp.
6 PM, SUNSET: No encounter.
8 PM: No encounter. Party sets watches and sleeps.
10 PM: No encounter.
MIDNIGHT: No encounter.
2 AM: No encounter.
4 AM: No encounter.

DAY 8

6 AM, SUNRISE: No encounter. Party sets out.
8 AM: No encounter.
10 AM: No encounter. Party crosses into new hex (swamp).
NOON: No encounter.
2 PM: No encounter.
4 PM: Encounter. 5 falcons are circling overhead! A neutral reaction roll indicates they will ignore the party and search for easier prey. Party makes camp.
6 PM, SUNSET: No encounter.
8 PM: Encounter. Swamp fever! One PC is sick and pretty much useless for 11 days. Companions may have to improvise a stretcher. Party sets watches and sleeps.
10 PM: Encounter. 2 boars wander into camp! The party is not surprised, and they should have little trouble driving the boars away or killing (and probably eating) them, even with one PC out sick.
MIDNIGHT: No encounter.
2 AM: No encounter.
4 AM: No encounter.

DAY 9

6 AM, SUNRISE: No encounter. Party sets out, now moving 12 miles a day because they’re dragging an invalid.
8 AM: No encounter.
10 AM: No encounter.
NOON: No encounter.
2 PM: Encounter. 23 red deer cross the party’s path! The party still has plenty of food and probably won’t bother trying to bag any.
4 PM: No encounter. Party crosses into new hex (swamp). Party makes camp.
6 PM, SUNSET: No encounter.
8 PM: No encounter. Party sets watches and sleeps.
10 PM: No encounter.
MIDNIGHT: No encounter.
2 AM: No encounter.
4 AM: No encounter.

DAY 10

6 AM, SUNRISE: No encounter. Party is no longer following the lakeshore, so there is a chance of getting lost, but it doesn’t happen the first day. Party sets out, still dragging an invalid.
8 AM: No encounter.
10 AM: Encounter. Geyser! One PC takes 3 points of damage unless a save is successful.
NOON: No encounter.
2 PM: No encounter.
4 PM: No encounter. Party makes camp.
6 PM, SUNSET: No encounter.
8 PM: No encounter. Party sets watches and sleeps.
10 PM: No encounter.
MIDNIGHT: No encounter.
2 AM: No encounter.
4 AM: No encounter.

DAY 11

6 AM, SUNRISE: Encounter. Fog bank rises from the swamp, 4 miles in diameter and lasting 10 hours! Party becomes lost despite ranger. Party sets out, still dragging an invalid and now moving 45 degrees to the right of their intended course.
8 AM: No encounter.
10 AM: No encounter.
NOON: No encounter.
2 PM: Encounter. Smoky lotus! Party is not surprised, so they see it in time to avoid anyone being sprayed with the pollen.
4 PM: No encounter. Party crosses into new hex (swamp). Party makes camp.
6 PM, SUNSET: No encounter.
8 PM: No encounter. Party sets watches and sleeps.
10 PM: Encounter. Fog bank rises from the swamp, 5 miles in diameter and lasting 12 hours!
MIDNIGHT: No encounter.
2 AM: No encounter.
4 AM: No encounter.

DAY 12

6 AM, SUNRISE: No encounter (but still foggy). Party still lost in spite of ranger. Party sets out, still dragging an invalid and still moving 45 degrees to the right of their intended course.
8 AM: No encounter.
10 AM: No encounter. Fog bank lifts.
NOON: No encounter.
2 PM: No encounter.
4 PM: No encounter. Party makes camp.
6 PM, SUNSET: Encounter. 2 brown bears enter camp in search of food! Party is not surprised, and can probably see them off after a tough fight.
8 PM: No encounter. Party sets watches and sleeps.
10 PM: No encounter.
MIDNIGHT: Encounter. Geyser erupts near sleeping party! One PC takes 14 points of damage if a save fails.
2 AM: No encounter.
4 AM: No encounter.

Continued...

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/08/2017 5:44 pm

DAY 13

6 AM, SUNRISE: Encounter. 2 black bears enter camp in search of food! Party is not surprised and should easily be able to drive them off or kill them (their food is running low). Party is no longer lost and recognizes their error. With an extra day’s rations in bear meat, party sets out (still dragging an invalid) to retrace their steps.
8 AM: No encounter.
10 AM: No encounter.
NOON: Encounter. Poison gas erupts from the ground, equivalent to a stinking cloud spell! The party is nauseated but unharmed.
2 PM: No encounter.
4 PM: No encounter. Party crosses back into previous hex (swamp). Party makes camp.
6 PM, SUNSET: No encounter.
8 PM: No encounter. Party sets watches and sleeps.
10 PM: Encounter. Geyser erupts near sleeping party! One PC takes 14 points of damage if a save fails.
MIDNIGHT: No encounter.
2 AM: No encounter.
4 AM: No encounter.

DAY 14

6 AM, SUNRISE: No encounter. Party doesn’t get lost. Party sets out, still dragging an invalid.
8 AM: Encounter. Geyser erupts near a PC, doing 8 points of damage if a save is failed.
10 AM: Encounter. Fog bank rises from the swamp, 5 miles in diameter and lasting 1 hour.
NOON: No encounter. Fog bank lifts.
2 PM: No encounter.
4 PM: Encounter. 15 aurochs cross the party’s path! The party is not surprised (thanks to the ranger) and should be able to bag at least one aurochs and gain enough beef to last at least a week. Party makes camp.
6 PM, SUNSET: No encounter.
8 PM: No encounter. Party sets watches and sleeps.
10 PM: No encounter.
MIDNIGHT: Encounter. 11 giant bombardier beetles blunder into the camp! The party is not surprised, but this could be a tough fight.
2 AM: No encounter.
4 AM: No encounter.

DAY 15

6 AM, SUNRISE: No encounter. Party gets lost again. Party sets out, still dragging an invalid and now moving 90 degrees left of intended course.
8 AM: Encounter. Geyser erupts near a PC, doing 8 points of damage if a save is failed.
10 AM: No encounter.
NOON: No encounter.
2 PM: No encounter.
4 PM: No encounter. Party crosses into new hex (swamp with tar pits). Party makes camp.
6 PM, SUNSET: No encounter.
8 PM: No encounter. Party sets watches and sleeps.
10 PM: No encounter.
MIDNIGHT: Encounter. A guard or sleeping PC begins to sink in quicksand! It should be simple enough for the other PCs to rescue him.
2 AM: No encounter.
4 AM: No encounter.

DAY 16

6 AM, SUNRISE: No encounter. Presence of tar pits tells the party both that they’re lost again, and exactly where they are. They decide to head south toward the grasslands, where the chance of getting lost is lower. Unfortunately, they get lost again. Party sets out, still dragging an invalid and now moving 90 degrees right of their intended course.
8 AM: No encounter. Party crosses back into previous hex (swamp).
10 AM: No encounter.
NOON: No encounter.
2 PM: No encounter.
4 PM: Encounter. Fog bank rises from the swamp, 1 mile in diameter and lasting 1 hour! Party makes camp.
6 PM, SUNSET: No encounter. Fog bank lifts.
8 PM: Encounter. Lost! Party will automatically be lost the next day. Party sets watches and sleeps.
10 PM: Encounter. Fog bank rises from the swamp, 1 mile in diameter and lasting 8 hours!
MIDNIGHT: Encounter. Geyser erupts near sleeping PC, doing 13 points of damage if save is failed!
2 AM: No encounter.
4 AM: No encounter.

DAY 17

6 AM, SUNRISE: Encounter. Another PC contracts swamp fever, incapacitating him for 12 days! Two invalids must now be dragged, although this won’t reduce the party’s speed further. Fog bank lifts. Party suspects they are lost due to lack of tar pits in sight, correctly assume they’ve returned to the previous hex, and try to head for the village. Unfortunately, they’re automatically lost. Party sets out, now dragging two invalids and now moving 45 degrees right of their intended course.
8 AM: No encounter.
10 AM: No encounter.
NOON: No encounter.
2 PM: Encounter. Geyser erupts near a PC, doing 13 points of damage if save is failed!
4 PM: No encounter. Party reaches the coast and realizes they’re lost again. Party makes camp.
6 PM, SUNSET: No encounter.
8 PM: No encounter. Party sets watches and sleeps.
10 PM: Encounter. Geyser erupts near sleeping PC, doing 20 points of damage if save is failed!
MIDNIGHT: No encounter.
2 AM: No encounter.
4 AM: No encounter.

DAY 18

6 AM, SUNRISE: No encounter. With two sick men, and down to a few days of rancid beef for rations, party refuses to return to the trackless swamps where even a ranger has a 3-in-8 chance of getting lost. In desperation, party decides to build a raft and sail along the coast to the Esquimaux village. Party commences building raft.
8 AM: No encounter. Party continues building raft.
10 AM: No encounter. Party completes raft and launches it, rowing along the coast.
NOON: No encounter.
2 PM: No encounter.
4 PM: No encounter. Party makes landfall in the Esquimaux village.

Conclusion: Getting lost is a killer, and a ranger doesn't help much. Oh, and I didn't slow the party down for the ruggedness of the terrain. BTB this trip probably would have taken another week (with a week's worth of additional encounters) even without getting lost.

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/09/2017 9:56 am

Woo-hoo! Daily encounter time! Today your players are continuing to act on their suicidal impulses by visiting Mount Ymir, home to the frost giant god himself! Just how bad will this be?

6 mountain apes!
Blizzard!
Poison gas (volcano only, no encounter)
Lost
11 vhuurmis (not these guys again!)
2 gargoyles
2 ape-men
Frostbite
Box canyon
2 frost giants!
2 more frost giants!
1 frost giant!
21 cave-men (I guess it’s better than more frost giants… a little…)

So it seems that box canyon was full of frost giants (and cave-men). Probably not a great thing.

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/10/2017 8:25 am

Welcome back to daily encounters! In this episode, your players have made landfall on Mu Minor, the little fragment of Mu that still survives in Hyperborea. But don't worry: the Mu-ites look like members of a 20th century comet cult and refuse to learn Common. What could go wrong?

Vermin (PC lost food)
19 aurochs
600 bats (night only)
Fog bank
1 mummy! (from the days of ancient Mu, no doubt)
20 aurochs
Hunting party of 10 bowmen and 12 dogs, led by Ok. They haven’t bagged any game yet (don’t like cows, I guess).
Lost
15 red deer
900 bats! (night only)
Fog bank
Sleet storm
3 giant crab spiders!

A dreary little place. On to more exciting locales!

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/11/2017 1:28 pm

Time for your daily encounter! In today's installment, your players have traveled to the cave-man-infested island of Narath or Tarath (I don't suppose it much matters which). What prehistoric threats will they encounter?

14 reindeer
1 viper
1 cave-man
Lost
6 cave-men
4 cave-men
Vermin (PC loses food)
Thunderstorm
3 giant bees
3 cave-men
5 boars
Box canyon
5 cave-men

I never did roll a mob of 6d6 cave-men. Better luck next time...

**Posted by foxroe** 6/11/2017 8:37 pm

Narath/Tarath needs more claymation dinosaurs and rock-star cavemen with perfect teeth. Mu needs more cowbell.

I really liked your micro-study of the trip to the Esquimaux village; it emphasizes the need for a group of players to manage their resources and truly plan for an expedition. I know it's a lot of work, but I'd love to see the same treatment again for a future area. Maybe "play out" a party's trip from a town/village to the "fabled lost fane" (or something).

**Posted by mabon5127** 6/11/2017 8:52 pm

foxroe wrote:
Narath/Tarath needs more claymation dinosaurs and rock-star cavemen with perfect teeth.

...and Raquel Welch.

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/12/2017 8:34 am

Raquel is always welcome!

foxroe wrote:
Narath/Tarath needs more claymation dinosaurs and rock-star cavemen with perfect teeth. Mu needs more cowbell.

I really liked your micro-study of the trip to the Esquimaux village; it emphasizes the need for a group of players to manage their resources and truly plan for an expedition. I know it's a lot of work, but I'd love to see the same treatment again for a future area. Maybe "play out" a party's trip from a town/village to the "fabled lost fane" (or something).

Thanks! I may eventually do a series (possibly covering a week's travel each day) where a hypothetical party journeys from Khromarium to Yithorium (or something similar). If I do, it won't be until I wrap up the daily encounters. Speaking of which...

It's daily encounter time! In this episode, your players have made landfall in the lush forests of New Amazonia. How many Gal Gadot clones will they be lucky enough to meet?

1 black bear
Fever
Fog bank
2 harpies!
Patrol of 15 medium infantry led by Hypatia (3rd level fighter)
Patrol of 15 medium infantry led by Andromeda (10th level fighter!) – maybe the same patrol with a higher-ranking leader
12 giant rats
3 boars
17 stirges!
Patrol of 15 medium infantry led by Demetria (1st level fighter) – could it be the same patrol yet again, this time with a low-ranking flunky in charge?
10 giant rats
Lost
12 giant rats

The Amazons mean business about patrolling their island. Maybe they should do something about those stirges...

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/13/2017 8:21 am

It's that time again: daily encounters! In this installment, your players are hiding in the mountains of New Pictland. I wonder if they'll encounter any spiders?

1 giant ogre-faced spider
1 viper
4 cave bears!
1 giant ogre-faced spider
Lava eruption! But luckily this wasn’t a volcano, so no encounter.
5 giant crab spiders!
12 wolves
Box canyon (full of spiders no doubt)
Vermin (1 PC lost food)
2 falcons
1 giant black widow
3 giant toads
2 giant black widows

New Pictland is a pretty unpleasant place. And that was without even meeting any Picts!

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/14/2017 9:46 am

Welcome back to daily encounters! Today your players have traveled to the hills of New Vinland. What will they encounter there?

11 aurochs
Patrol of 13 medium infantry led by Gunnhildr (7th level fighter).
Hunting party of 14 bowmen and 9 dogs, led by Alfhildr. They have bagged 6 reindeer! (I rolled 18, so I guess they left 12 more to rot somewhere back on the trail. Maybe the PCs are hungry?)
Hunting party of 15 bowmen and 12 dogs, led by Arnstein. They have also bagged game – 150 bats! (Again, I actually rolled 900. Man, New Vinland must be littered with wantonly slain animals.)
Patrol of 18 light infantry led by Audmundr (12th level fighter!)
Lost
15 aurochs (probably hiding from all the Viking hunters)
800 bats! (night only)
12 wild dogs
Hunting party of 11 bowmen and 7 dogs, led by Helga. They haven’t bagged anything. (I know where they can find some leftovers…)
Rockslide
9 aurochs
1 black bear

"Plenty of Vikings" was what they encountered. And some of them can even shoot straight!

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/15/2017 8:19 am

Daily encounter time! Now your players have journeyed to Nod's Chain, a weird frozen river winding among glaciated hills. What will they encounter there?

70 giant bats! (night only)
Lost
Snowstorm
Lights in the sky (but no alien encounter occurs)
14 reindeer
Kimmerian hunting party of 16 bowmen and 6 dogs, led by Syntyche. They haven’t bagged any game yet. (They must be really hungry to dare Nod’s Chain – maybe the PCs will do!)
Thin ice (over 40’ hole)
1 giant weasel (night only)
Lost
Lost
Kimmerian hunting party of 16 bowmen and 14 dogs, led by Argyros. Maybe this is the same party with a different leader and more dogs? Maybe they ate the original leader?
Frostbite!
Box canyon

Fewer aliens were met than I hoped. Maybe next time...

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/16/2017 8:24 am

"Tell them what they won, Johnny!" "A daily encounter!" Today your players have made landfall on Onja Cot, home of some of Hyperborea's justly renowned naked folk. And these are cannibals! Let the naked encounters begin!

War party of 42 naked Picts led by Boddica and accompanied by Dumnovellaunos (2nd level shaman). Luckily, they aren’t using poisoned arrows. Welcome to Onja Cot!
Lost
16 lions!
Hailstorm!
Vermin (PC loses food)
Hunting party of 8 naked Pict bowmen and 10 dogs, led by Cunovinda. They haven’t bagged anything yet, but I imagine the PCs will do nicely.
Hailstorm again!
Another hailstorm!
20 red deer
1 boar
Insect swarm!
Fog bank
Lost

Too bad the PCs didn't meet Onja Cot himself. I swear I have to get lucky with the dice in one of these regions...

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/17/2017 8:48 am

It's daily encounter time! In this installment, your players have sneaked into Orcust, city of the daemon Picts! Come on, dice - let's see a swine daemon!

5 orcs
Cloudburst
4 orcs
50 orcs!
1 domesticated bactrian camel
Heat wave! – but only in a desert, so no encounter
Hailstorm!
9 giant black centipedes
30 orcs!
1 viper
1 giant fire beetle (night only)
8 giant black centipedes
30 orcs!

Black centipedes - food or pets? You decide! (And darn it, no daemons encountered this time...)

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/18/2017 12:14 pm

What time is it? Daily encounter time! In this episode, your players have traveled to Pandoros, chief city of the Amazons. Anything you can do, they can do better!

Neutral NPC party! Vairxanna (3rd level common scout), Neasa (3rd level Pictish ranger), Ptolemais (3rd level Kimmerian scout), and 4 light infantry mercenary/flunkies. Maybe the PCs need some guides?
1 giant ant
Sandstorm! (desert only, no encounter)
Patrol of 13 medium infantry led by Lysistrate (2nd level fighter). Looking for men causing trouble.
Sleet storm!
1 riding horse
3 bandits (muggers)
Patrol of 14 medium infantry led by Lysistrate (2nd level fighter). This has to be the same group, right? Maybe the PCs counted wrong the first time, or the patrol picked up a straggler.
Heat wave! but not in a non-desert city
Patrol of 13 medium infantry led by Alexandra (8th level fighter!)
3 harlots, priced at 10 g.p. on the theory that they look like Gal Gadot.
Sophia, 5th level Neutral thief. Her sisters probably regard her as more shameful than the harlots.
Ambrosia (11th level Neutral thief!)

Muggers, working girls, and thieves. Maybe Pandoros, and the Amazons themselves, are not as Lawful as commonly believed?

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/19/2017 8:23 am

Welcome back to daily encounters! This time your players have journeyed to the legendary Plain of Leng. Will they meet some of the mysterious men of Leng, or just a bunch of Esquimaux hunters?

Snowstorm
Vermin (PC loses food)
Hunting party of 17 bowmen and 9 dogs led by Tuluwaq. They haven’t bagged any game.
Hunting party of 15 bowmen and 5 dogs led by Tuluwaq (the same party, with losses?) They (still?) haven’t bagged anything.
50 musk oxen
110 musk oxen
14 wolves
6 woolly rhinoceroses!
10 woolly rhinoceroses!
Hunting party of 13 bowmen and 4 dogs led by Ulva. They haven’t bagged any of the plentiful game either.
Thin ice over 50’ hole!
Vermin (another PC loses food)
11 aurochs

"Esquimaux hunters" it is. Inept ones, too.

**Posted by Scalydemon** 6/19/2017 6:58 pm

I noticed a blog review of this was posted today http://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/2017/06/commentary-on-free-osr-resoure-ben.html

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/20/2017 8:51 am

Scalydemon wrote:
I noticed a blog review of this was posted today http://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/2017/06/commentary-on-free-osr-resoure-ben.html

That was nice of him to say.
Daily encounter time! Today your players have traveled to Port Greely, where men are men and fish are men too. I have a bad feeling about this...

Cloudburst
Thunderstorm
Fever
Fog bank (it sure is damp here…)
Patrol of 10 light infantry cultist inbreds led by Piris (8th level fighter) and accompanied by Nash (6th level magician)
Sleet storm
Patrol of 14 light infantry cultist inbreds led by Hellis (3rd level fighter).
Plague!
1 riding horse
1 large animal skeleton (another horse?)
Patrol of 16 light infantry cultist inbreds led by Sainoth (9th level fighter!)
Patrol of 14 light infantry cultist inbreds led by Mibdin-Zabra (3rd level fighter)
Patrol of 20 light infantry cultist inbreds led by Zaumnos (5th level fighter)

Darn it, no fish-men! I was rolling all around them too. I guess quasi-fish-men inbreds will have to do.

Last edited by Blackadder23 (6/20/2017 8:51 am)

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/21/2017 10:25 am

It's daily encounter time! Today your players have arrived in Port Zangerios, City of Masks. Who will the PCs meet there? And will they even know for sure?

Patrol of 13 masked guild mercenaries led by Qarrullesta (1st level fighter)
Zullesta (1st level magician) accompanied by 6 light infantry masked bravos and thugs
7 masked beggars – 1 is a thief and 1 knows something useful
Patrol of 20 masked guild mercenaries led by Rhulrhana (11th level fighter!)
3 masked harlots – 8 silver piece moderate quality
1 domesticated dromedary camel
5 giant rats
9 masked drunks, looking for trouble
Chaotic Evil NPC party! Qarrullesta the Red (3rd level Common magician), Ch’eet (3rd level Half-Blood Pict monk), Dunntanna (3rd level Common cataphract), Tartok (3rd level Esquimaux bard), and 3 light infantry masked bravos and thugs
1 domesticated bactrian camel
10 chained slaves guarded by 16 masked light infantry led by Qarrdunnia (7th level fighter).
30 chained slaves guarded by 20 masked light infantry led by Zullesta the Task-Mistress (3rd level fighter).
1 giant chameleon (metaphor?)

Port Zangerios seems like a good place to stay away from!

**Posted by foxroe** 6/21/2017 11:46 am

Port Greely - I think a riderless riding horse trotting out of a fog bank would freak just about anybody out.

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/22/2017 8:20 am

foxroe wrote:
Port Greely - I think a riderless riding horse trotting out of a fog bank would freak just about anybody out.

Followed by a skinless horse!
I have a surprise for you: it's daily encounter time! Today your players have journeyed to Ptarmigan Rock, the holy site where the Picts first arrived in Hyperborea. Seems like a good plan, right?

1 viper
Fever
Hailstorm
Patrol of 20 light infantry led by Verctissa (10th level fighter!)
5 giant crab spiders!
5 giant crab spiders!
1 small animal skeleton
Vermin (PC loses food and water!)
17 domesticated reindeer
Patrol of 11 light infantry led by Arviragos (2nd level fighter)
Patrol of 17 light infantry led by Cunomoros (3rd level fighter)
Cloudburst
Patrol of 15 light infantry led by Neasa (12th level fighter!)

It wasn't a good plan...