Chult
With the exception of a few coastal settlements, Chult is untamed tropical wilderness: dense jungles and snaky rivers ringed by mountains, volcanoes, and sheer escarpments. Walls of mountains to the west, south, and east shield the interior from the sea and from the view of sailors. The rivers are so sluggish that it can be difficult determining which direction is upstream and which is down. The rivers pick up speed only where they thunder down through steep-sided gorges.
The safest entry points into this overgrown realm (“safest” is a relative term in this context) are on the north and east. The coast from the Bay of Chult to Refuge Bay offers beaches on which to embark into the uncharted jungle. Along the entire coast, the Bay of Chult is the only spot where travelers can find welcoming civilization. The rest of the peninsula is a breeding ground for bloodsucking, disease-bearing insects, monstrous reptiles, carnivorous birds and beasts of every variety, and murderous undead. The farther one moves from the coast, the more humid, hot, and inhospitable the land becomes.
Weather
Chult is hot, humid, and rainy throughout the year. The temperature regularly climbs as high as 95 degrees F (35 degrees C) during the day and seldom falls below 70 degrees F (20 degrees C) even at night. A day without rain is rare, but rain varies from a steady mist to drenching downpours. Visibility in heavy rain is limited to 50 yards. Beyond that distance, only Huge or larger objects can be distinguished. Missile weapon ranges are halved during rain. On days that receive heavy rain, there’s a 25 percent chance of a full-blown tropical storm featuring sheets of rain, high wind, lightning, tall waves at sea, and immense surf along the coast. Guides who know the conditions in Chult recommend hunkering down and staying put on these days. Travel by river is impossible (canoes are swamped by waves within 15 minutes of launching). If characters insist on traveling by foot, every character gains 1 level of exhaustion automatically and must make a successful DC 10 Constitution check or gain another. Skill checks to avoid becoming lost are made with disadvantage on storm days.Geography
The Jungle
It is said by many that the jungles of Chult are the most dangerous places in Faerûn. The plants are intelligent predators while the predators themselves are massive and armed with huge teeth and claws. Insects bite and sting travelers almost constantly, the heat and humidity are almost unbearable and the undergrowth contains a multitude of poisonous snakes. Worst, however, is the disease that ran rampant in the area. Most things in the jungle have some sort of illness or parasite and it is very easy to catch such illnesses off them. Even the water is tainted and has to be boiled if it is to be drunk. On top of all this, the intelligent creatures that eke out an existence in the dense foliage are perfectly happy and sometimes go out of their way, to track travelers in order to hunt them down and kill them. Yuan-ti, batiri, and other species that have learned to survive in this place need food; adventurers tend to suit that need nicely.The Peaks of Flame
The abode of salamanders, firenewts, and other denizens of the elemental plane of fire, these volcanic mountains are located in southern Chult. It is said that these mountains rest upon a set of enormous iron doors that lead to the extra-planar prison of Dendar the Night Serpent.The Valley of Lost Honor
Hidden away within the thickest and most remote section of jungle lies the Valley of Lost honor. This was once the refuge of the Eshowe people before they were utterly destroyed by Ras Nsi. Legends say that the wealth of that people still lies hidden beneath the valley, and some even say that the evil spirit Eshowdow resides within this cursed place.The Wild Coast
This section of jagged and treacherous coast along the southwestern edge of Chult is a hazard for ships of all sizes. Merchants from the Sword Coast and the Lands of Intrigue have learned to give the area a wide berth. Fearing not only the cliffs and reefs that littered the area, sailors also spoke of whirpools, freak storms, and hideous monsters. Though the region's reputation, foolhardy prospectors have sought to explore caves along this coastline in the hope of finding rich veins of ore. At the southeastern most part of this coastline is the Snout of Omgar. This mountainous island marks the boundary between Chult and the coast of Samarach. It is also said to be the birthplace of the Tortle race.Fauna & Flora
There is much dangerous and exotic wildlife in chult. Some of the documented varieties have known uses and can be collected and sold to those willing to buy them. The following are some of the common varieties:
Dancing Monkey Fruit
This rare magical fruit produces enough juice to fill a vial. Any humanoid that eats a dancing monkey fruit or drinks its juice must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or begin a comic dance that lasts for 1 minute. Humanoids that can’t be poisoned are immune to this magical effect. The dancer must use all its movement to dance without leaving its space and has disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws, and other creatures have advantage on attack rolls against it. Each time it takes damage,the dancer can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. When the dancing effect ends, the humanoid suffers the poisoned condition for 1 hour.Menga Leaves
The dried leaves of a menga bush can be ground, dissolved in a liquid, heated, and ingested. A creature that ingests 1 ounce of menga leaves in this fashion regains 1 hit point. A creature that ingests more than 5 ounces of menga leaves in a 24-hour period gains no additional benefit and must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or fall unconscious for 1 hour. The unconscious creature awakens if it takes at least 5 damage on one turn. A healthy menga bush usually has 2d6 ounces of leaves. Once picked, the leaves require 1 day to dry out before they can confer any benefit.Ryath Root
Any creature that ingests a ryath root gains 2d4 temporary hit points. A creature that consumes more than one ryath root in a 24-hour period must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or suffer the poisoned condition for 1 hour.Sinda Berries
These berries are dark brown and bitter. A full-grown sinda berry bush has 4d6 berries growing on it. A bush plucked of all its berries grows new berries in 1d4 months. Picked berries lose their freshness and efficacy after 24 hours. Fresh sinda berries can be eaten raw or crushed and added to a drink to dull the bitterness. A creature that consumes at least ten fresh sinda berries gains advantage on saving throws against disease and poison for the next 24 hours.Wildroot
Introducing the juice of a wildroot into a poisoned creature’s bloodstream (for example, by rubbing it on an open wound) rids the creature of the poisoned condition. Once used in this way, a wildroot loses this property.Wukka Nuts
These fist-sized nuts grow on wukka trees, which are popular haunts for jaculi, su-monsters, and zorbos. A wukka nut rattles when shaken, causing its shell to shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. This magical light fades after 1 minute, but shaking the nut again causes the light to reappear. If the shell of the nut is cracked open, it loses its magic.Yahcha
A yahcha (pronounced YAH-chah) is a harmless, meaty beetle about the size of a human hand, which feeds on worms and maggots. It moves slowly (walking speed 10 feet) and is easy to catch. A creature with mad monkey fever that eats a raw or cooked yahcha can immediately make a saving throw with advantage against that disease.Zabou
Zabou mushrooms feed on offal and the rotting wood of dead trees. If handled carefully, a zabou can be picked or uprooted without causing it to release its spores. If crushed or struck, a zabou releases its spores in a 10-foot-radius sphere. A zabou can also be hurled up to 30 feet away or dropped like a grenade, releasing its cloud of spores on impact. Any creature in that area must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The poisoned creature’s skin itches for the duration. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Native Denizens
- Aarakocra
- Albino Dwarves
- Aldani
- Batiri Goblins
- Bullywugs
- Chultan Humans
- Chuuls
- Dinosaurs
- Grungs
- Hydras
- Lizardfolk
- Nagas
- Pterafolk
- Tabaxi
- Tortles
- Troglodytes
- Trolls
- Undead
- Vegepygmies
- Weretigers
- Wild Elves
- Wyverns
- Yuan-ti
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