Welcome to the table, adventurers. You are standing on the precipice of a world caught between magnificent echoes of the past and the stark reality of the present.
Look out across your maps—this is the continent of Zenith, anchored by the towering, clay-walled spires of The Last City. Behind you lies the high-energy, clockwork civilization of the main metropolitan hub, where mortal life makes its final, defiant stand. Just outside those grand gates sits The Underside, a gritty sprawl of frontier shanties where newcomers and desperate souls try to scratch out a living under the shadow of the spires.
Beyond the safety of the city walls, the world breaks wide open into a beautiful, treacherous sandbox. From the rolling cherry blossom orchards and deep mines of the Fractured Plains to the dizzying, mist-shrouded vertical drops of Galian Valley, the land demands every ounce of your cleverness and raw physical grit. You will need to rely on your training—whether that means relying on pure Strength and Athletics to scale the freezing, wind-battered heights of Turtle Top, navigating the shifting sand traps of the Emerald Desert, or utilizing sharp Agility and Acrobatics to dodge sudden ambushes in the lawless boardwalks of The Ramshackle.
The wilderness grows stranger the further you march. The bioluminescent, toxic trails of the Sporewood wait to test your endurance, while the jagged volcanic glass walls of the central Obsidian Fortress project a quiet, imposing dread over the entire region. The old highways like the Queen's Path are cracked, the ancient palace ruins of Ruler's Reach are guarded by forgotten constructs, and the shifting tides of the Radiant Coast hide secrets meant to remain lost.
In this campaign, you aren't just surviving; you are pushing back the boundaries of the unknown. Check your gear, open your journals, and ready your dice.
1. Zenith City (The Main Hub)
The Vibe: The last great metropolitan bastion of mortal civilization. It is a soaring city filled with massive, clean stone plazas, clockwork machinations, and synthesis stations where adventurers forge mystical gear.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Safe Zone: Characters automatically recover lost health and Stamina during rest without risk of random encounters.
Trading & Crafting: Access to high-quality gear. Merchant transactions use standard Open D6 Funds or Commerce checks. Finding rare components requires a Moderate (15) Investigation or Wit roll.
2. The Underside
The Vibe: An isolated, gritty frontier settlement clustered right outside the main city walls. It serves as a starter training ground and a refugee camp for those who haven’t earned citizenship inside the grand spires of Zenith.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Starter Tier: Designed for starting characters (approx. 0–10 Character Points spent).
Terrain Challenges: Navigating the dense, unstable shanties requires an Easy (10) Acrobatics, Agility, or Athletics check during chases to avoid tripping hazards or scrambling over low rooftops. Early combat consists of low-attribute bandits (2D to 3D in combat skills).
3. Fractured Plains
The Vibe: A massive, rolling agricultural plain dominated by idyllic cherry blossom villages, sprawling farmsteads, and deep, dark mining operations.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Low-Level Wilderness: Geared for growing characters.
Tracking & Tactical Movement: Open spaces mean long range. Tracking targets or navigating the cavernous mines requires an Easy (10) to Moderate (15) Tracking or Search roll. Enemies include mechanical pests with high Agility but low Scale value modifiers.
4. Galian Valley
The Vibe: A breathtaking, fairy-tale valley featuring picturesque, rustic mountain villages nestled between sheer cliffs and cascading rivers.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Mid-Tier Scaling: Best suited for characters with established skill dice (combats default to 4D+ opposition).
Verticality & Athletics: The steep elevation shifts make vertical movement hazardous. Characters scaling the cliffs can conquer the heights with a Difficult (20) Climbing, Might, Strength, or Athletics check. Falling damage follows standard D6 distance-based damage ratings.
5. Radiant Coast
The Vibe: A shimmering, sun-bleached coastline dotted with towering seaside cliffs and ancient, crumbling ruins. The water looks beautiful, but the shifting tides hide jagged rocks and deep sea caves.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Aquatic Hazards: Swimming or piloting a small vessel through the jagged reefs requires a Moderate (15) Swimming or Piloting / Navigation check.
Amphibious Threats: Foes use underwater camouflage, imposing a +5 Difficulty modifier to initial player Search checks to spot an ambush.
6. Turtle Top
The Vibe: A massive, towering mountain peak that dominates the northern skyline, shaped remarkably like a giant turtle shell. The air is thin, freezing, and constantly battered by mountain gales.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Environmental Toll: Extreme cold forces characters to make a Moderate (15) Stamina, Physique, or raw Strength roll every hour to resist freezing. Failure results in a temporary 1D penalty to all Agility actions due to frostbite.
Gale Winds: Ranged weapon attacks suffer a +10 Difficulty penalty due to high-altitude crosswinds. Fighting or moving against the wind on narrow ledges requires a Moderate (15) Athletics check to keep your footing.
7. Obsidian Fortress
The Vibe: A dark, imposing stronghold forged from jagged, volcanic glass that sits like a scar right in the middle of the continent. It radiates pure tactical dread and looks heavily fortified.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
High-Security Dungeon: Elite guards have high Melee Combat and Brawling defenses (5D+).
Infiltration or Assault: Infiltrating past the razor-sharp glass fortifications requires a Very Difficult (25) Sneak or Hide check. Failing a physical check near the walls inflicts 2D of piercing damage from the volcanic glass edges.
8. Amarite Forest
The Vibe: A dense, ancient woodland where the trees grow incredibly thick and the canopy completely blocks out the sun. The forest floor is cast in perpetual twilight, filled with glowing flora and eerie silences.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Perpetual Twilight: The dense canopy causes a permanent +5 Difficulty penalty to all sight-based Search and ranged attack rolls unless characters possess dark-vision traits.
Disorientation: Navigating without a compass requires a Moderate (15) Survival or Navigation check every few miles to avoid traveling in circles.
9. Scarlet Vale
The Vibe: A striking valley washed in deep crimson and autumn hues. The earth itself seems stained by old magic, and the rivers run thick with mineral-rich, red-tinted waters.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Alchemical Foraging: Characters can search for rare crimson herbs by beating a Moderate (15) Know-How or Magic/Alchemy check.
Blood-Red Mists: When a mist storm blows in, characters must succeed on a Moderate (15) Willpower or Metaphysics check each round or succumb to hallucinations, applying a 1D penalty to all Wit and Agility skills.
10. Sporewood
The Vibe: A massive, surreal biome dominated by towering, glowing fungal stalks, bioluminescent moss, and floating spores that drift through the air like snow.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Toxin Exposure: Entering without protective filters requires a Difficult (20) Stamina check every 10 minutes. Failure inflicts 1D of internal poison damage that bypasses armor.
Shifting Cover: The rapid growth of giant fungal stalks dynamically alters battlefield sightlines, granting sudden full or partial cover (+5 to +15 to combat difficulty numbers).
11. Skysong Summit
The Vibe: A jagged, wind-swept plateau that reaches high into the clouds. The rock formations are naturally hollowed out by the elements, creating a constant, haunting musical whistle whenever the wind blows.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Sonic Resonance: Sudden bursts of high-intensity wind through the hollow stones force a Moderate (15) Reflexes or Agility check to avoid being knocked prone.
Acoustic Interference: The intense whistling increases the difficulty of sound-based Search/Investigation checks and verbal communication by +10.
12. Fangled Cove
The Vibe: A hidden, jagged bay tucked into the northeastern corner of the map. It's choked with sharp coral reefs, shipwrecks, and secret smugglers' dens carved directly into the seaside cavern walls.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Seafaring Maneuvers: Navigating a vessel into the hidden cove safely requires a Difficult (20) Piloting or Boating check.
Smuggler Networks: Interacting with local black markets grants a +1D bonus to Streetwise or Persuasion checks if the character possesses a criminal background or underworld connection.
13. The Ramshackle
The Vibe: A chaotic, sprawling scrap-settlement built entirely out of salvaged ruins, broken machinery, and leftover timber. It’s loud, dangerous, and completely lawless.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Urban Danger: The tight, rickety boardwalks require constant balance. Combatants pushed or tripped must make an Easy (10) Acrobatics or Athletics check to hold their ground. Failing means falling through a structure, taking 1D to 3D falling damage depending on the height of the scrap pile. Pushing through heavy piles of junk or debris to clear a path requires a Moderate (15) Strength check.
14. Ruler’s Reach
The Vibe: A majestic, heavily fortified high-level plateau overlooking the southern plains. It features ancient, colossal monuments, grand stone arches, and ruined palaces from a forgotten dynasty.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
High-Tier Threats: Ancient constructs patrol the ruins, sporting heavy armor plating (Damage Resistance modifiers of +2D or higher) and massive combat pools (6D+).
Tactical Geometry: The massive stone blocks provide excellent tactical cover. Attacking targets behind these ancient parapets adds a +10 or +15 modifier to the attacker's combat difficulty.
15. Queen’s Path & Emerald Desert
The Vibe: A stark, shimmering desert of green-tinted sand dunes that stretches across the southeastern edge of the map, bordered by a grand, crumbling highway known as the Queen's Path.
Open D6 Mechanics & Features:
Endgame Attrition: Traversing the Emerald Desert requires daily Very Difficult (25) Survival rolls to manage rations and water properly.
Shifting Quicksand: Stepping off the paved stone of the Queen's Path can trigger quicksand traps. Escaping a sand sinkhole requires a Difficult (20) Might, Lifting, Strength, or Athletics check from the trapped character to claw their way out, or from an ally hauling them up with a rope.
Product Identity & Legal
The following items are designated Product Identity of Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. / The Adventures of Captain Hedges: The specific regional layouts, lore, and narrative details of Zenith City, The Underside, Fractured Plains, Galian Valley, Radiant Coast, Turtle Top, Obsidian Fortress, Amarite Forest, Scarlet Vale, Sporewood, Skysong Summit, Fangled Cove, The Ramshackle, Ruler's Reach, Queen's Path, and the Emerald Desert. This report is a non-commercial fan work. This work utilizes the Open D6 system; mechanics referenced from the D6 System are used under the Open Game License (OGL v1.0a). © 2026 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.
Everything is fully written out and ready to go for your records. Now that you have the whole map laid down in one place, what kind of starting encounter or plot hook do you want to throw at your players when they hit the table?
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