Mud Hole
A dumbass redneck adventure for TPK Dungeons where the PCs are snakeskin boot wearing Half-Giants, Humans or Halflings in the middle of a dismal swamp
Crookfang’s Curse (Pathfinder 1e Adventure)
(hopefully a Campaign eventually)
Introduction
Welcome to Crookfang’s Curse, a Points of Light Pathfinder 1e droolfest set in the wild, swampy heart of Crookfang Swamp. Civilization’s sparse here—scattered villages like Mud Hole cling to life amidst a vast, dangerous mire, surrounded by dark unknowns and ancient secrets. This ain’t no fancy kingdom; it’s a redneck struggle where Half-Giants, Humans, and Halflings scrape by, raisin’ critters, growin’ weird crops, and dodgin’ gators, snakes, and worse. Over centuries, your characters—orphans raised by Granny—will explore, survive, and pass their legacy to kids and grandkids, facin’ a swamp that hides serpentfolk ruins, corrupted kin, and a slitherin’ mastermind. Get ready for a muddy, possibly mildly amusing, and deadly adventure!
Basic Area Information: Crookfang Swamp and Mud Hole
Crookfang Swamp: A sprawling, temperate swamp of cypress knees, peat bogs, and black channels, stretchin’ miles in every direction. The climate’s damp and moody—hot, sticky summers and chilly, fog-drenched winters, with near-constant rain turnin’ the ground to sludge. Paths don’t last, as trees shuffle on new moon nights, ruinin’ trails. Hazards lurk: quicksand pits (DC 12 Perception to spot, Reflex DC 15 or stuck, Strength DC 20 to escape), swamp gas (DC 12 Perception, Fort DC 13 or sickened, flammable with 1d6 fire/10-ft. burst, Reflex DC 15 half), and critters like gators, leeches, and Will-o’-Wisps. Ancient serpentfolk and lizardfolk ruins—Drowned Spire, Black Glade—pulse with magic, corruptin’ the land.
Mud Hole: A pitiful, nameless village in Crookfang’s heart, a cluster of saggin’ shacks and lean-tos on stilts above the muck. The air’s a stew of damp rot, fish stink, Granny’s pipe smoke, and the musk of critter pens. Huts are patched with cypress bark, reeds, and rusted tin, while gardens bloom with mushrooms, bitter greens, soggy turnips, and Annona glabra (alligator apple) trees, their sour fruit a swamp staple. Skiffs bob on slimy tethers, and the place creaks like it’s one storm from sinkin’. Everyone’s got a garden, tendin’ crops for survival.
Population: ~30 souls—Half-Giants, Humans, and Halflings, plus Granny (cranky Human raisin’ orphans).
Economy & Life: Folk grow veggies and mushrooms, fish/trap eels, catfish, turtles, and giant crawdads, and hunt birds, boars, rabbits, giant frogs, and alligators. Halflings raise giant constrictors and water moccasins for eggs, meat, skin, and poison. Half-Giants tend lazy, herbivorous giant pack lizards and flocks of Axe Beaks (large carnivorous coots with a 10' swim speed) for eggs and meat. Humans make moonshine, and trap/hunt the critters above. The village’s rat-free ‘cause snakes eat ‘em. A lost merchant or tinkerer visits every few years.
Notable Features:
The Sinking Well: Mud Hole’s only freshwater, tiltin’ worse each year (nobody’s fixin’ it).
The Gator Shrine: A bone pile by Half-Giants to ward off gators.
The Tinkerer’s Cache: A mossy wagon wreck near the edge, rumored to have somethin’ valuable sunk in quicksand beside it (DC 15 Perception to spot, DC 20 Strength to haul out).
Corruption: Ancient magic from serpentfolk/lizardfolk ruins corrupts the swamp. Trees take a few steps on nights of the new moon hiding paths and trails. Gator-kin hunt the unwary.
Character Choices
Races (Limited to Start):
Half-Giant (Psionics Unleashed): Towerin’ brutes with psionic quirks, tendin’ giant pack lizards and Axe Beaks. Bonus: Psionic Surge (+1 to attack/damage 1/day, fueled by focus), +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity.
Human: Wiry, weathered swamp rats, makin’ moonshine and huntin’ critters. Bonus: Redneck Grit (+1 Fort save in harsh conditions), +2 to any ability score.
Halfling: Small, scrappy snake-raisers, tendin’ giant constrictors/moccasins. Bonus: Critter Charm (Handle Animal as class skill, +2 to tame snakes/Axe Beaks), +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength.
Classes (Limited to Start):
Fighter: Hackin’ gators and bullies with rusty axes. Bonus: Swamp Stomp (+2 to bull rush in mud), free feat (Endurance).
Wizard: Studyin’ Draconic spells on ancient stones (no portable book, Spell Mastery bonus for 1-2 spells). Bonus: Mud Magic (bonus 0-level spell like create water), +1 to spell save DCs in swamp terrain, free Linguistics (Draconic) rank.
Rogue: Sneakin’ through muck, dodgin’ dangers. Bonus: Gator Sneak (+2 to Stealth in water/mud), +1d6 sneak attack vs. aquatic creatures.
House Rules: Take a Double/Triple Flaw for two/three feats.
Granny’s Wards: All players start with snakeskin boots made by Granny. If good-aligned, they act as Boots of the Mire (here): +4 Acrobatics to avoid hazards, +2 Swim, ignore difficult terrain from mud/water. Neutral/evil get regular boots (+1 Acrobatics, no Swim bonus).
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Mud Hole Flaws
One-Eyed (Double Flaw)
Penalty: Roll twice for miss chance due to concealment and take the worst roll, -2 penalty to ranged combat.
Mud Hole Twist: A wild boar gored out your eye when you were knee-high to a grasshopper. Granny patched you up and carved you a purty wooden eye, painted blue, that looks god-awful—you oughta wear the eye patch she made. It falls out whenever an opponent hits you in melee combat, distractin’ ‘em with a -1 penalty to their Armor Class for one round (or -2 for catfolk).
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. +1 to Intimidate checks against swamp critters (they respect your scar).
Pussy (Double Flaw)
Penalty: -3 Fortitude saves and -2 penalty on physical ability checks and skill checks.
Mud Hole Twist: You shouldn’t have survived a dozen moccasin bites as a young’un, but you did—barely. Granny took it easy on you growin’ up, but it turned you into a pussy.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. Granny sneaks you a cure light wounds potion whenever you visit her, if you ain’t got one (1/day, 1d8+1 HP).
Haunted (Double Flaw)
Penalty: -1 hit point per level and -3 to Will saves.
Mud Hole Twist: You’re skittish as a rabbit in gator country, tremblin’ at every hiss or growl. Dreams of serpents wake you every night, leavin’ you frail and weak-willed. Granny’s switch can’t shake the spooks, but she keeps you close.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. +2 to Perception checks (you’re jumpy, but alert).
Wooden Leg (Double Flaw)
Penalty: Base speed is cut in half, -3 to Reflex saves.
Mud Hole Twist: A gator bit off your leg when you were a kid, chewin’ it clean. Granny carved you a wooden one from a cypress stump that was tryin’ to walk away from her—sometimes it slowly writhes while you sleep, and it feels like it zigs when you’re tryin’ to zag, throwin’ off your dodges.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. You’ve got a Swim speed of 5 ft. and don’t need to roll for treading water (you’ve mastered floatin’ with that log leg).
Fucktard (Double Flaw)
Penalty: -6 penalty to Initiative and -3 to Perception checks.
Mud Hole Twist: You’re slower than molasses in winter—your folks both had swamp fever, were drunk on moonshine, and ate too many poisonous snake eggs the night you were conceived. Gettin’ dropped on your head when you were born didn’t help none, leavin’ you dumb as a stump. Granny’s tried.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. +2 to Knowledge (Nature) (you know critters, just can’t spot ‘em).
Fight Like a Girl (Double Flaw)
Penalty: -2 penalty to hit in melee combat and -1 penalty to Armor Class.
Mud Hole Twist: Granny called you “soft as a Halfling’s pillow,” and your swings miss like a frog flailin’ in a net.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. +2 to Sneak (you learned to hide since you suck at fighting).
Book Wyrm (Double Flaw)
Penalty: -6 penalty on Initiative checks and -3 to Reflex saves.
Mud Hole Twist: You’ve spent too long porein’ over Draconic stones and Granny’s cookbooks, lost in serpentfolk lore or mud magic recipes.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. +1 free rank in Knowledge (History), always a class skill.
Emo (Double Flaw)
Penalty: -1 to Armor Class, -3 penalty on Will saves, and -2 penalty to Charisma-based skills.
Mud Hole Twist: You mope in black mud-stained clothes, thinkin’ nobody likes you—and you eat worms when no one’s lookin’, sulkin’ by the Sinking Well.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. Other Emos, crows, and were-ravens start friendly, while vermin and undead start neutral toward you (they sense your gloom).
Born Under a Bad Sign (Triple Flaw)
Penalty: -3 to all saving throws.
Mud Hole Twist: You’ve been cursed since birth—trippin’ into quicksand, bit by snakes, and charmed by malicious fey—Granny reckons it’s the swamp’s spite, and she’s given up tryin’ to fix your luck.
Benefit: Choose three extra feats. Stray dogs, harlots, black cats, and beggars start friendly.
Raised in a Snake Cult (Double Flaw)
Penalty: -1 hit point per level, -3 penalty on Will saves.
Mud Hole Twist: You escaped a dark swamp cult worshipin’ serpentfolk, leavin’ you frail and weak-willed to Crookfang’s corruption—Granny took you in, but the whispers linger, hauntin’ you.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. +2 to Perform (Dance) (you learned to sway like a snake, mimiccin’ their coils).
Son of a Witch (Double Flaw)
Penalty: -1 to all saves. Cannot be raised from the dead (soul promised to a witch’s patron). Evil outsiders and evil fey attack you first. Domestic animals start unfriendly.
Mud Hole Twist: Your ma or granny’s a swamp witch, sellin’ your soul to a serpentfolk spirit—Granny’s wary of you, and critters like pack lizards, Axe Beaks, and snakes hiss at your approach.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. Knowledge (Planes) is always a class skill.
Swamp Kin (Double Flaw)
Penalty: -4 penalty to Charisma checks, -1 hit point per level, -3 to Will saves.
Mud Hole Twist: You’re from a shunned swamp clan, hated for bein’ “snake-touched”—Granny took pity, but Mud Hole folk avoid you, and corruption weakens you.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. Survival is always a class skill.
Albino (Double Flaw)
Penalty: Light-sensitive (-3 Fortitude saves, -2 Diplomacy checks).
Mud Hole Twist: Pale white skin, red eyes, and snow-white hair—Granny hid you from sunlight and taught you some recipes since you were inside all day.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. +2 to Craft (Alchemy).
Dungeon Bred (Double Flaw)
Penalty: Roll twice for miss chance due to concealment, -2 penalty to ranged combat.
Mud Hole Twist: You grew up in the ruins of an ancient serpentfolk dungeon—by the time Granny dragged you out, your eyes were changed
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. Gain the Nocturnal template.
Loud (Double Flaw)
Penalty: -2 to Charisma, -2 Wisdom, -4 to Stealth and Diplomacy (neither can be class skills).
Mud Hole Twist: You yap louder than a gator callin’ his girlfriend—Granny’s switch couldn’t shut you up; you just hollered louder.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats.
Slack-Jawed Local (Double Flaw)
Penalty: -6 penalty on Initiative, -1 penalty to Armor Class, -2 penalty to Charisma-based skills.
Mud Hole Twist: You’re proud of Mud Hole’s backwater ways, but slow as a stump and you fight like a drunk pack lizard—Granny’s bewildered by your pride.
Benefit: Choose two extra feats. Other Mud Hole locals of your race start friendly.
Lost Pirate (Ultimate Flaw)
Penalty: Roll twice for miss chance due to concealment, -2 penalty to ranged combat. Base speed cut in half, -3 to Reflex saves.
Mud Hole Twist: You feel like you should’ve been a pirate, but a squeezin’ constrictor popped out your eye, and a gator bit off your leg—Granny did the best she could, carvin’ you a wooden leg.
Benefit: Choose three extra feats. Gain a parrot familiar.
Introducing Silas Grift
The session kicks off in Mud Hole on a muggy mornin’, the air stickin’ like wet burlap. The players—Granny’s wards—are muckin’ near her shack when a rickety cart rattles in, pulled by a swaybacked mule. It’s Silas Grift, a wiry snake oil salesman with a patched coat, floppy hat, and a grin all teeth and trouble. He sets up shop in the mud, hollerin’, “Step right up, y’all! I got cures, charms, and wonders from lands you ain’t never heard of!” Granny squints from her porch, mutterin’ about “that damn fool,” but lets him be.
Silas’s Deal: A fast-talkin’ hustler with a drawl thicker’n swamp mud, Silas trades pelts, fish, or favors for his wares. He’ll chat up players, sizin’ ‘em up, maybe droppin’ a hint about “somethin’ shiny” in the swamp. He vanishes toward the Tinkerer’s Cache by session’s end, leavin’ tracks for later.
Weird Wares:
Glowin’ Gizzard Tonic – Murky goo glowin’ green. “Lights your innards so you don’t fear the dark” (10-ft. dim light for 1 hour if drunk, Fort DC 12 or nauseated 1 round). 5 sp.
Swamp Skipper Charm – Dried frog foot on twine. “Keeps the quicksand off ya!” (No effect, but Silas swears by it.) 2 sp.
Granny’s Bane – Clay jug of clear moonshine. “Puts hair on your chest and fire in your gut” (Fort DC 14 or drunk [-2 Dex, +2 morale to Str] for 1 hour). 1 gp.
Mystery Sack – Soggy burlap bag, tied shut. “Could be treasure, could be trash—life’s a gamble!” (GM’s call—1d6 cp, rusted dagger, or live leech.) 3 sp.
Roleplay Hook: Players can barter, snoop, or bug Granny (‘til she snaps, “Git!”). Silas heads off, triggerin’ the adventure—track him, face gator-kin, or explore Mud Hole’s secrets.
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Encounter Charts for Crookfang Swamp
Roll 1d10 (or pick) when roamin’. Hazards need DC 12 Perception to spot, trees shuffle on new moons, ruinin’ paths. Scale for low-level (CR 1-3), tweak as needed.
Daytime Encounters
Gator-Kin Scouts (CR 2) – 2 gator-kin (Troglodyte base, swim 30 ft., bite 1d6). Growl a “brown note” (30-ft., Fort DC 13 or sickened 1d4+1 rounds), lurk in water. Flee if hurt bad.
Leech Swarm (CR 2) – Wriggly mass stirred by splashin’ (1d2 Con/round, toned down if needed). Clings to still targets.
Swamp Gas Pocket (Hazard) – Bubbly patch (Fort DC 13 or sickened, torch/spark = 1d6 fire/10-ft., Reflex DC 15 half).
Lost Trapper (CR 1) – Mad human hunter, babblin’ about “the spire.” Friendly but skittish—trades pelt for food.
Axe Beak Flock (CR 2) – 1d4+1 wild Axe Beaks, peckin’ and runnin’.
Quicksand Trap (Hazard) – Hidden under moss (Reflex DC 15 or stuck, Strength DC 20 to escape).
Swamp Boar (CR 1) – Tusked hog, chargin’ if spooked.
Heron Swarm (CR 1) – Noisy birds, spookin’ the swamp (might draw danger if lingered).
Mud Hole Skiff (Event) – Half-Giant fishin’, warnin’ of “gators ahead.” Offers ride back for a fish.
Silas’s Clue (Event) – Dropped Glowin’ Gizzard vial, pointin’ to Tinkerer’s Cache.
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Nighttime Encounters
Gator-Kin Pack (CR 3) – 3 gator-kin, huntin’ bold. Same brown note, one drags underwater (CMB +5).
Will-o’-Wisp (CR 2) – Flickerin’ light, leadin’ to quicksand (DC 12 Perception to spot). Zaps if cornered.
Mistress Moccasin’s Echo (Event) – Faint hiss near Black Glade (Will DC 15 or shaken 1d4 rounds). No fight, just nerves.
Dire Crocodile (CR 3) – Billy under Gatorjaw Crossing, watchin’ or hungry.
Swamp Gas Explosion (Hazard) – Bigger pocket (Fort DC 13 or sickened, spark = 2d6 fire/15-ft., Reflex DC 15 half).
Quicksand Trap (Hazard) – Darker (Perception DC 15 without light).
Night Heron Hunt (CR 1) – 1d6 herons, loud enough to wake danger (roll again if disturbed).
Swamp Hag’s Whisper (Event) – Cackle in the dark (Will DC 13 or shaken 1 round). Somethin’ watches from Black Glade.
Tree Shift (Event) – New moon groan, roots move (Reflex DC 12 or prone). Path’s gone by mornin’.
Silas’s Ghost (Event) – Shadowy figure droppin’ a Mystery Sack. Gone when reached—swamp tricks.
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After the Players Get Their Characters Together and Explore a Bit
After the players gather their characters and poke around Mud Hole a spell, they learn Silas Grift—who rolled in with a toothy grin and a rickety cart full of potions—vanished two nights ago near the Tinkerer’s Cache. He left behind a spilled vial of glowin’ goo and claw marks gouged in the mud, with tracks leadin’ off into the swamp. If they mention trackin’ the snake oil salesman, Silas Grift, to Granny, she squints through a cloud of pipe smoke and rasps, ‘Well, y’all better wear your brown pants.’ If they press for why, she snaps, ‘Git,’ and waves ‘em off like pesky flies. (She knows about them gator-kin growls—but she ain’t spillin’ a word.)
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Adventure/Unknown to Players: The Missing Silas and Mistress Moccasin’s Plot
The Missing Silas and Mistress Moccasin’s Plot: Silas Grift vanishes near the Tinkerer’s Cache two days after rollin’ into Mud Hole, not captured by gator-kin but escorted by ‘em to the Black Glade. He’s been charmed by Mrs. Cuddles—an Awakened giant constrictor and 2nd-level Serpentine Sorcerer who loathes her name—quietly coilin’ in the village pens, never lettin’ on she’s Awakened. Mrs. Cuddles sent Silas to meet Mistress Moccasin, a 9th-level Druid venomous water moccasin, who’s plottin’ to hatch more quarterlings in the Black Glade.
Half-serpent ‘quarterlings’ (half-Halfling, half-serpent) are hatched by the corrupted Halfling villager Nibblet Twitchtail and his wife, Maeve, tradin’ silence for favors, wealth, and power. Mistress Moccasin’s goal: restore serpentfolk rule by replacin’ Mud Hole’s residents with quarterlings, usin’ her Druid magic to Awaken giant constrictors and Crookfang’s trees, keepin’ the village trapped and hidden. Granny suspects ‘snake magic’ but ain’t pieced together the full plot.
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Encounter: The Gator-Kin Ambush
Setup: The players are sloggin’ through Crookfang’s muck, hot on Silas Grift’s trail—the missin’ snake oil peddler whose grin’s long gone. Tracks from the Tinkerer’s Cache lead to a sluggish waterway, flanked by cypress trees and hip-deep sludge. The air’s heavy, bugs bitin’ like vengeance, when a low, guttural rumble shakes the water, sendin’ ripples dancin’ across the surface. It ain’t just noise; it’s a gator-kin warnin’, and things are about to get messy as a hog in a mudhole.
Creatures: Gator-Kin Brutes (3-4, dependin’ on party level)
Base Stats: Start with the Troglodyte from the SRD (CR 1 each), but swap out the Stench aura for somethin’ nastier.
Appearance: These ain’t your run-of-the-mill lizardfolk. Picture scaly, broad-shouldered brutes with gator jaws, webbed claws, and tails thrashin’ the water. Their hides are mottled green and brown, blendin’ into the swamp like shadows in the muck.
Adjustments:
Swim Speed: Add 30 ft. swim speed—they’re at home in the sludge.
Bite Attack: Replace one claw with a bite (1d6+Str mod, same as multi-attack).
Brown Growl: Replaces Stench. 30-ft. radius, audible up to a mile (but the nasty effect hits close-range). Creatures in range must make a Fortitude save (DC 13) each round or be sickened for 1d4+1 rounds as their guts churn somethin’ awful. Success means you’re just queasy but holdin’ it together. (Same mechanics as Stench, but flavored as infrasonic bowel chaos.)
Tactics: The gator-kin ain’t dumb—they use Crookfang to their advantage, lurkin’ just under the water (Stealth +6 with cover), poppin’ up to growl and snap with them gator jaws. One might try to grapple a player and drag ‘em under (CMB +5 from Str). They’ll retreat if half their number goes down, slinkin’ off to nurse their wounds in the deep.
Environment:
Terrain: Knee-deep water (difficult terrain, 5 ft. costs 10 ft. of movement) dotted with cypress roots (cover, +2 AC if you’re next to one). A sunken log offers a narrow path (10 ft. wide, normal movement but DC 12 Acrobatics to avoid slippin’ off).
Hazard: The growl’s ripples stir up a leech swarm in the water (use Leech Swarm rules—CR 4, scale down if your party’s low-level). It’ll crawl up anyone who lingers too long, suckin’ blood like a drunk on Granny’s moonshine.
Loot/Clue: One gator-kin’s got a shredded satchel slung over its shoulder—Silas’s, no doubt. Inside’s a cracked vial of glowin’ goo (minor alchemical light, 10-ft. radius for 1 hour), a soggy note readin’, “The Glade’s the key—don’t trust the shine,” and a gator tooth necklace (maybe a crude trophy or a clue to somethin’ bigger lurkin’ in Crookfang).
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Key Secrets (Unknown to Players):
Quarterlings (half-Halfling, half-serpent) lurk in Crookfang, cravin’ kin for dinner, hatched by Mrs. Cuddles—an Awakened giant constrictor and 2nd-level Serpentine Sorcerer who hates her name—and the corrupted villagers Nibblet Twitchtail and his wife Maeve.
The Bog Abomination in the Drowned Spire guards serpentfolk relics, possibly rivalin’ Mistress Moccasin for swamp control.
Ancient Draconic stones, etched with Wizard spells, hold the key to serpentfolk and lizardfolk empires’ fall, corruptin’ Crookfang’s muck with their magic.
Adventure Arc: To reach the Drowned Spire and Black Glade, players must dodge or overcome Mistress Moccasin’s followers—a quarterling clan, an allied gator-kin tribe, and Awakened critters like giant constrictors and movin’ trees.
Endgame: Defeat Mistress Moccasin (10th-12th level)—a 9th-level Druid venomous water moccasin—to free Mud Hole and stop the quarterling takeover.
