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Last Updated: 15th January, 2025

2 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

 INTRODUCTION
Welcome, wanderer, to the shadowed lands of Tír This Quick Start includes
Nascath. This Quick Start introduces Beyond the
Woods, an unforgiving dark fantasy world for 5th • An introduction to the world of Beyond the
edition inspired by ancient Irish myth and legend. Woods and the land and people of Tír Nascath.
You and your allies must gather what supplies you can
carry, venture into the haunted Cuilchemar forest, and • New Rules for hexcrawl exploration using the
seek what lies beyond. You will face unknown horrors, 5th edition ruleset, including rules for utilising
encounter otherworldly spirits, and explore long- resource dice to track food and water and an
forgotten ruins in the hopes of finding something that intuitive inventory system inspired by survival
can save your home, Céad Darach, from a slow and horror videogames like Resident Evil.
painful death.
• Dead Wood, a short introductory adventure
Beyond the Woods is a game of exploration and that sees the characters venture into the haunted
survival that brings open-world fantasy roleplaying Cuilchemar forest in search of a magical acorn
and exploration to 5e. It allows you to play a classic that could save their home. The map of the
hex-crawl or “West Marches” style campaign using Cuilchemar is included as a separate PDF.
the 5e rules you know and love. You can use these
rules to explore the ancient and mysterious lands of • Six pre-generated characters, each with a new
Tír Nascath or with any other fantasy setting of your class designed specifically for Beyond the Woods.
choice — all you need is a map and a hex grid!
• A pronunciation guide (see page 45).

Introduction | Chapter 1 3
 THE WORLD
the mountains to the mist-shrouded lands of the Aos
Sí. Others preach caution, claiming the Great Oak is
Beyond the Woods is set in the lands of Tír Nascath, going through a cycle of renewal and all will be well
an ancient world of magic and spirits inspired by in time. To ease the growing tension, the Fréavacha,
Irish myth and legend. Centuries ago, the Sluagh, a the council of elders who govern Céad Darach, has
spectral legion of the accursed dead, swept across Tír decreed that they will allow a small number of people
Nascath, leaving countless ancient ruins, lost cities, to leave the city — something that has not happened
and abandoned villages in their wake. Hundreds of in centuries. These bands of wanderers and explorers
thousands died or were turned into soulless Marvach, must search for something, or someone, to help save
hollowed-out husks who now wander the land filled the dying city. You are one of those who must venture
with hunger and rage at what was taken from them. Beyond the Woods.

What is Known
Your ancestors were one of the few who survived the
calamity that became known as bás an tsaoil — the
death of life. They fled to Céad Darach, the last great The people of Céad Darach have been isolated within
city, where they huddled within the protective light the city for centuries and know little of what lies
of the Golden Oak. The Sluagh could not breach the beyond the light of the Golden Oak. There are maps of
luminous barrier surrounding the city, nor could the Tír Nascath from before the great calamity, but these
survivors venture beyond its light without risking are unreliable. What’s more, the people of Tír Nascath
almost certain death. A tense standoff was born. relied on a tradition of oral storytelling, so much of
their history and tales were lost when the Sluagh swept
across the land.
‘I’m s-sorry! We were p-playing and I d-dared
Despite what was lost, there are undeniable truths all
him to pick a leaf from the tree! I d-didn’t think
people know about Tír Nascath.
he’d do it! S-something came out of the woods!
It t-took him!’ THE WORLD IS OLD
— Aoife Ní Connall, whose brother Tír Nascath is an ancient land. It is filled with the bones
was lost to the woods of long-forgotten cultures and civilisations from ages
before the rise of Céad Darach and its people. No one
knows who built these once towering structures that
now lie in ruin, but fragments of long-lost knowledge
For hundreds of years, the people of Céad Darach have — and power — may still be buried within. These
lived this way, farming the land, fishing the rivers, ancient sites may be the best hope for saving Céad
and living in relative peace while trying to ignore the Darach — or building a new life if it falls.
malevolent spirits that watch from the shadows of the
Cuilchemar — the woods that surround the city and MUCH HAS BEEN LOST
forms a natural border where the light of the Golden The people of Céad Darach know little about the world
Oak ends. Every few years, some fool “adventurers” before bás an tsaoil. Those who fled to the city cared
leave the city seeking fortune and fame or in search only for survival and left all they had behind as they
of other survivors, but none have ever returned. The tried to outrun the spectral host of the Sluagh.
people of the city go on with their lives, safe in the
knowledge that the Golden Oak will protect them. What little is known of the time before has been
handed down through the seanchaí, oral storytellers
But something has changed. The Golden Oak is who preserve the history and tales of Tír Nascath.
dying. Its light has begun to fade, and the shadows Only in the last century or so have the people of Céad
creep closer to the city each day. Unease is spreading Darach made a concerted effort to write down their
throughout Céad Darach. Some wish to leave, to take history, hoping to preserve it for future generations
their chances in the woods or even venture north over should another great calamity befall the city.

4 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

THERE ARE OTHER CITIES NO ONE HAS RETURNED
Céad Darach is the last Great City, but there were once It has been centuries since the Sluagh drove the
many more. From high up in the boughs of the Golden survivors back to the safety of Céad Darach. Since
Oak, you could see the light of three other Oaks spread then, most folk have been content to live within the
across Tír Nascath. There were other great cities at the protective barrier of the Golden Oak’s light, but every
base of these trees, each one different yet grand and few years, an individual or a group of like-minded
majestic in its own way. As the Sluagh swept across people decides they no longer want to live in the
the land, reaping their grim harvest, the light from the city or that they simply must know what lies beyond
other Oaks slowly died, winking out one by one as the the woods. Leaving the city is forbidden in order to
people of Céad Darach could only watch in horror. preserve the future of civilisation, and the perimeter
How did the Sluagh breach the protective light of of the Cuilchemar is patrolled by the Duilleórga, the
the other Golden Oaks? What became of the people? peacekeepers that keep order in the city. However,
Are any of them still alive? All these questions and it is impossible to guard such a large border, and if
countless more remain unanswered, waiting for brave someone truly wishes to leave Céad Darach, little can
or foolhardy wanderers to seek out the lost cities and be done to stop them.
discover the truth of what befell them.
None of the dozens of people who ventured into the
SPIRITS ROAM THE LAND woods have ever returned.
The Otherworld, a land of spirits and faeries, exists
alongside our world. Where the barriers between
the two worlds are weak, such as in the heart of the
deep wilds and the long-forgotten places of the world,
spirits and faeries pierce the veil between worlds and
crossover. Some are playful and mischievous, like the
Púca who now call Tír Nascath home, but others are
malevolent and filled with hatred. They have become
trapped here, and their rage causes them to lash out
at anyone they encounter.

Tales abound about how to defeat a faerie or

spirit you encounter. Some can be tricked
with riddles, while others require an
offering, such as a piece of bread, a copper
coin, or a treasured memory. Many of the
creatures of the Otherworld can be slain,
but there is often a trick to doing so: the
sister werewolves of Cruachan are only
harmed by blades dipped in silver; the
Sluagh must be doused in iron dust to
become corporeal; and you must drive
a stake carved from a yew tree through
the heart of an Avartach to kill it.

Introduction | Chapter 1 5
 PLAYING THE
This Quick Start includes six pre-generated characters
designed to show off the new Classes and Lineages that

GAME
you will find in the Beyond the Woods Core Rulebook.
In addition to the starting equipment listed on their
Beyond the Woods is a game about survival and charcater sheets, there is also a PDF of additional
exploration. You will fight strange creatures and explore equipment the players can choose to bring with them,
forgotten ruins, yes, but the journey to these ancient but they must divide it up the resources to carry it all.
sites is just as important as what happens when you get
there. Like all good stories, it is not the destination but DIANCECHT, THE MAGE
the journey that matters. Dianchecht is one of the Aos Sí, ethereal faerie folk who
live beyond the Ballarainn Mountains to the north. As
When you play Beyond the Woods, you and your a child, Dianchecht became lost in the Otherworld and
friends will place the map of Tír Nascath (or your found their way to Céad Darach. They have lived in the
favourite fantasy world) on the table and choose where city ever since, unable or unwilling to travel through
to explore. The game is designed to allow you to decide the iron-rich Ballarainn Mountains to return home.
where the adventure takes you. As you travel hex by
hex across the unknown and dangerous landscape, Diancecht has a natural affinity for magic and found
you will add stickers to the map to track your progress, themselves studying under Becuille, one of the last
mark sites you have discovered, and commemorate remaining Archmages. Much of the magic known
fallen allies. before the great calamity has long since been lost,
like many other things. The surviving mages jealously
This Quick Start includes a small section of the map of guarded the spells and incantations inscribed in their
Tír Nascath for you to explore. The included adventure, spellbooks, leveraging their knowledge to gain power
Dead Wood (see page 32), is a structured experience and preferential treatment within Céad Darach.
designed to introduce the world and rules to new This practice has continued for centuries, with each
players. Once you have played through it, you are free Archmage taking on only one or two apprentices at a
to explore however you wish, with the GM using the time and charging a premium for the privilege. There
encounters, locations, and information in this Quick are common spells known to almost all mages, but each
Start to flesh out the world. Archmage has a collection of spells that only they and
a few select apprentices know. Becuille specialises in

The Characters
the magic of life and death and has shared some of her
learnings with Diancecht, but there is much that even
Characters start with fewer resources and less she does not know. At Becuille’s behest, Diancecht has
equipment than those in standard 5th edition, and volunteered to leave the city of Céad Darach to search
they must fight tooth and nail if they hope to survive. for lost arcane secrets buried in the ruins of the world.

THE MAGIC OF TÍR NASCATH

Three of the six Classes in Beyond the Woods can However, a Mage can learn any spell if they find a
wield magic: the Channeller, the Draoi, and the written copy. This makes Mages incredibly powerful
Mage. The Channeller draws their magic from their and versatile but means they must leave the safety of
blood and unlocks their potential as they grow in Céad Darach if they want to grow their knowledge
power. The Draoi take their magic from the land, beyond the limits of their master.
working in harmony with nature to shape the magic
to their needs. The Mage learns their magic from In game terms, many spells beyond Level 3 have
spellbooks and scrolls, but they are limited by the been lost and must be rediscovered.
spells they or their master knows.

6 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

DINAIM, THE HUNTER MEADHBH, THE WARRIOR
Dinaim is a Hunter, one of less than a dozen people Meadhbh is a Warrior who has spent her whole
in the entire city of Céad Darach who is allowed to life training to protect the people of Céad Darach.
venture into the Cuilchemar — though even he stays Her mother was one of the Duilleórga, the city’s
close to the forest’s edge. He spends much of his time peacekeepers. When Meadhbh was young, her mother
alone, hunting wildlife within the corona of the Golden ventured into the woods to search for a lost child and
Oak’s light and on the outskirts of the Cuilchemar, only never returned. A small part of Meadhbh holds a shred
returning to the city to deposit his bounty and claim of hope that she is still alive, but in truth, she knows
the silver he is owed. her mother is long dead.

Dinaim’s reclusive nature stems from the fact that he Meadhbh was raised by her baker father but was
is a Changeling — a fae creature who was swapped likelier to pound faces than knead dough. She was
with a human child in the crib. While playing with his strong and fierce and would regularly get in fights with
friends as a child, Dinaim hid behind his father’s old other children, usually bullies. As she grew, she taught
shield, pressing himself close so he would not be seen. herself to use axe and shield like her mother and joined
As he hid, a searing pain erupted along his flesh, and the Duilleórga at the age of 15. When the Fréavacha
he began to scream. His skin cracked and turned to announced that small groups would be allowed to
ash where the cold iron touched him, revealing dark, leave Céad Darach, she resigned from her position and
leathery hide beneath. Dinaim’s friends fled, and his was the first to volunteer.
horrified parents discovered him hours later. They
knew he was not their true son, but they cared for him
nonetheless. But Dinaim saw how people looked at
him, and by age 12, he had fled his home. He learned to
live off the land and kept as far away from the people of
Céad Darach as he could. When he discovered the city
was looking for volunteers to venture into the heart of
the wilds, it was an easy decision to leave.

ÉANDU, THE CHANNELLER

Éandu is a child of fate. Her mother was the 7th
daughter of a 7th daughter, who gave birth to Éandu
on the 7th day of the 7th month. In her veins runs the
blood of the Morrigan, the ancient goddess of war,
death, and fate. Éandu was raised in secret by the Cult
of the Crow and has been protected and hidden away
for her whole life. Éandu is a Channeller and can draw
on the power in her blood to wield powerful magic.
She can use this power to bolster her spells and to
weave the threads of fate in her favour.

Éandu has been taught that she will bring about great MOGRUITH, THE DRAOI
change and that now, with the Golden Oak faltering, is Mogruith is Baloran, a descendant of the legendary
her time to act. Éandu does not know what she must Fomorian warrior Balor. The Fomorians were said
do but trusts that the goddess will show her the way to be monstrous and darkly beautiful creatures that
— and is perhaps already with her. As she prepared dwelled beneath the earth and waged war on the people
to leave, a large black crow appeared and alighted on of Tír Nascath millennia ago. Balor was the greatest of
Éandu’s shoulder. She named the bird Badb and set out all Fomorians, and his gaze, or “evil eye”, was said to
on her journey. wreak destruction wherever it fell.

Introduction | Chapter 1 7
 Balorans are a rare sight in Céad Darach and are
often looked upon with distrust and fear, with many
believing they are unpredictable and prone to violence.
Morgruith, for his part, is a kind-hearted soul with a
fondness for nature and the living world. He is one
of the Draoi, spellcasters who draw their power from
nature and work in harmony with the land to shape the
magic to their needs. Unlike the Magi, the knowledge
of the Draoi is passed down through oral tradition and
can’t be learned from books and scrolls. Morgruith
knows the danger that lies beyond the light of the
Golden Oak, but he has always dreamed of seeing
the wilds of Tír Nascath and could not turn down the
opportunity to venture into the woods.

STORYTELLERS
There is a long tradition of oral storytelling in
Ireland, and the Storyteller Class is inspired by
these storytellers, known as the seanchaí. While PEIG, THE STORYTELLER
Classes like the Warrior and the Mage are similar Peig is a Púca, a fae creature from the Otherworld.
to the Fighter and the Wizard in standard 5th Most Púca find their way to Tír Nascath accidentally,
edition, the Storyteller is quite unlike any existing stumbling through faerie rings or emerging from
5e Class. portals deep in the wilds of the Cuilchemar. Once
here, they often decide to stay, enjoying the freedom
The Storyteller creates a Story by combining and mischief it offers them. Púca are tricksters and
Verses. These Verses are akin in power to a cantrip shapechangers, and most want nothing more than to
but grow in power the longer the Storyteller toy with the people of Tír Nascath. Their tricks are
maintains them. For example, the Verse The Hare usually harmless fun, but there are some malicious
From The Wolf Did Run And Leap increases your Púca who enjoy leading mortals to a violent and
and your ally’s movement Speed by +5 feet the first bloody end, which makes many in Céad Darach wary
round it is active, +10 feet the second round, and of the diminutive creatures.
grants +1 AC as well as the increased movement
speed in the third round. Peig is not one of these cruel Púca. She has lived in
Céad Darach her whole life, having wandered out of
Alternatively, the Storyteller can combine multiple the woods as a child. She was taken in by a kindly
Verses into a single Story to gain various effects. seanchaí named Micheál, a storyteller who had heard
For example, a Storyteller could begin a Story with tales of the mysterious Púca and yearned to learn
The Hare From The Wolf Did Run And Leap in the of the Otherworld. Unfortunately, the young Peig
first round, granting +5 movement Speed, and in remembered very little of her home, but Micheál cared
the second round, add And So They Were Cursed, for her nonetheless, sharing the tales and legends of Tír
For Breaking the Ring, which imposes a −1 penalty Nascath with the young Púca girl. After Micheál passed
to Ability Checks for enemies who hear the Story. away, Peig took his place, bringing colourful stories of
legendary heroes to the children of Céad Darach. Now,
The Storyteller Class allows for a lot of freedom, with folks leaving Céad Darach for the first time in
but can be a complex Class for a beginner. We years, Peig has decided to join them. She will chronicle
suggest having a more experienced player take the their journey and tell tales to inspire them, but she also
role of Peig when using this Quick Start. hopes to find a way back to the Otherworld — not to
return home, but to learn all she can. For Micheál.

8 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

 NEW RULES
Beyond the Woods is a game of survival, danger, and
exploration where food is scarce, and the party is often
under-equipped to deal with the threats they must
face. This section provides new rules that enhance the
standard 5th edition rules to better evoke the themes
and tone of Beyond the Woods. Some of these rules
replace or modify the existing 5th edition rules, such
as the new Tools (see page 30) which replace those
used in standard 5e. In the case of any rules conflict,
this Quick Start takes precedence.

WHAT NEXT?
If you enjoy this Quick Start, the Beyond the
Woods Core Rulebook has everything you need to
continue the adventure, including six new classes,
four new lineages, new spells, new equipment, and
more, while the Tír Nascath Setting Guide includes
new monsters inspired by Irish mythology, secrets
about the history of Tír Nascath, GM advice for
running hexcrawl campaigns, and three complete
adventures to drop into your game.

You can follow Beyond the Woods on Kickstarter

or find out more information on our website at
www.oldoak-games.com

SURVIVAL
Simply surviving in the lands of Tír Nascath is a
daunting task. Only a handful of souls have left Céad
Darach and ventured into the woods surrounding
the great city, and fewer still have returned to tell the
tale. You have no idea what dangers you will face,
yet you must prepare as best you can. If you hope to
return alive, you will need food, water, and the right
equipment.

New Rules | Chapter 2 9

 Carrying Capacity BUNDLES OF ITEMS
You can carry only so much on your journey beyond Some items, like coins or arrows, are small enough that
the woods. You must consider the challenges you will you can fit a few in a single Inventory Slot. These are
face and carefully choose what to bring — it could be known as Tiny items and are purchased and tracked
the difference between life and death. in bundles. Each bundle is Small (1 Slot) and lists
the number of Tiny items it contains. For example, a
Beyond the Woods introduces an intuitive inventory bundle of arrows contains 20 arrows, a bundle of bullets
system to help you manage your equipment. The contains 50 bullets, a bundle of silver coins contains
Inventory section on the back of your character sheet 100 coins, and so on. A bundle takes up one Inventory
lets you track what you are carrying and wearing, and Slot even if it contains less than its maximum. You can’t
is broken into Slots. You have a number of Slots equal mix different kinds of Tiny items in the same Slot.
to your Strength Score. For example, a character with
a Strength Score of 16 has 16 Inventory Slots. This is Example: Dinaim is preparing for his next expedition.
known as your Carrying Capacity. He ran short of arrows on the party’s last adventure,
which almost cost him his life, so he isn’t taking any
Talents, Feats, and Class features can increase your chances this time. Dinaim packs two bundles of 20
Carrying Capacity, while mules, horses, and other arrows, filling two precious Inventory Slots.
beasts of burden can help share the load.
By the end of the adventure Dinaim has used 13 arrows,
ITEM SIZE leaving him with 27. He now has a complete bundle of
Page 25 onwards lists each item and piece of equipment 20 arrows, which fills one Slot as normal, and a partial
that appears in this Quick Start, as well as a variety of bundle of 7 arrows, which takes up a second Slot. He
adventuring gear. Instead of weight, each item lists its decides to discard the partial bundle of 7 arrows so that
size from 1 to 4, which dictates how many Slots the he can carry more treasure on the journey back to Céad
item takes up in your Inventory. An item’s size is a Darach. Hopefully, he won’t regret his decision.
combination of its weight and its physical dimensions.
Most items take up one or two Slots, but some larger
gear can take up three or four. INVENTORY
MANAGEMENT
• Small (1 Slot): Small items take up a single
Inventory Slot and include things such as daggers, The inventory system presented here provides
wands, and leather armour. an easy, at-a-glance way to track what you are
carrying. You can write words in and across Slots
• Medium (2 Slots): Medium items take up two to note what you have or draw in your equipment.
Inventory Slots and include things such as
longswords, a climber’s kit, and a chain shirt.

• Large (3 Slots): Large items take up three HOW MUCH DOES

Inventory Slots and include things such as IT WEIGH?
greatswords, ladders, or scale mail.
During their adventures, the party may need to
• Very Large (4 Slots): Very Large items take up carry something particularly large or heavy, such
four Inventory Slots and include things such as a as the corpse of a fallen ally or a giant’s skull. If you
barrel of ale, plate mail, or the corpse of a Small need to determine how many Slots an item fills,
creature. you can divide the item’s weight by 20. The result
gives the approximate number of Inventory Slots
it occupies, but feel free to adjust it accordingly
(a fresh corpse takes up more space than skeletal
remains, for example).

10 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

Food and Water SURPLUS
Starvation and thirst can kill an unwary traveller just Your Resource Dice and the food and water you are
as easily as being torn asunder by a Marvach, albeit less carrying don’t fill Inventory Slots — they have their
violently. Adventurers must bring enough food and own slots on your character sheet. However, if you
water to survive their journey or hope they can find are carrying any food or water that would increase
sustenance along the way. your Resource Dice above 1d10, you have a Surplus.
Each unit of surplus food takes up one Slot, and each
Beyond the Woods uses Resource Dice to track food full (or partially full) waterskin takes up one Slot. If a
and water. Resource Die ever decreases, remove the appropriate
Surplus from your Inventory and adjust the Resource
RESOURCE DICE Die accordingly.
There are two types of Resource Dice: a Food Die and
a Water Die. Each Resource Die has a rating from 1d4 Example: While on the road, Dinaim takes down a
up to 1d10, depending on how much food and water rabbit with a well-placed arrow. He skins, cleans, and
you have. When the adventure begins, each character cooks it into 1 unit of food. Since his Food Die is already
starts with 1d4 Food Die and 1d6 Water Die. During at 1d10, the cooked rabbit becomes Surplus and fills one
the adventure, they can Hunt, Forage, and Find Water Slot in his Inventory.
to replenish their resources (see page 14 for more
information). Each additional unit of food or water Later on his journey, Dinaim’s Food Die decreases to
increases that type of Resource Die one step (1d4 to 1d8. He removes the cooked rabbit from his Inventory
1d6, and so on) to a maximum of 1d10. and increases his Food Die back to 1d10.

Example: Meadhbh has been deep in the Cuilchemar SHARING

forest for three days and is running low on supplies. She Party members can share and trade their resources
has one ration of food left (1d4 Food Die) and a partially at any time. To do so, simply decrease one character’s
filled waterskin (1d6 Water Die). When the party makes Resource Die one step, then increase the other
camp for the night, Meadhbh searches for a clean water character’s Resource Die one step.
source. After an hour or so, she comes across a small
stream and fills her waterskin with fresh, clean water, Example: Returning to camp, Meadhbh shares her water
increasing her Water Die from 1d4 up to 1d10. She is with Mogruith, who only has 1d4 Water Die. Meadhbh
still running low on food, but she can survive for a few decreases her Water Die to 1d8, and Mogruith increases
days on just water if needs be. his Water Die to 1d6.

MIXING ABILITIES
& SKILLS
This Quick Start and other Beyond the Woods
supplements often call for Checks using
unusual pairings of Abilities and Skills, such as
a Constitution (Athletics) Check to run a long
distance, a Wisdom (Hunter’s Tools) Check for
having the patience to wait for your prey, or a
Charisma (Stealth) Check to try to blend in with
a crowd. Some Class features may also allow
characters to pair Abilities and Skills in unique
ways. GMs and players are encouraged to devise
inventive ways to utilise their Skills and Tools as
they play.

New Rules | Chapter 2 11

 DAILY NEEDS You can survive while Starving for a number of days
Once per day, usually when you take a Long Rest, you equal to your Constitution Modifier + 3. At the end
must roll each Resource Dice once to see how much of each day beyond that limit, you suffer a level of
food and water you consume. If you roll a 1 or 2, your Exhaustion. As soon as you eat one or more units of
Resource Die decreases one step (1d10 to 1d8, and so food, you are no longer Starving.
on). Otherwise, your Resource Die does not change. If
a Resource Die is 1d4 and you roll a 1 or a 2, you run DEHYDRATION
out of that resource and risk starvation or dehydration If you go more than a day without water, you are
(see below). Dehydrated. At the end of each day, you suffer a level
of Exhaustion. Any time you would recover Hit Points
Example: The party is returning to Céad Darach, and through non-magical means, you recover half the
Meadhbh is running low on supplies. She has a 1d6 Food usual amount. Magical healing works as normal.
Die and a 1d4 Water Die. The party takes a Long Rest,
and Meadhbh rolls for her daily needs. She gets a 3 on As soon as you drink a gallon or more of water, you are
her Food Die, meaning it isn’t depleted, but rolls a 1 on no longer Dehydrated.
her Water Die. Since her Water Die was already 1d4,

EXPLORATION
she is now entirely out of water. She will need to find
something to drink before the end of the next day or risk
dehydration. Whether through necessity, a misguided sense of
adventure, or a desire to uncover lost arcane power,
STARVATION leaving the safety of Céad Darach is seen by many as a
If you go more than a day without food, you are death sentence. The Cuilchemar, the dense wood that
Starving. Any time you would recover Hit Points lies beyond the city’s walls, is haunted by restless spirits
through non-magical means, you recover half the and the soulless Marvach, and no one still living knows
usual amount. Magical healing works as normal. what lies beyond its borders. You and your allies must
keep your wits about you if you hope to venture into
the shadowed lands of Tír Nascath and return alive.

SO DID I EAT
ANYTHING TODAY? The Map
The Beyond the Woods Core Rulebook includes a
Rather than asking players to count rations of food set of stickers and a map of the lands beyond Céad
and gallons of water, Beyond the Woods uses Darach, an area known as Tír Nascath. The map shows
Resource Dice, which makes managing resources different types of terrain and key sites as they stood
more engaging. However, it can take some getting before bás an tsaoil, the great calamity known as “the
used to, especially when the Resource Die doesn’t death of life”. Many of these sites may be long gone or
reduce after a day’s travel. The best way to think fallen to ruin, and you cannot know who or what lurks
about such a scenario is to assume that the there until you explore it. As you journey across Tír
characters are gathering berries, collecting water, Nascath, you will add stickers to the map to mark your
or managing their supplies well while travelling. discoveries or commemorate the deaths of the fallen.

If your group prefers to track food and water For this Quick Start, we have included a small section
more traditionally, that is fine. However, you may of the map for you to explore, which is included as a
need to tweak some Class features or Talents to separate PDF so it can easily be printed or shared with
accommodate this change. Additionally, each your players. Each hex represents 5 miles, and letters
character gets an extra four Inventory Slots to and numbers run along the top and side of the map to
allow for the additional resources they must carry. quickly identify a hex if you need to or if the adventure
references a specific hex. The map of the Cuilchemar is
just a small section of the lands of Tír Nascath — the
complete map is almost 10 times larger!

12 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

 TERRAIN
Explore Keep Find Forage Hunt
Type Effect
DC Watch DC Water DC DC DC
Open Plains – 10 10 15 15 10
Forests – 12 12 10 10 10

Dense Forest Difficult Terrain, mounts 15 18 15 15 12

must be led on foot
Hills – 12 12 12 12 12
Mountains Difficult Terrain 18 10 15 18 15
Lakes/Rivers Requires a boat or raft 12 15 2 12 –

Marshlands Difficult Terrain on foot, 12 10 2 10 15

or requires a raft
Bogs/Swamps Difficult Terrain 15 15 5 15 12
Ruins Difficult Terrain 15 15 18 18 15

TERRAIN WEATHER
There is a wide variety of terrain throughout Tír
Nascath, and travelling through these inhospitable Example DC
lands comes with no end of challenges. The Terrain
table shows the effect the terrain has on your journey Clear, comfortable weather +0
or any requirements to travel through that hex (such Light wind, misty rain, or uncomfortably
as requiring a boat or raft to cross a river). It also lists warm weather +1
the typical DC of several activities you’ll take on your
Bouts of heavy rain, strong winds, or frost +2
journey (see Activities While Travelling on page 15
for more information). Constant rain, light snow, or thick fog +3
Frequent storms, heavy snow, or +4
While you will primarily travel through the forest sweltering heat
during this Quick Start, we have included a variety of
Biting cold, heavy rain with flash flooding, +5
terrain for you to use in your own game. or violent winds
+6 or
WEATHER Deadly storms, pounding hail, or forest fires more
Adverse weather makes your journey treacherous and
can lead to disaster for even the most experienced
explorers. It can make it more difficult to scout ahead,
keep an eye out for trouble, and even affect your ability
to forage, hunt, and find fresh water. EXPLORING OTHER LANDS
The Weather table lists examples of different kinds You can use the rules presented in this Quick Start
of weather and how they affect the DC of Checks and the Beyond the Woods Core Rulebook to run
you make. At the GM’s discretion, weather may have hex crawl or “West Marches” style adventures in
additional effects, such as fog causing an area to be any setting, whether it’s a legendary fantasy world
Lightly Obscured (creatures have Disadvantage on with white wizards and magical rings or your own
Wisdom (Perception) Checks that rely on sight) or homebrew world. All you need is a map with a hex
heavy snow causing the area to become Difficult grid and you're good to go!
Terrain.

New Rules | Chapter 2 13

 The Adventuring Day RESTING
Beyond the Woods breaks the adventuring day into You can take one Short Rest during each quarter of the
four quarters. day. You can do this in addition to any other activities
you undertake.
• Morning (usually 6am−12pm)
• Afternoon (usually 12pm−6pm) To take a Long Rest, you must first Make Camp (see
• Evening (usually 6pm−12am) page 21) and then take the Rest activity (see page
• Night (usually 12am−6am) 23). If you do not take a Long Rest during a 24-hour
period, or if your rest is disturbed, you must succeed a
You choose what activity to undertake at the start of DC 10 Constitution Saving Throw or suffer a level of
each quarter of the day. Each activity states whether Exhaustion. The DC of this save increases by 5 for each
it can be undertaken by multiple characters at once day that passes without taking a Long Rest.
or only by a single character. The activities you can
undertake are listed below and are explained in detail LIGHT AND DARKNESS
beginning on page 15. It is best to travel during daylight, but sometimes you
may be forced to undertake a journey during twilight
• Explore: The party explores a new hex. or even at night. The Light and Darkness table shows
the available natural light during each quarter of the
• Keep Watch: You keep an eye out for danger and day based on the season. The effects of each type of
watch for ambushes. illumination are listed below. Light sources, such as
torches and lanterns, can reduce or remove these
• Find Water: You search for clean drinking water. effects. However, such light sources can also draw
unwanted attention from the denizens of Tír Nascath.
• Forage: You gather berries, roots, mushrooms,
and other edible plants. • Bright Light: No effect.

• Hunt: You hunt wild game. • Dim Light: Creatures have Disadvantage on
Wisdom (Perception) Checks that rely on sight
• Fish: You fish for fresh meat. Requires a river, and suffer a −5 penalty to Passive Perception.
lake, or body of water.
• Darkness: Creatures are effectively Blinded.
• Cook: You cook a meal for the party, turning raw
meat and vegetables into Food.

• Make Camp: You find and prepare a safe place DARKVISION

for the party to rest.
Beyond the Woods is a game about exploring an
• Repair Equipment: You mend and repair any unforgiving land filled with mystery and danger.
equipment that has been broken or damaged. The players and the characters should live in fear
of what lurks in the shadows, and nothing breaks
• Craft Ammunition: You craft ammunition for that tension more than having a character who
your or your ally’s ranged weapons. can see in the dark. For this reason, none of the
Lineages in Beyond the Woods have Darkvision.
• Rest: You sleep for the night and recuperate from If one of the players is using a 5e Species or Race
the day’s activities. with Darkvision, we suggest removing that feature
and giving them Proficiency in a Skill or Tool of
• Adventure: You delve into an ancient ruin, their choice instead.
investigate a lost village, or explore a location.

14 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

 LIGHT AND DARKNESS

Spring Summer Autumn Winter

Morning Dim Light Bright Light Dim Light Dim Light
Afternoon Bright Light Bright Light Bright Light Bright Light
Evening Dim Light Dim Light Dim Light Darkness
Night Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness

Activities While Tools (see page 30), they can make an Intelligence
Travelling (Explorer’s Tools) Check instead. The DC of this
Check is determined by the terrain of the hex the party
You can take one of the following activities during each is entering, as shown in the Terrain table on page 13.
quarter of the day. Unless otherwise stated, you can
only take one activity at a time. On a success, the party enters the chosen hex. On a
failure, the party still enters the hexagon, but the GM
EXPLORE rolls on the Exploration Mishap table. On a failure by
When you Explore, you and your allies journey across 5 or more or if the Scout rolls a natural 1, the party
the lands of Tír Nascath, travelling from hexagon to automatically gets the Lost mishap. If the party enters
hexagon to rediscover the world. In ideal conditions, the chosen hex and has movement remaining during
you can travel up to two hexagons per quarter of the this quarter of the day, they can select another adjacent
day on foot or up to three while mounted. Starting hex to explore and repeat the process.
your journey in Difficult Terrain reduces your progress
to one hexagon per quarter of the day on foot and two Example: The party has entered Cuilchemar forest
hexagons per quarter while mounted. Different types of beyond Céad Darach. Dinaim takes on the role of Scout,
terrain may have other adverse effects or requirements hoping to use his woodcraft to guide the party safely
(see the Terrain table on page 13). Typically, you can through the perilous woods. The terrain type of the hex
only take the Explore activity twice in one day (see they are entering is Forest, so Dinaim must make a DC
Forced March, page 16). 12 Wisdom (Survival) Check to lead the way. Dinaim
gets a 17 on his Check, so the party safely enters the
chosen hex.
TRAVEL SPEED
The party can move one more hex during this quarter
On Foot Mounted
of the day, so they continue their journey. However, the
Normal 2 hexes/10 miles 3 hexes/15 miles terrain at the heart of Cuilchemar is Dense Forest and
Terrain per quarter day per quarter day is more challenging to explore, so Dinaim must make
a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) Check. Dinaim rolls an
Difficult 1 hex/5 miles per 2 hexes/10 miles 11, meaning he fails the Check. The GM rolls on the
Terrain quarter day per quarter day
Exploration Mishap table and gets 8: Harsh Terrain.
The party enters the hex but is a little worse for wear.
Unless the GM decides otherwise, the Explore activity
must be taken as a group. One party member takes on During the next quarter of the day, the party can take
the role of the Scout and leads the way for the rest of the Explore activity again if they wish. However, as they
the party. The group chooses an adjacent hex they wish are now starting their journey in Dense Woods, the hex
to explore, and the Scout makes a Wisdom (Survival) is Difficult Terrain, so they can only progress one hex per
Check. Alternatively, if the Scout has Explorer’s quarter of the day.

New Rules | Chapter 2 15

 EXPLORATION MISHAP

1d10 Mishap
Lost: The party becomes completely lost and ends up somewhere they hadn’t intended. The GM rolls 1d6 to
randomly determine which of the six surrounding hexes the party is in but keeps the result secret. The Scout must
1 spend the next quarter of the day trying to figure out where they are and must succeed a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival)
Check to reorient themselves. The rest of the party can undertake other activities during this time, but the group
can’t Explore again until the Scout has succeeded on their Check. When the Scout succeeds, the GM tells them what
hex they are in.
Ambush: A group of creatures native to the area ambushes the party. If anyone is keeping watch (see page 17), they
2 can make a Wisdom (Perception) Check to spot the ambush in time and avoid being Surprised. The GM doesn’t roll
for a random encounter during this quarter of the day.

3 Blocked Path: Your path is blocked, and you must double back. You eventually reach your destination but can’t
travel any further during this quarter of the day.

4 Twisted Knee: The Scout trips and stumbles, painfully jarring their knee. Their Speed is halved until they take a
Short Rest or receive magical healing.

5 Rising Mist: A strange mist surrounds the party, confusing and disorienting them. The Scout has Disadvantage on
their next Explore Check today.

6 Sweltering Heat: The area becomes extremely hot and uncomfortable. Each party member must make a Water Die
Check now and again at the beginning of the next quarter of the day.
Hungry Beast: A half-starved wild animal, such as a bear or a pack of wolves, is attracted to the scent of the food
7 the party is carrying. Each party member can reduce their Food Die one step to distract the creature and move
safely on. Otherwise, they must fight the hungry beasts.
Harsh Terrain: The terrain is harsh and unforgiving, making progress an ordeal. Each party member must succeed
8 a Constitution Saving Throw with the DC equal to the Explore DC of the hex the party is entering. Any character
that fails their Saving Throw suffers a level of Exhaustion.

9 Bad Fall: One of the party falls from a height or tumbles down a steep incline, suffering severe cuts and bruises. A
random party member suffers 2d8 damage.
10 Good Fortune: Luck smiles on you today. You suffer no mishap.

FORCED MARCH (Animal Handling) Check, the mount goes lame and
You can only take the Explore activity twice in the same can’t travel. You can abandon it and continue on foot
day. However, the party can undertake a Forced March or halt your progress. The next time you Rest, you
if the group wishes to cover more ground. This allows or an ally must make a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal
the party to take the Explore activity one additional Handling) or Intelligence (Medicine) Check to tend
time that day. Every party member must make a to the mount’s injuries. On a success, it recovers and
Constitution Saving Throw, with the DC equal to can travel the following day. On a failure, there is no
Explore DC (see page 13) of the hex they are entering. choice but to end the creature’s suffering.
Any character that fails their Saving Throw suffers a
level of Exhaustion. If half or more of the party fails,
the group doesn’t make any progress and must Rest MOUNTS & VEHICLES
(see page 23).
Mounts and vehicles allow you to carry extra gear
If you take a Forced March while mounted, you must and equipment and cover more ground quickly.
first make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) Check with While bearing a rider, a mount typically has a
the DC equal to the Explore DC of the hex you are Carrying Capacity equal to its Strength Score but
entering. On a success, you safely guide the mount must be equipped with saddlebags. This Carrying
on the journey. The mount makes the Constitution Capacity is doubled when unburdened by a rider.
Saving Throw instead of you. If you fail the Wisdom

16 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

RIVERS AND LAKES Passive Perception or by making a roll. If you choose to
Boats, rafts, and other waterborne vessels allow you to roll, make a Wisdom (Perception) Check and tell the
travel along rivers and lakes. When travelling by boat GM the result. The GM uses the result to determine
or raft, you cover two hexes per quarter of the day or the outcome of any encounters. If you choose to use
one hex if you are moving against the current. If you your Passive Perception, the GM uses that instead.
are travelling down a fast-moving river, you can cover
three hexes per day, but whoever controls the vessel The Terrain table on page 13 shows the typical DC
must make a DC 15 Dexterity (Water Vehicles) Check. to spot natural hazards based on the terrain you are
On a failure, the boat capsizes, and the occupants and entering. This DC may change based on the encounter
their equipment are thrown into the water. and whether it involves one or more creatures.

THE WAY HOME HELPING

If the party travels through a hex they have previously
explored, the Scout does not need to make a Check. If another party member wants to help a character
The party can keep track of hexes they have explored taking an activity, they must take the same activity.
by marking explored hexes with an ‘X’. If they do so, all Checks made as part of the activity
are made with Advantage, but both characters
KEEP WATCH suffer any mishaps. Working together can ensure
Whether through stumbling into a sucking black bog success, but both characters spend a quarter of
or blundering into the lair of a bloodthirsty Avartach, the day doing the same activity when splitting the
in Tír Nascath, the slightest misstep can mean death. group’s focus may be more beneficial. For example,
When you Keep Watch, you take on the role of two characters working together to Hunt (see page
Lookout and watch for anything that could harm or 19) might easily secure 1d4 units of food, but if
hinder the party. You can take the Keep Watch activity they hunt separately, there is a chance of gaining
while you Explore (see page 15). 1d4 units of food for each.

The Lookout comes into play when a random The only exception to helping an ally is when
encounter occurs, typically once each quarter of the the party takes the Explore activity. Only one
day. At the start of each quarter of the day as Lookout, character can be the Scout; they must make the
tell the GM whether you will keep watch using your Check without assistance.

New Rules | Chapter 2 17

 foraging in, as shown in the Terrain table on page 13.
FIND WATER If you succeed, you find 1d4 vegetables. If you succeed
You can survive for days without food, but will not last by 5 or more, you find an additional 1d2 vegetables.
long without clean water. As you explore Tír Nascath, The vegetables can be cooked into an equal number of
you must Find Water to ensure your survival. units of food or eaten raw. If you eat them raw, one unit
of vegetables is consumed, but you do not need to roll
When you Find Water, you spend a quarter of the day for your daily food needs (see page 12). The vegetables
searching for clean drinking water. Make a Wisdom must be cooked or consumed within one week, after
(Survival) or Intelligence (Nature) Check. The DC of which they spoil.
this Check is determined by the terrain of the hex you
are in, as shown in the Terrain table on page 13. If you If you fail, you are out of luck and don’t find any edible
succeed, you and your allies can fill your waterskins, vegetables. If you fail by 5 or more or roll a natural 1,
increasing your Water Die to 1d10. If you fail, you you suffer a mishap, and the GM rolls on the Foraging
can’t find a clean water source or the water you find is Mishap table.
tainted. If you fail by 5 or more or roll a natural 1, you
and your allies unknowingly fill your waterskins with
tainted water. At the start of the next quarter of the LEAN TIMES
day, each character who drank or filled their waterskin
from the contaminated water source is Poisoned for At their discretion, the GM can use either of the
one day. following rules to reflect an abundance or scarcity
of food:
FORAGE • During lean times, foraging Checks are made at
The lands beyond Céad Darach are wild and untamed,
Disadvantage. During plentiful times, foraging
filled with vibrant plant life and vegetation. As you
Checks are made with Advantage.
journey into and beyond the woods, you can Forage to
provide food for you and your allies. • During lean times, the character gathers 1d2 less
food when foraging. During plentiful times, the
When you Forage, you spend a quarter of the day character gathers 1d2 more food.
searching for vegetables, mushrooms, and other edible
plants. Make a Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence You can also use these rules to reflect an unnatural
(Nature). Alternatively, if you have Herbalist’s Tools change in the environment, such as when travelling
(see page 30), you can make an Intelligence or Wisdom through a cursed land or a forest brimming with
(Herbalist’s Tools) Check instead. The DC of this powerful life-giving magic.
Check is determined by the terrain of the hex you are

FORAGING MISHAP

1d6 Mishap

1 Poisonous: You manage to forage 1d2 units of vegetables, but they are poisonous. You don’t discover this until the
next time you roll for your daily food needs, after which you are Poisoned for one day.

2 Ill Fortune: You have angered the faeries or spirits of the area in some way, perhaps by disturbing a faerie ring or
taking something you shouldn’t have. You can’t spend Inspiration for one day.
Allergic Reaction: You have an allergic reaction to something in the area, and an itchy red rash breaks out all over
3 your body. You are unable to take a Long Rest because you are constantly scratching. The rash dissipates after one
day or when cured by a suitable spell or other form of healing.
4 Bad Fall: You stumble and fall, tumbling down a steep incline. You suffer 2d8 Damage.

5 Misplaced Equipment: You lose a random piece of gear or equipment, as chosen by the GM. You can search for the
misplaced item, but you must spend another quarter of the day doing so.

6 Prey: You have inadvertently wandered into the hunting ground of a bear, wolf, or some other predator, and it
attacks you. The GM chooses a suitable beast.

18 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

HUNT If you fail, your hunt is fruitless, and you find no prey.
Requirements: Hunter’s Tools or a ranged weapon If you fail by 5 or more or roll a natural 1, you suffer
a mishap, and the GM rolls on the Hunting Mishap
The beasts of Tír Nascath are canny and fierce and table below.
learned long ago to watch for predators — both
monstrous and mundane. You can Hunt these wary
creatures to gain fresh meat.

When you Hunt, you spend a quarter of the day

searching for and taking down a wild animal. First,
make a Wisdom (Survival) Check to track your prey.
The DC of this Check is determined by the terrain of
the hex you are hunting in, as shown in the Terrain PREY
table on page 13. If you succeed, roll on the Prey table
to determine what type of animal you are tracking. If 1d12 Animal DC Meat
you succeed by 5 or more, you can roll twice and keep
either result. The GM may ask you to reroll based on 1 Mouse 8 1
the terrain you are hunting in. 2 Frog 10 1
3 Squirrel 10 1
To kill your prey, you must make a Dexterity or
Intelligence (Hunter’s Tools) Check to set a snare, or 4 Crow 12 1
you can make an attack roll using a ranged weapon. The 5 Rabbit 8 2
DC of the Check and attack roll is determined by the
creature you are hunting, as shown in the Prey table. 6 Duck 10 2
If you succeed, you gain the amount of meat shown. 7 Fox 12 3
This meat can be cooked into an equal number of units
of food or eaten raw. If you eat the meat raw, one unit 8 Pheasant 15 3
of meat is consumed, but you do not need to roll for 9 Badger 12 3
your daily food needs (see page 12). However, you
10 Goat 15 4
must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution Saving Throw
or become Poisoned for one day. Any remaining meat 11 Boar 18 4
must be cooked or consumed within one day, after 12 Deer 15 5
which it spoils.

HUNTING MISHAP

1d6 Mishap

1 Murderer: Your prey cries out and transforms into humanoid form as it dies. You have slain one of the fae, and there
will be consequences.
2 Damaged Weapon: The weapon or trap you use becomes Damaged (see page 25).

3 Sickly Beast: You take down your prey, but unbeknownst to you, it is infected with disease. Anyone who eats the
meat, regardless of whether it has been cooked, is Poisoned for one day.
4 Bad Fall: You stumble and fall, tumbling down a steep incline. You suffer 2d8 damage.

5 Misplaced Equipment: You lose a random piece of gear or equipment, as chosen by the GM. You can search for the
misplaced item, but you must spend another quarter of the day doing so.

6 Prey: The hunter has become the hunted, and a bear, wolf, or some other predator is stalking you. The GM chooses
a suitable beast, which strikes when you least suspect it.

New Rules | Chapter 2 19

 FISH COOK
Requirements: Hunter’s Tools and you must be in a Requirements: Cook’s Tools and a fire
hex containing a body of water
Plenty of food can be found in the wild for those who
The river that runs from the Ballarainn Mountains know where to look or have the skills to hunt. You can
through Céad Darach is abundant with fish, with use these raw ingredients to Cook, making precious
many of the city’s people relying on fishing to survive. rations last longer while on the road.
You can take these skills beyond the city and Fish for
fresh meat on your journey. When you Cook, you take raw ingredients acquired
from foraging, fishing, or hunting and cook them into
When you Fish, you spend a quarter of the day by the food. You must have Cook’s Tools and a fire to cook. If
water, using your quick reflexes or boundless patience you have a tinderbox, you can make a cookfire as part
to catch a fish. Make a DC 12 Dexterity or Wisdom of undertaking this activity. If another party member is
(Hunter’s Tools) Check. If you succeed, you catch a making camp (see page 21) during the same quarter of
fish and gain 1 unit of meat. If you succeed by 5 or the day as you are cooking, you work together to build
more, you catch a bigger fish and gain 2 units of meat. the cookfire within the camp.
If you succeed by 10 or more, you catch a huge fish and
gain 3 units of meat. The meat can be cooked into an To cook raw ingredients into food, you must make
equal number of units of food or eaten raw. If you eat a DC 10 Dexterity (Cook’s Tools) or Intelligence
the meat raw, one unit of meat is consumed, but you do (Cook’s Tools) Check. On a success, you cook the
not need to roll for your daily food needs (see page 12). raw ingredients into an equal amount of food. You
However, you must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution can share the food amongst the party to increase their
Saving Throw or become Poisoned for one day. Any Food Die, or it can be stored for later use (see Surplus,
remaining meat must be cooked or consumed within page 11).
one day, after which it spoils.
If you fail by 5 or more or roll a natural 1, you spoil or
If you fail, you are out of luck, or the fish simply aren’t burn some of the ingredients and only gain half the
biting. If you fail by 5 or more or roll a natural 1, your amount of food.
fishing gear is Damaged and must be repaired (see
Repair Equipment, page 22).

20 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

MAKE CAMP If you fail, you make camp, but the location is less than
Tír Nascath is an inhospitable land with few safe places ideal. The GM rolls on the Making Camp Mishap
to rest. To properly recuperate from the challenges table. If you fail by 5 or more or roll a natural 1, the
of your journey, you must find a suitable location to camp is not fit for purpose, and the party automatically
Make Camp. gets the Bad Camp mishap.

When you Make Camp, you spend a quarter of the day Example: After a long journey across the Barrbán
finding and preparing a relatively safe and comfortable Mountains, the party have reached the Cave of
place for the party to rest. Make a Wisdom (Survival) Cruachan. They decide to rest before exploring the
or Intelligence (Nature) Check. The DC of this Check ancient site, so Mogruith starts to make camp. The
is equal to the Explore DC of the type of terrain you Explore DC for mountainous terrain is 18, so Mogruith
are in, as shown in the Terrain table on page 13. If you must make a DC 18 Wisdom (Survival) Check to find
have enough tents (see page 27) to accommodate the a safe place to rest. Unfortunately, Mogruith only gets an
whole party, you have Advantage on this Check. If you 11 on his Check. This is more than 5 less than the DC, so
have a tinderbox, you can make a fire as part of making he automatically gets the Bad Camp mishap.
camp, which can then be used to Cook (see page 20).
The party takes the Rest activity during the next quarter
If you succeed, you find a safe place for the party to rest. of the day. Because the party is resting in an unsuitable
The ground is relatively even, and the area provides camp, each party member must make a DC 18
shelter from the elements. If you succeed by 5 or more, Constitution Saving Throw. Meadhbh and Mogruith
the camp is well hidden, hard to reach, or has a clear succeed, so they gain the benefits of a Long Rest as
view of the surrounding lands. The Lookout gains normal. Unfortunately, Dinaim and Diancecht fail the
Advantage on Checks to Keep Watch (see page 17). Saving Throw. They only get the benefits of a Short Rest,
and each suffers a level of Exhaustion.

MAKING CAMP MISHAP

1d6 Mishap
Bad Camp: The camp is simply not fit for purpose. Anyone who Rests in the camp must make a Constitution
1 Saving Throw with the DC equal to the Explore DC of the type of terrain. On a success, they manage to find a
comfortable spot and gain the benefits of a Long Rest. On a failure, they suffer a broken night’s sleep and only gain
the benefits of a Short Rest. See page 14 for the consequences of not sleeping.
Fire!: Kindling or blankets are left too close to the campfire, or lightning strikes the camp, causing a blaze to erupt.
2 The party must scramble to gather their gear. Each party member suffers 2d8 fire damage and must make a DC 12
Dexterity Saving Throw to save their gear. On a failure, one random item is lost to the blaze and destroyed.

3 Tainted Water: The party’s water supply is left exposed or is inadvertently tainted. Each party member reduces their
Water Die one step.

4 Hungry Critters: Local critters, insects, and vermin sneak into the camp and have a midnight feast. Each party
member reduces their Food Die one step.
Exposed: The camp is exposed to the elements and hammered by biting winds and freezing rain. The group
5 manages to get a Long Rest, but each party member must succeed a DC 10 Constitution Saving Throw or catch a
cold. A character who fails is Poisoned for one week. The character can repeat the Saving Throw each time they take
a Long Rest to recover from the illness.
Monster Lair: You have inadvertently made camp in a monster’s lair, and the creature returns while you are
6 building the camp. If anyone is keeping watch (see page 17), they can make a Wisdom (Perception) Check to spot
the creature in time and avoid being Surprised. The GM chooses a suitable adversary and doesn’t roll for a random
encounter during this quarter of the day.

New Rules | Chapter 2 21

 If you fail by 5 or more or roll a natural 1, you make
I’LL KEEP WATCH things worse, and the equipment becomes Broken.

Regardless of how secure their camp is, most To repair Broken equipment, you must make a DC 15
parties will designate someone to Keep Watch Strength or Dexterity Check using the appropriate
while the others sleep. So when does the Lookout Tools. If you succeed, the item is partially restored.
sleep? Here are some suggestions: It loses the Broken Property and gains the Damaged
Property instead. If you fail, you are unable to repair
• The Lookout sleeps in the evening while the
the equipment but can try again another time. If you
others make camp or hunt. Without a camp,
fail by 5 or more or roll a natural 1, the equipment is
they must make a Constitution Saving Throw to
broken beyond repair.
get a proper rest, so they should be sure to use a
bedroll to gain Advantage on the save (see page
27).
REFORGE THE BLADE
• The Lookout sleeps in the quarter of the day after
the others wake up, before the party breaks camp. Repairing Damaged weapons and armour on
The other party members could go hunting or the road can be as simple as sharpening a dull
foraging during this time, but it can mean the blade, reinforcing a hammer’s haft, or hammering
party makes slow progress on their journey (one dented armour back into shape. Repairing Broken
quarter of the day to Make Camp, one quarter weapons and armour can be a different matter
for the party to Rest, and one quarter for the however, and may require a smithy (or at the least
Lookout to Rest). a roaring fire) to reforge and reshape metal. At the
• If the party has a wagon or cart, the Lookout can GM’s discretion, they may deem repairing certain
try to sleep on the road. Broken equipment while on the road impossible.
You’ll need to make your way back to Céad Darach
to return it to proper working order.
REPAIR EQUIPMENT
Requirements: Relevant Tools

As you explore Tír Nascath, your equipment and CRAFT AMMUNITION

weapons can become damaged. If you have the right Requirements: Builder’s Tools, Hunter’s Tools, or
tools and expertise, you can Repair Equipment to get Tinkerer’s Tools
it back to working order.
There are boundless enemies in Tír Nascath. On your
When you Repair Equipment, you spend a quarter of journey, you may need to Craft Ammunition to keep
the day repairing Damaged or Broken equipment (see your quiver full.
page 25). You must have the appropriate Tools (see
page 30) and be Proficient with them to repair the When you Craft Ammunition, you spend a quarter
equipment. The GM decides what Tool is best suited, of the day fletching arrows, crafting bolts, or shaping
but in general, metal weapons and armour require bullets for your sling. You must have the appropriate
Smith’s Tools, wooden weapons and bows require Tools and be Proficient with them to craft the
Builder’s Tools, leather armour and clothing requires ammunition you need. The GM decides what Tool is
Tailor’s Tools, and crossbows and other intricate best suited, but in general, Hunter’s Tools or Builder’s
devices require Tinkerer’s Tools. Tools can be used to shape wood and fletch arrows,
Tinkerer’s Tools can be used to make bolts, and
To repair Damaged equipment, you must make a DC Builder’s Tools can be used to create darts and sling
10 Strength or Dexterity Check using the appropriate bullets. You create the ammunition from old, possibly
Tools. If you succeed, the item is repaired and loses the broken, pieces of expended ammunition or find
Damaged Property. If you fail, you are unable to repair suitable resources to make what you need.
the equipment but can try again another time.

22 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

To Craft Ammunition, choose the ammunition you On a failure, your sleep is broken and disturbed, and
are crafting and make a DC 10 Strength or Dexterity you only gain the benefits of a Short Rest. For each
Check using the appropriate Tools. If you succeed, you day that passes without a proper night’s sleep, you risk
craft 1d4 pieces of ammunition. If you succeed by 5 Exhaustion (see page 14).
or more, you work quickly and efficiently and craft
2d4 pieces of ammunition instead. If you fail, you only ADVENTURE
manage to craft 1d2 pieces of ammunition. If you fail Tír Nascath is filled with ancient ruins, lost villages,
by 5 or more or roll a natural 1, you don’t craft any and forgotten tombs ripe for exploration. When you
ammunition, and your Tools are Damaged in the Adventure, you stop your journey to explore one of
process (see Repair Equipment, page 22). these sites.

REST Adventuring can take anywhere from a couple of hours

The trials of the road drain both the mind and the up to a few days, depending on the size of the adventure
body, and you must Rest to properly recuperate and site. You can take one Short Rest per quarter of the day
prepare for the next leg of the journey. while adventuring. You can Make Camp, Cook, Keep
Watch, Repair Equipment, Craft Ammunition, and
When you Rest, you sleep for a full quarter of the day. If Rest in an adventure site, but the GM determines the
you have a camp (see page 21), you gain the benefits of DC of any checks based on the location.
a Long Rest. If you don’t have a camp, you must make
a Constitution Saving Throw with the DC equal to You can’t Explore, Find Water, Forage, Hunt, or Fish
the Explore DC of the terrain you are resting in. On a in an adventure site. If you wish to take any of these
success, you manage to find a comfortable spot to sleep activities, you must leave the site and return later.
and gain the benefits of a Long Rest.

New Rules | Chapter 2 23

 DEATH SAVING THROWS
DEATH AND Whenever you start your turn with 0 Hit Points, you

EXPOSURE
must make a Death Saving Throw. Roll 1d20, but don’t
apply any bonuses — your fate is left to chance.
To reflect the harsh realities of the lands of Tír Nascath,
Beyond the Woods introduces new rules for death and • Natural 20: You regain 1 Hit Point and are no
dying and for surviving some of the extreme conditions longer Dying.
you will encounter in the world. • 10–19: You gain one success.
• 2–9: You suffer one failure.

Swift Death
• Natural 1: You suffer two failures.

Some of the creatures of Tír Nascath are capable of On your third success, you are Stabilised (see below).
killing you in an instant. If you are reduced to 0 Hit On your third failure, you die. The successes and
Points and any remaining damage exceeds your failures do not need to be consecutive.
Constitution Score, you suffer a swift and brutal end
and die instantly. Otherwise, you are Dying (see below). STABILISING A CREATURE
Dying creatures can be Stabilised in the following ways:
Example: Amra is being hunted by a pack of Cútaiv,
but he is wounded and already reduced to 8 Hit Points. • If they succeed on three Death Saving Throws.
One of the spectral hounds leaps from the underbrush • If they receive healing, such as from the cure
and snaps at his leg, dropping him to 2 Hit Points and wounds spell, a healing salve (see page 27), or a
knocking him to the ground. The leader of the pack leaps Class feature.
atop him and bites down on his neck, dealing 13 damage • If another character uses a healer’s pack (see page
and reducing Amra to 0 Hit Points. However, there is 11 27) or the spare the dying spell to Stabilise them.
damage remaining, and Amra only has a Constitution
Score of 10. The great hound tears out Amra’s throat, When you are Stabilised, the following happens:
sending blood spraying into the night. Amra becomes
one more soul lost to the woods, never to be seen again. • You are no longer Dying.
• You regain 1 Hit Point.

Dying
• You clear all successful Death Saving Throws.
• You do not clear failed Death Saving Throws. See
If you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but don’t die instantly, Healing Death Saves below.
you are Dying. You suffer the following effects:
HEALING DEATH SAVES
• You must immediately make a Death Saving Grievous wounds do not heal easily, and your brush
Throw (see below). with death leaves a mark. Failed Death Saving Throws
linger. Recovery takes time and often requires rest or
• Your Speed is halved, and you can’t take Reactions. a skilled healer. You can recover failed Death Saves in
You can still take Actions on your turn as normal. the following ways:

• If you take any damage, you immediately suffer a • At the end of a Long Rest, you clear one failed
Death Saving Throw failure. If the damage is from Death Saving Throw.
a Critical Hit, you suffer two failures instead. • If you are at your maximum Hit Points and
receive magical healing, such as from the cure
• If you take damage that exceeds your Constitution wounds spell or a potion of healing, you clear one
Score, you suffer a Swift Death and die instantly. failed Death Saving Throw.
• A character Proficient in the Medicine Skill can
• At the start of each turn while Dying, you must use a healer’s pack to remove one failed Death
make a Death Saving Throw. Saving Throw.

24 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

Exposure EQUIPMENT
The further you travel from Céad Darach, the more This section includes some of the new equipment and
varied and unpredictable the landscape becomes. items that you’ll find in Beyond the Woods. It also lists
From the frozen peaks of the Barrbán Mountains to common weapons, armour, and adventuring gear and
the flaming depths of Crílashrok, explorers must brave includes their Size so you can use them with the new
the elements as they journey beyond the woods. Inventory system (see page 10).

EXTREME COLD The city of Céad Darach uses silver as currency, so all
At the end of the first quarter of the day spent in an area prices are listed in silver pieces (SP). A bundle of 100
of extreme cold, you must make a DC 10 Constitution silver is Small and takes up one Inventory Slot.
Saving Throw. On a failure, you suffer a level of

New Equipment
Exhaustion. The DC of the Saving Throw increases by
+5 for each consecutive quarter of the day spent in an
area of extreme cold.
Properties
Creatures who wrap themselves in blankets or layers Beyond the Woods introduces three new equipment
of clothing have Advantage on the Constitution Saving Properties: Damaged, Broken, and Iron.
Throw to resist the effects of extreme cold. Creatures
wearing cold weather gear, with Resistance or DAMAGED
Immunity to cold damage, or those who have adapted When a piece of equipment is Damaged, it is at risk of
to the climate automatically succeed. breaking. It still functions, but it doesn’t work as well,
and there is a chance that it might become Broken. The
EXTREME HEAT Damaged Property works differently depending on the
You must roll for your daily water needs at the start type of equipment it is applied to:
of each quarter of the day spent in an area of extreme
heat (see Daily Needs, page 12). If you end a quarter • Armour and Shields: The AC bonus from
of the day without water, you must make a DC 10 Damaged armour and shields is reduced by 1.
Constitution Saving Throw. On a failure, you suffer a Additionally, if you suffer a Critical Hit while
level of Exhaustion. You must make this Saving Throw wearing Damaged armour or holding a Damaged
at the end of each quarter of the day spent with no water shield, it becomes Broken. If both your armour
in an area of extreme heat, with the DC increasing by and shield are Damaged when this happens, you
+5 for each consecutive quarter of the day spent there. can decide which piece of equipment becomes
Broken.
Creatures wearing Medium or Heavy Armour or clad in
heavy clothing have Disadvantage on the Constitution • Weapons: When you attack with a Damaged
Saving Throw to resist the effects of extreme heat. weapon, you deal 2 less damage, to a minimum of
Creatures with Resistance or Immunity to fire damage, 1 damage. Additionally, if you roll a natural 1 on
or those who have adapted to the climate, automatically an attack, the weapon becomes Broken.
succeed.
• Tools: You have Disadvantage on Checks when
using Damaged tools. Additionally, if you roll a
natural 1 on the Check, the tool becomes Broken.

You can remove the Damaged Property from most

weapons by taking the Repair Equipment activity (see
page 22).

New Rules | Chapter 2 25

 BROKEN Shields
Broken equipment no longer functions and is effectively Beyond the Woods includes three types of shields: a
useless. You can take the Repair Equipment activity small shield, a medium shield, and a large shield. These
(see page 22) to partially repair Broken equipment, are listed in the Armour table on page 28.
swapping the Broken Property for the Damaged

Tools
Property.

IRON Beyond the Woods uses different Tools to those

Many of the creatures of Tír Nascath are resistant or presented in standard 5e. Each set of tools and their
immune to mundane weapons but are susceptible to use is listed in the Tools table on page 30.
cold iron weapons. A weapon with the Iron Property

Adventuring Gear
is made primarily from iron and can bypass the
resistances of some creatures, such as the Sluagh. You
can purchase an iron version of any melee weapon for This section includes the cost and size of common
one and a half times the standard price, i.e. an iron adventuring gear, as well as new equipment and
battleaxe would cost 150 silver. new uses for existing equipment. Any item listed as
part of a bundle can be bought in smaller amounts
However, iron can also be brittle. If you roll a natural or individually, with the GM adjusting the price
1 on an attack made with an Iron weapon, it becomes accordingly. For example, a bundle of 20 arrows costs
Damaged. 10 silver, so you could buy 10 arrows for 5 silver.

26 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

BEDROLL A bullseye lantern casts Bright Light in a 60-foot cone
A character who sleeps in a bedroll has Advantage and Dim Light for an additional 60 feet.
on the Constitution Saving Throw to Rest without a
camp, or if the party gets the Bad Camp mishap when NOISE TRAP
making camp (see pages 23 and 21). A noise rap is a collection of tiny bells and chimes
attached to thin wire or fishing line and are often placed
FISHING TACKLE around the perimeter of a camp. Once triggered, the
A fishing tackle includes additional lures, lines, and trap makes enough noise to wake someone up.
bait. A character with a fishing tackle has Advantage
on Checks when taking the Fish activity (see page 20). Preparing a noise trap takes 10 minutes and requires
a DC 10 Dexterity (Tinkerer’s Tools) or Intelligence
HEALER’S PACK (Hunter’s Tools) Check. If you succeed, make a note of
A healer’s pack includes bandages and emergency the result. This is the DC for any Widom (Perception)
supplies to help prevent death. The pack has 5 uses. As Check to notice the noise trap.
an action, you can expend one use of the healer’s pack
to make a Wisdom (Medicine) Check to stabilise a RATIONS
Dying creature within 5 feet. If the target has one failed Each ration is equal to one unit of food and increases
Death Save, the DC is 10; if they have two failed Death your Food Die one step.
Saves, the DC is 15.
SPELLCASTING FOCI
HEALING SALVE Channellers, Draoi, and Mages can use any of the foci
A healing salve can be applied to injuries to speed listed.
recovery and bolster healing. Applying the salve takes
10 minutes. At the start of the next quarter of the day, TENT
the target recovers 2d8 Hit Points. This tent is large enough for two people to sleep in. If
the party has enough tents to accommodate the entire
HUNTING TRAP party, they have Advantage on Checks to Make Camp
A hunting trap looks like a set of large metal teeth and (see page 21).
can be employed to hunt wild game. A character with
a hunting trap has Advantage on Checks and attacks TINDERBOX
to kill land-based prey when taking the Hunt activity A tinderbox is a small container holding flint, fire steel,
(see page 19). and tinder (usually dry cloth soaked in light oil) to
kindle a fire. Using it to light a Candle, Lamp, Lantern,
IRON FILINGS Torch, or anything else with exposed fuel takes a Bonus
Iron filings can make incorporeal creatures solid or Action. Lighting any other fire takes 1 minute.
remove certain creatures’ resistances. Make a ranged
attack against a creature, treating the bag of iron filings A tinderbox is needed to light a fire to Cook (see page
as an improvised weapon. On a hit, the target is covered 20) and to light torches and lanterns.
in a thick grey powder. Until the end of your next turn,
the creature loses any Resistance or Immunity it has to TORCHES
nonmagical weapons. A torch burns for 1 hour, providing Bright Light in a
20-foot radius and Dim Light for an additional 20 feet.
LANTERNS If you make a melee attack with a burning torch and
Once lit, a lantern burns for one quarter of the day on hit, it deals 1 fire damage.
one flask (a pint) of oil.
WATERSKIN
A hooded lantern casts Bright Light in a 30-foot radius A full waterskin increases your Water Die to its
and Dim Light for an additional 30 feet. As an action, maximum (1d10).
you can lower the hood, reducing the light to Dim
Light in a 5-foot radius.

New Rules | Chapter 2 27

 ARMOUR
Name Cost (SP) Armour Class (AC) Requirements Stealth Size

Light Armour
Padded 50 11 + Dex Modifier – Disadvantage Small (1)
Leather 100 11 + Dex Modifier – – Small (1)
Studded Leather 450 12 + Dex Modifier – – Medium (2)
Medium Armour
Hide 100 12 + Dex Modifier (max 2) – – Medium (2)
Chain Shirt 500 13 + Dex Modifier (max 2) – – Medium (2)
Scale Mail 500 14 + Dex Modifier (max 2) – Disadvantage Large (3)
Breastplate 4,000 14 + Dex Modifier (max 2) – – Medium (2)
Half Plate 7,500 15 + Dex Modifier (max 2) – Disadvantage Large (3)
Heavy Armour
Ring Mail 300 14 – Disadvantage Large (3)
Chain Mail 750 16 Str 13 Disadvantage Very Large (4)
Splint 2,000 17 Str 15 Disadvantage Very Large (4)
Plate 15,000 18 Str 15 Disadvantage Very Large (4)
Shields
Small 50 +1 – – Small (1)
Medium 100 +2 – – Medium (2)
Large 300 +3 Str 15 – Large (3)

RANGED WEAPONS
Name Cost (SP) Damage Size Properties

Simple
Crossbow, Light 250 1d8 Piercing Medium (2) Ammunition (Range 80/320), Loading, Two-handed
Shortbow 250 1d6 Piercing Medium (2) Ammunition (Range 80/320), Two-handed
Sling 1 1d4 Bludgeoning Small (1) Ammunition (Range 30/120)
Martial
Blowgun 100 1 Piercing Small (1) Ammunition (Range 25/100), Loading,
Crossbow, Hand 750 1d6 Piercing Small (1) Ammunition (Range 30/120), Light, Loading
Crossbow, 500 1d10 Piercing Large (3) Ammunition (Range 100/400), Heavy, Loading, Two-
Heavy handed
Longbow 500 1d8 Piercing Medium (2) Ammunition (Range 150/600), Heavy, Two-handed
Net 10 – Medium (2) Special, Thrown (Range 5/15)

28 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

 MELEE WEAPONS
Name Cost (SP) Damage Size Properties

Simple
Club 1 1d4 Bludgeoning Small (1) Light
Dagger 20 1d4 Piercing Small (1) Finesse, Light, Thrown (Range 20/60)
Greatclub 2 1d8 Bludgeoning Large (3) Two-handed
Handaxe 50 1d6 Slashing Small (1) Light, Thrown (Range 20/60)
Javelin 5 1d6 Piercing Small (1) Thrown (Range 30/120)
Light Hammer 20 1d4 Bludgeoning Small (1) Light, Thrown (Range 20/60)
Mace 50 1d6 Bludgeoning Medium (2) –
Quarterstaff 2 1d6 Bludgeoning Medium (2) Versatile (1d8)
Sickle 10 1d4 Slashing Medium (2) Light
Spear 10 1d6 Piercing Medium (2) Thrown (Range 20/60), Versatile (1d8)
Martial
Battleaxe 100 1d8 Slashing Medium (2) Versatile (1d10)
Dirk 250 1d8 Piercing Small (1) Finesse
Flail 100 1d8 Bludgeoning Medium (2) –
Glaive 200 1d10 Slashing Large (3) Heavy, Reach, Two-handed
Greataxe 300 1d12 Slashing Large (3) Heavy, Two-handed
Greatsword 500 2d6 Slashing Large (3) Heavy, Two-handed
Halberd 200 1d10 Slashing Large (3) Heavy, Reach, Two-handed
Lance 100 1d12 Piercing Large (3) Reach, Special
Longsword 150 1d8 Slashing Medium (2) Versatile (1d10)
Maul 100 2d6 Bludgeoning Large (3) Heavy, Two-handed
Morningstar 150 1d8 Piercing Medium (2) –
Pike 50 1d10 Piercing Large (3) Heavy, Reach, Two-handed
Scimitar 250 1d6 Slashing Small (1) Finesse, Light
Shortsword 100 1d6 Piercing Small (1) Finesse, Light
Trident 50 1d6 Piercing Medium (2) Thrown (Range 20/60), Versatile (1d8)
War Pick 50 1d8 Piercing Medium (2) –
Warhammer 150 1d8 Bludgeoning Medium (2) Versatile (1d10)
Whip 20 1d4 Slashing Medium (2) Finesse, Reach

New Rules | Chapter 2 29

 TOOLS
Name Cost (SP) Size Used for...

Alchemist’s Tools 500 Medium (2) Creating potions and poisons. Includes a pestle and mortar, phials, clay
pots, and protective gloves.
Artist’s Tools 150 Small (1) Creating art. Includes paper, paints, brushes, chisels, soft clay, and charcoal.

Builder’s Tools 100 Medium (2) Construction. Includes a hammer and nails, a rope, a saw, a hand drill, and
a ruler

Cook’s Tools 20 Small (1) Cooking. Includes pots and pans, a boning and skinning knife, flour, and
herbs and spices.

Explorer’s Tools 250 Small (1) Navigation. Includes paper, ink and quill, a sextant, callipers, rules and a
small map of Tír Nascath as it was before the Slaugh came.
Gaming Set – – Playing games.
Dice 10 Small (1) –
Set of Cards 50 Small (1) –
Board Game 20 Small (1) –
Foraging, as well as tending and pruning plants. Includes a pestle and
Herbalist’s Tools 80 Small (1) mortar, a small scissors, gloves, a set of pins and needles, and several small
pouches.

Hunter’s Tools 350 Medium (2) Hunting prey. Includes snares, a fishing line and hook, a hunting knife, and
bait.
Instrument – – Playing music.
Accordion 250 Medium (2) –
Bagpipes 300 Medium (2) –
Bodhrán 60 Small (1) –
Flute 20 Small (1) –
Fiddle 180 Small (1) –
Harp 300 Medium (2) –
Mandolin 350 Medium (2) –
Tin Whistle 10 Small (1) –

Mummer’s Tools 250 Small (1) Changing your appearance. Includes face paint, powder, dyes, a mask, and a
variety of wigs and facial hair.
Crafting and repairing weapons and armour. Includes a small anvil, a
Smith’s Tools 200 Medium (2) hammer and tongs, heat-resistant gloves, strips of loose leather, and a sturdy
needle and thread.

Tailor’s Tools 80 Small (1) Making and repairing clothes and shoes. Includes a spare fabric and thread
in different colours, needles, scissors, and a pouch of buttons.

Tinkerer’s Tools 350 Small (1) Repairing mechanical equipment and picking locks. Includes pliers, a
wrench, a small hammer, and a set of lock picks.
Vehicles (Land) N/A N/A Travelling over land, such as when driving a cart.
Vehicles (Water) N/A N/A Travelling over water, such as by boat or raft.

Writer’s Tools 120 Small (1) Writing and transcribing. Includes a blank book, quill and ink, loose paper,
a small bag of sand, and a wax seal.

30 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

 ADVENTURING GEAR
Item Cost (SP) Size Item Cost (SP) Size

Acid (Vial) 250 Small (1) Hunting Trap 50 Large (3)

Alchemist’s Fire (Flask) 500 Small (1) Ink and Pen 100 Small (1)
Ammunition Iron Filings (Bag) 50 Small (1)
Arrows (Bundle of 20) 10 Small (1) Ladder (10-foot) 1 Large (3)
Blowgun Needles (Bundle of 50) 10 Small (1) Lamp 5 Small (1)
Crossbow Bolts (Bundle of 20) 10 Small (1) Lantern (Bullseye) 100 Small (1)
Sling Bullets (Bundle of 40) 1 Small (1) Lantern (Hooded) 50 Small (1)
Antitoxin (Vial) 500 Small (1) Lock 100 Small (1)
Backpack 20 - Magnifying Glass 1000 Small (1)
Ball Bearings (Bundle of 1,000) 10 Small (1) Manacles 20 Small (1)
Barrel (empty) 20 Very Large (4) Noise Trap 25 Small (1)
Bedroll 10 Small (1) Oil (Flask) 1 Small (1)
Bell 10 Small (1) Poison, Basic (Vial) 1000 Small (1)
Blanket 5 Small (1) Pole (10-foot) 1 Medium (2)
Block and Tackle 10 Medium (2) Potion of Healing 500 Small (1)
Book 250 Small (1) Pouch 5 -
Bottle (glass) 20 Small (1) Quiver 10 -
Bucket 11 Small (1) Ram (Portable) 40 Large (3)
Caltrops (Bundle of 20) 10 Small (1) Rations (1 unit of food) 5 Small (1)
Candles (Bundle of 10) 1 Small (1) Rope (50 feet) 100 Small (1)
Case (Crossbow Bolt) 10 - Sack 1 -
Case (Map or Scroll) 10 - Shovel 20 Small (1)
Chain (10 feet) 50 Medium (2) Spellcasting Focus
Chalk (Bundle of 10 pieces) 1 Small (1) Amulet 50 Small (1)
Chest (empty) 50 Large (3) Crystal 100 Small (1)
Climber’s Kit 250 Medium (2) Orb 200 Small (1)
Clothes 5 Rod 100 Medium (2)
Cold Weather 300 - Sprig of Oak 10 Small (1)
Common 5 - Wooden Staff 50 Medium (2)
Fine 150 - Yew Wand 100 Small (1)
Travellers 20 - Spellbook 500 Small (1)
Component Pouch 250 Small (1) Spikes (Iron, Bundle of 10) 50 Small (1)
Crowbar 20 Small (1) Spyglass 10000 Small (1)
Fishing Tackle 10 Small (1) Tent (two person) 25 Medium (2)
Flask or Tankard 1 Small (1) Tinderbox 5 Small (1)
Grappling Hook 20 Small (1) Torches (Bundle of 5) 1 Small (1)
Healer’s Pack 50 Small (1) Vial (10) 100 Small (1)
Healing Salve 100 Small (1) Waterskin (full) 2 Small (1)
New Rules | Chapter 2 31
 DEAD WOOD

Dead Wood is a short adventure designed to introduce Cuilchemar forest. He tells the party that, before the
the world and rules of Beyond the Woods to new Sluagh came, the last acorn that fell from the Golden
players. It should take 2 to 4 hours to complete, is Oak was brought to Dún Dearcáin to be tended in the
suitable for convention play, and works best with hopes that it could one day grow into a new Great Oak.
players already familiar with the 5th edition ruleset. That day never came to pass, but there is a slim chance
As the GM, you should read through the adventure the acorn may have survived. If not, perhaps the party
at least once and familiarise yourself with the new can learn the fate of the people of Dún Dearcáin.
rules presented earlier in this Quick Start — but don’t

Adventure Summary
worry, we’ll remind you of important rules when they
come up.
The adventure takes place over three Acts and allows

GETTING STARTED
the party to experience a full day of exploration,
survival, and adventure in Tír Nascath.
To begin, introduce the setting using the information
in The World and What is Known sections on page In Act 1, the party will explore the Cuilchemar as they
4 as a guide (you can even read the opening section search for Dún Dearcáin. The players will learn how
of The World verbatim if you wish). Next, have each hexcrawl exploration works in Beyond the Woods,
player choose one of the pre-generated characters, then stumble across a faerie ring, and face down one of the
go around the table and have the players introduce soulless Marvach.
themselves and their characters. Once everyone is
ready, move to Act 1: Into the Woods to begin the In Act 2, weary from their travels, the party must find
adventure. a safe place to rest. They will make camp, hunt and
forage, and learn how Resource Dice work for tracking

The Hook
food and water.

The players are one of the few who have been allowed In Act 3, the party discover the ruins of Dún Dearcáin.
to leave Céad Darach to search for something to help Here, they will learn the fate of the monks who once
the doomed city. As they prepare to leave, Cathal, tended the acorn, encounter one of the spectral Sluagh,
one of the Fréavacha, suggests seeking out the old and find a pale white acorn growing from a gnarled
outpost of Dún Dearcáin, which lies in the heart of the oak buried deep in the ground.

32 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

ACT 1: EXPLORING THE WOODS
INTO THE WOODS
When the party has chosen, have the Scout tell you
which adjacent hex they wish to explore. Regardless of
When you are ready to begin the adventure, read or what hex they choose (unless they decide to flee back
paraphrase the following: to Céad Darach!), they will enter Forest Terrain (see
page 13). As there is no adverse weather, the Scout must
The broken old path before you leads into a dark make a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence
tunnel of gnarled trees and dense foliage. Ivy seems (Explorer’s Tools) Check to explore the new hex. On
to strangle the trees, and their branches are hung a success, the party safely moves into the chosen hex.
with heavy lichen, causing the bark to peel and tear On a failure, the party suffers an Exploration Mishap
like dead skin. The old path winds in amongst the (see page 16).
trunks, and before long, the protective glow from the
Golden Oak of Céad Darach is little more than a Since the party is travelling through normal terrain,
pinprick of light far behind you. they can explore two hexes per quarter of the day.
If they reach the first hex, have the Scout choose
The trees seem to lean over you, their clawing another adjacent hex to explore. The party may now
branches pulling at your clothing like the fingernails be venturing into Dense Forest, so the DC increases
of some ancient hag. Faint shafts of light force their to 15. If they are not, you should describe the weather
way through the twisting branches above, offering changing as cold, heavy rain begins to hammer the
some comfort in the shadowed wood. But soon, canopy above, dripping down and soaking them
even these are snuffed out by the tangled boughs through (+2 DC).
overhead, and a heavy darkness falls upon you.

The Cuilchemar is an area of Dim Light even during

the day due to the thick canopy of trees. Unless they
have a light source, the characters have Disadvantage DESCRIBING THE
on Wisdom (Perception) Checks that rely on sight and CUILCHEMAR
suffer a −5 penalty to Passive Perception while in the
Cuilchemar. Despite being known as the Dead Woods, the
Cuilchemar is a place of vibrant life. The trees

The Journey Begins

are heavy with deep green leaves; there are small
groves of wildflowers, strange mushrooms grow
Quarter of the Day: Morning on fallen trees, juicy blackberries hang from
thornbushes, birds sing and chirp, and squirrels
The players begin in hex N10 and are trying to reach and other critters race among the branches and
Dún Dearcáin in hex O17. To get there, they must along the path.
travel hex by hex using the new exploration rules.
Explain to the players that each day is broken up into But the forest is also an ancient and wild thing.
quarters — morning, afternoon, evening, and night There are overgrown ruins buried in the woods,
— and that there are different activities they can take old paths lie broken and destroyed by roots, thick
during each quarter of the day. To begin, they will take webs filled with nests of spiders hang overhead, the
the Explore activity (see page 15). eyes of hungry predators watch from the trees, and
the ground is littered with bones — lots of bones.
The party must choose one person to be the Scout. When the Sluagh came, thousands of people fled to
They alone will make either Wisdom (Survival) or Céad Darach from the outlying towns and villages,
Intelligence (Explorer’s Tools) Checks to help the party and only a tiny fraction reached the great city. The
safely travel from hex to hex. One or more characters rest died in these woods — that is where the forest
can be the Lookout (see Keep Watch page 17) while gets its name.
the party explores, and the other characters can make
any other preparations they wish.

Dead Wood | Chapter 3 33

 DANCE TO DEATH
TIME IS SHORT Anyone who enters the faerie ring or disturbs the
mushrooms must make a DC 15 Wisdom Saving
If you are tight on time, such as when running Throw. On a failure, they begin to uncontrollably
the adventure at a convention, and the party rolls dance and caper around.
a mishap, you may wish to choose which mishap
the party gets rather than rolling for it. Avoid using A dancing creature must use all its movement to dance
the Lost mishap or any mishap that could lead to a without leaving the faerie ring and has Disadvantage
combat encounter. on Dexterity Saving Throws and attack rolls. While a
creature is dancing, other creatures have Advantage
THE FAERIE RING on attack rolls against it. Once every 10 minutes, a
This encounter happens at some point as the party is dancing creature can make a Wisdom Saving Throw to
exploring the woods, but it can also be used when the regain control. On a success, the effect ends.
party is searching for somewhere to make camp. Read

Deeper Still
or paraphrase the following text:

As you push through the dense undergrowth, Quarter of the Day: Afternoon
the forest suddenly opens up to reveal a tall tree
standing alone in a glade. The tree is heavy with The party continues their journey deep into the
white flowers in full bloom, and their scent is Cuilchemar in search of Dún Dearcáin. Read or
captivating. Pools of sunlight fill the clearing, and paraphrase the following text:
the grass is lush and soft underfoot. A perfect ring
of pink-spotted mushrooms surrounds the base of You have travelled all morning, pushing your way
the tree. through the unknown wilds of the forest in search
of Dún Dearcáin. From what little light can reach
A character who succeeds a DC 10 Intelligence you on the forest floor, you guess there are still a few
(Nature) Check knows that the flowering tree is hours of sunlight left. You heft your packs and forge
a hawthorn tree. If they succeed by 5 or more, or if ahead, venturing deeper into the heart of the forest.
they or another character makes a DC 12 Intelligence
(Arcana) Check, they know that hawthorn trees THE HEART OF THE FOREST
are often associated with the fae and spirits of the If they have made directly for Dún Dearcáin, the
Otherworld. A character inspecting the mushrooms party should be starting the next leg of their journey
can make a DC 10 Check, learning the following in Dense Forest. Repeat the same steps as before, but
information based on the Skill used: now the DC of the Explore Check and the Keep Watch
Check are increased.
• Wisdom (Survival): The mushrooms are safe to
eat. A character that spends 10 minutes picking The Scout must make a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) or
the mushrooms gains 4 units of food. Intelligence (Explorer’s Tools) Check to explore a new
hex, and the Lookout must make a DC 18 Wisdom
• Intelligence (Nature): Rings of mushrooms like (Perception) Check to Keep Watch. You can further
this can occur naturally and often happen when increase the difficulty by describing adverse weather,
the roots of a fungus underground spread out, but the Checks should be challenging enough for the
causing the soil to break down and mushrooms characters as is.
to grow in a near-perfect circle.
On a failure, check for mishaps. On a success, the party
• Intelligence (Arcana): This is a faerie ring and reach their chosen hex. Because the party started this
is said to be caused by faeries and spirits dancing leg of their journey in Difficult Terrain, they can only
in a circle. If the character succeeds by 5 or more, travel one hex in this quarter of the day.
they know that entering or disturbing a faerie
ring can be dangerous, and they are best avoided.

34 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

DEAD, YET NOT
This encounter happens at some point as the party ENCOUNTERS
is exploring the woods, but it can also be used when
the party rests for the night. Read or paraphrase the Generally, the party will have one or two Encounters
following text: per day, usually while they are exploring, but
the GM can include more or less as they wish.
You hear the crunch and snap of something nearby, This Quick Start includes one Encounter for
but the sound travels strangely in the woods, and each quarter of the day. Depending on your time
it is hard to tell where the noise came from. You constraints, you can use some or all of these, but we
freeze, holding your breath to listen. SNAP! There, recommend running The Faerie Ring and Dead,
closer this time! You whirl around in time to see a Yet Not if possible. The Faerie Ring reinforces
figure lurch from the trees. It is clad in tattered rags the theme and tone of the world and allows non-
and looks human, but its flesh is stretched taught martial characters to take the spotlight, and Dead,
across its bones as if it doesn’t quite fit. The creature’s Yet Not provides a short combat encounter and
arms are covered in blood and who knows what up gives players a chance to face down one of the
to the elbow, and its yellowed teeth are cracked and Marvach before the climactic battle in Act 3. The
broken into jagged fangs. It lets out a blood-curdling Beyond the Woods Core Rulebook includes dozens
scream of rage and races across the broken earth of Encounters for you to use in your game, and the
towards you. Tír Nascath Setting Guide has dozens more.

ACT 2:
The creature is a Marvach (see page 42) and attacks the
first party member it sees, trying to bludgeon them to

A PLACE TO REST
death and eat their flesh. Once the creature is defeated,
the party can inspect the corpse.
The party have pushed as far as they can into the
• A DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) Check reveals that, Cuilchemar for one day and must find a safe place to
for the most part, the creature’s skin and even its make camp and rest. Read or paraphrase the following:
bones are dry and fragile, but in certain areas, the
skin seems to have regrown and the bones are Your journey has taken you deep into the heart of
stronger, as if the body is in a constant cycle of the Cuilchemar and as far from Céad Darach as
decay and renewal. anyone has been in centuries. The trees are packed
tightly around you and overgrown with thick vines
• A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) Check to search and thorns. The sun is setting, and what little light
the body uncovers the faint, partially ruined is left can no longer penetrate the dark canopy of
tattoo of a large oak tree on the creature’s back, leaves above your head. It has been a long day, and
with the branches and leaves extended along its the next leg of your journey will be no easier. It is
arms and the roots running down its legs. Once time to find somewhere to make camp and rest.
this is discovered, a character can make a DC

Food and Shelter

13 Intelligence (History or Religion) Check to
remember that the followers of Cill Dara, the
Church of the Oak, used to decorate their bodies Quarter of the Day: Evening
with these elaborate tattoos, but the practice
stopped well over a century ago. The party can now make camp, search for food and
water, and take any other activities they wish. See page
• If, for some reason, a character cuts open the 15 for a complete list of activities.
creature’s stomach, they find the rotting remains
of a fox. There is no stomach acid to digest the MAKING CAMP
creature, the carcass is simply rotting inside the A character must make a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival)
Marvach’s body. or Intelligence (Nature) Check to Make Camp (see
page 21). Be sure that the party knows that preparing

Dead Wood | Chapter 3 35

 a suitable camp is vital to getting a good night’s sleep, THE WHITE STAG
and they will not get the full benefits of a Long Rest This encounter happens to one of the party members
without one. If another party member decides to help, when they are away from camp hunting, foraging,
the person making camp has Advantage on the Check. or searching for water. Alternatively, the stag could
Likewise, if the party have enough tents for everyone wander into the party’s camp while they are resting.
to sleep in (see page 27), they also have Advantage on Read or paraphrase the following text:
the Check.
You hear the trickling of water up ahead and,
FINDING FOOD AND WATER pushing through the thick undergrowth, come
Each party member starts the adventure with only 1d4 upon a narrow stream. The water is crystal clear
Food Die and 1d6 Water Die, so they must find more and tumbles across moss-covered rocks. You hear
resources. Party members can Find Water, Forage, snuffling and the slow clip-clop of hooves as an
or Hunt depending on their Skills and the tools they enormous white stag appears on the other side of
have. The Checks are DC 15 due to being in Dense the stream.
Forest, though the DC to kill prey while hunting varies
depending on the animal (see page 19). The creature is easily seven or eight feet tall, with
shaggy white fur on its chest. Its broad antlers must
The party must Cook (see page 20) any food they find be ten feet wide from end to end. They are a rich
before it spoils, or they can eat it raw. If they eat it raw, golden colour, with veins of vibrant green running
they don’t need to roll for their daily food needs until through them. The stag’s piercing black eyes focus
the following day. Remember, any character that eats on you, and you can feel it assessing you. After a
raw meat must make a DC 12 Constitution Saving moment, it leans down to drink from the stream.
Throw or become Poisoned for one day.

36 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN
(Arcana or Nature) Check has heard tales of a great If the party made a suitable camp, anyone who sleeps
white stag that makes the Cuilchemar its home. It there gains the benefits of a Long Rest. Otherwise, refer
is said to be able to pass between this world and the to the Rest activity on page 23. Remember that any
Otherworld freely. There are contradicting stories character with a bedroll (see page 27) has Advantage
about whether seeing the stag is a good or ill omen, on Saving Throws to rest when there is no camp, or the
but anyone who has tried to harm the creature has died camp is unsuitable.
shortly after.
A character keeping watch does not benefit from a
The great deer will finish drinking and retreat into the Long Rest but can take a Short Rest during this quarter
woods if left alone. Its wide antlers seem to shift and of the day. If the character has not slept or taken a
flow, allowing it to easily move through the closely Long Rest in the last 24 hours, they must make a DC
packed trees. If a character attacks the deer, it emits a 10 Constitution Saving Throw or suffer a level of
soul-piercing scream and crumples to the ground. Its Exhaustion. The DC of this save increases by 5 for each
body immediately decays and sinks into the earth. The day without proper rest.
character who attacked the white stag is afflicted with
the Stag’s Curse. THE BAYING OF HOUNDS
This encounter happens while the party is sleeping, but
THE STAG’S CURSE it can also be used when the party is travelling through
You have injured, killed, or wronged one of the spirits the woods. Read or paraphrase the following text:
of the wood. While in the Cuilchemar, all creatures
have Advantage on attack rolls against you, and you You are roused from your sleep by the baying of
have Disadvantage on Saving Throws. Additionally, hounds. The howls seem to come from all around
you have Disadvantage when making Death Saving you, echoing strangely off the trees. Beyond the faint
Throws and can’t recover Death Saves while in the light of your camp, you see spectral hounds racing
woods. The curse can only be lifted by making amends back and forth, encircling you. Some of the creatures
to the spirits of the wood or with powerful magic, such are as tall as a man, and their ghostly forms seem to
as the remove curse spell. shift and pass through one another.

A Good Night’s Sleep

The characters are seeing a pack of spectral hounds in
the Otherworld, and the hounds can see them, though
Quarter of the Day: Night neither group can interact with the other. After a
few moments, the hounds bound through the camp,
When the party has finished preparing their camp and leaping over and through the party and racing off into
searching for food, read or paraphrase the following: the woods. Any light they pass through is extinguished,
and patches of frost are left in their wake, but the party
You gather back together at your camp, such as it are unharmed.
is. The shadows have grown long, and though you
can’t see the sky, you are all too aware that night has
fallen. You prepare to bed down for your first night PRESS ON
in the Cuilchemar. Just how much rest you will get
remains to be seen. The party can press on with their journey by
making a Forced March (see page 16). However,
Before the party rests for the night, have them roll for they will be travelling in near-total darkness, which
their daily needs (see page 12). Each character must is risky at the best of times. Try to discourage the
roll their Food Die, and their Water Die. On a 1 or a party from this course of action, but if they insist,
2, the die decreases one step. If it goes below 1d4, they let things play out as they may. If they camp in Dún
have used up all of their resources of that type. Any Dearcáin, the undead denizens of the haunted ruin
character who ate raw food while hunting or foraging will attack them while they sleep.
does not need to roll for their daily needs.

Dead Wood | Chapter 3 37

 ACT 3: Dún Dearcáin
SEED OF DOUBT
When the party approach the ruins, read or paraphrase
the following:
The party reaches Dún Dearcáin the following day.
You can have them Explore again if you wish, but we You make your way into the ancient keep, climbing
suggest moving straight into the discovery of Dún over fallen trees and forcing your way through
Dearcáin. When the party awaken, read or paraphrase the wild tangle of plantlife that has reclaimed the
the following: ruins. A low wall, broken and cracked in places,
runs along the perimeter of the settlement, and a
Though you know it to be morning, the woods are handful of wooden buildings lie slumped in various
still dark when you awaken. There is a chill in the states of decay. A tall watchtower — the ruin you
air, and a heavy layer of mist sits atop the forest floor, first spotted — is shattered on one side, with piles of
drifting through the camp like a wandering spirit. stone and wood spilling out like the innards of some
As you pack up the camp and prepare to continue great beast.
your journey, you see the shell of an old watchtower
only a few hundred yards away. The ruin is choked The earth slopes steeply down towards the centre
by thick vines and covered in moss, but you are sure of the camp as if a hole in the earth opened up to
it was not there the night before. swallow the settlement. In the hollow at its centre
stands the withered white sapling of an oak tree.
The ruins are what remains of Dún Dearcáin, the fort A single pale acorn hangs from one of its fragile
of the acorn. branches.

38 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

Though the forest has done its best to reclaim Dún THE BUILDINGS
Dearcáin, the fort is still open to the sky. However, dark, There are half a dozen wooden buildings within the
ominous clouds hang overhead, making Dún Dearcáin fort in various states of disrepair. Some have collapsed
an area of Dim Light. Additionally, the ground within roofs or walls, others have sunk into the wet earth, and
100 feet of the withered oak sapling is soft and wet, one has been entirely crushed beneath a fallen tree.
like a thick sucking bog, and is considered Difficult Investigating the buildings takes about an hour and
Terrain. The party can explore Dún Dearcáin to learn uncovers fragments of items needed to live in the wilds
more about what happened here. — rusted pots and pans, rotten sacks of flour and grain,
broken hunting equipment, and so on. A character
THE WATCHTOWER who succeeds a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) Check
The old watchtower has crumbled and collapsed in on finds a rotten wooden box containing a bag of iron
itself and is overgrown with creeping vines and thick filings and an iron dagger.
moss. A character can make a DC 13 Intelligence
(Builder’s Tools) Check to learn that, while time has THE PEOPLE
played a factor in the building’s collapse, it seems a Aside from the fragments of bone in the watchtower,
sudden impact against the tower’s wall caused the the remains of the people who lived here are nowhere
initial damage. It looks like the impact came from to be found. Anyone who searches the buildings
within the fort. knows that, if they left, they didn’t bring any of their
belongings with them. A character who succeeds a DC
A character who succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom 12 Intelligence (Religion) Check knows that followers
(Perception) Check to search the ruins finds fragments of Cill Dara used to give their dead back to the earth,
of human bone amongst the rubble. marking the gravesite with an oak branch. This is no
longer done in Céad Darach due to the space required
(and fears of worse things), but when Dún Dearcáin
was founded, it would have been common practice.
THE HISTORY OF Yet, there are no grave sites to be found.
DÚN DEARCÁIN
A character who makes a successful DC 12 THE DEAD OAK
Intelligence (History or Religion) Check can
recall some or all of the following information The sapling at the centre of Dún Dearcáin grew
about the history of Dún Dearcáin. from the last acorn to fall from the Golden Oak
in Céad Darach. However, before it could grow
In centuries past, Dún Dearcáin was a holy site for strong enough to be moved and replanted, the
the followers of Cill Dara, the Church of the Oak. Sluagh swept across Tír Nascath. The monks of
When an acorn fell from the Golden Oak in Céad Dún Dearcáin were transformed into mindless
Darach, which happened only once every few Marvach, and the young oak was left to fend for
hundred years, it was brought here to be planted itself. However, when the host of the dead moved
in the rich, dark soil. The monks who lived in Dún on, one of the Sluagh stayed, coiling itself around
Dearcáin tended the sapling, ensuring it grew and within the tree and feeding on its life force.
strong and healthy. Once it was resilient enough The tree slowly petrified, but its roots continued to
to stand on its own, the tree and the earth beneath spread out into the earth, draining the life from the
it would be uprooted. A procession of monks and land and turning the soil into a blackened sludge.
pilgrims would then set out from Dún Dearcáin
and Céad Darach to replant the young oak in a A few weeks ago, a white acorn grew on one of
new home elsewhere in Tír Nascath. In this way, the sapling’s branches. The impossible fruit has
all of the other Great Cities were born. As far as no right to exist, and the lone Sluagh guards it
anyone knows, none of the other Great Oaks have preciously, waiting for it to fall so a new tree may
ever borne fruit. grow on which it can feed.

Dead Wood | Chapter 3 39

 In truth, the inhabitants are still here, buried deep in Fruit of the Tree
the earth as slumbering Marvach. A character who When one of the party members reaches the sapling or
spends 10 minutes digging in the wet ground around if someone unearths the remains of one of the followers
the tree has a 5% chance of uncovering one of the of Cill Dara, read or paraphrase the following text:
villagers. If this happens, skip to Rotten Soil.
A soul-piercing screech echoes through what
THE SAPLING remains of Dún Dearcáin as a furious spirit erupts
The withered white sapling at the centre of Dún from within the tree. It swirls up from the sunken
Dearcáin is a little over 5 feet tall and has sunk over hollow in a tangle of tattered cloth and rattling
20 feet into the earth. Gnarled roots spread out from chains. Blazing blue eyes glare out from within the
the tree into the rich soil around it. A character who frayed hood that conceals its face, and spiked chains
succeeds a DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) Check knows form a gag where its mouth would be. It pulls at
that the roots are far thicker than they should be for a the bloody noose around its neck and dives down
sapling of this size. to attack.

Reaching the sapling may prove difficult. The area for THE LONE SLUAGH
100 feet around the tree is wet, sucking mud, and is The creature is one of the Sluagh (see page 43), a spirit
Difficult Terrain. When a creature gets within 30 feet of the accursed dead. It was lurking in the Otherworld,
of the tree, the land becomes a thick bog-like mire that watching the party, and crossed over when they
slowly sucks the creature into the earth. A character approached the sapling. The party are Surprised for
sinks 1 foot each round while standing still, or 1d4 + the first round of combat. The Sluagh uses Horrifying
1 feet if they moved this round. Another character can Visage on its first turn and then targets the creature
use an action to pull a sinking creature out of the bog nearest the sapling, using its Soul Drain attack. When
by making a Strength Check with a DC equal to 10 + reduced to 20 Hit Points or less, the Sluagh uses its
the number of feet the target has sunk. Once within 5 Move Between Worlds action to hide in the Otherworld.
feet of the tree, a character can use the gnarled roots of It then tries to ambush the weakest or most isolated
the sapling to pull themselves out by making the same party member. If one of the party has the white acorn,
Check. it prioritises them over anyone else.

When a character reaches the sapling, a Sluagh erupts In the second round of combat, Marvach claw their
from the tree and emits an ear-splitting scream. Move way out of the earth, as described below.
on to Fruit of the Tree.
ROTTEN SOIL
At the start of the second round of combat, anyone
with a Passive Perception of 15 or higher notices that
KEEPERS OF THE OAK the earth in and around the tree has begun to shift and
move. 1d4 + 1 Marvach (see page 42) pull themselves
When the Sluagh swept over Dún Dearcáin, they from the ground and are added to the Initiative order.
tore the souls from the monks who dwelt there, At the start of each subsequent round, there is a 50%
leaving them as Marvach — hollowed-out husks chance another Marvach will pull itself free. There are
who hate all living things. Whether through a total of 10 Marvach buried in the earth.
some lingering fragment of their past selves or
simply because they had nowhere else to go, the If the party are struggling to deal with the Marvach
monks remained in Dún Dearcáin. As the land and the Sluagh, you can have the Marvach appear
was transformed into a sucking mire, it slowly more slowly or become stuck in the mire, only able to
swallowed the monks up, burying them in the attack a character that comes within range. Likewise,
blackened earth in a perversion of the Cill Dara if the party are making light work of the creatures, the
burial rites. There they remained for centuries Marvach can emerge 1d4 at a time, or you can increase
until awoken by the Sluagh’s scream. the total number of Marvach in the encounter.

40 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

CONCLUSION Returning Home
With the Sluagh and Marvach defeated, the party have Now that the party has a better idea of the threats
successfully completed their first expedition. But what that await them in the Cuilchemar, they may wish to
now? Below are some suggestions for what the party return home to better prepare. As long as they take the
might do next. You can use these to create your own same route, the party does not need to Explore when
stories and continue your adventures in Tír Nascath. travelling back to Céad Darach and can make it back
to the city in two or three days. They will likely need to

The White Acorn

find more food and water for the return journey.

The Road Goes On

The existence of the white acorn is a mystery. The party
may rightly decide that an acorn born from a dead tree
inhabited by a vengeful spirit is not the solution that With their first expedition under their belt, the party
will save Céad Darach. However, as far as they know, it might decide to forge ahead and continue their
is the first-ever acorn to grow on another of the Great adventures. There is plenty more to explore in the
Oaks, and there may be something they, or someone Cuilchemar, and they will face no end of challenges.
back in the city, can learn from it. They must be well prepared if they wish to venture
beyond the woods.

The Fate of
Dún Dearcáin THANK YOU!
With the undead defeated, Dún Dearcáin is now
relatively safe and could serve as an outpost for the Beyond the Woods has been a labour of love for
party. It is roughly two days from Dún Dearcáin to a long time and is the culmination of months of
Céad Darach, and its central position within the writing and design. If you enjoyed this Quick Start,
Cuilchemar makes it a good staging point for further check out the website to learn more about the full
expeditions into or beyond the woods. There are plenty game, and please consider supporting it when it
of raw materials that are still usable, and one or more launches on Kickstarter.
of the cabins could be rebuilt to provide shelter and a
safe place to rest. However, just because Dún Dearcáin Go raibh míle maith agat — a thousand thank yous.
is free of the undead for now doesn’t mean that other
creatures and spirits will not be drawn to it or the white - Emmet
sapling at its heart.

Dead Wood | Chapter 3 41

 ENEMIES Marvach
This section includes two new creatures — the Marvach
and the Sluagh. The Tír Nascath Setting Guide includes Medium Undead, Chaotic Evil
over a dozen more Irish-inspired creatures for your AC: 11 Speed: 35 ft.
Beyond the Woods campaign. HP: 13 (2d8 + 4) Initiative: +1 (11)
Mod Save Mod Save Mod Save
Str 16 +3 +5 Dex 13 +1 +1 Con 14 +2 +2
MARVACH Int 9 −1 −1 Wis 10 +0 +0 Cha 6 −2 −2
Marvach are created when a Sluagh tears the soul free
Proficiency Bonus: +2
from a mortal body. All that remains are hollowed-out
Skills: Athletics +5
husks cursed to exist in a state of perpetual undeath. Immunities: Poison; Charmed, Exhaustion, Poisoned
They are creatures of rage and hunger who bear an Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10
uncontrollable hatred for all living things. Languages: Understands the languages it knew in life but can't
speak
CR: ½ (100 XP)
Marvach look almost as they did in life but appear
Traits
in a constant state of decay and renewal. They have
Regeneration: The Marvach regains 1 Hit Points at the start
pale skin and sunken eyes, and most have jagged and of its turn. If the Marvach takes fire damage, this trait doesn't
cracked teeth from tearing at flesh and bone. Their function at the start of its next turn. The Marvach only dies if it
skin is cracked and flakes away when touched, only to starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.
regrow moments later. Actions
Bite: Melee Attack Roll: +3, reach 5 ft. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing
damage. The Marvach regains Hit Points equal to the damage
Marvach are frighteningly quick and are relentless in dealt.
their brutality. They are hard to kill due to their ability
Slam: Melee Attack Roll: +5, reach 5 ft. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3)
to regenerate and must be burned to truly be destroyed. bludgeoning damage. If the Marvach moved at least 20 feet
straight toward the target immediately before the hit, the target
takes an extra 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage and, if it is Large or
SLUAGH smaller, is knocked Prone.
The Sluagh are the tortured spirits of the unforgiven Reactions
dead, returned from the Otherworld to reap mortal
Blood Soaked Fury: When the Marvach reduces a creature to
souls to join their undead horde. A great host of Sluagh 0 Hit Points or knocks them Unconscious, it can immediately
swept across Tír Nascath centuries ago, bringing death move up to its Speed and make a Slam attack.
and destruction wherever it went. The host has since
fragmented, and its accursed warriors have spread
throughout the lands of shadow in search of anyone IRISH MONSTERS
still living.
Below is a list of 5e creatures that you can in your
Sluagh vary in strength. The weakest are little more than Beyond the Woods campaign:
spectres, capable only of slowly draining the souls from
• Angry spirits, including Banshees, Ghosts,
their prey and leaving hollowed-out Marvach in their
Shadows, Spectres, Wights, and Wraiths.
wake. However, as Sluagh consume souls, they grow
more powerful, taking forms closer to what they were • Mythological monsters, including Werewolves,
in life but twisted and monstrous. These great spirits Vampires (the Abhartach), Fomorians, and the
can tear a soul clean from a mortal’s body, adding it to Cyclops (to represent Balor).
the host. Regardless of their form, all Sluagh fear and • Creatures from the Otherworld, including Pixies,
hate iron weapons. Sprites, Will-o’-wisps, Dryads, Green Hags, and
Dopplegangers (to represent Changelings).
The spectre that haunts Dún Dearcáin is one of the • Animals, including Cats, Crows, Ravens, Owls,
weaker Sluagh, having spent centuries feeding on Giant Owls, Badgers, Giant Badgers, Deer,
fragments of life from the sapling and the surrounding Elk, Giant Elk, Mastiffs (to represent the Irish
earth rather than on souls. Wolfhound), Wolves, and Dire Wolves.

42 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

Sluagh Sluagh Weaknesses: The Sluagh has the following weaknesses:
Cold Iron: When damaged by a weapon with the Iron property
(see page 26), the Sluagh loses all its Damage Resistances and
Medium Undead, Chaotic Evil Immunities until the end of its next turn. The Sluagh also loses
AC: 12 Speed: Fly 40 ft. (hover) its Resistances and Immunities while bound in iron chains or
HP: 39 (6d8 + 12) Initiative: +2 (12) doused with iron filings (see page 27 for more information).
Mod Save Mod Save Mod Save
Additionally, while affected by iron in this way, the Sluagh can’t
use its Move Between Worlds action.
Str 12 +1 +1 Dex 15 +2 +2 Con 14 +2 +2
Int 6 −2 −2 Wis 12 +1 +1 Cha 9 −1 −1 Light of the Golden Oak: The Sluagh takes 20 radiant damage
when it starts its turn in the light of one of the Great Golden
Proficiency Bonus: +2 Oaks. While in the light, it has Disadvantage on attack rolls
Skills: Perception +3, Stealth +5 and ability checks.
Vulnerabilities: Radiant Actions
Resistances: Acid, Fire, Lightning, Thunder; Bludgeoning, Soul Drain: Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks that aren’t from creature. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) necrotic damage, and the target's
an Iron weapon Wisdom score is reduced by 1d4. The target dies if this reduces
Immunities: Cold, Necrotic, Poison; Charmed, Exhaustion, its Wisdom to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target
Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, finishes a Long Rest. A humanoid slain in this way rises 1d20
Restrained hours later as a Marvach.
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13
Languages: Understands Common and Goídelc but can’t speak Horrifying Visage: Each non-undead creature within 60 feet
of the Sluagh that can see it must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom
CR: 2 (450 XP) Saving Throw or be Frightened for 1 minute. A Frightened target
Traits can repeat the Saving Throw at the end of each of its turns,
ending the Frightened Condition on itself on a success. If a
Detect Life: The Sluagh can magically sense the presence of target's Saving Throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the
living creatures up to 1 mile away. It knows the general direction target is immune to this Sluagh’s Horrifying Visage for the next
they’re in but not their exact locations. 24 hours.
Otherworldly Sight: The Sluagh can see 60 feet into the Move Between Worlds: The Sluagh enters the Otherworld from
Otherworld when it is in this world, and vice versa. this world, or vice versa. It can see into either world using its
Incorporeal Movement: The Sluagh can move through other Otherworldy Sight, but it can’t affect or be affected by anything in
creatures and objects as if they were Difficult Terrain. It takes 5 the opposite world.
(1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Dead Wood | Chapter 3 43

 Explore a dark fantasy world inspired by
ancient Irish myth and legend
• Two Books: The Beyond the Woods Core Book has everything you need to run old-school hexcrawl adventures
in any setting and includes rules for character creation, exploration, survival, and more; while the Tír Nascath
Setting Guide details the history of the lands of shaodw and gives the GM advice and tools for running
adventures in this unique dark fantasy world.

• Map and Stickers: Illustrated by legendary cartographer Jared Blando, the fold-out map of Tír Nascath is the
perfect way to begin your adventures and includes a sticker sheet to track your conquests (or commemorate
the fallen!).

• 4 New Lineages: Drawn from Irish mythology, players can choose from Púca, Aos Sí, Changeling, or Baloran
— descendants of the legendary fomorian Balor!

• 6 New Classes: Play as a Channeller, Draoi, Hunter, Mage, Warrior, or Storyteller — a unique class inspired
by the Irish seanchaí and the grand tradition of oral storytelling.

• Exploration: New rules for travel, resting, and hexcrawl exploration, plus a completely reimagined inventory
and encumbrance system inspired by classic survival horror videogames like Resident Evil.

• Survival: Intuitive resource dice to track hunger and starvation, along with new rules for healing and dying,
mean that the risk of death is very real.

• Irish Monsters: Over a dozen terrifying creatures inspired by Irish folklore, including the keening Bean Sí,
the bloodthirsty Avartach, and the terrifying Sluagh — a spectral legion of the accursed dead who harvest the
souls of anyone they cross.

• Adventures: Three complete adventure sites to explore, with more unlocked (plus guest writers!) as the
campaign progresses!

Follow now on

for exclusive early bird discounts!

44 Beyond the Woods | Quickstart

 PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

Word/Phrase Pronounced Inspiration/Translation

Aos Sí Ay-os (or eys) shee The aos sí/aes sídhe from Irish myth.
Badb bav The goddess Badb/Badhbh, one of the three aspects of the Morrigan.
Ballarainn Mountains balar-in In Irish, balla iarainn, meaning ‘iron wall’.
Baloran bal-OR-in Balor, a legendary Fomorian warrior from Irish myth.
Barrbán Mountains bar-bawn In Irish, barr bán, meaning ‘white top’.
Bás an tsaoil bos on sayl Meaning ‘death of life’ in Irish.
Becuille bay-KOOL-yah Becuille/Bé Chuille/Bé Chuma, a sorceress from Irish myth.
Céad Darach KAYD dar-ok Meaning ‘first oak’ in Irish.
Crílashrok KREE-lash-rok In Irish, croí lasrach, meaning ‘heart of flame’.
Cruachan crewak-AWN The tale of the Cave of Cruachan, collected by Lady Augusta Gregory
Cuilchemar kwil-chamar In Irish, coillte marbh, meaning ‘dead woods’.
Cútaiv koo-tayv In Irish, cú taibshe, meaning ‘ghost hound’.
Daoine DEE-nee Meaning ‘folk’ or ‘people’ in Irish.
Dianchecht dee-in-kekt Dian Cécht, the god of healing from Irish myth.
Draoi dree Meaning ‘wizard’ or ‘magician’, and inspired by the original druids.
Duilleórga dill-orr-gah In Irish, duilleog órga, meaning ‘golden leaf ’.
Dún Dearcáin DOON dahrk-awn In Irish, dún an dearcáin, meaning ‘fort of the acorn’.
Éandu ay-an-doo Étain/Édaín/Adaon, a heroine from Irish myth.
Fréavacha fray-ah-vahka In Irish, freamhacha, meaning ‘roots’.
Marvach mar-vahk In Irish, march ach, meaning ‘dead, but…’.
Meadhbh mayv Meadhbh/Medb/Maeve, legendary Queen of Ulster.
Mogruith mog-rooth Mug Ruith/Mogh Roith, a blind druid from Irish myth.
Púca POO-ka Púca/pookah, faerie tricksters from Irish myth.
Seanchaí shan-a- kee Traditional Irish storytellers, meaning ‘bearer of old lore’.

Sluagh SLOO-ah The sluagh na marbh, or ‘host of the dead’, vengeful spirits who would
snatch folk away.
Tír Nascath TEER nahs-kuhth In Irish, tír na scátha, meaning ‘land of shadow’

Dead Wood | Chapter 3 45