The Ultraviolet Desert Part 2

This is part 2 of an attempt to make Acid Death Fantasy useful for an Ultraviolet Grasslands campaign. It turns Luke Gearing's mini-campaign book and bestiary for the Troika! system into 2 1/2 locations for an Ultraviolet Grasslands point-crawl. It assumes that characters are travelling from location to location as per the rules in Luka Rejec's Ultraviolet Grasslands.

This conversion/arrangement is skeletal and requires Acid Death Fantasy to use. Every mention of an enemy or non-player character refers back to ADF, numbers refer to the entry in the book under 'enemies', numbers appended with a 'b' refer to the entry in the book under 'backgrounds'. Names and terms from ADF are the intellectual property of Luke Gearing.

The idea of this post is that between the Northeast and the Southwest deserts, travelers pass through either Alshgar or Januba.

Parts 1 and 3 here.

The Blistering Oases of the Central Desert 

Travel between sultanates

Two minor sultantes separate Sayhad and Shurupak. The North West route passes through Alshgar, City of Shrines whilst the South West Route passes through Januba, of Twelve Markets. Travelers between the sultanates almost always rest at one of the oases or small settlements. When a caravan makes a journey through the central wastes, roll on the misfortune table, then on the settlements and oases table, and then on the encounters table in the last leg of the journey.

Misfortune among the doleful dwelling places of owls

d20 plus Charisma          

1-2          Desert twister! Roll a d4: 1. One sack lost 2. One animal lost 3. Both sack of supplies and animal lost 4. Character buried in sand.

               

3-4          Smoke on the horizon. The next friendly settlement encountered has been raided (but by who or what?). Opportunities for trade and resupply are fewer.

               

5-6          Arid terrain without an oasis or waterhole in sight. Each animal needs a sack of supplies.

               

7-8          The sun, the terrible sun. Beating down without mercy on a dying world (-1 Endurance).

               

9-10       Wind blows sharp fragments of… metal… glass? Painful in any case (-1d4 life)

               

11-12     A mild salt-storm turns into a torrent of briny sleet (-1 metal item, corroded and useless unless repaired).

               

13-17     Following a well-known trade route between the squabbling emirates, the journey is uneventful.

               

18-19     Pass by twitching, dying pool of nanite sand, rusting as it writhes. The next nanotech entity encountered is enervated (as slow).

               

20+         Discovered a new oasis with cool clear water and an abundance of dates. Merchants might pay for a reliable map.

 

Settlements and oases between cities (d6)
1	Despoiled Oasis
	56	Hyenamen
	42	Hiver Beetle
2	Sultanate of Rubble
	25b	Rubble Dweller
	65b	Deposed Sultan
	64b	Water-Witch
3	Hermitage atop an Alqai ruin-mine
	13b	Alqai
	46b	Hermit
4	Tortoise corpse village & truce camp
	55b	Tortoise Dweller Survivor
	23b	Life-Rider caravan
	23/34b	Narrowman Nomads
5	Desert brotherhood
	52b	Desert Mutant
	51b	Dosed Prophet
6	Eest-Wyst Canyon
	53b	Bat-Man
	54b	Canyon Crawler

 

Encounters (d8)
1	23b	Life-Rider caravan
2	33	Desert Roc
3	56b	Group of freshly assimilated Nanite-Sand Agents
4	51	Nanite Sands
5	54b	Canyon Crawler
6	56	Hyenamen
7	61	Sand Mantis
8	64	AI Tank

 

 

Alshgar, City of Shrines

The city is governed by Patesi Shabra, Crusher of Serpents, who is both serving high priest and chief administrator of the public grainhouses.

Members of the priestly caste compete to appear the most pious, giving out alms daily in the central square. Frugality is set aside, however, when it comes to demonstrating superior wealth and taste by parading exotic beasts.

Unfortunately, despite endless oblations to many and various divinities, doomsayers warn of a terrible prophecy nearing fulfilment.

Januba, of Twelve Markets

Malik Budaiwi, Thousand Stars is known as an indifferent and aloof ruler.

The nobles demonstrate their refinement by inviting the most esteemed guests, welcoming them into their saray and expecting them to join their entourage in their processions around the city’s many covered markets.

As is unfortunately so typical in this lawless era at the end of time, rogue wizards are attempting usurpation.

Chance meetings and intrigue for either minor city (d8)
1	16b	Sultanless Guard
2	22b	Eunuch
3	42b	Retired Gladiator
4	43b	Petty Priest
5	56b	Nanite-Sand Agent
6	62b	Titan AI Host
7	63b	Reptile Tamer
8	-	Doomsayer/scheming wizard (as appropriate)