The small ship you hired, not much larger than a riverboat, runs up onto the sandy beach of your destination. Before you stretches the expanse of a large, rocky desert island. While three or four lonely palm trees are visible along the coastline, the majority of the island is comprised of windswept rocky mesas and towers of red stone reaching toward the heavens. The sun already beats down upon you mercilessly and is not likely to let up as you trek toward the island's interior.
You've been hired by a somewhat eccentric antiquarian to find a hidden oasis on this desolate patch of ground. The scholar claims that the oasis is home to a long forgotten monastery and the cult that built it. More importantly, this cult had in their possession an artifact of religious (though not magical, he was careful to note) significance. Retrieve the Ruby Fish and you'll get paid. A simple enough job. That is, if the oasis even exists.
While it is possible to traverse the entire island in only a couple of days, doing so would not allow for the careful searching necessary to find the oasis. It is advised to furnish the players with a copy of the
Spire Isle map. Then, explain to them the rules of exploring the island, as detailed below.
Exploring the Island
Each hexagonal space on the map represents an area that is 6 miles across in all directions and can be crossed in approximately two hours or, for the purposes of the scenario, by spending one Exploration Point. Hexagons highlighted in red contain particularly difficult terrain and require four hours, or two Exploration Points to traverse.
Characters are granted the following number of exploration points per day (24 hour period):
| Number |
Description |
| 4 |
Normal: The characters explore the island at a normal pace. They will make camp and take a full long rest at night, take time to eat throughout the day, and do not force march. No adjustments. |
| 6 |
Hard: The characters force a hard pace and do not rest often during the day. Meals are eaten while traveling, though camp is set and the party does take a full long rest at night. Characters must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or become exhausted. For the second day in a row of Hard travel, and each subsequent sequential day, increase the difficulty by 2. |
| 10 |
Extreme: The characters both force a hard pace and do not sleep. Automatically gain one level of Exhaustion. |
Exploration points can be used to perform the following activities:
| Cost |
Description |
| 1 |
Travel: The characters move from one non-highlighted hex area to an adjacent hex area. |
| 2 |
Travel, Difficult Terrain: The characters move from a red-highlighted hex area to an adjacent hex area. |
| 1 |
Search: The characters search an entire hex for any special features (such as the oasis that they are looking for). All players roll a DC 12 Survival skill check. If at least half of the party succeeds, click on the interactive map marker (if it exists) or roll on the Search Encounters table in Desert Encounters to reveal the results of the search. |
| 2 |
Search, Thorough: The characters search an entire hex for any special features (such as the oasis that they are looking for). They spend enough time and energy to guarantee success without a skill roll. Click on the interactive map marker (if it exists) or roll on the Search Encounters table in Desert Encounters to reveal the results of the search |
| 1 |
Rest: The characters take a short rest. Roll for the possibility of a random encounter on the corresponding table in the Desert Encounters section below. |
| 1 |
Hunt/Forage: At least one character attempts to hunt or forage for food on the desert island. All characters involved in hunting and/or foraging must roll a DC 18 Survival skill check (it is, after all, a desert island). If at least 1/2 of the characters succeed, the group has acquired enough food for a full day. |
Once the adventuring party has spent all of their Exploration Points, they must take a long rest. Doing so will fully replenish their points.
Tables for determining possible encounters for long rests, short rests, and hex-searches are all included in the Desert Encounters section linked on the right-side menu.
Weather, Food, and Water
Spire Isle is a desolate, hot, desert wilderness. The weather is hot enough to cause problems for individuals wearing heavy, warm clothing as well as those wearing medium or heavy armor. Further, the desert is neither flowing with fresh water, nor flush with large game. Both food and water will be valuable commodities.
For each Exploration Activity that the characters perform, roll on the weather table below and follow the instructions given based on the current in-game time of day. If the day is sunny and hot, yet you roll for a sudden storm, do not worry. It happens. Trust me, I grew up in a desert.
| 1d6 |
Morning |
Noon |
Afternoon |
Evening |
Late Evening |
Night |
| 1 |
Storm, Heat -1 |
Storm, Heat 0 |
Storm, Heat 0 |
Storm, Heat 0 |
Storm, Heat -1 |
Storm, Heat -2 |
| 2 |
Clouds, Heat 0 |
Clouds, Heat 0 |
Clouds, Heat 0 |
Clouds, Heat 0 |
Clouds, Heat 0 |
Clouds, Heat -1 |
| 3 |
Partial Clouds, Heat 0 |
Partial Clouds, Heat 1 |
Partial Clouds, Heat 1 |
Partial Clouds, Heat 1 |
Partial Clouds, Heat 0 |
Partial Clouds, Heat 0 |
| 4 |
Sun, Heat 0 |
Sun, Heat 1 |
Sun, Heat 2 |
Sun, Heat 1 |
Sun, Heat 0 |
Moon, Heat 0 |
| 5 |
Sun, Heat 0 |
Sun, Heat 1 |
Sun, Heat 2 |
Sun, Heat 2 |
Sun, Heat 1 |
Moon, Heat 0 |
| 6 |
Sun, Heat 1 |
Sun, Heat 2 |
Sun, Heat 3 |
Sun, Heat 2 |
Sun, Heat 1 |
Moon, Heat 1 |
Heat -2
The desert can get deceptively cold at night, sometimes even reaching freezing temperatures. While not quite freezing, the weather is sufficiently cold for a desire for warm blankets while sleeping. If the party is long-resting at night, any character without a warm blanket or cold resistance must roll a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or end their long rest with 1 rank of Exhaustion. If the character already has more than one rank of Exhaustion, they are unaffected and may recover from a rank of Exhaustion as normal, so long as they still have at least 1 rank of Exhaustion at the end of the rest.
Heat -1
The weather is cold, but not oppressively so. No effect.
Heat 0
The weather is warm, and quite pleasant. No effect.
Heat 1
The weather is hot. Any character in heavy armor who is not naturally adapted to hot climates and does not have heat resistance or immunity must roll a DC 10 Constitution saving throw against Exhaustion.
Heat 2
The weather is oppressively hot. Any character in medium or heavy armor who is not naturally adapted to hot climates and does not have heat resistance or immunity must roll a DC 10 Constitution saving throw against Exhaustion.
Heat 3
The weather is extremely hot. All characters who are not naturally adapted to hot climates and do not have heat resistance or immunity must roll a DC 10 Constitution saving throw against Exhaustion. Any character in medium or heavy armor, or in heavy, warm clothing, rolls with disadvantage.
Storm
Heavy rain pelts the desert, obscuring visibility and interfering with the ability to hear. Further, much of the ground becomes muddy and difficult to traverse. Occasional roars of rolling thunder and flashes of heat lightning accent the rain.
All characters suffer disadvantage in Perception skill checks based on sight or hearing during the storm. Further, attacks with ranged weapons are made with disadvantage if the range is greater than 30 feet.
All terrain is considered difficult terrain during a storm (though difficult terrain does not become more difficult). Technically, the ground would not immediately become so muddy as to be an obstacle, but neither would it dry and become easily traversed instantly after the storm ends. Therefore, it is simply easier to state that the entire time-period of the storm causes difficult terrain and that the difficult terrain penalty ends as soon as the storm ends.
Special Note: Blue Dragon
The regional map of Spire Isle contains the lair of a young blue dragon near the lower-right corner. This hex area is perpetually under the effect of thunderstorms. These dark clouds hovering over an area of tall spires and mesa can be seen from a long distance away and all hexes bordering on the dragon's lair hex have a perpetual swirling, moderate wind that kicks up dust and debris.
As even a young dragon is beyond the abilities of a group of 4th level characters, this area of perpetual storm and wind should be described as particularly foreboding in order to discourage the players from actually approaching and entering the area. However, if they insist on doing so, all is not lost. Blue dragons are particularly fond of high-status minions and a group of adventurers may just qualify to be such minions (more details in the Blue Dragon section linked in the Table of Contents at right).
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