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Trail Through Murky Waters

Environments Designed by James Bratten

At a glance

Tier
1
Type
Traversal
Difficulty
13
Impulses
Confuse isolate drown devour

Environment overview

A poorly marked and seldom used path cutting through the brackish waters of a dark swamp.

Potential adversaries

Junace Ambusher Swamp Dog Bog Mummy

Features

Passives

passive
  • False Currents

    These low-lying swamps are notoriously difficult to navigate. When the PCs enter this environment, start a countdown (6). When a PC rolls with Fear, decrease the countdown by one step. When the countdown reaches 0, one Junace Ambusher and two Swamp Dogs locate the party and ambush them.

    Questions
    • Who is leading the party through the swamp?
    • What floats in the currents that distracts you from the task at hand?
    • Your reflection in the water changes for a moment; what do you see?
  • High Ground

    A PC can use their action to make an Instinct roll to locate a patch of ground above the water line. While on high ground, the countdown for False Currents does not decrease. Instead, roll 1d6 and start a separate countdown equal to the result. Decrease this new countdown by one at the start of each GM turn. When the countdown ends, the PCs have reached the end of the high ground and the False Currents countdown resumes.

    Questions
    • What kind of high ground do you find? A fallen tree? A patch of damp earth?
    • What kind of foliage crawls along with path and how does it react to your presence?

Actions

action
  • Fog Bank

    Spend a Fear to cause a thick fog to descend upon an area around the PCs, limiting their site to Close range.

    Questions
    • Familiar voices whisper in the fog? Who's voice do you hear? What does it say?
  • The Waters Give Up Their Dead

    Spend a Fear to summon a Bog Mummy. It appears within Very Close range of the PCs and is immediately spotlighted without spending an additional Fear.

    Questions
    • How old does the mummy appear to be?
    • Does it carry with it any articles or tools from its past life?

Reactions

reaction
  • Swamp Gas
    Fear 2

    When a PC uses or creates an open flame, you may spend 2 Fear to cause a nearby pocket of flammable gas to explode, dealing 2d6+4 physical damage to anything within Very Close range.

About this environment

Trail Through Murky Waters

Tier 1 Traversal

A poorly marked and seldom used path cutting through the brackish waters of a dark swamp.

Impulses: Confuse, isolate, drown, devour

Difficulty: 13

Potential Adversaries: Junace Ambusher, Swamp Dog, Bog Mummy

Features

False Currents - Passive: These low-lying swamps are notoriously difficult to navigate. When the PCs enter this environment, start a countdown (6). When a PC rolls with Fear, decrease the countdown by one step. When the countdown reaches 0, one Junace Ambusher and two Swamp Dogs locate the party and ambush them.

  1. Who is leading the party through the swamp?
  2. What floats in the currents that distracts you from the task at hand?
  3. Your reflection in the water changes for a moment; what do you see?

High Ground - Passive: A PC can use their action to make an Instinct roll to locate a patch of ground above the water line. While on high ground, the countdown for False Currents does not decrease. Instead, roll 1d6 and start a separate countdown equal to the result. Decrease this new countdown by one at the start of each GM turn. When the countdown ends, the PCs have reached the end of the high ground and the False Currents countdown resumes.

  1. What kind of high ground do you find? A fallen tree? A patch of damp earth?
  2. What kind of foliage crawls along with path and how does it react to your presence?

Fog Bank - Action: Spend a Fear to cause a thick fog to descend upon an area around the PCs, limiting their site to Close range.

  1. Familiar voices whisper in the fog? Who's voice do you hear? What does it say?

The Waters Give Up Their Dead - Action: Spend a Fear to summon a Bog Mummy. It appears within Very Close range of the PCs and is immediately spotlighted without spending an additional Fear.

  1. How old does the mummy appear to be?
  2. Does it carry with it any articles or tools from its past life?

Swamp Gas - Reaction: When a PC uses or creates an open flame, you may spend 2 Fear to cause a nearby pocket of flammable gas to explode, dealing 2d6+4 physical damage to anything within Very Close range.

Discussion

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