TEXT:  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Wetlands 
  Matt Davids – www.dicegeeks.com 
  Swamps, Marshes, Bogs, and Fens 
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
   
  Why Use Wetlands in Your RPG Campaigns? 
  There are many reasons to use wetlands in your campaigns. Here are just a few: 
   Break up long journeys 
   Get your party out of the woods or mountains 
   Add a touch of realism 
   Unique challenges based on the landscape 
  Wetlands can provide new quests for players as well. Some ideas: 
   Capture swamp gas for a wizard 
   Gather peat for fuel 
   Find a specific kind of moss for a spell 
   Collect specific insects for a potion 
   Gather bog wood for a local merchant 
  Wetlands can allow GM’s to add unique and strange places. A few thoughts:  
   The Bog of Loathing 
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
   The Marsh of Sorrow 
   The Fen of Despair 
   The Swamp of the Lost 
   The Marsh of Forgetfulness 
   The Bog of the Dead 
   The Fire Swamps (I couldn’t resist) 
  This guide will discuss the basics elements of wetlands to help get your creativity 
  flowing. 
  Wetlands 
  Not many natural terrains are 
  more diverse than wetlands. 
  Wetlands contain a multiplicity 
  of vegetation and wildlife.  
  These ecosystems team with 
  insects, amphibians, turtles, and 
  birds of all types.  
  The variety of the flora is astonishing. Mosses, lichens, trees, bushes, shrubs, 
  peat, ferns, reeds, and grasses, just to name a few, can all be found in wetlands.  
  When constructing your campaigns, introducing wetlands can create unique 
  experiences and challenges for characters. 
  When traveling on their quest, an adventuring party will invariably come across 
  wetlands. Or least, they would if they were traveling in the real world. 
  Use wetlands to diversify the types of terrains in your campaigns. A well-
  described and presented wetland can create a memory that will last a lifetime.  
  Of course, not all wetlands are the same.  
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
  This guide will explore the different types of wetlands in enough detail to give 
  game masters the tools they need to describe these wonderful places to their 
  players. 
  There are four main types of wetlands we will explore:  swamps, marshes, bogs, 
  and fens.  
  The four different types of wetlands provide many fascinating adventure 
  opportunities. 
  Any one of them can provide hours of fun and a great backdrop for exploits for 
  new and experienced role players alike. 
  This guide will cover several other topics like, types of water in wetlands, how to 
  weave in magic, and more. 
   
  Swamps  
  By definition swamps are 
  wetlands with wooded 
  vegetation and trees.  
  Swamps appear to be 
  ancient things. They look as 
  though they've come from a 
  different time or different 
  age. Like something out the 
  beginning of time or even the beginning of the world. 
  Create a dismal and depressing landscape. 
  Include details like the canopy, which creates a dark and eerie color over the 
  entire swamp. 
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
  Tree moss hanging from knobby-kneed 
  cypresses nearly touches the scum-
  covered water.  
  Mist clouds visibility. Dampness and 
  humidity cling to travelers, turning their 
  clothes into uncomfortable sacks. 
  The water in a swamp can be shallow or 
  deep. Both are treacherous to any who 
  dare to travel in these parts. 
  Boats with paddles can maneuver 
  swamps fairly well. However, the boats 
  must have a very narrow draw.   
  A boat with a deep keel is in danger of 
  running aground at any moment, because 
  the depth of the water can change from 
  15 feet to 3 inches in a matter of yards. 
  Paths and channels through the swamp 
  can suddenly turn into dead ends trapping any would-be adventurer. 
  Dangers lurk everywhere. 
  Snakes above and in the 
  water, either poisonous vipers 
  or giant constrictors, menace 
  anyone traveling through the 
  swamp. 
  Under the water lurk the most 
  terrible foes: crocodiles, 
  alligators, giant snapping 
  turtles with beaks that can 
  Swamp of the Lost 
  Effects: For every hour spent in the 
  swamp there is a chance a character’s 
  mind becomes clouded and confused. 
  Scenario #1: A wizard hires the party to 
  capture swamp gas. He needs it for 
  experiments that will lead the party to 
  gain knowledge for a larger quest.  
  Scenario #2: The party wanders into 
  the swamp unknowingly. They can 
  recognize the swamp is having strange 
  effects on them by rolling. 
  Possible Encounters:  
  Giant Carnivorous Plants 
  Ghosts 
  Lost People 
  Poisonous Fumes 
  Swamp Monster 
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
  crush men's bones. Giant catfish, hunting and prowling, can drag a man beneath 
  the water. 
  Certain ground gives the illusion 
  of being solid, yet when stepped 
  upon, gives way beneath the 
  slightest weight.  
  Great herons and other waterfowl 
  pick their way among the 
  shadows and pools of light.  
  Vines and weeds dangle and entrap. An endless maze of water and leaves and 
  thickets are overshadowed by giant cypresses and other swamp trees.  
  A melancholy place indeed. Only the greatest need drives travelers here.  
  Pepper your swamp with encounters fitting the setting. Overgrown cottages, 
  boats filled with moss floating aimlessly, ancient graves, shipwrecks, hidden 
  treasure; remnants of strange rituals, bloody clothing, lost people and much more 
  are possible.  
   
  Marshes 
  Marshes are typified by grasses 
  and contain little or no wooded 
  vegetation or trees. They can 
  stretch for mile upon endless 
  mile. 
  The grasses form a 
  confounding maze in which 
  visibility becomes difficult. Some of the grass can reach 10 to 12 feet in height 
  above the surface of the water. 
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
  The water is seldom deep. Eight feet 
  would be deep with the average being 
  much less.  
  Marshes can be sunny places teeming 
  with ducks, geese, swans, and herons all 
  feeding on minnows and fish.  
  In the southern latitudes, alligators will 
  make their homes in marshes, and 
  manatees will come up from the sea to 
  feed on grass. 
  Towns and villages near marshes exploit 
  the variety of flora and fauna. 
  Traveling through a marsh can be 
  arduous. The travelers would be 
  constantly soaked, and a raft or flat-bottomed boat would be a godsend. 
  Any party journeying near rivers is likely to 
  cross marshes. Use them to their full affect. 
  A party could use a marsh to hunt and 
  collect fresh water after a long trek. A marsh 
  could be another obstacle on the way to 
  finish a quest.  
  If the adventurers want to build a raft, grass 
  will be their main option unless they carry 
  large amounts of wood with them. 
  The travelers are likely to come across old 
  fishing shacks, sunken boats, ruins of towns 
  that have been reclaimed by the landscape, 
  duck blinds, and much more.  
  Marsh of Sorrow 
  Effects: Every day spent in the marsh 
  increases the chance of a character being 
  lost in sorrow and hopelessness. Quests 
  are considered impossible, journeys too 
  difficult, etc. 
  Scenario #1: The party must cross the 
  marshes to complete their quest. 
  However, they receive many warnings 
  about traveling there.  
  Possible Encounters:  
  Ghosts 
  Ruins with Sad Inscriptions 
  Grass Funeral Rafts 
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
  Bogs 
  In northern latitudes, bogs can be filled 
  with layers upon layers of peat and are 
  sometimes called mires, quagmires, or 
  muskegs.  
  Peat is decayed plant matter that has 
  accumulated over many hundreds or 
  thousands of years. 
  Bogs are home to very specific types of 
  mosses, small carnivorous plants, and 
  highly specialized insects.  
  On cold mornings, thick mists rise from 
  the heat of the decaying plants and peat. 
  No trees are found in bogs. Only 
  remnants of long-dead forests called “bog wood” appear occasionally. 
  Bogs are home to cranberries, blueberries, and huckleberries. Flies and butterflies 
  of very peculiar types live and flourish in these places. Also, a large variety of 
  salamanders are found 
  among the mosses.  
  Communities near bogs 
  cultivate the berries and use 
  peat for cooking and heating 
  fuel. Bog wood makes 
  excellent and prized 
  furniture.    
  Traveling through bogs is 
  grueling and saps the 
  strength from even the 
  The Peat Gatherers 
  Situation: A group of orcs and goblins 
  have enslaved a human town. They are 
  forcing the townspeople the gather peat 
  for their infernal furnaces. 
  Scenario #1: The party wanders into 
  the bog unknowingly. The characters hear 
  tales of sorrow and see abuse of prisoners. 
  Scenario #2: The party is enslaved and 
  forced to work in the bog. 
  Possible Encounters:  
  Guards 
  Orc Chieftain 
  Goblin Wizard 
  Slave Child 
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
  mightiest adventurers. Patches of open water mix 
  with mounds of peat. Floating mats of moss can 
  give the illusion of solid ground. 
  When faced with crossing a bog, the most 
  stouthearted adventurer can feel weakness enter 
  his knees. 
   
  Fens 
  While similar to a bog, a fen has less peat and 
  more small wooded vegetation.  
  A particular kind of mire, fens are found mainly in northern climates. However 
  some can exist in tropical climes. 
  The ground is saturated with water and 
  shrubs and small trees dominate the 
  landscape. Sometimes a fen is overtaken 
  with willow or alder. 
  The types of vegetation and animal life 
  found in fens are very specific to the 
  ecosystem. Flies and other insects are 
  the main types of animal life.  
  Standing water comes only in puddles 
  and pools. However a traveler’s feet will 
  sink deep into the soft earth. 
  Traveling through a fen is torturous 
  work. 
    
  The fen Spirit  
  Situation: The ghost of an ancient elf 
  princess haunts a lonely fen.   
  Scenario #1: The party needs 
  information from the ghost. They must 
  discover her secret and help her in some 
  way. 
  Scenario #2: The party needs an 
  ingredient that grows only in the fen. It is 
  needed to make a medicine to the save the 
  life of an NPC close to the party. The ghost 
  must be convinced to allow them to have 
  it. 
  Possible Encounters:  
  Quick Sand 
  Wolves 
  Poison Thorns 
   
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
  Water Types 
  Freshwater – Wetlands can 
  contain freshwater, which is 
  very helpful to travelers.  
  Brackish – A mixture of fresh 
  and salt water can tempt a 
  parched wanderer to drink, but 
  he will do so at his peril.  
  Saltwater – Saltwater provides 
  the added danger of no 
  drinkable water nearby.  
   
  Water Source 
  Classification 
  Palustrine Wetlands – An inland 
  wetland that lacks a source of 
  flowing water and is 
  precipitation fed.  
  Marine Wetlands – This type of wetland is exposed to the open ocean. 
  Estuarine Wetlands – The mixing of fresh and saltwater sets this type of wetland 
  apart. 
  Riverine Wetlands – This type of wetland is associated with rivers and flowing 
  water. 
  Lacustrine Wetlands – Wetlands connected to the ecosystem of lakes or bodies of 
  freshwater. 
   
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
  Mosquitoes 
  Do not forget mosquitoes.  
  They plague anyone in wetlands. In the north, they do so only in certain seasons. 
  In the south, it is a nearly year-round scourge.  
  In the great bogs of Siberia, for a couple months of the year, millions upon 
  millions of mosquitoes emerge. They form clouds. They plug travelers’ noses and 
  get crushed by their blinking.  
  Something valuable must lie at the end of the journey for an adventurer to 
  endure this trial.  
  Use them to create a fuller environment for your players. Let them know that the 
  journey has a price to be 
  paid. 
  Also, remember that 
  mosquitoes carry 
  diseases: Malaria, 
  Dengue, Yellow Fever, 
  and West Nile just to 
  name a few. Of course 
  as game master, you can 
  create a variety of 
  fictional diseases. 
   
  Mixing in the Supernatural or Magic 
  Any reader of fantasy knows Tolkien’s Dead Marshes. The dead lying in repose 
  beneath the murky water, haunting any travelers who dare tread its winding 
  paths. 
  Think of similar ideas for your campaigns.  
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
  If a bizarre evil awaits the party, as the adventurers get closer to their goal, the 
  landscape should get stranger and stranger. The swamp near the wizard’s tower is 
  now filled monstrosities from his twisted experiments. 
  Two hundred years ago, a warlord used slaves to harvest peat from giant bogs to 
  fuel his war machine. Now the souls of those slaves haunt the bogs.  
  A large tract of fens serves as a barrier to an elven stronghold. A once great city 
  cursed by a wizard has sunk into the mud and become a maze-like marsh. 
   
  Conclusion  
  Wetlands in RPG campaigns are 
  usually highly underused. Possibly a 
  swamp pops up here and there in 
  some spooky horror campaign, but 
  not much else. 
  Many great cities are located at the 
  mouth of rivers where they pour into 
  the sea. These are all great places to 
  put a marsh or bog or swamp or fen. 
  When traveling through great tracts of wilderness in northern lands, where many 
  fantasy RPGs are set, an adventuring party is certain to come across a fen or a 
  bog. 
  Create instant challenges based solely upon the terrain.  
  The part of the fun can be slogging through a wetland only to arrive at the town 
  mud-covered and exhausted. Or your party reaches the dungeon spent. Their 
  clothes tattered and you know more challenges lie ahead.   
   
   
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
  Wetlands Resource List 
  Wetlands: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetland 
  Swamps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp 
  Bogs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bog 
  Marshes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh 
  Fens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fen 
  A More Detailed Classification: https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetlands-
  classification-and-types#marshes 
  List of Major Swamps: 
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp#List_of_major_swamps 
   
  Support dicegeeks on Patreon! 
   
   
   
  Explore Dicegeeks Resources and RPGs 
  at DriveThruRPG.com 
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
   
  Dicegeeks Twitter - @dicegeeks 
   
  Dicegeeks Monthly RPG Newsletter: 
  http://eepurl.com/bINBh5 
   
  www.dicegeeks.com 
  Mat Oh (order #25267534)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/System neutral/Tables & Charts/Wetlands Swamps Marshes Bogs and Fens.pdf