This is very much a work in progress, but Pendleton is the primary base of operations for my own D&D/Pathfinder/Greyhawk campaign. Located in the former Dutchy of the Tenh on the shores of Lake Abanfyl, this small city of eight thousand souls houses plenty of adventure for low-to-mid level parties. I did the image in MS Paint (hey! It is free!). Thought I would post here to share with all of you and bounce some thoughts and ideas off your heads. LOL
Type: Small City
Population: 8,200
Racial Breakdown:
Humans, Suel-descent: 2,200
Humans, Flan-descent: 1,200
Humans, Oerdarian-descent: 2,300
High Elf: 100
Dwarf: 450
Halfling: 1,250
Gnome: 150
Half-Orc: 200
Half-Elf: 250
Other: 100
Alignment: Neutral
Gold Piece Limit: 25,000 gp (Yes, this is higher than norm)
Built on the shore of Lake Abanfyl where the Zumker River has its headwaters, the city of Pendleton is part of the Duchy of Tenh. In this campaign, the Greyhawk Wars did not rip the Tenh apart; it is still a unified realm, albeit one that is surrounded by potential foes on every side. Founded two hundred years ago by Malachi Pendle as Pendle’s Town, Pendleton is a wealthy city that attracts adventurers and commoners alike. Three major mines nearby employ many of the cities inhabitants and provide a constant flow of silver, gold, iron, copper, and brass into the city’s coffers. The lake (and city) is within a large valley deep inside the Griff Mountains. Primordial forests surround the lake on the slopes of steep hills, and provide an abundance of game, as well as the presence of monsters. There is a thriving lumber industry here, as well as the harvesting of game, and the Lake itself is the home of a significant fishing industry.
Pendleton is largely self-sufficient, and for the most part the Grand Duke of Tenh leaves Pendleton alone, as long as the Lord Mayor pays his annual taxes. The founder of the city, Malachi Pendle, has been Lord Mayor since its beginnings more than two centuries ago. Appearing to be human, he attributes his long life-span to magical waters of a fountain that he once drank from deep in the interior of Hepamonland. A powerful sorcerer, Malachi (often referred to as ‘Mal the Mad’ because of his occasionally crazy ideas) and several of his former adventuring compatriots ensure that the city is safe for the common folk. In reality, Malachi Pendle is an old Greyhawk dragon (i.e. Steel Dragon) that has adopted the city and persona of Mad Mal as his own. The real Malachi Pendle died more than 180 years ago, but his friend (the dragon Scorpius) decided to carry on his legacy; not wanting to risk having others ruin his friend’s vision of the city, he became Malachi. Only a handful of people within the city are aware that Mal is in fact a dragon—and quite a powerful one as well, being able to wield spells as a 15th-level sorcerer in addition to his other dragon abilities.
The original Malachi Pendle was quite a paranoid, and designed his new city with the help of a local Dwarf clan to make it difficult for an attacker to overcome. The city itself is placed on a high, rocky promontory overlooking Lake Abanfyl. With the assistance of Scorpius and the beholder Miakaevoy (also known as Mikey), the Dwarves carved a massive moat through the promontory. This moat drops around sixty feet to the water below, and continues down for another twenty; it is thirty feet wide and the walls are sheer and smooth (carved from the bedrock with disintegration rays).
Behind the moat, the entire city is surrounded by a twenty-foot high wall, fifteen feet in thickness, with several thirty-foot high towers placed along its length. It is divided into four parts: the Commons (where most of the common people live and the local shops are found), the High Quarter (for the nobles), the Upper Quarter (a more up-scale neighborhood than the Commons), and the Citadel. Vaults beneath the Citadel can house up to three quarters of the cities population in the event of a catastrophe, and massive supply rooms and cisterns contain enough food and water stockpiles to resist a siege of up to a year’s duration.
An extensive system of sewers crisscrosses beneath the city itself, draining into the lake. A decanter of endless water is at the core of the city's waterworks and provides a constant supply of clean water to all of the residences within the Walls, and provides a constant flushing of the sewer tunnels. In the City proper, the streets are lit with continual flame torches housed in lanterns placed atop of eight-foot tall posts. All of the streets are cobble-stoned as well.
Outside of Pendleton’s walls, are four more districts of the city: the North Docks (the true slums of Pendleton, often referred to as Pendle’s Down), the South Docks (a low-income section that includes fish markets and tanneries), the Farms (a sprawling complex of fields and ranches that occupy most of the promontory and supply much of Pendleton’s grain and meat), and the Dwarven Fist (a separate walled complex across the Zumker River to the north where most of Clan Blackhammer live and work). The Farms and Docks are protected by four small forts that guard all of the approaches to the city, whereas the Fist is walled and isolated away from the remainder of Pendleton.
Sewers are also located beneath the Docks (North and South) and the Dwarven Fist, but illumination in the Docks is not up the same standards as the rest of the city. And with the sewer outlets emptying into the Harbor, sometimes the smell can become overpowering.
Two roads lead south-east to the rest of the Duchy, one each on the north and south banks of the Zumker. From the north road, one finds the Corvina Ranch, a large ranch that has its own walls and is populated by the Corvina family and their 120 retainers. Here, they raise porcuswines and sell the meat and quills. The north road also leads to the three mines: Barak’s, Donal’s and Tyrel’s, all of which are not-so-friendly competitors with each other. The north bank is home to the Frozen Forest, which is governed by the Druidic Circle of the Moon. Recently, the druids have expressed some concern over how expansive Pendleton has become, although Mal has shrugged off their dismay with the statement that the town must grow. If nothing changes, soon, the druids anger at the hunting and logging could spark a guerilla war between the two powers.
South of Pendleton lies the Glitterstream, so named because of the gold dust that fills the waters, and the reason that originally brought settlers here. Prospectors still pan the waters and retrieve gold each year, but the larger output of the mines on the north bank has steadily reduced those willing to brave the freezing water for profit. On the far shore are the Cold Marshes, a large area of wetlands that are the home of thousands of waterfowl and other creatures, including several trolls. Deep within the Cold Marshes are the ruins of an ancient Elven town, but the common people of Pendleton insist that these ruins are home to the Undead.
Offshore, in Lake Abanfyl itself, there are several large and small islands. The most noteworthy of these is Sorcerer’s Isle, which is home to a Chapterhouse of the Monastic Order of the Ebon Rose. Another mystery lies in the mysterious tower on one of the smaller islands; this structure, known simply as The Spire, has no visible entrance and is made from a polished stone that none have been able to so much as chip. It climbs more than a hundred feet into the air, and is etched with eldritch runes that few today can read. Visitors to the Spire report feelings of unease and dread from the moment they set foot on the island—sometimes raising to the point of panic.
Mad Mal maintains a permanent city Watch of some five hundred persons. These guards are all equipped with chain mail, shields, and helms, and armed with a variety of weapons, including longswords, longspears, maces, daggers, and composite longbows. Both the Citadel and the Fist boast of several trebuchets and ballista as well. In addition to the Watch, there are another five hundred members of the Militia, who have pledged to take up arms to defend Pendleton in the event that the city is ever attacked. The Watch has its headquarters in the Commons, with the City Prison beneath it.
In addition to the Watch and Militia, Pendleton is the base of operations of nearly one hundred Rangers who roam the nearby forests and ensure the safety of several smaller hamlets located along the lakeshore.
Religion
Pendleton has seven temples within the city and its outlying areas. The largest is a Temple of Pelor located in the Upper Quarter. Formerly a Temple of Pholtus, the Pholtans were expelled from the city fifty-four years ago when they attempted to ‘clean up’ the inhabitants morals by enforcing their own laws instead of laws of Pendleton. Mal ordered that the Pholtan priests and clergy be tarred-and-feathered, and then run out the city when they stormed a brothel and charged the girls there with violations of the Lightbringer’s Creed. Presided over by Bishop Stannis Fel (11th level cleric), the Pelorans have learned well the lesson taught to the priests of Pholtus and make no attempt to change the nature of the city, other than by example.
There are three smaller temples in the Commons: one each of Blerred (the Iron Mule; Father Gavin Orne, 9th level cleric), Olidammara (the Laughing Rogue; Monsignor Adrian Belk, 10th level halfling cleric), and St. Cuthbert (of the Cudgel, Inquisitor Lars West, 9th level cleric). Plus, there are three more temples in the Farms district, one for Beory (the Oerth-Mother, 10th level cleric), and Kord (the Brawler; 12th level cleric). Kord’s ‘temple’ is not a true temple, but a coliseum that his clergy erected for the people of Pendleton, paid by for Mal. The final temple in the Farms district is the Necropolis of Wee Jas (the Ruby Socereress, the Witch Queen), which includes all of the graveyards of Pendleton and is surrounded by a wall. Natasha Shadowbane, a 14th level cleric is the Prelate here, and the single most powerful cleric within Pendleton.
Several darker gods (including Hextor, Nerull, and Syrul, as well as various Abyssal and Infernal powers, have secret cults in the city, but these faiths are never publically admitted to or spoken of. Further, the Fist has a small shrine to Moradin and other Dwarven deities, and the halfling inhabitants also have numerous shrines to Yondalla.
Magic
In the High Quarter, there is a magic academy dedicated to Boccob (the Uncaring). Run by the wizard Karalis (11th level elf wizard), the academy trains aspiring wizards in the ways of magic. Funded partially by Mal, the Academy also houses the city library and that section is open to the public. In exchange for establishing his Academy in Pendleton, Karalis has pledged to contribute the cities defense.
The Rogue’s Guild
Pendleton has a very expansive rogue’s and assassin’s guild. However, unlike most such, this one is run by a very unusual creature: Miakaevoy the beholder, also known as Mikey. The victim of a helm of opposite alignment early in his life, Mikey is chaotic good (although lately he has been tending more and more towards neutral) and quite sane. He runs the pub ‘Eye of the Beholder’ in the North Docks where he serves as the bartender, bouncer, and owner. However, he is also the Guildmaster of the Pendleton Rogue’s Guild. Mikey keeps a very close eye on the activities of his rogues, and while not adverse to a little theft and a nicely run con, he doesn’t allow any actions that would place the city itself in jeopardy. In addition, he maintains a list of individuals that the Guild is not allowed to target—including Malachi Pendleton and the senior members of the clergy. Others on the list are those who have helped the beholder in the past, or simply have been nice to him. He gets very upset when rogues in his guild break his rules. He also prohibits some of the more heinous criminal activities, including rape and kidnappings. Any rogue operating in Pendleton has to join Mikey’s Guild and abide by his rules—the penalty for not doing so is death.
Fight Night
Every week, the temple of Kord hosts a series of bouts and physical competitions at their temple. For the cost of two coppers, anyone can be admitted into the coliseum to watch the fights and partake of good food and drink. Bouts range from bare-knuckles boxing to fully armored fighters with sword and mace to noble jousts, and can change from week-to-week.
The Ebon Rose
Kurt Avon (13th level half-elf monk) is the Master of the Sorcerer’s Isle Chapterhouse of the Monastic Order of the Ebon Rose. Currently some seventy persons reside on the Isle, thirty monks and forty noviates. Having a wonderful voice, and a thirst for good ale, Avon can often be found in the Eye of the Beholder, leading the patrons in a rousing ballad as he drains mug after mug of ale. Observers have noted, however, that regardless of how much he drinks, he always appears to be quite sober.
The Lord Marshall
Dereck Blackhammer, an 18th level dwarf soulknife, is the Lord Marshall of Pendlton. Despite oftentimes disagreeing with the 'loose' manner in which Malachi Pendle runs the city (and vehemently objecting to the presence of Mikey!), he is quite good in his job at preserving the peace. Serving as the head of the Watch and Militia, the Lord Marshall oversees both organizations, as well as the City Prison. He is also responsible for the City Rangers that patrol the outlying farms and forest, as well as supporting the small hamlets along the shores of Lake Abanfyl. The Lord Marshall is one of the few who are aware that Malachi is a dragon, and he has agreed to keep the secret because it could be a vital ace-in-the-hole in the defense of the city.
The Laughing Rogue
Mile's D'Avout, a 17th level halfling swashbuckler is one of the prominent characters of Pendleton. Chaotic good in alignment, he has 'retired' to Pendleton, where he regals pretty young listeners at various pubs with tales of his exploits across the Flaness and beyond. In his free time, Miles serves as the enforcer for Mikey's Guild, and makes certain that there are no 'foreign' rogues or assassins in the city. Although deadly with a blade (and his wit), Miles would prefer to settle matters without drawing blood--and he can usually intimidate or convince rogues and assassins not aligned with the Guild to join. But he has no compunctions about resorting to his rapier if the unaligned rogue does not agree.
The Weekend Fair
Every other Starday, the Necropolis invites anyone who wishes to attend to a 'dinner on the grounds', where the visitors can visit the graves of their loved ones and enjoy a hearty meal prepared by the temple staff and offered free of charge. Picnic baskets and blankets are given to the visitors, who then have dinner near the grave of their loved ones. While the other temples in the city have complained about how this practice is buying the faith of many commoners, the poorer members of the city are grateful for the free meal, without even having to sit through a sermon. Merchants pay the Necropolis a commission to set up a booth on the grounds for the day, selling trinkets and additional food and drink. This program of outreach has resulted in the temple of Wee Jas being the most attended religion in the city, even if their temple is not the largest.
The Druids of the Circle
The Circle of the Moon is the druidic sect that has authority over the ancient forests surrouding Pendleton. Currently, the sect is very agitated by Mad Mal's constant encroachment upon the wilds. Many members of the Circle favor going to war with the city, and while cooler heads have so far prevailed, the druids are not at all happy with the expansion of this town. Several junior members of the Circle have begun assaulting mineworkers and stopping road travel, which has in turn angered Malachi. Tensions between these two powers are very tense at the moment.
Any feedback or ideas, comments, or critiques would be appreciated.
Master Arminas
No thoughts at all, huh?
MA
No one likes it? Sigh. I figured at least someone would say, well that is cool. :)
MA
Time to resurrect the dead. I really enjoyed this, so thank you MA!
I grew up in Greyhawk and I love that you gave those uptight Pholtans the heave-ho. Path of the Blinding Light Mikey's eye...
Anyway, I found this after doing a search for some inspiration. I'm creating a large town as a center for my next campaign, or perhaps just an interesting aside in my current one. The town will be known as Inderwick.
Now, in my homebrew I added an element called The Wilding; a continental calamity enacted by the foolhardy actions from a group of PCs a couple campaigns ago. You see elves had these crystals they were using to siphon off energy from the First World to balance out the degredation being caused by an ancient black dragon with a temple-sized artifact that was amplifying his Stagnation ability. When the PCs went in for the kill to wrap up the campaign they steamrolled through so much story they missed the crystals and the elves lost control of them.
Ok, so the forests and wild areas of the lands of Karnoss went nuts. Fast forward a hundred years and the Wilding has ended, but the calamity caused a "dark age". People became more suspicious and insular; fey roamed free and caused all kinds of mischief which just fueled the paranoia, and the churches grew in political power with the more strict and zealous getting the lion's share.
Phew. So, what's Inderwick?
First, in ancient times there was a halfling shire among the hills and moors overlooking a river with bogs and forests all around. The bog seeped into the river and then into the halfling settlement, souring the ground. Some halfings embraced the dark powers of the mire and hewed deeper; these became boggards. Some directly opposed these evils were accursed, becoming the grippli. Those who just did nothing were consumed by the evil, reborn as the animalistic grindylow.
After some time civilization rose here again. The ground was still sour but a strategic citadel was built on the verge of the bogs by the Karnossov Empire, on a rocky prominence in the mouth of the river overlooking the rolling moors. The fort was discovered and infiltrated by a hag's coven known as the Beldam Knot, and from there the bogs get their name.
The hags enslaved the Karnossov, turning some into minions while slaying and animating the rest as a horde of undead. They then marched their armies north and the War of the Knot shattered the hillsides. Eventually crusaders from the distant north arrived and drove the hags back, all the way to the banks of the river; there on a hillside in the shadow of the cursed citadel a brave paladin gave his life not only to slay the last of the hags but to unleash an epic nova of channeled energy that destroyed the last vestiges of the unliving horde.
This singular act began to turn the tide. The ground healed and as pilgrims came to the spot to pray and gaurd it against the horrors still lurking among the ruins of the citadel they noted that new life began to spring forth from the ground. Of course these poor refugees had not the resources to erect more than a simple monastery so they called upon Master Inderwick, a noted alchemist and Loremaster who had also survived the war.
Inderwick then brought all his own considerable resources as well as that of his allies, cohorts and minions to the citadel, now to reclaim this land for civilization once and for all. In the end the ruin was cleansed of every last evil and the monastic clergy (not hai-ya monks but Vespers and courtly knight type monks) accompanied Master Inderwick in recreating the place anew.
Inderwick then rose from the prominence of the citadel and down, to both banks on either side of the river. The north bank was the site of the monastery and so great pains were taken to preserve the austerity of the place. In building up the hilsides around the place the old underhill tunnels of the halflings were uncovered and repurposed; some were opened to the sky by clever dwarves and built upon to form deep foundations while others running down to the river were interwoven into a sewer system. While this is rare for a settlement this small it was deemed necessary just in case the bogs flooded once more and the ground threatened to sour once more.
The north bank then became the center of urban life; markets and professionals, pious pilgrims who built a church with separate shrines for each of the major gods and still more among the churchyard and cemetery, even the nobles of the town settled estates here. The south bank however was settled some distance away from the citadel and north wards. Here, on the very outskirts of where a gnarled, moss-dappled forest called the Glumwood mingles with the moors and heath of the Beldam Bogs came the laborers, river folk and tanners. A goodly portion of the forest was cleared for grazeland and the lowborn and downtrodden flocked to the south bank.
The south bank also became the gateway for adventure. Access along the mining trails could take a traveler or scholar into the Beldam Bogs where many a fortune was found fighting against the remnants of the Beldam Knot or their minions. Following the fork of the river upstream to the east, known as Kel's Lament, wayfarers could strive deep into the Glumwood or even visit the coastal towns on the far side of the wood. The south bank then became a secondary settlement for the needs of this rare and transient clientele; wizard's towers, healer's halls and many other rare and terrible wonders crowded the walls here, all vying for the coin of the freebooters.
Then came the Wilding.
The town was young; just thirty years since its founding. Yet it sprawled across the banks, surrounded itself with high walls and despite its isolation was thriving. Inderwickans on the south bank had teamed with dwarves to mine iron from the bogs; though dangerous due to both envionmental and humanoid hazards, a mercenary group known as the Lantern Watch had been permanently retained by the lord mayor to protect the miners. Alliances with local grippli clans also provided some advanced warning of calamity. When the frog-folk however came with a warning that the very wilds themselves had come alive with unimaginable ferocity and were expanding to consume everything in it's path, the folk of Inderwick thought it some kind of farce or ploy.
A small team of Erastilin and guards were dispatched out into the Glumwood; they were never seen again. Other patrols were dispatched and the threat was confirmed. The forest was replenishing itself, spreading visibly in a matter of months into the Beldam and descending steadily toward the south bank. No effort was spared to avert the coming disaster and many gave their lives attempting to withstand the onslaught. In the end the south bank was lost to the combined might of the wetlands and the woods.
When finally the Wilding ended just as suddenly as it came the townsfolk tenatively began to reclaim the outer wards. Wholesale deforestation was met with disaster as the forest brought the darker powers of both the Glumwood and the Beldam with it. However over the past 5 years a foothold has been established. A gatehouse, some sections of the wall and some few sections of the town have either been refurbished or rebuilt. However much of the buildings and outer towers are now interwoven into a tangled knot of hulking trees and fog-strewn bogs. The townsfolk call this area The Gnarl.
The grippli now have a place in Inderwick society. They live on the verge of The Gnarl and aid the Lantern Watch in their expeditions and patrols. The Lamentation Road has been cleared on its way to the coast but there is no longer a bridge crossing the Kel's; instead for a pittance grippli ferry-paddlers will run travelers between the banks. These runs are ill-advised by night as many have noted grindylow or worse prowl the wide river. The ferry-paddlers keep blades and pins at the ready even in daylight as their great plodding feet propell their crafts.
Life and culture have slowly returned to Inderwick over the past five years. Small caravans brave the Lamentation Road to trade with the eastern towns while to the north the road skirts another woodland called the Ebonfir Wilds; rugged hills dotted with coniferous growth. These mingle with the stony uplands where once the Karnossov ruled and have now fallen into decay. Known as the Dusk Barrows these foothills and the mountains beyond are now only home to dwarven crafters or wicked hermits, though braving this path will eventually bring you to distant Vardok in 2 days time.
So...what do you think?
I like the breakdown, even if im not to familiar with Greyhawk.
Dot.
Hope that it helped you out, Mark. Glad that you liked it.
Oh, since I mentioned the porcuswine, here is the link to that conversion.
MA
Dear MA,
What delightful program did you use for that map?
Sincerely,
AF.
Gotten Himmel! I'd completely forgotten McSwiney's! I used to get into that, Tharg's Future Shocks, and all the rest in 2000ad progs.
What's up Earthlets?
Dear MA,
What delightful program did you use for that map?
Sincerely,
AF.
MS Paint. Pixel by bloody pixel.
MA
Dear MA,
What delightful program did you use for that map?
Sincerely,
AF.
MS Paint. Pixel by bloody pixel.
MA
I know that feeling... I like GIMP personally.
MA: what factions/groups/antagonists did you use for Pendleton? Were there any agents of the Scarlet Brotherhood here when they revealed themselves? Also what did your players think of the city?
My fear is I'm obsessing over Inderwick, having a great time coming up with all this detail and fluff, and even coming up with several hooks and serious threats to keep them around town, but I'm going to roll it out and the players will be like "that's nice; I sell my potions for a horse and ride away. I wonder what's on the other side of the map, past the part you drew..."
I find having things as general as possible is better than having things locked down and completely detailed down to everyone having their own name.
MA: what factions/groups/antagonists did you use for Pendleton? Were there any agents of the Scarlet Brotherhood here when they revealed themselves? Also what did your players think of the city?
My fear is I'm obsessing over Inderwick, having a great time coming up with all this detail and fluff, and even coming up with several hooks and serious threats to keep them around town, but I'm going to roll it out and the players will be like "that's nice; I sell my potions for a horse and ride away. I wonder what's on the other side of the map, past the part you drew..."
Heh. No Scarlet Brotherhood, but lots of cultists of Iuz and Nerull, along with the escalating tensions between the Druids and the City. There were are few city-based adventures, but the valley around Lake Abanfyl is pretty big, with lots of ruins and critters and that kept my folks occupied for a while.
The players loved it. One of them (a wizard) found this ratty old place down in the North Docks and bought it for a song. He was retiring the character (an 11th level wizard) and spent several THOUSAND of his hard-earned gold to fix the place up and start a resturant. That's right. A gourmet resturant. He had max ranks in Profession (Cook) and had researched several spells including the Cantrip Spice (which has the verbal/somatic component of pointing at the dish and saying BAMMM!) to assist his technique. Unseen Assistant Chef was his second favorite, though.
He did go on one final adventure when I had a halfling merchant come through town with a complete set of +1 adamantine kitchen cutlery . . . thirty-two knives, forks, tongs, mallets, spoons, spatulas, and frying pans (non-stick). He had to earn a bit more money for that and he did.
Gave the party a 50% discount and entered an agreement with Mikey for protection from the criminal element.
It was good times.
MA
arminas,
That is awesome... What was the Wizards name?
Nice! And Iuz; I'd forgotten the old skull lover! The last few games of Greyhawk I'd played were obsessed with the SB; one player actually became an agent of theirs.
Iuz' mother, Igwyllv, has gotten a makeover as the main hag villainess of my current campaign, only I've taken to calling her Migwyllv, or Auntie Mig.
Anyway that wizard sounds totally boss. Unseen Siou Chef is a great spell! What kind of food did he serve?
I've detailed Inderwick's history and overview; I have a stat block and a VERY crude map on notebook paper. I've also assembled the Gnarl - a wilderness/ruins megadungeon on the edge of town. I've begun taking the first swipes at the factions in town which will directly impact the adventures of the campaign, and have also put together some primary and secondary adventure blueprints spanning the first campaign arc in outline form.
AF: I hear you on not overdoing the detail. Its always a fear and I've gone to the extreme you describe a couple times before learning my lesson. Unfortunately in the campaign I'm currently running I've gone to the other extreme; I created a rough overland map and wrote some settlement names on it, that's it. I have NO detail for the towns or cities in my current homebrew setting of Bloodthorn Hollow. Instead I've just ad libbed everything on the fly as the party's needed something.
That's worked ok so far, but I've heard one player grumble that they WANT to feel immersed in the setting but they honestly don't know anything - who's the wizard in town or IS there one; what are the NAMES of the clerics who keep patching them up with potions; the town's known for hunters and bows, but who's the best in town to go to for masterwork gear?
That campaign is already under way and I'm playing catch up to their concerns. However I want to be a bit more prepped for next time w/out going overboard as you suggest. my only fear is, where's the line between too much detail, not enough, and just right?
Have everything stated out & Set up to go but not laid out.
As they explore you plug things into the world and set them in stone.
arminas,
That is awesome... What was the Wizards name?
To tell the truth, I don't remember the characte's name; it was seven or eight years ago. But I remember the player (Andy) and the BAM! wizard/chef well.
MA
Nice! And Iuz; I'd forgotten the old skull lover! The last few games of Greyhawk I'd played were obsessed with the SB; one player actually became an agent of theirs.
Iuz' mother, Igwyllv, has gotten a makeover as the main hag villainess of my current campaign, only I've taken to calling her Migwyllv, or Auntie Mig.
Anyway that wizard sounds totally boss. Unseen Siou Chef is a great spell! What kind of food did he serve?
Heh. We didn't get that far into the weeds, but he made original dishes . . . and the lunch special (DON'T EAT THE SPECIAL!). Since his spells could make any food taste good, and he had a low-level cleric on hand to cast Purify Food and Drink, the meat in the special was harbor rat, and the vegetables/breads spoiled/moldy. Saved his cost. But since it didn't LOOK like rotten rat and it TASTED good, it still sold to the poor folks of the distict (and the Special was just 1 silver a plate, including one (1) drink). But his waiters told more . . . affluent customers DON'T EAT THE SPECIAL!
MA
I always wanted to have a Soup Nazi villain. The PCs walk into the tavern they've heard so much about but they don't understand the unorthodox method of ordering; when they screw up the villain shouts at them to leave the place - they're banned for months. Unfortunately the second they're banned they find out their next quest somehow involves getting back in.
Anyway, thanks again MA for the Greyhawk memory lane. Do you still play in GH? Also thanks for the map. I don't have the patience for that or even GIMP; I used hexographer's free hex mapping for a small, regional map and localized maps I just sketch out on notebook paper. And by "sketch out" I mean some lines, circles and boxes vaguely near one another, and then some names thrown in and something to mark direction and scale.
Still I'm glad I found this and always hunt for tips on world building and such. In that vein, thanks AF for the guidelines on statting everything and adding it snap-on fashion.
Soup Nazi Lich!
Dot