To incorporate Troll Lord Games’ Tainted Lands into your campaign, you have to lean into its "heavy metal horror" vibe. It isn’t just a setting; it’s a mechanical and thematic overlay designed by Jim Ward to turn a standard Castles & Crusades (or OSR) game into a desperate fight for survival against a landscape that is actively trying to corrupt the players.

Here is how to weave these elements into your existing mix:

1. The Mechanical Shift: New Attributes

The most significant change in Tainted Lands is the addition of two temporary attributes. When players enter a "Tainted" region, they gain:

Supernatural (SN): Used for resisting and controlling the undead or necrotic forces.
Psychic (PY): Used to resist mental corruption, illusions, and the "weirdness" of the land.

Integration Tip: Treat these as "Sanity" or "Radiation" meters. As players spend more time in the Tainted Lands, have these scores fluctuate. If they leave the zone, these attributes "hibernate" but don't disappear—meaning the land has left a permanent mark on their souls.

2. The Narrative Hook: The "No Way Out" Factor

The core conceit of Tainted Lands is a sense of helplessness. The land is often depicted as a continent-sized trap.

The Border: Don't just make it a line on a map. Make it a physical barrier—a wall of black fog, a river of blood, or a sudden shift in the sky’s color.
The Goal: Moving from Point A to Point B is the adventure. The environment itself is the antagonist. Every random encounter should feel like a "resource drain" rather than a "loot opportunity."

3. High-Powered Classes & Balance

Tainted Lands introduces specialized classes like the Metals Master (who crafts weapons from the remains of the undead) and the Portal Keeper.

The Power Gap: These classes are significantly more powerful than standard C&C classes within the Tainted Lands.
The "Outside" Penalty: To balance this, the book suggests doubling the experience requirements for these classes if they leave the Tainted regions. Use this to create a "Gilded Cage" scenario: the players are gods in the wasteland, but mere mortals (or even outcasts) in the civilized world.

4. Environment as Horror

Instead of traditional "jump scares," use the "Unknown and Unexplained" tables provided in the book:

Distorted Geometry: A forest where trees are shaped like screaming faces, or a continent shaped like a giant skull.
Corrupted Logic: Magic behaves unpredictably. For example, a Light spell might shed "darkness" that allows the caster to see but blinds everyone else.

Integration Summary Table

Element	How to Use It
New Attributes	Use SN and PY only inside the "Zone" to track corruption.
Horror Mechanics	Emphasize resource scarcity (food, water, clean air).
New Classes	Offer them as "Local Specialists" the party meets and recruits.
Monsters	Use the "Tainted" versions of standard monsters (more HP, necrotic abilities).

Note on Compatibility: While designed for Castles & Crusades, the Siege Engine mechanics are 90% compatible with 1E/2E or Modern OSR systems. If you're playing 5E, you'll need to treat the SN/PY attributes as specialized Saving Throws.

To make the transition into the Tainted Lands impactful, you need to signal to the players that the fundamental "rules" of their world have just been deleted. This encounter moves from subtle unease to a high-stakes mechanical introduction.

The Encounter: The Threshold of Ash

1. The Atmosphere (The Hook)

As the party approaches the border, don't use a map marker. Use sensory deprivation.

The Sound: All bird and insect noise stops instantly. The only sound is a low, rhythmic thrumming from beneath the earth, like a giant heart beating in slow motion.
The Sight: The "Veil" appears—a shimmering, oily wall of heat haze. On the other side, the colors are inverted or washed out into sepia and charcoal.
The Smell: A mix of ozone and old, wet parchment.

2. The Mechanical "First Contact"

As the first player steps through the Veil, have the entire table roll for their new Supernatural (SN) and Psychic (PY) attributes immediately.

The Twist: Instead of a standard check, tell them: "You feel a phantom limb growing within your mind. You now have senses you weren't meant to possess." Give them a Challenge Base (CB) of 18 (or a high DC) to resist a sudden "Flash of Truth."

Success: They see the Tainted Lands as they are—a decaying, necro-mechanical wasteland.
Failure: They suffer a "Psychic Burn." They see their companions as rotting corpses for $1d4$ rounds, potentially triggering a friendly-fire initiative.

3. The Encounter: The "Limb-Tally" Sentinel

A Tainted Giant (or a massive, stitched-together horror) guards the threshold. It doesn't want to kill them—it wants to "index" them.

The Goal: The Sentinel carries a massive iron ledger. It demands a "Weight of Spirit."
The Conflict: If the players refuse to let it touch their foreheads (a PY check), it attacks.
The Horror: The Sentinel uses Kinetic Distortion. On a successful hit, it doesn't just do damage; it "swaps" the position of two players. The Fighter is suddenly 30 feet in the air, and the Wizard is face-to-face with the Giant.

Sample Creature Block (C&C / OSR Style)

The Veil-Warden (Tainted Sentinel)

HD: $8d8$
AC: 20 (Rust-pitted Plate)
Attacks: Cleaver ( $2d10$ ) or Gaze of the Tainted.
Special (Gaze of the Tainted): Target must make a PY Check. Failure results in the target’s shadow detaching and attacking them for $1d6$ rounds.
Special (Tainted Aura): Within 30ft, all healing spells are halved in effectiveness as the land "eats" the positive energy.

Implementation Tips

Visual Aid: Hand the players two new index cards labeled SN and PY. Keep their scores secret from each other to breed the "Horror" atmosphere.
The First Rest: When they first try to sleep in the Tainted Lands, tell them they don't dream—they "broadcast." Ask one player what their character’s worst memory is, then tell the rest of the party they all saw it vividly.

In Tainted Lands, your Psychic (PY) and Supernatural (SN) scores act as a buffer. When these scores are depleted through failed checks, environmental exposure, or psychic trauma, the "Taint" begins to physically and mentally rewrite the character.

Below is a Tainted Corruption Table. Use this when a character fails a critical check or spends a "Black Night" (a night without proper magical protection) in the wasteland.

The Tainted Corruption Table

Roll $1d20$ + (Number of days spent in the Taint)

Roll	Category	Effect
1-5	The Itch	Static fills your vision. You suffer a -1 penalty to all Initiative rolls as your brain lags behind reality.
6-10	Hematological Shift	Your blood turns a shimmering, oily black. Natural healing (resting) only recovers half HP, but you become immune to mundane poisons.
11-14	Echo-Speech	When you speak, your voice carries a second, gravelly tone. Reaction rolls with "Clean" NPCs are at a -4 penalty, but you gain +2 to intimidate Tainted creatures.
15-17	Necro-Symbiosis	A patch of skin turns into translucent, chitinous scales. You gain +1 AC, but you take $1d6$ damage when splashed with Holy Water or entering hallowed ground.
18-20	Phobic Fracturing	Pick a common object (mirrors, gold, leather). You must pass a PY Check to touch or look at it, or become Shaken (-2 to all rolls) for 1 hour.
21-24	Transparent Soul	Your ribs become visible through your skin, glowing with a faint violet light. You can see invisible spirits, but you glow in the dark, making Stealth impossible.
25+	The Threshold	You are becoming a denizen of the Land. Your SN increases by 2, but your Constitution permanently drops by 1. If any stat hits 0, you become an NPC "Warden."

Managing the Decay

To keep the game from becoming a "death spiral," provide the players with ways to temporarily vent this corruption. In Jim Ward’s setting, "Pure" items are rare and precious.

Methods of Cleansing:

The Lead Box: Storing items in lead-lined containers prevents them from becoming Tainted.
Ablution of Salt: Washing in rare, non-sulfurated water mixed with blessed salt can reset the $1d20$ "Days in Taint" modifier for the roll above.
The "Iron Sacrifice": A character can choose to take a permanent scar (losing $1d4$ Max HP) to automatically succeed on a failed PY or SN check.

The "Tell"

As the DM, don't just tell them they are corrupted. Describe the side effects:

"The hardtack you're eating doesn't taste like flour anymore; it tastes like wet copper and old coins. You find yourself chewing longer than necessary just to feel the crunch."

In the Tainted Lands, items aren't just tools; they are semi-sentient fragments of a dying world. Using this gear provides a massive edge in a land that hates you, but every use draws the "Taint" deeper into your marrow.

The Cost of Power

Whenever a player uses a "Major" ability from a Tainted item (marked with a *), they must make an SN Check (CC 15). On a failure, they add +1 to their "Days in Taint" modifier for the Corruption Table.

D100: Artifacts of the Tainted Wasteland

D100	Item Name	Type	Effect & The "Price"
01-05	Obsidian Lung	Amulet	You can breathe in any atmosphere (gas, underwater). Your breath smells of sulfur and rotted meat; -2 Charisma.
06-10	The Thirsting Blade	Longsword	+2 to hit. On a Nat 20, it heals you for the damage dealt. If it doesn't "taste" blood once a day, it deals that damage to you instead.
11-15	Glass-Eye Marble	Consumable	Swallow it to see through walls for 1 turn. The marble stays in your gut; you feel it "blinking" occasionally (PY Check or lose sleep).
16-20	Wailing Arrows (x5)	Ammo	Screams in flight; targets must pass a PY Check or be Stunned. The arrows scream in your quiver at night, preventing "Long Rests".
21-25	Skin-Stitch Cloak	Armor	Grants +2 AC and Stealth in shadows. The cloak occasionally "pinches" your skin; you can feel it trying to graft to your back.
26-30	The Liar's Tongue	Ring	You can understand all languages. When you speak Truth, there is a 25% chance it comes out as a cryptic, terrifying lie.
31-35	Vertebrae Whip	Weapon	Reach 10ft. On a hit, target is Entangled. The whip is made of human bone; you start hearing the names of the "donors" in your head.
36-40	Leech-Leather Boots	Boots	Ignore difficult terrain and walk on liquids. The boots drain 1 HP per hour of use to "fuel" their grip.
41-45	Carrion Lantern	Tool	Shines "Darklight." Only shows dead things or undead. Living creatures in the light appear as flayed corpses (Sanity/PY Check).
46-50	The Finger of Fate	Wand	Casts Magic Missile ( $3d4+3$ ). Each use causes one of your fingernails to turn black and fall off.
51-55	Blighted Rations	Consumable	Heals $2d8$ HP. Tastes like your favorite childhood meal, but causes your hair to turn white instantly.
56-60	Cinder-Iron Shield	Shield	+3 AC. Can erupt in a 15ft cone of ash once per day. The shield is perpetually 180°C; you must wear heavy gloves or take burn damage.
61-65	The Gossamer Veil	Mask	Invisibility for 1 minute. While invisible, you can see the "Hungry Shadows" that live in the Taint. They see you, too.
66-70	Lead-Lined Flask	Container	Keeps liquid "Pure" regardless of Taint. The flask is incredibly heavy (counts as 3 items for encumbrance).
71-75	Graveyard Dust	Powder	Throw to create a Fog Cloud. Undead within the cloud prioritize attacking the person who threw the dust.
76-80	The Mortician's Needle	Tool	Can "sew" a severed limb back on. The limb works, but it has a different personality/initiative than the rest of the body.
81-85	Echo-Chime	Musical	Rings when a Tainted creature is within 100ft. The chime is silent to everyone except the owner, who hears a deafening funeral bell.
86-90	Thistle-Whip Armor	Light Armor	Grappling enemies take $1d10$ piercing damage. The thorns grow inward; taking a "Dash" action deals 1 damage to you.
91-95	The Black Compass	Navigator	Points toward the nearest "Exit" from the Taint. The needle is made of a human tooth; it points toward "Death" if no exit is within 50 miles.
96-00	Heart of the Land	Artifact	Can cast True Resurrection. The user's soul is swapped. The dead returns, but the caster becomes a permanent ghost tied to the Taint.

Pro-Tip for the GM

Don't give them "loot" in a chest. In the Tainted Lands, they should find this gear on the bodies of those who came before. When they pick up The Thirsting Blade, describe how the previous owner's hand had to be hacked off because the sword wouldn't let go.

In the Tainted Lands, a Portal Keeper was originally a guardian of reality, a specialized class tasked with maintaining the boundaries between planes and ensuring "The Taint" stayed contained.

A Fallen Portal Keeper is a tragic, high-level threat. They didn't just fail their mission; they were hollowed out and refilled by the very essence they were meant to bar. They serve as the "Middle Managers" of the Tainted Lands, patrolling the edges of the Veil to ensure no one escapes.

The Fallen Keeper: Malakor the Unstitched

Malakor was once a High Keeper of the Silver Gate. Now, he is a towering, gaunt figure draped in heavy, lead-lined robes that clatter with the sound of rusted keys. Where his face should be, there is only a swirling vortex of violet fog held in place by a jagged iron frame.

The Visual

The Robes: His vestments are stained with "Reality Bleed"—patches of the cloth seem to be made of starlight, while others are rotting burlap.
The Keys: He carries a "Key-Flail." Hundreds of keys from different dimensions are welded together into a heavy bludgeon.
The Gravity: Dust and small stones orbit him in a slow, clockwise circle, defying the natural wind.

Combat Mechanics (C&C / OSR Style)

Malakor the Unstitched

HD: $12d10$ (HP 85)
AC: 22 (Magic Resistance & Void-Shield)
Attacks: Key-Flail ( $2d8$ + Planar Displacement)
Saving Throws: Primary in Mental (PY) and Physical.

Special Abilities

Planar Displacement (Passive): Malakor flickers in and out of existence. Any non-magical attack has a 50% miss chance. Magical attacks have a 25% miss chance.
The "Lock" (PY Check): Malakor points a finger at a caster. The target must pass a PY Check (CC 18) or find their "internal gate" locked. They cannot cast spells or use supernatural abilities for $1d6$ rounds.
Dimensional Fold (Active): Once every 3 rounds, Malakor can swap the positions of two players. If he swaps a player with himself, the player takes $2d10$ force damage as they are momentarily dragged through the "In-Between."
Banish to the Grey: If a player is reduced to 0 HP by Malakor, they don't die—they are vanished. They are sent to a "Pocket Prison" within the Tainted Lands and must be rescued within $1d4$ days before they become a "Shadow" (Tainted NPC).

The Narrative Twist: The Merchant of Keys

Malakor isn't always hostile. As a "Fallen" Keeper, he is obsessed with the bureaucracy of the Taint. He may approach the party as a dark merchant.

The Offer: He can grant the party "Passage" through a particularly lethal zone of the Taint or give them a Black Key (one of the items from the D100 table).
The Price: He doesn't want gold. He wants "A Moment of Sanity."
- The Mechanic: A player must permanently sacrifice 1 point of PY (Psychic). In exchange, Malakor "consumes" the memory of their happiest day, leaving a cold void in their mind but granting them safe passage.

Using Malakor in Your Campaign

The First Sighting: Have the party see him from a distance, standing in the middle of a lake of acid, calmly "locking" the air so the acid doesn't splash him.
The Toll: He appears when the party reaches a "Border" within the Tainted Lands. He demands their "Travel Papers"—which of course, they don't have.
The Boss Fight: If the party tries to force their way back to the "Clean Lands," Malakor acts as the final gatekeeper. He fights with cold, mechanical efficiency.

hen Malakor the Unstitched "locks" a soul away, they are sent to The Ossuary of Echoes. This isn't a physical building in the traditional sense; it is a "non-space" wedged between the Tainted Lands and the Void. It looks like a cathedral made of frozen smoke and calcified memories.

The Sub-Dungeon: The Ossuary of Echoes

The Core Gimmick: The "Fading" Mechanic

Time in the Ossuary is fluid. For every hour spent here, a prisoner must succeed on a PY Check (CC 12 + 1 per hour).

Failure: The prisoner loses a piece of their "Self" (a name, a face of a loved one, their own reflection).
The Stakes: If they lose three pieces of "Self," they transform into a Silenced One—a faceless thrall that guards the halls.

1. The Entrance: The Hall of Pendulums

The party (or the rescued soul) arrives in a long corridor where giant, rusted clock pendulums swing from a ceiling that doesn't exist.

The Hazard: The pendulums don't hit the body; they hit time. If struck, the player is "Aged" or "De-Aged" $1d20$ years (standard OSR aging rules apply).
The Solution: To stop the pendulums, a player must "sync" their heartbeat to the rhythm (a successful SN Check).

2. The Chamber of Stolen Breath

A room filled with glass jars, each containing a swirling white mist.

The Encounter: These are the "Voices" Malakor has harvested. If a jar is broken, a random spell effect is released (roll $1d6$ on a table of Level 1-3 Spells), but the "Voice" screams, alerting the Void Sentinels.
The Loot: One jar contains the "Voice of a King." Carrying it grants +4 to Charisma checks while in the Taint, but the jar whispers secrets to the player at night, preventing natural healing.

3. The Heart: The Key-Smith’s Forge

At the center of the Ossuary is a forge that burns with "Cold Fire" (blue flames that freeze rather than burn).

The Guardian: The Smith-Shadow. This is a fragment of Malakor’s original, uncorrupted soul. It is a pathetic, weeping creature that is forced to forge the keys that keep others imprisoned.
The Moral Choice: * Kill the Smith: The Ossuary collapses. Everyone is ejected back to the Tainted Lands, but Malakor becomes "Unbound" and gains +2 to all rolls for the rest of the campaign.
- Free the Smith: Requires a Major SN Check and a sacrifice of blood. The Smith gives the party a Master Key, allowing them to bypass any one door or "Veil" in the setting.

Random Encounters in the Ossuary ( $1d6$ )

Roll	Encounter
1	Memory Leak: The player sees a vision of their own death. (PY Check or suffer -2 to AC for the next hour).
2	Void Sentinels ( $1d4$ ): Invisible hunters that can only be seen if a character is currently "Fading."
3	The Gravity Flip: The room rotates 180 degrees. Falling damage applies.
4	A Mirror Image: A Tainted version of the player steps out of a wall and tries to "swap" places.
5	The Fog of Tears: Vision is reduced to 5ft. Every step sounds like a sob.
6	The Portal Keeper’s Log: A book detailing Malakor's fall. Reading it grants a +2 bonus to combat rolls against him later.

Escape Conditions

To leave the Ossuary, the party must find the Apex Key held by the Smith-Shadow. Once turned in the "Great Lock" at the far end of the hall, the party is spat back into the Tainted Lands, usually $1d10$ miles from where they were captured, standing in a circle of scorched earth.

After escaping a place like the Ossuary of Echoes, a standard "long rest" isn't enough. The Taint has seeped into the character's psyche, leaving spiritual "scar tissue." To truly recover Psychic (PY) and Supernatural (SN) scores, the party must perform the Ritual of the Tethered Soul.

This is a grounding ceremony that uses "Clean" elements to remind the soul of the world it left behind.

The Ritual of the Tethered Soul

Requirements:

A "Relic of Home": An object from the world outside the Taint (a handful of clean soil, a pressed flower, a letter from a loved one).
The Salt Circle: At least 5 lbs of pure salt (rare in the Taint).
Time: 4 hours of uninterrupted meditation.

The Procedure

The players sit in a circle, passing the Relic of Home. Each player must recount a True Memory—a specific, non-traumatic moment of joy from their life before the Taint.

The Roll: Roll $1d20 + \text{Charisma Modifier}$.

Critical Success (20+): The Taint is purged. Restore all lost PY/SN. Gain a "Spark of Hope" (one-time reroll on a Taint-based save).
Success (10-19): Restore $1d6 + \text{Level}$ points of PY/SN.
Failure (2-9): The memory is "polluted" by the land. Restore only 1 point. The player feels a lingering sense of melancholy.
Critical Failure (1): The Taint "eats" the memory. That specific memory is gone forever. The player takes $1d4$ permanent PY damage.

3 Tainted Variants of Recovery

If the party lacks "Clean" supplies, they can attempt desperate, "Dirty" rituals. These are faster but carry a dark price.

1. The Blood-Binding (The Quick Fix)

The party cuts their palms and joins hands, sharing their life force to dilute the corruption.

Benefit: Restore $1d10$ PY/SN instantly.
Price: Every participant takes $1d8$ permanent HP reduction until they leave the Tainted Lands. They are now "linked"—if one takes damage, everyone else feels a phantom pain (-1 to their next roll).

2. The Scapegoat Ritual

The party transfers their corruption into a living creature (a pack animal or a captured Tainted thrall).

Benefit: The character's PY/SN is fully restored.
Price: The "Scapegoat" mutates into a Tainted Horror that immediately attacks. The player who initiated the ritual gains the "Mark of the Betrayer," which Malakor can sense from miles away.

3. The Iron Silence

The character hammers a cold iron spike into their shadow, "pinning" their soul to their body so it cannot drift into the Void.

Benefit: Immune to further PY/SN loss for 24 hours.
Price: The character cannot feel physical pleasure or pain. They lose the ability to heal via mundane means (bandages, herbs) and move at half speed.

Using Recovery as a Plot Point

In Tainted Lands, "Clean" water and "Safe" ground should be as valuable as gold.

The Oasis: Finding a small grove where a druid has managed to keep the Taint at bay should feel like finding a legendary treasure.
The Choice: Does the Paladin use the last of the Holy Water to heal the Fighter’s wounds, or to perform the Ritual so the Wizard doesn't lose his mind?

In the Tainted Lands, true safety is an illusion, but "Sanctuary Sites" represent rare geological or spiritual anomalies where the Taint’s grip is weakened. These are the only places where the Ritual of the Tethered Soul can be performed without a high risk of failure.

Here are four diverse Sanctuary Sites to drop into your map:

1. The Weeping Statue of Elara

Located at the center of a shattered cathedral, a marble statue of a forgotten goddess of mercy continuously weeps.

The Sanctuary: The area within 50 feet of the statue is "Sanctified." The oily black fog of the Taint cannot enter this circle.
The Benefit: All Ritual rolls gain a +5 bonus. Additionally, drinking the "tears" from the statue’s basin cures any mundane disease or "The Itch" (Corruption Level 1-5).
The Catch: The statue’s power is finite. Each time it is used for a ritual, the marble cracks. If the party uses it more than three times, the statue shatters, and the Taint rushes in like a tidal wave.

2. The Lead-Shielded Bunker (Vault 71)

An ancient remnant from the "Age of Metals," this is a subterranean vault lined with several feet of solid lead and silver.

The Sanctuary: It is a cold, sterile environment. Because lead blocks the "radiant" nature of the Taint, characters here feel a sudden, jarring silence in their minds.
The Benefit: Automatic Success on the Ritual of the Tethered Soul. No rolls are required; the soul is physically shielded.
The Catch: There is no food or water here. The air is stale. To stay more than 24 hours, the party must find a way to vent the "Spirit-Carbon" buildup, which involves opening the doors and letting the Taint in for a "cleaning cycle."

3. The Grove of the Iron-Oaks

A cluster of trees with bark like rusted steel and leaves made of razor-sharp copper. While they look Tainted, they are actually "Consumption Trees" that eat the Taint.

The Sanctuary: The trees draw the corruption out of the air, creating a "Dead Zone" for supernatural forces.
The Benefit: Characters can recover PY at double the normal rate. Spells cast here by Tainted creatures (like Malakor) fail automatically.
The Catch: The trees are hungry. While they protect your mind, they lash out at your body. Anyone sleeping in the grove must succeed on a Physical Save or wake up with $1d4$ bleed damage from the "Iron Thorns" trying to tap into their veins for nutrients.

4. The Last Hearth (A Traveling Sanctuary)

This isn't a fixed location, but a massive, six-legged turtle-like construct carrying a small tavern on its back, driven by a "Clean" hermit named Old Gerrick.

The Sanctuary: The tavern is built from "Aether-Wood" from another dimension.
The Benefit: It’s the only place in the Tainted Lands where you can get a "Clean" meal and a warm bed. Performing a ritual here allows the player to swap a permanent corruption trait for a new, less-intrusive one.
The Catch: Old Gerrick charges "The Price of Memory." To stay the night, you must tell him a secret no one else knows. He literally "bottles" the secret, and you can never remember it again.

Comparison of Sanctuary Benefits

Site	Reliability	Primary Benefit	The Risk
Weeping Statue	High	Massive Ritual Bonus	Site is destructible.
Lead Bunker	Absolute	Automatic Success	No resources; starvation.
Iron-Oaks	Moderate	Fast PY Recovery	Physical damage from thorns.
Last Hearth	High	Trait Swapping	Permanent loss of secrets.

How to Find Them

Sanctuaries should be hard to find. You can use the Black Compass (from the D100 table) or follow the "Clean-Birds"—pale, ghostly sparrows that only nest in untainted areas.

In the Tainted Lands, survival isn't just about having enough rations; it’s about maintaining the integrity of your physical and spiritual "seal." Standard adventuring gear is often useless here—leather rots in hours, and iron rusts into jagged flakes.

Here is the Wasteland Survival Kit: specialized gear designed to help the party survive the trek between Sanctuaries.

The Tainted Survival Kit

Item	Use	Mechanical Benefit
Lead-Lined Scabbard	Prevents weapon corruption.	A weapon stored here never gains "Tainted" penalties or rust.
Silver-Glass Mirror	Detection of the "Unseen."	Tainted creatures that are invisible or "flickering" appear clearly in this reflection.
Salt-Cured Bandages	Wound dressing.	Prevents "Necro-Symbiosis" (Corruption) when healing from a Tainted creature's claw.
Ozone-Mask	Breathing filter.	+4 bonus to saves against Tainted spores or "The Fog of Tears."
Cinnabar Chalk	Marking safe paths.	Marks made with this glow when a Tainted creature is nearby.
Void-Lantern Fuel	Special oil.	Burns with a white flame that pushes back magical darkness.

Detailed Item Breakdowns

1. The Lead-Lined Rucksack

A standard pack is a liability. This heavy, uncomfortable bag is woven with lead filaments.

The Benefit: Any "Clean" food or water kept inside stays pure for $1d6$ days longer than usual.
The Burden: It counts as "Heavy Armor" for the purpose of exhaustion and movement speed. If you fall in water, you sink like a stone.

2. Silver-Glass Mirror (The "True-Sight" Tool)

Glass in the Taint usually warps, showing you things that aren't there. Silver-Glass is backed with pure, blessed silver.

The Use: By looking at the world only through the mirror, a player ignores the Psychic (PY) penalties of distorted geometry or terrifying illusions.
The Risk: If the mirror breaks, the player must make an immediate PY Check (CC 16) or be blinded by a "rebound" of reality for $1d4$ hours.

3. Phosphorus Flares

These are iron tubes filled with alchemical white phosphorus and powdered holy bone.

The Use: When ignited, they create a 30ft radius of "Purity" for 1 turn.
Tactical Benefit: Tainted creatures (like the Void Sentinels) cannot enter the light. It acts as a "Portable Sanctuary" for exactly 60 seconds—just enough time to stabilize a dying comrade or reload a crossbow.

4. Cold-Iron Pitons

Ordinary steel bonds with the Taint. Cold-Iron resists it.

The Use: When climbing the "shifting cliffs" of the Ossuary or the Tainted wastes, these are the only spikes that won't turn into "Liquid Glass" under the party's weight.
Special: If hammered into a door, it "Locks" the door against supernatural entry for $1d4$ hours.

Scavenging Gear: The "Grave-Robber" Mechanic

Players can find these items, but they are rarely sold. They are scavenged from "Dead Expeditions."

When searching a body, roll $1d10$ :

Broken Gear: Useless junk.
Tainted Rations: Heals HP but adds +1 to "Days in Taint" count.
1d4 Cold-Iron Pitons.
A cracked Silver-Glass Mirror.
Half-empty flask of Void-Lantern Fuel.
Lead-Lined Pouch (small).
1d2 Phosphorus Flares.
A "Clean" Letter: A letter from the outside world (counts as a "Relic of Home" for rituals).
Anti-Taint Tincture: One-time use; grants +5 to the next SN Check.
A Portal Keeper's Badge: Malakor might ignore you, or he might hunt you faster.

Pro-Tip: The Weight of Lead

Make sure to track the weight of this gear. The irony of the Tainted Lands is that protection is heavy. To be safe (Lead/Silver), the players must be slow. To be fast, they must be vulnerable.

Traveling through the Tainted Lands is a grueling exercise in attrition. Unlike standard wilderness travel, the environment itself is a predatory intelligence. This table assumes the party is moving between Sanctuaries.

Roll $1d100$ per day of travel.

D100	Hazard Name	Type	Effect
01-05	The Silent Gale	Weather	A wind that carries no sound. For $1d4$ hours, the party is Deafened. Verbal spell components fail automatically.
06-10	Iron-Sleet	Weather	Razor-sharp shards of rusted metal fall from the sky. $1d6$ damage per turn unless in heavy cover or using a Lead Shield.
11-15	Mirrored Sump	Terrain	A patch of ground that looks like water but acts as a portal. Lead-heavy players must make a Physical Save or be pulled $1d20$ miles in a random direction.
16-20	The Echo-Cramp	Malady	Muscles begin to "remember" previous injuries. Any character who has taken damage in the last 24 hours loses 5ft of movement speed.
21-25	Gravity Flux	Warp	For 1 hour, gravity shifts 90 degrees. Trees become walls; the ground becomes a cliff. DEX Check or take $3d6$ falling damage.
26-30	Memory Fog	Psychic	Thick yellow mist. Each player must succeed on a PY Check or forget their current objective for $1d4$ hours.
31-35	The Rusting Pulse	Environmental	A wave of necrotic energy passes through. All non-magical, non-lead-lined iron equipment gains a permanent -1 penalty (AC or Damage).
36-40	Shadow-Stalkers	Combat	$1d6$ Shadows that look exactly like the players. They don't attack; they just mimic the party's movements from 100 yards away, causing SN stress.
41-45	The Hungry Path	Terrain	The road literally begins to "eat" the party's boots. Every mile traveled consumes 1 day of rations as the effort to pull feet from the "earth" triples.
46-50	Time Dilation	Warp	The party travels for what feels like 1 hour, but 12 hours have passed. Roll twice for additional hazards.
51-55	The Bleeding Sky	Weather	Red rain that acts as a weak acid. It deals no damage but dissolves "Clean" leather and cloth over $1d6$ hours.
56-60	Vocal Parasite	Psychic	A player "loses" their voice, but hears it speaking to them from the shadows nearby. PY Check or suffer -2 to all Mental saves.
61-65	The Bone-Orchard	Terrain	A field of white calcium spikes. Navigating it requires a DEX Check; failure means a spike pierces a boot (reduced speed until a Sanctuary is reached).
66-70	Psychic Backwash	Magic	A nearby spellcaster (NPC or Malakor) has died. The psychic scream forces an SN Check or the player is Stunned for $1d10$ rounds.
71-75	The Shifting Veil	Warp	The horizon moves. The party's destination is now $1d20$ miles further away than it was an hour ago.
76-80	Carrion Insects	Combat	A swarm of Tainted locusts that eat metal instead of grain. They target the character with the most "Lead-Lined" gear.
81-85	The False Sanctuary	Illusion	A vision of a warm tavern or a "Clean" grove. Entering it triggers a PY Save or the player enters a catatonic state for $1d6$ hours.
86-90	Dead-Air Zone	Environmental	Oxygen is replaced by a heavy, sweet gas. All Fire-based spells and torches are extinguished instantly.
91-95	The Reaping Wind	Weather	A black tornado filled with the souls of the unburied. Requires a Major SN Check to avoid being "Unstitched" ( $4d6$ damage).
96-99	The Warden's Gaze	Event	Malakor the Unstitched is watching from a nearby ridge. He does not attack, but his presence sets the "Days in Taint" modifier to +5 for the next roll.
100	The Eye of the Storm	Benefit	A rare moment of total stillness. The Taint recedes for $1d4$ hours. This counts as a Mini-Sanctuary; the party may perform a ritual here safely.

Navigation Rules in the Taint

Standard navigation is impossible because landmarks move.

The Lead-Compass: If the party has one, they roll hazards with Advantage (roll twice, take the lower/easier result).
The "Clean" Scout: If a character has a PY score of 15+, they can sense a hazard $1d4$ turns before it hits, allowing the party to prepare or find cover.

Managing the Attrition

As the DM, use these hazards to drain the party's Lead-Lined Gear and Survival Kit items. If they are hit by Iron-Sleet, they might have to sacrifice a Phosphorus Flare just to create a momentary shield.

In the Tainted Lands, death is rarely an ending. It is a transition. The necro-mechanical nature of the land refuses to let biological matter go to waste. When a character "dies" (hits 0 HP or fails a final Death Save), they do not go to their respective afterlife immediately. Instead, the land claims them.

Roll $1d100$ the moment the soul flickers.

D100: The Post-Mortem Fate

D100	Result	Outcome
01-10	The Soul-Leak	The body evaporates into a violet mist. The character is gone, but for $1d6$ days, the party hears the character’s voice giving them advice (granting +1 to PY checks).
11-20	The Stitched Thrall	The character stands up $1d4$ rounds later as a mindless undead NPC. They follow the party and carry gear, but will eventually lead them into an ambush.
21-30	Mechanical Rebirth	The Taint "repairs" the body with rusted metal and cold wire. The player lives but becomes a Cyborg-Horror (lose 2 CHA, gain +2 AC). They are now "Tainted."
31-40	The Memory Echo	The body remains, but the soul is trapped in the nearest Silver-Glass Mirror. The party can speak to the dead character, but they must find a new body to host them.
41-50	Static Ascension	The character turns into a pillar of salt. This pillar acts as a One-Time Sanctuary (10ft radius) where the party can perform one final safe ritual.
51-60	The Shadow-Diver	The character’s shadow detaches and runs away. The body dies, but the "Shadow" becomes a recurring antagonist that knows all the party’s secrets.
61-70	The Ossuary Call	The body vanishes. The character is actually alive but imprisoned in The Ossuary of Echoes. The party has $1d4$ days to rescue them before they "Fade."
71-80	The Tainted Saint	The character dies, but their "Clean" gear becomes magically infused. One item they carried becomes a +3 Artifact that is immune to the Taint.
81-90	Necro-Parasite	A Tainted entity crawls into the corpse. The character "wakes up" with no memory. They are a "Sleeper Agent" for Malakor, though the player might not know it yet.
91-98	The Great Refusal	The character’s PY was so high they refuse to die. They remain as a "Lingering Ghost" tied to the party. They can't fight, but they can scout and sense Taint.
99-00	The True Death	The soul escapes the Taint and reaches the "Clean Lands." The party feels a momentary warmth. This is the only way to "win" at dying in this setting.

The "Second Chance" Mechanic: The Iron Deal

If a player rolls a result they hate, Malakor the Unstitched may appear in the "Bardo" (the space between life and death). He offers a deal:

The Deal: The character returns to life with 1 HP.
The Price: Malakor "owns" one of the character's senses. The player might return but be perpetually blind, or unable to hear anything except the screaming of the Tainted Lands.
The Mark: The character gains a permanent -4 penalty to all SN Checks because their soul-gate has been pried open by a Fallen Keeper.

Resurrection in the Taint

Standard Raise Dead or Resurrection spells do not work normally here.

The Corruption Risk: Casting Raise Dead requires an SN Check (CC 20).
The Failure: On a failure, the spell works, but it brings back "Something Else" inside the friend’s body.
The Material: You cannot use diamonds. You must use 10 lbs of Pure Lead and a pint of "Clean" blood from a willing donor to "anchor" the soul.

Managing Player Agency

When a character dies in the Taint, it should feel like a horror movie. Even if they come back, they are "wrong." Use the Memory Echo or Mechanical Rebirth to let the player keep playing, but emphasize that their humanity is dripping away.

In the Tainted Lands, the ground doesn't just receive a body; it reacts to it. Because the landscape is a semi-sentient necro-mechanical engine, the death of a "Clean" hero causes a localized "system error." The spot where a character falls becomes a permanent scar on the map.

Roll $1d100$ when a character is buried or their body is left behind.

D100: Grave Markers of the Taint

D100	Result	Effect on the World
01-05	The Glass Scab	The ground for 30ft turns into jagged, obsidian-like glass. It is "Clean" but impossible to walk on without taking $1d4$ damage per round.
06-10	The Humming Monolith	A rusted iron pillar rises from the grave. It vibrates at a frequency that drives away Void Sentinels for $1d6$ miles.
11-15	The Memory Orchard	A single white tree grows overnight. Its fruit looks like the fallen hero's favorite food but tastes like ash. Eating it restores 1d8 PY.
16-20	The Blood-Spring	A fountain of lukewarm, clean water bubbles up. It stays "Clean" for exactly 3 days before turning into black oil.
21-25	The Static Ghost	A low-resolution, flickering image of the hero stands over the grave, repeating their last words. Tainted creatures refuse to approach it.
26-30	The Gravity Pit	Weight is tripled within 50ft of the marker. Movement speed is reduced to 5ft. It is a perfect place to hide from fast predators.
31-35	The Silver Veil	A dome of moonlight permanently shines on this spot, even during the "Black Nights." It acts as a Mini-Sanctuary.
36-40	The Rust-Blossoms	Flowers made of copper wire bloom. If harvested, they can be used as Focus Components to grant +2 to the next SN Check.
41-45	The Crying Earth	The ground literally sobs. Any "Clean" NPC within earshot must make a PY Save or be overcome with grief (-2 to all rolls).
46-50	The Lead Husk	The hero's body turns into solid lead. It cannot be moved, but it can be used as an indestructible "Safe Box" for gear.
51-55	The Compass Rose	An iron needle grows from the grave, always pointing toward the character's birthplace in the "Clean Lands."
56-60	The Void-Blight	The grave becomes a hole in reality. Anything dropped in (gold, gear) is gone forever, but it "feeds" the Taint, making the local area safer.
61-65	The Echo-Chamber	Whispers of the hero’s unfinished quests haunt the site. Anyone resting here gains a Clairvoyance spell for 24 hours.
66-70	The Iron-Thorns	Protective vines of serrated steel grow around the grave. It takes a DEX Check to reach the marker, but it's a perfect defensive position.
71-75	The Clockwork Heart	A rhythmic thump-thump can be heard underground. Clocks and mechanical gear within 1 mile begin to run backwards.
76-80	The Salt-Flats	The Taint is sucked out of the ground, leaving a 100ft circle of pure, white salt (valuable for rituals).
81-85	The Raven-Perch	$1d12$ Tainted Ravens permanently watch the grave. They will follow the party and "caw" a warning if Malakor approaches.
86-90	The Final Grudge	The ground becomes "Cursed" for Tainted creatures. Any undead or mechanical horror entering the area takes $2d6$ radiant damage.
91-95	The Portal-Spark	A unstable rift opens. It leads to the Ossuary of Echoes, but only for 1 hour. It's a one-way trip to rescue others.
96-99	The Hero's Beacon	A beam of white light shoots into the sky. It can be seen for 50 miles. It guides other "Clean" survivors to this spot.
100	The Great Rebirth	The Taint is permanently healed in a 1-mile radius. The land becomes green and lush. This is a True Sanctuary that will never fail.

The "Ghost-Mark" System

If you are playing a long-term campaign, keep a list of where these markers are. When the party passes a "Grave Marker" of a fallen friend, give them a +2 morale bonus to their next check. It reminds them why they are fighting.

The Desecration Risk

Tainted creatures (especially Fallen Portal Keepers) hate these markers. They may attempt to "corrupt" a grave.

If a marker is destroyed, every surviving party member takes $1d6$ Psychic (PY) damage as they feel the "connection" snap.

In the Tainted Lands, the bond between "Clean" souls is one of the few things the environment cannot fully digest. When a hero dies and leaves a Grave Marker, their spirit remains "tethered" to the party.

The Ghostly Guide mechanic allows fallen player characters to remain part of the narrative, acting as a spiritual shield or a tactical edge when the party is at its lowest point.

The Ghostly Guide Mechanic

1. The Summoning (The "Call of the Tether")

A player cannot simply call a ghost like a familiar. A manifestation occurs only under one of the following conditions:

The party is within 1 mile of the fallen hero's Grave Marker.
A living party member is at 0 HP or is about to fail their final PY/SN Check.
The party is in direct combat with a Fallen Portal Keeper (like Malakor).

2. The Manifestation Roll

To summon the guide, a living player must spend their action to call out the dead hero's name and roll a Charisma-based SN Check (CC 15).

Success: The ghost manifests for $1d4$ rounds.
Critical Success: The ghost manifests for the entire encounter and grants a "Parting Gift."
Failure: The ghost hears the call but cannot break through the Taint. The player taking the action suffers $1d6$ Psychic damage from the feedback.

Ghostly Abilities (Based on Class)

When a hero manifests, they retain a "spectral echo" of their former specialty. They cannot be damaged by physical attacks, but they can be "dissipated" by magical darkness or necrotic spells.

Fallen Class	Spectral Ability
Fighter / Knight	The Aegis of Wills: The ghost stands in front of a living ally. All attacks against that ally are made at Disadvantage as the ghost parries with a blade of light.
Wizard / Illusionist	Arcane Clarity: The ghost "stabilizes" the local reality. For $1d4$ rounds, no magical mishaps can occur, and all friendly spells deal an extra die of damage.
Rogue / Assassin	Shadow-Step Guide: The ghost points out the "weak seams" in a Tainted creature's armor. The party gains a +4 bonus to hit and ignores the creature's damage reduction.
Cleric / Paladin	The Pure Breath: The ghost emits a 20ft pulse of "Clean" energy. All Tainted creatures must pass an SN Save or be Turned (as per Undead rules).
Ranger / Druid	The Pathfinder’s Eye: The ghost reveals a hidden exit or a structural weakness in the environment (e.g., "Collapse that pillar!").

The "Parting Gift" (Permanent Boon)

If a Ghostly Guide manifests during a "Boss Fight" and the party wins, the ghost may grant one final boon before their spirit finally finds peace in the "Clean Lands."

Roll $1d6$ for the Gift:

The Silent Promise: A permanent +1 bonus to PY for one party member.
Spectral Weaponry: One mundane weapon is permanently infused with the ghost's essence, becoming a +1 Ghost-Touch weapon.
The Memory Map: The ghost reveals the exact location of the nearest True Sanctuary.
Soul-Bond: The living player can now "store" 1 point of Corruption for a friend once per day.
The Warden's Blindness: Malakor and his sentinels lose the ability to "track" the party for the next $1d6$ days.
Fragment of Self: The fallen player’s most iconic piece of gear is "Cleansed." It loses all Tainted penalties and gains a unique magical property.

The Narrative Cost: "The Fading"

Every time a Ghostly Guide is summoned, they lose a piece of their visual detail. First, their color fades, then their voice becomes a whisper, then they become a featureless silhouette.

The Rule: A ghost can be summoned a maximum of 3 times. On the 4th attempt, they cannot hear the call; they have finally drifted into the Void or the "Clean Lands," and their Grave Marker turns into mundane stone.

Managing the Dead Player

If a player's character becomes a Ghostly Guide, let that player describe their manifestation. Let them choose who they protect and what their "spectral dialogue" is. It keeps the player engaged in the game even while they are rolling up a new character.

This D100 Manifestation Table represents the specific, often surreal ways a Ghostly Guide interacts with the Tainted Lands when summoned. These effects bypass standard physics, targeting the "Logic" of the Taint itself.

Roll $1d100$ when the manifestation is successful.

D100	Manifestation Event	Mechanical Effect
01-05	The Chrono-Anchor	The ghost "grabs" the current round. All allies may repeat their turn; enemies are frozen.
06-10	Shattered Geometry	The ghost strikes the ground; the battlefield layout shifts to the party's tactical advantage.
11-15	The Lead Shroud	The ghost wraps its spectral cloak around the party, granting Immunity to Taint for $1d6$ rounds.
16-20	Voice of the Void	The ghost screams a secret truth. All Tainted enemies must make a PY Save or be Confused.
21-25	Transfusion of Light	The ghost "gives" its remaining essence to a dying PC, restoring them to half Max HP.
26-30	The Iron Lock	The ghost grapples a boss (like Malakor). The boss loses all Special Abilities for $1d4$ rounds.
31-35	Memory Flashback	The environment briefly transforms into a "Clean" version of the hero's hometown. Enemies are Blind.
36-40	Spectral Volley	A rain of ghostly arrows/bolts falls. $6d6$ Force damage to all Tainted creatures in a 40ft radius.
41-45	Unstitching the Veil	The ghost tears a hole in the sky. For 1 turn, Healing Spells work at triple effectiveness.
46-50	The Guardian's Stand	The ghost becomes a physical wall 20ft wide. Nothing—magic or physical—can pass through it.
51-55	The Truth-Seeker	The ghost points out the "Real" enemy if the boss is using illusions or clones.
56-60	Cold-Iron Touch	The ghost touches an ally's weapon. It now deals double damage to Mechanical/Undead foes.
61-65	The Echo-Shield	Every time an ally is hit, the ghost retaliates with a $2d8$ psychic blast to the attacker.
66-70	Purging the Marrow	The ghost draws the black oil out of an ally's veins, resetting their Corruption Level to 0.
71-75	The Path of Spite	The ghost creates a "Clean Road." Anyone on it moves at double speed and ignores Opportunity Attacks.
76-80	Deny the Grave	If an ally dies while the ghost is present, the ghost "takes the hit," vanishing so the PC stays at 1 HP.
81-85	The Smith's Rebuke	The ghost "unmakes" one Tainted Item the enemy is using, turning it into useless slag.
86-90	Celestial Static	The ghost disrupts the "Heart of the Land." All SN Checks for the party are Automatic Successes.
91-95	The Final Hug	The ghost embraces an ally. That PC gains the ghost's Level as temporary HP and +4 to all Saves.
96-99	The Warden's Bane	The ghost speaks Malakor's "True Name." The Boss is Stunned for $1d6$ rounds and loses 20% of Max HP.
100	The Soul-Ascension	The ghost fully manifests in physical form for the duration of the fight. They act with their full living stats.

The "Fading" Visuals

As you roll on this table, describe how the ghost looks. A 100 roll might mean they look exactly as they did in life—vibrant and warm—while a 01-05 roll might look like a glitching, weeping shadow that is barely holding itself together.

Tactical Use of the Ghost

Players should treat the Ghostly Guide as a "Break Glass in Case of Emergency" button. Because of "The Fading" (the 3-use limit), using a manifestation on a random travel hazard is a massive waste compared to saving it for a Portal Keeper.

The "Will of the Dead"

Occasionally, the Ghostly Guide might have a "Requirement."

Example: "I will help you, but only if you promise to take my wedding ring back to the Clean Lands." If the party agrees and then fails to follow through, the next Manifestation roll is made at a -10 penalty.

This Legacy Sheet is designed to be handed to a player after their character dies. It transforms their "Dead" character into a tactical resource, ensuring they remain an active, vocal participant in the session while they prepare a new hero.

LEGACY SHEET: THE TETHERED SPIRIT

Name of Deceased: ______________________

Class in Life: __________________________

Grave Marker Location: _____________________

I. THE FADING (Track Your Remaining Presence)

A spirit can only resist the Taint for so long. Mark one circle each time you are summoned.

◯ First Call: Vibrant and clear. Voices are heard easily.
◯ Second Call: Pale and flickering. Voice sounds like distant static.
◯ Third Call: A featureless silhouette. Communication is through emotion only.
✖ The Void: After the 3rd use, the spirit is gone. The Grave Marker becomes mundane stone.

II. SPECTRAL ESSENCE (Your Passive Stats)

While manifested, you cannot be harmed by physical weapons. You occupy space but have no weight.

Movement: 30ft (Hover/Flight). Can move through walls (requires a PY Check to pass lead-lined barriers).
Aura of Calm: Allies within 10ft of you gain +2 to all Psychic (PY) Saving Throws.
The Unseen Eye: You can see into the Ethereal Plane. You automatically spot "Hidden" Tainted traps or Void Sentinels.

III. THE MANIFESTATION POWER (Choose One based on Class)

You may use this ability once per summoning.

[ ] The Knight’s Shield: Force an enemy to attack you instead of a living ally. The attack passes through you harmlessly, wasting the enemy's turn.
[ ] The Sage’s Whisper: Reveal the Damage Resistance or Weakness of any one Tainted creature currently in combat.
[ ] The Thief’s Misdirection: Snuff out all torches and light sources in the room except for your own spectral glow, granting allies a free "Hide" action.
[ ] The Martyr’s Mend: Transfer your spectral energy to an ally. They recover $1d10$ HP, but your "Fading" track progresses by an extra step.

IV. THE FINAL UNFINISHED BUSINESS (Your Quest)

The spirit lingers because of a "Tether." Work with the GM to define your unfinished business.

The Vow: (e.g., "See my party safely to the Iron-Oak Grove.")
The Reward: If the party completes this vow before your 3rd manifestation, you grant them a True Boon (Permanent +1 to a stat or a Cleansed item).

V. SPECTRAL DIALOGUE TRACKER

How do you appear to your friends?

Level 1: You look like you did in your prime. Smell of: _______________
Level 2: You are translucent. Your wounds from death are visible.
Level 3: You are a shivering shadow. Your words sound like the wind.

VI. RECORD OF THE FALLEN (GM Notes)

Manifestation Result (D100): __________________________
Current Anchor: (Grave Marker / Lead-Lined Locket / Ancestral Sword)

Player Instruction: Keep this sheet next to your new character sheet. You are the "Guardian Angel" of the party. You may speak to the players in character during manifestations, but you cannot interact with physical objects unless you use a specific ability.

Monday, February 2, 2026

Expanding Troll Lord Games Tainted Lands By James Ward For Castles & Crusades