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25 Witch’s Swamp Adventure Seeds
We have yet another set of Adventure Seeds here today! It’s time to get spooky as we head into a Witch’s Swamp, where all kinds of creepy stuff happens.
I got off to a slow start with this set, but eventually found a good stride coming up with ideas. We see a few variations of common themes but also some original ideas as well for good measure and to surprise your players with. And a lot of these work in a swamp or a spooky forest, so feel free to place them where you see fit!
Some quick assumptions about the swamp that I had in mind, but as always they can be easily changed:
- The swamp has a decent amount of trees that block vision,
- A lot of the ground is a bog that makes running difficult,
- A town or village is close by, either on the edge of the swamp or a short distance from it,
- People tend to stay away unless they have to travel, hunt, or some other necessary task.
And now here are the adventure seeds:
- A legend around town speaks of a girl who traveled alone into the swamp and drowned in a lake. Now she pulls those who wander too close to that same lake in with her.
- There have been reports of charred, walking trees after a recent fire in the swamp. Supposedly the embers still burn within their bark and they hurl flame at those they find.
- A couple of local hunters and their hound went missing in the swamp. When a search party was sent after them, all that was found were the hunters’ boots and the hound’s collar in front of a large tree.
- Laughing can be heard throughout the swamp at all times, and it only gets louder when someone tries to run away from it. Last week someone started laughing uncontrollably with it and had to be dragged out of the swamp so they could regain composure.
- Camouflaged goblins native to the swamp use guerilla warfare and nets to capture those who wander in. They then sell them to a witch who lives there, but no one knows what for.
- Children keep mentioning being able to hear lullabies coming from the swamp but no adult can hear them. A few children went in the explore and one of them has gone missing as a result.
- An older merchant was seen entering the swamp and passing through a boulder as if it were not there. When others tried to follow suit they were blocked by the boulder itself.
- A caravan has been moving through the swamp, and every night someone disappears. They finally made it out having lost a dozen people, and there is no trace of their existence anywhere.
- A tribe of frog-like people try to sell their wares along the edge of the swamp, but attack and rob anyone who won’t partake in buying from them.
- A local woodsman found a sunken chest covered in muck in the swamp, and besides a few coins he found a silver ring and put it on and now claims that he is hearing voices. No one seems to be able to take the ring off and he is contemplating cutting off his finger.
- Dark scaled lizardfolk carry around witches on palanquins as they cast spells turning critters into monsters, who then in turn leave the forest looking for a meal. Why are the lizardfolk serving those who pervert their swamp?
- Deep in the swamp is a soothsayer of old.She’ll tell your future, but in exchange you must agree to take on part of her curse of bad luck.
- A keep has surfaced through the marsh, half risen up through the mud and still partially underground. No one has dared explore, but cackling and screaming comes from inside.
- The shadows in the swamp don’t always follow the sun, moving on their own accord. Some claim to have seen the shadows take humanoid shape and flee.
- After some ancient dragon bones were uncovered, a coven of hags have been seen in the midst of a ritual. They’ve been at it nonstop for three days and the locals are worried they might be trying to revive the horrible creature.
- Many years ago a butcher was found to have been killing people in his shop and left in the dead of night. Recently people have claimed to see him standing in the treeline, covered in his bloody butcher gear, but only for a moment before he disappears.
- A tribe of trolls native to the swamp have left, citing being enlightened by the swamp goddess for their change of temperament. That’s great for the locals, but now rumors abound on who or what this swamp goddess is.
- Rapidly, spiderwebs have begun to cover every inch of the swamp. Spiders, half-spiders, and mutated spider humanoids have been seen on the outskirts, dragging in bodies covered in spider silk.
- Travelers in the swamp have to be careful of the green mud, otherwise it climbs and grows quickly until it encloses their entire body. After an hour they begin moving again, but now as some kind of mud golem.
- Elves who enter the swamp say they can see ghosts, but it seems no one else can. Just yesterday an elf was acting strange and later claimed he felt like he wasn’t in control of his own body.
- Skull shaped clouds rise from the center of the swamp where a witch supposedly lives. When it reached the town it started to rain down green, poisoned water killing flora and fauna who drank it.
- Poorly made signs fill the swamp warning people to stay away. Curiously, a cave with the supplies for these signs was found but no one has returned to it in a few days.
- Animals have been coming out of the swamp mutated recently, including snakes with wings, frogs with scorpion tails, and eight-legged wolves. Aside from freaking out the townsfolk they are also hyper aggressive and need to be dealt with.
- A witch doctor needs an herb deep inside the swamp to heal their tribe’s warriors who have become sick. This herb is in a small grove where dryads won’t let trespassers in unless they can prove they are kind to nature.
- A variety of fungi have been growing all over the swamp, including some who can move around on their own. Those that can move have been attempting to bring travelers to a patch of other fungi whose spores put creatures to sleep.
As always, please let us know what type of adventure seeds you’d like to see next!
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