A dv en t ur e a nd Per il in Fa iry ta le Wo od s

Welcome to Dolmenwood
dolmenwood.com
 Welcome to Dolmenwood
Version 2.2

T
his PDF reproduces the initial, introductory section of the
full Dolmenwood Player’s Book, providing a wanderer’s
first taste of the beguiling, fungus-encrusted realm of
Dolmenwood.

Writing: Gavin Norman. Layout: Gavin Norman. Visual design: Vasili Kaliman, Gavin Norman. Art: Chris Huth, Pauliina
Hannuniemi, Mish Scott. Dolmenwood player’s map: Jonathan Newell, coloured by Zach Kallas. Dolmenwood logo: Tim
Hastings. Setting conception: Dolmenwood was originally conceived by Gavin Norman and Greg Gorgonmilk in 2013. It
was partially developed in the Wormskin zine (2015–2018), before being fully realised in the Dolmenwood Player’s Book,
Dolmenwood Campaign Book, and Dolmenwood Monster Book.
Text and design © 2023 Necrotic Gnome. Dolmenwood®, Old-School Essentials™, and all related characters and elements are © 2023 Necrotic Gnome. All Rights
Reserved. Art credits by page: 1 © 2023 Chris Huth; cover, 3 © 2023 Pauliina Hannuniemi, 2 © 2023 Mish Scott.
 The Journey Begins
A wanderer’s first steps into the perilous realm of Dolmenwood.

T
his book is a gateway to adventure in the beguil- Forage for weird fungi and herbs in the untrod depths of
ing realm of Dolmenwood—a swathe of tangled the woods, many with useful magical powers—and many
woods, fungus-encrusted glades, and foetid that can be sold for profit.
marsh on the wild borders of civilisation. Rife with Strike against Chaos, defending civilisation from the
intrigue, secrets, and magic, Dolmenwood draws travel- encroaching forces of the wicked, half-unicorn Nag-Lord
lers of adventurous spirit, daring them to venture within. who lurks in the corrupted northern woods.
Explore the wild places of the Wood, travelling through Unravel secrets of deep magic, charting the obelisks,
bramble-choked dells, fungus-encrusted glades, and foetid dolmens, and ley lines littered throughout Dolmenwood—
marshes, bedding down among root and bracken amid the but beware the sinister Drune cult that wards them.
nocturnal babbling of strange beasts.
Seek the counsel of witches and hags, masters of magic
Unearth treasure hordes in forgotten ruins, haunted fairy that can heal, hex, or divine the future.
manors, dripping caverns, crystal grottoes, unhallowed
barrow mounds, and abandoned delvings. Meddle in the affairs of the nobility, allying with a noble
house in its intrigues and power plays in the courts of
Confront fell beasts, roving fungal monstrosities, terrible High-Hankle and Castle Brackenwold.
wyrms, tricksome fairies, and restless spirits of the long
deceased. Journey along fairy roads, ancient magical paths border-
ing on the ageless realm of Fairy that allow travel through-
Recover saintly relics and shrines lost in the befuddling out Dolmenwood—and perchance to realms beyond.
tangle of the Wood, gaining the favour of the Church by
returning them to civilisation. Return to the homely hearth to share tales of peril with
quaint locals over a mug of ale and a well-stoked pipe.

Inspirational Media ▶ On Fairy-Stories—J.R.R Tolkien

The following books, films, and television series inspired ▶ Smith of Wootton Major—J.R.R. Tolkien
the creation of Dolmenwood. They are recommended as ▶ Stardust—Neil Gaiman
imagination fodder for all players. ▶ The White People—Arthur Machen

Books
Films
▶ The Charwoman’s Shadow­—Lord Dunsany
▶ The Green Knight—David Lowery
▶ The Fellowship of the Ring (Book 1)—J.R.R Tolkien
▶ Labyrinth—Jim Henson
▶ Goblin Market—Christina Rossetti
▶ Legend—Ridley Scott
▶ Gormenghast—Mervyn Peake
▶ Princess Mononoke—Hayao Miyazaki
▶ Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell—Susanna Clarke
▶ Spirited Away—Hayao Miyazaki
▶ The King of Elfland’s Daughter—Lord Dunsany
▶ The Wicker Man—Robin Hardy
▶ Krabat—Ottfried Preußler
▶ The Ladies of Grace Adieu—Susanna Clarke
Television Series
▶ Lud-in-the-Mist—Hope Mirrlees
▶ Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell—BBC series
▶ Lyonesse trilogy—Jack Vance
▶ Over the Garden Wall—Patrick McHale
▶ Mio My Son—Astrid Lindgren
▶ Twin Peaks—Mark Frost and David Lynch

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The Dolmenwood Other Books
Player’s Book Referees wishing to run games set in Dolmenwood require
additional books, revealing the deep mysteries of the
This PDF reproduces the first section of the Dolmenwood
Wood.
Player’s Book. The full book contains everything play-
ers need to experience wondrous journeys and perilous The Dolmenwood Campaign Book: An exhaustive tome
adventure in the befuddling and magical Dolmenwood, detailing the secrets and lore of Dolmenwood, including
elucidating the following topics. hundreds of fantastic and perilous locations.
The Dolmenwood Monster Book: A menagerie of weird
Part 1: Welcome to Dolmenwood beasts, fickle fairies, and strange spirits that inhabit the
(Reproduced in this PDF.) Reveals common knowledge wild places of the Wood.
about the people, places, and factions of Dolmenwood Dolmenwood adventure scenarios: A series of adventures
that can be gleaned by talking with its natives. set in Dolmenwood, presented in an easy-to-use format,
perfect for the time-pressed referee.
Part 2: Starting Play
Introduces the basics of role-playing games, along with
instructions on how to create a character to begin explor-
ing Dolmenwood.

Part 3: Kindreds
Describes the six most common kindreds of sentient folk
in Dolmenwood. Players may be a proud, goat-headed breg-
gle, a wide-eyed elf stepped straight from Fairy, a trick-
some grimalkin cat-fairy, a worldly or hapless human, a
fungus-riddled mossling, or a capricious, bat-faced wood-
grue.

Part 4: Classes
Describes nine adventuring professions that define a
character’s talents and powers, as well as their role in an
adventuring party. Players may be an ardent cleric, a wilful
enchanter, a dashing fighter, a jolly friar, a stealthy hunter,
a haughty knight, an enigmatic magician, a charming
minstrel, or a wily thief.

Part 5: Magic
Elucidates the many kinds of magic available to player
characters—arcane spells, holy prayers, fairy glamours,
elf runes, and the humble magical knacks of mosslings.

Part 6: Equipment, Services, Animals

Presents a rich and detailed selection of gear, armour,
weapons, mounts, vehicles, services, and accoutrements
essential to any adventurer, including a miscellany of pipe-
leafs, beverages, and useful herbs and fungi.

Part 7: Adventuring
Explains the rules and procedures for adventures in
Dolmenwood—travelling and camping in the wilds,
exploring weird subterranean locales, and battling fero-
cious monsters.

Part 8: Appendices
Provides additional background information on the calen-
dar, noble houses, and saints of Dolmenwood, along with
optional rules for archetypal non-human characters.

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 Folk and Factions
Introducing the folk of Dolmenwood and the factions that vie for control.

Sentient Folk The Cold Prince

While humans dominate the settled reaches of Dolmen- Where now mortals reign, great fairy nobles once held
wood, they are not the only folk to call the place home. court. The entirety of Dolmenwood was once the domain
of a cruel elf lord known as the Cold Prince, lord of winter
Breggles eternal, who ruled from the palace of Hoarblight Keep
overlooking the great Lake Longmere. When humans
The High Wold region of south-western Dolmenwood has
began to settle the wild glades of Dolmenwood, a great
been ruled since ancient times by the goat-headed breg-
war between fairy and mortal ensued. Mortals eventually
gles. Breggles divide themselves into two castes, distin-
prevailed and the Cold Prince was banished to his domain
guished by the length of their horns—the aristocratic
in Fairy. Fearful tales of the his return to Dolmenwood and
longhorns and the commoner shorthorns.
his icy wrath weave a common thread through the folklore
of those who dwell within his erstwhile domain.
Mosslings
The dank, fungal-infested lowlands of Mulchgrove, in the The Nag-Lord
eastern woods, are home to a shy and stunted folk called
A wicked, trickster figure of local folklore, said to keep
mosslings, part mortal flesh and part plant or fungus.
unholy court in the twisted northern woods, where his
armies of corrupted breggles and other creatures of Chaos
Fairies and Demi-Fey lair. The Nag-Lord is portrayed in folktales as being part
Among the myriad peoples of Fairy, a number venture man, part unicorn, with nine legs (nine being regarded as
into Dolmenwood and mingle with mortal folk: elves, an especially accursed number).
otherworldly and beautiful, the little cat-folk known
as grimalkins, and bat-faced woodgrues are the most
The Drune
commonly encountered.
A cabal of sorcerers who roam the Wood, cloaked in black.
They claim the magical energies of Dolmenwood and are
Other Sentient Beings self-appointed masters of the standing stones. What gods
If one ventures off the beaten track in Dolmenwood, crea- they worship is a matter of conjecture, for they guard their
tures of many other kinds may be encountered. Goblin secrets with their lives. In the eyes of the Church they are
tricksters peddle fairy fruits and other questionable wares; heathens to be eradicated, for it is said they deal in devil
scrabies emerge from their network of tunnels, eager to worship and human sacrifice. Kidnap by the Drune is
trade; even a bird or animal may surprise travellers by among the greatest fears of the simple folk of Dolmen-
greeting them from the wayside, spinning a riddle, or curs- wood, who refer to the cult as “the Hooded Men”, fearing
ing their trespass. to speak the word “Drune”.

Factions and Powers The Witches

Mortal women who worship ancient deities in the forbid-
The Duchy of Brackenwold den depths of Dolmenwood. Their aims are obscure, but
Ruling from the supposedly impregnable Castle Bracken- it is known that they gather beneath the moon to work
wold on the south-eastern verge of the forest, the Dukes magic. In folklore, witches are variously portrayed as
of Brackenwold trace their line back to the earliest settlers depraved practitioners of human sacrifice, lustful seduc-
in the region. All mortal folk within the Wood—from the tresses (for they are said to be eternally young), and minis-
humblest beggar to the highest lord—pay fealty to the duke ters of potent cures and charms.
and the whole forest is his property.
Ygraine the Sorceress
The Pluritine Church A reclusive figure said to be the most powerful magi-
The monotheistic Pluritine Church is dominant through- cian in Dolmenwood, Ygraine dwells in the many-tiered
out Dolmenwood and beyond. While it holds much politi- Chateau Mauvesse, overlooking the black waters of the
cal clout, the Church is of late diminished in Dolmenwood. Dark Mirror. It is rumoured that her explorations of other-
Many shrines and chapels that once saw regular worship worldly realms have brought her into contact with the
have fallen into ruin and been reclaimed by the forest. Cold Prince and that she now works her magic to release
Some within the Church seek to rediscover and re-sanctify him from exile.
these lost shrines.

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 Dolmenwood Gazetteer
The most commonly traversed or spoken of regions of the Wood.

Castle Brackenwold Dolmenwood Map

The seat of the Duchy of Brackenwold and ancestral home A map of Dolmenwood is found on the following pages.
to the nobility of the line, Castle Brackenwold perches upon This map depicts the Wood as described by local folk,
a high hill with a city stretched at its feet. Alongside the including the purported locations of certain sites
mighty ducal garrison is a great cathedral—this fortress- mentioned in legend and folklore.
city is also the seat of the Church’s power in Dolmenwood.

Dreg and Shantywood Isle Lankshorn

A rough port-town and fishing village on the marshy banks The market town of Lankshorn, ruled by the breggle aris-
of the River Hameth. Dreg has a seedy reputation as a haunt tocracy, lies within a bowshot of the forest’s border. In
for gamblers, thieves, charlatans, and rascals of all stripes, Lankshorn, the traditions of the civilised south meld with
made only worse by its proximity to the lawless Shanty- the quaint, superstitious ways of Dolmenwood.
wood Isle, a notorious port of ill-repute. Dreg is also famed
for its fine sausages, made from the flesh of the swine kept Mulchgrove
in the bogs to the north of the village.
The central region of the Wood is a dank lowland riddled
with fungal forests, treacherous bogs, and twisted willow-
Fort Vulgar woods. The region is little traversed save by sentient fungal
A crude keep overlooking a port at the northern end of monstrosities and the mosslings who are native to the
Lake Longmere. Fort Vulgar is ruled by Sir Osric the Gaunt, place, loving fungi and moulds and all that is dank.
a vassal of the Duke of Brackenwold who is responsible for
the taxation of all traffic via the port. The Nagwood
The northern woods, corrupted by the presence of the
Hag’s Addle court of the wicked Nag-Lord and his foul armies. None
A region of mazy swampland around the banks of the River of sound mind venture within this twisted region of evil.
Hameth. The place is shunned not only due to the natu-
ral hazards of the marsh, but also because of the hag who Prigwort
haunts its sodden expanse. It is said that she has the power
Situated in the centre of Dolmenwood, the market town of
to see into the past and future and to raise the dead, but
Prigwort is the largest settlement beneath the eaves of the
that the price she demands in return is perilous.
forest. Famed for its breweries and distilleries, Prigwort is
ruled by a council known as the Brewmasters. Fine spirits
High-Hankle of Prigwort make are found on the tables of connoisseurs
The second largest town in Dolmenwood (after Castle far and wide.
Brackenwold), High-Hankle is the ancient capital of the
High Wold region. Its reputation is one of revelry, carous- The Ruined Abbey of St Clewyd
ing, and debauchery of all kinds. At its centre stands the
East of Lake Longmere, in the depths of Dolmenwood, a
imposing Castle Perigonne, home of the Baron Hogwarsh.
great monastery was founded, of old. The abbey now lies
in ruins, following a nocturnal assault of unknown prov-
The High Wold enance, a century past.
A barony encompassing the south-western corner of
Dolmenwood. The High Wold is noted for the ancient The Witching Ring
line of aristocratic breggles who rule in tandem with the
In the western reaches of Dolmenwood is found a vast ring
human lords of the region. The barony has become wild of
of frost-rimed stones, erected by the ancients for purpose
late under the lax rule of Baron Hogwarsh: highwaymen
now unknown. The folk of Dolmenwood name them the
ply the roads and charlatans peddle questionable wares.
“Summerstones” and the great ring which they demarcate
the “Witching Ring”.
Lake Longmere
The great lake Longmere, at the centre of Dolmenwood, The Woodcutters’ Encampment
is twelve miles broad at its widest point. No ships ply its
Once a mere woodcutters’ camp, the village is now a thriv-
waters, and anglers who frequent its shores speak fearfully
ing trade community. The locals practice unusual arts of
of lake monsters.
woodcraft and are said to have no fear of the Drune.

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