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Castropod

Environments Designed by Chapo the Dog • Art by the Gemmy Raven
Tier
1
Type
Exploration
Difficulty
11
Impulses
Protect those inside Keep out invaders

Environment overview

A castle on the back of a gastropod. A castropod.

Potential adversaries

Acari Helminths

Features

Passives

passive
  • Moving Fortress

    Any time the PCs take a long rest inside the Castropod, it travels to completely different location.

    If the PCs use a Castropod as a Keep, they can travel to a desired destination. Use a countdown (standard or long-term, depending on the distance). Once it triggers, they reach their destination.

    Questions
    • What do you notice about your new location?
    • Do you see any landmarks to help you pinpoint your location?
  • Keep

    If the PCs defeat or win favor with the Castropod's residents, they can make the Castropod their Keep, using the Keep rules created by DNGNCLUB.

    Questions
    • What sort of repairs or improvements does this Castropod need?

Actions

action
  • Helminth Attack!
    Fear 1

    Spend a Fear to have a horde of Helminths erupt from the ground within Very Far range and begin attacking the Castropod.

    Questions
    • What sounds do the Helminths make as they attack?

Reactions

reaction
  • Attack or Defend

    If the PCs are outside the Castropod attacking targets within it, all action and reaction rolls gain a penalty equal to 1d4. Conversely, if they are in the Castropod attacking targets outside of it, they gain 1d4 as a bonus to their action and reaction rolls.

    Questions
    • How do the Castropod's battlements help or hinder your attacks?
  • Shell Retreat

    If the Castropod is being attacked by Helminths, begin a consequence countdown (12). Once the countdown triggers, the snail retreats into her shell and a second consequence countdown (6) begins. If this countdown triggers, the snail is killed.

    Questions
    • How can you tell the snail is in distress?

About this environment

The PCs have become microscopic in size and have stumbled into a world of roaming castles and ceaseless battles. The Acari, stout and arachnid-like in appearance, have built castles on the shells of snails and seek to use these Castropods as a means of protection, travel, and commerce. Rival factions of Acari compete over resources and argue over castle design but rarely engage in all-out warfare. The reason is their common enemy: Helminths, hordes of worm-like parasites that are a constant threat to the Acari and their Castropods.

Castropod

Tier 1 Exploration

A castle on the back of a gastropod. A castropod.

Impulses: Protect those inside, Keep out invaders

Difficulty: 11

Potential Adversaries: Acari, Helminths

Features

Moving Fortress - Passive: Any time the PCs take a long rest inside the Castropod, it travels to completely different location.

If the PCs use a Castropod as a Keep, they can travel to a desired destination. Use a countdown (standard or long-term, depending on the distance). Once it triggers, they reach their destination.

  • What do you notice about your new location?
  • Do you see any landmarks to help you pinpoint your location?
Keep - Passive: If the PCs defeat or win favor with the Castropod's residents, they can make the Castropod their Keep, using the Keep rules created by DNGNCLUB.
  • What sort of repairs or improvements does this Castropod need?
Helminth Attack! - Action: Spend a Fear to have a horde of Helminths erupt from the ground within Very Far range and begin attacking the Castropod.
  • What sounds do the Helminths make as they attack?
Attack or Defend - Reaction: If the PCs are outside the Castropod attacking targets within it, all action and reaction rolls gain a penalty equal to 1d4. Conversely, if they are in the Castropod attacking targets outside of it, they gain 1d4 as a bonus to their action and reaction rolls.
  • How do the Castropod's battlements help or hinder your attacks?
Shell Retreat - Reaction: If the Castropod is being attacked by Helminths, begin a consequence countdown (12). Once the countdown triggers, the snail retreats into her shell and a second consequence countdown (6) begins. If this countdown triggers, the snail is killed.
  • How can you tell the snail is in distress?

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