🜁 CHAPTER V — DESERTS & WASTES
The deserts of Tallanon are not empty — they are endless, ancient, and hungry.
Here:
The sun is a tyrant
The sand hides bones older than kingdoms
The wind whispers in dead languages
And the creatures that survive do so through cruelty or cunning
The wastes are ruled by predators that burrow beneath the dunes, spirits born of heat and mirage, and ancient horrors entombed beneath the shifting sands.
Travelers say:
“The desert does not forgive.
It only waits.”
Desert encounters emphasize:
Heat & exhaustion (Endurance tests)
Ambush predators (burrowers, camouflaged hunters)
Mirages & illusions (Magic tests)
Sandstorms (Agility & Awareness tests)
Treacherous footing (difficult terrain)
Use:
Wilderness Lore for navigation
Awareness for spotting burrowers
Magic Resistance for djinn & mirages
Endurance for heat survival
Deserts should feel vast, merciless, and ancient.
d12
Encounter
1
Dust Mite Swarm rises from the sand
2
Sand‑Burrow Scorpion emerges beneath a boot
3
Glassfang Jackal stalks the party
4
Dune Stalker Lizard darts between dunes
5
Sun‑Bleached Mummy awakens from a half‑buried tomb
6
Sirocco Djinn forms from swirling sand
7
Obsidian Scarab Swarm erupts from a corpse
8
Sandstorm Colossus moves beneath the dunes
9
Mirage Serpent coils in shimmering heat
10
Sudden sandstorm — visibility drops to nothing
11
Ancient ruins uncovered by shifting sands
12
The Devouring Dune awakens and begins to move
Below are all 10 creatures, fully statted using your templates.
Microscopic desert mites that strip flesh like sandpaper.
Rank: Novice • Role: Swarm • Block: Mini
Speed: 6
HP: 1d6+1
Offense: Might+1
Defense: 0
Key Skills: Awareness 2, Agility 3, Dark Sight 2
Attack — Sandpaper Swarm: Offense = Might+1, damage 1d3.
Fail Endurance (2) → −1 Defense for 1 round.
Traits:
• Swarm Body — immune to knockdown
• Flesh‑Strip — first hit each round deals +1 damage
Loot: 1–6 nothing
(Already created earlier — included here for chapter completeness.)
Rank: Novice • Role: Lurker • Block: Mini
Jackal with translucent fangs that cut like glass.
Rank: Skilled • Role: Skirmisher • Block: Mini
Speed: 8
HP: 3d6+3
Offense: Might+2
Defense: 2
Key Skills: Agility 4, Awareness 3, Brawl 2, Wilderness Lore 3
Attack — Glass Fang Bite: Offense = Might+2, damage 1d6+1.
Crit → target bleeds 1d3.
Traits:
• Pack Hunter — +1 Offense if ally adjacent
• Glass Fangs — melee attackers take 1 damage
Loot: 1–3 hide, 4–5 fang, 6 glass‑fang shard
Fast desert lizard that hunts by vibration.
Rank: Skilled • Role: Ambusher • Block: Mini
Speed: 9
HP: 3d6+3
Offense: Might+2
Defense: 2
Key Skills: Awareness 4, Agility 4, Dark Sight 3
Attack — Sand Slash: Offense = Might+2, damage 1d6+1.
Traits:
• Tremor Sense — detects movement within 6 squares
• Sand Camouflage — Awareness (4) to detect
Loot: 1–4 scales, 5 claw, 6 dune‑core
Ancient corpse dried by centuries of heat.
Rank: Elite • Role: Brute • Block: Full
Speed: 5
HP: 6d6+6
Offense: Might+3
Defense: 3
Size: Medium
Awareness 4, Agility 3, Might 7, Endurance 6, Charm 0, Roguery 1, Wilderness Lore 2, Folk Lore 4,
Brawl 6, Sword‑Play 0, Marksmanship 0, Craftsmanship 0, Dark Sight 4, Healing 0, Magic 3, Magic Resistance 5
• Desiccating Touch: Offense = Might+3; damage 2d6; Endurance (5) or −1d3 HP permanently
• Sand‑Born: Immune to heat
• Cursed Wrappings: Adjacent foes take 1d3 necrotic
Primary — Mummified Fist: Offense = Might+3, damage 2d6
Special — Sand Blast: 3‑square cone; 2d6; Agility (4) halves
1–3 wrappings, 4 mummy dust, 5 ancient coin, 6 cursed heart
Spirit of burning wind and shifting sand.
Rank: Elite • Role: Controller • Block: Full
Speed: Fly 8
HP: 7d6+7
Offense: Magic+3
Defense: 4
Size: Medium
Awareness 6, Agility 5, Might 3, Endurance 7, Charm 6, Roguery 2, Wilderness Lore 4, Folk Lore 5,
Brawl 2, Sword‑Play 0, Marksmanship 0, Craftsmanship 0, Dark Sight 4, Healing 2, Magic 8, Magic Resistance 6
• Sirocco Blast: 4‑square line; 3d6 fire; Endurance (5) halves
• Mirage Form: Attacks have −1 Offense against it
• Sand Step: Move through sand as if flying
Primary — Burning Palm: Offense = Magic+3, damage 2d6 fire
Special — Mirage Bolt: Ranged 10; Offense = Magic+2; damage 2d6
1–3 sand, 4 djinn dust, 5 fire rune, 6 sirocco heart
Swarm of razor‑edged beetles.
Rank: Veteran • Role: Swarm • Block: Full
Speed: 7
HP: 8d6+8
Offense: Might+3
Defense: 3
Size: Medium (swarm)
Awareness 5, Agility 5, Might 8, Endurance 8, Charm 0, Roguery 0, Wilderness Lore 3, Folk Lore 2,
Brawl 7, Sword‑Play 0, Marksmanship 0, Craftsmanship 0, Dark Sight 4, Healing 0, Magic 0, Magic Resistance 4
• Razor Swarm: Offense = Might+3; damage 2d6; melee attackers take 1d3
• Obsidian Shell: Half damage from slashing
• Burrow Surge: Move 4 squares underground
Primary — Swarm Rend: Offense = Might+3, damage 2d6
Special — Obsidian Burst: 3‑square radius; 2d6; Agility (5) halves
1–3 shards, 4 obsidian plate, 5 scarab core, 6 obsidian heart
(Already created earlier — included here for chapter completeness.)
Rank: Veteran • Role: Titan • Block: Full
Serpent made of shimmering heat and illusion.
Rank: Legendary • Role: Controller • Block: Full
Speed: 9
HP: 11d6+11
Offense: Magic+4
Defense: 6
Size: Huge
Awareness 7, Agility 6, Might 4, Endurance 11, Charm 6, Roguery 3, Wilderness Lore 5, Folk Lore 6,
Brawl 3, Sword‑Play 0, Marksmanship 0, Craftsmanship 0, Dark Sight 5, Healing 2, Magic 12, Magic Resistance 7
• Mirage Body: First attack each round misses automatically
• Heat Wave: 4‑square radius; 3d6 fire; Endurance (6) halves
• Illusory Double: Creates a duplicate; Awareness (6) to detect
Primary — Mirage Bite: Offense = Magic+4, damage 3d6
Special — Heat Lash: Offense = Magic+3, damage 3d6 fire
1–3 heat dust, 4 serpent scale, 5 mirage shard, 6 desert heart
A living dune that swallows armies.
Rank: Mythic • Role: Titan • Block: Full
Speed: 6 (glides)
HP: 15d6+15
Offense: Might+6
Defense: 8
Size: Titanic
Awareness 10, Agility 4, Might 14, Endurance 15, Charm 0, Roguery 0, Wilderness Lore 8, Folk Lore 6,
Brawl 12, Sword‑Play 0, Marksmanship 0, Craftsmanship 0, Dark Sight 5, Healing 3, Magic 10, Magic Resistance 10
• Sand Maw: Offense = Might+6; damage 4d6; target Agility (6) or swallowed
• Buried Alive: Swallowed targets take 3d6/round
• Sandstorm Aura: 4‑square radius; −2 to ranged attacks
• Mythic Regeneration: Regains 2d6 HP/round
Primary — Crushing Dune: Offense = Might+6, damage 4d6
Mythic — Desert Cataclysm: 6‑square radius; 5d6; Agility (6) halves
1–2 sand
3–4 ancient relic
5 dune shard
6 mythic desert core
Any suggestions, spelling errors or ideas - email doombladerpg@gmail.com