Hundred Design (County for the uninitiated)
I had two pieces of the puzzle in place, but had decided from the onset that whatever campaign I ran, it would be based on an original sandbox design that I had used in 1978. I'll go into some detail here to address my creation and steps needed to accomplish those goals for yourself. Items I pulled together from existing sources to aid me in creating this continent are listed below:
Mystic Eye Games Campaign Planner Collection
Ronin Arts Fantasy Handouts Collection
In my version of the term “sandbox style game” – I create things from a micro scale outward. That is, all I start with is a rough outline of one county (hundred) on my continent, and a single point of interest – in this case the Bloated Blowfish Tavern. Because I'm working from the micro scale outward, I'm essentially discovering the world with my players as they adventure. It's a bit more back end work for me, but it also allows me to shape the fringes of the world, while giving the player more control over the world in which they live.
1: Create back story and rough outline of the county map.
I started with a region where my tavern, the Bloated Blowfish would be based. The Blowfish began on a small peninsula island off the coast of the continent of Isolde, near Lake Elise. Up on the hill above sits Crestop, a large castle that for 200 years stood as a home to many souls and a regent to the lands. Then Crestop's neighboring mountain collapsed, blocking off the salt and river routes and the entire region changed.
Once the arduous journey was made by the son of the King to the region of Crestfallen, Lord Reginald quickly decided something had to be done. In the early 6th century, a few of the old routes were reconnected, and with the help of the Valley Dwarves of Elden-Way, some semblance of normality returned to this region. It was decided that combining the existing castle and tavern into one large conglomerate might be able to take advantage of the regions restored status. From there, the tavern quickly gained notoriety for being a crossroads haven for adventures, and folks searching for a purpose in life.
2: Create a list of towns central to plot points (to be developed in future steps).
City: Yggsburgh - Northwest Corner
Town: Corvis - Eastern Central locale
Village: Coppice - closest town to Yggsburgh in this county
Village: Grand Lynn - central location, middle of map
Thorp: Troyen - Starting point, near Lake Elise – North East corner
Fife: Jo'sRun - Southwest corner
Note: The towns in bold already exist in print from other published sources.
3: Create a trade route and list its principle Start and End points.
A. The trade route runs from Yggsburgh to Jo'sRun.
B. There is a toll to be paid at Corvis -which sits as a central point on the route. Going North takes one to Troyen, home of Crestfallen and the Bloated Blowfish.
C. South from Corvis leads to Jo'sRun.
D. West from Corvis leads to Grand Lynn, and further on to principalities of Coppice.
E. From Coppice the trail opens outward and down to the 3 rivers junction at Yggsburgh.
4: Place Towns on map.
I then placed each town on the map, in the positions I created in step 3.
5: Place Trade Route on map, connecting the principle locations from step 3.
I then created the Trade Route, connecting the principle towns along it as created in step 3.
NOTE: It's critical not to do anything else at this point – since the players will be directly involved in the creation of, and the playing in the world. Resistance, in this case, is not futile!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Non-Traditional Sandbox Design
Campaign Background
Over the last few months I had been gathering steam on my own campaign setting, which would become a blend of existing information, maps, places, NPCs, from the last 35 years of playing and Dming 1st Edition AD&D. In that time, I investigated a slew of various options and systems, some of which sang in my ear for a short time, while others were quickly tossed to the side because they lacked ingenuity or anything I could use. Then, last summer I joined up with a local group of gamers known as the Foaming Flagons – who it turned out loved the classics of the genre; from Traveller and Call of Cthulhu to OD&D and the Forgotten Realms – these guys were like mirror images of myself.
Once it was determined I passed muster (and don't get me started on that whole “introduction to a new group/blending in phase – I could write a book) the question eventually came up as to what I wanted to run.
I had, and still consider MERP to be one of my favorite settings. As a certified geek of Tolkien, this system really contains everything one could want for the setting, and there is enough historical data (read – existing modules and published material) to give any confident DM and group a lifetime worth of imagination and excitement. The issue however came down to the character generation and the ideology that if I were going to run this the ring could not exist. So, MERP was pushed aside.
The Forgotten Realms. I'd be remiss not to mention my considerations for this setting, given it's legendary status at our table (1E) and how well known the land is. In many regards I know this world better than the one I live in, so Faerun will be used in part.
Next I turned to the most amazing setting that I've ever seen. Detail, maps to die for, a fevered group of fans whom create their own “fanon” and count them 2 companies developing material 28 years after the system's introduction. This means there is enough meat and (lack of potatoes) to fill any palette. (that is a pun for the unknowing – for somewhere in the annals of this world it became a fairy tale that potatoes don't exist)
Yes, I'm speaking of Harn. Most people talk about the maps, but for me its the little details in this world that absolutely slay me. From creating and running your own manor, to the misunderstanding that many have that Harn is a magic weak world. How inaccurate that is – for it is magic-rare. Odds are in your adventures you will encounter entire villages that have never seen an iota of magic in their entire life. The Shek-Pvar (the mages) tend to keep a stern eye on any outward displays of magic but the way I look at this system is that a PC is a hero, special in some regard, capable of retaining spell energy, or exceptional of heart. So, Harn's island has been dropped onto the globe – to sit alongside Faerun.
Lastly, I wanted to incorporate places and perhaps even NPCs from my favorite set of books and author; The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson. This set of works has inspired me like no other, and I've had the great fortune to meet him on several occasions.
Over the last few months I had been gathering steam on my own campaign setting, which would become a blend of existing information, maps, places, NPCs, from the last 35 years of playing and Dming 1st Edition AD&D. In that time, I investigated a slew of various options and systems, some of which sang in my ear for a short time, while others were quickly tossed to the side because they lacked ingenuity or anything I could use. Then, last summer I joined up with a local group of gamers known as the Foaming Flagons – who it turned out loved the classics of the genre; from Traveller and Call of Cthulhu to OD&D and the Forgotten Realms – these guys were like mirror images of myself.
Once it was determined I passed muster (and don't get me started on that whole “introduction to a new group/blending in phase – I could write a book) the question eventually came up as to what I wanted to run.
I had, and still consider MERP to be one of my favorite settings. As a certified geek of Tolkien, this system really contains everything one could want for the setting, and there is enough historical data (read – existing modules and published material) to give any confident DM and group a lifetime worth of imagination and excitement. The issue however came down to the character generation and the ideology that if I were going to run this the ring could not exist. So, MERP was pushed aside.
The Forgotten Realms. I'd be remiss not to mention my considerations for this setting, given it's legendary status at our table (1E) and how well known the land is. In many regards I know this world better than the one I live in, so Faerun will be used in part.
Next I turned to the most amazing setting that I've ever seen. Detail, maps to die for, a fevered group of fans whom create their own “fanon” and count them 2 companies developing material 28 years after the system's introduction. This means there is enough meat and (lack of potatoes) to fill any palette. (that is a pun for the unknowing – for somewhere in the annals of this world it became a fairy tale that potatoes don't exist)
Yes, I'm speaking of Harn. Most people talk about the maps, but for me its the little details in this world that absolutely slay me. From creating and running your own manor, to the misunderstanding that many have that Harn is a magic weak world. How inaccurate that is – for it is magic-rare. Odds are in your adventures you will encounter entire villages that have never seen an iota of magic in their entire life. The Shek-Pvar (the mages) tend to keep a stern eye on any outward displays of magic but the way I look at this system is that a PC is a hero, special in some regard, capable of retaining spell energy, or exceptional of heart. So, Harn's island has been dropped onto the globe – to sit alongside Faerun.
Lastly, I wanted to incorporate places and perhaps even NPCs from my favorite set of books and author; The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson. This set of works has inspired me like no other, and I've had the great fortune to meet him on several occasions.
Campaign History: Coins of the Realms 2
~~Background 1978 - January 21 ~~
After careful thought, I had decided early on that any coin in the Realms would include the same back design, to represent Isolde and to cut down on production costs. Many designs were considered, but I kept coming back to the one feature that makes Isolde, well Isolde - the Giant Trees.
The Monks of Soaring Woodhelven have 2 huge specimens, and there are other locations throughout Isolde that have some smaller cousins, if 400 feet is small. A single tree seemed to sparse for my taste, while a grove of trees better represented the wildness and serenity that forests present.
Cheers,
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Campaign History: Coins of the Realms
~~Background 1978 - January 21 ~~
My next task was to create a set of coins that represented the various cardinal powers of Isolde, while also sharing my love for all things Latin. It would be 5 more years before Harn came along, but I was already envisioning a world that was based on Medieval Europe, and had a touch of Tolkien. I quickly decided to use Latin as my choice of slogan, and hid each under the guise of a Dwarven - later to be Harnic Rune.
Created by the Church of the White Lotus in 204 DF, the Copper Lotus represents the simple man in Isolde, and the realm of Nature. A classic Harnic font overlays the Latin phrase:
Consensio quod Pacis per Vis
Harmony and Peace with Nature
The Valley Dwarves of Isolde petitioned the Grand Council in 106 DF to have a coin that represented their stake in the affairs of the various Hundreds. The first minted Silver Axe included the Dwarve's favored Wood Axe encircled by the Latin phrase:
Pondera Plumbum ut Victoria
Balance Leads to Victory
The Church of Sorakis was tasked to create a representation of their creed, and in 203 DF they brought forth the Gold Sword. It includes a Reaper's Sword, encircled by the Latin phrase:
Ago per Mucro
Live by the Sword
Lord Prothall decreed in 101 DF that Isolde needed a coin that represented a shared vision of the country, and tasked many artisans. The Platinum Crown was chosen with the King's own slogan of Glory, Honor, Unity surrounded in Harnic Runes:
Palma , Veneratio , Iunctum
Glory, Honor, Unity
My next task was to create a set of coins that represented the various cardinal powers of Isolde, while also sharing my love for all things Latin. It would be 5 more years before Harn came along, but I was already envisioning a world that was based on Medieval Europe, and had a touch of Tolkien. I quickly decided to use Latin as my choice of slogan, and hid each under the guise of a Dwarven - later to be Harnic Rune.
Created by the Church of the White Lotus in 204 DF, the Copper Lotus represents the simple man in Isolde, and the realm of Nature. A classic Harnic font overlays the Latin phrase:
Consensio quod Pacis per Vis
Harmony and Peace with Nature
The Valley Dwarves of Isolde petitioned the Grand Council in 106 DF to have a coin that represented their stake in the affairs of the various Hundreds. The first minted Silver Axe included the Dwarve's favored Wood Axe encircled by the Latin phrase:
Pondera Plumbum ut Victoria
Balance Leads to Victory
The Church of Sorakis was tasked to create a representation of their creed, and in 203 DF they brought forth the Gold Sword. It includes a Reaper's Sword, encircled by the Latin phrase:
Ago per Mucro
Live by the Sword
Lord Prothall decreed in 101 DF that Isolde needed a coin that represented a shared vision of the country, and tasked many artisans. The Platinum Crown was chosen with the King's own slogan of Glory, Honor, Unity surrounded in Harnic Runes:
Palma , Veneratio , Iunctum
Glory, Honor, Unity
Saturday, April 9, 2011
DM Screen Collage and Player Handbook's Images
Archived for 1979 - in reference to my original DM Screen
For some time I've been working on an upgrade to the central collage of the DM Screen from 1979. This latest effort was 35 hours of editing, matching up segments and attempting to capture the flavor of the original. Is it perfect?
Nah, probably won't ever be, but hopefully for those that wish to create their own DM screen, it'll be a nice upgrade. I've uploaded this in 2 parts. Left side:
Right side:
Lastly, I've finished the editing of a larger Original Player's Handbook front cover.
For some time I've been working on an upgrade to the central collage of the DM Screen from 1979. This latest effort was 35 hours of editing, matching up segments and attempting to capture the flavor of the original. Is it perfect?
Nah, probably won't ever be, but hopefully for those that wish to create their own DM screen, it'll be a nice upgrade. I've uploaded this in 2 parts. Left side:
Right side:
Lastly, I've finished the editing of a larger Original Player's Handbook front cover.
DM Screen Source Images
Archived for 1979 - in reference to my original DM Screen
For some time, and like many DM's, I've been searching for the ultimate Dungeon Master Screen. The original 1979 version remains the de-facto version with enough information (and art for the player) to satisfy all my old school desires. So a while back I discovered a fantastic DM Screen that has everything the original had, and more. Over at Dragonsfoot, member Paul J. Stormberg
DM Screen
In any case, for those that actually follow this blog, I've recently edited all of the images found in his original thread's includeds images. Since they were not included in the pdf file I thought this might help finish this fantastic addition to your gaming table.
Cheers,
For some time, and like many DM's, I've been searching for the ultimate Dungeon Master Screen. The original 1979 version remains the de-facto version with enough information (and art for the player) to satisfy all my old school desires. So a while back I discovered a fantastic DM Screen that has everything the original had, and more. Over at Dragonsfoot, member Paul J. Stormberg
DM Screen
In any case, for those that actually follow this blog, I've recently edited all of the images found in his original thread's includeds images. Since they were not included in the pdf file I thought this might help finish this fantastic addition to your gaming table.
Cheers,
Campaign History: Outdoor Setting
~~Background 1978 - January 3 ~~
In redesigning my original maps, I discovered I had forgot a section of the wilderness. This is for a region of the Elise Hundred, that focuses on a long forgotten tomb of a crazed alchemist/trickster. This was done in about 10 minutes with MapTools.
In redesigning my original maps, I discovered I had forgot a section of the wilderness. This is for a region of the Elise Hundred, that focuses on a long forgotten tomb of a crazed alchemist/trickster. This was done in about 10 minutes with MapTools.
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