Random Forest Locations

Photo 49574173 | Creepy Forest © Guasor | Dreamstime.com

 

Who doesn't need random locations in a forest? People who don't run awesome games, that's who. Since that isn't you, I've got you covered with Random Forest Locations. Only one location has overt elements of the macabre, but please spice them up as much as you like when you use them. I know I will. . . 

3D6 Result	Random Forest Location	Notes
3	Hunting Lodge	Animal heads, paintings, and old weapons on display on the walls, large fireplace, beds with lots of blankets and quilts, medium wood interior, had working water and electricity at one point
4	Hunting Cabin	Exterior toilet, well water with hand pump, one room containing a couple of military cots, woodburning stove, stack of wood, table and mismatched chairs, maybe a shed nearby
5	Fishing Hut	Exterior fish cleaning table made of thick, heavy wood, no bathrooms on site, one cot, one sleeping bad, one small table, and two chairs
6	Vacation Cabin	3 stories tall, basement, 3 car garage, outdoor games, kayaks, hot tub/jacuzzi, fishing equipment, comfortable furniture all around a particular style (i.e., they all match), had water, electricity, and cable at some point, big screen TVs in several rooms, basement has pool table, bar area
7	Rental Cabin	Often found in D10 quantities, dusty interior with basic needs (beds, table, chairs, gas stove) battery operated camping lights, cupboards
8	Old Campfire	Several logs for chairs, empty cans of beer, food wrappers, beat-up vehicle nearby (dead battery and likely other issues), with nothing of use besides a source of shelter from the weather
9	Campsite	Basic trip-wire security noisemaker set-up, several tents of various sizes, gas stove
10	Mansion 1	Designed to blend in with the environment, likely inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, furniture is slightly off and perhaps not quite Euclidean
11	Mansion 2	Neo-Brutalist villa, concrete exterior with some reflective glass surfaces, interior has mid-century style furniture and not an ounce of personality of the former owner
12	Wall Compound	Several homes, a large pole-barn, a hidden underground bunker, four car garage with three very expensive trucks parked in it, interior of the homes will indicate what type of compound this was (militia, religious, farming, sex, etc.)
13	Recording Studio	Likely converted from an early 20th century home, this building was turned into office space, recording space, and kept the kitchen, bathroom, and one of the bedrooms in place; the recording studio and related rooms could be for audio, short video, or full-length films
14	Farm House	An old home with good bones, a nearby barn for cows or pigs, maybe, another outbuilding for farming or ranching equipment, several sets of human remains scattered amongst the rooms and locations (all in peaceful poses as if they died exactly where they wanted to and not from a violent end); could be a classic “haunted house”
15	Gas Station – Bait Shop	An old affair that should have disintegrated decades ago, two non-working fuel pumps, animals have eaten nearly anything worth eating inside the shop, fishing gear and CB equipment displayed on walls, tobacco products, warm near-beer, a deceased person behind the counter, fly-paper strung up throughout the establishment
16	Fence Line	A wood fence line less than 50 yards in length, there is Christian iconography nailed to the fence every foot to two feet and all of it is facing the same direction
17	Trailer	Jammed between two groups of small trees, rusting, moisture and insects have terrorized the inside of this structure, several dead bodies in various stages of decomposition, rotten food, potentially snakes, hole in the roof has let in water over the years and the nearby floor beds threaten to give way whenever anyone walks near them
18	Burnt Tree	A small section of the forest was burned, in the center of the burned section is a large tree, around the tree are the skeletal remains of three people who were handcuffed together facing outward, and one of the three was shot in the head with a commonly owned bullet caliber

Many of these locations may be found on or near water. The water maybe a river, creek, lake, or large pond. For larger bodies of water, there may be an island in the middle of it. There could be piers for small (less than 20 foot) boats or platforms anchored to the bottom of the lake used for sunbathing away from shore. If the Gas Station – Bait Shop is near water, there may be a fuel pump for diesel, an area for cleaning fish, and a ramp into the water.

The contents of these locations are left to the Zombie Master. More bodies are always appropriate, but so are basement doors that are too tough to break down, requiring the completion of a puzzle to open. Were doors or windows left open? If so, have animals destroyed the interior contents? Has a family of bears moved in? Is someone storing zombies in the building? Why?

You are encouraged to fill these locations with the macabre, with splatter-punk, and with empty souls. What will make them interesting to you, so that you in turn make them interesting to your players? What will set them on edge? Is there a character drawback that will draw them into investigating the location? Is there something behind the characters pushing them towards the location? It could be bad weather, time of day, a badass biker gang looking for scalps to claim, or a small horde of zombies searching for their next meal. Work the location into your game, Massage it until it becomes intertwined with the setting. Smile with your eyes when you describe the location.

But when you’re done with it, make sure the exit is just as creepy, just as violent (or eerily quiet), just as intriguing as when you found it. Why are those crows watching the characters? They weren’t here earlier – or at least, you didn’t notice them here earlier.

Random Forest Locations © 2023 Derek Stoelting