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Follow the Waystones

nd tier (
Challenge
DC
(3 hours)

Among the animal paths and other winding ways, there is a set of stones that have been carefully piled in a way that suggests purposeful arrangement. There is another off to one side, then another still! Waypoints through the jungle, though there is no telling yet what they could lead to.

Dense Canopy. The tree foliage vines, and foliage here are exceptionally thick. Adventurers using a fly speed treat this area as difficult terrain .

Alternate Trait: Dense Undergrowth. The bushes and other low-growing plants are exceptionally thick here, rendering it difficult terrain .

Forgotten Signposts. The stones are set up to lead towards or away from something in the jungle. Roll 1d4 to determine the destination or choose one. 1 — a cave by a waterfall, 2 — unstable ground; 3 — a place of worship, 4 — a magic-infused grove.

Mysterious Meaning. A Culture, History, or Insight check can be used to decipher the meaning of the waystones.

 

Possible Solutions

The party must make a group Survival check to follow the waystones, as they are mostly overgrown or broken. The challenge varies depending on the destination

Critical Failure. The party arrives at the intended destination, but there is a complication. 1 — the cave is home to an inhospitable cyclops , 2 — the party encounters the Sinkhole exploration challenge (see Trials & Treasures), 3 — the party has off ended the divine forces at the temple and each suffers a level of strife from the oppressive atmosphere, 4 — the magic of the grove has twisted into a vitality-sapping curse and each of the adventurers suffer a level of fatigue .

Failure. The party fails to follow the waystones, and loses 4 (2d4 – 1) hours finding their way back to the starting point.

Success. The party successfully follows the waystones with no ill-effects. 1 — the cave can serve as a haven , 2 — the uneven ground has cracked, revealing something interesting; roll on the Boons and Discoveries table, 3 — the party meets a friendly forgotten god of nature who grants them an item or discovery relevant to their quest; roll on the Boons and Discoveries table, 4 — the grove teems with life; all checks made to perform the Harvest or Hunt and Gather checks here are made with advantage and yield twice as many plants or Supply if successful.

Critical Success. As a success, but roll on the Boons and Discoveries table (potentially for a total of 2 times).


Leave it Be

The party can choose to ignore the waypoints entirely, earning no experience.