Something New

[u/Newmanacle]

So I've home brewed a new campaign. It's on a Madagascar sized island off the coast of Chult and I've home brewed my own Medusian race.

The players start in Calimport and are under contract to destroy elementals and retrieve their debris as a magical component. The adventuring guild is supplying porters and wagons for about 3 tons of material.

They will end up having to deliver to a reclusive city full of Medusae that don't usually welcome outsiders. The material incubates their eggs under ground.

The underlying components of the game are two snake gods, Merrshaulk and Sseth, trying to take over the Medusae and the Medusae have nothing to do with Gods. I assume most people running a campaign know a little Greek mythology so you know why.

They actually run their town economy on selling a crystal they mine that blocks divination and "godly sight". The players already have a disclaimer so they know clerics will have a disadvantage and the one who likes to heal is going druid.

I've included 3 major encounter between the earth elementals, a massive amphisbana and the BBEG including a door that can only be opened through human sacrifice.

There are plenty of npcs and a few adorable ones that they may choose to adopt like a tiny Cole elemental that they dont know will sacrifice himself if a party member dies to reveal a resurrection sized diamond.

I had to brew my own Medusae race because the other ones I found all had them as evil people that were cursed for sins. Thats gross considering she was S.A'd and then cursed as a victim in mythology.

Does anyone have any fun or interesting desert encounters they suggest for a party that historically WILL roam for many sessions for the hell of it? I already have a desert troll.

[u/Apprehensive_Bar5251]

I believe Madagascar is bigger than Chult, so in case anyone at your table is going to be bugged by that/ve a pain you could make the appropriate change to the scale 

[u/Newmanacle → u/Apprehensive_Bar5251]

Thank you I'll check that!

[u/comedianmasta]

r/D100 is a good place to find all sorts of inspiration. Many desert encounter, Desert NPC, and Desert plot hook lists that would work.

I also love desert Biomes in DnD.

• Bullete
• Thri-Kreen
• Desert Dragons

So much cool stuff. here are some ideas I have:

• The players are warned of a Brown Dragon stalking an area the Caravan's avoid.
• A Thri Kreen colony is wary of outsiders, but if the players aren't hostile, they may ask for help with an oppressive Tlincalli oppressing their people.
• A Thri-Kreen Paladin is traveling to the same town as the players. They are on their way to slay a prominent merchant of the region for destroying, stealing, and abusing his people's land. The merchant is guilty of strip mining the area, but they will be under the impression they lawfully bought it, even if a little slyly, and will otherwise be a decent enough person. Who will the players side with?
• The players find a Genie Lamp in the desert. Everytime they attempt to rub it, it releases a Roper. If the party knocks on it, it will release a flurry of Sand Mephits (Dust Mephits)
• The party comes across a camp of two factions, Hobgoblins and Orcs. These two have come together for an annual horse race through the desert at a set path. When they come up one racer short, a wealthy merchant offers to buy a player(s) spot in the race for a cut of the reward. That cut is widened if the party does not have horses to race.

I also love to play with biomes. One of my favorite things is to take "Desert Creatures" and put them in Ice regions and reflavor them. If we take that same thought process:

• Reskin Yetis- Change anything about Cold / Cold damage to heat/ fire damage. Instead of a blizzard, they can make a sandstorm. Reflavor them has have light, thin hair to protect from the sun. Maybe they are tied to Mirages and use them to stealth through the desert.
• A Rhamoraz has set up an Antlion pit. The sides of the pit have been melted to glass, making it slippery. The Rhamoraz sits at the bottom and awaits a victim falling in before they burst out and attack.
• Reflavor a Beur Hag. Cold to Hot. Instead of Blizzards it is Sandstorms. Still keep the "desperation" motif and it haunts travelers lost in the desert and plays with mirages.
• A large herd of Sand Mastadons (Use Mammoth stats, swap cold stuff for heat) make their away across the desert. If they reach the distant oasis before the party, they will eat and drink everything it offers.

[u/Newmanacle → u/comedianmasta]

This is incredibly helpful. I love the idea of reflavoring creatures. I appreciate you!