Updated version, same link

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zqnkk94n5iiqafz/Southlands_draft.pdf

These are minor updates throughout. Lots of typo/grammar stuff and clarifying some text. Then also more material, stats - yes including for "mummy (minor tomb king)" and some other "tomb critters", the Dhar's Black Taint location card if someone insists on poking around Pyramid of Skulls.

Changed "sleeping sickness" to "skinflake" as the latter is an existing WFRP3 disease easy to use and its description fits so perfectly "what's really going on" that it sneaks it in under Player radar almost as if the official game was going to do the same thing I am.

Added a few "current events" in each of the more organized societies to both give them a sense of "being alive" when visited (if all text is potted past tense makes a location sort of stale) and in each case could be an adventure hook. The "Empire Builder" pdf is a good spur to inspiration for those though some come from other sources (e.g., looking up lions, see animal section, found that neat killer lion pride under witch doctor's command and thought that was too good a historical thing not to include it as 'current event').

Arcane Pistol became Death Pipes / Flute as I wanted to make the "technology" more alien and the creature killing you with its strange flute is more interesting than it points weird pistol at you (even if mechanics the same really). I think generally spells and such will be reskinned into weird tech for the S.People. I still have not statted them as I'm pondering their best threat level (e.g., I'm not thinking of them as ever being 2 skull fodder, they're probably at least 3 skull and up, often encountered in small groups or one mastermind with servant creatures etc.)

FYI, Paizo produces "pawns" sets - like WFRP card standups (fitting in similar holders). I picked up a couple of these sets and find many could be used in WFRP and a number are suitable for maritime and southland type adventures - sharks, giant crabs, lots of pseudo-egyptian things like "scarab swarms" (I have done a rule-set for that - in the pdf linked above). Sometimes art is better than the WFRP cards, sometimes not (I find it really mixed, the wolf wfrp standups for example are great but some are virtually incomprehensible).

My group embarks on its voyage south this coming week - such an epic voyage, 8 weeks, will have its own events so we won't reach the Southlands proper for a session or two (or more if they roll enough chaos stars - that paizo set has nice giant octopus and squid cards etc.). I admit I wanted to be further along with all this before they started but such is life. It does mean I am starting to actually use things like adjustments to magic use in weak winds etc. so will see how they work at table.

No update loaded, just a list of what's updated so far, not enough I think to warrant downloading again etc.

- Magritta Company section added and to be expanded a bit

- Special traits biloko gain when possessed by Erzuli

- A "rider and mount" rule I feel has been missing generally ever since using goblins on wolves, in a trained combo, the rider can have mount use its attack action and augment with the rider's ACE-dice budget or the rider can use an appropriate action the mount assists and have the mount spend from its ACE budget.

- Expanded what old worlders think of/know of lizardmen.

- More detail on Sudenberg circa 2522 under new Governor Baerfaust

Would still welcome ideas for names of elven locations etc. or other ideas.

Boxing Day present,

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zqnkk94n5iiqafz/Southlands_draft.pdf

Still same link

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zqnkk94n5iiqafz/Southlands_draft.pdf

Have started log to indicate updates:

Added more info I found on the elven Tower of Dawn. Pondering whether to integrate the elven and Old One sites after all, comments welcome on this as on all else - in particular if creatures skull-rating should be in table of contents or not.

Added Skull-Keeper - a necromancer villain to Ebonian history and his heroic nemesis, now a Loa since needed some more events of note in their history and of course every civilization in the Old World has to have at least one mad necromancer.

Gave proper local names to key weapons (fyi, knob-kerrie is not a true African term for warclub so is not used). Added how to determine if a wicker shield was struck for being damaged.

Sudenburg inns/eateries etc. spelled out including Southlands alcoholic beverages (based on African ones). Removed stone temples (not that much stone nor formal religion), slang terms for convicts added as well as for some lizardmen types.

Chameleon skinks get all round vision, reading their descriptions again, and bonus against being snuck up on etc.

Changed how Serpent People take on humanoid appearance, less magic more technology, strange "mirrors" as part of thinking about a bizarre technology that uses sound, light and refraction, reflection etc. as "the basis of everything".

Adjusted Giant Wasp/Tinyela to use Vicious Bite which gives potential critical and bring more in line with other poisonous monsters, also added “Hover” quality which gives a creature benefits similar to mounted attacker vs foe on foot (so took a little away and added a little).

Hippos added (most dangerous animal in real Africa)

Serpent Swarms and Giant Snakes.

Statted skyfisher and added they can be trained like hunting birds.

Hey Rob

I stumbled across this link on my travels. You may well have already seen this but if not it should be of interest to you I think: http://alifefullofadventure.blogspot.jp/2013/07/wfrp-more-south-land-creatures.html

Noely

Thanks. I do review critters from other systems etc., mostly Paizo (which does use D&D monsters) since they have those nice stand-ups.

A few wild dwarfs possible but ties back to fate of the lost dwarf-hold - something I'm leaving more to individual GMs, perhaps adding possible scenarios for it eventually (the way my Averland document has some suggested plots etc).

Hey.

Amazing project you have going here, count me a fan (even though I primarily play a mix of 1st and 2nd edition).

Have you thought about contacting Andrew/Andy Law for assistance with lore and maps ( http://lawhammer.blogspot.com ). He is also on the StS forum under Hapimeses (I think). Else the cartographersguild forum can maybe help you with the maps.

Also to point a last real world Africa is larger than most of us know ( http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2010/11/cartography ). The southlands doesn't necessarily need to as big or work in similar function (according to square maps work for a round world). But I certainly think it would be more interesting the bigger the place is, as it get harder to get around and easier to get lost.
I have this http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww118/rosserik2/worldmap.jpg map hanging on my wall. When I look at it I don't get a feeling about Southlands being a big place (but Araby seems to be). Bad cartography and Mercator projection can contribute to the Southlands looking like a "small" place.

Anyways, I enjoy your hard labour.

Posted a link on StS. I have also invited input at Lustria Online as it has a big lizardfan-base including some nice fanfiction set in Southlands.

Been doing hand-drawn, traced, manipulated maps myself.

And yes big, room for Nekhara and Araby (outside scope of my work), lots of jungles, lizardman cities, colonies, Ivory Kingdoms and still "blank spots" of "who knows what'.

I have been toying with size of each Ivory Kingdom, aiming for something about size of the zulu kingdom, which still only takes up a small chunk of the southern part of continent leaving lots of room for other things. While tempting to "fill up" the region, I feel it's okay to keep things smaller.

Updated, same link, works out to about 15 more pages.

Update notes:

Some updates reflect playing through various portions.

Reorganized, moving all creature stats to the end. I get requests to make it rules neutral but I’m a 3 ^rd edition GM and don’t want to make it hard for 3 ^rd edition users so only separate where it’s efficient overall.

More detail added in Sudenburg and Goudenport based on having played through PC's being there.

Populations of other colonies provided.

Timeline section adds events referenced elsewhere in document and notes a possible adventure plot concerning whether Goudenport really was founded the year after independence from the Empire (a question from a player in my campaign).

Erzul developed a bit and her hungry time made when moon is full. When better for giant-wasp riding cannibal halflings to swoop down?

Tinyela/Giant Wasp also get Aerial Assault. As a creature that could be on stage 3 rounds should have more than 1 notable action (an example of changes made based on seeing things in play). The white chaos apes fleshed out.

Have started statting Serpent People and playing around with them as doing so. Added more information about their technology and artifacts such as far-speaking cubes. They are definitely not magic-users, it's all "weird science". Gave them some tech for servant creatures and monsters that can also be part of plot of adventures (who’s commanding dinosaurs if not lizard people?)

Some material from lustria online and scalenex in particular, Xiliqua Root Gum and coatl-blessed venom.

Lotus Flower dust added - purely fictional, both a commercial drug and source of a special weapon used by Biloko (inspired by goblin Slackfungus). Started with needing a good drug to export in bulk to the Old World. Still need some "addiction rules" at some point. This as well as "flying monsters that hover = mounted combat advantage and rules for PC's attacking" being example of things that are really "generally appropriate".

In the cards section, added location cards for Sudenburg, Goudenport and generic "trading post".

More information about Slann and Great Plan, mostly in footnotes indicating 5th edition's "optimistic view" of at least the intent of the Old Ones (which GW obviously has washed away now in the End Times)

Barak "Zarr" corrected to "Varr" (oopsy, hey no one pointed that out!!!)

This is excellent work, and has certainly given me a lot of new ideas, I look forward to any further updates

Thank you for kind words, another update coming - playing through using some stuff so tweaking monsters and such a bit as I see some in use. Update list would have 9 entries so far (page count up 7), feel a couple more needed to make it worthwhile

Another update, same link

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zqnkk94n5iiqafz/Southlands_draft.pdf

Comments and suggestions welcome as always.

Update notes:

Lost City added (Slann name tbd) as abandoned around -1500.

Mwezibi - Morrslieb - is elaborated a bit in the mythology of Southlands, the "Mother of Monsters".

Hawks/Falcons added, mostly as "allies/pets" to give notable NPC's to spice them up a bit.

Added "silver needles" to Farspeaking cubes as the way to control (to extend feasible) robo dinosaurs and mutagenic zombies but more importantly “leave evidence”.

Creature actions fleshed out more in a few cases, Khar Yana are just conservative now to be simpler and get a custom "Fling Poop" action that adds a mix of filth, stress and disease threats, hee hee hee.

Arboreal creatures all gained an additional "drop attack" special feature reflecting the move-type action such a creature can make "dropping down" onto a foe.

A Jungle Gymnast trait added for even more acrobatic types.

A weaker White Ape type added for hordes to give PCs "Conan" moments.

Khar Yana pack leader fleshed out.

Adjustments to Savage Orcs, 4-armed white ape and coatl inspired by actually putting them into encounters etc.

A bit more information on several temple cities - with help from folks at lustia online

Serpent Person Abomination added

River Peril cards added at the end (mostly for 3rd edition folks, others can adapt).

Lizardman Ruins Card added.

Updated again

Same link as above

Editing for clarity and flow. Nekhara is really Nehekhara (d'oh), call that usage something less accomplished scholars in the Old World would do.

Magritta presence in Goudenport added.

Crocodile has 'drowning' explained.

Kobolds 'very skittish' adjusted a bit more (sometimes we just cower and hope it all goes away)

Giant Poisonous Frogs added (just because I was doing an encounter and had some giant frog minis so got inspired)

Serpent People and Skaven interaction noted.

Obsinite game effects noted.

Xiliqua Root Gum given a "slight" upside for human use.

Hakhara appendix and map of the fallen New Empire added to help with sites of ruins, some more background for them. Main foe savage orcs - their role clearing the greenskins out of region helped Zlatlan tolerate them.

Hakhara's dealings with Tor Harathoi expanded - explaining how a modern elf or someone speaking Eltharin could talk to a Tomb King from a certain period in Hakhara's history.

Two rule things that can be used generally:

Flying Creature trait, which would apply to core creatures which fly using wings, created. Such a creature is grounded by a Severity (creature skull rating) Critical or accumulation of criticals.

Trained Animal Companion trait also allows Teamwork actions to be used.

Update notes:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zqnkk94n5iiqafz/Southlands_draft.pdf?dl=0

Baalwari situation fleshed out a bit more and secret wedding negotiations/palace politics spelled out.

Mangani shaman fleshed out.

Madcap fungi hazard.

Corrections to lizardman language section based on more armybook reading (skinks do not speak quickly etc.)

Giant Poisonous Frog Poison Tongue Action, Swoop action for hawks (actual cards at end)

Serpent People Abominations - clarified they have Chaos trait as they are created from mutants, created a more human-type weaker one.

Clarified difference Hybrids (creepy snakey people) vs Abominations (mutants more monstrous) {do you want to go Lovecraft or Howard?}

Noted views of warpstone and mutants, tying them to Mwezibi.

Added Yena (the source of D&D's leucrotta)

Effects of lotus addiction spelled out more – can be a template for drug addiction.

Mindblossom added – a ‘hypersense stimulant’

Geomantic lines and channelling revised a bit as putting it into practice lead to review.

Pyramids and spirits added – a bit radical perhaps but a way of adding some more encounters to abandoned sites.