An adventure location for characters level 1to 5
Background
The Dreggs is a swamp that touches several planes of existence at various points. The unique magical nature of the swamp has attracted the aboleth Carnith who has made it her home. The aberration has dominated the local tribes and rules like a goddess, demanding tributes that satiate her hunger for knowledge.
Location Features
The mystical swamp has been infused with many characteristics of the planes that touch it. The various regions throughout the swamp have one or more of the following location features.
***Dying.*** This area has necrotic energy seeping into it from the shadowfell. Creatures automatically fail death saving throws in this area. Creatures that die also animate and become a **zombie** after a minute has passed. A zombie has a fragment of the personality it once had and can answer one question as if *speak with dead* had been cast on them.
***Dreaming.*** This area has a surreal quality to it that makes creatures within the area feel sluggish. All creatures that are not undead,constructs, or fey have disadvantage on ability checks here. Any creature that sleeps in the area are projected into the astral plane as if *astral projection* was cast on them.
***Transmutive.*** A random creature in this region must succeed a DC 15 wisdom saving throw or be randomly polymorphed into a hostile creature from the following list for 1 hour or until the spell ends. (d8; 1. Displacer beast, 2. Kuo-toa, 3. Lizardfolk, 4. Myconid Adult, 5. Nothic, 6. Stirge, 7. Thri-kreen, 8. Gray ooze)
***Illusory.*** The region invades the characters mind and projects an illusion of what it finds near the heroes. The heroes can determine that it is an illusion by touch with a successful DC 16 Investigation check. The following list determines what appears. (d4; 1. An ally, 2. An enemy, 3. An NPC they killed, 4. One of the characters)
Random Encounters
1-25 1d8 lizardfolk and 1 lizardfolk shaman. The lizardfolk of the Dreggs are all dominated by Carnith.
26-45 2d6 giant crabs. These crabs are infused with magic and can use the *acid splash* cantrip at will. The crab’s save DC is 12.
46-65 2d6 bullywug. The bullywug detest the lizardfolk and Carnith. They do everything they can to avoid their influence.
66-75 2d6 twig blights, 1d4 vine blights, and 1d4 needle blights. The magic of the region has animated these plants. They aggressively attack any living thing they encounter to dip their roots into their blood.
76-85 1d6 gray ooze. The swampy region makes the ooze particularly hard to spot. They have advantage on stealth checks.
86-90 1d6 shadow.These are souls of lost adventurers who died in the swamp. They envy life and will stalk the heroes in order to end it.
91-94 1d4 sahuagin and 1 sahuagin priestess. The priestess seeks to claim the lizardfolk king’s magic sword (see pyramid ruins below)
95-96 1 faerie dragon. The faerie dragon Bratika enjoys the magical nature of the Dreggs and causes mischief between the bullywug and lizardfolk. He appreciates adventurers that traverse the swamp and will try to steal interesting things from them.
97-98 1 ettin. A dryad made the mistake to drink the waters in a transmutive region, and transformed into an ettin. One of the two heads has kept a semblance of her original personality and seeks to preserve the life of the Dreggs. The other head just seeks to squash things and eat jellied meat.
99-00 1 sea hag. This creature used to rule the Dreggs before the abolith moved in to claim her territory. The sea hag has managed to hold some influence of the bullywug whom she sees as her pets, but wishes to kill Carnith and restore her control.
Key Locations
***Pool of Eyes.*** The sea hag that wanders the Dreggs has made this unique place her home. There are dozens of small pools that reflect what is happening in other planes of existence. A creature can attempt to use the *scry* spell without the material components here, and you are not limited to the same plane of existence.
***Pyramid Ruins.*** The lizardfolk king resides in this stone pyramid that is overgrown with vines and other foliage. Besides his devotion to Carnith, his most prized item is his *sword of vengeance*. He is quite paranoid and believes everyone is attempting to steal it.
***Lake of Heads.*** This lake has dozens of underwater passages that allow Carnith to sneak around the Dreggs without being noticed. Carnith’s followers tie the heads of various sentient creatures to the branches of the trees that overhang the lake as tribute to their goddess. Carnith uses her tentacles to pierce the heads in order to psychically consume the memory of the creature. The aboleth is constantly fighting off boredom, and uses the memories of the dead to entertain herself.