The Cipher

The main notable feature of the new continent is The Cipher. The Cipher is a 200+ mile wide band that stretches from north to south across the continent. Within the Cipher, magical items seem to lose their power or behave erratically. The Cipher is filled with monsters, and the use of magical items seems to draw them, as if nature itself was rejecting magical technology.

The Cipher is what has halted the Eastward expansion of Arystian settlements. Although a few brave settlers have braved the dangers of the Cipher to live on the fertile lands beyond, the journey is far too dangerous for the vast majority of people

Magic In the Cipher
While magical items lose their power in the cipher, naturally produced magic, sentient items and mostly mechanical items seem to be exempt. Additionally, healing potions work at half capacity. The simpler the magic item the better it works in the Cipher (i.e. the better the chances of the item working). Weapons that count as magical for the purposes of damage resistance probably work in the cipher, but it can be variable (it depends on a d100 roll). Any use of a magical item may draw monsters.

Monsters in the Cipher
The monsters in the Cipher are both numerous and strange. Who knows what lurks in the shadows beyond the next stand of trees....



Traverses
There are some who are especially attuned to the mysteries of the Cipher. They tend to be found in the towns and villages close to the Cipher, and it is said that they are created when the wind blows West at their moment of birth. These attuned individuals are able to act as guides, called Traverses, leading travelers through the treacherous landscape of the Cipher. Traverses are able to see through many of the magical illusions produced by the Cipher, and can sometimes sense the approach of particularly dangerous creatures.

Travel Through the Cipher
Travel through the Cipher is always dangerous, be it for a convoy of migrants or a seasoned adventuring party.

Since they must always be vigilant, players cannot benefit from long rests while travelling through the Cipher.

Random encounters will occur as a result of skill challenges. These challenges will be easier to pass if the party has a Traverse to guide them through [RULES ARE BEING WORKED ON]