Hexplorations: Fort/Stronghold

Our 4th Hexploration helps you brainstorm a fort or stronghold: Why is it there? How old is it and what is the condition? How large are the forces there?  What secret does it have?

To use this chart simply roll for each column or look at the options for inspiration or use a combination of the two approaches. For example, you may roll 4-2-6-1-2 resulting in an old but fully restored fort that is defensive and overlooks a river. It has an unusual group of creatures or soldiers (griffons & riders for example) and we have to roll again so perhaps we get a 2 resulting in there only being 1 officer and minimal staff.  We’ll come back to this. It is just a square wooden palisades around several wood buildings. The secret is it has a key leader who is a spy.

So we throw that into the brainstorm hopper and think about why there are so few people at the fort, but some griffons & riders.  Well, what if the spy sent out most of the forces on a suicide mission? The spy, one other officer and a few support staff were left behind.  But the officers on the suicide mission realized what happened when they were ambushed (perhaps they had some suspicions already) so they sent a rider or a magical message to get reinforcements to the fort as soon as possible. A group of griffon riders and their mounts have just arrived and more regular cavalry is a day or two behind them.  That’s the situation the PCs walk into! Just from a chart, some random rolls, and trying to rationalize the results in a fantasy setting. Have fun!