Journey to Fort Rannick Fleshed out

[thelesuit]

I found an excellent source of more "historically realistic" village inhabitants here.

Not that I'm advocating historical accuracy is always desired. But this at least yields what you would expect to find in a medieval European village. Which some folks might find a bit dull (okay, just about everyone finds dull). But I think a bit more interesting than finding a 3rd level rogue under every rock.

Just sayin'.

CJ

[Wheldrake]

Thread necromancy!
This is a great thread, and a great example of how to flesh out overland journeys. My players are just getting ready to leave for Fort Rannick and I'm betting they imagine we will handwave 3-4 weeks of overland travel. Imagine their supprise as I begin detailing the insignificant thorps and hamlets that line the great Yondobakari river...

Hats off to P. H. Dungeon and his work on this blank slate on the map of Varisia.

[The Usual Suspect]

Dot

[vornn]

I am excited for this section of the adventure now, was wondering how to get them from M to TBF, this is a great help. thanks guys.

We've been almost a year playing and we are starting book 3.

I think it would be good if there was a google maps type landscape for the map, where you can add notes and the such, so that new GMs like me can use this extra work put in by some astonishing people.

:)

[Wheldrake]

vornn wrote:

I am excited for this section of the adventure now, was wondering how to get them from M to TBF, this is a great help. thanks guys.

We've been almost a year playing and we are starting book 3.

I think it would be good if there was a google maps type landscape for the map, where you can add notes and the such, so that new GMs like me can use this extra work put in by some astonishing people.

:)

Glad to hear your campaign is going well. Nearly a year ago, I was in the same place you are. Here are two files I developed after stealing all the material in this thread (and thanking my victims!):

1) A jpg of the detailed map I developed

2) A pdf of the text descriptions compiled from this thread

There's more, but it'll have to wait a few days until I'm back home.

[Callum]

Thanks, Wheldrake, those are very useful! I look forward to seeing what else you have.

Is there any chance you could make a higher resolution version of the jpg available? Some of the detail and smaller text on that version is hard to make out.

[Fumarole]

Those are some great ideas up above, but I don't think I can do that much prep in advance. I am envious of the time and attention you GMs put into your games. I kept my encounters pretty simple.

My players were behind on XP so I simply created a single encounter for them on the trip upriver from Magnimar to Turtleback Ferry. They boarded the Feisty Goblin helmed by Captain Redlegs at the Lord-Mayor's recommendation. Due to the constant rains in the Turtleback region, the rivers were swollen and Captain Redlegs didn't want to risk sailing in the dark, so the PCs were tasked with defending the ship at anchor each night. On the second night, along the Mushfens, a fog suddenly arose, obscuring sight for the dwarven warpriest and gnome sorcerer standing watch. This was cover for a marsh giant (Fog Cloud spell-like ability) as well as his boggard and giant frog minions, who boarded the ship and attacked.

It was a pretty good session. Photos here and here.

[Wheldrake]

Very cool photos - though it's a shame you had to use paper miniatures for the frogmen. Otherworld miniatures has some great frogmen (called "boglings") visible here:
http://otherworldminiatures.co.uk/shop/wilderness-encounters/444-2/

I've always had a penchant for overland adventures (Ever since, in the mid 70s, D&D suggested using "Outdoor Survival" to simulate wilderness adventures) so I try to make them as interesting as possible. Any and all efforts to make the wilderness cooler than a dungeon crawl are welcome.

[Desna's Avatar]

This is such a great thread. Thank you all for your contributions! In the spirit of continuing the sharing, here's a little something I whipped up, a book kept on hand in every nightstand at A Fistful of Eels in Thaurish. I hope someone finds it useful, or at least entertaining:

The Life and Times of Lesher Thaurish

"Welcome to Thaurish! We hope you enjoy your stay in the freest town in Varisia.

UPDATE - All printings of "The Lies of Lesher" are banned in Thaurish and will be burned as heretical."

The book purports to offer a documentary treatise on the man who founded Thaurish, but reads more like a piece of myth-building propaganda. According to the book, the village of Thaurish was founded nearly 100 years ago by the frontiersman Lesher Thaurish, who decided to settle the land with his family and others, it being a land ripe with wood and fish, and he having found those in Wartle too backwards and primitive.

- Illustration of a determined-looking Lesher fighting off a small group of bears with a spear, the other settlers seeking protection behind him -

Lesher and these settlers soon discovered they were not alone. Clans of Varisians had apparently made this land home as well, living a barbarous existence. Lesher and his wife took pity on the savages and helped to civilize them, introducing them to new methods of fishing, hunting, and shepherding.

- Illustration of Lesher bathed in an angelic light, offering sustenance to a bedraggled and meek looking group of Varisians -

Soon, all grew fat off the land, and as word spread, Thaurish flourished, attracting others to this newfound prosperity. Not long thereafter, Lesher awoke one morning to find his wife and daughter gone and the Varisians nowhere to be found. Looking about, he discovered the gypsies had stolen all of his fish and wealth, leaving him with colorful but worthless scarves in their place.

- Illustration of well-dressed, shadowy Varisians with evil grins skulking off into the night, with hands over the mouths of Lesher's wife and daughter, riches dripping from their pockets -

From that moment on, Lesher swore that no Varisian would set foot in Thaurish, and that any crossing his path would meet his wrath. He redoubled his settlement efforts, taking another wife, and as time passed, out of Thaurish grew a thriving river trade in eels, carp, catfish, and trout. "If not for the hardy audacity of Lesher Thaurish, you would not be reading this today, and the world would be a worse place.

Enjoy your stay, and remember to tip the courtesans!"

[Lord Snugfish]

I know the thread is old. But such great content. Thank you. HAppy i found it.