New Environments (Patreon)

Environments are one of my favorite parts of Daggerheart, so I knew they were going to be a priority for me in my self-published projects making Daggerheart-compatible material. I am working on a set of environments to publish on their own, shooting for 30-ish environments in total. I haven't done much to figure out the production side of the project re: getting art and deciding layout, but the writing part is coming along very well. Here's a WIP preview of some of what I've already written (including a couple of environments I've shared previously):

Tier 1 Environments

DESECRATED GRAVEYARD

Tier 1 Exploration
A place of rest turned into a misty maze of hazards, haunted by the unquiet dead.
Impulses: disturb the peace of the dead, make grief tangible, Memento Mori

Difficulty: 11

Potential Adversaries: Giant Rat Swarm, Skeletons (Dredge, Knight, Archer, Warrior), Zombies (Brawny Zombie, Patchwork Zombie Hulk, Rotted Zombie, Zombie Pack)

FEATURES

Fell Magics – Passive: Something here has compelled the dead to rise from their graves and attack the living. Start a Progress Countdown (6) to represent the PCs' investigation. They might look for signs of necromancy (Instinct), identify magical symbols (Knowledge), haul open sarcophagi to find disturbances (Strength), or so on. When the Countdown is triggered, the PCs discovers the full truth about the disturbance, pointing the way to the party responsible.
Where within the graveyard can they find these clues? Would the culprit conceal their work or put it out in the open to declare their ambitions?

Aura of Death – Passive: Grief weighs heavily on those that intrude. Any PC that fails an action roll with Fear must lose a Hope. If they cannot lose a Hope, they mark a Stress.
Which characters have had to bury a loved one? What loss does this place remind you of?

Concealing Mist – Action: An unnatural tide of mist covers an area with a Far diameter. Anyone within the mist takes disadvantage on any rolls against a target beyond Close.
What feature of the mist is subtly wrong and unnerving? Does it block out light entirely rather than diffuse it? Does it carry a disturbing smell or emit impossible whispers?

Empty Graves – Action: Spend a Fear to summon a Zombie Pack or a number of Skeleton Dredges equal to the number of PCs. The adversaries dig themselves out of their graves to appear at a Close distance.
What tatters of clothes or other features provide a sliver of insight into who these people were in life? How do they move as they advance – are they jerky, swaying, or eerily steady?

Grasping Claws – Reaction: When a PC moves through concealing mist away from the group, they must make a Finesse Reaction Roll as the hand of an undead bursts from the ground to try and grab them. On a failure, the target takes 1d6 physical damage and becomes Restrained until they succeed at a Strength or Finesse Roll. On a success, the target must still mark a Stress.
What do you feel more – the grip as cold as the grave or the heat of the blood drawn by their hungry flailing?

Tier 2 Environments

BURNING SANDS

Tier 2 Traversal
A wide expanse of desert -- dunes of sand dotted by cacti and scrubland--sprawling beyond the horizon and promising a desiccated doom to any that enter.
Impulses: consume water, exhaust travelers, tempt folly with mirages

Difficulty: 14

Potential Adversaries: Giant Eagle, Glass Snake, Mortal Hunter, Merchant Baron, Spectral Archer, Spectral Captain, Spectral Guardian

FEATURES

Rolling Dunes - Passive: Travel across the desert is disorienting and exhausting. Set a Progress Countdown (8) representing the journey. Characters might roll Instinct for navigation, Knowledge to recall a route or analyze a map, Presence to bolster the spirits of the traveling party, Strength to pull a cart, etc.
What landmarks let the party know they’ve gone in circles? What carrion-eaters watch the party as they languish? What insight might they gain from local animals?

No Place to Hide – Passive: The punishing sun makes taking downtime during the day impossible unless the PCs find meaningful cover from the heat.
What dangers lurk in the night while the party rests? Do they travel at night as well, or just rest and plan for the next day?

Mirage – Action: Spend a Fear to create a mirage on the horizon. Each PC must make an Instinct Reaction Roll to identify the mirage as fake. On a failure, a PC can take a Hope if they insist that the mirage is real and add one to the Progress Countdown as they take the group off-course to confirm.
What form does the mirage take? Is it a fake oasis, a friendly traveling party, a hated foe, or something else?

Sandstorm - Action: Spend 2 Fear to introduce a sandstorm. Call for a Group Action (with the leader probably rolling Instinct) to represent the group finding cover before the storm hits. On a failure, each PC marks 1d4+1 Stress. On a success, each PC marks a Stress. Once the Sandstorm clears, the next roll to traverse the desert is made with disadvantage due to the changed landscape.
Who notices the sandstorm first? How do the PCs protect themselves from sand getting everywhere in their clothes and supplies? What is lost in the scramble to find cover?

Shifting Sands – Reaction: After a sandstorm or downtime, reveal something that had been previously buried and covered by the sand.
Do they find the ruins of a settlement that could serve as shelter? Do they find a wrecked merchant caravan with goods intact, wondering what happened to the merchants?

Oasis - Reaction: If a PC rolls at least a 19 or higher (or a critical) on a roll to navigate within the environment, they locate an oasis. Each PC immediately gains a Hope. Additionally, while in the oasis the PCs they may take downtime during the day despite the No Place to Hide feature.
What makes this oasis so hard to find? Is anyone else present when you arrive? Has someone tried to seize this site by force?

Punishing Heat – Reaction: When a PC makes a roll to traverse the environment during the day, they must make a Strength Reaction Roll or mark a Stress and lose a Hope.
Where do you most feel the heat? What do you do to try to stay cool? Are you still sweaty when the sun goes down and the temperature drops?

CORRUPT COURT

Tier 2 Social
A warded courtroom that ensures the state’s enemies are found guilty, presided over by a local official, with witnesses.
Impulses: compel testimony, enact the state’s will, scrutinize details, vilify defendants

Difficulty: 15

Potential Adversaries: Assassin Poisoner, Courtesan, Knight of the Realm, Masked Thief, Royal Advisor, Spy

FEATURES

Foregone Conclusions - Passive: A magical enchantment compels truth from defendants but not of the judge or prosecuting magistrates. PCs gain disadvantage on attempts to lie and must mark a Stress to make such an attempt.
Where is the enchantment situated? Does the judge know when the magic is being resisted? Do the locals know how this enchantment works?

Playing to the Crowd – Passive: The court will find you guilty, that much is certain. What is less certain is whether the audience accepts the result. When the trial starts, activate a Progress Countdown (6) representing the PCs’ attempts to prove their innocence and/or the court’s corruption and a Standard Countdown (3).

· If the Progress Countdown triggers before the Standard Countdown, the locals are convinced that the trial is invalid and throw their support behind the PCs (launching a breakout attempt, convincing a guard to look the other way when the PCs try to escape, etc.).

· If the Standard Countdown triggers before the Progress Countdown, the trial concludes with a guilty verdict before the PCs can move the locals to action and each PC loses a Hope.
How do the judge and magistrate put their thumbs on the scales? What fraudulent evidence or testimony twists the truth? Is everyone that works at the court in on the fix? What would happen if an employee of the court exposed the corruption?

Surprise Witness – Action: Spend a Fear to introduce an unexpected witness to provide crucial (and potentially false) testimony.
Who has the court recruited or coerced into testifying? What lies or partial truths do they share?

Judge’s Rebuke - Reaction: When a PC makes an attempt to point out the court’s corruption, the Judge rebukes them sharply. The PC must make a Presence Reaction Roll or mark a Stress from the belligerent censure.
What item or artifact signals the court's official rebuke? What does it feel like to have the whole room's disapproval weigh upon you?

HERO'S TOMB

Tier 2 Exploration
The final resting place of a long-dead local hero, warded by magic and containing magical treasures.
Impulses: Entice adventurers, honor the dead, repel intruders, reveal the past
Difficulty: 13

Potential Adversaries: Battle Box, Construct, Masked Thief, Swarm of Rats, Spectral Captain

FEATURES

A Story of Their Life – Passive: The tomb contains numerous paintings, carving, and bass reliefs recounting the hero’s life and notable deeds. Studying these depictions requires a Knowledge Roll to pick up salient details. Success grants advantage on any puzzles within the tomb, which all refer to the hero’s biography.
What form do these narratives take? Does the hero share a community with one of the PCs? What are they most known for, and which of their accomplishments has been largely forgotten or hidden for some reason? What villains did they face?

Path of Trials – Passive: The tomb contains puzzles to test the wit and knowledge of visitors. Solving the puzzle requires a Group Action Roll with Knowledge, though allies can contribute with any trait that makes sense (Strength for moving pieces, Finesse for fine object manipulation, Instinct for noticing crucial details, etc.) On a failed Group Action Roll to solve the puzzle, all PCs suffer a Stress.
What form does the puzzle take? A riddle whose answer must be spoken aloud? A stacking puzzle? A series of pipes that must be aligned to allow the flow of liquid? What facts from the hero’s biography help solve the puzzle? Which of the hero’s great deeds does the puzzle echo?

A Hero’s Raiment – Passive: If the PCs reach the hero’s sarcophagus and have proven themselves worthy through solving the puzzles or showing their prowess in battle with the hero’s spirit, they can open the sarcophagus and claim a powerful Tier 2 weapon, armor, and gear that was buried with the hero.
What is this item named? How did the hero come to possess it, and what challenge did they overcome thanks to its power?

Vanquish the Unworthy – Action: The hero’s ghostly form emerges to drive away those they view as unworthy of taking on their legacy. Summon a Spectral Captain at Close distance have it immediately take the spotlight. If defeated, the hero may judge the PCs worthy and disable any remaining traps or puzzles within the tomb.
What action prompted the hero’s ire? What famous weapon do they wield? What about their appearance makes it clear they are from a previous era?

THIEVES’ GUILD

Tier 2 Social
The guildhouse (official or not) for the organized crime of the settlement.
Impulses: coordinate jobs, gamble with loot, jockey for position, trade tips on possible marks.

Difficulty: 14

Potential Adversaries: Assassins (any), Jagged Knife Bandits (any), Masked Thief, Spy

FEATURES

Thieves’ Cant - Passive: Members of the guild speak in a specific coded language of double and triple-meanings. Any PCs without an appropriate background or experience take disadvantage on any roll to understand or communicate using thieves’ cant.
How do the thieves conceal their intents? What metaphors, similes, alliterations, or other linguistic devices do they use to communicate their secret intent? Do they know the area better than you, or have some other advantage? What do you fear they’ll do if they get away?

Trawling for Work - Passive: A PC that has been welcomed in to the guild (as a member or guest) can ask around for leads on honest crime or tips on how to outsmart a target. On a successful Presence Roll, the PC gains a lead on a job or a clue that will grant advantage on their next roll to address a specific challenge.
What information are you looking for? Does anyone here have it? Was someone here already planning to do what the PCs want to do?

A Friendly Game - Action: Offer one or more PCs the chance to Clear Stress as if it were a short rest by gambling with the local members. Stakes start at a Handful of Gold per hand. Let them choose which trait to use to attempt to win.
Who is your main competition at the table? What house rules complicate your efforts? Are you really trying to win, or do you have another agenda?

Knives Out – Reaction: If a PC is discovered to be cheating or trying to get one over on the thieves, the guild closes ranks against the interloper. That PC will be thrown out (or worse) unless they succeed on a Presence Reaction Roll to explain themselves.
What sets them off? How do you try to recover face under threat of extreme violence?

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This product includes materials from the Daggerheart System Reference Document 1.0, © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com. There are no previous modifications by others.