So i got wrangled into being a DM for a new group that, surprisingly, my wife started. Most of the people in the group are new to pathfinder, whereas i have one guy that more than likely become a rules lawyer, but that is beside the point.
What i am here to talk about is the campaign. A few months ago i came across a posting someone did talking about the Oregon Trail, and converting it to a campaign setting.
Now this idea has stuck with me ever since, and ive been mulling it over, thinking about how i could overlay pathfinder with this event in history, and what i made up i'd like to post on here, just to give people to get some ideas as to what to expect when adapting history to a campaign.
This is the email that i sent to the members of the group
The year is 1814, Americanna has just beaten Gross Britannica in an effort to ensure its freedom. The help received back in 1779 from Franco in the form of Franciscan battle dragons helped turn the tide in the Revolutionary war and helped secure Americanna’s enduring freedom. Her navy beaten, her sea dragons pushed back into the murky depths, and a Kraken destroyed, the mighty empire of Gross Britannica limps back to its island capital, plotting. The upstart country of Americanna has just received a jump start to its position in the global colonization efforts.
In 1804, explorers Lewis and Clark went on a 2 year exploration of the territory beyond the Mississippi river. Leaving from the small trading post of Sanz Louis, they traveled the newly purchased lands from France. What they found is incredible. Their stories of inviting savages, drow by their native tongue, has encouraged the government to gather a large group of explorers to head west, chart the territories, find the lands that are favorable for settlement.
Your payment, head west. Once you get to the Pacific ocean, mark your possession of the land with a large flag, and all the land around that spot is yours, for as far as the eye can see.
Yet beware, there are more dangerous creatures that haunt the lands.
Be on your guard, fare explorers
What i did was i made the Drow be the native americans on the plains, I am having dwarves have a mighty empire within the rocky mountains, and having a large empire of orcs and goblins residing within the California/southern oregon region. To the north will be some native centaurs.
For magic, what i did was created a wild magic zone that stretches from the mountains to the mississippi. Each time someone within the PC wishes to cast a spell, ill roll a percentile. 01-25, no magic. 26-75, regular magic, and 76-99 heightened magic (but, still working on the numbers and effects).
The goal of the group is to settle, kind of like kingmaker. Right now, they are the guards of a lone wagon that is heading to colorado, and will be helping to build a fort and establish a trade post. I am having the group go to Cheyenne mountains and establish the post.
well, so far that is all i can think of. Thisll be evolving as we play...
I like that you're trying something different with the Drow.
If you're looking for ideas, in real life one of the lesser remembered reasons for the War of 1812 was the continuing efforts of Britain to encourage the creation of a strong enough coalition of native nations in the Mississippi River Valley to check the U.S.'s westward expansion.
That sounds like a lot of fun. I would be inclined - instead of using just drow for the native people - to have a host of pc races. One for each state or territory once you're past human civilization.
I was the guy who started that thing up a few months ago. Never panned out due to scheduling issues but all my players enjoyed it while it lasted.
You've got a good concept so far. If its going to truly be an Oregon Trail. You gotta remember, getting there is three fourths of the fun.
Set up a table, 1d100, and fill it with encounters and environmental hazards. From fording a River, a native attack, to coming down with cholera. Roll on that sucker for every two days of travel.