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I'll end the post here, though I feel like there's a ton I'm forgetting. I feel like I could keep going on about the possibilities of the green dragon and death knight as well as flavoring other monsters haha. If you notice something as far as information of a section type goes, let me know! I spent about 3 hours on this, so hopefully it looks alright and is as, if not more, informative that my NPC posts. Also let me know if the format should change! I wanted to do something different than the NPC posts, but I'm certainly open to changing things for the next posts.
The inner depths of the Dreadwood are a place where the planar bindings between the Material Plane and the Shadowfell wear thin. Undead creatures and villainous monsters that seek to tap into the shadowy power of that realm thrive deep in the forest. Its innermost reaches mingle with that dark realm, forming a warped mirror version of the Dreadwood that extends into that plane. If you couldn't tell from other posts, I enjoy inserting some good ol' horror into my games, so Granny Nightshade is rife with such opportunities. Gross and terrifying undead minions, remnants of recognizable past allies in new unread or monstrous forms, body horror, and nightmare-fuel fit great with a character like Nightshade!As with most random encounter tables, not all entries are meant to be enemies or combat encounters. The " elf veterans" of the Dreadwood encounter table are likely meant to be part of the elves that patrol the Outer Fringe. Adding a few scouts or spies (MM pg. 349) would make sense as well. The treants could be corrupted by the Dreadwood and pose a huge threat to a party, or they could be good-aligned that are simply protecting what they can or living in their home and avoiding conflict. Obviously a unicorn is meant to be a good creature, being a celestial, but Granny Nightshade's power is enough to certainly corrupt such a creature, posing an interesting threat and moral quandary for a party that comes across a corrupted unicorn. Her foremost minions are undead and skulks conjured from the reflections of soldiers and other creatures that defy her will, though many other creatures have come under her employ...willingly or not. Her prized possession is a Mirror of Life Trapping that holds some of her most impressive enemies from archfey to powerful fiends as well as the archmage Zenopus who tried to swindle power from her. The Dreadwood is the realm of the Nightshade Queen and she is a living nightmare for those that seek to lay claim to where she seeks to expand.
Thanks for reading, hope it helps, and let me know how you used Granny Nightshade in your game or ask any questions you may have! Cactus · Camo Cactus · Fire Cactus · Ice Cactus · Power Cactus · Future Cactus · Bandit Cactus · Citrus Cactus · Jade CactusIn the Dreaded Depths natural light is unknown. Each step a traveler takes when moving from the Middle Reaches toward the heart of the forest seems to dim the sun's light a little more until the forest's growth blots out the sky entirely. Sources of bright light shine out to only a 10-foot radius with any normal bright illumination beyond that reduced to dim light and dim light into darkness. Even Darkvision suffers, as it only functions out to 30 feet.
Scuttlers are the only Dread servant to not drop bones or Dread Shards; while the former can be explained by the fact that they are arthropods, there is a bit of confusion surrounding the latter. In addition to this, she leads a diverse array of undead servants and minions, all of which have unique features: If you’re planning to watch Deadwood, there’s some bad news: this brilliant show ended rather abruptly in its third season. The good news? In 2019, 13 years after the show ended, Deadwood: The Movie was released, and it offered a spectacular conclusion to the series.Giga Torchwood · Super Bean · Sunflower Queen · Big Stump · Marigold · Squash · Royal Hypno-Flower · Spooky Squash While most may equate mummies with Ancient Egypt, mummification can be found all over the world and provide great inspiration for different versions of the creature. For the Dreadwood I think bog bodies would be a great fit, and offer some unique and potentially terrifying encounters for a party not expecting such an encounter. On the other hand, in my world there are elves that willingly go through a ritual sacrifice of themselves to become a sort of benevolent, protective undead by casting their dying bodies into a ritually prepared peat bog, emerging after a time looking like a bog body. The mummies in the Dreadwood could be something like this, working alongside the wood elves rather than for Granny Nightshade.
It can be assumed that the Dreadwood wasn't always "the Dreadwood" before Granny Nightshade set up shop there. It could have always had a Shadowfell influence from the portals there, but perhaps the good elves and fey of the area kept it under control. Wander Root is also the ambassador for the good-aligned fey of the Dreadwood, so we know they do exist to some extent still. Ruined buildings, villages, and structures are likely remnants of these elven and fey settlements that you can have parties come across in their Dreadwood travels. Corrupted fey can be added as well, as well as humanoids that fell under her control or willingly joined, believing it to be a fruitless endeavor to resist her. Perhaps bandit gangs joined her because of this. According to maps of Oerth, where Saltmarsh and the Dreadwood are from, the Dreadwood is pretty massive. You can of course alter its size for your game, but keep in mind that the regional map in the book only shows a small portion, and just a bit of the Outer Fringe at that!Weed · Pumpkin Weed · Terracotta Weed · Leaf Shield Weed · Wood Shield Weed · Vase Weed · Porcelain Vase Weed · Heal Weed · Flag Weed · Dandelion Weed · Hypno-shroom Thralls are weak, slow-moving skeletons that serve as the Liches' most basic combat unit, and spawn from skeletons killed by the Liches. Thralls are only capable of slowly towards their targets and striking at them with the bones in their hands, dealing 1 heart (2 HP) of damage with each strike; occasionally, they may wield broken swords, allowing them to deal 3 hearts (6 HP) of damage. Unlike regular skeletons, Thralls will not burn up when exposed to sunlight. Thanks for reading, hope it helps, and let me know how you used the Dreadwood in your game or ask any questions you may have!
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