Starter Campaign Worlds for Beginners

[DimitriX]

I recently re-discovered an old Goodman Games product: Points of Light.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/57374/Points-of-Light
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/62961/Poi ... unrise-Sea

I prefer the first book over the second, but that's just a stylistic opinion.

Both books provide a small campaign world that fits nicely into the "100 square mile" range that is suggested in the DCC Core Book. There are four different settings with a quick background and description of the major factions in that area. There is geography along with cities, towns, and villages. There are plenty of adventuring sites waiting to be fleshed out and room to create your own.

I would recommend these books for any beginning DM that is looking for a campaign setting that fits into the DCC mold.

[Ravenheart87]

Two really nice collection of sandboxes and they are good for the small range DCC RPG suggests.

My only problem is that while the small range is good when you're beginning your campaign, it's not going to be enough after the players earned some experience and begin travelling. I like Wilderland's huge undiscovered sandbox better, which is around the size of the Mediterranean. This makes big journeys and long voyages possible, yet it's still not big enough to be uncomfortable. Swords & sorcery heroes travel a lot.

[DimitriX]

I agree to a point. First, I figure there is enough stuff in here to get the characters through the first few levels at least. Using your design of 0-level funnel -> Rest area -> Point A...repeat, I see that there is enough going on that the characters can travel and get experience for a few levels before the DM has to really make up stuff on their own. Once the characters reach that point, then I think they can "move up", meaning do some short plane hopping, or "move down", meaning going deeper underground. The same map and region can be used, but the DM will have to do more homework. Hopefully, by the time the characters reach that the DM will have enough experience to start building mini-campaign worlds for him/herself.

I think the Points of Light books are best for "middling DMs", like myself. People who know enough to run and build adventures, but don't really have much experience with creating campaign worlds.

[finarvyn]

When I first learned to play OD&D in the 1970's, I had to learn campaign building from scratch. (Of course, the Blackmoor, the Wilderlands, and Greyhawk came out soon after so I finally had a model to follow.) My general process was something like this:
1. Create levels of a dungeon.
2. Create a local area; essentially a path from a town to the dungeon.
3. Create a larger area; essentially a wilderness map for characters to explore.
4. Create a world; wide-open space for characters to explore.

What the POINTS OF LIGHT books do is essentially allow a GM to hop ahead to #3. You build a dungeon and place it on the map somewhere. POINTS OF LIGHT sets up an awesome setting (and has several to choose from) so that the GM can get into customization right away.

If characters really want to move off of the map, then you expand the area as needed.

[HiroTsukasa]

I'd also recommend Blackmarsh, free as a pdf, which is in the same vein: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/89944/Blackmarsh

It is actually connected to (I believe situated north of) Southland from the first PoL book. Starting with one or the other, you could pretty easily bring in the other to expand the scope of your game if that is the sort of thing you're going for.

[DimitriX]

I'd also recommend Blackmarsh, free as a pdf, which is in the same vein: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/89944/Blackmarsh

It is actually connected to (I believe situated north of) Southland from the first PoL book. Starting with one or the other, you could pretty easily bring in the other to expand the scope of your game if that is the sort of thing you're going for.

Thanks for posting this! I was planning on using Southland as my campaign setting. So, now it just got bigger.

[HiroTsukasa]

Glad it helps~

I had the reverse situation. I'm starting some players out in Blackmarsh and, depending on where they take it, I plan to include Southland as an option. One of the rumors I am going to dish out early on is that the kingdom from Southland has an interest in having a hold on Blackmarsh due to the availability of Viz.

These two books have actually made me quite a fan of system-neutral stuff. I know Pathfinder's Inner Sea World Guide is mostly system-neutral and WOTC's upcoming Menzoberranzan is supposed to be as well. I'd be interested in hearing about any other gems out there.

[DimitriX]

Here's another good systems neutral book by Goodman Games:

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/86438/From-Here-to-There

It discusses creating adventures out of traveling. I think this book along with one of the Points of Light books would be a good way for starting DMs to get a homebrew campaign going.

Edit: I take that back. Its written specifically for 4e. But, I think there's still some good ideas that can easily be adapted to DCC.

[Ravenheart87]

Still, when it comes to sandbox settings, the only thing that beats this:



is this:

[ragboy]

I've always loved (and emulated/stolen) the style of Robert Conely's maps. I guess it's in turn stolen/emulated from Wilderlands. His series on sandbox games on his blog converted me.

[Ravenheart87]

I've always loved (and emulated/stolen) the style of Robert Conely's maps. I guess it's in turn stolen/emulated from Wilderlands. His series on sandbox games on his blog converted me.

No wonder, he has always been a fan, and he was also member of the design team for the 3rd edition Wilderlands of High Fantasy.

[finarvyn]

Still, when it comes to sandbox settings, the only thing that beats this:



is this:

Ah, but what beats the d20 Wilderlands material is the original Judges Guild Wilderlands material from the 1970's. Trump that!

[Ravenheart87]

Ah, but what beats the d20 Wilderlands material is the original Judges Guild Wilderlands material from the 1970's. Trump that!

The first image in my post was the cover of the original WoHF, but it seems some internet demons ate it. I like the 3.5 version better, it's full of good ideas and bits of information, that make it more interesting in my eyes. Otherwise I use the original when playing (damn, those old maps are sturdy), but I always return between two games to the 3e book.

[Karaptis]

Ah, but what beats the d20 Wilderlands material is the original Judges Guild Wilderlands material from the 1970's. Trump that!

The first image in my post was the cover of the original WoHF, but it seems some internet demons ate it. I like the 3.5 version better, it's full of good ideas and bits of information, that make it more interesting in my eyes. Otherwise I use the original when playing (damn, those old maps are sturdy), but I always return between two games to the 3e book.

I never had a chance to run this setting. I use Greyhawk. Is it worth my time to convert to this?

[finarvyn]

I never had a chance to run this setting. I use Greyhawk. Is it worth my time to convert to this

I'm not entirely certain what you are asking. Do you mean convert from Greyhawk to the original Wilderlands, or from d20 Wilderlands to the original?

Greyhawk and the Wilderlands are both great worlds. If you're having fun with Greyhawk, no need to run out to buy a bunch more stuff. On the other hand, if you are world shopping you'll find that the Wilderlands is a lot of fun.

A few problems, however.
1. The original 1975 Judges Guild stuff is sometimes hard to find and/or expensive. Also, it was put out in smaller chunks, so you have to hunt around to get everything.
2. The d20 boxed set is currently out of print, which makes it hard to find and expensive. At least it was all together, so you find one and have the whole thing.
3. There are some other Wilderlands settings which are similar but not exactly the same. There was one called "The Majestic Wilderlands" (if memory serves) that used the basic map and built onto it in a different direction from the original Judges Guild setting. Those books, as I understand it, were quite good but have long since vanished and are hard to find and expensive.

You see the pattern? I keep thinking I've seen the Wilderlands for sale in PDF format somewhere, but I may be imagining things.

What I like about the Wilderlands is that it provides a skeleton for a world where the DM can fill in the empty spaces. They have lots of neat names for landmarks (e.g. "The Howling Hills") but you have to decide why they are named as they are. I personally love the freedom to use their framework and build onto it, but that's not everyone's cup o' tea.

To compare with Greyhawk I'd mention the Greyhawk folio from around 1980 -- a nice map and some very sketchy booklets that gave vague details but not much concrete. Later boxed sets and modules built a lot more "official" stuff into Greyhawk and I began to lose interest in the setting as the quantity of things that I had to remember grew. Again, this was a personal DM style thing and not a comment against Greyhawk. Early Greyhawk was (to me) more like the Wilderlands in philosophy. Others may have a different experience with the two settings.

So, if you like a world where you can blend premade maps and ideas with those of your own, you might check out the Wilderlands setting.

[dunbruha]

I keep thinking I've seen the Wilderlands for sale in PDF format somewhere, but I may be imagining things.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/2745/Wild ... =s_pi&it=1

The Ultimate Sandbox.

[Karaptis]

Thanks Finarvyn for answering. I will stick to Greyhawk until DCC comes up with their world in DCC RPG rules. Mostly because I know it well. I ultimately sacked the deities and used Deities and Demigods. The Greyhawks Deities were always weak to me.

[Karaptis]

It also helps to have the cool old boxed set from 1983.

[Logon]

i use Titan, the world of the Fighting Fantasy because this is a nice little world book recently resurrected from the 80's.
But i remove the elves and dwarves and add a lot of Vance's Dying Earth stuff in it because i think the best way to keep close to the Appendix N idea is to put apart the boring elves, dwarves, orcs and others TSR's fantasy stereotypes and replace them with more exotic ideas.

[sheriffharry]

I know it sounds sooooo unoriginal. But I still use Greyhawk for all my games!
It helps to have the mega 5X4 foot map on the wall behind the gaming table..

I put a DCC-funnel starting village right there in the Suss Forest just yesterday.

[Galadrin]

After a lot of waffling, I am leaning towards some unknown continent on the Garweeze Wurld. I've vowed not to make any more maps, and will stick to ever-expanding flowcharts to organize the party's travels. HackMaster and the Knights of the Dinner Table have a good vibe that DCC can be tweaked to (dark humour, gamist yet old-school, full of munchkiney powerful players that are also very vulnerable, epic deeds and ignominious death). In true HackMaster fashion, I probably won't start them out as mere peasants, but rather the 0-level henchmen of a ridiculous, foolish and arrogant 2nd level warrior who orders them around to their death.

[Ogrepuppy]

I know it sounds sooooo unoriginal. But I still use Greyhawk for all my games!
It helps to have the mega 5X4 foot map on the wall behind the gaming table..

I put a DCC-funnel starting village right there in the Suss Forest just yesterday.

I still have no idea how to get around the unfortunately-named Gnarly Forest.

Modern gamers always giggle at that.

I've tried renaming it the Gnarled Forest, but one look at any Greyhawk map and it's curtains.

[cthulhudarren]

I'd like to run the Shanthopal setting...

<whip cracking>

[Raven_Crowking]

I'd like to run Shanthopal setting...

<whip cracking>

That iron is in the fire.

But this is a bad time of year for finding spare time, and I'd like to have most of it ready before I start trying to find a way to pay for the art.....

.........I also have another idea for a project that might see the light next summer. But, mum's the word on that for right now.


RC

[Ogrepuppy]

mum's the word on that

Who is this Mum and how can we crush him, see him driven before us, and hear the lamentation of his women?