| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| MaxKaladin |
Posted - 09 Feb 2007 : 19:34:40
I'm looking for an out of the way spot. I'd originally been considering the dales for a new campaign, but it seems the dales and surrounding areas are ground-zero for all sorts of major events. I'm getting a bit overwhelmed trying to figure out what all is going on and keep up with it. I'm thinking of finding somewhere, er, quieter, to set my game. Somewhere that's not been subject to so much change and upheaval in recent years.
I need somewhere that's not too settled, doesn't have a strong central authority and accepts adventurers. Ideally, I'd like to have some more civilized and structured areas relatively nearby but that's not strictly necessary. I was originally going to use the area around Deepingdale with the more civilized/structured areas being Cormyr/Sembia.
I want to avoid Waterdeep and the north because of a previous campaign in the area and a player request to go "somewhere new".
I'd considered something around the Giant's Run mountains and the non-Amnian part of the Troll Mountains or perhaps something in Erlkazar.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
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| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| The Sage |
Posted - 17 Feb 2007 : 09:02:34
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
If the Dragon Coast is your preferred choice, the second city Ed detailed for DRAGON (not published yet, but I suspect it will be before the end of 2007) is located in that region.
love,
THO
Oooh!
Any hints on which one? I've got a fair idea or three (based on carefully crafted words from Ed in the past) about which one it could be... 
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| Jorkens |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 19:38:17
Well, most of the Vast information you would need can be gathered through Ed's Raven Bluff supplement for 2ed. and the old Forgotten Realms Adventures book. The Vilhon Reach has had little attention outside of the Vilhon Reach source-book and a few tidbits in other products. There are some details in novels, but nothing doing major changes as far as I remember.
I think the area of the Dragon Coast and Western Heartlands would be your best alternative though. |
| nbnmare |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 17:09:32
If they do, make sure you have a horde of sahuagin or some other evil undersea race attack their ship. That is, after all, what happens to 1/3 of the ships travelling to and from Maztica  . |
| MaxKaladin |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 16:59:25
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
as you wanted to use the Dales i got the feeling that you wanted a location in the "traditional" Realms, but with a little more room to breath so to speak.
Yeah, pretty much.
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
In that case the Dragon Coast, Vast or the southern part of the Western Heartlands would be my recommendations. The Vilhon Reach also makes for a good border area.
I looked at the Vast, but the RPGA has done so much there (via Raven's Bluff) I despair of ever digging up all the information. The Dragon Coast and the Southern part of the Western Heartlands are the leading areas at the moment. There's lots of wild space to their south. I hadn't thought much about the Vilhon Reach.
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
If you feel like trying a location more out of the way, with more new elements and intrigues, the lands near the borders of the Realms (Sossal, the lands bordering the Hordelands or the Shining South )make great alternatives. There is not to much done with Calimshan at this time either.
I expect my players would like it if I did, but I'm not really that keen on it at the moment. (I worry they'll decide to run off to Maztica, in fact). |
| MaxKaladin |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 16:07:00
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
MaxKaladin, how large a geographic area do you need to "roam around in" in the campaign?
It's hard to say. For what I have in mind, a nice chunk of mostly unsettled land to act as a frontier and a coupld of urban areas for other parts of the plot. If it weren't for the desire to get away from the region, Waterdeep and the North would be fine -- too large even. Of course, the PCs may decide to pull up stakes after the first session and head to Maztica for all I know.
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
If a lawless adventurers-galore caravan city will do as the centerpiece, how about Scornubel? (Features briefly in Ed's novels CROWN OF FIRE and [even more fleetingly] SILVERFALL, nice full map in 2nd Edition Realms boxed set, has Elturel and Hill's Edge and Iriaebor within reach, and lots of open country between.)
A few chapters of Ed's books will give you the "feel," you can change the rulers and play the politics however you'd like, and although nothing is certain, Ed doesn't know of any on-the-go projects that will rampage through it soon. 
love,
THO
That's probably the area I'm going to go with if I don't bite the bullet and use the dales. It has a few cities plus a nice size chunk of mostly "empty" terrain to the south to serve as a frontier.
No rampaging plots is nice to hear. :)
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| The Hooded One |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 16:05:44
If the Dragon Coast is your preferred choice, the second city Ed detailed for DRAGON (not published yet, but I suspect it will be before the end of 2007) is located in that region.
love,
THO |
| lokilokust |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 14:34:59
one word- chult! |
| Na-Gang |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 11:12:26
Another one for the Border Kingdoms here. Also, what about Channath Vale in the bit NW of Dambrath, NE of Halruaa and S of Lake Lhespen? Damara, Vaasa, Narfell also. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 09:21:08
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
MaxKaladin, how large a geographic area do you need to "roam around in" in the campaign?
If a lawless adventurers-galore caravan city will do as the centerpiece, how about Scornubel? (Features briefly in Ed's novels CROWN OF FIRE and [even more fleetingly] SILVERFALL, nice full map in 2nd Edition Realms boxed set, has Elturel and Hill's Edge and Iriaebor within reach, and lots of open country between.)
A few chapters of Ed's books will give you the "feel," you can change the rulers and play the politics however you'd like, and although nothing is certain, Ed doesn't know of any on-the-go projects that will rampage through it soon.
love,
THO
Time for a little dance and sing old songs of a better time to come. Hope no one saw that.
It all depends on what you want MaxKaladin, as you wanted to use the Dales i got the feeling that you wanted a location in the "traditional" Realms, but with a little more room to breath so to speak. In that case the Dragon Coast, Vast or the southern part of the Western Heartlands would be my recommendations. The Vilhon Reach also makes for a good border area.
If you feel like trying a location more out of the way, with more new elements and intrigues, the lands near the borders of the Realms (Sossal, the lands bordering the Hordelands or the Shining South )make great alternatives. There is not to much done with Calimshan at this time either.
And as I said, if you use older maps, many of the areas become less crowded and give you more of a possibility to fit in your own elements and keep out of the way of ongoing changes.
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| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 02:21:05
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
A few chapters of Ed's books will give you the "feel," you can change the rulers and play the politics however you'd like, and although nothing is certain, Ed doesn't know of any on-the-go projects that will rampage through it soon.
love,
THO
*breathes a happy sigh of relief* |
| MerrikCale |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 02:11:28
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Ed doesn't know of any on-the-go projects that will rampage through it soon.
love,
THO
always an important point |
| The Hooded One |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 02:03:33
MaxKaladin, how large a geographic area do you need to "roam around in" in the campaign?
If a lawless adventurers-galore caravan city will do as the centerpiece, how about Scornubel? (Features briefly in Ed's novels CROWN OF FIRE and [even more fleetingly] SILVERFALL, nice full map in 2nd Edition Realms boxed set, has Elturel and Hill's Edge and Iriaebor within reach, and lots of open country between.)
A few chapters of Ed's books will give you the "feel," you can change the rulers and play the politics however you'd like, and although nothing is certain, Ed doesn't know of any on-the-go projects that will rampage through it soon.
love,
THO |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 00:44:52
True, and it'd have a more hospitable climate than Sossal. |
| Sian |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 05:29:53
or as i said ealier ... Shining south is laying rather unused ... specificly Shaar |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 14 Feb 2007 : 22:12:52
quote:
Originally posted by MaxKaladin
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Do some research on tundras and try to imagine what living in frigid weather would be like. Probably not fun, but bound to be interesting.
I was being a bit tongue in cheek. :)
We had an ice storm just a month ago and I can remember the Great Blizzard of '85 when we got two feet of snow where I grew up and drifts up to six feet in the hills around town. Our winters are nothing compared to what they get in the great frozen north, but they're plenty cold for me.
Heh. Here in New Jersey, our winters are cold and snowy, but our summers can still be very hot, so I still can only barely imagine what it'd be like living in an area where the ground is mostly--or always--frozen. |
| MaxKaladin |
Posted - 14 Feb 2007 : 21:51:46
quote:
Originally posted by see
Well, we do know nothing's planned for Kara-Tur, Maztica, Zakhara, the lands north and south of Maztica, the big continent between Kara-Tur and Maztica, and the various bodies of Realmspace.
I'm afraid it's come to that...
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| MaxKaladin |
Posted - 14 Feb 2007 : 21:51:10
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Do some research on tundras and try to imagine what living in frigid weather would be like. Probably not fun, but bound to be interesting.
I was being a bit tongue in cheek. :)
We had an ice storm just a month ago and I can remember the Great Blizzard of '85 when we got two feet of snow where I grew up and drifts up to six feet in the hills around town. Our winters are nothing compared to what they get in the great frozen north, but they're plenty cold for me.
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| MaxKaladin |
Posted - 14 Feb 2007 : 21:45:51
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Understandable. However, do remember that this is a hobby where you are free to put in or leave out whatever details you want--no one is going to arrest you just because you don't want to follow WotC's suggested path as laid out in a sourcebook and/or novel.
Remember what the FRCS says: "Make the Realms your own."
That's very true. |
| see |
Posted - 14 Feb 2007 : 01:53:23
Well, we do know nothing's planned for Kara-Tur, Maztica, Zakhara, the lands north and south of Maztica, the big continent between Kara-Tur and Maztica, and the various bodies of Realmspace. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 14 Feb 2007 : 00:08:11
quote:
Originally posted by MaxKaladin
quote:
Originally posted by Delzounblood
so if you like snow and ice and not alot else put on your Parker and hitch up your dogs and GO.
I'm from Texas. I barely know what snow and ice ARE. Snow is that stuff you see on TV and ice is what you put in your drink when it's hot (which is most of the year).
Do some research on tundras and try to imagine what living in frigid weather would be like. Probably not fun, but bound to be interesting. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 14 Feb 2007 : 00:06:58
quote:
Originally posted by MaxKaladin
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Also, just because a novel is set in X-town doesn't mean the events of the novel "bulldoze" X-town and change everything around. Some novels are definitely like that...but not all of them are, so I don't think you should worry whether or not a town has remained "untouched" by recent Realmslore. Not all Realmslore and novels need be the bane of a DM's life.
That's true. A lot of it is not knowing where to get it. It's very annoying to put together a bunch of stuff on a region only to find out the area was featured (and, of course, completely different) in Product {X} or Novel {Y} and I didn't know about it.
Having Product {X} or Novel {Y} come along and change everything after you've done all this work is potentially distressing as well. That's why I'm leery of the Cormyr/Dales/Anauroch region at the moment. I'm afraid the mega-modules coming this year will end up leaving a crater where I set my campaign or something.
Understandable. However, do remember that this is a hobby where you are free to put in or leave out whatever details you want--no one is going to arrest you just because you don't want to follow WotC's suggested path as laid out in a sourcebook and/or novel.
Remember what the FRCS says: "Make the Realms your own." |
| KnightErrantJR |
Posted - 13 Feb 2007 : 19:23:06
Given that I am now home today due to that stuff on TV, I can describe it for you . . . I got a really good look at it due to the fact that in the four hours I was at work, I managed to accumulate a foot deep drift on top of my car . . .
Hm . . . I think I'll restrict my Realms reading to Calimshan and points south for today . . . |
| MaxKaladin |
Posted - 13 Feb 2007 : 18:50:38
quote:
Originally posted by Delzounblood
so if you like snow and ice and not alot else put on your Parker and hitch up your dogs and GO.
I'm from Texas. I barely know what snow and ice ARE. Snow is that stuff you see on TV and ice is what you put in your drink when it's hot (which is most of the year). |
| MaxKaladin |
Posted - 13 Feb 2007 : 18:46:42
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Also, just because a novel is set in X-town doesn't mean the events of the novel "bulldoze" X-town and change everything around. Some novels are definitely like that...but not all of them are, so I don't think you should worry whether or not a town has remained "untouched" by recent Realmslore. Not all Realmslore and novels need be the bane of a DM's life.
That's true. A lot of it is not knowing where to get it. It's very annoying to put together a bunch of stuff on a region only to find out the area was featured (and, of course, completely different) in Product {X} or Novel {Y} and I didn't know about it.
Having Product {X} or Novel {Y} come along and change everything after you've done all this work is potentially distressing as well. That's why I'm leery of the Cormyr/Dales/Anauroch region at the moment. I'm afraid the mega-modules coming this year will end up leaving a crater where I set my campaign or something. |
| MaxKaladin |
Posted - 13 Feb 2007 : 18:42:57
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
If you use the distances on maps in the older editions of the Realms you will also get a lot further from Waterdeep if I remember correctly, as the Western Heartlands were shrunken quite a bit. This also lessens the crowded feel.
I don't think it's really distance they're worried about so much as just not having all the same places come up again. |
| nbnmare |
Posted - 10 Feb 2007 : 23:20:06
Icewind Dale hasn't popped up in a long time. I don't think there's been any realmslore regarding that area since the early Drizzt novels. |
| Delzounblood |
Posted - 10 Feb 2007 : 22:02:39
quote:
Originally posted by MaxKaladin
I'm looking for an out of the way spot. I need somewhere that's not too settled, doesn't have a strong central authority and accepts adventurers. Ideally, I'd like to have some more civilized and structured areas relatively nearby but that's not strictly necessary.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Hi
I agree with Rinonalyrna Fathomlin SOSSAL it is the most out of the way place the realms has AND hs yet to be touched by the writers and desingners.....
so if you like snow and ice and not alot else put on your Parker and hitch up your dogs and GO.
Delz
ps lookout for the Artic Dwarves!!!
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| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 10 Feb 2007 : 19:11:15
Also, just because a novel is set in X-town doesn't mean the events of the novel "bulldoze" X-town and change everything around. Some novels are definitely like that...but not all of them are, so I don't think you should worry whether or not a town has remained "untouched" by recent Realmslore. Not all Realmslore and novels need be the bane of a DM's life. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 10 Feb 2007 : 15:26:34
If you use the distances on maps in the older editions of the Realms you will also get a lot further from Waterdeep if I remember correctly, as the Western Heartlands were shrunken quite a bit. This also lessens the crowded feel. |
| MaxKaladin |
Posted - 10 Feb 2007 : 15:23:46
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
The Dragon Coast would be a good fit. Many independent communities, a crossroads area that can lead you anywhere you want to go and little changed with the years. If you go south or southwest there's plenty of wilderness areas to.
This came in while I was composing the last reply.
The Dragon Coast is a strong possibility. The nebulous border between the Dragon Coast and the Western Heartlands is probably the leading contender at the moment.
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