Reasons for a forest to be filled with decay?

[Jimmy Fagguette]

Exactly as the title says, one of my players' character is hailing from a forest, which is now in a state of decay, all of the trees and animals are dead/dying, and the entirety of her Elven village has been wiped out, but she wasn't there so doesn't know how, she also hasn't been to the forest since it happened, leaving it entirely open for me to decide what could have happened.
So, the thing that I'm looking for is some form of person, organisation, or other being that could've brought the forest to it's knees, by curse, minions, plague, or whatever else it fancies.
I would really appreciate your ideas!

[DarthPenance]

That actually sounds similar to what is happening in a game I'm playing, what a coincidence.

Well, to be frank, there are quit a bit of options, a necromancer using the florest's life force to fuel his magic, a fey corrupting the ley lines of magic in the forest taking away it's magic and thus life, the influence of an evil god led by cultists that are taking the life away from the area.
It doesn't have to be following the lore of 5.0 edition, it's your world after all, so let your criativity run lose, my favorite of those is the fey one, since it's rare for them to be enemies and they have relations to elves.

[Unoriginal]

Zuggtmoy has used her power on this forest as a prelude for an incursion?

[Haldir]

What if the forest is simply ending it's current life cycle, naturally coming to an end so it can grow up again, fresh and new. Everyone is panicking thinking that its some evil cult or deranged druid, but nope, it's just time. In another century or so it may well be back in full swing!

-not the most adventure oriented idea, but it could be made to work as an interesting twist... The people the party thinks are killing the forest are actually there to celebrate the end of its phenomanal, millenia-long cycle.

[Asmotherion]

-Necromancer trope feeding on life force.

-Fanatic Druids worshiping the cult Elemental Fire invade the place.

-A Dwarven(?) civilisation expands (unknowingly) too close to the surface, and this affects the ground quality, thus the roots of the trees no longer absorb enough nutritients and slowly die over the years.

-Orcs make camp. Orcs cut trees. Orcs pillage and leave a mess. Orcs move on. Orcs don't care if you think this is an overused cliche.

[MrStabby]

What if the forest is simply ending it's current life cycle, naturally coming to an end so it can grow up again, fresh and new. Everyone is panicking thinking that its some evil cult or deranged druid, but nope, it's just time. In another century or so it may well be back in full swing!

-not the most adventure oriented idea, but it could be made to work as an interesting twist... The people the party thinks are killing the forest are actually there to celebrate the end of its phenomanal, millenia-long cycle.

A pretty cool idea. I kind of like it. It does still support adventures though. Humanoids reliant on the forest will starve till it regrows. Tasks to secure food, secure trade and so on could make for a good diplomatic campaign.

[FelineArchmage]

If you want it to be a person destroying the forest, look into the old 3.5 class Blighter. It is a ex-druid prestige class where they get their power by destroying natural vegetation.

[JellyPooga]

- Myconids

- A curse of age; everything in the vicinity ages much faster than normal...including the PC's and their rations.

- The Red Weed. A fast growing and prolific alien plant-form has taken root and is swiftly devouring all the natural resources. Is there a sentience behind it? Is it magically created? Is it just a natural disaster?

[Requilac]

Make sure to throw some blights at the party. No self-respecting decayed forest in D&D is complete without them.

[Yucca]

Maybe a previous adventuring party was exploring an ancient cavern under the forest and opened... something.

Naturally that something killed them all, and is now corrupting the forest around it. Maybe it's sentient, maybe it's just a fountain of necrotic energy pouring forth into the world. Maybe it's both.

Maybe it's a scar from an infernal incursion so long ago that not even the elves remembered it any more.

[MrStabby]

If the feywild and shadowfel are kind of mirror planes could the actual cause be on one of those planes and the effect seeping through? Could give some good planeshifting adventures and give a good chance to flesh out some of those areas in your world.

[Kane0]

Regular druids, or a subset of druid. It's just the time of year they go through the less awesome but still very necessary part of the circle of life - the part where things die and decay in order to make room for and feed new life.

[Lunali]

A black dragon or similar legendary creature has taken up residence.

[Kane0]

There is a mage around trying to attain lichdom without the usual human(oid) sacrifices, and they think that killing off the forest will be a suitable substitute.

[Hears You]

Decay is just another form of life. The hags that watch over the wood have decided it's now the wormtime.

The fae spirits just on the other side of the veil have gone mad, the decay is simply a reflection of their illness.

The Arch Druids long lost brother has returned, jealous of his twin's station he has slain him and taken his place, the deception is so perfect that only the spirit of the forest can tell.

The dryad at the center of the forest long ago fell in love with a mortal elf, and even his long life has finally come to an end. This is her sorrow, help her move on.

It's a natural blight gone berserk, something has amplified it, or perhaps the forest wasn't ready for this foreign insect that local farmer brought in with some crops, either way it's time for the players to get to the root of all weevils.

[Sigreid]

The local dryads have been cursed. Becoming sickly, scared and dangerous. Perhaps a mortal has started a tryst with one and they are being punished or some such?

[MilkmanDanimal]

The planar barriers in the area are breaking down, and it's becoming a portal to the Shadowfell. That should provide a bunch of adventure hooks alone.

[dreast]

If you want something mundane, a beetle is killing all of the trees and the entire ecosystem is collapsing. Something more adventurous? A Doomguard druid introduced the beetles in the first place, and only he knows where to get the species that’ll keep them under control... but the party will have to go to Sigil to find him...

Yeah, I know, I’m barmy about Planescape. I’ll quit rattling my bonebox, berk.

[Spore]

Everyone's having so mystical ideas. Maybe the ground water is too basic (base, like the counterpart to acid). An earthquake/landslide/massive rainfall moved massive amounts of minerals into the water, causing the area's plants to wither and rot.

Or maybe the resident alchemist wanted a red acidfall, how knows? :smallsmile:

[Haldir]

If you want something mundane, a beetle is killing all of the trees and the entire ecosystem is collapsing. Something more adventurous? A Doomguard druid introduced the beetles in the first place, and only he knows where to get the species that’ll keep them under control... but the party will have to go to Sigil to find him...

Yeah, I know, I’m barmy about Planescape. I’ll quit rattling my bonebox, berk.

I actually love this because it rhymes so much with real world ecologic issues. Invasive species wrecking havoc like asian carp- you'd never expect it in a high-fantasy swords and sorcery type game.

[smcmike]

A powerful city a couple of hundred miles away has been using magic to control the weather, without much thought about the consequences for the rest of the continent. The forest, which is adapted for cool and semi-arid conditions, has been warmer and wetter than normal for a couple of decades, and everything is rotting, with some nasty fungus surprises.

[Lombra]

Fungi invasion!

[SirGraystone]

The Mist has open a way to the cursed land of Barovia

[saucerhead]

Some really cool ideas have already been brought up.
My initial thought was a powerful banshee rose from the wrongful murder of an elf in the forest. It twisted the nature of that forest and sought vengeance against the elves within.

[Throne12]

There is a monster in volo's guide. It does what your looking for it called Catoblepas


Just add one or a hard of then.

Catoblepas

[Dr. Cliché]

- A group of Hags are twisting the forest to their own ends, creating Shambling Mounds made of rotten vegetation that absorb creatures and turn them into plantlike zombies.

- A tree that is the literal heart of the forest has been corrupted and the corruption is spreading outwards to the rest of the forest.

- A sect of druids have found that they can strengthen their power by draining the life of the forest. They grow stronger while the forest dies and decays around them.

- A Worm that Walks has taken up residence in the forest and is using his magic to kill and decay the surrounding plant-life. He is growing an army of worms that can take the shape of other creatures, which are feeding on the decay and using it to grow and multiply.

[S@tanicoaldo]

A powerful druid who sees death as part of life and keep preching about the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

Picture the Golgari from MtG.

http://magic.wizards.com/sites/mtg/files/image_legacy_migration/images/magic/daily/mm/mm223_slitherhead.jpg

[Vogie]

Fungi invasion!

Perpetuated by Spore Druids!

Have some custom Blight Archers with Contagion Shots