Fish Does RPG Stuff

For my general TTRPG creations. My main blog is @fishdavidson

[fishrpg]

2026-06-03: Hex Stocking - C-002 - Arrowhead Field

Left as a fallow meadow for now, the grasses in this field sway and whisper even when there is no wind. Sometimes it seems they try to grab at the feet of those who try to cross.

Notable Feature: Resource (Spell Components)

Many years ago before the white man came, this area was a popular hunting ground believed to have been blessed by the Great Spirit. Years later, even after decades of cultivation, arrowheads are still found here. Some supernatural force has definitely infused this area, as recovered arrowheads are very fragile (single use) but deal Enhanced damage to supernatural creatures. Additionally, some of the rarer grasses in this field can be dried to and added to certain temporary charms to increase their potency. Each character who spends a watch looking for arrowheads or grasses should roll a d6 on the table below to determine what is found:

Binding Grasses (1 Use)

Binding Grasses (2 Uses)

Protective Grasses (1 Use)

Protective Grasses (2 uses)

Arrowhead (1 Use)

Arrowhead (2 Uses)

[fishrpg]

2026-06-02: Hex Stocking - C-001 - Watts Orchard

The buzzing of insects and occasional small splash disturbs the numerous pools of murky water that are scattered over the forest floor.

Notable Feature: Dungeon (Watts Orchard)

Medium Dungeon, 10 Areas

The western edges of this hex contain a failing levee that butts up against the Mississippi River, while the middle of the hex contains an old orchard of mayhaw and pawpaw trees that used to belong to the Watts family. The Watts family disappeared years ago and the land was purchased (sight unseen) by an out-of-towner named Tanner Hardee. When Tanner and his brother-in-law, Dennis, went to go look at the property after buying it, the pair were attacked by a group of Okwa Nahollo and only Dennis escaped.

If Tanner can be rescued (or at least his body recovered), Dennis will let the party have either 10% of the fruit harvest (worth approximately $250) or a few dozen trees worth of lumber (enough to build a modest house). The pool that the Okwa Nahollo inhabit actually has an underwater connection to the Mississippi River, and these creatures are the reason that the Watts family initially disappeared.

Hidden - The Quiet Place

A CCC worker named Clyde Lampard is readying a heavy backpack outside a crumbling wooden fence that appears to encircle a few acres of woodland. He's gearing up to explore the woodland, which doesn't seem to exist on any map. The woodland is effectively an extradimensional space that is only visible from one side, and Clyde wants to see how deep it goes. Those who enter the area immediately realize that there is no sound within its area of effect.

Clyde asks the party to contact his cousin, Loretta Smothers, in Rome, Mississippi (a tiny unincorporated community in northeast Sunflower County) to let her know that he's going to explore that weird wooded area even though she asked him not to go. If the party accompanies Clyde, the journey involve traveling in a mostly straight line for two watches, after which the party will somehow find themselves coming upon the same place they entered the woods at. Musical instruments that spend significant time in this area play much more quietly.

Hidden - The Looping Church

A small white church stands in a clearing in the woods with a sign that says First Methodist Church. Despite looking like it was recently constructed, the architecture of the church seems much older. Near the church is a ragged-looking old man named Vernon Baker. Vernon and his wife were members of the church before it moved out to its current location. He wasn't able to make the inaugural service on April 8th, 1894, but his wife Henrietta did. Henrietta never came home.

Something weird happened at that church. Now it just replays a few hours of the service from April 8th, 1894 over and over again. No one who attended the service has aged in those 40 years. Vernon wants to stop whatever force is causing this time loop, but he's also scared to do it in case it means losing his wife again. He watches the service obsessively to have another few moments with his missing wife, though he knows that this is something unnatural.

[fishrpg]

2026-06-01: Administrative Details - Coahoma County Map Stocking

After doing all those hexes for the Strawberry Special adventure, I realized that I don't really like that style of formatting for a hexcrawl because it was really hard to come up with good obstacle, attrition, and environment options for each hex. So now I'm going to try to use the formatting I used for Hexplore24 and see if that works better for me. So I spent a few hours rolling dice today to get the general shape of how Coahoma County might be laid out. Here's what the map looks like right now:

I haven't actually written up what's in these hexes; this is just a skeleton to guide my progress so I can see the big picture overview. Because this took so long to do, I don't really have any other updates for today. In the near-ish future, I'm probably going to be expanding my encounter tables so that each entry on all of the Day/Night encounter table has 6 different variations, and that will probably have me going for a good long while.

Until next time!

[fishrpg]

2026-05-31: Random Table - Quest Destination

This is a series of random tables that will help place in the game world the quest objects generated by hidden features of a hex. Although I would really like to be able to use all 7 dice in the set, I can only think of entries for few different dice, but it's enough for my purposes. Since I don't have a full set of 7 tables, I'm just going to post the tables I have all at once.

d6 Direction of Goal

Where applicable, this table determines the general direction of the quest's goal. If you are unable to put follow the direction (like you are on the southern edge of a map and the direction says the goal is to the south), find the nearest feature that satisfies the conditions of the d10 and d12 tables.

North

Northeast

Southeast

South

Southwest

Northwest

d10 General Endpoint Location

The game world is effectively organized by county and this table identifies the county where the quest's goal is located. For purposes of this table, the Mississippi River is considered its own county. This table is also structured to make it more likely that a quest is located within the county that generates the quest.

Bolivar County

Coahoma County

Mississippi River

Sunflower County

Tallahatchie County

Washington County

Within the current county

Within the current county

Within the current county

Within the current county

d12 Specific Endpoint Location (Land)

There are many more small settlements than there are cities in the Delta, which is why that is weighted more heavily. As a counterpoint, I opted to include the area just outside cities because there are physically more people present in the cities but I wanted to also allow those goals to be more spread out instead of entering a city and then immediately finding 20 secrets or whatever.

In large settlement

Adjacent hex outside city

Adjacent hex outside city

In small town

In small town

In small town

Adjacent hex outside small settlement

Wilderness

Field

Body of water or minor river

Thin Place

Railroad or Marked Road

d12 Specific Endpoint Location (Mississippi River)

Because the Mississippi River snakes through the western edges of multiple counties, this table helps narrow down the general area.

On bank/levee (Mississippi side) near Coahoma county

On bank/levee (Mississippi side) near Bolivar county

On bank/levee (Mississippi side) near Washington county

On passenger boat

On gambling boat

On private watercraft

On bootlegging boat

On houseboat

On barge

Under water near Coahoma county

Under water near Bolivar county

Under water near Washington county

[fishrpg]

2026-05-30: Hex Key - Dredge Site

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 20 - Dredge Site

Thick, foul-smelling mud from the river bottom covers the bank. The water of the Mississippi River is filled with so much stirred-up silt here that it's almost black.

Encounter - The dredge ship, Captain Meriwether Lewis, floats quietly in the middle of the river. Its steam engines which power the suction dredge are not working properly at the moment. Any help the party can provide would be appreciated.

Sign - A man (Lonnie Wedgeworth, 30M) wearing a uniform for the Corps of Engineers navigates his motorboat to the center of the river and checks the depth of the channel before moving on to another section of the river.

Environment - Silt thrown toward the bank by the Captain William Clark leaves walls of sediment on the bank that can provide cover. Any melee attacks taking place while the Captain William Clark is in the area are Impaired.

Attrition - Harsh sunlight reflecting off the water causes problems for a random party member. Take 1 DEX of sunburn or use up something to protect the eyes.

Obstacle - The water is quite choppy to traverse and the banks are quite steep. All characters mark a fatigue.

Discovery - An abandoned rowboat (seats 4) is covered in vegetation along the riverbank. It's still seaworthy, though all the detritus needs to be dumped out first.

If you want to see a video of a dustpan dredge in action, here's a video of the dredge ship William M. Black, which was launched in 1934 and cleaned up the Missouri River, which connects with the Mississippi River near St. Louis. It's a steam-powered ship that sucks up sediment from the bottom of the river and sprays it out of a long pipe onto the shore. All of the ships mentioned in this post are real dredge ships from the era.

[fishrpg]

2026-05-29: Hex Key - Beake Family Houseboat

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 19 - Beake Family Houseboat

A whitewashed houseboat with an asphalt roof is moored against the riverbank. The boat is well-built but in need of significant repairs; a placard above one of the doors reads "Beake", presumably the name of the family who lives here. The state flag of Wisconsin is visible from one of the windows, hanging from the ceiling to act like a partition between rooms.

Encounter - The Beake family (Jenny, Isidore, Ernest, Nettie, and Cy) have had their houseboat moored here for a few weeks and are now frantically trying to get it pushed back out into the river so they can move a quarter mile downstream. Their current spot is on private land and the landowner (Morris Zadek) is on his way with a shotgun to evict them one way or another.

Sign - A moored houseboat has wedged itself into the riverbank, and it looks like someone has recently been trying to dig it out before giving up and leaving to get reinforcements.

Environment - The trunk of a dead tree floats downstream for a bit before getting lodged in the riverbank, forming a makeshift pier in the river.

Attrition - Debris in the water or on the bank causes problems. Boats are either damaged or capsized, land vehicles need a repair, and a random pedestrian in the party loses an item to the sucking mud.

Obstacle - Trying to find a crossing or ferry involves a lot of walking or waiting. An additional Watch passes.

Discovery - A muddy and waterlogged shotgun (d8, spread) has drifted onto the bank after likely being used in some crime. If cleaned thoroughly, it will work again.

[fishrpg]

2026-05-28: Hex Key - Abandoned Schoolhouse

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 18 - Abandoned Schoolhouse

Waist-high grasses cover a wild meadow that appears empty except for a small wooden schoolhouse in the distance not yet claimed by vines. The air here feels fresher, and somehow more alive. A gravel road links Rosedale to the north and Beulah to the southeast.

Encounter - Several different species of animals (both predator and prey) are sitting on the bare floor of the schoolhouse having a discussion in spoken English about how the soil is dying and things from beyond the veil are appearing more often. Much of the discussion is being led by an old barn cat named Buckley. As long as the party is not aggressive to the animals, the party will be asked their thoughts about the changes to the environment. It is only in Thin Places that the animals can freely converse in English; otherwise they are limited to discussions among their own kind.

Sign - Several different species of small animal have left tracks in the dirt in front of the schoolhouse steps. There are tracks by dogs, cats, raccoons, (o)possums, and more, with each track both coming and going.

Environment - Wind slams the door to the schoolhouse shut and the warped wood gets stuck (Save STR to open).

Attrition - A talking fish crow (c. ossifragus) named Chapman asks the party for assistance in making his nest look fancy. He is looking for small, shiny things in a hurry. If the party offers a shiny Petty item for Chapman's nest, he will offer to do some scouting duties the next time the party is in Rosedale or Beulah. The party can also spend a Watch looking for shiny things (2-in-6 chance to find one per searching character). If the party doesn't give Chapman any shiny things, he demands a ration. Failure to provide that results in all crows and blue jays being hostile to the party for the next week.

Obstacle - The party is accosted by a talking dog named Principal. Principal is a large mutt covered in rough-looking scars. She tells the party that school is not in session today and chases them away. Each character marks a Fatigue or takes 1 DEX damage as she nips at the party.

Discovery - A worn wooden crucifix still hanging from an interior wall in the schoolhouse feels like it has been imbued with power from the surrounding area. It deals Enhanced damage to spirits and undead and breaks after 3 uses.

[fishrpg]

2026-05-27: Hex Key - Town of Beulah

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 17 - Town of Beulah

Named after the old Christian hymn "Beulah Land." It used to be a riverside community, but the river moved away over time left a landlocked community that has been in decline every decade since. The railroad exits to the south and northwest, while gravel roads exit to the southwest and northwest.

Encounter - An middle-aged unhoused woman, Lenore Fuller (40F), is bathing in a dirty drainage ditch just outside of town. Lenore's clothes are full of holes and left on the bank of the ditch. She accuses anyone present of being a pervert trying to spy on a woman, though she is willing to "forget" the transgression for a quart of moonshine. She'll also do odd jobs for pay to avoid getting hit with a vagrancy charge, though anyone suggesting "untoward" or immoral activities will get a rock to the face. If she doesn't get what she wants within a few minutes, she starts walking toward the police station to report the party for being a "peeping tom"

Sign - Tucked between two buildings is a dirty bedroll that appears to have been recently rolled up. The core of an apple, not yet brown from exposure to air, sits on the ground nearby. Its owner (Lenore Fuller, see "Encounter") is nowhere to be seen, but is likely nearby.

Environment - A long cargo train chugs through the tracks downtown, making it impossible to reach the other side of town until it passes.

Attrition - Supplies are running short. Each character must spend a minimum of $0.25 at either the grocery store or the local hardware store.

Obstacle - The party is hauled in by the police for questioning to make sure no one is a vagrant. Lose 1 Watch.

Discovery - A stand of mayhaw trees grow just outside of town, their branches laden with berries. Each character can harvest two days' worth of rations from the trees, though they must be consumed within 2 days or else they spoil.

[fishrpg]

2026-05-26: Hex Key - Wilkins Farmstead

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 16 - Wilkins Farmstead

A one-room square house has been upgraded over the years to feature two more rooms protruding from different sides like wooden boils. The Wilkins family (Otis, Eudora, and their four boys: Earl, Van, Tom, and Petey) toils on the land here: a man and a teenager are pulling up weeds from a small family cemetery in the middle of the field bounded by a wrought-iron fence. Meanwhile a thin plume of smoke floats up through the chimney pipe. Water is being heated on the stovetop to prepare for laundry day. A glass bottle of water hangs from the blue-painted eaves outside the entryway to deter haints, but it has not deterred the ravages of time from rotting away one of the supports and leaving it in bad need of repair.

Encounter - Landowner Sam Fulgham approaches the house in a truck along with a sheriff's deputy to serve an illegal eviction notice. Both men are armed with firearms.

Sign - A distinctive truck is parked at the edge of the property. Sam Fulgham is inside the cab with binoculars and a notepad writing down something. He flees back home once he becomes aware of the party.

Environment - The weather changes to either Moderate Rain or Unremarkable.

Attrition - Otis Wilkins asks the party for a second opinion about some financial documents he found because he is suspicious of the information given to him by Sam Fulgham. Helping the Wilkins takes a Watch to investigate the documents and will make the party an enemy of Sam Fulgham and potentially other Cotton Barons because the documents contain evidence of Sam's fraud. Refusing to help the Wilkins will cause Farmer's Union to feel more unfavorably toward the party.

Obstacle - Steep drainage ditches crisscross the area. Each character should mark Fatigue: either because travelers on foot must keep jumping across or taking a slightly longer route, while vehicles tend to get stuck and need to be pushed back onto the dirt paths.

Discovery - Lively guitar music floats on the wind near the edge of the property. A group of beautiful people (really Doñas de Fuera) are dancing and singing. They offer to give a random character a guitar (as a bit of mischief), because the guitar always sounds terrible regardless of the ability of the musician. Despite everyone being aware that it sounds terrible, everyone hearing it breaks into a full-body dance while hating every second of it.

[fishrpg]

2026-05-25: Hex Key - City of Rosedale

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 15 - City of Rosedale

The port city of Rosedale, the first county seat of Bolivar County stands here. Gravel highways exit to the north, southeast, and south. Despite being a port city, the railroad doesn't run through Rosedale; instead the railroad goes through neighboring hexes along the levee. Rosedale is one of a handful of cities in the Delta with regular trade on the river, which keeps the city more economically solvent than other nearby areas, though not much.

Encounter - A dozen women, led by Prohibition activist Catterina Mullins, rush into a barber shop armed with canes, hammers, and hatchets. They force their way into the back of the shop, where a speakeasy is located, and begin destroying all the liquor they can. The pungent odor of alcohol drifts into the street as bottles are broken. Several people (many of them drunk) start fighting in the street, while others call for help.

Sign - Papered onto several windows downtown are flyers for the Bolivar County Family Liberation Organization, a group that promises to "Use the Waters of Life to Provide Salvation to the Bottle-Drowned." The group meets weekly on Saturday nights at Grace Episcopal (Rev. Cecil Jones*), though church services are only offered monthly.

Environment - Sheriff deputies and prohibition agents swarm the area and watch watch passers-by as they investigate a crime scene. Thirty minutes ago, temperance activists broke into a speakeasy and destroyed merchandise.

Attrition - Sticky oil is freshly poured on the main roads to keep the dust down. Sometimes the oil doesn't always stay where it was put. Either pick two items carried by the party that are rendered useless until cleaned of oil or a single item that is irreparably altered by the presence of oil.

Obstacle - Multiple streets are blocked off after a notable speakeasy was vandalized. Deputies are stationed nearby, making most travelers take the long way around as the acrid smell of moonshine makes it hard to breathe. Mark Fatigue on each character who is not a functional alcoholic or otherwise has an resistance to alcohol.

Discovery - One of the funny things about temperance activists is that they have an uncanny ability to know where all the liquor is being held. A conversation with a preacher of the Methodist Church of Rosedale, Rev. W. W. Woolard*, has revealed some of the code words the Bootleggers use to secretly order more inventory through the "Community Happenings" section of the local newspaper. Someone is going to be buying $100 of liquor this afternoon for Kelvin's Lounge (Hex 04). There's a clear path to getting a reward for alerting the Sheriff about the sale, though it's just as easy to find a way to get a kickback for protect the inventory for parties sympathetic to the Bootleggers.

*Denotes a real person. One of the things that the WPA documented was churches of the area, their pastors/preachers, and their meeting frequency. The WPA document I have for Bolivar County was published in 1936, so although I can't be certain that the same people were presiding over the churches in 1934, it's pretty likely that they were. And because I'm not using those names for negative purposes, I'm pretty comfortably using the historical analog for these people. The BCFLO is totally made-up, though.

[fishrpg]

2026-05-24: Hex Key - Hood Family Farmstead

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 14 - Hood Family Farmstead

A modest farmhouse (not a shack) stands in the middle of a field as two milk cows graze in a pen. The field is not growing cotton; instead sweet potatoes grow here. The farmhouse is home to the Hood family, who have managed to hold on to this land for generations. Because they own the farmland, they were not quite as affected by the crash in cotton prices and could more easily pivot to growing other crops. Any character who mentions them selling the land will immediately be chased off the property after firmly being told it is not for sale.

Encounter - Reggie Hood (20M) is bent over the engine of the family's pickup truck, trying to coax it into running again. Reggie is the youngest son of the owners of the farm, Dolph (53M) and his wife Ann Claire (50F). The farm needs to pick up a load of feed and fertilizer. Reggie is too proud to ask for help directly, but will gratefully accept it if offered.

Sign - The sweet potato sprouts in the field look withered, while the cows in the pen look thinner than they should be and their feed trough is empty.

Environment - Wind blows a bedsheet off the line, keeping it aloft long enough to wrap around a random character.

Attrition - A random character either loses a day's ration due to spoilage or is sickened for the rest of the day as a result of unknowingly eating a spoiled ration.

Obstacle - A man in a truck brandishes a gun and tells the party to go around the property because the land is not for sale. Travelers on foot mark Fatigue, while travelers in wheeled vehicles experience troubles that result in needing an extra watch.

Discovery - A recently-used shotgun (d8, spread) is left unattended on the porch of the farmhouse. Farm owner Dolph (53) used the gun to shoot a bear that came onto the property (see hex entry for North Rosedale Wood), but has yet to get around to cleaning it.

[fishrpg]

2026-05-23: Hex Key - Starkey's Gas & Service Station

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 13 - Starkey's Gas & Service Station

Near the gravel road that runs through this hex from the southeast and north is a white clapboard building that is home to Starkey's Gas & Service Station. It has two fuel pumps outside, one for gas and the other for diesel; there's also a lunch counter inside that serves meals that are more affordable than usual for the area (20 cents instead of the more common 25 cent rations). Starkey Vaughn (or one of his family members who help operate the store) requires payment up front and only store employees are allowed to fill up the vehicles. Minor repairs can also be had here.

Encounter - Edith Wessel (72F) is learning how to drive her late husband's vehicle in order to avoid having to pay her butler (Wesley Hobbs, 34M) to run errands in town after he made some purchases she disapproved of. Edith can barely hear, badly needs the glasses she refuses to wear, and in general should not be operating a motor vehicle. A few seconds after the party becomes aware of her presence, she will drive into a random character or a nearby object and attempt to keep going.

Sign - Cracked siding streaked with automotive paint mars one side of the service station. This was left by Edith Wessel (previous encounter) the last time she tried to park outside the lunch counter. The Vaughn family will repair this damage in a few days, though it will almost certainly happen again if Edith is allowed to keep driving

Environment - Black smoke fills the sky as fuel from a leaking pump catches fire from a carelessly discarded match used to light a cigarette.

Attrition - Starkey accuses the party of previously running off without paying for goods, which he explains is the reason he requires payment in advance now. The party can pay a total of $3.75 to make Starkey whole in his misguided belief, or they can be banned from the store for life.

Obstacle - The gravel road is in bad need of regrading and washed out in some places. Mark Fatigue if traveling on foot, or add a watch to the time if traveling by wheeled conveyance.

Discovery - Helpful signposts point the most reliable way through the turn rows and informal roads between private property. Attempts to avoid getting lost automatically succeed in this or any of the 6 immediately adjacent hexes.

[fishrpg]

2026-05-22: Hex Key - North Rosedale Wood

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 12 - North Rosedale Wood

Thick stands of still relatively young trees (the oldest here are perhaps 60 years old) are split by a gravel road that exits to the south and northeast. Rosedale, the largest town nearby and one of two county seats for Bolivar County lies immediately to the south.

Encounter - Two black bear cubs are playing with each other, and the mother is not immediately visible. The cubs are hungry but do not trust people; their mother was killed by a farmer, see "Signs" below.

Sign - Following a trail of blood, the corpse of an adult black bear lies on the wooded ground. Closer inspection of bear reveals it to be female and died several hours after receiving multiple shotgun blasts. The blood trail suggests it was fleeing from Hex 14 (to the southeast).

Environment - A shade-lined clearing is visible in the otherwise thick woods; it would make a good campsite.

Attrition - Thorny vines rip at clothing and other carried fabric items. Unless appropriate protection is used, each character must determine if they lose 1 STR from damage or an article of clothing.

Obstacle - (Ignore this result if following the gravel road) Fallen logs and a maze of vines make travel difficult. If there is a means to cut through the vines, characters can mark Fatigue. Otherwise, it takes an extra watch to traverse the wood.

Discovery - A hobo symbol indicating "Food" is painted onto a tree trunk near the road. Tied to that tree is a waterproof canvas bear bag hanging from a tree limb. The bag contains two metal boxes of saltine crackers and a bottle of iodine to treat water and minor wounds.

[fishrpg]

2026-05-21: Hex Key - Lagrone Compress Company

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 11 - Lagrone Compress Co.

A Cotton compress occupies low warehouse near the railroad tracks that sits atop several acres. Nearby farmers come here during harvest time to smash their cotton into a smaller bale so that more can fit on the train. The railroad exits to the southwest and northeast.

Encounter - One of the brokers at the Lagrone Compress Company, James T. Clifford (55M), tries to make a sale for some cotton from the party. If the party does not have a significant quantity of cotton to sell, James sends four warehouse heavies (Elmo, Hiram, Duncan, and Govenor) to remove the party from the premises.

Sign - A reddish brown splash stains the concrete floor near the compress itself. It looks a lot like old, dried blood (someone lost part of their arm during operation last season and the blood never got completely cleaned up).

Environment - The gearing mechanism on one of the compress machines locks up, rendering the machine inoperable until a machinist can come resolve the issue.

Attrition - A bored compress worker in the slow season, Quint Wakefield (43M), insists on telling a series of meandering anecdotes to the party to fill the hours. Take an additional watch or give Quint something to get him quiet or distracted.

Obstacle - The party is blamed for several heavy cotton bales that fall near them and are asked to set the bales upright by hand. Mark a Fatigue.

Discovery - In the desk of cotton broker James T. Clifford, you find a box of fancy cigars (20/25 remaining). Inside the box lid is a message that says "Thinking of you, lots of love! -Lottie R." The box was a gift from Clifford's paramour, Lottie Rice, manager of a textile shop in Rosedale.

[fishrpg]

2026-05-20: Hex Key - Christmas Mound

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 10 - Christmas Mound

A low mound, about 10 feet tall, rises above the surrounding farmland. Stone grave markers are visible atop its flat peak. The railroad exits to the southwest and northeast. Gunnison is visible to the northeast, and wooded wilderness is to the south.

Encounter - Pebbles begin to fly and pelt the party as graveside flower urns are knocked over. A poltergeist is on the loose here. The poltergeist is the restless spirit of Shed Crump, who was interred here 5 years ago.

Sign - On a worn gravestone atop the mound, the epitaph for Shed Crump mentions he died in a duel. Another grave marker appears to be quite old, but the soil of the grave appears to have been disturbed in the past month. Someone has laid a trap in the dirt to deter grave robbers.

Environment - Heavy clouds appear and block out the sun. Restless spirits are more hostile while the clouds block the sun.

Attrition - A character tumbles down the side of the mound, sustaining an injury or loosing an item in the fall.

Obstacle - Fences and property lines enforced by the landowners force the party to take a circuitous route, causing the journey to take an additional watch.

Discovery - Hidden in the grass covering a grave is a loop of thin iron chain about 10 feet long. When left on a grave for an entire day, it ensures that the dead will remain resting peacefully. Spreading blood on the chain provides a degree of supernatural protection for the living creature who sits within the circle of chain.

Note: With the exception of the settlements and transportation infrastructure, I've been generally populating the major hexes by rolling randomly on the tables I've already created. Funnily enough, the dice rolled an "Indian Mound" for this location, and it happens to be really close to where it is in real life. The real mound was initially a midden used by indigenous people hundreds of years ago before being converted into a ceremonial mound. Then the white folks came and turned it into a family cemetery, which helped inform my choices for this hex. I have no idea who actually is buried there, and (as is usual) Shed Crump was a randomly-generated name.

[fishrpg]

2026-05-19: Hex Key - Town of Gunnison

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 09 - Town of Gunnison

The main strip of town consists of an Italian-owned grocery store (Gelassi & Sons, operated by Raffaele Gelassi) and a rail depot. Almost everything else has been boarded up or closed down. Railroads exit the area to the southwest and northeast, while a gravel highway exits to the south and northeast.

Encounter - Five children are walking down the street in a "parade" to cheer up the town. They are led by a boy named Tubby Seelbinder (10M) who marches at the front with a stick he uses as a baton to conduct their marching band: Rush (6M, drumming on a coffee can), Amos (8M, harmonica), Edna (9F, cigar box diddley bow), Mary Grace (4F, doesn't play an instrument, but throws leaves like confetti).

Sign - A piece of paper is nailed to a telegraph pole below eye-level. It contains several misspellings and written in an uneven scrawl: "Gunison Happyness Purade: This Satterday!"

Environment - With a loud pop, a tree branch falls on an electrical wire, sparking a small fire that will grow if not extinguished quickly.

Attrition - An object is lost, or a single weapon requires repair before it is usable again.

Obstacle - A rabid dog chases all or some of the party, causing them to mark Fatigue as they flee.

Discovery - Smudged hobo symbols drawn on a wooden fence indicate that a nearby house is a place to get a hot meal and a bath. The house belongs to an older widow named Carrie Higgins.

[fishrpg]

2026-05-18: Hex Key - Exhausted Farmstead

This is a series of posts detailing the contents of the overland hexes if the party decides to go elsewhere in order to help the Strawberry Special.

Hex 08 - Exhausted Farmstead

Kudzu has mostly swallowed this farmstead, though large patches of dead, bare dirt are so depleted of nutrients that not even the kudzu grows there. An old sharecropper shack is completely covered in vines. The hamlet of Gunnison is to the southeast and Concordia Lake is to the southwest.

Encounter - Killer Kudzu separates from the regular kudzu blanketing the farmstead and attacks the party, hoping to turn them into nutrients for its growth.

Sign - A bird chatters angrily at a patch of kudzu on the ground. It swoops several times at the vines before it lets out a squawk and disappears into the vegetation.

Environment - There is a crash as the sharecropper's shack partially collapses in on itself. The rest of the structure seems held together at least partially by the tapestry of vines.

Attrition - A vagrant (Mitch Galtney, 26M) is walking to Rosedale to look for work. He requests transportation or a better pair of shoes from the party. If the party refuses to help, Mitch pickpockets a Petty item from a random Character. If they have no petty items, he takes their wallet.

Obstacle - A light haze of dust from the dead field makes breathing difficult. Mark a fatigue.

Discovery - Hidden in the rafters of the abandoned shack is a handgun (d6, near) that was forgotten by the previous tenants (Robinson family). It was placed there to keep out of reach of their small child, but left behind when the family was suddenly evicted by Cotton Baron Earl Sparks.