Heart racing and muscles burning, Hagan sprinted He heard them, a pair, their breathing low, their

through the twisting trees of the Rotwald Forest. His steps with purpose.
body screamed at him to stop, but his mind knew that Long shadows stretched over the ditch. They loomed
with relief would soon come death. over his hiding spot like a grim spectre. He sent out
Why had he not heeded his mother’s warnings? another prayer, begging Saint Gromund for aid.
‘Hagan,’ she had said, love and fear for its loss in her The shadows took form. They were the shadows of
eyes. ‘The forest is no place for any man. It is for not two: a man and a woman; human. He was saved!
but the darkest witch and the most foul of beasts.’ *twang*
Why had he let that fool Etzel drag him here? He A jolt of agonising pain hit him, shooting through
knew all the stories. This place was but an open grave him like venom. A long wooden bolt pierced through
for fools . his leg, shattering the bone like glass and pinning
Fools like him. him to the earth.
He had heard Etzel’s cries as they pounced on top of The figures hoped down from above, the man with
him. He screamed, desperate for help, desperate for his crossbow, his grease-darkened blonde hair
his life. He pleaded for their mercy. plastered to his face with grime. The woman hefted a
As if a beast could be reasoned with. dull axe, her face awash in fresh blood: Etzel’s blood.
He could hear Etzel’s cries no longer, only the Hagan screamed, desperate for help, desperate for
pounding of his chest and the haggard breaths he his life. He pleaded for their mercy.
drew. He looked back and he saw nothing. They had As if a beast could be reasoned with.”
not followed.
Hagan whispered a silent prayer of thanks to Saint
Gromund, before slowing to a stop. He leant on a
nearby oak, panting like a dog. Never before had he
run quite so far or so fast in his life. He didn’t dare
go back the way he’d come. He’d have to head west,
across the rapids of the Wantier River. Dangerous,
maybe even deadly, but better than whatever had torn
Etzel apart.
*snap*
Chest pounding once more, Hagan dived over a
nearby ditch, crawling his way beneath the roots of
the oak.

4
Rotwald
Domain of the Hunters and the Hunted
Darklord: Hans & Margrit Jager
Genre: Gothic horror and slasher horror
Mist Talismans: A runed monster tooth,
Silvered weaponry emblazoned with the
Eastward Arrows’ symbol
Rotwald is a realm of disparity. To the west,
quaint villages of survivors live simple, peaceful
lives by day, and huddle together by the fire at
night. To the east, shadows curl beneath ancient,
gnarling trees, obscuring the horrors of the
night.
Among the darkest canopies lurk the cruelest
of Rotwald’s monsters, the hunters Hans and
Margrit Jager. The twins wander the most
shadowy corners of Rotwald, butchering monster
and man alike. Their presence traps themselves
and all of Rotwald in a never ending hunt.
The Land
Rotwald is a small domain, boxed in by the Cage,
a mountain range that surrounds the domain on
all but its westernmost border. The domain is
cleanly separated into two halves by the Wantier
River, a fast-moving river filled with many
rapids, restricting traversal between the northern
and southern reaches of the land to a handful of
small bridges. The river pools from its
mountain-top sources into Lake Tranen,
providing a clean source of water for its people.
The domain is further subdivided again on the
east-west line, with the western Valley of the
Unscarred acting as a relatively-safe home for the
domain’s people, whilst an enormous, monster-
infested forest dominates the western regions of
Rotwald. The land and the forest within it share
the name, yet nobody alive can say whether the
forest was named for the land it presided in, or if
the land was named after the dark forest that
dominates it.
In the northern reaches of Rotwald, a smaller
woodland presides – the White Wood. This is
largely where the people of the realm gather
their wood, for few would dare set foot in the
dark canopies of the Rotwald Forest.
The climate in Rotwald is mostly temperate,
with warm summers, mild springs, and cool
autumns. However, when winter sets in, a biting
frost takes hold of the realm for some months,
with temperatures rarely exceeding freezing for
more than an hour each day. The people are sure
to always stay well-prepared for the winter, but
there’s a saying that “if you think the winter
kind, she’s yet to show you her fangs.”
5
Settlements of Rotwald
There are three settlements in Rotwald, all
located within the Valley of the Unscarred. Few
dare to set up a place of rest outside the safe
walls of the realm’s towns and villages; homes,
hovels, or even a simple rest stop is uncommon
outside of the settlements, as being even a few
miles from town leaves you vulnerable to attack
from a roaming monster.
Rollendorf
Nestled on the southern bank of the River
Wantier, Rollendorf is a simple fishing village of
around 500 people. Unlike its contemporaries,
the village holds no official burgomaster and lies
under the control of Zhaus, of whom the
burgomaster there largely ignores little
Rollendorf. A young shipwright, Eric
Schiffbauer, seeks to become the town’s leader,
so as to better protect his people from the
monsters that roam from Rotwald Forest.
Südstein
A small town tucked up in the hills of southern
Rotwald, Südstein is home to some 1,000 folk,
most of whom earn their keep in the various
quarries and salt mines that have sprung up all
around the town, harvesting and carving sturdy
stone blocks for building homes all across
Rotwald. The town burgomaster, Walburga
Falke, is an aging woman who’s controlled the
town for forty years. She is currently locked in a
power struggle with the owner of the local
quarries, Ulrich Steinhauer. The man threatens
to wrest control of the town away from her.
Zhaus
The largest settlement in Rotwald, housing just
under 2,000 residents, Zhaus is a town of loggers,
farmers, fishers, and woodworkers. Led by
Burgomaster Horst Axtberne, a man who
controls much of the town’s logging industry,
Zhaus faces a plight. The loggers have heavily
depleted the supply of trees in the nearby White
Wood, resulting in a shortage all across the
realm. The loggers refuse to venture anywhere
close to the Rotwald Forest, but the burgomaster
may soon have to force them to face its dangers
for the sake of the town’s winter supplies.
Defended by high stone walls imported from
Südstein and a force of guards known as the
Eastward Arrows, Zhaus is the most well-
defended settlement in Rotwald, largely down to
its close proximity to the monster-infested
Rotwald Forest, just over the river to the east.
6
Points of Interest Amongst its outskirts, the Weeping Woman
Characters may come across some of the (see “The Folk”) can sometimes be spied on
following locales whilst exploring Rotwald. before she vanishes into the ether.

Hunter’s Rest Spawning Pit

The resting place of the Jager Twins sits upon a A cavern tucked into the base of the Cage in the
cliff in the northeastern reaches of the Cage. The easternmost reaches of Rotwald, the Spawning
twins spend little time here, favoring their Pit is a well of evil created by the Dark Powers
endless hunt in the forest below. However, they that forges terrible monsters and curses to ensure
return to this place after sustaining injury, that the twins’ work is never finished. Most do
postponing their quest of slaughter and leaving not know of its existence, but some tell tales of “a
the towns of the valley undefended for months, pit so deep and dark that it reaches down to hell.”
or even years. The Dangers
The cavern itself is laden with a hundred
trophies from every hateful creature one can face The Valley of the Unscarred in western Rotwald
in Rotwald Forest. Whilst the twins are not is a relatively peaceful place. Beyond
present, it is a macabre yet safe place that environmental hazards, such as the rapids of the
monsters dare not tread. Wantier River, anything beyond a territorial
beast is uncommon.
Mysterious Home Eastern Rotwald, however, lies in stark
On the southern bank of Lake Tranen, in an contrast. Dark canopies stretch for miles,
uncharacteristic break in the Rotwald Forest, sits covering shadowed clearings teeming with all
a small cottage. Flowers sit in a small garden, manner of horrifying monsters, spawned by
whilst animal pelts dry on racks, half-turned to Rotwald itself.
tough, workable leather. This is the Jager family
home, brought to Rotwald and locked in time
forever by the Dark Powers. It is a peaceful place Monsters of Rotwald
and one the twins dare not approach. Even the Monster CR Environment
sight of its walls, or the scent of its garden Twig blight 1/8 Rotwald Forest
flowers fills them with a long-lost flood of Needle blight 1/4 Rotwald Forest
emotions: rage, sorrow, and a rising dread that Cockatrice 1/2 Rotwald Forest
all is not right. Vine blight 1/2 Rotwald Forest
Harpy 1 The Cage
Nordsilber Mine Specter 1 Rotwald Forest
Situated at the northeastern base of the Cage, Rotwald Forest, The
MeenlockVGM 2
Nordsilber Mine is an important backbone of Cage
Rotwald. Owned by a coalition of former Rotwald Forest, The
Peryton 2
workers that lead democratically with their Cage
Lake Tranen, Wantier
fellow employees, the mine provides the realm Sea hag 2 River
with its much-needed silver. Shadow mastiff VGM 2 Rotwald Forest
The vast majority of the domain’s currency are Will-o’-wisp 2 Rotwald Forest
silver coins minted in Zhaus, bearing a The Cage, Wantier
traditional Rotwald communal home on one face Basilisk 3 River
and a foreboding treeline on the other. Green hag 3 Rotwald Forest
Additionally, most bladesmiths and arrowsmiths Rotwald Forest, The
work closely with Nordsilber, all to be sure the Manticore 3 Cage
defenders of Rotwald have all the silvered Rotwald Forest, The
Werewolf 3
weaponry they could need to fight the horrors of Cage
the night. Ghost 4 Rotwald Forest
Rotwald Forest, The
Ruins of Dreilicht Living curse (see chapter 3) 4 Cage, Spawning Pit
In the southern reaches of the Rotwald Forest, Yeth hound VGM 4 Rotwald Forest
the village that birthed this realm lies in ruins. Shambling mound 5 Rotwald Forest
Dilapidated homes sag into the earth, overcome Wraith 5 Rotwald Forest
by foliage, whilst stained skeletons, aged and Annis hag VGM 6 The Cage
broken, lie amongst fields of flowers. The Chimera 6 The Cage
blessings of the White Witches still lie over Gallows speaker VRGR 6 Rotwald Forest
Dreilicht, blessing the land with a bountiful Corpse flower MTF 8 Rotwald Forest
fertility. No monster of Rotwald dares tread here Lake Tranen, Wantier
Hydra 8
and thus the twins rarely come near, making it River
the only safe place in the entire forest. Roc 11 The Cage

7
 The vast majority of monsters in Rotwald
Forest are monstrosities, but fey, plants, and
incorporeal undead, are not uncommon.
The most common monsters to find in the
forest and its surrounding areas are as follows:
In various locations, one can expect to find any
number of beasts, such as: wolves, bears, elks,
boars, etc.. Those of the Rotwald Forest are
especially aggressive and are often of the “giant”
variety.
The Folk
The people of Rotwald, the Gromanites, are
humans, all supposedly descended from Saint
Gromund the Green-Handed.
The Culture
Despite their dour circumstances, the people of
Rotwald are a surprisingly cheerful and
welcoming folk, accepting of any who would
enter their fold. Most gladly accept travellers,
reacting with a wondrous fascination to
creatures of other species, none of which any
Gromanite will likely have ever seen before. The
Gromanites of Rotwald have a great many
sayings, but their most common lends truth to
their hospitable nature: “A man who knocks at
your front door is a friend to be made, but a man
who scorns your welcome is a monster who hides
their claws.”
However, most Gormanites are a deeply
superstitious people, favoring all manner of
precautions to keep the monsters of the Rotwald
Forest at bay. Most smear the forehead of their
guests with saltwater, just to be sure that they are
not “monsters in disguise.”
The Gromanites are, quite justifiably, terrified
of the dark Rotwald Forest that covers the
eastern reaches of the domain. They fear the
threat that the beasts and curses in the forest
pose to the people. All but the most foolish won’t
8
dare tread within a mile of the forest’s edge, and
those that do venture within often return with
tales of desperate survival, or never return at all.
This fear supposedly stems from the Mission of
Saint Gromund, in which their ancestor,
Gromund, a humble woodcutter, had thirty sons
and thirty daughters, all of whom were taken by
a pair of terrible monsters in Rotwald Forest.
Gromund battled the monsters, staining his
hands green with their foul blood, buying his
children just enough time to escape, whereupon
they separated, scattering to all corners of
Rotwald, eventually founding the Gromanite
people.
This ancient legend has spawned a small church
that persists across Rotwald, the Church of Saint
Gromund, who promote the ideals of family,
community, acceptance, and protection of the
innocent.
Life in Rotwald
The people of Rotwald live simple, honest lives.
The most common lines of work differ from
place to place, but woodcutting, masonry, salt or
silver mining, fishing, and sheepherding are the
most profitable for those with the tenacity to
perform them. Most businesses are owned by the
individual, who employ those looking for an
honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work.
Traditional marriage and union is a foreign
concept in Rotwald. Stemming from Saint
Gromund, most homes are large, communal
buildings, housing a half-dozen people, each with
an assortment of children. It is common for any
adult in Rotwald to have many children with
many different partners. “My family is who sits
with me by the fire,” they say.
Food wise, there is little variety in the Rotwald
diet. They eat what they need to stay healthy, and
there is little opportunity for deviation from the
norm. River fish, mutton, grains, and root
vegetables make up much of their comestibles,
but their pastries are of fine make and flavor.
Personalities of Note
These are the most notable individuals one can
find in Rotwald.
Eric Schiffbauer
NG human commoner, he/him
A well-respected shipwright from the village of
Rollendorf, Eric is a young man seeking to
establish his village’s independence from Zhaus
by declaring himself burgomaster. He has a good
portion of the town’s support, but convincing
Horst Axtberne and the people of Zhaus to allow
it will be challenging. Eric is a well-spoken,
polite man, wise beyond his years.
Geld Pfeilmacher
LG human hunter (see chapter 3), they/them
Leader of the Eastward Arrows in Zhaus, Geld is
a competent ranger and fletcher who can boast a
feat most wouldn’t dare. They have travelled
much of the Rotwald Forest, hunting all manner
of terrible beasts. They keep a quiver of silver
arrows and a belt of silver daggers on them at all
times, always ready for a monster to leap out at
them. Geld is of few words, generally only
speaking when spoken to, but is otherwise an
affable fellow. Due to their abilities as a ranger,
they are capable of magic. This is public
knowledge, making Geld one of the only
magically-gifted individuals to be accepted in
Rotwald.
Heidi Grün
NG human acolyte, she/her
High Priestess of the Church of Saint Gromund
(a title she despises), Heidi is a woman nearing
her thirties who acts as a spiritual leader of the
people of Zhaus, maintaining the faith’s only
permanent church, and being one of the few
individuals in Rotwald that is both capable of
magic and is not shunned for it (see “The Law”).
She has a small group of travelling priests that
spread the faith and maintain small shrines
across the other towns and villages. Heidi herself
is a large, commanding woman with a big heart.
Horst Axtberne
LN human noble, he/him
The middle-aged Burgomaster of Zhaus, Horst is
arguably the most influential man in Rotwald
and controls a good portion of Zhaus’ lumber
industry. He is a good-natured but somewhat
shortsighted man.
9
Ulrich Steinhauer
NE human noble, he/him
Ulrich is the owner of many of the quarries in
Südstein and is the richest man in all of Rotwald.
He lives in a great stone manor atop a hill that
overlooks the town, plotting to overtake the
burgomaster and claim the title for himself. He
claims to have the “best interests of the people” at
heart, but ultimately is just looking for a way to
exploit them for his own personal gain.
Walburga Falke
LG human noble, she/her
Burgomaster of Südstein and one of the eldest
women in Rotwald, Walburga is a stern but
good-natured woman who has held her position
for forty years. She leads Südstein with a gentle
hand, one she wishes she had clenched years
earlier to quell the rise of her rival, Ulrich
Steinhauer.
The Weeping Woman
NG human ghost, she/her
A legend of the people of Rotwald, the Weeping
Woman was supposedly a young maiden
butchered by two terrible demons, her spirit left
to wander the Rotwald Forest, wailing into the
night. In reality, she is one of the three White
Witches killed by the Jager twins in the act that
sealed Rotwald away in Ravenloft. She weeps
eternally for the souls of those forever-trapped in
Rotwald. She will likely flee if approached.
The Law
Two burgomasters hold control over the
settlements of Rotwald, acting both as mayor and
judge in civil disputes in their respective
domains. The law is handled professionally by
the burgomaster, but with significant input from
advisors and local leaders. The title is passed to a
child of the burgomaster, traditionally their
eldest, but they may choose another if the eldest
has fallen from favour, does not wish for the
position, or would be otherwise unsuitable.
The burgomasters of Südstein and Zhaus are
allied, but do not communicate frequently.
However, in times of need, one will come to the
aid of the other.
The burgomaster of Zhaus employs the only
militia in the realm: the Eastward Arrows.
Largely tasked with defense of Zhaus, they
occasionally act as a police force if necessary,
though it is uncommon to see. The Arrows
rarely travel to the other towns, for fear of
leaving Zhaus unprotected. Tension arises
between Zhaus and the other towns when they
suffer at the hands of monsters from the Rotwald
Forest, only to receive no aid from the de facto
“capital” of the realm.
 The Eastward Arrows are a force of around
fifty decently-trained soldiers, consisting largely
of guards with a Dexterity of 14 (+2) and armed
with longbows. Their highest members are
archers VGM.
Magic, whilst not illegal, is heavily frowned
upon in Rotwald. Many see it as a dark art that
stems from the woodlands of the Rotwald Forest.
The divine magic of clerics and paladins are
accepted, as is the naturally-divined magic of
rangers, but most other forms of magic are
shunned as terrible witchcraft, practiced only by
the most depraved hags of the Rotwald Forest.
Hans & Margrit Jager
Two Darklords hold dominion over Rotwald:
Hans and Margrit Jager, the mad monster-
hunting twins. They wander the Rotwald Forest
on an endless hunt, fuelled by revenge and
bloodlust.
Johannes Jager (or “Hans” as his sister calls
him), is a man in his early thirties with long
blonde hair, darkened with grime and plastered
to his face. His green eyes pierce out from behind
the matted mass of oily hair. He stands six feet
tall with an athletic build.
Hans speaks little, favouring a single grunt of
varying pitch to convey his messages. The only
sound he makes in any consistency is a quiet
chuckle right before a kill. This is the only time
he can be seen smiling.
Margrit is much like her brother in appearance,
but her equally-greasy hair is pulled back into a
tight, matted braid, whilst one of her eyes is
marked by a scar, clouding the pupil. Her pale
skin is rarely unmarked by a blend of mud and
blood. She stands taller than her brother by
three-to-four inches and is of a far broader, more
muscular build.
Unlike her brother, Margrit talks often,
goading her foes with visceral descriptions of
their impending demise, whether they can
understand her or not. In the heat of battle, her
brash taunting often turns to a roar of rage and
hatred. She is rarely without a wicked grin.
Background
Hans and Margrit were born to a poor family of
hunters on the edge of a failing forest. They
found little in a dying woodland and rarely had
anything to eat for themselves, let alone sell.
When a coven of witches and their horde of
monsters took root in the forest, the Jager family
were the first to be slaughtered. Hans and
Margrit barely escaped with their lives, watching
their parents being torn apart by bloodthirsty
beasts.
They lived as orphans, wandering from town
to town, using their hunting talents to earn a
meagre living.
10
Once of age, they ventured back to their home,
weapons in hand, and fought the coven. Their
battles waged for weeks and only when the forest
burned did the twins emerge victorious.
From there, they wandered further, butchering
each and every monster they found, earning a
fortune in the process. For ten years they bathed
in the blood of their enemies, feeling no relief
from their vengeance and fuelled by one mantra.
“All monsters must die.”
On one dark night, the twins walked into
Dreilicht, caked in the blood of their recent hunt.
The villagers feared them at first, but after
hearing of their grim work, granted them free
rest and drink, for they lived in an accursed
wood. The villagers made mention of their
protectors, the White Witches, kindly occultists
who made their home in the forest, blessing the
very soil to ward away the beasts that would steal
their children in the night.
Disgusted at the thought of a coven of witches
invading the village, the twins ventured out with
haste, hiding their intentions from the villagers.
The White Witches were a kindly coven of
impossibly beautiful women, perceived as a guise
not unlike that of many hags the twins had seen
before. The Witches tried to defend themselves,
but the twins cut them down with ease.
The Mists of Ravenloft watched in
anticipation.
As they stepped back into the village, the
people knew what they had done. Bathed in the
gleaming silver blood of the White Witches, the
villagers screamed and wept in sorrow. A mob
formed around the twins, calling for their heads,
for they had doomed the town and butchered
kindly souls.
Had the twins done this years ago, they would
have felt shame for what they had done. The
witches were good and their magic was kind.
Even in their heinous act they had known there
were no glamors concealing a horrid hag, and no
terrible curse disguised as protection. They
would have wandered on, perhaps even hung up
their blades.
But they were too far gone. They saw the
Witch’s magic far too deeply ingrained in these
people and drew their weapons.
Within ten minutes, there was not a soul alive
in Dreilicht. The twins had massacred with glee,
becoming the worst beasts of all.
Soon, the forest and its surrounding lands were
swept away in the Mists, entrapping the twins
forever.
Hans & Margrit’s Torment
The twins are monster hunters that have become
far worse than any beast they have ever hunted.
The following mar their thoughts and beings:
• Whilst they’re too far gone to even realise it, the
twins are hunters that have turned into monsters
 far worse than anything they could ever hope to
hunt.
• The hunt never ends. The twins no longer need
rest, but are desperate to find it.
• Visages of their past have been called into
Rotwald with them. Even their mere mention
brings back agonising memories and moments of
clarity as they slowly understand that all is not
right.
Current Sketch
Nobody in Rotwald knows of Hans or Margrit,
not at least by name. Hundreds of legends tell
tales of horrific monstrosities in the Rotwald
Forest, many are unknowingly stories of Hans
and Margrit. On the other hand, the twins are
vaguely aware of the villages that reside in the
Valley of the Unscarred and largely ignore them.
Their business lies in hunting the monsters that
lurk in the darkness of the forest. However, on
rare occasions, they have passed through Zhaus,
seeking smiths to mend their aging weapons.
The twins wander the woods on an endless
hunt. The Dark Powers have rendered them
inhumanly powerful, with magical resilience and
regenerative flesh. They need not eat, drink, or
sleep, for only death will satiate their unending
hunger.
Both of the twins are so blinded by their
decades of hunting that they struggle to separate
man from beast. The cracking of a stick is
enough to send them in a killing frenzy,
unknowing, or perhaps even uncaring whether
the “beast” they slaughter begs for its life in a
mortal tongue.
Their hunts have proven so prolific that they
once murdered every beast and monster in the
forest, staining the Wantier River red for seven
days and seven nights.
From this, the Dark Powers forged the
Spawning Pit, a well of terrible evil that births an
endless horde of nightmares, making sure that
the twins’ hunt never ends.
11
Closing the Borders
Whilst the twins have no knowledge of their fate
(and perhaps have no desire to find out), they
understand a change in their power. If they wish
for it, they can block the exits of their domain by
summoning the Mists of Ravenloft. Any creature
that steps into the Mists inevitably arrives in a
random location within the Rotwald Forest after
some hours, suffering two levels of exhaustion,
rendering them ripe for an easy hunt.
Roleplaying Hans and Margrit
Hans is a cruel and calculating man that takes
little joy in anything. He speaks little and cares
for nothing but his sister.
On the other hand, Margrit is a loud,
boisterous woman with a depraved love for
blood, gore, and the suffering of others. She
shouts, screams, and roars like an animal, smiling
with glee all the way.
Personality Trait. “We are the only sane ones left in
the world, everything else must die.”
Ideal. “They took our lives from us. We will take
theirs as payment.”
Bond. “Only when no monsters remain is our work
complete.”
Flaw. “We’ve spent so many years bathed in blood
that our eyes cannot see friend from foe.”
Hans Jager Spellcasting. Hans is a 9th-level spellcaster. His
spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to
Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil hit with spell attacks). Hans knows the following
ranger spells:
Armor Class 17 (studded leather)
Hit Points 127 (15d8 + 80) 1st level (4 slots): absorb elementsXGE, cure wounds,
Speed 30 ft. detect magic, ensnaring strike, hail of thorns,
snare XGE
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 2nd level (3 slots): cordon of arrows, locate animals or
14 (+2) 20 (+5) 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) plants, pass without trace, silence
3rd level (2 slots): elemental weapon, revivify
Saving Throws Str +6, Dex +9
Skills Athletics +6, Intimidation +8, Nature +4, Supernatural Nature. Hans doesn't require food,
Perception +7, Stealth +9, Survival +7 drink, or sleep.
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and Vanish. Hans can take the Hide action as a bonus
slashing from nonmagical attacks action.
Condition Immunities exhaustion
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17 ACTIONS
Languages Common Multiattack. Hans makes three attacks.
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Proficiency +4
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit,
Special Equipment. Hans carries forty silvered range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) piercing
crossbow bolts and six silver daggers. damage.

Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If Hans fails a saving
throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Hans has advantage on saving
throws against spells and other magical effects.
Predator's Mark (3/Day). As a bonus action, Hans
marks a creature that he can see for death. The mark
persists until Hans marks another creature with this
trait. Hans gains advantage on ability checks made to
track a marked creature and adds 3 (1d6) to weapon
damage rolls made against them.
Regeneration. Hans regains 10 hit points at the start of
his turn if he has at least 1 hit point.
Silver Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to
hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4
+ 5) piercing damage.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Hans can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the
options below. Only one legendary action can be used
at a time and only at the end of another creature's
turn. Margrit regains spent legendary actions at the
start of her turn.
Attack. Hans makes a weapon attack.
Skulk. Hans takes the Hide action, then moves up to
half his speed without provoking opportunity

Margrit Jager Regeneration. Margrit regains 10 hit points at the

Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil
Armor Class 17 (studded leather, shield)
Hit Points 170 (20d8 + 80)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS
20 (+5) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Str +9, Dex +7
Skills Athletics +9, Intimidation +8, Nature +4,
Perception +7, Stealth +7, Survival +7
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and
slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities exhaustion
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Common
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Proficiency +4
Special Equipment. Margrit carries twenty silvered
crossbow bolts and six silver daggers.
Hateful Blade. Whenever a creature deals damage to
Margrit, she scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20
against that creature and gains advantage on all
weapon attacks made against that creature until the
end of her next turn.
Hunter's Pace. Margrit can take the Dash action as a
bonus action.
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If Margrit fails a
saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Margrit has advantage on saving
throws against spells and other magical effects.
start of her turn if she has at least 1 hit point.
Spellcasting. Margrit is a 9th-level spellcaster. Her
spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to
hit with spell attacks). Margrit knows the following
ranger spells:
1st level (4 slots): absorb elementsXGE, detect magic,
CHA ensnaring strike, searing smite, zephyr strike XGE
10 (+0) 2nd level (3 slots): find traps, protection from poison
3rd level (2 slots): elemental weapon
Supernatural Nature. Margrit doesn't require food,
drink, or sleep.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Margrit makes three attacks.
Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) slashing damage, or 10 (1d10
+ 5) slashing damage if used with two hands.
Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit,
range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing
damage.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Margrit can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from
the options below. Only one legendary action can be
used at a time and only at the end of another
creature's turn. Margrit regains spent legendary
actions at the start of her turn.
Attack. Margrit makes a weapon attack.
Move. Margrit moves up to her speed without
provoking opportunity attacks.
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Adventures in Rotwald
Rotwald is a domain of the hunters and the
hunted, alongside the struggle between the
relatively peaceful Valley of the Unscarred to the
east and the monster-infested Rotwald Forest to
the west. The people must fight for survival
when the chips are down and the players should
be made to feel the same.
Rotwald is also a land that shuns arcane magic,
particularly those of a sorcerer, wizard, and
especially a warlock. Be sure to convey this to
your players so that they don’t get themselves
chased out of Zhaus within their first hour for
casting prestidigitation.
Druids and bards are deeply mistrusted, but are
unlikely to be chased out of town, rendering
clerics, paladins, and rangers the only accepted
magical practitioners. An artificer that makes any
effort to conceal their magic as purely mechanics
are unlikely to be foiled, but should they be
perceived as magicians, they are treated as
harshly as any sorcerer or wizard.
Native Characters
For players looking to create a character from
Rotwald, note that humans are the only ancestry
that currently exists in Rotwald. However, it is
not implausible for an aasimar of Saint Gromund
to originate in Rotwald.
Additionally, for class options, consider the
following for characters native to Rotwald:
Cleric. A cleric in Rotwald is unlikely to follow
any doctrine besides that of Saint Gromund’s.
The Life Domain and Peace Domain TCE capture
the Saint’s love, compassion and protection,
whilst the Twilight Domain TCE is specifically
about protecting others from “the horrors of the
night.”
Druid. Practitioners of druidism are seen as akin
to witches in Rotwald, but that does not make
them any rarer, only more secluded. Often hiding
away in the canopies of the Rotwald Forest, the
Circle of the Moon or the Circle of the
Shepherd XGE and their affinity for beasts would
be fitting. Alternatively, a Circle of the Land
druid, favouring forests or mountains, would
also work well.
Ranger. Perhaps the most fitting of all classes,
rangers capture what Rotwald is all about.
Rangers of Hunter archetype and Monster Slayer
archetypeXGE side with the humans of the west,
whilst those of the Beast Master archetype and
the Gloom Stalker archetype XGE reside in the east.
Additionally, the Accursed archetype (see
chapter 1) fits closely with the idea of the terrible
curses that are birthed at the Spawning Ground.
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Quest Prompts
For ideas on adventures that could take place in
Rotwald, consider the plots on the Rotwald
Adventures table.
Rotwald Adventures
d6 Adventure
The Weeping Woman of the Rotwald
Forest guides the party to the Ruins of
Dreilicht, where the true secrets of
1
Rotwald’s history can be uncovered,
alongside her tear of the White Witch
(see below).
Burgomaster Horst Axtberne hides a
terrible secret. His eldest son, Tierinn, is
cursed with werewolf lycanthropy. The
cityfolk are under the impression that
2
Tierinn is simply sick, but his humanity
slips further and further with every full
moon. Soon, he will be nought but a
raging beast.
A coven of green hags: Sister Holda,
Metzgerin the Hateful, and Old-Bloated
Kinfresser, are corralling monsters into a
3 small army, seeking to completely raze
Zhaus to the ground and install
themselves as the defacto leaders of
Rotwald.
Geld Pfeilmacher ventures into the
woods to rescue a missing child, but has
4 not returned. The heroic leader of the
Eastward Arrows needs the party’s help!
A mysterious, beautiful young woman
has arrived in the village of Rollendorf.
She has wormed her way into the favour
5 of every household in the village with her
silver tongue, yet disappears each night.
People are starting to go missing, yet
nobody seems to be noticing.
A young boy has been ousted from
Südstein for harming several of his
siblings with witchcraft. He was always a
6 troublemaker and most assumed it was
“the witch’s malice possessing him.” In
reality, the boy is a budding Wild Magic
sorcerer with little control over his power.
Tear of the White Witch
Wondrous item, rare
The tear of the Weeping Woman of Rotwald,
crystallised into a small gemstone necklace. Whilst
you wear this necklace, you gain advantage on
saving throws against being charmed, cursed,
frightened, possessed, or turned.
Additionally, you may use your action to touch the
necklace to a creature or an object to learn whether
it is cursed or not and whether that curse can be
transmitted from that creature or object. Once you
have tested an object for a curse in this way, you
cannot do so again until the next dawn.
Curses of Rotwald Removing Rotwald Curses
The dark curses of Rotwald make up much of its Curses gained from sources in Rotwald are more
evils. There are several ways in which a character difficult to remove than others. If a creature casts
can become cursed, and many different curses a remove curse spell or similar magic on a creature
they might become afflicted with. For manners with the intent of removing a permanent curse,
in which a character can become cursed, roll on the caster must succeed on a DC 20 ability check
the Curse Source table, and for inspiration on the using their spellcasting ability modifier, else the
kinds of effects curses can have, roll on the Curse spell fails.
Nature table.
Curse Sources Doctor van Richten,
d6 Source I appreciate the concern, but I’m quite alright and my wounds
The creature is afflicted by a living curse have healed nicely. I’m currently residing in a domain called
1 (see chapter 3). Rotwald. Probably the nicest place I’ve been so far in
The creature entered into a bargain with Ravenloft, believe it or not. The folk are a bit superstitious, not
a hag and their curse was the price they
2 fans of wizardry and the like, but otherwise they’re good people.
paid, unlikely unbeknownst to them at
the time. I’m currently staying with a family in Rollendorf, a small
The creature was cursed by a spirit as a fishing village.
3 child for a family member’s wrongdoings. Like everywhere in the Mists, there’s a horde or two of
Another cursed creature forced their monsters in the obviously-haunted forest to the east, but
4 curse onto the creature to be rid of it. everything outside of it seems surprisingly pleasant. I’d
The creature inherited the curse from recommend you give it a visit.
5 birth.
Good luck with your trip to Isrige. Try not to die of hypothermia.
The creature encountered the Spawning It’s probably the least fun and most uninteresting way to die.
6 Pit. Staring into its abyssal void was
enough to afflict them with the curse. Yours,
Ez d’Avenir
Curse Nature
d10 Curse
You are cursed with lycanthropy and gain the Lycan lineage (see chapter 1). Whilst you
are cursed in this way, you transform against your will into your hybrid form during the
full moon and revert to a primal, monstrous state for 12 hours. In this state, your
1 Intelligence score is reduced to 4 and your Charisma score is reduced to 8. When this
curse is cured, you may choose to retain the Lycan lineage, but gain control over it, or to
revert to your original lineage.
2 You cannot speak.
You are wracked with constant, nagging pain. Whenever you would complete a long rest,
3 you must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or suffer psychic damage equal
to your level and gain no benefits from the rest.
You are incapable of perceiving a type of object or creature (determined by the DM when
4 you gain this curse), except by truesight.
Whenever a creature speaks a specific word (determined by the DM when you gain this
5 curse), followed by a direct command, you must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving
throw or forcibly follow that command as per the dominate person spell.
You grow weak and sickly. Your Strength and Constitution scores are reduced to 7 and
6 you are poisoned.
Once each hour, roll a d6. On a 1 or a 2, you disappear into a dark realm for the next hour
7 as per the banishment spell.

8 You gain a random Flaw determined by the DM.

Each time you complete a long rest, make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure,
9 your Intelligence score is reduced by 1d4. If your Intelligence score is reduced to 0, you
are stunned until your Intelligence score is 1 or greater.

10 Once each hour, roll on the Wild Magic Surge table to create a random magical effect.

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