Here's some of my notes for B2 Keep on the Borderlands & T1 The Village of Hommlet. These two modules can easily be integrated. To integrate these maps into a cohesive sandbox, you need to think of the Keep (B2) as the northern frontier wall and Hommlet (T1) as the civilized agricultural hub. By placing them on a single regional axis, you create a natural "frontier" feel where the PCs move from civilization into the "Wild Coast" or "Borderlands.
This blog post picks right up from here on the blog.
The Regional Map: The Verbobonc Frontier
In a standard C&C setting (or the classic Greyhawk setting), you can align them along a major road, often called the Low Road or the Great North Road.
North (The Wilderness): The Caves of Chaos are nestled in a ravine within the "Jagged Peaks" or "Grey Hills."
The Hub: The Keep on the Borderlands sits at the mouth of the pass, exactly 10 miles south of the Caves.
The Road: A 50-mile stretch of dangerous forest and scrubland (The Gnarley Forest or similar).
South (Civilization): The Village of Hommlet sits at a crossroads.
The Outpost: The Moathouse is hidden in the marshes 3 miles east of Hommlet.
Geography & Distances
| Location A | Location B | Distance | Travel Time | Terrain |
| Hommlet | The Moathouse | 3 Miles | 1 hour | Marsh/Track |
| Hommlet | The Keep | 50 Miles | 2–3 Days | Forest Road |
| The Keep | Caves of Chaos | 10 Miles | 4 hours | Hilly Scrub |
Visualizing the Integration
When the players look at your campaign map, they should see a transition of safety:
Hommlet (The Green Zone): Bright, open farmland. The map is detailed with individual homes. Danger is hidden (spies in the brewery, the ruined Moathouse).
The Road (The Yellow Zone): Use the B2 "Wilderness Map" for this 50-mile stretch. This is where you roll for Random Encounters. This is where the PCs realize they are leaving the protection of the Church of St. Cuthbert.
The Keep (The Red Zone): A massive stone fortress surrounded by "The Realm of Chaos." The map is a tactical grid because combat could break out even at the gates.
Tactical "Bridge" Points
To make the maps feel like they belong together, add these elements to your physical handouts:
The Milestone: On the B2 Wilderness Map, add a signpost on the southern edge that reads: "Hommlet – 45 Miles. Verbobonc – 80 Miles."
The Merchant Route: The "Trader" in the Keep (B2) should have a ledger mentioning Rannos Davl (the spy trader in T1). If the PCs find this ledger, they have a reason to travel to Hommlet to investigate a smuggling ring.
The Refugees: As the PCs clear the Caves of Chaos, have rescued prisoners (like the Merchant and his Wife) mention they were heading south to a "quiet village called Hommlet" to escape the raiding.
The "Hidden" Map: The Temple Connection
Underneath both maps is the Secret Map. In the Caves of Chaos (Cave J), the Shrine of Evil Chaos contains a tapestry or a map.
The Reveal: The map shows a larger "Elemental" temple much further south (The Temple of Elemental Evil), with the Moathouse circled as "Site Alpha" and the Caves of Chaos circled as "Site Beta."
To bridge the distance between the rugged Keep and the pastoral Hommlet, this table emphasizes the transition from "monster-infested wilderness" to "suspicious civilized lands."
Since this is Castles & Crusades, the checks are based on the SIEGE Engine. If the party has a Ranger or Druid, use their level as a bonus to avoid being surprised or to track these encounters.
The Road to Hommlet: 3-Day Encounter Table
Frequency: Roll 1d12 three times per day (Morning, Evening, Night). A result of 10–12 indicates an encounter.
| 1d12 | Encounter | C&C Stats / Notes |
| 1-2 | Broken Merchant Wagon | 3 Commoners (HP 4) guarded by 2 Men-at-Arms (HD 1, AC 15). They are suspicious of the PCs, fearing they are bandits from the Moathouse. |
| 3-4 | Gnoll Deserters | 1d4+1 Gnolls (HD 2, AC 15). These are survivors from the Caves of Chaos. They are hungry, wounded, and desperate. |
| 5-6 | The "Gentleman" Hunter | A high-level NPC (Fighter 5) on a horse. He is actually a spy for the Temple, gauging the PCs' strength. He is polite but asks too many questions. |
| 7-8 | Stirge Nest | 1d6 Stirges (HD 1d4, AC 13). They drop from the canopy. Special: Attached Stirges drain 1d4 Con per round (CL 1 Con save to pull off). |
| 9 | Wandering Ogre | 1 Ogre (HD 4, AC 16). Carrying a sack containing 200gp and a rusted shield bearing the Inverted Yellow Eye. |
| 10 | The Raven Messenger | A large raven follows the party for 1d4 hours. It is a Familiar for a cultist in Hommlet. If shot down, it carries a tiny scroll with the PCs' descriptions. |
| 11 | Brigand Toll-Road | 2d4 Bandits (HD 1, AC 14) led by a Level 2 Fighter. They demand 5gp per head to "pass the bridge." |
| 12 | Patrol of the Stalwart | 6 Militia from Hommlet (HD 1, AC 16). They are wary and will escort the PCs the rest of the way to the Village to ensure they aren't "trouble." |
Daily Travel Flavor
To make the journey feel like a transition between the two modules, use these environmental cues:
Day 1: Leaving the Keep (The Wilds)
The air is cold and the trees are gnarled. The path is barely a wagon-track.
Atmosphere: Silence, broken only by distant wolf howls.
CK Note: Remind players of their victories in the Caves of Chaos. The "civilized" world feels very far away.
Day 2: The Deep Woods (The Border)
The halfway point. The forest is thickest here, and the "Long Road" is prone to mud and overgrowth.
Atmosphere: Overwhelming sense of being watched. This is where the stirges or the Ogre likely strike.
CK Note: Have the players find a ruined shrine to a "Forgotten God." Inside is a fresh charcoal drawing of the Temple Eye on the altar.
Day 3: The Approach to Hommlet (The Verbonbonc Lowlands)
The forest thins into rolling hills and tilled fields. The smell of woodsmoke and manure replaces the scent of pine.
Atmosphere: Peaceful, but the locals they pass in the fields stop working to stare at the heavily armed PCs until they are out of sight.
CK Note: As the sun sets, the PCs see the smoking chimneys of Hommlet and the distant, ominous silhouette of the Moathouse ruins in the swamp to the east.
The "Bridge" Mechanic: The Letter
If the PCs defeated the Evil Priest in B2, they likely have a Letter of Introduction.
Effect: If shown to the Traders (Rannos and Gremag) in Hommlet, the traders will mistakenly believe the PCs are new cult recruits. This gives the players a +4 "CL" bonus to Charisma checks to infiltrate the Moathouse, but a -4 penalty if the Village Elders find out they have it!
This NPC, Kaelen the "Wayfarer," is designed to be the connective tissue between the two modules. He is a spy for the Temple of Elemental Evil (specifically Lareth the Beautiful) tasked with monitoring traffic on the road between the Keep and Hommlet.
Kaelen the Wayfarer (Cult Infiltrator)
Class: Assassin 3 / Cleric 1 (Dual-Classed or Multi-Classed equivalent)
Alignment: Evil
AC: 16 (Leather Armor, Dex, Ring of Protection +1)
HP: 22
Movement: 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 12 (+0) | 16 (+2)* | 13 (+1) | 14 (+2)* | 11 (+0) | 15 (+2)* |
| *Primes (Dexterity, Intelligence, Charisma) |
Attacks: Shortsword +5 (1d6), Light Crossbow +5 (1d6, Range 80 ft.)
Special Abilities: * Case Target: If Kaelen observes the party for 1 round, he gains a +2 to hit on his first attack.
Sneak Attack: +2 to hit, deals +2d6 damage if the target is unaware.
Spells (CL 1): Ghost Sound, Guidance, Cause Fear.
Possessions: A heavy leather pouch containing 25gp (Keep currency), a silver holy symbol of the Eye hidden in a false heel, and a Scroll of Message used to alert his masters.
Roleplaying the Encounter
Kaelen poses as a displaced scribe or itinerant merchant whose mule died a few miles back. He is sitting by a small campfire near the road on the evening of Day 2.
The Hook: He claims to be heading to the Keep to find work, but he is actually headed to Hommlet to report on the "clearing of the Caves of Chaos."
The Investigation: He will offer the PCs food and drink (heavily watered wine). He will ask specific questions:
"I heard the Keep’s commander is looking for heroes. Did you find anything... interesting... in those northern caves?"
"Do you carry any tokens or curios from the caves? I collect antiquities for a buyer in the city." (He is looking for the Priest’s ring or the Temple map).
The Betrayal: If Kaelen realizes the PCs have the Temple map or killed the Priest, he won't fight them alone. He will use Ghost Sound to distract them, slip into the woods (using his Dex Prime for a Stealth check), and rush to the Moathouse to warn Lareth.
C&C SIEGE Engine Challenge: The "Tell"
If the players are suspicious, have them roll an Intelligence (Insight) check vs. Kaelen’s Charisma (CL 3).
Success: The PC notices that while Kaelen claims to be a scribe, his hands aren't stained with ink, but they do have calluses from a sword grip.
Exceptional Success: They notice a faint, tattooed inverted triangle on his inner wrist—the mark of a lower-tier initiate of the Temple.
Impact on the Campaign
If Kaelen Escapes: When the PCs arrive at the Moathouse (T1), the guards are Double Alerted. They will have set up an ambush in the first room of the ruins.
If Kaelen is Captured: He can be interrogated. Using a Charisma check (CL 5), the PCs can learn that "The Master in the Moathouse" is expecting a shipment of "gold and slaves" from the north—linking the B2 raids directly to the T1 plot.
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