I've been doing some foundational work for what I am currently calling "The 4th Brother" to the three environmental books Sandstorm, Frostburn, and Stormwrack. It would be based on the swamps, and would contain pretty much everything the books did, but of course on a smaller scale, I am talking spells, feats, classes, monsters, rules for the environments, the works. This is rather large, and I am really busy these days, but I will work on it a little at a time, and eventually I will have everything I planned on in it.
Evidently, people are interested, so I will begin to post my stuff, starting right now with the Environment of the Swamp. This is just the beginning of what is to come.
Environmental Effects
Spoiler
Sulphur Gas- Many an adventurer has made an intrepid trip into the bogs or swamps of the world unprepared, and has tasted defeat at the hands of a simple gas, Sulphur Gas. Although it simply smells bad in small intervals, it smells sickeningly terrible when in large quantities. A character in Sulphur gas must make Constitution saves every 10 rounds or be Nauseated. The DC for those checks is 10+the number of saves succeeded so far.
Mucky Ground- Most swamps have ground that is half water and half dirt, resulting in a sticky, sloshy ground that is difficult to move in. As a result, characters traveling in Mucky Ground must move at half speed and make DC 10 Balance checks every 60 Ft. If a character fails that check, they fall prone and get mucky. Alternatively, a Character may attempt to move at standard speed through the ground, but must make a DC 15 check every 60 ft. A Character that is Running or Charging through Murky ground must make DC 20 Balance checks every 30 ft, making it nigh-impossible to move quickly on the Mucky Ground
Limited Visibility- As a result of the various gasses present in the swamp, as well as the humid air, it is extremely difficult to see in some areas. In areas of Limited Visibility, all sight types are limited to 20 ft, with illumination showing as bright lights up to 60 ft. away. In addition, Spot and Search checks take a -2 Penalty within the area's of the character's sight.
Flammable Gasses- Some gasses, like Methane (Fire-Gas) are produced in Swamps. In areas with Methane or other Flammable gasses, having a fire lit is a bad idea. When a fire is taken within 10 ft. of an area with Flammable Gasses, the flame starts to flicker, which requires a DC 10 Spot check to notice. Uncovered Fires, even those produced by magic, like the spell Fireball, but not Continual Flame, run a 100% chance of lighting the Methane, which causes a minor explosion, dealing 2d6 Fire damage to everything in the area where the Methane was. Covered Sources, like Lanterns, run a 25% chance of lighting the Methane every round spent in the area.
Acid Bog:
Acid bog has a faint green hue, making it difficult to notice except in good light. Spotting an acid bog bog before entering it requires a DC 20 Survival
check. If the moving creature succeeds on a DC 10 Survival check but not a DC 20 check, he notices that the square is with bog but does not identify it as acid bog.
Acid bog deals 1d6 points of acid damage per round of exposure, or 6d6 points of acid damage with total immersion. Most acid slush is about 1 foot in depth. It costs 2 squares of movement to move into a square with acid bog, and the DC of Balance and Tumble checks in such a square increase by 2. Acid bog imposes a –4 penalty on Move Silently checks.
It's likely that this would expose the person to disease as the acid burns through the skin pathogens enter unfettered.-Soxa
Haunted Wetlands - The foliage surrounding the swamp looks strangely hostile. Haunted wetlands feed on the fear of trespassers. Non-native creatures must make a Will save each round they are in the swamp (DC 5 + 1 per previous save). A failed save causes the entire swamp to be affected by an entangle spell, but only against that creature. All fey native to the swamp become aware when a creature fails its save, and they generally take the opportunity to attack.
The caster level of the spell is equal to 20 - the number of additional saves it took to fail. If the creature makes 21 saves in a row or fails a save, he can not be affected again for 24 hours. These are all fear effects.-flyingpoo22
Black Lagoon - The air is thick with fog and fumes, draining physical strength, making it hard to think straight, and causing breathing to be strained. Creatures in a black lagoon must make a Fortitude save every minute (DC 10 + 1 per previous save) or suffer 1 point of damage to all ability scores. In addition, save DCs made to avoid suffocation increase by +2 per previous save instead of +1. Most swamp creatures are immune to the effects of a black lagoon.-flyingpoo22
Feats
Spoiler
Noxious Spell [Metamagic]
Requirements: You must have spent at least one week in a Swamp, Fort Save +3,
Benefit: You can make your Evocation spells that require saves exceptionally smelly, imbibing them with the spirit of the Swamp. All Creatures that fail their save on the spell must make another save, this time Fortitude, at DC Caster Level+5 or be Nauseated for the number of rounds they failed their save. A Smelly Spell uses up a spell slot 1 higher then the normal spell.
Steady Stomach
Requirements: Great Fortitude
Benefit: You receive a +1 on all Fortitude Saves, as well as a +5 on Saves vs. Nauseation
Swampy Stomach
Requirements: 13 Constitution, Steady Stomach
Benefit: Your Bonus on Fortitude Saves from Steady Stomach increases to +3, and you gain immunity to Nauseation.
Swamp Traveler
Requirements: 13 Dexterity, 5 or more Ranks in Balance
Benefit: When traveling on Mucky Ground, you can move at Half-Speed without making Balance Checks, move at Full Speed by making DC 5 Balance checks every 60 ft., and you may Run or Charge by making DC 10 Balance Checks every 60 ft.
Normal: You must make Balance checks at more difficult DC's when traveling in Murky Ground (See above)
Swamp Eyes
Requirements: 15 Wisdom, 8 or more Ranks in Spot
Benefit: When in a Swamp, you can see out to 60 ft. clearly, and you can see Lights out to 120 ft. You can also distinguish Will-'o-wisps from normal light sources, and automatically notice the flickering fire when near Methane or other Flammable gasses.
Swamp-Fighting Feats by Caracol
Monsters
Spoiler
List of Swamp-Dwelling Monsters
Bog-Born Template and Bog-Born Young Black Dragon-Thelogman
The Lurkin-Caracol
Miresprite-Sanzh
Monsterous Crawfish-rtg0922
Eurypterid -Caracol
Red Predator-Caracol
Swamp Nymph-Caracol
Crawling Disease-Caracol
Mosquito Swarm-rtg0922
Swamp Dryad, Weeping Trent, Trent Tears
-Sir Shadow
Rot Slug, Rotten Infected, Rotten Reverent -Caracol
Neurotoad-rtg0922
Marshmind-Icewalker
Swamp Giant-Szilard
Vined Mouth-Szilard
Swamp Donkey-rtg0922
Stymphalian Bird-Kellus
Murk Golem-Icewalker
Mustakrakish-Caracol
Sloth Pits-Szilard
Rot Golem-Icewalker
Parchplant-Icewalker
Bandytwine-VT
Burl Tortoise -VT
Dampstrider (Half-way down page)
-VT
Damu Chura-VT
Danket-VT
Dire-Duck Billed Platypus -VT
Dripping Delugia
-VT
GeyserBelly -VT
Myconid, Deathcap-VT
Necrospede-VT
Torcrab
-VT
Disporgin-rtg0922
Mud Worm-Icewalker
Magic Eater Termites-Caracol
Assimilator Flies-DarkShard
Items
Spoiler
Lantern Cover
Cost: 5GP
Craft: 15
This round sheet of guass can be placed over the flame of any lantern. The lamp or lantern works normally however when exposed to flammable gas the flame will be subsumed by the guass. Causing the lamp to flicker (making the presence of gas immediately obvious) without causing an explosion.-Bisected8
Alchemical Cloth
Cost: 5sp
Craft: 5
This sheet of cloth may be wrapped around the face to act as a mask. When dampened the wearer may ignore the effects of sulfur gas for one hour as long as the cloth remains damp.-Bisected8
Swamp population have learned to use the sturdy platens of Eurypterids exoskeletron to make armors. A Eurypterid Armor is an exotic light armor made with the plates. It offers a good protection and is lighter than a normal armor.
An Eurypterid Armor suit can be crafted using at least 6 Small, 3 MEdium or 1 Large Eurypterid's bodies, not heavy damaged. You have to make a Craft (armor) check with a DC of 25 and spend 15 gold pieces of additional material components.
Eurypterid Armor (exotic light armor)
Cost: 150 gp
Armor Bonus: +4
Maximum Dex Bonus: +4
Armor Check Penality: -1
Arcane Spell Failure: 15%
Speed: 30 ft (M), 20 ft (S)
Weight: 20 lb-Caracol
Disinfectant Cream: This bottle of thick, odorous cream can be smeared in a light layer over a single medium creature's body. This process takes 3 minutes, and the disinfectant lasts for one hour. If submerged in water, the remaining time is cut in half. While smeared with Disinfectant Cream, the creature gains +3 on Fortitude saves vs. diseases contracted through injury, contact, or exposure.-Icewalker
Stamina Powder: This small capsule of powder can be ingested to affect one medium size creature. For one hour afterwards, the consumer of the powder gains a +3 bonus on Fortitude saves vs. diseases contracted through ingesting and inhaling.-Icewalker
For both Disinfectant Cream and Stamina Powder, it takes a 3x normal dose to cover a large creature. Not positive about other sizes, actually.
Disease Kit: This first aid box contains all that is needed to treat diseases. It has 3 bottles of Disinfectant Cream, 3 Stamina Powder capsules, and various herbal remedies, pure water, and bandages. Use of this kit allows a +2 circumstance bonus on Heal checks made to combat disease.-Icewalker
Cleanser
A single flask of this bright liquid is capable of clearing up to 30 liters of dark or torbid water, making it so limpid to make possible seeing ithrough it. Any bonus to Hide checks of creature or penality to Spot checks due to the dark water are to be considered no more. The water is just cleared, not purified: if it's not potable or infected remains in this state.
Cost: 120 gp. DC to Craft: 20.-Caracol
Drysalt
This crystaline substance is one of the most water-drying salts existing. A single flask is capable to absorb up to 10 liters of water. Every living creature in contanct to it must make a Fort Save DC 12 for every round of exposition or be dehydrated. Any plant exposed to it must make a Fort Save DC 15 or lose an HD for every round exposed. It takes a single flask to a Medium or smaller creature, 2 for a Large, 4 for a Huge creature, and so on.
Cost: 200 gp. DC to Craft: 25.-Caracol
Hive Bracers-Goats_o_Mjolnir
Weapons-Caracol
Compressed Swamp Gas-Shades of Gray
The Fungal Tome-Artifact-Caracol
Equipment of the Bog, Marshwood, Immune Supressing-rtg0922
Magic Weapon Abilities
Spoiler
Races
Diseases
Spoiler
Bog Rot: This usually appears on the feet, when travelers do not thoroughly dry off for long periods of time after initial exposure to the fetid waters of the swamp.
It reduces a creatures speed by 10 feet on every failed save. Once a creature's speed reaches 0 it begins doing 1d8 Con damage as the rot becomes gangrenous and septic. It takes 3 successful saves to shake off Bog Rot
Infection: Exposure
Incubation: 2d4 days
Save DC: 18
Damage: Special
The Flux: Spread through fouled water. This disease prevents the body from retaining water. Characters immediately begin to suffer from dehydration no matter how much water they drink. They can only recover from the dehydration once they completely shake the disease off.
Infection: Ingestion
Incubation: 1d4 days
Save DC: 17
Damage: 1d8 Str + 1d4 Con + Special
Lung Spore (aka Witch's Breath): Caused by fungal spores that enter the lungs, this fearsome disease rots a creature out from it's core until only a gruesome fungal bloom remains, churning out more toxic spores. Whenever a creature takes 4 or more constitution damage from the disease they immediately begin choking and can do nothing but hack and cough. A character must begin making Fort Saves DC 10+1 for each previous save. After making 3 successful saves in a row they can breath as normal again. On a natural 1 on one of these saves they begin suffocating.
Infection: Inhalation
Incubation: 3d6 hours
Save DC: 15
Damage: 1d4 Con + Special
Those may need some tooling...
Special Template to apply to diseases: Resistant.
The swamps and bogs are breeding grounds for new plagues and more fearsome versions of the old ones. With the selective pressure of healing magic, many diseases have evolved magic resistance.
To magically cure a resistant disease a character must make a caster level check vs. 10+the diseases save DC.
Hardier strains can have 15+the diseases save DC or more, while some of the most feared have a complete immunity to magic.
-Diseases by Sxoa
Classes
Spoiler
Base Classes:
Bog Substitution Levels for Barbarians, Bards, and Rogues-Thelogman
Marsh Ranger-Rizban
Prestige Classes:
Swampscale Paragon -rtg0922
Gnoll Champion-dyslexicfaser
Hermit-TheLogman
-Sxoa
Concocter-Icewalker
Voodoo Practitioner -rtg0922
Swamp Traveler
Spells
Spoiler
Psionics
Miscellaneous
Spoiler
Swamp Traps-Caracol
Craft (Folk Magic)-rtg0922
Classes in The Bog
Swamp Dieties
Swamp Domains-rtg0922