Hexcrawling and its Fundamental Use in Old School DnD Part 2

Second in my series on the hexcrawl campaign in DnD.  See the first post here.

So, most people know that the premise of the hexcrawl is pretty much a central and fundamental factor in a "sandbox" style campaign.  The sandbox being, a world within which your PCs are free to explore, plunder, and do with as they wish at their own discretion.  Now, I could go on in another entire direction here discussing the elements of the sandbox as a whole, but right now I'm just focusing on the fundamentals of a hexcrawl and the basic elements to start one.

There are hundreds of posts on forums and blogs that go into much greater detail into the fine art of designing a hexcrawl and world building than what I will offer up here.  Rob Conley, for example, has a fantastic series of posts going in depth on world building and designing your hexcrawl campaign worlds.  Even if you don't plan on using his method, I'd still highly recommend having a read through because there is a ton of valuable information in those posts.  There are others as well to be sure, and chances are if you're reading this, you have your own ideas of the best ways to go about designing a hexcrawl.  By no means is the method I am suggesting, or the advice I am offering the ONLY way to design such, it's just MY way of doing so.  It works for me.  Maybe it will work for you as well.

As I noted in my first entry, the first step is to draw a map.  Sounds pretty simple.  If you're like me, however, designing great maps can be frustrating.  I've drawn hundreds over the years, and never seem satisfied with the results.  There are all sorts of theories that go behind world building and terrain placement relative to regions, etc.  I'm just going to keep things simple for this exercise.  You might opt to sketch out a rough drawing of your map on a scrap piece of paper beforehand, or maybe you just want to wing it.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages.  I'm going to focus on designing the hexcrawl using the least amount of effort initially.  If you're like me, you already have a busy life, and while designing campaign worlds is a great way to spend your time as a hobby, you don't want to spend countless hours on world building and writing up histories and details about far away and distant lands your PCs might never encounter.  One basic rule of campaign design for me: focus on the immediate areas/regions my PCs will be engaged in prior to each session.

So, let's get right down to business then.  The first step is to get the initial hex map ready for where you're going to start the campaign.  You can either print a blank one out and draw in the details yourself, or use a program like hexographer to do it on the computer. In this exercise I'm going to just use hexographer.  Now, mind you, it will take some time playing around with this to get the full use of the program, but the free version is an excellent utility for mapmaking and comes highly recommended.

In the first step, we'll start out very basic here.  Enough to get your wheels turning and start getting you ready for that first session.  Whether you printed off a map, or are using hexographer, or any other utility, you always want to start your mapping for the campaign from the center most hex.  This way, as your players explore in whatever directions they might choose, you have plenty of room to go in and add features to your already existing map.

To make things simple, let's simply start out with 7 hexes, with each hex equal to 6 miles.  One center hex, and 6 surrounding hexes.

7 starting hexes

 In the above picture we have the central hex with the 6 surrounding hexes with grassland hills, a light forest, and a forested hills, with a river, which forks, running down the center.  Now, that we've placed our basic terrain features we need to determine what exactly are in these hexes that our adventurers are going to want to explore?  So, let's start by adding 4 basic features to the map.  A starting village (in the center hex), a ruin, a tower, and a monster lair.  Fairly basic components just to give you the idea.

Our original hexes with some areas for the PCs to explore

In the center hex, we have the village of Windholm, which sits along the river, as well as a set of ruins not far away, a monster lair in the forested hills, and a tower of some sort in the grassy hills to the south.  So already you have 4 areas for your PCs to explore, although they'll certainly focus on the 3 areas most ripe for adventure outside the starting village.  Jot down the hex number on a piece of paper, or word document and write a brief description of that hex's details.  For example:

04.04 Windholm - Small fishing village located along the Southling River.  Population 80.  Ruled by a town council of elders led by Sumerus Halfhand (LG hf9)

Of course, the above is simply an example.  You want to write out as much detail as possible in your notes.  You might want to consider drawing a map of the village, or just doing a short write-up of the major locations your PCs are likely to encounter (inns, taverns, etc.) and the NPCs they are likely to interact with.  No need to get too crazy with the details though.  It doesn't matter if Farmer Goldenwheat has a bag of 10 silver pieces hidden under a hay pile in the barn.  These things are simply filler and can be made up in the game as you go.  Focus on the important stuff, and go from there.

In the next post, I'll talk about fleshing out the areas for your party to explore, getting them to learn about the areas, and a bit about traveling to them.

Making Zero Level Villains that Can Terrorize the Party

I posted a campaign summary of the first session of my Cormyr campaign a week ago or so. If you read that post, you are probably already somewhat familiar with Lasander Highmoon, the NPC that hired the party to retrieve his supposed "stolen merchant wares" from the Rogues of Tilverton. Highmoon introduced himself to the party as a merchant from Arabel and proprietor of the Red Sun Trading Coster.

Some simple investigating from the party would have revealed much about Highmoon, had they not been so impulsive (or greedy.) For one, Highmoon seemed to know a lot about Tilverton, and more importantly the thieves guild therein. He knew a lot about the intricate sewer network the rogues use to smuggle goods, the black market in the sewers, and he even knew where his goods were being kept and the main access points to get into the place. In other words, he knew a hell of a lot more about this city than any simple merchant from another city should know.

The PC's never bothered to talk to any other locals about Highmoon. They never asked any questions of the man. Some of the locals likely would have pointed out that Highmoon is, in fact, a local of Tilverton. They also never checked into this supposed merchant company he owns. A quick public record search would have revealed there is no merchant company called "Red Sun Trading Coster" in Cormyr.

The PC's were rather curious at the large sum of money they were to receive for retrieving the goods (1,000 gp), but their lust for money overcame their sense of curiosity, and thus they attempted to raid the warehouse that very night, which was a botched effort entirely.

So, who is Lasander Highmoon really? He is a pawn himself, but a smart one. He serves a death cult devoted to the dead god Myrkul, who operates out of the sealed off crypts underneath the city of Tilverton. What exactly is in those crates that were stolen? A piece of an ancient evil artifact called the Crown of Horns, which contains the essence of Myrkul within. I'll go into more detail about this item in a later post.

Highmoon is a zero level NPC, and one whom will likely be a focus of the party's attention when they finally figure out what he's up to (if they do find out anyway.)
As I know they'll meta-game the hell out of this guy once they figure some things out, I imagine they'll likely be terrified to confront him for fear that he is some evil high level cleric capable of obliterating them at lower levels. He, of course, could do no such thing, and were the party to search him out and manage to confront him, they'd slay him rather easily, but they won't do that...not for a while at least because they will dwell in terror of this NPC.

A zero level NPC, with the proper backing and means, can become a true horror in the eyes of your players, and especially when they don't know that he's just a common man. Villains in the campaign are supposed to be crafty and cunning, and they don't have to be of a high level to terrorize your party. With the proper motivation and means, even a common man can be a threat to a group of adventurers.

Dreadrock Dungeon - A Preview of Level 1-1

Click map to enlarge to high-res image

Here's a quick sneak peek into the first quadrant of Level 1 of Dreadrock. I am in the process of finishing up the key and putting it into a nice little PDF for download here, which I hope to have complete by the middle of the week.

This area is where adventurers will start out in the dungeon. This quadrant is the current home of the orc tribe I described in my previous entry, the Rakshir Orcs. As such, the density of monsters vs empty rooms will be a bit higher for this section. Of course, feel free to use this current map and key it however you like.

Area 1 is the entry point, via a dimension door from the tavern in Dreadrock Bluff. Naturally, you could replace the dimension door with a stairwell from a ruined keep, or a cave, whatever your preference.

**edit**

Note: This is only the first of 4 planned sections that make up the entirety of level 1 of the dungeon.  There will be multiple entrances into the dungeon in the other sections as well as multiple entrances to level 2 in those subsequent quadrants when I map them out.

Dreadrock Dungeon: The Rakshir Orcs

The Rakshir Orc tribe first appeared in the halls of Dreadrock some ten years ago.  They migrated from the deeper levels connecting into the vast of the underdark and slowly made their way to the oldtown area (located in level 1-1 of the dungeon) of the ruins.  The oldtown area was once home to the common dwarven citizens of Karzamir before the fall of the civilization.  Presently, the Rakshirs have managed to fortify this area of oldtown, and it has become their permanent tribal home.  The area is heavily fortified with armed orc soldiers and crude traps constructed throughout the dungeon.  The tribe itself consists of approximately 100-120 orcs, mostly males.  Their chieftain is an Orc named Ghorash who has a guard of 10 orc warriors and at least 1 orc shaman with him at all times.  The Rakshir orcs remain in a constant struggle with the Warghash Goblin tribe, and the two sides are often battling over supplies and control of their areas.  The two sides constantly raid the others's areas scavenging and stealing supplies.  In addition to the Warghash, the Rakshir are constantly working to stave off curious adventurers who frequently make their way into the dungeon, which has proven to be a drastically difficult task.  Recently the humans in Dreadrock Bluff sealed off the main entrance from the mountain in order to secure a more stable entrance they can control (via a dimension door) which is situated near their tribal holdings in the dungeon.

 

The Rakshirs have managed to accumulate a small amount of slaves (mostly kobolds, but some humans as well).  The Rakshirs use these slaves primarily to work on digging out a tunnel which will lead to the surface, allowing them to make raids into Dreadrock Bluff, and the merchants and travelers coming into the town.  The people of Dreadrock Bluff are currently unaware of this activity. 

 

The members of the Rakshir tribe have an interesting method of disposing of captured enemies and prisoners.  Located in a sub-level near their tribal quarters, is a small cavern.  Orcs will often deliver enemies, goblins, kobold slaves, and captured adventurers to this cavern where they must face the wrath of the creature they call Stone-eye.  Stone-eye is a basilisk, and the orcs manage to keep him contained by offering him the carcasses of their enemies to feast upon, as well as the remains of their own dead.  This tactic has worked thus far in keeping Stone-eye in his own lair.

 

 

GM Notes: If any PC's encounter kobolds in the dungeons, they will always be with at least 1 orc warrior (the slave master), and the kobolds will always be unarmed.  If any PC's manage to communicate with kobold slaves, they will offer to help the PC's clear out the orc tribe if they promise them their freedom afterwards.  The PC's would have to raid the orc weapon cache in the dungeon, or find some way to arm the kobolds, before they will agree to fight with the party. 

Out of the Frying-Pan Into the Fire

Well, it has been far too long, my friends.  Work and life has managed to keep me away from my blog, but things have finally managed  to settle down in my world.  I've been catching up though, and boy has there been a lot to catch up on, especially within the OSR. 

I couldn't help but be drawn into the controversy surrounding Greg Christopher's post on the so-called "social contract" within the gaming community, and how somehow the LotFP: Grindhouse edition violated this supposed contract with its disturbing art depictions.  Not to beat a dead horse, because I know everyone in the OSR blogging world (I dare use the term "community") has had something to say on the matter, but I find myself leaning towards the position of ADD Grognard on the matter, which is to say, I think the main contention against Greg's argument has been not that of his opinion, but the fact that he took it upon himself to somehow represent the "community" or "network" or whatever you want to call it, of RPG producers and gamers.

Greg's main point has been that the artwork in Grindhouse goes too far, and doesn't meet the criteria for mainstream markets.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Raggi's intent has ever been to appeal to a mainstream market with his work.  Let's be honest here, the gaming community itself is small and shrinking in number as it is, and this OSR group is but a small niche within a niche.  LotFP is not something you'll probably ever see on the shelf at Barnes and Nobles alongside DnD 4e or Pathfinder, and I don't think Raggi particularly cares for his work to end up there.  Sure he wants to make money for his efforts.  Who wouldn't considering the work he has put into the system?  That said, I don't think he is particularly concerned with how it might stand up against any WotC products, or any industry standards their parent toy company may impose.

Is the artwork in the Grindhouse edition "too far?"  Well, it's certainly not something I'd ever purchase, but there are people to whom this stuff does appeal.  I don't believe Raggi has violated any social contract, because the social contract within the OSR does not exist.  Somehow, in various blog articles on his own blog and others, Greg has either failed to recognize this argument that he doesn't represent the "community" or he has simply chosen to ignore the fact.  And that is not to say that I dislike Greg.  I find his blog enjoyable to read, and to his own personal opinion on Grindhouse, I agree, in terms that it is not something I would particularly like or purchase.

I think the entire debate stirred up much more controversy than it should have really, and sort of proved why, at times, I have found it tedious to interact within this so-called "community" that is the OSR, because there always seems to be some sort of bickering.  I suppose this is because the OSR is mainly composed of various people, with varying morals and ideals united in one hobby (old school RPGs).  Still yet, the arguing can become tiresome to say the least, and while it may generate a few more pageviews on average than the regular blog entry, I think the sort of negative attention these articles draw can have detrimental effects overall.  Unless of course you're James Raggi, who probably saw his sales of the Grindhouse edition triple over the past two weeks.

Needless to say, that is my take on the matter, for better or worse.  I'm glad to be back in the blogging world and look forward to getting back into the swing of posting regularly.

From the Treasury: Mygorum's Portable Librarium

Mygorum the archmage was a rather neurotic and absent-minded wizard. Over the many years of adventuring with The Company of the Blood-Tipped Spear, he accumulated volumes upon volumes of ancient and arcane lore. As the years went by, and his memory began to fade, he found it necessary to have access to his tomes as often, and as readily as possible. Thus, he crafted the device he named Mygorum's Portable Librarium.

The minor artifact is presented as an ornate golden pyramid with bright ruby gems inset along its edges. When placed on the ground, and the proper command word spoken, the mage is transported to an extra-dimensional space within the pyramid statue. Within this space, time stops effectively for 2-12 full turns once per day.

Inside, the librarium is lined with bookshelves along its walls and a small desk and chair at its center. The tomes within contain vast and various spell books, beastiaries, and other such sundries left up to the DM to decide. The mage may make use of this time however he sees fit within the librarium (memorizing spells, researching information on how to destroy a monster, etc.) Once the mage chooses to leave the librarium and return to the prime plane, he returns exactly where he left and time immediately resumes from the point at which he entered the librarium.

My Appendix N Pot of Gold

Everyone in the OSR knows about Gary Gygax's Appendix N, but for those who aren't in the old school crowd, Appendix N was an added section of the old DMG in which Gygax listed an essential bibliography of authors and works which inspired the game of D&D.  As much as it pains me to admit, I have not read as many of the works from Appendix N as I would have liked over the years (Amber series, for example.  I know, I'm horrible.)  As such, like many of my fellow OSR bloggers, I have taken it upon myself to start cracking into these masterworks of sword and sorcery.  Most of the books are short, I presume because many of them are merely story collections placed into book form in the 60's and 70's (Fritz Leiber's collections for example.)  

Getting most of the books in Appendix N is not a difficult endeavor really.  Many are available for sale at affordable prices on amazon.  I'm not the very patient sort, though, and besides I wasn't particularly fond of paying a bunch of different shipping fees either.  So, this past weekend it dawned on me to check out one of the used book stores in my town, and it was the equivalent of walking into a dungeon with a hoard of treasure just laying there for the taking.  I poured over the dusty paperbacks in their sci-fi/fantasy section, my jaw dropping in amazement at the fact that I got much more than I bargained for on the trip.  Sure, I was certain I'd find a few of the books, but nothing prepared me for the fact that I'd find as many as I did.  By the end of my trip I was having to put some down to save for another visit.  Among the great finds I picked up were:

The Fallible Fiend by L. Sprague DeCamp

Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny

The Jewel in the Skull by Michael Moorcock

Swords Against Death by Fritz Leiber

There were more I could have snatched up, but I want to get through a few of these before picking up the rest.  I'm really looking forward to diving into these.  The fact that most of them are pretty short will be a nice change considering my time for reading fiction is extremely limited anymore, and many books I read tend to be of great length anymore.  So, have any of you had any great Appendix N finds?  I'm sure many of the OSR bloggers out there have probably had many of these books on their shelves already for years.

Islets of Rlloth - Sea of Os'r Adventure Path

Recently over at Planet Agol, the question of whether the OSR needs an adventure path was posed.  Several folks in the OSR blogosphere have taken the reigns and created a few island hopping site based adventures for use with a larger Sea of Os'r campaign adventure path including Paul over at Quickly, Quietly, Carefully, migellito of  The Grumpy Old Troll, and quite a few others.

So, I thought what the heck, I'll throw my own into the fray as well.  I present, the Islets of Rlloth, for inclusion into the Sea of Os'r adventure path.  A dangerous, small isle flowing with undead.

Here's a sample of what the map looks like.

Arrived in the Mail: MERP Box Set

Recently I was surfing over at Troll and Toad Games, and stumbled across some of the old MERP stuff by ICE from the 80's.  I recall dabbling with this game back in the day, and couldn't pass up on the opportunity to pick up a copy of the 1986 boxed set for only $19.

After about a week, it arrived, and I must say, considering the fact that this boxed set is 25 years old, it was in fantastic shape. Just some minor wear on the bottom edge, but the rest of the set was well put together and in fantastic condition.  No page tears in the rulebook, or missing parts from the set.  The two 20 sided dice that were included are not the original dice included, but that's okay. 

Having simply skimmed over the rules last night briefly, it seemed the system is a bit cumbersome in areas.  While I played this a couple of times years ago, the mechanics are lost on me.  Still, the opportunity to do a fantasy role play in Middle Earth has always intrigued me.  Sure, a campaign could easily be adapted using a clone or some form of DnD rules, but I wanted to give the old system a shot.  I'm not exactly sure when, or even if, I will get a chance to play this again, but it's a nice thing to have for the collection anyway.

If any of you readers out there have some of the old MERPS stuff from ICE just laying around collecting dust, I'd sure like to have it. Just drop me a line at robertchandler AT gmail DOT com.

Tenevar's Traps: The Trapping Mirror

Tenevar the gnome made a name for himself throughout the realms as an innovator of death and dismemberment. His mechanical and magical traps were the envy of kingdoms far and wide. High lords and monarchs called upon his services to design complex and ornate trappings and tricks to ensure that grave robbers and looters would meet a nasty end should they attempt to raid their tombs. The following trap comes from within the tome containing his journals and notes on design.


The Trapping Mirror

When the party enters the room, at the very rear of the chamber they see an ornate and beautifully designed statue holding a mirror at eye level so they may see their reflection as they approach. Once any party members gets within 30 feet of the mirror, and sees his/her reflection, the party member must make a save vs. spells, or disappear into the mirror. The party will have no idea what happened to their friend(s), or where they went. They will simply have vanished. The mirror is a Mirror of Life Trapping. In order to free the party member(s) from the mirror, it must be broken, which can be done by any conventional means. The problem, however, is getting to the mirror. Five feet directly in front of the mirror is an invisible Wall of Force cutting off the party from the mirror, which cannot be penetrated (treat as the wizard spell of the same name). It cannot be dispelled with dispel magic. Only a Disintegrate spell, or a wish can destroy it. It is possible, however, to teleport on the other side of the wall in order to break the mirror. If the mirror is broken, all creatures trapped within are released (some of them could include nasty monsters).

This trap is designed using the AD&D 2e rules, however can easily be incorporated into any RPG system.

Campaign Journal: The Northlands and Beyond Chapter 1

So, I thought I'd start posting my campaign journal entries here, in a brief summary format.  For a more detailed version, you can check out the Obsidian Portal site for our campaign.  Because this game is played via a play-by-post method, there are no real "sessions" as we pretty much play every single day.  Instead, I've divided the entries up by chapters.  They don't really act as chapters of a story, per se, but rather offer a break or change in events, so to speak.  So, here is the abbreviated version.  Again, for those that don't already know, this is an adventure played in AD&D 2e in the Forgotten Realms setting (using 1993 boxed set).  The year is 1368DR.

Cast:

Xilus - Lvl 1 Fighter/Mage/Thief half elf, played by Chris

Davrun - Lvl 1 Paladin, human played by Billy F.

Stanley - Lvl 1 Cleric of Torm, human played by Rouse

Flute - Lvl 1 Bard, half elf, played by Billy C.

Bazhur - Lvl 1 Ranger/Thief, human played by Ron

Tymel - Lvl 1 Cleric of Tyr, human NPC

Xilus, Davrun, Flute, and Stanley arrived at the Hall of Justice in Neverwinter on the morning of Hammer 5th, 1368 to answer a call to arms. Over the past two weeks, 4 merchant caravans had gone missing while traveling south along the High Road near the Neverwinter Wood. The party was commissioned to find the bandits raiding the merchant caravans, rescue any survivors, and bring the brigands to justice in Neverwinter. Tymel Greyhammer, cleric of Tyr, and priest at the Hall of Justice accompanied the party.

They departed on Hammer 6th using a cart disguised as a merchant cart in order to lure out the bandits. That night, after traveling along the High Road the group set up camp. During the night they were attacked by a pack of wolves. 

During the late afternoon of the following day, Hammer 7th, the party came across 3 people standing by a broken cart along the High Road. They claimed to be from Neverwinter and in need of assistance to get back on the road. Xilus noticed that there were no fresh tracks to indicate the cart had been moving. From the back of their own cart, Davrun the young paladin, who was hiding in order to surprise brigands, sensed evil nearby. 

While questioning the 3 humans, the party was ambushed by a group of 5 orcs.  During the fray, Xilus cast a sleep spell on the humans. After the orcs were slain, the 3 humans revealed that they were survivors from a previous caravan raid. The raids were not being conducted by bandits, but rather by orcs. The orcs somehow knew of the party's coming and forced the humans to act as bait for an ambush.

The humans informed the party that the orcs had a camp a half-day's journey into the Neverwinter Wood and that there were other human survivors. They also mentioned that every other night an elf would come into the camp, speak with some of the orcs, and sometimes take a few of the humans. Those that were taken had not been seen again. They also suspected that the elf was behind the ambush.  One of the 3 humans, a woman named Myrtha, revealed that her son was still alive in the orc camp. The other two humans agreed to take some horses and ride back to Neverwinter to report the news.

The party then departed through the forest of the Neverwinter Wood headed for the orc camp with Myrtha in tow. Upon finding a ravine with a tree fallen across in the forest, Xilus went forward to scout the orc camp. As he was scouting the camp he encountered another human, this one armed. He revealed himself to be Bazhur Kahn, a warrior from Calimshan. He informed Xilus that he had been scouting the camp for several days, but could not act to free the captives because he was severely outnumbered. With the party waiting back at the ravine about 100 yards back, Khan and Xilus proceeded to the orc camp.

After stealthily taking two of the orc guardtowers, they signaled the rest of the party to come forward. The ambush didn't go as planned, and a battle ensued. The party managed to kill most of the orcs including a chieftain and a shaman. They also freed the remaining survivors. One of the survivors, a merchant named Dalos Ironwinter, attempted to sneak into the chieftain's tent after being freed, but Xilus spotted him and secretly followed him. After observing Dalos, he realized the man was looking for something extremely important in the chieftain's tent. He revealed himself to Dalos, and after some questioning, discovered that Dalos was commissioned by one of the Neverwinter Nine, a man named Balar, to create a map of the city of Neverwinter, and deliver it to Waterdeep to a contact with the Lord's Alliance.

After creating the map, and disguising his journey as a mere merchant's caravan, he was ambushed by the orcs along the High Road. He told of a mysterious elf who came into the camp every few days. He would take a few human captives with him, but the captives would never return. Dalos was digging through the merchant cargo stored in the chieftain's tent looking for the map of Neverwinter. Unable to find it, Dalos feared it may be in the hands of the elf, or worse yet, on it's way to the Arcane Brotherhood in Luskan, bitter enemies of Neverwinter.

While Xilus questioned Dalos, Davrun spoke with the little boy held captive, Myrtha's son. He told the boy that Myrtha was with the party, and after looking around, discovered she was missing. He went to the outskirts of the camp where he discovered a blood stained trail leading into the darkness of the forest. Putting the pieces together, he reasoned that somehow during the melee, Myrtha was taken. Angered, he wanted to pursue her captor into the wilderness, but the party members convinced him to wait until dawn.

At dawn on Hammer 8th, Davrun and Tymel went searching for Myrtha. The rest of the party prepared to depart with the remaining survivors, and return to Neverwinter. Davrun and Tymel discovered a beaten and bloody Myrtha hanging from a tree with a note attached which read: "I will kill them all if you follow me -e.v." Davrun and Tymel wrapped her body in a blanket, and returned to camp. Her son was horrified with the sight and Davrun attempted to comfort him.

The party agreed to take the survivors to Helm's Hold just south of Neverwinter. They arrived at Helm's Hold on the evening of Hammer 8th. Xilus gave the note to a sage at Helm's Hold who revealed a hidden watermark on the note. The symbol was that of the Eldreth Veluuthra, an organization of elves bent on ridding the world of humans and half-elves.

The party determined they must hunt down the elf, and bring him to justice for his crimes, and also recover the map of the city before falling into the wrong hands. They agree to take Dalos with them as he would be able to identify the authenticity of the map.  The party headed out of Helm's Hold, towards the village of Conyberry, a small, human village, and home of Xilus, on Hammer 9th.

So ends Chapter 1 of our heroes' tale.

My Favorite Dice

The polyhedral dice set is the gamer's talisman. These dice are the way by which we identify ourselves with our characters. They serve as the physical link to the fictitious figments of our unbridled imaginations. For most of us in the hobby, our dice become as integral to the game as we are. We wait to hear the DM utter, "roll to hit" or "give me a saving throw vs spells" so we may pick up that favorite d20, roll it between our palms, and cast it on the table as if it were some sort of ancient rune. We live for those moments, watching intently as that die rolls across the surface of the table to land on that all important number, because we know more than one character's fate has been decided by the roll of a single die.

For nearly two decades I have relied upon a single set of 7 dice, which I call affectionately "the blues" not only for their sky blue color, but also because of the many cases of the blues they have set upon me. Of course, the great times have been better than the bad with these dice.

The Blues

I've lost some along the way as gamers are wont to misplace these things. They've rolled mysteriously under a couch or fridge, only to be found and returned to me much later, either by myself, or one of my friends. These dice have stuck with me as I have stuck with them over the years, and no matter what, they always make their way back to me. Odd as it seems, it's the truth.

I recall several years back, when I had convinced myself I'd probably never play DnD again, and I donated my library of DnD material, I picked up those dice in their little black dice bag. I contemplated tossing them in with the things I was giving away, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, I tucked them neatly away in my desk drawer. Later, when I came back to the game, there they were, waiting patiently for my return.

I have recently ordered a new set of dice, sky blue with white hand-painted numbers, the dice are from Gamescience and should be arriving soon. Still, as balanced and amazing as the gamescience dice may be, I don't think they'll ever replace my "blues."

These may seem the ravings of a mad man, and maybe I am a little strange for having such an attachment to a few dice. If that is the case, then so be it. Certainly I can't be the only gamer out there who has a favorite set of dice he/she has retained over the years. I hope I'm not anyway.

Thursday Links from the OSRsphere

So, this is a new thing I'm going to try on the blog.  Every Thursday, I'll be sharing interesting links from throughout the OSR blogosphere, which I've found throughout the week.  If you have something you'd like me to take a look at to link, just shoot me an email at robertchandler AT gmail DOT com.

Zero XP Adventures - Fateful Finds: The Sword of the Brown Mountain  - The history and properties of a magical blade of orcish design.

Dreams in the Lich House - Winter is Coming...and so is Gamer A.D.D. -  An article on staying focused when there are so many distractions out there in gaming.

Daddy Grognard - An Adventure for Every Monster: Ape and Carnivorous Ape -Continuing on his awesome series in which he designs an adventure based on every monster A-Z in the Monster Manual.

Cyclopeatron - The Fastest Growing Old School RPG Blogs - A list of the blogs in the OSR community which have seen the most growth over the past month or so.  A great way to find some awesome OSR blogs.

A Character for Every Game - [Random Thursday] Potion Containers - Some random tables to help you add a little extra awesomeness to your potions.

Underdark Gazette - OSR News from the Underdark Gazette - Sunday, January 30th, 2011 - Make this a weekly read.  Every Sunday, James posts a comprehensive list of the best of the best from the OSR community from the previous week.

Some good reading to get you through Thursday.  Happy Grognarding.

Designing the City Campaign: Part 3

In parts one and two of this series, I focused on brainstorming some basic ideas about my city and some interesting locales the PC's might visit.  I gave two examples in part two, but at minimum you want to have a couple of inns/taverns, an armor/weaponsmith, and a magical sundries shop.  It wouldn't be a bad idea to flesh out how religions are dealt with in your city as well.  Ask yourself, what are the dominant gods of this region?  Do any of them conflict with one another?  Where are the temples devoted to each god located within the city?  Religious motivations can make for excellent adventure hooks within a city, so don't overlook them.

Of course, to bring any city to life you're going to need some interesting NPC's.  Note that you don't really need to spend hours upon hours creating NPCs for your city.  A lot of wasted time and effort can go into making up NPC descriptions for each and every citizen of your metropolis.  Do you really need to spend 20 minutes writing out a long description of Nook the chimney sweep?  No, you don't.  It's a common misconception that in order to be prepared to DM, you have to have a grimoire full of detailed NPCs down to every small minutiae of detail.  That simply isn't true.  Sometimes you are allowed to wing it.  That said, you will want to spend some amount of time focusing on fleshing out the major NPC's of your city, especially the ones your party is likely to run into.

In my example of Crestfall from part two, I have at least 3 important NPC's created simply from spending time developing a couple of locales, and defining some particulars about the city.  We have Magrem, proprietor of Magrem's Marvels and Delights, Esmelra Ravenpeake, owner of The Harpy's Haven Inn/Bordello, and possible leader of the thieve's guild, and a yet to be named, former adventurer who is now the figurehead ruler of the city.  Again, we don't have to spend a lot of time on each major NPC.  Just a few minor details and notes will go a long way for you.  In the examples I will use, all three of these NPCs are adventurers or former adventurers so there will be some notes on their stats included.  Keep in mind, these really won't be necessary when creating 0 level NPC's. 

Here are some basic examples of my brief NPC notes:

Magrem the mage (H male, MU L15, AC: 0, NG, INT 17, WIS 12, HP 35)

Description: Old man with a slight hunch in his back, thin and short graying beard, spectacles.  Often found reading over some ancient text in his shop.  Tends to be absent minded and dishevled, his mind easily wanders off to other topics.  He is a friendly man, but is impatient with those that wish to dig around in his shop especially those who aren't magic users.

Esmelra Ravenpeake (H female, T L18, NE, THAC0 12, AC: -2, DEX 18, CHR 16, HP 54,)

Description: Beautiful woman in middle years with long, black hair past her shoulders and blue eyes.  Very charming and flirty personality with patrons of her establishment, but also shrewd and cunning.  She is the leader of the city's theives' guild, which meets below The Harpy's Haven Inn.  She keeps a Dagger of Life Stealing on her person at all times.

Deardemont Ironhold (H male, F L12, CG, THAC0 9, AC: -3, STR 17, DEX 15, WIS 9, HP 65)

Description: Middle aged man.  Slightly short in stature, with brown hair and goatee speckled with gray.  He is ruler of the city of Crestfall, but only in name, although he isn't wise enough to understand this.  He's rash and prone to ill judgment, but the city coucil keeps him under control.  He spends most of his time focusing on stopping the thieves' guild within the city, however they always manage to lead him along on wild goose chases.  This allows the council to focus on more important matters like running the city.

These are a few examples of how you'd describe the major players in your city.  You'll see there isn't much there.  Just a few notes on what they look like, some key stats, and a bit about their personality.  It's not a bad idea to link them together in certain ways, such as Deardemont always chasing after the thieves' guild, which surely is a major point of frustration for Esmelra.  Certain things you'll want to focus on when fleshing out your NPCs is deciding who is influential in the city, why they have the influence they have, and what possible implications this could have for the PCs.  Once you start developing the NPC's along with the places you've created, things will begin to come together and adventure hooks will begin to reveal themselves.

As another tip, I'd recommend having a handy stock of NPC names available.  Just a small piece of paper in your DM notebook with various insignificant names which you can quickly give to the random NPC's the players are sure to encounter in the city.  If you find yourself stuck on NPC generation, have a look at Kellri's Classic Dungeon Designer Series #4 - Encounters Guide.  On page 26 there you'll find quite a few handy tables which will help you randomly generate traits and descriptions for your NPCs.  I highly recommend the guide in general as it contains a wealth of information any DM could use in his/her game.

In part four, I'll talk about some techniques to go about mapping out your city and keying it with special locations you've created. 

Heroic Moments Create Great Memories

If there's one thing the OSR community, and RPG gamers in general, love to do, it's reminisce about their characters' most heroic efforts.  My friends and I do it as well.  We often speak about some of our greatest moments in DnD with such vigor and enthusiasm that if a listener didn't know any better, they would think we were actually there ourselves, swinging an axe taking down a goblin horde, or locked in a battle of wills with a beholder in his lair.  My friends and I have made many such memories over the years, as most gamers do.  Last night, we made another one.  One that will be told around many campfires for years to come on those chilly autumn nights.

First allow me to set this up a bit.  I promise there won't be too much exposition, but I feel some is necessary to get the full effect of the scenario.  This particular heroic effort occurred in our play by post game.  A 2nd edition AD&D game set in Forgotten Realms.  The party was originally sent out on a mission to find a group of bandits attacking traveling merchants on the High Road between Neverwinter and Waterdeep.  They soon discovered, through a series of incidents and encounters, that these weren't just bandit raids, but rather part of a large, elaborate plot involving the Arcane Brotherhood of Luskan, bitter enemies of Neverwinter, and the Eldreth Veluuthra, an ancient elven organization bent on  the elimination of all humans and half-elves from Toril.

So, the main "villain" in this particular adventure has been a 3rd level elf fighter.  He's not exceptionally well armed, being only 3rd level, of course, but he's been able to outwit and remain a step ahead of the party for essentially the entire adventure up until last night.  The party had managed to track him down to a small village south of the Neverwinter Wood where after much difficulty they finally managed to capture him.  He was to be executed per the law in the village for his crimes (considering the party contains a few lawful good types.)

Well, the elf had concocted an escape scheme with several of the "chaotic" members of the party.  The plan being that he would give them all sorts of information that would guide them to the bigger picture of this whole nasty plot to take down Neverwinter, if they simply released him under the guise of an escape.  The party agreed, however, also consorted behind his back to double cross and kill him after gaining the information they needed.

The elf played on the emotions of one particular character in this group, a thief, who was supposed to be in on the plan to double cross him.  Instead, the thief decided he would actually try to help the elf escape with his life, essentially double crossing his own friends in the process, but in such a way as to make it seem the elf actually did escape.

So, the plan was set into motion.  The ranger stood guard outside the stable where the elf was being held captive, the thief would question the elf in the stable (and subsequently release him), and the fighter/mage would stand outside awaiting the elf to flee where he would pop him with a few arrows.

So, the thief obtained the information from the elf, and cut his bonds.  He then cut his own arm with his dagger, gave the dagger to the elf, and released two horses, slapping them on the rear, causing them to bolt out of the stable.  The elf then ran to the back of the stable and hid in a stack of hay amidst the confusion.  The ranger had to duck out of the way to avoid being trampled while the fighter/mage watched on in disbelief from his vantage point outside.  The thief ran out holding his arm saying the elf had donned his magical cloak, which rendered him invisible (a lie), and was headed to the inn to take out one of his rescued prisoners who was now recuperating.

The fighter/mage fired a few arrows at the horses to ensure the elf wasn't riding on one of their backs while being "invisible."  He then went with the thief to the inn.  The ranger, played by my friend Ron, who also happens to be one of the best DM's I've ever had the privilege to play under through the years, watched the thief and the fighter/mage run into the inn.  He then used his tracking to find a set of tracks leading to the back of the barn.  And so our heroic moment begins.

The ranger, whose name is Bazhur, closed the stable doors, but did not lock them.  He then drew his weapons and stood in the center of the stable and issued a challenge to the still hidden elf.  This is what he wrote:

Bazhur smiles to himself, closing the doors to the stables (if there are any) and drawing his blade and axe.

"Did you know, elf, that in my land even the condemned are shown hospitality? The flesh may commit sins, yes, sadiiq. But the soul will one day return to the world; perhaps even into the body of a loved one, ally, or friend. Because of this, one must show generosity, even to one's enemies. It is why I gave you water, even though my blades were ever more thirsty for your blood."

He stands near the center of the stables.

"You have but to slay me to gain your freedom. I will not call out for the others, elf. If you slay me, you may easily don my cloak and escape unseen from this town. These men will not be able to track you without my aid. Slay your last human this day, and know freedom once more."

After a few moments the elf stepped out of the back of the stables, and approached Bazhur.  The ranger even retrieved the elf's sword, a magical long sword, and gave it to his opponent.  We had some out of character discussion and Ron knew he was greatly outmatched in this combat.  The elf was of a higher level with a magical blade, and was an incredibly cunning warrior.

Despite the fact that he knew as a player he was out matched for a one-on-one combat with no assistance, he stood his ground, because that's what heroes do.  The next few moments will live on in gaming infamy for our group forever.  I had already decided the elf's actions would be to simply use his tumbling ability, making him practically impossible to hit for Bazhur, leap over the ranger, and exit out of the unlocked stable door and flee.

We rolled initiative and Bazhur won the round.  He took his first swing.  20.  Critical hit dealing double damage.  In the first strike of the game, Bazhur hit him for 12 damage (of which the elf only had 17 hit points).  The elf, crippled by the critical hit, was unable to tumble effectively, and because he had chosen to tumble (giving up combat for the round), Bazhur could roll the rest of his attacks.  19.  He dealt 5 damage with his shortsword and the battle was over.  The elf fell to the ground, not having inflicted a single wound to his opponent.

Bazhur then approached the dying elf and asked him where he wanted to be taken to be buried. In his dying breath, the elf muttered "Evermeet," and Bazhur vowed to ensure he would have the proper funeral of an elven warrior.

We were both in shock at how the dice rolls went and sat in amazement at the pure epicness of the encounter.  The elf, who had plagued the party for months of playing time, was taken down in one of the greatest combats I've ever rolled as a DM.  Once the rest of the party figured out what happened, they were in utter disbelief as well. 


Heroic moments create great memories.  Ron put his 1st level ranger against a cunning and more experienced foe in one brilliant display of heroism, and overcame the odds.  That's what true gamers do.  Sometimes you lose, but when you win, it creates memories that can last a lifetime.  In my opinion, this is what makes old school gaming so great.  Or maybe I'm taking a game a little too seriously?   Nahh.

World Map: The Land of Numendyr

I'm in the process of writing a novel, or at least attempting it anyway, and in an effort to save myself hours of rewriting later, I felt it best to start out doing some world building first.  Of course, that involved designing a map of the world in which my tale will be set.  I'm currently working out the histories of the world, in a broad sense, to lead up to the point in which my novel will begin.

This is a map of the land of Numendyr, and yes, I suppose the design is very "Tolkieny," but I tried to be as original as possible in the names and places of the realms.  The style of the map is the only thing closely resembling the Tolkien high-fantasy mold.  There are no elves, dwarves, or hobbits in these lands, and magic is virtually dead.  Instead I have three human realms, the oldest organized kingdom of Coranthya, the free holds of Erderan, and a young, but growing empire called Anderos.  All three regions have been at war, and at peace, with one another at various times in their history.

I used Photoshop to create the map itself, and designed the brushes used to create the mountains, hills, and forests using sketches scanned in from my sketchbook, which gives it a very hand-drawn feel, I think.  The whole process took me a couple of weeks, working here or there.  I probably spent a total of about 10 hours on it altogether.

Click for high resolution view

The Land of Numendyr by Rob Chandler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at rwchandler.blogspot.com.

Why I Love the Forgotten Realms Setting

Yes, I'm sure most of you are cringing at reading the post title.  Let me be clear about something; I am a fan of the Forgotten Realms setting up to, and only shortly after, the 1993 boxed set was released.  I am not a fan of the current 4e incarnation since I'm hardly familiar with it, or the 4e system for that matter, at all.  That said, I know that within the particular hard core circles of the OSR community, the Forgotten Realms setting is maligned as it signified a step away from the niche Gygaxian hobby, and a move towards commercialism and mass-market appeal.  Perhaps I was just a young, impreshionable teenager, and hence a prime example of how their "mass market appeal" worked.  I'd like to think it was more than that though, and after having read through my old 1993 boxed setting again, I'm pretty sure it was.

The great thing about the Realms back then was the rich and varied detail in the setting.  It was very much a high fantasy setting full of magic and wonder populated by varying countries, NPC's, and creatures galore.  Within the sourcebooks, there was just enough detail about each region to give a DM an idea on how to incorporate those areas into his/her game.  The maps were all fantastic and wonderfully rendered with plenty of space in certain areas for the DM to incorporate elements of his own creation into the Realms seamlessly. 

I understand there were a great many products released for the Realms, and a great many of them were crap.  TSR, and later WotC, was able to use the Realms as a platform for their product because of the mass appeal of a lot of their novels.  As a result, many of the books and supplements were absolute garbage.  I know because I threw away many a dollar on their shrinkwrapped splatbooks and modules, only to open them and discover the content within practically useless.  Still yet, overall the Forgotten Realms of that era was the most rich high fantasy setting out there.  If there was a sourcebook I didn't like, I simply didn't incorporate its contents into my game.

It's sort of funny in hindsight, because I was never a huge Ed Greenwood fan.  I never could get into his novels, and felt he focused way too much time doting on Elminster's awesomeness in his writings on the Realms; something that made me throw up a little each time I saw an instance of it.  Then again, I was a Drizzt fanboy as well, which is something else that will likely make many readers from the old school cringe.  Sorry, I thought he was a great character and I like RA Salvatore's books.

I understand the frustation of many from the old guard who see 2nd edition, and the removal of Gygax from the game, as the start of the long road that has led to the demise of the hobby as they once new it.  Just because I am a fan of 2e and the Realms doesn't mean that I'm unsympathetic or ignorant to this notion.  Gary was Dungeons and Dragons, we can all agree with that.  With that said, however, I can still say I loved the Forgotten Realms and the setting will always have a place near and dear to me.  Well, the 1993 edition will anyway. 

Let's All Play in the Sandbox

When it comes to D&D people have their own opinions and ideas on what exactly constitutes "sandbox" play. Most in the OSR community cringe at the notion of "story-centric gaming." I agree with the fact that a story-centric game isn't really about the players, but more about the DM telling a story using the PC's, who are essentially never more than "along for the ride."

That said, we can all pretty much agree on the basic concept of a "sandbox" style game as one in which the players are placed into a world, of which it is the DM's responsibility to populate with interesting places and people, and allowed the free reign to go and come to various places within the world as they see fit. The players are not necessarily driven by some over-arching epic storyline, but rather by their own choices, and how the consequences of those choices effect the world around them.

In my current campaign, using 2e rules and set in the Forgotten Realms, I'm running a sandbox style game in which the PC's can come and go as they please. My role as the DM is to present them with the environment, and the places, NPCs, and creatures to populate that environment. From there, they make their own choices. The consequences of those choices have an impact on the world, but only to an extent.

Rather than railroad them into a storyline I have prepared, I present to them things which are happening around them, and allow them to make the choices on what they want to do and where they want to go. The PCs are not the center of the universe in this game. They are merely people populating a world. Will some of their actions have large consequences on the world around them? Probably at some point, yes, but at the same time, they very well could never have any significant impact on the world around them.

The biggest challenge a DM faces running a sandbox style game, in my opinion, is in preparation. I have found that, when running a sandbox game, the DM should never be under prepared, nor should he/she spend hours preparing for one particular "site" for his players to explore, because, after all, players in a sandbox game are highly unpredictable and prone to go and do things the DM would never have prepared for. Yes, this means in some cases, you're just winging it.

The best way to handle this, I've found, is to know your world. Know your setting. Know the NPCs in your world and their motives. Give your players various adventure hooks to follow, and prepare as best you can for their choices. Just as important as the choices they do make, are the choices they don't make. If there is some secret assassination attempt in the works between one noble family and another in a city, for example, and your players choose not to pursue that hook, allow the results of this assassination to continue to play out. After all, the people of your world have their own goals, and they aren't going to sit back and wait for the PCs to foil their plans.

Keep things as loose as possible. You won't always be prepared for everything, and there's no sense trying. That's the fun and beauty of DnD, or any RPG for that matter. At the same time, give your players some kind of incentive to pursue a goal or hook. Breathe life into the world around them, and they will likely react.

It's a delicate balancing act, because despite the fact that you might be running a "sandbox" style game, there is still a "story" or series of "stories" going on in the background in the world around them. But rather than one, epic spanning story in which the PC's are the hub, the "story" is simply the acts and events of the world around them, and how the PCs fit into their world. In the sandbox game, the end is not predetermined.

Here are some tips I've found that help me DM the sandbox game.

1. Prepare a handful of adventure hooks and leads for your PCs, and write down some preliminary background info for each. When they determine which to pursue, if any, expand upon the preliminary background. Let the players give you enough time to prepare, as best you can, for the lead they wish to pursue.

2. Do not game balance. The ruins outside the city are not simply going to be full of orcs or goblins just because your party is all 2nd level. If you know there to be greater basilisks roaming through the ruins, and your PCs decide to go investigate, then by goodness let them encounter the basilisks. Remember, your job as the DM is to populate an exciting world, not to formulate every challenge so they are capable of victory at every turn. PC's should know this going in if they're playing a sandbox game. Let them know that sometimes it's okay to run away.

3. Allow for consequences for the leads or hooks the party decides not to follow. In the earlier example, I mentioned the assassination attempt. If they choose not to pursue it, allow the assassination to take place, and thus the consequences of their non-actions to unfold.

4. Do not plan on too large a scale. Yes, your world lives and breathes, but keep things simple at first. Let the immediate world around your PCs unfold as it will. After all, there are plenty of hooks and plot devices that can be used in an immediate area. You may have a general idea of things that are happening 1,000 miles away in your world, but focus more on what's happening directly around your PCs. After all, this is what they will see most. If they opt to travel 1,000 miles away, then focus on the events and people of those lands. Yes, you can have a plot in the background of a nation 1,000 miles away preparing for war on the kingdoms your PCs occupy, but keep things included in that plot local to where your PCs are.

Designing the City Campaign: Part 2

In part one of this series, I discussed some basics on creating and designing the city based campaign.  I mentioned some of the key ideas you might want to think about when developing the city for your campaign.  Now, there is something to be said about pre-made supplements, maps, and the like.  These can be great tools for establishing a city based campaign, but this series is geared more towards the home brew system, and building it all from the ground up.  Continuing on, we'll use an example of a city I've developed using some of the brainstorming processes I outlined in part one.  At this point, the city is still only a very rough idea, but in the end, the result should be a fantastic and entertaining center to begin your campaign.

So, by doing some simple brainstorming I've concluded the following facts about my city:

Crestfall:

1. Large sized wooden and stone walled city (pop. 75,000) with a vareity of friendly human races, but primarily made up of humans and halflings, with a few half-elves and even fewer elves and dwarves.

2. The city is situated on the coast line of a sea.

3. The ruler of the city is a former adventurer.  He acts as merely a figurehead.  The true power in the city rests with his council, a group composed of wealthy and influential citizens, or nobles, within the city.  All of them answer to the king of the land.

4. The city's economy revolves around its trading vessels and ports which provide repairs to traveling ships and rest for travelers, shipment warehouses for merchant companies to ship various goods from across the region abroad, and a strong fishing trade.

5. The city itself is divided up into 4 districts each separated by wooden walls and gate entrances: The docks (situated along the docks and harbors of the city), the market district (the hub of business in the city and situated in its center), the upper district (home of the city's wealthy citizens, the ruler, and his council), and the south district (most of the poor peasants occupy this area.  Wood and stone houses are squeezed tightly together along winding rutted streets.  Also, home to the city's crime element)

6. The law as it applies to adventurers: Adventurers wishing to conduct their operations within the city must register with the city hall.  Weapons are not allowed at all within the upper district, and must remain sheathed within the other districts (althouth this is rarely enforced in the south district).  Adventurers calling the city home are forced to pay a tribute to the city of 5% of their earnings.

Alright, so now that I have some very basic ideas written down, I can start developing things further.  I will start with creating a few places of interest within the city.  Note, these will be brief descriptions as examples, but the more detailed your descriptions of these key places are, the better.

Magrem's Marvels and Delights

This two-story stone structure is located within the market district of the city of Crestfall.  The wooden sign out front shows an image of a wizard riding the back of a griffin.  The shop itself lies on the first floor.  It is dark and dusty, with items and books scattered about haphazardly and in seemingly no order at all.  Old Magrem sits behind the counter at the rear of the shop, usually hunched over a tome.  His shop serves many mages, and within he has many volumes on mythical creatures and spellcraft, various recipes for potions, magical scrolls, and spell components.  Despite the dank and cluttered appearance, Magrem's Marvels and Delights is one of the most popular shops for sorcerers in the land.  Magrem himself is a retired adventurer of older years.  He lives on the second floor above his shop.  It is rumored that he has a vast assortment of magical items in his personal possession and he keeps his apartment heavily warded.  Some say he has a transdimensional door which allows him to travel to various places in the land although these destinations are known only to Magrem himself.

The Harpy's Haven Inn

Located in the Docks District, the Harpy's Haven Inn serves many travelers and merchants entering the harbors of Crestfall.  The large, two story wooden structure is dimly lit and usually smoke filled.  The common room holds a large fireplace in its back corner.  Patrons enjoy a fine assortment of fish and other creatures of the sea prepared in various sauces with a fine assortment of ales and wines to choose from.  The inn is owned by one Esmelra Ravenpeake.  She is a tall, brunette beauty of middle years.  In addition to the fine meals, patrons are also offered the services of the inns many prostitutes at a fairly reasonable price. Because of the crowd it usually draws, the inn is usually guarded by four large human bouncers.  They are watchful of the patrons and protective of the prostitutes within.  Any abuse is not tolerated and those causing disturbances are quickly thrown out.  It is rumored that Esmelra is actually leader of the secretive thieve's guild although the city council has never been able to prove it.  Some say that behind the stones of her fireplace there is a secret entrance to a hidden area in the inn's basement said to be the meeting place of the ranking members of the guild.

These are two examples of important places within the city.  Once you start developing these locales, you'll find they provide nearly endless possibilities for adventure hooks.  In the next part, I'll focus on some of the more notable NPC's of my city and their influence within.  In the future I'll discuss the guilds and organizations, creating a map for the city, and fleshing out adventure hooks to get a campaign started.

Modules vs. Home Brew

Beedo, over at Dreams in the Lich House (a great blog by the way), posted an interesting defense of module use and how it sort of works to establish a sense of unity in the RPG community, particularly the OSR niche.  He points to his recent foray into the Death Frost Doom module as an example.  In a campaign journal post summarizing his play through the module, he received comments from numerous people, talking about their own experiences with it.  He makes a good point, especially when discussing how gamers can spark up a conversation about running through their old favorites from way back.  His contention being that it gives the community a shared set of experiences in telling their own "war stories" about slogging through these modules and trying to survive. 

 

I personally have only ever played through, and DM'd, a few modules.  When I first started gaming some 15+ years ago, we started with 1e.  I recall DMing Shrine of the Kua Toa with my best friend as part of an underdark campaign I was running with him.  I took liberty with some of the story, and tried to make it fit in with my overall campaign, incorporating aspects and NPC's that weren't in the module itself.  I think most DM's do this with modules, and they are always suited for it because of how they can be used in just about any campaign.  Safe to say that although Shrine isn't the greatest module out there, we still had a great time with it.

 

These old modules have a particular appeal to old school gamers because of how brutally dangerous many of them were.  Modern gamers look at a character's death as a tragedy beyond measure.  Old school gamers understand that merely surviving a few dungeon crawls was a feat unto itself, and one to be proud of.  To have the same character, and run him/her through module after module, and survive, was something to be proud of indeed (if the DM ran the module correctly and didn't cater to the player.) 

 

While modules can provide fun challenges for players, I've always leaned more towards the home brew campaign.  In fact, I haven't used or ran a module in over a decade.  That is not to say there is anything wrong with it.  I just love to use D&D as a creative outlet and design my own adventures.  And I'm not saying that DMs that use modules aren't creative.  Far from it.  I think anyone who entertains this hobby has a big creative streak.  For me, designing a home brew campaign gives me a chance to get the players more personally involved in their characters and the game itself.  By designing my own adventures, I can fit the pieces of the overall campaign better.  But rather than focus on "telling a story" I focus on building the living and breathing world around the players.  There are things happening all over the land, and how they interact with these events ultimately dictates how certain things happen in the world around them.   This gives me the liberty to run a sandbox style game by giving the players the choice to interact with different facets of the world. 

 

Still yet, just because you run a home brew campaign, doesn't mean you can't throw in a module every now and again.  Sometimes one has to be wary of the consequences however.  For example, in Beedo's run through Death Frost Doom, the players made a deal with a vampire and unleashed an undead horde onto the land.  Safe to say that this will have a very significant effect on the future of their world.  On occasion, modules can have this type of impact on your campaign, and thus there is the danger of running some of them in a home brew game, especially if that wasn't really what you had planned in terms of the world you've created for these characters to explore.  Beedo, of course, was fully aware of the consequences of the module he was running although the outcome may have been a bit unexpected.

 

In sum, I must say I agree with Beedo's assessment particularly in how these newer modules built around old school gaming like Death Frost Doom give the OSR a chance to grow through shared experiences.  And there is no reason why these modules can't be incorporated easily into a home brew game.

 

So, has most of your experience as a player or DM been through modules or home brew campaigns?  Which do you prefer?  What are some of your favorite modules?